By Almira Louise S. Martinez, Reporter
ILOILO-BASED Panaderia de Molo, one of the country’s oldest bakeries, is set to expand to Metro Manila with a planned branch in Quezon City by 2026, bringing its famed molo ball soup and baked goods closer to a wider market.
“Along with others who are part of the fifth generation, we are now based here in Manila,” Amanda Treñas-Gan, the bakery’s manager, told BusinessWorld in an interview. “We want to make it available also to Manila people who are familiar with the product and to those who are not yet familiar with us.”
The bakery has been catering to Metro Manila customers through pick-up and delivery orders since 2022, but Ms. Gan said they wanted a physical presence that would let diners sit down and enjoy their products. The Quezon City branch is expected to include coffee on the menu to attract younger customers.
“Usually, the younger ones who know about it are those whose parents or grandparents introduced it to them,” she said. “So, we’re opening a Manila branch to introduce and reintroduce Panaderia de Molo.”
Founded in 1872, Panaderia de Molo is considered Iloilo’s oldest surviving bakery, with three branches across the province. Its origins trace back to the Jason y Hechanova sisters— Marciana, Natividad and Soledad — who started the bakery during the construction of the Santa Ana Parish Church, also known as Molo Church.
“Our ancestors used egg yolks to create biscuits,” Ms. Gan said. The recipes, she added, were passed down from the Spaniards.
For historians, the bakery’s survival is more than just a culinary story. According to local historian Jose Nereo C. Lujan, bakeries in Molo during the Spanish colonial period reflected Iloilo’s socioeconomic progress.
“That time, Iloilo was known as Provincia de Oton, later renamed Provincia de Iloilo,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “Women were visible and active participants in the economy, whether in running bakeries, operating eateries or engaging in trade.”
“This speaks volumes of Iloilo’s progress,” he added.
Mr. Lujan said Panaderia de Molo is “a window into the progress of Iloilo society,” with its history tied to both religion and commerce.
“The humble panaderia (bakery) of Molo is emblematic of a broader cultural and economic vitality that has long defined Iloilo’s identity,” he added.
By branching out to Manila, Panaderia de Molo hopes to preserve its heritage while introducing its legacy recipes to new generations of Filipinos.