Recently in the City of Las Piñas, a new evacuation center in Barangay Zapote was inaugurated with the presence of Mayor Imelda Aguilar and other officials, the City Government announced via social media.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the social media post of the City Government. Some parts in boldface…
The City of Las Piñas formally inaugurated the newly constructed Santos Homes Evacuation Facility on Saturday, March 1 at the Santos Village III Covered Court in Zapote. The facility aims to provide a safe and secure shelter for residents during emergencies and calamities.
The evacuation center is equipped with essential amenities, including restrooms, wash areas, and designated spaces for evacuees to accommodate displaced families during typhoons, floods, and other disasters.
Present at the blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony were Mayor Mel Aguilar, Vice Mayor April Aguilar, and City Councilor Mark Anthony Santos, together with other local officials and community leaders.
Mayor Mel highlighted the importance of the evacuation center in ensuring the well-being of Las Piñeros, especially during natural disasters.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Is there a new evacuation center being constructed in your local community?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, more than six hundred residents – mostly children – of Barangay Pamplona Tres were served with food and drinks when the Auxiliary Feeding Program was held in their local community, the City Government announced via social media. Vice Mayor April Aguilar attended the program.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the social media post of the City Government. Some parts in boldface…
The City of Las Piñas held an Auxiliary Feeding Program on Wednesday, February 26, at the Hernandez Compound in Pamplona Tres, benefiting more than 600 residents, particularly children.
Participants received nutritious “Creamy Veggie Macaroni Soup” and bottled water, prepared by nutritionist-dietitians and barangay nutrition scholars. The program aims to promote proper nutrition and support the health of young residents.
Vice Mayor April Aguilar joined the event, alongside Las Piñas City Nutrition Office OIC Dr. Julio P. Javier II, and barangay nutrition workers who helped facilitate the feeding program.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Has the City Government’s Auxiliary Feeding Program been held in your local community recently?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently Muntinlupa City hosted the 2024 edition of the Flavors of NCR food festival at the Filinvest City Central Park in Alabang and I personally witnessed the formal opening ceremony which involved many high-level officials and special guests. A lot of people visited the food festival on April 19 and 20 which added to the credibility of Filinvest City Central Park as a suitable open-air venue for special events.
For the newcomers reading this, Flavors of NCR is a special event presented by the Association of Tourism Officers – NCR which collaborated with the City Government of Muntinlupa for this year’s event. It is a showcase of unique cuisine found in the sixteen cities and one municipality of the National Capital Region (NCR). The local government units (LGUs) that participated include: Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, Valenzuela, and the Municipality of Pateros.
Event launch
The ribbon cutting led by high officials that include Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano (3rd from left), Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon (3rd from right) and Department of Tourism-NCR Regional Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin (2nd from left) to name a few.
The opening ceremony of Flavors of NCR 2024 was attended by Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, Department of Tourism-NCR Regional Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin, Association of Tourism Officers-NCR headed by Manila City Tourism chief Charlie Dungo, and Pasay City chief of staff Peter Eric Pardo. Also present were Muntinlupa Vice Mayor Temy Simundac and Muntinlupa City Council Raul Corro.
“We are delighted to host the Flavors of NCR,” Mayor Biazon stated during his welcome remarks to all the guests. “(We acknowledge) the presence of other cities here so that their products will be showcased and we are proud to have you here.”
Biazon stressed that hosting the Flavors of NCR opens up opportunities for Metro Manila’s LGUs and their respective food-and-beverage stakeholders access to the Calabarzon region composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon with a collective population of over sixteen million people.
It should be noted that the Alabang area of Muntinlupa is a popular destination for Calabarzon residents as well as those from nearby cities who enjoy shopping and recreational activities during the weekend. That being said, Flavors of NCR fits nicely with the weekend vibe at Filinvest City.
After the formal ribbon-cutting was done, Flavors of NCR 2024 officially opened and a lot of people and photographers followed Biazon and the guests visit the different food booths of each city.
Each LGU and their best
I visited and explored the designated areas (also referred to as “booths”) of each LGU during the food festival. Each area had a different style of interiors and layouts of food, drinks and other products being offered to visitors. There were also chairs and tables present for those who need to seat down and eat. Check out my raw YouTube videos plus pictures below…
Native delicacies on display for sale at the Las Piñas City booth.
Burger patties being cooked at the Mandaluyong City area.
Delicious halo-halo from Aling Consuelo Halo-Halo sa Ugbo. This was sold at P100 each.
Marikina City had four sellers that attracted customers during the food festival.
Drinks, dessert and other stuff offered to customers at the Las Piñas City booth.
As expected, the variety of food and drinks were really great. Offered to customers were chicken, beef, pork, siomai, barbeque, puto, bibingka, pansit, siopao, fried chicken, roasted pig, pastries, cakes, halo-halo and ice cream to name some. There were also non-food products being sold such as bags and accessories in some booths.
The Muntinlupa City area.
Sea food and other food items being sold at the Parañaque City booth.
Fried chicken being prepared for customers.
The best of Muntinlupa City offered to customers.
Food and bags for sale inside the booth of Malabon City.
It was really nice to see these small businesses represent their locality and offered their best products to visitors at Filinvest City Central Park. Adding zest to the food festival were some performances by different bands from the cities of NCR. There also was a modern dance activity that drew in lots of visitors which added to the customers at the food festival.
Conclusion
The 2024 edition of Flavors of NCR at Filinvest City Central Park was indeed a nice showcase of what each LGU had to offer for those who love food and drinks. In addition, this festival really emphasized unity between the local governments of NCR and it also promoted local tourism. The festival also attracted some residents of Filinvest City’s residential towers (plus others from Ayala Alabang, Palms Pointe Village and other residential communities) and some employees (who worked at offices near the park) whose shifts ended.
In the perspective of tourism, this event really boosted Filinvest City Central Park’s status as a venue for special events or activities. To date, the said park continues to be an attraction for visitors and already it has been used by organizers of sports events and musical events.
This was taken during Saturday night.
The successful staging of Flavors of NCR could inspire food festival organizers to have their events held within Filinvest City in the future.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: Were you able to attend Flavors of NCR at the central park in Filinvest City? If you did, how was your experience? Do you wish to see another food festival to be held at Filinvest City Central Park soon?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government announced via social media that prestigious Flavors of NCR will be hosted locally on April 19 and 20, 2024 at Filinvest City Central Park (the venue). There will be a wide variety of culinary delights from cooks representing the many cities of the National Capital Region (NCR) and there will also be some amusement for attendees to enjoy.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the social media post of the City Government. Some parts in boldface…
Savor the diverse culinary delights of the metro at Flavors of NCR! This exciting event, brought to you by the Association of Tourism Officers – NCR since 2022, invites you to join us on April 19-20, 2024, at the picturesque Filinvest City Central Park in Alabang, Muntinlupa. Get ready for a culinary extravaganza where you can explore and indulge in the best of local cuisines from across the National Capital Region.
The visual announcement of Flavors of NCR for 2024. (photo source – City Government of Muntinlupa Facebook page)
As you feast on delectable dishes, immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere with captivating performances by cultural groups and brass bands representing various LGUs. It’s more than just a food festival; it’s a celebration of our rich culinary heritage and cultural diversity.
Mark your calendars for this unforgettable weekend filled with flavors, music, and fun!
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you intend to attend the Flavors of NCR at Filinvest City Central Park this month? When was the last time you attended a major food festival? Have you been to the Filinvest City Central Park lately?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined. Additional information from the official website of the subject business is also used. Take note that this is not a sponsored article at all. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Let me start by confirming to you all that I just had the greatest foreign trip ever in my life…a pilgrimage tour in Israel with my local church (led by two of its designated pastors for the tour) hosted by its Israeli partner.
During a particular day of the tour, our group was in close proximity to the Sea of Galilee (also referred to as Lake Tiberias) when some of us – including myself – participated in water baptism at the Yardenit Baptismal Site. After that, our group went to a nearby store for organic goods and spices to shop. The problem was the store we visited was closed for some reason.
As an alternative, we went to the area of Kinneret (located in close proximity to the Sea of Galilee) and visited the Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center (also referred to as Tamar B’kfar Visitors Center). It turns out, the change was splendid.
The front of the Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center.
Upon entering the store, Tamar Bakfar’s people welcomed us very warmly and one of them oriented us about what they were selling, how wide their lineup of organic goods was, which products are healthy, why nature is emphasized a lot through their products, and the like. The store has a very nice interior design and the products were cleverly organized to be customer-friendly and even be attractive.
The lady representing the store gave our group an in-depth orientation about their business, what they have, what is good, why nature is emphasized a lot on many products and more. It was an enlightening experience to learn from her.
Look at these energy bars made with natural ingredients.
As I personally observed, Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center sells a lot of different types of products that can meet the needs or wants of customers. They have dates and date products (note: date spread, date honey, date conditioner, date syrup and so on), nuts, dried fruits, spices, honey (note: avocado honey, eucalyptus honey, and Galilee-sourced honey to name a few), olive oil, chocolates (note: chocolates come in many different forms), wine and other types of sweets.
I bought from the store this snack of chocolate-covered coffee beans. So enjoyable!
Anyone looking for self-care products should check out their cosmetics section where they have products that used natural ingredients such as age-away hydrating cream, avocado and rosemary soap, the black bamboo soap, cypress nurturing hand cream, honey hand-and-foot cream, and the lavender body wash to name some. If you are insistent on having self-care products that come with natural ingredients, then you will find something here.
If you are into kitchenware, Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center has a good production selection for you: lunch cubes, multipurpose kitchen scissors, thermos bottles, stainless steel pots, bamboo cups, espresso cups, barbeque grill pans and more.
In my experience, walking around the store and observing the products offered was a joyful thing. Just about every product I saw had that premium aesthetic which you will realize by visiting the place and seeing the products personally.
Conclusion
Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center’s store is a must-visit! Ask your tourist guide to bring you there.The store’s personnel are very welcoming and professional.
I can say that our visit at the Tamar Bakfar Visitors Center is a nice blessing from our Lord. Their store is huge and attractive. Their personnel are customer-friendly, helpful and professional. Also what they have in-store are very varied and plentiful. So many choices you can make based on what you need or want. More notably, their store offers the finest of the Galilee region’s harvest in the form of dried fruits, spices, ingredients and more. Galilee is blessed and this should not be surprising at all as our Lord and Savior Jesus spent a good amount of time in the region thousands of years ago. Refer to the holy scriptures below…
On the third day Jesus left there and continued his journey to Galilee, where he had been raised. Now Jesus knew that prophets are honored everywhere except in their own hometown. Even so, as Jesus arrived in the province of Galilee, the people welcomed him with open arms. Many of them had been in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival and had witnessed firsthand the miracles he had performed.
Jesus entered the village of Cana of Galilee where he had transformed water into wine. He met there a governmental official from Capernaum whose son was very sick and dying. When he heard that Jesus had left Judea and was staying in Cana of Galilee, he decided to make the journey to Cana. When he found Jesus, he begged him, “You must come with me to Capernaum and heal my son!”
So Jesus said to him, “You never believe unless you see signs and wonders.”
But the man continued to plead, “Come with me to Capernaum before my little boy dies!”
Jesus looked him in the eyes and said, “Go back home now. I promise you, your son will live.”
The man believed in his heart the words of Jesus and set off for home. When he was still a distance from Capernaum, his servants met him on the road and told him the good news, “Your son is healed! He’s alive!”
Overjoyed, the father asked his servants, “When did my son begin to recover?”
“Yesterday,” they said, “at one in the afternoon. All at once his fever broke—and now he’s well!”
Then the father immediately realized that it was at that very same hour that Jesus spoke the words to him, “Your son will live.”
From that day forward, the man, his servants, and all his family believed. Healing the official’s son was Jesus’ second extraordinary miracle in Galilee after returning from Judea.
John 4:43-54 (TPT)
Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Luke 4:14-15 (NKJV)
If ever you are visiting Israel and will be spending time in the Galilee region, then I highly recommend visiting the Tamar Bakfar Vistors Center in Kinneret. Visit the company’s official website at https://tamarbakfar.co.il/ and follow them on Instagram.
Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel pieces here.
Even as people and businesses are still struggling with the ongoing COVID-19 (China Virus) pandemic, nothing will stop the celebration of cooking and gardening in the city of Las Piñas as Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) formally announced that the 7th Las Piñas Food Festival will take place on April 29, 2021 (Thursday) at 10AM via Facebook.
With the theme of “Harvest of Our Garden Meals”, the 7th Las Piñas Food Festival will be composed of its standard competitions for cooking (with competitors representing the barangays) as well as urban gardening (with competing barangays that do have urban gardens of their own).
The official banner for the food festival this year. (source – Villar SIPAG Facebook page)
As Villar SIPAG’s announcement specifically mentions Facebook and does not mention any venue (physical location), it is understood that this event will be streamed live via the social network and most likely it won’t be a spectator nor a visitor-oriented event compared to the previous editions of the food festival. Very likely, the cooking contest will be held somewhere indoors where the contests, event organizers and camera operators can safely organize. We will find out very soon.
During my years as a journalist, I attended and covered the Las Piñas Food Festival a few times and each time it was held at the Villar SIPAG facility along C5 Extension Road. As there was no pandemic back then, visitors and customers were welcomed to watch the competitions and the award ceremonies on-site. Very notably, the food festival back then had a section where food vendors as well as stalls of ready-to-eat food were present and welcomed visitors to buy from them. There were also freshly cooked meals, desserts and beverages being sold to customers during those years.
The 7th Las Piñas Food Festival is presented by Senator Cynthia Villar and Congresswoman Camille Villar and supported by AllDay, AllHome, AllBank, First Metro, Island Gas, Mex, Tecnogas, Technik, Mushroomburger, Handelaar Corp., and Asia Brewery Inc. To watch the event live, visit https://www.facebook.com/VillarSIPAG
If you wish to react about the 7th Las Piñas Food Festival, please feel free to comment below or contact me directly online.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
For the newcomers reading this, Aguirre Avenue, the major road inside BF Homes subdivision in Parañaque City, is well known for being a major commercial stretch where people can find lots of restaurants, stores, coffee shops and the like.
Recently along the same road, the BF Homes branch of Ben’s Halo-Halo Ice Cream opened within the area of Phase 3 in the subdivision. It is located between Shakey’s and Starbucks Coffee at the same side. Just steps away from it, also from the same side, is Mini-Stop convenience store.
Already, Ben’s Halo-Halo has been attracting a lot of customers and their best-selling product is, unsurprisingly, their signature halo-halo. In recent times, actor Mark Anthony Fernandez (Miracle in Cell No. 7), had been visiting the BF Homes branch to take home halo-halo not once but many times already. Out of curiosity, I decided to pay a visit and find out how good or tasty their top dessert is.
For P90, I was served with their signature Ben’s Halo-Halo in a tall glass. It came with a mix of corn, ube (purple yam), macapuno, saba, white beans, milk and leche flan.
This is the Ben’s Halo-Halo.
At the top of Ben’s Halo-Halo.
After carefully mixing the ingredients, I took my first serving of it. The result? It tasted really good! Then I mixed it more and took another serving to find out if the resulting taste would be better or not. It still tasted good.
The halo-halo was so good and creamy, for me, there was no need to add sweetener or milk. A dessert served like this with such a good taste is a winner already for me. Of course, anyone else who wants to have their halo-halo be added with more sugar or milk will have to ask the people behind the counter. I don’t know yet if they would charge extra.
After enjoying my dessert, I decided to look further on their menu. Apart from the Ben’s Halo-Halo, they also serve Spicy Winter Halo-Halo and Salty Summer Halo-Halo. Other classic desserts include Mais Con Yelo and Macapuno Con Yelo.
They also serve rice meals (which I will try some day) like adobo, tocino, longganisa, braised beef and chicken barbeque to name some. They also have pasta and sandwiches.
As I learned during my time there, Ben’s Halo-Halo Ice Cream originally started in the city of San Pablo in the province of Laguna. It was founded by Ben Pasco who worked as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Italy for over a decade. During his years there, he got to work as a cook in a restaurant. After making some careful observations, becoming an entrepreneur entered his mind and he decided to go home to start a new business of his own.
More on their BF Homes branch, more people have been dining there. To say the least, it is a blessing for the BF Homes community that Ben’s Halo-Halo opened within the Phase 3 area.
I highly recommend the Ben’s Halo-Halo for those who crave for something cool and sweet (don’t forget to watch your blood sugar level).
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced by means of interviewing Ditas Antenor. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Spotlight on BF HomeSarap, The Village Home-Cooked Food Directory
Do you love home-cooked food? Do you love BF Homes, the very large residential-commercial community that occupies portions of Muntinlupa, Parañaque and Las Piñas? Do you love grouping together on Facebook forming a very lively online community?
If you love all three, then you cannot go wrong with the BF HomeSarap Facebook group!
BF HomeSarap is not just any food-oriented, regional group on the social network. It is one of the fastest growing FB groups that highlights home cooking, good tastes, small enterprise and the BF Homes community members (plus friends).
BF HomeSarap’s growth in terms of membership is truly amazing. The FB group only started on April 2019 and from zero members it attracted to more than eight thousand (8,000+) members as of this writing! By comparison, there are other BF Homes-related (plus Barangay BF Homes-related) FB groups that lasted for years and still their respective memberships were exceeded by BF HomeSarap.
The FB group has described itself to be the resource for delicious home-cooked food (and drinks) right inside the village. As big businesses are prohibited, BF HomeSarap allows foodie sellers to post their specialties by showing pictures of the products, the name of the food or drink, prices and how they are being sold. What is notable about the group is that the people who make food at home are granted valuable opportunities to reach out to other members who might be interested to buy from them. In a business sense, the small food enterprises are able to make themselves known and gain chances to grow not only with selling products but also attracting new customers and establishing new business relationships.
And then something significant happened on December 7 and 8, 2019 – selected BF HomeSarap members came out in full force as sellers in the first-ever BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair and Bazaar which was held at the open-air basketball court and at the nearby covered stretch inside BF NorthWest, Parañaque City. That community event, which was organized by village governor-at-large Lorea Miren in cooperation with the BF NorthWest Homeowners Association and supported by PARA APP, was a big success as it attracted between 250 to 300 visitors (including Parañaque City Councilors Jackie Bustamante-Mendoza and Wahoo Sotto) and almost all the vendors sold out! Apart from that, a strong spirit of community interaction, business and socializing took place.
A look at just one section where the first-ever BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair was held inside BF NorthWest. This one was taken at a covered facility near the open-air basketball court (where the other vendors were present and selling too).
With all of these mentioned, you must be wondering: Who started BF HomeSarap in the first place? Why was it established? How did it happen? Where will BF HomeSarap head to now that its presence online and within the real environment inside BF Homes has been felt?
For all of you, my readers and food enthusiasts, I am happy to present to you my interview with BF HomeSarap founder and food stylist Ditas Antenor.
To begin with, Ditas Antenor worked in the corporate world as an advertising executive and worked with her employer’s big-time clients. After more than a decade managing multinational accounts in various multinational ad agencies, she moved on to the production side and there she became a food stylist. She even spent time in the United States to learn about food styling (for print and broadcast).
“I decided back then to take up food styling because I made plans regarding my career ahead of time,” Antenor recalled. “I really planned ahead. I could quit my nine-to-five job and engage in freelancing. So what would be a good, lucrative freelance job that I know I could be good at? That was food styling which is rare (in the Philippines.)”
Back then, food stylists in the Philippines were rare. Antenor became the fifth among the already established food stylists at the time. She eventually got hired by some clients and established herself nicely. Raised as an Alabang Girl, she and her children currently live in the Las Pinas City part of BF Homes subdivision.
BF HomeSarap’s origin and tremendous growth within Facebook
So how did BF HomeSarap start as a group within Facebook? It all started with a trigger on the part of its founder Ditas Antenor.
“There was a trigger. It was related to me and my kids moving into BF Homes subdivision coming from Alabang. Our house here in BF has been around for a very long time,” Antenor said. “My kids grew up with my cooking. Although they enjoy commercial foods like pizza or burgers that can be ordered, they can only eat those sometimes and ultimately they still love home-cooked food.”
Being the highly focused planner she has always been, Antenor had prepared menus for their family up to a few months ahead. She does the home cooking and, from time to time, her children cook adding variety. The love for home cooking, good food and relationships all connected with the beginning of BF HomeSarap.
“Then one day, I said to myself ‘maybe I should form a group’. I’m not an original member of the BF Homes community but still this is our home, even if I still maintain and occasionally stay in our Alabang house” Antenor recalled. “After doing an initial search for food-related FB groups that were related to BF Homes, I formed an FB group for BF by BF focused on home-cooked food.”
Along the way, the founder recalled her efforts on forming a name for the FB group that is unique and would strongly resonate with food enthusiasts and BF Homes residents and stakeholders. The result, clearly, was BF HomeSarap which was a clever combination of the name of the subdivision as well as the Tagalog word “Sarap” (English: Delicious).
“The name BF HomeSarap was formed out of my intention to include the local community’s name while reflecting people’s enjoyment of good home-cooked food. It had to be catchy and relevant at the same time. After searching for possible combinations of words, I came up with ‘sarap’ to partner with BF Homes,” she stated.
BF HomeSarap was created on April 2019 by Antenor reflecting her interest of good, home-cooked food her children would enjoy while establishing ties with the many members of the BF Homes community who share her interest.
The result? The membership of BF HomeSarap on Facebook went from zero to over eight thousand as of this writing. The members were a big mix of food enthusiasts as well as home-based cooks who are quietly selling food or drinks through their respective small-sized businesses. Already several small-time food sellers posted food or beverages for sale complete with contact numbers, prices, ways on how to avail of ordered items and the like. BF HomeSarap excludes the bigger, commercial food sellers giving more space and priority to the small ones. Along the way, there were a lot of buyers who had been searching for tasty home-cooked food. The result is BF HomeSarap establishing itself as a very lively online community whose members are united by home-cooked food and delicacies.
Of course, not just anyone could join the BF HomeSarap FB group. With the help of a few friends (who lived in BF Homes for a long time) and her daughter, Antenor and her co-administrators carefully review the many pending applications of FB users who wanted to join in as well as the many private messages sent.
“The membership of BF HomeSarap just kept on growing fast. Along the way, we made sure it would not become just another buy-and-sell type of Facebook group. I really wanted it to be an online community about good, home-cooked food and BF Homes which will be engaged with good quality content from time to time. I really want community engagement,” she said.
To engage the BF HomeSarap group members, Antenor researched online about the latest food trends, what kind of food people like lately, cooking tips, recipes and the like. The result was her releasing unique content in the form of articles, short videos, special greetings and customized images that get posted in the group occasionally. This approach of hers helped keep BF HomeSarap interesting and engaging, and prevented it from becoming stale or getting too flooded with sales-related posts.
For the future, Antenor stated that she is still striving to come up with ideas to make life better for the sellers and buyers of the group. She is exploring how to establish a dedicated delivery system that will carry BF HomeSarap’s name and cater to the clients’ needs. She and her team are also looking for other enclaves around BF Homes that could possibly host the next edition of the BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair this year.
With almost 9,000 members counted (and growing) and continued daily engagement, BF HomeSarap is undoubtedly the premier FB group focused on home-cooked food with the people of BF Homes in mind. Even FB users from the rest of South Metro Manila noticed the group.
“BF Homes is very unique,” Antenor said in relation to the group’s phenomenal growth and influence.
“When I cook, I continue to engage the community. There is, indeed, a wealth of home-cooked food in this community. You just need to look for it. You just need to know who cooked it. Also, level up your food in terms of nutrition and quality. If you want good food for your family, aim for home-cooked. It can be cheaper and yet it can be prepared with the same love and care for the family.”
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
Note: Article cover photo contains images from the book “SULÓ: Where Taste Was Style”, written by author/founder Erlinda Panlilio, published in 2015 by Anvil Publishing.
Hey everyone! I want to share to you all that there is nothing like community building and social interaction through the organizing of an in-village event that emphasized food and beverages which brought people together. Which people specifically? The local residents, the non-resident visitors, government officials and the cooks and entrepreneurs who did their best offering food and drinks for sale.
That specifically happened during the recent BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair and Bazaar which was held on December 7 and 8 by the facilities (open-air basketball court plus the covered stretch nearby) just steps away from the village clubhouse along D.Jakarta street, BF NorthWest, BF Homes Subdivision, Parañaque City. For those who are new to this website, the successful event was previously published here (with an update on November 17).
A portion of the food fair at the open-air basketball court of BF NorthWest.
Food and beverage vendors selling at the covered section just beside the basketball court.
Before sharing my personal experiences and observations, I want to announce to you all that the BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair and Bazaar was, indeed, a big success pulled off nicely by the organizers such as the BF NorthWest Homeowners Association, Inc., the BF HomeSarap Facebook group (visit their group by clicking here) and other supporters and stakeholders.
According to BF NorthWest Governor-at-Large Lorea Miren, the 2-day event attracted between two hundred fifty to three hundred visitors and 90% of the vendors (whose food and beverage offerings were of good quality and nice variety) sold out! Speaking of visitors, the fair was visited on December 7 by Paranaque City Councilor Wahoo Sotto during the day while his fellow Councilor Jackie Bustamante-Mendoza (accompanied with her son) arrived during the evening. Wow! BF HomeSarap’s event was graced by two highly important people from the City Government!
Parañaque City Councilor Jackie Bustamante-Mendoza (middle) with her son Juancho (left) and BF NorthWest Governor-at-Large Lorea Miren posed for this website during the evening of December 7.
Special food by the bilao offered.
Apart from the organizing of the 2-day food fair and bazaar, a major factor in the event’s success was the wide variety of goods offered for sale by the sellers and makers who participated. According to Lorea Miren, many applied to be part of the fair and she and the organizers carefully curated what each seller offered before granting their approval. This was a painstaking process as the organizers aimed high with both variety and quality that consumers can benefit from.
In my personal experience of enjoying the food fair and bazaar, I can confirm to you all that the variety of the food and beverage products was great while the selection of non-food items (at the bazaar) was interesting.
For the food, there were burgers with fries, fresh meat, roasted pig from Cebu, brownies, potato chips, sushi rolls, fresh vegetables, comfort food in jars, buttered shrimp, chili garlic crabs, fruit jam, tuyo, Spanish-style sardines, grilled squid, barbeque, salted duck eggs, Angus beef tapsilog, pies, cereals, cookies, oatmeal bars, deli meat and a whole more! The variety was so great, there was indeed always something that someone can enjoy. The many food makers/sellers belonging to the BF HomeSarap FB group (whose founderDitas Antenor personally monitored the event and kept in touch with the people) really delivered great stuff from their respective kitchen to the tables at the food fair! For the newcomers reading this, Antenor founded BF HomeSarap on the social network on April 2019 and, as of this writing, the FB group now has over eight thousand members!
Comfort food in jars!
This burger was tasty and filling.
Cebu lechon caught the attention of many.
With regards to the non-food items that formed the bazaar, those items were not as numerous as the food but what was offered for sale was varied enough and interesting. There were clothes, bags, shoes, toys and other household items that were good enough for Christmas gift-giving. There were also some premium products such as imported thermal water bottles, kitchenware, fragrances, etc.
Some interesting items for sale.
Shoppers looking for the best deals.
My companion and I arrived at the food fair during the first hour of opening of the food fair on the afternoon of December 7. Together we had a nice time not just checking out the food for sale but also talking with the vendors who were gentle, helpful and informative to talk with. After buying some snacks and drinks, we sat at the available chairs and table and had a nice talk just as more people visited the food fair. I noticed that, as time passed, each vendor had guests to entertain and sold something to. There were also families, barkadas and others who visited checking out what were on sale, lining up to buy something and enjoy socializing. It was, indeed, a lively food fair that was driven by community interaction.
The next day, after attending worship at our church, I revisited the food fair and brought home some really tasty sushi rolls for lunch. Really tasty and fresh!
Demand for Angus beef tapsilog was so strong, it got sold out!
Nothing like ordering burgers and fries by the van!
Fine food products nicely displayed.
Overall, the BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair and Bazaar was a big success and I personally had a nice time there. With a very nice variety of products to choose from and enjoy, the BF HomeSarap vendors (and the non-food item sellers) were not only pretty good but also deserving of being discovered. Truly the BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair and Bazaar is easily the most special food and beverage event of the entire BF Homes community (and even on the Barangay BF Homes level) for 2019.
Here are some good news: there is a plan to organize another BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair and Bazaar in the summer of 2020. That is something we should all look forward to. As such, to really be very updated and be able to reach out to the many food specialists, you are all encouraged to visit BF HomeSarap at https://www.facebook.com/groups/987695754755106/
And finally, here are some words from BF NorthWest Governor-at-Large Lorea Miren regarding the BF HomeSarap Community Food Fair and Bazaar that went from concept into an actually realized event.
“The BF HomeSarap Food Fair was one of those opportunities that allowed the sellers, organizers and anyone around us the chance to feel what a community affair can bring – home cooked food and the joy it brings. Thank you to all the sellers, who not only ‘brought it’, but rocked it! For their ability to adapt, enjoy and show off their culinary talents,” Miren stated. “It takes one cook to have a meal, but it takes a community to serve it.”
Walking through the tables of vendors in this covered section was always worth doing.
BF HomeSarap Food Fair is a nice way for food makers and new entrepreneurs in the food industry to come out and reach out to new customers to help their business grow.
Nothing like being offered deli meat on the weekend. (photo contributed by Lorea Miren)
For more BF Homes community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
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To others reading this, if you are dissatisfied with print media and you want your community/organization/business/special event or project to be featured on this website, please contact me locally via mobile number 0905-3350831 or via email at Carlo.Carrasco@gmail.com
You can check out my varied marketing services (including Twitter boosting) right here.
We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Community Food Fair and Bazaar in BF NorthWest on December 7 and 8 (UPDATED November 17, 2019)
The BF NorthWest Homeowners Association, Inc. announced this past weekend that the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale will be held on December 7 and 8, 2019 at the BF NorthWest open-air basketball court as well as part of a roofed strip which are located just steps away from its clubhouse along Djakarta street, BF NorthWest, Parañaque City. With regards to time, the hours for December 7 are 3PM to 9PM, and 8AM to 7PM on December 8.
The Community Food Fair will eventually have a wide selection food products and beverages provided by several members of BF HomeSarap which is a very popular Facebook group created by Ditas Antenor, composed of food makers and sellers based in BF Homes as well as enthusiasts. To be clear, BF HomeSarap (administrated by Antenor and Miren Suntay) is a key partner of the organizers of the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale and you can visit their space in Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/987695754755106/
As of this writing, several food sellers have been selected for the Community Food Fair according to BF NorthWest Governor-at-Large Lorea Miren.
The result? Here are some food options that you can expect to see offered come December 7 and 8: Cheese roll, red velvet and chocolate cupcakes, lemon squares, Espresso, Fudge Brownies, Chocolate Chunk Cookies, White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, fruitcake. Salted duck eggs, kesong puti, Angus Tapsilog, Turmeric Latte Embotido, Hamonado & StrawberriesFresh farm vegetables Liempo adobo, pork binagoongan, beef caldereta, garlic cream, cilantro dip, salsa, nachos, beef lumpiang togue Kaien Buffalo Sauce, Kaien Keychain, Kaien Nachos & Dip, Kaien Buffalo Wings, Baked Chicken, Nachos Boodle fight bilao, buttered shrimps in tubs, chili garlic crabs in tubs, tempura/ebi fry, Beef Asado, and Sweet-Chili Ribs.
BF Homesarap Facebook group recently has postings of the sellers in album form. If you are already a member of the group, just visit and view the sellers.
The Bazaar-Sale is expected to have a selection of items that could make good gifts to give this Christmas. Depending on how many vendors (note: non-food items are limited only to BF Homes residents) will sign up and what kind of products will be offered, we could see items like bags, shoes, clothing, toys, household items, and the like.
Adding zest to the event are raffle draws that will be held on both days. The prizes will be products of the sellers who agreed to donate them.
For those who are not residents of BF NorthWest who plan to visit the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale this December, if you are traveling by car that does not have a BF NorthWest sticker, be prepared to surrender your ID card at the BF NorthWest village gate along El Grande Avenue. Once you are granted access into the village, always respect the local authorities and the homeowners, and follow the rules regarding in-village speed limit and parking. Please take note that BF NorthWest is inside BF Homes subdivision. Entering BF Homes subdivision with a car without a BF Homes sticker requires you line up in the lane for cars without stickers and leave your ID card to the guard.
Personally, I am looking forward to the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale in BF NorthWest. This past summer, I visited and observed the 2-day Community Fun Fair which was a really nice event that brought villagers, visitors and vendors together not only for business transactions but also for socializing. That event helped raise funds for the BF NorthWest HOA for the maintenance fees. The Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale’s schedule for early December is ideal as Christmas is nearing.
The Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale this December is a special project of the BF NorthWest Homeowners Association and BF HomeSarap. Visit the BF NorthWest FB group here and BF HomeSarap group here.
For the meantime, please share this news to others via Facebook, Twitter, email, Viber and text. As visitors will be welcomed at BF NorthWest for the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale, you can consider it to be part of your Christmas shopping activities or destinations.
Finally, this event is supported by PARA APP Powered by Mobiva which is an designed to help users find tricycles to ride on for their commute in and around BF Homes subdivision.
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To others reading this, if you are dissatisfied with print media and you want your community/organization/business/special event or project to be featured on this website, please contact me locally via mobile number 0905-3350831 or via email at Carlo.Carrasco@gmail.com
We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Author Carlo Carrasco 