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A taste of heritage bread A taste of heritage bread

Affordable Chinese cuisine

Half-way home for pediatric A Pinoy experience that presents tradition and the patients innovations of the times, Panaderia Pantoja is more than just a brand name. Two generations of Panaderia Finding the Many Faces of Pantojas pride themselves in carrying out Lolo the Teacher Aurelio's tried-and-tested hands on management style. How else do you think pan de sal is made? NCCA, ITI honor champions of the differently abled

The bakery started in 1950, when Aurelio and Celinda Pantoja arrived for the first time at their inherited house in Barangay 4 in Batangas City and found a worn-out brick oven (pugon) in the backyard.

The old brick oven inspired Aurelio to start a bakery which they called Panaderia Pantoja. With a capital of P50,000, he rehabilitated the oven, hired a few bakers from the neighboring towns, and kept the fires going.

There were no mechanical equipment such as mixers, dividers, rollers and rounders back then. All bread products were hand-made. Since slicers were not yet available, bakers had to use knives to slice loaves of bread. Dough was rolled with bare hands. It was the time when baking was like creating a work of art. Aurelio was also the bakery's delivery man, purchaser and production manager.

In the 1970s, their son Arturo took over the business and started to mechanize its operations and hire more people. New products were introduced to augment the all time favorites - pan de sal, , , paborita, pianono, broas, kababayan and other bread of "heritage."

By the time new bakeries emerged in town, Panaderia Pantoja was no longer affected since it had already built and maintained good relations with its loyal customers.

It has more than a hundred bread products classified as: bread, special bread, cakes and sweet choices, product with long life and product with heating.

Today, it is now Anthony - the third generation of the Pantojas, the son of Arturo who is at the helm of the business. A De la Salle University graduate, he is expected to introduce new bread products to enhance the tradition.

In 2006, JETPAN Breads and Bakers, Inc. was established and registered to manage and further propel the growth of the bakery.

Panaderia Pantoja has branches at the following areas in Batangas: Tanauan, Lipa City, Rosario, Balayan, Tuy, Nasugbu, Darasa, Malvar, Sto Tomas and Talisay as well as in Los Baños, Laguna.

In Metro Manila it has established regular customers in Alabang, Paranaque, Las Pinas, Mother Ignacia and V. Luna in Quezon City, and Market Market in Fort Bonifacio

For franchising, call JETPAN Breads and Bakers, Inc. at (043) 756 1076 / 312 1111/981 3862 or email: [email protected].

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http://www.malaya.com.ph/aug09/livi1.htm 11/4/2008