Bulacan’s sweet ‘pasalubong’ became the trademark of the province since these products caught the attention of local travelers.  It has been one of the main sources of income of many Bulacaños for years.  Commuters couldn’t help but buy these delightful delicacies either from bus stopovers or in stalls along the highway.  However, there were sweeter flavors aside from what we could literally taste, its the stories behind these mouth-watering foodstuff.

One of the makers of these pasalubong is Ms. Emiliana Paulino of Buliran, San Miguel, Bulacan.  For ten years now, Ms. Paulino is producing sweets like pastillas de leche, polvoron, macapuno and others.  A business they never thought they would get into.

Farming and trucking used to be the primary source of income of her family.  Her industrious husband cultivates their two hectares farmland.  His calloused hands also takes the wheels of their truck that delivers rice within the province.  They painstakingly endured the hardship of life in farming to feed their seven offspring.  There was, however, untoward incident that caused them to stop farming: Ms. Paulino’s husband was diagnosed with ulcer.

This unpleasant development in no way became a hindrance for them to keep on going.  On the contrary, it moved the family even closer.  The Paulino siblings asked their father to stop working and get into manufacturing sweet delicacies instead.  At first, Mr. Paulino didn’t like the idea.  His pride of not having a job hesitated him to put up a store.  The incessant persuasion of his family nevertheless swayed him, hence, their business commenced.

Ms. Paulino’s knowledge on making sweet delicacies and her husband’s perseverance, combined with the support of their children, became their weapon on their endeavor.  With only Php 10, 000 as initial capital, they coped with the obstacles of a starting business.

While enjoying what she’s doing, Ms. Paulino didn’t notice the growth of her enterprise.  From a family business before, she now has seventeen workers.  They’ve acquired two vehicles, a van and a truck, which deliver their products to different towns of Bulacan and one Goldilocks branch in SM.  They also constructed a new house.

Aside from the material things that they’ve bought and the livelihood opportunities they’ve offered to others, the education of her children is what she treasured most.  Almost all of them already earned a degree in different disciplines.  She has sons and daughters who are already nautical engineer, nurse, chemist, nutritionist, and two other professionals.  The youngest of the siblings is the only one left in school.

In spite of the blessings that she’s enjoying, she maintained the attitude of a well-natured person.  Her humbleness and permissiveness helped her sustain a good reputation in the community.  These what really makes her life and her products sweeter.