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The original Siomai sa Tisa is such a big hit that people from as far as Lapu-lapu and Mandaue City would come to Tisa, Labangon just to savor the taste of the delicious siomai with it’s spicy, hot chili sauce. The smell of the chili sauce is enough to make your stomach grumble! Kuya Jeff as his loyal customers call him, originally thought of selling siomai to compliment his halo-halo and siopao business. He never thought that his siomai would dominate and conquer the rest of Tisa, Labangon. Not only that, the original Siomai sa Tisa is now scattered all over metropolis.
Year 2000, Kuya Jeff was then a machine shop operator at a machine company in Pardo. Business was slowly going down at the machine shop and the salary was not good either. So he began to think of other ways to earn money to support his family. Life was really hard for him during this time. Just imagine how it would feel walking from Pardo to Tisa, Labangon. He would not dare ride the jeepney because he thought that the money he would save from the fare could be used to buy food for his family. He would only buy a small pack of atsara / atsal (pickled papaya) for himself and his wife since it was just very cheap and then he would spend the remaining money to buy his 2 kids something tastier than atsal for supper.
Eventually the machine shop he worked for went bankrupt. It was a good thing that he already thought of selling sudan (viands) in Tisa. For almost a year he stuck to selling viands in Tisa. His problem at the end of each day was all the leftover foods. Before closing time he would sell his foods for a lesser price to avoid leftovers and waste, however the profit was not enough to cover the cost of all the food ingredients and the capital as well. Finally he closed down his business and thought of another way to support his family.
Kuya Jeff once again had another idea, he thought of selling halo-halo (a famous Filipino snack/dessert made with mixed fruits, jelly, beans, and crushed ice) and enlisted one of his closest friend to help him. Kuya Jeff’s friend thought of making and selling siopao as the perfect compliment to his halo-halo business. This same friend (name withheld for privacy reasons) is also the one who makes the siomai but the idea came from the two of them. They thought that it would be nice to sell siopao and siomai so the customers will have choices in what they want to pair or ‘suwa’ with their halo-halo. So he purchased a steamer and all the necessary condiments needed to start the siomai business. Finally, the siomai station came to life in June of 2001. The siomai became a big hit and actually became the star of the street foods in Tisa, Labangon.
Kuya Jeff started selling siomai with just 1pack (64 pieces in 1 pack) which rapidly increased to 15 packs a day. This actually exceeded his original goal which was just to sell around 4 packs a day. That was a few years ago, now he could sell up to 70 packs of siomai a day.
Kuya Jeff and his family used to live in a very small house with only a roof and no exterior walls; they had to use cheap curtains to shield themselves from the daily elements. But now because of his siomai business he was able to put-up a decent house for his family. He was also able to help and provide a livelihood to his relatives in Tisa. His Aunt would make the ‘Puso’ (hanging-rice) which their customers love to eat together with the siomai and his sister would sell the softdrinks. Kuya Jeff also has his nephews as helpers in his siomai station.
Kuya Jeff’s dream is simple, to be able to provide for his family and for his kids to have a good education. With of the siomai business, he is now able to support his family comfortably and send his 2 kids to school. One of his children is currently enrolled in college at USJ-R (University of San Jose - Recoletos) and the other one attending high school at UV (University of the Visayas).
We seldom see individuals like Kuya Jeff, someone who never gets tired of working and helping not only his family & relatives but also the people around him. He is actually just a simple man with simple dreams...these dreams became a reality because of a simple man's hard work and perseverance. Kuya Jeff's original Siomai sa Tisa is now the king of street foods, catering not only to the people in Labangon but to people from all places, from all walks of life, and students from different universities as well. As I gazed at the steaming siomai, I suddenly felt hungry. So together with my editor (Jainee), we gorged ourselves on some fresh hot siomai served with their special chili sauce. We complimented our meal with hanging rice and a cold softdrink to wash it all down....it was actually a simple but very filling meal fit for a King!
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