Proudly Pinoy - Planters Development Bank

BINALOT FIESTA FOODS, INC. has
been gaining the respect of its peers
in the food business mainly for two
valuable reasons: the consistently
good performance of the company and more
importantly, its dedication to promote Filipino
values and culture.
Business experts have been encouraging
companies around the world to have a definite
identity, to have a concrete notion of the corporate
values, culture, mission, and vision.
Binalot is one company that truly knows its
identity: it is a Filipino company dedicated to promoting
Filipino values and culture and committed
to uplifting the lives of marginalized Filipinos.
Rommel Juan, president of Binalot, says
“I think it’s all encapsulated by the vision of
the company, which is to be the number one
truly Filipino fastfood in the Philippines which
promotes Filipino culture, Filipino values and
Filipino humor.”
Binalot is a chain of around 40 fastfood
restaurants across the country. The company
began in 1996 as a food delivery business in
Makati City with a capital of P50,000. More than
a decade later, it has grown into a company with
an estimated value of P60 million.
Binalot calls itself the “Pambansang Tsibugan”
(National Eatery) of the Philippines. Each Binalot
outlet expresses its Filipino identity right from its
themed restaurant design down to its menu and
even its promotional materials.
The “banig” (woven mat) design is used as
a wall accent in Binalot restaurants. The banig
(sawali) design is an element of the “bahay kubo,”
the traditional Filipino house. “It has to be modern,
iconic, fastfoody, but still has to be traditional
Pinoy,” Juan says.
The murals inside the restaurants feature
traditional Filipino imagery such as “bayanihan”
(mutual aid) or “salu-salo” (a family sharing a
meal together).
Its menu features classic Filipino cuisine such
as adobo, tapa, sisig, bistek, and others. However,
Binalot added a little Filipino humor in the naming
of their culinary offerings: Fiesta Adobo, Tapa
Rap Sarap, Sisig na Makisig, Bistek Walastik, and
so on.
One of Binalot’s promotional flyers says, “Ang
Saya, Ang Sarap Maging Pinoy!” (How fun, how
great it is to be a Filipino!)
It adds: “Walang kasing saya ang Pistang Pinoy.
At wala nang mas sasarap pang ihanda kundi
ang lutong Pinoy.” (Nothing beats the fun of a
Filipino feast. There’s nothing better to offer than
Filipino cuisine).
Juan says they want to give their customers a
glimpse of the Philippine values and culture when
they dine at Binalot.
He says they even have a marketing effort to
promote traditional Filipino games such as piko or
tumbang preso.
He says, for Binalot, “it’s more than just a
business, it’s an advocacy” to promote Philippine
culture and values, especially to the younger generation
of Filipinos.
THE BANANA LEAF
Binalot is a Filipino word that means “wrapped”.
Each Binalot meal is wrapped in banana leaf. In
the traditional Philippine culture, the banana leaf
played an important role in food preparation. Filipinos
believe that food wrapped in banana leaf
tastes better and stays fresh longer.
Even in large feasts, Filipinos used to serve
food in containers or bowls lined with banana
leaves. It was a Filipino custom to place whole
banana leaves on the table. Those leaves would
serve like a communal plate or dish for eating.
This practice, however, has declined because
of the dwindling supply of banana leaves, especially
in the urban areas.
The problem with the steady supply of banana
leaves has inspired the owners of Binalot to
All time Pinoy favorites
Left: Sisig na Makisig
Below: Tapa Rap Sarap
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VOL. NO. 03 / ISSUE NO. 03 04