Our coming is the result of four
generations of great cooks and thinkers. They bequeathed a powerful recipe that
stirs anyone who dares sample the purple gem (jam) believed by our ancestors
and now by modern science to be an elixir for good health. These individuals
from four generations hold the key to the foundation of what is now known as
the Bohol House of Ube.
The earliest recollection we can trace the
recipe to is from a lady of high standing and social grace, Anunciacion Luza
Reyes, who we believe to be the most likely originator of our ube jam recipe. Mama
Anon, as our grandparents fondly called her, was schooled in the best finishing
school in Manila of the 1920s. Married to Ilocano Julio Reyes, the first
District Engineer in Bohol, she was known to be a good cook, best remembered
for preparing big banquets at the Luza ancestral home in Baclayon, Bohol. We
could just imagine how she would have glided in the kitchen managing her concoctions
as her audience of friends watched in awed silence.
One in the audience was her favorite niece,
Juanita "Nena" Luza Labad. Nena was so keen to observe all the food
preparations. She must have apprenticed with Anon while gaining her favorite aunt’s
trust. Not long after she was taught how to make "The Ube Recipe"
among many other delectable non-Boholano recipes like adobo, mechado, relleyenong bangus, kare-kare,
all of which she learned by heart.
"The Recipe" was entrusted by
Anunciacion Reyes to Juanita "Nena" Labad who was as par with her
fabled aunt. Lola Nena, as how I addressed her (because she is the mother of my
father) was also an
extravagant party hostess and Ube Jam is always one in her arsenal of food
treasures especially during the Christmas season. Because of that, we have been
accustomed to the intoxicating smell of ube jam as a signal for the nearing
Noche Buena. Lola Nena loved to strut with her masterpiece in tow showing it
with pride to everyone as she made sure that everyone had their portions of the
ube jam which made all of us clamoring for more. Because of her, it has been
our tradition to cook ube jam annually for Christmas and our family and home
has been known to friends and acquaintances to have the most magical ube jam in
town.
Juanita Labad had six wonderful boys and
the eldest is Lutgardo Labad who is one of the protagonists in the creation of
the Bohol House of Ube. Lutgardo or as I call him "Tito Gardy" is a
brilliant mind endowed with extensive skills in the arts, a true renaissance
man. Tito Gardy is a music and theater director who through the years has
spawned plenty of connections to many famous and important people in various
fields of the arts. It became a devotion for him to sell and give ube jam to
those people during the holidays and ube has become synonymous with Gardy. For
more than 30 years, Gardy is still religiously selling them to the same people
every Christmas because they actually expect their supply of ube every year! He
is happy doing it even if he spends more than what he can earn from it. He is
their Ube Santa!
Alexander Labad is the second son of
Juanita Luza Labad. A logical thinker, a great problem solver and a jack of all
trades! He accepted life challenges like a big cat stalking his prey. He enjoys
every bit of it. I think I got some of my qualities because he is my father.
When he suffered a stroke, he was unable to work and was devastated knowing
that he could not provide for us. While doing extensive therapies conducted by
himself, he slowly tried to figure out a way on how to earn again. He first
tried fixing weighing scales, then clocks, VHS players then DVD players. He was
not satisfied with what he was earning so he then thought of making and
marketing ube jam. The tourist market coming here to Bohol was starting to grow
exponentially. He started slowly at first then went full-blast. We used to call
our product Mama Nena's Ube Jam (during
those times we sold only ube jam but later my dad added barquiron, in different
flavors, with the ube-flavored variety of course).
My mom - Maria Elba Dolotina Labad, was then
of big help to my dad because my mom was a starting as a tour guide. She got
connections from her fellow guides and introduced them to our business. My dad
was responsible to the whole logistics, for the workforce, for maintaining
customers and established a trusting consignee market. He made the business
flow. It went on for several years but his life was cut short and the
business is now my responsibility.
I am thankful for my ancestors for smoothing
out the road I now tread. Without them I might be doing other things aside from
this fulfilling career. The previous generations indeed imparted things
beneficial to my present company’s success. The first generation's ube recipe was
a special invention by my great grand aunt Anunciacion Luza Reyes, or Lola Anon.
The second was the love to impart local culture through family food undoubtedly
embodied by my lola Nena, Juanita Luza Labad. The third generation has been the
selfless pledge to share a unique legacy to friends and partners in cultural
work by Tito Gardy, Lutgardo Luza Labad. And last, making the tradition
profitable and maintaining it as a business was what my dad, Papa Alex, Alexander
Luza Labad, bestowed on me.
I now posses gifts, secrets and values they have shared but in yet
different proportions and ways. The only edge I have is the new age technology
and the knowledge to use them to my advantage. I also have the passion to
strive harder and to explore new horizons. I have created the BOHOL HOUSE OF
UBE as my tribute to my ancestors and family who has unselfishly empowered me
with a precious heritage I am truly proud of and committed to further develop
and improve.Franz Emmanuel D. Labad
Owner / General Manager, Bohol House of Ube
Baclayon, Bohol, Philippines
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