23 Years of Pongko-Pongko

Ginabot, longganisa, lumpia, and bola-bola, these are just some of the dishes you can find in your usual pongko-pongko. Almost every barangay in Cebu has more than one pongko-pongko in their area. But ironically even with all the pongko-pongko springing up nowadays, there is still one pongko-pongko people flock to and that’s the Redemptorist pongko-pongko. Even the private food establishments can’t compete with the number of customers the pongko-pongko garners. What makes the Redemptorist pongko-pongko stand out among the rest?

Could it be the affordability of their dishes? For Tawny Gwynne Estolloso, a fourth year college student at St. Theresa’s College, there aren’t many places that serve good food at a cheap price like the Redemptorist pongko-pongko. Most customers won’t even spend more than 50 pesos for their meal, she said.

Could it be the quality of their products? Jemilo Lariba, one of the 12 vendors, admits that he personally prepares the food he sells. He makes sure the ingredients - the meat, the vegetables, and even the cooking oil he uses, are fresh. He thoroughly cleans the meat, marinates and seasons these with calamansi, before cooking. He also prepares his own sauce or saw-sawan.

Or it could be the service? The vendors of the Redemptorist pongko-pongko set up an organization called the Pongko-Pongko Restaurant Vendors Association (PPRVA). The vendors run their stalls individually, but when customers have concerns, they can address those to the organization.

And they do receive a lot of customers. Students from Velez College, CDU, USC Main Campus and Talamban Campus, UP, and even students from CIT. Doctors from Chong Hua Hospital and other nearby hospitals are regulars, too of the Redemptorist pongko-pongko.

Whatever the reason for its success, the Redemptorist pongko-pongko is undoubtedly the most sought after pongko-pongko in Cebu, aside from it being considered as the pioneering pongko-pongko in Cebu.