MANILA, Philippines — Actors Gelli de Belen and Ariel Rivera are proving to be parents who raised their children well.
The longtime married couple are parents to Joaquin and Julio Rivera, accomplished students living abroad on their own, and now budding "kakanin" (rice cake) entrepreneurs.
It is all thanks to Ariel's dad, Ben Rivera, whose biko recipe inspired the boys to have their booming side hustle while still studying in Canada.
"We got this from Lolo Ben. This is his recipe that we've been using to sell our biko. Julio originally learned it a few years ago while lolo was around. He's been doing it eversince," explained Joaquin in Gelli's vlog.
He later on joined his younger brother in making and selling the biko, which comes in original plain and with langka.
"Kasi we're broke. We're broke college students," the two boys chimed in when Gelli asked them why they started the biko business.
Fondly called Lolo Ben's Biko, the boys make the biko from scratch, from cooking the malagkit (sticky rice), slowly stirring the gata (coconut milk) with sugar, to making the latik (syrup) and presenting them in banana leaf with the biko topped with latik.
Delivering mostly in Greater Toronto Area, the boys announced on Lolo Ben's Biko Instagram account that it is currently on hiatus because they will be busy with school. Julio, though, just graduated from York University.
WATCH: Gelli de Belen's vlog on her sons' biko business
"It is fulfilling actually to be able to give a part of us, our family to other people for them to enjoy. I'd like to hear feedback from other people. It's almost like an extension of lolo's legacy," shared Joaquin.
Gelli and Ariel help the boys in cooking the biko whenever they visit them in Canada. In Gelli's vlog, Ariel can even be seen stirring the biko while Gelli helped in putting on the latik topping.
"I guess Filipinos really miss eating 'yung biko na nasa banana leaves. It's like a taste of home. Reminds everybody of home. It is a food for your soul," Gelli said. — Video from Gelli de Belen YouTube channel
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