Building a Livelihood Through Baking: The Journey of Jordan Bakery
Mr. Rodrigo Vergara began baking in high school, moving from one bakeshop to another to hone his skills. When life demanded more, he took on work as a construction worker just to make ends meet. But baking was never far from his heart. A few years later, he returned to the craft he loved—a decision driven not just by necessity, but by a passion he knew he could always come back to.
Mr Vergara and his wife, Mrs. Ara Vergara, owners of Jordan Bakery, have left their former life in Quezon Province to co-own and operate their bakery in Caloocan City. Fueled by their love for baking and a shared goal of providing a better life for their family, they build their livelihood one pan de sal at a time. “Hindi madali ang magpatakbo ng panaderya. Swerte ka ng magkaroon ng limang oras na tulog pero putol putol (Running a bakery is hard—you’re lucky if you get five hours of sleep, and it’s never continuous)”, Mrs. Vergara shared.
She described how she and her husband divide and conquer the responsibilities of running a 24/7 panaderya. Every day, she prepares pan de sal as early as 1:00 a.m., ensuring fresh bread is ready for customers by 5:00 a.m.
Her husband takes over for the rest of the day—selling bread and baking other pastry items such as loaf bread, Spanish bread, and their specialty, the ham and cheese donut, known in the neighborhood for its irresistible aroma.
As a partner of Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation, the couple shared why they prefer Washington Gold as their hard wheat flour.
Mrs. Vergara emphasized the importance of value for money, sharing that one of the main reasons Jordan Bakery chose PFMC over other brands is its consistent quality at a competitive price—allowing them to maintain product excellence while maximizing profitability.
Beyond savings, consistent results, and better yield, Mrs. Vergara emphasized the value of technical support throughout their two-year journey as bakery owners.
“ Ang technical sales representative namin, nakikinig sila at tinutungan kami sa negosyo. Mahalaga yun sa aming maliliit na bakery na ang partner namin sa negosyo ay hindi lang nagdadala ng quality na harina, sinusuportahan din kami sa negosyo (Our TSR visits us, listens to our concerns, and helps us improve. As a small bakery, it means so much to have a partner who doesn’t just deliver quality flour—but truly supports our business)”, she said.
Indeed, Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation, a subsidiary of La Filipina Uy Gongco Group of Companies, continues its commitment not only to provide top-quality flour, but also to serve, support, and educate baking communities—helping Filipino bakers grow through quality products and meaningful partnerships.