Who would have thought that a boy who completed only primary school would one day be a successful businessman today?

With just basic educational background to lean on, he started out as a mere woodcutter, earning P2 a day.  His life started to turn for the better when he decided to try his luck as an entrepreneur initially by buying and selling balut.

It was in the early 1980s when he and wife Leonora started making puto with only P70 as starting capital. Their eldest child also helped them sell puto every weekend.

But it was only 10 years later when he knew he had truly found Calasiao’s ‘white gold’.

After 20 years producing and selling his brand, he is now known as one of the successful puto makers in Calasiao, a town known for this native delicacy, and sits today as chairman of the Calasiao Puto Producers Multipurpose Cooperative.

Rufo “Rudy” L. dela Cruz, 64,  looked back at his difficult beginnings and said he is thankful for both the luck and hard work of his family, his key ingredients to their success in the business of making puto, dubbed as Calasiao’s ‘white gold’.

Mang Rudy said  that without school credentials, it was impossible for him to find a stable job and his frustrations even grew worse when he got married and started to raise a family. He recalled having cried one day when confronted with the situation that he could not sustain his eldest daughter’s education who was studying to be a civil engineer at that time.

Perseverance and hard work eventually paid off and their puto business grew enabling Rudy to send all his children to school.

He proudly cites the achievements of his children who accomplished what he failed to do for himself. Bellaflor, the eldest, earned two degrees (Civil Engineering and Education); Liza is a registered midwife; Estrella is registered nurse; Eduardo graduated with an accountancy degree; Renan earned a degree in Computer Science, and just last March, Roldan, his youngest, earned his degree in Nursing.

“Sa business kailangan talaga ng tiyaga, manu-mano ang paglalagay ng puto,” Rudy said in an interview with The PUNCH.

As chairman of their cooperative, Rudy said he strives to serve the members as business adviser and a ‘father’ to the members.

“Sa paggawa ng putodapat tulungan. Kami walang lihim dito, kung gustong matuto, tuturuan namin,” he said.

Calasiao is set to ce-lebrate this year’s Puto Festival on May 5, coinciding with the town’s nine-day fiesta. –Glaiza Bernadeth Pinto & Joan Rachel Reyes, UPB

 

 

How to make Puto

Make your own Calasiao Puto

 The interest of the public in Calasiao Puto prompted the Producers Multi-purpose Cooperative to share their common recipe for the famed Calasiao Puto. The only secret they can’t share is the equipment they use.

Ingredients:

  Ground rice

  Sugar

  Water

Procedures:

1. Wash the rice repeatedly until the water is clear

2. Grind well into fine particles

3. Mix the ground rice with sugar at a proportion of 1 kilo of sugar to 1 kilo of ground rice

4. Add enough water.

5. Let the mixture stand in a jar for two hours

5. After two hours, filter the mixture

6. Put mixture into molders

7. Steam for 30 minutes

8. Let it cool for 20 to 30 minutes before remo-ving the puto from the molder

9. Serve and enjoy!

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