While visiting Canada, Gelli de Belen-Rivera and Ariel Rivera, a famous couple, made the decision to start a business. This time, they provided biko, one of the Filipinos’ favorite kakanin!
The challenge of satiating your craving for some Filipino comfort food is something that many Filipinos who live and work abroad can identify with. You become aware of how much these Pinoy foods actually made you feel at home, despite being far from it. Being in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, with their family, Gelli and Ariel are familiar with how these people feel.
As a result, the couple made the decision to launch “Lolo Ben’s Biko,” a company that sells biko. The recipe for the delectable biko, according to Gelli, comes from Ariel’s father, and it was her sons’ idea to start making and selling it. Joaqui and Julio, Gelli’s sons, have been making their Lolo Ben’s biko ever since they learned how and realized it was a good business opportunity.
“This is business that needs to be done by the bats. Their Lolo Ben, Ariel’s father, gave them this recipe. Of course, his (Ariel’s) mother, my mother-in-law, is the one behind this. She is the expert, so she should be consulted as often as possible, Gelli said in her vlog.
Gelli charges $20 for the biko with langka and $18 for the original version of their best-selling biko. Ariel takes great pride in the fact that their unique biko is made with fresh ingredients and genuine langka.
Gelli briefly questioned his sons about their motivations for starting businesses. Due to the fact that we are impoverished college students, Joaqui and Julio’s responses were brief and lighthearted.
According to Gelli, Joaqui initially considered joining his brother in business, but it was actually Julio who had an interest in it. Selling biko, in Julio’s opinion, is “fun,” especially since he observes that customers enjoy the biko they prepare. Joaqui concurred and added that since their biko is made using their Lolo’s recipe, they are even more proud of it.
Giving a piece of us, of our family, to others so they can enjoy it is incredibly fulfilling. because I value their opinions. I adore how much they adore and appreciate our biko. It resembles a continuation of Lolo’s legacy. That’s really satisfying,” said Julio.
Ariel and Gelli have been actively involved in and very supportive of their family’s biko business ever since. They create the biko themselves and upload them to their social media pages. Ariel claims that he discovered how many Filipinos miss their native country and that their biko somehow makes them feel “at home.”
No matter where we are in the world, Biko is unquestionably a Filipino favorite! You can start learning the recipe for homemade biko if you want to try making it as a business. You could also try making the popular biko balls, which have a monthly income potential of P30,000.
Visit Gelli’s YouTube channel to view her vlog about their biko business:
