Memay’s Muron started as a simple past time for a 58-year-old village mom of 11. In the year 1987, Maximina, or Mana Memay to those who know her, made this delicious treat in the comforts of her home in the village of Tuyo, town of MacArthur, Leyte in the Philippines. This treat was common in the area but somehow, Mana Memay’s muron stood out. Soon, as many people tasted the treat and approved of
her personal recipe, she figured she could start selling them. In the early years, she used to sell them for only two pesos a piece as the ingredients were easier to access and costs less. Mana Memay was able to make a living from home with the help of her youngest child, Jessica. Mana Memay not only knew how to make muron but she was also able to improve the quality and taste of her muron through patience and learning new techniques in cooking. She also has a number of other personal recipes of Filipino desserts that her children and grandchildren still follow to this date. But it was always her special Muron that stood out from everyone else’s. Mana Memay’s Muron gained more popularity to both local and international customers as time passed. In the year 2000, Mana Memay needed to stop making muron due to her old age, but fortunately Jessica was able to master the art of cooking muron “Memay style”. And so, the following years found Jessica following the footsteps of her mother in making a living through her mother’s delicacies. In 2010, Memay’s Muron made its big break when it gained support of the Local Government Unit of MacArthur. The LGU was more than happy to help promote Memay’s Muron as one of its local products. Soon after, aside from receiving orders from both the LGU and personal acquaintances, some local catering services also started making regular orders for Memay’s Muron. It was in the year 2013 that the business came to a short halt following the tragic aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (ST Haiyan* International name). Fields destroyed, houses destructed and trees cut. Many banana trees were leafless and others were cut. Banana leaves are important since the leaves serve as the packaging for the muron. For six agonizing months, electricity was scarce making it difficult in making muron since the rice mixture needed to make this treat needed to be ground using a grinding machine. Despite this, Memay’s muron continued to strive and receive orders from customers who mostly came home to check on their loved ones in the province and provide assistance after the typhoon. But being a Filipino, being resourceful and resilient comes naturally. With countless patience, they were able to overcome the tragedy and soon everything was back to normal. In recent years, Memay’s muron has gained popularity more than ever with the orders coming in almost every day, ranging from 100 to over 1000 pieces on peak seasons. You know when they say “There is always a rainbow after the rain.”, well that “rain” was the Super Typhoon Haiyan that destroyed everything that it came across with, and the rainbow came in the form Haiyan Restaurant. Wait, what? I know, we get that a lot. After the typhoon, a local resident of Tolosa, Leyte decided to build a restaurant business and named it after the typhoon that changed their lives, ST Haiyan, as it is known internationally. To this date, Haiyan is a regular customer of Memay’s Muron along with many others. Through the help of modern technology and social networking, reaching customers has been easier and faster. Who would ever thought that this simple hobby could become the means to an end to these simple villagers?
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