354. Brand Stories: LA PACITA BISCUITS, 1921

LA PACITA QUALITY BISCUITS, 1964 AD

In the 70s and 80s, people joked that the German term for biscuits was “Ski-Flacks” (from Skyflakes, pronounced with German accent), while the Japanese term was “Hai-Ro” (from M.Y. San’s “Hiro” biscuits).  In Spanish, they say, the word for biscuit was “LA PACITA”.   Indeed, all though the 60s “LA PACITA” brand became a generic term for Pinoy favorite treats like biscocho, mamon tosatado and crackers.

The brand name began in the Fabrica de Biscochos Y Dulces Biscuits Especiales, established in 1921 by Luis Martinez at Progreso St. (now J. Eustaquio) in San Juan. In this bakery were baked assorted biscuits, that were branded “LA PACITA”, named after Don Luis’s  wife Pacita.

TASTY...CRISPY...LA PACITA. 1960 PRINT AD

Luis Martinez & Co. produced 5 kinds of LA PACITA biscuits that included Cream Filled Cookies, Club Crackers, Chees-Et,  Tostados (Prima) and Camachile (baby finger cookies), which became favorite in-between meal snacks, pasalubong treats and baon for schools and offices. L. Martinez and Co. also produced Vitamin Bread.

LA PACITA Biscuits were heavily advertised in the 50s and 60s. In 1970, son Felicisimo took over the management and the company was rechristened F. Martinez and Co., Inc. The product line expanded with the addition of  Paciencia, Butter Cookies, Raisin Cookies, and new product launches for Snax and Supreme Flakes. Its assorted Famous Five—all 5 biscuit varieties contained in one big canister—is consistently a pasalubong favorite.

FAMOUS FIVE, 5-IN-1 Pasalubong Favorite

Luis Martinez & Co. was acquired by San Miguel-Purefoods in 2014. Its factory is based in Antipolo City and continues to operate to this day, churning out classic Pinoy snack goodies with the LA PACITA brand, made flavorful by 100 years of outstanding biscuit-making experience.

 SOURCES & NOTES:

Alex R. Castro, originally written for FilipiKnow, under the title “14 Classic Philippine Brands And Their Surprising Origins”, https://filipiknow.net/classic-filipino-brand-name-origin/

Reposted on spot.ph.