RUPERTA "Tentay" JAVIER and her famous Tentay Patis, 1960s vintage bottle
Aling “Tentay” was the nickname of Ruperta
Javier, the enterprising mother from Navotas who, in 1949, gave us the popular
dipping sauce, TENTAY PATIS.Aling
Tentay, who learned patis-making by accident, was looking for a home business
to supplement her family income. She came from a fishing family, so she saved the
unsold catch, fermented the fish and bottled the fish sauce, which were a hit
to friends and neighbors.
TENTAY PATIS is still being enjoyed on Filipino tables, manufactured by Tentay Food Sauces,
Inc. Aling Tentay would be proud to know that the fisch sauce brand that bears
her name is sold not only here, but also distributed around the world--from the
Middle East, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia to Guam, Hawaii, New Zealand and
mainland U.S.A.
Canada Dry Beverages, which was founded in 1923 by P.D.
Saylor and Associates, reached the country in the 1950s when the Canada Dry
Bottling Co.of the Philippines was put
up in Parañaque, Rizal, by authority of the Canada International Corp. New
York, U.S.A.
One of its short-lived products that was launched here was HI-SPOT Lemon Soda, a bubbly, sparkling
lemon-y soft drink introduced in 1965. Hi-Spot was overshadowed by more popular
Canada Dry products like Uva, Tru-Fruit Orange, Kola Champagne, so production
was discontinued.
ESKINOL, perhaps the most well-known facial lotion brand in
the Philippines—was the creation of Dr. Esperanza Castro-Palting, a pharmacist,
who concocted the solution back in 1945. She launched her ESKINOL MEDICATED
FACIAL SOLUTION with 200 bottles, which
sold out quickly and would be one of the most successful anti-pimple products in the history of the Philippine skin care industry. ESKINOL started to advertise at the beginning of the 50s decade, with
small, black and White illustrated ads. It was only in 1964 that it began
featuring photographs of real models, but these lovely ladies of mixed
nationalities were never identified.
1965 ESKINOL ADS featuring unnamed models.
It was only in 1968 that they started featuring models with
celebrity status, beginning with the mestiza beauty from Liloan, Cebu, PILAR
DELILAH PILAPIL, who was Bb. Pilipinas-Universe of that year. She appeared in
at least 2 ads. After her Miss Universe journey, Pilapil set on a successful
showbiz career that continues to this day.
PILAR PILAPIL, 1st ESKINOL GIRL, 1968
In 1970, ESKINOL featured AURORA PIJUAN, another Bb.
Pilipinas beauty who went on to win our 2nd Miss International crown
in Osaka, Japan. She has 2 children with Tommy Manotoc, Mavis and TJ manotoc, a
sportscaster.
AURORA PIJUAN, 1970 AD,
The next year, MARICAR ZALDARRIAGA, Miss Young Pilipinas,
became the ESKINOL model. She had been voted Miss Photogenic at the 1971 Miss
Young International. She has a son, Paolo, with former Sen. Mar Roxas, and
heads her own interior design firm.
MARICAR ZALDARRIAGA, 1971 AD
It was TINA REVILLA’s turn to be the face of ESKINOL in
1975. The popular TV teen personality and singer was one of the lovely
daughters of Armando Goyena and Paquita Revilla, famed for her legendary
beauty. Her mother and 2 sisters were Camay Girls themselves.At her peak, Tina had her own TV shows (“Turn
on with Tina”, “Ariel con Tina”) and also made a few movies. She is now Mrs.
Sergio Valencia.
TINA REVILLA, 1975 AD
MARIANNE DELA RIVA, one of Manila’s 5 Prettiest for 1971-72
was tapped by ESKINOL for their 1978-79 campaign. This led to a career in showbiz
via “Love Song” opposite Victor Laurel. She became a household name when she
played Luisa in the hit soap Gulong ng Palad opposite with Ronald Corveau (as
Carding) whom she married in 1979. She has since separated from Corveau, and is
now the wife of Dr. Oscar Ortiz of Toms River, New Jersey.
MARIANNE DELA RIVA, 1978 AD
The Star for All Season, VILMA SANTOS, became the most
popular ESKINOL girl, when she was signed up in the 1980s to do a full
tri-media campaign for the brand. She was also the most effective celebrity
endorser, and the model most associated with ESKINOL. Her most popular TVC was
the “Cherished Possession” commercial.
VILMA SANTOS, 1984 AD
SANTOS’s relationship with the brand extended all the way to
the 1990s, and went beyond the usual testimonial approach. She became a
constant presence in TVCs, supporting newer, younger models. She also
became an ambassador for the brand, showing other girls how ESKINOL
can give them a fairer, fresher face—as in this print ad which shows another
future award-winning actress, CHERRY PIE PICACHE.
VILMA SANTOS WITH CHERRY PIE PICACHE (R), 1990 AD
In 1987, a contest was launched in a noontime show that
featured the search for the ESKINOLCAMPUS GIRL. The winner was RAQUEL ANA
BUNAG of Caayan de Oro, who had been a Mutya ng Pilipinas contestant that same
year. She appeared at least once in an ESKINOL spread ad.
RAQUEL ANA BUNAG, ESKINOL CAMPUS GIRL, 1987
To be an ESKINOL GIRL was a dream role that every talent
wanted to win, as it was an iconic role, just a shade behind a Lux or Camay
Girl. Unfortunately, ESKINOL advertising after the 1990s decade were few and
far between. The “ESKINOL GIRL” campaign was revived in 2016 when the company
announced that MAINE MENDOZA, of the hit TV portion “Aldub” of Eat Bulaga, had
been selected as an ESKINOL GIRL. She starred in a “Linis-Kinis” commercial that
was seen on national TV that same year.
WATCH ESKINOL's "MAINE MENDOZA" 2016 TVC HERE:
SOURCES:
Eskinol Philippines: youtube, Eskinol with Maine Mendoza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03oKX7GooaQ
DANGWA has become
synonymous with blooms and flowers, so that when one needs them for special
occasions, one is directed not to Dimasalang St. but to—“Dangwa”, where the
buses that drop these flowers all the way from Baguio have their terminal. The
bus line owes its name to Igorot maverick Bado
Dangwa, a La Trinidad Agricultural School graduate.
DANGWA, 1960, screengrab from igorotna youtube post
DANGWA BUS, 1970. from the blog 'Home Court'
His ambition to be a teacher was put on hold when his school
principal James Wright, convinced him that there was a better future in the
transportation business. To get him started, Wright provided the cash-strapped
Dangwa 5 Chevrolet cars discarded by the North Garage transport service. Dangwa
was suddenly in business, using these cars to ply the La Trinidad-Baguio
route. Thus the DANGWA TRANSPORTATION COMPANY was born.
DANGWA TRANCO, Fleet no: 578,Bus Manufacturer:Santarosa Motor Works Inc., Model: SR SDX,Taken: East Ave., Quezon City, posted by markstopover on flickr.com
Eventually, he would grow his fleet from just 3 cars in 1928
to 173 vehicles at the onset of World War II. After the war where he served as
a guerrilla leader, he put the Dangwa Transportation back on its feet, and
which continues in business today with its modern fleet ofair-conditioned buses. Dangwa would later
become the governor of the MountainProvince.
WATCH "DANGWA TRANSCO"
The Beginning and Early Years, uploaded by igorotna
Flickr.net: Posted by markstopover, DANGWA TRANCO, Fleet no:
578, Bus Manufacturer: Santarosa Motor Works Inc. (Philippines), Model: SR SDX,
Shot Taken: East Ave., Quezon City
Gutierrez, Lazaro, Memoirs of Baguio 1901-1960, Summer
Capital Publishing House, p. 215.
When couple
Dr. Ernesto and Alegria Sibal started selling American books from a one-table
store in 1945, little did they know that their business would grow into “the biggest and most modern bookstore in the
Far East” in the 50s and 60s. Their
bookshop—ALEMAR’S was derived from Mrs.
Sibal’s name—ALEgria, and the first given name of the Sibal daughters, MARia.
VISIT ALEMAR'S, 1975 AD
ALEMAR'S, in its heyday, had its main store on Rizal Avenue and branches in Ermita,
Recto, Quezon City and Makati. It ventured into printing and publishing
in 1950, through its Phoenix Press and Phoenix Publishing House.
DOVER & SUNSET BOOKS, 1978 AD
BY 1975, ALEMAR'S WAS EVEN SELLING KIDDIE CLOTHES!
ALEMAR’S carried more than just books—local, imported,
textbooks, used books-- it also sold school
and office supplies, toys, men’s, ladies’ and children’s wear, home
accessories, magazines and more. Central Book Supply, a division specializing
in law books, was also put up. With more aggressive competition from National
Bookstore and with heirs leaving for the U.S., ALEMAR'S started closing its
shops in the 1980s.
SOURCE: “The
Alemar’s Story”, 1961 Philippine Business Progress Report, pp. 24-25.
AVENUE beverageswere manufactured in the 1950s by
Avenue Aerated Water Co.,in Grace
Park, Caloocan. This 1956 print ad lists 6 tasty Avenue flavors: Red Berry,
Orange, Sarsaparilla, Cream Soda and Pineapple. Avenue sold for 10 centavos per
bottle and remained available all through the 60s.
SOURCES:
Avenue Beverages & Soda Bottle, courtesy of Siglo Antiques & Collectible
The story of El Porvenir Rubber Products Inc., more
popularly known as ELPO (diminutive
of El Porvenir St., “the future”, in Spanish, and the company address) is the story of Don Tomas Geronimo, father of
the rubber shoe manufacturing industry n the Philippines, who established the
industrial enterprise in 1933.
ELPO FOOTWEAR CHRISTMAS AD, 1933
Don Tomas engaged in the importation and exportation of flour
and sugar in the 1920s, and from this humble beginnings in Herran, he grew the
business by leaps and bounds,
Upon his death in 1940, his son Carlos took over, until the
company suffered great financial losses when the war came and destroyed the
factory and machines.
ELPO AD, 1956
In 1946, Carlos Geronimo rebuilt the business, producing
2,000 pairs of rubber shoes a day. By the start of the 1960s, ELPO shoes were being produced at the
rate of 4,000 pairs daily. When it
opened its 13,000 sq.m. Caloocan compound, Elpo was regarded as the biggest and
most modern rubber shoe factory in the Philippines with over 500
employees. Its company compound stood on
a 14,000 sq. m. lot in Grace Park.
ELPO AD, 1956
ELPO Shoes became
very popular nationwide by the 50s and all through the 60s. The company was
awarded the “Rubber Show Manufacturer of the Year 1950”.
SOURCES:
Article previously appeared in short form in FilipiKnow and spot.ph (used with permission)
“Porvenir Rubber Products, Inc.”1961 Philippine Business
Progress Report, p. 66
