Merci Pasalubong Treats opens at the Iloilo Airport

A few months back, I enjoyed a boxful of napoleones plus my last trip from Bacolod yielded some mango and caramel tarts and recently I finally solved the “faceless” egg crackers I was raving about. Unknowingly, I had been a patron of Merci Pasalubong Treats for delicious sweets from the City of Smiles.

Merci, meaning “Thank You” in French is a family business that started in 1995. It is the market brand of CM and Sons Food Products. Merci started as a small bakery supplying bread to a single store at the Libertad Market in Bacolod City.

Sixteen years after, it now has 27 branches across Western Visayas, two of which are in Iloilo). Through the invitation extended by the James Toga, President of the Negros Bloggers, to the Iloilo Bloggers Inc., I attended the blessing and opening of its newest branch – at the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan last Dec.19, 2011.

A simple blessing attended by the top honchos of CM & Sons Inc with Cabatuan Mayor Bob Maroma and Iloilo Provincial Tourism Director Bombette Marin as invited guests who eventually led the ribbon cutting for the formal opening of the latest branch of Merci Pasalubong Treats and was followed by a sumptuous afternoon snack.

With a galore more than 70 pasalubong treats and goodies, one can entirely get lost in gastronomy. Take your pick from piaya, tarts and napoleones to barquillos, biscocho and butterscotch, it surely have a field day choosing what fills in your pasalubong box.

I highly recommend their napoleones, aside from being neatly and conveniently packed they really taste good – brings out the flavour of the city of smiles, literally. Unfortunately, they don’t have one at this branch due to logistics and the nature of the product. Their boxed tarts - caramel, mango and cheese among others, also are good buys.

But to bring some signature Bacolod delicacy, there’s always piaya, comes in regular -muscovado filled and ube. Then there’s kwakoy, (in) famously referred to as plywood for it looks like one and it’s mainly made with rice flour and sugar. They also have meringue, squid rings, ugoy –ugoy, egg crackers (one of my favorites) and my new discovery pita crackers – it’s just plain and lightly salted, good for endless munching.

This year they launched a campaign – the I LOVE BACOLOD drive that also coincided the revelation of their new logo – a silhouette of a baker pulling out hot bread off the oven signifying the freshness quality of their products. It is a fitting testament to their commitment to be one of the leading players in the pasalubong industry. Last September, Merci was given the Dynamic Growth (Model Entrepreneur) Award presented by the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry in its Achievement Awards for 2011.

Quality products, good packaging and innovative marketing (e.g. Travel Plus Promo just present any travel ticket upon purchase and you’ll get 10% off) collectively made Merci what it is today. Thus uplifting not only the morale and pride of the people – not only the bakers, food attendants and bosses of the company, but also to anyone and everyone who buys, tastes and enjoy what Merci has to offer.

And true to its tagline “Sa Merci, tanan Manamit!” (It’s all delicious at Merci!)

Merci Pasalubong Treats has two branches in Iloilo City. One is located along Ledesma Street near the Plazoleta Gay and this one at the pre departure area lobby (3rd floor) of the Iloilo Airport and is open from 5am to 9pm. Also check out their website www.merci.com.ph and like them on Facebook.

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