Last year, I found myself inside one of the gastronomic landmarks of Iloilo and among the oldest bakeries in the Philippines. Established in 1896, Panaderia ni Pa-a (formerly Jaro Bakery) is very popular then and now with a singular item - pan de sal. With it's signature French bread quality - crisp outside and soft inside, it has influenced the gastronomy of the Ilonggos especially those residing in Jaro. P Panaderia ni Pa-a was named in honor of Jose Uy's father, Uy Paa who was a native of the Southern China province of Fujian. Founded by Jose Uy's great grandfather, Chiquito Uy, the bakery has withstood the test and taste of time and lived up to more than a century of baking and maintaining the quality and taste of it products especially the famed pan de sal. R enovated a few years back, it is now house in a modern facade that hides the fact of its more than a century of existence except for the signboard that says "Established in 1896...