Cheloy’s ‘Quickmelt’ success story - FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo

During the recent holidays, you, too, must have received a box-ful of Quickmelt ensaymada (or empanada or cheese rolls) as a gift from some friends. I did – three boxes, in fact, sent to me by three different friends and not by the woman behind those goodies so called because they melt in your mouth upon contact. She’s none other than Cherie Lou "Cheloy" Ignacio (ex-Muhlach), the stepmother of Niño Muhlach.

Cheloy’s Quickmelt products fit well into this corner because they are as showbiz as she is – or used to be, having been the wife once upon a time of Niño’s father, Alex Muhlach (whose other ex-wife, former actress Rebecca Rocha, is the biological mother of Niño).

"You see," recalls Cheloy (who started as a model, as one of the Ginebra’s Super Angels, remember?), "I was based at home (at the Niño Apartelle along N. Domingo St., Quezon City) most of the time, minding the home and the kids. In my spare time, I decided to enroll at Culinary School where I learned how to bake, among other goodies, ensaymada. At home, medyo inimprovise ko ang recipe and I came up with my own. It began as a hobby; I was baking for my friends, whom I called my ‘Cell Friends,’ at a Bible-study group. Before I knew it, ang dami nang nag-o-o-order. Before long, hayun, naging business na."

So in 1992, while still living with Alex, Cheloy registered her business under the name Supermelt which Alex used as name of the ensaymada business he put up when they separated a few years later. So in 1997, Cheloy forgot all about Supermelt and came up with Quickmelt which, contrary to its name, turned out to be a lucrative venture that didn’t "melt" even during its most trying period.

You guessed it: Cheloy’s initial batch of suki were from showbiz (yours truly among them; yes, I’ve been sending Quickmelt ensaymada to friends both here and abroad, except last Christmas when I preferred to send – how did you know!?! – prayers). Even talent manager Rading Carlos (now a successful caterer) swears by Cheloy’s ensaymada and acts as a distributor.

"I want to show housewives like me that if they put their mind to it," assures the girl from Dipolog City, "they can turn a hobby into a profitable business, very helpful to single parents like me."

Cheloy now has more than 40 Quickmelt outlets all over the metropolis – and counting. She runs a coffee shop (which serves as fast-food restaurant) in Buting, Pasig City, where also displayed a wide array of ensaymada, empanada and cheese rolls (take your pick, yummy!).

Besides her satisfied (burp, burp!) customers, Cheloy’s other (official) endorser is Ford model John Lee (real name: John Edgar Lara, from Lucena City) who’s actually based in New York where he earns a fat sum as a commercial model.

I forgot to ask Cheloy how her lath crossed that of John Lee’s but I’m sure her Quickmelt ensaymada had something to do with it. I’m sure!

CD of city ordinances

Briefly noted: manila Councilor (5th District) Cita Astalas has just come up with a unique project which is actually a book and CD compiling existing ordinances from 1927 to December, 2000.

Scheduled to be launched on Jan. 15 at the Bonifacio Shrine (near the Manila City Hall), Manila’s Millennium Compilation of Ordinances also includes a list of present and past city officials, an article on the lawmaking process and a history of the City Council. On the same day, the book’s CD version, called Mokong’s Guide to Manila City Ordinances, will also be launched.

Cita plans to donate 200 copies of the book and 2,000 copies of the CD to various institutions.

Do you smell "election" in the air?

Yes, the project should help Cita’s reelection bid this coming May.

Batang West Side now in full swing

The Funfare DPA in New York sent me an update on the long-delayed movie Batang West Side which took more than a month to get off the launching pad, with its lead star, Yul Servo, stranded in a rented house in Jersey City along with the cameramen, production designer (Cesar Hernando) and other people involved in the project directed by New York-based Lav Diaz who’s also its writer.

Yul went to New York in October last year and, due to reported lack of funds and problems with the casting, sat on his ass for more than a month before the cameras finally began rolling. One time when he watched the Gay Parade in Manhattan, Yul lost his wallet to a pickpocket.

Well, the good news, according to the Big Apple DPA is that Batang West Side is shooting in full swing, to be completed by Jan. 20. Gloria Diaz has replaced Gina Alajar as the mother of Yul while Joel Torre has gone back to New York for the shoot. Priscilla Almeda left last night and is expected to finish her scenes in barely two weeks.

Now you know why Joey Gosiengfiao, "mastermind" of the project, is grinning from ear to ear.