Just a short walk from the historic Molo Plaza in Iloilo City began a baking tradition that would outlast generations, wars, and changing food trends. Today, Panaderia de Molo remains deeply woven into Iloilo’s pasalubong culture — its biscuits and pastries carried home by travelers, served in family gatherings, and remembered fondly by Ilonggos across the world.
At the heart of its continuing story is Hyacinth Sanson Larraga Catral, a granddaughter of the bakery’s founding matriarch, who now leads efforts to bring the heritage brand forward while preserving its roots.
From Egg Yolks to Iloilo’s Iconic Bakery
Panaderia de Molo’s origins trace back to the late 1800s, during the construction of Molo Church beginning in 1869. Builders used egg whites as part of mortar preparation, leaving large amounts of egg yolks unused.
Nearby lived the Jason sisters — Marciana, Natividad, and Soledad — who had learned baking techniques introduced during the Spanish era. Making creative use of the surplus egg yolks, they began producing cookies and pastries, turning what started as a home hobby into a small but enduring baking enterprise.
The tradition was later passed on to their niece, Luisa Jason Sanson, who formally opened Panaderia de Molo in the 1920s. The bakery first operated within the Sanson ancestral home at San Jose street, later relocating to a more accessible storefront along Avancena Street as customer demand grew. Additional branches eventually opened in other parts of the city.
Luisa’s husband, Geminiano Sanson, a University of the Philippines-trained lawyer, designed the bakery’s enduring Art Deco logo — a symbol still associated with the brand today.
A Legacy Within Iloilo’s Pasalubong Tradition
Through decades, Panaderia de Molo became part of Iloilo City’s culinary identity, especially in the tradition of bringing home local delicacies as pasalubong.
Today, production of Panaderia de Molo products is overseen by Iloilo HLC Foods Corporation, a family-owned company ensuring that traditional recipes and preparation standards continue.
Meanwhile, the four official Panaderia de Molo stores operating in malls are managed by Tiendecitas de Iloilo Food Products, a sole proprietorship under Hyacinth L. Catral, granddaughter of Luisa Jason Sanson and part of the family lineage that sustained the bakery in Molo for generations.
Hyacinth is also the IPOPHL-registered trademark owner of the Panaderia de Molo brand, securing the name and identity of the heritage bakery as it continues to expand and modernize.
The bakery remains known as one of the original makers of Iloilo’s beloved heritage biscuits, including biscocho principe, bañadas, galletas, hojaldres, and other traditional pastries crafted from recipes handed down through generations. Their offerings now also include a wide selection of Filipino pastries and pasalubong favorites made with the same commitment to authenticity and quality.
Growing Up Inside the Bakery
For Hyacinth Catral, Panaderia de Molo was more than a business — it was part of family life.
Luisa Jason Sanson had seven children, including Hyacinth’s mother Teresita Sanson Larraga, who began managing the Molo store in the early 1980s. From a young age, Hyacinth and her cousins helped in store operations, learning firsthand how the bakery functioned.
According to her, the original location of the store was at the back part of the property in Brgy. San Jose, with small pathway leading to the door where clients had to knock to order. But eventually they closed it and made it into a warehouse. Then in the 70s, they built the store fronting the Avancena Street and the bakery at the back.
When her mother’s health declined, Hyacinth stepped in to help sustain operations.
“It wasn’t really passed down to me,” she shares. “It just so happened that my mother was attending to the store in Molo, so I felt it was my obligation to continue the heritage.”
With a background in business, she later explored ways to strengthen operations and bring the products closer to more customers.
Carrying the Brand Forward
Hyacinth continued overseeing operations in Molo until 2018. After stepping away from the original location, she sustained production independently, maintaining original recipes and continuing bakery operations from her own facility.
To professionalize and protect the brand moving forward, she initiated trademark registration for Panaderia de Molo in 2012, which was approved the following year. Additional brand protections and verifications have since followed, including official recognition of the brand’s digital presence with verified Facebook and Instagram pages.
Navigating Public Discussions in the Digital Age
Recently, discussions about the Panaderia de Molo name resurfaced online, with posts questioning authenticity and sparking renewed public interest in the bakery’s heritage and ownership story.
Hyacinth, however, says she prefers to let facts and customers speak for themselves.
“Just be fair, and get the opinion of both sides and it’s for the people to decide kon diin sila mabakal,” she says. “Be factual, credible. Just be fair, no below the belt.”
Rather than engage in public arguments, she says her focus remains on sustaining product quality and serving customers.
“To our competition,” she adds candidly, “instead of promoting your products, ako ya ang ginaguba nyo. It’s funny kay I’m not seeking publicity.”
For Hyacinth, the attention only reinforces the responsibility of preserving a heritage brand that many Ilonggos grew up with. Her priority, she says, remains ensuring that Panaderia de Molo continues to be accessible and relevant for future generations.
Preserving the Original Taste
Despite modernization, Hyacinth insists the bakery’s taste remains unchanged.
“The recipe is the original,” she says. Knowledge was traditionally passed through practice rather than written instructions. Having grown up observing bakery operations, Hyacinth developed her own understanding of production standards.
The bakery’s longtime master baker later joined her operations until his passing during the pandemic. Today, baking continues under a head baker who is also part of the extended Sanson family, keeping production within the lineage.
Customer feedback continues to affirm the authenticity of their products. One monk originally from Molo reportedly remarked after tasting their hojaldres again, “This is really the taste of hojaldres. Amo ni ang insakto nga sabor.”
Still, Hyacinth welcomes suggestions, seeing improvement as part of preserving tradition.
Making Heritage Accessible to Modern Customers
Recognizing changing consumer habits, Hyacinth brought Panaderia de Molo into shopping malls, making traditional products accessible beyond the original neighborhood. The stores are located at SM City Iloilo, SM Iloilo Central Market, Festive Walk Mall, and Gaisano Capital City Mall.
The bakery now produces more than 40 varieties of baked goods and pasalubong treats, with classics like Galletas and Hojaldres remaining bestsellers.
Stores now accept card payments, GCash, and delivery platforms, making heritage treats more accessible to today’s customers.
Passion for Preserving a Family Legacy
For Hyacinth, continuing Panaderia de Molo is deeply personal.
“Kanugon sang effort sang lola ko,” she shares, expressing her determination not to let her grandmother’s work fade amid competition.
Her goal is to sustain the brand while allowing it to evolve for future generations.
She now focuses on reaching younger consumers, especially through social media and mall visibility. Seeing younger customers discovering the brand gives her confidence that the bakery’s story will continue.
A Message to Loyal Customers
To longtime patrons, her message is simple and heartfelt:
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’ll try my best to satisfy whatever you want from my products to make it better. If you have comments, I’m open to it.”
Nearly a century since it formally opened, Panaderia de Molo continues balancing tradition and modernization — carried forward by family members determined to keep Iloilo’s baking heritage alive for generations to come.
