I thought I was going to learn about the snacks Melvin already makes.
I was wrong.
This time, I left IT Park without even knowing exactly what I was looking for.
When I arrived, Melvin showed me his logo.
Cassava.
Kabog.
Tomato.
Then I noticed something strange.
The tomato was already on the logo.
But it wasn't a product yet.
Then he showed me the cassava chips.
That one already exists.
Then came kamote.
There was already a prototype, but he was still trying to perfect it.
And then I asked him about another vegetable.
“Do you already have a prototype?”
He paused.
“I have no... this is only a plan.”
"You know Kalabasa?"
Nothing packaged.
Nothing ready to sell.
Just an idea.
And honestly, that surprised me more than I expected.
I've spent almost three years in Cebu thinking I was learning about Filipino food one dish at a time.
But sometimes you don't find a finished dish.
Sometimes you meet someone while the idea is still becoming.
One product already selling.
One still being refined.
One still only a plan.
And somehow, that felt like a very different kind of food story.
By the time I made it back to IT Park that night, I realized I hadn't really gone looking for another snack.
I had gone looking at what might become one.
Still Learning.
Still Exploring.
One story at a time.
Daghang salamat, Melvin🙏
One name on that logo already had a bag of chips on the shelf. Another had a prototype he was still tasting, still adjusting. And the last one didn't have anything behind it at all. No prototype. No package. Just a vegetable he hadn't started with yet. "I have no... this is only a plan," he said, like a plan wasn't enough of an answer.
Watching Melvin say that so plainly made me think about how many ideas probably exist before anyone ever sees them.
The real find wasn't a new snack, but three ideas caught at three different stages of becoming — one already selling, one still being refined, and one still only a plan.
| Date | July 19, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Corazon, Catmon, Cebu |
| Event Type | Small Business Product Discussion |
| Access Method | Invited by a local contact (Melvin) |
| Food Featured | Cassava & Kamote Chips (Existing); Kalabasa (Still Only a Plan, per Melvin); Tomato (On the Logo, Status Unstated) |
| Cost to Attend | Free (by arrangement) |
| Rarity | 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ — Product ideas at different stages, from selling to still only a plan |
| Bayanihan Index | 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ — A one-on-one conversation rather than a communal gathering |
I still don't know if this is just how Melvin thinks, or if every small food business quietly carries a shelf of half-finished ideas nobody's asked about yet. That part of the story, for now, stays open.
