Breakthrough Iloilo and the Robles Farms have come hand-in-hand.
A restaurateur, a marine biologist, and a farmer; Raymundo “Munding” Robles and wife Daday is a byname in the seafood and restaurant industry. The couple propelled Iloilo City to national and global prominence through the brand name Breakthrough.
The Breakthrough started in 1986 and it has symbolized the Ilonggo’s penchant for fresh seafood cuisine and unsophisticated food preparation. Now on its 32-years of operations, Breakthrough has gradually expanded by offering a modern dining experience while retaining its local touch and flavor through Ponsyon and Dapli – brand names grounded from the Hiligaynon and Karay-a language which describes a feast and a viand.
Also read about Breakthrough Iloilo and the Robles Farms frontrunner Munding Robles.
Ponsyon and Dapli have established a distinct niche in the local food sector and the trio now serves as an enduring symbol of the Ilonggo hospitality and dining culture. Breakthrough reflects the Ilonggos’ affinity for low key and unpretentious cuisine. The fresh and natural ingredients that made up the food being offered by Breakthrough may well help explain why the Ilonggos’ possess a selective palate and a discriminatory taste for food.
Breakthrough Iloilo and the Robles Farms
The key to Breakthrough’s success and sustainability is at the farm. The Robles couple maintains an aquaculture farm in Iloilo and in the island of Guimaras for its famous Red Snapper or Managat, among others. The farm ensures a stable supply of fish for the chain of restaurants and the farm produce complements the supply that is coming from different sources.
The family has a source of fresh Tilapia. It maintains a Tilapia farm in Brgy. Abilay, Oton, Iloilo. The farm sits side-by-side with a riceland and has other livestock.
In the nearby Brgy. Buray, the Robles couple is developing a vegetable farm. It has started the development of a greenhouse facility in order to start vegetable farming which will eventually serve as a source of its fresh and natural ingredients. It primarily targets lettuce and tomato production.
They are also studying the use of a hydroponic vegetable gardening method – a familiar modern gardening approach utilized both by small and large farms in the Philippines and abroad. The area has also a variety of ornamental plants, bamboo, and palm trees that are used for landscaping.
The farm is eyeing an expansion of its vermicomposting facility for waste management. Considering the volume of waste being generated by the chain of restaurants, the facility will become useful for fertilizer processing which will be utilized for the farm.
Also read SM City Iloilo’s Mother’s Day spotlight is Mompreneur Mia Robles-Ng.
The couple has pursued this endeavor motivated by the spirit of making a breakthrough or discovery from experimentation. But for over three decades, new discoveries appeared to have continued. This is made evident by the major breakthroughs that they have attained on the numerous initiatives that they implemented which includes farming.
*This farm profile feature is a project of Panay Organic Producers Association (POPA) in November 2018.