OFExperience: Overseas Filipino Entrepreneurs YouTube Live Interview
November 14, 2023, 20:30, Manila, Philippines Time (15:00 Vilnius, Lithuania time)
I have had the priviledge to be interviewed by the most friendly, most accommodating and most cheerful Filipino hosts from the Overseas Filipino Entrepreneurs – Elai and Cheska! It was an hour and a half (and a little bit more, well, a total of 1 hour, 36 minutes and 58 seconds) of happy moments and a light conversation about my experiences, struggles, and goals as an entrepreneur here in Vilnius, Lithuania. I was asked how I planned and how I started my small home business, and what inspired me to make and sell Filipino snacks or food to Filipinos, Lithuanians, and other nationalities in Vilnius. The conversation focused on my aim to help introduce the Filipino cuisine and flavors in Lithuania because I believe that the Filipino cuisine is “world class”. In addition, I shared my future goals for the business, and my dreams of further promoting the Filipino cuisine in Lithuania, well, in Vilnius first, at least. I also showed some photos from my work experiences and life in Muscat, Oman, where I worked and lived for almost 9 years. My passion to make Filipino snacks started when, as only a hobby, I sold some Filipino steamed cakes (puto pao with chicken filling and puto cream cheese) to my colleagues at Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB). But after moving to Vilnius in December 2016 and after several years of prioritizing my new found job as a stay-at-home mom, I decided to restart my business again in Vilnius in May 8, 2023.
I also mentioned my connection to Ms. Rhea Topacio, the Filipino entrepreneur in Amsterdam and owner of Ubeness and About Flavors, from whom I buy my essences from, which I use for my homemade treats. She happily made a great article feature about Merienda in her website. More information and direct link to the article here: https://meriendainlithuania.com/the-love-for-food-merienda-article-feature-written-by-ms-rhea-topacio-rogacion-of-about-flavors-and-ubeness/
I also shared my experience and how I was invited by the Lithuanian National Museum House of Histories, to represent the Philippines during their “My Migration Story” event on September 16, 2023, where I introduced one of my homemade products – 6 flavors of lengua de gato or cat’s tongue cookies/katės liežuvio sausiniukai. More information about this event in my previous blog entry: https://meriendainlithuania.com/mano-migracijos-istorija-my-migration-story-event-organized-by-lithuanian-national-museum-istoriju-namai/
The live interview, entitled, OFExperience S5 Ep20: A Taste of Filipino Flavours in Lithuania, is streamed in both YouTube and in Facebook. We used a mix of both Filipino and English languages, in order to be understood by more Filipinos worldwide.
The YouTube link is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YHQkwptFkw&t=32s
The Facebook link to the video is here: https://www.facebook.com/ofentrepreneurs/videos/1139540240351129
Here is my photo with the hosts from the live interview:
