Deco's: The first La Paz Batchoy
Couple Josephine and Remy Guillergan
owner of Deco's La Paz.
Iloilo is known for its extraordinary gastronomic treats. In fact, the city has been associated to a bowl of clear soup of noodles topped with pork meat and liver called batchoy. La Paz batchoy, named so after a district in the city of Iloilo where it has originated, is quite known to the locals and the foreigns alike. This original Ilonggo specialty is popular enough that even companies that produces instant noodles have adopted the concept of adding such variety of flavor in their products.
The history of batchoy dates back to the years before the second World War broke out. It was Federico Guillergan Sr., a butcher who works at the La Paz market that time, who gave birth to what is now known as batchoy. As a cook, Federico experimented with different ingredients. Soon after a series of trial-and-error, he was able to catch the taste that he has been searching for and named it batchoy.
"During that time, there were a lot of Chinese businessmen in the city. The reason why my father made use of miki," narrates Mr. Remy Guillergan, the youngest of four siblings.
The people of La Paz first tasted the original Ilonggo soup at 10 to 20 centavos per bowl as a counter-type batchoy served by Federico himself inside the La Paz Public Market.
The modern-day batchoy has underwent several modifications. The first batchoy, as the 59 year-old Remy can recall, was made of miki (native noodles) submerged into a hot clear soup of boiled meat, guinamos (local shrimp paste), bone marrow, and garlic topped with pork meat. Eventually, pork innards like chopped intestines and sliced liver were added. The last innovation to be included in the famous batchoy was the chicharon, a dried and fried pork skin.
Remy Guillergan with the Deco's
witresses
Before, pan de sal was the favorite pair of batchoy. Then came pan de siosa and later puto (rice cake).
Contrary to the batchoy servings that we have come to know, the then batchoy was classified into two serving choices - the original and special. These classifications, up to this day, determines the content and the size of each serving.
To cater his customers better, Federico transferred his batchoyan (a name called for a restaurant that serves batchoy exclusively) from the busy insides of the market to a stall on its facade. From then on and up to these days, it has been the home of Deco's.
"It was named Deco's because of my father. Deco, his nickname for Federico,"explains Remy who is now managing the oldest La Paz batchoy in the country.
After his success here in Iloilo, Federico decided to share his newly-discovered recipe to Manileños. Sometime around 1967, Federico brought to España his expertise. Coupled with a dormitory near the University of Santo Tomas, Deco's has become a home to thousands of students and career-seeking individuals. For 30 years, people from all walks of life and from different points in Manila has savored the inviting aroma and the tempting taste of Deco's La Paz batchoy. In 1997 though, both the dormitory and the batchoyan were closed since one of his sons who managed the business decided to fly back to Iloilo.
Deco's has also been a part of the lives of the old Capitol employees. During lunch or break time, they would flock to Deco's near the Provincial Capitol. Unfortunately, the branch at the Provincial Capitol ceased to function. Deco's has once reached the shore of Bacolod City near the Paglaum Sports Complex.
Realizing the need to pass on the legacy to his sons and daughter, Federico has taught his children to love the business that helped them earn their degrees. He was confident that in the future they will do the same.
Today, Federico's legacy of great-tasting La Paz batchoy is being continued by his son Remy at the old Deco's in La Paz Market; by his daughter-in-law Marilyn Guillergan at Deco's in Central Market; and by his grandchild from Delia, who died of aneurysms last March, at Deco's in Iloilo Coliseum.
"A lot of interested businessmen would come to me and ask if they could franchise but I always refuse to. We have to maintain our quality," remarks Remy, who has been a soccer player since his hey days at the Araneta University in Manila and has been a team team manager for the Philippine Soccer Team to Singapore in 1997.
What's unique about Deco's is the spirit of the strong ties that bonds families together as testified by the long-staying waitresses and cooks. A typical Filipino tradition.
"Our cook here is the son of my father's cook before. We're like brothers. My waitresses stays with us for five years and even more. We treat them as a family member," confesses Remy.
Mr. Guillergan supervises the family-owned business and even personally buys and prepared ingredients needed. He and his wife Josephine, who is also a native of Lapaz, monitors the quality of food they serve.
Feeling the luscious noodles and the steaming aromatic soup is like browsing the pages of our history. Deco's is even pointed out as the oldest batchoy by the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage and Conservation Council (ICCHCC) on their daily Iloilo City Tours.
Some of the famous celebrities like Melanie Marquez, Ina Raymundo, JV Ejercito, and Epi Quizon were delighted by the superior taste od Deco's. Huge political figures like mayors and governors, businessmen, doctors, balikbayans, and influential families share seats and savor the richness and the goodness of Deco's batchoy. People from different walks of life with varied beliefs and opposing political inclinations unite and agree that Deco's batchoy is incomparably the best.
To satisfy your cravings visit any Deco's branches or call Deco's La Paz at 3201079. Orders must be in volumes.
Savor the taste, experience history, and pay tribute to the "Father of La Paz Batchoy" - Federico "Deco" Guillergan.