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How female entrepreneurs turned the ‘Paris of the Philippines’ into a vibrant food destination
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Octogenarian Sinda Belleza (left) makes the spring roll-like lumpia and Ms Nora Lacson, owner of Emma Lacson Delicacies, which sells empanadas.
PHOTOS: CLAIRE TURRELL
Claire Turrell
SILAY, Philippines – In the 1970s, the heyday of the “Paris of the Philippines” seemed to be over.
The collapse of the sugar industry left the island of Negros Occidental in turmoil. The sugar barons returned to capital city Manila, with many leaving their homes to fall into ruins. The streets, where the rich would ride in carriages pulled by Arabian horses, fell silent.
