Filipino culture can be best described as a combination of our sensibilities and a hodgepodge of influences from various countries in the West and our neighboring Asian countries.

What makes our culture remarkably unique, particularly in Asia, is our heavily Spanish influence born from more than three decades of colonial rule. Our names, our churches, our faith, and our food staples bear the culture of our former colonizers.

While we have appropriated classic Spanish customs, dishes, and everyday items into our own, La Peñica has also decided to bring the best Spanish products into our home.

La Peñica is a Makati-based private enterprise, owned by general manager Javier Gamboa and his Filipino wife. Together, they offer various imported products from ten Spanish brands, ranging from condiments and sauces, cooking oils, baby food, coffee, colognes and shampoos and house cleaning liquids.

Affordable products

In an interview for Daily Tribune's Straight Talk, Gamboa explained La Peñica's goal is to provide affordable imported Spanish products to Filipinos.

"It can be a bit challenging because of (the) price. We try to make it as available as possible (and with the right price). Our mission is to make the Filipino consumer happy by having access to affordable imported products from Spain," Gamboa said.

Given the wide range of products, La Peñica has to offer, conquering the market could be a challenge, especially in a country whose products are mainly dominated by America and countries other than Spain. Gamboa said that the Spanish influence in the country's gustatory tastes in particular gives them the advantage.