Discover the story behind 'monok'

No matter how hard our daily lives as Filipinos may be, what doesn't leave is our resourcefulness and our ability to always find a way to survive. And there is perhaps nothing that embodies this resourcefulness more than monok, a Tondo dish made from meat that would usually have been thrown away.

Good News visited Tondo ang looked for the woman known as the Queen of Monok to find out the story behind the dish and discovered not just a story of resourcefulness but a story of family love as well.

Tondo's Queen of Monok is Loida Orallo, the eldest daughter in her family. As a child, she learned the monok recipe from her mother, who even back then was a resourceful woman. Whenever Loida would go to the market with her mom, she would get tips on where she could get the best deals because according to her mother, this would be the only thing she can leave Loida once she passes away.

Loida's mother came up with the recipe for monok when she got sick and had to close the carinderia that she ran. Loida's mom was offered chicken, pig, and cow meat that have been used for broth and would have been thrown away since all the flavor has been used for the broth. Rather than throw it away, Loida's mom gave the different meats flavor again by marinating them in soy sauce, vinegar, chili, and garlic.

When Loida's mother passed away when Loida was just 21 years old, Loida, her father, and her siblings had to work in a junk shop. But what they were earning wasn't enough to sustain them, so Loida decided to sell monok like her mother used to do.

Because her siblings were entrusted to her by her mother, Loida has not stopped working hard at selling monok. Since then, she has become the family's second mother and the person that her nephews and nieces run to in times of need.

Watch the whole video below.