Aspiring MVP Bossing Teng De Castro reinvents restaurant concept

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Shift from Dine-In to Delivery and Take-out keeps Dapo at Tisa afloat


PLDT Enterprise recently launched its MVP Bossing campaign last December to inspire enterprises to rediscover and reinvent their businesses today to successfully thrive in the future. With the theme Rediscovery, Reinvention, it aims to convey a message of hope, to recognize and appreciate local entrepreneurs who took on the challenges their businesses faced because of the global health crisis.

Aspiring MVP Bossing Teng de Castro is the Managing Partner of Dapo at Tisa Filipino Cuisine, which is known for its fresh Filipino dishes, top-notch service staff, and comfortable dining areas. The pandemic where government had to implement total lockdown greatly affected Dapo at Tisa, which has 4 branches and 80 employees across the metro. Teng de Castro says they closed down for two weeks, and had to hurriedly pivot, from a dine-in establishment to a cloud kitchen concept, with food to be delivered or for take-out.

Teng de Castro says that they had to pivot in order to cope with the crisis. “We have a commitment to serve the community, and our kitchen crew who are our frontliners, know that we need to provide the service especially that food is an essential factor in comforting stressed people.” 

Dapo at Tisa reconfigured their business model, setting up their cloud kitchen concept and ensuring that their loyal customers remained, either ordering online for delivery or pick-up. Employees underwent retraining for safety and health protocols, and those who had motorcycles and bicycles became delivery riders. An employee who needed to work from home became the restaurant’s online sales crew.

Pre-pandemic sales via delivery apps were at 20% for Dapo at Tisa. But during the pandemic, signing up for third party apps brought delivery sales at 80%, proving that shifting to digital sales had greatly helped keep the restaurant afloat.

Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups says that having Dapo at Tisa’s Teng de Castro as an MVP Bossing is very inspiring. “Being an optimist in times of crisis means being able to rise from extreme challenges, and for Teng de Castro, he made sure that their restaurant found solutions to continue their service to many countless customers. We at PLDT Enterprise commend him for choosing to bring out the best in himself and for his business.” 

Teng de Castro believes that better days are coming. Patience, for him, as well as constant innovation to improve their business model help Dapo at Tisa remain in the hearts, minds, and bellies of people.

For more information on PLDT Enterprise’s MVP Bossing campaign, visit pldtenterprise.com.


PHOTO: Teng De Castro, Managing Partner of Dapo at Tisa

5 Innovative Essentials For A Modern Kitchen

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I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say that the kitchen is the heart of the home. A kitchen is a place for merrymaking and joy, but only when it's well-equipped.

Cooking becomes pleasurable and fun only when you have the best cooking equipment around, and the right kind of tools, that make the process easy and simple. But for the ordinary person, deciding on the essential kitchen equipment that they need can be hard.

That's why in this article, we're telling you about some of the latest and essential bits of kitchen equipment that will make your kitchen a chef's paradise.

For more ideas on how you can make your kitchen top-notch, check out CompuKitchen - a one-stop site that contains engaging user guides on how you can integrate the latest technology into your kitchen.


An Induction Cooker

In this day and age, induction cookers are a must for the kitchen. Gone are the days of relying on gas and stove. Not only are induction cookers more user-friendly and convenient, but there are also lower risks associated with it. The latest induction cookers come with a variety of cooking and safety features, that makes the process of creating your favorite dishes as easy as ABC! Many people have the idea that induction cookers are expensive, but you can find some great models at affordable prices that will suit your requirements and your budget.


Copper Utensils

We have all heard chefs and cooks recommending iron utensils, but that's not it anymore. Copper utensils and cookware are the new "it" product, and more and more people have started to realize their utility in the kitchen. A great conductor, copper vessels helps temperature rise rapidly which makes browning meat and vegetables faster and easier. The heat is distributed evenly as well. On top of this, copper vessels last for quite a while and don't get damaged too easily. So if you're looking for longevity, this is a great option. However, copper utensils and cookware should be used with caution as too much copper can be harmful to health. So make sure that you are well-aware of usage procedures.


An Air-Fryer

If you're on social media, then I'm sure you've come across the new trend of cooking air fryers. After quite a long time, air fryers are getting the attention they deserve. They're an excellent, time-efficient, and healthy alternative to deep-frying. Did you know that with the use of air-fryers you can cut down on calories by 70-80%? The lack of excessive amounts of oil in air-frying also reduces the risk of diseases. On top of that, in high-heat oil-based cooking methods, there is also the risk of acrylamide formation, which can lead to certain types of digestive cancers. You can get a wide variety of models with numerous features for good prices. If you're looking for that one appliance that will give you versatility, then an air-fryer is perfect for you.


Toaster Ovens

A proper breakfast is a long-gone dream for most of us. We hardly have the time to make a quick breakfast, before we have to rush out the door. But the drawback to this is without a good, nourishing breakfast, you're hungry, lethargic, and tired the whole day. However, with a countertop toaster oven, you can make breakfasts much easier and quicker. These are mini-versions of ovens, which are great for quick toasts and breakfasts on-the-go. You can also make smaller baked goods and food in here. It's the perfect appliance for those who would love to have an oven in their kitchen, but lack the space to accommodate it or the budget to buy a full-blown oven.


Coffee Maker

Coffee addicts, this is for you. It's time to stop drinking the packaged coffee, and spending copious amounts of money on sub-par coffee chains when you could just make a great cup at home. All you need is a drip coffee maker. While they might have been expensive once, you can now find a large variety of drip coffee makers at affordable rates. If you enjoy coffee, this appliance is a must. Most of them have adjustable temperatures, and programmable options as well as quick brewing times and automated processes. So all you really have to do is fill it up and set it on, and you can go about rhe rest of your work. Within a few minutes, you can come back and find some delicious, fresh coffee for yourself.

Our education system needs to focus more on critical and creative thinking

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Some older government officials and wealthy leaders prefer to keep the mass population uneducated or lacks progressive education to keep and maintain their power. Sad reality.

But maybe Millennial leaders will change that. Hoping for the best possibilities. 

In my opinion, being the best at Math and Science is surface level metric.

Developing critical and creative thinking is what's  sorely lacking in the job market.

We need to pay attention to the Humanities, to the Social Sciences. If machines and computers can do the Math better than us, we must focus on other things.

Indeed, there is a need to improve education in the Sciences and the need to stop diploma milling. However, the follow up question is, after a total reform of the educational system in the Philippines, where are we going to employ our graduates? 

Do you know why the Chinese are so great in education? Because they're slaves! Literally from the time they wake up till the time they go to bed, students are doing school work and studying. That's their lives, that's it. 

IMHO, students should grow up to be well-rounded individuals and I can tell you, most Chinese people are not at all well-rounded, they tend to go through the day almost as if they're running on some kind of advanced autopilot. Their educational system may produce better grades, but it doesn't produce better people or more entrepreneurs. 

This is not to say that the education system in the Philippines doesn't need to be fine tuned or even reformed, it does need to be, but don't look at China as a shining example of what education should be because the whole educational slave thing wouldn't work in this country, nor should it. 

Some European countries are using advanced learning techniques, like mind mapping for example, to teach students HOW to learn, not necessarily what to learn. These techniques can be applied to all things in life and are truly the next paradigm in education. Look to books like "Peak Learning", "The Art of Learning", "Peak Performance", etc. for more information on these advanced learning techniques and why ALL schools should be teaching these techniques. 

Traditional education in most countries is based on a very old and outdated system that is not at all designed or optimized for individual learning and should be replaced!

Japan was able to rise from the slump of WWII when they reformed almost everything internally without any foreign intervention through their independent foreign policy and an effective emergence of correct knowledge and practise.