About
Many customers ask us:
“Why this name: Lola’s Garden Jam?”
Daniel:
“The answer is in the past. My French grandmother — like so many grandmothers in France — was an incredible cook and pastry chef. I was about eight years old when I used to watch her make jam at the end of every summer. I can still hear her voice today: the real secret to a good jam isn’t the recipe… it’s love. Without love, the method means nothing.”
“The answer is in the past. My French grandmother — like so many grandmothers in France — was an incredible cook and pastry chef. I was about eight years old when I used to watch her make jam at the end of every summer. I can still hear her voice today: the real secret to a good jam isn’t the recipe… it’s love. Without love, the method means nothing.”
Mechelle:
“And ‘grandmother’ is ‘lola’ in Filipino!”
“And ‘grandmother’ is ‘lola’ in Filipino!”
Daniel:
“Exactly! So I’ve been making jams at home all my life. But in 2011 — yes, we were much younger back then! — we officially registered Lola’s Garden Jam and started producing on a very small scale. Life was simpler then for home-based processing, but today we follow much stricter regulations, which take time and investment. Lola’s Garden Jam is now FDA registered (License to Operate: LTO-3000014719878), and we are gradually obtaining the CPR (Certificate of Product Registration) for our entire range of products.”
“Exactly! So I’ve been making jams at home all my life. But in 2011 — yes, we were much younger back then! — we officially registered Lola’s Garden Jam and started producing on a very small scale. Life was simpler then for home-based processing, but today we follow much stricter regulations, which take time and investment. Lola’s Garden Jam is now FDA registered (License to Operate: LTO-3000014719878), and we are gradually obtaining the CPR (Certificate of Product Registration) for our entire range of products.”
From Farm to Jar: Empowering Local Farmers
At the same time as we were perfecting our own jams, we began working closely with small-scale farmers around Bacolod, teaching them the principles of natural farming — no harsh chemicals, just respect for the soil, use of powerful micro-organisms and respect of the nature’s laws.
We also introduced them to simple, accessible food processing techniques. Instead of selling their raw mangoes at low prices to middlemen, these farmers learned how to transform their harvest into high-quality products like mango jam, pickles, concentrates, and more. The impact was immediate and life-changing: from tree and vegetables to jar, they could multiply their income many times over. A kilo of fresh mangoes might fetch a modest amount at the market, but when turned into premium, naturally made jam, the value skyrockets — and so does their livelihood. Today, these partnerships continue to grow.
By adding real value to their crops and cutting out the middlemen, local farmers earn more, gain stability, and take pride in producing something truly special — just like we do at Lola’s Garden Jam. We believe good food starts with healthy land and empowered people. That’s why we’re committed to sharing knowledge, supporting sustainable practices, and celebrating the incredible bounty of Negros Occidental — one jar at a time.