Mendez town residents turn Jacobina biscuits into a cultural symbol

Paterno Noceda introduced the Jacobina biscuit at his small bakery in Mendez, Cavite, in 1947.

These cubed biscuits have since become a primary cultural symbol for the local Mendezeño community. Residents of Mendez use the snack as a staple for special occasions and a traditional gift for friends and family members outside the town. The local government of Mendez now presents the biscuits to visitors as a defining part of the local heritage.

While three bakeries originally produced the treat, Noceda Bakery is credited with popularizing the product across the Philippines. The name Jacobina became an official trademark in 1955. Local lore suggests the biscuit was named after a beautiful woman who visited the town, though the exact story remains a local mystery. To meet rising demand and modern sanitary standards, the owners of La Noceda Food Products Inc. moved manufacturing to a larger facility in Palokpok, Mendez, in 2017.

This expansion allowed the company to export the biscuits to the United States and other international markets. Despite this growth, the biscuits remain a central part of daily life for younger and older generations in Mendez.