Finding the Unexpected
I recently went to a small grocery store here in Tangier to buy oats, when all of a sudden I saw a very familiar word, it’s like it is shining among all the other snacks in that part of the store. I actually can’t believe what I saw, it’s a chocolate bar called “Filipinos” written in its wrapper.
History behind the Filipinos Chocolate Biscuit
Because I got so curious about this snack that I did some digging in the internet about it.
Manufactured by Spain’s Mondelēz International, the Filipinos chocolate biscuits angered Filipinos, the people of the Philippines, as the local laws prohibit companies from using the name of the country or national in a brand.
Back in 1999, the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest with the biscuit’s then manufacturer Nabisco Iberia, the government of Spain, and the European Commission. In the said protest, the Philippines calls on the manufacturer to change the brand’s name, pointing out that ‘Filipinos’ is the term used to refer to the citizens of the Philippines.
With the brand being sold under the same name for over 40 years, however, nothing much came out of the Philippines’ protest. Also, although there are laws in the Philippines against using the country’s name and nationality as name of a brand, these laws do not apply to these international brands that are manufacturing and selling their items outside the Philippines.
What it Tastes Like
The moment I bought it, I was so excited to eat it!
It’s a biscuit shaped into a donut covered with milk chocolate. They also have other variations like the dark chocolate and milk chocolate.
My final verdict: it’s good! I don’t know if I’m supposed to be offended or proud about these biscuits but they truly taste good. No wonder it’s been in the market for more than 40 years already. But in my opinion, I don’t think the manufacturers mean’t to insult us or what by naming their biscuits “Filipinos”.
DISCLAIMER
The views, the opinions and the positions expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent those of the companies or any company or individual affiliated with them.