National Hopia Day Goes Nationwide: Affordable Treats, New Flavors, and a Whole Lot of Family Fun

It’s Nutrition Month this July, and while we often focus on leafy greens and healthy grains, let’s not forget the joy of sharing comforting, culture-rich food with our families. And this month, there’s one special snack making a nationwide comeback: hopia!

Yes, you read that right—Eng Bee Tin’s National Hopia Day is back, and this year it’s going nationwide!

From its roots in Binondo, Eng Bee Tin has grown into a beloved Filipino-Chinese household name, and now in its 113th year, they’re bringing the hopia celebration to Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. If you remember last year’s epic kickoff at the Mall of Asia Music Hall (we do!), it was a joyful tribute to Filipino family values, tradition, and—of course—snacking.

This year, National Hopia Day 2025 is giving moms, dads, and kiddos more reasons to smile with bigger discounts, more locations, and yes—new flavors!

Hopia, Hope, and ₱20 Goodness

With rising prices affecting household budgets, finding an affordable treat the whole family can enjoy feels like a win. Enter the Hopia Etneb—a ₱20 coffee-flavored hopia that’s Eng Bee Tin’s way of giving back to the community. The name "Etneb" (a playful take on "twenty") is more than a promo—it's a statement that delicious doesn’t have to mean expensive.

Inspired by Mayor Isko Moreno, who planted the idea during his earlier term and now revived with his return to Manila City Hall, Hopia Etneb is all about keeping tradition accessible. It’s a perfect “pang-merienda” for moms needing a quick pick-me-up (hello coffee flavor!) or an after-school treat for the kids.

Flavors for Every Family Member

Last year, the surprise bestseller was the Hopia Sisig—a savory-sarap twist that got everyone talking. This year, the flavor adventure continues with:

• Pineapple with Salted Egg – a sweet-salty tropical combo that's both familiar and fresh.

• Mango Hopia – bright, fruity, and a perfect way to sneak fruit into dessert!

• Chilimansi Hopia – yes, the pancit canton-inspired flavor is now hopping into hopia! Tangy, spicy, and sure to be a hit for adventurous tastebuds.

  

And if you're like us, always dreaming of new food mashups—we're hopia-ing (see what we did there?) that Eng Bee Tin surprises us with a milk tea-flavored hopia someday soon. Just imagine: the chewy, creamy goodness of milk tea wrapped in hopia. A mom can dream, right?

A Whole Month of Celebration

Starting every Monday of July, participating Eng Bee Tin items will be available at 10% off. But make sure to block your calendars for July 18–20, the main event weekend when 20% discounts are offered nationwide!

For moms outside Metro Manila—don’t worry. Robinsons Galleria Cebu (July 16–20) and Gaisano Mall Davao (July 23–27) will host special pop-up activations, complete with fun family activities and games like the popular Hopia Hakot Challenge (imagine filling a basket with hopia in seconds—instant pantry win!).

More Than Just a Snack

What we love most about National Hopia Day isn’t just the hopia—it’s the story behind it. Each flaky piece is a reminder of heritage, of sharing food over stories, and of how something so simple can bring so much comfort. Eng Bee Tin COO Gerik Chua says it best:

“This isn’t just about hopia. It’s about honoring our roots, celebrating our community, and recognizing how food brings us together across generations.”

His sister Roche Chua, Finance Manager, echoed that sentiment:

“Every hopia tells a story. Through National Hopia Day, we celebrate culture, comfort, and the delicious flavors of home.”

And as Operations Executive Gerald Chua pointed out, this annual event is also a tribute to the loyal customers who have supported the brand for generations. “They are more than customers—they are family,” he said.

Eng Bee Tin is also teasing the launch of even more exclusive hopia flavors during NHD 2025—offering Filipino-inspired twists that fans can only taste during the celebration period.

So, whether you’re a longtime fan of the ube pastillas hopia or someone curious to try the new “secret menu” flavors, now’s the time to hop(ia) in on the fun.

From Manila to Cebu to Davao, National Hopia Day 2025 promises to be a month-long flavor fest of heritage, nostalgia, and joyful unity. Because at the heart of it all, hopia isn't just a snack—it’s a symbol of who we are and the stories we continue to share.

Follow @iloveengbeetin on social media for updates, promo mechanics, and more hopia-filled surprises.

Eng Bee Tin celebrates the first ever National Hopia Day!

Be there for the  first ever National Hopia Day in the Philippines on July 19-21 at the Mall of Asia Music Hall!  

The celebration is in commemoration of the Filipino-Chinese heritage and how hopia has become the symbol of the friendship and culture between two countries. 

Eng Bee Tin, the premiere manufacturing brand behind hopia’s popularity in the Philippines, is the main proponent of this celebration. Eng Bee Tin is now on its 112th year of serving this staple to Filipinos from all walks of life and as such, and has become synonymous to delicious, world-class hopia flavors,  sought out by Filipinos all over the world. 

Today, hopia, in all its forms, stands as a delicious testament to the successful blending of Chinese and Filipino culinary traditions. It remains a staple in Filipino snacking culture, proudly crafted by Filipinos for Filipinos. 

At the National Hopia Day, Eng Bee Tin wants to celebrate what hopia truly represents -- family, culture, and food.

Gerik Chua, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Eng Bee Tin, believes that the story of hopia demonstrates how food can bring cultures together, creating something new and beloved that honors diverse origins. 

He said, “from its humble beginnings as a Chinese immigrant food to its status as a Filipino cultural icon, hopia's journey reflects the rich tapestry of cultural exchange and innovation. That’s why we feel that the time for hopia to be celebrated in a grand manner has long been overdue.” 

His younger sister Roche Chua who is Eng Bee Tin’s finance manager, said, “we will tell the story of hopia using the National Hopia Day as backdrop. We will honor the stories woven into each bite. We will pay tribute to the enduring bonds of family, our shared culture, and the comfort of its familiar flavors.” 

They promised all sorts of fun and excitement and star sightings come July 19-21 including lots of games and suprises for every member of the family. There will also be lots of prizes to be won, they said, including a one year supply of Eng Bee Tin products.

See you on July 19-21 at the Mall of Asia Music Hall for the 1st ever National Hopia Day!

OF UBE, FIRETRUCKS AND HARDWORK: THE ENG BEE TIN STORY

In the past few years, Filipinos have been celebrating Chinese New Year with more enthusiasm, from serving auspicious food like tikoy, counting the number of lucky fruits, exchanging red envelops to decorating their houses with Feng Shui items and wearing charms in the hopes of inviting fortune and prosperity into their lives.

But for Gerik Chua, the VP of the Hopia empire Eng Bee Tin, eating all the tikoy, wearing all of the charms in the world and following all those superstitious beliefs is no match for good old hardwork.

 

The Eng Bee Tin story

 

Their hopia story began way back in 1912 when his great grandfather Chua Chiu Hong, migrated from from Xiamen, China, to the Phiilippines and put up a small store along Nueva St. Binondo.

 

He called it Eng Bee Tin which, contrary to many beliefs, isn’t a name of a famous person or ancestor. Those three Hokkien words actually mean Forever. Beauty. Precious. Words, Gerik said, stand for how they value their products and customers.

@lola_lamon Their hopia story began way back in 1912 when his great grandfather Chua Chiu Hong, migrated from from Xiamen, China, to the Phiilippines and put up a small store along Nueva St. Binondo. 💜💜💜 . He called it Eng Bee Tin which, contrary to many beliefs, isn’t a name of a famous person or ancestor. Those three Hokkien words actually mean Forever. Beauty. Precious. Words, Gerik said, stand for how they value their products and customers. @engbeetinph #engbeetin ♬ original sound - Lou Sv

 

The business was later on inherited by the son Menito, who handed it over to Gerry, Gerik’s father. At that time, however, the bakery was struggling and the family was hard on cash and deep in debt. Gerik recalled because they had no cash, his father issued so many checks to pay of their debts. “Everyday nasa bank ang father ko just to know which checks need to be funded, so that we wouldn’t incur a penalty which will put us even deeper in debt and make us the talk of Chinatown.”

 

The mom-and-pop bakery sold a variety of Chinese treats for decades, but their hopia and tikoy have been their bestsellers—the problem was they were transporting them in jars and the hopia would be crushed by the time it reached the stores.

 

“Para na siyang piyaya, flat na,” Gerik said with a laugh. So they thought of a way to make the crust thicker. “It did preserve the shape of our hopia—the downside was it also made it very, very hard.

 

Old timers will probably remember the jingle “Hopiang di mabili, may amag sa tabi,” well that pretty much described their hopia, according to Gerik.

Never one to give up, his father Gerry was always thinking of ways to improve and make their hopia different.

 

One particularly slow business day Gerry felt the need to cool and decided to get some ice cream at the grocery store he frequented regularly for market research. He then asked the saleslady what ice cream flavor was the bestseller.

 

“Ube,” the saleslady said.

 

“Gerry then took six ube jars, and blended the ube with hopia,” said Geric. “After tasting it, he knew he was on to something.

 

Back then, hopia only came in two flavors—baboy and monggo. An ube-flavored hopia will surely be different and a bestseller. Right?

 

Well not quite.

 

Gerry initially baked samples for friends to try it out. Most said it was delicious, but when he asked if they’d buy it, their answer was not the one he was hoping for.

 

Still, he believed in his innovation and continued producing the first-ever hopia ube. He even traveled to Pampanga to master the art of ube-making under the tutelage of the best halayang ube makers. He patiently worked on his ube hopia. When the ube flavor was introduced, orders trickled in. Things eventually picked up.

 

But the rest is still not history.

UBE FIRETRUCKS

 

Besides baking hopia, Gerry’s other passion was being a volunteer for the Binondo FireStation.

 

And it was actually his work as a firefighter that eventually gave Eng Bee Tin the exposure it badly needed.

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A post shared by Lou Sv (@lemongreenteaph)

 

TV Host Cory Quirino was shooting for her late-night program “CitiLine” and because Gerry could speak and translate Chinese, he became the unofficial tour-guide/interpreter for the crew around.

 

After the shoot Quirino promised to go back to Eng Bee Tin to feature his ube-flavored hopia on her next show. That episode provided the much-needed publicity that made ube-hopia their best-selling flavor in the years to come.

 

The ube-colored fire trucks you see around town are the result of the familys social-oriented efforts.

 

When sales skyrocketed and Eng Bee Tin became synonymous to hopia, Gerry vowed to donate a firetruck to the firestation.

They’ve already donated 10 ube-firetrucks and 2 ambulances.

 

“Both my Dad and I started very young in firefighting,” said Geric. “We have put together the largest volunteer firefighting organization in the Philippines, Txtfire.”

 

Binondo, or what is known as Chinatown, has become known for the best volunteer fire-fighting unit in the city. It began as the residents’ response to the frequent fires in their community. Txtfire now has more than 4,500 affiliate firefighters nationwide.

 

“Besides the fire trucks and ambulances, we have a coffee shop, Café Mezzanine, that for 15 years has been donating 100 percent of its revenues to our firefighting cause.”

 

During the first months of the pandemic, Gerik and other volunteers went around the city to distribute bread to several communities around the city.

BAKERY FAIR 2023

 

Innovation has been crucial to the success of Eng Bee Tin, that is why Gerik has also been a staunch advocate of helping the food, particularly bakeries adopt to the challenges presented by the post pandemic situation.

 

As the current president of the Filipino Chinese Bakery Association, Inc. (FCBAI) Gerik shared that they will be holding FCBAI's much-awaited "Bakery Fair 2023" from March 2, 3 and 4, 2023 at the World Trade Center in World Trade Center at Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave. cor. Diosdado Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City.

The "Bakery Fair" is the biennial (once every two years) civic project of the Filipino Chinese Bakery Association, Inc. (FCBAI) to promote and uplift the Philippines bakery industry and support socio-economic development. FCBAI is also part of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII).

 

Gerik Chua is Vice-President for Operations of Eng Bee Tin bakery business, which includes The Great Buddha Cafe in Ongpin Street, Binondo, Manila; Eng Bee Tin Chinese Deli; Cafe Mezzanine; and Mr Ube Rice and Noodle House.

 

A graduate of BS Business Administration Major in Marketing Management of University of Santo Tomas (UST) in 2012, trained in Baking Science and Technology at the American Institute of Baking in 2012, Gerik Chua is also Executive Director of the Filipino Chinese fire volunteer brigade called "TXTFIRE Philippines". Chua is also Past President of Philippine Society of Baking (PSB).

 

To pre-register to enter the Bakery Fair 2023, follow the online link https://www.bakeryfair.ph