Pampanga's Best tocino is Pampanga's pride.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Tonette Orejas, PDI Central Luzon Desk

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO-It was 1965 and 28-year-old Lolita Hizon, a teacher at San Fernando Elementary School, was in dire financial straits.

Her three children's milk can was almost empty. Her husband Angelo, who was still working his way through college, needed more money for tuition. Their bills were piling up.

Fast forward to 2004: Hizon's meat-processing company, Pampanga's Best, has a 31-hectare factory, more than 800 employees, over 1,000 retail outlets all over Luzon, at least 5,000 dealers, 12 hands-on executives (actually her 12 grown-up children) and a number of industry awards for best practice.

What happened in those 39 years was an example of remarkable entrepreneurship, hinged on a pioneering product called tocino, processed pork slices that tasted like ham.

Hizon told the Inquirer that it was the need to provide for her growing family and "guilt" that pushed her to give up her teaching and turn to business.

Turning point

"I realized that what I was doing was not right (not teaching well because of …