BIZ BUZZ: Victoria Court’s open secret

It’s been an open secret among those who have been through its doors and sampled more than just the usual afternoon or evening delights—that Victoria Court actually serves quality Filipino food.

And now, for the first time since the 1980s when Victoria Court first opened its doors to the public, it is expanding the market for its food through Victoria Bites, modern Filipino comfort food that will be delivered straight to homes any time of the day and all throughout the year.

As Victoria Court said, Victoria Bites is more than just a restaurant but rather “a cultural celebration, a slice of the Philippines brought directly to your table.”

The menu includes all-time Filipino favorites such as pancit canton, pork barbecue, adobo, kare-kare, crispy pata, fried chicken, beef pares and lechon kawali given the Victoria Bites twist. Victoria Bites can serve couples, a small group or a large gathering as Victoria Court branches can prepare party trays and offer catering services.

These are likewise available for pick-up from Victoria Court branches as well as through food delivery services like Grab and Foodpanda. Nonetheless, try to keep it a secret. Shhhh.

— Tina Arceo-Dumlao

Edtech seed funding

Singapore-based startup EDGE Tutor International — spun off from Philippine education technology firm Edukasyon.ph founded by French-Filipino entrepreneur Henry Motte-de la Motte — has successfully completed its seed funding round.

The amount of new money wasn’t disclosed but the funding round was led by MV Partners and Seaborne Capital. Additionally, Kaya Founders, Ideaspace, Orvel Ventures, Lorinet Foundation, PayMongo CEO Jojo Malolos, Kalibrr CEO Paul Rivera, and Foxmont co-founder Mark Kooijman gave the globalizing startup a funding boost.

EDGE Tutor offers high-quality online tutors to tutoring companies in more than 20 countries across the Americas Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The fresh capital is seen to expedite growth in these markets, expand tutor operations and enrich the product lineup.

“We strategically partnered with global tutoring leaders who share our deep appreciation for educators, recognizing their scarcity as a valuable resource,” said Cecilia Calvo, EDGE Tutor chief operating officer.

EDGE Tutor has so far trained over 1,300 licensed teachers in evidence-based methodologies and strategies for online teaching. These teachers undergo a rigorous screening process, with only 5 percent of applicants being accepted by the platform.

As it continues to expand, the startup currently has more than 100 job openings for both team members and tutor roles.

— Doris Dumlao-Abadilla

Agri chief appointed soon?

As far as the Department of Agriculture (DA) is concerned, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is still the country’s agriculture chief even as Biz Buzz learned from the grapevine that the President will appoint his successor very soon.

“I know the President is still the Agriculture Secretary,” Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Victor Savellano said on Monday.

Regardless of who will be the next DA head, Savellano is appealing for stronger cooperation between the government and the private sector to resolve various issues affecting the agriculture sector.

“Let’s help the President. Let’s help who will sit [as the next DA secretary]. We can’t afford to be divided,” he said.

As early as October, it’s been rumored that tycoon Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., president of deep sea fishing company Frabelle Fishing Corp., would be appointed agri chief.

Frabelle supplies high-quality and affordable fresh, frozen, and processed seafood products to both domestic and international markets including Africa, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia.

— Jordeene B. Lagare