It may be Filipino American Heritage Month, but at Fil Bake Shop in Delano, celebrating Filipino culture isn’t confined to October. It’s something that happens every day, one lady finger at a time.

From their baked pork buns, ube rolls, to their famous lady fingers, Fil Bake Shop stays busy all day — and it started with just one person.

Teresita Gabison Patricio, also known as “Tessie”, she opened Fil Bake Shop back in 1981 at the age of 33.

While she’s always had a passion for baking, she says, it wasn’t necessarily her drive for starting the business.

“I saw the needs in our community,” said Tessie.

She’s talking about Delano’s Filipino and Mexican farmworkers.

“I realize that we need some business like this so we can be able to serve them early in the morning, so they won’t go to

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