In Amsterdam, Pinoy bands face off at ube party

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands — Filipino music groups paid tribute to their favorite bands by impersonating them at an event that also celebrated ube, the purple yam that has become a global food sensation.

Rhea Topacio, who owns Pamana World that bridges European and Philippine markets, organized the Oct. 31 event called AwoooUbe Jam to celebrate the Filipinos’ love for music and food.

“We want to celebrate ube being Filipinos in Amsterdam. This is the second leg of Ube Jam. We started in London and now in Amsterdam, and hopefully in other cities,” Topacio said.

“As Filipinos, gusto natin maging proud tayo sa mga pagkain natin at tradisyon. Isa iyun sa mga dahilan kung bakit pinagsama natin ang ube (as) food, jam, as music,” she added.

(As Filipinos, we want to be proud of our food and tradition. That is one of the reasons why we combined ube as food and jam as music.)

Jay Escorpizo, vocalist and percussionist of the participating band Daloy, said their group joined the competition because they believed in the community that the event can build.

A group called Screwdrayber emerged as the winning band, winning 300 euros.

“This win is not just ours; it’s yours too. We are incredibly blessed to have such an amazing community standing behind us. Here’s to Filipino music, unity, and making more memories together!” they said in a Facebook post.

Talking about her purple yam business, Topacio highlights that the famous root crop is internationally welcomed for its subtly versatile and unique taste that is truly Filipino. 

“Ang Pamana World ay gumagawa ng mga pagkain na pang-Pilipino. Ang aming flagship ay ube. So mayroon kaming ice cream, may flavoring, may syrup, at ngayon pure ube powder… Ang mga produkto ng Pamana World ay authentic… Pilipinong-Pilipino ang Pamana World,” she said. 

(Pamana World makes a variety of Filipino food, with the purple yam as the flagship product. We have ice cream, ube flavoring, syrup, and the pure ube powder. Our products are authentic, truly Filipino.)

She said that her client base is part of the flavor test to ensure that it hits right in the palate. 

It is widely known that the Philippines’ purple yam market has conquered the global stage. According to the Department of Trade and Industry – Export Management Bureau (DTI-EMB), the total export value of ube and ube-derived goods stood at $3.06 million in 2025, standing for roughly 1.7 million kilograms.

The main product forms consisted of fresh, chilled, frozen, or dried roots. This is over 60% ($1.86 million) of the Philippines’ total export value. The 40% is split across value-added industrial ingredients like processed ube purée and powdered natural colorants.

The DTI-EMB statistics shows that although the United States is still the top purple yam importing country, consuming roughly 48% of the Philippines’ total ube export value, the clamour remains high in Europe.

Topacio attests to this: “From Amsterdam nakakarating din ito sa other countries sa Europe, sa mga tindahang Pilipino at Asian, at sa mga restaurant at cafes kahit hindi Asian.

(From Amsterdam, ube is also distributed in other European countries, in Filipino and Asian stores, restaurants and cafes that are non-Asians as well.) 

“Marami tayong mga kliyente at kaibigan na hindi Pilipino… mula sa Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, hanggang Bosnia, at Greece dahil iyun ang patok at sarap na sarap sila sa ube.” 

(We have many clients and friends who are non-Filipinos… from Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Bosnia, and Greece. This is because the product is a hit and they find ube absolutely delicious.)

Her Dutch business partner is the distribution giant Beagley Copperman.

The Filipino business community and even the ordinary Filipinos who love to eat ube have been supporting her business ever since. “They are the reason why Pamana World grew,” she said.

For non-Filipinos who love ube, Topacio said that they incorporate the crops in their daily staples, such as croissants, doughnuts, pancakes, and even drinks.

Topacio believes the shortage in ube is a “per schedule” case, meaning it is not an actual shortage but only a situation where there is a link breakdown from the farmers to the customers. 

“Marami pang mga farmers sa Pilipinas ang hindi naaabot ng marketplace. May link na nawawala mula sa mga farmers papunta sa marketplace papunta sa exportation,” she said.

To respond to the apparent shortage, Topacio said: “Hahanapin mo lang talaga iyung tamang farmers at kung nasaan sila.”

(You will have to look for the right partner farmers and their location.)