So What is Kesong Puti?

Kesong Puti is a traditional Filipino soft white cheese made from unskimmed milk of the domesticated kalabaw, combined with salt and a curdling agent such as rennet or vinegar. Literally translating to “white cheese,” it is fresh, unaged, and delicately simple. Its mildly salty flavor gives way to a creamy aftertaste, while its soft texture may remind some of fresh mozzarella or ricotta. Yet despite those comparisons, kesong puti remains distinctly Laguna, carrying with it the taste of generations and the character of the families that continue to make it.

I could only imagine the period when Kesong puti dominated Filipino breakfast tables (I grew up in Central Luzon where I never encountered Kesong Puti). An era when people lined up to buy freshly made rounds wrapped in banana leaves, eager to pair them with warm pandesal and a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee or cocoa.

Can you create the scenario in your brain with the accompanying aroma?

I saw it not merely as food but a daily ritual, intertwined into the daily bustle of Lagunense mornings. But one knot can tear down such kind of intricacy. Today, that original and indigenous tradition is slowly fading, about to meet its demise. Kesong puti, once a proud heritage of the town, is becoming a dying craft. Only a handful of makers (Literally, I can count with my hands) with white hairs remain, and fewer still have successfully passed the skill on to the next generation. Sad. According to the story tellers, it is the next generation who choose modern and innovative professions. Additionally, Mayor Benjo Agarao mentioned the struggle on local carabao milk supply. The good mayor promised to supply carabaos to the cheese makers to boost local supply.

And perhaps that is where the unspoken “power” of Kesong Puti revealed itself.

Now that it stands at the possible edge of decline, the local heritage backyard industry has gained the “power” to pressure everyone within its ecosystem to act rationally, reflect deeply, and respond appropriately.

It has the power to innovate traditional and modern dishes

Kesong puti has never been confined to the breakfast table. While it remains a beloved companion to pandesal, it has also found its way into contemporary Filipino cuisine. Chef Gel of Ted’s Kitchen incorporated Kesong Puti with their pizzas and pastries. Chef Seb of Thirty Misu incorporated the local cheese on their pasta dishes, while Ms. Val of Verde Bar as part of their signature beverage like the Kesolatte and Affogatto. Definitely, the Kesong Puti’s versatility proves that tradition does not have to remain frozen in time. Instead, it can evolve while retaining its identity.

It had the power that created festivities in its name

Every year, Sta. Cruz celebrates the Kesong Puti Festival, transforming a humble dairy product into a symbol of local pride. The festival does more than showcase cheese. It tells the story of the farmers, milk producers, cheesemakers, and families who built an industry around it. It is also the platform to showcase the farmers’ creative side through the First Parada ng Kalabaw, where 13 farmer associations trod the streets of Sta. Cruz with their decorated carabaos and harvest bounties.

It should have the power to sustain lives, only if

With every glorious blob of Kesong Puti are livelihoods that depend on its survival. Dairy farmers care for their carabaos, milk producers rise before dawn, and cheesemakers dedicate years to mastering a craft that few now practice. The industry has the potential to sustain families and local economies, but only if there is enough demand to keep production alive. Without consumers, even the most cherished traditions struggle to endure.

It has the power to convene people to conserve its industrial existence

Recently, the Samahan ng mga Maggagatas at Magkekeso raised their right hands and took oath in the presence of their town mayor, Hon. Benjo Agarao, during the 2026 Kesong Puti Festival. They are the very people whose hands will shape the future of Kesong puti in Sta. Cruz. Farmers, milk producers, and cheesemakers stood together under a common purpose: to sustain a tradition that has defined their community for generations. According to Ms. Zyra Macalinao-Hernandez that more concrete plans where made after the association was formalized. In many ways, their oath felt like a light at the end of the tunnel, a quiet but meaningful promise that the story of Kesong Puti is not yet finished. It won’t end. It won’t die. It will prevail

The decline of Kesong Puti has become a call to action. Local government units, producers, farmers, educators, and cultural advocates are recognized that preserving the cheese means preserving an entire ecosystem. Its survival requires collaboration across generations and sectors. What was once an everyday product has become a cause that unites a community.

And hopefully, it would have the power to stir continued innovation in its ecosystem

Preservation needs demand and the future of Kesong Puti may depend on imagination as much as preservation. New products, new markets, new experiences, and new stories can help keep it relevant for younger audiences. Creativity can transform heritage from something remembered into something actively lived. If people continue to find fresh ways to appreciate kesong puti, its story does not have to end with the current generation.

There is still a chance for the next generation to taste Kesong Puti.

A simple cheese made from the humblest of ingredients, yet one that defined an ecosystem. It nurtured livelihoods, inspired town celebrations, brought businesses together, and carried the identity of Sta. Cruz. Its power was never found solely in its flavor, but in the people whose lives it touched. And perhaps, if enough hands continue the work, its legacy will remain not only on Lagunense tables, but on every table of much regions, buffet spreads of hotels, most loved ice cream flavor, topped on more dishes and incorporated with more beverage: for generations and generations and generations (crossfingers) to come. Let’s create demand!

LONG LIVE KESONG PUTI OF STA. CRUZ!