There was a time when street food retailers used to hawk boiled eggs to hungry passers-by—something to gobble up quickly yet filling enough to quell their growling stomachs on their way to work or on their way home after work. It was just your ordinary unexceptional boiled egg that looked like any other.

Then as the years went by, someone from somewhere came up with a bright idea. He added a twist to the same boiled egg which everybody was peddling. He covered the boiled egg in orange batter and then deep fried it. And to pep it up, spicy vinegar as dip. Thus was born the “kwek-kwek” or “tokneneng“ you see in street food stalls everywhere. Kwek kwek is traditionally made with quail eggs, while tokneneng is made with chicken eggs. But they have become interchangeable.

Whatever you call it–kwekwek or tokneneng—this favorite street snack is nothing more than just a glorified boiled egg. But to me, it represents Pinoy innovative thinking at the grassroots. Maybe, someone will also add a new twist to other street food offerings like fish ball or skewered bituka or lugaw. In fact, I wonder what would be the next creative mutation of the kwek-kwek.

What goes for food, can also go for other products and services.

The COVID pandemic wreaked havoc on our economy. It hurt most specially our small and medium businesses. Analysts say up to 45% of nearly a million micro, small and medium enterprises closed shop because of the national shutdowns. Ideally the state must come to the rescue. But as we all know it, depending on the government is a dismal prospect.

The poor Pinoy entrepreneur can only rely now on his native gift for creativity and resourcefulness. Be ingenious or go hungry. It’s the only way to survive, recover and thrive.

In our community, the chosen way is food retailing online. But like the hot pandesal or pearl milk tea craze, everybody is doing it. Nagsulputan parang kabute, goes the expression. Many of them have come and gone, disheartened by the usual problems of ningas-cogon business projects.

One big problem is the sameness or parity of the food items being offered online. Everyone seems just ready to follow a trend like salted egg something or ube what-not. There is a lack of kwek-kwek thinking behind many ventures. No real stand-outs in terms of taste, packaging, and variety of menu. Gaya-gaya, puto maya.

This is not the way it should be because the Filipino is inherently innovative and adoptive. Malikot ang utak, malikhain, maabilidad. And it is this natural talent that is precisely what the country needs to put to work to haul itself back to health economically.

I strongly urge the country’s leadership to make it a national mission to make innovation a way of thinking and doing for the Filipino. Kwek kwekthinking as a mindset, a habit, a way of life.

Let’s harness ournatural abilidad. But it should be the kind of ingenious thinking that transcends our pwede na mentality and stop-gap approach to problem solving.

Every business enterprise, small, medium or big, must have an innovation strategy. Businesses should create a wealth of ideas. The academic institution must make it part of the curriculum. Our country needs to grow an innovative culture, like Japan or Korea. It should be a way of life, a mindset, a habit.

Our businesses and public service institutions should learn from companies such as Apple, Google, Starbucks, YouTube, Facebook and Tiktok who keep introducing game-changing innovations in small ways that add to the big picture. To people with an innovative mindset, there’s always a better way.

Tried-and-tested methods may be reliable, but trying out new things, even crazy ideas, is a worthwhile experiment that can make a difference and lead to rewarding returns. Innovation can give you an edge in penetrating markets faster, especially in the international marketplace.

The main pitfall is doing something because it’s the new thing, rather than because it’s anchored on a distinctive idea that meets the needs and wants of consumers or constituents. Any innovation that a business or public service agency decides to adopt must always be based on a solid grasp of the people to whom you’re trying to sell or to serve.

This is why it is important to be open to different ideas from different minds. Don’t be afraid to surround yourself with people who have ideas that differ from yours. By doing so, you can pick up some fresh new ideas. Creativity often times can be sparked by the clashing of ideas.

An unfortunate example of closed thinking is shown by our country’s economic managers. They keep brandishing big ticket programs from Build-Build-Build to Maharlika Sovereign Fund as the main strategy for economic growth. This to me is myopic thinking.

Maybe, they need to listen to others outside their closed circle for alternative and out of the box ideas. They should do a little kwek-kwek thinking.

For instance, why not first take stock of what we have already on hand, our useable assets? Let’s admit the fact that we don’t have unlimited financial resources, nor a developed industrialized sector nor the advanced technology needed to compete mano-a-mano with developed countries.

What we have is a vast organic pool of talents and artists who can compete in the area of cultural economy: music, food, performing arts, cinema and digital arts. That’s our intrinsic wealth, our cultural capital, or what is called “soft” assets. Shouldn’t our so-called experts consider this sector as another way to generate jobs and revenues? With more and more countries now focusing on climate action, maybe there are opportunities in recycling, upcycling, sustainable fashion, and other green enterprises.

As we ordinary citizens try to navigate our way through the unforgiving inflationary times, let’s think, recalibrate innovative ways to start a new business or re-invigorate old ones. Why not get the pulse of the people who you will be interacting with. Understand them as human beings, not just their attitude to your product or category in the new business you are thinking of launching. Show your ideas and concepts to others, check their reactions, and then go back to the drawing board and re-imagine or re-build the idea.

Remember, there’s always a better idea waiting somewhere, even in the economic wreckage. Find it and run with it.

Kwek-kwek thinking pa more!

The kwek kwek header image is from the Luweeh Kitchen blogspot about Asian Cuisine and other recipes.

About the author

NICK TAYAG is a multi-media writer and communications specialist. His special focus is scriptwriting for audio visual presentations and documentary videos, creative conceptualization and writing think pieces. Now in his early 70s, he is the Creative Consultant of a digital production and event management outfit. He also writes a regular column for the Business Mirror called “My Sixty Zen’s Worth” which comes out every Saturday. His most recent script for a bio documentary on Filipino master filmmaker Gerardo “Manong” de Leon entitled “Salamat sa Alaala,” was nominated for best documentary in the 2016 URIAN awards. As an advertising copywriter in the 1990s, he won recognition from the Creative Guild of the Philippines and the Public Relations Society of the Philippines for ads he wrote for corporate clients. He also won a UNICEF-PPI Award for Outstanding Story On Children. He is presently working on a book on creative conceptualization as well as inspirational booklets.