HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Philippine Airlines’ new connection between Seattle and Manila will help drive business and tourism for both destinations. With less than 14 hours of travel time on a nonstop flight, the new service offers more convenient access for American tourists and for our kababayans on both sides of the Pacific.
If we dig deeper, though, PAL connects families in the US North Pacific to the Philippines, upholding our duty as the nation’s flag carrier.
When we planned out our itinerary for the Media Familiarization Tour to promote Seattle as a must-visit destination, we found it interesting to highlight how life is like for our kababayans in Seattle. We started diving into what Pinoys are known best worldwide: our food and hospitality.
We reached out to our friends and colleagues in Seattle for their insights. A popular all-day breakfast diner in Downtown Seattle came into mind—Ludi’s Restaurant.
I wasn’t sure if we would be getting a quick response to our request to visit, as Ludi’s has become a busy and popular spot. People would expect long lines outside the restaurant, and their social media pages stated that they do not accept reservations. Minutes later, however, we received a response from an excited Rita Rosas-Glenister, daughter and part owner of Ludi’s, happily accepting our intent to visit.
Upon our group’s arrival at the restaurant, we received the warmest welcome from Ludi’s owner and patriarch, Mr. Gregorio Rosas, who everybody calls “Tito Greg.” He was all smiles upon meeting the PAL group and our guests from Manila. It certainly feels comforting seeing kababayans when you’re miles away from the Philippines. Ludi’s quickly felt like our home away from home. We got seated to order our preferred silog meals and the crowd favorite, the ube pancake. Tito Greg then started sharing his story.
Tito Greg grew up poor in Pandacan, Manila. He remembers the day clearly when he was given up in an informal adoption by his mother to her friend, Aling Ludi. He was crying, carrying a small bag, as his mother told him that he would stay with Aling Ludi from then on, “If you are a good boy, they might like you, and if they like you, they might love you.” He hung onto those words. He was just 7 years old. He later found out that his mother was dying from breast cancer.
Aling Ludi had a small karinderia, which little Gregorio helped manage and where he learned kitchen basics. He worked as a houseboy to support his younger siblings. He eventually worked at a shipyard terminal along Pasig river, where he would meet and work with a Jewish family who would later bring him to the United States in 1978. Tito Greg, now 68, was 22 years old at that time.
Tito Greg decided he wanted to stay in the US. He was an undocumented worker when he worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Downtown Seattle called The Turf. He worked hard every day at The Turf, scrubbing each plate, utensil, and glass spotless. His life in the US seemingly became a series of fortunate events. He was granted his green card in 1983, and with his diligence, he would later inherit The Turf in 2001 after the previous owner passed away.
IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY. Ludi’s is managed by Tito Greg and his daughter, Rita.
In 2008, Tito Greg and his daughter, Rita, renamed The Turf into Ludi’s, an ode to Aling Ludi, who gave him his first taste of working in the food industry. Ludi’s offered a fusion of American and Filipino breakfast favorites now beloved by Seattleites and Filipinos.
To this day, Ludi’s is a family operated restaurant. It became a place for customers to find comfort not only as a place serving hearty meals but also a place where they can feel the warmth of a Filipino family.
Tito Greg truly is a beacon of hope and inspiration. Then Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin recognized him as an outstanding citizen, proclaiming September 16 as Gregorio Rosas Day.
He gave back the blessings he received by adopting five children, two of which are Aling Ludi’s granddaughters, and finance the education of children in need. At one time, Tito Greg supported a young man he saw in the Filipino TV show “Wowowee” by helping him find his long lost father, even shouldering the costs for the young man’s DNA tests and transportation expenses. The list of his kindness to others would go on.
Washington State is home to 180,000 Filipinos, and 4.1 million in all of North America. Filipinos are well loved and recognized in Seattle. The Dr. Jose Rizal Park was built to honor the Filipino community in the city.
Tito Greg looks forward to his flight home to the Philippines in 2025. He last visited the country 20 years ago. After years of hard work, this trip will be a well-deserved break and homecoming for Tito Greg. By expanding its direct flight network from the Philippines to the US, PAL’s services go above and beyond for our nation’s modern-day heroes.
See more photos from this story in this issue of The PALiner: https://thepaliner.philippineairlines.com/2025/01/23/the-paliner-january-2025-issue/
