Lety's Buko Pie started in 1976, as a “hobby” of Mrs. Leticia O. Belarmino, a housewife and mother of six children. At the time, when all the children were going to school, she found herself plenty of free time. To escape the boredom of being alone in the house during the day, she thought of experimenting with the baking of buko pies. Her family members, friends and neighbors at Umali Subdivision, Los Banos, Laguna, became her guinea pigs, by giving them free samples. She then gathered all their comments/ suggestions to further improved the quality of her buko pies.

When she already felt confident about the quality/marketability of her buko pie, she rented a small food stall along the road going to the UPLB (University of the Philippines at Los Baños, a state university located in the province of Laguna). With 200 pesos taken from the meager family savings as initial “capital” and the use of an oven in her kitchen, she started the “commercial” phase, that is, baking around four to eight pies a day. With her lucky days, all the pies could be sold in a day’s time, otherwise, the unsold items would be given away free to friends and neighbors. By word of mouth, the UPLB  community (students, teachers and visitors) took notice and began patronizing Lety’s Buko Pie.

From 1976 up to about 1996,  the Belarmino family considered the enterprise simply as a “pastime” of Mrs. Belarmino and whatever income derived from its operation was used to augment the income of her husband. By then, the family could already afford to provide extra necessities to the children and grandchildren going to school. Also, family savings was enhanced, and as a consequence, investments on fixed assets were undertaken.

A choice lot fronting the national highway (along the so-called “Buko Pie Avenue”, where most of the buko pie producers are located) in Los Banos was acquired. And with a loan from a private bank, a three-storey building was constructed (with the ground floor serving as the main store). The main production plant was attached at the back of the building.

Pending the completion of the construction of the main building and main production plant, another store outlet was set-up in the said hi-way (some 300 meters away from the building site). This store is supposed to be temporary only, but due to its strategic location, was retained even after the completion and opening of the main store.

     Inspite of the absence of any formal planning for expansion, the business prospered remarkably well during the period. And admitedly, its growth cannot be ignored. From being last at the inception of the business, it was able to climb next to the leading buko pie maker after two decades.

     Sometime in 1996, the husband (Isagani, after retiring from active involvement as free-lance consultant in Statistics and Computer Systems) joined the business on a full-time basis. He took over the handling of administrative management, planning for market expansion and product diversification, and financial management. And the wife (Leticia) concentrated on production, product research and development and quality control.

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