John in his Ducati motorcycle days
Sometimes, life gets its amusement by throwing us a curveball that not only changes our lifestyle, but also completely redefines our image. Such was the case in John Marcelo’s life where he morphed from a hot professional racer driving go karts, Ducati mortorcycles, and Italian Formula 3 cars like Dalara to the finish line, to an almost domestic image of an ice cream maker in a hairnet.
A line-up of flavors on grocery shelves
Marcelo’s Microcreamery Ice Cream isn’t just any ordinary ice cream. Consistent with the discipline required in his former life, Marcelo’s current unique ice cream flavor selection reads like a short menu of Filipino desserts, meticulously curated and researched, using authentic ingredients, including fresh coconut milk, a familiar ingredient in Filipino dishes. It is used instead of cow’s milk, making it friendly to the lactose intolerant. These five initial flavors are found in the frozen section of select supermarkets: Bilo-Bilo, Suman at Mangga, Latik, Inutak, and Chocolate Champorado, the latter being the only Filipino flavor that contains condensed milk.
At the First International Ice Cream, Gelato, and Soft Serve Festival at the World Trade Center last October
John’s affiliation with ice cream goes back to his childhood days, when he would drop by ice cream parlors in every place visited abroad and even in his neighborhood. Ice cream was his favorite dessert. His lightbulb moment came when once, after having a champorado breakfast, he decided to experiment with making champorado into ice cream. With reasonable success, enough for him to push his experiment forward, he slowly but surely, with more experimentation, decided to take the ice cream business seriously, as he decided to study the marketability of ice cream flavors based on Filipino desserts. The authenticity of his ice cream, as he wants them genuinely Filipino, means purchasing fresh ingredients, like coconut milk, directly from the source, and in doing so, helping farmers market their produce, while creating a clean and healthy product.
John was keen on uplifting Filipino heritage through his products, and the driving force that guided his thoughts on developing Filipino dessert flavors was when he learned that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), after some time living abroad, developed cravings for Filipino desserts. Taking the dessert flavors and converting them into ice cream added an additional, special touch to the traditional local kakanin and desserts. The homegrown flavors keep his Filipino buyers abroad in touch with familiar native tastes. Moreover, John points out that the production facility is certified halal in compliance with Islamic Law, making the products acceptable in Middle East countries and Muslim provinces in the country. He goes so far as to incorporate Arabic writing on the ice cream label. One of his collaborators for chocolate is Dubai-based chef Nouel Catis, who created the popular, robust Dubai chocolate bar.
The rising popularity of Marcelo’s ice cream does not stop at monitoring supermarket sales.
In October 2025, John launched the First International Ice Cream, Gelato, and Soft Serve Festival at the World Trade Center, which attracted over 100 local and international participants. The purpose and objective of the fair was to promote Filipino frozen desserts in the Philippine industry, and to connect the producers with international buyers and suppliers. Because of the fair’s success, the Second International Ice Cream, Gelato, and Soft Serve Festival will have its second edition in November this year. Collaborations with chosen restaurants and hotels in the country are also brewing.
Among the early outlets serving the ice cream is Romulo’s, a restaurant with an innovative take on Filipino dishes and heirloom recipes from the family of Carlos P. Romulo, one the most distinguished Filipino diplomats, a brigadier general in the Philippine Army and aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur. Marcelo’s Ice Cream’s affiliation to the restaurant adds to John’s marketing vision of identifying itself as an authentic Pinoy product to be proud of.
John with Nouel Catis, John’s wife Maritza, sister Deeda and her husband Alex Revilla
John jumps off from his initial success of the first five flavors. Already, he is sniffing out Filipino desserts from provinces that can be transformed into ice cream. He is set on taking the Filipino sweet tooth “out there.” Being a man of God, he considers his growing success a God-given blessing, as he carries his nation’s flag high, with a refreshing scoop.
