Jamie Balmores is the epitome of the saying hard work pays off. He left the Philippines over a decade ago to settle in Edmonton, Canada where he worked as a resident nurse. Through hard work and a lot of side hustle, JT, as he is fondly called, rapidly advanced from his position as a resident nurse in Edmonton, Canada, to that of an authentic influencer and celebrity in his community and hometown.
JT is the owner of Jeepney Jaytee, Edmonton’s most famous and multi-awarded food truck. He launched his food truck business in 2015, and by the time 2016 rolled in, he was already a household name and had become a tourist destination. Everyone needs to stop by his food truck in Edmonton or you weren’t really in Edmonton.
He promotes and highlights different Filipino delicacies by region regularly in Global TV, CityTV and Dinner Television. He is one of the major stakeholders when it comes to promoting Filipino cuisine in Canada. This is also why everyone, not just Filipinos, lines up for hours to taste Jeepney Jaytee’s food.
He has won Best Foodtruck in Canada from 2016 – 2022, Best Filipino Restaurant Cuisine (Reader’s Choice Award) 2021, Best Local Social Media Personality Gold Award 2021, and Best Filipino Food in Edmonton 2022. His best-sellers are his authentic Ilocos Bagnet, Sisig Tacos/Sisig Fries, and Cheesy Bistek Shawarma.
JT serves as an inspiration to his fellow Filipinos in Canada to work on their dreams. He is a firm believer that nothing is impossible when you start planning your life and work hard for things you want to achieve in this world.
In fact, JT is the ambassador of Lexus of Edmonton West, Jack and Jones, East West College (with Cherry Tan and Jean San Miguel), Great Smile Family Dental, Lucky SuperMarket, Skinlueaur Laser Center, Prestige Vision Center, The Captain’s Boil Edmonton, and Sta Lucia Hotdog.
They chose him not only because he’s popular in the community but because he embodies the virtues they are looking for in an ambassador: a good role model and someone who has integrity.
This is proof that it’s never too late to be what you want to be, no matter what age and stage in your life you are. If JT can make it, so can you.
