News from Home - the first

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When I started this blog I wanted it to be something for all the Waray-warays out there - "out" there being the big, big world of Cyberspace-. I did not consciously have the the overseas Waray as the target readers, just anyone who had the distinction of having ties and roots in the two islands of Samar and Leyte, of course, Biliran too, although they speak a different dialect altogether. But somewhere along the way, most of the feedback I got was from Waraynons now-based abroad. In their comments and e-mails I could clearly discern a deep longing for home and anything that reminds them of it. My entry on the flavors of Leyte and Samar had a Waraynon transplanted to the land of kiwis drooling as he recalled breakfasts of sapsap (native dried fish) dipped in coconut vinegar and a Fil-Am from Florida who stumbled upon this blog through Google search commented on how my teaser on the alat (basket carried on the back filled with fruits and vegetables) brought back memories of a childhood when the basket represented a means of livelihood. Homesickness indeed finds its cure in the familiar and I have hoped that in my own little way that through this blog I have helped eased that longing.

So it is with the Waraynon abroad in mind that I have started a regular feature of this blog, "News from Home" which will carry tidbits of news which will keep everyone abreast of development here in Waray country. I plan to have it on a bi-weekly basis but bear with me if I can't really keep up with that schedule (still got a day job to do). I will try to make the most of my free time and be a"Korinna Sanchez" on the side (minus of course her logistics). Now if I can only perfect that multitasking bit...

The Waves of Calico-an Island

World-class facilities of Surf Camp


Infinity pool at the Surf Camp in Calico-an Island


Sometime in April last year, my friends and I went on a trip to Sulangan, a tiny islet at the tip of the province of Eastern Samar to visit the Church of St. Anthony de Padua. The twin images (one on each side of the altar) of the patron saint of desperate cases is known all over Eastern Visayas to grant the fervent wishes of its devotees and judging from the flocks that attends the masses held there, it is safe to surmise that many prayers has found answers after a call to St. Anthony for intercession.

We came on a Saturday and arrived just in time for the nine o'clock mass after departing from Tacloban City at 6:00 a.m., with a brief stop over at Jasmin Resort in the town of Marabut. I saw familiar faces from the city in an "out-of-town folks"-dominated church crowd. Like us, they all came with the hope of answered prayers whispered into the image of St. Anthony. Indeed, faith in a power greater than all of us is a most strong presence in the Filipino's way of life

As if to reward the piousness of the faithful who come to Sulangan, they are treated to an awesome sight of sea and surf as the island of Calico-an is just a 100 meter steel bridge away. In fact before you get to the pilgrim site, you pass by this white sand beach fringed town, a lovely welcome indeed for a spiritual journey for more than anything else, food for the soul was our main reason for coming and the beautiful sight an added bonus.

So just how beautiful is Calico-an? If your a surf lover just like most of the foreigners we saw there, the place where the Pacific rolls its waters is perfect for you. They say the best time for surfing is in the months of November, December and January where the waves are most high and just right for riding. But for a non-swimmer like me, it seemed intimidating even in on a warm month of summer. So me and my friends contented ourselves just listening to the ocean roar while having lunch in one of the restaurants that dot the seascape. Nothing like the sounds of the sea to relax and calm your senses. (During a second trip I made the following month, my family and I stayed at the cove-ringed part of the island where the lagoons allowed for some swimming, and yes, the sand was just as powdery white)

We earlier planned on having our lunch at the Surf Camp (a resort developed by the Aboitiz group) but it was closed at that time. However, the alternative, which was a resto-cum-small-resort, proved to be a blessing in disguise. Its prices were quite reasonable and the food filling, tasty and the straight-from-the-sea fresh. We (five of us) had kinilaw (ceviche) na tangigue, sinigang na lapu-lapu (grouper) , and adobong pusit (squid) all at a surprising P650.00 ($14.13) !!! I wish I could say the same for the room rates, at P3,000.00 ($65.21) per, its quite expensive. But then again with a view of the ocean and the sound of the waves, to quote that famous credit card company's line, the room's natural amenities are "priceless".

Tummies full, we started on the trip back home planning to go back as soon as schedules permitted (So far, it has remained just that, plans, with my friends that is)

So it was that a trip to the Church of St. Anthony de Padua came as a blessing in more ways than one.

Leyte and Samar's Delicacies

They say, "a way to a man's heart is through his stomach". Well, let me put a new twist to that and say: "the key to a people's soul is their food" (no literary ryhmes shnimes there, but it will do). Indeed, much can be said about a place through a sampling of their dinner table's fare. You have the very precise cuts and shapes of Japanese cuisine which says much of how meticulos the peole from the land of the rising sun are. And how can we forget the native land of sexy Marimar, Mexico with its hot and spicy tacos and nachos?

As promised, here is a post of delicacies and delectable offerings from the islands of Leyte and Samar. Just like Waraynons who are happy and joy-loving people, you will find that most of their food complement a favorite pastime, drinking sessions with the ever-present tuba (native drink taken from the juice of the still uopened coconut bud).

But first, a word of thanks to Mr. Bimbo Tan, OTOP Coordinator from DTI-Region VIII. I borrowed his collection of photographs taken by by Mr. Joe Barrera, likewise of the OTOP Program, documenting the different OTOP products in a 10 day road trip around the region. What follows is a veritable "movable" feast for the eyes. For the information of the many, OTOP stands for One-Town-One-Product, a program of the Department of Trade and Industry wherein a product of each town is picked, showcased and given technical assistance.


Binagol



To begin our food trip, let me start with a personal favorite the binagol, pride of Dagami. The fruit of the "tree of life" is one of its main ingredients. This is not surprising, as said in my earlier posts, the coconut is abundant in this parts of the country. My childhood is rife with the memories of this sticky concoction ensconced in a coconut shell which my paternal lola (she has since passed away) meticulously wrapped in boxes meant for my uncle in Manila.. She would always leave two for me and my sisters to chomp on during our summers by her place in Carigara. You may find these in sidewalks just below Gaisano at the Shopping Center but it is always wiser to buy from a suki or straight from the source in Dagami. Another just as tasty alternative are by-the-roadside-stalls in Calbiga, Samar where its version might just take the word Dagami from binagol and replace it with its own.

Chocolate moron

Bearing no resemblance to its English namesake, another Waray delicacy is the moron – sourced mostly from the town of Abuyog, Leyte. It is a also a dessert of coconut strips and as well as pilit, Philippine fancy rice. Just like most of its sweeter cousins, the moron is prepared using the giniling (milled) method. Not to sweet for it to be banned from the diabetic's table, it retains the flavor of coconut meat and the stickiness of its glutinous rice.

Sapsap

Going into the coast of Carigara Bay, you come along its favored method of preserving fish, drying their catch in the sun with a generous sprinkling of table salt. The market of this town is lined with stall selling all kinds of bulad. There is the sapsap and the dilis, to name a few. It is quite salty and not recommended for hypertensives. Nevertheless, compared to what's sold in the rest of the province, the dried fish of Carigara is still the least in salt content. It is to be expected as most of the people living here derive their livelihood from the bountiful harvests of the sea. Many balikbayans would love to bring this back home with them but it seems foreigners finds its smell offensive. Some even mistook the fumes of frying of bulad as that of a dead rat. But that’s another story. Really, perhaps its an acquired taste, but I do love the smell of bulad in the morning.




Pastillas

Apart from its bulad, Carigara is also known for its tasty pastillas made from pure carabao's milk. I am always reminded by my cousins in Cebu to bring along a pack when I come to visit them. I would end up buying two as I was tempted to finish one whole pack all by my lonesome. There are imitations, ones made from condensed milk and the city shops are littered with them. Its the carabao's milk that makes all the difference so if its not made from it, the taste is really different, it becomes too sweet. So you are sure of getting the real deal, a trip to Carigara would be worth it to buy your stock. My regular suki is Mana Lumen, you cannot be wrong with her pastillas as it is really made of carabao's milk. She lives and cooks her stuff at the Poblacion in Carigara. Just ask for her house from the pedicab driver.

As if the salty fried fish was not enough, I also have an addiction to sisi. This product of shells that sticks to rocks, which also goes by the handle "rock oysters", is one of my usual request when my friend goes home to Catbalogan. It is very cheap, Php50.00 a bottle. But you have to wash it very well as it is very salty. It serves as a very good appetizer and goes well with a dash of calamansi.

The taste of the islands is one unique experience, the different flavors a reflection of the town's unique culture and heritage. For inquiries on where to order, e-mail me at waray_ako_2008@yahoo.com so I can give you recommended stores and sources. (photos courtesy of Mr. Tan)

Friendster vs. Facebook..here in da Philippines

I have just succumbed to the proddings of my ka-berk and broke my self-imposed limit on one social networking for the self rule. I believed that being on Friendster was enough and getting on another social site would take too much of my time. I didn't want to leave Friendster as my labor of love was there, my very first blog site, thus two was definitely more than I could handle. But after hearing so much about Facebook on the Net, the television and from friends, I decided to give this Harvard graduate's creation a try. Well, so far so good, I'm enjoying it. Perhaps its in the layouting too but the applications are such that its so user-friendly compared to Friendster. The updates are strategically located in the center of the page and grabs your attention. It also has a better application for finding friends and its "what are you doing now?" feature is really fun. The only downside though is that it has no space for a blog which is what has tied me to Friendster.

So which is better? The jury is still out but judging from the many Facebook converts, the verdict is not that hard to guess.

International Foodie Show Goes to Manila

I just wanted to contribute my two centavos worth of national pride. How? By telling (informing is more apt, kinda lazy today to make a real full-length post about it) you about the Philippine episode of of Anthony Bourdain's cooking show, "No Reservations". Yup, your right, a whole hour is dedicated to showcasing some "gritty but tasty" (his words) Filipino food fare. Perhaps it can entice some of you to make that plannned trip for home if only to savor true-blue Filipino dishes again. One can catch his show on the Travel Channel and its Philippine episode premiered last February 16 in the US. Too bad, cable's not available at my parent's house (some household oversight) so I would have to look for a link on the Internet. Anyway, to read more about it, click here and drool :-).

This One's for the Books

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I don't know if this guy in robes has lost his marbles, is a Weberian fanatic, or has had a particularly most rigid toilet training but this judge's ruling on ownership of stairs in an apartment building is one of the most absurd one I've read all my life. Maybe the judge was trying to be funny but one's thing for sure, if all courts were headed by someone like him, then God help us.

Native Bags

Don't you just find these bags lovely? They are made from indigenous materials such as tikog (the material used for banig) and abaca. You may find these at the Pasalubong Center just beside the Cebu Pacific office at the Tacloban City airport. Grab one and support the local economy. For bulk order, click here to contact suppliers.