Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Christmas Among the Pines: The Best Place to be in Baguio City during the Holidays


Aside from being a favorite destination during summer, Baguio City is also a perennial destination during the Christmas season. With its cool weather and pine trees, the commercial and financial hub of the Cordilleras, in northern Luzon, provides an apt backdrop for the holiday spirit, enabling one to recreate an American storybook atmosphere. 
Although Baguio City’s glitter as a hot tourist destination has waned in recent years, having to compete with hip and emerging destinations in other parts of the country, it remains to be a nostalgic choice for many and sort of experiences a resurgence. In fact, last year, the volume of visitors going to Baguio City for Christmas was overwhelming, resulting in the humungous traffic jams, which lasted for about seven hours.
This year, Baguio City’s local government as well as private stakeholders are taking measures to avoid last year’s traffic jam, said Ramon Cabrera, general manager of The Manor at Camp John Hay.
Not only that, they are ready to welcome visitors with different Christmas gimmicks and activities. One major Christmas attraction is The Manor at Camp John Hay.
Already, the hotel inside the former American military base went to lengths in decorating for Christmas, which attention to details. A life-size creche greets guests as they enter the hotel lobby. Potted poinsettia plants have been placed in numerous corners. The deli has a mantle of real gingerbread and icing.
At the lobby, Santa Claus and his elves greet guests every afternoon from 5 to 6 p.m. until Jan. 2, 2016. Unique Christmas candles are on sale, and proceeds go to children diagnosed with cancer.
Its sprawling garden, which overlooks the valleys and mountains of Benguet, as been transformed into a Yuletide wonderland with inspiration from the ballet The Nutcracker. The pine trees are decked with larger-than-life Christmas balls, stars and candy canes. The lampposts are wreathed with pine branches.
At night, the garden and hotel building glimmer with Christmas lights. Not only that, these lights dance to music at an appointed time. For the third year now, The Manor is mounting a light and music show.
It is starting to be a tradition here at The Manor, according to Cabrera. He said they were not planning to put up one last year, but guests have come to expect the show now from The Manor. Now, they are not only meeting their expectations, but surpassing them. The intensified Christmas lineup is also in celebration of its 15th year anniversary.
Last Dec. 12, The Manor inaugurated its light and music show, with performances by the St. Louis University Orchestra, a band, a singer, dancers. The highlight was the inaugural light and music show and concluding the affair was a short fireworks display and a sumptuous buffet prepared by chef Billy King.
From Dec. 18 until Jan. 2, guests will enjoy lights and music show, which lasts about 10 minutes, accompanied by performances of the Sanglaw Dancers, from 6 to 6:30 p.m. The show will be preceded by the nostalgic sounds of Christmas carols, which will be heard at the hotel from 5 to 6 p.m., sung by the University of Baguio Voices from Dec. 18 to 26. They will be replaced by the Voices Ensemble from Dec. 27 to Jan. 2, 2016.
In one corner of the garden, at Scout Hill, a mini-carnival is set up, creating a small whimsical world of its own with shows, games and food. According to Cabrera, many of The Manor’s clients are families, with kids. He also said that there are not much facilities for kids at the hotel so they decided to put up a mini carnival.
The carnival is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Jan. 3, 2016. Additionally, an outdoor cinema will also be set-up in the playground from Dec. 17 to Jan. 2, and will be open from 6 to 9 p.m.
Additional activity for kids is its version of Junior Master Chef, organized by Le Chef. It will be on Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26 and Jan. 2, 2016 from 4 to 5 p.m., for P380 per child.
On the other hand, Le Chef comes up with special promos for diners to help celebrate Christmas with King ensuring a delectable feast. The Manor’s restaurant will prepare a Christmas Eve dinner buffet on Dec. 24, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., for P1,950 per person and P800 per child (five to 10 years old). This will be followed by the Noche Buena Buffet (P1,100 per person and P550 per child), from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., with Music of The Heart Pop Orchestra serenading diners. On Dec. 25, the Christmas Day dinner buffet will be from 6:30 to 10 p.m. for P1,950 per person and P800 per child. And lastly, the New Year’s Day dinner special on Jan. 1, 2016 will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. featuring a set menu of four courses for P1,250 per person.
Culminating the holiday festivities of The Manor at Camp John Hay is the New Year events. A countdown party (for P3,300 per person and P1,400 per child) will be held on Dec. 31, from 6:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring performances by Music of The Heart Pop Orchestra, Brewed Band and Highway 54 Band. Aside from the live entertainment, there will be a dinner buffet, a champagne toast, party favors and noise makers. These will culminate with a fireworks display.
Cabrera is preparing for a substantial influx of guests, many of which are returning ones. Many Filipinos have been spending their Christmases in Baguio City, which has become a family tradition. Many of them opt for The Manor at Camp John Hay. 
“It is a unique setting in Baguio City, a nice property. It sells itself and we don’t do much marketing,” reveals Cabrera, who have been with The Manor for seven years.
But he also said they are not just sitting around, especially now that major players are poised to come into Baguio such as the Bellevue Hotels and Resorts, the Discovery Group, and The Courtyard by Marriott. With many years of creating memories for visitors and locals alike, The Manor at Camp John Hay remains to be a top choice in romantic Baguio City.
       

The Manor at Camp John Hay is on Loakan Road, Baguio City. For details and bookings, call Baguio at (074) 424-0931 to 47/50-53; and Baguio hotline (02) 584-4892 and (02) 584-4911. E-mail reservations@campjohnhay.ph, or visit www.campjohnhay.ph.









Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Pillar of Dupax del Sur: The Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer of Nueva Vizcaya




In the southern part of Nueva Vizcaya, a sprawling province about 200 kilometers northeast of Metro Manila, one arrives at Dupax del Sur. Being off the Cagayan Valley Road, where one frequently travels from Central Luzon into the Cagayan Valley and vice-versa, the town doesn’t see much traffic of passers-by and visitors, remaining sleepy and almost frozen in time. Its leafy quietness proves to be soothing, beguiling.
The poblacion or town center is immediately a collection of small buildings, houses and makeshift stalls serving as stores, surrounded by rice fields, green-golden in that season, and in turn surrounded by a chain of hills and mountains in varying shades of bluish or brownish green. The covered court or plaza is perhaps the biggest structure with its arching iron roof in dark red and a big sign on the front “Welcome (to) Dupax del Sur.” In the afternoon, a few boys were playing basketball, making the only noise in the poblacion.   
Behind the court, the municipal hall sits quietly. Its front yard is adorned with a dead tree stump and a couple of curious statues lying around it, painted in dark red and wearing native G-strings. A sign says, “Monument depicting historical origin of the name of the town Dupax. It evolved from the Isinay word dopaj, which means to lie down in complete relaxation, a customary diversion of the natives after their hunting spree.”
Dopaj is actually the name now of the poblacion barangay in Dupax del Sur. Taking or doing a “dopaj” is said to be once a common activity seen in the place after hunting and heavy meals. Folk stories tell that the place was a sort of encampment or stopover of natives in the area after days hunting in nearby mountains, where they celebrate after hard work and feast on their catch. Here, they would rest fully before returning to their homes.
The early settlers of Dupax is said to be of Cordilleran origin, particularly the Isinai, formerly called Malaats or Imalaats, although some contend the Malaats were a different group. The group, mostly farmers, fishermen and hunters, are also known as Inmeas.
The Isinai population is at 5,624 (1980), most of them (5,003) can be found in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, and the town of Dupax del Sur has the highest concentration at 2,865, out of the town’s population of 18,146 people (2010). Other Nueva Vizcaya towns that have Isinai populations are Bambang (1,856) and Aritao (300). The three towns comprised the Isinai settlement called Ituy. These towns now are predominantly Ilocano, a result of later migrations and settlings, with sprinklings of other ethnic groups such as the Tagalog, being near the predominantly Tagalog Central Luzon. Over time, the Isinai have integrated into the “mainstream” culture that there are little traces of their traditional culture left.
The Christianization of the area is said to have begun in June 1726 with the arrival of Agustinian missionaries led by Fathers Nicolas Norbante and Agustin San Juan, converting the natives and organizing them into a settlement now known as Dupax. Dominican priests though are said to attempt Christianization from 1602 to 1704. Records also tell that Dominican and Franciscan missionaries arrived in the area in 1632. Because of lack of personnel, the missions were turned over to the Augustinians. In 1740, the missions in Nueva Vizcaya were returned to the administration of the Dominicans. The founding of Dupax is accepted to be on April 22, 1731, with Fathers Norbante and San Juan planting a cross in honor of Nuestra SeƱora del Socorro in a little chapel on a spot near the present church. Dupax was once the largest town in Nueva Vizcaya until it was divided into Dupax del Norte and Dupax del Sur in 1974.
In present-day Dupax del Sur, there are little traces of the old colonial settlement. Three are well-known.
At one corner of the plaza is the often inconspicuous flag pole stand made of bricks. Used to hold the Spanish flag, it was constructed in 1878 under then parish priest Fr. Antonio Xabet. Also inconspicuous is the earlier Dampol Bridge, an arch bridge of bricks and single arch, spanning the Abanatan Creek. From the barangay of Dumang, one crosses it on the way to Dopaj. Dampol Bridge is said to be constructed by the natives—from making the bricks to building whole structure—under Dominican priest Manuel Corripio, facilitating the movement of people and products from those times until now. The first bridge was constructed in 1773, but it collapsed on August 17, 1812, and was rebuilt in 1819. Other reports credit Dominican Fray Francisco Rocamora for the bridge, which is said to be built in 1818, and local kapitan Dionicio Telmo in 1778. Earthquakes in 1880 and 1881 brought minor damages to the bridge.
Of recent, the old bridge was perceived to face a new threat. In 2014, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) began a reconstruction of the Dampol Bridge after cracks were observed underneath it. However, the repair was said to threaten the integrity of the heritage structure, and heritage advocates as well as the Isinai community voiced out their concerns. The retrofitting and widening were halted after the DPWH met with the NCCA. Instead, a bypass road was proposed. Once completed, this road can accommodate bigger vehicles while only lighter ones will be allowed on Dampol Bridge.
But the most promiment and perhaps the oldest of the Spanish colonial structures in Dupax del Sur is the Church of Saint Vicent Ferrer. It may be not as grand as many churches in the country but it is charming in its size and picturesque. In fact, the 18th-century Baroque church, under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bayombong, was declared a National Cultural Treasure (NCT) by the National Museum of the Philippines (NM) in July 2001.
The church is made of bricks, a common building material for the churches in the Cagayan Valley Region, with river stones, covered with traditional plastering. It stands on an area of 7,200 square meters. The grassy church yard is expansive, surrounded by a low wall, and has a concrete cross, said to once crown the church until it was toppled down by the 7.8-intensity earthquake of July 16, 1990.
The design of the Saint Vicent Ferrer Chuch, particularly its faƧade, resembles the Saints Peter and Paul Metropolitan Cathedral of Tuguegarao in the province of Cagayan, although less ornate, and the Catholic churches of Bayombong and Bambang.
Presently in cream paint, the faƧade is refreshingly austere, and the only major ornamentations are the arched main door and the two windows, and its crown of finials. Also, decorative moldings seem to divide the facade into four horizontal sections or levels.
Terracotta bricks, with embossed symbols of the Dominican Order, crown the main door, and on its sides are embossed symbols of the Holy Eucharist. Right above the door is a niche bearing the statue of the Holy Infant, flanked by the arched windows, framed and decorated with embossed bricks. Above the niche is a deeply recessed oculus, and above it an embossed cross. The facade ends with seven finials with the center one topped with a cross.
At the church’s left stands a rectangular bell tower with four levels and narrow arched windows. Also made of bricks, it is without plaster covering. On its top is a parapet, a small cupola and a cross.
On the other side is the two-story convent, which now houses the parish office and a small makeshift museum displaying church materials as well as Isinai crafts. Interestingly, the convent’s walls have slits, said to be for archers to defend against attacks.
The Saint Vincent Ferrer Church is said to be built in 1773 under Father Manuel Corripio. A sacristy behind the convent was built in 1771, and the convent completed in 1776. On the other hand, the bell tower was erected in stages for fifteen years—the first level in 1773, the second in 1776, the third in 1786, and the fourth in 1788. During the construction of the church, two kilns were made near the church complex, one for firing the bricks and the other for preparing lime.
Some accounts tell that the present church is the second in the area. When Fathers Nogrante and San Juan planted a cross at the foot of a hill, which was called Cudus (“cross” in Isinai), they also built a chapel in honor of Nuestra SeƱora de Socorro or Our Lady of Perpetual Help. A local lore tells why a second church was built near the chapel. While the chapel was being constructed, the legend says, the parish priest and some parishioners frequently obeserved amorseco seeds clinging to the robe of the image of the Holy Infant enshrined at the chapel. Some villagers also reported seeing the image in a particular area, where amorseco grew. They concluded that the image preferred the spot for the new church. This story though is similar with stories told in many areas of the Philippines on the construction of churches. The original titular patron the Nuestra SeƱora del Socorro of the Augustinians was replaced by Saint Vicent Ferrer by the Dominicans.
The church was damaged during World War II, and was reconstructed from 1946 to 1947 through the efforts of Belgian missionary Father Jose Anseew. It also underwent repair and rehabilitation from 1978 to 1979 under Fr. Paul Bollen. In July 1990, a strong earthquake severely damaged the church, but it was repaired and restored.
Perhaps more interesting than the exterior of the church is what are inside it. The wooded retablo or altarpiece and the pulpit are said to be original. The original images, whose heads and hands were made of ivory, are said to have been stolen in different occassions and were replaced with replicas. A small sanctuary has relief sculptures and an altar. But the most important features of the church are the pillars and the baptistry.
At the narthex, two massive pillars, supporting the choir loft, welcome visitors. The cylindrical pillars are made of clay bricks and is hollow, filled with brick fragments, rubble and stones. But they are ornate, covered with reliefs of angels, shells, flowers and arabesques. Lime-sand stucco was used as extension coating for the building and surfacing of ornamental details on the pillars.
On the other hand, the baptistery, located near the entrance, is also decorated with the same stucco carvings. The walls and ceilings are of clay bricks plastered with lime-sand mixture. The wall relief sculpture depicts a Bibilical scene—the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist at the Jordan River—surrounded with floral designs. The domed ceiling has a dove and light rays.
These pieces of heritage treasures also suffered damages and deterioration over time. According to NM, most of these are from atmosphere, surface erosion, internal moisture and biodeterioration.
The pillars were applied with inappropriate paint. Paint layers have become soft and powdery due to disintegration of the stucco and clay. Also, water accelerated the decomposition of calcium carbonate in the building material. During heavy rains, it was found out water entered through the broken glass of the oculus. Water seeped from the choir loft as well as rose from the base of the pillars.
In the baptistery, sculptures were also severely damaged because of water accumulating from the ceiling and the ground. There were no apt water drainage system, and aggravating the situation was a reservoir directly above the baptistery, which overflowed from time to time, with water seeping through the concrete ceiling. Also, the baptistery was painted over with several layers of industrial paint, sealing off the porous materials.
In 2005, NM and the NCCA, with support from the United States Department of State through its Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation Projects, embarked on a conservation effort to prevent further deterioration of the relief sculptures of the two pillars and baptistery.
For the pillars, NM technicians and experts gingerly stripped off layers of industrial paint with appropriate stripper and applied the surface with the more apt water-based acrylic paint. For the baptistery, the roofing was repaired as well as the windows. The paint was removed, and exposed bricks and plaster were consolidated. Cracks were filled with a mixture of hydrated lime and sand with small amount of white cement, and the missing portions of the scultures were replaced with similarly looking parts made of materials close to the original
The pillars and baptistery though are still constant threats after treatment such as exposure to extreme weather. The NM regularly conducts inspections, and at the same time is still studying to find better conservation treatement of stucco in a tropical climate such as ours.
While there are more to be done to fully rehabilitate and repair Saint Vincent Ferrer Church, these are important steps in conserving the heritage structures that have become important part of the life and culture of Dupax del Sur.
“Due to its influential role, historic past, and being the most prominent image in Dupax del Sur, this cultural heritage site is the de facto heart of Dupax Isinay country,” said Charles P. Castro, a forester from Dupax del Sur, who writes about his childhood in the town and as part-Isinay. 



The baptistery with its carved walls and ceiling
 


 


The church in 1954
 
The Santo Entierro inside the baptistery
A bell in the belltower

Inside the church
The church's massive pillars holding the choir loft






The town proper
View from the bell tower



The municipal hall





All photos by Roel Hoang Manipon

Thursday, October 22, 2015

The Delectable North


The sisig is one of the well-known dishes of Pampanga. From the railroad eateries of Angeles City, the dish of chopped pig ears, cheeks and snout, served on a sizzling plate with a side of calamansi and chilis, has become a staple fare in numerous restaurants in the whole country. But the sisig is not the only dish Pampanga has to offer. The province, known as the food capital of the Philippines, has a lot of unique dishes and foods to offer as well as interesting culinary traditions. In fact, northern Luzon is home to many cultural communities with interesting foods. For a quick survey and introduction to northern Luzon foods, the best bet is the Big Bite! The Northern Food Festival, which annually gathers select food producers from the Ilocos Region, the Cagayan Valley, the Cordilleran region, central Luzon and Metro Manila for a food market and a celebration of everything delicious.
Big Bite! is organized by MarQuee Mall in Angeles City, and this year it was held from October 16 to 18, 2015, at the MarQuee Park as part of Angeles City’s month-long Fiestang Kuliat. As a salute to the popular Pampangan dish, the food festival and market mounted a sisig festival, highlighted by a grand cookout.
After kicking off with fireworks, a marching band and street dancing, the opening day on October 16 featured the cooking of sisig and its varieties. For the cookout, MarQuee Mall invited three well-known chefs—Jackie dela Cruz, Danilo Maramba and Sau del Rosario.
Dela Cruz cooked the Ilocano dish dinakdakan, which is likened to the sisig. Meanwhile, Maramba made a Pangasinan version, replacing pork with milkfish, which is one of the province’s well-known products. Pampanga’s own Del Rosario prepared the sisig as traditional as possible.
Other chefs also made appearances at Big Bite! including Chef Next Door host Jonas Ng, and Center for Asian Culinary Studies founder and president Gene Gonzalez, who hosted cooking demonstrations the following days. Future chefs, on the other hand, participated in cook-offs among top culinary schools from Pampanga.
The meat of the festival was, of course, the food stalls. This year, about 100 merchants participated, offering a range of food items, from the traditional to the innovative, from the old favorites to the novelties, but all homegrown and locally conceptualized. The Ilocos region brought in its popular Ilocos empanada, bagnet and longganisa, while Kalinga and Benguet had coffee, jams and spices. A food stall from Bulacan offered its own version of okoy, made predominantly of grated squash, while another one was owned by a Pampangan kakanin maker, who sells at the San Fernando City public market, offered different kinds of suman as well as the Pampanga tamales. Other Pampanga merchants offered different sweets, baked products, pastries, etc.
For three years now, Big Bite! has become known among foodies and gourmands as well as professionals from the food industry as a go-to event for northern culinary specialties, which can be enjoyed in a light and festive atmosphere.
Big Bite! The Northern Food Festival was mounted in partnership with Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, Angeles City Tourism Office, North Luzon Expressway and Lifestyle Network.

For more information, contact (045) 304-0110 to 11. Like and follow MarQuee Mall’s social networking sites such as Facebook (facebook.com/MarQueeMall), Twitter (@MarQueetweets) and Instagram (@iloveMarQueemall).

Angeles sisig babi
By Sau del Rosario

Ingredients
1 kg pig ears, snout and face
1 kg pork belly
4 large onion, minced
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 tbsp chili fresh
10 tbsps vinegar
10 pieces calamansi
1 cup margarine
250 g chicken liver
12 cups water
2 tsp salt
Bay leaf
2 large onions
Some peppercorn

Procedure: Simmer pig head in a pot of water with onions, bay leaf and peppercorn  for one hour (or until tender). Remove the boiled ingredients from the pot then drain excess water. Grill the boiled pig ears and pork belly until done. Chop the pig ears and pork belly into fine pieces. In a wide pan, melt the butter or margarine. Add the onions. Cook until onions are soft. Add the chicken liver. Crush the chicken liver while cooking it in the pan. Add the chopped pig parts and pork belly. Cook for 10 minutes. Put-in the soy sauce, vinegar, calamansi and chili. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. This makes six to eight plates.
  
Bangus sisig
By Danilo Maramba

Ingredient:
1 medium to large boneless bangus
1 large white onion, chopped medium/fine
½ tin (85 grams) liver spread      
Vegetable oil for frying
30 grams butter           
¼ teaspoon garlic powder           
¼ teaspoon ginger powder          
A few splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Black pepper to taste (fresh ground or bottled restaurant grind)
Real mayonnaise (optional, turns the appetizer into a dish)

Procedure: Fry boneless bangus in hot oil until brown and crisp. Allow fried bangus to cool down and flake into small pieces. Toss flaked bangus with liver spread until just about evenly distributed. Set aside. Melt 30 grams of butter in a wok over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sweat slowly until limp and transparent. Add bangus and liver spread mixture then stir and toss till almost done (roughly three minutes). Add garlic powder. Add ginger powder. A few splashes of Worcestershire sauce will give the mixture a slightly darker shine. Toss everything for two minutes more. Immediately remove to serving platters. The completed dish is an appetizer. To turn it into a viand, just add a heaping tablespoon of real mayonnaise.

Dinakdakan
By Jackie dela Cruz

Ingredients
500g pork head, cleaned
100g pig brain
2 pcs bay leaf
1 tbsp black peppercorn
Water for simmering
2 tbsp oil, for grilling
4 tbsp vinegar (sukang Iloco)
1 pc red chili, minced
2 pcs red onion, julienned
1 tbsp ginger, grated
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Spring onion, chopped, for garnish

Procedure: Simmer pork head with bay leaves and black peppercorns until tender. Strain and cool. Simmer brain for 10 minutes. Strain, cool, remove membrane, coarsely chop and set aside. Grill pork head over medium heat until golden brown. Slice pork head into 1/3 inch by 1/8 inch strips. In a mixing bowl, put sliced pork head and flavor with vinegar and calamansi juice.  Season with salt and ground pepper. Add chilies, red onion and pork brain. Serve in a platter. This yields four servings.


Empanada and other Ilocos delights
Puto flan of Gabee’s of Angeles City


Okoy from Bulacan, made  of squash
Tamales  and sumans of Pampanga
Rattan fruit from Nueva Vizcaya
 

Masa podrida of Apung Diung of Guagua







 









All photos by Roel Hoang Manipon