BicolHOMEPAGE: Your Guide To The Best of Bicol Region

Here are the articles I've written for BicolHOMEPAGE. For more articles, photos and other features, feel free to visit: bicolhomepage.com

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STREET FOOD, ANYONE?
BicolHOMEPAGE (Oct-Nov 2007 Volume 1 No. 4)

LOOKING FOR A MOUTHFUL ESCAPADE?
Want to indulge in something exotic? Ready to say: “Let’s make tusok-tusok the fishballs?” or “Hopia, mani, popcorn?” Forget hepatitis! Here’s cheap, tasty food with gritty ambience. This is adventure and cheap food thrills combined.

Street food is basically a quick eat from a street corner vendor, of often from a makeshift or portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin.

The Ateneo de Naga University is one haven for affordable and tasty food. Take your pick from a variety of classics like: fishballs, kikiam, ulam, drinks, sandwiches, palamig, among others. Business starts even before the clock strikes at 8a.m. and doesn’t end while foodies are still around.

Another location for street foods is at Centro or downtown Naga. Follow the crowd or let your nose direct you. It may be a health scare alright, but then, who can resist these masiram asin baratong kakanon? From sweet, spicy, salty, to hot or cold, name it and you can find it.

YOUR NEXT FOOD DESTINATION
Kinalas and loglog both have a broth base, noodles, meat slices and a special kind of sauce. Best served pping hot, with egg; sprinkled with spring onions and roasted garlic. Season according to taste. Team these up with baduya, banana cue or camote cue for a very hearty meal or snack.

Bulastog is boiled chicken eggs dipped in batter usually with orange food coloring and served with vinegar and white onions. It is a bigger version of the kwek-kwek which uses quail eggs instead.

Chicken nuggets are intestines or “bituka” fried to a crisp. Barbeque chicken gizzard, intestines, heads, etc. You can find lots of these in any roadside stall, along with finger foods like chicken skin, barbeque chicken, pork barbeque, etc. Best for pulutan or served with steaming rice.

Aside from having the usual startup capital, the necessary health, sanitation and Mayor’s permits to operate are vital to keep the wheels of this endeavor constantly turning. The return of investment (ROI) may be limited but the satisfied faces, full stomachs and happy diners are proof that thisis one business that is worth keeping on the streets.

STREET FOOD SUCCESS STORY
Street food entrepreneur Jesusa Niña Parpan Gunio gladly shares her story: She wasn’t a street food stall owner to begin with, but an RTW retailer, hawking clothes from Bicol to Legazpi City. After three typhoons and a car accident, Niña decided to focus on selling street food along the ADNUni belt. Her decision to do so was clinched when a former student approached her for a favor: their organization would like to avail of her food and services during a 3-day university activity on the condition that Niña will not inform anyone that she cooked the food. Her viands became big hits. Niña has since been invited to join the first six carts occupying the street outside the school. From a simple aluminum push cart, she now owns “S.O.S.-C” (could it mean “sosy”?) and two ambulant food carts as well.

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PASTORES: A uniquely Bicolano Christmas Tradition
BicolHOMEPAGE (Dec 2007-Jan 2008 volume 1 no. 5)

Long before Christmas trees and Santa Claus became a part of our holiday celebrations, the Pastores was the Bicolano’s beautiful commemoration of Christmas. The Pastores is a musical re-enactment of the age-old nativity story. Colorful costumes are worn by singers, in honor of the biblical shepherds who sang the first Christmas carols. The performance is done with an entourage of traditional musikeros, lots of dancing to the tunes of Pastores A Belen, and a generous dose of Christmas cheer. It is caroling, Bicol style.

Taken from the Spanish word, Pastoras which means shepherdess, it applies to both male and female. These are small groups from four to twelve girls with an occasional male or two. All-male groups can be found in Tabaco Albay. In Camarines Sur, these “dancing girls of Christmas” dressed in colorful festive costumes appear on Christmas Day up to the Epiphany – 13 days of house to house singing and dancing – commemorative of shepherds proclaiming glad tidings. It is the followup to Kagharong, the reenactment of Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary’s plight as they looked for a place to stay in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.

Pastores was once part of Pasko. The songs and dances are preserved and inherited by the family and relatives of the parabalo or trainer. Girls were usually selected for their good looks, voice and talents or being marhay magcompas. In those days, it was an honor to be visited by the Pastoras because they usually go to the prominent members of the community.

It’s been two years since the last Pastores in Calabanga Camarines Sur took place. This may be due to the expenses’ inability to catch with the returns. In Legazpi City, however, the Pastores Festival is held on December 18.

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TANOG BIKOL
BicolHOMEPAGE (Feb-March 2008 Volume 1 No. 6)

The local music scene, aside from being a source of entertainment, is also a way of living. It may even serve as a stepping-stone for new or emerging talents who’d either make it here and abroad. While most would have the best recording deals, some artists may also be one-hit wonders. While some struggle for art’s sake, others chose to forget the people who brought them to where they are now. While some may be catapulted into instant stardom and disappear just as fast, others remain solid and steady. These are the artists who will continuously provide food for the soul with their kind of music.

In the summer of 1978, “Lolo” Andy Belmonte’s musical career as soloist and folk singer took off with nightly gigs at the GIP (Grand Imperial Plaza). His hobby and passion for music led him to other people who share the same interest. “Lolo” Andy’s one-man front act soon became a group effort. Batch by batch, show after show, changing members, through songs and laughter, gaining support among fans and patrons as well.

Fast forward to 2002, “Lolo’s Bar” was conceptualized to become “the home of local performers”, serve as the prime venue for the finest Bicolano performing artists, and offer the best in food, music, laughter and ambience. One of the mainstays at Lolo’s Bar, Mixed Nutz (Feb 14, 1993 to 2001), held the distinction of being the only local band to play in 5-star hotels. In Nov 19, 2002, Mixed Nutz had a new name: Sound Waves Band with a varied repertoire, comic relief and punchlines. Other colorful names for the band came forth. One name was Q Tone (pronounced as “cute-ton”, or really cute in English). To avoid confusion on the local connotation of Q Tone, the name was changed to 4K Barrel (read: Pork Barrel). As 4K barrel, they’ve released a local album. During the last two weeks of 2007, the band’s name was changed to The Midnight Cabinet with its political undertones and satirical perfomances. Soon, they will produce their repackaged local album with 8 songs, all-Bicol originals.

Aside from the habitual changing of names, their distinctiveness also lies in these principles: Making mistakes is an enjoyment. Just be happy as the highest paid local act. Singing is not a profession but a hobby. They’d rather be known as a vocal group, not a band. AND their Ultimate Dream is to be the flag carrier of Bicol.

But when asked if they went through a series of identity crisis, the answer, amidst laughter, was a resounding “Yes, even today!”

The Midnight Cabinet a.k.a. 4K Barrel, has “Lolo” Andy Belmonte (tenor/bass); Jun De Loyola (alto/tenor); Tonton Hernandez (arranger/tenor/bass) and Marlon Amador (tenor/bass). Manager Ning Belmonte. Catch them nightly at Lolo’s Bar, Avenue Square.

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KILIG TO THE BONES An encounter with the legendary "hilot" man
BicolHOMEPAGE (Feb-March 2008 Volume 1 No. 6)

Note: I am not insulting our friends in the medical profession. I am quite sure that they are doing their best to ease us from our daily aches and pains. Please don’t take this out of context.

Magarao, a small town on the outskirts of Naga City has always claimed to be the "Hilot capital of Camarines Sur”. Even the welcome arch leading towards the town proudly says so.

However, according to Felizardo Villamer a.k.a. Legid (An Pamosong Parahilot kan Magarao), that statement is a misconception. He proceeded to tell us the reasons why. First, “hilot” means midwife, “nagpapa-aki” or “kumadrona”. Second, Magarao is known for its “para-hilot” (those who deal with fractures) which is entirely different from “hilot”. What’s more complicated is that, third, these physical therapists (“piso-therapists”), reflexologists (“para-lapo”) and massage practitioners can never be in the same category as the legit “para-hilot”. Which brings us to the fourth reason: simply because the former, unlike the latter, don’t pay any tax to the community at all.

Those were very strong convictions from Legid himself.

So, who is this man known for his legendary booming voice, seemingly endless stories, various contraptions and gadgets? What is the best way to know him? Go directly to the source. That, I did together with some friends, on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Going incognito is always an alternative choice to get information. Not to catch the subject off-guard, but rather to make him/her share his/her story without qualms or sugarcoating.

It was not easy.

After two unsuccessful interview attempts along the way, I willed myself to try Legid’s expertise. He felt my pulse and asked if I’m already married. (Nice ice breaker there!) I told him that I’ve had years of right foot discomfort especially at night and how I’ve tried reflexology before. He then asked me to take off my flipflops, placed my left foot atop his papag and did circular strokes on my whole left foot. He called his male companion who used an electric device to do more round movements on the same foot. After that, he asked me to place my left foot on an empty bottle on the floor and just roll my foot along. It was scary and weird. Scary because of the combination of electricity, tingles and jolts. Weird because I told him that the discomfort I’ve felt was on my right foot, why was he focusing on my left food instead?

All this time, he was regaling us with stories and anecdotes animatedly. His father, the original Legid, was a policeman who would take off his duty clothes just to roll allover the floor (“nagpapara-legid ngaya sa salog”). Legid also told us about his appetite for ripe Davao mangoes (which almost caused him to have diabetes), his glory days of ballroom dancing, how proud he is of his craft and of his family, the mishaps done by doctors who ultimately ask him for help and he even told us that his gadgets are imported.

After 70 pesos and approximately 30 minutes later, I realized that meeting and listening to the legendary Legid was quite an adventure - even when it was my first time to see him and have him administer aid to my foot.

And my right foot discomfort? Believe me, it’s gone.

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WEEKEND IN CARAMOAN
BicolHOMEPAGE (Feb-March 2008 Volume 1 No. 6)

Take the white sand beaches of Boracay or the diverse ruggedness of Palawan - and you have the best of both worlds - an idyllic haven called Caramoan.

The name Caramoan has been officially used since 1619, the date when it was founded by Fray Francisco de la Cruz y Oropesa. The first name given to this place was Gota de Leche by the Dutch traders. It is a hilly peninsula with deep gorges and a rough, rocky terrain, caves, limestone formations, white sandy beaches, an islet lake, a subterranean river, clear blue waters, unending coastline, and abundant marine life.

Dagos po Kamo sa ...CARAMOAN! (Welcome to Caramoan!)
You don’t have to worry about finding a place to stay in Caramoan. Our group chose La Casa Roa Hostel with its reasonably priced menu and airconditioned bedrooms with bathrooms. You can ask for a spare bed for a minimal fee. Cable TV is also available.

Soak up the Saturday sun
After a short jeepney ride from La Casa Roa, we reached our first stop - Gota Beach. What a breathtaking way to start off a weekend adventure! Gota Beach, Bichara or Paradise Island and Pitogo are just three of the frequently visited beaches in Caramoan with its powdery sand, clear waters and imposing rock formations.

Sweet Sweaty Sunday
Day two of our Caramoan adventure took us to Sabitan Laya, Caglago, Tabgon and other islands which, unfortunately, will remain unexplored simply because the motorboat we were in got beached. The boatmen took extreme caution not to damage the newly-planted seaweeds. Then we took a detour from the islands and climbed Mt. Caglago. In the early years, pilgrims used to bring bags or baskets of sand from the bottom of the mountain. They would take 2000 steps up to pile these sandbags on the base of a big statue. How the statue got there was a unique and touching story of concerted efforts – piece by piece, block by block. Each frame, stone, cement and sand that held the image together came from different places in the region. These pieces eventually reached the top of Caglago, put together by hand, and became what is now known as the image of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Caramoan is considered as one of Camarines Sur’s last frontier. Steady progress is slowly but surely making its presence felt in the peninsula, hopefully, not in exchange for its untamed beauty.

HOW TO GET TO CARAMOAN
There are many ways to get to Caramoan. From Manila, take a plane (55 minutes) or a bus (8 hours) going to Naga City. At the Central Bus Terminal, take a bus or a van (2 hours) going to Brgy. Sabang, San Jose. You should be there before 10AM. Catch the boat (2 hours ride) bound to Brgy. Guijalo, Caramoan. At the port of Guijalo, take a jeepney or tricycle going to the town proper of Caramoan.

To get to Caramoan from Manila, one may either take a 9-hour bus ride or a 1-hour plane ride to Naga City (377 km South of Manila). From Naga City Central Terminal, one may take a van to Sabang port. Travel usually lasts for 1 hour. From Sabang port, there are small commercial boats that ferry passengers to the Caramoan Port. Hourly boat departure schedule starts at 5 AM. Boat ride usually lasts for 2-hrs and cost Php120++. One may take a jeepney or a tricycle to go to the Centro or the Gota Beach.

WORD PLAY:
"caramo-an" - what beautiful things you're wearing
"carahan" - a sea turtle abundantly found along the peninsula's shores
"nagka-cararamoan" - breaking one's teeth
"namo" - a wild plant