Category Archives: SPECIAL TOPICS

Buguey: The "Crab Capital of the North" (Cagayan)

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El Presidente Beach Resort

After breakfast at Eastern Hawaii Casino and Resort, we next headed west, to Ilocos Norte, with stopovers at Buguey and Claveria. We arrived at Buguey by 10 AM and were dropped off at the El Presidente Beach Resort where we were welcomed by town officials led by Mayor Licerio Antiporda III and his wife. The skies were overcast and it was very windy.  Before entering the conference hall, we were given a welcome drink of fresh buko juice, still in its shell, plus crab sandwiches.  While waiting for the start of the press conference, some sampled the Lamba Sparkle Berry Delight, a cocktail consisting of a 1/3 cup each of the following: native Buguey lambanog (nipa palm wine), sparkle and red berry juice, plus half a teaspoon of sugar; then garnished with lime and cherry and, finally, all the ingredients are shaken, strained and poured into a cocktail glass.

Lamba Sparkle Berry Delight

In his speech at the presscon, Mayor Antiporda enumerated his efforts to further boost the town’s tourism potential as well as to fortify its claim to being the “Crab Capital of the North.”  He also informed us that the local government-run El Presidente Beach Resort will soon be undergoing a total makeover, thanks to a PhP32 million loan from Land Bank, and will be turned into a U-shaped, bungalow-type hotel with 15 guestrooms and two dorms and will be renamed as the Buguey Crab Hotel.

Crab claws anyone….?

Afterwards, we were all invited to partake of the feast prepared for us: steamed shrimps; brackish water crabs, both steamed and cooked in the half shell; breaded prawns; seaweed, oysters, fresh fruits (mangoes, bananas) and bocayo (coconut candy). Some, foregoing the use of spoons, forks and knives, decided to dine kamayan style. While we were doing so, we were regaled with a bevy of native dances performed by schoolchildren and young adults.

Driftwood by the beach

After dining, some of us slipped out the conference hall to burn the excess calories gained as well as to check out the windswept black sand beach, observe people harvesting shells or children playing and to admire the high, turbulent waves breaking on the shore, a consequence of the converging waters of the South China Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Cagayan River.  Prior to our leaving for Claveria, everyone in the media group was gifted with a bottle of Buguey lambanog to take home (I was given two).

Dinner by the Sea (Gonzaga, Cagayan)

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The delightful seafood feast

After our pansit batil patong merienda at the Cagayan Museum and Historical Research Center at the Provincial Capital Complex in Tuguegarao City, we returned to our CEZA bus for a 138.2-km. (2-hr.) drive to Gonzaga, incidentally the birthplace of current Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile.  Along the National Highway, we passed the pretty, Spanish-era red brick Church of St. Filomene in Alcala and the Church of St. James the Greater and Calvary Hills in Iguig.  It was night time when we reached the town and our destination: Matara Beach in Brgy. San Jose.  Here, we were warmly welcomed by town mayor Carlito F. Pentecostes, Jr., other town officials and townspeople.  As per our original itinerary,our late afternoon merienda was supposed to have been held here, not in Tuguegarao City, but our 4-hr. delay at the airport changed all these plans.As a consequence, the town officials had to improvise for the change of schedule, installing a generator to provide lighting for the tents set up along the beach to house us and the banquet prepared for us.  Still, the dark denied us the opportunity of seeing how beautiful the place really is – its white sand, coral reef, turquoise sea and blue sky.

Our media group with Mayor Pentecostes (in yellow)

Our disappointment was somehow alleviated by the feel of the fine sand beneath our feet, the warmth of the townspeople and the wonderful array of food set before us.  And what a wonderful array it was – steamed shrimps, sweet and sour and barbecued fish and lots of crabs – with many of us, including me, dining kamayan style.  Despite just having eaten a filling merienda in Tuguegarao City less than three hours ago, we simply just couldn’t resist not partaking of the seafood feast before us.  So much for dieting.    However short was our visit to this coastal town, it still warrants another visit. Maybe next time.  

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, National Highway, Gonzaga, Cagayan.  Tel: (078) 856-6502 to 03.

Lakbay Norte 2, Second Leg (Tuguegarao City, Cagayan)

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The Cebu Pacific plane that brought us to Cagayan

I was again invited to join the second leg of the Lakbay Norte 2 media tour, this time to cover the provinces of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte.  We were supposed to depart on our Cebu Pacific-sponsored flight to Tuguegarao City (Cagayan) at the NAIA 3 Terminal by 8:45 AM but rain and poor visibility at Tuguegarao Airport caused a 4-hour delay.  We killed time at the airport by chatting with media colleagues and pigging out on food (we ate two meals there).  We finally left Manila by 1 PM and arrived in Tuguegarao City an hour later.  This would be my second visit to Tuguegarao City, though my first visit was just a short stopover at the airport  on my way to Basco, Batanes.

Our media group with DOT Region II and CNCVB representatives

At the airport, our media group was welcomed by representatives of Department of Tourism Region II and the Cagayan North Convention and Visitors Bureau (CNCVB).    We were picked up by a CEZA (Cagayan Export Zone Authority) bus and brought to the Cagayan Museum and Historical Research Center, at the Provincial Capital Compound in Tuguegarao City. Inside our bus, we tried the dumpling-like pawa, a local delicacy made from ground sticky rice with sweetened ground peanut filling, much like the angko we tasted at Camarines Norte. Upon arrival at the museum, we were treated to a merienda of Cagayan food fare. What a merienda it was!

Pancit batil patong

The food fare spread before us include pancit batil patong, rich and sweet hot chocolate, chicharabao (chicharon made with carabao fat), chichacorn and kakanin. The delicious and filling pancit batil patong, a Tuguegarao specialty, was the star of the show.  It was made with miki noodles and sautéed meat (either pork, beef or carabeef) and  served with a sauce of fresh, chopped onions, poached eggs and seasoned with suka (vinegar), toyo (soy sauce) and calamansi (Philippine lemon). The whole assembly was topped by a fried egg.  

Cagayan North Convention and Visitors Bureau (CNCVB):  c/o 2/F, Fragrante Bldg., 1 Aguinaldo cor. Blumentritt Sts., Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.  Mobile number (0917) 578-3524.  E-mail: jaimetabbu@yahoo.com. 

Department of Tourism (DOT) Region II: 29-A Rizal St., Tuguegarao City 3500, Cagayan.  Tel: (078)  844-5364.  Fax: (078) 844-1621 and 844-1736. Regional Director:  Ms. Blessida G. Diwa.  E-mail: dotr02@yahoo.com. Website: www.dotregion2.com.

Pabirik Festival (Paracale, Camarines Norte)

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Pabirik Festival

Paracale was one of three parishes (the others were Daet and Vinzons) celebrating the quadricentennial of their parish’s foundation, an event which I, event organizer Bernard Supetran, blogger Mark Vincent Nunez and mediamen Kara Santos (Sunday Inquirer) and Joselito “Lito” Cinco were to cover.  Our second day in the province was, coincidentally, also the high point of the town’s Pabirik Festival.  We arrived just as the street dancing parade was making its way into the town’s gym for the final judging.  We first dropped by the town’s Spanish-era Church of Our Lady of Candles which was reconstructed between 1888 and 1898 under the direction of Fr. Jose Cardenoso, the last Spanish priest to serve the parish.  After that, we proceeded to the gym to watch the contingents perform.

Church of Our Lady of Candles

The festival showcases the rich mining industry of the town (the pabirik is a tool used in gold mining) which started when a large gold mine was discovered here in 1626. Locals here still pan for gold.  In fact, the town’s name was derived from para cale, meaning “canal digger.” Paracale  is still the center of the jewelry-making industry and, although the art has declined in importance, the town is still regarded as a good place to buy finely-crafted gold jewelry such as the agimon (or alakdan), a flat necklace chain of the 19th century.  The festival  also coincides with the feast of Our Lady of Candles (Nuestra Senora del Candelaria), the town’s patroness and, as such, her statue is borne by most participating contingents in the street dancing competition, together with cardboard or wood replicas of the gold panning trade. Check out my Business Mirror article “Camarines Norte: 400 Years of Keeping the Faith.”

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Paracale, Camarines Norte.  Tel: (054) 449-1008.

Celebrating Four Centuries of Christianity in Camarines Norte

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Courtesy call on Gov. Edgardo A. Tallado

The year 2011 marks the quadricentennial of the University of Sto. Tomas, the oldest university in Asia. In Camarines Norte, it marks a different milestone – the 400th year foundation anniversary of the three parishes of Daet, Paracale and Vinzons.  Although all these towns were founded by Franciscan missionaries in 1581, it was only in 1611 when permanent parish priests were assigned. Yours truly, together with events organizer Bernard Supetran, travel blogger Mark Vincent Nunez (L.E.N.S.) and mediamen Mr. Joselito “Lito” Cinco and Ms. Kara Santos (Sunday Inquirer), were invited to cover the quadricentennial activities in these towns. All five of us met up at Starbucks in Magallanes Village in Makati City where our transportation and our hosts, Mr. Amable Miranda and Roufel “Raffy” de Vera of the Provincial Tourism Office awaited us.  We left the place by 5:30 PM and the 350-km. long-haul drive took all of 8 hrs., including stopovers for toilet breaks and dinner at a Chowking outlet in Quezon, snatching sleep in between.

Bulawan Museum

We arrived at Bagasbas Lighthouse Resort in Daet, our home during our 3-day stay in Camarines Norte, by 2 AM and were soon checked in and back on the sack.

Check out “Resort Review: Bagasbas Lighthouse Hotel Resort“

Come morning, right after breakfast, we were picked up by Amable and Raffy to visit Bagasbas Park and the First Rizal Monument (unveiled on December 30, 1898) then meet up with Atty. Debbee G. Francisco, the Provincial Tourism Officer designate, at the Provincial Capitol as well as visit the Bulawan Museum with its collection of old photos, portraits of past governors, busts of local heroes, family heirloom pieces, numismatic collection and paintings.

Church of St. Peter the Apostle in Vinzons

From Daet, we moved on to Paracale where we were to attend its Pabirik Festival which showcases the rich mining industry of the town. We next left for Labo where we checked out the Museo de Labo, the Church of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist and a showcase of the town’s handicrafts.  After a few hours rest bit back at the resort, we proceeded to the town of Vinzons where we interviewed Fr. Francisco P. Regala, Jr., the parish priest of the town’s Church of St. Peter the Apostle, the oldest in the province (first built in 1611 by Fr. Juan de Losar and rebuilt at its present site in 1624).  Fr. Regala, narrated in detail, the town’s town’s quadricentennial plans on June 29, the town’s fiesta.  We capped this evening with dinner at the residence of Atty. Francisco where I stuffed myself full with angko, a glutinous, rice-based and thumb-size native delicacy with a filling of sweet, grounded peanuts.  We left right after this as we were scheduled to leave early in the morning for overnight camping at the Calaguas Islands.  That night it started to rain heavily.

Daet Heritage Center

That same heavy rain welcomed us early in the morning and a phone call confirmed our worst fears – the trip to the Calaguas Islands was cancelled.  Regretfully, we switched to Plan B – hiking to Nakali Falls in San Lorenzo Ruiz town, rain or shine.  The physically draining hike took all day. It was raining less the next day and all had lunch with Daet Mayor Tito S. Sarion at Golden Palace Restaurant followed by an ocular tour of the newly-established museum at the Daet Heritage Center (formerly the old municipal hall), a courtesy call to Gov. Edgardo Tallado at the Provincial Capitol and a farewell visit to Atty. Francisco who gifted us with daing, dried dilis (anchovies) and my favorite angko.  Amable and Raffy accompanied us on our return trip to Manila, with a delicious dinner stopover at Lita’s Carinderia along the way.  We made it back by midnight. Check out my Business Mirror article “Camarines Norte: 400 Years of Keeping the Faith.”

Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, Daet, Camarines Norte.  Tel: (054) 721-3087.  E-mail: come2camnorte@yahoo.com.

An Evening of Kapampangan Dance and Cuisine (Angeles City, Pampanga)

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The third day of our Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC)/North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB)-sponsored Lakbay Norte 2 media tour did not end with our tiring but rewarding Pinatubo trek and our P.D.C. Spa Town pampering as our media group was invited for dinner at Angeles City in Pampanga, a major provincial destination as almost 3 days of our 6-day tour were to be spent in this history and culture-rich province with its many Spanish and American-era architecture. It was already night time when our special Victory Liner tour bus finally made its way to bustling Angeles City, arriving at its 2-storey Museo Ning Angeles.  As dinner guests of the Kuliat Foundation, we were all warmly welcomed at the entrance by Ms. Herminia Pamintuan, wife of City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan; Ms. Joy Cruz and Ms. Prisca Cantor, special projects head and treasurer, respectively, of the Greater Clark Visitors Bureau (GCVB); and museum curator Ms. Jiji Paras.

An array of Kapampangan dishes

The menu was truly impressive with a choice of vegetable salad,  paella, chorizo pizza (courtesy of Armando’s Pizza, the Kapampangan pizza), kare-kare, batute (stuffed frog), crabs and kakanin for dessert. We were also regaled with a cultural dance performance by a dance troupe.

A night of dance

Our food caravan didn’t end here as we were still invited to late-evening cocktails sponsored by Mr. Abel Villavicencio of Flying V (a Lakbay Norte 2 tour sponsor) plus an acoustic night-out at Island Grill in Clark with Mr. Gabriel “Bing” Sangil and tourism officer Mr. Angel Maniti.  Visibly tired after a full day of hiking, spa treatments and dining, we all thankfully retired to our rooms at the Clark Star Hotel looking forward to the next day.  At this juncture, media colleague Gabby Malvar unceremoniously left the tour as he had to bring his ailing daughter Isabel (she had stomach problems) home to Manila for treatment.  Check out my Business Mirror article “Tripping on History and Culture in Pampanga.”

Museo Ning Angeles: Old Municipio Bldg., Sto. Rosario St., Angeles City, Pampanga.  Tel: (045) 887-4703.  E-mail: angelesmuseo_kfi@yahoo.com.  Website: www.angelesmuseum.com.

Greater Clark Visitors Bureau (GCVB): The Boardroom Business Center Bldg., 7160 Claro M. Recto Highway, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.  Tel: (045) 499-1146.  E-mail: gcvb08@yahoo.com.

The Patupat of Pozorrubio (Pangasinan)

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Panutsa in sursur (coconut shells)

We had just finished an adrenalin-filled morning zip lining and driving ATVs at Pugad Pugo Adventure Park in Pugo, La Union and we were all tired and taking catnaps when we arrived at Pozorrubio, Pangasinan for a less tiring, quieter and more educational cottage industry observation tour as guests of Mayor Artemio Chan and Pangasinan Visitors Bureau (PVB) representatives Ms. Marion Puzon and Ms. Montserrat Escano.  This time we were to observe the making of  patupat, a uniquely Ilocano delicacy made from sticky rice called malagkit and wrapped in coconut or banana leaves.  The patupat of Pozorrubio is reportedly the best in the country. The factory, located in a large, open G.I.-roofed shack, was located right in the midst of a sugar plantation which was a short but quite muddy hike from the road where our special media bus was parked.

The  now motor-driven dadapilan (sugar cane mill)

The traditional method for making patupat starts with the dadapilan, the sugar cane mill.  For years, the mills were driven by carabaos but now they use motors.   Here, sugar cane is fed into the mill and pressed by its big iron rollers to extract sugar cane juice. At the same time, uncooked glutinous rice is poured into intricately designed, rectangular baskets or bags of different sizes made from banana or coconut palm leaves cut into even widths, then tied up and sealed.  The weaving of this basket is an art by itself. Using young coconut leaves with the midribs removed and knotted at both ends, the baskets are woven  with one leave overlapping the other, ending with two corners.  After the knots are removed, they are then joined to complete the basket. The baskets with the glutinous rice are then cooked and caramelized for at least 30 mins. in a large kawa or taliasi (cauldron) filled with a mixture of boiling and bubbling sugar cane juice and coconut milk, over a fire fueled by pressed sugar cane stalks. After boiling, the patupat are then tied together and hanged to drip. Soon, they would be ready to be served, cold or hot, and will be good for 3 days. On the other hand, the boiled sugar cane juice and coconut milk concoction, once thoroughly cooked and sticky, is poured into sursur (cut coconut bowls) then dried to be sold as panutsa or matamis na bao (brown sugarcane).  Thus, very little is wasted in the process.  The patupat has made Pozorrubio proud and is the star of the Patupat Festival, held annually in the town since 1999.

Boiling a concoction of sugar cane juice 
and coconut milk

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Pozorrubio, Pangasinan. Tel: (075) 566-7015 and 566-7020. 

Pangasinan Visitors Bureau (PVB): 33 Gov. Antonio Sison St., Lingayen, Pangasinan. Mobile number: (0928) 733-4798. Email: marionpuzon@yahoo.com.

A National Artist and a Haven for his Art (Tuba, Benguet)

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After our Lakbay Norte 2 visit to Tam-awan Village in Pinsao Proper in Baguio City, we all returned to our bus and proceeded to Asin Rd. in Tuba, 6 kms. from the city, to visit a prominent Filipino artist who has taken up permanent residence in the Philippines’ “Summer Capital.”

The author with Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera

The city, whose lovely natural environment and the rich Cordillera cultural heritage has inspired creativity, has become a natural haven for artists and now home to a growing number of gallery cafes and exhibits that showcase the paintings and sculptures of groups of local as well as visiting artists.

He is one of many who shared a passion for indigenous art, injecting local elements and techniques in their works, and dedicated to nurturing and preserving Cordilleran culture. That man is painter, printmaker and 2006 National Artist for the Visual Arts Benedicto R. Cabrera, more popularly known as BenCab.

He’s not named Benjamin as mentioned in other write ups though I wish he had the same first name as me. He, together with popular local artists such as solar artist Jordan Mang-osan, mixed-media painter John Frank Sabado and self-taught artist Ged Alangui set up the Chanum Foundation.

The author seated at a hagabi (a rich Ifugao’s bench)

Chanum which, in Ibaloi, means “water,” was the name adopted to symbolize its vision and role to be as nurturing and life-giving as a spring in the once vast pastureland of Pinsao.

After passing a woodcarver’s village with rows of shops selling a fabulous collection of carved figures, in varying sizes, ranging from giant statues to “stickmen,” we arrived at the ultra-modern BenCab Museum, built on a promontory.

Here, we were welcomed by BenCab himself. A Baguio resident for a quarter of century now, Bencab set up this permanent home for his art as well as his personal collection of the works of other acknowledged Filipino masters and rising contemporary artists and his collection of Cordillera artifacts.  After the interview, we explored the different areas of the museum.

The BenCab Gallery features the artist’s own works over a continuing artistic career that spans more than four decades.

The Cordillera Gallery is the repository of BenCab ’s collection of Cordilleran tribal artifacts and indigenous crafts such as bulols (rice granary gods); functional carved objects such as furniture, spoons, bowls and other utilitarian implements such baskets; and tribal weapons.

The Philippine Contemporary Art Galleries (1 and 2) houses the artist’s collection of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture accumulated by BenCab through the years.

Philippine Contemporary Art Gallery

The Maestro Gallery houses a selection of works acknowledged masters of Philippine art such as Lee Aguinaldo, Roberto Chabet, Victorio C. Edades, Jose Joya, Cesar Legaspi, Arturo Luz, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Juvenal Sanso, Fernando Zobel and others.

Erotic Gallery – Sculpture

Erotica Gallery

The Erotica Gallery houses paintings, drawings, sculpture and other artworks by various artists with an erotic subject or theme. The Print Gallery exhibits vintage maps, prints, photographs and postcards on the Philippines as well as contemporary prints and photographs.

The tall Sepia Gallery, adjoining the museum shop (which sells art books, paper products such as postcards, and notepads, highland art & crafts such as wood carvings and textiles as well as other souvenir items from t-shirts, and caps), is a venue for changing exhibitions.

Patio Salvador, an open terrace adjoining the Indigo Gallery, is used for receptions and sculpture shows while the Larawan Hall serves as a function room for art workshops, meetings, seminars, art film showings, and other related activities.

 

Prior to leaving, we enjoyed a merienda of clubhouse sandwiches and pasta dishes at Cafe Sabel, the museum’s coffee shop which overlooks the hill beyond and the mini-forest and duck pond below the museum.

Also below the museum is the farm and garden which showcases organic farm produce (seasonal vegetables, herbs, strawberries, sweet potatoes, coffee and ornamentals) and the typical Ifugao, Kalinga and Bontoc indigenous architecture.

Cafe Sabel

A river, which meanders through the property, has cascading waterfalls on one end.  There is an aviary housing peacocks and various birds,plus  ducks, geese, turkeys and other local livestock.

The organic farm below

BenCab Museum: Km. 6, Asin Rd., Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet.  Tel: (074) 442-7165.  Mobile: (0920) 530-1954.  E-mail: bencabartfoundation@gmail.com.  Website: www.bencabmuseum.org. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM-6 PM.  General Admission: PhP100.  Students and Senior Citizens (with valid ID): PhP80.

Tam-awan Village: A Showcase of Cordillera Life (Baguio City, Benguet)

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Tam-awan Village

The first leg of our Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC)/North Philippines Visitor’s Bureau (NPVB)-sponsored Lakbay Norte 2 Tour brought us to Baguio City, the country’s “Summer Capital,” where we were to check out the city’s art scene inspired by Baguio’s lovely natural environment and the rich Cordillera cultural heritage.  Our first stop was, fittingly, Tam-awan Village in Pinsao Proper where we were welcomed by Baguio City Visitors Bureau (BCVB) representatives Eric Pangilinan, Matt Roncal and Claire Iniong. This model village is laid out just like a traditional Cordillera village, making it accessible for those who have not had the opportunity to explore the different parts of the vast Cordillera region in the Philippines.  This recreated village, uniquely blending indigenous aesthetics and exquisite Cordilleran craftsmanship, has a charming collection of 9 authentic knock down huts built by clever mortise makers without nails or hardware Seven of these are compact and deceptively simple Ifugao huts transported from Bangaan, (Ifugao ).  The other two are more spacious Kalinga huts made of hand-hewn pine wood.  Some huts are over a hundred years old but have new cogon roofs which are periodically re-roofed from time to time.  All huts are named after the areas where they come from.

Jordan Mang-osan with one of his works  

Upon entering the compound, our media group, consisting of travel writers, bloggers and photographers, all explored the grounds including its art works at the art gallery and gazebo (across which is a stone-paved dap-ay where rituals and dances are performed) and the areas used for conferences, seminars and workshops.  Workshops here offer livelihood and crafts demonstrations on woodcarving, bamboo crafts, papermaking, weaving, printmaking, rice wine making and solar drawing, all envisioned to foster a deeper understanding, respect and pride in the cultural heritage of the Cordillera people.  The latter, a specialty of  Mr. Mang-osan, is an ancient Ifugao technique wherein a wooden surface  is burned using the sun’s rays to create an image.  

Portrait Sketching Session with local artistsA highlight of our visit was having our portraits sketched (for a fee of PhP100 per sketch), using charcoal pencil, by one of the many well-known artists who have their artwork on display. Other members of our group tried a hot cup of aromatic native Arabica coffee or sipped a glass of Winers tapuy (made from rice) or bugnay (made from Benguet strawberries) wine. Come lunchtime, we were served native pinikpikan, kintuman (brown rice), a salad of Baguio veggies and strawberry crepes for dessert.   Pinikpikan is prepared by beating a live chicken with a stick prior to cooking. The beating bruises the chicken’s flesh, bringing blood to its surface, which is said to improve the flavor after cooking.   
Tam-awan Village: 366-C Pinsao Proper, Baguio City, Benguet.  Tel: (074) 446-2949.  Fax: (074) 442-5553.  Website: www.tam-awanvillage.com. Admission: PhP50 (adults), PhP30 (students and senior citizens), and PhP20 (children).
Baguio Convention Visitors Bureau: 2/F Philippine Tourism Authority Bldg., Abad Santos Drive, Burnham Park, Baguio City, Benguet.  Tel: (074) 442-4315.  E-mail: baguio.cvb@gmail.com.

Kape Alamid: My First Taste of Coffee Heaven (Rosario, La Union)

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Kape Alamid

I first heard of kopi luwak from the 2008 movie Bucket List (literally, “things to do” before one “kicks the bucket” or dies) starring Academy Award winners Jack Nicholson (as hospital magnate and billionaire Edward Cole) and Morgan Freeman (as blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers). Cole drinks a specific brand of coffee called kopi luwak, one of the most expensive coffees in the world, and Carter and Cole both “laugh till they cry” (an item from Carter’s bucket list) when Cole finds out that his favorite coffee comes from the undigested beans defecated from the Asian palm civet.  Well, so much for the movies.  However, the movie did bring out the curious in me as I added “trying out kopi luwak” in my own bucket list. Only lately did I find out that we had a local version called kape alamid (in the Tagalog area, but called motit coffee in the Cordilleras).

S.O.U.L. Cafe

Kafe alamid comes from civets (you guessed it, locally called alamid or musang)  who eat the coffee beans for their fleshy fruit pulp. Proteolytic enzymes in the civet’s stomach seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids and, when defecated, the beans keep their shape. After gathering, they are thoroughly washed, sun dried and lightly roasted. S.O.U.L (Soul for Spice of Urban Life) Café in Rosario, La Union was our first stopover (6:30 AM) on the road to Baguio City during the 5-day, North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB) and Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC)-sponsored Lakbay Norte 2 Tour (officially launched on January 23 from the Victory Liner Terminal near Kamias St. in Quezon City).

Breakfast of Alaminos longanisa, garlic fried rice
 and tortang talong

Our hearty Filipino breakfast combo here consisted of Alaminos logganisa, boneless daing na bangus, garlic fried rice, hot chocolate, tortang talong made with creamy egg pesto and olive oil and, to kick start our day, an expresso shot of kape alamid with caramel. According to the menu, this expresso shot costs PhP350 and, according to the cafe manager, was sourced all the way from Cavite. This brewed concoction truly lived up to its name as one of the most expensive coffee in the world as it proved to be more aromatic and less bitter than the other coffee treats I’ve tried. Banish the thought of where it came from and you get a truly great coffee experience, with its great flavor without the bitter after taste of other brewed coffee.  Scratch this one from my bucket list.

The cafe’s chic interior

S.O.U.L. Cafe: Camp One, Rosario, La Union.  Tel: (072) 712-0852.  Fax: (072) 712-1190.