Category Archives: Philippines, Republic of the

The Inabel Weavers of Sabangan (Santiago, Ilocos Sur)

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Corazon C. Agosto Ethnic Handloom Weaving

Part of Santiago Cove Hotel and Restaurant-sponsored tour

Santiago Cove Hotel and Restaurant organizes educational tours for guests and one of their tours includes a visit to the nearby Corazon C. Agosto Ethnic Handloom Weaving which manufactures the strong and colorful inabel (sometimes referred to as abel iloko or simply abel) cloth, one of the many known textiles that come from the weavers of Santiago. The traditional woven product of the Ilocos region, abel  weaving is one of the richest weaving practices in the Philippines.

Abel garments and textiles, characterized by their vivid colors, precisely woven geometric patterns, different variations and the accuracy of the grid designs (woven without any specialized equipment), are some of the most well known in the Philippines. We were welcomed by the 82 year old Ms. Corazon Campilla Agosto (fondly called Manang Cora or Coring) who heads the Sabangan Original Loom Weavers Association, an accredited non-government organization of the proud coastal community that continues to practice weaving traditions passed down from generations of Ilokano weavers.

All the weaving knowledge of Manang Cora dates back to 1941 when, as a little girl, she watched her mother and grandmother working the loom.  She began weaving in 1961 (earning P5 per output at most). In 1975, she decided to independently pursue this business (selling her two pigs for money to use as capital), selling her woven blankets to traders in Vigan.

 

Struggling to make ends meet, she tried out working as a domestic helper in Manila for a year before eventually returning home to continue weaving. To keep the production going, she passed down her knowledge to her own daughter Logelin Quional along with the other female weavers she works with. Even her son-in-law as well as her grandchildren (Aliyah and Aldrix) knows how to weave.

Ms. Corazon “Manang Cora” Agosto

In 1990, Sabangan’s weaving industry experienced an economic boost when former Philippine senator Anna Dominique “Nikki” Coseteng, who had a passion for local weaves, saw the works of Manang Cora and brought them to a wider market. Partnering with the Itneg/Tingguian, she and the Sabangan weavers continues to use their weaving motifs in her products today.

She describes her laborious and technical weaving practice (like many traditional Philippine weaving practices) as tawid-tawid (from the Filipino word tawid meaning “to cross”), showing us just how precise the hand of an inabel weaver is. The process begins with the stage called aggan-ay wherein her loom is readied by placing her warp threads vertically across the structure, allowing her to determine the colors and size of her final cloth.

The next stage, called agpulipol, is where the weaver rolls the thread up using a wooden spindle (called a pulipol) which readies the warp threads for weaving. During the design setting phase (agpili), the weaver inserts the horizontal weft threads into the base so she may start plotting the design. During agabel, the final weaving process, the weaver uses a boat-shaped sikwan (heddle bar) that moves back and forth across the cotton cloth, the swift hands rhythmically pulling the reed toward the beam that adds another row to the design which slowly comes to life.

Kusikus pattern

On display are the expertly crafted final woven products of Mang Cora and the Sabangan weavers, a testament to their skill in mastering the tawid-tawid.  Two of the inabel cloths feature the kusikus, a common pattern created by a weaving process known as binakol (also known as binakel or binakael, from the Ilocano word meaning “twill”) characterized by undulating square grids meant to mimic whirlpool patterns. Sailors use kusikus cloths as masts for their ships, believing the patterns would appease the gods of the sea and protect them from whirlpools.

Kusikus pattern

Another inabel cloth featured the pinilian pattern, a brocade weave (often with different colors of threads) which usually has different motifs woven into its warp, from the tao-tao (human figures), to animals, to sinanbaggak (stars) and mata-mata (eye symbols).

Pinilian pattern featuring sinanbaggak (stars)

Today, there is great appreciation, both locally and globally, for the inabel of Manang Cora and the weavers of the Sabangan Original Loom Weavers Association in Santiago and their weaves have become recognized for their beauty and skill..

Corazon C. Agosto Ethnic Handloom Weaving: Brgy. Sabangan, Santiago, Ilocos Sur.

Santiago Cove Hotel and Restaurant: Sabangan Beach, Brgy. Sabangan, Santiago 2707, Ilocos Sur.  Mobile number: (0917) 115-4495 (Globe), (0917) 654-2078 (Globe), (0968) 851-5446 (Smart) and (0955) 773-9793 (Rodrigo’s).  E-mail: hsantiagocovehotel@gmail.com.

Casa Byzantina (Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bagac, Bataan)

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Casa Byzantina

Our land tour, via coaster, of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (Spanish for “Acuzar’s Philippine Houses”) ended at Casa Byzantina .  Also known as the “Don Lorenzo del Rosario (a signer of the Malolos Constitution and one of the numerous building contractors in Binondo) House,” it is a three-storey, intricately designed mixed-used “floral” bahay na bato (stone house) originally located at the corner of Madrid and Penarrubia Streets at San Nicolas, Binondo, Manila.

Designed in 1890 by Catalan architect Joan Josep Jose Hervas y Arizmendi , it is the only existing building designed by him in the Philippines.

Born in Barcelona, Spain in 1851, architect Joan Josep Jose Hervas y Arizmendi got his degree in 1879 and, from 1892 to 1898, became the municipal architect (or arquitecto municipal) of Sitges and Tortosa in Spain and in Manila, Philippines. Some of his works were private residences such as Casa Perez Samanillo (Circulo Ecuestre at present), owned by the Perez-Samanillos, former Manila residents (they owned the Perez Samanillo building at Escolta, Manila), in 1910, for which he was awarded the 1911 Barcelona City Council Prize.   His other works include Hotel de Oriente and La Insular Fabrica de Tabacos y Cigarillos.  He died in 1912.

The Moorish door transom at the exterior

So called  because of its Byzantine ornamentation, it has a half-moon opening above the large entrance with grill works, arches above the windows of the third floor, engaged columns, and appliqued carvings. However, the house reflects more of the Neo-Mudejar (Spanish-Moorish) architectural style  as seen by its Moorish door transom on the exterior, which is echoed in the interior wooden arches and transom traceries.  A mirador (balcony) crowns the roof above the interior’s stairs with turned balusters. The stairs, leading up to the second and third floors, provides access to both wings of the house.

Media group posing in front of Casa Byzantina

In 1869, as the streets at the commercial concentrations at Binondo and San Nicolas districts in Manila were narrow, corner buildings were mandated to be built with a chamfer (or chaflan) and, in compliance with this municipal building regulation (which also led to the creation of eight-sided open spaces, or plazoletas, at every street corner), the house was built with a chamfered corner.

Historical plaque

Its first storey (which served as commercial spaces) was made of adobe stones and bricks while the two upper storeys (which served as residential spaces) were built with various sturdy Philippine hard woods.  Galvanized iron sheets were used for roofing.

Used as commercial and residential space, during the 20th century, the house was occupied by a succession of tenants. In 1914, it was the first home of the the Instituto de Manila which rented it for elementary and high school classes until 1919 when the institute moved to Sampaloc, Manila, eventually becoming the University of Manila. In 1939, despite its neglected state, it was cited by Tribune magazine.

The hotel lobby

After World War II, the nearby community decayed and the land reclamation for the North Harbor. The old houses became tenements and some were torn down to make way for commercial buildings. Casa Byzantina was leased to various tenants.

By 2000, it was in a miserable condition. After eight years, the house was declared structurally unsound. Yet, despite its condition, more than 50 informal, urban poor families were still occupying the house. In 2009, the house was sold, dismantled, and brought to Bagac, Bataan.

Grand staircase

Now transformed into an elegant first class hotel, it is now considered as the most expensive hotel in the resort. This luxurious six-bedroom accommodation, complete with luxurious amenities, 24/7 butler service and free cocktails, has 7 bathrooms and sleeps 16.

Casa Byzantina: La Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Brgy. Ibaba, Bagac, 2107 Bataan. Tel: (632) 8833-3333 local 116-117.  Mobile number: (0917) 872-9361. E-mail: reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com. Website: www.lascasasfilipinas.com. Coordinates:  14°36′09.6″N 120°23′06.9″E

How to Get There: It is a three-hour drive from Manila via NLEx and SCTEx. There is a shuttle service plying the Manila-Bataan route daily with New World Hotel Makati and Astoria Plaza as pickup and drop off points. For inquiries, call (63-2) 332-5338 and (63-2) 332-5286. The resort is accessible from the southeast through a two-lane road from the poblacion of Bagac.

Arrival at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (Bagac, Bataan)

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Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

From Le Charme Suites, we all boarded our coaster for the 68-km. (1 hour and 45-min. drive), via the Gov. J.J. Linao National Rd., to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (Spanish for “Acuzar’s Philippine Houses”) in Bagac, Bataan province’s newest and certainly most upscale beachside resort.  This beach resort, hotel, convention center and heritage destination rolled into one was designed to resemble a historic Filipino town, was to offer us a taste of the Philippine’s past come to life.

The gated stone entrance, with its keystone jauntily carrying the resort’s elaborate coat-of-arms, welcomed us. The resort, covering an area of around 40 hectares (99 acres), lies in a vast sand-filled estuary bisected near the beach by a small river, with seaside farms stretching off to the north.

Casa Maranao

From the driveway, we espied, across the Umagol River, Casa Maranao, a torogan (a Maranao royal clan house) from Lanao in Mindanao. Built in 1873, it was owned by Sabino Lakowa and its last owner was Dimaawan, the second child of Sabino.  It features panolong, wing-like carvings that flare out from its floor beams, symbolizing the wealth and importance of its occupants.  There are also okir, beautiful carvings that depict the naga (serpent or dragon from Sanskrit literature), and pako rabong amarilis (asymmetrical growing ferns).

Arrival at Casa New Manila

This resort was painstakingly built up in over ten years of intermittent construction.  It has a vast, open-air depository of planks, stone blocks, and tiles salvaged from their original owners or bought from junk shops in Manila.  From these materials, future houses and structures in the complex will be constructed.

Comprised of a collection of several dozen “heritage houses” and buildings, each representing an aspect of national Filipino history, they are an outcome of an organic process of selecting and emplacing salvaged ancestral houses from all over Luzon that were specifically evaluated and chosen based on their individual cultural, historical and architectural value and features.

The buildings at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar range in style from mansions to wooden stilt houses. With its rear ringed by the forests of nearby Mt. Natib and its front splashed by the South China Sea, these ancient wood, tile and stone structures were given a new lease in life, reincarnated as vacation houses, offices, restaurants, and hotel suites and facilities in Las Casas.

It had its beginnings in 2003 when real estate magnate and architect Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar, the owner of New San Jose Builders, Inc., decided to open an estate just outside of his hometown of Balanga.  Ultimately settling upon a 400-hectacre tract of land near the fishing village of Bagac, he built a quaint manor home and a series of small cottages.

When he was young, Jerry, on his way to school, had memories of passing by the decaying mansions along F.R. Hidalgo Street in Quiapo.   In 2008, he was fatefully offered parts of a historic home from the Cagayan Valley. Subsequently, in an effort to restore it back to its former glory, he dismantled and reconstructed the building on his estate.

Our raft ((balsa) awaits ….

Later on, he was offered heritage homes that were being sold and he decided to transplant these endangered specimens of colonial heritage architecture to his beachfront property. Acquired and transported from varying locations across the country, each historic structure was meticulously dismantled from their original location before being reassembled and carefully restored inside the premises of the Las Casas Filipinas by a skilled group of architects. In cases where an authentic reconstruction was not possible, materials that were as close to the original were used to complete the project. Needless to say, each building’s legacy is as unique as its architecture.

However, this method of heritage conservation has been contentious among conservationists since they believed that their original communities could have benefitted from the structures had they been restored on site. The heritage park’s proponent Gerry Acuzar claimed that he went with the method in order to save the structures from decay and neglect.

While the estate remained private, many heard about what he was doing and wanted to see his reconstructed heritage houses. Seein an opportunity to make the location accessible to the public, Acuzar continued financing his work in restoring the heritage houses. As Acuzar’s team of artisans grew, the destination gradually expanded into 63 heritage homes and 34 structures built in the style of the historic houses on-site.

In March 2010, Acuzar debuted his private estate as a beach resort, opening it to the public as the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and placing it under the management of Genesis Hotels and Resorts Corporation.  It has since established itself as one of the most luxurious holiday destinations in the world, every year hosting hundreds of enthusiastic cultural heritage visitors. In early 2020, due to community quarantine measures imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Las Casas Filipinas temporarily closed but eventually reopened in July 2020.

The Umangol River

The work accomplished by Acuzar and his team had earned the resort great praise. In 2021, the heritage park was lauded and recognized for its preservation efforts and their continued stewardship by the Department of Tourism, under Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.  That same year, Historic Hotels Worldwide also bestowed the resort with its Award of Excellence for “Best Historic Hotel in Asia/Pacific.” Since 2017, this fantastic historic resort has been a member of Historic Hotels of America.

View of Casa New Manila across the Umangol River

We first registered ourselves at Casa New Manila, an American-era house built in 1926 by Italian-American Joseph Francisco.  It once stood at Balete Drive for 90 years and was bounded by Espana Extn. (now E. Rodriguez Ave.) and Campanilla, Sampaguita and Ilang-Ilang Sts..  It was later bought by Manuel Alcuas y Tuazon and Rosario Araneta y Zaragoza, scions from two prominent families in Manila. It had wide open verandas (where we had scenic views of the Umagol River and parts of the resort), extended eaves and its original fireplace.  From here, we were to tour the resort by raft.

La Casas Filipinas de Acuzar: Brgy. Ibaba, Bagac, 2107 Bataan. Tel: (632) 8833-3333 local 116-117.  Mobile number: (0917) 872-9361. E-mail: reserve@lascasasfilipinas.com. Website: www.lascasasfilipinas.com. Coordinates:  14°36′09.6″N 120°23′06.9″E.

How to Get There: It is a three-hour drive from Manila via NLEx and SCTEx. There is a shuttle service plying the Manila-Bataan route daily with New World Hotel Makati and Astoria Plaza as pickup and drop off points. For inquiries, call (63-2) 332-5338 and (63-2) 332-5286. The resort is accessible from the southeast through a two-lane road from the poblacion of Bagac.

Baclaran Church (Paranaque City, Metro Manila)

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Baclaran Church (National Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help)

Baclaran Church, also known colloquially as the Redemptorist Church  or the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (Filipino: Pambansáng Dambana ng Iná ng Laging Saklolo), is a prominent national shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  Enshrining the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, the church is 106.7  m. (350 ft.) long, 36 m. (118 ft.) wide and  stands 17.2 m. (56.5 ft.) high on the nave and 12.5 m. (41 ft.) hig on the main aisle.

The author at Baclaran Church

It has a full seating capacity  of 2,000 (9,000 to 11,000 standing) during Masses, with 108 pews seating 15 to 20 adults, and is one of the largest Marian churches in the Philippines, with a floor area of 5,069.2 sq. m. (54,564 sq. ft.).

The left side of the church

Devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help is popular amongst Filipino Catholics and, during Wednesdays (popularly called “Baclaran Day” due to congested roads near the shrine),devotees flood the church to attend Mass and pray the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, introduced to Baclaran by Australian Redemptorist Rev. Fr. Gerard O’Donnell, CSsR.

The right side of the church

Every first Wednesday of every month,liturgies and other activities are simulcast on TV Maria from the Shrine.  The annual  liturgical feast day of the icon is celebrated on June 27.

The church interior

Here’s the historical timeline of the Redemptorist Order  and the church:

The baldachin above the high altar

The Shrine, and its attached convent, were initially dedicated to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (a grotto statue of the saint on the shrine grounds memorializes her patronage) by Rev. Fr. Denis Grogan, C.Ss.R., the builder of the new church and parish house. However, the Ynchaustí Family, long-time supporters and friends, donated a high altar on the condition that it enshrine the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

The left side aisle

When the church opened, the shrine became very popular. To accommodate the growing number of devotees, the Redemptorist priests replaced the Our Mother of Perpetual Help icon with a larger version. An estimated 120,000 devotees are currently affiliated with the Shrine.

The right side aisle

The wider Baclaran shrine complex, under the territory of Santa Rita de Cascia Parish (both are part of the Vicariate of Santa Rita de Cascia in the Diocese of Parañaque), located a few blocks away from the Redemptorist Church, serves as the headquarters of the Manila Vice Province of Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, while the Cebu Province of the Redemptorists is headquartered in Cebu.

The choir loft area

The original icon, from Germany, was brought into the country in 1906 and is enshrined above the main altar.  During the Second World War, the icon was removed from the church and given to a family for safekeeping but, towards the end of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, their home was later burned and ransacked. Initially thought to be lost, the icon was found by a De La Salle brother  among other valuable objects that the Japanese had seized and abandoned at the Old Bilibid prison.   At its back paneling, it bears the Papal Arms.  Though there is no access to the icon at the top of the retablo, people touch the tabernacle instead. 

Historical plaque commemorating Pope John Paul II’s visit to the church

The present church, the third to be built on the same site, was designed in the Modern Romanesque style by architect César Concio, Sr.. It took six years to build.  Most of the money came from small donations (the suggestion from the pulpit was 10 Philippine centavos per week) and this often ran out, requiring construction to stop.  For a big space, the church has a light design, with good natural acoustics.

The sanctuary with the high altar, tabernacle and the icon

The elevated sanctuary is separated from the nave by a communion rail.  The marble high altar was brought in from Italy. The baldachin, the beautiful covering of the icon above the altar, has columns and capital made of giallo oro and Bottecino marble.  The gracefully carving altar rails are made of white Carrara marble.

Confessionals

The beautiful retable (retablo in Spanish), the large altarpiece behind the altar, incorporates the tabernacle and serves as the backdrop of the icon.  It contains bronze sculptures of eight pairs of wheat stalks intertwining with each other, with their point of intersection being the tabernacle and the crucifix (surrounded by four doves representing the Holy Spirit).  Floating above it is a bronze sculpture of vine and fruit grapes.  The wheat and grapes, emblematic of abundance of God’s grace, symbolize the bread while wine symbolizes the Eucharist.

Candle Chapel

Located at a once drab southern wall at the back of Candle Chapel is the mixed art (mosaic, sculture and painting) mural entitled Panagpo, the longest mural in a church in the Philippines.  Created in 10 months by visual artist Emil Yap and lead sculptor Lorena Pacampara in 2016, in celebration of the 150th Jubilee of the icon, it was blessed on December 2017.  The mural is about the journey of the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help from the island of Crete to Baclaran.  It is 3 m. (10 ft. high) and 213 m. (700 m.) long and has two main sections.

The mixed art (mosaic, sculpture and painting) mural entitled Panagpo

The first, telling the history of the country, from the pre-Hispanic Era, Spanish Colonization Era to the contemporary years, is based on the Canticle of the Sun (written by St. Francis of Assisi).  The second, Sister Moon, depicts the lives pf the “untold, silenced and marginalized sectors.  At the foot of the mural are the country’s flora and fauna, its names written in baybayin, the ancient, pre-Hispanic dialect.

From a blue and green scheme (representing the myth of creation and the colonization years, the panels turn red and orange as it moves further down the country’s history.

The belfry, built closer to Roxas Boulevard some distance from the Shrine itself, has mosaics of the icon on its four faces and is topped by a finial in the shape of a simplified Redemptorist coat-of-arms, particularly the Cross, Spear, and sponge on a stick of hyssop.  It houses a 24-bell carillon cast from the world-famous foundry Grassmayr in Austria.

The Crucified Christ. Last December 9, 2017 (the eve of Human Rights Day), a cardboard message (“Stop the Killings”) temporarily replaced the INRI inscription on top of the cross

It was the first time the Shrine had a bell tower since it was built. The carillon bells are automatically programmed to ring 15 minutes before every Mass or Novena service. Until the COVID-19 Pandemic, the belfry hosted the Sinirangan coffee shop at its base. Today, it is located at the Perpetual Help Center and Souvenir Shop.

Grotto with statue of Madonna and Child

The church appeared in the opening scene for the 1979 dramatic film “Ina Ka ng Anak Mo” (starring Nora Aunor); the 1995 action film “Alfredo Lim: Batas ng Maynila” (starring Eddie Garcia);  and in the opening scene for the 2017 romantic comedy film Loving in Tandem.  The church’s votive chapel as well as the altar also makes an appearance in the romantic 2015 film You’re Still The One.  In 2014, the church was also featured in the American reality competition program The Amazing Race Season 25

National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help: Redemptorist Rd. cor, Roxas Boulevard, Baclaran, Parañaque,1700  Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 8832-1150. E-mail: baclaranrector@yahoo.com. Website:
www.baclaranchurch.com. Coordinates: 14.531411°N 120.9930539°E.

 

Julio’s Bed and Breakfast (Loay, Bohol)

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Julio’s Bed and Breakfast

Our final stop in our Bohol culinary tour was at Julio’s Bed and Breakfast, a stone’s throw away from an exquisite shoreline, pristine waters and calming sunset view of Loay Bay.

Loay Bay

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by its eponymous proprietor, Mr. Pio Araneta and his wife Dra. Grace. The restaurant here is the highlight of our visit.

Mr. Pio Araneta explaining how a pasgong (traditional bamboo trap) works

At the restaurant’s kitchen, we first experienced how the popular siakoy (also spelled as syakoy, siyakoy and shakoy) snack, also known as lubid-lubid (“little rope”), was made.

Siakoy making demonstration

This long, braided, soft, puffy and airy pastry, with a similar taste to the sugary doughnuts sold on streetside bakeries, is traditionally made with flour, sugar, salt, and yeast and deep-fried and then sprinkled with white sugar.

Ready-to-eat, deep-fried siakoy

It was best paired with tableya sikwate, native hot chocolate made using the traditional batirol (wooden whisk), and latik (coconut caramel).

Siakoy is best paired with sikwate (hot native chocolate drink)

Pio then demonstrated how generations of locals in the area prepared nilubihang or ginataang kagang (land crab with niyog), an heirloom recipe which incorporated the fat of native land crabs (kagang) with fresh coconut meat and water plus herbs, vegetables and spices.

Nilubihang kagang ingredients

Pio cooking nilubihang kagang

While waiting for the kagang to cook, Ms. Lily Busano (president of the Albur Calamay Makers Association) showed us how kalamay, Bohol’s most popular  pasalubong, was prepared and cooked.

Ms. Lily Busano (president of the Albur Calamay Makers Association) with finishe kalamay products

This sticky, sweet delicacy is made with grated coconut, coconut milk, brown sugar, muscovado sugar, peanuts and pilit (ground glutinous rice).

The thick sugary mix being stirred continuously in a giant wok

To create the smooth, sticky consistency, the thick sugary mix was stirred continuously in a giant wok for up to 8 hours. Upon cooling, the kalamay is then transferred, preserved and sold in a type of packaging is known as kalamay-hati,  inside signature halved smooth mesocarp of coconuts, locally known as bagul or paya which are then sealed shut with a characteristic red papel de japon (crepe paper).

It can be eaten on its own or turned into a spread for bread or siakoy. The sikwate, siakoy and kalamay are perfect for breakfast, merienda and dessert.

Kagang (Land Crab)

Before we ate the nilubihang kagang, Pio checked out the pasgong, traditional handmade bamboo traps used for catching kagang.  The mouths of the traps were previously poised outside the crab holes and left overnight.

Pasgong, a traditional bamboo trap used to trap kagang

Sure enough, two of the traps we observed had crabs caught inside them. There’s no need for bait for this quick and efficient process but each trap could fit only one crab.

Media colleagues try their hand at weaving pouches for puso (hanging rice)

Nilubihang Kagang

While waiting, cocktails were also served. Others also tried their hand in weaving a pouch of palm leaves for puso or tamu (hanging rice).  Soon, the nilubihang kagang was done and this was eaten with puso and pork barbecue.  Dessert consisted of  turon (banana spring rolls).

Media group (L-R): the author, Mr. John Paul Dacuycuy, Mr. Nickie Wang (Entertainment and Lifestyle Editor, Manila Standard), Mr. Anton Delos Reyes (Writer, Malaya Business Insight). Ms. Raye Sanchez (Lifestyle and Entertainment Writer, Daily Tribune), Ms. Christine Alpad (Senior Reporter, Manila Times Lifestyle and Entertainment Desk), Mr. Alvin Alcantara (www.thediarist.ph), Ms. Lourdes Sultan (Travel Village Tours and Travel), Mr. Mario Alvaro Limos (Features Editor, Esquire Philippines), Ms. Roxanne M. Gochuico (Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Cebu Pacific), Mr. Pete Dacuycuy (Publicist) and Mr. Pio Araneta 

Julio’s Bead and Breakfast: Del Carmen St., Villalimpia 303, Loay.  Mobile number: (0922) 515-7594.

Bohol Provincial Tourism Office: G/F, New Provincial Capitol Bldg., C. Marapao St, Tagbilaran City, 6300.  Tel: (038) 411 3666.  Email: inquire@boholtourismph.com.  Website: www.bohol.ph.

Department of Tourism Regional Office VII:  G/F, L.D.M Building, Legaspi St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu.  Tel: (032) 254 6650 and(032) 254 2811. E-mail: dotregion7@gmail.com.  Website: dot7@tourism.gov.ph.

Bluewater Panglao Resort: Bluewater Rd, Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Mobile numbers: (0998) 843-0262, (0998) 964-1868 (Ms. Margie Munsayac – VP-Sales and Marketing), (0998) 962-8277 (Ms. Louee Garcia), (0919) 912-9663 (Mr. Manuel Sandagaon) and (0908) 890-9013 (Ms. Kate Biol).   Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph, resrvations.panglao@bluwater.com.ph, margie.munsayac@bluewater.com.ph, louee.garcia@bluewater.com.ph, manuel.sandagon@bluewater.com.ph and kate.biol@bluwater.com.ph.  Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

Cebu Pacific Air currently flies seven times daily from Manila and thrice weekly from Davao City (every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) to Bohol’s Panglao International Airport.  Visist www.cebupacificair.com to learn about their latest offerings, safety protocols and travel reminders.

Asinan ni Tan Inong (Alburquerue, Bohol)

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Asinan ni Tan Inong

From Loboc, we proceeded to Alburquerque (Albur for short) where we visited a remote village to see how the legendary asín tibuok (literally meaning “unbroken salt” or “whole salt” in the Cebuano language of the Boholano people), a rare Filipino artisanal sea salt from Bohol, is made at the Asinan ni Tan Inong.

Made by filtering seawater through ashes, it is usually consumed by being traditionally dusted lightly over plain hot rice, with a few drops of oil, and eaten as is, it is also used to season sinangag (traditional fried rice). Asín tibuok could be grounded and used like regular table salt or chunks can also be broken off and dipped into stews and dishes.  A variant of the salt, also known as túltul (meaning “lump”) in Guimaras or dúkdok (meaning “pounded” or “pulverized”) in Capiz, is made similarly to asín tibuok but is boiled with gatâ (coconut milk).

Coconut husks in special pits filled with sea water during the tides

Due to the time-consuming traditional methods of producing salt and the hard work that go with its manufacture, the passing of the salt iodization (ASIN) law (Republic Act No. 8172) in 1995, as well as competition with modern and cheap imported salts prevalent today in the Philippines, the tradition of making asín tibuok and túltul is nearly extinct as it placed further stress on local artisanal salt-makers, forcing many to give up the industry altogether. Today, only a few families make asín tibuok and túltul and, due to their rarity, are considerably more expensive than regular salt.

Coconut husks slowly being burned in a pile

Commonly sold for the tourist trade (for their novelty) as well as to gourmet restaurants that feature Filipino cuisine, the demand for asín tibuok and túltul is usually high but the supply simply cannot keep up. Offering an equally special flavor that undoubtedly makes it one of the rarest kinds of salt in the world, asín tibuok is now listed in the Ark of Taste international catalogue of endangered heritage foods by the Slow Food movement.

The funnel-shaped bamboo filtering device

At the Asinan ni Tan Inong, the 72 year old Nestor Manongas explained the unique and meticulous process in the manufacture of asin tibuok. The Manongas family is the only one family still upholding this tradition in Poblacion, preserving a part of their history that makes use of nature’s best without harming it.

Sea water storage tanks.  Sea water is poured into the gasang to leach out the salt from the ashes

Firstly, for several months, coconut husks are left to soak in special pits continually filled with seawater during the tides so that they can absorb the natural sea minerals along the coastline, giving us an idea of how long it takes just to acquire the natural minerals required for asin tibuok’s unique taste which gives off a unique smoky and salty flavor which is tastier and sharper than the kinds of salt you would find in grocery.

The non-iodized salt ready to be packed

Next, the coconut husks are then chopped into small pieces and sun-dried for at least 2 to 3 days. After that, for about a week, these husks are slowly burned in a pile, strictly using native hardwoods such as ipil-ipil, mahogany and duhat, until reduced completely to an activated charcoal (called gasang) which are gathered into a funnel-shaped bamboo filtering device. Seawater is poured into the gasang, allowing the water to leach out the salt from the ashes. The brine or filtered seawater (known as tasik) is then collected into a hollowed out coconut trunk beneath the funnels.  This coconut charcoal combination provides the unique aroma of asin tibuok.

Dinosaur-shaped clay pots

The tasik is poured into special dinosaur egg-shaped clay pots and hung in walls in a special furnace where it is boiled for a few hours.  Once some evaporate, the pots are continually replenished with more tasik. As both the heat and salt must not be left alone, this final process requires focus and dedication.  As more water evaporates, the sea salt gets harder and the process continues until the clay pot gets filled with hard rock salt.

Mr. Nestor Manongas with the finished product

Eventually, the pots will crack, revealing the solidified pinkish mass of salt which is initially very hot.  After following this heating process all day, it then requires a whole evening before it will be cool enough to be handled. The finished product is  a salt orb in various shades of white, grey and brown and weighing roughly a kilo. As they are sold along with the broken domed pots, they are given them the nickname, in international markets, “the dinosaur egg” due to their appearance. Only 120 pieces of asin tibuok’ are made per batch and these are usually sold out for weeks.

The packaged product

Asinan ni Tan Inong: Brgy. Eastern Poblacion, Alburquerque 6301, Bohol. Mobile number: (0907) 168-0961. Open Mondays-Saturdays, 8 AM to 5 PM.

Fox & Firefly Cottages (Loboc, Bohol)

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Fox and Firefly Cottages

Lunch during our Bohol Food Trip was to be at Fox & Firefly Cottages, a bed and breakfast place located in the forest areas of Loboc. Upon arrival, we were welcomed with organic, homemade kombucha, an effervescent, sweetened black or green tea commonly consumed for its purported health benefits.

Also on hand to welcome us was owner Ms. Joan Christine Soupart, one-half of the husband-and-wife team (the other is avid Belgian paddle boarder Frederic “Fred” Soupart) behind this quaint inn and its SUP Tours Philippines Sports Center.  Joan is a registered Sivananda yoga teacher and ASI SUP yoga flow (Vinyasa) instructor.

Fred and Joan fell in love with the riverside town of Loboc, seeing it as an ideal place to exercise their passion for sports and adventure as well as to live with nature.  They built a three-bungalow inn (initially called Paddle’s Up Guesthouse) beside the ever flowing Loboc River in 2013.

Front Desk

Here, they could operate stand-up paddling (SUP) tours.  Now it is a favorite destination for adventure seekers, backpackers and nature lovers.  According to Joan, the place was renamed (in 2014) after their beloved Pomeranian-Japanese Spitz dog Fox as well as the occasional firefly that flutter around amid the trees along the Loboc River at night.

Fox and Fable Restaurant (second floor)

Lunch was served at their in-house Fox and Fables (also named after their dog Fables) Restaurant along the banks of the Loboc River.

Vegan fare at Fox and Fables Restaurant

Here, they serve traditional, Western, vegetarian and vegan meals anytime of the day. We feasted on healthy meals and vegan dishes such as monggo soup, avocado salad, somtom (Thai papaya salad), talong salad, G-chili shrimps, maranding manok (dry coconut chicken curry), chicken halang-halang soup (a Visayan version of tinola with coconut leaves and moringa leaves) and their vegan kare-kare which was paired with a bagoong alternative made from locally sourced mushrooms.

Author (foreground) at Fox and Fables Restaurant

They also offer specialty beverages such as organic drinks and shakes, cocktails, wines and authentic Belgian beer.

The place also suffered during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) and, after repairs and renovation, reopened again on May 1, 2022.

We checked out one of the simply furnished, clean and comfortable cottages, one of 11, of this riverside accommodation facing a rice field.

Suite

Designed in the Filipino traditional architecture, with a modern but cozy feel, it featured a queen-size bed, a spacious patio with hammock, bamboo furnishings, fan (the cool, riverside breeze passes through naturally), mosquito nets and a private, nature-inspired outdoor bathroom.

Outdoor bathroom

Other facilities include a common lounge. They offer mountain biking tours and stand-up paddleboard activities. You may also practice yoga, join a class or meditate at their Santosha Yoga Shala.

Paddle boards for rent

Mountain bikes for rent

The inn also exhibit and sell artworks, inspired by nature and Boholano surroundings, by young Boholano artists.  Proceeds from the sale go to a village livelihood program called “Build a Boat, Build a Barangay.”

Artwork of Boholano artists for sale along the hallway

Fox and Firefly Cottages: Barangay Rd., Brgy. Valladolid, Loboc 6316.  Tel: (038) 537-9011.  Mobile number: (0917) 713-7577, (0947) 893-3022 and (0917) 703-9979. E-mail: info@suptoursphilippines.com. Website: www.foxandthefireflycottages.com and www.suptoursphilippines.com.

Bohol Provincial Tourism Office: G/F, New Provincial Capitol Bldg., C. Marapao St, Tagbilaran City, 6300.  Tel: (038) 411 3666.  Email: inquire@boholtourismph.com.  Website: www.bohol.ph.

Department of Tourism Regional Office VII:  G/F, L.D.M Building, Legaspi St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu.  Tel: (032) 254 6650 and(032) 254 2811. E-mail: dotregion7@gmail.com.  Website: dot7@tourism.gov.ph.

Bluewater Panglao Resort: Bluewater Rd, Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Mobile numbers: (0998) 843-0262, (0998) 964-1868 (Ms. Margie Munsayac – VP-Sales and Marketing), (0998) 962-8277 (Ms. Louee Garcia), (0919) 912-9663 (Mr. Manuel Sandagaon) and (0908) 890-9013 (Ms. Kate Biol).   Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph, resrvations.panglao@bluwater.com.ph, margie.munsayac@bluewater.com.ph, louee.garcia@bluewater.com.ph, manuel.sandagon@bluewater.com.ph and kate.biol@bluwater.com.ph.  Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

Cebu Pacific Air currently flies seven times daily from Manila and thrice weekly from Davao City (every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) to Bohol’s Panglao International Airport.  Visist www.cebupacificair.com to learn about their latest offerings, safety protocols and travel reminders.

Green Thumb Farm (Corella, Bohol)

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Green Thumb Alfresco Resto (Ganoderma Hall)

Our Bohol Food trip began by taking a 30-minute drive towards Barangay Sambog of Corella, Bohol for the first stop of the day, the lovely, 2.5-hectare, Filipino-owned Green Thumb Farm, arriving there by 10 AM.

Accompanying us during our tour was Ms. Lourdes Sultan of Travel Village Tours and Travel.  Upon arrival, we were welcomed by farm owners Jares Denque and Rona Menchavez Denque (originally a native of Maco, Davao del Oro) with their daughter Sophia. 

Ms. Rona Denque  (standing) meeting with media guests

The first of its kind in Bohol, Green Thumb Farm was set up in 2017.  It is passionate about delivering healthy foods, supplying organically grown fresh, gray, yellow, black and pink  oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) and milky white mushrooms (Calocybe indica) which undergo a precise and detailed process, and fresh and unique, high quality processed mushroom products for the chefs of top hotels, resorts and restaurants in Bohol and Cebu as well as, in volume, to Landers Superstore and Rustan’s in Cebu.

Al fresco picnic area

Mushrooms have nutritional benefits, being a rich, low calorie source of fiber, protein and antioxidants.  Pink oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus djamor), with its meaty texture, is a good source of protein, fiber, potassium, vitamin B and folate.  It also has ergothioneine, known to reduce instances of cardiovascular disease.

Mushroom-based products such Milk Chocolate with Mushroom Bits (top shelf), Mushroom Chicharon (middle shelf) and Dried Ganoderma Mushrooms (lower shelf)

Growing and producing different types of mushrooms, however, is a tedious process.  Every day, the farm harvests 8-15 kgs. of mushrooms and, once, they harvested up to 100 kgs. a day or over 20, 000 fruiting baskets, proving its potential for massive harvest.

At the farm, not a single mushroom is put to waste. Spores that have already reached the end of their fruiting process are converted into fertilizers. Aside from white oyster mushrooms, Green Thumb Farm also cultures reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum) which is known to have healing properties, especially for cancer patients. It also has anti-aging effects and increases memory, helps immune and cardiac function and relieves chronic fatigue.

Mushroom greenhouse

The farm is a favorite stop-over for bikers traversing the inner roads towards Loboc as they also serve healthy organic meals sourced from their own produce. Depending on the availability of crops produced, they can also pick-and-pay organically grown vegetables. A member of the Association of Organic Farmers in Bohol, Green Thumb Farm partners with other farms with the aim of building a network of organic product exchange and strengthen their community of organic growers.

Milky White Mushrooms (Calocybe indica)

Rona, an Accounting graduate who has a natural flair for growing plants, is known as the “Mushroom Queen” of Bohol.  Her venture into mushroom production was actually a suggestion from a friend and co-zumba attendee.  With assistance from the Department of Agriculture Region VII’s Agricultural Promotion Center, she gained more knowledge. 

Pink Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus djamor)

A regional trainer and lecturer on mushrooms, she gave us a short tour of the greenhouses of the farm where they grow their mushrooms in fruiting bags on “vertical gardens” within tiny but compact “mushroom huts.”

The farm pasteurizer (mechanical chopper and a boiler with a pasteurizing chamber)

We also saw the pasteurizer (mechanical chopper and a boiler with a pasteurizing chamber) that reduces the amounts of microscopic competitors in a substrate.

Check out “Restaurant Review: Green Thumb Alfresco Resto”

Merienda fare: Mushroom Siomai, Mushroom pizzas (Greek, tocino and bacon) and Mushroom Burgers

She also gave us a short lecture on growing mushrooms and the many benefits of eating them.  At the Green Thumb Alfresco Resto, we watched a cooking demonstration of mushroom sisig, one of Green Thumb’s most popular dishes, seasoned with calamansi, onions and pepper.   What followed next was a merienda of mushroom-based dishes.

Ms. Rona M. Denque (left) leading the mushroom sisig cooking demonstration

Now a top tourist destination in the province, this new farming destination is accredited by the Department of Tourism, and the Agricultural Training Institute has also certified this integrated, diversified farm as a learning site. 

Back row (L-R): Mr. John Paul Dacuycuy, Ms. Christine Alpad (Senior Reporter, Manila Times Lifestyle and Entertainment Desk), Mr. Anton Delos Reyes (Writer, Malaya Business Insight), the author, Mr. Jares Denque.
Front row (L-R): Mr. Alvin Alcantara (www.thediarist.ph), Ms. Raye Sanchez (Lifestyle and Entertainment Writer, Daily Tribune), Mr. Mario Alvaro Limos (Features Editor, Esquire Philippines), Mr. Pete Dacuycuy (Publicist), Ms. Rona M. Denque (with daughter Sophia), Ms. Roxanne M. Gochuico (Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Cebu Pacific) and Mr. Nickie Wang (Entertainment and Lifestyle Editor, Manila Standard).

Green Thumb Farm: Purok 4, Brgy. Sambog, Corella 6300, Bohol. Mobile number: (0917) 543-9700. E-mail: gthumbfarm@gmail.com. Website: www.greenthumbfarmbohol.com.  Open daily, 11 AM to 9 PM. Admission: Php50/pax (free for diners).

Bohol Provincial Tourism Office: G/F, New Provincial Capitol Bldg., C. Marapao St, Tagbilaran City, 6300.  Tel: (038) 411 3666.  Email: inquire@boholtourismph.com.  Website: www.bohol.ph.

Department of Tourism Regional Office VII:  G/F, L.D.M Building, Legaspi St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu.  Tel: (032) 254 6650 and(032) 254 2811. E-mail: dotregion7@gmail.com.  Website: dot7@tourism.gov.ph.

Bluewater Panglao Resort: Bluewater Rd, Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Mobile numbers: (0998) 843-0262, (0998) 964-1868 (Ms. Margie Munsayac – VP-Sales and Marketing), (0998) 962-8277 (Ms. Louee Garcia), (0919) 912-9663 (Mr. Manuel Sandagaon) and (0908) 890-9013 (Ms. Kate Biol).   Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph, resrvations.panglao@bluwater.com.ph, margie.munsayac@bluewater.com.ph, louee.garcia@bluewater.com.ph, manuel.sandagon@bluewater.com.ph and kate.biol@bluwater.com.ph.  Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

 

Cebu Pacific Air currently flies seven times daily from Manila and thrice weekly from Davao City (every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) to Bohol’s Panglao International Airport.  Visist www.cebupacificair.com to learn about their latest offerings, safety protocols and travel reminders.

Amarela Museum (Amarela Resort, Panglao, Bohol)

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Amarela Museum

Our first stop was Amarela Resort (officially opened in May 2006), an advocate for local art and culture since its inception as a venue where Boholano heritage, art and culture could be preserved and showcased.  Amarela (from the Spanish word for “yellow”).  Perched on a cliff , this beautiful boutique hotel, with commanding views of the azure sea and the longest white sand beach in Panglao, is a two-time ASEAN Green Hotel Award recipient in Bohol.

Museum entrance

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by 73 year old resort owner Atty. Lucas “Doy” M. Nunag, former chairman of the Bohol Tourism Council. Since he was a practicing lawyer, the affable Doy has been collecting art pieces and antique décor (old wood accents such as latticework, balusters, windows and doors), old implements and furniture from Bohol.  Boholano historian Marianito Luspo accompanied us.

A pair of Baroque-style urnas (wooden shrines)

Started as a vacation house, Amarela Resort was the first resort project of Rosario “Chichi” Vasquez-Victorino (a former colleague of mine at Manosa-Zialcita Architects) who also designed two houses of Doy in Manila.  In its conceptualization, design and operation, the resort incorporated Bohol’s rich heritage and culture, making it a venue where people can truly experience local flavor through artistry and craftsmanship.

Farming and fishing implements and kitchen utensils

The main house, where we were first entertained, used repurposed and reclaimed old, beautiful and incredibly durable hardwood (the imposing, turn-of-the-century, solid wooden doors; handcrafted lattices; wooden shutters, balusters and flooring), taken from a house of a famed sculptor along the way to Antequera (Doy’s birthplace), using it as decorative elements and giving it the Boholano spirit.

Bohol historian Marianito Luspos

Doy also found old furniture, some of it needing repair.  A talented carpenter (who also doubled as a habal-habal driver during the day) from Antequera (a town known for its craftsmanship in woodworking and weaving) to refurbished these as well as craft new furniture using traditional designs.

A display of wooden latticework and sungka (Philippine mancala) game boards

Its museum, a strong commitment to the promotion and appreciation of local art as well as the preservation of Boholano culture and heritage, houses the majority of the local art and antique collection of Doy, allowing guests to appreciate Filipino and Boholano art and craftsmanship.  Most of the paintings and sculptures were created by Boholanos.

The lovely works of the late Hermogena “Nene” Borja-Lungay, who studied under Fernando Amorsolo and a a classmate of the late National Artists Napoleon Abueva and Jose T. Joya, showcase old Boholano traditions as well as renderings of local fruits and flowers.

Paintings of the Stations of the Cross

Works of prominent Bohol-based Guy Custodio, who usually paints religious themes on old recycled molave hardwood, has revived the traditional “Bohol School” painting style.  On the other hand, the subjects of Sherwin Tutor are historical events done in a highly detailed figurative style. They include a painting of the two kings of the fallen Dapitan Kingdom located at Tagbilaran Strait. Tere’s also a portrait of a mother and child.

Sketches of Bohol churches

Displayed all over the resort, as well as in the museum, are Baroque-style urnas, some done in triptych (three-panelled paintings hinged together so that they could be closed).  These carved wooden shrines for religious icons, of varying sizes and styles, are evidence of the rich spiritual beliefs of Boholanos.  Also on display are home tools and antique kitchen utensils and equipment such as a duwang (wooden basin), palo-palo (laundry paddle), lusong (mortar), ganta (measuring implement for grain, sugar and salt), all made from molave wood.

A lantaka (native cannon)

Amarela Museum: Amarela Resort, Lourdes-Libaong Brgy. Rd., Panglao, 6340. Tel: (038) 502-9497 to 99.  Mobile numbers: (0917) 819-1007 (Atty. Lucas “Doy” M. Nunag), (0917) 623-0557 (Reservations) and (0917) 774-7200 (Front Office).  E-mail: reservation@amarelaresort.com and Imnunag@amarelaresort.com.  Website: www.amarelaresort.com.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/Amarela. Instagram: www.instagram.com/amarela. Admission: A consumable entrance fee is charged. 

Bohol Provincial Tourism Office: G/F, New Provincial Capitol Bldg., C. Marapao St, Tagbilaran City, 6300.  Tel: (038) 411 3666.  Email: inquire@boholtourismph.com.  Website: www.bohol.ph.

Department of Tourism Regional Office VII:  G/F, L.D.M Building, Legaspi St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu.  Tel: (032) 254 6650 and (032) 254 2811. E-mail: dotregion7@gmail.com.  Website: dot7@tourism.gov.ph.

Bluewater Panglao Resort: Bluewater Rd, Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Mobile numbers: (0998) 843-0262, (0998) 964-1868 (Ms. Margie Munsayac – VP-Sales and Marketing), (0998) 962-8277 (Ms. Louee Garcia), (0919) 912-9663 (Mr. Manuel Sandagaon) and (0908) 890-9013 (Ms. Kate Biol).   Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph, resrvations.panglao@bluwater.com.ph, margie.munsayac@bluewater.com.ph, louee.garcia@bluewater.com.ph, manuel.sandagon@bluewater.com.ph and kate.biol@bluwater.com.ph.  Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

 

Cebu Pacific Air currently flies seven times daily from Manila and thrice weekly from Davao City (every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) to Bohol’s Panglao International Airport.  Visit www.cebupacificair.com to learn about their latest offerings, safety protocols and travel reminders.

Cornerstone Pottery Farm (Silang, Cavite)

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Cornerstone Pottery Farm

Part Five of “Drive, Dine and Discover” Cavite Caravan

From Likhang Maragondon, we made the long 36.2-km. (one-hour) drive to Silang’s charming Cornerstone Pottery Farm, a producer of world-class handmade stoneware using locally and internationally sourced clay.   It was raining heavily when we arrived.  Owner Mr. EJ Espiritu was on hand to welcome us. Their beautiful and unique wares can be found in your favorite neighborhood coffee shops, monthly bazaars, and yearly art fairs in the metro. Through the years, Cornerstone Pottery Farm has undoubtedly carved a name for itself in the local pottery business.

Check out “Likhang Maragondon Native Products & Pasalubong Center”

EJ Espiritu

It started from humble beginnings. EJ and his wife Eva, the brilliant minds behind Cornerstone, have created this whimsical space for creators and purveyors alike.

Workshop

EJ, who finished ceramic engineering at the Adamson University, worked with several ceramic companies for 10 years before going to the US, working as a rank and file employee – laboratory technician, section head, sales engineer for a ceramic materials company, then a plant manager for an export firm.

In 1996, as soon as EJ and Eva arrived from the US, where they tied the knot (they had a civil wedding in October 1994 in Wisconsin and a church wedding in June 1995), the first business that they ventured into was ceramics in the garage of the house that they rented at St. Joseph Subdivision in Bacoor, Cavite. After two to three months, as Cornerstone Ceramic Manufacturing, they were offered to be a subcontractor for an export company making ceramic items.

After four years of being a subcontractor in Cavite, they started making functional items and joined trade fairs. That really helped propel the business into the right direction.  By year 2000, they started developing the stoneware product line.

An array of mugs of different sizes, colors and shapes

They were challenged to constantly develop new concepts and product lines, deal with clients and innovate. With the new lines they had, they were overwhelmed by the response of the market and they were able to meet some institutional buyers like Regalong Pambahay, Rust, Kultura and other stores and shops. In 2005, they opened their doors as Cornerstone Pottery Farm in Silang.

One of the shop’s three kilns

Before the pandemic happened, sales were very encouraging, with a lot of restaurants in Manila, BGC (Bonifacio Global City), Makati and Alabang actually getting from them like Rambla, Las Flores, Tomatito, James and Daughters, and Black Pig, to name a few.  For nearly two decades now, they have also been making mugs for Bag of Beans in Tagaytay.

Showroom

Cornerstone Pottery Farm also had projects with The Fore of Kim Jones, and Tropa Lifestyle Store of Borgy Manotoc and girlfriend Carla Sison. Moreover, the pottery farm regularly joins Art in the Park, Artefino, the Gallery 9 exhibit and American Women’s Bazaar.

Celebrities, who got wind of their unique creations, have trooped all the way to Silang, Cavite to visit their factory and showroom where their handmade ceramic products, earthenware jars and stoneware can be seen.

An array of deformed pottery in the foreground

Normally, they post schedules of workshops that EJ occasionally conducts and people register online. Participants were people from the city who want to try their hands on pottery, learn new skills or make something with their hands (expats, a group of friends, office mates, etc.) or even like a team building exercise or amazing race type of exercise.  Some, like Jericho Rosales and his wife Kim Jones, Melai Cantiveros, Drew Arellano and Andi Manzano, have even participated in the pottery workshop.

 

The production area is where they do the quite labor-intensive process by hand, starting from pouring the clay into the molds, down to assembling, drying, firing, and glazing the items.

Because of the lack of local suppliers of processed clay, they use only 10 to 20% of local materials, with the rest imported clay from a few of companies that import the materials and distribute locally as it is very hard to import materials on their own.  Apart from the production area, you can also find the workshop area where EJ usually creates premium items and conducts pottery workshops.

For EJ, pottery, an intricate form of art and it takes a lot of effort to produce both a functional and aesthetic stoneware, let alone find authentic and handmade ones, is his profession, his means of income and his passion.

He takes charge of the technical and production areas in the factory and is also visible in manning the booths, every time they join exhibits and national trade fairs organized by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions and other exhibitions. Eva and Angelo, his son, also helps him. During exhibits, Angelo is also very good in talking with clients.

EJ kneading clay

EJ also does purchasing, delivery sometimes and meeting clients while Eva, a natural born artist, designer and IT expert, does the marketing, maintaining the social media presence, developing concepts and themes for upcoming shows or exhibit and designing the booths.

Shaping the kneaded clay using a potter’s wheel

At the shop, Mr. EJ Espiritu demonstrated, using his hands and an electrically driven potter’s wheel, the first two steps in pottery making.  To prepare the clay for pottery, EJ kneaded (or wedged) it by hand to push the “air bubbles” out and make it pliable and clean, with an even consistency and right water content.

EJ explaining the pottery making process to Cavite Caravan participants

Next was the actual shaping (or “pinching”), with EJ inserting the thumb of his hand into the clay and lightly pinching with the thumb and fingers while it is rotating.  Soon, a bowl came into shape.   This was as far as he went.  The succeeding steps involved a long drying process until the pottery is bone dry (to prevent cracking and breaking) before firing in the kilns (the shop has three) and glazing. The entire process takes about three weeks to a month.

After the demonstration, EJ ushered us to the showroom where all items on display are for sale.  Here, you can purchase pots, hand rolled dinnerware, mugs (ranging from Php 350 to Php 750), tea sets, chimes, vases, sculptural pieces, centerpieces, table top fountains, incense chambers, oil burners and various other ceramic wares.  All their glazes are food safe and lead free.

L-R: Arabelle Jimenez, Bernard Supetran, the author, Pam Lee and EJ Espiritu

Cornerstone Pottery Farm: Balubad 1 Cornerstone, B1084 Balubad 1st Road, Service Road, Silang, 4118 Cavite.  Mobile numbers: (0919) 995-2022 and (0932) 851-6444. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Website: www.cornerstonepotteryfarm.com. E-mail: eve@cornerstonepotteryfarm.com. Facebook: facebook.com/cornerstonepotteryfarm.  Coordinates: 14.1948235714, 120.950244642.

How To Get There:

  • By car: From Makati take the SLEX and turn right to Carmona Exit. From Carmona Exit, continue on Governor’s Dr. to Emilio Aguinaldo Hwy. Turn right at Balubad 1st Rd. There is a signage going to Cornerstone on the right side. Turn right and you’ll find Cornerstone Pottery Farm.
  • By public transport: From the Ayala triangle, take the Erjohn and Almark bus bound to Tagaytay and then get off at Balubad 1st Rd., then ride a tricycle going to Cornerstone Pottery Farm. Tricycle fare is Php 15 one way.

Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP): AAP Tower, 683 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City 1112. Tel: (632) 8723-0808 and (632) 8705-3333. Website: www.aap.org.ph. E-mail:  info@aap.org.ph.

AAP Lakbay, Inc.: G/F, Sea Tower Bldg., 332 Roxas Blvd. cor. Arnaiz St., Pasay City.  Tel: (32) 8551-0025 and (632) 8403-543.  E-mail: aaplakbay.caravan@gmail.com.  Coordinates:
14.5456531, 120.9914728.