Abe's Farm (Events Village Country Cuisine and Spa)
#98 Livestock Village, Brgy. Ayala, Magalang, Pampanga (at the foothills of Mt. Arayat)
Enjoy the culinary delights of Abe Restaurant right where it comes from - the gourmet province of Pampanga, in the town of Magalang where the famed writer and artist Abe Aguilar Cruz first saw the light of day and majestic beauty of Mt. Arayat. For particulars, please call Tel. Nos. (63 45) 865-1930 or call LJC Sales Office at (63 2) 506-8140 / 8141 / 710-7423 / 5267706 Mobile 0922-856-3467 or email [email protected] Website: www.abesfarm.com.ph HOW TO GET THERE: From Manila, take the Angeles exit on the NLEX. Follow the Magalang road leading to the town plaza (15 mins), turn right after the Magalang Municipal Hall then head towards Brgy. Ayala, go past a resort on the left, go straight till you see the sign pointing to Abe's Farm.
The Mt. Arayat hideaway of Larry Cruz, the man behind the successful LJC Group of Restaurants. Journalist turned restaurateur and bon vivant just like his father, the late Pampango writer and painter E. Aguilar Cruz, Larry could be credited to have single-handedly revived the lackluster Remedios Circle in Malate way back in the late 1970s into a chic trendsetting landmark, with his flagship Café Adriatico. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town)
Angeles City Furniture Industry
Angeles City, Pampanga
Woodcarving and furniture making are two of the oldest professions in Angeles City as its local population has become highly skilled in the art over a hundred years, especially catering to Americans during the Clark Air Base period . A furniture village near Clark Field in Brgy. Cauayan showcases world-class quality furnitures owned by businessman Ruperto Cruz including factories for export-quality rattan and wrought-iron furnitures . Other towns known for this enterprise are the towns of Lubao and Guagua, particularly Betis made famous for its guitar-making industry. In fact Betis artisans are known to have produced the first wooden chandeliers installed in Malacanan Palace.
AWECA Weavers International
Pulungbulu, Angeles City
The showroom of AWECA Weavers International (Pampanga’s leading wicker furniture and basket manufacturers and exporters) in Pulung Bulo, Angeles City, is one interesting place to visit. Clients of the company include Marks & Spencer, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and Macy’s.
Bale Dutung (Wooden House by Claude Tayag)
A must-see in the province of Pampanga is Claude Tayag's residence or more popularly known as Bale Dutung in Villa Gloria, Angeles City. A P1800 per head Kapampangan feast has to be pre-arranged as well and there must have at least 12 persons in a group. Claude has a shop in his house where one may buy bottled buro and taba ng talangka but the Claude 9 brand is also available in Pampanga supermarkets such as Essel Supermarket. One may also pass by Tita's or Pampanga's Best along Gapan-Olongapo Road for even more Kapampangan delicacies. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town Blog)
Basa Air Base
Floridablanca, Pampanga
Basa Air Base had its humble beginnings as a small airstrip built by the US Army Air Corps before the Second World War and was named Floridablanca Air Field. At the outbreak of the Pacific War on December 8, 1941, the air field suffered heavy damage under the Japanese bombers and zero fighters. It then became a major base of the Japanese during the occupation. In 1945, the US Army Air Corps once more occupied the airfield, enlarged it and made further improvements to accommodate the heavy-engine B-17s and B-24s which saw action against the crumbling Japanese forces. The air base was later renamed Basa Field in 1948 in honor of the late Lt. Cesar Basa, the first Filipino pilot who gallantly fought and died in an aerial combat in 1941 against the superior Japanese zero fighters. Its first aircraft were the World War II - famed F-51D "Mustang", C-47 "Sky Train" and L-5 and T-6 types of aircraft.
Bren Z Guiao Convention & Sports Center
City of San Fernando, Pampanga
An impressive multipurpose complex with an air-conditioned 5,000-seat capacity basketball court and convention hall plus an oval for track and field competitions. The landmark in the province is a popular venue for concerts, conventions, including national and regional sporting events.
Candaba Hanging Bridge
Candaba, Pampanga
It is known as the Candaba Suspension Bridge. The bridge's design and framework were patterned after the famous San Francisco Bridge in the U.S.
Candaba Swamp and Wild Duck Sanctuary (The Wetlands Candaba)
Candaba, Pampanga
The Candaba Swamp is located 60 kms north of Metro Manila. It encompasses about 32,000 hectares of wetlands located mostly in the town of Candaba, Pampanga, and is bounded by the towns of Baliuag, San Ildefonso and San Miguel in Bulacan, San Luis and Arayat in Pampanga, and Cabiao in Nueva Ecija. Situated at 11 meters above sea level, the swamp is the lowest point in Central Luzon. It acts as a natural flood retention or catch basin holding wet season overflows from the Maasim, San Miguel, Garlang, Bulu and Penaranda rivers, and draining into the Pampanga River. The natural retention capacity is approx 1.5 billion cubic meters. The swamp is the staging and wintering area for migratory birds from October up to April of every year. It is a significant part of the East Asia-Australiasian Migratory Flyway that includes Siberia, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea and Singapore. WHAT TO SEE: Migratory birds spend winter in the Philippines or pass through the islands on their way to points South and North on their return trip to their native habitats. Egrets and indigenous birds like the rare salaksak and batala can be observed especially during dry months when the fishponds turn to rice fields - when large numbers of egrets descend on shallow pools teeming with snails and small fish. In 1982, about 100,000 ducks were observed in a single day, thus having the largest concentration of birds in the country. In a 24-hour census conducted by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) in 2008, a Philippine record of 17,000 birds were sighted. Some of the rare birds spotted were: the Shrenck's Bittern, Great Bittern, Coot, Eurasian Spoonbill, Purple Swamphen, and the Chinese Pond Heron. HOW TO GET THERE: The town of Candaba may be reached from 4 exit points in the NLEX: 1) exit Sta. Rita passing thru Pulilan and Baliuag; 2) exit Pulilan passing thru Baliuag; 3) exit San Simon; and 4) exit San Fernando passing thru Mexico and Sta. Ana towards Poblacion, Candaba. CONTACT INFORMATION: Office of the Mayor or Ms. Angel Pelayo - Ty (0917-803-0211), www.candaba.lovesnature.com or www.candabawetlands.com eMail: [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected] Tel. No. (63 45) 632-1299 Mobile 0917-888-8794
Charisma Nature Farm
San Roque, Magalang, Pampana
Organically grown red and green romaine lettuce, cabbage, arugula, coriander, mustasa, and pechay abound in the Charisma Natural Farm in San Roque, Magalang town. There are also plots of organically grown herbs such as tarragon, gotu cola, mint, basil, stevia, citronella, lemongrass, and chocolate mint. Even edible flowers used in salads are propagated in the natural farm. There are ampalaya, talong, upo, patola, kalabasa, kamatis, sigarilyas, okra, and many more. Two years ago, Cynthia Tizon ([email protected]) established Charisma Natural Farm, a 7,600 square meters integrated farm in San Roque. The illnesses which afflict a person may be attributed to the consumption of food laden with pesticides and chemicals, she claims. Having worked for a pharmaceutical company for 25 years, she was witness to the fact that in spite of the many medicine in the market, many still continue to be sick. She retired to fulfill her dream of engaging in organic farming. She attended courses and seminars in organic agriculture. Among the organic fertilizer she applies to her veggies are the Fermented Fruit Juice, Fermented Plant Juice, Fish Amino Acid, Indigenous Microorganisms, shell calcium, and calcium phosphate. She also grows native chicken and pigs. The animals are never given antibiotics and growth hormones. They are instead fed with concoctions of fruits and veggies. The farm also has a small fishpond ready to be seeded with tilapia. Rice is also growing in the small palayan. Students who come for an educational tour are given lectures on how to plant organic fruits and veggies, learn vermiculture, get to taste naturally grown chicken, drink herbal teas, and more importantly, realize the value of agriculture to sustain food production. Proponents of a healthy lifestyle who wish to avail of life-giving food may visit the farm and purchase the various products organically grown there. (Author: Rebecca Grace S. David / GSD PIA- 3)
Clark Education City (formerly Clark Expo)
Clark, Pampanga
With an initial investment of USD$60m, Clark Education City has transformed the more than 300,000 sqm campus of the former Expo Pilipino (or Clark Expo) into a 100% Australian-based learning environment that is suitable for both education and living experience. The school offers a unique combination of impeccably safe, modern, spacious and fully integrated training and living facilities capped with an array of exceptional faculty and professional support mentors. Being an Australian institution, Clark Education City meets the standards of the Australian education system called Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) and operates just as if it were located within Australia. Training courses offered include English language, Hotel and Resort Management (HRM), Automotive Technology, Engineering (Fabrication Trade), Electrical (Refrigeration and Air-conditioning), Healthcare Services, Business and Teaching English (TESOL). For further details, log on to www.clarkeducationcity.com.au
Clark Expo (now Clark Education City)
Clark, Pampanga
Clark Expo (formerly Expo Pilipino)in 1998 became the Philippine National Centennial Exposition and centerpiece of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898. The exposition is a celebration of the Filipino's history, culture, and achievements in the past 100 years, as well as aspirations for the next millennium. Its exhibits were discontinued during the administration of former President Joseph Estrada. Today, its 35,000-seat capacity amphitheater is a favorite venue for concerts, ecumenical services and political rallies. On December 8, 2005, Clark Development Corporation soft opened the gates of the sprawing complex to public viewing with trade exhibits, special events and concerts. The Department of Tourism - Region III mounted its Best of Central Luzon showcase at the entrance hall to feature the various tourism product offerings of each of the seven provinces in the region. Its grand opening is set for April 8, 2006.
Clark Freeport Zone
Clark, Pampanga
Known as Clark Air Base before 1991, Clark was once the biggest American air base facility outside the United States as it served as a major destination and refuel/ transit point for US military aircrafts within the Asia-Pacific Region. With the expiration of the Philippine-US Military Bases Agreement in 1991, Clark was turned over to the Philippine government and declared a special economic zone. Today, Clark has been transformed into a world-class civil aviation complex, modern industrial estates, and tourism and trade center - an aerotropolis - that would catalyze the socio-economic growth of Central Luzon region, as well as the rest of the country. Clark was declared as a freeport zone by virtue of Republic Act No. 9399 and 9400 signed by President Gloria Macapagl Arroyo in 2007. For further information, please visit their web site at www.visitclark.com or www.clark.com.ph
Dara Falls
Porac, Pampanga
An ideal place for picnickers. Its waterfall basin has a depth of 100 feet.
Del-Marco Marble Marble Products
Friendship Hwy., Angeles City, Angeles City
Innovative designs produced with precision craftsmanship. International selection of marble and granite varieties. Steel reinforcement permanently embedded for additional strength. Stoned carved and frabricated to the highest technical standards. "knockdown" designs for shipping and handling convenience. Owner, Mark Gillen, is an industrial designer who has specialized in a full range of marble work since 1986. Mark worked as a designer for ten years in New York, including several years with Vignelli Associates. A winner of a Best Product Award from the Industrial Design Society of America, his products have been marketed by the Museum of Modern Art Shop.
Dinosaurs Island at Clarkland
Clark, Pampanga
Clarkland is a park museum that is designed to offer visitors a unique interactive learning experience. It is situated in a 20,000 thousand square meter forested land with century old acacia trees. It offers 4 major attractions where guests will experience a one of a kind educational entertainment. Go back in time and see how dinosaurs come back to life again. Experience this dinosaur era, where gigantic and life-size dinosaurs roam the Dinosaurs Island in Clark. Be adventurous and discover the various dino-stories, watch the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex roam around the land with our guided tours and get up close with your favorite Brachiosaurus, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Iguanodon and Triceratops and other dino species. This theme park has been designed for us to understand better the dinosaurs and what transpired in the Mesozoic era. It’s time for us to go back in time and see the first inhabitants of our planet. It is the first ever animatronics theme park in the country that features life-sized dinosaurs and dinosaur exhibits. Entrance fee is P350 for adults, P250 for public school students and P300 for private school students. For further details, visit www.clarklandph.com. Open Monday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Diosdado Macapagal Intl Airport
Clark, Pampanga
DMIA, a sprawling 2,500 hectare area, has two 3.2 km long runways which are capable of accommodating wide bodied aircraft like the Boeing 747s, Airbus 300 series and military cargo planes, including the C-5 galaxy, a wide ramp area, apron and taxiway facilities as required for world-class standards. The visual and navigational aids permit the safe and efficient use of runways 24 hours daily in all weather conditions. The aviation complex meets the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for Category I precision approach runway. It also rates as Category 10 for emergency services. What used to be called Clark International Airport was renamed to its present identity on September 28, 2001 as a fitting tribute to the statesman and renowned father of Philippine land reform, President Diosdado Macapagal. For further information, please visit their web site at www.clarkairport.com. Shuttle service: Genesis (Mariveles/Baguio/Avenida - Clark v.v.), Partas (Pasay/Cubao - Clark v.v.) and Philtranco (Pasay/Megamall - Clark v.v.) Phones: Genesis (63 2) 421-1425, Partas (63 2) 851-4025 / 416-2809 and Philtranco (63 2) 851-5420 / 5812 / 8077 / 8079
Everybody's Cafe
Poblacion, City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Everybody's Cafe is where Kapampangan food is available everyday in their turo-turo style display. Try out the pako salad, calderetang baka, morcon, chicharon bulaklak, tortang bangus, inihaw na hito or bulalo soup. For the brave, go further and savor the buro with hito (fermented fish paste with catfish), betute (deep-fried stuffed frog), camaru (fried cricket adobo), dumara (wild duck adobo) or pindang damulag (carabeef tapa). They have branches in the City of San Fernando along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Del Pilar, and Angeles City in Nepo Mart. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town Blog)
Faith Orchids and Ornamental Plants
Mabalacat, Pampanga
Located at Brentwood Village, Mawaque Rd., Mabiga, Mabalacat, Pampanga, Faith Orchids and Ornamental Plants offers a wide variety of orchids and ornamental plants. For further information, contact Ms. Rosie Wang, Tel. No. (63 45) 332-2304 or Makati Office at Tel. No. (63 2) 843-0375 email: [email protected]
Hilaga Cultural Village (formerly Paskuhan Village)
City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Located at the mouth of the San Fernando Toll Exit along the North Luzon Expressway, North Philippines Hilaga (formerly Paskuhan Village) was transformed into a cultural, historical, tourism, trade, and entertainment village by former Secretary Richard J. Gordon in 2003. Its design and concept make it a virtual show window to the cultural and historical heritage of the four regions of the North Philippines as well as a showcase for their indigenous products, and arts and crafts. The star-shaped pavilions at the center pays tribute to the skilled lantern makers of San Fernando which produces the biggest lanterns in the world. The complex features a 1,000-seat capacity air-conditioned pavilion for conventions and special events, an open-air ampitheater for outdoor activities, air-conditioned exhibit halls, trade booths, garden restos and an 60-seat capacity conference hall. In 2006, a theme park known as NATURE'S SANCTUARY (formerly Gardens of the World)was established to feature a living museum of flora and fauna. What to see: 63-m pond laced with ferns and lush tropicals with verdant Philippine giant ferns, tree ferns, cycads, costus, a good collection of aroids and many more; dome aviary with a flock of chattering lorie including the noisy and delightfully sociable golden and jendaya conures occupying the adjacent cone aviary; and a living gallery of flora and fauna. Contact Information: Tree Station Co. Tel. No. (63 2) 732-1663/712-3909 or contact Hilaga Village Admin Office at Tel. No. (63 45) 961-1894/963-5510 (Attn: Teresita Diapolet- OIC)
Hilaga Nature Sanctuary (inside Paskuhan Village)
City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Located within the Hilaga Village complex, this 3-hectare space of tranquility is aimed at connecting people to the world of tropical flora and fauna. A 63-meter pond laced with ferns and lush tropicals leads the visitor to its reception gardens. Here, the visitor is at once welcomed by verdant Philippine giant ferns, tree ferns, cycads, costus, a good collection of aroids and many more. As one steps into the park proper, a flock of chattering lorie await you from their huge dome aviary. Not to be outdone are the equally noisy and delightfully sociable golden and jendaya conures occupying the adjacent cone aviary. From there, a series of gravel trails meandering through a tunnel of canopy trees will transport the visitor to various living galleries of tropical flora and fauna. The Aglaonema Garden, so called for the accent plants used in Module I, provides refuge to rosellas and budgerigars. The Plantain Hill displays various interesting kinds of flowering ornamental banana plants, among them the blood banana and our 'abaca' plant. The Heliconia & Gingers Valley under the fine canopy of towering raintrees, cradle an initial collection of tropical wonders with such interesting names as Sexy Pink, Sexy Red & Sexy Yellow of the Heliconia sexy series, Lobsters' Claw, Firebird, Parakeet, Caribaea, Pink Torch, Red Torch and many more. This big garden section likewise envelopes the dome shelters for the crowned pigeons, considered to be the largest member of the pigeon family, the emerald doves which are considered to be the smallest in the world, two of the most ornate pheasants - the silver pheasant and the golden pheasant, the extremely graceful ringnecks with amazing color mutations and naturaly perfect feather conditions, and the suave and elegant alexandrines. Other galleries are The Araquis Hills with its huge dome aviaries for macaws, hornbills and African greys, The Plumeria Grove which shall play host to cattleya orchids, The Savanna - home to the ostrich and the cassowary, The Lagoon - playground to the waterfowls, The Grasslands, The Herbarium, Zen Garden and the Walk-thru Aviary which occupies the western potion of the sanctuary. The Walk-thru Aviary is an eight-dome walk-thru haven for beautiful free-flying small birds, most of which are grassflinches. The most colorful are the golden finches, most popular for their bright green back, yellow belly, purple breast and a face which is usually 75% black, 25% red and, in rare cases, with some yellow stones. The sanctuary has its own fernery which is a Conservatory of Philippine Endemic Ferns. It aims to provide a sanctuary for threatened and/or endangered endemic ferns via conservation and propagation works. Contact Information: Tree Station Co., Tel. No. (63 2) 732-1663/712-3909/0917-627-1603
Kapampangan Cuisine
Province of Pampanga
Must-tries are the Kapampangan halo-halo places in various places in the province. In fact, there are three distinct halo-halo varieties in Pampanga. These are Guagua (Razon’s), Angeles (Corazon’s) and Arayat (Kabigting's and Jurado's) halo-halo. It must also be noted that Kapampangan halo-halo is distinct from the other halo-halo served in the country because it uses only three or four ingredients or sahog. However, the richness of these ingedients more than compensates for the number of types thrown in the glass. Arayat for example is distinct for its pastillas, crushed beans and saging combination; Guagua for its macapuno, saging, and leche flan; while Angeles is distinct for its mais, saging, pastillas and crushed beans combination.
Also check out Aling Lucing's at the Crossing (Henson Street, Angeles City) which is the birthplace of Pampanga sisig and the steakhouses in Marisol Subdivision, Angeles City. Luring's of Guagua (with branches all over Pampanga) serves some of the best barbeque and other grilled meat products. Ikabud (the contracted form of ika kabud which translates as only you) is another restaurant that serves grilled food and is located in Hensonville, Angeles City.
If you want to try out everything, go for Smorgasbord, the buffet Kapampangan lunch and dinner offered at Partyland (MacArthur Highway and SM City Pampanga) and Holidayland (Gapan-Olongapo Road) both in San Fernando. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town Blog)
Mabalacat Furniture City
Mabalacat, Pampanga
A factory complex of furniture exporters and manufacturers, export-quality furniture made available at dirt cheap factory prices. Among the showrooms are those of Vienna Furniture (contemporary and craftsman furniture using local treated wood and other native materials such as sulihya and rattan) and More Than A Chair (classical wood furniture with a touch of modernism, combined with upholstery, rattan, bamboo, leather and a wide choice of local and imported veneer wood), and samples of furniture from Angeles City manufacturer VICO Design (modern eclectic sculptural iron furniture combined with unique painting and texturing, upholstery and resin) and Diretso (run by a Dutch group based here in Pampanga, specializing in modern contemporary upholstered furniture combined with wood and iron), with its factory in Del Rosario, City of San Fernando. For reservation, please call Lisa Samia at (045) 8930092 to 93. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town Blog)
Mabalacat Rock Carving Enterprise
Mabalacat, Pampanga
Some 5 years following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, local folk in Mabalacat found new livelihood in gathering pumice rocks and stones along the Bamban river and converting these thru hand craftsmanship using chisel and pure energy into stone castles, small pagoda and other works of indigenous folk art. The biggest rock formation sells at P300 while smallest at P75 apiece. Many times, these local entrepreneurs sell sacks of pumice rocks to traders who in turn use them in "stone-washing" denim jeans.
Macabebe Wood-carving Industry
Macabebe, Pampanga
The wood carvers of Macabebe have made their town famous all over country, especially among antique dealers and fine art enthusiasts, for the beautiful traditional workmanship and artistry that inform their woodwork as may be found in the many varieties of life-size religious icons, altar pieces, free-standing sculptures, and other figurative sculptural pieces in wood now considered important folk art, sold in many stores and workshops all over town.
Marcos Village
Mabalacat, Pampanga
An authentic Ayta village complete with their tribal rituals and customs
Pampanga's Best
Brgy., dela Paz Norte, City of San Fernando, Pampanga
The story goes that Mrs. Lolita O. Hizon’'s neighbor, a meat vendor, had some unsold pork at the end of a market day and, not wanting to let these spoil, asked Mrs. Hizon'’s help in cooking them. Mrs. Hizon came up with a formula to cure the meat; she revised the traditional Capampangan pindang (fermented pork), causing the pork to acquire that unique salty-sweet taste that we have all come to love. She called it tocino, derived from a Spanish delicacy that is sweet. Eventually, she refined the formula and the processing procedures that caused the birth of Pampanga’s Best Tocino – the original version of what has now become a national favorite. So, what started out as just a neighborly gesture to help a friend has turned out to be the cornerstone of a business and a staple item on the Filipino breakfast table. The manufacturer of tocino and longganisa, hotdogs, hams, bacons. For details, contact Ma. Charina Quiwa, Tel. (63 45) 636-4280 to 83 loc. 227 or (63 2) 928-1905 / 925-4171 or log on to www.pampangasbest.com.ph.
Pampanga Agricultural College
Magalang, Pampanga
Located at the foot of Mt. Arayat, this state-owned college is the center for agri-based education in the province. It has model farms, housing facilities for its faculty, conference pavilion and a swimming pool for local residents. Its prestine natural environment make way for a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Among the activities that may be launched here is a mountain trekking adventure to the heights of Mt. Arayat or a refreshing dip in a natural spring resort close by.
San Fernando Tourism Center
City of San Fernando, pampanga
Located at the City Central Transport Terminal, the tourism center aims to put on the spotlight the city's local products like turrones de casuy, paper baskets, and Christmas lanterns. It also serves as the One-town-one-product (OTOP) center for local products of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). City maps may be acquired in this shop. For further details, contact City of San Fernando Tourism Office, Ms. Ching Pangilinan, Tel. No. (63 45) 961-6640 / 5684 / 3328 loc. 211 Email [email protected] or [email protected] Website www.cityofsanfernando.gov.ph
Sisig sa Pampanga
Angeles City, Pampanga
Contributed by: Robby Tantingco (Holy Angel University Center for kapampangan Studies)
THE SISIG STORY: The first time that sisig was ever recorded in history was in 1732, in a Kapampangan dictionary compiled by an Augustinian friar, Diego Bergaño. (The Spanish missionary served as parish priest of Mexico, Pampanga in 1725-1731, where he most likely encountered the dish.)
In his dictionary, Bergaño defines sisig as a "salad, including green papaya, or green guava eaten with a dressing of salt, pepper, garlic and vinegar." "Manyisig" means "to make salad" while "mapanisig" is "one who makes a lot of salad, or frequently eats salad, or picks tidbits of it."
The sisig of our ancestors is the equivalent of our vegetarian salad today, no meat, just green fruit soured further with vinegar, tempered with salt and spiced with pepper and garlic. They probably ate it as a regular side dish ("tiltilan") , and maybe as cure for nausea.
It's quite possible that the word "sigang"—that sour soup dish so popular among Filipinos and other Southeast Asians—came from the contraction of "sisigan" ("to make it sour"). In ancient times, sigang was the easiest complete meal to prepare; even fishermen who went out to sea for days probably carried with them basic cooking implements so they could cook "sigang" right there on their boats. It was all too easy to prepare: they just boiled water in a pot, threw in anything they'd caught (clam, shrimp, fish, bird or fowl), and added any green fruit (santol, guava, tamarind, kamias, mango, citrus, tomatoes, and any pickings from trees growing in mangroves and forests).
Over the years, sisig evolved from being just a salad to being main dish, when our ancestors started putting meat in it, like pig's ears and pig's cheeks. That's the sisig I came to know as a child, back in Mabalacat. My mother boiled pig's ears and jowl, chopped and minced them and then mixed in chicken liver and pig's brain and of course onion, salt, pepper and calamansi. The sound of the crunchy cartilages between my teeth and the soft mayonnaise-like texture of liver and brain melting in my mouth—that was what the traditional sisig was all about. It was no longer the sourness that defined it, but the chopped pig parts.
And then came Lucia "Aling Lucing" Cunanan of Angeles City. She further redefined sisig by introducing two features in the preparation: broiling or grilling the pig parts after boiling them, and then serving the dish on a sizzling plate. She had retained all the elements of the traditional sisig (chopped meat sprinkled with calamansi juice) but it was the sizzling plate that revolutionized the Kapampangan sisig and made it a national sensation, catapulting the obscure little lady from the railroad tracks to national fame.
Aling Lucing also revolutionized Kapampangan eating-out habits by not serving her sisig in a fancier place. "Crossing" became the most popular destination in the region as celebrities, government officials and rich families risked their lives, their reputations and their expensive cars by flocking to Aling Lucing's open-air eatery on the old railroad tracks, close to a squatters area, where the tangled web of narrow alleys could easily hide thieves, assassins and drug addicts.
Because Aling Lucing made her sisig so irresistible, Kapampangans threw all their vaunted snobbery and vanity to the wind and went where the food was good. Before, Kapampangans ate out only in air-conditioned and fashionable restaurants; they shunned humid and unsanitary canteens. Today, it doesn't matter what the place looks like, as long as the food is good. This is good news for Kapampangan entrepreneurs because a restaurant business no longer requires a huge capital; they can actually just convert their backyard or the vacant lot beside their house or even their garage into an eating place, and the customers, who care only for good food, would certainly not mind. I can cite a few examples: Jojo's, Razon's, Corazon's, Kabigting's, Cely's, Grill 99, Luring's, and all those popular but still nameless eateries all over the province.
It was Aling Lucing who started all that.
Today her stall at the railroad tracks is draped in black. They should put a marker there so that people will not forget how this humble spot has spawned a whole industry around the Philippines and even in many parts of the world. Sisig is now perhaps the most popular Filipino dish, more popular than the adobo. Cooks everywhere have concocted their own sisig versions, using bangus, tuna, tofu, mussels, squid, chorizo, chicken, and even frog, ostrich and python. Some have experimented with frying instead of boiling and broiling, and others have introduced egg, chicharon and many different nuances, but what has remained as the defining element is the sizzling plate. That's exactly the one master stroke of culinary and marketing genius that we can all attribute to the late Aling Lucing.
Five years ago, on May 17, 2003, Angeles City started the Sisig Festival, which featured a giant sizzling plate on which HAU-HRM students cooked tons of sisig which was later served to the thousands of revelers. The festival was so successful that the city council promptly passed a resolution declaring Angeles City as the "Sisig Capital of the Philippines. " No other town or city objected or complained then; none has challenged it since.
Now that Aling Lucing is dead, she has certainly become larger-than- life. The annual sisig festival will most likely keep her memory and legacy alive, probably even start weaving a legend around her. There is a certain symmetry and poetry in the life and death of Aling Lucing: she had used a knife to create the dish that gave her fortune and fame, and a knife was used to take it all away.
As the case continues to unravel in the next few days, we who consider her a Kapampangan cultural icon cannot help being dismayed with newspaper reports about who the suspect might be. They were an octogenarian couple, for God's sake. How could an octogenarian ever deserve dying such a violent death, or be ever capable of committing such a violent murder?
Next time you order sisig, take time to appreciate the ancient origins of this original Kapampangan dish, and don't forget to say a prayer for that little old lady whose sad and sordid ending will always be part of the sisig story.
Sito Palakol Resort
Floridablanca, Pampanga
Located in the northeastern part of Floridablanca, about 8 kms from the town proper and 31 kms from the City of San Fernando, Sito Palakol along the Gumain River is known as the "summer place" to the local community. It is blessed with a continuous crystal clear water that does not drain even during summer months. Its source of water comes from Mount Abu atop the Zambales mountain which is believed to have a large natural water reservior.
Sto. Tomas Casket Capital of Central Luzon
St. Tomas, Pampanga
This smallest and youngest town in Pampanga still holds the title "casket capital of Central Luzon." It is home to 300 family-owned ventures that each churn out a minimum of 80 caskets monhtly or a total production of 24,000 a month. That production rate is 10,000 short of its 33,267 population, as estimated by the local government unit. Most of them have already ventured into funeral service business. These firms include St. Louie Casket Makers and Funeral Services, Lapid's Woodcraft, Triple K Metalcraft, Funeral Services and Memorial, among others. (Source: The Casket Capital of Central Luzon by Tonette Orejas, October 29, 2008, Philippine Daily Inquirer (Northern Luzon Bureau).
Sto. Tomas Pottery Industry
Sto. Tomas, Pampanga
For many generations, Kapampangans are known to have fashioned pots and bowls of baked clay for their daily use. Here in Sto. Tomas, where clay remains abundantly available, this age-old art continues to thrive and find expression as one of the town’s primary source of commerce. Home to many traditional potters, Sto Tomas is the place to go for its decorative clay jars, classic earthenware, and assorted potteries.
Tita's Special Meat Products
Tita's Bldg., Jose Abad Santos Ave., City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Maker of finest and renowned tocino, longaniza, hotdogs, hams, and bacon. Established in 1972, over 35 years of experience on manufacturing and continuously providing high-quality meat processed products to the Filipino people at reasonable prices, Tita's Special is committed to make Filipino make livelihood through product growth, managerial effectiveness, and an outstanding customer service, Tita's Special Pampanga Meat Products is accreditted AA by the National Meat Inspection Service, and has a BFAD Permit (Bureau of Food and Drug Phils.) And it is a member of Pampanga Association of Meat Processors (PAMPRO). For information, contact Wildredo Dungao, Tel. No. (63 45) 961-6621/1562/7072. For further details, please visit http://titasspecial.com/
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