From Tacloban With Love

We Filipinos love to bring something home when we go out of town. Be it for our loved ones or colleagues, we usually take time to find a local delicacy or a handicraft to give away. I, personally, love to bring home local delicacies. During our last trip in Tacloban, we roamed around downtown to see what we can share way back home.

Binagol

Made of crushed talyan root (a local rootcrop similar to taro) mixed with coconut and condensed milk, Binagol is one of Leyte’s iconic delicacies. It is placed on half a coconut shell and wrapped with banana leaves. You can get this from downtown Tacloban at Php 35, or three pieces for Php 100.

Binagol

Roscas

Almost similar to fortune cookie, this delicacy traces its roots to Barugo, Leyte. It had its beginnings in the late 1960s when a local from Barugo brought roscas-making technology from her travel abroad. Made of flour, sugar, eggs and shortening, this pastry will surely delight your loved ones back at home.

Roscas

Moron

It’s not a bad word, trust me (pronounce it with accent on the second syllable though). Moronis Leyte’s version of suman (sticky rice cake wrapped in banana leaves). It is smoother and has brown stripes because it is mixed with chocolate, sugar and coconut milk. There are also variants with cheese or peanuts. Of all of Leyte’s native delicacies, this one is my favourite. You can also buy this from downtown. Price usually starts at Php 7 per piece.

Moron

Bukhayo

Another coconut dessert, bukhayo (yes, with “h”) is grated coconut bathed in sugar and enclosed in whole coconut shell. If you’re up for something really, really sweet, then this one is for you.

Bukayo

Dried Danggit

Ok, you might have thought that danggit is only from the Queen City of the South. But the truth is, you can buy danggit in most parts of the Philippines. In Palawan, there are a variety of danggit to choose from: dried, marinated (more commonly known as “lamayo”), salted, unsalted. In Aklan, there are also a lot of varieties. I guess anywhere in Visayas, you could find good quality danggit, and Leyte is not an exemption.

Danggit

Woven Handicrafts

Leyte and Samar are also famous for making woven handicrafts made of tikog leaves. In downtown Leyte, we found only one store selling these handicrafts. The store is located near a corner facing the port where the jeepneys bound to Baras is. There are cute coin purses, bags, sleeping mats, and a lot more on offer.

Woven coin purses

Woven basket

Roaming Around Vinzons, Camarines Norte

Reichan Tabeya’s Halo-Halo

Back in mainland Vinzons, we had the chance to roam around town for some food tripping and pasalubong shopping. Since it was already lunchtime when we arrived in town, Sir Noli invited us for lunch at Reichan Tabeya, a hole in the wall restaurant just across the municipal hall. The name may sound too Japanese, but the dishes served here are not even close to sushi. Reichan Tabeya is known for its delicious halo-halo. In fact, it is said to be the best in Vinzons.

I did not order halo-halo for myself because I was already starving (read:craving for carbs), but when my friends who ordered halo-halo asked me to try it, I must admit I envied them. The ice is not your ordinary shaved ice. It is flavored with refreshing melon, similar to my childhood favorite — melon twin popsies. There was a scoop of ube ice cream and creamy leche flan on top of about a dozen other sweets on it. So when in Vinzons, don’t dare miss the chance to eat halo-halo at Reichan Tabeya!

Reichan Tabeya is just a quaint restaurant in Vinzons, with tables that can fit around 20-25 people. As mentioned, they do not serve Japanese food. Rather, they have the following:

Sir Noli ordered the food for us. We had Crispy Chicken, Pancit Canton, Crispy Pork Sisig and Chopsuey. The servings are good to share. We were six on our table and we didn’t even finish eveything Sir Noli had ordered. Good value!

Their version of Pancit Canton is the kind that is saucy and with lots of veggies on it. It’s good actually! I actually had more of this than rice (mapagpanggap lang).

Pancit Canton

The Crispy Chicken is just like your ordinary breaded chicken sans the gravy.

Crispy Chicken

The Crispy Sisig is a winner! Aptly named,  it was heavenly crisp! I tasted a bit of mayonnaise and chili on it, a reason why I love it! Pasok na pasok!

We were actually interested in trying out their Tofu con Lechon but there were too many food on our table already. I bet it’s good, too!

Crispy Sisig

For those on a tight budget, there is also a “food court” in front of Reichan Tabeya. Here, you can have meals for less than Php100 bucks.

Affordable Food Court

After having lunch, we went to Jannah’s, a pasalubong center just a few steps away from Reichan Tabeya. This is where you can buy Camarines Norte’s famous pandecillos — a puff pastry with caramelized pili nuts. It is actually a crossover between a butterscotch, mazapan de pili and vol au vent.

I got some boxes of Pandecillos at Php 120 each. You can also ask them to remove the boxes if you do not want to carry these bulky cartons.

You can also buy some crispy pili nuts — a peanut brittle counterpart in Bicol.

I also got some salabat (ginger ale) for my friend. This is actually good for colds and cough, as well as digestive problems.

Bottled Bicol Express is also available.

After shopping for pasalubong, we went to the oldest church in Camarines Norte, the St. Peter Church, which, in an unfortunate event, was burned down last December 2012. The church was built in 1600’s by the Franciscans.

Photo by Sherwin Evangelista

I cannot explain how I felt when I saw the ruins of the church. For a structure who has been here for four centuries, it has definitely witnessed pieces of history that had transpired in the town of Vinzons over the years. Sad.

Photo by Sherwin Evangelista

Photo by Sherwin Evangelista

After taking some photos of the church, we went straight to the DLTB bus terminal where we boarded a bus bound to Manila. Bus left at 3:00 pm and we arrived Manila at 12:00 midnight.

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How to go to Calaguas?
Roughing It Out In Calaguas (Part 1)
Roughing  It Out In Calaguas (Part 2)
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Special thanks to:

Mayor Agnes Diezmo-Ang (Vinzons, Camarines Norte)

Noli Pajarin (Vinzons Tourism Office)

http://www.calaguasislands.com/

Good Shepherd Convent and Mines View Park, Baguio City

One of my favorite delicacies in Baguio is Good Shepherd’s Ube Jam. Some might ask what is its difference from any other ube jam in the world? My answer: No other ube jam in the world can send the youth in Cordillera to school. An exaggeration perhaps, but it is really my reason why I always want that bottle of purple yam jam – to contribute to their advocacy of sharing the gift of education. This does not only apply to Good Shepherd’s Ube Jam, but to their other products as well.

And I am so glad that a lot of people contribute to this advocacy, too. The long queue of people attest to the success of such advocacy. Good thing the lines are so organized and the turnover between counters are fast enough.

While waiting for our friend who fell in line for our group, we saw these fresh ube from the viewing deck. Seeing these ignited my craving for my favorite ube jam!

Someone is also selling these plump strawberries within the vicinity. I wonder if there are no crumpled paper beneath these? (kiddin’!)

There is also a garden where one can meditate or just sniff fresh air. This reminded me of the garden rosary in Manaoag Shrine in Pangasinan.

A chillout gazebo where you could also have your snacks. Just make sure to dispose your garbage properly.

I and my friend Ayee posing like crazy at the Grotto and koi pond.

These men probably bought all the ube jams on stock! Now, they have to carry that box while we go to Mines View Park. (ayan kasi!)

Just a  few hundred steps away from the Good Shepherd Convent is the all-time famous Mines View Park which boasts of a stunning view of the cityscape in Baguio City.

At the park’s entrance, there is an outlet of Islands Souvenirs where you can get customized Baguio souvenir shirts while you wait.

And just across Mines View park are some pasalubong stores, of which my favorite is this stall that offers a wide array of Pashmina scarves. I actually hoarded some. =)

Pasalubong Suggestions from Southern Cebu

If you are tired of bringing home dried mangoes, otap and ref magnets, you may want to try bringing home a box of Chitang’s Torta, a kilo of Carcar Chicharon or Argao’s Tableya.

On our way back from Sumilon, we made a pit stop in Argao to buy tableya (cocoa tablets). From the street, you will be welcomed with the luscious and chocolatey aroma of tableya. 

While in Argao, make sure also to drop by Chitang’s Torta, a very famous delicacy in Southern Cebu. It is  made of flour, rice wine, sugar and eggs. It melts in your mouth and makes you ask for more. Torta is priced at P100 for 3 pcs. The size is like Goldilocks’ mamon. Aside from Torta, Chitang’s also offers Podreda (cookies with candied fruits-I also love this!), lady fingers and a lot more!

Another pasalubong you can bring home is Carcar’s chicharon. These are usually sold in the highway. The price is P500/kilo. Their chicharon is different because it is made of quality pork rind. You can pick from the pre-packed ones or you can select from this mountain of chicharon and have it packed. 

1/4 kilo of Carcar’s Chicharon

You can buy 1/4 kilo packages for your friends and loved ones.

Amazing Coron: What pasalubong to bring home

A trip is never complete without bringing home some goodies for your loved ones. Palawan has a lot to offer. Seafoods, pearls, cashew nuts, mangoes. But before you buy something, take note of this guidelines. I took this photo from the airport.

So please, do not attempt to bring home any of these, as you will be penalized at the airport. And they implement this seriously. Another thing that is forbidden to bring outside Palawan are their mangoes. It is because Palawan mangoes have what they call “mango weevil pulp”.

According to http://positivenewsmedia.net:

Mango pulp weevil was observed in the southern part of the province in 1987, which was believed to have come from the neighboring country of Malaysia. 

Because of the discovery, a ban was imposed against the transportation and selling of mango harvests from southern Palawan. The whole province was also placed under plant quarantine. 

This means fresh mangoes from the province are not allowed to be transported outside so as not to affect others. The imposition of the ban has made the market for the mangoes in the south limited only in the local market. 

Now, the ban is not only in Southern Palawan but in Northern Palawan as well. Coron is the Northern part of Palawan. Too bad, because the mangoes in Coron are so big and sweet! My hubby even bought 2 pcs. for his own consumption before our flight.

 

Anyway, instead on whining on mango ban, splurge on Lamayo – marinated danggit. I found this version better than the dried version you usually buy in Cebu. In the public market, Lamayo costs P350/kilo. We asked Tita Chinette, owner of Coron Reef, where we could buy cheap Lamayo and she said someone delivers Lamayo on a daily basis in their house at P300/ kilo. So I gave her P300 and voila! I have a bunch of mouthwatering Lamayo!

Someone also delivers mud crab or Manla in Coron Reef. A bunch costs P70. These tastes like alimango but looks like  a mix of crab and alupihan. Regular crabs (alimasag) is at P100/ kilo and alimango is at P300/kilo, depending on size.

You can also buy fresh fish from the market and they will be glad to pack it for you.

A Palawan trip is not complete without bringing home cashew nuts. Price is P50 for a 1/4 kg pack. Anywhere you ask, it’s the same price.

Coron is a small town and there are only a few who sells souvenir items. When you go to the public market, you will not find the typical souvenir items there like keychains, ref magnets, etc. Instead, you find Coron shirts at P130 each.

A souvenir shop a few meters away from Coron Reef is the most famous shop here. 

Bring home these wood carvings. They have it in all sizes, even as small as a ref magnet.

 

 Keychains at P35 each.

Paper weight, pen holders, etc.

This is the cheapest you could buy here, bracelets at P25 each.

Shirts are priced depending on size. If you want the “I Love Coron” shirt, they do not have it here. Instead, head to the public market and you can get one for P130 each.

You can also bring home some cashew specialties like Bande (caramelized cashew), cashew butter, cashew brittle, etc.