Ilocos Norte: Empanada, tupig & bibingka food trip

Even after my trip to Ilocos Norte, the taste of the crunchy and savory empanada is still vivid. I was finally able to complete my Ilocos Norte empanada experience by trying out the Dinardaraan (Dinuguan) Empanada at Johnny Moon Cafe and Elvie's Sweet Empanada near PLDT.

Johnny Moon also serves Bagnet Empanada and Sisig Empanada. But I don't think the bagnet meat is tasty enough for an empanada for you to notice it. So I really recommend the Dinuguan Empanada if you want something different.

And speaking of different. While most empanadas use the garlicky longganisa, Elvie's offers Ilocos empanada with sweet longganisa. The sweet taste of the longganisa plus the sour sukang Iloko makes a very interesting combination.

From Batac to Bacarra, here is my list of the best empanadas in Ilocos Norte.

I also didn't realize they took their tupig (glutinous rice cakes with coconut) quite seriously in Ilocos Norte. They even have an intense competition every year to determine who makes the best tupig. But those from Currimao and Sarrat are the ones which stand out.

I got to try the Sarrat tupig during a trade fair at the Ilocos Norte Capitol in Laoag. They use purple glutinous rice which is why the tupig is dark purple.

We drove to Currimao the next day to try out the tupig at Irene's Native Delicacies along the National Highway. They mix in margarine, milk and cheese to add flavor to the glutinous rice and coconut.

And instead of the usual tupig grill we see on the street, they cook their tupig by baking it in a traditional wood-fired oven.

In Currimao, they also make bibingka with glutinous rice and coconut, and topped with peanuts. The consistency actually reminds me of tikoy.

What other Ilocos Norte delicacies do you like?

Ilocos Norte: Nueva Era Eco Cultural Park, overnight stay in a treehouse & the great outdoors

Do you want to stay overnight in a tree house? The Nueva Era Eco Cultural Park, the newest attraction of Ilocos Norte, offers that possibility. Nueva Era is one of three mountain municipalities of Ilocos Norte. They constructed the park to showcase the Tingguian culture and to allow visitors to enjoy the great outdoors.

Aside from the four treehouses, there are also huts and bungalows with basic but comfortable accommodation amenities including beds and an electric fan. They also have a campsite for those who want to take their adventure outdoors to a higher level.

The Nueva Era Eco Cultural Park also has a swimming pool, bonfire area or dap-ayan and a museum showcasing the Tingguian culture. There are trails and nearby treks for those who want to hike. Plus a restaurant is in the works for those who get hungry since there aren't that many food options in Nueva Era unless you buy food in the market.

It just opened so enjoy it before the crowds start coming! For reservations and more information, contact Nueva Era Tourism Officer Ria Rivera (0915) 2582512.

The Philippines says thank you!

On February 8, 2014, at 4:40 a.m., Manila time, exactly three months after Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, the country launched a global campaign expressing its gratitude to the world, having received an outpouring of support following the devastating effects of the typhoon.

The Philippines says thank you!

Thank you world, for all the help you've given us since #Haiyan! Show your love, share this #PHthankyou video!

Ilocos Norte: Sarrat's Santa Monica Church, President Marcos Birthplace and heritage walk

The Santa Monica Church and Casa Parroquial in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte have got to be built in one of the most picturesque settings in the country. The church's claim to fame was that it was host to the grand wedding of Irene Marcos and Gregorio Araneta in 1983. Built in front of the wide and sandy Padsan River, the Sarrat Church is surrounded by numerous trees, creating a cool and breezy environment around the church complex.

Unfortunately, the beautiful facade and altar of Sarrat Church were destroyed in a strong earthquake that hit Ilocos Norte just two months after the wedding. They were never able to reconstruct the beautiful Baroque facade. But now that it's declared an Important Cultural Property, I hope government can restore its old facade.

The adjacent Casa Parroquial or Casa del Palacio Real was said to be built before the church and was later used as the Presidencia Municipal of Sarrat.

Beside the convent is the Sarrat Central School, where President Ferdinand E. Marcos finished his elementary education. The school was previously used as the Casa Real of Ilocos Norte when Sarrat was provincial capital during the Spanish colonial period.

The Edralin House, more popularly known as the Birthplace of President Marcos, can also be found in the town. The house was heavily renovated during the Marcos presidency and today hosts a small museum.

There are plans to create a heritage walk to connect the many heritage properties of the town. The banks of the Padsan River are also becoming popular with visitors as locals have set up nipa huts for picnicking and videoke.

Sarrat is just nine kilometers from neighboring Laoag City. And speaking of Laoag, there are several places in the city to find the best empanadas in Ilocos Norte. Guess where?

Ilocos Norte: Paoay Church and Paoay's heritage houses

We're all familiar with the Paoay Church, one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Most visitors visit the church, maybe have lunch in Cafe Herencia, then leave for the next stop on their Ilocos tour. But Paoay, Ilocos Norte has a lot of other interesting structures if you have time to walk around.

Ever wonder where the convento of the Paoay Church is? It's on the left side of the church right across the street. Unfortunately, only ruins of the old convento remain. But they are interesting and worth a look nonetheless.

On a parallel street, behind the ruins, is an American colonial house with a unique octagonal shape. Locals refer to the Duque House, built in the 1930s, as the Octagon House.

The Paoay Central School, a Gabaldon school, is on the other side of the church. The road in front of the school used to be called the Camino Real that linked Paoay with Currimao. On it are well-preserved Spanish colonial houses including the Diaz House and Carpio House.

Since you're in Paoay, it's now time for the best empanadas in Ilocos Norte. Guess where?

Agusan del Sur: Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary

Visiting the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary is a beautiful experience. But it's not for the faint-hearted given the difficulties in reaching this picturesque wetland.

Several years ago, I stayed overnight with the Manobo community at Sitio Panlabuhan, Loreto, Agusan del Sur, and helped the community create a tourism program for their ancestral domain. This time, I returned with my students to let them experience life in the floating community. I had warned them that traveling to the Agusan Marsh was not easy. And amenities at the Sitio Panlabuhan Floating Community were close to none. But it was worth it, especially with the warm reception of the Manobos who live there.

Related post: Overnight with the Manobo community of Agusan Marsh

We took the first flight to Butuan City and visited the various archaeological sites of the city. We also shopped for sleeping mats which we donated to Sitio Panlabuhan. It's best to leave the rest of your luggage at the hotel you will stay at in Butuan and bring waterproof overnight bags for the trip to Agusan Marsh. Dry bags are highly recommended for cameras and mobile phones.

The plan was to leave for Bunawan, the jump-off point for the Agusan Marsh, after lunch. But we ended up taking the 2:15 p.m. bus to Davao City (Bunawan is along the way). They say the trip from Butuan to Bunawan is between two to three hours, for private vehicles maybe. On a bus however, it takes close to four hours with all the stops. So we arrived in Bunawan after sunset, which you should definitely avoid. If you are coming from Butuan, it is best to leave by 11 a.m.

It takes another three hours by river boat to get to the Agusan Marsh from Bunawan. I realized what we did was quite dangerous, traveling by boat in the dark. We only had flashlights to help us avoid logs and other debris on the river. To make matters worse, it started to rain really hard. It felt like those jungle expeditions you see on TV, especially since crocodiles could just be around the corner.

We had to park the pump boats and cross a small strip of land, under the rain and in the dark, to get to the lake of Sitio Panlabuhan where paddle boats were waiting to take us to the lodge. Note that you have to wear shorts and slippers or sandals since you may have to wade in the water depending on how high water levels are.

At 9 p.m., we finally arrived at our lodge, soaking wet from the rain. After changing into dry clothes, the community served us a really delicious dinner, fresh catch from the Agusan Marsh. If you do not eat fish or for variety, you can buy canned goods in Butuan or Bunawan which they can cook for you.

Since it had just rained, we had cool weather the whole evening. Don't forget the mosquito repellent if you want a good night's sleep.

When you arrive, the head of the community leads a ritual requesting their ancestors to grant you safe entrance into their community. This is very important to them. And they say that if it is not done, something bad will happen to the visitor. Since we arrived really late, the ritual was done as soon as we woke up.

After breakfast, we were brought by paddle boat to other parts of Sitio Panlabuhan where we enjoyed picturesque views of the Agusan Marsh. I noticed though there were not as many birds as my previous visit since it was still October. If you want to see migratory and endemic birds, come during the cold months from late November to early February.

There's an abundance of water hyacinths at the Agusan Marsh. It's actually an invasive species and tends to clog the marsh. The Manobo ladies of Sitio Panlabuhan have been able to weave dried water hyacinths into beautiful bags. If you want to order bags or schedule a trip, contact Maritess Babanto at (0930) 5287194.

The group had an early lunch before leaving for Bunawan. We were back in Butuan by 6 p.m. What an adventure it was, especially for the first-timers!

Ilocos Norte: Your guide to the best Ilocos empanadas

Much has been said about the Ilocos empanada. Note that there are two distinct varieties, namely Batac and Vigan, the differences of which, I've written about before. But in Ilocos Norte, there are several places to get really delicious empanada aside from in Batac.

Where to find the best empanada in Ilocos Norte is no contest since Batac has always held that honor. Glory's Empanada is the most popular. In Batac, you can order different combinations of empanada ingredients: papaya, monggo, egg, longganisa and even hotdog. Some choose vegetarian. While others double the longganisa or egg or even double both! The Jumbo Empanada has all ingredients plus hotdog. But they also serve a lot of street food in Batac if you want more than just empanada.

In Laoag City, aside from the Dap-ayan ti Ilocos Norte which is the place most tourists go to for empanada, there are four empanadaan which you might find interesting. The first one is JM's Empanada at the Laoag Airport which many locals recommended to me because the longganisa is really tasty! It's just a few meters from the airport terminal building. So you could walk over as soon as you arrive or enjoy empanada right before you leave.

There is Mildred's Empanada, a small cart with tables right beside the Laoag City Public Market. Another place we discovered is along P. Burgos, near the corner of Gen. Giron Street. It's right beside Balay da Blas. They smoke the longganisa before adding it to the empanada.

Locals also recommend the empanadaan near PLDT which is Elvie's Sweet Empanada (tricycles will know where this is) since they use sweet longganisa or hamonado instead of the garlicky derecado.

Finally, Johnny Moon Cafe in Laoag serves Dinardaraan (Dinuguan) Empanada which you might want to try if you are looking for something different.

Finally, just a few minutes from Laoag, there are two empanadaan in Bacarra. What makes their empanada worth the visit is the crust which is extra crisp and crunchy. You can see and taste the difference! You'll find them in Barangay 11 Santa Filomena 1, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Just ask for directions, the locals surely know where they are. Note that they are open only from 3 to 7 p.m.

Did I miss any other interesting empanadaan in Ilocos Norte?

Iloilo: Must try Ilonggo dishes

Visiting Iloilo City can be a culinary adventure. Here are some Ilonggo dishes you might want to try out while in Iloilo City.

La Paz Batchoy must be on top of almost everyone's list. You can get the best batchoy at the La Paz Market. This noodle soup contains pork innards, pork cracklings (chicharon) and beek loin among other ingredients. While there are many batchoy stalls outside the market, hidden inside the market is Netong's Lapaz Batchoy which is highly-recommended by locals. And while we were there, I noticed they added a really deadly ingredient to their batchoy — bone marrow!

Kansi and KBL are two classic Illongo stews that are powerful enough to stimulate emotions and evoke good memories, the Ratatouille moment if I may say, among Ilonggos. My search for the fabled Kansi and KBL took me to Punot Flavors of Modern Iloilo by the Esplanande.

KBL (Kadios, Baboy and Langka) is a classic Ilonggo pork stew with batuan (Garcinia binucao) used as souring agent. Punot serves their own version of Kansi, a beef stew. They have Corned Beef Kansi which is corned beef shank in soured broth, jackfruit, lemongrass and atsuete oil with oven-roasted bone marrow on the side.

Then there's another Ilonggo classic — Pancit Molo. Ironically, it's difficult to find a restaurant in Molo known for Pansit Molo simply because it's usually prepared as home. Lucky for us, we got to enjoy a hot bowl of Pancit Molo plus Tsokolate Batirol at the Camiña Balay nga Bato (Avanceña Heritage House), Villa de Arevalo, Iloilo City.

Pangat is the Iloilo version of Bicol's laing. Panay and Bicol have a noticeable cultural connection because of the abaca trade. We had Pangat at Breakthrough Restaurant.

Liempo may be a common dish. But Liempo at Ramboy's is in a class of its own. We got to try their famed Liempo at the Ramboy's branch by the Esplanade.

Finally, there's Pancit Efuven (egg noodles with pork and vegetables). I got to try Teresa's Special Efuven at Carlitos Restaurant from the owners of the Original Biscocho Haus. Their version, cooked light and delicately herbed, is an heirloom recipe of the Guadarramas of Fajardo Street.

Did I miss any more popular Ilonggo dishes?