I am tempted to say sabeng is the Igorot version of the Tagalogs' and Kapampangans' burong isda but one is totally different from the other. Burong isda have cooked rice and fish as main ingredient while sabeng is of powdered rice (do I have to say uncooked?) and crab. The process of making the two are similar though and both have "soury" taste and aroma.
There are only three ingredients needed to make sabeng or tengba to some - pounded rice, freshwater crab called gaki in the dialect (talangka in Tagalog), and table salt. Others prefer to take out the crabs' feet for easier screening when preparing the sabeng for cooking but some would mix the detached feet to enhance the crab-taste of the product. Either way, the crabs should be fresh and thoroughly washed. Ordinary rice is used, well-pounded and the large granules are discarded. The are no specific ingredient ratio but the mixture has more or less 2/3 to 3/4 rice.
To make sabeng, the cleaned crabs are heavily sprinkled with salt. The salted crabs are then mixed well to the powdered rice. The mixture is packed in an earthen or glass jar, covered and left to ferment for a week or more until it is liquefied. Fortunately, sabeng can be stored for a long period so one can just take what he/she needs at a time.
Sabeng can be served as cake or thick soup mixed with vegetables and meat. But first, the paste should be sieved to remove the crab shells. The shells are either discarded or returned to the jar for further fermentation. If it is too sour or thick, water is mixed to dilute the paste and adjust the taste.
More Articles About Sabeng:
Traditional Knowledge Journal: Wanted: Gaki from Balas-iyan
Friday, August 28, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Baguio Brooms from Igorots of La Union
In it's July 25 airing, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) of GMA featured the brooms sold in Baguio City. The show explained how and where the brooms are made.
Since many of the brooms sold in Baguio have "Baguio City" tags in their handle, most people think that they are made within the city. The fact is, the brooms are from Sablan (the last town of Benguet when going to lowland via Naguilian Road), Burgos (the first town of La Union right after Sablan and the only source mentioned in the KMJS show) and Bagulin, La Union which is the major broom supplier in the region (and probably, in the whole country) .
Brooms are made from the flower of the tiger grass - Thysanolaena maxima - a bamboo like tropical grass. Aside from being source of broom, the plant's wide leaves is used in other Asian countries as rice and food wrapper for steaming. The stipes (structure connecting the flowers to the plant) are also utilized in making house decorations. With it's lush green color, the plant is used as hedges in tropical gardens. And with it's dense clumps, the grass is planted to help prevent soil erosion.
Tiger grass is planted on the mountainside areas during rainy season, actually, when it is raining. New plants seldom survive on dry lands. The grass can hardly compete with weeds and vines thus its surrounding have to be cleared before planting and once every year afterward. And to have a healthier plant and bigger flowers, dried stems and leaves have to be removed from the clump regularly (at least once a year). The grass' leaves has sharp edges making it hard to clean the plant and it's surroundings.
The flowers with their stipe are harvested from the plant when fully bloomed and are left to dry under the sun. When dried, the flowers are flogged on a hard surface (sometimes, on boulders) to remove its tiny parts called glumes and spikelets. The flowers are also manually pressed and rolled over and back and forth to complete the cleaning.
The cleaned tiger grass flowers will be processed differently depending on the type of brooms to be made. When making one with the wooden handles, a uniform length of the panicles are cut-off from the stipes and the remaining strands at the lower portion are stripped individually. If the stipes will be utilized as handles, the panicles are just trimmed to have the same length. The separated panicle strands are bundled and are still used in the broom making.
Making the broom requires some skills, lots of patience and considerable care. The broom and the handle are first pieced together using iron wire which requires some manipulation to ensure the handle will remain at the center. Using a customized boomerang-shaped wooden frame called sangol, the broom is then spread and sewed using a cord (leting in the diaclect). The cord will keep the broom widely spread when the sangol is removed. To help keep the broom permanently spread, a flat plastic cord is sewn atop the leting before taking off the sangol. This also adds beauty and color to the broom. Finally, to thicken the side of the broom, the rings (called singsing in Bagulin) on the sides near the handle are incorporated.
Bagulin is a municipality in the Ilocano province of La Union. However, it is lying in the Cordillera mountain range and majority of its residents are Igorots (from the Kankanaey group). Just like Bagulin, Burgos is another La Union town with Ilocano and Igorot residents. Hence, even if the brooms in Baguio are from La Union, it is still safe to say that they are proudly Igorot (and Ilocano) made.
Since many of the brooms sold in Baguio have "Baguio City" tags in their handle, most people think that they are made within the city. The fact is, the brooms are from Sablan (the last town of Benguet when going to lowland via Naguilian Road), Burgos (the first town of La Union right after Sablan and the only source mentioned in the KMJS show) and Bagulin, La Union which is the major broom supplier in the region (and probably, in the whole country) .
Brooms are made from the flower of the tiger grass - Thysanolaena maxima - a bamboo like tropical grass. Aside from being source of broom, the plant's wide leaves is used in other Asian countries as rice and food wrapper for steaming. The stipes (structure connecting the flowers to the plant) are also utilized in making house decorations. With it's lush green color, the plant is used as hedges in tropical gardens. And with it's dense clumps, the grass is planted to help prevent soil erosion.
Tiger grass is planted on the mountainside areas during rainy season, actually, when it is raining. New plants seldom survive on dry lands. The grass can hardly compete with weeds and vines thus its surrounding have to be cleared before planting and once every year afterward. And to have a healthier plant and bigger flowers, dried stems and leaves have to be removed from the clump regularly (at least once a year). The grass' leaves has sharp edges making it hard to clean the plant and it's surroundings.
The flowers with their stipe are harvested from the plant when fully bloomed and are left to dry under the sun. When dried, the flowers are flogged on a hard surface (sometimes, on boulders) to remove its tiny parts called glumes and spikelets. The flowers are also manually pressed and rolled over and back and forth to complete the cleaning.
The cleaned tiger grass flowers will be processed differently depending on the type of brooms to be made. When making one with the wooden handles, a uniform length of the panicles are cut-off from the stipes and the remaining strands at the lower portion are stripped individually. If the stipes will be utilized as handles, the panicles are just trimmed to have the same length. The separated panicle strands are bundled and are still used in the broom making.
Making the broom requires some skills, lots of patience and considerable care. The broom and the handle are first pieced together using iron wire which requires some manipulation to ensure the handle will remain at the center. Using a customized boomerang-shaped wooden frame called sangol, the broom is then spread and sewed using a cord (leting in the diaclect). The cord will keep the broom widely spread when the sangol is removed. To help keep the broom permanently spread, a flat plastic cord is sewn atop the leting before taking off the sangol. This also adds beauty and color to the broom. Finally, to thicken the side of the broom, the rings (called singsing in Bagulin) on the sides near the handle are incorporated.
Bagulin is a municipality in the Ilocano province of La Union. However, it is lying in the Cordillera mountain range and majority of its residents are Igorots (from the Kankanaey group). Just like Bagulin, Burgos is another La Union town with Ilocano and Igorot residents. Hence, even if the brooms in Baguio are from La Union, it is still safe to say that they are proudly Igorot (and Ilocano) made.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cordillera Autonomy
The death of Cory Aquino renewed the talk of Cordillera Autonomy. In the local newspapers and radio stations and in the world wide web, the pro and anti autonomy are trying to score a point against each other.
It was President Aquino who signed E.O. No. 220 of 1987 which established the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). The executive order was issued after almost a year negotiation with the Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) of Fr. Conrado Balweg and the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA). The order is also the first concrete move to follow the 1987 Philippine Constitution's mandate of creation of an autonomous region in the Cordillera. The administrative region is to pave the way for the region's autonomy. (Click here to read more about the creation of CAR.)
More than two decades (22 years to be exact) after CAR was created, Cordillera autonomy is yet to be realized. Two organic acts (Republic Acts 6766 and 8438) have been voted upon but both were rejected outright. Almost all of the major people involved in the negotiations have passed away but the Igorots are still adamant to pass a Cordillera autonomy law.
What do the rejection of Republic Acts 6766 and 8438 really mean? Don't those bills reflect what the Cordilleran community really want?
The two bills rejected in the plebiscites have all that an autonomous region needs to exist - agencies to govern the affairs of the region, freedom for the constituents to do what they think is best for themselves, and fund from the national government for the region's operation. Still, there are those who claimed that the autonomy bills contain nothing of real autonomy and full of national government's continuous control. Indeed, an autonomous region is still subject to some national laws and operation and many things will still be under the whims of the President.
But is it just the content of the bills that are being rejected here?
It can not be denied that those who initially worked for the autonomy are individuals and/or organizations deeply associated with the communist party of the Philippines (CPP) and it's armed group New People's Army (NPA). Though CPLA have bolted out from its mother group and the CBA severed its tie with the leftists, to ordinary Igorots, these groups are still people with different ideology who employ armed means to achieve their goals. To Igorots who have to move from their homes and leave their precious lands to evade military and rebel assaults, the CPLA and CBA and whatever they are campaigning for will do more harm than good. To those who suffered losses from being suspected as government and/or leftist supporters, these groups spell terror just like the government they have been criticizing and fighting. The untoward feelings against these two organization may have dissipated but to some, the impressions of the past is not easy to let go.
It can not also be denied that some who are working for the region's autonomy are traditional politicians. Given the infamous connotations given to such group of people, it is but normal to question the real reasons why others are trying to move mountains for the elusive autonomy.
With the rejection of the autonomous bills and the unwavering negative reactions on the move to pursue such goal, one can't help to ask if it's autonomy that the Cordillerans really want.
For what is autonomy to a common Igorot?
For what is having a full control over your ancestral domain when it will be your own people who will be exploiting your natural resources?
For what is making your own laws and regulations when law and justice will be selectively implemented?
For what is living in an autonomous region when you are groping in poverty and misery?
With the concept of devolution, regionalization and protection of indigenous people's right trickling in the national consciousness, it is but proper to ask again if the Cordillera region really needs an autonomy.
Suggested Further Readings:
Domogan Still Bats For Regional Autonomy
Cordillera Autonomy: Looking Around and Farther Back
Regional autonomy once more with feelings
Elusive Cordillera Autonomy
Cordillera Ponders Future of Autonomy
Cordillera: Still not autonomous after 21 years of preparation
It was President Aquino who signed E.O. No. 220 of 1987 which established the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). The executive order was issued after almost a year negotiation with the Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) of Fr. Conrado Balweg and the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA). The order is also the first concrete move to follow the 1987 Philippine Constitution's mandate of creation of an autonomous region in the Cordillera. The administrative region is to pave the way for the region's autonomy. (Click here to read more about the creation of CAR.)
More than two decades (22 years to be exact) after CAR was created, Cordillera autonomy is yet to be realized. Two organic acts (Republic Acts 6766 and 8438) have been voted upon but both were rejected outright. Almost all of the major people involved in the negotiations have passed away but the Igorots are still adamant to pass a Cordillera autonomy law.
What do the rejection of Republic Acts 6766 and 8438 really mean? Don't those bills reflect what the Cordilleran community really want?
The two bills rejected in the plebiscites have all that an autonomous region needs to exist - agencies to govern the affairs of the region, freedom for the constituents to do what they think is best for themselves, and fund from the national government for the region's operation. Still, there are those who claimed that the autonomy bills contain nothing of real autonomy and full of national government's continuous control. Indeed, an autonomous region is still subject to some national laws and operation and many things will still be under the whims of the President.
But is it just the content of the bills that are being rejected here?
It can not be denied that those who initially worked for the autonomy are individuals and/or organizations deeply associated with the communist party of the Philippines (CPP) and it's armed group New People's Army (NPA). Though CPLA have bolted out from its mother group and the CBA severed its tie with the leftists, to ordinary Igorots, these groups are still people with different ideology who employ armed means to achieve their goals. To Igorots who have to move from their homes and leave their precious lands to evade military and rebel assaults, the CPLA and CBA and whatever they are campaigning for will do more harm than good. To those who suffered losses from being suspected as government and/or leftist supporters, these groups spell terror just like the government they have been criticizing and fighting. The untoward feelings against these two organization may have dissipated but to some, the impressions of the past is not easy to let go.
It can not also be denied that some who are working for the region's autonomy are traditional politicians. Given the infamous connotations given to such group of people, it is but normal to question the real reasons why others are trying to move mountains for the elusive autonomy.
With the rejection of the autonomous bills and the unwavering negative reactions on the move to pursue such goal, one can't help to ask if it's autonomy that the Cordillerans really want.
For what is autonomy to a common Igorot?
For what is having a full control over your ancestral domain when it will be your own people who will be exploiting your natural resources?
For what is making your own laws and regulations when law and justice will be selectively implemented?
For what is living in an autonomous region when you are groping in poverty and misery?
With the concept of devolution, regionalization and protection of indigenous people's right trickling in the national consciousness, it is but proper to ask again if the Cordillera region really needs an autonomy.
Suggested Further Readings:
Domogan Still Bats For Regional Autonomy
Cordillera Autonomy: Looking Around and Farther Back
Regional autonomy once more with feelings
Elusive Cordillera Autonomy
Cordillera Ponders Future of Autonomy
Cordillera: Still not autonomous after 21 years of preparation
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The Igorots are Not Filipinos...
I was so disheartened to see a profile in a social networking site today using the passe statement of Carlos P. Romulo to jump start the creator's preference of being called Igorot rather than Filipino.
As I understand, Mr. Romulo issued the infamous statement, "Igorots are not Filipinos", as counteraction to the portrayal of American media of Filipinos as natives and backward people. (I think he did a very bad job on this one. Click here to read more about Carlos P. Romulo's statement.)
What I don't understand is why some fellow Igorots, after what all our ascendants have done to trample Carlos P. Romulo's bigotry, are now patronizing and giving justice to the man's claim. Yes, he was right in saying that originally, Filipino refers to Spaniards born in the Philippines and indios who become subjects of the King but not citizens of Spain. Nevertheless, he was still very wrong because the term "Filipino" when he wrote the book was defined as to what we mean it today - citizens of the Philippines. So why would some Igorots ever think that they are not Filipinos?
To those who think Igorot are not Filipinos, consider these:
After reading the posts in the above mentioned profile, it made me wonder what the creator of the profile is trying to achieve. I tried hard to be as objective as possible when analyzing it but in the end, the impression that prevailed was that, it is divisive and biased (in other Filipino term, masyadong makasarili at makitid ang mga pananaw). Not only that the site profile is calling for the seclusion of the Igorot people, some statements there are coming out with the "I'm an Igorot thus I'm better than you" attitude. If it aims to promote the Igorot culture, it is achieving the opposite. If it is to show pride of being an Igorot, it speaks more of arrogance.
Claiming to be an Igorot but not a Filipino does not make one "Igoroter" (more Igorot). All the more, such claim does not speaks well of the Igorot community as a whole. (We can not even pass Cordillera's autonomy, how much more of establishing another nationality?) Rather than separating ourselves, let us instead know what and where we really are and what we can contribute as Igorots for the betterment not just of our community but for the country and to the whole world.
As I understand, Mr. Romulo issued the infamous statement, "Igorots are not Filipinos", as counteraction to the portrayal of American media of Filipinos as natives and backward people. (I think he did a very bad job on this one. Click here to read more about Carlos P. Romulo's statement.)
What I don't understand is why some fellow Igorots, after what all our ascendants have done to trample Carlos P. Romulo's bigotry, are now patronizing and giving justice to the man's claim. Yes, he was right in saying that originally, Filipino refers to Spaniards born in the Philippines and indios who become subjects of the King but not citizens of Spain. Nevertheless, he was still very wrong because the term "Filipino" when he wrote the book was defined as to what we mean it today - citizens of the Philippines. So why would some Igorots ever think that they are not Filipinos?
To those who think Igorot are not Filipinos, consider these:
- Fact remains that Carlos P. Romulo issued that statement but never in his capacity as a Philippine government official. Ergo, it's his opinion and his alone.
- Fact remains that Filipino is the nationality of people born in the Philippines and/or of Filipino descents. Igorots, Ilocanos, Pangasinenses, Kapampangan, Visayan, Hiligaynons, Bicolanos, Tagalog and the likes are just cultural divisions of this nationality.
- Fact remains that the mountain ranges of the Cordillera is in the Philippines. Igorots' forefathers were born in the Philippines too. Therefore, Cordillerans or Igorots are Filipinos. That's logic. Any contradiction is illogical.
After reading the posts in the above mentioned profile, it made me wonder what the creator of the profile is trying to achieve. I tried hard to be as objective as possible when analyzing it but in the end, the impression that prevailed was that, it is divisive and biased (in other Filipino term, masyadong makasarili at makitid ang mga pananaw). Not only that the site profile is calling for the seclusion of the Igorot people, some statements there are coming out with the "I'm an Igorot thus I'm better than you" attitude. If it aims to promote the Igorot culture, it is achieving the opposite. If it is to show pride of being an Igorot, it speaks more of arrogance.
Claiming to be an Igorot but not a Filipino does not make one "Igoroter" (more Igorot). All the more, such claim does not speaks well of the Igorot community as a whole. (We can not even pass Cordillera's autonomy, how much more of establishing another nationality?) Rather than separating ourselves, let us instead know what and where we really are and what we can contribute as Igorots for the betterment not just of our community but for the country and to the whole world.
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