List of Activities, 2018

LIST OF ACTIVITIES, 2018

1.         QUIAPO SPECIAL FOOD & CULTURAL TOUR, Quiapo, Manila, May 5, 2018 

This event was organized by CHOP officer Inez Silva-Reyes, in collaboration with Mr. Martin Lopez of FEU (Sampaloc, Manila). First on the itinerary was a tour of, and a brief talk about, the UNESCO-awarded art deco campus of FEU, led by Mr. Lopez, followed by an exploration (led by a Nakpil descendant, Ms. Bobbie Santos Viola) of the Bahay Nakpil Bautista, one of the oldest homes in Quiapo, where key figures in Philippine history lived, which included a lunch. Next stop was the historic San Sebastian Basilica, the only church in Asia made entirely of steel, to learn about the onging conservation initiatives there. The group proceeded to the Casa Consulado (the Ituralde Mansion) another heritage home in Quiapo, and then to the Quiapo Church to visit the Black Nazarene. A fitting end to the event was shopping for native handicrafts at the “ilalim ng tulay” (under-the-bridge market).

2.         INDANG FOOD TOUR, Indang, Cavite, June 6, 2018  

Organized by our Caviteño President, Ige Ramos, who gave an ongoing commentary about the history of Cavite, in general, and Indang, in particular, with a special mention of how Indang, with its small farms and resorts, serves as a model in agricultural sustainability. 

The tour included (1) a visit to the Indang wet and dry market which offered a bounty not only of produce but local foods like “kakanin” (rice-based cakes and snacks), honey, special “patis” (fish sauce), etc.; (2) the “Mahabang Kahoy” Weavers Association where the art of weaving has been revived to provide livelihood to the locals—the group went into a shopping frenzy when they saw the finished woven crafts; (3) the vintage town hall built during the American era and now repurposed into the Tourism Office, for the official group photograph; (4) the Santuario Nature Farms where the farmers demonstrated how to grow organic produce; (5) a sumptuous lunch at the farm; and (6) the National Coffee Research and Extension Center housed in the beautiful campus of Cavite State University, for a coffee-tasting treat and a visit to their coffee processing unit and the coffee micro-propagation section, where research is ongoing on how to mass propagate coffee by somatic embryogenesis. 

The tour ended with a visit to a store where the participants contributed to the local economy by shopping for local Cavite produce and products. CHOP is grateful to the many sponsors whose generosity helped make the event a successful one.

3.         THE HERBACEOUS KITCHEN LECTURE & DEMO by CHOP officers Pia Lim-Castillo and Susie Fong, The Pavillon, North Forbes, August 25, 2018

Excerpt from the flyer for the event:  "One can plant lots of edibles in the garden. The benefits of growing some of these yourself is that the flavor is fresher and will taste different from market- or store-bought items. More than that, you know that it is clean and free of fertilizers and pesticides. This class is meant to harness some edible plants that are high in nutrients and will easily grow in your garden."

The lecture focused on the varieties of herbs and flowers that one can grow in the backyard, and the subsequent demo showed how to properly cook the harvest. A total of 7 recipes were taught, making use of the following vegetables/herbs: talinum, blue pea flower, miang leaves and talbos ng camote.  A total of 18 people attended. Guest purveyor was Kai Farms from Silang, Cavite, who sold many different kinds of vegetables and herbs.

4.         BIYAHE SA PANTALAN, TED’S WAREHOUSE, Sta. Cruz, Laguna, October 13, 2018

CHOP collaborated with this second staging of the annual “Sa Pantalan” Festival, organized by Chef Day Salonga and his sister, Pastry Chef Gel Salonga (both CHOP members), held at Ted’s Restaurant in Sta. Cruz, Laguna (they also have a nearby restaurant, Aurora’s, as well as Ted’s Bed & Breakfast). Purveyors of food and crafts from all over Laguna are featured, and the day’s highlights included a food and crafts market; demonstrations of ice, wood, fruit and vegetable carving as well as paper-mache-making, wood shaving, pandan weaving, and embroidery works. There was also an exhibit of the works of local artists, as well as music, dance, and cultural presentations.