MANILA, Philippines—I’m going to do a mixed column for today, following up on bits and pieces from past columns and readers’ inquiries.
Where else to start but typhoon “Frank” (international codename: “Fengshen,” which is Chinese for “god of winds”), with the country still recovering from its destructive assault? Why, people ask again, don’t we have an efficient warning system in place?
In a column I wrote last year, I mentioned that several British companies had cooperated with the UK Met Office (Meteorological Office) to put up an international tropical storm notification system, including email alerts. I checked through my email and the first alert I got for Fengshen was dated June 19, three days before it struck the Philippines. That first alert gave the chances of Fengshen hitting the Philippines as “45 percent in 36 hours.” As the storm strengthened, the email alerts continued to come in every 12 hours, until it reported a “100 percent chance.”
The alerts are linked to a webpage, www.tropicalstormrisk.com, where you can get more detailed information, including maps showing a typhoon’s movements and its wind speed. Go to that website as well to sign up for the email alerts.
With our now fairly extensive Internet and cell phone networks, we should be able to get warnings out, every hour when necessary, with appropriate recommendations on what to do. Fengshen went on to hit Hong Kong with even stronger winds than we had, but there was no loss of life (as far as I know), and I’m not surprised. I was once caught in Hong Kong during a storm and was impressed with the way they had formulated several levels of alerts, broadcast on radio and television, and through signboards on the streets and in stores. As the storm worsens, you see the city girding itself, to the point where all shops shut down. You have the sense of urgency, but without panicking.
‘Sampalok’ substitute
From storms, let’s move on to something more pleasant: food. Back in May, I wrote two columns about appreciating local food as part of our heritage. In the first column, I mentioned that I was going to tell readers where they could get “batuan,” but that slipped my mind completely when I wrote up the second column. Sorry about that, but let me now explain what “batuan” is. That’s an alternative, popular among Ilonggos, to “sampalok” [tamarind] for making “sinigang” with a very different tangy sour taste. Until recently, it was difficult finding batuan in Manila, with my friends from Iloilo occasionally bringing the fruit to me as pasalubong. Now, I’m glad to say, you can buy “batuan” at Tiendesitas in Pasig City, at ECJ Foods, which is right at the entrance to the food court. The “batuan” is preserved so you can use it for as long as it’s kept refrigerated.
ECJ also has excellent durian. Apparently they’ve been able to grow Thai and Malaysian varieties in Negros Island. If you’re lucky, you can get the fruits fresh, but most of the time it’s flown in frozen, without too much loss of flavor.
ECJ also has excellent “sinamak,” vinegar with all kinds of spices.
The food court at Tiendesitas and the adjoining food stalls do offer local stuffs that are hard to find elsewhere. Balaw Balaw restaurant, a branch of the famous one in Angono, sometimes carries “uok.” If it sounds like “uod,” or worm, it’s because it refers to some kind of insect larva. Being vegetarian, I couldn’t taste it but it did look crunchy.
The Ifugao Rice Depot has upland rice varieties and organic rice. Look for the stall with Kablon Farm jams and coconut sugar.
Another stall has “alamid” coffee, one of the most exotic coffees in the world, literally processed through the civet cat. The civet feeds on coffee beans, which pass through its gut and out through the rear, giving the beans a special “touch” and flavor. The beans are of course cleaned (at least I hope they are) before they’re packaged and sold.
Still on food, I’m so ashamed about not mentioning the book “Slow Food,” edited by Erlinda Panlilio and Felice Sta. Maria. I had at least two copies and, as good books go, they tend to disappear. And that didn’t happen in my kitchen—the books were at the University of the Philippines, where I had recommended it to my anthropology students.
“Slow Food” is a collection of recipes, with stories, capturing the joys of traditional cooking, slow but convivial, meaning as you prepare it, you end up talking with people (instead of watching the microwave timer and wondering why it takes so long. . .), or your dog and cat.
Vintage recordings
On to another column, and still on heritage: the CD reissues of Sylvia la Torre, Ruben Tagalog and other vintage recordings of Filipino music. Several readers wrote to ask where they could get the CDs. I mentioned that I got mine from Astrovision in Greenhills.
During my first visit there to get the reissues, I was fortunate I had a sales clerk who really knew the stuff. The second time around the clerks I asked were clueless about these reissues, which actually occupied several shelves. They were still, however, more helpful than the ones at the Shangri-La branch, who wouldn’t have cared less about any of the CDs they had. I looked around quickly and couldn’t find the reissues. Maybe they had it, maybe they didn’t.
I should mention that on my second visit to the Greenhills Astrovision shop, I found CDs of Lucio San Pedro and Antonio Buenaventura, two Filipino classical composers. Gerard Salonga put out the CDs, performed by a complete symphony orchestra with choral support.
I haven’t been able to visit other music shops but I suspect there will be differences in the variety of reissued CDs that they have, and on how well trained the sales clerks are to find their stocks. If your neighborhood shop doesn’t carry the CDs, then tell them you want them to. The reissues come mainly from Aquarius. (Unfortunately, I don’t have its address. Advice to Aquarius: you should put your contact information on your products.)
CD stores that don’t have these reissues are missing out on potential sales. I’ve had inquiries from young and old readers alike, and from overseas Filipinos. If there are overseas Filipino store owners who stock the CDs in your Filipino grocery or shop—in Milan or Macau, Sydney or Sao Paolo—do drop me a line and I’ll mention you in a future column.
One Filipino reader in Australia also asked if there was an Internet site where you could get the music online. As far as I know no one has set up such a site for Filipino music. There are so many overseas Filipinos out there who miss Sylvia and Pilita and Nora.
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Email: mtan@inquirer.com.ph
