Affiliates
Contact Us
Century International Hotels
TravelSmart.NET

PHILIPPINES
HONG KONG
CANADA
EUROPE
USA
INDONESIA
SINGAPORE
THAILAND


THE WEBSITE
Philippines

Bataan makes us remember the brave
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: Pinky Concha Colmenares
Date: 1999-08-30
 
continuation...

The land of the brave



Bataan's place in history as the land of the brave was not

only clinched by the final battle during World War II. In

the 1600's, the locals also displayed their courage at the

courtyard of the Abucay Catholic Church in the town of

Abucay where they fought Dutch invaders on June 23,

1647.



The church is also the site of the first printing press

operated by Tomas Pinpin who, together with Rev.

Francisco Blancas de San Jose, printed several books in

Spanish and Tagalog.



Also the land of the entrepreneurs



While Bataan is now well-known as the land of the

heroes, it is yet not known as the source of so many

products familiar in Metro Manila. According to guide -

Amy Enriquez of the provincial tourism office - the walis

tambo, for example, which we all thought to be native to

Baguio, was originally assembled in Bataan. The lengua

de gato cookies sold in several supermarts - Robinson's,

Shoemart, Landmark, Rustan's - come from the home

kitchen of Amy de la Silva who resides at the PNCC

Nuclear Plant Village in Morong. The hand-painted jars

which became quite popular in the eighties came from

Ben's Jars in Hermosa. There's also the makers of the

tinapa (smoked fish), and pastillas (milk and fruit

candies).



Actually the woman

entrepreneur behind the very

popular lengua cookies is

not a native of Bataan. Amy

de la Silva, who resides at

the NPC Housing, was born

and schooled in Murcia,

Negros Occidental. At an

extended part of what used

to be a patio, Amy's three

workers bake some 600 jars

of lengua weekly plus a

variety of other pastries, to

keep up with the demand of

Metro Manila and Subic

supermarkets.



Her enterprise started with three friends in 1992 when it

took them about six months to perfect the lengua

cookies recipe. When she went on her own in 1994, with

a capital of P2,500, she decided to take small jar of

cookies to Metro Manila, personally presenting it to

purchasing personnel of the big supermarkets like SM,

Rustans, Robinsons and Landmark. In 1996, her cookies

"broke" into the big market where it now enjoys a

patronage that keeps her bakery going.



In Hermosa town, we tracked down Mang Ben, the brains

behind the popular handpainted jars of the eighties. We

caught up with him in a secluded neighborhood deep in

this town, where he only had two of his works kept inside

a large nipa hut. There, in the company of his dogs,

Mang Ben related the fate of Ben's Jars one of the

victims of the lahar flows in 1996 which buried the source

of his jars in Pampanga. He later conceded defeat when

a big order was cancelled due to delivery delays and sold

Ben's Jars to another entrepreneur. Mang Ben, who is a

teacher by profession, is now pursuing a masteral degree

in linguistics at the University of the Philippines in

Diliman.



Your contribution to a sense of history



The drive to Bataan will have more surprises, depending

on the time you have set for it. You can visit the war

memorials in a day and can be back in Metro Manila by

the evening, but you won't have much time to talk to

locals and explore other routes. If you decide to spend a

night, there are several resorts around the peninsula

where your family can enjoy watersports.



The drive, though, will be remembered by your kids for

the rest of their lives. After all, it's about the country's

heroes. Let it be your contribution to their sense of

history. (Reprinted from Manila Bulletin's Cruising

magazine)
 

Indonesia Thailand USA Europe Canada Hong Kong Philippines