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Philippines |
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Bataan makes us remember
the brave |
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Source: Manila Bulletin |
Author: Pinky Concha Colmenares |
Date: 1999-08-30 |
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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)
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