JULY 18 - JULY 24, 2021 8


PEOPLES CORNER


from? W What is the ‘standard’ adobo?


ho really knows the standard adobo? Where did it come


d’alhos, Adobo sa Puti, Adobo sa Gata, adobong Masabaw -- these are some versions of adobo that we know of.


Mindanao, there are lots of versions, all unique to the locality, and each version using ingredients


From Luzon to


Is it really Filipino? Adobar, Carne de Vinha


available in that place.


How would you know the standards of this dish if all of them tasted uniquely- awesome?


For me personally, a legitimate dish is something that evolved with change. Times


so do the availability of ingredients. The ingredients of adobo


are basic but it’s not the only Filipino dish that evolved


change, and through time.


We can’t strip away the ‘legitimacy’ of a certain dish if a version of it is loved by a certain locality, and cooking it supports local farmers and purveyors and continues to respect the value of tradition. The respect for tradition is not about following the old recipes to the letter. There is even no rule on how we can alter recipes. There is also a reason why cooks are compelled to make different versions -- the availability of ingredients.


particular version that gives me comfort in the worst of days.


For me, there is a


Adobo sa Puti, a version my kuya Eric from Bicol taught me in college: Pork braised in vinegar, with lots of garlic, bayleaf, peppercorns, and using only rock salt/sea salt to season, cooked to almost dry, and fried in its own fat -- which is tricky because you might over-season and make this version really salty.


For me, there is no reason to standardize the recipe for adobo. Let’s give regions their pride of their respective versions of ADOBO.


NO DGT-MNL....FROM P. 3


province was under MECQ from June 16 to July 15, he said. Both Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have a daily flight on these days, and their request for additional schedules during the weekend has yet to be approved by the provincial government, he added. Diamaoden said travelers to Negros Oriental are now allowed to present a fully- vaccinated card, and a negative antigen test, plus an S-PaSS (Safe, Swift, Smart Passage) or authority from the local government unit of their destination before boarding their flights. The S-PaSS is an online communication platform and travel management system developed by the Department of Science and Technology for easier coordination with the local government unit. If an LGU has not yet


Open Letter to Arch. Celerino S. Cuerpo from the Diocese of Dumaguete


between your company, E.M. Cuerpo Inc. and the local government of Dumaguete City that aims to establish a 174-hectare reclamation area, and convert it into an island dubbed as “Smart City” with a whopping budget of P23 billion.


This pertains to the joint venture agreement


METROPOST


Allow as to respectfully give you a background concerning the reclamation projects of the City. On March 24, 2021, the Diocese of Dumaguete organized a Forum on the Dumaguete Reclamation Extension Project which was attended by environmental scientists, Dumaguete City officials, leaders from the academe, environmental groups, leaders of church organizations, government agencies, the Clergy of the Diocese of Dumaguete, among others. As a summary, our invited scientists pointed out


the overwhelming environmental threats and damages which the reclamation may cause, particularly, to the diverse marine life as well as to the local communities in Dumaguete City.


adopted the S-PaSS, their names should be in the master list submitted by the provincial government to the airlines. Otherwise, they are not allowed to travel coming to Negros Oriental, Diamaoden said. Meanwhile, repatriation


flights for overseas Filipino workers as facilitated by the Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration continue almost daily here, he said.


past when repatriation flights usually arrive here at midnight or beyond, the aircraft with the repatriates now arrive either in the afternoon or early evening, the airport manager said. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)


As long as it entices the local taste, then it deserves respect, like your Lola’s cooking.


Edison Monte de Ramos Manuel


Adamo’s Adobo sa Puti (or Adobo sa Asin) FOOD....FROM P. 5


food in general and Pinoy food in particular. His take on the raging adobo issue: “When I did an ethnographic study of people cooking adobo around eight years ago, I was able to devise six distinctive elements that makes adobo, well, adobo. The following elements are 1) aromatics; 2) salt and savory medium; 3) acid or souring agent; 4) protein and/or vegetable; 5) fat; 6) state. These are just quantitative data, and there’s no conclusive study made so far how these data will be used or interpreted. As a neutral, unemotional researcher, I just kept my mouth shut and judge them silently.”


Ige’s chart shows us just how wide the adobo “spectrum” is in terms of the variety of ingredients, aromatics and the ways (final state) in which they are served.


My maternal Lola’s pork adobo was made from salt, vinegar, crushed garlic and pepper and cooked until tender, with the fat rendered until the sides of the meat were brown and crispy and could stand at room for days without getting spoiled.


My paternal Ama’s adobo on the other hand was the classic Chinese version called loma which meant braised pork with toyo, sugar and hard boiled eggs cooked in tea as topping. This is different from the humba (or Hong Ma as the Chinese call it). Years ago, we did a nationwide project called Soooo Pinoy for Unilever Food Solutions


to promote Pinoy Dishes one at a time. Bloggers wrote about the top restaurants in the Philippines that served the best Pinoy dishes. At the end of the search, 10 restaurants were chosen for their version of Kare Kare, Adobo, Sinigang, Crispy/ Pata, Pancit etc.


One hundred restaurants


made the final cut but the list was by no means exhaustive simply because there are practically thousands of kitchens preparing the same dish that is tweaked in a multitude of ways.


Telling someone that “my lola’s adobo is the REAL adobo, and your lola’s version is NOT”


Chef, Adamo


is akin to an act of war or at the very least, a pissing contest that only has a putrid and messy end.


In summary, what makes


the adobo of Sonny Lua of Asiong Caviteño Restaurant in Silang Cavite different from but equally delicious to the adobo served in Sincerity Restaurant in Carriedo?


Well, the politically correct answer would be the passion, care and select ingredients that went into preparing each version of this Pinoy favorite. But when I am asked who


makes the best adobo, my answer is simply: “My Mommy Nar’s adobo, of course!”


DENR....FROM P. 2


not pass. I don’t need to be mayor [anyway],” Remollo said “Give me a chance to titillate your imagination, if you buy it. If you don’t buy it, so what? I don’t have a stake here but my solemn duty to improve the lives of the people,” he said. He also said he is aware that Dumagueteños abroad have been wanting to come home to Dumaguete because of the pandemic the past 18 months. “Where will you make them work?”


“You have said your part; I will present this to the authorities, and let them decide,” the Mayor said, addressing the oppositionists of the reclamation project. “I am not a poor loser. I will accept what could happen to this plan.” “If you differ with the idea of the City Council, let us not destroy them,” Remollo appealed to bashers against Vice Mayor Karissa Tolentino-Maxino and the seven Councilors who approved the passing of the Resolution.


He also thanked the concerned groups and individuals for their inputs, like those from the scientists and the environment youth groups. He promised that their materials will be submitted to the DENR. He particularly called out the opinion makers in the community newspaper MetroPost: “I respect their professionalism. But do not cast aspersions without evidence.” Lawyer Golda Benjamin, one of the oppositors of the reclamation project, said the public should constantly ask the Mayor to “meet us in a public forum where we can engage on the finer details of his project, not a press event that he can control”.


However, unlike in the


This goes without saying that the technical processes involved have been found wanting (public disclosure and consultation, feasibility study, hydrodynamic study, environmental impact assessment, environmental compliance certificate, etc.) in as far as environmental and public interests are concerned.


While we acknowledge the intention of the local government of Dumaguete City to promote economic, social, and political development, we strongly believe that massive projects like the one stated above must also consider the scientific and environmental implications, not to mention its impacts on the cultural and moral life of the people in the local community. The Diocese of Dumaguete, therefore, expresses its opposition to this 174-hecture reclamation project. Finally, we hope that an open public forum be organized concerning this issue so that more concerned people and institutions could take part in this discussion to promote transparency and dialogue. Thank you for your kind consideration. May the


Lord guide us so that we could make well-discerned decisions for the common good of His people.


Respectfully yours in Christ,


Rev. Msgr. Glenn M. Corsiga, PC Vicar General


Rev. Fr. Gonzalo G. Oison II Chancellor


Most. Rev. Julito B. Cortes, D.D. Bishop of Dumaguete


Rev. Msgr. Robert A. Bongoyan, HP Episcopal Vicar, Dumaguete City Parishes


An Appeal for Restraint


Silliman University Church is alarmed at learning that an investment partnership between Dumaguete City and a none-Dumaguete investor will be signed in haste, affecting the sea, mountains, and coastal communities surrounding Dumaguete. We believe it is unethical that a partnership to reclaim 174 hectares of land in the sea for the city of Dumaguete is being forged, without the proper disclosure and knowledge of the people to be affected by a project of this magnitude. The proposed project will affect the coastal communities of barangays Bantayan, Piapi, Looc, Tinago, Calindagan, Mangnao, and Banilad. We believe that Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo will be neglecting his moral responsibility to provide his constituents the opportunity to be properly- informed and consulted before moving hastily into a signing. This will reflect on his leadership, and ultimately, harm the integrity of his initiative. Silliman University Church calls upon Mayor Remollo to restrain from hastily signing the City of Dumaguete into a partnership agreement of this magnitude.


the Silliman University Church Council. SU Church Council Vice-Chair Minister, Student & Campus Chaplaincy


Minister, Christian Education & Nurture Rev. Wella H. De Rosas


Rev. Leny I. Jovita Acting Senior Minister Rev. January R. Alpuerto


Gladys R. Malayang SU Church Council Chair Enriquito A. Bulos


Remollo to seek time, and acquire proper consent, by informing the people of Dumaguete City about the full extent of the project to be undertaken. Done on this 11th


day of July in Dumaguete City by Silliman University Church counsels Mayor


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