First in Iloilo, and only in Oton! First in Iloilo, and only in Oton! Anhawan Beach Resort and Spa now offers sailing! Try cruising the shores of Iloilo, or visit the coves of Guimaras via our Getaway or Bravo Hobies! Watch out for the opening of our Sailing School very soon. No other than the famous Olympian sailor Nestor Soriano will give the best sailing experience only Anhawan can offer! Try cruising the shores of Iloilo, or visit the coves of Guimaras via our Getaway or Bravo Hobies! Watch out for the opening of our Sailing School very soon. No other than the famous Olympian sailor Nestor Soriano will give the best sailing experience only Anhawan can offer

Bibingka sa Mohon

Bingkahan sa Mohon is a business of Felicidad C. Animas. She started to make her now famous bibingkas in the 1950s. This business of hers has been able to support her family through the years.

Currently, Felicidad’s son, Noel manages the business. As his strategy for promoting their native rice cake, he occasionally sells at the plazas of Sta. Barbara and Molo. Several years ago, he rented a place in Casa Plaza, a building at Iloilo City’s business district to market his product, but due to high overhead costs, he gave up the place and returned to Mohon.

The 50-year old bingkahan is already a Mohon icon. When people think of Mohon, they think of the Bingkahan.

Unlike other bibingkas in Iloilo, the Mohon bibingka is stickier and contains a lot of shredded coconut. This dainty bibingka has a distinctive sweet and milky taste. Pilit (glutinous rice), bugas (regular rice), margarine, white sugar and buko (shredded young coconut) are the only ingredients used. Surprisingly, it does not even contain gata (coconut milk), a basic ingredient of other bibingkas.

Sugar, margarine and buko are placed in an empty bowl, to which the ground bugas and pilit are added. All these ingredients are thoroughly mixed with a ladle. Three tablespoons of the mixture is then placed in individual banana-laid molders made of recycled milk cans. The bibingkas are now ready to be baked in that familiar brick oven.

After fifteen to twenty minutes, the hot bibingka is drawn out of the oven and placed in brown paper bags.

This is how the bibingka of Mohon is made. The secret to its exceptional taste lies in the manner of its preparation, the choice of its ingredients and the use of traditional technology. It possesses a delectable flavor that reflects the taste of the old days when people really made time for cooking and never compromised on quality.

This Bingkahan is not just a business, it is Mohon’s Pride.

Photos from Flavours f Iloilo

Lampirong (Placuna placenta)

Lampirong (alternative spelling: Lamperong) also known as Windows Shell. One of the most distinct and beautiful architectural details of old Philippine buildings are the windows made with shell rather than glass. We’re not sure if this is because glass was not made in the Philippines or it was just too expensive, but whatever the reason, it has has given us a treasure in these beautiful windows. We had imagined that Capiz was something of the distant past until the stands selling “Lampirong” oysters (Placuna placenta) sprang up along the National Highway between Oton and Tigbauan, Iloilo on Panay Island in May. The vendor told us that these Lampirong were harvested right in the immediate area.

At first glance the Lampirong seem so thin that there could not be much meat. This proved not to be the case. The Lampirong were meatier than other local oysters and, according to my Filipino family, exceptionally fresh, sweet and delicious. The cost was P35 per kilo.

The Municipality of Oton is slowly regaining its long lost tile as the lampirong capital of the Province. Lampirong or capiz shell (Placuna placenta) is an economically important bivalve because f its shell that is processed into shellcraft, capiz window and other interior decorations.

According to the initial stock assessment conducted by marine biologists from SEAFEDC last January 2011, the lampirong population has an estimated cover 1,500 hectares more or less or 26% of the 4,600 hectares of the municipal

waters of Oton.

The harvesting of this economically important bivalve started in July 2010.

According to the records from the Municipal Agriculture and Municipal Economic and Enterprise Development Offices, the estimated volume of lampirong harvested totaled to 300 tons.

At present , there are ten motorboats engaged in diving operations and has the capacity to harvest 10-15 tons per day. They are selling P5.50 per kilo for

wholesale buyers.

For interested buyers, these are some important information regarding the weight size:ratio.

For wet weight:

3” = 20-30grams
3.5” = 36-38 grams
4” = 46-43 grams

For dry weight:

3” = 15-20grams
3.5” = 23-25 grams
4” = 25-28 grams

For more information, please contact MACO at 3382228 or 3373634 or MEEDO at 3014706.

Kogtong (Grouper Fish)

Another theory is that the name of the town comes from the name of a fish, “kogtong”, a very abundant kind during those days.

The third is that Oton’s name comes from a plant abundant in the river’s estuary. It was the decayed stalk of this plant that was deposited along the river banks, later forming the town’s site.

Oton was the first settlement established in Panay during the spanish Period and which later became the seat of the Alcadia de Panay from 1572 to 1581.

After the founding of Arevalo in 1581, the seat of the government was moved there, hence, Arevalo was the capital of the province from 1581 to 1688 while the province was then called Province de Iloilo.

Much earlier, Oton was also an important Malay capital. Under Datu Paiburong, the seat of the government was Katagman(now, Brgy. San Antonio) until he died of old age in 226 A.D. Only then did the chieftainship was returned back to Aklan, that was when Balingsasa, Datu Bankaya’s son became Paiburong’s successor.

The town has the great honor to be the first place in the Philippines where the temple dedicated to the Immaculate Concepcion of the Virgin Mary was built and where the Gospel was first preached.

Oton Councilor Migs Flores founded the Oton Models Guild (OMG!). They were the ones who showcased all the indigenous hablon clothing outside of our municipal territory. Our kasimanwas “rampa” at SM City Iloilo Activity Center and took pride of our town’s premiere product – HABLON!

For more photos go here:  Hablon Fashion Show by LGU Oton at the 4th Fiber Fashion Fair

I drove along the highway, past our place at Molo. I was thinking of my bed but the thought of seeing Oton and looking for its past kept me going. Then we finally arrived; I drove around the plaza and parked somewhere near the parish church. With our cameras we jumped out of the car, entered Oton’s plaza and looked for the stone mural first… continue reading from original post @ http://iloiloilove.com

Photos by Mark Segador of http://iloiloilove.com

Twitter Handler

Switching from one Twitter ID to another is pretty easy.

You open your Twitter account settings, try a username that’s not taken and if you find one, hit the Save button.

What happens when you change your Twitter username?

Twitter handles the “username” transition pretty smartly. It won’t affect your existing follower count, your direct messages and the old tweets will be preserved and you’ll continue to be part of the same Twitter lists as before.

What’s the problem then?

Let’s say your original Twitter handle was @badguy that you later changed to @goodguy. Twitter will automatically shift your existing friends and followers to the new ID (@goodguy) but the search engines will still hold your old handle (@badguy) in their index for some time.

That means if people are searching for your Twitter account on Google, they may reach your old profile page and that will return a 404 as you moved to another alias. Therefore, when changing your Twitter username, immediately reserve the old one before anyone else can claim it.

Changing Twitter Handles the Right Way

Step 1: Go to your Twitter account settings and change the username from badguy to goodguy.

Step 2: Log out of Twitter immediately and create another account (you may use the same email address).

Step 3: Use badguy as the handle for your new Twitter account and set the profile URL to twitter.com/goodguy. In the description, you can say – “this account has moved, please follow @goodguy instead.” You can even post a new tweet with the same message.

Now if people stumble upon your old Twitter page through search engines or through links on other web pages, they can still find and follow you on your new profile. For more tricks, check the Twitter guide.

Plastic Bags

A sneak peak has been posted on a social networking site with regard to pass out an order banning shop keepers from providing plastic bags to customers for carrying their purchases, with little lasting effect. Plastic bags are very popular with both retailers as well as consumers because they are cheap, strong,

lightweight, functional, as well as a hygienic means of carrying food as well as other goods. Even though they are one of the modern conveniences that we seem to be unable to do without, they are responsible for causing pollution, flood, killing wildlife, and using up the precious resources of our planet.

Here are some of the harmful effects of plastic bags:

Plastic bags litter the landscape. Once they are used, most plastic bags go into landfill, or rubbish tips. Each year more and more plastic bags are ending up littering the environment. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches, and streets. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes.

Plastic bags kill animals. About 100,000 animals such as dolphins, turtles whales, penguins are killed every year due to plastic bags. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and therefore die. And worse, the ingested plastic bag remains intact even after the death and decomposition of the animal. Thus, it lies around in the landscape where another victim may ingest it.

No To Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are non-biodegradable. And one of the worst environmental effects of plastic bags is that they are non-biodegradable. The decomposition of plastic bags takes about 1000 years.

Petroleum is required to produce plastic bags. As it is, petroleum products are diminishing and getting more expensive by the day, since we have been using this non-renewable resource increasingly. Petroleum is vital for our modern way of life. It is necessary for our energy requirements – for our factories, transport, heating, lighting, and so on. Without viable alternative sources of energy yet on the horizon, if the supply of petroleum were to be turned off, it would lead to practically the whole world grinding to a halt. Surely, this precious resource should not be wasted on producing plastic bags, should it?

So, What Can be Done about the Use of Plastic Bags?

Single-use plastic bags have become such a ubiquitous way of life that it seems as if we simply cannot do without them. However, if we have the will, we can start reducing their use in small ways.

A tote bag, bayong, basket can make a good substitute for holding the shopping. You can keep the bag with the attendant, and then put your purchases into it instead of the usual plastic bag. Recycling the plastic bags you already have is another good idea. These can come into use for various purposes, like holding your garbage, instead of purchasing new ones.

Tote Bag, Basket, Bayong

While governments may be working out ways to lessen the impact of plastic bags on the environment, however, each of us should shoulder some of the responsibility for this problem, which ultimately harms us.

Katagman Festival

Katagman Festival has an interesting cultural theme. Experience the excitement, magic and art behind the golden mask. The festival is aimed at recognizing the historical significance of this mask to the community which has been fading in the past years. In its cultural presentation, the golden mask is an important emblem. It is also important to its local culture. The celebration recognizes it and is hailed as a tool to help unify Oton by preserving its past and looking forward to its future. Organizers of the week-long celebration hope to prove that their festival can help bind their population; fighting to maintain Oton’s culture no matter what the current political situation might be. And that they are doing this because culture helps a community to live and it brings national unity. Be enthralled by the different tribes performing their superb adaptation of the history of Oton. The Musical, Dance and Theater performances of the different groups provides a not-to-miss opportunity to explore history of the town known as the first pueblo and seat of Christianity in Western Visayas.

What makes Katagman Festival of Oton so much fun for visitors and residents? Well, it is easy to find, Oton is 10.2 kilometers or a 30-minute jeepney ride from downtown Iloilo. It is the first town (2nd Class) in the southern part of the province and is blessed with beautiful beaches and resorts that provide basic and modern amenities from simple cottages to swimming pools.

The Golden Mask

In Oton, there is always good food. The town is known for its mouth-watering talaba (oyster) and fresh seafoods served in restaurants such as Nes and Tat’s, Allan’s Talabahan and Anhawan Resort. It also has the best buco pie in Iloilo, the Nang Palang’s Buco Pie in Barangay Trapiche. Well-known for its watermelons, oton has also eaned the title as the “Sandiya Capital of the Visayas” for producing the sweetest and the most abundant watermelon in the region. The annual SANDIYA Festival is a celebration of harvest that features arts and crafts show and food vendors held every first week of December.

There is shopping for local souvenir items and are varied and reasonable. Its trade establishments and micro enterprises continue to produce diverse arts and crafts that have grown from local manufacturers to world-class exporters of quality products. Most notable are the multi-colored cacao leaf lampshades and home decors of BOYEL Marketing owned by Elsa Chavez and family and the hablon products of Mrs. Ana Cordova in Barangay Cagbang.

There is entertainment and activities for everyone. Experience the very best in historic Oton through its week-long festivity in a packed and diverse program, all fun for the entire family. The event begins with an Exhibition on Ogtong History and Culture at the SB Session Hall alongside the Unveiling of the Replica of the Golden Mask at the town Plaza; Opening of Agri-Fair, Garden Show and Plant Sale at the Municipal Hall and the Search for Ginoong Erpat and Ginang Ermat at the Municipal Plaza; the Search for Oton Foundation Queen and the Opening of Food Festival; the Porma Baras and Motorboat Race at the Poblacion South alongside the  Oton Mountain Bike Race at the town plaza; Bomborador, On-the-Spot-Painting; and the much-anticipated Street Dancing and the Musical, Dance and Theater Competition.

Hablon, Pride of Oton

Oton’s hablon, handicrafts and delicacies were recently given promotional boost with the municipality’s recent participation in the Indigenous Fiber Fashion Fair  at SM City and The Tumandok Fair at Robinson’s Place.

In the local weaving industry, when one mentions the word ‘Hablon’, the Municipality of Oton rings a bell to the ears of those in the trade. There is the Salngan Livelihood Multi Purpose Cooperative and Oton Handwoven Products.. And what more can a town, which is not only known for its Katagman Festival but also for its noble and enduring Hablon production, do to promote itself and especially its exquisite fabric than parading them in a fashion show!

Hablon Weaving

From elegant Barongs and dresses to colorful and chic Sarongs and bags, Oton put into the spotlight its Hablon products at their best. The message was to make people more aware of the Hablon industry and appreciate its fashion potential, at the same time discourage the exclusive association of Hablon with the ‘oldies’ garments’. Moreover, the intention was to bring the local business into the wider market eventually for export in regional and international markets. The tagline, “Rural Livelihood Journey and Urban Fashion Business”, was indeed easily realistic.

As Provincial Tourism Officer Bombette Marin put it, “After all, fashion is not about glamour and entertainment. Fashion is about work.”

Apart from the fashion show, the Fair had exhibits of the variety of Hablon products.

Weaved Products of Municipality of Oton

Consequently, this would fuel the local Hablon industry as it would inspire future expansion and fashion opportunities, and generate more jobs not just in the town of Oton but also in other towns that produce Hablon products.

Meanwhile, other aims of the Fair were to assist identified communities in the development and marketing of their crafts in providing alternative seller-buyer market venues because Manila trade fairs are becoming too expensive with too many fairs that created buyers’ burnt out, and to link local agencies to intervene with the creation of livelihood training and technology exchange in order to generate jobs as means of reducing poverty and providing a viable source of income.