2009 December 26 | HabagatCentral.com

Comida Zamboangueña

We already know about Pampanga’s exquisite yet exotic cuisine, the Ilonggo’s love affair with seafood and broth-based food, and Bicolanos’ penchant for anything chili and coconut milk or gata. However, there is one city in the Philippines that may have been overlooked (or perhaps evaded out of “fear of Mindanao”) ...

Mindanao Saga: Return to the Land of Promise

Mindanao—the second largest island in, down south of the republic…very far yet so close to my heart. For most of the urbanites, it is a place that most should avoid because of adjectives associated with it: war-torn, poverty-stricken and home of the “terrorists.” Indeed, the notion of the island has ...

The Heart of Urban Marawi City

“Even most MSU students don’t dare to go to ‘town,’” a Maranao friend of mine once said. Marawi City has been hampered with so much negative publicity in the Philippine mainstream that for the people of the lowlands, the only thing that makes them go there would be enrolling or visiting ...

An Ode to Bonifacio: Monumento of Caloocan City

Monumento, one of the few places in Metro Manila that earned its name as a hub and a bustling commercial center. Lagi nating dinadaanan ang Monumento ni Gat Andres Bonifacio pero di natin napapansin na isa ito sa mga pinakadakilang monumento sa ating republika. For most of us, Monumento in ...

Keso de Gallo: 9 Mornings with Kraft Eden Cheese

By Berniemack Arellano, on December 26th, 2009%

Puto Kalabasa with Eden Cheese | Photo by Flowell Galindez

BACOLOR, Pampanga — Christmas is the time of the year for giving, sharing and togetherness. As part of the tradition we Filipinos do during Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the Redeemer by observing nine mornings…nine days of waking up early and hearing mass we know as misa de gallo or simbang gabi. Christmas isn’t complete without a sumptuous meal served, may it be simple or extravagant. This is how Filipinos celebrate life. Yet 2009 was a tough year for most of us Pinoys. A lot of us have felt the brunt of tragedies and catastrophes. But no matter how tough it is Filipinos find hope in Christmas. Read more