Eight reasons why I'd come again to Camiguin

Traveling around our archipelago the past several years to gather information for our book Linamnam (Anvil Publishing, available at all National Book Stores and Powerbooks), my darleng Mary Ann and I discovered the sheer diversity of our cultures and cuisines, endowed with so much natural wonder, and with our greatest asset as having one of the warmest, most hospitable, and happiest people on the planet. And yet, the more we’ve seen of our country, the more it seems like we’ve only touched the proverbial tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to see, taste and discover even in places we’ve been to before. We’d grab every chance to travel that extra mile for good chow, whether a hole-in-the-wall or an upscale joint.

THE HARD WORK

Speaking of opportunities to travel, around July of every year, the country is abuzz with a culinary competition circuit starting in the cities of Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and Baguio (Sept. 6-8) leading to the main event, the National Food Showdown, to be held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, from Sept. 21-22. Our dear friend, chef Myrna Segismundo (TV Food Chefs Inc. of ABS-CBN) chairs it.

Anyway, a stable of the “usual suspects” of judges from the food industry (restaurateurs, hoteliers, HRM educators, including “industrious” foodies like me) find time out from our busy schedules to go to the regional competitions and winnow out the best in each region. Each respective winner in the professional and student categories will represent Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and, of course, the NCR/Calabarzon (Metro Manila/Southern Tagalog areas).

Rarin’ to RORO: The “usual suspects” about to embark on the ferry to Camiguin.

Naturally, the organizers in each competition literally roll out the red carpet and bring their best food forward to make every judge’s stay not only comfortable but pleasurable as well. I must hasten to add, though, that judging is not all “wine and roses.” It’s actually grueling, hard work. For two days we’re given several assignments that could start as early as 7 a.m. and finish by 6 p.m., if we’re lucky. Just imagine judging in the student cooking category with some nuts (cashew, pun intended) as the main ingredient, with some 20 teams competing, each doing three dishes as dessert, appetizer or main course (all or any combination of the three). That makes a total of 60 dishes to try within two hours. The cashew nut will have sprouted out of one’s ears by the time you even got halfway through the event.

Though the actual judging is based on the team’s mise en place (correct equipment and food preparation), presentation and taste, an observant bystander could actually tell a judge’s score by his facial expression after every spoonful or even just a whiff of the dish — a smile, frown, cringe, or outright spitting out of the food (with paper napkin in hand, to be polite). Likewise, with the Flair-tending event (bartending with juggling/dance performance) with some 30-plus participants, at mid-morning at that, some concoctions look and taste like mouthwash, or worse, like toilet cleaner, as one foreign judge protested. It’s sheer punishment. Still and all, as a judge, one can actually still find inspiration, learn from the experience and further broaden one’s creativity in the kitchen. I do hope that the participants learn from their experiences as well.

THE FUN PART

In the middle of last month, I joined the usual suspects at the “Kumbira 2012” in Cagayan de Oro City, the country’s biggest and longest-running (now on its 16th year) culinary competition. Its organizers said that this year is bigger than last year’s, having more participants with some coming all the way from Manila. It seems that the city has bounced back on its feet, considering the devastating floods it underwent last December 2011.

After the last grueling day of judging, we were feted with a dinner and sing/dance-along as a reward for our weary bones at the VIP Hotel’s penthouse. Proprietor and Kumbira’s chair Eileen San Juan hosted it. Her in-house sinuglaw (the city’s signature dish of sinugba na baboy or grilled pork mixed with kinilaw na isda) is something to write home about. Meanwhile, Kumbira’s president Joanna L.Yu brought in from her farm several rows of roasted whole chickens skewered on bamboo poles in threes and boxes of humongous sweet santol averaging more than half a kilo each.

This being my fifth time to join Kumbira, an after-event activity is always planned for those who opt to stay an extra night. Call it a perk or an incentive, but this actually gives us a chance to discover uncharted territory. Last year’s destination was a visit to the Del Monte Plantation, a zip-ride nearby, and the Transfiguation Monastery in Malaybalay, Bukidnon, where a sumptuous lunch awaited us prepared by my kabalen Dom Martin (erstwhile fashion designer Gang Gomez of San Fernando, Pampanga).

This time around it was Camiguin Island, that mystical volcanic island “born of fire,” famous for its lanzones. Located north of mainland Mindanao, it can be reached by passenger ferry or RORO boats from Cagayan de Oro, Cebu or Bohol. Being the smallest province in northern Mindanao comprising an area of only 30,000 hectares, one can actually circle the island by car (on good coastal paved roads at that) in less than two hours.

Binaké: This Visayan delicacy is made of grated corn mixed with coconut milk and sugar, much like the Mexican tamale in form and texture, sold by the roadside at P5 each.

From our “home” at Alexis “Ging” Chaves’s Cha-li Beach Hotel in Cagayan de Oro, the van took us an hour more than the usual to get to Balignoan Port, Misamis Oriental, causing us to miss the 11 a.m. RORO to Camiguin. The lone highway is under major repair, with seven one-way portions making motorists wait for their turn, alternating each way. With the next boat departing at 2 p.m., we had no recourse but to look for good chow, which we found at nearby Matangale Resort. And, as if to pacify our grumbling stomachs (a lunch was supposed to greet us in Camiguin, courtesy of its governor, which was aborted), several itinerant vendors dangled their stuff by our windows.

• Reasons No. 1 and 2: What caught my attention was a basketful of saang or spider conch (take all for P300) and binaké or steamed grated corn mixed with coconut milk and sugar (P5 each). The staff at Matangale resort obliged us by cooking the saang and serving the binaké.

Once we reached Binoni Port in Camiguin, one could readily notice the crystal-clear blue waters right at the pier. As we drove to our several destinations, one will notice, too, that cleanliness is maintained throughout, whether at beaches, markets, plazas, and the several public cold, hot and soda water pools.

• Reason No. 3: Camiguin has its share of natural wonders to visit, like the 250-foot-drop Katibawasan Falls, where we found our third discovery for the day by its entrance —crisp fried wafers called kiping, made of finely grated cassava and doused with muscovado syrup, cooked right on the premises and sold for P10 per piece.

• Reason No. 4: From there, we went to the Bura soda-water swimming pool, where some lanzones were being sold for P50 per kilo, freshly picked from the seller’s backyard. Though we were there at the start of lanzones season, it is yet to peak in October, culminating in a four-day festival on the third week. The ones we bought were already sweet, but we were told they could be sweeter given a couple of weeks more. It so happens that this year’s harvest happens to be a good one, which falls every other year.

• Reason No. 5: Next on our agenda was Catarman’s Gui-ob Church ruins, then the sunset view at the sunken cemetery Cross Memorial, the Ardent Hibok-hibok Spring Resort, and finally the home-based chocolate-chip maker Maestrado, where owner Juvy Maaño served us the dark brew in espresso cups.

• Reason No. 6: Our home for the night was at the Bahay Bakasyunan sa Camiguin, where we found our sixth discovery — this time during our dinner by the pool in a chicken dish called sorol — chicken chopped into small pieces (too small, resulting in too many bone shards) and cooked with coconut milk and tomatoes. We were told this is Camiguin’s signature dish, quite similar to the halang-halang of Bohol.

• Reason No. 7: Bahay Bakasyunan is a discovery in itself. It is a beautiful resort built on a budget yet tastefully executed using local materials (i.e. sawali or bamboo wall/ceiling mats woven Visayan-style with a diamond pattern, bamboo, coco husk for its reception’s drop ceiling), with its rooms equipped with modern amenities like air-conditioning and a hot shower.

• Reason No. 8: The following morning, we were up at 6 a.m. to head to White Island, which is actually just a sandbar that could be reached by rented banca off Mambajao town. Though the view of Camiguin Island from the white sandbar is nothing short of spectacular and breathtaking, a tidal wave of excitement overwhelmed our party when a vendor with a basket of tuyom or sea urchins approached us (so cheap talaga!). The enterprising fisherman sold the newly caught tuyom at P100 for three pieces, replete with an almost ritualistic cutting of each shell with a knife, spooning out the shards and dirt from the shell, pouring the spicy tuba or coconut vinegar (this actually “cooks” it, like kinilaw), then handing it to the recipient with a plastic spoon to scoop out the roe. Major discovery number eight!

By 10 a.m. we were back at Bahay Bakasyunan for a quick brunch and shower. It was rather unfortunate we had to cut short our lightning visit to Camiguin to catch the ferry back to the mainland and drive to the airport for our flight back to Manila at 5 p.m. We were told there were other local delicacies to discover, like La Salud Turrones de Mani, Vjandep Pastel, and piñatos. Given our tradition of bringing home pasalubong, there’s so much more to Camiguin than I bargained for. It’s definitely worth coming back to.

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