AN IDYLLIC DAY IN PINAMUNGAHAN

WE WERE IN A celebratory mood as we drove from Toledo City down to Pinamungajan town on the west coast of Cebu in the morning of October 14, 2009. Eddie Alberca drove the white Suzuki Every220 and Noel Ronquillo sat beside him. Meanwhile, I have all the spaces in the back seat. Willy Sulib, drove from behind us on board his motorcycle.  

It is a fine Thursday morning even when the clouds were wispy gray and a promise of rain tingled the senses. Soon enough, it rained, drenching Willy following us. The wind slapped hard the windshields and visibility became blurred as the water cascaded on the glass.

We were cruising slowly along the seaside road of Cabiangon in Pinamungajan when we caught sight of fishermen unloading their net from a beached small fishing vessel. By this time, the rains had already stopped. Women and children milled around the blissful activity and joined the fishermen in picking their catch.

Curious, I asked Eddie to stop the mini-van and I went down from the vehicle into the pavement and from the breakwater wall I jumped five feet below into the soft sand of the narrow strip of beach. I came nearer and, instantly, my gastronomic juices came alive when I saw the glints of the tiny scales of the freshly-caught anchovies.

Then and there, I “begged” to have a part of their catch and, after a very brief haggling, I was able to tow away a kilo-and-a-half of the fresh little fish to the direction of my waiting miniature van with two grinning faces waiting inside. This done, after I paid just a hundred pesos (almost $2) for it. Not bad for a few minute's “work”!

Up ahead, we decided to stop by at our favorite watering hole in this part of the province. Instantly, Noel and Willy de-scaled and de-boned the anchovies by washing it first with fresh water while Eddie mixed vinegar, onions, garlic and pepper. The anchovies will then be eaten raw after dipping it in the “reinforced” vinegar and, what do you know, we will taste a sample of heaven. In Japan, they call this sashimi but here we call it simply as kinilaw. Minus the wasabi, of course.

On the other hand, I found a half-gallon of bahalina – a native concoction made from the sap of a coconut tree and fermented for a few days to produce a strong drink with a very tangy taste. To make it compatible with the tongue, I mixed one part of it with another part of a locally-made soda drink – Jaz Cola. “J & B”, that's what people call this drink. Short for “Jaz Cola and bahalina”! (Laughing)

We ate, we drank and we talked; making most of our free time; enjoying the good fortune that the day have heaped upon Willy and all the efforts that Eddie, Noel and I have accomplished after more than a year of trying. It is a good day indeed and it is a good time to celebrate.

Wanna try kinilaw and “J & B”?

Document done in OpenOffice 2.1 Writer