Ilocano Nation Visits Salcedo Market

Ilocos Norte was the first province featured in the highly successful Salcedo Community Market on 15 December 2007. Organized in cooperation with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte, and the Gameng Foundation, the fair highlighted food, arts and crafts and tourist destinations of the True North.

Ilocano food--pakbet, dinardaraan, insarabasab--were the featured dishes in cooking demos conducted by the Ablan family cooks, and the Ms. Glenda Barreto of Via Mare, who presented her own version of pakbet salad consisting of blanched pakbet vegetables with a bagoong-calamansi-sukang iloco dressing. Many enjoyed tasting both traditional dishes and the "improvements" on the old recipes.

Abel weaves, baskets, bags, among others, were likewise offered--to introduce the native arts and crafts of the province. Cornick, banana, camote and taro chips, peanuts, and the famous Pasuquin biscocho were also available. The homemade tupig, the traditional harbinger of the holiday mood, was also a hit, with limited stocks sold out within two hours of opening. Some had to wait for additional deliveries of bagnet and longanisa, as the initial supply was unable to keep up with the demand.

Ilocos Norte resorts, hotels and other destinations were also featured through posters, videos and brochures in the booth of the Provincial Tourism Office. Ms. Irene Marcos Araneta, anak ti Batac, and tourism ambassador of goodwill, was an encouraging presence throughout the one-day fair, braving the heat with her kailian.

All told, it was a fun day for Ilocanos and their friends, as they celebrated the end of the year, in the event properly called PANAGGAPAS-The Ilocano Harvest.