Text and photos by ELIZABETH LOLARGA
MARK Sablan is that type of guy who’d walk a mile or more to satisfy his food cravings.
Now the general manager of Marquee Mall in Angeles, Pampanga, he travels far and always find it worth the trip in the company of friends and family. When in Angeles, he heads for outlets that serve his favorites: Nathaniel’s buko pandan, Kabigting’s halo-halo, Susie’s tibo-tibok and Ikabud’s tokwa and talong.
The Marquee Mall’s outdoor park is the venue for “Big Bite! The Northern Food Festival” which started today up to Sunday.
Small-to-medium-scale entrepreneurs will take center stage at the festival alongside more celebrated chefs: Chef Rolando Laudico, Junior MasterChef Pinoy Edition judge; Chef Sau del Rosario, proud son of Pampanga, who has put up a unique decadent flavor for an ice cream line; Sabrina Artadi, beauty queen-star of TV’s Sabrina’s Kitchen; and local legend Lillian Borromeo of Kusina ni Atching Lillian who continues to wow visitors with Kapampangan heirloom recipes since she opened the doors to her ancestral home in the ’90s.
Borromeo demonstrated some of these recipes she’s known for at the media peek of the festival, beginning her demo with an apology, “I’m nervous. Di ako sanay sa maraming tao at spotlight.”
While moving around the makeshift kitchen installed onstage, she gave a brief history of each dish, among them the leche flan and adobo, referring to how Filipino construction workers in the Spanish era used so much egg whites to build the Catholic churches. The egg yolks went into the making of San Nicolas biscuits, ensaymada and leche flan, also taught by the Spaniard masters.
Maricris Bernardino, Ayala Land Inc. marketing head, said her employer is “in the forefront of innovation to bring to the community something they love–food! Pampanga is the culinary center of the Philippines, and it is timely to celebrate this by hosting the First Northern Food Festival.”
She continued, “I’m a believer in homegrown concepts. So is Ayala Land. The malls we open outside Metro Manila take into consideration the existing businesses around us so we allot a portion of development for small and medium enterprises. We encourage them to open in our malls to spur the economic activities in our malls.”
She averred, “We are not here to kill them, no, not at all. We did our backyard study even in the kind of name for this festival and tested all these with the Marquee team and their families. We needed a name that would reflect the local flavor of Pampanga, something that’s sarap, so we all agreed on Big Bite.”
The festival will have over 100 exhibitors, among them: Good Shepherd, Puff A Licious Desserts, Choco-late De Batirol from Baguio; Kalinga Food Treat Local Delicacies, VBS Food Products Local Delicacies, Magallaya Mt. Specialty Coffee, Kalinga; local delicacies from the Bakers and Restaurants Association of Ilocos Norte Local Delicacies;
CEC Food Ventures Local Delicacies, Cagayan; Apag Maragle Food Market, Kuliat Food Market, Aiza’s Sweets Local Delicacies, Paning’s Butong Pakwan Local Delicacies,
Right Drop Food Market, Pitang’s Bakeshop Desserts, Pampanga Toll House Food Market, Fredris Desserts, Emy’s Sweets and Pastries Local Delicacies, Nutridelight Delicacies Local Delicacies, Edylyn’s Homemade Nuts Local Delicacies, Honey and Daisy’s Pastries Local Delicacies, Coco Fresco Beverage, Gill’s Buko Sherbet Desserts,
Ailo’s Special Longganisa Food Market, Kusina Food Market, Limone Desserts, Natoinks Kakanin Local Delicacies, and so on.
When asked how the organizers were able to convince families to share ancestral recipes that are usually kept secret, Bernardino answered, “We invited them so they’re not isolated in their homes. We asked schools and families to share these recipes that are family secrets. By sharing secrets, they learn to be proud of their heritage. If given a chance, every family would like to be recognized, and that’s when we engage on a deeper level with the community.”
She said her company aims not only to provide the basic needs and the known brands but to also “get the local community products to become part of our daily lives.”
One come-on to home-based industries is that Ayala Land is supporting them 100 per cent. She said, “They’re not paying us anything for those three days. We want the festival to be successful. If it is, we will do it yearly. If small to medium industries get to feel the market, they’ll become less cautious. Apart from that, visitors will be able to shop early for Christmas or place their orders in time for the holidays.”
She said Big Bite is timed to coincide with Fiestang Kuliat in Angeles wherein the city’s participation in the festival is “big time!”
Sablan added, “The local government units have been supportive and willing to give their ‘best options’ for those who’ll be featured in the festival.”