Ubi jam, the best dessert at Ubi fest

Wake-uppers:

Seen: Dominic Villafuerte is the newly-appointed councilor of Candijay town who replaced former councilor Sergio Amora Jr who died last year.

Seen: Spotted in Bohol last week were Michael V, Tom Taus and Katherine de Castro. Also spotted in Panglao town were LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas and his wife Korina Sanchez and Isabelle Daza who attended a VIP wedding.

AWARD-WINNING composer 

and lyricist Ralph Maligro. 

Contributed Photo 

Scene: During the 36th Cebu Popular Music Festival, Ralph Maligro's “Awit Ning Gugma,” arranged by Ralph Joey Cabusas and interpreted by Philip Mancol, emerged as the winning piece in the Love Song category. Maligro is from Tubigon town.

Scene: The "UNLIMITEXT" exhibit of  multi-awarded Boholano visual and performance artist Sam Penaso at Galleria Quattrocento,  2nd Floor Serendra, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Jan. 20 to Feb. 2.  For info, text/call (02)-8230935; 0917-8911322. Penaso is a multi-disciplinary artist that dabbles in painting, sculpture and performance art. He has held 23 solo exhibitions, five of which were held in Japan, Thailand, Austria, Germany, Singapore, New York and Abu Dhabi. He has also been a recipient of several Art grants including Asian Cultural Council (ACC) and the International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York and the Thailand-Philippines Art Exchange Program in Bangkok, Thailand.

Scene:  The United States Agency for International Development (USAid) General Counsel John Simpkins was here in the province on  January 26-27 to renew the U.S. government’s commitment to the province’s inclusive and sustainable development.  Simpkins joined other Bohol officials to launch the Stakeholders’ Forum, which was organized by the U.S. Embassy Manila’s USAid through its Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (Surge) Project. Simpkins visited Tagbilaran City Elementary School, where he handed out learning materials to Grade 2 students on behalf of the American people and led a reading activity for the children. In his interaction with school administrators and faculty, he reiterated the U.S. government’s commitment to help improve the reading skills of students through its basic education program, Basa Pilipinas.  Surge is the flagship activity of USAid’s Cities Development Initiative (CDI), which aims to transform secondary cities into engines of growth. Tagbilaran is one of the CDI partner cities.

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Couple Cipriano and Marcela Curay had to wake-up early last Wednesday.  They had to travel at least 100 kms from Alicia town to Tagbilaran, Bohol’s capital, to attend the 16th Ubi Festival.  The Curays brought 20 bukags (baskets), inside were ubi (yam) they would sell during the three-day festivity.

 Ubi (Dioscorea alata) growers and supporters have gathered last week for the Ubi Festival to honor the crop as a major agricultural product.

Ubi Festival 2016 on National New. Courtesy: GMA News

Curay, 53, started planting ubi in 2010. He said he found ubi a great potential for livelihood.

He planted 50 kilos of ubi tubers in July and harvested 650 kilos of ubi in his 200 sq meters farmland last December.

For the Curays, the rootcrop has helped their family needs.

“It is a great help for our family. Like now we could not plant rice and ubi could help us,” he said.

For  Dely Niluag, 68, the Ubi festival was an opportunity for her to make special desserts-- ubi jam/halaya and sorbetes (ice-cream).  Niluag took advantage to choose different varieties of ubi --- kabus-ok, kinlot, balagon-on, binanag, tam-isan, apale, iniling, lima-lima, kot, bot and kinampay, the most aromatic ubi in the world --- at low prices.

“I am happy if there is ubi festival,” she said, “I can ask for a discount unlike in malls.”

She said there would be enough ubi desserts this month.

Ubi is an important rootcrop in Bohol province, the country’s ubi capital.

The crop is heavily planted in the towns of Alburqueque, Alicia, Antequera, Baclayon, Corella, Cortes, Dauis, Dimiao, Garcia-Hernandez, Lila, Loay, Loon, Mabini, Maribojoc, Panglao, Sikatuna, and Ubay.

It is traditionally planted in May or June and harvested from December to January.

According to Zenaida Darunday, a plant pathologist and keynote organizer of Ubi festival, ubi is a healthy energy source with important nutritional benefits.

 "Ubi is an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. When you take ubi, you won't be constipated," said Darunday.

The kinampay, the queen of all ubi varieties, is a good source of anthocyanin, a strong anti-oxidant, she added.

"Of course, it's a good alternative for rice especially now that we are trying to cut on rice consumption, ubi is a substitute. You can eat ubi without eating rice. Compared to potato, it has more nutritional element."

Ubi is also good for people who have hormonal imbalance and women who suffer menstrual cramps.

"It has dioscorin and it is good for women with dysmenorrhea," said Darunday.

For almost half a millennium, the ubi tuber has been venerated by the Boholanos.

Boholanos considered ubi a "sacred" crop. In fact, ubi is the only staple food included in the Bohol hymn.

“Yes, ubi is sacred in Bohol,” confirmed Darunday.

“Boholanos kiss the ubi when it falls on the ground,” she added.  She said that ubi culture is authentic because it started from the earth.

“It's our culture because according to a legend there was a famine in Bohol. Boholanos were able to stay alive because they found ubi when they were scratching the ground because ubi survives during drought and famine. And when they saw ubi, ‘praise the Lord' because it saved them from starvation.  If ubi tuber falls, you have to kiss it," said Darunday.

UBI GROWER Cipriano Curay

 proudly shows his ubi kinampay,

 the queen of all ubi varieties.  Leo Udtohan/Chronicle

For the past years, the production of ubi has declined.

Darunday said that people who are planting ubi are aging.

Ireneo Gabato, municipal agricultural officer of Sikatuna town, said that only few farmers plant ubi. He said, only three out of 10 barangays joined this year's festival.

To encourage farmers to plant ubi, his office provided materials (tuber) to farmers.

"It's plant now, pay later. If they plant 20 kilos of ubi tuber, they would return 20 kilos of ubi to our office," he said.

The Ubi festival was also a venue for educational forum to increase farm production.

“I hope this is an avenue to invite farmers and attract young people to plant more ubi in Bohol,” she said, “Young people should be familiar with the importance of ubi.”

She also noted that climate change also affected the ubi production.

“One of the reasons why the harvest of ubi in the province now is low is due to the impact of climate change,” she said.

With that we hope we can innovate technologies that ubi can still survive even with the change of the climate, added Darunday.

Anyway, the most popular way of cooking ubi is to make it into ubi jam (halaya).  It is a sweet sticky jam-like concoction that may be eaten by itself or as an ingredient in other deserts like halo-halo.

Ubi Jam (Halaya) Recipe

Ingredients:

MORE USEFUL THAN RICE, Boholanos find time

 to honor ubi (yam), the province's most important crop, 

during the Ubi Festival 2016.  Leo Udtohan/Chronicle

1 kilo ubi  (kinampay, baligonhon, etc) mashed or 2 packs purple yam

2 cans condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar (amount optional)

1/4 cup grated cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1) Cook ubi in boiling water until soft. Peel and mash ubi until smooth in texture. A blender can be used for a better result.

2) In a big wok, melt butter or margarine. Place in the mashed ubi; pour the condensed milk and sugar over it. Keep  stirring on low heat for at least 30 minutes or the until mixture is well blended.

3) Add evaporated milk and continue mixing until well blended and thick. Stir constantly to prevent sticking to the pan. Let cool and transfer into a large greased tray or pans Sprinkle with grated cheese for extra flavor. Chill and serve.

Yam! Yam! Yam!

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A misty-eyed look at Ubi Fest

Wake-uppers:

Scene: There were only 8 candidates for Miss Ubi Festival Queen 2012. At least 18 towns in Bohol are known as ubi country.

Seen: Kinampay was the best seller during the 12^th Ubi fest. Ubi kinampay is still the queen of all varieties because it can fetch the high price in the market. It has purple flesh color and aroma.

Seen: There were no balitaw and ubi cuisine contests during the Ubi fest.

Seen:  Alburquerque Central Elementary School is one of the twelve (12) finalists nationwide in the P&G e.Studyante program. It is one of the four schools in the Visayas and the only one Bohol. To vote: Log onto Facebook and search for e.Studyante.

Seen: A Boholana was featured on Yahoo Philippines homepage last week. Ma. Laurice “Darling” Jamero was rated top pick to click among the 12 Y! Rocks breakthrough acts for 2011.

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With the 12^th Ubi Festival over and done with, let’s loosen up a bit and play a fun game which I’m calling “How well do you know the ubi?” Ready?

1. What is the scientific name of ubi or purple yam?

Answer: Dioscorea alata

2. What are the other names of ubi?

Answer: Ubi is also known as ubi jam, food for the gods, purple yam and sweet lavender.

3. True or false: Ubi is sacred in Bohol.

Answer: We venerate it! We kiss it whenever it accidentally falls on the ground.

4. True or false. Bohol is the largest ubi producer in the country.

Answer: True. 66 percent of the total ubi production in the country comes from Central Visayas, and over half of that comes from Bohol making it the leader of ubi production in the Philippines.

5. Who is the Miss Ubi Queen Festival 2012?

Answer: Jade Nica Obedencio

If you’re able to answer all the questions, you were there at the Ubi fest!

And it seems like it was yesterday when I saw balitaw (a traditional song and dance courtship strategy in the olden times), kuradang, balak and all ubi varieties (kinampay, kabus-ok, iniling, tam-isan, baligonhon, binanag, binugas/gimna, binato, apale, cagay-anon, bot, kot and lema,); heard Onie Oclarit’s Ubi Festival jingle; and listened to ubi folklore and cultural traditions in Bohol. How time flies noh?  

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As the country’s ubi capital, the Ubi festival was patterned as an eco-tourism event that showcases ubi products, contests and cultural shows featuring ubi. It doesn't showcase street dancing (but organizers can consider it in the near future), but zooms in on the development of ubi products or the entrepreneurial aspect of ubi's existence.

We consider ubi a “sacred” crop. In fact, when I accidentally lose the ubi I bought from Plaza Rizal, our neighbor Moning Aquino shouted, “Ginoo! Hagki jud nang ubi para dili ta gabaan sa Ginoo!” And Manang Tasing had to put an ubi on the altar. According to our elders, when anyone accidentally drops an ubi to the ground or table, they would utter an apology and kiss it as a sign of reverence and respect, so you will not be inflicted with 'gaba' (wrath or misfortune).

Why we kiss the ubi? Historian and cultural icon Jose Marianito Luspo has an explanation. “I think the practicing of kissing the ubi originated as a form of psychological way to make people respect a very important root crop for us. It is interesting to know that among the people of the Philippines, it is the Boholanos who had the long and intimate relationship with the crop. Boholanos learned to revere it… in a very special way, ubi is considered more useful than rice…”

Sir Luspo added that during the World War II and several famines, it is said that ubi was the only crop that grew in Bohol soil that saved the Boholanos from death, thus their great respect for it, so much so that it's the only staple food included in their Bohol hymn.

The Ubi festival gives an opportunity to the young generation to grasp of the traditions involving ubi culture like one would have to do chanting or incantations before he or she plants the tuber. Call it palihi, our elders said it’s effective.

The historical significance of the ubi crop to the Boholano is described by a Jesuit missionary Fr. Ignacio Alcina, S.J. In his Historia de las islas e.indios de Bisayas”: The so-called Ubi, which are numerous in kind, color and shape. The larger ones are called kinampay and are mulberry in color. The Ubi are the chief staple of the island of Bohol and other islands (Dauis / Panglao Island) where they yield abundantly and very well.” In addition, Fr. Blancos Flora de Pilipinas mentioned the best variety of ubi, is Cebu Ubi which comes from Bohol.

 

On the beauty aspect, the Ubi Festival has the search for Miss Ubi Festival Queen. The Miss Ubi Queen Festival is supposed to act as ambassador of goodwill and must be well-versed on information about the ubi so she can help in its promotion.

One beauty (and brains) contest sorely missed by beauty-watchers is the Miss Ubi Festival Queen launched in 2000 and “scrapped” in 2006 much to the sadness of its followers. Miss Ubi usually picked candidates from the towns which are “ubi” country (Alburquerque, Antequera, Baclayon,  Corella, Dagohoy,  Dauis, Dimiao , Garcia-Hernandez, Jagna,  Loay, Loboc, Mabini, Maribojoc, Panglao, Sikatuna, Tagbilaran, Ubay and Valencia) from whom the winner is chosen in a pageant, promoting, yes of course, ubi. The winners, as Bared’s beauty watcher Bohol’s seasoned host and personality guru Raul Gatal puts it, “the beauty of the Boholana can be likened to that of our very own ubi. Seemingly in the outside is just like any other but in the inside is sensitive, sweet, steadfast because of life’s adversities have given her that distinct uniqueness. Just like the ubi which thrives best under the most harsh environment which results in its texture and delicate flavor that have been tempered by the most unforgiving terrain.” And, if I may add, they combined the modesty, femininity and sophistication of a modern Boholana.

Pinky Gica Beldia–Socias was the first Miss Ubi Festival Queen in 2000 which was held in Dauis town.

The very eloquent Rhiz Nova Tagsip Arenas of Inabanga (who became Miss Bohol Sandugo 2004) was declared Miss Ubi Festival Queen 2004. She was famous for her line, “Basta ubi Bohol, basta Bohol ubi."

1999 Miss Universe 1st runner-Up Miriam Quiambao was amazed of the sweet and purple-colored ubi kinampay when she visited Dauis in 2008. LPU

Unfortunately, after January 2004, there has been no search because of lack of funds. Interest in the Miss Ubi Festival Queen waned once more in the succeeding years even in this supposed beauty contest-crazy province.

Last week, Jade Nica Obedencio of Balilihan got everyone excited again when she was declared Miss Ubi Festival Queen 2012 in a low-budgeted and less fanfare search. However, it was such a happy event for Boholano beauty watchers who were watching the 8 candidates with their winning smiles. There was a collective heave of a call for a yearly Miss Ubi Festival Queen with a topnotch production. But how?

“Miss Ubi contestants should have talents focused on ubi…culinary, visual and performing arts. Schools should be required to attend, too. Script and concept for each segment should incorporate the ubi element to set it apart from other pageants. Trivia questions can be included too to heighten and arouse interest in respect for the ubi,” said Raul.

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