Realizations and Sisig Off the Beaten Track

A road trip to the provinces north of the Philippine capital usually involves stops in historical places, famous restaurants and yes, even shopping malls. Infrastructure is relatively developed in this part of the country, with the network of expressways expected to reach as far as La Unión this year and a former American base in the region now being groomed to become the country’s premiere international gateway. Truly, Northern Luzon commands an advantage when it comes to accessibility and variety of destinations. However, it also has a lot of unconventional sites that cater to different kinds of niches.  

Just a mile off the national highway, in the town of Capas in Tarlac province, is an inconspicuous gated dog shelter. Although it’s clearly off the beaten track, the shelter offers insights into animal rights and the conflicts these rights face against centuries-old traditions.  The shelter is owned and maintained by the Animal Kingdom Foundation, a local animal rights group funded by British donors. It serves as a transitory home for more than 700 dogs, which the shelter hopes to have adopted. Many of these dogs have been rescued from slaughterhouses and illegal canine shipments. It is uncommon in the Philippines for dogs to be subjected to cruelty, but dogs are a native delicacy in the northern Philippines. Though this is illegal in the Philippines, the practice is still widespread in this region and the shelter is just one of many that cater to these innocent canine victims.

The shelter is an interesting setting. Beyond its gates, a canopy of vines lead one to an imposing yellow mansion. This place used to be a haciendita. The owner, an enterprising mango farmer, leased the land to the shelter. Behind the mansion are rows of enclosures, each home to 20 or 30 dogs. These cages are dotted with mango trees, conjuring a relaxed rural atmosphere amidst the barking and stench of canine feces. A walk between the enclosures seems like a stroll in the park. The trees make a shady avenue of dirt, again reminding a traveler that he is indeed in the hinterlands of rural Philippines.

Interesting characters also make a rather heart-rending trip to the shelter a more enjoyable one. Manny, an English Boxer, is the shelter’s official greeter. He’s very sociable and hides quite well the fact that he had a very brutal past. Manny follows every visitor and perhaps if he could only speak, he’d tell a lot of engaging stories about his stay in the shelter. He is joined by Ava and Roxy, who are also rescued dogs. Although they are less sociable to some degree, they are nevertheless excited at the sight of visitors.

Every dog in the shelter has a story to tell. Some have been rescued just at the brink of being stricken with a knife. Others have been retrieved from trucks, where they are cramped in ways only the inhumane can possibly think of doing. Unfortunately, many others didn’t even make it alive. A solemn plot of land at the end of shelter has been allotted for them. A tall white cross and statues of two guard dogs mark the grave of the more than 600 who’ve been mercilessly sacrificed in the name of animal exploitation for profit.

It is rather rare for a traveler to come and visit these places that have served as a sanctuary for our canine friends. However, the understandings one might gain in these unconventional trips already make one profound reason why these places are worth a visit.

            Of course, all these realizations will cause one’s tummy to croak for food. The good thing is, the Northern Philippines is not only infamous for its disgusting dog-eating reputation. In fact, restaurants serving dog dishes are hard to come by. Again, I must mention that such a practice is against the law and most Filipinos are just like everybody – they treat their dogs as their friends, not as their dinner. The neighboring province of Pampanga is a popular food trip destination. After all, it is the birthplace of many of the country’s most famous dishes. One such dish is the sisig, a sizzling platter made of ground pork, all from a pig’s head. Usually in Filipino fiestas, the head of a lechon or roast pig is a staple leftover. Truly, who would want to feast on a pig’s snout? After the Second World War, one entrepreneur thought of an ingenious to recycle the pig’s head. Then, sisig was born. Sisig is usually crunchy and is a favorite in almost every Filipino restaurant in the entire country. However in Aling Lucing’s, which claims to be the birthplace of sisig, it is soft, oily but all the same delicious. Most travelers in Pampanga never miss a visit to Aling Lucing. Although the modest, rundown shack is at best dark and grubby, it arguably serves one of the best sisigs in the country. Even the famous TV food traveler Anthony Bourdain included this restaurant in his itinerary, an approval that indeed this food is must-try even for the discerning traveler.

            Pampanga is also known for other delicacies such as the halo-halo, the most famous dessert in the Philippines. Unfortunately Pampanga, like many other provinces, lies amidst a sea of unplanned, haphazard urbanity as a result of third world development.Halo-halo is a famous Filipino dessert. Usually served in tall soda glasses, it is a hodge-podge of different sweet little chops of other pieces of dessert. In a typical halo-halo, there is ube or sweet yam, pandan jelly, leche flan and a menagerie of different other little sweet cubes and spheres. All this is stuffed into the glass and covered in crushed ice, a staple for the halo-halo since it is a summer fare. Then, milk is poured into the concoction to add creaminess and flavor. Unfortunately, mouth-watering as it sounds, we didn’t get to try the ‘authentic’ Pampanga halo-halo which is known over the country. Perhaps it calls for another trip to the northern Philippines, one that is guaranteed to bring profound realizations and discoveries that are far more accomplishing than your usual beaten path travelling.