Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Sunday, July 21, 2024

The Parable of the White Russian Part 2

This is a follow up to an article I wrote a few years back about my quest to drink a White Russian. It's an ordinary drink one can easily make and any well stocked bar should have the ingredients to make it. But the restaurant I was at did not have it on the menu so I was denied despite the ingredients being on the shelf. 

That night was just a whim and I did not think anything more of it until I was out to eat recently. I flipped over the menu to the drink section and lo and behold White Russian was listed as a selection. Of course the waiter had to make sure it was available. Thankfully it was.


But take a look at this list:



A screwdriver? That is such a basic drink any bartender should be able to make. Why is it on a list? Why is it that in the Philippines you cannot order a drink unless it's on the menu? If I went to any bar in the rest of the world and requested a drink they would make it without having to check the menu first. Not only that but the waiter had to make sure the materials to make my drink were available. There are only three ingredients in a White Russian: vodka, Kahlua, and milk or cream. Any properly stocked bar would have those items.  

Now, perhaps there are bars in the Philippines that will make anything you ask. However that should be the case EVERYWHERE. Being able to order the drink you want is the point of going to a bar. Bartenders are trained how to mix and pour drinks of all kinds. Apparently that is not the case in the Philippines. This issue likely has little impact on foreign tourism but no doubt there are plenty of disappointed tourists once they learn Filipino bartenders are forbidden from mixing drinks unless they are listed on the menu. 

Monday, October 16, 2023

Plastic as a Firestarter

Who does not like a good barbecue or rotisserie chicken? Filipinos know how to prepare juicy meats on the grill and the spit. Some folks have secret recipes for meat sauce. Others know just what to burn to get the flavor into the meat. This guy, like so many others, uses plastic to get his charcoals started. 




Yummy, yummy, yummy! 

Who doesn't want toxins released from burning plastic cooked into their dinner? It gives the meat that perfect flavor so unique to the Philippines. 

Monday, March 20, 2023

Official Government Open Burn Pit

Did you know that LGUs in the Philippines do not have access to official or appropriate incineration facilities?  Take a look at this story. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194896

An estimated PHP1.4 million worth of undocumented table eggs from Bantayan Island, Cebu were confiscated and burned by quarantine personnel upon arrival at Bredco port here earlier this week, the City Veterinary Office (CVO) confirmed on Friday.

The shipment of 240,000 pieces or 8,000 trays of eggs arrived in this city on Jan. 5, records showed.

“The permit of the shipper has already expired and no other pertinent documents were also presented,” Dr. Maria Agueda de la Torre, city veterinarian, said in a statement.

The shipping permit is being issued by the Bureau of Animal Industry-National Veterinary Quarantine Services Division (BAI-NVQSD).

Last December, the Negros Occidental provincial government and the city government have jointly prohibited the entry of live birds and poultry products such as meat and eggs from areas affected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu, particularly Luzon, Mindanao, and the neighboring islands of Panay and Guimaras.

Negros Occidental has a PHP8-billion poultry industry and is among the top poultry-producing provinces in the country.

However, Bantayan is the province’s traditional supplier of table eggs, with some 7.4 million eggs even brought in from the neighboring island in December, records of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) earlier showed.

As part of the enforcement operations on the poultry ban, composite teams from the PVO, CVO, Department of Agriculture, and BAI-VQS Western Visayas (Region 6) are being deployed in the city’s major ports to prevent the entry of prohibited and undocumented poultry products.
In Western Visayas, the ban covers the Panay Island provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique and Aklan.

Exemptions are allowed for raw poultry meat, both processed and unprocessed; day-old chicks and hatching eggs, including broiler, layer, and breeder; and embryonated eggs, popularly known as “balut.”

These commodities will be allowed entry regardless of shipping origin subject to compliance with requirements.

The gist is that eggs were imported illegally and were disposed but look at the picture!! Instead of properly disposing of these eggs, which could have various pathogens, in a proper incinerator they are being burned in the dirt outside! They were then buried.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1953192/bacolod/local-news/victorias-mayor-expresses-dismay-after-seized-8000-trays-of-eggs-worth-p14m-destroyed

VICTORIAS City Mayor Javi Benitez expressed dismay after the confiscated 8,000 trays of eggs worth P1.4 million at Bredco Port in Bacolod City on February 5 were destroyed.

City Veterinarian Ma. Agueda dela Torre said Friday the confiscated eggs were transported from Bantayan, Cebu, to the Bredco Port.

She said the driver of the truck failed to present pertinent documents to transport the eggs, adding that the confiscated items were burned and buried at the Bredco Port grounds.

Dela Torre said this is in compliance with the joint executive order of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental that safeguards the province from avian influenza.

Not only is open burning illegal and unhealthy, THE STINK!, but it could be that some viruses survive to make their revenge. 

This is just another Philippine fail but it does not stop here because when it comes to medical waste and confiscated drugs it appears that the Philippines does not have proper incineration facilities anywhere in the nation.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1551204/pandemic-sheds-light-on-medical-waste-disposal-woes

Data from the DENR showed that as of June 30, 2021, the total generated health care waste in the Philippines has reached 634,000,687.73 metric tons. The department also emphasized the country’s lack of treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities, which are requirements in handling the mountain of medical wastes being generated every day.

“Our TSD facilities are not enough to cater to the health care waste generated nationwide,” said Visminda Osorio, DENR-Environmental Management Bureau assistant director, in September last year.

Osorio said there are currently only 10 TSDs capable of treating medical wastes in eight regions—Central Luzon, NCR, Calabarzon, Ilocos Region, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao.

“Right now, what we are doing is those health care waste facilities are advised to do the initial disinfection prior to disposal, and part of the regions that have no TSD facility, they do it through safe burial or concrete vaulting within the premises,” she added.

Instances of improperly discarded medical wastes had been around even before the pandemic.

In 2019, authorities discovered medical wastes like used syringes, kidney trays, chemical bottles, tubes containing blood samples, and several gloves near the shores of Barangay Ibo in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu province.

The DENR in Central Visayas had to scour the seas around Mactan Island for more hospital wastes.

A year before, medical wastes—syringes, dextrose bottles, vials and biological waste—were found floating on a creek at Barangay Taloy Sur in Tuba town, Benguet province.

Tossing medical waste into the ocean is not just gross it is unconscionable. 

Take a look at what one town did to stop the spread of African Swine Fever. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1197470

More than 200 kilos of frozen and other pork by-products have been confiscated from public markets in this capital and nearby Valencia town of Negros Oriental province amid tightened measures to prevent the entry of the African swine fever (ASF).

Dr. Alfonso Tundag, quarantine officer of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) here, on Wednesday said the confiscation on Tuesday was just the beginning of similar activities to ensure that the province will remain ASF-free.

Joint teams from the BAI, provincial veterinary office, and local government unit (LGU) took down from the shelves and confiscated “unauthorized” frozen and processed products like longganiza, chorizo, hotdogs, and siomai, manufactured on Feb. 8 or earlier.

By this, he meant those that did not have labels, product and manufacturer information, and list of ingredients, with most of them coming from Cebu province.

The confiscated items were treated with chemicals and buried.

Isn't that great? They buried allegedly tainted meat and treated it with chemicals before covering it with dirt. Now the sound is poisoned. And who knows how that will affect the water table. The fact is local governments need access to proper incineration facilities. If not then there will continue to be dire environmental consequences as in the two examples above. 

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Rice Sufficency in Two Years?

It is simply amazing that after 400 years as a Spanish colony, 77 years of independence, and thousands of years of civilization before then the Philippines cannot get their rice problems sorted. You would think that by now the nation would have figured out the best way to get the highest yield. That is not the case. The Philippines depends on importing millions of tons of rice each year to feed the people. 

During his campaign for the presidency Bongbong Marcos floated the outlandish and ridiculous fantasy of P20 per kilo rice. Now he says the Philippines can attain rice sufficency within two years.  

https://mb.com.ph/2023/02/16/marcos-ph-to-attain-rice-self-sufficiency-in-2-years/

As long as the government could carry out significant reorganizations involving different agencies, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. expressed confidence that the country would be close to attaining self-sufficiency in rice in two years.

Marcos said this following a meeting at MalacaƱang with the officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), who briefed him on the state of the country’s irrigation system.

In a video message, the President, who also leads the DA, said they were able to start a timetable of the things the government needed to do for the country to be rice self-sufficient.

There’s a lot to fix, a lot to reorganize. But if we can do all that, we will be close to self-sufficiency for rice in two years,” he said.

“There’s a great deal of work to do but we have an idea of how to do it. So that’s what we will work on for now,” he added.

According to the President, it would require cooperation, convergence, and coordination with other agencies such as the DA, NIA, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“So our next meeting will be that. All concerned agencies will be there, and we will present the timetable as to what needs to be done, what forms of coordination need to be done,” Marcos said.

The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program was created under Republic Act (RA) No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law to improve farmers’ competitiveness amid the liberalization of the rice trade policy.

NIA, a government-owned or controlled corporation (GOCC) responsible for irrigation development and management, has a total investment pledge of more than P1 trillion from potential private partners, which would allow it to pursue its irrigation projects without the restriction of limited funding.

As of December 31, 2021, only 2.04 million hectares (ha), or 65 percent of the country’s potential irrigable area of 3.13 million hectares, had been developed, benefitting around 1.5 million farmers with irrigation.

However, around 1.09 million ha (35 percent) of the remaining areas still need development.

It's idiocy like this why Marcos should not be the Department of Agriculture secretary. All the Philippines has to do is fix a few things and the nation can be 100% rice sufficient within two years? It's not going to happen. This tune has been sung many times. Here it is being sung in 2014:

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/content/370204/phl-on-track-to-meet-100-rice-self-sufficiency-in-2016-agri-chief/story/

The Philippines is still on track to become 100 percent self-sufficient in rice by the end of the Aquino administration's term despite the pronouncements by a former senator and now presidential adviser that the goal will not be achieved, the Secretary of Agriculture said Monday. 
"We have to remind him that we are already at 96 percent level, why go back to 90?" Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said in a briefing in Quezon City.

In 2018 I wrote a lengthy article about the nation's rice woes. Looking back at it it's amazing how nothing changes in the Philippines. Not even the players change as Philippine politics is the same few families playing the same old game. That game is called government incompetence and mismanagement. The rice tarrification law which Duterte signed hasn't helped farmers at all.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/02/15/2245174/4-years-rice-tariffication-farmers-income-hectare-shrank-40

A research and advocacy group has renewed the call to junk the Rice Liberalization Law, saying it has failed to deliver on the promise of boosting farmers' incomes and worsening the country's import dependency four years since it took effect.

An analysis by IBON foundation published Tuesday found that rice farmers' net returns per hectare decreased by around 40% – or from P32,976 to P19,680 – after rice tarrification was implemented in 2019.

"The effect is even worse when inflation is taken into account. When adjusted for 2018 prices, the real income rice farmers lost is worth P15,053,” the think tank said. “Not only did farmers lose money since rice liberalization, but their purchasing power also weakened as well.”

IBON foundation scored the current government for its “lack of interest” in supporting local production of rice in the long run, which placed the country’s rice farmers at risk of “plunging further in the spiral of import dependence.”

Rice watchdog Bantay Bigas also called for a repeal of Republic Act 11203, saying it pushed prices of unhusked rice to P7 per kilogram in Bicol in 2019 to 2020, which has now stagnated at P10 - P15 per kilogram on average. 

Farmer Mila Lirio of Bantay Bigas said that rice farmers have yet to recover from the massive income loss brought by rising fuel prices, which drove up costs of pesticides, seeds and other farming necessities. 

Rice-producing regions have also been ravaged by severe typhoons in the last three years, which lead to damaged rice fields and a drastic reduction in local rice harvests.

"The price of rice has now reached P40 - P50 per kilogram. We still haven't seen the P20 per kilogram of rice that was promised by President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr. He’s now the secretary of the Department of Agriculture, but we still haven’t seen concrete solutions to our problems,' Lirio said in Filipino. 

Bantay Bigas also estimated that rice farmers saw a drastic loss of income to a tune of P206 billion from the rice crisis and from imported rice.

Farmers are losing money and fields ravaged by typhoons have reduced the local rice harvest drastically. And what is Marcos' solution? Hybrid seeds!

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/2/15/Marcos-supports-use-of-hybrid-seeds.html

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he supports the adoption of the use of hybrid rice seeds to help local farmers increase their crop production.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil on Wednesday said the chief executive made the statement following a Tuesday meeting with farmers from Central Luzon and SL Agritech Corporation (SLAC) chairman and chief executive officer Henry Lim Bon Liong.

It was Bon Liong who recommended the conversion of rice farming areas for certified seeds (CS) to hybrid seeds, Garafil said.

The SLAC executive, whose company is engaged in research and development, production, and distribution of hybrid rice seeds, noted that “hybrid farmers have reported harvesting around 7 to 15 metric tons (MT) per hectare as compared to the average 3.6 MT/hectare for inbred seeds.”

Implementing this nationwide will give better income to farmers and achieve rice sufficiency for the country, he added.

SLAC proposed to convert 1.9 million hectares of land planted with certified seeds to hybrid seeds in four years.

To support this, Marcos, who is also Agriculture secretary, said he will implement a program to encourage farmers to shift by providing subsidies, and loans.

Having poor famers go further in to debt to buy expensive magic seeds is no solution to increasing the rice crop yield. In the article above from 2014 the Philippines was said to be 96% rice sufficient. How self-sufficient is the Philippines today? 81.5%!

https://www.philstar.com/business/2022/11/18/2224541/rice-self-sufficiency-ratio-drops-815

The Philippines failed to produce more food last year as the country’s rice self-sufficiency declined to 81.5 percent in 2021, with dependence on imports for the Filipinos’ main staple increasing yet again.

In the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country’s self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of rice settled at 81.5 percent last year, down 3.5 percentage points from 85 percent in 2020.

SSR shows the magnitude of production in relation to domestic utilization and is the extent to which a country’s supply of commodities is derived from its own domestic production.

A ratio of less than 100 percent indicates inadequacy of food production to cope with the demand of the population.

In turn, the country’s import dependency ratio (IDR) of rice increased to 18.5 percent from 15 percent in 2020.

Data showed that last year, the Philippines imported a total of 2.77 million metric tons of rice.

Rice sufficieny has been dropping while dependency has been increasing. And we are supposed to believe that the nation will fix its rice woes in a mere two years!? It's an outlandish promise. Marcos would do well to stop making promises and start actually working on solutions to the nation's problems. He can start by appointing a full time Department of Agriculture Secretary. 

Monday, January 2, 2023

Picture of the Week: Pork N' Chix Grill & Cafe

There's a new restaurant in town. Grill and cafe anyway.


Say that name out loud a few times!

Monday, December 12, 2022

The Philippines Commission on Appointments is a Joke

The Commission on Appointments is a body of lawmakers tasked with vetting Presidential appointees. Their job is very important as it is through the process of vetting that the public learns if the appointee is worthy of the position assigned to them. But in the Philippines it seems the CA is a joke. In particular I am referring to the hearing of DOST Secretary Renato Solidium. 

Three questions were asked of him that reflect quite poorly on the men the people elected to represent them. First up is Representative Jurdin Jesus Romulado.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1702689/solon-to-science-secretary-can-a-volcano-be-punctured

With suggestions about puncturing a volcano and inventing astronauts’ food, the confirmation hearing for Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. at the legislative Commission on Appointments descended into a theater of the absurd.

Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo asked if the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) could fashion a metal drill used to make spaceships to pierce volcanoes.

The lawmaker from an island province with seven volcanoes in Mindanao raised the rather ridiculous suggestion, and deadpanned: “I want to ask if the material used for rockets that can withhold heat in going to the moon or (space) exploration can be used to drill holes on volcanoes.”

“The lava will come out so that the volcano will not erupt. Is there a study on that? I’m so curious,” he said.

“Imagine, (space rockets) do not melt when they return from space. Why can’t we use it to drill holes so that volcanoes will no longer erupt?”

Solidum explained that volcanoes spew out materials due to the buildup of pressure and high temperature from within.

“Even if one would tamper with the volcano, it may trigger eruption, not stop it because the magma is more enormous than whatever trigger we want to do,” Solidum said.

“We cannot control it. It might actually cause the volcano to explode as we lessen the pressure,” added Solidum, who served the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology for 14 years.

“If we lessen the pressure of the volcano at the top, it might trigger the sudden rise of magma and it will explode. That’s why nobody has tried to do that,” he said.

It's easy to laugh at this idiot for suggesting volcanoes can be drilled in order to let off pressure thereby preventing an eruption but let's get behind the question. The fact is there are active volcanoes in the Philippines, notably Mayon and Taal. People have been displaced and have died as a result of eruptions. Obviously Representative Romulado wants to avert any future disasters and save lives.

But there are ways to do that without planning something as ridiculous as drilling into a volcano. How about cordoning off the area and forbidding habitation within a certain limit of all active volcanoes? It is a fact that residents are reluctant to leave their homes despite the danger. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/826425/some-residents-around-taal-refuse-to-flee/story/

Perhaps Representative Romulado prides himself for thinking outside the box but he is doing no such thing. He dreaming impossible dreams when there are solutions at hand. It's like using a hammer to open a can of beans. It can be done but why do it when you can use a can opener!? Why is he asking this question anyway? What bearing does it have on the fitness of Solidium to the post of DOST Secretary? It has none and it only serves to make Romulado look like a complete incompetent fool. 

The next Bozo is worst than the first.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1702514/astronaut-food-or-food-pill-for-poor-broached-at-dost-chiefs-confirmation-hearing

Feeding the poorest Filipinos with food pills that could last for days or months like what astronauts eat in space has crossed the mind of a lawmaker.

Sagip Partylist Representative Rodante Marcoleta broached this idea on Wednesday during the confirmation hearing of Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Umali Solidum Jr.

Marcoleta noted that astronauts survive in space even without cooking food there.

"I’m thinking aloud that if we could invent food that they can eat, I will give it to our poor countrymen. Even for months that they don’t eat, they will not die," the lawmaker said during the hearing of the Commission on Appointment’s committee on science and technology.

"Do we have that kind of food? Can we do that?," he asked. 

Solidum answered in the negative, noting that what is available right now are meals ready to eat for disaster victims, which have a shell life of six months.

Explaining further his idea, Marcoleta cited an example of a food pill that could be taken only once but could last for weeks already.

"Because when astronauts eat their food, it will last for several days, if not months. The poorest of the poor really have no food to eat,"  he said.

"This is just palliative. Meaning to say, we just have to fill up the gap. In case we can help the poorest of the poor, you can invent a pill or whatever, and I will accept it,"  he added.

“If the poor can take the pill, they can go two weeks without buying food or cooking, and that is a huge deal. Can we make something like that?” the lawmaker further asked.

Solidum said they would look into it but assured the committee that food security is a concern of the DOST.

You have to hand it to Solidum for maintaining his composure while this pompous ass is questioning him about magic food pills that will suppress the appetite for weeks and months on end. There is no such thing and if there were procuring them would be vastly more expensive than actually increasing the harvest yield. Astronauts eat real food that is specially prepared for their needs. Not only that but they can also "cook" their food.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_food

Modern astronauts have a greater variety of main courses to choose from and many astronauts request personalized menus from lists of available foods including items like fruit salad and spaghetti. Fresh fruits and vegetables that can be safely stored at room temperature are eaten on space flights. Astronauts sometimes request beef jerky for flights, as it has an extended shelf life and a strong flavor.

The International Space Station is fitted with rehydration chambers and food warmers to prepare the packaged food before consumption. The first and only kitchen on ISS was located in the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS), containing a hydration system for reheating food, and a food warmer for canned food. The United States developed the second food warmer system in a briefcase-like shape to provide the reheating function for packet-style food items. A second galley was added to the Unity module due to the crew size increase. Combined dinners were rare, as Russian, Space Shuttle, and other ISS astronauts were often eating in their own segments with different schedules.

On Tiangong Space Station, the kitchen is located in the Tianhe core module, alongside with living quarters and entertainment systems. Huang Weifen, the chief astronaut trainer of China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), explained that the station is equipped with a small kitchen table for food preparation and the first-ever microwave oven in spaceflight so that astronauts can "always have hot food whenever they need."

Representative Marcoleta deserves nothing but laughter for this asinine line of questioning. And he admits that it "is just a palliative" and that they "have to fill up the gap!" How about he ask Solidum questions regarding how he would fill that gap? What about increasing food production and bringing down prices and ending rampant food smuggling which undercuts famers? I suppose reality is too much for this politician that he'd rather resort to magical solutions to feed the poor people of the Philippines. Is this the modern equivalent of let them eat cake? 

By the way Marcoleta loves to brag about how he helped destroy ABS-CBN by voting no for a franchise renewal. 

https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom/status/1508980933638377474

Great job, bobo!

The third and final clown in the Commission on Appeals' theater of the absurd is Camarines Sur Representative Luis “Lray” Villafuerte. 

At the start of the hearing, Camarines Sur Representative Luis “Lray” Villafuerte asked about Solidum’s favorite movies.

“Just to know the character of  the person, my colleagues might laugh again, but this is  in relation to your fitness.  Your hobby is watching  Netflix…My question is, what is your favorite movies in Netflix?” Villafuerte asked.

When Solidum said he was into investigative series, Villafuerte commented that the nominee should have been  in the cyberlab section of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The lawmaker explained that if the DOST chief really loves science and technology, he should be watching  documentaries like how other countries prospered because of science and technology.

Senator  Grace   Poe   interjected,  saying: “I think many of us, although we like our jobs, when we go home, we like to watch something that is a little bit different from what we do.”

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1702589/can-rocket-materials-be-used-to-stop-volcanic-eruptions-solon-asks-dost-chief

How does what Solidium enjoy watching on Netflix have any bearing on his fitness to his being DOST Secretary? It does not! And then Villafuerte has the gall to tell this man that if he "really loves science and technology" then "he should be watching  documentaries like how other countries prospered because of science and technology." What?

So, this career politician, who has been charged with graft multiple times over the past decade, thinks the DOST Secretary should be watching documentaries in order to learn skills that can aid him in causing the Philippines to prosper because of science and technology? How would that transfer to prosperity for the Philippines? And what documentaries does he have in mind? Can he name even one? Does he watch documentaries about proper governance in order to cause the Philippines to prosper? Does this moron not understand that it is corrupt politicians and bureaucrats like himself who stand in the way of progress in the Philippines? 

Here is my take away from this "theater of the absurd." Filipino politicians have ZERO solutions for this nation. From drilling into volcanos to feeding the poor appetite suppressing food pills they are engaged in magical thinking that has no bearing on reality whatsoever. It's as bad as someone planning his life around winning the lottery instead of actually fixing his life. These men simply refuse to deal with the problems in the Philippines in anything like a forthright and honest manner. 

Monday, September 26, 2022

Filipinos Are Still Eating Dogs

Recently a man was caught involved in the dog meat trade was caught while hauling away 5 dogs set to be slaughtered.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/24/5-dogs-for-slaughter-rescued-from-vendor-in-nueva-ecija/

Police rescued five dogs about to be sold and slaughtered by dog meat lovers in Penaranda, Nueva Ecija on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Lawmen arrested a vendor transporting the emaciated canines in a checkpoint in Barangay Sinasanjan.

Suspect Ruel Bote of Purok Kahel, Barangay Concepcion, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija was onboard a “kolong-kolong” (motorcycle with trailer) when he was flagged down by Penaranda policemen manning a checkpoint in Barangay Sinasajan.

An inspection of his transportation yielded the five animals stuffed in three sacks.

Police Regional Office 3 director Brig. Gen. Cesar Pasiwen has directed his men to strictly enforce the law protecting dogs and other animals considered pets and not livestock.

“We keep on reminding the public that they can be penalized once abuses are committed on their pets or to any other animals,” he added.

Bote is facing charges for violation of Republic Act 10631 or the Animal Welfare Act of 2017.

This is not the first man charged with trading in illegal dog meat. Back in August 12 dogs were rescued from a dog meat trader. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/841803/12-dogs-rescued-suspected-dog-meat-trader-nabbed-in-bulacan/story/

A man allegedly involved in the illegal dog meat trade was arrested in Bulacan, according to a report on “Saksi”.

Identified as Hernando Polintan, authorities apprehended the suspect during an entrapment operation in the province.

Polintan admitted to selling dog meat for P300 up to P350 each.

He is now under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Bulacan and will be facing charges of violating Republic Act No. 8485 or the “Animal Welfare Act”.

The twelve dogs that were found placed in sacks were rescued during the operation. They will be transferred to the Animal Kingdom Foundation rescue center in Capaz, Tarlac where they will undergo treatment and rehabilitation.

Who is eating dog meat? In Baguio "special" customers are served the delicacy.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1180135
The city veterinary office is cracking down on eateries serving dog meat to “special” customers after animal welfare advocates asked for the local government’s help against the illegal meat trade. 

“There is no commercial slaughtering of dogs for meat in Baguio,” said Dr. Silardo Bested in a text message on Friday, adding that based on apprehensions made, the dog meats are sourced in the lowlands, outside the city. 

He said dog meat is not among the food allowed under the safety food standards. As such, selling dog meat at the city market and restaurants, including the satellite markets in the barangays, is prohibited. 

“However, there are a few restaurants that secretly offer dog meat to selected customers who like eating dog meat. We are constantly monitoring this,” Bested said, as he assured the public that "we are acting on this.”

The official said a restaurant along Marcos Highway was caught by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) serving dog meat dishes to customers.

“We will strengthen our monitoring and will file charges for violation of the animal welfare law and recommend the closure of their business,” the veterinarian said. 

Bested said the non-profit animal welfare non-government organization Animal Kingdom Foundation sought the help of the city government to help stop the illegal trade and serving of dog meat whether surreptitiously or not to also discourage dog traders from slaughtering the dogs and transporting them to the city.
Slaughtering dogs for food has been banned since 1998 but oddly enough there is a loophole in the law. One can still slaughter and eat dogs as long as it is for religious purposes. 

https://www.chanrobles.com/republicactno8485.htm
The killing of any animal other than cattle pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer and crocodiles is likewise hereby declared unlawful except in the following instances: 
(1) When it is done as part of the religious rituals of an established religion or sect or a ritual required by tribal or ethnic custom of indigenous cultural communities; however, leaders shall keep records in cooperation with the Committee on Animal Welfare;
Imagine eating dogs as part of a religious ritual. Imagine worshipping god by eating a dog. Despite the practice being outlawed dogs will continue to be slaughtered for food as long as the demand remains. And clearly there are Filipinos out there who get a craving for man's best friend. 

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

A True Filipino Delicacy

Some say Philippine food is the best in the world while others say it's absolutely disgusting. Whatever side of the fence you are on surely we can agree that Fried fish on a bed of green beans garnished with large blocks of cheese is umm, you be the judge.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=396900325605168&set=pcb.396900458938488

What in the world is this??  From the context of the source it appears this was part of a Passover meal. Good-bye lamb, hello fish, cheese, and green beans. That cheese is likely processed cheese product and not actual cheese though I could be wrong.

Fish and cheese do go together on a sandwich but what kind of combination is this? It's like the cook took random foods and tossed them together. While each component on its own probably tastes ok this presentation is awful. Why not shred the cheese and give the fish a little sprinkling? Large blocks of cheese go with crackers. 

This meal is not an accurate representation of Filipinos cuisine as a whole. It is a gross anomaly. The Facebook page I found this on often posts the food their group eats and none of it has ever looked like this.

Monday, May 23, 2022

FQ Fry Queen

No originality. That is how it is in the Philippines. The latest business to mock an existing business is  FQ Fry Queen.


This is obviously a play on Dairy Queen but there is no dairy here just fried stuff. Look at that menu. What is the difference between a burger and a hamburger?


It appears that the hamburger has no meat! 

Honestly this place looks rather boring. It does not appear much different from any of the roadside "restaurants" I have seen and eaten at. They just happened to rip off the name of an American institution, Dairy Queen.

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Unli Balut

Many restaurants in the Philippines offer unli-rice for each meal. One roadside eatery is offering unli-balut.


Sounds delicious right? Unli-balut means you can eat as many of these things as your heart desires:


But it's only unli for a limited time. You get 30 minutes!



P125 for 30 minutes of all-you-can-eat balut!  What a deal, right?  Well, too bad.  This eatery does not exist any more. Thank goodness.

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Picture of the Week: Kobie Brian B.B.Q. and Eatery

What better way to honor legendary basketball player Kobie Brian than by naming your restaurant after him?


Did you know Kobie Brian's parents named after the Japanese beef? It's too bad because Kobie Brian was the real thing while Kobie beef is often imitated just like honey. Well, if you are ever in town come on by and have some barbecue in Kobe Bryant's honor.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Picture of the Week: Bag of Oatmeal

I was doing some shopping and tossed a few bags of oatmeal in my cart. I eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast basically every day. When I got to the cashier she noticed there was a hole in the bottom of one pack of oatmeal and was kind enough to have the bag boy wrap it in a separate bag for me.


Of course I didn't buy it!  But she thought I would and that wrapping it in another bag, rather than counting it as a loss, was the right thing to do.

I should point out this happened about a month before the coronavirus lockdown. Probably doesn't matter though.  She'd likely do the same thing now!

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Red Ribbon Cake

Dear readers this is my 1000th post. For this auspicious occasion I though I would do something special. For my 1000th post I figured I would publish what should have been one of my very first posts three years ago. This incident actually happened in December 2016.

In December 2016 two important missionaries from the USA were coming to visit along with the regular missionaries who visited monthly. These men were from the home office and wanted to check on all the work. It was my task to buy a cake for everyone to eat.  Naturally I went to Red Ribbon.



I was not sure how to spell the names of the two visitors and I wanted to do something a little special for them so I asked the saleslady if she could draw a tulip. The reason for this is that the missionaries were from the Protestant Reformed Church which is a Calvinist denomination. The acronym TULIP sums up the doctrines of Calvinism.  That would be Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints.


Much to my surprise the saleslady had no idea what a tulip was so I sketched one real quick on my receipt.


To my amusement instead of using my hastily drawn sketch as a model she followed it to the tiniest detail including the little jagged edge on the right side. For some reason though she added lines to the leaves to make it more leafy looking.



The cake was fine.  A bit dry and spongy as usual. But everyone who saw this tulip along with my sketch had a good laugh. Three months later the missionaries visited for the last time but that had nothing to do with the cake of course.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Picture of the Week: Sign of the Times - African Swine Fever

African swine fever does not seem to be going away anytime soon. Though the DOH has done its best to contain the virus it continues to spread. Pigs are being slaughtered left and right and the Department of Agriculture has banned the importation of pork products from certain countries. In order to allay their customers fears Robinsons Supermarket installed a sign letting all know that the meats they sell are free of ASF.


Funny thing though. This sign is way in the back of the store in the dry good section far from any food.  Why not put it right up front at the entrance?

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Vegetable Vendors at the Grocery Store

There are a lot of things in the Philippines I do not and never will understand. One of those things is a grocery store, in this case Robinson's, allowing vendors to sell their vegetables on the steps of the store.








Look at these people.  They are simply in the way. In the last picture the vendor is leaning on someone's car! And in the picture before that the produce is in the of any car who wants to park!   Why does the management allow this?

Well it turns out they don't! I asked them about these vendors and they said they have been told to not come around but they cannot be controlled. They were told to go away but they keep coming back.  So what good are the security guards??

I think if Robinsons really wanted these people to leave they would make sure they left. It's not that hard to make unwanted people leave.