Herencia Cafe of Paoay

         Its more fun in PAOAY. Enjoy and see the 
                      beautiful spots and culture..
                     ONLY HERE AT PAOAY ,ILOCOS NORTE

 

  

  Paoay was derived from the phrase''makapaway kami'' which literally means,“We can live alone”.When the early settlers were frequently attacked by the tirongs,they were forced to move eastward. In their view settlement site, they discovered that they have neighbors, now Batac town. Believing that the tirongs are still a threat to them,their neighbors convinced them to seek refuge in their place.The settlers begged off, and bravely replied''makapaway kami!'' Through the passage of time, the place was eventually and permanently called Paoay.

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     ''THE PAOAY CHURCH''

St. Augustine Catholic Parish Church, or more popularly called Paoay Church, in Ilocos Norte is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines and is among the major attractions of the province.

The Paoay Church in particular is famous for its distinctive Gothic, Baroque and Oriental architecture. Its façade reveals Gothic affinity, its gables show Chinese elements, while the niches topping the walls suggest Javanese influence (reminiscent of the famous Boroboudur Temple).  These influences suggest that the early inhabitants of the town had a bustling trade with other oriental countries like China.

 
     Construction of Paoay Church was started by the Augustinian friar Father Antonio Estavillo in 1694.  It was completed in 1704 and re-dedicated in 1894.

 

     The church was dubbed “Earthquake Baroque” because for its fortress-like structure, with 24 massive buttresses designed to withstand the destructive forces of earthquakes.

 

    Its thick walls were built of coral stones and bricks and sealed by hard lime mortar, which according to historians, was made by “mixing sand and lime with molasses boiled with mango leaves, leather and rice straw for two nights.”

              "THE GULING-GULING FESTIVAL" 

 

Guling-Guling was introduced by the Spanish friars in the 16th century as a means for the religious sector to interact with its parishioners. It has always been celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday because it was believed that this was the last day for the townsfolk to enjoy all  forms of merrymaking before they observe the  Lenten season.
 

Guling comes from the Ilocano word meaning to mark, smear or make a sign. In the olden days, the chieftain (now mayor) of the town would imprint the sign of the cross on a person's forehead using wet, white rice flour. The color white was significant in that it meant purity. Through this marking, a person was cleansed of all his past sins.

HOW IT CELEBRATED 

As soon as they wake up, the Paoayenos don their colorful traditional clothing. The women dress up in their abel (hand woven material) kimona and pandiling, with matching heirloom jewelry and other accessories. For the men, it is the kamisa de Chino and abel ttrousers. Husbands and wives usually have matching outfits.

Traditionally, the townsfolk dance their way to the place where dudol is made. There you will find the anawang, a makeshift oven made from dried sugar cane pulp. they are then met by the town mayor who imprints the sign of the cross(guling) on their forehead. The locals believed that it is a sign of bad luck not to have this guling. After this ritual, the crowd partakes of dudol and basi. The parade then continues to the Church, the streets and finally, to the town plaza where the merrymaking reaches its peak. Anybody can dance with whomever they please. The evening is filled with music, laughter and gaiety.

DANCE PARADE 

  

 During the Guling-guling celebration,  the paoayenos dance like there is no tomorrow.  They dance with  

 those whom they have had petty  squabbles as a means of forgiving them for these  past misunderstandings. For the townsfolk, this is  a time to forgive and to have a good time with  everyone.

The folk dances such as the Sabunganay, Poayena, Ariquen-quen, Curatsa, Amorosa, Pandanggo and La Jota are lively and delightful. The intricate steps and hand movements (kumintang) depict the traits of courtesy, gentleness, patience and perseverance.

The occupational dances like the Binat-batan and the Agab-abel are indicative of the industrious and thrifty character of the people.

DUDOL

Dudol is a native delicacy made from rice flour (bel-laay), coconut milk, sugarcane juice and anis. The secret to making a good dudol is to keep stirring the ingredients under a slow fire. During the celebration the crowd proceeds to the place where dudol is made to partake of this delicacy. It is shared with family, friends and all their guests.

BASI

Basi comes from sugarcane extract and samak, a plant commonly grown in Ilocos region. The juice from sugarcane stalks are collected and boiled in large, open kettles. The brew is poured into earthen jars (burnays) and, once it reaches room temperature, the samak leaves, bark and fruit are added. the mixture is stirred and poured into a jar that is tightly covered with banana leaves to allow fermentation. After the aging period, the basi is then transferred to bottles.

Basi is the official drink of the Guling-Guling merrymakers because of its enervating effect.

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                             PAOAY INABEL

Paoay in not only known for its ever charming St. Agustine Church but also for its “inabel” (popularly known as “abel iloko”), a textile made of cotton and other natural fibers woven in pedal frame looms. It’s not only in Paoay though that inabel is being made. The industry have become widespread in the region, thus, its name.

The wooden pedal frame where the fabric is manually weaved:

The inabel have evolved from a blanket to pillow cases, bed covers, and place mats; to fabric of choice for designers; to bags, and to everything that the Ilocano creative mind can imagine:

                      Herencia Cafe of Paoay

 Arising in the picturesque town of Paoay is a new center for culinary tradition, the Herencia Cafe. Literally meaning “heritage,” Herencia is a restaurant which has remained faithful to classical Ilocano cuisine as in their authentic and delicious servings of pinakbet and bagnet. Also on the menu are various entrees from classical Spanish, Italian, and Indian cuisine like the Beef Salpicado, Chicken Lemon Grass and their exellent pasta collection. The Arabbiata, which is spaghetti with stewed tomatoes, herbs and olive oil is comparable as the one I have tried at Italiannis and Cibo but at a fraction of the price (only P85 per serving). For a sample of “fusion’ cuisine, try the Mango chicken with cheese curry sauce, a basic Indian dish modified with the use of Italian cheese.  


 THE PINAKBET PIZZA @ HERENCIA CAFE

Pinakbet PizzaHerencia has taken the quintessential Ilokano dish pinakbet to a new level of culinary excellence by creating the pinakbet pizza. By combining traditional Italian pizza with local ingredients used for pinakbet, Herencia has created a unique delicacy which has begun to attract national attention.

According to Herencia co-owner Sammy Blas, the idea of using pinakbet as a topping for pizza intrigued him; for example anchovies which have been used in pizza making for ages were replaced by the similar yet uniquely native ingredient bagoong, then add okra, eggplant, and longganiza meat as toppings over mozzarella cheese, all placed on a classic hand tossed pizza crust. Voila! A dish which is both an aesthetic as well as a gastronomical pleasure.

The Sampler – your choice of two (2) flavors in 1 pizza.

The service did not took long, and the food was hot and freshly served. We enjoyed all we ordered,  I took noticed of the dinuguan side of the Sampler!

 Poque Poque – an Ilocano dish made of eggplant with onions, tomatoes, and egg.





          You can also purchase some pasalabong here.

                                               THE PAOAY LAKE

 The Legend of Paoay Lake Long ago, in this once-dry land where Paoay lake now stands, there was a village whose people were kind, generous and God-fearing. Prosperity was evident in their beautiful houses, their expensive clothes and glittering jewelries. As years passed, rivalry among the people set in, that they worked hard to acquire material things more than the others. God-worship was forgotten. Among them, Juan and his wife Maria, remained simple folks and never forgot to worship God.One night, in a dream, they were told that the village will be destroyed by a flood, if the people will not reform. They related their dream to their neigbors, but they only laughed at them. One morning, the people heard a voice saying, "Leave this place tonight. When you hear the roar of thunder, do not look back, lest you suffer the same fate as the sinners." When dusk came, they left their little belongings towards the hill. Then they heard the clap of thunder and felt the earth beneath then sway and tremble. The villagers were roused, but their cries died down as they were submerged under the rampaging water. The woman instinctively turned back to look back at the village. She swooned and her husband tried to hold her. This tugging gave the name "Nangguyudan". They turned into rocks which can still be seen today at Bantay Pugaro. Atop one rock grew a "bangar" tree which rises to the sky like an open umbrella. As years went by at the place where the village sank, a beautiful lake emerged, and is now the famous PAOAY LAKE. Today, they said if one looks into the depths of the lake, one could see the shadows of the buildings and houses of the once prosperous village. Fisherman reported catching fishes adorned with jewels. It is believed that these were the early inhabitants of the ill-fated village. SOURCE: The people of Paoay..

-- ENJOY>> :))