After Pres. Duterte - what now Philippines

Among all the Philippine presidents during my lifetime, I was aware of Diosdado Macapagal but I was not in the know how politics work.  It was only then during the terms of Marcos, Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Pnoy Aquino and now, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, that I took notice on what the government does and how they do things.  It was in the term of Marcos that I was able to learn how politicians and government workers (including police and military) work "their way in serving the public" (yes, in quotation marks).

In my younger days until I reached second year high school, I looked at politicians and government employees very highly.  It looked to me that they were "a cut above the rest'.  Why?  Because they know so many things that it seems difficult for an ordinary citizen to know about.  It was in term of Marcos that I realized government officials and employees are lazy and pretend that their job is very difficult and complicated.  That is the time when graft and corruption comes to work.  They know that the public do not know about their work, no matter how easy.  At his point, the lazy public and those who can afford, start giving grease money or gifts to get favors from those bastards.

Some people these days say that Marcos was the best president ever because of his accomplishments and achievements.  I am sorry to tell them that the Marcos regime was a total of 21 years, (1965 to 1972 as elected president, then from 1972 to 1986 martial law under him). Whatever he accomplished and achieved was for 21 years.  Most of them probably during martial law and they were on his dictates.  Pres. Marcos had also so many cronies like Danding Cojuanco, Bendicto, D.M. Consunji, Enrile, Floirendo, Lucio Tan and many others.  Surely, he would have benefited from their transactions with the government.

Only Pres. Duterte who, within his term to-date, has achieved respectable accomplishments within a short time.  He was the only president who was able to fight off drug syndication, oligarchs and corruption with considerable impact.  He is a respected personality/celebrity in several countries and made significant relations to Asean nations.  After President Duterte, what now Philippines?

How Filipino foods are tried by foreigners

In the past six months, vloggers got me interested in following a few of them at YouTube.  Why?  Because there were quite a number of foreigners that were vlogging about the Philippines.  The first ones I followed were the channels of The Hungry Syrian Wanderer and that of Becoming Filipino.  These vloggers, one a Syrian and the other a Canadian, have virtually their hearts in the Philippines.  What impressed me most was that they were quick to give aid and help to victims of the successive earthquakes in Davao-Cotabato areas last November 2019.  These two guys love Filipino food an know how to eat them properly or the right way to taste better.

BecomingFilipino - Kyle "Kulas" Jennermann

We now go the main topic on how Filipino foods are tried by foreigners.  Filipino food are mostly prepared with boiled or fried rice with one or more viands.  Filipinos have also their own version of noodles and have a variety of ways in cooking them.  For one thing, they hardly waste any part of animal meat especially chicken that is eaten from 'head to feet' and the innards.  Of course the other parts are cooked in different ways.  The usual way Filipinos eat the rice meals is having a bite of meat and vegetable/s followed by a spoonful or more of rice.  The rice often neutralizes strong tastes of viands and  also enhances the flavor of the mixed food in their mouth.

Here are example of Filipino foods not eaten the right way by many foreigners:

• Halo-halo (means Mix-mix in English) - to enjoy this favorite flavorful Pinoy (Filipino for short) dessert,  it must be mixed thoroughly.  There must be a good mixed combination of all the ingredients to get its full taste.  It can have six or more ingredients that includes crushed ice and milk.
• Lechon (roasted pig) - one of the top favorites of Pinoys.  The skin is crunchy and it would taste good as it is.  The meat, ideally, should be dipped in lechon sauce that enhances the taste of the meat.
• Pansit Palabok - this thin rice noodles that is topped with a special Filipino sauce that is further topped with some shrimp, oyster, strips of smoked fish meat, chopped green onions and crushed chicharon (pork rind).  Again, this should be mixed well so the noodles will will have an even color of the sauce.  As it is, the taste might be bland for most so Pinoys would add a few drops of patis (fish sauce) and calamansi (like lemon).
• Kare-kare (pork stew) - this is also a favorite viand in the Philippines.  The flavor is nothing exceptional (for me personally), BUT (big but) 😊, if there is a generous lump of sauteed shrimp paste (bagoong) on the side - well that's another story (for me).  By the way, this stew has vegetables mixed in it.

So foreigners in their homeland that happen to have a Jollibee fast food near you, remember how to eat Halo-halo and Pansit Palabok the right way to enjoy it!