Samar

Head for the Public Market

 Borongan’s public market is a great place for food browsing. There are red bananas bark strips from the balaw tree used as cooking fuel; and black and red varieties of “malagkit” or sticky rice called pilit. If you head to Ivy Carpeso’s dry goods stall, you can pick up a rattan duyan or hammock for P350, a fine-woven bilao (P180) or round bamboo tray fashioned from manban, the material from bamboo used to weave nipa. An old-fashioned tirador or slingshot sells for P35, while the ingenuous silip (P65), wooden goggles with glass eyepieces held together by epoxy and strung with fisherman’s twine and industrial grade rubber strips sell for P65. Finally, if you’re a hoarder, take home an old school charcoal plantsa or flat iron, crafted from tin and hinged so you can open the top and stuff it with hot charcoal (P400).

Borongan, Public Market

Then, perhaps buy one of the most unique pieces, a “hotcakan,” or improvised pancake make two disks ridged with a waffle pattern and attached to wooden handles. Get one for someone who has everything this Christmas. It’s P250 for the small pancake maker, P280 for the larger one. Ivy’s Native Products is located at Stall H of the Borongan Public Market. You can also call: 0918/ 246 5092.

Photo and Article Source: Inflight Magazine (Seair)