Besao shares Linapet

Besao is 28 kilometers from the capital town of Bontoc and accessible via Besao-Sagada Road and Besao-Tadian Road.

Endowed with verdant greeneries and spectacular viewpoints, Besao offers panoramic views of lush mountain slopes. The highest mountain peak is Mt Caman-ingel. Another famed attraction is the Besao Sunset. Its awesome view is soothing to the sight as the sun sets in to meet the evening dusk.

Of course, one will not forget the Begnas celebrated every 30th of September when the rays of the sun hits a towering rock called a stone calendar during the observance of Adog, one of the 12 agricultural months of the year in Besao. Adog in September precedes Kiling in October when the sowing of rice seeds start.

Elder men gather at dap-ay Awaw at the northern village of Agawa to observe the rising of the sun at Ambaon Bato of Langsayan and announce the Feast of the Linapet when the sun's rays hits the stone.

Linapet is ground rice with fillings of crushed peanuts and wrapped with banana leaves. Households cook this tasty delicacy and share it with relatives and friends to observe the September Festival, share good tidings and be reminded of respect and cultural camaraderie among the people.

Know more about Besao, its people, and its natural attractions here.

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MP's caves, falls, and more

Mountain Province is rich in natural wonders to include the famed Sumaguing Cave of Sagada, Mainit Hot Springs of Bontoc, Mt Amuyao of Barlig, and more.

Link here

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Livelihood projects benefit Mt. Province families

To support the flourishing of local industries, the Provincial government of Mountain Province gave P100,000 for livelihood projects on blacksmith and iron works for folks in Sadanga.

Read more of this in Northern Philippine Times .

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The provincial government has allotted P875,508 for livelihood projects in this province with 290 households as original beneficiaries, 66 of which engaged in goat raising, 174 engaged in hog raising, 33 household engaged in duck raising and 17 in cattle raising.

Since not all members of the organizations benefited during the distribution, a re-dispersal scheme of the project shall be done by the organizations to the other members to have access of the program.

Evelyn Payacda of the Provincial Governor’s Office said some of the original beneficiaries re-dispersed to the second in line beneficiaries wherein 14 heads of goats were re-dispersed to 14 households; 30 heads of piglets to 30 households; and 104 heads of ducklings to 21 households, for a total of 88 households beneficiaries for the second in line.

Other livelihood projects funded were blacksmith and iron works in Sadanga town which received P100,000.

The organization is successfully operating and was able to produce various agricultural tools sold in and outside the province.

The Balangao Women’s organization of Natonin was given one sewing machine and one zigzag machine worth P10,000 each.

For vegetable production, the Bauko vegetable farmers were given P20,000 which they successfully implemented in 2007.

They were able to roll over to other seven farmers while Paracelis farmers who received P10,000 have implemented the project last December and winery production was given P40,000.

The successful implementation of these projects was due to the strict monitoring of the projects jointly being conducted by the staff of the Municipal Agriculturist where the project is implemented and Payacda, who is in-charge of the project. -- Juliet B. Saley

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Lemon Pie in Sagada

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Furniture and Handicrafts

Other locally made products of Mountain Province include finely crafted furniture-chairs, tables, cabinets, beds, cupboards and showcases-made of pinewood and narra. Other creations include metal works, hand-painted T-shirts, and handicrafts.

Furniture is made available from at least 60 furniture shops in Sagada, Besao, Bontoc, Barlig, Bauko, Paracelis, Sadanga,Tadian, and Sabangan.

At least nearly 10 metal work shops are especially made by craftsmen from Bauko, Tadian, and Bontoc. These are finely-made window grills, gates, and doors at reasonable costs.

Hand-painted T-shirts are done by home-based artists from Sagada and Bontoc. Original designs are mostly cultural motiffs such as lizards, gongs, and kalaleng (flute). These finely painted T-shirts are especially sold in souvenir shops in Sagada and Bontoc where tourists are the major buyers.

Handicrafts including hand-made woven bracelets, leather-made drums, seed-beads, clay beads, indigenous caps, are some of locally made souvenir items made in Sagada, Bontoc, Sabangan, and Tadian.

Grown wildly near rivers, the almost forgotten grayish bistak-aw plant is almost extinct. Thanks to Julia Bosaing of Sagada who found a way to make bistak-aw an ornament as bracelet or a necklace. Julia made bistak-aw beads interspersed with other commercial beads giving it a colorful and creative look. Bistak-aw is also made into curtains aside from bracelets. Julia also makes earings, bracelets, and necklaces out of hardened clay.

Hand-made paper is made out of local products like pine needles. William Pacyaya from Sagada has already made stacks of hand made paper needing market outlets.

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Squash noodles, pickles and jams

MOUNTAIN PROVINCE is known for its processed foods including jams, jellies, peanut butter and squash noodles. These are processed by entrepreneurs spread out in the ten towns of the province mostly in Sagada, Besao, Bontoc, Bauko, Tadian, Sabangan and Sadanga. Pickles, honey and lemon pies are also especially produced by Sagada entrepreneurs. Processed foods are either marketed in souvenir and local stores or consumed in a number of café shops.

Squash noodles are produced by Montanosa Research and Development Center (MRDC) based in Sagada. The squash noodles are made of wheat flour, squash puree, lye, iodized salt and vegetable oil. At least 130 kilograms are produced everyday. Demand is high but production is low. MRDC supplies individual stores in Sagada, Besao and Bontoc with squash noodles. MRDC’s squash noodles are produced using a cutter and sheeter and manned by two production staff.

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Patopat and Linapet

Mountain Province abounds with rice-producing municipalities in the plains of Paracelis and rice terraces of Bontoc,Sadanga,Sagada, Besao, Tadian, Sabangan,Natonin and Barlig. One of rice varieties planted is the glutinous malagkit and balatinao out of which patopat is made.

Patopat is sticky rice cake wrapped in banana leaves cooked in rice producing areas of the province. A more indigenous version in Bontoc and Sadanga is the tinufo. This is a compact rice cake contained in woven sugar cane leaves and mixed with peanut or black beans. Patopat is a favorite delicacy which is eaten during cultural celebrations like the am-among in Bontoc and during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Patopat is kin to the traditional Pangasinan kánen made by cooking glutinous rice, coconut cream and sinákob (molasses cakes) or brown sugar. Patopat is also favorite among Ilocanos. Patopat is inkaldít to Pangasinenses and is much like the Tagalog bíko. In lowland areas, the woven coconut leaf casing makes this delicacy handy.

Patopat has made its trademark being sold in bus terminals in Bontoc and placed in plastic bags. The recent introduction of a labeled box containing the delicacy shows an improvement in packaging the locally made rice cake.

Linapet is steamed rice cake of Besao. It is cooked from malagkit powder with chopped roasted peanuts as filling wrapped in banana leaves. It is traditionally served during the traditional thanksgiving celebration in Agawa, Besao. The time of this celebration happens when the rays of sunrise directly transcends from a stone on top of a mountain to a stone tip. Now, linapet is commercially sold in Besao and Sagada.

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