Adobo Cook-off

June 30 2009   Comments Off   

Filipino-style adobo

In Filipino cuisine, adobo refers to a common and very popular cooking process indigenous to the Philippines.[1]

When Spanish colonizers first took administration over the Philippines in the late 1500s and early 1600s, they encountered an indigenous cooking process which involved stewing with vinegar, which they then referred to as “adobo,” which is the Spanish word for seasoning or marinade. Dishes prepared in this manner eventually came to be known by this name, with the original term for the dish now lost to history.[1]

Thus, the adobo dish and cooking process in Filipino cuisine and the general description “adobo” in Spanish cuisine share similar characteristics, but in fact refer to different things with different cultural roots. While Philippine adobo can be considered adobo - a marinated dish - in the Spanish sense, the Philippine usage is much more specific.

Typically, pork or chicken, or a combination of both, is slowly cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns, and often browned in the oven or pan-fried afterward to get the desirable crisped edges. This dish originates from the northern region of the Philippines. It is commonly packed for Filipino mountaineers and travelers. Its relatively long shelf-life is due to one of its primary ingredients, vinegar, which inhibits the growth of bacteria.

The standard accompaniment to adobo is white rice.

Outside the home-cooked dish, the essence of adobo has been developed commercially and adapted to other foods. A number of successful local Philippine snack products usually mark their items “adobo-flavored.” This assortment includes, but is not limited to nuts, chips, noodle soups, and corn crackers.

In the Philippines and Latin America, preparing adobo is simple and requires but a handful of ingredients. In good-tasting adobo, none of the spice flavors dominate but rather the taste is a delicate balance of all the ingredients. The most widely preferred type has been traditionally pork adobo, followed by chicken adobo which is generally considered somewhat healthier.

Other ingredients such as squid, beef, lamb, game fowl like quail and snipe, catfish, okra, eggplant, string beans, and water spinach (kangkong) are also made into adobo, with appropriate changes in the basic recipe. Squid adobo (adobong pusit), for instance, is quite different. While most adobo preparations have a brownish sauce, squid adobo has a deep, purplish-black sauce not unlike the Spanish dish calamares en su tinta due to the inclusion of squid ink.In the Philippines and Latin America, preparing adobo is simple and requires but a handful of ingredients. In good-tasting adobo, none of the spice flavors dominate but rather the taste is a delicate balance of all the ingredients. The most widely preferred type has been traditionally pork adobo, followed by chicken adobo which is generally considered somewhat healthier.

Philippine Weekend Official Concert

June 24 2009   Comments Off   

Please note that Philippine Weekend along with Studio 661 are committed to only one concert which is THE CENTRAL CALI SHOWDOWN. This is the official concert of Philippine Weekend approved by the committee of Philippine Weekend.

If you have been mislead by others in regards to sponsorship opportunities or using Philippine Weekend, Inc. to promote their event. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of the committee members of Philippine Weekend. Philippine Weekend, Inc. is a non-profit organization and recognized by the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as a non-profit.

It is our obligations to protect our rights and name from others taking advantage of Philippine Weekend. Philippine Weekend will not sell any items for profits and business owners that are helping Philippine Weekend are committed in making every event successful and supporting it 100%.

Please help us by giving us the necessary information of anyone soliciting under Philippine Weekend. We must stop these thieves from stealing our pride and honor, our Philippine Weekend and properly report them to authorities.

If you have any concerns or comments in regards to this matter, please contact me at 661.319.7314. Thank you.

Mario Reyes, Chairman
Philippine Weekend, Inc.
mreyes@myphilippineweekend.org
www.myphilippineweekend.org
(661) 319-7314

Santacruzan 2009 HEARTHLAND

June 10 2009   Leave a Comment   

Come out and support our Santacruzan on June 27. Santacruzan each year kicks off Philippine Weekend’s summer events. Expect a story inspired by the Lion King show, dinner and a parade of Reynas at the event.

If you have any questions or inquiries regarding this event. Please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you.

Seeking Sponsors

May 14 2009   Comments Off   Tags:

Philippine Weekend is seeking sponsors for 2009 Philippine Weekend. If you are interested in sponsoring or donating to Philippine Weekend, please contact Mario Reyes at (661) 319-7314. Thank you!

Philippine Weekend Carwash

May 10 2009   Comments Off   

PWhousea

Come out and support our first Fundraising event for Philippine Weekend Entertainment.  The PW carwash is on May 23, 2009 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Little Caesar’s Parking Lot.  We can sure use your help by bringing your dirty cars and donate to Philippine Weekend.  We’ll see you all Saturday!

Philippine Weekend Official Logo

May 10 2009   Comments Off   
Logo

Philippine Weekend Official Logo

Philippine Weekend, Inc. approved the official logo of Philippine Weekend.  The Bahay Kubo, is an indigenous house used in the Philippines.  The native house is constructed out of bamboo tied together, with a thatched roof using nipa/anahaw leaves.  Bahay Kubo were homes in the Philippines before the Spaniards arrived.  Today, the house is still being used, especially in rural areas.

The PW Logo was designed based on a home that many Filipino’s often come home to enjoy the festivities of Philippine Weekend in Delano, California.  Enjoy the Fiesta and on our 35th Year, we want to welcome you all home…

Basketball Tournament

April 22 2009   Comments Off   

We been getting a lot of inquiries about the tournament.  Information regarding 2009 Basketball Tournament may contact Trina Laeno.

For more information about the basketball tournament please contact:

Trina Laeno’s cell: (661) 709-9866
Peter Agosto’s cell: (661) 709-0866

Welcome to Philippine Weekend 2009

April 6 2009   Comments Off   

“One History, One Future!  Celebrating 35 Years of Philippine Weekend…”

It is the beginning of April and we are underway in planning for this year’s 35th Year of Philippine Weekend.  As the days gets closer to the event, I urge you all to reach out and help out on this year’s Fiesta to put some colors to our BARRIO FIESTA!

We need ideas!  We need everyone to grab a hammer and paint brushes.  We want Philippine Weekend to be a FIESTA just like how it was in Philippines.  Let your colors show in our event and join us in preparing for it.  We, the committee are only a few that can do so much in the event.  But with the help of the proud Filipino’s that wants to celebrate a FIESTA PHILIPPINES!  We need you all…

We need colorful designs signs of PHILIPPINE WEEKEND.  We need some flags, colorful booths, signs, artistic designs, flowers, trees, and anything that your mind can think of.  I am sure there are hundreds of us that participated in Fiesta in Philippines…

We have the booth application online and Mr. & Ms. Philippine Weekend application too.  Come and get ‘em!

If you have any questions, need information, or anything that you can think of.  You all can reach me at 661.319.7314.  My name is Mario Reyes and currently the Chairperson of Philippine Weekend…

Ang Fiesta na ito ay para sa lahat!  Mag tulungan tayo para sa ating cultura!  Isang Kasaysayan, Isang Kinabukasan!

Salamat!

Philippine Weekend at National Night Out

August 6 2008   Comments Off   

Yes, Philippine Weekend Committee was there!  Fun!

We caught him taking candies.  Hehehe.

National Night Out KDK

Khaotic Dance Krew

Justin - Mr. PW Pageant Court

Fun times at National Night Out

It’s America’s Night Out Against Crime!

The “25th Annual National Night Out” (NNO), a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 5, 2008. We cordially invite you and your community to be a part of our NIGHT OUT 2008 team.

Last year’s National Night Out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from over 10,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide. In all, over 35 million people participated in National Night Out 2007.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT is designed to:

  • Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
  • Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs;
  • Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
  • Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

What did Delano do on National Night Out?  We had the support of the community that allowed us to get together and enjoy the celebration and at the same time the awareness that the city streets belongs to the community.

Who was there?  Performing were Khaotic Dance Krew, Boys & Babes in Style, Tainted Remedy and the Philippine Weekend Court DANCE Crew.  I just made that up, the pageant court performed with their happy smiles…  And the booths from Philippine Weekend,  Costco, Precision, Joe Serrano, and more others were there.  Kids got a chance to throw water balloons at our vice mayor Sam and for sure next year, we’ll get more water balloons.  I suggest Sam be ready for next year, bring his wet suit.  :-)

Starbucks are thanking the many people that came from this event to buy some cool coffee.

Ang atin kultura at kasaysayan!

August 1 2008   Comments Off   

Ang atin Kultura at Kasaysayan, our culture and history.  As a Filipino-American growing up in Delano, I have so much to learn about the history of Philippines and the many people that made a difference worldwide.  If there were no Filipinos today, the Karaoke that was invented by Roberto del Rosario, will not exist.  If Fe del Mundo wasn’t born, studies that contributed to the invention of the incubator would not have surfaced.  Millions of millions of babies would have difficulties fighting for their lives if not for that piece of equipment.

More examples?  It is very simple.  Kung wala ang pinoy, walang fishballs, walang jeep, walang Manny Pacquiao, walang bagoong, walang balot, maraming wala.  Pati ikaw ay wala.

Without our history, our culture and tradition.  We won’t be here today. It is very important to teach our children of their past and to allow ourselves to learn the history to pass to them.  The Philippine Weekend website will continue to teach and pass on the information in regards to our culture and tradition.  Ang atin kultura at kasaysayan edition will be featured on the site and through out the festivities in Philippine Weekend, fliers of the history will be available at the Philippine Weekend booth.  Our history is our responsibility to pass it on to the generations of today.  Don’t rely on others to do it for you.  The best teachers is taking that first step to learn and share the information to everyone.  The internet has a lot of information about our history and not just myspace.  Take the time to pull up Jose Rizal, Gregoria de Jesus, Leonor Rivera, Diego Silang, Lapu-Lapu, Teresa Magbanua, Marina Dizon, Julian Felipe and many more national heroes.

Do you know who was the first president of Philippines?  General Emilio Aguinaldo, first and youngest president of the Philippines.

I urge you to search online about the rich history of Philippines and the many people that came here in the states that made the difference.  One of those people was Larry Itliong.

Larry Itlong

Larry Dulay Itliong 1913-1977

Historic Strike by Rodel Rodis

1500 Filipino farm workers went out on strike in Delano, California and made history, inspiring the formation of the United Farm Workers Union and causing sweeping changes in U.S.farm labor laws. The strike also led to the formation of the first
national organization advocating for the political empowerment of the Filipino community.

But despite its vast historic significance, hardly anyone noticed it or even bothered to celebrate the anniversary of the event.

On September 8, 1965, Filipino farm workers in Delano met at the Filipino Community Hall and voted to call a strike against the Delano grape growers. Led by Larry Itliong, Philip Vera-Cruz and Pete Velasco, the Filipino workers, who had organized themselves as the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) AFL-CIO, believed that the time for a strike was right.

The Filipino farm workers were protesting the gross disparity in salaries between what the growers were paying them ($1.10 per hour) and what they were paying the “braceros”, who were brought in from Mexico by California growers to work the fields for a limited period ($1.40 per hour) as base pay.

After the vote at the Filipino Community Hall, the Filipino farm workers went out into the fields and called on their kababayans (compatriots) to go out on strike. Larry Itliong, an articulate orator who spoke nine Philippine dialects, was the most persuasive. He knew many of the workers personally as he had organized the Filipino Farm Labor Union in 1956 and had been a labor organizer since he landed in California in 1929 from San Nicolas, Pangasinan.

Before the Delano vote in September, Larry Itliong and Pete Velasco had organized the Filipino grape pickers in Coachella Valley, south of Delano, to also protest the disparity in pay with the “braceros”. On May 3, 1965, their AWOC group called a strike which was joined by 1,000 mostly Filipino farm workers.

After a week of the strike, seven local vineyards in Coachella Valley agreed to raise the wages of the farm workers to equal what was paid to the “braceros” although no formal contract was signed between the AWOC and the growers.

As the seasonal labor moved from Coachella to Delano, many of the farm workers demanded that the Delano growers provide them with the same raise agreed to by the Coachella growers. But the Delano growers would
not go along with their demands, setting the stage for the September 8 vote on the strike.

Five days after the Delano strike was called, the growers began to get scab Mexican labor to replace the Filipino farm workers. Unlike the Coachella growers, the Delano growers were taking a hard line against the strikers.

In order for the strike to succeed, Itliong needed the support of the Mexican workers. “That’s when I went to see Cesar and asked him to help me,” Itliong told a reporter.

Cesar Chavez, the head of the mostly Mexican National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), had been organizing Mexican farm workers in California and throughout the southwest. But when Chavez heard about the Filipino-led strike, he had misgivings as he thought the strike was at least three years premature.

“Our worry was that the Filipinos would abandon the strike,” explained NFWA co-founder Dolores Huerta. “Some of them were beaten up by the growers (who) would shut off the gas and the lights and the water in the labor camps.”

A united front between the Filipinos and the Mexicans would not be easy as many Mexicans refused to be in the same picket lines as the Filipinos. Growers had historically used Filipinos to break Mexican-led strikes and vice-versa.

“For 80 years prior to 1965, every organizing attempt had been defeated, every strike had been crushed, the only law they knew was the law of the jungle and abuse and contempt and violence against farm workers was commonplace,” observed Marc Grossman, a Sacramento political consultant.

“Larry and Cesar’s great contribution was they crossed racial barriers,” Grossman said.

Eight days after the Filipinos voted for the strike, the Mexican workers attended a meeting at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Delano called by Chavez on September 16, 1965. They voted unanimously to join the strike.

News of the Filipino farm workers’ strike reached San Francisco and spurred Filipino community leaders in the Bay Area, led by Emile Heredia and Alex Esclamado, to set up food caravans to bring canned goods to Delano to support their kababayans in the picket lines.

The alliance between the Filipino farm workers led by Itliong and the Filipino professionals led by Heredia and Esclamado brought about the formation of the Filipino American Political Association (FAPA) in 1966. In 1970, when Itliong was national president, FAPA had active chapters in 30 cities throughout the US.

While Itliong was forging a union with other Filipinos, he was also doing the same on the farm worker front. In 1966, the Filipino AWOC of Itliong and the NFWA of Chavez merged to form the United Farm Workers of America (UFWA), AFL-CIO with Chavez as Executive Director and Itliong second in command. First Vice-President was Dolores Huerta, Second Vice-President was Philip Vera-Cruz, and Third Vice-President was Andy Imutan with Pete Velasco as Secretary-Treasurer of the union.

The key to winning the strike was mobilizing a nationwide boycott of Delano grapes. The success of the grape boycott forced the growers to give in to the demands of the farm workers union in 1970. “We got wage increases, a medical plan for farm workers, we set up five clinics, a day care center and a school,” Dolores Huerta announced.

The UFW also set up the Pablo Agbayani Village in Delano for retired farm workers. It was named after a Filipino farm worker who died while picketing during the strike.

Alex Fabros, a PhD candidate at UC Santa Barbara, believes the merger between the AWOC and the NFWA was “devastating for the Filipinos who participated in the UFW.”

“Filipinos were marginalized and never given true power within the union. Filipinos lost seniority, lost jobs, lost money. Although they were in very prominent positions within the UFW, they were not in the critical decision-making slots,” Fabros observed.

With his influence within the union diminished, Itliong resigned from the UFW in 1971 criticizing the “intellectuals” surrounding Chavez who, he believed, did not relate to the thinking of the farm workers. “My
lone voice in policy making is but a feeble voice,” he said.  Itliong died in 1977, at age 63, leaving a wife and 7 kids. At his
funeral, Chavez eulogized him as “a true pioneer in the farm workers movement.”

But Fred Cordova, a past president of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), believes he should be considered more than just a pioneer.

“I’d like to see his grave site included as a national shrine and the name Larry Itliong mentioned in the same breath as Cesar Chavez in ethnic studies courses. His impact on the Filipino American experience is unsurpassed,” Cordova said.

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