Tourism&Entertainment There’s more to Isabela than the Bambanti

Its icon and mascot is the bambanti (the Ilokano word for “scarecrow”), the human-like figure, wrapped in old farmer’s clothing stuffed with straw and grass and held up by a frame over a field that guards crops against marauding birds.

d u ring our stay, we also experience snippets of the province’s history and culture as well as the Isabelinos’ religiosity, industry, and cuisine. Just as in the 2020 edition, our home for our 5-day stay in Isabela was to be at the 110-room The hotel Sophia in Cauayan City.

d u ring our first and rainy afternoon stay in Isabela, a break in the Bambanti Festival proceedings brought us to the Mangi Food h auz and

Pasalubong Center, a restaurant in the City of Ilagan which offers corn fare. The city is the country’s Corn Capital with 80 percent of the population being corn farmers. he re, manager Ms. e l izabeth S. a l lam introduced us to cornbetes, a decadent soft-serve ice cream with the pure flavors of corn topped by crunchy corn kernels.

We also explored the nearby d O Taccredited d e partment of a g riculture-Cagayan Valley Research Center ( da - CVRC, one of the Bureau of a gr icultural Research’s active partners in research and development in the region) a g ro- e co Tourism Farm, home to the Cagayan Valley Research Centera n nex; the Plant Genetics Resources Center, Organic Seed Storage d i splay ho use, the Learning Center and Museum for Organic a g riculture, he rbal Garden, Children’s Park, a l phabet Garden, Pinakbet Park, among others.

We were next brought to the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel, just a short 6.5 km (15 minutes) drive away from the Provincial Capitol. This man-made war tunnel, part of the Japanese military headquarters during the 1942 to 1945 Japanese Occupation of the Philippines in World War II, is one of the few remaining tunnels in the province. a s ide from being the headquarters, it was also a weapons storage facility for bombs, explosives, guns, and ammunition. Captured Filipino guerrillas were also imprisoned and tortured here.

On our third day, we dropped by the Isabela Museum and Library. This two-story museum, built in 1946, once housed the province’s old capitol until 1991. It now showcases Isabela’s history and cultural heritage. a mong the museum’s collections are antique furniture, fossils, ethnographic items, heirloom pieces, visual arts (photographs, paintings, sculpture, and graphic arts), artworks, historical and cultural dioramas, and miniature models of provincial landmarks, among others.

The following morning, we toured the nearby Church of Our Lady of the Pillar of Cauayan City, one of five Spanish-era churches in the province. The others are the Church of St. Matthias in Tumauini, the Church of Our Lady of a t ocha in a l icia, the San Pablo de Cabagan Church Ruins in San Pablo, and the St. Rose of Lima Church in Gamu. This church, built with stone, mortar, and bricks, was begun in 1825 by d o minican Fr. Juan Prieto and was completed in 1830. d u ring our visit, we got to climb to the very top of the bell tower (its upper level is a modern addition as it was destroyed during the violent d e cember 27, 1949 Intensity 7 earthquake) where we had a panoramic bird’s eye view of the city and the surrounding countryside.

From the church, we had our lunch at Otep’s Tinuno, a hidden gem of Cauayan City and a local version of Gerry’s Grill. This one-story, nativestyle family restaurant serves comfort Filipino food in an al fresco but relaxing tropical ambiance. The word tinuno is an Ilocano term for “grilled.” he re, we feasted on their sumptuous best-seller Boodle 3: Fiesta fare which

In Awe Of CAppAdOCIA’S wInteR wOndeRlAnd

consisted of Crispy Pata and Fried Chicken plus the best freshly grilled Filipino eats such as Inihaw na Tilapia, Inihaw na Liempo and Inihaw na Tanigue, all served with e n saladang Kamatis, Sili, Talong, Steamed Rice, and Otep’s Pancit.

On our fifth and last day in Isabela, we boarded our tour bus for the long 85 km (2 hours) drive to Santa Maria where we were to observe the indigenous Ybanag method of producing pots and earthenware. a l ong the way, we crossed the Cagayan River via the Cabagan–Santa Maria Overflow Bridge (usually impassable during heavy rains) which will soon be replaced by the still unfinished, 720 m. long, 12-span, P639.6 million Santa Maria-Cabagan Landmark Bridge.

Upon arrival at Brgy. Poblacion 3, one of four barangays engaged in pottery making (the others are Poblacion 2, San Rafael West, and Quinagabian), we were welcomed by Santa Maria Vice-Mayor Michael a b raham G. Pagauitan and Municipal Tourism Officer Rex T. a r ao who toured us around the center of pottery making in the community. a f ter our pottery tour, we again boarded our bus for the short 7.1 km (20 minutes) drive to Balay San Jose within Rancho a g ripina, owned by Santa Maria Mayor h i lario “Larry” G. Pagauitan. Its Sanctaurio de San Jose (a favorite wedding venue) and Casa di Spiritualita di San Giuseppe (a 42-room retreat center) are visited by tourists and religious pilgrims. a f ter a short visit to the Giant Banga (native pot) Landmark, Vice Mayor Pagauitan brought us to the nearby13room Maria Lourdes Mansion (named after her late sister Maria Lourdes G. Pagautan), the town’s first upscale hotel, for lunch. The hotel also has a function room, swimming pool, cottages, and a chapel.

Our food journey wasn’t over yet as 1st d i strict Congressman a ntonio “Tonypet” a lbano invited us over to his residence in Cabagan for a merienda of native bibingka, tupig, and the festive, hearty and mouth-watering Pancit Cabagan, a must-try if you are in town.

Prior to our return to the City of Ilagan, we took time out to observe the making of Pancit Cabagan, demonstrated by the owner, Marivic Tagao ofMariloi’s Panciteria and Restaurant, one the well-known pansiterias in town.

The shuttle I booked drove through the snow-covered Turkish countryside. I included Cappadocia on my itinerary but was unable to go during my first trip to Turkiye. This time, I made sure it was on my list so I can go and see its famous and stunning landscapes.

Of Cliches and Sunsets

I had a few extra hours in town before it got dark. a local I met told me about a sunrise and sunset viewing point that overlooked the town. I decided to go despite the below-zero temperature since it wasn’t too far away. The thick snow and ice made the road difficult to walk on, but seeing several tourists that had the same idea passed me by, I soldiered on.

I got to the viewpoint freezing while waiting for a sunset that I’ve seen in so many other places. What could be different with this one? I asked myself. Snow covered the town and the landscape as far as my eyes could see.

Roofs and rock formations jutted out of the white blankets that covered them. It was about to get dark, and the event that everyone waited for was about to happen. The sky turned light orange, then deep red blended with the white land - scape. I took some photos, including some mental snapshots. Maybe it’s a sign, a symbol, or simply something beautiful. I admired the view one last time and went on my way.

On the Road

The famous balloon rides that many visitors take while in Cappadocia had been canceled for days before I got here. The tour which included a short walk through the valley was also canceled due to the poor weather and icy roads. h o wever, I didn’t let this let me down, so I decided to just do a combined tour of the region’s highlights.

Cappadocia has had an interesting history as jagged and beautiful as the contours of its landscapes. Its historical borders have shifted depending on the dynasty that ruled it from the Seleucid e mp ire to the Romans, while raids into the region from different armies took place throughout the centuries. Vestiges of early Christianity are also found within its confines with rock-cut churches and frescoes depicting Christian events. The First e p istle of Peter also mentions the region in the Bible. This condensed history of Cappadocia swirled through my mind as our guide took us to different spots while pointing out rock formations and touring us to small villages. I could make out the curves and edges of the famous fairy chimneys of Cap - padocia blanketed with snow. It was a picturesque sight to behold.

One of the highlights of the trip was the underground city. There are approximately 200 such cities in Cappadocia, with two that tourists frequent, namely, Kaymakali and d e rinkuyu. The underground cities were abandoned for decades only to be rediscovered by accident in the early 1960s. I could only imagine living underground for centuries. The ancient Cappadocians carved and built houses with bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and storage areas several feet below the ground. It amazes me what people can do when they really want to achieve something, or when faced with an existential crisis from foreign invasions, persecution, and wars. We ducked our heads and weaved in and out of narrow passages to see the remnants of small spaces that many used to call home. We saw the ingenuity of the people that built the underground rooms we visited. a s t he trip was about to end, I looked back at the places I’d been to in Turkiye during this trip. Cappadocia was a definite highlight with its natural and historic attractions. d e spite the snowy and cold weather, the region's beauty can leave one in awe. I was already thinking of a possible return trip during sunnier and warmer weather.

COOP Fresh is known as a phygital store, which means that it provides the experience of going out to a physical grocery with the ease and convenience of online shopping.

PHOTOS BY DINNA CHAN

EU NEARS DEAL ON $47B LAW TO BOOST COMPUTER CHIP PRODUCTION

LONDON—The European Union was closing in Tuesday on approval for a plan to ramp up semiconductor production as it seeks to wean itself off reliance on Asia for the tiny computer chips that control everything from cars to washing machines.

The European Parliament and the bloc’s 27 member states struck an informal agreement for the €43 billion ($47 billion) Chips Act, which pools public and private funds and allows for state aid to kick-start massive investments for chipmaking facilities.

“The Chips Act puts Europe in the first line of cutting-edge technologies which are essential for our green and digital transitions,” Ebba Busch, industry minister for Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said in a statement.

The EU is scrambling to keep up with the US, which launched its own $52 billion Chips Act to boost the American semiconductor industry.

The EU Chips Act will link research, design and testing as well as coordinate EU and national investment. It’s aims to help the semiconductor industry develop so that the bloc’s global market share of chip production can double to 20 percent by 2030.

Both the US and the EU want to reduce their dependence on Asia, which accounts for the bulk of global semiconductor production—a vulnerability that was exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when supply chain disruptions led to extended shortages of autos, smartphones and medical devices. Chips are integrated circuits that are embedded in a semiconductor, a material—notably silicon— that can manage the flow of electric current. The terms “chip” and “semiconductor” are often used interchangeably. AP