Sweet Heritage of Brgy. Ligue: The Kanen Makers of Bayambang

 Sweet Heritage of Brgy. Ligue: The Kanen Makers of Bayambang

In the quiet mornings of Barangay Ligue, before the first tricycle revs its engine and before the market stalls fully wake, the air is already thick with the scent of steamed rice, caramelized coconut, and brown sugar melting into syrup.

Here, in this humble village of Bayambang, Pangasinan, kanen—known elsewhere as kakanin—is not merely food. It is livelihood. It is inheritance. It is pride.

A Craft Passed Down in Steam and Fire

For decades, families in Ligue have quietly perfected the art of making traditional Pangasinense delicacies:

Puto lasong (or lanson) – soft, subtly sweet steamed rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves

Latik – sticky rice squares (biko) glazed with rich coconut caramel

Inlubi – toasted glutinous rice (deremen) delicacy simmered in coconut milk and sugar with coconut strips

Pinais ya suman – ground cassava- or malagkit-based kakanin infused with coconut cream

Tapong/Puton belas – dense rice cake with a distinct earthy sweetness

Kundandit – a ground cassava and/or toasted corn delicacy, delicate yet filling

Tikoy 

Pichi-pichi - sweet cassava balls in various versions

Unday-unday -

Bitso-bitso - 

The list goes on—each recipe slightly different from one household to another, each guarded like a family heirloom.

The Women Behind the Warmth

Take, for instance, **Aling Rosa Mendoza**, 62, who began helping her mother wrap puto lason in banana leaves at the age of nine. Today, her small backyard kitchen produces nearly 800 pieces of puto lason every market day.

“We don’t rush the soaking,” she says, gently lifting the lid of a steaming bilao. “If the rice isn’t prepared right, the texture won’t forgive you.”

Her puto lasong is known for its softness—never crumbly, never too dense. Buyers from neighboring barangays reserve trays in advance, especially during fiestas and town celebrations.

A few houses away is **Mang Lito Garcia**, one of the few male deremen makers in Ligue. Formerly a farmhand, he turned to kakanin-making when unpredictable harvests could no longer sustain his family. His deremen is slow-cooked over wood fire for hours, allowing the coconut milk to thicken naturally.

“Quality first,” he insists. “If you use thin gata, you’ll taste the difference.”

Then there is **Marites Villanueva**, 38, who modernized without compromising tradition. She packages latik and inlubi in neat boxes with labels bearing “Ligue’s Pride.” Through social media resellers and word-of-mouth marketing, her products now reach customers in Dagupan, Urdaneta, and even balikbayans requesting delivery to Manila.

From Backyard Kitchens to Regional Tables

What once began as small-scale backyard production has grown into a micro-industry quietly fueling Barangay Ligue’s economy.

On ordinary days, kanen from Ligue are sold in the Bayambang Public Market, neighboring towns across Pangasinan, including San Carlos City, and special orders for birthdays, weddings, and town fiestas.

During peak seasons—Christmas, Holy Week, fiesta months—the demand doubles, sometimes triples. Some makers report sending bulk orders as far as Tarlac and Metro Manila through bus cargo services.

Despite their growth, the methods remain largely traditional, except for the use of electric machines in place of stone grinders to turn glutinous rice into galapong (rice batter): freshly squeezed coconut milk, banana leaves instead of plastic liners, wood-fired steaming for that distinct aroma.

It is this commitment to authenticity that sets Ligue’s kanen apart. Buyers often remark that the taste “brings them back to childhood.”

More Than Livelihood

For the people of Barangay Ligue, kanen-making is more than income. It has sent children to college. It has repaired roofs after typhoons. It has kept generations rooted in their hometown instead of seeking uncertain work elsewhere.

Challenges remain—rising sugar prices, fluctuating coconut supply, competition from commercialized versions. Yet the makers adapt, pooling resources, sharing tips, even lending ingredients during shortages.

There is no formal cooperative yet, but there is community, mostly comprised of a compound of families related to one another.

A Sweet Future Ahead

As Bayambang continues to grow, so too does recognition of local heritage products. Many believe that with the right support—packaging training, branding assistance, and wider market access—Ligue’s kanen could become one of Pangasinan’s culinary signatures.

But for now, before the sun fully rises, the steam still lifts quietly from aluminum steamers in backyard kitchens of Barangay Ligue.

Panagbaliw: Crossing the River that Remembers

Panagbaliw: Crossing the River that Remembers

Along the quiet waterways of Brgy. Amancosiling Sur, where the river bends like a patient arm around fields of green, an ancient routine once governed the day: the soft scrape of bamboo pole against current, the steady push of wood against water, and the call of a boatman ready to ferry neighbors across.

This is panagbaliw—with the boatman also known as managbaliw or managbaluto—a traditional way of water transportation that has carried not only passengers but generations of memory in Bayambang.

A Craft Born of River and Need

Since time immemorial, panagbaliw has served as a living bridge between the barrios of Amancosiling Sur, San Gabriel, and Manambong. Long before paved roads and motor vehicles reshaped the landscape, the river was both boundary and passageway. Farmers, traders, and families relied on the baluto—a slender wooden vessel roughly three meters long—to cross swiftly and affordably.

The baluto was simple yet ingenious: Wood and bamboo formed its narrow body. The begsay (sagwan), a wooden paddle, steered against strong currents during high tide. Teken or tukor, a longer kawayan (bamboo) pole, tipped with metal, pushed firmly against the riverbed during low tide.

Each crossing required balance, timing, and intimate knowledge of water depth and current. The boatman read the river as others read weathered pages—every ripple a sentence, every tide a warning or welcome.

The Boatman’s Life

Among its practitioners was Peter Fernandez Pinto, a retired managbaliw from Amancosiling Sur. For ten years, he guided passengers across the river—farmers on their way to fields, children clutching school bags, vendors carrying woven baskets of produce.

He learned the craft from his elders, inheriting not only technique but responsibility. In turn, he passed the knowledge to younger relatives, sustaining a lineage of river wisdom. Panagbaliw was never merely a livelihood; it was stewardship—of safety, of skill, of community trust.

More than Transportation

Panagbaliw’s significance flows in many directions. Historically, perhaps for over a century, it connected communities long before infrastructure made travel convenient. Across its tranquil waters in Bayambang, it was said that national hero Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal once made his quiet crossing—journeying over its gentle current on his way to visit his cousin, childhood sweetheart, and secret lover Leonor Rivera in Dagupan. Economically, it offered farmers an affordable and direct route to their land, sparing them the longer journey through town. For boatmen, it was a modest but vital source of income. Socially speaking, each crossing became a space of exchange—stories shared midstream, friendships renewed on narrow planks of bamboo.

In its quiet way, panagbaliw through the baluto fostered commerce, kinship, and continuity.

A Tradition at the Water’s Edge

Today, the hum of engines has largely replaced the hush of poles dipping into water. Improved roads and popular motor vehicles have made river crossings less practical. Panagbaliw survives, but not as commonly as before.

Yet its story endures. The pioneers continue to teach younger kin how to balance the baluto, how to push against the current, how to respect the river’s temperament. Transmission—through family memory and lived demonstration—remains its strongest safeguard.

The River That Carries Memory

Panagbaliw is a form of subsistence technology shaped by ecology—born from rainforest and bamboo groves, guided by river tides, and sustained by human adaptability.

In Amancosiling Sur, the river still flows. And though fewer baluto glide across its surface, the tradition remains etched in community consciousness—a testament to how culture moves, quite literally, with the current.

More than a means of crossing water, panagbaliw is a way of crossing time.

(Original mapper: Jaira Farrales, BNHS student)

Draft List: Judges from Bayambang

Draft List: Judges from Bayambang

~Late 1950s - Onofre Abalos was the first Court of First Instance judge from Bayambang.

? (no estimated date) Atty. Guillermo Aguirre became the first municipal judge from Bayambang.

Judge Felipe Abalos, son of Onofre

Judge Salvador T. Mananzan

Judge Teofilo Junio (?)

Judge Fernando T. Sagun, Jr. 

Judge Cynthia Martinez-Florendo 

Judge Charina Imelda A. Casingal-Sazon

Judge Charina Sabangan Ambat 

Judge Irene May Junio Velasco

HISTORY OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

HISTORY OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Jul 31, 2014

SPANISH REGIME • Started formally in grade one with Christian Doctrine • Predominantly religious utilized certain textbooks as cartilla and pagina de la Infancia (contains alphabet and prayers) • Young Filipinos mostly coming from the “bourgeois’ ilustrado class

Preschooling was unorganized • The more educated adults in the community became lawful “preschool teachers” • Usually handled on one to one basis and lasting for no less than 30 minutes per session • (Estolaz & Nunez,1974)

The regular schooling in the cartilla lasted for 3 to 6 months depending upon the child’s capacity to learn • This particular schooling facilitated the entry of the child into grade one although it was not necessarily a requirement

INITIAL ATTEMPTS • In 1924, the opening of kindergarten education at Harris Memorial School Manila ( Harris Memorial College) pioneered preschool education • Under directorship of Miss Mary A. Evans

A class was established by Mrs. Brigida Fernando after her training at Columbia University Teachers College

Interest in kindergarten movement was picked up by other private schools and grew succeedingly well among the religious schools both Catholic and Protestant • Similar interest motivated civic groups to help children

In 1935 The NATIONAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S CLUB( NFWC) became the forerunner of nursery education • The process of getting government recognition didn’t come after 16 years.

In 1940, The Bureau of Private Schools had authorized 129 kindergarten classes getting an enrolment of 6,449. • The World War II disrupted the growth of the program to the point of closing almost all schools.

POSTWAR INTERESTS • The year immediately ensuing liberation had demonstrated a renewed interest in preschool education • Out 129 government recognized kindergarten schools in 1940, a total of 61 schools with 3,172 enrolment started in operation in 1945-1946

Private individuals had shortly joined this bold start • The NFWC continued to have its nursery classes one in Sampaloc and in Tondo Manila

In 1948, HARRIS MEMORIAL SCHOOL initiated another big step by obtaining a government recognition to confer the degree of JUNIOR TEACHER’S CERTIFICATE to Graduate in kindergarten education

This was the first recognized course in kindergarten education offered in the Philippines • Other colleges and universities attempt to emphasize kindergarten teaching by giving special training on the area, either part and parcel of B.S. in Education or in Home Economics

Preschool education in the country has almost remained to be associated with Bureau of Private Schools, specially with the religious groups.

BREAKTHROUGH IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS • 1950’s through the effort of Dr. Miguela M. Solis, then the Superintendent of Teacher education in Bureau of Public Schools, preschool education started in the government regional –training schools • Pangasinan Normal School was the first to take advantage

Followed by Zamboanga Normal School • In 1964, a year after establishment of National Coordinating Center for the Study and Development of Filipino Children and Youth ( NCCSDFCY) which Dr. Solis was the director, the Children’s Village was opened to admit kindergarten children, marking another milestone in the public sector.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A JOINT CONCERN • The growth of Philippine preschool education had been so slow when this is compared to those of the other countries • Though slow, the regular yearly increment in kindergarten enrolment in both private and public schools had increased

The major portion of preschool children were consistently in the private schools with its yearly increase remaining constant • Until that there are too many children for every teacher. • Sending pre-school aged children to private kindergarten is expensive • The need for nursery schools that could cater to the lower income families was then felt

A number of national offices and civic organizations have responded to the need to extend appropriate education • The NFWC who has started only with two schools has expanded to 251 classes mostly located in the less chance areas like Tondo, Sampaloc, Paco and others

In 1956, the Manila Health Department introduced the concept of modern preschool “ play centers” in Manila • It was Dr, Demetrio Belmonte the assistant city health officer who had a trip from different countries like Europe and USA and observed the operation of modern and scientific preschool

With the assistance of Dr. Evangeline G. Suva, returning grantee on programming preschool play centers and Mrs.Isabel Santos, a social worker of the Ladies’ • Association worked hand in hand to put up the first modern fully equipped play centers at the KAPITAN ISIDRO MENDOZA HEALTH CENTER

Meanwhile various civic organization have similarly taken bold steps in support of the program. • Some of them are Young Ladies Association of Charity, The Rural Improvement Clubs, The Philippine Women’s Medical Association • In mid 1960’s the Department of Social Welfare had started the inclusion of nursery and kindergarten education in its program.

1970’s to 1980’s – The government’s intensified interest in the welfare of the Filipino child resulted in the signing of P.D 603 • PD 603- known as CHILD AND YOUTH WELFARE CODE in 1974” • 1979- UNESCO( United nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization) declared as the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CHILD

1977 to 1987 • The Philippines declared DECADE OF THE FILIPINO CHILD • This marked the increased of number of preschool children and also the establishments both in private and public schools

1978 to 1989- DECS encouraged the operation of preschools in public elementary schools with MEC Order No. 24 s 1978 and DECS Order No. 107, s.1989 ( Soliven et.al,1997) • 1993 to 1994- There were 1,892 DECS- recognizes and registered private schools in the country with 416,894 enrolled preschoolers

1995 to 2000- Three reform programs were initiated in response to the need of rising numbers of preschoolers: • EDUCATION FOR ALL • CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION ON EDUCATION • Implementation of LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE

Eloisa Gelito-Bautista MA. ECE

 

History of the Applied Nutrition Program (ANP) in Bayambang, Pangasinan

Did You Know?

Did you know that Bayambang used to host the National Applied Nutrition Training Centre, aside from being the pilot site for UNESCO's Applied Nutrition Program in the Philippines?

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History of the Applied Nutrition Program (ANP) in Bayambang, Pangasinan

The Applied Nutrition Program (ANP) in Bayambang, Pangasinan, is historically significant as the pioneer pilot site for national nutrition initiatives in the Philippines, dating back to the 1960s.

Supreme Court E-Library

Historical Foundations (1960s – 1970s)

• The Pilot Project (1964): The Philippines Applied Nutrition Program (PANP) began in 1964 in four pilot communities around Bayambang. This initiative was a collaborative effort involving international agencies like UNICEF, FAO, and WHO.
• National Training Hub (1967): In 1967, Bayambang hosted the first national six-week training session for nutrition supervisors. By 1969, the town was officially designated as the permanent site for the National Applied Nutrition Training Centre.
• Early Innovations:
• • Demonstration Farms: The program established farms to promote "miracle rice" (IR-8) and hybrid corn, alongside breeding ponds for tilapia and carp.
  • Supplementary Feeding: By the 1968-1969 school year, 45 schools in the Bayambang/Bautista division were conducting regular feeding programs.
  • Academic Integration: The Pangasinan Normal School (now Pangasinan State University) integrated nutrition education into its curriculum as early as 1967. Supreme Court E-Library +1

Modern Revitalization (2016 – Present)

After decades of development, the spirit of the program somewhat lives on in the massive resurgence under the Local Government of Bayambang:

• Anti-Malnutrition Campaign (2016): Facing high malnutrition rates (ranked #1 in the region in early 2016), the LGU launched a massive campaign that successfully delisted the town from the "top malnourishment" list within a year.
• Institutionalization: The Municipal Nutrition Action Office (MNAO) was institutionalized to manage long-term services, including the 90-Day Dietary Supplementation Program and cow milk distribution from the Bayambang Dairy Farm.
• Recent Awards: In 2025, Bayambang was recognized by the National Nutrition Council with the CROWN or Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition Award in the presence of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

In January 2026, Bayambang was awarded First Prize for the 2024 Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar in Pangasinan, reflecting its continued leadership in community health. Municipality of Bayambang +4

Key Components

• Tutok Kainan Program: A National Nutrition Council initiative targeting at-risk pregnant women.
• Barangay Nutrition Support Group (NSG): Bayambang was the first municipality in Region I to establish these groups to support the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project.
• Nutrition Ordinances: Recent local laws have established a comprehensive nutrition program with dedicated funding to ensure sustainability. Municipality of Bayambang +4

Tinapa-Making in Bayambang

 Tinapa-Making in Bayambang

Tinapa making has quietly formed part of the cultural and economic fabric of Bayambang, Pangasinan for at least the past fifty years, and likely even earlier through informal household practice. While it has never been the town’s largest or most commercially prominent industry, its steady presence in various barangays reflects the resourcefulness and adaptability of Bayambangueños in sustaining small-scale food production traditions. For many families, tinapa making has served as a supplemental livelihood, particularly among those connected to fishing, market vending, and local trade. But this otherwise simple, unheralded economic activity stands as a testament to practical knowledge passed down through generations.

Tinapa is a traditional Filipino smoked fish delicacy typically made from galunggong (round scad) or bangus (milkfish). In Bayambang, the preparation follows time-honored methods rooted in both necessity and taste. Fresh fish are cleaned thoroughly and rubbed with coarse salt to enhance flavor and help draw out moisture, a crucial step in preservation. The fish are then smoked over wood fire, often using readily available materials such as coconut husks or sawdust, until they turn a deep golden brown and develop their distinct smoky aroma. The result is fish that is savory and slightly salty, with firm yet flaky flesh that carries the unmistakable flavor of slow smoking.

Historically, tinapa-making played an important role in food preservation, especially during times when refrigeration was not widely accessible. Smoking allowed households to extend the shelf life of excess catch and minimize spoilage, ensuring food security and reducing waste. Over time, what began as a practical method of preservation evolved into a valued culinary tradition. In Bayambang homes, tinapa is commonly enjoyed as part of a simple yet satisfying meal, often paired with rice and complemented by fresh tomatoes, onions, or native vinegar. Its presence at the family table speaks to everyday heritage rather than grand celebration, grounding it firmly in daily life.

The tradition of tinapa making is among the quieter, but enduring practices that has become a part of the daily fabric of the community. Though modest in scale compared to other industries in Bayambang town and in the province of Pangasinan, tinapa production contributes to the town’s diverse food heritage and highlights a culture shaped by resilience, sustainability, and local enterprise. By acknowledging tinapa-making as part of Bayambang’s cultural landscape, the community affirms that heritage is not only found in landmarks and festivals, but also in the steady smoke of backyard kilns and in the flavors that have nourished generations.

La Independencia

 This is a sample scanned copy of La Independencia:

This is a sample scanned copy of La Independencia:

Relevance to Bayambang's history:

"La Independencia" (September?-November 12 or 13?, 1899)

A historical event in Sitio Bautista, Bayambang (now the town of Bautista) is the stealthy publication of an issue or issues of "La Independencia," the First Philippine Republic's newspaper, around the time when General Emilio Aguinaldo and company stopped by the town for rest and declared it as a temporary capital and, at the same time, disbanded the national army and turned its elements into guerrilla forces.

Originally edited by General Antonio Luna, the issues of the newspaper published on the indicated date range must have been edited at the time by the poet-soldier Jose Palma, who was also the writer of "Filipinas," the lyrics of the Philippine national anthem in the original Spanish version. Luna had been assassinated earlier, in June of the same year.

As recounted by historian Ricardo Jose, "As the Americans advanced, the press moved northward (right inside the coach of the Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan): to Angeles, Tarlac and finally to Bautista, Pangasinan."

"Due to the difficult conditions and shortage of printing materials, the size of the paper shrank and the number of pages dropped to two. Paper was never totally lacking, as loyal Filipinos somehow were able to maintain the supply of newsprint, but the difficulties of putting out the paper under siege conditions finally became so great that the press and its materials were buried near the final office of the paper. Palma and his compatriots then escaped to Camiling, Tarlac."

An account by General Elwell Stephen Otis would reveal that the American Army was eventually able to retrieve the buried printing press. How they were able to learn about the secret publication and locate the printing press in its place of concealment is a mystery.

Reference:

The Philippine revolutionary press, 1896-1900 by Ricardo T. Jose, www.cmfr.com.ph/pjr/2001/200105/0105revopress.html

Acknowledgement:

Source of copy of La Independencia:

https://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph/LI01/1898/dec/1/bs/datejpg.htm . Thanks for the tip Dir. Ed Quiros!

Thanks to Nel Mercado for the tip re. Gen. Otis.