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Marjorie Gorospe INQUIRER.net HOW lucky are you in the year of the Ox? Being born under a different sign, I decided to visit this store in Binondo called Charm General Merchandise to get some answers. Lucky for me, store owner Maxima Tiu was kind enough to explain the lucky charms for this year. “Ox symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. People under this sign are born leaders and have the ability to achieve great things,” says Tiu. She says people who born in the year of the Ox are compatible with those born under the sign of the snake, rabbit and rooster. But she says that Ox people should avoid those born under the sheep sign. But whether or not you were born in the year of the Ox, Tiu suggests other lucky charms like chimes that can bring good luck. Displaying an Ox figurine at home or work also brings good luck. Tiu says there is really no such thing as the “best lucky charm” for anyone. But she says we should not rely on luck in achieving success in life. As the Ox symbolizes hard work, people should also work hard to find prosperity. And it is through sheer Ox-like determination that we achieve success. Watch my video interview with her to get yourself acquainted with lucky charms.

NOTHING beats a walk along Ongpin St. especially during the Chinese New Year. So to complete our experience of Chinatown, INQUIRER.net multimedia reporters Lawrence Casiraya, Marjorie Gorospe and I strolled along the street. As we walked towards the action, we saw one performer spitting fire just like a dragon. Everywhere, I saw red. According to Chinese tradition, red drives evil away. So we continued our stroll until the rhythmic beating of the drums and dancing lion caught my attention. At first, I thought adults were parading this creature, which can be mesmerizing. But kids were actually underneath it. Later, I was told that they were called “The Kids Lion Dance.” Their youngest member is 8 years old. According to lion dancer Johnny Najera, 14, their oldest member is 30 years old. In our conversation, Najera admits carrying the huge lion’s head while dancing is not easy. “Medyo mabigat po [It’s quite heavy],” he says. Every night, they practice. These kids only perform the lion dance during Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. They often earn P200 to P500 a day dancing. Najera says they earn some money doing the lion dance. Jessie Patrocinio, 12 years old, however, says he beats the drums to take away the bad luck.

YEARNING for a healthy diet this Christmas season? First off, going on a diet doesn’t mean that you will deprive yourself of mouthwatering food during this festive season. The word “diet” has been often associated with losing weight but nutritionists argue that dieting is about selecting the right food every meal. After all the parties that you have had this Christmas season, check what you’ve eaten. Did you have any vegetables in your diet? If you haven’t listed veggies, then why not break the meat meals and still have a festive delight. How? It’s a matter of combining the right food. Chef Bong Ignacio, seasoned instructor of the American Hospitality Academy, prepared this Chicken Roulade and Chinese Broccoli with Raisins and Cashew nuts for health conscious individuals. Watch this latest episode of What’s Cookin’? with AHA?, and see Ignacio demonstrate two recipes.
Below are the ingredients for the Chinese Broccoli with Raisins and Cashew nuts (good for 2 servings): Ingredients: Chinese broccoli washed and pat dry (1 kilo) Garlic, minced 100g Raisins 200g Cashew toasted 200g Olive oil 60 ml White wine 120ml Salt and pepper to taste Procedure: Blanch Chinese broccoli and set aside. Then heat a sauté pan using medium fire. Add olive oil. Then sauté garlic and cook till light brown. Add the raisins then cook for another minute. Add blanched Chinese broccoli. Deglaze with wine. Cook until alcohol has evaporated. Add the cashew nuts and season. For the Chicken Roulade, follow these steps (also good for 2 servings): Ingredients: Chicken (Butterfly cut) Ground Pork 200g White onions, minced 80g Carrots, brunoise (diced into 3 mm on each side or less) 60g Celery, brunoise 60g Golden raisins 20g Egg 1 pc Salt and pepper to taste Procedure: Season butterflied chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides then, set aside. Meanwhile combine the rest of ingredients and spread evenly on the cut side of the chicken breast. Roll into a roulade (a dish with fillings) and secure with kitchen twine (strong thread or string). Roast in a 190˚C oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Then rest before carving. Deglaze roasting pan with chicken stock and finish with butter.

By Marjorie Gorospe INQUIRER.net LAS Piñas City is known for the bamboo organ and for their bamboo craft. No wonder, even during the Christmas season, some people prefer to have their lanterns be made by the residents of Las Piñas. I recently met this group called Samahang Magpaparol ng Brgy. E. Aldana Las Piñas Inc. Violeta Santos formed and led this group. It is one of many organizations in Las Piñas that help people find livelihood. I visited the group’s stalls. Each had something unique to display including the famous Parol or lantern which we often displayed in streets or in Filipino homes. During my visit, I was shown how parols are made. Depending on the design, building a lantern starts with building a framework. The framework is made of bamboo. They cut the bamboo into thin sticks according to specific measurements. Then a star-shaped pattern is formed by connecting the edges. They then cover of the star-shaped framework with colored plastic. They also create a tail that is later attached to the lantern. It’s that easy. Parol makers eventually sell them for a reasonable amount. Through the year, Santos said their group also gets orders from the buyers like car companies who request for specific designs. For the residents of Las Piñas, the lantern is no longer just a Christmas symbol. It has also become a source of livelihood for some.

WHEN you think of typhoons, you often think of death and destruction. But amid these unwanted consequences, some people find good things from these sad events. In September 2006, typhoon Milenyo hit Southern Luzon and brought down hundreds of trees at the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus. Dr. Fernando Sanchez, assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development, UPLB, said that the typhoon uprooted decades-old trees. “Before the typhoon Milenyo happened, it was a dream to have a wooden Belen in the campus,” Sanchez added. Eventually, they decided to collect the dead acacia and turned them into material for a life-sized Belen. Ifugao sculptors were hired to carve the 18-piece characters in the manger for four months. Sanchez said the Belen is now a symbol of peace, prosperity and happiness not only for UP but for the country. Every night, students and residents visit the Belen to take pictures. Amid the destruction typhoon Milenyo brought, folks at UPLB found inspiration.

Our search for the giant lanterns of Pampanga led us to Tatang Erning (real name Ernesto Quiwa), one of the most respected lantern makers in the province. We found him in his home in Barangay Sta. Lucia, a few minutes away from San Fernando city proper. His home also serves as the base for his lantern-making business. Tatang Erning, however, is more famous for his giant lanterns. He has been making them in time for the city’s annual Giant Lantern festival since the 1960s. He is a fourth-generation descendant of the Estanislaos, one of the pioneering families who have been making lanterns ever since the “Ligligan Parul” began taking place in the 1930s. Nowadays, though, Tatang Erning lets his sons do most of the dirty work but continues to be actively involved in designing these lanterns. These lanterns can reach as high as 18 to 20 feet and lit up by as many 6,000 light bulbs. That many bulbs require the use of mechanical rotors to light up the lanterns. Tatang Erning’s business, meanwhile, thrives on his fame, having showcased his giant lanterns in both local and international events. The green structure (see photo) forms half of several giant lanterns he was commissioned to build, earning him and his family millions of pesos. These lanterns should be shining brightly at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by now.

THE Filipinos’ festive celebration of Christmas begins as early as September. No wonder the Philippines has been known as the country with the longest celebration of Christmas. Filipinos would decorate their homes with garlands, Christmas lights, belen and the Parol or the lantern – which are symbols that represent the spirit of Christmas The Parol, for instance, is a symbol of the guiding light which wise men followed during their journey to find Jesus Christ. But symbols go hand in hand with traditions that people practice. Christmas is not complete without the caroling, Simbang Gabi, Noche Buena, and the “Mano Po Ninong at Ninang.” Truly, Filipinos celebrate Christmas like no other. INQUIRER.net VDO presents these Christmas messages. May the true spirit of Christmas be etched in your hearts.

THE Noche Buena table is not complete without a Christmas Ham. As early as November, you can already see these cured hams being sold in supermarkets. While these commercial hams are cured, you can make it extra special by glazing it with sweetness mixed with a tinge of sourness. How can you do that? Watch chef Bong Ignacio as he cooks the Pineapple and Star Anise Glazed Ham. But first, here are the ingredients: 1 pc Cured Ham 5 to 7 pcs Star Anise 2 pcs Bay Leaf 10 pcs Black Peppercorn Diced Onion 4pcs Whole Garlic cloves 1 L Pineapple Juice (unsweetened) 60 g Brown Sugar Pineapple slices for garnish Parsley leaf for garnish After preparing the ingredients you need, follow the following procedure to make your Christmas Ham special. 1. If the cured ham you bought is salty, you can soak it first in cold water for 24 hours. 2. Change the water four times. 3. Drain the Ham and pat dry. 4. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the garnishes. 5. Add the ham and bring it to a slow simmer. 6. Cook for 1 to 1.5 hours or until ham is fork-tender. 7. Remove the ham and place it on a roasting rack over a roasting pan. 8. Preheat oven to 375˚F. 9. Meanwhile, reduce simmering liquid until you it becomes thick and has a glaze-like consistency. 10. Bake the ham for 45 minutes. Don’t forget to glaze it every 15 minutes. 11. When you start smelling the aroma of the ham, take it out of the oven. 12. Garnish it with parsley and pineapple slices on the side and serve it to your family. Now, slice the ham. You can add star anise, pepper and bayleaf to entice people with the taste of spices. The sweetness of the glaze will naturally balance the flavor of the spices. One tip when eating glazed ham is to have pineapple slices, which are rich in fiber. ready. This can flash out the fats in the ham.

DECORATING for Christmas is not complete without the twinkling Christmas lights that brighten up a night. But how safe are the Christmas lights that you are using? According to Alex Malong, product manager of the Bureau of Product Standards-Department of Trade and Industry (BPS-DTI), all Christmas lights sold in the market should have the following in its packaging: 1. A visible Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker 2. Safety instructions 3. Manufacturer’s name 4. Country of origin 5. Number of standard used- PNS 189:2000 6. Printed mark “For indoor use only” 7. Rated voltage and rated wattage of the set 8. Rated voltage and rated wattage of the lamp The ICC sticker is the consumer’s assurance that the product has passed the testing based on the Philippine National Standard (PNS) 189:2000. It is the quality and safety seal on imported products. In October 2008, DTI-BPS released an improved ICC sticker design to avoid imitations. The improved ICC mark includes the certificate number and the month and year when the certification was issued. Consumers should also check whether the Christmas light is substandard by looking at the diameter of the wires, Malong said. “Dapat makapal ‘yung wire. Per strand of wire should measure 0.2 millimeters. Kapag manipis at madaling magbend, substandard ‘yun. [The wire should be thick. A wire strand should measure 0.2 mm. If the wires are thin and can be easily bent, then the product is substandard.],” added Malong. Aside from the wires, the plug should have firm pins and should not be easily bent. If a consumer buys a substandard product, he should return the product to the store where he bought it. If the store doesn’t accept the returned product, the consumer should report it to the DTI direct hotline-751-3330. For the updated list of certified Christmas light products, check the DTI-BPS website.

DECORATING a Christmas tree should not be that expensive. Anything can be hung on a Christmas tree as long as it is light and colorful, according to Alice Tesoro-Guerrero, chairman of Tesoro’s marketing corporation. In fact, the decoration can be unrelated to Christmas. Guerrero’s Christmas trees, namely her Heritage tree and the Filipiniana tree displayed at the Tesoro Handicraft store, are examples. The Heritage tree glowing in white motif was decorated with handkerchiefs, mini-pouch, wedding souvenirs, shell icicles, Capiz trimmings and lights. Guerrero said she got the idea of shell icicles from the shell chimes that were displayed in the store. Aside from the shell icicles, Guerrero said the handkerchief can be reused after Christmas. “If it’s no longer Christmas, you can use it as a hanky in suits,” Guerrero said. Guerrero said she came up with the idea of putting souvenir items on Christmas trees when she found that they have a lot of them in their store. “I want to have something different,” she said. You can get creative when decorating Christmas trees. There are other things you can hang: native car dolls, poinsettia napkin rings, butterfly refrigerator magnets, key chains, wine shot glasses, and children’s ballpen. As Guerrero stressed, you don’t need to spend much this coming holidays. “Look around the house. Maybe you can find small items. Let your imagination run wild,” Guerrero said.