Argao, a charming
coastal town surrounded by the endlessly choppy yet turquoise waters of Cebu
Strait, might not be on the radar for many travelers journeying to the southern
reaches of Cebu. Upon a deeper exploration however, and a few days immersed in
the local scene, one will surely uncover a treasure trove of insights,
especially after combing the municipality's trio of cherished traditions that
all start with the letter "T": Tela (hablon cloth), torta
(sponge cake), and tsokolate.
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| The 18th-Century Church of Argao |
But first, before
we delve into that, let’s explore the centerpiece of the quaint town plaza,
which is the Church of Argao or the Archdiocesan Shrine of San Miguel Arcangel.
Church of Argao
Many people often
consider the Church of Argao as one of the most beautiful churches in Cebu.
This is due to its impressive baroque architecture and several unique features,
including the four pairs of half columns that give the church a massive
appearance, the four niched retablos, and the ceiling painting that instantly
arrests the attention of churchgoers.
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| The church's ceiling once became a point of debate as to who painted it whole |
Father Joaquin
Boiser commissioned Raymundo Francia to paint the ceiling in 1928, four years
after he completed a similar project in the Church of Sibonga. Many have
contested earlier historical accounts that credited renowned Cebuano artist
Canuto Avila in the painting of the church's ceiling, citing the stark
differences between the finished painting and Avila's work.
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| Argao's Hall of Justice (below the pic) is another heritage structure near the town's plaza and just beside the church of Argao |
Although the
ceiling painting is eye-catching enough, its overall style still differs
halfway through from the works of Francia. During Paul Gerschwiler's research
for his coffee table book "Argao: In Search of a Usable Past," an old
Argao resident named Lola Laling Geverola shared an intriguing story with him.
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| A cultural dance performance coincided with my earlier visit to Argao |
According to
Gerschwiler's book, "Lola Laling maintains that even before Francia was
halfway through, a female friend of the good Padre successfully persuaded him
to let her cousin from Bohol take over the painting work. The job meant money,
after all. It is for this reason that Francia was only able to paint the apse
and the transept, and all the rest by the padre's female friend’s cousin."
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| One of the most impressive things to see inside the church |
The ceiling remains
the main attraction of the cathedral, despite Francia's failure to finish
painting it. At the point where the nave and transept meet, worshippers will be
able to make out four important biblical scenes among others, that stretch the
whole width of the church. These include the fall of man, the temptation of
Adam and Eve, the conflict between Lucifer's fallen angels and Michael's
upright angels.
Now with the first
T: Tela, Argao’s Heirloom Hablon Weaving
The Tourism
Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing arm of the Department of
Tourism, focused the Community-Based Tourism Workshop on the town's women
weavers of hablon cloth, providing them with training and seminars on
production, marketing, and designing, while maintaining a clear distinction
between traditional and contemporary designs to avoid offending the traditional
meanings and significance of a particular olden pattern or design.
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| One of the nanay Hablon weavers of Argao |
While on break at
the sessions, we were able to visit the women weavers working almost daily at
the weaving center inside the Cebu Technological University campus. Aside from
now earning a decent wage working as a weaver, these women also carries the hat
of cultural bearers by embracing the opportunity to continue a living tradition
by using a skill handed down from generation to generation.
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| Showing some of their creations |
Women in the
Visayas, primarily on Panay Island and parts of Cebu, handweave Hablon, a cloth
named after the Hiligaynon word "Habol," which means "to
weave."
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| and then some more |
Hablon weaving in
Argao saw a decline in the last several decades until in the early 2010’s, when
the LGU and other government agencies like the DTI resurrected this heritage
form of creating cloth by putting up training facilities like this one inside
CTU.
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| Grateful to see the renaissance of this heritage craft |
Today, thanks to
continuous promotions and workshops like this program by Tourism Promotions
Board Philippines, Argao's hablon weavers thrive in manufacturing cloth for
consumers all over the world, collaborating with designers such as Kenneth
Cobonpue to develop weaves not just for garments but also for furniture and
other items.
Tsokolate, a choco
choco with a history
After learning
about Argao's first T, or tela (cloth), which is also known as hablon, to a
tee, we moved forward to another notable spot in the town: the modest
establishment of Guilang Tableya. This shop, which has been a staple since
1948, was founded by Miguela Lanutan and her husband Pedro, affectionately
known as Guilang and Ingko Pedong, who started this small backyard venture.
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| Edgar Lanutan shows some of the products of his Tsokolate factory |
Just a short walk from the store sits their Tsokolate factory. Edgar Lanutan, the son of Guilang and Ingko Pedong, assumed control of the family business in 2008. He shared that his mother, despite lacking formal training in chocolate-making or business development, managed to innovate and enhance the flavor of their tableya products back in the 1950s.
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| The Tsokolate Factory's workers employing the finger-drop technique |
This led to
Guilang's Tableys separating itself from its competitors in Argao at that time,
thus becoming one of the most popular local enterprises throughout Cebu
province.
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| Tsokolate, a tsoko tsoko |
Despite the
existence of chocolate-making machines today, Guilang maintains a personal
touch by combining modern and traditional methods, such as the finger-drop
molding of tableya, which is a technique perfected by Edgar's mother, Miguela,
also known as Mama Guils (1925–2021).
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| Finger licking good |
In a world grappling with a dwindling supply of cacao beans, largely due to the monopolistic tendencies of major chocolate companies, Guilang Tableya stands out by successfully sourcing 98% of its cacao from the verdant cocoa plantations of Mindanao, with the remaining 2% coming from Argao.
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| A cup of tsokolate keep the blues away |
Each day, the
operation yields an impressive 500 kilos of tableya, all meticulously packaged
in aesthetically pleasing designs crafted by students from UP Cebu, under a
commission from DTI. This initiative not only secures stable employment for its
staff but also offers working students the opportunity to supplement their
income, engaging them in packaging tasks during evening hours from 5:30 pm to
9:30 pm.
La Torta de
Argao
When someone
mentions Argao’s torta I was reminded of an earlier visit to Cebu when,
while en route to Dalaguete for a hiking trip to Osmeña Peak, someone
recommended I try out the torta that is sold on the side road. Unaware that
Cebu's torta is actually a type of sponge cake, I had expected it to resemble
the eggplant omelet I was familiar with back home. Imagine my surprise when I
finally bought one for myself.
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| Nanay Jessie Magallones |
During this trip to
Argao, I not only got to reacquaint myself with the taste of the torta, I also
got to learn how it is made when we visited the house of nanay Jessie
Magallones, where Jessie's Homemade Torta is also located.
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| Fresh Torta goodness |
As she demonstrates
to us the meticulous hand-processing of ingredients—margarine, milk, and sugar;
lard and tuba (coconut wine); along with countless egg yolks—she tells us a
fascinating connection of torta to the construction of Argao Church.
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| Lawis point is another side-trip option in Argao where one can also learn how to skimboard |
"The origins
of torta can be traced back to the Spanish colonial era, when egg whites served
as a makeshift adhesive in the construction of churches," she explains,
seamlessly blending English and Tagalog, as the majority of us don't understand
the Cebuano language. In an effort to avoid wasting the egg yolks, locals,
added Jessie, found a creative solution by using them to make torta.
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| Sombria Mangrove Forest offers floating cottages for lunch |
When one from our
group quizzed Jessie what makes Argao’s torta taste different, she immediately
says, “it’s the lard” (pork fat). Similar to the Guilang Tableya Tsokolate
factory, Jessie's Homemade Tortas continues to rely on traditional baking
methods, such as using coconut husks to heat her oven, which takes four hours
to bake her torta under average weather conditions.
We capped of our
visit to nay Jessie’s Homemade Torta with what else, with mouthwatering bites
of torta paired with a cup of hot Tsokolate drink.
What is the CBT
Program of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines?
The Tourism
Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines recognizes that effective tourism marketing
encompasses much more than just promotional efforts. The Community-Based
Tourism (CBT) program of the TPB transcends the mere advertising of local
crafts and products. The initiative extends to training stakeholders across
various potential destinations, equipping their communities with the knowledge
necessary for best practices in tourism, sustainability, and the promotion of
local products. The initiative achieves this by strategically utilizing
heritage arts and crafts, managing sites effectively, and training local
guides, all in tandem with the development of tourist destinations.
This
article first appeared on the Tourism section of BusinessMirror
