NOT SO LONG ago Abra province had something of a nasty reputation for its political violence, particularly the shooting of a congressman in a church wedding allegedly by a hired gun of a defeated politician.
So it wasn’t surprising that Abra was glossed over in tourist brochures.
However, beyond its violent past, Abra holds a storehouse of simple pleasures for the traveler who wants to enjoy nature, adventure sports and culture in refreshing doses.
Abra caught my interest when I came across a brochure promoting agritourism in the province where one town called Garreta, 15 minutes by public transportation from the provincial capital Bangued, boasts a farm resort, Pamora Farms.
The place raises French native chicken fed with nothing but corn kernels, lemon grass tea, and herbal supplements such as oregano, chili, ipil-ipil and star apple leaves. Pamora is raising a special Capone variety that can grow to as big as a thanksgiving turkey or as heavy as two kilos when it matures in 60 days.
Pamora Farm, a new agri-ecotourist establishment, is a Filipino-French venture that began in 2000. It raises free-range chickens in Garreta, Abra.
Its operation is integrated—from raising to growing, dressing and packaging the chickens. In Metro Manila, the chickens are sold in specialty shops such as Santi’s, Terry’s Selections, the weekend markets of Salcedo Village and Legazpi Village, and high-end establishments such as Hotel Celeste’s fine dining Cicou with chef Cyrille Soenen, and Sofitel Philippine Plaza and Peninsula.
The farm also produces free-range chicken products—chicken liver pate, chicken gizzard pate and eggs.
Pamora has been recognized by the Department of Tourism as an eco-agritourism destination.
Recently, co-owner Tina Morados was given the Knight in Order with Merits in Agriculture by the French government for her efforts to bridge French-Filipino agriculture relations.
Impenetrable Abra
Turning from the Manila North Road to the junction of Narvacan in Ilocos Sur, one enters Abra through the Tangadan tunnel and is welcomed by the provincial marker “Ti Kabalyo” (the horse).
For centuries, Abra has been isolated from the rest of the world by the Cordillera mountain range. Indigenous natives called Tingguians have a rich culture heritage which colorfully blends with Ilocano customs and traditions.
Abra comes from the Spanish word “abrir,” which means to open, in reference to the difficulty encountered by the Spanish expeditionary forces to penetrate Abra. The only way to the interior is to sail in skiffs—a small sailboat with outriggers in the deep, swift flowing Abra River.
The culture, customs and traditions of the Tingguians, which have survived the centuries, were first recorded by French writer and traveler Paul P. de la Girroniere in his book “Twenty Years in the Philippines.” The urge to see the Tingguians in their mountain habitat prodded him to journey to the mountain hinterland in what is now Abra.
At about the same time, two German travelers, Semper and Schanderberg, both anthropologists, also visited Abra and wrote about its vast natural resources and culture.
In the Spanish era, Abra was part of Ilocos Sur, until it became a politico-military province in October 1846. In 1917, an executive act by American Governor Francis Burton Harrison was made into law and established Abra as an independent province. Of late, the province has rejected joining the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), pointing out that the province belongs to Ilocandia historically, geographically, ethnologically and politically.
‘Ilustrados’
The province is home to several illustrious heroes, including Gabriela Silang and statesman and Speaker of the House Don Quintin Paredes. In the town of Tayum, the well preserved house of Silang is worth a visit. Here the flag of the 1763 revolution against Spain is displayed. Gabriela, who had Tingguian blood, carried on the revolt when her husband Diego Silang was shot in neighboring Vigan.
Worth a visit is the residence of Ambassador Rosario Carińo, the former Philippine ambassador to Sri Lanka and his vast art, Chinese porcelain and rare book collection. In nearby Mary Barbero Park are centuries-old acacia trees, natural springs and man-made waterfalls.
In Bangued, the capital town, one cannot help but notice the impressive façade of San Lorenzo Ruiz Church, built in 1722. The town has a few dining establishments offering authentic Ilocano dishes with distinct Abrenian provincial taste—pinakbet, dinengdeng, dinaldalem (minced pork and its internal organs) and bagnet. One can also order igat, a fresh water eel caught in the Abra river and cooked as paksiw or adobo. It is also sometimes dried and served with fresh slices of tomatoes with bagoong (shrimp paste).
Other exotic local fare includes pacpacu, boiled vegetables also served with tomatoes and bagoong; and alingo, meat of wild boar or deer, boiled in lots of tomatoes, onion and ginger mixed with vegetables (upo and patola). This meat has been scarce lately because of the hunting ban. There’s lodong, a freshwater fish caught in the Abra River this time of the year, and deep-fried or turned into a rich stew of tomatoes, garlic, ginger and onion.
Of late, locals and tourists have been trooping to Pamora Farm for a taste of free-range and organic chicken, cooked adobo, apritada, relleno (stuffed chicken), or tinola or sinampalukan, served with steaming upland rice.
The simple bed-and-bath accommodation of farm chalets attract the bohemian and upmarket crowd, including Jaime Augusto Zobel and his motocross buddies like Anton Huang, show biz celebrities and local government officials.
Guesthouse
The main guesthouse seems small but once inside, you’ll be surprised at how spacious this place is. Around the farmhouse one can rent bikes and go around wide deserted roads and along the Abra River.
Going on bike is the best way to view the rural landscape or meet the folk. One can hike around Pidigan or go up to Malibcong and learn about local organic farming and herbal seedlings, or go kayaking along the Abra River.
Pamora Farm has three other nipa huts outside the sprawl, good for friends who want to room in. These huts were built by local artisans.
For souvenirs, there are native weaves of Barangay Namarabar in Penarubia town where Tingguians also continue to craft ethnic jewelry perfect even for contemporary fashion. The handwoven cloth produced in this sitio uses organic dye for color.
There are also handcrafted furniture using wood from the province’s virgin forests.
How to get there
Take the Partas Bus either in the Pasay station in Edsa or Aurora Blvd. station in Cubao, Quezon City. A bus leaves every hour, but it is best to take the late-night trip at 10 p.m. which gets you to Bangued in the early morning the next day. One-way fare is P690 with stops in Tarlac, Vigan or La Union.
Address: Pamora Farms, Km. 396, Garreta, Pidigan, Abra. Contact 0917-5375639 or e-mail mstina@pacific.net.ph, tina@pamorafarm.com or gpap@info.com.ph. Visit their website at www.pamorafarm.com.
