Pangil Beach Cleanup

It’s comforting to learn that a concerted effort by the local community and multi-group volunteers, together with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO)-Currimao, for a coastal cleanup, happened over the recent two weekends.

In reference to my previous blog post, I described the amount of trash as scandalous, on Facebook (thanks to Chad Tamayo for sharing the link), and Russell Thomas, one of the volunteers, commented, “The scandal here is that the average Filipino still thinks it’s okay to throw rubbish ‘away’ and not put it in a bin. It’s an education issue, often driven by socioeconomic factors,” to which I agree.

With strict enforcement of environment laws, accompanied by prioritization of education and information campaigns, it is less difficult to achieve a cleaner and healthier environment for a better quality of life.

Needless to say, protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility. And it should start from home.

Have a great week, friends!

Photos lifted from MENRO Currimao Facebook Page

Currimao’s Pangil Beach turned “plastic beach”

Such a heart-wrenching story from home, I stumbled upon on social media, photos of Currimao’s Pangil Rock Formation in Ilocos Norte, posted by Jayson Lumbo Navarro —  a truth behind the unique coral rocks along the coast of Currimao, and mostly located along Pangil Beach.

The fishing town of Currimao, home to Ilocos’s best beach resorts, namely Sitio Remedios, Playa Tropical, and Pangil Beach Resort, is a popular tourist destination, with its nearly 3-kilometer unique coastline and ancient ruins an emerging tourist spot. Read more about Currimao’s Barangay Pangil, and “the defenses of Ilocos Norte”, by Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero, on Rappler (here).

It is both agitating and depressing when elected officials are not fulfilling their duties to their localities, especially when it comes to public health and safety. Do they even have time to go around and check for themselves what is happening around their communities?

The amount of garbage around Pangil is scary, thinking that younglings thrive around the corals. Calling the attention of current Currimao Mayor Gladys Cue.

Screengrabs from Jayson Lumbo Navarro on Facebook

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The smoothie bowl comes to Ilocos

We like to Instagram everything, and the so-called breakfast photographers are now the influencers of the world. Yassss, bowls are the new plates! Next to rice, what about spooning our smoothies from a bowl?

According to Earth Bowls, set to launch a pop-up stall at the iconic La Paz Sand Dunes, in Laoag, at the start of summer, this coming March 30-31, a healthy eating lifestyle change should be fun and delicious. Barely out of college, Laoagueños Modesty Eugenio and Brandon Tan have partnered to introduce the smoothie bowl as well as promote nutrient-dense eating.

Q&A WITH MODESTY AND BRANDON

BlauEarth: I know you two are foodies, like always in the kitchen, or eating out, and now, you yourselves are making food a business. What made you fix on smoothie bowls?

Modesty: Bran and I always love eating, but for the past year, we started to eat clean as frequently as we can, and smoothie bowls are yummy healthy snack that we think everyone can actually enjoy.

Natural and/or organic are on average costly. Will an earth bowl be affordable?

M: Healthy eating has always been perceived as costly, but with great effort, we managed to source locally made ingredients to make every earth bowl affordable and healthy because we believe that these two can go hand in hand.

Brandon, were you also part of recipe development?

B: Yes, Modesty and I both gave our own list of recipes. We made a total of 12 recipes and cut it down to 5 with the help of family and friends. We spent two straight days tasting every recipe and there was no guilt eating through all those bowls of fruits.

What is your favorite earth bowl?

B: My favorite earth bowl would be the one with mango, spinach and strawberry (there’s no name yet). I never knew these three could go well together. Definitely, love at first taste.

Food preparation as a business can be very demanding, it is also an art that requires skills, how prepared are you trying your hand at something new?

B: I’m the type of person who loves trying new things. Being the first to introduce smoothie bowls in Ilocos is exciting, and to sustain the trend is challenging.

I see it’s a pop-up stall, do you imagine it as a brick-and-mortar business soon?

M: Yes, definitely, the original plan was a cafe-like establishment but we didn’t have much time to plan due to conflicting schedules. We are planning to launch it before the month of August. And once it’s put up, we have our fingers crossed that it’s going to be the go-to snack stop in Ilocos.

(Follow earthbowlsph on Instagram and Facebook)

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