U.S. soldiers in Balikatan 2015’s ENCAP in Palawan thumb up adobo, other Pinoy fodders

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 18): U.S. soldiers in Balikatan 2015’s ENCAP in Palawan thumb up adobo, other Pinoy fodders

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY -- U.S. soldiers, who are jointly constructing classroom buildings with Filipino counterparts in this city under the engineering civic action program (ENCAP) of the shoulder-to-shoulder bilateral exercise Balikatan 2015 are raving about certain Pinoy dishes given to them by appreciative locals in the project communities.

Adobo, the unofficial national Filipino cuisine that involves marinating chicken and pork meat cut into small-to-medium size pieces in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and onions; browned in oil; and cooked dry or with sauce in the marinade tops their list.

Captain Brian Villiard of the Balikatan’s U.S. Armed Forces Public Affairs Office (PAO) described adobo as “very tasty, full of flavors, and appetizing” that should be consumed by the likes of him in moderation to avoid gaining unwanted weight.

“I’ve had the pork adobo and it’s very enjoyable, I have to watch my weight,” Villiard said following a stopover for lunch at Penao Restaurant, Sitio Sabang, Barangay Cabayugan, during Friday’s inspection of the ENCAP sites with Brig. Gen. Joaquin Malavet, commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade; and Brig. Gen. Guillermo Molina, deputy chief of the Western Command (WESCOM) in Palawan.

The U.S. military captain has also taken quite a liking for the “poor man’s fish” Blackfin scad, or “galunggong,” that is deep-fried in oil with crispy enough head to eat.

“This is very good fish, fresh in taste, and good,” he said, as he finished one with bare hands. Something he was challenged to do by one of the journalists, who joined the ENCAP site inspection.

When told by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that Filipinos usually save the crispy head for last, and that he must try it too, Villiard gamely acceded and described the experience as, “Oh, cool!”

Gen. Malavet, who is used to eating adobo and other Pinoy customary dishes because of his Filipina wife, had to wait for the next batch of chicken adobo to be served at Penao Restaurant with Gen. Molina and Lt. Commander Mike Guzzi, current operations officer of the Civil Engineering Corps (CEC) of the Naval Construction Group ONE, 30th Naval Construction Regiment of the U.S. Navy.

“They like our adobo, and they’re willing to wait,” Molina said, as he instructed a Filipino soldier to tell the kitchen to hurry a bit before they leave to inspect Sabang Elementary School, where a classroom building project is being constructed.

At the San Rafael Elementary School in Barangay San Rafael, Steelworker 3rd Class Petty Officer Shanna McKee of the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, who is a first-timer in Balikatan, loves the lumpiang sariwa (fresh spring roll) they were given by the residents.

“The residents here are amazing; they gave us adobo, pork menudo, lumpia, many. But I like lumpia the most,” said McKee, who consented to an interview after getting down from a low-slung scaffolding, where she was tying rebars (reinforcement bars) to a block to make the building structurally sound.

McKee loves the usually vegetable dish admixed with pork, chicken, shrimp, or fish meat because of its soft unfried wrapper garnished with a salty-sweet sauce, and sometimes sprinkled with crushed peanuts.

“I am thankful that the residents here welcomed us enough to share their food with us, like the lumpia that is so good,” she said.

“This opportunity to work with our Filipino counterparts is wonderful. I think it is a very good break for us to be combined as a joint task force, and the fact that we are able to build a school for children is what makes it even better. We’re also learning a lot about the culture, the dishes, the customary ways they’re cooked, the kindness of the people,” she also said.

They also like Filipino desserts like the classic cassava cake made of grated kamoteng kahoy (cassava), coconut milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, cheddar cheese, granulated white sugar and flour, and baked inside an oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Halo-halo, or literally “mixed together” dessert, is another Filipino classic that has taken their interest, particularly that it is the summer season.

The dessert is prepared with shaved ice, evaporated milk, and an assortment of kidney beans, jackfruit, nata de coco, boiled and dice Saba banana, corn, and served in a glass or bowl with leche flan or ube ice cream on top.

Molina said that apart from Balikatan 2015’s customary inter-operability trainings, humanitarian aid missions, and community development projects between participating Filipino-U.S. soldiers, it is also in whole a learning of culture and traditions in all aspect for better understanding of each other.

”When they understand each other culturally, then they know how to really work closely together without problems. That is also the essence of the shoulder-to-shoulder bilateral exercise,” said the WESCOM deputy chief.

The Balikatan 2015 will officially open with a press conference in Puerto Princesa on April 20.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=10&sid=&nid=10&rid=754095