The Original Local Food Product of Alab

Sabeng is a local food product of Alab wherein women are the main actors in
making the product. In my opinion, it is the only delicacy that is originally made by
the people of this place because there are many local food products made from the
place like “patupat and linapet” but this is highly known to be the original one. There
are also productS in other places that is similar to the sabeng but this is different
compared to other similar products from other places. We can say it is different from
other places because of the ingredients and process in making the sabeng.

This local food product is in liquid form like water that’s why it can only be for
drinking. They do not store this in bottles and plastic but in the ‘burnay’, a local
claypot of the place where they store the ‘sabeng’.

The following are the ingredients in making the ‘sabeng’; water and cassava.
The process in making the ‘sabeng’ is that you first boil the water. The water
depends upon the capacity of the ‘burnay’. Then clean and peel the cassava and
slice it into cubes or smaller pieces. After boiling the water, directly put it in the
‘burnay’ also the sliced cassava. Then cover the ‘burnay’ to avoid dirt going in. And
wait after 1 month till it’s ready for drinking. After 1 month you can now enjoy your
own home made ‘sabeng’.

According from the people of Alab, ‘sabeng’ was passed down from
generation to generation. They also believe that it is a medicine that treats flu and it
can also relieve the tiredness of the body. ‘Sabeng’ can also be an alternative
ingredient in other food delicacies like for example in cooking sinigang fish instead of
putting water and using the commercially bought sinigang they put the ‘sabeng’.
According to them, this is good during the summer season because it will ease the
heat being experienced. During the ritual celebration in some house hold they will
ask for those who had this so called “sabeng” for them to fetch as a counterpart of
those who had it. However, these was hated by some people because it has an
unpleasant smell but it is loved by old men and women. Even though it has a bad
smell, wait until you taste it and you will be amazed of its deliciousness. “Sabeng”
was also said to be like the liquors that if you do not cook or boil it and you just drink
it directly you can get drunk.
 In addition, there is a festival celebrated in the place which is named the
‘Sabeng festival’ wherein the highlight of the festival is the ‘sabeng’. There is also an
old composed song about it entitled as “Gawis nan Sabeng”. From the result of my
research on social media, an Ifontok song cover of the “Gawis nan Sabeng” which
was translated to English was posted in facebook by The Igorot Wanderer. The song
was entitled as “Khawis nan Sabeng” and it goes this way;

Khawis ay safeng, ay inpagpagkhasoweng,

Fab-a matalengteng, awak maeteeteng.
Safeng kafornay,
Inomen ad-I kalaklakay,
awak mablamablay,
Felay maokaokay.
Akhas ay safeng,
Ken kaana’n panateng,
Fafai inkimen,
Safeng enna inomen.
Khachiw ya agkhama,
Khawis si naipesa,
Amam-a laychencha,
Inomencha sa somya.

On the other hand, the translated English lyrics of the song according from the
page posted in the said Facebook account is this;

Safeng is beneficial,
Its taste is sour,
It sets the teeth on edge,
The body becomes continuously healthy.
Safeng in the claypot,
If one drinks, she/he does not grow old,
Even if the body is very tired,
The tiredness is drained.
Safeng is a medicine,
It removes cough and colds,
A woman who is pregnant,
She drinks safeng.
Fish and crabs.
Mixing them in is good,
The old men like it,
They drink it and all is well.

From my interview with Bridgette Ayongan, one of the elders of Alab who
mentioned that what the old folks really want is that this product should continually
be passed down from generation to generation so it won’t vanish since it is the only
local product inherited from the forefathers of Alab. As a local, I definitely agree on
that. But, how or in what way are they supposed to make it happen? That is, to know
the source first, learn the history, and then the process to make sure that the current
and future generations get the right information.

According to the elders, “Local products must continually remain and won’t
disappear because it will be the product, we will be proud of”. However, did you know
that it was the women in the community who were actually the first to create
"sabeng"?

After some research, it was found that although men are the ones who is
mostly responsible in making the product, women are actually the makers of it.
Making this locally known ‘sabeng’ is one of the specialties of the women in our
locality. Knowing the benefits and goodness of the local drink encourages some
housewife to plant the main ingredient which is the cassava. That’s why mostly
women are well known to be the great actors in producing the product because they
contribute a big role in yielding the result of the product which is much more
appreciated by the people of the local area. This could also indicate that women are
also capable in doing other great things with their own abilities and not having to rely
on men. They also act a big role in our society and as well as in our tradition and
culture. Specially in making local food products like for example the “patupat and
linapet” which was also a product produced by some people in our place in which
women are the great cooks in making these products, the same with the ‘sabeng’.
Although as to my research, the municipality of Besao is where the linapet had
originated and for the ‘patupat’, many barangays of Mountain Province cook ‘patupat’
as one delicacy to serve during occasions or for sale.

Here in Alab, there are important occasions of which the ‘sabeng’ is very
much of use. If there is “sangbo” where one pig is needed and “bakid” where two
pigs are butchered which is a tradition done in the ‘ili’ or in the community especially
when somebody is dead. After this is done, relatives and other people from the
community of the concerned family would go to the Chico River nearby and use nets
to gather “gadiw” a small kind of river fish which they will cook using ‘sabeng’ as
replacement of water. When there is only a few catch of ‘gadiw’, the family can buy
‘bangus’ as additional but use sabeng to cook it. When mangmang is also done
where one chicken is used, the locals here make use of the word ‘init’ or “men init si
sabeng” meaning it’s the last part to do to finish the practice. When a child is born
“Gubgubbaw” is done and “men init si sabeng” is also done. This is according to
interviews gathered from the elders in the community.

Well, compared from the past years we can say that women are of low social
status but now they were able to empower themselves to become stronger and
achieve great things to be recognized as they are now. Now, speaking of
empowering women, we can take the origination and the making of the local
products like sabeng and the other local food products as one example of a way on
empowering women. And, as it gets to be passed down by the generations to come,
they won't be ignorant of the product's origin in a way that they would falsely assume
that it was the men who discovered the ‘sabeng’ first. Therefore, ladies who thinks
they have talents and other abilities to do something not limited to being just a
housewife would also be encouraged to come out of their nutshell and prove that
they can do better just as well as they can do more.

Alab is also well known as the place where we can find the ‘sabeng’ and I
believe that through advertisement and entertainment about this product, we can
attract more people and foreigners to like it. So, the production of the ‘sabeng’ can
be developed more and maybe someday there will be a time they’ll sell this that it
can serve as a form of livelihood for other people from the place.
 To all who want to taste the only original local product of Alab, feel free to visit
our place which is only eight Kilometers away from Bontoc. Actually, this product is
not for sale it’s free but if you want to have a try, contact a person from Alab because
not all people from the place makes the product. There are only a few of them.

Making local products, promoting and teaching the youths about it is just one
thing of what women can do not to mention these are usually done by housewives.
But, what more now that these women were given rights to education, the same
human rights and almost the same privileges as men? They are no longer held back
to being limited in what they can do as long as they empower themselves to have the
courage in voicing their thoughts and taking actions accordingly. A lot of women had
already done their part to influence women empowerment and become their voice
while doing so. Some of them became presidents of their own country, some joined
pageantries and became beauty queens crowned Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss
International and Miss Earth to stand up and represent women all over the world,
while some became influencers, writers, and business leaders, etc. How about you?
If you are a woman and you're reading this, think of all the opportunities that you
have now because of the other’s painstaking effort to be the voice to speak for you
or the feet to stand up for you. As a woman myself, I am writing to express my
thoughts through my paper and pen. What about you? Even if not for others or at
least for yourself have you ever thought of what you can do? You don't have to
become Miss World or the President but at least you should become strong enough
to support yourself and your children. Wouldn't that be great?