Bottle Brush or Weeping Willow Insect repellant and spray, deodorant and ointment

Bottle Brush or Weeping Willow Insect repellant and spray, deodorant and ointment

Dr Abe V Rotor

Direct crude extract (ground fresh leaves) repels mosquitoes and flies. It also serves as fresh deodorant in the bathroom and kitchen.  

Dilute with tap water at 1:4, filter with ordinary cloth, and spray (atomizer) on garden plants and in dark corners.
Bottle Brush or Weeping Willow (Salix sp)

Another preparation is by dissolving the fresh extract with ethyl alcohol 1:2 ratio, air dry, and add Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly to the powder residue. This also serves as ointment of minor wounds and skin problems.    

The mosquito repellant that is advertised is made of synthetic compounds and there are reports that it is carcinogenic, affecting not only the skin but internal organs as well, since poison can be absorbed by the skin and goes into the blood stream which circulates throughout the body.Researchers from the University of Santo Tomas found out that the volatile oil of the weeping willow, also known as bottle brush (named after the form and shape of the leaves) is an effective mosquito repellant. The oil is extracted by dissolving the ground dried leaves with ethyl alcohol as solvent.
Results of the experiment showed that the extract is effective in repelling house mosquitoes (Culex pipens) with the same efficacy as the advertised commercial product. The result also validates the old practice of using weeping willow to ward mosquitoes by simply rubbing crushed fresh leaves on the skin. (Clemente R, Landan RP Luquinario MI and P Padua, UST 2002)

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog (avrotor.blogspot.com)

Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) 
with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 Evening Class, Monday to Friday

Author under a willow tree (Salyx sp). UST campus, Manila

The weeping willow (Salyx sp) looks sad and in mourning, its leaves droop and are pointed downward, extending to the ground or water where it grows on river banks and pool sides. Like a Narcissus, its reflection is an illusion of awe and wonder, and fear. 

The drooping branches though makes a perfect promenade shade and shelter; it is a favorite subject of art and poetry. 

At the slightest breeze, the tree "weeps" in whispers, and sways daintily without any apparent effort. Few dare to plant willow by the window - it transforms into a spiritual being to the superstitious, and courts bad luck to the pessimist. 

But the willow is an important tree. Where it grows it creates an ambiance of mixed feelings, and to many cultures it is a tree that is much revered - and feared. Overall all, the world is not what it is without the willow - weeping to the sorrowful, hissing and vibrant to the hopeful, romantic to the lover, sacred to the religious, miracle cure to the healer.       ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Direct crude extract (ground fresh leaves) repels mosquitoes and flies. It also serves as fresh deodorant in the bathroom and kitchen. Dilute with tap water at 1:4, filter with ordinary cloth, and spray (atomizer) on garden plants and in dark corners. Another preparation is by dissolving the fresh extract with ethyl alcohol 1:2 ratio, air dry, and add Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly to the powder residue. This serves as ointment of minor wounds and skin problems. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Importance of the willow tree
Medicine -

• The leaves and bark of the willow tree contain Salicin which is metabolized into salicylic acid in the human body.
• Precursor of aspirin.
• Salicin is isolated in crystalline form and formulated as acetylsalicylic acid, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
• Provides temporary relief.
• Ancient remedy for common ailments to the Sumerians, Greeks and Native Americans
• Claimed to be effective in cure of diseases including cancer.

Agriculture - as source of nectar and pollen for bees. 

Energy - biomass and biofuel, 

Art - 

• Charcoal for drawing, wood for sculptures 
• Garden features and landscaping 
• Pen and ink paintings in China and Japan

Environment - 

• Hedges and landscaping 
• Land reclamation, soil building and soil reclamation
• Phytoremediation,(bioengineering) 
• Slope stabilisation and soil erosion control 
• Biofiltration, shelterbelt and windbreak 
• Wildlife habitat

Religion - 

• Ritual in Jewish holiday of Sukkot, and Buddhism
• Christian churches in northwestern Europe and Ukraine use willow branches in place of palms on Palm Sunday. 
• In China, some people carry willow branches on the day of their Tomb Sweeping or Qingming Festival. 
• Willow branches are put up on gates and/or front doors, to ward off the evil spirits. 
• The Goddess of Mercy Guanyin is shown seated on a rock with a willow branch. 

Literature - 

• Ancient Korean poem goes, "By the willow in the rain in the evening." The poet Hongrang to her parting lover wrote, "...I will be the willow on your bedside."
• In Japanese tradition, the willow is associated with ghosts. It is popularly supposed that a ghost will appear where a willow grows. Willow trees are also quite prevalent in folklore and myths.
• In English folklore, a willow tree is believed to be quite sinister, capable of uprooting itself and stalking travelers.
• Hans Christian Andersen wrote a story called "Under the Willow Tree" (1853) in which children ask questions of a tree they call "willow-father", paired with another entity called "elder-mother"
• Old Man Willow in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in The Lord of the Rings.
• "Green Willow" is a Japanese ghost story. Other stories: "The Willow Wife" and "Wisdom of the Willow Tree."
• Remember "The Willow in the Wind?"

UST GS Paper Wasps on the Run!

Or was it the other way around?
Dr Abe V Rotor

This happened to me, rather what I did, when I was five or six - perhaps younger, because I don’t know why I attacked a colony of putakti or alimpipinig (Ilk). 

It's bravado when you put on courage on something without weighing the consequences, much less in knowing the reason behind.

I was sweeping the yard near a chico tree when I suddenly felt pain above my eye. No one had ever warned me of paper wasps, and I hadn’t been stung before. There hanging on a branch just above my head was a neat clump of paper-like nest the size of a fist. On the guard were a dozen or two of this kind of bees, which is a local version of the hornet bees in other countries. Bees belong Order Hymenoptera, the most advanced order of insects owing to their highly developed social behavior.

I retreated, instinctively got hold of a bikal bamboo and attacked the papery nest, but every time I got close to it I got stung. I don’t know how many times I attacked the enemy, each time with more fury, and more stings I received, until dad saw me. I struggled under his strong arms sobbing with anger and pain.

I was lucky. Kids my size wouldn't be able to take many stings. Fortunately I was not allergic to bee poison. There are cases when the poison paralyzes the heart.

I learned a valuable lesson: Don't allow anger to overcome reason, and don't do anything, how courageous you may think, if it is motivated by revenge. They call this bravado - not courage. ~

Song for the Birds

Song for the Birds 

In loving memory of  Rev Msgr Benjamin Advincula, Episcopal Vicar for the Clergy, Archdiocese of Capiz, and Parish Priest of  Santa Monica.  

Dr Abe V Rotor
Resource person, Diocesan Gathering of Priests, 2011

Song for the Birds in acrylic, painting by  AVRotor

Make me an artist to capture this ephemeral sight,
the colors of the rainbow fading in sunset;
    from where you came, to this little stream I imagine,
        this bastion of your kind from what it had been.

          Make me a teacher that I may understand your language,
                 your cheerful songs from your cries; that I may gauge
         the difference of knowledge from school and that of life,
        joy and sorrow, love and care, leisure and strife.

   Make me a man, the forgotten child many years ago,
           long lost searching for the truth, from what I know,
that I may be worthy of my role in passing review,
                 to come down from Mount Olympus to your rescue. ~

Rare insects found on Fuga Island

Rare insects found on Fuga Island 

Dr Abe V Rotor
 
Two species of insects found on Fuga Island - stinkbug (Nezara), and locust (Locusta), reported in a study by Dr Ronel P dela Cruz, and published in his book Isla Fuga: Sacred Scapes 2013.  

Self-Administered Test Preparing for the Monsoon Season (True or False, 25 items)

Dr Abe V. Rotor 
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawidand with Ms. Melly Tenorio 
DZRB 738 AM Monday to Friday, 8 to 9 Evening Class


1. The rains we are experiencing this early are thunderstorms. 

2. Three things to do in preparation for the monsoon season: repair house, prepare garden, and participate in community work such as tree planting and cleaning waterways and drainage. 

3. The best time and most economical, with least care and attention to plant vegetables in the backyard and idle lots is during monsoon period. 

4. Actually you can propagate the following by cuttings: Malunggay, katuray, ipilipil, madre de cacao. 

5. During the monsoon season the most important crop is corn. 

6. During the monsoon period the ITCZ is usually up north of the Philippines; whereas during the amihan, the ITCZ moves southwards to Mindanao or lower. 

7. It is customary to walk, play, sing, in the first heavy rain of May, but you have to wet the navel first before attempting to do so - that is, according to old folks. 

8. Mushrooms immediately sprout after the first rain of May. 

9. Rain makes the swimming pool green because of acid rain. 

10. Gamu-gamu swarming anticipates the coming of the monsoon. 

11. Insects that usually swarm at night are winged termites, winged ants, and honeybees.

12. The worker and soldier termites suddenly become sexually mature, grow two pairs of wings, and out they come from their anthill from twilight and deep into the night.

13. Swarming of gamu-gamu is a sexual instinct called nuptial flight wherein males and females from the same colony mate and establish new colonies. 

14. Swarming of locust is ecological – that is, they coalesce into congregans, and the congregans further coalesce into the migratory phase.

15. The path of the monsoon winds is over the south western Pacific picking up moisture that builds into clouds and subsequently rain. 

16. June beetles may come out pf their subterranean hiding as early as April. 

17. It is the male cicada (kuliglig) that sings, attracting the female into its lair. 

18. Cicada usually lives for a year in the soil, but there are species that live for two, three, 5, to as long as 17 years, hence the latter is called 17-year old locust. 

19. Among the recommended plants to plant now are ubi, malunggay, singkamas, gabi. 

20. In summer you can raise vegetables using solely faucet water. 

21. Frogs, snails, hito and the like hibernate during summer. 

22. Then they come out of their hiding – cracks of the earth, carabao wallow, river basin, as the rains come, populating the flooded fields in a short time.

23. Weathering is a geological process leading to soil formation. 

24. Bare watershed absorbs rain greedily because it is thirsty so to speak, so why worry of not replanting it? 

25. Ubi tuber can grow up to one ton in weight from a single plant. 

Note: Answers to be posted in a week's time. 

The Power of Black & White Photograpghs

Dr Abe V Rotor

Black and white captures the true color of this dog. Tenten at home, QC

 Agoo La Union cathedral: architecture against cloudy sky

 B & W enhances sharpness

Microscopic study of plankton (30X magnification)

Takong, native sow, Agoo, La Union 

Epiphytic Drynaria fern on acacia

Rock promontory in Mandaon, Masbate

Sta Maria Beach, Ilocos Sur

Friendly eagle at Avilon Zoo, San Mateo, Rizal

Herons on the ricefield in Sudipen, La Union  

Old sampalok tree, San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur

Break time, UST, Manila 

Pine tree skeleton, Baguio City

Dying camphor tree, UST Manila

Old tree and its shadow 

UST Main building

UST Pharmacy Garden 

Walking stick, UP Museum of Natural History, Mt Makiling Laguna 

Sea urchins at play in Camindoroan, San Juan, La Union

A pair of water buffaloes (carabao) beating summer in Agoo, La Union

Kids at play in Calatagan, Batangas

Sugarcane mill chimney at night, Calatagan, Batangas

San Juan (LU) parish church 

Tagaytay Zoo visitors

A group of cicada attracted by a singing male, topmost (females are dumb), former ecosanctuary, SPUQC

Song on a Bamboo Xylophone

Dr Abe V Rotor

                                    Vietnamese bamboo xylophone 

How can I compose a song on a bamboo xylophone?
I ask Beethoven for the sound of Nature,
The genius of Bach for organization,
Chopin's touch and Mozart's therapy,
And Schubert’s lament to linger on.

But I must first enter the Cuchi Tunnel,
And fly ever the delta and trace
The restless meandering Mekong River
Seeking homage to the sea and beyond;
Then visit the War Museum,
To be able to write a Vietnamese song. ~

Vitamins add zest to love life

Dr Abe V Rotor

What we eat greatly affect our energy and behavior, thus people who eat proper food with the needed vitamins and minerals are more active, and they generally lead happier lives. They have lesser problems with health and sex. A healthy body has the energy and positive disposition to a zestful sex life. Let us examine what these vitamins are and what specific role they play in enhancing a healthy love life.

                                                                                                         Community Gardening in San Juan MM

Vitamin A. This vitamin helps in the production of sex hormones, and fights inflammation and infection of tissues. Acute deficiency may lead to atrophy of the testes and ovaries. Soft skin and healthy look may be attributed to a good supply of Vitamin A

which comes from carrot, broccoli and other crucifers, yellow fruits and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B Family. This vitamin complex may be derived from unpolished rice, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Milk principally gives riboflavin, a type of Vitamin B2. Its deficiency may lead to the development of arthritis.

Niacin or Vitamin B3, on the other hand, is derived from asparagus, mungo sprouts, lean meat and fish. This vitamin improves memory, and together with Vitamin A and minerals, gives the flush and glow in the person. Its deficiency may result in skin

eruptions and pellagra.

There is pyridoxine, which is vital to the functioning of our brain and nerves. Pyridoxine deficiency is manifested by a general feeling of weakness, neuritis, insomnia, irritability, and anemia. These lead to loss of sex appetite and failure of experiencing sex

orgasm.

Most of the Vitamin B rich foods contain pyridoxine and pantothenic acid. Pantothenic acid is classified as Vitamin B. It is needed in the production of body energy. Choline, which is allied to Vitamin B, enhances sexual arousal and performance. Choline is an ingredient of lecithin, a rejuvenator. Lecithin also contains inositol. Inositol, pantothenic acid, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) constitute what is termed as “youth vitamin." Sources of this vitamin other than those mentioned are eggs, crucifers like cabbage, liver, legumes, whole grain nuts and seeds like sesame.These also provide another Vitamin B member, biotin, the lack of which could lead to depression.

Another form of Vitamin B is folic acid, the synthetic form of the B vitamin folate which helps eliminate homocysteine from the blood, an amino acid linked to arterial disease and heart attack. It is also essential in embryonic development and early growth. That is why folic acid is added to milk and foods as protection against birth and childhood defects. People who eat a lot of dark leafy vegetables, carrots, beans, asparagus, and whole grain, need not worry about folic acid deficiency.

Vitamin B6, which is derived from ginger and certain vegetables, brings relief to the so-called carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS, which is a painful and irritating condition developed by long hours at the keyboard. Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by swollen tendons that move the fingers. Other than this remedy, proper posture and work habits must be followed. Ginger as anti-inflammatory properties, aside from its value in toning the cardiovascular system and reducing platelet aggregation, thus helping in protecting heart attacks and strokes.

The most complex of all vitamins is Vitamin B12 or cobalamine. It is important in the synthesis of nucleic acid and myelin, the covering of nerves. Vitamin B12 was discovered in papait, derived from the chyme of ruminant animals. The chyme is heated and pasteurized (heated below boiling for a few minutes and filtered). It is then mixed with kilawen (medium rare meat of goat, or beef). This preparation is 

Luffa or patola is rich is vitamins

effective against tuberculosis and anemia. Vegetarians are at risk for its deficiency, especially among children, which may result in pernicious anemia characterized by symptoms of weakness, apathy, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, numbness of extremities, and loss of balance. Among older people acute Vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to loss of memory and disorientation.

Other food sources of this vitamin are fish and poultry, seaweeds like gamet (Porphyra), arusip (Caulerpa), and gulaman (Gracillaria).Chlorella, a green alga and Spirulina, a blue-green alga, contain high Vitamin 812. Lack of Vitamin 8 12 is manifested by fatigue, irritability, paleness, muscle jerking, and mild mental problems, all of which can greatly adverse sexual life.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Prolonged lack of this vitamin may lead to scurvy. Poor sex life is attributed to its deficiency. Its role is in the absorption of iron. Iron aids in oxygenation of the blood. A well-oxygenated blood is efficient in carrying oxygen, hormones and nutrients to the organs and tissues of the body. How do we know if

we lack this vitamin? It is manifested by the bleeding of gums, poor digestion, slow healing of wounds, frequent colds and infections, shortens of breath. Mango, avocado, citrus, tomato, guava, and strawberry are among the rich sources of Vitamin C. Doctors recommend a daily intake of 1000 milligrams although some people go as high as 2000 milligrams when exposed to toxins, infection and chronic illness. Taking Vitamin C is a practical way of preventing colds, and some people take it with two cloves (not heads) of raw garlic once they start feeling cold symptoms.

Vitamin D. Although there is no known direct effect on sex, the lack of this vitamin which is actually a hormone complex known as sterols, adversely affects calcium-phosphorus balance and metabolism. Bone deformity in children and osteoporosis are the chief manifestations of its deficiency. Regular outdoor exercise and sunlight exposure, and taking in of calcium-phosphorus rich foods protect us from deficiency disorders. Calcium supplement, mainly in milk, becomes a necessary part of the diet of older people.

Aside from slowing down the aging process, Vitamin E adds zest to sex life. It prevents the oxidation of fatty acids which are important in the production of sex hormones. It is found in most of the vitamin-rich foods, but some people may still need Vitamin E supplement often marked tocopherols [Greek: to bring childbirth) (Jensen).

Another vitamin is Vitamin F, which is needed by the thyroid, adrenal and prostate glands. It promotes calcium absorption, buffers cholesterol, helps keep our hair and skin look healthy. Most of the vitamin-rich foods provide us with adequate Vitamin F.

It is important to keep always in mind that good health is the key to sexual vitality. Although it is highly recommended that we eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, particularly those specifically mentioned in this book, it does not mean that the more we take them the more we are benefited by their nutrients and herbal values. First, it is wise to think of certain herbs of their specific significance and the kind of illness we may be treating. There are herbs that are actually dilute forms of natural drugs, and not foods and dietary supplements. Second is that anything taken in excess is bad. It is but proper to take these herbs with moderation, and better still, with proper consultation. And third, avoid smoking. Smoking reduces life span to as much as 20 per cent, not considering the predisposition to smoking-related illnesses, principally lung cancer and heart attack, which may cut short a good life even before reaching middle age. Drugs, nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and menthol are known to deaden the nerves in the long run. Medical reports point to them as culprits to many kinds of potency problems both in men and women.

It is also important to consider that we have to maximize the vitamins present in the food we eat. We must remember that heat destroys vitamins and other nutrients, for which reason, vegetables must not be overcooked. It is also well to know that alcohol,

nicotine, drugs and coffee prevent the absorption of nutrients, principally vitamins and minerals. This may develop into a kind of malnutrition that may be taken' for granted. Thus, people who abuse themselves with these substances suffer poor health and

generally lead sedentary lives. It is also good to remember that even if we get the proper kind and amount of food, we must complement it with regular exercise and good rest, a positive disposition notwithstanding. And lastly, both physical and mental well-being are important to healthy sex. Many experts say that the greatest aphrodisiac is the human mmd.

"All mankind love a lover.”

Basi Table Wine - Pride of the Ilocos Region

Growing up with Basi - a personal experience 

 Dr Abe V Rotor

  Basi and other wine products in different labels depicting important events and scenes in the Ilocos   Region. UNESCO Heritage City of Vigan 

I grew up with an old local industry – basi wine making. Today there are still 18th century jars, which I use in the way my ancestors made the wine for generations.

I remember Lolo Celing (Marcelino) made basi in the cellar, the ground floor of our house made of thick brick wall. In dad's time we had around 500 jars. He was one of the biggest brewers in town in post Commonwealth era, and probably after the infamous Basi Revolt in 1807 when the Ilocanos took arms but lost to the Spaniards who took monopoly over the industry. Many were killed in that short-lived revolt along the Bantaoay River, a river where my brother Eugene and I used to fish purong (mullet) in summer.

Getting drunk at an early ageI was already a farmhand before I was of school age, but dad always warned me not to be an aliwegweg (curious at doing things), the experimenter that I was. One morning as dad went on his routine, first to hear mass in our parish church just across our residential farm, I went down to the cellar with a sumpit (small bamboo tube) to take a sip of the sweet day-old fermenting sugarcane juice. I didn't know that with a sip too many one can get drunk. And that was precisely what made me feel sick, but 1 did not tell dad. He called a doctor to find out what was the matter with me. When the doctor arrived he found me normal. What with the distance from Vigan to San Vicente - on a caleza (horse-drawn carriage)? . But the doctor was whispering something to dad.

Then it happened. Dad had left for the church, so I thought. I went to the cellar and as soon as I probed the sumpit into a newly fermenting jar and took a sip, someone tapped my shoulder in the dark. It was dad!

Imagine the expression of his face (and mine, too) in the dark. I sobbed with embarrassment while he took a deep sigh of relief. Since then the doctor never came again. And I promised dad never to taste my “beverage" again.

Sunset and revival of the basi industry

Years passed. I left home for my studies in Manila, so with my brother and sister. Dad continued the industry until he became very old. By then the demand for the local drink declined as beer and all kinds of wine and liquor, local and imported, began flooding the market. It was requiem to a sunset industry. In 1981, dad died, so with our home industry.

Even after finishing agriculture I did not go back to the farm. So with my brother who also became an agriculturist. Not when you are young and thinking of adventure and opportunities. I pursued advanced studies in biological science. Eugene went back to the farm later, so with our sister, Veny, who joined the Divine Word College of Vigan faculty. But the thought of reviving basi was never in our mind.

For how can a local product sell in a highly competitive market? Foreign products have been flooding the market under the import liberalization program of the government. Other questions propped up, but all boiled down to one possible solution - business viability.

As a researcher I studied the indigenous process of basi making. After I had sufficient materials about the subject I made it into a paper which I read in an ASEAN-New Zealand symposium upon the recommendation of Dr. Romualdo del Rosario, a fellow professor at the UST Graduate School. But the native product needed improvement. It was at first a losing proposition, and I realized I was blazing a lost path. But I did not give up.

 

Rotor Basi won the Business Incentive Development Award (BIDA 1998). 

 When I opted for an early retirement from government service in 1989 I found more time with my experiments. The improved product was analyzed by the Food Development Center, a government agency that collaborates with the US Food and Drug Administration. Surprisingly the new basi product passed the European standard for champagne, sherry and port.

But it was no guarantee that it is acceptable in the market. It means that if the product is really that good, it can command a premium price. I began to standardize the product. Soon I was able to establish a consistent level of strength (proof), desired range of acidity, and crystal clear color and clarity. There was improvement in aroma, bouquet, sweetness, aftertaste, among other criteria, which constitute international standards for wine. All these were done in various experiments, often in trial and error method, in others through intricate laboratory procedures. Still in others, only after a yearlong aging of the wine.

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Basi Revolt, 1807 

The revolt took place 400 km north of Manila where Diego and Gabriela Silang heroically fought Spanish rule 50 years earlier. It was ignited by the declaration of Wine Monopoly by the Spanish government, depriving the natives of their centuries old cottage industry. Basi was among the goods exported through the Galleon Trade plying Ciudad Fernandina (now Vigan City) and Europe via Acapulco, Mexico (1565-1815). The final battle took place along the Bantaoay River that runs through the town of San Vicente where scores of Spanish soldiers and natives were killed. It culminated on September 29, 1807. Fourteen big oil paintings depicting the Basi Revolt are displayed at the Vigan Ayala Museum, housed in the original residence of Filipino martyr, Fr. Jose Burgos. The painter, Don Esteban Villanueva was an eyewitness of this historic event. Today, the basi industry is being revived by Ilocano entrepreneurs whose ancestors may be traced to the heroes of the Basi Revolt of 1807 (Dr. A.V. Rotor)

Product Guarantee: Basi is brewed and aged in the traditional way in glazed earthen jars (burnay) from upland sugar cane, glutinous rice, and botanical ingredients – Pithecolobium dulce, Macaranga tenarius, and Syzygium cumini. The final product is harvested directly from the jar one to three years after aging. No flavoring and coloring added, no filter and plastic containers used. The product meets the European Standard for grape wine – Champagne, Port and Sherry. (Reference: PFDCS 2498 and PFDCS 9429, Food Development Center, National Food Authority) Approximately 21 proof. (Reference: 01-00-0CL-0017, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Science and Technology) A product of NACIDA Home Industry, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Content 750 ml /375 ml.

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Lastly, I began working on product presentation. The labels I developed are a series of color photographs of historical places of the Ilocos Region, and the story of the Basi Revolt of 1807.

A breakthrough came after receiving the Business Idea for Development and Achievement (BIDA) Award, and a favorable product endorsement by the Department of Agriculture (MARID). Other than the Ilocano balikbayan, the market expanded to include tourist shops, wine connoisseurs, and even church groups.

I am sure Dad must be smiling up there. Here is a toast for you, Dad. ~

Author shows golden leaves of samat (Macranga tenarius), and bubod  (local yeast 

complex culture), which are principal ingredients in basi making.

Basi is ideally 2 to 5 years in earthen jar sealed hermetically with clay.