Masarap dine sa Lipa

My good friend Efren Africa is unabashedly proud of his roots. This renowned couturier is a Batangueño at heart and proudly wears it on his designer sleeve. He is now based in his town of birth, Lipa City in Batangas, and will probably be staying there for good. Which is not to say that business has mellowed down; on the contrary, he is still active at what he loves best – designing hot haute couture – and is still much sought after by Manila’s rich and famous for his fab creations.

His devotion to his parents led him back to his hometown. A few years ago, Efren decided to leave Manila to tend to his parents during a time of need. Today, I honestly feel that he has found his second calling as the unofficial tourism ambassador of Lipa City.

I look forward to his occasional visits to my school every time he is in Manila. Oftentimes, we would meet up because we have a project together. He looks so much better these days. The weather there must suit him. We would mix business with pleasure as we updated each other on our lives, as well as trade some saucy bits on other people, too. And he would usually cajole me to no end to visit Lipa, charming me with appealing stories of his locale. Where else, he would always say, could I pleasure myself with a full-bodied cup of kape barako, incomparable to whatever is brewing in the latest coffee shop in Metro Manila, served in the midst of the beanery where it was harvested, right in the heart of Batangas?

Besides my occasional visits to my favorite church, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine, and baking the wedding cake of the good mayor of Lipa City, Vilma Santos and her lifetime beau Senator Ralph Recto, I know basically nil about the city. So, on Efren’s next invite, I accepted the offer for an outing with my whole family in tow. Since it was the weekend before the school opening, we welcomed this break.

The occasion was Lipa City’s 58th Foundation Day, and Efren, together with his cousin Nina Toledo and Mitos Villa, wanted me to taste Lipa’s finest native specialties via a food festival called "Lasap Lipeño," which was held at Robinsons Place.

But before that, our host gave us a taste of warm Lipa hospitality, combined with the homiest, native home-style cooking at Hapag Filipino.

What could I say? The food was truly unique and delicious. Native cooking can never be generic, this one included. I swear that they serve the best inihaw na pusit. Other house specialties are the maliputo loob, crispy pata, and sinaing na tulingan. And for refreshments, we had fresh buko juice served in its shell. It is said that the best buko comes from Lipa where it is grown on organic soil. Now, I can attest to this when we got a taste of fresh malauhog buko juice at this famous restaurant.

After lunch, which seemed to have been three full meals for me, Efren took us to the mall for a sampling of more Lipa goodies. Of course, what greeted us was the aroma of the ubiquitous kape barako, which has become synonymous with Lipa. Samplers were being served, which was perfect to tame my still unsettled tummy.

There was an abundance of good food, not to mention a lot of pasalubong to go. How about sumang haba, which can be eaten in all its sticky, glutinous glory sans sugar, because it is made with rich gata? Then there’s Ube Superb, which I choose to call "oooh-be" because it is sooo good! Its makers prepare this pasalubong with no preservatives. It’s all naturally mouth-wateringly good. Another thing that caught my attention was the sago-gulaman served with orange slices. The ordinary samalamig has been elevated to a higher level. Definitely, cool!

"Lasap Lipeño" promoted Lipa food products, proudly endorsed homegrown services as well such as the famous retreat, The Farm at San Benito, a health and wellness resort, which has received numerous awards in Asia. Where else could you get the ultimate backrub than amid lush coconut trees, the cool breeze tingling against your bare skin, as you stare at the shifting clouds? A must-try when one has the luxury of time.

Our respite in Lipa was brief, although fun, and it was just what my family needed to recharge our batteries. But it was just too short to soak in all the charm the town had to offer. I still had to witness the century-old tradition of creating the arko, a remarkable sight, says Nina Maralit Toledo, a member of the Art Council of Lipa. Native flowers of all colors are painstakingly wired on huge arches, which are used for different processions and festivals.

Well, Efren need not lure me anymore, because I am enamored of charming Lipa. One day, I might just drop by Efren’s place for a surprise visit when he least expects it, and we may trade tales or just watch the sunset between sips of freshly brewed kape barako. Life doesn’t get any better than that!