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Joshua V. Balaoing, John Jester Zeus A. Castro, Joe Francis E. Lapeña, Kenneth Jeriel A
Sabino, and Kim Bryan G. Ticman
The Municipality of Calasiao is well known for its products which are usually marketed
in pasalubong (gift or souvenir) centres. Much of these are edible and include, but are not limited
to, puto, a type of steamed rice cake; suman, a rice cake made with coconut milk and commonly
wrapped in banana leaves; and bagoong, or fermented fish paste or shrimp paste. Among these
popular products, Calasiao’s puto has come to bear the title of Calasiao’s flagship product hence
the term “Puto Calasiao” was coined. This study aims to show how Puto Calasiao came to be and
how it has impacted the culture of the locals along with the lives of a handful of key figures. But
in order to do so, the history of Calasiao and its people should first be taken into account.
The Municipality of Calasiao is “the second oldest town in the Province of Pangasinan. It
was founded by the Dominicans in 1588, a year after the founding of Binalatongan (now San
Carlos City)” (Cortes, 1974). Furthermore, a book of Cortes (1974; 9) states that:
Calasiao was originally a small settlement near the town of Gabon.
Because the inhabitants on Gabon were hostile, the Dominican
missionaries staying in the area transferred to Calasiao. They convinced
the chiefs of the settlement of Nalsian, Dinalaoan, and Calasiao fused to
form the new town of Calasiao. Gabon, although it was a much bigger
settlement in the beginning, was relegated into being a barangay of
Calasiao.
Much of the town’s “white gold” is mainly produced in Dinalaoan which is now one of
the twenty-four barangays in Calasiao.
Apart from being well known for their puto, Calasiao is known for being as an active
participant in two rebellions, namely the Malong Rebellion of 1660 and the Palaris Revolt of
1762. Cortes (1974; 9) states in her book that:
Calasiao takes pride in being one of the first and one of the new towns in
Pangasinan that openly resisted the Spanish oppression during the those
times. Calasiao was one of the first towns that joined the Malong
Rebellion of 1660-1661. It joined the forces of Andres Malong of
Binalatongan in its desire for retribution against Spanish malpractices. In
another uprising against Spanish rule, led by Juan de la Cruz Palaris of
Binalatongan, Calasiao was again one of the ten rebel towns that
succeeded in driving the Spanish rulers and friars out of their boundaries.
Puto can be found in every region of the Philippines and has a lot of varieties from region
to region but no other town has had the impact that the puto industry had on Calasiao. When one
visits the town proper of Calasiao, it is perceived that puto has become a part of their identity to
which they even celebrate as a festival.
As popular puto has become in the Philippines, it may not have, however, originated in
the country. Puto may have been derived from the popular South Indian dish “puttu” which
means “portioned” in Tamil language – the dominant language in Tamil Nadu, India. In an
article concerning puttu, Sandy (2016) states that:
There is no clear evidence that puttu originated in Kerala. Like several
traditional dishes of Tamil Nadu which were warmly welcomed by
Kerala people, chances do exist that puttu too originated in Tamil Nadu.
Apart from Tamil Nadu, Tamil influential regions such as Pondicherry
and Sri Lanka too have steam cake in their diet. That’s one reason why it
is assumed so.There are claims that puttu existed in Tamil Nadu since
16th century. It is mentioned in Thiruvilayadal Puranam authored by
Paranjothi Munivar which tells the story of Siva Perumul of famous
Madurai Meenakshi temple. The story goes like this. There was an old
woman who earned her living by selling puttu in the temple premises.
She was a great devotee and to help her Lord Ganesha, disguised as a
small child approached her. When the poor woman told that she has
nothing to offer for his helps, he asked her to give broken puttu in return,
for which she agreed. The story may be true or just folklore. But still
now one of the major offerings at Madurai Ganapathi Temple is broken
puttu (steam cake).
Since the Philippines was under the rule of the indianized Srivijaya Empire and later the
Indonesian Majapahit Empire, it is likely that the country was exposed and introduced to the
cultures of those also under the rule of those empires.
The traditional method of making puttu is very similar to that of the traditional way of
making puto. One only needs roasted rice flour, grated coconut, salt, and water to make puttu.
The rice flour is mixed with water and salt until its texture is coarse. A cylindrical mold called
“Puttu Kuttu” is then filled with the mixture that is layered with the grated coconut till it reaches
the top of the mould. Steam escaping the lid opening signals that the puttu is cooked and ready.
A long stick called “Puttu Kol” is used to push the rice cake from the mold (Rajagopalan, 2017).
Variations in making puto and puttu could have possibly arisen during the colonization of the
Spanish and the banning of trading and seafaring ways of the Philippines with the other Malay
countries in southeast Asia which is commonly known as the Galleon Trade. This led to the
isolation of the Philippines from countries which they already established trade with during the
pre-hispanic times.
The Malacañang constructed a map with information taken from Laura Lee Junker of the
University of Illinois at Chicago in her book “Raiding, Trading, and Feasting” and with inputs of
Professor Cyril Calugay of the University of the Philippines Diliman. The following images are
those maps taken from the official website of the Malacañang Presidential Museum and Library.
At the time of European contact, “ethnohistorical sources indicate that the coastlines and
lowland river valleys of most of the major islands of the Philippines were inhabited by politically
complex, socially stratified societies, organized on the level of what cultural evolutionists refer
to as ‘chiefdoms’” (Junker 1999). Furthermore, a book of Junker (1999, 3) states that:
The Philippine archipelago became the easternmost edge of a vast
network of Chinese, Southeast Asian, Indian, and Arab traders that
circulated porcelains, silks, glass beads, and other luxury goods
throughout the South China Sea and through the Malacca Straights into
the Indian Ocean as early as the beginning of the first millennium A.D.
Chinese porcelain and other foreign luxury goods procured through
maritime trade became key symbols of social prestige and political
power for the Philippine chiefly elite.
Another excerpt from Junker (1999, 4) in her book emphasizes:
Trade contacts with India and China beginning in the early first
millennium A.D. not only provided politically manipulable exotics, but
also set in motion processes of “indianization” and “sinocization” that
shaped the political structure and ideologies of Southeast Asian polities
starting with Funan, Champa, Dvaravati, and Srivijaya and continuing
with such early second millennium kingdoms as Pagan, Angkor,
Sukhothai, and Majapahit.
These excerpts of information from Junker help piece out as to how exotic and foreign produce,
along with their cultures, arrived in the Philippines.
In one of the maps, it is mentioned that Pangasinan and Soli has polities with uncertain
locations due to them not being well documented. The small settlement of what was Calasiao
may very well be included in the trade route and also serves as reason as to how the then-exotic
food puttu arrived in the area of Pangasinan.
Today, Puto has become a part of the identity of Filipinos. Families pass down their
recipes and traditions from generation to generation. It is curious as to what sets Puto Calasiao
apart from its other regional variants and also how Calasiao came to be known for its puto. Since
Calasiao is located approximately 43.9 km from Binalonan, Pangasinan, the researchers decided
to traverse to Calasiao, specifically the barangay of Dinalaoan, on the morning of October 5,
2017. When they reached their destination, the group was pointed to the direction of Bella’s
Calasiao Puto factory. There are multiple and conflicting claims of who truly was first in making
Puto Calasiao. Bella’s Calasiao Puto is, however, perceived as the most popular among others in
the puto industry.
The group gave neither notice nor any letter of introduction before they went to
Dinalaoan. They were greeted by the workers of the factory and the workers then consulted with
the owners of the factory, an elderly married couple Rufo “Rudy” Dela Cruz and Leonora
Agsalud Dela Cruz who are both seventy-three years of age, who agreed for us to conduct an
interview with them. The researchers explained what the interview was for (in compliance for a
local history research paper) and what would be the nature of the interview (namely the type of
questions that will be involved) to which they agreed.
Dela Cruz comes from a family who he admits was one of the poorest families in
Calasiao. His highest attained level of education was elementary and he immediately helped his
family by working. He was already keen on making pastries during his childhood and would
make his own version of “bitsu-bitsu” to make his own income. He learned the process and
materials needed for making puto from his mother and started selling puto in front of the plaza of
Calasiao in 1970 as he recalls. He then went on to sell his products in front of the church every
morning from six to nine in the morning. During this time, Rufo was no longer the sole vendor of
puto so he travelled around from bayan to bayan and at one point even made it as far as Ilocos.
During his first festival selling Puto, he did not know how to speak in Tagalog. He prayed to
have a job in Calasiao since it became more dangerous to travel in the wake of Martial Law. It
even got to the point when he was held at gunpoint while selling puto at a festival. So he tried
selling other products such as wood and bananas but still sold puto on Sundays in Calasiao.
There was a lot of competition in the puto industry during this time and their “pwesto” or
stall was almost always snatched from them. Their initial stall consisted of only large woven
trays or “bilaos”. Help came in the form of former-Mayor Lito Sison. His administration set up
kiosks along the street in front of the municipality for locals to sell their products in. The Dela
Cruz couple occupied the first kiosk and Mr. Dela Cruz was very keen on designing it with
ornaments and the like. By 1978 they were D.E.N.R. registered and named their business
“Bella’s Calasiao Puto” (named after the couple’s firstborn child). Their four children at that
time were their only employees. Bella’s Calasiao Puto started with only two puto variants, the
original puto and kutsinta. Their business bloomed in 1981 and from then on out they expanded.
They erected the very factory where the researchers conducted their interview. At that point until
now, Bella’s Calasiao Puto expanded their product line through a series of experimentations and
is also now a pasalubong center. The company discovered twelve more flavours including the
cheesy salted egg flavour which won the “Pasalubong of the Year” award during the 2009 Pistay
Dayat at Lingayen, Pangasinan. They gained further exposure with their exhibits featuring
sculptures made entirely out of Puto Calasiao.
When asked about the process of making Puto Calasiao, Dela Cruz gave the researchers a
tour of the factory and, with his consent, were allowed to document their findings. They first
rinse the rice carefully and soak it under water mixed with sugar for an hour. It is then drained of
liquid and grinded for an hour.
The mixture is fermented in earthen jars and filtered to remove roughness. It is then
poured onto “tiwits” that are little cups that help form the shape of the puto and the tiwits are
arranged in a “turmahan” which is then steamed and after which are extracted from each
individual tiwit.
The entire process is similar to those of others described in Puto Calasiao recipes for
making puto. If an individual was to check the Bella’s Calasiao Puto and Pasalubong Center’s
social profile, they openly share to others how they make puto and even conduct workshops now
and then. Furthermore, the group need not ask what Dela Cruz’s values the most because it can
be seen in the way he talks and acts in general – extremely humble and God fearing. Even the
very room the interview was conducted serves as a gospel study room. He mentioned during the
interview that because of the hardships in his life and the upbringing he had, his policy includes
to help those that need help. He prayed to be an example, a role model for the people that if he
was ever to be successful in life, he would share his success to those who need his help.
When asked what makes Puto Calasiao so different from other variants of puto, Dela
Cruz replied that the water in Calasiao is very different from other places. Many locals believe
this as well because of the fact that numerous soft drink companies have set up plants in
Calasiao. As of now, there has been no study concerning the water in Calasiao and its contents to
confirm the beliefs of the locals.
How a simple aspect of life such as a local cuisine that is already a part of their culture
elevate some individuals and their lives to greater heights is truly impressive. But what is even
more so is how a then-taken for granted part of their culture became the most well-known part of
the identity of the municipality and thus helping bolster its economy through tourism and various
industries, for this instance the puto industry, as well.
Bibliography
Admin (2015, March 10) Calasiao Puto [digital image]. Retrieved from
http://www.panlasangpinoyrecipes.com/puto-calasiao-recipe/
Cortes, Rosario M. (1974) A History of Pangasinan Quezon City: UP Press
Dela Cruz, Leonora Agsalud (2017, October 7) Personal interview.
Dela Cruz, Rufo (2017, October 12) Personal interview.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica (1998) Majapahit Empire Encyclopædi Britannica, inc.
Retrieved October 12, 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Majapahit-empire
Junker, Laura Lee (1999, September) Raiding, Trading, and Feasting University of Hawaii Press
Municipality of Calasiao (2015) Municipal Socioeconomic Profile 2015
Municipality of Calasiao (2015) Municipal Seal [digital image]. Retrieved from
http://calasiao.gov.ph/index.php/history/
Rajagopalan, Ashwin (2017, September 24) Kerala’s Favourite Breakfast: How to Make Soft
Puttu at Home Retrieved November 10, 2017 from
http://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/keralas-favourite-breakfast-how-to-make-soft-puttu-at-h
ome-1675781
Sandy (2016) Kerala’s Traditional Puttu – A few interesting facts to share Retrieved October 12,
2017, from
http://mywordsnthoughts.com/myworld/2016/09/keralas-traditional-puttu-a-few-interesti
ng-facts-to-share/
Vardhini (2015, November 17) Raggi Puttu [digital image]. Retrieved from
http://cooksjoy.com/blog/2015/11/ragi-puttu.html#