I love to feel the coolness upon waking up early in the morning. All the more made special with plans for a visit to a new place with good friends. It’s a great motivation to wake up at 4AM.
Let me backtrack a bit.
Two weeks prior to my adventure, preparations were being made to sponsor a talk on the Divine Mercy in our Parish. A good friend had enlisted some parishioners ( including myself) to help with the arrangements. Everything was set: the speaker, the venue and the date. All that remained was waiting for the actual date to arrive.
To help the core group get the strength to carry out the task, it was only fitting that we attend the 6:30AM mass the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy located in Marilao, Bulacan before our event. Hence, the reason for waking up so early.
And boy, did we get inspired! Imagine seeing the church in Marilao filled up with mass attendants at that time of the morning.
And visitors continued to come in the three hours we spent in the church grounds that included a separate contemplation chapel;
an open air chapel for our Lady of Fatima with a small water fall said to be miraculous;
a huge covered court that can accommodate a large crowd during special masses;
Some visitors came by busloads from far off provinces and some were small groups like ours wanting to spend time to contemplate the message given to St Faustina by Jesus, the Divine Mercy. And there were some who came by their lonesome self.
The cloudy and breezy weather made doing the way of the cross a comfortable experience. It’s as if the Divine Mercy opened a giant umbrella to spare us from the sun.
Of course, we could not resist the urge to buy some religious souvenirs to take back with us. Somehow no adventure is complete without some shopping element built into it.
Having filled ourselves with spiritual food for our souls, it became apparent that it was time to fill our hungry stomachs with the many delicacies that Marilao had to offer. It is only natural that Marilao would have a lot of rice-based delicacies given the many rice fields in the area.
Here are just two of the many outlets and just some of the delicacies offered:
Suman & macapuno preserve
Leche Flan, Ube Halaya & Bibingka
And no visit to Marilao would be complete without dropping by a very small and non-descript eatery, Aling Simeona’s, located near the St Michael the Archangel Church in the town proper.
No signage, hardly any parking and only one item on the menu: Marilao’s Special Pancit Palabok.
What possibly makes it so special is the crispy topping. Not the usual chicaron (pork crackling), but a mixture of flour and egg that is fried to golden, crispy perfection.
You will have to try it for yourselves to know what I am talking about. The four Raymundo sisters continue the cooking as taught to them by their Aunt Simeona. Four sisters who have spent their lives serving their church. Four sisters who could have made a fortune but knew that it would mean spending more time making money and less time with what matters to them—devotion to the Divine Mercy. As one of them remarked, they have more than enough already.
Should you find yourself in the area, give Cora a call at 0917 755 0449 to ask for directions and reserve one of the 5 tables in their home. A plateful of pansit will cost you P30. This goes so well with binanli- a knock-your-teeth-out kind of bland biscuit.
But best to hurry with your visit as progress is making itself felt with the traffic and fastfood outlets.
Before I knew it, I was dropped back home shortly before 2PM with my souvenirs, my sumans and my stories.
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The Raymundo sisters were gracious enough to welcome us not only to their tiny eatery but to their kitchen where the pancit was being prepared. Neat as a pin with a iron stove burning wood in the corner.
Only the best can come out of such a kitchen because the food is prepared with loving care as dictated by their hearts.
The recipe for Aling Simeona’s pancit is a secret but I do have a pancit recipe that I would like to share with you. Lovingly prepared, you'll be surprise at how much love comes back to you.
Seafood Pancit or Lenten Pancit
100 grams each cubed dory, shelled shrimps, and small squids sliced into rings
¼- ½ cup water
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 small carrot, sliced
A handful of sweet peas, “de-stringed”
A cup of chopped cabbage
250 grams of your favorite pancit or a combination of two kinds (canton, bihon, sotanghon, or miki)—you might want to soak the dried noodles before hand.
1- 2 T Oyster sauce
Salt and pepper
Saute the garlic and onions. Then quickly add one by one the dory, the shrimps and the squid. Add the carrot and the water. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the oyster sauce. Add the sweet peas and the noodles. Mix well. If dry, add a bit of water. Place the chopped cabbage on top of the noodles and cover for about 2-3 minutes—just enough time for the cabbage to wilt a bit. Season with salt and pepper and mix the pancit one more time before serving.
Some calamansi and soy sauce would be nice to have on the side.
sorry, picture for this dish will be uploaded as soon as I cook this again
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