By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
PINILI, Ilocos Norte—Once
used as a hideout and training ground of the Sandatahans formed by rebel
priest, Monsignor Gregorio Aglipay who founded the Aglipayan Church, this town
now also boasts of a new garlic museum.
The opening of the garlic
museum solidifies this historic municipality’s place as the garlic industry
center of the Philippines.
Located along the national
highway at Brgy. Darat, or about 38 kilometers from Laoag City, the Pinili
Garlic Center houses a new museum featuring the multiple uses of garlic
acclaimed for its medical benefits and a main ingredient in various culinary
delights.
Adorned with baskets of
harvested garlic as the centerpiece of the museum, other arts and crafts and
memorabilia that describe the traditional Ilocano way of life are also on
exhibit.
Freshly-harvested garlic,
onions and other high value crops and processed agricultural products including
garlic chips, salt, vinegar, bagoong (fish sauce) are also neatly arranged at
the right corner for sale.
At the right corner is also a
display of binakol [an Ilokano term for twill] loom weaving materials where
visitors can actually see how the intricate geometric design likened to an
optical illusion are made.
Pinili residents also take
pride of its master weaver Magdalena Gamayo, a national living treasure, whose
works up to this day are admired by many. Her works are also available for sale
at the museum.
Evay Aguinaldo, a long time
garlic vendor of Brgy. Darat here, said the new museum is an added tourism
attraction in their municipality. She added that the museum also allows them to
earn more as visitors would stop and buy their products for take home and pasalubong to family and friends.
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