Thriving industry lures Adams senior high students into wine-making business

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Adams Ilocos Norte—Some students of the Adams National High School (ANHS) are going into wine-making business.

As a growing eco-tourism destination for local and foreign tourists, this town is known as the “fruit bowl capital” of Ilocos Norte and became famous for its bugnay fruit wine and other local spirit wines such as tapuey (rice wine), roselle, dragon fruit, pineapple, lemongrass and turmeric among others.

Inspired by the thriving wine industry here, Jessie Bayeng, Teacher 1 of the ANHS said Grade 11 and Grade 12 students are taking up entrepreneurship subject. The subject teaches the student how to process fruit wines and how to sell it in the market.

“Our students learn how to ferment local fruits into wine and they are also required to make a business plan out of it,” said Mr. Bayeng.

During the fruit season, these students gather whatever fruits available and ferment it for at least six months. After that, they put it in a clean bottle with proper label ready for selling.

According to Mr. Bayeng, bugnay wine is among the best seller fruit wines in this small town. The fruit is known to contain phytochemicals with potent antioxidants, which functions to protect the body from free radical damage.

Some of the tribal communities here with roots from Cordillera perfected the fermentation of rice wine and then other fruit wines followed suit.

Aside from the wine-making, the school is also teaching its students how to make soft brooms.

To further strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit of students, Nobleza Hidalgo, principal of the Adams school said she is planning to open technical vocational learning for the senior high students so that they can become more productive should they opt to pursue a business later on.

After finishing high school, some students living in far-flung areas fail to pursue a college degree because their parents cannot afford to send them to the tertiary level.

But with the opening of TVL courses for senior high students, more students will have the opportunity to gain more skills for better livelihood.

Comments

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become...

Free dormitories eyed for Nueva Era students in LC, Batac

Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, headed by Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida is planning to establish dormitories in the cities of Laoag and Batac that will exclusively cater to college students from the said cities. “Sapay la kuma ta maituloyen iti mabiit tay ar-arapaapen tayo ken iti munisipyo a maipatakderan kuma dagiti annak tayo a college students nga agbasbasa idiay siyudad iti Batac ken Laoag iti libre a dormitoryo a bukod da ngem inggana nga awan pay ket an-anusan mi paylaeng nga ibaklay kenni apo bise mayor iti pagbayad da iti kasera aggapu iti bukod mi a suweldo malaksid dagitay it-ited iti munisipyo ken iti barangay nga stipend da kada semester, ” Garvida said. Garvida added that the proposed establishment of dormitories would be a big help to the students’ parents as this would shoulder the expenses of their children for rent and likewise they would feel...

P29 per kilo rice sold to vulnerable groups in Ilocos region

BBM RICE. Residents buy rice for only PHP29 per kilo at the NIA compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. The activity was under a nationwide pilot program of the government to sell quality and affordable rice initially to the vulnerable sectors. (Lei Adriano) San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte —Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. “ Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas,” said Violeta Pasion, a resident Brgy. 18 Bingao in this town. The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators' association members in the province. Along with Pasion, Epi...

The Ilocos Times

Search This Blog