The Ilocos Times

By Noralyn Dudt It was on April 30, 1898 when the verdant coastline of Cape Bolinao came into view for the U.S. Navy Asiatic squadron under the command of Commodore George Dewey. Cruising southward along Cape Bolinao, the ship's doctor wrote, "poet or painter never pictured a lovelier scene" as he watched the 'Edenic' country slip past in the afternoon light. He probably wished that he and his shipmates would stop even just a while to admire such a view after having sailed the 560-mile voyage from Hongkong. But it was not for the views they have been sailing.   It was to reach Manila Bay and locate the Spanish Pacific fleet under the command of Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron. Dewey's line of ships slipped into Manila Bay during the early morning hours of May 1, 1898. As they approached the bay, they found   no sign of the Spanish fleet. However, Dewey had an inkling where they could be. The main ship Olympia turned to her right, paralleling the coastl...

( Second of three parts ) By Noralyn Dudt No, democracy has not died.   While it's flawed and failing in many parts of the world, it has been going strong in places like Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany,   New Zealand, Canada and several others.   While there are other nations that rank high on the scale like Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, I would like to focus on just   four at this time—ones that I am most familiar with as I have met and known people from these nationalities. As I have mentioned in my recent article, the EIU has given high ratings to Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. Just what makes these countries unique? Geography? They are all in northern Europe—the Nordics they are called. Religious background?   Eighty-five to 95% of their population are of the Lutheran faith. Monarchy? Yes, except for Germany, they have kings and queens but no longer ruled by them. Again, It might be difficult to gauge just how these factors influenc...

By Noralyn Dudt When the Spanish Galleon San Clemente arrived in Manila in 1592, there were 50 kilos of Cuban tobacco seeds in the ship's hold.   Historical records indicate that these seeds were later planted in the Cagayan Valley by Catholic friars. The soil and climate of the Ilocos region and the Cagayan Valley were observed to be the best for planting and growing tobacco crops. It was Governor Jose Basco y Vargas who convinced the King of Spain that growing tobacco and monopolizing its production would guarantee the colonial government in Manila its financial viability and sustainability In addition to gaining revenue for the Spanish government, the Spanish colonizers must have recognized that it was also an opportunity for them to get rich. In light of that, they started commercializing the growing of tobacco and established the Tobacco Monopoly in 1782, giving them full control of the tobacco industry. The monopoly gave them the power to regulate the processing of toba...

By Noralyn Dudt BASI, the Ilokano alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane juice that is fermented   and aged in a “burnay”,—a traditional earthenware—has been an integral part of the Ilokano culture even in pre-Spanish times. In his study on the “Basi Revolt”, researcher Jayson Antonio suggested that during those times basi “was one of the few—and free—pleasures in life available to the masses." They drank it after a day of hard work in the fields, they drank it when celebrating the birth of a child, they drank it to toast a couple getting married, and they drank basi in a ritualistic ablution after a funeral. From childbirth to marriage and   to death, it was part of their ritual,   tradition, and daily life. Commercial basi is produced by first crushing sugarcane and extracting the juice. The juice is then boiled in vats and then stored in earthen jars. Once the juice has cooled, flavorings made of ground glutinous rice and duhat (plum-like fruit in the tropics)...

By Noralyn O. Dudt IT WAS 1898 at the Parque de   Luneta—a huge 140 acre (58 hectares)—park   overlooking the Manila Bay. Kommandant Krueger monitored the placement of the large statue of Kaiser Wilhelm II, offset from Jose Rizal's. His aides were putting up new signs. It was going to be the "Kaiser Wilhelm und Jose Rizal Stadtgarten." It had taken several days to remove the "Paseo de Luneta and Paseo Maria Cristina" signs along the way and replaced them with "Kaiser Wilhelm PrachtStrasse." From what he could see, it would be difficult to properly teach these natives proper respect for the Kaiser and to ferret out their resistance. It pained him that there was so little enthusiasm for cooperation especially after completion of a German non-aggression treaty with Japan. He has been quite certain that the Philippines would have a brighter future as a German protectorate. Vice Admiral Otto von Diederichs That's a scenario that has been going on in...