Now it’s Deremen Festival

By Eva C. Visperas   

It’s time for Bugallon to shine through its dark product, that is. Yes, it’s literally dark but yummy.

The months of September, October, and November are the peak months for deremen or “pinipig” to some. On November 30, Bugallon will celebrate its annual fiesta celebration and this year’s fest promises to be a unique and exciting one, what with its planned “Deremen Festival”.

If this is the product that will propel the town’s popularity, then why not? Alcala did it with its longest barbeque grill, Villasis with its Talong Festival, Anda with Binongey Festival, Mapandan with its Pandan Festival and, of course, Dagupan’s Bangus Festival which has become, sad to note, a big source of corruption to few officials who refuse up to now to make an  accounting report of the sponsorship funds they have amassed. Tsk tsk tsk

Mayor Rodrigo Orduña must be lauded for thinking of the Deremen Festival.

“Maybe we’ll just try with a small event,” the smiling mayor said. Just mere trying is already one good step, I told him.

Then he started saying he will tap education officials, non-government organizations, barangay associations. “Why don’t we cook the biggest inlubi?” he asked jokingly. But it’s a good idea and less expensive, too, I assured him.

Remember when it’s All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2)? We call it Pista’y Inatey (tan Mabilay) and time was when inlubi or deremen was the traditional food to partake during these important dates. Today, I wonder if the young ones today know about this product of Pangasinan at all.

By the way, how do you make deremen?, I curiously asked.

I was told there was a special variety of glutinous rice to be planted. Someone said it’s Macaroyo (sounds like a combination of Macapagal and Arroyo), something spotted. It is already harvested in an early stage, said Berting, the funny guy at the town hall, who loves story-telling.

It was a labor of love, I was told because the long process is tedious and laborious.

I love the way San Carlenians do it. They soak the deremen in evaporated milk, I guess (or was it coconut milk?) with right amount of sugar, and presto, it’s certified super delicious.

Remember when someone compliments you with “amoy pinipig”, that means you smell young and sweet.

Since I did not grow up in a farmer’s village, it was difficult for me to grasp the meaning of Pangasinan words that the mayor and Berting and everyone else in the group were reciting. Lasong solsolan sirigit sool  taltagan, and so on.

But surely, I am looking forward to gracing Bugallon’s Deremen Festival.

Enero, Pebrero, Marso, Abril, Mayo, Hunyo, Hulyo, Agosto, Setyembre, Oktubre,  Nobyembre, Disyembre, lubi lubi, inlubi, goes my childhood song.

 (You can also read this writer’s other stories at http://businessblog.prepys.com.)

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