Aired (June 16, 2024): Join Biyahero Drew as he explores the stunning town of Manito in Albay and its mouthwatering local dishes!
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00:00Aha!
00:03Wait, this is a volcano.
00:06For tourists, Bicol is a province that never runs out of boiling water.
00:11In fact, there is a town in Albay that is literally full of boiling water.
00:16Literally.
00:19From the boiling sea and ocean.
00:23The food is getting hot.
00:26What's your name?
00:27Wait, what changed?
00:29Did you learn English?
00:31It's still hot.
00:33Fresh, fresh.
00:39And adventures that explode with joy and surprise.
00:44All of that can only be experienced here in the town of Manito.
00:53Let's go together to Albay.
00:59In Manito, Albay, there are alimangos that are colorful.
01:04These are called fiddler crabs.
01:07And their mission is to make the fishermen healthier.
01:12But the alimangos that they catch here to earn money?
01:16Mud crabs.
01:19Kuya Eddie has been catching mud crabs for more than two decades.
01:23How do you catch alimangos?
01:26What do you call this?
01:28We call it bubu.
01:29Bubu?
01:31We put a pin to let the alimangos go in.
01:33To let the alimangos go in.
01:35So the alimangos will go in from the left and right?
01:37Yes, from the left and right.
01:39When they go in, they will be stuck there.
01:41They will not be able to come out.
01:45The bubu, or mud crabs, are left in the water from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
01:51And they will only come back the next day.
01:54Do you have small alimangos that you don't catch anymore?
01:57And you just bring them back to grow?
01:59Yes, we put the small ones in the fishpond.
02:01Oh, you have a fishpond to let them grow?
02:03Yes, to let them grow.
02:16So normally, one, two, like that?
02:18Up to three.
02:20Up to three, okay.
02:21And you just bring them back there?
02:22Yes, we just bring them back there.
02:25Do you have a seasonal catch?
02:28Is there a month when you catch more?
02:30Yes, there's a month.
02:32What is the month when you catch more?
02:34August.
02:35August.
02:42You really thought I was the one who caught them.
02:44To be honest, I really caught them.
02:48But Drew's trip just arrived.
02:50They were already in the refrigerator,
02:51so I just caught them.
02:53There.
02:54My brother left me.
02:56Oh, no, no. He'll come back.
03:01It's time for the alimangos to be tied up.
03:05You have to pull it like that.
03:06Yes.
03:07So that they can't move.
03:10Sorry, guys.
03:18It's good that it came out.
03:19Yes.
03:20He's already dizzy.
03:21He's dizzy.
03:23Okay.
03:24So, like this.
03:26I'll put my foot here.
03:28And then I'll put it here.
03:30Like that.
03:31Down.
03:33And then.
03:34Is it right?
03:35Yes.
03:36Tie it, sir.
03:37Tie it.
03:41There.
03:44Here, like that.
03:45That's right.
03:47Slowly but surely.
03:48Slowly but surely.
03:49Just be careful when you tie it.
03:51The alimangos might come and we might get caught.
03:55I can't do it here.
03:57I'm too slow.
03:59Let me help you, sir.
04:03There.
04:04He said, this is not my thing.
04:10The Manito Mangrove Eco Park
04:12used to be the Degraded Forest Reserve in the 1990s.
04:15That means, it's not a good place to put it.
04:18It's no longer beneficial to the animals and people living nearby.
04:22But it was worked hard to fix it.
04:25That's why now,
04:26the biodiversity is alive here.
04:29The Manito Mangrove Eco Park has also become famous.
04:37Another kind of benefit for the locals
04:40is the river that we'll be going to.
04:42Okay.
04:43We're looking for a lake that is visited by tourists.
04:46Inang Maharang Lake.
04:48But I don't know the way.
04:50Good thing, there are people here.
04:52Good afternoon.
04:53Good afternoon.
04:54Where is Inang Maharang Lake?
04:58We're going there.
04:59You're going there?
05:00Yes.
05:01Come with us.
05:02Okay.
05:03I'll follow you.
05:04Let's go.
05:05Okay.
05:07There's an egg.
05:15You brought a lot, right?
05:17Yes.
05:20Are you going to cook there?
05:23Sir, we're here at the boiling lake.
05:26We're here?
05:27Yes.
05:37How am I going to swim here?
05:40Is there a cliff jump here?
05:42Here at the Manito's house,
05:44they don't take a bath in their lava.
05:46But here, they cook eggs.
05:49The water here is sometimes more than
05:52the boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius.
05:55Before, it was just small.
05:56Then when the volcano erupted,
05:59it got bigger.
06:00Wait.
06:01That's why it got so big.
06:03That's how big it got.
06:04Wait, this is a volcano.
06:06The eruption of the volcano.
06:07The eruption.
06:08Has it been a long time since you came to the pool?
06:10Do you cook here?
06:11Yes.
06:12Are you still young?
06:14What about your parents?
06:15My parents and my grandmother.
06:17You really cook here?
06:19Yes.
06:20What do you cook?
06:21The eggs.
06:23The pork and the chicken.
06:25They cook it here because it's hot.
06:28They don't boil it anymore.
06:29They don't boil it anymore?
06:30It's still free?
06:31Yes.
06:32Just one wrong move
06:33and the skin can be damaged
06:35if it's stuck to the hot water.
06:38That's why the locals
06:39have a way to cook it outside.
06:42They immerse the eggs in the net
06:44and take it out of the water
06:45using a long wooden stick.
06:47This is a very important question
06:48for the chefs around the world.
06:51Yes.
06:52What kind of eggs do we cook?
06:54Soft-boiled?
06:55Hard-boiled?
06:57Eggs Benedict?
06:59When it comes out, hard-boiled?
07:01Yes.
07:02To achieve a hard-boiled egg,
07:05it needs to be left in boiling water
07:07for 10 minutes.
07:09But for these eggs,
07:10we only soaked them for 4 minutes
07:12in boiling water.
07:13Is this enough time to cook the eggs?
07:21Soft-boiled egg content.
07:24It's still soft inside.
07:26But sometimes,
07:27this is what people like.
07:29Maybe,
07:31one more minute
07:32or one and a half minutes.
07:34The reason why it's hard-boiled
07:36is that the ground water
07:38that goes under the eggs
07:40will seep
07:42when it rains
07:43and the water evaporates.
07:45It will look for cracks
07:46to go under the eggs.
07:48That water
07:49will heat up the magma
07:51and then
07:52it will evaporate.
07:54And the answer to the new question
07:56if soft-boiled eggs are safe
07:57to eat
07:58in boiling water.
08:00Even if you can smell
08:02the sulfur
08:03in the boiling water,
08:05and you try to cook
08:07an egg there,
08:08it has a shell
08:10and the sulfur
08:11won't escape
08:13because it's safe
08:14to eat.
08:16However,
08:17the portion
08:19that you can eat
08:20is not safe.
08:23A few minutes
08:24from Inang Maharang,
08:25there's another lake
08:27with a hidden well.
08:28The Nagaso Lake.
08:31It's not as calm
08:33as the Inang Maharang Lake,
08:35but it's boiling
08:37and the water is seeping.
08:39This lake
08:40is part of Mount Pokdol.
08:43It's one of the stratovolcanoes.
08:45This lake
08:46is in the middle
08:48so it produces a lot of heat.
08:51It's really rare
08:53to see boiling lakes.
08:55But if you can swim here,
08:57safety is still a priority.
09:09It's not just the heat
09:10in Manito.
09:12Even the food is smoking.
09:13But it's not because of the heat
09:15and temperature,
09:16but because of the spiciness.
09:18Just like this empanada,
09:19it's filled
09:21with the signature dish
09:22of the Bicolans,
09:24the Bicol Express.
09:26We're going to use
09:28an empanada in a game.
09:30We're now here
09:31at Manito Albay
09:33for our
09:34Bicol Express
09:36Empanada Game.
09:42Here at
09:43Bicol Express
09:45Empanada Game.
09:47Yes!
09:49I'll charge.
09:50There's still a little charge.
09:52The mechanics of the game
09:53are simple.
09:54The players have to
09:56finish their empanada.
09:58But every time I turn to them,
10:00they have to stop
10:01eating and moving.
10:03Whoever moves last
10:04is out of the game.
10:06Let's play the game
10:07in 3,
10:092,
10:111.
10:14Anyway,
10:15the Bicol Express Empanada
10:19Ah, they're listening.
10:22It's delicious.
10:23It's crispy.
10:24It's freshly cooked.
10:26But,
10:29there are statues.
10:32Oh,
10:34it looks like one of them is wearing something.
10:39Even though,
10:40his eyes are not moving.
10:45Aha!
10:47You're caught!
10:50Try it!
10:52Wow!
10:54So,
10:55when I look at them,
10:57they'll stop.
10:59But when I look here,
11:01they'll eat.
11:03Aha!
11:05His eyes are moving.
11:10It's so good.
11:16There's more.
11:18The food of Bicol is delicious.
11:20Aha!
11:26So,
11:29there are only 3 left.
11:30There are only 3 left.
11:32I think the other one is hurting
11:34because his hand is on the fork.
11:36The other one is finished.
11:39The other one is really...
11:40Aha!
11:48So,
11:49the question is,
11:51is Bicol Express finished?
11:53Is it finished?
11:55Wow!
11:57That means,
11:58both of them won.
12:00Yay!
12:08Adaljan,
12:10congratulations.
12:111,000 each, brother.
12:12Yay!
12:18The one who came up with the concept of Bicol Express Empanada
12:21is 40-year-old Lemuel.
12:23He used to be a bachelor,
12:25now he's a professional chef
12:26and has his own restaurant.
12:28Chef, aside from
12:30your very cozy setup here,
12:33two floors,
12:34and the beautiful landscape,
12:37the arrangement of plants,
12:39you're like the star of the show.
12:41Aside from what you cook,
12:43you're the star of the show.
12:45You can see Mount Mayang there.
12:47I was raised and born in Marinduque.
12:49In Marinduque?
12:51Yes, heart of the Philippines.
12:52Why did you move here?
12:54I finished high school here.
12:56Half of my life,
12:57more than half of my life,
12:59my life was here in Bicol,
13:00in Albay.
13:02After finishing high school,
13:03Lemuel didn't go to college right away.
13:06He worked as a cake artist
13:08and photographer for 10 years
13:09to save money.
13:10And when he was 30 years old,
13:12he was accepted to a university in Manila
13:15to study culinary arts.
13:17Lemuel is very thankful
13:19to Good Samaritan
13:20that he was able to finish his studies in college.
13:23I promise to myself
13:24that I will return to Bicol again
13:25for Mayon.
13:27For Mayon?
13:28Yes.
13:29I really want to rest
13:31in front of Mayon.
13:33In front of Mayon.
13:34And a miracle happens.
13:36For his internship,
13:37Lemuel was sent to Italy
13:38where he trained for 3 months.
13:41And at the age of 35,
13:43he graduated from the Culinary Arts course.
13:46After finishing his studies,
13:48Chef Lemuel returned to Albay
13:49to fulfill his dream
13:51to build his own restaurant
13:52in front of Mount Mayon.
13:54But when his dream was almost fulfilled,
13:57the pandemic came.
13:58And he lived in a tent for 2 months.
14:01At that time,
14:03other people told me,
14:05you can do it,
14:07they said.
14:07Someone said that,
14:10someone said,
14:11it won't click here.
14:13I pushed myself,
14:15even if I won't pay them,
14:17this is just a free taste,
14:19trial and error.
14:20So,
14:21until?
14:22Until someone ordered,
14:24300 pieces of empanadas.
14:31The mouth won't just get hot
14:34from the spiciness of the food here in Bicol.
14:36Here in Manito Public Market,
14:38you can buy literal hot food.
14:41Just like this,
14:43wrapped in banana leaves,
14:45and puto bukayo.
14:47These are included
14:49in the list of favorite breakfasts
14:51or snacks of Bicolans.
14:53And I heard,
14:54the favorite of paroquians
14:56is the food of Nanny Lorna.
14:58Yes, this is it.
14:59How much is one?
15:0112 pesos.
15:02This is 12 pesos?
15:03Yes.
15:04How about this?
15:0420 pesos only.
15:06Nanny Lorna makes her food
15:09using the newly squeezed coconut milk.
15:13Then, she will mix a little salt.
15:15For the container,
15:16she will put banana leaves
15:18so that it won't be easily opened.
15:21Sir, we will put
15:23one cup of rice.
15:25Like this.
15:26We will put it.
15:28Then, we will put
15:29one cup of...
15:31One is to one.
15:32Yes.
15:33Because it won't be cooked
15:34if there is no water.
15:36If there is no liquid.
15:37Yes.
15:38How many years have you been doing this?
15:39I am 26 years old.
15:4126 years.
15:43When the rice is squeezed,
15:45it can be cooked
15:46in boiling water
15:48for up to one hour.
15:51Sir, this is your spoon.
15:53Thank you.
15:54Oh, there should be a spoon.
15:55There should be a spoon.
15:57Oh, there is a spoon.
16:03Ah, okay.
16:05Mmm.
16:07Yup.
16:09It's like
16:10softer
16:12and saltier suman.
16:14There.
16:16But it's still delicious.
16:17It's on the salty side.
16:19Isn't it different
16:20when you mix
16:22the sweet and savory?
16:24So, you will put
16:25sweet bao here.
16:27Oh.
16:29Then, mango.
16:31Oh.
16:32Oh.
16:34Our cameraman is already drooling.
16:36Oh, he's drooling.
16:38Chocolate baterol.
16:40Sankatutak na
16:42escubado.
16:44Condensed milk.
16:47Caramel.
16:49Maple syrup.
16:51Tanggal ang kuko.
16:53Tanggal ang paha.
16:55But it's all worth it.
16:56The next dish I will cook,
16:58puto po kayo.
17:01Mmm.
17:02Mmm.
17:04Oh, man.
17:06Oh, man.
17:07Mmm.
17:08It's still hot.
17:09I haven't finished it yet.
17:11Isn't it different when it's newly cooked?
17:13The texture is soft.
17:16That's what we're looking for.
17:18The bread lovers out there,
17:19the ones you click on,
17:21the texture,
17:22when you chew,
17:24your mouth will be filled.
17:25If you have a mouth.
17:27Their bakayo
17:29is
17:30just right sweet.
17:32Sometimes,
17:34some are too sweet.
17:36Oh.
17:39Look at that.
17:40It's fighting.
17:46It's hot.
17:48This is P2.
17:48I'm already full.
17:50I'll finish this.
17:52See?
17:53I'm already full.
17:54Mmm.
17:59Nanny Lorna has been selling for a long time.
18:02She doesn't raise the price of her goods
18:05to finish it quickly.
18:06Because of this,
18:08she taught a dozen children.
18:09I promised myself
18:11that as long as I have the strength,
18:12I will be able to do it.
18:14Just go ahead.
18:15Because I still have a lot of needs.
18:19Here in the market,
18:21you can buy alimangos
18:22for 400 pesos per kilo.
18:24Alimangos are popular here in Manito.
18:27As a thank you,
18:28there was a crab cooking contest in 2022.
18:31And two dishes that were challenged here
18:34were really delicious.
18:35The crab humba
18:37and the alimango caldereta.
18:39This is it.
18:40I can taste and see
18:42the alimango
18:43caldereta.
18:45This is just the same process
18:46of how to cook pork
18:48or beef caldereta vijeros.
18:49The only difference
18:51is the extra ingredient.
18:52Auntie Jocelyn is so stingy.
18:54I have something to tell you, sir.
18:56Oh, what is it?
19:00Oh, yes.
19:01I was just about to say,
19:03how can we cook
19:04and tenderize the carrots
19:06and potatoes
19:07if we don't have water?
19:09What's your name?
19:10Wow.
19:12Wait.
19:13What's the difference?
19:15Does it taste like English?
19:17I forgot.
19:19But it's really delicious.
19:21Oh, we already added
19:23ketchup.
19:24We'll add more later.
19:26Okay.
19:27Okay.
19:29Okay.
19:30Okay.
19:32Okay.
19:33Okay.
19:35Okay.
19:37Okay.
19:38Ketchup to alimango.
19:41Wow.
19:43Auntie Jocelyn is so stingy
19:45that she already cooked
19:46the alimango caldereta.
19:48Of course, we can also taste
19:49the crab humba.
19:55It's okay.
19:58It's okay.
20:00I get it.
20:02It's really humba.
20:03Of course,
20:05it has humba ingredients.
20:06Although,
20:07just like what my mom said,
20:09why isn't it cooked here?
20:11Because
20:12it's a bit
20:14expensive.
20:15It's alimango.
20:21It's still fresh.
20:23So, yes.
20:24You eat humba,
20:26but you eat alimango.
20:27Fresh alimango.
20:29Let's move on to
20:30this one.
20:32This is really
20:33wow.
20:35Caldereta.
20:36It's still hot.
20:38It's even fresh.
20:39It's really fresh.
20:46Caldereta. Caldereta.
20:50You know, there's a lesson.
20:52There's a lesson here.
20:55Even if you cook a hotdog,
20:57and your ingredients are
20:59caldereta or humba,
21:02that's really it.
21:03That's really it.
21:04If you want to do cost-cutting,
21:06all of your favorite ingredients are
21:08hotdog,
21:10caldereta,
21:11humba,
21:13kare-kare,
21:14sinigang,
21:16and egg.
21:17Wow.
21:19I learned my lesson today.
21:20Thank you, mom.
21:21It's really good.
21:32Travelers,
21:33do you know what this is for?
21:35You can do this.
21:36Bye-bye.
21:38No?
21:39It's for blush.
21:41Oh, yeah.
21:46Wait, wait.
21:48It's a cockroach.
21:49It eats food.
21:50Of course.
21:54That's the original.
21:56I'm running late.
21:57I'm going to school.
22:01The truth is,
22:03the made-in-Manitou cockroach
22:04is one of the strongest
22:06cockroaches in the Philippines.
22:07How true.
22:09Father Domingo
22:11is one of the family members
22:12who makes cockroaches
22:14from his ancestors.
22:15Yes, he makes
22:17almost everything here.
22:18About 80 to 85 percent
22:21of the cockroaches
22:22are made from wallis.
22:24No matter how hard
22:25the wallis is made,
22:27it won't leak.
22:28I hope it's all secured.
22:30Their secret
22:31is in the process.
22:34They will make sure
22:36that they will use
22:37dried cockroaches.
22:39They will tie it up
22:40so that the small fruit
22:42will be removed.
22:44Then, they will cut it.
22:46And they will stick it to the wood
22:47using a wire,
22:48rope, and stick
22:50so that it's really secured.
22:52They will tie it twice
22:54so that it won't leak.
22:56And they will put a sticker
22:57so that it won't leak
22:59when you hold it.
23:01You can buy their wallis
23:02from 60 pesos
23:04to 180 pesos.
23:05Well, it depends on the size.
23:07And you can also
23:08personalize the wallis.
23:11Every October,
23:12the Manitou community
23:14will host the
23:15Nito Talahid Festival
23:17to remember
23:18the importance of these trees
23:20to their town.
23:21Nito,
23:23where the name of the town
23:24of Manitou comes from.
23:26And Talahid,
23:27where the material
23:29of their wallis is used.
23:32Some places in Manitou
23:33are located by the sea.
23:35But the sea in Barangay Pawa
23:36is not safe
23:38because it's not
23:39allowed for tourists.
23:42We are very careful
23:43with the tourists
23:45who come here.
23:46Because it's
23:47really dangerous here.
23:49There are a lot of
23:50disasters here.
23:52Like last time,
23:53we saw a squid
23:55floating there.
23:56But it didn't come out.
23:58There are parts of the sea
24:00that are boiling.
24:01It is strictly prohibited
24:03to take a bath
24:04in boiling water.
24:06But don't worry,
24:07because there are
24:09swimming pools
24:10like this one.
24:12And the catch?
24:13No entrance fee.
24:16Even though the town of Manitou
24:17is close to the Mayon Volcano in Legazpi,
24:19there is no proof
24:21that these waters
24:22can be connected
24:24to the geothermal system
24:25of the active volcano.
24:27Every volcano has
24:28fumaroles or vents
24:30that can be seen
24:31in the nearby areas.
24:33Like the town of Manitou,
24:34every vent
24:36has a passage
24:37from the volcano
24:39where the hot gas
24:40of the volcano comes out.
24:42What is the difference
24:43between the boiling hot gas
24:45and the adventure
24:46that a tourist
24:48is looking for?
24:49I think
24:51it's in Manitou.
24:52And the reception
24:54of locals here
24:55is very good.
24:57It's always
24:58lively.