San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte—Municipal Mayor Alfredo P. Valdez Jr. has initiated the campaign to revive the molasses industry in this town, particularly in Barangay 23 Sta. Cecilia, emphasizing among others the importance of the “Dapil” system, or the old way of processing sugar.

Valdez said he envies the sugar products of the south that could be matched and equaled by molasses of the north which could even taste better. Both products are extracted from sugarcane but molasses could also produced using the less sophisticated “Dadapilan.”

“Dadapilan” is characterized by two huge cylindrical mills, powered by a carabao that extract cane juices to process “tagapulot” (molasses), “palinang” (hardened molasses), “palatipot” (softened molasses), “basi” (sugarcane wine), “suka” (vinegar) among others.

In processing the sugarcane juice, native delicacies can be soaked in the “sinublan”, a huge cooking pan where the “bennal” (sugarcane juice) is being cooked to produce “kalti” from banana shoots, “sinuman”, “ubbog ti papaya”, “ubbog ti coconut trees” and other farm produce that can become a sweetener. It is also believed that through this process, the end products have more nutritive value.

The “tagapulot” can be used to season bibingka, sinuman, and home-made candies. Food cooked with molasses is also seen as a tourism attraction as foreign tourists are always on the lookout for “exotic” things.

According to Valdez, the move to revive the municipality’s molasses industry is for San Nicolas not only to be known because of its ceramic industry but also as an “extraordinary viand” producer.

Vic G. Labaro