Unripe Sampalok (Tamarind) Fruits

Unripe fruits of the sampalok or tamarind tree, scientifically known as Tamarindus indica,  are typically used as souring agent for the soup dish sinigang. The fruits are crushed by hand or by mortar-and-pestle, then dropped into the boiling broth. Here is a picture of the sampalok fruits a family friend gave us:

Fishpond in Malabon

The City of Malabon in the National Capital Region is a traditional fishing village, in which an erstwhile navigable river system traversed. This river system is said to have reached the upstream provinces of Bulacan and eastward sites of Metro Manila.

Despite a reclamation project that took many of the local fishpond areas during the 1980s, Malabon maintains its status as a fish-trading hub. Following are pictures taken near a fishpond in one of Malabon's barangays:

The Church of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon

The Church of La Inmaculada Concepcion de Malabon is one of the well-known landmarks of the city of Malabon in Metro Manila. According to a marker (shown at the bottom of this post) installed by the National Historical Institute, the original chapel was built from stone and chalk in 1866. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1880.

The existing church building was constructed in 1886. It served as a congregational place for the Philippine Independent (Aglipayan) Church on November 26, 1902.

Movie Ads: "Buddy en Sol: Praybeyt Depektibs" (1993)

On February 17, 1993, Buddy en Sol: Praybeyt Depektibs, a movie based on the sitcom Buddy en Sol, was shown in theaters. Eric Quizon and Redford White reprised their sitcom roles in this spinoff directed by Boots Plata. The movie also stars Carmina Villarroel, Jacky Forster, Sunshine Cruz, and Karla Estrada. This is a newspaper advertisement for the film:

Puso ng Saging (Banana Heart/Blossom)

Puso ng saging or banana heart/blossom is used as a vegetable in Filipino cuisine. Usually red violet in color, puso ng saging has bracts with fleshy portions. Aside from being an ingredient of kare-kare (ox tripe stew cooked in coconut and peanut sauce), puso ng saging can also be sauteed with sliced squid.

In folklore, a potion that provides special powers to the one who drinks it is said to drip from the tip of the puso ng saging at midnight. One such depiction of this belief can be seen in the 1989 film She-Man: Mistress of the Universe. 

Ques-O Pasteurized Process Cheese Food

Ques-O Pasteurized Process Cheese Food is a product of Makati City-based New Zealand Creamery Inc., which celebrated its fiftieth year with the theme "Enjoy the Good Life."

The box features a character, who wears a sombrero and a green poncho, while holding a cheese sandwich. Inside the box, the product is wrapped in foil.

Top view of the box

Following are pictures of the portiond of the 500-gram-box, advertised "500g pa rin kaya 'di bitin" ("still 500g, so not lacking):

Front view of the box

Rear view of the box

Movie Ads: "Patapon" (1993)

Patapon, an action film starring Ronnie Ricketts opened in theaters on February 17, 1993. Under the direction of Leonardo L. Garcia, this EDL Productions presentation also stars Tony Ferrer, Roi Vinzon, Romy Diaz, Cristina Gonzales, and Mariz. The cast also includes Rez Cortez, Dick Israel, Rey Sagum, and Delia Razon. A newspaper advertisement of this film follows: