ANGELES CITY -- The local government headed by Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan has proclaimed “Sizzling Sisig” as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage” of this highly urbanized city.
The 17th Sangguniang Panlungsod chaired by Vice-Mayor Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno unanimously approved, in its final reading, Ordinance No. 405, Series of 2017, stating “Sisig Babi as an Intangible Heritage of Angeles.”
The ordinance authored by Councilor Amos Rivera contains programs and policies that will safeguard the original recipe and preparation of the pork dish.
“The passing of the ordinance is a great move for us to finally claim, not only by word-of-mouth but on document that ‘Sizzling Sisig’ originated in our city,” said Pamintuan.
The ordinance also cited the significance of Sisig as part of Kapampangan culinary history.
A historical account detailed in the ordinance indicates that the word “sisig” was already part of Kapampangan vocabulary as early as 1732, based on Fray Diego Bergano’s Vocabulario de la Lengua Pampanga.
It is widely believed that it was in Angeles City where Sisig was first served as “pulutan” (beer match), and that it has become an enduring and ever-growing industry in the city.
The ordinance also seeks to promote “Sizzling Sisig” as a tourist attraction and preserve its authentic form and manner of preparation. It also provides for the mounting of an Annual Sisig Festival/Sisig Fiesta in the city every last week of April.
The festival, on the other hand, aims to showcase the unique intangible cultural heritage which shall involve school-based and community-based makers of “Sizzling Sisig.”
In line with this, the Angeles City Tourism Office (ACTO) is planning to vie in this year’s Unesco Creative City for Gastronomy to further the city’s claim of being the culinary center of the region.
Meanwhile, Pamintuan lauded the city council for consistently working on the need to keep the culture and arts alive amidst the city’s growth and modernization.
“This is yet another opportunity for our citizens to preserve and promote our heritage, and that is by safeguarding our cultural practices and traditional culinary arts,” Pamintuan said. (AC-CIO)
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