Every time I am in Davao City, I make it a point to visit Bankerohan. Nestled among its busy market stalls is a row of karenderias serving one of Mindanao’s most beloved dishes, balbacua.
For those unfamiliar with it, balbacua is a slow-cooked delicacy made from cow skin, tendons and connective tissues simmered for hours until they become tender, rich and wonderfully gelatinous. The Davao version is especially memorable: steaming hot, generously colored with atsuete and gloriously sticky. It may not be the prettiest dish on the table, but it keeps people coming back.
Back home in Cebu, my favorite balbacua remains the one in Guizo, Mandaue. It may not be as thick or as slimy as its Davao counterpart, but it is every bit as satisfying.
While enjoying a bowl recently, I could not help but think of the political pot currently simmering in the Philippine Senate. Reports of maneuvering, alliances and negotiations surrounding the Senate presidency involving Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Win Gatchalian have turned the chamber into a giant pot of balbacua.
The public sees the atsuete, the colorful statements, public appearances and carefully crafted messages. But underneath is a broth of political calculations that has been cooking long before the public caught its aroma.
Like balbacua, everyone in the Senate appears connected. One alliance stretches to another, one commitment attaches to the next. Today’s ally may become tomorrow’s rival, while yesterday’s rival suddenly discovers a shared love for unity and stability.
And then there is the stickiness.
A good balbacua clings stubbornly to your spoon. Political loyalties can be just as sticky, at least until a better offer, a stronger coalition, or a more attractive political future comes along.
The contest for the Senate presidency is not merely about who gets the title. It is about who gets to stir the pot, decide the menu and serve the portions. As always, the public watches from the table, hoping that whatever emerges from the kitchen is worth paying for.
Until then, the pot continues to simmer.
At least balbacua has the decency to tell you what makes it sticky. Politics never does. The first leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth. The second usually leaves a question in your mind and a bill in your pocket.
