Panauhing Pandangal (Guest of Honor)
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Lapu Lapu is a usual centerpiece of banquets and the hosts intend to have that attraction
last until the end of the day. More or less, if you're not the guest of honor you are likely not
welcome to take a piece.
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One of the most abala moments of employees' lives is when they're going to have visitors in the office. I learned about that way back as a child. My mother used to be ngarag on those times. One of the last times she did was when my father told her to prepare a banquet for Ms. Cynthia Villar around the time Sen. Manny Villar was planning to run for President on his first try. They were roaming around the province and my father was supposedly few of the people that the entourage was going to meet.
I remember that we were already at hard times then but had prawn and crabs as prepared meals for them.
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Oftentimes, that is one of the things I imagine to experience once I get to realize my dream to become a successful person - maging panauhing pandangal, as they say. My wife used to be a boss in her office. We get special treatment on fiestas of her subordinates. I sort of figured out that there are dishes served to us which kept from other ordinary visitors.
I am still an ordinary government employee but in some ways there are instance that I do get special treatment. I do fieldwork in some government offices and being offered to have coffee never fails to excite me. Just the offer. I have the conscious effort to decline. I was properly briefed by my mentors. Arriving at your itineraries at lunch time is such an awkward situation. Avoid doing that. I hope people take it positively that I am notorious in turning down offers to have lunch.
***
Fast forward to present. I'm amazed how the team in our office works every time we have visitors. In my early years in the office I don't take part in those instances. It was only last month that I got so involved. I must have been their apprentice. For few reasons, I was tasked to arrange for the preparation of food for the visitors from the Central Office. I was in charge not only to transact with the caterer but I also had a say on choosing the dishes. There were few instructions.
1. The guests are from Manila and we are in Bataan, they are likely to expect seafood in the menu.
2. Make sure to have pork, chicken, fish and vegetable so that if some of the guests do not eat one of them, they still have other options.
3. The guests are our bosses. The objective is not only to satisfy them but also (sorry for the term) to impress them. Lapu-lapu is usually a banquet's centerpiece - make sure to have that as part of the objective to impress.
4. Lastly, expense is the last concern because aside from the food, we have to accomplish what would be required of us from their official business.
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| Tortang alimasag. |
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| We ran out of idea for chicken. We settled for the basic - fried chicken. |
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We ran out time for the preparation of a desert. We also fear that the caterer
would if we ordered a salad. Banana is healthy. Last minute request from the
caterer was mixed-fresh fruit which is not in photo.
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| headshot for the torta. |
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Shrimps which is the basic hipong puti. Not prawn. It has white-soft meat
unlike prawns which have thicker texture of meat.
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We did not hear much response about the food from our guests. They must have been used to being treated specially or they were just so focused on the purpose of the visit. What I am definite about was that we enjoyed also the food - even the day after. Sobrang dami kong nainum na sago hanggang kinabukasan.
Going back to my first story, Mrs. Villar did rounds in Bataan that scheduled date but the meeting with my dad never happened. I don't not know where have the prawn and crabs gone.
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