This blog began as a humble food blog. My personal attempt to archive the forgotten flavors of Cavite City and the plan to transcend it to the entire Cavite province. But I got stuck with Cavite City content and as I dug deeper into my city’s culinary roots, I found myself drawn to something far greater: our heritage. Thanks to Sir Ige Ramos. And nestled within that heritage was a language so familiar - Chabacano Caviteño - the very language I grew up speaking at home since I was a baby.
Only a few years ago, while going through old
family photos, I discovered that my grandfather a well-known shop teacher at
San Roque Elementary School was once part of an elite group of Caviteños
advocating for the preservation of Chabacano called Círculo Chabacano Caviteño.
Knowing him, it made sense. He was articulate, intelligent, and deeply
community-minded. But oddly, he never once talked about this part of his life
at home.
When I began posting in Chabacano facts on the
blog’s Facebook page out of frustration of the closure of the city library, parents occasionally reach out for translation help. One
message stuck with me: a mother said her child's lolo a native Chabacano speaker couldn't understand the
Chabacano poem the child had to study and recite, when I check it was in Chavacano de Zamboanga! It is what is being
taught in one of the city school. That moment echoed the same frustration I
felt more than a decade ago when I couldn’t find a single online resource about
Cavite City’s Chabacano cuisine. That very frustration was what gave birth to
this blog in the first place. So it also planted a dream which is to create
even just one Chabacano children’s book.
Just something basic for our kids because upon my research there is none. A
single book for the young students to help them learn even just a few words in the language that
defines our identity.
In 2022, I met for the first time Ms. Che Enriquez during an event at
the Pangilinan ancestral house. Since heritage was of course one of our topic,
and in passing, I mentioned my dream of a Chabacano book. When I got home, I
messaged her and offered her the idea. I even said she could put her name on
it. I didn’t care about credit; I just wanted the book to happen. Before the
elections that year, I looked into the fb pages of every candidate who ran for
councilor and among them, she was the only one I saw who had a genuine, albeit
scattered, passion for heritage. I posted in one of her campaign post, people
should vote her which was the first time I did for any city candidate. I didn’t
attend any campaign events. I wasn’t into politics and don't know her personally. I only knew she studied at
St. Joseph, like me.
So why her despite she did not win the elections? There was something in her aura - sincerity, goodness, and a heart that I trusted that very first time I saw and observe her. Add I know she had the machinery and the mind for it. Her response then was lukewarm, so I let the idea go and totally had forgotten it and her.
Almost two years later Lutong Cavite started some Chabacano documentation and out of the blue, she messaged me. She wanted to do the book. I was surprised, but I said yes. I wrote “Lutong Cavite” as the author, thinking this was a one-time collaboration then we part ways. But that single book turned out to be the key to opening so many doors.
I still vividly remember when she handed me the very first printed copy of El Chabacano Caviteño Diccionario Visual in the parking lot of Lago. The second time we met, stepping out of a Ford Fortuner, handing the book like a boss then instructing me to check it for corrections, and driving off just as quickly. I told myself, “Hala, parang mayora lang...”
Little did I know, she was carrying a much bigger dream and that quick exchange would be the start of something bigger. What I thought would be a one-time collaboration turned into a movement. From that moment, she never stopped. And because of that, neither have we.
Now, just over a year later, here we are with Circle of Chabacano Dreams, an NGO with heart, vision, and purpose. We just signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Agreement with DepEd and the Cavite City LGU last June 5, 2025.
Our dream is no longer just a book. We now are into polishing the pipeline of programs and projects aimed at revitalizing our city's beloved heritage language.
And to date, we are proud to share that we’ve gathered and produced multiple dozens of Chabacano Caviteño learning and cultural materials. These materials are the result of months of research, collaboration with various individuals, and genuine passion for our language and heritage. In the coming weeks, they will be made available for sale as part of our fundraising efforts to support our ongoing and future projects.
This is just the beginning. More materials are already in development each one to spark curiosity, encourage learning, and preserve the beauty of Chabacano for city generations to come.
Chabacano Caviteño is part of Cavite City's intangible cultural heritage - a treasure worth preserving. Our NGO believes that with what's left, we can still revitalize and preserve portions of it. We dream of giving future generations something they can carry not just in classrooms, but under their skins - in their hearts - because this language is part of who we are.
And of course, a heartfelt thank you to Ms. Camille Icasiano-Sastrillo. This journey would not have taken shape without her enormous strength, pivotal role and support. Simply put, Enriquez and Ballesteros/Herrera could not have made this work without the behind-the-scenes guidance and belief in the cause of an Icasiano.
We don’t know exactly where this journey will lead. But one thing is certain with love for our heritage and the right people by our side, we’re looking ahead with hope, purpose, and hearts full of Chabacano dreams. ✨
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