Native Delicacy Generates Income for Catmonanons

Budbod kabog, a sumptuous delicacy, not only made Catmon, Cebu popular, it boosted the town’s tourism and contributed as the source of income among its residents.

Many tourists, local and foreigners, would flock to Catmon Native Chicken to buy this fine native delicacy, which contains millet, sugar and coconut milk and wrapped with banana leaves.

Felipa Menchavez, one of the budbod kabog makers in Catmon, shared how her family sustained their business in the past 20 years.

“Dugay na kaayo ko naghimo aning budbod kabog, bata pa ako mga anak. Daghan ko ug customers basta magfiesta o di gani kanang balikbayan mobalik na og abroad (It has been a long time that I have been making this delicacy, from the time when my children were still young. I have lot of costumers during fiesta, including balikbayans who will buy budbod kabog as pasalubong on their way back abroad),” she said.

She said that by making budbod kabog, she was able to send her children in school and build her house through the business.

Menchavez sells budbog kabog for 100 pieces at the price of P800. She also accepts bulk orders.

Back then, she started the business with a small capital and earned a little since her customers were just neighbors. She recalled her first market for the delicacy in Naghalin Bridge in Catmon where many of her customers are cockfighting aficionados.

Eventually, through perseverance, she became a successful entrepreneur in the field of food processing in the town.

Meanwhile, Maynard Concha, Catmon assistant tourism officer, said that budbod kabog was discovered by a native from a mountain barangay in Catmon.

The millet grass (kabog plant) scattered inside the cave of the mountainous barangay of Agsuwao. The grass was food for bats that populated the cave and through Catmonanon ingenuity, the residents transformed ordinary grass into a tasty treat.

Today, the town celebrates the Budbud Kabog Festival in the annual fiesta every February 10, showcasing the livelihood of Catmonanons.

Catmon is part of the Farmer-Scientist Training Program of the Cebu Provincial Government, which is included under the food security and agriculture priority of Gov. Hilario Davide III.

www.cebu.gov.ph