ARK AVILON 2009

Ark Avilon

AVILON had its un seeming beginnings when Mr. Jake Gaw, an avid animal hobbyist who,at the age of four had his first encounter with animals while staying at his grandpa’s farm in Sta. Ana,Manila (still quite rural then) mingled among goats, cows, pigs and chickens at the farm. This initial encounter would make such a lasting impression on young Jake that he carried his interest in animals from then on. Thus, from guppies and budgies, Jake over the years extended and expanded his interest and collection to arapaimas and eagles and lions and macaques, pythons,etc.

Mr. Jake Gaw – owner of Avilon zoo

There are two, so to say, crossroads in the history of AVILON. The FIRST was when Jake had to transfer his pet lion to a new home, because his neighbors were concerned about the presence of a full-grown male lion living amongst them inside a subdivision. This search for a new home to house IO led Jake to the scenic countryside of San Isidro, Montalban (later to be called Rodriguez) in the Province of Rizal where he decided to build a weekend place for his family and, of course,home to his other pets. It was 1992.

By 1994, the land within AVILON had been leveled and the concrete hollow block perimeter walls finished. Several man-made lagoons and ponds were then excavated, and the Big Lagoon where the Pavilion now stands is the largest, comprising an area of 3,000 square meters. Construction of animal exhibits followed, starting off with the Corrals where hoofed animals are being kept, the Multi-Purpose Building (now the Herpetarium) and the Hexagonal Birdcages (now the Avian Exhibit), followed by the Crocodiles and the Hornbills enclosures,and many more.

Avilon had also a big collection of exotic palms, orchids, bromeliads and trees aside from the animals from all over the country and the world.

PROPERTY DEVELOPER Ortigas & Co. Ltd. Partnership has added a zoo as one of the newest attractions in its children’s corridor in Frontera Verde, Pasig.

Ortigas Chief Operating Officer Rex C. Drilon II said “The zoo is meant to add to the wholesome family oriented experience Frontera Verde was built to offer.”

Mr. Drilon said the P24 million, two-storey ark-shaped structure sits on a 2,000-square-meter lot, which is home to over a dozen of animal species.

“The idea of the ark/mini zoo was born here,” in an interview, Zoo Administrator Jake Gaw said.

giant gourami

“The Ortigases were trying to come up with innovative developments for Frontera [Verde]. The original idea was to have a mini zoo and since I had Avilon Zoo in Montalban, I said, ’why not build an ark?,’” he added.

Mr. Gaw said that the Noah’s Ark-inspired structure was born out of a collaboration with Ortigas Technical Planning Manager Art Alcantara.

Avilon Zoo contact information:
Ms. Teena Gaw at 0917-8311224 or call 9418393 and 9489866
Bo. San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal
Tel. Nos.: (632) 941-8393 * (632) 948-9866 (63917) 899-5126
Fax: (632) 941-8530
Entrance Fee: Php208.00 or $5.00/person

Ark Avilon
Weekdays 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Weekends & Holidays 10:00 am to 7:30pm

Frontera Verde Ortigas Avenue Corner C5, Pasig City
Telephone Nos. (+632) 706-2992/ 706-2993

(oct 13,2009)

BUNGA CHINA UBOD RECIPE 2009

Adonidia merrillii

Adonidia merrillii or Veitchia merrillii –this palm was named to honor Mr. James Veitch a British nurseryman (1792 -1863) .Common names: Bunga China , Bunga de Jolo, Christmas palm, Manila palm

Manila palm is a small, fast growing; palm not taller than 25′ and often much smaller.

It resembles a dwarf royal palm.This is a straight trunked palm with indistinct rings.

Adonidia has clusters of bright red, drupe-like fruits and inconspicuous unisexual, white – yellow flowers.

By late September the green fruits are beginning to ripen and by late November they are bright red!The fruits are 1¼” in diameter while the seeds are ½” and borne below the crown shaft. The leaf is feather – shaped and the leaflets are trusted in on it.

Bunga China Ubod  Recipe courtesy by Mr. Nonito Dolera

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 piece garlic clove, crushed
• 2 piece onion, thinly sliced
• 4 oz/100 g parboiled lean pork, diced
• 2 oz/50 g ham, shredded ( shredded bacon bits/ chicken breast optional )
• 4 tbsp. peeled chopped prawn
• 2 oz/50 g cooked chickpeas
• 8 oz/200 g ubod (manila palm hearts), shredded thinly sliced.
• 6 oz/150 g French beans, shelled
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 12 oz/250 g cabbage, shredded
• sprigs onions
• salt and pepper
• 12 crisp lettuce leaves
• 12 lumpia wrappers

Lumpiang Bunga china ubod sauce

• ¼ pint (or more) chicken stock
• 2 oz/50 grams brown sugar or muscovado sugar 
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch / corn flour
• 3 tbsp. cold water
• 2-3 tsp. finely minced garlic
• crushed peanuts

Lumpia Wrapper:

• 2 to 3 eggs
• 3 oz/75 g cornflour
• ½ pint/250 ml water
• vegetable oil

How to cook the ingredients:

Filling:

• Heat the oil and lightly fry the onion and garlic until soft.
• Add the pork and ham, cook, stirring for a few minutes.
• Add prawns and chickpeas and cook a little longer.
• Stir in the ubod, beans, carrot and cabbage.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and simmer until the vegetables are just tender. Drain and cool.
• Wrap a portion of the filling and a sprigs onion in a lettuce leaf and then in a pancake.
• Serve with Lumpiang ubod sauce.

Lumpia Wrapper:

• Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until very stiff. Fold into the lightly beaten yolks.
• Blend the cornstarch with water, adding the water gradually to ensure smoothness.
• Stir thoroughly into the egg. Lightly brush the frying pan with oil and heat.
• Using 2 tbsp. of lumpia batter at a time, fry very thin pancakes.
• Tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly, do not turn and do not allow the pancakes to color.

Sauce:

• Bring the stock to the boil with the sugar, soy sauce and salt.
• Blend the cornstarch with the cold water and stir it into the stock.
• Simmer, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
• Sprinkle the minced garlic and chopped peanuts on the top.
• Add sesame seeds ( optional)

(oct 28,2009)