Someone brought pastil one morning, now, it's a shared comfort
Written by Khylle Jerald Grande
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A typical Roquenian morning usually begins with three things: first, students enter the gate and tap their ID cards into the time attendance machines as they make their way to their respective classrooms; second, they enter their rooms, place their bags near their desks, and talk to their friends; lastly, their homeroom adviser enters the room, often a sign that it is merely minutes away from the daily flag-raising ceremony. Well, that sounds like a typical scenario, right?
Yes, it is. However, such is not the case in one of the rooms located on the second floor of the campus. Positioned just a little to the left behind where the old flagpole was located, the room of St. Hildegard of Bingen has a rather interesting morning routine. So, what makes the morning routine of these graduating STEM students interesting? The answer is pastil.
Pastil? How?
Before I tell you the story of how this rather simple dish became such an icon not only for the St.Hildegard students, but also in the nearby classrooms, let us have a short history lesson on what pastil even is.
According to the food blog theodehlicious, pastil is a traditional Filipino dish originating from the Maguindanao people in Mindanao, known for its steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves and topped with shredded beef, chicken, or fish. This dish has strong Muslim roots and is a popular breakfast or snack among Muslim Filipinos due to its halal preparation methods. Pastil gained popularity for its affordability and flavorful combination of spices, which often include soy sauce and turmeric. Unlike chicken adobo, however, which typically involves vinegar and whole meat pieces cooked in a stew-like manner, pastil uses shredded meat sautéed without vinegar but with similar savory flavors like soy sauce.
Now, if you’d ask the students of St. Hildegard, they’d most likely tell you this—pastil is the meal being sold by one of their classmates, Ms. Judy—and, yes, they’re right. The only reason why pastil came to be known by the students is because one student brought it as her meal one unassuming morning. People liked how the dish tasted, as it comes in two varieties: regular and spicy flavor. Let me be clear, however, that the student who first brought it to school only takes the orders of her fellow classmates, for which she visits the actual stall that prepares the pastil. Due to the popular demand, it has come to a point that an eco-bag containing pastil is regularly seen being brought early in the morning.
I mean, who wouldn’t want a pastil meal? It’s hearty, it’s simple, yet it’s flavorful. Pastil has become the meal that the students eat early in the morning. For some, it’s their first actual meal of the day, while for others, their first rice meal of the day. Pastil has also been the students’ go-to meal on multiple occasions, ranging from the hectic days of proposal defenses to simply regular schooldays.
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Pastil, if you’d ask me, has brought the section closer. I always see my fellow classmates sitting together, talking as they enjoy a meal together. I’ve seen my classmates eat it as they prepare for the busy day ahead. The aroma of warm rice and spiced chicken strips filled the air, a silent promise of comfort and shared moments. In that simple meal, a bond was forged, a quiet understanding that transcended the pressures of academic responsibilities.
It was a taste of home, of community, of the simple joys that make school life memorable. In the shared warmth of the pastil, they found a connection that would linger long after the last morsel was savored.
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