• From UST Hospital Main Building to Alupay Barangay Hall: From UST Hospital Main Building: Head northeast on Dr Gregorio Singian Dr/Gregorio Singian Dr toward Joaquin Quintos Dr/Quintos Dr. Turn left onto Dapitan St. and turn right onto Gelinos St. Afterward, turn right onto Laong Laan Rd/R-8 then turn right onto Governor Forbes/Lacson Ave/C-2. Keep left to continue on A. Lacson-Mabini Flyover/C-2 and continue straight onto Quirino Ave/C-2. Take the ramp to Alabang/Calamba and merge onto Metro Manila Skyway. Make a slight right to head onto the road with signs for Calamba/SLEX. Merge onto Route 1/R-3 and take the Turbina exit toward Makiling. Merge onto Maharlika Hwy/Pan-Philippine Hwy/Route 1/AH26. Turn left onto Bucal Bypass Rd/Milagrosa-Bucal Bypass Rd then turn right onto Manila S Rd and continue onto National Hwy. Turn right onto Provincial Rd, left towards Calauan-Nagcarlan Rd, and left onto Avenida Rizal/Nagcarlan-Rizal Rd, right after Acci Hardware. Then, turn right onto Gat Tayaw, leave on 9th, continue onto Liliw-Majayjay Road, and turn right onto 9th St/F. E. Gozo St/Majayjay-Lucban Rd and turn left toward A. Racelis Ave/Majayjay-Lucban Rd and turn left at the 1st cross street onto Lucban-Sampaloc Rd/Rizal Ave and continue onto ML Quezon Ave/Sampaloc-Mauban Rd and turn right onto Barangay Alupay.

• Social Practices, Rituals, Festivals, Knowledge and Practices related to the universe and nature

• 28 S. Obnamia St, Corner | Dorneo, San Roque, Sampaloc, Quezon (Sampaloc Public Market)
• Maapon River for fresh shrimp
• Coconut Farm in Barangay Alupay

• Farmers
• Retailers
• Antonio D. Desembrana, catches the shrimp in the Maapon River
• Coconut Farm in Barangay Alupay (specifically from Bok and Teodoro Gallena)
• Felisa and Fourth, owners of Felisa and Fourth Stall in Sampaloc Public Market

Shrimp (Hipong Pasayan) - PhP 300.00 / Kilogram;
Young Coconut (Mura) - PhP 15.00 / Piece;
Garlic - PhP 120.00 / Kilogram;
Brown Sugar - PhP 70.00 / Kilogram;
Cracked Black Pepper - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Iodized Salt - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Monosodium Glutamate (Vetsin) - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Kamamba Leaf - PhP 2.00 / Piece; and
Banana Leaf - PhP 5.00 / Piece

A primary reason Pinais is not an everyday cuisine is the difficulty in procuring the requisite shrimp. Desembrana prefers to procure his shrimp by fishing in the Maapon River; however, during hot weather, he faces significant competition, resulting in minimal catches. In contrast, during rainy conditions, shrimp scarcity in the river compels him to purchase shrimp at the public market, which can be costly.

Another negative factor affecting the people of Sampaloc is the rising inflation rate. Inflation refers to a general increase in the prices of goods and services over time. As a result, sellers of Pinais need to adjust their prices as the cost of their raw ingredients has increased.

Moreover, Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as vetsin, is extensively utilized in Filipino cuisine to augment flavor, although it is associated with several health risks. Certain individuals exhibit symptoms such as headaches, nausea, or chest pain following the ingestion of MSG, a condition referred to as "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" (Bawaskar et al., 2017). Residents such as Antonio favor the usage of vetsin in their meals, as they believe it increases flavor, hence raising health concerns for individuals in Sampaloc.

• 28 S. Obnamia St, Corner | Dorneo, San Roque, Sampaloc, Quezon (Sampaloc Public Market)
• Maapon River for fresh shrimp
• Coconut Farm in Barangay Alupay

• Farmers
• Retailers
• Antonio D. Desembrana, catches the shrimp in the Maapon River
• Coconut Farm in Barangay Alupay (specifically from Bok and Teodoro Gallena)
• Felisa and Fourth, owners of Felisa and Fourth Stall in Sampaloc Public Market

Shrimp (Hipong Pasayan) - PhP 300.00 / Kilogram;
Young Coconut (Mura) - PhP 15.00 / Piece;
Garlic - PhP 120.00 / Kilogram;
Brown Sugar - PhP 70.00 / Kilogram;
Cracked Black Pepper - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Iodized Salt - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Monosodium Glutamate (Vetsin) - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Kamamba Leaf - PhP 2.00 / Piece; and
Banana Leaf - PhP 5.00 / Piece

A primary reason Pinais is not an everyday cuisine is the difficulty in procuring the requisite shrimp. Desembrana prefers to procure his shrimp by fishing in the Maapon River; however, during hot weather, he faces significant competition, resulting in minimal catches. In contrast, during rainy conditions, shrimp scarcity in the river compels him to purchase shrimp at the public market, which can be costly.

• 28 S. Obnamia St, Corner | Dorneo, San Roque, Sampaloc, Quezon (Sampaloc Public Market)
• Maapon River for fresh shrimp
• Coconut Farm in Barangay Alupay

• Farmers
• Retailers
• Antonio D. Desembrana, catches the shrimp in the Maapon River
• Coconut Farm in Barangay Alupay (specifically from Bok and Teodoro Gallena)
• Felisa and Fourth, owners of Felisa and Fourth Stall in Sampaloc Public Market

Shrimp (Hipong Pasayan) - PhP 300.00 / Kilogram;
Young Coconut (Mura) - PhP 15.00 / Piece;
Garlic - PhP 120.00 / Kilogram;
Brown Sugar - PhP 70.00 / Kilogram;
Cracked Black Pepper - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Iodized Salt - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Monosodium Glutamate (Vetsin) - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Kamamba Leaf - PhP 2.00 / Piece; and
Banana Leaf - PhP 5.00 / Piece

Not Applicable

• Stainless steel pot
• Wooden chopping board
• Itak
• Stainless steel spatula
• Stainless steel mixing bowl
• Strawless plastic twine
• Gas stove or Super Kalan
• Shellane

• 28 S. Obnamia St, Corner | Dorneo, San Roque, Sampaloc, Quezon
• Barangay Alupay, Sampaloc Quezon

• Antonio D. Desembrana

The key informant does not recall how much money was spent on the tools and equipment, as it was only passed on to him.

Not Applicable

• Grate the young coconut to get the meat and set aside.
• On a wooden chopping board, crush and peel the garlic.
• Set aside the large shrimp (Hipong Pasayan) for toppings. Meanwhile, chop the smaller shrimp (Hipong Pasayan) and the garlic.
• In a bowl mix the chopped shrimp and garlic with the grated young coconut (mura). Add salt, black pepper, sugar, and vetsin to season. Set aside for 20 minutes for the flavors to develop.
• Prepare the banana leaf by heating it on direct flame; remove it once shiny and cut it into rectangles.
• On the top of the banana leaf, place the Kamamba leaf, and using a 1 cup measuring cup, measure out the young coconut mixture and place it on top of the leaf at the center and shape it like a rectangle.
• After shaping, place the shrimp (Hipong Pasayan) on top and fold in all the sides to form a rectangle.
• Using plastic twine, tie down all the sides of the Pinais and put them inside a large pot with coconut water.
• Place a large pot on the stove on medium heat and cook for 1 hour, then place the lid.

• Alupay Corehousing
• Barangay Alupay, Sampaloc, Quezon

• Antonio D. Desembrana
• Alicia Desembrana

Shrimp (Hipong Pasayan) - PhP 300.00 / Kilogram;
Young Coconut (Mura) - PhP 15.00 / Piece;
Garlic - PhP 120.00 / Kilogram;
Brown Sugar - PhP 70.00 / Kilogram;
Cracked Black Pepper - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Iodized Salt - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Monosodium Glutamate (Vetsin) - PhP 5.00 / Sachet;
Kamamba Leaf - PhP 2.00 / Piece; and
Banana Leaf - PhP 5.00 / Piece

Not Applicable

• Once the Pinais has cooled down it is then placed in a plastic tupperware or wrapped in aluminum foil and can be either placed in the refrigerator or the freezer for a longer shelf-life.
• If there are any excess ingredients, they are placed in a plastic tupperware. If it is dry goods, it is placed at room temperature, and for the shrimp, it is placed in the freezer.

• Alupay Corehousing
• Barangay Alupay, Sampaloc, Quezon
• Krizzy Tupperware at Sampaloc Public Market

• Antonio D. Desembrana
• Alicia Desembrana
• Nancy Dayo the owner of Krizzy Plasticware in Sampaloc Public Market

Plastic Tupperware - Php 65.00 / 10 pieces

Not Applicable

• Home pick-up service
• Occasional Food Stalls

• Alupay Corehousing
• Barangay Alupay, Sampaloc, Quezon

• Antonio D. Desembrana
• Alicia Desembrana

Plastic Tupperware - Php 65.00 / 10 pieces

The price of Pinais that Antonio Desembrana sells is priced at Php 50.00 if the customer is going to pick up their order. However, when he goes to the town proper during special occasions he prices the Pinais at Php 60.00 each due to the transportation fee.

A challenge faced by Antonio Desembrana is the demand for rushed orders. Sometimes customers request their Pinais to be prepared quickly, but this is not feasible since Antonio Desembrana personally catches the shrimp, a process that is time-consuming and cannot be hurried. Because the price is only Php 50.00, if purchased from elsewhere the prices would significantly increase. Consequently, rush orders cannot be accepted, and a lead time is required to ensure that the Pinais is prepared to high standards.

• For Selling: Pre-orders of the product can be through Facebook posts, calls, and text.
• For Selling: The product can only be picked up as delivery is not available.
• In Home: Pinais is usually served on a large serving plate at their homes.

• Alupay Corehousing
• Barangay Alupay, Sampaloc Quezon

• Antonio D. Desembrana
• Alicia Desembrana
• Customers

The price for Pinais that Antonio Desembrana sells is priced at Php 50.00 if the customer is going to pick up their order. However, when he goes to the town proper during special occasions he prices the Pinais at Php 60.00 each due to the transportation fee.

Not Applicable