GGQ Q2 2014

G GQ GENERAL SANTOS CITY’S MAGAZINE TAKES ON GENSAN AND THE GLOBAL SCENE!

GENSAN GAZER QUARTERLY APRIL-JUNE 2014

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO SINGAPORE

WHY CAN’T I READ? STORIES FROM COMMUNITY TEACH LIFE COMMENCEMENTS THAI TREASURES II DISCONNECT IN A CONNECTED WORLD GENSAN NEWSPICS TAKE A HIKE | TOXIC TECH

ENDLESS SUMMER SERIES AVICII | BECK | MOGWAI A DIFFERENT KIND OF HOLLYWOOD MORE INSIDE

Photo by Apple Greatson

From the Editor...

ust when we thought 2014 couldn’t get any better or worse, we are happy at GGQ to announce that the print version of the magazine comes your way at least one more time this year after this issue.

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Photo by Gimma Samalca

We’ve been toying with going exclusively online for a while now -- as a matter of fact we had a taste of the eZine-only installment in the January-March 2014 issue for starters -- but we’re putting that complete shift on hold altogether until after the third quarter.

What’s Inside...

G GQ GENSAN GAZER QUARTERLY APRIL-JUNE 2014

WHY CAN’T I READ? STORIES FROM COMMUNITY TEACH LIFE COMMENCEMENTS THAI TREASURES II DISCONNECT IN A CONNECTED WORLD GENSAN NEWSPICS TAKE A HIKE | TOXIC TECH

ENDLESS SUMMER SERIES AVICII | BECK | MOGWAI A DIFFERENT KIND OF HOLLYWOOD MORE INSIDE

Photo by Apple Greatson

Proud member of the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Incorporated

Travel-wise we visit Hollywood in Florida and Bangkok in Thailand, and say goodbye to Singapore, where the idea of GGQ was born.

Life Commencements also figure prominently inside and on our cover (photographed by Apple Greatson), which features the faces and smiles of three Gensan graduates -- radiating the joy of life’s milestones, the promise of new beginnings, and the hope of a bright future for Gensan’s youth.

Quarter three, of course, is when GGQ comes off the press literally back to back with the

Armando Nicolas P J Editor-in-Chief

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Eclectic Vibe: True (Avicii by Avicii), Rave Tapes (Mogwai), Morning Phase (Beck)

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Reader’s Rush: Leaving the Sea: Stories (Marcus); Boy, Snow, Bird (Oyeyemi)

About the Cover: Life Commencements

6-7, NewsPics Gensan: 12, 14 Local Goings-on 8

Travel Tales & Trivia: A Different Kind of Hollywood

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Health & Fitness: Take a Hike! No, Really

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Travel Tales & Trivia: Thai Treasures Part Two

Gensan Gazer™ Quarterly (GGQ) Magazine is published by Armanikolas Publishing ®™ and printed in General Santos City, Philippines.

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO SINGAPORE

In the meantime, our glossy centerfold here doubles as a special supplement dedicated to the personalities and places we’ve come across in what could only be billed as GGQ’s unofficial 2013-2014 U.S. tour.

local goings-on and global happenings.

Elsewhere we feature some eye candy in our Endless Summer swimsuit and retail therapy series, as well as our regular sections on health and fitness, music and book pickings, environment, and choice snippets of

17-20 Centerfold supplement for GGQ fans & friends

GENERAL SANTOS CITY’S MAGAZINE TAKES ON GENSAN AND THE GLOBAL SCENE!

2014 Mindanao Business Conference magazine, tentatively named The ASEAN Entrepreneur.

This joint publication project is in cooperation with the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Sarangani Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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The Learned Discourse: Why Can’t I Read? Stories from Community Teach

26, 28 Endless Summer: Swimsuit Pictorial

GGQ Q2 - APR-JUN 2014 GGQ shall not, without the consent of the Publisher, be given, lent, resold, used as textbook, hired out or otherwise disposed of; or affixed to any part of any publication or advertising material in any way whatsoever. While all reasonable care is taken for contributed material, no responsibility will be assumed for its return or for corrections.

Opinions expressed or implied are solely those of the authors, and are not necessarily endorsed by the Publisher. Advertisers and/or their

Mabuhay Gensan! Best of luck to one and all!

Retail Therapy: Summer Wear for Him and Her

32-33 Photo Spread: Saying Good-bye to Singapore 34

The Modern Dilemma: Toxic Tech

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Coordinated Chaos: Disconnect in a Connected World

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Glimpse of Greatson: Post-Apocalyptic Archer

representatives shall indemnify the Publisher in relation to any defamation, breach, royalties, intellectual property infringements, unfair trade practices, or privacy rights violations in their ad material. All contributions must be submitted to gensangazer@gmail.com and are subject to editorial review for possible inclusion in GGQ Magazine.

Armanikolas Publishing ®™ B34-L7 Doña Soledad II A, Espina Gen. Santos City 9500 Philippines Phone : +63-83-8269221 Phone : +63-83-5547055 Website : www.gensangazer.com Website : www.visitfilipinas.com

ALL CONTENT SUBMITTED

BY FREELANCE WRITERS AND/OR PHOTOGRAPHERS FROM GENERAL SANTOS AND ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD, AS WELL AS ADS/ CONTENT REUSED GRATIS ARE PUBLISHED SOLELY FOR THEIR MERIT AND BOTH PARTIES’ MUTUAL EXPOSURE AND BENEFIT. THE AUTHORS EXERCISE FULL OWNERSHIP OVER THEIR WORKS, AND ARE NOT EMPLOYED BY GGQ.

GGQ • Q2 2014

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ABOUT THE COVER uuu

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uring the last days of senior year we tend to focus on the completion of a phase or hurdle, when things are supposed to have come to a stop, and we all say, content with ourselves, “It is finished.”

Perhaps this is the reason why a word that means the time when something begins is used to name that day when we celebrate the school year’s close -- to remind us that beyond leaving and saying good-bye

Life

Commencements

Photos by Apple Greatson Text by Armando Nicolas PJ

com·mence·ment (noun) : the time when something begins : a ceremony during which degrees or diplomas are given to students who have graduated from a school or college. and closing the door, a new chapter simply begins.

Life commencements should be seen that way -- when supposedly that which we pursue is achieved and what we strive for is finally attained, the road simply does not end there.

The journey, in fact, has just begun.

For grade school finishers, there is high school. For university graduates, there is higher learning, or a foray into the real world of career or busi2

GGQ • Q2 2014

VisitFilipinas.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ARMANDO NICOLAS PJ

ness. For accomplished professionals, there is a new endeavor or field or industry, perhaps a new stint overseas.

Joelle

For every end comes a new beginning. For every door that closes, a new one opens.

For every fork on the road, a new direction is set in place, a new horizon beckons in the distance.

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ife’s challenges and opportunities should be seen that way -- our early toils and trials prepare us for what follows next, enriching us with the experience and knowledge to help us make wise decisions, to stand out and rise to the occasion, and to continually better ourselves.

Our models/graduates: Aica, Jainah, and Joelle. Photogaphy by Apple Greatson (AppleGreatson.com). Hair and makeup by Gerald Weng. v

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GGQ • Q2 2014

Jainah

Aica

Have you registered yet?

1-3 September 2014 General Santos City Jointly presented by the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. and the Sarangani Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.

Contact us now at: GLEX Business Center, Level 2, The ICE Hotel, Ambassador Provido Village, City Heights, General Santos City, 9500 PHILIPPINES

Phone +63 83 554 4539 Fax +63 83 826 9026 Cell +63 947 145 4283 E-mail secretariat (at) mbc-asean (dot) com

NEWSPICS GENSAN uuu

Mayor Rivera launches Modelo Project and Brigada Eskwela General Santos City (22 May 2014) – General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera spearheaded the launching of the Modelo Project and Brigada Eskwela 2014 on May 21 at Veranza Mall. With representtatives from the Department of Education (DepEd), different barangays, and the private sector, Mayor Rivera pointed out that in the assembly that he wanted “to invest in education,” giving priority to how to best address the issues

and concerns regarding the educational system of the city.

Through the Modelo Project,

the mayor is hopeful that, with the help of the community, every child in the city has

access to a quality learning environment. (GENSAN CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

Pledge of commitment for Modelo Project and Brigada Eskwela signed General Santos City (22 May 2014) - General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera and

DepEd GenSan Superintendent Gildo Mosqueda led the signing of the pledge of commitment to support the launch of Modelo Project and Brigada Eskwela 2014 on May 21. Modelo Project is an initiative of Mayor Rivera to fully engage the participation of the community in rearing a holistic and conducive learning environment for the children of the city. (GENSAN CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

As of now, the program has already donated more than 4,000 chairs to different public

schools in the city since October 2013. (GENSAN CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

Elementary school receives 100 armchairs from Mayor Rivera, RD Foundation General Santos City (22 May 2014) - General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, together with the RD Foundation, delivered 100 armchairs to Bia-o Elementary School in Barangay San Jose on May 22. The armchair donation is a part of the educational initiative Edukasyon Mo, Kabuhayan Ko of Mayor Rivera in partnership with RD Foundation to supplement the shortage of school armchairs in the city.

The armchairs were made 6

GGQ • Q2 2014

by persons with disabilities (PWDs) purposely to give them a source of livelihood.

Community Teach project tutors, parents feed pupils in school

General Santos City (22 May 2014) – General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera joined pupils during their group lunch on May 15 at Bula Elementary School. The pupils are beneficiaries of the Community Teach project of the mayor, wherein pupils are given free breakfast and lunch

Gensan district hospital opens OB/GYN ward

during its ceremonial opening on May 28. Mayor Rivera was pleased to see that the ward was newly equipped with 36 beds and modern OB/GYN facilities. In total, the hospital’s OB/GYN ward now has 63 beds. With this new addition, the mayor is hopeful that the hospital’s congestion problem will be addressed and the quality of services will be greatly improved. (GENSAN CPIO/Allan Jay Resane)

General Santos City (31 May 2014) – General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera and Chief of Hospital Benjamin Pagarigan check the new OB/ GYN ward of the General Santos City District Hospital

for the 15-day duration of their remedial reading classes.

The class’ commencement exercises was held on May 26 during the City Hall flag raising ceremony. Afterwards, the children were toured around SM City General Santos and were treated to a sumptuous lunch by the mayor. The

Community Teach project continues every Saturday during the school year in the same schools with the same students. The project is conducted in partnership with the Department of Education - Gensan and Smart Communications. (GENSAN CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

GGQ • Q2 2014

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TRAVEL TALES & TRIVIA uuu

A Different Kind of Hollywood Not the district in L.A., the second most populous urban center in the United States -- the City of Hollywood in Florida, is an all-time laidback beach paradise.

Text and photos by Mandi Nicolas P J

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GGQ • Q2 2014

arm enough sans big sister Miami’s notoriety, Hollywood is the calmer, less stressful version of beach life in South Florida. Nestled between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, this classic beachtown was founded in 1925, and grew rapidly in the 50s and 60s. Hollywood Beach features an oceanfront promenade called the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk -- named one of America’s best beach boardwalks by Travel + Leisure magazine -- which stretches nearly two and a half miles along the Atlantic. Downtown Hollywood is a dining mecca and home to unique boutiques, art galleries, art deco hotels, hip nightclubs, and cultural hot spots. ArtsPark at Young Circle is a 10-acre interactive park featuring a children’s play area, promenade for jogging or strolling, interactive fountain, and site for art and culture activities. There are free tram rides on weekends, but the city is simply best enjoyed on foot. v

a touch of new York glamour. a twist of Gensan colors. a taste of international flavors.

.. Only at C Bistro Bar & restaurant

Now opeN at the Microtel arcade, Valley high, NatioNal highway, geNeral SaNtoS city | tel. No. +63-83-552-3780

FITNESS AND HEALTH uuu

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or the first decade that I suffered from severe and almost daily migraines, I didn’t consider them a gift. Yet, in a way — a very painful one — they are.

My headaches began setting me apart from the rest of society at the age of 15. Back in 1996, my brother got a Nintendo 64. Eager to try it out, I begged him to give me a turn. But it was unmistakable — watching the screen gave me headaches.

Take a Hike!

No, Really

by Jill Richardson

Nature is the best drug out there.

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GGQ • Q2 2014

Everyone who gets migraines has a different “trigger” — a food, a smell, lack of sleep.

My triggers are all visual and luminescent: looking at fluorescent lights, TV, and movies.

That keeps me out of gyms, some stores and restaurants, and even some jobs.

In 2006, after trying 20 medications with limited success, my doctor gave me the prescription I’d needed all along.

“Unless you exercise outdoors for 30 minutes a day, there is no pill I can give you that will help.”

At first my 30 minutes of daily exercise consisted of brisk walks in my neighborhood, but I can’t say I enjoyed them.

Then I discovered hiking.

Growing up in the Midwest, I wasn’t an outdoorsy kid. I was like many Americans: I sat on the couch. I watched TV. I read books. I played board games. Going outside meant getting dirty, or

sweaty, or hot, or cold, or bit by mosquitoes. Maybe other people liked that, but not me.

Hiking where I live now, Southern California, is a different story. The weather is perfect and there aren’t any mosquitoes. It’s like a gateway drug to loving nature. And truly, nature is the best drug out there.

Studies now show that spending time in nature — with or without exercise — provides cognitive and psychological benefits. Even looking out the window at trees can help.

Apparently, after forcing yourself to pay attention to things you must focus on (work, instructions from doctors, income tax forms), you become mentally fatigued.

Sleep provides some relief, but not enough. Nature, it turns out, provides your brain the restoration it requires to get back to concentrating on that important stuff again.

Another study found that spending just 20 minutes in nature reduced stress — and stress is a major risk factor in many diseases since it suppresses your immune system.

But science is telling us what people who love the outdoors intuitively know. I often refer to “my mountain” (where I hike almost daily) as my gym, my church, my social scene, and my classroom. And wildflower season is “my Christmas.”

For some people, turning off the TV and getting outside requires willpower. Not for me.

If I watched a Breaking Bad marathon instead of hiking, I’d pay for it with a crippling migraine.

By forcing me to get outside, my migraines gave me the impetus needed to figure out how to get outside in ways that make me happy. It’s a matter of trial and error, finding the right gear, activities, and companions to meet your needs, and learning how to deal with nature even though you utterly cannot control it.

Years ago, I would have been terrified to meet a rattlesnake on a trail. Now, I whip out my camera when I see one.

Most people don’t have migraines or doctors wise enough to prescribe nature as medicine. As much as I love my mountain, I had to be forced to go find it. Without debilitating headaches, I would have stayed indoors on the couch.

My migraines are only a more pronounced warning sign of a truth everyone must accept: We all need to get outdoors to stay healthy. For our bodies, yes, but also for our minds and our spirits.

Your soul is hungry for nature. Go feed it!

OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is the author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food System Is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It. OtherWords.org. v

NEWSPICS GENSAN uuu

Gensan is still Tuna Capital of the Philippines General Santos City (26 April 2014) – The Gensan fishport teemed with fresh tuna as General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera declared that General Santos is still the Tuna Capital of the Philippines. This was in reaction to a World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) report that Occidental Mindoro is the Philippines’ emerging tuna capital because of the region’s significant increase in tuna catch for the past years. In 2011 and 2012, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and WWF reported that Occidental Mindoro had an average of 600,000 kilos of tuna delivered throughout the Philippines

and outside the country. Mayor Rivera quickly debunked the assertions, saying that “there are a lot of factors to be considered before a place can be hailed as the tuna capital.

First biodiesel plant in General Santos starts operations General Santos City (22 May 2014) – General Santos City’s first biodiesel plant, 12

GGQ • Q2 2014

This would include the number of canneries and fishing industries present and the rate of tuna export every year.”

Six out of seven canneries in the Philippines are located in

owned by Econergy Corporation, officially started its operations on May 20.

In the presence of General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera and Department of Energy OIC Assistant Director Marrissa Cereso, the Econergy proprietors representing Zaide Family Corporation explained how coconut oil is processed

Gensan. The fishing group RD Group of Companies alone has an annual catch of about 10,000,000 kilos, or roughly 11,000 tons. (Photo by Cocoy Sexcion | GENSAN CPIO)

to become coconut methyl ester (CME) or simply coco-biodiesel. Mayor Rivera has a positive outlook with regard to the operation of Econergy in General Santos. He said that “it will boost Gensan’s effort in its goal to be the agri-industrial hub of the region.” (GENSAN CPIO/Russell Delvo)

Back-to-back business events in Gensan set The development of micro-, small-, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) is given high importance both by the public and private sectors in Mindanao.

In several rural areas, MSMEs make use of labor-intensive production processes that create employment opportunities for households and families.

This, in turn, encourages an increase in economic activities within the communities.

Since 2011, Mindanao has seen the growth of 31,561 MSMEs, all contributing significantly to the nation’s economy, particularly in terms of achieving equitable growth and sustained development.

Adding to that are groups of farmers who venture into 14

GGQ • Q2 2014

higher value production, expansion of domestic and export markets, and access to business support from the government and the private sector.

Still, both groups have been struggling in their day-to-day interaction with the business community as several constraints hinder their way.

In time with the annual celebration of Yaman Gensan from June 20 to July 18, 2014, the General Santos City Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council, Inc. (GSC SMEDCI) will host the 1st MSME Regional Congress.

Strongly advocating the improvement of the lot of MSMEs, GSC SMEDCI will conduct the 1st MSME Regional Congress on June 17-18, 2014 at the KCC Convention Center in General Santos.

The council will likewise partner with the SouthMin Fairtrade Network, Inc. (SNFI) in hosting the MSME Going Global Conference. v

Yaman Gensan coming soon General Santos City (22 May 2014) – In preparation for the 12th Yaman Gensan in June and July this year, GSC SMEDCI elected its new set of officers in the presence of General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera.

The newly installed officers are Rosana Bernadette Contreras (president), Tita

Suib (vice president), Atty.

Raul Miguel (secretary), Marife Quiam (auditor), and Engr. Maria Theresa Pacheco and Bro. Bob McGovern (members of the Board of Trustees).

Mayor Rivera said that the aim of the partnership of the city government and GSC SMEDCI is to lower the poverty rate in the city by encouraging everyone to start their own small enterprise.

(GENSAN CPIO/ Russell Delvo)

TRAVEL TALES & TRIVIA uuu

he Grand Palace consists of several quarters: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the Outer Court, and its many public buildings; the Middle Court, including Phra Maha Monthien, Phra Maha Prasat, and Chakri Maha Prasat; the Inner Court and Siwalai Gardens quarter. Partially open to the public as a museum, it remains a working palace, with several royal offices within. Wat Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand, a powerful religiopolitical symbol of Thai society. The main building (topmost photo) is the central ubosoth that houses the statue of the Emerald Buddha, a 26-inch-tall dark green statue carved from a single jade stone. Except for the Thai King, no one else is allowed to touch the statue.

The King changes the cloak around the statue three times a year, corresponding to the summer, winter, and rainy seasons -- a vital ritual performed to usher good fortune to the country during each season.

Clockwise from left (excluding topmost photo): two representations of the monkey god Hanuman holding the golden stupa, the gold cloaked Emerald Buddha, me by the northeast temple complex of Wat Phra Kaew, and the golden statue of a kinnara, a half-bird deity. v 16

GGQ • Q2 2014

Thai Treasures Part Two

The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, serving as the official residence of the Kings of Siam (and later Thailand) since 1782. The Grand Palace is made up of buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, gardens and courtyards.

Photos by Mandi Nicolas P J

G GQ SPECIAL CENTERFOLD SUPPLEMENT DEVOTED TO GGQ FRIENDS AND FANS THE WORLD OVER

Meet the Faces & Places of the Unofficial GGQ US Tour 2013-2014

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e know that wax figures and open spaces don’t count for much by way of endorsements, but the term endorsement itself tend to be misleading here. GGQ’s unofficial US tour invites friends and followers to pose with the magazine sans any incentive, monetary or otherwise, if only to say, “Hey, this magazine is from Gensan in southern Philippines.

We have no idea where that is, but we’re going to pose with it anyway.” Our new friends gladly hold the GGQ glossy for the world to see, with smiles and cheers and all.

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(1) Bruce Willis and (2) Justin Timberlake courtesy of Madame Tussaud’s New York; (3) Mother and son at the Philippine Independence Day Parade in Manhattan; (4) Chicken chain mascot in New Jersey; (5) The world-famous Naked Cowboy; (6) Miss Philippine Fiesta 2012 Allyson Lynn Carbonell; (7) Wonder Wheel at Coney Island; (8) Hollywood Beach; (9) New York University; (10) Midtown Manhattan; (11) Sweethearts in Miami; (12) Niagara Falls City

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here to next? What out, GGQ may soon be in a cafĂŠ near you. Until then, warmest cheers from General Santos City!

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fter a long, hard day you just want to sit back and relax, and relive the day’s successes as you enjoy some peace and quiet...

Stick to your day job. Leave your documentation and publishing PROJECTS TO US. CALL US NOW AT +63-83-5547055 | +63-908-3373005.

ECLECTIC VIBE uuu TRUE (AVICII BY AVICII)

by AVICII | «««««

We only just got over having Avicii fever, yet after giving his debut album five stars in the OctRAVE TAPES

by MOGWAI | «««««

Rave Tapes, the eighth studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, opens with

Dec 2013 issue, we still can’t get enough of the Bergling boy wonder. So imagine our delight when we chanced upon his remix album on a recent trip to Singapore. The self-reimagining of the beloved tracks here are superb. Wake Me Up revs up the dancefloor with kick drum beats and synth house keys, while You Make Me ups the piano, electro lead, and guitar solo for that extra punch. Hey Brother pitches up the cutesy vocals, and fires up a bass line for good measure.

Dear Boy tinkers with Ørsted’s angelic vocals, but with bluesy piano among other new synths, the remix remains infectiously euphoric. Addicted To You, Liar Liar, Shame On Me, and Lay Me Down may seem formulaic, but Avicii’s ear for euphoric house and big-room sounds works superbly here. Again. v Heard About You Last Night, guitars leading over drums and keyboard keeping the track together. Simon Ferocious veers on electronica -- jagged notes, heavy bass and all. Remurdered stands out with a decidedly atmospheric sound, the 80s keyboard vibe endeniably epic. Hexon Bogon boasts heavy bass and guitar riffs, while Repelish plays lush guitars, keyboards, and the spoken voice. Completing the album are guitar heavy Mastercard, keyboard-vs-guitar Deesh, sweet lo-fi No Medicine For Regret, melancholy Blues Hour, and Daft Punk paean (somewhat) The Lord Is Out Of Control. Classic Mogwai. v

LEAVING THE SEA: STORIES by Ben Marcus

BOY, SNOW, BIRD

by Helen Oyeyemi

From one of the most innovative writers of his generation comes an extraordinary collection of short stories...

In the hilarious, lacerating I Can Say Many Nice Things, a washed-up writer toying with infidelity leads a creative writing workshop on board a cruise ship. In the dystopian Rollingwood, a divorced father struggles to take care of his ill infant, as his ex-wife and colleagues try to render him irrelevant. In Watching Mysteries with My Mother, a son meditates on his mother’s mortality, hoping to stave off her death for as long as he sits by her side. And in the title story, told in a single breathtaking sentence, we watch as the narrator’s marriage and his sanity unravel, drawing him to the brink of suicide.

Leaving the Sea is the work of an utterly unique writer at the height of his powers. v

MORNING PHASE

by BECK | ««««« Morning Phase, the twelfth studio album

by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Beck, is a delightful cache of downtempo gems -- a collection as contemplative as his critically acclaimed Sea Change (2002), yet more piercing in its wisdom and less indulgent in its melancholy. Simply put, this recording has some of Beck’s best work in decades. Morning barely channels the earlier album’s The Golden Age, hushed vocals and acoustic lilt aplenty, almost as if laying the ground for what could be a long journey to wallow-land, but Heart Is A Drum picks up the mood slightly with uncomplicated piano and easy listening guitar.

From here on, vintage Beck resurfaces,

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GGQ • Q2 2014

READER’S ttt RUSH

In the winter of 1953, Boy Novak arrives by chance in a small town in Massachusetts.

She marries a local widower and becomes stepmother to his daughter, Snow Whitman.

Soon elements of the familiar tale of aesthetic obsession begin to play out when the birth of Boy’s daughter, Bird, who is dark-skinned, exposes the Whitmans as light-skinned African Americans passing for white. They confront the tyranny of the mirror to ask how much power surfaces really hold. Dazzlingly inventive and powerfully moving, Boy, Snow, Bird is an astonishing and enchanting novel.

With breathtaking feats of imagination, Oyeyemi confirms her place as one of the most original and dynamic literary voices of our time. v

especially on tracks Say Goodbye, Blue Moon, and Don’t Let It Go, each echoing the bittersweet themes of leaving, loneliness, and letting go. Standing out particularly is Unforgiven, a beautiful slow burner sounding off drowning synth chords and Beck’s haunting vocals -- barren in some parts, double in others.

Complementing these acoustic pieces are exquisite string interludes Cycle, and Phase. On Wave, Beck’s voice latches on to a mesmerizing synth plane, as if on emotion cruise control. A slow ender follows in Country Down, a lazy-happy track that shows off a homely harmonica solo just before Waking Light completes the album with a fitting fade out sigh -perhaps in conclusion of a job well done, acceptance of a fate deserved, a longing for what could have been, or all three. v

Wedding Photography ● Portraits ● Concept Pictorials

AppleGreatson.com/myblog

THE LEARNED DISCOURSE uuu

Why can’t I read?

Stories from Community Teach

By Ian John M. Lagare

E

ight-year-old Jonamie, a resident of Lanton, Barangay Apopong, General Santos City, knew from the very beginning that he had a major struggle when it came to reading.

He was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of Community Teach -- an educational program of Gensan City Mayor Ronnel Rivera and the Department of Education (DepEd), in partnership with Smart Communications, Inc. Community Teach is a remedial class for selected incoming Grade 3 students from 10 different public elementary schools in the city. A supplemental feeding program is also included in the program.

“My grandmother told me that they (in Community Teach) would teach me how to read, that’s why I decided to attend the classes,” Jonamie said in vernacular.

“She even encouraged me that if I went there, they‘d give me free breakfast and lunch.

Sometimes, we don’t have any food at home that’s why I have nothing to eat.”

Jonamie, together with his two siblings, are living with their grandparents at Purok Lanton.

“My grandparents are already old, that’s why they no longer work. My lola (grandmother) earn through panghihilot or 24

GGQ • Q2 2014

traditional massage,” he said.

“My parents are separated.

Papa went with another woman, while Mama is in Manila—working as a yaya (housemaid),” Jonamie quipped. “She doesn’t always send us money us, that’s why we don’t always have food.”

I didn’t know how to read well because I was hungry during class.

Because of this, Jonamie narrated that he goes to school with an empty stomach, often unable to concentrate on the lessons in class.

“I didn’t know how to read well because I was hungry during class,” Jonamie said shyly.

Thanks to the Community Teach project, Jonamie has improved his reading skills and he can now read simple Tagalog and English.

School and is just one of the 200 beneficiaries of the Community Teach project. All of them have their own personal stories of struggle.

because they help us attain our goal to help these children read. Our dream is simple: we just want to teach them how to read,” Reburcio said.

Ma. Regina Reburcio, a teacher of Lanton Elementary School, attested to the hardships of these students.

“Most of them are really poor; their parents can’t fend for themselves, let alone care for their children. That’s why many of these kids are always absent, and if not, they attend class with an empty stomach,” Reburcio said.

Mayor Rivera, in a statement, said that he is “hopeful for the outcome of the Community Teach.” He added that he will give his full support for the success of the project.

“This is the reason why most of them are inattentive during lessons. And we just try to understand them while doing our best to teach them,” the teacher added.

Our dream is simple: we just want to teach them how to read.

“I’m happy now because I can read, plus I can eat here, too!”

Jonamie exclaimed.

Aside from that, Reburcio cited other factors why these students can’t read, such as the size of the class and retention capacity of the students.

Jonamie is an incoming Grade 3 pupil of Lanton Elementary

“I am very thankful to the Community Teach project

The mayor also expressed his gratitude to DepEd and Smart Communications for their full support to his education advocacy in General Santos City.

“I believe that if a child can read and understand what he is reading, then he can also understand other lessons as well,” Mayor Rivera said.

Elimination of illiteracy is as serious an issue to our history as the abolition of slavery.

(Maya Angelou)

ENDLESS SUMMER uuu

Irish Tupas

Jade Quisil

Noegih Caseñas

A

mong the stereotypical life goals of the world’s billionaires is to travel the world in constant pursuit of summer, hopping from one charming city to another after the winter cold and spring chills have dissipated. You don’t have to be a billionaire to do that in the tropics, where you’re practically stuck in an endless state of summer.

If there’s anything the fairer gender need to chase, it’s the perfect wear for the beach. If you fancy frequenting the seaside haunts of Gumasa in Sarangani or Tambler in Gensan or Samal Island off Davao City -- to name just a few -- you’d be chasing a lot of outfits.

Take a hint from Irish and Jade, both wearing a side drape bikini pair and bandeau top in shades of purple. Noegih, on the other hand, bares all trimmings in a basic blue color block sporty bikini. Continue on page 28 for more tips.

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GGQ • Q2 2014

ENDLESS SUMMER uuu

Aiza Ferrer

Rochelle Cariaga

Rochelle sports the same drape bikini, this time in bright fuschia. Aiza is not to be outdone in boho stripe halter top and orange bottom, while Christine plays prim and proper in solid-colored criss-cross halter top and matching bottom, with a pastel, floral cover-up.

There you have it ladies, your options are limitless for this, our endless summer.

Text by Gimma Samalca| Photography by Johansen Abiabi, Jed Reyes, and Chilun Leung | Makeup by Joey Bugas

Cristine

Joy Pabustan

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GGQ • Q2 2014

RETAIL uuu THERAPY

PEACH COUTURE KNOTTED TWIST TANK SLEEVELESS STRIPED SUNDRESS

1031 GOLD GLADIATOR WOMEN’S SANDALS Beat the summer heat in 1031’s classic gold gladiator women’s sandals -- either as focal piece or accessory to your casual or formal dress. v

J’ADORE L’ABSOLU BY DIOR J’adore is a modern, glamorous fragrance, which has become incredibly popular over the years. It presents a new concept of Dior feminity, a scent so new and so in line with Dior at the same time -- sweet but balmy, slightly sharp floral -- with fresh mandarin on top; jasmine, plum, orchid, and rose at its core; and amaranth, musk, and blackberry in the trail. v

Peach Couture’s knotted striped sundress is a trendy addition to your wardrobe this season. It is just the right striped spring or summer dress to wear on a casual outing to the beach or a formal gathering with friends or colleagues. Dress it up with accessories and heels, or dress it down with gladiator flats (left). Add a whole new perspective to your style. v

FOR HER ELY CATTLEMAN MEN’S ASSORTED PLAID SHORT SLEEVE WESTERN SHIRT Go rugged, classic, or sporty -- anything but plain -- in these quality western shirts from Ely Cattleman. Each shirt has peaked two-ply front and back yokes; two snap flap chest pockets (left pocket with a handy pencil slot); and pearlized snap closures at front placket and pockets.

Its full cut with extra long tails make it easy to tuck in or let loose as you please. v

VERBATIM DOG TAG USB DRIVE Looking for a fun, unique way to store data in a package that’s tough enough to stand up to your active lifestyle? The Verbatim Dog Tag USB Drive is the solution. Verbatim designed this rugged 8-GB USB drive in the shape of an actual dog tag, complete with a metallic bead chain, and protective rubber border. When not in use, the durable, waterresistant USB drive stores conveniently in the back of the tag, so it’s ready to go when you are. It has a USB 2.0 interface with authentic dog tag look-and-feel, bead chain included. v

STEVE MADDEN MEN’S TROOPAH LACE-UP BOOT The house of Steve Madden has turned one of its best selling women’s style into a handsome and rugged version for our happening fellas. The Troopahs are your classic combat boot, with laces lining the tongue, a tough round-toe, and a shaft that hits right below your calf. Lace them up all the way for a clean-cut look with slim-fit denim, a v-neck, and a jacket for a work-friendly vibe. Tie the laces around the ankle and swap out the jacket for a flannel and you’ll look downtown-ready in no time. We should know -- our editor wears a pair. v

FOR HIM

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GGQ • Q2 2014

Coming soon in September 2014!

g n i n e Op !

5 1 e n Ju

Chrispher Cong Car Display Center and Car Wash • Car Distribution • Car Accessories • Car Wash Service

See us now at Bulaong Avenue, Dadiangas North, Gen. Santos, or call/text 0932-6885312 (Sun).

1997 - Scrawny me outside our Supreme Court office

2002 - With colleagues at my home off Sarkies Road

Saying Good-bye to Singapore

by Mandi Nicolas PJ

first arrived in Singapore in 1997, my very first time outside the Philippines, testing the waters of IT consultancy after over five years at my first job. Although based mostly in the Lion City, my stint here brought me to Mexico in North America, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, Gibraltar and Great Britain in Europe, and several key cities in Asia, and by extension, to Morocco in North Africa, as well as the United States.

I 2001 - My first Peranakan wedding (but only as guest)

2002 - Years before my first and last ostrich kebab

2003 - With old and new housemates and friends

In 2004 I officially became permanent resident after deciding that all the overseas assignments were just that, temporary projects, and finally settled in my adoptive home country. For the next five years all the work (and leisure) travels continued, culminating in two consecutive years in London, England, after which, I left the corporate world in the early half of 2009, in part, to publish Gensan Gazer (and later GGQ) in General Santos City.

2004 - I’ve lived in roughly a dozen different places all over Singapore, but my Stevens Road pad was my favorite

2014 - My nth pictorial with the renowned Merlion

Singapore has expanded my horizon in innumerable ways, and though I leave the island nation this year after renouncing my permanent resident status, part of me will remain both fond of and indebted to this watershed of a place in terms of career and personal growth. I am happy to have made Singapore my second home for many years, and I leave not with a heavy heart.

To all the friends who shared in my journeys, we’ll see each other again one day. Mabuhay Singapura!

2005 - Traditional Chinese dancers perform at a mall

2010 - Moving our tennis sessions to Spanish Village

2007 - SMRT trains always a reliable mode of transport

2011 - My girlfriend Gimma admires the clean trains

2009 - Hindu worshippers offering candles and sweets

2011 - A Hindu devotee at a Thaipusam procession

2012 - Awestruck by the view at sky bar 1-Altitude

It was not an easy task to sift through tens of thousands of photos taken over a span of 17 years and come up with just 22 pictures to fill this spread. This compendium barely scratches the surface of the wealth of experiences I had in Singapore, but it’ll do for now.

2011 - Annual lion dance competition at Clarke Quay

2011 - Soaking in Marina Bay Sands’ infinity pool

2014 - My last Fountain of Wealth rounds (so far)

2012 - Singapore’s 47th National Day Parade celebrations as seen from our Ritz Hotel room

2014 - Chance meeting with old (and new) friends

THE MODERN DILEMMA uuu

Toxic Tech

by Andrew Korthage

Apple and other big manufacturers must swap lessdeadly chemicals for the cancerous ones poisoning their Chinese workers.

M

ing Kunpeng went to work for ASM Pacific Technology — a chip supplier for Apple — when he was 19 years old. Required to handle the known carcinogen benzene on a daily basis without adequate training or protective gear, the young worker fell ill at the age of 22. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with occupational leukemia.

After a year-long dispute, ASM Pacific Technology agreed to compensate Ming for his illness, but the settlement was insufficient to cover the care he needed. On December 28, 2013, this young man became one of the muchpublicized Chinese electronics-worker suicide cases.

He took his own life, jumping from the top of the hospital where he was receiving treatment.

Ming’s story is just one of many told in filmmakers Heather White and Lynn Zhang’s new short-form documentary, Who Pays the Price?

The Human Cost of Electronics (http://www.greenamerica. org/bad-apple/).

In their film, White and Zhang explore the use of dangerous toxic chemicals in Chinese factories. They focus on the effects of these chemicals on the millions of workers exposed while making the iPhones, iPads, and other electronics that global consumers have come to depend on.

Considering that three-quarters of the entire population of the planet now has access to a mobile phone, the scope of this problem is huge. Roughly half of these devices are made in China, where carcinogenic benzene (banned as an industrial solvent in many countries) is allowed, and where employers often don’t provide workers with adequate protective gear. Electronics factories use reproductive toxins like toluene and neurotoxins like n-hexane as well.

“I’ve now been through 28 chemotherapy treatments,” says Yi Yeting, a Chinese factory worker poisoned by benzene who shares his story

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GGQ • Q2 2014

in the “Who Pays the Price?” film. “My bones hurt a lot. It feels like thousands of ants biting my insides.”

As the demand for cheap electronics grows, clearly the workers pay the price.

According to the Chinese government’s own statistics, one worker will be poisoned by toxic chemicals every five hours — most of them from benzene.

Fortunately, there are alternatives.

The International Chemical Secretariat, a non-profit organization based in Sweden, provides companies with substitutions for toxic chemicals on its “Substitute It Now” list. The list details 626 chemicals harmful to human health and provides alternatives, such as cyclohexane and heptane, safer solvents similar to benzene.

Toxicology experts familiar with Chinese factory procedures have estimated that the smartphone companies could replace benzene with safer solvents at a cost of around $1 per phone. With companies like Apple raking in profits of $37 billion in 2013, electronics manufacturers can afford to take such steps to protect workers’ lives.

“We want brands to take responsibility for working conditions at their supplier factories,” says Pauline

Overeem, Network Coordinator for GoodElectronics, an international non-profit organization working to clean up the electronics supply chain. “Banning benzene is a part of that.”

In the summer of 2013, Apple unveiled a new ad campaign called “Our Signature.”

Over footage of happy consumers enjoying their Apple products by listening to music, snapping photographs, studying in school, and videochatting with friends, a soothing voiceover states, “This is what matters: the experience of a product. How will it make someone feel? Will it make life better?”

Apple should ask workers like Yi Yeting how working with benzene has made him feel, and the company should have asked Ming Kunpeng if Apple’s products made his life better.

Electronics companies must take responsibility for their supplier factories no matter where in the world they choose to make their products. They must halt the use of benzene and other chemicals dangerous to harm human health starting today.

Andrew Korfhage is Green America’s online editor. Watch Who Pays the Price? The Human Cost of Electronics online at greenamerica.org/bad-apple. Distributed via OtherWords.org. v

g n i S SettinetgtiSnettinSgett g uitayQliutya y t lity i uQ al QuPalQ Print t n d r i r i r n a P t d t S PrinnSdtaarndSdtaarndytandard SGtalobalGlylobaGlllobally y l l a b Glo

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COORDINATED CHAOS uuu

Any alarm set off by this column’s title is unintentional. Whatever notion of organized mayhem the name conjures remains purely in the realm of words and letters.

R

EGINA BRETT,

bestselling author and inspirational speaker, once remarked, “Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay connected. Remember the old days when you had eye

Disconnect in Disconnect in a a Connected Connected World World

by Armando Nicolas PJ

Technology keeps us connected to the world at large, but often at the expense of shunning the very people around us.

contact during a conversation?

When everyone wasn’t looking down at a device in their hands? We’ve become so focused on that tiny screen that we forget the big picture, the people right in front of us.”

This is not an uncommon lament for many of us in this digital age. Parents, for example, complain about their teenage children being glued to their phones or tablets even at the dining table, the offsprings often

communicating back (if it can still be called as such) without so much as a complete sentence, facial expression, or looking away from their phone.

Both the younger and more mature folk among us are not guiltless in this respect either.

Many in the personal circles of people I am acquainted with succumb to this inane ritual of gathering, say, at coffee shops, but instead of enjoying an honest-to-goodness chat over coffee and dessert, they sit around all hunched over their cellphone or laptop -- barely talking or acknowledging each other’s presence for

minutes, even hours on end.

You’d wonder why they met up in the first place.

Ironically, immersing in social media and social networks have made individuals increasingly interconnected in cyberspace but less and less connected with humanity in the real, living world.

Which raises the question: if connectivity breeds a sort of human disconnect, where is society headed? I’d like to think this is just a phase in this digital frontier, and look forward to the day when bringing your iPhone to a bar is unfashionable again. v With Eavesdropping and Snooping for All Give me your wired, your mobile, your monitored masses yearning to breathe free...

An OtherWords cartoon

by Khalil Bendib (OtherWords.org)

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GGQ • Q2 2014

Archer in post-Apocalyptic metropolis. Model: Marthin Millado | Photography by Apple Greatson | Composite background by Marthin Millado

GLIMPSE of GREATSON

by Apple Greatson