Balikbayan Magazine December 2009 - January 2010

balikbayanmagazine.com

december 2009 – january 2010

The Good Son: Manny Pacquiao and Love of Country Cristalle Clear: The Luster in Belo’s Essentials The Walled Side of South San Francisco Pasosyalubong Land Pit Senyor! The Santo Ninos of January

Volume I number 10

US$ 5.00•PHP 150.00

5 keeping a journal The Joy of Harmony

38 salt & paper The Walled Side of South San Francisco

By roger lagmay oriel, publisher

By malou liwanag–aguilar

6 editor’s notebook A Star is Born

44 red carpet A Really Magical Night

By Lito Ocampo Cruz, Editor-in-chief

By ruben v. nepales

8 The Good Son: Manny Pacquiao and Love of Country

50 BUSINESS & TREASURE Cristalle Clear: The Luster in Belo’s Essentials

By joel pablo salud

By rochelle c. pangilinan

16 scenic roots Christmas in the Philippines: It’s a Wonderful Lifestyle!

55 Pit Senyor! The Santo Ninos of January

By Althea Lauren Ricardo

22 past food Memories and Recipes of Christmases Past By alma anonas–carpio

By louie jon a. sanchez

63 ESSENCE OF PLACE Enter the Dragon: In the Claws of Chinatown By joel pablo salud

26 Pasosyalubong Land

67 FILIPINIANA The Play of Light and Letters

By marie angeli syjueco

By louie jon a. sanchez

30 persona Dining at Bale Datung with Claude Tayag By rene villaroman

balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

Keeping A Journal By roger lagmay oriel, publisher

The Joy of Harmony Accomplishing great things begins with dreaming big and believing that we can achieve even the most grandiose of dreams.

In order to prepare and plan well for the future, we must glean learnings from the past.

For the past year, we at the Asian Journal dared to dream, plan, and believe. We want to establish a long-lasting legacy by making a difference and giving back to the Filipino-American community that we serve. The Asian Journal Foundation Inc., our philanthropic arm, was recently launched to reach out to our countrymen and to make a generous impact in the fields of Philippine arts, music and culture. Our website, www. asianjournalfoundation.com, a repository of information and developments, is the first step to realizing the goals of the foundation.

One of the primary objectives and most important programs of the Asian Journal Foundation is the establishment of the very first Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), a community-based volunteer member orchestra to showcase the Filipino’s musical talent and culture in California.

Fulfilling the Asian Journal’s commitment to the community, FASO is not only a gathering of the community’s most talented artists, but also of families and lovers of Filipino music as well.

The success of FASO has encouraged us to dream even bigger—Asian Journal hopes to one day build a Balikbayan Museum and Library (a spinoff from our Balikbayan Magazine) to house the story and history of our community.

Another main objective of Asian Journal Foundation is to provide scholarships to financially-challenged but excelling students of journalism and communications at select universities in Manila.

We have set our vision to arts and culture because they are tantamount in keeping our national identity and the legacy of our ancestors. It is only through continually recognizing and showcasing our very own arts and culture that we are able to hold on to our roots.

Where much is given, much more is expected. Much that we should count our blessings, we should also count the various ways we had been paying it forward - if only to remind us that in giving, we also receive.

18 years may seem like a long time, but we remain thankful and we are truly honored to be able to inform, empower and continue to serve the Filipino American community.

With the Asian Journal Foundation and the continued support of the community and our friends, we will continue to dream, believe and achieve.

Happy Holidays! g

balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan

PUBLISHER & CEO | Roger L. Oriel PRESIDENT & CO-PUBLISHER | Cora M. Oriel EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | EVP ASIA | Lito Ocampo Cruz ASSOCIATE EDITOR | Louie Jon Agustin Sanchez CONTRIBUTING EDITORS | Malou Liwanag-Aguilar, Alma Anonas-Carpio, Jewel Castro, Cynthia De Castro, Gayle Gatchalian, Berry Pelaez–Marfori, Ruben Nepales, Janet Susan Nepales, Rhod V. Nuncio, Rochelle C. Pangilinan, Joseph Pimentel, D.M. Reyes, Althea Lauren Ricardo, Joel Salud, Aldus Santos, Ahmed Toledo, Walter Villa, Rene Villaroman, Momar Visaya CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS | Joe Cobilla, Philip Kimpo Jr., Ted Madamba, Raphael John Oriel, Miko Santos, Andy Tecson ART DIRECTOR | Le Grande Dee Pedroche ASSISTANT EDITOR | Marie Angeli S. Syjueco PRODUCTION MANAGER | Kristine Tan VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVERTISING | Noel Godinez VICE PRESIDENT FOR MARKETING | Genelyn S. Alcala VICE PRESIDENT FOR SALES | Sharon Ann Z. Bathan VP FOR CIRCULATION & SPECIAL EVENTS | Vince Samson STAFF WRITER | Billy dela Cruz STAFF ARTISTS | Edward Dy, Napoleon Laurel, Jr., Valory Lim, Bienvenida Salazar CIRCULATION MANAGER | Arthur Sibulangcao ACCOUNTANT | Ria Fabro balikbayan Magazine is published by Asian Journal Publications, Inc. 2/F Units D&E Fort Palm Spring Cond., 30th Street, cor. 1st Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, 1200 Philippines. Tel. (632) 856–4921 Send subscription inquiries to subscription@asianjournalinc.com, and advertising queries at advertising@asianjournalinc.com.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage of retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the Publisher.

Asian Journal Publications, Inc. regrets that no responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited material, which will be returned only if stamped, addressed envelope is enclosed.

Printed in the Philippines. Distributed in the Philippines for newly arrived balikbayans at Duty Free Philippines, as well as at select hotels, resorts, restaurants and cafes and major bookstores and magazine distributors. Circulated at special events and through subscription in the United States of America.

Asia Headquarters / Editorial & Advertising Offices Taguig City: USA Advertising Offices Los Angeles: 1150 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017-1904. • Tel. (213) 250–9797 San Francisco: 841 San Bruno Avenue West, Ste. 12-14 San Bruno, CA 94066 • Tel. (650) 583–6818 New York: 5 Penn Plaza, Ste. 1932, New York, NY 10001 • Tel. (212) 655–5426

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

BY LITO OCAMPO CRUZ, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A Star is Born IT’S INDEED THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR. As we celebrate the Christmas season, we again account for the wonderful things that have come our way during the entire year. We celebrate the birth of the One reason of it all, as we gather family and friends.

We also usher in another blissful year, full of hope and faith. We also remember home.

This issue is packed with all the reasons to celebrate Christmas and New Year, and of course, to remember home. Our resident unguided tour guide Althea Lauren Ricardo returns to give us her own reminiscences of Christmas and we could feel the warmth of the Simbang Gabis she remembers. In another delicious essay, Palanca award-winning poet and journalist Alma Anonas-Carpio recalls her own family’s bountiful Christmas table, full of sumptuous dishes and cherished memories.

We also fly back to Los Angeles to attend what has been called a “family gathering” at the Raquels of Hancock Park. Collaborating with the Ayala Foundation USA, the event was spearheaded by like-minded individuals who want to give back to the community. The husband-and-wife team of Ruben and Janet Nepales made sure they were there to share with us what they described as a “historic event.” In South San Francisco, Asian Journal editor Malou Liwanag-Aguilar meanwhile treats us to Intramuros restaurant, where Filipinos indulge in the comfort foods of home.

Recently, one of Asian Journal’s ace correspondents, Rene Villaroman, was home. He joined respected chef and culinary author Claude Tayag in his Bale Datung at Angeles City, Pampanga, and was treated to an authentic Kapampangan culinary feast. The vignette that comes in this issue proves that Rene enjoyed his balikbayan trip, right when Christmas was just beginning.

January is also celebrated in this volume. Associate Editor Louie Jon Sanchez traces the history of the Santo Niño and remembers his own encounters with the Holy Child not only in Cebu and elsewhere, but also in popular culture. In an essay filled reverie on the other hand, Joel Pablo Salud prepares us for the coming Chinese New Year and returns to Binondo, Manila’s Chinatown.

The season is all about celebrations and we indeed have so much to celebrate. The recent success of People’s Champ Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, at gaining his seventh title, has brought us back again to much revelry despite many challenges. We honor our “Pambansang Kamao” (National Fist) for not only his virtues but also his aspirations, which we also share. He has indeed cemented his place among the stars of the world boxing history.

This year too ushered in the rise of a new star. Music world’s newest singing sensation Charice, whose phenomenal talent was first discovered in YouTube, is now a superstar in her own right. Recently she graced the Christmas Concert of the Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Charice’s rise to fame is reminiscent of that of another Filipino’s, rock star Arnel Pineda, who is currently making waves as the frontman of the popular rock group Journey.

We should not forget the star of all, the One whose light shines upon us. He is the reason.

Let’s celebrate! A star is born. Happy holidays! g

New Jersey: 2500 Plaza Five, Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (201) 484–7249 Las Vegas: 3700 W. Desert Inn Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89102 Tel. (702) 792–6678

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balikbayan | DECEMBER 2009 – JANUARY 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan

The Good Son

Manny Pacquiao and Love of Country by joel pablo salud photo by joe cobilla | theajpress

balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

televised bout by living legend Manny Pacquiao is all it takes to hush the daily frenzy in Metro Manila. The recent battle with Puerto Rican pugilist Miguel Cotto stopped virtually everything: From the literally holein-the-wall barbershop to the magnificent halls of the powerful Congress.

Daily household routines take a sidelight halt just so Filipinos—even busy mothers—could cheer their champion in the ring. And for what it’s worth, even criminality takes a step sideways just to give lane to Manny’s surefire victory. Thanks to Manny, there’s a day in the Filipino’s life were peace truly reigns supreme.

A lot has been written about this legendary Filipino pound-forpound champ that to add to them may only prove insignificant, if not futile, in the long run. Today, the Pacquiaos enjoy limelight status, with mother Dionisia or “Mommy D” luxuriating under the praises and graces of Manila’s entertainment elite. Or perhaps, it’s the other way around, now that the Pacquiaos are multimillionaires.

Advertising offers come from left and right, even movies to the presumably uninitiated and humble mother. Politicians swarm around Manny and his mother Dionisia like flies on candy, as though to be seen with the Pacquiaos would boost their political careers. Maybe. Maybe not. The Filipino electorate may be swayed by some manner or form of entertainment, but scarcely now would it vote out of popularity. There’s a thin line that separates popularity and destiny in Philippine politics, and with an electorate maturing as fast as we can say “Pacman”, one can rest assured of the public’s savvy in terms of who they want to sit in the Palace come 2010.

What has been such a breath of fresh air is Manny’s prayerful soul. From the very first day he stepped into the ring, Filipinos have yet to see the champion renege on that gesture of faith: Kneeling down in his corner, hands resting on the ropes, with eyes closed in silent supplication to God. It’s a gesture rarely displayed by some athletes, save Filipino boxers who oftentimes make the sign of the cross before engaging the opponent. But Manny is altogether different; he kneels on the canvas in humble praise of his Creator before every bout, a clear autograph of his undying faith. He knows from whom his strength comes from and belongs to, a kind of faith that recognizes the hand of the Almighty, however unseen.

No, Manny is a far cry from being a saint. But a good and faithful son he will always be, from the looks of things. Many who have criticized Manny because of his millions had all but to look intently on the assistance and help he has continually given to his family, specifically his mother, Dionisia. It’s a rare thing, success, and rarer still for one who has reached success to want his feet continually on the ground.

balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan

Now there goes another one –Miguel Cotto.

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The word “poor” speak little of the poverty that had haunted the Pacquiaos for decades. Stories have been many, about Manny being a “nobody” in the past, a literal non-entity in the world of big-time boxing. He was said to have been a gym cleaner once just so he could practice his art for free, cleaning the boxing ring as payment thereafter with fellow boxers that were out to try their luck in the arena.

Another story was that he was part of the labor crew that built the Elorde Sports Complex in Paranaque City, working with his hands—the very fists that had given the Filipino its sense of utmost pride—to make ends that rarely, if at all, meet. Waiting where the next meal would arrive was a constant battle, and to patiently wait, without the temptation to fret, as all poor people know, delivers a kind of anxiety that’s more excruciating than any punch hurled in the ring.

But only Manny and his family know the true story behind his life as an athlete in the Philippines. Needless to say, the sports world can only so much with the meager support it is getting from government. Most spend for their own uniforms and shoes, with little or no qualms about the indifference government is showing to them. Because of this, and for the love of the sport, heroes they already are, and should be, even when they have yet to bring home a single trophy.

balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 11

Today, his mother Dionisia walks around Manila with an expensive necklace gracing her neck, a gift from her good son, and clothes that never in her wildest dreams she knew would be hers. Quite the modest token, really, considering the sacrifice she has unfailingly shown as mother and caretaker of the family. For whatever it is worth, Manny’s success has changed many things in their life as a family. Little has been said about this save for goggleeyed reports on the seemingly ostentatious lifestyle the Pacquiaos are now enjoying. Ostentatious or not, the Pacquiaos have all the right to luxuriate in the good life as they have, for the most part, painfully known the opposite. One thing is for certain: It can no longer be said that the Pacquiaos are nobodies.

The support Manny has offered his parents and family only goes to show that his prayers are being answered, and that at the very core of his being, notwithstanding his crown as the greatest fist in the world, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is a true Filipino. Kinks on his armor he has, no doubt, being only human, but as a child of her mother, Manny ash shown more mettle in his personal life than in the ring. He is an example to us all, to us who continually dream of a better life for country and family. g

Manny jamming at his victory concert.

And now, the belts.

12 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

Mater Victorious: “Pacmom” Dionisia Pacquiao in prayer.

Wherever we go it’s our town

| scenic roots | by althea lauren ricardo • photos by napoleon laurel jr.| the ajpress

t was the crack of dawn and a seemingly endless stream of people was pouring out of a brightly-lit old concrete church. It was very chilly—chilly enough for me to be happy, for once, that I had a thick sweater on. I was at the back of a pick-up truck, waiting for my parents to get back, and when they did, my father handed me a big, fat, warm bibingka, which smelled of sweet and salty and scorched banana leaves. I don’t remember eating that bibingka; only letting its warmth settle on my lap and then yielding, finally, to sleep.

This is my first memory of Christmas: my first Simbang Gabi. It is of colorful bright lights, smiling people, early mornings, and food-fragrant, flavorful, warm food.

Misa de gallo While the holiday season in the Philippines can be felt as early as September, when the first Christmas carol would sneak up on unsuspecting shoppers, it officially begins on December 16, the first day of the pre-dawn novena masses that lead up to Christmas Eve. For any Filipino, no matter where in the world one is, Christmas is not really the same without the pre-dawn masses.

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Glory to the New Born King: A Belen in Cubao, Quezon City.

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Misa de gallo at Nuestra Senora de Gracia in Makati City, Philippines.

It is a tradition that goes as far back as the Spanish colonial period, the misa de gallo. Literally “mass of the rooster,” it was decided to celebrate it at three or four in the morning, instead of at night, to accommodate farmers, whose routine it was to wake up long before daybreak to tend to their chores. The Philippines is now far from the largely agricultural country it once was, but the tradition lives on.

My next pre-dawn mass after the first one came years later, upon the invitation of my childhood friends in the subdivision I grew up in. We’d all tag along with Kuya Manu, our street’s resident big brother, on the first day of Simbang Gabi and make promises to each other to attend all nine masses for the chance to make a wish in the end. Of course, that almost never happened, but year in and year out, we never failed to try.

Year in and year out, too, we capped the pre-dawn ritual with breakfast at our subdivision’s little plaza before the morning walk back home to our waiting beds. After Simbang Gabi, all over the Philippines, you can always count on finding vendors selling puto bumbong, a purple rice pastry steamed in bamboo tubes and topped with butter, grated coconut, and brown sugar, and bibingka, a sweet thick pancake made of glutinous rice flour, topped with salted eggs and local white cheese, and baked in banana leaves. I’d never fail to bring some of either delicacy, as if they were mementos from an early morning celebration, as if without them I hadn’t really woken up and made it to the pre-dawn mass.

The Christmas lantern My childhood friends and I would always want to walk the five blocks or so to church and back again, because it was such a joy to see the look-alike subdivision houses decked out in their Christmas best. And what is Christmas without the Philippine Christmas lantern, the parol?

Usually star-shaped, the parol—which traces its etymology from the Spanish word for lantern, farol—was inspired by the Mexican piñata and Chinese lanterns and symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem, which led the Three Kings to Jesus. It was originally used to light the paths to the church for the misa de gallo during a time when

Photo courtesy of estanli.net

people didn’t have electricity yet.

The five-point star-shaped parol made of bamboo and papel de japon was first created by Fernando Estanislao, an artisan from San Fernando, Pampanga, who started making these lanterns in the early 1900s. To this day, Pampanga is the parol capital of the country, with the humble parol having evolved and acquired its present-day splendor. For many Filipinos, the first visual cue of the season is an array of Pampanga-made Christmas lanterns blinking colorfully along highways.

In grade six, we were asked to make a simple parol in art class, for a level-wide parol-making contest. It was like making a kite, which I had been slightly successful at as a child, only more complicated as we had to cover many sections of a threedimensional bamboo star with the very frail Japanese paper provided with the parol kit, with the use of tubes of rice paste. My Christmas star was blue and white and very sticky; the paper was pasted loosely, so it was also wrinkly. A judge actually snickered as he looked at my creation. Obviously, it didn’t win, but despite that, we hung it up that Christmas.

The parol is also a symbol of hope in the midst of darkness.

The Nativity Scene Another popular Christmas decoration is the belen, or the Nativity Scene. The name belen is from the Spanish word for Bethlehem. In Spain, from which the décor--as well as everything Catholic--originated, the belen is usually a life-size decoration. We have that here too, like the giant ones that decorate office buildings and shopping malls, the one at the COD building in Cubao, Quezon City being the most popular for years and years, but many children start off recognizing the belen as little figurines residing underneath the Christmas tree, beside all the tempting, unopened presents.

In my family, we’ve only had three belens in 33 years. The first one was made of cardboard and had to be replaced when it couldn’t stand on its own. The second one, made of ceramic, was replaced when one of the three kings and some animals got broken and baby Jesus was lost. balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 19

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Caroling In the Philippines, having a house shining in Christmas décor splendor usually makes you a favorite target for a Christmas tradition that is becoming scarcer and scarcer, at least in the form I grew up with: caroling. Children with makeshift musical instruments, like tambourines made of flattened bottle caps and tin cans filled with coins, would go from house to house from December 16 onwards, singing Christmas carols in exchange for some coins.

I’ve gone caroling a handful of times, and I remember making just enough money to buy a softdrink and chips the next day and adding two Filipino words to my vocabulary: barat, which means stingy, and patawad, which is what homeowners cry out when they don’t want to give you any money, even after your best rendition of “Give Love on Christmas Day.” Noche Buena In other countries, the bulk of Christmas festivities begin on December 25. Children wake up on Christmas morning, excited to find their presents underneath the Christmas tree. In the Philippines, the hard work and the partying begins on Christmas Eve, with noche buena marking the arrival of Christmas Day, and, thus, triggering an avalanche of phone calls and text messages and kisses and greetings and excited pleas from children to please allow them to open their presents.

If you are not with family on December 24, you can feel really, really lonely. If you are alone in the evening of December 25, it can mean you’re just really, really tired from all the cooking and celebrating.

The traditional Christmas spread you can almost expect everyone to have for Noche Buena includes the following staples: lechon, queso de bola, fruit salad, leche flan, and ham. The leche flan is usually some auntie’s or grandmother’s secret recipe; the fruit salad is often the family’s unique version (ours has ground peanuts, for instance). The lechon and ham are understood

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PHOTO BY TED MADAMBA

to be part of many breakfasts as ingredients for a variety of concoctions, while nobody really eats the queso de bola—at least not during Noche Buena.

In the last few years, my family and I have realized we’re just cooking to fill the refrigerator with leftovers. The youngest in the family is 26 and we’re all past the age when we could stuff our faces with as much food as we want. Still, we keep cooking, because it’s tradition.

Last year, we decided to change it up a little and cook only what we could eat at noche buena, skipping the labor-intensive recipes, like the chicken macaroni salad and lasagna. We were done cooking in an hour, and ready to eat way before midnight—unlike the many Christmas Eves in the past when we would have a dish or two… or three still waiting to be cooked in the kitchen.

It was not the same. Apparently, part of our Christmas tradition is stressing out in the kitchen, exchanging catch up stories, bickering over the overcooked leche flan, and snapping at brothers stealing cheese or shredded chicken or whatever ingredient waiting to be added to a dish.

Flash forward to another Christmas memory, many years later. My cousin and I were in her car, looking for a convenience store that would honor a gift certificate for a gallon of ice cream on Christmas Eve. As we were parking at a gas station, we saw a brightly decorated tricycle leave. The driver had his wife inside the cab and a toddler straddling the motorcycle in front of him. Two children were on his back seat, and they were clutching a pack of hot dogs, a bottle of soda, and a loaf of bread. They were all smiling happily, as if they had run off with the world’s biggest treasure. For that moment, the tricycle was home to the family and their noche buena.

Just as well, because in the Philippines, the land of fiestas with all its attendant trappings, it is really the people who make up the feast. g

balikbayan | DECEMBER 2009 – JANUARY 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

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The resort is dramatically situated on a hillside in a flourishing nature reserve located on the northern part of the island. Boracay’s pristine beaches are regularly named among the world’s best, in publications from National Geographic magazine to the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook.

The island is a 45-minute flight south of Manila, with exclusive resort speedboat transfers that can take guests from Caticlan airport straight to the resort’s jetty port Marrying luxury and comfort with a reverence for nature, the 12-hectare resort encompasses 219 rooms including 36 villas and suites; comprehensive leisure facilities; 350 meters of secluded beach front; and a thriving ecosystem of diverse, even rare, flora and fauna.

Deluxe rooms measure 60 square meters, all with balconies and commanding sea views. Villas are butler-serviced retreats with a minimum 108 square meters and private plunge pools, whirlpools or pergolas for al fresco dining. Eleven tree top villas have a fabulous view of the sea, the sunset and private Jacuzzi on the second level of each villa.

The resort’s varied dining options including full banqueting services and facilities make it a favored destination for those who have a taste for fine food and drink. The beautifully designed Sagana Ballroom can accommodate up to 240 guests for an elegant sit down dinner.

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The resort is situated within a peaceful nature reserve with 75 species of plants on the ravines, cliffs and seashore. Hundreds of bats take to the sky against the setting sun every afternoon at 5:30. This is the flight of the fruit bats from their roosting ground to the other side of the island, an experience unique to Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa. For inquiries and reservations, please call (036) 428 4929 or e-mail reservation.slbo@shangrila.com.

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| past food | by alma anonas–carpio | photo by ted madamba

Memories and Recipes of Christmases Past he smell of a roasting turkey wafts into the living room of the house on the corner of P. Guevarra Street and Mariano Marcos St. in San Juan town. Drifting with this mouthwatering scent are other smells: Pochero is simmering in a large stockpot alongside a wok where laing is gently cooking.

Outside, succulent pieces of fish and pork roast on a huge grill.

Butter cookies prepared in advance are laid out on the dining room table beside slices of Marca Piña queso de bola and biko from Bicol, sweet and dark sago’t gulaman and aged fruitcakes sliced thinly.

This is the first round of food laid upon my grandmother’s table at Christmas, the same table we all gather round now that she has been gone nearly ten years. Bottles of wine and a glossy chicken galantine bathed in savory gravy add sparkle to the table as the bells of Mary the Queen chime to call the faithful to the Misa de Gallo, the Christmas Mass that marks the end of the Simbang gabi novena of masses.

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balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 23

Photo by rene villaroman | the ajpress

The tree is tall, the harp-playing angel perched upon it nearly touching the ceiling of this old house, the first one to be built in Little Baguio in 1918. Fairy lights and tinsel, candy canes and shiny balls and strings of popcorn decorate it. Each child in the family has added something to the tree by this time, as we all, in our time, had added one hand-crafted ornament on each Sunday visit from the first Sunday of November on.

The festive food, the clinking of glasses, the church bells, the tree with its blend of handmade and store-bought decorations and a lava-flow of gifts beneath it are all part of my childhood. They are now part of my daughters’ childhood and will remain a tradition long after my ashes are strewn on the wind.

Because our family tree has grown into a clan of several branches, we all bring something to the celebration. One aunt brings her famous chocolate cake, another buys the best ensaymada her favorite bakery has to offer. Yet others bring the dishes of their spouses who hail from Pampanga, Bicol, the Visayas. What was once a Spanish-Zambaleño feast has become a feast from all the islands, a feast that represents the growth and spread of our clan from Aparri to Jolo.

The table is laden until it groans and we all circle it at our leisure, sampling cousin Robbie’s fresh baked bread, another cousin’s reprise on Superlola’s tapa, a tribute to our late Tito August by his son Bobbie – caldereta as close to Tito August’s own recipe.

We celebrate living and loving in our family with this feast. We also remember our beloved dead with their signature dishes, prepared as best we can and as closely to the original.

There were the Christmases when we fed off Tito Greg’s immortal fudge and his irrepressible chili con carne as done by his grandson and exchanges stories of how he would reward us kids with these treats if we were good all week. Someone came in with a platter of cheeses – limburger, Roquefort and other smelly delights – and Norwegian smoked salmon and a shoulder of Chinese ham one Christmas in memory of Tito Robert.

Then there were the Christmases when the younger members of the

clan would pluck up their courage – and their newly-found culinary skills – and come to the Christmas get-together with dishes of their own making. Not everything was good, but it was all eaten with good grace and goodwill, accepted in the manner with which it was given.

Our family speaks in the language of food, you see. We even have a certified Cordon Bleu chef in the family (she trained in Switzerland). We express our affection with the food we bring to the clan table, especially at Christmas. Statements like “Oy! I brought these mango tarts from Conti’s because I heard you love these,” or “These lemon squares are from Becky’s Kitchen, for my favorite inaanak!” or “Superlola! I brought you a case of Cerveza Negra! And pulutan of your favorite chicaron,” are the things we chivvy each other with during this most magical of nights.

Second helpings are the norm, so the table gets re-laid with turkey, my mother’s Bam-I noodle soup, my Tita Noli’s kapampangan specialties and arosep salad, as well as desserts: Cathedral windows jellies, a huge centerpiece of starlight mints and gummi bears from Canadian resident Mama Heck, kakanin like sapin-sapin and pichi-pichi smothered in grated cheese.

For thirds we have the drinking fare enjoyed by the adults: Bottles of the finest scotch and wines bought and hoarded for the occasion, tapa, salpicao, vegetables and blue cheese dip, fresh oysters and slices of dayap, cakes and soda for the kids.

Once we are sated, the midnight bell tolls and the children run squealing to the tree, where my Superlola once sat in her favorite brown Pitoy Moreno gown and would call our names out grandly as she handed out each wrapped package. Now the matriarch is my Tita Gloria and it is she who sits in the regal chair of rosewood inlaid with mother-of-pearl and, with the help of her children, calls the little ones and gives out the gifts.

Each Christmas at the house on the corner of P.Guevarra and Mariano Marcos is a magical time for our clan that is nearly 200strong. It is a time of revcelry and memory and all of us touch our roots and souls with stomachs full to bursting with food made from the heart. g

24 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

by marie angeli syjueco | photo by rene villaroman | theajpress

asalubong!” is what we often tell our relatives and loved ones when they are about to travel.

It is natural for the Filipinos to be thoughtful and generous. The word is deeply embedded in the Filipino culture, connoting not only what we usually bring home, but the very notion of welcoming, “pagsalubong”, especially during the Holidays.

Bringing home these treats is a sign that those left behind during the travel were remembered. These could be souvenir items from the place that one has been to. But the best of pasalubongs are the mouth-watering treats of delicacies and food products from a particular destination: sapin-sapin from Malabon, piyaya from Bacolod, durian from Davao, and many more.

But nowadays, these have evolved into what we can now call pasosyalubong, an amorous take on these treats being brought back by Filipinos to the world. This phenomenon is truly Filipino, and could be associated with balikbayans.

Moreover, today the pasalubong has become “sosyal” or “sosy” (classy in English), because of their packaging. These mouthwatering food products do not only taste like heaven but are also elegant and in business sense, export quality. These are exquisitely packaged and are deliciously made with original recipes and quality ingredients, some of them coming straight from home kitchens. The culture of pasalubong has evolved through the years as their came new ideas and even greater demands.

26 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 27

Salcedo Market is just one venue where pasosyalubongs are showcased. This market is a shopper’s paradise. It opens every Saturday at the Salcedo Park at the busy Makati Business District.

It is like a bazaar with all the tents set up. Moreover, special products—be it raw food or homemade products—are sold at the Salcedo Market. One doesn’t have to go too far to get a taste of their favorite pasalubongs from all over the country. Filipinos, balikbayans and foreigners visit this market to get their favorites.

A visit at the Salcedo Market is a discovery of some of the best pasosyalubongs that balikbayans and foreigners alike could buy for their loved ones. Of course, Filipinos never stopped craving for their old-time favorites. Nevertheless, balikbayans bring with them a taste of home to their loved ones they left behind abroad. And somehow, foreigners discovered the sweetness of the Philippines as they taste these delicious pasalubongs.

These pasosyalubongs are authentic and original. Numerous stores at the Salcedo Market offer nothing but original delicious treats. Claudel Foods, for one, sells products from different regions in the country. “Our tag line is ‘Specialty foods from different places.’ We don’t limit our products with delicacies from Pangasinan and La Union. We have friends from other places who offered to sell their products. Our products are really authentic,” said Oscar Bananal, owner of Claudel Foods.

Pasosyalubongs are also made with good quality, thus, these are made special. Rizal Dairy Farms offers all-natural food products to shoppers. “We don’t use preservatives, only organic ingredients.

Buyers like our yogurt because it’s made from natural ingredients, unlike other brands,” said Christina delos Santos of Rizal Dairy Farms.

Likewise Gourmet’s also offers quality products. “Our coffee is delicious because it’s fresh. We have our own farm in Silang. We’re the ones who prepare the beans and grind the coffee,” said Marivic Apolinario, salesperson from Gourmet’s.

And so does the Filipino favorite, puto, from Michelle’s Homemade Putong Ube. “Everything is using quality ingredients.

Everything is freshly made. We make sure that we don’t sacrifice the quality by using cheaper ingredients. It’s really homemade. It is made in our commissary at home,” said Michelle Reyes, owner of Michelle’s Homemade Putong Ube. Uniqueness also defines a pasosyalubong. Saint Mary offers one-of-a-kind products. “Balikbayans buy pastillas and bring these to the States. These are sugar-free and are made from carabao’s milk,” said Christian Garcia from Saint Mary.

These are what the market demands. Pasosyalubongs are also packaged for the occasion. As pasalubongs also meant “presents” or “gifts”, La Cocina de Tita Moning offers their products in elegant packages. “We make our packaging colorful and attractive to match the occasion,” said Malen Hernandez of La Cocina de Tita Moning. Delicacies may be presented in a basket with colorful ribbons of green and red, which makes a perfect pasosyalubong this yuletide season.

And most especially, these pasosyalubongs do not only introduce the place from where they come from, but also remind the buyer of home. “A lot of balikbayans who miss their putong ube and bring them to the states. A lot of our products are Filipino delicacies,” said Michelle.

These delicious pasosyalubongs do not only melt in the mouth but also melt the hearts of those who taste them. They revive memories of home. But other pasalubongs that are truly Filipino like weaved bags or bayong also bring back good memories. Gary Fajardo, an owner of a store which sells bayong and other weaved products at the Salcedo Market shared a heart-warming story.

“I would see people step out from a BMW. A good-looking guy comes here. He’ll pick up a bayong. He’ll hug it. I know there’s a connection between him and the bayong. And then I’ll approach the guy. ‘Does it bring back good memories.’ He said, ‘yeah, my parents used to send my clothes and money in a bayong.’ And then he’ll end up buying a lot. It feels good to see people look back to where they came from,” said Gary.

What makes pasalubong “sosyal” or classy is its originality, authenticity, uniqueness and elegance. But, indeed, what makes a pasosyalubong special is the memories that remind Filipinos of home. g

28 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

ajpress photos by miko santos

| persona | text and photos by rene villaroman| the ajpress n a 13-hour flight to Manila in late September, I fought boredom and restlessness by reading chef Claude Tayag’s Food Tour, A Culinary Journal.

I had met Claude during a book launch held at the Philippine Consulate General Office in Los Angeles in May, and we struck a friendship borne out of a common interest in food. I told him, not in a definite way, that my family and I might take a Manila vacation in the fall, and asked if we could get together, and maybe, I could write an article about his blossoming career as a chef. He said “sure.”

On October 24, just a couple of days before I wound up my Manila vacation, my writer-friend Art Cariaga and I drove to Angeles City in his aging but surprisingly dependable South Korean-made, diesel-powered SUV, and we arrived in Claude’s city around 7:30 a.m. Too early to give Claude a wake-up call, we looked for a place to have a Filipino breakfast. Images of fried eggs, longganisa (pork sausages), tocino (cured pork) and sinangag (fried rice) danced in my head, but we were disappointed because, like babes in the woods, we did know where the closest Pampango restaurant was located, and we likewise did not have great deal of luck with persons we asked for directions.

I had been fascinated with Claude’s Bale Dutung (House of Wood), that he built literally from scratch and scraps. That house had been the focus of intense attention, especially after Claude hosted a dinner there last year for popular and controversial chefwriter Anthony Bourdain. That highly-anticipated culinary event was featured in Bourdain’s Travel Channel No Reservations show which aired in January this year. That episode had placed the Philippines in the international culinary map, shortly after a US culinary magazine, Saveur, devoted several pages in its December 2008 issue on Pampanga’s cuisine, illustrated with color photographs that showcased the province’s traditional dishes and culinary traditions.

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balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 31

What is Bale Dutung?

“This house was built from scratch and from scraps,” Claude tells us in the half-light and museum-like ambiance of the Bale Dutung’s silong (basement). “I say that because a lot of people think it’s an ancestral house that we have restored,” Claude explains. “On the contrary, I built the house myself, from scraps,” Claude adds. Bale Dutung’s infrastructure is about 80 percent reclaimed materials: adobe, wood, metal and stones. They were from a Catholic church in Mabalacat, Pampanga that was demolished in 1989. Claude struck a deal with the parish priest, paid for the materials, and had it hauled to his 2000-square meter lot in a subdivision along Angeles City’s main street. Claude had been collecting recycled building materials since 1980.

Construction began in 1991, just a few months after the spectacular eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. That cataclysm rained ashes and dumped lava (lahar) down several towns in Pampanga and a number of other Central Luzon provinces.

As luck would have it, Claude was driving by the Catholic Church in Mabalacat and noticed that workers were bashing adobes into small pieces, and burning wood. “Kasi daw, may anay (Because they thought they were termite-infested). So I negotiated with the priest. Sabi ko, hahakutin ko lahat iyan (I said, I will haul everything). I will buy them all. So, literally I bought junk and I paid more for the hauling,” Claude said.

The unique house is patterned after a “kamalig” (rice barn).

The structure is rectangular, with a wall-less ground floor, and a ceiling that has exposed rafters. He raised the ceiling just a tad to transform the ground floor into a spacious and airy activity area.

“I did not plan it to be an entertainment area, though,” Claude was quick to point out. “Parang display area lang ng mga works ko (just a display area for my works): sculptures, paintings, laruan

(toys) etc.” In fact, the basement is an eclectic showplace of Claude’s furniture designs (sofas, chairs and tables), sculptures in his “Perya” series, folk art collection, bric-a-bracs, assorted native basketry, pots and pans and huge glass storage and decorative jars. Today, the silong serves as the main dining area that can accommodate as many as fifty guests at a time.

“This is not a traditional house in the sense that it is not a bahayna-bato (concrete house). It is basically a barn house; it’s open,” Claude describes. The second floor is basically a one-room studio that Claude designed for himself.

When the idea to utilize the house into a unique, reservationsonly restaurant popped up, Claude added kitchens—an authentic dirty kitchen, and a modern one—where he and his household crew cook the entrees that they serve the diners. Claude added touches to make the silong acquire the looks of a vintage Filipino house, like a banggera (pantry) where kitchen utensils and glassware hang. There is even a sorbetes (ice cream) cart near the kitchen. It’s a place that shouts artistry and good taste.

The 2000-square meter property is dominated by a ten-year-old rubber tree that casts a huge shadow on the northwest corner of the yard. On the front lawn is a shallow, fern and shrub-lined pond that is guarded by a steel sculpture of a “Tikbalang” that was made by artist Solomon Saprid. On the south side of the lot, there is a woodand-grass Ifugao hut; native baskets hung from the ceiling, and elsewhere around the yard are medium- and large-sized bonsai trees, adding to the gorgeous lushness of the greenery in the yard.

“We are not—in the strictest sense of the word—a restaurant,” Claude hastens to say. “This is a house that we open to the public, but by reservation only.” Bale Dutung accepts reservations for a minimum of 12 persons who wish to dine in a unique setting.

Claude and his staff will cook a set menu that includes pako salad,

32 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

appetizers, like his Claude 9 brand Taba ng Talangka (crab fat); and about ten entrees total. “Mayroon kaming lumpiang ubod (We have coconut heart spring rolls); bulanglang, a soup of pork ribs, milkfish (bangus) belly, and ulang (freshwater prawns) that is made pungent and sour with green guavas. We also serve kare-kareng dagat (seafood stew with peanut sauce) and others. Bale Dutung also reprises each lunch or dinner with a dessert combo that it calls “Paradiso,” a label that they concocted from a comment made by the late writer and author Doreen Fernandez, who Claude had invited to visit. According to Claude, Doreen, after finishing a bowl of Bale Dutung’s signature dessert, exclaimed, “This is paradise.”

So the Tayags gave that dessert -- a combination of macapuno (hybrid coconut) ball, yema (a Pampanga confection) on a bed of pastillas de leche (candied carabao milk)—the name “Paradiso.”

Chirstmas in Pampanga During the days we are piecing this story together, Christmas carols are playing in the airwaves, in the malls, in sari-sari stores, and from the boom-boxes of street vendors in Baclaran. At Bale Dutung, the Tayags have begun Christmas decorating, hanging ten white parols (Christmas lanterns) from the deck on the second floor. A house help is fashioning a native Christmas bouquet out of atchuete leaves, flowers and pods. From the deck, I savor the aroma of grilling chicken basted with Claude 9 inasal marinade, and Mary Ann, Claude’s beautiful wife, is busy setting the lunch table at the deck for their two guests from Manila. “I leave the cooking to Claude,” says Mary Ann, an 18-year veteran of Cathay Pacific Airlines in Hong Kong, first as a purser with the cabin crew, followed by a stint with the airline’s management team. That organizational and management experience is serving her in good stead today, helping Claude manage his career, and overseeing

the expansion of the Claude’s growing culinary enterprise. Mary Ann, who hails from Mabalacat, Pampanga and comes from a family of avid cooks, is no stranger to food and cooking, making her the perfect foil for Claude, who admits that he is focused on home cooking.

Over lunch featuring fresh pako (fiddlehead fern) salad with boiled quail eggs, onions and tomatoes, adobong pugo (quail); inasal na manok (grilled chicken); and spring rolls, Claude talks about what native delicacies Kapampangans serve on Christmas.

“Dito sa Pampanga (here in Pampanga) this is the tradition in my family,” he begins. “Other towns practice it also,” he says.

“Christmas Day, December 25, is what we call Nilagang Pasko.

It’s like cocido; it’s a nilaga (boiled meat); it’s just not the simple nilagang manok (boiled chicken); it’s a combination of different meats, with chorizo (Spanish sausage), ham hocks, plus saging na saba (plantains),” Claude explains. “In other regions, they call it cocido, like in Zamboanga. Apart from the nilaga, Kapampangans also have lechon (roast pig). “Wala na kasi yung handa-handa (Big feasts are no longer practiced).

Claude said that the noche buena (Christmas eve dinner) on the 24th features a lot of cold cuts and cheeses, and it is no longer considered a family dinner because each and every member of the family has somewhere to go. “So what we have is an early dinner, heavy on cocktails, then mag-sisimba na kami at like 10 p.m. (then we would go to midnight mass). Being native Angelenos, the Tayags have easy access to PX (post exchange) goods, like imported turkey, cheeses and wine, queso de bola (cheese ball), and grapes. “We would have turkey dinners on Thanksgiving Day, but I never knew what we were thanking for,” Claude quips.

In Angeles City, Claude reveals, they were not foreign to these American traditions. balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 33

“The big meal on the 25th is lunch, so we would ask somebody to buy puto bumbong (rice delicacy steamed in a bamboo tube), bibingka (rice cake) and tsokolate (chocolate toddy), and these would complement the wines and cheeses,” Claude continues.

“Because we did not have help at the time, almost everything served was pre-cooked by my mother or store-bought. We’ve had these feasts for like 25 years; so you can call it a tradition.”

Claude Comes Out of the Pantry The ninth in a brood of 12 children, Claude began cooking seriously after studying Architecture at the University of the Philippines. Prior to that, he had been cooking mostly for himself because he did not relish recycling leftover lunch. When he was in high school, he would make his own sandwiches for dinner. “I do not like repeating or re-heating lunch,” he says. He learned to improvise. “Kunwari, may natirang nilaga sa tanghali, gagawa ako ng chop suey or something: pancit canton or whatever (for example, if there is leftover boiled beef, I would fix myself up with a chop suey, or a noodle dish). Or I would make a sandwich.”

Claude had always been informally involved with food, having come from a very large family. He is the ninth of 12 children who are constantly eating, feeding, and cooking in their house.

Being one of the younger ones, and with his older siblings having already started their own families, Claude felt like a greenhorn in a fraternity. “There was constant feeding for everyone: family, friends, and relatives,” he relates. “So by my having been exposed to that kind of environment, I imbibed that culture. Also, in Pampanga, there is no stigma attached to men who cook and the notion that cooking was just for women does not hold water.

We eight boys can cook.”

“I first came out of the pantry—I call it nag-ladlad ng apron— as a chef was when (restaurateur) Larry Cruz of Ang Hang in Makati invited me to cook at his restaurant,” he reveals. He had been a friend of Larry, and had cooked informally at his house several times. That was in 1989. The second time was in 1992, when he cooked with a Spanish chef during a food festival at the Manila Hotel. It was for a formal dinner featuring Filipino cuisine, specifically dishes that originated in Pampanga. It was the first time that Filipino cuisine was ever showcased in the festival. He acquired the title of chef by virtue of his notable public cooking stints. “I think I earned my stripes after cooking publicly,” Claude recalls.

Following these and other important invitations to cook in public, Claude was thrust under the cynosure of a nation that is beginning to get enamored with cooking and food and the men and women who are emerging as chefs with a promising future. Claude was gradually morphing into a celebrity chef. One of the tangible bonuses of his new calling—apart from being a sculptor and painter—is being invited to write for a major national newspaper—on any subject. Claude had become a food writer. In the foreword of his book, Food Tour, Tayag recalls: “It all started out quite innocently. Our friend, Millet Mananquil, the Lifestyle editor of Philippine Star, suggested I write for her. “On what?” I asked. “Anything under the sun,” she said. Given that carte blanche, it seemed I was faced with a daunting task. But since eating and cooking are major preoccupations of mine, it was but natural for me to choose as my subject matter—what else but food?”

Coming at the heels of Food Tour is another culinary book, Kulinarya, which he co-authored with culinary notables Glenda Rosales Barretto, Conrad Calalang, Margarita Fores, Myrna Segismundo, and Jessie Sincioco. That luscious book was edited

by Michaela Fenix, and was illustrated by photographer Neal Oshima.

Clearly, one of the most important and memorable culinary event that happened at Bale Dutung was Bourdain’s visit last year.

Claude tells me that the celebrity chef liked the buro (fermented rice with mustard greens). “He also loved kare-kare (oxtail and tripe in peanut sauce), pako (fiddlehead fern) salad, adobong pugo (quail), and bulanglang, three-meat sinigang (sour and pungent soup).

“My real profession is being an artist,” Claude tells this writer at the close of a very satisfying lunch that mimicked almost to the last entree the dinner that he served Bourdain. “It just extended to food.” Claude, the painter had the first exhibition of his paintings in 1978 when he was 23, and had exhibits almost every year since then. In 1990, at the Ayala Museum, he showed the world his chops as a furniture designer and sculptor. His Food Tour book is illustrated in pen and ink drawings by, you guessed it, Claude Tayag.

There are words that describe persons like Claude who have the multiple skills of an artist, sculptor, house designer, food writer, and chef. In my book, they are known as renaissance men. g

34 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

| salt & paper | by malou liwanag–aguilar| the ajpress

Intramuros takes us back to Manila—with a twist of food fusion and great live entertainment

38 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

T IS ALMOST A YEAR AGO when I first interviewed Mark de Leon and Barry Picazzo, co-owners of Intramuros, a Filipino restaurant in South San Francisco. The place wasn’t open then, and they were in sort of a mad rush to make it just in time for their January opening.

Another Filipino restaurant in the area? This part of the Bay Area is home to many Filipinos that finding one good restaurant that serves Philippine cuisine is not that hard—but finding a GREAT one is. Ever since I moved here, I was amazed about the diverse choices one could have, but having a family who love to eat and cook, I am a little critical about food. There’s something comforting about eating food that reminds you of home, and as far as I know, nothing beats my brother’s kare-kare (oxtail stew), my mom’s tinolang manok or my sister’s leche flan.

But then again I could be wrong.

During our first interview, Mark said that opening a music lounge with really good food for dining was his dream. “It took us two years,” said Mark and Barry, then added, “then we stumbled upon this place.”

Both partners agree that the size of the place was perfect, but saw the venue as too dark. The place used to be a Mediterranean restaurant, and before it was renovated the décor was tacky and unappealing. However, when they revisited the place, they decided that it was time to build their dream.

And true to their dream, Intramuros was born.

A restaurant, music lounge, bar and a venue with banquet facilities, Intramuros is a sleek and modern dining and entertainment destination in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area.

A fusion of flavors, a world of choices Barry, who used to be a partner in Patio Filipino restaurant, describes Intramuros’ menu as Filipino with a twist. “We would like to remain true to our main market,” he said and added, “Filipino base is what keep us going.” That means big portions, traditional flavors but reinvented.

Their Chicken Tinola Verde is one of the items I would vouch for – just thinking of the tender pieces of boneless chicken in their ginger-garlic broth makes my mouth water.

Another dish worth trying is the Crispy Binagoongan – diced crispy pork lightly glazed with shrimp paste over grilled eggplant, topped with diced green mangoes and tomatoes. I mean, I’m always careful about cholesterol, but then again, life is short and this dish is something I would die for.

They also have four kinds of paella – the traditional Valencia (shrimp, mussels, chicken and Spanish chorizo), Aseana (Chinese sausage, roast duck, charsiu pork, shitake mushrooms and leeks), the exotic Tinta (calamares, squid flakes and asparagus with smoked fish sauce in squid ink rice) and the Intramuros (longganisa, clams, adobo, squid smoked bangus, salted egg and tomato in saffron rice). I have only tried two on the list, but I am sure all are worth it.

balikbayanmagazine.com | DECEMBER 2009 – JANUARY 2010 | balikbayan

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“Barry is more than a chef,” said Mark and explained, “He is also into product development, testing new ideas, recreating old ideas into exciting possibilities.”

The reinvention and fusion of food is what makes Intramuros’ menu exciting.

However, the best part is that they have added just enough fusion to make it interesting – without taking away the real identity of the food. One example is their luscious Bibingka Souffle – light and airy, with a cream-flavored based, served with the traditional salted egg and white cheese on the side. It was the perfect way to reintroduce a simple rice cake to the eclectic palate of the people in the Bay Area, Filipino or not. And just when I thought that your average crème brulee couldn’t get any better, Intramuros offered two versions of it – the Maja Mais and Barako Crème Brulees.

Barry explained that since Intramuros first opened in January, the menu has evolved. The kitchen is fully operational, and even their wine list has changed. He says that they have continuously added new items in the menu, including their Balut Pot Pie—surely something that will make an interesting twist for diners.

Even our own international Broadway star Lea Salonga, was impressed with Intramuros’ offerings when she visited the restaurant, and even wrote about it in her column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“The dinner was nothing short of absolutely delicious,” she wrote and added, “It was a full-bodied reminder of what I love about Filipino food, as well as a modern twist on dishes well-loved and frequently served.

This [Intramuros] is one Filipino restaurant I am most definitely proud of.”

But don’t ever confuse Intramuros with your expensive restaurant. The fusion in food and fancy set up is actually affordable and reasonable. In fact, they also recently introduced their weekend “silogs” like the Bangsilog (boneless bangus belly), Chopsilog (pork chop) and Tocilog (tocino) —all served with garlic fried rice, fried egg and tomatoes.

They also serve their lunch plates like Chicken Inasal and Beef Salpicao, complete with rice and soup, all for a reasonable price.

Everything in the menu is simple and understandable, nothing complicated and unreadable like your fine dining list, but I assure you – simplicity stops with words because the taste is a whole different definition.

Entertainment It was not a surprise for the place to have a broad range of entertainment

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choices as well. Mark, who used to be a part of a band and music hall owner in the Philippines, sees the place as a mecca of entertainment in the area. “Before when we started, we had something in mind already, and then hindi namin alam kung maaaccept ng Bay Area,” he said and then added, “Now, medyo alam na namin what they like, what they don’t like and the mix.”

They did get the right mix. Since the time Intramuros has opened to the public, it has become one of the most favorite venues for weddings, birthday celebrations and fundraising affairs.

Every day of the week is a different kind of entertainment experience. “We try to cater to everyone, from light jazz, salsa nights, plus hit the concert scene on a more intimate level,” Mark said.

Before they were thinking of a once a week dance night, and still believes that everybody’s looking for that. “Gusto nila one night, puro dancing. So right we are talking to different DJs, whether Filipino, or on the latin/salsa side.”

For bands, Mark explained that they have identified what the audience likes.

“So right now, we are reformatting it—even if they don’t look at our webpage, alam na nila na every Friday, ito yung band na gusto nila.”

The rest of the week offers a different thing too. “We’re trying to develop our latin night on Thursdays. Binubuhay namin ang Wednesdays namin—nandoon ang mga performers like Miriam Pantig, Divo.

Tuesday is audition night, they have the opportunity to invite friends and family so they can showcase their talent.”

Aside from this long list of entertainment options, Intramuros is also the place for intimate concerts of international artists like Stephen Bishop, Kevyn Lettau and David Pomeranz.

“We know Filipinos gusto nila love songs,” said Mark. “That is why we bring these artists to perform here in Intramuros, in a more intimate setting.”

Their Sunday night karaoke is also packed. Regulars come in to sing, and once in a while, local Filipino artists who just happen to drop by and eat end up jamming it up.

“Masaya, because they are comfortable,” said Mark.

Manila meets modern Intramuros, meaning “within the walls,” is a walled city by the Spaniards during the 16th century upon their occupation in Manila. This is why Mark and Barry made sure that the place touches that historical side, with the touch of modernity to it.

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From the dark and tacky old décor, Intramuros has been transformed into a sophisticated and elegant dining destination.

The place has four areas to dine in—from Intramuros, the Main Dining Room which serves most of the offerings in their menu, the Intra Lounge (music lounge and bar) for tapas-style Asian cuisine with music by the best DJs and live bands, the Music Hall (banquet facility) that is open for clients’ parties, concerts and special events with cuisine featuring Filipino, Spanish, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican and American flavors; to the Veranda (Patio Café) serving traditional Filipino and American breakfasts, late dining for the Friday and Saturday night crowds.

Just as Mark and Barry promised the first time I interviewed them, the place’s interiors has been tastefully done. The interior design is as interesting and entertaining as what the venue offers, as conceptualized by its designer, Gari Camaiza.

The whole exudes a certain quiet and comfortable charm. For the dining area alone, one will be awed with the beautiful capiz chandelier above a black grand piano. The walls are painted in muted tones, decorated by Vigan mirrors to add the dimension of depth and space.

A modern-hip but with a minimalist style is how I can describe the bar and lounge, with leather furnishing and a sleek full bar serves a wide array of wines and cocktails.

Aside from the main dining area in the restaurant and banquet services, Intramuros also offers buffet services on special occasions, as well as full catering services. “We are offering no-worry packages for Christmas and New Year,” Barry said. The package will include feast favorites like pastel de lengua, callos, embutido and chicken relleno. “It will be straight from the platter to the table, good for 12-15 people. Nothing to worry, all they have to do is order ahead of time.”

Barry explained Intramuros also has an interesting mix of clients.

Aside from the Filipinos in the area and a number of American diners who have learned to love their food, ironically people coming from the Philippines are also frequent diners in the restaurant.

Back in January, I asked Barry and Mark if it was a wise idea to open a new business in the current economic situation. Mark said that most people would think it was the worst time. However, he added that, “on the other hand, this is the only good time to buy a business.” Probably from other people’s view, it was like holding on to a blind belief that things will take off smoothly.

Starting with just ten people in their staff, Intramuros now has ten chefs in their fully operational kitchen and employs—full-time or part-time—at least 80 people.

Barry & Mark present a check to Mitos Santisteban of ABS-CBN Foundation-Sagip Kapamilya.

“People would write to us that they want to work for us because they see the kind of working enviroment we have,” said Barry.

“We’re like a family.”

Of course, things didn’t go as smoothly as they would want it to be—but that was understandable for any new business. True, Barry and Mark both agree there is still much tweaking to be done, but Intramuros has exceeded the expectations of many. For one, it has exceeded mine. g Intramuros is located at 101 Brentwood Drive, South San Francisco (across See’s Factory along El Camino Real). For more information, please call (650) 877-7736, fax (650) 877-7735 or e-mail: info@theintramuros.com. You can also log on to www. theintramuros.com.

Stephen Bishop performing at the Intramuros.

42 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

| red carpet | BY RUBEN V. NEPALES | PHOTOS BY JANET SUSAN NEPALES

An Evening at the Raquels of Hancock Park and Ayala Foundation USA

T WAS A DELICIOUS THOUGHT AS I SAVORED SISIG on the grounds of this magnificent manse where Mary Pickford, the “Queen of Motion Pictures,” used to live: today, a FilipinoAmerican family resides here.

Back in 1918, when Pickford was “America’s Sweetheart,” our manongs could only find work as houseboys, cooks and chauffeurs in a house such as this one or as waiters and busboys in Los Angeles restaurants. One recent November night, three Fil-Am chefs presided over a staff which served a gourmet tasting menu dinner in this event dubbed as “Dining With the Chefs.”

These top Filipino culinary artists are: Cecilia de Castro, who has collaborated with Wolfgang Puck for over 30 years at Spago, the Academy Awards Governors Ball and other events, and is the founder of the Academy of Culinary Education; André Guerrero, whose restaurants earned accolades from Esquire Magazine and Los Angeles Times (his current outlets are Boho Restaurant, Butter Tart Café and The Oinkster); and Carlito Jocson, partner/owner of Yardhouse, a restaurant chain in the U.S.

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balikbayan | DECEMBER 2009 – JANUARY 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

Loida Nicolas Lewis vand Victor Lirio.

Carlito Jocson, Cecilia de Castro, and Andre Guerrero.

Cecilia de Castro and staff preparing dessert.

(L-R) Prosy de la Cruz, Enrique de la Cruz, Winston Damarillo, Sheila Marcelo, Greg Macabenta and Ruben Nepales.

The chefs at work.

(L-R) Ruben Nepales, Jane Gillman, Cecilia de Castro, Janet Nepales and Letty Quizon.

Bob Shroder and FASO serenade guests. balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 45

Most of the guests were Pinoys, achievers in various fields, some of them millionaires, who came to support the Ayala Foundation USA and its sustainable and long-term development programs in the Philippines.

This was a sweeter thought – accomplished kababayans either sharing their culinary talents or partaking of the meal to help underprivileged children in the Philippines, among other causes. At the helm of this project is a steering committee composed of Josie Chernoff, Asian Journal President and Co-publisher Cora Oriel, Michael Balaoing, Lynn Hess, and Eric Manlunas.

“Magical” was a word often said throughout the evening at the house of Edwin and Leilani Raquel and their daughters in L.A.’s Hancock Park. We’ve come a long way from benefit dinners in fluorescent-lit ballrooms where the highlight was the crowning of Miss Mankitkitaw, Mrs. Mankitkitaw and Little Miss Mankitkitaw.

Under a tree festooned with lantern lights, guests mulled over the auction items while drinking libations, several from the Philippines —San Miguel Beer, VuQo premium vodka (distilled from our coconuts), Haliya wine (made from our famous mangoes) and RPinspired cocktails, mango-politan and mansi-tini.

Tommy “Tomiko” de los Reyes, one of LA’s best floral artists, showed us his creations strategically displayed inside and outside the Beaux Arts mansion that was awarded Landmark Medallion Award No. 11 by The Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society and was showcased by the Assistance League of Southern California as its Design House 2003.

From the landscaped grounds to the poolside area, which glowed with tea candles, the guests from different parts of the U.S. were offered tasty hors d’oeuvres, some of which evoked flavors and memories of home – Cecilia’s sisig, baked mussels and chicken adobo sliders on mini pan de sal; André’s flatbread with salmon, oyster po’boys and “faux” gras mousse with quince on croustade; and Carlito’s toaster seaweed with radish kimchee and fried avocado and ono poke on crispy puffed rice. The chefs dispatched these yummy appetizers from a tented kitchen erected for the occasion.

As the guests sat down on tables around the pool and the luxurious cabanas, select members of Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), led by musical director Bob Shroder, played light classics and Filipino standards. The inspired playing of FASO, the first Filipino symphony orchestra outside the Philippines, reminded us of the significance of this occasion—Filipinos banding together to help their countrymen.

Edwin and Leilani, who have been generously opening their home for benefit dinners for Philippine causes, stood by with a smile as their eldest daughter, Christina, gave the welcome remarks.

Vicky Garchitorena, president of the Ayala Foundation, Inc., recounted how she and her fellow founding members, Loida Nicolas Lewis, Diosdado “Dado” Banatao, Greg Macabenta and Fernando Zobel de Ayala, discussed their dream of getting the Filipino-American community together to help the Philippines.

“This is a really magical evening,” Vicky enthused as she praised the partnership of Fil-Ams that made the dream a reality. “We can make a significant impact by partnership.”

Special guest Mark Dacascos, “The Chairman” no less on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America, was introduced by Michael Balaoing, secretary and a member of the Ayala Foundation USA’s board of trustees. With food very much on everyone’s mind on this evening, the Fil-Am actor and martial artist, recently seen in Dancing With the Stars, said that lumpia is his favorite Filipino food. Dado thanked all for their attendance and contribution to the event’s success. Earlier, Dado happily conceded that this L.A. edition of Dining With the Chefs looked like it was going to top the first one, which he and his wife Maria hosted last year in San Francisco along with the area’s finest Fil-Am chefs.

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Cecilia de Castro and staff preparing sisig.

Center right, Sherri Burke (in red) and Dr. Robert Wolf (mother and stepfather of “Dancing with the Stars” Cheryl Burke respectively) and two guests.

(L-R) Leilani Raquel, Mark Dacascos, Alex Alonso, Cecilia de Castro and Julie Condra Dacascos.

Andre Guerrero in the kitchen.

(L-R) Dado Banatao, Chairman of the Board, Ayala Foundation USA and Letty Quizon, PR & Marketing, Ayala Foundation USA gives special recognition to the work and support that these individuals have wholeheartedly provided: Tommy “Tomiko” de los Reyes, Floral Artist, Chef Cecilia de Castro, Chef Andre Guerrero and Chef Carlito Jocson.

(L-R) Anthony David, Prosy de la Cruz, Loida Nicolas Lewis, Michael Balaoing, Janet Nepales and John Mina.

(L-R) Letty Quizon, Carlito Jocson, Cecilia de Castro, Janet Nepales, Andre Guerrero and Dave Pergl.

Hosts Edwin and Leilani Raquel and floral artist Tomiko.

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Andre Guerrero in the kitchen.

During the remarks, the waiters served the top toques’ main entrées, one after another: Carlito’s bacon and eggs-braised pork belly with quail eggs in caramel sauce; sliced Creekstone natural prime rib eye with corn, Kubota squash and shrimp pudding; André’s butter poached prawns with buttered squash in coconut milk; and mushroom risotto with 18-hour braised short rib.

The evening’s gourmet fare was capped by Cecilia’s desserts, which included sans rival with passion fruit and mixed berry coulis.

A parade of mini desserts, where 28 caddies were dropped on each dining table, coincided with the parade of chefs, kitchen crew and service staff. The roaring applause lasted for minutes.

The day after the event, we talked to the chefs. On collaborating with her colleagues and preparing a meal for a good cause, Cecilia said, “I have always wanted to put together a dining experience that would feature Fil-Am chefs and showcase the cuisine and flavors of the Philippines. Finally, last night it came to fruition. I believe we were able to showcase the talent in the food industry. I hope that it will inspire the future Fil-Am generations to be proud of their cultural heritage. Philippine cuisine—with its ingredients and flavors—can be served in a fine dining environment. It can be healthy and colorful. I am tired of hearing, especially from some Fil-Ams, that Filipino food is unhealthy, that it’s all fried and brown!

“What a fun time it was to work with such professionals like André and Carlito,” Cecilia added. “It was so easy to come together and collaborate on the menu and the evening’s schedule.

I hope that this is just the first of many events where we can collaborate and use our talents and resources to help great causes such as the mission of the Ayala Foundation USA.” André, who was born in Manila and came to the U.S. with his family when he was seven years old, shared, “It was nice working with the Filipino chefs. There was a great sense of camaraderie between us. We have a unique history and sensibility when it comes to food and therefore our cooking reflects this. We also have a strong sense of family and community. So when they asked me to do the event, it was like a family member asking for help.”

For his part, Carlito, a Baguio City native who immigrated with his family to the States when he was nine years old, said, “It truly felt like a family gathering. I think it demonstrated how we can make a big difference by coming together as a Filipino community.

As far as working with the other Filipino chefs André, Cecilia, my brothers Louie and Christopher, and all the volunteers, there was an immediate bond and mutual respect for each other. I was so proud of what they have accomplished as individuals. I was inspired by their talents. I know that we will be in contact, and be in support of each other, as we move forward. And since we love food and eating as Filipinos, what’s a better way to raise money for a great cause than by sharing a meal together?”

When we asked Cecilia to comment on the event as a testament to how far Filipinos have come in the U.S., she reminisced about how it all began for her. “My first job when I was 18 and in college was as an assistant to Wolfgang Puck and other chefs at Ma Cuisine, the cooking school of Ma Maison,” she narrated. “It feels like it was only yesterday when after two phone interviews, I

was asked to come on site for a personal interview at Ma Maison.

I asked where the cooking school was and Judy Gethers, the school director, said, ‘It is next door to a restaurant called Ma Maison on Melrose.’ As I arrived the following Friday at 1 p.m., the valet asked if I was having lunch at Ma Maison. I said, ‘No, I have an interview at Ma Cuisine.’ I was in awe of the Rolls Royces, Porsches and Jags lining the front of the restaurant.

“As I was getting out of my old, beat up car, Jacqueline Bisset was coming out of the restaurant. I just watched her a few weeks earlier in the hit movie The Deep. I could not believe that I will be working in Hollywood, surrounded by all these movie stars. At Ma Maison, we served Presidents, heads of states, the biggest movie stars, musicians, producers and directors. Wolfgang opened Spago and later on started catering Swifty Lazar’s Oscar parties and the Governors Ball after the Oscar Awards. I cannot believe how blessed I am to be doing what I love to do—cooking, teaching, making people happy and getting paid for it.”

She reflected, “To get an opportunity to cook with colleagues at the Mary Pickford estate, using Filipino ingredients in Filipinoinspired dishes for Fil-Am guests and their friends and raising funds to help the youth in their education and other causes back in the Philippines, I am beaming with pride that I was able to be a part of a historical event. It’s a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and hope to give a little back to the community and share the goodness and opportunities I have had in my life! I was also so excited and happy to meet so many successful Fil-Ams from many different cities who have made it. They will continue to inspire me to be a better person. Filipinos are so tenacious and hardworking, compassionate and talented. I hope we continue to use what we have for the good of mankind.”

Carlito shared, “The venue was beautiful and it was very apparent that there were many very accomplished Filipino-Americans. It is a wonderful reminder that the American Dream can be attained by anyone who is willing to work hard and dream big.”

On what was the most memorable moment, Cecilia said, “As the parade of chefs and pastries and the applause of the crowd were going on, I was thinking. ‘Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to be a part of something historical’—Fil-Ams coming together, dining on Filipino-inspired dishes and being proud of their cultural heritage to help raise funds for a great cause and no major glitch! We did it!”

“For my students, graduates and staff who are 95% nonFilipinos, who worked the event and witnessed it, they are already believers of anything Filipino, because I only speak in positive terms about anything Filipino. But I think this event made them see what I always have said—that the Filipino people are good, hardworking, decent people.”

For André, “The most memorable thing was the sense of generosity and sense of camaraderie I felt from the other chefs.”

Carlito commented, “The entire evening was memorable. The gracious hosts, the beautiful home, music, food, people and the beautiful Filipino smiles made the evening magical.”

The evening netted over $66,000 to support the projects of the Ayala Foundation USA, which seeks to be a bridge of hope across the seas. Our manongs would have been proud. g

Hosts Edwin and Leilani Raquel.

48 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

| business & treasure | by rochelle c. pangilinan | the ajpress

ost of the time, the best ideas are borne out of one’s passion. In 2007, Cristalle Belo, daughter of well-known dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Vicki Belo and businessman Atom Henares, launched Belo Essentials, a line of skin whitening and skin care products, to reach out to the average Filipina. It was during one of her frequent trips to the supermarket with her mom a few years before that the idea first sprung to life. Cristalle noticed how her mom, who’s ever passionate about aesthetics, would always go to the beauty products shelves and how people would always come up to them, asking them if they have whitening soaps available for sale at affordable rates.

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Mother and daughter team: Cristalle and Dr. Vicki Belo. balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 51

Mother and daughter sharing a light moment.

Needless to say, the idea took off. Barely two months within its launch, the Belo Essentials whitening skin care line became a hot sell at supermarkets, groceries and drug stores nationwide. It won the giant retailer SM’s Breakthrough Product of the Year the same year and bagged the Best in Bath Soap Category from Watson’s for two consecutive years in 2008-2009. These prestigious awards can be likened to the Grammy Awards in the retail industry.

Recently, Belo Essentials launched its new and improved body care line via a grand launch at the Greenbelt 5 Park, complete with star-studded guests including Belo Essentials lover, Bea Alonzo and an awesome fashion show with stunning models. The launch coincided with the celebration of Belo Medical Group’s 19th year.

Talking about the launch was something that made Cristalle’s eyes instantly light up, as she says it showed how far Belo Essentials has come... even in a short span of time.

“When we were starting out before, we didn’t have that big of a launch yet,” she recalls. “We just had small dinners where we would introduce our product to different retailers. So the (Aug. 18) event was a big one for us.”

The 26 year-old Cristalle definitely has taken the role of heading Belo Essentials and leading it to its current success in the market with much aplomb. When it comes to the business, she speaks with a certain confidence and maturity, not usual to those her age, but still manages to be playful and casual when posing with her precious dogs during the photo shoot at the Belo residence in Makati City.

But flashback to about seven years ago, it was hard to picture that this would be the case. Back then, Cristalle was a Business Management student at the Ateneo de Manila University and was clueless on what career path she wanted to pursue which would allow her to maximize her full potential as Cristalle Belo and not as Dr. Vicki and Atom’s daughter.

“When I was in college, I used to feel really pressured and I kept asking myself ‘what am I going to do that can make my parents proud because it seems like they have accomplished almost

everything,’” she says.

Cristalle graduated in 2004 but before heading out to join the corporate world, decided to join the Jesuits Volunteers Philippines where she was designated to teach pre-school children in Malaybalay, Bukidnon for ten months.

This was an experience that Cristalle knew she had to do before devoting herself to the family business and the corporate world. It turned out to be an experience she would always look back to and forever be grateful for.

“Being a volunteer helped me in so many ways because it was able to ground me. It taught me how to be a man for others, something the Jesuit priests always used to teach us. It was a very humbling experience,” she shares. “There was a lot of spiritual formation involved. I was able to strengthen my faith and my relationship with the Lord. Aside from enjoying the peace and the simple life in Bukidnon, living away from Manila made me realize that there are so many activities and opportunities out there in provinces such as Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Butuan, etc! My world opened up, and on top of that, it was able to make me feel a bit more independent from my mom. It was the first time that I lived away from her.”

For someone used to being well taken cared of, living away from home wasn’t easy for Cristalle. As a volunteer, she had a Php 3,500 salary per month. She had to pay monthly rent of Php 600 for the boarding house she stayed in and set aside a budget of Php 50 per day for food. During her stay there, Dr. Vicki would often call and insist in sending her money, but Cristalle adamantly refused the whole time. “I needed to experience how people work hard to earn a living so that I can appreciate everything that I have even more,” Cristalle explains.

When Cristalle got back to Manila, Dr. Vicki asked her to go to medical school. A daunting task since she lacked Science units and needed to take it in one fell swoop: one year.

“I was really overwhelmed,” she recalls. “I was doing it for my mom, and it wasn’t really my passion so the more it became

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As a Jesuit volunteer, Cristalle with her kids in Bukidnon.

overwhelming. Then in my second semester, I realized that this was something that doesn’t make me happy. It was hard for me to drop out because I never really let down my parents. I was always an achiever, and I always want to make them happy, especially my mom. So it was hard for me to tell her that it wasn’t something I wanted to do.”

Cristalle finally broke the news to her mom, and it was something Dr. Vicki took in in stride.

“She told me, ‘You just had to try it because you’ll never know if you like it or not, if it is for you or not, if you don’t try it,’” she shares. It was then when Cristalle became intent on making her mom’s dream of launching her own skin care line a reality.

“We wanted to reach out to other Filipinos not just as Belo Medical Group, but with a skin care line where my mom would be able to put all her knowledge and expertise in a product that can be distributed nationwide and would be very affordable,” she says.

For the mother and daughter team and a group of experts in beauty and skin care, it was easy to develop and launch a body and skin care line. Basing on the large cilentele at the Belo Medical Group who prefer the whitening treatment, the two already know that people like two things, which is, to have whiter, fairer skin, and to have soft, smooth skin.

“And they want these in one product,” Cristalle insists. “So with Belo Essentials whitening line, we give them the best of both worlds.”

There was no faltering on the part of Cristalle as they prepared for the line to be initially launched into the market.

“As a management graduate, I knew I could do it. It was a matter of getting the right people on my team,” she says. However, Cristalle is one woman who knows learning is a continuous process. She is currently taking up her MBA in the University of Western Australia, which she is set to complete by fourth quarter of 2010.

“It’s very good for me,” she quips. “I’m able to learn theories and learn applicable points for my business.”

She also looks forward to working with her classmates, who are

mostly above the 30-year-old age bracket, as she learns from them a lot as they come from different industries.

“There is so much diversity in the class, I had a groupmate who’s a scientist and studies earthquakes,” she says, obviously amused.

With the class, she says she gets an overflow of ideas on best practices, and systems and processes fit for her business. Still she insists that she owes a lot to her parents.

“Well, my dad is a finance director and my mom is a doctor,” she says. “My mom is very outgoing and my dad is very calculated. I’d like to think that I got the necessary training from both of them. So I’m a good mix of the two. I’m sort of a risk-taker which my mom is, but I’m also able to step back and look at my options which I got from my dad.”

Cristalle feels blessed having the support of both parents.

“I really feel their support especially during the launch,” Cristalle says. “I believe that they’ve already set the platform for me, and they just want me to go out there and shine.”

And shine she did. Not only has Belo Essentials taken over the market here in the Philippines (they currently distrubute in about 5,000 stores nationwide), it also has distribution in the US, both in the East and West Coast, Canada and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Plans are underway for Belo Essentials to be available in HongKong as well, through the assistance of Watson’s. And it doesn’t stop there.

“As the offers come, we scope it and see if it’s a good project to venture to,” she says.

With all her success, Cristalle emphasizes that it is her passion for what she does, which was instrumental for her to achieve it.

“Do what you love. Do something that will make you get out of bed everyday. Be excited about what you’re going to do, excited about what your plans are for the day. It should be something which could keep you up at night sometimes that you find it hard to sleep because ideas just rush in. That’s called passion and that’s something you could never buy,” she says. And for someone who has everything, we will definitely take her word for it. g

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by louie jon a. sanchez | the ajpress

photos by ted madamba

Two images of Christ continue to govern the faith of the Filipino.

The first one is, of course, the suffering Christ, the Christ of the Pasyon, the Christ of Quiapo. Balagtas had once allegorized our country in his Albanya and called it “bayan kong sawi,” which the expatriate poet Eric Gamalinda translated into the title of his novel, My Sad Republic (2000).

The Philippines as the sad republic could not help but be one; after the colonial masters replaced the epics with the Christian myth of the Passion, Death and Resurrection, Filipinos have sung this very suffering and made it their own, in the hope of redemption.

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Reynaldo Ileto’s Pasyon and Revolution (1997), one of Asia’s most acclaimed scholarly works of the past years, placed Pasyon at the heart of Filipino popular movements and even the cause for independence. The very suffering of Christ moved the Filipino and turned him to face the colonizer, but also the uncertain fate of her country. The imagery of Christ’s suffering, as exemplified not only in the Nazareno icon, but also in the images of the Ecce Homo (“Behold, The Man”), the Santo Entierro (The Dead Christ) and the Crucifixion, have made Filipino culture more meaningful and full of depth. For not only did Filipinos resonate with the vulnerability of Christ at his last moments on Earth; they have re-read the whole myth and made it their lifework, a talisman in this valley of tears.

Jesus once said to his disciples in the Gospels that, “unless you turn and become like children, you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Without knowing it, his own words seemed to have transformed him into that form of powerlessness and fragility, at least in the discourse of iconography. In another manifestation of practicing what he preaches, he become the word made flesh, the Santo Niño, the Christ Child, and traveled far and wide to reach Filipinas, where he will bless homes with his childlike holiness. As a most adorned image of Christ in the country, he was re-imagined to walk with common folk, to live with them. His many names and patronages, as well as various costumes (he could be doctor in one instance, and a policeman in another), recall not only the vestiges of the era of the circumnavigation and colonization, but also its ease of appropriation and acculturation. Who wouldn’t love a little boy who has in his hands that shining orb, which according to Nick Joaquin, already presaged what the circumnavigators would eventually find out in their journeys? He’s definitely got the whole world in his hands.

To say the least, that’s the whole world of Filipino culture he holds in his hands through the centuries. If we compare him to the others in the pantheon of saints, he’s the only one who had come down from his pedestal. And not only that: he took off his royal robes and worn the same everyday clothes of his people. Part of his mythic mischief is this down-to-earth portrayal, as shown by a usual January parade of his many images in Manila. The occasion looks like a children’s costume party. But not just costumes, but more appropriately, personas. He could be anybody, and he could play around. The Santo Niño is after all, considered The Fool in the pantheon. The Augustinian Fathers in Manila had once cut off his legs when he kept returning to the high altars in Cebu, where he was revered since the time of Rajah Humabon. And his myths of mischief, also gathered by the folklorist Damiana Eugenio, are nothing but amusing. The Child Jesus’ though is of a sweeter kind, albeit emphasizing his gentle elusiveness.

In gathering folklore, Eugenio found in Rosa C.P. Tenazas’ The Santo Niño of Cebu (1965), at least four tales relating to the origin and the mischief of the Holy Child. The first one concerns a fisherman who fished out from the sea, a piece of firewood which he had found quite mysterious, mystical; no matter how he puts it back in water, it always finds itself tangled in his net. So he took it home and tried to see what it does. He first tried its “magic” with the drying of his palay. In another instance, he dreamt of the firewood turning into “a statue of a beautiful child.” When he woke up, he witnessed a “transformation happening before his eyes.”

“The fire-brand had indeed taken on the form of a little child! As the days went by, the features became clearer and clearer until at last, it became the image of the Santo Niño as we see it today,” retells Eugenio.

The Santo Niño prankster meanwhile figured in the three other tales. In the first, a child was said to have gone to the market to buy danggit. He told the vendor to charge it to the prior of the church. Later on, everyone discovered that the boy was actually the Christ Child in the altar, as several pieces of danggit were found at balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 57

the foot of his statue. The second one was about his wanderings.

The Santo Niño was known to love visiting the nearby seashore.

One day, one of the sacristans, drunk and all, discovered that the Child had once again dirtied his robe. As he was cleaning it, he supposedly said, “Pastilan gasuroy-suroy ka na sad, no? Maayo ra ba ug mosuroy ka imo akong dad-an ug quarta’ng ipalit ng tuba! (My goodness, so you have gone wandering again? It would be well if every time you went around you’d bring me money for tuba!)” Well, he got his wish, again, at the foot of the statue. The third one happened allegedly in 1942, during the war. Military officers related that “a short, dark, curly-haired boy” attempted to enlist in the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), “to defend Cebu.” In here, he was being patriotic.

To celebrate the Feast of the Santo Niño in January is nothing but an apt reminder to the Christian majority in the Philippines about the little babe born in the stable a few weeks back. The centerpiece Child Jesus of course is the one in Cebu, the very first one which reached the land according to Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of Magellan. And it had long been the little prince of the Queen City of the South, since the newly-baptized queen of Humabon, Juana, found such fondness for the child who stood proud in his small pedestal. The Santo Niño took the place of the idols, which the natives have burned in that myth painted by Fernando Amorsolo.

The early Cebuanos learned to adore the little child rather easily and when Legaspi arrived, they had found in the settlement, that little child gifted according to chronicles, by Pigafetta himself, enthroned in a makeshift altar. The colonizers built and church and continued to propagate the cult of the little child. The simple cult grew into a region-wide festivity, known today as the “Sinulog”, one of the

country’s most popular fiestas.

The word “sinulog” comes from the Cebuano adverb, “sulog”, which means “like the movement or water current.” Another Cebuano word explains this further: “magpasulog”, which I encountered during my first visit to Cebu. It came to me as “to have our prayers danced,” the way the ladies outside the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño would move while offering the prayer candles they were holding. The whole Sinulog Festival is a fiesta of dances and street parades, where the first Christianization is reenacted year after year, after the grand procession.

The Santo Niño from the Queen City would find itself in many altars of the Visayas. In Tacloban, he is venerated in a shrine originally built as a rest house of the family of the late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos. The Holy Child has also become a patron saint of Leyte province, and had been venerable to his devotees ever since. But in the other side of the Visayas region, in Panay, a festival which probably has more historical value than religious became, another celebration in honor of the Sto. Nino, known to many as the Ati-atihan Festival. This celebration commemorates the coming of the ten Malay datus, who were granted refuge by the native atis. With the coming of the Spaniards, the January festival’s animist beginings was given a Christian dimension.

“Ati-atihan” became byword in Philippine culture, which now generally pertains to the black skin color of the natives, and in recent times, the very color painted on skin by “ati-atihan” dancers. The atis of Panay would parade on the streets carrying and dancing Santo Niño images, the way people do in Cebu, and in the other colorful Santo Niño parades in the country. But they may also put on the Santo Niño’s mischief, smearing faces of

58 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

unmindful spectators with their black paint. Like the Santo Niño, the word “ati-atihan”, and the whole concept behind the benevolent native black man, have already been embraced by the Filipino culture for a long time. Most fiestas today feature ati-atihan dances, even without the Santo Niño. This shows how the celebrators transcended the cult of the honored in a dynamic interrogation and dialogue between the indigenous and the colonial.

But the ever loyal city of Manila of course also has its very own Santo Niño. In Tondo, one of the old settlements surrounding the Walled City of Intramuros, a shrine dedicated to the Santo Niño de Tondo has been a regular pilgrimage church for Santo Niño devotees in the Metropolis. Celebrating its fiesta on the third Sunday of January, the parish started as a convent and was one of the first structures built by the Spaniards in Luzon, under the auspices of the Augustinian Friars, who also managed the Santo Niño shrine in Cebu. Suffering a lot of upheavals from the Sangleys and the lack of funds to support the facility, the structure was only completed in 1695 and was enlarged 1728. Like many churches in Manila, the parish structure suffered numerous earthquakes and had to be rebuilt time and again. According to historical accounts, the church was one of the first structures to use iron sheets.

The festivities in Tondo are also reminiscent of that of Cebu’s and Panay’s. In his book Almanac for Manileños (1979), Joaquin recounted what could have been his own witnessing of the feast.

“At four in the afternoon on the visperas (meaning the Saturday before) the Sto. Niño of Tondo is borne to the sea by a dancing crowd among which groups of women in pastora hats, or in katipunera attire: white camisa, red saya. The dancing is through sunny streets hung with bunting and here and there will be a giant heart of bell that opens up as the Sto. Niño passes to unloose a shower of petals. Everyone dances, even the barefoot men bearing the image and the boys bearing standard or farol,” he wrote, as quoted by manila-map.com. In another book, Culture and History (2004), he wrote: “Water seems to be the chief element connected with the cult (the Santo Niño of Pandacan presided over a well) and the association may be a relic of the days when our first Santo Niño ruled the waters of the South: for in the 44-year interval between Magellan and Legazpi, the Santo Niño of Cebu became a pagan rain god.”

The Santo Niño will always be part of Filipino daily life, and not just history. Aside from its many forms and names (we have the more popular red or green robed Santo Niño de Suerte, with the bag of coins in his little arms, and usually enshrined in homes), and its various patronages (some towns and cities still cradle and kiss a Niño Bambino every Christmas), it has steadily found itself in popular culture as an important icon. Television, for instance, has had a lot of exemplars, from the time of Vilma Santos’ Trudis Liit, until the present primetime’s of May Bukas Pa. The transformation of the Santo Niño as a cultural construct may be found in the portrayal of children’s characters. The personas are endowed with all the virtues of the Santo Niño—obedience, faith, kind—heartedness. The Holy Child has indeed wandered and lived amongst us, giving the most important morals in life.

The children whose characters suffer in soaps or movies may also resonate with a peculiar but unpopular Santo Niño imagery: the Santo Niño de Pasion, where the almost naked babe attempts to lie down and put his head on a skull, his passion foretold. Like the grown up Christ in his glorious Resurrection, what is being shown is that there is life and redemption in the midst of human travails. The image is an apt reminder of the Christ’s childlike acceptance and openness. So next time we watch Santino, let us remember why we are so fond of him, and the other kids with golden hearts who took national TV by storm. Like the Santo Niño, they had the whole world in their hands. Our world. g

balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 59

WITH CONDOMINIUMS offering the convenience that people need, these have become the perfect choice. F1 City Center, with its good location and “Build Your Own” (BYO) Method defines an ideal second home.

Located right at the heart of Bonifacio Global City, F1 City Center is just a few minutes away from the Makati Central Business District and the international and domestic airports. It is also near prestigious educational institutions like the International School, British International, Japanese International School, Chinese International School, and the Makati Gospel School.

And being at the center of the Fort, you can enjoy the high life of Bonifacio High Street, The Fort Strip and Market! Market! F1 City Center is also right in front of the St. Luke’s Medical Hospital, which makes it an ideal place to stay for anyone from the province, or balikbayans from abroad who seek medical care from this worldclass hospital. F1 City Center is highly accessible to most of the primary destinations.

Moreover, owners are assured of a stylish home with the condominiums well-thought modern architecture and functional facilities like the tropical lagoon swimming pool, a jogging trail, a meditation garden and a fully-equipped gym, spa and sauna. Thus, owners could enjoy the comforts of city living.

And with the BYO Method, owners are guaranteed to save up to 40% off the usual unit cost. Condominium Units are delivered bear, which gives the owners the freedom to design their units according to their taste. The program keeps investors from spending on things they don’t need. Thus, F1 City Center gives them a practical choice

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without having to give up a luxurious lifestyle.

Aside from being a second home, F1 City Center is also a good investment not only for Filipinos who live in the country but also for balikbayans abroad.

F1 City Center is the first condotel in Bonifacio Global City. It guarantees profit through investments on units that would function as hotel rooms. The fully-furnished condotel units would be managed by hotel professionals. And with F1 City Center located near the world-class St. Luke’s Medical Hospital, it is not only at the heart of the highly developed Bonifacio Global City but also at the center of medical tourism.

With F1 City Center’s good location, value and lifestyle, investors are already presented with a wise investment. g

balikbayan | DECEMBER 2009 – JANUARY 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

PHOTO BY NOEL GODINEZ | THE AJPRESS

Build your dream home at F1 City Center

| essence of place | by joel pablo salud

62 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

hen I think of Binondo, I think of auspicious family gatherings on a cool, afternoon weekend, way back in the ruckus of the 70s when a trip down a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown spelled Christmas for everyone.

Even while writing this I could almost whiff up the scent of roast chicken in the still air of the Philippines Graphic newsroom, sautéed in Chinese sauces, the crisp fried bouquet of fried rice topped with the regulars—shreds of scrambled egg, young green onions and peas, stir-fried chorizo, a shaving here and there of ham, and lots of garlic and those fine threads of spices one sees in every grain of rice.

The thick entrée of Nido (quail’s nest) soup and spicy chicken wings and legs were always a sight to behold. Shards of beef with onions nearly drowning in thick oyster sauce were more than what we have today under the same menu entry.

These were days when everything edible and delightfully pleasant to the palate came in its original form, not in packets of preserved meat or chemically altered states of flavor and color. I have not forgotten the restaurant that had all but closed shop as the years went by—The Rice Bowl.

From where I briefly engaged in nine-year-old chitchat with cousins and a raucous brood of other children, I would wait for the lauriat to arrive, expecting the familiar fragrances to fill the room. My grandfather José—“Pepe” was the term of endearment used by my Lola—loved every trek to Chinatown, so much so that it nearly became a family tradition. Till he passed away, of course and left us—me, in particular—with a longing to go back and savor once more the delicacies of the place.

ajpress photos by NAp laurel jr.

balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 63

The Belfry of the Binondo Church.

Young as I was then, it hardly occurred to me that I was in a place that held so much historical significance to this country, and a people that had all but utterly shared our bloodlines. Binondo, for me then, was all about food—scrumptious, mouth-watering entrees with little or no qualms about the artistry that went with every serving. The restaurant stood in what is still known as Ongpin street, perhaps the most famous of all streets in Chinatown.

Historian Ambeth Ocampo wrote that the name originated from a certain Roman Ongpin. Who was Roman Ongpin? An article in the Philippines Daily Inquirer by Ambeth Ocampo is a better read: “Roman Ongpin contributed financially to the Philippine Revolution and the succeeding Filipino-American War and was thus imprisoned twice, first by the Spaniards in 1896 and by the Americans in 1900. He is depicted in the monument holding an envelope, which we all presume contained money for philanthropic or revolutionary purposes. Ongpin’s statue used to have ribbons and rosaries attached to his legs—remnants of ancestor worship?

The envelope in Ongpin’s hand was pried open by vandals hoping to find some treasure.” No doubt a hero in his own right.

More interesting facts from Ocampo: Noli Me Tangere opens with a party in the home of Don Santiago de los Santos. According to Jose Rizal, Kapitan Tiago’s house was located on Anloague Street so named for carpenters (“anluwagi”) who specialized in wood, bamboo and nipa. Anloague the carpenter street is no more, having been renamed as Juan Luna Street in 1913. Both house and street are gone but we can still find the site, based on other details in the novel. Ibarra was staying in a hotel called the Fonda Francesca de Lala Ary, which used to be on 37 Calle de la Barraca. There are 19th-century engravings showing the hotel.

On its site now stands Allied Bank. Ibarra had a room overlooking the river (actually the “estero,” or creek), and from his window he could hear the sound of Kapitan Tiago’s party.” (Philippine Daily Inquirer).

The monument of Roman Ongpin.

It is only with a growing ache that I recall some of the landmarks of Chinatown. The Chinatown arch that stood at the entrance was a big hit back then, with its dragons and Chinese characters that seemed to come straight from a temple of worship. Ongpin, of course, was a street as filled today as it was back then with merchants, workers, laborers and the like. Tea shops were in vogue, and they lined up like small holes in a wall filled from top to bottom with an assortment of teas. Everywhere you look, the water dragon image held a lofty place, in shops and small eateries to the town’s huge buildings and offices. The scent of horse dung was a rather familiar and common feature on account of the old horse carriages that ply the streets. The Chinese people were a proud people, apparently, of their heritage as it was a common sight to see them garbed in their native clothes. Even back then Binondo was effervescent with activity, crowded if not altogether teeming with a blend of peoples and cultures.

It was in Binondo that the mestizo de sangleys (Chinese mestizos converted to Catholicism) have found their home, a boat ride across the Parian River, the very one we fondly call the Pasig River, that cut through Intramuros. While the area was originally called Binondoc, meaning “mountains”, no one seems to have discovered in the dust-speckled library of Manila why this was so. History pegs Luis Pérez Dasmariñas to be Binondo’s founder, the one who granted land to the Chinese converts.

Binondo seems to have survived every chance at change since my growing up years, save for a few street names and signs that had disappeared. It is still teeming with people and activity as a business center should be. Although history has whetted my appetite to know more about Chinatown and its people, little has changed by way of motives when I think of visiting the place. Every month and chance I get to be free from the rigors of editorial work, I try to pass by Binondo to enjoy the scents and sights I have grown to love. g

64 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

balikbayan is a valentine to everything we love about the Philippines. The people, the places, the faces, the food, the music, the history, the culture, the adventure, the lifestyle, the moments and the memories. It is the balikbayan’s survival guide from A to Zzzz. Simply said, love of country is back in style.

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10 OFW Kids achieve ‘BPInoy’ awards For more than a century, the Bank of the Philippine Islands has been providing outstanding banking services to many Filipinos here and abroad. The institution has always been a partner of many Pinoys in responsible investment management. BPI knows the true value of hard work and hard earnings. And with a growing number of overseas Filipino workers, BPI is extending and improving its services for the many Filipinos all over the world.

Moreover, BPI also recognizes the achievements of these Filipinos who has been bringing home pride to the country. With BPInoy, they are not only partners of our “bagong bayani” but also, they give recognition to the achievements of these world class Filipinos.

Recently, BPInoy awarded some of the outstanding expat Pinoy children. This search for 10 outstanding expat Pinoy children is not only to give recognition to the sacrifices of many OFWs but also serves as an inspiration to many Filipinos and to the children of the OFWs. This year’s ten outstanding expat Pinoy children are Kennie Alegno, Armando Araneta Jr., Jirah Armandico, Jezza Boquilon, Jordan Cabandong, Alyanna Cunanan, Daryl del Rosario, Maris Gabornes, Nikko Servanio and Lean Silverio.

BPInoy fulfills the role of a responsible institution in managing the finances of these overseas workers and making sure that their hardearned money reaches their families. The BPInoy awards serves to inspire many overseas Filipino workers and their families to achieve more for a better future for the country.

“OFWs should not spend the rest of their lives working away from their families, enduring loneliness,” Dimzon said.

Nevertheless, the sacrifices of these Filipinos are not put to waste with their children’s excellent performances at home, in school and even in the community.

Indeed, “the leaders of tomorrow are the partners of today”, as Nikko wrote in his essay. “I want to become a role model to my family and friends that they may also contribute to our country. I believe that if we build this strong foundation today, we could be a great help to our nation in the future,” he said.

“During my early school years, my parents kept on telling me that there is nothing that I cannot do for as long as I believe in myself. Since then, I never doubted my skills and use them without hesitation. I was able to achieve different awards in school because of that. And so, if we Filipinos will just believe in ourselves and in each other, that we can be one and work for the development of our country, we will definitely prosper,” Kennie said.

“There is a saying that tells us that we can’t give what we don’t

have, so for me to be an instrument in nation building I must first shape myself to be a competent and productive citizen,” Maris said.

“When my father retires in 8 years, I want to be more than just a good daughter and more than a fulfilled professional. I wish to be a daughter he can be most proud of, so proud that his sacrifices are simmered to the bare minimum. There is still much that can be done as an individual in society,” Daryl said.

These children are the very fruits of many OFWs hard labor.

And with their achievement, the sacrifice of leaving the country is all worth it. “If given the opportunity, I would also work abroad, because it is for the future and for the good of my family,” Jezza said.

“Alam ko, dagdag kaligayahan sa aming mga magulang kapag nakikita nila kaming pumupunta sa entablado upang kunin ang mga parangal na pinaghirapan at pinagsunugan ng mga kilay tuwing gabi. Ramdam ko na hinahangad ng kanilang puso na malampasan namin ang mga bundok ng paghihirap, ang malakaragatang lawak ng kompetisyon at ang madidilim na pagsubok sa aming buhay bilang estudyante,” Jirah said.

The BPInoy award is just the beginning of bigger achievements for these OFWs and their children. And like what Aurelio Montinola III, BPI’s president and CEO, said in his closing remarks, “we hope that someday these “bayani” will become “balikbayani”. (M. Syjueco) g

66 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com

| filipiniana | by louie jon a. sanchez | the ajpress

The Play of Light and Letters National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario’s newest coffee table book, Pitik-Bulag, and the ménage a trois of poetry, painting and translation.

kphrasis (or ecphrasis), that Greek term used in the academe of the West referring to the dialogue between poetry and the sister arts (music, sculpture and the most especially, the visual arts), was almost foreign to us, except recently, with the resurgence of poetry courses and even a special literature seminar in the graduate school of De La Salle University-Manila, under the esteemed poet in English, Marjorie Evasco. But Filipino poetry—in both English and Filipino—had already been in constant conversation with the visual arts. A look into indigenous history would help us prove this.

National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario a.k.a. Rio Alma. photos by phillip kimpo jr..

Though it didn’t have the term, poets like Cirilo F. Bautista, Ricaredo Demetillo, Emmanuel Torres and the foremost Filipino poet and critic Virgilio S. Almario, national artist for literature, had been writing poems on paintings. It is instinctive more than traditional though, this act of conversation, unlike the Western Canon’s, where myths since Homer have been in the constant act of craft through the visual medium, even in imagination (remember the Shield of Achilles in Iliad and even of Aeneas, in Virgil’s Aeneid). Ekphrasis, is a very recent terminology, to summarize practically the poetic experience of the Western concept of the museum. Our’s though is not confined by any four walls: if we consider the pintados of the Visayas, our tattooed men

and women, we may say that our notion of the visual, or articulating in the visual, is rooted in the skin, in the body.

The Western and the Filipino converged in the plane of creative possibilities in a beautiful gem of a coffeetable book, Pitik-Bulag, Letra at Liwanag: A Celebration of Contemporary Filipino Art, edited by Almario himself and released under the auspices of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). The book was launched last August in an exhibit at the GSIS featuring the poems and paintings. In the months that followed, a lecture series on poetry writing and the visual arts were held at the GSIS, catering to teachers and students from the different parts of the Metro. “There are two forces at work in this unique project,” writes respected poet and Pitik-Bulag associate editor Marne Kilates.

The first one is of ekphrasis, that “ancient and venerable artistic act… that harks back to the Greeks,” and “the folk impulse that resides in the children’s guessing game called pitik-bulag—part blind man’s bluff, part charade.” Pitik-Bulag, read here, refers to what John Berger called our own “ways of seeing” and dialogue with the visual, and this has somewhat become the very focal point of the exercise. Kilates continues: “Pitik-Bulag follows this tradition by adding a second stage in the “interactive” creative process between art and poetry: it turns around on the artist and makes him the interpreter of a piece of poetry.”

But more than that, what ensued was “blind collaboration”. Leading poets in Filipino were selected to pair with fast-rising and respected painters. Almario meanwhile wrote poems from the Philippine masters selection of the GSIS Museo ng Sining. “In the making of this book, the only historical credit its participating artists can claim is that they “nursed” (as the Tagalog expression sumuso, or suckled, goes) from the same current as their forebears. And then from even newer challenges—in the society as well as the world that feeds their art. And this they carry the blood of their forebears—the lights and realizations,

balikbayanmagazine.com | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayan 67

in pigment and figment, so to speak—in their own veins,” continued Kilates, who did the English translations of the poems in the coffeetable book.

Almario, who takes on the poet’s hat through his nome the plume, Rio Alma, works on paintings by national artists for visual arts Fernando Amorsolo, Vicente Manansala, Carlos V. Francisco, Hernando R. Ocampo, Jose Joya and Ang Kiu Kok. In the free verse and in the formal strictures of the indigenous dalit, Almario illustrates his poetic vision, characterizing life in its daily ordinariness although not bereft of beauty and insight.

Almario first addressed the Dalagang Bukid of Amorsolo and spoke about stillness in the eternal; Another Amorsolo rice field with Mt. Arayat in the background reminded him of the myth of Mariang Sinukuan. He also witnessed life in the shanties in the barong-barong vision of Manansala; in another, he recalled in a prose poem, the music and madness of birds; visiting a Manansala market, he suddenly spoke the language of fish, and swam in an aquatic universe.

In a Francisco, meanwhile, he re-experiences in steady couplets, the Marinduque Holy Week masks or moriones and ruminates on living and its various portrayals; in two Ocampos, he makes sense of figurations, sensing scent and history. In a Joya, he talks to night and the stars and becomes its “Sepulturero ako ng iyong himala/ gravedigger for your miracles.” A sharp, red and edgy Kiukok still life of a cut watermelon meanwhile became a drama of the inevitable, when Rio Alma summed up its fate: “Malulugmok ito sa nasisikil na bulwak ng kaganapan/ These will choke in the stanglehold of heldback realization.”

The collaborations meanwhile, were an exciting exercise of figurations. Performance poet and University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing Director Victor Emmanuel Carmelo Nadera, Jr., aka Vim, teamed up with vivid realist expressionist Elmer Borlongan, working on verses and canvasses that depict war atrocities and the other-worldliness of the sea. Ateneo de Manila professor and Man Asian Literary Prize long–listed novelist Edgar Calabia Samar partnered with Leonardo Aguinaldo to articulate the dreamy atmospheres of myths and everyday loves. Another award-winning

poet and Kundiman enthusiast Michael Coroza joined social realism pioneer Edgar Talusan Fernandez to articulate the noble power of education and suffering in society.

High Chair Poetry member Mesandel Virtusio Arguelles on the other hand joined respected printmaker Virgillio Aviado in uttering the language of symbols and seeing. UP Centennial Literary Prize winner Jerry Gracio partnered with Manuel Baldemor in depicting the irony of domesticity and everyday life. UP professor and award-winning poet Romulo Baquiran Jr. teamed up with Salvador Ching and went down the dark and shadowy depths of childhood memory and conscience.

Miriam College professor and leading Filipina poet Rebecca Añonuevo joined artist Stevesantos to read the structures and strictures of urban decay. Palanca Hall of Fame honoree Roberto Añonuevo meanwhile collaborated with Jose John Santos III to envision imagined love and the games of fate.

Two towering figures in poetry in Filipino, Fidel Rillo and Teo Antonio on the other hand joined Fil Dela Cruz and Charlie Co, respectively, in an attempt to capture nightlife and the magic of language. Rillo used the elusive form of the prose poem to read Dela Cruz’s enchanting apparitions and to be re-read a well, in these same plane of enchantments. Antonio’s ear meanwhile sings to the rhythm and verve of the night as imagined and re-imagined by Co, whose paintings in this book fused the dream-like with popular culture.

The process of transference doesn’t end in the canvasses and in the poems for the other, unmentioned in the dynamic being persists—the translator, who envisioned the poems, and the paintings as a way to culminate the celebration of letters and light. Kilates here provided sterling transfigurations of the poems in Filipino, and by extension, of the very paintings that continue to create a magnificent experience of an on-going creative dialogue. As “the official” translator of Rio Alma, Kilates had long been the other vision of the esteemed poet, whose works the world must definitely read. Kilates has the ear for the language, and he clearly knows poetic alchemy. In his hands, sound and sense were completely captured, making the ménage a trois— poem, painting, and language—an altogether amazing and amusing experience. g

68 balikbayan | december 2009 – january 2010 | balikbayanmagazine.com