Cebu Living: 2017 January-March

CEBU LIVING

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 3

MARGO FRASCO Scion of a 100-year-old pasalubong brand reveals the different sides of her creative life

FACE YOUR GREENS

Beauty tips on how to use the color of the year Page 04

ECHOES

Three brothers return with new music Page 12

HOME-COOKED

A young restaurant revisits family traditions Page 24

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CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTE

PHOTO BY DON FRASCO

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SOCIAL DIARIES EDM festival opens the world-famous Sinulog weekend

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ARTS AND CULTURE A tourist officer is disrupting Cebu’s tourism scene

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PROFILE The Bisaya legend of Maria Cacao finds a modern incarnation

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STYLE Feminine structures in black and white RECIPE A 110-year-old recipe for a famous cookie on our last page ON THE COVER: IMAGE BY DON FRASCO

Send invites, press releases, concerns, or queries to cebuliving@hip.ph.

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CEBU LIVING

GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA EDITOR AT LARGE JUDE BACALSO MANAGING EDITOR DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS KRISTELLE ANN BATCHELOR, OLIVER EMOCLING CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIMU MUALLAM GRAPHIC ARTIST YAYIE MOTOS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER PATRICK SEGOVIA CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS HENDRI GO, CHINGGAY LABRADOR, STYLIST EDLENE CABRAL HAIR AND MAKEUP RAISA BERCEDE, NIKKI GUNDA, BULLETT REYES, SCARLET TUMALON, VALERIE BARBIE UY PHOTOGRAPHERS PATRICK DIOKNO, DON FRASCO, RYAN RACAL, JIM UBALDE, NAPOLEON BOJOS, JR. ILLUSTRATOR DANICA CONDEZ

BOARD CHAIRPERSON ALEXANDRA PRIETO-ROMUALDEZ FINANCE ADVISOR AND TREASURER J. FERDINAND DE LUZURIAGA LEGAL ADVISOR ATTY. RUDYARD ARBOLADO HR STRATEGY HEAD RAYMUND SOBERANO VP AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER IMELDA ALCANTARA SVP AND GROUP SALES HEAD FELIPE R. OLARTE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER JULIE ANDREA SANTIAGO AVP FOR SALES MA. KATRINA MAE GARCIA-DALUSONG HEAD OF OPERATIONS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LURISA VILLANUEVA SALES SUPERVISOR JOY SANTOS-PILAR KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST ANGELITA TAN-IBAÑEZ SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ABBY GINAGA, THEA ORDIALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ANDIE ZUÑIGA, CHARM BANZUELO, LIZA JISON SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANTS RECHELLE ENDOZO, MANILYN ILUMIN MANAGING EDITOR ANGELA VELASCO ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR PAM BROOKE CASIN EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS CHRISTELLE TOLISORA, KRYZETTE PAPAGAYO SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES SHANNA MALING, SARAH CABALATUNGAN ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INA MATEO GRAPHIC ARTISTS RACHELL FLORES, KATRICE MONTES, NICO ORTIGOZA, JAYCELINE SORIANO

Real gamechangers never feel the need to announce themselves, their work does that for them nicely. In fact, many of the people on our pages in this issue second guessed our choices.

“Sure ka nga ako?,” many of them chorused.

But yes, sure kaayo ko. In as diverse a selection as we could muster, we’ve gathered Cebu’s maverick, her think out-of-the-boxers, her rebels (for the game is always changed with a resistance to the norm, yes?). And in the course of writing these stories, and photographing them in their element (and often outside of it), we’ve also managed to see a common thread that binds them. Our gamechangers accomplish the often Herculean task of introducing paradigm shifts by no imposition of their own, but by clearly dancing to their own beats.

Here are the stories of a mold-breaker who bears the name of a 110-year-old cookie empire; a maverick in government service; a chocolate advocate who is moving tablea into the future by steeping it in the past. Are you ready for some rebel-ry?

Jude A. Bacalso Cebu Living Editor at Large FOLLOW US ON @cebulivingph

@cebulivingph

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MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER JELLIC TAPIA TRADE MARKETING SUPERVISOR BIANCA DALUMPINES BRAND MARKETING SUPERVISOR MA. INA RODRIGUEZ BRAND MARKETING ASSISTANT NICOLE USON EVENTS ASSISTANT MERJORIE YOUNG GRAPHIC ARTIST ROI DE CASTRO PRODUCTION MANAGER JAN CARIQUITAN PRODUCTION ASSISTANT MARICEL GAVINO FINAL ART SUPERVISOR DENNIS CRUZ FA ARTIST KRISTINE MAY PAZ

ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2015 RESERVED FOR HINGE INQUIRER PUBLICATIONS.

no part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in whole or in part, without the express written permission of hinge inquirer publications. the views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of hinge inquirer publications.

cebu living is published quarterly by hinge inquirer publications, with business address at 4/f media resource plaza, mola st. corner pasong tirad, brgy. la paz, makati city.

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SOCIAL DIARIES SOCIAL DIARIES

By JUDE BACALSO

LIFEDANCE 2017 PARCELS OUT THREE STAGES: UTOPIA, EDEN, SOLARIS; FEATURING DJ LOOKAS, MIAMI-BASED PRODUCER

VIVA PIT SENYOR

Sinulog institution finds new home in city Di Mare

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The five-year-strong Electronic Dance Music (EDM) fest LifeDance, a Sinulog staple, just changed the game with an unprecedented three stages this year, made possible in its new home, City di Mare at the South Road Properties.

LifeDance introduced Solaris, a stage for live band acts featuring headlining names

like Up Dharma Down and homegrown powerhouses like the Wonggoys. A second stage called Eden harks back to the beginnings of EDM and some truly oldschool cool. A third, dubbed Solaris, features experimental beats and cutting edge artists that push the envelope of EDM.

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BEAUTY

GREENED AND GO! Incorporate the color of the year into your makeup routine

By KRISTELLE ANN BATCHELOR Illustration by DANICA CONDEZ When Pantone announced Greenery as its color of the year for 2017, it drew both cheers and jeers. It was quite a divergence from the past year’s pastel shades of rose quartz and serenity, which, we have to admit, complemented each other and were very easy on the eyes. But the world-renowned color authority is clear with its underlying reason for this year’s choice: green manifests new beginnings and encourages reinvigoration.

In terms of cosmetics, green isn’t always a favored choice. But there has been a rise of brands that promote the color and makeup artists who are finding ways to blend it into more traditional palettes. Cebu-based makeup artist Raisa Bercede (cell:. 0922-5544279) shares some reliable greenery-hued products and tips on how to use them properly: 1. Green concealer Nude concealers are the most frequently used kind as they’re very effective, though it is advisable to choose a shade lighter than your skin tone. But a green concealer has proven to be more useful in covering blemishes and works on all complexions if applied correctly.

How to use: After primer, apply green concealer and gently pat using a sponge. Put a minimal amount only on affected areas then cover the face with foundation.

2. Green eyeshadow The most common way of integrating green to makeup is through eyeshadow. Available shades often come in forest, grass, and emerald green.

The moss effect can give either a morning or evening look an edge.

How to use: Apply a lighter shade of green

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eyeshadow on the lid and a darker one on the eye’s outer edges for emphasis. For the crease, use a medium or neutral brown shade, then blend altogether.

3. Green eyeliner It is touted as a bold choice but a green eyeliner appears subtle when applied on the waterline.

How to use: Apply green eyeliner on the waterline then enhance it using a neutral brown shade on the lower lash line.

4. Green highlighter This current makeup fad also comes in green shades. The product may look intimidating but is actually wearable. “When done correctly, a highlighter lifts, brightens, and improves the overall look of your skin and makeup. When done too much, though, you’ll end up looking oily,” Berceda says. There are

also rainbow highlighters with blue-green shades that, when mixed with other colors, create a natural finish.

How to use: Apply on cheek bones, the inner corners of the eyes, the tip of the nose, the center of the upper lip, the Cupid’s bow, and a little bit on the chin.

5. Green lipstick Some cosmetic brands have come up with a green “magic” lipstick that turns into different shades of pink when applied as it reacts according to the skin’s pH level. Due to its dyeing properties, it is found to last relatively longer than regular lipsticks.

How to use: To make lipstick last longer, moisturize lips with a non-petroleum balm first.

Put on some concealer on the lips as base then apply lipstick using a brush. Finally, dab lips with loose powder.

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ARTS & CULTURE

OFF THE BEATEN PATH 06

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ARTS & CULTURE

History will judge us for it, and we will never go wrong if we choose responsible and sustainable tourism.

A tourism officer’s maverick ideas could further raise Cebu’s profile as an ecotourism destination

By HENDRI GO Images by RYAN RACAL Joselito “Boboi” Costas grew up in Camotes, and the island’s lush natural beauty had informed his decision to take up Biology at the University of San Carlos. A slew of environmental management projects and a move to New Zealand further cemented his resolve to develop eco-tourism in Cebu, starting with the Bojo River cruise in Aloguinsan. It is a partnership between town authorities and local fisherfolk that has won international acclaim, notably the 2015 Pacific Asia Travel Association and the United Nations Award for Best CommunityBased Tourism Initiative, the 2016 Top 100 Global Sustainable Destinations by Green Destinations (a UN and National Geographic consortium), and the 2017 ASEAN Best Community-based Ecotourism.

“I am most proud of my work in Aloguinsan,” Costas says. “In the past two years, we’ve won international awards that put the spotlight on Cebu and the diversity we have to offer. Those are

more powerful than any advertising or traditional marketing.”

He admits that living in New Zealand made him realize the importance of ecotourism as a lifestyle and as a philosophy. “You don’t want to pollute the environment because it’s just too beautiful to be ruined.” For him, ecotourism is the only way to go. “History will judge us for it, and we will never go wrong if we choose responsible and sustainable tourism.”

Admittedly, the biggest challenge so far in his new job as head of Sugbo Turismo, the tourism office for the Province of Cebu, is how to sell the concept of low impact but high value tourism to local authorities who are more familiar with mass tourism, i.e. group tours to beach destinations. “There is recreational overcrowding in the beaches here, and so many alternative destinations not explored,” Costas explains. Sugbo Turismo would like to tap into the niche where community interaction and unique experiences off the beaten path are highlighted.

“What Cebu needs is a sustainable framework for tourism development,” he continues. “We have to be conscious of the resources we use, and I would like to inject sustainable production and consumption in tourism activities.”

Exciting times are ahead, and Costas shares some of the local destinations to look out for.

“In Alcantara, we’re developing Capton Bay and its islets in different zones for kayaking, mangrove interpretation, and snorkeling.

In Alcoy, we have bird-watching tours of endemic and rare species such as the Cebu hawk owl and the endangered siloy or black Shama. In Boljoon, there’s a cultural and heritage tour run by a women’s group that brings visitors inside a museum and a church complex and includes lunch at the bell tower.”

He is also quite proud of his team. “I’m passionate about work that brings people together as a community, so we have marine and terrestrial biologists, foresters, graphic designers, artists, cultural researchers, and an agri-business team all working on tourism planning and policies.” It’s a very young team, comprised mostly of fresh college graduates and with a median age of 23. “I value creativity and I give them enough space to grow,” adds Costas.

As for future plans, he reveals, “We’d love to develop culinary tourism. There’s a daily organic market in Alegria that sells vegetables, herbs, and fruits in season as well as local delicacies: Argao’s torta, tablea, and tuba.

We’d also like to develop events and festivals focused on Cebuano history and culture, and promote tourism that is all-inclusive and benefits everyone.”

Hendri Go is the executive producer of Little Boy Productions, a theater production company based in Cebu City. He is also the co-founder of the Cebu Literary Festival.

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PROFILE

MARIA CACAO LIVES! From garbage collector to housemaid, Raquel Choa’s farm-to-riches path to success is paved with chocolate

By DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA Images by JIM UBALDE

“The story says when Maria Cacao traveled all over the world, she rides in a magical ship,” narrates Raquel Choa, owner of The Chocolate Chamber. She grew up hearing the story of Maria Cacao almost every night.

She dreams of seeing the enchantress’ palace at night. She survived life in the mountains because of cacao.Commonly known as a decadent indulgence, chocolate is part of Raquel Choa’s life.

How did you discover cacao and your love for chocolate?

I was exposed to cacao when I was seven years old. I wouldn’t call it love, but cacao is part of [my] life: there was a need to drink it when I was growing up. But I didn’t know then that chocolate came from cacao.

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PROFILE RAQUEL CHOA OPENED CHOCOLATE CHAMBER IN 2015. SINCE THEN, SHE NEVER STOPPED INNOVATING. SHE REPRESENTED THE PHILIPPINES IN ‘LE SALON DU CHOCOLAT IN NEW YORK AND PRESENTED THE CACAO DE BOLA.

Was it very abundant where you lived?

Yes. I lived in the mountains of southern Cebu during my younger years, and cacao trees grow in their forests. They are especially abundant during the summer.

What would you usually do with cacao back when you didn’t know it was chocolate?

Part of my affair with chocolate is the story of the seven rivers, which I had to cross to go to school then. Then, we could not leave the house without drinking sikwate to relieve hunger.

Up in the mountains, we would eat rice once a year—during summers when we would visit our grandmother to ask for rice—because the land was mostly rocky and wasn’t fertile. Cacao was really part of our everyday lives. We could store it for longer periods, and every time we were hungry, we would turn to it. We didn’t know then that it was chocolate because we didn’t have access to the world beyond the mountains. There was no electricity, no television, no exposure at all to [commercial] chocolate.

Aside from sikwate, how else did you prepare cacao?

We used it only for hot chocolate because champorado required rice. Also, my mother thought it would be most practical to prepare sikwate because it went straight to the stomach.

So when did you start learning more about cacao?

Five years ago. When my parents got separated, my mother brought my siblings and me to live in the mountains, and that was when my affair with chocolate started.

After seven years, they got back together, and so we had to return to Manila. That’s when I realized that cacao is truly a hidden treasure.

When I left the mountains, I also left cacao behind, as if it were a secret.

What did you do in Manila?

I had several jobs: I was a garbage collector, I did laundry, and I also became a housemaid.

At 13, I asked my mother if we could return to the province, but she refused, saying there’s no money in the mountains, that it’s hard to survive there. That was the common notion about life in the mountains: that there’s no livelihood there. No one realized the hidden treasures in the mountainside.

When I found out that cacao is chocolate, it really empowered me. My foundation as an artist really came from my life in the mountains. I grew up with my children, and we would make paintings together. It’s not part of my system to watch TV because I’ve always thought it’s a waste of time. Even after getting married, I worked continuously and relentlessly, because I believe God put us here on earth to work.

How did your chocolate business start?

I had met another mother who’s Argentinian, and I started teaching her how to cook good Western food. We became friends, and one day she shared that she owned 50 hectares of olive trees back in her country.

She then asked me, “What do you have here in the Philippines that I can bring back to Argentina?” I thought for a while then answered, “Tablea.” She asked what that was and I explained that it was made from cacao.

I brought her store-bought tablea but she was dismayed with the taste. I was so ashamed that I asked if she could give me more time [to find her another one].

Then I decided to make my own. When she tasted it, she was so impressed. From there, we started our little chocolate business.

Unfortunately, she had to return to Argentina soon after, and I was left with 300 kilos of

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PROFILE

Is it your advocacy to spread the word about local cacao?

I do chocolate feeding in the mountains every year. I grew up not knowing the uses of cacao, so my advocacy is raising cacao awareness among farmers, and for consumers to give value to our chocolate—that behind every bar of chocolate are the people who had produced it, which are the farmers.

I need more Filipinos to be aware of the uses of cacao so that one day, the Philippines would be known as the “chocolate islands.”

That’s why I made cacao de bola. If there’s a queso de bola, there should be a cacao de bola.

Why is there a need for people to know about cacao?

Because there are many misconceptions about it: that it’s fattening, it induces high blood, etc. Pure cacao has 11 percent fiber, 18 percent iron, zero sugar, zero sodium, and zero cholesterol. I believe that cacao is not only a sweet dessert but is also medicine.

Every time I gave birth, I would drink sikwate before pushing out the baby. Like I said, it is really a part of my life.

RAQUEL CHOA NOW OFFERS DIFFERENT HOT CHOCOLATE VARIETIES INCLUDING MAYAN, AZTEC, MEXICAN, AND SPANISH AT THE CHOCOLATE CHAMBER (ABOVE).

THE REGULAR CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE IS TOPPED WITH CACAO DE BOLA AND CACAO BLOSSOMS (LEFT).

Makeup by RAISA BERCEDE OF MAC COSMETICS Hair by NIKKI GUNDA

tablea. That’s when I became resourceful and started doing chocolate buffets.

Lots of people soon discovered my business, including Ces Drilon and Karen Davila. Drilon asked me what the mission/ vision of my company is. Not knowing anything about business, I asked her what that term meant. After she explained it to me, I then said, “My dream is to tell the whole world that we Filipinos know how to make chocolate.”

I continue to create lots of things from cacao. I don’t want to create for the sake of trends; I always create for a reason and for a purpose. Everything, all the chocolate that you see in my stores, has a story behind them.

What’s next for Chocolate Chamber?

Raquel Emmolience, a beauty brand that I will launch and would feature primers, moisturizers, and spa or massage products.

We’re also conceptualizing small kiosks that would be called Batirol by Chocolate Chamber.

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PROFILE

FROM LEFT: GABE, KYLE, AND BILLY

GETTING HIGH

After a six-year hiatus, take a hit of new music from the Wonggoys

By OLIVER EMOCLING Images by JIM UBALDE

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“Our mom thought we looked like monkeys, so she called us Wonggoys since we were kids,” Kyle Wong, one-third of the Wonggoys, explains. He and his brothers Gabe and Billy have been interested in music since they were children, and in 2010, they released their first album “I’m Not Sure What To Say But I’ll Say It Anyway.” Six years later, the Wonggoys returns with their new album “High Hello.”

“We draw our inspirations from life experiences but not much from pains or heartaches,” Gabe says. With lyrics mostly accompanied by guitar, the Wonggoys tackles themes ranging from anticipation of the weekend in Weekend (which was written on a Monday) to homosexuality in Gay is Okay.

We visited the Wonggoys at their home on a cloudy day, but their jocular mood made up for the weather.

Who from your family really influenced your music?

Gabe: My maternal uncles play in a band.

But for me, my dad, who doesn’t play any instruments, really influenced us. He doesn’t sing well but he has a collection of LPs, and we’ve been playing those since I was two years old.

Is there any specific song that you remember him listening to?

G: In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins.

Billy: I’m a Michael Jackson baby.

Kyle: Both.

You are called Wonggoys because of your surname and your mom thought you looked like monkeys. Beyond that, how would you describe yourselves?

B: Gabe is the artistic one. Hands down to

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PROFILE him when it comes to the art, not just in songwriting but also music itself. He is good at everything he does.

K: Billy Boy is the shy guy. He’s a shy guy who’s best in interviews. He’s the PR boy.

He’s the cutie boy, parang puppy. He’s the most serious yet very approachable.

G: When we started the band, I knew that I couldn’t be the lone band leader; Kyle fits as one. For me, he’s the most responsible band member. He’s the pole that everyone is hanging on to.

What’s your songwriting process like?

G: I write the lyrics and Kyle does the riffs.

When we’re on a rush, I ask him to play some riffs, then the riffs actually dictate what the song would be about.

Do each of you play any instrument?

K: Gabe was the one who played the guitar first. Then we got jealous of him, so we started learning it, too. After we got better than him, he just stopped (laughs).

There was a song about your late dad called Post No Bill from your first album.

How did that song come about?

G: We were at our uncle’s wake, chilling at the lounge. That song suddenly came to me as we were mourning for our tito. I was thinking he was with Papa already. While I was writing it, my focus was on finishing the song. But now, whenever I sing it, I feel sad, because I’m there, [expressing what I feel] already; I’m no longer writing or creating it.

There have been many times when we just cry in the middle of performing the song and have to stop.

B: I think the only time we got to finish that song was during the album launch.

since [we made] our last album. Sometimes, there are concepts that pop up while Billy Boy is playing with the PlayStation 4 and we’re just there. When we’re pressured, we go to the balcony to really write.

K: We got really focused six months ago, but there are two to three songs that we wrote just last year.

Why don’t you have any songs in Cebuano?

B: For us, it’s easier to express ourselves in English. Our dialect is different when it’s written.

But you have this song called Kalayaan?

K: Kalayaan was written one evening at 10 p.m. I was about to sleep when I remembered a song contest in school. I’m competitive, so I made my own song. I went to Gabe and asked him to write a song with me in Tagalog and mix in other languages.

Our mom helped— B: With the translation.

K: I wrote it in 30 minutes, and our teacher liked it. For some reason, even the other students liked it. We put it in the first album.

What’s your dream for Filipino music?

B: For me, it’s simple: I want the world to know how Filipino music is. I want the whole Philippines to share its music, to be world-known. We have good artists, so I guess there’s nothing to stop us in reaching that soon.

G: For me, it’s the end goal. I can’t say it’s [just] a dream because we’re really going to do it.

BEYOND MUSIC, GABE HANDLES THE BRANCH OPERATIONS OF THEIR FAMILY BUSINESS WHILE KYLE IS IN MARKETING. ON THE OTHER HAND, BILLY WORKS FOR THE SISTER COMPANY, BUT HE ALSO PLANS TO PUT UP A RESTAURANT SOON.

As musicians, what did you learn about Cebuanos?

B: Cebuanos are hard to please.

Do you imagine doing music full-time?

B: We can’t.

K: I don’t think you can do that here. In the U.S., you can.

B: It would be hard to have a family and just do that.

All: We’re doing it for the love.

It took you six years to come back with a new album. Why? B: It took us six long years because Kyle and I had to finish studying. Then, we went to the States where we also started working.

G: It took us five years to decide [whether to continue].

K: We’re busy with other stuff. We’re busy with life.

How would you describe the process of making this album?

G: Truthfully, we thought it was time to make a new album because we felt stagnant.

We kept playing the same songs, but I felt there was something new to write about

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COVER STORY

CROSSROADS 14

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COVER STORY

MISS NOT-SOCOOKIE-CUTTER Business, heritage, the arts, and social responsibility all converge to shape Margo Frasco’s path

By CHINGGAY LABRADOR Images by DON FRASCO

“We all live lives that call for ‘hyphenation,’” says Margo Frasco, a business owner who comes from a long line of entrepreneurs. Her family is responsible for the hundred-yearold business Titay’s, home of the famous Liloan pasalubong, which, under her wing, has made its way into the national sphere with a strategic and progressive expansion.

“Titay’s has always taken great care of me. Our employees have and will always be my family,” Frasco says. The responsibility she carries as the company’s current COO springs from a childhood immersed in the business and the rich history it carries. She remembers spending afternoons at the factory, moving around heavy equipment, playfully disrupting everyone’s work. “I appreciated how the staff would take good care of us no matter

how annoying we became,” she laughs.

“I remember running around, snatching everyone’s hairnets off. I’m sure it was cause for frustration for a lot of them and for that, I’m now really apologetic!”

While Frasco and her brother (current Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco) were raised in an environment that had them interacting with the staff, their exposure to the business was never contrived. “We were disciplined but allowed to make mistakes,” she says, adding that they were constantly surrounded by people: visitors, delivery men and women, customers, locals. “There was always something to do or somewhere to go.”

Because Titay’s has been handled and passed from generation to generation, Frasco grew up very close to her grandmother. “We would watch The World Tonight together,

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COVER STORY

It was never an actual expectation for me to take part in the business; our parents wanted us to pursue our dreams and explore the world.

and she would always call my attention when the dollar exchange rate would flash onscreen,” she remembers. “At an early age, my grandmother taught me never to fiddle with capital, and to tap profit instead. She would always tell me to know how much I had in the bank.”

Her grandmother’s influence extended all the way into the kitchen. “She would wake up at 3 a.m. to prepare mixtures for the next day, and then return to bed smelling of dough, batter, flour, and oil. She was exhausted but was beyond hardworking.

Mass was always a part of her week, and that’s something I practice to this day.”

Frasco was also a typical “daddy’s girl,” which did not exactly spare her from the occasional lecture from her father— something that helped shape her work ethic. “I had to be awake early one Saturday morning to help him plant a persimmon tree and I didn’t wake up on time. I received a huge lecture. He told me that at the rate I was going, I would never get to the same

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level as my grandmother. That hit me hard, and since then, I made sure I never disappointed him.”

That said, she grew up in an environment that inspired open minds through leniency.

“My parents always encouraged me to dream big and to never take anything for granted. We were constantly reminded of our privilege.”

Business soon became second nature to Frasco, as her grandmother patiently schooled her in everything, from closing the cashier at the store to sorting next-day deposits. “It was never an actual expectation for me to take part in the business; our parents wanted us to pursue our dreams and explore the world,” she clarifies. “But I did feel that there would come a time when I would eventually be involved. I woke up and wondered about living in Cebu one day. I returned in 2012 from the U.S., and have been here since.”

The move wasn’t easy for her, as she had left her life in the U.S. on a whim.

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COVER STORY

Without any friends outside of her family, she recognized that it would take extreme strength and confidence to make her new life here work. “It wasn’t a walk in the park,” she admits. Apart from that, the century-old family business was already set in its ways “I had to set my objectives and understand how everything operated.

It took a lot of patience on all fronts to get our goals aligned and vision planned, but everything pointed towards wider distribution and complete transparency.

“My ultimate dream for Titay’s is that it would become recognized as one of the world’s [makers of the] most exquisite cookies,” Frasco continues. “I want it to be around for another hundred years and be known as an institution that takes amazing care of its employees.”

While the business consumes most of her days and nights and consistently keeps her “on her toes,” she keeps herself busy with non-work related interests, too. “I dislike being stagnant,” she says. Her quickest escape hatch to relaxation is through stories, whether through books, role-playing games, or a passion she’s had since her teens: the theater. “I remember being extremely timid, and don’t get me wrong—there will always be butterflies every time I step on stage.” She did not expect to be able to indulge in her fondness for theater upon moving to Cebu.

“I was apprehensive that my passion would be lost because I was so unfamiliar with the local scene.” But as luck would have it, she was approached to sponsor a production of Siddhartha. “An adaptation is in the works, and we aim to stage it in December.”

Apart from theater, music has also been a huge passion of Frasco’s, from her childhood days studying the piano to her current job as a DJ at Magic FM. “We’re a diverse bunch of eccentric and hardworking people who’ve got each others’ backs 100 percent of the time,” she says of her radio job. Frasco started her career as a DJ at a house party when she was 19 years old, and her musical tastes have run the gamut of sentimental love songs (when she was in grade school) to hip hop and R&B slow jams (in high school) to house and techno/EDM. “These were the

“I REMEMBER BEING EXTREMELY TIMID, AND DON’T GET ME WRONG—THERE WILL ALWAYS BE BUTTERFLIES EVERYTIME I STEP ON THE STAGE,” SAYS MARGO FRASCO ON HER LIFE AS A THEATER ACTRESS.

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COVER STORY Occasionally, there may be bumps on the road with family, but always be mindful that when you hurt, they hurt. When you miss them, they miss you. And when you are in anguish, they worry. Most importantly, when you are happy, the family is always happy with you.

“We can’t have everyone accept us for what we are, but we can try to make them understand who we are. We can try to convince them that we are no different from anyone else. We cry, we laugh, we hurt, we love. Let’s not dwell on the burden of pain, but embrace the affection from those who love us instead.”

At the heart of Frasco’s life, it is love that speaks loudly and clearly: love for others, her family, her passions, God, and herself. “I’m willing to accept the inevitable fate that we all have. If we are meant to change something in this lifetime, it’s because we are destined to.

We’re always trying to change, to innovate, to make things better—but behind it all, we need to change, innovate, and improve ourselves to become greater people.”

MARGO FRASCO MUNCHES ON TITAY’S ROSQUILLOS CORAZON, A BUSINESS THEIR FAMILY HAS OWNED FOR 110 YEARS.

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Makeup by SCARLET TUMALON Hair by VALERIE BARBIE UY

types of music that inspired my DJ career. I figured, if I can’t sing, then I may as well be on a platform, mixing my favorite tracks. It’s amazing how nostalgic people become when they hear a familiar tune.”

Frasco’s colorful life is made vibrant by so many of her interests, including her role as a member and advocate of the LGBT community. Being openly gay has opened her up to highs and lows like no other.

“It’s normal for matters to hit rock bottom before the situation gets better,” she explains.

“When I was young, I used to contemplate on whether there’d be a day I could bring a partner to a family function without that feeling of disapproval or uneasiness. And when that day finally came, I felt the weight lift off my shoulders.”

The stigma hasn’t completely lifted, but Frasco holds strongly to the belief that she is not alone—something she’d like to impart to people dealing with the same situation. “There are moments when you may sense that everyone is against you, but you are absolutely wrong. God watches over you. You have your family and friends.

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STYLE

WHITE NOISE Makeup by SCARLET TUMALON Hair by VALERIE BARBIE UY

The business of texture and structure in black and white Styled by EDLENE CABRAL Images by PATRICK DIOKNO

PLAYSUIT, P3,785, TOPSHOP, AYALA CENTER CEBU. EARRINGS, P595, FOREVER 21, SM CITY CEBU.

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STYLE

BLAZER, P 24,500, ELIE TAHARI; TROUSERS, P5,250, LA FAYETTE 148 NEW YORK; PUMPS, P5,250, NINE WEST, ALL RUSTAN’S, AYALA CENTER CEBU.

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STYLE

SLEEVELESS TOP, P10,500, AND SKIRT, P17,500, BOTH ELIE TAHARI, RUSTAN’S, AYALA CENTER CEBU.

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STYLE

Hair and Makeup by BULLET REYES Modeled by ANZHELIKA OF ELITE MANILA

DRESS, P22,500, ELIE TAHARI, RUSTAN’S, AYALA CENTER CEBU. EARRINGS, P795, MANGO, SM CITY CEBU.

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STYLE

Hair and Makeup by BULLET REYES Modeled by ANZHELIKA OF ELITE MANILA DRESS, P2,585, DOROTHY PERKINS, AYALA CENTER CEBU.

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FOOD

THE INHERITANCE OF FLAVORS Spilling family secrets at Cocina de la Casa

By OLIVER EMOCLING Images by JIM UBALDE and NAPOLEON BOJOS, JR.

Raindrops were trickling down the white walls of Cocina de la Casa when we arrived there one Tuesday afternoon. “My grandmother built this house in the 1960s,” co-owner Margette Garcia-Sarmiento says of the place. “She built several houses for us, the grandchildren. When my brother got married, he lived here for about 30 years until he moved out.” Indeed, you can still imagine where the dividers might have been before. Although the house has been turned into a restaurant, there remains a hint of exuberance that’s found only in lived-in spaces.

Giving color to the white walls are city maps made by Tagaytay-based artist Wataru Sekuma.

At the table, set against D’Oro Barandino’s rubber artwork, a big family engages in postlunch revelry. “[Chef and sommelier] Stephen Aznar and I would talk about the menu as we opened his recipe books,” Garcia-Sarmiento recalls of the time when they were still playing with the idea of opening a restaurant, two years before it finally opened. The two partnered with GarciaSarmiento’s friend Ina Ronquillo-Aboitiz who was tasked to handle the would-be restaurant’s finances.

“The menu is actually a compilation of recipes that I’ve gathered, tried, and tested in my travels,” Aznar, who travels twice a year, says. With a thick portfolio of the countries he has already visited, plus working with another chef who had trained at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, Cocina de la Casa’s menu combines various cuisines. There’s Moroccan braised lamb shank with couscous, Indian style beef triangles, oriental spring rolls, and French-influenced chicken liver paté with Contreau. Aside from these dishes, Aznar has also concocted his own version of the spicy

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North African sauce called harissa. “When you’re talking about food, you’re also talking about the culture of the people, and food is the fastest way to learn another culture,” he says.

For their wine selection, he chose Chilean and Portuguese wines to be the house wines.

Nena Garcia, Garcia-Sarmiento’s mother, also plays a big role at Cocina de la Cassa. “My mother grew up with food, and I grew up that way, too. Food was the center of our home and everybody just loves eating good food.” Aznar, who has been friends with Garcia-Sarmiento for 35 years, cites the matriarch as his first culinary mentor. “Tita Nena taught me how to do [the Milanese dish] osso buco. It was really like cooking 101,” he recalls. While family recipes are usually kept within the family, he was fortunate enough to be trusted by Garcia.

“This is the first time my mother taught somebody else,” Garcia-Sarmiento affirms, to which Aznar remarks, “I guess every good cook wants to share her dishes.”

MARGETTE GARCIA-SARMENTO AND STEPHEN AZNAR CELEBRATE A 35-YEAR FRIENDSHIP THAT WAS ALWAYS MARKED BY SECRET FAMILY RECIPES, GOOD WINE, AND GREAT ART THAT NOW COME TOGETHER IN THEIR JUST OPENED RESTAURANT.

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Two of those dishes are the callos and lomo de bacalao, and their recipes are originally from Garcia’s great grandmother, passed down to the next generations. “We try to keep them as they are. We don’t want them to change because that’s how you preserve the food,” Aznar tells of the heirloom recipes. Callos is usually made with beef tripe, but theirs uses jamon serrano, chorizo, and beef knuckles; a spoonful of the dish easily melts in the mouth.

Meanwhile, the lomo de bacalao is cod loin in tomato sauce, served with thinly sliced potatoes on top. Despite the tomato sauce, the bacalao remains on the salty side, but the addition of pimiento and potatoes keeps the saltiness from overpowering the palate. If you’re looking for something spicier, the harissa goes well with both dishes.

“The soul of the house is the kitchen,” Garcia-Sarmiento explains the restaurant name. “[And eating here feels] like going to your home.” While the goal is to nurture a sense of comfortable familiarity among the diners, it’s the value that the people behind the restaurant have put on their friendship and family traditions that nurtures this “soul.”

A COMMISSIONED WORK BY D’ORO BARANDINO ADORNS THE WALL PERMANENTLY, ALONG WITH A REVOLVING DISPLAY OF HOMEGROWN ART FOR SALE; NENA GARCIA’S LOMO DE BACALAO, A RECIPE UNCHANGED THROUGH GENERATIONS.

COCINA DE LA CASA 6 Avelino Morales St. Cebu City www.facebook.com/cocinacebu

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FOOD TABLE FOR ONE

By JUDE A. BACALSO

RIGHT: ETTA’S ECLECTIC FOOD + DRINKS ADOPTS A MODERN, INDUSTRIAL LOOK. BELOW: PANCIT NEGRA; SALMON BELLYSIOSO.

LIKE YOUR MAMA’S, BUT FANCIER At Etta’s Eclectic Food + Drinks, the usual home-cooked dishes gets a twist

Images by JIM UBALDE and NAPOLEON BOJOS, JR. Dining at Etta’s is like coming home to your mother’s cooking—after she’s had a monthlong training at some fancy culinary school and is visibly excited about the new things she’s learned, rolling out her old dishes in their new permutations.

Case in point: the Salmon Bellysioso.

It’s your favorite inun-unang isda, which is traditionally made with bangus. Cooked in vinegar, garlic, and salt, the Cebuano version of paksiw is a breakfast staple (my father has this almost every day) and conjures many happy memories of growing up on this island. But Etta’s invests in a risky upgrade: the fancier salmon is arranged delicately on the top lip of the serving plate, followed by the blanched vegetables—tomatoes, garlic, peppers—forming their own rows, creating an unusual line-up for the usual suspects. Even the salty-sour soup, which always makes my mouth water, triggers my taste buds to call out for rice, is perfect to bahug (a Cebuano term for pouring sauce or soup over rice), is served “on the side,” a Western dining concept that used to be alien to Pinoy cooking.

Etta’s experimented with the good old French fries as well, sprinkling them with parmesan cheese and flaked pork pieces—the dry kind, done the Cebuano way—then serving them with truffle ketchup. The humba, a red-braised pork dish borrowed

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from our Chinese heritage and is another Bisaya favorite, is served with a different carbohydrate: noodles instead of rice. A pancit dish with an eclectic twist is the pancit negra blackened by squid ink, as if your nokos nga naay ata suddenly took a trip to China and cheated on a bowl of rice with glass noodles.

Derek Dytian’s fourth restaurant brand following Chika-an, Big Mao, and Brique, and also the 19th branch to open across the VisMin area, Etta’s Eclectic Food + Drinks pays homage to his mother Loretta, who is one of my favorite people in Cebu.

The throng of people coming in and out of the restaurant suggests brisk business. But then again, Cebuanos will always check out a dining spot at least once if it is new, and it is too early to tell if the re-imagined traditions at Etta’s will click with their equally eclectic crowd of diners. But I can tell you one thing: I ate my fancy salmon the way I did when I was five, the soup spooned over steaming hot rice and the fish and vegetables dunked into the bowl of soup “on the side.”

I might sporadically say “Lit AF,” but I’m old like that.

ETTAS ECLECTIC FOOD+DRINKS Garden Level, Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu City 410-9012. www.facebook.com/EttasPH

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RECIPE

A COOKIE STORY

How an unnamed freebie built an empire

by JUDE BACALSO

Margarita “Titay” Frasco opened a sari-sari store in the crossroads town of Liloan in the early 1900s. As a marketing gimmick, she baked cookies and gave them out for free for every softdrink you would buy from her store.

The year was 1907.

As serendipity would have it, then Cebu Governor Sergio Osmeña was passing through the town, bought a softdrink, and enjoyed one of her free cookies. He became so enamored with it that he asked what it was called. Titay was stumped as it had, until that day, remained unnamed. The former president of the Philippines declared that they be named rosquillos because, when worn on top of each other on a single finger, resembled the grooves of a roska or screw.

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TITAY’S ROSQUILLOS CORAZON INGREDIENTS Flour Eggs Milk Salt Food Coloring Shortening

PROCEDURE 1. A pre-mix is prepared from a closelyguarded family secret and delivered to the factory.

2. Using a mixer, the pre-mix is combined with water to make the dough.

3. The dough is then kneaded by hand until the desired consistency is achieved.

4. After the dough is flattened, it is then cut to its signature form using a mold that is manufactured by the family. The corazon (heart) mold was introduced in the early ’90s and features a heart-shaped hollow center.

5. The individual cookies are then placed on an unlined baking pan and baked for 25 minutes at 150o Celsius. The original cookies were baked in small batches inside Titay’s hudnohan or clay oven.

6. Cookies are cooled overnight in room temperature and ready for packing and serving the next day.

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Exclusively available at National Book Store Ayala Center Cebu

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