ILLUSTRADO MARCH 2012

THE MAGAZINE FOR INTERNATIONAL FILIPINO

15 MARCH - 15 APRIL 2012

61

ISSUE

DHS10 • SR10 • BD1 • OR1 • KDO.800 • QR.10

THE FILIPINA WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012

FILIPINA DIASPORA WHAT WOMEN WANT BEAUTY FEATURE: COLOR CONUNDRUM PUERTO GALERA: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BAY IN THE WORLD PINOY PLANET: MONTREAL RELATIONSHIPS: IS HE REALLY FAITHFUL?

Photo by Eros Goze

EDITOR’S NOTE

To the warrior women in our lives

I was born to a family and nation of strong women.

My grandmother who became a widow at a young age, just a year shy after giving birth to her youngest child, raised all of her six children singlehandedly. Not afraid of hard work, she ran a school canteen and a sari-sari store, while maintaining a disciplined household and was able to support all her kids through college. I remember going to the market with her as a child, always before the crack of dawn, so she could score the freshest produce, as well as the sight of her wielding her tabak vigorously chopping the weeds that grow around the house, even in her twilight years as her strength ebbed away.

My mother, the big “ate,” second child of the brood helped take care of her siblings. She married young, and took care of us three kids while my father worked abroad. She was a teacher, and then moved to the Philippine Postal Service later on to become the youngest Post Master in the country (and a woman at that) in those days. And despite suffering from the “big C” almost two decades ago, she has always been the active driver of the family, pushing us all through growth, setting up businesses as well as charitable endeavors while keeping her eight “apos” in constant check.

I am sure that my stories aren’t exactly unique. Having strong women in the family is something most Filipinos share.

We are born to strong women who not only take care of the family, teach our young, but also take care of business and run the country as well. We have women doctors, law makers, architects and engineers, heads of industries and government leaders. We have female soldiers and military officials, boxers, martial artists and all sorts of athletes, not to mention, artists, performers and beauty queens. We have heroines in Philippine history and everyday heroes who take it upon themselves to provide for their kin even as they work in faraway lands across the globe.

The Filipina is not just the pleasant, alluring and sun-kissed presence on Amorsolo’s canvas. She is a strong, intelligent, capable modern woman, who’s resolve to accomplish and prevail, even in the most dire of situations, is even bigger than her heart.

And so as we continue work on our advocacy devoted to the upliftment of Filipinas with Illustrado Women of Substance’s fifth year, we take pride in carrying that torch promoting the proud and resolute image of our empowered women.

To be able to pay tribute to the worthy warrior women in our lives is a distinct honor that we cherish.

We hope that you would share this endeavor, this mission, with us someday.

To our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters and friends…

Taas Noo, Filipino!

LALAINE CHU-BENITEZ Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

CONTRIBUTORS Alfred “Krip” A. Yuson Krip has co-authored travel books (among these APA Insight Guide to the Philippines and Philippines: Islands of Enchantment). He has earned distinctions as a literary author of over 20 other books — from poetry, short stories, children’s stories, biographies, and translation. A Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Hall-of-Famer, he has also received the SEAWrite (SouthEast Asia Writer’s) Award fromThai royalty and the UMPIL or Writers’Union of the Philippines’Gawad Balagtas for lifetime achievement.

An ardent admirer of the Filipina, Krip writes about her steadfast and unflinching spirit in his column “Illuminati.”

Margarita Go Singco Holmes & Jeremy Baer

Bo Sanchez

In the Philippines, when it comes to relationships, the names Dr. Margarita Holmes and Jeremy Baer are the firsts that come to mind.

This husband and wife team can give advice that is both straight up and compassionately gentle. In their monthly column, they answer questions from readers, presenting a dual take on the situation: the men’s point of view from the women’s; from the Westerner’s point of view to the Filipina, sometimes the only difference in their advice is the manner by which they deliver it. Dr. Margarita Holmes is a celebrated clinical psychologist, author,TV personality and professor, while former banker Jeremy Baer is a psychotherapist in training, about to finish his first book.

An expert on the subject of all things spiritual, Bo Sanchez is a best-selling author, respected speaker, and Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardee. Among all of the other secrets to a good life he shares with our readers every month, he now dishes out on “What Women Want.”

Francisco Colayco

Lito Viriña

In this issue, resident personal finance guru Francisco J Colayco teaches us how to avoid a prevalent problem of the internet age -internet-basedfinancialscams.Illustrado’sKabuhayancolumnist has several best-selling books to his credit, and an advocacy on teaching Filipinos how to prosper.

Dubai has a special place in this adman’s heart. Lito worked and lived in this emirate before“it got steroid shots and started to resemble a Jetson’s set”as he describes it now. He is also no stranger to Illustrado.

He was with the magazine when it started and had a regular column until events dictated he had to quietly fade from the scene. Fulfilling his McArthur promise of“I shall return!”Lito comes back in this issue with a column that’s as full of humor and mischief as his original in “Just Sayin.’” Now based in Manila, he works for a French company that helps business professionals in Western Europe with their English. He keeps his blood young by teaching Marketing, Advertising & Copywriting to the nubile maidens of St. Paul University Manila. He recommends this to all red-blooded

Agnes Aquino Stott-Briggs Illustrado Style and Image columnist, Woman of Substance 2011 Honoree and Philippine Business Council – Abu Dhabi former Chairman Agnes Aquino Stott-Briggs is a woman on a mission - to educate and empower men and women with confidence that comes with looking their best and believing in themselves to achieve their goals. This multi-talented lady who has a degree in Economics, and has successfully run businesses in real estate and interior design, is a Certified Image and Personal Consultant, armed with training from the Philippines’ prestigious Cora Doloroso Finishing School, and the Sterling Style Academy USA – one of the world’s leading Image and Style institutes.

males of a certain age.

Ana Oposa

Anna Oposa delves into the pioneering work of other Filipina Women of Substance from around the globe. A strong Filipina herself, she graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in BA English Studies, cum laude.

At 24, she has already defined herself as a writer by profession and environmental advocate by passion. She is the CoFounder and Chief Mermaid of Save Philippine Seas.

Bernadette Reyes Tackling the gnawing issue of the ramifications of feminized migration this month is Bernadette Reyes, senior business reporter for GMA Network News. She is also an entrepreneur, an artist, a traveler and a dog lover. During her free time she attends to Braddell, her golden retriever; Bono a beagle and Bernard a shih tzu.

Ginno Alducente

Candice Lopez-Quimpo Candice Lopez-Quimpo is a lifestyle writer who explores stories about people, places, art, food and other curious nuances of everyday life. To her a woman of substance knows that time is limited and must be spent well on the things that make living a bit better: delicious meals, beautiful destinations, happy family memories,stimulatingconversation,inspiringart,changemaking collaborations, and quiet times to renew one’s self. Candice talks to the female DJs Manila wakes up to for this issue’s feature.

Eros Goze

Known for his dramatic photography style, Eros Goze shifts to the subject of beauty this month for Illustrado’s make-up feature ‘Color Conundrum’highlighting some bold trends for the season.

Freelance photographer Eros is a multi-talented artist with a background in fashion designing and an undeniably striking visual flair evident in his images.

The ‘McQueen of the Make-Over World’ Ginno Alducente is well-known in the tightly knit local fashion industry for his edgy and fearless take on make-up. A favorite of equally edgy and demanding fashion designers in the country, he delivers, restructures fierceness and resurfaces an eclectic canvas to compose a total look that is a picture perfect blend of modern colors. At the height of his career, he is into TV productions, magazine collaborations, runway and styling and has several cover shoots for Illustrado to his credit.

4 TALKING LOUD

Write to us at: editor@illustrado.net or join the discussion at IIlustrado Magazine’s Facebook page

been doing a lot of amazing initiatives to highlight the image of an empowered Filipina. I derive inspirations from different resources and your magazine is certainly a unique one I recommend.

Thanks and congratz Lalaine Chu-Benitez for your leadership! More power to you and your team. God bless!

Engr. Jijie Zablan

Remembering how WOS started 5 years ago Illustrado thanks for including me in this wonderful celebration of an incredible force for empowerment and change. The beauty illustrated

by Illustrado is only exceeded by the inner beauty of its creators and their wonderful hearts. :) Rick Passo ‎ Glad to have been part in some way Illustrado!

Thanks for celebrating Filipino women.

Regina Martin-Marauta

Unsung Filipino heroes A Filipina called me at 10PM saying that she got my number from my ad in Illustrado June 2011 issue, apparently she works in Ajman UAE as a housemaid. I had an interesting chat with her, she was asking all about financial planning, how she can actually do this; how she can meet me. I found myself quiet when she said “Hindi ito pwede sa katulong ano?” It broke my heart because that is actually true, but that didn’t stop me from giving her advice on what she could do.

The lady receives AED1,000 every month, and yet, she would like to get a life cover, save money for retirement and increase her current emergency funds. Despite her low income she actually has emergency funds! Hurray! Amazing!

And by the way, she’s a single mom and sends her kids to school. She looks after an Arab family here with 11 children...bless her!

I could tell that there was a smile on her face while she was telling me her story... she is a hero, not just because she sends money back home but because she is happy with what she does.

That call reminded me how lucky many of us are, we have more than what we need and see our families often if not every day. But I find her luckier for having such a good heart and positive spirit...

Bey Celso Yes, we have lots of unsung Filipina heroes all over the UAE. From 1990 till today, I can count 50 plus of them being recognized either by their own employers or mainstream media and institutions. The only difference is how brown skinned Filipinas are treated fairly in their own workplace and kabayans alike. Kudos to Illustrado for empowering Pinays all over.

Enteng Kamote Thanks so much Illustrado Magazine! You’ve

The 7th Wonder of the World is the Women of Substance by Illustrado.

Agnes Pedrosa Mårelid

Of beautiful covers and supporting Pinoy talent Thank you, Illustrado Magazine, support and motivation to all around the world! Best regards Benitez and to the rest of the More power!

Mario Cardenas

for your all out aspiring Pinoys to Lalaine ChuIllustrado team.

This [February cover] is so beautiful! Showcasing Filipino culture, with the model on a bamboo boat [balsa] and the beauty of the modern Filipina.

Nelson Buhain Your covers and shoots are so lovely!!! Congrats!!!!

International quality and creativity rarely seen in Dubai! Keep it up!

Chrystel Plischke-Livolsi

countries. Be a part of the New Philippines! Let us help STOP CORRUPTION nor be a party to it!

Mabuhay ang Makabagong Pilipinas!

We will get there!

Christian B. Ad About time! We’ve been stuck with our dreams for too long a time now. Here’s to hoping this will be a sustainable growth from which all Filipinos will benefit...

Nitsuga Shoj Godspeed to all Filipinos...

We need to stop criticizing the elected leaders; we must support them especially if they are not corrupt. Some people are too busy digging dirt and damaging others. Better use of time is to dig dirt and plant some trees. It’s best to be proactive and productive instead of destructive.

I am happy to hear the great news.

A Liza Julao

On 20 reasons why I love/dislike the Philippines I wanted to post this video “20 reasons why I dislike the Philippines” because I feel it is a very good to start a dialogue, however I understand that the content and nature of the video may conflict with the magazine’s image and what it would like to portray, there is also some language in it. So I am sending it this way.

My friends and I have seen this video and are polarized by it in our views, many becoming “pikon” and so offended that a foreigner would make such comments, while others feel that he comes up with good and accurate feedback (albeit, delivered a little roughly) and while this standard of living for most countries isn’t acceptable, we as Filipinos have come to accept it as the norm, shouldn’t we demand better?

Alia Ceniza Rasul

I’m glad that Illustrado Magazine is showcasing successful professional Filipinos in the UAE. It is important for both UAE citizens and expats to recognize that the Filipino professionals are some of the best in the whole world. Great job, Illustrado!

Greg V. Aguilar

Thanks for this, Alia.

The arguments put forward ring true for a lot of us.

Yes, we should demand better standards and help to uphold those in our country. If only the guy in the video wasn’t so offensive, which makes it look like the video was done mainly to be insulting than anything else.

Professional Filipinos are always above standard.

Proud to be Pinoy and happy that Quarlah Quion is in this issue ...congrats Carla!

Jhie Bernales

Instead, we have posted this video On 20 reasons why I love the Philippines - http://channelfix.com/ video/109/

The best talaga ang Pinoy! Congratulations to all kabayans abroad!

Taas noo tayo!

February Paredes

Bloomberg on Increasing Confidence in the Philippines Corruption should be eradicated totally then the Philippines will do better than any other Asian

You see that the place isn’t perfect, but we love that those guys can still see what’s good out there.

Anyway, thanks for sharing this with us. We always like constructive discourse and progressive Filipinos like you who look deeper into things.

Warm regards from Dubai, Lalaine

Publisher & Editor-in Chief Lalaine Chu-Benitez Associate Editor Ana Santos CONTRIBUTING WRITERS UAE, Philippines, USA Aby Yap Anna Lorraine Balita JR Bustamante Bernadette Reyes Jude Cartalaba Bo Sanchez Karen Galarpe Carlito Viriña KC Abalos David Poarch Krip Yuson Excel Dyquiangco Nikka Sathou Flordeliz Samonte Nina Terol- Zialcita Francisco Colayco Rache Hernandez Isabelo Samonte Rome Jorge Ivan Henares Toni Loyola Jack Catarata Sonny Guzman Jesse Edep Vic Lactaoen ART DIRECTORS Tom Bolivar Paula Lorenzo Ron Perez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS UAE Eros Goze Mariyah Gaspacho Christina Linaza Illuminado Ong Donald Rosales CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS PHILIPPINES Enzo Mondejar Dr. Marlon Pecjo Alan Desiderio CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS & FASHION TEAM UAE Jessie Tabla Ginno Alducente Jojo Padua Frankie Melendez PUBLISHER - UAE Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC 2nd Floor, Building 2, P.O. Box 72280 Office 20C Dubai Media City, UAE Tel: +9714 365 4543, 365 4547 Fax:+9714 360 4771 E-mail: admin@illustrado.net, info@illustrado.net Web: www.illustrado.net, www.illustradolife.com PRINTERS PRINTWELL PRINTING LLC P.O. Box 18828 Dubai, UAE Copyright Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC 2006-2012. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC.

CONTENTS

72 MAR 2012 The original Illustrado cover girl Meg Arreza comes “home” for a makeup feature revealing some fierce beauty statements only for the fierce.

92

FEATURES

Filipina Diaspora 12 The Business of BPO 16 The Women Who Wake Manila Up 22 Illustrado Women of Substance 2012 49 Women of Substance around the Globe 66 Nothing to Declare 88

REGULAR COLUMNS

Editor’s Note 1 Contributors 2 Talking Loud 4 Illuminati: The Indomitability of Women 10 It’s What I Do 26 KabuhayanEntrepreneurship:ABusinessBuiltonBetter Bodies 28 Pinoy Entrepreneur 30 Kabuhayan – Money: Avoiding Internet Scams 32 Relationships: Is he really faithful? 34 Spirituality: What Women Want 38 Style Sense: Dressing your best with proportion and style 40 Illustrado Scrapbook 44 Bayanihan Corner: 68 Trippin’: Five Things to Do 82 Just Sayin’: In Search of “Influential” Filipinas 106 Onli in da Pilipins: All About Eva 108

BEAUTY

IMake-Up Feature: Color Conundrum 72

PEOPLE & PLACES

Bakasyon Grande: Puerto Galera 92 Pinoy Planet: Montreal – The Crowning Glory of Canada 96 My Pinoy Life in: Pohnpei, Micronesia 100

96

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12 ILLUMINATI

The indomitability of

WOMEN

By Krip Yuson

A couple I’ve been close to — although we see one another infrequently — is undergoing critical times that I myself would not want to happen to me or my family.

The fellow, who became my friend before his wife did, is a brilliant man in many ways.

He has served medical and developmental institutions, the government as sometime Undersecretary of Health, and various

Illustrado Magazine

other national and international agencies as well as informal media advisory groups helping out prominent national leaders.

He has acted in films, writes engaging essays, renders astute socio-political commentary, entertains with an off-thewall brand of humor, and owns a patent on maniacal laughter. Hail-fellow-well-met is his stereotype, if one can type him at all.

Sadly, as he was only beginning to approach his golden years, he began fighting a battle with the Big C since late last year. An activist as early as his Philippine Science High School days when he met his wifeto-be, and through their college years, so much so that he fell prey to Martial Law authorities in the ’70s, this friend of mine somehow found a way to assure everyone that he’d put up a good fight against the disease when it struck him.

ILLUMINATI 13

On an evening’s visit at the hospital upon his initial confinement, I met with his wife, who was uncharacteristically cheerful given the iffy circumstances. Over coffee at the hospital lobby, she sounded optimistic while relating how they had decided on availing of both chemotherapy and stem cell procedures.

Hedging their bets, in a way, she said, even as she acknowledged that they were partial to the latter upon advisement. If it were a matter-of-fact stance she was exhibiting, I thought, she certainly supported it with private conviction.

She’s a highly talented lady, a true woman of substance. She does wonderful illustrations for children’s books, and designs them and other books as well. For years she headed the association of illustrators for children’s books, setting new directions for the budding group.

In fact we collaborated on one book published by Bookmark over a decade ago, titled Junior Starfish and the Rainbow, which I had co-written with my then fiveyear-old daughter. Enhanced by my lady friend’s wondrous illustrations and design, the book became a bit of a bestseller. We had planned follow-up titles on the same theme of undersea enchantment, but other projects kept us deferring those plans.

Now here she was, a picture of cheer, smiling indomitability, in full support of her husband’s new struggle for extended life. My heart went out to her. They had already lost two sons from early onsets of disease. The third and youngest was left, and he had become his mother’s constant companion.

If I believed in prayer, I would have joined the brigade of friends who offered it daily for the couple. I did the next best thing, which was to send tons of sunshine vibes Mario’s way. It seemed to help, as Beaulah reported for weeks that her husband’s treatment appeared to be working. And that they both remained in high spirits.

But on the third week of February I received a letter written by Mario, one obviously addressed to his close friends. It spoke of his last wishes. He had decided on discontinuing treatment except for palliatives such as painkillers. He said he had accepted his fate, and was now content to live out the remaining days of his life in the company alone of his wife, their son, and a nurse or caregiver. No visits from friends, no interventions, no wake, no viewing, just a quick cremation, he wrote.

He was saying goodbye.

When I sent an SMS to Beaulah to say that the farewell letter had brought tears to my eyes, knowing that I would not see her husband Mario again, she responded immediately, giving assurance that she was standing behind his decision, having also accepted a future where she would just have the company of their son, or a quarter of the men that had lovingly surrounded her, and whom she had just as lovingly taken care of.

My heart goes out to her even more. But I know that Beaulah, like many Filipinas whom Fate appears to have given a bad turn for a season, like many women the world over who have held up half of an occasionally unfortunate sky, will be a tower of resolve for the next weeks. And beyond.

She shares possession of that inner strength that women have — what carries them through the tests of childbirth and random abuse by weaker men, by tradition, by conservatism. She will prevail, more than survive, because she has already honed that inestimable measure of indomitability — the sheer will to refuse subjugation or defeat.

While we’re at it, here’s recommending two recent titles that have contributed immensely to our rich storehouse of Filipiniana books written by two equally indomitable lady friends.

Children’s advocate and grief counselor Cathy Babao Guballa’s Between Loss and Forever: Filipino Mothers on the Grief Journey, published by Anvil, is a collection of narratives on how to deal with grief and the loss of a loved one, especially one’s children. It is available at National Bookstore branches.

She shares possession of that inner strength that women have — what carries them through the tests of childbirth and random abuse by weaker men, by tradition, by conservatism. She will prevail, more than survive, because she has already honed that inestimable measure of indomitability — the sheer will to refuse subjugation or defeat.

Freelance writer-editor and publisher Ana Santos’ Happy Even After: A Solo Mom’s Journal, shares tips for mothers struggling to cope with a newly solo status. Both journal with writing pages and storybook, Happy Even After is available at Fully Booked and online at www.happyevenafter.com.

Both books manifest how Filipino women of substance take an even bigger share of responsibility in holding up that sky.

14 FEATURE

Filipina Diaspora:

Taking Flight and Leaving Home

By Bernadette Reyes, with additional reporting by Rache Hernandez

In Philippine society, it is traditionally the men who till the soil, but in recent years, women have taken up the cudgels of putting food on the table by working overseas. Bernadette Reyes examines the feminization of migration as more and more women are taking flight and leaving home.

Perhaps no other nationality is as ubiquitous around the world as Filipinos.

According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, more than 8 million Filipinos as of 2009 are working or living abroad, while reported estimates peg the number to 11 million. For a growing number of people migration is an option, a chance to try life in another land, but for most migrants, especially in the lower economic segment, seeking employment overseas is perceived as the only way to improve their economic condition.

According to the World Bank and the International Organization for Migration,

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in the late 1990s, one million Filipinas were working outside the country. This number grew in the next couple of years; in the Philippines, female migrants account for 73 percent of labor migrants.

More women are convinced to cross borders to improve their economic condition as better employment opportunities are severely lacking in the country. Others move out to gain new experiences and learn new skills.

In 2009, according to the National Statistics Office more than half of the female OCWs were ages 25 to 34. UAE

was the top destination comprising 17.9 percent of the total number. Saudi Arabia was the second top destination (13.7%) followed by Hong Kong (11.8%)

The price of migration While migration can help these women achieve economic security, it has its own intangible costs. Local advocacy groups estimate some 9 million children are left behind by their parents who decide to seek employment abroad. The extended family, such as their grandparents or uncles and aunties - and in some cases, close friends assumes the parental role. While this may

FEATURE 15 to adapt to the new arrangement. While OCWs are required to attend the Predeparture Orientation Seminar (PDOS) administered by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Victoria said it should be attended by the whole family “to make them aware of what to expect and how to react accordingly.”

PDOS should also be administered weeks prior to departure not a few days before their flight. “It must be conducted before they go through medical examinations or even before a visa is secured. This will give them time to contemplate about migration; whether or not to pursue their plan,” Victoria said.

provide some relief, a child is predisposed to long for the love and care of the biological mother. Her absence during the child’s formative years disrupts the caregiving arrangement that, if not addressed properly, may result in negative attitude of children towards their parent.

The children they leave behind According to psychologist and licensed counselor Dr. Lucila Bance, children left behind by their mother after birth, up to their toddler years think of migration as a form of abandonment.

“If a child experiences separation from the mother long before a relationship has been established, the child finds it difficult to relate to other people. The traumatic experience leads to loss of trust making it difficult for the child to relate to others,” Bance said. They become those people who jump from one relationship to another when they become adults because, “the child begins to think that every time he or she loves, the other party will also leave in time.”

Migration at a time when the child enters schools also has its down side as children

are likely to resent the parting and develop aggression. “The child takes out his frustration by fighting with other children in school,” Bance explained.

Bance suggests women should migrate after a child turns seven when he or she begins to associate with peers such as classmates or friends from the neighborhood. “The first seven years lay the foundation where a child learns how to interact with peers.

When he learns to associate with other people, the mother can separate from the child.”

Atty. Vickki Victoria, chairperson of Kanlungan Centre Foundation, an advocacy group engaged in research, policy intervention and direct service to OCWs thinks otherwise. She suggests women should work abroad during the toddler years of a child and return when the child turns seven. “I think it’s better if they work when children are toddlers, from two to five years old.

Finding Support Groups The need for proper orientation prior to departure may help families prepare for the temporary separation and find ways

Equally important is the need for a support group in the country of destination. This can be a good instrument to help migrant workers cope with the parting, as well as strengthen their family ties and discourage them from finding new partners.

Kanlungan has helped countless Filipina OCWs keep their family intact by providing an avenue where they could associate with fellow migrant workers to fill the void they feel. The support group allows them to share experiences, discover ways to keep the family together and realize the value of their relationship in spite the distance.

School can also help children cope with the separation from their mother. Bance suggests school personnel must be able to identify children of OCWs and develop a program to address their needs.

“They must be allowed to interact with children who are in the same situation.

When they associate with students who are able to perform well in school in spite of separation from their mother, they are motivated to also do well in school until they come up with their own resolution,” said Bance.

Outside the school, surround children with people who can explain to them the situation and remind them the reason why their mother is away. “Before the mother

16 FEATURE leaves, the child must be properly oriented. The love, care and attention of the mother to the child must be well-established,” Bance said.

Children and parents must also have constant communication with each other to keep them updated with each other’s lives and help alleviate the feeling of separation. With cheaper call rates and the video calls, OCWs can communicate more often with their family in the Philippines.

In the case of some mothers like Irma Laurel, constant communication has played a big part in bridging the distance. An OCW in Oman, she left her daughter Sam under the care of her parents. Sam, then eight years old when her mother left, understood her mother had to work abroad to provide for her education. Irma connected with Sam through frequent phone calls and occasional online chats whenever time permitted. Fast forward to graduation, Sam finished with honors and her mother came home to witness the ceremony. It was an achievement that would not have been possible if Irma had not gone abroad.

While individual families struggle to keep their family intact, the government should also contribute by providing a better working environment in the country. “The work environment now is not good. This phenomenon is pushing our female workforce to find work abroad,” said Victoria. Amendment of the labor law she said is necessary.

“The government wants to balance investor’s interest and the needs of our workforce. They should find equilibrium.”

Not all female OCWs come home with their luggage filled with sad stories. There are a lot of Filipinas like Irma, who after years of working far from home, look forward to the day they will be reunited with their family with only stories of success to share.

Undoubtedly working abroad has given them economic security and progress. Still, leaving loved ones, especially children, behind has its own cost that should be treated and bridged with utmost importance - if families are to rise above the challenges of being divided by distance.

Giving Women Reasons to Stay The Philippine ambassador to the UAE discourages unskilled women workers from going abroad because they become vulnerable to troubles. Instead she promotes cottage industry through cooperatives in the countryside as alternative livelihood.

Keenly aware of the rapid feminization of migration, Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa envisions a time when Filipinas will not need to look far for good jobs. “I look forward to a time when Pinays would have enough reason to stay at home in the Philippines,” she said. “When there would be no more separation between husbands and wives, mothers and children.”

Relucio-Princesa recognizes that the foremost motivation for Filipinas going abroad is the desire to improve their families’ standard of living.

“It stems from the push and pull of economic factors. The push being the perceived lack of opportunities in the country while the pull is the belief that other places are paradise,” she said.

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Relucio-Princesa strongly believes that Filipinas should be given a choice. “They shouldn’t go abroad to work because they think there’s no other option,” she said. “Unskilled workers, those who become kasambahays abroad, should be educated about the psycho-social costs of migration. They should also be offered jobs in the Philippines that would pay as much or even more than what they would receive abroad.”

For this reason, Relucio-Princesa has long advocated the creation of jobs in the Philippines, particularly cottage industries in the countryside, which will discourage Filipinas from working abroad.

The Ambassador also wants to develop financial literacy among OFs. “The embassy has established the Bayanihan Council (BC), a godly, nationalistic, disciplined, focused, visionary team that exemplifies global Taas Noo, Filipino,” she said. “The BC actively supports Pinoy Wise, a program for OFs that aims to provide financial education and encourage savings and investment, thus helping OFs address financial and family issues, prepare for reintegration and achieve goals for migration.”

The Ambassador is determined to discourage the exodus of Filipinas to far-off countries. “I hope that by the time my term ends, or earlier, there will be more reasons for Filipinas to stay at home. This is my purpose, and I will work very, very hard to make that happen,” Relucio-Princesa ended.

18 FEATURE

The business of

BPO

Barbara Marchadesch looks at how the Philippines is climbing to the top of the global business process offshoring industry.

When a shiny new building goes up in Metro Manila, it’s a good chance that it’s a “call center” — or to be more precise, a company that offers business process outsourcing (BPO) services. Ten years ago, there were only a few call centers in the country. In the last few years, the Philippine BPO industry has boomed, becoming a world leader in voice services and more competitive in non-voice services, with more than half a million directly employed in the industry. And if the Philippine BPO industry has its way, this is only the beginning.

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What is BPO? Business Process Outsourcing, or BPO, involves the contracting of some of a company’s processes to another firm. These third-party service providers often operate offshore — that is, in other countries.

If they operate in a nearby country, the process is called near-shoring.

These firms often get lumped under the name “call centers”, but the services they offer have gone beyond providing people to answer phones. Many of these business processes are technologybased, and fall under the category IT (Information Technology)-BPO. They

have also expanded to include healthcare outsourcing like medical transcription, scheduling appointments, coding diagnoses and procedures, and insurance verification; bank outsourcing such as credit card or consumer loan processing; accounts payable outsourcing, data entry, back office outsourcing, and IT outsourcing.

The Philippines is currently targeting four IT-BPO sectors for expansion: healthcare outsourcing, finance and accounting outsourcing, human resources outsourcing, and animation and creative process outsourcing.

FEATURE 19 The US has long been a major client location for the industry; now, European and Australian companies are turning to the Philippines for BPO support too. One in ten BPO companies currently operating in the country is European, and the UK’s National Outsourcing Association already named the Philippines the Most Outstanding Offshoring Destination in the world in 2007, 2009 and 2010 — a detail remarked upon by President Aquino at the recent International Outsourcing Summit, held late last year in Metro Manila.

The Philippines at the top The global BPO industry has thrived despite the global economic downturn, and the Philippines has become a major player in the field, with its Englishspeaking population and relatively low labor costs. According to IBM Global Business Services’ report Global Locations Trend 2010, the Philippines has overtaken India as the world’s leader in jobs for shared and BPO services. It is the top choice for contact support services and the world’s top provider of voice services.

But it has also diversified and become more sophisticated over the years, and now the country serves a wide range of sectors, with more than 30% of jobs in the industry dedicated to delivering complex services. In fact, the industry has developed to such an extent that many companies are hiring professionals such as lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers and game developers for increasingly sophisticated and accelerated work.

One challenge the industry faces is increasing visibility — letting companies from other countries know that it is now capable of taking on complex service work.

This is more important now, because clients

have begun to expect the BPO companies they use to actually enhance the business processes and thus improve profitability for the company.

But while they know that the Philippines is the world leader in voice BPO, not many also know that the industry now has the capabilities to provide complex, non-voice services, including chat support and e-mail support. If more companies know about what our BPO industry can offer, it will drive up investment in the country.

The Philippine IT-BPO Road Map 20112016, developed by BPO consulting firms Everest Group and Outsource2Philippines, ranks the Philippines second only to India when it comes to the competitiveness of its talent, including the quality of English spoken and the size of graduate pool.

The Philippines ranks #3 in a number of interesting sectors: among the top offshoring countries in annual tertiary school graduates (behind India and China); in the number of finance, accounting and business degrees graduating every year; in the production of IT and technical talent; and as investment choice from India and China (after the US and the UK).

The Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) is the country’s umbrella association of IT-BPO and GIC (Global In-House Center) services. Among its recent findings is that eight out of 10 BPO companies that visit the Philippines will do business here, thanks to its investment-friendly business climate and skilled workforce. The local BPO industry also benefits from a lot of government support, particularly from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Science and Technology’s Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) in terms of developing a deep talent pool for the industry to draw from — right now, hiring difficulties is one of the big problems the industry is trying to address.

The need for a dedicated workforce “You’ll all be back Monday, okay?” the smiling HR person asked the room full of new hires, after she had briefed them on what they needed to bring on the first day of training. “Promise?”

It is not uncommon for BPO companies to actively, sometimes even aggressively, trawl for talent — and then have difficulty keeping the ones who make it through their rigid application process as well as retaining the ones who stick around long enough to settle into the job. Some of these job leavers simply move from one company to another within the BPO industry, while others just drop out of the field altogether.

20 FEATURE

There is a huge, apparently endless demand for workers in BPO companies, and it is one of BPAP’s priorities to market the industry to the local talent pool. Large billboards invite people to apply, promising a happy, fulfilling career in the industry. Sometimes during the application process, the recruiters even ask the applicants to provide the contact information of friends who might be interested in applying as well.

One reason for the aggressive sell might be because there’s a high turnover rate, not just among employees but even among the newly hired. Many of the people who are accepted after a whole day of testing, interviews and waiting don’t return.

This may be because many BPO workers and applicants didn’t set out to join the industry, and may have only done so because they needed the job.

In a study from 2005, three quarters of BPO companies in the Philippines claimed that hiring difficulties held back the industry’s growth. It is still a huge problem: right now, says an industry insider, talent demand exceeds supply.

The industry is addressing the attrition problem by working with the government and with schools to fund projects such as studyto-work training programs and English lessons. In a speech at the International Outsourcing Summit, BPAP chairman Alfredo Ayala stressed the need to address the growing demand and to tackle the undersupply problem: “Demand is growing at over 20% annually, but our supply of graduates is only growing at 30%. And only 5%-8%

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are hire-able... In short, a tremendous amount of demand is being wasted.”

Many might see something disturbing in this trend — providing education to people in order for them to become call center agents and other BPO workers. But what the industry wants to stress is that now being a BPO worker can be a viable career choice — something that requires a certain education and experience, and offers a full range of jobs, many of which require highlevel skills in financial, analytical and legal matters.

With an additional PHP500 million approved for their training budget, TESDA and BPAP have begun the expansion of the IT-BPO IndustryBased Training for Work Scholarship Program (I-TWSP), which will train 65,000 “near hires” — job applicants who qualify but who still need additional IT-BPO training — and convert them into full-fledged qualified employees. The groups expect at least a 70% employment rate of the total who graduate from the course. The top performers among the near hires can be trained in about 100 hours at a cost of just PHP5,000.

The country is also offering good opportunities to companies. Foreign BPO firms setting up shop in the Philippines enjoy incentives such as four to six year income tax holidays and additional deduction from workers’ taxable incomes.

With the good reputation it has built in the global IT-BPO industry, and with major government support, the country’s IT-BPO industry sees a bright future. With more people seeing viable career possibilities in IT-BPO, they might see a rosy tomorrow for themselves as well.

BPO by the numbers In 2010, the BPO industry generated US$8.9 billion in revenue, with a full-time workforce of more than 500,000 and more than 1.3 million in indirect jobs such as jobs in construction, transportation and other industries that support the IT-BPO industry.

In 2011, it contributed around US$11 billion in export revenues, almost three quarters of a million in direct jobs and around 1.5 million indirect jobs.

The Philippine BPO industry’s baseline prediction for 2016: US$20 billion in revenue 3.2 million workforce The industry’s “accelerated case” (i.e. working with support from the government) prediction for 2016: $25 billion in revenue—potentially a 10% share of the global market 4.5 million workforce (1.3 million direct and 3.2 million indirect jobs) The industry will account for 12.5% of the country’s GDP New workers forecasted to join the IT-BPO labor force this year: 130,000. Number of new workers that the industry may need to join annually by 2016: 180,000.

22 FEATURE

THE WOMEN Manila Wakes Up To For thousands of Filipinos in the metro, the morning drudgery of going to work is made bearable — sometimes even pleasant — by listening to the voices of their female DJs. Candice Lopez-Quimpo turns up the radio frequency chatting with Delamar, DJ Tracy and DJ Sasha, the women Manila wakes up to.

If you tuned in to morning radio on the FM band some 15 years ago, or more, you’d probably be greeted by a male voice.

Once an hour, he would be joined by a female voice. She would do the news, chat a bit, maybe, and say her goodbyes.

“In the 90s, women were either newscasters or, the only stations that hired female DJs were the “mellow stations,” shared veteran DJ Delamar. “It was a male dominated industry. It was a different thing at the time.”

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Her voice and her name are distinctly recognizable. Delamar, after all, has been made a part of early morning radio listeners’ routines for 17 years now. These days, she’s still exchanging viewpoints with her longtime co-host Chico Garcia, though this time in a tandem with Gino on RX 93.1.

Delamar didn’t really plan to be in the hosting seat. In fact, radio wasn’t even really in the plans. It was borne of a dare.

Her story began in a bus.

“The very first station to launch a radio course for DJs - which means students who just want to try radio, even if they’re not from MassComm - was 97.1 LSFM,” opens Delamar. “That was in the 90s.

Their forte was Campus Radio, so that’s why they wanted to get the students. My friend and I were in the bus when we heard the plug and she said, ‘I bet you, you don’t have the guts to audition.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I do.’ And then I auditioned and I got in.”

FEATURE 23

That foray into radio was short-lived as Delamar’s parents insisted that she stay in school. But after graduation, Delamar knocked on the doors of RX93 where she became a newscaster. That was in 1995.

For DJ Sasha, her start in radio was no less random.

“I stumbled onto radio back in late 2009,” she revealed. She was in the Brunei at that time, the country of her heritage. “I randomly walked into the most popular radio station in that country, which was then Kristal FM, and nailed the audition.”

But in the Philippines growing up, radio was always a part of Sasha’s life. She names her childhood favorites: “King DJ Logan and Slick Rick had a great nighttime show I loved. Logan was always spot-on with every witty thing that came out of his mouth and is still brilliant! Stubborn and brilliant, always a great mix, in my opinion. Mo Twister and Miles, I remember listening to as well because I liked their banter.”

DJ Sasha is bantering, too, these days, as part of Jam 88.3’s morning show, Rebel Circus, with Scotty and Show Suzuki.

A few dials up to Mellow 94.7 FM is DJ Tracy, with co-host Vince G, being anything but mellow on the Wake Up Show.

Interestingly, DJ Tracy points out a morning show “competition” as her early idols in radio.

She reveals, “In high school, I would listen to Chico and Del going to school. Then in college, I would listen to the Morning Zoo Crew with King DJ Logan, Slick Rick and Tettanew (on Magic 89.9).”

DJ Tracy worked her way through various stations. “I started in another station – 99.5 RT. I was still in college and 99.5 RT had “School Crash” and they asked me to try it out. Since then, I’ve been enjoying my job. From 99.5 RT, I moved to Jam 88.3, then now to Mellow 94.7.”

Changing the dial It seems, then, that it must be rare to stay in one place throughout an entire career. So much so that Delamar should be patting herself on the back for accomplishing quite a feat. It’s been 17 years since she started her stint with RX 93.1, and in effect with Chico Garcia, and she’s still at it. There was that brief cross over to another station, but the two stuck it out together.

It was certainly a different time then, and for someone who has been on the air for almost two decades, Delamar has seen a lot of changes. When she became the first girl to host a radio show on FM (as opposed to merely “boarding” and playing tunes), it was also because she was working for a station who was transforming radio soundscape.

Tracy

“RX in the 90s started to make like a TV station, where they would have a show.

It’s just like programming for TV. You’ve got different shows, and then something’s going on in each show. RX was the first one to do that.”

This is the kind of situation that DJ Sasha and DJ Tracy work with now. These days, DJs are heard in more ways than in the past. Not only because of the nature of the job – their voice is their medium – but because they are allowed, encouraged and paid to have an opinion now.

Delamar

For them, the radio industry has pretty been much open and fair.

These days, it all boils down to skill, DJ Sasha observed. “I don’t think it’s a Men versus Women thing. It’s an Interesting versus Boring thing.”

The voice, the personality In fact, if there’s one thing that all three agree on, it’s the need to be real; the success of their careers and their shows hinge on being true to one’s self.

Sasha Rahman

24 FEATURE

“Be a heightened version of yourself. Don’t lie. I think people who really, truly have listened to me since I started, can say that out of all the perverse, politically incorrect or shocking things I’ve ever said that there is still underlying sense in the jokes that I make. All jokes are half meant. Except jokes that would get me in trouble, of course,” DJ Sasha laughed.

Delamar explained, “What you hear is what you get. You cannot pretend on radio. You can try, but people have a way of knowing because of the sound of the voice. Your voice will betray you.”

Trust is a big issue, hence. After all, you may choose to have them yakking in the background while you get your day started, but most likely, you’re looking forward to what they have to say. You’re counting on personal insights – which you may or may not agree with.

Radio fans tune into personalities - not celebrities; to the nuance and persona that come through.

For DJ Tracy, it’s about being cheerful.

“I’m an ‘optimist prime.’ A happy DJ. I’m real. It helps that I’m a morning person. I love it. For my show, The Wake Up Show is all about positivity and energy. We want to brighten up the day of every listener.”

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What’s even more fun for DJ Sasha is “balancing my real opinions about important matters, with my weird humor.

It’s more difficult than it sounds, really, when you’re as perverse as I am. Sometimes, I genuinely struggle to not just make light of or throw potshots about the subject in question because I feel in a funny mood. I have to rein in that crazy part of me and consciously go over the topic at hand and formulate an honest and articulate opinion about it.”

Which begs the question – should one let it all out on the air?

“I don’t see the point in pretending,” Delamar claimed. “It’s too much trouble to pretend something I’m not. Better to live with the real me.”

Somehow, this approach has worked. And because of this, the audience is responding actively, not just passively listening. They’re participating in the conversations.

Technology helps with that. It’s a new era of connectedness, where once you’d have to dial over and over and over again to get through a radio’s landline, now your song request, your comment, and your greetings are just a tweet, Facebook comment, Tumblr post, or text message away.

From airwaves to pages In Delamar’s case, there has even been a cross over to another medium — print.

Early this year, “The Best of Chico and Delamar’s The Morning Rush Top 10” was launched.

Delamar sidesteps the achievement and insists on sharing it with the Rushers, as their listeners call themselves.

“The book is not ours,” she emphasizes.

“This book is about a community of people who spent their morning together. We just collected it and put it in a book. It’s a book of many authors. I love that the book stands alone even if you don’t listen to the radio show. You can enjoy as is, even if you do not know the personalities involved.”

The industry has changed, indeed. For this generation, female DJs are the norm if not the more common occurrence.

“For better or for worse,” Delamar extended.

From this day forward, radio will always have the females voices, more affectionately known by listeners as “the women we wake up to.”

26 ADVERTORIAL

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Women flaunted tropical prints that range from palm leaves to peaches to fruit while the men set sail this season with Romantic Nautical, as resort dressing emerges as a key trend. Splash explores this seasonal seaside styling which sums up leisurely days spent in the Riviera.

The James Bond 007 50th Anniversary Collector’s Piece ,Classic Seamaster Co-Axial 300 M To celebrate fifty years of James Bond films, OMEGA is releasing a special update of the incredibly popular Seamaster Diver 300m James Bond watch which has been worn by 007 in every adventure since GoldenEye. It has been created in two sizes, 41 mm and 36.25 mm.

The cases of the watches are made of stainless steel and they feature ceramic bezel rings with diving scales in matt chromium nitride with the number “50” in red as a reminder that the watch is celebrating a very special anniversary.

Each version of the watch is presented on a classic brushed and polished OMEGApatented screw-and-pin stainless steel bracelet.

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The lacquered black dial features a 007 monogram. The 41 mm version has 11 applied indexes; the 36.25 mm watch has ten with a diamond index at the 7 o’clock position. The indexes are coated with white Super-LumiNova with a blue emission, allowing ease of reading in all light conditions. There is a date window at 3 o’clock.

Both versions feature OMEGA’s calibre 2507 self-winding movement fitted with the revolutionary Co-Axial escapement, the component that has driven a revolution in mechanical watchmaking since it was launched in 1999.

The 41 mm version is being produced in a limited edition of 11’007 pieces and the 36.25 mm version in a limited edition of 3’007 pieces.

28 PINOY TALENT ON-THE-JOB

It’s what I Do A typical day for me A typical day at work could be a quick 40-minute flight to Muscat or a lengthy 14hour journey to Sydney. But long or short, all flights entail the same level of safety proficiency and service skills.

Melanie Limjoco Cabin Manager

Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi, UAE

My Job In a span of two weeks I would have travelled to five continents, met a hundred and one new acquaintances, created memorable experiences while keeping them safe and comfortable – I am a Cabin Manager for the UAE’s national airline, which links the capital city of Abu Dhabi to the world.

Jocelyn Reyes Sales Executive

Bonnington Hotel & Residence Jumeirah Lake Towers Dubai, United Arab Emirates

My Job As the Sales Executive in Bonnington Hotel & Residence JLT – the only family owned and managed business hotel in Dubai, I look after corporate accounts in Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Knowledge Village, part of Sheikh Zayed road and Jebel Ali Free Zone. My duty is to ensure that all corporate hotel requirements in the area, whether room reservation, meeting space or banqueting, are handled efficiently. Acquiring new accounts, rate negotiation, developing mutual business relationship with clients, looking after and assisting clients, are just some of the things I do.

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The job description of a cabin crew is first and foremost that of a safety professional.

Oblivious to most passengers who see us as well-groomed individuals who are onboard to serve food and beverages with poise and flair, we are integral in making air travel safe.

Cabin crew are periodically trained and certified to: prevent as well as fight catastrophic fires, handle simple to complex medical emergencies, diffuse situations involving passengers who display disruptive

I was working as a call centre agent back in the Philippines and moved to Dubai to join Wild Wadi Park in July 2007. Some of my friends back home didn’t understand why I chose to be a lifeguard in Dubai rather than stay back home while earning the same salary.

But for me it was a chance to see what life would offer me in another country.

It was hard work being a lifeguard but fun.

But as luck would have it after my probation, I was given an opportunity to join Jumeirah Living in DIFC as part of the pre-opening team as a Guest Service Executive. Two years later, I had the opportunity to join Burj Al Arab as a Sales Agent. Thereafter, I moved to Al Murooj Rotana as the Sales Coordinator, and then Bonnington Hotel & Residence in November 2010.

A typical day for me I start my morning dancing to my favorite songs for some exercise. Then I drive to the hotel and work begins with lots of smiles from our staff – from the entrance until I reach our office.

or unlawful behaviour, minimize the hazards of turbulence and a potentially disastrous cabin decompression, as well as, evacuate all passengers during a dire emergency in a span of 90 seconds.

My role as a cabin manager entails more than these already daunting tasks, because as an onboard leader, I have the responsibility of ensuring that all cabin crew consistently adhere to both the safety procedures and service standards laid down by the airline.

I deal with pilots and flight attendants drawn from more than 120 countries so the wide mix of cultures and mindset is my biggest challenge. I have to always make a conscientious effort in making doubly sure that I actively communicate to this group of various individuals and effectively lead them to a common goal which is: “To consistently deliver safe and inspirational experiences with warmth and respect,” as this is our airlines’ ardent promise to our valued guests.

I send my day’s appointments to our Director, check my production, hotel and competitors figures and of course the hotel forecast, to keep myself up to date to be able to serve clients well. After which, I sit with our Senior Sales Manager for tea while discussing work, follow ups and seeking advice.

Then it’s off for my appointments, of which I have around six daily. I return to work after a quick lunch outside to deal with administration work - e-mail, follow ups, issue and chase contracts as well as reports.

Career advice I believe in “sipag at tiyaga” (hard work and patience). Dream big because nothing is impossible, work hard for your goals and be patient. Grab every good opportunity that will come your way because opportunity only knocks once. And most importantly, as OFs, we should save money and invest, avoid loans, if possible and help people whenever you can, because each help you give is a blessing that God will give you back.

30 KABUHAYAN – ENTREPRENEURSHIP

A Business Built on BETTER BODIES

By Bernadette Reyes

At a time when people showed little interest in leading a healthy lifestyle, a family of fitness enthusiasts put up a gym and made Better Bodies a good business.

“In 1997 the concept of fitness and a healthy lifestyle was not yet an “in thing,” says John Saret, director of Better Bodies Gym. Nevertheless, the Saret Family decided to put up Better Bodies Gym as all members of the family share a common interest in sports.

Better Bodies Gym is chaired by Ramon Saret, an avid tennis player while his wife, Ligaya is a champion bowler. Their

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daughter, Jenny is a four-time Philippine Columbian Tennis Champion and a member of the Philippine Olympic Tennis Team. Their sons, Jim and John are also into sports. Coach Jim is a US Certified Athletic Trainer while John is an all-around athlete and bodybuilder.

While it took little deliberation to start the business, sourcing the equipment took a while. “We could not buy the fitness equipment we needed locally. We had to import almost everything,” John said.

PHP2 million was earmarked to operate the gym. “That was a big investment way

back in the 1997. We were worried if we would be able to get our money back,” said John. The family was anxious especially since the first few months of the business were rather sluggish given the low market penetration. Better Bodies also had to compete for clients with two other nearby gyms operating in the area.

Better Bodies Gym survived through the years while the competing gyms later closed shop due to high rental cost.

“Better Bodies survived so many financial difficulties because we owned the land,” John explained. The gym is also located in a densely populated neighborhood in

KABUHAYAN – ENTREPRENEURSHIP 31

John says gym operators must employ certified trainers and standby medical staff to address health concerns of clients.

It may be an added operational cost, but it could save your name in the business.

running a gym also has its share of risks.

Clients may get injured while working out. Others may have medical conditions that require special attention, which if not attended to properly could pose serious health risks.

Quezon City. John says that putting up a gym in a “high income private village” ensures a steady client base. So what used to be a handful of patrons more than tripled as regulars in the other gyms moved to Better Bodies.

The family also thought of expanding their customer base further by attracting female clients to go to their gym. They offered free aerobics sessions which was well received by their female customers.

The secret of staying profitable in the business, however, lies in the ability to retain old and attract new clients. “We had to turn to high value services at affordable prices. Our gym is equipped with fitness equipment found in gyms like Fitness First and Gold’s Gym, but membership is much lower,” said John.

Membership at Better Bodies is pegged at PHP500, which could go up to five times as much in more popular gyms. The gym also charges a monthly rate of PHP1,500.

“However we attract a lot of people by giving pricing promotions such as 50 percent discounts and free membership depending on the season,” said John.

As a value-added service, Better Bodies assists it clients and helps them achieve their fitness goal though its gym instructors.

“Unlike most gyms, our instructors assist you free of charge,” John said.

It took three years before the family was able to recoup their investment, but they had to continue spending for the upgrade of equipment. This proved to be capital intensive, but necessary to stay on top of their game. “Back in the days when gyms went unnoticed, a bench, barbell set and dumbbell set would suffice. Today, gym goers require several cardio equipments. A top of the line treadmill for example would cost PHP500,000 each,” John said.

Today Better Bodies has around 300 clients on any given month. While recruiting new members was easy for the family business,

John says gym operators must employ certified trainers and standby medical staff to address health concerns of clients. It may be an added operational cost, but it could save your name in the business.

Better Bodies has outlasted old-timers and newcomers alike not only because it was well-managed, but also because its owners are passionate about the business of being healthy. John said, “Pleasure is only derived if you love doing what you do.

We love the fitness business because like ourselves, we are happy that other people are also becoming fit and healthy.”

“With the rising cost of hospitalization, keeping fit and healthy is actually cheaper.

Fitness is here to stay,” ended John.

BETTER BODIES GYM G/F Eagle Court Condominium 26 Matalino Street Diliman, Quezon City (02) 928-8163 Facebook: BETTER BODIES GYM

32 PINOY ENTREPRENEUR

Venice Pintor

SIP & SCOOP Dubai, United Arab Emirates Bubble tea holds a special place in the heart of Venice Pintor and her husband, Mark.

It was their favorite thirst quencher for them back when they were in college. But Pintor didn’t realize that moving to Dubai eight years ago would make her miss bubble tea so badly.

really unique it is among tea beverages and for our new found favorite, we tirelessly researched for local suppliers.”

After waiting for one year, a space in Dragonmart opened up and Sip & Scoop finally launched in the last week of July 2011.

They wanted to put up a business based on the old and the new: something reminiscent of their old college sweetheart favorite and a new found love —frozen yogurt.

“Sip & Scoop is pretty straightforward; it’s all about fulfilling our cravings for food without having to worry on counting calories and fat while enjoying it. It is based on the concept of bubble tea and low-fat frozen yogurt which is now gaining popularity, not only in Asia but Europe, America, Canada & Australia to mention among others,” shared Pintor.

With a start-up capital of around 375,000 AED, Sip & Scoop started with three Filipino employees in a 7sqm shop in Dragonmart in 2011. Now they are ready to start expanding into other markets.

“I travelled to the origin of bubble tea to understand its culture and to see how

“We will be opening our first two branches at GGICO & JAFZA metro station by

“My job [at the time] gave me the opportunity to travel so I got to go to places where I could fuel my thirst for bubble tea. It also made me realized how widely popular bubble tea is,” said Pintor.

When she gave birth to her daughter, Pinto and her husband became more determined to become their own bosses.

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April to May 2012. There has been a lot of planning and changes since Sip & Scoop first started. For one thing, we will be changing our company logo and image due to a new partnership. There’s a lot to expect for Sip & Scoop as we will be introducing refreshing food frenzy in these two branches,” Pintor enthused.

On being an entrepreneur, Pintor shared, “The advantages of being an entrepreneur are countless. It all depends on how positive the person is. Apart from the opportunities to shape the business’ future, it gives you the freedom to explore creativity and resourcefulness. It also has its rewards —like when I see a customer’s delighted facial expression after tasting Sip & Scoop Product, that’s a reward already.”

“Of course there are disadvantages, like the time the business takes away from being with your family. But I always keep in mind that obstacles and challenges will always be around. It is us who make our own choices and determine outcomes.”

34 KABUHAYAN MONEY

Avoiding

Internet Scams

No one ever tires of finding ways to “Get-rich-quick.”

This precise by-line catches everyone’s imagination.

Sadly, what I say - “The best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow,” is obviously not exciting! The great majority will always want to make a quick buck because there’s always this feeling of power and having bragging rights attached to succeeding in an activity that probably involves a lot of risk.

By Francisco J Colayco

These days, scams continue to abound despite all the warnings and for each scam caught, I am sure there are many more that will still continue fooling many willing victims. Scams are precisely very enticing due to the fact that it actually starts well.

Many people earn money that they are able to withdraw. They spread the word to their friends making it incredibly deceiving and very tempting.

If these kinds of scams are reaching you, then, most likely you know how to work the internet. When you receive such proposals, do the following things: If the returns are incredibly high, you can be sure these offerings are scams. As they say, if it is too good to be true, it is probably exactly that. It’s not true!

Google the names to see if they have official websites.

If there are legitimate websites for investment proposals, these should be complete with the names of the people involved with addresses and telephone numbers.

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If they seem to be credible, then visit their offices and learn more about them.

money. However, when you invest in a scam, you will surely lose money.

More importantly, the company or fund must be registered by a credible government regulatory agency like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the host country. All legitimate funds need to be registered with a duly recognized regulatory body. It is not only advisable but also an obligation to secure the opinion of the SEC before investing in any investment offering.

Why then are people so enticed to invest in such scams when they don’t have any real understanding of investments?

This process seems to be universal. First, the high returns draw them. Second, they instinctively trust the bearer of the investment proposal as more likely, such bearer is a good friend or a relative.

Third, more often than not, these referrors are themselves not knowledgeable in investments. Their main interest is to earn commissions. Fourth, those who initially invest and are able to get back their money with good returns become greedy. Instead of just walking away, they reinvest and lose everything thereafter.

You can also write me to ask and I will try to find out if they are legitimate for you.

There are times when investments are really legitimate and underwritten by competent and professional people and reputable corporations. However, even in such cases, there are risks involved.

Performance risks, currency risks, legal risks and many others are always present in all investments. That is because all returns are risk-driven and in investments, there is no guarantee that investors will make money. Thus, in legitimate investments, investors may make money or may lose

Finally, people get to invest because they want to get rich quick. This mindset is our worst enemy. I have always believed that the best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow! Look for solid investments that will grow over the years. Don’t expect to get rich overnight. It just doesn’t happen that way.

36 SUCCESSFUL PINOY - RELATIONSHIPS

IS HE REALLY

faithful?

Dear Dr. Holmes and Mr. Baer, I have been married for almost 10 years and have one child. My husband had commitments with other girls, so in 2009 I decided to leave him. It was the turning point for him, making him realize our worth as his family. He promised he would change.

There is one girl who until now keeps bugging us. She texts and calls my number. When I confront my husband, he tells me he left that girl back in 2009.

But there’s always some doubt in me that they have been communicating.

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I’ve seen changes in him, but maybe I’m just in denial. Maybe I don’t want to acknowledge the fact that he, indeed, has kept his promise that he will change for our family. Maybe it’s my self-defense. Or it’s because my “intuition” is very strong and most of the time it is right.

I am earnestly praying to God to help me build my trust again in my husband that this second marriage of ours will work for good. Yes, second marriage. He is a Muslim and we got divorced last 2006 for similar reasons.

We reunited in 2011. I was and still am the first wife, besides, they don’t practice polygamy. No way. I have

heard my husband’s plans for us and my son and it makes me happy that he is starting to see our future together.

How will I know if my husband is really telling me the truth when he says he has had no communications with that woman? How can I build my trust in him? It’s very hard to trust again once it is lost and destroyed. He me told that I should trust and believe him.

Why are there mistresses who just won’t go away?

Sam

SUCCESSFUL PINOY - RELATIONSHIPS 37

Some women just

Dear Sam, Infidelity is an all too common feature of plenty of marriages. Its corrosive effect on relationships is well documented, as are the difficulties faced by those who are trying to re-establish trust after a betrayal.

Men tend to be less forgiving of infidelity than women. Some view their wives as trophies, or their personal property; others focus on the childbearing role of their wife and cannot forget the possibility that she could be, or could have been, carrying another man’s child.

Some women just accept it as an inevitable facet of their relationship with their husband. They are either not bothered by it at all, typically because they do not actually want a closer, or indeed any, sexual relationship with their husband, or because they are content with all the other aspects of their marriage. Others feel, rightly or wrongly, that they need to stay for the sake of their children. (An anecdote: I met a Latin American woman who sought advice because she was worried that her husband had not been unfaithful since they got married a year previously; she was afraid he was gay.)

In your particular case, you suggest that the reason you were willing to remarry your husband was that he promised to change his ways. Presumably there was sufficient evidence to give credence to his words though you don’t actually say so. You do however mention that he discussed his plans for the future for the two of you and your son. This seems to have filled you with hope for a new life together.

The intrusion of a former mistress who he claims he discarded three years ago has put all this under the microscope again.

Understandably, you have begun to question his sincerity and are wondering if remarrying him was actually the right thing to have done.

Well, surely the onus is on him to convince you, rather than for you to convince yourself. He is the cause of all this mess and he needs to take responsibility for sorting it out to your satisfaction.

After all, he was the one who had other women. Although he apparently mended his ways sufficiently to get you to marry him again, this new interference is again the result of his affair with the woman and presumably promises he made to her that gave her hopes of prying him loose from your grasp. Only he knows the truth because only he knows all the parties concerned: you, your child and however many women he has been fooling around with and giving false hopes to. So he must convince you of his newfound sincerity and fidelity.

In summary, you are entitled to a marriage and a family with three parties only: you, your husband and your child. You should not be expected to put up with this sort of intrusive interference and you should not be assuaged simply by words. It’s time for him to convince you that you can rely on his future behavior or good riddance to him.

All the best, JAF Baer

accept it as an inevitable facet of their relationship with their husband. They are either not bothered by it at all, typically because they do not actually want a closer, or indeed any, sexual relationship with their husband, or because they are content with all the other aspects of their marriage. Others feel, rightly or wrongly, that they need to stay for the sake of their children.

38 SUCCESSFUL PINOY - RELATIONSHIPS

Dear Sam: Since Mr. Baer has more than adequately explained the situation in psychological, religious and in cultural terms, let me concentrate on the pragmatic: what you can do to be proactive rather than merely reactive in this situation?

Set up a meeting among the three of you. If your husband balks, then quote Mr. Baer when he said: “(Your husband) is the cause of all this mess and he needs to take responsibility for sorting it out to your satisfaction.”

In my clinical experience, if the “other woman” feels you are not there to judge, or lord it over her, she will tell the truth. If she doesn’t, well, your husband is there to make sure she does.

Usually, a mistress (ex or current) does what your husband’s purported ex is doing because the man has convinced her he still loves her and will go back to her as soon as his wife starts trusting him again. What she is doing to you is an attempt to break you and your husband up. Most mistresses acting this way hope that the wife will be so incensed that she will leave him once more, once and for all. A woman doesn’t risk antagonizing the wife (which is sure to antagonize him) unless she feels the risk worth it.

A meeting will clarify whether your husband has given her real hope or whether she is a fantasist. Your husband asks you to believe he wants to live a

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life with you and your son. This woman believes your husband wants to be with her and not you. If all three of you meet, you both will get it straight from the horses’ mouth.

Should this meeting occur, observe the body language as well as the spoken word. If he says or does anything less than giving a clear declaration of love for you, then leave him. This is crunch time.

If he, however, convinces you that this woman behaved unilaterally, based on her unfounded fantasies, then ask her what you and your husband have to do to get her to stop.

In truth, what really matters is that your husband is as troubled by her behavior as you are, right?

Because that shows that he is aware of his contribution to this sorry state of affairs and is man enough to do something to stop it. Talk is cheap.

Thomas Dryden once said, “None but the brave deserve the fair (worthy).” Having a meeting is certainly an act of courage, for all three of you. Your reward is the possibility that you will know, once and for all, whether your husband is unequivocally faithful to you or whether he is still up to his old tricks. You end up a winner either way; even if there is no question what sort of winner you hope to be. Good luck, dearest Sam. All the best, MG Holmes

40 SUCCESSFUL PINOY - SPIRITUALITY

What WOMEN Want

By Bo Sanchez

That’s what we men always want to find out: what women want.

Let’s start with the first ever man in creation history: Adam.

He also wants to know what Eve wants. She asks him to eat a fruit from the forbidden tree. He eats the fruit, and you know how the rest of the story goes.

I sit here and think: maybe Adam missed what Eve really wanted. Maybe she really didn’t want him to eat the fruit. Maybe what she wanted was simply to know if he would do anything for her own good.

Maybe, all she wanted was to hear him say something like, “Eve, I would eat the fruit for you, if that’s what you like. But Eve, I love you. If I eat the fruit, we can no longer stay in Paradise. I don’t want that to happen to us, to you — because I love you.

I am thinking this way because I read the book Love and Respect. Written by Dr.

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Emerson Eggerichs, the book points out the single, greatest secret to successful marriage: women want to feel loved and men want to feel respected.

Eggerichs says the greatest secret of a successful marriage is actually not a secret.

It’s been there for over 2,000 years, in the Holy Bible, in Ephesians 5:33 where the apostle Paul writes: Each of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Dr. Eggerichs says couples tend to go through a Crazy Cycle: the wife feels her husband does not love her, so she does not respect him; the husband feels his wife does not respect him, so he does not love her.

If couples want their marriage to succeed, they must learn to stop the Crazy Cycle.

And the way to stop the cycle is simply apply Ephesians 5:33 in their marriage:

the husband must love his wife without condition, and the wife must respect her husband without condition. Dr. Eggerichs points out that in this passage, St. Paul does not give a mere suggestion, but rather he presents God’s mandate on how a couple must treat each other.

Now let’s go down memory lane and see how Ephesians 5:33 applies in the greatest love stories ever told.

Napoleon and Josephine Napoleon Bonaparte, French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution, was not easy to love. He was too busy with his battles.

Compared to Josephine, he didn’t have money, and he lacked social graces. But he won Josephine’s heart and kept their love burning. How did he do it? He sent her love letters. Like any other woman, that’s all Josephine wanted: to know how Napoleon loved her. And he told her how in his love letters.

SUCCESSFUL PINOY - SPIRITUALITY 41

John and Abigail Adams John Adams, American Founding Father, a leading champion of American independence in 1776, and second president of the United States was attracted to Abigail because she was always reading - poetry, philosophy, and politics - which not many women did at the time. Like Napoleon, John won Abigail through love letters, assuring her that he cared for her.

And, he held her in high regard, listening to what she had to say about issues that affected his presidency. As historians say, she turned out to be a better judge of people than John and thus was considered one of the wisest Americans of all time.

Pierre and Marie Curie

Pierre, famous French physicist and Nobel laureate, and Marie, Polish physicist and chemist, the first person honored with two Nobel prizes–in Physics and Chemistry, met in Paris where Marie studied in the Sorbonne University in 1891.

Marie hung out in the library and laboratories, and Pierre, director of one of the laboratories where Marie worked, noticed her. He attracted her simply by providing the environment for her to pursue a career, which in the 1800s was unusual for women to have.

What do women want?

Women want to know they are loved. And they know they are loved first, when they are told they are loved, and second, when that love is expressed through providing an environment where she can be the person she is meant to be.

Ephesians 5:33 says man should love a woman as he loves himself. A man loves himself when he does what’s best for him.

And so if he loves a woman, he must also do what’s best for her – even if sometimes he has to leave his comfort zone.

The theme of this issue is Womanity, apparently a female version of Humanity.

I say Womanity is not any different from Humanity. Women are human beings

Women want to know they are loved.

And they know they are loved first, when they are told they are loved, and second, when that love is expressed through providing an environment where she can be the person she is meant to be. who want any human being wants: to be dignified for one’s worth. Josephine, Abigail, Marie— they are women, yes.

And they are human beings. They wanted not just to have a man, really. They wanted a place in the sun, they wanted, not really to be recognized, but simply to recognize their worth —just like all human beings want to find the meaning of their existence. And what better meaning can you have than to know your worth and be dignified for it.

I don’t have to make a research, or go through history to find out what a woman wants. I see it every day in the woman in my life —my wife Marowe. What Marowe

hates most is surprises. She does not like it when I call her in the middle of the day and tell her I will not have dinner at home because I am flying to the Vatican for a meeting with the Pope. I am exaggerating, of course. But Marowe wants that I tell her my schedules, that I discuss my plans and whereabouts with her. So I tell her what I am doing or what I am about to do - not so much to get her permission but to manifest to her that I hold her in so high a regard that I include her in my daily existence. That’s what she wants: to be worthy, to be dignified for her worth.

That’s Womanity and Humanity.

42 STYLE SENSE

DRESSING

YOUR BEST

by proportion and style

By Agnes Stott-Briggs

Every woman is born with the right to look her best, regardless of her body shape or size.

Although every human body is different, most women can be categorized into six body shapes: the hourglass, the triangle, the inverted triangle, tubular, rectangle and rounded.

Each body shape has its challenges, but there are a few tricks you can follow that will help you dress your best for your own silhouette.

Determine your body shape.

Wear clothes that balance your horizontal and vertical proportions. Consider your waistline and bustline as well as the length of your torso and legs.

Identify your features.

The goal of dressing for your body shape is to highlight the features and camouflage the imperfections. Your ultimate goal is to create a sense of balance and proportion throughout your body.

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Find clothing styles that give you the illusion of balance.

The look that you want to try and achieve is the hourglass figure, with shoulders and hips that are in proportion and a waist that curves in. This might mean using belts to emphasize your waist, tops that draw attention to your upper body or slim skirt to minimize the width of your hips, depending on what kind of balance you need to achieve the ideal hourglass body shape.

Try out clothes and experiment with different styles and accessories. Find stores and brands that cater to the body shape you’ve identified for yourself.

Not sure if what your body shape is? Check the following body shapes and find out where you belong:

STYLE SENSE 43

Curvy or Hour Glass Fashion plate: Jessica Simpson

Banana Shaped or tubular shaped Fashion Plate: Paris Hilton

The most ideal body shape is the hourglass.

Women who are very curvy with a well defined waist, a larger bust and bottom with a clear indentation at the waist, fits this body shape. Show off your natural curves with fitted dresses that define your waistline. Low-cut necklines also flatter this body type.

Bodies that are similar in shoulder width, waist and hips are tubular. Slim to thin, straight body lines are basically angular and bony with no obvious curves and possibly a small bust. Wear an hourglass garment with rounded patterns for added visual weight and a feminine look.

If you like fluid fabrics, wear them in volume with layers or ruffles to hide the tubular body.

Apple shaped or Inverted Triangle Fashion Plate: Jennifer Gardner This means your shoulder is wider than your hips. To achieve a balanced look, wear a blouse with V-cut or U cut necklines to thin out a fuller figure and avoid high necklines and clingy fabrics. Avoid sleeves with a lot of volume and large collars. Asymmetrical necklines are most flattering. For skirt or pants, wear them with volume on the hips and in a lighter color than the top and in a more structured fabric like gabardine or linen. Avoid slim and skinny style jeans. Look for pants with wider legs.

Rounded Fashion Plate: Queen Latifa If your scale tips on above average weight to obese, you have what is known as a rounded body shape. A lightweight wrap dress with diagonal lines will make you look slimmer in the mid- section. A straight leg pants to make your legs slimmer and a blousy top in the same color. Firm and structured fabrics will give your body more definition.

Every woman can look her best regardless of body shape or size.

Pear-shaped or Triangle shaped Fashion Plate: Jennifer Lopez This is the most common body shape and the easiest to balance with the right clothing style.

Your hips are wider than your shoulder, and in most cases, women with this body type are small chested. Wear tops with volume such as ruffles on the bust to enhance your chest.

Square necklines work to broaden shoulders and match hip width. Avoid open pleated skirts or pants Boot cut pants or jeans will slim your hips. Wear your tops in lighter colors and your bottoms in darker colors. Strapless dresses if appropriate for the occasion, will flatter your upper body and draw the eye upward and off your heavier hips.

Rectangle body shaped Fashion Plate: Ophrah Winfrey You have average to above average weight, your shoulders and hips are of similar width and your thighs have a high hip curve. Wear clothing that emphasize your shoulders or legs and creates the illusion of a slim waist with belts if you are a rectangle shape.

Simply put, nobody is perfect in shape. You can achieve balance, scale and proportion with the use of color and clothing styles by simply dressing for your body shape.

46 ILLUSTRADO SCRAPBOOK A platform for budding Filipino creative talent

Alex Callueng

Fleet Manager and ramp model Alex Callueng says that his preference for people and fashion as photography subjects comes naturally to him - “I like beauty. I like how the dress flows freely, the movement, the aura. I like it so much that I can smell it from afar.”

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More adept at sports than arts he took up photography out of curiosity in 2006. Alex considers himself mostly self-taught. His interest in photography grew and his skills enriched through research, shared learnings from other more seasoned photographers, as well as constantly practicing through shoots. He also attends workshops.

Alex says he’s mostly drawn to the images of world renowned photographers Patrick DeMarchelier and Paolo Roversi. “I always like timeless photos taken in black and white. I can feel the emotions in them.”

A platform for budding Filipino creative talent

ILLUSTRADO SCRAPBOOK 47

Darryl Wayne Espiritu Darryl Wayne Espiritu is very serious about his passion for photography.

So much so that he is presently taking an online course, Complete Professional Course in Photography, at the New York Institute of Photography.

A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology, Darryl shares that he was instantly smitten since he purchased his first DLSR camera in 2009 for the sheer purpose of documenting his stay in the emirates. Little by little, Darryl recounts that he fell in love with the art and hasn’t stopped clicking the shutter of his camera ever since.

Darryl says he enjoys all forms of photography, whether it be portraiture, landscape photography, photo journalism, fashion and even macro photography.

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012 51

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE

2012

Illustrado is proud to honor seven Filipinas from the Gulf, who exemplify the extraordinary spirit our women are known for.

They embody the facets of – leadership, charity, service, ambition, love for country, devotion and joy.

Through their stories they reveal that nobody is too poor to succeed; too modest to be able to contribute to society; too feminine or too young to lead; too weak to survive and indeed, too small to positively influence other people’s lives.

They show us that the true measure of a woman is not her beauty, possessions, stature or popularity - but the capacity of her heart, the strength or her character, the sharpness of her intellect, the clarity of her dream, the largesse of her spirit – her very substance.

52 WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012

LEADERSHIP Story By: Barbara Marchadesch Photograhy: Rxandy Capinpin • Styling: Red Mil • Make-up: Hanna Pechon

Illustrado Magazine

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012 53

You can say that Nina Quintos has built a career for herself as one of the top architects working in the Middle East and Southeast Asia brick by brick. With a career that spans more than two decades, Nina has carved out her own trail in a man’s world and has come out on top.

“This is what I’ve always wanted to be,” said Nina Quintos about her being an architect. As project manager for Cadiz International, Nina, 46, has managed several significant projects in the Middle East, such as the Al Hamra Mall in Ras al-Khaimah, which won the prestigious Design Merit Award from the ICSC MENA (International Council for Shopping Centers, Middle East and North Africa Region) in 2011, for the Design of a New Shopping Center.

A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, Nina’s 22-year career in international concept architecture evolved as a result of her drive to become the best she can be.

Currently, Nina is the project manager for several Master Plan projects — which she emphasizes are team efforts — such as the Lausanne Golf Village, a 250-hectare integrated residential development in Kyrgyzstan with a championship golf course, a commercial area and a hotel; and the 20-hectare Uptown Tbilisi Mixed-Use Development in Tbilisi, Georgia, which will have a retail mall as well as office, hotel and residential tower developments.

Nina has built a career as impressive as the structures she plans. But being a woman professional in the Middle East and a Filipino also has its share of difficulties.

She credits her firm, which employs a number of women, for supporting her and her colleagues. It also helps that she has made her mark as an expert in her field. Now, “it’s not highlighted that you’re a woman doing architecture, but that you’re [simply] an architect.”

As a solo mom, Nina feels the pressure of balancing her family with her career, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her daughter Crista is 12 and quite used to her mom traveling on a regular basis. Though it’s hard when she has to leave her daughter for a business trip, she wants to serve as an example to her as well. “I don’t think that your passion for your work should change, and I want my daughter to see how much I love what I do. I show her the finished product of my work whenever possible. She’s totally supportive, and I want her to be true to herself too.”

Nina is extremely grateful for her support system — her family.

“When I’m traveling, Crista is with my mom,” she said, adding that

her sisters and their families are also there to help. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without them.”

When she’s not at work, Nina unwinds by taking aikido with Crista or rowing with the Manila Dragons Dragonboat Rowing Team. “I need to be active!” she declared. The team regularly rows in Manila Bay and takes part in international and local races and regattas. “Our team is very diverse, with a very wide age range. We have professionals, we have students, and there are some breast cancer survivors. They’re all very dynamic, very strong women — and I’m not just talking about physical strength, but the strength of character of the people in the team.”

It’s not just for fun and exercise, either. The Manila Dragons are competitive, and in fact took the Diamond Cup at the Hong Kong “King of the World” International Dragonboat Race in October.

Nina not only feels a responsibility to be a good representative for women, but for Filipinos as well. “It’s something that’s been tugging at the back of my mind — how we as a people can be strong and make our real mark. I think my longing is to see an awareness and pride about who we are.”

To Nina, there is something missing in our collective perception of ourselves. “Sometimes it’s shaky; sometimes we give in to the thinking that they’re better than we are. I want us to see how far we’ve come. We have to find ourselves — and it has to come from us, from the inside, not from others — to become comfortable in who we are as Filipinos, so that we can move forward and be better.”

Outside the Philippines, said Nina, there is an extra responsibility for us to be our best and to show what we can do. “And we can—we’re well-trained, we have the experience, we have the skills.”

“Career should be beyond work — it should be something you enjoy and give you purpose, so that you want to do it well. And be true to yourself. Don’t let anyone set the limits for you. If you know what you want, go for it and enjoy where you are.”

Said like a true global creator and trailblazer.

54 WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012

CHARITY Story By: Toni Loyola Photograhy: Eros Goze • Hair & Make-up: Ginno Alducente

Illustrado Magazine

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012 55

Lou Parocco has an interesting view of what makes one rich.

It is what she calls, an “abundance mentality.” To Lou, when you recognize all that you have been given, sharing a part of it with others comes naturally.

Lou’s climb up the local corporate ladder started with the sales staff job she took at the Dubai Duty Free. It was not a desperate move, “I was just being practical,” rationalized Lou, who held a Human Resource management position in Bacolod before moving to The Gulf.

Her instincts paid off. After a brief 6-month stint on the shop floor, Lou was able to put her Human Resource experience back into practice when she got promoted to the HR department.

Now, she works as Global HR Manager for LMKR, a technology provider of software and services for the oil and gas industry. Lou handles the corporate affairs of LMKR employees spread all over the world.

More than just a Filipino role model, Lou is the Filipino “professional” model. Respected by her colleagues, she was once described by a company head offering her a job: “a [calm] ship on the outside but can be a [fierce] shark inside.”

Lou has proven that one can rise above the ranks through hard work, dedication and giving beyond expectations. But while her career is based on a company’s success metric of developing the talent of their people, Lou’s own personal success metric is to reach out to others and help them harness their own potential and live out their dreams.

Not known to many, the professional and firm lady in the company is also a charitable and sensitive woman.

Since 2009, Lou and her husband Cesar, have spearheaded different charities and outreach programs that benefit fellow Filipinos both in the UAE and at home.

Their desire to help can actually be traced back to two life-changing instances. For Lou, it was witnessing her mother scraping off every single dot of lipstick on an already worn out tube with a matchstick.

To Lou, it symbolized how her mother had to scrimp on many of her own comforts to provide for their family. Seeing this, Lou swore she would use her first paycheck to buy her mother the finest lipstick. Unfortunately, her mother died before she could do so.

In 2008 Cesar had an emergency angioplasty after it was discovered that he had a blockage in his major and minor arteries.

These two instances combined was a turning point for Lou and

Cesar. The couple, who both celebrate their birthdays in the month of May, decided to do charity work instead of having lavish birthday parties.

Their first project was “Shoot and Shelter,” a series of photography workshops, which intended to raise enough funds to provide a house for one family through the Gawad Kalinga Foundation. The project, which was supported by different photography clubs in the UAE, as well as volunteer models and make-up artists, was so successful that it was able to provide houses to two families, instead of just one.

In May 2010, the couple embarked on another charity concept, “Color for Her” to realize Lou’s dream of providing an emotional boost to Filipinas unable to afford themselves the smallest measure of vanity: lipstick. Together with friends, Lou and Cesar were able to collect more than a thousand tubes of lipstick. And from the moment they stepped foot on Philippine soil, were they spend their annual vacations, they started distributing lipsticks as well as packs of rice also collected through donations, to cleaners, street vendors and metro aids. They also visited markets and schools, handing out the gifts to vendors, and public school teachers.

In May 2011, the Parrocos celebrated their birthday month with a dance. In cooperation with the Filipino Dance Club of Dubai, they organized “Hearty Party” a series of two-hour dance parties featuring Zumba and aerobics, aimed at promoting health awareness in the community. Proceeds from the AED30 entrance fee were donated to the Anawim Foundation in the Philippines, particularly wards suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

This year, Lou and Cesar are planning to stage “Hear Me”, a miniconcert for local budding artists who want to be heard, but don’t always get a break. Proceeds of the concert will be for the benefit of deaf patients in the Philippines.

Ulitmately, Cesar and Lou dream of putting up a scholarship program in the Philippines someday. They hope that their endeavors would encourage other Filipinos to look for opportunities to help those in need.

Lou stressed, “We do not need to be rich to help. Anybody can help in their own small way. An abundance mentality and a grateful heart is something my husband and I both share and we are both committed to seek every opportunity to pay forward all the blessings bestowed upon us by helpings others in need.”

56 WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012

SERVICE Story By: Rache Hernandez Photograhy: Johnbert Dacanay; Asst. Photographer: Dave Pongasi Make-up: Toni Rose Roquim

Illustrado Magazine

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012 57

There are events in life that mark one’s character. For some it is a time of crisis, for others it is a time of great opportunity. For nurse Mary Jane Tupas, it was the prospect of a baby being born in an airplane and the ironic life and death situation that came with it that marked her innate nature to help others.

She has a handful of accomplishments to her name, yet Mary Jane Tupas, refuses to take all the credit.

“It’s not just me,” she said. “It’s every person out there, big or small, in high or low places, who take time out to help other people.”

Indeed, helping others seems to be second nature to Mary Jane, a quality instilled in her by her parents, especially her very religious father. “Even when I was still young, my father made sure that I prayed before I went out of the house,” Mary Jane related. In this way, Mary Jane stated, her father taught her to stay close to God at all times, whether struggling with difficulties or in the midst of blessings. “My father also taught me to always do only what is good. People may not recognize the good things that one does, but God certainly sees.”

These must have been the words that rang in Mary Jane’s ears during a flight to the Philippines, when a pregnant passenger suddenly went into labor. When the pilot announced the need for a medical professional, Mary Jane promptly volunteered herself. She adeptly examined the woman, recognizing right away that she needed IV fluids, as the woman was bleeding profusely.

Unfortunately, save from some medicines, the plane had no other medical paraphernalia onboard.

“I told the pilot that we needed to make an emergency landing. We were over India at that time,” Mary Jane said. The pilot wanted to try to land, not in India, but in Thailand, which was approximately three hours away. “I told the pilot that the woman needed medical help right away and that waiting a few more hours would put her and her baby in jeopardy,” Mary Jane explained.

The plane landed in India, where the woman was met by an ambulance and a medical team. Meanwhile, the rest of the passengers, including Mary Jane, had to stay overnight in India. While most commended Mary Jane’s deed, some were irritated by the inconvenience of an unplanned stay in India. “It, after all, took time away

from their holidays, so I understand them,” she said. “But I told them that I couldn’t just let the woman and her baby suffer, knowing that I could do something about it.”

How could someone be so selfless and always ready to help? “It’s my passion. I do it in my daily life and in my work.” Mary Jane is currently the head of the Nursing Department of Mohammad Dossary Hospital in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, a reputable medical center that employs highly-qualified staff. It is a job that is fitting for someone of Mary Jane’s character, because it entails responsibilities that extend beyond work hours.

“Sometimes, I would be ready to sleep when I would get a call from the hospital or someone else. They need my help so I go,” Mary Jane explained.

Mary Jane is also the President of the OFW 5th Congress as well as the Ro Aklanon Saudi Arabia (an organization of Filipinos from Aklan), both of which, under her leadership have spearheaded several public service initiatives including a seminar on “Tamang Pakikitungo sa Kapwa Manggagawa.”

Her consistent acts of service earned Mary Jane the Blas F. Ople Award para sa Natatanging Bagong Bayani in 2007, which recognizes OFs who foster goodwill among different peoples in the world, promote the image of the Philippines and contribute to the socio-economic development of their communities and the country.

Despite this accolade, Mary Jane is hard put to amass all the praises. In fact, the award has inspired her to do even more. “All that I am now, I owe to the community. In turn, I owe it to the community to help those who need me,” Mary Jane said.

For those who are starting to feel a passion to help others and make life better for them, Mary Jane has these words of advice: “Do your best to love your neighbor, whether they are good to you or not. Don’t expect anything in return.”

58 WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012

AMBITION Story By: Lalaine Chu-Benitez Photograhy: Eros Goze • Hair & Make-up: Ginno Alducente

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WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012 59

Engr. Emelyn Martinez cuts the picture of a respectable, well put together, progressive female professional, thriving in the male dominated field of construction. At just 34 years old, Emelyn has managed to excel in a highly competitive business which, at times is “color and gender sensitive.”

Emelyn works as a Managing Consultant at Hill International’s Dubai, a claims group handling contractual disputes and arbitration proceedings in the sector. She’s worked her way up in the UAE, from being the Head of Planning at the Makati Development Corporation, to serving as planning consultant and then manager at several other companies, including one of the region’s biggest construction firms.

Equally significant, Emelyn was also the former President of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineers International (AACEI)-UAE – which she has grown into the largest chapter in the world outside their headquarters in the USA during her tenure - and where, she is the lone woman, and the youngest member of the board of directors.

Early in her career in the emirates, Emelyn experienced being told in job interviews that a Filipina would not be a good candidate for the job. That didn’t faze her, however. Instead she just kept moving ahead. One continuing source of frustration though was often being told that she was “too young” for her work.

Speaking about her constant push to excel, the charming Bicolana recounted, “I’ve always dreamt of making it big someday. It was hard growing up without a father; we lost him when I was 10 years old. And it was difficult for my mom to provide for all our needs. So I’ve always had this ambition to succeed.”

Going into construction was somewhat of a tribute to her father’s own work as a civil engineer.

“When I was young I was often told that engineering is only for men, but I decided to make it in the field, no matter what.”

Emelyn’s work ethic is her simple secret to success. “I am very brave and I work hard. While most people my age would spend their free time clubbing or going to parties, I’m working and studying. Though of course, sometimes I go out with friends too.”

Indeed, Emelyn’s hard work is evident in her exceptional credentials. She has degrees in BS Civil Engineering from Bicol University and a Masters in Engineering Management Major in Construction Management from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Add to that her qualifications from the Royal Chartered Institute of Surveyors, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACEI), the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Professional Regulation Commission of the Philippines, and it’s easy to see where Emelyn has invested most of her efforts.

Currently, she is studying for a Masters in Law degree at the Robert Gordon University in Scotland.

Emelyn reinforces the adage that first impressions always count, saying that she makes it a point to establish her professionalism to make sure that she is taken seriously. “Apart from dressing the part, at work, I also have a totally different persona. I am very focused and disciplined. But of course, outside of work, I am more relaxed.”

But even her idea of relaxation demands focus and competitiveness. Emelyn has been a marathon runner since 2008 but she candidly admitted that before that, she could not run even a 1km race straight. To Emelyn, this was again proving that anything is possible. “I ran a 42km marathon before, but I had to cut down this year since I suffered from shin splints. Hopefully, I can run my next race in April in Madrid. I am also trying to get into cycling.”

This year, Emelyn also used her participation at the Dubai Marathon for a much greater cause than merely sports; she ran to raise money for the victims of typhoon Sendong in the Philippines and received some AED10,000 in donations within two weeks of her campaign through her charity website. “It might not be a big amount but I think it should help quite a few people back home,” Emelyn shared.

Her little free time is spent volunteering in the community as a trainer and speaker, sharing her knowledge and experience with her peers, always making it a point to encourage, inspire and motivate other professionals to work harder for success through continuous education.

Emelyn’s stellar achievements are proof that nobody is too young to make a mark, or too feminine to lead.

60 WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012

LOVE FOR COUNTRY Story By: Toni Loyola Photograhy: Eros Goze • Hair & Make-up: Frankie Melendez

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WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012 61

Her gift of wisdom helped her rise beyond the status she was born with.

Not one to be hampered by circumstances, Marietta Morada used her knowledge to serve and give back to the Philippine government and Filipino community here in the UAE, proving very well that other than being gifted with superior intellect, she is also blessed with a good heart and a distinct love for country.

Marietta “Ayet” Morada’s story is perhaps a common one. Born a farmer’s daughter, Ayet had to weave ‘buntal’ hats so they could put food on the table. Some of her siblings (a total of six) even had to work as helpers and seamstresses. But this poor family was gifted with a child with remarkable intelligence, something Marietta said, she got from her father.

Marietta came to a crossroad when her husband, Hector received and decided to take a job offer in Dubai. After almost thirty years of serving the government, Ayet finally bid goodbye to the NSO. It was a fulfilling career, but she knew that in order for them to pursue their personal interests, it was time to leave Manila for Dubai.

For Ayet, it provided to be a conducive environment where she excelled even more.

Here in the land of gold, Marietta joined the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Back in 2003, when she started with the organization as researcher, she was the sole Filipino working there.

Combining talents and dedication to her job, she has risen over the years and now holds the manager position at the Data Management Center. She has become to her colleagues an example of a true talented, respectable and hard working Filipina. Now, the 61-year old diminutive and young-looking Marietta is still an active contributor to the attainment of the objectives of the organization.

Graduating from PSci, Ayet became a full scholar at the University of the Philippines where she studied Mathematics. With her passion for knowledge and impressive credentials, many more doors opened for Ayet; this time to lucrative positions in the corporate world.

Career achievements and accolades never made Ayet forget to look back to the chances she was given and the doors that were opened for her through her education. She was always mindful of looking for ways to continue being of service to the Philippines.

Instead of joining the private sector, Ayet decided to take a job at the Philippine National Statistics Office (NSO) in order for her to pay back the government that gave her the opportunity to finish her studies.

In 2004 Ayet and Hector joined the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) UAE chapter and became instrumental in helping put together the organization’s constitution and by-laws, as well as supporting the club’s objective of providing scholarships to deserving underprivileged youth, and facilitating workshops and training for Filipino youth in the emirates.

Excelling in academics opened many doors and opportunities for Marietta. In 1964, she was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Philippine Science High School in Quezon City. Known for its rigorous curriculum, studying at PSci meant that academic excellence was not only expected, it was demanded of it students.

A big fan of numbers and having the knack for digging up and managing data, Marietta joined the said government agency as a statistician. There at the NSO, Marietta’s career flourished fuelled by her unquenchable thirst for information and knowledge. There, she also met Hector, who shared the same interest, and later became her husband.

Throughout her career, Ayet would be invited by multinational corporations and major conglomerates to join their ranks, but Ayet politely declined each time. It was not a high profile corporate career she aspired for, but to give back in the Filipino tradition of “pagtanaw ng utang na loob”. To Ayet, being an Iskolar ng Bayan (a name given to all UP students because their tuition fees are subsidized by the government) had a deeper meaning and significance.

“I would not have been able to study if not for the help of our government. It was my time to give back.”

The couple also serves as informal advisers to the FILCOM, the umbrella organization of the Filipino associations in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

Currently, the couple is also exploring projects with the Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) to bring licensing exams to Filipinos in the UAE and hopefully around the world. In the future, she dreams of establishing a Filipino club for women where Filipinas can help each other and discuss issues.

Ayet’s life and career is testament to the fact that intelligence doesn’t diminish when shared. Rather, it is multiplied a thousand fold as it opens opportunities for others who, like Ayet, chose to give back by paying it forward.

62 WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012

DEVOTION Story By: Lalaine Chu-Benitez Photograhy & Make-up: Leslie Ann Fiestan

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WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012 63

Hilde Capanang has a couple of very simple rules she lives by: respect yourself, respect others, know your limits, and know what is right and what is wrong. As a nanny who has nurtured her ward for 27 years, from the day she was born, she has imparted values to help groom the child into the considerate, cheerful and talented young woman that she is today. Like so many of our unsung heroes, Hilde is a shining example that even in the most modest of professions, a Filipina’s love and care are simply priceless.

Twenty eight years ago, Ilo-ilo native Hilde was a social worker serving at the Vietnamese Refugee Center in Palawan. Hilde originally wanted to be a nurse but couldn’t, due to her family’s financial limitations.

Social work was an ideal substitute. She recounted, “Dahil mahirap kami, naiintindihan ko yung pangangailangan ng mahirap; gusto kong magserbisyo at tumulong…kung ano man ang magagawa ko.” [“Because we were poor and I understand the needs of the poor, I wanted to serve and help in whatever way I could.]

Fast forward to today, Hilde has been living in Riyadh for almost three decades now, working for the Al Ammary family, taking care of their daughter Nourah.

Nourah, now all grown up, works as an Art Director, but still affectionately calls Hilde “Nannay”, a symbol of the special relationship they share since the day she was born. Nourah explained, “She is like a mother to me. I cannot deny the bond we share. I was lucky because she didn’t just take care of me. She raised me the way she would her own child and never held back emotionally. She always reminded me how loved I was.”

Hilde shared the same sentiment, “Parang anak ko na rin si Nourah.

At natutuwa rin ako na ngayong malaki na siya, kahit saan siya magtrabaho, o magpunta, pinagmamalaki niya ako bilang nagpalaki sa kanya. Mahal din niya ako at sinusuklian niya yung pagmamahal na inukol ko sa kanya.” [“Nourah is like a daughter to me. And I’m very happy that now she’s all grown up, wherever she goes, she’s proud to tell people that I was the one who raised her. She loves me and she returns the love that I’ve given her.”]

Her 28 years of service just flew by, said Hilde. The Al Ammarys are kind, generous and treated her like family. Hilde also mentioned that they have given her the right to provide guidance to Nourah.

“Katulad rin ng mga tinuturo nating mga Pilipino sa mga anak natin – yung maayos na pamamaraan sa buhay; yung maging respectful kahit kanino, maging bata man o matanda, pangit o maganda, yun and tinuro ko sa kanya,” Hilde recalls. [“Just like we Filipinos teach our kids – to live life properly; to have respect for anybody whether they are young or old, ugly or beautiful, that’s what I taught her.”]

On the other hand, Nourah said that from her “Nannay” she learned “appreciation, patience, trust, honesty, ambition and devotion, as well as keeping things tidy.” She adds, “Nannay always had the best work ethic. She worked from the heart and is very trustworthy. I learned my

work ethic from her.”

Serving one family for over three decades is a feat for any one, and to Hilde the secret of maintaining good ties with her employer is by returning their kindness with kindness and wholehearted commitment to her work. “Respeto ang pinaka-importante. Respetuhin natin ang kultura nila. Hindi sa natatakot ka sa kanila, iba yung meron kang respeto. At pag maganda ang ugali na ipinakita natin sa kanila, magugustuhan at mamahalin din nila tayo.” [“Respect is of utmost importance. We should respect their culture. It’s not because you fear them, having respect is different. If you show them goodness, they will also appreciate you and love you.”]

Hilde, who has remained single, admitted that she also had moments when she would miss her own family in the Philippines and instances when she would be tested with men trying to pursue her. She shares, “Tao lang din ako; meron ding damdamin. Pero importante sa akin yung respeto sa sarili ko, alam ko kung hanggang saan limitasyon ko. At yun ang sinusunod ko.” [“I am also human; with emotions. But what was important for me is my self-respect. I know my limitationsAnd that is what I live by.”]

But now, at 59, Hilde is content with her life. Together with her sister who also worked in the same household, they’ve been able to provide for their family back home. She takes pride in saying that in their family now, they have a medical technician, a Computer Science graduate, and a nurse, because of their hard work.

“Para sa sarili ko, wala na akong iniisp na iba pa. Pangarap ko lang bigyan lang ako ng good health and long life at maging maayos yung pamilya ko sa Pilipinas.” [“For myself, I can’t ask for more. I only wish for good health and a long life and that my family in the Philippines will do well.”]

Though Hilde does have one more dream, and that is for the child who has grown up to credit her Nannay for the person that she is today.

“Pangarap ko kay Nourah, na kung ano man ang ambisyon niya, sana maabot niya yun. Gusto ko siyang maging successful. Natutuwa ako na may naibigay ako sa buhay niya.” [“My dream for Nourah is to be able to achieve her ambitions. I want her to be successful. I am happy that I was able to contribute to her life.”]

64 WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012

JOY Story By: Lalaine Chu-Benitez Photograhy: Eros Goze • Hair & Make-up: Ginno Alducente

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WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE 2012 65

Rowena Gungon Niduaza brought pride to the Filipino community when she won the Toastmaster Competition in the UAE in 2005. That win took her to Jordan where she competed with winners from all over the Middle East. There, she ultimately took the top prize, and became the first Middle East representative to the 2005 Toastmasters International Convention for World Championship in Public Speaking in Toronto, Canada.

That feat seems significant enough. In reality, however, what’s even more significant was Rowena’s triumph on another level - how her win allowed her to keep a sacred promise and mend old wounds with her family.

Rowena had a flourishing career as a design and retail professional in the emirates. Just like most career women, she was consumed by a demanding job, while juggling motherhood, her work taking much of her time from her family, especially in lieu of frequent travels. She was stopped in her tracks when she was suddenly diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1995. Rowena and her husband were devastated. She shares, “I prayed as I’ve never prayed before. I asked for another chance in life to live a life more meaningful and to live with a purpose. That moment made me realize how lucky I was for having such a loving husband, wonderful kids and a beautiful life. I cried but then I thanked God for all that He had given me. Everything, including my cancer.”

As though it were a part of a grand plan, Rowena’s opportunity to fulfill that promise came when she got into the Toastmaster championships.

Her speeches in Jordan, entitled, “Why” and “Two Words” chronicled her journey through cancer and the unfolding of blessings and gratefulness she experienced in the process. Her words resonated so much with the audience that many wept.

The fact that a Filipina claimed the top award, in a place where Filipinas were greatly looked down upon, made the moment even more meaningful. “I stood there as a Filipina in a place where our women were referred to as ‘kamsa-kamsa’ [meaning five-five, a derogatory term to mean ‘cheap’ – Ed]. It gave me tremendous satisfaction to hold my head up high and see that everybody was applauding a Filipina.”

As she accepted her award, Rowena touched her locket which contained her father’s ashes and silently promised him that her speech at the World Championship in Public Speaking would be for him.

Ironically, going through that difficult period, turned into a breakthrough for her. Suddenly, she was forced to look at life differently and her priorities appeared clearer. “I realized then that the substance of life is not about [work] success, but about the little things you see every day.”

She didn’t win the competition, but her speech “My Father” gave her the chance to say things that were not said while her father was still alive and be heard by relatives who attended the event. Rowena emerged winning so much more - reconciliation with her family.

Around the same time Rowena’s father, who was estranged from the family, died all alone in the Philippines. The loss was a deep source of regret for Rowena, and it created resentment from her dad’s family.

She said, “All this time in these competitions, I never really hoped to win. I went there to fulfill my promise – to share God’s work and mend ties with my family. And thank God that He gave me a way.”

Come her day of surgery, little did Rowena know that she was fated to experience her very own miracle. After several tests at various hospitals confirming her illness, for some reason the doctors were not able to find any cancer cells and she was declared well.

These days, Rowena makes it a point to celebrate life each day, focusing on her family and making sure that they constantly feel her love.

Furthermore, having been told previously by doctors that her ovaries have been totally damaged, she was amazed that she became pregnant with her third child after five years. Rowena declares, “A thankful heart had not only healed my cancer but had also given me another gift, another life.”

Ecstatic that she was given a new lease on life, Rowena recounted, “I made a promise to God to share my story and His message of love. My only request from Him was to bring me where He wanted me to share that story.”

The specter of cancer has revisited her once again, but Rowena who volunteers in a cancer support group, will not let it bring her down.

She says thoughtfully, “For me, having the cancer was an advantage.

I was given a warning. I was able to prepare myself and my loved ones and be conscious enough to live right. All of us are going to die eventually and that can happen anytime without us knowing.”

More than anything else, she’s gained, is the gift of a deeper spiritual understanding which she shares with anybody who would care to listen. “Believe that there’s always a reason, a meaning for everything… it’s just like when the wind blows…we can’t see but we can feel it.”

66 FEATURE

WOMEN of SUBSTANCE

from around the globe

By Anna Oposa

It has been said that if you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman. In this feature, we look at the pioneering work of Filipinas around the globe: Chit Juan, Gang Badoy, AtJajurie, Brig. General Ramona Go, Jasmine Lee, and Gem Misa.

Chit Juan:

Grounds for improvement “My vision is to promote the Philippines through coffee,” says Pacita “Chit” Juan. Her ambitious goal is within reach because of two main factors. One, our tropical archipelago is one of the few countries where all four varieties of coffee beans (Robusta, Excelsa, Liberica, and Arabica) can be grown and cultivated.

Two, Chit is the perfect ambassador for the product.

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For a good fifteen years, Juan was the Chief Executive Officer of a successful chain of cafés. She stepped down in June 2008 to focus on the coffee industry as a whole and social entrepreneurship. “To find your mission and then pursue it adds meaning to life,” stressed Juan.

As head of the non-stock, non-profit Philippine Coffee Board, Inc., Juan’s daily grind includes traveling to coffee-growing areas from Benguet to Bukidnon to boost the ailing coffee industry. The organization aims to help everyone involved in the

process, from the farmer who planted the beans to the lady who roasted them. Juan is also Philippine coffee’s chief storyteller, having authored three books on the topic and founding campaigns called “Save the Barako” and “Wild About Organic”. The next stop on the promotional tour of Philippine coffee is Yeosu, Korea, from May to August .

In November 2011, Juan received the special MVP Bossing Award for Social Entrepreneurship given by PLDT and GoNegosyo. This award added to her long list of accomplishments, including the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Small Businesses in 1993.

For those who wish to follow her path, she advises that they must first love coffee. “If you love coffee, the rest is easy,” she said.

Juan believes that no effort is too small.

“Everyone can make a difference. If the intentions are real, people will join you in your cause.”

FEATURE 67 nationhood because it is edgier than having no sense of country, and being grateful for all who guide them and pay back their mentors by doing good, too, makes sense to me.”

“I have this theory that if more young ones are nation-involved, the nation can move forward somehow when they take over the reins,” shared Badoy.

Gang Badoy: School of rock

Gang Badoy is best associated with Rock Ed Philippines, a civic organization and 10year program she founded that promotes nation-building through alternative forms of education with the help of artists, celebrities, and entrepreneurs. Through Badoy’s visionary leadership, Rock Ed married the unlikely combination of political issues with art. Badoy taught creative writing to the inmates of the New Bilibid Prison. During her birthdays, she took the music from the bars to behind bars by bringing a band to play for her students.

For our national hero’s 150th birthday, Rock Ed released a free album called Rock Rizal, downloadable at http://soundcloud. com/rockedphilippines. All 11 songs were written by top contemporary Filipino musicians, such as Ely Buendia and Aiza Seguerra. “We created this with the National Historical Council of the Philippines because we want to study and see Rizal in a different light. We took care of the ‘rock,’ the Historical Council took care of the ‘ed,’” shared Badoy.

In 2010, Badoy was named one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) and Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardees, making her the only Filipino to ever win both awards on the same year. According to her, putting rock and roll together just “makes sense.”

“Pushing [young people] to value education, knowing that knowledge is cooler than slacking off, embracing

is convincing the women to accept this revolutionary way of thought.

Jajurie is used to breaking barriers. In 2010, she was the first female to be drafted as a consultant of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel. While most women who attend the peace negotiations in Malaysia are mere observers, Jajurie is at the forefront of the discussion. “Peace has been very elusive for those living in Mindanao, but I am still hopeful that with a politically negotiated settlement of the age-old Bangsamoro Question, we can all live together not only with tolerance, but even with parity of esteem,” Jajurie concluded.

Atty. Raissa Jajurie: Peace of her mind

At barely five feet, and in her usual “uniform” of sneakers, jeans and a t-shirt, Atty. Raissa Jajurie appears like an unlikely candidate for a women’s rights activist. She gracefully defies the traditional stereotype of being a Tausug woman, one of the ethno-linguistic groups that make up the Bangsamoro in Mindanao.

Armed with a law degree from the University of the Philippines, Jajurie knows the law and how to make it work for the greater good. Her current weapon of choice is the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the women’s international bill of rights, to which the Philippines is a signatory. She holds workshops with Muslim women to teach them that Islam was brought by Allah to build a world that is just, peaceful, and compassionate. She firmly believes that discrimination against women is, in fact, un-Islamic. It is only the limited understanding of these values that allows injustice. The bigger obstacle

Brig. General Ramona Go: Take it like a (wo)man

In the movie Mulan, the Disney princess disguised as a warrior was ordered to “be a man.” As the troops trained for battle, they sang, “We must be swift as the coursing river/be a man/with all the force of a great typhoon/be man.”

In the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), there is no need to be a man to fight for the country. Brig. General Ramona Palabrica-Go, the first female general in the AFP’s 114-year history, made sure of that The Chemistry major who hails from Iloilo says she joined the army shortly after graduation out of “curiosity.” After

68 FEATURE taking the Officer Candidate Course at the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps School, she returned home and was commissioned into the service as second lieutenant and called to active duty.

Brig. Gen. Go soared high in the Philippines — literally and figuratively.

She was the first woman to command a flying unit in the AFP. In 1986, she took her solo flight that took off and landed at Fort Magsaysay Aerodrome in Nueva Ecija.

In a span of thirty years, Brig. Gen. Go has been given a number of prestigious awards: the Outstanding Achievement Medal, military merit medals, campaign medals, and the “Ulirang Ina” award given by the National Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Foundation, Inc. in 2002.

Out of the AFP, she is a mom to three children and wife to businessman David Go. She admits that her job takes a lot of time away from her family, the price of being a general. When asked what kept her going, her answer was simple: “Because I love the service and my country.”

was to come: a life dedicated to empowering migrant women and multicultural families in Korea.

Lee started becoming a household name when she became a translator and panelist on the TV show Love in Asia, which documents the lives of multicultural families in Korea. Lee also joined another TV show called “Basic Korean for Foreigners,” where she caters to the Filipinos based in Korea. Her work in both shows led to the creation of Waterdrop, a charity that she and fellow migrant women founded to change the perception of migrant women as victims.

In 2010, Lee’s husband died of a heart attack while rescuing their daughter from drowning. Instead of allowing the tragic loss to dampen her spirits, she took it as driving force to do more. Drawing strength from their son and daughter, Lee spoke in a series of lectures on the theme “Multiculturalism makes Korea strong,” and even appeared beside President Lee Myung-bak at the G20 Summit.

For her courageous efforts, Lee was named one of the People Who Enlighten the World by the Korea Green Foundation.

Waterdrop also received the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2010 Human Network Award.

In 2011, Lee was appointed the Public Relations team manager at Seoul Global Center, making her one of the first migrant civil servant women to be hired by the Seoul City Government. Her role enables her to influence policies and bridge her many networks for the improvement of services for women who suffer from marginalization and discrimination.

Jasmine Lee: Empowering migrant women in Korea

At 18 years old, Jasmine Lee took a leap of faith and married 30-year-old Lee Dongho and moved to Korea, her husband’s homeland. Her blissful intercultural marriage served as an inspiration for what

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Gem Misa: Health is wealth

When Gem Misa turned 30, she quit her stable corporate job in London to start Righteous Ltd., an all natural food company. The current line offers five salad dressings that do not contain additives, preservatives, extenders, or anything you

wouldn’t find in your own kitchen, all while maintaining an eight-month shelf life. Righteous also carries cooking oil with less than half the fat of standard oils.

Within two years of its launch, Righteous hit the grand slam of start-ups. Its products landed on the shelves of the UK’s top supermarkets and high-end stores. Within six months, Righteous became the top selling brand of sauce for Whole Foods Market in the UK and was given a gold star at the 2010 Great Taste Awards. BBC featured the dressings as “the best new product.” Household names John Torode and Gregg Wallace of UK Masterchef fame praised the dressings in their Daily Mail food column too. Righteous also made it to the top spot in the 2011 Smarta.com list of Top 100 Small Businesses in the UK.

In 2010, Righteous started with £15,000 in turnover. This year, it is expected to have £150,000 in turnover. That’s 1000% growth in just two years--remarkable figures for a company that started in a kitchen.

But for Misa, this is only the beginning. “I want to make Righteous one of the major health food brands, not just in the UK but around the world,” Gem shared.

It seems that challenging times are ahead.

When the going gets tough, Misa knows exactly what to do: look at the bracelet her husband gave her that she wears everyday. The engraved words reflect how she has navigated her way: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

70 KABAYANIHAN CORNER

BAYANIHAN NG BAYAN At mga Bayani para sa mga Babaeng Pilipina

By Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa

“We can do it!,” goes a line from the movie “Water Boy,” a favorite of my family. On this auspicious month of March dedicated to women, I wish to echo the same phrase and make it a battle cry for us Filipinos.

We need to have all hands on board for the challenge that confronts us. We are a nation rich in natural and human resources, and yet, we are suffering from a feminized migration trend that has its accompanying social costs.

In the spirit of Bayanihan (volunteer spirit) ng Bayan (of the country) at mga Bayani (and heroes) we should all join hands to help bring back our Gabriella Silangs and Maria Claras to a homeland that gives them alternative livelihood so that they do not need to leave - something our President PNoy is working on.

We, as individuals, can help by participating in the OFWs (Overseas Filipinos Worldwide) Pinoy WISE (Worldwide Initiative for Investment, Savings and Entrepreneurship) program. The idea of which is that we save and invest in microfinance, small and medium scale industries and other income generating activities in our native communities, where, hopefully, we will also be able to properly reintegrate in the future.

The injection of money within our towns and barrios is envisioned to lead to productive endeavors that will generate jobs for our mothers, sisters, aunts and other female relatives. This endeavor had its soft launch last year and will officially be introduced to the community as a

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migration and development prototype during Kalayaan 2012 (Philippine Independence Month Celebrations).

Another concrete action which we can do collectively as a group in the UAE, considering our estimated 600,000 strong community of “bayanis” is to support what we hope to agree upon as a community project - “Buy Pinoy Products, Help a Pinay.” It just means we support Philippine made products even if it will cost us

We are a nation rich in natural and human resources, and yet, we are suffering from a feminized migration trend that has its accompanying social costs. slightly higher, since we know it will mean jobs back home – again, in view to give a choice to our women to stay home where they are safer.

For Philippine-based companies who come here to the United Arab Emirates,

I have proposed the “Adopt One Ward” Corporate Social Responsibility project.

An example of one such company is Mega Sardines, with its factory in Zamboanga.

Mega Sardines has verbally agreed to give a job to a reintegrating household service worker (HSW) who hails from that region. We support, market and buy their products as discussed above, in order for them to take on more workers.

With Pinoy WISE, we hope that our entrepreneurs – both old and new, will help our women establish sources of livelihood within their area to aid the “Balik –Pinay, Balik Hanap Buhay” project, which is being done in cooperation with the National Reintegration Center for OFWs in line with the government’s reintegration program.

As I have repeatedly declared, prevention is protection. If our women are home, they are safer than when they are in foreign soil. I have just recently brought home a “Filipina sister” who jumped to escape from a perceived difficult situation. It hurts her like that and the pain went deeper when I saw a bloodied Filipina yesterday who tried to end her life due despair.

Kaya ba natin ito mga, kababayan, na magkapit – kamay para sa ating mga kababaihan? [Can we do this, fellow compatriots, to join hands for our womenfolk?]

The answer lies in our souls and hearts.

Let’s do it.

ADVERTORIAL 72

Giordano introduces Festival of Colors this Spring Giordano, one of the world’s leading international apparel retailers, radiates in a festival of colors bringing out renewed energy and a flash of vibrant hues with the introduction of its Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

Giordano’s ever popular Lion Polo gets a renewed spirit with a variety of new and lively neon colors and embroidery. The complete range boasts of combinations of 15 eclectic shades.

Giordano’s fresh and colourful take on the season can also be seen in both its tipping polo range and stripes. New shares include - Pink Party, Corn Yellow, Hot Coral, Red Rage, Malibu, Glow Green, Magenta, Coal Grey, Irish Linen, Commando Green, Navy Blue and Black with hint of neons.

Print tees and basic tees get refreshed with at least 12 color options and come with “World Without Strangers” embroideries.

Giordano is also introducing its iPocket cargo pants which come in four shades.

The new pants collection features an extra pocket for must-have gadgets.

This spring, the women’s range will feature trendy silhouette tops paired with anklelength jeggings and Capris. Called “Mix Media,” the line features different fabrics in vibrant hues in bold, long and asymmetrical cuts.

“Our Spring/Summer collection is a bold statement for this season. We want our customers to feel comfortable with the fabric we use and be up to date with the latest trends,” said Ishwar Chugani, Executive Director at Giordano Middle East.

with Karaoke facility. Distinct décors reminiscent of regions in the Philippines as well as furnishings direct from the Asian archipelago provide for a unique feeling of being back home.

The Original Barrio Fiesta Offers Private Function Room The Original Barrio Fiesta restaurant opened its new private function room in a bid to expand operations and accommodate requests for big group gatherings serving authentic flavors from the Philippine islands.

The official opening was presided by H.E. Ambassador Grace Relucio Princesa and H.E. Philippine Consul General Benito Valeriano. In attendance were special guests, friends and members of the Philippine community.

The 2,400 sq. ft. private function room can accommodate 120 people and is suitable for holding business or group meetings and parties for special occasions complete

“We are delighted with the addition of our new private function room to Barrio Fiesta’s offering. Truly, the community has found a venue where they can either celebrate important occasions or have a gathering for business purposes while enjoying all-time Filipino favorite dishes,” said Ishwar Chugani, Executive Director, The Barrio Fiesta Original Restaurant.

Barrio Fiesta customers can book the new Private Function Room by calling 043594158.

74 FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY: EROS GOZE POST PROCESSING: TOM BOLIVAR MAKE-UP AND STYLING: GINNO ALDUCENTE MODEL: MEG ARREZA

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Month 5 88 TRIPPIN’

things To Do This

March is a good month for honoring the women in your lives. For one, the world-renowned celebration of International Women’s Day happens during this month. So, in conjunction with this global pro-female affair, we at Illustrado bring you a number of ways by which you can show gratitude to the women in your life. May it be for your wife, mother, girlfriend, partner, sister, best friend, aunt, grandmother, godmother – or however you call her – our suggested things to do this month would definitely make her feel extra loved and cherished.

1

Take her to Illustrado’s Women of Substance event

Celebrate women in a special affair for empowered and successful women.

Take her to Women of Substance, an annual gathering spearheaded by Illustrado magazine. Happening every March, it celebrates Filipina achievers and female empowerment in the Gulf in conjunction with International Women’s Day. The event includes a glamorous red carpet, photo exhibit and competition, a makeover beauty runway and a traditional talk-show format with renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Margarita Holmes. This year, Women of Substance becomes more exciting with the addition of an all-day women only event happening a week after the aforementioned annual afternoon tea gathering. Attending this event will sure make women feel very privileged so do stay tuned with Illustrado on Facebook to grab exclusive invites to one of the most-awaited women’s event every year here in Dubai.

2

Relish her childhood days at the zoo

Making women feel extra special does not always entail extravagant gifts such as luxury handbags, latest gadgets or jewelry sets. Sometimes, the most surprising gifts that women appreciate are those that show you made an effort. So instead of taking her to a regular day out in the mall and asking her to choose the gift that she wants, allow her to relish her childhood memories and by creating a fine day at the park or the zoo. The Dubai Zoo is a good option but Al Ain Zoo is much better as the trip would take you from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Located in a unique desert setting on the edge of Al Ain, a historic oasis settlement in the United Arab Emirates, the Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort is a place for people to come and learn about arid land wildlife and conservation through vivid, first hand experience. Since its founding, the zoo has been a centre for endangered species’ conservation and is internationally recognized for the successful breeding of desert antelopes, most notably the Arabian oryx. So, get your car on the ready, and prepare for an amazing road trip, and dedicate the day especially for the women in your life.

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TRIPPIN’ 89

3

Treat them to a day at the spa

This may have been the overly used gift idea but if you want women to feel relaxed and rejuvenated then there is no better way than giving them a break from work and house chores, and treating them to a day at the spa. Book them for a head to toe package (don’t fret as there are many online offers that are budgetfriendly), allowing them to experience relaxing massage, pampering manicure and pedicure, rejuvenating body scrub, and refreshing facial and hair treatments. To make it more special, try doing their daily chore for them. So, go ahead, take that extra mile and do the grocery, clean the apartment, iron clothes and cook a healthy dinner so when they come home from the spa, they will feel totally free of all the worries.

4

Give them a taste of good food

If you think that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach then better think again. This old adage does not only apply to men. Yes, women love good food as well, and that’s a fact. That’s why in dedicating this month to women, you should know how to please her in terms of food. If she likes sweets, shower her with chocolates and pastries. If she is adventurous, book a place at a Russian, Greek or Turkish restaurant. If she loves Filipino dishes but have no time to cook at home then treat her to Barrio Fiesta. If she is into indulging then take her to a Friday brunch offering sumptuous buffet and unlimited drinks. A number of five and four star hotels as well as restaurants have good deals on a Friday for brunch. Add an extra special thought by giving jewelry, a dress, shoes, bag or clutch that will suit her perfectly for the dinner or brunch.

5

Capture her gracious beauty

Whether she has a Facebook account or not, capture her beauty by surprising her with a photo shoot treat. Ask friends to help you out in executing this idea. You would need a stylist to go over her wardrobe or at least lend her clothes that will fit her beautifully. You would need a make-up artist and hair stylist to beautify her even more. And, you would need a photographer who will take her images and highlight her charm in print. Once settled, all you need to do is to help her channel a top model persona, and help her exemplify her assets in front of the camera. She would have a great time doing this not-so-ordinary thing in her life, allowing her to become more confident, giving her the chance to see at herself as more beautiful than ever.

90 ART & CULTURE

“NOTHING TO DECLARE”: Art beyond the violence of motion and transition Photos courtesy of the Yuchengco Museum

Niña Terol-Zialcita walks into Nothing to Declare, the cross-country, multimedia exhibit that gives a voice to those displaced by migration, movement, violence, and ever-shifting realities.

It was an unusual sight in Quiapo, right in the heart of Manila where church goers meet bootleg vendors, where those who profess their faith in the Almighty exchange currency with those who stake their livelihood on piracy. In the midst of all the din was a lady whose frame was lean but whose impact was large; she was walking in the middle of a street wearing a colorful piece of heavy clothing fashioned out of shotgun shells and spent bullets, and all around her people were staring. Some came forward to bow their heads to her, as if she were some deity dropped down from the heavens. Others yelled and heckled, and when someone came up to her to ask if she may try on the piece, someone else shouted: “Crazy!”

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Josephine Turalba, the artist, turned to the heckler and asked, “Siya or ako? (Her or me?)”

Reactions like this are common for Turalba, who has chosen to work with a medium often associated with anything but art. In the recently concluded exhibit Nothing to Declare (shown in parallel at the Yuchengco Museum in Makati, at the Blanc Compound in Mandaluyong, and at the Vargas Museum in the University of the Philippines), Turalba explored different types of displacement and movement brought about by violence.

Her installation piece Ecdysis, a gigantic looming creature in a top hat that looked like it was flying straight out of a Japanese horror film, was fashioned out of 17,000

spent bullets of various caliber pistols as well as 9mm shotgun shells. Towering over everything else in the museum’s third floor at 7.5 meters (approx. 24.6 feet), Ecdysis startles and captivates at the same time. It draws out a variety of emotions ranging from awe and fascination to fear and repulsion.

“The works have a tendency to seduce,” Turalba said as we discussed how her bullet creations have managed to be beautifully haunting. “They take in the audience and draw out their reactions. Somehow, the works connect to the audience and make them react either violently or positively.”

One time, she wore a bullet-fashioned piece with wings and walked with it into a cathedral in Germany. One woman called

ART & CULTURE 91 the news because certain sounds would trigger my emotions. My husband, who shoots competitively, couldn’t touch his guns while I was mourning.”

One day, as she was clearing out her husband’s stash of spent bullets and leather cases that he had amassed from target shooting practice, she realized that these could be useful for her art. After getting his permission to use them and experimenting with the material, she saw through the brass pieces for more than just their intended purpose.

“I realized that the gun is a weapon, yes, but it is also just an object,” Turalba stated.

“The gun is inert; it won’t hurt us if we choose not to use it to hurt others. Objects can be both destructive and creative, and it is up to us, the users, to dictate how things will be used. It is our intentions that will determine the outcome of our actions.”

“Our constant movement makes us strangers even to ourselves… Sometimes you’re home but your emotions are elsewhere — as if you’re floating. Sometimes when you say nothing you really mean something. ‘Nothing to Intentions and realities declared Declare’ tries to look at all that.” out to her from the square, saying, “That is not beautiful!”

“I’m always interested in how the human mind works, and I always try to get audience feedback,” Turalba explained of her often-unconventional methods. “I want to know why — what makes them react a certain way? What triggers our behaviors? Are we really living, or are we just sleeping wide awake a lot of the time?”

Turalba also spoke of the “emotional displacement” that seemed to be so common these days, not only among those who were physically separated from their loved ones through migration, but even among those who were caught in between realities: digital and analog, past and present, trauma and triumph. “Our constant movement makes us strangers even to ourselves… Sometimes you’re home but your emotions are elsewhere — as if you’re floating. Sometimes when you say nothing you really mean something.

‘Nothing to Declare’ tries to look at all that.”

In her artist statement for Ecdysis, in

particular, Turalba spoke of exploring “the process of dying and being reborn, psychologically and [metaphorically] losing and reconstituting oneself.”

From violence and trauma to beauty and emancipation In many ways, Turalba’s creative explorations with bullets have allowed her to die from her old self and “reconstitute” a new reality where objects of violence are turned into objects of beauty and peace.

It was a gun that had caused one of her most deeply personal, traumatic, and lifechanging losses, but, ironically, it’s the same symbol that has become her medium of emancipation and expression in recent years.

Requesting not to go into the details of her personal loss, Turalba instead explains her intense emotional turmoil.

“I hated,” she revealed. “I was very angry, and for six months I couldn’t bear to watch

As an exhibit and a cross-country collaborative project, Nothing to Declare looked at intentions and outcomes as well as modes of movement, transition, and coping among all those affected by migration and the ever-shifting realities of our times. According to its Curatorial Board — composed of Turalba together with Flaudette May Datuin of the University of the Philippines College of Arts and Letters and Precious Leano of the Filipino Visual Arts and Design Rights Organization — the exhibit aimed “to contribute to contemporary discourses on migration, broadly referring to movement not just across waters, land, and air, but also across immediate, virtual and hyper realities — and shifting societies.”

A pun on the customs declaration process, the title Nothing to Declare “[paid] particular attention to the role of migration in shaping those social changes by continuous movement, a movement characterized by breaks, dislocations, absences, and silences of those who have nothing to declare.” According to the exhibit’s curator for the Yuchengco Museum leg, Claro

92 FEATURE

Ramirez, Jr., it also focused on those who have been marginalized because of these movements — Overseas Filipinos and their families, refugees, victims of violence and oppression, and even artists whose works cannot be recognized because of the lack of government funding and support for the arts.

The exhibit’s organizers believed that these groups’ “marginality is [their] source of intervention and strength, of subterfuge and resistance, of constraint as well as change.”

Aside from Turalba’s seminal works using spent bullets, other works of note from Nothing to Declare included the installation of Nikki Luna (Ovoid/Void) and Hanna Pettyjohn (Untitled) that showed, respectively, scattered trays of resin-made eggs juxtaposed with wooden arrow-blocks pointed in all sorts of directions. When one dared to engage this work and would begin stepping on the eggshells and the wooden blocks, one felt disoriented and out of balance — not knowing where to

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step next and whether or not the eggs will break under one’s weight. It seemed to be a commentary of our world’s current state of moving everywhere without going anywhere, as well as a depiction of the weight which these decisions invariably bear.

There were also video installations by Filipino and foreign artists alike, including Egyptian artist Khaled Hafez, who had first collaborated with Turalba in Cairo at the 12th International Cairo Biennale right before the movement now known as “Arab Spring” broke out in that part of the world. One of his works, 11.02-2011: the Video Diaries, combines video from various sources, including social media, “to create several parallel narratives that intertwine on the three screens as the real footage of collective doing, and sometimes violence.”

Hafez writes in a website, “The flux of information disseminated by the media footage, the lack of structured dialogue combined with real sounds from the Tahrir Square, where the 2011 revolution takes

place, all are pasted with the sound of solo guitar music. Through this use of music, the idea of ‘revolution’ is romanticized, adding a simulated fictitious atmosphere to the very real footage, to represent intimacy and personal nostalgia.”

From the streets of Egypt to the streets of Quiapo, and even within the hushed confines of a museum, violence is present in many different shapes and forms. It can take the shape of an all-out revolution or it can be abusive words slapped in the face or a gun silently pointed in one’s direction.

It can be as obvious as the denial of one’s rights or as obscure as being friendless in a foreign land. All kinds of transition and change bring about some form of violence or disruption.

But like Josephine Turalba and her work Ecdysis, is to shed some skin and to make way for some form of transformation. It won’t be easy, but it is far better than to be trapped in one’s silence, with nothing else to declare but fear, loneliness, and a displacement from one’s self.

94 BAKASYON GRANDE

PUERTO GALERA

The most beautiful bay in the world

By Excel V. Dyquiangco Photos by Bernard Supetran

It may be difficult to fathom that a widely visited beach like Puerto Galera could still hold secrets.

Illustrado’s resident explorer sails to Puerto Galera to discover San Antonio Island, Galera’s “island within an

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island”.

In this place, the sand is coarse, coconut trees stand ground and mountains provide opulent greens. In this sanctuary, are rich varieties of fish and

corals securing the Philippines place as the world’s center for bio-diversity.

It is where the typical experience of snorkeling and swimming are the equivalent solidarity with the ocean and Mother Nature who created it.

BAKASYON GRANDE 95

This is Puerto Galera, declared by the “The Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club,” as having one of the most beautiful bays in the world in 2005. The UNESCO supported organization gave this title to Oriental Mindoro for its glistening seas, lush vegetation and underwater sanctuaries. The waters of Puerto Galera, is home to around 152 coral species and 19 mangrove species, and nine out of the 16 sea grass species in the world.

Corals and Caves Gliding through the waves, Long Beach immediately comes to sight. Its luxurious greens sway in the breeze, and depending on the time of day that you set sight on it - early morning or late afternoon - the skies paint lavish hues of orange and red, soothing and refreshing an otherwise tired soul.

A few minutes into the ride, will take you across a small stretch of sand and seashore known as “Munting Buhangin.” Tall trees with their leaves bending languorously provide ample shade for the guests and visitors. Small rock formations protrude in strategic points along the sand and in one corner is the entrance of the Underwater Cave. Sharp and pointed rocks rest on the ground, requiring you to do a short climb to the top to finally get to the clearing.

Once at the clearing and before you reach the entrance, a huge gaping hole right in the middle of the rock formation greets you. The opening leads you to the underwater cave.

When you have tiptoed your way away from this hole, the clearing looms into the distance and a set of stairs signal your way down to the underwater cave, bathed in a mystifying glow of warmth and heat, thanks to the sun shining vibrantly through the hole. The water is cool –not cold – beckoning guests and visitors to take a dip.

In Coral Garden, another area in San Antonio Island, unique species of fishes

96 BAKASYON GRANDE

Getting there Catch the Si-Kat Bus. Their terminal is in Ermita, Manila. A two-hour bus trip will take you to the Batangas Sea Port where you can get on the Golden Hawk Minolo Shipping Line ferry.

The portion of this journey which is by sea will take a little bit more than an hour.

Festivals:

In May, Puerto Galera celebrates De Galera Festival. This town fiesta combines various socio-cultural, sports, arts, entertainment, special events, as well as street dancing.

Places to stay:

Oceana Resort with beach cottages on the island with a cool breeze and a vibrant ambiance.

Buri Resort and Spa if you want luxurious accommodations.

Visit: http://puertogaleraphilippines.com for a complete list of hotels and resorts in Puerto Galera.

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BAKASYON GRANDE 97

and corals provide a thriving environment for the marine life underneath its waters.

Clown fish, a white tip reef shark, and a smaller shark shyly hiding in the cave may be found here making this part of the island ideal not only for snorkelers but for novice divers as well. Beginner divers would be excited, if not relieved, to know that the depth of the sea is just an estimated 12 meters.

Wonders in and out of the water: The waterfalls along the highway, known as Tamaraw Falls is a 423-feet marvel.

Cascading waterfalls fold majestically into a waterbed below to form two sets of swimming pools just across the side of the road –which interestingly is now turned into a mini-resort. The waterfalls are named after a series of buffalos lounging only in Oriental Mindoro - the tamaraw.

Not to be missed is the Mangyan Village located just on the side of the road. The Iraya Mangyan tribe, consisting of a total of fifty indigent families, make their income weaving baskets and making wood ornaments and armor such as sling shots. Their houses still made of stones and wood, belie its interiors spruced up by the comforts of modern technology like the internet and cable television.

From water to sand, to fish and fauna, Puerto Galera’s natural beauty as one of the most beautiful bays in the world naturally shines through. But its real treasures go beyond its waters, extending all the way to the smiles of its people.

98 PINOY PLANET

MONTREAL:

The crowning glory of Canada Rome Jorge infects us with his own wanderlust as he takes us on a tour of Montreal — a city that is just as gorgeous as with your eyes closed. A city that requires the use of one’s palate, one’s nose, one’s ears and one’s heart to explore.

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PINOY PLANET 99 scent of freshly baked bagels’ a perfect breakfast if topped with smoked salmon and cream cheese at the famed St. Viateur Bagel Shop. It’s the smell of fresh crisp mountain air tempered by the breeze from the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers amid the bustle of a busy yet genteel and gentrified city.

Montreal is the rush of wind as one speeds down Île Notre-Dame’s racetrack for the Canadian Grand Prix Formula One on a road bicycle. (After all, it is Canada that brought to the world such famously sought after cycling brands Cervélo and Louis Garneau.) It is the dapple of warm sunlight filtering through the lush maple forests as one runs through Parc du MontRoyal’s immaculate jogging paths, trails and stairways. Montreal is a city that fully engages all of one’s senses. Its charm is not mere facade or show; it is daily life in a city that savors both joie de vivre and industriousness. More than a tourist attraction, it is an enviable city to live in. To those who have come to know its beauty, mere mention of the city brings back fond memories. To those who have yet to go, it is an allure worth succumbing to.

The sights Montreal isn’t just a city to see; it must be tasted and savored, listened to and grooved to, inhaled and imbibed. An island metropolis that rings the regal mountain for which it is named—Mont Royal— Montreal crowns itself with seemingly a hundred Church steeples, wreaths itself with fields of flowers, mantels itself in lush verdant forest trees and anoints itself with its own Notre Dame Basilica—a wonder just about as epiphanic as its namesake in Paris.

There is much more to behold than one can see.

Empire of the senses Montreal is the taste of the most scrumptious and heavenly macarons that melt on you tongue. It’s the buttery mouthfeel of layer upon layer of delicate slices of

masterfully smoked kosher beef pilled into halves of bread. And it’s the comfort of indulging in poutine—a sinfully delicious heaping of greasy French fries generously topped with cheese curds and gravy—after a night of sharing drinks with Montréalaise.

Montreal is the lilt and swing of music that irresistibly sweeps you off your feet as the world’s best perform at the annual Montreal International Jazz Festival. It’s the infectious beat of tam-tam jams that have you grinding and bumping your hips with dozens from the city’s Bohemian commune out in the open air. And it’s romance of francophone cacophony in a multicultural city that joyfully speaks joual in an English-speaking world.

Montreal is the fragrance of lilies, irises and roses rising from the Jardins des Floralies of Île Sainte-Helene. It’s the warm friendly

The largest city in the French-speaking province of Quebec in Canada, Montreal sits at an island at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. The rivers and the mount that lends its name to the city contribute to its cool yet comfortably humid climate.

Parc du Mont-Royal—a triple-peaked hill rather than a towering mountain at just 233 meters above sea level—is an attraction by itself. The best way to see it is on foot, whether by running or walking.

Designed in the 1870s by Frederick Law Olmsted, the same man who fashioned New York’s famed Central Park, Parc du Mont-Royal offers gently winding paths and stairways hemmed by majestic trees that weave through a man-made lake and sculptured flower gardens and culminate with a grand vista of the city offered by the Kondiaronk Belvedere, a curving plaza

100 PINOY PLANET

Notre Dame Basilica

with a chalet; at the very peak can be found a steel cross that is illuminated nightly. It is said to glow purple upon the death or election of a pope.

Just a short subway train ride away is the island of Sainte-Helene and its adjacent, the man–made island of Notre-Dame.

Together, the two compose Parc JeanDrapeau, the site for the Expo 67 World’s Fair and its iconic Biosphere geodesic dome. Here is where you will also find the Canadian Grand Prix Formula One race track, which isopen to cyclists when there are no races. These attractions are far and wide. Shuttle buses circuit through the grounds regularly.

Montreal also boasts of a vibrant art scene and bohemian community. Every Sunday during summer, like-minded individuals converge at George-Étienne Cartier Monument at the base of Mont Royal for the “Tam Tam Jam” impromptu hand drum performances where people also sell arts and crafts.

To enjoy visual arts, one can spend time at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

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Besides a smattering of works by Rodin and Pablo Picasso, the museum also highlights gorgeous Meso-American artworks—essential to any appreciation of pre-colonial indigenous Canadian culture.

Proudly French, the museum also displays an interesting collection of artworks and relics pertaining to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

No visit to the city is complete without a walk through Old Montreal where the grand Notre Dame Basilica can be found.

Sublimely decorated in native hardwood, it is within its grand interiors where one can enjoy choirs sing within superior acoustics.

Pop culture aficionados will note that this is where Canadian-born international superstar Celine Dion had her spectacular wedding. Old Montreal is home to several antique and curios shops as well as Noel Eternale, a store that sells the most elaborate and tasteful Christmas as well as Halloween decor year-round, located right beside the basilica. Also worth visiting is Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History, located by the shore of Saint Lawrence River.

The music In life, as in music, timing is everything.

Sync your travel with the annual Montreal International Jazz Festival. The multi-day affair happens at the far end of Sainte Catherine Street. Boasting a carnival-like atmosphere complete with pantomimes, stilt walkers and other street performers, the jazz fest offers several performance areas that simultaneously offer live music from around the world. Though labeled a jazz fest, it is by no means a purist definition and everything from folk to rockabilly can be enjoyed. Always headlined by some of the world’s biggest stars, the music fest nonetheless is a truly global phenomenon with musicians hailing as far away as India and Africa.

The city also has several bars and night spots where one can enjoy local indie bands perform the most earnest songs.

With so much to see, do, taste and savor, Montreal is not just a destination; it is an awakening of the senses.

PINOY PLANET 101

Getting there:

Air Canada and United Airlines fly from Dubai to Montreal.

Best time to go: Beerlovers should visit from end of May to start of June.

Car racing aficionados should visit around the third week June.

Weather wise, it is always good to visit during the months of June and July. This is also the time of the famous Montreal Jazz Festival.

Tip: As with any city, hotels are always more expensive during major events and festivals. Plan ahead and book in advance.

102 MY PINOY LIFE IN

My Pinoy Life in

Pohnpei, Federated States of

MICRONESIA

Richard P. De Guzman Since when have you been staying there?

Can you recount briefly why you moved there?

I’ve been staying here in Pohnpei, one of the states in FSM (Federated States of Micronesia) for five years now, but I stayed in Chuuk, another state, for two years before I transferred here. So, in total, I have been working and living in Micronesia for all of 7 years.

I originally had no plans of working overseas. But then unexpectedly, my friend who is a resident physician in Makati Medical Center asked me if I wanted to work in Chuuk, FSM. Apparently, at that time they had a patient from there, who was looking for a Family Physician. The patient had a very enticing salary offer, so

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I grabbed the opportunity. I felt like the opportunity just literally looked for me so I didn’t hesitate.

After working in Chuuk for two years, I was then offered a job here in Pohnpei to work at Genesis Hospital, which is the only private hospital in Federated States of Micronesia. Hence, I transferred here after I finished my contract in Chuuk.

MY PINOY LIFE IN 103

Pohnpei and the FSM Located in the Western Pacific Ocean, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is an independent sovereign island nation. FSM, is spread across part of the Caroline Islands, east of the Philippines, in the wider region of Micronesia which consists of thousands of islands divided between several countries, and is sectioned into four states, namely – Yap, Chuuk, Kosrae and Pohnpei. Each of the states is composed of a group of islands.

FSM’s capital lies in Pohnpei, the largest, most populous and most developed single island in the federation. The island is known for the hospitality of its people and its wealth of biodiversity.

Aside from the ethnic Pacific Islander and Asian population, FSM has a growing expat community from the USA, Australia, China and the Philippines. English has become one of the official languages of the FSM, where centuries old cultural and economic practices still exist to this day.

104 MY PINOY LIFE IN

Tell us something about your place?

FSM is divided into four states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae, just as the Philippines has Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Pohnpei is the most progressive among the states and is the capital. However, there are no big shopping malls here. If you prefer city life or perhaps you’re an “urbanista” you cannot live here. The place is so peaceful and quiet.

I could even jog alone at night and withdraw money from the ATM without the fear that somebody might poke a knife or gun at me.

Pohnpei is the place to stay or work overseas if you want a simple and quiet life. It’s like living in the province in the Philippines.

If you love beaches, you’ll get your fill here. There are also a lot of waterfalls in the area. If you’re into surfing or scuba diving, this is definitely the place for you. In fact, we have lots of tourists from Australia and the US who visit here just to surf or scuba dive.

Pohnpei also has a large amount of rainfall. In fact, it rains here everyday.

I remember one student patient of mine who told me that this is the second place with the largest amount of rainfall next to Hawaii.

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MY PINOY LIFE IN 105

What do you do for a living?

I am working as a Family Medicine physician here in Genesis Hospital – a facility owned by a Filipino Engineer married to a half-Filipino and halfMicronesian Doctor.

Is there a Filipino community there?

Yes and our Filipino community here is very active, kudos to its officers. They are really assisting all the Filipinos here who need their help. Our community’s name is UFCP or United Filipino Community in Pohnpei.

Tell us about your life there?

There’s not much to talk about really since we have a simple life. I usually spend my day at the hospital working.

During my free time, I jog, work out at the gym or play badminton. Sometimes, my friends and I swim on the beach during the weekend and dine out on special occasions.

106 MY PINOY LIFE IN

What cultural practices/ behaviors have you acquired from your host country?

For now, I have started to learn their language and that’s it. There are some cultural practices here that I really don’t want to acquire like betel nut chewing and drinking Sakau - a special kind of homemade liquor they usually drink here.

Your greeting to Filipinos across the globe – Kasehlehlie! (a Pohnpeian greeting) Mabuhay kayong lahat for I know how it feels working away from home. I salute you!

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ADVERTORIAL 107

Strawberry fields at Forever 21 The feel and look of Forever 21 stores have started to change as dark colors are getting off the rack. Pastels and neutral shades are back with a hint of lace and eyelet. This season, the focus is on flowy feminine fabrics for a ‘pleasant girl’ inspired look. Baby doll tops and long floral maxi dresses will bring out the soft and delicate side in you. The collection does have a dash of pinks and reds too. Strawberry fields are a country look with emphasis on combining florals with denim. At the store

Dubai Outlet Mall’s 2nd Health & Wellness Festival The second edition of Health and Wellness Festival at the Dubai Outlet Mall is on 5, 6 and 7 April 2012 for public and mall visitors, aiming to highlight concerns and provide solutions to general health and well being.

The 3-day event will be taking place at the centre court area of the mall. Visitors have access to free health checkups and personalized counseling from doctors and specialists as well as nutritional and fitness advise from industry professionals. Services include - free diabetes, hypertension, hepatitis, podiatry consultation from RAK Hospital; breast cancer exams, mammography and scanning for men and women by Pink Caravan Clinic; spinal and posture examination by the American Spine Centre; nutritional tips and advice on MediLite Weight Loss program and skincare demonstrations from Wellbeing Medical Centre; aerobic and fitness counseling, exercise tips and demos, classes and competitions by Gold’s Gym International.

To address the serious health issues in a fun and entertaining approach, visitors are not

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you will find plenty of sweet feminine flowery prints which are combined with denims, boho lace and crochet details for a casual, fresh spring look. The Forever 21 girl is different from the Gatsby girl in her bohemian styling and casual elements. Folk inspired pieces are the most tempting display on the racks; they can be paired with almost any piece. The colors and the combination of silver make them stand out. Boho chic styling combines organic and colorful with simple modern pieces.

only getting all the mentioned checkups and counseling completely free of charge, there will also be lots of gifts, free goody bags and prizes to be won from different medical centers and clinics offering complimentary health and beauty services.

two new nursing schools - one in Surabaya City and the other in Jakarta City. The two companies have also agreed to invest in a general hospital in Surabaya City. The hospital is slated to be a pilot that could lead to other projects in Indonesia in the future.

Belhoul Life Care Signs MOU with Bina Sehat Hospital, Indonesia

BLC also pledged to support and participate in the annual charity treatment project organized by the Bina Sehat Hospital in Jember City.

Belhoul Life Care (BLC) a private healthcare firm in the UAE has signed an MOU with Bina Sehat Hospital, Jembar – East Java, Indonesia on the 21st March 2012, to recruit highly qualified registered nurses who have been trained at Bina Sehat Hospital.

Bina Sehat Hospital established in 1995 has a capacity of 213 beds and has 399 employees - 65% of whom are nurses. The hospital is well known for the development of highly qualified nursing human resources through specialized training and job deployment programs.

Through the collaboration, BLC also aims to help develop Bin Sehat’s training center into a nursing school and will work with the latter as partners. The target is to establish

Furthermore, a medical centre will be established in Surabaya and Jakarta, which will provide medical check-up services for Indonesian employees traveling to UAE.

Left to Right: Mr. Mohammad Zaenal Abidin (Mayor of Jember City, Indonesian), Dr. Faida Musjtahar Umar Thalib (Hospital Director Bina Sehat Hospital), Mr. Mansyur Pangeran (Indonesian Consular in Dubai), Dr. Juma Khalfan Belhoul (Chairman Belhoul Life care), Mr. Khalfan Juma Khalfan Belhoul (Vice Chairman Belhoul Life care), Mr. Jalal Hafeedh (Hospitals Director Belhoul Life care)

108 JUST SAYIN’

In search of a list of “influential” Filipinas

By Carlito Viriña

Like Jacques Costeau, I took to the surf and searched the oceans of the World Wide Web for a list of the most powerful and influential women of the Philippines that would mark this year’s International Women’s Day and found... nada!

Did my fruitless search confirm what I expected not to find? That there is no list this year because no Filipina seemed to have achieved something in 2011 that the mighty local media deemed worthy (based on their questionable standards now, of course) to afford her her 15 minutes and trumpet her cause to one and all? That there aren’t that many Filipinas with a laudable accomplishment that organizations that are usually enthusiastic about making all kinds of silly lists were also drawing blanks?

The reason I’m curious is because Google Philippines came out with a laughable list for last year’s IWD and this was picked and played up by the local networks.

According to Google Philippines their list of the 20 most influential Filipino women are those “who grabbed the greatest online mindshare in 2010.”

Since when did attracting the most rubberneckers on the web to see what one’s been up to qualifies her as being powerful and influential? Following that criterion, if midget comedian Mahal was caught on cam by a down-on-hisluck paparazzo alighting from a trike in a very short skirt without undies, she’d easily make the list. That would trend high, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t it? Ok I love Mahal too much.

The Google list proves that Filipinos love

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showbiz folks and are greatly influenced by them. With the exception of worldrenowned designer Monique Lhuillier (No. 17), business writer Doris Dumlao (No. 12) and too-feisty-I-wouldn’t-wantto-be-her-neighbor Miriam Santiago (No. 10), the other personalities on that list are all entertainers.

Topping that 2011 list was Valenzuela councilor and game show co-host Shalani Carla San Ramon Soledad-Romulo, or Ate Sha. She trended high for being PNoy’s squeeze then, and understandably people were curious why someone with her good looks would fall for someone 21 years her senior, with those beady eyes and a bad comb over.

A close second on that list was Kris Aquino.

What is the deal with the presidential sister? She can’t sing. She can’t really act. I heard she can dance a little. Media calls her the queen of talk. Call me the king of walk, because that’s what I try to do whenever I hear her. I must admit I’m impressed by her one great talent - to still sound like a starry-eyed, teenaged collegiala at age 41.

Unnerving as it is, it must take a lot of work.

The other ladies who made it on that list are Ruffa Gutierrez (No. 3), Maria Venus Raj (No.4), Charice Pempengco (No. 5) Angel Locsin (No. 6), Sarah Geronimo

(No. 7), Heart Evangelista (No. 9), Lea Salonga (No. 11), Kristine Hermosa (No. 13), Toni Gonzaga (No. 14), Sharon Cuneta (No. 15), Mariel Rodriguez (No. 16), Bea Alonzo (No. 18), Korina Sanchez (No. 19) and Nora Aunor (No. 20).

If Google Philippines came out with a list this year, there’s a big chance it’d still have a lot of entertainers. Kris Aquino would still be high on that list. Ann Curtis would’ve made it. Septic tank beauty Uge Domingo would crawl-slide her way on it.

Fighting hens Annabelle Rama and Nadia Montenegro would claw each other to get on it. Jinkee Pacquiao for her makeovers.

Aling Dionisia, because people are waiting for her to drop “aling” for “doña.” Krista Ranillo because the name Pacquiao reminds people of her and start typing her name on the search box. Lucy TorresGomez because she’s now in Congress.

Nora Aunor would still be there because she is the Guy. Charice, of course. And definitely Lea Salonga because she deserves any list that says famous influential Filipinas.

And topping it again would be PNoy’s latest squeeze - 29-year old Korean TV host and DJ Grace Lee. She’d be trending high because people are very curious why someone with her good looks would fall for someone 23 years her senior, with beady eyes and a bad comb over.

110 ONLI IN DA PILIPINS

Onli In Da Pilipins - 1. n. a phrase used to define anything or anyone that only exists anywhere in the 7,107 islands of the Philippines || 2. adj. a phrase used to describe a Pinas episode or a Pinoy persona so rare one would never find anywhere else in the WWW (whole, wide world). It merits a documentation of some sort.

ALL ABOUT EVA

By Aby Yap

C’mon, fellow Pinays, show off your bouncy Beyoncé moves as we holler — all together now — “Who runs the world? Girls!”

Do the jig. Shake that booty. Perform the YMCA dance even. Never mind that your well-kept bilbil comes into view for everyone to see. Never mind, the concept of dignity.

Tipo kong Lalaki

It’s our month and we’ll celebrate being a woman the way we want it.

He’s Got the Look

Join us! Who knows what little secrets you just might discover about the complete mystery of being Eve, Filipino version. So should that be Eva? Come, bite the apple.

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So, what’s the ideal guy for us? Here’s our list of must-have’s. (Of course, you don’t have to be/have everything, but surely there’s no harm in trying.)

The quintessential tall, dark, AND handsome, i.e. Goma, or the boy-nextdoor type, e.g. Aga Muhlach, if you like a pretty kind of cute with dimples or Coco Martin if you’d rather have cutie

plus yummy. Any which way they look, it’s pretty self explanatory. They’re simply irresistible.

Note to girls: The down side is there might be more competition than you can handle with this rare lot. Prepare your Amazona stance and rolls of tissue paper.

ONLI IN DA PILIPINS 111

The X Factor Relax, dude, if you fall short of goodlooking genes. You can always hire Belo or Calayan to give you a overhaul, majormajor or otherwise. Or, you can go cheap and just watch Boys over Flowers or Meteor Garden for pointers on sporting the Bad Boy attitude and styling your hair.

You can also opt for the Edward vibe. Never go out during the day. Adieu, sunshine.

The Talented Mr. ________ Rock stars rock. Chefs sizzle. Poets pique our curiosity. Painters bring color to our lives. Comedians tickle our funny bone.

Computer geeks teleport us to Silicon Valley. Even Enteng Kabisote gives us the feeling of security that no household item will ever be broken while under his care because he knows how to butingting everything.

You got to have at least one talent. Sword swallowing will do.

Mr. Romantic Holiday If you can turn everyday into Valentine’s Day, no one’s complaining (maybe except your wallet or credit card). We admit it unabashedly: we’re such suckers for sweet gestures. They’re like chocolates, very addictive. Red roses and stuffed toys are great, but we also fall for those romantic quotes you text us or pa-kilig hirits you tell us over the phone.

When you do these things, you become not just lovable but also Papable.

One-Woman Man Now, here’s the non-negotiable part. You become our personal superhero by being a One-Woman Man! You don’t even have to sing “I’m forever yours faithfully” ala Arnel Pineda to make us believe in you.

Just be loyal to us and don’t be scaredy-cat about the big C, which is Commitment. And we won’t be asking for more like PESOnality and CARacter. (Having a stable job, though, is a basic requirement.)

Oh, on second thought, do you think you could be “maginoo pero medyo bastos” (in other words, gentlemaniac)?

That would be plus pogi points.

Tunay na Babae Okay, we’ve heard enough from Planet XY about what the Tunay na Lalaki is. This time, let’s find out about the real babe.

She does sleep. But she can wake up in the middle of the night even while blissfully dreaming of John Lloyd Cruz just to change the diaper of her bawling baby.

Right, she’s a martyr — and she’s a mom.

She texts a lot. To know if the hubby has eaten already, if the kids are home, if the yaya has finished the laundry, if her girlfriends are doing fine. And she religiously ends the messages with a smiley.

She always orders extra rice when the ulam is spicy laing. She also demands for extra soup and dessert, especially if they’re free.

And she’s never too embarrassed to do it.

She turns into a vegetarian when the need arises. That is, if she needs to lose some pounds for her best friend’s wedding. After which, she goes back to being the voracious meat eater that she is.

She has love handles, spare tire, salbabida, otherwise known as the eyesore that’s bilbil, which she fondly calls “baby fat” (even if she’s already got her own babies).

She’s quite an expert, though, in hiding it with the right clothes.

She knows how to dougie and chacha, despite her two left feet. She birits like a diva as everyone else covers their ears. She plays Pinoy Henyo every chance she gets, though, she’s never once won because she simply enjoys having fun.

She admits mistakes, inevitably commits them again, and apologizes for the nth time. But you can’t stay angry at her for so long. Maybe because she’s cute, charming, and bakes the most mouth-watering chocolate cake.

She recognizes sh*t, how to deal with it and when to take none of it. After all, she’s not only a ruler but also a fighter. How else would you explain the existence of Andres de Saya?

She’s in charge of cooking meals, washing the dishes, and keeping the home tidy. She also makes sure that her husband does his fair share of household chores: doing the laundry, ironing clothes, and fixing broken appliances.

She goes to church in her most fashionista get-up, and then proceeds to the mall where she contentedly window-shops and treats herself to a delectable lunch with sinful chocolate fondue for dessert.

And she doesn’t care one single bit if she does it all alone.