ILLUSTRADO Magazine May 2009

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FILIPINO

MAY 15-JUNE 15 2009

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

issue

30

EDITOR’S NOTE

Getting through the fog And so we know that this economic crisis is here to stay… well, at least, for awhile.

Everybody is feeling the pinch and nobody is spared – regardless of your stature or color, or whether you are a big time entrepreneur or a simple employee earning a modest monthly salary. We’ve had friends who have lost their investments, friends who have been put on forced leave, some who have lost their jobs, and a few who had to pack-up their entire lives here in the emirates to go back home to uncertainty.

So what are we to do at this juncture when everything seems shaky and unclear? The easiest thing to do is to give in to panic. Throw in the towel; give up on our struggles and just stop. And then what?

I hate clichés but the time seems right for one. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is exactly the attitude which we need to employ at a time like this. But wait, it is not enough to simply “get going.” There definitely is a more ‘inspired’ way of getting through a storm of this shape and form. Consider this – when the going gets tough, the tough Get better. Definitely the crisis has become a way to teach some valuable lessons, to curb the world’s greed and people’s excesses, and to put things into clearer perspective. What did you learn from all this? This is when you should (if you haven’t yet) re-examine what you have been doing so far, in your life, at work, and in the way you do things. There is no place for slacking. It’s time to reinforce your talents, skills and attitude to protect yourself from being vulnerable at the work place.

Remember, no company would want to lose a good contributor to success - unless it is hemorrhaging severely or is ultimately closing down.

Get smarter and more creative. The best ideas come during tough times. Do you think there are no more jobs or business opportunities? So you have lost your job. Do you think that’s the end of it? Do you think the world stops revolving just because money is difficult? Think again. Stop and smell the roses – and the petunias, the gumamelas and bougainvilleas along way.

Surprise, surprise! Companies are still hiring. Not all, but there are quite a few. People are still in need of goods and services.

Cheaper, yes, but they still have requirements. Got no money to promote your business? Look at the cheap technology and network of people around you just waiting to be harnessed. You’ve always been an employee before? Well maybe now’s the time to be self-employed or an entrepreneur instead; a small start-up entrepreneur, perhaps, but nonetheless... These days, the question we should ask is – where are the pockets of opportunity and how can I utilize it in my unique way?

Get more flexible and resilient. Most of the time, we mistake resilience for rigidity - being strong and unmovable. However, this occasion calls for something else – strength with flexibility; to be resolute but with the ability to bend with however the wind blows – just like the good old kawayan. We need to persist and prevail but have the open mindedness and the upbeat attitude to take it all in stride and do whatever it takes. As our own realities change, we need to be tough and fluid enough to move with it.

Get going with blind faith and a smile on the face. They say that it’s easier said than done – but in reality, when all else fails, what have you got to lose? You just have to get going, and what better way to do it than with a sunny disposition? As Ximo Ramos in his column tells us – “We may not be in control of the situation. But we are definitely in control of how we will react to it.” So take your pick – there’s a hard way of dealing with this, and then there’s the better more sensible way.

One late night early this year, my husband and I had the unnerving experience of having to drive through freakishly thick fog on the Abu Dhabi to Dubai highway. Just a couple of minutes off the Shahama area, we were met by an unusually dense blanket fast descending to the ground – in a scene so scary it looked straight from a horror movie. A sense of panic enveloped us. We were not sure whether we should stop at the roadside (which we can’t see) but just went ahead anyway. We adjusted our speed to ‘slow crawl’ and turned on our fog lights. The haze was so thick you could hardly see several feet ahead of you. But what a surprise - just as quickly as the fog appeared, so it has disappeared! The trail of haze couldn’t have been more than a hundred meters long! And we were thankful that we had the sense to move on, because looking back, from out in the clear, we could see that so many cars have stopped at the hard shoulder and are stuck in the cloud, for goodness knows how long. This may not be the best driving advice one would give you – and I don’t pretend to be an authority on the issue. The only thing I could say is that there’s another lesson to be taken from that episode.

Finally, I have a friend who says he’s printing t-shirts which say “I survived 2008!” Let’s all make sure that we earn the right to wear something like that at the end of this challenging year.

My dear Illustrados, let’s get going.

Taas Noo, Filipino!

LALAINE CHU-BENITEZ Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Get ILLUSTRADO The Magazine for the International Filipino

AT A STORE NEAR YOU!

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ABU DHABI & AL AIN Abela Al Ain, Abu Dhabi Airport Lobby and Airport Transit areas, Abu Dhabi Coop Society – Khalifa, Hamdan, Meena and Buteen branches, Al Ain Palace Hotel, Albert Abela Superstore, Al Atial Novelty Store – INTCO and Rotana branches, All Prints, Bookplus Store - Al Ain, Books Gallery, Carrefour – Abu Dhabi Airport Road, Marina Mall and Al Ain branches, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Limar Bookshop, Milan Gifts, Raouat Al Reef - Al Ain, Sana Modern Trading, Spinney’s Khalidiya, United Bookstores and Westzone Trading

DUBAI & NORTHERN EMIRATES Asia Pacific Cargo – Karama, Books Gallery – Jumeirah, Mall of the Emirates and Sahara Center branches, Carrefour – Ajman, Century Mall, Deira City Center, Mall of the Emirates, Sharjah, Shindagha, Ras Al Khaimah, Choitrams - Emirates Hills, Green Community, the Greens, Rashidiya, Safa Park, Springs and Umm Suqueim, CM Supermarket, Karama, Dubai Airport Duty Free Shops, Geant Hypermarket - Ibn Battuta Mall, Hyper Panda - Dubai Festival City, Jashanmal - Caribou Uptown Mirdiff and Wafi City, Magrudy Bookshop - Deira City Center and Ibn Battuta Mall branches, News Centre - Deira City Center, DIFC, Mall of the Emirates and Sahara Center branches, Philippine Supermarket – Satwa, Spinneys - Al Ghurair Center, Bin Souqat, Meadows Town Centre, Mercato, Mirdiff, Prime Rose, Ramada Bur Dubai and Trade Center Rd. Bur Dubai branches

BAHRAIN

24 Hours – Al Hamala, Al Zahra Avenue, Busaiteen Muharra and Hoora branches, Al Batra Supermarket, Al Fahad Cold Store – Zallaq, Al Ghadeer Foodstuff – Al A’ali, Al Hilal Administration – Sheraton Complex, Al Jazira Supermarket – Zinj, Adliya and Juffair branches, Al Mena Supermarket – Adliya, Al Shahd Market – Hamad Town, Buheji Center – Budaiya, City Pharmacy – Sitra Mall, Dairaty Market – Duraz, Evershine Supermarket – Rifa’a, Geant Hypermarket – Manama, Hamad Town Supermarket, Hassan Mahmood Cold Store – Opp. Awal Cinema, Hidd Co-Op Society, Jassim Markets – Busaiteen Muharra, Jawad Convenience Stores – Budaiya, Jawad Express Bapco Station – Seef, Jawad Supermarket – Nuwaidarat Sitra, Kaifan Cold Stores – Hamad Town, Little Kingdom Cold Stores – Manama, Manayer Supermarket – Awali, Midway Supermarket – Hamala, Muharraq, West Rifa’a and Gudaibiya branches, Muntaza Supermarket – Muharraq, Muntaza Supermarket – Sitr Muharraqa, The News Stationery – Manama, Universal Food Center – Rifa’a

QATAR

Ahlan Wassahlan Bookshop, Alam Al Agziya – Landmark, Al Aaela Shopping Centre- Al Nasr, Airport and Al Rayan branches, Al Madina Supermarket, Al Mustaqbal Bookshop, Al Qalam Bookshop, Al Usra Bookshop, Al Waha Marketing Centre, Daheel Food Centre, Dar Al Oroouba Bookshop, Dar Al Thaqafa Al Kitab and Al Nasr, Dasman Hypermarket, Dasman Shopping Centre, Jarir Bookshop, Jehaz Bookshop Al Mansoora, Khayat Fitwell, Lamcy Supermarket, Lulu Al Sharq, Megamart Centre, Newsstand Landmark, Rawabi Food Centre, Strand Bakery, Supermarket Al Taif Al Nasr and Supermarket Sak

MANILA

Powerbooks – Greenbelt, Glorietta, Trinoma, Ermita, Alabang, Mall of Asia and Festival Mall branches Illustrado magazine is sold in over 150 outlets around the Gulf, including Oman and Kuwait.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Send your letters to: editor@illustrado.net

I felt really proud having read the article on Six Significant Filipinas Honored in Illustrado Women of Substance Event in Dubai. You must be one of them! :) I just wish that articles such as these, which gives us dignity and courage, will flourish in the entire UAE. Cielo Salazar, Dubai ……………….

Dear Lalaine, Well where do I start this letter? I would like to complement you for the wonderful speech which you gave at the Digerati Graduation day.

My name is Kevin Ryan. I have been living at the Dubai Marina for the last three years with my Spanish wife. I myself am from British/Irish background and I was there at the graduation to support our friend who works with us, Maylene – who three months ago never used a computer, and on that day she received three awards for her skills. We support all of the events that our dear Maylene goes to and we are proud of what she does. I was so proud of her on that day.

We sat through many speeches but your words of wisdom were very moving... Let me tell you that Dubai and the UAE will not be the same if it was not for the Filipino community.

Please call upon us at any time, for any charitable or any good causes, where we can be of help.

We will continue in trying to change the opinion of some small minded PEOPLE. Kevin and Maria Ryan, Dubai ………………….

I’ve been an avid fan of your magazine for over two consecutive years now. And I would have to say that my favorite issue is the one that always comes in April – Beautiful Philippines. It never fails to satisfy my longing for home. I go on vacation to my hometown in Pangasinan almost every year.

But somehow, counting 12 months is just too long when all you want to do is hop on a plane and head for the Philippines. So your magazine with all the lovely destinations (ang ganda talaga ng Pinas!) is like a tall refreshing drink that helps me get through my Dubai summer blues.

Thanks Illustrado! I’m looking forward to seeing We’re avid fans of Annie. Every time we get a copy even more beautiful and interesting places back of Illustrado, we always turn to her column, excited about what she’s up to this time. Her stories are home in the future. wacky but ring true compared to our daily lives here.

Jocelyn Victoria, Dubai We also suffer the same mishaps, like problems with ……………………………. our families and colleagues at work, or life here in This is with reference to the article The Philippines’ the emirates. But of course, when Annie tells her Foreign Invasion in your April issue. It doesn’t story, it’s 100X more funny. So we really really like come as a surprise that foreigners have begun her ☺ to discover the beauty, riches and opportunities Regie and girlfriends available in our country – this was bound to ………………. happen. The only sad thing is that sometimes, Filipinos themselves are not aware, or worse, non READER’S BLOG appreciative of what we have. We tend to complain I was fortunate enough to be invited in the “women and grumble, when in fact, we’ve been so blessed of substance” event by Illustrado. I am no Gabriella member, neither do I have the “women are more to have a country that has so much to offer.

I hope with your magazine, Filipinos would see superior than men” attitude but I will be the first more of the positive side and learn to appreciate in line when it comes to honoring women who have our country better. We should forget about the made it BIG in this world. There were six women and politics and learn how to make the most of our although they differ in so many ways, background, line of work etc., one thing was evident- ALL were bountiful resources and talents. determined to SUCCEED. There was a CEO, a UAE Name withheld upon request.

Filipino Press Club President and Gulf Today Senior ……………………. reporter, a Dubai Duty Free manager, a nurse We have a desert in the Philippines? I was so with a Dubai Government Excellence Award, an surprised to see your April 2009 cover – I have entrepreneur and a model, pianist and singer. The never heard, ever, that there is actually a desert event was like a manual for me. A guide on what I in the Philippines. It’s simply amazing - we have should do next to truly live life to the fullest. As great beaches, surf and sand, mountains, forests, Lalaine (Publisher and EIC of Illustrado) interviewed lakes and waterfalls – we’ve got it all! I was so these women I have learned what it takes to be called proud to see the beauty of our country – in fact, a woman of substance: so proud that I have shown the magazine to my • When you are in a country that does not honor girlfriends (foreigners). Well, you never know, they “equal opportunity”, TEACH it. just, might feel motivated to visit our country for • If you are going to “fight”, know what you are fighting their future holidays. As for me and my husband for and do not lose track. Know the battleground and – we are planning to retire in the Philippines have all the options. Have a plan A – Z if you must.

• You have to ALWAYS look your best. Whether you someday. are reporting on the latest Manolo Blanik collection Proud to belong to such a beautiful country, or you have to brave the desert and talk to soldiers.

Emma Nichols, Dubai Wear heels whenever you can. ……………………………

• Turn your wounds into wisdom. A lot of women I’ve been reading with much interest the column get hurt. First step is to learn to accept that some of Francisco Colayco (Kabuhayan). It’s very things are just not meant for you and it may be hard informative and educational – I find the writer’s at first but it will definitely prepare you for the next advice very practical and easy to follow and step. Take comfort in knowing that something better definitely worth applying to one’s life. We all need always comes along.” to acquire financial ‘smarts’ if we are to make • Always be grateful for what you have. Work on your something out of our stay here abroad. It’s so goals, dream big but do not neglect what you HAVE easy to be ignorant and not be aware of how our now. “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the money just vanishes like water if we don’t take best place for the next moment.” care of it and use it wisely.

• Know your own talent and potential. If you know In his recent article – he encouraged readers to what you have and what you can do, you focus on your be like ‘eagles’ soaring high, instead of ‘ducks’ goals more. Never put down others to get to where quacking complaints all the time. What a timely you want to be. piece of advice. One that we should follow as it is • Think twice, thrice before you speak about others full of wisdom.

– an old lesson that some people cannot grasp.

• Be proud of who you are. You cannot expect others Alberto Manuel, Abu Dhabi to love you if YOU cannot love yourself. Whether your ……………………………………… skin is dark or white, your nose is pointed or flat, Thank you to the entire team for bringing out the short or tall… BE proud. best in Pinoys in Illustrado. I am so proud that our The Montgomerie Golf Club was beautiful. I looked community has a magazine that shows the best around and what added to the breathtaking scenery of our country and our people. Keep up the good were the beautiful strong women. More than the work!

GUCCI and LV they carry, they have the HEART to Marylise Cabahug, Sharjah bring more into this world and show EVERYBODY …………………………………….. what they got. Something that money cannot buy Is Annie B. a real person? My friends and I are good OL beauty in character. intrigued by her personality. Is she somebody who So, ARE YOU a woman of substance? works here in the emirates or merely a fictional character? Is she really like that?

Carla Peniera, Dubai

CONTRIBUTORS Vic Lactaoen

Isabelo Samonte

JR Bustamante

Vic Lactaoen takes readers through the joys of fiestas and Flores de Mayo in this issue. With his extensive travels around the Philippines and Southeast Asia spanning over a decade, as well as a stint with the ASEAN Secretariat as head of Public Information, Vic is certainly on top of the list of travel and culture experts not only in the Philippines but in the Southeast Asian subcontinent. Vic, who is working on his own travel book, is also a contributor to several local and international in-flight magazines, as well as the Manila Bulletin’s Tourism section.

Isabelo Samonte is a freelance writer, consultant and PR practitioner. He has been involved with several publications all over the world, including the ILO World of Work in Geneva and the Asian Review of Business and Technology in London.

Isabelo has taken multiple graduate courses both in the country (at Centro Escolar University and Ateneo de Manila) and overseas (DePaul University in Chicago and ILSI in Islamabad).

This month, Isabelo looks back at the roots of the term ‘OFW’ and digs into the deeper significance of the often used acronym.

JR has quite a resume that includes practically every profession in the communications industry.

She’s split her time copywriting for TV, print and radio, working on marketing communications collaterals and PR campaigns, whipping up AVPs, newsletters and press releases and even a little bit of events management. She had no idea her early experience as a university newspaper editor would lead to her becoming a serious feature writer for magazines and newspapers.

During her non-writing days, JR dabbles in photography, watercolor painting and designing for fashion, accessories and interiors. For this issue, JR talks business etiquette in the article Mixing Business with Culture.

Glenn Peter Perez Manila-based upcoming photographer Glenn Peter Perez has had an exceptionally great headstart in his chosen career. Still in his senior year in college, taking up AB Multi Media Arts Major in Video Production and Photography specializing in the field of fashion and advertising, Glenn already has an impressive portfolio which includes covers and fashion editorials for several of the Philippine’s leading glossies, as well as advertising campaigns for both local and international companies. He is part of a growing crop of young artists adept in utilizing the latest techniques and strategies in digital arts and photography. In this issue, Glenn demonstrates edgy art direction and an eye for style in Wicked Workwear.

Anna Loraine Balita

Aby Yap Funny girl Aby is never at a loss for amusing, weird or sometimes downright hilarious observations when it comes to the Pinoy state of affairs.

And this is all put to good use in her regular column Onli in Da Pilipins which discusses our national eccentricities with abandoned glee.

Previously a Dubai resident, Manila-based Aby edits automotive-related content for an online company but confesses that her true profession is storytelling. This month, she takes us through the undisputed national pastimes of Filipinos and turns a serious note with an Illustrado Profile on CNN Hero Efren Peñaflorido.

Jeffrey Ximo Ramos Who better to share success tips with Filipino expats than an OFW himself? From finding a job, losing one, to rising above it all –Jeffrey ‘Ximo’ has been there and done that. Author of ‘I Know What to Do – A Pinoy Success Handbook,’ Jeffrey shares his experiences and his formula for success based on the strong foundations of spirituality and nationalism, leading Filipinos through to the long hard road to achievement with practical and timely words of wisdom. In his column this month, Jeffrey encourages us to find our inner child towards achievement.

Freelance writer Anna is a part-time school publication adviser currently finishing her master’s degree in Applied Media Studies at the De La Salle University Manila. Born and raised in Manila, she has enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city for as long as she can remember. When she puts down her glasses and backpacks, however, she can be found doing a variety of activities – from wall climbing, wushu, target shooting, wakeboarding, etc., etc. In this issue, Anna Loraine takes us with her on a refreshing trip to an exclusive resort south of the Metropolis – Punta Fuego.

Get your regular dose of

issue

30

The International Filipino Delivered to you monthly.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Contact us at 04-3654543 or 04-3654547

And get a Free Gift with your annual subscription

Publisher & Editor-in Chief Lalaine Chu-Benitez Consultant Editor Vic Albornoz Lactaoen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS UAE, Philippines, USA Aby Yap JR Bustamante Anna Lorraine Balita Jude Cartalaba Bernadette Reyes Karen Galarpe Bro. Bo Sanchez KC Abalos Chayie Maligalig Krip Yuson David Poarch Atty. May Flores Excel Dyquiangco Mike Martin Francisco Colayco Shar Matingka Isabel Warren Sherry Tinorio Isabelo Samonte Sonny Guzman Ivan Henares Vic Lactaoen Jeffrey ‘Ximo’ Ramos Victor Sollorano Jesse Edep Jonie Jose ART DIRECTORS Paula Lorenzo Ron Perez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS UAE Eros Goze Illuminado Ong Melandro Sanggalang Pot Ph Mac Antonio Mariyah Gaspacho PHILIPPINES Dr. Marlon Pecjo Parc Cruz CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS & FASHION TEAM UAE Zekundo Chu Anna de Leon Basil Yunting Jessie Tabla PHILIPPINES Janet dela Fuente 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.illustrado.agilaglobal.net PHILIPPINE OFFICE Illustrado Marketing & Communications inc.

1100 88 Corporate Exchange Center, Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City, PHILIPPINES Tel: +632 754 8016, 754 8017 Fax: +632 754 8000 PRINTERS PRINTWELL PRINTING LLC P.O. Box 18828 Dubai, UAE Copyright Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC 2006-2009. 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

May 09

FEATURES

Philippine Employment Stimulus 10 OFW – What’s in a name? 12 A Story of Celebration behind each Fiesta 16 Floral Festivals of May 20 Mixing Business with Culture 28

COLUMNS

Editor’s Note 1 Letters to the Editor 4 Contributors 6 Illuminati: Champions in English 22 Kabuhayan: Baby Boom 24 Kabuhayan: Choosing Long-term Investments 26 Spirituality: Do you like yourself? 32 Successful Pinoy: Success through the Child in You 34 Illustrado Profile: Efren Peñaflorida Jr - No Ordinary Superhero 38 Living: The Return of Dr. Kwak-Kwak 52 Community Events 54 Community Dialogue 58 Hilig Pinoy: Dive for Life 60 Illustrado Scrapbook 64 Onli in da Pilipins 74 The Annie B. Chronicles 76

FASHION

Wicked Workwear 40

PLACES

40

Illustrado breaks corporate norms with this month’s fierce fashion editorial featuring models Chrizenda Cecilio and Maxine Medina.

66

Bakasyon Grande: Palanan, Isabela 62 Pinoy Planet: Japan 66 Trippin’: Punta na sa Punta Fuego 70

Entertainment

Entertainment: Chatting with an Idol – Mikey Bustos 72

70

10 FEATURE

Philippine Employment Stimulus

As much as 3,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) came home to the Philippines jobless since October 2008, as a result of the massive retrenchment following the global economic slowdown. Thousand others are worried that they might be on the same boat, but the Philippine government has stepped up its efforts to assuage the impact of widespread New job opportunities for Filipinos layoffs by creating new opportunities at a time when almost in the face of global layoffs everyone is worried about job security.

By Bernadette Reyes

Aside from overseas layoffs, local employment in the Philippines is also expected to be further impacted by the global crisis. According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), up to 60,000 workers in the information technology industry alone might lose their jobs this year. This is on top of the 15,000 jobs already lost in the electronics and garments sector since the start of the year as the demands for goods and services dwindle. Decelerating investment pledges and poor export performance are also seen to displace workers in the export sector.

DTI confessed there will be no growth in investment commitments this year as the Board of Investments (BOI) expects to post the same figure of PHP288.35 billion last year.

A survey commissioned by the Makati Business Club (MBC) was even more alarming as nine out of 10 companies included in the study admit they are likely to feel the impact of the global finance crisis this year. The survey was conducted from January 16 to 23 this year with 126 Philippines corporations as respondents.

While the data is disturbing, MBC remains optimistic as less than one-fifth or about 19 percent of the respondents “see a possible reduction in their workforce.�

Total sales of exports of goods and services will grow but only by 3 percent to PHP64.073 billion, slower than the 6 percent growth in 2008.

Administrative Order 248 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructed several government agencies to dole out PHP250 million for the Filipino Expatriate Livelihood Support Fund.

The government is even more undaunted as it continues to find ways to face the problems than bury its head on the sand. Mitigating measures have been put in place to cushion the impact of the massive retrenchments.

Under AO 248, DOLE and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will establish help desks in provinces to match the skills of retrenched and aspiring workers with the available jobs here and abroad.

Another PHP1 billion standby fund is available for the displaced OFWs this time to finance training programs and in part as working capital through loan facilities for those who would like to start their own small business.

The government is also keen on creating millions of job opportunities to address unemployment as discussed in the PHP330-billion economic stimulus package of the government. The objective of the government is to create three million jobs this year. But job creation is expected to cost as well. For every one million jobs created, the government estimates to spend PHP1 billion or about PHP3 billion if the three-million job target is reached.

FEATURE 11 of the Philippines while the remaining 400,000 will be overseas employment to be generated through the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

They also proposed that a percentage of the national budget should be tapped to support employment. Under the proposal, PHP21.23 billion or 1.5 percent of the PHP1.415 trillion 2009 budget will be utilized for the temporary hiring of displaced workers and another PHP3.9 billion sourced from other state funds must be diverted to finance livelihood and microfinance projects.

Half of the jobs is likely to be delivered by mid this year. “The way I see it, we might go beyond 1.5 million jobs by the end of June 30. Or hopefully, looking at the numbers in the first half, we can go also 1.5 million in the second half for a total of 3 million,» according to Domingo F. Panganiban, lead convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).

To keep the economy buoyant, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is turning to small and medium enterprises.

The department has laid out projects to strengthen and reinforce small and aspiring businessmen through livelihood creation and job generation. Business leaders on the other hand called on the government to support local firms by intensifying the promotion of exports and patronizing local suppliers for government purchases.

Meanwhile, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) which provide training and seminars to interested individuals have intensified its efforts in providing services to accommodate not only the displaced workers but fresh graduates as well. According to TESDA director general Boboy Syjuco, there are scores of employment opportunities available in the market. The problem lies in the matching of skills of those who are jobless with the jobs they are applying for. To get to the bottom of this dilemma, TESDA sponsors what it calls “Training Matching and Job Assistance Project”. Under this program, TESDA assists applicants to find jobs that suit their qualifications. They also conduct trainings and seminars such as hairstyling and reflexology. While this project commenced in Manila, the agency is already working on bringing the job fair to provincial areas in the country.

An online portal “On-Line Resume Mo”

was also developed by TESDA wherein job applicants can submit their resumes. Over 300,000 employers have access to this portal which aims to facilitate job hunting both for the employers and aspiring applicants.

To coincide with TESDA’s efforts, recruitment companies are currently working on a database of prematurelyretrenched OFWs. This would later be available to overseas employment service providers where they can recruit qualified workers for their existing job orders.

Professionals and highly-skilled workers who have gained long experience in their overseas jobs are the target for possible redeployment.

Also in the pipeline is the creation of an employment hotline which will assist the unemployed to look for jobs both here and abroad. With several agencies such as the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), DTI, DOLE and OWWA working closely to deliver the project, the hotline will be in place very soon according to NEDA director Ralph Recto. “The hotline will guide the people. The government will likewise benefit from this project since this would allow us to monitor the exact number of unemployed Filipinos,” says Recto.

Even the academe, business sector and labor groups in the country have taken initiatives to address unemployment.

In a communiqué, these groups pushed for the creation of 1.3 million jobs this year, both domestic and overseas.

Of this figure some 800,000 jobs will come from the government emergency employment program, another 100,000 from the Business Processing Association

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman emeritus Donald G. Dee said this proposal was already discussed with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and implementation shall take effect immediately. He also added that the creation of this job is meant to assist fresh graduates as well. “The business community is very supportive of these initiatives. If we can make 1.3 million jobs, that will cover those entering the job pool every year as well as those displaced.

There’s always more that we could do but realistically, this is what we can do right now,» says Dee. Economists predict the global economic crisis to last until 2010, threatening more jobs for Filipinos. Retrenchments here and abroad cannot be avoided as companies streamline operations for survival - but Juan dela Cruz will endure as long as he keeps his faith alive coupled with unyielding determination to overcome these trying times.

12 FEATURE

What’s in a name?

By Isabelo A. Samonte

OFW or Overseas Filipino Worker has been a popular name for more than a decade owing to the tremendous increase of Filipinos leaving the country to seek work in foreign shores. To the layman, the acronym simply means ‘a Filipino who works abroad for a living’, while to a growing many, a pejorative term which limits the horizons of progressive professional Filipinos competing in the international employment market. Still, regarded neutrally, at its core, ‘OFW’ is in fact a veritable Philippine institution – the product of history and governmental processes built and improved over the years to support the deployment of millions of Filipinos around the world.

The infrastructure for overseas employment exists today largely due to the endeavor initiated by the late Senator Blas F. Ople who has created the infrastructure within the Philippine Labor Code in the 70s.

The former Labor Minister has facilitated the creation of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), National Seaman Board (NSB), and the Labor Attache Corps.

OFWs basically refer to Filipinos whose overseas employments was administered or monitored by the government deployment system. They were about 40% of our

workforce chosen to lend impact to host countries. Led by POEA in the 70s, they have passed the scrutiny of accredited employment agencies under strict governance. They were screened, tested, certified as physically fit and have qualified and matched job requirements overseas.

Through their government approved contracts, OFWs were also recipients of remunerations, benefits and privileges, accorded rights, protection, cooperation and assistance through public policies.

Assistance has also been extended to OFWs on education, training and skills upgrading

courses including schooling for retirees and scholarships for dependents, as well as on livelihood and entrepreneurial programs.

Tracing the nomenclature The term “Overseas Contract Workers” (OCW) was believed have been first used by construction firms in Middle East referring to deployments in the 70s. In 1986, the Welfare Fund administering migrant workers benefits was changed into “Overseas Workers Welfare Administration” (OWWA). At that point, returning Filipinos including overseas workers were referred

14 FEATURE to as “Balikbayan” with tax privileges under RA 6768. A “Balik-manggagawa” program was instituted then for quick processing of employment issues. Then the term “Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) or simply “Overseas Filipinos” followed with the passage of The Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 (RA 8042).

Recently, the term “Filipino Expatriates” was suggested by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the launching of the Global Forum on Migration in 2008.

The recommendation elicited varied reactions from migrant groups – some of whom commented that the term had no impact, while others cited that the word “expatriate” seemed historical referring to the exiled Filipinos during Rizal’s era. These sentiments were outpaced by realities, however, as the name “Filipino Expatriates” was intended to bring a level of professionalism referring to the growing stature of Filipino professionals abroad.

At the other end of the OFW naming dilemma was an effort from Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO) Chairman Dante Ang to promote the term “Filipino Investors.” However, the move has not gained grounds.

Whatever overseas Filipinos are called, however, seems of trivial consequence compared to the significance of their existence.

Revisiting diaspora history It is believed that the first wave of overseas Filipinos, the forebears of the OFWs, can be traced back to the ‘20’s - peasant farmers who worked in sugar plantations in Hawaii and in the fields of the US West Coast. This was possible as the Philippines then, was under the United States and Hawaii was a US colony then a territory.

The Filipinos then were exempted from anti-Asian provisions of US Immigration Act (1917/1924) and remained with no restrictions until 1934. There were a reported 6,000 Filipino migrants in US mainland by 1924. They were called “Old Timers” - the Filipino farmers together with the Chicanos and Latinos who formed labor unions in US West Coast.

Then the “pensionados” followed. These were young Filipinos sent to US colleges by then Philippine Governor William Howard

Taft, later US President and Supreme Court Chief Justice. These 14,000 Filipinos who studied in the US by 1938 were to return to the country as teachers. The sailors and nurses were next wave of migrants from 1950 to 1960. They were the only non-US residents recruited by the US Armed Forces mainly the US Navy and by California hospitals for Filipino nurses.

Outside of the US, performing artists were one of the country’s oldest itinerant migrants before World War II. Filipino professional singers and musicians were reported in Shanghai and in Japan in the 50’s. The next wave of musicians and cultural performers reportedly came to Japan at the height of ‘disco fever’ between

the 60’s and 70’s. As the Japanese labor market expanded in the 80s, entertainers, not necessarily cultural performers increased in numbers giving rise to the notorious phenomena of ‘Japayukis.’

In 2005 decisively tough immigration rules, finally put an end to the era of the ‘japayuki.’ Today, the Japanese labor market has changed from entertainers into health professionals with the Philippines now deploying nurses and caregivers referred to in Japan as “kangofus” or “kangofushi” Creating a global stamp In 2008, surpassing the 10million mark, the OFW diaspora has achieved an amazingly

FEATURE 15

wide geographic spread – from Europe (UK and Italy), North America (US and Canada) to the Far East (Japan), Oceana (Australia) to the ASEAN nations (Brunei, Singapore, and Malaysia), the GCC (KSA, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait) to the cities of Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei, as well as in Sabah and Saipan.

For four decades since Blas Ople’s mass deployment intiative, OFWs have thrived in land and in the open seas - in hyper growth cities, in boom towns and high seas, no matter the risks. Their job sites were in industrial construction projects, sciencetechno-hubs, mega-business centers, in homes - even unimaginable workplaces as volunteers who braved countries around the world.

Fully acculturated, with good English literacy, OFWs, as career people, industrial and sectoral workers, armed with a high level of education, professional and technical knowledge, have been able to respond to sharp workforce shortages around the world, in the process succeeding in answering the calls for re-structuring trends, providing the much needed building blocks for progress in countries around the world.

On the other hand, as they continue to serve in host countries, OFWs bring with them the rich culture, ancestral heritage, values, not to mention good work ethics that have kept them as strongly competitive preferred employees around the globe.

At the homefront, their earnings have also provided robust support to the Philippine economy with remittances totaling US$16.4B in 2008, according to the Bangko Sentral. Today, as the global economic crisis deepens, the Philippine government has stepped up its initiatives to provide relevant support to OFWs hit by lay-offs – instituting programs which include job generation, job matching, re-training and small business financing, to assist prematurely retrenched overseas Filipinos.

In effect, the government is actively endeavoring to protect and promote the interest of those who have traveled and toiled far and wide to be eventually dubbed as the country’s “modern day heroes.”

In the end, whatever name is eventually given to the Overseas Filipino Worker in the future, this would, by default, be an embodiment of the Filipinos’ hopes, dreams, and values; his talents, competitiveness, resilience and contributions to the world; as well as his

institutional entity and the government infrastructure woven around him and his family to support his chosen endeavor.

Ultimately, it will be, within itself, a veritable Philippine institution that would surpass banality of mere semantics.

16 FEATURE

A Story of Celebration behind every

Fiesta Text and Photography By Vic Albornoz Lactaoen

When I was growing up, my parents would take turns bringing me and my sister to celebrate at the hometown residences of their friends who I thought then were my uncles and aunties, or cousins and blood relatives. Looking back, I realized that my parents had a way of detoxifying themselves from their demanding day jobs by visiting their friends in towns nearby metro Manila.

And what better way to do it than by immersing themselves in the joy of the fiesta?

In some of the towns I remember visiting, there was a band that would march through the streets, waking the townspeople for the fiesta as early as four in the morning.

Soon church bells would ring, calling us to Mass to celebrate the feast of the patron saint – the Blessed Virgin in her many attributes, or saints of the religious orders that worked at the Christianization of the country.

After the church rites, each town celebrates with elements of indigenous and Hispanic custom: religious processions in which the statue of the saint is borne through town: folk theatre all free to the public, games and fireworks; and certainly food and feasting included.

In the old times, all homes were open to all visitors. For instance the town of Lucban, Quezon dedicated to San Isidro Labrador

(the worker) proudly celebrates with food in a unique way called Pahiyas. The houses lining the designated procession route are decorated with the varied fresh produce of the area. Rice stalks, bananas in bunches, vegetables, white gourds, squashes, green and ripe mangoes, coconuts, fish-shape bread, succulent whole roast lechons and especially the brightly multi-colored rice wafers called kiping, decorated even the façade of houses. The owners compete not

FEATURE 17

only for the cash prize offered by the town, but for the attention of their neighbors, as well as the promise of another bountiful harvest, and the joy of being together as Lucbanin.

The Pahiyas festival ends with the afternoon procession led by the saint’s statue, going rapidly through the decorated streets, as the homeowners strip their homes and throw the food gifts down to the participants. All day the homes are open to neighbors, friends from other towns, even strangers are welcomed, and a traditional meatloaf is invariably served to all.

In Angono Rizal, in a lakeside town, the celebration is marked by water. For the November feast of San Clemente, each barangay rehearses a set of marchers – women and girls in native garb wearing wooden clogs and carrying miniature paddles. With several marching bands from Angono and neighboring towns, they stomp through the streets in a particular rhythm, followed by men and boys carrying cans of water and laughing trying to drench bystanders and each other – all the way to the edge of the Laguna de Bay. Likewise, seaside towns may have fluvial processions. A decorated multistory pagoda, a shrine-like structure commonly simulating a small chapel with a bell tower of flowers contains the patron saint’s image. This is a common sight in two famous fluvial processions of the Santo Nino

18 FEATURE

Helena and the Emperor Constantine. The rite pays obeisance to characters of the Old and New Testaments and acknowledges the relics of the crucifixion. The highlight is the Reina Elena, Queen Helena bearing a small cross and accompanied by a little Prince Constantine.

Most towns, even sophisticated Makati City, continue to hold processions in the tradition of their forefathers. The longing to preserve the Filipino cultural heritage has led to the revival of processions even in newly created cities around the country sometimes surpassing the splendor of the past.

in Bocaue, Bulacan and of Our Lady of Penafrancia in Naga City.

The Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo Manila is a moving spectacle of raw faith.

The image goes out in procession during its feast on January 9, and then again during Holy Week where thousand of male devotees join the procession in fulfillment of a vow to help carry the image of Christ carrying the cross, in thanksgiving for favors granted, or an offering for a petition,

even atonement for past sins. By taking turns on the long ropes attached to the image, penitents hope for a few minutes to fulfill their vows. As the image emerges from the church, determined penitents surge forward to grab at the ropes while marshals attempt to maintain order.

In May, many neighbors around the country hold the Santa Cruzan or Flores de Mayo procession that celebrates the finding of the true Cross by the Empress

In 1980, the Immaculate Conception procession was revived in Intramuros, Manila were some 60 to 70 Marian images from all over the country now gather each year in a glittering candlelit procession that begins in Fort Santiago and ends at the Luneta. The Filipino love for religious pageantry survives through fiestas which are essentially a thanksgiving to the patron saint for intercession, to friends and neighbors for help and support through the year, and to God and nature for bounty and survival.

20 FEATURE

Floral Festivals of May Text By Vic A. Lactaoen Photos by Teodoro Pelaez

Filipinos love good parties, and have them often celebrating harvests, births and everything else. The Spanish carried the influence of their religion on existing practices, celebrating a saint’s birthday on dates formerly associated with pagan rituals.

It’s a great chance to see the people at their most colorful and beautiful May time celebration connected with the Virgin mother’s veneration through the Flores de Mayo, when young girls lay bouquets of flowers at the feet of the image of the Virgin in the parish church or chapel or the Santacruzan, the famed street procession which has the stellar participation of Queen Helena and her son Constantine. These are twin celebrations that have today become the country’s queen of festivals.

No tribute could be more appropriate to the Blessed Mother than this floral celebration. It is not surprising that the Virgin Mary, from being the central figure in the Santacruzan and the Flores de Mayo celebrations in towns and barrios, went on to become the Patroness of the Philippines, by papal decree.

It is but fitting that the country’s Department of Tourism together with the City of Manila once again spearheaded the holding of the country’s most endeared and time honored festival, the Flores de Mayo on the 6th of May 2009.

At the helm of the activities is the founding chairman of the Congregacion del Santissimo Nombre del Nino Jesus, renowned Filipino designer Ben Farrales. He said that more than the pomp and glamour of the event, the Congregacion makes sure that the liturgical significance of the festival to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary is preserved.

More than 30 members and guests of the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP) have created various designs of the popular Filipina dress, the terno with Philippine flowers, in conjunction with the theme Traje Flora Filipina. The clothes are normally worn by popular personalities from the fashion and the entertainment industry.

According to Mang Ben, as he is popularly called, the event highlights the creative competition among the country’s local designers. Like in the past years, the event will be

FEATURE 21

Photos from last year’s Flores de Mayo at the Manila Hotel

concluded with the awarding for outstanding creations with the titles La Flor Manila, Reina de las Flores and the most significant Rosa Mistica.

The festival will begin with the presentation of the sagalas in the afternoon at the Rajah Soliman Park across the Ermita church in Malate, Manila.

The procession will then proceed to the north bound lane of Roxas Boulevard and wind up at the Puerta Real in Intramuros with a dinner show hosted by popular showbiz personalities.

How many of us today know the significance of these flower festivals or realize that there is much more to the procession than an excuse for ostentation and the display of expensive finery?

People may not understand what it is all about, but the greater reason however, for the endurance of these festivities is the undiminished veneration of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Cross, the bedrock of the faith and the social and cultural anchor of the May time Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan.

22 ILLUMINATI

Champions in English

By Krip Yuson

In the autumn of 2001 I was privileged to be one of three Filipino poets sent by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts or NCCA on a two-week cultural exchange tour of three European countries.

Together with former NCCA Executive Director Virgilio S. Almario a.k.a. Rio Alma, who would eventually become a National Artist for Literature, and Dr. Benilda Santos who was and still is my professorial colleague at the Ateneo de Manila University, I read poems and delivered lectures on Philippine culture to audiences in Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Amb. Bautista asked me to form an ESUPhilippines chapter upon our return to Manila, with the assurance that he would help in every way to seek official acceptance.

Our fledgling chapter was initially composed of academics from the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, and Far Eastern University.

While we were in London, our Ambassador to the Court of King James, Hon. Cesar Bautista, took us on a courtesy call to Madame Valerie Mitchell, Director-General of the English Speaking Union or ESU. We were surprised to learn that the international organization had existed for several decades without benefit of participation from our country. We were urged to apply for membership.

Our ESU-Phil chapter was accepted as an applicant, with our eventual acceptance as an official chapter contingent on our successful participation in ESU-International activities. One of these involved sending one or two student representatives to the ESU International Public Speaking Competition that involved all chapters.

We organized a competition that featured representatives of debating societies from

among several schools and universities in Metro Manila. In May 2002, we sent our first official contestants to London.

We did the same in 2003. One of our 20and-under representatives made it to the semifinals. The next year we struck gold with Patricia Evangelista, then 18 years old and a Communication Arts major in UP Diliman who was blessed with an attractive mien, a pleasant personality, and superb confidence in her skill at articulation.

She also had the benefit of exceptional training. Her predecessors briefed her on the demands of the competition. She placed great trust in the coaching conducted by literary writers who were ESU-Phil members: Professors Jimmy Abad and Butch Dalisay of UP Diliman and yours truly.

ILLUMINATI 23

Patricia had written her own five-minute speech — titled “Blonde and Blue-eyed” — that adhered to the year’s contest theme. At our first training session, we questioned her premise that Filipinos who worked abroad were entirely forced to do so, and that the phenomenon of our ongoing diaspora was surely a negative matter.

year-old incoming senior at the Philippine Science High School. His speech titled «Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus» focused on the importance of scientific research. We still helped by suggesting complete avoidance of proselytizing platitudes and motherhood statements, in favor of metaphors, memorable imagery and graphic detail, as well as loads of humor.

She agreed to reverse her initial stance, and all together we came upon the insight that Pinoys may be considered as the modernday Hobbits, who just had to leave the shire in their thirst for adventure and foreign experience, but who always came back to share what they had gained abroad.

Again, to our surprise, Gian bested 57 other students from 34 countries and became our second young speaker in English to top the prestigious and highly competitive international contest. We had done it twice in a span of only seven years.

That jewel of a notion must have worked well with the British judges. Patricia was also fast on her feet when it came to addressing subsequent interpellation.

To our jubilation, she became the first Filipino contestant to romp off with the prize, besting over 60 other speakers from as many as 35 countries with ESU chapters.

The accolades came from all over, helped along by the Internet: we had a young Filipino speaker in English who wasn’t only world-class, but had actually topped a global contest. Soon after our ESU-Phil chapter became an official member of ESU International.

Four years later, we found ourselves saying: “Oops, we did it again.” We had another good find in Gian Karlo Rosales Dapul, a 16-

The odds may now be said to be against our 2009 candidate, 20-year-old Renzo Guinto, a medical student at UP-Manila/ PGH. But again his background allows for a speech — presently titled «Renew the Body, Regenerate the Home: The Best Choice» in keeping with this year’s contest theme of Regeneration and Renewal — that makes use of vivid detail, actual instances of youthful idealism by way of personal experience, and good humor.

The Filipina Londoner who graciously hosts and assists our yearly contestants, Loline Reed, a leading officer of the Overseas Women’s Club, reminds us that South Africa has won repeat titles, and that the judges for this year’s competition are going to be both new and young. So, it’s not impossible for a repeat victory for the Philippines, or a

hat trick scored within only eight years of participation.

Loline reports that some countries have started hiring professional writers to “help” the speakers. Well, we also have that advantage, in fact even a better situation, since the writers who have been helping our candidates aren’t hired hands, but rather give of ourselves as a labor of love.

The competition will be conducted on May 19-21. No doubt Renzo will do us proud just by representing our country. In a way, he also represents that sterling exception to the saying that youth is often wasted on the young.

We wish Renzo Guinto luck, and a great good time in London.

24 KABUHAYAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Baby Boom

Take four parents, a couple of friends and you have a new breed of entrepreneurs filling a gap in the baby market. Three emerging brands are stirring a ruckus on Philippine shores with their unique products geared towards the babies in our lives – meet The Urban Baby, IndigoBaby and googoo&gaga.

Text By Rica de Ramos Photography courtesy of IndigoBaby, Blowup Babies and RJ Eleazar

All three brands are relatively ‘babies’ themselves and have their own stories to tell. What’s common is that they all saw an untapped need in the market.

The Urban Baby The Urban Baby saw a lack of personality driven baby apparel in the sea of pastels and flower patterns prevalent in the market.

In this day and age of statement tees, one can actually decipher an individual’s personality just by looking at their shirt.

So why not do it with babies apparel too?

Friends, radio personalities and future moms Sam Oh and Gibb Alfafara stepped in to leverage that market trend.

Conceived six months ago were The Urban Baby’s initial line offerings - Sugar & Spice, Rockstar and Republika. Sugar & Spice is their version of looking sweet The Urban Baby way while the Rockstar collection shows the brand’s edgier and darker side.

Republika shows appreciation and love for our country. The Urban Baby team invested close to half a million pesos and are on their way to breaking even thanks

to the numerous bazaars around Metro Manila which they joined, as well as their online store. “Considering that it has only been 6 months, the amount that we have gotten back is very healthy.” shares Gibb.

Without a doubt Republika is their best selling collection. Gibb also mentions that “There is a sense that we are witnessing a new chapter in our society and country.

And although colonial mentality is still a heavy part of our heritage, we are slowly leaving that part of us behind and what better way than to inculcate patriotism in the young?”

The success of Republika proves that the concept of affiliation is marketable; this notion is evident in the Urban Baby’s new designs. Welcome the Red Dragon collection which will surely be a hit to the Filipino-Chinese community with “Sioti’ and “Siobe” onesies.

UAAP fanatics have another avenue for professing school obsession with shirts and onesies proclaiming your baby is a “Future Lasalista” or “Future Aktibista.”

IndigoBaby College blockmates Monica EleazarManzano and Denise C.S. Gonzales have shared many of life’s special moments. So much so that even their boys were born one month and one day apart. Both former corporate execs have opted to be work-at– home moms in order to spend more time with their babies. In 2007 IndigoBaby was born, at the same time their babies Santi and Benny debuted.

“Denise and I started a small business together focusing on ‘green’ and healthy baby and mommy items, like breastfeeding accessories, all natural bath and body items and diaper bags to begin with.“ shares Monica. Products like ‘Jar of Hope,’ a first aid gel solution for various baby issues, propelled the brand to recognition. They pooled together PHP200,000 to jump start IndigoBaby. Within 6 months they broke even; in two years they doubled their initial investment. The success of IndigoBaby is attributed to modern-day moms leaning towards all natural products for their little ones, a need that’s been dominated

ENTREPRENEURSHIP KABUHAYAN 25

by international brands in the past. The duo is active in spreading the good word about their brand through bazaars, TV guestings, press releases and mommyfriendly groups.

In just 2 years, IndigoBaby has evolved into a one-stop baby shop. They invited fellow mompreneurs to consign with them. As a rule, IndigoBaby carries products that adhere to their own parenting styles, values and nothing that conflicts with their advocacies such as breastfeeding.

Also, most of the items are locally made and manufactured. From clothes for mommies, baby apparel, chair boosters and nappy clutches – IndigoBaby has really got it all. They have also expanded beyond cyberspace with their own showroom in San Juan. The company also offers a baby registry for baptisms and birthdays.

Expect more homegrown products from IndigoBaby in the next months as they launch new Yummy Mummy apparel and travelling summer kits. Hear and see more of Monica and Denise as they conduct seminars on Attachment Parenting and Health & Wellness through Alternative Healing in the Metro. googoo&gaga googoo&gaga’s baby steps have bean overwhelming leaps. For a company that was just introduced in December 2008, they have gained a vast following. Their products have been so in demand that they needed to reprint some designs. This March they released their new Toddler tees

which were sold out in the market within a mere two weeks.

Audrey and AJ Dimarucot make up the powerhouse couple behind these art driven pieces. He is an award winning and published graphic designer who has recently set his sights on t-shirt and apparel graphics. Bands like Panic at the Disco and Paramore as well as retail giants Hot Topic and Urban Outfitters have experienced AJ’s magic touch. Audrey is the glue who helps bring all else together.

“We believe our biggest attraction is our designs,” shares Audrey. “When we said, we wanted to be original, edgy, and creative, we meant it and that is what attracts people to us,” she explains. The company produces a minimum of 25-30 pieces per size only and uses sublimation printing, a process uncommonly used in casual apparel in the country. Sublimated printing ensures that no shirt/onesie is the same. Audrey adds, “The print creates a soft hand feel, meaning you do not feel the ink.”

The couple is cooking up more apparel options. Thoughts of having hoodies, beanies, mom-and-daughter or dad-and-son matching shirts have been put on the table.

Audrey assures that “our commitment to one-of-a-kind designs is our mission and is our core. That is something people can regularly expect from googoo&gaga.”

These entrepreneurs give consumers another reason to be excited about having babies while at the same time carving a

niche in the market that leverages some high-potential trends that would have been, until recently, addressed almost exclusively by international brands only.

26 KABUHAYAN MONEY the return you expected or lose part of or the entire amount you invested.

LIQUIDITY is the feature that allows you to convert your investment back to cash easily. If you suddenly need money, you can go back to the bank and withdraw your savings or time deposit. A loan to your neighbor is not that easy to collect suddenly. That means that it is NOT LIQUID. The savings deposit or time deposit, on the other hand, is LIQUID. Assessment Tips In assessing risk, consider some of these more important factors:

Choosing long-term investments By: Francisco Colayco

Choosing investments appropriate for you is obviously very personal. It is unique to your concerns and passions, and, it is three-dimensional.

You may have many objectives for your investments but the long term main objective that all of us should have from a very young age is retirement.

The ideal retirement mode has to satisfy the demands of your chosen lifestyle, the type and degree of health care you may require and the physical and environmental features of your retirement abode. If you are still young, it may be difficult for you to picture the kind of mode you want. But you can look at the lifestyle of those among your retired relatives and friends and choose one that you believe can be realistic for you.

Having a clearly defined set of financial goals is half the solution. These financial goals are established through having your Personal Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL) today and a forecasted Personal Expense and Income Statement (PIES) during your retirement stage. Then, you start estimating what your SAL should be to support your forecasted PIES. The exercise to prepare your SAL and PIES are found in my books.

Opportunities immediately present themselves once the goals and vision are established. Without such targets, you will be forced to make decisions purely on a transaction per transaction basis, hardly a wise or practical way.

Investment Drivers As opportunities for investment arise, these must be evaluated in terms of four important drivers: INVESTMENT HORIZON, RETURN, RISK and LIQUIDITY. INVESTMENT HORIZON is the time you are required to keep your money invested in the proposed instrument, or, the time you have to set for your investment to grow to a desired value.

RETURN or YIELD is what your investment will earn for you. It is also called EARNINGS. RISK is the possibility that you will not get

1) Kind of investment– Did you lend the money or invest it as an owner/partner in the business? This has to be very clear before you actually give out your money so there is no misunderstanding.

2) The issuer or the entity that will use your money and will pay you the return – is the issuer reputable? What is its track record for managing its business and its finances?

3) The kind of business that will use the money - Is the business really capable of generating income on a sustained basis?

4) The length of time before you start receiving income from your investmentThe longer the period before you get paid, the more solid the investment you should choose.

5) Residual value- In case of a business failure, will you lose all your investment?

Or, will there be a minimum amount that would be recoverable - e.g. land, equipment, inventory, transport equipment, etc.

Both bank time deposit and money lent to your neighbor are loans. A loan requires the payment of interest and the return of the principal amount lent out.

Equity investment is where you are actually an owner/partner in the business. You make money only if your business makes money. The law gives priority to payments to lenders over payments to owners/ partners if a business closes down.

All Returns are Risk-Driven All investment opportunities carry risk.

Before making any investment decision, you must carefully weigh the risks and assess whether you are willing or can afford to take on those risks. HIGHER RETURNS COME WITH HIGHER RISK.

MONEY KABUHAYAN 27 It is best to always spread your risks. Do not put all your savings in one type of investment or in one company. Diversification or Asset Allocation is the most powerful tool in managing risks. Make sure you choose a range of investments which carry the types of risks that are consistent with your own risk appetite.

Time or investment horizon is another very powerful tool to manage risk. THE LONGER THE TIME, THE LESSER THE RISK. The LONGER THE TIME, THE HIGHER THE RETURN. At the risk of oversimplifying, this suggests that if you have a fairly long investment horizon, you need not invest in big amounts as compounding will be working for you. Thus, when you start saving and investing early in your life, you can take the bigger risks and therefore have the chance to earn higher income from your investments. On the other hand, if you make a mistake in taking the bigger risk and lose part or all of your investment, you still have the time to recover. It is just a matter of making a clear personal financial plan and strategy to reach your objectives.

Unfortunately, if you are advanced in age and have not planned for your retirement when you were young, the automatic tendency is to want to make up for lost time and choose the high income potential even if the risk may be unacceptable. That is a big mistake.

Making high-risk investments at your old age is imprudent and may be considered gambling.

Generally, retirees or prospective ones are not in a position to absorb too much volatility in their finances particularly those that negatively impact their ability to maintain their desired lifestyles. For this reason alone, preparing for retirement in the medium or long term must provide for specific financial goals and must be clearly prioritized.

To be sure, some form of Social Security may be available when you retire, but in most likelihood, the benefits that you get may not provide enough income for your retirement years. The same is true for those who receive corporate pension benefits. These are never sufficient to guarantee them their desired cash flow during retirement. To make matters worse, people are living longer and must find ways to fund those additional years of retirement. These are realities that make sound retirement planning a critical and personal obligation.

Setting your Sights By and large though, very few think about it enough that they are able to come up with

their own financial retirement plan that is properly articulated and prioritized. As a wealth advisor, I find it more practical to start the planning process for individual clients by coming up with a prioritized negative list. This negative list is simply the “non-negotiables” in managing risks for the retiree. Wealth advisors call this the “hidden goals”. (I call it the “must haves”.) Basically, this list gives the answers to the question…

“What must I have to make sure that I will never suffer financial devastation?”

During your retirement therefore, you might want to consider your own answers to the following: 1. How important or valuable is it for you to own your retirement home? Must you own your own home or, is having a firm but long term access (e.g. through leasing) to a residence acceptable enough?

2. Is losing your retirement home, for whatever reason, something you can live with? If not, what must you have or do such that if ever it happens, you have sufficient alternatives to carry on with you lifestyle?

3. What specific personal activities on a daily or regular basis must you have?

4. Do you also have a clear idea of what minimum level of social activity you will need to have?

5. What about your health? What kind of a health problem will cause you to drastically reduce your current lifestyle? How do you prepare for it? How much will it cost you to cover that risk?

6. Time is one of the most important variables to consider in planning your financial life during retirement. The amount of reserves (wealth) you need to line up is necessarily dependent on your own estimation of your

mortality. The critical point in this exercise is to prepare for the possibility that you will live much longer than expected. In such a case, how much “contingency” will you allow for yourself, given your family situation?

What kind of reserves should you plan for?

You could raise these and many more questions. The answers will provide you the minimum amount of resources that should never be put at risk. Any amount of income or earning net worth thereafter can be designed in an investment portfolio to generate the required cash flow you will require under the most prudent asset allocation mix for your planned retirement years.

Here’s the good news! Retirement planning is easier than it used to be, thanks to the many tools and resources available. I hope to touch on more retirement-related topics in the coming columns.

Readers may send in their specific concerns or questions on to info@colaycofoundation. com attention of FJColayco. Requests for discussion of other specific topics will also be greatly appreciated.

28 FEATURE

and consultants nearby definitely does not give our company a good impression.

Other irritating office behaviors include SMS messaging while in meetings or conferences, coming in late for meetings which then start late, daring and baring clothes at work and many, many more.

What are behaviors that you personally dislike from new hires?

CM: In general, when they give me this know-it-all attitude and end up not knowing anything really bothers me. You may have tons of experience elsewhere, but the environment would never be the same. We all have to adjust to the mainstream at some point, so criticism should always be looked at in a positive view and not to be taken personally in a very negative manner.

What are behaviors that are so noticeable to management that could eventually cost people their jobs?

Mixing Business with Culture

Text by JR Bustamante

All your life, unless you are locked up in a tower, you will always be dealing with people who have traits and characteristics different to yours. Several of them may rub you in the wrong way or get on your nerves if you don’t even try to understand them. This feeling can be further aggravated by a multi-cultural working environment where backgrounds are so diverse. One way to get along and to work in harmony is to observe the universal language of business etiquette.

Boo boos that leave a bad impression There is nothing more annoying than an inconsiderate person. They are usually labeled as uneducated, boorish, and unrefined. Whether they are unaware of their ill-behavior or were not privileged to acquire the education and finesse, everyone has a responsibility to exist in peace with the people around them. Ergo, they must conform to the rules of good behavior and right conduct.

The following interview with Filipina Claudette Marchadesch, HR head for

Compensation and Benefits of Mubadala Development Company, and a long-time resident of the UAE, sheds light on some unappealing office behaviors that may cost employees a possible job promotion.

What are some of the faux pas that people in the Gulf make at work?

CM: There are quite a lot, I’m afraid, like answering phone calls in the middle of meetings, blasting ringtones of different tunes inside the office are on the top of the list. We find it amusing once in awhile, but hearing “Let’s get loud” by J-Lo with guests

CM: Dynamism and commitment is seen the minute they report to the office. We don’t expect excellence on the first three months. As long as we see the enthusiasm and commitment of the employee in fulfilling what is expected of him or her, then that is what draws us to a certain employee. On the flip side, the lack of enthusiasm and commitment, which is manifested in tardiness and absence, is quite noticeable as well and this sends a red flag signal to us.

What are some behaviors that are particular to Filipinos that are frowned upon by management?

CM: I cannot say that coming in late for meetings or to work in general is particular to Filipinos because Arabs have a tendency to exaggerate it even more. But being late is definitely something management frowns upon. Aside from tardiness, which Filipinos have been so used to back home, being loud is another behavior that we need to taper down as well. Lastly, an overlooked tendency that I have observed and I am strongly against is the audacity of some Pinoys in using a lot of the office supplies for personal use.

As a Filipina, do you find yourself apologizing to management for behaviors that are culturally ingrained in Filipinos?

CM: Not so much, really. We’re very flexible with regards culture, we adapt easily to any environment. However, Filipinos are very

FEATURE 29 opinionated which sometimes does not work in our favor because we tend to be loud about it. Unfortunately, we also tend to judge before getting to know both sides of the story.

Do not lose all inhibitions at an office party or any such social gathering. Keep in mind that when the fun is over, you’ll have to face your officemates the next day at work.

What behaviors are tolerable and what should be condemned?

Remember that the elevator is a public space; therefore, conduct yourself accordingly. Keep your voice only a little louder than a whisper when speaking in an elevator.

CM: What is so unique about us is that we’re like chameleons that can adjust and blend in any environment, whether it’s the Arabic culture or the Western culture.

What’s ironic is that Filipinos are more disciplined outside of our own country, and that this fact is one of the traits that make us stand out. However, I think we should strive harder to change other nationalities’ perception of us when it comes to time keeping, work relationships and work etiquette.

Don’t monopolize the machines. If you are making numerous copies or sending several faxes, step aside and give in to someone who has only one or two pages to reproduce or to fax.

Nice guys win affection and promotions

Good manners go a long, long way Here are some pointers which should serve as a reminder or guide on acceptable behavior around the office.

Basic Business Etiquette: Be prompt at appointment or meetings.

Tardiness is unprofessional and inefficient.

Always dress appropriately. It is important to keep a professional image at all times by wearing the right clothes and shoes.

Shake hands when you welcome people into your office, when you bump into someone you know outside work, when you say goodbye or on any occasion when another person offers to shake hands. Never ignore an offer to shake someone’s hand. It is disrespectful of you and embarrassing for the other person.

Never just pop in on someone unannounced or without making prior arrangements. Set up an appointment to discuss business matters and keep it. If for some reason you will not be able to make it, inform the other person early enough so that you will not cause any inconvenience.

Be respectful and courteous to secretaries.

Remember the wise words: “Anyone who insults my secretary, insults me.”

Foul language or profanity has no place in any business environment.

It is unprofessional and uncouth to use dirty language.

Smoke only when and where there are

ashtrays around. If there are no ashtrays in sight, that usually means smoking is prohibited there.

Important visitors are accompanied to the elevator or stairs. Never let an important visitor find his way out of your place of business unaccompanied.

There is an unspoken rule on the order in which colleagues leave a room or go through a doorway. A younger person or lower-ranking employee always makes way for a superior in age or status to walk ahead.

Manners around the office: Always be polite to everyone you work with. Say “please”, “thank you”, and “you’re welcome” when appropriate.

Do not discuss among colleagues your employer’s personal affairs or gossip about people in your office. Stay away from office politics.

Never inquire about the salaries of other employees.

Refrain from borrowing things too from your officemates, be it spare change for a cup of coffee or some small office supply.

Business Etiquette is basically about showing respect and consideration towards the people you work with or encounter in the business environment. It is really about making the other person feel respected and valued. In return, other people will treat you the same way. It won’t cost you anything to go out of your way and show others how well you were raised. On the contrary, if you don’t, it may cost you your job or even worse - the jobs of other Filipinos who won’t be given a chance because of a general negative perception caused by you some others. So always keep in mind your actions as it may have nationalistic repercussions. Instead bring pride to the Filipinos with your best behavior.

32 ADVERTORIAL

Philippine Realty TV

Airs its 3rd Season

PRTV’s executive producer and director John Aguilar reveals that it wasn’t easy to penetrate the industry. “We hardly knew the big players, nor did we have the clout, especially with the real estate organizations,” he shares.

What PRTV did have, was a solid company that is one of the best producers of independent TV content in the country. This, coupled with the company’s strong belief that clients and viewing public deserve nothing but the best viewing experience, drove the team to produce unforgettable cinematic shots of various real estate projects as well as incredibly funny skits played by hosts Gabe Mercado and Angel Jacob.

People liked what they saw. And the response, especially among overseas Filipinos, was very encouraging. PRTV’s client developers shared that overseas Filipinos who got to watch the segments of certain projects became very interested with the projects. “We’ve had good feedback from developers whose clients in Europe and the Middle East got to watch the segments, it created very good buzz for the projects during their roadshows,” he enthuses.

When people first got wind of “the country’s first real estate lifestyle TV show for local and global Filipinos,” not a few were wondering if it would really push through. There was always a rumor or two about a real estate TV show being in different stages of planning or production, but until April of 2008, there was nothing. That month, Philippine Realty TV (PRTV) officially launched its maiden episode on national and international TV. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, a year later, PRTV stands as the only TV show that has successfully captured not just the business, but the imagination of people who are directly or indirectly involved in the real estate sector.

The show has gone on to feature a multitude of properties across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for both big and small developers alike, allowing both local and overseas Filipinos the opportunity to see the latest real estate projects being offered in the market.

The show however, isn’t just about featuring real estate projects.

Launched on the show’s second season, the segment Project: First Home chronicles the step-by-step process of building your first house, told from the perspective of first-time homebuilder John Aguilar and the two hosts. The show has partnered with reputable names in the industry such as architectural firm Palafox Associates, BPI Family Savings Bank’s Build Your Dream Housing Loan, HCG, Lazuli Bath Boutique, Bradnams Windows and Doors, Mariwasa Tiles, and project management firm E-Construct. The result is a segment that teaches first-time homebuilders everything from buying your lot and securing the permits, to choosing the best tiles and fixtures for your house.

The weekly show’s third season begins this May, with an initial telecast Sundays at 7:30 p.m., with replays every Saturday at 11 a.m. on ANC (Sky/Home Cable Ch. 27). PRTV is produced by StreetPark Productions, Inc. Tel. 9105778/91, M:0917-8140875. Visit www.

PhilippineRealty.tv for more details.

32 SUCCESSFUL PINOY SPIRITUALITY Every month best-selling author, radio and TV personality, motivational speaker and TOYM awardee Bro. Bo Sanchez shares with us words of wisdom on enriching our spiritual lives.

The woman then said, “For the third wish, I would like to have a very mild heart attack.”

Life Is a Mirror Here’s the lesson: Whatever you give to yourself, you give to others more.

If you like yourself, you’ll like others too.

If you dislike yourself, you’ll dislike others too. Because life is a mirror. What you see in others is a reflection of what you see in yourself.

Do You Like Yourself a Lot?

BY: BO SANCHEZ

IF you don’t mind, let me start with an old Genie joke.

One day, a Genie appeared to a woman and said, “This is your lucky day! I will give you three wishes.”

“Yeheey!” the woman squealed.

“But on one condition,” said the Genie, “Whatever you ask for, your husband will receive three times more.” The woman frowned, “What? But I hate my husband!

He’s a despicable man!”

The Genie shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m the Love Genie. I repeat: What you ask for, your husband will receive three times more.”

The woman said, “Oh, okay. My first

wish: Make me very rich. I want US$1 million.”The Genie asked, “Are you sure?

Your husband will have US$3 million.” She says, “Oh, never mind. What is his is mine and what is mine is his.” “Very well then!” the Genie said, and with a wave of his hand, and “Poof!” the woman had US$1 Million— and her husband had US$3 Million.

“My second request is that I want to be very beautiful.” The Genie asked, “Are you sure?

Your husband will look like Piolo Pascual and Sam Milby and John Lloyd put together.

This is dangerous. The girls will flock to him.” The woman said, “Just as long as I’ll be beautiful.”

And with the wave of the Genie’s hand, “Poof!”, the woman became utterly beautiful and the husband three times more handsome.

I’ve met critical people. Sometimes, I think they feel that they were born to criticize others. It’s their life mission. All they do is size up everyone they meet and point out their mistakes. Where does this critical spirit come from? In their heart of hearts, I believe they don’t like themselves. And they project this self-criticalness on others.

This “disliking ourselves” is more widespread than we think…

It’s an Epidemic At their inner core, people don’t feel good about themselves. People inflict upon themselves self-rejection, self-doubt, selfcontempt - like background music playing 24 hours a day.

It’s an epidemic in the world today, and it’s robbing people of much happiness.

Where does this sickness of self-hatred come from? Self-hatred comes from fear.

After all, hate is fear. We hate what we fear.

Specifically, we fear we’re not enough.

Bottom line, we fear we’re unloved.

And when we don’t like ourselves, we try to solve it by many common false solutions.

For lack of space, let me give you two here.

One is having Status Symbols. The other is Religious Performance.

Collecting Status Symbols I know a lot of people who clutch, grab, and collect Status Symbols. I remember the story of the guy with a BMW. After parking, as he opened the door, another car crashed it and ripped out his door—together with his entire arm.

When the police came, they saw the guy looking at his mashed up BMW and crying, “My car! My car! It’s gone…”

The police said, “Excuse me sir, but don’t you realize that your arm is gone?” The man

SPIRITUALITY SUCCESSFUL PINOY 33 looked at where his arm was supposed to be, and when he saw nothing, began to cry, “Oh my gosh! Where’s my Rolex?”

Some are so attached with their Status Symbols. You see these people walking in malls. Shirt by Lacoste. Shoes by Bally.

Watch by Rolex.

I was talking to a friend who wore a Rolex watch and I asked him, “I’m curious. Why are you wearing a PHP300,000 watch on your wrist?” His answer made me very sad.

He said, “Honestly? To make me feel like somebody. To make me feel good about myself.”

Wow. If I want to feel good, I breathe. I smile. I pray. I love.

Let me give you another false solution to not liking ourselves…

We Make God In Our Image The other false solution is Religious Performance.

When we don’t like ourselves, some get into religious practices to appease a God whom they believe doesn’t like them, either. Why? Because life is a mirror. Because we make God in our image and likeness. Because we project our self-hatred on God. For years, I used to be like this. I prayed, read the Holy Book, and did my religious work because I wanted the approval of an angry God. No more. I do all these now because He loved me first.

So how do you start liking yourself a lot?

What’s Your Default Question?

You have a Default Question that you ask yourself a thousand times a day. It’s like your OS or Operating System, working in the background.

For many people, their Default Question is “What’s wrong?” They wake up in the morning and unconsciously ask, “What’s wrong with this day? What’s wrong with my life?”

And throughout the day, they keep asking their Default Question: “What’s wrong with my husband?” “What’s wrong with my parents?” What’s wrong with my kids?”

“What’s wrong with my job?” “What’s wrong with my friends?”

And the deadliest Default Question is “What’s wrong with me?”

Some people ask this question again and again throughout the day, it kills their spirit.

Because they find so many things wrong about them. No wonder they don’t like themselves!

The question “What’s wrong?” is a useful question — not as a Default Question—but as a question during emergencies. (When there’s really something wrong!)

What then Question?

should

be

your

Default

Key: Appreciation The Default Question we should ask is, “What’s right?”

Ask it a thousand times a day. “What’s right about this day? What’s right about my husband? What’s right about my kids?

What’s right about my job?”

And especially the healthy question, “What’s right about me?”

If you’re really made in the image of God, then by golly gee, you must be a phenomenal human being. You’ve got stuff in you that are fantastic—and you need to take time to appreciate them.

Remember: Only love can defeat fear. And appreciation is love.

Write It Down Sit down and write 25 things you like about yourself.

four-year old Francis said, “Daddy, I’m hungry.”So we marched to Jollibee and he ate chicken and rice at 4 in the afternoon!

Again, as we were leaving, I was presuming I could now go back to work. But Francis tugged on my arm again and said, “Daddy, I’m still hungry.” My gosh. Where does this little guy put all that food?

Later on, I realized he was hungry not for food but for love. Specifically, hungry for Daddy’s love.

So we kept on walking, visiting other shops, until he saw a playground. His eyes grew large and said, “Daddy, may I play?”

I believe life is about moments. So I bought myself a cup of coffee, sat on a park bench, and enjoyed watching my four-year-old jump from one slide to another. We had the grandest time.

Why did I disrupt my whole afternoon for Francis? Because I’m his father and he’s my son. He’s more important than all my work.

He’s more important than all my ministries.

He’s more important than all the books I write and all the talks I give.

Friend, this is the ultimate reason why you need to like yourself. Because you have a Father who loves you so much. You’re more important than all the stars in the sky. You’re more important than all the galaxies of this universe. In the heart of God, nothing compares with you. If He loves you this much, how can you not like yourself?

May your dreams come true.

I did this the other day and couldn’t stop at 25. I ended up writing 67 things I like about myself! And since the list is in my journal, I plan to keep adding onto it until I reach100.

But start with 25. Celebrate who you are.

Thank God for who you are!

This will change you. All of a sudden, you realize how special you are. And slowly, you’ll start liking yourself a lot.

The Most Important Reason Three days ago, I was swamped with work. I had so many articles to write, so many meetings to plan, so many business concerns… But my wife said, “Please bring Francis to the Barbershop. He’ll be a ring bearer.” That’s the disadvantage of having a cute son. He gets to be ring bearer a lot.

So I put aside all my work in the afternoon and brought him to the Barber. After the haircut, I was thinking that we were going back home so I could work. That was when

34 SUCCESFUL PINOY SUCCESS PRINCIPLES

Success through the Child in YOU BY: JEFFREY ‘XIMO’ RAMOS

Yo! Sis and Bro! Do you know that you already had success principles within you since you were a child? Yes it’s true. It just so happened that you have discarded them while growing up while embracing the complicated teachings of the adult world.

Kaya ating balikan, sariwain at muling gawin para maging tunay na matagumpay sa kasalukuyan buhay!

Just have fun and do it!

“Too much youth – too much play without labor, too much enjoyment without seriousness, too much freedom without responsibility – this leads backward to physical and spiritual puerility. Surely youth has a deeper meaning... It leads to deeper manhood and that it gives us the chance to labor and love and lift…For when we go backward or when we fail to march onward, growth stops and when growth ceases, youth begins to vanish.”

- Alfredo Gonzales –

All these directions and success principles have been applied by little kids! You have done it, I have done it. We ride bikes kahit na ilang beses nang sumemplang; we eat

chocolates and ice cream even when the doctors would not allow it – but we did it, got it and we had fun doing it!

But somehow while growing up, we have become insecure and scared. We have forgotten these principles and or have set them aside. Well, ito na nga, kung kailan ka pa tumanda, ano pa ba ang iyong ikakatakot? Sabi nga ni Richard Branson, “Screw it, just do it!”

Ibalik mo ngayon, ang mga magagandang katangian ng iyong kabataan – • Alam ng bata na mahal siya ng magulang at hindi siya pababayaan. Know who you are and where you are going. Believe!

• Ang bata, masunurin. Kung ano ang pinagagawa, gagawin. Kung ano ang

ginagawa ng matatanda, gagayahin. Be Directed. Follow a Mentor.

• Ang bata hindi mahiyain. Pag pinakanta, kumakanta! Pag pinatula, tumutula. Feel the fear and charge through it.

• Pag may gusto, pinagpipilitang makuha ito. Just ask - aksyon agad! Persist on perseverance and reject rejection.

• Ang bata sensitive, innocent and humble.

Alam niya kung mabait ka, kaya pag gusto ka, panay ang bigay ng kendi niya. (Power of Giving, Training Your Inner Coach, Humble Yourself) • Ang bata madaling pagsabihan. Kung hindi susunod mapapalo! Hindi makakapag-laro sa labas. Kung ano ang payo sinusunod.

May tatakbuhan ka ba sa panahon ng matinding pangangailangan?

Kabayan, sa panahon ng hindi inaasahang kagipitan tulad ng aksidente, malaking operasyon, pinsala dahil sa anu mang emergency gaya ng sunog at iba pang “acts of nature” – may mahihingan ka ba ng tulong? At sa tagal ng pinagtrabaho mo dito sa ibang bansa, ikaw ba ay may insurance coverage na nakalaan kung anu’t ano man ang mangyari?

SUMALI SA FILEX Ang foundation na binuo upang makapaglikom ng pondo para makatulong sa mga Filipino expats sa UAE sa panahon ng matinding pangangailangan.

MAGING MIEMBRO NGAYON Lahat ng mga Filipino dito sa UAE – 18 years old and above, ay maaring sumali sa Filex. Membership Fees: 1 YEAR MEMBERSHIP - AED10 contribution plus AED15 para sa annual insurance, or LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP – AED 30 plus AED15 taon-taon para sa annual insurance coverage.

MGA BENEPISYO Ang mga miembro ng Filex na nakapagbayad ng katumbas ng 3 minimum contributions (o lifetime membership) ay maaring tumanggap ng tulong na financial mula sa foundation base sa pagsusuri at angkop na pasya ng Filex Board. Ang financial aid facility ay magsisimula sa June 2009.

Lahat ng mga miembro ng Filex na may valid UAE residence visa at nagbayad ng karampatang insurance fee (AED 15 per year) ay magkakaroon ng annual insurance coverage na may kasamang accidental death, total disability, medical and repatriation of remains to the Philippines. Ang lahat ay makakatanggap ng angkop na insurance certificates.

Maging miyembro na ng FILEX ngayon.

Mga kabayan,atin ito.

MEMBERSHIP & INQUIRIES Upang sumali, tumawag sa Membership Committee headed by Isabel Warren ng Dubai (call Raffy at 04-3417964) and co-chaired by Fred Camba ng Abu Dhabi (call Myrna at 050 5610489).

Para sa iba pang mga detalye, katanungan at verification, maari ring tumawag sa mga FILEX Executive Directors: Rene Mallo : 050 641 0718 Al Ruwais, Kent Amores : 0559954397 Abu Dhabi, Thesma Talinga : 0506935411 Al Ain, Gina T. Salazar : 0506527041 Dubai, Justino Arciga : 0506967001 Sharjah, Ronnie Bonifacio : 0501901343 Fujairah, Maria Luisa ‘ Mar’ Catu: 0506271599 Ras Al Khaimah, Augusto S. Marcia l: 0508618734 Umm Al Quwain Visit our website: www.filexpat.org or e-mail to:filex@filexpat.org Ang FILEX ay isang non-stock non-profit corporation na rehistrado sa Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

FILIPINO EXPATRIATES IN UAE FOUNDATION INC. S.E.C. Company Registration No. CN200809554 Under the Auspices of the Philippine Embassy Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Hotline No.: +971-50-181-5129

36 SUCCESFUL PINOY SUCCESS PRINCIPLES Firm Values of a Child “.. my guiding principle is the principle of morality…I am not saying I am perfect because no one is but I learn to work according to these set of standards…”

- Congressman Ace Barbers -

At these times when everybody is suffering due to the economic crisis, a lot of us are tempted to do bad things. Kaya ulitin nating basahin ang istorya ng isang kabataang nagpahalaga sa integridad na tunay na nagbibigay ng yaman.

“Aanhin ko naman ang maging honest, nakakain ba iyan?”

In 2005, nine year old Cristina Bugayong inspired so many Filipinos. She found PHP300,000 in cash and cheques, accidentally dropped by a company’s payment collector, at a time when the young girl was in dire need of money to continue her high school education.

Learn from past mistakes and accept change.

• Pag ayaw niya, ayaw niya. Hindi mo mapipilit ang bata. Say “no” to the good, but “yes” to the best.

• Pag nagmahal ang bata, unconditional.

The power of real love.

• And of course, whatever they want to do, they have fun doing it!

May Winoy sa bawat isa sa atin, you just have to wake up that little child in you again and let that ‘youthfulness’ guide you to true success. At unti-unti rin naman nating alisin ang mga pangit na ating napupulot habang tayo ay tumatanda.

At alam mo ba ang sabi sa Libro ng mga libro? Kung hindi tayo magiging batang muli, hindi tayo makakapasok sa langit. “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom.”

Because of the incident, nagkagulo sa lugar nila Cristina at marami na agad ang pumunta sa bahay nila para humingi ng balato. “Paghati-hatian na natin iyan Tinay.

Malaking tulong sa atin iyan”, sabi ng mga kapitbahay.

But even at such a young age at ang kanyang kinalalagyan sa buhay, the young girl didn’t think twice when she decided to return the money. Bagamat may panghihinayang, ang mga magulang niya, they respected her decision.

Dali-daling dumulog sila kinabukasan sa kinauukulan upang isauli sa may ari ang napulot na “kayamanan.” They also went to the media para sa assistance to make sure that the money is returned to the rightful owner.

Nang makita nila ang may-ari, isinauli ng buong buo ang napulot at malaking pasasalamat ang natanggap.

Back at home, Cristina’s neighbors could not believe what happened. “Naku, pera na isinauli pa! Makakain ba niya ang pagiging bayani niya?” sabi nila.

Maraming naging bulong-bulungan sa kanilang lugar ngunit hindi natinag si Cristina at ang kanyang pamilya.

After a couple of days, naging laman ng pahayagan, radio at TV ang ginawang katapatan ng bata. She became an instant celebrity and was invited to appear on TV and most importantly to Malacanang where she was honored by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

At hindi nagtatapos ang ‘halaga’ ng katapatang iyon. She was honored by the Department of Education and recognized as a role model. She received a four year supply of school items and a two year scholarship from STI. She was also recognized by the Rotary Club for her honesty and received some prizes as well, while a TV network and some celebrities gave her cash, gifts as well as appliances.

At patuloy pa rin ang mga blessings na natanggap ni Cristina at ng kanyang pamilya for standing firm with her values that “honesty is still the best policy” in life.

So, who said that doing good deeds stores treasures only in heaven? Sobra-sobra pa sa ibinalik na halaga ang bumalik sa kanya.

Kaya stay firm! These valueable things in heaven have equivalent values on earth as well.

Ang tunay na ‘kabataan’ ay tayong lahat. Walang age bracket. Ang tunay na pag-asa ng bayan ay yung may pananaw ng tagumpay ngayon. So, kung ano man ang edad mo sis and bro, ang kabataan sa iyo ay nasa loobin mo.

Buhayin, palaguin…tunay na tagumpay payabungin!

MERiTUSae Club Simply Rewarding TM

The Reward Card that keeps on giving Be a member today.

Contact MERiTUSae Reward Club Nicee Vita Wellness International, FZ P.O. Box 122209 Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Sharjah, United Arab Emirates www.niceevitawellness.com mail: meritusae@niceevitawellness.com TM

38 ILLUSTRADO PROFILE

Efren Peñaflorida Jr:

No Ordinary Superhero

By: Aby Yap

Taking a stand Efren’s views changed, however, during his first year in high school, when he joined Club 8586, a group that tended to society’s underprivileged sectors. It was here where he met his mentor, a teacher, who prepared him for a life of volunteerism — from distributing food supplies and reading materials to inmates at the Cavite City District Jail to feeding the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of slum children.

“My mentor said I shouldn’t let poverty overcome me and that I should make a stand. I learned from him the power of faith in God and education,” shares Efren.

In 1997, due to the rampant violence in their school as a result of gang activities, Efren and his three classmates formed a friendship group for students from various schools as an alternative to gangs. Called the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), it aimed to develop youth talents and academic skills.

Despite discouraging comments from teachers and schoolmates, Efren persisted with the continued support of his mentor.

Two years later, the group resolved to change the mundane scene at the dumpsite — of children scavenging for left-over food.

Making a difference

He has neither a cape nor a Batmobile. He only has a kariton (cart) to push around the streets of Cavite City, with his league of dynamic teenagers. But for thousands of kids who live in the slums, soft-spoken and always smiling Efren Peñaflorida Jr., or ‘Kuya Ef’, is a lifesaver. This 28-year-old teacher has brought empowerment through street education, turning around the lives of many desperate youth — the deprived and abused, school dropouts, child laborers, drug addicts, gang members, petty thieves. He has restored hope and to helped to make others’ dreams come true.

Growing up in poverty Growing up near a dumpsite in Cavite City, Efren is all too familiar with poverty. “It seemed like Smokey Mountain. It especially reeked when there was something burning,” he recalls. “But as a child, I didn’t mind it at all.” He says that he has, however, experienced bullying from kids who were

in a gang, and to this day has a scar on his left eyebrow as a reminder of one of those episodes.

As the son of a laundrywoman and a tricycle driver who repacked and sold fish crackers to earn his school allowance, Efren admits, “I felt discrimination because we were poor, because of my clothes and looks.”

Generating money through staged shows in backyards, schools and malls, as well as selling old newspapers and bottles, DTC started a feeding project with their humble pedicab. Shortly after, they progressed into education as Efren pursued a second degree in BS Education, Major in Mathematics after finishing Associate in Computer Technology.

However, in 2007, DTC’s sole pedicab could carry no more. With the heavy reading materials it held, flat tires became a constant problem. Former child laborer Emanuel Bagual, 16, then DTC president, provided the perfect solution — the durable kariton — which was designed into a makeshift classroom. It has a detachable table and chairs for writing and coloring, a blackboard for lectures, and a mini library.

Plus, it contained a first-aid kit, hygiene tools, towels, clothes, water for bathing and drinking, food, and umbrellas. Thus, the moniker K4: Kariton Klasrum, Klinik, Kantin (Classroom Cart, Clinic, Canteen).

ILLUSTRADO PROFILE 39 “Before, it was simply K3. But Kantin had to be added since there’s always a canteen at school,” Efren justifies light-heartedly.

“Every session, we start with reading and writing, then hygiene and clinic, then values formation. Finally, we have feeding to reward the kids and to help them, too.”

DTC currently has two steel karitons, baptized Kari and Toni by the children. Every Saturday, rain or shine, 100 to 200 volunteers, each one assigned with special tasks, push these karitons to four destinations: the market, dumpsite, Himlayan (cemetery), and Badjao. Some 200 to 300 children ranging from 2 to 14 years old wait excitedly for their young teachers.

“They rush to the karitons every time they see us coming. Some kid vendors even leave their posts and goods. They see the karitons as a real school; it means study time for them,” explains Efren. “ Most volunteers were also once students of DTC. One of them is ex-scavenger 10year-old Cris Valdez, DTC’s youngest volunteer. He is in charge of proper hygiene demonstration: tooth brushing, hand washing, and bath taking.

Cris was a neglected child, who suffered from violence at home. One time, while he and other scavengers were scampering for the garbage truck, Cris was shoved towards burning tires. His body was burnt, and he needed hospitalization. But since his parents had no means, Efren took him under their care. With DTC’s assistance, Cris now goes to a regular school.

Efren shares, “Cris and even his parents never knew his birthday, until we got his birth certificate from the city hall. We found out then that he was born on December 26!

We told him that he was named Cris maybe because he and Christ almost share the same birthday. Then he said he would save money to buy gifts for street kids like him.”

In 2007, for his ‘first’ birthday, Cris sold candies at school. He used his earnings to buy around 20 gifts for poor children. Last year, he saved up to buy them slippers.“There were some slippers left, which he donated to DTC. He’s the one giving donations now,” Efren quips, while getting teary-eyed.

But not all his experiences were pleasant.

There was an instance when Efren was issued a police blotter.

“We brought a sick child to the clinic. Later, I was summoned by the barangay captain because the mother charged me with kidnapping! Then she complained that the medicines we gave to her child were already expired,” he recounts in disbelief.

Changing the world From a 40-member group since its inception more than a decade ago, DTC has now ballooned to 10,000 volunteers in Cavite, delivering the K4 services to more than 1,500 children in depressed areas. A feat that has earned well-deserved acknowledgment, like the Gawad Geny Lopez Jr.’s 2007 Bayaning Samahang Pilipino and National Youth Commission of the Philippines’ 2008 Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations, among others. “One reason Cavite became a Childfriendly City is because of DTC,” reveals Efren.

Efren has his share of trophies, too: the 2004 Bayaning Kabataang Pilipino (regional category) from Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. and the 2008 Outstanding Volunteer Award from National Economic and Development

Authority and United Nations Volunteer Program, to name a few. He has also received various citations in the Philippines, as well as nominations in the United Kingdom and Sweden. The latest and the biggest is the CNN Heroes nomination for the Championing Children category, making Efren the first Filipino to be conferred with such recognition.

But for Efren, the CNN Heroes nomination is completely unexpected. For one, CNN discovered DTC only through the YSpeak feature on YouTube. Then, when CNN producer Tim Shwartz came to the Philippines to do the story in January, Efren was not yet a nominee. Efren still remembers what Shwartz told him then: “I knew your story was good. But now, I think it’s great.”

And as if by fate, the story was aired in the week of Efren’s birthday (March 5). “It’s a wonderful and timely gift” was all Efren could say to CNN. Should he win the grand award with the US$100,000 prize money, Efren declares that everything will go to DTC. “It will greatly help us to have DTC’s own facility for the kids in Cavite. It will also enable us to produce many karitons that will go around Cavite City, then Cavite province, then the Philippines, then the whole world,” he asserts.

Big dreams, yes, but DTC is all set for these.

In fact, the karitons are rolling to Paco, Manila this summer, while requests for karitons in Pasig and Batangas have also reached DTC. “Our purpose is to have many karitons going around the country to reach kids who are being left far behind because they can’t go to school,” says Efren.

Knowing that many people, especially Filipinos around the world, are getting inspired by DTC volunteers is simply rewarding for Efren.

“We should really work together to change what we don’t like in the Philippines. As I always tell the volunteers, ‘You are the change that you dream of and I am the change that I dream of.

Collectively we are the change that this country and this world needs,’” he says.

40 FASHION

WICKED WORK WEAR Break away from gray corporate monotony with fierce fashion that screams individuality and edginess. Guaranteed to get your creative juices all fired up. Warning: work will never be the same again.

Photography and Art Direction: Glenn Peter Perez of BLACKFOX Team (Filbert Kung & Glenn Peter Perez) • Co-Creative Direction: Dennis Celestial Styling: Eldzs Mejia • Hair and Make-up: Nina Dumpa Models: Chrizenda Cecillio and Maxine Medina

FASHION 41 On Chrizenda: Strongshouldered jacket from Proudrace, gray knitted sweater and chiffon skirt from Ciege Cagalawan, accessories by Dennis Celestial

42 FASHION

FASHION 43 On Chrizenda: Strongshouldered jacket from Proudrace, gray knitted sweater and chiffon skirt from Ciege Cagalawan, shoes by Maco Custodio, accessories by Dennis Celestial On Maxine: Gray coat by Nat Manilag with asymmetrical gray dress from Ciege Cagalawan, accessories by Dennis Celestial

44 FASHION

FASHION 45 On Chrizenda: Jacket by Nat Manilag, tassled sleeves from Proudrace, shoes from Ciege Cagalawan, accessories by Dennis Celestial

46 FASHION

FASHION 47

On Maxine: Strong shouldered jacket from Proudrace, shorts by Nat Manilag and accessories by Dennis Celestial On Chrizenda: Longsleeved shirtdress with tassles from Proudrace and accessories by Dennis Celestial

48 FASHION This page: On Maxine: Gray coat by Nat Manilag, gold skinny pants by Belin Fliyelet, accessories by Dennis Celestial, wooden pumps from Ciege Cagalawan Opposite page: On Maxine: Strong shouldered jacket from Proudrace, gold skinny pants from Belin Fliyelet, accessories by Dennis Celestial

FASHION 49

50 FASHION Opposite page: On Maxine: Gray coat by Nat Manilag, gold skinny pants by Belin Fliyelet, accessories

by Dennis Celestial, wooden pumps from Ciege Cagalawan. On Chrizenda: Strong-shouldered jacket from Proudrace, blouse from Ciege Cagalawan, pants

by Nat Manilag, black blatforms by Eldzs Mejia, red bowtie (stylist’s own), accessories by Dennis Celestial This page: On Maxine: Gray coat by Nat Manilag with asymmetrical gray dress from Ciege Cagalawan, accessories by Dennis Celestial

FASHION 51

SHOPGUIDE: Proudrace - inyofaceproudrace.multiply.com Nat Manilag – telephone no. +63 927 229 2170 Dennis Celestial – telephone no. +63 927 639 8053 Ciege Cagalawan- telephone no. +63 917 328 8613 Belin Fliyelet – telephone no. +63 922 855 2320 Eldzs Mejia – telephone no. +63 916 285 8525 Maco Custodio – telephone no. +63 922 888 6226

52 LIVING

The Return of Doctor

Kwak-Kwak BY: JR BUSTAMANTE

Laugh all you want, but traditional medicine is making a huge comeback. Years ago, Philippine herbal medicine was just something to joke about. Medical professionals would mock traditional practices, unaware of its intrinsic value, only because there was no scientific basis to it. Who would have thought that the abundant, lowly ampalaya and kamote tops would be the mystery cure for malaria, or dengue fever? Nature sure has a way of making people return to their roots. Nowadays, with the high inflation rate and a trend towards an “all-natural” lifestyle, Pinoys are seriously looking into the possibilities that traditional medicine has to offer.

Who you gonna call? Albularyo!

Albularyos service rural communities to counter effects from mythological entities which inhabit the region. The southern Tagalog areas are believed to have dwarves, tikbalangs, nunos, kapres, and lamang lupas. Many of the albularyo’s diagnostic rituals with tawas or luop are specially prepared according to the kind of creatures

and to the maladies they cause: na-nuno nadwende, na-lamang-lupa. The kapre and the tikblang are amusing details of the Tagalog imagination.

craft only on Tuesdays and Fridays - days of the week that coincide with the feast of Santo. Niño and the feast of the Black Nazarene, when their healing powers are believed to be at their optimum.

Common to Pinoy healers is their religious nature. They pray for guidance throughout the healing process, be it whispered (bulong) or written (orasyon). Most are available for consultations daily, but some practice their

Tawas Therapy Tawas is a popular diagnostic ritual performed by most alternative healers to

LIVING 53 cause of the illness. Today, tawas refers to a diagnostic ritual or procedure utilizing a variety of materials: such as candles, mirrors, eggs, plain paper, and cigarette rolling-paper, aside from alum.

for treating malaria and HIV infection.

The Art of the Hilot

3. Bawang (Allium sativum) - popularly known as «garlic,» it mainly reduces cholesterol in the blood and hence, helps control blood pressure.

There are two branches of hilot: chiropractic therapy (masahe, manghihilot) or midwife (magpapaanak). The manghihilot is a practitioner of the craft of chiropractic manipulation and massage for the diagnosis and treatment of muscular and skeletal ailments.

4. Bayabas (Psidium guajava) - “guava” is primarily used as an antiseptic, to disinfect wounds. It can also be used as a mouth wash to treat tooth decay and gum infection.

5. Lagundi (Vitex negundo) - known as the “5-leaved chaste tree.” It is mainly used for the relief of coughs and asthma.

6. Niyog-niyogan (Quisqualis indica L.) – a vine known as “Chinese honey suckle” effective in the elimination of intestinal worms, particularly the Ascaris and Trichina.

Healing is attributed to God’s guidance in manipulating the spiritual and energy channels to expel evil spirits causing the physical ailments. An ancient technique of massage utilizes symbolic patterns of the cross, crown of thorns, the rosary, and the nailed hands and feet.

Be vigilant and cautious when availing of the services of manghihilots. The unrestricted and unsupervised practice of hilot in the rural areas, may lead to unfortunate outcomes such as: delayed diagnosis of serious maladies and non-union bone alignment, often life-time, deformities due to failed attempts at reducing complicated fractures without radiographic imaging.

7. Sambong (Blumea balsamifera)- English name: blumea camphora. A diuretic that helps in the excretion of urinary stones. It can also be used as an edema.

8. Tsaang Gubat (Ehretia microphylla Lam.) - Prepared like tea, this herbal medicine is effective in treating intestinal motility and also used as a mouth wash since the leaves of this shrub has high fluoride content.

Chemicals out, Herbs in

9. Ulasimang Bato (Peperomia pellucida) also known as «pansit-pansitan» it is effective in fighting arthritis and gout. The leaves can be eaten fresh (about a cupful) as salad or like tea.

During the early 90s growing global movement toward alternative therapies and “natural” remedies, herbal medicine research and development were being undertaken in the Philippines. In 1992, during the term of Juan Flavier as Secretary of Health, a brochure of 10 medicinal plants for common health problems was published followed by its commercial production. In 1997, the TAMA (Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act) was passed, legitimizing the alternative medicine movement in the Philippines.

10. Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii) commonly known as peppermint, this vine is used as an analgesic to relive body aches and pain. It can be taken internally as a decoction or externally by pounding the leaves and applied directly on the afflicted area.

Tips on the Preparation and Intake of Herbal Medicines Herbalists suggest the following steps when taking herbal medicines -

The ten medicinal plants endorsed by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) have been tested and clinically proven to have medicinal value in the relief and treatment of various common aliments: ●

1. Akapulko (Cassia alata) - also known as «bayabas-bayabasan» and «ringworm bush» in English, this herbal medicine is used to treat ringworms and skin fungal infections.

Use only half the dosage prescribed for fresh parts like leaves when using dried parts.

2. Ampalaya (Momordica charantia) - known as “bitter gourd” or “bitter melon,” is most known as a treatment of diabetes (diabetes mellitus), for the non-insulin dependent patients. Ampalaya is also an effective treatment for people who are constipated because it can stimulate digestion. The latest discovery of this amazing plant is its potential

● Do not use stainless steel utensils when boiling decoctions. Only use earthen, enameled, glass or alike utensils. ● As a rule of thumb, when boiling leaves and other plant parts: boil in low flame, do not cover the pot.

Dispose of decoctions after one day.

Decoctions loose potency after some time so keep them lukewarm in a flask or thermos

to maintain its freshness throughout the day. ● Always consult with a doctor if symptoms persist or if any sign of allergic reaction develops.

In 2004, an additional list of 30 crude plant drugs that has been in study for potential benefits was released: Dita bark, sinta herb, kintsay leaf, sampaguita flower, ipil-ipil seeds, makahiya herb, apatot fruit, malunggay bark, ikmo leaf, paminta, oregano leaf, mayana leaf, granada rind, romero leaf, akasya leaf, duhat bark, sampalok pulp, makabuhay stem, ginger and banaba.

With the high cost of medical products and services, herbal medicine is worth a try. But this treatment option should also be considered with a second opinion from medical professionals who have undergone years of careful study to provide a more accurate diagnosis. An herb a day keeps the quacks away.

54 COMMUNITY

Filcom in Dubai and Northern Emirates

sustains ‘Bayanihan’ For 111th Philippine Independence Day celebration “The spirit of Bayanihan and goodwill is very much alive and will continue to go on. We believe that the general welfare of the community should come first before personal interest and glory. We know that all our time and effort added together is a substantial amount of our achievements. It is not measured in personal financial gain but in an inherent reward in this noble mission.”

This was the statement made by Engr.

Dante Delizo before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Easter Sunday during the Filipino Community gathering with Her Excellency and the members of her delegation led by Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo.

Delizo is the chairman of the Philippine Independence Day (PID) executive committee which is preparing not only for the yearly event but also for the 3rd Migrant Workers Day, both of which will be held on June 12 at the Al Nasr Leisureland.

Concurrently, Delizo is the founder and head of the Computer Aided Design and Drafting Group (CADD Group).

There are more than 40 organizations in Dubai and the Northern Emirates which have committed to support the twin celebrations by volunteering as members of the various working committees.

According to PID spokesman Dante Agnote, who is head of the Pinoy Expats Auto Club in Emirates (PEACE), a motorcade will follow after the flag-raising ceremony at the Philippine Consulate General in Al Ghusais. The motorcade’s arrival around 10 am at Al Nasr Leisureland will kick-off the first part of the whole-day event which is the 3rd Migrant Workers Day program.

electronic items like ‘videoke’ machines, food and related products, and other personal items will be promoted and sold.

The program committee chaired by Ollie Pineda, head of the Filipino Association of Computer Excellence (FACE), has lined up several fun games, competitions, singing and dancing performances, and a series of parades which will showcase a “Parada ng Kalayaan.” The Independence Day program will commence at 2 pm.

Pineda is encouraging the whole family to attend: “Bring your kids and let them enjoy our ‘Kids Corner’ which will be available from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. There will be face-painting, arts and coloring, storytelling, and other children’s related activities.”

Another major highlight of the event will be a mini-show in the evening by popular GMA-7 stars. “We are thankful to OrbitPinoy TV for supporting us again as main sponsor. We would also like to recognize Al Marai as the other main sponsor and Moneygram as the associate sponsor, while the support sponsors are Jimmy’s Killer Restaurant and Al Taheri Computers,” said Delizo.

He added that popular media entities such as Dubai Eye 103.8 FM and Illustrado Magazine are also supporting the event.

For those who would still like to sponsor the June 12 event, you can get in touch with Engr. Delizo at 050- 7760397 or Engr. Cherry Pye Torres, PID Sponsorship Committee head, at 050-6551836. Or log on to www.bayanihanuae.org.

Top to Bottom: Filipino journalists interviewing Vice Pres. Noli De Castro; Engr. Dante Delizo with outgoing Welfare Officer Marlyn Vail and POLO Officials Atty.

Virgie Calvez (R) and Ching Ardivilla; PID Officers with Dubai Eye 103.8 FM DJs Blue Bird (L) and Ric (R); and FILCOM leaders with newly promoted Philippine Consul General to Koror (Palau) Butch Bandillo.

Agnote disclosed that 10 fully-modified cars designed and handcrafted by PEACE members will be displayed at the parking area. He added that a mini-bazaar or more popularly known as ‘tiangge’ will be held inside the ice rink area where Philippine real estate properties, Filipino schools, PID Executive Committee members with Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

COMMUNITY 55

PGMA Meet with UAE Filipino Community President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on a twoday mission to meet top UAE government officials, business leaders and major employers in search of investments and more job opportunities for Filipinos in the emirates, took time to meet with the UAE’s Filipino community on the 12th April.

Speaking to a crowd of Filipino community leaders, the President highlighted the government’s efforts in continuing to promote and advance the interest of the country’s expatriate workers. She cited the new programs set in motion in the Philippines to assist OFWs who were retrenched as a result of the global economic crisis – particularly the Filipino Expatriate Livelihood Support program as well as other initiatives slated to generate jobs, assist in job matching, as well as training and provision of financing facilities. The President also announced that during her short trip to the emirates, they were able to secure some 200,000 jobs for Filipinos at the employment summit - The Middle East Forum, which was attended by top private sector companies involved in the recruitment and hiring of skilled workers and professionals.

The President was accompanied by Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, among other Cabinet members and congressmen.

56 COMMUNITY

Community Events The Filipino Community in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with the Philippine Embassy, has constituted the 2009 Philippine Independence Day Organizing Committee (PIDOC) with Engr. Jethroefel Rambuyong as Chairman. Among the activities being planned are the following: June 5 – Walk for a Cause, June 5 and 19 – Free Training Seminars, June 12 – Thanksgiving Mass, June 26 – Cultural Show

Independence Day Celebrations in Abu Dhabi FCCs Practical Networking Workshops The Filipino Computer Club (FCC), an organization under the auspices of Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates, kick-started their Practical Networking Workshops, a new series of three workshops designed to teach participants the basics of computer networking, on the 17th of April at REWAQ Cultural and Educational center The workshop is geared towards early career network technicians and Information Technology professionals. Participants are expected to increase their technical and hands-on skills, learn some of the latest networking technologies, network with professionals and experts in the field and develop new skills to be competitive in the Internetworking industry.

Flag Raising Ceremony – June 12

The next preparatory meeting of the PIDOC is on May 18, Monday at 7 PM at the Philippine Embassy. Interested Filipino groups and individuals are invited to attend the said meeting.

In celebration of the 111th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi is inviting all Filipinos to join the Flag Ceremony on the 12th June 2009, Friday at 7 AM at the Philippine Embassy. This will be followed by the reading of Independence Day Messages from the President and other high profile government officials, and by a Filipino breakfast. All participants are requested to come in Filipiniana attire.

Flag Day Program

“There are fewer theories in these Practical Networking workshops, just the basic understanding and purely hands-on but the knowledge and skills they will acquire will be enough to setup a small home network that can share files, printers and Internet access. FCC has two other short courses in Network Administration just in case if the participant needs to understand and learn more about Networking,” said Eng. Milo Torres, FCC’s instructor in Practical Networking.

The FCC offers an extensive array of computer application training programs and services that not only address the varied needs of its memberships but also serve the Filipino community across the Emirates. For more information visit www. fccdubai.com.

Pursuant to Republic Act 8491 (Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines) declaring May 28 as Flag Day, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi will hold a Seminar on the Philippine Flag on May 28 Thursday 6 PM at the Philippine Embassy. Interested Filipino schools and groups are encouraged to send representatives to the said Seminar.

FCC’s Networking instructors are experienced network administrators and advanced network instructors. Milo Torres, professor in web development and chairman of the professional development committee at FCC has professional experience in network management, system design and web programming.

Danny Eramiz is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and currently the instructor of Network Administration Infrastructure at FCC. He has experience managing large scale LAN/WAN environments featuring Cisco routers/switches. Maximo Doce, a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, is the current instructor of Network Administration Essentials at FCC. FCC members at the “Practical Networking” workshops

COMMUNITY 57

Digerati 4th Recognition Ceremonies The Filipino Digerati Association of the UAE held its 4th recognition ceremonies at the Al Thurraya Ballroom, Renaissance Hotel on the 17th April 2009, seeing through the successful culmination of various computer training courses for some 1,500 graduates.

The upbeat occasion featured the handing out of graduation certificates, as well as the awarding of 55 crystal plaques to the group’s officers and volunteers in appreciation of their unparalleled contribution. Digerati’s BOT has also presented a leadership award to former president Justino Arciga Sr. for bringing the club to an immeasurable success last year.

Incumbent president Arnel Ramos remarked, “The officers are our feet to move forward, the volunteers are our hands to accomplish wonderful things and

the students’ hopes and achievements are our compensation, these three elements of Digerati are the most important in realizing Digerati’s objectives, for without any of them, Digerati will never-ever reach this peak.” He proceeds to quote from Digerati’s official theme song ‘Digerati’s Dream’ - “helping each other, building each other, as long as we’re together we will win, for together we stand, divided we fall, together we’ll climb to the peak of success.”

Another highlight of the event was Digerati’s tribute to Illustrado’s Women of Substance graced by Lalaine Chu-Benitez, Illustrado’s Managing Director, as well as Women of Substance Honorees Mariecar Jara-Puyod Filipino Press Club President, entrepreneur and community volunteer Isabel Sabado-Warren, Dubai Excellence Awardee and community volunteer Juliet Solas and as well as Digerati’s, very own Engr. Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi, Emirates Business Women Awardee in 2008. The gesture was meant to recognize the courageous Filipinas who have carved an exemplary niche for themselves and at the same time fought discrimination in line of gender equality.

Postscripts from Mindanao Launch Freelance writer Wilma “Cookie” Villanueva has taken her passion for her hometown one step further by publishing her first coffee table book entitled “Postscripts from Mindanao.” Launched on the 11th of April in Dubai, the book is a visual treat - a lovingly assembled collection of stories, information and images on some of the province’s best places, its rich culture, abundant natural resources, its beauty and its people. It is the author’s personal tribute to her land of birth and her very own contribution to helping Mindanao gain due understanding and interest to combat the conflict-torn image perpetuated by the media.

Villanueva writes, “While stories in Basilan and Jolo regularly dominate the news channels about Mindanao, few know

Author Wilma “Cookie” Villaneuva at the launch.

that Socksargen (South Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani Province-General Santos City) is promoting peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific subcontinent through international trade fairs and cultural exchanges, technology transfers and friendly games with neighboring Asian countries. Perhaps a closer look at Socksargen – one of Mindanao’s greatest frontiers – might bring in fresh insight and a clearer picture of this promised land.”

The Marcom (Maranao Community) Dance Troupe performed at the launch

58 COMMUNITY DIALOGUE

Giving a voice to the community

To give or not to give?

That is the question.

It is a sad thing, but it happens in the community often enough for a lot of people to recognize it. Filipinos call for help, the community is mobilized and well meaning kababayans respond with open arms – money, food and support in tow. However, what happens next is less than the happy ending expected in Good Samaritan episodes like these.

The story of the 137 drivers left for broke in Ajman by a recruitment company is one such example.

After receiving donations from generous people from the community, one of the drivers issued a statement purporting that they were not duped and weren’t really needy after all, causing an outcry from the community, especially from those who made a huge effort to help. Which brings us to the question – should we Filipinos give or not give? How should we respond to calls for help from fellow Filipinos? How can we do this without getting burned?

ang magbigay. Kaya lang, may mga pangyayari na sa kahulihulihan, kung sino pa ang tumulong ang napapasama.

As for the 137 victims of illegal recruitment, this could not have happened if, in the first place, when they were given two visas--the employment visa and visit visa--they already desisted. But, that is water under the bridge already.

Let this be a lesson to all of us - that we must be responsible for all of our actions.

And, let us all be grateful that in every mistake we commit, there are people willing and doing their best to get us out of the rut.

Mariecar Jara-Puyod Filipino Press Club-UAE “It is always better to give than to receive”

Members of the community share their insights on the matter.

It is better to give than to receive. This is one of our wise sayings.

Base naman po dito sa kasalukuyang situation ng ating mga kababayan, dapat malaman natin muna ang boong katotohanan bago tayo gumawa ng ano mang hakbang. May maga kinauukulan at mga nakatataas na pinuno ng lipunan na sila ang dapat makaalam ng buong pangyayari at nagaganap.

Tungkol sa pagbibigay, tayong mga tao ay madaling mahipo ang damdamin kapag alam natin na may naaapi at may nang aapi. Kapag hindi mo alam ang tunay na situation ng ating mga kababayan, ang unang madadama mo ay “awa.” Kapag naawa ka, then the tendency is to help even without knowing the true situation. Subalit, if you know the situation, then, you will think twice whether to give or not to give. But for us, it easily melts our hearts kapag may na aapi lalong lalo kapag itoy ating kababayan.

Pero dapat din nating malaman kapag tayo’y tumutulong, alamin natin ito ba’y sa ikabubuti o ikasasama ng nakararami o individual. Minsan, may mga pangyayari na tayo na nagpapahiram ng pera out of curtiosity, then malalaman na lang natin yun pala ginamit ang pera sa masama.

Being the lender, we have to understand that we indirectly participate towards his or her mistakes, dahil di natin inalam ang buong katotohanan kung itoy gagamitin sa mabuti o sa masama.

Kaya ang payo ko, mabuting malaman natin kung sa saan pupunta o gagamitin ang ating mga kaloob.

Walang masama sa pagtulong, subalit dapat nating malaman ito ba ay [para] sa masama o mabuti.

Joseph Mogallos, Filipino Golf Society As any religion calls for people to be generous and to give until it hurts, I believe it is the duty of anyone to, at least, know the cause of a miserable situation. By doing so, we will know if it is just right to share accordingly.

I am saying this because there have been instances when the giver becomes the culprit or the one put in the bad light, when it is only his intention to help as we are all encouraged to. Hindi masama

I would like to think that for people who wholeheartedly and primarily think of giving and sharing their blessings share this thought. More importantly, most of those who help are not really asking for anything in return. Because the same people know that the plain and simple truth is that whatever help they give would not have been possible if it had not been given or permitted from Above.

While we, as men, seem to be the ones helping those in need, it is actually Someone higher and more Supreme than all of us who is actually working - simply using us as His instruments.

If anyone of the recipients of such assistance makes a mockery of the deed, he is not making a mockery of the people who helped but the One who allowed those people to do so.

Therefore, my answer is: It is always better to give and respond to calls for help than to receive - no matter if in the process, we get burned.

Because in the end, kung hindi man totoo na kailangan nila ng tulong, hindi tayo ang niloko nila kungdi ang sarili nila. At kung nagsasabi ng totoo ang taong iyon na hindi sila ka-awa-awa, sana ibinalik niya ang mga tulong at hindi niya tinaggap gaya ng ginawa niya (as shown in the pictures earlier circulated).

Albert Alba, UP UAE I, myself will not stop giving assistance to our kababayans who are in dire need, except that this time, I will be more careful. We cannot just put aside our kindness and generosity due to some people who are inconsiderate and selfish. Helping people out during their most critical time is just one of the Filipino’s good traits, and we should not let that be ruined by a few people.

My advice to all Filipinos is that next time, we should try to investigate more about the issue published in the newspaper or on the internet. On the other hand, the one who publishes, posts, or e-mails the story should make sure that what they are writing or distributing is true and sincere.

Also, coordinate with POLO/ OWWA. On their part, they should give the community the correct information based on a thorough review and provide advice to community leaders and members.

And as for community leaders, we should be more careful and investigate accordingly especially when it comes to sensitive issues like these. The community has placed trust in us, so we should, in return, keep that trust the best way we can.

Isabel Warren, FILEX As a member of a non-profit organization, we intend to weigh the situation first before we give so that our Samaritan way of helping is not wasted.

It has been proven to many that it is better to give than to receive. Giving something means we do not have to expect something in return. Before we have given something to a stranger, did we think about the negative side of his mind? I dont think so. «Giving» has a lot of meaning. It can be a material thing or a prayer as a moral support. So just give if you are having something in excess and be blessed.

Name withheld upon request In my opinion, giving is sharing it might be material or of any type in any occasion that calls for it. Sharing is giving a part of yourself, because you give it out of love and even sacrifice. So, losing a part of you is already painful in itself and sometimes you simply get burned.

But why should you think of getting burned? Give according to what you can give. If a person came to you begging for his food, would you say “No, I will investigate first?” Your instinct is to give first, because your intention is to sustain life.

Sometimes we spend and then we realize later on, that what we bought or where we spent the money is not worth it. However, I do believe that should not stop us from giving. Be generous and God will be always be generous to you.

Juliet Solas, Filipino Community I had received an e-mail plea on a Maundy Thursday and my initial reaction was anger for the illegal recruiters and pity for our kababayans. I felt that our group (Filipino Golfers in the Middle East - FIGME) can again join hands to help in our own little way and contribute. But I told myself, just hold on - this is the first time I’ve heard this plea and I wasn’t sure if it was real. It has been our mission to assist those in need, however, it has also been a practice of the group to verify, discuss and authenticate the veracity of the issue.

The bottom line though is YES - we should help if we can but it’s better to take precautions at first and check the real picture. This could be carried out in various ways. Being a Samaritan, allows you to help the needy at anytime of the day.

I am aware that a lot of our kababayans extended their assistance, but I also believe that we should all learn a lesson from this as well. Anyway, our intentions are crystal clear and the end result was achieved which is to give and share.

Ramon Navea, FIGME “What matters most in life is what you do for others.” This is not just a common belief among Filipinos but is almost in our culture - to run to the rescue for someone in desperate need. However, we must thoroughly check the background of the situation before we offer our help. Sound judgment is of utmost importance as people may take advantage of their situation for sympathy and get more than what they really need. In this case we are not actually helping them but denying them the opportunity to strive further in life.

Bal Junio, PICPA

11 ISSUES DELIVERED MONTHLY BY MAIL

SUBSCRIBE NOW! CALL 04-3654543 • 04-3654547

OR SEND THIS FORM WITH A CHEQUE IN AN ENVELOPE TO THE ADDRESS BELOW PLEASE SEND ME 11 ISSUES OF ILLUSTRADO AT DHS.110 ONLY YOUR DETAILS NAME ADDRESS TELEPHONE MOBILE EMAIL PAYMENT I ENCLOSE A CHEQUE PAYABLE TO ILLUSTRADO COMMUNICATIONS FZ-LLC ILLUSTRADO COMMUNICATIONS FZ-LLC, P.O. Box 72280 Office 20C Dubai Media City, UAE

Align with ROBERTO Treat your body pains Or simply align your body for relaxation and good health With Qualified Personal Trainer and Sports Massage Therapist Roberto Polidario CREDENTIALS: Personal trainer and massage therapist for the Dubai Aviation Club, The Varkey Group of Cos. (Chairman), freelance personal trainer and sports therapist for Fitness First (Ibn Battuta, Dubai).

SCOPE OF THERAPY: All types of body pains and related illnesses – back pain, neck pain, knee and ankle sprains, frozen shoulder, TMS, asthma, hay fever, stress related problems, etc.

“The body like any intricate musical instrument requires adequate tuning for correct function. A body that is in good alignment attracts all positive energies.”

ROBERTO POLIDARIO Tel. No.: 050-725 8113 E-Mail: apollo711@gmail.com

60 HILIG PINOY

Mission: Dive for Life By: Excel V. Dyquiangco

Normally, scuba divers see all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes of fishes and corals. They see creatures that swim around during the day and those that only come out at night. But this time around, scuba divers also see something much more troubling – coral reefs destroyed, marine life slowly becoming extinct and animal species endangered. Thus throwing light on the significance of scuba diving not just as a hobby or sport, but also as an important tool for conservation.

A prime Philippine sport The Philippines has some of the best dive spots in the world with waters rich in nutrients and blessed by warm weather that allow an abundance of marine life to thrive. These resources have made the country a favored destination among scuba enthusiasts around the world.

Prominent scientist Kent Carpenter, global marine species assessment coordinator for the World Conservation Union and Victor Springer, curator emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution has described the Batangas dive spot – particularly Anilao - as the marine version of the Amazon forest simply because it has the most number of species that are found no where else and has the highest percentage of biological diversity.

“Anilao Batangas is like a secret garden where you can see interesting creatures,” Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Course Director Hernel Castillo says. “It’s like a hidden underwater Amazon jungle.”

Co-diver Charm Chua agrees. “I love that every dive I see something new, or the environment lends itself to me seeing fish interact (which I call my Nat Geo moments).There are areas filled with coral and fish swimming around like it was a busy day on the city streets,” she says.

Aside from the famous Anilao, places that attract scuba divers are dive spots in Puerto Galera, Cebu and Bohol. Most of the time, they have clear water but due to plankton bloom or change in weather, the water sometimes gets murky. For good wreck diving sites with sunken ships, Subic Bay and Busuanga in Palawan, may provide the thrill.

Scuba diving may be quite an appealing sport but just like any other, there are some calculated risks involved. A diver should have the ability to discern whether to proceed of not, based on his or her training experience, physical limitations and general well-being, even before entering the water.

For newbies, they should always choose dive sites that are shallow and easy - then go on to more difficult dives as they progress, but if they choose not to, this option stays.

“As a dive professional, I am trained to spot an uneasy, nervous diver, even at the surface – in situations such as this, I guard him or her like a hawk underwater, making sure that we are in shallow, calm waters,” explains Hernel. “There are even times when I need to accompany experienced divers first, let the uneasy diver snorkel a bit, then do a one-on-one dive with him or her after my dive with the others. This way, both of us are more relaxed.”

HILIG PINOY 61

By relaxing, Hernel means no “urban” noises such as the ringing of the cell phone – just the scuba diver and the underwater creatures. The trainee-scuba diver also needs to be alert for changes in conditions like current, wave and others.

He says that aside from just observing the creatures down there, scuba diving is also an investigation. “As you dive, you must not expect to see a particular creature but rather allow yourself to explore more,” he adds.

Investigation indeed. But lately, the sport of scuba diving has also been utilized to serve a very timely purpose – that of conserving our natural underwater resources.

Scubasurero to the rescue Just late last year, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has already put its foot forward with project ‘Scubasurero,’ a program that takes ordinary policemen to don the mask and tank to patrol the deep and dive for trash. Famous dive sites such as Batangas, Bohol, Palawan, Cebu, Misamis Oriental, Subic, Zambales, Tacloban and Pangasinan have been treated to a clean-up while residents are lectured on the importance of helping preserve the environment.

“The Scubasurero project is our modest contribution to protecting the natural environment,” says General Jesus Versoza, an avid diver himself. “We have included scuba diving since this creates interest not only among Filipinos but also among foreigners. In our tourism industry, we have many tourists who are into scuba diving because of our beautiful marine areas.”

In just one breath, Gen. Versoza sends out an important message: scuba diving and both locals and tourists should work hand in hand not only for tourism but for preservation purposes as well. Scuba diving, in fact, now redefines its own function as just a mere hobby – that it’s not a matter of seeing underwater creatures mingle but a matter of helping out marine causes.

The world’s largest scuba diving organization, Professional Association

of Diving Instructors (PADI) has an environmental responsibility of “commitment to preserving the aquatic environment for future generations” through its different programs and courses.

Want to help clean the environment under water? First, grab your mask and tank and let PADI Dourse Director Hernel Castillo help you out.

“With my circle of Filipino diver friends, I think scuba has helped a lot because we see the issue first hand underwater,” says Hernel. “For example, we see plastics wrapped around a coral [in the process] killing it. Dynamite or cyanide fishing destroys a big chunk of a reef. And I am just so saddened to see a reef destroyed.”

You should be generally fit for diving.

For people who are unsure about their health, it is advised that they get a doctor’s clearance.

He refutes the notion that scuba divers are actually the ones to blame for the gradual destruction of marine life since they are under water a lot. He admits, however, that scuba divers who destroy the reef do exist but there are only a few of them. As an instructor, Castillo encourages his student divers not only to hone their buoyancy skills well, but also to learn how to respect our natural resources underwater.

“This is life under water,” Hernel says.

“Let’s all do our part in helping preserve the environment.”

Truly, scuba diving is not just a hobby or a sport but a cause as well. It is both an examination and preservation – of the rich natural environment, and its fragile creatures.

Requirements:

A student diver will have to complete a series of classroom sessions, pool sessions, watermanship skills (like thread/float for ten minutes. And swimming with the use of mask, snorkel and fins for a distance of 300 yards), including open water training dives.

Place to enroll for scuba diving classes.

Hernel Castillo owns and operates a PADI 5-star IDC center in Quezon City DIVENET PHILIPPINES (www.divenetphil. com) Fees Open water (basic entry level) fee is PHP15,000 which includes your PADI book and license, instructions in the pool, classroom and open water and the use of the full scuba and skin diving equipment. Resort fees are excluded.

62 BAKASYON GRANDE

Palanan,IsabelaThe town that time forgot Text and Photos by Vic Albornoz Lactaoen

Mention the name Palanan, and even province mates of this remote town find this municipality a mystery, mainly because of its inaccessibility and many natural wonders, said Governor Ma. Gracia Cielo Padaca, who described the 397 year old town as “one of Isabela’s best kept secrets.” Though some outsiders tag Palanan (population less than 20,000) as “the town that time forgot,” many of its residents don’t seem to mind.

Nestled in the farthest eastern corner of the province of Isabela, bounded by the Pacific Ocean, the relatively small and unknown coastal town of Palanan provides a number of empty and peaceful “island alternatives” when its neighboring provinces are jam-packed with beach frolickers.

The mainly Catholic community, said to be founded by Franciscan missionaries in 1609 on the banks of the Pinacanawan River, is bounded by the towns of Divilacan in the north and San Mariano in the south and west, and the vast Pacific Ocean in the east.

Paranan, a mixture of Ibanag, Spanish, Tagalog and the indigenous Agta (or Dumagat) language is the town’s dialect. One can freely interact with the Agtas which makes the trip to this island more interesting. The Agtas are semi-nomadic tribes roaming the Sierra Madre Mountains who live along the river and seacoast.

Palanan was established as a township by the Augustinian friars in 1609 and the parish was named in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene whose feast day falls every 22nd of July. This far flung municipality has been known as the place where General Emilio Aguinaldo, President of the First Philippine Republic, made his “last stand” against US forces in 1901. The geographical location of this town has played its role in our history being the last seat of government of our first president. He sought refuge in what is now called Barangay Marikit, where he met and fell in love with local lass named Isabel

Lopez. American forces led by General Frederick Funston finally captured General Aguinaldo on March 23, 1901.

Palanan may have failed to prevent the capture of General Aguinaldo by the US troops in 1901, but this does not mean that the town is devoid of heroes. Former Environment Secretary and Representative Heherson Alvarez, pushed for the establishment in the northern Sierra Madre mountains of a nature park. The park, which later became a component of the World-Bank funded integrated Protected Areas System, was declared the Palanan Wilderness.

Nature conservationist have managed to push Palanan into the limelight, calling it “the home of the guardians of the Sierra Madre” and citing local folks for sacrificing their poor town’s progress and development” in order to save the virgin forests in the northern part of the mountain range. The mountains are “wild and remote, with not a single road crossing the range in its entire length (although most maps do erroneously show several routes).” The terrain is extremely rugged, the mountains steep and densely forested. The highest point within the area is Mount Cresta (eleavation:5486 feet), with at least two more peaks namely Mount Divilacan (4,301 feet) and Mount Palanan (3,977 feet).”

More than 90,000 hectares of Palanan’s total land area of 1,220 square kilometers are timberland, while another 10,339 hectares

BAKASYON GRANDE 63

are used as cropland. It has a built-up area of only 52.05 hectares. In the absence of direct road access from adjacent towns, Palanan can only be reached by a 30-35 minute flight in a sixseater, single engine Cyclone Cessna commuter plane from Cauayan City or a six to seven-hour boat ride from the towns of Dingalan or Baler in Aurora province, in the south, or a three to five day hike from San Mariano town. Except for some tricycles, a few horses and improvised three-wheeled motorized “kuligligs”, the streets of Palanan are empty most of the time.

“Taking the plane is a treat in itself,” Governor Padaca emphasized. “You can see the beauty of the Sierra Madre from the sky, the green treetops look like giant broccolis. Eco tourists will be glad to know that six kinds of forests have been identified in the area, ranging from the lowland evergreen to montane, mangrove beach forest, limestone and forest growing on ultra basic rocks.

Bird studies conducted in the early 90s by an international team of scientists revealed 241 species, along with 78 of the nation’s 169 endemic species, including the mighty Philippine Eagle. It was a similar story with mammals, 14 species of bats were also found to be endemic.

According to Department of Tourism’s Regional director Blessida Diwa, for a long time, tourism has not been given much attention in the province despite its diverse offering to both environmentalist and regular tourists. But the DOT, with the help of the local government of Isabela, is trying to change that now. Palanan’s rich and colorful historical background, natural harbors, abundant corrals, prolific marine life and rich terrestrial areas including virgin forests are just among the resources that it can offer for eco-tourism destinations.

And then there are the virgin white sand beaches of Dicotcotan and Didadungan, probably Isabela’s best kept secrets. The coastline of both beaches are very much exposed to strong waves from the Pacific Ocean, perfect not only for swimming but also for surfing. Dicotcotan beach has a three-kilometer coastline with coral reefs, sea grass beads and sandy shoreline that is fringed with a coastal forest and a village.

According to Reynante de Veyra, a staff from the city hall, there has been frequent sightings of pointed nosed dolphins and hump back whales aside from the various species of fishes and shellfish, and marine turtles that can be seen from the surface.

Other interesting eco-tourism spots in Palanan are the Culasi Beach, Diminalo Lake, Kanataw Lake, Digoyo Lake, Kanasamuyan Cave, Disangkilan and Sad-sad falls. A lot of natural attractions to see which makes the trip to this remote town time well spent.

64 ILLUSTRADO SCRAPBOOK A PLATFORM FOR BUDDING FILIPINO CREATIVE TALENT

THEME: PHILIPPINE DESTINATIONS TET BAUTISTA Tet began channelling his creativity through photography when he bought his first Digital SLR in 2005. He is a self-taught hobbyist, who keeps regularly abreast with the techniques and new trends in the field. Building on his discipline as a graphic artist, Tet’s discerning eye for color and tone affords him to quickly compose an image long before the shutter clicks.

A confessed wanderlust, his portfolio manifests a certain leaning towards landscapes but likewise accommodates portraits, street photography and his random take on seemingly mundane subjects.

Tet, who is an art director based in Dubai, has also co-founded Mid-East Snipers which has spawned a considerable interest among photo-enthusiasts residing mostly in the UAE. Kapayapaan, Bohol The majestic Chocolate Hills of Bohol is one of the Philippines’ most celebrated tourist attractions. The 1,268 limestone perfectly coneshaped hills covered in grass turn brown during the summer, hence, the name. Atop the hill, the panoramic view of the Chocolate Hills gives one a sense of awe and peace. An indescribable mix of feelings somewhat conveyed by the photograph.

The Boulevard, Dumaguete City Touted as the original model for the ‘Baywalk’ in Manila, the Boulevard welcomes visitors to Dumaguete, the motorcycle city of the Philippines, before they dock by the pier. Behind this vibrant stretch is Mt. Talinis or Cuernos de Negros (the horns of Negros) - which is a famous destination for mountaineers all over the country.

ROY ANGELO RAMOS Photography hobbyist Roy Angelo Ramos was born in Cebu City, but grew up in Dumaguete City. He has been living in the UAE for the past four years, working for a company at the Dubai Media City as a digital media designer. This PADI Divemaster and surfer says he would happily give up his fulltime job if only he can be given a chance to be a pro surfer.

ILLUSTRADO SCRAPBOOK 65

Willy’s Rock, Boracay

By Tet Bautista This volcanic rock-formation, known among the locals as ‘Willy’s Rock’ has been a popular subject for both domestic and foreign photographers.

This photo depicts the distinct sense of serenity and peace that has become synonymous with Boracay – a relaxation of body and mind away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

66 PINOY PLANET

JAPAN By: Ivan Henares

How does one ignore a country like Japan? Its progress is mind-boggling, and its native culture – simply distinctive.

Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, is always a great place to visit. During my recent trip to Nippon koku (Japan’s official name) for a conference, I had the pleasure of touring its capital city Tokyo, but also made a point to visit the sister cities of Kyoto, Nara and Nagoya. With a short schedule and “one city, one day’’ on my touring wish list – having one of the world’s fastest bullet trains, the Shinkansen just a hop and a skip away, definitely made my grand plan all the more viable.

Busy streets of Shinjuku, Tokyo

Our first breeze in Tokyo was at the youth hostel were we slept early to catch the legendary Tsukuji Fish Market early the following day. The Tsukuji Fish Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. So don’t be surprised if this fish market has also become a major tourist attraction. We wanted to see the world-famous Tsukiji fish auctions but learned that the operators stopped allowing tourists at the auctions due to health concerns and to avoid disruptions in the daily trading activities.

At Tsukiji, the first thing that greeted us was the constant traffic of forklifts and small vehicles swiftly moving about. We

walked about enjoying the different ocean bounty on sale. The fish market is said to handle more than 400 different types of fresh catch including sardines to 300kilogram tuna, from cheap seaweed to the most expensive caviar! After exploring a good part of the market, we made a dash for a sushi breakfast! We indulged with breakfast sushi boats which cost from US$10 (¥1000) to US$20 (¥2000) each.

In the afternoon, we visited the Sensōji Temple in the Asakusa District (Taitō, Tokyo). This is one of the entertainment districts of Tokyo were the city’s oldest temple is located. Sensoji Temple is dedicated to the Bodhisattva Kannon, more

popularly known Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The entrance to the temple called the Kaminarimon or “Thunder Gate,” is a massive paper lantern painted in vivid red-and-black tones suggesting thunderclouds and lightning. After the gate is a long row of souvenir shops called Nakamise-dori where one can find a great selection of souvenir items and food items to bring home. I enjoyed the many snack items on sale and bought some for tasting. The shops in the area are part of the place’s heritage having sold to temple pilgrims since the 18th century. The street is about 250 meters and hosts close to 90 curio shops.

PINOY PLANET 67 Around the temple grounds, we ate lunch through one of the automated vending machine restaurants. You select and pay the corresponding amount in coins for your food through these machines and hand receipts to the staff that do both cooking and serving – an interestingly cost-efficient system. After lunch, we rushed back to our hostel for our bags to catch a ride to Kyoto on the famed Shinkansen bullet train, an excellent network of high-speed railway lines all over Japan.

We had to rush to the Tokyo Station to catch the train. Here in Tokyo, everything is on time all the time! Navigating through the station was complicated because of the

massive network of trains all over Japan. If you have communication problems, just show your ticket to seek assistance. We finally found the Shinkansen area platform, and boarded our cabin. Unless you are holding a non-reserved ticket (meaning you can board just any time), make sure to check the time of your train departure since you might just board the wrong one.

Trains here are so efficient; they arrive at the station a minute or two before the scheduled departure and leave on the dot.

We found ourselves in Kyoto in no time.

Kyoto attracts throngs of tourists every year to its temples and other historic monuments. We arrived late in the evening

and got to see the evening colors and Mount Fuji while on the Shinkansen. Tired from Tokyo, we decided to go straight to the Kyoto Utano Youth Hostel upon arrival and stayed here the next three nights. We knew we made the right choice because of the big beds at an affordable cost.

We purchased one-day bus pass for US$5 (Y500) to maximize our stay in Kyoto.

Make sure you get a copy of the bus map the night before you venture out so that you can plan which buses to take. There are many temples in Kyoto recognized

by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

Tourists on a tight budget visiting Kyoto have to plan their trip wisely.

SensĹ?-ji Temple in the Asakusa District

Shinkansen bullet train

68 PINOY PLANET

Kyoto

PINOY PLANET 69

Todai-ji Temple

Kasuga Taisha Shrine

Our first stop was Ninna-ji temple a residence for the former emperor which once served as the old imperial palace of Omuro (a Buddhism sect). We caught a period movie being shot on the grounds but the film crew did not allow tourists to take pictures. We again hopped on the bus to get to our next stop - Kinkaku-ji, which is the home of the golden pavilion, an iconic attraction of Kyoto were you see gold colored structures in a man-made lake.

Gion was our next stop. This was the official Kyoto residence of the first shogun and showcases one of the finest examples of Momoyama architecture in Japan. This is a district of Kyoto originally developed

in the Middle Ages to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the Yasaka Shrine. Visiting Gion is a must for people who want to see old architecture and to learn the traditional way of being a geisha. Our last stop for the day was at Kiyomizudera, where from one of its temple, you get a panoramic view of Kyoto.

Shortly after sunset, we were treated to the serene evening vista of Kyoto.

The next day, we left for the Nagoya airport to catch our flight back to Manila. On the train ride, we got to enjoy the scenery and before reaching the airport, made a quick side trip to nearby Nagoya Castle. We walked around this grand Japanese castle

that towered over the landscape – what a fitting end to our sojourn in the Land of the Rising Sun. Japan is so unique as visitors find out from its efficient transportation system, to its serene temples and majestic castles, to its colorful cuisine and high-tech approach to life. But one trip just isn’t enough to take all in what the country has to offer. On my next trip to Japan, I’ll definitely purchase the Shinkansen pass so I could simply hop-on and off the train from Hokkaido to Kyushu - for every destination in the country, where every mapped-out centimeter is full of amazing discoveries.

70 TRIPPIN’

Punta na sa Punta Fuego!

Text by Loraine Balita Photography by Gerard delos Santos

After months, maybe years of burying your head under tons of work abroad with only a picture of a tanned beauty frolicking by the shores of a white sand beach back home for your relaxation, your boss finally grants you that long anticipated vacation. And so you arrive in the Philippines with one big mission: to cover yourself with the powdery white sands of Boracay and run like a mad man towards the crystal blue waters of the beach. But then you realize that after meeting up with all your relatives you’ll only be left with a few days to accomplish that mission. So just where exactly can you find a piece of that dream beach vacation near the city?

One option for a balikbayans like you is to drive 2-3 hours south of Manila to the nearest white sand beaches of Punta Fuego. The place offers the same fine white sand, pristine clear waters and spectacular view of the sunset all in nearby Batangas. What makes this place special is the laid back atmosphere and its utmost exclusivity that creates a peaceful enclave where you can truly detoxify. As this is an exclusive resort, only members and their guests are privileged to enjoy the club’s facilities and amenities. So you would have to stack up on the pasalubongs for that member friend or relative so you can bug him/her to take you there. Don’t worry, it could all prove worth it though, as the place offers surprisingly affordable accommodations and good food to boot.

Punta Fuego, which means point of fire, is said to be the site of battle between the Spanish Galleon San Diego and the Dutch battleship Mauritius on December 14, 1600. It was first developed in 1997 and became fully operational in 1999. The 88-hectare flame shaped exclusive resort is one of only three land masses protruding out of the coastline of Nasugbu into the South China Sea.

The Main Club Located on the Western tip of the peninsula, the main club features an accumulation of amenities including the Casitas, double infinity pools and the Sunset Cove Beach. The Casitas, which means dwelling in Spanish, with 2 queen sized beds are spacious enough to accommodate even up to four people. These accommodations unlike those in most major hotels are not clustered together in a single structure but scattered across the property similar to those found in Fontana up North.

As its special feature, the Casitas include bathrooms that open out into the mini gardens which are meant to make you feel like you’re bathing in the middle of lush greeneries. A pretty touch, although it could take some getting used to even with a tall concrete wall covering the garden as the clear floor to ceiling glass wall might make you feel too vulnerable and exposed the first time you step in for a shower. There are also a few Casitas with verandas that could afford guests a full view of the beach and romantic sunset in the afternoon.

TRIPPIN’ 71

to enjoy the beach and more of the fine white sand with 800 meters of it plus other activities with the forest reserve’s nature trails, parks, jogging and bicycle paths.

Here Café Sol is the major dining hub that features an Asian menu including most of the Filipino favorites which you might have missed so much. Order a plate of lechon kawali, a big bowl of steaming bulalo and piping hot rice or a huge serving of their halo-halo with ube ice cream on top.

If you are done lazing around your own private space you can then go on to discover the rest of the club. Looking back from the steps that lead up to Café San Diego would give you a nice view of the double infinity pool that seemingly pours out into the sea.

The deep blue tiles of the infinity pools match the tones of the sea below. The best time to take a dip is in the afternoon when you can see the sun meet the azure lining of the waters.

Afternoons here are also best spent dining al fresco. Right outside the Café San Diego are tables that could give you a view of the sea while dining. Although guests can also choose to eat indoors the outdoors invitingly offers a feast to all your senses.

Nothing beats hearing the waves, feeling the air brush through your face and having your favorite fruit shake while watching the sun sink into the sea.

Just before retreating back to your Casita

you can follow a concrete staircase that leads down to a small portion of the beach just below the infinity pools. Although this section replete with rocks, sea shells and small sea creatures, is not ideal for swimming, it could be a great spot for a short walk. You can also follow another path that leads to the Spa where you can get a massage, body scrub and other treatments that are paired with teas or fresh fruit concoctions at the bar. Try getting a room with a massage bed that will allow you to enjoy the view while being massaged to lala land.

When you’re done enjoying the amenities, you can finally run off to Terrazas where you are free to bury yourself in white sand and toast your skin under the sun.

Terrazas de Punta Fuego Located a few minutes away from the Main club, Terrazas offers visitors the chance

The place also has around 18 interlinked cabanas located by the beach where guests can get their massage or just simply play Juan Tamad in a hammock. If you have saved only a week end for this get-away, Terrazas is where you could usually spend your last day there. When you’re done getting your tan you can pass your time in the KTV rooms or the billiard hall, jump in the free form cascading pool and jacuzzis, or play beach volley. Most guests kill time and stay buried in their hammocks while staring out into the South China Sea and view of nearby mountains.

On your drive back to Manila, a short stop in Tagaytay is also a must. The road to and from the destination is lined with pasalubong shops where you can get boxes of buko pie and ube jam.

While there are numerous busses going to Tagaytay and Batangas, there is still no direct public transport that could lead you to Punta Fuego. The best way to get there is still with a map and your own car.

72 ENTERTAINMENT

Chatting with an Idol

By KC M. Abalos

Pinoys are invading the entertainment world one reality show at a time. In America’s Best Dance Crew, the Jabawockeez grooved to win the grand prize. In Amercian Idol, Jasmine Trias charmed her way to the top 4, while Ramiele Malubay, Camille Velasco and a host of others Filipino singers had more than just their 15 minutes of fame. Then of course, there’s Madonna Decena and Charlie Green who made their mark on Britain’s Got Talent. In Canada, Mikey Bustos created a sensation in 2003. And he hasn’t stopped since then in perfecting his sound as a true musical artist.

Illustrado interviewed Mikey Bustos to find out what it was like to be a Canadian Idol hopeful back then.

“I was living out a dream and that’s simply how to sum it all up. Dream after dream, week after week, meeting idols of mine like Mariah Carey, and performing for screaming fans who each drew attachment to my singing in their own ways, an artist can only be humbled by the grandeur of the experience,” recalls Mikey.

Grand indeed, though the singer seems destined for such a life. He has indeed come a long way since his first taste of fame and remembers, “at the time I was a singer but fairly unseasoned as a performer, and there is a difference. The very format of the show shaped me as much as it could in that time to grow as a performer.”

Since the competition, he has already performed with some of the biggest names in pop in North America, and is now busy promoting his first solo album.

Before Idol Mikey says he was just like any other boy while growing up. The only difference? “My mother used to dress me up in a white tuxedo and pink cummerbund and throw me in front of a karaoke machine before an audience,” he smiles good-naturedly. He recalls singing in front of audiences as early as when he was five years old. “It was the beginnings of something special, but I didn’t know it at the time. It was just fun!”

With his roots in the Philippines, it is not a surprise that Mikey has the vocal chops and the love of music to begin with, but he says that he hails from a family that isn’t exactly musically inclined.

He shares, “nobody in my family sings, except for one uncle. Even my parents don’t sing or dance. I think it was a genetic mutation that happened. The artistically mutated DNA even carried on to my brother. My brother is an actor, dancer, and visual artist.”

ENTERTAINMENT 73 He may not have to thank his genes for his talent but he certainly is thankful for his family and the Filipino community when he was gunning for the coveted Canadian Idol title. The days during his Idol run were like a town fiesta and an EDSA rally rolled into one.

“Yes, I knew the Fil-Cans had my back!

They filled the seats in the live audience, and if you watch my top 10 performance on YouTube you can hear them all cheering and see their signs. It was invigorating to have such a great support base early in the competition and throughout.”

After Idol Even up to now, Mikey feels the community’s support. But his audience has exponentially grown from his home in Toronto, Canada. From Filipinos back home in the Philippines to foreigners from all over the world. Though even with a wider following, Mikey professes that he will always have a special spot for his Filipino audience, “I’m proud to be Pinoy! When I perform for fellow Filipinos, a special place in my heart is set ablaze. It has always been the hugest honor to represent the nation of my origin, and to bring Filipino artists to the international forefront. Pinoy ako!

Maraming salamat po!”

Over the past six years since the show, Mikey has toured with artists like the Pussycat Dolls and Cristina Aguilera while continuously honing his craft. With his many achievements so far and his determination to grow as an artist even more, the industry has taken notice of his undeniable talent and invigorating stage presence.

“I have learned and matured so much as an artist and as a person. I feel developing ones craft and sound is something that happens continually and is a process that never quite ends because we as people are continually changing.” He states with words that are tinged with the maturity of a true artist’s soul.

“My dream has been the same since I was very little. I will not stop until I have sung for the entire world, and my adventures and accomplishments along the way will keep me going until I get there. Even if I do get there, my next step would be to sing for the entire universe and the aliens beyond!”

He declares with much humor and passion.

Then adds, “I seriously also would LOVE to perform in Dubai and have my own solo concert in Manila, Philippines—two very special dreams of mine since I was young!”

Other goals on his list include creating a flourishing acting and modeling career, as well as managing other artists eventually.

He is currently the President of Bustos Entertainment Inc, an entertainment company geared towards handling all of the fun business for his flourishing career and other artists Mikey plans to sign in the future. He and his company are also launching Mikey TV before the end of May. He dreams big and, what’s even more admirable is that he backs up these grand visions with discipline and hard work.

Now, with his solo album entitled Memoirs of a Superhero, he is facing the world with as much anticipation and zest as when he first auditioned for Idol.

When asked about his album, he gets all excited. Illustrado asked him his favorite tracks in the cd. He answers, “my songs are like my babies. It’s hard to pick favorites and I love them all for different reasons.

However now I’m really feeling “Every time My Heart Beats” and “One Song At A Time” both of which I remember were birthed through a special kind of emotional energy and sentiment.”

Energy and sentiment, two words that capture the artistry of one Mikey Bustos.

Together with his talent, there is no doubt that his plans to perform for the world, nay, the universe is just a matter of time.

Get up close and even more personal with Mikey Bustos! Visit his website: http:// www.mikeybustos.ca.

74 FILIPINISMS

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.

Dibidi?

The Pinoy’s (National) Pastimes BY: ABY YAP

Forget P.E.D.R.O.S. (Playing, Eating, Dancing, Reading, Outing, Singing) —remember what you used to write on the space under ‘Hobbies’ in those (pa)cute and candy-scented slum books back in elementary and high school? Now is the time to fully embrace and take pride in our new pambansang pastimes: DVD and KTV. Umm, do I have to spell them out?!

Dibidi Dibidi Go to Quiapo/Divisoria/Baclaran and even the more sosyal areas of Greenhills/ Metrowalk/St. Francis Square/Ayala Ave., or MRT stations/markets/sidewalks wherever there are people, there are DVD peddlers. “Mam, ser… ano hanap n’yo?

DVD copy? Blu-ray technology?”

Naks, high-tech piracy!

Yeah, they always have the latest —

Hollywood flicks, Tagalog blockbusters, Korean TV series, Japanese anime, Taiwanese concerts, the Pacquiao fights broadcasted a few minutes ago! There are even hard-to-find classics — Akira Kurosawa films, anyone? For PHP50 to PHP80 a piece (depending on how adept you are at haggling), or as low as PHPP20, you can now have your personalized movie theater right in your own home. If you’re in the mood for love, grab that 25-in-1 romance DVD collection. That’s 25 films

of the cheesiest plots and corniest scripts to fill up the empty nights that ensue after breaking up with your boyfriend. You can also schedule a one day tribute for each of your silver screen idols through a DVD anthology of their filmography. How about an all Robin Padilla-starrer today and an Angelina Jolie film fest tomorrow? And, well, now that you have enough money to buy popcorn and a 1.5-liter soda, there’s no more reason for you not to enjoy the complete cinematic experience with your

FILIPINISMS 75

family, friends, and the whole barangay without burning your pockets too badly.

Never mind if, while watching, you see ‘extras’ standing up and snorting every now and then or some of the actors’ faces are half hidden or blurry.

But, of course, there’s that multi-faceted issue of piracy. What about the local film industry? How would Mother Lily and her Regal babies giving us quality films when they’re losing millions to piracy? What about our moral values, that ‘thou shalt not steal thy neighbor’s copyrights’ commandment?

How would it affect our nation’s image, its political and economic situation? Are we pleased to be at the receiving end of pirated DVDs from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China? Do we contribute to acts of terrorism and child labor when we support these goods?

What would we do if Edu Manzano and his team of piracy busters catch us buying pirated DVDs with profound glee on our faces? What would we do if our original Panasonic DVD player refuses to play the many DVDs we so deliriously acquired?

Should we shell out money (again) for its copycat, the ‘Pensonic’ DVD player?

Dilemmas, dilemmas. If only these pirated DVDs weren’t as hot as Capt. Jack Sparrow…

Dubidubidu Dubidudu Friday nights and the lights are low, looking for a place to go — where else but sing your heart out via videoke? Annie Batungbakal might have had the time of her life in the disco, but for most of us performanceloving Pinoys, it’s singing and dancing or singing and emoting that make us forget our third-world woes. With those lyrics flashing on the TV screen to alert us when exactly to exercise our vocal chords, why, we’ve (almost) upgraded to the likes of divas!

So where do we hold these mini concert series? There’s the KTV bar, which is ideal for the talented, or the confident, at the very least. Well, for sure, if you can stand center stage in front of other customers doing a Whitney Houston or F4 medley, you’d have to be either very good or walang hiya. But if you’d rather not be discovered

by Alpha Records and prefer to keep your talent hidden (because, frankly, it’s best

Birit! to leave it that way), then (please) just go to Music 21 or Red Box. In the privacy of their air-conditioned rooms (unfortunately, not sound-proof), in the company of your best friends, you and your partner can render your version of Endless Love while everyone else gorges on the food and drinks you’ve ordered, secretly wishing for your turn on the microphone to be over.

Uh, okay, so you’re the kurips type? You prefer to pay per song, like you pay per game at the video arcade. Then simply pay for the videoke token, worth less than PHP20, the arcade offers. Is the price is still too much for you? Just follow the sound of drunken voices singing Bon Jovi hits somewhere in the vicinity of your barangay and chances are, there’s a videoke machine waiting just for you. Cross your fingers and wish that there’s not much competition in queue for that much-coveted mic. For PHP5 per song, you can realize your ultimate fantasy of being Jessa Zaragoza. And you’d even have the privilege to do community service by entertaining the lashenggos who’ve long declared any place that has a videoke machine as their official hang-out. A word

of caution, though: never sing Frank Sinatra’s My Way if you’re sintunado, or you might lose the chance to find your way back into life.

To keep yourself alive and singing, just rent the videoke machine for a day to celebrate your birthday/promotion/wedding/ anniversary/life at a cost that doesn’t hurt, around PHP500 or so. But if you’re so dead set on becoming the next Charisse Pempengco or Arnel Pineda, better invest in your own videoke DVD player or Magic Sing to practice all you can at home. That’s thousands of pesos at stake, but hey, that’s 35,000 English/Tagalog/ Visayan/Japanese/Korean/Chinese songs — enough for you to sing in this lifetime until you finally have the courage to join K! TheOne Million Videoke Challege and the Singing Bee. Another advice: take it easy on the birit, baby, when belting out I Will Survive especially at night, even if that’s the only way you can score a 100. You won’t survive the ire of your neighbors trying to sleep. And with the current proposal to ban videoke machines around the country, you could be the next target in the list!

76 FILIPINISMS

The Annie B (Batobalani) Chronicles

The adventures and misadventures of a ‘not so average’ Pinay trying to make it in the cosmopolitan city of Dubai.

Chronicle

30

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIYAH GASPACHO

Forced LEAVE? or Forced FIRED?

Krisis the Moment Sa pelikulang “Temptation Island” ni Joey Gosengfiao noong 1980, wherein four beauty contestants from the Miss Manila Sunshine Beauty Pageant gets stranded in a deserted island, showed how one will do everything just to survive from the fitting. Nang hindi na nila matiis ang gu-Tom Jones, uhaw at mala-Dubai summer heatwave weather without any SPF 20 lotion and moisturizers, they started to see things that were not real.

Halluciditations ika nga. From out of the blue moon, bigla na lang silang nakakita ng gigantic fried chicken (as in mala-bundok na one whole Max’s Spring Chicken sa laki), ng naglalakihang ice cream at mga higanteng industrial electric fans na bumubuga ng fresh, cool air sa buong paligid. Naloka sila at nagemote at nagpo-pose sa tabi ng mga ito as if napapawi ang gutom, uhaw at init na nadarama nila nang mga sandaling yon.

How creative di ba? At glam pa rin ang mga sexy starlets habang nagpapakasasa sa ilusyon nila. Yan ang topic natin ngayon. How to be fab during this Global Economic Crunch. Oo, it’s here and nararamdaman nating lahat ang effect ng recession. But by thinking positive, we all know that this too shall past (sinabi yan sa “My Best Friend’s Wedding”)

– pasasaan ba at matatapos din lahat itong depressing period na ito. Echosera ba? Maniwala ka sa akin. Living proof na example ako nyan eh.

Last month, may kumalat na tsismax sa aming opisina na dahil nga raw sa recession, people have stopped buying luxury goods. Mga kaartehan na pagkakagastusan lang tulad ng aming mga fashion products. Ibig sabihin, tigil muna sa pagpapaganda ang mga utaw habang taghirap – baka sakali ngang mauso ang squatter look eh atleast vogue na vogue pa rin sila. Ekkkk!!! Wrong!!!

Tag-hirap na nga tapos hahayaan mo pang magmukhang mahirap ang itsura mo? Mali di ba? Napaka-short term ng vision ng mga taong ito. Definetely the signs of a true fashion victim. Sobra kung makiuso ika nga.

Heniwey, dahil nga sa sobrang baba ng sales at performance ng aming company at on hold halos karamihan ng mga orders namin from our clients all over the world ay kailangang mag-forced leave ang karamihan sa amin upang makabawas at makabawi sa operation costs and expenses. But that is just the icing on the tip of the iceberg. May mga ibang staff na kailangang tsugiin for good – either early

or forced retirement or termination of contract. Walang choice ang company dahil sa tindi ng crisis na tumama dito.

It’s the only way to save the company – so kailangang may mga i-sacrifice. Isa –isang tinatawag at nire-review ang lahat sa office ng GM namin. Para kaming naging instant contestants ng isang beauty contest – yun nga lang, we’re not rooting for ourselves na mapili… kasi ayaw naming matsugi!

Ay, pikit-mata akong dedma sa buong magdamag noon. Miski sa loob ng pantry, kunyari wala akong nakikita o nakakasalubong. Mahirap na chumika baka any moment ikaw na pala yung laman ng chika at intriga! Miski nuong mag-uuwian na, wala pa ring nagsasalita kung sino ba ang nabiktima ng bad news.

Nang tawagin ako ng aking boss, uminom muna ako ng isang latang Red Bull at nagre-touch ng aking fez. Sabay hinga ng malalim habang nag-catwalk sa loob ng kanyang office. Ang verdict: forced leave ako for two months. Ibig sabihin, ligtas ako, may trabaho pa rin pero nakapause muna for 2 months – 60 days na walang sweldo, income, datung, bread.

Pero may babalikan pa rin. Miski pang top-20 semi-final round ay nakahinga ako ng maluwag-luwag… haaayy, ligtas

FILIPINISMS 77

think positive!

patuloy na bongga ang aura!

Go!

Dapat um-outfit pa rin

ako! Hahaha! Biglang nabuhay muli ang mundo ko at sumigla ang pakiramdam.

Salamat at hindi ako minalas na mawalan ng trabaho. Kailangang kailangan ko kasi eh. Bukod sa limang pinapag-aaral kong mga pamangkin eh pareho pang buntis ang ate at hipag ko. Laking perhuwisyo kung hindi ko sila matutulungan man lang. Two months? Kaya ko yun!!! Ako pa? Eh sino ba ang reyna ng raket dito sa Dubai??? Baka nga mas malaki pa ang kitain ko sa kakaraket ko eh. Baka blessing in the sky pa nga itu, dizzizit!

Muntik na akong mapasayaw ng “All the single ladies!!” sa labis na saya ko nang bigla nakita ko si Stacy, ang South African na sekretarya ng kabilang department na nag-aalsa-balutan at humihikbi sa kanyang desk. Lalapitan ko sana pero bigla kong nakasalubong si Mohammed 8 (oo, de numero ang tawag sa kanya sa sobrang dami nilang magkakapangalan sa office) na lukot ang pagmumukha at nakatungo lang sa sahig habang naglalakad. Nagback out ako bigla. Naisip kong bigyan muna ng space at sariling moment ang mga sinawimpalad kong mga officemate. Ano nga ba ang sasabihin ko? I’m sorry??? Bakit naman ako mag-aapologize kasalanan ko ba? At this point siguro manhid pa sila sa mga consuelo de

bobong messages ng mga tao. Obvious din na sila wala na samantalang kami nandito pa – may maitutulong ba yun?

Let them absorb it then mourn. Then pag malamig na, tsaka ako chichika.

I’ll help them move on. Wala naman kasi mangyayari kung magiging Bitter Ocampo ka forever sa company mo di ba? This happens to almost everybody naman everywhere around the whole new world. Basta importante, makabangon muli. Put the Fita in the fighter in you.

The sun will come out tommorow, I love yah, tomorrow…you’re always a day awaaayyyy!!!

Paalis na ako ng office nang sumaglit lang ako sandali sa toilet. Narinig ko may umuungol na parang asong ulo sa loob ng cubicle. Hindi naman siguro minumulto ang kasilyas namin no? Binuksan ko ang pinto at nakita ko si Leonie – ang babaeng humugot sa akin upang tadyakan ko siya… ang mortal enemy ko… ang Negastar ng daigdig ko… ang bad news sa buhay ko – na tumutulo ang sipon sa kakahagulgol ang demonya! Basang basa na ng sipon ang fake nyang Burberry hankie kaya inabot ko ang sa akin – atleast malinis at hindi peke. Tumigil sya sa kakaiyak at tinitigan ang panyong inaabot ko.

Sabay lingon sa akin with matching tiger

SAVE WATER AND ELECTRICITY!

Aruy-HIRAP!

ASIA EXPRESS SHIPPING AGENCY 603 Office Court Building, Oud Metha Road, P.O. Box 50438, Dubai, UAE Tel: +9714-336 9666; Fax: +9714-336 8959 e-mail: lorenzo@aesa.ae

• AESA - well known for customized full package “ALL IN” rates for export vehicles both commercial and personal under OFW category to the Philippines • AESA - specialized in moving containerized shipments of household goods/personal effects to the Philippines • AESA - also handles foodstuff, fresh and frozen fruits (perishables) and condiments from the Philippines to the UAE • AESA has team of professional, dedicated, efficient and, most of all, experienced personnel ready to provide solutions to any of your freighting requirements worldwide.

• AESA offers a wide range of logistics control and supply line management services.

Shipping Agency, Ship Broker and Management, Chartering and Ship handling, International Freight Forwarding (IFF), Airfreight & Sea freight, Cargo Consolidation, Project Logistics, Customs E-Clearance Facility, Brokerage (Airfreight & Sea freight), Road Transportation & Hauling (Containerized & Break Bulk mode), Local Distribution, Packing & Removals, Warehousing & Cold Storage, and Marine Insurance Agent.

ALWAYS EXPRESS, SECURED ALL THE TIME! CALL US 04-336 9666

Let your child experience the joy of learning

PHILIPPINES: +6344-760300

DUBAI: 04-398 6218