OCT 15 - NOV 15 2010
45
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
THE PINOY MALE PHILIPPINE BUSINESS CLIMATE THE RISE OF SELF OF SELF-EMPLOYMENT & ENTREPRENEURIALISM ADRENALINE: THE GAMES PINOYS PLAY A PEEK INTO THE FILIPINO MALE’S BRAIN GLOBAL BARRIO MY PINOY LIFE I THAILAND THE ANNIE B. CHRONICLES
Photo by Eros Goze
EDITOR’S NOTE
No guts. No glory.
In my two decades here in the emirates, I have met a lot of Filipinos and their families; not only my contemporaries, but also my parents’ peers. I have seen a few of them become hugely financially successful through the years, but for the overwhelming majority, their situation in life remains largely unchanged – they are still struggling. The only difference is that now, their kids have grown up and have also joined them in their effort to eke out a decent living. The main difference between those who made it big, and those who didn’t was the willingness to take a risk and jump into entrepreneurship. There’s a best-selling book written by Larry Gamboa PhD., “Think Rich Pinoy,” which teaches you how to become “fabulously wealthy” where the author postulates that “the lower the formal educational attainment, the greater the chances of becoming wealthy. And even among entrepreneurs, the higher the educational degree, the lower the degree of entrepreneurial success.” He realized this after seeing that wealth in his family was inversely proportionate to education, and after looking at the lives of the Philippines’ mega entrepreneurs John Gokongwei, Henry Sy and Lucio Tan. The author laments, “Our schools have taught us to think poor instead of thinking rich,” explaining that the Philippine educational system teaches people to be employees instead of entrepreneurs. Quite a controversial concept, but one which holds a lot of water, when you think that most Pinoys, Overseas Filipinos (OFs) especially, would always work hard to improve their employment and financial status, but hardly ever see going into business as a viable option. Sadly, there are more people who complain about the lack of jobs and turn into “tambays,” but very few who would summon the courage and invest their creativity in putting up their own enterprise, regardless whether it is just a small venture or a one-man-show, even if that poses the possibility of exponentially growing their finances someday. Thankfully though, as the OF community matures in these parts, and with the recent global economic downturn which has somehow pushed people into considering non-traditional livelihood options, entrepreneurialism is becoming an increasingly attractive idea for a lot of Filipinos. But we’re not quite there yet. Hence, this issue is devoted to furthering the discussion on achieving financial independence. With this issue and our consistent efforts to bring you useful information through our regular Kabuhayan column, we hope that our kababayans will be more aware of their options and make better choices in ensuring that their hard earned money is made to work even harder to give them, not only a stable financial situation, but amazing success someday. This month’s edition also puts focus, for a change, on the Filipino male – our partners in life, their likes and wants, what makes them tick and what makes them move. October is an issue filled with more adrenaline than the usual, plus the other stuff that make Illustrado an overall interesting read. So here’s to the change of season and to the month of October. And remember, when it comes to livelihood or, for that matter, anything elsein life, it might be a cliché, but these words still ring true – “No guts. No glory.” Taas Noo, Filipino! LALAINE CHU-BENITEZ Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Send your letters to: editor@illustrado.net or join the discussion at Ilustrado magazine’s page on facebook
I started reading your magazine from those issues my dad sent me from Dubai, and I instantly fell in love with the way you connect to your readers. I love your articles, especially the Annie B. chronicles. I’m a communication major and I hope, in the near future, I can be part of your team. No harm in dreaming, right? More power to Illustrado! Eunice Nedamo
Anniversary greetings, etc. Bravissimo! Wonderful wonderful fourth Anniversary Issue, Illustrado! You guys are truly fabulous and deserve all the accolades. What an amazing collection of Filipino style. Congrats to the “One and Only” Furne One who’s reaping glory for Filipinos here in the UAE and everywhere he goes. Kudos also to all the Pinoy international designers you have featured as well – it’s great to see that we are excelling in creativity whether in New York, London, San Francisco and in other parts of the world. And your “Items of Envy”? Wow! I can’t get enough! Wish I could buy all of them here in Dubai. Etienne Sia Dear Illustrado. You should know that your recent September issue is something that can compete with any other magazine in the world. Yes, thank you for giving us something in our hands that we can show to the world that is world class and that makes us proud to be Pinoy. I do believe that we Pinoys deserve this kind of respect. Enough of the other stuff that makes us feel all bad and those that demean us and make us look very poor and small. Thank you for the boost Illustrado! Keep it up. Etienne Sia Happy 4th birthday! Time flies so fast. It’s amazing. It’s just like yesterday when I got introduced to this magazine when my friend shared her copy. We still like browsing through the pages and we wait for your issue every month. Still love the fashion pages and Annie B, and everything else. And it seems you just keep getting better and better. Keep it up, friends! Chennilyn Santos
a very challenging first few months. But I’m never a girl who gets scared – no way. I get excited every time I dress up in the morning, and even if I’m only in an entry level position, I find my work very interesting (it’s also a perk that I happen to work at a beautiful office at the DIFC). Also I’m still very much fascinated about this new place that I’m lucky to call my home for now (although I still have a lot of places I need to see during my free time). The bottomline is, here, I feel that I’m starting Hi there, Eunice! Thank you for the heads afresh and there are so many possibilities up! We are just here whenever you are ready. ahead. Perhaps, I can be one Filipino who You may e-mail us your writing samples at: will have a glamorous job someday, too? I illustrado@inbox.com Taas Noo, Filipino! can only make that happen. Just sharing my Ed thoughts… Lynne de Leon I remember how Illustrado grabbed my attention. With Epi Quizon on the cover, wearing a revolutionized street-design When I faced this choice to work/live abroad, of our native barong, I was, as always, it was just like having a toss of a penny. Not curious. because it settles the question, but because while the coin is in the air, you will know what Kudos to everyone behind Illustrado! You your heart is hoping for. Standing for what I have made fellow Filipinos all over the believe in regardless of the odds against me, world proud of their identity, enlightened and the pressure that tears at my resistance other nationals about the Filipino spirit in is courage and the willingness to take a risk. any endeavor, and inspired us to reach our Remember if we were all perfect in every full potential. Thank you too for giving us way, we wouldn’t be here. Life is a journey to a great learning experience because every progress your spirit! I maybe alone but never research for the write-ups was an eye- lonely though. I am in the process of positive opener and an adventure... and I’m sure change always. I am unfolding in fulfilling other writers would agree to that. ways. Start living! If there’s something you’ve Taas Noo! always wanted to try but have been putting Sharry Barry it off, do it now. Life is too short, celebrate change, enjoy and love all. Cheers! Hi Illustrado! Great magazine! Always Dino F. Doroja waiting for your next issue back here in Kuwait! Mabuhay ang mga Pinoy sa ME! Tabuena Arts Central More on Illustrado’s Photo Biennial I am so proud of the quality of this magazine! Congrats to Illustrado in advance! This will Taas Noo Filipino! Mabuhay! surely be a landmark photobook! Good luck Louis Eguaras to all photographers who submitted photos. Sana lahat tayo may at least one photo na makasama sa final selection. Cheers! Thoughts shared Bovet Damot Thank you for your feature on glamorous jobs. It really inspired me. I moved to Dubai just this year to try my luck, even though my friends back home were stopping me, what with all the bad news that was going on about Dubai and how people are not finding work. But I guess, I must be lucky because I was able to get work, with the help of my sis’ friends. It’s a new experience compared to my old job in Manila; so many different types of people at work, and different attitudes and behavior. I won’t say that I got culture shocked (haha), but it has been
This is it! Congrats na lang sa lahat ng mapipili at sa mga walang swerte,better luck next time. At sa mga hindi sumali, you missed a big chance! GO PINOY! SO PROUD TO BE PINOY! Rocky Gathercole This is really a good opportunity to showcase Filipino Talents. Ang galing talaga ng ILLUSTRADO more power to you guys. Mapili or hindi, I’m so excited to have a copy of it... Mario Cardenas
CONTRIBUTORS Bo Sanchez
Part of Preacher in Blue Jeans Bro. Bo Sanchez’s advocacy is to teach Filipinos to embrace a mindset of prosperity through entrepreneurialism. In this issue, Bo shares the experiences of his friend, as well as his own insights in being a persistent serial entrepreneur who never stops trying and growing. He also teaches us that the real key to making it big is being able to serve people.
Commercial Attaché Jose Ma. Dinsay
Joining us for this edition’s special focus on entrepreneurship is Hon. Jose Ma. Dinsay, Philippine Commercial Attaché for the emirates and Qatar and head of the Philippine Trade & Investment Centre (PTIC) in the UAE. A Chemical Engineer with an MBA from the De La Salle University, he joined the Foreign Trade Service in 2008. In this issue, he shares with us the special function of the PTIC and how would-be Filipino entrepreneurs can benefit from the support of the agency.
Bernadette Reyes
Sharing with us the pulse on Philippine economy 100 days after President Noynoy Aquino’s swearing in this month is contributor and GMA TV reporter Bernadette Reyes. A seasoned business writer, Bernadette also talks about a youth entrepreneurship program, as well as a new “pan de sal” business on the rise in the Philippines.
Francisco J. Colayco
Franchising is one of the increasingly popular ways of getting into business in the Philippines these days, and financial guru Francisco J. Colayco gives us the basics on how to get started in his regular column Kabuhayan-Money.
Loraine Balita
A young patriot with special appreciation for the Philippines, despite having seen other places around the world, writer and teacher Loraine Balita tells us about an eye opening “Intramuros Walk,” run by a passionate Filipiniana advocate, which is sure to remind us about our rich heritage and proud past. Here, Loraine reminds us all that we should not be strangers in our own backyard.
Ambassador Grace RelucioPrincesa
Philippine Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa who is a steadfast advocate of education and the creation of independent livelihood for Overseas Filipinos (OFs) reminds us once again about the importance of developing financial knowledge to bolster our move towards stability and independence. Check out her column “Bayanihan Corner” for information on the Philippine Embassy’s financial literacy program slated to benefit the Filipino community in the emirates.
Sherry Tenorio Filbert Kung and Glenn Peter Perez
It’s all about men this month for Illustrado regular Sherry Tenorio. In this October issue, writer and editor Sherry delves into the male mind and finds out what makes our men tick. She also looks into the adrenaline-loaded pastimes of Pinoys in the emirates. Turn the pages for a dose of testosterone.
Perennial fixtures in the Manila fashion and publishing scene are BlackFox photographers Filbert Kung and Glenn Peter Perez who have shot for many of the metro’s glossies. In this month’s fashion editorial, the young guns capture athletes from the Philippine Rugby Football Union alongside Filipina-French/Australian beauty Anthea Murfet.
Publisher & Editor-in Chief Lalaine Chu-Benitez Associate Editor Vic Lactaoen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS UAE, Philippines, USA Aby Yap JR Bustamante Anna Lorraine Balita Jude Cartalaba Bernadette Reyes Karen Galarpe Bo Sanchez KC Abalos Carlito Viriña Krip Yuson Chayie Maligalig Lawrence Diche David Poarch Shar Matingka Excel Dyquiangco Sherry Tenorio Flordeliz Samonte Sonny Guzman Francisco Colayco Vic Lactaoen Isabel Warren Victor Sollorano Isabelo Samonte Ivan Henares Jack Catarata Jesse Edep ART DIRECTORS Tom Bolivar Paula Lorenzo Ron Perez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS UAE Illuminado Ong Pot Ph Ik Lumberio Melandro Sanggalang Mac Antonio Jit Sanggalang Eros Goze CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS PHILIPPINES Dr. Marlon Pecjo Glenn Peter-Perez Filbert Kung CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS & FASHION TEAM UAE Zekundo Chu Basil Yunting Jessie Tabla Gene 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 PRINTERS PRINTWELL PRINTING LLC P.O. Box 18828 Dubai, UAE Copyright Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC 2006-2010. 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.
48 CONTENTS
OCT 2010
In this issue Filipina-British model Anthea Murfet kicks-it as one of the boys with the athletes of the Philippine Rugby Football Union National Team in “Play to Win.”
FEATURES
The First 100 Days – Business Climate in the Phils. 10 Going Solo: Self Employment and Entrepreneurship Rising 14 Philippine Trade and Investments 18 Youth Entrepreneurship in the Philippines 20 A Peek into the Male Brain 36 Adrenaline: The Games Pinoys Play 40 Philippine Rugby Exceeds Expectations in 2010 60
72
REGULAR COLUMNS
Editor’s Note 1 Letters 2 Contributors 6 Contents 7 Bayanihan Corner 12 Illuminati –Mami’t Siaopao as Big Biz 22 Pinoy Entrepreneur 24 Kabuhayan: The Bread Bag Pandesal Bar 26 Kabuhayan Money: Entrepreneurship Thru Franchising 28 Spirituality: Prosper! 30 Global Barrio News 34 Illustrado Scrapbook 44 Community 82 Onli in da Pilipins: EntrePinoy 84 Annie B Chronicles: Ang Tipo Kong Lalaki 86 Classifieds Listing: Filipino & Filipino-Oriented Establishments 91
PLACES
TTrippin’: Five Things to Do this Month 68 Trippin’: Intramuros Walking Tour 70 Bakasyon Grande: Finding yourself at The Farm 72 Globetrotter’s Blog: New York City, Michael Cinco 76 My Pinoy Life in: Songkhla, Thailand, Angel Jerlin Balais 78
FASHION
Play to Win 48 Runway Revolution: Splash AW 2010 Fashion Show 65 Illustrado Runway 66
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10 FEATURE
The
First 100 Days:
© Ferdinand Bernales | Dreamstime.com
By Bernadette Reyes
A look at the Philippine Business Climate
“Gagawin nating kaaya-aya sa negosyante ang ating bansa. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance, to business,” President Benigno Aquino III said in his Inaugural Address last June 30. Barely a month after, he again addressed the country in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) this time with a more concrete plan of action towards a more conducive business climate in the Philippines. “Ang walang-katapusang pabalik-balik sa proseso ng pagrehistro ng pangalan ng kumpanya, na kada dalaw ay umaabot ng apat hanggang walong oras, ibababa na natin sa labinlimang minuto,” the President said. “Ang dating listahan ng tatlumpu’t anim na dokumento, ibababa natin sa anim. Ang dating walong pahinang application form, ibababa natin sa isang pahina,” he added.
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Only weeks after the SONA, government agencies have started acting on these promises. According to Department of Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory Domingo improvements have started such as the creation of a secured national business registry database for easier processing of business information. Systems of the national government and local government units (LGUs) are also being linked to provide a seamless exchange of business registration-related information among organizations. “We will be able to automatically provide numbers for BIR, SSS, PAG-IBIG and Philhealth,” says Domingo.
FEATURE 11 A one-stop business center called The National Economic Research & Business Assistance Center (NERBAC) is already in place. NERBAC houses under one roof the functions of various government agencies to provide assistance for start-up businesses and expedite licensing. “This will include DTI, BIR, SSS, DOLE, DENR, MGB, SEC, Philhealth, CDA, among others to reduce turnaround time for business registration from 45 to 60 days to only one week,” Domingo explains. Today some 15 Regional and 43 provincial NERBACs in operation and more are expected to rise with better facilities. DTI will be working closely with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to reform business permit and licensing systems of LGUs beginning with the creation of a unified form. The process will only take less than 10 days for new applications and no more than five days for renewal. “DILG will take charge of automation,” says Sec. Jesse Robredo who was able to implement such reforms in Naga where he used to serve as mayor. “If we can do it in Naga, we can do it elsewhere. Kailangan dumami kami,” he added. The project will start rolling out in the next two to three months while more complex projects will be realized in six months to one year. DILG has included in its proposed budget for 2011 an additional PHP500 million for its proposed Performance Challenge Fund (PC fund) for LGUs. PC Fund is an incentive fund to be given to LGUs in a bid to align local development initiative with national government development agenda and priorities by rewarding LGUs that will demonstrate good performance. This, Robredo believes, will put pressure on the LGUs to do better.”We can compare different cities in so far as response and processing time is concerned. I can publish it in the newspaper; put it on the DILG website. I will tell everyone this is how it works in another locality and hopefully this is how it works in yours too. It’s a combination of offering incentive, peer pressure, of connecting the politician and how he performs in relation to what is important to them,” he says. DTI on the other hand is asking for an allocation of PHP250 million for the automation of its processes which will be in unison with plans of DILG to upgrade its systems. This project will not only improve the system but help stamp out corruption as well. “We can minimize corruption if the processes are faster using the right measures. Others would still have to go through the manual process while we go through transition but for the long term everything will be automated to prevent corruption,” says Domingo. The country seems to be on the right track. In 2009 Philippines ranked 40th in the World Competitiveness Survey. This year saw an improvement in the ranking as the country went up to 39th. On the other hand, Indonesia made a drastic climb from 42nd last year to 35th this year. The AIM Policy Center attributed the improvement on Indonesia’s ranking to its relentless effort to fight corruption and instill
transparency reforms through President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. “The lesson here is if Indonesia was able to turn its country around, President Aquino can do something. If he delivers on his campaign promise to run after the corrupt to show than in his administration there will be no corrupt deeds then international outlook will be so positive and our competitiveness ranking will improve and economic data will rise,” says Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, executive director of AIM Policy Center.
Change is starting to be felt in the overall business climate in the Philippines. Last September, the Philippine stock market reached a historic high after it breached the 3900 level on the back of positive economic data and bolstering investors’ confidence. “The PSEi broke new records on the back of robust economic indicators which solidifies the Philippine economic resiliency story. We continue to be inspired by the market’s performance which supports the reforms we have put in place,” says PSE president and chief executive officer Val Antonio B. Suarez. Meanwhile, the Philippine peso continues to appreciate against the US dollar and has already hit the 43-pesos mark in September ahead of investors’ expectations. International investment bank Morgan Stanley expects the peso to hit PHP43.50 before year end. According to a Morgan Stanley research paper entitled PHP: Staying in the Middle of the Pack, “The local currency will be buoyed by increased foreign capital inflows as the global economy continues to recover.” It further added that it expects the Philippine economy to grow by 3.8 percent this year higher than the lackluster growth of 0.9 percent in 2009. The performance of President Aquino in his first 100 days in office is crucial to confidence building among investors. The next step is to uphold transparency and safeguard integrity in the administration. Government agencies, the private sector and the citizens as a whole must work towards the realization of a reformed Philippines where not only business thrive but the lives of Filipinos as well. “The urgent task to improve business environment is not just to improve rankings but to spur more growth, more development and ultimately reduce poverty,” says Domingo.
12 BAYANIHAN CORNER
Livelihood: A Key to Success By Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa
“Repetitio mater studiorum.” This is a Latin phrase which means, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” This is what I have read recently and that is why I try to share the same message over and over again with our readers. As I have previously written in this column, according to Carlos Slim, currently the richest man in the world, the keys to success are education and livelihood. The first I discussed then. The second I would like to expound on now. And this comes at a good time, as the topic of the month for this illustrious magazine is entrepreneurship and “kabuhayan.” Migrants, especially workers, go to different parts of the world to earn a better living in order to improve their lives outside of their country of origin. Sadly, their dreams are broken when they forget to save, and are not able to move on to maximize the use of their hard earned financial resources through entrepreneurship. It has been studied over and over again that employment per se is insufficient and unable to lead to exponential growth for a person and his family, until some kind of livelihood or entrepreneurial activity is practiced. Having observed this, I am proposing to actively advocate to our “kababayans” the financial and entrepreneurial literacy programs of our government in partnership with NGO’s like Atikha, a Filipino word which means “unti-unting pagpupundar.” This is
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part of the reintegration program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) which endeavors to help Overseas Filipinos (OFs) to reintegrate personally, economically and with the community back home. The plan is to have a Training of Trainers on Financial Literacy (TOTFINLIT) in the United Arab Emirates and the provinces where the OFs are coming from. This will be held for two weekends in December for at least 30 participants - 15 in the Northern Emirates, 10 in Abu Dhabi and 5 in Al Ain. This program has been launched in Italy by Atikha supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the European Union (EU), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), OWWA and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The above program will hopefully be under the Pinoy Wise Movement (Pinoy Worldwide Initiative on Savings Investment and Entrepreneurship) - an information, value formation and educational campaign to encourage OFs and their families to save and invest their hard earned money. Information on this project will be disseminated by the Philippine Embassy in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate in Dubai and the Bayanihan groups of the Filcom organizations.
14 FEATURE
Going
Solo
By Lalaine Chu-Benitez
Independent Employment and Entrepreneurship Rising
For most professionals, especially Overseas Filipinos (OFs), leaving their jobs with the security and perks attached to it, to pursue independent livelihood, is probably one of the remotest things they would ever consider. However, the global recession and economic uncertainty of the last few years has shaken job security around the world and unsettled confidence in the traditional employment relationship, bringing about a new trend towards self-employment and entrepreneurialism. This year a worldwide survey called the Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI) reveals that a new wave of global free agents are emerging. The annual survey conducted by Kelly Services based in Canada, is meant to obtain insights on the global workforce. This year’s exercise included some 134,000 people throughout North America, Asia Pacific and Europe and brings to light how recent economic uncertainty has driven a considerable number of professionals from traditional employment. The KGWI survey shows that one in five professionals now work independently, and out of the professionals still employed in companies, 50 percent are considering going solo. According to Kelly Services Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer George Corona, “The economic downturn has resulted in a new way of thinking about careers and job security. Many people have watched their jobs disappear and now want to do something that puts them in more control of their career.” Unsurprisingly, the same trend is echoed in the Philippines, where, according to the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES),
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some 16.5 million, 50 percent of the 33 million strong country workforce, is self-employed as of November 2009 – a big 57 percent jump from the estimated 10.5 million self-employed Filipinos in 2008. According to the BLES, the unprecedented growth in the self-employed or informal sector is due to the worldwide economic downturn, with most of those moving to self-employment being displaced employees who lost their jobs when their companies have shot down due to financial troubles. The BLES considers the importance of this sector as one of the factors which helped to keep the Philippine economy afloat and maintain unemployment within manageable levels. Within the UAE, where data is not available in this particular sector, and where a number of independent professionals actually operate within a small business enterprise registration, self employment appears to remain an unpopular concept. Specifically in the emirate of Dubai which was hard hit by the economic downturn, majority of unemployed residents now actively looking for work, said that they
FEATURE 15 preferred to be employed rather than work for themselves, according to a release from the Dubai Statistics Centre in July 2010, which observed a decline of 19 percent in the city’s unemployment rate. Here, more than just the main concerns of uncertainty about earning a high regular income and the lack of adequate business support, which hinder would-be free agents from pursing their jump to independency, the prevailing system where expats are required to secure resident visas, which are normally based on regular employment, is quite an impediment. Still, it doesn’t mean that selfemployment is not an option for those who are dead set in going at it alone. Recent years have witnessed the rise in the number freelancers and independent contractors, especially with more and more companies keeping their headcount to the bare minimum, relying instead on the cost-efficient outsourcing of key services like accounting, IT, even the marketing and sales functions. Depending on one’s professional skills and experience there are many independent employment opportunities available which go beyond the traditional professional categories of being a doctor, lawyer and architect. These span the gamut from the food business, to the creative or design field, to specialist services, as well as online based jobs, among many others. Playing the role of veritable advertising, media, technology and fashion regional hub, the UAE has a myriad opportunities for those who are skilled enough to provide their services in the areas of graphic design, information technology, web design and development, media, marketing and PR consultancy, events, creative and technical content creation, photography and videography, fashion, hair and make-up styling, interior design, among a host of many other independent services. Those serious to get into selfemployment are given a boost by free zone entities like the Dubai Media City, twofour 54 (Abu Dhabi’s content creation community), as well as Creative City in Fujairah, which provide a licensing option that allows qualified professionals to operate as legitimate registered freelancers in the emirates. RAK Free Zone used to offer this license but discontinued it in 2009.
A freelance permit allows one to operate as a sole practitioner and enables him to conduct the activity in his birth name as opposed to brand name, the basic cost of which is quite accessible. Start-up costs in these free zones range from AED15,000 to AED30,00 per annum, and this allows approved freelancers to secure their license and residence visa, as well as lease a “hot desk” in a shared open office space with common work facilities. Those who want to engage in a business apart from providing their own professional services, with more people other than themselves and certainly more capital at their disposal, can look into the possibility of starting up their own small business enterprise. Although there are no dedicated incentives for small companies, businesses set-up in the UAE benefit from zero corporate and personal income tax. The free zones around the country usually offer ease of starting up,
as well as 100 percent ownership. While outside of these free zones, reforms have been introduced in 2009 to abolish the AED150,000 minimum capital requirement making it easier for new entrepreneurs to enter the market. This year, a government plan of introducing a special visa system to assist foreign entrepreneur start-ups of high commercial value has also been announced. According to published reports, this dynamic sector, including medium scale businesses, is growing at 25 percent per year with some 250,000 companies accounting for 60 percent of manpower in the emirates. With global workforce instability in the last two years, professionals around the world have had to reinvent themselves as autonomous free agents able to control, not only the way they operate, but also their own fate in the work market. Although it is a career path fraught with risks and challenges, self-employment is a viable option versus traditional employment, and provides an alternative source of livelihood which could lead to bigger things in the long run, for those who are bold, talented and are willing to meet the demands of going independent. While the UAE is unlike the US and the Philippines, where informal employment and freelancing is possible to virtually anybody, the country has infrastructure in place to support professionals in specific categories who are serious in establishing their own independent business. This is something worth considering for Filipinos who need to know that there is more than just one way to reach both career and financial success.
16 FEATURE
Independent Filipino professionals and small business entrepreneurs in the UAE share their insights on going soloEngr. Milo Torres IT Specialist/Artist Dubai Media City I became a registered self-employed professional at the Dubai Media City (DMC) in December 2004. Restructuring in my previous company caused my termination. I think the main reason was that the company can simply outsource my services and save a lot of money. The good thing is that the company extended my visa so I could look for another job. Several companies have given me opportunities but the offer was not so attractive. While I was looking for a good employer, I was also doing part time jobs as web designer and photographer, and I realized that my freelance earnings was much more than what companies are offering me for full time employment, especially considering that the time I spent working freelance was considerably less compared to being an employee. So I concentrated on marketing my own services instead and secured a business license at the DMC. So far, business has been good, and if not for the recession which has affected my business (as many of my regular clients cut their budgets) I could have upgraded my business license into LLC.
Sylvia De Quito Cyberadswebfirm.com Dubai After working for more than 3 years here in Dubai in a project management company as a web designer and presentation specialist, I was faced with the challenge to explore another level of my career. I decided to move my former business in the Philippines here after I learned how the market was growing rapidly and there was a need for many companies to make use of our services. With good connections in the market, I got some big clients. Then by word of mouth, clients slowly came in thru referrals. Our business was licensed in January this year. So far, the business is doing well and is picking up now in the market. We have more than 80 major websites in our portfolio, which will be maintained and renewed every year. We have got good clients like famous Dubai-based designers Furne One and Michael Cinco. Some big companies also are part of our database now. We have hired two extra web developers and a business development manager as the market demand is increasing.
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Ann Skrilec Myski Media and Advertising Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone It has always been in my goals to have my own business here in the UAE at the age of 30-35, and I don’t want to be an employee until I am already old or not capable of working anymore. I’ve already established other companies’ names, made them shine and popular and helped them a lot in economizing by doing all the work. So this time I wanted to create my own world, establish my own name, use my ability to do whatever I want, and be known for this. A lot of people were very skeptical about me starting my own business in February this year, amidst the financial crisis, but I do believe that when you feel that the time is right, then it’s time to do it. We first started as online web and marketing consultancy, M.Ad Marketing Dubai, in 2007, but because of busy work schedules I lost focus there. So when I’ve decided to resign from my former full time hotel job, I endeavored to continue what was started and to enhance it. We just rebranded ourselves three months ago and registered the company in February in Ras Al Khaimah - Myski Media and Advertising provides graphic, web, marketing, media and business services. Our specializations are graphic and web designing plus secured web hosting for all types of companies in and out of the UAE.
Myrna Rebulanan-Anderson Lightform International - FZE Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone My business offers photography and videography services with professional studio equipment. Ever since I was young, I have always been interested in taking a look at photographs and this has created a deep passion in me. So when I resigned from Etisalat, where I have worked for 14 years, I used my gratuity as start-up capital. The cheapest place to register my business without any national partner is in Ras Al Khaimah-FZE and they provided me a flexi and virtual office with PC computer, fax machine, post box office, etc. At the moment, I have two sponsored staff and I am planning to expand the business in the near future. So far, despite the recession, I can say that we have been fortunate to have had good clients like the Dubai Municipality, Dubai Duty Free, Canon Middle East, J.K. & Sons, M.E., M.K. Trading, Panasonic, M.E., Salam Studio LLC, GMA 7, Philippines, ABS CBN M.E., Hamarain Center, Ponderosa Restaurants and Saleh Bin Lahej LLC, among others.
18 FEATURE
Promoting
Fil Trade & invesTmenT By Philippine Commercial Attaché Jose Ma. S. Dinsay
to the World
Investors looking for opportunities in the Philippines, and Filipino entrepreneurs seeking business ventures whether in the emirates or back home, have a dedicated Philippine government agency in the UAE that could assist them in a myriad of ways. Popularly known for facilitating trade missions, the local Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) does more than just that. Philippine Trade and Investment Centers (PTICs) are offices in international posts representing the Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC) of the Department of Trade and Industry’s International Trade Group. Today, members of the FTSC are present in 34 Philippine Embassies and Consulates General in 23 countries in Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia and the Pacific. There are two PTICs in the UAE located in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. These government agencies have one clear overriding goal – that is, to promote Philippine trade and investments in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Their main functions are - trade and investment promotion, commercial intelligence, trade negotiations and service to Overseas Filipino Investors (OFIs). They connect trading businesses of Philippine companies and foreign investors with their counterparts. This task is primarily carried out by professionals popularly known
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as commercial attachés or commercial counselors who man their respective posts abroad. In the UAE, both PTIC-Abu Dhabi and PTIC-Dubai are currently supervised by Commercial Attaché Jose Ma. S. Dinsay with jurisdiction over Qatar as well.
Bolstering Philippine trade The goal of PTIC is not just to explore and promote the export potential of Philippine products and services abroad. It also facilitates matches between Philippine exporters and buyers in different markets. It identifies business opportunities that are communicated to investors and exporters. After careful planning and preparations, it gives direct support to overseas and private sector businesses. These include in-store promotion, catalogue shows, and campaigns with foreign businesspersons. It also organizes trade missions to and from the Philippines to establish or strengthen business relations.
FEATURE 19 marketers, are encouraged to promote investment and inform PTICUAE of any leads on interested investors to the Philippines so they can be provided proper assistance.
In Service to Filipino Investors OFIs are given trade and investment information and advice. This will assist them should they decide to venture on investing or becoming entrepreneurs in the Philippines. PTIC-UAE has given special attention to its task of supporting prospective entrepreneurs, recognizing the contribution of SMEs to the Philippines’ economy and the readiness of the UAE Filipino community on venturing into business. In the UAE particularly, the Filipino community is steadily maturing and displays increased interest in entrepreneurship, what with the high percentage of professionals with good paying jobs, or long time residents with savings. Furthermore, with the effect of the global recession and recent experiences of expats in the country, Filipinos have become acutely aware of the importance of saving and investing back home, especially since one has to prepare for the time one has to settle back home for good.
In the past 12 months, the PTIC UAE has organized four inbound business missions bringing in more than 50 UAE buyers to visit exhibits and meet with companies in the Philippines. It has also assisted in the participation of the Philippines and Philippine companies in five international exhibits in the UAE covering food, furniture, herbal and organic products and textile industries. During the same period, two outbound business missions were organized in the UAE and Qatar for food and herbal/organic products. Philippine companies get an opportunity to present their products to the country’s leading distributors though one-on-one meetings during these outbound business missions. The PTIC UAE also actively partners with retailers for in-store promotion projects of Philippine products. One such recent project was done with EMKE Group - the Philippine Festival held in all Lulu Supermarkets and Hypermarkets across the UAE.
Investment to the Philippines The Philippines is a prime investment site and many global financial institutions recognize so. This is why PTIC participates in investment missions introducing foreign investors to Philippine businessmen who are open to capital infusion. It also presents investment opportunities in the Philippines to prospective investors. Once potential and prospective investors (including OFIs) are identified, investment advice and counseling are provided to them. Interested investors may secure information from PTIC-UAE regarding investment requirements and incentives, industry profiles, opportunities and ready-to-go projects in priority sectors like tourism, mining, real estate, agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure and manufacturing. Overseas Filipinos (OFs), being the country’s most effective
Still, for those who plan to stay put, entrepreneurship is also a viable option as it is relatively easy for expats to put up a business in the UAE. Although the PTIC’s task is to support prospective OF entrepreneurs to invest in the Philippines, it also provides assistance to OFs who wish to start up a business in the UAE. In fact, the agency believes that a successful model of bringing in OFs to invest in the homeland is to have them start in the emirates and later move to the country. One such successful example is the case of Isabel Warren who has started with a distribution company, Tritrade International, in the UAE before introducing her own Nanay Tuneng food brand to the market. She now has her own manufacturing facility in the Philippines with 50 employees and expects a 300-strong staff once all her businesses in the country operate full blast. To support prospective Filipino entrepreneurs, the PTIC-UAE conducts trainings and seminars, in partnership with other agencies like the OWWA- AUH and Land Bank of the Philippines, on Financial Planning, Investment Planning, Business Planning and Starting a Business in the Philippines. In the past two months alone, more than 100 Filipinos have benefited from these seminars. These were organized through the different Filipino organizations in the UAE like the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers of Abu Dhabi and the Kapampangan Aguman Association of Dubai. Filipino organizations may contact PTIC-UAE should they wish to avail of the seminar. PTIC-UAE also welcomes volunteers, with the sincere intention of doing something for the community, who would wish to participate in any of its seminars as resource speakers on special business topics. Prospective investors and entrepreneurs may contact PTIC-UAE at the following (+9714) 2236526, or email at comatuae@emirates.net. ae. Office locations - Philippine Trade and Investment Center – Abu Dhabi: 2nd Floor, Philippine Embassy, Villa 8, 8th Street, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, PO Box 3215; Philippine Trade and Investment Center – Dubai: Suite 1507, 15th floor, Al Masraf Bldg., Baniyas Street, Dubai, PO Box 14066.
20 FEATURE
Youth
Entrepreneurship in the Philippines By Bernadette Reyes
Unemployment and underemployment are high among Filipino youths today. Their relative inexperience and the existing jobs mismatch hinder them from landing decent jobs, yet, quite a number of them manage to thrive by turning to entrepreneurship to haul them out of the black hole. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), world youth population is at a historic high of over 1.5 billion and another 1 billion young people will enter the labor market within the next ten years. The increasing youth population against a narrow job market will result in tougher competition for employment, if not at all, an impossible scenario for some to land a job a decade from now. In the Philippines only four out seven Filipino youth are either employed or actively seeking employment. In the hopes of bridging the unemployment gap, the Philippine Youth Business Foundation (PYBF) was established to assist young people ages 18 to 30 become self-sustaining entrepreneurs. Young people with feasible business ideas are entitled to a formal source of funding to bankroll their business. “Viable business plans are screened by a cross-functional panel composed of volunteer business people from partner companies. An approved applicant will be provided either a start-up capital or additional support for an existing business,” PYBF Program Manager Maria Elena Balasi explained. The amount of grant may range from PHP5,000 to PHP100,000.
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Unlike a bank loan and other personal loans, the assistance which PYBF offers is more than monetary with a mentoring program in place to keep track of the success, failures and transition of its recipients and provide help and support whenever necessary. Typically, mentoring is a one-on-one relationship between the mentor and a young entrepreneur where a mentor will be available for around 4 to 5 hours a month. The development of the business will be followed for up to three years. Mentoring involves phone calls, emails, meetings, and specific issues are covered depending upon the needs of the beneficiary. “Mentoring is a relationship rather than a service and as such is given free of charge. Therefore, it allows the youth to benefit from the knowledge and experience of business people they would not usually have access to,” said Balasi. The mentoring program creates an environment conducive to encouragement, guidance, advice and recognition for the development of PYBF beneficiaries as well as their business. Some of the most common types of business in which the Filipino youths are involved these days include internet café, bake shop,
FEATURE 21 carinderia, sari-sari store, beauty parlor and small electronics repair shop. These are also the types of business funded by PYBF with trading or retail type businesses such as sarisari store as the most common followed by food and service-oriented businesses. While trading businesses are the most common these are not necessarily the most successful or sustainable. According to PYBF data, 67 percent of service businesses (funded by PYBF) such as cell phone repair, motorcycle tire recapping etc. survive well beyond their first year. This is followed by food services such as ice-cream manufacturing, small restaurants etc. Ricardo Pimentel is one of PYBF’s beneficiaries whose cell phone repair business has grown over the years. His business has expanded to include an accessories shop and is currently generating a substantial income. “Good management of finances is very important in the success of a business,” he said. Capital intensive businesses such as Pimentel’s also have a tendency to employ three or more people. “Entrepreneurs engaged in these businesses tend to apply their funds towards the acquisition of fixed assets such as equipment and other hard items needed for their business which makes barriers to exit higher than those engaged in less capital intensive businesses,” Balasi explained. Yet even the most brilliant business idea could fail in the absence of an entrepreneur’s genuine desire to undertake the business. Others struggle to reconcile business with the family. Many businesses funded by PYBF that closed shop fell into insolvency as cash of businesses were depleted due to family emergencies. Opinion of family members may also influence business decision which could cause irreparable damage. Balasi said, “Families that do not have an entrepreneurial culture tend to be risk averse and discourage risks which entrepreneurs have to take in running a business. This is usually the case when there is a co-dependency of income and parents see their children as potential providers.” Successful entrepreneurs on the other hand are focused, strong and open-minded, committed, flexible, creative, resourceful, confident, and disciplined on the type of venture they want. Although business will have its highs and lows, an entrepreneurial spirit will be able to weather challenges like Ferdinand Joven, another PYBF beneficiary, who instead of giving up the family’s siomai business after her mother suffered a stroke took over the operations. Through the PYBF loan, Joven was able to buy three food carts and rented a small kitchen. Her mother’s condition and the family’s need to survive motivated him to keep the business moving forward. Like Joven, Balasi said entrepreneurs, young as they may be, must be willing to take risks and have the initiative to make innovations. “They should comply with the needs and requirements of the business and try not to believe right away with a lot misconceptions in the labor market i.e., it takes a lot of money to finance a new business,” Balasi said.
PYBF is a non-stock, non-profit organization that relies on grants and donations to provide the necessary financial and technical support to qualified applicants. Given the difficulty of raising money in the Philippines for causes such as PYBF’s, priority will be more directed towards mentoring and support on a free of charge basis than purely the provision of finance although financial support will also be provided where justified. “We truly believe that these young entrepreneurs could provide substantial hope for our nation particularly, our economy. We will continue and support unceasingly to give a light to those inopportune but promising young minds, in our own ways.”
With the shrinking employment opportunities in the country today against a backdrop of growing youth population, young people should look into the possibility of putting up their own business not only for survival but for a promising future as well. Balasi said, “In entrepreneurship, there a lot of creative ways to earn money along with the new knowledge, skills, development of attitude, new faces and fruitful partnerships those entrepreneurs will establish. Combining learning and earning by doing, it can give young people a great advantage in life.”
22 ILLUMINATI
Mami't siopao
as big business By Krip Yuson
Now what do I know of entrepreneurship? Short of nothing, except that I admire certain matrons from the poorer sections of our city of Pasig who banded together and started recycling juice tetrapacks into all kinds of nifty bags, which I understand now wow 'em at the MOMA souvenir shop in Manhattan. Young Japanese ladies are suckers for these novelty items, too, and Pinoy balikbayans have long caught on to the relatively cheap craze.
Every Christmas they've become my fallback buys for visitors who've just jetted in. And of course the yuletide season is when one can truly admire the pluck of small-time vendors who help out in extending little cottage industries, and sell all these crafts and handiworks, food packs and exotic native wines, and a cornucopia of borloloy for the grand season of merry adornment.
One is Tiendesitas, the one-stop, shop-till-you-drop tiangge center at the Frontera Verde complex off C-5, at the edge of the Ortigas central business district. It happens to be a seven-minute walk from my place, so it can be a breezy experience, until I find I have to SMS my driver to pick me up when I'm weighed down by bags of cheap t-shirts and books and toys and regional delicacies.
They're all over the tiangges and village bazaars. And since I refuse to truck with the hoi polloi at the 168 Mall or Tutuban Mall in Divisoria, let alone the overburdened stands in Greenhills Shopping Center, there are only two major areas other than at weekend bazaars where I deign to join the madding crowd.
The other Christmas shopping emporium is quite a distance, but equally fascinating for the myriad treasures sold at streetside, and this is at the Dapitan-Laong Laan area in what is still Sampaloc, off the old Gov. Forbes Avenue which bounds the UST campus. Here, there are such value-for-money floral attractions from Baguio and a limitless variety of home furnishings and decor.
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ILLUMINATI 23
Walking down the street between rows of stalls manned by energetic entrepreneurs, I hark back to what Winston Churchill once proudly hailed as his "nation of shopkeepers," and I marvel at how the Pinoy continues to progress by leaps and bounds in turning street-smart enterprise into feats of entrepreneurship. Of course the weekend flea markets established over the past decade in several Saturday-orSunday agora points in Metro Manila have helped strengthen this fresh evolution — of what traditionally had simply been hawker business. The sounds of Manila were replete from the 1950s onwards with boyhood memorabilia of a Manileño's compleat aural experience — from the balut-penoy vendor to the other district criers announcing taho, binatog, sapin-sapin et al. as well as for services such as hasa. Throw in the tinkling bells of "dirty" ice cream and ice-drop or popsicle vendors. When we traveled north by bus, at chokepoints on the provincial highway, we were suddenly assaulted by an army of basket-swinging men and women, all thrusting leaf-wrapped delicacies through the bus windows and screaming for our attention.
In any case, I know that if I'm missing budbod kabog from Dumaguete (a special suman that's made from millet or birdseed, which is fruit bats' delight, thus the kabog for bat), I can find it in ritzified packages in the Legaspi flea market on Saturday mornings.
Tales of the ambulant vendor have birthed such sagas as that of the Chinese immigrant from Fujian who wore out his sandals on both sides of Jones Bridge in Manila, hawking his special noodles or mami, which he cut with scissors so that he was called Gupit-gupit. A suki suggested he "permanize" his location, offering him a small property near Quiapo.
And before the Sunday tiangge that used to occupy an empty lot on EDSA near Cubao relocated a few years ago to a similar lot by the National Kidney Institute off Quezon Memorial Circle, why, I'd break tradition and wake up as early as six in the morning just to catch the two or three vendors who sold "sapola." That's what my mom used to call 'em — these gradated-sized egg yolks found in a hen's belly, which are great to include in nilagang manok — make that free-range or "native."
Decades later, Ma Mon Luk's mami and siopao became such a classic remembrance of the '50s, '60s and '70s, so that senior citizens on a homecoming spree still ask to be taken back to either the Quezon Boulevard main branch near Quiapo Church or the spin-off that has been on Quezon Avenue off Banawe Street in Quezon City. Maybe someday, a stall owner at the Legaspi and Salcedo Village weekend tiangges will reap a similar timeline of a heartwarming narrative.
Ah, what we owe the spirit of enterprise, entrepreneurship, business as small and intimate as our fondest memories. Of course the bigger the business grows, the better for everyone involved — customers, service people, pioneers and owners, the national economy. All we have to do is recall Ma Mon Luk to confirm that what may start small, with energy and determination, can turn into an inspired industry, built as it is, on mami't siopao.
24 PINOY ENTREPRENEUR
Pinoy Entrepreneur
Angelo G. Timbol
Jetty Trading LLC, Dubai, UAE
Please describe your business. Jetty Trading LLC is a General Supplier of technical materials, machineries and spare parts to oil drilling rigs, refineries and power plants in the Middle East area.
Why did you establish your own business? Can you tell us when and how you started? After 15 years of employment in a private company in Dubai, I was still unable to find stability for the future of my family, particularly, the children’s education and assistance to my family back home. Furthermore, during my one year medical leave in 1995, I was advised by my doctor that it would be much better for me to change my current work then into something with a less stressful environment. Having a significant experience in marine construction and a good knowledge of the local market, I researched and put together my plan to start a supply business. Thereafter, Jetty Trading llc came into existence.
What was your start-up capital and your basic operations set-up? My capital was just sufficient enough to set-up an office and acquire a service car. Local stockists trusted and fully supported me with all the items I can sell. I have chosen to find and sell items which were the most hard to find in the local market. I was able to satisfy some of the biggest principal companies in this business sector with the highest quality of materials and best technical support delivered to them. With only just 5 employees, we were able to manage importation mainly from the USA and Europe, as well as re-export from Dubai to other Middle East countries or to oil drilling rigs locations. Honesty and dedication were the key to the growth of my business.
What obstacles did you encounter? The main obstacle is tough market competition. You will have to play in a field of foreign experts in the oil, gas and marine sector. Strong determination, honesty and trust in yourself are your main weapons to compete. Without these, no amount of capital can guarantee your success.
Where are you now? How far have you gone? After being able to see my four children through college, helping family members to build their own houses and assist in their children’s higher studies, I was also able to set-up an automotive workshop and a Sports shop in Dubai. I have also recruited about two dozen family
members and relatives to find work for their own living in Dubai. Thru the years, I have also managed to acquire several parcels of land and farm lots in Capas, Tarlac, Philippines and transform them into Jettyville Park Resorts and Jettyville Subdivisions – where we have grown 2,500 mahogany trees and a one hectare wide mango orchard. My family and I have also managed to travel around the world, but, life is still very much in our beloved country, the Philippines. As for Jetty Trading LLC, I choose to keep the same volume of activity to control and maintain delivery of the highest possible quality of goods and services.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an entrepreneur? The advantage of being an entrepreneur is that you have all the freedom managing your own time and income. Nobody is above yourself in performing your works and you have more chances of helping people who are really in need. But the pressure to satisfy clients with your performance, products or services is the most difficult task of an entrepreneur. These shall drive you to work without limits.
Would you encourage other Pinoys to go into business? What is your advice to budding entrepreneurs? Since 1996, I was searching for a Filipino competitor in the Middle East market in this activity. Unfortunately, until now, I know no one who managed to step-up. There are plenty of brilliant engineers, businessmen or entrepreneurs around, but it appears that nobody has the courage to be in this market sector. If you have special skills, unique products and services, the Middle East is still a very wide open market and has better opportunities for businesses compared to western countries. In the Philippines, the best investment is where your presence is not necessary. OF’s tend to stay long years abroad, afraid to invest back home because of their absence. Try to buy and keep raw lands, farm lots or even open subdivision lots. Once having it, try also to plant mahogany, paper trees or similar at a very minimal cost. You need only a caretaker to look after these and after your long, long years of stay abroad, you will never know that you could be a millionaire back home. The value of land normally appreciates yearly which shall be your profits, in addition to your timber products. The DENR would also be very glad with your help in protecting the environment.
26 kabuhayan EnTREPREnEuRShIP
The Bread Bag
Pandesal Bar By Bernadette Reyes
In a country like the Philippines where a meal is never complete without rice, two Filipinos have won over Pinoys convincing them that traditional Filipino viand can be as tasty and enjoyable even when paired with bread. “The Filipino market is a rice market but we are able to prove that you can eat anything with pandesal,” says Jigger Galvez, one of the two owners of The Bread Bag in Ortigas. Pandesal, a traditional bread in the Philippines made of wheat flour, eggs and sugar, is commonly consumed by households for breakfast or snack. Yet Jigger and partner Kevin Khoe believe pandesal is more versatile than what Filipinos have come to know through the years.
long queues at a Spanish restaurant called Casa Marcos owned and operated by Jigger’s parents but it closed shop in 2000. “The old restaurant did not adapt to the new concept of restaurants and was not managed well. We opened a new concept that we believe has the potential of growing into a chain,” says Jigger.
While neighborhood bakeries have commercialized bread-making with the modern industrial oven and prolonged shelf-life with food additives, The Bread Bag is rather traditional, baking breads the old-fashioned way using pugon, a brick oven fired with wood. “The taste is different when it’s cooked using wood and the brick oven. It is also cooked fresh daily with no preservatives,” Jigger explains. The same bread as it is sold in The Bread Bag today used to draw
While the concept of pandesal is in itself nothing new, Jigger and Kevin were able to give this bread a new flavor in terms of look, taste and appeal. The idea is to dish out traditional food in a nontraditonal Pandesal Bar. “Pandesal is very Filipino and Filipino products go very well with pandesal. We offered new products that are different from other bakeries which only served bread. We also introduced new meals with viands served in pandesal,” says Jigger.
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kabuhayan EnTREPREnEuRShIP 27
be slow since the business location was tucked away from the busier streets of the city. “It is much better now,” says Jigger, this despite the presence of many other food establishments around the area. While a new concept such as the pandesal bar could have failed almost immediately, the owners instead turned things around by combining a new concept with good food, consistent good quality, reasonable price and good branding and image to spell success. “We are getting very good reviews and feedback from new and old customers. We already have a lot of regulars who frequent the store,” says Jigger. Soon, The Bread Bag will delight customers in other areas around Metro Manila and provinces such as Cebu and Davao as the owners plan business expansion.
Jigger and Kevin’s business idea may have spawned from one that closed shop but they had every reason to try again. “Opening a business is always a risk. Not all businesses work but if one of your ideas work, it is worth all the hard work and pain. You also learn from your mistakes so it is a continuous learning process,” says Jigger.
Whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even dessert, the pandesal bar has something to offer. All products are pandesal-inspired that even the soup is served in a pandesal bowl. Some of the all-time favorites are traditional Filipino foods paired with bread such as the Adobo Flakes with Kesong Puti or pork and chicken stew in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic with Laguna Cheese; Pan ala Cubana or sautéed ground beef with tomato sauce, onions, raisins, fried banana, and sunny side up egg; Kesong Puti with Pesto or Laguna Cheese with hints of basil pesto, tomato seasoned with olive oil and Corned Beef or house-cured beef brisket sautéed in onions, topped with scrambled eggs, served with garlic mayo. Each sandwich on the menu also comes with a generous serving of home-made camote (sweet potato) chips paired with a unique sauce as dip. Even international flavors have found their way into the menu such as the Chicken Schnitzel and Roast Beef. To satisfy a craving for sweets, the pandesal bar serves pandesal ice cream and pandesal pudding ala mode. Yet while these flavors were created to satisfy the Filipino palate, it didn’t mean the business was an instant hit. “We had a new concept so no brand equity yet. We had to build the brand and product from scratch which was a challenge.” The owners also had to deal with challenges in internal operation and service flow. Foot traffic used to
Yet what makes these business owners more proud is the fact that they are able to give pandesal, the Pinoy’s national bread, a new flavor, a new look but with the same old traditional feel, something Filipinos then and now have enjoyed sharing with the family. “The brown bag, the pugon and the viands paired with pandesal like sardines, adobo, kesong puti, etc. make it very Filipino and it makes us very proud.”
28 kabuhayan money
By Francisco J. Colayco
Entrepreneurship through
Going into business is a very personal matter. Your first choice of a business could be something that you are personally passionate about. You choose it because you have clear reasons in your mind why you personally like to engage in that business activity. It’s also possible to study and learn about any business with clearly good potential. It may not necessarily mean though that you are suited for that business to actually run it well, much less enjoy being operationally involved in it. Without real involvement, it may be difficult to sustain your business with the same quality that you started with. To reduce the risks of getting into a business, a Franchise may be a viable alternative. Serious franchise businesses provide you tested business models along with market planning, technical support and logistic systems as well as personnel training and accounting procedures and financial controls. This allows you to learn the business at the soonest possible time with the least number of mistakes, which you would otherwise incur if you started on your own without experience.
Choosing a Franchisor and a Franchise Business There is a list of Filipino Franchisors and their broad range of small businesses available. Some are new but quite a number have proven track records. Let’s assume that you are competent in a food or service type of business and you choose a business that requires first year investments (including franchise fees) of around PHP200,000. Most good franchises demonstrate payback of about three (3) to five (5) years and impressive service support. Your most logical starting point is to seriously consider a food-stall business, particularly one with an available franchise near your home. As my partner Entrepguru Andy always says, most opportunities can be found just around your neighborhood. Look around you and observe what is it that your community badly needs? Don’t just follow what everybody is already doing. Another good thing about Franchise businesses is the business training included in the package. Usually, the training period is three months but you would need to pay 10% or PHP20,000 (subject to negotiation with the Franchisor) as soon as you sign the franchise agreement. This type of a Franchise business might project minimum net cash earnings of PHP3,500 and possibly up to PHP6,000 per month.
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Here are some tips on how you can move forward: 1. After determining your preferred line of business, make sure that your chosen Franchise business has sufficient and sustainable market in your location. This is where successful and responsible Franchisors can provide you meaningful information and advice. 2. Validate the Franchisor’s legitimacy and claims through the Association of Filipino Franchisors, Inc., or through other Franchising Associations to which your chosen Franchisor may belong; 3. Validate the actual experience by directly interviewing the FIRST Franchisee and some other Franchisees to validate the truth or falsehood of the market and financial claims of the Franchisor. I am personally aware of situations where franchisors do not live up to their claims. Do not allow a franchisor to keep you from talking directly to his existing franchises for any reason. If the franchisees are happy, it is to for the Franchisor’s and your best interests to learn all about it. 4. Find out if the Franchisor has any pending legal cases with any of the Franchisees, and if there is any, find out why. 5. Secure serious legal advice on the merits and demerits of the Franchise Agreement. Make sure that you are satisfied with all the provisions of the Franchise Agreement, particularly on your option to terminate your Franchise Agreement for good reason, without any difficulty. 6. Be aware that anything not written in the agreement, even if promised by the Franchisor, may not be fulfilled. That being said, in the final analysis, aside from the technical know-how, the sincerity and good heart of a Franchisor will be the deciding factors on your success. 7. Make sure that all the sources for funding are in place, before you even start investing your first peso. Will you succeed in a franchise business? I always emphasize that in any business, there are no guarantees but there are ways to reduce the risks. If you at least follow the advice already given above, you have a good chance of success. For your family and relatives in Manila, we have different seminars to help them in their personal financial plan and options to grow their wealth. Check out www.colaycofoundation.com or write info@ colaycofoundation.com or call +632 6373731 or 41.
30 SUCCESSFUL PINOY SPIRITUALITY
Prosper! By Bo Sanchez
“ I didn’t know how to do my hair. So I put up a beuty parlor.”
Ella Sanchez is what you call a Serial Entrepreneur. That means she just loves putting up businesses and will do so at a drop of a hat. For 15 years, she ran a beauty parlor right beside her travel agency. She also ran a suit shop in the hotel—because she needed suits to wear in her meetings. She loved to garden, so she supplied the hotel with plants. And because her office was in the hotel, she also ran a car rental company with 30 cars and 60 tour guides. But the travel agency was her first business. I invited her for lunch one day. She was happy to meet me at a lovely restaurant. But when she learned that I wanted to interview her, she was aghast. Still, she obliged. She had no choice. Ella Sanchez isn’t a relative (too many Sanchezes around in the Philippines), but she is
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such a wonderful person, I wish she were my sister. And in my heart, she really is.
And now, the interview she didn’t like to have… Bo: Hi Ella. May I interview you? Ella: No!
Bo: Please? Ella: My gosh.
Bo: What’s your philosophy in business? Ella: When you like what you’re doing, your heart will be in it.
Bo: Are the smaller businesses still there? Ella: Nope. I closed the beauty parlor, the suit shop, and the plants business because the headaches were more than the money I earned. And during the Gulf War, tourists weren’t coming so the car rental company began losing millions. So I moved on.
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Bo: We should never be attached to our businesses. Ella: That’s right.
Bo: And you’ve moved on to bigger things - like you’re in the airline business, representing Garuda and American Airlines. Failure can be a message from God to move onto bigger things. Tell me about your first business.
Bo: As opposed to a serial entrepreneur who never stops growing, always wanting to be better every day. Thank you for this interview, Ella! Ella: I was going to pay for lunch. But since you interviewed me without even warning me, you’ll have to pay for it!
Bo: Gee, you’re acting like my sister already.
Bo: Another lesson. Whatever you’re doing, do a good job. Who knows who’s going to invite you to partner in a business? By the way, was it through your work in the travel agency that you experienced an intense spiritual renewal?
Every year, I see to it that attendees in the Feast, get one teaching series on money. You might wonder why. Some of you might even ask, “Bo, why talk about money so much?” My First Reason: Because God talks more about it, too. The Bible talks about money more than anything else. Do you know that there are more verses about money than about faith and prayer combined? Jesus spoke about money more than Heaven and Hell, too. Why? Because we’re physical beings, we deal with money every day. Money is a big area. And God wants love to rule in this big area of our life. He doesn’t want us to reject money. He wants us to use it for His purpose.
Ella: Yes, I had a spiritual conversion when I went to a pilgrimage. My life has never been the same since. And my business changed as well. We focused on spiritual pilgrimages. So far, I’ve sent thousands of people to holy sites. Sometimes, I lose money because some groups can’t reach the minimum number to make it financially feasible. But because I’m doing this for God, I’m happy.
Here’s my second reason: because it’s a critical need today. Every week, I meet thousands of people. Lovely, kind, wonderful, prayerful people who are suffering in their finances because of two real problems. First, they’re afraid to prosper. Second, they don’t know how to prosper.
Ella: In 1976, I was an employee. I was a copywriter in an advertising agency. I was probably doing a good job because my boss invited me to be his partner in a travel agency. After five years, when he went to the United States, I bought him out.
Bo: What made you a Serial Entrepreneur? Ella: My mother was an entrepreneur. We lived in the province and had a small farm. She loved her workers. She took care of their needs. She’d take care of them when they needed medicines or a hospital. Because they didn’t have the means to go to town, she paid the workers in kind—such as rice and groceries, etc. But doing so also made her a little profit. We had land but I never appreciated it before, because we never had money. To enrol me in school, Mom had to sell our livestock. To buy me a dress, she had to sell a sack of rice. I envied my friends who had cars! And they had so much money. But it’s sad that today, they’re not successful in life, because they weren’t trained for success.
Bo: I agree. Ella: Many young people today don’t have passion. I don’t know why. They have no hunger to be better.
I feel a burden in my heart for God’s children. You don’t have to suffer from financial lack. You don’t have to be buried in debt. You can overcome your money problems. You can save, invest and grow your money. You can create another income stream. Henry Sy is the richest man in the Philippines. In 2009, according to Forbes Asia, Henry Sy was worth US$3.8 billion. Not bad for someone who came to the country as a 12-year-old-kid owning nothing but the clothes on his back. Why is the guy so rich? Here’s one reason: Every day, a million people walk into his 35 malls. A million people who buy stuff, eat meals, watch movies, drink coffee, or simply sit around on benches. He’s rich because he’s serving a million people every day.
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Is Your Money Real or Fake? Ten years ago, I was earning fraction of what I’m earning now. By God’s grace, I’ve grown my income. It wasn’t easy. I failed in many small businesses, selling the craziest things. I sold herbal juice, squid balls, hotdogs, ice cream, engine oil, memorial plans. Don’t laugh, but a few years ago, I almost sold “organic” sanitary napkins from Korea. I can imagine the conversation. Feast Attendee: “Bo, I liked your talk.” Bo: “Thank you.” Feast Attendee: “By the way, did you bring some sanitary napkins?” Bo: “Yes, I have some in my computer bag. For heavy days?” Feast Attendee: “Yes. Is it any good?” Bo: “Uh, I’ve never tried any of my products yet.” Many of my small businesses failed. I lost money. I lost my pride. But I stood up, dusted myself, licked my wounds and tried again. I never stopped learning. Finally, I hit pay dirt. I found the right businesses for me. I began to focus, dropping my other small businesses. Here’s what I learned: Before I grew my income, I had to grow myself first. I’ve realized there can be no income growth without personal growth. I had to grow in my abundance mindset, my character, my relationship-building skills, my core gifts and my marketing skills, before I grew my wealth.
Let me ask you: How many persons are you serving? Five? Fifty? Five hundred? Now you know why you’re earning what you’re earning. Let me give you another example. I run a small school. I serve 150+ students. My friend runs a big school. She serves 9,000+ students. So guess who earns more? Sometimes, I speak to companies. Because my ministry work has multiplied tenfold, I usually can only give one corporate talk a month. My friend Francis Kong, a fantastic business speaker, gives two to three corporate talks per day. So guess who earns more?
The Path to Wealth Is Service We get the wrong message from television. On TV, rich people lie in hammocks every day, sipping their margarita, while being fanned by a brown-skinned beauty. But the life of my wealthy mentors is all about service. If you want to be rich, I encourage you to find more people to serve. The more people you serve (number of customers), and the more ways you serve (number of products), and the more excellent your service becomes (quality of products), the richer you’ll become, too. I believe a spiritual person can be rich because Jesus taught us to be servants. Serving others is our reason for being. It’s our life purpose!
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Obviously, there are exceptions. You could win the LOTTO, marry a dying millionaire, steal from a bank or become a corrupt government official. But that’s counterfeit money. Any money that’s not backed up by spiritual growth is fake. I believe that real financial growth must be accompanied by real spiritual growth. That’s the kind of wealth you want to have.
Do You Want to Be Rich? Duplicate Yourself Who created McDonald’s? The first McDonald’s restaurant was the brainchild of Dick and Mac MacDonald in San Bernardino, California in 1940. But Dick and Mac didn’t make McDonald’s the goliath that it is today. It remained small until Ray Kroc entered the picture in 1955. Dick and Mac sold everything to Ray Kroc who led its crazy expansion to the behemoth it is today. McDonald’s is now present in 119 countries, serving 47 million people every day. What did Ray do? He learned to duplicate himself. He developed a system and perfected the art of franchising. Using the same powerful duplicating system (and improving it for our local situation), Tony Tan Caktiong created Jollibee and beat McDonald’s in the Philippines. That’s why Jollibee is number one in the country today. This same duplication system was applied to expand Chowking, Greenwich, Delifrance, Manong Pepe’s and Red Ribbon. Today, Tony has built 1,804 stores worldwide — using the power of duplication. If you want to become wealthy, you need to duplicate yourself. Why? When you duplicate yourself, you serve more people. And more people served means, more financial rewards.
34 GLOBAL BARRIO
Philippine Madrigal Singers receive award in Italy At the closing of the 58th International Choral Competition held in Arezzo, Italy, the Philippine Madrigal Singers (commonly known as Madz) was conferred the Guidoneum Award 2010 by the Fondazione Guido d’ Arezzo. The awarding was held after the gala concert of the Madz, which was the first leg of the group’s 2010 European tour
which included Rome, Milan, Vienna, Prague, Berlin and other cities. Known as the country’s premier singing group, the Philippine Madrigal Singers was formed at the University of the Philippines nearly 50 years ago by National Artist Andrea O. Veneracion. The Madz is the only choir in the world to win the European Grand Prix in two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007 in one of the top global choral competitions.
Palawan River currently ranks top New 7 Wonders poll In its latest rankings, the Puerto Princesa Underground River was chosen by 58.38 percent of those who joined latest online poll of the New 7 Wonders of the World Campaign. The Palawan subterranean river is battling 27 other natural wonders worldwide, many of them in Europe and Latin America.
Miss Philippines reigns as Miss Asia USA 2010
Nineteen-year old Ariana Manibog Varela, from Los Angeles, California won the coveted title of Miss Asia USA 2010. She also won best in cultural costume and best in swimsuit. The other winners were: 1st runner up, Jenny Cho, Miss Korea; 2nd runner up, Sarah Makandura, Miss Sri Lanka; 3rd runner up, Natalie Dinatale, Miss Lebanon; 4th runner up, Jennifer Gonzalez, Miss Taiwan. Ariana was born into generations of Manibog beauties. Her mother, Lana Manibog, was former Southern California title holder and placed top finalist in Miss California USA. Her aunt, Francel Manibog Caracol, was finalist and won Queen of Oceania in Miss World 1988. And her main coach and mentor and auntie was former Binibining Pilipinas USA and winner of Binibining Pilipinas International 1982, Lisa Manibog.
Filipina writer earns praises from UK book critics
Listed in The Sunday Times 100 Best Summer Titles for 2010 and recommended by National Geographic Kids as a Brilliant Summer Book, the novel “Tall Story” by Candy Quimpo Gourlay has been receiving great feedback from critics in the United Kingdom. Published by David Fickling Books (DFB), the tome joins a prestigious list that includes John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) and Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass). Tall Story uses the Bernardo Carpio legend and other Philippine folklore as a step off point to tell the story of a teenage boy named Bernardo who grows eight feet tall. Tall Story’s hardbound copy was released in the UK in June and later this year in the United States. Now a celebrated writer, Candy moved to the UK in 1989 after marrying Richard Gourlay, the Financial Times of London Manila correspondent. In the UK, she became the London correspondent of Inter Press Service and later the editor of the pan-European magazine Filipinos in Europe.
Fil-Canadian develops Microsoft’s Xbox game Inspired by the thought of creating a game that his kids can play, Filipino Canadian Ranyl Bantog developed “Codex”, a spatial logic puzzle game that is being played through Microsoft’s popular console, Xbox.
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Among the other contestants are the Dead Sea, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Maldives, Grand Canyon, Jeju Island, Bay of Fundy, Black Forest, Iguazu Falls, Angel Falls, Yushan, Uluru, Galapagos, Milford Sound, Bu Tinah Island, Great Barrier Reef, Halong Bay, Komodo, Amazon, Vesuvius, Table Mountain, Masurian Lake District and Mud Volcano.
Bantog worked for Microsoft in Washington as a programmer for 9 years. He moved back to Canada to finish his Bachelor of Technology in Games Development degree at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Codex was good enough that it was released by Xbox Live Indie Games last month for US$3. Bantog is now working with a research group from the University of British Columbia to develop educational games. Bantog’s games are set to invade not just Xbox Live. His games will soon be on mobile phones as well.
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WWF awards young boy for saving 400-kg dolphin
An eight-year-old boy from Mindoro was awarded by international conservation group World Wide Fund-Philippines for saving a beached dolphin on the coast of San Teodoro in Oriental Mindoro last September 13. Carl Andrei Leuterio, a third-grade pupil from the San Teodoro Central School in Oriental Mindoro, was the first to report the stranding to authorities. Due to heavy rains, a 2.5-meter long, 400 kilogram Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) was found ailing by the shoreline of Barangay Poblacion in San Teodoro at around 1 p.m. last September 2. Officials of the Philippine National Police and Municipal Agriculture Office arrived soon after the young boy reported the situation. Three hours later, the dolphin was guided to deeper waters and released. World Wide Fund-Philippines (WWF-Philippines) recognized the efforts of Leuterio, along with Bantay Dagat member Terence Panado and Municipal Fishery Management officer-in-charge Jacinto Abdon who were the first to arrive at the scene, in a simple ceremony at the San Teodoro Municipal Hall held last September 13. Since 2009, WWF-Philippines has actively recognized ordinary individuals who show decisive environmental action through its WWF Heroes of the Environment Program.
Japan Digital Filmfest awards Best Screenplay to “Bakal Boys” The Saitama Kawaguchi Intelligent Park (SKIP), a known hub for the digital filmmaking industry in Saitama, Japan held its 7th edition of SKIP City International Digital Cinema Festival, where “Bakal Boys” bagged the award Best Screenplay. This year, the organizers of the Japanese film fest received 648 entries from 85 countries. The list was trimmed down to 13 films in the international competition. “Bakal Boys” or Children Metal depicts how young metal divers in Baseco, Tondo dive for scrap metal in the polluted waters of an
abandoned shipyard. Veteran actress Gina Pareño is cast in the film as a Tausug woman looking for her missing grandson who is one of the children metal divers. The film’s director, Ralston Jover, previously penned the critically acclaimed films Kubrador (which earned numerous awards for Pareño), Tirador, and Foster Child. This Filipino film screened at many international film festivals won the Chiaputti Award during the 27th Torino Film Festival in Italy. The film was also given a Special Mention for its screenplay and subject during the 50th Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece.
Efren “Bata” Reyes bags another World 10-Ball Championships Coined as The Magician, legendary billiards player Efren “Bata” Reyes took world title once again. He rallied from a 1-5 deficit and Roberto Gomez, 10-9, in a classic finale at the 10th Predator World 10Ball Championship and took home the top winning purse of US$10,000. In a match that boiled down to one final rack for all the marbles, Reyes outmaneuvered Gomez to complete a championship run from the losers’ bracket. Gomez went unbeaten from the doubleknockout eliminations until running to the mighty wall that was Reyes. From 1-5 down, Reyes rallied and drew even at 7-all on a surge highlighted by combination shots on the ninth and 13th racks. Reyes sank it on a bank shot and had Gomez conceding when he pocketed the 9-ball on a delicate cut to the left corner pocket to thunderous applause from his fans. Earlier, Reyes outlasted Jeff de Luna, 9-7, in the quarterfinals then routed American Rodney Morris, 9-5, in the semifinals.
36 FEATURE
A Peek into the
Pinoy Brain By Sherry Tenorio
Decipering the top things that occupy our men’s minds Common belief tells us that men are simple; that they just listen to basic human urges and need to get basic things done – and they are going to be satisfied. With this bit of information, we’ve asked ourselves whether Filipino men also think this way. What do our male counterparts really have inside their minds? Are these “male thoughts” universal, that irrespective of color, race or nationality, only these fundamental concepts occupy their heads? Or, are Pinoy men more complicated, or for that matter, overly simple, compared to other nationalities? Finally, the chance reveals itself, after doing some backyard research this month in Illustrado, we reveal the random thoughts and innermost yearnings of Pinoy men. After reading this, we can vouch that you would agree – that our men are indeed simple creatures with simple wants and needs. Ask them to think beyond these, and you will be sure to create one complicated relationship.
The opposite sex Perhaps one of the most difficult things for a woman to ask a man is the eternal question on whether the oft-cited statistic - that men think of sex every seven (or nine) seconds - is true. Nonetheless, in
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the interest of research, this must be asked so we fetched away, and caught our Pinoys at their most candid. Funny enough, almost 70 percent admitted that the idea crosses their mind every single day, of course, but not every seven seconds. Now, we ask why men think this way. The answer is pretty biological actually. According to a reported interview with Dr. Louann Brizandine, a California-based neuropsychiatrist and author of the 2006 bestselling book ‘The Male Brain’ - “The male brain has an area for sexual pursuit 2.5 times larger than in the female brain.” However true, Marcus Lingap, a Dubai-based event organizer, clarifies that, among his friends, they talk and think about women more than merely the act of procreation. A research published in February this year lead by Dr. Steven Platek of the Georgia Gwinnet College in the US, reveals that the sight of a woman with an hourglass shape, be it in the movies or in the local watering hole, activates the same reward centers in the brain that are associated with drugs and alcohol. Seeing photographs of the same woman, minus the distinct waist-to-hip ratio, didn’t activate those reward
FEATURE 37 centers. So it is unsurprising if men could not stop staring at Beyonce lookalikes. They are naturally and biologically wired this way. Acting on their thoughts, on the other hand, is a different topic altogether. Money, money Does the Filipino phrase “haligi ng tahanan” ring a bell? Well our traditions dictate that Filipino men are supposed to be the sturdy providers of the home. Often, the success of our males is measured against their capacity to raise their children and give the family a comfortable lifestyle. This therefore explains why another dominant thought for Filipino men fall within the category of sustaining their family’s needs. Based on a 1999 study conducted by UNICEF and the Ateneo de Manila University “How We Raise Our Daughters and Sons: ChildRearing and Gender Socialization in the Philippines,” in Philippine society, men are expected to: become the primary source of financial support for their individual families; be able to defend themselves during physical fights; be able to endure physical pain; and be able not to cry or show their emotions and suffer emotional pain in silence. Still, even without families, money as a main concern also places high in single Pinoy men’s thoughts. Why? Well, they frankly declare that money is the solution to their need, not only for basic things, but also for everything else that can help them enjoy life thoroughly. Boys just wanna have fun Ninety percent of our Pinoy men respondents reveal their fascination for entertaining activities. Eric Ramirez said that his top thoughts would always include gadgets, cars, golf, photography and women. Even though Ramon Garrote Noveda said that he thinks about his family and finances all the time, he also admits that the other three important thoughts in his head include sports and entertainment, ‘barkada’ and vices. Mike Cruz, a media professional, has a sensible and easy explanation. He said, “The reason why we work hard and aim to earn much is for us to enjoy the fruits of our hard work. I believe that it is actually the best motivational drive to push me, or any other man, to pursue career success.” Noel Gonzales, an interior designer, seems to agree as he shares, “When I’m bored at work, I only think of my Xbox, my car and my plans for the weekend, and I get energized again. It seems to me that these hobbies actually inspire me to work hard so I can save a lot, in order to have fun.” Indeed, Pinoy men like to spend their hard-earned cash. But, compared to shopaholic women for whom the mere act of shopping is entertainment in itself, most men know exactly what they want to buy, and so do not take time roaming the shops like mall rats. According to Professor Daniel Kruger at the University of Michigan, this difference reflects some evolutionary trends. As we’ve learned, traditionally, men served as the hunters, while women are the gatherers. Women then needed to scope out the best spot for
food and then forage carefully so as to avoid poisoned berries or rotten nuts. Today, that may be why women spend time browsing for just the right color of blouse or spend days finding the perfect birthday gift. On the other hand, men on the hunt had to be quick and decisive to catch their prey, and they needed to return home quickly to protect their homestead. We might still be ruled by our evolutionary past, that may be why men prefer to shop quickly and return to the recliner. Success in career In order to have money and the capacity to support their families and enjoy their hobbies, may it be collecting gadgets or sports, Pinoy men almost always think about stepping up in the professional ladder. Mario Cardenas and Hayley D-Contreras both declared that they always think about how (and when) to get a raise. Mario is even contemplating starting his own business someday, as he does not want to be an employee forever. “I think Pinoy men are very competitive especially with their careers. Based on what I observed from my husband and his friends, they always talk about their work and compare each other’s accomplishments. I don’t think that they mean to brag; I believe that they only do so to see who’s ahead of the game,” Mary Ann Castro reveals her husband’s mindset towards work and career. From TV to sleep While women’s idea of resting would be shopping and a spa visit, men truly are about the simplest pleasures. They only want to sit comfortably on the couch, or the bed, watch their favorite TV show, and then sleep. “When I want to switch off from the stress and pressures of work and family, I just open the boob tube, watch Friends or the Simpsons or a basketball game, and then I’d sleep for hours. This is my idea of total rest,” Neil Albano, an engineer, describing one of his top-of-mind thoughts. So it seems that Pinoy men are definitely hooked to the simple pleasures of watching television and sleeping. So, ladies, the next time you see your man lounging in front of the TV, remote in hand, unless it is matter of life or death – do not disturb. It may be an uncomfortable truth, but they are simply recharging their batteries for the time that they need to think about us, the family, their career, friends and everything else in between.
40 FEATURE
Adrenaline:
The Games Pinoys Play By Sherry Tenorio
Coming from the land of Manny Pacquiao, a huge number of Filipino males in the United Arab Emirates are, thankfully, not just about gadgets, games and ‘vegging out’ at home like couch potatoes. Beyond the socials and creative hobbies that have gotten so many of our men hooked in the last couple years, remain the loyalty to physical recreation that validate that indeed, Filipinos are still very much into sports. And these are not just any kind of sport. Based on the games that they play here in the emirates, we could say that our men are hooked to sweating it out, to time rush, as well as, aggressiveness and highly competitive pursuits that spell high-adrenaline. This time around, Illustrado puts on its running shoes, and goes around town unravelling the games that Pinoys play.
Still Number 1: Basketball
Forget that Britons are crazy about football and Americans love baseball. Filipinos here in the UAE still show allegiance to basketball as the most favorite sports of all times. Whether these men's generation is Michael Jordan, Sonny Jaworski, Kobe Bryant or James Yap, they all meet up every week to celebrate a day of dribbling and shooting under the covered courts in Satwa or Rashidiya or elsewhere around the emirates. Jim Montes, an engineer based in Abu Dhabi, even drives to Dubai every week, just to play the game with his friends. According to him, basketball is more than just physical fitness and competition. He and his friends actually see it as social interaction – perhaps, to a certain extent, bonding time for the men in our community. The loyalty of these basketball fanatics extends to such a scale that they join leagues and tournaments, competing with invited celebrities and professional players from the Philippines. They even play alongside the pros in order to compete with teams across the Middle East at the Dubai International Basketball Tournament. So, other than being a regular fitness and social program, basketball is also a means for these Pinoy players to excel.
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FEATURE 41
Hitting the road
When you think that the streets of the UAE are filled with locals driving whistle-prompting SUVs, then we urge you to think again and make an effort to look beyond the semi-darkened windows. Chances are, you'll find a Filipino on the driver's seat of these amazing pieces of machinery. Apparently, there are many Pinoy men who enjoy off-road activities with their four-wheel drives. These men love working around their cars as if it’s their own girlfriend, and they show them off driving through the dangerous and exciting desserts terrains around the UAE. These Filipino off-road hobbyists even formed a duly registered association under the Philippines Consulate in Dubai. The group is famously known as FORAC, or the Filipino Off-road Auto Club. FORAC is officially affiliated with the Emirates Motor Sports Federation, the regulating body of all motor sports in the UAE. They group also made a huge leap, coming out with the first-ever Filipino Motor Show in the UAE that was joined by numerous Filipino car enthusiasts. Aside from enjoying the thrills of driving through sand dunes, the group is also focused on charity works and social functions.
Kick like a boxer
Blame it on Manny Pacquiao, but Pinoy men in the UAE are usually presumed to be good at punching. Good thing, they use that in a sports perspective. Though small in number compared to basketball fans, Filipino kickboxers are definitely alive and present in the country. Specifically, there is a group of indulging in the art at Safa Park in Dubai. This small group headed by a former kickboxing champ in the Philippines involves families and friends who want to learn this type of martial arts. The sport, though played by only a few, is seemingly gaining popularity that it is being offered as an alternative fitness class in various gyms and centers. But, if you're a Filipino interested in learning, we suggest better spot the group of men (and some women) at Safa Park who are kicking it like the pros.
42 FEATURE
Paintball Mania
Throwing balls filled with paint might sounds like whimsical fun rather than a serious game. However, for many Filipino aficionados of paintball, it is a real sport requiring vigor, determination and focus. First and foremost a social activity, which attracts the younger Pinoy male set, paintball league is a highly competitive undertaking amongst friends. Rafael Reyes, Dubai-based graphic designer and self-confessed paintball fanatic, said that from the first time he tried paintball, along with four other friends, he got hooked to the aggressiveness of the game. The chase, strategies, shouting and blood-pumping running while finding ways not to get hit by enemies are the stuff that draws enthusiasts like Rafael and his friends to paintball. Since then, they have become regulars at the Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club where the Sharjah Paintball Park is, and found fellow Filipinos playing the game as well. Talking about loyalty to the sport, paintball fans even invest on expensive guns and gears in order to be well-equipped for the league.
Running for fitness
Swimming at the beach is not the only reason why Filipinos come often to the open area of Jumeirah. At this side of town, one will find a number of Pinoy men running like professional athletes. The open beach has a dedicated area for an almost 3 kilometer run at relative peace and ease. The area is filled with running junkies of different nationalities, of which there is a growing number of Filipinos who come by regularly, getting together with their like-minded friends, and who look dead serious about this fitness-oriented undertaking. Perhaps, running isn’t exactly the first thing you think about next to the word adrenaline, but it isn’t a lesser sport judging from the instant endorphin boost one gets from the exertion. For a believer of the sport, running is an amazing cardio exercise, and a great way to stay in shape. And at this particular venue, a great way to practice and prepare for the popular marathons held in the city on an annual basis.
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Jack Morales
Jack is a Dubai-based accountant (CPA) whose dream has always been to become an artist. Jack has a natural talent for sketching and has always been drawn to photography. A further introduction to the latter, through a “photo addict” friend who enrolled him in a basic photography course in 2008, gave Jack even deeper appreciation for the art and made his learning experience more exciting. It was then that he realized how difficult it is to capture the beauty that surrounds us, as well as the moment we all want to remember, and that subsequently transformed his regard for photography from an ordinary hobby to an extraordinary art. Since then, Jack has eagerly gained techniques and tricks to capture interesting photos. He also sharpens his skills by learning from the works of renowned photographers like Jiri Subrt, Justin Grant, Helmut Newton, Marc Adamus, which he looks up to help sharpen my skills.
Harry Cruz
is a Dubai based freelance photographer who specializes in weddings, fashion/portraits and landscapes. Photography was once just a hobby to him until he learned to see all moments, places and everything around him as something worth capturing. Harry took his photography to the next level two years ago, participating in a local Filipino photography club, attending prominent workshops with renowned photographers, as
well as local seminars provided by Dubai based Filipino photographers. With his efforts paying off, Harry has won several awards – one for travel photography in the National Newspaper, as well as the 3rd prize in the 8th Environmental Awareness Photography Competition sponsored by Dubai Municipality. Harry is a Certified Public Accountant from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the Philippines, and works for a leading German software company in the emirate.
48 FASHION Photography : Filbert Kung and Glenn Peter Perez of Blackfox Photography Stylist : Ryuji Shiomitsu Make-Up: Paolo Maranan Hair : John Valle Model: Anthea Murfet Special thanks to Philippine Rugby Football Union (PRFU) athletes Kit Guerra, Andrew Wolf and Nick Chua, as well as Ms. Precious Regner.
PLaY tO WiN
Whether you’re a sporty gal, or a hot to trot city slicker, these fun and flirty minis are guaranteed to score you a goal.
FASHION 49
GUNMETAL GRAY LASER CUT SCALE DRESS BY JOHN HERRERA; GRAPHIC BAG/JACKET BY PAUL HERRERA; FOOTWEAR BY SOULE PHENOMENON; BLACK SUN VISOR BY YOHJI YAMAMOTO
50 FASHION
FASHION 51
JERSEY SHIRT DRESS BY LIZANNE CUA; LEATHERETTE BUSTIER BY JAZ CEREZO; WIRE STATEMENT NECKLACE BY RENCIE SANTOS; WEDGE SHOES BY SOULE PHENOMENON WITH KNEE HIGH SOCKS FROM LANDMARK; BLACK SUN VISOR BY YOHJI YAMAMOTO
52 FASHION
FASHION 53
BLUE ‘CITYSCAPE’ DRESS BY OZ GO; BLACK HEELS BY SOULE PHENOMENON
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ORANGE ‘CITYSCAPE’ DRESS BY OZ GO; BLACK PLATFORM HEELS BY SOULE PHENOMENON; WOOD/GLASS STATEMENT NECKLACE AND BOTH FROM FIRMA
FASHION 55
GUNMETAL GRAY LASER CUT SCALE DRESS BY JOHN HERRERA; GRAPHIC BAG/JACKET BY PAUL HERRERA; FOOTWEAR BY SOULE PHENOMENON; BLACK SUN VISOR BY YOHJI YAMAMOTO
56 FASHION
FASHION 57
3D PYRAMID SLEEVES NUDE JUMPSHORTS BY OZ GO; WHITE SIDE ZIPPER DRESS BY ARIES LAGAT; WHITE LEGGINGS BY DAX BAYANI PAIRED WITH GRAPHIC STRIPES HEELS BY ARAM LOE; WHITE SUN VISOR FROM ELLESSE
58 FASHION
GUNMETAL GRAY LASER CUT SCALE DRESS BY JOHN HERRERA; GRAPHIC BAG/JACKET BY PAUL HERRERA
FASHION 59
3D PYRAMID SLEEVES NUDE JUMPSHORTS BY OZ GO; WHITE SIDE ZIPPER DRESS BY ARIES LAGAT; WHITE LEGGINGS BY DAX BAYANI PAIRED WITH GRAPHIC STRIPES HEELS BY ARAM LOE; WHITE SUN VISOR FROM ELLESSE
80 GLOBAL BARRIO
birthdays, and other occasions. Filipinos also meet in Catholic and Christian churches in the city.
What cultural practices/behaviors have you acquired from your host country? If there is one thing, that would be ‘jai yen yen’ (keep your heart cool). Thais are generally warm, gentle and slow to anger. I am a patient person but have become more patient as I understood Thai beliefs and culture more. There is a reason why they call this ‘The Land of Smiles’ - people are so friendly that ‘smiles’ would often be enough to connect to each other.
Your message to Filipino across the globe? Kumusta na mga kababayan lalo na sa aking kapwa mga kababaihan? Salute to all of you! No matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, never let other people from another country or fellow Filipinos, nor yourself put YOU down—stand out and be proud. When doing something, let us consider the impact of that action not only on our personal lives but to all Filipinos around the globe because each of us bears each other’s name. We are one. Let us help end the stereotyping and discrimination by starting it within ourselves. We can do it. We are Filipinos, born to survive and to make a difference. Mabuhay tayong lahat!
Tell us about your life there? More than five years away from the Philippines and travelling across borders, seeing the reality of other’s lives, living with the amazing locals-my life is an open journal of learning, celebration, adventures and misadventures. In my busy schedule, I still get homesick once in a while. Good thing we’re just five minutes away from Chalatat beach. I’d often draw, paint, write poems, do my photo walk sessions, read books, meditate and on stressful times, I’d shout crazily at the strong waves with my friends while we’re having our own luau party in its vast sands. The quiet waters of the Thailand Gulf has become our safe place, our sanctuary. When we want to get posh, half-an-hour ride from our place would bring you to the city of Hatyai where all the hotels, shopping malls, restaurants and bars are. Our favorite hang-out is a bar which is managed by a kabayan who also happens to be the lead vocalist of the live band there. Within the Filipino community, we celebrate
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81 advertorial
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Skills Program; “Talent Quest” (Pasiglahan, Paligsahan, Tagisan ng Talento at Talino sa Ikasampu nito!) which was one of the highlights of the celebrations; as well as entertainment numbers including a ballroom dance showdown, cultural dance and international dance competition, declamation contest, Balagtasan competition, The Best of OPM solo contest, love songs duet and a Kundiman Group Singing Challenge.
Dubai Dolphinarium The Filipino Association for Computer Excellence (FACE – UAE) has celebrated 10 years of success and service to the community at a fun-filled event at the Avenue Hotel in Dubai on the 1st of October 2010. FACE-UAE is a non-profit community organization operating under the auspices of the Philippine Embassy, the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the emirates. Founded in 2000, the organization exists with the following objectives: to provide useful and quality Information Technology training programs; to help members obtain industry-recognized computer certification; to conduct workshops, lectures and seminars on topics of interest in computer and Information Technology; to promote brotherhood and camaraderie among members and other community organizations; and to serve as an implementing arm for the local Philippine representative offices in carrying out programs, activities and undertakings for the benefit of the Filipinos. The event, which was graced by Her Excellency Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa, featured an Exhibition Gallery with displays of what trainees have learned in the club’s Upgrading
At the culmination of the celebrations, FACE-UAE President Ollie Pineda remarked, “Let us all continue to share our talents. Huwag nating itago. Patuloy natin itong pagyamanin at maging halimbawa ng pagpapahalaga sa mga angking talino at kahusayan sa larangang ipinagkaloob ng Panginoon. Once again thank you very much. Truly it is with camaraderie and teamwork that we will, again, make FACE UAE No. 1.”
Barrio Fiesta Express Opens in Abu Dhabi Less than a year after its UAE launch, Barrio Fiesta - the international casual dining restaurant specializing in traditional and fusion Filipino cuisine opened its second location at the Abu Dhabi Mall on the 18th September. This is a food court concept named Barrio Fiesta Express. Another two locations, including a 2,500 square feet, 70-seater restaurant at Lamcy Plaza, Dubai and an Express concept at Ibn Battuta Mall food court will open before the end of this year. The restaurant also recently launched a home-delivery service from its Bur Juman branch. The first and the original Barrio Fiesta restaurant opened at Bur Juman in November 2009 and has been very well received by the community, becoming the preferred meeting and dining place for visiting Filipino dignitaries, local officials, and show business personalities as well. The restaurant’s menu has been expanded to include more staple dishes like Lechon Manok (roast chicken), Tinolang Manok (chicken in clear soup with papaya, lemongrass and
82 community
Filipina Wins at International Media Awards in Thailand Lily B. Libo-on, Khaleej Times staff reporter was awarded at the “International Media Awards” at the Bangkok Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand during the 8th Thailand Tourism Awards 2010 on Monday the 27th September. She is one of 23 awardees, comprised of journalists from all over the world, in the print category; the only winner from the UAE, the Middle East and African region, and one of two Filipina awardees including Marbee Shing Go, Editor-in-Chief of Manila Bulletin’s Travel Magazine. Libo-on received a bronze trophy and a certificate from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) whose office in the Middle East nominated Libo-on and other journalists from the region. The International Media Awards is the second award Liboon has received in seven months this year. Last February 28, 2010, the Dubai Events and Promotion Establishment (DEPE) handed her a trophy, a certificate and US$10,000 in cash for winning “Best Prolific Writer” in UAE, writing 15 articles during the Dubai Shopping Festival 2010. Libo-on has been an OF since 1995 working as technical editor to the Asian Institute of Development Communication
Free Photography Courses for Filipinos
The Filipino Association for Computer Excellence (FACE – UAE) has celebrated 10 years of success and service to the community at a fun-filled event at the Avenue Hotel in Dubai on the 1st of October 2010. FACE-UAE is a non-profit community organization operating under the auspices of the Philippine Embassy, the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the emirates. Founded in 2000, the organization exists with the following objectives:
(AIDCOM) in Kuala Lumpur, Western Malaysia. She moved to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia as Feature Editor of The Borneo Post. She had worked as Business Editor for two years then as Deputy Editor of News Express in Brunei Darussalam. She then moved to brudirect.com, an online newspaper in Brunei Darussalam as Chief Editor until 2005 when she left her promising journalism career to serve God. By a stroke of fate, Libo-on joined Khaleej Times in 2007 and has since served the community with her journalism and calling towards servanthood. She is a member of the National Press Club of the Philippines, the Filipino Press Club-UAE, and is a UNEP-accredited environmental journalist since 1987. She was one of four Filipino journalists commissioned by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to write a four-country book on ecology, which included the Philippine Environmental Situation in 1991-1992. She presented a paper before the UN delegates entitled “Eco Tourism: A Boon or A Bane in the Philippines.”
to provide useful and quality Information Technology training programs; to help members obtain industry-recognized computer certification; to conduct workshops, lectures and seminars on topics of interest in computer and Information Technology; to promote brotherhood and camaraderie among members and other community organizations; and to serve as an implementing arm for the local Philippine representative offices in carrying out programs, activities and undertakings for the benefit of the Filipinos. The event, which was graced by Her Excellency Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa, featured an Exhibition Gallery with displays of what trainees have learned in the club’s Upgrading Skills Program; “Talent Quest” (Pasiglahan, Paligsahan, Tagisan ng Talento at Talino sa Ikasampu nito!) which was one of the highlights of the celebrations; as well as entertainment numbers including a ballroom dance showdown, cultural dance and international dance competition, declamation contest, Balagtasan competition, The Best of OPM solo contest, love songs duet and a Kundiman Group Singing Challenge. At the culmination of the celebrations, FACE-UAE President Ollie Pineda remarked, “Let us all continue to share our talents. Huwag nating itago. Patuloy natin itong pagyamanin at maging halimbawa ng pagpapahalaga sa mga angking talino at kahusayan sa larangang ipinagkaloob ng Panginoon. Once again thank you very much. Truly it is with camaraderie and teamwork that we will, again, make FACE UAE No. 1.”
COMMUNITY 83
FACECelebrates its 10th Year Anniversary The Filipino Association for Computer Excellence (FACE – UAE) has celebrated 10 years of success and service to the community at a fun-filled event at the Avenue Hotel in Dubai on the 1st of October 2010. FACE-UAE is a non-profit community organization operating under the auspices of the Philippine Embassy, the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the emirates. Founded in 2000, the organization exists with the following objectives: to provide useful and quality Information Technology training programs; to help members obtain industry-recognized computer certification; to conduct workshops, lectures and seminars on topics of interest in computer and Information Technology; to promote brotherhood and camaraderie among members and other community organizations; and to serve as an implementing arm for the local Philippine representative offices in carrying out programs, activities and undertakings for the benefit of the Filipinos.
The FILCOM (Filipino Community Dubai and Northern Emirates) has elected their leadership for the period of 20102011 on the 15th of September, at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai. The group, which was previously led by Robert Ramos of the National Association of Mapua Alumni (NAMA), has recently appointed Liza Concepcion of Filipino Off Road Auto Club (FORAC) as Chairman, and Myrna Rebulanan-Anderson of Lightform International Filipino Photographers Guild, as Vice Chairman. Executive Committees were put in place during the group’s first General Assembly on the 22nd December, including: logistics – FACE, protocol – FDSC, communications – SMFCC, sponsorships - CADD group, program – FCC, Souvenir – OPPPS, promotions and marketing - Tunog Pinoy, finance – PICPA, mini bazaar – SRB, health and safety- Alpha Theta Omega, grievances and ethics - San Beda Alumni, as well as the ad hoc committees on OF Rights and welfare – MIGRANTE, and social advocacy – Jenny Gonzales (UIPS) The FILCOM has a plate full of activities starting with two major events this year – the FILCOM overnight camping and Halloween party of the 29th October, and the much awaited Bayanihan 2010 Pasko sa FILCOM on the 10th of December.
The event, which was graced by Her Excellency Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa, featured an Exhibition Gallery with displays of what trainees have learned in the club’s Upgrading Skills Program; “Talent Quest” (Pasiglahan, Paligsahan, Tagisan ng Talento at Talino sa Ikasampu nito!) which was one of the highlights of the celebrations; as well as entertainment numbers including a ballroom dance showdown, cultural dance and international dance competition, declamation contest, Balagtasan competition, The Best of OPM solo contest, love songs duet and a Kundiman Group Singing Challenge. At the culmination of the celebrations, FACE-UAE President Ollie Pineda remarked, “Let us all continue to share our talents. Huwag nating itago. Patuloy natin itong pagyamanin at maging halimbawa ng pagpapahalaga sa mga angking talino at kahusayan sa larangang ipinagkaloob ng Panginoon. Once again thank you very much. Truly it is with camaraderie and teamwork that we will, again, make FACE UAE No. 1.”
FILCOM Elects its New Officers for 2010-2011
Photo Caption: Outgoing FILCOM Chairman Robert Ramos hands over responsibilities to incoming Chairman Liza Concepcion. Looking on is Assistant Labor Attache Venus Abad (second from right) and Vice-Chairman Myrna Rebulanan-Anderson. Photo courtesy of Angel L. Tesorero
84 FILIPINISM
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
Much has been said about how hardworking and resilient Filipinos are — with or without recession or that infamous storm (literally) Ondoy. So, how do we do it? You mean, aside from taking everything in stride with a smile brighter than Sunshine Corazon and laughing it all off with our extraordinary sense of humor?
EntrePinoyship
101 By Aby Yap
Now, don’t forget that we’re an enterprising lot. We don’t need Ondoy bringing us neck-high floods to build a makeshift banca out of a sofa set for a boat business in the metro - ass long as there’s Malabon. Oops! Kidding (about the truth) aside, we have quite a number of EntrePinoys in our midst, offering their goods and services and much more. All we have to do is look around. Yeppies: Your Entrepreneurial Pinoys Remember Puti (for the non-Batibot fans, it’s a white cow)? Back in the good ol’ days, Puti would actually roam the streets — supervised by the peddler, of course — pulling a huge cart loaded with a variety
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of wares, from plastic laundry basins and buckets to rattan baby cribs and walkers. But as the Filipino definition of traffic crept into our daily lingo, this sight had gone into extinction. (How else would Puti fit into the cramped thoroughfare or endure the long wait and polluted air, tsk-tsk?) Pinoy ingenuity has taken over, nonetheless. In place of Puti, a pedicab is used nowadays and items being sold are improving. A roving ukayukay store with a display of hi-tech cell phone accessories and batteryoperated mosquito swatters — that old-meets-new theme is, um, quite cute. Speaking of the pedicab, don’t be surprised if one day, you board one in Divisoria and hear a roaring sound as it hits the road. Welcome to the age of the de-motor pedicab! Soon, all the de-padyaks will follow suit and the demand for boat motors will increase.
FILIPINISM 85 While we’re at it, we might as well give credit to the takatak boys. Unlike the magtatahooooo or magbabaluuuuut counterparts who exert their vocal chords every time they set out on their respective shifts to summon customers, these boys only have the takatak wooden case to do the marketing for them. Slide up, slide down, takatak takatak, and suking drivers will come looking for their tingi-tinging cigarettes and candies. One yosi to go, please. Quiapo: The Place to Beat Booming with all types of businesses and the noisy multitude of sellers and buyers — is Quiapo. Here, anything goes and everything has a price, a cheap one at that. If you’re a certified shutterbug, then you’ll find yourself in heaven at Hidalgo. It’s the street that will have you burst into Alleluia! every time you discover photography paraphernalia — cameras, lenses, flashes, lights, filters, tripods, chemicals, films, photo paper, accessories, so on and so forth — with a price tag that’s too low to be true. And you’ll probably end up buying goods more than enough to start out your own studio. For the movie buff, the “pirates” of Carriedo are still tops - they’re still around and there’s absolutely no signs of their future annihilation, arrr! So, you can still grab pirated copies of “Dibidi, Dibidi!”— from the latest Hollywood and mainstream Pinoy films to Kurosawa classics and the soft drink beauties’ skin flicks — at four pieces for a hundred bucks, if you’re adept at haggling. Pirated music CDs and concert VCDs for the aspiring Glee cast, as well as software programs for the penniless Geek Society are also just within reach.
And while the pedicab has become a lot like the tricycle, the tricycle has started to look more like the jeepney, only a shorter version of it. The traditional tricycle, as you’d recall, can only comfortably seat three. Now, it’s two passengers beside the driver and four more at the back of the tricycle, which resembles the jeepney’s passenger compartment. Imagine that! And while there was only a driver in the transport system’s chain of command before, we now have a conductor and a barker too. The conductor performs a Lastikoman arm stretching stunt to collect the passengers’ fare. The barker screams his lungs out for would-be passengers. Whether they’re also “sweet lovers,” we can’t tell. But being able to create jobs, however odd they may seem, out of these special skills alone — clever.
Now, when you go to the popular sa ilalim ng tulay — Quezon bridge, that is — not a pulis will be waiting for you but local handicrafts to adorn your home sweet home with or to bring to your foreigner friends for pasalubong. Wood carvings, capiz shells, and other decors all proudly Philippine-made are all yours for the taking without the absurd “for export” costs. For all sorts of natural and artificial products you need to heal your physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and even financial ailments, you can find them in Plaza Miranda right in front of Quiapo Church. Seeds, leaves, stems, twigs, branches, roots, sap, concoctions, etc. to get rid of pimples and lumps or even to “welcome back” your monthly visitor? Amulets to protect yourself from the impaktos (not the human kind) and potions to captivate the Venus of your dreams? Colorful candles to attract the muse of money or costumed santos to complete your altar collection? Someone to invent, er, read your future for PHP50 or someone to pray on your behalf for a donation? In Quiapo, everything is on sale. And everyone is invited—including the enterprising snatchers. Are you ready to take the risk?
86 FILIPINISM
The Annie B (Batobalani) Chronicles
The adventures and misadventures of a ‘not so average’ Pinay trying to make it in the cosmpolitan city of Dubai.
Chronicle
44
Ang tipo kong
LALAKE
During my five years something of living abroad as a woman of the world, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting men from almost everywhere in the world. Teka, parang ang laswa noon. Ibig kong sabihin, kung sinu-sinong lalaki na ang dumaan sa akin… Ooops, mas balahura yata yun. Pano ba? Ah basta nakilala ko na yata halos lahat ng lalake – and I mean as in nakatrabaho, na-meet sa party, nakausap, nakilala in person, nakita with my two eyes. Wholesome tayo ha? Kumbaga, medyo nagiging expert na rin tayo sa pagkilatis sa mga kalalakihan. Syempre, if you’re like me who’s always on the lookout for Mr. Right, dapat talaga pinag-aaralan ang mga yan. Afterall, information is power. Pero sa dinamidami ng mapagpipilian sa buong mundo, ang hindi ko maintindihan ay kung bakit andami daming nabibighani sa lalakeng Pilipino. Aminin mo! Hindi lang ang first Miss Universe from Finland na si Armi Kuusela at first Miss International from Colombia Stella Marquez ang umibig at nagpakasal sa Pinoy, pati na rin si Miss Australia Michelle Van Eimeren ay naging bihag ng pagibig ni Ogie Alcasid noon. Ang galing ano? May laban din pala si kabayang Pinoy sa mga Tom, Dick, Clark at Ahmed ng ibang bansa. At bilang isang kapwa Pinay, iba pa rin talaga ang appeal ng mga Dingdong Dantes, John Lloyd Cruz at Derek Ramsey natin sa ating mga kababaihan. Huwag kang choosy!
panlasa? Alin ang pangarap mong maging Prince Charming mula pagkabata pa lang? Anong klaseng Pinoy ba ang destiny mo? Iisa isahin natin sila – take your pick. The Mama’s Boy. Sabi nila matriarchal daw ang palakad na kinalakihan nating mga Pinoy. In short, dominante ang impluwensya ng ating mga ina mula sa pagkabata pa lang hanggang sa tumanda na tayo. Kaya ang mga kalalakihan laging hinahanap ang mga nanay nila miski sa mga girflfriend at asawa nila. Pogi points: It’s always a plus kung mapagmahal sa ina ang isang lalaki – it shows daw how caring he is to the opposite gender. Eh papano naman kung sobra – yung tipong hindi na sya makawala sa anino ng kanyang ina? Yung pati sa asawa eh nanay nya ang patuloy nyang hinahanap? Na sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay pag-aalaga at pagkalinga ng isang ina ang ine-expect? Kailangang laging pagsilbihan: ipagluto, ipaglinis, ipagayos, ipaglaba, ipagplantsa, at kung anu ano pa. Kulang na lang eh ipaghele mo pa tuwing matutulog. Will they ever grow up?
kalahi ng iba’t-ibang kakababaihan mula sa lahat ng sulok ng mundo? Bakit matagumpay na nakaka-jackpot si kabayan miski nasaan syang bahagi ng daigdig? Ano nga ba ang mga katangian ng mga Pinoy na namumukod tangi sa kalalakihan dito sa mundo?
The Businessminded Overachiever. Salamat sa mga natutunan natin sa mga Intsik, lumawak ang kaalaman ng Pinoy pagdating sa negosyo at paghawak ng pera. Malaking bagay ang isang lalaki na marunong sa buhay dahil siguradong secured ang future mo pagdating ng araw. Yun bang alam ang value ng hardwork, maingat sa pera at puno ng determinasyon na magtagumpay sa lahat ng larangan sa buhay. Sure winner ika nga. Sila yung mga tipong consistent honor roll sa eskwela, may M.B.A., PhD, C.E.O. at kung anu-anong mga initials ang nakakabit sa mga trabaho nila. Pero ang minus pogi points: madalas eh makwenta at kuripot ang mga ito; lahat binibilang, tinatakal at kinikilo. Aanhin mo naman ang lahat ng yaman kung hindi mo naman ito natitikman o na-e-experience di ba? Aanhin mo lahat ng promotion at salary increase kung panay naman ang overtime niya at wala man lang oras sa pamilya? I don’t like!
Maraming klaseng Pinoy. May iba’t ibang lasa, kulay, amoy at hitsura – all unique in their own rights. Alin sa kanila ang swak sa yong
The Macho Gwapito. Also known as the Crush Ng Bayan, Campus Heartrob, Big Man On Campus, Boy Next Door, Mr. Calendar.
Pero ano nga ba ang mga natatanging special powers na taglay ng isang Pinoy? Ano ba ang mga dahilan kung bakit pinagkakaguluhan ang ating mga
FILIPINISM 87
Yung lalakeng pinangarap mong maging boyfriend, maging date sa JS Prom, maging escort sa Santacruzan – basta sya yung balak mong maging tatay ng mga anak mo. Artistahin, sikat at maporma – nasa kanya lahat ng katangian upang maging Leading Man ng pelikula ng buhay mo. Perfect candidate sya for being Mr. Right kasi siguradon aprubado agad ng mga magulang at mga kaibigan mo kapag ipinakilala mo sya sa kanila. Sure ka rin na magiging maganda ang mga anak nyo - miski hindi ka kagandahan – dahil sa genes pa lang eh pasok na sa banga! Sounds like a happy ending ba? Hinde. Naku, dahil sa gwapo at sing-taas ng Burj Khalifa ang sex appeal nya eh asahan mong kaliwa’t kanan ang magiging kompetisyon mo – mga babae, bagets man o matrona, at mga bading eh mahuhumaling sa gandang lalake nya. Times one hundred din ang pressure sa yo kasi dapat super mega effort ka all the time para hindi sya magsawa sa yo – kundi, mabilis pa sa alas kwatro kang mapalitan ng iba dahil madaming nakaabang sa katapusan ng relasyon nyo. Nakaka-stress di ba? Pero hindi naman dapat makinig sa kanta ni Andrew E. na “Humanap Ka Ng Pangit” – hindi naman yata tama yon. Ang mabuti pa, bago ang lahat siguraduhin mo munang magka-level kayo. Para naman hindi ka dehado at may laban ka. In fairness, may sense din minsan kung ikaw ang sasambahin ng lalake and not the other way around. Ikaw ang babae no? Kaya ikaw dapat ang sinusuyo, hinahabol at nililigawan. Tama? The Tambay Forever. Sya yung tinatawag nating Free Sprited, Happy Go Lucky, Mr. Cool – kase ang sarap at gaan nyang kasama – walang pressure sa buhay at game kasama anytime. Kapag kasama mo sya, you don’t have to imfresh him kasi madali syang maka-appreciate. Madaling kausap kung tutuusin kasi hindi mahilig mag-expect ng mga bagay bagay. Miski kelan at saan mo ayain, game sya at kapag nagde-date kayo ang saya saya. Pero paano kung habambuhay ganyan sya? Walang ambisyon sa buhay, walang pagkukusa, walang direksyon sa mundo? Extension ito ng pagiging Mama’s Boy – baka tamad siya dahil sinuportahan ng mga magulang ang kawalan nya ng ambisyon sa buhay. Walang future dito, mga mare. Natural kung sya ang boyfriend mo eh ikaw ang susuporta at bubuhay sa kanya. He’s the perfect Papa. Papa-kainin, papa-aralin, papa-shopping, papalibre, papa-sine, papa-inumin, papa-alagaan. Ikaw naman, papaasahin forever kung kelan sya magbabago at magkakaroon ng interes na maghanap ng trabaho at magbanat ng buto. Papa-no ka na? Mr. Ego-On-The-Go. Eto yung mga lalakeng ang paniwala sa buhay eh mas mataas sila dapat kumpara sa mga babae. Mga hindi magpapatalbog sa ating mga kababaihan in terms of everything –
lalo na sa career. Hello? What about equality of the sexes? Para sa mga ganitong lalake eh dapat daw ang mga babae eh nasa bahay na lang, naglilinis, nagsisilbi, nagluluto at nag-aalaga ng mga anak. Ganito ang concept nila sa ating mga kababaihan kasi gusto nila sila ang laging nasa itaas, laging nasusunod at may kapangyarihan all the time. Bad news ito. Every woman should have her own life din naman di ba? But these guys can’t handle if the woman – na sa paniwala nya is the weaker sex – gets more successful compared to him. Feeling nila nababawasan ang pagkalalake nila. What a looser! Aba, eh kung ayaw mong magpatalbog eh siguraduhin mong bongga ka di ba? Tse! The Immortal Bachelor. Eto naman yung mga walang balak lumagay sa tahimik. Kung sino sino ang ide-date pero wala namang nakakatuluyan. They’re stuck in bachelorhood forever kasi feeling nila walang katapusang pagpa-party lang ang buhay. Mga takot sa commitment at responsibilidad – they don’t believe in marriage daw – yan ang parati nilang sinasabi. Eh kapag babae, sasabihin matandang dalaga tapos sila ang gandang pakinggan ng Elusive Bachelor??? Hallerr!! Duwag ang mga ito sa totoo lang. Takot silang humawak sa responsibilidad sa buhay. May ambisyon naman sila – hindi nga lang kasali ang iba – puro sarili lang nila ang concern nila. Karamihan sa ganitong klase, sumusuko din. Pero mag-aasawa yan kapag gurang na. Pero ang mga nakakatuluyan nila eh halos mga apo na nila, kasi ganun katagal bago nila ma-realize na may mission din pala sila sa buhay. Bigla na lang nilang maiisip na after all these years eh binata pa rin sila samantalang tayo – dala na? Ang selfish di ba? Mr. Andres De Saya. Oo, sya mismo yung sikat na character sa pelikula ni Vic Vargas nuong 80s. Mapagmahal sa asawa, eto na yata yung aakalain mong dream guy na pinaka-da best. Kabaligtaran ito ni Mr. Ego-On-The-Go. Feeling reyna ka kapag ito ang nakatuluyan mo kasi bawat sabihin mo eh hindi mo kailangang magdalawang salita – masunuring asawa. Every girl’s fantasy. But do we want this? Ako hinde! Mas gusto ko naman yata yung ma-feel ang pagkababae ko, hindi the other way around. Yes, dapat lang na tayo ang sinusuyo, hinahabol at nililigawan pero to a certain extent naman na may dignity ang pagkalalake nila. Sobra ba magmahal ang mga ito? I don’t think so. Baka insecure kamo – takot iwanan ng mga babae kaya okay lang sa kanila mayurakan ang pagkalalaki nila. At meron pa nito yung laging nakabuntot sa yo, chini-check ang schedule mo all the time, kailangan mag-report ka kung ano ang ginagawa mo, kung nasaan ka, kung sino ang kasama mo – ang kulit! Oo nga, sasambahin ko nya 24/7 kasi sa yo lang din umiikot ang buhay nya.
88 FILIPINISM
Kung ganyan lang din eh isang gadget na lang ang pakakasalan ko – ang remote control. Teka… kung ganito pala eh parang wala naman yatang perfect Pinoy? Bawat isa sa kanila eh may kanya kanyang depekto. Nasaan na si Mr. Right? Ewan ko ba. Blame it on their mothers, their friends and barkadas, pati na rin sa mga Kastila, Kano at mga Hapon na sumakop sa bansa natin noong unang panahon. Iba’t ibang mga factors yata ang humubog sa mga Pinoy ngayon. Pero meron pa rin naming may taglay ng magagandang qualities sila yung Endangered Species - ika nga. Sa totoo lang, in my own experience, iba pa rin ang Pinoy. Kung may choice ako Pinoy sana ang pipiliin ko sa buhay. Kaya lang, mukhang hindi yata Pinoy and nakalagay sa aking future. I never expected na magiging masaya ako sa piling ng ibang lahi. I guess, nagkataon lang na swak-na-swak kami ni Adam. Siguro sa ngayon, okay lang na hindi kami magkasama all the time - may pagkakataon kaming magkaroon ng kanya kanyang buhay. Dahil din sa long distance relationship namin, mas pinapahalagahan namin ang very limited time that we spend together – mas masarap i-cherish. Since mas may edad sya sa akin, naiintindihan niya at naa-appreciate ang mga gingawa ko. At dahil madami na syang experience sa buhay, mas diretso siya at walang chechebureche. Mas madali nga namang tanggapin at intindihin di ba? Hindi ko sasabihing mas simple at less complicated ang mga ibang lahi kumpara sa mga Pinoy, pero siguro dapat i-consider din natin ang sarili natin when it comes relationships. Kumbaga, huwag kang maghanap ng Mr. Perfect kung hindi ka naman si Miss Perfect! Kailangan give and take, handa kayo pareho mag-sacrifice at importante - communication at all times. Hindi rin pwedeng puro ikaw na lang palagi. Kailangan paminsan-minsan ikaw ang dapat mag-give way. O di ba very Ate Charo kung makapagbigay ng advice? Still, I believe the Pinoy is unique and special - hindi maitatanggi na ang halos karamihan ng mga kalalakihan natin ay may respeto sa babae, mapagmahal sa magulang at mapagpahalaga sa pamilya. Bukod sa sigurado kang naliligo sya araw-araw, alam mong lumaki rin syang may takot sa Diyos at marunong makipag-kapwa tao. Masipag sa trabaho at maaasahan sa buhay, yan ang mga katangian ng Pinoy na hindi magbabago miski kailan man. Kung hindi man siya perpekto, nasa sa iyo na bilang babae as to how you will handle your guy. Basta ang importante sa lalake ay yung irerespeto ka, mamahalin ka at paliligayahin ka nang para kang prinsesa forever and ever. Amen!
CLASSIFIEDS - ILLUSTRADO PARTNERS FILIPINO & FILIPINO-ORIENTED ESTABLISHMENTS BEAUTY SALONS BUR DUBAI, DUBAI Beauty Secret Concord Building 2, Mankhool, Bur Dubai Tel. 04 358 1477 Mars & Venus Beauty Salon Office 202, 2nd Floor, Bin Hamad Building, Opposite Emirates Bank International Tel. 04 344 9219
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KARAMA, DUBAI Red Ribbon Bakery Karama Tel. 04 396 8675
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Moonlight Supermarket Near Clock Tower Tel. 04 2942422
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RESTAURANTS ABU DHABI Hundred Island Foodstuff Madinat Sayed Tel. 02 634 4084
Queen Saba Supermarket Behind Al Salama Hospital, Hamdan St., Tourist Club, Abu Dhabi Tel. 02 677 7626
Kainan Filipino Restaurant Beside Wonder Gift Island, Salam St. Tel. 02 671 5580
RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE Silky Touch Ladies Salon 1st Flr, Room # 4, Sheikh Umar Bldg., Al Nakheel Road, Ras Al Kaimah, UAE Tel 050 798 5139
KARAMA, DUBAI Bernadita Ladies Salon Al Wasl Bldg., Karama Tel 04 335 3049 Fingers & Toes Salon M4 Karama Gold Bldg., Beside Jumbo Electronics, Karama Tel. 04 336 6495 Fingers & Toes Salon Shop 70 Al-Attar Center, Karama Tel. 04 335 7656 Lilac Beauty Salon Behind Day-to-Day Shop Al Kuwait Road, Karama Tel. 04 397 3369 Reflection Beauty Centre Shops 7-8 Al-Attar Mall, Karama Tel. 04 334 1033 Sensei Salon Behind Day to Day Shop Al Kuwait Road 12 d street Al Karama Tel 043976652 SATWA, DUBAI Mars & Venus Beauty Salon Office # 202, 2nd Floor, bin Hamad Bldg., Dubai Landmark: Opposite Emirates Bank International Tel 04 344 9219
Thai Importing & Trading Tourist Club Area Tel. 02 676 8663 BUR DUBAI, DUBAI Maxim’s Supermarket Mankhool Road Tel. 04 598 5302 SMA Supermarket Bank Street Tel. 04 357 2802
Kainan Filipino Restaurant Fortune Hotel Bldg, Tourist Club Tel. 02 645 5565 Kainan Filipino Restaurant Back of Alaska Fashion, Hamdan St. Tel. 02 671 5850 DEIRA, DUBAI Salt & Pepper Warba Branch Deira Tel. 04 262 8203
Salt & Pepper Satwa Tel .04 345 3459 MISCELLANEOUS DUBAI Spring Glitters Souq Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Dubai Tel. 04 271 3375 or 06 533 5668 United International Private School (UIPS) Muhaisnah 4, Al Ghusais Tel. 04 254 3889 SHARJAH Philippine Tailoring Yarmook, Sharjah Tel. 050 352 7934
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