ILLUSTRADO Magazine Sept 2008

The Magazine for the International Filipino

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Septembber 2008

2nd

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Issue

Style Pinoy

MODERN DAY ILLUSTRADOS THE TRUTH ACCORDING TOIMELDA MARCOS PHIL REAL ESTATE DEFIES RISING INFLATION STYLE HONOR ROLL DESIGNER PROFILE: JASPER GARVIDA COCONUTER RETURNS ANNIE B. CHRONICLES

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Walking tall at TWO All parents have gone through it… you bring a fragile little creature into your home and it wreaks havoc with life as you know it. You get endless sleepless nights, you lose weight (or put on weight) as you stress at the slightest hint of a temperature or a suspicious cry, you put all of your energy in making sure that this little person grows day-by-day into a healthy and strong individual, and for a moment there, you somehow lose yourself, albeit willingly, giving in to the demands of being a parent to such a fragile and needy sample of yourself. Truth be known - it’s one of the most difficult things in the world.

in those seemingly mundane instances when we feel we have really touched people’s lives - when we are approached by our less than affluent kababayans who have now realized they too can dare to dream; when we are regarded with much gratitude by talented people whom we have given a chance to shine; when we hear from non-Filipinos that they now intend to visit the Philippines after realizing that there is more to our country than just the bad news they normally read; and most of all, when kindred spirits come forward to lend a hand and share their skills – recognizing that what we do resonates with their calling.

But while you are deep in the daze of the early stages of parenthood, forgetting about your old selfish self, the friends you used to know and the ‘me’ time you used enjoy, you suddenly wake up one day to see that little monster pointedly smiling at you, recognizing you, mouthing his very first words amidst drool and giggles. And before you know it that little dynamo has already surpassed baby steps and has discovered running, charming you with his ‘pretend’ adult talk, eliciting much awe with his newfangled skills and bag of tricks – pulling on your strings at his every whim and fancy.

Truth be known - it’s one of the best things in the world.

Two years ago, a kind and astute gentleman (whom I now consider a mentor) said incredulously, albeit gently, that all this is “madness.” I daresay, that it still very much is – a madness of sorts, but one that has gone to feed the aspirations of the family where we belong, the family that we love.

The same goes for us here at Illustrado.

We’ve gone through the woods, climbed up our very own Mt. Everest and emerged walking tall and geared to run. We have started as a small group of ‘mad’ people and evolved into a ‘family’ of 60 who share the same values and passions. We have initiated dialogue with our immediate community of kababayans but are now geared to reach bigger and farther.

We have suffered the birthing pains, and given ourselves wholly to this collective extension of ourselves with the dream of contributing, the best way we can.

Two years on, we find fulfillment, not only when we receive notes of appreciation or gratitude for our efforts. Moreso,

As one of our very appreciative supporters wrote “There is a legacy here. Not the ones you often see about Pinoys becoming filthy rich abroad, but a bigger one. A more lasting and important one. A legacy that will remind all of us, regardless of where we are in the world. We can make a difference. We can make ourselves and others stop and think. We are. More importantly. We can. May everyone never forget that.”

Dear Illustrados, we thank you all for sharing in this journey and promise you that we will forge on with an unwavering faith, a sharper head, and an even bigger heart.

TAAS NOO, Filipino!

LALAINE CHU-BENITEZ Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Send your letters to: editor@illustrado.net

of the world trying our luck, living our own different lives.

Of course, they miss us. No amount of phone calls could compensate for the absence of the people we love. During holidays, their birthdays, or even when they get sick, they’re alone by themselves and it feels terrible for all of us.

needs and not on what we can contribute to our respective companies. Hence, we lower our chances of getting the promotion or the raise we are dreaming of.

I appreciate the competent information and good advise that you are trying to promote through your positive magazine.

Keep up the good work!

It is indeed disturbing... and to say that it is sad is quite an understatement.

Ernesto Cabral Sharjah …………………………..

Because when I look at that picture and see those two persons smiling boldly in front of me, I also notice those two pairs of eyes yearning for their children’s presence. …………………………..

Hello!

Dear Editor, I am a subscriber to your magazine and every issue is worth reading.

I was touched by this piece made by my sister - Memen (from Riyadh). I hope you can include this in one of your issues.

More power to you guys!

Best Regards, Mylene Abu Dhabi Missing you…..

I just would like to express my warmest gratitude for having a magazine that we can call “our own”. I really enjoy reading the magazine and I really love Annie B. Every time I get a copy of Illustrado I would always go to the pages of Annie B first. The story is quite enjoyable as it relates to the reality of life with a sprinkle of smiles and laughs. I am now looking forward for Annie B to teach her rival at work a good lesson.

Keep up the good work and full steam ahead Annie B!!!

From Mae and the rest of the housemates, Rosemae Leuterio Dubai, UAE …………………………..

I suddenly felt tears rolling down my cheeks. A sudden rush of guilt filled my heart. Perhaps, it was the feeling of longing for the parents I am missing so much and with whom I have been unable to spend time with.

I recently picked up a copy of your magazine and read it for the first time. I found it very refreshing and enjoyed reading the articles.

The proper perspective that you offer throughout your magazine is quite evident.

For example, the Successful Pinoy articles in your issues are very interesting and I agree with your assessment.

Let me also share with you my own perspective - preparation is a key to success in any endeavor, as I know from experience, and we as a country do need to be prepared for a potential outbreak. However, paranoia is a “poison” that can lead you down a path far away from a successful plan. Its destructive forces can tear you away from the goal that you are striving to achieve.

Thanks for publishing a quality magazine. I look forward to reading your next issue.

I asked myself how they could have become so old, so fast, and how I could have let that pass just before my eyes.

Cons Domingo Dubai …………………………..

Then I simply understood why I started to sob…

For many years, my parents have been left in our hometown in Mindoro, with only my seven year old nephew for company. Their kids, all four of us, are in separate parts

Thank you for your tips on how to improve our career prospects. Many a times, we Pinoys make a mistake because we accept whatever is offered to us without challenging it, worse, some of us only focus on our

I was doing my usual routine in the office when I suddenly received an email from my sister in the UAE. She sent me a picture taken recently during our parents’ tour outside the Philippines. The shot was so vivid- my Mom and Dad were sitting next to each other, with my Dad’s arm around my Mom’s shoulders. There was no caption at all - my eldest sister is just too lazy to even put the date or any other information about the picture.

I am fond of reading magazines even when I was in the Philippines, though I only choose what really catches my attention. But I’m pleasantly surprised that Illustrado is really different from anything I’ve read before. Your magazine has articles that are simple but are really informative and entertaining. Most of all, it talks about what is important for us Filipinos outside of our homeland. That’s why I enjoy going through your issues from cover to cover.

Thanks and keep up the good work!

Hoping for more, Mary Joy Nazarrea Satwa, Dubai …………………………..

I got a copy of your magazine from my sister.

She is actually a part time model and she has been featured in your magazine several times. Needless to say, I got interested in Illustrado because it is really an entertaining and informative magazine. Since I got hold of it from my sister I’ve been wanting to get a copy every month but never had a chance to get one myself due to my hectic work schedule. Anyway this time, I’m making up for lost opportunity that’s why I ordered your back issues as well.

I’d like to keep Illustrado and appreciate the remarkable stories you publish.

Kind regards, Jennette Alami

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CONTRIBUTORS

Bernadette Reyes Bernadette’s day job as a news reporter for TV Network GMA has her literally chasing after bad guys no matter what time it is. But the tough little cookie isn’t all about grit — she is an active contributor for various local business publications and was a former business reporter where she was tasked to cover the Philippine Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

On lighter days, petite Bernadette indulges in her addiction to books and frappes from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

Mike Martin

David Poarch Many people have kept track of Pinoy blogging legend David Poarch’s adventures in the Philippines, leaving behind the country he was raised in to find himself and his roots in the land of coconuts. Featured in ABS-CBN’s ‘Nagmamahal Kapamilya’ program in 2006, David’s journey of rediscovery and choice to live the simple life in the homeland struck a chord in many a patriotic Filipino’s heart. This month, David finds himself on a plane back to the US, but his heart remaining in the country he has grown to love.

It’s madness over method for this mercurial angst-ridden poet, aspiring author and closet writer. Illustrado lives vicariously through Mike, as he checks out the quirks of metro nightlife in ‘Manila Trippin,’ to give you an account of the cool, weird, and wacky goings on in the city’s nooks and crannies. After a long hiatus, Mike hits the scene once more, taking a peek at the good life offered by today’s hottest luxury residences.

Jake Atienza Anthony Jake Huiskamp Atienza is a 19 year old

Dutch-Filipino, studying in the Netherlands.

Aside from English, he speaks Dutch and Visaya.

Writing and photography are his media of choice and he has started working in his field of interest this year. He has worked as a photo editor and as a photographer in the Netherlands and in the Philippines. At present he looks forward to discovering what the future holds.

Joel Adriano

David Angel David Angel is a photographer from London, with a portfolio that spans fashion, musicians, actors, ad-agencies and publishing clients from Time Warner to Time Out. David has used Londonbased Filipino designer Jasper Garvida’s previous collection in an editorial Italian Giallo-inspired horror shoot, and shares with Illustrado readers photographs from Jasper’s most recent collection.

Joel Adriano works on a UNICEF-funded project to write the mid-decade assessment of the Education for All 2015 Plan for the Philippines. He contributes for several media organizations like the Asean BizTimes, the Asia Times Online. He maintains an environmental column for People’s Tonight for which he won a Binhi Award for Best Environmental Journalist in 2007. He has worked on several things with the World Bank, putting both his BS in Development Communication and his Master’s Degree in Environmental Studies at the University of the Philippines Los Baños to good use – researching, writing, developing plans, editing and layout for World Bank publications, programs and papers.

Dr. Ron Villejo Resident ‘shrink’ Ron Villejo uses his expertise on the human psyche by delivering sound and seasoned advice to Illustrado readers looking for leverage in their careers. Ron has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago which he parlayed into a successful career in management consulting, with a specialty in leadership development, which brought him to several major companies in the Middle East, US and Europe.

Currently the management trainer at Emirates National Oil Co. in Dubai, Ron’s passion outside the workplace is to use his specialized skills to serve the Filipino community around job and career matters. His guiding principles: Dream big.

Act small, step by step. No one reaches the top of the mountain in one fell swoop.

Sustain effort, make it happen!

Publisher & Editor-in Chief Lalaine Chu-Benitez Assistant Editor Mikkel Bolante Art Directors Paula Lorenzo Ron Perez Contributing Writers Philippines & U.S. Carlito Viriña Bernadette Reyes David Poarch Aby Yap Ivan Henares Gabbie dela Rama-Talan Chayie Maligalig Apple Lopez Karen Galarpe Vic Lactaoen Victor Sollorano Lorraine Balita KC Abalos JR Bustamante Excel Dyquianco Jude Cartalaba Isabelo Samonte United Arab Emirates Maripaz Febrero Giselle Estrada Dawn Almario Sonny de Guzman Antonella Andrada Shar Matingka Jonie Jose Michael Vincent Serrano Contributing Photographers Philippines Marlon Pecjo Charles Lu United Arab Emirates Pot Ph Illuminado Ong Kris Lee Mariyah Gaspacho Contributing Stylist Zekundo Chu Janet dela Fuente Publisher Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC 2nd Floor, Building 2 P.O. Box 72280 Office 20C Dubai Media City, U.A.E. Tel: + 9714 365 4547 Fax: + 9714 360 4771 email: admin@illustrado.net Website: illustrado.net Printers Delta Printing Press L.L.C. P.O. Box 37140 Dubai, U.A.E. Copyright Illustrado Communications 2008.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC

September 08 CONTENTS Features Illustrados 11 Real Estate Overview 12 The Truth According to Imelda Marcos 14 Filipino Style 18

Columns Editor’s Note 1 Letters to the Editor 4 Contributors 6 Famous Filipinos 20 Kabuhayan: My National T-Shirt 24 Kabuhayan: Portal for Enterprising Filipinos 26 Successful Pinoy: Strengthen Yourself In Your Career 28 Successful Pinoy: Style Mo, Tagumpay Mo! 30 Community Event 62, 64 Coconuter: A New Life in the US 68 Hilig Pinoy: Batangas Sports Tourism 76 Onli in da Pilipins 78 The Annie B. Chronicles 80

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Illustrado features the top of the heap in the Philippine and the UAE fashion scene in this month’s glamorous Style Honor Roll.

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Fashion & Arts Style Honor Roll 36 Designer Profile: Jasper Garvida 54 Cebu IAFT 66

Places Manila Trippin’: Manila Revisited 70 Manila Trippin’: The Hunt for Home Sweet Home 73

Entertainment Lav Diaz: Living His Big Dream 83 Hot Releases 85

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FEATURE11

Illuminating the Way

By Mikkel Bolante

The ilustrados went out to the world and showed that given the proper resources (in their case, education), Filipinos can perform at par with anybody. Rizal’s books weren’t read by Pinoys but by the European neighbors of our captors. This is not unlike what goes on today with our OFW brothers and sisters around the world, showcasing their talents and skills to foreign employers, posing tough competition to other nationalities – shining the best way Filipinos can. Taas noo.

It’s funny how the term ‘Filipino’ didn’t always refer to our people — the warm, friendly inhabitants of our 7,100 island archipelago. Nay, during the dark days of the Spanish colonial era, it was used to describe Spanish people who were born in the Philippines; our colonists, if you will. Us brutish natives? We were branded by our occupants as indios, much in the same way the Native Americans were known as indians. Out of these dark times of colonization, though, a small group of nationalistic locals sought to change the way people thought of Filipinos. They called themselves “enlightened” — ilustrado. ilustrado. The name strikes one with such pride and regality. It seems to just roll off the tongue with a tinge of class and refinement.

It brims of elegance with just enough of a Filipino twist to make it uniquely ours.

The term ilustrado was used to refer to the generation of affluent, educated Filipinos who formed the intellectual elite of the country. These individuals were sent by their parents to universities both abroad and within our shores. They called themselves enlightened — exposed to the European ideals of liberalism and equality, these “illuminated” young men were the early proponents of nationalism in the country.

Armed with an education at par with their captors, these lightbearers knew one thing — that Filipinos, whether ilustrado or indio, were not in any way inferior to their Spanish counterparts. The locals may not be getting the same quality of education as their colonizers, but those who did — like prominent ilustrado Jose P Rizal — were more than capable of setting the then-modern European world on fire. His two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, were circulated around the continent to expose the cruelty and injustice Filipinos had to experience under the Spanish regime.

Originally, the ilustrados pushed not for independence for the Philippines, but for legal equality between the Spanish and Filipinos, demanding rights such as representation in the Spanish parliament and the consideration of the colony as a province

of Spain. They also insisted on several reforms for the country like the separation of Church and state and the introduction of native clergy. Upon the refusal of the Spanish government to grant their demands, they joined the struggle of their fellow Filipinos — as led by the more radical group Katipunan — in the quest to free the young nation from their cruel captors.

Other prominent members of this group of ilustrados include Graciano López Jaena, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, and Antonio Luna.

So in today’s modern world, what group of Filipinos most closely resemble the ilustrados of old? Taking a look at their philosophies, I found the heart of the matter to be this: the ilustrado believed in the talents and capabilities of the Filipino people. They believed that the Pinoy deserved to be held in a similar regard as the Spanish, or any other nationality, for that matter. Quite simply, they believed in the Filipino people.

Taas noo.

We are no longer under foreign rule, so there is no fight for freedom to speak of.

However, our OFW community fights a different battle — the one to prove ourselves of being truly world-class.

A lot of our countrymen have already endeavored and accomplished that in several fields – scientists, IT experts, sportsmen, artists, designers, medical practitioners, engineers and architects, and so much more. They have shown that we are at par with the best around the globe.

Over at the home front, it is the same ‘enlightened’ OFWs who are feeding the development of the economy, spawning new areas of growth, a new hybrid culture and thinking, bringing with them skills, and new values learned across the world, while at the same time remaining true to their roots.

These are the modern day ilustrados. In the same way the Filipinos of old were lucky they had Rizal and his group to shed some light during the darkest times of our history, so should we all be thankful for the contributions that hardworking and pioneering OFWs make to our country.

Out of different kinds of darkness — the colonial rule in the past, and a lack of awareness by the rest of the world about us Filipinos in the present — both groups have continuously found ways to share their light with the rest of the world, as well as illuminate the way for other Filipinos to emerge victorious on the struggle for global recognition.

Again, as in the past, Taas Noo through it all.

12 FEATURE

Phil. Real Estate Defies rising inflation

By Bernadette Reyes

With the current slackening of the PhiliPPine economy marked by soaring oil Prices, rising inflation and the Weakening of the Peso one may exPect more and more PeoPle to hold on to their hard currency but the increasing sales of the real estate sector may Prove otherWise.

According to the NSCB (National Statistical Coordination Board), the real estate industry is making a comeback in the Philippines and is currently one of the prime movers for economic growth in the country.

NSCB data revealed the industry posted an annual growth rate of 17.1 percent in 2006 – its highest growth since 1967. The 2006 growth was a significant increase from the 15.4 percent reported in 2005. In monetary terms, the sector posted PHP14.3 billion sales in 2006, higher than the PHP12.2 billion recorded in 2005.

The robust growth was driven by the establishment of upscale malls and commercial and shopping centers resulting in a marked increase in renting and leasing operations. This was further buoyed by the strong construction and sales of residential properties in subdivisions and high-rise condominium projects with the OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and Filipino immigrants as its biggest market.

Residential properties particularly house and lots within the PHP2 million to PHP3.5 million price range and condominium units priced within PHP1.5 million to PHP2.5 million are the most marketable. Highend leisure products on the other hand are experiencing more modest sales especially with the availability of low-cost housing these days. Constructions of affordable house and lots are booming south of Manila particularly the CALABARZON (CaviteLaguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) area.

The growth of the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) sector likewise contributed to the overall growth of the industry. Office spaces in the country’s commercial business districts saw an increase in occupancy.

Tight office space markets in the Ortigas and Makati areas saturated by call centers and other BPOs and major information technology centers around the country are seeing a similar boom in these types of

businesses including backroom accounting, medical and legal transcription, graphic and architectural design, animation, research and a number of others. More commercial spaces are likely to be filled up as the BPO sector continues to thrive. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also claims a recent upsurge in real property loan grants to interested clients.

These series of fortunate events has catapulted real estate to becoming the highest-growing sub-sector within the services category surpassing the earlier growth of the telecommunications services sector. The uptick has been so overwhelming that renewed worries on the possibility of a real property bubble is looming, similar to events leading to the Asian financial crisis in 1997. However, the economic slump in 1997 which was generally felt across industries and the economy has seen better days since.

The real estate industry started to regain its fort in 2002 until its boom in recent years.

This uptrend is expected to continue as long as sales both in residential and commercial properties are on the upside.

In spite of the economic crunch, the real estate sector remains resilient as demonstrated by the purchasing power of both local and international buyers including US-based clients. However, with the current sub-prime crisis in the US, the Philippine property industry has also been affected in some ways.

‘El Subastahero’ Noli Alleje, Managing Director of the Philippine Property Forum, a real estate search engine that provides the latest information on property auctions and the current market, admits many developers have increased sales in the years 2005 to 2007 because of properties sold to clients based in the US. While the subprime problem may have an impact on local property companies, this is being countered by shifting marketing efforts on other promising markets. “My experience on

cancellations from abroad has been very minimal since we are looking at the new OFW personality who is now on a higher earning bracket and has learned financial maturity,” he explains. SM Development Corp. has likewise shifted its marketing focus to other markets than the US. “In our case, the sales coming from the US has slowed down because of the subprime crisis. What we are doing now is to concentrate our efforts on other countries that are not affected by the crisis,” say SM Development Corp. International Sales Manager Gino Macapagal.

Ayala Land International Sales General Manager Dave Rafael shares, that for them, cancellations were not a significant problem. “What we found was that Filipinos still want to buy Philippine property. But if before, they were able to buy PHP10 or PHP15 million condos or houses, the subprime problem and recession has forced many to downscale to the PHP5 million condos.”

In spite of these setbacks, industry players believe the demand for real estate will continue to be stable. “Real estate is still the best hedge against inflation,” says Nikki Hofileña Samonte, Assistant VicePresident and Project Director of Century Properties Group. “Earnings are best invested in property buying, since there is a return of investment that’s larger than in the stock market or on a high-risk business.”

The next three years are expected to be much of the same as long as developers are able to capture the right market and make sure they are able to meet customer expectations. “We always look at things in a positive way. There will always be a demand. It’s a matter of strategizing and targeting the right market and making sure we provide what the market demands,” says Macapagal. One such potential market is the OFW category which is seen

FEATURE13

to fuel continued demand in the coming years. “Last year, in 2007, almost 35% of the total sales of Ayala Land were from the overseas market,” says Rafael. “That’s more than a third of our sales that year.

“Strong remittances from the OFW will help support the economy and affect the growth of the industry as well. Between 2010 and 2012 we will see a lot of completed projects turneded over to its owners who in turn will market their units to the secondary market,” Alleje says. Hofileña Samonte adds that a good percentage of the billions in remittances is spent on property and housing.

Real estate insiders are confident in the stability of this market. “This is a permanent market, and that means it will always be there and it’s always growing,” says Rafael. “All the data of the Central Bank, of the POEA, say that the number of Filipinos living overseas is increasing. In 2007, total remittance was PHP12 billion. In 2008, they’re projecting it will be in excess of PHP14 billion.

This overseas Filipino phenomenon is permanent; a very important component of the Philippine economy.”

At present a number of property firms are actively constructing new housing projects while pre-selling of condominiums are evident especially in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. While these may seem positive indicators for the industry, there is a possibility of saturation in 2012.

Property firm Philippine Property Forum plans to weather the possible slump by implementing more aggressive marketing strategy to maintain sales. “The buyers out there whether direct buyers, local brokers or OFW kababayans through our international brokers, do exist. We just have to be more creative, put in more time and effort and sharpen our skills,” Alleje explains but was quick to add that the company is also preparing for the worst. “We are moving toward zero debt so in the event of a complete meltdown we have no bank amortization and foreclosure threat.”

With the double digit growth experienced by the real estate industry today, worries over a possible downturn in the industry are a remote possibility for now. Developers are engaged in healthy competition offering different designs and amenities to the market. For the part of the customers it is just a matter of choosing the company that has a good track record to deliver the projects and can offer payment terms that is suited to the buyer’s budget and lifestyle.

Filipinos and other UAE residents who are planning to invest in the Philippines will have the chance to attend free investment seminars and project presentations and to transact business directly with representatives from top Philippine developers at the 1st Philippine Property Show in the Middle East to be held on the 26th to the 27th September at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai.

According to the Philippine office of CB Richard Ellis, a Fortune 500 company specializing in investment sales, commercial and industrial leasing, asset and property management - “Investment opportunities in tourism, mining, and real estate remain high in the Philippines.” This is definitely the best time to buy residential condominium, house and lot in the country while prices are still relatively lower compared to other Asian countries. Unlike other markets, the growth in Philippines real estate industry is driven by realistic demand from commercial and residential end-users and not by speculators.

Such is a stable investment climate that attracts long-term investors from other

countries. Filipinos are resilient investors who do not easily withdraw their investments in case of regional and global crisis.”

This outlook was echoed by Philippine Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano whose Department will be represented during the show’s opening ceremony by Team Japan Director Benito Bengzon Jr. who will talk about Tourism Investment Opportunities in the Philippine archipelago. “The Philippines is the place where your dream lifestyle turns into a reality. Every property is a community in itself – everything within your reach.

While the real estate sector performs a significant role in nation building, complementary industries such as tourism, trade, commerce, transportation and communication, among others, play an integral role in economic development,” explained Durano. He added: “It is our commitment to sustain our country’s economy by bringing in a fresh wave of investments through real estate innovation and promotion.”

14 FEATURE

The truth according to Imelda Marcos

By Vic Albornoz Lactaoen • Illustration by Marvin Del Rosario

EVER WONDER WHAT THE WIDOW OF A FORMER DICTATOR DOES WITH HER SPARE TIME? OR HER SPARE SHOES? IN THE CASE OF FORMER FIRST LADY IMELDA ROMUALDEZ MARCOS — WIDOW, OF COURSE, TO FORMER PRESIDENT FERDINAND — HER FOOTWEAR IS HOUSED IN A SHOE MUSEUM ALONG JP RIZAL STREET IN MARIKINA; BUILT AND DEDICATED TO HER HONOR, TO STORE WHAT IS LEFT OF HER SHOE BOUNTY. At 78, the former first lady of the Philippines still carries herself with the style and grace that once captivated world leaders from the Kremlin to the White House. A scan of her latest photographs reveals that her eyes still sparkle and her face radiates with not a wrinkle or line despite her years. Only Imelda of the fabled gems and gowns and shoes could get away with donning huge garish costume jewelry and have thousands of women stampede to buy it.

Forget irony. That is lost on the former First Lady. This is the woman, after all, who has turned every theory there is on crime and punishment on its head. If anything, the joke’s on us. At one point, she was facing some 900 cases of graft ranging from money salting to anything and everything that may be connected to the financial rewards of two decades of strongman rule. Imelda has won acquittal after acquittal, and in several instances, forced the Philippine state into accepting compromise deals worth a fraction of what was being sought. She figures there are just ten more major cases left hanging with the Sandiganbayan — the special court in charge of corruption cases.

And don’t even dream of waking one day and seeing a repentant Imelda on television.

First, she doesn’t believe there is even anything to apologize for. In her mind, she and her beloved Ferdinand are the victims, EDSA I marked the death of Philippine democracy and martial law brought back human rights. The late President Marcos

not only was a true democrat in dispatching his wife to charm Mao Tse Tung, he was also single-handedly responsible for ending the Cold War. For the latter, she says, the Marcoses paid a steep price. Like having a jealous superpower kidnap them at the height of the 1986 EDSA People Power revolt and dump them in Hawaii, leaving them high and dry — and yes, penniless. But natural law — a favorite mantra of Mrs. Marcos — says life is a circle.

All the country’s a stage and Imelda’s advice for people waging revolutions, peaceful or otherwise, is to just forget it folks.

Don’t even try to jolt Filipinos out of their perpetual fiesta mode. The only thing that will get them going is a love-fest. So Joseph Estrada croons and unleashes one-liners as he walks away from conviction for plunder.

And Imelda, well, she is what she was and forever will be — Imeldific.

Even if you fought against the Marcos dictatorship, you have to admit there is no escaping the Imeldific charm. She confesses to being greedy, needy and extravagant. Heck, you can call her vulgar to her face and she’ll just give you that trademark sideways smile; vulgar only means, as she’ll remind you, “One’s cup overflowed with beauty.”

Imelda says she has no regrets. “I know what people have said about the Marcoses and about the billions of dollars supposedly

taken out of the country,” she says. “But here we are 21 years on and where is it all?

Not here.” She looks around the room — a 34th floor posh apartment condominium in sprawling Fort Bonifacio area of Makati City with a sweeping view of the city she once presided over as a governor.

“I remember it well,” she says. Asked if she would have changed anything, Imelda says, “Yes, I would have changed the country’s name. Why should this country carry the name of a Spanish king who died of syphilis?”

To many of her critics, however, she will always be associated with kleptocracy that bled the Philippines dry. One of the funniest scenes in the award–winning documentary Imelda is the one where the former first lady recounts the attempted assassination against her — shown dramatically in black and white archival footage — and rues the fact that the frustrated assassin “used such an ugly bolo.” He could have used a better-looking weapon, she complains, or at least tried to embellish it. “He could have decorated it with yellow ribbons,” she suggests without any hint of irony.

Apparently, for a person like Imelda who is obsessed with beauty, the thought that her life could have been taken with such ugliness is offensive. As this writer watched the documentary for the third time, I took it with a generous dose of irony. For it is easy to be swept up in the wake of the image

FEATURE 15

“They looked in my closets for skeletons, thank God all they found were shoes.”

16 FEATURE a love for extravagance. She says, “One thing I fervently believe in is the value of beauty.

Beauty uplifts us, and if we strive for beauty in our collective lives, we will be uplifted as individuals, as communities and as a nation.”

Asked how she manages to deal with all her problems including the many legal battles still confronting her, Imelda said she just does not allow hate into her heart. “I am in love all the time.” She adds that the one lesson to be learned from the past is that if Filipinos would only unite rather than divide, we could accomplish much more.

Mrs. Marcos said she was writing her autobiography to be titled “Mothering, Rising Spirit,” but the book’s publication is not yet certain, having been delayed by new events in her life, including her recent victory against the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Back to her famous shoe collection, there are, sadly, only less than 700 pairs left from the original collection — what happened to the other 3,000 plus pairs, nobody seems to know. But there’re still enough to fill glass display cases lining two walls of the renovated 19th century rice warehouse turned museum in Marikina City.

Dressy Charles Jourdan pumps, comfy espadrilles, knee high leather boots, a shoe phone, all size 8 ½, all competing for attention with photos of Imelda with other world leaders — Prince Charles, a French president, China’s Deng Xiaoping, and cigar chomping Fidel Castro of Cuba.

to the way US film critics commented that the filmmaker, Ramona Diaz, who was too soft on her to charm and seduce the viewer into buying her trumped-up myths. To her credit, though, Imelda Marcos pulls it off with aplomb, and the shot of her telling the story at dusk standing before the MacArthur landing monument in Leyte is well-lit and sets off her still remarkable looks.

For something to busy herself with, she recently launched a line of cheap accessories and sports shoes aimed at the youth market.

She told the lifestyle media that her trinkets and sneakers would be affordable to the masses. “This is more than about money, because money can only buy you food and the things like that.” The Imelda Collection is a range of low-cost but glitzy jewelry, bags and clothes aimed at a generation not yet born when she swept through Manila’s corridors of power. The media was not shown the complete line of accessories, which daughter Imee said would include pieces from her mother’s own collection as well as designs created by Imee and her son, model Borgy Manotoc. Decades before hip-

hop artists came up with the term bling-bling to describe gaudy ostentation, Filipinos used the phrase Imeldific to describe acts of excess.

As Imelda Marcos glides across the highly paved alleys of Serendra, she stretches out her carefully manicured hands and apologizes to the gracious hosts and media for being late. Imelda spoke before a group of balikbayan leaders and businessmen and charmed them with her patented patter on beauty and love and related it all to the growth of the Philippine economy. Wearing her usual terno, the widow of the late dictator harked back to the years when she and her husband ruled the roost before they were driven into exile and disgrace, seizing every positive sign of progress in the Philippines as being somehow part of their own vindication.

That the government is focusing on boosting tourism proved her point that beautifying the country to attract tourists and investors was important and was not meant to satisfy

Squeezed forlornly into a corner, next to a small photo of the late president, are a few pairs of worn out-looking shoes that belonged to Ferdinand. There are also pairs of shoes that belong to current President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Gringo Honasan, Juan Flavier, Teofisto Guingona, and the late church leader Cardinal Jaime Sin’s loafers.

A teacher at nearby Barangka Elementary School plans to bring her class to visit. But I ask, “do young school kids know anything about the 21-year rule of Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos who allegedly pocketed between US$5 to 10 billion of the country’s wealth? “Not really,” the teacher replied.

“But they still know who Imelda is.”

It seems the Marcos legacy is infamy, but the former first lady remains serenely unperturbed by the tag. She’s not at all embarrassed to be known for her shopaholic predilection. Her words from the shoe museum opening leave a lasting mark, a view at how serious she seems to take the issues hounding them.

“They looked in my closets for skeletons, thank God all they found were shoes.”

18 FEATURE

A Question of Pinoy Style

By Lalaine Chu-Benitez

For a country so rich in creative innovators, surrounded by a veritable Feast oF cultural and artistic stimuli, it comes as a bit oF a surprise that the philippines’ daily Fashion staple comes in the Form oF that basic bland western ensemble. yes, the ubiquitous t-shirt and blue jeans pairing that has come to be known as the Filipino’s national uniForm.

People watchers will conclude that it’s past colonial influence and the Pinoy’s continued aspiration to emulate western ideals that is the reason for this phenomenon. A perfunctory visual check of your regular kabayans on the street will probably confirm that assumption - it’s all very western, American to be specific. You will most conceivably see variations - from character-less basics, to contrived hip-hop, grungy even gothic, and sometimes the more dressed down sporty cousin of the t-shirt – basketball jerseys which find their way out of the hard court to basically anywhere.

But before the Pinoy is dismissed as someone

so lacking in style or devoid of originality, it pays to look at the rich pickings that this community has to offer when it comes to innate style. Though it might not be so apparent to the eyes of strangers, our true and natural elegance lies just beneath the surface of our traditions.

Elements of Pinoy Style Pinoy style elements cannot be haphazardly summed up into a mere few pieces of clothing. Our sartorial heritage is made of specific garments, forms, shapes, fabrics and fabrication techniques not to mention unique materials indigenous to our country.

When one talks Filipino fashion, certainly the ‘terno’ is the first thing that comes to mind. The queen of Philippine style with its distinctive silhouette and unique butterfly sleeves, in all its incarnations, is top-of-mind compared to other native wear in the country - perhaps because it has been made famous the worldover by the iconic Imelda Marcos. The counterpart to this ultra feminine piece is the Barong Tagalog – the staple of Filipino male formal wear. Elegant and well-suited to our tropical weather, the barong is not only stylish but is often used as a canvas to display Filipino skill and artistry in distinctive embroideries and delicate needlework.

Shapes, form and construction aside, one will realize that these distinctive pieces are even more outstanding upon closer examination. You appreciate the richness of Philippine culture when you look closely at the fabrics that make up these clothes – woven with utmost pride by artisans from Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao. We have intricately crafted weaves like pina, jusi, hablon, yakan, sinamay, inabel and t’nalak, which are not only used in dressmaking but as accessories for the home, and even as prized elements in art.

Here is where Philippine tribal clothing truly shines, in its use of beautifully detailed mediums.

Then again, we have countless accoutrements - accessories made or inspired from materials around the country – bamboo, wood, sea grass, shells, stones, seeds, beads, and other

FEATURE19

objects of natural beauty put together to create necklaces, earrings, headpieces, bags and what-not, giving the wearer a waft of fresh air from the islands.

Perhaps the most famous among our native accessories is the ‘bakya’ – our wooden clogs which for a time, to most Filipinas, symbolized an outmoded way of life that only resonated with our grandmothers and those before them.

Pinoy fashion to the fore We have a roster of amazingly talented Filipino designers who have earned a mark for the Philippines in the international arena showcasing exceptional creativity and craftsmanship that is a hallmark of Pinoy artists – the likes of Monique Lhuillier, Rafe Totengco, Josie Natori, Bea Valdez, Zaldy Goco, among others.

Most significantly, there are those who have leveraged our national identity by elevating the style which is unique to us.

Among them are National Artist Awardee Ramon Valera who innovated the terno at the crossroads of Philippine history in the 40’s, Pitoy Moreno, the Philippines acknowledged ‘fashion czar’, designers Joe Salazar, Patis Tesoro and Barge Ramos, known for devoting his entire body of work to innovating the barong, fast forward to the progressive young Filipino designers du jour such as Puey Quinones, who has imbued traditional fabrics with a destructured new look, to Lesley Mobo in London who has given the terno a modern attitude.

Pinoy lovers of pop were struck with awe and pride at the sight of Apl de Ap sporting a barong with his usual urban attitude at Black Eyed Peas concerts around the world. In the Philippines and around Asia, we see foreign dignitaries sporting creations in sinamay made famous by Ditas Sandiko-Ong. And alas, true Pinay shoe fetishists must have taken serious notice when manufacturers in Brazil, Spain, Malaysia and Italy churned out the more streamlined and sexier versions of our ‘bakya’ and made them a recurring summer trend for the last couple of years.

Little by little, it appears that elements of our native style are gaining some interest in different parts of the world.

Fashion reality check Sadly though today, in the harsh unflattering light of daily life, the unique Filipino look appears to have been reserved for matrons who wear couture for gala nights, the avant garde, the national activists, to folks who attend weddings and ultra formal functions, and worn for a few national occasions where Pinoys look more like they are dressed in ‘costumes’ instead of actual wearable clothes.

It seems that our sartorial heritage has either been regarded as relics from the past, or ideals which are inaccessible, or worse – uninteresting, boring and even inconvenient, by a huge majority of Filipinos.

Instead, we have allowed ourselves to continuously drown in the homogeneity of western style, lost in the scores of t-shirt and jean clad ‘non-individuals’. Is it because our native crafts cannot keep up with the

efficient and massive western fashion machinery? Have our design gurus failed to successfully evolve our ancient style values, unable to find resonance with our modern, more casual daily lives? Have we, as a people become too westernized losing the appreciation and interest for our innate artistry? Or is it because we are lacking in confidence in our unique identity, that we cannot muster the bravado to stand out and be different?

Whatever the reason, the fact of the matter is that we are missing on an opportunity to create for ourselves an indelible mark in the world that will define who we really are, and what we are capable of.

In all fairness, there are those of us who endeavor to earn Filipino style the cachet it truly deserves, so that one day it will have the capacity to inspire, not only our own loyal designers, but top tier international greats who will eventually take the inspiration, not only on the catwalks, but even the streets, of New York, Paris, London and Milan. And why not? Our indigenous sense of aesthetics certainly has more than ample to offer the world.

Until then, for us mere mortals, it’s never too late to start building on our uniqueness, avoiding the urge to follow the fashion droves mindlessly, to celebrate who and what we are, and eventually - have the confidence to wear our national pride on our sleeve.

20 FAMOUS FILIPINOS

ZALDY GOCO

A Force In The New York Fashion Scene

W

ho could have foreseen that a Filipino would be behind the clothing line LAMB of pop queen Gwen Stefani, or behind the red carpet style of Britney Spears, or of various projects of celebs Beyoncé and Mary J Blige?

Zaldy Goco certainly didn’t expect to acquire celebrity status when he arrived in Los Angeles to study at Parsons, or later at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. He did, however, team up with makeup artist Mathu Anderson, and the daring duo soon became the style sensations on the nightclub circuit. Zaldy’s early getups are now the stuff of legends. One of his many memorable looks consisted of a bodysuit covered in hand-cut bits of mirrors so that only the eyes and mouth were visible - a sort of human disco ball.

In the mid-90s, while working as an image consultant for Donna Karan, Shiseido and other brands in need of a tuneup, Zaldy found himself flirting with serious fame – acting in front of the camera, and strutting down runways for Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. But in the end, he withdrew, saying, “I only wanted to make clothes. That was my passion. I didn’t feel like dressing up any more.”

He later teamed up with Gwen Stefani to design her LAMB clothing label in 2004. “My friend Danilo, was her first make-up artist,” he says. “I started making pieces for her videos through him. One time, he and I were at a music festival and I found myself sitting on a couch with her. She

By Maripaz Febrero

had just seen a tape of my Fall 2003 collection and said, ‘I don’t know if I should ask you this, but I feel like it’s right.

Would you be interested in working on my line?’ I said, ‘Are you crazy? Of course!’”

Zaldy started out as a consultant on LAMB before being promoted to head designer. His September 2005 show was one of the label’s most successful seasons. Zaldy’s unique personal style resulted in “strong pieces that remain approachable and non-threatening or overbearing. Easy and uncomplicated, comfortable without being dull.”

Now, when the question on everyone’s Botoxed lips from London to LA is: “Who is Zaldy Goco?” The quick answer would be “a stylist to the stars and designer of his own line; a self-invented creative genius and calming Swamilike character to even the most stressed celebrities seeking his sartorial services.”

Fascinated with fashion at an early age, Zaldy recalls spending hours with his grandmother, who ran her own fashion school in the Philippines. Little did he know at the time that he would be living and working out of New York’s legendary Chelsea Hotel to style super celebs like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Parker Posey. Currently, none other than Victoria ‘Posh’ Beckham is running after him to design her fashion line – who could’ve known?

FAMOUS FILIPINOS 21

LESLEY MOBO

Europe-based Fashion Sensation

O

ne of the most brilliant young designers today in London’s famed high street happens to be Filipino.

His name is Lesley Mobo.

Lesley’s amazing life has humble beginnings in Aklan. He struggled through the years studying a full undergraduate course in Central St. Martins, and soared to his eventual success in attaining the Diesel Award in International Talent Support. His story smoothly rises to his current commercial work with Harrod’s as well as his personal efforts to create what he calls “directional” pieces in developing his own line.

When asked why he chose to study design and work in London, Lesley said the answer is twofold, “one is the British design education system, which provides a nursery of ideas, and two, the city itself, this most sprawling, multifaceted metropolis in the world. The idea of stylishness in London fashion is surely one of the most interesting and varied of any city in the world, partly because being a truly international roster of designers, the multi-cultural set up brings its own influences to the melting pot, resulting in a rich and varied display of creativity to which London is truly blessed to play host.”

Lesley is insightful, his words offer a wealth of information and force anyone who works in a creative role to think carefully about design philosophy and the language on which their works are built.

He went on to compare London with another style capital, Paris, “While design has become very homogenized, London designers on the other hand take risks, are audacious, and haven’t had their creativity sterilized by money men.

In Paris, it’s all about perfectionism that causes them to set levels so high that life becomes difficult. There isn’t the same humanity there that you find in London. In France, you have to have a certain “taste.” In England, taste is taste or bad taste can even be a positive thing: however good or bad, it has a reason to exist in this country and that sits perfectly in pushing the boundaries not only of fashion but of contemporary art.”

In London, Lesley is able to hold on to his identity no matter what. He said, “People sometimes try to figure out my nationality, and they always guess Japanese first, then next Chinese, then Malaysian, Indian and even Brazilian.

I, of course, say Filipino proudly, and the fact that I’m a Filipino in this industry in London adds more excitement and interest about designers from Asia.”

He values the influence of his Filipino roots, “I think that my childhood memories of Aklan and the sense of dressing at that time are all still fresh in my mind. It helped me a lot in my whole approach to designing — I was able to design things just the way I felt without any pretensions whatsoever. It makes the whole process efficient and honest, and British people like it that way. In this industry we always search for different approaches or solutions, and for me the best way to do it is by simply looking around you or remembering your past.”

22 FAMOUS FILIPINOS

JOANNE REYES

Rising Star In The Fashion Firmament

H

er clothing line may sound masculine – Vicente Villarin – but her creations are truly and deeply feminine. Joanne Reyes, the newest star in the highly competitive world of fashion in the US, named her line after her beloved grandfather and major inspiration. Joanne insists, though, that her brand represents sophistication, confidence, elegance, individuality and modernity; designed for women who want to feel pretty and elegant yet modern and sexy.

Joanne first wanted to be an animator and started sketching cartoons at age seven. “My family had a boutique where I’d spend most of my after school hours. The boutique slowly became a one stop bridal salon that offered custom made dresses. By age eleven, I began designing for clients.”

After studying Architecture at the University of Washington in Seattle, Joanne found a love for fashion design and relocated to New York to attend the famous Parsons School of Design. This was the beginning of her fashion career. “While at Parsons, I interned with Vivienne Tam, Jill Stuart, Maggie Norris Couture and House of Diehl. My first Designer job was for Ji Haye Couture in Paris and from there, Reem Acra and J.Mendel in New York and Monique Lhuillier in Los Angeles.”

Whenever Joanne is asked how her Filipino background has influenced her design work, she would say, “My Filipino background taught me to be a hard worker and a lot about

teamwork. These attributes have influenced me in all aspects of design work and in building a strong team.”

Her Spring 2008 collection was titled “Distorted Sweetness,” and was inspired by the romantic and dramatic essence of the early 1900’s blended with today’s edginess of modern art.

Joanne sees her line continuing to grow in a positive direction and hopes to add other brand extensions in time.

As to her signature materials, “I love using all sorts of fabrics. It is dependent on the execution of the design. For this past luxury collection, I used pure silks and cottons-silk chiffons, jacquards, wovens, and silk tissue organdie.”

She adores Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Christian Lacroix, and John Galliano and admits that young designers like herself face many challenges. “Fashion has become even more competitive with all the hype and glamor, which makes it even harder to be taken seriously. Every starting designer takes a risk, some more so than others, and you also face the challenge of your work being noticed and accepted by the industry.”

Joanne advices anyone wanting to get into the fashion business or start their own line to always be prepared. “You have to really want it and make sacrifices. Fashion is not glamorous - it is a lot of work, but as long as you enjoy and love your work, you will always be happy.”

24 KABUHAYAN

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Money, Assets and Investing

My National T-Shirt

By Bernadette Reyes

AFTER EARNING HIS MANAGEMENT DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC IN 2003, WILLIAM BRIAN DY, THEN 22, DECIDED TO PUT HIS EDUCATION TO PRACTICE BY TRYING HIS LUCK AS AN ENTREPRENEUR. A NOVICE IN THE BUSINESS, HE BROUGHT UPON HIMSELF A TALL ORDER OF REVOLUTIONIZING THE IMAGE OF “MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES” MERCHANDISE BY PRODUCING HIS OWN LINE OF QUALITY PRODUCTS WITH THAT UNIQUELY FILIPINO TWIST AT PAR WITH WORLD-CLASS STANDARDS. With a starting capital of PHP300,000 loaned from his parents Dy decided to put up not one but two businesses at the same time.

Dy founded Fusion Crafts International Inc. which carries a souvenir apparel line under the My Philippines brand and a home décor collection line under the Fusion Crafts brand.

No later did he realize that managing two businesses of a completely different nature simultaneously was nothing short of easy.

However, with some seasoned guidance from his parents who have been in the garments business for twenty years, both businesses moved forward.

Within three months after Dy sold his first batch of t-shirts under the My Philippines brand, he managed to breakeven. The business just got bigger and better in the succeeding year. “It was magic. The following year I was able to earn my first million,” he says.

But while the garment business was magical, the handicraft business proved otherwise. Dy

had to do extensive traveling and research here and abroad to produce quality home decors such as bowls and candleholders. His efforts eventually paid off as orders from US, China, Hong Kong, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Russia and other European countries started to come in. Still, the revenue from this endeavor was not very promising. Fusion Crafts closed the books in 2004 with a modest PHP100,000 net income. 2005 was even more disappointing after closing the year with PHP1million in losses.

Dy resolved to bring Fusion Crafts out in the red. In 2006, he simultaneously joined CITEM’s Manila FAME Exhibition in the Philippines and the Hong Kong Houseware Fair abroad. His employees took charge of the local trade fair while he looked after the booth in Hong Kong. “I was the porter, bagger, promo guy and I was manning the booth all at the same time. I just took relief from my dad who was also there to lend a hand,” Dy recalls. These events proved worthwhile as

more orders came in after the exhibit but the business nightmare that went with it was just too much to ignore. “There was a time when I didn’t sleep for three days and four nights,” he narrates. He had to supervise factory operation to ensure he is able to ship three container vans full of handicrafts to clients and make sure they arrive on time. He managed to pull the bleeding company out in the red posting a PHP300,000 net income in 2006 but decided the four-day ordeal was too much. The income coming from the handicraft business was not commensurate to the time and effort he was giving. “That was the last nail in the coffin. After that experience I decided to close the business,” he says.

In 2007, Dy channeled all his time and effort on the garments business. Fusion Crafts International Inc. was renamed My Philippines Lifestyle Inc. which still manufactures t-shirts only this time it has expanded its product line to include shorts,

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

KABUHAYAN 25

Money, Assets and Investing

jackets, sandos, polo shirts, towels, caps, bags and other souvenir items.

Although My Philippines started carrying a collection of diversified items, each has to be in sync with the brand’s objective of promoting the Philippines. Every design is well thought of to make sure it promotes nationalism. Images like that of Jose Rizal, the peso sign, Philippine map or the Philippine jeepney are present in his designs. “I’m a nationalistic person and I like it that I’m able to promote the country this way. I want to be able to give pride to our country,” he explains.

Also, to help further the brand as “Our Country’s National Shirt, Dy signed in boxing champion Manny Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee, and the couple’s children as image models. “The Pacquiao family is perfect because “Pacquiao” is very well known here and abroad,” he says.

Thus, from a predominantly tourist market, My Philippines today enjoys a healthy market mix of foreigners, balikbayans and locals.

“Before my costumers were mainly foreigners and balikbayans. Now about a fifth of my loyal customer base is Filipinos. Whenever I see people wearing my shirts, that’s the best feeling for me. My aim this year is to encourage more Pinoys to patronize the brand. I want to see locals proud of wearing “Made in the Philippines” products. Hopefully I can get more and more Filipinos to love their country,” says Dy. As the brand gained recognition in the local market, sales increased dramatically. In 2007, sales were up by 50 percent affecting its position in the market. Ranked fourth in 2006, My Philippines steadily rose above its

competitors to clinch the No. 1 spot this year, an achievement he attributes to the company’s promise to deliver only quality products to its customers. “I don’t go for the ordinary. I’d like My Philippines to stand out in terms of quality and design,” says Dy. The company’s craftsmanship is exemplary and this has caught the attention of food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. granting him exclusive rights to manufacture shirts with San Miguel designs and logos. He guarantees that while My Philippines uses only quality materials and applies modern techniques such as rubberized and embossed printing, foil stamping, embroidery, appliqué and other special effects to remain competitive in the industry his price remains one of most affordable in the market. My Philippines shirts which retails at PHP200 to PHP400 are sold in all SM Kultura outlets nationwide while online orders are also accommodated via mynationalshirt.multiply.com and www. mynationalshirt.com.

International recognition for My Philippines is also well on its way. In Dubai, My Philippines shirts are sold through Filipino entrepreneur, Gina Balagon.

“Another Filipino based in Australia recently ordered a few thousands of shirts to check if there is a market there,” says Dy who is also currently in talks with a potential business partner who expressed interest to sell his shirts in the US and Canada.

The Holy Grail though for Dy is to open his own kiosks in major malls in Manila but he is not rushing things. “I learned my lesson in the handicraft business. Everything will fall into place in God’s time,” he says.

For now, Dy takes solace in the fact

that he is able to generate jobs for his fellow Filipinos. “If you happen to be an entrepreneur, you are able to create jobs for people. My motivation is not so much about earning more money but striving to maintain the business not for myself but for those people who depend on me for subsistence,” he explains. Many garments company are now outsourcing its production especially with the cheaper cost of labor in China and India. Dy faces a similar option but he refuses to join the bandwagon. “I can cutback my costs by half but I’m not helping the economy that way.”

In spite of the good year, My Philippines continues to find new ways to improve existing products and offer new ones to customers. Dy recently went to Taiwan to study the latest trends which he then incorporates in his products. “You can’t stop to rest. You always have to be on your toes and find new ways to improve your product because you always have to be a step ahead of competition,” he keeps telling himself. He recently launched his Flag colors collection which carries an apparel line using the colors, blue, red, white and yellow.

Dy, by bloodline may be a mix of Filipino and Chinese ancestry but he claims he is truly, proudly Pinoy by heart and he wants to help the country move forward by pushing forth world-class made in the Philippines products. “I’m 75 percent Chinese, 25 percent Filipino [by blood].

But if there is such a thing as 100 percent Filipino and 75 percent Chinese, that be me,” Dy says pointing to his heart and wearing a proudly Pinoy smile.

26 KABUHAYAN

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Money, Assets and Investing

Web Platform to Help Enterprising Pinoys ILLUSTRADO, THE HOLDING COMPANY OF ILLUSTRADO MAGAZINE, THE MAGAZINE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FILIPINO, THROUGH ITS NEWLY ESTABLISHED PHILIPPINE SUBSIDIARY ILLUSTRADO MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS INCORP. HAS RECENTLY LAUNCHED IN THE PHILIPPINES A SERVICE SLATED TO EMPOWER FILIPINO ENTREPRENEURS AND ENTERPRISING PINOYS AROUND THE GLOBE. AgilaGlobal.net is a new vehicle that provides Filipino businesses all over the world the tools they need with which to effectively and efficiently operate an on-line business, while expanding their market by breaking down geographical and financial barriers to operations. Through its community-oriented approach the Agilaglobal project also encourages interaction between Filipino entrepreneurs and promotes the patronage of Filipino products and services.

“There are a lot of business-oriented Filipinos, and a considerable number of them already recognize the opportunities of doing business over the WWW. Unfortunately, most of our compatriots have a very limited capacity for business using new technology due to various reasons – most of them do not have any professional on-line presence which stands in the way of credibility, and a lot of those who have their own sites do not have an e-commerce and logistics infrastructure which will allow them to accept payments and effect deliveries within the system. Agilaglobal was built for the purpose of enabling our kababayans to operate efficiently without the headache and heavy investment usually associated with operating online,” says Lalaine Chu-Benitez, Managing Director of Illustrado.

Agilaglobal’s unique portfolio offers annual subscribers a globally unique portfolio of services which include - a comprehensive website

with their own URL and content management module where vendors can manage and control information, images, product inventories and services, a ready-to-use e-commerce facility which accepts payments for orders and services and a logistics infrastructure to facilitate their deliveries anywhere in the world. The project also provides Filipino entrepreneurs an opportunity to strike trade deals by floating or participating in tenders through the Kabuhayan Syndicate system.

Unlike other on-line businesses, Agilaglobal also provides offline reach to its clients through listings in its Annual Directory of Filipino Business slated for circulation to Filipino communities around the world in Q2 2009. And to further its advocacy of empowering Filipino entrepreneurs, subscribers to Agilaglobal are also entitled to receive free ‘e learning’ course modules on basic management and entrepreneurship within the system.

Deriving benefits from economies of scale, the Agilaglobal system will enable all levels of Filipino entrepreneurs, even those with a low capacity to invest financially or those who are operationally challenged, to run a full-pledged online business at an amazingly low cost. In essence, anybody at home and abroad who can afford to pay for 25 text messages or take 3 jeepney rides per day (with subscription @ PHP 25/AED 2/US$0.55 per day) can actually

operate a proper business through Agilaglobal.

A collaboration resulting from Illustrado’s Kabuhayan Syndicate, the company’s networking project for Filipino entrepreneurs in the UAE, the platform was created in partnership with Abu Dhabi based IT Consultant and entrepreneur Sonny Silvestre, initiator of several successful business portals in the Gulf, and who now plays the role of Project Director.

Agilaglobal’s on-line platform was built by a team of Canada-based Filipino web developers, with the collaboration of other homeland-based IT experts. As a business venture, it has several Filipino partners with business interests in the US, Italy, New Zealand and Australia as well as the Philippines, making it a truly global Filipino initiative.

Most importantly, as with other Illustrado projects, Agilaglobal is a social enterprise whose main aim is to empower Filipinos and equip them with tools to bring them at par with the international markets. “Our kababayans are very hardworking, that we already know. Our role is to take them to that next level where they can really benefit from the fruits of their labor,” remarks Lalaine Chu-Benitez.

“If through Agilaglobal we can discourage at least 100 Filipinos from leaving the Philippines just because they are in dire need of a job abroad, because we were able to give them a source of livelihood or help their business, our job is done,” adds Sonny Silvestre.

The service was launched in the Philippines in July 2008 in Davao, Cebu and Manila. The AgilaGlobal system is already running as a fullpledged directory with over 9,000 Filipino companies from around the world listed in its system. Even at this early stage, the site already has traffic of 4,000+ unique visitors, and over 50,000 hits on a monthly basis (as of August 2008).

Check out: www.agilaglobal.net

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SUCCESFUL PINOY

Career Upliftment

Strengthen yourself on the job

By Ron Villejo, Ph.D.

You’ve just landed your dream job, and you’re so happy that the world is all rosy and sunny.

Months into the job, the picture is as bright as ever: People around you are fine, hardworking colleagues. Your manager is a god-send for being tough but fair with you. Plus, you did a good job negotiating your salary upfront, so money is not an issue.

Now, pause for a moment. Step back from all this. Then, think about two of my rules: 1) It’s easier to look for a job, when you have a job.

2) The best time to think about your next job is when you’re happy in your current job.

This is precisely the time to think about your next move, when things are going well and you’re happy. Counter-intuitive, di ba? These rules are the fulcrum on which you can turn your job for the better and also sustain success in your career.

It’s easier to look for a job, when you have a job

While we can never fully avoid the twists-andturns of worklife, we can armor ourselves better for such events by planning our career actively and securing ourselves as best as possible on the job. My advice is straightforward: stay safe and secure, and do your job well. It follows the concept of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Before you can wholeheartedly chase greener pastures ahead, you must take care of our home base first, right here and now. Once you’ve secured yourself, you’re actually in a great position to look for a better job.

Staying safe and secure

Looking for a new job is not easy. It’s even more difficult, if you’re jobless for whatever reason. Pressure can rise to unpleasant levels.

You may have to accept what I call a “bridge” job – something that’s less than ideal but bridges you to your next (better) job while you earn an income.

Of course, staying safe and secure is the very basis of what you do here. No employee deserves to work under physical threat or psychological abuse. So, if you happen to be in this situation, stop the threat and defend yourself as best as you can. Leave the situation, if necessary.

Get whatever remuneration, support or guidance you’re entitled to. Many employers have a Human Resources (HR) department that serves as your advocate. Don’t be shy demand respect and fairness in the kindest, firmest way you can.

Doing your job well

In their research studies, the Gallup organization found that company revenues, profitability and shareholder value are significantly higher,

if employees feel supported and committed to their work. There is a measurable link between the so-called ‘soft stuff’ (personal caring) and the ‘hard stuff’ (business results).

Gallup called this the engagement hierarchy, similar in concept to Maslow’s model.

Engagement is the feeling of enthusiasm, happiness, even absorption in our work.

Athletes have described this as “peak performance.” For us to perform well – and thus strengthen ourselves on the job – we need the following fundamental things: a) Being clear on what’s expected of us. b) Having the equipment and materials we need to do our job effectively If something isn’t clear, ask questions and discuss it until it’s clear. If you don’t quite have what you need, arrange to get it as best as possible.

Take the case of a Pinoy friend, who works at a bicycle shop. (This is a high-end shop that sells bicycles costing over PHP 800,000! Grabe naman!) He likes working there, because his manager provides him and his fellow employees the right tools and supplies. I know for a fact that they do a good job, because

SUCCESFUL PINOY

29

Career Upliftment

they’ve serviced my modest bicycle very well.

Their customer service is also outstanding.

So, even though things cost more at this shop, I keep doing business with them.

You see how things link together? Clear job expectations and the right equipment are the basis of your job engagement, which leads to higher performance on your part, more customer business for the company, and thus even greater job security for you!

And that, my dear kababayans, should make you feel happy, di ba?

The best time to think about your next job is when you’re happy in your current job You may think that yours truly has gone bonkers for advising this. But reflect on this for a moment. If you’re unhappy, worried or insecure, how well are you going to present yourself to a prospective employer? Yes, you have to control whatever emotions you may have, but this takes time, energy and attention away from the already complex process of searching for a job.

This kind of demeanor will definitely reflect positively on that prospective employer. The good news is, you own this demeanor!

This is about career management Consider, on the other hand, that picture I painted at the very beginning. Happiness and security put you in a much better frame of mind to think about the job you want. You can explore opportunities in a more hopeful, optimistic fashion. You can pursue your next job with greater confidence and motivation.

I am one Filipino among millions who work abroad. I remind myself that I am a foreigner in the city where I work (Dubai).

So I do not take my job for granted, because on any given day, my employer can say to me, “Thanks for your efforts, Ron, but we don’t

need you anymore.” Consequently, I’ve worked diligently to strengthen myself on the job as best as possible to minimize the likelihood of this happening, especially by raising my performance higher and higher.

Plus, I’ve managed my career strategically the way a chess master plays his game – that is, looking ahead, always weighing options, and planning moves into the future.

Please keep my two rules in mind – it’s about successful career management!

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SUCCESFUL PINOY

Success Principles

Success in Style:

Itsura ko, Tagumpay ko!

By Jeffrey ‘Ximo’ Ramos

“That guy is so rich but he does not look like it.” Original naman at ‘signature’ lahat ng outfit mo, pero bakit di sila naniniwala?

Wear … to start Fashionistas will tell you what cut and colors to wear; what shoes to pair it with and the accessories needed to complete the look. But let me tell you a few basic things that you need to consider: Be comfortable with what you wear - Some Pinoys would wear signature clothes dahil uso - kahit na hirap na hirap ilakad yung sapatos; or panay ang hila pababa nung mini skirt dahil nahihiya siya; o kaya naman nalalaglag yung Channel shades dahil wala itong makapitang ilong. Do not get me wrong. Okay lang na sumunod sa uso. Pero dapat, carry mo ito! Paano?

Remember that simple attire can be elegant – it’s not only about what you wear, but more importantly how you wear it. When you wear a skirt, pa cross dapat ang iyong lakad - hindi yung parang may naka bara diyan sa pagitan ng hita mo; kapag naman inilakad mo ang iyong shirt and jeans, straight body dapat (do not slouch). Align your shoulders and then walk ‘cool’ - kahit na saksakan ng init ngayon. It’s all in the attitude.

Cultivate your own style - It’s important to keep one’s personal identity – of course this also applies to the things you wear. Dahil sa sarili mong style ka mapapansin, mapupuna at matatandaan. It’s one way of expressing yourself. So it’s good to cultivate your own fashion statement, no matter how simple it is – wag basta gumaya sa sinusuot ng iba. Hindi porke’t bagay kay Juan, eh bagay na din sa ‘yo di ba?

Magkaroon ka ng sarili mong style. But when in doubt stay simple and classic.

Hello sis and bro! First of all let us congratulate the Philippines for winning a gold medal in the category of Wushu in the recently concluded 2008 Beijing Olympics. Proud kami sa iyo, Wang!

Our topic this time is style tips for the Successful Pinoy. Whether you like it or not, it is your appearance that people notice first when they see you. Kahit sabihin mo pa na ugali ang mahalaga sa iyo or yung kabutihang asal, the fact of the matter is - ang itsura mo ang unang nakikita ng ibang tao. Tama? That means that YOU are put under the microscope every time – when you go out to the mall, or to the gym, when you are at work, in the church, during interviews, during dates and yes, even when you are at your own home! Yes, sis and bro, may matagumpay rin na pananamit sa loob ng bahay.

Know what looks good on you and dress appropriately - Choose colors, shapes, textures and accessories that make you look and feel your best. Ibagay ang iyong kasuotan sa iyong hitsura, sa iyong body type (slim o di slim?), sa iyong lifestyle (active ka ba, corporate o baka naman creative?), personality (serious or fun-loving) sa iyong edad (bata ka ba o nagpapaka-bata?) at siempre sa occasion.

For example wag magsuot nang fit na damit kung mayroon kang six pack - hindi abs – kundi six pack ng pandesal sa tiyan as in mukhang di pa na da-digest..wag naman! O magsuot ng low rise jeans at cropped top (na nakalitaw ang pusod!) kung may anak ka na sa kolehiyo, o di kaya’y ilabas ang iyong leather jacket sa kalagitnaan ng summer (kahit na nga ba malamig pa sa mall!). Heto pa – kung ikaw naman ay pupunta sa opisina, sa hotels, restaurants at iba pang ‘smart’ places o gatherings – iwanan na muna ang paboritong sando at tsinelas na dapat sa beach lang, sa bahay o sa basketball court ginagamit.

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Success Principles

There are a lot of style options that can suit all of us and complement our best assets. Ang importante, remember that fashion is meant to enhance your natural beauty at dapat appropriate dressing, sis and bro! Kasi hindi mo pwedeng pilitin ang style na di bagay sa’ yo at ipagpilitan ang damit na ‘di dapat.

Always match your attire with clean and shiny footwear - This is something that my Dad would always tell me - “Clean shoes makes your whole outfit shine.” Kasi kapag nakita na ang sapatos mo ay malinis at makintab ibig sabihin nabigyan mo rin ng pansin ang kalinisan ng iba pang parte ng iyong kasuotan. Maging laging malinis, plantsado at mabango.

Your body is your best accessory Makinis na legs, mapulang sakong, malinis na kuko, suot ay maayos, malinis ang sapatos – perfect!

Napaka gandang tingnan ng paang malinis – kalilinis lang na kuko, talampakang bagong scrub at sakong na mamula-mula. Sa mga babae, sexy ang dating. Sa mga lalaki, napaka linis ng itsura.

Naaalala ko ang pinsan ko nuon nang tanungin niya ako kung mayruon raw akong

‘mertayoleyt’ o gamot na pula. Sabi ko, bakit? Kasi raw nakita niya si Vilma Santos sa personal at ang pula pula raw ng sakong at gusto raw niyang gayahin ito para sa date nila ng boyfriend niya.

Hello, sabi ko “kinikiskis iyon at hindi pinipinturahan. Pag nakita pa iyan ng boyfriend mo, baka akalain pa niyan may sugat ka sa paa.”

Dress For Success Power dressing is another powerful tool to achieve success. It is a combination of visualization, believing and acting out what and how you would like to look as a successful person five years from now. When you power dress, your brain transmits to your body what it perceives to be real – whether it is being successful or it is as specific as feeling like a millionaire, or a well known artist, etc. When you are dressed up according to that frame of mind, people are attracted to you because you not only exude confidence but radiate a natural aura - that of success. So, if you want to become a successful manager or director someday, dress the part and walk and move as though you have already attained your ambition. Wear a signature suit (kahit isang

terno lang ang kaya ng budget mo) and feel its power. To be truly successful, you have to look and feel successful.

In my seminars, I conduct a party called ‘Successful Pinoy Ako Party’ – a gathering of successful Pinoys dressed for success. It is a celebration of confidence and positivity.

Bakit nga hindi? Kung may mga Halloween party nga kayong ina-attendan, costume and masquerade parties na pinag aaksayahan ng panahon at pera, ito pa kaya na puwedeng makatulong sa pagtupad ng ating pangarap?

So sis and bro, ngayon you know what to do.

Kayat ano pa ang hinihintay mo? Manamit ka na tulad ng isang successful na Pilipino!

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DANCE AND LEISURE WEAR

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ll o NEHA Cber Ar D cto Dn ou - 3 O Aff o er M% o temb A 0 ep 5 Rp to 3 S U

04 345 4563 MeetingLoveSports@gmail.com First Floor Palm Strip Mall Jumeirah Beach Road PO Box 75658 Dubai UAE

36 FASHION

STYLE HONOR ROLL

From the world renowned creative gene pool of the global Filipino, Illustrado is proud to present the remarkable crop of top designers trailblazing on the catwalks and magazines from the Philippines to the Gulf region – our top picks for this year’s Style Honor Roll.

Photography: Illuminado Ong (Dubai), Dr. Marlon Pecjo (Manila) Styling: Zekundo Chu (Dubai), Janet dela Fuente (Manila) Models: Karla Bautista (Dubai), Melissa and Grendel Make-Up: Basil Yunting (Dubai), Bem Abelleda (Manila)

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˜ PUEY QUINONES

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Halter dress by Alex Bitong accentuated with Pucciinspired printed gloves by Raoul Ramirez; earrings and belt by Victoria Marin Cuff by Arnel Papa, shoes by Gaupo

FASHION 39

Cutting-edge designer Puey Quinones emerged from his humble beginnings as a hopeful teen in Samar. He moved to Manila and became an apprentice to designer Dennis Lustico where he earned his fashion stripes the hard way. Puey eventually came into his own and created a look that’s all to himself. His designs are unique in that they can be used in many different ways. The multifunctional destructured pieces transform as the bearer pleases — skirts can be used as blouses or the other way around. The secret behind Puey’s originality is the fact that he doesn’t take inspiration from global trends, and in fact, doesn’t even bother to keep up with them. “I’d rather start my own trends,” he admits. Everything comes from his own creativity, his own personal style. His works also have a decidedly Filipino flavor, using native products like hand-woven fabrics and silks.

˜ PUEY QUINONES

40 FASHION Multicolored layered dress, shoes by Gaupo

˜ PUEY QUINONES

FASHION 41 Multicolored layered dress, shoes by Gaupo

˜ PUEY QUINONES

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EZRA SANTOS Haute couture designer Ezra Santos known for his glamorous designs is a favorite among the UAE’s crème dela crème. Captivated by old 1940s Hollywood films and inspired by art deco, the softspoken artist had known he wanted to be a designer from a very young age. His move to the region allowed him to bloom as a designer; the availability of fabric and the fashion culture’s inclination towards the grandiose he says, had given him a wider canvass with which to execute his designs. An accomplished designer with his work featured in various high-profile magazines, Ezra has also been featured in several prestigious events around the Middle East, one of the most recent being last year’s much-talked about high profile Swarovski fashion show at the famed Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, where he joined six of the top designers of the UAE. But that’s not all; this designer is also a very successful entrepreneur running his own fashion house generating much commercial success just short of five years since its establishment - thanks to the loyal patronage of a top brass clientele.

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JUN ESCARIO Jun Escario is one of the most influential people in today’s Philippine fashion scene.

Emerging from Cebu, Jun had first hand experience from his teens designing at the premiere fashion house in his province — and eventually opening up his own shop, where the locals established him as one of the hottest designers in the area. In 2001, he joined a prestigious international competition, and ended up as one of five Filipino finalists in Paris. He later moved to Manila to tackle the metro’s fashion crowd, and succeed beyond expectations, becoming a fast favorite among clients. He describes his pieces as “sexy but never gauche; they’re sophisticated without being eccentric; they’re embellished but never too flashy.” Jun’s designs are known for sophistication, sensuality and femininity.

Earrings and bangles on right arm by Victoria Marin (Greenbelt 5), cuff on left arm by Arnel Papa

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Michael Cinco has a flair for the dramatic. While other designers achieve this by going over-the-top with mismatching and excessive detailing, the flamboyant designer is known for glamorous pieces that effectively utilize the combination of muted style elements. If there’s one word that describes the designer’s special flair on how he approaches shapes and material fabrication, it is - inventive. “A ‘Michael Cinco’ appears seamless. It looks heavy and yet it floats. It looks expensive simply because it is.” So expensive, in fact, that his creations command five to six-digit dirham fees - and yet he never seems to want for customers. Michael is a very visual person; always attempting to weave stories into his designs. “My visual research ranges over many cultures and period.” Despite his overwhelming success in the UAE, and a steady stream of requests from a client list that includes royalty, he remains rooted in that he doesn’t credit himself for his current standing. Some of it, he attributes to luck. “I always believe that I’ve been lucky all the way. There are a lot of designers who work hard but don’t make it.”

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MICHAEL CINCO

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Earrings and cuff by Arnel Papa (Greenbelt 5).

Shoes by Gaupo (Greenbelt 5)

FASHION 49 Twenty three year old Veejay Floresca is one of the hot young designers of Manila today. The fashion design major of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde had been designing professionally since he was 19. He continued his fashion education in London and has competed in the International Competition of Young Fashion Designers in Paris, the Mega Young Designer’s Competition and the first season of Project Runway Philippines. Veejay has been featured prominently in several of Manila’s fashion magazines and has been described as “the next face of avant garde.” The promising young talent has a thing for unfinished detail as well as volume, and describes his designs as “glamour, elegance and sophistication with a touch of shock.”

VEEJAY FLORESCA

Earrings and cuff by Arnel Papa

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RUBEN SANTOS Anyo 2000 Fashion Show UAE winner Ruben Santos considers himself not a designer, but a couture stylist with a penchant for the unusual. Mentored by famed Manila designer Mike dela Rosa and having his first gala show alongside Rajo Laurel, Ramon Bilbao, Louie Mamengco in the Philippines, this Abu Dhabi based artist says he likes to give in to frivolity to pay homage to pure romance in his designs.

Ruben’s current collection offers a truly eclectic style that combines the classical and the innovative in one stroke. His uncommon usage of tulle, embossed lace, layers of crumpled taffeta, as well as his conscious deviation from the usual Swarovski crystal decorations, underlines his approach to high fashion art – demonstrating his passion for detailed fabrication and sheer handwork. Unsurprising considering Ruben’s acquired appreciation not only for fashion design but also the painstaking execution of exceptional beadworks and embroideries – something he has gained from working in the emirates and Saudi Arabia. A couturier with the distinction of designing for the capital’s royal family for six straight years, Ruben looks towards his travels to further broaden his ideas and craft as one of the emirates up and coming designers.

52 READERS’ GIVE AWAY

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Win 10 attractive jewelry prizes from Liali Jewellery by simply answering these questions: In which year did Liali Jewellery start its operations in Dubai, UAE? a.1998 b.1999 c. 2000 How many stores does Liali Jewellery have at present? a.18 b.19 c.20 Send your answers to admin@illustrado.net The first 10 correct answers win!

54 DESIGNER PROFILE

The Heart of Garvida’s Designs

By Jude Cartalaba

FILIPINO-CANADIAN JASPER GARVIDA SHOULD HAVE BEEN A DOCTOR. THAT’S WHAT HIS PARENTS WOULD HAVE WANTED. HAVING A TRADITIONAL AND RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING, THE FAMILY HAD SIMILAR DREAMS FOR THE YOUNG JASPER GROWING UP IN QUEZON CITY — DREAMS THAT WERE DERAILED BECAUSE OF HIS BAD MARKS IN CHEMISTRY. FOLLOWING HIS REAL PASSION, JASPER LOOKED TO THE ARTS AND CONSEQUENTLY ENDED UP MAKING A FABULOUS MARK IN THE EUROPEAN FASHION CIRCUIT. the passion to innovate, and this translates in his works.

“I went to a Catholic school and that was where I realized that I like art and that I was good at it,” he shared. “I was such a confident young boy — full of optimism and having a thirst for knowledge about art, the world, and people.” He found himself a natural at creativity. At age six, he was already designing doll’s clothes for his friends. “My sister was studying fashion and I saw her illustrations at the time,” he continues. Jasper admits to have been spellbound. At that point, he knew he wanted to be a fashion designer.

His sensitivity as a person also helps him standout from other designers. “I never design for myself.

I have an understanding that people are different and that is what makes them unique from many mainstream Western designers,” he said. “My attention to detail and passion for what I do shows in my designs. My need to make other people feel and look good is apparent. I do not impose my design to people. I inspire, provoke and amaze!”

The designer is inspired by emotions. “I am interested in anything that has a story. For example, my last collection was inspired by the Russian, Gala (surrealist artist Salvador Dali’s wife and muse),” he explained. “I get inspired by trips, events, locations, history, fantasies, even memories.”

“As far as I could remember, I’ve always been fascinated by people and how they constantly change clothes everyday,” he confessed. “I remember watching my mom getting ready for work and to parties; the way she would create a look, different at all times, using the same outfits and accessories in different combinations.”

It wasn’t until he turned 12 and his family migrated to Canada, though, that his ambition was taken seriously. At 19, he dedicated himself to his dream when he attended a fashion academy in Toronto.

“I knew that’s where my heart is.”

Project Catwalk In 2008, Jasper’s hard work came to fruition when he topped the fashion design-themed reality television series, Project Catwalk. The show is based on the US reality series, Project Runway. In the UK it is shown on the digital station Sky One. The show features a group of fashion designers as they compete against each other to avoid being ‘the next fashion victim’ and win the said competition. Out of thousands of applicants, Jasper was selected as one of 13 talented contestants from all walks of life.

Jasper’s determination made him stay strong through the competition’s pressures, “I never felt threatened by anyone. I was there to deliver week by week, and I did,” he shared. “I separate myself from my work. It’s like I’m possessed when I’m designing or creating something. As if nothing really mattered. That’s how I think I survived the competition.”

The show wasn’t just about designing clothes.

“It tested the contestants’ ability to cope with different pressures such as being away from home, working as a team, as well as living in one house,” he recalled. Every week the contestants were given different challenges and have to come up with an outfit based on the weekly task.

Chasing the Dream It wasn’t all fun and games for Jasper, especially previous to winning the competition. After graduating from Central St Martin’s, he continued to learn when he worked for Michiko Koshino Couture. This was where he got involved in everything design — garment production and promotion, brand creation and service providing.

“All that I’ve learned, I did not only acquire from college, but through my experience working for different companies and designers,” Jasper recounted. He said that being part of the industry is always a struggle. “I am always competing — in design, market, clients, jobs and more. I have to be good, even amazing at times,” he said. “It’s hard and there is a lot of pressure but I have a responsibility.”

He has been constantly working since he finished his studies. Though it sometimes feels like a never-ending cycle of meeting deadlines and pleasing clients, at the end of it all, Jasper feels great satisfaction after a job well done.

Jasper is a big fan of the late Yves St Laurent, Christian LaCroix, Hussein Chalayan and Coco Chanel. His childlike approach to fashion is a unique ingredient to his imaginative designs. He is full of optimism and has the thirst for knowledge,

Putting Heart in Fashion “I believe we all have a purpose in life. Some find it in their early years; some in a lifetime. Talent for me is a God-given gift that one should use and cultivate,” Jasper said. He plans to make a visit to the Philippines soon, hoping to inject into Filipino designers the proper mindset and attitude he acquired from both his upbringing and his experience in the Project Catwalk competition.

These, he believes, may help local designers to be globally competitive.

He encourages young designers to “have patience because one needs it to be able to craft something.

Designers should have the willingness to learn from people. Also, teach and share the skills and most of all, put one’s heart in everything.” He also suggests knowing one’s self — what one is capable of and what one aspires to do.

Jasper is currently drafting a business plan and is looking out for investors. “I have a women’s wear range, up for launch available at Oli.co.uk.

He is also planning to launch a collection during Fashion Week next year.

“Success for me is when one gets results; when a goal has been achieved,” he adds. “Having goals in life is the beginning. Staying focused, having patience and working hard is the way to achieve it.”

Jasper is certainly a success in his chosen field — and fashion should be thankful he didn’t go into medicine.

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62 COMMUNITY

Hon. Libran Cabactulan and Madame Fe Cabactulan with the foundation’s board members

FILEX Launch in the UAE Filipinos in the UAE will now have a safety net to help them in cases of great need in the future, thanks to the Filipino Expatriates in the UAE Foundation Inc. or FILEX - a registered non-stock, non-profit foundation with the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission.

Launched on the 22nd August at the Metropolitan Palace Hotel in Dubai at a ‘Dinner for a Cause’ event attended by prominent Filipinos from the local community, the foundation seeks to establish a funding facility to be utilized to assist Filipino expatriates in the country (or those who are no longer in the emirates) who are in dire need of financial aid.

By contributing AED 10 for a one year membership or AED 30 for a lifetime membership, Filipinos who are in great need can benefit from financial support according to parameters to be set by the foundation’s board of trustees. The support facility will commence within two years from registration with the SEC or when the Foundation Capital Fund has reached AED2 million (whichever comes first).

As an added protection to members with UAE residence visas, there is also an annual insurance enrollment fee of AED15 which covers accidental death, medical, repatriation and disability insurance.

Membership is open to all Filipinos residing in UAE, while other nationalities, companies or entities are eligible to become member of the Circle of FILEX Advocates (CFA).

FILEX also aspires to promote camaraderie and harmony and enhance the spirit of self-help among the community, while promoting entrepreneurship through livelihood activities designed to improve the quality of life of our kababayans. Also included in the foundation’s goals is the provision of scholarship grants to qualified children of Filipino expatriates in the emirates, particularly those falling under the lower income brackets, as well as undertaking projects geared towards the development, enrichment and preservation of Filipino heritage, arts, culture and traditions.

To join FILEX or for inquiries, please contact Ms. Vivien Napenas at 050 7713810 or Ms. Myrna Torres at 050-5610489. For sponsorships please contact Mr. Dick Orense at 055 5820397.

READERS’ GIVE AWAY 63

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Five lucky readers will each win a prettyFIT gift voucher to the value of AED 125. Simply send in your name and mobile numbe r. We'll select five winners from all entries received by September 30th, 2008. email: admin@illustrado.net subject: Pretty Fit Give-Away

64 COMMUNITY

Filipino Press Club-UAE Conducts Workshop for Future Journalists

Twenty young Filipinos from eight schools in Dubai and Sharjah completed the first Filipino Press Club-UAE Summer Youth Media Workshop held over three Fridays at the Majestic Hotel in Bur Dubai in July.

The workshop which gave participants a primer on the disciplines of print, broadcast, photo and online journalism, as well as lessons on news reporting, feature writing, and public relations was conducted by seasoned members of the Filipino Press Club in the emirates - Mariecar Jara-Puyod (Gulf Today reporter and president of FPC), Jay Hilotin (Xpress chief of reporters and former president of FPC), Quay Evano (ex-Star Studio Magazine editor and founding member of FPC), Dindo Amparo (ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau Chief and board member of FPC), Anjello San Buenaventura (City 7 TV senior news reporter), Hadrian Hernandez (Gulf News senior photographer and board

member of FPC), Joseph Capellan (Arab Media Group Abu Dhabi Bureau photo chief) Engr. Milo Torres (IT specialist, administrator of ofwzone.com and board member of FPC), Art Los Banos (PR consultant with a Dubai Media City-based regional PR network and associate member of FPC).

Apart from the classroom type sessions, there was also a field trip to the City 7 TV production facilities at the Dubai Media City and to the Khaleej Times HQ in Al Quoz, which provided participants exposure to the working environments of broadcast TV and print media. Participants also visited Dubai Eye 103.8FM on July 27 where they were interviewed by radio jockeys Mike and Bluebird.

The workshop was organized by Rachel Salinel, Dubai correspondent of Balitang Middle East and Kuwentong Disyerto of The Filipino Channel and External Vice-President of FPC.

Digital Photography and Imaging Workshops for Filipinos THE Overseas Pinoy Professional Photographers Society (OPPPS), in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General and POLOOWWA, will resume its free training courses with a new batch of participants in Digital Photography and Digital Imaging.

The courses, organized by Filipino Professional Photographers and Graphic Professionals in the UAE, will be held at Abu Bakr Assidiq Islamic Center from the 10th October to the 12th December every Friday from 2pm to 6pm.

The first day of enrolment was held at center on the 22nd Aug with a turn out of 107 participants against the 160 available slots.

Enrolment ends on the 29th August and registration is on first come first served basis.

Workshop registrants being oriented by OPPPS volunteer trainers.

According to OPPPS board member Milo Torres, “These training programs are part of a series of workshops the group intends to hold to bridge the gap between amateur and professional photographers. The courses are tailored to those who want to improve their knowledge of digital photography and digital imaging (using Adobe Photoshop) and learn about the latest in these fields.�

COMMUNITY 65

Liali Jewellery Dubai Lady Bowlers At the 11th GCC All Filipino Bowling Tournament Filipino bowling fans had quite a treat in August when enthusiasts from around the Gulf gathered in Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Khalifa International Bowling Center on the 4th to the 8th for the 11th GCC All Filipino Bowling Tournament. While participants from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Ras Al-Khaimah, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and host country the UAE eagerly competed in various categories, the true essence of the games was to foster friendship, promote sportsmanship and renew acquaintances among the Pinoy enthusiasts around the region.

Among the active participants to the event were the Liali Jewellery Dubai Lady Bowlers who won second place in the trios event.

Ist Runner-Up GCC Ladies Trios winner Liali Jewellery Dubai Lady Bowlers – left to right - Malu Fornari, Fatimah Albaracin, and Grace Abalos.

Entrepreneurship Seminar with the PBC Dubai

Left to right - Hayley Excell, Malu Fornari, Lettie, Grace Abalos, Myra Aviles, Fatimah Albaracin and Arlene Flores

The event will be the sixth in a series in the last seven years and is just one of the educational projects orga-nized by the business council to assist professionals and budding entrepreneurs within the Filipino community. The course includes the main topics of starting your business, .managing your money and building up your business

The Philippine Business Council in Dubai is holding an entre-preneurship seminar on the 23rd to the 25th September 2008

The seminar will be held from 3pm to 11pm and is spon--

at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai. Fa--

sored by Western Union. Seminar fee is at Dhs. 375 per

cilitated by international lecturers Prof. Joselito Florendo and

person, plus 2 transfer receipts from Western Union. The

Prof. Art Ilano from the University of the Philippines, Diliman

course is inclusive of materials, seminar certificate as well

College of Business Administration, the workshop entitled

.as coffee breaks and dinner

‘Managing for Business Success’ is aimed at improving and upgrading business know how for those who are already en--

For registration and inquiries, contact Dana Carinal: 04-

gaged in entrepreneurial ventures, as well as those starting or

3408381, 050-3105118, or Ron Villejo: 050-7159026

.simply contemplating to go into business in the future

66 ARTS & CULTURE

Hollywood

goes to Cebu

By Joel D. Adriano

IT IS IMPRESSIVE TO SEE THAT SOME SEGMENTS SHOWN IN FASHION TV ARE NOW PRODUCED IN THE PHILIPPINES, THANKS TO A LITTLE KNOWN FILM SCHOOL THAT IS SLOWLY GAINING POPULARITY WORLDWIDE. BUT THERE IS MORE TO THE INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION (IAFT) THAN JUST GLAMOUR AND FASHION.

Nestled in a secluded part of Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu province, the IAFT is now considered Asia’s premier film school. It boasts of state-of-the-art production facilities just like the ones used by major Hollywood studios and its teaching staff are among the best in the industry. The school lobby alone evokes Hollywood’s glitzy atmosphere as compared to that of a traditional school.

Its classrooms surely draw one’s creativity as they offer students a great and inspiring view of the blue sea through glass walls that overlook the beachside. There is no shortage of props and equipment for students’ use.

The school even has a mini Dolby-certified theater used in graduation ceremonies and workshops. The IAFT even offer students affordable housing at its newly opened executive hotel, Casablanca Gardens, which is also open to the public.

All these for half the price in similar schools in the US, Singapore and Australia.

State-of-the-Art The two-hectare IAFT campus is managed by its parent company Bigfoot Entertainment which also owns the rights to Fashion TV Singapore and the Philippines.

The IAFT has three program offerings: the five-month Certificate Program in Filmmaking, the one-year Diploma Program and the two-year International Filmmaker’s Program. Starting June they will now also offer acting classes. The school also holds short-term workshops mentored by known industry professionals. Some of its faculty members and past mentors include the likes of Leslie Earl Wolf Jr. who won an Emmy for

the animated series ‘Angry Beavers’ shown in Nickelodeon, Ashley Jordan, who produced the West Bank Story which won an Academy for Best Live Action Short during the 79th Annual Oscar Awards, veteran sound mixer Greg Curda who is also an Academy Award winner, Matt Handle, a veteran director, Ric Robertson who shot the video ad for Michael Jordan, fashion photographer Eric Alexandre, veteran writer and actor Dan Shor and Filipino photographer Ted Madamba Jr. Matt Lubetich, Chief Operating Officer of Bigfoot Entertainment Inc., explained that the school is basically a working campus where students are exposed to the actual intricacies of the business of filmmaking. He said the IAFT focuses on practices and not so much on theory.

ARTS & CULTURE 67

This is perhaps because unlike most film schools which have aged equipment and facilities, the IAFT has world-class facilities.

The IAFT Foley Suite, where the sound effects that are not picked up during a shooting such as footsteps and stabbing are recreated, is top notch. Its editing facility and equipment is similar to the ones used in King Kong and Spiderman 3, and is connected to one server using fiber optics.

Its NC-24 rated sound stage is the first true soundproof sound stage in the country and can accommodate multiple set-ups. There is also an automated dialogue replacement suite (where dubbing is done) and a Movie Bird 24-Telescopic Crane (for cinematic sweeps at 24 feet high), the first in the region.

The school has also recently acquired three Hi-Definition cameras similar to the ones used in the filming of Star Wars.

So far at any given time, some 250 students are enrolled, with half of them coming from abroad.

Caesar Ditan, IAFT’s executive director for sales, marketing and business development, said that the Academy does not pose any age limit to its students, so long as they have the passion for filmmaking and acting. The youngest enrollee they had so far was 16 and the oldest was 57 years old.

Ditan said at IAFT students will gain solid experience as learning is very holistic as you will learn to do everything from scriptwriting to directing and post production. More importantly, he said, after completing the course students will have actual “show reel” through the course requirement of an international feature film shot in 35 mm. Students are also actively involved in commercial productions.

Lubetich said despite being a new comer in the business, this early, some of their

graduates and students are already making waves in both the local and international scene.

Last year, one of its recent graduate Ernest Michael Manalastas won the best Digital Local Category for Short Films at the Cinemanila Film Festival for his entry “Delusions” which is his thesis project at IAFT. He was awarded by no less than the distinguished director Quentin Tarantino.

Another student, Jamie Jumaquio, is a finalist in last year’s International College Peace Film Festival in South Korea.

Cebu’s advantage Some 40 expats and 300 Filipinos are currently employed at IAFT. Lubetich said Bigfoot choose Cebu as site mainly because of its advantage in English proficiency. Another thing going for Cebu is its airport which offers flights to areas anywhere in the region. “This is important for us since we fly people daily to different countries,” he said.

He added that Cebu and the islands close to it have the perfect locale for vivid backdrop needed for shooting. Finally, he said, Cebu also has a huge pool of craftsmen whose skills are needed for filmmaking.

Bigfoot is owned by Michael Gleissner, a German businessman and a former Vice President of Amazon.com. He has now

dedicated his time to entertainment projects under the umbrella Bigfoot Entertainment, which hopes to leave lasting footprints in the entertainment world.

Bigfoot has so far produced 10 movies mostly low budget art-house films with niche markets like ‘3 Needles,’ a drama on HIV which starred Lucy Liu, ‘Shanghai Kiss,’ which stared Martial Law star Kelly Hu and the ‘USS Cooper: Return to Ormoc Bay.’ Its biggest movie produced to date is the slasher film ‘Midnight Movie,’ which was shot in Los Angeles and is now getting the attention of big studios in the US. “We like to emphasize that filmmaking is all about striking a balance. Local producers usually do not take into account the importance of sound quality. But sometimes a little more cost would go a long way,” said Lubetich, a producer by trade for 15 years.

He cited the case of the Filipino movie ‘Crying Ladies’ which was well received by critics.

“It was a well made film. It has good acting and is well directed. But it did not make it to the Oscars (for best foreign film) simply because of the inferior audio,” he said.

“If producers spent a few extra bucks they would have made even more money in the end. This is what we are emphasizing to our students. Hopefully, we can change the culture.”

68 COCONUTER

A New Life in the US

By David Poarch

THE RUMBLING OF TURBULENCE HAD AWOKEN ME FROM MY NAP. THE HEADPHONES WERE STILL PLAYING THE IN-FLIGHT FILM, BUT I HEARD NOTHING. I SAT, MOSTLY QUIET, PREOCCUPIED WITH THOUGHTS. EMOTIONALLY DEPLETED, I DID NOTHING BUT STARE OUT THE WINDOW AND SWALLOW EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE TO CLEAR THE PRESSURE IN MY EARS. It was a familiar situation. I had been there before, but going the other way around.

Ironically, here I was returning to the consuming drudgery I was seeking refuge from two years ago. Although my passion for simplicity, freedom, and my roots never diminished, it failed to convert into staying power within that time.

The stewardess tapped my shoulder. “Sir, do you need anything?”

“I need to go back,” is what wanted to slip out of my mouth, but I pressed my lips together and shook my head instead. But there was nothing back there I needed, I reassured myself again. I am escaping poverty, saving my family’s future, and reuniting with my parents; it is what millions of Filipinos dream of, and it was all so logically right. The worries of pinching pennies, neighboring crabs, and breathing smoke were now all behind me. Indeed, I had slipped out of the scorching heat with only a sunburn. I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

As we approached the US and crossed the border, the wide expanse of ocean turned into what seemed to be a never-ending sea of ash. I became absorbed by the gray matter, and suddenly, in bewilderment, I saw reality approaching. Like an escaped fugitive, chains lashed out and clamped down on my limbs as I panicked. I was being sucked back into the world that I had painstakingly tried

so hard to get away from not so long ago.

I thrashed wildly, like a pangsabong fighting for dear life in a cut-throat battle, as I tried to evade my catastrophic fate. In a chaotic cloud of feathers, I dueled my adversary head to head. The audience cheered and yelled violently in the background rooting for my enemy. I knew I was alone in this endeavor.

As I dipped and dodged from the aggressor, I felt the momentum was against me. I turned my eyes for a brief moment to the growing glow around me that managed to catch my sight. The arena was a blazing inferno! I didn’t see it coming, but in that split-second, my foe’s blade delivered a final strike as it sliced deeply into my chest, paralyzing me instantaneously in mid-air before even hitting the ground. Quivering in the dirt, I peered out and watched my glorious sun set into the horizon as the divine coconut trees burned.

There was nothing more I could do about the outcome. Blood-stained, I laid limp and accepted the inevitable. My carer’s hand touched me for the last time before handing me over to the greater force.

My body somehow regained consciousness; my arm automatically reached to click the incessant beeping off. I woke up to the ringing of an alarm clock for the first time in two years. I opened my eyes and peered

at the ceiling for just a moment, making sure that this was real. And it was. My partner and son were lying next to me. My father was in the living room, as I could faintly hear the financial news being reported, and the distinct aroma of my mother’s cooking filled the air. It was a return to the old, but on a new day, with a new beginning.

With only a pair of shorts and slippers on, I walked outside for a breath of fresh air and some morning sun. Goosebumps prickling my skin and warm vapor flowing out of my lungs, I willfully embraced the cold. The snow from the day before was melting, and the brown grass began to protrude through the abating white carpet. The color green was almost non-existent, yet life did exist.

Various trees filled the land, with names like Pine, Evergreen, Cypress, Cedar, Birch, Oak, Hickory, Maple, and Elm, but they hardly differed at all in appearance, as they blended together in their similarities, especially with their leaves shed from the winter weather.

My search for the golden coconut has not ended, even though there are no coconuts in the land of pine trees. But with me, I brought the fruits of my fateful journey, fruits that contain the lessons and experiences that no textbook or classroom could have ever taught. And with them, I face life with a new outlook, one that can only bring me closer to the missing piece I have so long been looking for.

70 MANILA TRIPPIN’

Manila Revisited

By Loraine Balita

“Alaala, nang tayo’y mag-sweetheart pa, Namamasyal pa sa Luneta nang walang pera”

While luneta can still be jam packed With hordes of locals and foreigners on Weekends, there have been quite a number of other hangouts in manila since you’ve been gone. and noW that you have a little more money to shell out and a little extra to get a cab Why don’t We go someplace else and discover What manila has to offer. grab my hand and let’s dive in and enjoy What this city has in store for us noW that it has evolved into a bustling urban center populated by the same fiesta-loving people.

Top pic: Trinoma, Quezon City Bottom pic: Mall of Asia, Manila

With the influx of foreign investments and mushrooming of establishments all over the Metro there has been numerous entertainment hubs and by that I mean a lot of malls in the city. Hot and humid days are spent indoors inside these gigantic fully air-conditioned malls that have proven to be more than just a collection of stores but tourist destinations in themselves. Manila has now become synonymous to malls; you can see one every ten or so kilometers lining the city like mammoth structures splashed with colorfully inviting billboards.

The south is ruled by the mall of all malls, the country’s biggest and 3rd largest in the world – Mall of Asia. It would take more than a day to comb this one from end to end and expect to get lost even after four to five trips to this enormous complex. The mall is so big, walking from the North to the South wing could cost you around 50-100 calories. The usual core SM mall in itself with the skating rink and stores is surrounded from front to back by restaurants, shops, fitness centers and health and beauty salons. The back side of the mall is lined with bars and restaurants offering a scenic view of Manila

MANILA TRIPPIN’ 71

Top: Glorietta, Makati City Right: Greenbelt, Makati City Lower left: Market Market, Taguig City

Bay. I also suggest a quiet stroll by the bay, before settling on a restaurant or palutuan (some restaurants here will allow you to buy fresh seafood from a nearby wet market and take it back to their kitchen to choose how it’d be cooked) lining the side of the walk.

Speaking of walk, let’s go a few kilometers up north and explore the renovated Manila Bay sidewalk. Taking advantage of our famed sunset over the bay, Baywalk is a two kilometer stretch between the US Embassy and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) just past the Manila Yacht Club. It offers outdoor restaurants and open air bars with live bands. The Manila Boardwalk or Baywalk is hard to miss especially at night with its colorful lights lining the side of Roxas Boulevard like gigantic Christmas balls atop towering sticks.

Moving on to Makati, lying on Manila’s belly, right smack in the middle of high-rise

skyscrapers and hotels is the ever-growing Ayala Mall kingdom. A part of its realm, the Greenbelt complex boasts of rows upon rows of upscale restaurants, trendy bars and clubs, outdoor shops and famous coffee establishments. Greenbelt 3’s main attraction is the cinemas with bigger and cozier seats for PHP130 to PHP150 per person. Greenbelt 4 houses some of the most expensive brands and posh signature shops for shopaholics with a little more to spare. The newly built Greenbelt 5 on the other hand, with its impressive architecture and impeccably designed interiors, offers specialty shopping with a definitive Filipino slant, as well as dining and entertainment areas for the cosmopolitan consumer.

If you are still in search of something new, let me take you on a five to 10 minute drive from Makati’s bustling centers to the much talked about Fort Bonifacio Global City. Aside from yet

another mall that is Market! Market!

This dynamic community also includes areas with specialty stores, hip clubs, and an extensive line up of restaurants offering food for every distinctive palate. Its much famed Bonifacio High Street offers a leisurely outdoor walk while window shopping. Retail shops and restaurants line this kilometer-long activity promenade that leads to an area teeming with upscale restaurants serving local and foreign cuisines.

Serving the recreational needs of people up North is the recently revamped Greenhills Shopping Center. Yes, the same old tianggian that you loved so much still dominates much of the area, hidden inside the old walls of the structure are stalls selling clothes, gadgets, shoes, accessories and an extensive array of food. Be alert though, you might want to clutch onto your cell phones and wallets,

72 MANILA TRIPPIN’

Top: Trinoma- Alfresco view Left: Trinoma fountain, Quezon City

as the place can get so packed and crowded especially on weekends. The Greenhills tiangge is great for people hunting for bargains and cheap but trendy clothes and accessories. Outside the mall are strips of new restaurants and stores. Check on the mall’s website before you leave to see a list of festivities and fairs scheduled for that day.

Still further up north is Trinoma, a regional mall marked by beautifully landscaped outdoors and interesting water features seemingly shooting out of nowhere. Opened in 2007, the mall is located at the ‘north triangle’ formed by the intersection of North Avenue, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City.

Shops and restaurants are arranged around the activity center that hosts mini concerts and shows. You can catch a movie, go stretch your vocal chords in a karaoke bar or shop your legs off as the place hosts more than 550 high end shops and retail establishments.

This, believe me, is just a small sampling of hang outs in Manila. There are still much, much more new watering holes like clubs, restos, bars, and shops that have sprung up all over Manila through the years. I still have a long list of things to do and try, people to meet and food to eat. From the usual R and R in trendy lounges to fun activities for adrenalin junkies, we have it all packed in this vibrant metropolis.

MANILA TRIPPIN’ 73

The Hunt for Home Sweet Home

By Michael Martin

So you’ve made it. or you’re well on the road to getting there. you are beating the oddS, there iS expendable income and a bright future ahead. of courSe along the journey, your conSciouSneSS haS riSen. the future haS arrived with itS benchmarkS and threSholdS which iS expected Since your dreamS are tantalizingly cloSe. you are a global expatriate pinoy after all.

It’s been said that clothes make a man and that your chariot lets you ride in style. I’m in perfect agreement. Here comes the inevitable “but” ladies and gents, only if you’ve made sure this adage is closed out; “His home defines the man” or woman for that matter. You know, that place of peace, serenity and the part of yourself you go back to after making the universe go down on its knees? That place you’ve dreamed of, where you step in, smile to yourself and say “This is life.”

The question then gets asked “So where do I buy my home?” I know that we all share similar considerations. The lot price, a decent area in the metro, where to hire a good contractor and an excellent architect, and the points of ingress and egress to your favored haunts, establishments and institutions.

One Serendra Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila Ayala land Premiere

Ayala Land’s One Serendra answers these considerations with a resounding “Yes, we have it covered”, as well as providing the homeowner with the flair we associate with high-end consumer products. The sprawling 12 hectare property located in the emergent Bonifacio Global City is the sum of a dream home in a prestigious address, lifestyle and status. Accessibility is a non-issue, as main thoroughfares EDSA, McKinley Road, and C-5 are but a breath away. You won’t need to go far to get yourself your comfort food/ drink/activity if ever a craving hits your fancy. Upscale and exclusive clubs are a 10 minute drive away, not to mention specialty food shops and shopping malls. Ayala Land lived up to the values they represent and repeatedly promise.

Consider the following: The property has a very modern look and feel to it, with how the living spaces are designed. It evokes memories of those mid-rise habitats you’d have seen in Travel and Living shows. The interiors and finishes make you think that you were precisely who the company had in mind when the plans were made. The

images are the sort that make you gush and tell yourself that you’ll get to own the same thing you saw on a lifestyle show or a magazine. The way the light filters through the windows and illuminates the home and how the elegant colors and design feeds on it made me grip my wallet - real tight!

They had more elevators than I bothered counting, which means that there would be no queue, and that I will be able to avoid that gas chamber feeling that normally wells up in a cramped carriage. Each unit has its own basement parking slot unlike other condominiums in the market where you purchase them separately. The security is commendable, reminding you of those guards at the nearby Forbes and Dasmariñas communities. One Serendra is a fully packed world on its own, there’s the gym, a large pool, a multi-function club house and other such amenities.

Now before you start thinking that modern living means sterile environs and bland tiring angles, you ought to be informed

74 MANILA TRIPPIN’

that 65% of the area is green – with plenty of room to explore, photograph, read, write, take walks and run. Let me put it this way: scale down Central Park, and plant Manhattan’s top end residences in the middle of it. Top it off with polite and unobtrusive security. One Serendra is all about commensurate lifestyle for the successful.

Now of course the price tag is hefty as well. We are not talking about a matchbox dwelling here. Prices start at 8M pesos for a 1-br unit to around 10 to 12M for a 3-br unit. With floor areas from 70 to 312 square meters, you get another perk. Unmatched spaciousness relative to all others currently available in the market and I have seen more than some.

To tie everything up in ribbons and bows, One Serendra is not for everyone. It is for all Pinoys who feel that they’ve gotten their share of the rat race’s pot. Modern living, exclusivity, elegance, status, peace and serenity. Stated concretely and yet subtly at the same time. If you find yourself on that crossroad where life and dreams converge, One Serendra better be part of your house hunting itinerary. Well there is a chance I may have had giddiness get the better of me and if you end up living there, the tale of how you got your home is enough for me.

Or a dinner invite. There is more than ample visitor parking.

Chateau Elysee Doña Soledad Avenue, Bicutan, Paranaque City SM Development Corp.

The name synonymous with shopping and all the trappings that go with it finally throws its hat in the property development ring. We all know that real estate prices go through the roof when SM stakes a claim in an area through their malls, and with all the success and experience of this team, it was just a matter of time. I found myself thinking “Good thing they began already.”

The project is the Chateau Elysee, a 4.8 hectare oasis in the heart of Metro Manila’s southern end - Bicutan to be exact. Now before you go and dismiss the idea because of traffic and accessibility, remember who the developer is. Got a grip? Now hear me out. To do the review I had to go to the site, and with a little common sense and some forecasting it’s a fairly easy journey. Makati is 15 minutes at the fastest and 45 bumper to bumper. Consider as well the ongoing widening further along the SLEX which clogs it right now, but once completed, it’s smooth sailing with access to C-5 and EDSA through SLEX. For the unwilling to drive, there are shuttles provided by the developer, and SM Bicutan is a couple of minutes away,

right next to the exit ramps and where you can get a ride to anywhere. When you get to Magallanes, the metro is wide open courtesy of the rail system. Nifty, eh?

True to its name, the condominium has a very warm and homely European look and feel to it. Like you suddenly got transported to one of those Mediterranean resorts that symbolize la dolce vita. The expanse of wide open spaces and the layout along with the landscaping made it feel like it was so much more. It felt bigger than my beloved alma mater - that hallowed institute in España Avenue. I took another look at the brochure to make sure it was 4.8 hectares. Sadness crept in as we left, as I had begun to hope I could at least see how the light plays as dusk slowly settled. Or maybe until the stars came out.

The finishing and materials are impeccable, from the tiles to the modular kitchen counters. Provisions for phones and cable television are ready. There are enough elevators to go around with enough carriage space to not feel cramped. Unit sizes are standard fare as the market goes. The choices would begin with a 1-br/20sq.m to a 3-br/46.69 sqm unit. The ceilings are worth mentioning as they are at 3 meters, which is way above the standard range. The result is

that unmistakable aura of spaciousness and a breathtaking sight once the sun fills your windows. To complete the look, all you may need is a mag on interior design and DIY time. Think modern minimalist here and you’re sure to get the most out of it. With entry price tags at 1.1M for the 1-br and end spectrum 2.9M for the 3-br, I would say you got your money’s worth and we have not considered prestige yet.

Service is a word we associate with the developer, and they do not disappoint. The homeowner may expect all the amenities that uplift the quality of their lives in this community. Recreation facilities are available and served in the SM way, which is also why we flock in droves to the mall Mr. Sy builds. You are king. The property is secure, the roads wide, there is more than ample greenery.

Think in terms of fashionable mid-level starter homes. A cornerstone to build on, your initial real estate investment, or an addition to your property portfolio.

It holds just as well as your permanent home. No matter what you decide to purchase it for it is solid bang for your usually undervalued buck. I’d say now that jingle goes full circle. “Here at SM, we got it all for you.”

76 HILIG PINOY

BATANGAS:

In Land, Water and Air WHILE MANY AREAS IN THE REGION PRIDE THEMSELVES ON THEIR HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL HERITAGE, THE PROVINCE OF BATANGAS STRIVES TO AIM A NOTCH HIGHER. MORE THAN JUST PRODUCING SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT REVOLUTIONARIES DURING THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, LIKE APOLINARIO MABINI AND GENERAL MIGUEL MALVAR, OR HAVING TAAL VOLCANO AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR THE SPANIARDS DURING THE SPANISH WAR, BATANGAS HAS FIELDED IN ANOTHER FACET TO ITS NEVER-ENDING SURPRISES – A COMPLETE PACKAGE OF MULTI-SPORTS ADVENTURES.

By Excel V. Dyquiangco

This province south of Luzon indeed is known not only as a tourist attraction but as a venue for sports and recreation as well. And in the eyes of Vice-Governor Marc Leviste, who himself is an athlete, sports has a huge bearing in terms of tourism - especially with the youth. “There is a very big potential with regards to the youth market and right now, the trend of the young involves outdoor adventures, extreme sports, and recreational activities - more than just the traditional tourist attraction such as beautiful beaches, culture or history.” He adds that people, particularly the youth sector, right now don’t just want to hit the beach or just go sight seeing – they want their adventures to be more extreme.

And this includes several of the thrilling sports to date. As exciting as a scuba diving sanctuary in Anilao, Batangas boasts of some spectacular experiences that will leave locals and foreigners gasping for more – in all four corners of the province. A smorgasbord of sporting events awaits adventurers of all ages.

Calatagan, located in the western side of Batangas, takes pride in having one sport gradually gaining popularity in the country.

Cable wakeboarding is a mixture of several sports all in one: water skiing, snowboarding

and even surfing. The design is similar to that of a cable car but instead of having the cable harnessed to a car, the cable is attached to a rope pulled by the rider.

Batangas has already hosted several cable wakeboarding competitions in this area.

And the most recent was Aga Muhlach’s event in Calatagan - The First Muhlach Cable Wakeboarding Cup held in beach resort Lago de Oro, which was well-attended by personalities in the film and television industry such as TV hosts Marc Nelson and Dyan Castillejo, comedian Bayani Agbayani, and beauty queen Priscilla Meirelles.

up through the rough and rocky terrain of Mount Makulot in mountain climbing expeditions. From Mount Makulot, there is a commanding and scenic view of the famous Taal Volcano, which can be reached once sports enthusiasts weather through the spirited and challenging waves via kayaking.

Once in Taal Volcano, to get to the crater, adventurers can trek, hike or ride a horse.

The easternmost part of Batangas, San Juan, holds triathlon competitions. Apart from that, there is also a racing circuit – whether it be motorcycle or scooter racing, go kart

In the southernmost tip of this province, other types of sports are flourishing: windsurfing, scuba diving and underwater photography in the areas of Anilao, Mabini and Maricaban, Tingloy. A most recent competition, the “Underwater Photography Competition: Marine Awareness through Digital Underwater Shootouts”, which was held at the shorelines and diving sites of Mabini and Tingloy from March to April of this year, took in some breathtaking and magnificent sights of underwater creatures and wildlife.

Central Batangas brags of sports not for the faint-hearted as sports adventurers climb

Batangas Vice Governor, Jose Antonio Leviste II

HILIG PINOY 77

racing, drag or formula racing - in Rosario, in the Batangas Racing Circuit, the only worldclass automobile race track in the country.

Furthermore, there is mountain bike racing in Taysan, Batangas which leaves outdoor enthusiasts breathless.

And for those who are more laid-back, a visit to the Summit Point Golf Clubhouse in Lipa promises wonderful scenery and a game of golf.

But the fun and adventure doesn’t stop there as come May 2009, the “First VSR Tour de Taal, Batangas: The Governor Vilma SantosRecto Cup” will take place. Patterned after the Tour de France, this event is open to cyclists and will cover almost all of the major places in the area.

With such a diverse festival of sports, it is

only fitting that Batangas has its eyes set on making sure that all of these events are utilized and maximized by the public. To heighten the awareness of these other extreme sports (since Batangas is considered to be a scuba diving zone), Vice Governor Marc Leviste and his team coordinate with different organizations and associations that promote and conduct various competitions for assorted sports activities. “We help them by disseminating information, by providing materials such as billboards, streamers and since Governor Vilma Santos is a celebrity, we can invite media personalities and media networks to cover the event,” he says.

The local government in Batangas also goes out of its way to develop its own activities such as international marathons or adventure races wherein participants will undergo different skill challenges around the province.

For foreigners and tourists who would like to visit Batangas, Leviste extends his invitation.

“Experience and escape to Batangas because in Batangas, we go beyond being a tourist destination – we are also a venue for sports and recreation. It’s the province for all seasons.”

And with Batangas gearing up as a premier destination and being globally competitive, it is no wonder that this area has truly evolved from just a province with rich history and culture, but one that has an astounding plethora of outdoor activities.

For inquiries on the upcoming sporting events or just to indulge in the different recreational activities that Batangas has to offer, contact +632-8122294-95 (Manila), or +6343 723-9889 (Batangas).

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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.

Finders, Keepers, Givers

By Aby Yap

YOU ARE WHAT YOU SEEK, KEEP, AND GIVE. THIS MODERN (CONCOCTED) ADAGE AT LEAST APPLIES TO JUAN AND JUANA DELA CRUZ. WE SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF IMPORTED, GREAT BARGAINS AND THE MERCADO OF GENUINE KABAYAN ARTIFACTS. THEN WE KEEP THEM FOR AS LONG AS WE COULD. SOME WE GIVE AWAY TO THOSE WE CHERISH (OR, AT TIMES, THOSE WE WANT TO IMPRESS).

And tucked in the four corners of that popular cramped jumbo kabayan box and our bahay-kubo or bahay na bato unmistakably lies the core of our true ka-Pinoyan.

Juan in the Box The Pinoy comes home with BIG packages. And I mean gargantuan and in gazillions. You could easily spot one of our own even in the most crowded airports in the world. Just look for the balikbayan box.

It’s the definitive Filipino traveller’s ID. Chances are the box you saw is just one among many others checkedin by a single balikbayan. Who cares about the excess baggage fee or the fact that just a couple of months back, a 100-lb package had already been shipped to the family? What these boxes hold are pasalubongs for the loved ones.

Pasalubong, by the way, is a very important word in a balikbayan’s dictionary. One should always remember to bring something for each member of the immediate and extended families — even for the whole community, actually — to avoid becoming the latest tampulan of tampo. You never know when friendly kitsch collector, Lola Seling (the woman who lives on the farthest part of your street) and her 50year-old apo who moved to Batanes in the 80s might drop by.

So, what’s in the balikbayan box that could launch a thousand smiles extending to the ears; the magnet that draws in swarms of uzis?

Behold, there are giant shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and body wash; several packs of soap, toothpaste, and tissue paper; bottles of expensive perfume and free colognes; towels, pillow cases, and bed sheets; toys, gadgets, appliances, and furniture! Wait, there’s more

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— branded caps, socks, shoes, shirts, pants, jackets that could fit two to three average-sized people, and a fuchsia faux fur coat. And, of course, cartfuls of Spam, corned beef, coffee and creamer, nuts, popcorn, candies, and chocolates (excluding those brought from Duty Free). You’d think the homecoming royalty is out to start a grocery business.

Though inside the so-called ‘Philippine Samsonite’ might be second-hand/cheap/surplus/fake items, keep in mind that all of these were diligently collected for several months, and painstakingly packed in what used to be just an ordinary box. They’re unwrapped gifts for you — amoy imported, may haplos ng pagmamahal!

Bahay-Pinoy Aanhin pa ang bahay na bato o kubo, eh ‘di gawing tahanan ng Pilipino. And so we adorn and furnish our homes the best way we know how — giving it that oh-so-incredibly indelible Pinoy mark.

Right at the front yard starts the tour of the Filipino sanctuary.

Guests are welcomed by the side-by-side faces of Jesus and Mary illustrated on a ceramic tile at the gateway. Or by a mini-replica of Mary’s grotto in Lourdes or bigger versions of Snow White’s seven dwarfs. Some prefer a talking bird to greet you, “Pangiiit!” And you know how we just love the laid-back life — so we have a duyan amid guava and mango trees, surrounded by santan, gumamela, and sampaguita.

“Welcome,” says the doormat, to our “Home Sweet Home,” as engraved on the wooden decor that hangs on the door. If you see slippers and shoes neatly placed on the doorstep, you’d probably walk into carpeted or linoleum-coated floors. It’s your choice — you may leave your footwear or wear it inside. (Don’t worry about offending the Filipino host, you’re our guest. We’d even rather have you walk on a red carpet if only we had one.) Inside our home, you’re surely dust-free. We have a plastic-covered sofa and various casings to dress up, err, protect almost everything — from tables and telephones to rice cookers. That’s what doilies, mantelpieces, table runners, place mats, coasters, and those flower-designed “appliance clothings” are for.

We’ll make our first stop at the living room; a veritable museum that houses every possible object that came from lands near and far. On the walls are carpets showcasing mighty Arabian horses,

paintings depicting simple life in the farm, posters highlighting the brilliance of billiard-playing bulldogs or imparting words of inspiration ala-Footprints on the Sand, laminated diplomas honoring the graduates of the family, and studio portraits proudly proclaiming who owns the house. In each visible corner of the sala are still more embellishments. The old grand piano handed over by the family’s kanuno-nunuan, the three wise Chinese men promising wealth, health, longevity, and happiness, the obese laughing Buddha, the costumed Santo Niño (he could be a farmer, a doctor, a soldier, or something else more stylish), the famous (or is that infamous?) barrel man from Baguio, the deadly weapons of Moroland and wood furniture accented with —capiz, rattan and abaca.

Onto the recreation room. Aside from that complete set of bulky Brittanica or Colliers encyclopedia, you’d find here the TV, DVD player, and audio system that includes — what else — the Magic Sing! And that said, we now move on to the dining room-cum‘dirty kitchen’, where something usually smells fishy. That’s because of the bagoong, patis, suka, toyo, UFC ketchup, and Mang Tomas — staple condiments perpetually present on any Pinoy table, besides the bowl of fake fruits or the vase of plastic flowers with dewdrops. For wall art, expect a Last Supper or a wooden spoon and fork duo fit for a giant. Don’t panic when you’re served something from a one liter plastic soft drink bottle if you’re on a diet — it’s just water! If there are flies pestering your eating pleasure, ask for a fly swatter. If it’s your itching back disturbing you instead, ask for a backscratcher. No, it’s not the lady of the house who would give you a good scratching, but a wooden device crafted from Baguio. No trash can in sight? Look for a plastic shopping bag recycled into what you know as the black garbage sack.

When you go to the CR, ignore the broken flush. Use the tabo to get water from the timba instead. Neither should you be bothered with the pumice stone sitting on the toiletry dish. It’s more effective than a loofah in body scrubbing. And if you see an aluminum pot lying about, don’t even think of returning it to the kitchen. You wouldn’t want your stew cooked in an arinola!

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The Annie B (Batobalani) Chronicles The adventures and misadventures of a ‘not so average’ Pinay trying to make it in the cosmopolitan city of Dubai.

Photography by Mariyah Gaspacho

Ang Bagong BayAnnie!

“Sabel, this must be looove!!!”

Carmi Martin immortalized this dialogue in the 80’s chick click “Working Girls” directed by the late Ishmael Bernal. Sabel, played by Rio Locsin – was the naive secretary who got pregnant by a bank executive who’s engaged to be married to Baby Delgado – a socialite Makati executive. Hilda Koronel played Sabel’s boss and the bank AVP executive. Maria Isabel Lopez was the office receptionist na rumaraket sa gabi as a call girl (at hindi sa call center ha?) to earn extra bucks. Gina Pareño sells jewelries and RTW to office employees on a 5/6 scheme and blackmails Baby Delgado’s fiancé to marry her. Chanda Romero plays an overachiever and martyr wife to an overly insecured loser husband. Carmi Martin of course, was the slutty sexy-tary and the best friend of Rio Locsin. The movie starts and ends with a shot of the very cosmopolitan Makati Business District – ang dami daming tao ang naglalakad sa Ayala and Paseo de Roxas – while the theme song – sung by Chona Cruz – played on.

After watching this movie, I knew right there and din that I wanted to be a career girl when I grow up. Yun bang ang sosyal sosyal ng feeling mo kasi naka-outfit ka habang rumarampa sa Ayala….back then, things seemed easier – parang miski ano carry mong i-achieve basta masipag ka lang. Upto now, “Working Girls” theme song pa rin ang motivation song ko tuwing naglalakad ako papasok sa office building namin araw araw. Feeling ko ako si Carmi Martin. I love coming to work. Another day, another adventure.

But then another adventure came recently to my life. In a form of a text message from Pinas.

NANAY: Hi Annie! Musta na? Naku, dami nating problema ngayon. Kailangan

ko ng pera. Yung bubong ng bahay natin nasira nung bagyong Frank, tapos malapit na naman manganak ang hipag mong c Precy (sana lalaki na), tapos yung tricycle natin nahulog sa ilog kasi lasing ang tatay mo. Sasali din ng dans kontes c KlengKleng, ang pamangkin mo, kailangan ng pambili ng costume.

Kawawa naman kapag natalo. Pwede mo ba dagdagan ang padala mo ha, iha?

Sensya na, anak. Salamat.

Napalunok ako ng malalim. Two of my not-so-favorite-words na magkasunod: Problema. Pera. Naku pooooooooo!!!! Dizzizit! Eto na naman si Annie B - to the rescue! Matitiis ko ba naman ang sarili kong pamilya? Lord, help me. Sabay sign of the cross.

Since maigsi ang working hours ngayon Ramadan (9 to 3 lang kami), naisip ko to put into good shoes ang aking spair time. Magaling naman ako sa multitasking eh. Plus, kung sasabayan ko ng fasting eh papayat pa ako. Kikita na ako, papayat pa! Ang seksi ko siguro sa darating na Pasko. Haylavet!

So pagtungtong ng alas tres, fly ako sa mall upang maging Perfume Sample Girl para sa Far East Gallery. Napaka-glamorous ng raket ko – not only do I learn to pronounce the brand names correctly, round the clock pa akong humahalimuyak sa sobrang bango ng winiwisik kong mga pabango sa mga utaw sa mall. But mind you – I have my standards. Kapag hindi cute ang dumadaan eh hindi ko inaalok ng pabango – sayang naman ang effort at product noh? Biruin mo, ang gwapo gwapo ng amoy ng Diesel for Life tapos kamukha lang ni Don Pepot ang sasampolan ko? Nek nek nya. Pero madalas kapag may PPP (Papalapit nang Papalapit na Panget), miski anong dedma ang gawin ko – eh talagang may mga kapal muks na bubulaga sa harapan ko at isusungalngal sa akin ang leeg nila para maka-libre ng pabangong sample ko. Aba may iba pa hindi nakukuntento

FILIPINISMS 81

sa limang isprey matapos mo wisikan sa magkabilang leeg, sa magkabilang balikat at sa pulso nila eh hindi pa rin umaalis – ano ito, body shower?!!! Heller, Au de Parfum po to no?!!! Hindi ipinaliligo. Hay naku, madami talagang mga pasaway – hindi man lang intindihin na Mark Jacobs, Hermes, Chanel, Bulgari, Acqua di Parma at Creed ang inaaksaya nila at hindi Jovan, Brut, Charlie at Charmis noh?!!! Nakakaloka din itong raket ko, tatlong oras kang nakatayo at kung sinu-sinong kumukuyog sa ‘yo. Yung iba naman papable ang susuplado, hahabulin mo pa tapos hindi naman magpapa-isprey. Jusko, naka-4-inch heels pa naman ako. Mistulang mga mangga na ng muscles ko sa legs ko.

Pagkatapos ng aking shift habang mahilo-hilo na ako sa dami ng pabangong sininghot ko, pagne-networking naman ang drama ko. World class and high quality sanitary napkins. Kaya matapos ang mabilisang dinner, takbo ako sa iba’t ibang mga flat kung saan nagbibigay ako ng lecture at introduction sa marvels and wonders of sanitary napkin networking sa iba’t ibang kababaihan dito sa Dubai. “Lahat tayo ay mga babae, dinudugo, tinatagusan buwan-buwan. Kaya walang tapon ang ating produktong ibebenta. Feeling protected and fresh ka na, kumikita ka pa.” O di ba? Hanep sa sells talk! Pero ewan ko ba, bukod sa napaka-kukuripot ng mga nire-recruit ko eh puro mga buntis at nagme-menopause na ang mga uma-attend. Paano ko naman sila mapipilit gumamit ng produkto ko kung mga hindi sila makalakad sa bigat at wala na silang flow? Para ka nyang si Dabiana na magtuturo ng aerobics eh – sino maniniwala sa inyo? Hay naku, napapanis lang ang laway ko kaka-daldal sa mga babaeng wala naman balak mag-invest sa product ko. Kakapagod.

Pero lagi ko iniisip si Carmi Martin – na hindi nagpapigil sa pag-fulfill ng kanyang dream as a career girl – so gabi-gabi patuloy pa rin akong dumadakdak kung saan saan. Paminsan minsan may kumakagat din naman.

Basta tuwing napa-Pagoda Coldwave Lotion na ang feeling ko, pinapatugtog ko lang ang kanta ni Chona Cruz sa isip ko. “I am a working girl……a busy working girl who’s working hard to earn me a living……” Sabay wagayway ng mga pang-demo kong sanitary napkin.

After several days of multi-tasking from my day job, laking tuwa ko ng nagbunga na ang efforts ko. Nang isang umaga’y gisingin ako muli ng isang text.

NANAY: Kumusta ka na, anak? Naku, kailangan mo pang dagdagan ang padala mo. Ang presyo ng bigas ke-taas taas na ngayon, hindi na kami makabili sa sobrang mahal. Ang mga pamangkin mo nagsisipag-payatan dahil kulang sa kanin araw-araw. Ang kuya mo namang si Jekjek napasali sa rambol dyan sa plaza, ayun nakakulong. Wala pa kaming pang-piyansa. Kawawa naman sila.

Sana matulungan mo kami. Sensya na, iha. Salamat.

Nalaglag ako sa kamang kina-hihigaan ko! Jusko, ano pa ba ang susunod na trahedya sa buhay ng pamilya ko? Nag-rosaryo ako habang nagkakape, naliligo, nagbibihis at habang nasa carlift ako. Multi-tasking pa rin.

Noong lunchbreak ding iyon nag-isip ako. Malalim. Mataimtim. Ano pa kaya ang pwede kong i-raket para makapandagdag sa ipapadala ko kay Nanay?

Habang linalantakan ko ang kare-kareng binili ko kay Aling Melba na nagsusupply ng Pinoy food tuwing lunch dito sa office namin, bigla akong napatigil.

Isang mumunting idea ang biglang namuo sa isip ko. Aha! Alam ko na! Gagawa at magtitinda ako ng bagoong! Yes, ang world class bagoong Bataan. Lumaki ako sa probinsya na nabuhay sa isda at bagoong. And over the years, tried and tested na ang sarap at linamnam ng aking sariling version ng bagoong.

Nagbunga rin ang turo sa akin ni Inay! I will make my own and sell it to kabayans who are sicked and tied of the usual bagoong in the supermarket.

Presenting: Annie B’s Gormey Bagoong. Try it. Taste it. Laveeeeeet!!! Blessing in the sky talaga ang kare-kare ni Aling Melba. I now have my own business. Isa na akong interpenur.

Noong una ang bongga ng mga bagoong ko. Mabentang mabenta sa mga kabayan dito sa office, pati na rin sa ibang companies ng building namin.

Pati mga ka-carlift ko and their officemates pinilahan ang bagoong ko. Once

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in a while, kapag hindi nakatingin ang supervisor ko sa mall, nailalapit ko din ang bagoong ko kapag hindi masungit ang mga kabayan na sinasampolan ko ng pabango. Kapag bumili ng bagoong eh mas dadamihan ko ang isprey ng Davidoff’s Cool Water. Panalo! “Kabayan bili ka ng bagoong! Ay, nag-amoy bagoong ka? Heto ispreyan pa kita ng pabango.” O di ba – complimentary ang mga pabango at bagoong ko. Miski sa networking ko, “Sawa na ba kayo sa kaka-kwento ko ng napkin? O baka gusto nyo tikman ang bagoong ko….”

Dizzizit!!!

Pero syempre, kapag nabentahan ko na ng bagoong eh hindi na sila bumibili ulit kaagad. Baka nga naman sila ma-high blood sa alat ng bagoong kung yun na lang ang kakainin nila. Tsaka sa office din, pinagbawal ng mga puti ang bagoong ko, hindi nila carry ang smell nito. Nakakasuka daw. Kumakapit kasi ang amoy nito sa carpet at sa kurtina, bukod pa sa damit. Kaya halos mabaliw sa galit ang mga foreigners sa office namin. So there goes the short-lived success story of Annie B’s Gormey Bagoong.

Back to the drawing bored. Ano pa ba ang pwede kong mapiga para magkaraket ng extra? Pudpod na ang mga daliri ko sa paa kakalakad at kakatayo araw araw. Nang bigla kong maisip…….Foot Spa! Tama - magagamit ko ang Foot Spa machine na napanalunan ko sa raffle noong company party namin.

What a brilliyant idea! Dizzizit!!!

ilang paa, alam ko na kung sino ang bagong boyfriend ni ganito, kung sino ang kabit ni ganyan, kung sino ang may utang kay ganon. Daig ko pa ang The Buzz at Startalk sa sobrang init ng chismis ng mga nasasagap ko. Pero matapos ko iFoot Spa ang mga kababaihan kong mga kabayan, mga asawa at tatay naman nila ang mga pumipila. Puro mga patay na kuko, kalyo at alipunga naman ang mga nakakaharap ko. Kadiri to death! sabi nga ni Dina Bonnevie. Madalas gusto ko nang himatayin sa sobrang grows ng mga kachichas ng mga koyang. Miski naiisip ko si kuya na nagdurusa sa loob ng kulungan, hindi kaya ng powers ko ang mga mala-luyang mga paa ng mga customers ko. Sa sobrang kapal ng kalyo nila eh pwede na akong magtanim ng kamote – uy, bagong raket yun ah? Eeewwww!!!

Lord, tulungan nyo po ako. From pabango to napkins to bagoong to alipunga – ano naman ang susunod kong challenge sa buhay?!!! Lahat ng mga ito tinitiis ko for the love of my pamilya back home. Paguwi ko ng bahay para matulog na lang, I ask myself, is it all worth it?

Paano na ang bubong ng bahay namin? Ang hipag kong manganganak? Ang tricyle ni Tatay? Ang costume sa dance contest ni Kleng-Kleng? Ang pangpiyansa kay Kuya? Ang bigas na kakainin ng pamilya ko araw-araw? Paano na sila?

Pero paano naman ako?

So kapag weekends at wala akong pasok sa office at natatapos na ang shift ko sa mall at lecture ko sa networking, at may sapat na supply ng aking bagoong, nagho-home service ako sa mga kabayan natin for a very relaxing, soothing and refreshing Foot Spa. Ito ang tunay na kasabihan nila na ang trabaho ay pina-paa ko lang – well literally. Bukod sa kumikita na ako ng extra eh may nakikinig pa sa mga sob stories ng aking lovelife. Madami pa akong nasasagap na chismis tungkol sa iba’t ibang kabayan. Matapos ang

Ngayon ko lang na-realize, mahirap pala magpaka-working girl. Miksi gaano ka-worthy ang motivation ko eh, tao lang ako. Napapagod din, nagugutom, nauuhaw at nauubusan ng pasensya. Nagfa-fasting pa man din ako. Kaya nga siguro tayo tinatawag na mga bagong bayani. Lahat gagawin at titiisin para lang sa pamilya natin. Sana naman ipagpatayo nila ako ng rebulto sa plaza namin. Meanwhile, tuloy ang kayod ko. The show must go on ‘ika nga ni Kuya Germs. Walang tulugan na itu!

ENTERTAINMENT 83

Lav Diaz: ‘Living his big dream Text and Photography by Jake Atienza

HAVING ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH IN THE PHILIPPINE FILM INDUSTRY, LAVRENTE INDICO DIAZ HAS ESTABLISHED HIS NAME WORLDWIDE. DESPITE THIS, THE LONG HAIRED VISAYAN WORKS WITH JUST A SMALL CREW AND PREFERS KEEPING THINGS LOW PROFILE. THE THEMES AND TOPICS OF HIS WORK ARE DARING — HIS 2006 FILM ‘DEATH IN THE LAND OF ENCANTOS’ HAD A RUNNING TIME OF OVER NINE HOURS — AND ARE ALWAYS RELEVANT TO THE CURRENT POLITICAL AND CULTURAL CLIMATE. Who would have thought that the day my Mom and I had lunch in Sagada while on vacation, we would stumble upon the highly respected Filipino filmmaker? Diaz and his crew have set up camp in Sagada where part of his latest project is being shot. From a room labeled with just the number 14, voices can be heard. The tone is calm but commanding.

In the room, people are moving around or are seated, deep in conversation. Each member of the cast and crew are busy with the roles they have to perform. Diaz imposes on everybody a relaxed collective discipline — something he’s learned from the road he has traveled in life.

I had seen ‘Death in the Land of Encantos’ a few months back at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in the Netherlands so I was very excited for the opportunity to spend some time with him in Sagada. While introducing myself over lunch at a small hotel, I could instantly sense the feeling of openness and the accommodating nature one can expect from a fellow Filipino. They invited me to join the gang in filming the latest yet-to-be-titled Lav Diaz movie — and I even ended up netting a small role in it.

We all take a walk towards the location for the evening’s shoot. This first day, I am able to get to know Diaz better and get to see his methods firsthand. He was born in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao to Ilonggo and Ilokano parents on December 30, 1958. He grew up

in Cotabato then studied in Ateneo before moving on to work in the US. Presently, he splits his time between New York and the Philippines, spending half of his year in each country.

Diaz says he views himself as a cultural worker, doing his part by making films and starting dialogue through the medium. He wants to give Filipinos — especially the poor and disadvantaged; the ones “left behind” — their voice and ultimately, their self-worth back. His goal is a healthy, balanced society; taking away the reasons for Pinoys to want to look abroad in the first place.

He was guided early on towards what he called “the big dream that is cinema.” He recalls how his father would bring him to neighboring cities to watch films on weekends. His parents — teachers and activists in their own right — also surrounded him with Russian literature. As he grew older, however, his dream had to be put on hold due to what has become a very familiar Filipino story. His parents, though supportive of his interest in the arts and in music, wished for him to build a stable and grounded foundation and asked him to enter college.

Diaz studied Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University but later transferred to Ateneo de Davao to be closer to his parents.

This was during the violent period of the Christian-Muslim conflicts where he could not bear to be away from his family (“My

relatives were dying,” he says) any longer. At age 19, he felt the bump forming in the belly of his then-girlfriend, now his wife, upon which he buckled down on his studies. He completed his education later and flirted with the idea of pursuing further studies, taking up Law at the University of the East for one year.

It wasn’t long before the call of the arts returned. Diaz landed a job in Manila and attended scriptwriting workshops organized by the Mowelfund and Ricky Lee. He started writing for TV and newspapers, and also tried his hand at comics. He had a good break in the early 90s when he had an opportunity to move to New York to be a scriptwriter and a deskman for a Filipino newspaper. He was also commissioned to do a documentary during this time.

In December of 1993, Diaz co-wrote a script with Eric Gamalinda and started shooting one of his most interesting and ambitious pieces — ‘Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino’ (Evolution of a Filipino Family) was a project they filmed between 1994 and 2004 and ran for over 10 hours. He was able to film several other projects during that span.

In 1998, his wife and children (there were three of them now) joined him in the US. After the kids finish schooling and gain some experience, the family has plans of returning to the country for good.

84 ENTERTAINMENT

dialogue with the communities within the Philippines.

Behind the camera in the extreme corner of the room, Diaz positions himself. He points and nods at the lights and props to be placed. His preference is working with small groups of people. “You have to simplify filmmaking,” he says. He also tells me of his dream project — a film that highlighted the events of the Muslim and Christian tension in Maguindanao in the 1970s; events he experienced up close. Sadly, though, he believes the issue may be too critical to be made into a film today.

That’s just the way he works. He continuously pushes the envelope, integrating causes personal to him and issues he is compelled to share in his films. He tells Filipino stories and yet these are stories that find acceptance in other countries — by the Filipino diaspora

and the foreign communities alike — and not here. Why is there no place for his works in the Philippines? Is it because Pinoys have little interest in our stories or close their ears to the problems that exist within our shores or is it that moviegoers seek pure entertainment for their money? I believe the latter. Lav Diaz is an independent and experimental filmmaker. His work cannot be pigeonholed into a certain category — they don’t fit in with the movies shown in malls. In fact, his films are usually limited to academic institutions like the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo. As the filmmaker puts it, the next challenge for him is to go around the country, visiting villages, especially in rural areas and screening films. This way, he hopes to actively start a

Artists need all the support they can get to share their work with the public. It is important that people — regardless of background — get a taste of the dream that is cinema. Arts and culture always have and will be an integral part of Philippine society. It is, however, a reality that there are aspects in the bureaucratic system that is in need of development. It would be very positive for a culture to be supported by the government in terms of the arts. As of now, money for most artists is abroad and not in the Philippines. Diaz calls for democratizing the system of funding for artists, like in Europe for example, and building further on the foundation set up by Cinemalaya. The filmmaker has himself for the past four years been funded by the Dutch Hubert Balls Fund. It is his dream as a filmmaker not to have to turn abroad for financial support and in terms of audience interest.

As I had the unique chance during a period of seven days to tag along with Lav Diaz and the gang, I wondered many times what it was that made him who he is. As I sat in the bus bound for Manila, I realized that it was quite simple. Everything he has now is due to the life he has lived and the hard work he has put into his craft. But perhaps the main reason for the role he plays is due to his continues belief in fulfilling his purpose in the community and society in a place he still and always will call home — the Philippines.

All books and CDs available at Fully Booked, Philippines, visit www.fullybookedonline.com

HOT RELEASES 85

By Gabbie dela Rama-Talan

more tangible when she took up the saxophone at 10.

At 14, she was singing jazz standards. Also a poet, her compositions stemmed from much of her works.

In just a few short years from then, Adams, 23, backed by an all-British ensemble, released her latest, Space. There is a new maturity to her work almost certainly enhanced by her studies at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music in London.

Space by Mishka Adams Jazz At the impressionable age of 20, jazz singer Mishka Adams released her debut LP God Bless the Child to rave reviews and an almost instantaneous fanbase of reserved (as jazz fans usually go) yet supportive fans — possibly because her sensual voice and mature stage presence proved an alluring contrast to her actual age.

Born to British mining magnate/writer John Adams and Filipina artist Agnes Arellano, she was exposed to the creative process early on. At the age of 3, she was already in love with jazz. Her faculty with music was made even

Revelation by Journey Rock Who would have ever thought that a few videos posted on Youtube.com would propel Filipino musician, Arnel Rivera to fame of international proportions, as seminal eighties rock band Journey’s new vocalist (and the first foreign one, no less), filling the void that the iconic Steve Perry left in 1988? Pardon the pun, but Journey’s journey — musically — has been marked by much instability, band members coming and going, never able to capture that same spark, which ignited their peak in the early eighties.

The combination of pieces within the 10-track album seems more subtle and subdued, in comparison with that which preceded it. This is altogether not a bad thing, because it shows that as Adams matured so too, has her music. She has lost none of her vocal ability, which is in fact more honed, possessing a melancholic air, causing one to surmise if she is missing something (though the album is not solely dominated by songs with this same feel).

The Samba-inspired “Under a Brazilian Sky” is light, almost hopeful while “All I Need” possesses a quiet strength.

Title-track “Space” is very affecting, almost wistful.

Here, the melancholy really surfaces, but it is charming nevertheless.

Fans searching for the upbeat tempo of her first CD may be disappointed by Space but before they judge, they should give it a chance. They may find that after giving it a listen, upbeat may seem an almost garish preference to something as personal and intellectual as this.

Though many may argue that Rivera may just be a willing puppet, giving voice to songs that Perry’s prowess had already entrenched in the annals of music history, he certainly does a more than satisfactory job of it. Journey sounds like Journey, and that is exactly the way it’s supposed to be. Unlike their less clever Australian counterparts INXS, who wanting to reinvent themselves, acquired their new vocalist via the stale reality-show gimmick. Though goodlooking, JD Fortune is a shoddy follow-up to the charisma and talent of the late, great Michael Hutchence, and did nothing to resuscitate the band — which might as well have changed their name.

Revelation is Journey’s latest release, a double-disc featuring a barrage of hits like “Faithfully” and “Don’t Stop Believin’” and a couple of exceptional originals, among these “Change for the Better,” and the slower “Like a Sunshower.” And true to form, Journey’s latest reincarnation, captures pure sentimentality, balanced by soaring rock, pleasing rock and ballad fans alike.

Hey, if they sound like the Journey I know and love, add that to the pride I feel as one of my countrymen is out there kicking ass on stage, then that is good enough for me.

86 HOT RELEASES By Gabrielle de la Rama-Talan

Jungle Planet and Other Stories

by Lakambini A. Sitoy Lakambini A. Sitoy, or “Bing,” has had works published in the Philippines, the USA and Europe. She has been a recipient of various grants, fellowships, and awards, and short-listed for quite a few others as well. Her most recent achievement is inclusion in the long list for the 2008 Man Asia Literary Prize, among 21 others. She also served as editor for the lifestyle and cultural sections of the Manila Bulletin.

futuristic, and efficient world that many believe it to be.

If anything, Sitoy’s concept of the future seems more prescient than most. Here, the modern world suffers from the sins of its forefathers: more dirt and grime than hunks of functional metal, wires neatly bundled within; no robot versions to replace the many species of animals lost; fear, discomfort, and, danger replace efficiency and the ease of life from technological advancements.

It comes as no surprise that her book, Jungle Planet and Other Stories, published by the UP Press in 2006, earned her a place on the shortlist of the MCC National Book Awards of the same year. This book will leave you with a realization of her talent, gratefully privy to the breadth and depth of her writing. Sitoy has a way with language.

More aptly, she has a way with the manner in which her words flow, creating a sort of vacuum, which sucks the reader in, only to be spit out in a whirl of shock, horrification, and guilty pleasure.

A girl running from her sordid past comes face to face with the magnitude of its effects, when she commits a crime of passion on an undeserving victim, made even more abject by the fact that it is this heinous act that sets her free in “Denial, Denial.”

In “Jungle Planet,” the future is seen through the eyes of a little girl, and it is bleak, nothing like the shiny,

A woman chased by the demons of a tortured childhood comes home to nurse the father who is the very cause of this torment. A perverse pleasure overtakes her as she watches his diseased flesh quiver in pain and suffering and his inability to retaliate from her in “Touch.”

These and many more populate the pages of Sitoy’s smoothly fashioned collection of stories. A must-read.

America’s Boy: The Marcoses and the Philippines

by James Hamilton-Paterson America’s Boy: The Marcoses and the Philippines is a commendable effort on the part of writer James Hamilton-Paterson, an expatriate who spent nearly two decades of his life in the Philippines, to capture an exceptionally notorious figurehead in Philippine history, the late former president, Ferdinand Marcos.

I say “effort” because while it is easy to see why some would call this a refreshing take, given that Paterson is not a Filipino, and would take a more objective stance sans any biases that would affect a local writer’s viewpoint, it is still lacking what experience and cultural affinity would bring.

Basically, Paterson endeavors to show that much of the infamy earned by Marcos during his reign was exaggerated, that the Western world, due in part to the scorn the US in particular, vilified the family more than was necessary (thus, the title America’s Boy). The book

also seems to denote that Corazon C. Aquino’s rise to power by and through the unification of the Filipino people was just a “continuation” of the Marcoses despotic rule.

Instead of a more comprehensive approach, Paterson wades through the rice paddies of the Philippines’ bucolic landscape, where he gleans his insights for his book.

While this is all well and good, he neglects to take into consideration unbiased political views and sufficient historical support.

Still, it is an entertaining read and goes beyond more than the subject, whom we know of considerably. It is a gateway to how foreigners perceive Filipinos, culturally, politically, and sociologically, no matter how much we disagree.

I know What To Do Pinoy Success Handbook

by Jeffrey ‘Ximo’ Ramos So you want to be successful – but do you know what to do? Author Jeffrey Ximo Ramos unlocks the secrets to achievement in his substantial motivational tome ‘I Know What To Do’. Lifted from his personal learnings from the challenges and triumphs of living in the United Arad Emirates, the book is packed with useful tips and fundamental truths that can help you accomplish your dreams. It is divided into three main sections – How to be successful, how to maintain success and how not to get corrupted by success. With its words of wisdom, not to mention the writers’ interestingly casual style and wit, the book promises to be a veritable ‘success handbook’ one would eagerly be reaching for, from time to time.

Available in the UAE through Illustrado.

Please call 04-365 4543 to reserve your copy or e-mail info@illustrado.net

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