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is a grou p of four - photog visual art rapher, m ist, and s online m ake up a tylist - wh agazine rtist, ose aim o n is that show ce a mon th or eve to create an cases ext ry two m raordina we do no onths ry talents t believe a nd expre in setting ssion. experim s t a n d e a rds. we lo nt. toget visit our h ve to e r we will site at: h break mo ttp://ww ulds. w.icono clastmag we also .com encoura ge you t o collab orate wi th us
the team Edu Segundo Creative Director Jason Tan Web Editor Angela Pascual Art Editor Jim Russel Cabanag Lifestyle Editor
contents/june contents 2010
profile: Benjie S. Manuel how did he make the transition from being a DJ in a local disco club in Butuan to one of the most sought after couturier in town? Benjie tells us his story with an interview by Edu Segundo and Jim Cabanag
Our Daily Bread an in-depth story of the Bakeshop that became an instant hit: Missy Bon Bon.
Southern Comfort part 1 The Mindanao Food Appreciation Story - SOCCSKSARGEN Summer Safari is not just the ultimate food trip, but also culturally fulfilling. Story by Edu Segundo.
semi charmed life 1920s was one roaring decade. Mai Tan, through her pictures, depicts how your grandmother rolled it during the flapper era.
Tagged: Urban Beach Bar The Beach may be kilometers away from the city but Spruce made it inches away from us. Photos by Bon Aserios.
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it’s almost nine in the evening on a balmy Saturday, the mall is about to close as everyone, both shoppers and mall employees, is rushing out to go home or elsewhere. but somewhere in the corner of the mall, a recently emerged breadshop is still thriving. and it still does until it closes and calls it a day. Missy Bon Bon Breadshop started out as a small kiosk inside a mall serving pastries, bread, and their famed gelatos. the goddess of word-of-mouth has been a good deity to them, since a lot of people have been coming back for more of their goodies, even tagging along friends who have not heard of them. and, just like a wildfire, the word spreads like crazy. and before you can even say “this is good”, Missy Bon Bon already has two stores in the city: one in Big R, and the other, much bigger store is located at the corner of Rosario Arcade Drive we have got the chance to talk to Henrik Yu, the mastermind behind the already iconic breadshop with a cute logo and a cuter avatar (a winking housewife, see). while having one of their breakfast meals at their establishment’s sun deck - a cozy part of their place where sunlight can beam through their glass walls sans burning your skin up, Henrik Yu is discussing to us why he had though of putting up such a place.
Henrik is also one third of the creative geniuses behind Bigby’s Cafe, which has several branches across the archipelago. and this is a good chance for me to know their secret behind the delicious pastries, the sumptous food, and the cult following of the people.basically, he just wants to put up an establishment - and a potential chain - to serve people fresh, natural, and healthy foods. fresh, natural, and healthy - these three components are a rarity in a food establishments nowadays, and yet they have managed to bring it out to the people. so how is Missy Bon Bon fresh, natural, and healthy? fresh, in a way that they make sure what you eat is made on that day and on the same location (yes, i am sure you are tired of that day old donut that they serve). natural in the way that they do not use over processed ingredients to make it taste right (their brewed coffee is made from coffee beans produced by the Benedictine monks of Bukidnon). and healthy in the manner of not making their food, well, healthy enough for the people. so everytime you try to bite a serving of their bread, consider it a guilt-free pleasure. during the course of our conversation with Henrik, i have not scooped out a single secret. because there is none. but they have, for sure, implied what business should be: good product and good service. thanks to: Chiq Montes
profile: Benjie S. Manuel how did he make the transition from being a DJ in a local disco club in Butuan to one of the most sought after couturier in town? Benjie tells us his story with an interview by Edu Segundo and Jim Cabanag photos from Benjie’s Facebook Account it’s hard to be a designer in this country. heck, it’s hard tobe a designer in this world. everything is trial and error, and if you want to pursue a career in fashion, you must have a stronger backbone to accept harsh criticism and severe ignorance. and you must know how to make your way to even the noticeable level - much better if you find your way to the top of food chain. but the latter would be fine not achieved by Benjie S. Manuel, fashion designer. “I do not really have to be the one on top, I just wanna be there. Being visible is enough for me” said the multi-talented fashion designer who has been on the circuit for more than two decades now. he started out as DJ in one of the clubs in Butuan City, his hometown. “the DJ gig was sort of accidental, it wasn’t really my idea to become one. But I have no choice but to work. at some point it was disheartening to see my high school friends having a blast at the club while i was inside a booth, changing vinyl to another.”
Benjie made his first break in the fashion world when he sent out his sketches to Woman Today and Woman’s Home Companion. But the latter was more of supportive of his designs. “the first time I saw my sketches on the pages of the magazine, I was thrilled. I shared it to my family and friends.” most designer slash rags to riches stories have their share of daddyhates-me-for-i-am-gay piece, but not for Benjie, in fact, his father was more supportive then than his mother. “he was most of the time in Manila then for his work and he had watched fashion luncheons, and then he told me that fashion designing is a good business. he was in support of my dreams all the way.” it all started from there and the name Benjie S. Manuel never came down since. He has befriended many personalities including Helen Sanchez, the former first lady of Butuan, who helped him get a back-to-back show with the very famous Renee Salud. he moved to the bigger city to try his luck and luck never failed. he recently joined Philippine Fashion week, his 4th by the way, with his latest collection being featured here in *link*Semi Charmed Life. “my inspiration always comes from listening to music.” he says when asked about what are his inspirations to his design. right now he is currently working on his collection to be shown on the next Philippine Fashion week for Spring Summer 2011, which he hopefully will participate. “fashion week may be an exhausting experience, but it is indeed enriching and fun!” when asked what will Benjie S. Manuel be five years from now, he answered “BSM in New York!” but please, never mistaken it for Bondage Sado-Masochism, Benjie never hurts.
i wanna be a supermodel by Andriel Brinn Cervantes
photo by ScaryJesus of DeviantArt.com
If there is one job out there that attracts billions but chooses only hundreds it would be modeling. It also has the fastest turnover in the planet as models get replaced within weeks, even days. A lot of kids, teens and adults dream of it. A reality show was made because of it. FLASH! Becoming a super model is not all smiles and being sexy, you gotta be the next “IT”. Do you have what it takes to be a super model? photo by Noasharvit of Deviantart.com
Bodylicious symmetry. Sexy isn’t sexy if one side is bigger than the other. The model industry doesn’t choose you for that one body part you’re proud of. In this case, focusing on your one asset can make your modeling career short lived. If you don’t have the structure the model industry is looking for, cheat a bit and bump it up in beauty clinics. Otherwise, live with it and move on to the next bit… Skin and Bones. Modeling has evolved from the earliest portrayals of models in paintings. One thing for sure, a good skin is a must. Be kind to the photo editor, not even photoshop can remove unsightly blemishes of your own doing. Do EVERYTHING it takes to keep your skin radiant and clean, fashion designers want their creations noticed, not your pimples. Bone structure on the other hand is tricky. You’re either born with it or not. Fashion designers like their models to fit their clothes and not the other way around. So keep your body constantly fit, also hazard wise, a fall of the ramp can happen and a fit body can keep you on the runway. Next, top off that bod with some Double A’s. Age and Attitude. The younger you are the better. Models have difficulty staying in the limelight by mid twenties. Not young enough? A great attitude helps a lot which made super models like Tyra Banks a mainstay in the modeling industry in spite of her age. You can’t cheat your age but you can improve your attitude and it’s not the faked smiles on the runway or a half hearted jaunty pose. Don’t get too conscious of it though. Just feel good about what you’re doing. Gather all that and then… Walk the talk. Trite but apt. Modeling isn’t just flirting with the model agent (plus points!), don’t focus on few people to impress, widen your horizon. Remember, the whole world is your audience!
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outhern comfort Edu Segundo’s first visit in Davao and General Santos City and his dream of visiting Lake Sebu and meeting real life T’boli’s came true - in style and full stomach photos by Charles Ortiz Chiq Montes Michael Abonitalla Rob Bana
Saturday, 12:00 midnight. i am sitting all alone in a street cafe along Divisoria. no, i am not here all by my lonesome because a date planned not to show up, but because i might be super excited for our trip to Davao and South Cotabato. yes, I am that excited because it will be my first time to step on the land of Durian and Philippine Eagles, as well as the land where the world-famed boxer Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao hails from. in short, I am a bottom virgin. the plan is to meet with the rest of the Cagayan de Oro Bloggers by 3am for our trip is not until 4 in the morning. but i got out of home early because taxi is a rarity in our subdivision during the wee hours of the morning. and i did not finish work until 11 in the evening, and if i am going to have a super nap i am afraid i might not wake up until Sunday. so yeah, i packed everything that i needed to bring with me for the trip, and some more, as soon as i finished work, took a bath, and left home. i ordered a beer and a club sandwich because man i am starving! i sent some sms to people asking them to keep me company as i wait for 4am, but to no avail. i just want to sleep so badly but i cannot afford to, since it is an open air cafe and i have too many belongings, some not even mine, to mind. so i decided to keep myself awake and just sleep at the van. we are off for Davao City and General Santos City for the weekend to participate at the very first Mindanao Food Appreciation Tour (or MFAT) and The SOCCSKSARGEN SUMMER SAFARI. the MFAT – SOCCSKSARGEN SUMMER SAFARI is never possible without the creative initiative of the Avel and Orman Manansala, the ever happy and gay tandem of General Santos City. Avel, who owns the GenSan News Online Magazine, and Orman, the man behind the very entertaining Ganda Ever So Much, together with the Davao Bloggers and CDO Bloggers joined forces as to promote what Mindanao can offer as a tourist destination, for a change. and what better way to make people love Mindanao but through their tummies. this event aims also to strengthen the bond between bloggers from Mindanao to promote goodwill amongst each other. so i thought to myself this is a weekend i will regret if i will not join, so i did pack my bags. i, together with Chiq, Goma, Elva, Ding, Rob, Venus, and MikeA, am on our way to represent the Cagayan de Oro Bloggers. this event, aside from us, will also be participated by Davao Bloggers/Avatar Media (headed by Ria Jose), and, of course, SOCSKSARGEN Bloggers.
7:00 am Malaybalay, Bukidnon – we stopped at a very known food chain here in the capital city of Bukidnon to have breakfast. we did not have a good sleep but we sure were chatty inside the van, and even chattier after the breakfast. and we are just awed at the sights we have seen as if we have not been in this place before. heaps of green being illuminated by the mild touch of sunlight can really perk up tired eyes. we will be leaving as soon as we are finished with our meals. 10:00 am – just had a power nap. i woke up and we were already at BuDa (Bukidnon-Davao Boundary). as i have said, this is my first time to visit south of this island and i am just amazed. the scenery i have seen is far more than i expected. it is so good i wanna live there, if only there is at least mall here or a better Internet connection, i will be fine. but oops, road block. somewhere along BuDa one of the tires of the Pajero tripped on a deep hole, causing it to ripped and we are stucked because it is heavily damaged. but instead of worrying, we just landed on demi-heaven: pine trees everywhere, well manicured garden, American inspired houses and buildings, and the cold weather to taste. we took pictures of the place and walked, and walked until we reached the bus pit-stop, were we ate ginanggang (grilled banana) and some refreshments. the pit stop is near a chapel where kids and their parents are about to start their annual Santacruzan ceremony. we were informed that the spare tire would not fit, so the damaged tire should be patched to make it useful again. but we just have to wait a few more, so we decided to take another hike up to a local resort where we can have a good overlooking view of the place. the Davao bloggers who are waiting already for our arrival were a bit worried if we could make it on time for lunch, but we will just have to see.for the very first time – or as far as i can remember – i do not really complain about being delayed on anunfamiliar place (because if you will ask me about being delayed on an unfamiliar place, i have a very disheartening story to tell). i am simply amazed – how could i ever not know of this place. during the twenty minute hike or so, i can only think and blurt out wow. how cool is that.
just as we arrived at the resort’s entrance/gas station/coffee shop, the Pajero arrived. this is the first time – yet as far as i can remember – that i am not happy about the car being fixed so soon. but i have to say thank you for the locals who did help us. that’s the spirit of America – er… BuDa. so we are now off for Davao. hopefully we can catch up for lunch. 12:30 noon – we arrived thirty minutes late (sorry). we stopped at Ranchero Grill – Davao. while we are taking our things out of the car, we had a very oily situation: two canisters of the delicious MamSuy’s Spanish Sardines that were ordered by the Davao Bloggers cracked open, leaving a messy trail of oil. this is yet another messy situation. Brendel Balaga of Avatar Media helped me in taking my loads off the car and into the restaurant. MFAT has begun! and what a way to start MFAT. it’s just our first restaurant but we were already served with food in gluttonous proportions. after the short introductions of selves and a little chit chat with Sinigang, Kinilaw, Seafood Entrees… can’t even recall the others. but what really got my attention was the Baby Back Ribs. i have not eaten babies since 2006, andthis is the best one i have tasted thus far. if time will come i have to go to Davao, i will definitely visit Ranchero again!!! it was my first time to set foot in Davao and i had to be there for only an hour so. so we prepared ourselves to take a bus ride for General Santos City, which is a three hour ride from Davao City. that’s another three hours for us. i had a hard time sleeping during the trip because the sight of Davao gulf is so lovely.
6:00 pm – we arrived at General Santos. the air was humid even the sun was about to disappear, ending its daily shift. we were greeted by Orman and Avel and we headed directly to Ice Castle Experience, a cozy bed and breakfast that is not yet open to the public. Rey Billena, the owner of Ice Castle Experience, gave us our room assignments and we headed directlly to our room. it was only few minutes past six o’clock and i was already as tired as horse, but i still have to be as restless as a horse for the days to come. we had to freshen up in less than twenty minutes before heading to our next destination: an aperitif at Pacman’s Sports Bar. yep guys, Manny Pacquiao-owned establishment welcomed us with free flowing drinks and mouth-watering picapica, including my personal favorite garlic chicken, which i think was a bastseller for our group. we took our time in taking pictures of the place where there are Manny’s memorabilia displayed on the wall, including the shorts he wore during some of his memorable fights. some of us played billiards even though nobody knows how (hehe sorry guys) and some of us got acquainted with other bloggers from Mindanao. some of us admitted that we were already full in the aperitif alone, but the itenerary says it’s only one third of our food activities in GenSan. so i hoped that God will spare gluttonous acts for that night. we went to Le Jardin Arnevel’s where we were served with smorgasbord of fish and seafood dished as well as grilled chicken and lechon. not only the food was great, but also the history behind the establishment. the owner (i am sorry i did not catch the name) started out as a banana cue vendor. with extra diligence and uber extra stingy characteristics, she managed to buy a large lot where she built her restaurant with a vast parking space, an even bigger function hall, and a pool resort.
after Le Jardin, we then headed to Robinson’s Mall GenSan to have a cocktail party at piYESta, one of the most visited restaurants in the city. owned by Donna Mae Congson, a blogger herself, she served dishes unique to me including Kura Sticks – stuffed chili dipped in batter and fried to crisp. also, the grilled tuna buntot was an instant favorite. but what really tickled the alcoholic in me (no, not really) was their Jell-o shots – literal style. instead of being placed in ice cube maker or something like that, the very sweet/intoxicating jello are placed inside syringes. of course, sans the needle. the way it was presented really can really bring out a smile. after the getting-to-know portion of the CDO Bloggers, Davao Bloggers, and SOCCSKSARGEN Bloggers, my groupmates decided to hit the sack while i stayed to have few more drinks. one of my groupmates sent me an SMS that i should have left with them since Pacquiao was present at the sports bar, which is a few metres away from the bed and breakfast where we stayed. i lost the chance of seeing a very important global figure, but what they – i was already drunk and i was king of the world. i left around 1 in the morning because itinerary said wake up call is 6am. and i never wanted to miss the wake up call for anything, because we would be going to a dream place of mine.
- to be continued…
Flappers may have gone many decades ago, but their legacy of freedom, self-expression, and being the anti-thesis of the traditional is still with us. with creations by Benjie S. Manuel, let us relive the days when jazz, cigarettes, and alcohol rule.
Photography: Mai Tan and Jason Tan Hair and Make Up: Jim Russel Cabanag Creative Direction: Edu Segundo shot on location at The Ranch House, Mapawa Nature Park special thanks to Iggy Pelaez and Zoe Botwin Models: TIna Mende and Natalia Pacana
semi charmed life
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smart and get away with it, because marter. - Louise Brooks�
A man can be short and dumpy and getting bald but if he has fire, women will like him - Mae West.
p o e h t is y r u x lu k Some people thin is the opposite
The glitter a nd the best people out fro nt ever exaggerated a ttack
It . t o n is It . y t r e pposite of pov of vulgarity. - Coco Chanel
ry night bega n to pall, in other words, I got an of Higher Amb ition _ Olive Thoma s
So that ends my first experience of matrimony, which I always thought a highly over-rated performance.
- Isadora Duncan
I have often told you that I am that little fish who swims about under a shark and, I believe, lives indelicately on its offal. Anyway, that is the way I am. Life moves over me in a vast black shadow and I swallow whatever it drops with relish, having learned in a very hard school that one cannot be both a parasite and enjoy self-nourishment without moving in worlds too fantastic for even my disordered imagination to people with meaning. - Zelda Fitzgerald
II I VII X I. Zyra Manlunas, Ken Anton Neri, Paul Agol, Nikki Makapugay, Ana Marfori II.Vanessa Tamparong, Trisha Tamparong III. Rhyan Casino, Maimai Solde, King Angchangco IV. Some Balls Hanging V. Teresa Liwanag, Trisha Tamparng, Aben Garlan VI. Bon Aserios VII. Ading Roa S oldevilla, Sammy Samadan VII. Katrina Louise Yee IX. Drum and Percussion Band in Action X. Cristina Maagad XI. Panpan Chavez, Jerney Miaco, Jon Makapugay, Maris Libot, Nikki Makapugay XII. Jon Makapugay XIII. Cristina Maagad, Rhyan Casino XIV. Audrey Mijares
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Rosa Parks Arrested December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to yield her seat on a city bus to a white male. This act led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott that desegregated Montgomery buses. Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. Has an elementary school named after her in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sandra Graham and Rosa Parks Alternative Public School. Graham & Parks for short. Is a honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, America’s highest honor, in 1999. Is the first woman and the second African-American to lie in repose at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington D.C. Has a school named after her in Lancaster, Texas; Rosa Parks Millbrook Elementary School. After nationwide services and celebrations of Rosa Parks’ life she was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Wayne County, Detroit, Michigan. The African-American boycott of Montgomery buses that followed Parks’ arrest lasted for more than a year, forcing company officials to rescind their separatist seating policies. Parks’ fine for not surrendering her bus seat to a white man: $14.00.
stand? outstanding!
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