ILLUSTRADO Magazine_June-July 2009

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FILIPINO

JUNE-JULY 2009

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RE-DEFINING THE FILIPINO

THE NATIONAL FIST FASHION: HERE COMES THE BRIDE WEDDING A-Z A DIFFERENT KIND OF MEMORY

THE ANNIE B. CHRONICLES issue

31

EDITOR’S NOTE

New age heroism As we get into the most significant day of the year for Filipinos worldwide – the 111th Independence Day of the Philippines on the 12th of June 2009, we are reminded of the valiant men and women who have done the ultimate sacrifice in the name of our country. Our national heroes, from Jose Rizal to Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Gabriela Silang, Tandang Sora, to Ninoy Aquino to name but a few, as well as so many others who have given their lives to defend and protect our country, its ideals as well as its people.

Do we deserve to be included in the same hallowed halls that these noble men and women belong to? Perhaps.

Perhaps not. Although we, as OFWs have been given the distinction of such a significant title as “Bagong Bayani” (modern day heroes) in recognition of our contributions to the country, as well as the hardships we have had to go through in search of greener pastures, in the harsh glare of reality we must also consider that true and earnest heroism is not only about working abroad and sending remittances back home. Heroism is not just a favorable unexpected outcome, a pleasant “extra”, from our actions in search of our own personal fortunes. In all honesty, how many of us have actually opted to work abroad for the betterment of the Philippines?

Does it mean that we do not deserve the title that was bestowed upon us? No. We most certainly deserve a pat on the back for contributing to our country the way we do. BUT it doesn’t mean that we should rest on our laurels either and believe that nothing more than our mere existence is required of us, because true heroism is about deliberate and specific thoughts, actions and sacrifice towards a tangible cause.

It is about time that we realize the full gravity of the name we have been given, and to extend ourselves towards the Filipino endeavor, so that we may finally be able to fully and truly deserve the title “Bagong Bayani.”

Fortunately for all of us, this juncture in our history does not require blood to be shed in the name of heroism.

Our efforts and sacrifices will be well placed by utilizing our talents, skills, resources and time to deliberately • Help and promote our country as well as our national endeavors and enterprises • Assist not only kababayans in need but earnestly support Filipinos so that we may boost each other • Educate and promote good values and ideals within our families and community so that we may progress positively • Bring back to the Philippines our knowledge, skills, expertise and capital to contribute to national progress • Fight and exterminate, no matter how big or small, the rot of corruption, crab mentality, immorality, small thinking and other negative attitudes which have plagued us over the years, within our spheres of influence These, and many others, may be small steps towards greatness – and yet so significant in shaping the reality of our next generation. We are some 10million Filipinos outside the homeland with the capacity to positively influence our collective future. As “Bagong Bayani’s” – that is really the kind of heroism that is required of us.

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 I always look forward to seeing every new issue of your magazine as there’s always something to look forward to - especially in the fashion front where it’s all different every month.

homecoming Before the customary final glance from the oblong window We know the routine all too well

Thank you for highlighting Pinoy high style and for This is, after all, just another ‘sayonara’ giving us ideas on how to be more creative with Manjo Perez our wardrobe.

Dubai But of course, your other educational and inspiring …………….. articles are also very much appreciated.

Do keep up the good work.

Tina Cordero Sharjah

This refers to your article “OFW What’s in a Name” included in your May issue. Thank you for publishing this very informative article. It’s interesting to know how this term that refers to all of us evolved through the years.

………………..

However, I would have to voice out that the term “OFW” is very negative, especially in the light of our aspirations to be “world class” today. I don’t think any Fab styling and photography in your May issue, of us, want to be referred to as mere “workers” – this is an unfair term that doesn’t describe how Filipinos Illustrado! have been able to climb to success in different jobs Congrats! around the world. For me, it is better that we are referred to with a neutral term like “Oversease Peachy Mangubat Filipinos” (period) instead of having a descriptive that Dubai puts us at a disadvantage. ……………………….

FIERCE!

Hi Illustrado Fashionistas, I’m Marie Rustia from the Philippines. I frequent Dubai because of my import business in the automobile industry. Yes that’s my line but I love fashion too! I used to supply Cinderella some decades ago after I resigned as Flight Attendant in Gulf Air.

ON THE THIRTIETH DAY We know the routine all too well

I hope our government will do something to rectify this issue in the near future.

My eldest son, is a host of a television program in GMA 7, Born to Be Wild. He is Raymund Francis “Kiko” Rustia. He started and became known last year on Survivor Philippine. He is an endorser of Diego, men’s apparel and Tribu, sports and outdoor specialist which have outlets in all SM Malls here in Philippines.

I load my overweight baggage and trolley bag in the trunk Though not as dramatic as stacking boxes inside the house mover’s truck, Both acts call for scrutinizing, picking, and packing of sentimental items

Cecilia Calaguit Sharjah

My second child is Rizza Franchesca S. Rustia, a fresh graduate of Integrated Marketing and Communication at the University of Asia and The Pacific. Both, Kiko and Rizza love to get involved in the fashion industry.

I am subjected to neither beheading, hanging, nor fatal injection Yet one can notice my lifeless aura as we eat one last meal together The dish is as per my picking ala deathrow convict’s farewell dinner

What a great magazine! I like collecting your issues.

In fact, I just brought the 2008 collection back home for display at our family resto in the province. It’s something all Filipinos can be proud of, and enjoy reading at the same time.

I sent an invitation thru my Facebook to Illustrado.

I love to read and be updated with your articles.

I’m looking forward to seeing even more informative and beautiful issues in the future.

It’s debatable which journey is worse: The chatter-filled road trip with you from Bulacan Marion Jean Salivio to Manila Or the nine-hour flight to Dubai that is muter than Abu Dhabi a 1920’s silent films …………………….

We exchange best wishes and warm hugs outside Mabuhay si Annie B! the Departure Area But unlike a World War cadet, I never shed tears Mabuti na lang nakaka-survive si Annie B. ng in this scenario The soldier’s goodbye - one of wishful vows - is recession. It’s great to know that my favorite character is doing well and is alive and kicking! devoid of a definite return date

I got fascinated with the concept and ideals of your magazine. It uplifts moral standard of Filipinos and promotes goodwill and understanding among different nationalities. It also expresses our people’s passion for quality lifestyle, our exquisite taste in fashion and exalts peoples’ achievements that imparts inspiration to readers.

I salute Illustrado Magazine!!!

Marie Rustia Philippines ………………………….

Dear Illustrado, Congratulations on another fabulous issue – your May 2009 release was truly fierce!

…………………..

Greetings Illustrado!

I down a chilled bottle of San Mig Light to pass time at the airport I’d have to count for 12 months again until a similar reunion Between now and then, I’ll return to duty at the monotonous desk job

Thanks Illustrado for giving me something to laugh about. Goodness knows life is already too serious and full of problems, so I really appreciate the comic relief you give in each issue.

At the aircraft, I replay the past 30 days of

Cons Aniag Dubai

Ituloy ang saya sa Annie B!

Publisher & Editor-in Chief Lalaine Chu-Benitez Consultant Editor Vic Albornoz Lactaoen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS UAE, Philippines, USA Aby Yap JR Bustamante Anna Lorraine Balita Jude Cartalaba Bernadette Reyes Karen Galarpe Bro. Bo Sanchez KC Abalos Chayie Maligalig Krip Yuson David Poarch Atty. May Flores Excel Dyquiangco Mike Martin Francisco Colayco Shar Matingka Isabel Warren Sherry Tinorio Isabelo Samonte Sonny Guzman Ivan Henares Vic Lactaoen Jeffrey ‘Ximo’ Ramos Victor Sollorano Jesse Edep Jonie Jose ART DIRECTORS Paula Lorenzo Ron Perez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS UAE Eros Goze Illuminado Ong Melandro Sanggalang Pot Ph Mac Antonio Mariyah Gaspacho PHILIPPINES Dr. Marlon Pecjo Parc Cruz CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS & FASHION TEAM UAE Zekundo Chu Anna de Leon Basil Yunting Jessie Tabla PHILIPPINES Janet dela Fuente PUBLISHER - UAE Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC 2nd Floor, Building 2, P.O. Box 72280 Office 20C Dubai Media City, UAE Tel: +9714 365 4543, 365 4547 Fax:+9714 360 4771 E-mail: admin@illustrado.net, info@illustrado.net Web: www.illustrado.net, www.illustrado.agilaglobal.net PHILIPPINE OFFICE Illustrado Marketing & Communications inc.

1100 88 Corporate Exchange Center, Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City, PHILIPPINES Tel: +632 754 8016, 754 8017 Fax: +632 754 8000 PRINTERS PRINTWELL PRINTING LLC P.O. Box 18828 Dubai, UAE Copyright Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC 2006-2009. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC.

CONTENTS

June-July 09

FEATURES

Defining the Filipino 12 Philippine Heroes 18 The National Fist 20 Filipino Doctor Brings Stem Cells Expertise to DHCC 22

WEDDINGS SECTION

FASHION: Here comes the Bride 46 Wedding A-Z 62 Weddings are made of these 68 Mangored: A Different Kind of Memory 76

46

REGULAR COLUMNS

Editor’s Note 1 Letters 4 Contributors 6 Illustrado Q: An Idea that Became an Icon 24 Kabuhayan: Bound for Kabuhayan 28 Kabuhayan: Getting into Business 32 Spirituality: Remembering the Dad who brought me out for pizza 34 Successful Pinoy: FUPRES It! 36 Illuminati 42 Food, Love, Life: Tatay’s Seafood Kare-Kare 84 Bakasyon Grande: Bontoc 88 Trippin’: Tiendesitas 90 Community 92 ONLI IN DA PILIPINS: Let’s Play Tag The Annie B. Chronicles: All the Single Ladies! 96

This month Illustrado features fabulous bridal couture from several leading Filipino designers in the emirates.

76 88

CONTRIBUTORS Alfred A. Yuson

Bo Sanchez

Illuminado Ong

Philippine literary royalty Alfred ‘Krip’ Yuson has 22 books, a Southeast Asian Writers Award for lifetime achievement, an elevation to the Hall of Fame of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, and a shortlisted entry in the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2008. He has also edited many other titles, including multiple travel and corporate coffee-table publications and serves as Philippines Editor for MANOA: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, published by the University of Hawaii and as a columnist for The Philippine Star and Philippine Graphic. Yuson also teaches fiction and poetry at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he held the Henry Lee Irwin Professorial Chair.

One of the most well-loved personalities in the Philippines shares his views on living a truly rich life with Illustrado readers every month. Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardee Bo Sanchez, is a best-selling author, publisher of seven magazines, an international speaker, having spoken in 14 countries, including 38 different cities in North America, as well as in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and the host of a weekly television show and a daily radio program, on top of a daily reality show online at preacherinbluejeans.com. He also leads Kerygma Family, a virtual community fostering personal and spiritual growth and is involved in many other endeavors. How he manages to do all this, on top of his primary (and favorite) role as a loving husband to wife Marowe and a devoted father to sons Benedict and Francis, is something he eagerly shares with avid readers

Elusive fashion photographer Illuminado Ong is a seasoned professional with a distinctive classic photography style. He draws from his rich experience taken from various assignments which have taken him to different parts of the globe, while his brilliant images have graced prestigious magazines both at home and around the Gulf region. When free from commercial engagements, this photographer devotes his time sharing his boundless experience with the camera with enthusiastic newcomers in the field.

He joins forces with Illustrado’s Manila fashion crew this month to create an unexpected twist on bridal fashion editorial.

Doc Marlon Pecjo Pitching in for the other half of this month’s fashion feature is one of Manila’s most in demand style photographers – Dr. Marlon Pecjo. Trained for medicine but born to shoot, Doc Marlon, as he is fondly called in the fashion circle back home, is known for his crisp and cutting edge photography that has featured only the best of the Philippine’s top fashion models and graced many of the country’s leading glossies.

Isabelita Sabado-Warren

Jesse Edep Writing on the current undisputed unifying force in the country, Manny ‘The Pacman’ Pacquiao, in this issue is Jesse Edep, a researcher at the BusinessMirror, the leading business newspaper in the Philippines. He also contributes regularly to the local franchise of Entrepreneur Magazine, where his work encompasses profiles of start-up businesses to story analyses of various small and medium-scale matters.

Zekundo Chu

Being eccentric is as normal as it can get for Illustrado’s contributing stylist Zekundo, whose fashion ethos is as eclectic and unexpected as his ever-changing hairstyles. The edgy artist from Dubai is an interior designer and has the enviable day job of commanding visual merchandising at one of the most fabulous airport shopping centers in the world, though, he confesses that fashion has always been and will always be his obsession. With an eye for sharp aesthetics, Zekundo brings an unusual couture feel to this month’s fashion feature.

Illustrado contributor and Women of Substance 2009 Honoree Isabelita SabadoWarren is a nurse by profession and a hardworking entrepreneur who has converted her passion for cooking by creating her own product line of healthy Filipino condiments and snacks – Nanay Tuneng. A tireless community supporter and philanthropist and most of all a doting mother enjoying life with her husband, children and grandchildren, Isabel shares with us special recipes as well as her observations on life in general in her column ‘Food, Love, Life.

Revisiting History On June 12, 1898 Filipino freedom fighters declared the Philippine Islands independent from the 300-year colonial rule of Spain behind a decisive American victory in the Battle of Manila Bay amidst the Spanish-American War. The Philippine Declaration of Independence was a culmination of the revolutionary forces struggle against the tyranny of the colonizers.

At the residence of General Emilio Aguinaldo at Cavite el Viejo, now Kawit, Filipino patriots assembled to witness one of the most symbolic moments in our history. Prepared by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, the Declaration of Independence was signed by ninety-eight people — including an American army officer — and renounced all allegiance to the Spanish crown.

The event marked the first time the Philippine flag — tirelessly sewn by Dona Marcela Marino de Agoncillo and her two helpers; daughter Lorenza and Jose Rizal’s niece Delfina Herbosa de Natividad — was unfurled. The silk flag featured a white

triangle with and three stars and a sun with eight rays, and a red and blue field. The triangle signifies equality and fraternity; the blue for peace, truth and justice; and the red for patriotism and valor. Each ray of the sun represents one of the first eight provinces that were put under martial law by the colonizers. The stars represent the major regions of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The assembly was also the first time the National Anthem was played. Known then only as the Marcha Nacional Filipina, the wordless anthem played by the San Francisco de Malabon band stirred the patriotic fervor of those present. It remained with just a melody until young soldier Jose Palma wrote the poem ‘Filipinas’ in August of 1899. The poem was adopted as the official lyric of the national anthem — and expressed the ardent patriotism and fighting spirit of the Filipino.

Ref. History of the Filipino People.

Teodoro A. Agoncillo

Lupang Hinirang

Panatang Makabayan

Bayang magiliw Perlas ng Silanganan, Alab ng puso Sa dibdib mo’y buhay.

Lupang hinirang, Duyan ka ng magiting, Sa manlulupig, ‘Di ka pasisiil.

Sa dagat at bundok, Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw, May dilag ang tula at awit Sa paglayang minamahal.

Ang kislap ng watawat mo’y Tagumpay na nagniningning, Ang bituin at araw niya Kailan pa ma’y ‘di magdidilim.

Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati’t pagsinta, Buhay ay langit sa piling mo; Aming ligaya, na ‘pag may mang-aapi Ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo.

Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas Ito ang aking lupang sinilangan, Ito ang tahanan ng aking lahi Ako’y kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan Upang maging malakas, maligaya, at kapaki-pakinabang Bilang ganti ay diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang Susundin ko ang mga tuntunin ng aking paaralan Tutuparin ko ang mga tungkulin ng isang mamamayang Makabayan at masunurin sa batas Paglilingkuran ko ang aking bayan Ng walang pag-iimbot at nang buong katapatan Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino Sa isip, sa salita, at sa gawa.

12 FEATURE

Re-defining the Filipino

Defining the Filipino is always a tough task, given the relative brevity of the national experience, let alone its early intersection with globalization and randomization.

By Krip Yuson

memory trail. Historical records settle on 1521 as a timeline highlight only because written records completed a voyage back to a then dominant continent.

When Pigafetta published his chronicle of this reputed first voyage around the world, it put an official stamp on history as written by a European. Ironically, it is pointed out in now typically impish Filipino fashion that the circumnavigation had earlier been accomplished by Enrique — the Visayan who found himself in Malacca, thence Madrid as Magellan’s purchased slave.

Photo by Dr. Marlon Pecjo

Enrique might not have called himself a Visayan, albeit he was from the area. LapuLapu cannot be said to be Filipino, and may not have even agreed to being called Cebuano, especially since he ruled over the smaller island of Mactan. Taglines assigning provenance became an afterthought, as it were, once the Spanish claimed our islands as an imperial possession, and gave them a name.

F

Chinese records did that, too, laid a name if not a colonizing claim to part of the archipelago. Had China beaten the West to a Pacific stranglehold, we might now be provincials from Ma-yi beholden to the Mainland, or possibly the government of Taiwan.

rom Lapu-Lapu to Manny Pacquiao might be a stretch in more ways than one, for what these warrior heroes bookend is barely half a millennium of a yet unfolding saga.

In fact, Lapu-Lapu was not a Filipino but a forbear, whose happenstance triumph over a European explorer signaled the start of a

But such are the ebb and flow of historical forces, inclusive of quirks, that exactly 488 years after our predecessors’ first encounter with the white man, we now have the Filipino in all his myriad editions. Or rather, the world now has the Filipino — multifaceted, multi-layered, and multiplying everywhere.

14 FEATURE Like any other, as a people we have been characterized no end as readily available stereotypes. We are said to have a country that spent 300 years in a convent followed by 50 years in Hollywood, suggesting a quality of schizophrenia. As the “Battling Bastards of Bataan” and America’s “little brown brothers,” we seem to be the odd man out in Asia, “adrift in the wrong waters” — given too our Hispanic heritage, former ties with Mexico, and LatinAmerican temperament. We are also the acknowledged soul musicians in the region, and play basketball like Afro-Americans.

The Hollywood stereotype is that of “the wily Filipino” while standard insertions on the big screen involve the Filipino as a quiet valet as in the Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor starrer “Reflections in a Golden Eye,” or way Down Under, the doughty Filipina as “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”

white on the outside.”

We have taken umbrage over such perceived insults, so quick on the draw are we even when urban legend or hoax delivers a canard, mostly via Internet, such as that Tommy Hilfinger had said his shirts aren’t for us.

This has been one regrettable aspect of our maturation process. It can only be low self-esteem — as much as a still childish outlook whenever we interact with the rest of the world — that causes us to be so onion-skinned, even among ourselves.

We have been called the «sick man of Asia,” one with a “damaged culture” that has led to a “shattered showcase of democracy.”

No doubt, as well, older cultures have decried our evident immaturity and “T.H.” or “trying-hard” tendencies.

From collective epithets to lazy profiling, it’s been a litany of definitions for the Filipino people. We have had our peaks of appreciation as well, as when we were suddenly transformed from “a nation of 65 million cowards and one bastard” (as an American legislator pictured us during the dark days of Marcos’ tyrannical rule) to the gloriously successful pioneers of People Power that has since been emulated worldwide.

Filipinos walked tall after February 1986, if only briefly, as the continuing diaspora unloaded inevitable tags, such as the Greeks’ “Filipineza” to refer to “domestic helper,” while in Spain a cookie called “Filipino” is said to be “brown inside and

Photo by Parc Cruz

Certainly a high point in contemporary times has been the 1986 EDSA Revolution, with Cory Aquino gaining reverence the world over, eliciting a standing ovation in the U.S. Congress, and providing inspiration for the Czechs’ Velvet Revolution, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the break-up of the USSR, and similar attempts to regain a measure of freedom (as with Aung San Suu Kyi’s epic if unfortunately still unrealized effort).

Why, we’re not even supposed to sing our national anthem in any other way than in its original 4/4 martial beat, as in a rush to fervor. Toss in our infamously self-labeled “crab mentality.”

Most certainly we are still trying to find our identity — which is a complex process, what with our origins as Asian mainland migrants before turning into indigenous tribes and island fiefdoms separated by water, thus also by custom and language.

The unification matrix still has to be set in stone.

Meanwhile, points of pride add to the national character, as when we laud our

FEATURE 15

world-class performers Cecile Licad, Lea Salonga, the Bayanihan dancers, the Madrigal singers, all the way to our «American Idol” finalists and Charice Pempengco. And unite we do when Manny Pacquiao climbs up a ring; joyously frenzied we turn as a people when he flattens a foreign opponent.

Very Filipino too are the T’boli chanters and musicians, the Hanunoo Mangyans who inscribe verses on bamboo in their old syllabary, the Yakans who produce fabulous dresses, the Cordillerans who dance to the thumping of the gangsa, the Maranao woodcarvers that produce highly stylized house beams.

So too are the tobacco growers of Ilocandia, the Ilonggo hacenderos, the chili-eaters of Bicolandia, the flagellants of Central Luzon, the countryside folk who still point with their lips when asked for directions, the cockpit aficionados, the wizened tricycle drivers in all urban centers, the Japanese-speaking touts and tourist guides in Ermita and Malate, the nightclub G.R.O.’s, the wannabe belters of “My Way” in all the videoke joints all over our islands.

Sadly, so too are the “Communist rebels” torching cell sites and provincial buses, the “terrorists” in our Deep South engaged in kidnapping, banditry and mall-bombing, the “trapos” or “trad pols” (traditional politicians) and shameless plunderers who keep our country high on the global index for corruption, as well as all those whose lifestyle of shopping binges and ostentatious display have resulted in the universal coinage that is “Imeldific.”

Then there are our seamen, caregivers, domestic helpers, “cultural dancers,” welders, engineers, nurses, doctors, doctors-turned-nurses, teachers, I.T. specialists, and all other expatriates perennially hailed as «mga bagong bayani» or “new heroes” with the way they’ve funded tricycles, jeepneys, sari-sari stores, chapels, entire subdivisions called “Katas ng Saudi” or something. They are the new Filipinos - quintessential Filipinos, patiently and determinedly doing global work and sending regular remittances. Eventually they also transplant back home what they have learned from foreign shores.

All of this cross-border experience bodes well for the generations that will follow, for whom the challenge should

be not so much having to live up to all or any of the pigeonholing in our time, but in having to refine the Filipino for a more mature reckoning of a better, enlightened future.

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18 FEATURE

Philippine National Heroes

By JR Bustamante

A journalist, a painter, a novelist, a priest, a reporter, a poet, a military man, a physically-handicapped lawyer, a barber, an undergraduate, a wife, a lola. . . these are the diverse roles in life of some of the Philippine’s national heroes. They may come from a variety of backgrounds, interests and economic levels, but they have one thing in common - they had great love for their country and country men, strong enough to give up their own lives for the sake of freedom and progress.

and returned to Spain where he joined Rizal and Del Pilar to continue the fight.

According to Dr. Jose Rizal, the Spolarium was an exact illustration of how the Spaniards abused the Filipinos.

enlightening novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and by organizing La Liga Filipina, a forum for Filipinos to express their hopes for freedom from Spanish oppression. When his writings and La Liga Filipina were banned, Rizal was arrested as a revolutionary and imprisoned. He was found guilty for inciting rebellion and sedition then executed in Luneta. He was one who did not waste his talents and opportunities.

Marcelo H. Del Pilar - The Journalist He established the newspaper Diaryong Tagalog, which criticized the Spanishran colonial government and its unjust treatment of the Filipino people. He kept the Filipino’s sense of dignity and hope alive by writing articles on Liberty and Equality.

He was “gifted with the common touch” as he wrote in the local dialect - in simple, lucid, direct Tagalog. Thus, he was able to communicate to a bigger crowd who didn’t understand Spanish, unlike Jose Rizal who wrote his novels mostly in Spanish. He also published and distributed propaganda pamphlets similar to the format and size of the novenas written with parodies of the Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostle’s Creed and the like.

Antonio Luna - The Military Man A fiery-tempered but brilliant strategist, Antonio Luna was made a general by Aguinaldo because of his bravery, unusual style of fighting, and strict discipline.

Brother of Juan Luna, Antonio Luna wrote in La Solidaridad under the name of Taga-ilog and managed the paper, La Independencia.

He studied military tactics in Spain when he was deported. Unfortunately, his strengths in the revolution were his social weakness as he developed enemies during his leadership and this was the cause of his demise. He was shot dead by a disgruntled Filipino Sergeant.

Juan Luna - The Painter Awarded a gold medal for ‘Spolarium,’ his best painting at the time, Juan Luna became an international painter and was designated as a revolutionary diplomat in Europe by Aguinaldo. He was imprisoned along with his brother, Antonio Luna, as suspected revolutionaries, then pardoned

Jose Rizal - The Novelist He had the most advantage compared to the other national heroes as he could afford a good education and had opportunity to travel the world. He utilized this opportunity to serve the country by writing

Gregorio del Pilar - The Brave General A good-looking young man in his prime at 22 and belonging to a wealthy family, Gregorio del Pilar could have easily chosen to live the good life. He could have traveled around the world and dated girls his age then eventually gotten married and set up his own business. Instead, the young Gregorio Del Pilar decided to take the painful and thankless road to martyrdom.

Gregorio del Pilar was only 22 years old when he was promoted to Brigadier General. He barely enjoyed the perks of belonging to a wealthy family when he decided to defend and protect the passageway to Aguinaldo’s hideout in Tirad Pass and gave up his life for it. He and his 60 men defended the secret pass so well that the Americans almost turned back until a native showed them the way. Outnumbered by 400 American soldiers, Del Pilar and his men were ambushed swiftly. Before this officer and gentleman was killed, he wrote a note saying that he was pleased to die fighting for his country. A tough act to follow in anyone’s standards.

FEATURE 19 Katipunan (a secret organization aimed at overthrowing Spanish rule by revolution) and started the revolution with “The Cry of Balintawak,” Bonifacio and his men tore their cedulas or resident certificates before waging war with the Spaniards.

Gabriela Silang - The Wife

Apolinario Mabini- The PhysicallyHandicapped Lawyer Born to poor parents, Mabini’s life was a constant struggle between poverty and illness. Despite these major problems, Mabini graduated and became a lawyer due largely to determination and diligence.

Mabini’s dream was to defend the poor against his mother’s wishes for him to enter the priesthood. Despite being paralyzed, he held a top position as a trusted adviser to Aguinaldo’s revolutionary government and wrote the constitution for the first Philippine Republic. The Brains of the Revolution, as Mabini was known, was doubted initially by Aguinaldo upon seeing his physical condition but when Mabini spoke, all doubts vanished.

Macario Sakay - The Barber Sakay earned his income as a barber in Manila before he became a member of the Katipunan where he fought against Spain and the US. He later headed the Katagalugan, a revolutionary organization reviving the spirit of the Katipunan after Bonifacio’s death. He surrendered to the Americans after they offered him some reform then he was later betrayed and executed by the Americans.

Andres Bonifacio, The Undergraduate He was born in poverty but overcame this obstacle to become a great leader loved by the people. He was a man of action - a doer. Instead of writing about fighting the colonial government, he went out and started the revolution as he believed this was the only way to make real changes. He read much about revolutions to be able to predict the logical actions of the enemy.

As history narrates, after he founded the

Gabriela was a beautiful young woman who was married off to a wealthy suitor by her father. She became a widow at an early age as her husband died unexpectedly. She met and married Diego Silang, a brave man who led a group fighting the abusive Spaniards.

A fearless man who fought valiantly, Diego died in one of the skirmishes with the Spaniards. Gabriela took over as the leader of the group that her husband left behind and practiced what she learned from Diego using weapons. She was overpowered by her enemies in one encounter and killed by strangulation.

than 80 years, the Dagohoy rebellion kept the Spaniards on their toes. They defended the oppressed and those maltreated by the friars. The Spaniards had a difficult time capturing them. Dagohoy’s group fled the mountains and became the longest running rebellion in the history of the Philippine revolution from 1744 until 1829 with the unexpected attack of the Spaniards and the consequent death of Dagohoy.

It all started when Padre Morales asked Francisco’s brother, who is a policeman, to arrest a man. In the chase that ensued, his brother got killed. When the body was brought to the priest for the vigil, Padre Morales refused to allow the body in the church unless they have money to pay. This inconsiderate priest infuriated Dagohoy who started to take action against the abuses of the friars and Spaniards.

Tandang Sora - The Lola M e l c h o r a Aquino, or Tandang Sora, had no formal education due to poverty but she lived a meaningful life until her death at age of 107.

At the ripe age of 84, she was able to help in the revolution against the Spaniards in her own special way. She provided refuge and attended to injured Katipuneros when they were being hunted down and tortured by the Spaniards. Those who managed to escape, hid at Melchora’s house which eventually became the secret meeting place of all the Katipuneros. She took care and fed them until a Filipino traitor reported her to the Spanish authorities.

She was arrested despite her old age and jailed in Spain. When the American troops conquered the Spanish colonizers, Melchora was set free and lived until the age of 107.

Francisco Dagohoy - Leader of a Successful Rebellion This ordinary man, who very few knew, was the leader of a successful group to revolt against the Spaniards. For more

Benigno Aquino Jr. - The Reporter Ninoy Aquino started work as a copy boy for the Manila Times before he became a regular reporter at 17. He helped negotiate the surrender of Luis Taruc, the Huk Leader, for which he received an award from President Magsaysay and became his assistant. At 22, he became Mayor of Tarlac but was unseated because of his age. At age 35, he became the only senator from the Liberal party, the rest were from the Nacionalista party led by Ferdinand Marcos. Before his term ended, Marcos proclaimed Martial Law to extend his term then had Sen. Aquino arrested and detained. Ninoy developed a heart disease while in prison and had to go to the US for heart surgery. After 3 years, Ninoy felt he had to return to the Philippines now beset with widespread poverty, despite warnings against his life. When his plane landed at Manila International Airport, he was shot at the back of the head. His death angered the nation and led to the EDSA Revolution and People’s Power Movement which overthrew Pres. Marcos and made Ninoy’s wife, Corazon, the first female president of the Philippines.

20 FEATURE

The National

FIST

By Jesse Edep Photos by Vijay Villafranca

Pcaquiao gets a hero’s welcome in Manila

In cities and towns all over the Philippines, traffic was practically nonexistent. The crime rate was zero in Manila and other major urban centers. The military hadn’t opened any offensives against enemies of the state, as Muslim insurgents promised not to attack.

The phenomenon that brought everyday life in this deeply Catholic country to a Good Friday-like halt was the celebrated matchup in Las Vegas between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton, where the former dominated and the latter was left helpless.

Pacquiao paved his claim to being the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world by putting a devastating left hand to the head of Hatton, late in the second round.

Apparently, Pacquiao had been a clear favorite in the fiercely anticipated fight, a 12-round contest between 30-year-olds that promised an intriguing matchup between his lightning speed and Hatton’s raw power.

“He’s the best fighter in the world.

He’s in his prime and he’s on top of his game. Anyone in the world, he can beat,” Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said.

In the Philippines, Pacquiao’s countrymen were celebrating in sports stadiums, restaurants and theaters. Those who don’t have the funds to watch the live feed listened to the bout on radios, leaving streets in the Philippines deserted as Pacquiao, the nation’s sporting flag-bearer added another victory to his record across the Pacific.

“We’re thankful to Manny because the entire Philippines is happy again,” Adrian Arsollon, a 36-year-old taxi driver, said after listening to the fight on radio because missing work would have led to a heavy fine from his cab company.

Pacquiao, to many Filipinos, is the personification of a dream fulfilled. In some parts of the country, boxing stables are filled with young men who had run away from their homes in the provinces in order to train to be boxers — many of them hoping to imitate Pacquiao.

By himself, he has almost made boxing the national sport in what used to be a basketball-crazy nation.

As John Nery, a writer who has done profiles of the boxer, puts it: “Manny lives up to his billing. He is truly the people’s champ. But I think he is also teaching his millions of fans a valuable life lesson. Talent, even of world-class quality, is not enough. You need discipline.”

Pacquiao’s fights have a way of deflecting attention from the country’s troubles, aside from being a source of inspiration to many young Filipinos. He has overshadowed other possible banner stories in newspapers.

But, really, what makes Manny Pacquiao so famous? And why is he admired by so many — not just Filipinos but people around the world?

FEATURE 21 Pacquiao has unique qualities, as his promoter, Bob Arum, explains. One of his best-known qualities is his humility. Manny Pacquiao seldom puts his opponent down.

He looks at them with respect.

Arum said: “In his recent fight with Oscar de la Hoya, he never spoke badly of him. In fact he told Oscar before the fight that he is his idol even before he became a world champion himself. After winning over Oscar, his parting word was: ‘You are still my idol.’”

In many of his professional fights, he beamed greatly of his opponents, showing them some kind of respect and decorum.

“And for this natural gesture from him, he is loved not only by his countrymen but even by people who are strangers to him,” one critic says.

In the Philippines, he is an embodiment of a true Filipino character. DigitalJournal. com writes, “He identifies himself with the poor. He speaks their language. In real life, he was one of them. He was once a poor kid trying to make both ends meet. He slept in a cardboard on side streets during the night when he worked as a cigarette vendor to support his family.”

When he became popular and attained extraordinary success in his professional career, he began sharing his prize money to the poor people in his hometown, the technology news site adds.

Because he lacked formal-education and training, Pacquiao has found the time to pursue higher education. He took a government examination for a high school diploma equivalent and passed. He is now pursuing a college degree in a local university.

“During his last few fights, he became world champion in different divisions, earning for him millions of dollars in prize money. He became an instant multi-millionaire,” tells DigitalJournal.com.

“First thing he did was to secure his own family and relatives, giving them their own homes and setting up income-generating businesses to support their own families.

Having accomplished his wishes for his own family, he began spreading and sharing his wealth to other people who would need help. To institutionalize his charity work, he set up a foundation to help people in need, giving scholarship to poor kids, giving money for the hospitalization of cancer victims, and making funds available for projects

Pcaquiao gets mobbed in a motorcade in Manila

with social relevance,” DigitalJournal.com continues.

Being a popular celebrity in his own country, Pacquiao has become a role model for the entire Filipino people especially the youth.

He was even appointed as the Ambassador for Peace and Understanding for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“Manny Pacquiao is not just popular with boxing fans or even sports fans,” says Ronnie Nathanielsz, a sports analyst. “He is a household name among all sectors of Philippine society and his hero-worship cuts across all economic and social classes.”

“He has earned for every other Filipino, recognition and self-respect. That’s more than any single American athlete has done or has been required to do,” says Nathanielsz.

“You salute Americans like Michael Phelps, for instance, for his remarkable success in the Olympic Games. Filipinos salute Pacquiao for his success against all odds and his human dimensions plus the fact that a developing country, often maligned, has produced a good and decent young man who, in a sense, rules the world of boxing and in so doing brings immense pride to his nation and people,” says Nathanielsz.

Pacquiao, who is regularly honored by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and mobbed on his return at the airport where millions lined the streets for hours waiting to catch a glimpse — is, and has been — the greatest unifying force in the Philippines.

“In a country that is often sharply divided over issues and individuals, Pacquiao is the single unifying force,” points out Nathanielsz. “He is admired by just about every single of the 90 million Filipinos and adored by them all. Thus, he is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.”

Nathanielsz says his fame is a reflection of the worldwide praise he has received which has helped extremely in bringing honor and respect for the Philippines and Filipinos who are, disappointingly and many times unfairly, looked down upon.

GMA honors Pacquiao at Malacañang

22 FEATURE

Filipino Doctor

brings Stem Cells Expertise To Dubai Healthcare City

By Jesse Edep

Leading Filipino plastic surgeon Dr. Florencio Lucero brings his expertise in stem cell science to the Dubai Healthcare City – as the first Filipino licensed to practice in the prestigious free zone. Dr. Lucero’s experience in autologous fat stem-cell transplant, which he pioneered in the Philippines, brings hope to sufferers of degenerative diseases, with the favorable side effect of physical rejuvenation.

r

egenerative medicine deals with the repair of the body by developing new tissues and organs as the old ones wear out. The ‘futuristic’ concept is ingrained in practices like growing new skin for burn victims and has acquired new plausibility with the decoding of the human genome and the growth of knowledge about stem cells, the powerful agents that generate and regenerate the body.

But regenerative medicine is not around the corner yet. Stem cells, a principal component, are only starting to be understood. Scientists are now primarily working with two kinds of stem cells from animals and humans: the embryonic stem cells and the adult stem cells.

“Stem-cell treatment in the Philippines is taking long to be widely accepted both by practitioners and patients,” says Dr. Lucero, who broke new ground in modern treatment practice with autologous fat stem-cell transplant in the Philippines.

Autologous fat stem-cell transplant — a nonembryonic type of stem-cell discipline — is the harvesting of dormant cells from 100 milliliters of a patient’s fat through liposuction. The harvested dormant stem cells are incubated in stimulating growth factors, isolated and infused back into the patient intravenously.

Lucero notes that the whole procedure takes a patient four hours in the operating room of the hospital under local anesthesia — an hour to harvest and three hours to incubate and stimulate stem cells and infuse them back to the patient.

FEATURE 23

The transplant, in Lucero’s view, holds great promise against a wide variety of degenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s diseases, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, spinal cord injuries and even aging itself.

“Aside from improvement from the diseases, its beneficial side effect is rejuvenation, where patients will look young and feel stronger,” says Lucero, who has residency and fellowship training in plastic reconstructive and cosmetic surgery both in the Philippines and in the US. “There’s no moral or religious issue in autologous fat stem-cell transplant,” underscores Lucero. “It uses the patient’s own stem cells which will be harvested from the abdomen fat.”

As he puts it, the best source to harvest stem cell from one’s body is the fat because it is “rich in mesenchyme stem cell and more than 100 times more stem cells can be harvested as compared to bone marrow.”

There are three sources from a patient that can be used clinically: bone marrow, peripheral blood and fat.

“I did a study on 30 diabetes patients last year and I was able to show the significant improvement in their diabetes after fat stem-cell transplant,” he says.

The price of autologous fat stem-cell transplant in the Philippines is $12,500. In other countries, it ranges from $25,000 to $70,000.

According to several highly respected scientists worldwide, with autologous fat stem-cell transplant, we can counter the effect of aging and will, one day, enable us to live and be healthy to an age of 120 to 130 years.

matter, he suggests, is that it is immortal.

Humans are 3.5-billion-year-old molecules.

On the other hand, the other more controversial kind of stem-cell treatment -- embryonic stem-cell transplant comes at a price. A report from published in PLoS Medicine in late February showed that embryonic stem cells injected into patients could cause disability if not deadly tumors.

The report illustrates a young boy with a serious neuromuscular disease called ataxia telangiectasia, who was treated with embryonic stem cells. Within four years, he developed headaches and was found to have multiple tumors in his brain and spinal cord that hereditarily matched the female embryos used in his therapy.

His experience is neither an irregularity nor a bolt from the blue, but one feared by many scientists. These still-mysterious cell creations have been removed from the highly ordered setting of a fast-growing embryo, after all.

To date, most of the stem-cell triumphs that the public hears about involve the infusion of adult stem cells.

“We’ve just recently seen research reports of patients with spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis benefiting from adult stem cell therapy,” says Bernal. “These cells have the advantage of being the patient’s natural own, and the worst they seem to do after infusion is to die off without bringing the hoped-for benefit. They do not have the awesome but dangerous quality of eternal life characteristic of embryonic stem cells.”

A second kind of stem cell that has triumphed, adds Bernal, is an entirely new creation called iPS (induced pluripotent stem cell), a discovery made in late 2007.

Dr. Lucero, an opinion leader in the field of plastic surgery, says: “It’s reasonable to consider that we age because our stem cells age, and that if we were able to replace them with new and younger cells, we could continue a young healthy life in perpetuity — that is the new dream.”

These cells are created by reprogramming DNA from adult skin. The iPS cells are embryonic-like in that they can turn into any cell in the body—and so bypass the need for embryos or eggs.

Some people find immortality disturbing, seeing it as transgressing the line that separates people from gods. But Dr. Lucero sees it as an inherent property of life. What distinguishes life from other forms of

In late February, scientists reported on iPS cells that had been transformed into mature nerve cells. While these cells might become a choice for patient therapy in time, scientists are playing this down for now, while complete risks have yet to be understood.

Dr. Florencio Q. Lucero who is connected with the London Center for Aesthetic Surgery at the Dubai Healthcare City received his medical degree from The Far Eastern University Institute of Medicine in 1970 with a year’s internship at the USAF Hospital in Clark Airbase. He finished 7th place in the Philippine Medical Board and recently got licensed in the Dubai Health Care City. He had 5 years of plastic surgery residency training in the Philippine General Hospital and 4 years of Fellowship training in Cosmetic Surgery from Straith Clinic, Southfield, Michigan USA and Burn Surgery from Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He has been in Plastic Surgery since 1979 having been duly cer tified by the Philippine Board of Plastic Surgery since 1980 - the only Board recognized by the Philippine College of Surgeons to cer tify Plastic Surgeons. He is also the National Secretary for the Philippines in two international medical societies namely: ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) and OSAPS (Oriental Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). He had been President of the Philippine Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. He is currently a Professor of Surgery at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine and was the past Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for 17 years.

He is an international speaker in plastic and anti-aging conferences, a plastic surgeon, a mentor to about 40 plastic surgeons and lately the pioneer in the latest cutting edge technology in Regenerative Medicine which is the Autologous Fat Stem Cells Transplant in the Philippines.

24 ILLUSTRADO Q

The Lighthouse:

An idea that became an icon Texts and photos by Victor D. Sollorano

Rod Stuart the pop-rock icon of the 70s couldn’t have said it better in his song of the same title: “Some Guys Have All the Luck.” The song resonates well with The Lighthouse, a 34-room boutique hotel at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone’s Moonbay Marina.

Like most businesses, The Lighthouse endured its birth pains and cost its owners Jun Avecilla, Max Tan and Clyde Chua not only time and money but most of all nerves. These days though, or seven years after Avecilla and Tan had this idea to have some sort of a rest house solely for their own comfort as they were doing a lot of business at the free port, things have more than settled at The Lighthouse. In the two years that passed since the opening, it has achieved a remarkable distinction in Philippine tourism and the hotel industry.

As a destination in the free port zone, the hotel has become an icon. Luck, as Stewart delivered it in a song, turned out as half of the story of The Lighthouse. The rest of

it spins on vision, hard work and sound management.

After firing key people that didn’t actually fit the role and made the grade when came to results, the owners decided that Avecilla’s son Zedrick take the helm of the hotel’s dayto-day affair. The young Avecilla holds a masters degree in business administration from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in Makati City, which he got in 2005. He also completed his undergraduate course in B.S.B.A Management Information System at the AMA Computer College, batch 2002. Before working full time for the family business, Zedrick was an associate partner in a small advertising agency known

as W3bwerks Design. In 2002, he opened his own gaming shop, Nocturnal Game Station, and nurtured it to a successful mid-sized business. He also worked for eTelecare Global Solutions, SnaxTown Inc. and Gameworx Inc. Illustrado Q talked to Zedrick about The Lighthouse.

IQ: First of all, tell me what do you do for The Lighthouse and when did you start?

ZA: Sales and marketing manager, simultaneously handling the resort desk as front office manager since 2007. I strategize and implement the hotel’s initiatives to boost revenue and maximize profit opportunities.

26 ILLUSTRADO Q Jun Avecilla

I also conceptualize communication strategies to strengthen market presence and maintain top-of-the-mind brand awareness.

Also, oversee the operations of the resort desk, ensuring smooth and efficient guest arrival and departure, prompt and friendly delivery of services.

IQ: The Lighthouse is relatively new but has gained a sort of iconic status within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and Olongapo for that matter. Where will you attribute this phenomenon?

ZA: From the very beginning, the Mediterranean architecture of The Lighthouse has gained a lot of interest.

It has even been considered as the most photographed building in Subic Bay. Besides its photogenic architecture, The Lighthouse has always been a clear brand with consistent quality and contemporary image.

We’ve always held a clear focus on what matters to the changing demands of guests, and ensure that we always evolve (in terms of) the strength and appeal of the hotel.

The structural design, the guestrooms, the restaurant and facilities, and the staff and their warm service all speak of what has become a unique and sought after brand.

On top of all these, we have a very strong marketing program.

IQ: What are your actual numbers for the whole of 2008 compared with 2007? What is your projection for 2009?

ZA: 2008 ended at the mid-70s, increasing the annual occupancy (rate) by as much as 10 percent. Amid the global financial crisis, we are still hopeful 2009 will be a good year with increased occupancy figures.

IQ: Has the global economic recession made an impact on your numbers?

ZA: It hasn’t come to that point, but we’ve had a couple of corporate meetings downsized or cancelled due to internal budget constraints (on the part of our clients). However, we have a (continuous) string of corporate inquiries and have managed to secure other top accounts.

IQ: What is your long-term view say 10 years down the line? Where will The Lighthouse be in, say, 2019 and how do you intend to get there?

ZA: We envisioned The Lighthouse to be a major boutique hotel player in the country with two or more hotel branches in key destinations in the Philippines like Bohol and Palawan. By then, The Lighthouse will also be known for its unique hallmarks of efficient service, operational standards distinct facilities and gracious staff, exceeding every expectation and maintaining

consistently high standards of service.

IQ: How do you read the potential for travel and tourism in the aftermath of the global recession?

ZA: Travel and vacation will continue to be a way of life even in the face of economic uncertainty and volatility. There is likely to be growth in domestic travel or nearby international travelers as people choose to stay closer to home and control expenses.

While spending may be more regulated as the tourism industry rough rides over the months ahead, organizations who think and act strategically in adapting their business model quickly will overcome this challenge.

This has really been proven time and again.

The Lighthouse is poised to maintain a standing with its business adaptability and responsiveness to market demands on top of its strategic location and proximity to nearby attractions in Subic, and the value for money that people get by staying with us.

We are also set to benefit from the peso’s favorable exchange rate, the growth of domestic tourism, and the continuing

expansion of airports and expressways, as well as improvements in the transportation system and the availability of costcompetitive tour packages.

We remain optimistic and steady in view of the challenging road ahead.

IQ How do you find Subic Freeport in relation to hosting The Lighthouse?

ZA (In its administration of the free port zone and promoting the area as a destination), the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has always been supportive of the hotel. The SBMA Tourism has been instrumental in several partnerships and various promotion programs that directly benefited the hotel’s occupancy, operations and over-all image.

IQ: What activities do you have lined up for the year that would have an impact on the free port zone in general?

ZA: The Lighthouse has a yearly calendar of seasonal, thematic and special events created to delight and excite every market segment and regular guests of the hotel. We

ILLUSTRADO Q 27 Zedrick Avecilla

have been home and venue to international beauty pageants, international sailing competitions and global product launchings.

Our family events during Easter, summer, Halloween and kiddie club programs maintain a growing following from the leisure market. We have lined up beach parties, fashion shows and a bridal fair for the young and dynamic individuals.

These activities have been proven to multiply and bring returning guests, enhancing the tourist’s perception of Subic Bay as a thrilling destination, and have generated unprecedented media coverage for both the hotel and the free port especially with the leisure crowd. The Lighthouse has successfully helped generate awareness about Subic Bay as a haven for relaxation and leisurely life styles. This has opened a new door for us, in fact, as a distinct luxury travel destination.

The Making of an Icon Sometimes the scheme of things could turn into a complex under taking, especially when successful businessmen with major cash star t dreaming big.

Avecilla, who skippered his 36-foot racer yacht Selma Star to victory in The Singapore Straits Regatta in 2006, is not in the habit of telling on his par tner. “Max was asking, ‘Why a restaurant?

Baka we might end up like the others lang…’ ” Avecilla and Tan began toying on the idea of The Lighthouse in 2002. In search of a perfect place to rest and feed their travel-weary bodies, they found a 300-square-meter lot to

build their dream on inside the free por t. This was behind the current site of Pier One, far from the beach.

now, a 34-room, three-story edifice, including mezzanine, plus a lighthouse, a restaurant, a swimming pool and a bar.

When the lot owner realized their idea entails the construction of a lighthouse, he told the inspired partners to do it near the water, because that’s where such things belong, not inland. A 600 sqm lot was then taken to accommodate their inspired genius. From a two-bedroom, one-restaurant concern, plus a lighthouse, the idea evolved into a 10-room lodge, plus a restaurant and a lighthouse.

Yes… but not quite. Problems plagued the construction of the building that so much time, money and effor t were wasted. The most disturbing—crazy, if you will—was when floorboards in the guestrooms began to bubble and warp off the concrete base.

The lot wasn’t actually beachfront but was fronted by another 700 sqms down to the beach.

Evolution again went to work. From a 10-room lodge, plus restaurant, plus lighthouse, the idea took another turn. It became a four-story building, including mezzanine, plus lighthouse, plus restaurant on a 2,300 sqm lot. It could have been serendipity as the location was a stone’s throw away from the Olongapo lighthouse.

A third par tner also evolved in businessman Clyde Chua and the holding company also took shape — Maxus Subic Foods and Development Inc. with The Lighthouse Marina Resor t as trade name. At this point, the bodybuilding maxim “no pain, no gain” started to kick in.

Maxus Subic Foods could not yet build The Lighthouse Marina because there was no soilboring test to establish the integrity of the land to carry the structure. It was on the beach and they would need to piledrive the area, to the tune of PHP15 to 20 million. That meant taking one floor off the plan. And so it goes.

The Lighthouse Marina became what it is

In February 2007, The Lighthouse opened to the public. It opened in November 2006 for personal reasons — to celebrate a family affair.

In those days, Mondays and Tuesdays were reserved for what Avecilla called “rectification work” to correct the mistakes that were done in 2006. But now, Avecilla can afford to whistle, like coaxing the wind on a slack when the sails are furled, because The Lighthouse Marina has turned into a very promising proposition.

Por tions of the Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant were held there in June 2007. GMA Network Inc., Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc., Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. used The Lighthouse for corporate events and executive accommodation and the QTV program Balikbayan also shot a segment there last year.

“We have become an attraction and a landmark in Subic,” boasts Avecilla.

They must be doing something right, especially since the Tourism depar tment of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority now uses The Lighthouse, which has a Triple-A rating, as a benchmark for the standardization of hotels within the free-por t zone.

28 KABUHAYAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Bound for Kabuhayan

By Bernadette Reyes

In 2005, five journalists - Bernadette Sembrano, Inday Espina-Varona, May Rodriguez, Rowena Carranza Paraan, and Carlos “Caloy” Conde - were scouting for an office space for the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) when they came upon a two-storey commercial townhouse unit in the inconspicuous yet welcoming street of Scout Castor in Quezon City. The space however was too big for an operation such as NUJP. “We asked ourselves what can we do with the space downstairs? We have always wanted to have our own bookstore so we made use of the available space for that purpose but we decided to sell second-hand books,” Caloy recalls. to date and still accepts consignments from people who might want to sell their old books which would otherwise just be lying in piles and collecting dust at home.

Yet more than just lending a hand in decluttering, the bookstore owners also want to help individuals to make money out of what others might consider as junk.

“People want to make money and we want to help them. In fact we have a consignor who sold his books to us to help a family member pay for medication. Masarap yung pakiramdam na nakakatulong ka,” says Caloy.

B

ound, as the store is known today had books of its owners as initial inventory. The group pooled some PHP300,000 together, emptied their libraries and book shelves at home then stacked the bookstore shelves with their own prized possessions for sale. The owners were ecstatic but no sooner did the euphoria start to fade away after business hurdles unfolded. Books were selling like hotcakes but they didn’t have a steady supply to replenish the inventory until they started consigning books from interested parties – a cost-effective business model the bookstore keeps until now.

More recently, Bound started sealing deals with publications such as Anvil Publishing, U.P. Press and Ateneo de Manila University Press to stack its racks with brand-new Filipiniana books but 70 percent of its inventories are still second-hand books.

“Most of our consignment-related queries and transactions are done through the Web. We ask our existing clients or just about anybody, should they have books that they want to sell they may consign their books to us. That keeps our inventory full,” Caloy explains.

While Bound may be small in operations, it has a vast catalogue of over 4,000 titles

Price, Caloy adds, is their salient advantage over bigger bookstores in the country.

Through the years Bound has gained a steady following owing to its rockbottom prices yet good-quality books in mint condition. “Obviously our price is cheaper since we sell previously-owned books,” he says. One of the paperback books in Bound retails at PHP180 which would have otherwise cost PHP800 in other bookstores nationwide. While many of the books might be dog-eared, some books are still as good as new.

Bound also keeps a bizarre mix of book titles which caters to the taste and preference of its diverse clientele. From marked-down chick literatures such as the Shopaholic series of Sophie Kinsella to the hard to find collection of short stories by Somerset Maugham, Bound might just have these titles neatly stacked on its shelves waiting for the lucky bargain

30 KABUHAYAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

hunter to find them. “I’ve heard people say time and again, ‘I didn’t expect to find these books here. Matagal ko nang hinahanap ito.’ One such book is the short story collection of Maugham found only in specialty stores yet we had it sold here at a very low price,” says Caloy who also warns that no two books are alike in the store. “Buy the book once you find a title you like or reserve it online before someone else places the order,” he adds.

Bound, which maintains a Facebook and Twitter account aside from its website regularly post new items on sale.

To keep a healthy mix of interesting titles, the owners sees to it they peruse each and every literature. Not all the books solicited from clients and donors make it to store shelves. Its owners study the books they intend to put up for sale and leave out those which may not be in sync with the store’s character. “We have to go through every title. Some consignors would deliver books that we feel are not right for the store. For those that we like, we familiarize ourselves so that when a customer asks us about a particular book at least we have something to say about it,” Caloy explains.

Yet even the tried and tested business formula of Bound had to evolve at some point to keep up with the times. The looming economic crisis have forced people to scrimp on some basic necessities and many of life’s simple pleasures such as books have to take the backseat if not completely removed from the budget. To keep the business moving, Caloy thought of an auxiliary business to go with the bookstore. “We are at a point wherein we have to challenge our entrepreneurial assumptions. In the coming months we will be offering small meals such as sandwiches and pastas and some refreshments. Of course the books will still be there but we will have tables and chairs were customers can lounge,” he explains. The goal is to keep a healthy customer base and entice new clients to enter the store. Also included in the pipeline is the installation of free Wi-Fi access to keep the traffic of customers.

Bound also had to undergo a significant change in ownership to keep the business moving. Some of its incorporators no longer had time for the business while other thought a sole proprietor should oversee its operation. “Letting go of my partners was difficult because we love having each other around. That also meant the business will have to do with less manpower. On the other hand, decision-making will be faster,” says Caloy. Since October last year, Caloy assumed ownership together with wife Ayi Muallam, also a journalist. Caloy says of the new ownership, “We are more nimble and more adventurous now when it comes to taking risks in the business.”

The couple pulled out old magazines off the racks which didn’t contribute much to sales and replaced them with old and new records such as CDs. Other small

items such as bookmarks and pens were also brought in the store to augment sales.

Paintings and photographs of up-andcoming artists and photographers also graced the store’s walls as decorations and double as additional items for sale.

Recently, they started joining book fairs to rake additional profit and move idle inventory.

While Caloy and Ayi try to devote as much time on the business as possible, they still maintain regular jobs which give them a steady source of income. Caloy writes for New York Times, International Herald Tribune and web-based globalpost.com while Ayi is currently the multimedia producer of online information portal bulatlat.com and a doting mother to the couple’s two baby boys. “We are still journalist through and through. This business is just a hobby for us but at least we are earning something out of it and help NUJP pay for its lease. It’s been four years and the bookstore survived in spite of the hard times. I still think we have got a good business model going for us. We are not getting rich like millionaires out of this but who knows?” Caloy quips.

32 KABUHAYAN MONEY

Getting into business By: Francisco Colayco

Almost all entrepreneurial books talk about three “must haves” in establishing and sustaining a profitable enterprise.

Business history has shown that the personal passion and vision of the entrepreneur founder generally lead to create the business (company) that produces (technology) services and/or products that fill a continuing need of a sufficiently large consuming public (market). Yes, it seems to be incontrovertible that passion, technology and market must go together if a business is to succeed. The more interesting question though, is, which among the three must your starting point be? Or, could any one of these three “must haves” in fact, be a starting point in establishing a business?

Passion or Personal “Genius” as your starting point Going into business is a very personal matter. Your first choice of a business could be something that you are personally passionate about. You choose it because you have clear reasons in your mind why you personally like to engage in that business activity. It’s also possible to study and learn about any business with clearly good potential. It may not necessarily mean though that you are suited for that business to actually run it well, much less enjoy being operationally involved in it. Without real involvement, it may be difficult to sustain your business with the same quality that you started with.

The better first step is to think of what you do best - what is your unique genius? What is your real passion? What is it that you really love doing? Develop the mindset that it is your responsibility to widen your skills and knowledge base. Look around your own environment and see what is it there that could be made into a kind of income earning activity? You might just discover that what you particularly like to do is something your community actually needs! When this happens, find out if the market is large enough, and, whether or not you can consistently deliver the products with consistent quality and at stable prices.

If you are able to reasonably confirm these, by all means, proceed with your business plan.

On the other hand, you may love to do something but you are not confident about your skills yet. But can you find ways to develop those skills quickly? Can you take a partner who will provide the skills you do not have and vice-versa? This is one way you can create our own opportunity to make money.

Make your imagination work! Dream!

Hand in hand with your personal capabilities, check out the market for your product or service. Location is key. You need to make your place accessible to your target market.

Try not to be a “me too” though unless your neighborhood really needs more of the same service. Too often, many imitate the business of others in the community and they all end up failing because of the limited market. Look at the “hot pandesal” phenomenon of many years back and even the “sari-sari” store to this present date. The original stores make money and suddenly everyone follows and almost, if not all, lose money.

After having decided on the business that is best for you, make a proper business financial plan complete with projections of at least monthly cash flows for the next two-three years. Be sure you have enough money as capital. You can only continue your business if it will bring in money before you run out of the capital you start with.

Your objective is to create a business for the long-term. You need to be able to sustain the quality of your product and/or services. Even if you believe that you can only stay in the business for a few years for personal reasons, you want to be able to sell your business and get some profit for it.

Technology and Starting Points

Market

as

your

Most would-be entrepreneurs start their opportunity search among proven successful businesses. Here market and technology are already validated. The only remaining validation to be made is on actual identification of the market area and whether or not you have or can develop the passion for it. This situation is best demonstrated in getting into business through franchising.

There are many franchise-related Exhibitions and Symposia.

In these various activities, the focus is on what business opportunities are available. As I explained earlier, in many instances of people wanting to enter business, the focus is on the type of business and not in the process.

I like giving the example of an OFW whose lifelong goal was to put up her own business. She invested all her life savings in a balloon making business and lost all her capital in six months. She could not understand what had happened and wrote me for advice.

MONEY KABUHAYAN 33 To help her, I asked her some questions.

When I asked her what her real interests were and why she went into balloon making, she told me that she was really into cooking but that her aunt had strongly recommended balloon making because she had enough money to start such a business.

Her aunt also told her that it is a good business because she has a friend that does well in that business.

The cause of failure was quite obvious. First, she took the advice of one who was clearly not a capable business advisor. Second, she decided based on the amount of capital she had readily available. Third and the biggest mistake of all is that she went into a business which she did not know anything about (no market validation) and where she had no real personal interest (no passion) in, and most likely, had no technical capability to contribute (no technology). It was clearly a wrong decision for this lady entrepreneur “wannabe.”

There are also those who want to know what their business options are. One lady who attended our seminar told us that she had been saving and now had PHP million available from different sources. She was a very good cook, a skill that she inherited from her mother. She loved meeting people and was very organized. She wanted to have her own business and was asking what she could do. With her kind of money, she had many options.

She reminded me of a lady who had a similar background who I thought would do well in a food and/or service type business.

Considering her lack of experience, I would still recommend her to look into a Franchise business as an alternative.

Serious franchise businesses provide you tested business models along with market planning, technical support and logistic systems as well as personnel training and accounting procedures and financial controls. This allows you to learn the business at the soonest possible time with the least number of mistakes, which you would otherwise incur if you started on your own without experience.

How to choose a Franchisor and a Franchise Business: There is a list of Filipino Franchisors and their broad range of small businesses available. Some are new but quite a number have proven track records. Let’s assume that you are the lady choosing a food or service type of business and you choose a business that requires first year investments

(including franchise fees) of around PHP2 million. Most good franchises demonstrate payback of about three (3) to five (5) years and impressive service support. Your most logical starting point is to seriously consider a food-stall business, particularly one with an available franchise near your home.

Another good thing about Franchise businesses is the business training included in the package. Usually, the training period is three months but you would need to pay a fixed amount (subject to negotiation with the Franchisor) as soon as you sign the franchise agreement.

Here are some tips on how you can move forward: 1. After determining your preferred line of business, make sure that your chosen franchise business has sufficient and sustainable market in your location.

This is where successful and responsible franchisors can provide you meaningful information and advice.

2. Validate the franchisor’s legitimacy and claims through the Association of Filipino Franchisors, Inc., or through other franchising associations that your chosen franchisor may belong. In this regard, make sure there is clear proof that the franchisor has a track record of at least five years of profitable operations.

3. Validate the actual experience by directly interviewing the FIRST franchisee and some other franchisees to validate the truth or falsehood of the market and financial claims of the franchisor. I am personally aware of situations where franchisors do not live up to their claims. Do not allow a franchisor to keep you from talking directly to his existing franchises for any reason.

If the franchisees are happy, it is for the franchisor’s and your best interests to learn all about it.

4. Find out if the franchisor has any pending legal cases with any of the franchisees, and if there is any, find out why.

5. Secure serious legal advice on the merits and demerits of the Franchise Agreement.

Make sure that you are satisfied with all the provisions of the Franchise Agreement, particularly on your option to terminate your Franchise Agreement for good reason, without any difficulty.

6. Be aware that anything not written in the agreement, even if promised by the Franchisor, may not be fulfilled. That being said, in the final analysis, aside from the

technical know-how, the sincerity and good heart of a Franchisor will be the deciding factors on your success; 7. Make sure that all the sources for funding are in place, before you even start investing your first peso.

Will this lady succeed in a franchise business? I always emphasize that in any business, there are no guarantees but there are ways to reduce the risks. If she at least follows the advice already given above, she has a good chance of success.

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

But miracle of miracles, he slowly recovered from the grip of death…

He was granted a second life.

To Teach Us To Love More That was 11 years before he passed away — and how I enjoyed those 11 years!

Yes, he could no longer work or serve the community. He could no longer talk clearly - just garbled words. His eyesight became very bad. And the emotional center in his brain was also damaged, so he became erratic and sometimes acted like a child. He was a mere shadow of who he was.

Remembering the Dad who brought me out for Pizza BY: BO SANCHEZ

J

UNE is the month we celebrate Father’s Day. It is also the month my father was born. He would have been 90 years old on June 2.

My Dad is gone.

My hero. My mentor. Gone.

An hour before he died on July 16, 2007, I gently brushed my hand on his grey hair.

I looked at his tired face, his wrinkled hands, the tubes attached to his arm — and something in me told me his time was up.

He wanted to go home. I prayed a blessing on him. An hour later, he quietly died in his sleep.

Friends, this should have happened 11 years before he died.

He was given a long extension In 1996, my father was fixing a light bulb in our garage. He stood on a bench, reached for it, and lost his balance. He came crashing down, the back of his head hitting the concrete floor. We took him to the hospital.

Soon, he lost control of his limbs. I can still vividly recall that scene when my father, a strong man, was coming down the steps with my two sisters almost carrying him down. He couldn’t move his legs anymore.

Through brain scans, the doctors saw three blood clots in his brain. Soon, they said, he would die because of them. They performed two brain surgeries on him. He stayed in the ICU for three months. We almost lost him to severe pneumonia.

But for those 11 years, it was so easy to make him smile. All I had to do was bring him out to a cheap Japanese restaurant. He loved his sashimi dipped in wasabe sauce. During this period in his life, eating out with his family was the only thing that made him happy.

For 11 years, I embraced him every time we met — something I didn’t do before his accident. For eleven years, I always said, “I love you, Dad”. For 11 years, I was in charge of cutting his fingernails and toenails— something I loved to do (and would miss doing.)

I believe one of the reasons why he was given 11 years more was so that we could learn how to love more. That was his last assignment from above.

And then it was time to say good-bye…

His Last Breath For two weeks in 2007, mom noticed he was getting weaker. She said that he had a hard time climbing the stairs. Because of this growing weakness, he fell on his way up his bedroom, his forehead crashing on the wooden steps. A doctor from the community came to suture his deep wound — 12 stitches in all. He went through two brain scans but doctors only saw an old blood clot from eleven years ago. Still, as each day progressed, we observed he was getting weaker.

Then, he could hardly get up from his bed.

We brought him to the hospital where he slept most of the time.

And in the morning of July 16, 2007, an hour after midnight, he breathed his last.

Dad was 88 years old.

Would You Follow A 13-Year-Old Boy? Oh, there are many things that I could say of my father.

For example, for 16 years, Dad served in our community as one of the elders, until his accident forced him to resign.

And whatever group Dad joined, whether it was the Homeowners Association or the

SPIRITUALITY SUCCESSFUL PINOY 35 Parish Council, he’d always be chosen as the treasurer. Because he looked so honest.

And he truly was. Because of this, he also took care of the finances of our Community.

He labored that every single centavo be accounted for. (I believe the reason why we remain strong to this day was because our finances have been above reproach — this was his legacy.) More than all this, I believe he was one of the most humble men I knew.

Who among you would follow your 13year-old boy?

Ever since I started preaching at 13, he sat at the audience listening to me preach.

And when we founded our community organization when I was but 14, he agreed that I become its presiding elder and he only one of its elders. Though Dad was still the leader in the home, he followed my leadership in community. Dad was assistant vice president of San Miguel Corporation and held an MBA degree from the University of the Philippines. Why would he follow his little boy? But he did so because he believed that I was anointed to lead.

All through these years, he was content in his role as my main supporter.

I remember one day, he pulled me aside and said, “Bo, you have a gift of proclaiming His word. I don’t have that gift. I wish I had it.

If I had it, I would preach every day. Bo, you have that gift. Use it. Use it every day.”

He Brought Me Out to Pizza But if you were to ask me what I most remember Dad for, I will say, “He brought me out for pizza.”

Dad spent enormous time with me.

Each day, when I was a young boy, we jogged together. He wasn’t a great jogger mind you. All he did was jog around his car a few times. After the jog, he sat down and I sat on his lap — and we read the paper together.

Not the front page, or the business section, or the sports page — but the comics page.

He read it for me and explained why it was funny. Every single day.

And every Saturday afternoon, he said, “Bo, let’s go out”. We went for a pizza. A hotdogon-a-stick. A bag of peanuts. An ice cream cone. We also went to a toy store, played with the toys together without buying a single thing. I didn’t mind. My hands may have been empty but my heart was filled with Dad’s love.

He knew I loved pizza.

So when Shakey’s opened for the first time in the Philippines, he said he’d bring me there. The problem was that it opened in

faraway Angeles, Pampangga. But to him, that was no problem at all. He drove me there just so that I could eat pizza.

It’s true. At the end of one’s life, you’re not remembered by your great achievements.

The house you built. The job you had. The money you earned.

At the end of your life, you’ll be remembered by how you loved in small ways. Whether you brought your son for pizza or not.

My father did.

Here’s a letter I wrote to Dad. Dad, I’ll miss you.

I’ll miss cutting your fingernails and toenails.

I’ll miss our hugs together.

Dad, thank you for loving me in the way only you could have done.

You supported me in my work. No matter how crazy my ideas were, you

were there behind me. Thank you for believing in me so much.

Dad, thank you for spending time with me when I was a little boy.

Thank you for letting me sit on your lap, reading the Comics page for me each night. Thank you for bringing me to the toy store. Thank you for the hotdog.

The ice cream cone. The pizza.

Hey, you’re back. The man before the accident. This time, perfected.

You can see beautifully again. All the colors, the beauty, the brightness.

You can talk clearly again—no longer the jumbled words you spoke for 11 years.

You can work again. (Do they need your accounting skills there?)

You can jog again.

Welcome back Dad. I love you!

36 SUCCESFUL PINOY SUCCESS PRINCIPLES

“Nawala bigla ang pangarap ko”, said one of the participants in my Thursday talk. Bakit naman?

“Ang crisis na ito…hindi ko inaasahan...maganda na sana ang lahat….nagkapirapiraso ang aking pangarap.”

Bro & sis, good news! Nandiyan lang ang inyong pangarap - hindi ito nawawala!

Fupres it!

Living Your Future Dreams in the Present BY: JEFFREY ‘XIMO’ RAMOS

They just get covered up by the daily concerns in our life – whether kahirapan man o kasaganahan. I have to confess.

When I lost my job in 2005 I told myself the same thing until I realized that dreams do come true. In fact, if you know what to do, these trying times will even gear you towards your original dream.

Your original dream What is your original dream? You know your original dream.

Close your eyes and think. This is the time in your life that you love so much – doing the thing that makes you and the people who surround you very happy. Ito iyong gusto mong gawin hanggang sa iyong pagtanda... nakita mo ba?

Once you find your original dream, just keep on dreaming. If you’re currently in

a good situation, just keep on and avoid getting corrupted. If you’re undergoing tough times, use your dream to find out what path you should take.

In LIVING your dream, remember the following: Dreams are meant to happen Those who say otherwise are those who have just let go of their dreams.

To dream is a power given gift (as we have learned in our previous article: Unleash the Power of Your Dream). Believing in your dream and living it unleashes that power within.

Remember that God owns everything and as His children, we inherited the earth and all its resources; and one of these resources is power!

Tandaan mo ito, sis and bro, “You forgo a great power when you, yourself declare that you do not have that power,” ayon kay Pastor Ed Lapiz. Thus, when you say that your dream will not come true – it will not come true.

But if you pronounce, claim and live it, it has already started happening!

I have asked Pinoys to write 101 of their dreams and goals in their lifetime. As a result, just the mere writing of these dreams has refreshed their inner self. They have come to realize that even some of their dreams have been fulfilled or are being fulfilled because they are already living it already. Ikaw, sis and bro, anu-ano ang 101 dreams and goals mo?

Ako kasi ilan lang sa mga pangarap ko ang makita at maka-usap noon si Bro. Bo

Filipino!

O N E WIT H YOU IN CELEB R AT ING O UR CO UNTRY ’S 1 1 1 Y E ARS O F I ND E PE ND E NCE

38 SUCCESFUL PINOY SUCCESS PRINCIPLES

Future to present – FUPRES it!

You do not wait for your future dreams to happen. You bring your future dreams to present. How? Fupres (fyu-pres) it!

Sanchez; mabigyan ng kopya ng aking libro si Madame President Arroyo; makapag sulat sa isang international magazine na nag po-promote ng kagandahan ng Pilipinas at kagalingan ng mga Pilipino. Hindi ba, nagkatotoo na ang lahat?

Expect persecution while living your dream There will be people who will be jealous or envious of you. Some may try to steal your dreams by discouraging you or not supporting you. Crisis will come your way when all things are going well. So expect it (believe me, it happens) and prepare for it. How? By holding your dream like a dove – not too strong that you might kill it, but not too loose that it might fly away.

Dream big and bigger What is small to you may be big to me and vice versa. Maaring ang pangarap ng isang anak ay maliit para sa magulang. Ang makakapag sabi niyan ay ikaw lamang. Just think about one thing – you have to dream big and bigger! From you, to your family, to your neighbor, to your country, to the world and of course, to eternity.

Dreams are fulfilled and enjoyed in your lifetime Sabi ko nga sa iyo sis and bro, when I was just writing my book, I was so inspired

by Bro. Bo, so I told my staff that I need

to interview him for the book. A year passed and I published my book – but unfortunately, I never got to meet Bro. Bo. After another year, here in Dubai, I was told that he has a seminar which I then attended of course. After the seminar, I approached him. He looked at me and he said, “Ikaw ba si Jeffrey Ximo? Ang author noong libro? Keep it up, kakaiba ang approach mo. Kailangan iyan ng mga Pilipino”. I enjoyed that moment. I finally met him, not only as a person who looked up to him, but also as a fellow author and speaker who inspires and motivates Pinoys for His glory. At siyempre pa, ngayon naman katabi ko pa siya, page lang ang pagitan, ika nga!

We were in Egypt as part of our dream vacation and when we were waiting to board the plane, I told my wife that it is my goal to coin a word that will be remembered.

Kagaya ng Imeldific (na nasa dictionary na rin which means very extravagant) Google it (which is now being used as a verb meaning to search through Google), so sabi ko I want a word that would mean to live your dream now! Believing, visualizing and doing rolled into one concept. Pangit kasi yung lagi na lang nasa hinaharap parang walang katapusan. Dapat nasa kasalukuyan. Kaya, kapag may kausap ka na nangangarap na maging matagumpay, sabihin mo sa kanya, Fupres it na!

And of course, always remember - ang iyong pangarap at ang aking pangarap ay magkakadikit. We dream together in one big dream - kaya laging mong isipin na makatulong sa pangarap ng iba dahil di lalaon na ang pangarap mo ay natutupad sa tulong rin nila.

So, sis and bro tuloy ang pangarap ha! Kung ito man ay nabasag, tumingala ka lang at buo uli itong ilalaglag.

See you in my dreams!

Pang ilang article ko na itong pagsusulat sa Illustrado? It is indeed an honor to be in this magazine and to be friends with Lalaine and Mon (the Editor and woman of substance and the man of creativity and style). ‘Wag ninyong i-edit ito ha. Thank you for letting me live my dream!

And just recently, when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Dubai, another dream of mine came true. Face to face, I gave her a copy of the book. “Buti naman at may libro na para sa mga OFW at gawa ng isang OFW. Congratulations sa iyo,” sabi ni Pangulo.

Available in bookstores in the Philippines nationwide.

Now also in Dubai

40 ADVERTORIAL

Enderun Colleges Enderun Colleges, a two-year old school that is rapidly making a name for itself, has brought a new level of education to the Philippines – employing international standards with a global view and hands-on sensibility. has top notch culinary facilities, a well-stocked library with relevant materials, as well as wi-fi capability for a full learning experience.

Of special note is Enderun’s Career Development and Industry Placement Office. This office provides students support in seeking employment or internship opportunities. The students are required to complete two internships, ensuring that each degree-holder is capable not only in theory but also in practice, in line with Enderun’s commitment to balance between academic and hands-on learning.

E

nderun Colleges is a cutting-edge learning institution that offers degrees, as well as other shorter courses, in two industries: International Hospitality Management and Business Administration. Enderun is a partner of the prestigious Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland and the Alain Ducasse Formation in France — leading educational institutions in hotel administration and culinary arts, as well as the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Another thing one notices about the school is the multicultural student population. “Non-Filipinos,” Villanueva notes, “comprise around one-fourth of the student body.” This diversity obviously benefits the international hospitality majors who will one day encounter a great number of people from different backgrounds.

This gives them early exposure that will only help in the future. And the college’s diversity is not only limited to age. “Our oldest student is over 40 years of age,” Villanueva continues. “She is a professional in the field who wanted to return and take advantage of the program here.”

It is relevant to take a look at the history of the institution. “There was a gap between the needs of the industry and what the local schools have been producing,” says Enderun Colleges VicePresident for Marketing Tricia Tensuan. “This gap meant a lot of industry needs went unanswered while many graduates had trouble finding employment.” This issue is what Enderun hoped to address — by being an academic institution that is in touch with the needs of industry and provides for it.

The program and curriculum was patterned after US Ivy League universities and further developed by Enderun’s Dean, Ms Lorraine Villanueva PhD. Ms Villanueva was President of the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Educators of the Philippines and an Affiliate Director of the Hotel and Restaurant Management Association of the Philippines on top of being part of the faculty at the University of the Philippines Diliman’s College of Home Economics Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management. Ms Villanueva has also been invited by academic partner Les Roches to help develop their curriculum after evaluating the one created for Enderun.

Enderun’s advisory board include respected figures in the industry including Hyatt Corporation Chief Operating Officer Chuck Floyd, Dusit Hotels Regional Vice-President Gerhard Kropp, Four Seasons Hotel Doha General Manager Simon Casson and chairman of the advisory board and Enderun Colleges founder Jack Tuason of Discovery Suites. The college’s culinary faculty also includes prominent personalities like Corporate Culinary Head Chef See Cheong Yan, who led the kitchens of the Edsa Shangri-La, Hyatt Regency Manila and Tagaytay Highlands; and senior instructor Chef Thomas Wenger, who has been the executive chef at of the Mandarin Oriental in Manila, the Oriental Singapore, and the Le Royal Meredien and Le Meridien President in Bangkok.

The college impresses the moment one walks through the doors of their McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio campus. The visitor is greeted

by Enderun students manning the reception area. The classrooms are comfortable for the small-sized classes they hold. Enderun practices a very student-centric way of learning, with the teaching methods adapted to the learning styles of the students. The campus

Enderun is will see its first batch of degree holders graduate this year - a group of 50 students. Villanueva points out that the expectations come high for these graduates. She likens the common academic standards to a glass ceiling and expresses her hopes that “they not only reach the standard, but shatter the ceiling and break right on through.”

42 ILLUMINATI

How I spent my summer vacation By: Krip Yuson

If I were back in high school class and we were asked to come up with our first “composition” or English essay for the schoolyear, my classmates and teacher would likely laugh themselves hoarse and hoot me down for submitting narrative fantasy.

But that’s the kind of Philippine summer I’ve just had, thanks to the introduction of a cruise ship that takes the lucky and the moneyed to prime destinations and fabulous islands from Manila to Northern Palawan and Boracay.

Top: The 7107 Islands cruise ship lies anchor off Boracay Left: Limestone cliffs of Coron Island

Count me among the lucky and plucky, being part of the media. Often I welcome the notion that membership in the Fourth Estate means having to hold the fort when it comes to freebie offerings — from meals to drinks to the much-vaunted prize that’s called the “media fam tour.” That’s an outing, occasionally to foreign shores, that indulges an instant family of journalists in a familiarization process, so we can preview and promote venues and destinations.

Last August, I was invited to hook up with the 7,107 Islands cruise ship on its test run to Coron and outlying islands. As further

luck would have it, the brave new venture’s head honcho, Steve Tajanlangit, turned out to share a weakness for nightly whisky.

In brief, we got along fine, and I’ve more of less become a regular in the first-class ship’s scheduled jaunts.

That first cruise brought me back to Coron in Busuanga Island, part of the Calamianes Group in Northern Palawan, after more than three decades. Of a mid-70s visit I still recall taking a half-hour pumpboat ride to Maquinit Hot Springs for an entirely exotic experience.

It was just a small pool of scalding sulfuric saltwater (one of only three in the world, it’s said) nestled in a mangrove swamp. A grotto with the usual statue of the Virgin Mary stood behind the rock-lined pool that could fit a dozen people at most. When you became too soporific after laying in the hot bath, you jump out and run past the bakawan to the relatively cold waters of the sea. Something like a Finnish sauna ritual.

Of course nothing stays the same in our country, except our bane that is the corrupt politician. Now there’s a road, still rough

ILLUMINATI 43

in parts, that allows jeepneys and tricycles to disgorge an hourly horde at Maquinit.

It’s been expanded to two small pools at a level above a much larger one that can hold over a hundred bathers.

Coron’s other attractions include limestone cliffs as part of the characteristically rugged karst formations that ring splendid small beaches, a large lagoon that leads to a hidden one that you get into by swimming through a hole in the rock wall at low tide, and Kayangan Lake, an upland freshwater lake that’s a visual gem once you commit to a modest trek through a slippery trail up and down a hill.

These itinerary items are all on Coron Island, which is distinct from the town and is reached upon crossing Coron Bay. Midway is Siete Pecados, a group of outcroppings jutting out of the sea to mark coral formations, making this a favored pit stop for snorkeling. Back in Coron town, there’s the climb up 700-odd steps to the peak of Mt. Tapyas, where a giant white cross lords it over by day for the grand view, and at night when it’s illumined.

The cruise ship usually docks by the pier, allowing passengers to step down for these excursions that can all be done in a day, as well as to pick up local delicacies and handicrafts. All meals are served onboard, except when it’s a shore excursion that relies on large motorized lifeboats to ferry everyone to a special island, where a picnic lunch is served.

These islands of the Calamianes — Ditaytayin, Debutunay, Panlaitan, Malpacua, Maonsonon, Linapacan, Inacupan among them — share entrancing names and beaches, sandbars and crystalclear warm waters, from where cruise participants are loathe to be pulled out when it’s time to be ferried back to the mother ship to catch another spectacular sunset.

Other cruises have also touched base at Corregidor, Lubang Island north of Mindoro, Boac in Marinduque during Holy Week in time for the Moriones, El Nido town as host for the pumpboat venture into Bacuit Bay and its towering limestone islets and coves, and Calauit Island where a game reserve still treats visitors to photoops with giraffes, zebras, Calamian deer and the Palawan bearcat.

Most of the cruises, which take six to eight nights, also include Boracay as either a first

Top Left: The Boracay Drummers that perform every sundown on the ship’s Pool Deck whip up a welcome to Maonsonon’s virgin beach Top Right: Kayangan Lake in Coron Island Left: The view from a rocky knoll in Malcapuya

or last stop. The ship drops anchor in the channel off the jetty at the island’s southern end, and again the lifeboats ferry the passengers to and fro for a day and a half.

The Boracay Terraces Resort, which Steve established as an island pioneer, serves as the base of operations. A recent claim to fame is that not only has the BTR served as a venue for a Cabinet meeting conducted

by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; Her Excellency also spent overnight there with her family.

The EJC Corp., a holding firm organized

by Steve, a.k.a. Esteban J. Tajanlangit, manages consortium operations involving the development of acquired islands, 21 at last count. An Ilonggo who’s been nursing grand dreams as a travel visionary, Steve is still island-shopping — his trained eye keening whenever we cruise past a stretch of white sand however distant.

Thus has he discovered and began to help develop magical Malcapuya and mystical Maonsonon — the last a “virgin beach” until our first boatload of cruisers stamped our footprints on its powdery sandbar in mid-May. For June and July, the 7107 Islands goes on dry dock. The cruise operations resume in August, with corporate sponsors lining up for exclusive packages. Well, I beat most of them to our entrancing tropical islands this summer just past, when island-hopping filled up my vacation agenda.

Top: Cruise passengers are ferried to various islands in lifeboats. Below: A passenger reading and tanning on the prow deck

44 ADVERTORIAL

BUILDING YOUR FIRST HOUSE A NEW TV SEGMENT TEACHES FILIPINOS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT

y

our house is one of, if not the single most important investment you will ever make in your lifetime. You’ve worked hard for years and now you’ve come to the point where you’re ready to make that big move. It’s easy to just buy a ready made house or a condo, but for those who dream to build their house from the ground up, it’s a long and arduous road to the day you finally move in.

There are a multitude of things to consider, people to talk to, and thousands of big and small decisions that have to be made throughout the course of the entire process. But with the right information on the whos, whats, and hows, the process of house building can be a lot less complicated.

Philippine Realty TV’s newest regular segment, Project First Home (PFH), was conceptualized and born with this in mind. PFH aims to arm its viewers with the critical information needed by first-time homebuilders to guide them in their house building journey.

PFH chronicles the step-by-step process of building a house, told from the perspective of Philippine Realty TV Executive Producer and first-time homebuilder John Aguilar and the show’s hosts, Gabe Mercado and Angel Jacob. Seen weekly on Philippine Realty TV, the reality segment is a comprehensive documentary of the entire process, meant for viewers who are planning to build their first house, those already in the process of building, or those who simply want to scope out supplier options and learn useful insights and trends such as green architecture.

Launched on the show’s second season, Project First Home started off by giving viewers a breakdown of the initial steps such as what things to consider when choosing and purchasing a lot, paying for taxes, securing the services of a reputable architect, applying for a home loan, and even choosing the right suppliers. Now on its third season, the show gets down and dirty as it takes its viewers to the nitty-gritty phase - applying for permits, working with professionals such as a project manager and contractors, and building the actual house from the ground up. Who are the people involved? What supplies need to be sourced?

How can you assure that everything will fall into place and go according to plan?

Project: First Home has partnered with reputable names in the industry such as architecture and interior design firm Palafox Associates, contractor Pacific Summit Homes, BPI Family Savings Bank’s Build Your Dream Housing Loan, HCG Bathroom Fixtures, Lazuli Bath Boutique, Bradnams Windows and Doors, Mariwasa Tiles, Handyman, and project management firm E-Construct.

Philippine Realty TV airs weekly, with timeslots as follows: Sundays 7:30PM and Saturdays 11:00AM (replay) for the Philippines; Sundays 3:30PM and Saturdays 7:00AM (replay) for the United Arab Emirates; and Sundays 2:30PM and Saturdays 6:00AM (replay) for Bahrain and Qatar. The show airs on ANC Philippines (Sky/Home Cable Ch. 27) and ANC Global on The Filipino Channel.

Philippine Realty TV is produced by StreetPark Productions, Inc. For more details, call +63-2-9105778/99, +63-9178140875, or visit www.PhilippineRealty. tv to watch past episodes and learn more about the show.

46 FASHION

Here comes the Bride...

With something old and something new.

Take the classic combined with bold new directions for the ultimate spin on traditional bridal wear.

Dubai Crew Photography: Illuminado Ong Stylist: Zekundo Chu Hair & Make-Up: Jessie Tabla Models: Clarita de Quiroz Craig & Ramona Soriano Manila Crew Photography: Dr. Marlon Pecjo Stylist: Rey Statos Hair : Alee Benson Make-Up: Diane de Castro Model: Jasmine Meierhoffer Designers: Ezra Santos, Michael Cinco and Henry Mangahas

FASHION 47

On Ramona: Cathedral gown with bouffant skirt of flowing layers of endless tulle delicately adorned with beadings and crystals.

On Clarita: Serpentina strapless gown with a fully beaded bodice topped with feathery flower detailing and tail in striped tulle.

COUTURE BY EZRA

48 FASHION

FASHION 49 On Jasmine: V-neck fully beaded gown in stripe pattern with cut-out tulle detailing on the skirt.

COUTURE BY MICHAEL CINCO

50 FASHION On Clarita: Serpentina strapless gown with a fully beaded bodice topped with feathery flower detailing and tail in striped tulle.

COUTURE BY EZRA

FASHION 51

52 FASHION

On Jasmine: Crystal encrusted strapless gown with multilayered soft tulle skirt.

COUTURE BY MICHAEL CINCO

FASHION 53

On Jasmine: A-line gown with tulle skirt featuring a dramatic crystal and beads encrusted “invisible” corseted bodice of illusion tulle.

COUTURE BY MICHAEL CINCO

54 FASHION

FASHION 55

On Ramona: Cathedral gown with bouffant skirt of flowing layers of endless tulle delicately adorned with beadings and crystals.

COUTURE BY EZRA

56 FASHION

On Ramona: Strapless gown with satin bodice featuring ribbon roses and multi-colored beads.

COUTURE BY HENRY MANGAHAS

FASHION 57

58 FASHION

On Jasmine: A-line gown with tulle skirt featuring a dramatic crystal and beads encrusted “invisible” corseted bodice of illusion tulle.

COUTURE BY MICHAEL CINCO

FASHION 59

On Ramona: Spaghetti strapped gown embellished with crystals and beads on lace appliqué On Clarita: Strapless gown with luxuriously beaded bustier.

COUTURE BY HENRY MANGAHAS

60 FASHION

On Jasmine: Dramatic “peacock” dress with floating cut out and crystal embellishments on illusion tulle.

COUTURE BY MICHAEL CINCO

FASHION 61

62 BAKASYON GRANDE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BAKASYON GRANDE 63

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

62 FASHION

DESIGNERS GUIDE

Ezra Ezra Fashion Design Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah, Dubai Tel: +971 4 395 5385

Michael Cinco Suite 102 Holiday Center Crown Plaza, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Tel: +971 4 332 8488

Henry Mangahas La Reina Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai Tel: +971 4 344 4147 or 344 5101

FASHION 63

WEDDING FEATURE 65

J- Jusi is the native fabric that makes a really good barong. Worn over a white undershirt and black evening pants, this is the usual attire worn by a groom.

K- Knives or sharp, pointed things as wedding gifts are considered in bad taste since they will supposedly result to a broken marriage.

Lechon is usually the main dish at any wedding feast.

L-

M-

Money pinned to the newlywed’s gown and barong during their first dance should be kept as the couple’s first savings.

N-

Never travel. Altar-bound couples are accidentprone and therefore must avoid long drives or traveling before their wedding day.

O- Offering help or assistance to his future bride’s family is a must for the groom. In the old days, this includes cutting wood and fetching water but these days acting as the family driver will do.

P- The pamamanhikan is an important tradition then and now. It is when the guy’s parents and immediate family meet the girl’s parents to formally ask for her hand in marriage and to talk about the details of the wedding.

Q- Quell fears of rain on your wedding day by offering eggs to Sta. Clara.

R-

Rice confetti thrown at the newlyweds when they step out of the church will bring them prosperity and happiness.

S- The concept of sukob is so bad that it inspired a horror film. It has been said that it is bad luck for two siblings to marry within the same year. Most Filipinos follow this tradition religiously.

T-

The bride should step on the groom’s foot if she wants him to agree to her every whim.

U- Unmarried women who walk behind the newlyweds will break her bad luck with men and will marry soon.

V- Veils, wedding arrhaes, and candles should be kept by the bride not just because of their sentimental value but because as long as they are kept by the couple, their vows will be kept intact.

ring, the veil, or the arrhae during the ceremony may result in an unhappy union.

W- Wearing pearls as accessories could mean tears for a single woman, but worn by the bride during the wedding, they bring good luck.

X- Ex-es, of course, should never be invited. But,

Z-

Zealously opening up the wedding presents one by one ensures the couple of a healthy and easy pregnancy. This should be done in front of families, close friends and relatives.

that may be a universal rule not just a Pinoy thing.

Y- Yikes! Be careful please! Dropping the wedding

Keeping these traditions would result to a happy ever after! Good luck!

64 WEDDING FEATURE

A-

A bride should never, ever try on her wedding dress before the wedding day or the wedding will not push through. Never mind if the gown is a bit tight or that it might fall off her shoulders while she’s walking down the aisle.

B-

Breaking something, during the reception brings good luck to the newlyweds. Not anyone’s bones, but more like a wine glass or plates.

A chamberpot or arinola as a wedding gift is believed to bring good luck to the newlywed couple.

C-

D- The Despedida de Soltera is similar to the engagement party. It is a gathering of the bride’s closest family and friends, even the future-in-laws.

It literally means farewell to singlehood.

E- Engagements are not simply announced. The couple should visit each and every home of their elderly relatives to formerly introduce their future bride or groom. This is called the pa-alam.

The A to Z of Filipino Wedding Traditions

F- If the flame on any of the wedding candles positioned on either side of the couple dies out, it is an ominous sign. Because it could mean that the person on that side will die ahead of the other.

G-

The groom must arrive before the bride at the church. Otherwise it’s bad luck. If for nothing else, it’s just the gentlemanly thing to do.

Harana is the age-old tradition where the man serenades his lady love with romantic love songs called the kundiman.

H-

By KC M. Abalos

I- Rain on on the wedding day, means prosperity and happiness for the newlyweds.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a penny in your shoe…

It’s an adage which spells out age-old wedding traditions in most Western countries, but in the Philippines there is no neat little phrase that captures all the wedding beliefs of our eccentric beloved land. Oldies remind or, more precisely, nag the young ones on these practices handed down through generations. And regardless whether they are traditional, modern or uber new age, young Filipinos are encouraged to adhere – for what harm could there be in observing these traditions?

EZRA FASHION DESIGN TEL.: 971 4 3955 385, P.O. BOX 75990 DUBAI, U.A.E.

68 WEDDING FEATURE

eddings are made of these All white weddings, traditional lace gowns and Barong Tagalog, white roses and baby’s breath, classic and simple – just your typical Pinoy wedding elements, or are they? Illustrado looks at the exciting latest trends for Filipino weddings and discovers that nuptials are not as plain and traditional as they used to be.

Bridal Ensemble

Jewelry

White, ivory, off-white – these days, there are certainly more interesting hues in the color palette that modern brides can pin their fantasies on. The current runway scene has given rise to bridal gowns in a myriad of unconventional but exciting and femininely flattering soft hues like soft gold, platinum, silver and other metallics, champagne, lavenders, with bold color detailing in purple, burgundy, etc. Lace has also made a big comeback, so has appliqué floral embellishments. Although, western brides have been seen in daring white mini’s and shorter dresses of late – the Filipina bride is sure to stick to the more classic and elegant longer silhouette.

Jewelry is a very important piece of bridal accessory because it is not only worn to add beauty and sparkle to the bride, but is also carefully chosen to embody traditions and the couple’s hopes for happiness. Inarguably, diamonds are still the favorite of most brides. Apart from being ‘a girl’s best friend’, diamonds have been known to symbolize enduring love owing to its hardness and durability. Still, with evolving trends and continued more modern approach to wedding fashions, brides these days can also choose to sport other precious and semi-precious stones to cap their wedding ensemble.

As for the groom, the Barong Tagalog, continues to be a staple wedding wear, however, wedding stylists have observed the growing trend leaning towards suits and tuxedos of late.

For the classic Filipina bride, there’s fine jewelry in pure stylized shaped classics, while for the more modern lady there are very current bolder bigger design-oriented pieces which give an up-to-date look and allow the bride an expression of her personal style and sophistication. Still for the traditional bride, nothing beats wearing the family heirlooms handed down from her mother and grandmother, during her most important day.

Diamond jewelry from Liali Jewellery

70 WEDDING FEATURE

choice. Forget plain vanilla and chocolate chiffon, couples have a wide array of mouth-watering flavors to choose from that would please any sweet tooth. These range from carrot walnut, apple spice, apple walnut, cinnamon nut, to even richer moist chocolate with ganache, red velvet cake with cream cheese nut filling, or butter cake with whipped filling flavored with a choice of mango, strawberry, lemon, or white chocolate, gourmet flavors and etc. Not to be outdone is frosting or icing where you can choose from fondant, butter cream, sugar and marzipan, among others. To have the best of their favorites, couples sometimes opt for a different cake flavor for each tier – combining flavors in one cake.

Color-based themes

Trendy wedding cakes

Receptions Gone are the days when elegant classic or all white was the de rigeur wedding theme.

These days couples have become more adventurous with how their special day is celebrated and they do this by employing wedding themes where the entire event – from the venue, to the décor, flowers, table settings, party favors, food and even clothing is styled as per the concept. While garden and beach weddings are perennial favorites, new motifs run the gamut from dreamy fairy tale weddings, to exotic Japanese, Mediterranean, even Jamaican styled events, to rustic Filipiniana, or festive season motifs like Christmas theme, through to glamorous color coded events – like the black and white wedding reception, all blue wedding, and many others. The choice is as unlimited as the bride and groom’s imagination.

Flowers In line with thematic weddings, wedding flowers have also become much more

Exotic flowers

creative far from the typical three types of bloom arrangement.

They have also become more practical and now incorporate previously unpopular local exotic blooms – though roses remain far the most popular choice. So these days, expect a profusion of colors, mostly bright hues, as more flower varieties are put together, combined with modern materials such as crystals, feathers, exotic grasses and leaves, berries, herbs, even fruits and vegetables and other things all in a beautiful floral assemblage. For table arrangements, flowers combined with votives and pillar candles remain popular and add that extra romantic ambience to the setting.

Cakes Even wedding cakes continue to evolve!

While the height and number of tiers of the wedding cake remains a simple choice depending on couples preferences and budget considerations, style, flavors and design keep brides and grooms spoilt for

Hand-made souvenirs

As for design, favorites these days are cakes in non-traditional shapes and forms like squares and octagons with beautiful lace patterns or meticulously sculpted sugar-icing edible flowers. Of growing popularity as well are towers of cupcakes or mini-cakes, instead of the typical tiered creation.

Invitations and Souvenirs One trend that’s big when it comes to wedding invites and souvenirs is the ‘green trend’.

With the new consciousness towards eco-friendly living, innovation of wedding favors is more with materials and methods of production more than just design or anything else superficial.

There’s an increase in the usage of recycled paper and cloth, as well as eco-friendly and natural materials like abaca, shells, sea grass, rattan, dried flowers and herbs. A lot of couples are also opting for souvenirs they have made themselves by hand, giving the offering an even more intimate touch for the people who would share with them their joyful wedding day.

MICHAEL CINCO DUBAI

SUITE 301 HOLIDAY CENTRE, CROWN PLAZA, P.O. BOX 74689, DUBAI-U.A.E. TEL.: 00971 4 3328488, FAX: 00971 4 3327282. Email: michael5inco@yahoo.com

MICHAEL CINCO DUBAI

74 HOTELS

Paradise Comes to Life at the Shangri-La Boracay Resort & Spa Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa opens the first international deluxe resort on beautiful Boracay Island.

The resort is dramatically situated on a hillside in a flourishing nature reserve located on the northern part of the island, 10 minutes’ drive from the colorful markets and bustle of popular White Beach.

square-meter ballroom and an additional 200 square meters of meeting space, as well as an outdoor, oceanfront wedding pavilion that can accommodate up to 50 persons.

For more information or reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

Pay for One Night, Unwind for Two at The luxury of first-class facilities and conveniences the Hilton Cebu goes beyond the resort and is extended to guests on their journey to the Island. Shangri-La has refined what used to be a tedious series of air, land and water transfers to an unrivaled experience of comfort and exclusivity by providing dedicated transport and jetty port area, as well as a private lounge with refreshments and amenities – away from the crowded usual route taken by Boracay visitors.

Marrying luxury and comfort with a reverence for nature, the 12-hectare resort designed with modern sensibilities expressed in indigenous materials, will encompass 219 rooms including 36 villas and suites; comprehensive leisure facilities; 350 meters of secluded beach front; and a thriving ecosystem of diverse, even rare, flora and fauna.

Deluxe rooms, all with balconies and commanding sea views measure 60 sqm, while the 108 sqm butler-serviced villas have their private plunge pools, whirlpools or pergolas for al fresco dining.

Eleven tree top villas have a fabulous view of the sea, the sunset and private jacuzzi.

The resort offers varied fine dining options which include Rima, an intimate Italian restaurant, Sirena a seafood restaurant, and Solana Sunset Bar where guests can lounge in cabanas after dark and mingle over cocktails to the DJ’s hypnotic beats.

The Hilton Family Asia Pacific including the Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa offers guests two nights for the price of one.

Hilton has announced its latest offer for guests staying at any of its 46 Hilton Family Hotels in Asia Pacific - the “2 for 1 Holiday Sale,” available for bookings made from 1st June 2009 until 31st July 2009 and valid for stays any day of the week from 1st June 2009 until 31st August 2009. To add even more value to your double vacation, stay on a weekend and the offer encompasses lazy breakfast until 11am, late check out up to 6pm and kids stay and eat for free.

Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa on the tropical Island of Mactan is an upscale resort with a FrenchMediterranean flavor boasting 246 guestrooms, including 74 uniquely designed spa suites and breathtaking seaviews. The hotel resort has a couple of chic restaurants including Seas famous for its menu degustation, Manny O’s Wine & Tapas, as well as the Vanilla Beach Cafe, the resort’s all-day dining restaurant.

Guests can soothe their travel-weary senses in CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, and get energized at the recreational facilities which include a health club, one of the country’s largest free-form swimming pools, a marine center, a water sports pavilion, two outdoor tennis courts, as well as an Entertainment Zone for adults and children.

For guests looking for pampering The Spa at Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa offers a complete lifestyle solution, with a full range of treatments and products, including those exclusive to Hilton and a selection from ‘Decleor’, the premium French spa product line. The Spa is home to seven European-Zen therapy suites, located within a tropical garden overlooking the azure waters of Mactan Island.

For weddings and special events ShangriLa’s Boracay Resort and Spa also has a 400-

Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa is just 10 minutes away from Mactan International Airport and 25

minutes from cosmopolitan Cebu City with its vibrant nightlife, extensive shopping and 24-hour casinos.

For more information, as well as terms and conditions of the promotion and a full list of the participating hotels visit www. hilton.com/2for1asiapacific

76 WEDDING FEATURE

A different kind of memory Wedding photography is supposed to capture a couple’s sweet fairytale moments as they shift into a life of blissful togetherness … NOT! Ever thought cemetery shots, snakes, dark images that evoke the mood of a funeral, wacky cartoonish images and trashy street shots could ever be part of a couple’s nuptial portfolio? Think again.

Brothers Randall and Ryan Dagooc collectively known as Mangored, churn out one-of-a-kind bridal photography that’s stunningly fresh, creative and offbeat, way beyond the typical cheesy bridal photography that is so “yesteryears.”

Looking at their unconventional photography which leaves one with an inevitable smile in the mind, it is not surprising to note that the brothers from Naga City started unconventionally as well. The brothers say they were “bored” five years ago, while still in college, so they dabbled with commercial photography but eventually found an underdeveloped niche in the wedding industry. Without the benefit (or in this case, limitation) of art training as well as high-tech photography equipment all the two really had going for them was their unlimited imagination and hunger to create. “We learned everything by rote since we never took art-related courses. And yeah, we started doing everything guerilla style since we only had a 1-megapixel (P&S) Sony Cybershot cam (with a 4MB memory card) and six incandescent bulbs mounted on plywood for lighting,” says Ryan as a matterof-factly.

Mangored’s photography is all about experimentation from the moment the

shoot is conceptualized down to the designing of the album, fanned by Randall and Ryan’s knack for visual aesthetics and instinctual creativity. And they have brought an unbridled wide-eyed approach to their art, which they refuse to classify as being of one particular style, although they admit is based on giving people fresh ideas all the time. The brothers say that they try to avoid what they perceive as the flaw of majority of wedding photographers and that is sticking to a routine and a single working formula.

“People have to see something new. We have to do something new. We can’t get bored again; we have to continue loving what we’re doing. Amuse and surprise ourselves each time. The more we stretch to outdo our last shoot, the more interesting it will get. We try to keep everything tense, crisp, contemporary and offbeat. The process is intuitive.”

Commenting on their clients, the brothers admit that it wasn’t very easy to gain acceptance for their unconventional

work in the beginning. “People thought it was way too cartoony, outlandish…nonwedding. Perhaps the market wasn’t ready,” recalls Ryan. However five years down the road, the duo has managed to win over an exclusive clientele, and has put together an impressive portfolio of quirky, edgy, beautiful and astoundingly creative wedding images that are outstanding not only within the Philippine context, but internationally as well.

Ryan remarked, “The market has eventually grown and is entering an age of creative revolution. We are here trying to facilitate a world where the creator and client become the co-authors of their own “hyper-realities”.

There is an active imaginative collaboration.

This was the kind of journey to liberty they were looking for and that which happens to parallel our own. The images and stories we produce stand for the arrival of a strong new voice.”

To view their works, visit www.mangored.

WEDDING FEATURE 77

78 WEDDING FEATURE

A different kind of memory

WEDDING FEATURE 79

A different kind of memory

80 WEDDING FEATURE

A different kind of memory

WEDDING FEATURE 81

A different kind of memory

82 REAL ESTATE Greenhills Heights

Nuvali

residents the chance of a revived ‘green living’ Inspired by the great Katsura Palace of Kyoto, the MEGAWORLD with a landscape of natural beauty at their sixth residential community of the Lakeside Fairways development, located beside the Tagaytay Midlands UNVEILS GREENHILLS doorstep. golf course in Talisay, Batangas, is designed to Inspired by the concept of Evoliving (defined be a home of simplicity and exclusivity, carefully HEIGHTS Upbeat with the real estate industry’s prospects for this year despite the global financial crisis, Megaworld has recently launched a small condominium cluster in San Juan City. The project, Greenhills Heights, will rise across the historic Pinaglabanan Shrine.

“Greenhills Heights is an ideal home for starting families since it is quite near the Ortigas business district and boasts proximity to some of the metro’s best primary and secondary schools such as La Salle Greenhills, OB Montessori and Xavier School,” Megaworld Managing Director, Marivic Acosta said.

Greenhills Heights is composed of four mid-rise residential towers. This small community will feature only 168 units. Prices range from PHP3.3 to PHP3.6 million for a one-bedroom unit (48 square meters) to PHP4.1 – PHP4.7 million (65 square meters).

Among the amenities that residents will enjoy at Greenhills Heights are a clubhouse, children’s playground, swimming and wading pools, pocket gardens and a gazebo. The project may break ground early next year and turnover is set for 2012.

For inquiries contact: UAE - Jovy Tuano +97150 4432656/+9712 4432656 email: philippineproperties@eim.ae, KUWAIT - Eli Bernabe +965-66239812, Lito Flores +96599860121, Ferdie Ragasa +965-66862845, Cora Manlutac +965-66600529, Madame Fatma Jumah +965-22458508, OMAN - Ronaldo Legaspi +968-952-47187 e-mail: RLegaspi@rca.gov. om MANILA: Geevee Ventanilla of Megaworld International at 12F Petron MegaPlaza Building, 358 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City, Philippines, +632 889-9114 or +632 889-9115, fax (632) 8897393, email: global@megaworldcorp.com or visit www.megaworldinternational.com

AVIDA CREATES GREENER NUSETTING AT NUVALI Nestled within the 1,600 hectare development envisioned to be the country’s next modern metropolis, Avida Settings NUVALI offers

as the seamless weaving of life, nature and technology), Avida Settings NUVALI offers unique, earth-friendly features and amenities.

Apart from its sustainable design principle of dedicating at least 45% of the development to open spaces, with the Avida-exclusive green ribbon neighborhood pattern that gives residents access to a large garden via their own backyards with jogging paths, tree-lined pedestrian lanes and bike trails promoting healthier living, while reducing emissions from use of motor vehicles.

“Avida believes that living with nature revives your life. Imagine a place where carpets of grass replace concrete roads. Birds chirping replace the drone of the engine. Tall trees replace skyscrapers. This place--where life is relived and revived--is what we are celebrating today. This is Avida Settings NUVALI,” said President of Avida Land, Leo Montenegro.

While residents enjoy the being in touch with Mother Nature, Avida Settings NUVALI is also conveniently close to the urban pulse. Located in the south, it is approximately 15 minutes from the Sta. Rosa exit, 30 minutes from Alabang, and 50 minutes from Makati. Shuttle services are also available, both in and outside of the NUVALI community, so commuting is not a problem. The project also boasts tight 24-hour security and efficient village management.

cultivated and stretched across approximately 14 hectares of gently rolling terrain. When completed, Katsura is estimated to have a total of 241 lots, with sizes ranging from 250 to 461 square meters.

Katsura will pay tribute to the elegant yet simple way of life with its architects envisioning a community of traditional and contemporary Japanese homes with steep angled roofs that mimic the beautiful mountain on its backdrop.

Katsura is undoubtedly the perfect place to live in for those who love to relish the tranquility of nature and at the same time engage in different sports and activities. An outdoor pool and other indoor sports facilities are available for the active individual.

In addition to these, each property comes with a proprietary share of the Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club, which also entitles residents to enjoy worldclass amenities at the Tagaytay Highlands Golf and Country Clubs.

Reservations in Katsura are currently being accepted for the price of PHP12,888/sqm, plus 12% VAT. Project completion is anticipated within 3 years.

Enjoy the crisp and pleasing Tagaytay weather at the safety of your home in a gated community with 24-hour security, independent and abundant water supply, 24-hour emergency medical and fire-fighting teams, 100% emergency power supply, in-house landscaping, and full housekeeping services.

For inquiries contact Ayala Land International Sales, Inc. representative, Sherwin Lim +97150- For inquiries, call +632 687 2885, + 63918 899 2698, 951-5361 e-mail lim.sherwin@ayalaland-intl.com +6346 483 0824 or visit www.tagaytayhighlands.com or visit www.atAyala.com.

A PRINCELY SUMMER RETREAT SOUTH OF THE METRO Belle Corporation, developer of the country’s premier destination for luxury living— the Tagaytay Highlands, recently announced its plans to develop a princely summer retreat within the Tagaytay Highlands complex—Katsura.

Katsura

A quiet place to chill north of Manila

LA TERRAZZO celebrations & relaxation

Contact: +63 44 675 0241• Calumpang, Calumpit, Bulacan (near CEU University)

Parties and conferences, weddings and anniversaries, birthdays and christenings For special occasions or just weekend relaxation Amenities: two adult pools and one kiddie pool, pavilion for parties, kid’s play area and gift shop, 5 bedroom guest house for daily rental or longer term stay.

84 FOOD, LOVE, LIFE

Tatay’s Seafood Kare-Kare

By Isabelita Sabado Warren Photo by Melandro Sangalang

In the summer of 91, my family and I were home for a holiday. My dad had requested my mother, Nanay Tuneng, to cook his favorite dish - kare–kare. My nanay felt so bad then. My father previously suffered a stroke or cerebro vascular accident (CVA) which left him in very frail health and my mother was reluctant to feed him any food which might aggravate his condition – especially something like kare-kare which is usually made from oxtail or pork.

On the other side of nanay’s heart, however, she really wanted to honor my tatay’s wish as he rarely requested anything, especially since he does not want nanay to get tired.

So after quick consideration, Nanay Tuneng got dressed and told us to watch over tatay and that she’ll be back shortly. She went to the market and when she came back, her basket was overflowing with large crabs, river prawns, squids and a mix of vegetables including native pechay, heart of banana, string beans and eggplants.

We all pitched in and helped her clean the seafood and vegetables while nanay started to roast peanut and rice in a pan. After roasting, she had me pulverize the rice and peanuts with a mortar and pestle. Just like in the old days, we do not have fancy electronic kitchenware when we were growing up, but we had everything we needed in Nanay Tuneng’s kitchen.

After all of these preparations my nanay started to cook. I asked her, “What is this nay (short for nanay).” She responded, pleased with herself,“seafood kare–kare”.

To sum it all up, here is her special recipe: INGREDIENTS: • 6 large crabs • 1 kilo large prawns • 1 kilo of squid

My parents had been married for more than five decades, and they have been inseparable throughout their marriage, until our dear Lord had to call my dad “home” in 1991. I am sharing one of Nanay Tuneng’s most beloved recipes, my father’s favorite, as a tribute to him on Father’s Day. • 1/4 kilo pulverized peanuts • ¼ kilo pulverized rice • 3 tbsp. fish sauce • 1 head of garlic • 1 big onion • 1 tsp. ground pepper • 6 pcs. native pechay • 6 pcs. eggplant • 1 heart of banana • 1 bundle string beans • 12 oz jar raw salted shrimp • 10 cups of water • 2tsp. vegetable oil coconut oil • achuete • NOTE: Pulverized peanut and rice can be substituted with kare-kare mix that comes in handy from stores these days, or creamy peanut butter.

PROCEDURE: Put oil in the pan. Cook the onions and garlic until brown then add ground pepper, fish sauce, all the seafood then let this simmer for 20 minutes. Add the pulverized peanuts and rice, plus 5 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of achuete syrup for color.

After this addition, bring back to a boil for another 15 minutes.

For the last few steps, add the vegetables in this order - banana heart and string beans, then boil for another 5 minutes. Add the pechay and eggplant and boil for another 15 minutes.

Taste for flavor and add fish sauce if desired.

Add the remaining 5 cups of water and boil for another 15 minutes.

TO SERVE: The dish is best served with Nanay Tuneng Bagoong (sautéed shrimps), flavor of your choice, sweet, spicy or regular.

HEALTH TIPS: With the substitution of seafood (instead of oxtail or pork), my father was able to enjoy his favorite dish, lovingly prepared by my mother, without affecting his already frail health.

Here are some of the health benefits of the ingredients used in this dish: • Garlic has been proven time and time again to be good for blood circulation and promotes a healthy heart.

• Onion is good for the lungs.

• Peanuts and seafood are a good source of protein.

• Vegetables are a good source of vitamins and antioxidants that promote good general health.

• Remember, moderation in all foods is the key to a healthy life.

86 BAKASYON GRANDE

BONTOC:

The Province in the Sky

By Vic Albornoz Lactaoen, Photos by Teodoro Pelaez

Crowned by majestic peaks reaching to the sky, it is no wonder that early natives called the heartland of the Cordillera mountain range “bontoc” — a combination of the words “bun”, meaning heap, and “tuk”, which mean top, adjectives that, describe the region’s wild, jagged terrain. Unfortunately the first time I visited my father’s hometown was 4 years after his death in 1979, when my mother prodded my sister to bring me along to the mountain province and meet my other relatives.

I belong to the Bontoc tribe, supposedly the most warlike of the tribes of this majestic region.

t

to the first Spanish settlers however, it was simply “La Montañosa”, a pinecovered haven where the bracing scent of pine lace the air, where wild flowers bloom in abundance, and the clouds occasionally come down from the heavens to caress the mountain tops. It was a vast terrain that comprised the present-day provinces of Ifugao, Benguet, Kalinga, Apayao, parts of Abra, Ilocos Sur and Isabela and, of course, Mountain Province.

Modern-day Mountain Province straddles a mountainous area of approximately 229,231 hectares spread over the 10 municipalities of Bontoc (the provincial capital), Barlig, Bauko, Besao, Natonin, Paracelis, Sabangan, Sadanga, Sagada and Tadian.

Thickly forested mountains are estimated to take up more than 75 percent of the province’s total land area. These forests nurture rare mammalian species and a wide array of trees, such as the native Benguet pine, Philippine hardwoods like tanguile and narra, bamboo, rattan, and an abundance of wild fruits and flowers. Numerous rivers and falls form an interlacing water network, and caves pockmark the mountainsides.

The Brave and Hardy Bontocs For centuries, the strong and hardworking Bontocs lorded over this mountainous region, protected by their homeland’s forbidding terrain. Their sheltered existence, even during the long Spanish occupation, allowed them to carry out their indigenous culture

BAKASYON GRANDE 87

unhampered by foreign influences. To this day, the Bontocs of Mountain Province proudly observe time-honored rituals and traditions that proudly declare a rich heritage and a way of life that still follows the rhythm of the seasons.

During grand cañaos, their thanksgiving ritual, and other festivities, the Bontocs make their gratitude heard by beating on the gang-sa patting — a set of flat gongs with padded sticks. The hypnotic sound reverberates throughout the highlands to proclaim a bountiful harvest from the fertile mountain soil. Their resolute spirit and resourcefulness are perhaps most conspicuous in their extensive stone terracing tradition that produced the imposing engineering marvels carved from the treacherous mountainsides: the worldfamous rice terraces.

Vegetables — Here, There and Everywhere Aside from rice, the limited levels and slopes are intensively farmed and planted to coffee, root crops (camote, cassava, carrots and peanuts) and the sought-after highland tropical vegetables such as cabbages, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes.

Vegetable growing started in Benguet a century ago, when retired American soldier Guy Haight came upon a grassy plateau north of Baguio, in what is now Barangay Paoay in Atok town, and decided to settle there. He promptly built a log cabin and started a farm — asking his parents to ship him a number of vegetable seeds from his native Philadelphia.

88 BAKASYON GRANDE

these regions, to which Mountain Province belongs, grows an astounding 80 percent of the country’s vegetable supply—making vegetable farming a multimillion-peso industry and a main source of livelihood.

Serious vegetable farming started in Mt. Data around the mid-’70s.

The vegetable farms are found on level plateaus and, in many cases, on the sides of the mountain, which slopes from a gentle 15 degrees to a steep 60—degrees. This stretch of vegetable patches hugging the mountainside offers not just a source of income, but a breathtaking sight as well—making it one of the area’s major tourist attractions.

The mountain Trail winds 110 kilometers towards the provincial capital of Bontoc, 6-12 hours from Baguio, depending on road conditions.

In time, with the help of Igorot helpers, he was growing and harvesting an abundant crop of vegetables that included potato, sugar beets, celery, parsley, rhubarb, turnip, cabbage and lettuce, which he sold in Baguio City.

Migrant Chinese laborers who helped the Americans build Kennon Road, saw a lucrative industry in vegetable growing and started intensive farming in neighboring towns. The Kankanaey and Ibaloi natives learned to appreciate the flavors of the new tropical vegetables and stated cultivating their own vegetable farms and gardens.

The demand for the highland products grew, and soon the industry spread to a number of towns in Benguet and now, even Mountain Province — turning the region into a veritable “salad bowl”. Today,

Though offering little beyond pleasant hikes through the pine forests, this is the best place to spend the night along the southern Mountain Trail. I stayed at the Mount Data Lodge – it has the best restaurant in the area and serves a mean chopsuey and other known vegetable dishes from the freshest harvests of the hillsides in the area. It also has a huge fireplace for the cold evenings.

Traveling by bus means staying the night here and enjoying a cultural show presented by the staff who turns out to be the night’s cultural performers. In the morning, hikes away from the town provide a good survey of how rice terraces are maintained. These rice terraces are unlike the more famous one in Banaue. Here, the walls are made from rocks instead of mud. Locals say that their terraces, though smaller than the massive spread of terraces in Banaue, are more difficult to construct, and therefore more picturesque.

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90 TRIPPIN’

Tiendesitas:

Pinoy Products at its Best

By Loraine Balita

After years of staying abroad, your accent might seem different, your look might seem foreign but one thing that I’m pretty sure will forever remain Filipino is your stomach.

You will always, always crave for those Pinoy specialties that you grew up with. I’m sure Nanay’s home cooked sinigang and kare-kare still tops the list of your favorite comfort food, balut is still the best merienda for you and nothing beats suman dipped in our native tsokolate or danggit and fried rice for breakfast.

W

hat if I tell you that now there is a place in Pasig that could cater to all and I do mean all of your Pinoy cravings? A place where you can surround yourself with everything Filipino while gorging on Pinoy specialties you might have missed so much.

Tiendesitas, located in Pasig, showcases the best Pinoy products from different regions of the country. It features an accumulation of small tindahans selling everything from Philippine made furniture, antiques and handicrafts to Pinoy delicacies like balut and suman as well as pets from local breeders. It’s like a posh, much cleaner and organized version of the palengke where you can dine al fresco after haggling for various items all day long.

The entire 30,000 square meter complex located within Frontera Verde features 12 Maranao architecture-inspired structures called villages. Cogon grass roofs, wooden benches, tables and hammocks scattered all over the area give the place a distinctly Filipino feel.

The theme extends even up to the bathrooms with the juxtaposition of ethnic materials and modern bathroom amenities and a kalesa wheel accenting the chandeliers. The entire structure is a modern take on the local nipa hut with stylish twists here and there. Around 500 traders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao come together to this huge bahay kubo to offer visitors a taste of the best Filipino products from their regions.

TRIPPIN’ 91

While it’s easy to get lost in most other markets, here in Tiendesitas products are organized into their villages making it easy to locate thus saving you time. There’s the Delicacies Village which includes shops selling gourmet balut, mango torte, Ifugao rice, coffee alamid, tuna from GenSan, boneless bangus from Dagupan, tropical fruits, as well as specialties like pili nuts from Bicol, macapuno, puto seko,dried mangoes, chicharon, atsara, yema, and even patis or bagoong; the Antiques Village that offers antique arts and crafts; the Fashion Village that features Filipino designers of clothes and accessories from Marikina, Cebu and places in Mindanao who use local materials like wood, pearls and shells; the Plants Village with their local plant and flower shops; the Handicrafts Village with shops selling hand woven bags, banigs, fans, ethnic handicrafts and woven baskets; the Furniture Village that features Filipino made muebles; the Novelty Village that offers novelty items found in most other bazzars; the Pet Village that features licensed local breeders and dealers of even rare species with grooming stations and pet accessories shops; and their big Food Village where you should run off to satisfy your cravings for inihaw na seafood, lechon, bibingka, flavoured suman, okoy, danggit, sinigang, papaitan, tulingan, kare-kare and your mother’s other home cooked Pinoy meals in large bowls. Pinoy bands play here every night. The stage in the middle of shops and food stalls should allow you to listen to live music while enjoying a bottle of beer and a plate of pulutan.

Animal shows like the Chi Hua Hua Club of the Philippines All Breed Dog Show, Mini Pinscher Club of the Philippines All Breeds Dog Show, National Pitbull Terrier Club Dog Show, Feline Fanciers of the Philippines Cat Show, Labrador Club of the Philippines Dog Show and Bird Industry Research & Development Society Bird Show by different groups are also often held here. There are car shows by different car groups, fashion shows, stage plays, parties, food demos, fairs as well as mini concerts hosted by local radio stations.

Although the parking space within the gates of Tiendesitas is quite limited and you would have to go around a few times before getting a spot, there are more parking spaces within the Fonte Verde area outside the main gates of this shopping complex. Tiendesitas itself is open from 12 noon to 12 midnight thus banking on the night market culture. You can start going around in the afternoon and

hunt for great finds until you get the best bargain, then rest on one of the duyans while having mango shake and suman before heading on to another village. At night the place transforms into a thriving night market that should rival Chatuchak, Suan Lum, and Patpong markets in Bangkok.

The place located on the corner of Ortigas Avenue and E. Rodriguez Avenue (C5 Brgy. Ugong), is fairly accessible. There are buses and jeepneys going along C5 road that stops a few meters away from the Tiendesitas main gate. There are also buses plying Cubao and Pasig that pass by the area. From Manila you can take a bus that passes by Ortigas Avenue, you might just have to walk a few meters to get to Tiendesitas.You can also drive along C5 road and find Tiendesitas near the junction of C5 and Ortigas Avenue.

Foreigners in search of Filipino finds often flock the place even on weekdays. Locals often head to Tiendesitas to look for locally made home décor, wood carvings, ethnic fashion accessories, regional cuisine and delicacies even pets. There is a huge accumulation of pet dealers, breeders, groomers and pet accessories shop here so you are sure of big discounts. While others say goods here are more expensive compared to those found in other markets, everything here can be affordable depending on your haggling skills. The place offers a quite comfortable night market experience for balikbayans and stylish introduction to Filipino culture for foreigners. It’s also a safer, much cleaner and organized option for foreigners and balikbayans looking for the best of what Filipinos have to offer.

92 COMMUNITY JUNE 5 GK WALK FOR HEALTH - 5:30 AM at the Corniche Grounds Opposite the Hilton Baynunah Tower. Route – assembly area to Muroor Intersection via the Corniche path and back (5 kms.)

Independence Day Celebrations in Abu Dhabi

SEMINARS at the POLO/OWWA 11AM to 1PM - General Safety and Awareness, Financial Discipline: Loans and Remittance Tips 2PM to 5PM - How Mobile the Phone Works, How to Become a Better Communicator and Leader JUNE 12 FLAG RAISING CEREMONY– Philippine Embassy, 7AM THANKSGIVING MASS – St. Joseph’s, 12 noon

JUNE 19 SEMINARS at POLO/ OWWA 11AM to 1PM – Electrical Safety 2PM – Social Graces and Cultural Practices All Over the World JUNE 26 Cultural Show and Painting Exhibit (venue to be announced), from 3PM to 7PM For further inquiries on the Abu Dhabi events, please call: Fe Abina (Phil. Embassy) at 02-6415922, or Jeth Ramboyong (PID Abu Dhabi Chairman) at 050-5728373

The Original Barrio Fiesta ETA Star Retail and the Ongpauco family, owners of the original Barrio Fiesta chain of Restaurants in the Philippines, recently signed an agreement to open its first restaurant in the UAE. Present at the signing was Ishwar Chugani, Executive Director, ETA-Star Retail Group, and Happy Ongpauco, Director and Vice President for Operations, Barrio Fiesta Group of Restaurants.

Commenting on the new venture, Ishwar Chugani said, “We are confident that bringing Barrio Fiesta to the UAE will be a success and will tap into a niche market that is currently unmet. Barrio Fiesta has a legacy that has excited the palates of millions of people and now we have the opportunity to introduce it to the food lovers in the UAE.”

Established in 1952, Barrio Fiesta has over the years grown to become the leading traditional family restaurant in the Philippines and currently has 50 restaurants in the Philippines and the U.S.A. “This is another milestone in the history of Barrio Fiesta as we cross borders into the Middle East with our first store in Dubai as it is our mission to share the culinary delight of Filipino food with the rest of the

Giordano Awarded Best Service Performance Brand Having been recognized for its high standards of service, Giordano Fashions LLC was awarded Best Service Performance Brand by the Department of Economic Development in Dubai, as part of the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme.

Representing ETA Group and accepting the award on behalf of Giordano Fashions LLC, Ahmed Salahuddin, Director, ETA Group, said, “Service has always been top priority for our operations, both in-store and back office, which adds to

world. Since its inception our family has worked hard to grow the restaurant into the institution it has now become and we look forward to working with ETA-Star Retail to grow the brand in the UAE,” said Happy Ongpauco.

The first restaurant is scheduled of open at Bur Juman Centre later this year.

Left to Right: Liberty Ilagan - Director, Ongpauco Group of Companies, Ishwar Chugani - Director, ETA- Star Retail, Happy Ongpauco Director, Barrio Fiesta International and Consul Gen. Benito Valeriano.

our customers’ overall experience and most importantly, their perception of the brand. We are constantly improving on our existing services and store facilities, reinventing ways to enhance Giordano’s interaction with its customers. Building a relationship with the customer is key, as every satisfied customer is a Giordano brand ambassador.”

Left to Right – Sajid Sayed, General Manager, Giordano Fashions LLC, Ishwar Chugani, Executive Director, Giordano Fashions LLC, Mr Sami Al Qamzi, Director General, Department of Economic Development, His Excellency Engineer Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, and Ahmed Salahuddin, Director, ETA Group.

94 FILIPINISMS

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

Let’s Play Tag BY: ABY YAP

In the Philippines, we have a moniker for practically everyone and everything. No, not the one on your nametag, but rather, a unique way of giving distinction to who and what is around us. It’s originality and familiarity at work, so you’ve got to (1) keep those creative juices flowing and (2) know the goings on around you — from the barangay to the national level – to come up with truly unique names that are high on recall.

So shall we play tag?

Name Game

labels rubbing off on you. So you cease to be simply Juan dela Cruz, you also become known as Kagawad’s kumpare or the Jueteng lord’s disciple.

If your birth certificate could hold all your aliases, it would be a novella! With some Pinoys’ preference for calling you anything but your name — no matter how long or ridiculous it is — don’t be surprised. Add to that our flair for skewering descriptive words, much like we do PHP100 worth of fish balls.

Your hangouts. It could be your place of origin, current address, residential landmark, workplace, or school — anywhere that speaks of your territory. You’re the one from Mindanao, Munti loob, the hut next to the sari-sari store, the Congress, or Mababang Paaralan ng _____.

Okay, example: “Do you know Tabs Taba from Cainta, the daughter of Mareng Bisaya who’s Mayor Terror’s secretary?”

Your ethnic ties. You’ve since become Manila girl/boy when you moved to the metro, but your language and culture wouldn’t go unnoticed. As you speak in the thick “ala, eh” accent, you instantly become the Batangueña. Or, since you cook a nice dish of laing, well, everyone assumes you’re a Bicolana.

See how many identifiers the Pinoy could use to acknowledge a single person’s existence?

Let’s count the ways – Your parents. Like it or not, you’d always live in the shadow (and probably in the house, too) of your mom and dad. Your elderly neighbors, most especially, would forever brand you as the son or daughter of Mang _____ and Aling _____. And depending on who you live with, the apo of Lolo/Lola _____ or the pamangkin of Tiyo/Tiya _____.

Your associations. It isn’t just rubbing elbows with the popular ones; it’s also their

Your occupation. Not only do lawyers, doctors, and engineers use their job titles as ID. There’s also Mandong Masahista and Kris Tsuper, among others. Why, even Tina Tambay has her own title, too!

Your looks. That’s why a lot of dogs in Pinas go by Brownie, Blackie, and Whitie, and why many kabayans are called Negro/Negra and Tisoy/Tisay— that’s for complexion alone. If you have eyes the

size of pancit bihon strands, you’re Intsik; a Shitzu nose, Pango; a toothless mouth, Bungal; a thin-as-stick body, Patpat; a tall-aspole height, Kapre; a limping leg, Pilantod; a bald head, Bokal; etc. Even if you just want to distinguish your many friends who

FILIPINISMS 95 have all been named Baby or Boy, go easy on highlighting their physical features.

You don’t want to be dubbed as _____ Maldita!

Your deeds. Just as your look could earn you your name, so will your most common actuations. Remember Apeng Daldal?

He earned the title for being a parrotreincarnate. If you’re the town drunkard, Lasenggo could be affixed to your name.

And, if you’re the one everyone goes to for the latest chizmax, Tsismosa is all yours to keep.

Rational Symbols Carabao, Philippine Eagle, Barong Tagalog, Baro’t Saya, Tinikling, Milkfish, Sampaguita, Mango, Nipa Hut, Anahaw, Narra, Lupang Hinirang, Sipa.

Do you still recall your pambansang sagisag lessons back in grade school? Bet it was one of those (few) topics in Social Studies, when you didn’t fall asleep in class.

So you already know it by heart. Naks! Now let’s update our list of national symbols to include the “signs” of our times.

Road Transportation – Jeepney. With or without MRT/ LRT, sudden fare hikes, and mega traffic mess, the jeepney remains the commuter’s most affordable and reliable ride. Just a wave or a “Para!” and it would readily stop for you—anywhere, anytime.

Eskinita Transportation – Tricycle.

Like magic, it could squeeze into the most cramped of places. Plus, a trike could hold as much as 10 people—really!

Shopping Bag – Bayong. It no longer belongs to your grandma’s generation alone. The bayong is now the market/mall bag of the fashionable and the environmentfriendly.

Pasalubong Luggage – Balikbayan Box. Its gargantuan size makes for an annoying airport experience for you and other passengers. But all that trouble is worth it once you see your loved ones’ faces light up as they ransack the box.

Goodtime Drink – San Miguel Beer.

Despite the beer belly, this one has kept you company for as long as you could remember.

Iba ang may pinagsamahan, right?

Goodtime Food – Sisig. Why does it taste so good even without rice? Even if you know that sisig is the sure path to heart attack?

Feast Centerpiece – Lechon. No celebration is complete without this engrande delicacy.

And no lechon is complete without Mang Tomas liver sauce, the “pambansang sarsa ng bayan.”

Table Condiments – Patis and UFC ketchup. For soup viands, patis with calamansi makes the meal more sinful. For fried viands and sweet-spicy spaghetti, UFC banana ketchup brings out that distinct taste Filipinos love.

Exotic Delicacy – Balut. Its fear factor is legendary. But taste the boiled duckling (don’t look at its beak) and you’d be waiting for the baluuuuut! vendor every night.

Outing Baon – Adobo. Whether pork or chicken adobo, this salty-sour dish with lots of garlic could last for days without losing its yumminess. What you need when there’s no ref or gas range around.

Breakfast Duo – Kapeng Barako with Pandesal. Dip pandesal, the queen of Philippine bread, into a cup of tough Batangas coffee—and what do you get? A good rush to start the day right.

Bakeshop – Goldilocks. You wouldn’t dare celebrate your birthday without a Goldilocks cake. And any other special occasion, that is.

Fast Food – Jollibee. A Pinoy isn’t a fullpledged Pinoy until he or she hasn’t tasted the wonder that’s crispilicious Chickenjoy.

Warning: this jolly bee‘s sting is addictive and contagious!

Bookstore – National Bookstore. Of course. Could you ever imagine attending school without school supplies, spending Valentine’s Day without Hallmark cards, and going through life without books — all bought from this national bookstore?

Shopping Mall – Shoe Mart. SM is more than shoes or clothes. It’s where the family shops together, stays together every Sunday after hearing mass.

Street Sport – Basketball, Billiards, Boxing. A triple tie for every barangay’s

favorite pastimes. We excel at them, so we play them.

Athlete – Manny Pacquiao. The “Pambansang Kamao” knocks out not only enemies inside the ring; he could also stop crime in Pinas — at least during a fight.

Beat that!

Heroes – Overseas Filipino Workers. Jose Rizal’s plural contemporary counterpart, these ordinary individuals possess superhuman abilities — a mega-sized heart that could hold as much joys and sorrows and a will of steel that doesn’t succumb to homesickness. Plus, they could fly really high without wings.

96 FILIPINISMS

The Annie B (Batobalani) Chronicles

Chronicle

31

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

Photography by Melandro Sangalang

I du !!!

All the Single Ladies!

Haaayyy….ang buwan ng Hunyo.

Panahon na naman ng mga bagyo at baha sa Pilipinas versus umaatikabong tag-init dito sa Dubai. Bukod sa A(H1N1) Swine Flu, usong-uso din ngayon ang kasalan.

Yes!!! Ang pag-aasawa…ang paglagay sa tahimik…ang pag-iisang dibdib…Here comes the bride!!!

Bata pa lang ako ay pinaplano ko na ang aking dream wedding. Syempre, miski sinong babae ay nagangarap ng isang masaya at mala-prinsesang wedding of the year di ba? Minsan ka lang ikasal kaya dapat super duper bongga ang iyong wedding. Kaya’t tuwing may mapapanood akong pelikula, mababasang magazine at makikitang pictures ay nagkakaroon ako ng mga bongang-bongang ideas for my special D Day.

Dapat kasing kulay at kasing ingay ng showbiz ang dating – mala-karnabal!!!

Ang venue: either sa Araneta Coliseum (kung indoor) or sa Quirino Grandstand (kung outdoors at walang schedule ng samba ang El Shaddai).

Ang mga Ninong: Gaby Lopez of ABSCBN, Atty. Felipe Gozon of GMA-7, Vic del Rosario (of Viva Films), Tony Tuviera of TAPE, Inc. (producer ng Eat Bulaga), German Moreno, Boy Abunda, Tito, Vic & Joey at Willie Revillame.

Wowoowee!!! Ang mga Ninang: Susan Roces, Charo Santos, Vilma Santos, Mother Lily Monteverde, Ricky Reyes, Vicky Belo, Lolit Solis, at ang Megastar Sharon Cuneta. Kaya mo ‘yaaaaan???!!!

Plan A. Showbiz Dream Wedding

Ang Bestman: Manny Pacquiao; Maid of Honor: Kris Aquino at Bridesmaids sina Bebe Gandanghari, Marian Rivera at Sarah Geronimo. Wedding Singers sina Ogie Alcasid at Regine Velasquez sa ceremony (O di ba mala-Marimar?) at sina Gary Valenciano at Pops Fernandez kasama ang Maneouvers at Hotlegs sa reception. Taraaaayyy!!!

Kung mapapangasawa ko ay isang tigashowbiz (kesehodang artista, extra o miski cameraman man lang), kailangan truth to the theme ang aking wedding.

Sina Renee Salud at Fanny Serrano ang gagawa ng aking wedding gown.

Parehong may media coverage ang ABSCBN at GMA-7 para walang away.

Let me share with you this very special part of my life: my wedding plans. Ito ay pinag-isipan, pinag-konseptuhan, pinagilusyunan at pinag-sikapan kong matupad at mabuo over the years. Dizzizit!

Plan B. Coño Beach Romance Mula sa sobrang bonggang pangarap ay medyo simple yet special naman itong next plan. Pero stylish at shumo-showbiz pa rin. Invited mostly are socialites and lifestyle celebrities. Kaya dapat isang Makati executive ang maging groom ko dito. Inspired by Nora Aunor and Christopher de Leon’s wedding nuong 70s. Ang venue: Sa Breakwaters ng CCP Complex; ang reception: sa Coconut Palace or sa may bisikletahan sa CCP para malapit lang pero kung sakali mang umulan, sa Embassy Super Club sa The Fort para sosi pa rin.

Ang mga Ninong: Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Manny Pangilinan, TonyBoy Cojuanco, Louie Ysmael, Johhny Litton and Maurice Arcache. Mga Ninang naman sina: Tingting Cojuanco, Mary Prieto, Tessa Prieto Valdes, Kitty Go and Cecile Zamora Van Straten. Sosyal!

Bestman si Tim Yap at Maid of Honor naman si Gretchen Barreto. Bridesmaids naman sina Celine Lopez at Sam Oh. Aba’y ang buong Gucci Gang! Si Rajo Laurel and wedding gown designer at ang catering naman ay courtesy of Margarita Fores. Panalo di ba?

FILIPINISMS 97

Here comes the bride...

Tutugtog ang Bolipata Brothers sa ceremony at reception. Special moments of the wedding will be featured on the Lifestyle pages of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Tatler and People Asia Magazine. O-M-G!!!

Bayanihan Dance Troupe naman during the reception. Ang saya saya di ba?!!!

Syempre, may special coverage din ang wedding ko sa segments ng mga News Programs like TV Patrol at Saksi.

Plan C. Illustrado Filipiniana Wedding

Sa lahat ng kasal ko, Plan A to C, imbitado syempre ang aking mga relatives, former officemates, college and highschool schoolmates at ang buong barangay naming sa probinsya, lalong-lalo na ang mga ex-boyfriends ko, mga dati kong crushes at mga current partners nila. Pati na rin sa mga nag-reject ng invitation ko sa Friendster at Facebook noon. Etong sa inyo!

Eto naman ay may pagka-nationalistic kaya politics ang drama at theme this time. Syempre glamorous at fabulous pa rin since the biggest names in Philippine politics ang invited. Kaya dapat involved din sa politics ang magiging groom ko, weather senator sya, congressman or baranggay tanod.

The wedding venue will be at Luneta, with the monument of our national Hero Jose Rizal as the backdrop. Kung uulan, alternative venue ang Malacañang Palace.

Itodo na natin di ba? Ang mga Ninong: ex-President Erap Estrada, ex-President Fidel Ramos, Senator Manny Villar, Senator Mar Roxas, Senator Panfilo Lacson at Senator Kiko Pangilinan at mga Ninang naman sina: President GMA, exPresident Cory Aquino, Former First Lady Imelda Marcos, Senator Loren Legarda, Korina Sanchez, Sharon Cuneta at si Manila Councilor Cita Astals. Bestman si Chiz Escudero at Bridesmaids naman sina Aiko Melendez at KC Concepcion.

Sina Patis Tesoro, Ben Ferrales at Pitoy Moreno ay magsasanib-puwersa para mag-design ng aking purely Filipiniana wedding gown. Music will be provided by the Philippine Madrigal Singers during the ceremony and the APO Hiking Society back-to-back with Salbakuta with special performances by the Philippine

Plan D. OFW Reality Check Wedding.

Eto naman kailan ko lang nai-sama sa listahan ko. Sakali mang hindi palarin sa pangarap sa buhay, and medyo close to home, ika nga nila. Kapag isang dakilang OFW ang itatadhana sa aking kapalaran… isang mas simple ngunit astig na dream wedding pa rin, syempre. Kung sakali mang itadhana ni Lord na bagong bayani ang aking maging better half – maging Dry Docker man o seaman sya.

The venue will be at the P.O.E.A. Main office at Ortigas Avenue. Originally I was thinking of having the ceremony and the reception at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport kaya lang for sure sandamakmak na permits at red tape pa ang involved kawawa naman ang wedding planners.

Ang mga Ninong at Ninang: sina Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, DOLE Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, United Arab

Emirates Ambassador, His Excellency Libran Cabactulan and wife Mrs. Remedios Fe Cabactulan. Bestman ang bestfriend ng groom ko, kung sino man sya; Maid of Honor ang landlady kong si Ate Lorns at Bridesmaids ang mga BFF kong sina Daisy, Ruby at Nerie.

Chowking at Golden Fork ang caterer sa reception, with performances by Gary Granada and Bayang Barrios. Ifi-feature sa TFC “Balitang Middle East” ang buong wedding from conceptualization upto the actual day mala-Juday & Ryan... o di ba? Inspired?

Ayan ha? As you can see, napaka-flexible ng dream wedding plans ko – para swak sa panlasa ng Pinoy – may matamis, maanghang, maasim at maalat…san ka pa? One thing remains for sure: ako at ako lamang ang star kapag araw ng kasal ko. Dapat lang naman di ba? Once in a full moon

All the single ladies!

98 FILIPINISMS in a million you lang ito mangyayari so I should make out the most out of each.

Carpet Diem!

One – miski kandila man o tissue paper - oh, potpourri! Kasi my hubby smokes those disgusting cigars eh…

Since pagkabata pa, everytime someone would asks me, “What is your dream life?” I would always say, “to be a simple and plain housewife.” As in! Ngayon na modify na: “…to be a plain and simple Jumeirah Jane”. Yun bang, gigising ako ng alas-otso ng umaga, syempre handa na ang breakfast courtesy of my yayas – oo, plural – kasi hindi lang isa o dalawa ang aking household help kundi mga apat excluding the family driver. Me and my porengjer husband, who is an overpaid CEO or bigshot of multinational company, will wake up together, dedma ma-late sya kasi sya naman ang bossing.

Then we will have breakfast with the kids as one big happy family, then ihahatid ko sa gate ng bahay ang mga kids na susunduin ng kanilang school bus, they will kiss me as I hand them their lunch boxes and wave goodbye to them. Then my husband will go to work na. So magsisimula na ang buhay ko…

Then I’ll drop by Spinneys in Al Wasl or Choitram in Umm Sequiem to buy some fresh flowers, veggies and fruits and of course, the latest issue of Ahlan!

Magazine. Tapos magka-kape ako sa Starbucks while scanning the pages of the society magazine that I bought to check if they published my picture from last weekend’s social event. Then I’m done for the day na – ayos na ako sa sarili ko. Now back to family time naman.

Syempre pag-uwi ko to my sprawling 5-bedroom villa with swimming pool and garden, tapos nang gumawa ng homework ang mga kids – thanks to their college graduate yayas – at malapit nang maluto ang dinner. I still have time to catch my favorite TV show until my husband arrives from the office and we all have dinner together with the kids as one big happy family. Aaawww… ang ganda di ba?

I will then go to the gym, spend an hour there, then meet up with my fellowJumeirah Jane amigas for some brunch – siguro sa LimeTree Café, kasi lagging puno ng turista sa Paul’s eh – mag-chichismisan kami for about 2 hours and then sabay sabay kaming magpunta sa Salon or sa Spa in some 5-star hotel along Jumeirah or Sheikh Zayed for some relaxation or beauty treatment. Then pag magkaka-mukha na kami, we part ways, fly na ako sa mall for some shopping.

A new Louis Vuitton bag, or a Chloe dress, or L’Occitane’s latest skin care products, or anything new from THE

Wo! ho! ho! Ho!

Kung Jumeirah Jane ka. Eh pano kung hinde?

Gigising ka ng alas-singko ng umaga to prepare breakfast and baon for your kids. Alas-siete dadating na ang school bus nila at dapat eh bihis na rin kayong mag-asawa by that time kasi aabutan kayo ng traffic kapag 7:30 na kayo umalis ng bahay. Syempre ihahatid ka sa office ni mister kaya dapat mas maaga ka. Pagdating ng lunch time, iinit mo na lang sa microwave ang baon mo – kakain ka sa labas eh ang

laking gastos kaya non? Pag-breaktime hindi ka sa Starbucks magkakape kasi halos pambayad na sa gasul ng kalahating buwan ang isang order ng Frapuccino kaya manghihinayang ka kaya magtitimpla ka na lang ng instant coffee sa office pantry – masarap din naman, libre pa. Natural since madami kang load sa trabaho, wala kang time para mag-gym… maglakad na lang kayo ni mister sa loob ng mall para ma-exercise kayo. Paguwi nyo ni Mister sigurado na namang magulo at makalat ang flat nyo kasi nagwrestling na naman ang mga anak nyo or naglaro ng bahay bahayan. Linis at ayos ka muna. Pulot dito ng laruan, ligpit ng kalat doon. Teka, magluluto ka pa pala ng hapunan nyo! Then maiisip mo hindi pa gumagawa ng homework ang mga anak mo – anak ng… so I ga-guide nyong mag-asawa. Yung school project miski hindi ka marunong kailangan gawin mo.

Pagka-kain nyong lahat wala nang oras – dapat matulog na kundi pag napuyat kayo siguradong hihikab-hikab ka sa office – eh may presentation ka pa naman na kailangang tapusin. Sige trabaho pa sa bahay… tapos bukas ganito na naman ulit.

Eeeeeekkkkkkk!!!!

Hindi ko carry… huwag muna siguro.

Erase-erase… On hold na muna ang mga wedding plans. I’ll wait pa muna for my Prince Charming. In the meantime, masaya pa ko sa pagiging single!

Ehem…calling All the Single Ladies. This is Beyonsey, calling to all you poxy ladies out there ….all the single ladies...all the single ladies...all the single ladies… now put your hands up! Sayaw muna tayo.

Ka’mon Beyoncey!

ho! ho! Ho!

I’m a single lady!

I’m a single lady!

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