ILLUSTRADO Magazine Nov 2012

ISSUE

EDITOR’S NOTE

Photo by Eros Goze

Owning your dark side

“Luke, give in to the dark side!”

not, all of us have a side that we’d rather

Whatever it is, let it all out.

keep hidden from plain sight. You know, Echoes the distinctively ominous voice

that really sordid part of us, that evil

Whilst, there definitely is merit in

of James Earl Jones doing Darth Vader

“mini-me” who’s judgmental, politically-

focusing on the sunny and positive

each time that little devil on my shoulder

incorrect, and who most probably has

side of things, there is also a need

provokes me to react to situations in a

cringe-inducing mannerisms or habits.

to acknowledge that dark part of

not-so-prim-and-proper way, or every

ourselves.

As the saying goes, “light

time I feel the urge to unleash my secret

Since it’s the mysterious month of

cannot exist without darkness.”

self.

November – that time of the year always

by knowing, acknowledging and owning

related to the weird, the supernatural,

our weaknesses, flaws and quirks, that

We are all brought up to be orderly,

oddities, black arts, and yes, the dark

make us complexly human, can we truly

pleasant, walking the straight line, always

side, it’s only appropriate that we come

embrace what we truly and uniquely are.

ready with a “yes ma’am or sir,” ever

face-to-face

agreeable and square – yes square. Even

facets that haunt us.

with

our

Only

not-so-perfect

our idea of beauty is so boxed in - flawless

Owning our dark side also makes us more sensitive and accepting of other people’s

skin, long straight hair, “mahinhin” smile

So which one are you? A closet psycho,

and all.

How about the “pambansang

or a neurotic woman like me? Do you

uniform”? Dress a little bit differently

secretly relish the latest Filipino gossip

So here’s to the month of November. It’s

and people dismiss you as “not one of

or bashing spree on Facebook, or do you

time to live out loud, embrace our gnarly

them.” Sing to a different tune, or march

get affected by the full moon? Do you

serves, warts and all, and live by the noble

to a less than traditional orientation and

have Ashton Kutcher’s webbed feet? Are

words of that softdrink commercial,

you are deviant.

you obsessive compulsive, or have some

“Magpakatotoo ka!”

imperfections.

scandalous habits you can’t even share But even in our “di makabasag pinggan” existence, whether we like to admit it or

with your mate?

LALAINE CHU-BENITEZ Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

CONTRIBUTORS Johanna Michelle Lim

Johanna Michelle Lim is a freelance copywriter and graphic artist from Cebu. She graduated with a degree of Fine Arts in Advertising Arts at the University of San Carlos back in 2008, and has been wandering and wayward since. When she isn’t stuck in the Design world, she keeps busy by engaging in masochistic projects like writing a story or producing one photograph a day. She is forever under construction.

Ana P. Santos

Her formula for a luxurious escapade includes a good book, a pitched tent at the beach and an optional companion.This month, she takes us to Sagada where they find an unlikely—but most effective—tour guide.

Before she was an award-winning public health journalist and Illustrado’s Associate Editor, Ana P. Santos was Assistant Vice-President at a multi-national bank. She hung up her stilettos and traded it along with the parking slot -- for much more comfortable wedges when she blinked and realized that her daughter had grown up and she almost missed it. In this month’s issue, Ana gets under our skin in her story about female tattoo artist, Frances Arbie in “Girl with Ink and a Needle”.

Liza Lacuesta Liza holds a master’s degree in CommunicationResearchfromtheUniversity of the Philippines in Diliman. Liza used to be a Communication Officer of the Mindanao Development Authority, but has left the government agency to join the family business. As her old work has brought her to actual, on-the-ground developments in Mindanao, Liza would only be glad to do her share in putting in a good, happy word or two, about the usually image-challenged island. She does exactly that in this month’s issue in her story about the burgeoning chocolate industry in Davao. Is Philippine chocolate on its way to being alongside its Swiss and Belgian counterparts?

Rache Hernandez

Rache Hernandez graduated from UP-Diliman with a degree inCommunicationResearchand currently works as a writer for a media/marketing company in Dubai. In this episode of spooks and things that go bump in the night, Rache writes about “djinn”, which are often referred to as the third race beings that are like humans, which coexist with humans but can’t be seen by humans. Rache came across “dijinn” when she found out that in Muslim culture, belief in mythical and supernatural creatures like fairies and vampires is forbidden.

Jessie Tabla Eros Goze

Jessie is a Dubai-based freelance make-up artist whose work on international and regional models, celebrities, as well as high flying A-listers has been featured in magazines, ad campaigns, TV commercials, weddings, fashion shows and etc. With over a decade’s worth of professional experience, Jessie’s brand of glamorous beauty has been featured in shows forValentino, Emmanuel Ungaro, Kenzo, Christian Lacroix, Gianfranco Ferre and Tommy Hilfiger, not to mention high profile events such as the Middle East International FilmFest, International Indian Film Academy, Vogue, Bridal Shows in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Distinctively dramatic is one phrase that certainly describes the body of work of Dubai-based freelance photographer Eros Goze. Leaning towards the stylized and edgy, Eros works have graced countless Illustrado covers, Middle Eastern magazines, as well as campaigns for regional home grown brand Splash, and reputed regional and local haute couture houses. In this issue, the photographer moves over to the weird and wonderful to capture some off-the-wall designs from the UAEs up and coming Filipino designers.

Al Manlangit

Al joins Illustrado this month with his story about Lake Como.

Ever the wanderer, Al is an architect who graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Al has been working in Kuwait for the past 25 years as a designer for commercial interiors(offices,banks,showrooms,hotels,restaurants,etc)with a turnkey interior contracting firm. He loves to travel whether on business or on vacation and his ultimate goal is to visit every country on earth - Two abiding passions are landscape photography and reading history books. When he retires, Al says he wants to live in a farm growing mangoes and organic vegetables, master the electric guitar so he can play the blues like Clapton and kick ass with a set of drums.

Publisher & Editor-in Chief Lalaine Chu-Benitez Associate Editor Ana Santos CONTRIBUTING WRITERS UAE, Philippines, USA Aby Yap Anna Lorraine Balita JR Bustamante Bernadette Reyes Jude Cartalaba Bo Sanchez Karen Galarpe Carlito Viriña KC Abalos David Poarch Krip Yuson Excel Dyquiangco Nikka Sathou Flordeliz Samonte Nina Terol- Zialcita Francisco Colayco Rache Hernandez Isabelo Samonte Rome Jorge Ivan Henares Toni Loyola Jack Catarata Sonny Guzman Jesse Edep Vic Lactaoen ART DIRECTORS Tom Bolivar Paula Lorenzo Ron Perez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS UAE Eros Goze Mariyah Gaspacho Christina Linaza Illuminado Ong Donald Rosales CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS PHILIPPINES Enzo Mondejar Dr. Marlon Pecjo Alan Desiderio CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS & FASHION TEAM UAE Jessie Tabla Ginno Alducente Jojo Padua Frankie Melendez 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.illustradolife.com PRINTERS PRINTWELL PRINTING LLC P.O. Box 18828 Dubai, UAE Copyright Illustrado Communications FZ-LLC 2006-2012. 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

50 NOV 2012

Illustrado gets weirdly and wonderfully stylish in this month’s fashion editorial – Version 1.2.1 featuring models Arnand Galabru, Kristina Ferris and Gino Alducente

FEATURES

Djinn: Creatures that go bump in the night 12 Deles to be conferred “Role Model for Peace” award 10 Geek Culture 101 16 Filipino Hollywood Mafia 20 Illustrado’s Believe it or Not 22 Independent Women 40 A Girl with Ink and a Needle 44 The Glocal Davao Cacao 84

COLUMNS

Editor’s Note 1 Contributors 2 Letters 4 Illuminati: A Wonder-Full World, by Itself 8 It’s What I Do 26 KabuhayanEntrepreneurship:CoolShotsPhotobooth28 Kabuhayan Mone: Saving Up for Retirement Spirituality: Do it Afraid 34 Relationships: Unforgiving Wife 36 Illustrado Scrapbook 46 Bayanihan Corner 87 Community 88 Onli in Da Pilipins: Pinoy Fear Factor 90

FASHION

Version 1.2.1 50

PEOPLE AND PLACES

Trippin’: Five Things to Do 72 Pinoy Planet: Meandering around Lake Como 74 Bakasyon Grande: Danum and the Spirit of Sagada 80

74 80

06 TALKING LOUD Write to us at: editor@illustrado.net or join the discussion at IIlustrado Magazine’s Facebook page than two decades of your life doing something, you can’t help but feel lost and unsure about doing anything else. At least that story made rethink my options. I’ve been toying around with some business ideas. Some may sound “off”, but hey, if they could do it, then surely, I can, too.

Yours, Mari _____________________________________ Dear Mari,

Letters to the Editor Dear Illustrado, You’ve outdone yourself this time with last month’s “A Few Good Men” story. It was so refreshing to read a story that highlighted that what makes a man attractive (though all of the men in the article were easy on the eyes *wink*), is not just how he looks, but also what he does to make the world a better place.

I was very impressed with the mix of the classic like David Celdran to the full-on hot Marco Lobregat and Mikael Daez.

Thank you, Illustrado, you made this girl a very happy reader.

Cheers, Aby Dear Aby, Your enthusiasm is infectious and evident even in your letter! It’s exactly the kind of letters that we love to receive – thank you!

Lalaine _______________________________________ Dear Editor, Maraming salamat po for the story about those who went solo and ventured into their own business. I lost my job at the peak of the recession in 2007-2008 and it has been difficult to find work since then. When you’ve spent more

We’re glad that our story has inspired you and given you reason to remain optimistic. We have a monthly Kabuhayan column where we feature business start ups and enterprises. We hope that can give you not just inspiration, but also business ideas to start you on your own.

Best of luck to you, Lalaine ______________________________________ Dear Ms. Benitez, I wish to thank you for your articles, about the local community in Dubai. I’ve been struggling to make myself at home and find some friends with shared interests, not just my aunt who brought me here. It’s not that I don’t enjoy her company, but it will be nice to hang out with other people, too.

Thank you po!

Sheryl de Leon ______________________________________ Dear Miss Lalaine, Salamat po sa Illustrado, Ilang taon nap po ako hindi nakakauwi sa atin. Masaya akong nakakabasa ng balita sa mga nangyayari sa Pinas.

Nagmamahal, Fe _______________________________________

Hi Illustrado, I’m so happy to see that the magazine is now available here in Manila. I’m currently studying Fashion and your fashion spreads have served as an inspiration to me. Unfortunately, I’ve torn a bunch of the issues up to use the fashion spreads as vision boards for my class. Would it be possible for me to get back issues for my leisure reading?

Warm regards, Bianca _______________________________________ Dear Bianca, Thank you for your letter. You may contact our local distributor in Manila to ask about shipping back issues to you. Please call +63917.820.7277.

Best of luck to you and your fashion career. It makes us proud to know that Illustrado, even from miles away here in Dubai, will have some kind of influence.

Lalaine _______________________________________ Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for your features on self-employment.

Having lived here for almost a decade, madami na din akong sideline na pwedeng maging new business if I just put in more time into it.

Gayun pa man, sana mayroon kayong article or information about the other details of setting up a business like permits (resident permits and otherwise), hiring, paying taxes, etc. Helpful po talaga sa amin.

Salamat po.

Rodney _______________________________________

Hello Illustrado,

Dear Rodney,

I must say when I saw the front cover of the first issue that I ever bought (way back in 2010), I have always always bought a copy. Your fashion spreads never disappoint. It’s doubly thrilling for me to see that the designs were all the ingenious creations of Filipino designers!

Thank you for your suggestion. I’ll confer with the editorial team and see when we can such a story.

Taas noo, Filipino!

Jo

Warm regards, Lalaine _______________________________________

10 ILLUMINATI

A WONDERFULL WORLD,

BY ITSELF

by Krip Yuson

Among trivia curiosa I’ve recently found remarkable via the Internet is a series of photographs billed as Jiadang or Family Stuff — showing relatively poor Chinese families in remote areas posing before their homes with their material possessions lined up alongside or behind them.

Chinese photographer Huang Qingjung embarked on the photo project in 2003.

The text intro for the series goes: “They say we live in a materialistic age.

Everyone seems to be some level of a hoarder with countless possessions that they consider essential to function in the modern world. Laptops, smartphones, e-readers, tablets — how would one live without them?...”

The photographer delves into this question of how many things we own, electronic

Illustrado Magazine

and otherwise. He asks families “to empty all of their belongings in front of their house to pose for a picture with everything they own.” Surprisingly, most families comply with his request. Despite their humble means, most own TV sets and satellite dishes — reflecting not so much on materialism, but “the shift in what people deem (to be) staples of the home with the progression of time.”

I’ve seen somewhat similar photo series where outsized families or clans are also posed in front of their abodes in their best finery — also in remote parts of China.

There’s another showing typical families in various countries posed with the kinds of food they consume in a week — to give a graphic comparison of food staples as well as rates of consumption.

Oh, what diverse communities and cultures we have in our global village — even as it’s now joined together so much more by electronic advances.

Also recently, an interesting feature in the History channel showed the “secrets” behind the construction of certain historical landmarks in the USA — including the Washington Monument obelisk, the Empire State building, the Mt. Rushmore monument… It seems that Freemasons and obsessed capitalists complemented the vision thing with a partiality for visual symbols as representations of mystical lore.

Sometimes one gets to wonder: Whatever happened to the validity of Sigmund Freud’s contention that “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”?

ILLUMINATI 11

against the appalling forces of government control.

Well, there’s another saying that sometimes does apply: “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that no one’s out to get you.”

Us humans, or should I say you humans, we/you love to make simple matters complex, attaching motifs and threads of significance to whatever we see, make, build, or are gifted with, by fellow human beings or via natural phenomena.

No doubt, too, the varieties of cultural templates will remain despite the increasing connectedness within Planet Earth. Well, vive le difference! Hurrah for all the variations and variegations as are now being effected on flora that accept such processes of mutation.

Thus, there’s a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, and finding a four-leafed clover means good fortune. Pinoys used to put salt and rice beneath dwelling foundations, and still ask Catholic priests to go around the available spaces during a “housewarming” to sprinkle “holy water” all over.

Not that I’m knocking superstition, inclusive of religious faith. But at best these can all be interpreted as the workings of fertile imagination that attempts to lift up lives made dreary from the quotidian of ordinary living.

In our own islands, still evident is the manifestation not only of cultural differences, but purported ideologies, and what is now alarming if not amusing, the apparent slowdown in the exercise of rational faculties.

The mundane is made marvelous. That’s always been the start of playtime.

The kneejerk reaction and the inflamed passion are what pass for daily attempts at soaring over mundane drudgery.

The Philippine Congress “crafts” a bill that is seen to ensure compliance with civility where it concerns the nether area of cyberspace. Activists, “hacktivists” and word warriors (not confined to bloggers) counter with cries of e-Martial Law in their best effort to glorify imagined heroism

In this instance, however, while I initially joined the protest over the overdone provisions and vague wording of that law erroneously signed by the President, our President, and certainly still my President, methinks the paranoia has been overblown — even suggesting to the even more gullible that Big Bro is out to get everyone who says anything contrary to a positive appreciation of people AND the government.

No such thing. Congressmen and senators simply make mistakes. And the President was ill-advised to preserve harmony between the Executive and Legislative branches of government by signing the bad bill into bad law.

It will not stand. It will be thrown out by the Judicial branch, or repealed or amended somehow. And all of that tempest in a glass of salabat will fade in time.

Of course, that it will is not the same as saying that no lessons are forthcoming — the primary one being that people are strange, often inadvertently, and that most of them could be smoking extraordinary stuff.

A cigar often being just a cigar, we should all just relax and marvel at the weird and wonderful phenomena Nature provides, without attempting much to rival those by our own actions and varied if dismal ways of thinking — wired as we are, or not.

12 NEWS

Deles to be conferred “Role Model for Peace” award and Advocacy coordinator Beatriz Colmo.

Overall, 100 women in all six countries were nominated for the international award.

Manila, Oct. 9 – Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles was conferred the Philippines’ “Role Model for Peace” award by the Asia-based N-Peace Network, a multi-country network facilitated by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with the support of Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

The awards ceremony was graced by President Benigno Aquino III who addressed the awardees from Nepal, Sri Lanka, TimorLeste, Indonesia and Afghanistan, and the N-PEACE network that honors leading peace advocates in Asia. Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee also gave a speech via a taped message.

The awarding comes after the Aquino Administration announced the forging of the framework agreement between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Kuala Lumpur Sunday.

In his speech, Aquino recognized the “tireless efforts” of Deles and Leonen and his panel, with all the staff of OPAPP in making the breakthrough happen.

Now on its second year, the N-Peace Awards aim to “recognize the untiring efforts of women across its network countries, who have demonstrated capacity and experience in the field of conflict resolution and prevention and peace building.”

From the four nominees in the country, Deles, who spearheads the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), obtained the highest online votes via the N-Peace Network’s website. Other nominees included former OPAPP head Anabelle Abaya, Mindanao Peoples’ Caucus Secretary General Mary Ann Arnado and Coalition of Mindanao Indigenous Peoples for Peace

Illustrado Magazine

The online voting, which began in March and ended last July, served as a platform to identify and showcase the work of peace builders and women leaders in Asia.

A documentary on the awardees will be produced and shared online to highlight their work in preventing, resolving, and helping their country recover from the armed conflict.

Also receiving the award as role models for peace this year in their respective countries are Radha Paudel of Nepal; Rupika Damayanthi De Silva of Sri Lanka; Mana Lou of TimorLeste; Suraiya Kamaruzzama of Indonesia; and a tie for Afghanistan that includes Farkhunda Zahra Naderi and Quhramaana Kakar. Woman peace champion Deles was the first woman to be appointed to head OPAPP, which is mandated to oversee, coordinate, and integrate the implementation of the comprehensive peace process.

It is a position she first held from 2003 to 2005 during the first term of the previous administration.

Under her leadership, the Philippines became the first country in Asia-Pacific to adopt a National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 (Women, Peace and Security).

Prior to being a peace adviser, she was actively involved in civil society and grassroots organizations that advance women’s rights, peace, and poverty alleviation. She was also a student activist for human rights in the 1970s.

Deles made significant contributions in civil society and spearheaded non-government organizations. She is among the founders of PILIPINA, recognized as the first women’s

organization in the country to espouse a “homegrown feminist” line. She also helped form the Social Development Index, Coalition for Peace and Asian Women’s Research and Action Network. Since the founding of the Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute in 1991 until 2001, she served as its executive director. Afterwards, she was appointed as the secretary of the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

In 2006, after her first stint as peace adviser, Deles co-founded the International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov) where she served as managing trustee and focal trustee for peace and security sector governance issues.

Recognized for her accomplishments and contributions in various areas of leadership and governance, Deles was among the 1,000 women nominees for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize; a recipient of the Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Award for Peace Advocacy and Conflict Resolution; and The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) award.

In 2011, she received the Metrobank Professorial Chair for Public Service and Governance Award. At present, Deles continues to be deeply involved in peace work and conveyed firm resolved to continue working for peace. “The bottom line is that ending all internal armed conflicts in the country will not be easy, but it is something that we will not let go.”

“The daily toil and toll of keeping and making peace can challenge even the most persevering among us. It’s not an easy job to keep the parties to a conflict to be consistently committed to dialogue, and to keep reminding them until you are red in the face that there are other ways of resolving issues than just by force of arms. It is not easy, but we persevere, because our people cannot afford to suffer again and anymore.”

14 FEATURE

DJINN

Creatures that go bump in the night

November holds another tradition for many Filipinos; mostly of trading spook stories about creatures of the night – the tikbalang, the aswang and manananggal. In the Middle East, tales of the supernatural are dominated by the djinn. Rache Hernandez tells us more.

By Rache Hernandez

Illustrado Magazine

FEATURE 15 In contrast to the Filipinos’ endless list of creatures, which can be compared to a starstudded Halloween party, our brothers in the Muslim world have a one-man show, graced only by the djinn. (scary sound effect here, please).

What are djinns?

The website Djinn universe cites the chapter entitled Surah Al Aaraf in the Quran, which decribes Djinns as created from fire, in the similar sense that angels were created from light and humans from clay1. All throughout the Quran, djinns and humans are mentioned together but in a manner that indicates that they are two different creations. And, although djinns can see humans, we cannot see them.

Despite an independent existence, djinns have human-like characteristics. Billal Saeed, a graphic artist in Dubai Media City and a firm believer in djinns, expounds on the human-like aspects of djinns: “Like humans, djinns live in communities, get married, have children, etc.” Despite this, the Quran maintains that humans remain superior to djinns. Backer Jamous, a devout Muslim who has been observing Islamic rituals such as fasting since he was seven, puts it to the extreme by believing that “djinns are nothing and so don’t deserve even to be thought of.”

The bad djinn

Filipinos love scary stuff - getting scared, scaring the wits out of other people and concepts so scary that they encourage the mind to forsake logic. The number of Shake, Rattle and Roll movies proves this.

(Fourteen! In case you were wondering.

Even Nightmare on Elm Street has only nine films in the series.) There are so many Shake, Rattle & Roll movies that, were the film inclined towards sports, they could play basketball all by themselves, with some acting as referees.

It is on All Saints Day and All Souls’ Day that the Philippine Scare Squad has a field day. On these days, the fright fest reaches its pinnacle, with horror stories told over loved ones’ tombs, more exchanged over drinks and the best ones told on evening talk shows and broadcast to the world. On these days, the best tales from the crypt are told, heavily populated by creatures that transcend generations such as the kapre, white lady, tikbalang, aswang, manananggal and more.

Djinns can be good or bad, and while other djinns remained firm believers of Allah, djinns who followed Shaytan (a djinn who fell from the grace of Allah because he refused to bow to Adam1 ) have made it their sole purpose to misguide humans from the path of holiness, which they accomplish through evil suggestions, beguilement and making evil appear good.

Djinns in the modern world Although they are the stuff of ancient doctrines and traditional folklore (Aladdin’s Genie from 1001 Nights is also a djinn), the existence of djinns has likewise captured the fancy of modern people. In mid-2012, the film Djinn was produced and shot in the UAE by Abu

16 FEATURE

Manifestations of djinns: Are they real? Some people day so, some say no

Mohammed Hamdan, a website administrator in Dubai, saw first-hand a mutawa (cleric) exorcising a djinn from a 40-year old woman’s body. “The mutawa was repeatedly asking the “friend” (djinn) to come out from the woman’s body. He was asking him questions, repeatedly forcing him to tell him his name. At one point, the mutawa brought out a needle and, with it, he pricked the woman’s index finger,” recounts Mohammad. “To everyone’s horror, particularly the woman’s, the finger elongated to abnormal proportions for an entire minute, a proof that the “friend” was finally getting out of the woman’s body. I saw with my own eyes that the finger started to grow longer. It was very scary. After all that, the woman became normal again.”

Dhabi Imagenation. Filmed in Ras Al Khaimah and directed by Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist fame, the supernatural thriller is set several years in the future and follows the story of a fictional young Emirati couple who move into an apartment, eventually discovering that their neighbours are not exactly human.

Even academics are equally enthralled. In 2011, Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Philip J. Imbrogno, scientists involved in the paranormal and supernatural, published the book entitled “The Vengeful Djinn: Unveiling the Hidden Agendas of Genies”, which presents their findings on the nature of djinns, their purpose and how to counter them. The book is startling because, in their investigations, the co-authors employed extensive methodologies including case studies, folklore, the Quran and even the latest theories on alternate realities and the idea of a multiverse (as opposed to a universe) in the Quantum Physics field3.

Illustrado Magazine

Djinns remain mysterious entities, however. And although there is a Quran chapter dedicated to them, it does not offer a plain definition of who they really, creating a thick shroud of mystery.

“I don’t really know what djinns are,” says Keltoum Ahfid, a Moroccan who works as an Arabic Copywriter in Dubai. “Except what the Quran mentioned about djinns being made from fire, I don’t know anything else that is concrete,” she adds.

Greatest danger to man According to Guiley’s website, djinns may be one of the greatest dangers to ever present itself to the human race as they may be behind hardto-explain events including UFOs, ghosts, poltergeists and the like1.

Whatever they are, whatever it is they can do, their very existence cannot be doubted. And because of their mysterious nature, djinns will remain to be the sole stuff that horror tales, Middle-Eastern style, are made of.

What Mohammad saw strengthened his belief that djinns are real. “Even non-believers, upon seeing that, would start to believe,” he declares.

Billal Saeed, a Dubai-based graphic artist, also retells his mother’s story: “When my mother was young, she witnessed an uncle during a visit suddenly becoming stiff, with foam coming out of his mouth, eyes turning red and speaking in a different voice.

“In the middle of the visit, the uncle asked my mom if she wanted sweets. When she answered yes, the uncle conjured up a platter of sweets from his shawl (usually worn during cold weather). The sweets were sizzling hot, as if they just came out of the oven. The entire family believed that he was possessed by a djinn so they asked an expert to exorcise him.

“During the exorcism, the djinn explained that she had possessed the man because she liked him.

The uncle was “cured” and came back to visit several times after that. But one day, he simply disappeared. The family tried looking for him, but we have failed so far. We haven’t seen him for 30 years. We believe the djinn has something to do with his disappearance.” http://www.djinnuniverse.com/

18 FEATURE

GEEK CULTURE 101:

By Regina Layug Rosero

Maybe you’re a geek and you don’t know it.

According to GEEK magazine, a “geek” is synonymous to an expert, someone who has managed to leverage their particular area of knowledge or expertise into a job. A geek would do the same thing for free because he or she really can’t help it. (It’s just the way they’re wired.) So the question isn’t who these geeks are, because they’re all of us. The question is: What kind of a geek are YOU? The stereotypical geek is male, anywhere from age 14 to 40, wears glasses, has no idea how to talk to girls, and likes to spend time playing board games and role-playing games with his friends in his mother’s house.

If this is still your definition of geek, then you’ve been living under a rock.

Geeks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, languages and colors, songs and dances, ages and ethnicities. In fact, Google “Geek vs. Nerd” or “types of geek” and you’ll get info graphics, charts and lists that claim to whittle down all variants into definitive categories.

Illustrado Magazine

You can probably think of a few other types of geek yourself. Some people are fitness geeks, or food geeks, or more! And geeks are very rarely just one type. People are often several types of geek all at once, choosing to focus on one type or another depending on the occasion.

Geek culture, Pinoy-style Social interaction is a fundamental human need, and geeks are no different. Many geeks spend much of their lives feeling a little bit different from everyone else.

Much like Bruce Wayne’s grief and Clark Kent’s alien DNA, geekness can set you apart from your peers. Geeks can be pretty

intense, and their vast knowledge can alienate. So when geeks find other geeks, they just converge. The sense of belonging, of acceptance and of understanding can be pretty overwhelming and exciting.

What’s more, when you’re talking about your passions, it doesn’t matter what age you are, what school you went to, what job you have, where you live or what your last name is. In fact, your geek friends will probably know you better by your geek nickname or affiliation—I have friends who think of me as Rej of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers.

FEATURE 19

In the Philippines, geek communities are pretty prevalent. There are anime organizations, collectors’ forums, costuming clubs, comic book fans and more. While Pinoys have been geeking out for decades, the fans didn’t start organizing themselves until the rise of Internet use in the nineties. When online phenomena such as ICQ and forums were born, what else were people going to talk about but the things they loved?

Many local fan groups were born in the early 2000s, and grew in venues such as Yahoo! Groups and forums. Now it’s so easy to make a Facebook group, a Twitter account or a Tumblr page.

If you’re going to form a fan club, it makes sense that the next step would be to organize your own events to celebrate your favorite geekdoms. The very first Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention, more commonly known as the Toy Con, was held in SM Megamall in 2001.

New Worlds: The First Philippine Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention was held in Makati in March 2003. Since then, many other events have come and gone, and quite a few have become geek institutions. Cosplay Mania, organized by Cosplay.ph, now has so many attendees that they require two large function rooms in SMX Convention Center.

Komikon, which celebrates Filipino comics and their creators, takes place twice a year, and even has an off-shoot event called Komikon Indieket, which focuses on independent artists and writers.

While these conventions are still nothing like the San Diego Comic-Con or other big conventions in the US, the local scene is quickly catching on. Sponsors are joining the bandwagon and handing out big prizes for cosplay, toy modification and prop-building contests. Guests fly in from other countries to sign autographs and give lectures. News crews interview attendees and celebrities take part in ribbon-cutting ceremonies. With superhero movies becoming blockbuster hits and big celebrities coming out of the geek closet, it’s no wonder geek has become chic.

So what do you think of geeks now? Eeek or chic?

20 FEATURE

So, where do you find other geeks?

To save you the trouble of sifting through search results, here’s a quick list of the different types of geek:

COSTUME GEEK – Armor, feathers, fur, body paint. To this geek, the best way to express love for a movie, TV show or comic book is by dressing up as their favorite character. Some geeks like to be called “cosplayers,” while others prefer the term “costumer.” Yes, there’s a difference!

SCI-FI/FANTASY GEEK – Some geeks specialize in sci-fi like Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, and will devour them in any genre. Others prefer fantasy in any form, like A Song of Ice and Fire, on which the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones is based. Many geeks like both!

TOY GEEK – Others aren’t satisfied with watching a movie or wearing a costume.

Action figures, first editions, boxed sets, life-sized statues and props, autographed posters—there’s no telling how much these collectors are willing to spend on collectibles.

TECH GEEK – The really hardcore techie might swear by Linux or wouldn’t be

Illustrado Magazine

caught dead in an Apple store. For them, the tech you use dictates your identity. The most passionate tech geeks probably advocate the wisdom of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Linus Torvalds.

FILM/THEATER GEEK – This geek probably has a favorite actor, director, writer, or maybe even special effects artist. This is the person you go to if you need to know which movie came first, which song came from which musical, and how many actors have played James Bond.

GAMER – Here’s another way to be the character you love. Some geeks are such big fans of a video game that they’ll line up for hours outside the game store. Others prefer board games much more complicated than your usual Monopoly or Scrabble.

COMIC BOOK GEEK – There’s more to comics than Superman or Iron Man. While some are strictly Marvel or DC fans, there are geeks who specialize in less mainstream publishers like Image Comics or Dark Horse.

Well, there’s Fandom Café in Cubao, Quezon City, which houses a special science fiction and fantasy library. Run by the New Worlds Alliance, membership will give you access to a wide variety of titles, many of which are hard to find. Game enthusiasts can attend All aBoard Free Game Day, run by the Gaming Library in Robinson’s Galleria, where you can just show up and play board games for free, all day!

GeekFight Trivia Night comes in two flavors. The Classic Edition, organized

by Paolo Cruz, takes place in different bars in Pasig or Makati.

Committee GeekFight happens once a month in Quantum Café, Makati. At P100 per person, you get a chance to show off your special brand of geek knowledge, and the prizes come in the forms of board games, movie merchandise or gift certificates from sponsors.

Of course, it’s inevitable to find geeks in toy stores, comic book stores and bookshops.

You just have to figure out: what type of geek do you want to hang out with?

22 FEATURE

The Filipino

MAFIA

Last year, Illustrado reported on the adobo and sticky rice-loving group in Hollywood.

Known as the Filipino Hollywood Mafia, they have made Filipino talent shine in Tinsel town. Excel V. Dyquiangco introduces us to two of the group’s active members - Au and Maurice Maurico Excel V. Dyquiangco

Au and Maurice Mauricio

It is no longer a surprise that more and more Pinoys are establishing a name for themselves in Hollywood. With some Pinoys taking to the limelight and others in the background, the Filipino presence is fast becoming the norm.

The ever-growing list now includes Filipino-Mexican Jessica Sanchez who finished 1st runner-up in the American Idol competition, Matthew Libatique, screenwriter and producer of Independence Day and Godzilla and Dean Devlin, Black Swan cinematographer.

“It brings us much joy to see Filipino talent given global recognition; truly Pinoy pride!”

Illustrado Magazine

says freelance make-up artist Paula “Au” Mauricio who now shuttles between Los Angeles and Manila. “A lot of the globally known designers, producers, actors, singers are friends of ours, and we are privileged to know their humble beginnings. It is just heart-warming to see their works flourish.”

Mauricio, together with her husband freelance fashion photographer Maurice, are members of the Filipino Hollywood Mafia (FHM), group composed of Pinoys working in the television, film and the fashion industry—basically those who work the entertainment scene.

“It is a group that promotes awareness of

the Filipino talent in the Hollywood scene,” says Au. “For FHM specifically, since it has a Facebook Group, it allows members to share their recent works, accomplishments, gigs, movies, job opportunities, among others. It really keeps us connected.” Mau adds that it was their friends, Emmy awardwinning producer Michael Carandang (whom Illustrado featured in 2011), actor and producer Giselle Tongi-Walters and news reporter and writer Yong Chavez who recommended them to be part of the group.

“Having the opportunity to shoot both in Los Angeles and in Manila is awesome!” she says. “Maurice and I have both had a lot of enjoyable work.”

FEATURE 23

Pinoy Bayanihan at Work In October 2009, Maurice was able to hold an exhibit of his work at LA Fashion Week, dubbed as the “Passion Revealed Show”. The exhibit was also featured in Balitang America. His work can has also been featured in various advertisement campaigns and magazines.

One of Maurice’s more notable campaigns was one for French cosmetic giant, Sephora.

Au, meanwhile, has done make-up for America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) Cycle 18 British Invasion winner Sophie Sumner.

She has also headed the hair and make-up creative team of a fashion show featuring Furne One in LA Fashion week. It was no small task considering that she had to manage 30 make-up artists, 10 hairstylists, 60 models and 20 dancers.

“Showing our bayanihan spirit is very inspiring,” she says. “It helps promote awareness that there are a lot of talented and creative Filipinos in the industry. I love that I no longer hear ‘Where’s the Philippines or what are Filipinos?’ from foreigners.”

Because of such achievements in the industry, FHM loves to give back to the community and share our talents with the whole world. “The more that we individually become successful in our chosen field and we collaborate with other Pinoys, the higher the chances of increasing Pinoy Pride globally!” says Au. “If we have an opportunity and an option to choose the people we work with, why not find Filipino talent? For example, America’s Next Top Model All Stars Allison Harvard recently modeled and endorsed BenchTM in the Philippines. Through the recommendation and trust of Michael Carandang, we were fortunate to work and spend a lot of time with her while she was in the Philippines.

We also did an advertisement campaign for G Fine Body Art in Los Angeles with Allison as the model. With all of Allison’s international followers and fans, we are proud to be getting compliments all over the world because of the work we’ve done with her.”

“It helps promote awareness that there are a lot of talented and creative Filipinos in the industry. I love that I no longer hear ‘Where’s the Philippines or what are Filipinos?’ from foreigners.”- Au Mauricio Getting Back to the Race And what about all those stories that we hear about race?

“I guess we just have to live with racial indifference--I don’t want to use discrimination as it feels negative--as we see it on the news not only in the US, but also all over the world,” says Mau. “But with a lot of talents emerging from different parts of the world, it just makes you wonder if there is such [a thing as] an inferior race.

With FHM, we are reminded that we are Filipinos in American entertainment making a difference in our own fields, with the support of our fellow Filipinos in the industry.”

“In my opinion, it’s not so much race as the issue,” adds Au. “If you were born and raised in California, I think you have the same opportunity as everyone else.

There are so many successful Filipinos in different lines of work, not only in TV, film or fashion. I think if you moved to the States after high school or college; that seems to be more challenging. It’s difficult because you really start your network from zero. I’ve experienced this and the feeling of “second class citizen” is really there. You don’t have classmates or cousins or family friends from when you were young that are

now doctors, lawyers, directors, managers, CEO’s and others. In order to succeed, you always need to work an extra mile to be noticed -- although this is a blessing in itself and since Filipinos work an extra mile all the time, we have every opportunity to shine. What’s missing is sharing this with the world, to be globally recognized, which is bridged by groups like FHM and publications such as Illustrado!”

From MNL to LA and back Maurice and Au have recently opened a photo and make-up studio in Manila called Bottega Studio. “After living in the States for over twelve years, we recently moved back to Manila early this year. We are now bi-coastal, living both in Manila and Los Angeles. We still maintain clients in LA and we go back every 3-4 months for 3 weeks at a time. As individuals, through our work, we aim to continue to bridge the Philippines to the international scene.”

Hollywood, and the movies that have entertained us for generations, has been called America’s greatest export to the world. And with the FHM growing in number and in recognition, is Pinoy talent on its way to becoming one of the Philippines’ greatest exports to Hollywood?

24 FEATURE

Illustrado’s

Sagada Hanging Coffins

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

With 7,107 islands, 17 regions, and 80 provinces, the Philippines is as diverse as your all-time favorite halo-halo. Add this to the fact that the Pinoy spent eons in the wilderness, three centuries in a convent, and 50 years in Hollywood-we’ll probably spend the next era on cyberspace, it is no wonder that we may strike you as a little strange.

by Aby Yap

But hey, as you’ll see in list of weird, wacky, and wonderful things in our country, you’ll discover that it’s more fun in the Philippines. Believe it or not!

Thirty meters beneath the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig lies the 2.24-kilometer-long and 4 meter-wide Fort Bonifacio Tunnel, constructed by native Igorot miners using only pick and shovel in the 1900s.

The metal fixtures of the world’s first steel church San Sebastian Church are supposedly designed by no less than the French engineer Gustave Eiffel of the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

Illustrado Magazine

The Molo Church in Iloilo City houses the most number of female saints: Juliana, Lucia, Rosa de Lima, Teresa, Clara, Cecilia, Margarita, Marta, Marcela, Apolonia, Genoveva, Isabel de Ungria, Monica, Felicia, Ines, and Maria Magdalena.

While the enchanted Mount Makiling in Los Baňos, Laguna purportedly gives rashes to anyone who takes something out of the mountain, the nearby Magnetic Hill will have a car with its engine off rolling uphill defying gravity.

Having nobody to manage the Honesty Coffee Shop in Ivana, Batanes, it relies on the customers’ honesty alone. Take an item, jot it down in the notebook, leave

your payment in the drop box, and get your change as necessary.

The Angono Petroglyphs in Binangonan, Rizal, featuring 127 human figures as well as frogs and lizards engraved on the cave’s rock walls, are recognized as the oldest art in the country dating back to 3000 BC. Built in 1845, the Underground Cemetery in Nagcarlan, Laguna is 15 feet below the chapel! It also served as the secret hideout of Katipuneros in the 1896 Revolution, Filipino patriots during the Filipino-American War, and the guerillas during World War II. In the middle of the sea in Catarman,

FEATURE 25 Philippine Eagle

Fiesta Celebration

Philippine Whale Shark or Butanding

Camiguin stands a majestic cross to mark the town’s Sunken Cemetery, which rests 20 feet underwater following Mount Vulcan’s four eruptions from 1871 to 1948.

Quiapo has got it all for the typical Pinoy: miracles from the Black Nazarene, magic anting-antings, herbs and potions, lucky charms, the fortune told, and pirated DVDS and branded imitations.

Burial of the dead varies among regions.

The Itnegs want their dearly departed under the house, while the Apayaos prefer theirs under the kitchen area. Cavitenos would rather be entombed in the tree trunk of their choice, while Pawalenos have theirs inside Manunggul jars. Sagada folks, conversely, hang the coffins on mountain cliffs.

There’s always something to celebrate every month, called Fiesta: patron saints, historical events, footwear, boats, bamboos, lanterns, flowers, fruits, vegetables, coconuts, rice cakes, cheese, seafood, carabaos, lechons, ducks, kite flying, cock fighting, and even aswangs.

When there’s a feast, it’s merrymaking to the extreme! Gay kababayans hold

their own Santacruzans. Water dousing is religiously observed during Saint John the Baptist’s Day. Only smiling masks are allowed in the MassKara Festival.

For unmarried women and childless couples, there’s Saint Clare of Assisi.

Dance on the streets of Obando, Bulacan on May 18 for a lifetime partner or a little one. For clear weather, offer eggs at the Monasterio de Santa Clara.

Found in the Philippines are some of the World’s Biggests: flower (Rafflesia), pearl (Pearl of Lao Tzu/Allah), bats (Giant Flying Fox and Golden Crown Flying Fox),

26 FEATURE

Producers of the world’s most expensive Coffee Alamid at $30 per cup reside in the Philippines: the Palm Civets. They pick the ripest and sweetest coffee cherries, eat them, and excrete the beans that are turned into coffee.

The minor planet Biyo with a diameter of four to nine kilometers, positioned between Mars and Jupiter, was named after its discoverer Dr. Josette Talamera-Biyo, a teacher at the Philippine Science High School in Iloilo.

Another Filipino brainchild to join the mobile work of art called jeepney finally arrived: the bamboo taxis in Tabontabon, Leyte. Their colorful banig exterior is hard to miss and just one of the things that makes it unique and quirky. It’s also made of 90% bamboo including the chassis and run on coconut biodiesel.

Dancing traffic enforcers, dancing flight attendants, and the most famous of them all, dancing inmates! In 2007, the YouTube video of over 1,500 convicts in Cebu performing Thriller a la Michael Jackson as part of their fitness program became viral and has 50 million views to date. eagle (Philippine Eagle), reptile (Saltwater Crocodile), fish (Whale Shark), living bivalve mollusk (Giant Clam), Catholic church bell (Pan-ay Church’s in Capiz is biggest in Asia), shoes (Marikina), and coconut-made structure (Coconut Palace).

underground river (the 8.2-kilometer Puerto Princesa Underground River, among the New 7 Wonders of Nature, comes in second) , snake and reptile (Reticulated Python), and Christmas celebration (September to January).

No Pinoy comes home without any pasalubong—whether it’s a shirt or candy— to distribute to family and friends. Hence, the balikbayan box, that signature giant package next to a Filipino returnee in any airport.

We also have the World’s Smallests: volcano (Taal Volcano), bat (Philippine Bamboo Bat), hoofed mammal (Philippine mouse deer), freshwater fish (Dwarf Goby), commercial fish (Sinarapan), and shell (Pisidum).

Three hundred new species have been recently added to our list of natural treasures. Toxin-producing sea slugs, nocturnal sea pens, red sea stars and urchins, pink corals, stomach-inflating swell sharks, shell-less lobsters, driftwoodfeeding starfishes, and laughing cicadas are just a few.

With the Internet, everything else seems to have leveled up! The Pasyon, whose tempo has grown varied over time with grandma/ rock/hip-hop/rap style, is now online along with Visita Iglesia and Quiapo Church masses. There’s also e-Burol, viewing your dearly departed’s wake online, so you can do lamay 24/7.

Here goes our share of the World’s Longests: coastline (top 5 with 36,289 kilometers),

Illustrado Magazine

ADVERTORIAL 27

Nikon D600 launched in the UAE Nikon in association with Grand Stores has released its lightest and smallest FX Format DSLR camera in the UAE. Despite having the smallest and lightest body among Nikon FX-format cameras, the D600 offers advanced performance. It is equipped with a new FX-format CMOS image sensor with 24.3-million effective pixels and the same EXPEED 3 imageprocessing engine built into high-end Nikon DSLRs (D4, D800, D800E) for superior definition and image quality.

The newly launched Nikon D600 is extremely portable, yet it offers the superior image quality and rendering performance, operation, and durability of high-end FX-format D-SLRs. In addition to a new FX-format CMOS image sensor with 24.3-million effective pixels and the same EXPEED 3 image-processing engine built into high-end models, the D600 boasts a number of advanced features, including an optical viewfinder with 100%2 frame coverage, a large and clear 3.2-inch LCD

monitor with wide angle viewing, and the same dust and water-resistance as the D800 and D800E. What’s more, this FX-format camera also supports the complete DX NIKKOR lens lineup for greater convenience with both still image shooting and movie recording. The D600 makes full use of its 24.3-million effective pixels with high-resolution, full-HD movie recording. It is also equipped with the Multi-area mode Full-HD D-Movie function, which enables recording in either FX- or DX-based movie format for more creative freedom.

The newly launched Nikon D600 is available at all Grand Stores showrooms and leading power retailers across the UAE.

New furniture boutique opens in Al Quoz, Dubai Interior360, a boutique warehouse featuring exclusive designer furniture is opening in Al Quoz, Dubai. Featured furniture designers include Vito Selma, Allan Murillo, Vincent Padua and Italian label Atelier A.

Interior360 is also a platform for emerging artists from around the world and particularly the Philippines. Founding partner Tini Meyer is actively involved in promoting Filipino art and creating cultural dialogue between the Philippines and the UAE. In collaboration with London/Manila friend Jam Acuzar, she is creating a program to exhibit art from the Philippines. Works from artists of Manila’s

Art Informal Gallery are currently on exhibit for the opening of interior360.

As part of the lifestyle concept, the boutique also stocks jewelry from Nicole Whisenhunt and clothing from NYC brand Martel.

Located in the heart of Dubai’s creative district, across from Al Serkal Avenue, interior360 is opening this month.

Slip on Liali’s Macrame bands!

Set to be all the rage among the young and the young at heart this season, are Macrame bands by Liali Jewellery, the leading jewellery retailer in UAE. It unfurls a delightful array of 18k white

gold charms featuring popular motifs such as hearts, four-leaf clovers and butterflies outlined delicately by diamonds and strung on braided bands. Slip on one (or as many as you dare) to effortlessly achieve a Bohemian chic look with an attire of your choice!

and its ability to cater to all tastes and ages.

Giving each of them a three-dimensional effect the jeweller instantly enhances their visual charm to set apart its exciting new Macrame band collection as a must-have range defining its wearer’s casual and carefree mood.

Intricately fashioned in 18k white gold and set with select diamond brilliants, each of these Macrame bands are splendid display of LIALI’s acclaimed craftsmanship

Discover LIALI’s delightful Macrame band collection now available at all its outlets across the UAE.

Illustrado Magazine

28 PINOY TALENT-ON THE-JOB

It’s What I Do

PINOY TALENT

ON-THE- JOB

It’s all abput Filipino progress and diversity at the workplace

Natalie Mae Misa Duhaylungsod Assistant Sales Manager Bin Majid Hotel Ras Al Khaimah

Resilience and diligence are traits worthy of admiration. And Bin Majid Hotel assistant sales manager Natalie Mae Misa Duhaylungsod says Filipinos have it.

Living proof of this, Duhaylungsod’s describes her typical office day, which starts as early as 7:30 in the morning. Starting the day with a hot mug of coffee, she sifts through emails and prepares herself up for meetings by 9 a.m. Administrative duties and entertaining hotel guests comes next when she returns to her office at 3 p.m.

Jeff Anog

As an accountant in RSM Dahman, Anog is responsible for the financial issues of private companies like small companies that cannot afford to have an accountant in their staff. His main responsibility is gathering their documented transactions and maintaining their accounting books in a computerized environment.

Illustrado Magazine

She says her job allows her to meet lots of people of varying nationalities, and from all walks of life. But while she enjoys meeting people with colorful personalities, she also notes that it isn’t always easy.

Still, Duhaylungsod insists on working hard and staying strong despite hardships.

“Resilience and diligence are just few of the most important traits Filipinos have which are very evident for the world to see. With these, I would like to encourage all of us to continue rising up to trials and pushing forward as success is surely to be within arms’ reach,” she says.

Despite the tedious job, Anog shares that it does not prevent him from pursuing his love for photography. He says that as long as his assignments are done, he can work on his photography during his free time.

This is one of the intangible rewards of his job, says Anog who is supported by both his boss and colleagues. Anog says he even gets clients from their referrals.

Accountant RSM Dahman, Dubai

“Sometimes I look at their accounting software, talk with their staff and ask if they have any issues or questions. I also liaise with external auditors and make some corrective action whenever required,” he adds.

Duhaylungsod’s work focuses on business development and account management.

She develops and maintains contact with business generators, meeting and convention planners, travel agents, corporate clients and others working in industries closely linked to the hotel business.

Moreover, he quips that he is also responsible for properly accounting the time spent by their auditors — an essential step needed to compute and analyze their cost over agreed fees of their respective clients.

“Being an artist and a breadwinner at the same time, this opportunity is very important for me. I can do what my heart tells me to do and I can lend a hand whenever my family and loved ones need my help,” he says.

And keeping the passion and staying strong and firm are life principles Anog wants to share. Emphasizing the phrase “follow

PINOY TALENT-ON THE-JOB 29 your passion and be resilient,” he points that passion alone is not enough as there are going to be distractions and struggles along the road to deal with.

While reaching for personal happiness, listening to one’s heart and doing

something that you love are major factors to success, he notes that a major key is to keep moving on, whenever something is wrong. “Keep in mind that success is paved with thousands of failures and each failure brings you [closer] to the place you want to be,” he says.

Aileen Fuentes describes a true Filipino as someone who is full-spirited in every way, but most especially in work.

As an office manager, her role is to supervise daily office activities daily for the week. This includes implementing office policies and procedures, managing email correspondence and phone queries, oversee supply requisition and equipment maintenance, and communicate with suppliers.

Aileene Fuentes Office Manager DTZ - Dubai

NEWS

Moody’s Upgrade to Speed up Expenditure Abad: Positive Rating to Accelerate Spending Reforms Moody’s Investors Service on Monday upgraded the Philippines’ credit rating to a notch below investment grade. The country’s improved economic and fiscal performance, better growth prospects and stable financial system were key factors in the upgrade to Ba1 with a stable outlook from Ba2 with a positive outlook.

Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad expressed optimism on the impact of Moody’s positive rating for the Philippines, emphasizing that the credit upgrade would lead to quicker spending and faster implementation of reforms.

“A cup of coffee gets me started in the morning. Once I start doing the official work, I don’t have time for personal stuff, which is very important. Only a call of nature will let me rest for awhile from office works,” she quips.

“We thank Moody’s for further upgrading our credit rating from positive to stable, bringing us one step closer to investment grade. The upgrade affirms what the Aquino administration’s efforts to ensure the country’s economic resilience and widen more opportunities for growth amidst the global economic slowdown,” Abad said.

“Of course, this upgrade means that there are greater expectations from the international community on our fiscal performance. President Aquino is intent on fulfilling these expectations, and we in the DBM are equally inspired to take the necessary measures to ensure faster and more efficient spending across the bureaucracy, even as we adhere to the principles of open, transparent, and accountable budgeting,” he added.

According to the budget chief, the Moody’s upgrade will also help expand the DBM’s

But her work doesn’t end there. Being the resourceful and talented person she is, Fuentes makes singing also a part of her living. She is part of a band, which performs in private and exclusive parties.

“A single parent like me has to earn extra to provide for the needs of my kids,” she says. She says that being in this country for about 15 years “is truly being witness to an interesting and remarkable life story.”

And she sends out a bit of advice to Filipinos to continue being wise and hardworking, because God will eventually bless their perseverance.

“Always be thankful for what you have and do not be afraid to dream high!” she adds.

capacity to enforce key budget reforms in government.

“We’re optimistic about the effect the upgrade will have on our reform agenda, particularly with respect to closing fund leakages, unclogging spending bottlenecks, and accelerating obligations. These will be done by eliminating lump-sum funds and enforcing a one-year validity period for appropriations, as well as by shifting to a regime where the General Appropriations Act becomes the release document itself,” Abad said.

“The credit action is certainly a vote of confidence for the Aquino administration, one that will propel us to work even harder to meet investment grade. As always, our campaign for public financial management reform will ensure that each peso spent is within our means, for the right priorities, and with maximum impact on the lives of every Filipino.”

30 KABUHAYAN - ENTREPRENEURSHIP

COOLSHOTS PHOTOBOOTH

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to join the bandwagon. Jonathan Lee says with the right equipment and minimal training, anyone can put up a photo booth business just like he did.

By Bernadette Reyes

While his regular 9 to 5 job gives him security of tenure, Jonathan Lee felt it wasn’t bringing enough income to the family table. He thought moonlighting as a photographer, while not permanent, made sense since he loves taking photos.

He already owned some basic equipment such as a DSLR camera and laptop necessary to start a photo booth business.

He only added a photo booth box, strobe lights, printers and props and his business was set to go. “Depending on the type of camera, laptop and printer you can put up a photo booth business with PHP 25,000 to PHP 50,000. Set up a DIY photobook box or go for a table top set-up to cutback on cost,” said Lee. With the business doing well, not only does he bring in more money to support his family’s financial needs, he is also able to save up for additional equipment. “As I earn from the photo booth business, I’m also able to save up to acquire more gear like expensive lenses for my photography hobby.”

Illustrado Magazine

Purchasing a new lens is easy on the pocket especially if you are able to book clients regularly. “Photo booth business is very profitable. Almost all events, parties, wedding, and other occasions have a photo booth these days. Normally you can get bookings on weekends. On the average, you get PHP 6,500 for a threehour booking. If you book two events in a week, that’s eight events in a month. You could earn as much as PHP 52,000,” Lee explained. Not bad since you could still work on a weekday and earn extra on a weekend.

While a photo booth business can be financially rewarding, it can be financially demanding as well. Apart from the usual set of equipment and gear that, you need during the event itself, you need another set of the same equipment in case something unexpected happens. “You cannot afford to have any of your gear to bog down during an event. It is very important to have backup gear. But it also means you will need to spend more. Like what I did, I have backup of all my gear.

But it’s all worth it since I get the peace

of mind that if any of my gear bog down during an event, I know I can continue with my service.”

With more and more people setting up their own photo booth business, competition these days is becoming tougher. But Lee remains unshaken. “Some sacrifice their quality so that they can give a better price to potential clients. Many clients go for the one, which can give them a lower cost.

They end up having poorly taken photos and prints that fade,” said Lee. More than pricing, Jonathan believes quality is the lifeblood of a photo booth business. He uses top-of-the-line cameras and equipment and genuine consumables to make sure photo prints won’t fade nor smudge over the years. He also spends time customizing designs to go with the theme of the party or event. “I spend many hours making a layout because I want every event to be unique. I don’t use pre-made templates and just replace the client’s name,” Lee explained.

KABUHAYAN - ENTREPRENEURSHIP 31

Jonathan Lee and his family

While you don’t have to be a professional photographer, at the very least you have to have basic skills in photography. Study the settings of your camera. Knowledge in computer troubleshooting will also come handy. In case your computer or printer does not respond, it would help that you can fix it immediately.

You also need to have good interaction skills. Lee warned, “You will encounter lots

Depending on the type of booth you want to make, you can make your own photo booth box right at your own home. Here’s how:

Materials: • 1/2 thick plywood • 3/4 thick plywood • nails • paint • wheels • brackets • lights • formica

of people with different personalities. You should be able to deal with them as they approach your booth to have their photos taken.”

To set him apart from the competition, Lee is currently working on setting-up an onsite studio. “This will be something like a premium photo booth service which I will be offering to my clients. Aside from the traditional photo booth services, I plan

Instructions: 1. Cut the plywood based on the size you want. (The size of booth depends on what you like. The small the better, because it would be easier to transport.)

2. Assemble the plywood and make it look like a photo booth box. Make room for a cabinet underneath the photo booth box for printer and ink storage.

3. Put holes in the front middle part of the booth where the camera would be placed (about 5 inches height) and

to set-up a studio on site during events.”

Lee hopes to put up his own photo studio someday. With his photo booth business doing well, it’s only a matter of time when his dream will come to fruition.

“I have always dream of being a professional photographer someday. Putting up a photo booth could be a stepping stone in fulfilling my dream.”

another hole for the LCD monitor for viewing (about the size of a PC screen) 4. The upper part of the booth is where you can put your lights.

5. Provide for a power source inside the photo booth box.

6. Paint the box.

7. For a more elegant look, put formica on the box.

32 KABUHAYAN XXX MONEY

By Francisco J Colayco

SAVING FOR

Retirement When should I start saving up for retirement?

From the moment you have any kind of income, you should already be saving for your retirement. Unfortunately, this is the last thought of any young person in his first job. He is probably thinking of paying back educational loans or finally enjoying some freedom. He can still do that, but he must save a portion that he will grow slowly. Unfortunately, this idea is not taught in any school when it is so important, especially now that there are so many challenges facing the aging population.

There are government agencies in charge of providing retirement pay like the Social Security System (SSS) for private individuals or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for government employees. However, the amounts you could receive are dependent on how long you actually work and remit regular payments. You have to keep good records of proof of your monthly remittances, as it is difficult to apply for retirement

Illustrado Magazine

without these. Also, as part of your risk management, you should not depend solely on these government agencies for your retirement.

I cannot overemphasize your obligation to grow wealth over your lifetime.

Remember, you cannot share what you don’t have. You need to build your own wealth first to secure your future as well as to share your bounty with your loved ones.

The formula is simple: Raise Capital. Go for long-term growth. Secure cash flow.

For most, raising capital comes from savings. I cannot stop repeating the principle income minus savings equals expenses. When you set aside a part of your income, ideally 20% before spending for your regular needs, you will have available funds for you to invest. A part of this amount can be targeted for your retirement. You need to compute how much that amount will be. (There is a formula that you can get from our website www.colaycofoundation.com.)

Identify the monthly amount that you will need to set aside to reach the amount you will need for retirement. When you are young, you will be surprised at how small that amount could be. Time is your biggest ally. The longer the time you keep your money invested, the lower the risk, the higher the returns. The trick is to get the right estimate of what you need when you retire, compute what you have to set aside, save regularly and invest correctly. In no time, you will be pleasantly surprised with what you already have in your retirement fund. Make use of the power of compounding. the longer the investment horizon, the greater the power of compounding works for you. Once you have built sufficient resources, you can secure regular cash flow through prudent investments.

As long as you have identified the amount for retirement savings, you can already allocate all the other amounts for saving for your car, your home, and education of your children. Perhaps, you will think that those are more important than your retirement. In the short term, you are

KABUHAHAN MONEY 33 Ms. Lagier believes that there are seven traits happy retirees share. I believe that you have a better chance of reaching each trait if you have enough money when you retire. The secret to having enough money when you retire is to start your journey to financial independence today.

These

reasons should convince you.

1) Good health. “Enjoying good health is the single most important factor impacting retiree happiness. Retirees in poor health are nearly 50 percent less likely to report being happy, trumping all other factors including money and age….”

Without money at retirement age, it will be difficult to think positively. You may need to work on a stressful job to earn more money, if someone is still willing to employ you.

right. You need to put aside more money for those goals.

But if you start young, believe me, you will only set a very small amount for your retirement so do it even if you don’t find it so important. As you grow older, you will have to put aside a bigger and bigger amount.

I read an article written by Sydney Lagier, a retired person who writes blogs and articles on retirement in the US News. Her ideas are a very good starting point on why you should have enough money saved when you are no longer working. The term used for not working is “retirement.” Today, very few people of “retirement age” normally 65 years, really retire. It even seems that people who retire actually grow old faster.

You can choose work with less stress but it seems that still doing some kind of work helps to keep you happy.

hobbies. For example, even if retired, you still need to learn operating the cellphone, the computer and any other new invention.

Intellectual curiosity is also related to exploration of other places, which means travel that you can afford. As you see, all of the above need money.

2) A significant other. The same study found that married or cohabiting couples are more likely than singles to be happy in retirement…” Enjoying retirement together means having some, not necessarily big amounts, money to spend together.

3) A social network. Having friends was far more important to retirement bliss than having kids.” But getting together with friends will always cost some money, no matter how simple.

4) They are not addicted to television.

After you retire you will have lots of time to fill. A direct negative correlation was found between the amount of TV watching and happiness levels: unhappy people watched more TV and happy people watched less.

Most people addicted to TV probably have no money to spend outside so they are stuck at home.

5) Intellectual curiosity. “Adults over 70 who choose brain-stimulating hobbies over TV watching are two and a half times less likely to suffer the effects of Alzheimer’s disease…”

Intellectual curiosity is not just related to

6) They aren’t addicted to achievement.

The more you are defined by your job, the harder it will be to adjust to life without it. According to Robert Delamontagne, “achievement addicts have the most difficulty transitioning to retirement.”

7) Enough money. Of course you’ll need enough money to support your chosen lifestyle in retirement. But beyond that, more money will not make you happier.

The Watson Wyatt survey found that the absolute amount of money you have for retirement is less important than how your retirement income compares to your income before retirement. If you have enough to continue your pre-retirement lifestyle, you have enough.

This is exactly we need to prepare our own personal financial plan. While you need money when you retire, you have to know how much you really need. This can easily be calculated and this is explained in the books I have written. We also discuss this in the seminars that we give.

Very few can just keep on saving and investing their money all their life without some enjoyment. Enjoyment is especially needed to reward yourself when you have done well in your investments. Your personal financial plan will tell you what you need to save regularly and if you can save more than that, you will reach your goal earlier. If you want to enjoy a little and not just save all the extra savings, then, by all means do so. After all, if you are too old and you accumulated too much money that you can no longer enjoy, you might regret not having had a little more enjoyment when you still could. Balance is always the key to a happy life.

For more information, colaycofoundation.com.

visit

www.

34 ADVERTORIAL

Special needs artists’ T-shirts sold out at Giordano Funds given back to Mawaheb Art Studio for its development

Director Ishwar Chugani.

Giordano, one of the world’s leading international apparel retailers, through its Giordano Initiative For Talent (GIFT) initiative, raised AED 60,000 from the retail sale of Giordano T-shirts featuring the artworks of six students from Mawaheb, the Dubai Art Studio for young adults with special needs.

“We are proud of the results achieved with this initiative,” commented Chugani. “The creativity of these artists has been brought out of the studio and clearly appreciated, judging by the society’s overwhelming response. The especially printed T-shirts carry the imprints of the student artists’ creations and will continuously be displayed by the person who bought them.”

Wemmy de Maaker, founder of Mawaheb from Beautiful people, received the funds from Giordano Middle East Managing

“We thank Giordano and its GIFT programme for partnering with Mawaheb for their CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility]

initiative. Our students are proud of their art designs and this certainly provided them a great affirmation on their artistry,” said de Maaker.

The T-shirts, printed in a limited edition number of 3,000, were sold across fifteen Giordano UAE outlets and on www. giordano-me.com, the brand’s shopping portal, between mid-July and September.

The project was part of Part of Giordano Initiative For Talent (GIFT), a CSR programme developed by Giordano Middle East to support the local community. various services such as cash-to-cash, cash-to-

Christmas arrives early for bank, and online money transfers.

Remedios Nimer Herrera was the winner of a Xpress Money patrons Christmas is early this year! Xpress Money and GCash Remit gave an early Christmas treat to its loyal customers with their recently concluded “Sa Xpress Money Swerte, Sa GCASH REMIT Magka-Kotse!” promo.

Xpress Money is a global money transfer brand with a thriving presence in more than 125 countries in 5 continents across 135,000 agent locations across the world.

Committed OFs to bring worldwide closer to home, the leading global money transfer brand partnered with GCash Remit, the wholly-owned mobile commerce subsidiary

of Globe, to give away PHP50,000 worth of total cash prizes and two Hyundai Eon GLS MT cars to loyal Xpress Money customers.

“We are delighted to work with partners like GCash Remit who share our mission to provide prompt service and convenience to millions of OFWs worldwide,” said Ed Cobangbang, Xpress Money’s Country Manager for Business Development in the Philippines. “With Xpress Money, we want them to feel that home is never really too far away.” The UK-based company has been in the Philippines for almost a decade, providing

brand new Hyundai Eon GLS MT while five preliminary winners winners of Php10,000 were drawn in September. The next set of winners will be drawn in November. For more information, visit www.xpressmoney. com.

Photo: Winner Remedios Nimer Herrera accepting her brand new car from Ed Cobangbang, Xpress Money’s Country Manager for Business Development in the Philippines (right) and GCASH Remit’s President Paolo Baltao (left).

crispy fried mixed seafood platter and Satisfy your food cravings kare, tastefully prepared buko-lemon grass drink.

For a full meal with the family or for a night at Pampangeños out with friends, Pampangenos Restaurant If you are looking for a dining place to satisfy your food craving and to chill out with your family or friends, then Pampangeños Restaurant is the perfect place. Pampangeños Restaurant & Café is so inviting, so friendly and unintimidating it attracts the dining as well as the family crowd. Food lovers and enthusiasts can dine as families, “barkadas” or colleagues. Some even go solo to unwind and relax at the open dining area.

With Pampangenos Restaurant’s extensive

Illustrado Magazine

selection of authentic Filipino dishes meticulously prepared by our Capampangan chefs, accommodating service, affordable prices delectable food and refreshing drinks, Pampangenos Restaurant pulled out all the stops to set up a must-go-to restaurant.

Pampangenos Restaurant offers a menu packed with mouthwatering dishes ranging from the favorite grilled lemon grass chicken (chicken inasal), sizzling bulalo steak, sizzling sisig on hot plate, rellenong bangus, kare-

offers a perfect place with the perfect menu to fit any occasion and any reasonable budget.

Tutung Manyaman! Truly Delicious!

Pampangenos Restaurant & Café is at the Second Floor (Food Court Level near Panera Café), Madina Mall, Beirut Road, Al Qusais, Dubai. For Inquiries, Catering and reservations, please call 04-2521558 e-mail: pampangenosrestaurant@yahoo.com

34 SPIRITUALITY

DO IT

afraid

By BO SANCHEZ

EDDIE’s mother died when he was six years old, and later, his father re-married.

Growing up without a mother, Eddie was not at all religious. He went to church only to be with friends. He went to church to marry his best girl friend, and for the baptism of their two boys. He went to church for the funeral service of their baby lost in miscarriage, and other funeral services of friends and relatives.

And that’s just about it. Until one day in 1985, their youngest son suffered a serious disease and one of their relatives asked me to pray over the boy. I prayed over him, he got healed, and Eddie and his wife began to attend my prayer meetings.

But even as the couple attended the prayer meetings regularly, Eddie remained simply an “observer,” unconvinced that God really exists. Until one day, he went along with some members of our prayer community to pray over a sick woman.

He relates, “I witnessed the woman speak like a man, uttering horrible words while my brothers in community prayed over her. For the first time, I witnessed what evil was like, and I thought, if the Devil is real,

Illustrado Magazine

God must be real too.”

He adds, “That was the start of my real conversion, and so my friends tease me that I was converted because I began to believe in the Devil first before I believed in God.”

I like Eddie’s story because it confirms our belief that there is such a thing as holy fear. We often regard fear as a negative emotion. We don’t like it. We don’t want to be afraid. We don’t want the weird feeling. But as we see in Eddie’s experience, fear can result in something wonderful.

Fear can lead us to God. You’ve heard the word god-fearing. Some think the word means you fear God. You fear He would punish you if you don’t obey His laws. But as I always say in my talks, God is the last person who would cause us harm. He loves us. He created us out of His love.

Since I know God loves me and wants the best for me, I want to reciprocate that love-- even as my love for Him won’t equal even a fraction of His love for me.

I fear to disobey Him because He doesn’t deserve my disobedience. That, to me, is the meaning of god-fearing.

Take the case of Rosa. Her son, Phil was driving his van on a highway in Metro Manila when all of a sudden, a motorcycle crossed his path. The car and the motorcycle were damaged. Phil was not injured. Neither was the driver of the motorbike. But he had a passenger, a family man who could hardly make both ends meet. He suffered a broken leg that required four operations-- costing close to half a million pesos, plus the man’s posthospital checkups.

The law says that even if the driver of a motorcycle is the one at fault, the driver of the car should pay all the damages. The relatives of the injured party threatened to sue Phil so he would pay the medical bills.

Phil and his family are paying for all the medical expenses of the injured person.

“Not because we fear the lawsuit,” Rosa says, “but because we fear to offend God. The man needs medical care. We will help him as much as we can afford to. That’s what God wants us to do.”

SPIRITUALITY 37

You’ll see me running away as fast as I can.

Thank God for fear.

But be careful with fear. Because when fear becomes overwhelming, it’ll control you. When it does, fear won’t only take you away from danger and death and destruction. It’ll take you away from your dreams too.

You’ve heard this many times. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing the right thing in the midst of fear.

When your heart is pounding. When your knees are shaking. When your sweat is dripping. And you do the right thing anyway. That’s courage.

I define courage as “Doing it afraid”.

Unless you do it afraid, you’ll never achieve any success.

I looked up the meaning of god-fearing. It means “deeply religious.” A god-fearing person shows belief and reverence for God. Rosa and her family’s fear of God is what I call holy fear-- the real meaning of godfearing.

Thank God for Fear!

dreams.

For some people, fear is a Way. It’s a door to a whole new world of abundance and blessing. When they smell fear, they know that abundance is near. All they need to do is walk through the door of their fear.

Now, I’d like to talk about courage.

Does being courageous mean not being afraid?

If you want to fulfill your dreams, you’ve got to have courage.

Not at all.

Because what stands in between you and your dreams are your fears.

Read carefully: Your fears can either be a Wall and a Way. For many, fear is a Wall. When they smell fear, they run away. They give up their

God gave us fear for a purpose. That purpose is to take us out of danger.

For example, I thank God I’m afraid of snakes. If I see a cobra in front of me, I won’t stand here and say, “Hi.” I won’t go religious and pray in tongues and cast out the spirit from the snake.

Perhaps you’ve failed in your business. Perhaps you’ve been rejected by people. Perhaps you’ve been booted out of your job. So right now, you’re afraid of being rejected again. My word to you? Do it afraid. Trust God and go out and try again. And believe that God has something great in store for you.

Are you single? Perhaps you’ve been hurt by a man (or woman) before. Perhaps he used you, walked out on you, and chose someone else. Right now, you’re afraid of being hurt all over again. My word to you? Do it afraid. Learn from your mistakes. But trust in God and open your heart to the new person that He will give you.

All through my life, there have been many times when I did it afraid. I believe it’s the secret to all of my breakthroughs.

My friend, do it afraid.

May your dreams come true, BO SANCHEZ

38 RELATIONSHIPS

UNFORGIVING

WIFE

EX Fifteen years ago my husband left me for another woman. Let’s call her “Ruby”.

Ruby is twelve years younger than me, and a “typical Filipina”. Both my parents are also Filipino but I was born and raised in the States. I have only been to the Philippines twice in my life and have no plans to return.

My husband said he didn’t leave me for her, that our marriage was over before he even set eyes on her, but I know otherwise.

Sometimes I still hate her for what she did to my family. We were so happy before she came into our lives. We were a typical family living the typical American dream: a beautiful 6-bedroom house in the suburbs, three happy, well adjusted daughters, and a lifestyle that lacked for nothing.

But that was many years ago. My children are now 19, 26, and 28. I now also have a partner: an American--no more typical Filipinos for me with their sexist macho mentalities. My boyfriend doesn’t earn as much as my ex-husband, but my alimony is enough for all of us. My lawyer says this will not stop unless I get married, which I never intend to.

My problem is this. My youngest daughter is getting married next year and I just found out she intends to invite her father and that gold digger to the wedding!!

“Over my dead body,” I told her, but she said it is her wedding, not mine.

Illustrado Magazine

My ex’s being there will spoil the wedding for me. I have raised her on my own since she was 4 years old, and now I have to share this momentous occasion with him?

When my two older children got married, there was no question of my ex being invited. They remembered how much he made me suffer and their hearts were as against him as mine was.

But my Jessica was only 4 at that time and I wanted to spare her as much pain as I could. So I never told her what he had done to us. I never shared how her father had betrayed me --betrayed us! -- but I always thought she could tell.

When he and the gold digger left for the Philippines I thought we were all finally rid of him. But his lawyer made sure I could not stop them from visiting him in the Philippines. My two eldest were old enough to know how much pain he had caused me and they refused to go to Manila. Nothing his lawyer said or did could convince them to do so.

My youngest was too young to know what was really going on then and still thought of my ex as the blameless, perfect man he was when he still lived with us. She went to the Philippines every year, started to consider his nieces and nephews cousins, and even once called that gold digger “Tita Ruby.”

her “Tita” one time right after she came from the Philippines, but I cannot hold my tongue if she insists on inviting them both to her wedding. Worse, I heard she asked him to walk her down the aisle and he accepted.

Now he probably expects to give the father of the bride speech as well. My two older daughters didn’t have such speeches on their wedding days, but had beautiful weddings nonetheless.

This is what I want my youngest to realize.

She doesn’t need her father at her wedding.

Her two sisters had more than adequate weddings where he wasn’t included, why not have the same kind of wedding for her? I feel I am being punished for being reasonable all those years ago when I refrained from telling her how her “Tita Ruby” and her beloved father were actually the ones who wrecked their lives when they were young.

Her two ates (older sisters) and I have about 18 months to work on her before she gets married. I do not want him at the wedding, and I want her there even less. I feel I am entitled since I raised them myself, without any help from him. Why should he be there to enjoy her happiness on her big day when he did nothing to contribute to it? Any advice you can give us would be appreciated.

Thank you and God bless - Annie

I held my tongue then, when she called

RELATIONSHIP 39

Dear Annie, Often the very process of writing things down helps to clarify one’s ideas and see matters in a different light so I wonder whether after writing your letter you had any second thoughts or whether you just sent it off without further ado.

The reason is that you come across as a very embittered woman determined to have your own way, whatever the cost, and rereading your letter might have made you reconsider your position. However, you didn’t reconsider and so perhaps I should congratulate you for your painful honesty, if nothing else.

When a relationship fails, it is very seldom that only one party is at fault. This is not to say that each is equally guilty, but there is almost always some contribution even from the “innocent” party. You tell us that your husband left you for another woman but we know nothing of the circumstances leading up to this. What we do know is that you have been playing the role of the “scorned wife” ever since.

Almost all religious and non-religious philosophies are united in recommending that those who feel they have been wronged should forgive and move on. Obsessing bitterly about the past has never been considered the true path to happiness. This by no means is to suggest that the past

should be forgotten, simply that we should learn from it so that the same mistakes are not repeated.

The past influences your life both as a wife and as a mother. If you decide to live the rest of your life blaming your ex-husband for spoiling your American dream, that is your privilege. However, as a mother, you have certain responsibilities to your children, which should transcend your personal animosity towards your ex. He is their father and nothing will change this.

They have inherited some of his genes and part of who they are can only be understood by knowing who he is.

This does not mean that it is incumbent upon you to paint a picture of him as a saint. However, it does mean you temper your description of him. Suggesting that he is the devil incarnate with no saving graces is to suggest that your children, his progeny, may well be partly devil themselves. You may wish to ask yourself if this is the message you should be imparting to your daughters.

Your account of how your daughters view your ex strikes a slightly discordant note. I do not fully understand how the two older ones can be so hostile to your ex while the youngest is much more openminded. It seems bizarre that you spent their youth telling two that their father was a devil and yet not telling the other.

And surely they must have discussed him when you were not around and realized the inconsistencies. Perhaps the older ones were just happy to go along with your version but the youngest had a more independent streak of mind and wanted to find out for herself. Anyway, you are now reaping what you have sown. You have spent years effectively insulating your youngest from your version of the truth yet you now want her to embrace it fully. It is too late and you had better accept it.

So what are you to do? It’s time to face facts.

Your daughter’s wedding day is special, not for you but for her. The spotlight is on her, not you, and that is the way you should keep it. She has chosen to invite your ex and Ruby, she wants him to walk her up the aisle, she wants him to give the father of the bride speech. Who are you to let events from fifteen and more years ago sour this special occasion? Is that to be the way you show her the extent of your love and affection for her? Or are you going to show it by transcending the bitterness of the past and behaving magnanimously, even if only for a couple of hours?

Enjoy the wedding and just in case you still need to feed your bitterness, go on home afterwards and suck on a couple of large juicy lemons.

All the best, JAF Baer

Get ILLUSTRADO

The Magazine for the International Filipino

AT A STORE NEAR YOU!

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ABU DHABI & AL AIN

Abela Al Ain, Abu Dhabi Airport Lobby and Airport Transit areas, Abu Dhabi Coop Society – Khalifa, Hamdan, Meena and Buteen branches, Al Ain Palace Hotel, Albert Abela Superstore, Al Atial Novelty Store – INTCO and Rotana branches, All Prints, Bookplus Store - Al Ain, Books Gallery, Carrefour – Abu Dhabi Airport Road, Marina Mall and Al Ain branches, Hilton Abu Dhabi, Limar Bookshop, Milan Gifts, Raouat Al Reef - Al Ain, Sana Modern Trading, Spinney’s Khalidiya, United Bookstores and Westzone Trading * Distributed FREE to Meritus Club Members

DUBAI & NORTHERN EMIRATES

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

BAHRAIN

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

QATAR

Ahlan Wassahlan Bookshop, Alam Al Agziya – Landmark, Al Aaela Shopping Centre- Al Nasr, Airport and Al Rayan branches, Al Madina Supermarket, Al Mustaqbal Bookshop, Al Qalam Bookshop, Al Usra Bookshop, Al Waha Marketing Centre, Daheel Food Centre, Dar Al Oroouba Bookshop, Dar Al Thaqafa Al Kitab and Al Nasr, Dasman Hypermarket, Dasman Shopping Centre, Jarir Bookshop, Jehaz Bookshop Al Mansoora, Khayat Fitwell, Lamcy Supermarket, Lulu Al Sharq, Megamart Centre, Newsstand Landmark, Rawabi Food Centre, Strand Bakery, Supermarket Al Taif Al Nasr and Supermarket Sak Illustrado magazine is sold in over 150 outlets around the Gulf, including Oman and Kuwait.

42 FEATURE

INDEPENDENT

WOMEN

Text by: Anna Oposa

In the Philippines, if you are female and in your late 20s, it is almost inevitable that your friends and relatives will start to ask when you’re going to tie the knot and have children.

Once you hit the big 3-0, the pressure increases exponentially. “Your biological clock is ticking,” your mom might say. “Baka maging matandang dalaga ka,” your lola may quip.

Bea Azcuna

Meet three beautiful and independent Filipina women who feel otherwise.

“When my sister, who is 3 years younger than me, announced that she was engaged, everybody somehow felt compelled to congratulate her through me and ask, ‘Oh, kailan ka?’ or ‘Hala. Nauhan ka?’”

Atty. Princess Abante shares. “To which, I answered, ‘Di ko alam na nakikipag karera pala ako.’”

“I knew early on I wanted to accomplish so many things, so getting married wasn’t in the top of my list. I’ve had relationships, but the pressure to get married, at least in my mind, wasn’t there,” Princess continues.

She pursued her law degree while being the Commissioner-At-Large of the National Youth Commission. She now works as an associate in a prestigious law firm in Makati. In early October, she also filed

Illustrado Magazine

FEATURE 43 Patty Betita

her certificate of candidacy for councilor in Manila. “Had I gotten married and had children early on, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now. My life would be completely different. I’m happy with what I am and what I do now,” she says.

Bea Azcuna, 41, says that she used to feel pressure to settle down and start a family in her 20s. “But as the years passed, I realized how liberating being single can be. I am, to some extent, fearless, and willing to try many challenges.”

To date, Bea has already finished three full marathons (42K). She runs 3 times a week: two days dedicated to long runs at about 2.5 hours and one run dedicated to inclined paths at about 1.5 hours.

“On days that I don’t run, I spend my mornings on my road bike, putting in a minimum of 30KM,” she says. She also rides motorcycles and scuba dives. “I can do anything with my own strength, ability and commitment, without a man,” Bea stresses.

During the day, Bea works at the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA), the educational arm of the Philippine Supreme Court. “Our office is tasked to continually enhance the judicial skills and education for justices, judges, court personnel and lawyers. If one wishes to become a Judge, he/she must first go through the rigorous training of the Court, as provided by PhilJA,” she explains.

Supermodel and Bb. PilipinasInternational Patty Betita has a different story. She says she never felt the pressure to get married or have more kids after she had her son Emilio with politician JV Ejercito twelve years ago. Not even when JV got married when Emilio was 6 years old. At 43, Patty remains “open” to marriage. “But [I won’t settle] just to have a boyfriend,” she points out. “I choose wisely.”

Patty runs Thousand Oaks Personality Development Training Center, which provides image enhancement services to employees of local and multinational

companies. In addition to the occasional modeling jobs, she also teaches young, aspiring models. “On days when I have work, I’m out by 8AM and back by 6PM,” she tells Illustrado. Her nights are spent with her favorite date—her 12-year-old.

“I hang out with my son on weeknights. I cook a nice pasta dinner for him,” she says with a smile.

The boon and bane of being single Patty admits that there’s the occasional feeling of “aloneness” when she’s with friends who are married or with boyfriends. However, she doesn’t consider this the worst part of being single. “There is none,” she says. “You’re free to do things on your own and not have to deal with a demanding or insecure boyfriend.”

On a similar note, Bea says, “I like that I can come home whatever time I want and not have to call anyone to report my whereabouts. I can check out guys and flirt

44 FEATURE Princess Abante

with them without feeling guilty! Dating is always fun because you get to meet so many new guys and they always treat you the best.”

For Princess, she dislikes “being that awkward 5th wheel.” But she enjoys her independence. “You can do what you want: travel, study, go out. You can save better,” she adds, smiling.

A man is not a financial plan Gone are the days when getting married to a man equated to instant and guaranteed financial stability. Women have more courage to marry later than society’s standards, or not marry at all.

“Men and women nowadays feel very much empowered, physically, emotionally and financially to be able to do much more on their own,” Bea observes. “Being independent has made many of us enjoy the luxury of time for our careers and hobbies. I never feel I am incomplete

Illustrado Magazine

because I am not yet married.”

“Rising costs of living [could also play] a role in deciding to marry later in life,” she adds.

Patty agrees. “Couples are more practical now. You should only get married when you are stable and financially secure to start a family.”

“It’s so expensive to get married, more expensive to have children,” Princess remarks. “A friend told me that he sends his daughter to preschool where it cost him almost PHP150,000 a year. You really must be emotionally, physically and financially prepared to get married and start a family.”

Lessons learned These three beautiful and independent women serve as stellar examples for the rest of womanity to liberate themselves from the idea that we need men to be happy.

“Being single doesn’t mean you’re lonely,” Princess stresses. She brings up the other side of the story: “I know so many married people who are so miserable in their married lives. Looking back and seeing my exes now, I’m glad I didn’t marry them,” Princess declares.

“Never sell yourself short. We can be just as happy and complete with or without a husband,” Bea emphasizes. She advises single women to “make the most of life.”

Patty encourages ladies to “think of something interesting to do with your life.

Take up a new hobby [or] sport. Travel and see the world!” she says. “There’s so much to do, really.”

“Not only will you be able to do so much to become a well rounded individual, you will [also] be making yourself more attractive to men with your strength and confidence. Ladies, it is only when you are happy with yourself that will you be a great partner to another,” says Bea.

B

e part of the Middle East’s largest and most luxurious bridal and fashion events

E x hibit at Bride 2013 Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre 30 January to 2 February 2013

With a heritage spanning 15 years, Bride Abu Dhabi and Dubai continue to remain at the forefront of the consumer mind for bridal and fashion trends in the Middle East.

Dubai Dubai International E xhibition Centre 10 to 13 April 2013

Join over 500 local and international exhibitors and:

www.thebrideshow.com

●

Meet over 32,000 affluent local and expat women.

●

Engage with a key fashion buying audience.

●

Retail your collections directly to thousands of women looking for the latest trends.

●

Launch new collections and test the market.

Contact us today to book your stand on

+971 4 3365161 or bride@informa.com Quote this priority code BR13LST when contacting us and benefit from excellent packages!

TheBrideShow

46 FEATURE

FRANCES ARBIE:

Girl with ink and a needle

By Ana P. Santos

When she was growing up, like many other girls, Frances Arbie played with Barbie dolls. However, unlike many other girls, Frances Arbie found another way of playing with Barbie--and it had little to do with dressing her up for a date with Ken. “Sabi ng mama ko, hindi ako marunong maglaro ng Barbie doll [My mom would say that I didn’t know how to play with Barbie dolls],” recalls Frances Arbie who would take the doll’s arms and legs apart and paint them with flowers.

She didn’t know it yet, but that was the start of her discovering her love for the art of tattooing.

Later, at the age of 17, when she decided to have her own skin inked, she decided on an Asian Oriental design on her back.

“Ayoko ng maliit na tattoo sa pagumpisa.

Gusto ko kasi makita kung kaya ko (yung sakit), achievement na para sa ‘kin yun. [I didn’t want to start out with just a small tattoo. I wanted to see if I could take the pain, that was an achievement already for me.]”

Illustrado Magazine

One “inkcident” after another That “inkcident” resulted in two things: one, the complexity of her design required Frances Arbie to spend time in a tattoo studio and two, it made Frances Arbie think that she could come up with her own tattoo designs that were more colorful and more detailed.

It was during the time spent in a tattoo studio that she discovered her talent. As Frances Arbie explains it, there are no formal tattoo schools where one studies to become an artist. Aspiring tattoo artists usually take up an informal apprenticeship with an established artist, spending time in his shop, watching and learning from him.

When her mentor thought she was ready, she took on her first client and hasn’t stopped tattooing since then. Eventually, she set up her own tattoo studio called, “My Own Little Link Shop” in Shoppesville, Greenhills.

Her tattoo shop is one of the few tattoo shops in Metro Manila that is found inside a mall.

Branded: Tattoos as body art The image of tattoos and the people who have them have changed considerably in the last couple of years. Frances Arbie attributes this to the fact that there more colors of ink are now available, more needles and more styles like 3D, establishing tattoos as a legitimate form of body art.

FEATURE 47

“Dati kasi yung tattoo artist yun gagawa ng karayum nya. And dati, puro itim lang ang ink, isip tuloy ng mga tao, pang preso lang ang may tattoo. Ngayon, ang dami ng pwede gawin na magaganda. Art form na talaga ang tattoo. [Before, the tattoo artist had to make his own needle and only black ink was available. Usually, it was only prisoners who had tattoos. Now, there are so many beautiful things to create and tattoos are now seen as a form of body art.]”

A woman’s touch There are not many tattoo artists in the Philippines who are women and to Frances Arbie—who is clearly an artist with astute business sense--this fact is both a differentiator and marketing tool.

“For one thing, pag girl, magaan ang kamay.

Lahat naman ng tattoo, masakit. Kung pwedeng mabawasan ng pain naman diba?

[For one thing, there’s the woman’s touch.

All tattoos are painful, but if you could lessen the pain, why not?]”

Branding herself as a female tattoo artist, everything from the homey feel of her studio to the little “tattoo after care” cards she gives out to her clients speaks of a woman’s touch.

She also prides herself in the personal touch with which she does business. Many of her clients are referrals from other clients; many have become friends and some coming in from other countries just to be inked by her.

Frances Arbie shares one story of a gentleman who was on holiday in Thailand. He saw the tattoo of a former female client also on holiday in Thailand and asked her where she got it. The next day, he got in touch with Frances Arbie, asking if she could please squeeze him in because he was in town just for a day—and just to get his tattoo done by her.

With pride, Frances Arbie says that it was a tattoo of traditional Philippine tribal art that had this foreigner traveling all the way from Thailand just to have it inked on his skin.

Today, Frances Arbie is the one flying off to other countries to showcase her tattoo art.

She has been invited to and has attended various tattoo conventions in Las Vegas, Germany and in South Africa to name a few.

“Sobrang ibang level dun. Nakakatuwa na nakaka-intimidate. [It’s a totally different level there. It’s great, but also intimidating.]” she says of these conventions where she’s alongside the who’s who of the tattoo world like female tattoo artist Katherine von Drachenberg, best known as Kat Von D artist, LA Ink, and NY Ink. Even just being invited is prestigious in itself. According to Frances Arbie, for such conventions, there is a waiting list of over one year, and there is a rigid screening process where your past works are reviewed

and approved before you can participate.

“Pero pag invited ka, hindi mo na kailangan dumaan sa ganun. [But if you’re invited, you don’t have to go through that screening process.]”

Her own achievements and other changes in the way that tattoos have become mainstream, are paving the way for Frances Arbie to realize her dream of becoming a world class tattoo artist.

With a needle poised in one hand, Frances Arbie makes no apologies about getting under your skin—but in a positive way.

“Gusto ko din talaga maiba yun pagtingin ng mga tattoo. Hindi lahat ng tattoo artist mga adik, na nasa kanto lang or walang ng ibang alam kung di mag tattoo. [I want to change the way people look at tattoos. Not all tattoo artists are drug addicts, found at street corners and don’t know anything else but how to tattoo.]” https://www.facebook.com/femaletattooartist http://www.myownlittleinkshop.com/ Frances Arbie Female Tattoo Artist Shoppesville Plus 3/F (just beside Music Museum) Greenhills Shopping Centre www.francesarbie.com 0915.200.8667 998-5555

48 ILLUSTRADO SCRAPBOOK A platform for budding Filipino creative talent

Chaps Peria For Chaps, photography is more than just a hobby; it is about appreciation. He believes it teaches a person to see the world from different perspective, both literally and figuratively.

Chaps’ love affair with photography paired with his love of travel and exploration has spawned a

Illustrado Magazine

portfolio of landscape photography.

“I’ve been a DSLR user since 2010. I consider myself a novice, self-taught photographer,” says Chaps, who is a graphic designer by profession.

“Working in the hospitality industry gives me exposure to food and interior photography and my love of travel and leisure helps me develop my skill in landscape and interior photography,” says the athletic Chaps who counts mountain

climbing, running and cycling among his interests.

“Learning the tides, moon phase, where the sun rises and sets are just some of the things photography allows me to enjoy,” says Chaps who adds, “personality wise, people who know me would agree if I’ll say I am a mystery with winning charm.”

A platform for budding Filipino creative talent

ILLUSTRADO SCRAPBOOK 49

ERIC FABRO

Eric Fabro came to love photography in 2009 when he found a group of Filipino photographers in Kuwait where he works.

“I didn’t expect to take photography seriously specially in the field of wedding and portrait photography. I was invited by one of the members to be his ‘second shooter’ during a wedding photo coverage. Right after then I realized and felt something different.”

Eric says that right then and there Ipower Photography was established as his carrier name.

Eric explains, “’The ‘i’ is for “Icoy” which is my nickname, while “power” is a usual word that I used to describe appreciation for a photo. Simply joined, it makes for as ‘Ipower’ or ‘Icoy power’.”

“The world is full of exciting events. I believe that photographers are observers who record frames of life. All photos are documentaries, documenting and celebrating life, and culture. But good photos tell a story with passion and in style,” says Eric, explaining his photography philosophy. “[Through photography] I read the personality of the person and capture their emotions: everyone has an interesting story waiting to be heard and my mission is to capture it through my photos.”

50 ADVERTORIAL

Shock The World Dubai welcomes Father of G-SHOCK, Kikuo Ibe Kris Fade, Dany Neville and Sain unveil individual designed G-SHOCKs at global showcase event Kikuo Ibe, creator of the G-SHOCK, was joined by Virgin Radio’s Kris Fade, DJ Dany Neville and Emirati Hip Hop artist, Sain as they unveiled their individual G-SHOCK GD100 designs to the crowd who gathered for Shock The World Dubai, a street culture fusion event that bridges media, technology, fashion and music. The concept of Shock The World was created to celebrate the iconic Casio G-SHOCK brand.

The three ambassadors were asked to come up with a design that represented their personality, their inspirations and their lifestyle. While the limited edition watches are not available for sale, they can be given away by the ambassadors as gifts and prizes.

Speaking of his limited edition G-SHOCK, Kris Fade, who was on hand to emcee the evening, said: “I wanted something that represented my personal style and something I’d want to wear; the studio microphone is an extension of my personality and now I have immortalised it in the design of a tough G-SHOCK watch.

Illustrado Magazine

My design also incorporates the DJ panel knobs and the equalizer switch symbols in my exclusive signature G-SHOCK watch.”

Ibe explained the history around the creation of the G-SHOCK brand back in 1983, and the lengths the team had to go through to achieve the finished G-SHOCK watch. He also highlighted the importance of engaging artists and personalities around the world to create limited edition timepieces, as part of the brands ethos.

G-SHOCK has evolved over the last three decades and is considered to be amongst the most versatile, toughest and consistent performing timepiece in its class. From its humble beginnings, G-SHOCK has seen many permeations to its original design and has even created the Masters of G; otherwise known as the Mudman, Gulfman, Frogman and Aviator series, which take in to account different areas of physical demand and translate that in to a timepiece fit for the activity. G-SHOCK also caters to the more design and colour conscious consumer, launching extra large models featuring the same parameters as the original G-SHOCKs, yet with a fashion twist.

“My goal was to never give up, I faced every obstacle and we eventually succeeded

in creating what I believe to be the world’s toughest watch. Shock The World is a celebration of that achievement and how much the brand has been taken to the heart of people around the world, from men and women. It is rewarding to see so many people turn out to celebrate with us,” said Ibe. DJ Dany Neville and Hip Hop artist Sain also used local inspiration in their designs, taking cues from growing up in the UAE. All three artists were present at the Shock The World Dubai celebrations, which saw Alserkal Avenue transformed in to an inspiring showcase of the latest Casio G-SHOCK timepieces, plus limited editions and collaborative pieces.

G-SHOCK’s rugged shape, shock-resistant structure and robust styling were borne from a development concept calling for the ‘creation of the unbreakable watch’. Today G-SHOCK continues to evolve toward greater heights based on its inherited design philosophy. This tough watch’s insatiable desire for new challenges continues from era to era beyond the thrills of common sense.

Facebook: Shock The World Dubai Tumblr: http://gshockstwdxb.tumblr.com/

52 FASHION

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 53 CONCEPT: PAOLO GABRIEL-BENITEZ PHOTOGRAPHY: EROS GOZE POST PROCESSING: TOM BOLIVAR MAKE-UP: JESSIE TABLA HAIR: JOJO PADUA MODELS: KRISTINA FERRIS, GINNO ALDUCENTE, ARNAUD GALABRU FASHION: MARLON JAY VICTA, JOHN MUNIZ, GARVY MOLINOS TERRADO AND ROMMEL TUMULAK

VERSION 1.2.1 create. transform. evolve.

Illustrado Magazine

54 FASHION Tag pins find new purpose as avant garde accessories - on Arnaud – weird vision eyewear; on Ginno – multi-use prickly accent

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 55

Illustrado Magazine

56 FASHION

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 57

Illustrado Magazine

58 FASHION On Kristina: a dangerous concoction of rubber sheets, spikes and re-purposed plastic forks translate into darkly fierce separates - top, skirt and shoulder pieces, ensemble by MARLON JAY VICTA

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 59

Illustrado Magazine

60 FASHION On Ginno: exaggerated shoulders top with quilted intricate patterns and hood with metal hose by JOHN MUNIZ

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 61 Plastic sheet shrug accentuated with metal studs, paired with plastic coil neckpiece by JOHN MUNIZ

Illustrado Magazine

62 FASHION Mesh shirt topped with a plastic coil necklace and bracelet are paired with a quilted belt, faux leather tights and kneepads in this multi-piece ensemble by JOHN MUNIZ

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 63

Illustrado Magazine

64 FASHION On Arnaud: black wooden vest with shoulder piece made from rubber sheets and spikes by MARLON JAY VICTA

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 65

Tag pins, clips, studs and white leather strips harmonize in this ROMMEL TUMULAK avant garde piece

Illustrado Magazine

66 FASHION On Kristina: contemporary art and architectural inspiration find expression in this multi-piece layered ensemble of separates created from leather strips, studs, tag pins and ostrich feathers

by ROMMEL TUMULAK.

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 67

Illustrado Magazine

68 FASHION On Ginno: Neck, shoulder and bottom pieces, crafted from rubber sheets, spikes and re-purposed plastic forks by MARLON JAY VICTA

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 69

Illustrado Magazine

70 FASHION On Kristina: cyborg-inspired avant garde – aluminum sheets, vinyl and metal studs come together in this terminator-esque assembly by GARVY MOLINOS TERRADO.

Illustrado Magazine

FASHION 71

Illustrado Magazine

72 DESIGNERS’ GUIDE

Garvy Molinos Terrado For ALMYSAA COUTURE Deira, Dubai, UAE Tel. +971 4 268 0722 Email: trishagarvy24@yahoo.com

John Muniz For CECILIA HAUTE COUTURE 212 Al Hana Center, Satwa, Dubai, UAE Tel. +971 50 842 7796 Email: cecilia@cecilia.ae

Marlon Jay Victa For FANCY QUEEN FASHION Dubai, UAE Tel. +971 50 500 4321 Email: lonemir8@yahoo.com

Romel Ma. Tumulak For BELLA DONA HAUTE COUTURE Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, UAE Tel. +971 2 633 3288 Email: mymel1434@gmail.com

Illustrado Magazine

ADVERTORIAL 73

Splash and ICONIC launch a collection MADE WITH

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS

We all love a bit of sparkle and when it comes in the form of uber glamorous SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, we’re sure to make room for it into our wardrobe.

Bridging the gap between couture and high street, Splash and ICONIC have launched an exclusive collection MADE WITH SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, designed for both men and women.

Tapping the concept of ‘something special’ but ‘not precious’ the 27-piece collection will reflect creativity and contemporary boldness embellished with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.

ICONIC represents a unique spirit, making it different to any other fashion store in the market. It is a destination where fashion, innovation and lifestyle collide and caters to men, women and children. A brand that represents Fashion for the Everyday ICON, regardless of gender, age or personality ICONIC offers fashion apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, gifts all under one roof ensuring there is always something for everyone.

Part of the Landmark Group, ICONIC is for the young at heart family who is stylish, trendy and out-going.

The collection is collaboration among three industry giants: Splash, ICONIC and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.

Meanwhile, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS is the premium line of crystals manufactured

by Swarovski, the world’s leading producer of precision-cut crystal for fashion, jewelry and more recently lighting, architecture and interiors.

The brand, known for its precision cut crystal is seen in various aspects of fashion, jewelry and accessories with the latest on-trend innovations and is recognized by the MADE WITH SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS label, which also serves as a certificate of authenticity.

Speaking about the launch, Raza Beig, CEO, Splash & ICONIC, said, “As fashion brands from the Region, we understand the fashion sensibilities and requirements of the Middle East audience. The Splash & ICONIC collection MADE WITH

Splash is Middle East’s largest fashion retailer and part of the Landmark Group, one of the biggest retail conglomerates in the Middle East, India and Africa. Founded in 1993 as a single brand store in Sharjah, Splash has grown to over 150 stores and 50 brand stores across 12 countries.

Scaling new heights, Splash has taken a step forward into the world of fashion by realigning its product offering to meet the ever-changing lifestyle demands of its customer and re-instating their trust in the brand. Showcasing popular collections for men, women and teens.

Illustrado Magazine

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS will be known for its fashion forward style and edge. The use of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS creates a stunning effect that will stay with the wearer. We are confident that the collection will be well-received in the region by discerning fashionistas who are looking to create a bit of sparkle in their wardrobe.”

With over 27 different styles in the finest of materials, embellished with colorful SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, the collection will have women beaming and gleaming in a line that includes dresses, tops, jackets and denims. From baby pinks to blacks to bold reds, each outfit is a head turner with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS subtly sewn on cuffs, buttons, collars, midriff, making it fun, classy and effortless. Be it a social gathering or ladies night out, women will be left feeling chic and elegant.

The men’s collection features jackets, shirts, t-shirts and denims, incorporating SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS into lapels, rivets, buttons and cuffs. Teamed with sharp tailoring in timeless colors, men can expect to look sleek whether it’s a black-tie event or a date night.

Prices for select pieces for men and women start at AED 80. The collection is available at all Splash and ICONIC stores.

5 Month 74 TRIPPIN’

things To Do This

As the cold breeze replaces the summer wind here in Dubai, November turns to be a good month for ditching

By Sherry Tenorio those floral dresses and comfy flip-flops. Before the celebratory cheers sweep away another year, here are some things that you can do in November.

Complete your Christmas list When you’re far away from home, cramming for Christmas shopping is not an option. In fact, you don’t need to wait until the ‘ber months before you start listing and buying. The smart way to work on care packages is to buy one item (or two) at a time during special promotions or sale periods. It saves you from buying just anything, and allows you to fill in your huge balikbayan boxes without you knowing it.

But if you haven’t finished yet, then it is high time to wear your comfiest shoes and scour the gigantic malls in Dubai for the best gifts you can find for your loved ones. Remember, it takes a longer time for cargo companies to deliver the care packages during the holiday season so better hurry!

1

Rework your winter wardrobe

Illustrado Magazine

2

The cold months (considered as winter) also allows a cool change in your entire wardrobe. From the scarves and bonnets to the knee-high boots and coats, planning what to wear during the season is equally challenging and exciting. But trying to keep up with the trends can break your wallet. There is no need to buy new pieces in order to be up-to-date with fashion. You can work on your existing items, and infuse your personal style to create your own fashion style. Mix and match accordingly, and re-use as much as you can in your closet. The vintage look is always in these days so you do not need to worry about wearing aged (read: a couple of seasons ago) cardigans and vests. Being trendy adds up, yes, but in fashion, what matters most is that you feel confident.

Take salsa dance class Next month, you’ll be busy with social obligations as invites to season’s celebrations will start flooding in. To be certain that your social skills are in check and that you’re ready to party, we suggest taking salsa dance classes at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre. Not only will this Cuban dance make you shine during parties, but taking dance classes are therapeutic because it allows you to spend time on yourself and meet new friends and network. A major plus is that it also helps you lose some extra pounds. So, get yourself listed in the classes, and start prepping for the much-anticipated party season.

4 Throw a barbecue party The weather’s perfect, the air is clear, so what are you waiting for? Whether you like to barbecue by the beach, in the desert, in a park or in your very own backyard, this is the perfect time to get cooking al fresco. Take your barbecue gear out of the cupboard, or if you’re a “barbecue virgin” hypermarkets like Carrefour, Lulu even Ace Hardware have the right stuff to make you feel like a pro at the grill. Get spoiled for choice putting together your barbie meat menu. You can go multicultural out here in the UAE with a choice of braai meats, South African style, or go for Arabic kababs, Indian tikka or your all time favorite Pinoy-style sweet and savory barbecue with Purefoods hotdogs on the side.

Have a cool pitcher of your favorite drink, some salad and freshly cooked steamed rice and your fun friends around you. Pretty much everything you need. It’s time to get cooking!

3

TRIPPIN’ 75

Dance again with JLo If you are one of the loyal fans of the Latina singer/actress Jennifer Lopez then, you will by now have bought a ticket to her first ever concert in the city of gold. Lucky you for buying early; you’re sure to enjoy the tunes as performed live by the woman who was once named The Most Beautiful Women in the World by People Magazine and who has also topped the Forbes magazine’s most powerful list of celebrities for 2012.

Tickets have reportedly been sold out, but don’t fret, you can still watch the Dubai edition of JLo’s Dance Again World Tour. This may sound a bit desperate but come concert date on the 22nd, you can opt to park your car near the DMC Amphitheatre and simply relish the live music resonating from the concert grounds. With good friends and good music of JLo, it can still be a rockin’ night.

5

dreamstime.com

76 PINOY XXX PLANET

Meandering Around

LAKE COMO Photos and text by Al P. Manlangit

It was raining when the flight landed in Milan’s Malpensa Airport and it poured really hard after I picked up the rental car. I could barely see the road, much less the road signs. At the last minute though, the sign “Como” briefly flashed in- between the wiper blades and I turned left heading north on the almost empty autostrada.

Tulips in bloom on the walkway

Ferry crossing the lake

The town of Cadenabbia

Docking at quayside in Bellagio

Illustrado Magazine

PINOY PLANET 77

Verdant gardens in Villa D’Este

The Queen’s Pavilion at Villa D’Este

Foggy morning along the like in Tremezzo

The rain eased upon my approach to the town where one of Italy’s largest lakes began and meandered all the way up to the Swiss Alps. My destination was Tremezzo, further north halfway up the lake so I skirted Como and began the winding ascent up the two-lane road that clung to the mountainside. Every now and then I caught glimpses of the water shrouded in mist. The late afternoon sun peeked through the cloud cover throwing golden ripples on the placid water. It was a beautiful sight but I couldn’t take my eyes off the narrow lane, fearing that I would hit one of the houses that barely had any setback from the road.

I arrived at the homely boutique hotel just as it was getting dark and the weather had turned bad once more with rain lashing the window pane. The receptionist told me that it had been like that for the past few days but tomorrow may be better.

“Who knows,” she said, “the sun might come up just for you!” I hoped so and knocked on the wooden desk for good measure.

I was in Italy to attend a design fair, but couldn’t get any hotel booking in Milan since they were packed. When I looked at the map and saw the availability of several boutique hotels in and around Como, I thought, why not. Never mind the 75 kilometer drive. I was sure the view would be well worth it and would give me reason to take an extra two days to enjoy the scenery.

78 PINOY XXX PLANET

Lake Como, a place of beauty and tranquility Lake Como has earned a reputation for being a favorite vacation spot since Roman times because of its beauty and tranquility.

It has many artistic and cultural gems as well, like its famous silk textiles that made it a popular retreat for the wealthy.

The lake’s soaring mountains, some still with snow on their tops, made a startling contrast against the azure waters of the lake below. The long and narrow waterway gives the impression of a mighty river cutting through the mountains thereby giving it a distinctive beauty all of its own.

Nowadays, celebrities have houses around the place and I started wondering where George Clooney’s villa was located so I could drop by for a cup of espresso.

A stepped alley leads up to more shops

Next morning when I opened my bedroom window, the sun was up indeed and what a view I had: verdant mountains in the distance, splendid ochre-colored villas with red-tiled roofs and glimmering blue water that stretched as far as the eye could see! I didn’t feel like going out anymore but a hearty breakfast was waiting and I had a ferry to catch.

A bygone era of paradise The ferries that crisscross the lake come at 30-minute intervals and there I was at the upper deck, the lone passenger aboard, savoring the bracing cold air. It took just about 15 minutes to make the crossing to Bellagio, which sits on a promontory of

Illustrado Magazine

The long and winding road hugging the lake to Como

Quiet café corner

PINOY PLANET XXX 79

land where the lake splits into two. This Pearl of Lake Como had been the summer residence of Roman patricians, Lombardy’s noble families and, later on, families of the 18th century because of its mild temperate climate. They built magnificent villas around the place and many of them are open to the public such as Villa Melzi and Villa Carlotta. You can stroll around the grounds and act out your fantasies of a bygone era on the beautifully landscaped gardens surrounded by cypresses and pines and adorned with roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, oleanders and hydrangeas which are a feast for the eyes.

From the ferry dock, which was surrounded by so many shops that there was no need for you to go shopping elsewhere. I hiked up the steep road, passing by so many flowers in bloom that I started to get dizzy from the riot of colors on display. The winding way that snaked through beautiful countryside brought me to the top of the hill where a maze of small, pedestrianonly alleyways branched out in different directions; some leading to quaint shops

with souvenir items as well as bargain knick-knacks while others brought you to stores for some serious shopping with window displays urging you to buy the latest Moschino, Versace, Gucci and Prada creations. But no matter where you went, there was always a corner with a small café where I had my fill of double espresso or a gelateria where I gave vent to my sweet tooth.

Up and down this maze I explored, looking for good views of the lake to shoot or nice angles to capture. At times, I just sat by a nook beside the cobblestone alley to watch people go by; locals hurriedly going to their destination and tourists shuffling around with no particular place to go. In every instance, it was fun to watch. The scenes were as I dreamt about and the architecture was straight out of tourist brochures so typical of the country: red tiled roofs tilted against each other, pastel colored walls standing chock-a-block on opposite sides of the narrow streets and terraces laden with flowers overflowing wrought iron balustrades. The streets

eventually led down to the lake via steps or sloping ramps and I found myself heading back to the picturesque waterfront once more where centuries-old buildings stood, most notably the yellow pastel-colored Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

On my last day, I drove further north passing through lovely towns such as Cadenabbia, Varenna, Gravedona and Menaggio – all having that distinctive air of elegance and old-world charm. Down south in Cernobbio was a gem: Villa d’Este, a huge estate, built by the Cardinal of Como in the 14th century overlooking the lake. It is now an opulent hotel with beautiful gardens, long water troughs and fountains and statuary. For E1,000 a night, it is considered one of the best hotels in the world where VIPs make it their home when vacationing in Como.

As I drove out of the serene Lake District, I couldn’t help but thank my lucky stars that I couldn’t find available hotels in Milan for I found a much better alternative that was as close as you could get to paradise.

80 ADVERTORIAL

Penshoppe Opens in the UAE Once a brand only local to the Philippines, Penshoppe is slowly but surely taking over the global fashion retail market, one country at a time.

Known for its fresh take on casual wear, high quality products and affordable prices, Penshoppe is the flagship brand of Golden ABC, and one of the Philippines’ leading casual clothing brands. It started in 1986, as a college project between current President and CEO Bernie H. Liu and his friends. While the country was in the midst of a revolution, Liu decided it was time to start his own revolution in the fashion retail industry, and thus, Penshoppe was born.

When the brand first started, Penshoppe initially offered graphic tees. Since then it has evolved into a lifestyle brand with a complete range of apparel, accessories, shoes and personal care products. The growth in Penshoppe’s product lines continues to soar. Today, Penshoppe’s collection of sophisticated casual wear marries high-street trends with comfort, wearability and affordability.

The first boutique opened its doors in SM City North EDSA and since then, Penshoppe’s network of stores has grown to 300 sites, all strategically located in key areas where its stylish patrons shop.

Its commitment to providing a total brand experience is evident in its flagship stores in four of the Philippines’ biggest shopping malls: SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, Ayala Trinoma and Ayala Cebu.

Penshoppe received the Most Outstanding Retailer of the Year Award (Medium Scale Category) from the Philippine Retailers Association and the Department of Trade and Industry in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, it was elevated to the Hall of Fame from the same award giving body.

Illustrado Magazine

Left to Right: Dea Alonzo (Director for International Sales, Golden ABC), Philippine Labor Attache Delmer Cruz, Mr. Kannan Narayanan (Director, KN Retail LLC), Assistant Labor Attache Ma. Corazon Venus Abad.

Internationally, Penshoppe broke Filipino Retail Barriers in 2002 when it opened its store in Xiamen, China, the first Philippine retail brand to do so. Penshoppe is now present in several key cities in the Middle East including Jeddah, Riyadh, Al Jubail, Al Khobar and Dammam as well as the Bahraini capital, Manama. Penshoppe is also set to conquer Indonesia with the opening of its first store in Jakarta on December 2012 and at least 150 more in the next 10 years.

“We’ve always been a proudly Filipino brand. And now that the world has become a global village, the global giants have started arriving on our shores,” said Alex Mendoza, Brand Director of Penshoppe.

“In a global environment, the best way to survive is to thrive - on an international scale,” he added.

“With new boutiques opening, we can now, not only provide more Filipinos with a taste of a home-grown brand,

but introduce our stylish products to the international market as well,” said Golden ABC President and CEO Bernie Liu. Today, Penshoppe is known as one of the Philippine’s leading fashion retail powerhouses. With its 26-year strong heritage in up-to-date, global design and style; innovative marketing and advertising campaigns and strategies; and keen business acumen, Penshoppe is poised and rearing to bring its own unique brand of casual wear to the rest of the world. The franchise of Penshoppe in the UAE was awarded to KN Retail LLC. The first UAE boutique opened on Oct. 24th, 2012, at the Reef Mall in Deira, Dubai. Kannan Narayanan, MD & Owner of KN Retail LLC said that “Penshoppe is known for its fresh but sophisticated take on casual wear, high quality products and affordable prices. It is the Philippines’ leading casual fashion brand which can address the young UAE market’s fashion needs with its fresh trendy designs.”

82 BAKASYON GRANDE

DANUM AND THE SPIRIT OF SAGADA

Twelve hours away from Manila and accessible only by bus, Sagada is by no means the typical vacation spot.

Going there is in itself a journey, its inaccessibility adding to its value. Here is how Sagada and an unexpected tour guide taught a group of girls the importance of its miles.

By Johanna Michelle Lim

The stars were still out when the comfortable coolness of our room was replaced with the biting cold of dawn in Sagada. I noticed that the stars were a little different here -nearer, brighter, most of them with surrounding orbs of light that gave the illusion of depth and closeness at the same time. I looked to them for comfort.

The Main Road ahead was still void of movement.

Most Igorots are early risers. But even they perhaps succumbed to the blessings of weather where, unlike the rest of the Philippines, heat is the rarity.

This being the fifth and last day of the trip, we were familiar with the shapes of buildings, outlines of pathways, and silhouettes of stairs by now. They were the maps we clung to before light confirmed that “there” is Residential Lodge, Traveller’s Inn

Illustrado Magazine

BAKASYON GRANDE 83

or Internet Café – all sparse names that echoed the ideology that, in the Mountain Province, only functionality is mattered. There were no lights yet in these metal-insulated buildings, and even street. But the goal was to reach a popular lake before sunrise and that kept this all-girl trio on their toes despite.

We sat at the building entrance, eating leftover bam-i and Spanish bread from last night’s dinner, and waited for light to give refuge. The lake was three kilometers away and walking in the dark was irresponsible; a “tourist” trait we were determined not to be tagged.

“How are we going to get there?” we idly wondered, thinking of the terrain that could not be left to instinctual foot plays, riddled as it was with landslides and vertical drops. There was an element of time pressure to this trek as well. The bus, another rarity in the Province, was set to leave at 10:00 A.M. So roughly, we had only a few hours to get to the lake, come back, pack, and catch the only transportation out.

“How are we going to get there?” remained the dangling question.

Suddenly, the question was snatched off like a bone from our hands. The dog, big, Husky-like, looked as if he didn’t really belong there. His authoritative demeanor spoke otherwise. He did belong here, and

84 BAKASYON GRANDE he was in command. He came from nowhere, the dog, and snarled as if demanding what “you, you and you” were doing here so early, like an old man shooing hooligans off his property.

“He’s eyeing us,” we whispered as if the dog understood. We were, by now, on top of a flimsy hollow-blocked fence that offered no real physical protection except in our heads. The dog followed, prowling. He was waiting. For what, we didn’t know. So we came down, despite his whimpers, only to realize that this might just be what he was waiting for. As soon as our feet touched the ground, The dog barked, ran around, and then ran ahead to the path leading to the lake. We eyed him suspiciously but followed. He waited for our trio to catch up, then he ran ahead again as if he were a member of SAGGAs (Sagada Genuine Guide Association). And like the accredited guide that he proclaimed himself to be, he went to check the terrain, barked away stray dogs, and even waited patiently while his trigger-happy tourists took pictures of the sunrise and every pine tree the camera could be pointed to.

“We should name him,” we say to each other. And all throughout the 2-hour trek through dirt trails, choices such as Saga, Sagada, Ganduyan (the collective name of the people in Sagada) and Adagas came out. Along the way, the dog continued to bark away cows blocking the road, stray chickens and even helter-skelter transportation. Two hours and several pee marks later, the dog, by pure intuition perhaps, somehow led us to the Lake from a side road that could easily be missed if not for constant consultation with any man on the street and The dog’s navigational skills. He let us roam around, never too far away. When called, he came out from a bush somewhere, circled around us in reassurance, and disappeared again.

It was interesting to see how the spirit of Sagada was personified in the dog. It branded itself as a congenial tour guide, eager to share its customs, its beliefs, and yet quite adamant in telling outsiders that there are some things only they understood. Sagada is hospitable, and yet they never say that “mi casa y su casa.” Outsiders are outsiders. Locals are locals. Very few perhaps manage to truly infiltrate its culture, so used are they to the isolation marked by their topography.: the closest city, Baguio, is six hours away; the closest airport, Manila, is 12 hours away.

“Customs should be respected,” many store owners told us, adding that although they don’t wear the expected garbs anymore, they are still at heart, Igorots. We found out that some places are prohibited to outsiders at certain times of the year. Rituals, they explained.

There are rituals for renewal, for birth, for death. Rituals that can’t be photographed. Rituals that cannot be shared by and with outsiders. This held an important lesson in travel: that a place can only teach what can be taught, share what can be shared. All the rest is insight.

“Zero crime rate dito,” explained a NOSIGA (Northern Sagada Indigenous Guide Association) member. “Kasi kilala na naman ang

Illustrado Magazine

BAKASYON GRANDE 85

isa’t isa. Karamihan sa amin, dito na lumaki.

Kaya wala talagang patayan o politika.” (We know each other well. Most of us grew up here. That’s why we don’t have killings or political shenanigans.)

It must be your weather, I joked with her. Cool weather equates to cool heads.

I turned serious and asked, “How do you deal with tourists then?” I prodded her as we drank lemon tea from leaves picked out of her backyard. An isolated town, most of the time, wants to remain isolated.

“We already know this is part of our livelihood,” she explained. As with many others I had asked, she had a deep certainty that their inner lives remained untouched by tourism, and the infiltration of outsiders, a mere occupation. A guide, for instance, will tell tourists his Christian name but will withhold his Igorot name, unless asked.

An Igorot is given two names at birth: one Christian, one Igorot, representing their belief in both. “My name is James” a SAGGAs guide said introducing himself.

“And what do they call you here?” I asked him. He smiled and lowered his voice as if it were a secret, “Janno.”

The lake in itself was unblemished with very little sign of development. An unfinished building sat as its backdrop. We went around it. The cobwebs glistened in the sun while two fishermen waded in the water, catching mosquito fish, found too in their numerous pilapilans. They looked at us curiously but did not wave. It was time to head back.

Nearing the Commercial Center again, we remembered our task to give the dog a name. Sagada was beginning to awaken.

Workers in their backpacks, students in their uniforms, and old women with their market baskets walked leisurely with the assurance of those who have long learned how to time and pace their terrain. We hurried, excited to feed The dog his promised chicken. We named him Danum, after the lake he guided us to. But Danum didn’t follow. He simply left us near the place where he originally found us, and watched as we walked away. We looked back, called to him, prodded him with Pinikpikan, their famous battered chicken. But he let us go, teaching us what the rest of Sagada already had: that for any fondness to grow, there must first,be distance.

2 ways to get to Sagada: From Baguio From Manila, take a bus to Baguio.

It’s better to take night trips so you can just sleep along the way. Bus fare is PHP 450.00 From the Dangwa Bus Terminal in Baguio, there are buses leaving for Sagada starting 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Be sure to bring gloves and mufflers as air is gets more chilly past La Trinidad going to the zigzagging Halsema Highway in Banguet. Travel time is about 6 hours. Bus fare is PHP 220.00.

From Banaue-Bontoc From Manila, take a bus to Banaue.

Don’t sleep so as to check the scenic view fully. Travel time is about 12 hours. Bus fare is PHP 600.00.

From Banaue, there are mini-vans and jeepneys going to Sagada. You can also take the bus. Bus fare is PHP 250.00.

86 FEATURE

THE GLOCAL DAVAO CACAO

As world chocolate producers are racing against the threat of a cocoa crisis, Davao is emerging as a good source of cacao. For Filipinos at home and abroad, the cacao is also coming out as a good source of income. Davao local Liza Lacuesta tells us what’s brewing down south.

When the century turned in 2000, West Africa, source of more than half of the world’s cacao, was declining in its yield.

Set with civil unrest, the region was also exposed by the media for child and trafficked labor in cocoa farming. Its supply fell short against the usual demand of North America, Europe and Japan, and the emerging markets from Asian economies like China and India.

After all, more than its dark and decadent taste, chocolate reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks. As pointed out in a study made by Cornell University, chocolate is also a powerful anti-oxidant that is twice more effective than red wine, and thrice more helpful than green tea.

With chocolate consumption exceeding the world’s cacao supply, CNN then quoted the Ghana-based Nature Conservation Research Council (NCRC), which predicted that by 2020, chocolate will be like caviar: so rare that only a few people will be able to afford it.

To

buck

this

Illustrado Magazine

prediction,

chocolate

producers began looking for new sources of cacao, and consequently, ways to sustain their supply. Mars, a $30 billion US company that holds one of the biggest consolidated global confectioneries today, chose the Philippines, which already had hundreds of years of experience in cacaoplanting, when the Spaniards introduced it in 1640.

The choice further led the company to Mindanao, which, according to newspaper, Business Mirror, grows 80 percent of cacao trees in the country, 70 percent of which comes from Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental. Collectively, they form the Davao Region, which might as well be known as the country’s “chocolate hub”, a lesser known nickname, compared with the region’s popularity as the country’s “abundant fruit basket”.

Davao, Philippines as an emerging source of cacao As there was no single plantation in Davao that could supply Mars’ requirements, the conglomerate in 2007 asked Charita Puentespina to consolidate cacao harvests

of local growers and ferment them.

Puentespina is the influential cacao grower who is also known for establishing the iconic Puentespina Orchids and Tropic Plants in Davao City.

For Mars, Puentespina was also a familiar ally, as a fellow member of the ACDI/ VOCA’s Sustainable Cocoa Enterprise Solutions to Smallholders (SUCCESS) Alliance Program, which previously had been holding the Farmer Field School, which advocated massive cacao planting in Davao.

Mars then gave Puentespina three years to meet its requirements. The time would allow her to establish the Mars Cocoa Development Center (MCDC) in her farm compound in Malagos. Through the MCDC, farmers learned about Mars’ years of experience in sustaining the production of the cocoa beans in the Asia Pacific region, Papua New Guinea, and West Africa. More than 3,000 farmers were trained by the center, with most of them graduates of the Farmer Field School.

FEATURE 87 A year after in 2008, Puentespina was able to consolidate quality beans that fit Mars’ standards.

“They (Mars) were scratching their heads.

They said they thought they were going to have to deal with this problem in three years,” shares Charita Puentespina.

“I told them, I just didn’t want to promise the farmers. I wanted to see the market for myself. I don’t want to be asked by the farmers, ‘Here are our beans, where is that market that you’ve been telling us?’”

Puentespina adds.

The year 2008 marked the region’s initial foray into supplying cacao for Mars products such as M&Ms, Snickers, Mars, 3 Muskeeters, Dove, Milkyway and Twix.

However, as pointed out by Peter Cruz, manager of the MCDC, in the scheme of the global cacao value chain, Davao’s link to Mars is indirect. The consolidated fermented beans from Davao still have to be sold to a global consolidator: Armajaro in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Armajaro Trading sources and delivers cocoa, coffee and sugar to major global chocolate and coffee producers and roasters.

Askinosie: Artisan, Davao cacao bean to bar experience Soon after, another US-based company sought the Davao cacao: Askinosie. Unlike the more commercial Mars chocolates, Askinosie produces artisan, single origin chocolates that have the distinct taste and branding of the cacao of its sources: Soconusco in Mexico; San Jose del Tambo in Ecuador; and Davao, in the Philippines.

With Askinosie, the Davao cacao is not just a bean but a chocolate brand, and a distinguished one at that.

In 2011, Askinosie’s 77% Davao, Philippines Dark Chocolate Bar, and Dark Milk Chocolate Bar + Sea Salt, each won the Silver Award from the London Academy of Chocolate, for being the Best Bean to Bar Dark Chocolate, and the Best Bean to Bar Milk Chocolate, respectively. The two other award-winners were the Davao

Chocolate White Bar, and the Chocolate Nibble Bar, which both won Outstanding Chocolate, in the years 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Non-exclusive partnership with Mars revitalizes Davao Cacao industry In its initial engagement with the Davao cacao, Askinosie bought its beans directly from Puentespina.

However, as the MCDC trained more growers, there were other sources that Askinosie, as well as other importers and traders can choose from.

“The Davao cacao industry is really an open market. Any buyer can buy from anybody, and any seller, can sell to anybody. There is no exclusive tie-up.

For example, as consolidator you have to buy from these small farm holders to produce the requirements from a certain buyer from abroad,” notes Val Turtur, executive director of the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao, Inc. (CIDAMI).

Cruz notes that cacao production is an opportunity that should be seized. Mars alone needs 100,000 metric tons of cacao beans by 2020. Moreover, world demand for cacao beans is growing at about 90,000

MT annually. So far, Davao has been able to supply only 7,000-8,000 MT.

“Take note, the Philippines is only producing 7,000 MT, and the Philippines is consuming 55,000 MT. Even by ourselves, we already have a deficit of 48,000 MT,” adds Cruz, referring to the significant demand for cacao from the domestic market.

Massive Cacao Planting Advocated Val Turtur, shares that with this target, 6-7 million cacao trees have to be planted every year. One of CIDAMI’s goals is to organize and develop one big nursery operation association per region in Mindanao.

Turtur also acknowledges the various capacity-development, and cacao-planting efforts conducted by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the Davao Region, as well as the Davao City Agriculturist Office.

Davao City agriculturist Leonardo Avila III has been very vocal about urging growers, small farmers with 1-3 hectares of land to maximize their profit by intercropping

88 FEATURE

the cacao with coconut. Hinged on the City Watershed Ordinance, this advocacy complements his office mandate, which is to assign an agricultural technologist to assist growers in every rural area.

Malagos Premium Unsweetened Chocolate The revitalization of the cacao industry has also encouraged many growers to sell directly to makers of tableya in local markets such as Cebu and Bohol.

Obviously, a ready market for the tableya exists, as it is a traditional Filipino hot chocolate made from roasted cocoa beans that are ground into ‘tablets’.

To add more value to the cacao beans, Puentespina Farms, sought the production of an upgraded version of the tableya, which it packaged as “a single origin cocoa liquor for making drinks and baking” to the local market. Its tableyas then are “hygienically molded from pure chocolate liquor (thick, liquid chocolate paste) ground from our roasted fermented beans, and vacuum-sealed in food-grade plastic envelopes.”

This month, it is launching the Malagos Premium Unsweetened Chocolate, an even more improved version of the tableya, as it is now packaged like a chocolate bar, and labeled as “an ingredient for pastries, candies, milk chocolate or dark chocolate

Illustrado Magazine

or source of a cocoa butter or cocoa powder.”

conducted among traditional tableyamaking households in San Isidro.

The Malagos Premium Unsweetened Chocolate will be available online for delivery in the Philippines at the www. thegiftfarm.ph, In time, the chocolate will be sold to international markets.

Distributed among premiere chocolate shops, restaurants and cafes, food manufacturers, bakeries and hotels in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao, CSI Sikwate, with its defined San Isidro taste, hopes to penetrate the international market soon.

Also in the pipeline is the couverture, a chocolate containing considerable cocoa butter, especially for coating candies. This product is intended for pastry chefs, bakers and chocolatiers.

Sikwate!

Another tablea product that has been making significant strides in the local front is the Chokolate de San Isidro Sikwate!, which is distinguished by the unique taste that San Isidro, its town of origin, developed.

Tagged as the town that cacao built, San Isidro is a municipality in Davao del Norte, which for decades, has drawn on 4,000 hectares of cacao for its economy, and tablea production as its main source of livelihood.

Named after the Visayan term for chocolate drink, the brand CSI Sikwate actually took its formula from what was deemed as the best recipe in the taste test

What makes the CSI Sikwate more unique is that it is a social enterprise, which taps the support of both private and government programs. With the support of the Department of Trade and Industry and the local government through the One Town One Product program, Chokolate de San Isidro was formed as a social enterprise, incorporating farmer cooperatives, local investors, marketers and cocoa liquor or tablea-producing households.

Opportunities from the Davao Cacao As the Davao cacao positions itself as a global commodity and a high value crop that can do well in the domestic as well as international arena, another opportunity emerges; the opportunity for Filipinos to have a sustainable livelihood and for the Philippines to be a recognized as a valuable contributor to sustaining a dwindling global cacao industry, one bean at a time.

BAYANIHAN CORNER 89

This purpose-driven community, handin-hand, demonstrated what a common vision can do. It can empower. It can effect change. To date, more than 600 Filipinos have started their first steps towards financial literacy. Two Training of Trainers have been held to cascade the knowledge to others.

Since the start of the movement in January 2011, not only Abu Dhabi but also Dubai OFs have availed of the free seminars.

Fujairah was also visited and given much needed insights about the duality of Philippine migration.

Before the end of the year, we hope to involve our kababayans in Ras Al Khaima, Um Al Quwain and Ajman, so that they may also benefit from the life-changing teachings of Pinoy WISE.

BAYANIHAN AT WORK:

A Purpose Driven Community

By Ambassador Grace Princesa

One of my dreams for the OFWs is getting realized – the wonderful phenomenon of our kababayans working towards a common goal, to gain financial savvy and eventually achieve financial independence.

It may be recalled that I previously mentioned the late Vice-President and Foreign Minister “Tito” Doy Laurel saying that one of the keys to success of Japan and Germany is a focused and visionary leadership.

Together with the Bayanihan Council and the Filcom Dubai and Northern Emirates and other OFW community leaders, the Philippine Country Team in the United Arab Emirates has partnered with Atikha, an NGO, and local government units and other stakeholders to pilot Pinoy WISE (World Wide Initiative for Investment,

Savings and Entrepreneurship) Movement here in the UAE. Witnessing the spirit of Bayanihan in action, Filipinos moving as one, and “Kabayanis” volunteering time, talent and treasure towards the successful official launching of Pinoy WISE through the Pinoy WISE Market Place Event scheduled on the 23rd of November 2012 was pure joy.

We held meetings till late at night.

Weekends were spent planning for the myriad details of the big event to show the Filipinos and the world that with unity much can be achieved. Skype meetings were held with Mai Añunuevo of Atikha who had to stay up late at midnight Philippine time to keep us focused on what we needed to do at our end.

I have followed the three year FIR approach in my drive towards a purposedriven community since I assumed the post as your Ambassador and “Nanay of the community.”

The first year, 2010 was for F – Foundation – i.e. share with our OFs issues on migration and development, the costs and the benefits. The second year, 2011, is for I – Implementation, and the third year, 2012, is for R -Reflection/Review.

My last three years as Ambassador (2013 to 2015) will be devoted to strengthening and helping focus the Bayanihan spirit among OFWs (Overseas Filipinos Worldwide Wonders) in promoting financial literacy and later on disaster preparedness.

The GOOD book says a nation without a vision perishes. A community without a purpose will be rudderless.

A purpose driven Filipino community will help realize the vision of the “Bayanihan ng Bayan at mga Bayani: Integration and Reintegration, the Challenges and Opportunities of a Successful Migration.”

More of this in my next sharing.

Illustrado Magazine

90 COMMUNITY

Pinoy WISE Launch in the UAE Pinoy WISE (Worldwide Initiative for Investment, Savings and Entrepreneurship) International will be launched on November 23, 2012 at the Abu Dhabi National Theater. Pinoy WISE is a network of national and local government agencies, migrant organizations, non-government organizations, cooperatives, banks and remittance companies which merged their initiatives to support the financial education and address family concerns of migrants and families and promote investment, trade and eco-tourism of provinces of origin of overseas Filipinos.

The UAE was selected as Pinoy WISE’s pilot country because of the following reasons: huge number of overseas Filipinos; UAE Ministry of Labor’s support to financial education program for migrants; proactive initiatives for migrants of the Philippine Embassy Country Team led by HE Ambassador Grace Princesa; and active and tireless efforts of Bayanihan and Pinoy WISE UAE volunteers to reach out, help and educate their fellow migrant Filipinos.

Pinoy WISE UAE Event in November, as its theme“Engaging Migrants in Agriculture Development” seeks to OFs in contributing to the country’s agricultural development. Pinoy WISE promotes migrant investment in agriculture. It is of the belief that without rural development, it would be difficult for migrants to return home and reintegrate in the Philippines because of limited opportunities in the provinces where they came from.

Illustrado Magazine

Pinoy WISE expects the following six provinces in the Philippines to join the UAE event, namely, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Oriental Mindoro, Antique, and Masbate. The event will showcase various agri-business opportunities, investment windows in agri-enterprises of partner cooperatives and eco/agro tourism programs in the participating provinces that migrants and their families can avail of. Other exhibitors include OWWA/ NRCO/Land Bank for the 2 Billion Reintegration Program; Development Bank of the Philippines, SSS, Soro-soro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC), Cavite Farmers Feed millers and Marketing Cooperative (CAFFMACO) and other partner financial institutions. Atikha will showcase the various initiatives of NGOs working with overseas Filipinos. The Department of Agriculture Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Services (DAAMAS) will conduct a seminar on opportunities in agri-business. There will also be a parallel counseling session on addressing family issues that leads to estrangement and drains the resources of the migrants to be lead by Atikha and participating provincial social welfare officers.

Other events of Pinoy WISE in UAE include participation at the Bayanihan Festival sponsored by Filcom Dubai and Northern Emirates at Megabowl Zabeel Park from 9:00 to 12 noon and the Pinoy WISE Forum at The Philippine School in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 1:00 to 5:00 pm The Pinoy WISE UAE event is made possible through the efforts of The Philippine Embassy, UAE, Department of Agriculture-Agri-business and Marketing

Assistance Services, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Interior and Local Government, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, Atikha and Bayanihan. The corporate sponsors of Pinoy WISE Event are Etihad and Xpress Money. Other sponsors include Landbank, DBP, SSS, Nanay Tuneng, SIDC, Caffmaco and Megaworld.

Pinoy WISE was initiated as a financial education program by Atikha in Italy and the provinces of Cavite, Laguna and Batangas. Atikha’s program on financial literacy and mobilizing migrant investment towards agriculture cooperatives was supported by International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). The setting up of the One Stop Migration Resource Centers in partnership with the Local Government was supported by the European Union United Nations Joint Migration and Development Initiatives (EC-UN JMDI). These initiatives are considered one of the good practices on migration and development internationally.

The Ministry of Labor of UAE invited Atikha in 2010 to conduct a training of trainers on financial literacy of migrant leaders from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Atikha partnered with Bayanihan in conducting the Pinoy WISE financial literacy seminars for Filipinos in UAE. To date, there are around 650 overseas Filipinos who have attended the Pinoy WISE financial literacy seminar in UAE. Companies such as Etihad are adopting the Pinoy WISE program as part of their staff development program.

92 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.

Pinoy FEAR FACTOR What sends chills down your spine, raises the hair on the back of your neck (and perhaps everywhere else on your body), and makes you utter “Takot ako eh!” a la Matet de Leon (though you never sounded as adorable as when she said it)?

Turn the brightest lights on now and grab a blanket or someone cute to hold you close as we name the Pinoy’s biggest scares of all time! Warning: don’t look over your shoulder or you just might see something/ someone uninvited peeking at what you’re reading.

Awoooooooooo!

Anthill

The mere sight of the punso can have any Filipino kid or adult (yes!) automatically recite “Tabi-tabi po.” lest the grumpy nuno thinks we’re trespassing into his

Illustrado Magazine

home sweet home. Step on it by accident and you’re in for a swollen foot. Pee on it and… you know what will happen.

Banga and Bagua Isn’t an antique jar supposed to add sosyal points to your living room and a Feng Shui ornament to bring you good luck?

Not in reel life. Lurking inside the banga is an all-white monster ready to tear you to pieces with her long and sharp fingernails.

Trapped in the bagua is the soul of the creepy old lady Lotus Feet who decides how you die according to your Chinese horoscope.

Christmas Holduppers Even Santa Claus can’t stop these bad guys from terrorizing our otherwise Yuletide cheer-filled days and nights. Yes, folks, they strike anytime, anywhere for the simple

reason that they need cash for the merry season. So, we better watch out for these Grinches coming to town as December comes close.

Cockroach No one is too brave when it comes to this icky creature we call ipis, especially if it’s a flying ipis. Even the most macho of them all will jump out of their seats and scream like kolehiyalas in the presence of the cockroach. And try as we might to crush it with slippers, it refuses to die maniacally dragging its mutilated body across the floor.

Curfew For the teenybopper coming home way past the curfew, this could mean dark times ahead: no iPod/iPad/iPhone/iMac =

FILIPINISMS 93 no Facebook/Twitter/Blogging = no social media life. How terrifying indeed. For those who lived through the 70s, it only means one thing: Martial Law.

Elections It’s a huge Shake, Rattle & Roll festival out there: corrupt politicians shape shifting into public servants, never-say-die officials that would put zombies to shame, votebuying predators that prey on the needy, and many more. Choosing the lesser evil has never been this daunting.

Mirror A broken mirror bringing you seven years of bad luck is scary enough. But Kuya Boy Abunda’s mahiwagang salamin? It can unnerve any celebrity who unfortunately happens to be in the hot seat! Please, spare them (and us viewers) the horror of being subjected to unnecessary drama.

Mumu Or, it can also be Bumbay/Intsik/Pulis/ Kuto (if you recall other variations, let me know). And here goes the timeless Pinoy parents’ panakot line if the child won’t stop crying or being naughty: “You better stop now, or the Mumu/Bumbay/Intsik/Pulis/ Kuto will get you, you’ll see.”

News On TV: Annabelle Rama running for congresswoman in Cebu. On the radio: Co-ed stabbed by female students from another school. On the web: Malacaňang denies alleged corruption. In the broadsheets: Enrile and Trillanes now on Word War 2. In the tabloids: Heart and Chiz together, confeeermed!

New Year Firecrackers Missing fingers, bloody hands, maimed arms etc: if these don’t make you panic or puke, then nothing probably ever will.

And it’s all because of Rebentador/Bawang/ Triangulo/Super Lolo/Super Pla-Pla gone wrong or playfully thrown toward unsuspecting victims, ouch. So, let’s exorcise this deadly stuff and go back to the classic torotot.

Ondoy Mahangin, malakas ang dating, and truly frightening! Ondoy was Ben “MWAHAHAHAHA” David and Lilia “Yaya” Cuntapay combined. Bringing about flash floods that drowned the metro for days, he had almost everyone scampering up onto rooftops like scaredycats. To this day, we remain rain-phobic.

Pickpockets You don’t see them, but they’re everywhere: on the LRT/MRT, inside jeepneys and buses, at the marketplace, in Quiapo, beside you. They’re just waiting for that perfect moment when your bag or pocket is just within reach. And it’s adieu, cell phone, wallet, and whatnot.

Picture Want the Filipino to pose for your camera doing the duck face or Korean peace sign, even grinning in waist-high floods? You’ll never have to ask twice. Just don’t take pictures when: (1) there are only three of us; the one in the middle will die and (2) we’re having a bad hair day; it will forever haunt us on Facebook.

Places If you’re looking for places to go on a date, take note that these should NOT be on your list of options: (1) Balete Drive at night – NOT romantic to share a ride with a white lady, (2) Capiz – NOT conducive to the getting-to-know stage with aswangs and manananggals hanging around, and (3) Siquijor – NOT folly-proof since it’s easy to order a love potion from the island witches.

Private Catholic School Apparently, every private Catholic school used to be a church or cemetery (based on similar tales going around). So, you have headless priests walking down the hallway, nuns floating around the school grounds, and ghosts of music teachers playing the grand piano—which make for great retreat spook stories.

Town Public School Likewise, every town public school seems to be the haven of engkantos and duwendes (based on Magandang Gabi, Bayan Halloween Special episodes). So, you have students being possessed by the Balete Tree or being wooed by a love-struck fairy.

Whether he looks like Legolas, we have no idea at all.

Social Media Your days as a happy Facebook or Twitter user are so over, boo! For all you know, you might be the first or next Cybercriminal to get arrested and thrown into jail. So, go easy on liking that comment about your neighbor being sintunado or retweeting your friend’s post that Charice’s hair looks like pancit canton.