RED magazine April issue

APRIL 2014 www.inquirer.net/red

GUTSY TUASON Swimming with Sharks

Editor’s Letter TAKE THE HIGH DIVE 2

I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love to travel. Last month, my husband and I went to Tokyo, the first time for both of us. Aside from the food, the people there left such a huge impression on me. They were so disciplined and kind. Even though we didn’t speak the language, they were willing to help us out and literally walk that extra mile just to help us get to our destination. I think it is officially one of my favorite cities—and no, it's not as expensive as you think. The ebi tempura

we had in the mall was better than any I’ve eaten here. The downside, though, is the weight gain. Yes, traveling is a luxury but for those who work a lot, it's a necessity. And yes, I think people should go to Japan now more than ever. It's easier to get a visa, no appearance needed, and, like I mentioned earlier, staying there is not so expensive; my husband describes the meal prices in Japan as “Makati price.”

In keeping with this month's travel theme, we introduce to you our first male cover subject (and this is his first cover too, by the way), photographer Gutsy Tuason. An all-around adventure seeker, he has recently released the underwater photography book Notes from the Sea. We are very happy he said yes to being our cover, and even happier that he was open to wearing pieces from the latest Carven collection (he was expecting to wear suits). We think he looks great in them, and we'd like to think he thinks the same. Overall, this month's RED has a lot of firsts.

PHOTOGRAPHY TAMMY DAVID

Hope you enjoy the issue!

Ria Prieto

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Contents admiRED /14

Gutsy Tuason Swimming with sharks

4

ON THE COVER: Cardigan, shirt, trousers, all from Carven, Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing; shoes, Maison Martin Margiela, Univers, One Rockwell ON THIS PAGE: Sweater, Carven, Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing

6 8 14

admiRED Gutsy Tuason rises from the deep blue

22

exploRED A road trip in style through

28 30 31

devouRED Rediscovering the comforts of home at Lasa

art The ephemeral becomes eternal in Jake Verzosa's images attiRED What to wear where with tales to tell

picturesque Switzerland

inquiRED What's your go-to travel bag? empoweRED For Kaye Ti単ga, there's beauty in giving

Editor-in-chief Art Director Associate Editor Copy Editor

Ria Prieto Ni単a Muallam Mara Santillan Miano September Grace Mahino

Contributing writer

Ginggay dela Merced

Contributing photographers

Joseph Angan, Sam Lim, Cyrus Panganiban

External Relations Officer

Sophie Villanueva

Interns

Arianna del Rosario, Nina Mendoza, Josh Orbeta

Board Chairperson

Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez

Group Publisher SVP and Group Sales Head, Inquirer Group of Companies Sales Director Business and Distribution Manager

Bea Ledesma Pepito Olarte Ma. Katrina Mae Garcia-Dalusong Rina Lareza

art

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRESERVATION 6

Jake Verzosa immortalizes the vanishing tradition of the Kalinga tattoo W O R DS A R I A N N A DE L R O SA R I O

For ex-programmer Jake Verzosa, photography has always been a subtle and lingering passion. As a 10-year-old boy, he had stumbled upon the drawers of his father’s darkroom prints, finding intimate family moments and candid stills of street life captured and depicted on film. Just as it was for his father, photography then became a personal pleasure for Jake, who remembers borrowing film cameras to snap portraits of his friends in high school and college.

It took some time before Jake considered his pastime as a way to make a living. “Photography was something I enjoyed doing on a personal level, and I wondered if I could make a career out of it as well. I started shooting professionally in 2003 after I quit my job as a programmer.”

Nowadays, Jake is a successful and sought-after fashion and commercial photographer who has caught the attention of some pretty big brands. His work can be seen plastered on the walls of McDonald’s restaurants, peeking out of Coca-Cola advertisements in magazines, lining the walls of Bench stores and proudly manifested on billboards for Nike and Convergys.

Yet despite the flashy sparkle of success that comes from his commercial career, Jake still pulls off a refined stillness in his personal collections. He photographs things as they are: No fuss, no embellishments. Whether he is chronicling a city in ruins for Yolanda or archiving different hoops for Basketball Landscapes, Jake achieves a candor that captures the purest beauty of his subjects.

“I have always believed in the power of photography as a document.”

This is evident in his work: Almost all photographs are candid and unposed, an honest depiction of people, places and moments as they were meant to be.

His recent collection The Last Tattooed Women of Kalinga serves the same purpose. In ancestral times, tattoos were earned by men who showed

Abo Nao Sicdawag

Sin-ao Gammod

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND SILVERLENS GALLERIES

Fang-Od Oggay

bravery during war time. For women, they were telltales of beliefs and child-bearing ability.

“Traditions such as the practice of Kalinga tattooing are slowly disappearing. I wanted to present to the viewers the faces, patterns and stories of the last generation of women who wore their lives on their sleeves,” says Jake.

The inspiration to photograph these women has also been a prolonged, lingering presence. “The first time I saw a Kalinga tattoo was as a kid. The second one was back in high school. The third one was when my friend Bahag showed some photographs from his

travels in the north. These images lingered in my mind and got me fascinated.”

In the subsequent process, which made use of format film medium, he had each woman pose with their chests exposed and their tattoo-laden arms bared. Giving little to no direction, he allowed the women to ease into their natural postures.

The eventual result was a stunning series of black and white images depicting the inked descendants of a disappearing practice. Just like his subjects whose marks tell stories of valor and accomplishment, Jake welcomed his own

Kalinga tattoo. “I figured it would be an honor to have one. Fang-od, the last tattoo artist, uses charcoal and water as ink, stencils the pattern on the skin, and uses the thorn of a lime tree as the needle.”

He has come a long way from being that 10-year-old playing with his father’s film cameras, and that not-quite-satisfied programmer. His career may now be a booming whirlwind of advertisements and photo essays, but there's no doubt that Jake, his camera in hand, will always capture those moments of quiet, candid simplicity.

•

attiRED

VOYAGE SPECIFIC When in Rome—or anywhere, really—dress in smart style as the locals do

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Aviators, Ray-Ban, most optical shops; stretch shirt, Maison Martin Margiela, Univers, One Rockwell; belted silk crepe dress, Halston Heritage, Power Plant Mall; crystalembellished raffia shoulder bag, Dolce & Gabbana, Adora, Greenbelt 5; croc-effect leather sandals, Carven, Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing; gold cuffs, Maison Martin Margiela, Univers, One Rockwell

attiRED

PRETTY LITTLE THINGS Like gilded butterflies, these beautiful luxuries balance delicacy with symmetry

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Obsedia tote, ombré feather jacket, both Givenchy, Adora, Greenbelt 5; Kelly Double Tour, Hermès, Greenbelt 3; Aquanaut 5072G-001 watch, Patek Philippe, Greenbelt 5; shark lock black leather wedge, white stretch Cady pants, both Givenchy, Adora, Greenbelt 5; nail lacquer, O.P.I., Rustan's; metallic crochet knit turban, Missoni, Adora, Greenbelt 5

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Scarf, Hermès, Greenbelt 5; Santorini leather tote, Michael Kors, Greenbelt 4; Wayfarers, Ray-Ban, most optical shops; two-toned leather sandals, Jil Sander, Univers, One Rockwell; lipstick, Proenza Schouler x MAC Cosmetics, MAC, Power Plant Mall; Kathmandu printed skirt, Mary Katrantzou, Univers, One Rockwell; cropped top, Jil Sander, Univers, One Rockwell

admiRED

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Gutsy Tuason, the man who plumbed the depths of the ocean and swam with sharks, finds his sea legs in front of the camera

I N TE R V I E W M ARA S AN T I L L AN M I AN O P H OTO G R AP HY C Y RUS P AN G AN I B AN S T Y L I N G RI A P R I E TO GR O O M I N G D O N D E JE S US F O R M AC C O S M E T I C S

Sweater, Carven, Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing; shirt, Dior Homme, Univers, One Rockwell

Cardigan, shirt, trousers, all from Carven, Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing; shoes, Maison Martin Margiela, Univers, One Rockwell

“Sharks are totally misunderstood, because they’re really just fish. Very big fish.

Sure, every once in a while they bite people.”

“I’ve never been this nervous since I was in the middle of a shark feeding frenzy.” Scott “Gutsy” Tuason, an underwater wildlife photographer whose craft involves shooting huge sharks and poisonous jellyfish up close, shudders as he tries on a bright orange Carven sweater. For the record, his name doesn’t refer to gutsy as in brave; when he was born, he was nicknamed by an Australian nurse “Greedy Guts” because of his huge appetite.

He steps into the frame awkwardly, clearly apprehensive—a fish out of water. “Are you sure about this?” he asks the editors. They laugh, probably getting a kick out of making this usually cool guy feel uneasy. “I wouldn’t even glance at this stuff,” he says, alluding to the brand’s latest Spring/Summer collection.

But the man has nothing against fashion or luxury. He’s just a man’s man. Rugged, with his long hair slicked back and tied in a low, messy ponytail, he’s the type to spot a pair of shoes he likes then buys it in three different colors.

Interestingly enough, he owns a sporting goods store that's comparable to a fashion boutique, housing the Pradas and the Guccis of diving, golf, tennis, underwater photography and target shooting—all the things he loves to do. “It’s a lifestyle store. It’s like a designer’s boutique, except with cool things like solar-powered chargers for your computer and camera,” he tells enthusiastically. The store carries everything from Maxpedition backpacks to Böker knives to Sharkskin suits to ScubaPro diving gear. The place is a gold mine for the high-end hobbyist, and offers an ambience suited for leisurely shop talk.

Tuason doesn't really pay attention to either fashion or luxury—so long as they don’t involve anything made of marine plants and animals. Don’t even think about showing him shagreen. He is open about his disapproval for his friends’ patronage of the product; he even comments on their Instagram posts, “Is that a dead stingray?”

For the Love of the Ocean

Tuason, who refuses to even go to restaurants that serve shark’s fin, has always been passionate about marine life. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always liked sharks,” he shares. His first shot at diving was while riding on his father’s back at age eight, using an extra regulator. At age 11, he went on his first dive. His love for photography came afterwards. His favorite subjects to shoot are jellyfish, and his favorite animals to interact with underwater are turtles.

He has partnered with the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) Philippines and the Department of Tourism for awareness and conservation efforts, with his photographs as his medium of help. His published works have been well-received: Anilao (2000), a coffee table booked he co-authored with Eduardo CuUnjieng, won World Grand Prize for Books at the 27th World Festival of Underwater Images in Antibes, France, and Bahura: A Passage Through Philippine Reefs (2004) documents an underwater journey from Luzon to Mindanao.

Nobody else has documented Philippine reefs in the same breadth.

After 10 years of research, planning and going on dive expeditions, Tuason releases

his most recent work Notes from the Sea. He remarks, “I think it’s the best set of images I’ve taken [so far].” It includes photographs of reefs from all over the world—Tazmania, South Africa, Indonesia and the Philippines—with 10 short, amusing anecdotes about his travels.

Tuason’s next book coming out in October, Black Water and Open Blue, will be the most challenging one yet. “Not many people would do black water. It’s difficult to do. You’re going on different levels and gears, you’re in complete black space and you have to focus your camera on these small things in the water,” he says. “It’s the most challenging type of photography. There are a lot of images I wanted to execute but didn’t get.”

As with all things, with underwater photography, there are good days and bad days. “There was one day in South Africa where the water was too murky, and [we could tell] there were many sharks. That’s when a mistake could happen, when the water is murky.”

Jaws, Open Water

When a man has looked a shark in the eye, up close, with an 80-cubic-foot tank on his back and heavy camera equipment in his hands, he learns to talk casually about these fish that are so commonly feared. “Sharks are totally misunderstood, because they’re really just fish,” he says. “They’re just very big fish. Sure, every once in a while they bite people, but more than anything, it’s a case of mistaken identity. Sometimes, when [people] are in water, they look like food.” He adds

Skunk anemone fish taken in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea; reef shark with a fishing hook scar, taken in The Bahamas; both from Tuason's most recently published book, Notes from the Sea

18 nonchalantly, “There are times you just have to give them a quick kick to drive them away.”

But Tuason, gutsy as he is, has faced real life dangers. “In South Africa, things got a little bit scary,” he shares. They were shooting a sardine run, where photographers usually have to be in the middle of it, sans protective cages. “The sharks were coming at me fast, and every so often [while shooting] I’d have to check if a shark’s coming from beneath.”

Yet even with this experience, he's keen not to wound the creatures’ reputation. “When sharks come at you, they usually just want to check out what you are, not attack you.”

His scariest moment as an underwater photographer doesn't involve sharks. In 1992, when Tuason was in his early 20s, he surfaced from a dive just outside Puerto Princesa to find that the boat forgot to pick him and his companions up. It was around 3 o’ clock in the afternoon, and getting dark fast. Puerto Princesa did not have many lights in the early ‘90s, and if Tuason and his companions caught sundown, they wouldn’t have known which direction to

swim. After giving up waiting for the boat to return, they were starting to unfasten their diving gear to make a swim when about five kilometers away from the shore, a leisure-cruise boat found and rescued them. “That was the only time I got really nervous,” he admits.

In this field, there are these risks to weigh.

The 46-year-old lensman has developed patience and calmness over years of diving and shooting. Amateurs run around and chase things but Tuason, who has been doing this for three decades, goes into a Zen mode. “Sometimes you see something really good, but it’s down deep. You have to check with yourself, ‘Can I do this?’” he explains.

“Sometimes you can, but sometimes you have to let it go, because you want to be around for the next time.”

Finding His Way Home

Tuason always balances his sense of adventure with caution, and expectedly even more so now that he is a father to a two-year-old baby girl named Antarctica. “I probably wouldn’t

go on trips as long [as I used to],” he ponders.

“And I won’t bring her on a boat that rides five-meter waves for an hour.” He reveals his kryptonite: “Right now, anything happening to my daughter is my biggest fear.”

According to Audrey Carpio, mother of Antarctica and Tuason’s partner of three years, people were quite doubtful he’d ever become a father. “But he’s actually a great dad, and he and Tica get along really well,” she says. “Maybe because they have the same mental age.”

Carpio might just be telling the truth, but all in good humor. Prohibit Tuason from exercising or diving and he’ll go crazy.

He has an admirable childlike appetite for adventure, fueled by an absence of fear and a perpetual itch to wander. “I just love the whole idea of going out there and getting the image. If you told me I could get my images by sitting in my living room relaxing, I wouldn’t be satisfied.”

He is Greedy Guts after all, and the best way to deal with the man is to let him hunt, just like the sharks he’s so fond of.

•

OPPOSITE PAGE: Sweater, pants, Carven, Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing; shoes, Jil Sander, Univers, One Rockwell

exploRED

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FLASHPACKING THROUGH SWITZERLAND W O RD S G I N G G AY JO V E N - D E L A M E RC E D P HOTO G RAP HY N O E L D E L A M E R C E D

I love backpacking, though I’ve never done it and never will. I’m far too vain and prissy to embrace the utter abandonment of certain luxuries in exchange for the quest of profound encounters. But in my heart, I know I possess an intrepid sense of adventure, an audacious desire to pursue unique experiences and an unsettling longing for existential elation through exploration. These, in essence, are the inherent physiognomies of a backpacker.

I suppose I am one sans the backpack.

How do you even fit all your clothes in those bags? Obviously, you don’t bring an extra pair of shoes (though in my case, it’s always two or three). Enter neologism, the flashpacker.

Or, in the case of the more affluent, the poshpacker.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure hitchhiking for 12 hours at a back of a dairy truck with fellow nomad strangers has its charm—it can

be an enriching experience to meet all sorts of people this way after all—but I’ll take the two-hour flight instead, thank you very much.

Aside from the obvious credit card hit, flashpacking is essentially the same as backpacking but pepperedwith little comforts. Say, 800-thread-count linens over a heavenly soft bed. And that I did in a recent trip to Switzerland where my husband Noel and I journeyed for five days through eight cities, covering 1,000 kilometers of road driving. Switzerland is so perfect for this traveling style. First, the landscapes are astoundingly mesmerizing.

Second, the country is small enough so road trips are not impossibly exhausting. And third, it’s bordered by France, Italy, Austria and Germany, and is a natural stop when traveling through Europe.

Our trip commenced in Geneva, driving

through Lausanne onto Montreaux and Veytaux to visit Chateau de Chillon by Lake Geneva. After a quick stop, we headed on to Zermatt to gaze at the iconic Matterhorn, then to the north and beyond the Jungfrau Region and Interlaken, passing Bern before heading to Basel. A two-hour drive led us to quaint Lucerne before we ended at Zurich, capping off our breathtaking Swiss venture.

GENEVA

For watch lovers like my husband, exploring Geneva is precisely his definition of time well spent. It is, without question, the watch capital of the world, with lit watch brand insignias glistening against the pristine Lake Geneva water.

• Spend quality time at the Patek Philippe Museum, a four-level shrine that houses not only a curation of the brand’s exquisite

The stunning and majestic Château de Chillon (Chillon Castle) in Veytaux

creations since 1839 but also an impeccable collection of antique timepieces from the 16th to the 18th century.

• The Jet d'Eau is one of the world’s largest fountains and is Geneva’s most recognizable landmark. It pumps water from the Rhône River up to 450 feet high.

• A stroll on Geneva’s cobblestoned old streets makes for a poignant experience.

Visit the Cathédrale St. Pierre, the old town’s highest point, and stop by philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s birthplace on Grand Rue. Several quaint antique and art shops in the old town are also worth discovering.

VEYTAUX

Most people have the impression that public transportation is cheaper but if you sum it all up, it’s actually less expensive and so much

more convenient to just rent a car, especially if you’re a party of two or more.

Château de Chillon, Switzerland’s most popular tourist destination, has long intrigued me after I read Lord Byron’s Prisoner Of Chillon. But while the famous author portrayed the fortress as a bleak, eerie chamber of crypts and dungeons, a view of the façade of the Chillon castle, set against the bewitching panorama of Lake Geneva, is breathtaking.

ZERMATT

After a 20-minute train ride that passed by snowcovered pine trees and meadows, we arrived in Zermatt along with droves of enthusiastic skiers eager to conquer the famous Swiss slopes of Breithorn, Monte Rosa, Gornergrad, and of course, the iconic Matterhorn.

Zermatt is skiers’ haven but it can be equally dreamlike even for those who don’t

ski. Ultimately, its magic lies in its ability to allow its visitors—frolicking in the snow and throwing snowballs at each other—to rekindle their inner child.

INTERLAKEN

Breezing through the Jungfrau Region of the Bernese Alps, we made a brief stop at Interlaken, a beguiling city nestled between the Alpine rivers of Brienzersee and Thunersee. It is most known as the best base camp for outdoor sports, but since roughing it up was not on our agenda, taking in the enrapturing sights was more than enough.

BERN

Annually, Basel is home to the most important gathering of watchmakers in the world: The Basel Fair. But for hurrying tourists like ourselves, Basel is best enjoyed briefly.

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Inside Basel's Rathaus; Streets of Basel; In the old town of Zurich, Fraumunster Church

Bern is the seat of Switzerland’s power.

In the heart of the old town is the Federal Palace of Switzerland, the Swiss House of Parliaments.

Possibly less popular with tourists than Geneva or Zurich, Bern is such an underrated destination. This city’s charm is haunting, possessing an air of quiet and serene elegance.

It’s romantic and entrancing.

• The Rosengarten is a beautiful park that offers a stunning view of the Swiss sunset.

• Down the hill is Bear Park. Legend has it that Bern got its name from the first-ever captured animal in the place.

• The six-kilometer stretch of ol' Kirchenfeldbruecke is paved with cobblestones and arcaded walkways. Along this road is the Einsteinhaus, Albert Einstein's old apartment that he had shared with his wife and his firstborn.

• The modern, wave-shaped Zentrum Paul Klee, designed by Renzo Piano, is a fitting dedication to the iconic Swiss artist Paul Klee. The building’s avant-garde architecture provides an interesting contrast to Bern’s well-preserved old-world look.

LUCERNE

Because of time constraints, we almost skipped going to Lucerne but I’m overjoyed we opted to go anyway. Lucerne’s 14th century Chapel Bridge over the Reuss River is a real attraction made even more beautiful with the snowcapped mountains behind it. Opposite the bridge, across Lucerne’s Hauptbanhof, is an alluring postcard-perfect snapshot of the city.

But what surprised me the most are the thousands of festive people roaming the city streets in some of the most outlandish costumes I have ever seen. The Luzerne Fasnacht is an

annual four-day festival that celebrates the end of winter, and puts Mardi Gras to shame.

Dozens of marching bands play all over the city, elaborate huge floats parade the main thoroughfares and the revelers would hurl confetti at anyone they saw. They dance, drink, and party with anyone willing to join in on the insane fun.

The River Reuss in Lucerne

ZURICH

After the mayhem of amusement in Lucerne, we drove on to Zurich for our last night in Switzerland.

Zurich is Switzerland’s central financial hub, home to their country’s stock exchange and global bank headquarters. Zurich has wonderfully managed, though, to preserve its

old town and maintain a gorgeous landscape of old buildings set against the Limmat River and dreamy snowy mountains. In spite of being the busiest of the Swiss cities, wandering around its lovely embankments and promenades still affords solace-seeking travelers a folksy refuge. •

Towering over Zurich's old town by Limmat River is the St. Peter Church

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INSIDE THE BAG HAG’S CLOSET Ingrid Chua-Go’s favorite things W O R DS A R I A N N A D E L R O S ARI O

A playful array of colors, textures, and prints, Ingrid Go’s vignette of odds and ends seem to be as vibrant and worldly as she is. The blogger turned television host of The Bag Hag, Go, like her fashion cohort Bryan Boy, is one of the few people who have been able to transition from one medium to another. Her repertoire of witty shoe reviews launched Go into a whirlwind of events that take her around the world, and now her growing wardrobe is landing her front seats at European fashion weeks. Her quirky collection reveals just how stylish and welltraveled she is.

The typewriter print dress and the pencil print skirt are both Mary Katrantzou. “I love this skirt. It’s really heavy because of the bustle, but it’s incredibly well-made.” In the corner sits a vintage gray crocodile handbag from Nottinghill London, a black cougar clutch from San Fransisco and a red Roger Vivier Prismick clutch. Go got the sunglasses during a trip to Beijing for the exhibit of designer Jay Ahr. The Charlotte Olympia perfume bottle clutch was something she bought because it reminded her of the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle; Chanel would later go on to make a No. 5 perfume bottle clutch. “I’m glad I have this one, because there was no way I could afford to buy the Chanel version!” The Olympic ring sandals and the boots are by Walter Steiger.

“I love the Steiger family. They have become friends and it helps too that I've been a fan of their heels—even my mom had a few pairs of Steigers while I was growing up.” The cluster of charm necklaces? Treasures she found during a Luisa Via Roma trip to Florence, Italy. And there, peeking out from under the crystal quartz cluster that she got from Accessory Lab, is a book by Vogue’s Grace Coddington. “I have been reading it on and off for months, and can't seem to finish it because of all the traveling.”

•

P H O T O G R A P H Y J O S E P H A N G A N . S H O T A T P O L I F O R M , 2 1 9 N I C A N O R G A R C I A S T. , B E L A I R 2 , M A K A T I C I T Y

squaRED

BASIC CHARM This season, Hermès steps up by taking it down a notch The Hermès spring/summer collection brings us back to the basics, with an understated grace and maturity that is seen in every curve and flow of its pieces.

The brand's legacy of elegance is continued through the Faubourg watch collection. A small and rounded timepiece, at 15.5 millimeters in diameter, is the focal point of the series. There to highlight the selection of rose, white, and yellow gold timepieces are slim straps of either satin, leather or delicate gold links. The petite frame of these watches are an ode to the demure women of Paris.

Named after a Parisian suburb that houses the Hermès boutique Faubourg Saint-Honoré, this particular collection seeks to change the game. Inspired by the boutique’s charming and unique façade, Hermès presents smaller timepieces in this collection in contrast to the earlier bigger ones that have become so coveted.

Launched at the Paris Haute Couture Week, the new Hermès collection presents extravagance through simplicity.

•

The Hermés Spring/ Summer 2014 collection and Faubourg wacth collection are exclusively available at Hermès, Greenbelt 3

devouRED

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OF GOOD TASTE Filipino food, usually ubiquitous, can actually seem new. Lasa, a contemporary start-up bistro, is Alabang’s best-kept secret, located at the more quiet section of its business district. “The challenge [with Lasa] is making the food look presentable, but not haughty and intimidating,” says head chef CK Kalaw. “It’s Filipino comfort food, with our own twist. It’s pretty straightforward, hence our slogan, ‘Just taste it.’”

Lasa is serious when they say it’s “Filipino comfort food.” The dishes boast rich flavors—the kind that will induce a siesta. One of their appetizers, the Ensaladang Bagnet, is “as healthy as I’d get!”

says Kalaw. It is sundried pork belly with red onions, tomatoes, eggplant and green mango, tossed in a shrimp paste dressing.

The Laing is visually appealing: A rich green instead of the gray ones served in most commercial Filipino restaurants.

Kalaw explains, “We use fresh gabi while most restaurants use packaged dried ones.”

The Kalitiran is a family recipe from partner Amy Alvarez. “Everyone raved about it whenever we had get-togethers. We reinvented this recipe [especially for Lasa].”

The beef is cooked for six to eight hours to perfect tenderness and the recipe makes use of oyster blade cuts, usually discarded by

most chefs, as the fat marbling makes the dish extra flavorful. It is reminiscent of roast beef but made homey with a Filipino tang.

The Crispy Binagoongan is lechon kawali done Bicolano-style, cooked with homemade bagoong and garnished with green mangoes.

The Crispy Tilapia with Thai Herb Salad is the undisputed winner. Tilapia, a Filipino staple, is deep fried perfectly to a toast with the white meat kept succulent. It is served with an herb and coconut salad with lime and chili dressing.

Lasa is ideal for family gatherings, especially if a tourist guest is in town looking to try the local cuisine.—MSM

PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM

The familiar becomes exciting once again at Lasa Bistro

desiRED

A SUITABLE COMPANION The Travel Club and Briggs & Riley makes exploring smoother and easier with a new travel partner Any traveler knows that a good bag is a worthy companion. Call it overromanticizing but bags are a huge part of any journey, as they are the sole holders and protectors of valuables until the destination is reached.

Though bag brands are wide in variety nowadays, when you are treading on new territory, it is only smart to go with a brand you can trust.

The go-to store for any traveler, The Travel Club has established itself as a trustworthy distributor of travel essentials that are superior in quality for the past 20 years, with a wide selection of travel bags from local and foreign brands alike, sold both in the Philippines and internationally. The company is proudly a formidable presence in the the Philippines, boasting over 40 stores, and is a staple top-of-mind brand to any adventure-seeking individual.

One of the brands that The Travel Club carries stands determined in its pursuit of excellence in bag-making: Briggs & Riley. A strong

contender in the business of luggage, Briggs & Riley is here to stay, as it is a perfect fit for the Philippine market, thanks to the growing number of travelers looking for sleek, sophisticated and smart travel luggage and accessories.

Selective with its materials, Briggs & Riley assures durability while sacrificing neither style nor design, and is backed by its brand philosophy of “lifetime performance guaranteed.” Its standard carry-on measurements assures hassle-free luggage fitting for any jetsetter. What sets them apart from other labels, though, is their adaptability to any kind of traveler, evidenced by their solid credo: “Different travelers have different needs.” The guy who loves to go on weekend trips is epitomized by the Olive Baseline Weekender bag, while longer trips calls for the Torq Graphite stroller luggage. Whoever you are and wherever you’re going, Briggs & Riley aims to make sure you don’t go the distance alone.

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Briggs & Riley is exclusively distributed by the Primer Group of Companies and is available at the following The Travel Club branches: Abreeza Mall, Alabang Town Center, Centrio Mall, Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Newport Mall, Power Plant Mall, Shangri-La Plaza, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall and TriNoma Mall.

“It's really cheesy, I'm sorry, but my answer is Forks. Yes, the forest in Twilight."

—DIMPLES LA O', head, TOMS Philippines

“Narnia, because the mythical creatures are good people and they have cool places."

—RHODA ALDANESE, expat

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inquiRED

WHAT FICTIONAL WORLD WOULD YOU WANT TO TRAVEL TO?

“Hundred acre woods."

—TRISH PANLILIO, chef and mom

“I've always longed to visit any world Wes Anderson puts on film. Wes' worlds are so big and elaborate, they are filled with wonder and surprises. Just imagine bumping into Steve Zissou, The Tenenbaums, or better yet, Mr. Fox. What an absolute treat that would be."

—MANNY DEL ROSARIO, businessman

C OMPI LED BY R I A PR IE TO

“I was fascinated with The Wizard of Oz as a child. I'd like to go to Oz and be Dorothy for one day."

—GISELLE YUJUICO, homemaker

"There is beauty in everyday things, as seen in W/17."

FAMILY “My family, my everything.”

WORK

“With my W/17 business partner Andy Vazquez-Prada. They say you never have to work a single day in your life when you love what you do, and W/17 is both work and play for me, it’s true."

“To quote Mark Twain, 'Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: This is the ideal life.'"

INSPIRATION

empoweRED

THOUGHTFUL TASTE

“The Gianvito Rossi Anais plexi d’Orsay is my new obsession. I just wish he’d make the heel higher."

Kaye Tiñga juggles philanthropy and a love for beautiful things

“I started working for the better nutrition of young children in 1998, and continue to do so today with the help of friends and private partners like Healthy Start, Mamou and Bounty Fresh.”

“Charity begins at home.

With the help of friends who gave away things they love from their own homes, Relief Sale was able to raise almost P3 million over the course of two events for Typhoon Yolanda relief efforts.”

“The Taj Mahal in Agra is more beautiful than I have ever imagined."

CHARITY “At the fifth Red Charity Gala with 2013’s featured designer Ezra Santos, and my co-chair Tessa Valdes.”