Tour With Chinese Teachers

The tour date was set on the 26th of March, 2010. The guests were Chinese teachers who were in Manila for a weekend and in between the official function they were to attend they decided to squeeze in a city tour.

I was at the appointed rendezvous at 7:00 a.m. The trip schedule was for 9:00 a.m.

I met with the Shroff repreresentative Jennyvi Platon at 8:00 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. By a quarter past 8:00 a.m. the guests were beginning to congregate at the lobby.

I didn't realize the guests were at the prime of their youth - early twenties to mid thirties. All of them were fluent in English and I was relieved. They are natives of Hong Kong.

I met the principal of the school and she was very cordial. Apparently she had been to Manila before and was amazed at the progress and the development. It took a while to assemble everyone and board them on the bus. We left a few minutes late from departure time.

First stop was the School Exchange Program to be held at the Depratment of Education office in Guadalupe, Makati City for the orientation, then to Pitogo Elementary School for the teaching demos.

The Driver found the right street to the location but was directed to detour because of the size of the bus. We had to go to the Fort which was a long route. So I gave my commentaries on the Area. The treat for them was that we passed through McKinley where they got a glimpse of the palatial homes of the rich and famous. We got that out of the way.

Interestingly enough, all 31 guests had their own digital cameras. You can't imagine how much time we took on photo ops. Finally we got to DepEd by half past nine. The Superintendent met with them and pleasantries were exchanged as well as an orientation on Pitogo Elementary School. They we convoyed to the site.

They were met like VIPS which was a total surprise for them. Children were dancing, the school was dressed up with hanging flowers. They teachers were divided into smaller groups and handled by Filipino counterparts. The whole morning was spent with the teaching demos.

Lunch was served at the school library. The guests were waiting for the other teachers to start. We had to orient them with the Filipino custom that guests be served the food first. I spent some time explaining some of the food items on the table. They loved the steamed fish salad with the fish burried under thousand island dressing and chopped vegies.

One of the guests had to leave for HK and we waited for the driver who would take her there. The bus was ready for their departure in the middle of a slight drizzle. Good thing we had the foresight to borrow some umbrellas from the conciere of Crowne Plaza. We then proceeded tManila to see the other sites.

MOA remained a top interst in the tourists, which was strange because they are form HK. A rolling tour of the CCP Complex was also of particular interest to them. I gave them time to have a photo op at the Rizal Monument. Some ladies took a washroom break. All 31 went crazy with their cameras. It got a bit difficult to control them. Some bought souvenirs from ambulant vendors while the rest were shutter crazy. Even policemen were not spared as visual pegs.

We then proceeded to Chinese Cemetery passing through Quiapo, Dangwa, North Cemetery and Chinese GEneral Hospital. The cemetery was of little interest. They wanted to go shopping.

We proceeded to Fort Santiago which was about to close by then. We proceeded to Casa Manila. There was a wedding reception at the patio. I had to project my voice to 30 pax while competing with the sound system of the wedding.

Some were enjoying watching the celebration which was a TVP in itself. It was nearly dusk when we ended the Casa Manila tour. There was no time to shop as we were heading to Mandarin Oriental for dinner at Cafe Uno by 6:30 p.m.

Traffic delayed us and we got to the hotel by 7:30. Three guests wanted to take dinner at Glorietta. We took them there and one of them developed a migraine. Even If I had exceeded my work hours I could not leave. We had dinner while the 3 guests looked for a restaurant they fancied and they settled for an Indian restaurant. There were other Filipinos who showed concern for my guest but she refused any help from first aid and from being brought to the clinic. I had to assure them that the guest had already taken her medication and was just awaiting the bus.

We were picked up from Gloreitta and whisked to the Mandarin Oriental to pick up the rest. We brought them back to Crowne Plaza at nearly 10:00 p.m. The shopping was scheduled for the next day.

Nothing follows.

Bookstore Encounter

I was at Robinson's Place Manila around lunchtime having some digital photos printed. I had to wait at least an hour for the prints to be done.

What to do?

I had myself a light brunch then headed to National Bookstore. Window shopping doesn't work unless youhave money to burn... Scrap that!

I went in to buy a batch of Manila envelopes to store the pictures in and then did the rounds of the bookstands finally ending up in the language books. It's kind of funny how when you're looking for a pretty decent language book, a saleslady shows you a dictionary of some language into English... Or they give you Berlitz language CD with a phrase book to go along with it.

Anyway, while browsing two tall foreigners walk along the same aisle and start pulling books out of the shelves. While in animated conversation i could hear them excitedly blurting... Palawan... yaddah yaddah yaddah... Bohol... yaddah yaddah yaddah El Nido... yaddah yaddah yaddah... Ilocos...yaddah yaddah yaddah Boracay... All the while, they were pulling out maps from shelves and leafing through pages...other people in the same aisle were starting to look at them and I couldn't really concentrate on what I was looking for anymore... then people in the aisle were staring to move away from the two...

Then finally, i couldn't stand it any longer. Where are the sales-ladies when you need assistance for foreigners, anyway? This guy seemed to be asking noone in particular where the Philippine guidebooks are... I finally pointed a finger and pulled a book out saying "questo!" They go "aaaahhh! Bounno!" Then the ball started rolling...

Nicolas and Sergio are in town for a holiday. They will be here for ten days and they haven't decided what to really do except head for the beach. Nicolas is Milanese and Sergio is Roman who stayed in Madrid for some time... so when my Italian wasn't quite enough it was alright to make up for it in Spanish. You should have seen the faces of the other Pinoys in the bookstore looking at me as though I were a pariah. Apparently they had heard that they should visit El Nido, Palawan, Bohol, Boracay... neither knew anyone in town and didn't know how to get there. I told them I was a guide so they were relieved.

I asked what is it they wanted to do? Sergio said they wanted to see the beaches but be able to move around town and explore. Scrap El Nido! It's private and secluded but too far away from Puerto Princesa. They wanted to see famous beaches they had heard about but not the touristy ones. Scrap Boracay! Now that Holy Week is drawing close people are beginning to flock there... Madness and mayhem for Holy week!

I asked them what their budget was... hah! Money was no object to these two. They did say they wanted to explore... OK! BOHOL IS IT!!! I gave them some tips on how to get to Bohol. I pointed out the nearest Cebu Pacific which was in Robinson's Manila. I warned them to get their tickets at the soonest or they'll run out of seats by the time Holy Week comes in. The exodus begins this Palm Sunday. They're flying out first thing tomorrow morning, they said.

I also gave them tips on what to see and where to go. I even gave them Department of Tourism representative Chito Vano's contact number should they need assistance. Then they asked what other options are open to them. I told them that from Bohol they could take a fastcraft to Cebu and enjoy the other beaches there as well that should keep them busy for ten days.

They were profuse in their thanks for my assistance. I was relieved they had some idea of an itinerary no matter how informal it seemed. At least they were on their way. I left the bookstore with a sense of accomplishment. I had done my good deed for the day and left them to attend to my other errands... Then my phone rang! It was Nicholas on the other end of the line and he was asking for a good Pinoy restaurant where they could try Pinoy food. I showed them Dencio's Grill as they were so casually dressed in flipflops and t-shirts. They wanted something more than that. They wanted to try a fine-dining restaurant... not some beer joint!

The nearest I could think of was Mangan or Cabalen. I have no idea which one they went to after that. Then I went to Kameraworld to pick up my print jobs...

All in all, it was a fun day!

Culture in the Country

Two things grabbed my attention today:
1) The Philippines is the ASEAN CULTURAL CAPITAL for 2010 and 2011
2) The film LOLA by Brillante Mendoza won in the Swiss Film Festival

I guess it's by no ordinary coincidence that these two developments took place.
Brillante Mendoza already won a Palm d'Or quite recently at the filmfest in Cannes in 2009. Some people hated "Kinatay", his entry to Cannes. But I guess it must have had some merit or he wouldn't have been awarded the coveted Palm. The first and only Filipino to have done so this far. He even eclipsed the works of Lino Brocka, Yshmael Bernal and Celso Ad. Castillo.

Now, the Philippines as ASEAN CULTURAL CAPITAL isn't a surprise either. We all know that we have a rich multi-disciplinary culture that spans ages. Even before our colonial history, we were appeasing our gods with song and dance... reaching up to the heavens with terraces that climbed upwards on the mountainsides... adorning our bodies with jewelry and other body art...writing heroic deeds in our own alphabet (baybayin) on bamboo slats... True, we may not have an Angkor Wat or a Borobodur for that matter, but the Rice Terraces in Banaue is 2,000 years old. I once led tourists around Manila and found out that they were Peruvian. At one point in our conversation, I expressed my desire to see Macchu Picchu. Guess what? Macchu Picchu only dates back to the 14th century. So as a cultural capital - we rock!



Even in modern times we led other asian nations in terms of our arts and culture. In 1969 when the Cultural Center of the Philippines was inaugurated, then First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, dreamed of having a permanent home where the Arts could flourish. Critics lambasted her... Her vision stands strong to this day... the CCP is now on its 40th year and proving to one and all that an institution outgrows the personalities that run it.

When street protests failed to foment change in the Marcos regime, the arts went underground and distinguished itself as a strong reform movement. Thus, artists were the very vocal in their critique of government but they did so in a roundabout manner. Behn Cervantes and Armida Siguion-Reyna were known supporters of the anti-Marcos government. Then came the likes of Lino Brocka, Yshmael Bernal, Rolando Tinio, Ela Luansing, Cecile Alvarez, Soxy Topacio, Anton Juan, F Sionil Jose were the more prominent activists at the time.

Ballet Philippines was a staunch supporter of the Cory movement in its heyday. As a gesture of support for the arts, Tita Cory did watch a matinee performance of her youngest daughter Kris dancing the Rigodon de Honor to Alice Reyes' choreography of the Filipinized version of The Nutcracker. She didn't finish the ballet and left after Kris' number. She had a distaste for anything related to the Marcosses. That, on the other hand, started Kris' career in showbiz i guess...

Anyway, the construction of the CCP became the benchmark for other ASEAN nations to follow suit. This prompted other nations to start their own cultural pursuits. The PICC is also another sterling example of how we set the bar for showcasing our arts and culture as well as our charm and graciousness in welcoming our guests.

Many Filipinos now are trying their darndest best to emulate other cultures especially with a barrage of foreign Asian acts like K-Pop... they try to whiten their skin with glutathione, wax their hair to make it spikey, and to top it all layer their clothing even at the height of summer...just to look like someone else, when here we are, when the rest of the world is trying so hard to emulate us...

What gives?

Birthday Bash in Makati

It was a simple ploy. We were supposed to act as if we weren't included in a birthday party that was set for Sarita by her sister. Sarita had planned to have dinner with us friends but had to scrap it and re-set our gathering for lunch. We pretended we were only having lunch with Sarita at a restaurant of her choice. We agreed to meet her by noon at Tapella in Greenbelt 5.



Having lived in Spain for several years, Sarita was missing Spanish food. We obliged her cravings... It was her birthday after all... There were only four of us Jojo, Mudra, myself and the celebrant. We pigged out on paella con mariscos, pinchitos (bbq skewers mariated in curry and spices, boquerones (anchovy fillets marinated in lemon, garlic, parsley and olive oil) something like ceviche, fritura ala malaguena ( seafood fritters with aioli dip, pulpo (octopus slices over potatos with spanish paprika. Boy, did we pig out. It was nearly 2 pm when we got to finish lunch.



After that, we decided to move from Tapella and have coffee at Cafe Breton. Our usual haunt when we have lunch, Cafe Breton started out as a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop in Nakpil street, Malate. Now they have branches everywhere. Of course, they are known for popularizing and filipinizing the French crepe. Jojo had and Adam and Eve crepe dripping with chocolatge syrup and served ala mode while the rest of us had coffee.

I guess if you're young and you haven't been to Makati before you probably will only notice how well developed the area is now. A far cry from its humble beginnings of swampy marshland and soft earth. There are two versions on how Makati got its monicker: 1) the area was host to thousands of flies and mosquitoes and when you went into the area the insects bit into your skin... prompting one to say..."makati" (it's itchy); 2)the next story tells about the tide that the mighty Pasig River brings in when the boats cruise along the area..."may kati" (there is a tide).



Seeing the financial district now, you wouldn't believe how much the area has grown. People probably don't even know that Ayala Avenue used to be the runway for Manila's first airplanes. The Nielsen Tower (now the Filipinas Heritage Library) was the control tower for these planes. Thanks to the vision and foresight of the Ayala family (originally residents of Intramuros)they have turned Makati into the prime commercial/ residential spot in Manila. Time was when real estate prices along the area in Roxas Boulevard cost P120.00/m2 and Makati's real estate price was P9.00/m2. Surprised? Don't be! Binondo's real estate prices cost almost next to nothing, now they cost more than Makati's prices...



Anyway, we had such a grand time over lunch that we had to make up excuses so we could ditch Sarita and get ready for the dinner that Lia planned. We left Greenbelt at 4pm and then rested a bit at June's house so we could freshen up for the dinner party. This time we had to get to Italianni's at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig way ahead of Sarita's arrival. This time Fides was in charge. She had to make up a lame excuse to miss the luncheon. Years ago when you mention Fort Bonifacio the image that comes to mind would be acres and acres of cogon grass covering hilly terrain and the American Cemetery occupying a portion of it and military facilities dotting the area.

Now shops proliferate in the area. It has blossomed into a well-developed community that now caters to the hoity-toity of Manila's plum society. So for dinner, it was Italian food that we gorged on. The pizzas and pastas were scrumptious while the mediterranean salad was fresh and crisp. They had the usual rowdy birthday greeting from the staff of Italianni's and a complementary birthday desert for Sarita.

There was good cheer all around with members from Sarita's family in attendance and her closest friends to add to the din. Well, it was fun for us... but i threw in a little history for you readers to appreciate it...

SunLife Tour

It was an early morning tour of Intramuros that was assigend to four male Mabuhay Guides because there was a competitive component added into it. The ocassion was a team building activity of Sunlife Finance which starts at the Fort Santiago and ends in Casa Manila.

I arrived at the site at 7:00 am to meet with the other Mabuhay Guides: Chito Tayag (team leader), Bryan Ocampo, Jeff Velasco. We met Ms Dorothy who gave us an orientation and provided us with our kits. Then as the participants started trickling into the Fort one by one we were met by Ms. Oz(?) who gave us very clear instructions on how the Amazing race style tour was to take place.

All four Mabuhay Guides were assigned a team of 10 members. I was assigned Team Ig nite, Bryan was assigned Team Inspire, Jeff was assigned Tean Unite, Chito was assigned Team Passion. Each team had a specific location where they were to begin and for each of the seven stops a question was given for the team to answer. A task was also given at the Media Naranja. The accomplished questions and task were to be submitted to the SunLife coordinator stationed at the Almacenes Reales.

At 8:00 am we were all gathered at the picnic grounds to have breakfast. At 8:20 am we were given a 10 minute warning to gather our team for the group picture at the gate. I gave my team a 5 minute run to the washroom so we can get on with the tour sans bathroom breaks. Team Ignite took a little longer but the strategy proved beneficial for the team as we had a continued run of the route. We all gathered at the Fort Santiago Gate to allow them to have their group picture taken. Chito Tayag being the designated photographer.

I started at the Wall of Martyrs and gave my commentaries on Baluarte de san Francisco Javier, American Barracks and Wall of Martyrs at the site of the plaque. I made sure that I emphasized the answers to the question at hand. Making sure they knew Ferdinand Marcos and Elpidio Quirino were in the roster.

Then we proceeded to the moat area where I gave my commentary on the Fort Santiago again emphasizing that the fort was bounded by Manila Bay on the West and the Pasig River on the North/ North East. As we went across the bridge i gathered them at the front of the main gate making sure I gave emphasis on the significance of the bas reliefs of Santiago de Matamoros and the Royal Seal of Spain.

I then led them to the Plaza Armas where I saw that Jeff's group was still around taking group photos. I had to slow down a bit, however, as there was a time limit of 10:30 am to proceed to Casa Manila, we all were a bit anxious to get on to the next stop. The Rizal Shrine, however, does not open until 9:00 am. Ergo, we had a backlog of teams getting into the shrine. I delivered my commentary on the mural by Botong Francisco outside the door and waited until Jeff's group had moved on. then I brought them in.

We then proceeded with the rest of the Rizal shrine. After completing the tour of Rizal Shrine, we went on to Casa Castellana and waited for Jeff's group to finish with Media Naranja. I gave commentaries on the higher portion of the stairs leading to Media Naranja and commened on the Roxas-DelPan Bridge and Jones Bridge. As I also do Binondo tours I gave them a small history of the Sunlife company's history.

As it turns out, Sunlife started as an insurance company known as Smith and Bell Co., UK. They had been doing business in Binondo (eventually they were based in Singson building). The company has been in business in the philippines for 115 years with a short hiatus during the Japanese occupation. They paid a war indemnity of more than 1.5M pesos after the Liberation of Manila.

At Media Naranja, we did the necessary commentaries and the had our photos taken at the sentry post. We then went on to the Chapel cell where I gave my commentaries on the Memorial Cross, the Postigo, and the memorial walk to martyrdom of Jose Rizal... after which we went on to the Almacenes Reales where I gave them commentaries on Plaza Moriones and the former chapel of Nstra. Sra dela Encarnacion. I submitted the team's task kit to the Sunlife Coordinator and we were instructed to proceed to Casa Manila.

The team was fircely competitive and they decided to take two cars so we could arrive at Casa Manila as a group. There goes my commentary on Plaza Roma and the Cathedral and the Governor's Palace.

At Casa Manila. we were the first group to arrive so I immediately launched on my commentary. So I showed them all over the facility and gave them more info on each and every section of the home. Some were beginning to lose interest... however I had to stop them from wandering off. Good thing I did as my team was tied with Bryan's team.

We were the first team to proceed to Illustrado Restaurant. Eventually, the other teams started to trickle in. Partial results showed that Team Ignite and Team Inspire were tied and to break the tie between the two teams a series of questions were to be asked. The team with the most accumulated points wins. Team Ignite ended up the winners.

We bid our goodbyes to the coordinators and our respective teams.

Body Culture in the Philippines

I was working out at the gym this morning and one of my buddies handed me a baller's band with a candidate's name on it. Instantly, I put it on my wrist without thinking about it. I didn't realize the other bands he gave out were of a rival candidate's.

It's funny but Filipinos, of whatever social strata, are known for being fastidious in manner of dress and all sorts of accoutrement. Years ago when my dear departed grandmother was alive, all my female cousins were not lacking in all types of jewelry. She made sure that the women in the family were ably provided with earrings and bracelets, brooches and necklaces.

She also, in her lifetime, set aside a portion of her earnings for what would be family heirlooms to be handed down from one generation to the next. And what would eventually be pieces of jewelry that were divided among the womenfolk of the Red, Maristany, Atienza and Dimaculangan families.

Apparently this was not a tradition practiced solely in our clan. Every matriarch was doing it as well...

When the Spaniard's arrived in 1521, their earliest reports were of awe and astonishment at the manner of dress of the natives who welcomed them. It was obvious to them that the society they stumbled upon were a cultured society of no mean feat. The women that formed part of the "welcoming committee" provided for entertainment were bare-chested and covered with strings of beads, bracelets and anklets. The warriors wore nothing but loincloths and were covered in tattoos from head to foot (depending on their valor and courage in battle). They were easily referred to as "pintados". And the ruling class, well, they were garbed in long robes of the finest silks and accentuated their attire with rows and rows of gold necklaces, gold earrings, bracelets that covered most of their forearms and anklets on their feet.

This is well documented in the Boxer Codex (ca. 1597), the earliest known printed material on the Philippine society that was formerly owned by Luis Perez de Dasmarinas (son of the former Spanish Governor Gomez Perez de Dasmarinas who was killed in the Chinese Uprising during his term). It is uncertain how the codex came upon the hands of a certain Lord Ilchester in England. The manuscript miraculously survived from destruction during a direct hit of his home in the 1942 bombing and eventually fell into the hands of Professor Charles Boxer ( after whom the manuscript is named.) The codex is now in the Lilly Library of the Indiana University.

This gives credence to the fact that the society the Spanish colonizers stumbled upon were not barbaric, uncivilized people. Evidence of this may be seen the Ayala Museum's Gold of Our Ancestors exhibit. The exhibit showcases more than a thousand pieces of GOLD jewelry and covers everything from icons to death masks (to prepare the dead for the after-life); the highlight of which is an intricately woven gold body harness that weighs a little more than four kilograms. It is a must see if you want to feel proud about your cultural heritage.

Eventually, the concept of beauty and aesthetics shifted. In this fast-paced modern world the art of jewelry-making has all but disappeared. So now, women adorn themselves with synthetic, inorganic materials... much to the dismay of the matronas. Or they gets tattoos nowadays like men do. So whether the accessories are expensive or not... or perhaps, even painted on... we find that just putting on our clothes simply will not do!

Some people like me even go one step further... Pump Iron!

Body Culture in the Philippines

Link http://goo.gl/fb/GrHB

Pacquiao and Peace

It is an ironic fact that a blanket of peace covers the Philippines on only three ocassions: 1) Lenten Season, 2) Christmas Season, and 3) During a Manny Pacquiao fight!

It's true!!! Even the priest at Mass this morning was stating that half of the regular Mass attendees must have stayed home to watch the fight. It wasn't just the fact that everyone suddenly disappeared. There was less vehicular traffic in Manila's streets. But try to look into the regular watering holes and appliance stores and all the TV sets are tuned in to the Pacquiao-Clottey fight.

Public Gymnasiums were fitted with giant screens and over-crowded with jittery excited fans all eagerly awaiting the fight to come on. Politics took a back-seat but the opportunity to cash in on the hordes of pacquiao fans wasn't lost on the politicians. Their campaign resorted to slogans that said the public viewing was sponsored by a particular candidate.

All of this and for what? So we can all watch Manny Pacquiao pommel the hell out of his opponent whose best defense was to cover himself up to avoid a punch. If you ask me, Manny Pacquiao's win this time was so lopsided. Our boxing hero was able to unleash more than a thousand punches vs. Clottey while the other guy mananged only a third to Pacquiao's. It was obvious who was eventually gonna win... In fairness, Clottey did not get knocked out.

The fight bored me to death though. There were no histrionics from over-zealous fans. No blood oozing out of gaping wounds on busted eye brows. No one pugilist was floored! And all this time sponsors were trying so hard to get their ads in for maximum audience reach.

This early major networks have angled for Pacmom's reaction to her son's win...Mommy Dionisia is elated. And why shouldn't she? Would that mean an annex to her 7M mansion? A hot new sedan? Naaaahhhh... all she asks from her son is to finally hang up his boxing gloves... Where would that leave us then? Manny Pacquiao has become the National amalgam that glues all social classes and ethnic cultures together...Throw in a Manny Pacquiao fight against anyone, anywhere and all of a sudden we are all proud to be Filipino!

Now that's the best campaign strategy for getting into Congress!

Dry Spell

There was a slight drizzle this morning. A most welcome development since Summer officially started in February.

It has been hot and humid for the past 2 months. The El Nino phenomenon has been wreaking havoc from north to south. Rice paddies have caked and ruined the rice crops. River beds are drying up. Fish are floating belly-up dead on rivers and fish ponds all because there has been no rain for weeks.

It's such a strange occurence for a country like the Philippines because we are an archipelago. We are surrounded by water. Months ago, we were the focus of world attention because we were deluged with floods brought on by Ondoy. Lately, there's been not a drop of rain... the horrors of climate change!

It's so cool at night though because all the humidity escapes through the atmosphere. What do you expect? There aren't any clouds in the sky that would block the noxious fumes and toxic gasses from seeping through the atmosphere.

So while I spend my days sweating even while lounging motionless into a chaise, my glorious nights are spent in dreamless slumber sans the aid of an aircon nor an electric fan. I don't know which to be thankful for - the fact that I wake up late because I've enjoyed my rest or the fact that it's so energy-sapping humid in the daytime that it turns out to be cool in the evenings.



In all this I can tell the Universe is fair! Ah, the balance of life- you can't have the cool evenings without the humid days. I was enjoying a light banter with my brother the other day about purchasing an inflatable pool. Since there's not enough room for a swimming pool in my home, an inflatable would be perfect for those days when you can just stow it away. But what does one do with all that water that you've saved up and dipped in to ease away the heat?

Use it to water the plants, flush the toilet, mop the floor with, bathe the dog in.
In these hot summer days when Manila's water system has it's foundations in the late Spanish colonial era (1882 to be exact), water distribution is still a big issue of class division. The exclusive enclaves of the rich have homes with abundant water and filtered swimming pools and the rest of the city's poor souls have to live witha slight trickle.

Be kind to the planet...Save Water!

Bamboo and Ferns

I tagged along with fellow Mabuhay Guide Yael Fernandez yesterday to the Intramuros Administration office to see Architect Augusto P. Rustia.

Architect Rustia is the man behind Intramuros' Bamboo Garden (located aross the moat of Baluarte de San Gabriel) and the Fern Garden (located at the Puerta Real).

The man is a green thumb! Ask him about the varieties of fern they propagated for the Fern Garden and he'll tell you exactly which ones they are. It's amazing just how many varieties of fern they found all over the country. Some are very easy to propagate while the other varieties take a lot more care and precaution to grow. Some grow in water, others grow in soil while other types are just happy to thrive in between mossy cracks of walls.



The Bamboo Garden is a fairly new addition to the Fort Santiago. Newly planted, the garden shows great signs of promise as a serene area amongst a riot of flowers in Plaza Moriones. The garden is dedicated to the victims of the bombing of Manila in WWII which happened 65 years ago.

Mrs. Bambi Harper, tireless head of the Intramuros Administration, in her speech recalls the selfless sacrifice of innocent lives to liberate Manila of the Japanese forces in 1945. The idea of bamboo for a garden is indeed a fitting idea. Serene and pliant, the bamboo has an extremely high tensile strength and yet has a graceful languid quality that draws one to rest amongst its foliage.

So While you're walking in Fort Santiago, you might want to drop in on its new attraction. It is a work in progress as the newly planted bamboo need lots of nurturing (and in this summer heat) lots of watering. Wait a few months when the bamboo starts becoming lush and green and a little more mature.

Then you get a glimpse of the lowly grass that's now becoming an exemplary sustainable resource for green earth advocates...From t-shirts, floor boards, chopping blocks and rugs... Yes, the bamboo has come of age!

NEO-FILIPINO

The good thing about Ballet Philippines is that it's been around for forty years.
The sad part is that Pinoys aren't that used to watching Dance as an art form. Ballet Philippines has that tucked under its belt.

Forty years ago a rag-tag band of dancers got together for a workshop: Alice Reyes, Eddie Elejar, the late Tony Fabella. Together they put up the CCP Dance Company which was a resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Madame Imelda Romualdez Marcos' shining beacon of an arts center.

Then came a series of Artistic Directors after Alice Reyes left the company to settle down abroad. Then came Agnes Locsin, Denisa Reyes, Bam Damian, Max Luna. Now it's Paul Morales in the director's chair.

If it's any indication of BP's path... then Neo-Filipino would be a pretty good indication of where it's headed. The works were amazing... I enjoyed watching the pieces of the new choreographers Nelson Yadao, Novy Bereber, and Ea Torado. Kudos goes to them... The were the jewels of the evening!

Cristine Crame,Dwight Rodrigazo, and Alden Lugnasin's pieces were to be expectedly good. They are after all, products of Agnes Locsin's modern ballet classes. They were thanksfully short and sweet. Perhaps the only attempt i did not understand, except for the final piece, was the costuming.

We understand that all the pieces were contemporary but all the costumes except Lugnasin's piece looked as though they were store-bought, off-the-rack numbers. The set was simple and direct. And I must say it added much to the theme of the dance concert.

The dancers were at their outstanding best. Even the scholars and apprentices performed at their most stunning form ever. Kudos to the dance training from Noordin Jumalon's BP Dance School.It was also nice to see Cristine Crame Santillan, Naomi Tolome and Annette Mariano dancing again.



I came to Neo-Filipino expecting nothing. It's best to do that when you're watching Ballet Philippines' productions. They are not known for cutting-edge, daring choreographies for nothing. I intend to see what's in store for the 41st concert season. And that's coming pretty soon...

Pilipinas Got Talent's Jovit Baldivino

We all love a Cinderella story!!!

We've seen it all before... unassuming person comes in for an audition...waits for his turn at the microphone... starts to sing... and bowls the audience over...

That's what happened to Charisse Pimpengco. Well, yeah, she placed second on Channel 2's search. Then Ellen Degeneris saw her on You Tube and the rest is... history. Now she hobknobs with Hollywood A-listers. Does interviews with Oprah. Sings duets with David Archuleta. Front acts for Celine Dion. Does shows with Josh Groban. And gets her record produced by no less than David Foster.

Arnel Pineda was a bum for many years. Did the whole take on wrong friends and bad decisions and then gets a chance to sing professionally with a band called ZOO (correct me here if I'm wrong). Gets his act posted on YouTube. And Surprise! gets a call to audition for Journey as lead vocalist. Now he's done a world tour to packed audiences. Yeah he's done the rounds of these American talk shows as well... yaddah, yaddah, yaddah...

Enter Jovit Baldivino!

Here's his story: Mom and Pop are unemployed. Pop has had a bout of the dreaded Tuberculosis. Has 5 siblings and only one of them is working. Jovit is all of 16 years. He goes to school all day and after school he helps earn for the family by selling SIOMAI. Slightly malnourished-looking and painfully shy, as hosts Billy Crawford and Luis Manzano asks him what he was going to perform, he cautiously replies "surprise na lang po". To which Billy Crawford callously replies: " Sa Limang nagsabi ng surprise, wala'ng pumasok..."

Fade-in music... Jovit opens his mouth and starts to sing of all songs, Faithfully by Journey. The JUDGES were floored!!! Kris was awestruck. Ai-ai was singing along. The male judge was dead-pan but he did give a positive response. Post performance, Kris Aquino probes a little deeper into Jovit's psyche and he humbly avers whether he wins or loses he's proven that the Filipino can do anything he sets his heart on. which sends Ai-ai crying.

You gotta love this guy! Seriously!!! Part of you wants to shake his hand to congratulate him and the other part wants you to bop him on the head and tell him "you're too good for this".

Okay so his star is about to shine on the horizon... but how many more lives are about to change simply because there are millions of Filipinos out there who share his life story? Hmmmmm...

Sailing the Seven Seas

The call from Ms Goya came through and she instructed me to get in touch with Ms April of Ansco Casto Tours. Apparently I had been assigned to guide a group of Latin Americans who were arriving on board a ship on 02 March 2010.

I was in touch with Ms April and she then informed me to meet Mr Sedrick Hodgens at the Manila Hotel at 9:00 am.

I arrived at the Manila Hotel at 8:00 am just be sure I was way ahead of Mr Hodgens who hired me for the day. I was in uniform and ID and I looked extremely professional. I was at the lobby coordinating with Ms April while waiting for Mr Hodgens to arrive.

I was approached by a waitress at the lobby and was asked if I was ready to order. I informed her nicely that I was to meet with an important client and that should I decide to order anything I would call her attention. I had already had breakfast and was waiting earnestly for the vehicle that would pick me up. I was told by the same waitress that I was at a restaurant outlet of the hotel and that in order for me to stay there I would have to order. She directed me to spend my waiting time at an area near the doorway. In other words, I was being discreetly shooed away. I chose not to order anything even if I could afford it. I was being discriminated on in a historic hotel in my own country. I felt insulted. Whatever happened to goodwill in Manila Hotel?

It was already 9:00 am and still no sign of Mr Hodgens. I got in touch with Ms April and she gave me Mr. Hodgens' contact number. Mr. Hodgens was able to get in touch with me. Apparently, the ship wasn't arriving until 11:30 am. It wasn't anyone's fault. So I decided to wait elsewhere instead of having coffee in tghe lobby.

I was back at 10:30 am at 11:00 I got a call from Mr Hodgens. he said he was outside in his van and that I should go outside. We then proceeded to Pier 13 right behind the Manila Hotel and I was surprised to find a cruise ship. Apparently the guests were on board the Seven Seas Voyager. Oh, the lifestyle of the rich and famous!

They were indeed Latin American. The guests were from Guatemala. I instructed the driver to bring us to Intramuros. The first stop was at Fort Santiago. However as it was nearing lunchtime the guests declined a tour of the fort. I felt it was important for them to have an idea of what the fort was about so I gave my commentary on the van.

From there we moved on to San Agustin. I continued to give my commentaries of the Palacio del Gobernador, Plaza Roma, Ayuntamiento and the Manila Cathedral. As we reached San Agustin, it was already closed for lunch. Sra. Fernandez has been in the country prior to this tour and she missed seeing the san Agustin Church. This was the second time she missed it.

I brought them instead to Casa Manila which they relished with gusto. After the tour of Casa Manila, Mr Hodgens decided to go for lunch. Apparently the guests wanted to try Filipino food. All of them are in the food business. We drove to the Mall of Asia. They decided to go to a Watson's drugstore and then we went around the mall where they purchased Leonida's chocolates. Then they went around the food alley of MOA. After that we went to Chris Sports as Sra Fernandez needed an ankle support for her foot which she injured in Singapore.

I brought them to Makati in Greenbelt 5. It was a bit daunting to give commentaries are they were all in an animated conversation in Spanish. But I managed to get some vital information in especially on the real estate prices in Pasay and Makati.

They ate every morsel of lechon. The first part of the meal was Sinigang na Hipon. Then they tried the Bagoong Rice, Asparagus ala Pobre, Pritchon with 7 different types of dressing, and then the rest of the Lechon was deep fried in garlic. I tried to explain the food as much as I can in English and Spanish. After that some of the guests started taking Lipitor.

As with any other latino guests, meals are taken at leisure. We finished lunch nearly at four pm. They wanted to go to a Mercury Drug outlet. Then They said they wanted to buy pina barongs for the women. Mr Hodgens immediately opined Rustan's would be the perfect shop. Surprise! There were limited stocks and the guests weren't too crazy about the styles on the rack. The daughter in law did buy a banana fiber shawl wrap. Mr Hodgens decided to show them Rockwell as he lives there so the American Cemetery was scrapped.

We went to Rockwell and when they saw traffic building up in EDSA the guests said they had to be back on the ship by six pm. We coasted along the area and then decided to take Buendia. NO traffic there miraculously. We got to Roxas Boulevard in record time. Then there were police escorts for two Tourist busses that were taking their guests back to Pier 13. I told the driver to convoy and never lose sight of the busses. We got there on time with the guests having ample time to view Manila's famed sunset while on the van.

I bid them goodbye on the dock and gave them my business cards. Apparently, they do the cruise every year so I told them I hope to see them back...

Naglaho'ng Gusali

I always enjoy reading Dr Jaime Laya's column in the Manila Bulletin.

This morning Dr. Laya enumerates a slew of buildings that might have been heritage sites. Buildings that were notable either because they were designed by a famous architect, they captured the best aspects of a particular art period or style or represented an era that was significant in the formation of the Philippines as a nation.

Among the buildings Dr Laya mentioned were:


- The Insular Iceplant - constructed in 1901 between the Post Office and the Metropolitan Theater near the Arroceros area. The ice plant had to give way to the LRT tracks. Now it's a vacant lot fronting the Pasig River Ferry station in Plaza Lawton.

- Casa Vizantina - Byzantine Inspired house in Binondo which was eventually dismantled and restored at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar a heritage resort in Bataan.

- Casa Mision - built in Sta. Ana, Manila which was sadly demolished by the new owners even before the permit was issued.

-King's Theater - Ongpin Street. Believed to be a Pablo Antonio design. Sacrificed
for a high-rise.

-Camp John Hay - Baguio City (1911). Originally a camp for the US Armed Forces until the 1980s when the US bases were expelled was turned over to a private developer.

- Casa Hacienda - Makati near JP Rizal near Makati Avenue. Formerly the headquarters of the Roxas-Ayala family's Hacienda de Makati. It was torn down after being declared city property.

- Jai-Alai Building - Taft Avenue (1940-2000) One of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture. Torn down supposedly to house the City Courts of Manila despite pleas from the National Historical Institute . Now an idle lot after the building was bulldozed. the supposed building to replace it was never built.

-Faro de Punta - Linao, Cagayan (1894-1985) eroded by pounding waves.

-Puente de Mabacao - Maragondon, Cavite (1890-2008) Rare steel braced span now a run-of-the-mill bridge.

-Pines Hotel - Baguio City, Now a popular mall

-Philippine Racing Club - Sta Ana, Manila (1935-2009) Art Deco race track complex again demolished to be replaced by a mall.

- Iglesia de la Transfiguracion de Nstra. Sra. - Palo Leyte (1718-1970) the 250 year old church which survived WWII did not escape the demolition by the faithful who wanted a larger new shrine. ( how terribly sad!)

WE do the same thing with our streets. We keep changing the names of streets even the more historical names like Duque, Nueva, Sacristia, Rosario streets in favor of the rich and famous...

Dr Laya laments that at the rate we're going, all we'll have left are "photographs to remind us of our distinguished and non-generic architectural past". It's a shame we have to let go of vestiges of our rich cultural past for malls that have no historical significance whatsoever.