97.9 HOME RADIO INTERVIEW

 

I received a message on my Messenger from friend and Advocates for Heritage Preservation founder Tito Encarnacion about a possible radio talkshow interview on 97.9 Home Radio. I thought nothing of it at first but I did broach the idea with a chat group I'm in. We were ok with the idea but we were wondering what would come out of the invite. We said "yes" but not all of us were available. So three of us were amenable to do the talk show.

I would get intermittent messages from Tito requesting for some requirements: 30 guide questions re. Tour guiding, half body photos for an art card promoting the show, our short bio for an intro. All of which we would provide at different points in time.

Eventually, Patrick June came up with a partial set of questions and Home Radio gave us an updated set which completed the 30 questions they had originally asked for.

After a few weeks we received a study of the art card meant to announce our guesting on the show A Place We Call Home. It was hosted by DJ Braggy and it was the station's way of revitalizing the country's efforts at boosting the tourism industry.

Everything was more or less set for a September 7 interview. We really didn't think much of it. But after a few days, the art card came out. Great! We were all satisfied and gave it our approval.

Finally, the day of the talk show arrives. The night prior, I made arrangements to pick up Dhanggit Labignette in a cab. Guess what? I left the house at 8:30 a.m. but had no luck at hailing a cab. I have already been waiting for thirty minutes and still no such luck!! I frantically called Dhang to go ahead to the radio station on her own and I would just follow. After my call, I did get a cab and was about to pass for her but she was already on her way. The pressure!!! I had to be at the station by 9:30 a.m. for a briefing so I was praying for smooth traffic while sitting in the cab. Thankfully, I got to Home Radio in Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas at the appointed time. While waiting for the elevators I met the VP for Sales and Marketing Marvin Nisperos Estigoy who graciously escorted me to their offices. I was finally in the conference room exchanging pleasantries with sirs Marvin, Tito and DJ Braggy along with Dhang and Patrick.

A few minutes before ten, we were ushered into the DJ booth. The start was a little shaky with us having to introduce ourselves but we eventually settled down and got into the rhythm of the conversation. It became more animated as we went along. With peals of laughter puncturing the radio airwaves. Before we even knew it, an hour had nearly passed. What? We've only begun! Prompting DJ Braggy to comment we needed a part two for this show. We posed for our obligatory photos for posterity. I mean, how often do we do a talk show? Then as we bid our leave, we were told DJ Braggy's birthday was on the 15th. We rushed back to his office to sing him a birthday/Christmas carol song. We tackled 5 flights of stairs as the elevators were taking too long. We ended up in Via Mare having an early lunch before dispersing and finally heading home.

Thank you Dhanggit Labignette, Patrick June , Marvin Estigoy, Tito Encarnacion and DJ Braggy. The show brought back memories of my college days at Ateneo learning the rudiments of radio production with my professor Puri Navarrete. I wonder where she is now...

 

Gawad CCP Para Sa Sining is the highest recognition given by the Sentro'ng Pangkultura ng Pilipinas to artists and cultural workers who have devoted their lives and work for the upliftment of culture and the arts in the Philippines. Today's awards ceremonies are given special impetus by the fact that I personally know three (four, including Tito Eddie) of the awardees and at some point have received valuable mentorship from them in my short, mildly successful and albeit, aborted dance career.

I spent the early afternoon with former CCP awardee Tito Eddie Elejar , Butch Esperanza and Ken San Jose . In between servings of soft tacos, lumpian'g Shanghai and spaghetti, we laughed at Tito Eddie's humorous anecdotes of his life in ballet.

We were later joined by no other than Lisa Macuja Elizalde and one of this year's awardees Nonoy Froilan and CCP president Margie Moran Floirendo. We chit chatted away much of the time, catching up on things related to dance and the state of the performing arts during and after the Pandemic. I talked to Lisa about the re-opening of the Aliw Theater and the upcoming season of Ballet Manila that will start in February of next year. That's something we can all look forward to as 2023 and the closing of CCP for renovations looms.

Leslie Noble and Edna Vida joined us for more catching up. Then out of the blue walks in Cecilia Manikan , former executive director of Ballet Philippines, whom I haven't seen in ages. It was an afternoon cocktail of ballet luminaries that managed to weather out COVID.

By five p.m., the all too familiar budyong was calling out to the guests to enter the main theater as the ceremonies were about to start. All the awardees were announced as they entered the theater on their way to the VIP seats.

The CCP Gawad awards is given every two years. But because of the pandemic, I guess they had to wait until there was less of a threat of this dreaded virus. This year's awardees are as follows: 1. Lualhati T. Bautista (Panitikan); 2. Kenneth Cobonpue ( Disenyo at mga Kaugnay na Dining); 3. Clodualdo A. Del Mundo (Pelikula at Singing Broadcast); 4. Antonio L. Fabella (Sayaw, posthumous na Gawad); 5. Rafael Catalina Froilan (Sayaw) ; 6. Alice Guillermo (Pananaliksik Pangkultura, posthumous na Gawad); 7. Nestor T. Horfilla (Gawaing Pangkultura at Pananaliksik); 8. Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) (Pagpapalaganap ng Kultura ng Rehiyon); 9. Liwayway Magazine (Pagpapaunlad ng Kultura sa Pilipinas); 10. Danilo L. Dolor (Tanging Parangal); 11. Felix Padilla (Teatro), 12. Raul M. Sunico (Musika); 13. Cristina V. Turalba (Arkitektura); 14. Luis E. Yee, Jr. (Sining Biswal).

The acceptance speeches were poignant, touching, nostalgic and at times funny. Also, a little known fact is that Liwayway magazine will be celebrating its one hundredth year of publication. They started printing in November of 1922 and November of this year will be their centenary.

Most memorable were Nonoy Froilan's and Nonon Padilla's speeches. There were dance and theater alumni present to give the awardees moral support and the appreciation of knowledge they learned from being part of their respective resident companies. I had brief encounters with Shamaine Centenera and Volpi Best Actor John Arcilla. We didn't have much time to interact in between restroom breaks and the proceedings going with no intermission. Musical numbers were provided by Stefanie Quintin, the Philippine Madrigal Singers and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Hosts of the proceedings were Sheila Valderrama-Martinez and Arman Ferrer with Juliene Mendoza providing the voice -overs. It was a long evening but well worth attending despite the rains.

Kudos to the recipients and Bravo for your devotion to the arts!

GUIDING FOR NATIONAL HEROES' DAY

 

National Heroes' Day. We honor the people who sacrificed their lives so we can enjoy the benefits of freedom. In their memory, a full day was dedicated to them by the Intramuros Administration, the management and staff of the Intramuros Visitors' Center and the Intramuros Volunteer Guides. Today being a holiday, what better way for families to spend the day on a historical tour of Fort Santiago (and perhaps the Intramuros area) with knowledgeable DOT accredited tour guides!

On my part, I had free time to commit to the event. I re-posted the announcement on my Facebook page in the hope that friends will jump at the chance to get some fresh air, get an urge to join a guided tour as a sort of refresher... Or if not, at least get a handful of "new" people who might be interested in historical commentary. It was a blast!

A few minutes after I arrived at Fort Santiago, I was immediately assigned a group of fifteen people of different backgrounds, different social strata, different interests and age ranges. It brought me back to a time when I was learning to balance crowd interest so my audience doesn't feel left out or bored. As I mentioned to IVC head honcho and avowed "prince of Intramuros" Rancho Arcilla , guiding is a skill!

You can be the most learned, scholarly, erudite individual but if you don't have your group's full, undivided attention and can't control them , then a tour guide, you're not!!

Streams of people started to arrive: families with toddlers, married educator couples, historical enthusiasts, students from Dumaguete who were in Manila for their on-the-job training, visiting Spaniards getting a furlough from the pharmaceutical company that brought them to the country. Just about anybody wanted to experience the tours. And we Intramuros Volunteer Guides, didn't turn anyone away! Despite the assigned groups, there were some ambulant tourists who would join in and listen to our commentaries. From time to time, isolated areas would burst out with rounds of applause as guests express their thanks to the guides for a job well done. Congratulations, JB Jb Hallig Quemado , Vincent Ray Vr Hallig , Reynaldo Cadiz, Salve Aragones, Anthony de Guzman, Elgin Silvestre, Dom's Valencia, Shogun Gaijin , Tabalanza Cedhie, Pau Lagasin, Debbie Abadines Sison , Jerome Relente, Orlando Domingo, Mark Fernandez, Marianito Malacaman. We did ourselves proud!!!

By the time the free tours were concluded at four p.m., headcount of the guests had doubled if not tripled compared to any ordinary day. It only proves to show, one doesn't need to do humungous acts to serve the country. One can be of service doing small things with great passion!

Para sa Bayan!!!