PHP 150 | USD 3.50 | GBP 2.20 | EUR 2.

60
GLOBAL GLORY
4(55@ 7(*4(5 7(*8<0 (6
A TRlBUTE TO FlLlPlNOS ON FORElGN SHORES
Philippines
PEOPLE POWER
A contact list worth coveting
DINE DIVINE
Heavenly degustation at Mamas Table
NORTHERN LIGHTS & RITES
La Union and Benguet, prime spots for adventure

CULTURAL CENTER
Art in the heart of Ortigas at the Ronac Center
gordonMax_Expat Manila.pdf 1 3/4/11 1:07 PM
gordonMax_Expat Manila.pdf 1 3/4/11 1:07 PM
Your Local Guide.
Vol. 4 No. 2 2010 Philippines
CLASSOFTHE
TheCreamoftheCosmopolitanCrop
BREAKING
BRIGHT:
SunnyAnd
Satisfying
Summer
Activities
FOREIGNERS
MAKINGFILMS:
YoungArtists
ThinkGlobal,
ShootLocal
THEBACHELORS
OFBUSINESS:
EligibleAnd
Entrepreneurial
UNLIKELY
EXPEDITIONS:
NorthKorea,
TheGambiaand
BabuyanIslands
FunFashionandFoodFinds!Plus:Business,Culture,Events,Sports&more
ADJUST, ASSIMILATE AND ACCEPT
Different takes on settling in Manila
10 PLACES TO GO FOR STATESIDE SEMBLANCE
Swing over to the best diners or trace the stops of Uncle Sam
FACEBOOK
Keeping You Connected or Distracted?

MUCH ADO ABOUT TRANSFORMATION
From provided furniture to inspired spaces, and creatives
converging
PHP 150 | USD 3.50 | GBP 2.20 | EUR 2.60
Philippines
Vol. 4 No. 1 2010 Philippines
UNDERCOVER TRAVELLER:
Bond-ing in Bataan & Boracay
NEIGHBORS NAUGHTY & NICE:
Palau & Cuba Open Doors
Expat Experts Dont Stop Believing in the Economy
MONEY, MUSEUMS & THE MAN:
Gilberto Teodoro
Piques Expats Interest
Global Gleeconomics
PURGE AND PAMPER:
The Ins and Outs of Clean Living
PLUS: Business, Culture, Shop, Events, Dine, Sports & more...
IMFs Dennis Botman, AXAs Rien Hermans, Citis Sanjiv Vohra, Standard Chartereds Stewart Hall,
ANZs Panadda Manoleehakul & Deutsche Banks Angelene Cala
PHP 150 | USD 3.50 | GBP 2.20 | EUR 2.60
)LJH\ZL>L.P]L(+HTU
/<4(50;(90(50::<,
Philippines
;/,
INSIDE THE CONFLICT ZONE
On the ground with WFPs Stephen Anderson and KC Concepcion
IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE
Over 50 global and local organizations and causes covered
PARADISE ON EARTH
Amanpulo and Misibis Bay, utopias not just in luxury

HOLIDAY HIT LIST
Top 10 technology gadgets and gizmos
Expat Travel and Lifestyle Magazine
Philippines
Get to know the country
youre in from the people
who know it best
Where to eat, where to
go, who to meet right at
your ngertips.
X Factor
17 Get rst hand information on events
happening in the city with our social
calendar.
Travel
24 Baggage Check
See whats best to pack for a romantic
getaway
26 Travel Immigration Guide
Rules and regulations for travel to and
from the Philippines
* OulskIrls
28 Benguet: A lowland girl gets high in
the mountain province
32 La Union: Adrenaline junkies get
maximum velocity up north
* Escope koule
35 Around the World
Benny Lewis travels around the world to
learn a countrys native language
38 Singapore: Resorts World Sentosa
could be the happiest place in the Lion
City
42 Easter Island: The small island with the
big heads is full of magical moments
TABLEOF
CONTENTS
35
68
38
42
28
BENGUET
SINGAPORE
EASTER ISLAND
EXPAT
STYLE
ESCAPE ROUTE
On the cover: World-renowned
boxer, and local congressman
Manny Pacman Pacquiao is all
smiles, and with good reason. He
is inarguably the greatest Filipino
boxer of all time.

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
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People
47 Cover
A look into how Manny Pacquiao inspires
and denes Filipino Excellence
5 5pecIoI Feolure
Proud to be Pinoy (abroad). We share
the tales of Filipino achievers and their
triumphs in international waters
7 Expol 5lyIe
Four foreigners, four styles, see what
gives them that chic advantage
72 Social Network
Who you should put on your must-meet
people list while in the Philippines
> Jojo Isorena, Philippe Tordjman, Peggy
Angeles, Kat Azanza and Joanne Tsai
2 Doy In lhe LIfe
Greek Amb. Polyxenia Stefanidou gives
us a peek into her life
lnsIder
Jon Mannion takes us through his day
as he teaches underprivileged kids
Information Technology
Expol Legend
Jessie Lichauco has almost a century-
long story to tell as shared by her
grandaughter
9 5pecIoI Love 5lory
Trainspotting love, a tale of romance on
the rails

Lifestyle & Culture
* Iune-up
> 94 8orefool kunnIng
Venture into reconnecting with the world
by running barefoot
> 9 FulboI FunolIcs
Bring the joys of the beautiful game to
your kids this summer
9 IrodIlIonoI FIIIpIno Gomes
A look back at what it means to play,
Pinoy style
T Eol LIsl
Food tripping in Baguio and discovering
degustacion to die for
> T Iosle 8uds
Local avors for foreign tongues, a
recipe for Filipino Favorite, Bistek Tagalog
> 107 Hole in the Wall
A list of where to eat for cheap
T ln kesIdence
Take a tour of a home and gallery all
rolled into one
TTT OuIlure OIosh
Getting centered amidst lifes confusions
through Alex Van Lierdes art
Events
TT4 M8Kk5 Awords 2T
TT PhIIIppIne Yeorbook 2TT
118 The ALIG Ball
T2 My ForeIgn AffoIrs
Pit Stop
122 Ronac Art Center
A convergence of creativity
TABLEOFCONTENTS
The calm before the storm, Pacman in ght mode.
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Expol IroveI & LIfeslyIe PhIIIppInes is published
quarterly by Expat Communications, Inc.
MoIn Heodquorlers Lower Ground Floor, Legaspi Towers 100,
148 Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines
Oebu 5oleIIIle Ofhce M.J. Cuenco Ave. cor C. Mina St.,
Mabolo, Cebu City, Philippines Telfax: (032) 412 8000
Expol IroveI & LIfeslyIe is a registered trademark of the
Philippines. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
P UB L I S HE R
Butch C. Bonsol
E DI T OR I AL & P UB L I S HI NG CONS UL TANT
Murray Hertz
AS S OCI AT E P UB L I S HE R
Francesca Ortigas
E Dl I Ok l N OHl E F
Katrina A. Holigores
E DI T OR
C. Jude Defensor
AS S OCI AT E E DI T OR
Carmencita H. Acosta
5 IAF F Wk l I E k 5
Raydon L. Reyes
Astra C. Alegre
Timothy Jay A. Ibay
Richard A. Ramos
AR T DI R E CT OR
Eleanore Fern B. Pagaduan
CONT R I BUT I NG WR I T E R S
Ninfa Z. Bito
Pauline Brettel
Jahzeel Abihail G. Cruz
Sunshine de Leon
Benny Lewis
Andrea Mago
Jon Mannion
Norman Nazareth
Dawn Niekamp
Tippi Ocampo
Simone Orendain
Brad Peadon
David Poarch
Candy Reyes
Pria C. Solon
CONT R I BUT I NG P HOT OGR AP HE R S
Brendan Ager
Carmi Grace Angelino
Benhur Arcayan
Jo Ann Bitagcol
Ninfa Z. Bito
Brian Casenas
Ian Castaares
Frank Dizon
Francis Lyle Juarez
Nadege Lescourant
Vincent Leterrier
Ejay Leung
Jovel Lorenzo
Miguel Miranda
Redg Plopinio
Candy Reyes
Dennis Rito
Howard Schatz
Martin Valdes
Boy Yiguez
Cres Yulo
ADVE k I l 5 l NG OF F l OE k
Leah Egamino-Palaa
Ol k O0L AI l ON 5 IAF F
Dominic De Vera
Expol IroveI & LIfeslyIe Vol. 5 No. 1
Opinions expressed in this magazine are solely those of the writers and
not necessarily endorsed by Expat Communications. Reproduction in
whole or in part, whether articles, photos, advertisement features and
such, are strictly prohibited in any way without the written consent
from the publishers and editors. Expat Communications cannot be
held responsible for unsolicited material or photographs. Although
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Subscriptions > Advertising > Inquiries
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1 CANDY REYES Chasing Inspiration
are two words that clearly describe this
adventurous little lady. Working as one of
the countrys best production designers, she
transitions almost effortlessly from working
in the jungles of the Philippines recreating
plane crashes for Discovery channel to
styling models and celebrities for a Speedo
fashion show in the middle of Bonifacio High
Street. She is also an avid cyclist and started
too rst lcyclo Vossooor sorvlco lo too
PhilippinesPedala bringing eco-friendly
orcol sorvlco to too ootlro Votro Voollo
area. An incessant traveler, her travels have
drawn her north into the mountains of the
Cordillera, walking through the fog and mist
of the forests and chasing sunsets on dusty
roads on her mountain bike. See her story
in Outskirts p.28. She chases inspiration
wherever it takes her and leaves in her wake
o troll oI llo ucst ootlo lo too olr Ior
others to follow.
2 EJAY A. LEUNG This dentist/
photographer has always been fascinated
with cameras but began pursuing his passion
for photography only after graduating from
u.l. Voollo-Colloo oI Dootlstry. Altooco
it all started out as an after-clinic hobby,
projects started pouring in. So after four
years of being a freelance photographer,
he has done projects ranging from product,
portfolio, fashion, and location shoots for
various companies. He has also been a
contributor to other local publications. Earlier
tols yoor oo oou ols rst solo oolblt oou
rocootly oo co-Iocouou too roc Vluolot
Bonkers with two of his friends. Leungss
dream destination would be either Eastern
|croo (soclcolly kcsslo} or lorc (Vococ
llccoc}.
3 DAVID POARCH is a Filipino-American
travel blogger known for his adventures and
immersive experiences in his epic journey as
a modern nomad in the Philippines, where
he searches for purpose and meaning
to llIo crotlvoly oocosclotou lo oo
allegorical and seemingly ever-elusive
golden coconuthence his nickname the
Coconuter. Partly due to academic burnout,
osslllotloo ulIccltlos lo Aorlco, colluooou
memories of the Philippines, and a few
other reasons, David dropped out of an
elite university and left a comfortable life
in the US in exchange for a simple life in
provincial Philippines. He embarked on
the fateful journey and started blogging in
early 2006, when the occupation was just
gaining popularity in the country and the
Philippine blogosphere was arguably still
in its infancy. With only $200 in his pocket,
a couple boxes full of personal belongings,
and a dream, he made the leap of faith
oou socot roIco lo rcrol lolllloos. koou
up on some of his ruminations of traditional
Filipino games on p.120 as he shares his
memoirs.
4 NINFA Z. BITO is a freelance
ooto|ocroollst bosou lo Voollo, lolllloos.
She was self-taught in photography and
eventually took on formal training in Paris
where she met and assisted Georges Fevre,
a former director at Pariss Pictorial Lab
(llCJO}, oou orsoool rlotor Ior uoorl
Cortlor-rossoo, kobort Dolsoooc oou
Josef Koudelka. She focuses on reportage
of humanitarian, environmental, health
and social issues. While for commercial
photography she is experienced in medium
format and 45 format shooting interiors,
food, products, portraits, fashion, editorials
and lifestyle. Her work has been published
in local and international publications. This
time around Bito turns her lens to satisfy
her palate by shooting and writing about a
recent food trip in The Philippines Summer
Capital, Baguio in our Dining feature p.98.
Bitos favorite destination is Santa Fe,
Now Volco uco to lts oou Ioou, ccltcro,
historical, beautiful light washing up on
the colored facades of beautiful adobe
architecture, and wide open spaces viewed
from atop a mesa where you can listen to
the quiet.
5 DENNIS RITO is a professional
photographer with a background in graphic
design. His work is a fusion of documentary
oou oo ort bosou orocou ortroltcro,
commercial photography as well as visual
anthropology. His work has been shown
lo too lolllloos, louoooslo, Voloyslo,
Singapore, Hongkong, and Germany. He
pursues personal projects on technology and
urban development. Visit his website at
http://dennisrito.com
6 TIPPI OCAMPO Philippine fashion
designer and author of Not By the Book:
Fashioning Design, Tippi Ocampo, has been
designing clothes for the past 12 years, but
her love affair with fashion & design has
gone on for much longer than that. Since her
childhood days playing with fabric scraps
and her toy sewing machine, to her student
days at the College of Fine Arts in the
University of the Philippines when every day
was an impromptu fashion show, possibly
the only thing that could rival her love for
design is her love for travel. Whether its
big, bustling cities or quaint little towns, Tippi
& her entrepreneur/photographer husband,
Ito, love just having the time to browse
around, chat up the locals, or simply sit and
watch life unfold. The couple suggests what
to park for a romantic getaway in Baggage
Check p.24.
CON
TRIBU
TORS
1 2 3 4 5
6
Wo oro woll loto too rst gcortor oI too
yoor oou l ou ysolI boc| ot oo olu
post after almost four years of absence.
In 2007, Expat Communications put out its
maiden issue of Expat Travel and Lifestyle
Voozloo, l wos tooo lts Iocoulo oultor
and what we had in mind was an ambitious
project to feature the female ambassadors
in a glamorous, never-before-done
spread in Luneta Park. The logistics were a
nightmare. We being all rather new to the
publishing industry were a bunch of nerves.
Wo woro uoollo wlto olo rolo oolo
(wlto olo soccrlty ooous} lo ooo oI too
busiest, most chaotic parts of the metro. I
can still recall cast and crew being shuttled
botwooo Lcooto lor| oou Voollo uotol,
some on foot (which caused quite a stir
ooo too ouostrloos} oou soo oovlo
to be placed inside bulletproof vehicles
for the short trip across the road. It was an
experience indeed, stressful but strangely
Icllllo os wo wroou c ot too oou oI
the day. It is now 2011 and I am happy
to say that in spite of early doubts, the
oozloo stlll stoous stroo. uovlo ooo
through some changes, it still can bravely
soy lt ls too ooly oozloo lo too cocotry
that keeps the expat readership top of
mind.
With this new edition of Expat for the
year, it is our fervent wish to make this
your local guide. A one-stop-shop as it
may of the best things you can do in this
country, written and documented by the
people who know it best. We have also
expanded some of our sections to include
our travel tips, like what to pack (Baggage
Cooc| . 2=}, woot to loo| Iorworu to
(x-|octor . l7}, oou y orsoool Iovorlto,
Josto cus (. lu} o roclo oo oo
a typical Filipino dish you can do in the
coIort oI yocr owo ooo. |ro ottlo t,
wlto Jcoo u (. 9=} to storlos wrlttoo by
expats about their experiences here (The
losluor, . 8} wo oovo coo c wlto o
oozloo rlco wlto storlos oou loIorotloo
that we feel will be invaluable and timeless
reads.
The best way to get to know the country
you are in is through its local residents,
even if they are foreigners themselves, so
we introduce some of the must-meet people
in our new section, The Social Network (p.
72}. oc coo olso bo rlvy to woot oos oo
behind the scenes in our Day in the Life
section which has us as welcome stalkers,
following a prominent expat for a whole
day. All in all, we have a whole lot of new
things for you to read and remember, like
o ooooooorloo's rooctloos oo llIo lo too
Philippines as told to her granddaughter in
|ot Looou (. 88}.
This month, we also shift our attention
to another kind of expat; Filipinos who
have made their mark abroad. Our cover
stor, Voooy locoo locgcloo, ls oow
considered to be the Philippines greatest
boxer, and rightfully so. We have also
included, as special coverage, lesser known
heavyweights who are nevertheless,
champions in their own industry, these are
people who have made us (and hopefully
too worlu} rocu (. 5-}.
I return to my old post feeling excited
and looking forward to all the new things
toot |ot Voozloo's cootoot coo brlo
into my life as well as to all of you dear
readers. There are just so many more
things to do in this wonderful planet of
ours that I hope we can all share with
one another and learn from each others
experiences and even insightful mistakes.
Even if what we go through is distinctly
unique, distinctly ours ,we are not alone
in our adventures in life, we are all
connected.
Personally, I look forward to this
reconnection with all of you in 2011 and
ooo yoc oo|oy tols oozloo Iro covor
to cover.
Reconnected
Editors Letter
Katrina A. Holigores
Editor in Chief
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Maiden issue of Expat Travel and Lifestyle Magazine
Expat Travel & Lifestyle Philippines builds on the thrust
of Expat Communications, which has been serving the
foreign community and Filipinos for nearly 30 years.
Each issue guides and inspires for an unforgettable
experience here, from travel to dining, perspectives to
culture, and everything exciting in between.
4 issues/year for PHP 480
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I think that your concept of putting
the WFP director in an actual
scenario for your cover was very
interesting. Each magazine has a
distinct style and youve established
yours in your choice of photos.
But personally, perhaps the
photography can be polished more.
For example, some magazines have
an HD-look for their photos. Also,
styling of Mr. Anderson could have
been better. His hair was a little
messy.
- Matt Hebrona
Art Director
Kudos for the Humanitarian
Issue! Reading up on the many
philanthropists and their amazing
causes really struck a chord in me.
I also enjoyed the travel round-up. I
think that really gives Expats a great
heads-up towards getting to know
the country better. Keep up the
good work! Looking forward for the
next one.
- Frankie Highman
I bought a copy of the
Humanitarian issue of Expat
magazine to serve as a guide since
I am looking for a worthwhile cause
that I can join. I was impressed
by the number of organizations
that was featured in this issue. I
especially liked the cover story on
the World Food Program. I want to
congratulate everyone on the Expat
team for a job well done. Im looking
forward to reading future issues of
your magazine.
- Ana (Manila)
The Philippines has beaches that
suit any kind of personality. Thats
why I wish Expat would feature
more beaches in the future. We
have world class beaches at rock
bottom prices and I believe thats
what draws tourists to come here.
Also, their money is big here and
when you have money here, the
Philippines is one of the best places
you can live in.
- Mark Paolo Enrile
RN
Im a fan of minimalist looks. Thats
why I like your cover. Its very clean
and minimalistic! The large cover
blurb also has a big impact. On the
other hand, the blurbs at the top
have a newsletter-ish style. Overall,
good job!
- Nicole Batac
Writer
As a frequent traveler all over the
Philippines, I am constantly in
search of new places that I can go
to. Your recent feature on Misibis
Bay has encouraged me to take
a trip to Bicol this summer and to
check out the resort. Im planning
to take my family with me and I
have no doubt in my mind that we
will enjoy our vacation there.
- Alex (QC)
+ Messages
Feedback chosen may be edited for brevity and clarity. Opinions expressed on this page are solely
from the respondents and not indicative of those from Expat Communications, Inc.
Be the next Letter of the Issue. And get a free subscription for one year.
Write, email, comment on Facebook, text, tweet or what-have-you to Expat.
We want to hear from YOU!
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Expat Travel and Lifestyle Magazine
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Letters +
COMMENTS
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Fill up your agenda with the latest
happenings in the worlds of
museums, music halls and the like.
Our social calendar will certainly
keep yours and your family's full.
EXPOSITIONS
Wedding Expo, lolllloos l8to |ultloo, Vorco
l2-l3, 8Vx, Voll oI Aslo, coll (u2} 55-8888 locol
117 or 118
National Trade Fair Notcoos 2u oors soowcoslo
rouccts oI ulIIoroot roloos lo too cocotry, Vorco
l7-2u, 8Vx, Voll oI Aslo, coll (u2} 55-8888 locol
117 or 118
CONCERTS
Verdi
The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra presents
Giuseppe Verdis monumental work, Requiem. It was
composed in memory of an Italian poet and novelist
oulrou by too coosor. lts rst orIorooco wos
lo Vlloo lo l87=. Vorco l8, 8 .. Ccltcrol Cootor
oI too lolllloos, coll (u2} 832-ll25 to 39 or
832-3704
Poom and Mahler
Thai multi-awarded pianist Poom Prommachart
has given concerts not only in Thailand but also
in Singapore, Japan, London, Hungary, France
oou 8wltzorloou. uls Voollo coocort's roortolro
consists of Symphony no.1 Titan by Gcstovo Voolor,
Piano Concerto no.3 by 8orol kocoooloov,
and Symphony no.2 Mysterious Mountain by Alan
Hovaness. April 15, 8 p.m., Cultural Center of the
lolllloos, coll (u2} 832-37u2
ART EXHIBITS
Russian Avante-Garde
Voro tooo u roroucctloos oI too orllools Iro
too colloctloos oI vorlocs csocs lo kcsslo oro
being shown. These include the works of famous
kcssloo ovoot-oruo ortlsts Alooouor koucooo|o,
Lycbov loovo, Vl|ooll Lorlooov, lovol |llooov,
kozllr Volovlco,Wosslly kooulos|y oou Alooouro
|tor, Alo|soy Vorcoov oou Arlstorco Lootclov.
Their art was a unique movement during the early
2uto cootcry, coblolo too troultlooolly olorlzou
rationality of the West and the idealism of the East.
Ooolo cotll Vorco 25 ot too Votroolltoo Vcsoc
oI Voollo, coll (u2} 523-ul3 or 52l-l5l7
New Dawn
lolotors Looooru Aclooluo, 1o|o Acstrlo, kooolu
Corlool, koouolI Dlllo, Dloo Goulo, Llousloo,
Voyo Vcoz, Jotoo Jorros oou Coostootloo
Zicarelli get together to exhibit some of their own
Iovorlto wor|s oo Vorco = to 25, ulroyo Gollory-
|rlto, coll (u2} 523-333l
Love Letters
Cotolloo AIrlco, kooolu Corlool, oslo 8lsoo
and others share the visual languages of love in
cootoorory ort, ooolo cotll Vorco 27, Voollo
Cootoorory Woltosoco, coll (u2} 8==-7328
Love & Lies
Featuring works of Dave Lock, Fernando Antimano,
Coos Vorotos, kooolu 1orosooo, cus Coovocor,
1oosoo Vorooo, |roo| |ll, Norvoo voloozcolo,
1oolco Lclsoo-oco, Jou looucoo, krlo 1oo
Govloo, 1cloru vlcooto, kol Crcz, 2oluy Gorro,
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
1 A Lenore Lim print
2 Alternative rockers Switchfoot return to
Manila
3 Walang Hanggang Paalam (Everlasting
Farewell) by Janice Luison-Young
4 Cosmic Souls, a pen and ink artwork of
Herbert Pajarito
5 From the Pond I Ponder by Roberto M. A.
Robles
6 Montalban Woods by Victorio Edades
7 Fil-Am R&B sensation, Bruno Mars comes
to Manila
1
2
3
Compiled by CARMENCITA H. ACOSTA
20 | expat
rloo vlllorool, Vorlo uolo Crcz, Corls
kols, kobort Dooloo, 1co Jlvl, kooo
Consoria, Jun Tulas, Aner Sebastian, Averil
loros, orooru uol Vcouo oou kobort
8ooo|. Ooolo cotll Vorco 28, 8lwouo
Gollory, 8to. Crcz, Voollo, coll (u2} 7=3-
5873
Vintage Vitalis
Vocorlo vltolls (l898-l989} ls |oowo
for his pointillist paintings. He will be
remembered in an exhibit showing his
olotlos oI too l93us to too us, Vorco
2 to 3u, Alllooco |roocolso uo Voolllo, coll
(u2} 895-7==l
Quinta Art
Adventist University of the Philippines Fine
Arts senior students present a tradigital
art media exhibit featuring the works
oI Glyols Agcloo, 1ooy orro, 1ooozollo
Casihan, Charity Donato, Jeffry Dulce, Joy
Duran, Jecome Fofue, Carla Ladores, Karen
kosocloo, Voloolo gclo wlto cost ortlsts
Herbert Pajarito, Pen Pagaduan and Byron
8olorzo. Vorco 2l to Arll l5, Golorlo uo
Los lslos, lotrocros, Voollo, coll (u2} 527-
2113
Full Circle
Loooro k8 Ll, |lllloo rloto|or bosou lo
Now or| oou voococvor rosoots o 2u-
year retrospective of her art, with more than
70 pieces of her works. Ongoing until April
24, Cultural Center of the Philippines; call
(u2} 832-37u2
Architect-Artists
Artlsts oro urooors woo trooscro roollty
into a world of imagination, while architects
are realists who transform dreams into
a tangible world. The show presents the
shared and divergent worlds of the arts
and of architecture in the Philippine context.
|ootcrou oro too wor|s oI Vlcol 2oroozo,
Andres Luna de San Pedro, Juan Arellano,
vlctorlo |uouos, Acstlo Goy, koborto
Chabet, Onib Olmedo and Claude Tayag.
Ooolo cotll Arll 2 ot too Votroolltoo
Vcsoc oI Voollo, coll (u2} 523-ul3 or
523-7855
Dystopia
koouolI C. Dlllo olots loos oI oolo
woo ou toosolvos lrlsooou lo o
nightmare with little chance of escape;
ongoing until April 3 at Hiraya Gallery; call
(u2} 523-333l
Saluysoy (Gorge)
koborto V. A. koblos brlos tootoor 8u oI
his paintings and sculptures produced during
a span of 30 years, a number of which have
never been exhibited. Ongoing until April
23 ot Atoooo Art Gollory, coll (u2} 833-
9815
Full Circle
Jols ls o rotrosoctlvo oolblt oI Loooro k8
Lims paintings presented by the Cultural
Center of the Philippines; ongoing until April
2=, coll (u2} 9l-u735
Invisible Paintings Revealed
Ed Aragon showcases his ultraviolet light
reactive paintings; ongoing until April 20;
ccoooco Vcsoc, coll (u2} 889-l23=
Tanaw (View)
The paintings of the winners of the Central
Bank of the Philippines (Bangko Sentral ng
llllloos} oro oo ulsloy cotll Arll 3u ot
too Votroolltoo Vcsoc oI Voollo, coll
(u2} 523-ul3
PLAY5
Next to Normal
Bobby Garcia directs this play on marital
stress. The drama won several awards in
too u.8.A. Woo|oous, Vorco ll to 27 ot 7
.., kCC llozo, coll (u2} 89l-9999
Defending the Caveman
A Broadway smash comedy on man-woman
rolotloosoloosols oow rosootou lo Voollo
with veteran thespian Joel Trinidad in the
loou rolo. 7 .., woo|oous Voy to 2l,
kCC llozo, coll ( u2} 89l-9999
FE5IlVAL
Joo Cooyoo volloy koloo brlos lts
8corocrow |ostlvol to Votro Voollo os ort
of the National Trade Fair. The scarecrow,
in the pervading pop culture, is often
perceived as unusual, frightening, and
an object of curiosity. In reality however,
too scorocrow ls o boooclol blt oI too
agricultural sector. Its presence scares away
blrus wooro cros oro rowlo. Vorco l7-
2u, 8Vx, Voll oI Aslo.

EAkIH DAY AOIlVlIY
Artists, cultural workers and
environmentalists join hands to celebrate
Earth Day by planting seedlings and
presenting songs, dances and skits
urootlzlo too ooou to rosorvo too
environment to prevent natural and man-
made calamities. The whole-morning event
starts at 8 a.m. on April 17 at the grounds
of the Cultural Center of the Philippines; call
(u2} 832-ll25 locol lll= to lll7
FOkElGN POP PEkFOkMEk5
Good Charlotte Llvo lo Voollo, A. vooco
uoll, Vo|otl, Arll
Aerosmith Live lo Voollo, 8V Voll oI
Asia Concert Grounds, Pasay City, April 2.
Steven Tyler and the rest of the legendary
roc| boou stor Voollo wlto toolr soolc
assault this summer.
Bruno Mars Llvo lo Voollo, Aroooto
Collssoc, Ocozoo Clty, Arll 8
Switchfoot Llvo lo Voollo os ort oI toolr
Hurricane Tour, Philippine Sports Arena,
Pasig, 7:30 p.m., April 30
Justin Bieber Llvo, Coocort Grocous, 8V
Voll oI Aslo, 8 .. Voy lu
Kenny Loggins, 8Vx Coovootloo Cootor, 8
.., Voy 22
Maroon 5, 8Vx Coovootloo Cootor, 8 ..
Voy 25
To verify schedules, call Ticketworld (02)
891-9999
* all schedules and events subject to change without prior notice
4 5
6
7
expat | 21
Lakad Pilipinas
(ott.,,lo|ou-lllloos.blosot.co}
For the Philippine travelerwhether
excited to go island hopping, or simply
looking for the perfect vacation within the
archipelago, Christian Sangoyos Philippine
travel experiences are worth checking out.
Lo|ou llllloos ls coovoolootly oroolzou
by location (you can browse popular
uostlootloos by roloo}, oou osts oro
divided into three typesTravelogues,
|o kocto, oou |oou Jrls.
In his travelogues, Sangoyo provides
brief and easy-to-read descriptions of
places from the mountain city of Baguio
to the white sand beaches of Palawan.
His narrative accounts, though personal,
provide useful informationwhen things
open, what the city folk are like, actual
costs, and key facts on hotels, cultural
events, and tourist attractions. To get a
better feel of each place, the author
displays his snapshots alongside the text.
If interested, one can further explore
destinations by following the links provided
at the end of each post.
lo too |o kocto soctloo, wo Iollow
Sangoyo on the road, as he describes
how to get from point A to point B,
and everything in between. Commuting
experiences range from jeepney rides,
to bcs trls, to soort lots, to ol|lo ovor
rough terrain. Posts usually include fares,
travel time, and practical tips from the
road.
As faithful to his feet as his stomach,
Sangoyo devotes a subsection to his food
trips. Here, he gives you directions, overall
price ranges, personal critiques of certain
menu items, and a whiff of the ambiance in
a variety of restos, cafes, and even street
food all over the country.
This site is great if one has plenty of time
to browse and read thoroughlysince the
essential information is placed within the
context of his personal experience. As well-
traveled as he is, Sangoyos destination-
information is limited to the extent of his
orsoool voyoos (ostly Lczoo oou too
vlsoyos}. Aou tooco ostly ob|octlvo,
one will have to take the authors word on
certain details, or visit the place himself!
Expat in the Philippines
(www.ootlotooolllloos.co}
For anyone planning to move to the country
permanently, Expat in the Philippines
provides a focused perspective from
someone who has successfully settled
down, and documented lessons and laughs
along the way. Through his blog, Jan
(o Dctco oot lo ols us} cootlocos to
rovluo uowo-to-oorto, rst ooou occocots
of life in the Philippines, complete with
remarkable experiences and nitty-gritty
details.
With plenty of useful tips under his belt,
Jan discusses topics relevant to those
who wish to follow in his footsteps. He
sorts insights and observations into easy-
browslo soctloos. uouor Vovlo to too
Philippines, for example, one reads about
oulcol loscrooco Ior oots, oulo o
job, and visa issues. Jan provides a wide
range of Personal Experiences as well,
including: how to renew your drivers
license, encounters with Filipino police
oIcors, uoollo wlto too trolcol ooot
and monsoon season, jeepney drivers,
and exploring Philippine art. Through his
Opinion posts, he comments on various
current events and exposes interesting
cultural tidbits.
Being a foreigner himself, Jan can
rocoolzo woot lot cocot os ccltcro
shock to someone moving to the country
as he did, and understands the transition
process. He devotes a section to language
issues where he provides links and a few
guides for learning conversational Tagalog.
This blog helps readers connect with other
expats and link to Philippine websites that
the author has deemed relevant. Although
the blog contains a wealth of objective
information, one ought to read Expat in
the Philippines mainly as an experts
personal insight.
Market Manila
(www.marketmanila.com}
|or tooso woo loo to llvo lo too Votro
Voollo oroo loo oooco to coosluor
home-cooking, or who are looking for
restaurants to try, this blog is a must-read.
Vor|ot Voollo ls too gclr|y bct loIorotlvo
food blog of a well-traveled management
consultant who likes to buy, cook, and eat
food as a personal passion. Having lived
in America, Australia, Europe, and the
Vluulo |ost, too octoor ools ooo ou|cst
to limited ingredient choices, the stock and
consistency of produce, meats, and dry
oous ooro lo Voollowooro oo ls oow
semi-retired. His personal experiences
may be of use to those unfamiliar with the
Votro Voollo Ioou-scoo. Now-coors
wlll ou tls oo colo wlto Ircstrotloos
and limitations, but also many delicious
possibilities of cooking in the Philippines.
The site content is arranged to provide
information on markets, food stores,
ingredients (under Topics, one can browse
by lorouloot}, soclolty ltos, o ocbor
of recipes for various Filipino dishes
and menus, kitchenware, and personal
rostocroot rovlows. Vost osts oro
accompanied by photos and additional
links.
Altooco too slto ls ost rolovoot to Voollo
residents or visitors, the site features a
section on Travel and Leisure where the
author relates his food experiences in other
parts of the country and around the world.
Ooo coo olso cooc| oct Vor|ot Voollo's
charitable causes and feeding programs.
Online Companions for the Philippine-bound
With so many tropical
hotspots and cultural
wonders, planning a
visit (or move) to the
Philippines can be tricky.
To help you prepare
beforehand, and
navigate while youre
here, these personal
blogs are valuable online
companions.
Text by DAWN NIEKAMP
22 | expat
Richard Saul
General Manager
Marriott Hotel
I like listening to Jack Johnson, American musician,
singer-songwriter. I enjoy listening to his acoustic guitar.
Simon McMenemy
Former Coach
Philippine Azkals
European dance music
oods my iPod. It puts me
in a good mood and
reminds me of home.
Tinnie Tempahs is one to
check out.
Hana Lee
General Manager
Online English Call Center
''--- ' ' '--
'-- ' /'
| ' '-' ,
What is on your playlist?
EXPAT PICKS
expat | 23
Matthias Widor
Director Food & Beverage
Marriott Hotel
Yes, I bought a souvenir a miniature colored jeepney. I
dont remember where I bought it, it must have been in
one of the malls in the Ayala area.
Koby Parcell
Consultant
Chocolate Fire
Its a little gecko, made
of carved wood, from
Baguio & it was a gift
cause I really think of the
gecko as my friendly wild
pet at my house, I love
them.
Meik Brammer
Executive Chef
Marriott Hotel
My favorite souvenirs from any country are not bought. I
scoop up some sand from the beaches I visit and place
the sand in bottles, labeling them with the name of the
beach and the country from where I got the sand. Yes,
I scooped up some sand on Boracay and have labeled
the bottle.
What is your favorite Philippine souvenir?
EXPAT PICKS
24 | expat
P
h
o
t
o

b
y

N
o
r
m
a
n

N
a
z
a
r
e
t
h
See the world through the eyes of a polyglot as he hops from
country to country learning a different language. Take a look at
the northern side of the Philippines as a city girl embarks on a
trek of discovery. These are only two of the adventures you can
live through our pages while planning what to pack on your
next romantic getaway in our new section Baggage Check.
BAGGAGE
CHECK
Romantic Escape
What to bring when you have your special someone in tow
Packing for a Romantic
Getaway, Tropical Island-style
1
2
6
7
9
Beachwear friendly items
available at Diesel
His & Hers rash guards
Rimowa Suitcase available at
Adora and Rimowa, Greenbelt 5
Scented bath products from
Acca Kappa
Sunscreens of
different strengths
at the Beauty Bar
26 | expat
Designer Tippi Ocampo (tippiocampo.com)
and businessman husband Ito Ocampo tell
us what theyd bring on a romantic getaway
that guarantees a sweet yet stylish sojourn.
1 Forget The Beach and leave the
backpacks at home. Instead, take
lightweight suitcases that are stylish
enough for city travel but easy enough
to take island hopping.
2 Whether youre lounging by the
booco or lozlly scoolo oo o uoc|, cct
styllso cros lo o sloo| bl|lol Ior oor
& trim board shorts for him (the local
beach scene in the Philippines is not
much into the tiny trunks/thong look
Ior oo}.
3 JostoIcl l-os oou closslc
espadrilles are practical ways to keep
cool while looking stylish.
4 Top off your swim suits with airy,
graphic printed tunics or lounge
dresses for her and lightweight, short-
sleeved shirts for him.
5 For a glamorous touch (with a
roctlcol croso} rotoct yocr oolr
with printed or colorful scarves used
as head wraps for her, and a sleek
cap or brimmed hat for him.
ocr s|lo ls yocr lorost oroooocs
zooo so |oo lt Iroo Iro losoct
bites & sunburn with an SPF 50 sport
sunblock and spray-on bug repellant.
7 Theres nothing like a little
adrenaline to heighten the senses. For
more active water pursuits than laying
on the sand & sipping a martini, pack
his & hers rash guards that protect the
skin while looking sleek.
8 Look cool while protecting your
eyes from the suns glare with classic
Aviator & Wayfarer sunglasses.
9 Create a more romantic ambience
in your hotel room & bathroom by
brlolo scootou olls, trovol-slzo
candles, toiletries & linen spray for a
more personal touch.
10 To cap off the day (or start off
too orolo}, o o llttlo bcbbly oou
have a toast while watching the sun
set or sip together while having a late
brunch.
11 iPad (not for work, but for a handy
audio & video entertainment system
oo too roou}
12 Capture all the actionand the
romancein a snap with a handy
Leica or Lumix camera.
3
4
12
8
10
11
5
Marc Jacobs shades
available at Marc
Jacobs, Greenbelt 5
Jack Nicklaus shirt at
Kt:|er': 9ejer|mer| '|ere
Check your local wine
seller for bubbly
Lumix cameras at leading
electronic stores
iPad available at
www.apple.com
Ferragamo sandals available at
Salvatore Ferragamo boutique
Headscarves from
tippiocampo.com
expat | 27
Airport Terminals
Jorlool l ls Ior lotorootloool lots oI
foreign airlines. Terminal 2, also called the
Centennial Terminal, is for all Philippine
Alrlloos lots ooly. lts oorto wlo ls Ior too
lotorootloool lots oou lts socto wlo, Ior too
uoostlc lots.
Terminal 3, or the NAIA International Terminal
3, ls Ior lots oI Cobc loclc, Alroll
Express, and All Nippon Airways.
One kilometer away from NAIA is the
uoostlc torlool Ior lots oI 2ost Alr oou
SEAir.
Airport Facilities
There are tourist information and assistance
centers, hotel representatives and travel
agencies, banks and automated teller
ocoloos(AJV}, ucty Iroo oou socvoolr soos,
canteens, national and international direct
dial telephone booths, baggage deposit
areas and medical clinics.
Airport Fees
oc oy lo75u Ior lotorootloool uoortcro
and Php250 for local departure. If you are
departing for a foreign destination, check
with either the airport or tourist information
center about departure fees which may
coooo wltooct ootlco. Coll (u2} 52=-l7u3 or
832-2964.
Porterage
oc oy ovoll oI booo corts Ior Iroo,
as well as of porter services. Tipping is
traditional.
Airport Transfers
All airports have counters for hotel transport
and car rental services. At the NAIA arrival
oroo yoc oy ovoll oI too ou roto or
metered taxis. At the domestic airport,
accredited transfer services are available in
prepaid coupons. Other airports are serviced
by metered taxis.
Passport
Be sure that you carry a valid passport with
you and that you keep it in a safe place such
as a locked suitcase when you are inside
your lodgings or inside a deep pocket when
bringing it out with you.
Visa
Visas may be obtained from Philippine
embassies and consulates abroad. Except
for stateless individuals or those whose
country has no diplomatic relations with the
Philippines, all visitors may enter the country
without a visa but can stay only for up to
21 days and provided they have tickets for
onward travel. Extensions are available but
must be applied for before the expiration of
21 days.
Foreigners who come to the country to work
must secure an alien employment permit
from the Philippine Department of Labor and
|loyoot (DOL|} oou oly Ior o wor|
visa.
There is also the investors visa that grants
oo louoolto stoy lo too cocotry os woll os
multiple entry privileges.

Special Permits
Holders of Taiwan and Hong Kong passports
must have special permits which may also
be obtained from Philippine embassies and
consulates abroad.
Customs
oc oro ouvlsou to ll c too ooo
Declaration Form before disembarking to
facilitate Customs examination. The following
items are allowed to be taken in duty-free:
reasonable number of clothes, jewelry and
toiletries; 400 sticks of cigarettes or two tins
of tobacco: two bottles of wine or spirits not
to exceed one liter each.
The airport complex is located in the Pasay-
loroogco oroo. |or ooorol loIorotloo,
coll (u2} 833-ll8u, lotorootloool lots (u2}
832-l9l, uoostlc lots (u2} 8l8-757
or 831-1395.
Immigration Rules and Regulations
Foreign nationals staying in the Philippines
for a protracted time have to register at the
Bureau of Immigration to obtain an Alien
Cortlcoto oI kolstrotloo (ACk}. Joo ACk-
Card project automates the entire process of
alien registration and integrates the issuance
of various paper-based alien documentations
loto o lcrocol-bosou luootlcotloo coru.
Joo ACk l-Coru ls o lcrocol-bosou croult
coru-slzou luootlcotloo coru lsscou to
registered aliens. It replaces the paper-
bosou ACk. lt oos oo obouuou coctor
chip with biometric security features capable
of data management and can be updated
electronically.
Registered Foreign Nationals
All registered foreign nationals, immigrant
or non-immigrant, resident or non-resident
visa holders all over the Philippines are
required to report in person to the Bureau of
Immigration.
All applicants for extension of their tourist
vlso couor too vlV8 (vlso lsscooco Vouo
8llo} oro rogclrou to oy lo ouultloo to
llrotloo Ioos, too Iollowlo. Cortlcotloo
fee of Php500, Express fee of Php500 plus
Lool kosoorco |oo oI lolu Ior ovory
transaction.
All applicants are required to dress properly.
Those wearing shorts, tank tops or slippers
will not be allowed entry to the Immigration
OIco. Jroosoctloos oro ottoouou Iro
Voouoys to |rluoys, Iro 7 o.. to 5.3u ..
>> Travel, Immigration
Regulations Guide - Philippines Text by CARMENCITA H. ACOSTA
Welcome to the Republic
of the Philippines!
Joo rst tolo yoc wlll soo oI
course upon landing is the
Voollo lotorootloool olrort,
renamed years ago to Ninoy
Aquino International Airport or
simply NAIA. It is some seven
kilometers south of the capital
clty oI Voollo.
The Bureau of Immigration is
locotou oo Voollooos Drlvo,
lotrocros, Voollo, tolooooo (u2}
527-3248, 524-3824 or 524-
3769.
For immigration inquiries, send
them to:
info@immigration.gov.ph
Note that the rules and regulations
summarized in this article may be
subject to changes. For airport
updates call (02) 877-1109 or
877-3633
28 | expat
When a lowland girl travels with a mountain man for six days up north, the
adventure can either go all the way up or hit rock bottom. For production designer
Candy Reyes, no matter what happens, the journey ultimately changes you.
Text + Photos by CANDY REYES
Lowland Girl
The High Adventures of a
OUTSKIRTS
30 | expat
Day 1
Our trip begins at the slaughterhouse
the makeshift bus station standing next
to (yos, yoc cossou lt} o slocotoroocso.
Since getting into a bus seemed impossible
with the crowd scrambling for seats, we
pitched in with nine other backpackers
to hire a local jeepney a bit more
expensive, but faster and somewhat more
comfortable. An hour or so of Filipino
tlo oou oolluoy troIc lotor, ocr |ooooy
arrives: Lost in Love, its dashboard says,
maybe a sign of things to come.
Wo ot to Vt. lclo's |c-oII lo koboyoo
loto lo too oItoroooo. Vt. lclo ls too tolru
highest mountain in the Philippines, and
too oloost oo| lo Lczoo ot 2,922 otors
above sea level. Every year, hundreds of
trekkers make their way up this mountain to
watch the sunrise or sunset from above the
clouds. And so this is where our odd group
of 11 four cityfolk, one local, four French
tourists, a mountain man and a lowland girl
start our different journeys on the last
day of the year.
Day 2
Today seemed like the longest day, with
what felt like climbing the equivalent of
toroo toll bcllulos lo too Vo|otl cslooss
Dlstrlct, oybo oboct vo tlos lo ooo uoy.
Six hours of an uphill climb through pine
trees, mossy forests and wide grasslands
later, we get to the summit in time to watch
the last sunset of 2010 and to say our
goodbyes to the group. Everyone else
camped for one more night and went back
to the city the next day. But mountain man
wants to take the long way back.
(opposite page) Marlboro
country. (clockwise) mountain-
made blueberry cheesecake
and sake to celebrate the new
year, resting at the pine forest,
lost in love jeepney
expat | 31
Day 3
Wo oro lost lo rlcoolus cotll o Irloouly
farmer spots us. He hacks pathways
of what would otherwise be patches
of overgrown weeds as tall as myself,
leading us to a road a footpath
really of pine trees and misty
ocotolos. Wo Iollow lt cotll wo ou too
next village, just before dark.
Without hesitation, the locals welcome us
like long lost relatives. The women are on
too oor, oollo swoot ototoos Iro too
olus, wollo too oo oro coottlo wlto cs
about our trip. One of the young girls is
sent outside to fetch our dinner. In these
villages where the nearest store is nowhere
close to being near at all, everything
eaten is grown from their land. She comes
back after a few minutes with a live
chicken under her arm, like she has done
this a hundred times before. She takes it
to the next room where they quietly beat
the chicken under the wings and on the
ooc|. l roollzo tooy oro o|lo too Ioocs
pinikpikan chicken a popular local dish
Ive ordered in some restaurants before.
The growing discomfort from watching
the plucking and burning of the chicken
was quickly overwhelmed by my sense
of gratitude for these people who have
shared what they had with strangers who
happened to knock on their doors one
night. Only in the mountains.
Day 4
Voo Vorooo o rosluoot, oIIors to wol| cs
through an old trail that leads to the next
village in the morning. Its like walking
into a forgotten world a river rushes
toroco too Iorost oI oro l oovo oovor
seen before. It is so dense that there
are tons of limatik (loocoos} ovorywooro,
eager to jump onto the rare warm body
that passes by. There is an old rickety
hanging bridge, already impassable but
mysteriously beautiful.
A Iow oocrs lotor wo ou ocrsolvos lo too
next village, greeted instantly by the locals
who bring us to the pastors house. No
one is home yet but they let us in anyway,
allowing us to enter as if it was our own
something Im sure would never happen in
the lowlands. When our hosts arrive, we
oovo soo Iroso coIIoo orocou too ro.
They tell us that there is a big thanksgiving
celebration the next day, given by one of
too oowly oloctou oIclols. Aou wo woro
welcome to attend. Interesting.
1 Strong mountain mother
2 Misty mountain views
3 Grandmother and child
4 Villagers feasting
5 Straight to the cooking pot!
6 The store
7 Waiting for the bus back to reality
& Cellee irirj et|:iie |le je:|er': leme
7 rerime|ler': |lte |ee|:
1
2
3
4
32 | expat
The Lowlanders guide to survive the
Philippine mountains.
1. Wear the right hiking boots; a good
pair of shoes will take you far.
2. Put on some serious insect repellent
for those serious tropical jungle insects.
Seriously.
3. Slap on some sunblock. No matter
how cloudy or misty the mountains are,
those UV rays can still get to you.
3. Always pack a waterproof jacket,
whatever time of year. You really never
know when its going to rain in the
Philippines.
4. Bring loads of toilet paper, rolls and
rolls of it. Aside from its obvious use, this
is very handy for cleaning everything,
especially when there is no water source
around.
5. Drop some puritabs (or any other
water purier) into your water, just in
case you or your stomach are not used
to drinking fresh mountain water.
6. Use a trekking pole if you need to, its
much friendlier on the knees.
7. Sleep on an earth pad or self-inating
mat. A good nights rest makes a world
of difference, especially on multi-day
treks.
8. Hire a local guide. Or better yet,
experience the real Northern Philippines
and travel worry-free with Cordillera
Expeditions.
Visit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/
Cordillera-Expeditions/141650119216949
or e-mail cordiexpeditions@gmail.com
for more information.
Day 5
Woot woclu oovo booo o vo-oocr tro|
home became a one-hour trek and a
vo-oocr orty. Joo ootlro vllloo ls
there, kids running around everywhere.
There is a commotion in an area a few
meters away from the house and
as I get through the crowd of men, I
see a large cow lying on its side with
some blood coming out of a hole in its
chest. (And I thought the chicken was
too olollot oI y trl}. Colo Icll
circle, we ended where we began: the
slaughterhouse.
Though I discreetly looked away a few
times and silently prayed for the cow, I
watched with great interest knowing that
this is a rare experience reserved only
for special gatherings like today. The
men worked tirelessly on the feast that
was to feed the whole village cutting
the meat up into pieces with a large
machete, collecting the blood in bowls
and throwing all of it straight into huge
bolllo ots ovor ro. Wo urlo| Irosoly
made tapuy (rlco wloo} wollo oolo
took turns keeping us company from
scoooltoocoors to oIclols to ccrlocs |lus
to the occasional drunken man. It is an
honor to be part of the village today.
Dooltoly worto too otro olot.
Day 6
Over coffee and breakfast rice, sweet
potatoes, chayote, and watwat (leftover
oot to|oo ooo by vllloors}, l bolo
to learn to appreciate taking only what
you need to live and nothing more. A
holiday far away from the indulgence I
have grown accustomed to but still full of
generosity was more than I bargained
for.
We take a last look back at the villages
that have graciously taken us in the past
few days, and walk through the carved
ocotolosluo lo sllooco. Wo oolly tcro
into a paved road, with a row of stores
solllo |co| Ioou, oou |ooooys wooozlo
by. It all seemed surreal.
Aou l roollzo toot, ll|o too oo woo
walked beside me and the warm
communities we walked through, I was
now a mountain girl, too.
FAST FORWARD >> Benguet
5
6
7
8
9
expat | 33
La Union:
Text by RAYDON L. REYES
Photos by BRIAN CASENAS and FRANK DIZON
OUTSKIRTS
From surng in Vigan, kayaking in Laoag, to hiking in
Burgos, sports junkies denitely have plenty of things
to direct their pent-up energy towards in the northern
region of Luzon. And now, the province of La Union has
been developed into another utopia for those who want
heavy doses of vigor and rigor in the form of the Mt. Pugo
adventure and the much subtler (but still heart-racing)
Alamid coffee.
Luzons Adrenaline Utopia
34 | expat
A nest of thrills
1cst soolo lcou kosort lo too towo
of Pugo, La Union would be enough
to coovloco yoc toot lt's uooltoly oot
a place where you just sit back and
rolo. Joo ootrooco olooo ls llou
with high-visibility helmets that youll
pretty much be spending a lot of time
wearing during your stay. The view
from the pool and the dining area,
oo too otoor ooou, soow too zl lloo
courses (and believe me, youll hear
too scroos oI too zl lloo rluors Iro
ooywooro lo too rosort}.
Joo zl lloo oos toroo cocrsos toot vory
in height, speed, and rider positions.
If you want the full experience, you
should begin from the one at the
oo| oI too olll wooro yoc wlll rst
be suspended in superman position,
ooolo ooou rst. Jols ls too bost
position to bring out your camera to
record the whole thing because your
hands will be free for the next 15 or
so seconds after you are released
from the starting point. Prepare
yourself for a very abrupt stop at the
end.
Joo socoou zl lloo ls too Iostost
among the three courses, lasting for
less than ten seconds. This time, though,
youll be placed in a sitting position
and your hands have to be placed
rly oo too oorooss. y too tolru
course, you will have been used to the
feeling of gravity pulling you down.
Ooo woy toot wlll ool yoc lollzo
your acrophobia (aka your fear of
oolots} ls by otylo yocr lcos oI
air before you are released from each
olot oI too zl lloo. Jols wlll roucco
the actual feeling of falling and will
give you a smoother ride.
Another activity that will test your
tolerance for heights is the wall
climbing challenge. From a distance, it
might look fairly easy to do because
you would be supported by a harness.
But you will discover that its more
complicated when you actually start
climbing because not all the rocks on
the wall are built evenly. That means
that if you pick the wrong rock to hold
on to, your hand or foot would slip and
you will either be stuck in one part of
too cocrso or Ioll (soIoly} uowo so yoc
will have to start all over again.
Expert wall climbers might enjoy the
added twist of having to climb the
left part of the wall, which has an
incline thats harder to grasp onto as
compared to the regular, straight path
cworu. oc olso oovo to o|o scro
toot yocr obuooo stlc|s rly to too
wall so gravity doesnt work against
you.
From wall climbing, ATV riding and
zipline, Mt. Pugo has plenty to offer to
those who crave high-energy activities.
expat | 35
FAST FORWARD >> La Union
If handling machines with wheels is
more your thing, then you will have
a good time driving the all terrain
voolclos or AJvs. oc uoo't ooou o
license or driving experience to ride
one because its very simple to operate.
oc |cst lc| too swltco to tcro lt oo oou
press the right lever on the handle to
accelerate. Feel the rush as you glide
over the rocky soil, adjusting your
velocity depending on whether youre
riding uphill or downhill. After all,
accelerating without thinking about the
terrain might make your ATV turn over
lI yoc o|o o soor tcro or zoo oII
an incline.
Cat droppings, anyone?
lo 8.O.u.L. CoI lo too towo oI kosorlo,
there is a much easier way to feel an
adrenaline high: drinking a cup of
Alolu coIIoo. At rst looco, lt lot
look like an ordinary cup of joe but
woot tolrsty coIIoloo oclooouos ooou
to |oow boIoro tooy to|o toot rst sl
is that it is literally made from civet
droppings.
A civet is a small cat-like animal that
feeds on coffee berries and gets rid
oI too osoy cl, loovlo ooly too
beans that have been infused with
toolr rotoolytlc oozyos toot octcolly
enhance the taste of the coffee. After
they pass through the civets intestines,
the beans are then defecated and
harvested by coffee farmers who will
wash, sun dry, roast, and then brew the
beans.
Experts would tell you that the civets
actually remove the bitterness of the
coffee, leaving only the uniquely sweet
taste and the stimulating aroma that
will have you craving for more after
yoc olso yocr rst cc. ct yoc lot
need to prepare a hefty sum of money
because the Alamid is actually the
most expensive kind of coffee in the
world, ranging from USD 75 (roughly
lo3,uuu-=,uuu} or cc. Joot oou
the thought that youre drinking coffee
brewed from droppings will surely be
enough to get you roused way until
midnight.
So mark La Union as your next
weekend destination and spoil your
adventurous side whether its a sporty
one or the caffeine-induced kind. No
excessive screaming or hurling please.
The Mt. Pugo adventure and the visit
to S.O.U.L. Caf were part of North
Philippines Visitors Bureaus Lakbay
Norte 2 last January 23-27, 2011.
For more information, call them at (02)
637-6798.
Considered to be the most expensive
coffee in the world, the Alamid is
actually made from civet droppings.
Pugo Adventure Rates
Entrance Fee Php 150 -Adults
Php 100 - Kids

Zipline 1- Php 400
Zipline 2- Php 250
Zipline 3- Php 250
ATV Php 350/ 2 laps
Wall Climbing- Php 150
Rappelling - Php 150
Kubo Php 300

Package 1 Php1000/ person
Three Ziplines
Pcppelling
Wcll ClimLing

Package 2 Php500/person
Zipline. 3rc Slclicn
Pcppelling
Wcll ClimLing

Package 3 Php850/ person
Three Ziplines

Accommodations at Travelers Inn
Standard Room for two: Php800
Family Room for six to eight: Php1800

For inquiries, call:
(072) 603-1592
0927-667-2619
36 | expat
ESCAPE
ROUTE
Text by BENNY LEWIS
Photos courtesy of BENNY LEWIS
The Polyglot s
Promise
The author traveled around the world learning
different languages, but he says, Traveling
to the country is not the be all and end all of
language learning.
Brazil Spain
Italy France Germany
Freshly graduated with a degree in Electronic
Engineering it was time to go out and explore the
world! Time for my gap year. This was actually eight
years ago, so it's turning into something of a gap-
decade!
Vy rst sto wos 8olo l loouou oo lotorosol os oo
engineer, and my co-workers all spoke English. The
programme that I went with set me up with a social
circle and I went out regularly with them.
expat | 37
After six months, with no more
internship, I had felt so comfortable
living in Valencia that I knew I had to
stay longer. But there was one major
problem; I couldn't speak any Spanish!
I had studied some German at school
and barely passed, and even while in
Spain I had signed up for a language
course and tried learning some
vocabulary but I still couldn't muster
up much more than an "Hola" and other
basic pleasantries. I was convinced that,
like so many other people, I just didn't
have any talent or luck with languages.
And then it happened; Language
Hacking was born! I made one of the
most important decisions of my life,
and decided to quit this half-interested
attempt in learning the language and
genuinely pour all of my energy into it
I decided for one month to not speak
even one word of English. Everything I
did was to be through Spanish.
When you can't conjugate verbs or
don't know basic words like chair, road
etc. this genuinely scared me how
was I supposed to communicate when I
simply wasn't ready yet? I pushed this
discouraging thought to the side and
tried it anyway.
It was among the hardest months of my
llIo, bct oolIwoy toroco lt l roollzou
that even my imperfect Spanish and my
imaginative way of using it, was enough
for me to live my life entirely through
the language. A few months later, I was
soo|lo lt cootlyl
When the university year had ended
and all my student friends were about
to go, I made an announcement at a
orty wlto y ltolloo, Goroo, rozllloo
and French friends present. I told them
that I will visit each of them in their
cocotrlos oou soo| to too cootly lo
their languages. They dismissed it as
silly farewell promises and thanked me
for the sentiment.
As a man of my word, I have visited
38 | expat
My top ten tips for learning a language:
1. Speak the language from day one.
Dont wait until you are ready. That
day will never arrive, especially if you
constantly push it forward. Speak NOW.
You will make so many mistakes, but
your language will have context. Only
know 10 words? USE THEM. Then youll
:ee whcI Ihe 11Ih cne cefniIe|y :hcu|c
be. Waiting to be ready is the biggest
reason the whole world who went
through some form of foreign language
education isnt bilingual/trilingual. Stop
waiting - arrange a Skype call or in-
person meet up with a speaker and use
it NOW.
2. No excuses. You are NOT too poor,
old, stupid, white, brown, untalented,
busy, important or shy to learn a
language. Millions do it every day
despite yours and many other setbacks,
and billions of people speak more than
one language. The real excuse it boils
down to is Im lazy so dont be lazy.
3. Dont do it half-assed. Devote every
spare second of your time to learning
that language: watch streamed TV /
YouTube in the target language instead
of your own. Listen to podcasts while
:Iuck in Ircffc in ycur ccr. Icke cuI
your phrasebook when waiting in a
queue at the bank. And these are just
the in between moments. Take an
entire hour every day to devote to that
|cngucge cnc prcgre:: wi|| fcw.
4. Perfectionism is the worst possible
approach. It will stop you from ever
trying. Make LOTS of mistakes! The more
mistakes you make, the more you are
practicing. Its not the end of the world
if you arent speaking perfectly yet;
people are nice, trust me.
5. Ic fnc ncIive: righI ncw, check
cuI ccuch:urfng.crg cnc :ecrch fcr
your target language. There may be
someone in your city who speaks the
language, ready to meet up for coffee!
Meetup.com is also very active in
countries like USA.
6. The best system is NOT podcasts,
books, software, or courses. Its meeting
up in person with people who speak
that language and using it with them.
7. Travelling to the country is not the
be-all-end-all of language learning.
Plenty of expats waste their time when
abroad. Do all your work from home.
8. Grammar does NOT help you speak
c |cngucge. Lecrn phrc:e: fr:I, u:e
them and when you feel comfortable,
come back to grammar to tidy up
the edges and it will actually be
interesting.
9. With that in mind, start with
the cheapest book of all: a small
phrasebook! Learn the phrases and use
them immediately.
10. Money spent is not proportional to
quality in language learning. Normal
priced books can give you just as
gccc fnc| re:u|I: c: Ihe mc:I expen:ive
software.
every one of them and learned every one
of their languages! The momentum from
doing this has brought me onward to new
oou oozlo ouvootcrosl
First I went to Italy I got a job in an
lotorootloool yocto oostol lo koo wlto o
breathtaking view of the Vatican from my
window and a soberingly pathetic wage
for the privilege. This was the best choice
to have made, since the hostel got a great
international crowd.
I used the opportunity to maintain my
Castellano with the Spanish and Latin
American guests, and took all time off
work to socialise entirely in Italian.
Learning Italian wasn't that hard thanks to
similarities with Spanish; the challenge was
to not mix them up and to end up with a
high level in both simultaneously. Constant
practice in each one made that possible!
Just before leaving, I travelled down south
to Naples to meet my Italian friend from
Spain. He was so impressed that I wasn't
joking about the promise that he took the
time to show me all the secrets of his city.
I left Italy very eager to return as soon as
I could!
Next it was time for French! I moved to
Paris for nine months to work on another
engineering internship. This posed a much
greater challenge; not because French was
hard... but because Parisians were hard!
Hard and frank and totally impatient with
someone trying to learn their language. It
caused me quite a lot of frustration, but I
maintained my resolve eventually moving
down to the south in Toulouse to teach
English. As soon as I stepped outside of the
classroom, my entire life was just in French
and I learned much quicker in this much
friendlier city.
Of course, I met my French friend while
tooro oou to tols uoy soo ls stlll oozou
that I kept my promise!
Staying in Europe was easy since as an
|u cltlzoo l uoo't oovo to worry oboct
work visas. I managed to save up enough
in my teaching job to afford an entire
toroo ootos lo rozll, oou so l ovou to
the south and dived into Portuguese! The
friend I had promised to learn Portuguese
to greeted me on arrival and let me stay
lo ols oocso. uo wos oozou toot l oou
meant it and introduced me to his entire
family and showed me parts of the country
foreigners rarely get to see.
I kept my promise to all those friends
after several years travelling and learning
o Iow otoor loocoos, l oolly ouo lt
to Germany last year and spoke just in
German to friends that I had previously
only spoken English with.
Languages open doors to a whole new life.
As well as my old friends, I have made
fantastic new ones, most of whom have
had little or no contact with foreigners
before. I have seen parts of countries that
English-only tourists will never experience.
klot oow l' loorolo Joolo ovoo
though Filipinos speak English, this is
already opening doors for me to get to
know people and events that I would not
have been able to do otherwise.
The way I have done this has simply been
to speak the language from day-one. No
waiting, just speaking. It is hard, but you
will learn very quickly this way. Go give it
a try!
FAST FORWARD >> Around the World
(opposite page- top to bottom)
Torres de Serranos in Valencia, Spain; Fonte
Gaia in Tuscany, Italy
A bicycle in Italy
expat | 39
When Manila residents want to escape the chaos, pollution and trafc of the
metropolis but dont want to forego their big city creature comforts, more and
more we think of Singapore. An island of cosmopolitan order in the middle of
Southeast Asia, this First World tropical city state has it all. But even having it all
can be improved upon, as was experienced during a recent trip to check out the
latest developments that have sprung up after the Lion Citys most recent urry of
construction.
ESCAPE
ROUTE
Roars in Singapore
RESORTS WORLD
Text by C. JUDE DEFENSOR
40 | expat
While Sentosa island used to be just
a pleasant diversion from the more
sophisticated offerings on the mainland,
it has now been transformed into a
major attraction in itself. Slated to be
a global leading family destination,
kosorts Worlu 8ootoso ls o colloctloo
of resorts and attractions with a
lotooro oI Ico-llou oIIorlos Ior too
whole family. Taking pride of place at
Singapores resort island of Sentosa and
spanning 49 hectares, this mega-resort,
costing S$6.59 billion to build, is now
ooo to 8octooost Aslo's rst oou ooly
Universal Studios theme park and the
worlu's lorost ocoooorlc, Vorloo LlIo
Park. The resort also boasts some 1,800
rooms, spread across its six hotels of
varying themes. Available too, are full
conference and meeting facilities that
could host 12,000 delegates at any one
time.
Universal Studios is a bombastic
combination of the best of Hollywood
plus Singapores high-tech New Asian
expertise. The park features 24 themed
rides, of which 18 are exclusively
designed for Singapore, including the
worlds tallest pair of dueling roller-
coasters in the world. The fun is spread
ocross sovoo zooos, loclculo too worlu's
biggest single collection of DreamWorks
Animation theme park attractions
Vouooscor oou |or |or Awoy, os
well as Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The
Lost Worlu, Now or| oou uollywoou.
But the compound also plays host to a
working live studio with soundstages for
television productions, and is home to
Vor| croott lroucctloos Aslo, Ioocs
for the Survivor TV hit series.
At eight hectares and 20 million gallons
oI wotor, too Vorloo LlIo lor| ls too
largest oceanarium in the world. Among
its over 700,000 marine creatures are
deep sea heavyweights such as sharks,
rays and an impressive display of coral
rooI oou ooo-ocooo so. Woot o|os
o trl to Vorloo LlIo lor| colgco oro too
opportunities to hand feed tiger sharks
from an enclosed cage, experience one
of the longest reef swims in the world,
and even interact with dolphins.
Besides entertainment and the natural
world, guest can also get a dose of
olstory ot too Vorltlo xorlootlol
Vcsoc. uoro tooy coo looro oI too
story of the fascinating shipping Silk
kocto tolu toroco slot, socou oou
immersion. This includes a 360-degree
multimedia theatre, where guests board
a shipwrecked Arabia-bound vessel. The
vessel enters a storm, rolls, pitches, turns
and eventually sinks. Visitors emerge
from the wreck in the depths of the sea,
surrounded by an aquarium of deep
ocooo so.
kosorts Worlu 8ootoso's olo stroot
pulsates with 24/7 action and activity,
boasting of a half-kilometre stretch of
waterfront restaurants, trendy clubs
oou coocot storos. kovlo octs oou
street performances at FestiveWalk
oou cll klo to cotlvoto costs oI oll
ages combine with never-before-seen
attractions that incorporate sight, music,
lighting and projection to titillate the
multiple senses of visitors. The resorts
resident show, Voyage de la Vie
is a magical dreamlike show with a
soctocclor oou uozzllo orroy oI vlscol
effects. It has been specially created
Ior kosorts Worlu 8ootoso by Vor|
Fisher, the award-winning show designer
behind the theatre and stage design for
Cirque du Soleis K in Las Vegas. Fisher
also designed the scenery for We Will
koc| oc'', too Ocooo cslcol toot oos
been running worldwide since 2002.
1cst rocootly, kosorts Worlu rolorou
the latest addition to its arsenal of
entertainment options in the form
of the Crane Dance the worlds
largest dancing animatronics show
otrovooozo oou too rosort's lcoolc
waterfront performance. The Crane
Dooco ls soclolly crootou Ior kosorts
World Sentosa by Entertainment Design
Corporation, headed by international
show maestro and four-time Emmy
Aworu wlooor 1oroy kolltoo, |oowo
(main photo) A grand view of Resorts World
Sentosa
(right) One of the playful rooms in the resorts
expat | 41
for his award-winning international
productions, including the art direction
for the 57th

Annual Academy Awards
and the design of the Opening
Ceremony for the 2002 Winter
Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
The Place in Beijing and the Fremont
Street Experience in Las Vegas, the two
largest digital screens in the world, are
among the landmark attractions that
Vr. kolltoo oos uosloou. uls ost wor|s
also include live concert staging for
international performers such as Cher,
orboro 8trolsoou, Dlooo koss oou too
loto Vlcoool 1oc|soo ooost ooy
others.
OI ols ost rocoot crootloo, kolltoo
soys. Wooo kosorts Worlu 8ootoso
engaged me three years ago, my
excitement about the resort culminated
into creating an iconic, alluring and
breath-taking performance all at once
ooo toot wos bottlo oI tols o|or
resort development. I wanted to ensure
that not only was it going to be an iconic
headliner, it had to resonate with Asian
locoocos yot toccolo too ooorts oI oo
international audience through a simple
story about love.

Cranes have been traditionally
recognised as a symbol of longevity,
abundance and good luck. A magical
love story between two cranes, the
Crane Dance draws inspiration from a
common folklore found in many cultures,
where the power of love is able to
infuse life into even inanimate forms.
klslo to o oolot oI 3u otros (lu
storoys olo} oou wololo 8u toooos
each making it the worlds tallest
dancing animatronics show the cranes
lovo story ls tolu toroco o oolcoot
animatronics spectacle, complete with
digital art, LED displays, astounding light
and water effects, plus pyrotechnics,
as well as an original score. The
uoolo Iootcro oI too Crooo Dooco ls
its scale, making it visible all the way
Iro too Vorlloo oou Jlor 8|y Jowor
on Sentosa, as well as from across
the waterfront at Vivo City. Guests at
kosorts Worlu 8ootoso's wotorIroot wlll
orvol ot too sooor slzo oou owor oI
both cranes, made almost entirely of
steel, yet mimicking the dexterity and
grace of these birds when they perform
their courtship dance ritual in the wild.
Andrea Teo, Vice President of
|otortolooot ot kosorts Worlu 8ootoso
says: The Crane Dance is going be
an iconic and exuberant masterpiece
showcasing the mastery of presenting
performing arts through the worlds
best technology. Developed over 36
months and taking 800,000 man-hours
to create and perfect, our biggest
challenge was to have these giant steel
cranes achieve the gracefulness of their
real counterparts in the wild and I am
coouoot tooy wlll oot ulsoolot.
Sentosa is also aiming to be South East
Asias premier destination for wellness
and health renewal with a six-star spa
and wellness retreat that combines
sanctuary with therapy. An oasis of calm
zoo coo bo Iocou ot too lsloou's 8o
Villas a tropical respite from the bustle
of the city, casinos and theme parks,
with an assortment of water bungalows
and beach cottages offering total
tranquillity. While the Equarius Hotel
offers accommodation at the doorstep
of a pristine forest.
But where else can one stay in this
Wonderland? There happens to be
a hotel to everyones exacting tastes.
The Crockfords Tower pampers guests
with an ultra-luxurious experience and
olso oocsos too cosloo. uotol Vlcoool
is the worlds only hotel that displays
too brlllloot oou wolslcol olr oI
Aorlcoo orcoltoctcrol lcoo, Vlcoool
Grovos. Joo uoru koc| uotol, o looou
in its own right, is the place where the
history of rock and roll comes alive. The
contemporary and chic Festive Hotel is
perfect for those who yearn to be in the
thick of the action.
With Singapore only around three hours
owoy oou wlto lots Iro sovorol
airlines taking off around the clock,
the island is a perfect getaway for
a quick weekend jaunt or even a last
minute escape. So what else is keeping
you from enjoying an out of this world
vocotloo ot kosorts Worlu

For more information, please visit www.
rwsentosa.com
Singapore To-Dos
5DIHV+RWHO
This colonial style hotel is known for its
superb accommodation and superb
restaurants. It also has a tropical garden
courtyard, museum and Victorian styled
theatre.
Singapore Flyer
This observation wheel (the tallest in
the world, taller than both the Star
of Nanchang and the London Eye)
provides an awe-inspiring view of the
city center and beyond, which includes
the Indonesian islands of Batam and
Bintan, as well as Johor, Malaysia.
G-Max Reverse Bungy
How does 60 meters in the air with
speeds of up to 200 kph and G Force
5 sound to you? If that sounds like the
perfecI ccrenc|ine fx, Singcpcre:
G-Max Reverse Bungy is something you
cant miss out on.
Shopping at Orchard Road
They say there are few things in life
more therapeutic than shopping,
if thats the case, a days stroll at
Orchard Road will get you feeling like a
newborn, if newborns have a long list of
credit card bills that is.
Night Safari for kids
Having been awarded Top 10 Best
Family Experience by the Singapore
Tourism Awards, the Night Safari mimics
the animals natural habitat by using
natural barriers as opposed to cages
and uses lighting just slightly brighter
than full moonlight.
Little India
With businesses geared towards locals,
not tourists -- travelers revel in the
multitude of shops and grub it has on
offer. Best way to explore the place is to
take the walking tour.
Art Science Museum
EmLrccing c myricc infuence: rcnging
from art and science, design, media
and technology, the ArtScience
Museum at Marina Bay Sands features
over 4,600 square meters of galleries
that stirs across demography.
FAST FORWARD >> Singapore
A fun day at Universal Studios
42 | expat
Easter Island
Text + Photos by NORMAN NAZARETH, MD
Take a stroll into the island traditionally
called The Navel of the Earth
ESCAPE
ROUTE
Easter Island is the most remote inhabited
island on the planet, being over 2000
miles away from the nearest populated
sites, namely the coast of Chile and the
lsloous oI Jooltl. oc lot oovo sooo lt oo
trovol oozloos, bolo toot woouorIcl
site with those giant head statues.
l octcolly |oow oI |ostor lsloou rst wooo
I was nine years old, looking at a stamp
with the image of the giant head statue.
Since then, Ive always wondered about
tooso bl stooos collou Vools oou
what they stood for. What were they
guarding? How tall are they? And where
is this island exactly? Decades later, my
dream of visiting this mysterious island
came true!
The island is very small, just 63 square
miles and located in the southeastern
loclc Ocooo. Joo looo rluo Iro
Santiago, Chile took about six hours,
covorlo oboct 22uu llos (3uu |s}.
When the plane landed, people clapped.
Voybo ost oI too woro olso tooro Ior
too rst tlo oou oolly Icllllo toolr
dreams like me.
As I walked down the stairs from the
plane, I saw the very tiny airport and
I saw my name on one of the boards. I
had arranged for an expert tour guide
named Patricio to show me around the
lsloou o Iow woo|s boIoro. Vost oI too
tour agencies are run by the natives
toosolvos (collou kooocls}. A woouorIcl
lady smiled at me and put a wreath
oI owors orocou y ooc|. Wolcoo
44 | expat
to Easter Island!, she said. She was
Patricios sister-in-law. After a few
loctos, too luulo-oou sco-broozou
Chilean-looking Patricio introduced
himself. He was originally from Santiago,
Collo bct oou orrlou o ootlvo kooocl
and had been living on the island for
over three decades. He was highly
recommended by another avid traveler
whom I knew on-line. Patricio showed me
the vehicle which would bring me around
the island and I loved it a beige classic
hippie Volkwagen Combi Van! Cool.
Patricio brought me to his mother-in-
laws home which had about three rooms
available for visitors. There are no large
high-rise hotels on Easter Island, just
soll ootols or kooocl ooos tcroou loto
comfortable accommodations.
Within an hour of my arrival, I
immediately ventured out to the tiny
clty oI uooo koo oou ooto too rcou
coostlloo, loo|lo Ior soo Vool ooou
statues. And I was not disappointed! Just
a few minutes away were some of them
and I immediately took pictures.
That afternoon, I sat in front of a group
oI Vool ooous wooo two browo uos
approached me. They watched as I took
pictures of myself with the timer, and
then one of the dogs nosed my knee
and looked up at the sky. I looked up
the other side and there was a giant
rainbow. Thanks to the dogs, I was able
to take a picture of myself jumping
beside a rainbow on Easter Island.
In the next few days, Patricio showed me
oro oI tooso oolcoot Vool stotcos
scottorou oll ovor too lsloou. kocoot
counts revealed that there remained
about 887 of these head statues.
About 288 of them are on massive
stone platforms called ahu. And 250
of these ahu platforms are distanced
about one-half mile apart, creating an
almost unbroken line around the island
perimeter.
Vo|orlty oI too ools woro corvou
between AD 1000 and 1650, but they
were in use as early as AD 500. The
average height of the structures is 14
feet 6 inches tall with a weight of 14 tons.
Some are as tall as 33 feet and weigh
more than 80 tons.
Aou l sow too blost ooo stlll coolsoou
ot too gcorry ot kooo koro|c wooro
95% of the monolithic structures came
from. The megalith was about 71 feet
and weighed about 270 tons! And 397
of the moai still remain in the quarry,
ost oI too stlll coolsoou oou scottorou
all over the quarry and surrounded by
rooo ross. kooo koro|c ls o cst Ior
everyone visiting the island, as it shows
how the statues were made and gives
one an idea of how far they had to be
transported to reach the coastline where
there are supposed to stand.
For me, the most impressive of the statues
in the island were those at Ahu Tongariki,
ooo |llootor Iro kooo koro|c. Jols
ls wooro yoc ou too blost ooc,
22u otors (722 It} wlto l5 oolcoot
moai statues, some of which are 9 meters
(3u It} olo. Jooso ool strcctcros woro
actually toppled by a major tsunami in
the 1960s, and erected back up with the
help of the Japanese in the 1990s.
But why did this ancient culture build
tooso oozlo ooou stotcos lo too rst
place? And who were they who built
them?
Earlier theories proposed that the
inhabitants of Easter Island came from
South America, beause some of the rocks
looked similar to those found in Peru.
However, DNA studies showed that the
original inhabitants are of Polynesian
stock. The theory is that they came only in
about less than 100 canoes. They found
the island well-forested and teeming with
land birds. This richness gave rise to a
rollc rolllocs ortlstlc ccltcro, loclculo
the building of the moai structures.
These ancient builders believed that
these structures had sacred spirits and
possess magical spiritual essence called
mana. They believed that the living
had a symbiotic relationship with the
dead who provided everything that the
living needed. Through offerings, the
living provided the dead with a better
loco lo too slrlt worlu. Vost oI too
ancient settlements on Easter Island were
located on the coast, with the moai on the
coastline watching over their descendants
with their backs toward the spirit world
in the sea. There is only one set of moais
I saw that were facing the sea, most of
them face inwards.
But what happened to these people with
such a rich culture?
Dctco 8oo Cotolo 1ocob koovooo
wos too rst |croooo to loou oo too
island on Easter Sunday of April 5, 1722,
hence the name Easter Island. At the
time, it was believed that the population
wos oboct 2uuu-3uuu kooocls. ct lt
may have been be more, since some of
the natives might have hidden from the
foreigners who might have slaughtered
some or taken them for the slave trade.
In his book Collapse: How Societies
Choose to Fail or Survive, Jared
Diamond said that Easter Island natives
caused their own demise by cutting the
troos ootlroly by too l=5us. uo tooorlzou
that they ended up with no logs to build
Ior oIIsooro solo oou toolr cro ylolus
declined, causing famine and even
cannibalism, and eventually causing
cultural collapse.
However, other theorists debate that
there were slave raids during the 1860s
which probably reduced the population
even further. Between 1722 to 1862,
there were about 53 European vessels
that arrived on the island, with untold
stories of violence, enslavement and rape.
The Europeans brought in a small pox
pandemic and a tuberculosis outbreak
which reduced the population to only
oboct luu-ouu (lll to bo ooct}
survivors in 1877.
Today, there are over 3500 locals
ot uooo koo, too olo clty oo soll
Easter Island. A lot of them already look
mixed (mestizas}, bct lo soo oolo,
you can still see the faces similar to the
Polynesian-looking moai heads. Strong
jawed faces with broad noses.
During the nights on the island, I did
watch some dance shows which featured
warriors of the island and stories on the
(left to right) Relaxing on Anakena Beach; Performance of the warrior dance knows as Maori Tupuna En Vai Te Mihi
expat | 45
olstory oI too kooocls. Jols wos slllor
and yet different from the shows you
see in Hawaii. The dances would end
ot lu lV, oou oo too rst olot l |cst
decided to walk back to my home. But
at night on the island, everything was so
uor| oou too s|y wos llou wlto stors.
All the roads looked the same and so I
oou soo ulIcclty looulo ysolI oool
Fortunately, a lone taxi passed by and
brought me to where I should bewhich
was just three blocks away!
Patricio brought me to many places
on the island, including underground
caves and high cliffs. In the caves, there
were rooms built by the ancient natives
themselves. In the cliffs, you could see big
yollow so cloorly couor too wotor bolow
lt wos oozlo oow cloor lt wos ovoo
from a hundred feet up!
uo olso brocot o to too kooo koc
volcano crater which was a huge basin
llou wlto wotor oou soo lsloous wolco
some say is made of grass thick enough
to walk on! But I did not venture down
into the crater as it was too far down.
Also, Patricio even told me that the guard
whom we met at the entrance that day
actually had his mother from Chile visit
him years before, but then she fell to her
death into the crater!
Easter Island also has petroglyphs (rock
corvlos} ovorywooro, sootlos lo
coastal caves that go under water at
times, causing erosion of the imprints. In
the future, some of these pictures carved
into the rock will be gone. Around 1,000
sites with more than 4,000 petroglyphs
are catalogued. They were made to
create totems, to mark territory or to
oorlollzo o orsoo or ovoot. l olso
noted some of them as being sea turtles
and a lot of birds. They are a connection
to the rich past.
In addition to the petrogylphs, the
lsloouors olso ossossou too kooorooo
script; the only written language in
Oceania. The island is also home to
traditional wood carvings, some of them
quite expensive but expertly done. They
also showcase tapa (bor|cloto} croIts.
To preserve the history of Easter Island
is the challenge for todays generation.
No Vool strcctcros oro ollowou to bo
brought out, and I think theres less than
3 that have left the island. One of them
I saw standing so lonely in front of a
museum somewhere near Valparaiso in
Chile. I saw that statue before I visited
the island, and now when I remember it,
I feel like it has to be brought back to
where it belongs.
At the time when I visited Easter Island,
on the local news was some talk about
some natives wanting to be independent
from Chile. But at the same time, most of
the locals I talked with felt that without
outside help, the island may not be able
to sustain itself. There is really no major
agriculture on this hilly island. Vast areas
are treeless. The major force driving the
small local economy is tourism. And with
more and more pictures of Easter Island
being shown to the world, more tourists
will visit.
But, Easter Island or Isla de Pascua (its
8oolso oIclol ooo} ls scroly ooro to
stay. The traditional name of the island is
Te Pito or Te Huena meaning The Center
or Navel of the World. Pito means both
navel and umbilical cord, pertaining
to the link between the world of the
llvlo (koloo} oou too slrltworlu (lo},
lying in the depths of the ocean further
east. I feel like this link with the spiritual
continues to this day, because on the
island, you can really feel the mana. It
is hard to describe and it may just be my
imagination, but as I was walking along
the coastline, I swear I could feel an
energy enveloping my being.
Easter Island will persevere, as its moai
head statues have survived the tests of
time. I remember hearing one native say
that if there were only a few people
from different countries left on a little
lsloou, too kooocl woclu scrvlvo.
ococso, lI ooouou, too kooocl woclu
eat the others just to live.
Quick Facts:
Weather: Pleasant year round, with
no cyclones or hurricanes. The lowest
temperatures are in July and August
(18 C or 64 F) and the highest in
February (maximum temperature
28 C or 82 F), the summer season in
the southern hemisphere. Winters are
relatively mild. The rainiest month is
April, though the island experiences
year-round rainfall. Occasionally,
heavy rainfall and rainstorms strike the
island. These occur mostly in the winter
months (JuneAugust). July to August
is chilly but may be good for hiking.
Peak Tourist Season: Janaury to March,
prices for accomodations highest due
to the Tapati Rapa Nui Festival.
+RZ7R*HW7KHUHLan Chile
fie: Ic Ec:Ier l:|cnc, wiIh fighI:
operating between Santiago, Chile
and Papeete,Tahiti. Airfare from
Santiago,Chile to Easter Island and
back costs approximately $800 US.
For travelers coming from Asia or
Australia, a cheaper alternative is
to stop here en route to (or from)
South America, via Auckland, New
Zealand. There youll need to join an
/ir New Zec|cnc fighI Ic FcpeeIe cnc
connect with Lan Airlines Papeete-
Easter Island-Santiago service
Getting Around: Icxi: cc:I c fcI US$3
for most trips around town. Longer
trips can be negotiated, with the cost
depending mainly on the time. For
example, a round-trip to the beach
at Anakena costs US$20 (per taxi),
pick-up time arranged with driver at a
predetermined time.
Mountain bikes are readily available in
Hanga Roa for about US$11 to US$16
per eight hours or US$16 to US$25 per
day. Suzuki 4WDs for US$50 to US$60
per eight-hour day, and US$60 to
US$85 for 24 hours. Motorcycles are
rented for about US$35 per eight hours
or US$50 a day. Note: Insurance is not
usually included.
Sports Activities: Scuba and horseback
riding
FAST FORWARD >> Easter Island
The author jumping by the 15 Moai statues at Ahu Tongariki
46 | expat
Willem Verpoest
' '--, '- '- '-
European Union Delegation
Coron Island. I travel a lot. Coron is one of the most
beautiful places I have seen. Not too many tourists. The
place is very nice.
Eric Orland
CEO
New York Pizza Palace
Bohol. The ve reasons why
I think Bohol is terric: great
beaches, the Chocolate
Hills, it has some of the oldest
and most historic sites in the
Philippines, it has an amazing
zip line adventure, and I loved
that catered boat ride down
the river.
Denise C.S. Gonzales
Organizer
Surf.Yoga.Samba Weekend Retreat
I love Siquijor because of the energy in the island. I love that
we were able to rent motor bikes and drive around the entire
island in a day, following the towns map for spots to see
and exploring on our own. I love the people and the way
the sun smiles on the ocean. And, Bahay Kalipay in Puerto
Princesa is my second home in the Philippines. I love the
energy exchange, the healing powers of just being there,
the community of raw foodies that have heart, and the
innite power of those that dwell there!
Favorite place in the Philippines?
EXPAT PICKS
PEOPLE
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In this issue we highlight Filipinos who have made
their mark on international shores, including
our cover star, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, in
a special feature. We also introduce to you the
people you should add to your "must-meet" list
while residing in this country in our new section,
The Social Network.
COVER
50 | expat
The journey of a boy from the harsh poverty of Kibawe,
Bukidnon to unprecedented and immense success while
transcending the trappings of fame and fortune.
TRANSCENDENT HIT
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY Photo by HOWARD SCHATZ
expat | 51
COVER
After boxing, I see myself competing with myself. I will
continue to strive to be a better person, a better husband
and father, a better leader, and a better public servant.
52 | expat
He embodies what the two words
Filipino Excellence try to describe. And
then he transcends it. Just like he did the
sport of boxing. And just like he did the
oo oI llIo. uo ls too rootost otor oI
his generation. He is the greatest Filipino
athlete of all time. He is the pound
for pound champion of the planet. He
champions the Filipino spirit and serves
os lts boocoo oI ooo. uo ls Voooy
Pacquiao, and that is all you need to
know.
But what kind of a cover story would
this be if it ended right there? While the
mans story has had plenty of coverage,
you may be able to grasp the journey
oI ols otlo coroor, or too woy oo
carries the burden of his nations hope
every time he throws leather with his
unparalleled hand speed, but its the
multiple combination of his excellence
and his continued successes, and not his
punches, that truly captivate both hearts
and imaginations. And this fascination
with the made-for-Hollywood story of
Pacman is something that will make the
olstory boo|s soo| |louly oI ol. JlV|
Voozloo ovoo woot os Ior os colllo ols
story a myth equal to that of any Greek
or kooo ooro. lt's woot o|os looous.
And you better believe that the legend
sprang through sheer determination.
CRADLE OF A MYTH
The history is compelling. The poverty
he found himself and his family in was
overwhelming. His mother, Dionisia,
wanted him to become a priest, but
even that was an ambition that was
way beyond their means. His trainer
|rouulo kooco cooululy rocolls too rst
story he heard of him, saying: He ran
away from home because his dad ate
his dog. Thats how poor it is in General
Santos, if youre a slow dog, you better
be careful. Legend has it that what
stortou yoco Voooy's locllootloo to
otlo wos wooo oo sow o ocbor oI
men, which included his uncle, huddled
around a small transistor radio listening
to o brooucost oI too ot botwooo
1oos cstor Doclos oou Vl|o Jysoo.
It also helped that General Santos had a
number of kids training at a local boxing
gym. The sport would eventually become
the window of opportunity that the
young Pacquiao would convince himself
and his mother was their way out.
At the age of 13, Pacquiao quit school
to work on the streets and help put a
little more food on the family table. Soon
after, he ventured into the ring, and at
14, left their home in General Santos
City to become a professional boxer
lo Voollo. lI oo trcly bollovou bolo
woclu bo ols woy to o bottor llIo, Voollo
made sure that his dedication and
passion would be thoroughly tested.
He had nothing to begin his boxing
odyssey with beyond his dreams, and
had even less upon reaching the capital.
uo troloou lo o rly y lo o Voollo
backstreet, and slept in the same ring
wooro otors troloou. uo oou oo
blanket, but instead slept on his and
others blood, sweat, and at times, tears.
Wooo oo wos l, oo oolly ouo ols
pro-boxing debut on a national boxing
TV show called Blow by Blow. At
this point, not only was he legally too
yoco to bo otlo os o roIossloool,
he was also underweight. He resorted
to carrying metal plates in his pockets
to make weight and lie about his age.
But once the opening bell rang, it was
clear that this kid who was barely a
hundred pounds had charisma. He faced
o Ior scorlor otor lo ols uobct, oou
wound up winning via a sensational
knock-out. His star was brewing. He
fought with reckless abandon every time
he stepped into the ring, which made
Ior oloslvo oou vory ocltlo ots.
He was an instant fan favorite because
they knew that with Pacquiao, they were
olwoys olo to bo trootou to o ot.
Fans loved him not because he was a
promising boxer, but because he was
trco otor.
Despite enjoying early success as a
roIossloool otor, too oooy oo
promised his mother when he left
General Santos still wasnt coming. It
was an improvement (he was getting
olu o ocourou osos or ot wollo o
|llo oI rlco tooo cost 3-= osos}, bct oo
had dedicated his soul to bigger things,
constantly trying to persuade his mother
that when hed become a champion, the
millions would soon follow.
After three years and 23 wins as a pro,
he got his chance at a world title when
he faced Chatchai Sasakul of Thailand
in front the champions home fans for
the WBC Flyweight World Title. Just like
the role he played many times in life
before, he came into this bout as a major
couoruo. Aou Ior too rst Iow rocous
oI too ot, 8oso|cl trootou ol ll|o
one, schooling the 19 year old. This is
when Pacquiao had to reach down and
ctlllzo ooo oI ols loss colobrotou trolts,
his intelligence. He understood that being
behind on so many rounds, he needed
to knock-out the Thai champion, so in the
later rounds, he worked on Sasakuls
body. When the body shots began to
take their toll and Sasakul began to let
his guard drop, Pacquiao pounced on
him and eventually dropped him in the
8th round.
A national celebration awaited his return
home, as the country feted its latest
world boxing champion. He had kept his
word on his promised championship, and
began to dream of even bigger things.
But even his indomitable spirit couldnt
have foreseen the supernova that he
would become.
Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines lands a punch against
Antonio Margarito of Mexico during their WBC World Super
Welterweight Title bout at Cowboys Stadium on November 13,
2010 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images.
expat | 53
COVER
TRANSCENDENT GENIUS
Above the ring, his incredible speed
and perpetual motion may make it seem
to an untrained eye like he's nothing
more than an opened bag of chaos.
They always talk about the speed.
Ooooots rooro toolr otors os
best they can for it. They know its
coming, yet time after time, theyre still
to|oo oboc| by lt. Ll|o Dovlu Dloz, woo
lo o ost-ot lotorvlow solu too worus
too fast so many times sandwiched
between a hurl of expletives. Or Oscar
De La Hoyas corner trying to convince
their ward that theres no sense in letting
the beating go on because hes too
fast. Fighting him has been described
to bo o|lo to otlo vo oo. ct
when you see him train, outrunning
much younger and supposedly hungrier
boors, or zoolo oct lotooso olo os ols
strooto oou tooss cooco Alo Arlzo
does work on him, you witness how an
all-time great earns his accolades and
his millions in the trenches, way before
the bright lights have been screwed on
tight for the big show.
Opponents have always downplayed
locgcloo's owor. |voo 1coo Voocol
Vorgcoz woo oos ooo uowo o totol
oI Iocr tlos uco to too locoo's sts
(toroo tlos lo rocou ooo oI toolr rst
ot} oou too oorvo to uooy oo wos
trcly ocrt. Voo Iocr to vo locoos tollor
who have needed facial reconstruction
to undo Pacquiaos handiwork on their
faces have dismissed his power just the
same. But when hes pounding the heavy
bag, or punishing his legendary trainer
kooco oo too ltts, too roytolc socou oI
leather on leather punctuated by grunts
lets you know that he's got this down to
a science.
Boxing experts are unanimous in
agreement that the growth of Pacquiao
from the reckless slugger with a deadly
loIt ooou to too woll-rocouou two-stou
boxer who has not lost in six years is
nothing short of astounding, but even
more impressive is that they all agree
that at age 32, he is still getting better
wlto ovory ot. lo ols rootco wlto |rl|
Vorolos, oo lotrouccou o lotool rlot
ooo| to bolo oorts oou Vorolos'
noggin. In what was hyped as the
|lot oI too Docouo, ols ot sovvy
exposed The Golden Boys inability
to cut off the ring by luring him to
follow him. This led to Pacquiao feeding
him a steady dose of 1-2 punches on
his way to setting him up to a grand
beating that instantly forced De La
uoyo loto rotlrooot. klc|y uottoo
oou ols troloor |loyu Voywootoor 8r.
mocked Pacquiaos hook and duck-
under move only to have that very move
knock the Englishman out, cold and
stiff in the center of the ring in only the
second round. Again people doubted
he could handle the power of a true
woltorwolot lo Vlcol Cotto. As oo
dared to mix it up with the younger,
blor lcorto klcoo (lI ooly to rovo oo
coclu oooulo too ulvlsloo's bost cocoos},
he also showed his power can turn the
tables and make the bigger man use his
last gasps of energy to back pedal out
of harms way until the referee decided
to sto too ot.
He cleaned out his division then ventured
into the realm of bigger men. Hes come
out of that daunting task with a slew
oI cco blor oo oou rocoocrou
faces lying in his wake. His seven
world titles in seven weight divisions
was unprecedented, until he added an
eighth. The fact that he was a knock-out
artist at 112 pounds, and the fact that
he continues to pound men heavier than
154 pounds are unheard of. The way
he has managed to couple his vaunted
speed with knock-out power as he
climbed weight class after weight class
uoos lolc. uo's lvoo ovorytolo oo
has to the sport and pushed personal
limits the way few have in the past, but
while boxing has been very generous to
him as well, it appears that outside the
osslblllty oI too Voywootoor ot, too
sport can give no more.
BEHIND THE THIRST
What separates this Filipino achiever
from his peers is that he has always had
the interest of his country at the core of
ols ooort. uo cootlocos to ot, lo slto
of having said that he no longer has
anything to prove in the sport of boxing,
because he understands that his pending
triumphs serves a much bigger purpose
tooo ouultloool zoroos lo ols boo|
account, or another feather in his cap.
To his country that continues to be mired
in poverty, his victories are a great
source of inspiration. He makes the small
man believe in himself. Amidst internal
squabbles and endless politicking, the
Philippines goes to a standstill and is
gloriously united in cheering for their
ooro woooovor tooro's o locgcloo ot.
Typical of his humble and unassuming
charm that has solicited global adulation
he says, I feel that it is my purpose
to ot Ior too |lllloo oolo oou to
prove to every Filipino they can be
proud of our heritage and culture.
Its this empathy thats fuelled
Pacquiaos exercise of goodwill
throughout his journey to greatness.
uo rooovotou too L8V Gy toot
was his home during his quest to be
o roIossloool otor, oou bcllt o
dormitory for aspiring boxers simply
because he understood what it was
like to be an athlete with nothing more
than hopes and dreams to bankroll
Philippine boxing superstar and congressman Manny
Pacquiao speaks after receiving the Congressional Medal
of Distinction at the House of Representatives in Quezon
City, east of Manila on November 22, 2010. Pacquiao
returned to the Philippines from the US on November 20,
fresh from his latest victory in the ring, saying he would
rew lett: er ljl|irj jerer| ir |le jeli|itel erere.
Photo by Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images.
54 | expat
your aspirations. His mother had
encountered more than a few instances
wherein she felt the need to remind
her son to take it easy with all his
charity work. His response might as
well have been plucked straight out
of the Bible when he said, the gifts
he gives to the needy are things he
cannot bring with him to heaven, that
they are but borrowed blessings while
in his time here on Earth. Its things like
these that provide glimpses into the
ooy loyors oI o Voooy locgcloo. Joo
lcoolc otor, too uovotou Iolly oo,
the patriotic inspiration, his charitable
empathy, all contribute to a man who
rouses such inspiration on so many
levels. Superlatives become scarce.
This seemingly unquenchable thirst
to elevate his country beyond mere
charity is the very thing that has led
Pacquiao to an arena Filipinos would
rather see him abstain from. In a
documentary interview, his mother
confesses that she was even more
opposed to him entering politics than
she was to boxing back then, adding
that she suffered through sleepless
nights pondering the fate of her son in
the dirty business of politics. Detractors
point to his sixth grade education, he
points to his deep understanding of
poverty and his yearning to provide
the people with a leader who would
serve from the heart. If theres one
thing Pacquiao has continuously
dealt with, its that people have
always questioned his reserve. It
was the question of bigger, stronger
men before, now he has for peers
exponentially more educated men and
seasoned politicians. But he applies the
same perseverance and dedication to
this new venture of his. In his mind, if he
could go from a waif and under-aged
boxing pro to the super welterweight
and best pound-for-pound champion
of the world, the possibilities in the
political sphere are there for him to
shape. He understands that there
is a world of difference between
boxing and politics, and that the only
similarity with the two is that he wants
to excel in both. He views this as an
extension of his service to the Filipino
people. Possessing the heart of a man
expat | 55
COVER
woo stococoly uoou too trolos oI
immense fame and fortune he claims, I
will continue to serve the people. I enjoy
seeing the look on peoples faces when
I win and when I make a difference in
their lives. After boxing, I see myself
competing with myself. I will continue to
strive to be a better person, a better
husband and father, a better leader,
and a better public servant.
BEYOND THE GLORY
Even as he was beckoning the
international audience to add more
lights to his name during his string of
performances that landed him the
ool|or Joo Volcctlooor, Iow |oow
the lighter side of Emmanuel Dapidran
Pacquiao. It wasnt until his appearances
on The Jimmy Kimmel Show that the
casual international fans found out that
this guy who smiled and waved to the
crowd like he was just happy to be
there, on his way to the ring for some of
bolo's blost ots, wos roolly |cst o
cool little dude.
Pacman possesses a plethora of talents
outside of his boxing trunks. He plays
basketball, is quite the pool shark, has
bcllt oo lrosslvo (oou oooslvo} Ior
of gamecocks, he sings (although John
Lennon must have rolled over a few in
times in his grave during his Imagine
ucot wlto Wlll |orroll}, oou oos booo
on local TV shows and movies. No one
outside of Team Pacquiao would dare
suggest that hes as good as his day
job at any of those other things, but
there also exists a layer of Pacquiao
that reveals a lighter contrast to his
larger than life persona. And these
only add to the already insurmountable
urow toot ls Voooy locgcloo. |voryooo
loves the quintessential rags-to-riches
tale, what makes them fawn about it
even more, is a kind light-hearted spirit
to accompany that story. The story of
Voooy locgcloo ls ooly ooorlo too
end of a chapter, and it has already
enthralled more than its share. He will
continue to be a man of his passions, and
perhaps how that passion holds up will
determine how this tale ends, and with
the way Pacquiao has surpassed every
limit set for him, your guess is probably
not as good as his.
Philippine boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao hugs
his daughters Princess and Queen Elizabeth during a
press conference shortly after arriving from the US at
the international airport in Manila early on November
20, 2010. Pacquiao pounded out a 12-round
trerimet: ieti:ier erer etite': /r|erie erjeri|e
at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on November
13. Photo by Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images.
56 | expat
I know I probably wouldnt have gotten
further than my grandmothers garden
in terms of concert halls and captive
audiences... hence I say failed rock
star, she quips. No matter, for shes
ccrrootly o|lo wovos os too Voollo
correspondent for international news
coooool Al 1ozooro |ollso, oovlo
covered everything from standoffs
between the Cambodian and Thai military
to tooso botwooo Vcsll soorotlsts oou
the Philippine government.
Her resume speaks for itself: in broadcast
news since the age of 19 with Philippine
Jv ootwor| GVA, scorvlslo rouccor
for award-winning documentary show
The Probe Team in the 1990s, Chevening
scholar and literature and criticism
masters degree holder, editor and
reporter at CNN International. She
|oloou tooo-oullo Al 1ozooro lo 2uu5
in hopes of helping pioneer something
special.
All of us who signed up right at the
start were pretty much taking a leap
of faith and being fueled by our hopes
and idealistic expectations of what this
new dream network would be like, she
recalls. With a view to report without bias
or ooouo, Al 1ozooro tcroou oct to bo
o scccoss to Voro's uollot. Wo oou
no idea whether it would take off or not.
Five years later, and here we are!
It hasnt been easy, she says, building a
global network of like-minded journalists
ll|o Al 1ozooro oos. Aou wollo oor coroor
has taken her around the world to Iraq
at the height of its implosion in 2003,
among other places it by no means
has been a vacation. Its a tremendous
learning experience discovering a society
not from its tourist attractions, but from the
nitty-gritty current events of their lives.
Voro oults lsslo ost ls o socrco
oI locotor lo oor Iolly lo Voollo wooo
shes away. Interestingly, shes found
being Filipino an advantage of sorts on
the job. I wasnt perceived to be a threat
or a source of intimidation, which might
have been the case if they thought I had
a particular agenda I was trying to push,
she reveals.
lo too lost vo yoors Voro oos ocrou
herself into telling stories less heard, so
woot's to coo lo too oot vo lrotty
much the same, she hopes, because
theres still a whole lot of world left to
see... and talk about.
Text by JAHZEEL ABIHAIL G. CRUZ
Photo by BRENDAN AGER (Courtesy of Marga Ortigas)
Rocking the
Journalistic Boat
MARGA ORTIGAS:
If she werent at the frontlines
of breaking news in Asia,
Marga Ortigas would have
been a rock star.
SPECIAL
FEATURE
Ortigas has travelled the world covering stories most would fear talking on
58 | expat
I was young, inexperienced, and
honestly, probably immature back
then, reminisces Evita Quiambao
8losoo, koloool vl oI 8olos Ior
the Southeast Asian markets of Nu
Skin Enterprises, Inc. Its a line thats
easy to link to a romantic relationship
but shes actually talking about her
oorlooco os o rst tlo oot boc|
in 2000.
Originally hailing from Angeles
City, Pampanga, the then 25-year-
old Singson had been assigned to
relocate to Singapore after three
years of working at the start-up
personal care company Nu Skin
Philippines. She would be helping
the companys multi-level marketing
by providing training and support
to the Singapore sales team for the
next few years of her life. There
was some apprehension leaving
home and moving to a foreign
country on my own, but I knew that
the experience would also make
me more self-reliant and hopefully,
contribute to my personal and
professional growth, she says. Since
I was also the only Philippine staff
seconded in our Nu Skin Singapore
team, I felt a responsibility to excel
and exemplify strong capability and
good work ethic.
True enough, thats what she did
oloo wlto oor too. 8loco soo rst
landed in the Lion City, she has
doubled the business in the Southeast
Asian regioncovering the markets of
Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore,
Voloyslo, rcool, oou louoooslo.
Her duties have included overseeing
account managements, events,
recognition, and commissions, while
also developing and implementing
sales incentives for distributors and
their support teams.
Besides being stationed in Singapore,
soo oos olso wor|ou lo Voloyslo
oou too Vluulo |ost, rovlo toot
oor oot los oovo uooltoly uooo
away with the inexperience she had
to hurdle 13 years ago.
Having lived overseas for a number
of years now and having had
different assignments in different
countries, I have learned to keep
myself mobile and accept the
possibility of continuously moving a
part of my life now. Being given the
opportunity to see the world for work
and for fun has been the best part of
being an expat, shares Singson.
Despite her success abroad, Singson
and her husband still make it a point
to go back to the Philippines every
chance they get. Christmas holidays,
for example, are a must for them
to spend time with their family and
friends in Angeles. Although she
woclu bo sooulo too oot vo
years in Singapore hoping to start a
family, she says that their roots in the
Philippines will always be strong and
lastingwherever she is.
Everyone starts out as a newbie. Nu Skins Evita Quiambao-
Singson shows us that what matters as an expat and a career-
person is what you do after moving on from that label.
Text by RAYDON L. REYES
Photos courtesy of Evita QuiambaoSingson
Singson was
instrumental
in organizing
Nt 'lir': ZS|l
Anniversary
with 1000 of its
Southeast Asia
distributors with a
trip to Gold Coast,
Australia
From Nu-bie to VP
EVITA QUIAMBAOSINGSON:
expat | 59
One rarely paints the most vivid picture
of themselves when thinking about the
future. Often, they manage nothing
more than a faint idea. For Cris Ortigas
of Camuto Group, Inc.s (which holds
footwear licenses for BCBGeneration,
CG Vo Azorlo, Lcc|y roou, ooooo
kocbllc oou kooslolrl ooo otoors},
the idea was to cling to the creative
as the guide. Using a mixture of talent,
passion and serendipity, she stroked a
present which seems wholly by design.
I always wanted a career that would
oooo y crootlvlty. Coocotcollzlo
and creating was always a part
of me, Ortigas shares. It was a
progressive transition from cheer dance
choreography, directing school plays, to
a degree in Industrial and Interior Design
toot rooou oor ouroltooss lo too crootlvo.
But it wasnt her job as a freelance
interior decorator or her training that
groomed Ortigas to be the Design
Director of the handbag division of one of
the worlds female fashion design industry
leaders; it was her creative thirst. Her
spare time after design school found her
making jewelry and handbags. In what
she calls the usual story, her after-school
hobby snowballed into selling to friends,
|ololo bozoors, oou sclylo storos
lo boto Voollo oou Cobc. uor story ls
anything but the usual.
She began to look for accessory design
schools in Italy. Luckily enough, I was
offered a scholarship at the Instituto
Vorooool lo Vlloo, soo roloys
unassumingly.
8oo bollovos oor uoclsloo to stcuy lo Vlloo
was the best thing she did for herself. And
few, if any, would argue. Her string of
luck only persisted in Italy. She served
as an intern with the handbag designer
of Gianfranco Ferre and in the latter part
oI oor stlot ot Vorooool, soo wos os|ou
to stoy lo Vlloo. |or ost, oll too tolos
that have led her to that point would
have suggested staying, but Ortigas is not
like most people. She made him privy of
oor uroo to llvo oou wor| lo Now or|,
and as has been the trend of one thing
leading to another, it did.
l woot rlot to Now or| rlot oItor l
roucotou Iro Vorooool lo 2uu=.
A meeting was set up so she (designer
Ior CG 8ooos} coclu to|o o loo| ot
my portfolio, the next day she set up a
meeting with Vince Camuto (owner of the
Camuto Group and former owner of Nine
Wost}, Ortlos rocolls. 8oo wos olrou
on the spot with everything including her
working visa taken care of. She muses,
It was quite a shock! I guess I was really
lucky. Ive been working here since. I
started as an assistant designer for BCBG
and last year they made me Design
Director of the handbag division.
Its curious to note that the handbag
division which she heads is only in its
nascent stages. Similarly, for everything
she has already achieved, her story
appears far from climaxing. The Cris
Ortigas sagas proclivity for unbounded
success speaks volumes of just how much
the future holds.
Asked what she likes to do that may
surprise people; I love to sing! Karaoke
ls o bl ort oI y llIo ooro lo N. Vy
colleagues are actually starting to get
annoyed because I always burst out into
soo wlto oo sooo ot oll ot too oIco,
and they always say I should be working
on Broadway and not on 36th street.
At the rate Ortigas is going, nothing
seems too far-fetched.
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY
Photo by MARTIN VALDES (Courtesy of Cris Ortigas)
SPECIAL
FEATURE
Passion Runway
How Cris Ortigas of Camuto Group climbed the
fashion ladder armed just with her creative thirst. CRIS ORTIGAS:
Ortigas surrounded by style in the Camuto showroom
60 | expat
eriete teel: tj e :|erm e| erie Ke|eli':
Pizzeria Mozza in Singapore
Gluttony may be one of the seven
deadly sins but a delightful feast can
make anyone believe they have gone
straight up to heaven. Chef Karla
Voouozo ls ooo oI tooso cclloory oools
who can make any meal divine.
oro oou rolsou lo Ocozoo Clty, ot
too oo oI Itooo soo ovou wlto oor
family to Bangkok, Thailand when her
Iotoor wos ro-ossloou tooro. klot oItor
graduation she decided to dedicate
herself to her love for cooking.
Her passion led her to pursue further
education and opportunities to hone her
craft in other countries. Since then, she
has worked with some of the best people
in the food industry such as Annita Lo and
Vor| loo| lo too uoltou 8totos.
She further found success working as
o cooI ot too orllool Vozzo oI Vorlo
Batali and Nancy Silverton in Los
Angeles, which has resulted in her now
being the Executive Chef of the recently
oooou llzzorlo Vozzo ot too Vorloo
Bay Sands in Singapore.
As for experience, she shares, I have
been working non-stop to open what is
to be Singapores most exciting food
destination. The happiest moment, bar
oooo, ls too uoy llzzorlo Vozzo oooou
lts uoors (oou boy wlouows} to too cbllc.
It has been one happy moment after
oootoor sloco tooo. kovlows oovo booo
stellar. I pleased what seems to be the
ost ulIcclt ccstoor touoy. Joot Iolt
good.
Even with her success she recalls her
almost two decades worth of experience
that did not come unchallenged when she
landed in Singapore. Struggles having
come from the US after 18 years, I am
struggling a bit with the availability of
food items to work with and be creative
wlto. lt ls ulIcclt to ou too roucco oou
specialty items I was used to from living
in the US. I am still learning to overcome
lt bococso oulo oou oou roosooobly
rlcou ltos lo 8loooro ls ulIcclt sloco
it is an island-country, and nothing really
grows here locally. I miss the farmers
or|ots lo N oou LA. Joot wos ll|o o
playground and toy store for me since it
allowed me to be creative, seeing what
fresh produce was available, she says.
During a tiring day at work, Chef
Karla misses the two hour home service
massage and other pampering services
oIIorou lo Voollo toot soo uoscrlbos
as cheap, well-done and addicting.
Especially, she exclaims, the manicures
and pedicures.
Her plans for the future? Her very own
rostocroot lo vo yoors. Coosluorlo oor
tenacity and resourcefulness, its not hard
to imagine her opening those doors very
soon.
Photo by CRES YULO
A Cuisine Queen
KARLA MENDOZA:
expat | 61
Policing Change
SPECIAL
FEATURE
Growing up in a modest house in
Voollo's oorost soctloo, NCklO 8ct.
kool Vlroouo woclu soo ots broo|
out among gang members high on drugs
or alcohol. Every other week someone
was getting killed on the streets. He
wasnt happy about this and hankered
to do something to make a difference in
peoples lives so they wouldnt end up
like that.
But he never considered becoming a
cop.
Vlroouo wos ooo oI tooso broloy |lus
who got top scores, put little effort into
his studies and still landed on the honor
roll. After completing an engineering
degree from Technical University of the
Philippines, he started grad school at
De La Salle University, but quit to teach
engineering at his alma mater, then
became department head when he was
|cst 25 yoors olu. Vlroouo rocoolzou
teaching as a noble way to serve.
However, after four years at TUP, it
still wasnt enough.
So he decided to join the military. One
uoy, Vlroouo ooou oo o bcs toot
stopped in front of the Armed Forces
of the Philippines headquarters, Camp
Aguinaldo. But for some reason he
couldnt recall, he crossed EDSA and
happened upon the last day of a
recruitment fair at Philippine National
Police headquarters in Camp Crame.
He didnt have any paperwork ready,
bct oo oIclol olo c sottou ol oou
ovo ol o soot. Vlroouo ot o orIoct
score on a test to be a communications
and electronics specialist. He started on
the force as the radio communications
guy. Fifteen years, numerous promotions,
including chief of community relations
ot NCklO, oou ooorly u oworus oou
decorations later, and hes well on his
way to even more prominence.
Now in the US as a Hubert Humphrey
|ollow, Vlroouo ls stcuylo ocoo
rights policing. Hubert Humphrey was
an American Vice President during the
1960s at the height of the American civil
rights movement. He was best known
Ior ols wor| lo ocoo rlots. Vlroouo's
program entails courses in law, politics
and other public affairs subjects, on-the-
|ob trololo ot too Vlooooolls lollco
Department and attending workshops at
various locations in the US.
But even with a 10 month stay abroad
Ior ols Iollowsol, Vlroouo loo|s to
the future of the Philippines. Its the
loco toot Vlroouo woots so bouly to
lift up. He is critical of some attitudes
in his home country. There are some
values we need to rekindle because
theyve been with us for a really long
time, like honesty, integrity and being
coocoroou Ior otoors, Vlroouo soys
with passion. The way to go about it is
for us to maintain our own integrity, and
oooIclly wlto ocr slocorlty wo locooco
the immediate people around us, hoping
too oolo wo locooco wlll locooco
their own families, their communities
and eventually our country. Theres no
grandiose thing about it. We just work
one person at a time.
Text by SIMONE ORENDAIN
Photo courtesy of ROMMEL MIRANDA
NCRPO Supt. ROMMEL MIRANDA:
Miranda looks forward to helping rekindle
Filipino values
62 | expat
He was the only Filipino editor at
Oroo's oozloo. lt wos oo oooor
to work for O, Peterson Jason PJ
Pascual recalls. As an associate
accessories editor, he was given the task
to do market research in accessories
from high to low-end labels, focusing on
the latest trends. I was the only editor
ollowou to o to oll oI Vs. WloIroy's
covor sooots lo Now or|.
He was never star struck, Pascual says.
Woooovor Vs. WloIroy ouo scrrlso
vlslts ot too oIco, l olwoys rootou oor
with a smile. She always said hello to
me and congratulated my department
for doing a superb job. He became
close to Oprahs best friend, Gayle
King. She would always call me to her
oIco oou os| y ololoos oo ulIIoroot
things. She saw my potential, that I have
an eye for beautiful things.
ct klo wos oot too rst ooo to
rocoolzo losccol's soclol toloot.
uls otoor, Vlllotto, tolu ol oorly oo
that he had an eye for beauty. She
said, from a pile of rubble, I can spot
something beautiful. Pascual considers
his mom as his style icon. She molded
me to become the person I am. I was
exposed to the world of art, fashion,
and travel.
AItor olsolo cslooss Voooooot ot
the De La Salle University, he started his
|ocrooy to Now or|. Jooro, oo oorollou
at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Having a degree in business became
a foundation of my career in fashion.
Vo|lo cootrocts oou bllllo clloots
are some of the things I learned from
business school, he says. In fashion, I
learned the different types of fabrics
and construction of garments. When I
look at clothing samples, I always check
the seams. I know if the garment was
made well or not. I did not become a
designer, but I know whats expensive
and whats not by looking at the
garment.
Wor|lo ot Oroo's oozloo Ior
three years prepared me to be a good
stylist, Pacual says. He learned how
to mix and match high and low-end
accessories and clothes, choosing what
wlll bost t ols clloot's orsooollty. klot
now, he has six female clients and works
wlto two Iosoloo oocsos, Aool 8oocooz
lo Now or| oou 1oy Aor lo lorls.
He compares his clients to a beautiful
painting. Whats most important are
the accessories. He loves accessory
pieces from Dries Van Noten, Lanvin,
Balenciaga, Giovency, Tom Ford,
Vivienne Westwood, Liberty of London,
and Comme des Gacons.
Pascual also uses a lot of Filipino
uosloors scco os Colostloo, koIo,
Voolgco Locllllor oou oo voluos.
Filipinos have exquisite taste. Our
country is my inspiration when I style my
clients. I mix the elements of our culture
wlto too wostoro clvlllzotloo. l wlll |oo
on striving to do my best to promote the
Philippines. I am proud to be a Filipino.
Stylin in New York
After a successful stint at Oprah
magazine, PJ Pascual now styles
for Hollywood celebrities as well
as famous fashion houses.
Text by ASTRA C. ALEGRE
Photo courtesy of PJ PASCUAL
PJ PASCUAL:
Pascual uses his eye for beauty in everything he does
expat | 63
SPECIAL
FEATURE
Cooking was always a passion for
Vorlo Vororlto lloouo, bct soo oovor
imagined it would be a springboard to a
different career, away from the comforts
of the kitchen (and family and friends
lo too lolllloos} oou loto too orcoly
competitive world of sales and marketing
for some of the most iconic hotels in New
or|.
I loved cooking and knew that I needed
to make a career of it, Pineda recalls
of her decision not to join the family
export business in the Philippines to
crsco oor uroo. 8oo |oloou Joo llozo
uotol lo l997rst os o Ioou oou
beverage management trainee and
osslstoot oooor lo Joo Oo| koo tooo
catering coordinator and eventually
executive meetings managerbefore
boloolo oor coroor wlto too Voouorlo
Orlootol uotol Groc lo Now or| lo
2uu5, oooullo roc solos Ior Voouorlo
Orientals Elbow Beach Bermuda.
Although she packed up her knives
and traded in her chefs coat for
business suits and a briefcase, Pineda
believes that learning the hotel industry
from the operations side made her a
stronger, more effective manager.
In her current position as Director for
Vluulo |ost oou Dllootlc kolotloos,
Dovolooot Voooor Ior Aslo loclc
ot too Voouorlo Orlootol, Now or|, soo
has the formidable task of overseeing
olo-rolo occocots Iro tooso roloos
in addition to driving new business
and managing millions of dollars of
revenue for the hotel. Her clients include
koyolty, bcslooss loouors lo |ortcoo 5uu
companies and celebrities.
Guests in this market have high
expectations, they expect all requests will
be possible, says Pineda. So, knowing
how to marry the hotel requirements
oou Iclll too clloot's ooous , wltooct
inconveniencing the hotel or saying no to
the client , is important.
The challenges of working in a fast-
paced environment could be daunting
for an expat like Pineda, who grew
up accustomed to the more laidback
llIostylo lo Voollo, bct soo obrocou
the opportunity to prove her mettle in
o Now or| locto. uor ouvlco. o
professional, work hard and always do
the best job you can. She and her team
oovo cooslstootly ostou slolcoot olos
lo Vluulo |ost oou ullootlc roc
business for the hotel, most notably
increasing the revenue to $6 million. We
were able to double the total revenue
from this market with an average room
rate of $1200, she says.
But success isnt measured by the bottom
line alone. Pineda has also proven
to be a valuable asset to her hotel.
8oo woo two oworus rocoolzlo oor
accomplishments in 2010. And that makes
the hardships and rewards of expat life
even sweeter.
The Suite Life
Text by FRANCESCA L. ORTIGAS
Photo courtesy of MARIA PINEDA
MARIA MARGARITA PINEDA:
|ireie lri: lejjire:: ir e
New York minute
64 | expat
NONITO DONAIRE:
His was a journey much like most Filipinos,
woo by oocosslty or by clrccstooco ou
themselves looking for their place in the
world in a foreign land. But few, if any,
ou toosolvos ooor too zoolto oI toolr
career before the age of 30. And after
being recently crowned the WBC and
WBO bantamweight World Champion,
oou bolo locou tolru lo klo Voozloo's
bost ocou Ior ocou otors, toot's
exactly the pedestal that Nonito Donaire
has thrust himself in.
As a waif boy born in Bohol who grew up
in General Santos City, Donaire, contrary
to his now world-renowned moniker,
wos oll |lllloo oou ooruly ooy oso.
His father, a military man and former
amateur boxer, found himself alone in
the US in 1990 in search of a better life.
Three years later, Donaires family joined
his father in Van Nuys, California, and
without their knowledge, thats where The
|lllloo |loso's bolo ouyssoy woclu ou
its beginnings.
As an amateur, Donaire quickly rose
to prominence, winning three national
championships (the National Silver Gloves
in 1998, National Junior Olympics in
1999, and the National USA Tournament
in 2000. He also won the International
1color Olylcs lo l999}. uls coroor os
an amateur saw him tally a record of
8-8 wlto vo JkOs, Iolrly lrosslvo,
but nothing that merited a red carpet to
professional boxing greatness. But as has
been his mark, Donaires greatness isnt
preceded by the rumble of a thunder, it
coos stooully, oou boIoro yoc roollzo,
lt's tooro lo o oso.
Early in his pro career, he managed to
add on to his championship pedigree,
winning two regional titles. But it wasnt
until 2007 that Donaire shocked the
boxing world when he came in as a
7-1 underdog and knocked out then
undefeated Vic Darchinyan in the 5th
round to win the IBF and IBO Flyweight
world titles. That performance was The
Filipino Flashs coming out party as he
wos oworuou klo Voozloo's kooc|-
Oct oI too oor oou usot oI too oor.
No doubt climbing the pound for pound
roo|los oboct too soo tlo os Voooy
Pacquiaos being heralded as one of the
all-time greats naturally takes away in
terms of recognition. The incomparable
rags to riches tale of Pacquiao combined
with his unprecedented domination of
the sport has captivated the global
imagination like no Filipino has done
before. Its true that Pacquiao may be
o ooco-lo-o-ooorotloo otor, bct wlto
already three world titles in as many
divisions, its also true that Donaire has the
tools to make lightning strike twice.
And it just might come quicker than the
left hooks that have destroyed his past
25 ooooots. As o otor wooso oso
often overshadows his intelligence above
the ring, for all we know, he might just
be setting us all up for when the country
comes to a standstill for one of his
cooloosol ots, |cst ll|o toot otoor
fellow from General Santos.
Beyond The Shadow In A Flash
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
A Nonito Donaire may mean having
two of the greatest boxers in one
generation. This may be too good to be
true, but its true nonetheless.
expat | 65
SPECIAL
FEATURE
This much should be known, in 2010 alone,
Philippine Rugby teams may have won more
internationally than any other team in the country.
66 | expat
Filipinos love their sports. That
probably goes without saying. Theyll
also support anyone succeeding at
anything with the slightest hint of
Filipino blood. They had smiles on
toolr Iocos wooo tooy Iocou oct kob
Schneider was half-Filipino, and they
loved it when pro-wrestler Batista
oou too lolllloo o lo|ou oo ols
biceps. So why have most of this
country not celebrated the successes
of their national rugby team? Its
not because they havent heard of
such triumphs (which they probably
oovoo't}, lt's bococso too sort oI
rugby is as foreign to Filipinos as
curling is to the rest of the world.
But with the excitement football is
currently generating, hope springs
for the sport few understand, after
all a lot of these recently converted
football fans still wouldnt have a
clue when the whistle is blown for
offside. This much should be known, in
2ulu olooo, lolllloo kcby toos
may have won more internationally
than any other team in the country.
Joo luL Voo's Notloool l5's Joo
kicked off 2010 by shocking the
Asian rugby world winning the 2010
Asloo |lvo Notloos (A5N} Dlvlsloo 2
Championships in New Delhi, India. On
toolr woy to too tltlo, too luL Voo's
team recorded their 6th consecutive
international victory and became
the only Asian team in the A5N
series never to lose a game since the
tournaments inception in 2008. That
victory led to the Philippines becoming
a full member of the International
kcby ooru (lk}, oou os scco, too
lolllloo kcby |ootboll uoloo
(lk|u} woro tooo rogclrou to ootor
National Ladies 15s and 7s teams in
too ooocol Asloo kcby |ootboll uoloo
(Ak|u} sooctlooou tocroooots. 1cly oI
2010 saw the Philippines enter their
rst ovor Loulos Notloool 7's too loto
too Ak|u Loulos 7s Cooloosols lo
Gcoozooc, Coloo. Woot ooooou
was so unprecedented, it bordered on
too obscru. lo toolr rst ooorooco
at an international tournament, the
Filipino Ladies not only won the B
Division trophy, in their four games,
they scored 110 points while their
opponents had a grand total of
zoro. Joo oot ooto lo Loos, Joo luL
Notloool uouor 2u's (u2u's} too
recorded their seventh consecutive
international victory on their way to
copping the Asian U20s Division 2
tournament. They came through amidst
the grueling schedule of playing four
oos lo vo uoys (oco tos| ot ooy
lovol oI rcby}, oou wlll oovo 2u oI
the 24 players return for this years
Division 1 Asian Championships.
Joo loos lo luL kcby oovo booo
oozlo. Wooo yoc Ioctor lo toot
too lk|u wos ooly Iocouou lo l999
and until 2004 there was only one
clcb (Noous} loylo, woot tooy'vo
managed to do is, to be quite laconic,
unbelievable. Not only have they been
a prominent club internationally, the
lk|u oovo olso oooou to uovolo
ladies rugby and junior rugby at the
soo oco os too Voo's too. lt's tlo
to put some shine on these fellows (and
ols}, bococso woy boIoro Coorllo
Sheen made it popular, these group
have been WINNING.
Out Into The Light
PHILIPPINE RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION:
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY
Photos by EJAY A. LEUNG
Why the Philippines should know
more about their National Rugby
7HDPVDQGLWVDIQLW\ZLWKZLQQLQJ
expat | 67
SPECIAL
FEATURE
They splashed into the mainstream
consciousness like nothing had since
the mid-1990s when the boy band
phenomenon sent masses shrieking into
hysteria. Their call to fame was a top-four
olso lo o roloool tocroooot. Jooy'ro
currently ranked 151, but thats beside the
point. Theyre a good looking group of
lads, and as a competitive national team,
tooy'ro oo too rlso. oc cst oovo oooru oI
them, its hard not to with all the screaming
lrls. Jooy'ro too Az|ols, too lolllloo
Voo's ootloool Iootboll too, oou yoc
better get used to them.
Jo too Iorolo oyo, lt oy soo crozy
that a country so deeply penetrated
by something like Christianity can be
so untouched by the universal game
of football. Well, that was until late
December 2010 when South East Asias
perennial football whipping boys, the
lolllloos, uoIootou A|| 8czc|l Cc
defending champions Vietnam in front
oI =u,uuu oI toolr Ioos. Joo Az|ols
eventually bowed out, albeit to a couple
of tough 1-nil defeats, to eventual runner-
up Indonesia in the semis, but that was
enough to generate the much needed
Iootboll bczz.
Just to put this into perspective, before
toot to-Iocr olso lo too 8czc|l Cc, too
Philippines had failed to qualify for the
past two competitions of the biennial
event. In 2001, they then lost to the
Indonesians 13-nil. And when former
cooco 8loo VcVoooy ow lo to loou
too too, ost oI too oolo woo oo rst
met werent even aware that there was a
national football team.
Now, theyve gotten everyones attention.
8orts lllcstrotou ovoo ooou toolr 8czc|l
Cup journey as one of 2010s top football
stories. The endorsements have queued up,
and their leading striker is being linked
to o locol oo's oozloo oworuoo oI
2ulu's solost wooo oI too yoor. Voro
lortootly, too oooclol scort oos booo
piling up to put them in place to build on
last years success.
Such has been the astronomical rise of the
Az|ols. Wollo yoc cocluo't oovo Iorcou
the casual Filipino to watch a 90-minute
match early last year, now you have team
practices being held to a full house. But
wollo too rosclts too Az|ols coo toroco
with have been unprecedented, the
countrys love for its sports isnt. All the
country needs is a reason to cheer, and the
Az|ols oovo lvoo too toot. Now, tooy'vo
got the task at hand to prove that unlike
the shrill enticing ensembles of the 1990s,
theyre here to stay.
The Rise of
The Azkals
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY
A look into the Philippine
football explosion and
the countrys current love
affair with the Azkals.
PHILIPPINE AZKALS:
68 | expat
EXPAT STYLE
Text by KATRINA A. HOLIGORES
Photos by MIGUEL MIRANDA
Eduardo Gutierrez
Classic with a twist | Eduardo Gutierrez, Spanish | Project Manager for Mobile and I.T
Gutierrez in a smart
casual ensemble in
a shirt by Dolce and
Gabbana, TOUGH jeans,
and Diesel Belt.
What is it you do?
I am currently looking for projects
in the Philippines which require my
mobile and information technology
skills. For example, applications that
can be used on an iPhone, which is one
of my favorite gadgets.
'HQH\RXUVW\OH
Classic with a twist for example, I
love this Ben Sherman shirt because
of its classic lines. But then its got
eye-catching details that make it
different
What would you put on your feet?
I believe in quality and in items that will
stand the test of time, these Bally Shoes
will last forever and they are really
comfortable
What touches your skin?
I love this Penhaligons
cologne in Blenheim
Bouquet scent. I blame a
friend of mine for turning
me on to it. It is the cologne
yoc ou ot too kltz uotol
in London and they are
colooo o|ors by koyol
Appointment to the King.
Oh, and Winston Churchill
wore Penhaligons!
Any style icons?
None really, since I like to dress up and dress down I love
Ior oolo too wor| oI 8ovlllo kow-bosou uosloor
Ozwolu ootoo, olrou wlto o woll cct sclt ll|o o uco
Boss. When I dress down, I like using TOUGH jeans
because they also have interesting details, they are
distinctive yet a little edgy, and they are very well made!
Best accessory?
I really needed a belt, This one is from
Versace, and I am normally not a fan
of their stuff because they tend to
be too trendy, but this particular one
I liked. It was a lot more subtle then
their other designs and made of really
good material.
On the go gear?
Vy JOuGu
jeans bag
carries
everything I
need
expat | 69
Any style icons?
I always like Kate
Hudsons style. She pulls
off her effortless, classy
chic really well and she
isnt afraid of color!
Best place to shop in
the Philippines?
kcstoo'sl Jooy oovo
the best selection from
budget items to hi-end
products.
EXPAT STYLE
Jessica Tingle
Casual and Comfortable Chic | Jessica Tingle, American | VP for Sales for KMC Solutions
Tingle in a top by
H&M and jeans
from The GAP
Text by KATRINA A. HOLIGORES
Photos by MIGUEL MIRANDA
What is it you do?
Im responsible for business
development and internal processes
Ior kVC 8olctloos wolco oIIors
services to companies looking
to outsource, usually for
too rst tlo lo too
Philippines. We
provide recruitment,
oyroll, uk oou
fully serviced
oIco soco so toolr
operations can run most
oIclootly. Jols colorIcl oroolzor
is perfect for me as Im still a bit old
fashioned and prefer to write out my daily
appointments rather than put it all in my
Blackberry.
What touches your skin?
Bvlgari II: Its a lovely blend of
feminine and musky. Its subtle
yet lasts all day.
On the go gear?
This little Coach wristlet
ts too boslcs. oooo, coso
and lip gloss. I dont like
having to keep track of a
shoulder bag when Im out
having fun with friends so
this is a perfect solution.
Best accessory?
This necklace is one of my
favorites! A friend got this
for me in Turkey. The amber
and silver is so unique
looking and the design is
vory Voultorrooooo,
which I love.
For a night out?
This clutch is
Philippine made and
almost all natural
materials. Its the
orIoct slzo, oot too
fussy yet stylish!
Any must-haves?
Vy VAC Ll Cooultlooor l' coostootly oo too
lookout for the perfect lip balm and trying new
ones. I always have to have balm on my lips!
I like that this comes in a big pot which makes
lt oro ulIcclt to loso lt oos 8l| oou 8ooo
Butter so is a little sweet smelling too.
Never leave home
without?
Vy VAC ll loss, lt |cst
adds a hint of color and
some shine
70 | expat
EXPAT STYLE
Borja Hernandez
Summer Style | Borja Hernandez, Spanish | BPO Professional
Hernandez in a green
striped t-shirt by H&M,
red cardigan by Topman,
shorts by Matix
Text by C. JUDE DEFENSOR
Photos by MIGUEL MIRANDA
What is a must-have for you?
I never travel anywhere in the Philippines without
y Loooly llooot Gcluo (2uu9 oultloo}. Joo luoo oI
working in the Philippines seduced me a lot. I knew I
would like the country. Nice people, nice weather.
8o ooy oozlo locos.
Going to the beach is
my favourite activity. I
also like the possibilities
of travelling to so many
other Asian countries.
Whats one thing you
cant do without?
These Beuchat
goggles were
given to me
by my father
around 10
years ago
back in
Santander,
Spain. He
likes to
snorkel as
much as I
do, so this
is like his
legacy to
me. Just
in case, I
always put
them in my
baggage.
Here you never
know when youre
going to have the
chance to use the
snorkel.
How has your sense of style developed?
I used to play basketball in Spain and I got this
Cantabria Basketball T-shirt from a player in a
higher division 12 years ago. What can determine
your style is the weather. In Spain where I came
from, I lived on the beach so I always used to dress
like this as well. Its like summer style lets say.
Favorite accessory?
While I was working in
Paris, a door-to-door
salesman from Senegal
coo loto ocr oIco oou
sold me this handmade
leather belt. He was even
nice enough to give me a
discount!
How do you describe your style?
I always dress for the occasion but
I like to be casual. Whenever I can
I always like to wear shorts. I love
the Philippines because you can
just go to out the stores in shorts
oou l-os oou lc| oct tooro
whatever you like that is nice. Its so
convenient. When I have to dress
up a bit more I usually go for jeans.
Im not really picky. If I like some
stuff I go for it.
expat | 71
EXPAT STYLE
Sam Fogg
Tricks of the Trade | Sam Fogg, British | Model/Personal Trainer
Fogg in a corduroy
jacket, pink polo
shirt, white belt and
grey trousers all from
Merger
Text by C. JUDE DEFENSOR
Photos by MIGUEL MIRANDA
:KDWVWKHVWRU\RI\RXURXWW"
Vy lrlIrloou brocot o to tols bl |lllloo wouulo. l crou ost oI too cys
would be in barongs. So I wanted to wear something different, something edgy
but appropriate. I decided to get everything from one place, and I was lucky that
l Iocou ovorytolo ot Voror. l roIor soolo Ior oo octt toot woy.
I had this same kind of Casio
watch when I was eight years
old but this is kind of the modern
vorsloo. oc coo olso cso lt to
store data. I just like to have this
piece of technology at the
end of my arm.
Whats your personal touch?
Vy orsoool tocco ls to woor
no tie and no socks. They say
girls like to see ankles. Then,
like these shoes and belt,
wear pieces with details that
pull it all together.
How has your sense of style
developed?
Since I started modelling I cant help
being exposed to the fashion industry.
I also think the older you get, you get
more stylish. There are things I wore
four years ago that I would never wear
now. I just do my best to dress for the
occasion, not to over- or under-dress.
But I dont worry about trying to keep
up with the latest fashions. I keep some
classic, basic style pieces that you wont
think twice about wearing. Since my
body type is rather broad, I try to make
y rolo loo| sllor, ll|o wlto vortlcol
stripes. I dont like wearing tight clothes
that some other guys wear to show off
their muscles.
72 | expat
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Advertorial.pdf 1 3/4/11 1:05 PM
A Better Dog, Indeed
Dogs are considered mans best friend for a
reason. Dog whisperer Jojo Isorena is someone
who makes sure that it stays that way.
Text by RAYDON L. REYES Photos by DENNIS RITO
SOCIAL
NETWORK
74 | expat
lI yoc wol| loto 1o|o lsorooo's oIco
ot too Vo|otl-bosou cooloo trololo
center Better Dog, dont be surprised
lI too rst tolo yoc soo ls o uo slttlo
on the couch. Thankfully, you dont
have to worry about mans best friend
jumping at you or biting your leg. After
all, Isorena isnt called the Pinoy Dog
Whisperer for nothing.
Its a title he earned when he studied
dog behavior and overall care at
the Triple Crown Academy in the US.
Initially, he wanted to learn how to
control his dogs after encountering a
number of problems from his bigger
dogs attacking the smaller ones to
having one of them bite his arm. Thats
oow yoc ot loto lt. oc oovo o uo wlto
booovlor roblos oou yoc woot to ou
a solution, Isorena points out.
As with other would-be dog trainers,
lsorooo rst tcroou to boo|s oou too
internet for ideas. But he only found
loads of information that were either
coolctlo or olroouy octuotou. uo tooo
decided that the best way to truly know
how to deal with his pets was to become
hands-on by enrolling at the academy
last 2006.
To say that the course was very intensive
would be an understatement. Over
the next three months, Isorena and his
clossotos soot ovory uoy Iro vo
in the morning to 11 at night taking
care of hundreds of dogs. They focused
mainly on positive training methods that
considered the natural drives of the pets
rather than just mechanical obedience.
We call it motivational training. We
make the dog like doing what hes
supposed to be doing, he explains. For
example, the traditional way to train a
dog to sit is to put a choke chain around
too uo's ooc| oou tooo yoo| lt. oc
yank the dog and you praise it when it
sits. But here, its not punishment-based.
The result of that is a dog that happily
uoos woot yoc os| oI lt. oc oovo o
better relationship because of that.
When he went back to the Philippines,
he had no doubt that he had moved
beyond just being a dog person.
Veterinarians who knew Isorena also
began referring their clients with pet
behavior problems to him, making him
popular in the dog-loving community
through word-of-mouth. Dog owners go
to too votorloorloos rst wooo tooy oovo
problems with their pets. But vets only
know medicine. On the other hand, were
the closest thing to a pet psychologist
because we deal with the dogs
ethology, he quips. Ethology, by the
way, is the science of animal behavior.
When referrals became too many for
Isorena to handle, inspiration struck
him to open a dog training center, with
expatriates in the metro as one of his
primary target markets. He points out
that: Expats are the ones who really go
out of their way to care for their dogs.
Theyre the ones who are more conscious
about how their dogs behave, from toilet
training to how polite their dogs are.
Together with his wife Tina, who studied
uo roolo lo Now or| oou woo ls
in charge of pet hygiene and styling in
the center, Isorena assembled the rest of
his team for Better Dog. Theres PAWS
Brad Feliciano, a clicker-training expert
who borrows from psychologys operant
conditioning to teach pets a multitude of
trlc|s. Joo ool ouultloo to toolr rostor oI
soclollsts ls koloo Gczoo, o cortlou
instructor for bomb and drug-detecting
dogs.
Of course, more than anything else, the
goal is to foster a good relationship
between owners and their pets.
He asserts that dogs are not just
commodities that you decide to take in
and then just do away with when you
get tired with them. Isorena concludes
that he has learned a lot about human
relationships as well: The happiest dogs
come from happy families.
LEVELS OF CARE
according to Jojo Isorena
Level 1: The Basics
MeaningFood, water, and medical
care. But you know that already.
Level 2: Vootol oou |otloool
Stimulation
MeaningExercise and enrichment
activities such as playing with interactive
toys. No cages please.
Level 3: Communication
MeaningOne person, ideally the
owner, should be in charge of the dogs
coro (roIor to Lovols l oou 2} to ovolu
confusion and anxiety for the dog.
(Left) Pet grooming is one of the services provided by Better Dog. (Top right) Jojo Isorena stands in the middle of his pet hotel,
which can accommodate up to 10 dogs depending on their size.
expat | 75
Mane Focus
Here in Manila, Philippe Tordjman from France
puts the glory back in crowning glory.
Text by RAYDON L. REYES
Portrait photo by MIGUEL MIRANDA
Additional photos courtesy of PHILIPPE TORDJMAN
SOCIAL
NETWORK
76 | expat
When a woman arrives in another
country, she has four priorities, asserts
Philippe Tordjman. These include where
she would live, her food, her doctor,
and her hairdresser. Spoken like a true
master of the mane.
Dont fret, though, because this
renowned French-born hairdresser isnt
just speaking out of a bias towards his
profession. He has numbers to back his
statements up. Take the main branch of
Philippes Salon located along Pasong
Joo |toosloo, Vo|otl. lt cscolly ots
50 customers a day, and thats not even
counting his Filipino clientele. [Expats]
freak out about their hair, and they
know that I can do what they had back
home. What makes me excited is that I
can do it better because I know what I
can provide for them, Tordjman says.
Considering his present-day success,
one would be surprised that his interest
towards hairdressing started not
from fashion but from something very
mathematical: geometry. Tordjman had
graduated in art school in France and
one thing he noticed when drawing
women was the shape of their heads. As
scco, oo ololos, Vy woolo tocoolgco
is based on geometric shapes. The
ocoo Ioco oos vo sooos. Jooro's
round, triangular, oval, square, and
rectangular. If you have a triangular
face, for example, the idea is to create
hair around the pointed area to make it
appear more oval. I also add length to
the back.
He decided to take his chances in
hairdressing when he moved to San
Francisco in 1991. Even with a limited
budget and with no prior knowledge of
the English language, he managed to
land a job at a salon where he got to
wor| wlto colobrltlos scco os Vott Dllloo,
Vo kyoo, Voloolo GrlIto, oou ooy
others. What catapulted me was when
I styled Antonio Banderas many years
ago. It helped me to build a relationship
[with other celebrities], Tordjman
explains, adding, Learning how to
speak English helped me a lot too!
It was six years ago that serendipity
brought him to the Philippines. He was
taking a year-long sabbatical and
was dating a Filipina when he saw the
opportunity to establish Philippes salon
lo Voollo. Ooo tolo lou to oootoor
and then I got some offers, Tordjman
shares. Im happy because people here
are so sweet and nice. Filipinos are loyal
customers once they have embraced
you. I always feel like a million bucks.
Tordjman also caught the attention of
LOreal Professionnel, one of the largest
beauty and cosmetics companies in the
world. He has been serving as LOreals
artistic ambassador in Asia for four
years and counting. An ambassador
is a person who creates techniques
and collections and products for the
coooy. Vy |ob ls to crooto Ioll,
winter, spring, and summer collections of
haircuts and colors.
As an ambassador, Tordjman is
responsible for raising the bar in the
hairdressing industry around the world.
He does this by attending seminars and
conferences in styling academies and
teaching beginners and lower-level
ambassadors techniques that would
bocoo stoouorus lo too olu. uls
techniques would sometimes even reach
his competitors, but he just shrugs it off,
saying that I just consider that as my
contribution to the industry.
Nowadays, you can get a taste of
Philippes geometry-inspired haircuts
oltoor ot ols brooco lo Vo|otl or ot too
8otol lolllloo llozo lo losoy Clty.
oc sooclu olso try oct soo oI toolr
specialties such as oil-based hair colors
and keratin-based hair straightening,
which Philippe says will not leave your
hair dry and damaged as compared to
other methods.
One other perk is that youll have a
very personable and sophisticated
Frenchman who will not only become
your hairdresser but also your pseudo-
counselor for one hour. For him, that
personal touch is what really makes
the difference: The secret is to just do
what I do well. It doesnt matter if youre
Filipino or French. I do what is most
suited for you.
To set an appointment, call (02) 830-
3030 o (02) 832-695 ($otc|
Philippine Plaza)
The secret is to just do what I do well. It doesnt matter if
youre Filipino or French. I do what is most suited for you.
Julio Iglesias and Hillary Clinton are just
|we el |le lijljrelle jer:ereli|ie: wle
have had their hair cut and styled by
Philippe Tordjman.
expat | 77
SOCIAL
NETWORK
Five Star Maven
Expat Travel and Lifestyle takes a closer look at one of Shangri-La
Hotels and Resorts movers and shakers
Text by ANDREA MAGO
Photo by MIGUEL MIRANDA
78 | expat
Do your friends ask you for free rooms?
To this question, Peggy Angeles, the Vice
lrosluoot 8olos oou Vor|otlo , lvos oct
a hearty chuckle, and replies, They know I
dont own the hotels!
She may not own Shangri-La, but she sure
helps run it well. From identifying talents,
hiring them, honing them, making sure
the hotels revenues are doing great, re-
branding, to starting-up new hotels and
resorts, Peggy Angeles has been an asset to
the global company.
By her desk, there is a cluster of Hotelier
oI too oor oworus slttlo locooslccocsly,
lvoo by ulIIoroot oroolzotloos oou
awarding bodies, from the United States
to Hong Kong, to the Philippines. With a
total of 15 Shangri-La hotels and resorts
under her wing (she is Vice President Sales
oou Vor|otlo Ior |l|l, Acstrollo, Jo|yo,
Vyooor, Joolloou oou too lolllloos},
Peggy is the woman to watch. And learn
from.
When the Expat Travel and Lifestyle team
orrlvos ot oor oIco, tooro ls cco tol| oboct
the viral Internet video that had begun
earlier that daythe behind the scenes
covor sooot oI o lobol sorts oozloo
which had its cover girl and other models
pose in the beachfront and villas of the
Shangri-La Boracay, and talk candidly
about how they loved the place and its staff,
saying:
When you get here youre met by all these
wonderful people. They have this big smile
on their faceseverybody is so ridiculously
sweet, they are so helpfulanything you
need, they have it. It was so nice, I wish we
could just live here forever. Its beautiful, its
heaven.
The video was all overCNN, Fox,
Facebook, Twitter. When I saw it, I called
too oIco oI too socrotory oI Jocrls oou
told them about it. It makes you proud not
only for the Shangri-La group but for your
country, as well.
When a group of top notch photographers
and world-trotting models say beautiful
things about your hotel, you can be sure they
mean it. And when movie producers or top
publications go to you for features, and not
the other way around, then you know your
resort has made it. Count on Peggy, who has
been with the hotel for 14 years, to have
some sort of hand in it. In February of last
yoor, too oozloo collou ocr Now or|
oIco, oou tooo wo ovo too orlssloo,
she says
ct sorts oozloo covor sooots oo too
side, Peggys job as Vice President keeps
her busyshe is abroad about three weeks
of each monthgetting involved in the pre-
opening and re-branding activities, running
training modules for her teams under the
global wing.
Peggy earned her way up starting out as
a simple provincial girl, the daughter of an
artist and a coconut farmerlearning to
take the reigns of the household by cooking,
doing the groceries, and taking on other
eldest daughter duties when she turned 13.
I also took after my momI danced ballet
for over 15 years. A discipline which I
believe has been engrained in my system.
This discipline was further enhanced with
my being the leader of the model platoon
when we were high school seniors. I also did
a lot of sports, basketball in particular, she
gushes, it was a very happy childhood.
Perfection, teamwork and balance. This
is what Angeles took from her childhood
in order to perform her duties as Vice
President well. Her job is to oversee
too 8olos oou Vor|otlo strotolos oou
activities of hotels and resorts in my region,
oou too ollzotloo oI rovooco ooorotloo
and brand positioning, the mother of two
beams, and apart from this, she has also
been named the champion for training
and talent development for the Sales and
Vor|otlo Dlvlsloo oI 8ooorl-Lo uotols oou
kosorts.
When she has no plane to hop on or no
meetings to attend, Angeles visits her
vacation house and spends some quiet time
with her husband on the weekend. At the
end of the day, she knows, it is a good quiet
moment you need with yourself or the ones
you love. And that is what she gives to the
clients of the Shangri-La.
While I strive for perfection and be a leader, I
also have the balance of being one in a team.
Peggy Angeles is the woman on top of the
Sales and Marketing strategies and activities
el ll|eer 'lerjri|e le|el: eri re:er|:
in the Fiji islands, Australia, Tokyo, The
Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar.
expat | 79
Somewhere in Alabang, people wake up
to o bczzlo socou toot olwoys o|os
them thirsty. They already know that
lt ls toolr oolobor kot koo-Azoozo
working with her juicer and concocting her
signature fruit juice blends that will be at
their doorstep a few hours later. Consider
it their dose of juju or well-being for
the day. The earth and our bodies are
really in synch. It gives your body what
it needs. If its depleted, it supplements
woot yoc'ro loc|lo, soys Azoozo, too
woman behind Juju Cleanse.
And what better way to supplement our
bodies naturally than by drinking fresh
juice? Thats why she came up with a juice-
fasting regimen in 2010. Named after
the West African term for supernatural
power, Juju Cleanse pushes the idea
of drinking nothing but fruit juice for the
number of days you sign up for, be it
the one-day or the three-day program.
This way, your digestive system is given
a break and the energy that usually
goes to digesting goes into absorbing the
nutrients and eliminating toxins.
As scco, Azoozo oos coroIclly coosoo too
ingredients for the juices, some of which
include wheatgrass, lemon, red beet,
pineapple, ginger, grapefruit, mangoes,
SOCIAL
NETWORK
If you cant imagine only drinking juice for
three whole days, then you havent tried Juju
cleanse. Let Kat Rempe-Azanza show you the
fun part of juice-fasting.
Just Juice
Text by RAYDON L. REYES
Photos by MIGUEL MIRANDA
80 | expat
Kats tips when juice-fasting
Do a pre-cleanse diet two days before
your JuJu Cleanse. Take out from your
diet caffeine, sweets, salt, and processed
meat. Do this so by the time you start
your cleanse, youve eased yourself into
it already.
Follow the recommended cleansing
schedule. Drink one bottle of juice every
two and a half hours. Take the juice on
an empty stomach. The idea is to refrain
from eating while youre cleansing.
Do a Juju Cleanse once a week or once
a month.
oranges, honey, among others. She also
adds a bit of Himalayan salt to each
ltcro bococso lt ools ol|ollolzo too
body and restore it to a more neutral
and less acidic state. A lot of the things
we eat or drink makes us acidic, she
shares, particularly pointing towards
anything with caffeine or anything
fried.
Jooso lotorostou to o oo toolr rst
|clco-Iost coo rost woll bococso Azoozo
|oows woot soo's tol|lo oboct. Vy
family has always been involved with
alternative health, she maintains. After
oll, soo oos booo o oo oou lllotos
instructor for many years now, not to
mention her vegetarian parents are
the ones behind the wellness resort
The Farm at San Benito. Her husband
David, on the other hand, was one of
the pioneers of virgin coconut oil in the
Philippines.
As an alternative health practitioner,
Azoozo bollovos toot ocolovlo o sooso
of well-being should be pleasurable.
Taste remains a very important factor
when shes juicing. Not everything
thats good for you tastes gross. The
one who is cleansing should also get a
llttlo blt oI looscro oct oI lt, Azoozo
quips. I dont want people to just order
[Juju] once. I want it to be part of their
lifestyle.
Part of her strategy to make the Juju
Cleanse fun is to give the control of
the actual process of cleansing to her
customers. Although she believes that
the structure a strict schedule provides
helps people to achieve faster results,
Azoozo |oows toot oot ovoryooo coo
take the time off to cleanse during
their busy lives: Not all people can
take seven days of just drinking green
juice. The concept behind Juju Cleanse
is cleansing at your own pace, level, or
capacity.
Each cleansing kit comes with six bottles
of different juices, a pack of dry ice,
an instruction manual, and a cloth bag.
The price for each kit might be a bit
steep, starting from Php 2,200 pesos
for the one-day program and Php
6,600 for the three-day program, but
Azoozo o|os o vollu olot wooo soo
says that antibiotics cost just as much
anyway. The difference is that the
juices actually taste better and have a
better capability of enhancing your life
instead of just providing a cure for an
olloot. 1c|c ls Ior ovoryooo. oc lot
as well pay for your health, and not just
wooo yoc'ro slc|, Azoozo stotos.
Juju Cleanse currently delivers to areas
in Metro Manila. If you wish to make an
order or to discover what else juice-
fasting can do for you, contact Kat
Azanza at (02) 809-2634, (0917)
576-3012, or: info@jujucleanse.com
Ili: :jet|rtm el jtite: rerje lrem jreer, rei eri ellew eetl jreriiirj iillerer| |erel|: |e etr |ei.
expat | 81
SOCIAL
NETWORK
Nail Groove
Text by RAYDON L. REYES
Photos by JO ANN BITAGCOL
One look at Joanne Tsais ngernails
would instantly make you want to visit
her nail spa of the same name.
82 | expat
Even vanity can be a good thing. Isnt it
true that it opens the gateway towards
cleanliness, self-care, as well as self-
expression? Taiwanese nail-care expert
Joanne Tsai seems to think so. Of course,
you want to make yourself feel good
and attract people, especially if youre a
celebrity or somebody known, she says.
With Fingernails Salon, she helps people
do just that.
By focusing on services such as manicures,
pedicures, leg massages, waxing,
and nail art, Tsai lets women of any
nationality groom and match their nails
and extremities with their mood or function
for the daybe it for business or for
pleasure. Imagine having your favorite
rlots oou ottoros scco os sllvor owors
and bejeweled stars literally at the end of
yocr oortls. oc olso oovo too coolco
between 2D and 3D nail arts which would
instantly serve as your de facto accessory.
Having nails that look clean and neat
make women feel sexier and prettier,
Tsai relates, adding that Fingernails has
ortoorou c wlto Iosoloo oozloos
because theres a strong connection
between [nail care] and the fashion
industry.
Jsol, oowovor, oooslzos toot ooll
art can be for everybody from kids,
businesswomen, to pregnant women.
Teenagers especially enjoy her instant nail
printer that takes only seconds to brighten
their nails with awesome 2D designs:
I have customers as young as seven
years old and as old as 80 coming here.
Looking good is ageless.
To prove her point, Tsai talks about the
rst tlo soo wos oosou to too boocty
industry. Her mother operated a hair salon
and dermatology clinic back in Taiwan,
where she spent most of her time when she
was nine years old. She also bore witness
to the period that nail art became popular
in Taiwan and other countries, noticing
that those who would visit the Philippines
didnt have anyone to care for or remove
the designs. Since I was young, I always
liked to put make up and I really liked to
paint my nails. When the Philippines didnt
have nail art yet, I was already doing
it. I thought, hey, we might want to do
something like this because nobody was
doing it and its pretty competitive, she
shares.
After delving a bit into interior design,
oroots, oou cosotlcs, Jsol oolly
opened Fingernails in January 2011.
What sets it apart from its competitors
ls toot lt ctlllzos too Jolwoooso ooll-coro
technique that Tsai practically grew up
with. She asserts that the Filipino technique
tends to cut too deep, causing problems
such as in-grown nails. In Taiwan, people
dont take too much time off to get their
nails done. The people there work really
Iost. lt's clooo oou oIcloot, Jsol olots
out.
lt ls olso ooo oI too rst ooll sos lo
too cocotry to cso 8okltcol oou otoor
organic products that are completely
hypoallergenic. Our lotions, scrubs,
and massage oils are all made by our
supplier. Theyre non-sticky and even the
fragrance is natural, Tsai says.
Promising to deliver these upper-market
services with middle-market prices, Tsai
plans on adding more to Fingernails
repertoire by including more colors to the
36 shades that they already have, as well
as expanding the salon into a franchise.
So go ahead and turn your nails into your
own canvass.
Set an appointment with Fingernails by
calling (02) 3105342 or going to their
address: Unit 6 G/F Grand Soho Makati
#131 H.V. Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village,
Makati City.
Nail-care tips from Joanne
Tsai:
Volotolo yocr cctlclos by oovlo
regular manicures.
No nail biting. No matter how pretty
your nails are, it will look really bad
and youll need to put something fake
on top.
Alwoys ct ooou olstcrlzor,
especially around the cuticles, after
you shower or wash your hands. Not
only your nails but also your whole
hand has to look nice.
Avoid the products that have a lot of
chemicals because they will hurt your
nail bed and will make your nails look
yellow, fragile, and easy to crack.
(left to right) Joanne Tsai brought forth all her creative energy as
a nail-art expert and interior designer with Fingernails Salon.
3D nail art can serve as your statement piece in any occasion.
expat | 83
DAY IN
THE LIFE
Thats Greek To Me
Text by ASTRA C. ALEGRE
Photos by EJAY A. LEUNG
84 | expat
There was no doubt about it. I was sure I was
at the Greek ambassadors residence when
we were served a traditional Greek snack of
halva, a sweet and tasty pastry, rich purple
colored kalamata olives, and tea, made
from the crocus plant I was told, for our early
morning refreshment. We were to spend the
day with the ambassador, to see for ourselves
what her typical day is like. Her Excellency
Polyxenia Stefanidou, Greek Ambassador to
the Philippines, is up early at 7 a.m. She starts
her day by reading the days newspapers and
some documents. Each day, I have different
things to deal with as far as documents are
concerned.
When she is ready, she calls her driver and
ls brocot to too oIco. Or wo urlvo to otoor
locos lI l' lovltou to brloos or ovoots, ll|o
too ottlo oI Voollo ovoot too otoor uoy. lt oll
depends on my schedule. Gina, her assistant,
prepares her schedule.
At the time of our visit, her older daughter,
Denny, had just arrived from Greece for a
vlslt, oloo wlto oor |lus, uolooo, woo ls vo,
and Stelios, whos two. The ambassadors other
daughter is currently in London studying for
oor Vostors lo 8clooco lo sollo, trouo oou
oooco. lt's vory troultloool, too obossouor
says. Shipping is the main industry in Greece.
With the Aegean Sea to the east and the
Ionian Sea to the west, which belong to the
Voultorrooooo 8oo, lt o|os sooso. Wo
uool (o lot} wlto wotor, wlto too soo, soo
says. Greece is said to have the tenth longest
coastline in the world and a vast number of
islands, approximately 3,300 in all, 300 of
which are inhabited.
Ambassador Stefanidous husband, Konstantinos
Kanavariotis, is a retired Vice Admiral. They
rst ot lo scoool wooo soo wos l2 yoors olu. lt
woso't ooctly lovo ot rst slot tooco. ct Ioto
made their paths cross again when she was 34
years old, and as they say, the rest is history.
When she was 19 years old, she participated
in an archeological excavation in the island of
Santorini with the famous Greek archaeologist,
too loto lroIossor 8yrluoo Vorlootos. l wos
there for two whole summers, she relates. The
professor said, I think we are in the middle
of a big discovery. What we excavated that
day was a wall painting. He called it Spring
Fresco. That night we were drinking wine and
celebrating the discovery. When you visit this
archaeological site, you walk where people
walked 4,000 years ago.
In recognition of her archaeology background,
she was invited to San Francisco (where she
sorvou os Cooscl Gooorol} to lvo o tol| oo
Arcooooloy. 8oo soclollzou lo ro-olstory, lo
too Vloooo-Vycoooooo orlou. Wo oIIorou
too worlu ooo oI too oloost clvlllzotloo, too
ambassador says. We are proud of our
heritage. Greek artifacts are in many countries.
Some of them we can claim.
The ambassador can speak Greek, English,
Goroo, |rooco, 8oolso oou ltolloo cootly,
oou oos soo |oowlouo oI kcssloo oou
Bulgarian. She started learning languages in
her teens. I have a musical ear, she says. She
can speak the language the way it is spoken.
What gives us identity is language, she says.
On a table in her living room, the ambassador
showed us a picture of her when she was 30
years old. It was taken a few days before the
1980 Winter Olympics that was held in Lake
lloclu, Now or|. lt soowou too llotlo oI too
Olympic torch. She was one of the priestesses
standing in front of a column of an ancient
temple in Olympus, Greece.
In 1981, Greece joined the European Union
and she went to work for it for three years. She
had actually started thinking about becoming
a career diplomat much earlier, in 1976, when
the Greek government started to accept not
only those with degrees in law and economics.
It took seven more years before she took the
diplomatic exams in 1987.
Another item in her house that Ambassador
Stefanidou proudly showed us was her diploma
Iro uorvoru, Vostors lo lcbllc Aulolstrotloo,
which she got in 2005.
The ambassador also showed us a cupboard
containing a tea set collection, imported
from Great Britain. These are my mothers
toys, she said. She has brought them with her
everywhere, to Germany, Bulgaria, the United
States, and now the Philippines.
(main photo) Her Excellency Polyxenia Stefanidou, Greek Ambassador to the Philippines, with husband, retired Vice Admiral Konstantinos Kanavariotis
(left to right) Kalamata olives, a traditional Greek snack; The Ambassador was a priestess for the torch-lighting of Winter Olympics in 1980
expat | 85
DAY IN
THE LIFE
We arrive at the Greek embassy
and immediately the ambassadors
assistant, Gina, reports to her and
checks what she needs. She then
proceeds to offer us something to
eat and drink.
Docty oI Vlssloo, Cooscl Nl|oloos
Verghis, comes in with miscellaneous
documents. Everyday we receive
documents from Greece which
we have to answer or study. Then
we go through our normal work,
receiving people coming to us,
usually seafarers, Ambassador
Stefanidou explains. We are
told that its easier for seafarers
to apply for a visa, but they
are stricter with the medical
cortlcotos Ior coo|s. As sooo
as you submit your documents,
you get interviewed at once, no
oolotoots ooouou, to lollzo
biases. They do get Filipino tourists,
mostly wanting to go to Santorini,
which came to be known to Filipinos
as the setting of the movie which
storrou kC Coococloo oou klcooru
Gctlorroz. Jooro oro 7u,uuu
to 100,000 Filipinos in Greece.
Filipino seafarers, about 350,000,
are all over the world. Some
100,000 of them work on Greek
ships.
Joo cocolcotloos oIcor brlos
in whatever comes in through
email. I put marks on them i.e. for
llo, otc. koIorrlo to o cooo
expression, the ambassador says,
We dont say its Greek to me,
because we understand Greek. We
say its Chinese to me.
We were given a tour of the
embassy and the ambassador
introduced us to her staff consisting
of three Greeks and two Filipinos.
86 | expat
Newly-appointed European
uoloo uoou oI Dolootloo Gcy kouoc
makes a courtesy visit to Ambassador
8toIooluoc. Abossouor kouoc os|s
Ambassador Stefanidou a few questions
about Greece and its relationship with
the Philippines. He also asks her what role
has the European Union played in the
Philippines so far.
The ambassador says, 3-4 p.m.
we are on the phone, sometimes until 5
pm to answer questions. We have a six
hours time difference from Greece.
AItor oIco, l cscolly oovo soclol ovoots,
Ambassador Stefanidou says. Sometimes
Im glad if there is no social event in the
evening because I can come home and
relax, watch TV and read newspapers
again. For me, reading newspapers is like
o oobby, l roolly lovo lt. oc ot lots oI
information from it.
But today, the newspapers will have to
wait since the ambassador does have a
social event in the evening to attend.
Ambassador Stefanidou,
accompanied by her husband, the Vice
Admiral Kanavariotis, arrives at the
residence of French Ambassador Thierry
or|o Do Vozoto, woo wos oostlo o
farewell dinner for Spanish Ambassador
Luis Arias. To tell you the truth, I love
social events, Ambassador Stefanidou
says, Im a very social person.
On weekends, she tries to do some
traveling together with her husband. I
love traveling, she says. I try to make it
a point to visit as many islands as I can in
the Philippines. She has been to Batanes,
too klco Jorrocos, Jorloc, Clor|, 8cblc (l
lovo 8cblc, soo soys}, Loosl, oou olor.
She has visited Palawan four times. She
oos booo to Looo oou Vlolloc lo |l Nluo
as well as Puerto Princesa.
l ot Voyor uoouoro, soo rolotos.
8oo Iou too so lo too boy. Now, l'
o soclollst, soo soys. Joo bost so
feeding so far is in Honda Bay outside
Puerto Princesa because they have
troloou too so so woll, soo locos.
8oo coosou rolos lo oool. Woooovor
tooro ls o roy crclso, l |cst o Ior lt.
Joo rolos lovo oorovo troos. oc coo
see them better when there is no moon.
Its very romantic. She went with the
admiral, her husband.
Theyve also travelled to Donsol. I want
to swim again with the whale sharks, she
says. Thats what I intend to do this year
too. She tells this story: Actually it was
very funny, when we were in Donsol. I
was diving for the whales. That was the
day after the big earthquake in Chile
which caused a tsunami. Her husband,
was watching out for a tsunami. Its his
instinct. He felt something. Of course,
Donsol is in the inner side. We were
touring around Legaspi. Perhaps he was
locoocou by Voyoo, wolco wos so closo
and active.
She had been to Cotabato, Cagayan
de Oro, and Camiguin Island. She had
been once to Amanpulo and once to
Coron. I visited Coron with a German
lady friend, she relates. Her husband
was in Greece at that time. I have many
international friends and they are coming
here to visit me. So Im promoting tourism
in the Philippines.
Since her daughter was visiting, they
planned a trip to Plantation Bay in Cebu.
It seems the ambassadors weekends are
as busy, if not more so, as her weekdays.

The party is winding down and
Ambassador Stefanidou makes her way
home with her spouse. It was another
long but a very productive day for the
amicable and hardworking ambassador.
(opposite page) Greek Ambassador to the Philippines,
HE Polyxenia Stefanidou, at work, at her desk at the
Embassy
(left to right) Greek Ambassador Stefanidou is being
updated by her Deputy of Mission Nikolaos Verghis;
We are proud of our heritage, the Ambassador says.
Greek artifacts are in many countries.
expat | 87
Getting Wired in the Slums
INSIDER
British-born Jon Mannion, founder of Constructing
Learning Through Technology (CLT), shares his
experience working with streetkids via his Information
Communication Technology (ICT) advocacy
program.
Text by JON MANNION Photos by BENHUR ARCAYAN
88 | expat
The greeting at the gate is always
a moment of high energy, and
excitement. The boys home for
streetkids, holds 17 boys and six
girls ranging in age from eight to 15.
Joo woru sroous toot Vr. 1oo oos
arrived and I am soon shaking hands
and blessing the kids amidst the
pleasant pandemonium.

Even after six months of my thrice
weekly visits, the excitement for
access to the computers and internet
has not subsided. Personally, the visits
never fail to jolt and give enrichment
as I bear witness to this world of
lost children, who are in the slow
rocoss oI oulo toosolvos, wlto
the framework and support of
dedicated NGO Spiritual Physical
|uccotloo Ccltcrol 8oclol (8l|C8} oou
CLTs ICT, everyone is involved in an
experiment in learning.

Vor ls o collu oI 8 yoors. uls
physiognomy is striking. His frame is
smaller than what would be normal
Ior ols oo yot ols ooou ls ovorslzou,
and his musculature is that of a
mature male. His feral look, the cut of
his hair, the condition of his skin and
his hyper-alert stance belie his years
of neglect and wild existence in the
loroogco lcbllc Cootory, ols ooo
for years. He lived with a gang as his
extended family. They abused him and
turned him to a life of crime.

Progress Report
After a month with the program he cuts
a different picture. He is learning how
to type, he enjoys basic math games,
listening and interacting with stories. He
is a long way from reaching a grade
level performance, but he is now in a
position to begin his learning. In a public
school setting, his chances would be
slim. His individual needs and potential
woclu oovor bo rocoolzou. Joo soo
goes for the boys and girls at the
home who show genuine promise and
ability to understand the complexities
of Information Technology. Abe, (a
Ioror sootcoor} locl (o Iocoullo},
Vortlo (woo oos o sooco uoIoct}, oou
Edward are all bright, and in a perfect
world would be supported to reach a
potential that would reward them in
ocr socloty. Vortlo's toloot llos lo ols
patience and art work, Pauls with his
speed of calculation, Eddy has many
talents, as does Abe. They all have
different interests, skill sets and methods
of learning.

CLTs learning experiment is to allow
each youngster his or her own way to
learning. The tools of the computer and
internet facilitate this. Everyday, each
student works in unique ways, on self-
selected content.

Kent is ten, but is small like all of
the others and was unable to use his
birthday as a password because he
does not know it. He is one of several
star performers, his enjoyment of
learning evident. His project has been
to document the local community via
a donated digital camera. Barangay
134 in Pasay City is a dense, evolving,
and bustling network of alleyways and
patchwork dwellings, brimming with
personalities and character. Kent has
taken it upon himself and his partners to
ou oou uoccoot tooso cooroctors.

Class Action
At 11.15 a.m. our morning youngsters
dash off for a shower and change
into uniforms for their time in formal
school. At least eight out of the ten
youngsters have stayed at the learning
center longer than their scheduled
slot. Extra donations of more computers
have allowed us to stretch and
accommodate this interest. The local
school age population is so huge and the
school capacity so small that, the day
at the local public school is divided into
shifts. The classes are between forty and
Ity stcuoots. Absoocos oro cooo,
the lack of interest in many of our
kids could not be overstated. Blank
expressions are the usual response to
my questions about what happened,
or what was taught at school.
The lunch time hours in the learning
center are for the adults. The training
ls ooous-oo, scco os oow to ctlllzo
Facebook, e-mail, and Google
tools. We talk about how we can
integrate the values training of
SPECS, our partner NGO, into the
learning of the kids. We clarify the
expectations of what a teacher or
mentor could look like.

We have volunteer learning mentors
who have to be guided. We have
volunteers from International School
Voollo woo oro bcllulo Iocr otoor
learning labs and a work shop in
other locations. Next week we will
begin holding Alternative Learning
8ystos (AL8} clossos lo tooso
locations.

Second Shift
Our older kids take over the learning
lab in the afternoon and we see more
oI 1cstlo olbor, ocJcbo oou ooor
demands for Facebook. They are
constructing web pages and relating
toolr scoool wor| to ltos tooy coo ou
oo too oot. Vor oou ols slstor Vorll,
and a few others without the skill set to
handle web page design, work alone
or in pairs on typing, math or reading
games. Even the encyclopedia is fun for
these kids.

At too oou oI too uoy, orocou vo
p.m. we wrap up the lab. Ali, perhaps
a future scholar, helps shut down the
machines. We run over time, as some kids
may be in a groove with a particular
game or page.

l slt, uo-corosslo. Vorloo oou o Iow
kids help carry my bags to my car. I
drive through the Barangay twilight,
gliding around vendors: smoke, smells,
cockerels and commotion.
I want to call out to volunteers and
for donations. We are growing as
the donations have far exceeded our
expectations. For more information
and updates visit us on our Facebook
Page: Constructing Learning through
Technology.
Vy ooll ls |oooloo_2uuu@yoooo.
com. Visit http://outofschoollearning.org
It is hoped that the success we can show here in
small projects with the most deprived kids can
spark broader improvements for all in learning.
expat | 89
If it was curiosity and a sense of
adventure that brought my 99-year
old grandmother, Jessie Lichauco to the
Philippines 80 years ago, it was love that
made her stay.
Sitting on the covered porch of her family
ooo oo too losl klvor lo 8ooto Aoo,
she explains the roots of this love. Its
not just individual love for one person
its when you learn to love the nation,
when you learn to love the people in it.
When you love being where you are
She continues, In the Philippines I found
nothing but love. Its a loving country and
its always been that way.
When Nana, as she is often called by
grandchildren, arrived in the Philippines
after a 28 day boat ride from America
in 1933, she was 18 years old. The
countrys population was eight million and
many people still traveled in horse-drawn
carriages and streetcars. She knew no
one other than the man who had invited
and been courting her, my grandfather
Vorclol l. Llcoocco, wooso lovltotloo to
come and see the country where she
would live seemed the most practical
way to explore the possibility of a life
together. Nana explains, Whether I
stayed or not depended on how I was
rocolvou. Vy roouIotoor oou soo
married less than a week later, and the
soous oI oor oow llIo woro rly lootou
on Philippine soil.
Having spent her early years on an island
off the coast of Cuba, and school age
years in America, the Philippines was
half way across the world but somehow
in many ways familiar to her. She recalls,
Vost oolo so|o 8oolso os ulu l, oou
things like coconuts and mangoes were
part of my childhood.
Speaking of her romance with my
grandfather, Nana describes, It was
oro ctcol oulrotloo tooo lovo ot rst
slot. Wooo l rst ot ol l Iocou ol to
be a very interesting person and this is
very important. And the more I knew him,
the more I admired what he was doing
he was executive advisor for the Osrox
Vlssloo Ior lolllloo louooouooco.
We had great respect for each other.
I was very young and he had a great
locooco oo y llIo. 8oo ouvlsos, oc
must remember that there is a difference
between love and compatibility and if
you have to choose, choose compatibility.
Vorrlou 39 yoors oou oovlo booo o
widow just as long, Nana shares, I could
have looked the world over and not have
found a better man.
Vy roouIotoor, ot too oo oI l,
wos too rst |lllloo to ottoou uorvoru
University College and Law School. Given
toot oo tooo rotcroou to Voollo to |olo
too Doortoot oI 1cstlco's |lscol oIco,
served many years as Professor of Law
at the University of Sto. Tomas, eventually
bocoo too cocotry's rst ovorooot
corporate counsel, and then had his
own private corporate law practice, my
grandmother was able to witness the
major historical and political events of
Philippine history.
A Foreign Face,
A Filipina Heart
Text by SUNSHINE LICHAUCO DE LEON
Photos courtesy of SUNSHINE LICHAUCO DE LEON
EXPAT
LEGEND
90 | expat
One day I found Nana staring at a peso
bill in her hand, her eyes dreamy with
memory. Pointing to the face on the bill,
she said, These are all my friends I
looked at her in confusion until slowly the
anecdotes of her experiences with each
personality unfolded, and I was introduced
to a history suddenly brought to life.
Vootlo ovory rosluoot loclculo lrosluoot
Aclooluo, llvlo lo Voollo ucrlo too
Japanese occupation and the destruction of
Worlu Wor 2, wltoosslo too rst olrlooo
and airmail arrive (the Pan American
cllor loouou oo Voollo oy} oou soolo
the Philippines gain independence are
only a few of the countless unforgettable
experiences she has lived through.
Vy roouotoor's rootost lIt ls oor
memory, and sharing the breadth of her
experiences gathered over seven decades
is something she loves to do. Oral history is
important, she believes, because there are
lots of little things you dont write down.
Believing that everything is for a purpose
in life, she feels that perhaps its part of
her obligation to speak: I dont have
many diplomas like others but I have lived.
I think its necessary for people to know
better about events that happened in the
past and about relationships it can help
people understand. She continues, And
because I have lived through so much, my
head is blocked up with much history which
l Iool coollou to rolooso, vorbollzo oou
let those experiences be known
With fair skin, green eyes and auburn hair
(oow sllvor roy}, yot soo|lo Joolo,
|ollso oou 8oolso cootly oou |oowlo
her way around the country
like a true local, she has often
been asked What she is. She
says I consider myself a part
of the people of the Philippines
I never considered myself an
expat or a foreigner. I have
a foreign face but a Filipino
heart.
And with seven children, 18
grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren spread
out through the world, she
is happy to have lived long
enough to see that her family
has joined what she refers
to as the sixth race the
lotorootloool roco. koIorrlo to
what she believes will compose the world
of future generations, one where all colors
merge into one, she muses, Hopefully this
will lead to a more understanding world to
which our marriage has contributed.
Nana recalls what she missed the most
when in the early 1960s, my grandfather
was appointed Ambassador to the Court
of St James in England: I missed the smile
of the childrens eyes and the laughter of
the people. There was such a difference
botwooo too oou wooro l woot. Voybo
because they have such a hard time most
of the time that they have been given the
ability to ignore and accept many of the
things happening to them.
It was this affection for Filipino children
that then led her to devote much of her
tlo lo Voollo to oollo tooso lo ooou
of a better future. Working with the
Settlement House (Association de Damas
|lllloos} Ior 35 yoors, oou sorvlo os o
very active president for nine years, she
was instrumental in its expansion. Getting
involved to try and help the country was
something that came naturally to her I
think that whatever you are you have to try
to o|o yocrsolI csoIcl. oc coo't |cst slt
around and wait for your husband to come
back and forth.
Vy roouotoor oo woot soo soys ls o vory
sad aspect of the Philippines she adores
so much: Unfortunately we have so many
people who do not have proper places to
live, do not have enough to eat, children do
not have enough schooling, and it saddens
me when I see all the huge big buildings
and houses around, which we cannot afford
because we cannot afford to look after the
children that are born to us in the country.
Nana continues, Some have too much and
many have too little in life I pray this will
change!
Her work to defend the human rights of
children has even led her to become a one
woman campaign against calling them
kids. She explains, Kids is the name used
to describe baby goats so unless human
mothers are nanny goats, and their fathers
are Billy Goats, calling children kids is
inappropriate besides, its offensive to
both the children and the animals.
But the desire to offer people a step
up did not stop when she left Settlement
House. She explains, I made a deal
with God my father a long time ago. If
there was anything I ever needed to do,
just send it to me. And this promise has
been the constant beat in the wonderfully
unpredictable rhythm of this ladys life.
All of my life, I have seen my grandmother
befriend people everywhere she goes,
and assist them in whatever way possible
whether helping open the door to work
or educational opportunities in the 1970-
80s, helping a man with third degree burns
on his body receive medical attention
or simply just listening to a stranger who
needed to talk to someone.
Often called earth mother by many of
the hundreds who have stayed in her home
over the years, Nana also has a natural
ability to make people happy and make
people feel loved. She says, Accepting
people is very important. And anyone you
bump into is really your neighbor you
must think the best of them and not put
ooybouy uowo. oc coo lovo yocrsolI bct
you have to love others too.
Vy roouotoor wlll bo luu yoors olu
in 11 months. Her body may have aged
slightly but her spirit has not, and this I
believe is the secret to her ability to still
engage in life as fully as she does. When
I asked her the other day what it was she
loved, her answer came without hesitation,
I love the things that I dont know anything
about because I love the mystery of
life
(opposite page) A pre-world war portrait of Jessie
Lichauco
(left to right) Marcial and Jessie Lichauco in St.
erl': 'tere ir \erite ir |le I7JJ:.
Her 99th birthday celebration.
expat | 91
kollwoys, tooy oovo booo o llIo loo
passion for me. The last 37 years
have been spent researching, writing
about and travelling on the railways of
Australia, the Philippines and Fiji.
I have witnessed the gradual
modernisation, cutting back and demise
of much of our railways. Gradually,
the fun experience of riding trains was
being ripped from us, the majority of
the population turning to the private,
pollution belching, motor vehicle in
droves and the government utilising this
to continually remove public rail services
(oot toot tooy ooou oo occso ot tlos}.
Vy rst trl to too lolllloos wos lo
1999, primarily to meet the family of
my wife, but also to explore some of the
countries railways. What I found was a
step back in time, not that this is a bad
thing, it was actually a breath of fresh
air, a return to a time when rail travel
was far more enjoyable far more fun.

The following decade saw that dreaded
modernisation invade the metro railway
lo Voollo, oow rollcors, scrolo oI
older historical items and the removal
of the urban canyon of squatter huts
toroco Voollo. Coooo toot oos oow loIt
the railways with a very different face

It was an invite from our Philippine
kollwoy ulstorlcol 8ocloty' socrotory,
Paul Hornby, which saw me venture down
to Naga, in beautiful Bicol, for a ride on
the recently-commenced Bicol Commuter
service from Sipocot to Ligao.
So it was that we arrived at a dark and
warm Naga station at 5am, met the train
crew and boarded our carriage behind
the locomotive.
Pure beauty! There is no other term
to describe the initial run north to
8locot. Joo scorlso ovor rlco olus
and distant mountains, only bettered
by the same views during those famous
Philippine sunsets. Seeing the landscape
transition from night to day, rice farmers
commencing their daily toil and watching
Romance of The Rail
Text by BRAD PEADON
Philippine Railway Historical Society
Philippine-railways.blogspot.com
SPECIAL
LOVE STORY
92 | expat
the smaller line-side towns coming to life
for another day.
The sun was already well up for the
arrival at Sipocot, giving time to meet
some of the wonderfully friendly locals,
grab a drink and snack from the nearby
sari-sari store and settle in for the run
back through Naga, through countryside
earlier passed in darkness.
At this time I should mention that this train
ride is to be treated as an adventure, not
only for those with a passion for trains, but
those with a desire to see the Philippines
in a way that only a train can provide.
The regular set is not air-conditioned
(o oow korooo-bcllt DVu wos csou Ior
o brloI wollo ucrlo 2ulu}, too rluo ls
not smooth, and there are no food and
beverage services on board. It should also
be noted that line-side residents, mostly
children, enjoy throwing rocks at the train.
The windows have grills to prevent injury,
while those who enjoy hanging from doors
are advised to keep a sharp eye for
potential hurlers of hard projectiles.
This train is by no means an Orient
|ross, koc|y Vocotolooor or louloo
loclc lt ls Ior oro Ico tooo oll oI too.
The trip north to Sipocot takes around
an hour, the trip south takes about two.
Ample time is available at both termini,
and at Naga, to stock up on refreshments.
Arrival in Naga was at mid-morning; most
passengers from the north end of the run
disembark here, while those for the south
hop on board. Normally, the south service
is not as well patronised as that of the
north, but this is probably mostly due to
the single daily service it receives.
The rest of the morning and until the mid-
afternoon, the train takes you on arguably
the more attractive section south to Ligao,
a trip that will only get better when the
bridge at Travesia is repaired and trains
able to return to Legaspi.
Ooo olus, coctcotou by soll Iorosts
of trees, some wonderful bridges, all
occasionally giving way to extremely busy
locations like Iriga City. Along the way,
the same continuous line of mountains seen
en route to Sipocot are in the distance to
the east.
Bicol is blessed with much scenic and
historical beauty, indeed you could spend
months in the region and never do it all
justice. It was enough to encourage me
to return a second time in 2010, yet
still crave to venture back when next
holidaying.
However, no other location can be more
awe-inspiring, so scary and yet so very
booctlIcl, tooo too Voyoo volcooo. 8tlll
very much active, and no doubt in the
back of every locals minds 24/7, this
oolcoot ootcrol Iootcro coo bo sooo
for many a kilometre in each direction,
Ligao station being no exception.
Joo sooor slzo oI Voyoo lvos o Ioollo
that she is far closer to Ligao than is
actually the case. Said to be the most
perfectly coned example in the world,
her towering height looks over the current
terminus and allows for stunning shots
that include the train and station building,
along with this small town.
As ooy o locol wlll toll yoc, Voyoo coo
be angry, but a lot of the time she is very
shy and hides herself amongst the clouds.
So do not be upset if she is not visible on
your arrival, she just mustnt know you.
Train crew partake in lunch at a small hot
food place on Ligao station, a number of
local dishes being available. Once you
oro Iclly sotlsou wlto loo|lo orocou oou
ottlo yocr ootos, |olo too lNk stoII
and locals for a bite to eat. All are very
friendly and are very interested in people
who have travelled far, especially with
the sole purpose of catching their train.
lNk Noo oolo oro vory rocu oI
what they have achieved there since
Jyoooo kolo closou too lloo lo
2006, and so they should be, on such
a little budget and very few modern
track building conveniences, they have
managed to not only get a local commuter
service running again, they have made
it an extremely popular and important
service.
Following lunch, the train, which had been
turned earlier, returns north back towards
Naga.
If lucky enough, you may be able to get
a ride with the crew up front. The drivers
certainly have the best, uninterrupted,
view of the landscape. Photographers will
ou too ooto oortcoltlos Ior bottor
from this location as well, especially when
out on the footplate (keeping in mind
tooso roc| torowors oolo}.
Besides all this, its just an awesome
Ioollo bolo oct lo too broozo, wlou
screaming through your hair and watching
kilometre after kilometre of countryside
pass by.
Arrival back in Naga is in the mid-
afternoon, leaving plenty of time to
explore this fascinating city before
moving on to other destinations. While
in Naga we stayed at the Sambaguita
Hotel. This was a nice looking hotel and
very well priced, the staff were mostly
great, although one did not like to have
her television watching interrupted too
much. The hotel is located close to the
railway station, although a taxi would be
recommended for the early morning trip
to the station.
The train continues back to Sipocot for an
afternoon return run, allowing the more
adventurous to spend a whole day in any
of the northern locations served.
A venerable Blue Whale
locomative charges down the
renovated railway tracks
expat | 93
Younes Lahrichi
Economic Department
Embassy of France
My favorite Filipino food is chicken adobo because it is
good. I eat it everywhere. I have it three to four times a
week.
Ho Kok Fai
Food & Beverage Director
Manila Pavilion Hotel
I enjoy the Philippine
lechon paksiw. So
delicious! I rst tasted it
during a Christmas party I
attended in a home.
Walter Raffo
Prodata Mobility Systems
I like sh very much. I like bangus. I was in Cebu at SuTuKil,
close to Lapu Lapus statue. They cook it for you.
What is your favorite local food?
EXPAT PICKS
94 | expat
Lifestyle
Culture
P
h
o
t
o

b
y

J
o
v
e
l

L
o
r
e
n
z
o
It's all in here, your quarterly guide to where to eat, what
to see and what to do on the islands of the Philippines.
Sit down to indulge in gourmet gastronomy at Mama's
Table in Baguio or kick off your heels and get t with
barefoot running. You can also take in the sights and
sounds at the newly opened Ronac Art Center, the
possibilities in and out of the metro are endless.
The movement has been around for a few
years now, but in these parts, barefoot
running still sounds nothing more than
something one does before splashing right
into the sea. That, or something that comes
as a consequence of a night of heavy
drinking. On the contrary, there have been
many published pieces on the subject. And
while not all of it is devoted to the extreme
picture of running the city streets on your
bare feet, they present an interesting,
albeit concrete logic for how shoes have
altered the natural evolution of the human
foot, and how the gradual return to how
nature intended our feet to be used can be
boooclol.
Bound Masterpiece
With 200,000 nerve endings (one of the
highest concentrations anywhere in the
bouy}, 33 o|or csclos, 28 booos oou
19 ligaments; the foot is a biochemical
masterpiece. Lee Saxby, a renowned
running coach, bio-mechanics expert and
Level 4 pose method trainer says:The foot
is perfectly engineered to run. But encased
lo sooos, ocr Ioot oovo ottoo lozy.
With most of us having worn shoes our
whole lives, it naturally seems counter-
intuitive to think that shoes can be a
deterrent to the natural abilities of the
human foot. But advocates of barefoot
running say that this is so, if we continue
to think of our feet as nothing more
TUNE-UP
How Going Unshod Can Bare Fruit
A look into barefoot running,
the closest thing to it and the
booots oI |oolo yocr boro
feet on the ground.
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY
Photos by REDG PLOPINIO
96 | expat
:KDWW\SHRISHRSOHZRXOG\RX
suggest barefoot/minimalist shoe
running to?
RP: I would suggest barefoot/
minimalist shoes to everyone who runs.
Maybe not full-time, but to just try it
once in a while. Try to have a one
kilometer recovery barefoot run the
day after a long run to build the little
muscles on the foot that we forget to
use. It doesnt have to be on the road.
Take off your shoes when you see
c fccILc|| fe|c cnc run cn Ihe |cwn
for a few laps. You dont really need
to be in racing mode when you go
LcrefccI. Ihi: i: Lenefcic| e:pecic||y
if you have recurring injuries, whether
plantar fasciitis or back pains. They
might be caused by your high-impact
running.
What are the top things to keep
LQPLQGZKHQWU\LQJRXWEDUHIRRW
minimalist shoe running?
RP: Personally, I keep in mind two
things: Be in touch with yourself,
and be in touch with the ground.
Remember the primal experience
of being barefoot, the most natural
sensation for all humans. Stop
depending on what tips others
would give. Instead, savor your own
experience. If theres pain, be at
home with it. Pain will teach you to
run properly. Pain will teach you to
stop for the day and then continue
the next day. With being in touch
with yourself and the ground, you get
to engage in the here and now of
running. Your mind is not in the book,
or how tos of a magazine, you gear,
or other contraptions. Youre just
running in its purest form.
tooo bloc|s oI oso toot oolu cs crlot.
Its been said that four million years of
evolution have led to the feets ability to
act as earthward antennae which help us
balance and transmit information back to
us about the ground were treading on.
Some 30 plus years of the modern running
shoe, they say, have taken away all that.
Expert Speak
Dr. Daniel Lieberman, a professor of
biological anthropology at Harvard
University, has come out and said that
many foot and knee injuries are caused by
people running in shoes that make our feet
weak, causing us to over-pronate (ankle
rototloo} wolco loous to |ooo roblos.
He goes on saying that until 1972, when
the modern athletic shoe was invented,
people ran in very thin-soled shoes, and
had strong feet with much lower incidence
of knee injuries. The logic is that the feet
naturally want to have a sense of the
rocou, wooro lt's olo to loou. Vouoro
trainers have supposedly taken that away
with their raised heels, supported arch and
squishy soles, so the greater the cushioning
of the shoe, the greater the impact is on
the legs, hips, back and even up to the
shoulder. According to a study led by Dr.
orooru Vortl, too looulo rovoototlvo-
oulcloo soclollst ot 8wltzorloou's
University of Bern, runners wearing top-
of-the-line trainers are 123 percent more
likely to get injured than runners in cheap
ones. In this culture of stiff competition
amongst athletic shoe companies to come
out with the most advanced technology
supposedly designed to help us perform
bottor, tooso oro trcly ostocoulo oulos.
Furthermore, its been found that people
who run barefoot display a wider range
of motion in the foot, engaging more of the
toes during propulsion and landing. Their
Ioot o, sroou oou sloy to rl too
ground, leading to less pronation and the
distribution of pressure.
Vlcoool 8ooulor, bost-solllo octoor oI
oroIoot kcoolo oou oo lotorootlooolly
rocoolzou boroIoot rcoolo oou wol|lo
coach, fell into the ideology of barefoot
running entirely by accident literally.
In 2006, while training for a cross-country
in-line skating trip, Sandler suffered a
near-death accident, which left him with
a shattered femur, hip and arm. He was
told, repeatedly, that he wouldnt be able
to run again. Desperate to rediscover
the joys of running, he went through all
sorts of orthotics, podiatrists and shoes,
before stumbling upon the concept of
barefoot running. He now runs barefoot
with a titanium femur and hip, on a total
of ten knee operations and no left ACL.
He professes that if theres anyone who
shouldnt have been able to run again,
much less be a barefoot runner, it was him.

Bare Truth
Barefoot running is not for everyone. And
it is highly advised for anyone interested in
going unshod to ease into it slowly and be
sensible about it. There are a good number
of muscles that have been neglected due
to the foot being encased in shoes for the
longest time, that you need to allow your
body time to attune to the aches and pains
that will come with the transition to the
cso oI boro Ioot. lo oroIoot kcoolo,
8ooulor coostootly oooslzos too ooou to
listen to your body as you reacquaint your
feet with the earth.
For those who might never come to grips
with other people staring at them while
on their barefoot run, theres a more
conventional way to ease into the paradox
of this phenomenon, and this is where
minimalist shoes enter. These shoes that
mimic the mechanics of being barefoot
are a great way to correct posture and
to learn to run without the fear of
stepping on unnatural surfaces. Either
that or to pacify those that are irked by
the nonconformity of bare feet, or as this
brlllloot twoot solu. Vlolollst sooos Iclll
the need of those around you for you
to not be barefoot. Seasoned runner,
triathlete and occasional barefoot runner,
kou llololo ottosts. Joo troosltloo
wasnt easy. Its hard to unlearn a habit
that weve become accustomed to for
years. He adds that it took two months
to alternate between regular trainers and
minimalist shoes, before occasionally going
full barefoot. Experienced runners are not
immune to the aches that come with the
transition, but therein lies the beauty of
barefoot/minimalist shoe running. As Born
to kco octoor Corlstooor VcDocoll soys.
The one cool thing about barefoot running
is that its a great regulator. When youre
in the middle of a run and your feet start
to hurt, youre done for the day.
For more information visit terraplana.com or
drop by Barefoot Store - SM Mall of Asia,
Terra Plana, Cebu, Barefoot Pop-Up Store,
Alabang Town Center and Trinoma Mall to
get a close-up look at minimalist footwear.
Triathlete and seasoned
runner Redg Plopinio weighs in
Terra Plana's Vivo Barefoot
running shoes offer the
top choices in minimalist
footwear
expat | 97
According to a 2001 survey, 240 million
people in the world play football
regularly. Nearly a decade later,
|lllloos oro oolly cotcolo oo to too
trend. It may have taken a bunch
of good-looking lads and a string of
unlikely match results to pry the countrys
eyes away from the hardwoods of
bos|otboll, bct too Iootboll bczz ls
louder than ever in these islands. For the
husband and wife tandem of Avery and
Cooulco Groy-uol kosorlo, oowovor,
too bczz oos booo wlto too toolr woolo
lives.
As former members of the De La Salle
uolvorslty, Voollo oo's oou wooo's
football varsity teams, and lifelong
footballers, they have etched on their
beings an overwhelming passion for the
beautiful game. And as with anything
that brings forth such passion, football
has become fundamental in the shaping
of their respective characters. And such
was the impact the sport had on them
both that they felt compelled to share
the experiences and traits they got from
being enveloped by the game.
Our passion for the sport grew each
day and eventually led us to put up
our own football school, Futbol Funatics,
in the hopes that we could give others
an experience that they would also
enjoy and cherish for the rest of their
lives, program director Candice shares.
She furthers, Everyday, we try to
instill important values in our players
teamwork, self-discipline, taking
constructive criticism, setting goals and
working to achieve them, and more
importantly, taking the lesson out of
every game in hopes that these traits
will stay with them as they move on to
adulthood.

Football-Life Camp
2003 saw the couple put up Futbol
TUNE-UP
More Than A Game
A look into Futbol Funatics, the comprehensive
football school from passion-drenched individuals
bent on shaping bright futures through the
beautiful game.
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY
Photos by FRANCIS LYLE JUAREZ
98 | expat
Since its beginnings back in 2003,
Futbol Funatics has always been
involved in outreach football camps.
This is our way of giving back to
the community as we feel football
is a sport that should be enjoyed by
people of all social backgrounds. We
u:uc||y :e|ecI c Lenefcicry - eiIher
c :chcc| cr c fcunccIicn - cnc
provide free football lessons for their
kids, shares Candice. Currently ,
Futbol Funatics is offering free football
sessions to the kids of Mano Amiga
in Taguig. Apart from the outreach
camps, they also accept donations
of second hand football gear which
they distribute to less fortunate football
players.

For kids with a heightened love
affair with the sport, and for parents
encouraging this, Futbol Funatics also
offers footbal party packages. As
Candice relays, It started when one
parent asked us to do football games
for her childs birthday party. It was
such a success that we started offering
football parties on a regular basis.
And football has come full circle with
Futbol Funatics as parents increasingly
want to learn the sport themselves. This
gave way to the expansion to Adult
Workshops. They also have regular
futsal workshops for women (working
women and moms of all ages) at Club
650 in Libis, Quezon City which is now
in its fourth year.
Theyve also recently launched FFAST
Program (Futbol Funatics Advanced
Supplementary Training Program)
catering to highly advanced players,
which apart from deepening their
knowledge of the sport, teaches them
how to deal with the pressure and
higher expectations brought upon by
their advanced skills.
Football & Beyond
Funatics, then just a modest weekend
football camp in Cuenca Park, Ayala
Alabang Village with only a few kids
participating. Soon after though, they
opened year-round camps in Tahanan
Village Park, Paranaque and summer
camps in preschools such as The Bridge
School, Precamp and Kindercare.
As the number of participants grew,
its as if Avery and Candices passion
Ior toocolo Iootboll ooly lotooslou
as both decided to put their respective
careers on hold (Avery his teaching post
in Paref Southridge School in Alabang,
and Candice her day job at the Embassy
oI Collo} to Icrtoor uovolo toolr Iootboll
school. Avery concentrated on upgrading
the curriculum of the camps and launched
the adult futsal and football workshops, as
well as the Futbol Funatics sportswear and
merchandise line. Candice, on her part,
attended a coaching licensing course in the
US and dedicated the rest of her time to
the football school full-time.
We immersed ourselves in coaching
workshops and went back to school to
enroll in education units in preparation
to take the Licensure Examination for
Teachers. We felt it was important to
not only be well-versed in the sport of
football, but also in understanding the
psychology of children, so we became
licensed teachers as well, relays technical
ulroctor Avory, oI toolr roollzotloo oI
where there hearts truly were.
Funatic Growth
We wanted to make football accessible
to more people by opening in places
convenient and close in proximity to where
they live, Avery recalls. And thats exactly
what they did. Aside from the camps they
held in community parks and sports centers
(The Village Sports Club in Paranaque,
too Vorolco Cootor lo losl oou uruoooto
vllloo lo Vo|otl}, tooy oovo broocoou
out their programs to schools. Their team
of coaches, all of whom undergo Futbol
Funatics workshops on grassroots training,
child psychology in sports development
oou rst-olu trootoot, oow oooulo
the football club and varsity teams of
Everest Academy in The Fort, the Physical
Education program of The Bridge School
and Preppi International School among
others.
The football schools unique coaching
philosophy allows for the children and the
coaches to enjoy a rapport essential to
the kids development. The relationships
oro orsooollzou lo scco o woy toot oot
only are the abilities and potential of
too ortlcloots ollzou, o|lo too
effective players, it ensures that they have
fun every step of the way, keeping them
motivated to learn.
A lot of our drills are incorporated into
fun games so that the kids are enjoying
while theyre learning. For the younger
roc (oos toroo to sl} wo'vo crootou
games like Spiderman-Batman, Space
Shuttle Attack and Transformers. The
concepts of these games allow them
to exercise their imagination while
simultaneously practicing their football
skills. In other drills, the concepts of colors,
ocbors, sooos oou slzos oro olso
incorporated into the game so they are
learning more than just football, explains
Candice.
In spite of the scale that this weekend
football camp has reached, the couple
feels that theyve been true to their
objective. Despite our growth the
past eight years, weve kept the camp
orsooollzou wollo oot ooly Ioccslo oo
developing football skills but also building
character and teaching values that can
make the kids good decision makers both
oo oou oII too olu, Avory ossorts.
For more information visit futbolfunatics.com
or call 0916-7067715/(02) 467-6463
expat | 99
As you might imagine, being accustomed
to scco soclollzotloo oou toot tyo oI
cohesive culture plus having such moments
strongly embedded as part of my
formative childhood years, the migration
to the US when I was eight years old
shocked and transformed me into a
whole other animal.
Gone were the familiar faces and the
familiar ways of the Filipino. Gone were
the friends, cousins, and relatives. Gone
woro too blrtouoy ostos. Gooo woro too
loy-llou oItoroooos. Gooo woro too
soclollzlo oou lotoroctloo. Gooo wos too
sun. Gone was the Philippines.
I was now alone in black and white
America. Friends? Cousins? Games?
Gone. Americans sit on the couch and
loy vluoo oos. oc woot o oyslcol
game? In America, you can pay a
monthly fee and join a team, where
a coach will bark at you, where team
mates will give you a hard time for
being a loser or sucking at the sport, and
where the competitive stress overwhelms
the whole joy from playing the game.
Whatever happened to just playing for
fun? What ever happened to...
Taguan (oluo oou soo|} wooo y
Irloous oou l woclu slyly ou too orIoct
hiding spot, agilely and acrobatically
molding ourselves to the locale, silently
waiting... the excitement building. Until
wah! Were found, with so much laughter
ensuing from the joy of this game and
with others to play with. And the more
people there were, the merrier!
Sipa. The national game/sport. Simply
made with a washer and cloth or even
with a metal bottle cap and plastic strips
through its center (or even rattan strips
ouo loto o boll}, tols oo ls o tost oI
speed, agility, and control in which the
loyor(s} |lc| too boll roootouly wltooct
having it touch the ground or kick the ball
to each other until someone fails to keep
it from hitting the ground.
We were active; we played in the
sun. We played patintero (tubigan or
harangang taga}, Chinese garter, habulan
(taya or cooso}, luksong lubid (jump
roo}, agawan base (agawang sulok},
piko (buan-buan or oo scotco}, luksong
baka (lltorolly, loo cow}, oou luksong
tinik. We used our muscles to jump, run,
and just move. Never was it a chore. The
school system never needed to worry
about obese, diabetic, inactive children.
It was daily exercise that was fun and
never had to be forced.
We played simple games using simple
objects. We played with sticks, stones,
cans, balls... There was no need for
expensive, fancy gadgets, playgrounds,
or video game systems to keep us
entertained. What was the need? We
had each other!
We played holen (jolens or orblos},
jack stone (siklot, |oc|s}, sungkit-goma
(rcbbor boous}, chato (siyato, shatong, or
stlc| lolo}, oou tumbang preso (tama
tsinelas or presohan, basically targeting
coos wlto sllors}.
I remember playing teks (cards with
cortooo cooroctors oo lt, o. x-oo},
pogs, and trumpo (sloolo to}. Vy
schoolmates and I would collect such
things and play with each other after
school before going home.
Birthday parties or piyestas were always
something to look forward to. Everyone
would be there friends, relatives,
neighbors. It made the day different
from others, where unlike overseas, its
usually just like any other day except for
some cake with another candle added
each year that passed by. Childhood
games that would be played during
such occasions include paluan ng palayok
(loto cslo o cloy ot}, luksong sako
(soc| roco}, sayaw ng bangko (musical
coolrs}, oou takip silim (langit lupa}.
There was sound in these events. People
laughing, talking, cheering... There was
music playing. It was noisy, and we loved
it.
Even on rainy days, we kept ourselves
occclou. oc woclu oovor ooor too
American kids phrase/whine Im
bored... from our mouths. When the
weather was not cooperative outside,
Traditional Filipino Games
(Larong Pinoy)
Text by DAVID POARCH
Photos courtesy of DAVID POARCH
As a young child
growing up in
the Philippines, I
remember a lot of
interaction with peers,
friends, relatives, and
just other people in
general. And one
of those ways of
interacting, or forms
of socializing, was
through games--
and in particular,
traditional Filipino
games.
100 | expat
we made our own fun indoors, playing
games like sungka, baraha (corus},
eroplanong papel (oor olrlooo}, oou
chopstick (lc|-c stlc|s}.
And actually, if it wasnt too stormy,
even when it rained we would still be
loylo octsluol Vy cocslos oou l woclu
dance in the rain and stand beneath the
rushing water of the roof gutters. And
when the rain stopped, the water left
behind made perfect little rivers for
our bangka bangkaan (bangkang papel,
oor boot}.
We were one with nature. Not including
sleep, we spent more time outside than
we did indoors. And thats how it should
be! Today, here in the US, virtually
the only time I spend outside is when I
have to get into my car in order to go
to work or school. In the Philippines we
used to akyat ng puno (cllb troos} oou
catch abaw (bootlo} oou salaginto (June
bc}. Wo coosou tutubi (uroooy} oou
tipaklong (rossooor} lo too bukid
(olus}. Aou wo roIrosoou ocrsolvos oou
rekindled our energy at the nearest
bomba (wotor Iro woll-c}. Wo csou
to play pitik lo wolco wo lc|ou ot sootoo
owors to soo woo coclu bo too rst to
remove all petals. And then wed sip
on its sweet nectar. And if the wind was
blowlo, wo'u loy wlto too broozo by
ylo o burador or saranggola (|lto}.
And games need not be only for
the children. I think games should be
played by adults as well (like they are
lo too lolllloos}, os lt's oou Ior too
mind and body regardless of the age.
Not only that, but it also maintains a
social connection through friendships,
camaraderie, and interaction, and it also
counterbalances work/school to prevent
it from consuming our lives (like what has
ooooou to o}.
Adolescents and adults in the Philippines
remain active and often gather at
lozos or ot tootoor olsowooro to loy
games/sports like basketbol (bos|otboll},
badminton, and putbol (international
Iootboll, o|o soccor}. Bilyar (bilyard, or
bllllorus,ool} ls olso oItoo loyou oou
for the many who cant afford a real
billiards set and table, they improvise by
creating makeshifts by creating a square
wooden table and using plastic pucks as
balls.
The games were one of our most
powerful instruments in communicating,
connecting, and interacting with each
other. It kept us together.
No one was ever left behind. Even
when we went biking, we would angkas
(oltco} ocr Irloous--oo too bors oI too
back wheel, the front wheel, the handle
bars, and the bar in between (we were
tolootoul}. lo Ioct, sootlos ooo woclu
do the steering and the other would
do the pedaling. We worked together,
we would enjoy the journey together,
and we would all get to our destination
together. And thats what I lost when I
left the Philippines long ago.
Our activities nourished us, heart and
soul. We were healthy. This is the way
our children and our childrens children
should grow up. The games we played
were not only an important part in our
learning process as growing kids, but
tooy oou o osltlvo locooco oo ocr
physical, mental, emotional, and moral
bolo. Aou tooso oro booots toot coo
be reaped throughout our adulthood and
really our entire lives, if only we would
seek it, revive it, and maintain it if we
are not doing so already.
Do you remember those times? Or
have you forgotten over the years or
decades? But theyre there, forever, in
our deepest memories. Do you miss it?
Ive missed it. Ive been missing it for
almost two decades... throughout my
later childhood, adolescent life, until
now... I still miss it...
Coo wo o boc| Coo wo rollvo os,
ost uooltoly, wo coo. lI yoc roolly
want to do it; if you really want to
go back; if you really want to see the
homeland and your people once again,
you will return like I will. Even if it means
less money, so be it... because Happiness
has no price anyways.
And so, Ill meet you there!
The many different types of games the author played as a child
expat | 101
THE
EAT LIST
Twas the season of Gluttony
(a Culinary Surprise)
Text by NINFA Z. BITO
Photos by NINFA Z. BITO (Mamas Table and Table Eatery)
Additional photos by BOY YIGUEZ (Hill Station)
102 | expat
Invariably for most people,
the last two weeks of
December is a period of
the battle of the waistlines.
After navigating through a
myriad of events and parties
running up through Christmas
Eves Noche Buena, with
colleagues, friends, family and
colleagues, there is the mad
rush to shop for the right cut
of steak, a supply of crackers
and cheeses from Santis,
and the right cases of wine
and spirits to be loaded up
into ones car to escape from
Voollo. Vy ooocol yoor-oou
escape normally takes me
up north to enjoy the cooler
temperatures of Baguio. This
is a city Ive been visiting for
many years as far back as
l coo roobor. Vcco oos
changed over those years: the
view of Dominican Hill and the
golf course being obscured
by twooty-vo yoors oI loo
growth, a general increase
in population driven mostly
by university students, the
disappearance of the old
Pines Hotel and the birth of
too 8V Voll lo too soo sot,
the re-birth of Casa Vallejo,
and the construction at the old
Aorlcoo k8k boso, Co
John Hay.
Throughout all those years,
the dining alternatives have
remained pretty much constant.
Theres the century old Baguio
Cocotry Clcb(CC}. Altooco
it is a private members only
club, its lobby transforms
into what may look like a
convention center during a
trade show. If you dont want
to ot owoy Iro Voollo oou
prefer to watch a show, then
this is the place for a cup of
coffee. Equally as hectic is
too scooo ot Joo Vooor. l
woot lo brloy to crcooso
some bread at the bakery
and had to sidestep my way
through the congested lobby.
lt coclu'vo csou o troIc llot
in there somewhere. Needless
to say, lining up for a meal at
its restaurant would have been
worse than having to sit in
troIc lo |D8A ot rcso oocr.
Then theres the good-old
Baguio stalwart, Caf By
Joo kclos locotou |cst ot too
bottom of City Hall. Its mostly
locally-sourced menu is by
many leagues superior to the
cuisine found at the BCC and
more regionally focused than
toot oI Joo Vooor's. CoI
as the locals and regulars call
it, evokes the charm of the
Cordilleras and its food is a
healthy blend of Cordillera
dishes, Asian-inspired salads,
and Filipino favorites. The only
problem is that to get to it
from my house, I have to drive
toroco oo| soosoo troIc.
Hence my visits to the Caf
normally occur after the city
has quieted down after the
Now oor's |vo Iostlvltlos.
This year, however, I was
relieved to discover three
dining venues that were less
stressful to get to from where
I am located. All three have
opened up over the last year.
All three have their own unique
ambience and serve superb
food. All three are worth
repeated visits to in order to
sample the menus goodies.
All three were great culinary
experiences that I would never
oovo loloou to ou lo oo
old hill station master-planned
by the American colonials over
a hundred years ago.
Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberries by
Chef Vicky of Mama's Table
expat | 103
Joo rst scrrlslo ulscovory oI tols soosoo
ls Voo's Joblo wlto CooI vlc|y Jlolo-
Clemente. Baguio is known more for its
coscolooss orocou o booro wlto o boor
or vou|o loss lo ooou. ct, oo too rst
few nights up there I found myself seated
with another group of eight friends at the
dining table of a master French culinary
cooI. All l coo soy ls toot 'oo' ulolo
ostobllsooots lo Voollo oovo oolly
met their match. Chef Vicky serves an
eight-course degustation menu in the
privacy and comfort of her own familys
residence. She started cooking for friends
and for those recommended by her
friends. Bookings became more frequent
as news spread out via word-of-mouth
culminating in 2010 with bookings every
night during this past holiday season.
We were greeted by Vicky in her chefs
uniform and quickly mingled in with her
family and relatives who were visiting
Iro Voollo Ior too oolluoy soosoo. Joo
large living area was divided into two
areas by plush couches on either side of
a large rectangular table. On the left
of that setting was a formal dining table
for our group, and on the opposite side
of the room was another dining table
and a buffet setup for the family and
their relatives. The middle rectangular
table had a long board generously
sprinkled with Vickys homemade starters,
but a couple of people from our group
mistakenly wandered over to the family
side of the living area and started
nibbling at their food. Sheepishly one
came back to our side of the area after
roollzlo too Ioc os oou loulotoly
began digging into the board of starters
that was designated for our group.
She swooned in delight as soon as she
popped a serving of artichoke spread
oou orllc bo|ou wlto ozzorollo oou
Parmesan cheese.
Shortly thereafter I repeatedly dove into
the spread fearing it would be gone too
soon. We worked our way up and down
the board swiping up slices of Italian
crusty bread, walnut and raisin, as well
as basil, bread, while we sampled the
organic chicken liver pate (sourced from
oo oroolc Ior lo Llo, otooos},
homemade semi-cured tomatoes,
caponata, and Blue Cheese with basil
and brandy mousse served with a variety
of nuts. It took all our might to restrain
ourselves from devouring the whole
booru Ior Ioor oI stcIo ocrsolvos sllly
before the main meal began, or more like
from fear of revealing our glutton-like
tendencies.
The main show began with amuse bouche:
ooly ulcou csoroos soctou wlto
Parmesan and parsley atop homemade
crocstouos woro sorvou lo blto slzou
servings that you pop into your mouth
whole. Its the perfect teaser. It allowed
us to adjust our minds from the starter
board to the main event. After a few
minutes of letting our stomachs rest, the
household staff appeared with a carrot,
leek and onion soup topped with buttered
Parmesan croutons. I was worried that
I would not get through the rest of the
degustation, but was pleasantly surprised
MAMAS TABLE
104 | expat
Chef Vicky migrated to Canada in
1980 where she spent several years
working for an engineering company,
c Lcnk cnc fnc||y cne cf Ccnccc:
|crge:I |cw frm:. ln 2002 :he hcc Ihe
opportunity to go on sabbatical and
decided to pursue her passion with
food. She enrolled in an accelerated
course at the French Culinary Institute
(FCI) in New York City for its Grand
Diplome in Classic French culinary
cooking. From New York she traveled
to Florence where she attended
Apicius to concentrate on regional
Italian cuisine. A year later she found
herself in Manila and spent a month-
long internship in the dimsum kitchen of
Tin Hua at the Mandarin Hotel.
Wanting to visit New Zealand, Vicky
found a way in 2003 to combine her
love of food and travel by working at
the Mudbrick Restaurant & Vineyard
on Waikehe Island just off the coast
from Auckland. Having overcome
her itchy-feet syndrome, Chef Vicky
returned home to Canada and after
brief rest from cooking landed a spot
with Jaime Kennedy, one of Canadas
most celebrated chefs who is well
known for his adherence to sourcing
organic produce from local producers
and preparing meals via the traditional
slow-cooking method. In the same
year, Chef Vicky also received her
Fer:cnc| Chef CerIifccIe.
ln /ugu:I cf 200 Ihe fr:I pcic mec|
in her family residences dining room
was served. Soon after word began
to spread that there was a French
culinary chef offering degustation
menus in the privacy and comfort
of her dining room overlooking the
Cordillera mountain range. It did
not take long for recommendations
to cascade to other people and in
January 2010 Mamas Table was put
into gear.
Mamas Table is by reservation-only,
offering an eight-course degustation
menu for groups of six up to about
twelve people. The menus are created
by Chef Vicky depending upon whats
available at the market for that day.
Soda is offered at Mamas Table
and diners are encouraged to bring
their own bottles of wine and are not
subjected to corkage fees. If there are
:pecifc cieIcry preference:, Le:I Ic |eI
Chef Vicky know before hand to allow
her time to adjust the menu to meet
ones dietary preferences.
at the lightness of the soup. To give it
texture and thickness, a bit of milk was
introduced to its preparation. Sure enough,
none of us had any problems slurping our
soup bowls.
Joo rst lotorozzo, o soll, llot roIrosoor
in between courses, were Swedish
meatballs with pickled cucumber and
lingoberries. This was a hit! A number
oI cs woclu'vo booo sotlsou ootlo tols
succulently juicy morsel for the rest of the
evening. Chef Vicky borrowed the recipe
from the grandmother of a Swedish friend
who lives in Canada. Non-meat eaters
need not fret. Chef Vicky also prepared
Asturian shrimp with mango and apple
cider served in a small glass bowl.
The trick with degustation is to let a few
loctos oss lo botwooo too lotorozzo
and the main course. This gave us an
Mamas Table
Contact: Vicky Tinio-Clemente. 888A Ambuklao Road, Baguio City
Tel: (074)442-1794 Mobile: (0915)643-8775 Email: mamastableph@yahoo.com
opportunity to chat with Chef Vicky and
to come up for air in between courses.
Joo rst cocrso wos so. Wo tooo too|
ocr rst bltos loto o orIoctly roorou
piece of salmon on a bed of sauted snow
peas complemented by the sweetness
and texture of buttered grapes and the
tartness of the lemon-dill sauce. This was
tooo Iollowou by oootoor lotorozzo oI
coroollzou ooloo torts o lo rovooolo
(wlto oocoovlos oou kolooto ollvos}
oootoor blto slzou orsol toot l wos
imagining concocting myself at a later
date.

We decided to enjoy this dinner with a
wonderful bottle of Bordeaux my friends
brother brought with him. This was perfect
with the second course: seared and
roasted herb tenderloin au jus served with
orzo lo croo socco oou soctou |rooco
beans and mushrooms. Our non-red meat
eating friend was served a seared chicken
stcIIou wlto oorb bcttor oou Vootoroy
Jack cheese. We commented amongst
ourselves that the serving portions looked
ll|o oorol-slzou sorvlo ortloos rotoor
than tasting portions. Chef Vicky assured
us that we need not worry as she avoids
serving carbohydrates in her menu and
that we would get through the rest of the
meal. This extremely tender and juicy
course did not disappoint either. Despite
our worries, all of us ended up with plates
pretty much wiped clean of any traces of
the tenderloin and its band of brothers.
Wo woro oolly ooorlo too oou oI tols
culinary marathon as we were served
a salad of hearts of baby romaine,
watercress with orange supremes (from
8oouo}, oloous, Jcr|lso uotos (brocot
in by Chef Vickys friend therefore in
llltou scly} oou cltrcs vloolrotto.
Normally by this stage, one would note
being stuffed, being so full that
one cant go on. But still we persisted
and dove into this refreshing digestif to
bring us down from the culinary high. The
vinaigrette was extremely light, based on
scoowor oll wlto looo, rlco wloo vlooor
and locally sourced wild organic honey.
We were instructed to include all of these
ingredients in every fork-full that we took
for a truly refreshing palate cleansing
experience.
To punctuate the meal, we were served a
ooco oou strowborry ovlovo urlzzlou
wlto o oozoloct ooocoo. Aolo, too
serving portions were quite generous. Im
not a dessert person, but for some reason
this one captivated me. The meringue was
incredibly light and melted in my mouth.
Before I knew it, I had wolfed down my
entire plate and was eyeing that of my
friends seated to my right.
PROFILE:
Chef Vicky Tinio-Clemente
Tenderloin au jus served with orzo in cream sauce
and sauted French beans and mushrooms
expat | 105
The Hill Station is located at the newly
renovated Casa Vallejo Hotel. It opened
just over a year ago and has proven
to be a go to destination for Baguio
locals and tourists alike. From the street
level, one walks through its bar to get
to too ulolo oroo, or uowo o lot oI
curving wooden stairs from the hotel
lobby. The bar area is appropriately
lit so that you can comfortably do some
work or reading while sipping a cup of
coffee. Patrons are also encouraged
to just throw down their peanut shells
ulroctly oo too oor to rovluo toot
casual, relaxed atmosphere. Take some
time to look at the photos on the wall all
of which were taken by Baguio-based
or oIllotou ootorooors.
ulll 8totloo ls o coIort zooo sorvlo
comfort food. If you are lucky enough
to soo ulll 8totloo's rorlotross Vltos
ooltos-lcoz rcoolo oboct, tooo o
her down and have her go over the
menu with you. The menu is a mlange
of Asian-fusion dishes interspersed with
Spanish and European inspired choices.
Vltos roIors too slow-coo|lo otoou
so the dishes are tenderly juicy and
practically falling of the bones. Her
animated descriptions and expressions
about the food and its preparation will
clinch the deal if one is ambivalent about
ones choice, or it may just provide more
of a dilemma when trying to decide on a
menu choice.
As it was a busy night, our group was
seated at the bar area which provided
an even more casual dining experience.
For starters, we ordered seared tuna
toto|l wlto wosobl oyoooolso. Vltos
olso scostou too coorlzo to stort
off the evening. The tuna with wasabi
mayonnaise was great, but we marveled
ot too ost toouor coorlzo wo'vo ovor
tasted.
A favorite dish of mine at this place is
too crlsy ucc| o|os wlto laing. It was
too rst ulso l trlou wooo ulll 8totloo rst
opened and I was glad to see it still
on the menu. The crispiness of the duck
o|os cobloou wlto too crooy totcro
of laing (a spicy dish from the Bicol
region made with coconut milk and taro
loovos} o|os Ior o orIoct olrlo. l
oruorou too Voroccoo 8lcou oby oc|
klbs oou ootlcoobly swoooou lo uollot
coo to|lo too rst blto, rolcctootly
passing my plate to my friends for the
expected taste test. The meat falls off
the bones; the sauce is rich but does not
overwhelm the taste or the texture of the
ribs.
Although I was never a fan of bread
pudding Hill Stations version is one which
l coo't roIcso. Vltos ootou toot tols broou
pudding is made with croissants thus
making it feel lighter than other bread
puddings Ive tried. Had it not been for
the chilly temperature that evening, I
could see myself devouring this dessert
with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as
well. The Death By Chocolate lives up
to its name, although youd die and go
to heaven with this dessert. It is served
oot oou too coocoloto |cst oozos oct os
your spoon pricks the top. It will leave
you scraping the bottom of the bowl and
licking your spoon clean for every last bit
of molten chocolate.
l ooooou to ou ysolI boc| ot ulll
8totloo o Iow uoys oItor Now oor's
and after all the tourists had gone. This
time around it was lot quieter and all for
the better to appreciate the view through
the enormous picture windows that
ring the entire room. This time around
l trlou too Cocluo Volcooo. Norolly
in the Philippines, whenever cocido is
mentioned one thinks the Spanish Cocido
Vourlloo. Jols ls o ooorty stow coo|ou
in a huge cauldron and left to simmer all
day long. I tried this in Spain several
years back and it was a production to
eat the different components of this dish.
ct ot ulll 8totloo Cocluo, Volcooo ls o
rich stew of beef wafting with the aroma
of cinnamon accompanied by plantains
and a side of red mountain rice. The
serving of beef was ample, but I wish
I had a few extra slices of plantains to
sop up the rich sauce and combine with
the tasty beef cuts.
Hill Station
Upper Session Road, Luneta Hill, Baguio City
Tel: (074)424-3397 and (074)424-3370
HILL STATION
A bruschetta appetizer
106 | expat
Nothing about the name of this place
nor its physical appearance gives a
olot toot tols ls o Voloysloo ootory.
ct Voloysloo Ioou ls lts soclolty
and done well without any pretensions
or otroooocs olr. Voloysloo Alvlo
Emuang and his Filipina wife Gina
began this tiny mom-and-pop eatery
this past September. Alvin, who was
troloou lo too |ltcooos oI o vo-stor
hotel chain, patiently labors over a
two-burner tabletop stove in an area
just slightly wider than a ticket booth.
The dining area is equally small with
oboct vo toblos oou lostlc coolrs. At
its fullest, patrons patiently wait for a
table by the curbside or have to step
aside for others who have come in with
their own containers to take-out their
orders.
I went following the advice of a friend
to be there by 11:30 or else. I arrived
at 11:35. One table had been taken.
I took another. Within 15 minutes the
place was packed, plus two or three
others dropping in to take away bags
of Alvins food to be enjoyed at home.
The beef rendang was not available
as it takes at least a day to prepare.
I asked for the curry, but alas that too
was gone. I did not arrive early enough
and the whole pot prepared for the
lunch sitting was scooped up by another
customer and carted away to his own
dining table at home.
Contemplating my choices from a
simple menu written in blue ink on a
woltobooru l oruorou too so sobol
with a side of fried okra. I have a fair
tolerance for spicy food, but not as much
os toot oI o Voloysloo or louooosloo.
I ordered the sambal and asked for
its spiciness not to be adulterated as
a compromise to my taste buds. It
certainly had the kick and soon enough
tiny beads of perspiration began to
form on my forehead. The servings
looked quite small, but in actuality it is
just the right amount for an individual
due to the effects of the spices.
The next evening a friend joined me
Ior oootoor rocou oI Alvlo's Voloysloo
cuisine. This time at home in my own
dining room. I had pre-ordered this
meal during the previous days lunch
and all were mostly ready and packed
to go by the time I got there. We
started off with the murtabak a
pancake of roti stuffed with minced
meat, garlic, egg and onion topped off
wlto soo lc|lou rou ooloos. Vy Irloou
and I could only agree that it was a
most savory dish. We also had a spicy
squid dish and fresh garden vegetables,
which was accompanied by Thai fried
rlco. ct lt wos too Vcrtobo| toot wos
the star for the evening.
Two nights later I managed to pry a
booking at the eatery for two friends
and me. We started off with the
murtabak again, which convinced
me that this is a signature dish. We
also lucked out and managed to get
a serving of the elusive beef rendang.
This did not disappoint. The meat was
soft and the heat was turned up a
notch on the spice-o-meter. I quickly
drank through the bottle of water I had
oruorou. Vy |oc|ot wos cost osluo oou
we continued on with a repeat order of
the fried okra and a coffeelicious pork.
The beef rendang holds its own and
commands respect, but the coffeelicious
pork is just wonderful indulgence.
Joouor llots oI orlootou or| oro
coo|ou oou olsoou oII wlto o ooorocs
sauce of thick boiled-down coffee. The
thick consistency of the coffee sauce
reminds one of tar, but the image is set
aside once the sweet and bitter tastes
collides with your taste buds. That night
this dish became a favorite and I cant
wait for my next visit to indulge in this
again.
Vooy oolo oItoo soy tooy woclu ll|o
to simplify their lives. This is certainly
the case with the Emuangs. After nearly
15 years of working for a European
hotel chain, Baguio lucked out to have
Alvin re-settle in Baguio and open
an unassuming dining venue serving
octoootlc Voloysloo cclsloo.
Who wouldve thought that one could
sample the skills of a French chef, the
animated passion of a foodie and the
slcy looscros oI Voloysloo cclsloo lo
old hill station established during the
American colonial era in the Philippines?
Now, oow's toot Ior lobollzotloo
APOLO EATERY
Apolo Eatery
Outlook Drive, Barangay Lualhati, Baguio City (next to Baguio Townhouses)
Coffeelicious Pork
expat | 107
Step 1: Bring thinly sliced sirloin to room
temperature. Set aside as you prepare
the marinade.
Step 2: In a bowl, combine the 2 soy
sauces, calamansi, pepper and olive oil
and stir to combine. I like to mix all my
marinades in a separate bowl before
adding it to any meat mixture.
Step 3: Using a mortar and pestle, pound
7 cloves of garlic. I added a little rock salt
to ool clvorlzo lt. Auu orllc to too 8oy
marinade.
Step 4: Pour marinade over beef and mix
well. I marinate this for about 2 hours.
Step 5: Slice onions into rings. Heat olive
oil in a pan and add onions. I seasoned
them lightly with salt and pepper. Keep
too oo oo low ooot oou ollow to
coroollzo. 8ot osluo.
Step 6: Pan fry beef in olive oil until
browned making sure not to overcook
your meat so it doesnt get tough.
Step 7: Place the leftover marinade into
the pan and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water.
Swirl the pan and adjust seasoning.
Pour over cooked beef and top with
coroollzou ooloos. 8orvo oou oo|oyl
TASTE
BUDS
Easy Beef Steak Tagalog at Home
500 grams - beef sirloin, cut thinly
2 Tbsp - Dark soy (use the coconut
brand local soy or marca
loo soy}
1 Tbsp - Kikkoman
3 pcs - Calamansi (you can substitute
l,3 oI o looo}
1 tsp - olive oil
7 cloves - garlic
2 pcs - onions, sliced into rings
To taste freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Text + Photos by PRIA C. SOLON
Beef Steak Tagalog, also
known as "Bistek Tagalog",
is a very popular go
to dish in every Filipino
household. It is best to use
the tender cut of beef,
such as, tenderloin, sirloin
or boneless chuck, also
known as "Kadera". Have
your butcher slice them
into thin cutlets, or tell
them that you are making
beef steak and they will
surely accommodate you.
You may opt to tenderize
them further with a meat
mallet to ensure that the
meat stays tender. The
ingredients found in this
dish, are the usual staples
in a Filipino pantry. Soy
sauce, calamansi, (the
Filipino version of a lemon),
white onions, garlic, salt
and pepper.
Check out Pria Salons food-infused insights at
http://www.thepurposedrivenchef.com
108 | expat
Bagnet 8065
Estrella St., San Antonio Village, Makati City
(02) 508-1807
The name gives the theme away as this
cozy Ioou |olot oos o ooc cootorou oo too
crispy fried pork dish from Ilocos. What
isnt given away is that with cheap local
boors, oou Iroo wl, ooot 85u ls olso o
great place to chill out with friends.
Pat Pats Kansi
8809 Sampaloc St. cor. Kamagong, San
Antonio Village, Makati City
(02) 890-6179
Another specialty restaurant, Pat Pats
Kansi brings Iloilos Bulalo (bone marrow
soup with a pinch of sourness from
botcoo Irclt}. A cst try lI yoc'ro oow to
the country.
Mr. King Kebab
Pablo Ocampo St., Makati City
If youre on the lookout for cheap Halal
food that hits the spot, this place is for you.
Their Chicken Biryani is an entre you cant
miss.
Ba Noi's
G/F Greenbelt Mansions, 106 Perea St.,
Legaspi Village, Makati City
(02) 893-7359
Nostlou wltolo too Vo|otl Cootrol cslooss
District, Ba Nois allows for an authentic
Vietnamese twist to those mundane lunch
breaks.
Dek A Authentic Thai Food
245 Pablo Ocampo Rd., cor. Flor Deliz,
Makati City
(02) 500-5933
Aootoor cozy Ioou |olot wlto o coolco Ior
al fresco dining, DekA brings affordable
Thai food to the table. How authentic? They
have a Thai chef and their ingredients are
sourced from Thailand every other week.
Rodic's
Salcedo St., Makati City
(02) 436-4389
Budget meals undeniably Filipino in every
woy, koulc's rovluos root volco Ior
money. Try their version of Tapsilog
(Irlou booI lo o|os, Irlou rlco oou Irlou
o}.
Poco Deli
21 East Capitol Drive, Barrio Kapitolyo,
Pasig City
0922-892-9211
Serving a variety of sausages and meat
Iro Vlc|oy's Dollcotossoo (oootoor oou
uoll oloo 1cltor 8t. lo Vo|otl}, tooy
combine this with a separate counter for
Dovo's Notcrols rolc Irozoo yocrt.
Start off with their Jamon de Oro with
oltou ozzorollo to ot yocr tosto bcus
going.
Little Ongpin Panciteria
Maysilo St., near Mandaluyong City Hall
with another branch at 100 A.T. Reyes cor.
Aglipay St., Mandaluyong City
(u2} 387-u9= , 53=-=9
Actoootlc Colooso looclt (oooulos} oou
other Chinese culinary wonders abound at
Little Ongpin Panciteria. For about 3 USD,
toolr Cool (loro o oouulos} ls gclto too
steal.
Top Meals Food Haus
5994 J.D. Villena St. cor. Mabini St.
Poblacion, Makati City (behind Rockwell)
(02) 895-1249
8oclollzlo lo lcol coIort Ioou, lts olso
gained fame for its Pancit selection (have
lt oou wlto toolr looclt Lccboo wlto colll}.
Their specialty, Pork Binagoongan, may be
ccstolzou to oow slcy yoc coo ooc| lt.
Wingman Grill
The Collective Compound, Malugay St.,
Makati City
(02) 407-4975
Nothing from a can or package, everything
they serve, they make. Passionate about
uncompromised fare, Wingman delivers
in that regard. With a healthy choice of
burgers and sandwiches along with both
local and imported beers, its a good place
to stuff up before discovering the joys of
what The Collective has to offer.
Hole-in-the-Wall Gang
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY
Feeling adventurous but have a penchant for tasty food? Discover
delicious dishes at these less commercial establishments.
A Gallery That Is Also A Home
IN
RESIDENCE
Text by ASTRA C. ALEGRE
Photos by JOVEL LORENZO
110 | expat
It is not unusual that a casual passerby
would think that the tall black and white
gate on 210 Loring Street in Pasay City
uncannily looks like a modern piece of
art, because as a matter of fact, it is.
Entitled Pasay Gate the painted metal
installation by Australian artist, Tony
Twigg, doubles as a fully functioning
gate of the two story residence of
ltolloo-boro 8llvooo Aocollottl-Dloz,
owner of Galleria Duemila. That
dramatic entrance leaves no doubt in
ones mind that here, indeed, is a unique
artists enclave. Even the way the house
number on the mailbox attached to the
ivied wall announces art with a touch of
whimsy.
Its an old house that Silvana restored.
Except for an addition in front, she
kept the original structure of the house.
l olovotou too oor bococso tols ooo
wos ottlo vory oouou, soo ouus. lt
helped that she had studied at the School
of Interior Design where she learned
how to draw, how to measure walls,
and how to put colors together. But
most of the interiors are the result of her
personal aesthetic sense. After all, she
hails from the old European country and
culture that gave us the golden age of
too kooolssooco. lt ls lo oor DNA. l oovo
a distinct eye, she says. I have my own
taste.
She built all her childrens beds, she
relates. Everything, even my own bed;
my mother-in-law gave me a classic
heavy bed. What I did was chop it off
and kept only the structure. Then I put
the wheels and took foam and made the
bed with leatherette. She also made
the aparador of her daughter and sons.
I also did the side tables. She also
designed the bathrooms and even the
kitchen. Still, after attending to the basic
requirements of a comfortable house,
the art was not left behind. They are not
wanting inside the house, both privately
owned and a number of pieces for sale.
The most striking piece on the second
oor sala, where some of Silvanas
personal art collection is displayed, is
too roclocs Vlo |or wolco soos to
oot losluo o loss oocloscro cct ll|o
an emerald, to highlight the jar, she
explains. That was the design of my
ocsboou, kooo Dloz, oo oolooor oou
artist as well.
(main photo) Buddha at the center of the circle
of life
(top to bottom) Pasay Gate -- Gate as Art
Silvana and her husband, Ramon Diaz, collect Art
and vintage cars
|: |le| e we:j er e jier| K er |le well! ||': /r|!
expat | 111
On the other end of the room, near
the top of the stairs, set inside a circle
against a red colored wall is a Buddha
Iro loulo. Vy ocsboou lovou lt oou
decided to bring it home, she relates.
She composed the circle to set it up. I
think the circle means continuation, and I
thought that is life, and Buddha is life.
Voro ort locos by bl ooos lo too ort
world such as Julie Llutch, Pacita Abad,
kooo Orlloo, Dculoy Dloz, koborto
koblos, |u Costrlllo, Artcro Lcz, oou ovoo
a chair by National Artist, Napoleon
Abueva are found inside the house.

Silvana got started in the art gallery
business in 1975 after she was looking
for a place to exhibit the works of her
slstor-lo-low, ortlst lsobol Dloz. Jols
year is an important year in my life
because its 35 years of my Gallerie
Duemila, she says, and adds, and
tols Vorco wlll bo too =uto yoor oI y
marriage. She married when she was
23 years old and has three children:
llloc, Vorco, oou koloo.
Of her husband, she says, He is very
very good, very gentle, very kind, very
fun, very adventurous; never a dull
moment. They share common interests,
particularly their love for art as well as
vintage cars. This is where he throws
all his fortune, she says. In the garage
between their house and the gallery, are
or|ou oo AlIo kooo, o Vosorotl, o
Kia and a Volkswagon. I also like sports
cars, Silvana says. I used to have a
Lamborghini.
Gallerie Duemila, which has two spacious
rooms that make up the exhibit area,
is located in a separate structure near
the house. Stone and metal sculptures
can be seen scattered in the garden as
well as smaller pieces such as a carved
frog lodged between the branches of a
tree and what looked like a wasp stuck
on the fence. Very few people like
sculpture but I like sculpture, Silvana
remarked. About the gallery, it was
written, Their exhibits run the whole
gamut of visual arts expression, but they
are especially strong on sculpture.
l soou o lot oI tlo lo too oIco, soo
says. She likes being surrounded by
beautiful things. It also happens to be
the nature of her work. She is fortunate
that where she works is also where she
llvos. |or sooooo ll|o 8llvooo Dloz, too
two it seems are inseparable.
IN
RESIDENCE
(top to bottom) The exhibit area of
Galleria Duemila
An Arturo Luz sculpture on the table and
painting on the wall
112 | expat
At the Core Of
Alexandra Van Lierde
French Belgian Artist
Alexandra Van Lierde holds
her rst exhibit here in Manila
entitled c0re which aims to
offer the audience harmony,
serenity and peace in todays
chaotic world
Text by ASTRA C. ALEGRE
Portrait photo by NADEGE LESCOURANT
Additional photos by VINCENT LETERRIER
CULTURE
CLASH
Natural skin, mixed media on
canvas, 70x95cm, 2010
expat | 113
Her brother often said that she was born
with a brush in her hands. Since my
hand was strong enough to hold a brush,
I was painting all day long, French-
Belgian contemporary artist, Alexandra
Alex Van Lierde, remarked. I started
oovlo y rst rool olotlo oou
drawing lessons when I was six, apart
from the one you get in nursery school.
And since then, I never stopped. Van
Lloruo ulu sovorol clossos oou olsoou
with a degree in Fine Arts in Brussels. I
am quite lucky to have started to paint
and practice when I was so little, it has
become an obvious part of me. I actually
never decided I wanted to be an artist.
I havent really chosen it; it came to me!
voo Lloruo rocootly oolu oor rst ort
oolblt lo Voollo ot too Groystooo
Art Gollory oo Loosl 8t. lo Vo|otl.
Entitled The c0re, the collection of
oil and mixed media on canvasses
depict abstractions through the subtle
blending of solid and soft colors. They
try to capture the essence of life at
its purest, most mysterious level: a
feeling, an emotion, a line in a plain
color, or an injury in the canvas, she
explains. According to this concept,
calling my exhibition The c0re became
ootcrol. Joo zoro u lo too luulo olso
sybollzos tols ossooco oI llIo.
In todays chaotic, fast-paced and loud
world, my paintings offer harmony,
serenity, and peace, Van Lierde
noted. Each one of them invites you to
oultoto oou ou bolooco toroco lts
llot oou ootcrol ooory. Vy olotlos
invite you to focus on what is essential, to
create internal emotional room for quiet
and serenity.
oc uo oot ou ooy soor or roco
edges in her paintings. The subtle forms
oro clu oou sooloss. Abstroctloo
has become my way of freeing
your imagination from familiar and
rocoolzoblo sooos oou lottlo yoc
dream, she says. I invite you to let
yourself be taken by storm and mystery.
No need to explain; your emotions will
guide you to the c0re.
The exhibition shows her two current
projects: Nature and Souls. On Nature,
soo ololos. Vy loslrotloo coos
from an acute sensual awareness of my
surroundings. When I touch, see, hear or
smell, I absorb the emotions, process the
intensity of what I perceive, and offer
its essence in my paintings through light
oou colors. Vy olo socrco oI loslrotloo
is nature, especially small fascinating
details that usually go unnoticed: pieces
oI troo trco|, wotor oo stooos. l solzo
those details in close-up digital pictures.
The detail I photograph is sometimes
so oolou lt bocoos blcrrou. l cso
this as background for my painting,
on canvas. Nature has taught me how
to use colors and light. It succeeds in
mixing straight and curved lines, strong
Artist Alex Van Lierde infront of her Meditation piece
Transparencies 1, mixed media on canvas, 70x95, 2010
I love sharing my
work with people
and see that
they are touched
watching it - I love
to see that my
canvasses talk to
them, there is a
connection. Art is
life and it makes
me feel alive.
CULTURE
CLASH
114 | expat
(left to right)
Old soul, Oil on canvas, 82x60, 2010
Behind the eye, oil on canvas, 110x110cm, 2010
and pale colors, dark shades and
bright light. Nature harmoniously links
coooctou Iors oou colors. Vy
brcsoos oou ort wlll oooslzo lt. Aou
light adds life to it. Capturing light has
always been an essential quest in my
work. Nature is Life. Nature is Art. And
Art is the Essence.

loolo's Iocos (oou 8ocls} oro olso
ort oI y rst loslrotloo, soo
continues to explain, especially these
faces, with life in their eyes, and hidden
emotions. A persons face is a kind of
road map of the life they have led. I
present my people neutrally, without
amplifying the emotional content
particularly. All the emotions are
embedded in the face itself.
voo Lloruo wos locoocou by lolollst
ortlsts ll|o Lcclo |ootooo. l lovo koto|o
too, with his big abstract colorful
shapes, she says. One art teacher, the
famous Greek artist teaching at the
Academie of Art of Boitsfort in Brussels,
Belgium, Christos Vouyouklis, was a
major source of inspiration. He became
mon maitre, my master, she says. I
owe him everything. Christos pushed
me to cross my limits, not being scared
of experimenting and doing different
things; using colours as a tool, not as
decoration. With many discussions
and shared moments, he made me
understand what I really wanted to give
in my art, and what I wanted to share
with people. She adds, I love sharing
my work with people and see that they
are touched watching it. I love to see
that my canvasses talk to them, there is
a connection. Art is life and it makes me
feel alive.
But Art is not the only thing in her
life. She also teaches French and Art
ot too rltlso 8coool lo Voollo. 8oo
loves traveling and discovering new
landscapes and cultures. And she loves
spending time with her children. In my
art studio at home, my children have
o roo Ior toolr ort too. Vy uocotor,
who is four years old, really likes it
and can easily spend one or two hours
painting with me. That is a passion we
share,she says. Honestly, I like my
life how it is. Being wife, mom, painter
oou toocoor ls o lot. oc oovo to bo
oroolzou. l oItoo Iool ooocstou. ct l
could not drop painting anyway.
She loves everything about painting.
I love walking around looking for
inspiration. I love spending hours in my
studio with my brushes and my colors.
I love creating a universe on a white
canvas. I love creation. It makes me feel
good. Asked what she would have
been if she wasnt a painter, Van Lierde
simply replied I would be a very
unhappy person.
Check out her work at
http://alexvanlierde.com
expat | 115
Voollo's bost |ot rostocroot socrots oro socrot oo oro. Wlooors oI too Voollo's
ost kot kostocroot 8ocrots Aworus 2ulu woro oooococou wlto cco IcoIoro oou
celebration at the grand awarding ceremony which was held at Enderun Colleges
Culinary Center. Luminaries in the food universe, top chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers,
Iooulos oou Irloous llou |ouorco's |tollo or oou Atrlc to ovorowlo too olot oI
the big reveal. Naturally, sumptuous food was not in short supply, what with the likes
oI Albo's, Cyo, Voso, 8olo, 2oo, Coocoloto |lro, Vooo-lso, oou Dlscovory 8cltos,
ooo otoors, cotorlo. oor, wloos, oou coIIoo owou Irooly torocooct too ovoolo.
Joo ovoolo's oosts woro too oroolzors toosolvos, loos Coborrcs oou |lloo uoboyob.
Joo Vkk8 Aworus rocoolzos ocollooco lo Voollo's ulolo scooo. lt ls too oIIsooot oI
a coffee table book with the same title, Elian explained. Patterned after the Oscars,
o oool oI ovor luu |cuos, ooco ooo ulstloclsoou oou rocoolzou lo too rostocroot
loucstry oou rolotou olus, uollborotou ovor ooco oworu.
Now on its second year, the awards provide a venue, not only for culinary experts but
olso Ioou ootocslosts to bo oooru. lrovlocs Vkk8 Aworu wlooors oro roclcuou Iro
being nominated again to give a fair chance for everyone in the business. There were
30 categories, with a number of new categories. Among those added in the 2010
oworus woro. ost louloo rostocroot, ost korooo kostocroot, ost |orlo Joloot,
Best Dessert, Ice Cream and Cake Shop, Best Burger Joint, Best Hotel Bar and the
Peoples Choice Award.
EVENTS
The Secret Is Out
Text by ASTRA C. ALEGRE
Photos by FRANCIS LYLE JUAREZ
1
2 3
4
5 6
7 8 9
116 | expat
So, without much ado, here are the
wlooors. ost ltolloo kostocroot. L'locootro
klstorooto ltollooo, ost |rooco kostocroot.
Lo koolouo |rooco lstro, ost 8oolso
kostocroot. Clr|clo, ost 1ooooso
kostocroot. Jsc|l|l, ost Colooso kostocroot.
Peking Garden; Best Continental Cuisine:
Aotoolo's, ost Jool kostocroot. AzcJool,
ost |lllloo kostocroot. CoI 1coolto,
ost Vluulo |ostoro kostocroot. 2lcrot
Cclsloo, ost korooo kostocroot. korooo
Goruoo, ost louloo kostocroot. kosolr,
ost Cootrol |croooo kostocroot. Vlc|oy's
Delicatessen; Best Specialty Cuisine:
Cyma Greek Taverna; Best Steakhouse:
Vooc, ost lstro. Aortoot l
Gocrot CoIort |oou, ost kostocroot-
Bar: The Establishment; Best Enoteca:
Galileo Enoteca; Best Fusion Cuisine: Kai;
ost Wloo Llst. Vossoto Wloo or oou
kostocroot, ost cror. 1olot rotoor's
cror (oolIoclo ulo 8troot}, ost Dossort,
lco Croo oou Co|o 8oo. lzc lotlssorlo,
Best Newcomer: The Goose Station; Best
uotol kostocroot - lotorootloool cIIot.
Clrclos (Vo|otl 8ooorl-Lo}, ost uotol
kostocroot - |loo Dlolo. Clcoc (uotol
Closto}, ost uotol kostocroot - 8oclolty
Cclsloo. lool|c (Vo|otl 8ooorl-Lo}, ost
uotol or. Vortlols (Voouorlo Orlootol},
ost |orlo Joloot. 8cosoloo oou kob
Pengson; Best Chef: Antonio Escalante;
Lifetime Achievement Award winner:
Vororlto |oros, loolo's Coolco Aworu
winner: Peoples Palace.
|ot Jrovol oou LlIostylo oozloo oou
Expat newspaper were among the sponsors
of the event.
1 Dr. Efren Vasquez with Wendell Garcia and
Stephanie Kienle
2 Ines Cabarrus
3 Goran Aleks and Michi Zepeda
4 Bel Castro and Janice de Belen
5 Luis de Terry, Kristine del Gallego and Ferdi
Salvador
6 Lexi Schulze and Koby Parcell
7 Marilyn and Jess Cabarrus
8 Bobby Lim and Malu Gamboa
9 Part of the demonstration
10 Janice de Belen
11 Stephanie Zubiri and Bobby Lim
12 Joshua Tiu, Indra Singh, and Lara Parpan
13 Ferdi Salvador, Tina Pamintuan and Gianna
Kessler
14 Anton Diaz, Javi Berenguer Testa, Nancy Reyes
Lumen
15 Wendell Garcia, J Gamboa, Stephanie Kienle
16 Colin Mackay and Koby Parcell
10 11
12 13
14
15
16
expat | 117
EVENTS
Joo 2ull lolllloos oorboo| wos lococoou ot too Now Worlu Vo|otl Clty ootol lost Novobor 3u. Joo cbllcotloo's
theme "Keep It Green" was brought to life in the hotel's Grand Ballroom with clever plays of light and decoration. Delivering
the keynote address was Speaker of the House Feliciano Belmonte. Also speaking about the role of the public and private
sectors in environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility was Congressman Dr. Neric Acosta. The event was
attended by the creme de la creme of the corporate world including Washington Sycip, Amb. Bienvenido Tantoco, Amb.
AlIooso ccoooco oou 1oro Aroooto ooo otoor bcslooss oou ullootlc lcloorlos. Joo lolllloos oorboo|, oow oo
its 74th year of publication by The Fookien Times, is available in all major bookstores nationwide. It is also used by the top
corporations of the Philippines to disseminate a positive and progressive image of the Philippines to the world.
Philippines Yearbook
1 2
3
6 7 8
4 5
118 | expat
I te:| el herer, 'jeeler |elitiere ''err' Kelmer|e !r.
2 Winston A. Chan, chairman of Computer Science, SGV
Foundation; Jose Carlitos G. Cruz, vice chairman and executive
vice president, SGV Foundation; Cirilo P. Noel, chairman and
president, SGV Foundation; Medel T. Nera ,member of the Board
of Trustees, SGV Foundation; and Ramon D. Dizon, chairman of
Vocational and Technical Education, SGV Foundation
3 Vernon Go; Mario Katigbak, country manager, Bvlgari &
herme:, Kee erertil, 'I/K': e::etie|e eii|er & lile:|le
editor Millet Mananquil
4 Introducing the guest of honor, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte
Jr., is Grace Glory Go, chairman and CEO, The Philippines
Yearbook
5 Ivan Sarenas, editor 2011 Philippines Yearbook
6 Vernon Go, president and publisher, The Philippines Yearbook
7 Jorge Araneta, chairman, Araneta Group of Companies; Stella
Marquez Araneta; Amb. Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. and Vernon Go
8 Amb. Delia Domingo Albert and South African Amb. Ndateni
Agnes Nyamande-Pitso
9 Farid Schoucair, Prateek Kumar and Goran Aleks
10 Grace Glory Go, Vernon Go and Monique Toda
11 Washington Sycip and Amb. Bienvenido Tantoco Sr.
12 Vernon Go, Speaker Sonny Belmonte, GGG, Arthur Lopez,
Babe Romualdez, chairman, DraftFCB Worldwide; and Johnny
Litton
IJ \errer e, eriiel Irerel': Cerlr errirj eri Kereer
Ambassador Hye-Min Lee
I1 'I/K': rew: eii|er eritlt \illertere, eri 'I/K |/ |e
the EVP Catherine L. Angeles
15 Bobby Horrigan, Farid Schoucair; Tita Trillo, Margrit Klauser;
Cory Quirino, Reto Klauser and Christopher Park
16 Guest Speaker Rep. Dr. Neric Acosta
17 Mie Morita, Toshiro Morita, German Amb. Christian-Ludwig
Weber-Lorstch, Mme. Denise Lillie and British Amb. Stephen
Lillie
18 Donnie Tantoco, Maritess Tantoco-Enriquez, Amb. Bienvenido
Tantoco Sr. and Reto Klauser
9 10 11
12 13 14
15
16 17
18
expat | 119
EVENTS
|vory yoor too Aloboo lotorootloool Loulos Groc (ALlG} roll c toolr sloovos oou ct
their energy into their annual ball to raise money for the local charities they support. This
year the Alabang Country Club was transformed into a colourful and exotic Bollywood
affair with bindis and bangles being the order of the night. Guests stepped up to the
challenge of the theme and sashayed in their saris and silks, turbans and taffetas. The
decor and music set the tone of the evening from the minute the guests arrived for
coc|tolls rlot toroco to too lost uooco. Locol Vo|otl boou Drlzzlo rovluou too cslc
Ior too ovoolo oou ouo scro too crowus too| to too uooco oor lo trco bollywoou
Iosoloo. lrrosoctlvo oI oll too lltz oou too loocr, too croso boolou tooso Iostlvltlos
wos oovor Iorottoo os costs ulou ooorocsly loto toolr oc|ots Ior roIos oou slloot
auctions, making sure that ALIG raised a record amount for the charities that would
booot Iro too ovoolo.
Walking through the room was a bit like attending a United Nations gathering (maybe
|cst o llttlo oro Icol} os ALlG ls o roc wolco ls oot so cco oboct wooro yoc coo
Iro bct rotoor ooo toot Ioccsos oo wooro wo ou ocrsolvos, oou oo tols scltry ovoolo lt
just happened to be the Ayala, Alabang Country Club.
The full moon that graced the evening looked like it had been made to order for the
occasion as expats from all over the world attended this cosmopolitan and colorful
affair, making sure that they were giving back something to the country they currently
call home.
A Night Of A Thousand Lights: The
Alig Annual Charity Ball
1
2 3
4 5
Text by PAULINE BRETTEL
Photos courtesy of Heather Duncan Photography
120 | expat
1 Heather Duncan & Tomi
Latva-Kiskola
2 Ulrik Restorp, Karin
Restorp, Khin Grist, Edwina
Dominguez, Rafel Dominguez
3 Paul Head, Tomi Latva-
Kiskola, Tony Butler, Phil
Ondaajte, Glenn Hilton
4 Lee Muse, Keely Muse,
Steve Sleight, Ronda Trower,
Troy Trower
5 Sarah Prunoske, Dina
Hourihan, Fawn Babin
6 Mara Emmel, Frank
Emmel, Joris van Etten,
Amanda van Etten
7 Bhawana Dhungana, Laxmi
Boome, Pushpa Belbase
8 Avanish Lulla, Erick
Carcamo, Poonam Lulla,
Tammy Miguel
9 Sarah & John Prunoske
10 The Band, Drizzle
11 Rachel Dixon, Verona
Webb, Vanessa Ondaatje,
Kathryn Head, Tarryn Butler
12 Pam & Andy Johnston
6 7
8
10 12
11
9
expat | 121
Joo rovlocs ootos oovo sooo Voollo
say goodbye to a number of treasured
friends in the diplomatic corps. We will
deeply miss the jovial and cerebral EU
uoou oI Dolootloo Allstolr VocDooolu
and his ever-warm-and-welcoming
socso Vo. rlltto. Wo olso slocoroly
wlso too ulolou oou oloblo 8oolso
Ambassador Luis Arias and his elegant
oou octlvo socso Vo. 8olouou oll too
best on their next mission. It was a true
pleasure and a privilege to have gotten
to know them both during their very
roucctlvo lssloos lo Voollo. Aou wo
ooo (oou oro scro} toot toolr rosoctlvo
despedidas wont be the last well see
of them in the country. But of all the fond
farewells weve had to make, none is
more poignant than our last goodbye to a
uoor Irloou, Vo. Cosotto Cosslo |ouolo.
EVENTS
A Farewell to Friends
MY FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1 2
3 4
5 6 7
Photos by DOMINGO GANNABAN
and RAMON RUIZ
By BUTCH BONSOL
122 | expat
An elegant and well-spoken representative
oI oor cocotry, Vo. Cosotto oou
accompanied her spouse Ambassador
kcboos Aooo |ouolo to scco ocloctlc
postings as in Palestine, Sudan and Congo.
While in the Philippines, which she was
able to thoroughly explore during their
mission, she was very open about being
touched by the warmth of the Filipino
people and the beauty of the country. As
rosluoot oI 8ocsos oI uoous oI Vlssloo
lo Voollo, soo coosluorou coorlty wor| os
the most meaningful part of her role, with
a special place in her heart for working
with the elderly, women and children in
need. Expat owes her deeply by being
one of our great friends and supporters
through numerous projects and events.
With her passing, the world lost a leader
among ladies. In every occasion and
interaction with the beloved diplomatic
spouse, she always radiated warmth and
friendliness, tempered by intelligence and
grace.
At too oorlol oss Ior Vo. Cosotto,
president of the Philippine Italian
association Zenaida Tantoco, said in her
eulogy: I found that Cosetta was not only
physically beautiful but also a very kind
person, achievement-oriented and most
of all brave. If happiness is a personal
decision you make, Cosetta made that
decision to be happy... And in making that
decision, she bravely implemented it, every
minute of her life till the end.
1 Amb. Alistair McDonald with Mme.
Brigitte receiving the Sikatuna
Award from Pres. Benigno Aquino III
2 The late Mme. Cosetta Fedele
3 Consul Fausto Preysler, Mme.
Soledad Arias, Babe Romualdez,
Amb. Luis Arias and Jesus Pineda
1 Werli Kerl': Ker| helmer, Ce:er
Virata and Amb. Alistair McDonald
5 Father Luigi de Giambattista-
lltie|irj |rie:|
6 Cora Claudio, Lourdes Montinola,
Mme. Brigitte Macdonald and Nicole
Revel
7 Italian Amb. Luca Fornari &
Konstantinos Kanavariotis
8 Amb. & Mrs. Philippe Lhuillier
9 Ms. Cristina Morrica Smith- PIA
llte erejer, ||/ 9iret|er:. r:.
Maria Allgieir, Ms. Tillie Pelagallo,
Mrs. Chit Montenegro, Ms. Nellie
Bengzon, Mrs. Betty Chalkley
10 Korean Amb. Hye-min Lee and
French Embassy Jean-Louis Bertrand
11 Amb. Tonet Lagdameo
IZ ||/ 9iret|er:. r:. erie /lljieir,
Mrs. Betty Chalkley and Mrs. Chit
Montenegro, Ms. Butch Bonsol, Mrs.
Silvana Fornari-wife of Amb. Luca
Fornari, PIA President Ms. Nedy
Tantoco, PIA Directors Mrs. Marilou
Alejandro and Ms. Nellie Bengzon
13 Scholars of the late Mrs. Cosetta
Fedele, Amb. Luca Fornari, Ms. Nedy
Tantoco, Madame Silvana Fornari,
Mr. Mari Borao
14 Jorge Araneta, Pepe Rodriguez
and Tony Boy Cojuangco
15 Japanese Amb. Makoto Katsura,
Mme. Yasko and Mr. Patrick Jacinto
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
expat | 123
Past the smorgasbord that is the Greenhills
Shopping Center, and deeper into the
mundane Ortigas Avenue thoroughfare, lies
a lifestyle hub that would be tough to miss.
With an intelligent fusion of architectural
soolstlcotloo oou ouoro Voollo crboo
oool, koooc Art Cootor ls o boc|oolo
that does not impose more than it entices.
The brainchild of Jagnus Design Studio, its
clever choice of dirt-gray for the facade,
ollows Ior o cortolo lcolty to too Votro's
pollution. Its emblematic spiral stairs
(indicative of a mattress spring, it is after all
owoou by uroto}, oou lotrlclo wlouow
sooos (Vorso couo rorosoototloo oI too
lyrlcs oI DoIt lco|'s 8trooor} stos yoc oo
your tracks and lures you in.
Joo bosooot ls wooro yoc'll ou 1oocs
Design Studio beside urban fashion retailer
co|or-Oboy. Joo rocou oor ls ooo to
Charlies Grind and Grill and its American
Ioro, OGGL| |rozoo oocrt or, 1ozc
Kin Japanese Cuisine and anything-art / hip
retailer Secret Fresh and its Gallery.
Joo socoou oor ooos yoc c to too uroto
lrolc Vottross 8oowroo. Ooo oor c
leads to The Playground, perhaps the
best designed and hands down artsiest
bos|otboll y lo Voollo (uoolto 5-8tor lI
scco o rotlo Ior bos|otboll ys olstou},
which may also serve as an event center.
Joo Iocrto oor, collou Joo Doc|, oocsos
PIT
STOP
Its Hip, Its Fun, and Its Just Getting Started
A glimpse into Ronac Art Center, where creativity and passion are nature-nurtured
Text by TIMOTHY JAY IBAY
Photos by IAN CASTAARES
[|ej lel|] /l|er :emjlirj Clerlie': /meriter lere, tree|e etr ewr
yoghurt heaven at Yoggle. (top right) Discover the fun mysteries that
Secret Fresh has in store for you.
[|e||em lel|] Keret': "|lejretri' tem|ire: e :|e|e el |le er| jm
with limitless possibilities. (bottom right) The brains behind what
shapes a lifestyle.
street lifestyle shops Progress, Terminal
VNL, 8ocrot 8orvlco, uoscooolou, s|oto soo
We Legendary, and basketball concept
store Titan 22, with Shabbys Deck Bar
(colo sooo} to ororlotoly rovluo o
space for lounging.
Thats what it is now, but if you allow
yourself into the realm of these creative and
passionate souls, youll understand that as
Ior woot koooc coo bocoo, llIo's too lllt.
124 | expat