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Paolo, Kaye, Patrick bibida sa upcoming Netflix movie na ‘A Journey’
SAMAHAN sa isang roadtrip sina Paolo Contis, Kaye Abad at Patrick Garcia! Ipapalabas na kasi sa darating na April 12 ang pinagbibidahan nilang bagong Netflix film na pinamagatang “A Journey.” Mapapanood sa trailer na iikot ang istorya sa tatlong karakter na nagtungo sa Tasmania sa Australia upang matupad ang pangarap ng kaibigan nilang may cancer......»»
Paolo Contis, Kaye Abad, Patrick Garcia reunion movie trailer released
"Tabing Ilog" fans will get the reference when they check out the freshly dropped trailer for "A Journey," starring Kaye Abad, Patrick Garcia and Paolo Contis. .....»»
Vatican approves inquiry for Pinay teen’s sainthood
A diocesan inquiry into the sainthood cause of Filipino teenager Nina Ruiz-Abad, who died at the age of 13 in 1993, has been permitted by the Vatican......»»
Chito, Kaye nagpa-good vibes sa socmed: Pwede sila sa EXpecially For You
NAGPASABOG ng good vibes ang nakakaaliw na hirit ng Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda sa kanyang ex-girlfriend na si Kaye Abad. Pak na pak ang pang-aasar ng singer-songwriter sa kanyang comment sa isang Instagram photo ni Kaye na kuha sa isang restaurant sa Cebu City. Makikita sa litrato ang aktres suot ang kanyang bare-shoulder.....»»
Finally, a complete 7-member Monetary Board
Last Friday, Jan. 26, marked a turning point for Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona, with him finally comfortably hosting this year’s annual reception for the banking community outdoors at the BSP compound’s historic Fort San Antonio Abad on a cool early evening, with a relaxed business casual suit but no tie dress code, and finally with a complete seven-member Monetary Board......»»
Bankers celebrate anew at BSP’s Fort San Antonio Abad
Former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governors and officials, Monetary Board members, Finance secretaries, members of the diplomatic community and who’s who in the Philippine banking community trooped to the central bank headquarters in Manila last Friday......»»
The Green Report: The stories of Northern Samar fishers
In this episode, Rappler multimedia reporters Iya Gozum and Michelle Abad talk about the woes and needs of sardine fishers in Northern Samar.....»»
Theater veteran Ricky Abad passes away at 77
Award-winning theater director and a professor emeritus of the Ateneo de Manila University Dr. Ricardo "Ricky" Abad has passed away at the age of 77......»»
3rd LD Writethru: Earthquake kills at least 1 in southern Philippines
MANILA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the southern Philippines on Friday afternoon killed at least one, the Philippines' Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Friday evening. Ariel Nepomuceno, OCD's administrator, said the office is validating the death reported in Jose Abad Santos, a coastal town in Davao Occidental province. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismo.....»»
Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Nov. 17
MANILA -- A 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the southern Philippines on Friday afternoon killed at least one, the Philippines' Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Friday evening. Ariel Nepomuceno, OCD's administrator, said the office is validating the death reported in Jose Abad Santos, a coastal town in Davao Occidental province. (Philippines-Earthquake-Death) - - - - MADRID -- Pedro Sanche.....»»
M7.2 quake hits Davao Occidental town
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck Sarangani in Davao Occidental on November 17, 2023, at 4:14 p.m. The epicenter of the quake was located 76 kilometers southeast of Sarangani Island. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the earthquake was tectonic in origin and had a depth of 96 kilometers. As of now, there have been no reported intensities, but instrumental intensities of up to VIII were recorded in Glan, Sarangani, and General Santos City, South Cotabato. Intensity V was recorded in Matanao, Davao del Sur, Maasim, Malapatan, Sarangani, Lake Sebu, Tampakan, Polomolok, and Banga, South. Intensity IV was recorded in Kidapawan City, Cotabato, Magsaysay, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, Kiamba, Maitum, Sarangani, Norala, Tantangan, South Cotabato, President Quirino, Lebak, Is.....»»
Junior Altas capture PISSA crown
University of Perpetual Help Dalta System trounced Malayan High School, 83-73, to rule the first Philippine Inter-School Sports Association juniors basketball championship at the Lam An Sports Gym in Abad Santos, Manila last Monday......»»
Israel-Hamas conflict won’t affect Philippine oil prices — DOE
Israel and Palestine are not major oil suppliers of the Philippines, Oil Management Bureau Director Rino Abad (DOE) said......»»
LPG Expo to tackle industry trends
As industries and nations across the globe find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, liquified petroleum gas is likely to gain attention as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. All data show LPG emits lower amounts of carbon dioxide than diesel and coal, making it a better option for transportation, cooking, and power generation. To explore the ever-evolving world of LPG, the Liquified Petroleum Gas Industry Association, the Liquified Petroleum Gas Marketers Association, the World LPG Association, and several regional associations will host the 4th Asia Pacific LPG Expo is set to make waves in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas from 10-11 October 2023 at the Marriott Hotel. With a diverse lineup of over 30 international and local companies exhibiting, the Asia Pacific LPG Expo continues to be the cornerstone for LPG professionals and industry enthusiasts, offering an invaluable platform to connect, learn, and explore the ever-evolving world of LPG. It is the gateway for esteemed international and local LPG companies to showcase their industry-leading practices and cutting-edge products and services. Beyond the expansive exhibition, the Expo hosts a dynamic conference featuring influential figures in the LPG industry and government representatives who will deliver insightful presentations on policy frameworks, safety standards, cutting-edge technologies, market trends, and investment prospects. These discussions will be led by renowned industry experts and innovators, providing attendees a competitive edge in navigating the dynamic LPG landscape. Local stakeholders and regulators such as former Congressman Arnel Ty from the LPGMA, Mercedita Pastrana from the LPGIA, director Rino E. Abad from the Department of Energy, and director Neil P.Catajay from the Department of Trade and Industry will be on site to share and discuss in details the on the latest regulations. Representatives from the various leading LPG Companies in the Philippines will also present to share more about the landscape of the local LPG industry. Be part of this momentous occasion at the esteemed Marriott Grand Ballroom Convention Center and attend with the participation of thousands of local and international delegates, along with government representatives and distinguished LPG professionals. Experience an event that will redefine the trajectory of the LPG industry in Asia Pacific. Secure your spot today and embark on a journey of limitless possibilities. The post LPG Expo to tackle industry trends appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Senior High’ and ‘Fractured’: Youth is not wasted on these young stars
The shows Euphoria, Elite and 13 Reasons Why offer depictions of the so-called Generation Z that baffle, shock and titillate their audiences. The young people in these shows succumb to the call of their sexual urges, wantonly take prohibited drugs and drink themselves to catatonia. Raging hormones fuel their pursuit of YOLO (you only live once) moments and defiance of authority figures. That same sense of edgy, confused, tension-filled environment of sex and drugs are also in the local shows Senior High and Fractured, which follow the footsteps and narratives of their international counterparts in highlighting the many versions of truths and lies in the lives of their young characters. Central hook In Senior High, the stories of teenagers of different economic backgrounds in a private high school, their struggles with authority figures, and a big tragedy-mystery that needs to be resolved are the central anchor and hook. The made-for-TV campus that is Northford High looks and screams “mahal ang tuition.” Students are all in crispy Ivy League-inspired uniforms, and the typical school cliques are well- represented. What has been presented so far in the show’s 25 episodes are a tragic death, bullying, mental health, video scandals and online gossip accepted as gospel truth, homoeroticism, drugs, sexual predation and anger issues with parental and other authority figures. In the acting department, top-tier performances come from Andrea Brillantes, who plays the roles of twin sisters; JK Labajo, who brings a true rich-boy sophistication to his role; Elijah Canlas and Miggy Jimenez, both lending juicy and saucy touches to their juvenile delinquent characters; Kyle Echarri, exuding a becoming softness and knight-to-the rescue vibe; and Daniela Stranner, a delicious alpha mean girl. Among the authority figures, Angel Aquino, Mon Confiado, Anna Abad Santos and Baron Geisler -- in a career-defining performance – are superb. Senior High scratches the surface of teen troubles. As more episodes come, one hopes the problems of today’s youth get a more thorough dissection an a broader, more compassionate perspective. [caption id="attachment_191711" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The cast of ‘Fractured’[/caption] Trapped vloggers In Fractured, a group of popular, influential vloggers are invited to an is island resort to make content about it. The vloggers get their biggest plot twist when they are all marooned in what seems like a deserted part of the island resort. Aside from the elements, they have to contend with scarce food and water, the uncertainty of rescue and other looming dangers. Three episodes on, what makes Fractured an interesting watch is the deft manner by which the personal lives, problems, insecurities and dark sides of the vlogger characters are revealed. Since tensions among them are at an all-time high, catfights between femme vloggers erupt. Two of the macho vloggers assert alpha status, while a different and groovy kind of love blossoms between two male vloggers. Aside from the writing and glossy look of the show, the acting by Seth Fedelin, Francine Diaz, Kaori Oinuma, Daniela Stranner, Raven Rigor and Sean Tristan are also compelling come-ons. For all the chaos and darkness in Senior High and Fractured, we also witness real friendships forged by the young characters, love at its most romantic or bittersweet, and realizations and redemptions even. Youth is not wasted on the younger ones, after all. The post ‘Senior High’ and ‘Fractured’: Youth is not wasted on these young stars appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fuel price hikes till yearend — DoE
Motorists should expect the fuel price hikes to persist until the end of the year as prompted by the low global oil supply due to production cuts. “That is what they should expect by the end of this year because of the shortage. Now, we are at the peak of shortage that reached three million barrels per day but as per the report of the International Energy Agency by the end of the year, the shortage will be reduced to half a million,” lawyer Rino Abad of the Department of Energy-Oil Industry Management Bureau or DoE-OIMB said during the Bagong Pilipinas briefing on Tuesday. Abad thus conveyed that prices, although on an uptick, will not be hefty. “So, we expect that the price is still high because of the tightness towards the end of the year. But if you look at the three million shortfall to 500,000, there is what is called backwardation, so the price increase is expected little by little,” Abad explained. Starting Tuesday morning, 19 September, diesel prices effectively increased by P2.50 per liter. Kerosene and prices, on the other hand, both went up by P2 per liter. The new round of price adjustment was the 11th increase for diesel and kerosene and the 10th for gasoline. Relatedly, the price movement translated to a commutative increase of P13.60 per liter for diesel; P17.50 for gasoline; and P9.95 per liter for kerosene. In constant communication In a recent spot interview with reporters, Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla assured that the DoE is in constant communication with other government agencies to help consumers cope with the rising prices but noted that nothing is definitive yet as to what course of action they could take. For this week, DoE data showed gasoline prices range from P60.50 to P69.50 per liter in Quezon City, Metro Manila’s largest city. Diesel prices, meanwhile, range from P65.25 to P71.30 per liter in Makati City, the country’s top financial hub. In Manila, kerosene sold from P80.11 to P82.40 per liter. Oil companies announce price adjustments every Monday to be implemented on the following day’s morning. The post Fuel price hikes till yearend — DoE appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting
The president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Nina Lim-Yuson, grew up in a family and home of Girl Scouts. Her grandmother, Pilar Hidalgo-Lim, was one of the co-founders of the GSP. “It was actually my Lola Pilar who suggested to Josefa Llanes Escoda, the GSP founder, to go to America to learn about girl scouting.” This tidbit of history, Nina shared in an online interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE. Pilar Hidalgo-Lim became GSP president, and so did Nina’s mother, Estefania Aldaba-Lim, who served as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Nina’s sister too, the eminent broadcast journalist, Cheche Lazaro, was a Girl Scout. Coming from a lineage of women achievers, Nina could not have chosen a different path. It was scouting that formally introduced the family to social responsibility, skills development and citizenship. Her brothers were also Boy Scouts. “I started when I was six years old and it was my Lola Pilar who inducted me as a Brownie. It used to be called Brownie because we were still using the American pattern,” she related. She belonged to Troop Number One, the first to be organized by the GSP national headquarters. In high school at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School of the Philippine Women’s University, she became a junior and later a senior Girl Scout. College would briefly end her Girl Scouting as she focused on her studies. Along the way, she also danced with the Bayanihan Folk Dance Company. It was not unexpected that she would return to scouting, her first love, and her first extra-curricular activity. For the last 36 years, she has been active in various organizations and volunteer work. She founded the Museong Pambata. She is a recipient of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service and is active in its various social development efforts. What Nina brings to her post is the legacy of leadership that had been passed on to her through generations of women leaders in the family. “My Lola Pilar was my idol. She was such a nice person and I never knew her totally as a president. I knew her more as a loving lola from all the stories she related when we rode up to Baguio. “My mother, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was very career-minded. I learned naman from her a lot of things, like being thrifty and having a list of things to do. In terms of organization, she was like that. Because she was in government. And, you know, when we started Museo, while it was actually my concept, I learned a lot from her. She would call me up at 5 o’clock in the morning and she would rattle off what needed to be done, like ‘number one, number two and so on.’ That was her. And I’m glad that I worked with her for six years in Museo. She was the president and I was the executive director for six years. I took over in 2000 as president and chief executive officer. And then, I stepped down in 2017.” Girl Scouts who read and tell stories Nina was elected president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines for the term 2021-2024 during its 2021 national convention. From day one, she shared, “My purpose was to reach out to the community-based troops because we have always been school-based. Many young women now have social problems so we need to reach out to the communities through our community-based troops.” Also on top of her priorities is literacy development, a cause that she addressed even in the Museo Pambata. She explained, “My advocacy has always been education. So, I was very concerned because the Asian Development Bank reported in 2022 that the World Bank found out that our Filipino children at ages 9 and 10 cannot read. So, I felt that because girl scouting is all over the country, with 96 local councils, the organization could serve as a vehicle for improving literacy in our country. “We started the Girl Scout Storyteller project because storytelling affects the heart first before the mind. When young people start with storytelling, they will love the stories and then the written word. They would then want to read. “We now have storytelling in economically challenged communities and we have partners. We sent out 2,500 books throughout the country with the help of our partner couriers.” Initially, she sought the help of her family foundation “to give a donation. I also sought the help of Ging Montinola, who is into literacy development. Together, we founded the literacy program. We are building this fund to cover the cost of buying children’s books. We will have a storytelling contest next year.” Raising funds for Camp Escoda Nina then shifted the conversation to another major endeavor that she is spearheading as GSP president — fundraising for the 27-hectare Camp Josefa Llanes Escoda in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, which was donated by the provincial government during the term of Governor Amado Aleta, the father of consul and civic leader Fortune Ledesma. “Palayan is beautiful because it has rolling hills, but it doesn’t have electrical and water facilities and roadworks. It doesn’t have a swimming pool, and it’s so hot in Nueva Ecija. It also does not have a conference hall. This is a big one-time fundraising project because it’s for the future of the girls who are going to the camp. Because as of now, if you go camping there, you have to walk up the hills to get your drinking water. You have to make buhos to take a bath.” She recalled, “In my time as a young Girl Scout, which was of another era, we had to walk in the dark to fetch water to fill up two drums. I was so scared because there were tuko in Los Baños. That taught me to be courageous. Camps really build up your lifetime skills and attitude. Camping is very integral in girl scouting and boy scouting. So, this camp will serve a purpose. It just needs various basic facilities to make it world-class and convenient with the proper amenities, but the girls will continue to learn all those survival techniques and appreciate nature right on the camp.” She praised architect Pippo Carunungan, “who is an environmental planner. He surveyed the site and drew up everything. It will be a beautiful camp, he said, because it’s a gift of nature.” First Lady as Chief Girl Scout Nina recently led the Girl Scouts in a fundraising ball attended by the “First Lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, who is our Chief Girl Scout. It’s mandated in the GSP constitution that whoever is the female president of the country or the First Lady is the Chief Girl Scout. In the past, we had Imelda Marcos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. All the first ladies were all Chief Girl Scouts. “Mrs. Liza Marcos spoke before us and she promised to help. She said, ‘We will make it the best campsite.’ Everyone was excited to see her and she obliged everyone who asked to have selfie with her. She is very friendly. She is really a Girl Scout.” Nina shared, “A generous couple is sponsoring the swimming pool at P6 million, while a gentleman entrepreneur is sponsoring the perimeter fence at P1.5 million. Many other businessmen and leaders have pledged to help build this dream GSP project. “We really need to raise about 50 million to have a very good camp. But when the First Lady heard about it, she said, ‘It has to be P250 million.’ But, really, when we have the funds, we can have deep toilets that have running water instead of tabo-tabo. Since we have a little Pampanga river that runs across the camp, we can build a bridge that crosses it and then the girls can have white-water rafting there in the Pampanga river. “Camp Escoda will be a very important and significant venue for our Girl Scouts to gather, bond, learn new skills and develop as morally upright citizens of the country and the world. It is especially so because camping is integral in any Girl Scout’s life. If you don’t have camping, it’s like half of your scouting life is missing. Every Girl Scout remembers that time of her youth. And being the national camp, it will welcome Girl Scouts representing the 96 councils from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao who will participate in various events and trainings.” Girl Scouts of all ages As GSP president, Nina travels to various parts of the country. “We have regional conferences aside from the meeting of the Central Board when regional heads and executives come to Manila. “I had just come from Baguio where I stayed for two-and-a-half days. I met our young Girl Scout representatives from ages 14 to 18. I enjoyed listening to them and exchanging ideas with them. I am so happy that we have a wealth of intelligent girls who want to serve the country. They are the ones who are going to take over. “It’s amazing that GSP is no longer limited to old people on the board. We finally have young ones on the board. Our Escoda committee is headed by Jade Delgado from Iloilo. Then we have Justine Bautista. She’s a psychometrician. She heads the Program Committee, which is a big committee because when we were in Baguio, we had 86 girls from all the councils throughout the country. Many of them are running for SK. “So, in my 70s now, which I don’t feel at all, I don’t take any medicines or something like that. Being with young people is what inspires me. Because at 15, 16 or 17, they already know that they have some kind of a mission.” Nina proudly shared that the venue of the Baguio conference, 'Ating Tahanan' on the South Drive was bought during the tenure of my Lola Pilar. We have four buildings there, including the houses of Senator and actor Rogelio de la Rosa and Carlos Valdes, the accountant. Lola Pilar, according to Carlos Valdes, twisted his arm to get a low price. I’m so thankful for all those who preceded me because they bought these places. It’s on South Drive which is so valuable. We even have a reserved forest behind us.” As she looks forward to the next camping and gets even busier raising funds for Camp Escoda, Nina feels elated that “every one of us in the Girl Scouts has been together in our various undertakings. The nice thing is we are now intergenerational because we try to bring in the old with experience, institutional memory and their wisdom born of their long life, and the young who are full of enthusiasm, energy and new ideas.” A star scout for a granddaughter While Nina does her part for the bright future of girl scouting in the country, her personal family too has not stopped contributing to the roster of members to this worldwide organization. Today, a granddaughter of hers, seven-year-old Rocio Yuson de Guzman, is a Star Scout. She is the daughter of Nina’s daughter, Nicky. No grandmother could have been prouder. Nina said, “Rufio loves being a star scout. When I arrived from the recent world conference in Cyprus, I came back with some badges and I gave some to Rufio who is very proud of the little badges that I got for her.” For sure, Nina will pass on not just the badges to Rufio. More importantly, she will give her granddaughter the once-in-one’s-childhood experience of being a Girl Scout and learning “the values that are identified in the Girl Scout Promise and Laws. I think that while there is so much to enjoy and learn, it is the inculcation of these values that would mold her into a well-rounded human being. As we all know, a Girl Scout’s honor is to be trusted. A Girl Scout is loyal, thrifty, courteous… and so on. It’s like a mantra -- the values that one lives by. “I have reached that point when it is not about success or what one accumulates in life, whether awards or accomplishments or material things. It is more about what I can share and scouting gives me that honor and privilege — to do my part in helping mold our young girls and making them aware even at an early age that they have a mission and worthy purpose in life. It is not just about being good and outstanding on your own but it is also about helping others to become better in what they’re doing and live better lives. “And I need not look far. As a grandmother, I dote on my Star Scout granddaughter, Rufio. There’s a world out there for her to discover and in which she has a role to play and use the skills and values she will learn from scouting.” The post Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kaye Abad sa viral video kasama ang maraming bodyguards: Hindi po sa akin ‘yun
NAGING laman ng usap-usapan ang aktres na si Kaye Abad matapos mag-viral ang kanyang video kung saan makikitang sangkatutak ang nakaalalay sa kanyang bodyguards habang naggo-grocery. Isang video clip ang in-upload ng user na si @nemgarcia2020 sa TikTok kung saan makikita ang “Tabing Ilog” actress kasama ang mga anak nitong namimili habang pinalilibutan ng guards.....»»
Menchu Katigbak: The splendid life of a society swan
Hers is a story anyone would love to tell and retell, or hear and hear again. Chances are, as in the book of Menchu, so many things are left unsaid because if these were all said, a single book would not be enough. Carmencita “Menchu” Katigbak’s story is one of love, passion, hurts and disappointments, social triumphs and power in its subtle workings, but mostly the good life and the people who live it and make it happen. She is a woman of the world in the sense of one who has lived in, explored and enjoyed New York, Bangkok, Lausanne, Paris and, her current love, Singapore. Of course, her turf is in Manila with a Capital S and Capital P (as in Power), and Lipa the hometown of her roots. [caption id="attachment_180060" align="aligncenter" width="958"] MENCHU with best friend Susie and her daughter Marivic.[/caption] At a time when the term “socialite” can come cheap, trite or even undeserved, Menchu gives the appellation dignity, respect and the awe it once inspired. Her social credentials are, of course, impeccable. For starters, she attended the Chateau Mont-Choisi, a Swiss finishing school for debutantes and pre-debs belonging to royalty and the world’s upper crust. A socialite today, in loose modern parlance, is perceived as being frivolous, one who attends parties because these men and women are party animals, or party people, as one columnist has named her weekly jottings about the social events of the day. The enjoyment of life is what defines this breed and set, and yet, while Menchu, too, knows how to enjoy, and enjoy life with gusto, there is more to her and that differentiates her from the herd. No, she does not top her charmed life with an icing of well-publicized good deeds and philanthropic beneficence, even if she actually shares her bounty with those in need. Menchu is of a different mold. She is a society swan in the manner of Truman Capote’s chums — Babe Paley, Gloria Guinness, Lee Radziwill. In our part of the world, think Chona, think Minnie, think Chito. She may well be cast in the same crème de la creme mold, glamorous denizens of the inner circles of society, at the same time, ladies who have transcended the vagaries of time. Just recently, Menchu was referred to by a diplomat friend as a global influencer, a 21st-century appellation that only a few are accorded. This one is applied to one who was once a señorita, colegiala and, yes, society girl, again in the tradition of Chona, Baby, Nelly, Chito and Ising. ‘The Katigbaks talk only to the Kalaws’ They don’t need family names, each as important as the other and of the same significance in society. Still, it’s one thing to say that she is Baby Fores, and another if she is Baby Arenas. There were two Vickys, one of national import and memory being the lovely teenager who stood as her father’s First Lady in the early 1950s, and there was the Madrigal matron, Vicky nee Abad Santos, who was low-key and the daughter of the World War II patriot, Jose Abad Santos, who refused to pledge allegiance to the flag of the enemies. Menchu shares first name distinction with Menchu delas Alas Concepcion, also of Batangueña parentage, being the daughter of banker and finance guy and public servant Don Antonio de las Alas. Both aristocrats from Batangas, the two Menchus share many distinctions beauty for one, pedigree, for the other—but that’s as far as I would say, the aforementioned traits being obvious. But to drive his point, Joe Guevarra, the humorous and well-placed columnist known for his tongue-in-cheek pronouncements, once said of the olden times, when the genealogical boundaries were well-defined, “In Lipa, the Katigbaks talk only to the Kalaws, and the Kalaws talk only to the Katigbaks.” [caption id="attachment_180057" align="aligncenter" width="998"] DINNER in Pili with Fernando and Zobel, Tessie Sy-Coson, Guilly Luchangco, Federico ‘Piki’ Lopez | photograph courtesy of MENCHU KATIGBAK[/caption] This self-confessed social climber, as his 8-to-5-and-beyond job would require him to be, admits to not having met (okay, having been introduced to…) the ebullient society hostess, traveler, culinary maven and friend-to-the-powerful Menchu Katigbak. Everything that I am writing here, I learned from the lady’s biography, Menchu, authored by lifestyle journalism icon Thelma Sioson San Juan, the two being decades-old friends. Menchu, one finds out toward the end of the book, is the inspiration for her granddaughter Isabelle’s first tome, Abu, the Sad Princess. I look back on the pages I have read, the memories of Menchu’s lifetime so far, in all its seven glorious and electrifying decades, and I dare say, the description is most apt and is true as well in real life as Menchu today is “living happily ever after” having come to terms with the many issues that confronted her at various times, but more importantly, she is today a fulfilled mother and grandmother and a believer in Jesus Christ. But that is getting ahead of the story. ‘White Matter’ by Lao Lianben Jaime Ponce de Leon, dear Jaime, the man of the hour of Philippine arts for as long as Juan Luna’s missing masterpiece, remains ensconced at the Ayala Museum – gaining for the discoverer more than a foothold in our cultural history – asked me if I was interested in writing about the socially formidable Menchu Katigbak, and I readily said yes, having seen her photographs in the select and more discriminating society pages and columns. I thought to myself it would be an opportunity to meet the lady face to face and add her to my glossary of so-called newfound friends, but that was not meant to be. I was, oh, I was treated to the next best thing – a copy of Menchu which, to someone who aspires to be a bibliophile, is all that matters in the world, except that I am first a social climber. And since I have not been allowed an audience, I take solace in the book and, as my honeyed revenge, will tell you what I feel about the lady who, I understand, could be frank and outspoken. Abrasive is too strong a word, and unfair for I am not sure if I will ever meet her in my lifetime, but I am told the lady will never mince words, that’s probably why she has legions of true friends who probably can give as much as take, or so I am imagining. [caption id="attachment_180055" align="aligncenter" width="1475"] Lunch in the kitchen in Pili with Patty Araneta (left) and Monet Recio-Schem.[/caption] A painting that Menchu has kept all these years, “White Matter” by Lao Lianben, signed and dated 1997, has been featured as one of the rare pieces to be auctioned in Leon Gallery’s forthcoming magnificent September auction, with the starting bid of P2,600,000. So, there, if you’re wondering what Jaime, who moves around the best circles, has got to do with this enigmatic swan. ‘We are not rich’ But let’s stick to what the book says. While she intersperses in her narrative personal encounters with her subject, TSJ, for the most part, devotes the pages of this book to Menchu alone, and with our cosmopolitan lady, the many friends in the upper echelons whose lives she has touched and who have touched hers in turn. Menchu, once she was ready to be told, heard it straight from her mother, “Tandaan mo, baka akala mo mayaman tayo. Hindi tayo mayaman. Kung napadala ka namin sa Switzerland at si Tita at si Tony napadala naming sa America, kasi nagpawis ako ng dugo (Remember, you may think we are rich, we are not rich. If we sent you to Switzerland and Tita and Tony to America, it was because I sweated blood). If you think you’re going to inherit something from us, banish the thought. So if you don’t study well, bahala ka sa sarili mo (you’re on your own).” The perfect words for the Asuncionista (Assumptionista) who much preferred to bake food for the gods, brownies and upside-down cakes and do naughty things like hiding the bell used to signal the start and end of class periods. Her mother, the former Charing Roxas Dimayuga, who attended Assumption Convent, dealt in buying, developing and selling homes in the gated Makati villages. She also developed horizontal and vertical commercial spaces as well as imported retazos from abroad. [caption id="attachment_180056" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Wearing the Van Cleef earrings purchased before their public launch.[/caption] Her father, Enrique Luz Katigbak, on the other hand, was a top certified public accountant, an alumnus of the Northwestern University and a director on the boards of Monte de Piedad and Philtrust banks. Of his connections, none is more eminent than his friendship with His Eminence, Rufino Cardinal Santos, archbishop of Manila and the first Filipino Cardinal of the Catholic Church. It was not a happenstance that Menchu received the sacrament of confirmation from the Cardinal himself right in the Katigbak home, the first ever that was held in a private home if any other followed at all. Like most children, Menchu recalls in the book how she detested being “slapped” by the pious prelate. If she was any pleased about her family’s closeness to the holy man, it was that the Assumption sisters did not expel her for her not-too-infrequent infractions because they went to her father if they needed something from the Cardinal. Dona Aurora Recto for a ‘guardian’ Hers was a lonely childhood since her older siblings were away. They were the triple seven, which alluded to their being born seven years apart, with Menchu as the youngest. On certain days, her parents, both busy, would deposit her in the home of the statesman Claro M. Recto where she would play with his favorite granddaughter, Techie, who had all these toys, Menchu could not help realizing her parents did not buy her a toy. She played with her jackstones while Techie had a closetful of toys, including a toy “cash register.” Techie was so generous she was giving this fancy plaything to her, but Menchu refused knowing her mother would not approve. What she remembers best of that time was the sight of Dona Aurora, the first beautiful woman she beheld in her young mind and eyes, and from her, she learned her first lessons in etiquette, because the family ate with a full complement of silverware and flatware. (To be continued) The post Menchu Katigbak: The splendid life of a society swan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fuel prices rise for 10th straight week
Motorists still have to tighten their belts to endure the 10th week of fuel price increase this year as an effect of ongoing production cuts implemented by leading oil producers. Starting tomorrow morning, the prices of diesel sold at the local pumps will increase by P1.20 per liter. Kerosene prices, on the other hand, will also go up by P1.10 per liter, and gasoline prices, by a slight P0.50 per liter. Data from the Department of Energy showed that as of 29 August, the commutative increase in diesel stood at P9.50 per liter; gasoline, P14.80 per liter; and kerosene, P6.64 per liter. Meanwhile, as of 31 August, the gasoline prices range from P60.10 to P71.00 per liter in Quezon City, Metro Manila’s largest city. Diesel prices, meanwhile, range from P63.65 to P69.70 per liter in Makati City, the country’s top financial hub. In Manila, kerosene sold from P78.81 to P81.30 per liter. Oil Industry Management Bureau director Rino Abad earlier explained that the consecutive rounds of price spikes were prompted by the low global oil supply due to production cuts. “This is the continuous effect of Saudi Arabia’s production cut of 1 million barrels, which was implemented this August. Aside from this, Russia, another oil producer, decided to cut around 300,000 to 500,000 barrels per day in its production,” Abad explained. Oil companies announce price adjustments every Monday to be implemented on the following day’s morning. They adjust their prices weekly based on the movement of the Mean of Platts Singapore — the regional pricing benchmark adopted by the deregulated downstream oil sector. The post Fuel prices rise for 10th straight week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»