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UST makes Final Four grade
University of Santo Tomas completed the Final Four cast after showing Far Eastern University the exit door, 26-24, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. Veteran Eya Laure capped her efficient outing by hammering down the finishing blow to banish the last hurdle blocking the way of the Tigresses’ third straight semifinals appearance. UST improved its win-loss record to 9-3 for a share of the second spot with semis-bound defending champion National University. Standings leader and twice-to-beat De La Salle University and Adamson University occupy the other Final Four seats. Laure, whose back-to-back aces midway through the fourth set cleared the way for UST to take control of the match, finished with 28 points and had eight digs. The outside hitter and skipper punched in 23 kills off 47 attempts and had three aces and two kill blocks for the Tigresses, who will shoot to boost their chances of clinching the last semis incentive with another win over the Lady Bulldogs on Wednesday. While Laure took care of offense, Detdet Pepito took charge of the floor defense drawing praise from head coach Kungfu Reyes. “We’re just happy our B7 (Pepito) was activated especially during the latter part of the game. Detdet was a bit tentative in the first and second sets. At least, she bounced back on the following sets,” Reyes said of his defense specialist who had 21 digs and 19 excellent receptions. UST had a close call in the opening set and allowed FEU to steal one in the second frame before recovering its bearing to seal the win. Laure landed consecutive service winners to seal the Tigresses decisive 5-0 rally to take a 19-17 lead in the fourth set. The Lady Tamaraws kept the game close but an error followed by Laure’s crosscourt hit put the Tigresses at match point. Laure put FEU out of its misery after saving two match points in the battle that lasted two hours and 15 minutes. Imee Hernandez added 19 points while Milena Alessandrini, Jonna Perdido and Regina Jurado scored seven each for UST, which came back from a 16-21 deficit to steal the extended opening set. The Lady Tamaraws kissed their semis hopes goodbye after dropping to a 6-7 slate. Still, it was a good run for FEU, which will close its campaign against Adamson on 30 April, after finishing with a 1-13 card last year. Chenie Tagaod scored 12 points while Gerzel Petallo had 11 for the Lady Tamaraws. In men’s play, FEU halted a four-game slide with a morale-boosting upset win over UST, 25-21, 22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-10, to strengthen its bid for a Final Four seat. Rey Sabanal and Dryx Saavedra scored timely hits in the fifth set as the Tamaraws escaped with their seventh win in 13 games. The duo pushed FEU’s separation to 13-9 in the deciding frame before UST's rookie sensation Josh Ybanez committed the last of his team's costly 45 errors from the pipe to send the Tamaraws at match point, 14-10. Then Mark Calado wasted no time, attacking from the back row straight to the center of the Golden Spikers' court for the skid-breaking victory. Calado had 21 points and seven digs for the Tamaraws while Saavedra pitched in 16 points. Ybañez uncorked 28 points on 27-of-52 attacks with 17 excellent receptions and six digs as the Tigers saw their eight-game winning streak snapped for a 10-2 card. The post UST makes Final Four grade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SUPER SHOWDOWN: rookie Dindin Santiago vs. rookie Jaja Santiago
Towering sisters Dindin Santiago-Manabat and Jaja Santiago left lasting impacts in the UAAP. Versatile, talented and intimidating are just some of the traits the siblings share. Both are vital cogs in their local commercial league club and are valuable assets to the national team. International clubs even took notice of the Santiago sisters’ dominant presence and high-level volleyball skills that they landed deals to play in the prestigious Japan V. Premier League. And of course if you’re a University of Sto. Tomas faithful you’ll often wonder what the Tigresses would have achieved if the sisters stayed in Espana instead of moving to National University. Looking back, we saw how the Santiago sisters evolved into what they are today. With their towering presence, both immediately made valuable contribution during their debut seasons? But then again, which Santiago made a bigger impact in their rookie year? Dindin’s first year with UST or Jaja’s maiden tour of duty for NU? OFFENSE and DEFENSE Dindin right now stands at 6-foot-2 while Jaja is listed at 6-foot-5, even if we deduct a few inches from their current height during their respective debuts they’ll still be pretty tall compared to the rest of the field. In Season 72, Dindin complemented an already stacked Tigresses. Though overshadowed by legends Aiza Maizo and Angeli Tabaquero, Dindin made a decent contribution on offense averaging almost six points per game. Dindin was on UST’s top five in the blocking department. Compared to her older sister, Jaja’s rookie year in Season 76 was more impressive. Jaja averaged 10.7 points per outing behind her Dindin (16.7), who was then on her last year after transferring to NU. Jaja had a 41.99% success rate in attacks – landing at second spot overall after Dindin’s (46.10%). The younger Santiago normed 0.50 kill blocks per set to anchor the Lady Bulldogs’ net defense. TEAM IMPACT Dindin was a welcome addition to the Tigresses. However, playing in a squad filled with veterans left Dindin little room to display her full potential. Maizo and Tabaquero shared much of the scoring load while Maika Ortiz, Maru Banaticla and Judy Ann Caballejo provided the extra punch. But Dindin did play her role well as one of head coach Shaq delos Santos’ prized recruits. Dindin, indeed, made her presence felt in her own little way as UST climbed its way into the Finals. Jaja’s entry in Season 76 put NU as one of the top contenders to challenge the then reigning three-peat champion De La Salle University. Together with her sister, they formed NU’s dreaded twin towers and with the likes of Mina Aganon, Aiko Urdas and Myla Pablo, many predicted the Lady Bulldogs would make it all the way to the Finals. In fact, NU almost did before the Alyssa Valdez-led Ateneo de Manila University spoiled everything. As a consolation for all her hard work, Jaja was the runaway winner of the Rookie of the Year award COMPETITION Dindin played in a very competitive field. She took on a number of powerhitters and precision spikers like De La Salle University’s Big Three in Paneng Mercado, Jacq Alarca and Cha Cruz. Dindin also faced Adamson University’s Angela Benting and Pau Soriano, Ateneo had Dzi Gervacio and Fille Cainglet, Far Eastern University’s Cherry Vivas, NU’s Mervic Mangui, Mela Lopez of University of the Philippines and Kite Rosale of University of the East. Jaja, on the other hand, had to contend with an equally powerful field. Valdez was on a different level that season, so was DLSU with the trio of Ara Galang, Aby Marano and Mika Reyes. Bang Pineda was wreaking havoc for Adamson, FEU had Bernadeth Pons, Mela Tunay and Pam Lastimosa were the stars of UST, UP had their own towers in Kathy Bersola and Angeli Araneta while Shaya Adorador was UE’s standout. LASTING IMPRESSION Dindin, of course, was the fortunate one among the siblings. She experienced the glory of winning championship after helping the Tigresses dethrone the Lady Spikers in her first year. That championship remains as UST’s last title to this day. But what really stuck was Dindin’s decision to jump ship a season after winning the crown. Dindin made the headlines when she left UST to join the Lady Bulldogs in a move that drew mixed reactions and a whole lot of speculations in what convinced her to drop the black and gold for NU’s colors. Dindin’s transfer was followed by Jaja committing to NU after a successful run with UST’s high school team. Jaja won the RoY award and helped NU move a win closer to a Finals appearance. The Lady Bulldogs were armed with a twice-to-beat advantage but NU’s twin towers and talents were not enough to overcome the steamrolling Lady Eagles. Jaja’s career started off at least on a good note considering how far NU advanced after years of frustrations. Jaja would eventually lead the Lady Bulldogs to two more Final Four appearance with their last in Season 80 – the same year when she bagged the Most Valuable Player award. Now who’s the better rookie Santiago? Hard to tell. On one side, you have Dindin who won a championship while on the other you have Jaja with her individual accomplishments and accolades. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
Valdez, Galang reveal their go-to type of spike
Ateneo de Manila University’s Alyssa Valdez and Ara Galang of De La Salle University are two of best and most effective wing spikers to ever take flight in the UAAP. Both brought glory to their respective schools and faced off in the championship four times. Strong, consistent and efficient, these are the traits they share when it comes to offense. But when it comes to their go-to spikes, Valdez and Galang have their preferred angles when attacking. Reacting to some of their highlight clips in the 'GaDez React' segment of the SERVE AS ONE Variety Show fundraising event for volleyball game day personnel, the top spikers shared what kind of attacks they go to achieve a high percentage of success. “Si Coach Tai (Bundit) lagi niya akong pinagko-crosscourt,” said Valdez, a two-time UAAP champion and three-time Most Valuable Player winner. For the Phenom, hitting the ball crosscourt gives her a wider target and better chance to score. “Sa crosscourt malaki ang area na mata-target mo kaysa sa down the line,” said the former Queen Eagle, who currently has the most points in a single game in the UAAP with 35 tied with Sisi Rondina. “Ang laki kasi ng chance na mag-out talaga sa sideline saka sa end line. ‘Pag crosscourt may check ball, ang dami mong angles na pwedeng puntahan.” While Valdez loves crosscourt hits, Galang prefers to punch her attacks down the line. “Mas madali kong nakikita (spot to attack). Ewan ko, sa pagsilip (sa anggulo),” said Galang, who shared the Season 75 MVP award with teammate Aby Marano. Aside from her laser-like down the line spikes, Galang is also a master of cut shots. The two players also discussed about their service game. Galang likes to serve from the corner. “Siguro kasi mas kaya ko ang power. Doon ang strength kapag pwesto lang,” said the Lady Spiker. Valdez, on the other hand, puts extra effort on her service game for a specific reason. “Kailangan kong galingan mag-serve para ‘di ko na kailangang dumepensa (sa likod),” she joked. Shifting on a lighter note, Galang reacted to her video on a skateboard while Valdez had a good laugh watching for the first time her hosting stint for University Town where she joined the multi-titled National University Pep Squad in a cheerdance routine. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
Majoy Baron in FIVB website feature article: Enjoying both volleyball and fashion worlds
Filipino volleyball stars continue to make headlines in the FIVB website. Majoy Baron’s humble volleyball journey to her slaying it on the catwalk and her incredible story of striving to be at her best in both worlds is the latest Filipino volleyball feature article on the site. The F2 Logistics middle blocker shared the news on her Instagram post on Sunday. View this post on Instagram Thank you FIVB for the feature. I am humbled to be able to share my journey not only as a volleyball player but also as a model. I hope to inspire others to go beyond their limitations. Pursue your passions and don’t be afraid to do the things you love. You are limitless ?? Click full article on my bio! A post shared by Majoy Baron (@majoybaron) on Jun 6, 2020 at 6:20pm PDT “Thank you FIVB for the feature,” she posted. “I am humbled to be able to share my journey not only as a volleyball player but also as a model. I hope to inspire others to go beyond their limitations. Pursue your passions and don’t be afraid to do the things you love. You are limitless.” Baron, who is a mainstay in the national team since 2018, told the website that she fell in love with beauty pageants growing up. It was her first love. “Before I became a volleyball player, I used to enjoy joining beauty pageants,” the 5-foot-10 stunner on and off the court told the website. “In the Philippines, beauty pageants are very popular. Miss Universe is our Super Bowl and is one of the major events the Filipinos look forward to every year. Growing up with that energy and enthusiasm, pageants and modelling easily became my first love.” Baron added that walking on the ramp puts her on a different high. “There was a rush every time I would put on a beautiful designer garment and walk down an elevated ramp in front of an audience,” she said. “What I enjoyed the most was transforming into a different person that was totally removed from my real self even just for a few minutes.” Her modelling career had to take a backseat when the Concepcion, Tarlac native was recruited to play for the Ramil De Jesus-mentored De La Salle University Lady Spikers in the UAAP. “My skills in high school weren't sufficient to make me stand out, I was tall and that was it. After a national tournament, only two schools scouted me for college. I was very grateful to even receive an offer from two schools with well-known and established volleyball programmes,” she said. “Going to DLSU for college turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made,” Baron continued. “It still gives me goose bumps remembering the time I was playing for the them. Those championships, trophies and individual awards we got were the fruits of our unending hard work and dedication to the sport.” Her first two years with the green and white were disappointing with DLSU losing to archrival Ateneo de Manila University in Season 76 and 77. Baron became a UAAP champion in 2016 in her third year and in her fourth year with the squad, she bagged Season 79 Most Valuable Player award as well as leading the Lady Spikers to a back-to-back. She left a winning legacy after closing her collegiate career as a three-peat champion. Baron also enjoyed a flourishing career in the commercial league, helping the Cargo Movers collect titles in the Philippine Superliga. Her talents and skills also landed her a spot in the national team. Baron saw action in the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and was named Best Middle Blocker twice in the two-leg 2019 ASEAN Grand Prix. She returned to modelling after college, squeezing in photo shoots for magazines, product endorsements and fashion shows, in between her commitments with her club and national squad. “It was not hard juggling volleyball and modelling duties, but the determination and discipline that I honed while playing volleyball took over. Know your priorities, pursue excellence, and push to be better than before,” said Baron, who was the fourth Filipino featured in the website after Jaja Santiago, Sisi Rondina and Bryan Bagunas. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @fromtheriles.....»»
Tigresses go for sweep; Lady Spikers, Lady Bulldogs collide
Pacer University of Santo Tomas spikes for a first-round sweep while reigning champion La Salle and National University — at joint second spot — battle in a heavyweight rematch in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum......»»
Senate President, First Lady headline Consular Corps meeting
It is not every day that two of the most outstanding and prominent personalities in the country share centerstage of a gathering of equally important standing......»»
Angelica 2 beses nang na-postpone ang kasal kay Gregg Homan, tuloy na tuloy na sa 2024: ‘Parang ayaw ng universe na itago namin’
NAGPAALAM na ang Kapamilya actress na Angelica Panganiban sa pagiging single lady kasabay ng kanyang 37th birthday celebration. Nagpakaligaya ang aktres at celebrity mom sa kanyang party nitong nagdaang Sabado, November 4, na dinaluhan ng kanyang mga kapamilta at ilang malalapit na kaibigan in and out of showbiz industry. Sa kanyang Instagram account, nag-share ang.....»»
Lady Bulldogs eye SSL sweep vs Lady Chiefs heading to quarters
Reigning champion National University shoots for sweep against Arellano to shore up its title retention bid entering the quarterfinals of the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship......»»
Museo ng Makati celebrates Patis Tesoro creations
In the vibrant tapestry of Filipino arts and heritage, few threads are as intricate and captivating as fashion. Much like traditions and customs, fashion as a form of artistic and cultural expression has played a pivotal role in shaping the Filipino identity and has evolved alongside the nation’s rich history. It is not just about clothes, it is the tales they share, the craftsmanship they embody, the heritage they preserve, and the patrimony they carry on through generations. The Museo ng Makati, housed in the old Presidencia, which served as the town hall until 1961 and has since been declared as an Important Cultural Property of our islands, proudly presented the Grand Dame of Filipino Fashion herself, Patis Tesoro. Entitled Kasuotang Filipino: Mga Likha ni Patis Tesoro, this exhibition was a testament to the enduring legacy of our people’s artistic expression. Although celebrated for its romantic allure, these also carry expressions of love for our country. The exhibit highlighted the enduring 50-year lifelong friendship between Patis and Mita Rufino, who loaned a part of her personal Tesoro-designed Filipiniana. Rufino’s impeccable taste in fashion mirrors her support for the finest designers and creators in the field, with Tesoro as a favorite due to their numerous collaborations. Maria Beatriz Pamintuan Tesoro, lovingly known as Patis, is the force behind this remarkable assemblage. Her journey began in Iloilo, where she drew inspiration from her mother’s dressmaking skills and honed her own dexterity in embroidery during her time at the Assumption Iloilo. [gallery columns="5" size="full" ids="194543,194542,194541,194540,194539"] Her pursuit of artistic excellence brought her to Marygrove College in Michigan, United States, where she studied Art Education. The visionary’s passion in everything Filipino deepened when she married the late Tito Tesoro, whose family owns the iconic Filipino handicrafts store Tesoros. Together with former Philippine First Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos, Patis worked tirelessly to protect, preserve and promote the use of pineapple or piña fabric, collaborating closely with local farmers to bolster their production. Even today, she continues to champion Filipino textiles and embroidery traditions, while infusing bohemian styles and practical, everyday clothing into her creations. While Tesoro’s genius was on the spotlight, it was equally dedicated to the exquisite beauty and exceptional craftsmanship of Filipino weavers and artisans, burdareras and costureras. The creations on display were nothing short of breathtaking. The venue showcased 23 long gowns that spanned fashion influences from various regions of the archipelago, which offered glimpses into her sensibilities throughout her illustrious career. These reflected her vision of the elegant Filipino attires. [caption id="attachment_194537" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Fashion innovator Patis Tesoro, curator Albert Figueras and Filipino Heritage Festival Foundation Inc. president Mita Rufino. | PHOTOGRAPHS by Edu Jarque[/caption] Hand in hand, fashion designer Albert Figueras had contributed his private treasure trove of fabrics from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, offering visitors a valuable opportunity to acquaint themselves on native textiles and weaving traditions — a critical endeavor in an era dominated by fast fashion and synthetic fabrics. Figueras played a crucial role in curating the whole affair. In attendance were civic servants such as Makati City Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo and notable diplomats, business leaders, fashion afficionados, textile artists and modern trendsetters. The event was made possible by the Filipino Heritage Festival Inc. spearheaded by its president, Mita Rufino. SM Makati manager Kathleen Anne Cruz and SM Retail president Cielo Monasterio generously supported the show. The exhibit also saw a romantic performance of a string of kundimans from the Choral Society of Makati, joined by the city’s 2018 champion and a member of the University of Makati Chorale Kristina Maniling. The post Museo ng Makati celebrates Patis Tesoro creations appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lady Warriors gain SSL playoff spot
The University of the East caught the last playoff bus in Pool A while Far Eastern U completed a Pool D sweep in the penultimate day of the Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-Season Championship Season 2 elimination round yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum......»»
Bombers, Cards, Lions eye win No. 2
Jose Rizal U, Mapua and San Beda eye a share of the top spot with the former battling College of St. Benilde and the latter two facing off today in NCAA Season 99 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
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......»»
Lady Chiefs outclass Red Spikers for 1st SSL win
The Arellano Lady Chiefs made quick work of the San Beda Lady Red Spikers, 25-15, 25-21, 25-15, to open their campaign in the Shakey's Super League preseason championship Saturday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City......»»
King Charles to descend Champs-Elysees on France trip
Royalty fans will get a glimpse of Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they descend the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on Wednesday at the start of a state visit, the French presidency said Friday. At around 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) on the opening day of the three-day trip, the royal couple, accompanied by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, will attend a ceremony in memory of World War I and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe landmark in the French capital. Charles will then share a car, marked with the French Republic's insignia, with Macron to travel down the Champs-Elysees, as will Camilla and the French first lady, but in a separate vehicle, Macron's office said. Charles III and Macron will then meet for a one-to-one discussion at the Elysee Palace. Topics are to include biodiversity, climate change, and a November summit in Britain on artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the situation in the Sahel region of Africa and the war in Ukraine, the presidency said. Both couples will get together in the evening for a state dinner at the Versailles Chateau on the outskirts of Paris. The late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had lunch at Versailles during their first state visit to France in 1957. Charles is "appreciative of the idea of walking in his mother's footsteps", Elysee said. The choice of Versailles, a royal residence built by French king Louis XIV now owned by the French Republic, was also an opportunity "to make France shine" through one of the country's most-visited monuments, the presidency said. Up to 180 people will be invited to the dinner in the Hall of Mirrors -- 73 meters (240 feet) long and adorned with 357 mirrors -- that was built to illustrate Louis's absolute power and dazzle visitors. Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich will perform on the night. On Thursday, Macron and Charles will pay a visit to the Notre-Dame Cathedral, currently under restoration following a 2019 fire that destroyed its roof, and will also go to the Museum of Natural History to meet business leaders and talk about biodiversity. Queen Camilla and Brigitte Macron meanwhile will present a new French-British literary prize to be awarded for the first time next year. They will also travel to the northern suburb of Saint-Denis, home to a large ethnic minority population, and visit a center for fashion crafts founded by celebrity house Chanel in the up-and-coming 19th district of the capital. The royal couple then travels on to Bordeaux, southwest France, to conclude the visit that was originally scheduled for March but got postponed because of unrest in France over Macron's controversial reform of the French pensions system. The post King Charles to descend Champs-Elysees on France trip appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Unity, cooperation key to climate crisis – Mayor Abby
Makati City Mayor Abby Binay batted for unity and cooperation among world leaders to further understand the urgency to mitigate climate crisis. This is what the city mayor said as she advocated for creating a cleaner and more sustainable world, when she went to Melbourne, Australia to attend one of the world’s premiere forums on climate change and promoting the use of clean energy in other cities and countries around the globe. The lady mayor was the speaker at the Cities Power Partnership’s Climate Summit for Local Government which started on 6 September and lasted for three days. The mayor delivered a keynote address to the session supported by the Global Covenant of Mayors where she is also a board member and a representative of Southeast Asia. “Makati is not a perfect city, but we have a lot of studies that we could share to other cities. I will continue to do my part for other leaders like me to further understand the urgency to mitigate climate crisis and remind everyone of the importance of unity and cooperation,” Binay said. Spearheaded by Australia’s top officials and leaders, the Cities Power Partnership’s Climate Summit for Local Government has been regarded as one of the most important events in the country as all its mayors and members of their council attend the momentous event. “This means key decision makers and thought leaders were given the chance to exchange ideas and suggestions for the conceptualization of stronger and more effective programs for climate action,” Binay explained. The local chief executive said she spoke about “COP28 and the Opportunities for Cities” as part of her preparations for the upcoming 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties to be held from November to December in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She stressed the significance of such conferences to countries committed to a sustainable, resilient, and climate-responsive future. The post Unity, cooperation key to climate crisis – Mayor Abby appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Harvard welcomes Cavite teacher as first Phl language instructor
After nearly 400 years since its founding, the prestigious Harvard University has named its first-ever Filipino language instructor. [caption id="attachment_181411" align="aligncenter" width="1588"] LADY Aileen Orsal | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FB.COM/LADY AILEEN ORSAL[/caption] Lady Aileen Orsal, who used to teach at Cavite State University, is now the university’s first preceptor for its Filipino language course. She will be teaching elementary and intermediate Filipino (Tagalog) beginning of Fall 2023. “Gayunpaman, naniniwala akong maliit na bahagi lamang ako ng istorya at ang pagkakataong maituro ito ay bunga ng pagsisikap ng mga taong patuloy na inadhika na magkaroon ng mayaman at makabuluhang programa ng Filipino sa pamantasan. Ang pagpupunyagi nila ang tunay na nais kong ibida. Kasama na rito ang pagsaludo sa lahat ng mga gurong Pilipino at guro ng/sa Filipino sa loob at labas ng bansa partikular na ang mga guro ko sa CvSU at DLSU at sa mga kaibigan at mentor ko na guro sa NIU at iba pang pamantasan sa Estados Unidos na dahilan kung bakit patuloy akong natututo sa mga istratehiya sa pagtuturo ng ating wika at kultura (However, I believe that I am only a small part of the story, the opportunity to teach the result of the effort of people who have continuously strived to have a rich and meaningful Filipino program in the university. Their efforts are what I really want to highlight. This includes saluting all Filipino teachers inside and outside the country, especially my teachers at CvSU and DLSU and my friends and mentors who are teachers at NIU and other universities in the United States — the reason why I continue to learn from strategies in teaching our language and culture),” she wrote on Facebook. Orsal said she’s currently preparing for the classes, saying that “mas marami tayong maibabahaging kwento sa hinaharap kapag handa na ako at may mga magagandang bunga na ang programa na nais nating payabungin (we’ll have more stories to share in the future when I’m ready, hoping for the program will yield good results).” She dedicates this milestone “#parasabayan” while hoping that Filipinos “will continue to honor being Filipino in every corner of the world.” Orsal demonstrates an impressive background in Philippine Studies, and has conducted research and published several works on traditional tattoo art, the country’s coffee culture, and the use of music in political campaign jingles. “Lady Aileen is a dedicated, creative and effective teacher who is committed to being a leader in Filipino language pedagogy. We also look forward to working with her to develop, highlight and showcase the richness and variety of the history and cultures of the Philippines through events on the Harvard campus,” said James Robson, Victor and William Fung director at Harvard University Asia Center. Orsal’s teaching career began as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at the Center of Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University in 2018. She is currently completing two degrees: an MA in Communication from Northern Illinois University and a PhD in Philippine Studies from De La Salle University in the Philippines, both expected to be completed next year. Apart from Orsal, Harvard also welcomed Sakti Suryani as a preceptor from Indonesia. Harvard will also offer elementary, intermediate and advanced Indonesian courses at the beginning of its fall term. According to the Harvard University Asia Center, Filipino (or Tagalog) is the fourth most-spoken language in the United States, after English, Spanish and Chinese. The post Harvard welcomes Cavite teacher as first Phl language instructor appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rolling Stones album of new songs out next month
The Rolling Stones will release their first album of new music in 18 years next month, lead singer Mick Jagger, fellow founding bandmate Keith Richards and bass guitarist Ronnie Wood announced Wednesday in London. The album, "Hackney Diamonds", is the first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2019, and the first containing original material since 2005's "A Bigger Bang". "We didn't want to make just any record and put it out," Jagger, 80, told a launch event at the Hackney Empire theatre in east London, hosted by US talk show host Jimmy Fallon and livestreamed on YouTube. "I'm not saying we're big-headed about it but we're pleased with it and we hope you all like it," the octogenarian rocker said. The Stones' 24th studio album, set for release on October 20, has 12 tracks, with the single "Angry" the first to come out. Wood, 76, confirmed during the launch that superstar Lady Gaga features on another, "Sweet Sound of Heaven", adding she "sings really sweet" on it. Two of the tracks were recorded with Watts in 2019. The others feature Steve Jordan, whom Watts recommended to replace him. "Ever since Charlie's gone it's different," said 79-year-old guitarist Keith Richards of recording the new album without one of the band's founders. "He's number four, he's missing, he's up there. Of course he's missed incredibly." Already acclaimed "Hackney diamonds" is English slang for the shards of glass left scattered on the ground after smash-and-grab robberies, and refers to the historically working class east London neighbourhood. "It's like when you get your windscreen broken on a Saturday night in Hackney," Jagger joked. Throngs of people crowded outside the event venue, including those without tickets who came out of curiosity and hoping to spot the band. "I've been following the Stones since I was four years old and I'm from round here -- it's my backyard," said musician and fan Rory McGlinchey. "It's crazy that they're here!" Wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt, he said the new release was "great news". "Can't wait," he told AFP. Critics have already hailed the release as the band's best work in many decades. Will Hodgkinson, rock and pop critic for Britain's The Times newspaper, said it is "unquestionably the best Stones album since 1978's 'Some Girls'". "Variously poignant, irreverent, anarchic and, in one gospel-tinged moment, quite spiritual, it touches on all the aspects we love about the band, glued together by the rambunctious energy they have made their own since the early Sixties," he wrote. The Daily Telegraph's music reviewer Neil McCormick said "Angry" was "their best single in four decades". The Stones also unveiled the single's typically rock'n'roll video. It sees the band playing from Los Angeles' billboards as scantily-dressed, leather-clad "Euphoria" actress Sydney Sweeney writhes to the soundtrack in the back of a convertible red Mercedes driving through the city. Teaser The Rolling Stones' last studio album was 2016's "Blue & Lonesome", which was made up of blues covers. "We've been very lazy," said Jagger. "We've been on the road most of the time." The band teased the release of the new album through a spoof advert in the local Hackney Gazette newspaper. The cryptic ad, which also appeared in sister title the Islington Gazette, referenced several of the band's best-known songs including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Gimme Shelter" and "Shattered". The ad went on: "Opening our new store on Mare Street, September 2023. Our friendly team promises you satisfaction when you say gimme shelter we'll fix your shattered windows." Clues that the ad was not for a bona fide east London glass repair business included a miniature version of the band's famed lips logo to dot the letter i. The ad -- in the same font as the "Some Girls" album -- also says the firm was established in 1962, the same year the band was formed. Last year the Stones travelled through Europe for their 60th anniversary tour which featured stops in cities including Madrid, Milan and Munich, and also a performance at British Summer Time (BST) festival in London. Asked for the secret to their decades-spanning musical marriage, Jagger quipped: "not speaking too often". "How to say shut up politely," added Richards. The post Rolling Stones album of new songs out next month appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
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......»»
Artefino: Empowering Women Artisans in the Countryside
All it took to start the trailblazing Artefino were five ladies of passion and commitment, three of whom, joined us in a special episode of PairFect, the online show of the DAILY TRIBUNE. [gallery columns="4" size="full" ids="176285,176284,176283,176282"] These ladies are achievers in their own right and have been at the forefront of causes that have continuously benefited the society. Mita Rufino has been the top honcho of the Filipino Heritage Festival which has been going on for 20 years. Maritess Pineda was president of the number one Zonta chapter in this part of the country and region, Zonta Club of Makati and Environs. For the longest time, she was engaged in the export business and was active with the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, the export promotion arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry. Cedie Vargas heads the Lopez Group Foundation and is the executive director of the Lopez Museum and Library. [caption id="attachment_176287" align="aligncenter" width="789"] Fiesta throw blankets. | Photograph Courtesy of Ig/abel Philippines[/caption] Our interview article with the three ladies, which we started yesterday, continues in this issue. Here follows our interesting exchange. DAILY TRIBUNE (DT): Tell us about your personal passions outside of Artefino. What else keeps you occupied. Mita: I’m with the Filipino Heritage Festival. We work with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. We have our programs and events throughout the Philippines. Our main objective is to bring awareness of our cultural heritage to the whole country if we can. One of our major projects is the Youth Forum participated in by around 60 young students. Last May, we had it in Negros Occidental and we had six cities that joined in. We are trying to make them aware about the different heritage and all forms of cultural heritage, tangible or intangible, in their own areas. We get reports now from them and we discuss how we are going to help them out. This is something which I feel is going to be quite interesting for the youth. We will be 20 years old next year. We’re hoping to go to Ilocos. We would also like to work with Artefino because Artefino is part of our heritage. For next year, another project will focus on our local trees, indigenous hardwood and local. We’re working with the Metropolitan Museum for that one. And, of course, I am active in church and with the Zonta. My time is really full from morning to evening. Sometimes I just ask myself, “Wow, what will I do now? I have to report this, I have to report that.” That’s what’s keeping me quite busy. Maritess: I think what has helped me a lot in doing my share in Artefino is the fact that I was 20 years with CITEM. In the beginning when we were starting in my export business, I would ask the support of CITEM. It gave me a very good perspective of how it is to come up with fairs like this. We used to do it here and abroad. I was 20 years in export and I was part of the board of CITEM for quite a number of years. I was among the pioneers during the time of Mina Gabor, who was the one who trained me. She was the one who trained me how to give a talk to 3,000 women and producers from Bacolod. I refused at first but they said, “No, you will just talk to a few people in a small room.” So, I agree but, at the CCP, I found out there were 3,000 women. Sabi ko doon sa asawa ko, “You stay at the back. Then you will be the only one I will look at and no one else.” I really picked up a lot of things from Mina. She really made our handicraft industry very strong. And because of that, I was able to bring that know-how into this fair. Other than that, I’m very active in the arts. I have been a collector since 1972. That’s my passion. Also, being the granddaughter of Amang Rodriguez, serving the community is really part of my DNA. It is really second nature for us, we in the Artefino, to do anything we could to empower women and their communities so that they could be self-sufficient by putting up their own social enterprises. Something that would inspire their children to follow suit and not leave their parents’ and grandparents’ crafts for another profession or livelihood. Cedie: I think the best way to describe me is just like an arts and culture advocate. And that sort of ties everything that I do whether it’s in the media or the Lopez group foundation including the Lopez Museum and Library and other foundations outside of the Lopez Group. But what excites me is when I can tie all these together into a few projects. One of the bigger advocacies of the Lopez Group is environmentalism. Whether you’re saving the marine reefs or mangroves or saving the trees. They intertwine and it’s exciting when you are able to create a project that will marry all your different advocacies. You know, you have passion, you have commitment in what you are doing. DT: Tell us about your family lives. Are you mothers? Are you grandmothers? Are you single? Mita: I am single now. I just lost my husband two and a half years ago. I have four kids. Three girls, two of them in London, and one boy. My daughter, Maritoni, is a ballerina and she teaches ballet. My son, Chino, anchors a sport show and he promotes motorcycles. Maritess: I have four children. One is abroad working in hotels. And three of them are here. I already have three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Now that they’re all grown up. I have time for all these things. I’m free to do what I want. Cedie: I’m a mother. I’m a grandmother. I have four children and four grandchildren. By the end of the year, I will have six grandchildren. I think what I’m trying to define now is my role as a grandmother. I involve my children and even my grandchildren in this advocacy that I have. Whatever it is that I strongly believe in, I try to expose them to that. Two of my children are with the Lopez group. DT: Can you tell us about someone, a craftswoman, you have empowered? Maritess: We can tell you that we started our first grantee, Sarah Juan, for our Artefino Foundation. Mita: We helped this one designer because she is really good. Cedie: And enterprising. Mita: She works with the community in Davao. Mita: She was our first beneficiary. They were able to come up with a line-up of jackets that were beaded and that sold very well in Artefino. She has two stores now — one in Rockwell and the other in Greenbelt. Cedie: A lot of our brand partners have amazing stories. That’s what interested us in them. That’s why we put up Artefino and the Artefino Foundation because of their amazing stories. DT: It turned out there are a lot of creative Filipinos. Cedie: Yeah. They just need that extra push. Yeah. DT: This year, who will Artefino benefit? Maritess: Well, like we have Anya Lim. She’s from Cebu. Actually, we visited the place. We visited the area, her community and we saw how the ladies, mostly elders, work and help one another. Mita: That particular lady, said to me, “Ma’am, now I can buy a TV because I have already sent my apos to school. Now it’s for me naman to have a television.” Cedie: They are trying to teach us how to weave. We tried. It’s so hard. Mita: It’s a great workout, though. Maritess: Kailangan ng great coordination, eh. Kamay at paa. Mita: You have to move with the rhythm of the loom. Maritess: It was very nice talking with them because they were really telling us their whole stories. Cedie: They were sharing as mothers. They invited us to go back. Maritess: Kasi they were able to send their children and grandchildren to school. So, malaking bagay, 'di ba? Now that the children know that they could earn on weaving, they are willing to learn the trade. Mita: What we’re hearing in different places is that even the men, when they come home in the evening, help out also. Cedie: You know, the men have actually strong hands. The weaves are tighter. DT: What makes this edition of Artefino special? Mita: We are into reused, recycled and repurposed products. Actually, the original person who did all these years ago was Patis Tesoro. She was the epitome of all this without calling it repurpose or recycle. Basta she would pick up any kind of material. Puwedeng kurtina, puwedeng mantel. She would put it together, buburdahan niya. And because of that, we decided to feature her here as the Ms. Patis Tesoro. DT: Thank you very much. It has been our pleasure. We are happy that you have helped a lot of women and at the same time are paying tribute to trailblazing women like Patis Tesoro. With you, ladies, there is indeed hope for our countrymen, especially our creative industry workers in the mountains and seashores of our country. Mabuhay kayong lahat! The post Artefino: Empowering Women Artisans in the Countryside appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Vina Morales to join Broadway musical ‘Here Lies Love’
The Ultimate Performer Vina Morales will make her Broadway debut as Aurora Aquino in the musical "Here Lies Love". She will appear on the Broadway musical for a month-long run starting 22 September until 22 October. The Broadway Diva Lea Salonga, who also co-produces the show, will render her final performance on 19 August. Salonga released a statement with nothing but praise for her friend Morales. She said, “I am so excited to share the news that my friend Vina Morales will be joining our fabulous all-Filipino company in Here Lies Love! So talented and lovely, but most of all, so kind. She will be a wonderful addition to our cast!” Morales on her part expressed excitement and gratitude toward this new milestone in her career. "To be able to perform on Broadway is a dream come true for any artist! I am grateful to 'Coach Lea' Salonga for guiding me along the way. You’re the best, Lea! =) I am excited to be part of the Here Lies Love family, and I can’t wait to perform for all of you", she uttered. "Here Lies Love" depicts the life story of former First Lady Imelda Marcos. It is a David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical collaboration directed by Alex Timbers. The post Vina Morales to join Broadway musical ‘Here Lies Love’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»