Iloilo Updates

This writer would like to share a funny story from the book “Lord, Tickle My Funny Bone, Please...Short Stories and Anecdotes (Praying with a Smile)” by Rev. Fr. Nene Sinoy III and Erwin “Chico Banana” Premiro. Entitled “Sharing Your Talents”, the inspiring joke goes:


“We need to share our talents and help build the church in this world. That is why if we have any of these: A smiling face – you can be a good usherette; a good voice – a good member of the choir; and ‘matapang na mukha’ – a good collector. Tingnan natin kung hindi yan maghulog sa collection plate kung tinititigan ng dagger look!)”

“Lord, you have given each of us a talent to make us enjoy life. Make us realize that these talents are not only for our own enjoyment but also needed to be shared to others. Amen.”

Funny and inspiring, indeed.

If you’re an artist, do you make it a point to teach the younger generation or your colleagues about what you know? If you’re a sales executive, do you share secrets of your trade to yo…

Hand woven textiles in the Philippines were popular in the 1950’s. But at the onset of the 1980’s when machine-woven cloths are more sought after, the traditional art of weaving gradually declined.


But, before it could experience demise, lifestyle and fashion designers and entrepreneurs came to the rescue. After all, they found that these hand woven textiles can be fused with modern materials and in the process, save the livelihood of old folks.

Supporters of this no-longer-dying industry continue to sprout. One of them is Maya, a new fashion house that provides clothing and accessories to the public by using a combination of new and traditional raw materials.

“Maya patronizes the traditionally hand woven cloth by women from various villages and community groups in South Cotabato, Sarangani, Marawi, Bicol, Benguet, Mountain Province and Aklan,” according to Joyce Jardeleza, one of the personalities behind Iloilo-based Maya.

“Our designer is Marvin Banaag of the Young Designers Guild o…

Sitting at work for 10 hours a day with little breaks for six days a week cause this writer upper back discomfort sometimes. When this happens, I go to Spa Riviera on a Saturday to have a body massage and to experience serenity because of the smell of essential oils and the soothing music everywhere.

The massage therapist spends a long time kneading the upper back muscles. There is discomfort at first, caused by what we commonly call as “hangin” which goes away when the affected area is constantly kneaded. After that, the affected muscles feel relaxed again.

A body massage is a relaxing experience. It also improves one’s mood, lowers blood pressure, produces a slower heart rate, and lessens one’s anxiety, depression and pain.

During an interview several months ago with Ms. Lisa, a supervisor at Skinetics, she explained that massage also has a detoxification effect. That’s why during massage, the therapist uses essential oils or herbs because these materials, coupled with light pres…

“The ultimate expression of generosity is not in giving of what you have, but in the giving of who you are.”


  During World War II, the Filipino youth played a significant role in the community. They volunteered in sewing, making surgical dressings for victims of war, planting of vegetables in the school garden and assisting in dental work.

They were called the Junior Red Cross then.

Now, under the Red Cross Youth banner, young volunteers continue to show leadership and idealism in humanitarian work.

There are 97 Red Cross Youth chapters in the Philippines. One of them is RCY-Iloilo.

Lorraine Chavez, president of RCY-Iloilo; Kymberlyne Sanor, secretary; and Anje Lyn Javier, public relations officer, reveal what it’s like to be of service to others.

SACRIFICES. Being a student and a volunteer at the same time isn’t easy. Kymberlyne has to wake up earlier than she has to so she’ll have time for both studies and RCY. “Trying to balance school, like having good grades, my family, my fri…

The Rotary Club of Midtown Iloilo beat everybody to being the first group in Iloilo that celebrated Halloween as early as the second week of October.
The party was held at the multi-purpose pavilion of the Garden of the Ascension Memorial Park. The guests, dressed in their scariest costumes, felt like they were visiting a wake starting with having to sign on a guestbook and being greeted by a Lincoln hearse inside a room lighted with funeral lights. Surrounding the pavilion were black and orange flagpoles apart from the real tombs not so far from the site.
The program started with an invocation by Spouse Arlene Chu (a Rotarian’s wife has ‘spouse’ indicated before her name), followed by Spouse Weendyle Asuncion, the singing of the Rotary song and four-way test headed by Past President Noel Gumayao and a welcome address by club President Jaresh Ng. Rotarian Caroline Javellana provided a history of Halloween as guests enjoyed the dinner catered by Grillers.
Angel Squad Dancers, an all-g…

Eagles are by nature monogamous. So, once its mate dies, it would be difficult for it to find another partner.
This is one reason why eagles are becoming extinct, apart from the other cause which is degradation of its habitat – the forest.
But, breeders at the Philippine Eagle Foundation know how to deal with these monogamous eagles. They provide a ‘husband’ with whom these huge birds can identify with.
This ‘husband’ is Mang Poroy.
When a Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is ready to breed, Mang Poroy injects the female with a male eagle’s semen. Since the female thinks Mang Poroy is her mate, she readily agrees. Otherwise, she’ll strike at him.
Through this method called “in vitro fertilization”, more and more eagles are being bred at the foundation.

It was in 1987 when the project to boost the eagle population started. Finally, in 1992, the first two Philippine Eagles were hatched and bred in captivity.
The birth of Pag-asa and Pagkakaisa led to an outpouring of support to …

Those interested to go into dancing and eventually compete should be dedicated, willing to give one’s time and full support to the endeavour.
This is the advice of Faron Mirajes, dancer for 11 years and choreographer for 10 years.
“There is no such thing as a perfect dancer. But, you should have the passion and soul for music and dancing if you want to succeed,” he added.
Once a dancer becomes popular, the offers to become a choreographer will eventually come.
However, what makes a choreographer successful is his or her creativity and open-mindedness. “Always strive to be original and be creative. Also, be open-minded and be prepared to learn from your students and other people,” Mijares advised.
Mijares is an expert in Latin American dances like Chacha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive. He also dances and teaches standards like Slow Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango and Quickstep. Ask him to belt out a jazz or folk dance, and he’ll give it to you, too.
His excellence in varied …

It started with a lump in her right breast in 2003. After undergoing ultrasound and mammogram and a biopsy in 2004, Editha dela Cruz’s doctor diagnosed her with stage 2 cancer.

“That night, I couldn’t sleep. I was also alone because I was in Manila and my family’s in Iloilo. I don’t want to call the house because I didn’t know how to explain. But because of my strong faith, I offered myself to God, knowing that He will take care of me. Somehow, that gave me strength. Although at that time, I thought that I will die,” she said.

“When you say cancer, the notion of death is the first thing that comes to one’s mind. My children started going to their school’s chapel to pray for me. And I saw that my husband was really fearful of losing me,” she added.

But sometimes, our fears are rooted from ignorance. So, the dela Cruz couple visited Dr. Jesena, a famous oncologist in Iloilo City. Jesena assured Editha that her cancer is curable because it was discovered during its early stage.

“She told me …

In the 1970’s, Japanese traders were looking for sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna and found that this fish is abundant in General Santos.

Because of the high price commanded by such variety in the Japanese market, some individuals in this city of Mindanao were encouraged to venture into tuna fishing.

One of these fishermen is Domingo Ang, now chief executive officer of Marinatuna Corporation and based in Davao City.

Ang and his crew shipped yellowfin tuna from General Santos to Japan in 1979. This triggered the boom of the Philippine tuna industry wherein 5,000 units of tuna handline boats were built and manned by 50,000 sustenance fishermen.

The tuna industry attracted the Taiwanese as well. In 1994, Ang initiated the monumental trans-shipment of tuna in the Davao Fish Port Complex by about 300 units of Taiwanese fishing boats that ply the Western Pacific sea.

TOURISM
With the Philippines ranking fourth in the world, after China, Japan and Indonesia in the production of tuna and tuna-like spec…

I was in Davao City early last September with other members of the media for the Cebu Pacific Familiarization Tour. It was a collaborative project with the Department of Tourism of Davao and was supported by varied resorts, hotels, restaurants and Selrahco Management and Consultancy Services.

Personally, one of the most interesting part of the trip was the visit to Malagos Garden Resort located in Brgy. Malagos, Baguio District of Davao City. The resort is situated 1,180 feet above sea level.

It is owned by siblings Dr. Bo and Charisse Puentespina, who are both of Ilonggo descent. Their mother is a Passinhon while their father is from Molo.

At MGR, one will witness a funny, interactive and full production bird show. Hosted by Dr. Bo himself, this show aims to create awareness on the plight of our birds and present simple ways people can help protect and conserve the environment. There were at least 10 species and 75 birds that performed individually or as a group. At the end of the bird …

“Success is failure turned upside down. It is like a spot of light amid total darkness.” – Joesyl Marie de la Cruz

Outstanding individuals are those who go out of their way to achieve many things – excellence in their field and concern for the outside world.

For Ten Outstanding Students of Iloilo Awardee Joesyl Marie dela Cruz, passion for knowing the road to take and achieving it successfully as well as the determination to keep that passion burning are what led her to do just that – excel in school and in the community.

Joesyl is the most outstanding graduate for her batch. Another feat is being a student ambassador of the Japan East-Asia Network Exchange for Students and Youths (Jenesys) program to Japan and the WVSU alumni distinction for Campus Hero Awardee. She’s also an environmental advocate, being the chairperson of the Environmental Conservation Guild (ECoGuild).

Now, Joesyl works as an events staff and graphic designer for Red 8 Events Services.

One of the perks of working for t…

The Robinsons Campus Fashionista search aims for the best model look, X-factor and model walk. And for this year, three persons possess these, thus they are worthy to be called as the Robinsons Campus Fashionista 2011 winners.
Campus Fashionista 2011 for the Female Category is Krista Jhoanne Tanada while for the Male Category, the winners are Mon Ryann Deloso Depasupil and Kent Lim.
The three didn’t expect to win especially when they had none or limited experience in modeling compared to the other contestants.
“Joining Robinsons Campus Fashionista was my first stint in modeling,” according to Tanada. “In fact, I didn’t even prepare much for it because of my hectic schedule in school. I just practiced walking, I just prayed and did my best,” she added.
She is planning to use her cash prize of P20,000 as payment for their coming media tour in Manila. “This way, I could lessen my parents’ financial problems,” she said.
Meanwhile, Depasupil had previous modeling stints but he considers t…


It’s human nature to sometimes treat with nonchalance things that we encounter on a daily manner.

This was the case with Gary Surmion Sintin when he was growing up.
He’s the son of Heidi Arguelles Surmion–Sintin, a dressmaker in Brgy. Baclayan, Lucena, Iloilo but it was in dancing and singing that he had passion for.

He was champion during the Super Ferry Kampeon sa Kantahan Zone 5 competition, a Blue Pass finalist in Philippine Idol, a performer in GMA Iloilo’s ‘Bongga’, recording artist of the album ‘The Soul of Magapa-Suage’ by the Panay Rural Development Center, Inc., a conductor and teacher in music in Oton National High School, a voice coach and a dance choreographer.

“Before, I never paid attention to designing because I considered it as a common thing that I encounter everyday at home,” he said.

But if you were born to a certain kind of trade, you naturally imbibe the skills because you were exposed to that your whole life.

“I helped my mother by giving a critique on what design …

A young professional should start thinking about financial protection and security while he/she doesn’t have a spouse and children to spend money on.
One option is the trust fund.

When “trust fund” is mentioned, we automatically think that it’s only for the rich who want to provide money for their kin. But, there are different kinds of trust funds that cater to people of varied financial capacities. After all, not only the rich need financial protection.

A trust fund is a unique investment. “If you put up a trust fund, you become like an investor. We pool the funds from different investors and look for an investment outlet that would cater to your type of market,” according to Sheila Uygongco, manager of BDO Molo Branch.

She likened it to investing in a stock market with value that changes every day.
“The fund manager has the option where he or she will invest the money based on your preference. If he or she sees there’s an opportunity with government securities, for example, he or she wil…

Killing of other animals is not part of God’s plan.
So, a person who wishes to live a spiritual life does not need to kill other animals to satisfy his appetite.
A plant-based diet does not only save the planet from a lot of problems, it also enables a person to live a longer and healthier life. And if he is healthy, he can learn more about religion.
This was shared by Glenn Maypa of the Seventh Day Adventist during the start of their one-year celebration of 100 years of Adventism in Panay held recently at Robinsons Place Iloilo.
At the booth, they allowed mallers to taste varied vegetarian dishes like veggie siomai, nuggets, monggo bars, soya drink and valenciana.
One visitor said it was her first time to eat veggie siomai and was quite happy that there are healthy alternatives to her red meat favourites. “Now, I can get rid of the red meat and eat vege-meat,” she said. Vege-meat is made of either gluten or soya, which are plant-based.
“Vegetarianism is a unique teaching of the Adven…

Thanks to the internet and social media, we are able to express ourselves.
“I’m watching Soul Surfer now.” “Check out the food in this restaurant, it’s great.” “It’s raining and I just want to sleep the whole day.” “My cat, who had been my companion for 10 years, died today.” “I love you babyyy, mwah mwah mwah!!!” “I hate backstabbers!” “In this party I attended, there was this socialite who talked like trash.” “Go to hell tramp!” “I think other people should mind their own business!” “People judged me without hearing the whole story!”

At one time or another, we read these threads on Facebook or Twitter. We love to share our enjoyment, pain, and anger. That’s self-expression.

But, this freedom of expression is one of the reasons why social media causes stress, especially when you read threads that are irritating and are meant to harm. Most often, we’re tempted to give the writer an opinion. Some would. Some wouldn’t and will just move on to threads that are not ‘nega’.

“I use Facebook for…

What makes a certain pizza stand out from the others?

First is the crust, according to Miguel Cordova, chef and owner of Afrique’s which has branches in Jaro, Smallville, Valeria and Robinsons Place Iloilo. “Making a pizza crust is a hit-and-miss experience until you get it right,” he adds.

Afrique’s has two kinds of pizza crust – regular and thin. Cordova is now experimenting on the perfect thick crust which will be launched to the public on September.

A pizza crust is made of yeast, sugar, salt and oil. “It’s the oil that makes the crust crunchy,” Cordova said.

The second element of a good pizza is the combination of ingredients. “Your toppings have to blend well. There are pizza combinations that are loaded with toppings but they don’t taste so good,” he said. He added that the ingredients have to be well-seasoned, too.

Afrique’s has created varied pizza combinations to the delight of its habitués. Taste is relative, after all. And for Cordova, nothing beats the Neopolitan combination o…