The Philippine economy to remain strong over the next 2 years

Government economic planners have remained optimistic the Philippine economy will remain strong in the next two years, as the country is determined to maintain its sound macroeconomic fundamentals and continue improving its investment climate through policy and regulatory reforms and infrastructure development.

“For this year, we expect the economy to grow six to seven percent. For next year, the growth is expected to accelerate to 6.5 to 7.5 percent,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

Amid some possible external risks, he said, the government is confident to meet these economic growth outlooks.

“Notwithstanding the positive economic outlook in the near-term, the government remains vigilant of the global and domestic risks to growth,” he said in the same forum.

Global risks to growth, he said, include the uncertainty in the Euro zone and the fiscal problem in the US, which can adversely affect the global economy.

“We are also mindful of the possibility of oil price increases due to a higher global demand for petroleum products,” said Balisacan, also director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

But given the fiscal space and business confidence the past year, Balisacan said 2013 opens opportunities to sustain the growth momentum and achieve inclusive growth.

“As we have underscored in the Philippine Development Forum, these two objectives need not contradict each other. Inclusive growth is not only a goal but a growth strategy. To sustain the growth of our economy, we must ensure that economic growth benefits everyone, regardless of location or social status,” he said.

In 2012, the Philippines posted a 6.6 percent growth in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), higher than that of Thailand (6.4 percent), Indonesia (6.2 percent), Vietnam (5.0 percent), and Singapore (1.2 percent).

For this year, economic growth target is expected to be driven by agriculture, industry and services sectors.

“Agriculture will be buoyed by the government’s conscious efforts in pursuing programs and projects that will increase the efficiency of producing staples and high-value commodities and crops,” Balisacan said.

He said the positive agriculture outlook benefits from improvements in infrastructure, logistics, and the reduction in price volatilities.

Balisacan said the industry is also set to expand faster in 2013 and beyond, mainly driven by manufacturing and construction.

“Construction is expected to grow robustly due to strategic public and private infrastructure projects. Likewise, manufacturing is expected to be more vibrant, particularly semiconductor and electronics, food manufacturing, and light manufacturing industries,” he said.

The services sector is also expected to remain robust due to the upsurge in the number of domestic and local tourists, domestic trade, real estate, renting and business and BPOs.

“We need to create new drivers of growth which have the potential of creating high quality jobs, particularly manufacturing, BPO, tourism and agribusiness,” he said.

“Our initial estimates suggest that US$3 billion in investments in these sectors will create 621,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly through multiplier effects. This represents an average investment of roughly about P200,000 per worker. The amount needed to create jobs would be much less in rural areas, particularly in agriculture,” he added.

(Story courtesy of Nelson C. Bagaforo of SunStar)

Binalot Foods wins International Green Apple Environment Award

Binalot Fiesta Foods Inc. took home a Green Apple Environment Award in the recently concluded search organized by The Green Organisation, an independent, non-profit environment group dedicated to find Britain’s greenest companies, councils and communities.

Binalot, the lone winner from the Philippines, competed with 500 other nominations and was presented with the Green Apple Award in the House of Commons late last year. The recognition named Binalot as one of the International Winners in the Far East Islands. Along with a gold status, Binalot received a plaque and certificate.

The winning entry focused on to the company’s corporate social responsibility campaign, the DAHON (Dangal At Hanapbuhay para sa Nayon) Program. Initiated at the start of 2007, DAHON helps farmers from Barangay Buhanginan and Barangay Liliw in Nagcarlan, Laguna earn more from growing and harvesting banana leaves which are directly purchased directly by Binalot Fiesta Foods to be used in all Binalot restaurants.

DAHON is Binalot’s long-term program to provide a sustainable source of income for Filipino farmers and ensure a steady supply of quality banana leaves at a low price. Binalot is heavily dependent on banana leaves because the meals are served wrapped in banana leaves, which locks in the food’s flavor (Binalot is a Filipino word which means wrapped). The practice helps preserve the environment by promoting the use of organic banana leaves rather than non-biodegradable styrofoam for food packaging.

The DAHON program has also been recognized by several award-giving bodies and has bagged the special prize in 2007’s Global UPS “Out of the Box” Small Business Contest. Binalot received US $10,000 for exemplifying “end-to-end customer service,” besting entries from China, Singapore and other countries in the Asia Pacific. Binalot is the first Filipino company to win the prestigious prize, shattering the myth that CSRs are only for the big multinational companies. The program also received the Intel-Asian Institute of Management Corporate Responsibility Award in Malaysia in 2010 and a Special Citation for Corporate Social Responsibility from Entrepreneur Magazine in 2011.

The Green Apple Awards began in 1994 and have become established as the Britain’s major recognition for environmental endeavor among companies, councils, communities and countries. Judges for the Green Apple Awards are drawn from the Environment Agency, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Institution for Wastes Management and other independent bodies.

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Pinoy vocalist to sing World Youth Day anthem in Brazil

Ooberfuse, a London-based electro-pop band fronted by a Filipino-British vocalist, has been chosen to record the English version of the official anthem for this year’s World Youth Day from July 23 to 28 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Composed of singer Cherrie Anderson, keyboardist Hal St. John, and guitarist Nico Cox, the band translated “Hope of the Dawn” from the original Portuguese composition “Esperanca do Amanhecer.”

“We are very happy, honored and humbled to have been given the opportunity to sing the officialWorld Youth Day song in English,” Anderson said in an e-mail interview with GMA News Online.

Translating the song was “daunting,” Anderson said, because the band members are not fluent in Portuguese.

“[The song] is as much a tribute to a trans-Atlantic spirit of collaboration as it is to the power of the Internet and modern media,” said Cox.

“After multiple Twitter and e-mail messages recommending improvements and refinements, and numerous large music-data file downloads and uploads in Rio and London, ‘Hope of the Dawn’ was eventually born,” Cox added.

The result: a version that “remains loyal to the Portuguese original, but still reflects the style and ambience of the group,” said Phil Ross, national coordinator for the UK World Youth Day attendees.

Ooberfuse was formed in 2010 when its three members met at a church event, started to play music together, and joined the “Live and Unsigned” competition, where it was named Most Original Band and One of the Best Unsigned Live Musical Acts in the UK.

After singing the youth anthem for Pope Benedict’s UK visit in 2010, the band performed before an audience of 2 million at the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid.

Now working on its third album, the band will be performing in Portugal, the US, Germany, and Italy this year.

Filipino influences 

With one band member being Filipino—Anderson’s mom is from Leyte—it’s inevitable that Filipino influences would weave their way into Ooberfuse’s music.

“In some of our songs, we incorporate a Filipino instrument—the kulintang—which many of the UK people love,” said Anderson.

Anderson, who confesses to enjoying Filipino food like inihaw na baboy, tortang talong, pandesal, and taho, regularly visits the Philippines, where her parents are now based.

“I admire Filipinos’ love for God and family, love for all things musical, and their positive outlook in life,” Anderson said.  - VVP, GMA News

Fil-Am Eileen Soong named best supporting actress at Asians on Film Festival

Filipino-American Eileen Soong was named Best Supporting Actress at the inaugural Asians on Film Festival held from February 15 to 17 in North Hollywood, California.

Soong won the award for portraying a devious role as #69, the antagonist of main character Joo Si in the short film Born to Dance This Way, according to a news release from its director, Filipino-American Jerell Rosales.

“This award will be a milestone that we can look back on along with our other accomplishments we've had so far and will receive in the future.” Soong was quoted as saying during her acceptance speech.

The film, a dance comedy also won awards such as Director's Spotlight and Best Editing has been shown in various countries especially in places in the US including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Soong will be starring as “Chai” in The Broadcast Club, a web series which will be premiering on March 1.

The Broadcast Club is also directed by Rosales while Soong is a co-writer. This comedy revolves around the lives of a college group who unexpectedly formed a broadcast club.

The Asian on Films is an organization that recognizes Asian and Pacific islanders who are minorities in the film industry. - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News

Why Pinoy Pulitzer winner Jose Antonio Vargas is the new John Lennon

On the evening of February 19, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) honored Jose Antonio Vargas with a 2013 Justice in Action Award during its annual gala in New York City.

Vargas is the proud face of over 11 million undocumented foreign nationals living in the U.S., and is devoted to this country. He is American in every way — except under existing U.S. immigration law.

Vargas is the founder of Define American, a non-profit campaign dedicated to advancing intelligent and pragmatic discourse for U.S. immigration legal reform.

I had the pleasure of attending that gala and discussing with Vargas his journey over the past several years, since he came out of the “immigration closet.”

On June 22, 2011, in a New York Times Sunday Magazine article entitled “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant,” Vargas had announced he was an undocumented foreign national by result of overstaying a visa when he was only 12 years old.

Since that day, he quickly became a national figure and comprehensive immigration reform advocate. I found his words inspiring and thoughtful. I found him real and inviting.

I joked with him that he is the modern-day John Lennon — who during the 1970s successfully defended a deportation proceeding brought against him and his wife Yoko Ono by the U.S. government due in large part to the tremendous press and public support their case garnered.

Vargas is deportable (under current law, technically referred to as “removal”) from the U.S.

But as a result of overwhelming popularity and support from millions throughout America, the U.S. government appears reluctant even to issue him a notice to appear for a removal proceeding.

Maybe it is concerned that such a proceeding would only result in a public trial of our flawed immigration system. This irony is not lost upon Vargas.

While it was not apparent to him when he initially announced publicly that he was undocumented, he has become aware of the subtle ironies — and even comedy — underlying his situation.

In fact, he is reminded of it at least once every day, when someone inevitably asks him either in person, online, or in some other forum: “Why haven’t you been deported yet?”

Vargas quipped Tuesday evening to a room of over 700 attorneys and judges, “I haven’t been deported because I’m all lawyer-ed up!”

Indeed, Vargas has AALDEF and scores of other lawyers and advocates across the country on speed-dial, in the event any uncomfortable legal situation may arise.

These ironies are woven into the fabric of Vargas’ story. He is a Pulitzer-prize winning writer — just the type of foreign national the U.S. hopes, invites and thankfully welcomes to immigrate to our country.

Without question, if Vargas did not face a bar to adjustment to U.S. lawful permanent resident status — arising out of his visa overstay violation approximately two decades ago, he could very easily self-petition for an EB-1 extraordinary ability immigrant visa and secure his U.S. lawful permanent residency.

Vargas also pointed out how odd it was to testify during U.S. congressional hearings regarding comprehensive immigration reform last week, alongside the leaders of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office that is charged with removing him and the other 11 million undocumented.

Instead of being handcuffed and hauled to an ICE detention center by these ICE officials, he was shaking their hands.

To make it even more surreal, he found himself introducing his ‘lola,’ who was in attendance with him that day on Capitol Hill, to these government officials whom Vargas always understood to fear because they someday might separate him from his grandmother and family in the U.S.

Of course, Vargas in no way trivializes the significance of what he and today’s immigrant movement stand for.

He embraces and champions the lofty goal of comprehensive immigration reform that he strives to achieve along with millions of other deserving foreign nationals living in and contributing to America today.

He knows very well what is at stake. In fact, he openly admits that his “only fear is not seeing this all the way through.”

In Washington D.C., for the first time in over a decade there is a sea change occurring on the issue of immigration.

Bipartisan support is pushing forward the drafting of proposed comprehensive immigration reform legislation in both houses of Congress. Recent reports from Capitol Hill are that a bill may be introduced by as early as March 24th.

On Tuesday evening, Jose Antonio Vargas announced that “diversity is destiny,” and accurately declared “we are all witnessing the creation of a new America.” I agree. It is a beautiful and exciting time to be an American. - The FilAm

Attorney Rio Guerrero is a partner with the immigration law firm Guerrero Yee LLP, representing clients in all 50 United States and in countries throughout the world. He is also a recipient of a 2012 NAPABA “Best Lawyers Under 40″ National Award.

Pinoy Abroad » Pinoy Achievers Two Pinays bag major awards in Australian transgender tilt

Two transgender Filipinas recently emerged as winners in the Miss Gay and Miss Transsexual Australia Beauty Pageant in Melbourne, Australia.

Gabrielle Louise Mendoza from Philip Islands, Victoria, clinched the Miss Gay title, besting 10 other candidates during the pageant on February 2.

Now on its fourth year, the Miss Gay and Miss Transsexual Australia Beauty Pageant is an alternative beauty contest for gay men, cross-dressers, drag queens, and transsexuals.

Promoting this year’s theme as “Colors of Australia,” the pageant is one of the highlights of the Midsumma Festival, a month-long celebration of Melbourne’s LGBT community.

A veteran of the Miss Gay pageant, Mendoza previously placed first runner-up in the 2011 competition.

A fellow Filipina, Sofiya Iya Cocaina Vergara from Perth, Western Australia, was chosen Miss Transsexual over 11 other contestants.

In her Facebook page, Vergara said she was “teary eyed” when she was crowned Miss Transsexual, “capturing the most coveted national title that has been so illusive to many.”

A Cebu native, Vergara has a string of titles from countless gay pageants she has joined in the Philippines, such as those in La Union, Negros Oriental, Tacloban and Baybay in Leyte, Agusan del Norte, and Mandaue, Cordova, and Carmen in Cebu.

She was also a semifinalist in the Miss International Queen 2005 held in Thailand.

According to the Star Community, Vergara has been married for four years to a Western Australian miner, whom she thanks for allowing her to follow her dream of being a pageant winner. - VVP, GMA News

Philippine Airlines to hire more flight attendants, pilots in 2013

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will continue to hire more flight attendants and pilots this year to support its aggressive expansion program this year.

In a statement, PAL said its human resources team would be at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City on March 1 to 2 and at the Seda Hotel Centrio in Cagayan de Oro on March 8 to 9 to accept applications from locals.

“PAL is recruiting additional cabin crew to boost its roster of flight attendants in line with its refleeting program,” PAL said.

All applications will be reviewed by PAL president Ramon S. Ang himself, the company said. Last year, the company hired “dozens” of new flight attendants and several pilot trainees. The new employees are currently undergoing intense training at the SMC Training Center in Tagaytay City.

PAL was acquired by conglomerate San Miguel Corp. from the Lucio Tan Group last year.

Unlike other airlines in the region that hire foreigners for their staff, PAL said it would stick to hiring locals who possess “natural Filipino charm.”

Last year, PAL ordered 64 new short- and long-haul jets from Europe’s EADS, maker of Airbus planes. PAL intends to order 36 more planes to bring its total fleet to 100 aircraft, more than double its current fleet of 42 aircraft.

Last year’s new hires were recruited from Manila, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bacolod and Iloilo.

PAL said aspiring flight attendants should be below 27 years old, have a college degree, and fluent in English and Filipino. Female applicants must be at least 5 feet, 3 inches in height while male applicants should be at least 5 feet, 7 inches.

As of late last month, applications for flight attendant positions in PAL were already being accepted at selected Petron gas stations and PAL ticket offices throughout Metro Manila. This is to accommodate those unable to submit their documents at PAL’s Human Resource Department at the PNB Financial Center in Pasay City.

Fil-Aussie Joy Balazo receives international peace award

A Filipino-Australian was recognized for her over two decades of work as a mediator and builder of peace.

Joy Balazo was honored by the World Methodist Council during ceremonies held on February 14 at the Wesley Mission in Sydney.

World Methodist Council General Secretary Bishop Ivan Abrahams presented the World Methodist Peace Award for 2012 to Balazo.

Abrahams spoke of Balazo’s inspiring dedication and commitment to sowing peace even in the most difficult of situations as her work took her across the Asia-Pacific region including Ambon, Indonesia, the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Northeastern India, Timor Leste and Bougainville.

The native of Mindanao has been involved with the Uniting Church in Australia and UnitingWorld, an aid organization, to help build peace in communities caught in conflict and violence.

Ten years ago, she established the “Young Ambassadors for Peace,” and worked with local communities to establish eight peacemaking centers in various parts of the Asia-Pacific.

Last year, Balazo returned to the Philippines to work and support efforts for peace and sustainable livelihood for the indigenous Subanen people of Zamboanga.

With the award, Balazo’s tireless peace efforts and contributions are recognized alongside those of previous recipients including former world leaders Anwar Sadat (1978), Jimmy Carter (1985), Mikhail Gorbachev (1990), Kofi Annan (1998) and Nelson Mandela (2000).

Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis joined members of the Filipino and Australian communities in congratulating Balazo for her achievements as a champion of peace and for serving as a role model to many.

(Story courtesy of ABS-CBN News)

Obama praises Filipina nurse in State of the Union address

US President Barack Obama praised a Filipina nurse, who is considered one of the heroes of the Hurricane Sandy disaster, in his State of the Union address before the joint session of Congress in Washington D.C., Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning, Manila time).

In his speech, Obama mentioned Menchu Sanchez, a nurse at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, as an example to all Americans.

“We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans in the same way they look out for one another every single day, usually without fanfare all across the country. We should follow their example,” he said,.

“We should follow the example of a New York City nurse named Menchu Sanchez. When Hurricane Sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, she wasn’t thinking about how her own home was faring. Her mind was on the 20 precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe,” the US president said.

Sanchez was seated between First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, during the State of the Union address.

When President Obama mentioned Sanchez, the First Lady was seen nudging Sanchez and smiling at her.

Sanchez was invited by Obama for her role in saving 20 at-risk infants during the Hurricane Sandy disaster that devastated large parts of New York and New Jersey last year.

She devised a plan to transport 20 at-risk infants at the Langone Medical Center to intensive care units around the city. She organized the nurses and doctors to carefully carry the babies down eight flights of stairs with only cell phones to light the way.

Even as her own home was flooding, Sanchez thought only of protecting the babies in her care, the White House said.

Sanchez was born, raised, and educated in the Philippines and she immigrated to the United States in the 1980s.

She has worked as a nurse in New York for more than 25 years, and has been at NYU since 2010.

Sanchez currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children, both of whom are in college.

(Story courtesy of Rodney Jaleco, ABS-CBN News)

Philippine Airlines chosen among Asia’s most stylish cabin crew

Passengers across the Asia-Pacific region have spoken out in their own style survey, with Philippine Airlines coming in the top 10 ranking.

Leading global travel search site Skyscanner asked over 1200 jet-setters from across Asia-Pacific (Australia, New Zealnd, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Korea and Singapore) to vote for the cabin crew they thought was most stylish, and topping the list of 20 airlines in the study was Shanghai-based China Eastern who scored 4.15 out of 5 in the poll, wooing flyers with its smart navy blue uniforms teamed with white shirts and red scarves.

Closely following China Eastern was Korea’s Asiana Airlines who came second with 4.14. Virgin Australia, who ordered its staff to undertake lessons in etiquette, posture and language last summer, also have one of the most stylish cabin crew according to travellers scoring 4.03 out of 5 and taking third place in the poll. Air China and China Southern Airlines also completed the Chinese-dominated top five, scoring 4.00 and 3.98 respectively.

Janet Ranola, Skyscanner Philippines Manager and resident fashionista said: “Judging by the results of our survey, travellers clearly have a keen eye on fashion even at 35,000 feet and it’s great to see an airline from the Philippines scoring so highly. International Fashion Week clearly has some competition this month!” Top 10 Most Stylish Cabin Crew in Asia Pacific Ranking Top 10 Base Score out of 5 1 China Eastern Airlines China 4.15 2 Asiana Airlines Korea 4.14 3 Virgin Australia Australia 4.03 4 Air China China 4.00 5 China Southern Airlines China 3.98 6 Air Asia Malaysia 3.83 7 Singapore Airlines Singapore 3.78 8 Korean Air Korea 3.78 9 Philippine Airlines Philippines 3.76 10 Jeju Air Korea 3.63.

Japanese businessmen say PHL desirable investment area

Japanese businessmen believe the Philippines is a top investment destination in Asia, according to a survey by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Manila.

JETRO Manila, a semi-governmental agency that promotes business between the Philippines and Japan, said the results of the latest survey showed the Philippines is a “desirable” investment and business destination for Japanese companies as compared to other Asian countries.

The survey was conducted from October to November 2012 on Japanese-affiliated companies in Asia and Oceania.

Japanese companies see the Philippines and Indonesia as the “most profitable”, according to the survey. Philippines and Indonesia beat competitors in all industries with 71.9% and 74.4% profitability, respectively.

“This result came about specifically because of the very promising performance of the Philippines in export oriented business with a 72.4% profit as oppose to China in 5th place with a 54.6% profit and India at last with 55.3% revenue,” JETRO Manila said.

When it comes to good management, the survey showed the Philippines had the least difficulty when it comes to recruiting general staff, with a 4.3% rating. This was followed by Indonesia with 6.8% and Vietnam at third with 13.8%.

China was seen as the most difficult with a 35.5% rating, due to the strict working environment compared to other countries.

The Philippines also had the least number of strikes and lockouts, with only 2 in 2011. This is compared to Vietnam with 857, and India with 389 in the same year.

The same survey showed most Japanese firms found Thailand to be the least troublesome when it comes to customs and administrative procedures. Surprisingly, the Philippines came in second.

“PEZA on the other hand, has played a vital role in providing assistance and smooth procedure in doing business resulting to the good ratings by the Japanese respondent companies in the Philippines,” JETRO Manila said.

Cheap labor

JETRO Manila noted the survey highlights the Philippines’ competitiveness when it comes to salaries. The Philippines’ annual salary of $4,581 for manufacturing staff is neither too low or too high compared to Asian neighbors. China had the highest with $6,734, while Vietnam had the lowest with$2,602.

However, manufacturing engineers and managers in the Philippines and Vietnam get the lowest salaries in the region.

Manufacturing engineers in the, Philippines and Vietnam receive an annual salary of $7,636 and $5,441 respectively. Manufacturing managers in the Philippines and Vietnam get $17,498 and $12,245 respectively. Malaysia had the highest salary for both engineer and manager with $14,451 and $30,083 respectively.

For non-manufacturing managers, Philippines and Vietnam also had the lowest annual salaries with $20,169 and $16,422 respectively.

Challenges

According to the survey, Japanese businessmen see the Philippines with the least challenges.

But that doesn’t mean there are no challenges. One of the biggest challenges for Japanese firms is the difficulty in local procurement of raw materials and parts. Another challenge is the Filipinos’ perception of going abroad to work than stay in the Philippines.

“This still is a good performance for the Philippines as Japanese businesses in other countries had to deal with a lot more challenges such as wage increase and time consuming administrative procedures,” JETRO Manila said.

PH ranks last?

Despite citing the advantages of the Philippines, Japanese businessmen still ranked the country last for its expansion plans.

“Philippines landed on the last rank with 48.2% rating for expansion plan, while India, Indonesia, and Vietnam emerges as the target domestic markets with 83.6% , 77.3% and 65.9% respectively,” JETRO Manila said.

Many Japanese businessmen are looking to expand abroad due to difficulties in operating in Japan. Among the factors cited were the strong yen, high rate of corporate tax and shortage of electricity.

Pinoy author's book of love poetry gets published in London

LONDON - Love comes in all forms and, with the month of love in full swing, a new book published by a Filipino writer is attempting to navigate this irrepressible human emotion through poetry and words.

Written, edited and published by Kristian Jeff Cortez Agustin, “For Love and Poetry” delivers 14 chapters of poems tackling different kinds of love, from the classic notion of romance, to the love of family, friends, nature, and even the patriotic love of one’s own country.

Speaking to ABS-CBN Europe at the University of Westminster in London, where he recently completed his masters in visual culture, Agustin said: “Love is just everywhere. Even if there are lots of pain or bad things that happen around us, love still motivates people. So I realized that we should talk about love more, but not just in the romantic sense, because there are different kinds of love.”

The book features dozens of poems written over the course of 12 years, creating what the writer refers to as “musings” about love since his youth.

“It’s a matter of self-expression. Usually people see poetry as really profound, deep and hard to analyze, hard to understand. But I think we live in poetry in our daily lives because when you feel something, it's quite poetic,” said the 28-year-old poet, who graduated with an Arts Studies degree from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

He added: “More than a decade ago, I thought it would be nice to explore the idea of love and how it is not just restricted in the romantic sense. So as I grew up and collected more of my poetry, I thought it would be nice to put them together in a book.”

Published in London, the book also features a small collection of work from writers around the world, including Indonesian writer Laksmi Pamuntjak, who was recently featured at the international Poetry Parnassus in London.

It also includes a handful of writers from the Philippines, some of whom contributed to the final chapter of the book with poems written in the Filipino language, Agustin’s homage to his native country and mother tongue.

“There are things that we can’t describe in a second language which is really profound in Filipino, our own language. So by way of writing in Filipino, you’re able to give the book this kind of love to the country as a tribute,” he explained.

Agustin is back in the Philippines where he continues to write while pursuing other creative endeavors through publishing, theatre, design, advertising, and fine arts

On his passion for words, he said: “I love writing and exploring the meaning of words. I realized that if you put these things into poetry, your attempt in capturing love or your feelings makes some kind of sense. I thought it would be a good way to express myself, to explore my feelings, and at the same time communicate this to others, because a book lasts for a long time.”

Agustin is appearing in a poetry evening at UP Vargas Museum on February 14, followed by a book signing on February 16 at his visual-poetry exhibition in vMeme Contemporary Gallery on Visayas Avenue, Quezon City. He is also a guest at the Psych O’Clock Habit on DZUP 1602 Radio on February 21.

“For Love and Poetry” by Kristian Jeff Cortez Agustin is available on Amazon.

Art Fair Philippines showcases country’s top contemporary artists

As Filipino contemporary artists earn international acclaim, dedicated arts patrons Lisa Ongpin Periquet and Trickie C. Lopa felt it was high time to shine the spotlight on these talents here at home.

“We’re so excited about the inroads Philippine art has achieved within the worldwide contemporary arts community,” remarked Periquet at Ayala Museum to announce the inaugural Art Fair Philippines (AFP) 2013.

“One goal is to make sure Filipinos are aware that we have this exciting arts scene that we should all be proud of and fully support.”

To that end, Periquet and Lopa, organizers of the popular Art in the Park annual fair in Salcedo Village, and fellow Museum Foundation of the Philippines member Dindin B. Araneta have conceived a new exposition focused exclusively on Philippine contemporary art.

From Feb. 7 to 10, AFP will offer events and exhibits, including special lectures at Ayala Museum; displays of public artwork throughout Makati City as part of the Make It Happen, Make It Makati campaign, and a specially commissioned kinetic sculpture called “Asphalt” by Gabriel Barredo.

Original installations

Twenty-four galleries such as Silverlens, Art Informal and Salcedo Auctions were invited to showcase their artists’ works.

“We didn’t want to cramp their style, but we also wanted to ensure that they considered what they put out, that there’s a message the pieces should be able to communicate,” explained Lopa about the fair’s collaborative yet tight curatorial direction.

The participating galleries have risen to the challenge, fielding a wide range of original installations created for AFP.

Among them is Bembol de la Cruz, 2011 Ateneo Art Awards winner, who is working on diptychs, revealed Sylvia Golamco-Gascon of Finale Art File.

Tin-aw Art Gallery will showcase Mark Justiniani. CANVAS will display works centered on the theme “Looking for Juan in Basketball” from six artists, including Elmer Borlongan, Emmanuel Garibay and Don Salubayba.

Unusual venue

The exhibits will be on view at The Link car park between Landmark Shopping Center and the Makati Shangri-La Hotel—an unusual choice of venue but one in keeping with contemporary art’s nontraditional spirit.

“Manila doesn’t have any iconic venues. We wanted one that mirrors the vibrancy of the arts scene,” Lopa noted.

Added Periquet: “An important aspect of our concept was to transform an unexpected space into an exhibition venue.”

Furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue and architectural firm Leandro V. Locsin Partners helped with the makeover from parking garage to urban-art gallery, where visitors will be welcomed at a reception desk made from San Miguel Beer crates by multimedia artist Norberto “Peewee” Roldan Jr.

Although this is AFP’s first year, Periquet and Lopa hope to make it an annual affair.

“Our goal is to eventually become the standard for the country’s art fairs,” said Periquet.

More importantly, they want to expose fellow Filipinos to the rich artistic talent emerging at home. As Lopa observed: “If other people can see what we see and appreciate what our young artists are doing, then it’s really something to be proud of.”

Call Joyce Perlas at 0917-831600; e-mail secretariat@artfairphilippines.com; visit www.artfairphilippines.com.

(Story courtesy of Tracey Paska of the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Pinay healthcare worker becomes instant millionaire in Qatar

 A Filipina healthcare specialist is the latest millionaire of Mashreq Qatar.

The Gulf Times reported that Herminia Mescallado won the one million Qatari Riyals prize money from the savings program MashreqMillionaire.

Mescallado won the prize during the program’s draw last December.

She received the cheque from Mashreq Qatar's head of retail banking, Niranjan Mendonca, during a ceremony held at the bank's Gold Center. The event was also attended by the OFW's family.

Mescallado moved to Doha ten years ago and is currently working as a radiographer at the Women's Hospital.

Since its launch in 1995, the MashreqMillionaire program has produced over 300 millionaires.

Those eligible for the monthly draws are customers who save by investing in fully-encashable MashreqMillionaire certificates each valued as QR1,000. - Philippine News

Two Pinoys collaborate on unique invention: a bamboo sound amplifier

Two Filipinos —New York-based architect Franz Ignacio and Japanese-Filipino
anthropologist Koh Onozawa—are the brains behind Loudbasstard, a sound amplifier
made of bamboo and handcrafted by Cebuano artisans.

The two met by chance during their vacation in Cebu, introduced by their Cebuana mothers who are longtime friends.

Wanting to bring their expertise together—Ignacio’s design skills and Onozawa’s intent to create a livelihood project for Cebuanos—the duo gave up their 9-to-5 jobs abroad and moved to Cebu to collaborate.

Their first project—a digital tablet case they called the Butler—did not take off.

Then the idea of creating a sustainable speaker that operates without electricity came up, after
Onozawa’s girlfriend, Julie Ghafari, used a plastic cup to amplify the music from a smartphone.

The result: the Loudbasstard, an eco-friendly amplifier that works with smartphones like the
iPhone, iTouch, and the Samsung Galaxy 3, and other portable media devices.

To use it, one simply has to slip in a gadget into the hollow part of the Loudbasstard, and the
music is amplified by the bamboo case’s cuplike shape.
.
“It took 3 months from prototype to final product and another month for packaging, marketing
and branding efforts,” Ignacio told GMA News Online in an e-mail.

To keep operations sustainable and environment-friendly, everything is done locally and
manually, in Sitio Cantiplan, Cebu City, through “an entire army of people” who grow and
harvest the bamboo and cut and dye the bamboo speakers by hand.

The craftsmen use traditional techniques in cutting and shaping the bamboo, a practice that has
been taught to them by their fathers, and their fathers’ fathers’ before them.

As Ignacio and Onozawa put it, “Who knows how to handle bamboo better than a family that’s
done it for generations? Not someone who simply was taught how to press buttons on a
machine.”

From Cebu to the world

Some of the first Loudbasstards were sold in Vancouver, Canada, in October 2012.

Now with the Philippines as their base, Ignacio and Onozawa hope to see their Cebuano design expand its reach abroad and are working on bringing it to Switzerland, the Middle East, and the US this year.

Ignacio recalled that initially they sent 50 pieces to Vancouver, Canada "through a family friend who was visiting for a bit, and they immediately placed a bulk order after that. That’s when we realized we were onto something.”

Other friends abroad helped Ignacio and Onozawa get the bamboo speakers distributed in
Rome and Milan, Italy. Locally, these are sold online.

Its sustainable and eco-friendly design has given the Loudbasstard some good press from
publications abroad, such as “Design Street” and “Fool Magazine” in Italy and “Chic Haus
Magazine” in Mexico.

One review came from Italian entrepreneur Enrico Marone Cinzano, a member of the exclusive design organization Associazion per il Disegno Industriale, who called the product “stylish and sustainable.”

On his Facebook page, Cinzano said, “The Loudbasstard [lets] you hear your favourite music without infringing on the capital brought to us by Mother Nature and helps retain local traditions while providing employment.”

Ignacio said he and Onozawa didn’t expect that their simple and practical design would be well received locally and abroad.

“The reception has been 100% awesome. We’re still blown away by everyone’s kind words. It
makes what we do that much more worth it,” Ignacio said.

The reception is also a validation for Ignacio, an architect schooled in New York’s Pratt Institute.

“Franz is a furniture designer by profession. So to have ventured out and have designed a
product that has been so positively embraced, outside of his norm, makes us feel accomplished in some level. It gives us more motivation to keep going and improve our designs and create," Onozawa said. - VVP, GMA News

Widow of Beatle John Lennon donates $10,000 for Pablo victims

Yoko One, the widow of Beatle John Lennon has donated $10,000 for the victims of typhoon “Pablo.”

The donation of Yoko Ono, an established musical artist and fashion designer in her own right, was remitted to the Philippine embassy in Tokyo on Jan. 28.

Ono learned about the disastrous effects of Pablo in Mindanao following a personal visit she made to the official residence of the Philippine ambassador to Japan on Dec. 5, 2012.

She spent her childhood years at the residence, an Iberian-style mansion built in 1934, which used to be owned by her uncle Iwajiro Yasuda.

The house was sold to President Jose P. Laurel, and was subsequently acquired by the Philippine government after World War II.

When she comes to Japan, Ono finds time to visit the residence to reminisce about her childhood.

During her visit to the residence last December, she conveyed to Ambassador Manuel Lopez her appreciation for the care the Philippine government has taken to preserve the historic mansion.

Ono’s charitable activities include assisting schoolchildren in the Philippines.

She also made a contribution for disaster relief efforts in the Philippines in the wake of tropical storm “Ondoy” in 2009.

(Story courtesy of the Philippine Star’s Pia Lee-Brago)