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25 most influential lifestyle personalities
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=709393&publicationSubCategoryId=86
>25 things about women that I wish my yaya had told me
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http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=709361&publicationSubCategoryId=86
25 most influential lifestyle personalities
LIFE & STYLE By Millet M. Mananquil (The Philippine Star) Updated July 24, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)
from www.people.nfo.ph
| Zoom
Tessie Sy-Coson — Fortune magazine named her as one of the world’s Top 50 Influential Women. But long before she gained her mark in international business and became an icon in Philippine retailing, banking and finance, Tessie was SM Depart- ment Store’s fashion merchandising boss. She would be at SM, checking out the win- dow displays (which were the most fashion- able eye candy then), creating trends (her “sensational slide,” the off-shoulder top, is unforgettable) and brainstorming with designers. It was Tessie who nurtured local designers in the ’70s and ’80s and launched RTW lines for many Filipino couturiers. To- day, SM does not only mean shoes and RTW.
SM means fashion, beauty and global chic, as the mega retailing empire is forever growing with new foreign brands like For- ever 21 that had the young, fash- ionable set queu- ing for days after it opened. In an in- terview with Time magazine, the for- ever-working Tes- sie said: “Life and work become one. My father would love that. He hoped we would be his clones. We do have our own lives.” One thing is sure: Tessie has this natural gift for fashion merchandising. Expect her to be working for more
mega brands to come in at SM malls.
Nedy Tantoco — People know that Nedy is heiress to Rustan’s, the de- partment store that invented luxury retailing and impeccable customer service in the Philippines. But few people know that she is a workaholic who is busy checking/working on her retailing projects until the wee hours of the morning. And that she was a nerdy student (cum laude in business, Assumption; magna cum laude, Colegio de Sta. Maria del Camino in Madrid) who got her best schooling, though, from her mother, Glecy Tantoco, founder of our local version of Sak’s Fifth. With support from her father, Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., her siblings Rico Tantoco, Marilou Pineda, Menchu Lopez, Marilen Tan- toco, and Maritess Enriquez, and her children Anton, Catherine and Mi- chael Huang, and the rest of the third- generation Tantoco retailers, Nedy has steered Rustan’s towards becom- ing the country’s premier retailing empire that owns the franchise to top international fashion and luxury brands, from Acca Kappa to Gucci to Hermes to Prada to Zegna. She stays true to Glecy’s vision of bringing in the best of the world, while offering the best of our very own. Transcend- ing business, Nedy has become an art and culture patroness, working closely with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine- Italian Association to present concerts and exhibits. Maybe she can teach our institutions a thing or two about cultural retailing.
Ben Chan — At a time when it- was aching for one, the Philippine retailing industry got a maverick when Ben Chan, back from years of marketing studies as a long-haired student at the University of Califor- nia in Berkeley, and a fashion design course at the Pacific Fashion School in San Francisco, opened a small men’s T-shirt store 24 years ago with new actor Richard Gomez as endors- er. It was a pioneering move — the use of celebrity endorsers — that led to other much-copied moves: the use of giant fashion billboards and the production of the much-awaited Bench Uncut show every two years. The billboards may have recently made some people cross-eyed, but nothing can change the fact that Bench is the number one T-shirt and underwear brand in the country. On top of creating 17 local brands and
carrying 15 foreign brands — from the chic Charles and Keith to the foxy Fox, and the luscious La Senza to the delicious Patchi, Bench also produces Pinoy pop culture books and regularly creates shirts with nationalist-inspired themes. Inspired by his visionary brother Carlos Chan, Ben revisited his roots and set up Bench stores in China, with Chinese superstars as endorsers. With sister Nenita Lim and brother-in-law Vir- gilio Lim helping Ben carry Bench towards more pioneering retailing feats, Bench has become the bench- mark in the fashion and lifestyle in- dustry. And to think that Ben’s first job was manning the ticket box office of a movie house in San Francisco, earning US$2.50 an hour. Now, Ben can afford to build movie houses, but he remains a humble, hardwork- ing and unassuming icon.
Virgie Ramos — Event planner Rita Neri refers to the workaholic Virgie — she with a fierce eye for fashion detail and a penchant for efficiency (“Do it today, not tomorrow”) — as her market- ing icon. Like many others who have worked under Virgie, Rita considers her experience as career-defining, hon- ing her for future challenges. “If you survive Virgie Ramos, you survive everything,” Rita states. This topnotch retailer is credited for bringing into the Philippines the Hello Kitty and Sanrio experience, regaling generations, many of whom nostalgically admit they haven’t quite outgrown these childhood loves. Now, Virgie regales the hip mar- ket with Swatch — amazing for its end- lessly evolving line of timepieces from Switzerland that mixes precision, excel- lence in design, fashion, artistry, culture, and philosophy. A perfect product to be marketed by someone who is always in the fashion loop, with that rare gift of youthful verve. She matches her Yo- hji and Comme outfits always with a Swatch — be it an old fave or the latest best-seller. Now, the Swatch is hot as the academe’s emblem of choice, much like a school ring, starting with Ateneo de Manila University, which was the first to have a school watch by Swatch. This resulted in Swatch Philippines donat- ing a million-peso check for the ADMU Scholarship Fund. This gave birth to Vir- gie Ramos’ “Love School, Love Swatch” project which now has programs with University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, St. Scholastica’s College, Assumption College, Immaculate Conception Acad- emy, Xavier School, San Beda College, St. Paul University, Miriam College, and St. Theresa’s College.
Robina Gokongwei-Pe — Robina first made news in 1981 when she was kidnapped on her way to school and later rescued by a police officer named Ping Lacson. Rewind to 2000 when the movie Supercop had Angel Locsin portraying her and Robina remarks: “I wasn’t wearing a midriff on my way to UP, I didn’t have the body to wear that outfit and never will.” According to urban legend, Robina had a twin sister snake, and now, with the rumor dispelled, Robina laughs, “I think she was turned into a snakeskin wallet.” A third misfortune happened when Ro- bina, a journalism graduate of Columbia, convinced her dad, tycoon John Gokong- wei Jr., to buy the pre-martial law Manila Times. The UP student in her envisioned publishing a newspaper as “an effort to be an instrument of meaningful change in society. “Unfortunately, then President Joseph Estrada didn’t like a headline in her newspaper, and so, she opted for a less turbulent life. “Ay naku, magtitindera na lang ako.” Now, she is the very hard- working and conscientious president of the Robinsons Group, which includes not only Robinsons Department Store, but also foreign-franchised shops like Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Trucco, and Warehouse. The young and fashionable set who adores these brands should probably thank Erap.
Eman Pineda — What kind of a retailing boss would pretend to be an ordinary salesman in his store and serve his customers, even kneel at their feet to help them try out pairs of shoes? Only a young, fearless and passionate natural-born re- tailer like Eman Pineda would do it. Even if he is jetlagged from a buying trip to Europe, or wearing his spiffy blazer that makes him look more like a GQ model, the tall and handsome Eman will do this in Adora, the newest and most adorable boutique-department store in Greenbelt 5 where coveted brands like Harry Winston, Givenchy, YSL, Lanvin, Anya Hindmarch, Missoni, Chloe, D&G, Pedro Garcia, Rimowa and Becca make it the mecca of the truly fashionable set. “I need firsthand, raw feedback from customers where it matters the most. Customer service is as impor- tant as the merchandise we sell,” explains Eman. He adds that Adora is simply guided by a mantra ingrained in the 350-employee group: We love to buy and we love to sell. This Ateneo economics graduate opened his first shop, Tyler at 27. It was a hit, and couldn’t miss in terms of merchandise and service (he hired only Ateneo graduates for his sales force). He recently sold Tyler “so I can focus on a singular force called Adora. “It is the only store in Manila with a beautiful powder room with mirrors for walls, and its interiors evoke a dream modern palatial residence in Paris, but Eman refuses to use the word “luxe” to describe it. The multi-awarded Retailer of the Year hall of famer would rather say Adora is a “world of everyday wonders.” Certainly, Eman makes sure these wonders never cease.
Bernie Liu — This six-footer towers in the mass retailing industry as the Cebuano architect- entrepreneur who built a RTW empire starting from graphic-designed T-shirts under the Penshoppe label, targeting the 13 to 20 age bracket. Now, his Golden ABC Inc. has other brands like Oxygen, ForMe, Memo, Regatta, Red Logo, and Regatta. His latest acquisition, Tyler, reflects his desire to expand his market to include fashionable A-listers. Guided by deep moral values, Bernie believes in the dictum pray hard, work hard. “I never leave home without a rosary and my scapular,” he once said. He combines this piety with a keen vision — to be a most admired Asian brand --and values-filled work ethic.
Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng — Fresh from Ateneo University where she finished comm arts, and a stint with the family’s short-lived Manila Times, Lisa went to Columbia University for her journalism masters. While in New York, she fell in love with magazines and the first thing she did upon coming home was create a fashion mag, Preview, which today remains the fashionistas’ bible. “I had no long-term vision then,” Lisa admits. “But then in 1997, Hearst was looking for a partner in magazine publishing.” And Lisa’s Summit Publishing was it. The rest is glossy history. Today, Lisa has 23 magazine titles which include best-sellers YES!, FHM and Cosmopolitan, and its latest acquisition, Esquire, with brilliant journalist Erwin Romulo as editor. A Nielsen Media Research shows that eight out of 10 favorite magazines chosen by respondents are from Summit. Lisa is the formi- dable brains and leader in the Philippine magazine publishing industry. Mixing journalism ideals (she values principled journalists like Jo-Ann Maglipon and Myrza Sison) with a cerebral vision, a keen radar for trendspotting, and a sharp business sense, Lisa continues to put Summit on top by establishing niches in digital space as well.
Inno Sotto — He reigns as Manila’s Prince of Fashion, a title he has richly deserved the past three decades. An Inno creation evokes a certain elegance that looks fragrant, clean, and well-crafted. These past many years, his breathtaking fashion shows famously covered by Elsa Klensch of CNN, his beautiful bridal gowns, his penchant for simplicity, talent for editing and restraint set him apart from the fashion heap. As president of the Filipino Designers Group and the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines, he assumed the inevitable role of mentor in the industry. His 30th anniversary show, “30 20 10” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last November was a testament to his timeless works. As creative direc- tor of Rustan’s, Inno breathes fresh insights into the retailing business.
Dr. Vicki Belo — The country’s most popular beauty doctor had a dream: To make the Philippines more beautiful, one person at a time. Soon, her name, voted by Reader’s Digest as a Most Trusted Brand, became synonymous with the latest scientific techniques in slim- ming, beautifying, and anti- aging. Belo has put the Phil- ippines on the world beauty map, making the country a beauty and medical tourism destination, with her Belo Clinic as a must-visit. She also recently opened a branch in Los Angeles. Vicki has empowered a lot of women — and men — by enhancing their physical image, raising their self-esteem, and making it naturally acceptable to de- clare that they have just had a lipo or an eyelift.
Sari Yap — She is a magazine diva who is now creating electronic versions of glossy magazines. First, Sari launched Mega, the pioneering glossy fashion mag in the country — and certainly one of the thickest. Armed with her media management course in Spain, and a professional publishing course at Stanford U, Sari came home with a dream to put out a world-class fashion mag in Manila.Today, her Mega Pub- lishing Group carries 10 titles — all local yet all successful, each with a target niche. Aside from Mega, there is Lifestyle Asia, Lifestyle Asia Travel, Meg, My Home, BluPrint, Condo Living, Appetite, Inside Showbiz, and Celebrity Living. Last year, Sari conceived of bringing lifestyle reportages, trends and yes, fashion competitions on television by way of the Generation Mega TV shows which aim to carry out one of her passions — nurturing a new breed of fashion designers. Sari is one stylish dynamo who constantly develops new fashion designing superstars and brings reinventions in the lifestyle scene.
Pepito Albert — He is a truly talented designer with consis- tent strokes of bril- liance, originality, and fearless innovation. Unfortunately, he has chosen to be semi- reclusive and selec- tive, designing only for a circle of truly stylish women like Kaye Tinga, Ching Cruz, Patricia Panlilio, Irene Marcos Araneta, Fe Rodriguez, and a few brides like Ko- rina Sanchez. Still, Pepito commands the respect of younger fashion stalwarts like Rajo Laurel who says, “I adore him.” The fashion trends he has created and still cre- ates make him an in- fluential though rarely visible fashion force.
Jessica Zafra — Her fans range from teeny boppers to white- haired adults, which is perhaps why her columns in STAR first appeared in Young Star, before it became a Sunday Lifestyle regular. One of the most prolific writers in the literary scene, this Palanca Awardee has produced nine volumes of Twisted, the National Book Award-winning bestseller, as well as humor collections Chicken Pox for the Soul and 500 People You Meet in Hell. Her movie reviews have been compiled into Twisted Flicks, while the joys and aggravations of her travels — including those she took with the Eraserheads as their manager — have been put together in Twisted Travels. She has done radio and television talk shows, and now she communicates with her audience via her JessicaRulestheUniverse.com. Her BFFs range from Jaime Augusto Zobel (real) to Roger Federer (imaginary), and her current favorite beat is sports — sports personalities, that is. She has chronicled the trials and triumphs of the Philippine Rugby Team, but after a real or imaginary LQ with a member, she has decided she will focus now on other sports heroes as sports writer for the hot, hot, hot Esquire magazine coming out in September. During the STAR’s January events featur- ing favorite books and writers, the lines were longest for those wishing to have their book signed by Jessica Zafra. If you want her autograph, it is easy to find her. Look for the ponytailed woman with huge cat’s eye sunglasses, al- most always wearing a knotted scarf, heading towards the National Book Store or her favorite Wild Ginger restaurant in Rockwell.
The Zobel Family — Their patriarch Jaime Zobel de Ayala, chairman emeritus of the Ayala companies, is renowned for his artistic eye in photography. His regularly- changing photography murals in Greenbelt 3 are always thought-provoking, truly something to watch for. (Check out his cur- rent one, captioned “Today, a somersault. Tomorrow, a leap into their dreams.”) His vision of promoting Philippine art, history, music, photography, fashion, literature, and other aspects of culture through the “Bravo Filipino” series at Ayala Malls is admirable. Assisting him in this project are his wife Bea who finds time from her pet project of providing homes and livelihood to the Mangyans; daughter Bea Jr. who is also active in cultural revival and restoration projects in Bohol; and daughter Sofia Zobel-Elizalde who brings culture to the malls via her Steps Dance Studio where she provides dance scholarships to aspir- ing ballerinas. Brothers Jaime Augusto and Fernando mix business with philanthropy via advocacies such as providing quality education for the underprivelege and the Habitat for Humanity, which helps provide homes for the underprivileged.
The Antonio Family — Headed by the pioneer- ing real estate whiz Joey Antonio, assisted by sons Jigger, Marco, Robbie, and Carlo, all brilliant and educated with honors at Wharton and Stanford, theirs is the company — Century Properties — that defines and spearheads fashionable and luxury condominium in the Philippines. Joey made condo living attractive to an elite market with the opening of Essensa, an award-winning hi-rise project that remains one of the best in the country. They were the first to offer fully-furnished condos via their SOMA project at the Fort, as well as the SOHO Central and Grand SOHO Makati condos. Rising soon are the Century City in Makati, the Versace- designed Milano Residences which is the first local condo designed by an international fashion house, and the Acqua located right after the new bridge linking Rockwell Center to Mandaluyong.
The Syjuco Family — Here is a family that creates, inspires, and rocks! Cesare A.X. Syjuco is a prizewinning painter, poet, and art critic whose latest work is a 15-track CD album and book featuring his avant-garde pottery and music. Wife Jean Marie Syjuco, the foremost exponent of performance art in the Philippines, is also a painter and installation artist. The children were all well-bred in the arts: Michelline is a sculptor and jewelry artist; A.G. Syjuco is a musician and composer of the band Faust!; Beatrix is a performance and video artist who co-hosts an art and culture talk show with Krip Yuson; Maxine is a poet, visual artist, and art teacher in her school, The Little Picasso; Julian is an aspiring artist. The Syjucos are not only an extremely talented force in the local art and culture scene; they are also such a good-looking family.
Impy Pilapil — Certainly a most cerebral sculp- tor whose works are always thought-provoking and beautiful, Impy is a passionate artist whose modern works bear both a global mind as well as a national- ist heart. She got her art education at UP, Accademia Italiana, and Pratt Graphics Center in New York, and her works have been exhibited and acclaimed in countries that are too many to mention here. The Asean Plaza Landmark and the Heroes Memorial Landmark feature her sculptures, as do several build- ings in Metro Manila. She has done works that reflect her concern for the environment, and projects that benefit the underprivileged. She also does furniture that look like functional artworks. Impy has made the experience of receiving awards a pleasurable art reward as well, by designing glass trophies that are more coveted because they afford one the ownership of an Impy Pilapil artwork one can proudly display on the shelf.
Ramon Orlina — Orlina likewise does sculpture in glass and steel, and has exhibited in so many galleries here and abroad. What makes him differ- ent is his affinity to the Singapore art scene, having lived there and met his wife Lay Ann. Thus, his sculptures are seen at the atrium of Wisma Aria on Orchard Road and the Marina Park of the Singapore Outdoor Stadium, among others. His most recent work is “Quattro Mondial,” a 10-meter-high cast bronze and carved glass sculpture unveiled for the 400th anniversary of the University of Santo Tomas, his alma mater. Art critic Cid Reyes exalted the masterpiece as “monumental ... it captures the idea of the university as an institution of learning that has survived 400 years and is still looking towards the future.”
Bencab — Art patron and gallery owner Sari Ortiga considers Bencab “the coolest” Filipino National Artist. Acclaimed as the bestselling painter of his generation of artists, Bencab combines deft strokes with a passion for very Filipino imageries. This UP fine arts graduate moved to London where he reaped recognition as an artist. Back in the Philippines, Bencab eventually embraced Baguio as his home. After the 1990 earthquake in Luzon, Bencab organized ArtAid workshops for children traumatized by the disaster. He also helped create a refuge for local artists seeking a nurturing environment at the Tam-awan Village. His BenCab Museum in Baguio has become a must-see at- traction featuring the works of Filipino masters, as well as highlighting the culture and arts of the Cordilleras. Bencab is an artist who combines his passion for art with a nation- alist consciousness. Perhaps that is what makes him cool.
Lor Calma and Ed Calma — Lor is a pioneer modernist in the Philippines whose furniture designs and architectural works remain timeless. His sculptures are proud landmarks in the metropolis, a testament to a multi-awarded artist with a vision. His architectural works include the Metropolitan Mu- seum, National Museum, and several hotels here and abroad. His son Ed Calma — with academic schooling at Columbia University, Pratt Institute, and the University of Rome — is one of the leading lights in Philippine modern design. He did the country proud by winning a gold medal for design for his Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain; as well as his Expo 2005 design for the Philippines in Japan, both projects done under the aegis of his father. The Calmas are a formidable duo who are defin- ing the future of Philippine design.
Margarita Fores — This culinary princess had to work hard even as she was born with the proverbial golden spoon — or was it a golden ladle in her hand? When her grandfather, Don Amado Araneta, chose to live in New York after martial law, Gaita became an eager New York student, imbibing everything she could in the city where eateries seem never to sleep. Her work stint at Valentino stirred her interest in everything Italian. From there, she moved to Florence where she learned all she wanted to know about Italian cuisine from two Italian cooks. Back in Manila, she debuted as a guest chef at Hyatt Regency. She wanted to open her own resto, but her parents, thinking it was just a whim, didn’t take her seriously. So she borrowed money from her mom, Baby Araneta Fores, and launched Cibo. Of course, she was able to pay back every cent, and thereafter created her Cafe Bola and Pepato restaurants, a highly acclaimed catering service, and her own flower shop Fiori di M inside Adora at Greenbelt 5. This year, Gaita celebrates her 25th year as an exponent of Italian cuisine in Manila and as one of the most hardworking and creative chefs in the country.
Claude Tayag — As painter, sculptor, furniture designer, chef, writer, and book author, Claude is a rare multi-tal- ented personality in the lifestyle scene. He spent years as an architecture and economics student at UP, but learned volumes about Phil- ippine art and cul- ture from his men- tor, the legendary writer-artist-gour- met E. Aguilar Cruz. Mixing his gift for art with a national- ist passion, Claude produced works inspired by Philip- pine festivals, land- scapes, and religious images. This multi- awarded artist who has had countless exhibits here and abroad, is now a full-time chef at his by-reservations-only restaurant Bale Dutung in Angeles, Pampanga where he offers his five-way lechon. A much-copied dessert he created, Claude’s Dream, is a best-seller at the LJC chain of restaurants. He also invented his now-famous Pan de Bagnet. Claude is a man who can design anything. And cook everything.
Cecile Zamora Van Straten — A Parsons-trained fashion designer who opened her edgy brand of fashion in shops called D-Fect, Store for all Seasons, and Grocery, Cecile has made her mark in fashion. Today, her creations are available at the Bleach Catastrophe, one of the best-designed stores in Greenbelt 5. From style maker and trend spotter, Cecile has become a res- taurateur as well, partnering with her handsome husband, chef Jeroen Van Straten , to open Pepper Lunch, the only restaurant in Manila where diners form long lines every day in places like Rockwell, Greenbelt 5, and Shangri-La Edsa. Cecile is also a popular newspaper columnist, but to her millions of readers, she is better known as Chuvaness, the country’s most influential and powerful blogger. She writes about a product she fancies, and the next day, her readers rush to check it out. Whether she writes about her discovery in a museum that Jose Rizal was barely five feet tall, or raves about her favorite Comme or Yohji finds, Cecile’s every little gasp or gushing is talked about.
Lisa Macuja- Elizalde — She is un- doubtedly the fore- most ballerina in the Philippines who has dedicated her life to dancing and mentoring aspiring ballet dancers. She danced her way to stardom after earn- ing a scholarship to the Vaganova Cho- reographic Institute in Leningrad where she graduated at the top of her class in 1984. She became the first foreign solo- ist at the renowned Kirov Ballet, where she was principal ballerina in The Nut- cracker, Don Quixote and Giselle. Back in Manila in 1986, she became the CCP’s first artist-in-resi- dence while dancing with Ballet Philippines. With the Philippine Ballet Theater, she starred in major local productions and guested in foreign ones as well. Her dream of promoting ballet in the country came true when she set up Ballet Manila, her company where dancers get training from her and ballet master Osias Barroso in the highly rigorous Russian method of classic ballet. Lisa brings the art of dance more accessible to the masses nationwide, and even nurtures a relationship between the Filipino audience and artists through her awardwinning radio program, Art 2 Art.
Raul Sunico — From an internationally acclaimed pianist who has won medals in various piano competitions, and who honed his musical skills at the Juilliard School of Music and the NYU, he has come home for good to take a bow at the CCP not as a performer, but as its president. Now, it is his turn to help Filipino performers reap applause in this venue just like he used to, and to promote Philippine art and culture. That is a difficult task consider- ing that this and past governments have other budget priorities. But do it he must. And in his own way, this concert pianist, composer-arranger and music educator has been doing his share by producing more than 40 CDs, 15 of them on Filipino music, and doing a 10-book series for elementary students called Musika at Sining. He is also dean of
UST College of Music.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=709344&publicationSubCategoryId=86
>25 things about women that I wish my yaya had told me
>25 keys to longevity and health
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=709361&publicationSubCategoryId=86
25 most influential lifestyle personalities
LIFE & STYLE By Millet M. Mananquil (The Philippine Star) Updated July 24, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)
from www.people.nfo.ph
| Zoom
Tessie Sy-Coson — Fortune magazine named her as one of the world’s Top 50 Influential Women. But long before she gained her mark in international business and became an icon in Philippine retailing, banking and finance, Tessie was SM Depart- ment Store’s fashion merchandising boss. She would be at SM, checking out the win- dow displays (which were the most fashion- able eye candy then), creating trends (her “sensational slide,” the off-shoulder top, is unforgettable) and brainstorming with designers. It was Tessie who nurtured local designers in the ’70s and ’80s and launched RTW lines for many Filipino couturiers. To- day, SM does not only mean shoes and RTW.
SM means fashion, beauty and global chic, as the mega retailing empire is forever growing with new foreign brands like For- ever 21 that had the young, fash- ionable set queu- ing for days after it opened. In an in- terview with Time magazine, the for- ever-working Tes- sie said: “Life and work become one. My father would love that. He hoped we would be his clones. We do have our own lives.” One thing is sure: Tessie has this natural gift for fashion merchandising. Expect her to be working for more
mega brands to come in at SM malls.
Nedy Tantoco — People know that Nedy is heiress to Rustan’s, the de- partment store that invented luxury retailing and impeccable customer service in the Philippines. But few people know that she is a workaholic who is busy checking/working on her retailing projects until the wee hours of the morning. And that she was a nerdy student (cum laude in business, Assumption; magna cum laude, Colegio de Sta. Maria del Camino in Madrid) who got her best schooling, though, from her mother, Glecy Tantoco, founder of our local version of Sak’s Fifth. With support from her father, Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., her siblings Rico Tantoco, Marilou Pineda, Menchu Lopez, Marilen Tan- toco, and Maritess Enriquez, and her children Anton, Catherine and Mi- chael Huang, and the rest of the third- generation Tantoco retailers, Nedy has steered Rustan’s towards becom- ing the country’s premier retailing empire that owns the franchise to top international fashion and luxury brands, from Acca Kappa to Gucci to Hermes to Prada to Zegna. She stays true to Glecy’s vision of bringing in the best of the world, while offering the best of our very own. Transcend- ing business, Nedy has become an art and culture patroness, working closely with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine- Italian Association to present concerts and exhibits. Maybe she can teach our institutions a thing or two about cultural retailing.
Ben Chan — At a time when it- was aching for one, the Philippine retailing industry got a maverick when Ben Chan, back from years of marketing studies as a long-haired student at the University of Califor- nia in Berkeley, and a fashion design course at the Pacific Fashion School in San Francisco, opened a small men’s T-shirt store 24 years ago with new actor Richard Gomez as endors- er. It was a pioneering move — the use of celebrity endorsers — that led to other much-copied moves: the use of giant fashion billboards and the production of the much-awaited Bench Uncut show every two years. The billboards may have recently made some people cross-eyed, but nothing can change the fact that Bench is the number one T-shirt and underwear brand in the country. On top of creating 17 local brands and
carrying 15 foreign brands — from the chic Charles and Keith to the foxy Fox, and the luscious La Senza to the delicious Patchi, Bench also produces Pinoy pop culture books and regularly creates shirts with nationalist-inspired themes. Inspired by his visionary brother Carlos Chan, Ben revisited his roots and set up Bench stores in China, with Chinese superstars as endorsers. With sister Nenita Lim and brother-in-law Vir- gilio Lim helping Ben carry Bench towards more pioneering retailing feats, Bench has become the bench- mark in the fashion and lifestyle in- dustry. And to think that Ben’s first job was manning the ticket box office of a movie house in San Francisco, earning US$2.50 an hour. Now, Ben can afford to build movie houses, but he remains a humble, hardwork- ing and unassuming icon.
Virgie Ramos — Event planner Rita Neri refers to the workaholic Virgie — she with a fierce eye for fashion detail and a penchant for efficiency (“Do it today, not tomorrow”) — as her market- ing icon. Like many others who have worked under Virgie, Rita considers her experience as career-defining, hon- ing her for future challenges. “If you survive Virgie Ramos, you survive everything,” Rita states. This topnotch retailer is credited for bringing into the Philippines the Hello Kitty and Sanrio experience, regaling generations, many of whom nostalgically admit they haven’t quite outgrown these childhood loves. Now, Virgie regales the hip mar- ket with Swatch — amazing for its end- lessly evolving line of timepieces from Switzerland that mixes precision, excel- lence in design, fashion, artistry, culture, and philosophy. A perfect product to be marketed by someone who is always in the fashion loop, with that rare gift of youthful verve. She matches her Yo- hji and Comme outfits always with a Swatch — be it an old fave or the latest best-seller. Now, the Swatch is hot as the academe’s emblem of choice, much like a school ring, starting with Ateneo de Manila University, which was the first to have a school watch by Swatch. This resulted in Swatch Philippines donat- ing a million-peso check for the ADMU Scholarship Fund. This gave birth to Vir- gie Ramos’ “Love School, Love Swatch” project which now has programs with University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, St. Scholastica’s College, Assumption College, Immaculate Conception Acad- emy, Xavier School, San Beda College, St. Paul University, Miriam College, and St. Theresa’s College.
Robina Gokongwei-Pe — Robina first made news in 1981 when she was kidnapped on her way to school and later rescued by a police officer named Ping Lacson. Rewind to 2000 when the movie Supercop had Angel Locsin portraying her and Robina remarks: “I wasn’t wearing a midriff on my way to UP, I didn’t have the body to wear that outfit and never will.” According to urban legend, Robina had a twin sister snake, and now, with the rumor dispelled, Robina laughs, “I think she was turned into a snakeskin wallet.” A third misfortune happened when Ro- bina, a journalism graduate of Columbia, convinced her dad, tycoon John Gokong- wei Jr., to buy the pre-martial law Manila Times. The UP student in her envisioned publishing a newspaper as “an effort to be an instrument of meaningful change in society. “Unfortunately, then President Joseph Estrada didn’t like a headline in her newspaper, and so, she opted for a less turbulent life. “Ay naku, magtitindera na lang ako.” Now, she is the very hard- working and conscientious president of the Robinsons Group, which includes not only Robinsons Department Store, but also foreign-franchised shops like Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Trucco, and Warehouse. The young and fashionable set who adores these brands should probably thank Erap.
Eman Pineda — What kind of a retailing boss would pretend to be an ordinary salesman in his store and serve his customers, even kneel at their feet to help them try out pairs of shoes? Only a young, fearless and passionate natural-born re- tailer like Eman Pineda would do it. Even if he is jetlagged from a buying trip to Europe, or wearing his spiffy blazer that makes him look more like a GQ model, the tall and handsome Eman will do this in Adora, the newest and most adorable boutique-department store in Greenbelt 5 where coveted brands like Harry Winston, Givenchy, YSL, Lanvin, Anya Hindmarch, Missoni, Chloe, D&G, Pedro Garcia, Rimowa and Becca make it the mecca of the truly fashionable set. “I need firsthand, raw feedback from customers where it matters the most. Customer service is as impor- tant as the merchandise we sell,” explains Eman. He adds that Adora is simply guided by a mantra ingrained in the 350-employee group: We love to buy and we love to sell. This Ateneo economics graduate opened his first shop, Tyler at 27. It was a hit, and couldn’t miss in terms of merchandise and service (he hired only Ateneo graduates for his sales force). He recently sold Tyler “so I can focus on a singular force called Adora. “It is the only store in Manila with a beautiful powder room with mirrors for walls, and its interiors evoke a dream modern palatial residence in Paris, but Eman refuses to use the word “luxe” to describe it. The multi-awarded Retailer of the Year hall of famer would rather say Adora is a “world of everyday wonders.” Certainly, Eman makes sure these wonders never cease.
Bernie Liu — This six-footer towers in the mass retailing industry as the Cebuano architect- entrepreneur who built a RTW empire starting from graphic-designed T-shirts under the Penshoppe label, targeting the 13 to 20 age bracket. Now, his Golden ABC Inc. has other brands like Oxygen, ForMe, Memo, Regatta, Red Logo, and Regatta. His latest acquisition, Tyler, reflects his desire to expand his market to include fashionable A-listers. Guided by deep moral values, Bernie believes in the dictum pray hard, work hard. “I never leave home without a rosary and my scapular,” he once said. He combines this piety with a keen vision — to be a most admired Asian brand --and values-filled work ethic.
Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng — Fresh from Ateneo University where she finished comm arts, and a stint with the family’s short-lived Manila Times, Lisa went to Columbia University for her journalism masters. While in New York, she fell in love with magazines and the first thing she did upon coming home was create a fashion mag, Preview, which today remains the fashionistas’ bible. “I had no long-term vision then,” Lisa admits. “But then in 1997, Hearst was looking for a partner in magazine publishing.” And Lisa’s Summit Publishing was it. The rest is glossy history. Today, Lisa has 23 magazine titles which include best-sellers YES!, FHM and Cosmopolitan, and its latest acquisition, Esquire, with brilliant journalist Erwin Romulo as editor. A Nielsen Media Research shows that eight out of 10 favorite magazines chosen by respondents are from Summit. Lisa is the formi- dable brains and leader in the Philippine magazine publishing industry. Mixing journalism ideals (she values principled journalists like Jo-Ann Maglipon and Myrza Sison) with a cerebral vision, a keen radar for trendspotting, and a sharp business sense, Lisa continues to put Summit on top by establishing niches in digital space as well.
Inno Sotto — He reigns as Manila’s Prince of Fashion, a title he has richly deserved the past three decades. An Inno creation evokes a certain elegance that looks fragrant, clean, and well-crafted. These past many years, his breathtaking fashion shows famously covered by Elsa Klensch of CNN, his beautiful bridal gowns, his penchant for simplicity, talent for editing and restraint set him apart from the fashion heap. As president of the Filipino Designers Group and the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines, he assumed the inevitable role of mentor in the industry. His 30th anniversary show, “30 20 10” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last November was a testament to his timeless works. As creative direc- tor of Rustan’s, Inno breathes fresh insights into the retailing business.
Dr. Vicki Belo — The country’s most popular beauty doctor had a dream: To make the Philippines more beautiful, one person at a time. Soon, her name, voted by Reader’s Digest as a Most Trusted Brand, became synonymous with the latest scientific techniques in slim- ming, beautifying, and anti- aging. Belo has put the Phil- ippines on the world beauty map, making the country a beauty and medical tourism destination, with her Belo Clinic as a must-visit. She also recently opened a branch in Los Angeles. Vicki has empowered a lot of women — and men — by enhancing their physical image, raising their self-esteem, and making it naturally acceptable to de- clare that they have just had a lipo or an eyelift.
Sari Yap — She is a magazine diva who is now creating electronic versions of glossy magazines. First, Sari launched Mega, the pioneering glossy fashion mag in the country — and certainly one of the thickest. Armed with her media management course in Spain, and a professional publishing course at Stanford U, Sari came home with a dream to put out a world-class fashion mag in Manila.Today, her Mega Pub- lishing Group carries 10 titles — all local yet all successful, each with a target niche. Aside from Mega, there is Lifestyle Asia, Lifestyle Asia Travel, Meg, My Home, BluPrint, Condo Living, Appetite, Inside Showbiz, and Celebrity Living. Last year, Sari conceived of bringing lifestyle reportages, trends and yes, fashion competitions on television by way of the Generation Mega TV shows which aim to carry out one of her passions — nurturing a new breed of fashion designers. Sari is one stylish dynamo who constantly develops new fashion designing superstars and brings reinventions in the lifestyle scene.
Pepito Albert — He is a truly talented designer with consis- tent strokes of bril- liance, originality, and fearless innovation. Unfortunately, he has chosen to be semi- reclusive and selec- tive, designing only for a circle of truly stylish women like Kaye Tinga, Ching Cruz, Patricia Panlilio, Irene Marcos Araneta, Fe Rodriguez, and a few brides like Ko- rina Sanchez. Still, Pepito commands the respect of younger fashion stalwarts like Rajo Laurel who says, “I adore him.” The fashion trends he has created and still cre- ates make him an in- fluential though rarely visible fashion force.
Jessica Zafra — Her fans range from teeny boppers to white- haired adults, which is perhaps why her columns in STAR first appeared in Young Star, before it became a Sunday Lifestyle regular. One of the most prolific writers in the literary scene, this Palanca Awardee has produced nine volumes of Twisted, the National Book Award-winning bestseller, as well as humor collections Chicken Pox for the Soul and 500 People You Meet in Hell. Her movie reviews have been compiled into Twisted Flicks, while the joys and aggravations of her travels — including those she took with the Eraserheads as their manager — have been put together in Twisted Travels. She has done radio and television talk shows, and now she communicates with her audience via her JessicaRulestheUniverse.com. Her BFFs range from Jaime Augusto Zobel (real) to Roger Federer (imaginary), and her current favorite beat is sports — sports personalities, that is. She has chronicled the trials and triumphs of the Philippine Rugby Team, but after a real or imaginary LQ with a member, she has decided she will focus now on other sports heroes as sports writer for the hot, hot, hot Esquire magazine coming out in September. During the STAR’s January events featur- ing favorite books and writers, the lines were longest for those wishing to have their book signed by Jessica Zafra. If you want her autograph, it is easy to find her. Look for the ponytailed woman with huge cat’s eye sunglasses, al- most always wearing a knotted scarf, heading towards the National Book Store or her favorite Wild Ginger restaurant in Rockwell.
The Zobel Family — Their patriarch Jaime Zobel de Ayala, chairman emeritus of the Ayala companies, is renowned for his artistic eye in photography. His regularly- changing photography murals in Greenbelt 3 are always thought-provoking, truly something to watch for. (Check out his cur- rent one, captioned “Today, a somersault. Tomorrow, a leap into their dreams.”) His vision of promoting Philippine art, history, music, photography, fashion, literature, and other aspects of culture through the “Bravo Filipino” series at Ayala Malls is admirable. Assisting him in this project are his wife Bea who finds time from her pet project of providing homes and livelihood to the Mangyans; daughter Bea Jr. who is also active in cultural revival and restoration projects in Bohol; and daughter Sofia Zobel-Elizalde who brings culture to the malls via her Steps Dance Studio where she provides dance scholarships to aspir- ing ballerinas. Brothers Jaime Augusto and Fernando mix business with philanthropy via advocacies such as providing quality education for the underprivelege and the Habitat for Humanity, which helps provide homes for the underprivileged.
The Antonio Family — Headed by the pioneer- ing real estate whiz Joey Antonio, assisted by sons Jigger, Marco, Robbie, and Carlo, all brilliant and educated with honors at Wharton and Stanford, theirs is the company — Century Properties — that defines and spearheads fashionable and luxury condominium in the Philippines. Joey made condo living attractive to an elite market with the opening of Essensa, an award-winning hi-rise project that remains one of the best in the country. They were the first to offer fully-furnished condos via their SOMA project at the Fort, as well as the SOHO Central and Grand SOHO Makati condos. Rising soon are the Century City in Makati, the Versace- designed Milano Residences which is the first local condo designed by an international fashion house, and the Acqua located right after the new bridge linking Rockwell Center to Mandaluyong.
The Syjuco Family — Here is a family that creates, inspires, and rocks! Cesare A.X. Syjuco is a prizewinning painter, poet, and art critic whose latest work is a 15-track CD album and book featuring his avant-garde pottery and music. Wife Jean Marie Syjuco, the foremost exponent of performance art in the Philippines, is also a painter and installation artist. The children were all well-bred in the arts: Michelline is a sculptor and jewelry artist; A.G. Syjuco is a musician and composer of the band Faust!; Beatrix is a performance and video artist who co-hosts an art and culture talk show with Krip Yuson; Maxine is a poet, visual artist, and art teacher in her school, The Little Picasso; Julian is an aspiring artist. The Syjucos are not only an extremely talented force in the local art and culture scene; they are also such a good-looking family.
Impy Pilapil — Certainly a most cerebral sculp- tor whose works are always thought-provoking and beautiful, Impy is a passionate artist whose modern works bear both a global mind as well as a national- ist heart. She got her art education at UP, Accademia Italiana, and Pratt Graphics Center in New York, and her works have been exhibited and acclaimed in countries that are too many to mention here. The Asean Plaza Landmark and the Heroes Memorial Landmark feature her sculptures, as do several build- ings in Metro Manila. She has done works that reflect her concern for the environment, and projects that benefit the underprivileged. She also does furniture that look like functional artworks. Impy has made the experience of receiving awards a pleasurable art reward as well, by designing glass trophies that are more coveted because they afford one the ownership of an Impy Pilapil artwork one can proudly display on the shelf.
Ramon Orlina — Orlina likewise does sculpture in glass and steel, and has exhibited in so many galleries here and abroad. What makes him differ- ent is his affinity to the Singapore art scene, having lived there and met his wife Lay Ann. Thus, his sculptures are seen at the atrium of Wisma Aria on Orchard Road and the Marina Park of the Singapore Outdoor Stadium, among others. His most recent work is “Quattro Mondial,” a 10-meter-high cast bronze and carved glass sculpture unveiled for the 400th anniversary of the University of Santo Tomas, his alma mater. Art critic Cid Reyes exalted the masterpiece as “monumental ... it captures the idea of the university as an institution of learning that has survived 400 years and is still looking towards the future.”
Bencab — Art patron and gallery owner Sari Ortiga considers Bencab “the coolest” Filipino National Artist. Acclaimed as the bestselling painter of his generation of artists, Bencab combines deft strokes with a passion for very Filipino imageries. This UP fine arts graduate moved to London where he reaped recognition as an artist. Back in the Philippines, Bencab eventually embraced Baguio as his home. After the 1990 earthquake in Luzon, Bencab organized ArtAid workshops for children traumatized by the disaster. He also helped create a refuge for local artists seeking a nurturing environment at the Tam-awan Village. His BenCab Museum in Baguio has become a must-see at- traction featuring the works of Filipino masters, as well as highlighting the culture and arts of the Cordilleras. Bencab is an artist who combines his passion for art with a nation- alist consciousness. Perhaps that is what makes him cool.
Lor Calma and Ed Calma — Lor is a pioneer modernist in the Philippines whose furniture designs and architectural works remain timeless. His sculptures are proud landmarks in the metropolis, a testament to a multi-awarded artist with a vision. His architectural works include the Metropolitan Mu- seum, National Museum, and several hotels here and abroad. His son Ed Calma — with academic schooling at Columbia University, Pratt Institute, and the University of Rome — is one of the leading lights in Philippine modern design. He did the country proud by winning a gold medal for design for his Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain; as well as his Expo 2005 design for the Philippines in Japan, both projects done under the aegis of his father. The Calmas are a formidable duo who are defin- ing the future of Philippine design.
Margarita Fores — This culinary princess had to work hard even as she was born with the proverbial golden spoon — or was it a golden ladle in her hand? When her grandfather, Don Amado Araneta, chose to live in New York after martial law, Gaita became an eager New York student, imbibing everything she could in the city where eateries seem never to sleep. Her work stint at Valentino stirred her interest in everything Italian. From there, she moved to Florence where she learned all she wanted to know about Italian cuisine from two Italian cooks. Back in Manila, she debuted as a guest chef at Hyatt Regency. She wanted to open her own resto, but her parents, thinking it was just a whim, didn’t take her seriously. So she borrowed money from her mom, Baby Araneta Fores, and launched Cibo. Of course, she was able to pay back every cent, and thereafter created her Cafe Bola and Pepato restaurants, a highly acclaimed catering service, and her own flower shop Fiori di M inside Adora at Greenbelt 5. This year, Gaita celebrates her 25th year as an exponent of Italian cuisine in Manila and as one of the most hardworking and creative chefs in the country.
Claude Tayag — As painter, sculptor, furniture designer, chef, writer, and book author, Claude is a rare multi-tal- ented personality in the lifestyle scene. He spent years as an architecture and economics student at UP, but learned volumes about Phil- ippine art and cul- ture from his men- tor, the legendary writer-artist-gour- met E. Aguilar Cruz. Mixing his gift for art with a national- ist passion, Claude produced works inspired by Philip- pine festivals, land- scapes, and religious images. This multi- awarded artist who has had countless exhibits here and abroad, is now a full-time chef at his by-reservations-only restaurant Bale Dutung in Angeles, Pampanga where he offers his five-way lechon. A much-copied dessert he created, Claude’s Dream, is a best-seller at the LJC chain of restaurants. He also invented his now-famous Pan de Bagnet. Claude is a man who can design anything. And cook everything.
Cecile Zamora Van Straten — A Parsons-trained fashion designer who opened her edgy brand of fashion in shops called D-Fect, Store for all Seasons, and Grocery, Cecile has made her mark in fashion. Today, her creations are available at the Bleach Catastrophe, one of the best-designed stores in Greenbelt 5. From style maker and trend spotter, Cecile has become a res- taurateur as well, partnering with her handsome husband, chef Jeroen Van Straten , to open Pepper Lunch, the only restaurant in Manila where diners form long lines every day in places like Rockwell, Greenbelt 5, and Shangri-La Edsa. Cecile is also a popular newspaper columnist, but to her millions of readers, she is better known as Chuvaness, the country’s most influential and powerful blogger. She writes about a product she fancies, and the next day, her readers rush to check it out. Whether she writes about her discovery in a museum that Jose Rizal was barely five feet tall, or raves about her favorite Comme or Yohji finds, Cecile’s every little gasp or gushing is talked about.
Lisa Macuja- Elizalde — She is un- doubtedly the fore- most ballerina in the Philippines who has dedicated her life to dancing and mentoring aspiring ballet dancers. She danced her way to stardom after earn- ing a scholarship to the Vaganova Cho- reographic Institute in Leningrad where she graduated at the top of her class in 1984. She became the first foreign solo- ist at the renowned Kirov Ballet, where she was principal ballerina in The Nut- cracker, Don Quixote and Giselle. Back in Manila in 1986, she became the CCP’s first artist-in-resi- dence while dancing with Ballet Philippines. With the Philippine Ballet Theater, she starred in major local productions and guested in foreign ones as well. Her dream of promoting ballet in the country came true when she set up Ballet Manila, her company where dancers get training from her and ballet master Osias Barroso in the highly rigorous Russian method of classic ballet. Lisa brings the art of dance more accessible to the masses nationwide, and even nurtures a relationship between the Filipino audience and artists through her awardwinning radio program, Art 2 Art.
Raul Sunico — From an internationally acclaimed pianist who has won medals in various piano competitions, and who honed his musical skills at the Juilliard School of Music and the NYU, he has come home for good to take a bow at the CCP not as a performer, but as its president. Now, it is his turn to help Filipino performers reap applause in this venue just like he used to, and to promote Philippine art and culture. That is a difficult task consider- ing that this and past governments have other budget priorities. But do it he must. And in his own way, this concert pianist, composer-arranger and music educator has been doing his share by producing more than 40 CDs, 15 of them on Filipino music, and doing a 10-book series for elementary students called Musika at Sining. He is also dean of
UST College of Music.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=709344&publicationSubCategoryId=86
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Character is my enemy #1
Everywhere man blames nature and fate, yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passions, his mistakes and weaknesses. — Democritus
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
TED
http://www.victoriaherrera.com/post/4898201853/ric-elias-had-a-front-row-seat-on-flight-1549-the
Definitely
“I’m not really much of a bag person,” she confides. “I seldom buy bags for myself, and I never buy expensive ones. I guess that’s one reason why our business is able to grow. We don’t spend a lot. Our biggest personal expense is on food!” she laughs.
For those wanting to venture into their own business, Mercy advises, “Treat people right. I treat my workers and clients the same way I want to be treated myself. I also tell my workers that when they are making a bag, they should always ask themselves, ‘Would I buy a bag that looks like this?’ If their answer is no, then they should not expect others to buy it either.
For those wanting to venture into their own business, Mercy advises, “Treat people right. I treat my workers and clients the same way I want to be treated myself. I also tell my workers that when they are making a bag, they should always ask themselves, ‘Would I buy a bag that looks like this?’ If their answer is no, then they should not expect others to buy it either.
Simply delicious, simply Thai
Kung Sarong: Prawns delicately wrapped in egg noodles are crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside.
Dollhouse
"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least"
http://www.victoriaherrera.com/page/3
http://www.victoriaherrera.com/page/3
Real Estate
Once, at a meeting with John Gokongwei Jr. and his younger brother James Go, they asked from where he graduated. Yu replied, “UE.” Gokongwei smiled and remarked, “Ah, the school owned by Lucio Tan?” Yu clarified, “No, not University of the East. I graduated from the University of Experience.” Actually, Yu graduated from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and was once a working student at the firm of famous architect William Coscoluella.
When asked by Gokongwei how he could possibly design so many projects for so many tycoons almost simultaneously, Yu revealed one secret to his success: “I invest in human talent. I hire the country’s best architects and the best brains to work for our firm, so I have trained and replicated myself many times over in our firm.
“I invest in human talent. I hire the country’s best architects and the best brains to work for our firm, so I have trained and replicated myself many times over in our firm.”
When asked by Gokongwei how he could possibly design so many projects for so many tycoons almost simultaneously, Yu revealed one secret to his success: “I invest in human talent. I hire the country’s best architects and the best brains to work for our firm, so I have trained and replicated myself many times over in our firm.
“I invest in human talent. I hire the country’s best architects and the best brains to work for our firm, so I have trained and replicated myself many times over in our firm.”
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
How to make it in Manila
http://www.philstar.com/youngstar/ysarticle.aspx?articleId=692331&publicationSubCategoryId=84
There’s no right timing. If you really love something, work on it. As much as possible, try to learn how to improve your craft every day. Same with anything else.
They say architecture is too straight for fine arts and it’s too gay for engineering. So it’s somewhere in between. Like a full circle of things. You’re scientific and then you’re also artistic. The “in-between-ness” appeals to people.
I’m starting to realize slowly now that as long as you make it good and you get the breaks here then you have absolutely no reason to go abroad anymore. So I wish that a lot of our Filipino architects who are my age would experience more breaks here so they don’t have to migrate and adjust to a different culture.
There’s no right timing. If you really love something, work on it. As much as possible, try to learn how to improve your craft every day. Same with anything else.
They say architecture is too straight for fine arts and it’s too gay for engineering. So it’s somewhere in between. Like a full circle of things. You’re scientific and then you’re also artistic. The “in-between-ness” appeals to people.
I’m starting to realize slowly now that as long as you make it good and you get the breaks here then you have absolutely no reason to go abroad anymore. So I wish that a lot of our Filipino architects who are my age would experience more breaks here so they don’t have to migrate and adjust to a different culture.
Mila Kunis
And also, this: “I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done. Even the dumbest sh*t I’ve done in my life — and believe me, I’ve done some really dumb sh*t — I don’t regret doing it. I’m not talking about projects, but just the stupid things that a kid does, that a teenager does, that a person in their twenties does. I did everything. I was never a bad kid, but I did things that weren’t necessarily good, or smart decisions. But I did learn from them.”
We’ve come to equate those “void” spaces with failure (see Fact 3), and how can we not? We grew up seeing shows and movies where Finding Yourself — while a recurring and successful pop culture theme — wasn’t really interpreted in such a peachy light. That teen who just wanted a little more time was frowned upon by overbearing parents, and success was measured in large, corner offices and mansions and lavish things. It’s utterly aspirational.
But how about before we want everything, when we want nothing in particular first? Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere was just really the icing on the epiphany cake. You basically see this guy, Johnny Marco, who has essentially everything and has gotten somewhere, but is unequivocally empty. And after that I thought: “I never want to have to feel that, ever.”
I know it’s just so convenient for me to say that you should take your time because I’m in a stable place, but give me the benefit of the doubt on this one. Do some dumb sh*t from time to time, and make wrong judgment calls, because you’ll never be as free as you are now. It’s a scary, pivotal point in our lives, but dream and hang in there inconclusively a little longer. These times demand us to make something out of ourselves in haste, and so, slowing down — it can be your last act of adolescent defiance.
Choose to make yourself feel alive. Even if that means you go overboard, even if it means you’ll spend too much (I’m a firm believer in investing in experiences, because you can’t take money to your grave). And soon, something will come into focus from obscurity, and you’ll decide to do something that’ll make you pull a Mila Kunis — on both quote counts.
Life is short, but it doesn’t always mean you’re running out of time.
http://www.philstar.com/youngstar/ysarticle.aspx?articleId=701409&publicationSubCategoryId=84
We’ve come to equate those “void” spaces with failure (see Fact 3), and how can we not? We grew up seeing shows and movies where Finding Yourself — while a recurring and successful pop culture theme — wasn’t really interpreted in such a peachy light. That teen who just wanted a little more time was frowned upon by overbearing parents, and success was measured in large, corner offices and mansions and lavish things. It’s utterly aspirational.
But how about before we want everything, when we want nothing in particular first? Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere was just really the icing on the epiphany cake. You basically see this guy, Johnny Marco, who has essentially everything and has gotten somewhere, but is unequivocally empty. And after that I thought: “I never want to have to feel that, ever.”
I know it’s just so convenient for me to say that you should take your time because I’m in a stable place, but give me the benefit of the doubt on this one. Do some dumb sh*t from time to time, and make wrong judgment calls, because you’ll never be as free as you are now. It’s a scary, pivotal point in our lives, but dream and hang in there inconclusively a little longer. These times demand us to make something out of ourselves in haste, and so, slowing down — it can be your last act of adolescent defiance.
Choose to make yourself feel alive. Even if that means you go overboard, even if it means you’ll spend too much (I’m a firm believer in investing in experiences, because you can’t take money to your grave). And soon, something will come into focus from obscurity, and you’ll decide to do something that’ll make you pull a Mila Kunis — on both quote counts.
Life is short, but it doesn’t always mean you’re running out of time.
http://www.philstar.com/youngstar/ysarticle.aspx?articleId=701409&publicationSubCategoryId=84
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Groupons - Beeconomic
A few days ago I almost bought a travel package online: the deal was 50 percent off a three-day, two-night stay in Vietnam. Today’s tempting offer is half off food and drinks at a gourmet restaurant in the Fort. I wouldn’t call myself a shopaholic — especially not on the Net — but never has my finger been so poised to click the “Buy now!” button, and it’s all Groupon’s fault.
You might have heard of Groupon by now. In 2010 Forbes magazine named it “the fastest-growing company in Web history” — even faster than Facebook and Google — and while it took a company like Apple eight years to pull in US$1 billion in revenue, it took Groupon a little over two years.
So what’s the big deal about Groupon? “Deal,” is, in fact, the operative word at this booming dotcom, whose name combines “group” and “coupon.” Founded in 2008 by 29-year-old American Andrew Mason, Groupon offers Internet shoppers one or more deeply discounted deals per day — usually 50 percent off products or services at restaurants, resorts, spas, salons and stores. So sweet are the deals that Groupon became one of Oprah’s Top 10 Picks.
Like an eBay auction, though, there’s a time limit: if a certain number of people don’t buy the deal within a day, for instance, it doesn’t “tip,” meaning no one gets the deal.
Welcome to the world of collective buying.
“We are the pioneering company that came up with the tagline ‘group buying,’” says Lori Villafuerte, president of Groupon Philippines. “Our goal is to revolutionize the way people shop in the Philippines. People just really want deals.”
Villafuerte, 35, started Groupon last February with business partner Anna Saenz, 35, her childhood best friend from Camarines Sur. Five months after launch, the website has over half a million subscribers (close to 61,000 “likes” on Facebook) and is rapidly growing. Sign up and you get the inside track on daily deals in Metro Manila, which they’ll e-mail to you.
“We’re also live in Cebu,” says Saenz, “and will launch Davao and Iloilo soon.”
Groupon typically splits sales 50-50 with its vendors. There’s no upfront cost to be featured, so merchants tie up with them for the brand exposure: “We bring customers to their door instantly and you can track it, whereas if you were to place an ad in a newspaper or billboard you can’t really track the traffic,” she claims. “If we were to feature you and you sell zero, you still won, because you didn’t pay us anything. You only get a cut when you sell.”
Locally, Villafuerte and Saenz have found that discounted food sells the fastest, especially buffets and diner-type American fare. Though they occasionally offer retail, like a recent deal on Crocs footwear, Groupon Philippines considers itself more of a lifestyle guide. “Sixty percent of what we feature is food and wellness because people always need to eat, get a massage, get a haircut,” Lori says. “We also feature travel, classes — usually things you’ve always wanted to do but don’t have the money or time for.”
Villafuerte and business partner Anna Saenz at Groupon headquarters in Makati: “We have an open-door policy,” says Saenz. “We want our staff to have a voice, like if you have an opinion, speak up.”
A recent deal featuring LASIK surgery for half off (P30,000 down from P60,000) sold so well — 75 customers bought within 24 hours — that partner merchant Advanced Lasik Center could barely handle the demand. “Last year they did traditional marketing, paid thousands and thousands to market and got about 50 clients in a month. We gave them 75 in 24 hours,” Lori says.
Groupon doesn’t just feature anyone. A merchant has to have a good product and good customer service, first and foremost. It should also have a website or if not, a Facebook or Multiply page. “Otherwise it’s hard to sell them online because people do their homework,” Lori says. “They want to see what else they sell.” Location is also key. If Groupon features a new place in Batangas, for example, they check the place out first to make sure it’s an aspirational experience: “People will travel there, so what’s the catch? When we structure our deals we make sure that it’s worth it.”
Lori is the youngest sister of Camarines Sur Governor Lray Villafuerte, the enterprising politician who put CamSur on the Philippine tourist map. (Anna also worked with the governor, at the CamSur Watersports Complex.) Originally a chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America, it wasn’t long before Lori displayed an equally fierce entrepreneurial streak. Her career working at top New York City restaurants took a detour shortly before 9/11. Needing a change from the long hours in the kitchen, Lori applied for two jobs: one at Bliss Spa, the other at Windows on the World, the restaurant on the top floor of one of the World Trade Center towers. Fortunately for everyone concerned, Bliss Spa contacted and accepted her first.
“Windows on the World actually offered me the job, but two weeks later 9/11 happened,” recalls Lori. “It was meant to be.”
Under the tutelage of Bliss’s Marcia Kilgore, Lori opened spas all over the States and became chummy with the spa’s roster of celebrity clients. “Liv Tyler’s my best friend, she’d always go to the spa,” she says. “Kate Hudson, Britney Spears, Keanu Reeves … I never imagined I’d see all these stars, living in the Philippines growing up. We treated them like normal people. Jessica Alba is really nice. All the girls in Charlie’s Angels … Drew Barrymore’s super-nice. Jake Gyllenhaal used to go a lot when he was still dorky. The stars won’t make an appointment. If they’re in the area they just come in. If Brad Pitt came in I didn’t care who was there, I’d just say yes. He’s hot. And Angelina Jolie is very hot. They’re both nice.”
After eight years at Bliss, Kilgore made Lori head of Southeast Asia. She moved to Singapore to open a spa there last year, but found that not many Asians had heard of Bliss Spa. With limited funds for marketing, she was wondering whether to spend on newspaper or magazine advertising when Karl Chong of Beeconomic approached her. Beeconomic was a Singaporean website patterned directly after Groupon USA.
“Karl introduced the whole concept, so I did it and really liked it. I featured a facial for half off, from S$120 to $60. After a day I had 300 new customers, and 50 percent of them actually came back again.”
While Chong was pitching to her, Lori said, “We should bring this to the Philippines.” So she quit Bliss last August and, with Karl, who was now her friend, co-founded Beeconomic here in November. After a month, while she was still setting up, Groupon called. “They were calling the top Groupon sites all over the world. We met in Hong Kong and everything happened all in one day — they bought Singapore and the Philippines at the same time.”
Groupon’s office on Pasong Tamo looks like a fun place to work. Their team, which started with three people and ballooned to 60 within three months, is young, hip, and Internet-savvy. There’s a dartboard, an expansive green lobby where staff can congregate to order pizza, and they actually get paid to Facebook, though some of them are so busy doing research on the Web that they forget to Facebook. Lori presides over everyone as the Queen Bee (a holdover from her Beeconomic days), but they follow the American business model in that no one calls her “Ma’am,” (“My name’s Lori”) and everyone has a say, no matter where they are in the office hierarchy.
“We have an open-door policy,” says Anna. “We want people to have a voice, like if you have an opinion, speak up.”
When structuring deals, Lori, Anna and their staff handle everything from start to finish. All the merchant has to do is come up with a really good deal and make sure they take care of clients who buy in. Groupon has departments for customer service and partner management that take care of both consumers and merchants, so it’s a two-way street. “At the end of the day we tell them, ‘Hey, your brand’s at stake, our brand’s at stake, so you have to make sure you make customers happy.’”
And that’s perhaps one of the most important services Groupon is providing the Philippines: good customer service, not only from themselves but also from their partner merchants. “If we messed up, we admit we messed up,” says Lori, who still answers customer-service inquiries on a daily basis. “We’re following the US business model. Especially me, I came from the hospitality industry for 16 years, so it’s really important. Because we have a Groupon promise and it’s a global thing: If in any way we disappoint you or did not make you happy, we give you your money back with no questions asked. Ninety-five percent of the time everyone’s happy.”
The site offers three to four new deals a day now, plans to open offices and live pages in Davao and Iloilo, and has even started partnering with global vendors like Photobook. “We only sell things we really like, if we ourselves would buy it,” says Lori. “All my staff, half our paycheck goes to Groupon. We really love our deals.”
Though she misses life in New York, she thinks the opportunity here is too good to miss. “Especially with the recession right now in the States, the people I know there are looking for jobs in Asia and moving here. And people like me who lived and grew up in the States, we’re all coming back. Asia’s the place to be right now.”
On one of her frequent forays back to the US Lori actually met Groupon founder Andrew Mason. “He’s a down to earth, laidback guy,” she says, “Very inspiring. What I got from him is hire the best people that you can find out there: smart, young, and make sure they actually make a difference with what you’re doing, and that’s exactly our philosophy as well. We want to make a difference, not just have a business.”
You might have heard of Groupon by now. In 2010 Forbes magazine named it “the fastest-growing company in Web history” — even faster than Facebook and Google — and while it took a company like Apple eight years to pull in US$1 billion in revenue, it took Groupon a little over two years.
So what’s the big deal about Groupon? “Deal,” is, in fact, the operative word at this booming dotcom, whose name combines “group” and “coupon.” Founded in 2008 by 29-year-old American Andrew Mason, Groupon offers Internet shoppers one or more deeply discounted deals per day — usually 50 percent off products or services at restaurants, resorts, spas, salons and stores. So sweet are the deals that Groupon became one of Oprah’s Top 10 Picks.
Like an eBay auction, though, there’s a time limit: if a certain number of people don’t buy the deal within a day, for instance, it doesn’t “tip,” meaning no one gets the deal.
Welcome to the world of collective buying.
“We are the pioneering company that came up with the tagline ‘group buying,’” says Lori Villafuerte, president of Groupon Philippines. “Our goal is to revolutionize the way people shop in the Philippines. People just really want deals.”
Villafuerte, 35, started Groupon last February with business partner Anna Saenz, 35, her childhood best friend from Camarines Sur. Five months after launch, the website has over half a million subscribers (close to 61,000 “likes” on Facebook) and is rapidly growing. Sign up and you get the inside track on daily deals in Metro Manila, which they’ll e-mail to you.
“We’re also live in Cebu,” says Saenz, “and will launch Davao and Iloilo soon.”
Groupon typically splits sales 50-50 with its vendors. There’s no upfront cost to be featured, so merchants tie up with them for the brand exposure: “We bring customers to their door instantly and you can track it, whereas if you were to place an ad in a newspaper or billboard you can’t really track the traffic,” she claims. “If we were to feature you and you sell zero, you still won, because you didn’t pay us anything. You only get a cut when you sell.”
Locally, Villafuerte and Saenz have found that discounted food sells the fastest, especially buffets and diner-type American fare. Though they occasionally offer retail, like a recent deal on Crocs footwear, Groupon Philippines considers itself more of a lifestyle guide. “Sixty percent of what we feature is food and wellness because people always need to eat, get a massage, get a haircut,” Lori says. “We also feature travel, classes — usually things you’ve always wanted to do but don’t have the money or time for.”
Villafuerte and business partner Anna Saenz at Groupon headquarters in Makati: “We have an open-door policy,” says Saenz. “We want our staff to have a voice, like if you have an opinion, speak up.”
A recent deal featuring LASIK surgery for half off (P30,000 down from P60,000) sold so well — 75 customers bought within 24 hours — that partner merchant Advanced Lasik Center could barely handle the demand. “Last year they did traditional marketing, paid thousands and thousands to market and got about 50 clients in a month. We gave them 75 in 24 hours,” Lori says.
Groupon doesn’t just feature anyone. A merchant has to have a good product and good customer service, first and foremost. It should also have a website or if not, a Facebook or Multiply page. “Otherwise it’s hard to sell them online because people do their homework,” Lori says. “They want to see what else they sell.” Location is also key. If Groupon features a new place in Batangas, for example, they check the place out first to make sure it’s an aspirational experience: “People will travel there, so what’s the catch? When we structure our deals we make sure that it’s worth it.”
Lori is the youngest sister of Camarines Sur Governor Lray Villafuerte, the enterprising politician who put CamSur on the Philippine tourist map. (Anna also worked with the governor, at the CamSur Watersports Complex.) Originally a chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America, it wasn’t long before Lori displayed an equally fierce entrepreneurial streak. Her career working at top New York City restaurants took a detour shortly before 9/11. Needing a change from the long hours in the kitchen, Lori applied for two jobs: one at Bliss Spa, the other at Windows on the World, the restaurant on the top floor of one of the World Trade Center towers. Fortunately for everyone concerned, Bliss Spa contacted and accepted her first.
“Windows on the World actually offered me the job, but two weeks later 9/11 happened,” recalls Lori. “It was meant to be.”
Under the tutelage of Bliss’s Marcia Kilgore, Lori opened spas all over the States and became chummy with the spa’s roster of celebrity clients. “Liv Tyler’s my best friend, she’d always go to the spa,” she says. “Kate Hudson, Britney Spears, Keanu Reeves … I never imagined I’d see all these stars, living in the Philippines growing up. We treated them like normal people. Jessica Alba is really nice. All the girls in Charlie’s Angels … Drew Barrymore’s super-nice. Jake Gyllenhaal used to go a lot when he was still dorky. The stars won’t make an appointment. If they’re in the area they just come in. If Brad Pitt came in I didn’t care who was there, I’d just say yes. He’s hot. And Angelina Jolie is very hot. They’re both nice.”
After eight years at Bliss, Kilgore made Lori head of Southeast Asia. She moved to Singapore to open a spa there last year, but found that not many Asians had heard of Bliss Spa. With limited funds for marketing, she was wondering whether to spend on newspaper or magazine advertising when Karl Chong of Beeconomic approached her. Beeconomic was a Singaporean website patterned directly after Groupon USA.
“Karl introduced the whole concept, so I did it and really liked it. I featured a facial for half off, from S$120 to $60. After a day I had 300 new customers, and 50 percent of them actually came back again.”
While Chong was pitching to her, Lori said, “We should bring this to the Philippines.” So she quit Bliss last August and, with Karl, who was now her friend, co-founded Beeconomic here in November. After a month, while she was still setting up, Groupon called. “They were calling the top Groupon sites all over the world. We met in Hong Kong and everything happened all in one day — they bought Singapore and the Philippines at the same time.”
Groupon’s office on Pasong Tamo looks like a fun place to work. Their team, which started with three people and ballooned to 60 within three months, is young, hip, and Internet-savvy. There’s a dartboard, an expansive green lobby where staff can congregate to order pizza, and they actually get paid to Facebook, though some of them are so busy doing research on the Web that they forget to Facebook. Lori presides over everyone as the Queen Bee (a holdover from her Beeconomic days), but they follow the American business model in that no one calls her “Ma’am,” (“My name’s Lori”) and everyone has a say, no matter where they are in the office hierarchy.
“We have an open-door policy,” says Anna. “We want people to have a voice, like if you have an opinion, speak up.”
When structuring deals, Lori, Anna and their staff handle everything from start to finish. All the merchant has to do is come up with a really good deal and make sure they take care of clients who buy in. Groupon has departments for customer service and partner management that take care of both consumers and merchants, so it’s a two-way street. “At the end of the day we tell them, ‘Hey, your brand’s at stake, our brand’s at stake, so you have to make sure you make customers happy.’”
And that’s perhaps one of the most important services Groupon is providing the Philippines: good customer service, not only from themselves but also from their partner merchants. “If we messed up, we admit we messed up,” says Lori, who still answers customer-service inquiries on a daily basis. “We’re following the US business model. Especially me, I came from the hospitality industry for 16 years, so it’s really important. Because we have a Groupon promise and it’s a global thing: If in any way we disappoint you or did not make you happy, we give you your money back with no questions asked. Ninety-five percent of the time everyone’s happy.”
The site offers three to four new deals a day now, plans to open offices and live pages in Davao and Iloilo, and has even started partnering with global vendors like Photobook. “We only sell things we really like, if we ourselves would buy it,” says Lori. “All my staff, half our paycheck goes to Groupon. We really love our deals.”
Though she misses life in New York, she thinks the opportunity here is too good to miss. “Especially with the recession right now in the States, the people I know there are looking for jobs in Asia and moving here. And people like me who lived and grew up in the States, we’re all coming back. Asia’s the place to be right now.”
On one of her frequent forays back to the US Lori actually met Groupon founder Andrew Mason. “He’s a down to earth, laidback guy,” she says, “Very inspiring. What I got from him is hire the best people that you can find out there: smart, young, and make sure they actually make a difference with what you’re doing, and that’s exactly our philosophy as well. We want to make a difference, not just have a business.”
Saturday, July 2, 2011
I still believe
"In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing."
Friday, July 1, 2011
Food Gourmand
Kapampangans are generally regarded to be the best cooks in the country and for Manilans, the 1.5 hour drive makes it even easier to indulge in the area's bounties. Here's a list of my favorites.
Everybody's Morcon
Everybody's is a typical provincial restaurant: it's a cafeteria-style set-up, where the food is displayed behind a glass counter. Scan the dishes and hail the first server (all of them are clad in white casual barongs); they'll take care of your order.
The place may strike you as a bit "tired," it's been around since 1967 after all, although the business itself began in 1946. Get over the restaurant's façade and your initial impressions, and let your taste buds take over.
The star at Everybody's is the morcon, or how they spell it, "murcon." Traditionally a beef roll, this is made from a guarded family recipe. I'm told by the owner, Pette Jorolan, that it takes six hours to make — a dish that defines the spirit of slow food. The murcon glistens in its drippings, the color of what I imagine the sun would be if it were dipped in honey. Taking a bite, I taste deep meaty flavors echoing with saltiness.
Uraro and San Nicolas Cookies
These are two types of cookies from Pampanga that I like: uraro and San Nicolas. Native to the area, both are examples of arrowroot cookies.
Uraro is a cross between polvoron and butter cookies.
Arrowroot is a starch powder obtained from the root of a (West Indian) plant. If I'm not mistaken, I think it may be the cassava plant. Similar to cornstarch or rice flour, it's often used as a thickener for puddings and sauces. It also has a very low gluten content, so cookies made from it are delicate and powdery, much like shortbread. Because the powder is also called araruta, that may have been where the name uraro originated, thus uraro cookies. Its texture is a melting sort of crunchy, if you can imagine that, given its ingredients of arrowroot (cassava) flour, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and milk. To put it more illustratively, uraro is a cross between polvoron and butter cookies.
Where uraro is found, the San Nicolas cookie can never be too far behind. Also made from arrowroot flour, sugar, and eggs, some versions include anise, dayap (lime) and coconut milk. The cookies are made to celebrate the feast of San Nicolas, the patron saint of bakers. Its characteristic leaf shape is created by rolling the dough then pressing it into wooden molds carved with the saint's likeness. The mold is a favorite among antique collectors because no two San Nicolas cookie molds are alike.
The cookies are made to celebrate San Nicolas, the patron saint of bakers
I've never been able to make out the impressions on these cookies, but it supposedly shows the saint wearing his Augustinian habit and holding a bird on a plate.
Available at Pampanga supermarkets, pasalubong stores, and some restaurants like Everybody's.
A La Crème
I love ube cake but there isn't much of it or a wide variety available in Manila. The A La Crème ube cake is dense and believe it or not, has macapuno and walnuts rippled in the cake. The cake's ube buttercream filling and frosting has that characteristic ube taste with a velvety texture.
The A La Crème ube cake is dense and has macapuno and walnuts
The servers also recommend the Chocolate Sin, a cake with alternating layers of mousse layered between a walnut-encrusted chocolate cake. It's impressive and massively chocolatey.
A La Crème servers recommend the Chocolate Sin cake
I also really like the Belgian Chocolate Cake, the store's version of a decadent chocolate cake. It's so dense that it sticks to the roof of my mouth and it's imbued with a deep chocolate flavor, not to mention that it also weighs a ton in one hand!
Everybody's Morcon
Everybody's is a typical provincial restaurant: it's a cafeteria-style set-up, where the food is displayed behind a glass counter. Scan the dishes and hail the first server (all of them are clad in white casual barongs); they'll take care of your order.
The place may strike you as a bit "tired," it's been around since 1967 after all, although the business itself began in 1946. Get over the restaurant's façade and your initial impressions, and let your taste buds take over.
The star at Everybody's is the morcon, or how they spell it, "murcon." Traditionally a beef roll, this is made from a guarded family recipe. I'm told by the owner, Pette Jorolan, that it takes six hours to make — a dish that defines the spirit of slow food. The murcon glistens in its drippings, the color of what I imagine the sun would be if it were dipped in honey. Taking a bite, I taste deep meaty flavors echoing with saltiness.
Uraro and San Nicolas Cookies
These are two types of cookies from Pampanga that I like: uraro and San Nicolas. Native to the area, both are examples of arrowroot cookies.
Uraro is a cross between polvoron and butter cookies.
Arrowroot is a starch powder obtained from the root of a (West Indian) plant. If I'm not mistaken, I think it may be the cassava plant. Similar to cornstarch or rice flour, it's often used as a thickener for puddings and sauces. It also has a very low gluten content, so cookies made from it are delicate and powdery, much like shortbread. Because the powder is also called araruta, that may have been where the name uraro originated, thus uraro cookies. Its texture is a melting sort of crunchy, if you can imagine that, given its ingredients of arrowroot (cassava) flour, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and milk. To put it more illustratively, uraro is a cross between polvoron and butter cookies.
Where uraro is found, the San Nicolas cookie can never be too far behind. Also made from arrowroot flour, sugar, and eggs, some versions include anise, dayap (lime) and coconut milk. The cookies are made to celebrate the feast of San Nicolas, the patron saint of bakers. Its characteristic leaf shape is created by rolling the dough then pressing it into wooden molds carved with the saint's likeness. The mold is a favorite among antique collectors because no two San Nicolas cookie molds are alike.
The cookies are made to celebrate San Nicolas, the patron saint of bakers
I've never been able to make out the impressions on these cookies, but it supposedly shows the saint wearing his Augustinian habit and holding a bird on a plate.
Available at Pampanga supermarkets, pasalubong stores, and some restaurants like Everybody's.
A La Crème
I love ube cake but there isn't much of it or a wide variety available in Manila. The A La Crème ube cake is dense and believe it or not, has macapuno and walnuts rippled in the cake. The cake's ube buttercream filling and frosting has that characteristic ube taste with a velvety texture.
The A La Crème ube cake is dense and has macapuno and walnuts
The servers also recommend the Chocolate Sin, a cake with alternating layers of mousse layered between a walnut-encrusted chocolate cake. It's impressive and massively chocolatey.
A La Crème servers recommend the Chocolate Sin cake
I also really like the Belgian Chocolate Cake, the store's version of a decadent chocolate cake. It's so dense that it sticks to the roof of my mouth and it's imbued with a deep chocolate flavor, not to mention that it also weighs a ton in one hand!
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