THE house which Pat & Pat has transferred to had been a legend in its own right, with whispered tales of its ownership back in the 1970s and \u201980s. A graceful bungalow with curling grillwork on the arches surrounding the walled garden, it had gone to seed. I would know: I lived in the townhouse block on the same street in Old Balara from grade school to college and saw how much the neighborhood had changed over the years.
\nPat & Pat, built as a concept by the Freedom Hospitality Group of Patrick and Marichele Gregorio, moved from its space up in Capitol Hills and down to Old Balara this month.
\n\u201cMy husband saw this house. It was old,\u201d Ms. Gregorio said over lunch on May 19. So the house has been completely remodeled: the old arches are gone, but the Gregorios kept the ironwork and used it for the ceiling. The old faux-brick facade has been eliminated for something more modern. While we sat at lunch, Ms. Gregorio got up to supervise the installation of a few paintings by a good family friend, a National Artist (for music \u2014 he just happens to do other things). The black walls, the birdcage booths, and the metallic accents may seem a bit imposing compared to the lighthearted menu.
\nA family came by, a clutch of schoolgirls in Mary Janes accompanied by their grandparents \u2014 they seem to be the people who should be in Pat & Pat, with a menu decidedly fit for a nice Sunday lunch with your family.
\nThe restaurant is even named after family members: Pat, as in Patrick, as in Mr. Gregorio, and Patricia, their daughter, who is General Manager for Freedom Hospitality (the two came early to the family meeting that decided the restaurant\u2019s name). Pat & Pat and their other concept, What About Coffee? (with outlets in nearby UP Diliman and Katipunan), was born around 2022. This new Pat & Pat only opened this month, and they will use their old location as their third What About Coffee?.
\nMs. Gregorio said that while they were employed in different industries (hotels, for one), they ventured into entrepreneurship through restaurant franchising (hint: it\u2019s chicken). While they kept their chicken franchises, opening their own food business gave them freedom (hence the group name).
\nFor lunch, we had their Shrimp Tacos (P359 for three pieces, served with salsa, chimichurri, and tartar sauce on the side). It was perfect food for summer: light on the palate and heavy in the belly. I am not a big fan of their Herb Crusted Roast Beef (P999), because while it was flavorful, it was a bit dry, and had more in common with corned beef at that point. I will note that their mashed potatoes are really good, with a little bit of smoke in it (achieved by roasting the potatoes before mashing).
\nThree dishes stood out. First the USDA Prime Grade Ribeye Steak, which feels like it does not belong hidden in suburbia, with the right amount of tenderness and extra juiciness (they have the same meat supplier as a very popular steak chain).
\nMemory plays with my other favorites. The Three-Chorizo pasta (P399), made with an assortment of sausages saut\u00e9ed with garlic and tomatoes, felt like something my mother would make when in the mood for something good, and I\u2019m sure the experience would be shared by others. Dessert felt even more personal: a cake called Capitol Hills (P309). This is a homemade chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with chocolate sauce, its chocolate shavings forming a shell on the ice cream. It felt like something I would have made from things I could find in the fridge, growing up in the townhouse block next to the Balara bungalow. I\u2019m embarrassed to say that I might have shed a tear while eating it.
\nBut that\u2019s the whole point of Pat & Pat: conjuring up memories of suburbia, elevated to a grown-up palate. \u201cIt\u2019s comfort food talaga,\u201d said Ms. Gregorio. \u201cAng gusto ko lang, flavorful (What I really wanted was something flavorful).\u201d
\nThat\u2019s also the market that they\u2019re planning to corner. Ms. Gregorio said, \u201cTaga-QC tayo diba (we\u2019re both from Quezon City, right)? Once you\u2019re from QC, always, dito ka na (you\u2019ll always be here).\u201d
\nShe recalled that one of the reasons they built the restaurant was because while living in Capitol Hills, they wanted somewhere nice to go in their neighborhood instead of having to drive to the malls. Their marketing head, Ogos Aznar, said, \u201cOur vision is really bringing this kind of concept close to the community \u2014 paglabas ng gate nila (once they get out of their gate), we\u2019re there. You won\u2019t see us in the malls.\u201d
\nPat & Pat is at 5 University Valley, Matandang Balara, Diliman, Quezon City. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 2\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n RIBEYE STEAK\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n BACON CHEESE BURGER\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nPat & Pat conjures memories of suburbia, with a grown-up palate \nTHE house which Pat & Pat has transferred to had been a legend in its own right, with whispered tales of its ownership back in the 1970s and \u201980s. A graceful bungalow with curling grillwork on the arches surrounding the walled garden, it had gone to seed. I would know: I lived in the townhouse block on the same street in Old Balara from grade school to college and saw how much the neighborhood had changed over the years.\nPat & Pat, built as a concept by the Freedom Hospitality Group of Patrick and Marichele Gregorio, moved from its space up in Capitol Hills and down to Old Balara this month. \n\u201cMy husband saw this house. It was old,\u201d Ms. Gregorio said over lunch on May 19. So the house has been completely remodeled: the old arches are gone, but the Gregorios kept the ironwork and used it for the ceiling. The old faux-brick facade has been eliminated for something more modern. While we sat at lunch, Ms. Gregorio got up to supervise the installation of a few paintings by a good family friend, a National Artist (for music \u2014 he just happens to do other things). The black walls, the birdcage booths, and the metallic accents may seem a bit imposing compared to the lighthearted menu.\nA family came by, a clutch of schoolgirls in Mary Janes accompanied by their grandparents \u2014 they seem to be the people who should be in Pat & Pat, with a menu decidedly fit for a nice Sunday lunch with your family. \nThe restaurant is even named after family members: Pat, as in Patrick, as in Mr. Gregorio, and Patricia, their daughter, who is General Manager for Freedom Hospitality (the two came early to the family meeting that decided the restaurant\u2019s name). Pat & Pat and their other concept, What About Coffee? (with outlets in nearby UP Diliman and Katipunan), was born around 2022. This new Pat & Pat only opened this month, and they will use their old location as their third What About Coffee?.\nMs. Gregorio said that while they were employed in different industries (hotels, for one), they ventured into entrepreneurship through restaurant franchising (hint: it\u2019s chicken). While they kept their chicken franchises, opening their own food business gave them freedom (hence the group name).\nFor lunch, we had their Shrimp Tacos (P359 for three pieces, served with salsa, chimichurri, and tartar sauce on the side). It was perfect food for summer: light on the palate and heavy in the belly. I am not a big fan of their Herb Crusted Roast Beef (P999), because while it was flavorful, it was a bit dry, and had more in common with corned beef at that point. I will note that their mashed potatoes are really good, with a little bit of smoke in it (achieved by roasting the potatoes before mashing).\nThree dishes stood out. First the USDA Prime Grade Ribeye Steak, which feels like it does not belong hidden in suburbia, with the right amount of tenderness and extra juiciness (they have the same meat supplier as a very popular steak chain).\nMemory plays with my other favorites. The Three-Chorizo pasta (P399), made with an assortment of sausages saut\u00e9ed with garlic and tomatoes, felt like something my mother would make when in the mood for something good, and I\u2019m sure the experience would be shared by others. Dessert felt even more personal: a cake called Capitol Hills (P309). This is a homemade chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with chocolate sauce, its chocolate shavings forming a shell on the ice cream. It felt like something I would have made from things I could find in the fridge, growing up in the townhouse block next to the Balara bungalow. I\u2019m embarrassed to say that I might have shed a tear while eating it.\nBut that\u2019s the whole point of Pat & Pat: conjuring up memories of suburbia, elevated to a grown-up palate. \u201cIt\u2019s comfort food talaga,\u201d said Ms. Gregorio. \u201cAng gusto ko lang, flavorful (What I really wanted was something flavorful).\u201d\nThat\u2019s also the market that they\u2019re planning to corner. Ms. Gregorio said, \u201cTaga-QC tayo diba (we\u2019re both from Quezon City, right)? Once you\u2019re from QC, always, dito ka na (you\u2019ll always be here).\u201d\nShe recalled that one of the reasons they built the restaurant was because while living in Capitol Hills, they wanted somewhere nice to go in their neighborhood instead of having to drive to the malls. Their marketing head, Ogos Aznar, said, \u201cOur vision is really bringing this kind of concept close to the community \u2014 paglabas ng gate nila (once they get out of their gate), we\u2019re there. You won\u2019t see us in the malls.\u201d\nPat & Pat is at 5 University Valley, Matandang Balara, Diliman, Quezon City. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-21T00:06:38+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-20T19:24:57+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ribeye-5.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "THE house which Pat & Pat has transferred to had been a legend in its own right, with whispered tales of its ownership back in the 1970s and \u201980s." }, { "id": "/?p=751006", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/21/751006/the-unofficial-ambassador-of-mindanao-palm-grill-brings-unfamiliar-flavors-to-the-capital/", "title": "The unofficial ambassador of Mindanao Palm Grill brings unfamiliar flavors to the capital", "content_html": "FOR MANY PEOPLE here up north, when they hear the word \u201cMindanao,\u201d the southernmost island group in the Philippines, they hear gunshots. A restaurant in Quezon City \u2014 one with a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recognition, by the way \u2014 is trying to change that, one dish at a time.
\nEarlier this month, we had dinner at Palm Grill, Miguel Cabel Moreno\u2019s paean to Mindanaoan cuisine, with special attention given to Tausug cuisine (the indigenous people from the Sulu archipelago, from whom Mr. Cabel Moreno claims descent).
\nAt Palm Grill, our party of four had the multi-dish Dulang Share (P2,499 for five). It\u2019s a Tausug specialty with Pianggang Manuk, Tiyula Itum, Beef Kurma, Kaliya Puso, and Belachan Manuk.
\nChicken Pianggang is chicken slow cooked in coconut milk, burnt coconut, and spices, then grilled and topped with the same sauce. That sauce is pamapa, a Tausug condiment made from burnt coconut, ginger, turmeric, galangal, and other spices. Tiyula Itum is a black beef soup with burnt coconut, ginger, galangal, and other aromatics. Chicken Belachan is chicken marinated in turmeric and lemon juice, then grilled with belachan shrimp paste. Kaliya Puso is banana heart cooked for a long period, then saut\u00e9ed with aromatics and bubuk (dried coconut, dried fish, chilies, and spices). Beef Kurma, meanwhile, is a beef stew in coconut milk and spices.
\nNo misses: all of it was good, and none of it familiar.
\nImagine a platter of silver, with the colors of its dishes ranging from bright yellows to moody blacks. The chicken dishes were grilled and browned to perfection and had flavor down to the bone. The Tiyula Itum, which we encountered for the first time, was the moody-looking black soup we mentioned: on the palate, however, it\u2019s full of depth and had a comparatively light flavor. We were definitely surprised by the Kaliya Puso, another dish new to us. While we don\u2019t normally like banana hearts or anything else in it, this time the taste was delightfully complex despite its rather humble ingredients, and we found ourselves spooning more onto our plate.
\nBRINGING MINDANAO TO MANILA
\nIn a speech given during the preview for IFEX last week, Mr. Cabel Moreno said that his first memories of the kitchen were at his grandmother\u2019s house in Sulu, then moving to Zamboanga. After moving to Manila, \u201cDining in restaurants that served Filipino food never felt the same,\u201d he said. \u201cNot getting the opportunity to see Mindanaoan specialties on the menu is one of the reasons why I started Palm Grill. I wanted to really advocate for regional cuisines and Southern Mindanaoan specialties.\u201d
The restaurant opened in 2017, and at the Michelin Guide ceremonies last October, the restaurant received a Bib Gourmand recognition (the chef received another such citation for another outlet, Cabel, near Malaca\u00f1ang). In a Viber message to Businessworld, he said, \u201cIt\u2019s been seven months since the recognition, and I don\u2019t think I could ever get used to the extra attention. Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2014 I am so grateful to have been recognized for my work at Palm Grill and Cabel. I feel that the Lord blessed me in return for all the sacrifices, hard work, and roadblocks we had to endure.
\n\u201cRemaining laser-focused and never giving up on the goal, despite not earning for many years, is just one part of the journey. But the Michelin Bib Gourmand is truly the validation we have been waiting for over the past eight years. It magnified our voices and it validated that our food is worth discovering and trying,\u201d he said.
\nTheir restaurants source their main ingredients from Zamboanga and Sulu, he explained. \u201cThis way, we are able to preserve authenticity while also helping local farmers and fisherfolk. This matters deeply to me because I know how it feels to go unseen and unheard. Giving back to the community means giving them importance and opportunities to grow.\u201d
\nHe talked about why he chose to open restaurants in the capital, rather than opening in their home base. It was \u201cThe lack of representation and the absence of Mindanaoan specialties in many Filipino restaurants are among the reasons why I established Palm Grill in Metro Manila. I have always felt that we are more than what we already know. As Filipinos, we need to be proud of our regional dishes \u2014 they are a part of who we are. I also wanted to change perspectives and narratives, especially when people talk about Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago.\u201d
\nHe added, \u201cI like to believe that through my restaurants and work I have finally broken down barriers and allowed people to discover Tausug culture through food. I always say that the best way to understand people is through their food. For the longest time the Tausug people have been seen stereotyped, and now more and more people are beginning to discover that these are peace-loving people with a vibrant history and culture.\u201d
\nWe go back to associating Mindanao with conflict. While the conflicts caused by regionalism, extremism, and other -isms don\u2019t appear in the news quite as often as they used to, it\u2019s a reputation that is still implanted in the nation\u2019s memory \u2014 that the land, rich and bountiful as it is, is always looked at as a powder keg waiting to explode. Mr. Cabel Moreno has built a place where the memories of Mindanao are of home, and good times, and not what is on the news.
\n\u201cThere is conflict wherever you go in this world. But to label our land and generalize it as unsafe simply because it was once war-torn is where we fail as Filipinos. Mindanao is a beautiful place \u2014 vibrant, rich in history, and full of culture. To dismiss it as an afterthought is like saying we do not care about it,\u201d he told 大象传媒.
\nHe is helping build this reputation through the uniqueness of his home\u2019s food.
\n\u201cThe flavor profile of food in Mindanao takes a completely different direction. This is because of centuries of peaceful trade with Southeast Asian countries that heavily influenced its cuisine. Many people may not know that Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi were never colonized by Spain. The pre-colonial cooking methods that have been preserved are part of our identity. To me, they represent the true essence of who we are,\u201d he said in a Viber message. \u201cWe, as Filipinos, should be proud of this,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s through food that we get to understand people and culture. All these preconceived notions and ideas about Mindanao should be changed,\u201d he said. \u201cConversations should be about flavor, and the stories of the cuisines from there.\u201d
\nPalm Grill is located in 179 Tomas Morato Ave. corner Sct. Castor St. in Quezon City. It will also be opening a larger restaurant in Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao in August. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "FOR MANY PEOPLE here up north, when they hear the word \u201cMindanao,\u201d the southernmost island group in the Philippines, they hear gunshots. A restaurant in Quezon City \u2014 one with a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recognition, by the way \u2014 is trying to change that, one dish at a time.\nEarlier this month, we had dinner at Palm Grill, Miguel Cabel Moreno\u2019s paean to Mindanaoan cuisine, with special attention given to Tausug cuisine (the indigenous people from the Sulu archipelago, from whom Mr. Cabel Moreno claims descent).\nAt Palm Grill, our party of four had the multi-dish Dulang Share (P2,499 for five). It\u2019s a Tausug specialty with Pianggang Manuk, Tiyula Itum, Beef Kurma, Kaliya Puso, and Belachan Manuk.\nChicken Pianggang is chicken slow cooked in coconut milk, burnt coconut, and spices, then grilled and topped with the same sauce. That sauce is pamapa, a Tausug condiment made from burnt coconut, ginger, turmeric, galangal, and other spices. Tiyula Itum is a black beef soup with burnt coconut, ginger, galangal, and other aromatics. Chicken Belachan is chicken marinated in turmeric and lemon juice, then grilled with belachan shrimp paste. Kaliya Puso is banana heart cooked for a long period, then saut\u00e9ed with aromatics and bubuk (dried coconut, dried fish, chilies, and spices). Beef Kurma, meanwhile, is a beef stew in coconut milk and spices.\nNo misses: all of it was good, and none of it familiar.\nImagine a platter of silver, with the colors of its dishes ranging from bright yellows to moody blacks. The chicken dishes were grilled and browned to perfection and had flavor down to the bone. The Tiyula Itum, which we encountered for the first time, was the moody-looking black soup we mentioned: on the palate, however, it\u2019s full of depth and had a comparatively light flavor. We were definitely surprised by the Kaliya Puso, another dish new to us. While we don\u2019t normally like banana hearts or anything else in it, this time the taste was delightfully complex despite its rather humble ingredients, and we found ourselves spooning more onto our plate.\nBRINGING MINDANAO TO MANILA\nIn a speech given during the preview for IFEX last week, Mr. Cabel Moreno said that his first memories of the kitchen were at his grandmother\u2019s house in Sulu, then moving to Zamboanga. After moving to Manila, \u201cDining in restaurants that served Filipino food never felt the same,\u201d he said. \u201cNot getting the opportunity to see Mindanaoan specialties on the menu is one of the reasons why I started Palm Grill. I wanted to really advocate for regional cuisines and Southern Mindanaoan specialties.\u201d\nThe restaurant opened in 2017, and at the Michelin Guide ceremonies last October, the restaurant received a Bib Gourmand recognition (the chef received another such citation for another outlet, Cabel, near Malaca\u00f1ang). In a Viber message to Businessworld, he said, \u201cIt\u2019s been seven months since the recognition, and I don\u2019t think I could ever get used to the extra attention. Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2014 I am so grateful to have been recognized for my work at Palm Grill and Cabel. I feel that the Lord blessed me in return for all the sacrifices, hard work, and roadblocks we had to endure.\n\u201cRemaining laser-focused and never giving up on the goal, despite not earning for many years, is just one part of the journey. But the Michelin Bib Gourmand is truly the validation we have been waiting for over the past eight years. It magnified our voices and it validated that our food is worth discovering and trying,\u201d he said.\nTheir restaurants source their main ingredients from Zamboanga and Sulu, he explained. \u201cThis way, we are able to preserve authenticity while also helping local farmers and fisherfolk. This matters deeply to me because I know how it feels to go unseen and unheard. Giving back to the community means giving them importance and opportunities to grow.\u201d\nHe talked about why he chose to open restaurants in the capital, rather than opening in their home base. It was \u201cThe lack of representation and the absence of Mindanaoan specialties in many Filipino restaurants are among the reasons why I established Palm Grill in Metro Manila. I have always felt that we are more than what we already know. As Filipinos, we need to be proud of our regional dishes \u2014 they are a part of who we are. I also wanted to change perspectives and narratives, especially when people talk about Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago.\u201d\nHe added, \u201cI like to believe that through my restaurants and work I have finally broken down barriers and allowed people to discover Tausug culture through food. I always say that the best way to understand people is through their food. For the longest time the Tausug people have been seen stereotyped, and now more and more people are beginning to discover that these are peace-loving people with a vibrant history and culture.\u201d\nWe go back to associating Mindanao with conflict. While the conflicts caused by regionalism, extremism, and other -isms don\u2019t appear in the news quite as often as they used to, it\u2019s a reputation that is still implanted in the nation\u2019s memory \u2014 that the land, rich and bountiful as it is, is always looked at as a powder keg waiting to explode. Mr. Cabel Moreno has built a place where the memories of Mindanao are of home, and good times, and not what is on the news. \n\u201cThere is conflict wherever you go in this world. But to label our land and generalize it as unsafe simply because it was once war-torn is where we fail as Filipinos. Mindanao is a beautiful place \u2014 vibrant, rich in history, and full of culture. To dismiss it as an afterthought is like saying we do not care about it,\u201d he told 大象传媒.\nHe is helping build this reputation through the uniqueness of his home\u2019s food.\n\u201cThe flavor profile of food in Mindanao takes a completely different direction. This is because of centuries of peaceful trade with Southeast Asian countries that heavily influenced its cuisine. Many people may not know that Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi were never colonized by Spain. The pre-colonial cooking methods that have been preserved are part of our identity. To me, they represent the true essence of who we are,\u201d he said in a Viber message. \u201cWe, as Filipinos, should be proud of this,\u201d he added.\n\u201cIt\u2019s through food that we get to understand people and culture. All these preconceived notions and ideas about Mindanao should be changed,\u201d he said. \u201cConversations should be about flavor, and the stories of the cuisines from there.\u201d\nPalm Grill is located in 179 Tomas Morato Ave. corner Sct. Castor St. in Quezon City. It will also be opening a larger restaurant in Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao in August. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-21T00:05:38+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-20T19:23:55+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Chicken-Pianggang.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=750132", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/18/750132/not-quite-a-wrap-for-this-designer/", "title": "Not quite a wrap for this designer", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nWHEN we say \u201cit\u2019s a wrap,\u201d it usually means we\u2019re ending something. When Ditta Sandico says that, she\u2019s talking about her continuing work.
\nIt\u2019s A Wrap: Unraveling the Future of Fashion \u2014 published by Far Eastern University, written by Francine Medina Marquez, and edited by Gayle Zialcita \u2014 summarizes the designer\u2019s 40-year journey, beginning in her observation of Mangyan textiles in her girlhood and ending with her 40th anniversary fashion show last year.
\nWhile it is about her life, there\u2019s a wider discussion in the book about Philippine textiles and materials, and the people who made them. Photographs of the designer\u2019s work and as they were shown in magazines and runways give the book color and heft. The book launch was held on May 13 at the Yuchengco Museum, with a fashion show showing off the designer\u2019s work.
\nMs. Sandico, born the daughter of the family behind the COD Department Store, studied at the University of the Philippines and at Tobe-Coburn in New York. She began designing in the mid-1980s. In the late \u201990s and early 2000s, she found her signature: abaca (which she branded as \u201cbanaca\u201d). Working against the material\u2019s stiffness, she manipulated the fibers into wraps used to jazz up outfit bases. One such wrap appeared on the runway during the launch: in a rich bronze color, it appeared first like a cocoon around the model, covering her upper body and face. Unfolding the wrap, she turned it into something shaped like a flower. Wearing a Ditta, every ordinary woman could be someone flamboyant, someone the opposite of invisible.
\nIn an interview while she signed the books, she told us about the sort of person who wears her pieces. \u201cThe first few years were difficult for me. We had to initiate; we had to teach people how to wear the clothes themselves, the wraps. Even the colors. It took time, and it took a lot of courage from the women to be able to get themselves out there.\u201d
\nWe told her a story about a friend of ours who was graduating magna cum laude, and insisted on wearing a white Ditta wrap over her white graduation dress \u2014 this woman wore Ditta in her early 20s. Pointing first to her own wrap, Ms. Sandico then pointed to a loyal customer who is 90 years old. \u201cShe\u2019s wearing the same wrap,\u201d she explained. \u201cBut it\u2019s worn differently. I guess it\u2019s really the manipulation. The way things are reimagined and reinvented.\u201d
\nThe wraps seem almost amorphous, taking shape as a partnership between herself and a customer. Asked what other shapes she can still do, she said, \u201cIt\u2019s always a work in progress. Every time I wake up in the morning, I look forward to a new day. All these inspirations just come, through dreams.\u201d She corrected herself, saying, \u201cI do a little research here and there to find out what\u2019s going on in the malls and in the retail market. It just grows from that.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s going to be clich\u00e9 to say everything is divine inspiration. But it does come from there.\u201d
\nWhile today we take for granted the mainstreaming of Filipino textiles, she was one of the first to use them in her collections, opting to work directly with indigenous weaving communities. \u201cThere seems to be such a redeeming factor,\u201d she told 大象传媒. \u201cI feel so validated, every time I think that I was one of the first, and I didn\u2019t give up,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve always kept that in my vocabulary \u2014 in the things that I do and the things that I come up with. There\u2019s got to be a progression in things and it just doesn\u2019t come easy.\u201d
\nHer clothes have been shown around the world \u2014 in Helsinki, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Los Angeles, New York, Moscow, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur, among others.
\nShe talked about her 40 years in fashion, and how she measures her own success. \u201cI think the 40 years speak for itself. I don\u2019t really have to shout it out. I was always: what\u2019s going to happen to me next? I was always kind of insecure about things. \u2018Is this enough?\u2019
\n\u201cBut now, I can\u2019t look back. I just have to keep moving forward. There\u2019s nothing to stop me now.\u201d
\nThe book is partly titled \u201cThe Future of Fashion,\u201d and on her own future, she says, \u201cI still have to think about that. I\u2019m learning to really appreciate my individuality. I\u2019m learning to appreciate being myself, and being out there in the world seems a bit daunting.
\n\u201cMany things can come.\u201d
\nIt\u2019s a Wrap is available for purchase through TAMS Bookstore at TamsBookstore@feu.edu.ph. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 2\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n GOLD UNFURLS against black checkered folds, framed by the Capa La Reyna.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n It\u2019s a Wrap is centered on the 40-year journey of designer Ditta Sandico.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nDitta Sandico never gives up\nWHEN we say \u201cit\u2019s a wrap,\u201d it usually means we\u2019re ending something. When Ditta Sandico says that, she\u2019s talking about her continuing work.\nIt\u2019s A Wrap: Unraveling the Future of Fashion \u2014 published by Far Eastern University, written by Francine Medina Marquez, and edited by Gayle Zialcita \u2014 summarizes the designer\u2019s 40-year journey, beginning in her observation of Mangyan textiles in her girlhood and ending with her 40th anniversary fashion show last year.\nWhile it is about her life, there\u2019s a wider discussion in the book about Philippine textiles and materials, and the people who made them. Photographs of the designer\u2019s work and as they were shown in magazines and runways give the book color and heft. The book launch was held on May 13 at the Yuchengco Museum, with a fashion show showing off the designer\u2019s work.\nMs. Sandico, born the daughter of the family behind the COD Department Store, studied at the University of the Philippines and at Tobe-Coburn in New York. She began designing in the mid-1980s. In the late \u201990s and early 2000s, she found her signature: abaca (which she branded as \u201cbanaca\u201d). Working against the material\u2019s stiffness, she manipulated the fibers into wraps used to jazz up outfit bases. One such wrap appeared on the runway during the launch: in a rich bronze color, it appeared first like a cocoon around the model, covering her upper body and face. Unfolding the wrap, she turned it into something shaped like a flower. Wearing a Ditta, every ordinary woman could be someone flamboyant, someone the opposite of invisible.\nIn an interview while she signed the books, she told us about the sort of person who wears her pieces. \u201cThe first few years were difficult for me. We had to initiate; we had to teach people how to wear the clothes themselves, the wraps. Even the colors. It took time, and it took a lot of courage from the women to be able to get themselves out there.\u201d\nWe told her a story about a friend of ours who was graduating magna cum laude, and insisted on wearing a white Ditta wrap over her white graduation dress \u2014 this woman wore Ditta in her early 20s. Pointing first to her own wrap, Ms. Sandico then pointed to a loyal customer who is 90 years old. \u201cShe\u2019s wearing the same wrap,\u201d she explained. \u201cBut it\u2019s worn differently. I guess it\u2019s really the manipulation. The way things are reimagined and reinvented.\u201d\nThe wraps seem almost amorphous, taking shape as a partnership between herself and a customer. Asked what other shapes she can still do, she said, \u201cIt\u2019s always a work in progress. Every time I wake up in the morning, I look forward to a new day. All these inspirations just come, through dreams.\u201d She corrected herself, saying, \u201cI do a little research here and there to find out what\u2019s going on in the malls and in the retail market. It just grows from that.\u201d\n\u201cIt\u2019s going to be clich\u00e9 to say everything is divine inspiration. But it does come from there.\u201d\nWhile today we take for granted the mainstreaming of Filipino textiles, she was one of the first to use them in her collections, opting to work directly with indigenous weaving communities. \u201cThere seems to be such a redeeming factor,\u201d she told 大象传媒. \u201cI feel so validated, every time I think that I was one of the first, and I didn\u2019t give up,\u201d she said.\n\u201cI\u2019ve always kept that in my vocabulary \u2014 in the things that I do and the things that I come up with. There\u2019s got to be a progression in things and it just doesn\u2019t come easy.\u201d\nHer clothes have been shown around the world \u2014 in Helsinki, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Los Angeles, New York, Moscow, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur, among others. \nShe talked about her 40 years in fashion, and how she measures her own success. \u201cI think the 40 years speak for itself. I don\u2019t really have to shout it out. I was always: what\u2019s going to happen to me next? I was always kind of insecure about things. \u2018Is this enough?\u2019\n\u201cBut now, I can\u2019t look back. I just have to keep moving forward. There\u2019s nothing to stop me now.\u201d\nThe book is partly titled \u201cThe Future of Fashion,\u201d and on her own future, she says, \u201cI still have to think about that. I\u2019m learning to really appreciate my individuality. I\u2019m learning to appreciate being myself, and being out there in the world seems a bit daunting.\n\u201cMany things can come.\u201d\nIt\u2019s a Wrap is available for purchase through TAMS Bookstore at TamsBookstore@feu.edu.ph. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-18T00:07:03+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-17T17:41:18+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Its-A-Wrap-thumb.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "WHEN we say \u201cit\u2019s a wrap,\u201d it usually means we\u2019re ending something. When Ditta Sandico says that, she\u2019s talking about her continuing work." }, { "id": "/?p=750131", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/18/750131/weaving-theres-an-app-for-that/", "title": "Weaving? There\u2019s an app for that", "content_html": "IF ALL goes well, in a span of a few years, a person will be able access an entire library of Philippine textiles right from their phone.
\nThe Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DoST-PTRI) talked about its new app, SalinHABI, at the J. Amado Araneta Foundation\u2019s (JAAF) traditional weaving fair \u201cHibla: Tradition Woven Forward.\u201d The fair was held from May 15 to 17 at Araneta City\u2019s Gateway Mall 2.
\nJennelu Caya, supervising science research specialist at the DoST-PTRI, estimates that the institute has been working on the digitalization project since 2022. Since that year, PTRI has been tracking down weavers and weaves. The project\u2019s goal is twofold: while onboarding, filing, and uploading the works of the weavers (and allowing them to be contacted for business and research purposes), they are also saving the work for future use.
\nThe weaves are preserved using high-resolution images. These are fed to software that analyzes color, thread counts, thickness, and other variables, and it is then recreated using PTRI\u2019s digital looms, allowing the manufacture of what Ms. Caya calls \u201cdigital twins.\u201d From this process, the method and matrices of the woven products are saved and can be recreated once again. She likens this to making sheet music: \u201cSa piano piece, meron ka nang notes (you\u2019ll already have the notes).\u201d
\nAccess, however, is restricted, and the public can view only the finished product through the app. As for weavers, \u201cIf the community is the original weaver of that pattern, we will share it with them.\u201d
\nMs. Caya shared the successes of the digitalization project. Since 2022, they have scoped and identified about 5,000 weavers from all across the country. They are still working on getting them all on the app, however: \u201cWe are now able to commit 1,400 plus, plus weavers in the platform.\u201d They have also managed to preserve woven works that have become extinct: there are some samples of Philippine textiles in the Field Museum in Chicago which are the only ones left of that specific pattern. After feeding images of these to their software, they have managed to recreate the patterns again using the digital looms, and their matrices can be made available again to the communities that had once woven them.
\nBeing on the app can also help in weeding out the fakes that have proliferated: machine-woven textiles using indigenous patterns have been spreading in the market and being passed off as the real thing. \u201cKapag nakita mo iyong community sa SalinHABI, 100%, alam mo na producers sila ng handloom wovens,\u201d she said.
\nInterested parties can download the SalinHABI app from Google Play and the App Store. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "PTRI is saving designs for weaving communities and posterity\nIF ALL goes well, in a span of a few years, a person will be able access an entire library of Philippine textiles right from their phone.\nThe Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DoST-PTRI) talked about its new app, SalinHABI, at the J. Amado Araneta Foundation\u2019s (JAAF) traditional weaving fair \u201cHibla: Tradition Woven Forward.\u201d The fair was held from May 15 to 17 at Araneta City\u2019s Gateway Mall 2.\nJennelu Caya, supervising science research specialist at the DoST-PTRI, estimates that the institute has been working on the digitalization project since 2022. Since that year, PTRI has been tracking down weavers and weaves. The project\u2019s goal is twofold: while onboarding, filing, and uploading the works of the weavers (and allowing them to be contacted for business and research purposes), they are also saving the work for future use.\nThe weaves are preserved using high-resolution images. These are fed to software that analyzes color, thread counts, thickness, and other variables, and it is then recreated using PTRI\u2019s digital looms, allowing the manufacture of what Ms. Caya calls \u201cdigital twins.\u201d From this process, the method and matrices of the woven products are saved and can be recreated once again. She likens this to making sheet music: \u201cSa piano piece, meron ka nang notes (you\u2019ll already have the notes).\u201d\nAccess, however, is restricted, and the public can view only the finished product through the app. As for weavers, \u201cIf the community is the original weaver of that pattern, we will share it with them.\u201d\nMs. Caya shared the successes of the digitalization project. Since 2022, they have scoped and identified about 5,000 weavers from all across the country. They are still working on getting them all on the app, however: \u201cWe are now able to commit 1,400 plus, plus weavers in the platform.\u201d They have also managed to preserve woven works that have become extinct: there are some samples of Philippine textiles in the Field Museum in Chicago which are the only ones left of that specific pattern. After feeding images of these to their software, they have managed to recreate the patterns again using the digital looms, and their matrices can be made available again to the communities that had once woven them.\nBeing on the app can also help in weeding out the fakes that have proliferated: machine-woven textiles using indigenous patterns have been spreading in the market and being passed off as the real thing. \u201cKapag nakita mo iyong community sa SalinHABI, 100%, alam mo na producers sila ng handloom wovens,\u201d she said.\nInterested parties can download the SalinHABI app from Google Play and the App Store. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-18T00:06:03+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-17T17:41:16+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/SalinHABI.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "IF ALL goes well, in a span of a few years, a person will be able access an entire library of Philippine textiles right from their phone." }, { "id": "/?p=749445", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/14/749445/having-some-wine-in-a-food-court/", "title": "Having some wine in a food court", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nWHILE we\u2019ve written before about how much fun we\u2019d had at Araneta City\u2019s World Kitchens, which opened last year, a new addition to the \u201cfancy food court\u201d makes the trip to Cubao a bit more exciting.
\nEnter World Cellar, which opened in January this year, where diners can choose from about 400 available wines, either by the glass or by the bottle.
\nFood columnist and consultant for World Cellar CJ Juntereal told 大象传媒 at a pairing lunch on April 24 about how World Cellar went about selecting these 400 wines, more than there are days in a year. Aside from a division in price tiers (more on that later), she said, \u201cWe wanted a representation of all wine regions. All grapes; as many grapes as we could do.
\n\u201cThe wines are a mixture of large established wineries and smaller boutique wineries,\u201d she said. We saw some wines from established Old World estates, from Spain and France, but then she pointed out, for example, the presence of bottles by female winemakers. There are also wines from Japan and Israel. \u201cThese are the new wine regions,\u201d she said of those countries.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s just a range of interesting wines: safe choices, and choices that you can discover,\u201d she said of the cellar\u2019s offerings.
\nWINE PAIRING OVER LUNCH
\nPart of the joy of dining at World Kitchens is the large amount of food choices (https://tinyurl.com/yb6cah48). Since it is still part of World Kitchens even though it is physically separated from it, we ordered dishes freely from the establishments outside the (climate-controlled at 18\u00b0C to 20\u00b0C) cellar to pair with the wines.
The wines we had for lunch were chosen by their in-house sommelier, Benedict Tan. Just in his 20s, he has a Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) level 3 certificate in wines. After hearing our choices for lunch (which mostly veered Asian), he picked out a Clos de Centenaires Art 2020, and a Les Pensees de Pallus Chinon 2019. He said that the wine choices he made were centered on right levels of acidity and a certain level of minerality, to complement the rich appetizers and the sweetish mains.
\nHere\u2019s what we had: the Clos was paired with the Otoro Rolls from Kuro Maguro. The fresh, juicy, mineral scent of the Clos cut through the very fatty and thick tuna belly. We also had tuna sashimi, a leaner cut compared to the otoro. With the Clos, the tuna was given some spice and liveliness.
\nWe also had Chinese selections from 18 Jade and HK Ma, as well as the Beef Cheeks Adobo from Chef Jessie\u2019s. These we paired with the Chinon. The Chinon had a very tannic-forward scent, smelling almost like tea, and made our mouth water. With the adobo, it added some spice but cut through the fat and the gelatin. With a ubiquitous Sweet and Sour Pork, the wine added some gravitas. For Prawn Noodles from HK Ma, it added some liveliness to the seafood and starch.
\nA surprising dish from 18 Jade was deep-fried eggplant served with pork floss and, get this: condensed milk. It\u2019s a confusing dish that surprisingly works, balancing all the tastes with texture. This must have been a challenge to find a pairing for, but the Chinon added a fruitiness that was welcome.
\nREASONABLY PRICED
\nThe wines have a surprising markup: the most affordable ones in their selection are priced at P800 a bottle, which Ms. Juntereal estimates would cost about P2,500 somewhere else. Wines by the glass start at P200. The explanation is delightfully elegant: this is a pet project of Jorge Araneta, the Araneta Group\u2019s chair, and bon vivant.
Of course, they have other choices for the more discerning buyer: we saw bottles going up to P30,000, from his personal collection on site. One section of World Cellar is devoted to his collection, which you might be able to tour if you ask nicely (and promise to keep your elbows in check).
\n\u201cMr. Araneta wants to build a wine culture here,\u201d said Ms. Juntereal. \u201cHe wants to introduce wine to more people.\u201d
\nFor a lot of people there are two big barriers to drinking wine, said Ms. Juntereal. \u201cOne, the price. Two, it\u2019s seen as something difficult, complicated, or kind of snobby and sosyal. We want to take that away,\u201d she said. \u201cThe price barrier is gone.\u201d
\nWINE CLASS
\nNot only is the price barrier lowered, World Cellar is promoting the joy of drinking wine through education.
Every Friday from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Mr. Tan holds a wine class called Wine 101. The guided tasting costs P999 per person. \u201cBy making wine education accessible and engaging, the program encourages a broader audience to appreciate the craftsmanship, stories, and traditions behind every bottle,\u201d says a statement from the cellar.
\nAs limited slots are available per session, interested parties ought to register in advance via https://qrco.de/wine101atWK or via the QR code on the official social media pages of World Kitchens.
\nWorld Cellar is located inside World Kitchens, at Level 4 of Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City. For inquiries and reservations, contact 0918-939-4537 or e-mail wk.reservations.aranetagrp@gmail.com. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 3\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n ALICIA A. HERRERA\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nChoose a reasonably priced glass at World Cellar inside Gateway\u2019s upscale World Kitchen\nWHILE we\u2019ve written before about how much fun we\u2019d had at Araneta City\u2019s World Kitchens, which opened last year, a new addition to the \u201cfancy food court\u201d makes the trip to Cubao a bit more exciting.\nEnter World Cellar, which opened in January this year, where diners can choose from about 400 available wines, either by the glass or by the bottle.\nFood columnist and consultant for World Cellar CJ Juntereal told 大象传媒 at a pairing lunch on April 24 about how World Cellar went about selecting these 400 wines, more than there are days in a year. Aside from a division in price tiers (more on that later), she said, \u201cWe wanted a representation of all wine regions. All grapes; as many grapes as we could do.\n\u201cThe wines are a mixture of large established wineries and smaller boutique wineries,\u201d she said. We saw some wines from established Old World estates, from Spain and France, but then she pointed out, for example, the presence of bottles by female winemakers. There are also wines from Japan and Israel. \u201cThese are the new wine regions,\u201d she said of those countries. \n\u201cIt\u2019s just a range of interesting wines: safe choices, and choices that you can discover,\u201d she said of the cellar\u2019s offerings.\nWINE PAIRING OVER LUNCH\nPart of the joy of dining at World Kitchens is the large amount of food choices (https://tinyurl.com/yb6cah48). Since it is still part of World Kitchens even though it is physically separated from it, we ordered dishes freely from the establishments outside the (climate-controlled at 18\u00b0C to 20\u00b0C) cellar to pair with the wines. \nThe wines we had for lunch were chosen by their in-house sommelier, Benedict Tan. Just in his 20s, he has a Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) level 3 certificate in wines. After hearing our choices for lunch (which mostly veered Asian), he picked out a Clos de Centenaires Art 2020, and a Les Pensees de Pallus Chinon 2019. He said that the wine choices he made were centered on right levels of acidity and a certain level of minerality, to complement the rich appetizers and the sweetish mains.\nHere\u2019s what we had: the Clos was paired with the Otoro Rolls from Kuro Maguro. The fresh, juicy, mineral scent of the Clos cut through the very fatty and thick tuna belly. We also had tuna sashimi, a leaner cut compared to the otoro. With the Clos, the tuna was given some spice and liveliness.\nWe also had Chinese selections from 18 Jade and HK Ma, as well as the Beef Cheeks Adobo from Chef Jessie\u2019s. These we paired with the Chinon. The Chinon had a very tannic-forward scent, smelling almost like tea, and made our mouth water. With the adobo, it added some spice but cut through the fat and the gelatin. With a ubiquitous Sweet and Sour Pork, the wine added some gravitas. For Prawn Noodles from HK Ma, it added some liveliness to the seafood and starch.\nA surprising dish from 18 Jade was deep-fried eggplant served with pork floss and, get this: condensed milk. It\u2019s a confusing dish that surprisingly works, balancing all the tastes with texture. This must have been a challenge to find a pairing for, but the Chinon added a fruitiness that was welcome.\nREASONABLY PRICED\nThe wines have a surprising markup: the most affordable ones in their selection are priced at P800 a bottle, which Ms. Juntereal estimates would cost about P2,500 somewhere else. Wines by the glass start at P200. The explanation is delightfully elegant: this is a pet project of Jorge Araneta, the Araneta Group\u2019s chair, and bon vivant.\nOf course, they have other choices for the more discerning buyer: we saw bottles going up to P30,000, from his personal collection on site. One section of World Cellar is devoted to his collection, which you might be able to tour if you ask nicely (and promise to keep your elbows in check).\n\u201cMr. Araneta wants to build a wine culture here,\u201d said Ms. Juntereal. \u201cHe wants to introduce wine to more people.\u201d\nFor a lot of people there are two big barriers to drinking wine, said Ms. Juntereal. \u201cOne, the price. Two, it\u2019s seen as something difficult, complicated, or kind of snobby and sosyal. We want to take that away,\u201d she said. \u201cThe price barrier is gone.\u201d\nWINE CLASS\nNot only is the price barrier lowered, World Cellar is promoting the joy of drinking wine through education.\nEvery Friday from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Mr. Tan holds a wine class called Wine 101. The guided tasting costs P999 per person. \u201cBy making wine education accessible and engaging, the program encourages a broader audience to appreciate the craftsmanship, stories, and traditions behind every bottle,\u201d says a statement from the cellar.\nAs limited slots are available per session, interested parties ought to register in advance via https://qrco.de/wine101atWK or via the QR code on the official social media pages of World Kitchens.\nWorld Cellar is located inside World Kitchens, at Level 4 of Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City. For inquiries and reservations, contact 0918-939-4537 or e-mail wk.reservations.aranetagrp@gmail.com. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-14T00:08:26+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-13T18:28:19+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/WIne-4.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "WHILE we\u2019ve written before about how much fun we\u2019d had at Araneta City\u2019s World Kitchens, which opened last year, a new addition to the \u201cfancy food court\u201d makes the trip to Cubao a bit more exciting." }, { "id": "/?p=749444", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/14/749444/ifex-highlights-tropical-flavors/", "title": "IFEX highlights tropical flavors", "content_html": "THE International Food, Beverage, and Ingredients Trade Show (IFEX), which will be held on May 21 to 23 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, carries the theme \u201cTropical Flavors for the World\u201d this year.
\nA preview of what is in store was held at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls, refurbished earlier from the former PhilTrade Center. Since Likhang Filipino\u2019s selling point is that it is like having the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions\u2019 (CITEM) annual trade fairs extended for the whole year, we asked CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo why IFEX was being held elsewhere. It is all a matter of space \u2014 though that will change.
\n\u201cWe have a very small space, she told 大象传媒. \u201cWe need at least 16,000 square meters (sq.m.) [for IFEX]. We only have 8,000 sq.m. here,\u201d she pointed out. \u201cWe\u2019re actually planning to do that: expand the entire facility, and hopefully, maybe in two to three years (we can hold IFEX here).\u201d
\nBy her count, there are already more than 400 exhibitors for IFEX. Last year, according to a release, IFEX Philippines 2025 welcomed over 10,000 buyers and visitors from more than 50 countries, generating $80 million in export sales.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s our positioning as a country,\u201d she said about the tropical theme. \u201cOur target markets are Europeans, the Americans, the Middle East. These are countries that do not have what we have.\u201d
\n\u201cNot everybody has ube (purple yam), or mango. Pinag-aawayan talaga (they fight over it),\u201d she said.
\nKITCHENS, SUSTAINABILITY
\nThe preview earlier this week showed off the plans for this year\u2019s IFEX. This includes IFEX Kitchen, which invites Filipino chefs from here and abroad to cook and talk about Philippine cuisine.
There will also be the Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX), the country\u2019s first sourcing platform dedicated to a more resilient food ecosystem, featuring eco-friendly packaging, green technologies, and waste management solutions across sectors, such as agriculture, home and fashion, manufacturing, and technology. SSX will also introduce the Start-up Pitching Competition and Networking, an avenue connecting sustainable innovations from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups to key partners for capital and collaboration.
\nThe FOODPhilippines Trade Hall will serve as the hub for top Philippine brands. It will also feature a Business Solutions Zone, as well as regional brands showcasing heritage crops and regional specialties through their respective pavilions.
\nThere will also be foreign participants reflecting global flavors and industry trends at the International Hall.
\nFinally, the Marketplace provides a designated area for direct retail.
\nKATHA AWARDS
\nA highlight of the preview was the awarding of the Katha Awards for food. Organized by CITEM, the award champions creativity and excellence in the industry, furthering the global competitiveness of Philippine food MSMEs, including emerging export players.
The Power of Slow Carbonated Coconut Flower Nectar Drink won the Beverage category, while Golden Flavours Shortcakes (using jackfruit, durian, and pineapple) won the award for Bakery Products and Confectioneries. Munggo!, an instant porridge made from mung beans, won the award for Functional, Healthy and Alternative Foods.
\nCocoes Coconut Aminos Crema Balsamico (resembling balsamic vinegar) won the award for Processed Fruits and Vegetables, including Sauces and Condiments. Gourmet Tahong (a preserve made of mussels) won the award in Seafood, while Kangkong Chips in Sinigang Flavor by Kangkong King won in Snacks and Ready-to-Eat award. Marcelo\u2019s Microcreamery took the award for Specialty Gourmet for their coconut-based ice creams.
\nMs. Pulido Ocampo said of the winners, in relation to their future exportability, \u201cBuyers would always say that our products have a unique taste. Even if it\u2019s more expensive compared to, for example,\u201d and here she gave a list of our Southeast Asian neighbors. \u201cOur products seem to be preferred.\u201d
\n\u201cWe have volcanic soil and sea breeze. All of these contribute to the unique taste,\u201d she said.
\nVisit ifexconnect.com to join or know more about IFEX Philippines. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "THE International Food, Beverage, and Ingredients Trade Show (IFEX), which will be held on May 21 to 23 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, carries the theme \u201cTropical Flavors for the World\u201d this year.\nA preview of what is in store was held at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls, refurbished earlier from the former PhilTrade Center. Since Likhang Filipino\u2019s selling point is that it is like having the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions\u2019 (CITEM) annual trade fairs extended for the whole year, we asked CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo why IFEX was being held elsewhere. It is all a matter of space \u2014 though that will change. \n\u201cWe have a very small space, she told 大象传媒. \u201cWe need at least 16,000 square meters (sq.m.) [for IFEX]. We only have 8,000 sq.m. here,\u201d she pointed out. \u201cWe\u2019re actually planning to do that: expand the entire facility, and hopefully, maybe in two to three years (we can hold IFEX here).\u201d\nBy her count, there are already more than 400 exhibitors for IFEX. Last year, according to a release, IFEX Philippines 2025 welcomed over 10,000 buyers and visitors from more than 50 countries, generating $80 million in export sales.\n\u201cThat\u2019s our positioning as a country,\u201d she said about the tropical theme. \u201cOur target markets are Europeans, the Americans, the Middle East. These are countries that do not have what we have.\u201d\n\u201cNot everybody has ube (purple yam), or mango. Pinag-aawayan talaga (they fight over it),\u201d she said.\nKITCHENS, SUSTAINABILITY\nThe preview earlier this week showed off the plans for this year\u2019s IFEX. This includes IFEX Kitchen, which invites Filipino chefs from here and abroad to cook and talk about Philippine cuisine.\nThere will also be the Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX), the country\u2019s first sourcing platform dedicated to a more resilient food ecosystem, featuring eco-friendly packaging, green technologies, and waste management solutions across sectors, such as agriculture, home and fashion, manufacturing, and technology. SSX will also introduce the Start-up Pitching Competition and Networking, an avenue connecting sustainable innovations from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups to key partners for capital and collaboration.\nThe FOODPhilippines Trade Hall will serve as the hub for top Philippine brands. It will also feature a Business Solutions Zone, as well as regional brands showcasing heritage crops and regional specialties through their respective pavilions.\nThere will also be foreign participants reflecting global flavors and industry trends at the International Hall.\nFinally, the Marketplace provides a designated area for direct retail.\nKATHA AWARDS\nA highlight of the preview was the awarding of the Katha Awards for food. Organized by CITEM, the award champions creativity and excellence in the industry, furthering the global competitiveness of Philippine food MSMEs, including emerging export players.\nThe Power of Slow Carbonated Coconut Flower Nectar Drink won the Beverage category, while Golden Flavours Shortcakes (using jackfruit, durian, and pineapple) won the award for Bakery Products and Confectioneries. Munggo!, an instant porridge made from mung beans, won the award for Functional, Healthy and Alternative Foods.\nCocoes Coconut Aminos Crema Balsamico (resembling balsamic vinegar) won the award for Processed Fruits and Vegetables, including Sauces and Condiments. Gourmet Tahong (a preserve made of mussels) won the award in Seafood, while Kangkong Chips in Sinigang Flavor by Kangkong King won in Snacks and Ready-to-Eat award. Marcelo\u2019s Microcreamery took the award for Specialty Gourmet for their coconut-based ice creams.\nMs. Pulido Ocampo said of the winners, in relation to their future exportability, \u201cBuyers would always say that our products have a unique taste. Even if it\u2019s more expensive compared to, for example,\u201d and here she gave a list of our Southeast Asian neighbors. \u201cOur products seem to be preferred.\u201d\n\u201cWe have volcanic soil and sea breeze. All of these contribute to the unique taste,\u201d she said.\nVisit ifexconnect.com to join or know more about IFEX Philippines. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-14T00:07:25+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-13T18:26:33+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Main-Poster.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=748563", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/11/748563/santacruzan-intramuros-style/", "title": "Santacruzan, Intramuros-style", "content_html": "THE traditional Santacruzan procession will be held in grand style around Intramuros, Manila on May 22, a Friday.
\nThe procession \u2014 which is usually held on the last day of the Flores de Mayo festival honoring the Virgin Mary \u2014 commemorates the search by Queen Helena of Constantinople and her son, Constantine, for the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Thus, the parade, held in parishes around the Philippines, is headed by a woman playing Reyna Elena, accompanied by a boy playing Constantine. A court of queens and biblical characters join the procession behind the queen.
\nOn April 28, the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) and the Intramuros Administration announced that the Reyna Elena for this year\u2019s Grand Santacruzan will be played by beauty queen Teresita Ssen \u201cWinwyn\u201d Marquez. Ms. Marquez, the daughter of actors Joey Marquez and Alma Moreno, won the Reina Hispanoamericana pageant in 2017.
\nJaison Yang, president of PTAA, said during the press conference at the Museo de Intramuros that the \u201cPTAA will always choose a role model that will represent not just the Philippines, but our culture.\u201d
\nThis would be Ms. Marquez\u2019 first time participating in a Santacruzan, noting that even back home in Para\u00f1aque, she had not been joined. \u201cI\u2019m just very lucky to be here, to see the tradition and heritage be celebrated this way.\u201d
\nShe added, \u201cHindi lang siya about beauty, the magarbong suot (it\u2019s not just about beauty and the fabulous outfits)\u201d \u2014 the procession is often criticized for a focus on couturier outfits worn by beauty queens. \u201cIt\u2019s about how you show your true Filipino attitude, how you respect people when you walk around Intramuros; how you make them feel.\u201d
\nAccording to Mr. Yang, Ms. Marquez and her court will start the procession from Foro de Intramuros, pass by San Agustin Church, Gen. Luna Street, the Manila Cathedral, the Palacio del Gobernador, and end at the gates of Fort Santiago. The court will be comprised of representatives from the establishments around Intramuros: hotels, universities, airlines, and the Bank of the Philippine Islands (one of the sponsors). \u201cIt\u2019s a collaboration of different people from the industry,\u201d he said.
\nThere will be programs held at the beginning and end of the procession, helped along by the tour guides and vendors of Instramuros. The vendors and tour guides will be compensated by the PTAA (by buying the packaged tours and the vendors\u2019 wares). \u201cWe wanted to help the affected tourism workers,\u201d he said in an interview. This is due to a pivot on their part to promote domestic tourism in light of the energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict, which has raised prices of flights. \u201cThat\u2019s also the request of the Department of Tourism, to push more local tourism. Having a Santacruzan is a way of doing that.\u201d
\nThe Grand Santacruzan at Intramuros will take place on May 22 in the late afternoon. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "THE traditional Santacruzan procession will be held in grand style around Intramuros, Manila on May 22, a Friday.\nThe procession \u2014 which is usually held on the last day of the Flores de Mayo festival honoring the Virgin Mary \u2014 commemorates the search by Queen Helena of Constantinople and her son, Constantine, for the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Thus, the parade, held in parishes around the Philippines, is headed by a woman playing Reyna Elena, accompanied by a boy playing Constantine. A court of queens and biblical characters join the procession behind the queen.\nOn April 28, the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) and the Intramuros Administration announced that the Reyna Elena for this year\u2019s Grand Santacruzan will be played by beauty queen Teresita Ssen \u201cWinwyn\u201d Marquez. Ms. Marquez, the daughter of actors Joey Marquez and Alma Moreno, won the Reina Hispanoamericana pageant in 2017.\nJaison Yang, president of PTAA, said during the press conference at the Museo de Intramuros that the \u201cPTAA will always choose a role model that will represent not just the Philippines, but our culture.\u201d\nThis would be Ms. Marquez\u2019 first time participating in a Santacruzan, noting that even back home in Para\u00f1aque, she had not been joined. \u201cI\u2019m just very lucky to be here, to see the tradition and heritage be celebrated this way.\u201d\nShe added, \u201cHindi lang siya about beauty, the magarbong suot (it\u2019s not just about beauty and the fabulous outfits)\u201d \u2014 the procession is often criticized for a focus on couturier outfits worn by beauty queens. \u201cIt\u2019s about how you show your true Filipino attitude, how you respect people when you walk around Intramuros; how you make them feel.\u201d\nAccording to Mr. Yang, Ms. Marquez and her court will start the procession from Foro de Intramuros, pass by San Agustin Church, Gen. Luna Street, the Manila Cathedral, the Palacio del Gobernador, and end at the gates of Fort Santiago. The court will be comprised of representatives from the establishments around Intramuros: hotels, universities, airlines, and the Bank of the Philippine Islands (one of the sponsors). \u201cIt\u2019s a collaboration of different people from the industry,\u201d he said.\nThere will be programs held at the beginning and end of the procession, helped along by the tour guides and vendors of Instramuros. The vendors and tour guides will be compensated by the PTAA (by buying the packaged tours and the vendors\u2019 wares). \u201cWe wanted to help the affected tourism workers,\u201d he said in an interview. This is due to a pivot on their part to promote domestic tourism in light of the energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict, which has raised prices of flights. \u201cThat\u2019s also the request of the Department of Tourism, to push more local tourism. Having a Santacruzan is a way of doing that.\u201d\nThe Grand Santacruzan at Intramuros will take place on May 22 in the late afternoon. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-11T00:05:26+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-10T18:20:57+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Teresita-Ssen-Winwyn-Marquez.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=748561", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/11/748561/talking-effectively-about-sustainable-fashion/", "title": "Talking effectively about sustainable fashion", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nTHERE\u2019S A LOT of buzz around sustainable fashion because not only does the issue affect us globally: the issue sits right next to our skin.
\nDuring a webinar on April 27, Jessie Jiang, founder of online community platform Basically Borrowed, talked about the ways we talk about clothes, and how we can make the message land right.
\nBasically Borrowed started in 2019 as a platform that once offered clothing swaps between its members, centered around the idea of the sustainability of the practice. Since then, she has pivoted to making content devoted to discussing the issues surrounding fashion and its sustainability.
\nOn Zoom, she said, \u201cThere is no globally accepted definition (of sustainability).\u201d She cited a definition from the United Nations: \u201cSustainable fashion is a shift away from exploitative, high-waste models toward a regenerative, equitable, and circular textile value chain.\u201d However, she says that this definition \u201cis a great opportunity\u201d to \u201ctake advantage of the loopholes.\u201d
\nMoreover, awareness does not always translate into action: citing data, she said that while 70% of consumers have expressed awareness about issues circling sustainability (the environment and human cost, for example), less than 30% actually care and commit to changing their habits. \u201cThere\u2019s an actual big gap between people being aware of it and people actually doing something about it,\u201d she said.
\nShe gives a framework on addressing this gap. \u201cPeople respond better to simple, clear messages.\u201d For example, with regards to just citing a company as being sustainable (now vague and muddied due to the loopholes found in the definition given above), she says, \u201cYou can say which specific areas: is it packaging? Supply chain? Transparency.\u201d She added, \u201cYou have to say something specific.\u201d
\nNext, she said, \u201cWe trust people who sound honest and credible \u2014 and not perfect.\u201d She expounded: \u201cWe\u2019re really influenced by people like us, people who we trust, who are already in our social circles, [rather] than by a random brand or even official sources.\u201d
\nAnother point is that the topic gets a better response when the message is positive. \u201cRather than a guilt-trip or pressure,\u201d she said. \u201cThe message has to make it seem like they\u2019re not making a terrible huge sacrifice for sustainability. It still has to be appealing. We still have to offer an appealing option.\u201d
\nFor example, criticizing someone\u2019s fast fashion haul won\u2019t work. She\u2019d reframe the criticism, for example, as, \u201cI realize that I keep buying things that I barely wear.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen you\u2019re talking about something that people care about that\u2019s relatable to their everyday life, of course, they\u2019re going to engage,\u201d she said. \u201cYou create a sense of connection.\u201d
\nFollow https://www.instagram.com/basicallyborrowed/ for more insights. \u2014 JL Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 3\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n EXTENDING a garment\u2019s life through darning. \u2014 INSTAGRAM.COM/BASICALLYBORROWED\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n UKAY-UKAY STORE \u2014 INSTAGRAM.COM/BASICALLYBORROWED\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n UP-CYCLED SCRUNCHIES \u2014 INSTAGRAM.COM/BASICALLYBORROWED\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nTHERE\u2019S A LOT of buzz around sustainable fashion because not only does the issue affect us globally: the issue sits right next to our skin.\nDuring a webinar on April 27, Jessie Jiang, founder of online community platform Basically Borrowed, talked about the ways we talk about clothes, and how we can make the message land right.\nBasically Borrowed started in 2019 as a platform that once offered clothing swaps between its members, centered around the idea of the sustainability of the practice. Since then, she has pivoted to making content devoted to discussing the issues surrounding fashion and its sustainability.\nOn Zoom, she said, \u201cThere is no globally accepted definition (of sustainability).\u201d She cited a definition from the United Nations: \u201cSustainable fashion is a shift away from exploitative, high-waste models toward a regenerative, equitable, and circular textile value chain.\u201d However, she says that this definition \u201cis a great opportunity\u201d to \u201ctake advantage of the loopholes.\u201d\nMoreover, awareness does not always translate into action: citing data, she said that while 70% of consumers have expressed awareness about issues circling sustainability (the environment and human cost, for example), less than 30% actually care and commit to changing their habits. \u201cThere\u2019s an actual big gap between people being aware of it and people actually doing something about it,\u201d she said.\nShe gives a framework on addressing this gap. \u201cPeople respond better to simple, clear messages.\u201d For example, with regards to just citing a company as being sustainable (now vague and muddied due to the loopholes found in the definition given above), she says, \u201cYou can say which specific areas: is it packaging? Supply chain? Transparency.\u201d She added, \u201cYou have to say something specific.\u201d\nNext, she said, \u201cWe trust people who sound honest and credible \u2014 and not perfect.\u201d She expounded: \u201cWe\u2019re really influenced by people like us, people who we trust, who are already in our social circles, [rather] than by a random brand or even official sources.\u201d\nAnother point is that the topic gets a better response when the message is positive. \u201cRather than a guilt-trip or pressure,\u201d she said. \u201cThe message has to make it seem like they\u2019re not making a terrible huge sacrifice for sustainability. It still has to be appealing. We still have to offer an appealing option.\u201d\nFor example, criticizing someone\u2019s fast fashion haul won\u2019t work. She\u2019d reframe the criticism, for example, as, \u201cI realize that I keep buying things that I barely wear.\u201d\n\u201cWhen you\u2019re talking about something that people care about that\u2019s relatable to their everyday life, of course, they\u2019re going to engage,\u201d she said. \u201cYou create a sense of connection.\u201d\nFollow https://www.instagram.com/basicallyborrowed/ for more insights. \u2014 JL Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-11T00:03:25+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-10T18:18:08+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/498020322_18140844841404031_8127485933384495131_n-thumb.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=747849", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/07/747849/going-down-the-dessert-rabbit-hole/", "title": "Going down the dessert rabbit hole", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nWHILE meant as a children\u2019s story, Alice in Wonderland grips the imagination to this day. While we can\u2019t go down the proverbial rabbit hole (or can we?), Conrad Manila launched a buffet concept that should feel the same.
\nConrad Manila held a preview for their dessert buffet, called Wonderland Reverie, on April 18 at their buffet restaurant, Brasserie on 3. All of the buffet stations were transformed solely for dessert that day, providing a task just as daunting as Alice\u2019s.
\nRupert Hallam, general manager of Conrad Manila, told us in an interview that they got the idea from a similar concept from their sister property, the Tokyo Hilton, some years ago. \u201cThe amount of detail, time, and effort that got into producing all of the desserts is incredible,\u201d he said about this Philippine edition. According to Nicolas de Visch, executive chef at the Conrad Manila, brainstorming and executing all the ideas took about two months.
\nEach station had a theme: Mr. De Visch said in a group interview, \u201cIt\u2019s been placed on your arrival according to the chapters of the book,\u201d he said, referring to Alice in Wonderland. \u201cBut it\u2019s really all about the way you want it.\u201d
\nThat\u2019s why it started with a Victorian Tea Party-theme, decorated daintily and laid out with treats such as madeleines and a Battenberg Cake (pink and yellow sponge cakes beneath a marzipan shell; supposedly named after Queen Victoria\u2019s granddaughter and King Charles\u2019 great-grandmother, Princess Victoria of Hesse, who married into the princely House of Battenberg).
\nThe next station was \u201cDown the Rabbit Hole,\u201d through which Alice entered Wonderland. Treats included miso caramel brownies and maple bacon cupcakes. Then there was the \u201cMad Tea Party,\u201d where Alice met the Mad Hatter and the Hare. There was dulce de leche pot de creme and a pistachio sphere, among others. We then went to the \u201cRed Queen\u2019s Court,\u201d which, of course, had chocolates dyed red and shaped like roses (and other things), but also her famous tarts.
\nThere was a savory interlude called \u201cFrabjous\u201d (a made-up word in the book), and here we had our fill of sausage rolls (made with a woven pastry shell), salmon blinis, and smoked tomato soup. The next station was the \u201cPool of Tears\u201d (which Alice created by weeping), with curious food and drinks marked \u201cEat me\u201d and \u201cDrink me.\u201d
\nAt the White Queen\u2019s station, there was chocolate babka and a donut wall, but also a castle carved out of white chocolate. Overall, the whole display brings a sensorial delight.
\nThat is, if you can handle it all.
\nDuring the launch, we only managed to eat about five plates (savories included). Combined with the free-flowing tea, it\u2019s certainly a task for two hours.
\nMr. Hallam, general manager of Conrad Manila, told us in an interview, \u201cFor celebrations, it\u2019s perfect. Everybody likes a bit of indulgence.
\n\u201cOnce in a while is fine,\u201d he said when we pointed out the task of actually going through all the desserts. \u201cEverything in moderation.\u201d
\nThe dessert buffet is available every Saturday and Sunday until July 31 from 3 to 5 p.m. for P2,500 net per person. For inquiries, call 8833-9999 or e-mail MNLMB.FB@ConradHotels.com. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 3\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nWHILE meant as a children\u2019s story, Alice in Wonderland grips the imagination to this day. While we can\u2019t go down the proverbial rabbit hole (or can we?), Conrad Manila launched a buffet concept that should feel the same.\nConrad Manila held a preview for their dessert buffet, called Wonderland Reverie, on April 18 at their buffet restaurant, Brasserie on 3. All of the buffet stations were transformed solely for dessert that day, providing a task just as daunting as Alice\u2019s.\nRupert Hallam, general manager of Conrad Manila, told us in an interview that they got the idea from a similar concept from their sister property, the Tokyo Hilton, some years ago. \u201cThe amount of detail, time, and effort that got into producing all of the desserts is incredible,\u201d he said about this Philippine edition. According to Nicolas de Visch, executive chef at the Conrad Manila, brainstorming and executing all the ideas took about two months.\nEach station had a theme: Mr. De Visch said in a group interview, \u201cIt\u2019s been placed on your arrival according to the chapters of the book,\u201d he said, referring to Alice in Wonderland. \u201cBut it\u2019s really all about the way you want it.\u201d\nThat\u2019s why it started with a Victorian Tea Party-theme, decorated daintily and laid out with treats such as madeleines and a Battenberg Cake (pink and yellow sponge cakes beneath a marzipan shell; supposedly named after Queen Victoria\u2019s granddaughter and King Charles\u2019 great-grandmother, Princess Victoria of Hesse, who married into the princely House of Battenberg).\nThe next station was \u201cDown the Rabbit Hole,\u201d through which Alice entered Wonderland. Treats included miso caramel brownies and maple bacon cupcakes. Then there was the \u201cMad Tea Party,\u201d where Alice met the Mad Hatter and the Hare. There was dulce de leche pot de creme and a pistachio sphere, among others. We then went to the \u201cRed Queen\u2019s Court,\u201d which, of course, had chocolates dyed red and shaped like roses (and other things), but also her famous tarts.\nThere was a savory interlude called \u201cFrabjous\u201d (a made-up word in the book), and here we had our fill of sausage rolls (made with a woven pastry shell), salmon blinis, and smoked tomato soup. The next station was the \u201cPool of Tears\u201d (which Alice created by weeping), with curious food and drinks marked \u201cEat me\u201d and \u201cDrink me.\u201d\nAt the White Queen\u2019s station, there was chocolate babka and a donut wall, but also a castle carved out of white chocolate. Overall, the whole display brings a sensorial delight.\nThat is, if you can handle it all.\nDuring the launch, we only managed to eat about five plates (savories included). Combined with the free-flowing tea, it\u2019s certainly a task for two hours.\nMr. Hallam, general manager of Conrad Manila, told us in an interview, \u201cFor celebrations, it\u2019s perfect. Everybody likes a bit of indulgence.\n\u201cOnce in a while is fine,\u201d he said when we pointed out the task of actually going through all the desserts. \u201cEverything in moderation.\u201d\nThe dessert buffet is available every Saturday and Sunday until July 31 from 3 to 5 p.m. for P2,500 net per person. For inquiries, call 8833-9999 or e-mail MNLMB.FB@ConradHotels.com. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-07T00:05:34+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-06T19:10:17+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Down-The-Rabbit-Hole-2.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=747015", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/04/747015/scrappy-outfits/", "title": "\u2018Scrappy\u2019 outfits", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nOLD CLOTHES were given life anew at Retashow, the Quezon City government\u2019s sustainability project that promotes its own textile waste programs. The show, with 10 finalists, awarded three winners with P70,000 each and a plaque.
\nThe show was held at SM Fairview on April 24. The clothes were judged by designer Avel Bacudio, director of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DoST-PTRI) Julius Lea\u00f1o, Jr., and Wear Forward founder Prince Jimdel Ventura. The clothes were judged by their wearability as well as the amount of recycled materials used: each outfit had to be made of 70% recycled material.
\nThis year \u2014 the contest\u2019s third edition \u2014 the theme was centered around \u201ctwinning,\u201d so designers had to make two looks.
\nNino Casiwan used old curtains, kitchen towels, and scrap fabrics from his own studio to make patchwork shorts set, twinning with a Mod-inspired skirt.
\nEdel Santiago used discarded white cotton, and dyes using mangosteen, coconut husk, and onions. This made for a rather exciting terno–bolero with a tulip skirt, and a matching wide-lapelled jacket on the male model. Fabric was patched onto lace as a binder.
\nJaneth Belchez used sheer fabric made as a balintawak native dress. On this, she used her version of the rags Filipino households sew together from fabric scraps, this time made from satin scrap, which dotted the skirt. On another outfit, puffed sleeves were stuffed with more scraps, giving them volume and movement.
\nEvelyn Rocela made clothes for kids: a vest set for a boy was made with woven scraps bound by a base of denim, while a matching outfit on a girl was a full-length coat in this make (very grunge).
\nDanryl Purisima made a polo shirt ensemble, and a casual denim look that unfolds into a longer outfit. Jashmin Iballo, meanwhile, used leopard-print scraps, with some avant-garde elements like hoods. Catrina Lopez combined satin ruching with a jean patchwork skirt and a denim corset top \u2014 the twinning outfit placed the satin on the jacket.
\nRon Renigado also made a denim patchwork outfit, but this one was buttoned at the back, and had a denim pussybow and an apron. A matching dress is made similarly but zipped up the front (someone in the show bought this off the runway).
\nSophia Servando made sundresses with printed chintz and batik from curtains and dasters, the average Filipino housedress. Finally, Prince Galang made outfits with a denim lattice. A maxi skirt turned into a mini, and the leftovers fold into a bag. Pants unzipped to turn into shorts, and the extra legs turned into bags.
\nThe winners were Prince Galang, Ron Renigado, and Nino Casiwan.
\nSUSTAINABILITY
\nMs. Belmonte discussed the city\u2019s own sustainability efforts, chief among them the single-use plastic ban and the passage of City Ordinance SP-3472, S-2025, or the Textile Sustainability and Circularity Ordinance of Quezon City. This aims to create a system for the collection, processing, and distribution of textile products for repair, reuse, and recycling. Kilo/s QC, the weight-based secondhand clothing store in the Quezon City Hall complex, uses its proceeds to pay for public school tutoring programs (which reduced by 2,000 children the 7,000 non-reading children in Quezon City).
\n\u201cWe have created readers out of our non-readers because of textile reuse and recycling,\u201d she said in a speech.
\nFurthermore, the project has diverted around 10,000 kilograms worth of clothes from landfills. A Circularity Hub in Payatas launched last year provides livelihood to women there and trains them as weavers for a cultural enterprise. On a smaller scale, the city collects discarded corporate wear to give to job applicants who can\u2019t afford them.
\n\u201cThrough our initiatives, we have shown what sustainability can truly be,\u201d said the mayor. On her own part, Ms. Belmonte said that she regularly repeats outfits, even for special occasions \u2014 so much so, that according to her, people have started to feel sorry for her clothing budget. In a mix of English and Filipino, she said, \u201cWhen it comes to sustainable fashion, one of the strongest messages we can send is using clothes that are already in our wardrobe.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 5\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n RON RENIGADO made a denim patchwork outfit, buttoned at the back, with a denim pussybow and an apron. A matching dress is made similarly but zipped up the front.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n PRINCE GALANG made outfits with a denim lattice. A maxi skirt turned into a mini, and the leftovers fold into a bag. Pants unzipped to turn into shorts, and the extra legs turned into bags.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n NINO CASIWAN used old curtains, kitchen towels, and scrap fabrics from his own studio to make a patchwork shorts set, twinning with a Mod-inspired skirt.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nA Quezon City contest focuses on making new clothes from old\nOLD CLOTHES were given life anew at Retashow, the Quezon City government\u2019s sustainability project that promotes its own textile waste programs. The show, with 10 finalists, awarded three winners with P70,000 each and a plaque.\nThe show was held at SM Fairview on April 24. The clothes were judged by designer Avel Bacudio, director of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DoST-PTRI) Julius Lea\u00f1o, Jr., and Wear Forward founder Prince Jimdel Ventura. The clothes were judged by their wearability as well as the amount of recycled materials used: each outfit had to be made of 70% recycled material.\nThis year \u2014 the contest\u2019s third edition \u2014 the theme was centered around \u201ctwinning,\u201d so designers had to make two looks.\nNino Casiwan used old curtains, kitchen towels, and scrap fabrics from his own studio to make patchwork shorts set, twinning with a Mod-inspired skirt.\nEdel Santiago used discarded white cotton, and dyes using mangosteen, coconut husk, and onions. This made for a rather exciting terno–bolero with a tulip skirt, and a matching wide-lapelled jacket on the male model. Fabric was patched onto lace as a binder.\nJaneth Belchez used sheer fabric made as a balintawak native dress. On this, she used her version of the rags Filipino households sew together from fabric scraps, this time made from satin scrap, which dotted the skirt. On another outfit, puffed sleeves were stuffed with more scraps, giving them volume and movement.\nEvelyn Rocela made clothes for kids: a vest set for a boy was made with woven scraps bound by a base of denim, while a matching outfit on a girl was a full-length coat in this make (very grunge).\nDanryl Purisima made a polo shirt ensemble, and a casual denim look that unfolds into a longer outfit. Jashmin Iballo, meanwhile, used leopard-print scraps, with some avant-garde elements like hoods. Catrina Lopez combined satin ruching with a jean patchwork skirt and a denim corset top \u2014 the twinning outfit placed the satin on the jacket.\nRon Renigado also made a denim patchwork outfit, but this one was buttoned at the back, and had a denim pussybow and an apron. A matching dress is made similarly but zipped up the front (someone in the show bought this off the runway).\nSophia Servando made sundresses with printed chintz and batik from curtains and dasters, the average Filipino housedress. Finally, Prince Galang made outfits with a denim lattice. A maxi skirt turned into a mini, and the leftovers fold into a bag. Pants unzipped to turn into shorts, and the extra legs turned into bags.\nThe winners were Prince Galang, Ron Renigado, and Nino Casiwan.\nSUSTAINABILITY\nMs. Belmonte discussed the city\u2019s own sustainability efforts, chief among them the single-use plastic ban and the passage of City Ordinance SP-3472, S-2025, or the Textile Sustainability and Circularity Ordinance of Quezon City. This aims to create a system for the collection, processing, and distribution of textile products for repair, reuse, and recycling. Kilo/s QC, the weight-based secondhand clothing store in the Quezon City Hall complex, uses its proceeds to pay for public school tutoring programs (which reduced by 2,000 children the 7,000 non-reading children in Quezon City).\n\u201cWe have created readers out of our non-readers because of textile reuse and recycling,\u201d she said in a speech.\nFurthermore, the project has diverted around 10,000 kilograms worth of clothes from landfills. A Circularity Hub in Payatas launched last year provides livelihood to women there and trains them as weavers for a cultural enterprise. On a smaller scale, the city collects discarded corporate wear to give to job applicants who can\u2019t afford them.\n\u201cThrough our initiatives, we have shown what sustainability can truly be,\u201d said the mayor. On her own part, Ms. Belmonte said that she regularly repeats outfits, even for special occasions \u2014 so much so, that according to her, people have started to feel sorry for her clothing budget. In a mix of English and Filipino, she said, \u201cWhen it comes to sustainable fashion, one of the strongest messages we can send is using clothes that are already in our wardrobe.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-05-04T00:05:03+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-05-03T18:58:13+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSF9829.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "OLD CLOTHES were given life anew at Retashow, the Quezon City government\u2019s sustainability project that promotes its own textile waste programs. The show, with 10 finalists, awarded three winners with P70,000 each and a plaque." }, { "id": "/?p=746665", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/05/01/746665/less-glossy/", "title": "Less glossy", "content_html": "By Joseph L. Garcia, Senior Reporter
\nMovie Review
\nThe Devil Wears Prada 2
\nDirected by David Frankel
![\"\"](\"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/The-Devil-Wears-Prada-2-2026.jpg\")
WHEN The Devil Wears Prada came out in 2006, it was the peak of a silver age of magazine publishing. The busy, bridge-burning life cushioned by freebies and proximity to power wasn\u2019t only aspirational \u2014 to some people, it was real. In the same chunk of time (the late 2000s to the early 2010s, right before the explosion of social media that changed all our lives), documentaries that were an answer to The Devil Wears Prada purported to show the reality behind the movie, and sold that life as something we should all want. \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous, Andrea. Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us,\u201d Miranda (the most powerful fashion editor of her day, played by Meryl Streep) told Andy (the newbie who was all of us played by Anne Hathaway).
Twenty years have passed since this exchange, and it\u2019s laughable now how… well, who wants to be us? A cousin once looked me in the eye at dinner, he who worked in influencer marketing, and told me, \u201cBut print is dead.\u201d (Of course, the movie\u2019s Runway magazine and my own career are separated by several layers of power and the veil of reality, but you get my point.)
\nThis is the changing media landscape that both Andy and Miranda now have to face in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which we saw this week through a special screening by Globe. Andy is now a respected journalist in her own right, and Miranda is holding on to her power by just her nails. The first movie opens with Andy brushing her teeth to KT Tunstall\u2019s \u201cSuddenly I See,\u201d the friendly guitar strumming reflecting the innocence of both Andy, and the times. Now, this second movie opens with Dua Lipa\u2019s \u201cEnd of An Era\u201d (but still with Andy brushing her teeth) \u2014 and that basically signals the movie\u2019s plot.
\nAndy wins an award in journalism, and in a beat, her whole team loses their jobs due to corporate layoffs. On the other end of the spectrum, Miranda places her trust in a fast fashion company that turns out to rely on sweatshop labor, and thus becomes fodder for the social media mob\u2019s \u201ccancellation\u201d (a concept unknown in the years of the first movie). Andy is hired by Runway (bypassing Miranda) to solve this morality problem (thus making a statement on how business now has to run on some sort of scale of purity). The rest of the film shows this: how the lives of several people in publishing, living their dream, are hinged on finance, corporate decisions, and website hits.
\nEmily (the first movie\u2019s witty assistant played by Emily Blunt) got off the boat before it started sinking: she plays a supporting role as a fashion executive with whom Miranda now needs to bargain with in order to save the publication. Nigel, Miranda\u2019s right hand, is played still by Stanley Tucci, helping Miranda navigate through the humiliations of her reduced power (no more silver Benzes, just Ubers; no more private jets, just seats in coach).
\nEmily works for Dior \u2014 named in the movie, something we mention because in the first movie, designers were afraid to be in the film for fear of retribution from Vogue editor Anna Wintour, supposedly the inspiration for Miranda Priestly (the book the movie was based on was written by one of her many former assistants, Lauren Weisberger). In the cover story for this month\u2019s Vogue, Ms. Wintour appears next to her film incarnation, Ms. Streep in costume as Miranda \u2014 so we guess she\u2019s given her cool assent to the film. In the interview for the cover, Ms. Streep said, \u201cWell, everybody was afraid of Anna on the first one, so we couldn\u2019t find any clothes. Nobody would give us any clothes.\u201d This silent assent has given the film so much: it allowed more designers and celebrities to make cameos \u2014 Donatella Versace, Marc Jacobs, Lady Gaga, even; but then, also one of the Bush daughters.
\nThe fashion is of course, on point: we saw Chanel, Dior, maybe vintage Halston. The clothes do seem less \u201creal\u201d though: the fashion in the first film could sometimes border on the ridiculous, but maybe because of increased support from designers in the new film, everybody seemed a little too dressed up for day jobs. Still, while it chips away at realism, it helps sell the fantasy.
\nThe movie is shot with less care compared to the first one, perhaps a sign of this period\u2019s more frenetic eye. For example: a sequence with Lady Gaga performing at a fashion show, which should be one of the splashiest scenes, left the eye focusing on nothing and everything. Several scenes where the camera should linger saw quick, confusing pacing.
\nThe acting \u2014 well, there\u2019s a reason why they\u2019re all there for the sequel. They\u2019ve only gotten better, 20 years since.
\nThere are several laughs in the movie \u2014 while we\u2019re supposed to sympathize with poor Miranda losing her power, we laugh at her retorts that have to be shushed by her assistant in the age of smartphones. \u201cWhat can\u2019t I say? Methadone?\u201d Emily is still as cracking smart as a whip, and even in another language: in one of her scenes, she shouts at Donatella Versace in a restaurant in angry, fluent Italian.
\nWe do note, however, that there are less iconic scenes in this movie. No cerulean speech (though the sweater is seen in the movie), no coat-flinging sequence (Miranda has to hang up her own coat, as a gag to her reduced circumstances); hardly anything. There were attempts by both Ms. Streep and Ms. Blunt to have monologues as enduring as in the first one, but they just don\u2019t land the same way.
\nPerhaps the emotional resonance with the film can only come to someone who has lived that life \u2014 and in these times, how many can those be? Oddly enough, our closest parallel is the Queen Mother from The Crown complaining about having to meet commoners in S2E5. \u201cSmall wonder we make such a fuss about curtsies, protocol, and precedent. It\u2019s all we have left. The last scraps of armor as we go from ruling, to reigning… to being nothing at all.\u201d
\nIt\u2019s still a great movie to watch though \u2014 it\u2019s a great snapshot of what we\u2019ve gained and lost in those 20 years. My seatmate during the movie said, \u201cThat\u2019s not a warning. It\u2019s already happened.\u201d
\n", "content_text": "By Joseph L. Garcia, Senior Reporter\nMovie Review\nThe Devil Wears Prada 2\nDirected by David Frankel\nWHEN The Devil Wears Prada came out in 2006, it was the peak of a silver age of magazine publishing. The busy, bridge-burning life cushioned by freebies and proximity to power wasn\u2019t only aspirational \u2014 to some people, it was real. In the same chunk of time (the late 2000s to the early 2010s, right before the explosion of social media that changed all our lives), documentaries that were an answer to The Devil Wears Prada purported to show the reality behind the movie, and sold that life as something we should all want. \u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous, Andrea. Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us,\u201d Miranda (the most powerful fashion editor of her day, played by Meryl Streep) told Andy (the newbie who was all of us played by Anne Hathaway).\nTwenty years have passed since this exchange, and it\u2019s laughable now how… well, who wants to be us? A cousin once looked me in the eye at dinner, he who worked in influencer marketing, and told me, \u201cBut print is dead.\u201d (Of course, the movie\u2019s Runway magazine and my own career are separated by several layers of power and the veil of reality, but you get my point.)\nThis is the changing media landscape that both Andy and Miranda now have to face in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which we saw this week through a special screening by Globe. Andy is now a respected journalist in her own right, and Miranda is holding on to her power by just her nails. The first movie opens with Andy brushing her teeth to KT Tunstall\u2019s \u201cSuddenly I See,\u201d the friendly guitar strumming reflecting the innocence of both Andy, and the times. Now, this second movie opens with Dua Lipa\u2019s \u201cEnd of An Era\u201d (but still with Andy brushing her teeth) \u2014 and that basically signals the movie\u2019s plot.\nAndy wins an award in journalism, and in a beat, her whole team loses their jobs due to corporate layoffs. On the other end of the spectrum, Miranda places her trust in a fast fashion company that turns out to rely on sweatshop labor, and thus becomes fodder for the social media mob\u2019s \u201ccancellation\u201d (a concept unknown in the years of the first movie). Andy is hired by Runway (bypassing Miranda) to solve this morality problem (thus making a statement on how business now has to run on some sort of scale of purity). The rest of the film shows this: how the lives of several people in publishing, living their dream, are hinged on finance, corporate decisions, and website hits.\nEmily (the first movie\u2019s witty assistant played by Emily Blunt) got off the boat before it started sinking: she plays a supporting role as a fashion executive with whom Miranda now needs to bargain with in order to save the publication. Nigel, Miranda\u2019s right hand, is played still by Stanley Tucci, helping Miranda navigate through the humiliations of her reduced power (no more silver Benzes, just Ubers; no more private jets, just seats in coach).\nEmily works for Dior \u2014 named in the movie, something we mention because in the first movie, designers were afraid to be in the film for fear of retribution from Vogue editor Anna Wintour, supposedly the inspiration for Miranda Priestly (the book the movie was based on was written by one of her many former assistants, Lauren Weisberger). In the cover story for this month\u2019s Vogue, Ms. Wintour appears next to her film incarnation, Ms. Streep in costume as Miranda \u2014 so we guess she\u2019s given her cool assent to the film. In the interview for the cover, Ms. Streep said, \u201cWell, everybody was afraid of Anna on the first one, so we couldn\u2019t find any clothes. Nobody would give us any clothes.\u201d This silent assent has given the film so much: it allowed more designers and celebrities to make cameos \u2014 Donatella Versace, Marc Jacobs, Lady Gaga, even; but then, also one of the Bush daughters.\nThe fashion is of course, on point: we saw Chanel, Dior, maybe vintage Halston. The clothes do seem less \u201creal\u201d though: the fashion in the first film could sometimes border on the ridiculous, but maybe because of increased support from designers in the new film, everybody seemed a little too dressed up for day jobs. Still, while it chips away at realism, it helps sell the fantasy.\nThe movie is shot with less care compared to the first one, perhaps a sign of this period\u2019s more frenetic eye. For example: a sequence with Lady Gaga performing at a fashion show, which should be one of the splashiest scenes, left the eye focusing on nothing and everything. Several scenes where the camera should linger saw quick, confusing pacing. \nThe acting \u2014 well, there\u2019s a reason why they\u2019re all there for the sequel. They\u2019ve only gotten better, 20 years since.\nThere are several laughs in the movie \u2014 while we\u2019re supposed to sympathize with poor Miranda losing her power, we laugh at her retorts that have to be shushed by her assistant in the age of smartphones. \u201cWhat can\u2019t I say? Methadone?\u201d Emily is still as cracking smart as a whip, and even in another language: in one of her scenes, she shouts at Donatella Versace in a restaurant in angry, fluent Italian. \nWe do note, however, that there are less iconic scenes in this movie. No cerulean speech (though the sweater is seen in the movie), no coat-flinging sequence (Miranda has to hang up her own coat, as a gag to her reduced circumstances); hardly anything. There were attempts by both Ms. Streep and Ms. Blunt to have monologues as enduring as in the first one, but they just don\u2019t land the same way.\nPerhaps the emotional resonance with the film can only come to someone who has lived that life \u2014 and in these times, how many can those be? Oddly enough, our closest parallel is the Queen Mother from The Crown complaining about having to meet commoners in S2E5. \u201cSmall wonder we make such a fuss about curtsies, protocol, and precedent. It\u2019s all we have left. The last scraps of armor as we go from ruling, to reigning… to being nothing at all.\u201d\nIt\u2019s still a great movie to watch though \u2014 it\u2019s a great snapshot of what we\u2019ve gained and lost in those 20 years. My seatmate during the movie said, \u201cThat\u2019s not a warning. It\u2019s already happened.\u201d", "date_published": "2026-05-01T00:07:09+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-30T18:05:00+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/The-Devil-Wears-Prada-2-2026-thumb.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "WHEN The Devil Wears Prada came out in 2006, it was the peak of a silver age of magazine publishing. The busy, bridge-burning life cushioned by freebies and proximity to power wasn\u2019t only aspirational \u2014 to some people, it was real." }, { "id": "/?p=746379", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/30/746379/going-solo-2/", "title": "Going solo", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nTHE BISTRO GROUP has a new strategy for the increasingly apparent energy crisis brought on by the conflict in the Middle East: solo plates.
\nThis month, we were invited to Bistro Group outlets Longhorn Steakhouse and Las Flores to try out their lunch plate offerings. But they are not the only ones going solo.
\nIn a message to 大象传媒, Lisa Ronquillo-Along, The Bistro Group\u2019s chief marketing officer, said their other restaurants also have solo plates: Juniper offers a la carte bowl meals for lunch, Las Flores and Rumba offer meal sets for lunch, and Ember, The Test Kitchen, and Helm continue to offer their regular a la carte menus. \u201cYou can expect these at all our restaurants. You choose your starter and entr\u00e9e, then a drink. Portions remain substantial, as expected by our guests,\u201d said Ms. Ronquillo-Along.
\n\u201cThe Bistro Group is offering affordable all-day meal sets to attract more diners while balancing value with quality, making our restaurants accessible to a wider market (and especially the Millennials and Gen Z) while maintaining brand loyalty,\u201d she said about the reasons for offering the solo plates. \u201cThese sets are designed to provide a complete meal experience at affordable price points appealing to office workers, families, and casual diners who want a good experience without overspending.\u201d
\nDiscussing how they are adjusting operations amid the energy crisis, she said: \u201cWe have not made any price adjustments. Instead, we optimize sourcing of the same quality ingredients, consolidating raw ingredients used across our brands, looking at cross usage as appropriate.\u201d In the office, they have implemented work-from-home setups to save on energy. \u201cWe are looking within four walls; more cautious spending,\u201d she said.
\nLONGHORN STEAKHOUSE
\nAt LongHorn Steakhouse at the Shangri-La Plaza, the solo plates start at P595, and are available from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each comes with one starter, an entr\u00e9e with sides, and a drink.
Longhorn also added new items to their selection like Buffalo Chicken Bites, Wrangler Fried Chicken Steak, French Onion Pork Cutlet, and Smoky Bacon Glazed Steak.
\nChoices for starters include Mixed Green Salad, Shrimp and Lobster Chowder, Loaded Potato Soup (+P50), Wild West Shrimp (+P45), and Buffalo Chicken Bites (+P125). Of these, our favorite was the surprisingly flavorful and refreshing salad, but especially the Buffalo Chicken Bites with their blue cheese sauce.
\nThe entr\u00e9es are Cowboy Pork Tenderloin, Wrangler Fried Chicken Steak, French Onion Pork Cutlet, Smokey Glazed Bacon Steak (+P140), Baby Back Ribs (+P160), Braised Beef Short Plate (+P160), and the 4 oz 7 Pepper Sirloin (+P650).
\nWe\u2019ve never had anything quite like the Smokey Glazed Bacon Steak, which combines the best of cows and pigs with the taste of beef punching up and meeting with the taste of bacon. The Braised Beef Short Plate was also quite good, with an excellent tender texture. Sides for these are Saut\u00e9ed French Beans & Onions, Corn Riblets, and Glazed Carrots & Baby Corn.
\nFor drinks, diners can choose between Iced Tea and Lemonade, and add P65 to make it refillable.
\nLAS FLORES
\nMeanwhile, over at Las Flores, Bistros\u2019 Spanish-Mediterranean outlet, the new lunch plates pair an appetizer with an entr\u00e9e, complemented by a glass of Calamansi Iced Tea, at P795. The menu was developed by Executive Chef Pablo Ramirez, together with R&D Chef Ana Aguilar and Brand Ambassador Marta Ba\u00f1os.
The appetizers are Salmon Tartare, Beef Carpaccio, Sopas de Verduras (Vegetable Soup), Green Salad, and Caesar Salad. For the entr\u00e9es, they have Pork and Chicken Paella, Canelones, Grilled Salmon Porchetta, and Aglio Olio Pasta. This selection is called \u201cLet\u2019s Do Lunch,\u201d and according to a statement, they\u2019re \u201cdesigned to balance ease and elegance,\u201d and are \u201cperfect for business meetings, relaxed catch-ups, or a quiet solo break amid a busy day.\u201d
\nFor Las Flores, the plates are available at their branches in Bonifacio Global City, Conrad, Greenbelt, Hann, Okada, and Uptown Ritz. LongHorn Steakhouse has branches at Level 1 Streetscape Shangri-La Plaza, and at Level 2, North Entertainment Mall, and SM Mall of Asia. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 3\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n LAS FLORES\u2019 Beef Carpaccio\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Canelones Las Flores\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE\u2019S Smokey Glazed Bacon Steak (bottom) and Buffalo Chicken Bites.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nTHE BISTRO GROUP has a new strategy for the increasingly apparent energy crisis brought on by the conflict in the Middle East: solo plates.\nThis month, we were invited to Bistro Group outlets Longhorn Steakhouse and Las Flores to try out their lunch plate offerings. But they are not the only ones going solo.\nIn a message to 大象传媒, Lisa Ronquillo-Along, The Bistro Group\u2019s chief marketing officer, said their other restaurants also have solo plates: Juniper offers a la carte bowl meals for lunch, Las Flores and Rumba offer meal sets for lunch, and Ember, The Test Kitchen, and Helm continue to offer their regular a la carte menus. \u201cYou can expect these at all our restaurants. You choose your starter and entr\u00e9e, then a drink. Portions remain substantial, as expected by our guests,\u201d said Ms. Ronquillo-Along.\n\u201cThe Bistro Group is offering affordable all-day meal sets to attract more diners while balancing value with quality, making our restaurants accessible to a wider market (and especially the Millennials and Gen Z) while maintaining brand loyalty,\u201d she said about the reasons for offering the solo plates. \u201cThese sets are designed to provide a complete meal experience at affordable price points appealing to office workers, families, and casual diners who want a good experience without overspending.\u201d\nDiscussing how they are adjusting operations amid the energy crisis, she said: \u201cWe have not made any price adjustments. Instead, we optimize sourcing of the same quality ingredients, consolidating raw ingredients used across our brands, looking at cross usage as appropriate.\u201d In the office, they have implemented work-from-home setups to save on energy. \u201cWe are looking within four walls; more cautious spending,\u201d she said.\nLONGHORN STEAKHOUSE\nAt LongHorn Steakhouse at the Shangri-La Plaza, the solo plates start at P595, and are available from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each comes with one starter, an entr\u00e9e with sides, and a drink.\nLonghorn also added new items to their selection like Buffalo Chicken Bites, Wrangler Fried Chicken Steak, French Onion Pork Cutlet, and Smoky Bacon Glazed Steak.\nChoices for starters include Mixed Green Salad, Shrimp and Lobster Chowder, Loaded Potato Soup (+P50), Wild West Shrimp (+P45), and Buffalo Chicken Bites (+P125). Of these, our favorite was the surprisingly flavorful and refreshing salad, but especially the Buffalo Chicken Bites with their blue cheese sauce.\nThe entr\u00e9es are Cowboy Pork Tenderloin, Wrangler Fried Chicken Steak, French Onion Pork Cutlet, Smokey Glazed Bacon Steak (+P140), Baby Back Ribs (+P160), Braised Beef Short Plate (+P160), and the 4 oz 7 Pepper Sirloin (+P650). \nWe\u2019ve never had anything quite like the Smokey Glazed Bacon Steak, which combines the best of cows and pigs with the taste of beef punching up and meeting with the taste of bacon. The Braised Beef Short Plate was also quite good, with an excellent tender texture. Sides for these are Saut\u00e9ed French Beans & Onions, Corn Riblets, and Glazed Carrots & Baby Corn.\nFor drinks, diners can choose between Iced Tea and Lemonade, and add P65 to make it refillable.\nLAS FLORES\nMeanwhile, over at Las Flores, Bistros\u2019 Spanish-Mediterranean outlet, the new lunch plates pair an appetizer with an entr\u00e9e, complemented by a glass of Calamansi Iced Tea, at P795. The menu was developed by Executive Chef Pablo Ramirez, together with R&D Chef Ana Aguilar and Brand Ambassador Marta Ba\u00f1os.\nThe appetizers are Salmon Tartare, Beef Carpaccio, Sopas de Verduras (Vegetable Soup), Green Salad, and Caesar Salad. For the entr\u00e9es, they have Pork and Chicken Paella, Canelones, Grilled Salmon Porchetta, and Aglio Olio Pasta. This selection is called \u201cLet\u2019s Do Lunch,\u201d and according to a statement, they\u2019re \u201cdesigned to balance ease and elegance,\u201d and are \u201cperfect for business meetings, relaxed catch-ups, or a quiet solo break amid a busy day.\u201d\nFor Las Flores, the plates are available at their branches in Bonifacio Global City, Conrad, Greenbelt, Hann, Okada, and Uptown Ritz. LongHorn Steakhouse has branches at Level 1 Streetscape Shangri-La Plaza, and at Level 2, North Entertainment Mall, and SM Mall of Asia. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-30T00:04:42+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-29T18:29:10+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Beef-Carpaccio_Las-Flores.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=746380", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/30/746380/singaporean-stories/", "title": "Singaporean stories", "content_html": "![\"\"](\"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Whole-Crab-with-3-Choices-of-Sauce-1.jpg\")
REAGAN TAN\u2019S restaurant group, Mc Wilson Corp., looks at different cultures through its various restaurants: Gringo Chicken & Ribs (Latin), Tokyo Bubble Tea (Japanese), Honeybon (desserts), Tatatito (Filipino), and Kaokee (Singapore). 大象传媒 went to a tasting at Kaokee\u2019s branch at The Podium on April 17 to see how the group looks at Singaporean Food.
\nWe started off with the egg tarts: extra creamy and runnier than we\u2019re used to, as well as flakier (the crust was like a croissant). No complaints, here; if anything, they\u2019re better than the standard.
\nKaokee then brought out its Roast Hokkien Chicken, with aromatic flesh and a fragrant skin that packs a crispy zing.
\nWe were given three choices for the Singaporean Crab: either in a chili sauce (as in Chili Crab), salted egg, or in garlic oil. The chili sauce wasn\u2019t the fiery exercise it is in Singapore; if anything, this version is a bit too sweet (in a group interview, Mr. Tan admitted to adjusting tastes and spice levels to meet the Filipino palate). The garlic sauce was knife-sharp, and the salted egg version was excellently rich: add that to the almost silvery flesh of the crab and its own sweetish flesh, and you\u2019ve got a good meal.
\nSomething more prosaic is the Beef Shortribs with Black Pepper Sauce: it did, however, have an excellent char, in contrast to the sweetish sauce.
\nThe restaurant had another surprise with the Char Kway Teow, wok-fried noodles with shrimp, squid, pork, and soy-based sauce. Frankly, we were inclined to think this dish was going to be boring, but it was a more than pleasant surprise that this dish seemed to be the most complex: it achieved that smoky flavor one can only get from a wok, and had a light airy consistency, as if still being tossed in a wok while inside your mouth (it\u2019s also one of Mr. Tan\u2019s favorites).
\nThen there was the Hainanese Chicken: succulent, juicy, and tasting almost pure. It is Mr. Tan\u2019s baby. During the COVID 19 pandemic, with his restaurants shuttered, Mr. Tan practiced over and over again how to make Hainanese Chicken at home until he perfected the recipe. He then sold the chicken dish to neighbors, giving him a lifeline during the crisis. After travel restrictions were lifted, he and his team flew to Singapore to research the perfect chicken. This gave him the start for Kaokee, which opened in 2024.
\nThe branch at The Podium is Kaokee\u2019s third. It first opened at Belamy House in Makati in 2024, followed by The Corner House in San Juan.
\nAs a local chain dabbling in foreign cuisine, Mr. Tan said in a group interview that all his restaurants tell a story. \u201cA restaurant for me is telling stories. Doon ko na–eexpress iyong creativity (that\u2019s how I express my creativity),\u201d he said.
\nAccording to him, Kaokee roughly translates to \u201cStall 9\u201d in Hokkien: that\u2019s the number of the stall where he had the best Hainanese Chicken during his research trip in Singapore. Kaokee\u2019s story, then, according to him, is the journey for the food: \u201cThe different hawkers, the different chefs, that we met along the way,\u201d he said.
\nHungry customers can expect more from Mc Wilson Corp. in the near future. They are opening more branches of Tatatito, with a forthcoming one in Mandaluyong in July. Mr. Tan is also cooking up something a bit more chef-driven, with a concept centered around the chef\u2019s specialty, pies. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "WHOLE CRABWITH 3 CHOICES OF SAUCE\nREAGAN TAN\u2019S restaurant group, Mc Wilson Corp., looks at different cultures through its various restaurants: Gringo Chicken & Ribs (Latin), Tokyo Bubble Tea (Japanese), Honeybon (desserts), Tatatito (Filipino), and Kaokee (Singapore). 大象传媒 went to a tasting at Kaokee\u2019s branch at The Podium on April 17 to see how the group looks at Singaporean Food.\nWe started off with the egg tarts: extra creamy and runnier than we\u2019re used to, as well as flakier (the crust was like a croissant). No complaints, here; if anything, they\u2019re better than the standard.\nKaokee then brought out its Roast Hokkien Chicken, with aromatic flesh and a fragrant skin that packs a crispy zing.\nWe were given three choices for the Singaporean Crab: either in a chili sauce (as in Chili Crab), salted egg, or in garlic oil. The chili sauce wasn\u2019t the fiery exercise it is in Singapore; if anything, this version is a bit too sweet (in a group interview, Mr. Tan admitted to adjusting tastes and spice levels to meet the Filipino palate). The garlic sauce was knife-sharp, and the salted egg version was excellently rich: add that to the almost silvery flesh of the crab and its own sweetish flesh, and you\u2019ve got a good meal.\nSomething more prosaic is the Beef Shortribs with Black Pepper Sauce: it did, however, have an excellent char, in contrast to the sweetish sauce.\nThe restaurant had another surprise with the Char Kway Teow, wok-fried noodles with shrimp, squid, pork, and soy-based sauce. Frankly, we were inclined to think this dish was going to be boring, but it was a more than pleasant surprise that this dish seemed to be the most complex: it achieved that smoky flavor one can only get from a wok, and had a light airy consistency, as if still being tossed in a wok while inside your mouth (it\u2019s also one of Mr. Tan\u2019s favorites).\nThen there was the Hainanese Chicken: succulent, juicy, and tasting almost pure. It is Mr. Tan\u2019s baby. During the COVID 19 pandemic, with his restaurants shuttered, Mr. Tan practiced over and over again how to make Hainanese Chicken at home until he perfected the recipe. He then sold the chicken dish to neighbors, giving him a lifeline during the crisis. After travel restrictions were lifted, he and his team flew to Singapore to research the perfect chicken. This gave him the start for Kaokee, which opened in 2024.\nThe branch at The Podium is Kaokee\u2019s third. It first opened at Belamy House in Makati in 2024, followed by The Corner House in San Juan.\nAs a local chain dabbling in foreign cuisine, Mr. Tan said in a group interview that all his restaurants tell a story. \u201cA restaurant for me is telling stories. Doon ko na–eexpress iyong creativity (that\u2019s how I express my creativity),\u201d he said.\nAccording to him, Kaokee roughly translates to \u201cStall 9\u201d in Hokkien: that\u2019s the number of the stall where he had the best Hainanese Chicken during his research trip in Singapore. Kaokee\u2019s story, then, according to him, is the journey for the food: \u201cThe different hawkers, the different chefs, that we met along the way,\u201d he said.\nHungry customers can expect more from Mc Wilson Corp. in the near future. They are opening more branches of Tatatito, with a forthcoming one in Mandaluyong in July. Mr. Tan is also cooking up something a bit more chef-driven, with a concept centered around the chef\u2019s specialty, pies. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-30T00:03:43+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-29T18:25:06+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Whole-Crab-with-3-Choices-of-Sauce.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=745475", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/27/745475/a-safe-space-for-a-haircut/", "title": "A safe space for a haircut", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nCOCO CHANEL once said: \u201cA woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.\u201d But what if the person getting that haircut doesn\u2019t identify as a woman, or does, despite their assigned sex at birth?
\nWe met up with Paul Sumayao, who co-founded Barbierro with his life partner Jedi Directo, on April 23 in the Bi\u00f1an, Laguna branch. Barbierro is billed as the country\u2019s first \u201cqueer\u201d barbershop.
\nHere\u2019s the thing, though: with all the stereotypes about gay men doing hair, doesn\u2019t that mean that all hair spaces are automatically queer? Not quite.
\n\u201cKung babae ka (if you are a woman) or feminine ka, you go to the salon? Pero \u2019pag macho-machohan ka (but if you are macho), you go to the barbershop. But what if you just want a decent haircut?\u201d said Mr. Sumayao.
\nHe gives examples of microaggressions that queer people can encounter in the gendered spaces of barbershops versus hair salons. \u201cWhy is there a dichotomy?\u201d he asked. A queer woman with short hair, for example, can be told that her hair would be better longer, and rebonded and styled. Queer men, in barbershops, would get conversations about sports, women, or other things that they\u2019re boxed out of. Actually, that\u2019s how the kernel of the business started: growing up, he was the one tasked to bring his siblings to the barbershop to get their haircuts. Labeled and treated as a \u201csoftie\u201d by the staff, he said he felt uncomfortable in those spaces.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s claiming safe spaces and queer spaces in areas that were traditionally masculine. If nobody else is claiming it… and no one else is doing anything about microaggressions sa mga (at the) barbershops and salons, bakit hindi namin gawin? (why shouldn\u2019t we be the ones to do it?)\u201d
\nThe staff at Barbierro undergo SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) training twice a year, and the barbershop itself is a member of the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and is recognized by Strands for Trans, a global network of salons identified as safe spaces for trans people. They also practice gender-neutral pricing: he noticed that in salons and barbershops, women automatically get higher pricing (regardless of length and complexity). In Barbierro, haircuts are priced according to length and the time it takes to cut it (from P220 to P330, depending on the seniority of the stylist). \u201cWe want to eliminate that barrier,\u201d he said.
\nFounded in 2022, he remembers that they had a hard time hiring staff at first because the barbers simply didn\u2019t get the idea. Furthermore, some refused because they thought cutting women\u2019s hair impinged on their masculinity. Mr. Sumayao said, \u201cHindi naman kasi kami naga-advocate ng kabaklaan (we\u2019re not advocating for queerness). It\u2019s more really just advocating for a safe space for everyone.\u201d
\nRight now, they have two company-owned branches: this one in Bi\u00f1an and another in Camarines Sur (where he hails from). There will be another soon in Quezon City. They do have a branch opened through a queer-led franchise partner in Sampaloc, Manila, and a forthcoming one in Taft. It\u2019s not that he discriminates, but he prefers queer-led businesses as franchise partners, because otherwise, \u201cAlam ko naman na mahihirapan rin sila (I know non-queer partners will have a hard time) to navigate the whole thing. Especially if they\u2019re not coming from our own native story.\u201d
\nAsked why the branches are located outside the country\u2019s capital, when queer life is so much richer in the city (at least, that\u2019s what it seems like), he replied: \u201cI\u2019ve always felt like an outsider, and I\u2019ve always felt like Manila is not the center. If there are queer spaces in Manila, or in Cebu, in Davao \u2014 kung saan man iyong sentro (wherever the centers are) \u2014 I feel like badings (queer people) in towns, probinsyas (provinces), they also deserve a safe space.\u201d
\nHe campaigned for former vice-president and presidential candidate Leni Robredo down the street in Bi\u00f1an where the barbershop is now located.
\nIn Barbierro\u2019s Instagram account, he once posted that hair is political. \u201cIt\u2019s the easiest part of our body (to use) to make a statement,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the most obvious. It\u2019s what people see first.
\n\u201cThe possibilities are endless. Ang buhok, wala talagang kasarian (hair really has no gender).\u201d
\nAsked how they measure their success, he said, \u201cI would say we succeeded if marami nang gumaya sa amin na barbershop rin (if many barbershops copy us too). We don\u2019t want to be alone forever. The only time that an advocacy succeeds is when we\u2019re no longer needed \u2014 when everything and everywhere is already a safe space.\u201d
\nIn Bi\u00f1an, Laguna, Barbierro is in Unit 1D, Bldg. 1, RJ Titus Building, Brgy. San Francisco, Bi\u00f1an City, Laguna (Flying V Gas Station). In Sampaloc, Barbierro is in 2157 Laong Laan Road, Sampaloc, Manila (across Bulaluhan sa Laong Laan). In Camarines Sur, it\u2019s across the Pili Municipal Hall, Altamarino Bldg., Arejola St., Pili, Camarines Sur. For more details, visit instagram.com/barbierrobarbershop. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 3\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BARBIERROBARBERSHOP\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BARBIERROBARBERSHOP\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BARBIERROBARBERSHOP\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nCOCO CHANEL once said: \u201cA woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.\u201d But what if the person getting that haircut doesn\u2019t identify as a woman, or does, despite their assigned sex at birth?\nWe met up with Paul Sumayao, who co-founded Barbierro with his life partner Jedi Directo, on April 23 in the Bi\u00f1an, Laguna branch. Barbierro is billed as the country\u2019s first \u201cqueer\u201d barbershop.\nHere\u2019s the thing, though: with all the stereotypes about gay men doing hair, doesn\u2019t that mean that all hair spaces are automatically queer? Not quite.\n\u201cKung babae ka (if you are a woman) or feminine ka, you go to the salon? Pero \u2019pag macho-machohan ka (but if you are macho), you go to the barbershop. But what if you just want a decent haircut?\u201d said Mr. Sumayao.\nHe gives examples of microaggressions that queer people can encounter in the gendered spaces of barbershops versus hair salons. \u201cWhy is there a dichotomy?\u201d he asked. A queer woman with short hair, for example, can be told that her hair would be better longer, and rebonded and styled. Queer men, in barbershops, would get conversations about sports, women, or other things that they\u2019re boxed out of. Actually, that\u2019s how the kernel of the business started: growing up, he was the one tasked to bring his siblings to the barbershop to get their haircuts. Labeled and treated as a \u201csoftie\u201d by the staff, he said he felt uncomfortable in those spaces.\n\u201cIt\u2019s claiming safe spaces and queer spaces in areas that were traditionally masculine. If nobody else is claiming it… and no one else is doing anything about microaggressions sa mga (at the) barbershops and salons, bakit hindi namin gawin? (why shouldn\u2019t we be the ones to do it?)\u201d\nThe staff at Barbierro undergo SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) training twice a year, and the barbershop itself is a member of the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and is recognized by Strands for Trans, a global network of salons identified as safe spaces for trans people. They also practice gender-neutral pricing: he noticed that in salons and barbershops, women automatically get higher pricing (regardless of length and complexity). In Barbierro, haircuts are priced according to length and the time it takes to cut it (from P220 to P330, depending on the seniority of the stylist). \u201cWe want to eliminate that barrier,\u201d he said.\nFounded in 2022, he remembers that they had a hard time hiring staff at first because the barbers simply didn\u2019t get the idea. Furthermore, some refused because they thought cutting women\u2019s hair impinged on their masculinity. Mr. Sumayao said, \u201cHindi naman kasi kami naga-advocate ng kabaklaan (we\u2019re not advocating for queerness). It\u2019s more really just advocating for a safe space for everyone.\u201d\nRight now, they have two company-owned branches: this one in Bi\u00f1an and another in Camarines Sur (where he hails from). There will be another soon in Quezon City. They do have a branch opened through a queer-led franchise partner in Sampaloc, Manila, and a forthcoming one in Taft. It\u2019s not that he discriminates, but he prefers queer-led businesses as franchise partners, because otherwise, \u201cAlam ko naman na mahihirapan rin sila (I know non-queer partners will have a hard time) to navigate the whole thing. Especially if they\u2019re not coming from our own native story.\u201d\nAsked why the branches are located outside the country\u2019s capital, when queer life is so much richer in the city (at least, that\u2019s what it seems like), he replied: \u201cI\u2019ve always felt like an outsider, and I\u2019ve always felt like Manila is not the center. If there are queer spaces in Manila, or in Cebu, in Davao \u2014 kung saan man iyong sentro (wherever the centers are) \u2014 I feel like badings (queer people) in towns, probinsyas (provinces), they also deserve a safe space.\u201d\nHe campaigned for former vice-president and presidential candidate Leni Robredo down the street in Bi\u00f1an where the barbershop is now located.\nIn Barbierro\u2019s Instagram account, he once posted that hair is political. \u201cIt\u2019s the easiest part of our body (to use) to make a statement,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the most obvious. It\u2019s what people see first.\n\u201cThe possibilities are endless. Ang buhok, wala talagang kasarian (hair really has no gender).\u201d\nAsked how they measure their success, he said, \u201cI would say we succeeded if marami nang gumaya sa amin na barbershop rin (if many barbershops copy us too). We don\u2019t want to be alone forever. The only time that an advocacy succeeds is when we\u2019re no longer needed \u2014 when everything and everywhere is already a safe space.\u201d\nIn Bi\u00f1an, Laguna, Barbierro is in Unit 1D, Bldg. 1, RJ Titus Building, Brgy. San Francisco, Bi\u00f1an City, Laguna (Flying V Gas Station). In Sampaloc, Barbierro is in 2157 Laong Laan Road, Sampaloc, Manila (across Bulaluhan sa Laong Laan). In Camarines Sur, it\u2019s across the Pili Municipal Hall, Altamarino Bldg., Arejola St., Pili, Camarines Sur. For more details, visit instagram.com/barbierrobarbershop. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-27T00:06:35+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-26T18:48:01+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/608871061_852362624223672_6562867245470397448_n.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=744806", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/23/744806/madrid-fusion-manila-returns-well-sort-of/", "title": "Madrid Fusion Manila returns (well, sort of)", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nFROM 2016 to 2017, Manila moved closer to the center of the culinary world due to Madrid Fusion Manila, the then-only Asian offshoot of the world-famous food congress held in Madrid, Spain. The project was shelved in 2018 after an administration change.
\nOn April 20, 10 years after Madrid Fusion first arrived here, we got a peek at the past with Spain Fusion, a project by Vocento Gastronom\u00eda, the organizer of Madrid Fusion. This was held at The Westin Manila in the Ortigas Center. For the past five years, Spain Fusion has been traveling the world, from Zurich to Houston. It\u2019s not quite the same as its older sibling.
\n\u201cIn Madrid Fusion, we are looking at the global situation of the global scene of cuisine. An international point of view of different cuisines, chefs, and also trends in gastronomy,\u201d said Benjamin Lana, managing director of Vocento Gastronom\u00eda in a group interview. \u201cWhen we\u2019re pushing the name of Spain Fusion, we are trying to show the rest of the world Spanish cuisine.\u201d
\nSpain Fusion is organized with the support of Foods and Wines from Spain (FWS), a promotion program run by ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, whose role is to promote exports of Spanish food products to Spain\u2019s priority markets, introducing new products and developing the market for more established ones. \u201cThis is a relationship quite close with the Spanish government. They want to share a little bit more about the knowledge nowadays of Spanish cuisine in many countries.\u201d In short, while Madrid Fusion is a food congress, Spain Fusion functions a bit as a traveling caravan promoting Spanish goods through talks about Spanish cuisine.
\nSpain Fusion included talks about Spanish wines by Master of Wine Fernando Mora, talks by celebrity chefs Albert Adri\u00e0 and Ricardo Camarena, a cooking demo with olive oil by Chele Gonzalez, and talks about Spanish olive oil by Castillo de Canena\u2019s Rosa Vano and \u201cfood fetishist\u201d Alfonso Fernandez. The event wouldn\u2019t be culinary without food: tapas were shared freely during the wine tastings. (Memorable was an egg by Mr. Adri\u00e0 \u2014 frozen and vacuum sublimated to extract all moisture from the egg, then fried. This resulted in a crispy egg \u2014 like the crispy, lacy edges as they like it in Spain, but all over instead of on the edges. This was topped off with caviar and a pasteurized egg yolk. )
\nAbout the possibility of returning Madrid Fusion Manila here, he said, \u201cWe would like to be here again.\u201d But: \u201cWe need big support from the local institutions or the companies. Now there is (none) of that. We\u2019d like to be here in the Philippines. We will be trying to focus here to create events or trying to work with the local restaurants or with the companies.\u201d
\nPointing to the presence of the Michelin Guide here, he says, \u201cAfter the government took the decision of the Michelin Guide, I suppose… They are trying to put that idea.\u201d
\n\u201cThere is no problem to have the Michelin Guide and to have another international congress as Madrid Fusion. But for that you need support and money.\u201d
\nHe said that they are developing projects in different parts of Asia. \u201cWe have smaller Madrid Fusions. We have one now in June, it\u2019s going to be in Tokyo, for the third edition in Japan.
\n\u201cThis was more or less the same idea that it was in Manila, but smaller. A pocket version of that.\u201d
\nAsked if they plan to make Manila a regular stop for Spain Fusion, at least, he said, \u201cWe would like, but we don\u2019t know. We are in the middle of the event. We have to finish the event; we have to check if it has been successful, and what is the answer of the local sector.
\n\u201cIf possible, I would like to be here.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 2\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n SPANISH Master of Wine Fernando Mora led the tasting of Spanish red and white wines.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FROZEN, vacuum-sublimated, fried egg, topped off with caviar and a pasteurized egg yolk by chef Albert Adri\u00e0\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nFROM 2016 to 2017, Manila moved closer to the center of the culinary world due to Madrid Fusion Manila, the then-only Asian offshoot of the world-famous food congress held in Madrid, Spain. The project was shelved in 2018 after an administration change.\nOn April 20, 10 years after Madrid Fusion first arrived here, we got a peek at the past with Spain Fusion, a project by Vocento Gastronom\u00eda, the organizer of Madrid Fusion. This was held at The Westin Manila in the Ortigas Center. For the past five years, Spain Fusion has been traveling the world, from Zurich to Houston. It\u2019s not quite the same as its older sibling.\n\u201cIn Madrid Fusion, we are looking at the global situation of the global scene of cuisine. An international point of view of different cuisines, chefs, and also trends in gastronomy,\u201d said Benjamin Lana, managing director of Vocento Gastronom\u00eda in a group interview. \u201cWhen we\u2019re pushing the name of Spain Fusion, we are trying to show the rest of the world Spanish cuisine.\u201d\nSpain Fusion is organized with the support of Foods and Wines from Spain (FWS), a promotion program run by ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, whose role is to promote exports of Spanish food products to Spain\u2019s priority markets, introducing new products and developing the market for more established ones. \u201cThis is a relationship quite close with the Spanish government. They want to share a little bit more about the knowledge nowadays of Spanish cuisine in many countries.\u201d In short, while Madrid Fusion is a food congress, Spain Fusion functions a bit as a traveling caravan promoting Spanish goods through talks about Spanish cuisine.\nSpain Fusion included talks about Spanish wines by Master of Wine Fernando Mora, talks by celebrity chefs Albert Adri\u00e0 and Ricardo Camarena, a cooking demo with olive oil by Chele Gonzalez, and talks about Spanish olive oil by Castillo de Canena\u2019s Rosa Vano and \u201cfood fetishist\u201d Alfonso Fernandez. The event wouldn\u2019t be culinary without food: tapas were shared freely during the wine tastings. (Memorable was an egg by Mr. Adri\u00e0 \u2014 frozen and vacuum sublimated to extract all moisture from the egg, then fried. This resulted in a crispy egg \u2014 like the crispy, lacy edges as they like it in Spain, but all over instead of on the edges. This was topped off with caviar and a pasteurized egg yolk. ) \nAbout the possibility of returning Madrid Fusion Manila here, he said, \u201cWe would like to be here again.\u201d But: \u201cWe need big support from the local institutions or the companies. Now there is (none) of that. We\u2019d like to be here in the Philippines. We will be trying to focus here to create events or trying to work with the local restaurants or with the companies.\u201d\nPointing to the presence of the Michelin Guide here, he says, \u201cAfter the government took the decision of the Michelin Guide, I suppose… They are trying to put that idea.\u201d\n\u201cThere is no problem to have the Michelin Guide and to have another international congress as Madrid Fusion. But for that you need support and money.\u201d\nHe said that they are developing projects in different parts of Asia. \u201cWe have smaller Madrid Fusions. We have one now in June, it\u2019s going to be in Tokyo, for the third edition in Japan.\n\u201cThis was more or less the same idea that it was in Manila, but smaller. A pocket version of that.\u201d\nAsked if they plan to make Manila a regular stop for Spain Fusion, at least, he said, \u201cWe would like, but we don\u2019t know. We are in the middle of the event. We have to finish the event; we have to check if it has been successful, and what is the answer of the local sector.\n\u201cIf possible, I would like to be here.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-23T00:06:44+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-22T19:06:16+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ORBL0608.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=744805", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/23/744805/life-after-a-legend/", "title": "Life after a legend", "content_html": "IT\u2019S BEEN almost 15 years to the day since the closing of El Bulli, the restaurant run by the Adri\u00e0 brothers. One of the cradles of molecular gastronomy \u2014 which has since seen its day, but its imprimatur lasts \u2014 it collected Michelin stars like candy. It gained its first star in 1976 under Jean-Louis Neichel, but after Ferran Adri\u00e0 joined the staff in 1984, the restaurant began its reign as one of the world\u2019s best restaurants (if not \u201cthe\u201d), gaining its third star in 1997.
\nThe restaurant closed its doors in 2011. Its loss is still mourned in the culinary world. The restaurant survives in a different capacity as elBullifoundation, a gastronomic resource and research facility.
\nFerran\u2019s younger brother Albert, who was El Bulli\u2019s creative director and pastry chef, was in the Philippines in April 20 as one of the speakers at Spain Fusion: The Premium Experience. The talk was organized by Vocento Gastronom\u00eda, also the organizer of world-renowned food congress Madrid Fusion (see main story, \u201cMadrid Fusion Manila returns\u201d).
\nHe\u2019s been busy since El Bulli\u2019s closure: during his talk he spoke of projects he had done since. There was Barcelona\u2019s Tickets, which was in 2019, No. 20 on Restaurant Magazine\u2019s list of The World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants. It closed its doors in 2020, just like another award-winning restaurant of the brothers, Pakta. Current projects he\u2019s running include Enigma in Barcelona, which is No. 34 in The World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants list. In his talk, he said (through a translator) that 1,200 dishes come out of their kitchen every day from Monday to Friday, with about 55 workers.
\n大象传媒, in an interview, asked him what it\u2019s like to live after reaching the very top of the world. \u201cEach time in life has its moments,\u201d he said through a translator. \u201cEl Bulli is obviously the past \u2014 a very, very important part. It changed many things.\u201d
\nStill, \u201cI don\u2019t think of the past or the future. I focus on today.\u201d
\nAsked why they closed then, at the very height of their power (though there are reports of the restaurant simply not making enough money): \u201cWe had already given our lives to El Bulli. We were getting older. We were having children, having a family. We thought (it) the best moment to close and start anew.\u201d
\nAROMAS AND JOKES
\nHe had a hectic few days. He had flown in from Rio de Janeiro the night before he gave the talk at Spain Fusion, doing a dinner at Gallery by Chele, then flying off to Shanghai right after.
Speaking to 大象传媒 without a translator after the talk, he joked, \u201cI retired at 50.\u201d With a real age of 56, we joked that he looked 10 years younger. \u201cWithout jet lag, 35,\u201d he answered.
\nWe asked about his first memory of food, and he said, \u201cIt was not food. It was aromas. Smells.\u201d
\nThese were the aromas emanating from pots in the kitchen while his mother was cooking.
\nIn Diane Ackerman\u2019s A Natural History of the Senses, she posits that the sense of smell is the most emotive due to its direct link to the brain. \u201cA smell can be overwhelmingly nostalgic because it triggers powerful images and emotions before we have time to edit them.\u201d
\n\u201cAnother aroma is from the pizza,\u201d he told us. \u201cWhen you make an artisanal pizza, each aroma is different. The mix of the flavors, with the cheese and the tomato, and the duck, it\u2019s one of the most beautiful sensations.\u201d
\nMr. Adri\u00e0 will probably be remembered to the end of his life as one of the world\u2019s greatest chefs. Asked about what a legend eats on weekends, he said that he lives in front of the Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, one of the world\u2019s most famous markets (a fitting address). \u201cWhen I\u2019m home, I cook a lot of vegetables. I really love vegetables Asian-style. Like in a wok. I fry. Very simple. Nothing special.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "IT\u2019S BEEN almost 15 years to the day since the closing of El Bulli, the restaurant run by the Adri\u00e0 brothers. One of the cradles of molecular gastronomy \u2014 which has since seen its day, but its imprimatur lasts \u2014 it collected Michelin stars like candy. It gained its first star in 1976 under Jean-Louis Neichel, but after Ferran Adri\u00e0 joined the staff in 1984, the restaurant began its reign as one of the world\u2019s best restaurants (if not \u201cthe\u201d), gaining its third star in 1997.\nThe restaurant closed its doors in 2011. Its loss is still mourned in the culinary world. The restaurant survives in a different capacity as elBullifoundation, a gastronomic resource and research facility.\nFerran\u2019s younger brother Albert, who was El Bulli\u2019s creative director and pastry chef, was in the Philippines in April 20 as one of the speakers at Spain Fusion: The Premium Experience. The talk was organized by Vocento Gastronom\u00eda, also the organizer of world-renowned food congress Madrid Fusion (see main story, \u201cMadrid Fusion Manila returns\u201d).\nHe\u2019s been busy since El Bulli\u2019s closure: during his talk he spoke of projects he had done since. There was Barcelona\u2019s Tickets, which was in 2019, No. 20 on Restaurant Magazine\u2019s list of The World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants. It closed its doors in 2020, just like another award-winning restaurant of the brothers, Pakta. Current projects he\u2019s running include Enigma in Barcelona, which is No. 34 in The World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants list. In his talk, he said (through a translator) that 1,200 dishes come out of their kitchen every day from Monday to Friday, with about 55 workers.\n大象传媒, in an interview, asked him what it\u2019s like to live after reaching the very top of the world. \u201cEach time in life has its moments,\u201d he said through a translator. \u201cEl Bulli is obviously the past \u2014 a very, very important part. It changed many things.\u201d\nStill, \u201cI don\u2019t think of the past or the future. I focus on today.\u201d\nAsked why they closed then, at the very height of their power (though there are reports of the restaurant simply not making enough money): \u201cWe had already given our lives to El Bulli. We were getting older. We were having children, having a family. We thought (it) the best moment to close and start anew.\u201d\nAROMAS AND JOKES\nHe had a hectic few days. He had flown in from Rio de Janeiro the night before he gave the talk at Spain Fusion, doing a dinner at Gallery by Chele, then flying off to Shanghai right after.\nSpeaking to 大象传媒 without a translator after the talk, he joked, \u201cI retired at 50.\u201d With a real age of 56, we joked that he looked 10 years younger. \u201cWithout jet lag, 35,\u201d he answered.\nWe asked about his first memory of food, and he said, \u201cIt was not food. It was aromas. Smells.\u201d\nThese were the aromas emanating from pots in the kitchen while his mother was cooking.\nIn Diane Ackerman\u2019s A Natural History of the Senses, she posits that the sense of smell is the most emotive due to its direct link to the brain. \u201cA smell can be overwhelmingly nostalgic because it triggers powerful images and emotions before we have time to edit them.\u201d\n\u201cAnother aroma is from the pizza,\u201d he told us. \u201cWhen you make an artisanal pizza, each aroma is different. The mix of the flavors, with the cheese and the tomato, and the duck, it\u2019s one of the most beautiful sensations.\u201d\nMr. Adri\u00e0 will probably be remembered to the end of his life as one of the world\u2019s greatest chefs. Asked about what a legend eats on weekends, he said that he lives in front of the Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona, one of the world\u2019s most famous markets (a fitting address). \u201cWhen I\u2019m home, I cook a lot of vegetables. I really love vegetables Asian-style. Like in a wok. I fry. Very simple. Nothing special.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-23T00:05:44+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-22T19:04:34+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CHEF-ALBERT-ADRIA.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=743900", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/20/743900/looks-good-on-you/", "title": "Looks good on you", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nIF YOU THINK color analysis, as popularized on social media, just means draping cloths to determine which color looks good on you, then you\u2019ve got to talk to Carla Pamela Florin, president and chief executive officer of The Lookbook Style Studio.
\nMs. Florin was a guest lecturer at the Korean Cultural Center\u2019s K-Beauty Week at its Taguig site. The event runs from April 15 to 23. During her class, she explained what goes on into color analysis and how it helps everyday life.
\nFor example, it\u2019s not just a matter of vanity. She said that it saves time and energy: \u201cWhen you go shopping, you just go directly to that specific color,\u201d she said, eliminating trial and error.
\nColors are grouped according to season: Spring and Autumn are warm; Summer and Winter depend on cool tones. How they interact with your skin depends on one\u2019s undertone: more pinkish undertones mean one has a cooler palette while more yellowish undertones mean a warmer palette. The skin\u2019s surface is affected by things like sun exposure and genetics. Contrary to popular belief, many Filipinos, despite what seems to be a uniformly brownish tone, lean more towards cooler palettes due to pink undertones. \u201cIt\u2019s actually based on your blood,\u201d she says about the science of it. More hemoglobin in your blood gives you a pink undertone, while more carotene in your body gives the yellow tones.
\nDuring her demo, she showed with a volunteer what goes on in a class. Despite the numerous white lights on the model, she says that during consultations, they depend more on natural light. They can\u2019t use yellow light as it gives a person a deceptive warm glow, while they need to control the brightness of the white light because it will then make a person look too pale.
\nShe works with the Korean color system, which she says differs from the Western system. The Korean system is based more on lightness, or color value, due to the nature of East Asian pale skin. The Western system depends on the color\u2019s saturation, due to the diversity of hair, eye, and skin color present in the West.
\nLighting is a factor as well (just look at how sunlight differs here and in other countries). That\u2019s why she\u2019s planning to develop a more Filipino-centric color analysis course. \u201cWe have a different concept of beauty here in the Philippines. We have a different climate. And our average color is different,\u201d she said in a mixture of English and Filipino. \u201cI think it would be more into saturation as well. We\u2019re medium-colored.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re also researching what are the usual colors from our local brands,\u201d she says, the better to fit this Filipino-centric color analysis, should it come to fruition. For this she uses her background as a sales analyst. She went into personal image consultancy and color analysis (earning her certifications from Malaysia, Japan, and Korea) as a second chapter after retirement (while being helped by her daughters: one an interior designer and the other in business).
\nOne assumes a large celebrity clientele (which is true), but many of her clients come from the professional class: doctors, lawyers, accountants. One such doctor, an oncologist, asked for her advice. \u201cShe wears dark colors. She felt that it\u2019s more professional.\u201d After figuring out that she looked good in cooler, paler summer tones, she concluded with the doctor: \u201cIt also helps how your patients see you. It\u2019s not going to be so dark,\u201d since the doctor\u2019s work in cancer was very serious.
\nOf course, we don\u2019t have to follow what color analysts say \u2014 clothing is a way to express ourselves in the world, and a specific color palette might disrupt that. \u201cAt the end of the day, it still boils down to your preference and what you want.\u201d
\nVisit https://lookbookstylestudio.com/ for more information. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 3\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n LOOKBOOKSTYLESTUDIO.COM\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n LOOKBOOKSTYLESTUDIO.COM\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n MOTHER-AND-DAUGHTERS team Carla Pamela (center), Addie, and Naomi Florin offer personal color analysis at The Lookbook Style Studio. \u2014 LOOKBOOKSTYLESTUDIO.COM\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nIF YOU THINK color analysis, as popularized on social media, just means draping cloths to determine which color looks good on you, then you\u2019ve got to talk to Carla Pamela Florin, president and chief executive officer of The Lookbook Style Studio.\nMs. Florin was a guest lecturer at the Korean Cultural Center\u2019s K-Beauty Week at its Taguig site. The event runs from April 15 to 23. During her class, she explained what goes on into color analysis and how it helps everyday life.\nFor example, it\u2019s not just a matter of vanity. She said that it saves time and energy: \u201cWhen you go shopping, you just go directly to that specific color,\u201d she said, eliminating trial and error.\nColors are grouped according to season: Spring and Autumn are warm; Summer and Winter depend on cool tones. How they interact with your skin depends on one\u2019s undertone: more pinkish undertones mean one has a cooler palette while more yellowish undertones mean a warmer palette. The skin\u2019s surface is affected by things like sun exposure and genetics. Contrary to popular belief, many Filipinos, despite what seems to be a uniformly brownish tone, lean more towards cooler palettes due to pink undertones. \u201cIt\u2019s actually based on your blood,\u201d she says about the science of it. More hemoglobin in your blood gives you a pink undertone, while more carotene in your body gives the yellow tones.\nDuring her demo, she showed with a volunteer what goes on in a class. Despite the numerous white lights on the model, she says that during consultations, they depend more on natural light. They can\u2019t use yellow light as it gives a person a deceptive warm glow, while they need to control the brightness of the white light because it will then make a person look too pale.\nShe works with the Korean color system, which she says differs from the Western system. The Korean system is based more on lightness, or color value, due to the nature of East Asian pale skin. The Western system depends on the color\u2019s saturation, due to the diversity of hair, eye, and skin color present in the West.\nLighting is a factor as well (just look at how sunlight differs here and in other countries). That\u2019s why she\u2019s planning to develop a more Filipino-centric color analysis course. \u201cWe have a different concept of beauty here in the Philippines. We have a different climate. And our average color is different,\u201d she said in a mixture of English and Filipino. \u201cI think it would be more into saturation as well. We\u2019re medium-colored.\n\u201cWe\u2019re also researching what are the usual colors from our local brands,\u201d she says, the better to fit this Filipino-centric color analysis, should it come to fruition. For this she uses her background as a sales analyst. She went into personal image consultancy and color analysis (earning her certifications from Malaysia, Japan, and Korea) as a second chapter after retirement (while being helped by her daughters: one an interior designer and the other in business).\nOne assumes a large celebrity clientele (which is true), but many of her clients come from the professional class: doctors, lawyers, accountants. One such doctor, an oncologist, asked for her advice. \u201cShe wears dark colors. She felt that it\u2019s more professional.\u201d After figuring out that she looked good in cooler, paler summer tones, she concluded with the doctor: \u201cIt also helps how your patients see you. It\u2019s not going to be so dark,\u201d since the doctor\u2019s work in cancer was very serious.\nOf course, we don\u2019t have to follow what color analysts say \u2014 clothing is a way to express ourselves in the world, and a specific color palette might disrupt that. \u201cAt the end of the day, it still boils down to your preference and what you want.\u201d\nVisit https://lookbookstylestudio.com/ for more information. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-20T00:08:56+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-19T18:03:06+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/686399ca5ffbef09d69af379.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=743899", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/20/743899/luxurious-summer/", "title": "Luxurious summer", "content_html": "RUSTAN\u2019S gave a taste of its summer offerings at a fashion show at Rustan\u2019s Makati on April 17 that unveiled their summer campaign, \u201cBeneath the Riviera Sun.\u201d
\nWhile the word \u201criviera\u201d comes from Italy (it means \u201ccoastline\u201d), it\u2019s become more closely associated with its neighbor, France and its southeastern coast. Either way, wherever there\u2019s a shoreline, one can wear Riviera-style fashions.
\nThe show began with a white embroidered blouse paired with jean shorts and a luxury wicker bag from Rodo. Next came three flower-sprigged dresses in different cuts: one was draped on one shoulder like on a Greek statue, the other one had a high neck and cap sleeves but a tiered skirt, while the last one had a bit of a plunging neckline. Darker dresses and a matching set appeared, more appropriate for evening, when there\u2019s less sun. After this was a heavily embroidered pink coat from Criselda, but paired with a green swimsuit.
\nIt\u2019s a little more staid with the men: think a taupe chore jacket with a white T-shirt and jeans, then a crumpled sky-blue linen shirt. A couple came out in matching pink shirts and white pants, showing that the color travels between sexes. Kids were in on the fun too: there was a boy in beige separates looking like he was wearing a safari suit, flanked by a girl in a shift dress with a red pattern. Finally, a family in white and navy came out on the runway.
\nIn a statement, the store said, \u201cRustan\u2019s presents more than just a seasonal update. It offers a complete expression of summer living, where style, experience, and atmosphere come together in a way that feels effortless, refined, and distinctly its own.\u201d \u2014 JL Garcia
\n", "content_text": "RUSTAN\u2019S gave a taste of its summer offerings at a fashion show at Rustan\u2019s Makati on April 17 that unveiled their summer campaign, \u201cBeneath the Riviera Sun.\u201d\nWhile the word \u201criviera\u201d comes from Italy (it means \u201ccoastline\u201d), it\u2019s become more closely associated with its neighbor, France and its southeastern coast. Either way, wherever there\u2019s a shoreline, one can wear Riviera-style fashions.\nThe show began with a white embroidered blouse paired with jean shorts and a luxury wicker bag from Rodo. Next came three flower-sprigged dresses in different cuts: one was draped on one shoulder like on a Greek statue, the other one had a high neck and cap sleeves but a tiered skirt, while the last one had a bit of a plunging neckline. Darker dresses and a matching set appeared, more appropriate for evening, when there\u2019s less sun. After this was a heavily embroidered pink coat from Criselda, but paired with a green swimsuit.\nIt\u2019s a little more staid with the men: think a taupe chore jacket with a white T-shirt and jeans, then a crumpled sky-blue linen shirt. A couple came out in matching pink shirts and white pants, showing that the color travels between sexes. Kids were in on the fun too: there was a boy in beige separates looking like he was wearing a safari suit, flanked by a girl in a shift dress with a red pattern. Finally, a family in white and navy came out on the runway.\nIn a statement, the store said, \u201cRustan\u2019s presents more than just a seasonal update. It offers a complete expression of summer living, where style, experience, and atmosphere come together in a way that feels effortless, refined, and distinctly its own.\u201d \u2014 JL Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-20T00:06:56+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-19T18:00:39+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Rustans-.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=743114", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/16/743114/forget-the-wine-pair-chinese-dishes-with-sparkling-tea/", "title": "Forget the wine, pair Chinese dishes with sparkling tea", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nDURING pairing dinners at restaurants, we\u2019re usually given wine or some other alcohol. At a dinner on March 26 at No. 8 at Grand Hyatt Manila, we were given two novelties: one, the food was paired with tea, and two, the tea was sparkling. The evening was thus wholesome, and we were still wide awake at the end of it.
\nMindful Sparks, a company from Hong Kong and the official tea partner of the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau in 2024, recently partnered up with the hotel.
\nThe dinner tea pairing was a little bit ad hoc, and our host just ordered off the menu \u2014 perhaps the better to enjoy the tea in a more natural setting. Three teas, packaged and poured like champagne, were offered to us: Yuzu Genmaicha, Osmanthus Golden Oolong, and White Peach Earl Grey. We noticed at first sniff that the Yuzu Genmaicha was very fragrant and had a rich, hay-like scent. The Oolong Osmanthus was richly fragrant with floral notes, and we thought it would be our favorite, but we noted that it had a flat taste that would benefit from some sugar (or maybe that was just us). The White Peach Earl Grey tea by itself was very elegant and had a well-balanced and complex taste.
\nNow on to the dinner: we started out with a West Lake Minced Beef Soup with coriander, tofu, and egg whites. We paired that with the Yuzu (we paired with intuition; the dinner had no rules), and we found the soup filling and warming, with a nice, gentle umami note. This umami note was tempered by the yuzu tea, preventing it from becoming too rich.
\nA dish of Spicy Poached Clams was next, which we were sure would benefit what we thought was the blank canvas of the oolong. We were wrong, and gladly so: the oolong gave a little sparkle to the otherwise flavor-packed clams. This was followed by Braised Chilean Sea Bass with ginger, garlic, and black bean. The dish, served sizzling in a rock bowl, combined light flesh with a rich sauce. Paired with the oolong, it brought out the more oceanic flavors of the dish, but playing around by pairing it with the yuzu, we noticed it brought out the fish\u2019s sweetness and delicacy.
\nNext came a Barbeque Combination Platter with roast duck, air-dried beef, jellyfish, and char siu. With the oolong tea, it gave a canvas for the zing of the jellyfish to come out. The white peach tea, meanwhile, tempered the rather strong flavors of the air-dried beef. The yuzu added sweetness and juiciness to the pork char siu, while the oolong provided further complexity and fragrance to the duck.
\nWe paired a dish of Scallops and Broccoli with the yuzu tea, and the pairing gave some zest to the sweet flesh of the scallops.
\nWe ended the meal with a Peking Duck with all the works: we were surprised at the quality this restaurant could offer, jaded as we were with the multiple ducks to be found in the city. Theirs had a very thin, almost airy skin with a noisy crack: almost as if its fat was bubbling just under the surface, waiting for one\u2019s bite. We didn\u2019t have a hard time pairing this duck with anything: it was perfect by itself and went with everything.
\nLucy Chen, restaurant manager at No. 8 China House, said that they started this promotion with sparkling teas because it reminded them of the trendy drink Kombucha (also a bubbly tea drink). \u201cWe sense that if we added different scents of tea, and different flavors, that can enhance the tea taste,\u201d said Ms. Chen. \u201cChinese cuisine sometimes, we think that it\u2019s a little bit greasy, and a little bit heavy,\u201d she said. \u201cWith this refreshing and bubbly tea, it will enhance the whole dining experience.\u201d
\nNo. 8 China House doesn\u2019t quite have the buzz we think it deserves (we suppose it\u2019s because of its location, tucked away in the hotel; and the fierce competition from more established names). Ms. Chen, just starting her term last month, is making a few changes. They\u2019re coming up with single, signature-dish set menus to cater to solo diners. \u201cFor Chinese cuisine, usually, the ordinary thinking is that it\u2019s for family dinners, or it\u2019s all family-style,\u201d she said.
\nShe\u2019s also planning to push the restaurant to the Filipino Chinese and the Chinese community in the Philippines, and said they\u2019d \u201cBring out the authentic Chinese cuisine to the Filipino.\u201d She added, \u201cTaste the authentic Chinese cuisine, without going to China. You can taste the real taste outside China.\u201d
\nThe tea collection is available at No. 8 China House (at the 5th floor, Grand Hyatt Manila) for lunch and dinner, served by the glass or bottle alongside free-flowing dim sum for lunch from Mondays to Saturdays, as well as curated tasting menus and \u00e0 la carte selections offered for lunch and dinner daily. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 3\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n MINDFUL SPARKS\u2019 White Peach Earl Grey, Osmanthus Golden Oolong and Yuzu Genmaicha.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n No. 8 China House Cantonese Barbecued Combination with roasted duck, barbecued pork, jellyfish and air-dried beef\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Braised Chilean Sea Bass with ginger, garlic, and black bean\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nDURING pairing dinners at restaurants, we\u2019re usually given wine or some other alcohol. At a dinner on March 26 at No. 8 at Grand Hyatt Manila, we were given two novelties: one, the food was paired with tea, and two, the tea was sparkling. The evening was thus wholesome, and we were still wide awake at the end of it.\nMindful Sparks, a company from Hong Kong and the official tea partner of the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau in 2024, recently partnered up with the hotel. \nThe dinner tea pairing was a little bit ad hoc, and our host just ordered off the menu \u2014 perhaps the better to enjoy the tea in a more natural setting. Three teas, packaged and poured like champagne, were offered to us: Yuzu Genmaicha, Osmanthus Golden Oolong, and White Peach Earl Grey. We noticed at first sniff that the Yuzu Genmaicha was very fragrant and had a rich, hay-like scent. The Oolong Osmanthus was richly fragrant with floral notes, and we thought it would be our favorite, but we noted that it had a flat taste that would benefit from some sugar (or maybe that was just us). The White Peach Earl Grey tea by itself was very elegant and had a well-balanced and complex taste.\nNow on to the dinner: we started out with a West Lake Minced Beef Soup with coriander, tofu, and egg whites. We paired that with the Yuzu (we paired with intuition; the dinner had no rules), and we found the soup filling and warming, with a nice, gentle umami note. This umami note was tempered by the yuzu tea, preventing it from becoming too rich.\nA dish of Spicy Poached Clams was next, which we were sure would benefit what we thought was the blank canvas of the oolong. We were wrong, and gladly so: the oolong gave a little sparkle to the otherwise flavor-packed clams. This was followed by Braised Chilean Sea Bass with ginger, garlic, and black bean. The dish, served sizzling in a rock bowl, combined light flesh with a rich sauce. Paired with the oolong, it brought out the more oceanic flavors of the dish, but playing around by pairing it with the yuzu, we noticed it brought out the fish\u2019s sweetness and delicacy.\nNext came a Barbeque Combination Platter with roast duck, air-dried beef, jellyfish, and char siu. With the oolong tea, it gave a canvas for the zing of the jellyfish to come out. The white peach tea, meanwhile, tempered the rather strong flavors of the air-dried beef. The yuzu added sweetness and juiciness to the pork char siu, while the oolong provided further complexity and fragrance to the duck.\nWe paired a dish of Scallops and Broccoli with the yuzu tea, and the pairing gave some zest to the sweet flesh of the scallops.\nWe ended the meal with a Peking Duck with all the works: we were surprised at the quality this restaurant could offer, jaded as we were with the multiple ducks to be found in the city. Theirs had a very thin, almost airy skin with a noisy crack: almost as if its fat was bubbling just under the surface, waiting for one\u2019s bite. We didn\u2019t have a hard time pairing this duck with anything: it was perfect by itself and went with everything.\nLucy Chen, restaurant manager at No. 8 China House, said that they started this promotion with sparkling teas because it reminded them of the trendy drink Kombucha (also a bubbly tea drink). \u201cWe sense that if we added different scents of tea, and different flavors, that can enhance the tea taste,\u201d said Ms. Chen. \u201cChinese cuisine sometimes, we think that it\u2019s a little bit greasy, and a little bit heavy,\u201d she said. \u201cWith this refreshing and bubbly tea, it will enhance the whole dining experience.\u201d\nNo. 8 China House doesn\u2019t quite have the buzz we think it deserves (we suppose it\u2019s because of its location, tucked away in the hotel; and the fierce competition from more established names). Ms. Chen, just starting her term last month, is making a few changes. They\u2019re coming up with single, signature-dish set menus to cater to solo diners. \u201cFor Chinese cuisine, usually, the ordinary thinking is that it\u2019s for family dinners, or it\u2019s all family-style,\u201d she said.\nShe\u2019s also planning to push the restaurant to the Filipino Chinese and the Chinese community in the Philippines, and said they\u2019d \u201cBring out the authentic Chinese cuisine to the Filipino.\u201d She added, \u201cTaste the authentic Chinese cuisine, without going to China. You can taste the real taste outside China.\u201d\nThe tea collection is available at No. 8 China House (at the 5th floor, Grand Hyatt Manila) for lunch and dinner, served by the glass or bottle alongside free-flowing dim sum for lunch from Mondays to Saturdays, as well as curated tasting menus and \u00e0 la carte selections offered for lunch and dinner daily. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-16T00:08:51+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-15T18:21:59+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/No.-8-China-House-Sparkling-Mocktails.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=743111", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/16/743111/its-not-quite-sushi-but-it-sure-looks-like-it/", "title": "It\u2019s not quite sushi, but it sure looks like it", "content_html": "ON THE HEELS of its first restaurants Hey Bo and SaladStop, the SaladStop! Group has opened a third brand, Wooshi.
\nThe first branch opened at Central Square in BGC, sharing space with the SaladStop! Branch there. Rooted in maki rolls and rice bowls, Wooshi presents a modern approach to Japanese-inspired comfort food.
\n\u201cThe tagline is \u2018Sushi set free\u2019,\u201d said Adrien Desbaillets, SaladStop! Group chief executive officer. \u201cHopefully nobody thinks of it as traditional sushi. It\u2019s not, at all. If we were to present this to a Japanese chef, it would probably be quite insulting,\u201d he said with self-deprecation during a group interview at the April 7 opening.
\nNot bring traditional doesn\u2019t automatically mean a decrease in taste: he\u2019s particularly proud of their Philippine-exclusive Pork N\u2019 Rolls which presents the classic adobo with a twist of flavors of mango strips, white radish pickles, and cilantro mayo topped with chicharon (pork crackling).
\nWe tried other rolls: the Tuna Turner with yuzu shoyu chili crab sauce, and nuts; the vegan Big Bang Tofu with tempura enoki, and toasted almonds; and the Cali Crush, modeled after the California Maki, with crab sticks, avocado, roe and wasabi mayo.
\nSome of the options use heirloom rice (Mr. Desbaillets says that they work with Filipino farmers).
\nWe will say that the dishes have that clean flavor characteristic of health food options (the very backbone of SaladStop!). We will also say that we dislike the sachet format in which they serve their condiments of soy sauce and wasabi (but then, that might have been a first day thing) due to the potential mess.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s the last piece of the puzzle,\u201d he said about opening Wooshi in the Philippines after their other two concepts. He says that it can be built next to one of the existing concepts: \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit more versatile.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit more of a to-go brand,\u201d he said about this place offering rice rolls and bowls. \u201cI think with Hey Bo and SaladStop!, sometimes you need to sit down.
\n\u201cI think being rice-based as well, I think, can go a bit further in terms of local adaptation,\u201d he added.
\nMIDDLE EAST EXPANSION ON HOLD
\nHe did go into the current conflict in the Middle East and how it is affecting their plans as a Singapore-based group. \u201cWe were actually going to expand heavily into the Middle East. So that\u2019s on pause,\u201d saying that they were supposed to open a SaladStop! in Dubai this month.
\u201cUnfortunately, we\u2019re seeing it impact our food cost. That\u2019s now going to be (affected by) transportation within each market. What is it going to do to consumer confidence as well?,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe are still in a price point that most people will still be okay with\u201d \u2014 prices for the rolls start at about P250 and up \u2014 \u201cbut still.\u201d
\nBut in the Philippines, they\u2019re planning to fully launch their catering arm. \u201cOnce you have the three brands, it\u2019s naturally quite easy for us to host an event.\u201d
\nOn another note, Joan Aquino, GoodEats by SSI General Manager (who brought the brand here) says that they\u2019re expanding their SaladStop! Group franchises within Luzon, particularly in Pampanga and Santa Rosa, Laguna, especially with the opening of the SM mall in Nuvali by the end of the year. They also plan to open the Philippine franchise of UK-based bakery Bread Ahead (with an adjoining baking school) by the year\u2019s third quarter. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "Wooshi opens in Manila\nON THE HEELS of its first restaurants Hey Bo and SaladStop, the SaladStop! Group has opened a third brand, Wooshi.\nThe first branch opened at Central Square in BGC, sharing space with the SaladStop! Branch there. Rooted in maki rolls and rice bowls, Wooshi presents a modern approach to Japanese-inspired comfort food.\n\u201cThe tagline is \u2018Sushi set free\u2019,\u201d said Adrien Desbaillets, SaladStop! Group chief executive officer. \u201cHopefully nobody thinks of it as traditional sushi. It\u2019s not, at all. If we were to present this to a Japanese chef, it would probably be quite insulting,\u201d he said with self-deprecation during a group interview at the April 7 opening.\nNot bring traditional doesn\u2019t automatically mean a decrease in taste: he\u2019s particularly proud of their Philippine-exclusive Pork N\u2019 Rolls which presents the classic adobo with a twist of flavors of mango strips, white radish pickles, and cilantro mayo topped with chicharon (pork crackling). \nWe tried other rolls: the Tuna Turner with yuzu shoyu chili crab sauce, and nuts; the vegan Big Bang Tofu with tempura enoki, and toasted almonds; and the Cali Crush, modeled after the California Maki, with crab sticks, avocado, roe and wasabi mayo.\nSome of the options use heirloom rice (Mr. Desbaillets says that they work with Filipino farmers).\nWe will say that the dishes have that clean flavor characteristic of health food options (the very backbone of SaladStop!). We will also say that we dislike the sachet format in which they serve their condiments of soy sauce and wasabi (but then, that might have been a first day thing) due to the potential mess.\n\u201cIt\u2019s the last piece of the puzzle,\u201d he said about opening Wooshi in the Philippines after their other two concepts. He says that it can be built next to one of the existing concepts: \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit more versatile.\n\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit more of a to-go brand,\u201d he said about this place offering rice rolls and bowls. \u201cI think with Hey Bo and SaladStop!, sometimes you need to sit down.\n\u201cI think being rice-based as well, I think, can go a bit further in terms of local adaptation,\u201d he added.\nMIDDLE EAST EXPANSION ON HOLD\nHe did go into the current conflict in the Middle East and how it is affecting their plans as a Singapore-based group. \u201cWe were actually going to expand heavily into the Middle East. So that\u2019s on pause,\u201d saying that they were supposed to open a SaladStop! in Dubai this month. \n\u201cUnfortunately, we\u2019re seeing it impact our food cost. That\u2019s now going to be (affected by) transportation within each market. What is it going to do to consumer confidence as well?,\u201d he said.\n\u201cWe are still in a price point that most people will still be okay with\u201d \u2014 prices for the rolls start at about P250 and up \u2014 \u201cbut still.\u201d\nBut in the Philippines, they\u2019re planning to fully launch their catering arm. \u201cOnce you have the three brands, it\u2019s naturally quite easy for us to host an event.\u201d\nOn another note, Joan Aquino, GoodEats by SSI General Manager (who brought the brand here) says that they\u2019re expanding their SaladStop! Group franchises within Luzon, particularly in Pampanga and Santa Rosa, Laguna, especially with the opening of the SM mall in Nuvali by the end of the year. They also plan to open the Philippine franchise of UK-based bakery Bread Ahead (with an adjoining baking school) by the year\u2019s third quarter. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-16T00:06:46+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-15T18:16:47+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Wooshi-3.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "ON THE HEELS of its first restaurants Hey Bo and SaladStop, the SaladStop! Group has opened a third brand, Wooshi." }, { "id": "/?p=742209", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/13/742209/a-family-affair/", "title": "A family affair", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nSTEPPING into the Rajo store\u2019s third branch at SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City on April 11 felt like accidentally walking into a Laurel family reunion. Nephews and aunts walked around with hotdogs, and old friends walked in and out with shopping bags and drinks.
\nThis is Rajo Laurel\u2019s third store, which he opened last Saturday, debuting his Spring/Summer 2026 collection as well, called \u201cChild\u2019s Play.\u201d
\nInspired by the home of designer Nina Tolstrup, bold prints abounded. Gingham and seersucker set the tone for summer \u2014 particularly popular is a shirtdress in a blue or green, in that checked pattern reminiscent of picnic tablecloths. On men, there are the same fabrics, combined with enviably sheer fabric. Plaids and checks are seen throughout (but also wilder patterns for shift dresses).
\nMore serious and sexy are black or red slip dresses under sheer shifts in the same colors (but you can buy both and play).
\n\u201cThere\u2019s so much doom and gloom and negativity in this world at the moment. I just wanted to remember that when we were children, we were fearless, happy; we didn\u2019t really care about the world,\u201d said the designer in an interview with 大象传媒. \u201cYou find solace and peace and happiness.\u201d
\nThe closeness within (their) family was also reflected both in the collection and the opening: his sisters were involved in the collection (more on that later), while his nephew DJed, and his nieces helped with styling. \u201cEvery step of the way, my family\u2019s with me,\u201d he told 大象传媒.
\nA lot of Mr. Laurel\u2019s outfits in the collection were free-sized: we\u2019ve seen some younger designers come out with collections that reflect clothes only for the youngest and thinnest of us. \u201cWe have to be inclusive. Not everybody is Kate Moss,\u201d he said. On his sisters\u2019 involvement with the collection, he said, \u201cMy sisters are real women. With hips, with stomachs, and arms.\u201d He added, \u201cI\u2019m a big person myself.\u201d
\n\u201cIt resonates with a lot of people because you can\u2019t make fashion so exclusive,\u201d he said of sizing. \u201cYou need to discuss that, and you need to address that.\u201d
\nIt\u2019s this same inclusivity that\u2019s driving him to open this third store, offering ready-to-wear (the first two branches are in Rockwell and Shangri-La Plaza). \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of just playing my cards and putting my design language and vocabulary in different spaces. I think it\u2019s very important that we create fashion that is speaking to the times. When was the last time you actually had something made? That window is getting smaller and smaller, but you need things that are special every day,\u201d he said. \u201cThe space of ready-to-wear is so wide for Filipino designers. There are very little of us doing it. I think it\u2019s something that we should consider.\u201d
\nSpeaking about the different discipline required between his usual bespoke work and the ready-to-wear collection, he said, \u201cBespoke is more internal. You\u2019re speaking to one person; one client\u2019
\n\u201cHere (with ready-to-wear), you\u2019re able to create a language wherein a lot of times, you can actually leave it to the person to interpret,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I love about ready-to-wear is that when I design something, when it lands on another person, it could be a completely different thing.\u201d
\nOn another note, last January, Mr. Laurel represented the Philippines in a partnership with Thailand\u2019s Creative Economy Agency (CEA) established with the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council (PCIDC), under the Department of Trade and Industry. This resulted in a fashion presentation, and an opportunity to expand abroad. He updated us: \u201cWe\u2019re actually getting more momentum there, primarily because we\u2019re now talking to investors.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s going to be quite something to discuss in the fourth quarter of this year. I\u2019m not at liberty yet to say \u2014 baka ma-udlot (we might jinx it).\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 3\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n CLOTHES from Rajo Laurel\u2019s \u201cChild\u2019s Play\u201d collection.\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nSTEPPING into the Rajo store\u2019s third branch at SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City on April 11 felt like accidentally walking into a Laurel family reunion. Nephews and aunts walked around with hotdogs, and old friends walked in and out with shopping bags and drinks.\nThis is Rajo Laurel\u2019s third store, which he opened last Saturday, debuting his Spring/Summer 2026 collection as well, called \u201cChild\u2019s Play.\u201d\nInspired by the home of designer Nina Tolstrup, bold prints abounded. Gingham and seersucker set the tone for summer \u2014 particularly popular is a shirtdress in a blue or green, in that checked pattern reminiscent of picnic tablecloths. On men, there are the same fabrics, combined with enviably sheer fabric. Plaids and checks are seen throughout (but also wilder patterns for shift dresses).\nMore serious and sexy are black or red slip dresses under sheer shifts in the same colors (but you can buy both and play).\n\u201cThere\u2019s so much doom and gloom and negativity in this world at the moment. I just wanted to remember that when we were children, we were fearless, happy; we didn\u2019t really care about the world,\u201d said the designer in an interview with 大象传媒. \u201cYou find solace and peace and happiness.\u201d\nThe closeness within (their) family was also reflected both in the collection and the opening: his sisters were involved in the collection (more on that later), while his nephew DJed, and his nieces helped with styling. \u201cEvery step of the way, my family\u2019s with me,\u201d he told 大象传媒.\nA lot of Mr. Laurel\u2019s outfits in the collection were free-sized: we\u2019ve seen some younger designers come out with collections that reflect clothes only for the youngest and thinnest of us. \u201cWe have to be inclusive. Not everybody is Kate Moss,\u201d he said. On his sisters\u2019 involvement with the collection, he said, \u201cMy sisters are real women. With hips, with stomachs, and arms.\u201d He added, \u201cI\u2019m a big person myself.\u201d\n\u201cIt resonates with a lot of people because you can\u2019t make fashion so exclusive,\u201d he said of sizing. \u201cYou need to discuss that, and you need to address that.\u201d\nIt\u2019s this same inclusivity that\u2019s driving him to open this third store, offering ready-to-wear (the first two branches are in Rockwell and Shangri-La Plaza). \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of just playing my cards and putting my design language and vocabulary in different spaces. I think it\u2019s very important that we create fashion that is speaking to the times. When was the last time you actually had something made? That window is getting smaller and smaller, but you need things that are special every day,\u201d he said. \u201cThe space of ready-to-wear is so wide for Filipino designers. There are very little of us doing it. I think it\u2019s something that we should consider.\u201d\nSpeaking about the different discipline required between his usual bespoke work and the ready-to-wear collection, he said, \u201cBespoke is more internal. You\u2019re speaking to one person; one client\u2019\n\u201cHere (with ready-to-wear), you\u2019re able to create a language wherein a lot of times, you can actually leave it to the person to interpret,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I love about ready-to-wear is that when I design something, when it lands on another person, it could be a completely different thing.\u201d\nOn another note, last January, Mr. Laurel represented the Philippines in a partnership with Thailand\u2019s Creative Economy Agency (CEA) established with the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council (PCIDC), under the Department of Trade and Industry. This resulted in a fashion presentation, and an opportunity to expand abroad. He updated us: \u201cWe\u2019re actually getting more momentum there, primarily because we\u2019re now talking to investors.\n\u201cThat\u2019s going to be quite something to discuss in the fourth quarter of this year. I\u2019m not at liberty yet to say \u2014 baka ma-udlot (we might jinx it).\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-13T00:06:05+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-12T18:05:05+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/The-RAJO-Store-SS2026-10-thub.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=742207", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/13/742207/new-girls-new-games/", "title": "New girls, new games", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nWHILE the candidates for Binibining Pilipinas 2026 were announced late last month (all 36 of them), the pageant initially held out in releasing each of their territorial designations. It was because the event where the candidates were \u201csashed\u201d with the communities they represented was usually held privately at the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) offices beforehand. This year, for the first time, they held it publicly, in the pageant\u2019s first sashing ceremony at the Novotel Manila Araneta City.
\nOn April 6, all the candidates went up on stage and were given their sashes. The ceremony also proved to be a way for pageant-watchers to see how the candidates speak and walk (as they had to introduce themselves with their territorial designation during the event). We already heard some old hands at pageants set their bets, as well as compared some of the women to previous contestants and showbiz figures.
\n\u201cHistorically, this event has been something Bb. Pilipinas has kept to the family and kept a little private,\u201d said BPCI executive committee member Pia Roxas Ojeda-Banal in a speech. \u201cWe recognize that our 62nd batch of Binibinis is something that we should really celebrate. Not just who they are, but where they come from: the provinces, the cities, and communities that they represent.
\n\u201cIt takes a village to go on this journey. The sashing ceremony is really Day 1 for our girls,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s really so much to celebrate about these girls and the places they represent. Sure, we like keeping it in an intimate setup, but it\u2019s also nice to be able to share that with everyone,\u201d said Ms. Ojeda Roxas-Banal in an interview. \u201cWe\u2019re open to new ideas. We\u2019re the oldest pageant in the Philippines and so we want to bring some fresh air into it.\u201d Asked about new things they\u2019re planning for the pageant, she said, \u201cIt\u2019s a secret. Surprise na lang.\u201d
\nOne also looks to the past while looking to the future: one of the women placing the sashes on the new contestants was Vida Doria, fashion designer, visual artist, and Bb. Pilipinas – Universe 1971. In an interview with 大象传媒, she compared the women of today versus the women of her pageant heyday. \u201cWe were much younger than the girls now,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are very few (now) who are less than 20 years old,\u201d she said, noting that in her time, the contestant usually had an age range of 17 to 21 (and 21-year-olds were pushing their luck).
\nNot much emphasis was given back then to their advocacies and causes: \u201cThey just asked us what we wanted to be, because most of us were still in college,\u201d recalled Ms. Doria. \u201cWe were only thinking of finishing college.
\n\u201cMost of them are career-(oriented),\u201d she said about the new batch. \u201cThey\u2019ve already graduated \u2014 if not doctors, lawyers. They\u2019re more mature, compared to during our time.\u201d
\nThe complete list of the candidates and their official territorial designations follows:
\nBritney Angel Rubino – Caluya, Antique
\nMa. Kathrina Pauline Cudia – Jaen, Nueva Ecija
\nNathalie Magat – Bais, Negros Oriental
\nElli Rose L. Elola – Negros Occidental
\nJarina K. Sandhu – Cauayan, Isabela
\nJoahnna Lee L. Ucol – Ilocos Norte
\nJulie Mae P. Villanueva – Ilocos Sur
\nIris L. Oresca – Bicol Region
\nNicole Sobria – Makati
\nChristine Jorelle F. Usaraga – Cebu
\nAlisa Keith D. Irugin – Cavite City
\nZillani Eve P. Rojas – Zamboanga
\nJuliane Raine Antonio – Dumaguete
\nKristeen Mia SJ. Lucero – Bulacan Province
\nTracy Mae C. Sunio – Bacolod City
\nShara Maxine M. Barber – Palawan
\nIvy R. Padilla – Misamis Oriental
\nAngelica Arwin C. Evora – Oriental Mindoro
\nAnjali C. Pradeep Kumar – La Union
\nStacey C. de Ocampo – Pangasinan
\nSamantha Marie B. Zabarte – Dasmarinas, Cavite
\nSasha-Juli Belle P. Lacuna – Tarlac
\nKaye Pastelero – Cavite Province
\nAnne Klein E. Castro – Pampanga
\nCamille Bernadette T. Martin – Malolos, Bulacan
\nMary Adeline C. Ramirez – Malabon
\nAin Niqyla S. Abad – San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
\nMarinella J. Catangay – Quezon City
\nGwyneth Jemimah B. Chan – Cagayan de Oro
\nPauline Thea Ann E. Ibuyan – Aklan
\nGwendoline Meliz F. Soriano – Baguio
\nArah Jasmin B. Reguyal – Occidental Mindoro
\nGeorgette Nicole R. Coronacion – Carmona, Cavite
\nPatricia Lynn Beerda – Iloilo
\nTrisha Irish Marie N. Rosales – Gen. Trias, Cavite
\nMylene B. Manschus – Tanza, Cavite
\n\u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 6\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BBPILIPINASOFFICIAL\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BBPILIPINASOFFICIAL\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BBPILIPINASOFFICIAL\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BBPILIPINASOFFICIAL\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BBPILIPINASOFFICIAL\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/BBPILIPINASOFFICIAL\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nWHILE the candidates for Binibining Pilipinas 2026 were announced late last month (all 36 of them), the pageant initially held out in releasing each of their territorial designations. It was because the event where the candidates were \u201csashed\u201d with the communities they represented was usually held privately at the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) offices beforehand. This year, for the first time, they held it publicly, in the pageant\u2019s first sashing ceremony at the Novotel Manila Araneta City.\nOn April 6, all the candidates went up on stage and were given their sashes. The ceremony also proved to be a way for pageant-watchers to see how the candidates speak and walk (as they had to introduce themselves with their territorial designation during the event). We already heard some old hands at pageants set their bets, as well as compared some of the women to previous contestants and showbiz figures.\n\u201cHistorically, this event has been something Bb. Pilipinas has kept to the family and kept a little private,\u201d said BPCI executive committee member Pia Roxas Ojeda-Banal in a speech. \u201cWe recognize that our 62nd batch of Binibinis is something that we should really celebrate. Not just who they are, but where they come from: the provinces, the cities, and communities that they represent.\n\u201cIt takes a village to go on this journey. The sashing ceremony is really Day 1 for our girls,\u201d she said.\n\u201cThere\u2019s really so much to celebrate about these girls and the places they represent. Sure, we like keeping it in an intimate setup, but it\u2019s also nice to be able to share that with everyone,\u201d said Ms. Ojeda Roxas-Banal in an interview. \u201cWe\u2019re open to new ideas. We\u2019re the oldest pageant in the Philippines and so we want to bring some fresh air into it.\u201d Asked about new things they\u2019re planning for the pageant, she said, \u201cIt\u2019s a secret. Surprise na lang.\u201d\nOne also looks to the past while looking to the future: one of the women placing the sashes on the new contestants was Vida Doria, fashion designer, visual artist, and Bb. Pilipinas – Universe 1971. In an interview with 大象传媒, she compared the women of today versus the women of her pageant heyday. \u201cWe were much younger than the girls now,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are very few (now) who are less than 20 years old,\u201d she said, noting that in her time, the contestant usually had an age range of 17 to 21 (and 21-year-olds were pushing their luck).\nNot much emphasis was given back then to their advocacies and causes: \u201cThey just asked us what we wanted to be, because most of us were still in college,\u201d recalled Ms. Doria. \u201cWe were only thinking of finishing college.\n\u201cMost of them are career-(oriented),\u201d she said about the new batch. \u201cThey\u2019ve already graduated \u2014 if not doctors, lawyers. They\u2019re more mature, compared to during our time.\u201d\nThe complete list of the candidates and their official territorial designations follows:\nBritney Angel Rubino – Caluya, Antique\nMa. Kathrina Pauline Cudia – Jaen, Nueva Ecija\nNathalie Magat – Bais, Negros Oriental\nElli Rose L. Elola – Negros Occidental\nJarina K. Sandhu – Cauayan, Isabela\nJoahnna Lee L. Ucol – Ilocos Norte\nJulie Mae P. Villanueva – Ilocos Sur\nIris L. Oresca – Bicol Region\nNicole Sobria – Makati\nChristine Jorelle F. Usaraga – Cebu\nAlisa Keith D. Irugin – Cavite City\nZillani Eve P. Rojas – Zamboanga\nJuliane Raine Antonio – Dumaguete\nKristeen Mia SJ. Lucero – Bulacan Province\nTracy Mae C. Sunio – Bacolod City\nShara Maxine M. Barber – Palawan\nIvy R. Padilla – Misamis Oriental\nAngelica Arwin C. Evora – Oriental Mindoro\nAnjali C. Pradeep Kumar – La Union\nStacey C. de Ocampo – Pangasinan\nSamantha Marie B. Zabarte – Dasmarinas, Cavite\nSasha-Juli Belle P. Lacuna – Tarlac\nKaye Pastelero – Cavite Province\nAnne Klein E. Castro – Pampanga\nCamille Bernadette T. Martin – Malolos, Bulacan\nMary Adeline C. Ramirez – Malabon\nAin Niqyla S. Abad – San Jose, Occidental Mindoro\nMarinella J. Catangay – Quezon City\nGwyneth Jemimah B. Chan – Cagayan de Oro\nPauline Thea Ann E. Ibuyan – Aklan\nGwendoline Meliz F. Soriano – Baguio\nArah Jasmin B. Reguyal – Occidental Mindoro\nGeorgette Nicole R. Coronacion – Carmona, Cavite\nPatricia Lynn Beerda – Iloilo\nTrisha Irish Marie N. Rosales – Gen. Trias, Cavite\nMylene B. Manschus – Tanza, Cavite\n\u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-13T00:04:03+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-12T17:58:43+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/658922564_18515557126075610_8533808307505572934_n.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=741624", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/09/741624/why-has-mary-grace-opened-in-singapore-family/", "title": "Why has Mary Grace opened in Singapore? Family.", "content_html": "MARY GRACE CAFE, a well-loved fixture in the Manila dining scene, has opened its first international branch at 52 Tras Street, Tanjong Pagar in Singapore.
\nWhile planning took over a year and there were a series of pop-ups held in the city-state in preparation, the branch officially opened on March 13.
\nSeating 28 people, the first Singapore Mary Grace Cafe also comes with a central bakery. \u201cIn Mary Grace, everything has to be freshly baked. We can\u2019t ship the ensaymadas and cheese rolls to Singapore from Manila. It won\u2019t be freshly baked, so we had to bake them in Singapore,\u201d explained Chiara Dimacali-Hugo, executive director of Mary Grace International, and daughter of Mary Grace\u2019s founder, Mary Grace Dimacali, during a press conference at its branch in Rockwell on March 26.
\nSingapore also gets a few exclusives not found in the Philippines, such as Salted Egg Ensaymadas, Kaya-Pandan Cheese Rolls, and a Crab Cake Brioche, spinning off the city state\u2019s most famed dishes and ingredients.
\nMary Grace Cafe first opened in Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, in 2006, but had already been a home-based bakery in Para\u00f1aque 10 years prior. The company is thus celebrating being around 30 years in the business. Locally, she plans to open four more branches this year.
\nFounder Mrs. Dimacali talked about her feelings about expanding from her home kitchen to another country. \u201cVictorious,\u201d she said in a Q&A session. \u201cEvery step of the way \u2014 setting up the store, polishing the recipes… was a struggle.
\n\u201cEverything fell into place,\u201d she said, responding to a question about why they decided to open abroad after 30 years. \u201cIt was time.\u201d
\nWhy she hasn\u2019t opened any branches outside Luzon but has in Singapore? The answer is simple \u2014 family. \u201c\u2018Di ba Mary Grace is all about family?\u201d she said. \u201cI have a daughter, her husband, and two children, who live in Singapore.\u201d She said that if she had family in Cebu or Davao, she would have opened there too.
\nOn a serious note, she said, \u201cIt\u2019s the doorway to Asia. If we can make it in Singapore, we think we can make it anywhere else in Asia.\u201d
\nFirst a homemaker, then a home baker, then at the head of a cozy chain, she talked to 大象传媒 how she did it. \u201cTake your time. Life is an ensaymada.\u201d That meant that an ensaymada takes a longer time to bake than a cake, and she relates that to how she lived and worked. \u201cIf you happen to be a mother at a certain point, and you have children: raise your children well. Then everything will be opened unto you \u2014 in God\u2019s time.\u201d
\n\u201cI could not be a businesswoman, and skip my role as a mother. It had to be them first,\u201d she said during the Q&A. \u201cI think it was a family effort. It\u2019s not only me. It\u2019s family.\u201d
\nIn light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between the US, Israel, and Iran, which has driven fuel prices up, she explained to 大象传媒 how she plans to navigate around the crisis. \u201cTruthfully, we\u2019re looking at rising prices and the availability of ingredients. Just like COVID, we don\u2019t know what\u2019s out there. But certainly, we\u2019re vigilant; we\u2019re alert. We\u2019ll just cross the bridge when that time comes.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "MARY GRACE CAFE, a well-loved fixture in the Manila dining scene, has opened its first international branch at 52 Tras Street, Tanjong Pagar in Singapore.\nWhile planning took over a year and there were a series of pop-ups held in the city-state in preparation, the branch officially opened on March 13.\nSeating 28 people, the first Singapore Mary Grace Cafe also comes with a central bakery. \u201cIn Mary Grace, everything has to be freshly baked. We can\u2019t ship the ensaymadas and cheese rolls to Singapore from Manila. It won\u2019t be freshly baked, so we had to bake them in Singapore,\u201d explained Chiara Dimacali-Hugo, executive director of Mary Grace International, and daughter of Mary Grace\u2019s founder, Mary Grace Dimacali, during a press conference at its branch in Rockwell on March 26.\nSingapore also gets a few exclusives not found in the Philippines, such as Salted Egg Ensaymadas, Kaya-Pandan Cheese Rolls, and a Crab Cake Brioche, spinning off the city state\u2019s most famed dishes and ingredients.\nMary Grace Cafe first opened in Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, in 2006, but had already been a home-based bakery in Para\u00f1aque 10 years prior. The company is thus celebrating being around 30 years in the business. Locally, she plans to open four more branches this year.\nFounder Mrs. Dimacali talked about her feelings about expanding from her home kitchen to another country. \u201cVictorious,\u201d she said in a Q&A session. \u201cEvery step of the way \u2014 setting up the store, polishing the recipes… was a struggle.\n\u201cEverything fell into place,\u201d she said, responding to a question about why they decided to open abroad after 30 years. \u201cIt was time.\u201d\nWhy she hasn\u2019t opened any branches outside Luzon but has in Singapore? The answer is simple \u2014 family. \u201c\u2018Di ba Mary Grace is all about family?\u201d she said. \u201cI have a daughter, her husband, and two children, who live in Singapore.\u201d She said that if she had family in Cebu or Davao, she would have opened there too.\nOn a serious note, she said, \u201cIt\u2019s the doorway to Asia. If we can make it in Singapore, we think we can make it anywhere else in Asia.\u201d\nFirst a homemaker, then a home baker, then at the head of a cozy chain, she talked to 大象传媒 how she did it. \u201cTake your time. Life is an ensaymada.\u201d That meant that an ensaymada takes a longer time to bake than a cake, and she relates that to how she lived and worked. \u201cIf you happen to be a mother at a certain point, and you have children: raise your children well. Then everything will be opened unto you \u2014 in God\u2019s time.\u201d\n\u201cI could not be a businesswoman, and skip my role as a mother. It had to be them first,\u201d she said during the Q&A. \u201cI think it was a family effort. It\u2019s not only me. It\u2019s family.\u201d\nIn light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between the US, Israel, and Iran, which has driven fuel prices up, she explained to 大象传媒 how she plans to navigate around the crisis. \u201cTruthfully, we\u2019re looking at rising prices and the availability of ingredients. Just like COVID, we don\u2019t know what\u2019s out there. But certainly, we\u2019re vigilant; we\u2019re alert. We\u2019ll just cross the bridge when that time comes.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-09T00:06:40+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-09T00:14:04+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Mary-Grace-Cafe-Singapore-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=741622", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/09/741622/how-a-star-chef-drinks-beer/", "title": "How a star chef drinks beer", "content_html": "BACK in the days when ad agencies were laser-focused on coming up with just the right tag line for their customers, they would have stumbled over themselves to hire chef Josh Boutwood if they had heard the one-liners he spouted about San Miguel over a special beer pairing dinner on March 25.
\nSan Miguel Premium Beers held a pairing at the chef\u2019s Michelin-selected restaurant Ember on March 25. Ember is one of the outlets under Mr. Boutwood, whose restaurants were very well-represented at the Michelin Guide for Manila, Cebu, and its environs launch last year: his restaurant Helm was the country\u2019s first two-starred restaurant under the guide. Calling him a star chef, then, was no stretch.
\nBEER PAIRINGS
\nThe meal started with Smoked Shrimps with a side of Garlic Aioli and Lemon, paired with San Miguel Cerveza Blanca. Smoked over applewood, one could smell the shrimps from a foot away. By themselves, they were robust and bold, with a hint of natural sweetness in their flesh. Cerveza Blanca served to emphasize this sweetness, providing a contrast to the otherwise smoke-forward flavors while the beer\u2019s own wheaty notes were expressed further.
The next dish, a Baked Chicken Thigh Fillet with Sage Butter with Cauliflower Puree, was served with San Miguel Premium All-Malt. The beer\u2019s maltiness added the suggestion of crispness in the chicken\u2019s skin, bringing out a cleanliness in both the chicken and its pairing. Next came Marinated Grilled Pork Skewers with Jaew Sauce, Cilantro Mint Salad, and Lime Wedge, matched with San Miguel Super Dry. The strong flavors of spices and herbs brought out the beer\u2019s complexity and fragrance.
\nThe meal ended with a Walnut Date Cake, served with San Miguel Cerveza Negra. The cake was creamy and rich, and the cocoa notes in Cerveza Negra complement the burnt sugar notes in the cake. All the other elements in the cake and beer combined, and somehow, the beer began to taste like a glass of milk served before bed (albeit with a little snap).
\nFAVORITE BEER
\nOne got an idea that Mr. Boutwood liked beer from his reaction last year after his restaurants were honored at the Michelin awards. He said then: \u201cI can\u2019t wait to leave, go to my restaurant, celebrate, open a bottle of champagne, and drink a shitload of beer, and just really have a nice night with my team.\u201d
During the San Miguel pairing dinner, we asked how he liked his beer: \u201cI\u2019m a true purist,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cMy favorite San Miguel beer is the original San Miguel Pale Pilsen,\u201d he said, though after the release of San Miguel\u2019s Cerveza Blanca wheat beer in 2024 in the Philippines, he has had a hankering for it. \u201cThat\u2019s really become my go-to beer. It\u2019s a lot more mature; it\u2019s a lot more rounded. It has a lot more nuances,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s less of the beer (for) \u2018I\u2019m going on a night out.\u2019 It\u2019s more of a beer to enjoy the night out,\u201d he said, then joked about San Miguel paying him royalties for the great tagline.
\nWhat food does beer best go with? \u201cAnything. Beer goes with everything. There\u2019s not a thing in the world that beer doesn\u2019t go with. It sounds like I\u2019m endorsing them. But the selection of beers that San Miguel has can go with practically anything that\u2019s going to be on the table.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s a beer for every time and every moment,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s another slogan,\u201d he joked.
\nThese pairings of San Miguel Premium Beers with the intimate dishes at Ember by Josh Boutwood are available starting March 27. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "Guests can now try a San Miguel Premium Beers pairing dinner at Boutwood\u2019s Ember\nBACK in the days when ad agencies were laser-focused on coming up with just the right tag line for their customers, they would have stumbled over themselves to hire chef Josh Boutwood if they had heard the one-liners he spouted about San Miguel over a special beer pairing dinner on March 25.\nSan Miguel Premium Beers held a pairing at the chef\u2019s Michelin-selected restaurant Ember on March 25. Ember is one of the outlets under Mr. Boutwood, whose restaurants were very well-represented at the Michelin Guide for Manila, Cebu, and its environs launch last year: his restaurant Helm was the country\u2019s first two-starred restaurant under the guide. Calling him a star chef, then, was no stretch.\nBEER PAIRINGS\nThe meal started with Smoked Shrimps with a side of Garlic Aioli and Lemon, paired with San Miguel Cerveza Blanca. Smoked over applewood, one could smell the shrimps from a foot away. By themselves, they were robust and bold, with a hint of natural sweetness in their flesh. Cerveza Blanca served to emphasize this sweetness, providing a contrast to the otherwise smoke-forward flavors while the beer\u2019s own wheaty notes were expressed further.\nThe next dish, a Baked Chicken Thigh Fillet with Sage Butter with Cauliflower Puree, was served with San Miguel Premium All-Malt. The beer\u2019s maltiness added the suggestion of crispness in the chicken\u2019s skin, bringing out a cleanliness in both the chicken and its pairing. Next came Marinated Grilled Pork Skewers with Jaew Sauce, Cilantro Mint Salad, and Lime Wedge, matched with San Miguel Super Dry. The strong flavors of spices and herbs brought out the beer\u2019s complexity and fragrance.\nThe meal ended with a Walnut Date Cake, served with San Miguel Cerveza Negra. The cake was creamy and rich, and the cocoa notes in Cerveza Negra complement the burnt sugar notes in the cake. All the other elements in the cake and beer combined, and somehow, the beer began to taste like a glass of milk served before bed (albeit with a little snap).\nFAVORITE BEER\nOne got an idea that Mr. Boutwood liked beer from his reaction last year after his restaurants were honored at the Michelin awards. He said then: \u201cI can\u2019t wait to leave, go to my restaurant, celebrate, open a bottle of champagne, and drink a shitload of beer, and just really have a nice night with my team.\u201d\nDuring the San Miguel pairing dinner, we asked how he liked his beer: \u201cI\u2019m a true purist,\u201d he said.\n\u201cMy favorite San Miguel beer is the original San Miguel Pale Pilsen,\u201d he said, though after the release of San Miguel\u2019s Cerveza Blanca wheat beer in 2024 in the Philippines, he has had a hankering for it. \u201cThat\u2019s really become my go-to beer. It\u2019s a lot more mature; it\u2019s a lot more rounded. It has a lot more nuances,\u201d he said.\n\u201cIt\u2019s less of the beer (for) \u2018I\u2019m going on a night out.\u2019 It\u2019s more of a beer to enjoy the night out,\u201d he said, then joked about San Miguel paying him royalties for the great tagline.\nWhat food does beer best go with? \u201cAnything. Beer goes with everything. There\u2019s not a thing in the world that beer doesn\u2019t go with. It sounds like I\u2019m endorsing them. But the selection of beers that San Miguel has can go with practically anything that\u2019s going to be on the table.\n\u201cThere\u2019s a beer for every time and every moment,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s another slogan,\u201d he joked.\nThese pairings of San Miguel Premium Beers with the intimate dishes at Ember by Josh Boutwood are available starting March 27. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-09T00:04:39+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-08T22:27:12+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SMB-Ember-Food-Pairing-03-25-2026-119.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "BACK in the days when ad agencies were laser-focused on coming up with just the right tag line for their customers, they would have stumbled over themselves to hire chef Josh Boutwood if they had heard the one-liners he spouted about San Miguel over a special beer pairing dinner on March 25." }, { "id": "/?p=740966", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/07/740966/the-magic-is-still-there/", "title": "The magic is still there", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nBy Joseph L. Garcia, Senior Reporter
\nAFTER EVERYTHING I\u2019ve tasted in the years between my childhood visits to Enchanted Kingdom to my 30s, I thought the theme park, built in 1995, would get stale. Not a chance. On a trip to the Sta. Rosa, Laguna, theme park last month, I learned how nice it was to revisit places that brought us joy in childhood (and especially now with adult wallets).
\nThe theme park, I am glad to note, has changed little, save for a few new rides: they have the new EKlipse, a ride with rotating arms, and Agila The EKsperience (think Soarin\u2019 Over California in Disneyland, but set here; due to time constraints, we did not try this ride). They also reopened the Wheel of Fate, the old-fashioned Ferris wheel taking riders up 130 feet to offer a view of the park (which, due to the same reasons, we were not able to ride).
\nEnchanted Kingdom gave me all-day passes, and along with my friend Alyssa and her 10-year-old daughter Lia (an alias), we all went to the very back of the park for the Jungle Log Jam, a water ride that lifts a log that seats four up a slope followed by a drop into water that splashes everyone inside the car. This was Lia\u2019s first \u201cbig girl\u201d ride, but we noted that there are now seatbelts in the ride (our high school memories are now hazy, but we don\u2019t recall using them as teens). After the climb and the splash, Alyssa hastily wiped her face because of her worry about the water\u2019s purity. But as we were laughing as we disembarked from our log, we concluded we had a pretty good time (except for Lia, who resisted going on the next ride).
\nIt was the Space Shuttle: in our teen years, it was seen as a rite of passage to ride on this rollercoaster that turned guests upside-down six times, forward and backward. We actually lost count how many times we were flipped by the ride, and our only real memory was screaming our heads off. Alyssa was the same girl I sat with on this ride as a 14-year-old, and we noted both with some satisfaction that now in our 30s, we could still do the Space Shuttle (but not anytime soon again). Another girl I knew, who was also at the park, approached me afterwards and asked if I was the one screaming all the R-18 expletives during the ride (I was). Well, I wasn\u2019t allowed to back then, but who\u2019s going to tell me not to, now?
\nAnother thing I did that I didn\u2019t do back then was get my pictures from the rides. They were expensive then, and they\u2019re still expensive now (P350 for each photo! One can access them digitally through a QR code provided with each photo, but still). No longer tied down with a limited allowance, I asked before getting on any ride where the cameras were so I could prepare and pose. I\u2019m glad to know that I can hold a pose on a thrill ride.
\nAfter riding the relatively tame childhood classic Roller Skater (as a favor to Lia \u2014 due to the ride\u2019s popularity with the younger crowd, we were in line for more than an hour), Alyssa and I promised to join Lia in something more thrilling: the EKstreme, a drop ride that takes one 40 meters up in the air while strapped in one\u2019s seat, before going on a fall at 76 kilometers per hour. We were not able to ride this when we were younger, so there was no familiar feeling to lean back on. The cameras captured our suffering: my lips were pursed tightly on our ascent (I developed a discomfort with heights after high school), then the various photos showed my initial gasp then scream as we dropped, then my face scrunching up waiting for our descent, then a whistle of relief while clutching the black pearl necklace I hid under my shirt (for safety reasons).
\nTaking out my pearls, we decided on something we thought would be more calming: the new EKlipse, the ride with the rotating arms with a gondola on each end. The theme park\u2019s website says the ride was designed by Italian company Zamperla, and takes one up 36 feet in the air. We were wrong about the ride\u2019s calming quality: the ride\u2019s spin offered us a screaming view of the park at nighttime, not to mention more than a few minutes just dangling up in the air. Of course, after the ride was over, we shook ourselves off and figured it was really great fun (though not to be repeated soon).
\nAlyssa took Lia to the Grand Carousel for something really calming, then went to the Rio Grande Rapids, another rite-of-passage ride from our teens. On a circular boat, a party is taken through a rushing \u201criver,\u201d and waterfalls and the inevitable splashes are designed to give one a good soak. Since guests emerge from the ride dripping wet, the theme park has installed dryers (that we swore were not there 20 years ago, in 2006), but they cost about P200 to use \u2014 and at that point we had already spent thousands on ride photos. Alyssa whispered that she knew a better way to dry off: the Flying Fiesta, another classic. One rides in a giant swing that takes your legs high off the ground, but spins at a less-thrilling pace.
\nBy the time we got off the ride, it was 8 p.m. and the park was closing, so it was time to go home.
\nI\u2019m glad to note that after everything we\u2019ve been through since high school, our bodies and spirits can still withstand everything Enchanted Kingdom can throw at us. The rides gave us wholesome highs and brought out an innocence that we\u2019d forgotten was still there. If we remember correctly, the park\u2019s old tagline was \u201cThe magic is here,\u201d but it has since changed to \u201cThe magic lives forever.\u201d We\u2019re inclined to agree.
\n", "content_text": "1 of 2\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n FACEBOOK.COM/ENCHANTEDKINGDOM.PH\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n THE AUTHOR riding the Enchanted Kingdom\u2019s Space Shuttle. \u2014 FACEBOOK.COM/ENCHANTEDKINGDOM.PH\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nBy Joseph L. Garcia, Senior Reporter\nAFTER EVERYTHING I\u2019ve tasted in the years between my childhood visits to Enchanted Kingdom to my 30s, I thought the theme park, built in 1995, would get stale. Not a chance. On a trip to the Sta. Rosa, Laguna, theme park last month, I learned how nice it was to revisit places that brought us joy in childhood (and especially now with adult wallets).\nThe theme park, I am glad to note, has changed little, save for a few new rides: they have the new EKlipse, a ride with rotating arms, and Agila The EKsperience (think Soarin\u2019 Over California in Disneyland, but set here; due to time constraints, we did not try this ride). They also reopened the Wheel of Fate, the old-fashioned Ferris wheel taking riders up 130 feet to offer a view of the park (which, due to the same reasons, we were not able to ride).\nEnchanted Kingdom gave me all-day passes, and along with my friend Alyssa and her 10-year-old daughter Lia (an alias), we all went to the very back of the park for the Jungle Log Jam, a water ride that lifts a log that seats four up a slope followed by a drop into water that splashes everyone inside the car. This was Lia\u2019s first \u201cbig girl\u201d ride, but we noted that there are now seatbelts in the ride (our high school memories are now hazy, but we don\u2019t recall using them as teens). After the climb and the splash, Alyssa hastily wiped her face because of her worry about the water\u2019s purity. But as we were laughing as we disembarked from our log, we concluded we had a pretty good time (except for Lia, who resisted going on the next ride).\nIt was the Space Shuttle: in our teen years, it was seen as a rite of passage to ride on this rollercoaster that turned guests upside-down six times, forward and backward. We actually lost count how many times we were flipped by the ride, and our only real memory was screaming our heads off. Alyssa was the same girl I sat with on this ride as a 14-year-old, and we noted both with some satisfaction that now in our 30s, we could still do the Space Shuttle (but not anytime soon again). Another girl I knew, who was also at the park, approached me afterwards and asked if I was the one screaming all the R-18 expletives during the ride (I was). Well, I wasn\u2019t allowed to back then, but who\u2019s going to tell me not to, now?\nAnother thing I did that I didn\u2019t do back then was get my pictures from the rides. They were expensive then, and they\u2019re still expensive now (P350 for each photo! One can access them digitally through a QR code provided with each photo, but still). No longer tied down with a limited allowance, I asked before getting on any ride where the cameras were so I could prepare and pose. I\u2019m glad to know that I can hold a pose on a thrill ride.\nAfter riding the relatively tame childhood classic Roller Skater (as a favor to Lia \u2014 due to the ride\u2019s popularity with the younger crowd, we were in line for more than an hour), Alyssa and I promised to join Lia in something more thrilling: the EKstreme, a drop ride that takes one 40 meters up in the air while strapped in one\u2019s seat, before going on a fall at 76 kilometers per hour. We were not able to ride this when we were younger, so there was no familiar feeling to lean back on. The cameras captured our suffering: my lips were pursed tightly on our ascent (I developed a discomfort with heights after high school), then the various photos showed my initial gasp then scream as we dropped, then my face scrunching up waiting for our descent, then a whistle of relief while clutching the black pearl necklace I hid under my shirt (for safety reasons).\nTaking out my pearls, we decided on something we thought would be more calming: the new EKlipse, the ride with the rotating arms with a gondola on each end. The theme park\u2019s website says the ride was designed by Italian company Zamperla, and takes one up 36 feet in the air. We were wrong about the ride\u2019s calming quality: the ride\u2019s spin offered us a screaming view of the park at nighttime, not to mention more than a few minutes just dangling up in the air. Of course, after the ride was over, we shook ourselves off and figured it was really great fun (though not to be repeated soon).\nAlyssa took Lia to the Grand Carousel for something really calming, then went to the Rio Grande Rapids, another rite-of-passage ride from our teens. On a circular boat, a party is taken through a rushing \u201criver,\u201d and waterfalls and the inevitable splashes are designed to give one a good soak. Since guests emerge from the ride dripping wet, the theme park has installed dryers (that we swore were not there 20 years ago, in 2006), but they cost about P200 to use \u2014 and at that point we had already spent thousands on ride photos. Alyssa whispered that she knew a better way to dry off: the Flying Fiesta, another classic. One rides in a giant swing that takes your legs high off the ground, but spins at a less-thrilling pace.\nBy the time we got off the ride, it was 8 p.m. and the park was closing, so it was time to go home.\nI\u2019m glad to note that after everything we\u2019ve been through since high school, our bodies and spirits can still withstand everything Enchanted Kingdom can throw at us. The rides gave us wholesome highs and brought out an innocence that we\u2019d forgotten was still there. If we remember correctly, the park\u2019s old tagline was \u201cThe magic is here,\u201d but it has since changed to \u201cThe magic lives forever.\u201d We\u2019re inclined to agree.", "date_published": "2026-04-07T00:06:13+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-06T17:47:01+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Enchanted-Kingdom-.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "AFTER EVERYTHING I\u2019ve tasted in the years between my childhood visits to Enchanted Kingdom to my 30s, I thought the theme park, built in 1995, would get stale." }, { "id": "/?p=740701", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/06/740701/keeping-the-human-touch/", "title": "Keeping the human touch", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nA DISPLAY of red lacquered vases stands in Rustan\u2019s Makati. Gold-rimmed resin topped off with red lacquer and silver-leaf tinted red are polished to a gleam akin to a flame \u2014 this is the work of Hanoia, a new brand from Vietnam that recently joined Rustan\u2019s.
\nWe were told that Hanoia has been making commissions for luxury houses around the world since 1997, but they decided to make their own brand in 2016.
\n\u201cWe wanted to preserve this kind of craft,\u201d Dinh Cong Tai, marketing and communications director of Hanoia, told 大象传媒 in an interview during the March 24 launch. \u201cI think there\u2019s no better way than to have the artisan that can live with that craft; with that job.\u201d He added that in modern times, \u201cLacquer has become more a fine art medium rather than in the daily context.\u201d
\nLacquer, prized for thousands of years in East Asia, is a coating originally made from the sap of the Chinese lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum). These items were prized by the aristocracy of Asia, then traded in Europe, where the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa took special pride in her collection. These days, sap-based lacquer has become rare, replaced by synthetics, or else derived from insect-based shellac. Mr. Dinh said, \u201cWe follow the same process, but we use modern-day materials and also technology \u2014 to help the artisan to work.\u201d
\nThey have over 200 people in their workshop. \u201cThe young generation doesn\u2019t want to follow this kind of craft anymore,\u201d he says, though in recent years, they have managed to make artisanship an appealing career for young Vietnamese workers. \u201cWe help the artisan to continue to live with the jobs. That\u2019s (how) we convinced the young generation to continue to learn lacquer.\u201d
\nThis is their first shop-in-shop concept abroad, and in choosing Manila as their first location abroad, Mr. Dinh emphasizes the friendship between Rustan\u2019s president Anton Huang and Hanoia\u2019s chief executive officer, Christian de Ruty. \u201cIt\u2019s also a good opportunity and a good relationship,\u201d he said. More importantly, \u201cManila in particular is a very cosmopolitan city.\u201d
\nThe vases we mentioned, we were told, were made within a period of two months. Perhaps that is what true luxury means, beyond labels and stories. Mr. Dinh said, \u201cLuxury today is more about craftsmanship. What we value most is the time and skillfulness of the artisan \u2014 the touch of humans.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 4\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n LACQUERWARE from Hanoia\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nLacquerware from Vietnam arrives in Rustan\u2019s\nA DISPLAY of red lacquered vases stands in Rustan\u2019s Makati. Gold-rimmed resin topped off with red lacquer and silver-leaf tinted red are polished to a gleam akin to a flame \u2014 this is the work of Hanoia, a new brand from Vietnam that recently joined Rustan\u2019s.\nWe were told that Hanoia has been making commissions for luxury houses around the world since 1997, but they decided to make their own brand in 2016.\n\u201cWe wanted to preserve this kind of craft,\u201d Dinh Cong Tai, marketing and communications director of Hanoia, told 大象传媒 in an interview during the March 24 launch. \u201cI think there\u2019s no better way than to have the artisan that can live with that craft; with that job.\u201d He added that in modern times, \u201cLacquer has become more a fine art medium rather than in the daily context.\u201d\nLacquer, prized for thousands of years in East Asia, is a coating originally made from the sap of the Chinese lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum). These items were prized by the aristocracy of Asia, then traded in Europe, where the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa took special pride in her collection. These days, sap-based lacquer has become rare, replaced by synthetics, or else derived from insect-based shellac. Mr. Dinh said, \u201cWe follow the same process, but we use modern-day materials and also technology \u2014 to help the artisan to work.\u201d\nThey have over 200 people in their workshop. \u201cThe young generation doesn\u2019t want to follow this kind of craft anymore,\u201d he says, though in recent years, they have managed to make artisanship an appealing career for young Vietnamese workers. \u201cWe help the artisan to continue to live with the jobs. That\u2019s (how) we convinced the young generation to continue to learn lacquer.\u201d\nThis is their first shop-in-shop concept abroad, and in choosing Manila as their first location abroad, Mr. Dinh emphasizes the friendship between Rustan\u2019s president Anton Huang and Hanoia\u2019s chief executive officer, Christian de Ruty. \u201cIt\u2019s also a good opportunity and a good relationship,\u201d he said. More importantly, \u201cManila in particular is a very cosmopolitan city.\u201d\nThe vases we mentioned, we were told, were made within a period of two months. Perhaps that is what true luxury means, beyond labels and stories. Mr. Dinh said, \u201cLuxury today is more about craftsmanship. What we value most is the time and skillfulness of the artisan \u2014 the touch of humans.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-06T00:04:31+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-05T17:23:49+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Red-River-Collection-2.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ], "summary": "A DISPLAY of red lacquered vases stands in Rustan\u2019s Makati. Gold-rimmed resin topped off with red lacquer and silver-leaf tinted red are polished to a gleam akin to a flame \u2014 this is the work of Hanoia, a new brand from Vietnam that recently joined Rustan\u2019s." }, { "id": "/?p=740559", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/04/01/740559/after-opening-500-kiosks-in-4-years-pickup-coffee-will-now-start-franchising/", "title": "After opening 500 kiosks in 4 years, Pickup Coffee will now start franchising", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\nOn its fourth anniversary, celebrated on March 19 in Rockwell, kiosk-format Pickup Coffee announced that it has over 500 stores, new store formats, an enhanced app, and is open for franchising.
\n\u201cWe are the fastest growing, proudly Filipino coffee chain with more than 500 stores nationwide,\u201d Francis Flores, Global Managing Director for Pickup Coffee, said in a speech. \u201cThe 500 stores that we have now are still all company owned,\u201d he pointed out.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re launching franchising soon,\u201d he said. Speaking with 大象传媒, he added, \u201cWe believe we can be more than 500 in the Philippines. Imagine, if we were able to grow that fast on our own, lalo na ‘pag may (it would be even more if there are) franchisees.\u201d
\n\u201cWe\u2019re not stopping opening company-owned stores as well,\u201d he clarified. \u201cNow that we have 500 stores, we feel like there\u2019s even more potential.\u201d
\nSpeaking on the speed of its growth in just four years, he said, \u201cAccessibility and distribution is key to growing. We want to be everywhere, as fast as we can.\u201d
\nTHERE\u2019S AN APP FOR THAT
\nThe fact that they have an app that customers can use to order (and access more services) helped a lot: \u201cOur app is a core operating tool, not just a marketing feature,\u201d he said. \u201cIt streamlines ordering, reduces queue times, improves store efficiency, and gives us data to make better decisions \u2014 from menu development to location strategy. Being tech-forward allows us to scale intelligently while improving customer experience.\u201d
In changing how the Filipino consumes coffee, he said that in previous years, premium espresso was at too high a price point for the average Filipino. \u201cThe average Filipino cannot afford to drink it every day. What we have seen, we became an everyday brand,\u201d he said during the interview.
\nIn an e-mail, he added, \u201cPickup Coffee raised the standard for what everyday espresso can be \u2014 premium in taste, but accessible in price and availability. Through efficient formats, a grab\u2011and\u2011go model, and tech\u2011enabled operations, we\u2019re able to make quality coffee part of daily life for more people.\u201d
\nWith their coffee at below P100 (unlike those offered by foreign coffee chains), Mr. Flores spoke about how they are able to keep prices down. In an e-mail he said: \u201cAffordability has been thoughtfully built into our business model from the start. We\u2019re able to keep prices accessible by designing efficient store formats, streamlining operations, leveraging technology to improve productivity, and scaling procurement responsibly. This allows us to offer quality espresso-based drinks at approachable prices \u2014 without compromising product standards.\u201d
\nGETTING BIG BY STAYING SMALL
\nAs mentioned above, Pickup works within a kiosk model, with a grab-and-go format. \u201cThe small-format model works because it\u2019s capital-efficient, flexible, and scalable,\u201d said Mr. Flores in the e-mail. \u201cIt allows us to enter high-traffic locations quickly, reduce overhead costs, achieve faster breakeven per store, and expand sustainably across different cities. This model supports disciplined growth, which is critical for long-term resilience.\u201d
However, during the event, they did announce more Pickup Prime locations (there are two: one in SM Seaside Cebu and in Quezon City\u2019s Vertis North). This year, they\u2019re adding two more, in BGC and in Arca South. Pickup Prime is a larger format shop, which serves baked goods along with coffee, and has seating.
\n\u201cPremium coffee should be accessible to everyone,\u201d he said in a speech. — Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 2\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \nOn its fourth anniversary, celebrated on March 19 in Rockwell, kiosk-format Pickup Coffee announced that it has over 500 stores, new store formats, an enhanced app, and is open for franchising.\n\u201cWe are the fastest growing, proudly Filipino coffee chain with more than 500 stores nationwide,\u201d Francis Flores, Global Managing Director for Pickup Coffee, said in a speech. \u201cThe 500 stores that we have now are still all company owned,\u201d he pointed out.\n\u201cWe\u2019re launching franchising soon,\u201d he said. Speaking with 大象传媒, he added, \u201cWe believe we can be more than 500 in the Philippines. Imagine, if we were able to grow that fast on our own, lalo na ‘pag may (it would be even more if there are) franchisees.\u201d\n\u201cWe\u2019re not stopping opening company-owned stores as well,\u201d he clarified. \u201cNow that we have 500 stores, we feel like there\u2019s even more potential.\u201d\nSpeaking on the speed of its growth in just four years, he said, \u201cAccessibility and distribution is key to growing. We want to be everywhere, as fast as we can.\u201d\nTHERE\u2019S AN APP FOR THAT\nThe fact that they have an app that customers can use to order (and access more services) helped a lot: \u201cOur app is a core operating tool, not just a marketing feature,\u201d he said. \u201cIt streamlines ordering, reduces queue times, improves store efficiency, and gives us data to make better decisions \u2014 from menu development to location strategy. Being tech-forward allows us to scale intelligently while improving customer experience.\u201d\nIn changing how the Filipino consumes coffee, he said that in previous years, premium espresso was at too high a price point for the average Filipino. \u201cThe average Filipino cannot afford to drink it every day. What we have seen, we became an everyday brand,\u201d he said during the interview.\nIn an e-mail, he added, \u201cPickup Coffee raised the standard for what everyday espresso can be \u2014 premium in taste, but accessible in price and availability. Through efficient formats, a grab\u2011and\u2011go model, and tech\u2011enabled operations, we\u2019re able to make quality coffee part of daily life for more people.\u201d\nWith their coffee at below P100 (unlike those offered by foreign coffee chains), Mr. Flores spoke about how they are able to keep prices down. In an e-mail he said: \u201cAffordability has been thoughtfully built into our business model from the start. We\u2019re able to keep prices accessible by designing efficient store formats, streamlining operations, leveraging technology to improve productivity, and scaling procurement responsibly. This allows us to offer quality espresso-based drinks at approachable prices \u2014 without compromising product standards.\u201d\nGETTING BIG BY STAYING SMALL\nAs mentioned above, Pickup works within a kiosk model, with a grab-and-go format. \u201cThe small-format model works because it\u2019s capital-efficient, flexible, and scalable,\u201d said Mr. Flores in the e-mail. \u201cIt allows us to enter high-traffic locations quickly, reduce overhead costs, achieve faster breakeven per store, and expand sustainably across different cities. This model supports disciplined growth, which is critical for long-term resilience.\u201d\nHowever, during the event, they did announce more Pickup Prime locations (there are two: one in SM Seaside Cebu and in Quezon City\u2019s Vertis North). This year, they\u2019re adding two more, in BGC and in Arca South. Pickup Prime is a larger format shop, which serves baked goods along with coffee, and has seating.\n\u201cPremium coffee should be accessible to everyone,\u201d he said in a speech. — Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-04-01T17:12:12+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-04-01T17:12:12+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/agarwalekwensi/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/63a6222a994ecdcd0783bb257b7c4e6d18b49dfa789dd168af5420ab8a45082c?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/agarwalekwensi/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/63a6222a994ecdcd0783bb257b7c4e6d18b49dfa789dd168af5420ab8a45082c?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ACW7302-1-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=739388", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/03/30/739388/its-an-alaia/", "title": "It\u2019s an Ala\u00efa!", "content_html": "\r\n \r\n\r\n\u201cYOU don\u2019t understand. This is an Ala\u00efa,\u201d said Alicia Silverstone\u2019s character in 1995\u2019s Clueless upon being told to hit the ground while wearing a red number with a black feather trim. \u201cHe\u2019s like, a totally important designer.\u201d
\nJust in time for the \u201990s resurgence 30 years after that line was delivered, Rustan\u2019s now has the Ala\u00efa brand in its stores.
\nFounded by Tunisian-French designer Azzedine Ala\u00efa (who passed away in 2017), the brand once reigned in the late 1980s to \u201990s.\u00a0 It skyrocketed to fame worldwide with the help of muses like Naomi Campbell. Today, the brand has Peter Mulier as its Creative Director (though his departure was announced earlier this month by WWD).
\nWhile Ala\u00efa is yet to find a permanent home in Rustan\u2019s Makati, there is a pop-up in its beauty floor (a search for the Ala\u00efa website on Google also leads to a Philippines-only link: maison-alaia.com/en-ph/). On the shelves are displayed some of Ala\u00efa\u2019s leather goods. There\u2019s the Le Mina bag, made of laser cut leather. An item that went viral last year, the east-west oriented Le Teckel (a name for sausage-shaped dogs) is also on display, alongside the Vienne (a line of Mary Jane shoes with the same laser cut on the Le Mina), and many other stylish shoes besides.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re proud to say that Rustan\u2019s is the first to bring in the brand,\u201d said Jackie Avecilla, head of marketing for Rustan Commercial Corp., in an interview at the sidelines of another event on March 24. \u201cWe didn\u2019t advertise; we did nothing. But oh my God, it\u2019s selling like hotcakes.\u201d
\nShe said that some styles are already out of stock: \u201cGood problem on our end,\u201d she said, and new stocks will come in after Easter (the shoes are apparently the top sellers).
\n\u201cIt kind of cements the position of Rustan\u2019s as the premier luxury retail destination,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re proud that these brands like Ala\u00efa… and the rest to come, partner, or choose Rustan\u2019s as the first store in which to set foot in the Philippines.\u201d
\n\u201cOur goal is really to modernize Rustan\u2019s. Admittedly, it\u2019s a 75-year-old store, and we want to bring in the younger generation without necessarily alienating our loyal clients,\u201d she explained. \u201cBy bringing in these fresh, contemporary, modern, and young brands, we are able to attract that younger generation,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cWe have more brands coming \u2014 I\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t divulge \u2014 we have a lot of new fashion brands; very exciting, all coming this year.\u201d
\nCheck out the Ala\u00efa pop-up at the 1st floor of Rustan\u2019s Makati. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "1 of 2\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \n\u201cYOU don\u2019t understand. This is an Ala\u00efa,\u201d said Alicia Silverstone\u2019s character in 1995\u2019s Clueless upon being told to hit the ground while wearing a red number with a black feather trim. \u201cHe\u2019s like, a totally important designer.\u201d\nJust in time for the \u201990s resurgence 30 years after that line was delivered, Rustan\u2019s now has the Ala\u00efa brand in its stores.\nFounded by Tunisian-French designer Azzedine Ala\u00efa (who passed away in 2017), the brand once reigned in the late 1980s to \u201990s.\u00a0 It skyrocketed to fame worldwide with the help of muses like Naomi Campbell. Today, the brand has Peter Mulier as its Creative Director (though his departure was announced earlier this month by WWD).\nWhile Ala\u00efa is yet to find a permanent home in Rustan\u2019s Makati, there is a pop-up in its beauty floor (a search for the Ala\u00efa website on Google also leads to a Philippines-only link: maison-alaia.com/en-ph/). On the shelves are displayed some of Ala\u00efa\u2019s leather goods. There\u2019s the Le Mina bag, made of laser cut leather. An item that went viral last year, the east-west oriented Le Teckel (a name for sausage-shaped dogs) is also on display, alongside the Vienne (a line of Mary Jane shoes with the same laser cut on the Le Mina), and many other stylish shoes besides.\n\u201cWe\u2019re proud to say that Rustan\u2019s is the first to bring in the brand,\u201d said Jackie Avecilla, head of marketing for Rustan Commercial Corp., in an interview at the sidelines of another event on March 24. \u201cWe didn\u2019t advertise; we did nothing. But oh my God, it\u2019s selling like hotcakes.\u201d\nShe said that some styles are already out of stock: \u201cGood problem on our end,\u201d she said, and new stocks will come in after Easter (the shoes are apparently the top sellers).\n\u201cIt kind of cements the position of Rustan\u2019s as the premier luxury retail destination,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re proud that these brands like Ala\u00efa… and the rest to come, partner, or choose Rustan\u2019s as the first store in which to set foot in the Philippines.\u201d\n\u201cOur goal is really to modernize Rustan\u2019s. Admittedly, it\u2019s a 75-year-old store, and we want to bring in the younger generation without necessarily alienating our loyal clients,\u201d she explained. \u201cBy bringing in these fresh, contemporary, modern, and young brands, we are able to attract that younger generation,\u201d she said.\n\u201cWe have more brands coming \u2014 I\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t divulge \u2014 we have a lot of new fashion brands; very exciting, all coming this year.\u201d\nCheck out the Ala\u00efa pop-up at the 1st floor of Rustan\u2019s Makati. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-03-30T00:05:04+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-03-30T01:09:08+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Alaia-Winter-Spring-26-Campaign-3.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] }, { "id": "/?p=739384", "url": "/arts-and-leisure/2026/03/30/739384/bb-pilipinas-2026-candidates-announced/", "title": "Bb. Pilipinas 2026 candidates announced", "content_html": "![\"\"](\"/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Quigaman.jpg\")
THE 36 candidates of the Binibining Pilipinas 2026 beauty pageant were announced after a final screening on March 23.
\nThe contestants were presented to the press right after the screening at the New Frontier Theater in Araneta City. The pageant is owned by the Araneta Group through Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI). The pageant currently sends its winners to Miss Globe and Miss International (which was first won in 1960 by Stella Marquez-Araneta, spouse of Araneta Group chair Jorge Le\u00f3n Araneta).
\nPrecious Lara Quigaman, winner of Miss International 2005 and a former Bb. Pilipinas, served as the head of the panel of judges during the screening, and is a member of the Executive Committee of BPCI. \u201cWe have a really good batch of ladies this year,\u201d she said during a group interview. \u201cThey\u2019re so articulate. They\u2019re all so smart. I\u2019m so proud of them.\u201d
\nAsked what they were looking for when they were screening the candidates, Ms. Quigaman said, \u201cEveryone\u2019s obviously beautiful. We know that. But I told them I really wanted to see their \u2018why.\u2019 Why they\u2019re joining Bb. Pilipinas. We really listened to their stories of why they\u2019re here.
\n\u201cA girl who embodies Bb. Pilipinas,\u201d she said about the kind of beauty queen they\u2019re looking for. \u201cSomeone who\u2019s very helpful to their fellow women. Obviously, we want a Binibining who\u2019s really smart, and full of integrity.\u201d
\nAs to what advice she can give the candidates, she said, \u201cJust enjoy it. Then give it their all, and just be them(selves). Be the real them.\u201d \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\nBritney Angel Rubino
\nMa. Kathrina Pauline Cudia
\nNathalie Magat
\nElli Rose L. Elola
\nJarina K. Sandhu
\nJoahnna Lee L. Ucol
\nJulie Mae P. Villanueva
\nIris L. Oresca
\nNicole Sobria
\nChristine Jorelle F. Usaraga
\nAlisa Keith D. Irugin
\nZillani Eve P. Rojas
\nJuliane Raine Antonio
\nKristeen Mia SJ. Lucero
\nTracy Mae C. Sunio
\nShara Maxine M. Barber
\nIvy R. Padilla
\nAngelica Arwin C. Evora
\nAnjali C. Pradeep Kumar
\nStacey C. de Ocampo
\nSamantha Marie B. Zabarte
\nSasha-Juli Belle P. Lacuna
\nKaye Pastelero
\nAnne Klein E. Castro
\nCamille Bernadette T. Martin
\nMary Adeline C. Ramirez
\nAin Niqyla S. Abad
\nMarinella JCatangay
\nGwyneth Jemimah B. Chan
\nPauline Thea Ann E. Ibuyan
\nGwendoline Meliz F. Soriano
\nArah Jasmin B. Reguyal
\nGeorgette Nicole R. Coronacion
\nPatricia Lynn Beerda
\nTrisha Irish Marie N. Rosales
\nMylene B. Manschus
IT\u2019S NOT LIKE you can eat strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate forever: how about switching to bilo-bilo ice cream?
\nOn March 18, Marcelo\u2019s Microcreamery was formally launched in the country, although they have been found on supermarket shelves since last year. The flavors aren\u2019t quite what you\u2019ll find in any normal store shelf: the brand has the Heritage Line, building on traditional Filipino snacks. These are Inutak, Ube Macapuno Champorado, Latik-Latik, Mangga\u2019t Suman, Bilo-Bilo, and Chocolate Champorado. During a tasting at Romulo Caf\u00e9 in Makati, they also unveiled their latest flavor, Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate (as in the Instagram-viral Dubai chocolate, done in collaboration with the chef who made it, Nouel Catis).
\nDue to an aversion to certain ingredients (my fault, not theirs), we stuck to something familiar: the Chocolate Champorado, made with tablea (cocoa tablets used for hot chocolate) and rice pudding churned into ice cream. This tasted richly dark and indulgent. We also had a bite of the Dubai chocolate one, and it proved very richly creamy, with a slight coolness of flavor (akin to mint) brought by the pistachios.
\nThe flavors we tasted were made with milk, but the Inutak (smoked ube or purple yam pudding), Ube Macapuno Champorado (ube and coconut sport in chocolate rice pudding), Latik-Latik (toasted coconut curds) Mangga\u2019t Suman (mango and rice cake sorbet, and Bilo-Bilo (a treat made of macapuno mochi, sweetened bananas, and jackfruit), all have a non-dairy coconut milk base. \u201cOur drive is really to partner with local coconut farmers, local tablea farmers, to really help,\u201d said Epic Brands Corp. Chief Executive Officer John Marcelo in an interview. They buy the raw materials directly from the farmers, and try to use local as much as possible. \u201cI think it\u2019s about time to get our flavors out there.\u201d
\nA former racecar driver, Mr. Marcelo and his family always celebrated ice cream. One night, during a grocery run, he saw that all the brands in the supermarket offered the same thing over and over. The family already makes ice cream for other brands, so, \u201cI wanted to create my own brand.\u201d
\nThey weren\u2019t easy to make: he recalls making the rice-based ones, and them coming out rock-hard from the freezer. The same thing happened to the chunks of fruit. That meant researching cooking methods, such as stewing the fruits more slowly, and cooking everything in a slightly different way. They\u2019re called a \u201cmicrocreamery\u201d by the way, because they only make the ice creams in small batches.
\nThese flavors are tied to his own memories, making each flavor personal. The champorado flavor, for example, is a schoolboy memory, while the mangga\u2019t suman was a memory of a weekend drive.
\nIt\u2019s this same idea of memory that\u2019s driving their push to export, despite being quite new to the game. He told 大象传媒 that they are already in the Middle East (hence the halal seal on the pint), Australia, Canada, and the US. Right now, they are still in talks to bring it to Southeast Asian neighbors Malaysia and Vietnam. The reason for the push to export is the large numbers of Filipino expatriates in those countries: \u201cWe thought that the Filipinos overseas, they definitely miss all our kakanins (rice-based desserts).\u201d
\n\u201cI wanted to tap that market. Most of them, they miss home; they miss their families. So at least (we can) bring them something that can remind them of their childhood and spending time with their families.\u201d
\nMarcelo\u2019s Microcreamery products are available in the Philippines for around P460 a pint in Landers, Shopwise, Marketplace, and some Robinsons Supermarket branches. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia
\n", "content_text": "IT\u2019S NOT LIKE you can eat strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate forever: how about switching to bilo-bilo ice cream?\nOn March 18, Marcelo\u2019s Microcreamery was formally launched in the country, although they have been found on supermarket shelves since last year. The flavors aren\u2019t quite what you\u2019ll find in any normal store shelf: the brand has the Heritage Line, building on traditional Filipino snacks. These are Inutak, Ube Macapuno Champorado, Latik-Latik, Mangga\u2019t Suman, Bilo-Bilo, and Chocolate Champorado. During a tasting at Romulo Caf\u00e9 in Makati, they also unveiled their latest flavor, Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate (as in the Instagram-viral Dubai chocolate, done in collaboration with the chef who made it, Nouel Catis).\nDue to an aversion to certain ingredients (my fault, not theirs), we stuck to something familiar: the Chocolate Champorado, made with tablea (cocoa tablets used for hot chocolate) and rice pudding churned into ice cream. This tasted richly dark and indulgent. We also had a bite of the Dubai chocolate one, and it proved very richly creamy, with a slight coolness of flavor (akin to mint) brought by the pistachios.\nThe flavors we tasted were made with milk, but the Inutak (smoked ube or purple yam pudding), Ube Macapuno Champorado (ube and coconut sport in chocolate rice pudding), Latik-Latik (toasted coconut curds) Mangga\u2019t Suman (mango and rice cake sorbet, and Bilo-Bilo (a treat made of macapuno mochi, sweetened bananas, and jackfruit), all have a non-dairy coconut milk base. \u201cOur drive is really to partner with local coconut farmers, local tablea farmers, to really help,\u201d said Epic Brands Corp. Chief Executive Officer John Marcelo in an interview. They buy the raw materials directly from the farmers, and try to use local as much as possible. \u201cI think it\u2019s about time to get our flavors out there.\u201d\nA former racecar driver, Mr. Marcelo and his family always celebrated ice cream. One night, during a grocery run, he saw that all the brands in the supermarket offered the same thing over and over. The family already makes ice cream for other brands, so, \u201cI wanted to create my own brand.\u201d\nThey weren\u2019t easy to make: he recalls making the rice-based ones, and them coming out rock-hard from the freezer. The same thing happened to the chunks of fruit. That meant researching cooking methods, such as stewing the fruits more slowly, and cooking everything in a slightly different way. They\u2019re called a \u201cmicrocreamery\u201d by the way, because they only make the ice creams in small batches.\nThese flavors are tied to his own memories, making each flavor personal. The champorado flavor, for example, is a schoolboy memory, while the mangga\u2019t suman was a memory of a weekend drive.\nIt\u2019s this same idea of memory that\u2019s driving their push to export, despite being quite new to the game. He told 大象传媒 that they are already in the Middle East (hence the halal seal on the pint), Australia, Canada, and the US. Right now, they are still in talks to bring it to Southeast Asian neighbors Malaysia and Vietnam. The reason for the push to export is the large numbers of Filipino expatriates in those countries: \u201cWe thought that the Filipinos overseas, they definitely miss all our kakanins (rice-based desserts).\u201d\n\u201cI wanted to tap that market. Most of them, they miss home; they miss their families. So at least (we can) bring them something that can remind them of their childhood and spending time with their families.\u201d\nMarcelo\u2019s Microcreamery products are available in the Philippines for around P460 a pint in Landers, Shopwise, Marketplace, and some Robinsons Supermarket branches. \u2014 Joseph L. Garcia", "date_published": "2026-03-26T00:03:42+08:00", "date_modified": "2026-03-26T00:32:00+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "大象传媒", "url": "/author/cedadiantityclea/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/fc38d2668fdee8f1e2b22df5e72ae6f4ad265ab7814de4aa60060edd377a70ce?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Marcelo_s-Microcreamery_s-Heritage-line-with-its-Pistachio-Kunafa-Chocolate-flavored-ice-cream.jpg", "tags": [ "Joseph L. Garcia", "Arts & Leisure", "Editors' Picks" ] } ] }![\"\"](\"/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ribeye-5.jpg\")
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