Tag: July 31, 2011

THE LONG-CONSIDERED “decorations” that thrive all over the world pestered residents of Cotabato City last month by invading the waterways of Rio Grande de Mindanao causing knee-high floods in the recent 'Falcon' onslaught.

While public officials declared an ecological battle against these plants, some Filipinos remain hopeful of their potentials and tapped their innovative characteristics.

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), erroneously called as water lily, is a free-floating plant, naturally growing in tropical freshwater bodies that originated in South America.

MIGUEL Angel de Alba always dreamt of becoming a doctor when he was still young. Being a sickly boy that he was, he got inspired to pursue a career in medicine to help those who are of the same plight as he is.

But fate may have its joking way of pushing him far from his childish fascination as he is now the executive chef and general manager of Alba Restaurante Español, a family business that was started by his father Don Anastacio de Alba, more commonly known as Señor Alba in 1952.

Family business

SIZZLING delicacies and “silog” meals have always been part of an average Thomasian’s day-to-day budget. With limited allowances given to students, the search for affordable yet delicious meals within the University’s premises has become an essential part of every college journey.

But other than those grilled entrees offered by nearby carinderias, restaurants surrounding the University have not only catered the affordable yet delicious standard raised by consumers. They also offer a variety of food choices, taking pride of the foreign and international cuisine that they market to their Filipino patrons.

Love for food

LIKE silk and concrete, fashion and architecture probably don’t mix.

But not for Francis Libiran, an architect-turned-fashion guru. Just eight years into the Philippine fashion scene, his signature style of “classic elegance with a twist” has turned him into a household name among Filipino fashionistas and local celebrities.

Passion for fashion

Two years after earning his architecture degree in UST, Libiran found himself seated in one of the rooms of the Fashion Institute of the Philippines where he took up a course in Pattern Making. The 38-year-old couturier knew that he had to take his lifelong fondness for fashion to the next level.

Catholic, evangelical, and Muslim leaders, together with a number of sociocivic organizations, gathered last July 15 to form the «Pro-Life Coalition,» reaffirming their staunch opposition to the Reproductive Health (RH) bill being pushed by allies of the Aquino administration.

In a statement titled “Reunite and Restore: A Call for National Solidarity and Moral Recovery,” coalition members said they would give their "unwavering support to all pro-poor programs of the present administration" but would "strongly oppose and vehemently resist all moves by any individual, group or institution to enact the RH bill into law.”

The bill seeks to establish a massive, state-funded birth control program.

ST. IGNATIUS of Loyola’s philosophy of “finding God in all things” tells us that it is through our search for God in everyday endeavors that we can see the answers to our problems.

This is the focus of Fr. James Martin, S.J. in his book titled “The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life,” which explains how one can develop a relationship with God amid the pressure and ordeals that has become our lives.

The book by the culture editor of America magazine tries to present the teachings of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus (commonly known as Jesuits), to contemporary readers—Christians and non-Christians alike.

THREE entries in this year’s Cinemalaya film festival explored wholesome and religion-oriented storylines, taking a break from the usual violence and gore in independent films.

Full-length films Niño and Bisperas and the short film Niño Bonito had family-oriented settings—with displays of Filipino popular piety amid social problems.

Niño, directed by Loy Arcenas, tells the story of how the once-prominent Lopez-Aranza family depended on the Sto. Niño (the image of the child Jesus) to change their lives.

With various accounts proving that the Sto. Niño is miraculous, Celia, the matriarch, grows fond of the image and strengthens her devotion.

I CAME across a painting titled, “There’s Nothing Glorious About Dying. Anyone Can Do It” and thought the artist was right—life expires and it is nothing out of the ordinary.

But what most people don’t see is that those who cease to exist may have the best seats in the house since the glory comes in the afterlife. Those who took the righteous path during the course of their lifetime would bask under God’s overflowing incandescence and would share every abstract space with all the angels and saints should they enter their final destination.

But what if someone close to you dies by his own hand? After all, Catholic teaching has always given me the impression that there is only one verdict for those who commit suicide.

SELECTED UST Architecture students were given the chance to be personally toured by National Artist-elect for Architecture Francisco Mañosa in his own home at Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City last July 22.

Completed in 1983, the architect said that during its construction, people would often criticize his house for its “cheap construction.”

“People would say that materials such as bamboo [and] rattan, were cheap building materials,” said Mañosa, adding his house has become a cultural destination among tourists and prominent people alike.

WITH all screenings sold out, the seventh Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Greenbelt 3 last July 15 to 24 was easily the best attended so far in history. Theme was “See the Unseen,” obviously a challenge to filmmakers to explore new realms. But did the commerce rule out the theme?

The question seems pertinent inasmuch as in the main category, New Breed, the best picture winner was also the audience choice winner, Marlon Rivera’s "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank," a film within a film that chronicles three passionate filmmakers’ attempt to make a Filipino movie that would win the Oscar best foreign language movie award.