Arts & LeisureDieters beware: Calorific (but tasty) dining
-- Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
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Posted on July 21, 2016
WITH the opening of Applebee’s second branch in Eastwood City one may rejoice that its tasty food is more accessible, but also mourn the death of your diet.What started as a mom-and-pop casual dining restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia in 1980 has grown into one of the biggest fast food restaurants in the world. Now it has more than 2,000 branches in the US, Guam, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Greece, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, and the Philippines. The menu selections at Applebee’s are close to our hearts and taste buds, said Global Restaurant Concepts (GRC), Inc. marketing manager Roberto Vallar. “The tastes are aggressive and bold because the flavors are layered and varied,” he said. Aside from Applebee’s, the Filipino company GRC, Inc. introduces, develops, and operates other international restaurants in the country including IHOP, California Pizza Kitchen, Gyu-Kaku, and Morelli’s. In 2007, IHOP purchased Applebee’s for $2.1 billion, and they are now both under the parent company Dine Equity. At the launch of the new branch, BusinessWorld got to try five of Applebee’s best sellers: Tacos sampler, Quesadilla burgers, Sriracha shrimp, Fiesta Lime Chicken, and Triple Chocolate Meltdown. All are photogenic and inviting. But behind their beauty is bad news for the diet-conscious: only four dishes in Applebee’s menu are under 600 calories. They are: Savory cedar salmon, Thai salad, Cedar grilled lemon chicken, and Cavatappi pasta with shrimp and broccoli. The rest are dietarily sinful. American dishes are, after all, notorious for being deep-fried, salty, and oily. “The Fiesta Lime Chicken, our customers’ joke, is the most ‘calorie-fic’ in our menu,” said kitchen manager Jaimie Lee Arneson. The dish is a huge serving of chicken meat bathed and swimming in melted cheese and mayonnaise on a bed of rice, some pieces of fried wanton, and served with a spoonful of salsa on the side. Ms. Arneson said she does not know how many calories the dish has, but she is sure it is filling. Applebee’s also prides itself as being the pioneer of the Quesadilla burger. It is a thick spiced beef patty, deep-fried, and coated with lots of cheese, and then wrapped in crispy taco shells. According to the Fitness magazine Web site, the burger has a whopping 1,820 calories, and if eaten with French fries -- an extra 440 calories -- comes to a total of 2,260 calories. Although the recommended calorie intake for women and men per day depends on their age, lifestyle, weight, and height, on average, a person only needs to consume 2,500 calories in a day. A quick look online comes up with a PDF file from Applebee’s listing the nutrition information on a large variety of its dishes (with the caveat that the numbers are as of April 25 of this year and good through Aug. 14, and only applicable to the USA). According to the tables, Quesadilla burgers come in at 1,410 calories, Sriracha shrimp contain 680 calories, Fiesta Lime Chicken is 1,140 calories, and Triple Chocolate Meltdown comes to 980 calories. The number of calories vary depending on the source, but in all cases, they are considerable. While the waiters asked if they could serve some shakes, this writer declined in favor of water. Applebee’s serves thick and creamy shakes in blueberry cheesecake and strawberry-banana flavors and some alcohol, too. No need to calculate their calories, because they are definitely more than 600. Applebee’s is not for solo eaters because its serving sizes are good for two to three people. This writer was alone (and on a diet) which is why I did not finish everything, but its best selling dessert, the Triple Chocolate Meltdown, was too tempting to pass. It is a piece of hot fudge chocolate with vanilla ice cream on top. Dessert is always a good idea. |
Friday, August 5, 2016
Dieters beware: calorific (but tasty) dining
A coffee open bar
Arts & Leisure
A coffee open bar
Posted on July 28, 2016
COFFEE, the world’s third most-loved drink next to water and tea, has become more than just a pick-me-up.
“Coffee is a lot more than just a drink; it’s something happening. Not as in hip, but like an event, a place to be, but not like a location, but like somewhere within yourself. It gives you time, but not actual hours or minutes, but a chance to be, like be yourself, and have a second cup,” said American novelist Gertrude Stein.
BusinessWorld was invited on July 19 to Starbucks S’Maison, a “reserve” and “forward” branch, at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City for a demonstration of the four brewing techniques to get the best brewed coffee flavors possible.
A “reserve” branch is one that has an open coffee bar where caffeine lovers can watch the baristas while they make the orders. A “forward” branch means it offers special and signature coffees that veer from the usual flavors like Arabica. Of Starbuck’s 286 branches in the country (the most of any brand), there are three forwards and seven reserves in the metro.
COFFEE COUNTRY
According to 2013 data from the Caffeine Informer Web site, the Philippines ranks 49thamong the top 50 coffee-consuming countries in the world.
The Starbucks baristas said Filipinos love their cups of coffee sweet and creamy.
“Filipinos like to put sugar and cream on their coffee or have them as frappe. To appreciate the coffees as they are, we do an open bar kasi sayang naman ang layo pa ng pinanggalingan ng (it would be a waste since the coffee comes from so far away) coffee,” said coffee master Hero Bonyad of the open bars where the customers can appreciate the coffees -- like African Cape Verde beans -- before they are brewed and have condiments added.
“African coffees are innately savory and rich,” said Mr. Bonyad.
It turns out that the art of coffee making and drinking is extensive and elaborate.
Mr. Bonyad and his partner coffee master, Annie Alcantara, brewed the coffee using four different techniques to demonstrate how each gives a different “body.”
“The coffee’s ‘body’ is its weight or thickness,” said Ms. Alcantara as she started to pour the coffee. “It is where the coffee’s flavor lingers on your tongue,” she said, pointing out that most of coffee’s strong flavors linger at the sides of the tongue.
COFFEE TECHNIQUES
Starbucks S’Maison offers four brewing styles: siphon, Chemex, pour-over, and Clover.
Siphon is the most elaborate procedure of them all, taking nine to 11 minutes of brewing time. As explained on http://www.thekitchn.com, the “[siphon coffee maker] has two chambers, and the first is filled with water. By heating the bottom chamber, vapor pressure forces the water to rise into the upper chamber. Here it is mixed with the coffee grounds. The water, now mixed with the grounds, is pulled back down into the lower chamber (thanks to gravity and a drop in pressure, the ‘vacuum’ effect), through a filter which sits at the bottom of the upper chamber, and the bottom chamber in turn fills with brewed coffee.”
“Siphon makes coffee mellower and lighter in color and taste,” said Mr. Bonyad.
In stark contrast, the pour-over method is no-fuss and only takes five minutes. A ceramic cone filled with coffee sits over one’s cup of mug. Just pour hot water in the ceramic cone and wait for the finished coffee to pore into the mug.
The Chemex method, which takes nine minutes brewing time, is an upgrade of the pour-over method. Instead of a cone, it uses a glass decanter with a wooden collar.
“The Chemex amplifies the coffee’s body but produces the cleanest cup with complex flavors, meaning, no single characteristic will dominate,” said Ms. Alcantara.
For the coffee to “bloom,” or the “process of waking up the flavors,” especially during the pour-over and Chemex methods, the baristas said to let the hot water “wet” or soak the coffee for about 30 seconds to “get the most desirable coffee elements.”
Lastly, for those on the go, the Clover technique is the fastest: 30 seconds and voila, a hot brewed coffee for you. The Clover is a machine exclusive to Starbucks and “uses an innovative ‘vacuum-press’ technology that controls brew time and temperature digitally, as subtle changes can dramatically affect the flavor.”
In between the coffee making demonstrations, the baristas spoke about the art of slurping. Like a hot ramen, the best way to appreciate coffee, they said, is to smell it then slurp it. Do not sip it slowly.
“Slurping the coffee spreads out the taste, unlike when you sip it, the flavor is concentrated at your teeth and tip of the tongue,” said Mr. Bonyad. Slurping also prevents burning the lips and tongue, he said.
Other than slurping, the two coffee masters agreed that “Coffee has no rules.”
Ms. Alcantara said you can pair coffee with cakes or croissants, pastas and macaroons. Coffee over ice is also an option.
“Coffees have different profiles when they are hot or cold. But then again, nothing can ever go wrong with a cup of coffee,” the two baristas said while the strong aroma of the coffee lingered in the air. -- Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
BusinessWorld was invited on July 19 to Starbucks S’Maison, a “reserve” and “forward” branch, at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City for a demonstration of the four brewing techniques to get the best brewed coffee flavors possible.
A “reserve” branch is one that has an open coffee bar where caffeine lovers can watch the baristas while they make the orders. A “forward” branch means it offers special and signature coffees that veer from the usual flavors like Arabica. Of Starbuck’s 286 branches in the country (the most of any brand), there are three forwards and seven reserves in the metro.
COFFEE COUNTRY
According to 2013 data from the Caffeine Informer Web site, the Philippines ranks 49thamong the top 50 coffee-consuming countries in the world.
The Starbucks baristas said Filipinos love their cups of coffee sweet and creamy.
“Filipinos like to put sugar and cream on their coffee or have them as frappe. To appreciate the coffees as they are, we do an open bar kasi sayang naman ang layo pa ng pinanggalingan ng (it would be a waste since the coffee comes from so far away) coffee,” said coffee master Hero Bonyad of the open bars where the customers can appreciate the coffees -- like African Cape Verde beans -- before they are brewed and have condiments added.
“African coffees are innately savory and rich,” said Mr. Bonyad.
It turns out that the art of coffee making and drinking is extensive and elaborate.
Mr. Bonyad and his partner coffee master, Annie Alcantara, brewed the coffee using four different techniques to demonstrate how each gives a different “body.”
“The coffee’s ‘body’ is its weight or thickness,” said Ms. Alcantara as she started to pour the coffee. “It is where the coffee’s flavor lingers on your tongue,” she said, pointing out that most of coffee’s strong flavors linger at the sides of the tongue.
COFFEE TECHNIQUES
Starbucks S’Maison offers four brewing styles: siphon, Chemex, pour-over, and Clover.
Siphon is the most elaborate procedure of them all, taking nine to 11 minutes of brewing time. As explained on http://www.thekitchn.com, the “[siphon coffee maker] has two chambers, and the first is filled with water. By heating the bottom chamber, vapor pressure forces the water to rise into the upper chamber. Here it is mixed with the coffee grounds. The water, now mixed with the grounds, is pulled back down into the lower chamber (thanks to gravity and a drop in pressure, the ‘vacuum’ effect), through a filter which sits at the bottom of the upper chamber, and the bottom chamber in turn fills with brewed coffee.”
“Siphon makes coffee mellower and lighter in color and taste,” said Mr. Bonyad.
In stark contrast, the pour-over method is no-fuss and only takes five minutes. A ceramic cone filled with coffee sits over one’s cup of mug. Just pour hot water in the ceramic cone and wait for the finished coffee to pore into the mug.
The Chemex method, which takes nine minutes brewing time, is an upgrade of the pour-over method. Instead of a cone, it uses a glass decanter with a wooden collar.
“The Chemex amplifies the coffee’s body but produces the cleanest cup with complex flavors, meaning, no single characteristic will dominate,” said Ms. Alcantara.
For the coffee to “bloom,” or the “process of waking up the flavors,” especially during the pour-over and Chemex methods, the baristas said to let the hot water “wet” or soak the coffee for about 30 seconds to “get the most desirable coffee elements.”
Lastly, for those on the go, the Clover technique is the fastest: 30 seconds and voila, a hot brewed coffee for you. The Clover is a machine exclusive to Starbucks and “uses an innovative ‘vacuum-press’ technology that controls brew time and temperature digitally, as subtle changes can dramatically affect the flavor.”
In between the coffee making demonstrations, the baristas spoke about the art of slurping. Like a hot ramen, the best way to appreciate coffee, they said, is to smell it then slurp it. Do not sip it slowly.
“Slurping the coffee spreads out the taste, unlike when you sip it, the flavor is concentrated at your teeth and tip of the tongue,” said Mr. Bonyad. Slurping also prevents burning the lips and tongue, he said.
Other than slurping, the two coffee masters agreed that “Coffee has no rules.”
Ms. Alcantara said you can pair coffee with cakes or croissants, pastas and macaroons. Coffee over ice is also an option.
“Coffees have different profiles when they are hot or cold. But then again, nothing can ever go wrong with a cup of coffee,” the two baristas said while the strong aroma of the coffee lingered in the air. -- Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
Choose your cheese
Choose your cheese
By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
Posted on August 04, 2016
SOME HAVE sage and some are made with beer, while others are stinky, “but oh so god damn sexy.” Like a box of chocolate, cheese comes in many varieties, and choosing is never easy.
This is unfortunate, he said, because the world produces a plethora of cheese in different flavors, smells, textures, and tastes, and Filipinos should be aware of them.
“I personally love French cheese because they have more cheese than there are days in a year,” he added.
With the goal of celebrating cheese and in order for more Filipinos to become acquainted with the different types, the Marketplace by Rustan’s is holding a cheese festival until Aug. 14, with a 30% discount given for all the cheeses. There are over 120 varieties to choose from at the supermarket, ranging from the well known like Parmesan, mozzarella, and cheddar down to the artisanal like truffled savarin and St. Marcellin, both French cheeses made with cow’s milk.
“St. Marcellin is creamy, nutty, and a little bit stinky, but oh, so god damn sexy,” said Mr. Ng. St. Marcellin originates from Isere region in France where it was exclusively made from goat’s milk until the 13th century when cow’s milk started to be used in its production.
According to chef Ng, there are only four basic cheeses: fresh and spreadable; hard and aged; blue-veined and often stinky; and bloomy rind, which has a soft rim.
The hard cheeses are the most common. Some of the samples include Parmesan, cheddar, and Madrigal cheese, “which are the party favorite.”
“If you don’t know how Madrigal cheese looks like, they are the ones often used in cartoons,” he said referring to the cartoon illustrations of round cheeses with holes in them.
Another hard cheese is Parmigiano Reggiano from Northern Italy. “It is expensive because it takes forever to age, at least three to four years,” said Mr. Ng.
Soft cheeses, on the other hand, are spreadable and are “creamy, un-aged, and often fresh” like goat cheese.
While England is home to cheddar cheese, it also created Sage Derby cheese, which, as the name implies, is infused with sage leaves. Mr. Ng said: “It’s like dahon ng laurel (bay leaf), it has strong herb taste and smell.”
Aside from herbs, cheese lovers and makers have also learned to infuse their cheese with beer, like in Guinness Beer Irish cheese. It is brown in color and one can see the beer malt in the cheese. It is heavy and creamy at the same time.
Sage and Guinness Beer are both semi-hard cheeses, which is the largest category of cheese in the world.
Mr. Ng, the founding member of the Chefs and Foodservice Community of the Philippines, said that cheese should not be intimidating, but exciting. “Don’t be afraid to try. It may look and smell funny, or have some difficult name to pronounce, but try it anyway. Who knows, you might just love it.”
And this cheese adventure includes tasting even the funky ones. “The stinkier, the better,” he teased.
A blue-veined basic cheese is a result of the cheese being infected with mold and allowed to age. It may look unsavory but blue cheese packs a strong punch. Mr. Ng gave a tip: pair stinky cheese with honey, walnuts, and fresh or dried fruits. An example of a blue-veined cheese is the Cambozola from Germany.
When it comes to serving cheese, he said it’s good to let them air before serving. “Be sure to let the cheese breathe for about half an hour to one hour before serving. A great way to keep it from drying out is to cover it lightly using a slightly damp towel.”
To complete the cheese journey and to bring out their flavors, use your imagination. “You can totally have fun and put out a combination of assorted crackers, artisan breads, and mini toasts, plus savory marinated sun-dried tomatoes, olives, or meats like prosciutto and salami,” he said. Also, the no-fail cheese accompaniments are fresh fruits like grapes, strawberries, pears, and peaches.
Charmed to meet you
By: Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
CHARLIE CHANARATSOPON deals with “candy” but does not have a chocolate factory. His Charming Charlie stores do not sell sweets, but rather sweet-looking accessories in all sizes, shapes, cuts, and colors. “It’s a candy store for women,” he told BusinessWorld when he visited the country on July 12.
He was born in the USA after his family migrated there from Thailand in 1974. The family went on to found a sterling silver jewelry business. “I grew up in a business-oriented family. I love business. Period.”
The former real estate analyst was not really planning to be a fashion mogul. “I have more of a finance background. So I built a shopping center and the idea is to put more stores in it,” he said.
His first accessory shop, with pink doors, mirrored shelves, and gilded interiors, opened in Houston, Texas in 2014, and was meant simply to fill up space in the shopping mall he was building.
“Charming Charlie became popular really fast. So we flipped. We focused on it, and said, ‘Okay, let’s be the best fashion jewelry store we can be.’ In 2007, I stopped building malls.”
Now there are more than 370 Charming Charlie stores in the US, and branches in Canada, the Middle East, and the Philippines where a store has opened at Central Square in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. This year, a second branch will open at Glorietta 2 in Makati.
“The overall thesis was, here’s an idea that can make a lot of money. At that time, I saw a few local players doing well in warehousing fashion jewelry,” he added.
“It was spontaneous, and so, here we are.”
He remembered one of his first problems was christening the store with a catchy name. “I was torn among many suggestions but three names stuck with me the most because they were pretty bad,” he said while laughing -- “Accessory City,” “Accessory Buffet,” and “Funky Monkey.” The a-ha moment came when someone said “Charming Charlie.”
The accessory brand projects itself as a “candy store for women -- except they are fashion items,” he said.
Charming Charlie sets itself apart from similar stores by arranging its broad assortment of products -- fashion jewelry, handbags, scarves, etc. -- by color, 26 to be exact. There are the basic colors and there are other shades like “French roast,” “light sea foam,” “adobe,” and “pool blue.” The Philippine store offers more basic color choices in black, white, gold, and rose gold. But there are also a few bags and bangles, watches and wallets in red, yellow, and blue. The price range is competitive: starting at P250, nothing costs more than P2,500.
ACCESSORIES OVER APPAREL
But if given a chance to fill up the shopping mall empire he was originally building, would he stick with an accessory shop or choose another business venture?
“I do not like apparel,” he said bluntly.
Clothing items, he said, are hard to market because competition is tough. There are established fast fashion brands he would have to compete against like Zara, Mango, Forever 21, and H&M. The business of clothes, he said, is also deflating.
“In the last 20 years, it has deflated. The cost has gone down one or two percent a year, while everything, meanwhile, has inflated.”
“But I like accessories,” said Mr. Chanaratsopon, who was wearing a white button-down polo shirt and blue houndstooth blazer. An oversized watch was peeking from under his sleeve.
He said he likes accessories in a sense that they do not come in sizes, which makes the business easier to manage. Also, they have “better margins and fewer competition.” Plus, his experience with the family business in jewelry also helped him navigate the ins and outs of fashion accessories.
LESSONS LEARNED
Like any other startups, Charming Charlie started at the bottom, relying on word of the mouth. “There was no Facebook yet,” he said. But there were cellular phones.
“I’d sit at the stores and see how women shop,” he said. He noticed that whenever women saw something they fancied, they would immediately get on their phones to call their girl friends to herald the good news: “I saw a watch I am totally crushing on.” Or, “I found a necklace that would upgrade my look.”
Through customer analytics, he learned women want to shop by colors, so he arranged the stores by color. And since then, Charming Charlie has been known as the “color store.”
If there are things Mr. Chanaratsopon has learned as a businessman, he said listening is always important. “Be customer-centric,” he said. He also added that it pays to think out of the box and always be inquisitive and ready.
“There are challenges every day. When we started in the US, we didn’t have direct competition. The first few years [were spent] learning the playbook, meaning, make the big mistakes early when there’s fewer stores. If there are big things coming down the road, I tell the senior staff -- whom I call the ‘binoculars’ -- ‘Hey, you got to see the big bumps coming.’ When you’re smaller, you can turn quickly when there’s a big bump, but when you have so many stores, the bumps hit you a lot harder. So we wanted to get the big bumps out [of the way] during the first three years before we grew. Then we opened very fast after that.”
In 2010, Ernst and Young named him the Entrepreneur of the Year in the retail category. In 2013, Forbes magazine featured him as among the ones to watch for. While his business was still at its infancy, he decided to pursue an MBA at the Columbia Business School which he finished in 2007. But the businessman is not content to rest on his laurels. “Every day is a learning process,” he said.
After 12 years, he has no plans of slowing down. He said he’s opening a store in Mexico next year. He also said that Asia is an important market. He is eyeing expansion in China and Hong Kong soon. What about Thailand, BusinessWorld asked. Eventually, he said, smiling.
As brands get bigger and the competition gets tougher, businesses should learn how to heed the signs of the times by tapping into the powers of technology.
“Now we cannot rely on the word of mouth alone. The brand has to be aggressive,” he said.
Charming Charlie, and the rest of today’s brands, he said, are tapping “online influencers” because: “bloggers have millions of followers, they are relevant, and authentic. Their posts go viral very fast.
“You know what? Celebrities do not move the needles anymore. We want to market with real people,” he said.
Tagbilaran: More than Bohol's gateway
By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman, Reporter
MOST PEOPLE just pass through Tagbilaran City, Bohol’s capital, on their way to Panglao Island and its beaches, Loboc town and its river tours and tarsier watching, or the famed Chocolate Hills. “Rarely do tourists stay in the city,” said tour guide Doris Obena.
But the gateway to paradise is also a getaway in itself. “This is why we’re promoting it for an eco-tour,” Ms. Obena told BusinessWorldduring a media tour from July 21 to 23, as the city was celebrating its month-long Sandugo Festival.
The tourism efforts are also meant to decongest, as early as now, the traffic that the new Panglao Island International Airport is expected to create when it opens late next year. The airport in Tagbilaran welcomed 455,155 tourist arrivals in 2014 and 481,736 tourists in 2015. According to Ms. Obena, once the Panglao International Airport opens next year, arrivals are expected to increase to two million. Among the reasons that such a boom is expected are cut-price airline promos which lure an increasing number of people to explore the islands. For example, AirAsia currently has a travel promo of P888 per seat for selected local trips to mark its anniversary.
HERITAGE HOUSES
The walking tour, which has been offered since last year, aims to lure tourists to the city while, at the same time, highlighting and preserving Tagbilaran’s treasures, including its collection of heirloom homes.
The walking tour, which has been offered since last year, aims to lure tourists to the city while, at the same time, highlighting and preserving Tagbilaran’s treasures, including its collection of heirloom homes.
“Of the 500 heritage houses in Bohol, 300 are in Tagbilaran,” Ms. Obena pointed out.
The tour, which costs P800 for a group of 10 people, is a two-hour exploration of the city’s heritage sites, including the home of its most famous son, President Carlos P. Garcia (1896-1971). President Ramon Magsaysay’s vice-president, Mr. Garcia took over as chief executive after Mr. Magsaysay’s untimely death on March 17, 1957. The National Historical Institute declared this two-storey house on A. Hontanosas street a heritage structure in 2009. In it are displayed Mr. Garcia’s photographs, medals and certificates, suits, and books.
Peppered along the streets of the city are other heritage houses that displayed the variety of architectural styles found in the Philippines. Some stone houses are held together with egg white mortar; some are made from wood; while others were inspired by traditional Chinese curved roofs.
The downside of the tour, however, is that it happens at high noon.
“Not a lot of Filipinos join the tour,” admitted Nonet Madrinan-Bolo, general manager of Dagohoy World Travel, an accredited travel operator in the province which initiated the tour idea. “They hate the heat and the long walks,” she said. Most of those who join the heritage tours are Koreans, Americans, Chinese, and Europeans. But the group is making some adjustments to lure more Filipino tourists.
On the tour we passed by the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral at the town plaza, which is, we were told, “a relative of the Baclayon church” in a sense that both were made from coral stones and egg white mortar. Both churches were built in the 16th century.
Bohol is very Catholic. Ms. Obena said 96% of the residents are Catholic and there’s a city ordinance that compels all tricycle drivers to post Bible verses at the back of their vehicles.
In the middle of the long walk under the sun, we made a 30-minute stop for merienda (a snack) at Jojie’s Painitang Bol-anon, which is part of the tour package. The small and humble eatery offers a taste of Bohol’s sweets, pastries, and kakanin (rice-based snacks) like biko ube, bibingka,biko, bud-bud, and nilubid (rice cake with chocolate).
Bohol remains largely agricultural, with rice as the main crop. According to its Economic Factbook, the province produced 255,053 metric tons of rice in 2014. As an economic driving force, tourism comes second. The province currently offers more than 6,000 rooms spread out among eight hotels, 119 resorts, and 154 lodging houses.
SANDUGO FESTIVAL
One of Tagbilaran’s yearly highlights is its month-long Sandugo festival held in July. The celebration includes concerts, street dances, historical re-enactments, and singing contests, among many activities.
One of Tagbilaran’s yearly highlights is its month-long Sandugo festival held in July. The celebration includes concerts, street dances, historical re-enactments, and singing contests, among many activities.
The Sandugo festival coincides with Tagbilaran’s foundation day. It is currently celebrating its 162nd.
The festival marks what is believed to be the first treaty between the Filipinos and the Spaniards. The name Sandugo comes from “isang dugo” (one blood), as the treaty was marked by a blood compact between Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and local chief Datu Sikatuna in 1565. Unlike popular depictions of the event which has the men slashing their wrists then joining them together, our tour guide said they lightly slashed their chests to obtain the blood that would be mixed with water and drunk as part of the compact.
Still, even in Tagbilaran, the misconception is rampant — during the Sandugo re-enactment, we saw the actors playing Sikatuna and Legazpi joining their wrists to signify the blood compact.
In honor of the historic event, a bronze shrine featuring life-size images of Legazpi, Sikatuna, and their men can be found in Loay in Tagbilaran.
STREET DANCING
Another highlight of the Sandugo festival is the street dance competition. Held this year on July 22, eight delegations from various towns and schools in the province vied for the title.
Another highlight of the Sandugo festival is the street dance competition. Held this year on July 22, eight delegations from various towns and schools in the province vied for the title.
The colorful parade features costumes made from local products, traditional dance steps, and musical performances. Previously the dancers had been inspired by the music and dances of Cebu’s very popular Sinulog festival, making Bohol’s look like “an impoverished twin brother” of the Sinulog, top officials had been quoted as saying in news reports.
Now, the organizers decided to up their game and highlight the province’s own kuradang dance step and music — the folk dance is performed in special occasions like weddings, birthdays, and baptisms. It requires energetic gaiety from the dancers who raise and sway their arms imitating birds mating rituals. At some parts a boy and a girl would circle each other or the man would lovingly chase his lady. The background music induced “last song syndrome” because the lyrics were repetitive (“sa kuradang, sa kuradang”) and the tune upbeat. According to Wikipilinas, kuradang could have been derived from an archaic Visayan word that meant “overdressed.” Indeed, the participants wore pointed golden shoes and colorful garb.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Cosio's curiosity
Arts & Leisure
By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman, Reporter
Cosio’s curiosity
0 0 Google +0 0
Posted on July 13, 2016
PAINTERS are psychics. Fifteen years ago, visual artist Allan Cosio made woven straw his canvas and painted it with blue, green, and touches of red and yellow. He called it Bengued. Last month, a hillside of La Trinidad, Benguet made headlines when the sprawling neighborhood was turned into a mural. The homes were painted blue, green, red, and yellow as part of a Department of Tourism (DoT) Cordillera project.
Although the DoT project drew inspiration from the favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, it does resemble Cosio’s painting.
“Look how advanced an artist’s eyes are,” he said, pointing to his work.
He added: “That’s why they say artists are ahead of their time.” Bengued is part of the retrospective exhibit Three Periods of Art Making which is on view at the Alliance Française in Makati City until Aug. 19.
“It’s just presenting the periods of the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. How did it evolve? That’s it,” he said.
The painter and sculptor has been actively making art since 1975. And it turns out he’s not only a clairvoyant, but a curious creator, too. He has changed how materials are manipulated.
His works require the audience to peer closely, and at the same time, to look at them from a distance. From afar, most of the items on exhibit, including his latest trilogy called 3 Seasons, are mostly paint splatters and explosion of colors, but with coherence and charm. A closer look reveals that his canvases are not ordinary: he uses cotton straw weaves, linen, rubber mats, velour, and rattan. He once used pellon, a synthetic material inserted in collars and cuffs to make them stiff.
“I just keep working and I find myself doing things,” said the artist, who was the 2002 Chevalier recipient of l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters), France’s highest award given to both the French and foreigners for their achievements in arts. Other Filipino artists who have been similarly honored are National Artist Arturo Luz (who received his in 1987), filmmaker Amable “Tikoy” Aguiluz (2003), and painter Juvenal Sanso (2008), among others.
Asked which was his favorite piece in the exhibit, without hesitation he said it was his most recent work -- a triptych of winter, spring, and fall.
“The artist’s favorite is always his latest, because it’s the newest discovery,” he said.
“I’m going more abstract. It’s a natural progression,” he added.
Called 3 Seasons, the paintings -- done in 2000s -- feature thick brush strokes in upward and slanted motions which somehow suggest peacocks or Chinese calligraphy.
The 75-year-old artist began his career with geometric abstraction. These days, his works are experiments with unusual canvases and happy colors. In the 1990s, he did portraits, including those of Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil and Gemma Cruz Araneta, which greet the visitors at the Alliance Française gallery entrance.
“I am very fond of them,” he said of the portraits. “In the ’90s, I did series of women in Manila, one of them was Chitang Nakpil (Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil). They are women who have achieved something, that’s why I call them the ‘Big Girls.’”
Ms. Nakpil, a journalist and essayist, is the mother of Lisa Guerrero-Nakpil, a curator, and Gemma Cruz Araneta, a historian.
One side of the gallery features three other portraits done in the 1990s -- of a random guitarist, three nude women, and a group portrait of his friends. They are all done in bloody red.
Asked why he used the color he shrugged and said he did not know. “Sometimes artists just work without thinking of the colors.”
“Look how advanced an artist’s eyes are,” he said, pointing to his work.
He added: “That’s why they say artists are ahead of their time.” Bengued is part of the retrospective exhibit Three Periods of Art Making which is on view at the Alliance Française in Makati City until Aug. 19.
“It’s just presenting the periods of the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. How did it evolve? That’s it,” he said.
The painter and sculptor has been actively making art since 1975. And it turns out he’s not only a clairvoyant, but a curious creator, too. He has changed how materials are manipulated.
His works require the audience to peer closely, and at the same time, to look at them from a distance. From afar, most of the items on exhibit, including his latest trilogy called 3 Seasons, are mostly paint splatters and explosion of colors, but with coherence and charm. A closer look reveals that his canvases are not ordinary: he uses cotton straw weaves, linen, rubber mats, velour, and rattan. He once used pellon, a synthetic material inserted in collars and cuffs to make them stiff.
“I just keep working and I find myself doing things,” said the artist, who was the 2002 Chevalier recipient of l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters), France’s highest award given to both the French and foreigners for their achievements in arts. Other Filipino artists who have been similarly honored are National Artist Arturo Luz (who received his in 1987), filmmaker Amable “Tikoy” Aguiluz (2003), and painter Juvenal Sanso (2008), among others.
Asked which was his favorite piece in the exhibit, without hesitation he said it was his most recent work -- a triptych of winter, spring, and fall.
“The artist’s favorite is always his latest, because it’s the newest discovery,” he said.
“I’m going more abstract. It’s a natural progression,” he added.
Called 3 Seasons, the paintings -- done in 2000s -- feature thick brush strokes in upward and slanted motions which somehow suggest peacocks or Chinese calligraphy.
The 75-year-old artist began his career with geometric abstraction. These days, his works are experiments with unusual canvases and happy colors. In the 1990s, he did portraits, including those of Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil and Gemma Cruz Araneta, which greet the visitors at the Alliance Française gallery entrance.
“I am very fond of them,” he said of the portraits. “In the ’90s, I did series of women in Manila, one of them was Chitang Nakpil (Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil). They are women who have achieved something, that’s why I call them the ‘Big Girls.’”
Ms. Nakpil, a journalist and essayist, is the mother of Lisa Guerrero-Nakpil, a curator, and Gemma Cruz Araneta, a historian.
One side of the gallery features three other portraits done in the 1990s -- of a random guitarist, three nude women, and a group portrait of his friends. They are all done in bloody red.
Asked why he used the color he shrugged and said he did not know. “Sometimes artists just work without thinking of the colors.”
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