holistic health with organic food

Holistic Health with Organic Food

By Nickky Faustine De Guzman

Published: April 23, 2013

Marriot Hotel Chef Meik Brammer marvels at his freshest pick.

Here is a rhetorical question: who would not want the convenience brought about by fast foods and canned goods? But while most of us are aware of the preservatives added to these comfort foods, some do not seem to care at all. Perhaps time constraints in concocting healthier dishes bring about the penchant for the packaged goodies.

A trip to an organic farm a few hours away from the city seems to be a timely retreat, reminding everyone about the value of a simple and languid rural life, where everything one needs is in his or her backyard garden, fresh for the picking.
An organic farm in Nasugbu, Batangas boasts of a wide array of vegetables that can very likely sum up the “Bahay Kubo” song. The two-hectare farm also has approximately 30 kinds of herbs and some chickens that eat Japan-original micro biotic solution molasses that promise to keep them healthy and sturdy.

“Planting organic vegetables is very easy; anyone can do it as long as you can understand the language of the plants,” Bautista Organic farm owner, Corazon Bautista, shares. In understanding nature, she says one needs to know what a yellowish vegetable means or a withered leaf signifies. Thus, do not be surprised if you happen to pass by the farm while Corazon is in the middle of talking, dancing, or singing to her plants. True enough, the carrots, arugulas, and tomatoes are beaming with life and are seemingly secreting sweet-smelling scents.

The organic farm uses sugar cane mud press as fertilizers, which has high content of protein, sugar, and fiber that makes for good compost. Since organic farming veers away from chemicals, the vegetables, herbs, and chickens are as wholesome as they seem to appear.

“Our highest mission is to help restore the land. By avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, we can improve the health conditions of our community. When all is said and done, we are what we eat,” Corazon says.

According to some studies, organic foods are more nutritious because they are richer in vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals. Others believe that unrefined food tastes better than the processed ones. There seems to be no other way to prove the claim than by tasting the organic vegetables available in the farm. So we dig in the four-course meal prepared to perfection by chefs Meik Brammer and Rej Casanova of Marriott Hotel.

First on the menu is a Salad of Heirloom Tomatoes and Organic Chicken Liver Mousse. The dish is a fusion of tastes and textures from the tang of the balsamic jelly, the sweetness and crispiness of the almond crumbs, and the garlicky flavor of the tarragon aioli. But the light dish is just a prelude of what is in store.
The second dish, the Velvet Pumpkin soup with ratatouille stuffed baby squashed, garlic croutons, and cinnamon crème meanwhile leans on the sweet side brought about by the squash and cinnamon crème. The dish may look simple but its taste is exquisite and satisfying. The pumpkin soup comes in generous amounts so the time for small chitchat with the chefs seems to be the perfect excuse for food digestion.
Marriot’s Executive Chef Brammer shares that the hotel has tied up with the Bautista Organic Farm for a “Farm to a Table” menu offering, which is available for the whole month of April. Sinfully delicious drinks like Lemon Grass and Passion Fruit, Mango, Ginger Mojito, and Jungle Banana Colada are also available on the April organic menu.

Then, off to the main course we go, which is an organic Free-Range Chicken Roulade in Port Wine Sauce with fricassee of garden vegetables and gorgonzola potatoes. Credits to the effective microorganism (EM1) feeds that the chickens eat, their meat tastes tender, leaner, and tends to melt into your mouth. The port wine sauce complements the organic chicken roulade.

To top off the organic and healthy meal is the Rum Mango with Hazelnut Crunch. The dessert has peppermint ice cream and Palawan honey reduction that exudes the right amount of syrupiness.
Majority of the ingredients used came from the organic farm and were cooked right before your very eyes, which assured the quality and freshness of each meal.

“It is always easy for anyone to tag their food as organic, but this is the real natural food,” Chef Brammer points out. But there’s no need to reiterate things; let the two-hectare plantation brimming with natural vegetables and herbs and the organic meal course speak for itself.

hope on canvas

Here:

Hope on Canvas

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

Published: April 22, 2013

If the word “artistry” is a word-play on “art is try” (trying), then the 500 children and young adults from different parts of the country who are victims of abuse, exploitation, and neglect may very well define and depict the every sense of the word.
The artworks of the beneficiaries of the Consuelo Foundation, which desires to serve the hopeless and the poorest of the poor, represent and encapsulate the children’s current state of mind: hopeful and trying.
A tapestry of colorful and artistic myriad of art creations highlighted the Ayala Museum exhibit that is aptly titled “Giving Hope.” The art show exhibits papier-mache creations, a collage of drawings pasted on a native banig, and life-sized sketches of fishes and vegetables. These works were on exhibit until April 18.
There were no signs of despair reflected in each artwork, but rather a renewed sense of hope and a celebration of life. The art composition done by either survivors or at risk of abuse, neglect, and exploitation created their own interpretations of themes that illustrate the traditions of the regions where the children and young adults (aged 4-21 years old) came from.
Hope in art
“Ilaw ng Pagdiriwang” (Celebratory Lights) shows inspiration from Cebu’s Sinulog Festival, especially its dance routine of taking two steps forward and one step backward. The Cebuano word “sinulog” means “like the water current.” The magnified lampshades symbolize the bright future of the artisans.
The entire theme of the exhibit does not only show moving forward but also flying toward one’s dreams and aspirations. And “Ibon ng Paglaya” (Birds of Freedom) very well translates and signifies the flight of the children toward their independence and ambitions. Several papier-mache birds of different colors and designs dangle freely in the museum. The work of art signifies the urban landscape in Manila.
The children from Baguio, meanwhile, got their inspiration from the Panagbenga Festival, which represents renewed hope from the tragic earthquake that devastated the city. Their masterpiece, “Bulaklak ng Pagasa” (Flowers of Hope) is a collage of large-scale flowers on canvas using acrylic paints. “Panagbenga” means seasons of blooming, a metaphorical allusion to the children’s sense of hope and better life.
The exhibit does not only focus on individual aspirations but also takes a holistic approach. The collage of the life-sized tuna fishes in oil pastels and felt cloth (“Isda ng Pagkakaisa” or Fish of Unity) may seem simple but the school of fishes represents the unity and community spirit, health, and development in General Santos City. The nipa-hut-and-vegetable collage that highlights Bicol’s sili (chili) also shows optimism for the community.
A tribute to Mother
The child artisans are beneficiaries of the Consuelo Foundation initiated by the late Consuelo Zobel Alger, a philanthropist and a member of the prominent Zobel del Ayala family. The foundation has helped more than 400,000 children and women in the Philippines and 5,000 thousand kids from Hawaii since it started in 1988.
The Consuelo Foundation also supports programs such as early childhood care and development, youth and women empowerment, protection and recovery of survivors, and child abuse prevention and advocacy.
The child-less Consuelo lived an affluent life and decided to offer all her inheritance to the foundation that is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. As a token of gratitude, the scholar-artisans composed letters that expressed joy and memories shared together with their mother, dubbed by many as their “Earth Angel”. The letters were arranged as a bouquet of flowers that alluded to Consuelo’s devotion to St. Therese, or “the Little Flower of Jesus.”
“Hope is so important to each of us—I would like to renew hope for those who have lost it and to give hope to those who never had it,” Consuelo Zobel Alger was often quoted saying.

another juan on the go

as published here:

Another juan on the go

By Nickky Faustine P. De Guzman

Published: April 14, 2013

Gohotels.ph Dumaguete at late afternoon. It is a stone's throw away from the airport.

A land trip from the City of the Gentle People to the City of Smiles was a far cry from being calm—it was a hell of a ride from Dumaguete to Bacolod—but it did make us grin and even jump for joy (especially first time visitors) upon seeing what these two polar opposites yet same provinces in Visayas have to offer.

To traverse from Negros Oriental to Occidental by land seemed like an absurd idea. Two separate plane flights from Manila to Dumaguete and Manila to Bacolod could have been the sanest things to do, but we didn’t. Imagine a four-hour land trip (or more with stopovers), which was approximately 205 km, from end to end points of two these two distinct counties of Negros.

But nobody complained. Any smart traveler would quip, “Andito ka na nga lang, bakit hindi mo pa tuhugin ang biyahe?”

And these were the points of our land trip: to witness the changing scenic views of the mountain sides and shorelines of nature, to experience the polarity of the cultures of Dumaguete and Bacolod, and most importantly, to debunk the notion that these two cities could not be linked through land travel.

“The idea of our land journey is to promote this kind of transportation to smart travelers who want to take a trip from one place to another without spending that much,” Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) Corporate PR Roseanne C. Villegas said.

The RLC, with its chain of Go Hotels, wanted to boost the tourism in the country by offering budget hotels fit for smart and even business travelers. Hence, Gohotels.ph chains in Bacolod and Dumaguete endorsed what the fourth largest province in the country has in store.

“The Gohotels.ph is a ‘no-frill hotel for every Juan’. You wouldn’t end up in the hotel all day, anyway. Of course you will travel and visit the city. So what we offer are the eight essentials that each smart traveler needs,” Gohotels.ph Marketing Officer Adrian Ong said.

The “eight smart reasons” include: free wi-fi access in every room, LED cable televisions in Queen and Twin bedrooms, Windsor beds that have 100% cotton sheets, duvet and pillows, convenient transport access, hot and cold showers, complimentary perks (like toiletries), service plus (online booking), and tight security.

As an essential service hotel that offers value for money, Gohotels.ph follows the same ‘early booking, lower rates’ setup, which rewards the lowest available rates to the traveler who books the quickest. (Current promotions and packages are available at Gohotels.ph.) It has branches in other top tourist destinations in the country like Puerto Princesa and Tacloban and will soon open in Iloilo, Ortigas, and Otis-Manila.

The tour to Negros was fiendish but in a positive way. It was raining hard and the bumpy ride awakened the daredevils and shutterbugs in us. The beautiful edge of the Dumaguete sea could not be more picture perfect: huge waves going back and forth as if they would engulf you in any minute, the pristine and green forests and fields, and the locals doing their mundane activities.

Dumaguete City is aptly translated in the vernacular as ‘dinagit’, which means ‘to snatch’. It left us in awe with its sites and humble kabayanan (heart of the city). The long avenue by the sea resembles Manila’s Roxas Boulevard that’s perfect for jogging, walking, or sunset and sunrise watching.

Dumaguete is also a great jump-off point for other destinations such as Cebu, Tagbiliran, Siquijor, and Bacolod.

By the time we passed the boundary Kabankalan City, the views and the vibes significantly changed. Bacolod is a thriving urban city yet still deeply rooted in its rich culture and tradition.

“Nakakaon ka na?” (Have you eaten already?) the locals would perennially ask their visitors if they had eaten. And it was not surprising to hear them asking the same query over and over, since the Sugar Bowl of the Philippines has a lot to offer when it comes to gastronomic indulgences. It is known for chicken inasal and delicacies such as piaya, napoleons, cassava chips, and otap.

In addition, Bacolod offers historical trips that would take every traveler back to the days of conquer. Metro Bacolod (Silay, Talisay, and Bacolod) has vintage and historical houses like the Balay Negrense, Balay ni Tana Dicang, and The Ruins. The Hofilena House was appointed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as a heritage site. Also supplemental to Bacolod’s rich culture are the Negrense arts and crafts at Robinson’s Mall Showroom. It features ingenious handicrafts, furniture, knit wears, and accessories made of local materials.

Gohotels.ph lives up to its tagline, “a place for every Juan” as it caters to smart and budget wanderers who crave for languid journey amidst interesting tourist spots.

good things come in one click

As seen here:

Online shop Goods.ph boasts of being the first and only store that offers grocery items (and a lot more)

Everything and everybody seems to be selling on the web that the sudden invasion of online shopping websites does not seem surprising at all. They promise pragmatism and hassle-free shopping to anyone who doesn’t have the luxury to visit the malls and cannot take to stand and wait in long queues.

Today’s online-shopping websites sell products from gadgets to clothing and apparel, cosmetics, appliances, and even furniture. Many shoppers have altered their buying and paying habits because of this trend. But when almost everybody is selling on the web, a blossoming online business must think of a way to set itself apart from the rest of the community.

And this is what goods.ph wants to do.

This one stop online shop offers three important factors that set itself apart from the multitude of stores. First, goods.ph is the first and only online depot that offers grocery products like canned goods, chocolates, and condiments (except meat and vegetables). Second, it allows its customers to redeem accumulated points from their shopping, a special offer that resembles that of the leading department stores. Lastly, anyone can wish to convert his or her points to ready money.

“The economy of the Philippines is going up and a lot of Filipinos are going online and are into the IT services but I think other online shops don’t have a grocery (option) so I thought we should focus on this because food is a necessity. You need food every day,” Goods.ph CEO Wilson Chua said.

Chua also added that: “Our philosophy is that buyers are also investors. They buy and invest, so the need for the rebate. So the more they accumulate, the more they can get.”

Goods.ph caters to anybody who wants to make the most out of the iPads, smart phones, and mouses’ convenience. The merchandises range from pants, purse, play stations, and phones.

Anyone who registers can already be a bronze member. Other membership categories include silver, gold, and VIP. Goods.ph works on a cash-on-delivery system. Every peso purchase is equivalent to 10 points.

All inquiries and online orders are done via the Goods.ph hotline 254-0197 with free shipping on all deliveries via LBC with purchases above R1,500.