Viva Semana Santa

Viva Semana Santa!

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

EVER WONDER how Spain, which brought Christianity in the country, celebrates Holy Week or Semana Santa? BusinessWorld talked with two Spanish gentlemen, Instituto Cervantes Manila director Carlos Madrid and cultural section head (and award-winning fictionist) Jose Maria Fons, both of whom have lived in the Philippines for more than two decades, and asked them to share how the two countries celebrate the annual Holy Week tradition.

ON RELIGIOSITY
“It’s somehow ironic because Spain brought the Catholic religion but it’s much more intense in the Philippines. One example is the visit of the Pope. This is a more religious country than Spain. I’ve never seen strong Catholicism,” said Mr. Fons, who is married to a Filipina and has lived in the Philippines for 10 years.

ON EMBRACING MODERNITY
The Philippines is relatively more religious, but both countries embrace modernity, Mr. Fons said. For the longest time, every establishment was closed during this season, and there were hardly any shows on television. “Then Spain changed a lot. We’re now open to tourism. And Semana Santa has become vacation time. Everyone goes on vacation,” Mr. Fons said. The same has happened in the Philippines. Mr. Madrid, for his part, said, “We impose self-restriction, we limit TV exposure, but we don’t switch the networks off entirely.”

ON PROCESSIONS AND PENITENTS
In the Philippines, processions are held only during Biernes Santo (Good Friday), but in Spain, street processions are organized every night, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. According to Mr. Madrid, the cofradias (brotherhood) organize the processions. “It goes beyond religion, there’s community involved. There are many street celebrations. Everyone’s dressed to the nines,” he said. As in Spain, the celebration of Holy Week here differs among the towns and provinces. “Bulacan or Marinduque celebrates Semana Santa differently from Intramuros, for example. In Spain, Cordoba celebrates differently from Valladolid or Seville,” Mr. Madrid said.

Both countries have their penitents too. In Spain, the nazarenos (penitents) walk barefoot and some do flagellations. So do the Filipinos. In the Philippines, particularly in Pampanga, however, it’s bloodier. Some Catholics deem crucifixion as the ultimate repentance. But this has drawn local and international tourists whose presence has somehow made this sacrifice a sideshow. “It’s just a minority of the Catholics. I don’t think it represents the values of Semana Santa. I think some are overdoing it,” Mr. Madrid said.

7 Churches in Metro Manila For Visita Iglesia

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

7 Churches in Metro Manila for your Visita Iglesia

THERE ARE only two instances when Metro Manila is relaxed and at ease without its hellish traffic, when Manny Pacquiao has a widely anticipated fight and when it’s Holy Week, which, just in case you’re unaware, is next week. Whether you’re a devotee of history and architecture or simply a devout Catholic who observes the traditional visita iglesia, here are seven churches within Metro Manila worth visiting (and revisiting).

  

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San Agustin Church -- Photo by Bernie M. Cabilin

SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH, INTRAMUROS
Declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a heritage site in 1993, San Agustin is the oldest stone church in the Philippines, built in 1589. Old yet strong, San Agustin has survived war and earthquakes -- and our history is filled with both. Besides its centuries of stories to tell, the San Agustin Church boasts solemn, sometimes eerie, but altogether beautiful interiors. There are 12 chapels in this complex with their neoclassical retablo, or devotional iconography. A gilded pulpit which dates to 1627 complements the elegance of the interiors. It isn’t surprising that many couples choose to tie the knot in this majestic church, and that the writer Gemma Cruz-Araneta made this church a setting in one of her poignant and illicit love stories.

Fun fact: While San Agustin accommodates the daily churchgoers, it is also home to the dead. On the left side of the altar is a museum where lies the tomb of the Spanish pioneer linked to the history of the city of Manila, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The church also houses the remains of deceased members of the Zobel de Ayalas, Sorianos, and Roxases, among other families.

STA. ANA CHURCH, MANILA
The church’s splendor lies in its simplicity. Look up and see a dome that features a painting of 16 holy men and women. To its sides, one appreciates the elaborate stained glass window. The altar features a retablo too. But perhaps the main feature of Sta. Ana Church, built in 1578, is the replica of the Our Lady of the Abandoned brought from Valencia, Spain to Manila in 1717. In October 1966, the inner patio and surrounding areas of the church were excavated after children playing in the patio were seen holding portions of pottery and china. National Museum archeologist Doctor Robert Fox led an excavation that yielded a blue and white floral Chinese bowl from the 11th century, the oldest artifact in this find. The artifacts are now in the National Museum.

Fun fact: There was a time in the Pacific War that Japanese soldiers ordered the bells of Sta. Ana silent for months. The bells were rung to herald the arrival of the Americans.

SAN SEBASTIAN, QUIAPO
Devotees should include in their visita a trip to this church, for a more peaceful visit. You may take photos of the church and its interiors and admire its unique beauty. Declared by the UNESCO as a National Historical Landmark, San Sebastian or the Basilica Minore de San Sebastian, was constructed in 1890 and inaugurated the next year. It is the only neo-gothic steel church in Asia. According to the UNESCO website, the steel parts were manufactured in Belgium and shipped to Manila in 1888. Upon entrance, chandeliers light up the interiors, amplifying the colors of the stained glass windows. The spiral staircases add a touch of elegance too.

Fun fact: Filipino artists were responsible for the magnificence of San Sebastian. Artist Lorenzo Rocha and his students painted the steel parts of the walls, ceiling, and columns to resemble marble and jasper. Another Filipino artist, Lorenzo Guerrero, designed the altar, pulpit, and confessionals, and also made the statues together with fellow artist Eulogio Garcia.

MANILA CATHEDRAL, INTRAMUROS
A visita iglesia wouldn’t be complete without visiting the premier cathedral and basilica in the country. Recently restored and reopened, the Manila Cathedral is still the favorite must-see among local and international pilgrims, the most notable so far being Pope Francis. The church was constructed in 1581 by Domingo de Salazar, the first archbishop of Manila. It was first made from wood, bamboo, and nipa.

Fun fact: The current Manila Cathedral (1958-present) is now on its eighth reconstruction, after a long history of disasters. The first cathedral was ravished by fire. The second cathedral was almost destroyed by a strong earthquake. An earthquake also caused the renovation of the third cathedral. The succeeding renovations were also impeded by strong typhoons and earthquakes.

SANTUARIO DE STO. DOMINGO, QUEZON CITY
If Sto. Domingo had a diary, it would be filled with entries because of the many events in this church. Disaster struck its original location in Manila time and again through the centuries, from fires and earthquakes to the bombings during the Pacific War. In its new location along Quezon Avenue, the church withstood another fire, which the great artist Fernando Amorsolo depicted on canvas. The church is also noted for being the home of the image of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Naval, the oldest Marian icon in the country. And in our modern political history, this church was the scene of the biggest funeral attendance for a slain opposition leader, Benigno S. Aquino Jr.

Fun fact: National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco made the eight murals seen in the church, which represented some of the important events in the life of St. Dominic de Guzman, the church patron. Gala Ocampo designed the stained glass windows.

ST. PANCRATIUS PARISH, LA LOMA
Never make St. Pancratius Parish your last stop for church hopping. Unless you’re up for a spooky kind of adventure. No, the small parish with its 600-seating capacity isn’t scary at all, but it is right in La Loma Cemetery. “Although there isn’t any bad spirits inside the church, the locals said there are some sightings within the area,” pastoral worker Menandro Guinto said.

Fun fact: Despite the spooky aura, the parish has its own gym, open to the barangay. Mr. Guinto said the parish wants its people to divert their attention from vices.

MINOR BASILICA DE SAN LORENZO RUIZ (BINONDO CHURCH), MANILA
Founded by Dominican priests to serve their Chinese converts, the Binondo Church is evidence of the Philippines being a melting pot of cultures. Built in 1596, the church was renamed in our time after Lorenzo Ruiz, the first canonized Filipino. Look up and appreciate the biblical images on the ceiling. Mass is held in Filipino, English, Mandarin, and Hokkien.

Fun fact: Designed by Spanish architect Domingo de la Cruz Gonzales, the church has an octagonal bell tower that signifies the Chinese culture rooted in Binondo.

In the flying zone

WCC Aviation puts Pangasinan on the map.

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
March 15, 2015

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Everybody wants to fly. There’s the option of traveling through a commercial plane. A roller coaster ride that tosses you up and down, left and right is another story, too. But perhaps, nothing tops it best when you’re in the cockpit, driving your own plane. After all, now is the best time to travel here and abroad, far and wide, east or west, all thanks to the ignition of our inner itchy feet and the spotlight on the country as one of the best travel spots in the world.

Besides the allure of traveling, many young men (and women) dream of studying the art and science of flying. They want to become a pilot. Like many children, Ramon Guico III dreamed of seeing what it was like up there.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/173.jpg

Images by Pinggot Zulueta

“It all started with a hobby. Even when I was young, I was already interested in planes, jets, all kinds of aircrafts. I turned that hobby into a profession right after I graduated,” says the licensed pilot and captain instructor. He flew his first aircraft when he was 23. Now he’s 38 years old and maneuvering a different endeavor. He is the owner and the brains behind WCC Aeronautical and Technological College in Binalonan, Pangasinan.

“Every day, the aviation industry needs highly trained aircraft maintenance specialists, flight attendants, and professional pilots to serve in thousands of domestic and international flights. There is a serious need for competent personnel worldwide,” says Ramon.

WCC offers various degree programs like commercial flying, aircraft maintenance technology, tourism, aeronautical engineering, flight attendant course, and aviation management, among others.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/256-219x300.jpg

Incidentally, Ramon is also Binalonan’s mayor. He said that he opened the school before joining politics and was quick to add that his two passions never interfered with one another. He dreams of putting Binalonan, a relatively quiet town in Pangasinan, in the Philippine tourism map. In 2005, when the town opened its first airstrip, tourists, especially students, started to come in droves. Ramon says he wants Binalonan to be Pangasinan’s university town.

Currently, WCC operates a fleet of 30 aircrafts of varying capacity and has produced more than 500 commercial pilots. It is also re-fleeting its aircraft to brand new models from an Italian brand. The campus has also one of the most complete facilities in the country, which is at par with London and Malaysia’s aviation schools.

The campus is a world to itself. Inside WCC vicinity, there’s a gym as well as a clubhouse, a football field, multipurpose halls, and resort-type hotel rooms for students.

But when the students are off (the tourists are welcome, too), Binalonan offers side trips, although they’re not that many. Tourists and students can take a trip to a sugarcane vinegar-making session or see how chichacorn (dried corn) and banana chips are made to perfection. For pasalubong, Binalonan offers its version of longganisa that rivals that of Lucban or Vigan that can awake your palate especially when paired with its local version of suka (vinegar). While you can always travel to its neighboring town, where the more popular tourist spot Hundred Islands is located, why not travel on air and enroll yourself on a fast track flying session this summer? And off you can fly anywhere you wish to wander. —

www.wccaviation.com, 632 913 8384

Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/in-the-flying-zone/#IIEh1A3qL5o9yJQG.99

You Should be Dancing!

You should be dancing to Saturday Night Fever

Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

IT’S stayin’ alive -- and is livelier than ever. The movie Saturday Night Fever,which catapulted John Travolta into stardom and made the Bee Gees’ songs the world’s disco anthems back in the 1970s, is now a stage musical set to wow its fans from July 3 to 26 at Solaire’s The Theater.

The Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group will bringSaturday Night Fever the Musical to Asia. Its first stop is in the Philippines, and will move to Malaysia and Singapore in September and October.

The movie was set in 1976 in Brooklyn, New York. Tony Manero (played by John Travolta) lives in a tough neighborhood with unstable job. But he has a knack for dancing and has only one dream: to become the disco king. Every Saturday night, he struts his stuff on the dance floor. There, he met Stephanie Mangano, who also dreams of a bigger world beyond Brooklyn. Together they train for a dance competition that would eventually change their lives.

The stage version is a throwback and a tribute to the colorful ’70s, but with more to give. While the audience is expected to relive the flair and pizzazz of that generation, thanks to the Bee Gees’ hit songs like “Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever,” “How Deep is Your Love,” and “Disco Inferno,” Director Bobby Garcia said in a statement that everyone should expect more. The play is going to be edgier and with a reconceptualized production, he said. 

“Every show that is converted from a movie to the stage is always going to be a little different. You don’t have the cameras, for one. I think this production is a challenge because of the dancing and singing in the different era and time. But it’s exciting to bring what we have in our generation to that generation and vice-versa. We say just go for it and feel the moment every night of the production,” said Brandon Rubendall during the show’s launch at Solaire. He’ll be playing Tony Manero while Jenna Rubaii plays Stephanie Mangano.

Both actors aren’t newbies to the dancing and singing stage. Mr. Rubendall has performed in Broadway shows like Wicked, Hairspray, and Spiderman and was a dancer for Beyonce, Madonna, and Jennifer Lopez. Ms. Rubaii has been dancing since she was six years old. She was part of Green Day’s hit musical American Idiot and Broadway’s Fifty Four Forever, inspired by New York’s club Studio 54.

The cast will start rehearsing in May.

Don’t think that the play’s for the older generation only. It’s for everyone.

“All the people see are the dancing and the iconic Bee Gees’ songs, but it is deeper. Most of the scenes in the movie take on many subjects. There’s the great juxtaposition of happy dancing and the grim of real life,” said Ms. Rubaii. She added that it’s important to honor the snapshots of the young lives of the characters during the ’70s.

“It’s about the people in their early 20s struggling and dreaming. I think it’s easier for younger people today to relate to it because we have the same feelings. It’s good to look back, see, and learn how people back then reacted to problems,” she said.

Mr. Rubendall agreed. “It’s a classic. Although it takes place in the ’70s you think it’s going to be fluffy, but it’s not, it’s meaty. The issues still exist today. There’s family obstacles, passion, and discrimination.” 

We call them Legends

SYM and Mario Parial’s pieces, all on view until March 31, demonstrate what being ‘masters’ truly means

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
March 23, 2015

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Beyond creating masterpieces that speak to one’s truths and beliefs, the beauty and nobility, perhaps, of becoming an artist (whether one is a painter, dancer, writer, photographer, sculptor) is the legacy he will leave past his glory days, and beyond his deathbed.

In the Philippines, many great masters, dead or alive, like Vicente Manansala, F. Sionil Jose, Botong Francisco, Alice Reyes, Daisy Avellana, and Lisa Macuja, have inspired generations and genres of artists and artworks. In the ongoing exhibitions of late expressionist Mario Parial and neo-cubism painter Sofronio “SYM” Y. Mendoza, these two artists show just what it means to be considered “masters.”

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SYM.jpg

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Mario-Parial2.jpg

 

IN HINDSIGHT

There’s Pinoy pride in Mario Parial’s paintings.  He was known for his love affair with the folk arts where women, often curly haired and brown skinned, are the central figures. But he wasn’t tied to womenfolk. He also painted horses, or fishes, or men in rice fields. But all of his paintings were colorful, striking, and rife with details. There never was a blank space in a Parial canvas.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Mario-Parial-300x197.jpg

The colorful and detailed works of Mario Parial (b.1944-2013) [Portraits by Pinggot Zulueta]

Organized by the University of the Philippines Theater Complex (Mario used to teach at the College of Fine Arts at UP Diliman and College of Architecture and Fine Arts in UST), and on view until March 31 at Bulwagan ng Dangal Heritage Museum at UP Diliman, the exhibit, dubbed “Beyond Reality” features Mario’s previous works that reminisce and celebrate the yesteryears. The works of the late painter-printmaker-photographer-sculptor takes viewers, yet again, through a retrospection of Pinoy’s forgotten culture and tradition. The exhibit walks viewers through his realm of festivities, cultural and religious affairs, and folk imageries.

His colorful paintings speak of longing for a simple life, back when Filipinos enjoyed siesta after harvesting or an afternoon of kite flying. Also featured in the exhibit is the Pinoy’s effervescent devotion to Christianity and how it affects our everyday living and reality. Mario, it seems, was a religious man. There’s even an old bible on display at the exhibit.

The prolific artist also did printmaking and painted photographs. In an adjacent room, there is a showcase of this medium. Last year, the Globe Art Gallery featured his painted photographs, a technique where he would paint over, and sometimes even alter, a photograph, which he took with his collection of vintage cameras such as Leicas.

His life revolved around painting and printmaking, but when he had health problems in early 2000, he revived his passion for photography. Some of his vintage cameras are also on display at the exhibit. Mario passed away December 2013. But his contributions linger on.

 CALL FOR CELEBRATION

His recent exhibit called “Exaltation” summarizes it all. Renowned artist Sym Mendoza has all the reasons to be happy: Having just turned 81 years old, he is still a prolific artist.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/SYM21-300x197.jpg

Sofronio ‘SYM’ Y. Mendoza’s neoclassical cubism pieces

It isn’t fair to compare Sym and Mario but the two have penchants for Pinoy symbolisms and colors. Also on view until March 31 at Hiraya Gallery, Sym’s exhibit showcases his mastery of the neoclassical cubism technique. His brand of cubism infuses shapes from sarimanok, a colorful mythical bird that represents our culture.

Present in his paintings are abstract-drawn cubes that resemble a sarimanok. At the center of the prisms and abstractions are clear images of fruits and flowers, baskets and vases, faces and women’s naked bodies. How does he do it? Perhaps, only Sym has the wit and ability for such synergy.

Before concentrating on neocubism, Sym used to be an impressionist painter. He would do landscapes of the glorious Manila back when life was still simple and peaceful. Then he had an aha! moment. Sym founded Dimasalang, a group of renowned figurative artists and impressionists, including Romulo Galicano, Emilio “Abe” Aguilar Cruz, Ibarra dela Rosa, and Andres Cristobal Cruz. They captured images of Manila after WWII when it used to enjoy the era of affluence and peace.

Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/we-call-them-legends/#vU60f1uZxJZquECX.99

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

The Falls and rise of Pagsanjan

ITS GUSHING, clear waters are relaxing. But there’s more to Pagsanjan, Laguna, than its pretty, famous falls. This reporter took part in a two-day trip in Pagsanjan to join the annual Bangkero (boatman) festival, which ends this weekend, March 21. The town isn’t just a playground for photographers or daredevils, but it is also for foodies. The province proved that it could offer many activities besides a visit to the falls.

  

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ALBERT TAMAYO

FOOD TRIP
Pagsanjan is home to its heirloom pancit (a noodle dish) called bami, which is a variation on pancit miki topped with tofu and some green garnish. It’s available in almost any restaurant and a favorite dish during the Holy Week because it’s meatless. There are small eateries around the town and its outskirts.

Along one of Pagsanjan’s major roads stands an eatery with an old-world charm. The Calle Arco restaurant, which opened in 2006, offers old-time favorite dishes but with a twist. For only P270, get a bowlful of piping hot sinigang na baka at langka (sour beef soup with jackfruit). It’s like an ordinary sinigang but with a hint of sweetness, thanks to the jackfruit. Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell awful. Some items in the menu are more familiar to us in the metropolis but, again, with a twist, such as the crispy pata (deep fried pig trotters) with bagoong (shrimp paste). It’s a block of crispy, tender meat that costs a reasonable P380 and can feed four hungry stomachs. Pair that with a cup of rice (or two) and you’re more than “solb,” as we would say in Tagalog.

For a quick merienda (snack), one of Pagsanjan’s oldest foodie places is Aling Taleng’s Halo Halo, which opened in 1933. Order a cup of halo halo (shaved ice with sweet toppings and milk) for P85 and get generous servings of ube (purple yam), beans, macapuno (very soft coconut meat), and candied kundol (winter melon) on top. Why not pair the dessert with Aling Taleng’s homemade puto bumbong (purple sticky rice treat) for only P35? Instead of butter and white sugar, its version of puto bumbong is sprinkled with brown sugar.

Cap off the foodie tour with a trip to Emin and Mila’s Canteen. The small restaurant established in 1978 is really inviting, with its almost open space. It’s must try! The famous heirloom dish is the sweet and spicy pancit canton with chicharon (fried pork rind). For only P70, it’s enough for two or three people.

FAVORITE LOCATION
A trip to Pagsanjan wouldn’t be complete without visiting its majestic 91-meter falls. It is a favorite location for filming, from now-classic movies like Apocalypse Now to the TV series Tabing Ilog. But did you know that the falls aren’t actually located in Pagsanjan but in the neighboring town of Cavinti?

“We’ve never claimed that it’s in Pagsanjan. The Americans who discovered the falls named it,” municipal administrator and Bangkero festival chairman Florante Salvador, Jr. said in an interview.

Like the tide’s ebb and flow, the tourism industry in Pagsanjan has had its highs and lows, Mr. Salvador said. There was a time the number of tourists declined amid stories of some bangkeros mulcting the tourists, but this has since been remedied by orientation seminars. Chinese tourists were also nowhere to be seen in Pagsanjan after the Luneta hostage incident five years ago. According to our boatman, Mang Resty, some of the tourists who were eventually killed at the Luneta had visited the falls that day.

Mang Resty sports a good tan after more than two decades in this line of work. But almost every man in Pagsanjan has the same physique. He skillfully maneuvered thebanca (boat) against the rapids with his paddle and feet. Mang Resty would step on stones, as if he were playing hopsctoch, to get past the shallow parts of the river. He knows his way around. After all, he started when he was 16 years old.

To get to the falls, a banca ride takes tourists up the Bumbungan and Balanac rivers. Pagsanjan got its name from the word “pinagsangahan,” or branching out, in this case, of the two rivers.

Finally, after an hour of paddling and stepping on stones, there, almost hidden among the boulders -- but not really, because you can hear the strong gushing of the waters -- is Pagsanjan falls. The bangkeros let the tourists ride a balsa (bamboo raft) to get closer to the falls and experience what it’s like to be a human catch basin. We were asked to wear our helmets and to lie down on our bellies to get a hydro massage, which bordered between a hard massage and a beating.

It took us 30 minutes to return to town -- the banca wasn’t going against the current anymore. But be vigilant. Along the way, you’ll be surprised to see some monkeys playing on branches or dragonflies resting on the boat’s handle. The journey was as much an experience as the destination.

Mang Resty parked his boat along the bank. He wasn’t really asking for a tip, but we tipped him after seeing his hard work. According to Mr. Salvador, the local government has been mindful of the welfare of its tourists and addressed complaints about “forced tipping” and padding charges on food and drinks. The town’s 1,974bangkeros have undergone seminars and training and for this festival, now on its 17^thyear, a rotation among the bangkeros is being observed, to discourage them from hanging around the tourists and also regulate the traffic of boats in the river.

A boat ride costs P1,250 per person. According to Mr. Salvador, the cost for the boat ride is broken down to P250 to the Cavinti local government, P750 goes to the boatmen, and the rest for the security of tourists and boatmen alike, tourism promotion, and other components. Board and lodging is a minimum P1,500. These are fairly reasonable expenses. But to see the beauty that is Pagsanjan Falls is priceless and deserves another visit.

Not your ordinary zombie story

THERE ARE TV shows that feature zombies, others focus on detective stories, and then there are those with superheroes. There is just one series that mixes all these together -- Warner TV’s newest offering, iZombie.

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Premiering this month it follows its zombie-heroine Olivia Moore (played by Rose McIver) and how she juggles her work and relationships while being one of the living dead.

The DC Comics-inspired TV series starts when Olivia, a medical student, attends a party that turns into a zombie frenzy. Scratched in the process, she joins the ranks of the living dead. Eating brains at the morgue where she works, she discovers that she absorbs the memories of the brains she feeds on, including those of murder victims. She decides to work as a detective to help the victims claim justice. The show is cute and funny, nothing scary (except when Olivia eats brains).

iZombie will premiere on March 18, 9 p.m., on Warner TV, the same day that it premieres in the US.

“We’ve made sure that the airing in the Philippines is the same or as close to the original US telecast as possible,” said Turner’s vice-president of content-general entertainment Marianne Lee during the show’s launch on Wednesday. She said that as much as they would like to air the show at the same time as it does in the US -- which would discourage viewers from downloading from Torrent -- the different time zone makes it inconvenient.

Warner TV has allotted a “dedicated feed” for the Philippines, said Ms. Lee, The schedules cater to local TV audiences’ series viewing preference, which is at 8 and 9 p.m. The rest of the Warner TV Asia countries watch these shows earlier in the day and do not have same-day telecasts because the shows need to be subtitled. Different countries also have different tastes. Hong Kong and Singapore, for example, love serious Warner series like Stalker and Gotham. Locally, comedies like The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, and Two Broke Girls enjoy high ratings.

iZombies is one in a lineup of new shows and seasons for this year, which includes The Last Ship, Murder in the First and The Vampire Diaries season 5, among others.

Warner TV has also launched its new logo and refreshed branding, “promising a younger, fresher, and hipper TV series and movie shows,” said Ms. Lee. 

Warner TV is available on Sky cable channel (77), Destiny (80), Cable Link (30), and Cignal (116) -- Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

K-Chicken

Introducing Lee Min Ho’s favorite chicken.

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
March 5, 2015

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What do Pinoys and Koreans have in common besides their penchant for TV series? Both love their version of chicken.

In the Philippines, chicken reigns supreme among our favorite are adobo or tinola. There’s also fried, grilled, glazed, baked, barbecued, or boiled. While Koreans tend to have healthier and more colorful dishes (think of bibimbap or kimchi), they take pride in their own version of chicken, especially when it’s fried and paired with ice cold beer. Korean fried chicken and beer pairing, or chimaek, is available in every corner, most especially during happy hours, when everybody gets to relax from their day job. I was fortunate to visit Seoul last year and boy, did Koreans love their chicken. There are chimaek stands everywhere. The Pinoy in me wanted it paired with rice, but when you’re in Korea, do it the Korean way: no rice but onlydips and beer. Unlike Filipinos who like their chicken with ketchup or gravy, Koreans love them infused with flavors and sauces: garlic, spicy, both, or with honey. If the flavors do not satisfy your taste yet, choose between mustard or barbecue sauce.

Fortunately, the K-chicken has invaded the Filipino palate. Thanks to the two culprits: the success of well-loved Koreanovela, My Love from the Star, where the protagonist enjoys chimaek every minute, every day, and the mushrooming of Korean restaurants offering their version of fried chicken.

Korean superstar and fried chicken lover, Lee Min Ho

K-pop superstar Lee Min Ho, a proclaimed chicken lover, recently flew to the country to lead the inauguration of Kyochon, one of Korea’s best chicken restaurants. He says he likes his chicken based on his mood: spicy when stressed and with honey when happy.

Kyochon started in 1991. It has a whopping 950 branches in Korea alone. It’s said that Kyochon started the Korean fried chicken craze. It offers cold beers, too, perfect for the chimaek experience. It has since gone worldwide, invading the US, Japan, Thailand, China, and now the Philippines.

Unlike ordinary fried chicken, Kyochon deep fries its bestseller twice, which makes the skin crunchier and less greasy. Apparently, the double frying method removes excess oil, which gives the chicken a clean and light taste.

“While double frying and coating each chicken are time consuming, these are necessary for them to be nutritious and delicious. We only cook the chicken after you order to make sure that they are crispy,” says Kyochon marketing manager Chanky Tiangco. She adds that the K-chicken uses natural ingredients.

Perhaps, this is why Kyochon, as well as the rest of its healthier K-chicken versions, is popular among the Koreans, who are notably conscious of their health and diet. In Korea, majority (if not all) of the restaurants impose calorie count. In the Philippines, however, Pinoys aren’t as health and weight conscious. We eat what we want. The more sinful, the better. And maybe, this is what our local fried chickens should learn from K-chicken: Make them mouthwatering yet healthier.