Last month, Charice Pempengco, the petite Filipino teenager whose knockout voice has wowed Oprah and millions worldwide, caused a stir of another kind. To prepare for her appearance on the Fox show Glee this fall, Ms. Pempengco, who is 18, got Botox injections and a skin-tightening treatment called Thermage. “I want to look fresh when I appear before the camera,” she said on Philippine television during the visit at which her doctor, Vicki Belo, injected her jaw. READ FULL STORY

By Pepper Marcelo

From the 1960s up to the 1990s, it was not uncommon for Metro Manila residents to witness a fragile caravan, teeming with assorted handcrafted wares, and pulled by a gaunt ox, moving slowly down a street, stopping only to sell product or to rest at a grassy patch of land.

Since the ’90s new industries and progressive methods of buying and selling have virtually rendered the ox caravan instinct. Long been taken for granted and unacknowledged, the caravan, or kariton, has since been lauded for its contribution to and enrichment of local culture and history.

Adong Ramos, 41, who has been a viajero for 30 years, says that his trade has changed drastically since he first started. “Mas maganda yung noon kesa ngayon. Mahina na. Kaya unti-unti nawawala yung ganyan.” During its peak period, there were approximately 10 to15 karitons operating around the metropolis. Now, there are only one or two. “Kami na nga lang, dalawa lang,” he laments.

The ox caravan originated in the plains of Pangasinan in the 1950s. Craftsmen would create an assortment of products made of bamboo and rattan. These would include: walis tingting (bristled broom), bigao (winnowing tray), an-duyan (baby crib or hammock), paypay (fan), bangkito (stool), as well as rattan hampers.

The caravan would then be loaded up to the brim with these goods, wherein the viajero, or traveler, would make the long trek to Metro Manila to sell the wares. Fronted by a Brahma bull, or bull, the mobile nature of the caravan made it possible for theses sellers to travel almost anywhere and be stationed for a prolonged period of time (provided there is a grassy area for the ox to eat and rest).

Slowed down by its own weight and the heavy load it drags, the bull competes for with jeepneys and buses for precious space along the busy corridors of the city, which worsens the traffic flow. Then as now, irate drivers would sometimes yell at the viajero who would only ignore them. “Minsan nayayamot ka din, pero sa amin, kailangan sa buhay namin, mahaba ang pasensya,” says Ramos.

He and his ox travel through different municipalities within the metropolis, including Marikina, Quezon City, and the neighboring towns of Montalban, Taytay, Angono, and Binangonan in Rizal province. He stops at each of these places for one or two days before moving on to the next. Basta hindi kami aabot ng isang linggo.”

He lives on the road for three months at a time, and when he goes back to the province, stays only one week there before moving out again. “Nakakalungkot din, pero okey lang ‘yun, kasi kailangan talaga. Sayang yung kikitain mo.”

For rest, sleep or general privacy, the inside rear of the caravan provides a small space, as well as shelter, against the harsh weather.

Wives and children would oftentimes accompany the merchant, but in most cases prefer to stay in the province, or settle in the city proper to establish a new home and livelihood. Ramos, who is married with five kids, does not expect or want his children to follow in his footsteps. “Wala akong plano na sundan nila ang hanapbuhay na ganito,” he says. “Kailangan mag-aral sila. Pero kung may gusto, pababayaan ko siya. Pero magtapos muna sila mag-aral.”

Dr. Ma. Crisanta Nelmida-Flores has described the life the life of an ox caravan and viajero as akin to a gypsy, selling during the daytime and congregating with others at night for company and protection.

“It’s a very peripatetic life; very mobile. Most caravan cultures, like in the Middle East, it’s associated with pilgrims and traveling. Here, it’s an industry,” she says.

In 2007, Nelmida-Flores published the book, “The Cattle Caravans of Ancient Caboloan: Connecting History, Culture and Commerce by Cartwheel,” tracing the history, plight and cultural significance of the ox-driven merchant. “Like the jeepney as a vehicle of art, the same goes for the caravan. Inside, there are posters of sexy girls, next to a portrait of the Virgin Mary. This is very Filipino,” she observes.

As part of her research, she followed the path of caravan trader Mario Banaag from Pangasinan to Quezon City. At the time Banaag had already “retired,” citing diminishing returns. He was then already driving a tricycle when Dr. Nelmida-Flores convinced him to go on a “last journey,” providing him with funds to purchase the goods.

The kariton is sponsored by a patron from Pagasinan, and is usually passed down from one generation to the next. It reached the peak of its success during the 1970s, as evidenced by the upgraded lifestyle of their patrons. “A patron was able to construct a two-story house made of concrete, very impressive for the time and place,” says Nelmida-Flores.

The first sign of hard times came during the ’80s with the mass-production and widespread utilization of plastic goods. “Plastics are more sturdy and colorful,” she says. “And it doesn’t mold or get dirty as much [as the bamboo-based products].”

The near death-knell for the ox caravan came during the ’90s with the mushrooming of malls and shopping centers where all sorts of household needs and decorative items could be had for lower prices. Despite their sturdy materials and unique design and construction, the viajero’s wares are no match to modern-day wares.

For Ramos, it was the rise in the cost of raw materials as well as competition from imported items that have made their trade extinct. “Mataas na ang presyo. Sobrang mahal na yung pagbili namin. At yun mga gawa ng Chinese – yung mga plastic.”

But for him, the life of a traveling sales-gypsy is the only one he knows, and is most satisfied with. “Ginagawa ko ‘to kasi dito ako kumikita ng konti. Wala na akong mahanap ng ibang trabaho; hindi ako nakatapos sa pag-aaral. Dito din ako masaya.”

Nelmida-Flores explains that with more and more grassy areas disappearing as a result of the expansion of roads and infrastructure, the karitons were having less and less places to park and settle. When she and Banaag reached Quezon City, he was arrested by the police (for unspecified charges), who also confiscated his wares and threatened to slaughter his ox. Fortunately, with the aid of Vice-Chancellor of University of the Philippines and other officials, Nelmida-Flores and Banaag were released.

Today, the ox caravan has mostly been relegated to a cultural showpiece, providing balikbayans and tourists with a glimpse into an antiquated livelihood. “Yung tourists, pag nakikita nila ‘to, natutuwa sila,” says Ramos.

The ox caravan is also utilized as a cultural exhibit during special events and fiestas to promote the tourism and local cottage industries.

“We should look beyond this being quaint and nostalgic, but look into the lives of the people there,” says Nelmida-Flores. “In spite of the mall culture, we still have this; it still exists and persists. It’s an assertion of who we are. It’s not only their journey but our journey.”

When going down EDSA, try playing the Celebrity Spotting game – point out as many celebrities as you can see on the road. From SM North to the end of the MRT station, it is easy for the gamers to rack up a shared fifty sightings. Fifty, you may think, seems like an exaggerated number. It isn’t. There are celebrities on billboards. There are celebrities on buses. There are celebrities on MRT banners. There are celebrities on roadside store signages. There are celebrities on huge tarpaulins plastered against malls. Since the advertisements that feature the celebrities are often current, you can more or less gauge who’s the hot celebrity of the moment. If Hollywood has its Walk of Fame, Manila has EDSA, the Highway of the Stars! READ FULL STORY

By Pepper Marcelo

I laugh, so I do not cry, goes the saying. The Filipino is renowned for keeping a happy disposition in spite of adversity. This trait is perhaps most emblematic in the lower-class who, in spite of poverty and other difficulties, continue to maintain an optimistic outlook on life.

So it seemed only inevitable that a competition is created to designate “The Happiest Pinoy.” Sponsored by Cebuana Lhuiller Insurance Solutions (CLIS), the aim of the event was to “rekindle the values of optimism, resilience and hope in the Filipino nation.”

“We wanted to veer away from the traditional advocacy marketing concept and this is what we thought would be effective, inspiring, unique, and refreshing,” says CLIS General Manager Jonathan D. Batangan.

A nationwide search was conducted, with more than 218 nominations from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao received by the screening committee. The nominees were shortened down to 20, and then a final six were interviewed by the judges.

After deliberations, Winston Abella Maxino, 47, chief operating officer (COO) of Hooven Philippines, was given the award for “exhibiting an optimistic outlook on life, a cheerful disposition, the ability to rise above life’s challenges and having a positive impact on the life of others.”

In his acceptance speech, Maxino said that his most special prize was the gift of insight about happiness. “Happiness is rejoicing even in the reality that our lives are suffering. Happiness is rejoicing despite suffering.”

He, along with six finalists, attended the awarding ceremonies last February at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City. Maxino received a trophy and P200,000, while the finalists received P25,000 each.

The others on the shortlist included: Nona Andaya-Castillo, 47, a teacher; Rex Bernardo, 39, an academic; Gerardo Gamez, 44, a salesman; Celestino Habito, 90, a retired professor; Carolina Reyes, 78, a housewife and lecturer; and Maria Kathrina Lopez-Yarza, 26, an artist and entrepreneur.

Each of them have suffered severe personal hardships but continued to excel and lead fulfilling lives. One of the judges for the event, University of the Philippines president Dr. Emerlinda Roman, was very much impressed with all of the finalists’ stories of hope and perseverance.

“As we interviewed the nominees, we became aware that there are many different views of happiness,” Roman noted. “We were humbled by many of the finalists because of their inner strength which pulled them through, their optimism and their faith.”

Maxino was born and raised in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, the eighth of nine children. Despite growing up with asthma and allergy attacks, he became an exemplary overachiever – becoming a “Little City Mayor” in Dumaguete City at 11, and being elected the youngest Kagawad representing the youth sector of the city.

He credits his supportive family with helping him hurdle the difficulties of his childhood years. “Since I was small, I was almost bedridden because of severe asthma. But my family was there to push me all the way, their love has brought me optimism and I grew up to be very optimistic in life and I chose to be happy,”

He eventually graduated cum lade from Silliman University, with a degree in political science, carrying the distinction of being the only college student of Silliman who was the recipient of the “Most Outstanding Student of the Year” in each of his four years in college.

Health problems continued to hound him as he attended law school at the Ateneo de Manila University. He even went so far as to keep oxygen tank in his dorm room for self-medication.

After law school, he joined government service, first as a legislative assistant to then Senator Agapito “Butz” Aquino, then as one of President Cory Aquino’s speech writers. He also occupied various positions in the Philippine Postal Corp. in the mid 1990s.

In 1996, he decided to switch to the private sector, gradually rising from the ranks of Hooven Philippines to become the COO of the aluminum manufacturing company.

In 2000, Maxino was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a degenerative and incurable bone disease which causes his spine to swell and cause his lower back pain. He spent several years in chemotherapy, taking oral steroids to lessen the pain. Doctors stopped the treatment, seeing that it was not alleviating the pain, and switched to opiates. He took the medicine gradually so as not to become addicted.

Though somewhat optimistic that there will be a cure in the future, Maxino happily accepts his life’s circumstances. “I am not less of a person because my body is broken. I do not dwell on what I do not have.”

Maxino plans to get involved in serious advocacy work to spread awareness about the disease. “It is a rare disease and there is not much number yet of patients suffering.”

He and wife Alina have three daughters. His second daughter, Brina Kei, has Down syndrome, needing speech, physical, and occupational therapy. Again, instead of becoming disheartened, he and his wife took inspiration from their daughter.

“She (Brina Kei) frequently declares, ‘I love my life and I love my future!’” he says. “I realize that she is right. Happiness is a choice. No matter what the circumstances of my life are and will be, with God’s grace, I choose and will continue to choose to be happy.”

Maxino joined the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines and became its president. He and his group helped secure Presidential Proclamation No. 157, declaring February as “Down Syndrome Consciousness Month.” His other civic advocacy includes being General Manager of Green Earth Power and Energy Corporation.

He is also a Certified Balloon Artist (CBA), clown and magician, performing at children’s parties for free (he calls himself a “kidologist”).

“A positive outlook gets us through the most trying times,” he says. “Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter is free. Laughter does not require a doctor’s prescription. It is internally generated therefore it does not run out of stock.”

To Maxino, it is all about keeping a positive perspective no matter what happens. “I’m not saying my problems are more difficult than others. I don’t want to compare. I guess it’s not the gravity of the problem I am facing, but how I accept the problem and turn it into something positive,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

It is this characteristic, he says, that he and the rest of the finalists for “The Happiest Pinoy” share. “What is common among the finalists is that we are suffering in a major way, in my case because of an incurable disease or physical disability. We rise above our physical pain and limitations to live full happy lives. Happiness is our daily therapy and positive outlook gets us through the most trying times.”

By Tonette T. Orejas

City of San Fernando — The ritual of real-life crucifixion in Barangay San Pedro Cutud in this Pampanga city — entering its 48th year on Good Friday, April 1, and practiced by the likes of Ruben Enaje, who holds the longest-record of being nailed on the cross for 23 years — has earned its first academic scrutiny.

The research — Ang Ritwal ng Pagpapako sa Krus: Panata at Dulaan sa Bawat Turok ng Pako (The Ritual of Nailing on the Cross: Faith and Theater in Every Piercing of the Nail) — by Sir Anril Pineda Tiatco earned recognition as the best research in the College of Arts and Letters’ graduate program at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in April 2006.

College dean and National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario and Jimmuel Naval, associate dean for research and publications, cited Tiatco for his “contribution in theater and performance research.”

“(It is) considered to be the first research on the ritual of the nailing on the cross in Cutud (and it is) cited not only in its anthropological merit but also in its in-depth analysis on the important nature and aspects of theater and performance,” Almario and Naval said.

They added: “This research is also a significant instrument in understanding local cultural expression and other central discourses on related fields. Because of its comprehensive and rich analysis of the ritual through the descriptive and narratives of theater and performance, it is recognized as the best research of the year.”

Tiatco, a former seminarian and now an educator and theater artist, said he undertook the two-year study because “I am a Kapampangan.”

“I wanted to understand my own culture. I wanted to understand what we Kapampangan are so proud of in terms of performance and religiosity. I was convinced that more than spectacle and entertainment, something substantial was present in the ritual,” he explained.

Tiatco started with this view and ended up sticking to it: “In a sense, the historicity (of the Cutud crucifixion) isn’t about tourism, politics and media sensation as most people claim. These, among other (reasons), paved the way for me to undergo the ethnography.”

He believed that anthropologist Nicolas Barker “misrepresented” the ritual by “implicitly proclaiming the fatalistic attributes of lowland Christians in Central Luzon.”

“I wasn’t convinced with his arguments especially (because) I am part of the region,” Tiatco pointed out.

Using formal research methods as well as immersion in the village and interactions with those who keep the practice, Tiatco looked from within.

As folks told him, the root of the crucifixion ritual evolved from the rituals of pamagdarame (flagellation) and the street play on Via Crucis (Pasion Y Muerte or The Way of the Cross).

No one could exactly say when flagellation actually started. It is largely practiced by men, who wound their backs and violently whip these to bleed the blood out. The usual reply of old penitents was, “Akagisnan mi namu ini (This was already in practice when we were growing up).”

The late Ricardo Navarro, more popularly known as Tata Legring, wrote the play in 1955, staging it yearly since then with residents as cast of actors in the last hours of Jesus Christ on earth. The play has seen no interruption, continued by his son Ricardo and now by his grandson Allan.

Even a calamitous event like Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991 failed to stop the penitents’ conviction. Tiatco said they performed the crucifixion in October 1991 and did it again in April 1992 as Cutud was all covered with volcanic ash and sand, and inundated by mudflows (lahar) in 1995.

“Both the flagellation and the staging of the Via Crucis have pamamanata (a religious pledge leading to redemptive sacrifice) as an objective,” he said, noting that the same objective continued with the crucifixion.

According to him, the pamamanata aim was present in all its elements: actor, audience, place and text.

Further, the pamamanata was a pact between God and those who keep the pledge.

Mortals hold the vow for the following reasons: To seek petitions and intentions, to pay utang na loob (debt of gratitude) and unburden themselves of bigat ng loob (guilt or remorse).

Tiatco noted that while the ritual was an expression of Catholicism and a literal reenactment of the death of Christ, it is not among the Catholic rites. In fact, it is strongly discouraged by the local Roman Catholic Church.

“This is a ritual by those in Cutud, a modification of Catholicism,” he said.

Their collective expression of their faith gives those in Cutud a faith identity of their own. “Ang pantayong identidad ng pananampalatayang Cutud ay ang sama-samang pagpupugay sa pagkamatay ni Hesus na simbolo ng pagtubos sa sanlibutan na siyang pinakabuod ng pagdiriwang ng Biyernes Santo sa komunidad Katoliko,” Tiatco said.

But the ritual has undergone changes in recent years.

Basically, it has ceased being an exclusive affair by those in Cutud. The Department of Tourism, local government units and travel companies have cashed in on the event, bringing in spectators and devotees from around the country and abroad. Crowd estimates range from 20,000 to 30,000.

The crucifixion has assumed a dual character — a holy ritual and at the same time a show. Because this is so, Tiatco said the Cutud community takes on an identity as a keeper of an old tradition in the context of faith and one that is a modified form of Catholicism.

By Carmela Lapeña

Many Pinoys will spare no expense to have whiter skin. That’s why store shelves are flooded with whitening products—from soaps, creams, and powders. And, oh, who hasn’t heard of glutathione? To be white is to be beautiful. At least that’s what the ads tell us. READ FULL STORY. See related story in a previous issue – “This Beauty Thing.”

By Norimitsu Onishi

The New York Times

General Santos City – After a day of barbering, Rodolfo Gregorio went to his neighborhood karaoke bar still smelling of talcum powder. Putting aside his glass of Red Horse Extra Strong beer, he grasped a microphone with a habitué’s self-assuredness and briefly stilled the room with the Platters’ My Prayer.

Next, he belted out crowd-pleasers by Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. But Mr. Gregorio, 63, a witness to countless fistfights and occasional stabbings erupting from disputes over karaoke singing, did not dare choose one beloved classic: Frank Sinatra’s version of My Way.

“I used to like My Way, but after all the trouble, I stopped singing it,” he said. “You can get killed.” READ FULL STORY.

By Lito Banayo

When I was four or five, we would motor from San Pablo in Laguna to Manila, take a lunch of comida China at a panciteria in Escolta (pictured here in the 1950s) or Sta. Cruz. Sometimes my lola would go visit her lawyer in his Escolta office, and then give me a treat at Botica Boie’s soda fountain, where huge sundaes and parfaits were once upon a happy time now mere memories. READ FULL STORY.

By Vicky Rose Pacheco

Sometime last year I got a small notebook where I started jotting down a few of my favorite things – from food and cooking ingredients to restaurants and stores.

Mama Sita Premium Vinegar – aged cane vinegar that is somewhat darker in color. I use it as a “sawsawan” for fried bangus, fired tuyo, inihaw na bangus, inihaw na baboy, lumpiang prito. If it’s a vinegar dipping sauce that I need, it’s definitely this one. My favorite part is drinking it after everything has been dipped into it!

Don Felipe Sukang Tuba (0917-899-5625) and Sukang Paombong (along the national highway in Bulacan) – these ones I use for cooking and marinating: paksiw na isda o pata , adobo, inihaw na baboy, etc. Recently, I made Hito sa Luyang Dilaw for Sentro using sukang paombong and native garlic, and I had it tested by the managers and the staff. Super sarap! It was so good that rice should have been spooned onto the platter and mixed with all the sauce and the garlic. In our lingo at home, my dad would have said, “Ilabay mo yung kanin sa sabaw!”

Balsamic Vinegar – my all-time favorite for salad dressing. When it comes to salad dressing, I really have a one-track mind. I will always prepare a balsamic vinaigrette over a mayonnaise-based dressing.

Bagac Cashew – unsalted roasted casuy from Bagac, Bataan. What I like about it is that it’s not itchy on the tongue and has a naturally sweetish taste. It is very addictive and I can munch on it forever any time of day. Mang Fraxi (0918-656-2048) is the one who brings it to Manila and sells it at the Sidcor market at Lung Center parking lot every Sunday and at the Salcedo Market in Makati every Saturday. He also sells tuyo and tinapang banak from Balanga, Bataan – the best …because they’re not that salty.

Pistacchio Sans Rival – by Jill Sandique (721-7022) It is ethereally airy, crisp, buttery and flavorful. It is so easy to consume three big slices even after a heavy meal – which is what I actually did. Ms. Sandique’s shop is off Bonny Serrano Ave., in San Juan, Metro Manila.

Orange Cake – by Bellini’s (913-2650), a quaint Italian restaurant at the Marikina Shoe Expo in Cubao, Quezon City. It is a buttery cake topped to overflowing with sugared orange peel swirls. No, don’t write off the orange flavor just yet! It’s a great flavor combination – a very wonderful surprise, definitely not run-of-the-mill and will be appreciated by gourmets and non-gourmets alike.

Sans Rival Cake – by Mallorca Pasteleria (18 Scout Fuentebella, Quezon City; 373-2789). There are sans rival and there are sans rival but this one reminds you why it was invented in the first place! I discovered it only recently when someone gave it to my dad as a gift. We couldn’t stop eating it! It was very crisp, very buttery, nutty and had the right balance of icing to meringue. I ate it for breakfast and again when I got home at 11:00 pm.

Bibingkang Pinipig – by San Vicente D’ Rice Specialist (Pelmoka St., Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija; 0917-574-5930). I am not usually fond of kakanin but I had to copy the entire label on the box of this one. Someone gifted it to my mom who is the kakanin-lover. It is so good! Not too sweet, not heavy, just the right stickiness and even if it’s green, you don’t feel the color.

Pancit Malabon – by Aling Idang (116 Katipunan Road, White Plains, Quezon City; 911-6756) My favorite Pancit Malabon for take out is just a phone call away. Their “pancit sa bilao” ranges from 2 to 30 persons at very reasonable prices. I like it because it’s consistent, the shrimp flavor is full and it’s not “pancit na pancit lang”. Aling Idang also serves a whole range of Filipino food that is clean “lutong bahay” and very good.

Parmiggiano Reggiano – my most favorite cheese in the world which I can eat non-stop but will not do so, due to cholesterol. Because I like this cheese so much, I had planned on going to Parma, Italy twelve years ago to eat at the source. However, I only got to Bologna and seeing the columns of Parmiggiano Reggiano made me giddy and excited such that I didn’t have to go to Parma at all!

Cocolicious OrganicVirgin Coconut Oil – by Organix Solutions, Inc. (www.cocobody.com) is proudly produced in Cotabato province. It is not greasy, has no after-taste, is odorless and is very smooth to the skin. It is great for massage and as a moisturizer but I also use it daily for oil pulling. Oil pulling is an ancient tradition of cleansing done by taking in about 2 tablespoons of oil in the mouth and swirling it inside for 15 minutes then spitting it out. Because it cleans the bacteria in the mouth, the entry point of most bacteria in the body, one of its benefits is helping clear the nostrils. I’ve always had allergic rhinitis and used to have headaches weekly such that I always wakeup with a clogged nose wherever I am. Now, my headaches are few and far between. It also cleans the bacteria in the mouth so it’s good for people with un-fresh breath.

Macao Chorizo – It is thick, reddish orange and the taste is meaty with a dash of sweet and it’s not from Macau. The skin caramelizes in certain parts as it cooks. I really don’t know how it got its name but it’s made in the Philippines by Dayrit’s. It is really one of my favorite sausages. I can eat it anytime, anywhere and I dip it in Mama Sita Premium Vinegar. It is best eaten with plain rice. Of course, I drink the suka after. Super sarap!

Tuyo from Balanga, Bataan – They always say that the tuyo from Balanga is the best because it’s not too salty… and it is true. In our house, every time we eat tuyo we ask where it comes from. We are quite particular with our tuyo and tinapa. Of course, when there is sinangag and fried egg, that’s the best! I discovered a man called Sergs (+63905-333-5383) in the Sidcor Sunday market whose only goods are tinapang bangus, tinapang tilapia, tinapang banak and tuyo from Balanga, Bataan. What a boon! Now we don’t have to search far and wide for someone to buy these for us in Balanga.

UniMart – This supermarket in Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan, Metro Manila is my favorite place to do groceries. I’ve been going there since I was in high school back in the ‘80’s and even if we are now living in Quezon City, I still go there for my personal groceries. Actually, my mom goes there every other day. I like the wide variety of brands and finds, the wide aisles, the homey feel and, most of all, it’s always cheaper in UniMart. I only go to Hypermart or Shopwise in cases of emergency. Whenever I need inspiration for a new menu, UniMart is one of the places I go to. Nothing beats UniMart. Is it childhood nostalgia or practicality? It’s both.

Santi’s Delicatessen – This is another place which inspires. It is so hard to go to Santi’s on a budget because everything I see I want to buy. Before, I used to go to Santi’s at Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan. But then I moved to the one nearest our place which is the Santi’s in Temple Hills, behind Corinthian Gardens in Quezon City. I always have to stop myself from buying cheeses, Swiss cookies, freshly-baked blueberry muffins, pate of foie gras, whole grain mustard, that sturdy and thick chopping board, strainer, grater, Italian pasta, and many more gourmet items and knick knacks which could be expensive. Sometimes they even have roast rib eye and cold sandwiches to go. The trick when visiting Santi’s is to bring a list and be focused on that list.

Nora Daza Cookbook – For me, this is the quintessential Filipino cookbook. It is so reliable, it is a storehouse of very good and well-tested recipes, a definite must-have. I always refer to it when I want to go back to the basics. I think every Pinoy housewife and well-meaning kusinera should have one. Not only does it contain Filipino food but classic Spanish and French dishes which have been part of the Pinoy culture over the years like French onion soup, sans rival, callos, etc. We have a first edition hard-bound tattered copy in our kitchen drawer which we use up to this day. I think it’s more than forty years old. That’s how indispensable it is.

Patis and Bagoong of Aling Rosa – We are very particular about our patis and bagoong. We don’t like it when the patis smells and is malansa. The patis of Aling Rosa, who hails from Navotas, is pure and premium because it is “unang tulo”, meaning from the first extraction. That means too that there are no salt and water additives. It does not stink and does not have the fishy smell. The bagoong she has is the alamang type and it is one of her relatives who make it. It is not too salty, it is not malansa, it is not overly sweetish nor is it too red or too brown. This is the type of bagoong that can upgrade a not-so-good Kare-Kare.

Valrhona Chocolate – This French chocolate, which is hard to find in Manila, is my favorite chocolate – the darker, the better. I use it for the desserts in Chateau. I never quite liked Belgian chocolate- not enough character. Swiss and German chocolates lack oomph. I don’t look at the others anymore but, I can never resist a Cadbury Fruit & Nut and it’s not even dark – that’s the only exemption. Of late, however, I made astounding discoveries: Lucullus Dark Chocolate in Hong Kong (the store is of the same name and  is in Central, across Yung Kee Restaurant), Soma Chocolatier at Mill St. in Toronto, Canada (they specialize in truffles some of which contain balsamic vinegar, olive oil and one flavored with bergamot – awesome!), Joel Durand Chocolatier in Saint-Remy-de-Provence (melt-in-your mouth alphabet chocolate truffles), and Royce Chocolate from Japan which is now available in Manila in Greenbelt 5 and Rockwell. However, what stands in my memory as the best were the champagne chocolate truffles of Maison du Chocolat in Paris which are made with Valrhona chocolate. They were oh-so-smooth, no sour aftertaste, but solid, full-bodied and truly exquisite. Halata bang chocoholic?

Fresh Flowers – I am a sucker for fresh flowers. Every time I see fresh flowers, especially when traveling, I feel elated to see such beauty, such color, such freshness and such fragility. Color combinations which will never work on paper or an outfit always work beautifully well in one single flower. Isn’t God amazing? If it were not so costly and far, I would go to Dangwa in Sampaloc more often. I am always in search of the unique ones and I always interview the vendors. I love arranging flowers!

(The author is the COO & Executive Chef of the Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants. The Chateau Group (www.chateaugroup.com) includes Chateau 1771 (European No Borders) in Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City; Sidebar in El Pueblo, Ortigas Center, Pasig City; Sentro 1771 (Modern Filipino) in Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City; and Portico 1771 (Oriental Bistro) in Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Contact her at vickypacheco@hotmail.com.)

By Manuela Perez Samson

A good man, they say, is hard to find, but a beautiful woman, in this day and time . . . well, turn a corner and you meet one. Especially at upscale, fun-time corners like The Fort, Eastwood, Rockwell, Greenbelt, Glorietta. . . ah, in these whereabouts and hereabouts do such beauties abound! According to Mr. Webster, beauty is “the quality attributed to whatever pleases or satisfies in certain ways, as by line, color, form, etc.; a thing having this quality; good looks; a very good-looking woman.” And “beautiful” is applied to that which gives the highest degree of pleasure to the senses or to the mind and suggests that the object approximates one’s conception of an ideal. On the other hand, Roget’s Thesaurus defines beauty thus: to be beautiful is to have qualities that delight the eye, and a beauty is a woman who is regarded as beautiful.

Well, that has got to be the simplest definition ever!

Let’s try the poets — they who were/are so lavish, so passionate with their praises of beauty, and their odes to beauty. Take Lord Byron’s oft-quoted lines: She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; and all that’s best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes. And Wordsworth, not to be outdone, speaks about his Phantom of delight. . . a lovely apparition sent to be a moment’s ornament.

On the other hand, what about John Keats, the metaphysical, moody, spiritual high priest of beauty who wrote that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Granted that JK was referring not to a particular person but to an ideal, still modern man has been quick to adapt it to woman as a thing, a “sexual object.” 

But wait, one more quote from another Romantic who swore that “if eyes were made for seeing, then beauty is its own excuse for being.”  That’s it? If you look good, if you’re pleasing to the beholder’s eye (because “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”) then you’re okay, you don’t have to be, or do, or prove anything else, you pass with flying colors?

Oh dear, this is really so confusing!

 All right then, let’s get this little piece on beauty and the beautiful, un-confused and classified into one category – beauty in its human form. In short, a beautiful woman (not to be confused with a beautiful man). And let’s take this dissertation closer to home and away from the Romantic poets of centuries ago who hadn’t a clue as to who Belo, Calayan, Mathay, and company might be. 

One reason perhaps that this particular group of makers-over is so popular is because Filipinos are known to be lovers of the beautiful, especially when it comes in womanly form. If you don’t happen to have been born beautiful, then you can always be made beautiful if you’re willing and able to pay the price.

Is it truly a culture thing with the Filipino, this obsession for the beautiful? Does this explain why we have so many beauty contests in the country anytime of the year —  Miss Earth Philippines, Miss Fire, Miss Bikini, Miss Fresh Air and big one, the Bb/ Pilipinas contest that will send our young Filipinas to different corners of the globe to represent this land of the morning sun which is known for its – what else – beautiful women!

Having clarified this particular Pinoy trait, what exactly is our concept of beauty?  Do we equate beauty with sexiness, a perfection of form and figure and looks? Does being beautiful mean having white skin, an aquiline nose, Angelina Jolie lips, perhaps a size 40 plus bra? Does a woman have to be a mestiza to be considered beautiful? And when did the mestiza become the measuring stick to gauge a woman’s beauty?

In truth, we don’t have to look beyond our shores to find beauty. The world itself has found it within our native land and given it recognition with a crown and a title. Here are some of our beautiful Filipinas, down the years of beauty pageants, across oceans and continents, chosen above all her peers as the fairest of them all: Aurora Pijuan, Miss International `70; Gloria Diaz, Miss Universe `69 (winning this crown, for Filipinos, outshone man’s landing on the moon, an event which happened on the same month of that year); Gemma Cruz, Miss International `65; Baby Santiago, Queen of the Pacific `68; Margie Moran (with very impressive credentials as granddaughter to a Philippine President, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and a Carnival Queen), Miss Universe `73; Nelia Sancho, Queen of the Pacific `71; Melanie Marquez, Miss International `79, and later Supermodel of the Year, representing a top US modeling agency.

It’s not only the mestiza among us who has graced magazine covers, walked down the ramps of the fashion world to show off Guccis, YSLs, Diors, etc. We have a Mayumi Cabrera (daughter of artist Bencab, and yes, half-Briton but more Pinay than Brit, right?) enhancing her exotic Filipina looks with a dazzling, sparkling de Beers diamond; and Lea Salonga as Kim, winning awards and applause on New York, London, and other stages of the world.

As for “white skin” – one of the ingredients in the recipe for beauty . . . notice that one out of every four or five commercials is a skin-lightening product endorsed by a stunning, sultry beauty who clearly doesn’t need to whiten her skin any more than it already is. Flawless white . . . pure white . . . pinkish white. . . 3-in-one whitening. . . 7-day whitening miracle. . . sparkling white. Clearly the operative, magical word is white.

Does the magic work? These are all big name products endorsed by big name celebrities – male and female both – their glowing white faces smiling out at you from giant billboards on our traffic-ridden avenues and superhighways.

Does it work? Okay, here’s a little tale about Jenny, Violy, and Mimi, all of them members of our household staff. Violy, in her late 40s, Mimi just past 18, and Jenny going on 30, are all typical provincianas, skin browned by the hot sun and warm winds of their native towns. In the city where they work as domestics for middle-class households, they spend breaks between chores glued to the TV screen and their favorite soap, along with all its attending commercials, including of course the magical whitening creams and the lovely white-skinned ladies and gents who endorse them.

So, do these commercials work? How strong is their impact on the particular market which is mostly made up of avid followers of teleseryes? Back to our three provinciana maidens, now indoctrinated into city ways and city life. Every night, Violy, Jenny and Mimi would sit around the table in the darkened kitchen, watching their favorite soap. There they’d sit, their faces glowing white with the magic cream that someday, would make them look like the beautiful white face on the screen before them.

It was startling at first to see those white-masked faces around the table, every night without fail, but eventually we got used to it. It matters not that the miracle doesn’t take place. It could be the cream they’re using isn’t as fast-working or expensive as the one on TV, but that’s okay. Theirs is the patience of saints, and they can wait. Someday, who knows, they’ll look in the mirror and voila! The magic has worked, and brown has turned to white!

Ironically, on the beautiful beaches of the southern provinces these girls left behind, men and women from foreign shores bare their snow white bodies to an abundant sun that would turn their skin to a delicious brown.

Another irony: While true it is that many Filipino males look first of all at the trappings (white skin, aquiline nose, bikini body, etc) that attract, and only second of all at whether that alluring exterior offers a counterpart interior (character, integrity, a beautiful soul perhaps?), statistics and records show marriages between international beauty queens – the first ever Miss Universe 1952, Armi Kuusela of Finland; the first Miss International (1962) Stella Marquez of Colombia; Miss Asia Angela Filmer of Malaysia; Miss Aruba, Miss Australia – and Filipino men.  This surely proves a point in that brown may be quite as irresistible to white, as vice versa. 

Why on earth then do we want to change the color of our skin? Why isn’t Nora A or Sarah G up there on that screen singing about the brown-skinned maidens of our enchanted isles, instead of voluptuous-lipped Gretchen or sultry Ruffa enticing gullible, small-town innocents into making the impossible happen?

So, back to first base: What is beauty? What, more specifically, makes a woman beautiful, apart and aside from, and without, whitening creams, age-defying miracle creams, nosejobs, breast and butt lifts, liposuction, nips and tucks and silicon add-ons?  What is this obsession with color, shape and form? Is beauty only skin deep, concerned with the external, “its own excuse for being”?

There’s got to be something else. Like genes, for instance.  Genes is what makes a person look the way he/she does. The biological “somethings” that determine if you’ll be a Jericho look-alike or you’ll have Kristine’s dimples, Agot’s sultry eyes. Later, what completes the handiwork? Experience, character, formation, life itself. . . and living.

So think not that beauty is its own excuse for being. If we believed that, if our culture tells us there’s nothing more to beauty than meets the eye, then there’s little hope for the other part of the world, the bigger part which is composed of ordinary folks like you and me, ordinary folks who come in all shapes, and sizes and faces.

Where would love go if every time a man looked at a woman, he would want to see a white-skinned beauty in a bikini? Would he compromise and imagine Eva Longoria when he looks at his wife of 20 or so years, dark hair streaked with gray, bulges in the wrong places, once-smooth-skin lined and wrinkled?

But believe that there’s more to a beautiful woman than the color of her skin or the shape of her body. Believe there’s more to her than meets the eye; look beyond the layers of whitening cream and botoxed forehead and injected lips, beneath the silicon chest and padded butt – and discover the mind and heart and soul of her. And realize that this goddess walks on brown feet.