tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28309967438036833942024-02-06T20:37:55.483-07:00The Lucila Projectdance - arts - culture... life from the philippines to canada.The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-52364829618623045282020-05-18T16:55:00.124-06:002022-01-16T19:51:07.689-07:00Creativity and Shutdown in a Pandemic<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4sFzw9vnt33QTKZIjJjHCr1kSYTQqma3OJ1f_LO6anNJuIj44wf6Rys1uAN7j1wSwWSlk0YezhCzqvsa_zBgN6_A8ArJgHumMEOSPcih7vCNVj42cnyYEddaI93UQUPTxzGobyPfeQkl130Y9ctXv7X54vZfLdNoY0Xk0tiwrEMavjlRNaEUGkEEP=s1341" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1341" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4sFzw9vnt33QTKZIjJjHCr1kSYTQqma3OJ1f_LO6anNJuIj44wf6Rys1uAN7j1wSwWSlk0YezhCzqvsa_zBgN6_A8ArJgHumMEOSPcih7vCNVj42cnyYEddaI93UQUPTxzGobyPfeQkl130Y9ctXv7X54vZfLdNoY0Xk0tiwrEMavjlRNaEUGkEEP=s320" width="215" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div>With people confined in their homes during this pandemic, we see more and more evidence of creativity and ingenuity happening in our daily lives. People are finding new ways to stay busy without common forms of entertainment such as shopping malls, social gatherings or gyms. People’s time that would have otherwise been spent in varied activities, is now being spent at home, and most likely on the sofa or bed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Creativity is not just confined with the arts. There is inventiveness and imagination in sciences, design, sports and cooking. Social media news feeds are inundated with posts of people's creations, whether they are newbies and veterans in these activities: crafts, sewing, knitting, crocheting; performances - singing, playing musical instruments, story telling, video creation (esp. TikTok); podcasts; photography; learning languages; the creative use of 3D printers for PPEs. People are also finding creative ways to celebrate life milestones, i.e. birthdays, graduations, weddings.</div><div><br /></div><div>Working on something that is challenging but can be addressed by one's skills, people enter a state called flow. In this state, people are fully absorbed in and focused on the activity, and as a result, they lose track of time. And it is this unlocking of the imagination in reimagining events and activities that provides the amazement factor in this time of the pandemic.</div></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-484ac6c3-7fff-d10f-e7a3-de3783b768eb"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYPNiPlKWJQmF8DGMWPk6HcL60G1obrUxealtLmlKwKc4aLosYjxIkTC0QscLbGK1NnzV0ao6TXnR6S1StkYt2QLtTkud7DHoE8tltzKYmyj9qIS8mr2_bX67KQHjp6YE5MKLWGXFU2NCOWOl6JS5ZzsecGK0FlQAEDp4qF0q5kZn6ZPEcMtKmSwv2=s1131" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1131" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYPNiPlKWJQmF8DGMWPk6HcL60G1obrUxealtLmlKwKc4aLosYjxIkTC0QscLbGK1NnzV0ao6TXnR6S1StkYt2QLtTkud7DHoE8tltzKYmyj9qIS8mr2_bX67KQHjp6YE5MKLWGXFU2NCOWOl6JS5ZzsecGK0FlQAEDp4qF0q5kZn6ZPEcMtKmSwv2=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Historically, there are prominent examples of those who found creative inspiration in spending time alone. Isaac Newton, with schooling at Cambridge University halted, retreated to his family home in Lincolnshire, where, in a remarkable burst of creativity, he laid the groundwork for his theories of gravity and optics, and invented calculus. There is also the notion that William Shakespeare wrote some of his best poems and plays while plague forced a closure of London’s theatres.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Arts has been more accessible too with the numerous online workshops, some for free, others subsidized, and some as fundraisers. Performances and films have been made available online - giving us front row seats to Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals, ballets, operas, landmark films and theatre productions from all over the world. You just need to know where to look. And now, there is the much awaited release of Hamilton in the summer.<br /></span><div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSgFRM5IHpQPmOgukERgEqwg14GjYN6y1cug9KHH6AuSHKS21M9a1NeG17PmFvGJGHYeDvtVERxlGNR0YZvyaUOfBenGp0lVL6J3o9q_CXh0lWoctzaB4FhR3GXzC0rZTPV9NmbD9dkRsSzPQ1pXY-EEpAfLnwOt86sGzXVohabgfBiQeqX0FBCuIm=s780" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="780" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSgFRM5IHpQPmOgukERgEqwg14GjYN6y1cug9KHH6AuSHKS21M9a1NeG17PmFvGJGHYeDvtVERxlGNR0YZvyaUOfBenGp0lVL6J3o9q_CXh0lWoctzaB4FhR3GXzC0rZTPV9NmbD9dkRsSzPQ1pXY-EEpAfLnwOt86sGzXVohabgfBiQeqX0FBCuIm=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Some artists have managed to hold outdoor performances while people stay at home - musicians and singers performing from their balconies or sidewalk, in the rotunda of a housing community, and recently, Keith Urban in a major drive-through concert for first responders. And with most projects being done online, there has also been a noticeable rise of collaborations amongst artists across the globe - first in mind is the Lady Gaga curated tv special Together at Home, in support of the World Health Organization, and Swans for Relief, which featured 32 ballerinas from 22 dance companies from 14 countries, to raise funds for dancers affected by the pandemic all over the world.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Famous museums have offered virtual tours. Many institutions have made educational resources freely available online; IBM made their design courses free, NASA offers many lessons and activities, and a Pandemic University has even been established, offering online courses covering a range of topics including feature writing, true crime, non-fiction book proposals, travel writing, personal essays, food writing.</span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDTKZysVZgEHCl76o-a2AotQVxx3ul9MBtU1VYbBGF7zZeXZULHWAxeSHWGw70awsbWFy4z081gIuApw5ujmm-D3NeV9IQNPkJURbN9JS0VDXvmZDquoSo3pfZ9yzZdCYSh86prnoDI6L5ACT-jPBXpuZoxtmdGo7yTprtyhP5Ch4BciTUIxDvfZ_w=s300" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="300" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDTKZysVZgEHCl76o-a2AotQVxx3ul9MBtU1VYbBGF7zZeXZULHWAxeSHWGw70awsbWFy4z081gIuApw5ujmm-D3NeV9IQNPkJURbN9JS0VDXvmZDquoSo3pfZ9yzZdCYSh86prnoDI6L5ACT-jPBXpuZoxtmdGo7yTprtyhP5Ch4BciTUIxDvfZ_w" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Corporations have also stepped up to support these online activities. Telecom companies facilitated access by removing internet data caps, relaxing long distance rules to facilitate communication, subsidizing internet rates for low income families and for some, providing free service.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">People with a passion for art finally have time to invest in developing their creative side in a more systematic way. While staying abreast of pandemic updates is important, ultimately, a positive mindset and the ability to switch off will help people cope better day-to-day. Art has inadvertently reached a wider audience and range of participants. It has served us well as a means of expression, a coping mechanism, and outlet of pent-up emotions and energies. The hope is that for the long term, access to all these creativity will carry over to sustained support of the arts beyond the days of the pandemic.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Side note: It is stinging that in the midst of all these creativity, collaboration and support between artists, media, corporations and in the government, in the Philippines, ABS-CBN, the largest entertainment and media conglomerate, with a little bit more than 11,000 employees, was shut down on May 5, 2020. It is a perplexing turn of events at these times:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">when media plays a crucial role in disseminating crucial and credible information on COVID-19, and in ensuring that these information reaches the most number of citizens;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">when people are already losing their jobs due to COVID-19 and public health concerns, the last thing needed are job losses due to political wrangling;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">when entertainment is essential for mental health, easing people's anxiety born out of lockdown and quarantine orders;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">when empathetic conduct from leaders is respected and honoured.</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Hopefully, a resolution of this issue is forthcoming.</span></div><p></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">* This article was published in the May 2020 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</span></i></span></div></div></div>The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-38118689573820386472020-04-18T16:45:00.023-06:002022-01-14T17:55:59.928-07:00Lara Andallo: the Filipino Triple Threat Artist from Down Under<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQSvfNYp9i7FC8bQdJOe4b33z0-6dsex3XXmdmFgDlSyTFxONr8hFz5JiTxpkHO_7T98ynvMosF5Odh-6fiIWuTeAqdcku8jvtmYWC9s0Dv1sIDxSdtZUmImw-r_yuhg_Ed-VoLU2zOx_l2Pl2OuxQOIepaAwfexh_rv0tLdIqmvpOHAgPvfEqSdrd=s2500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1579" data-original-width="2500" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQSvfNYp9i7FC8bQdJOe4b33z0-6dsex3XXmdmFgDlSyTFxONr8hFz5JiTxpkHO_7T98ynvMosF5Odh-6fiIWuTeAqdcku8jvtmYWC9s0Dv1sIDxSdtZUmImw-r_yuhg_Ed-VoLU2zOx_l2Pl2OuxQOIepaAwfexh_rv0tLdIqmvpOHAgPvfEqSdrd=s320" width="320" /></a></div>One of the upsides of social media is the opportunity to connect with people and relationships you would otherwise be removed from. It is fun to keep track of relatives, friends, and colleagues, and their movements, i.e. from the Philippines </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to different parts of the globe, and life milestones. </span></span></div><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-f5011483-7fff-bbd3-6a75-82cf6e14deb8"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzsd7D015K-RSpSMskPAtaFMn8F2MwwrBW74b4RutGC5T_WU00dDZck4iUWkfAJtBynacin_ejRtwKY1kfvawblTEYAglfUlnUiVWcIu4wnQqNmSfmt5DPFBJl0hBDEZt0-MrAjGyuaBRsTwkUddIKWJz4FpxR6KCd807pdUDvr7VpVSU6wsobC248=s960" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzsd7D015K-RSpSMskPAtaFMn8F2MwwrBW74b4RutGC5T_WU00dDZck4iUWkfAJtBynacin_ejRtwKY1kfvawblTEYAglfUlnUiVWcIu4wnQqNmSfmt5DPFBJl0hBDEZt0-MrAjGyuaBRsTwkUddIKWJz4FpxR6KCd807pdUDvr7VpVSU6wsobC248=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One such connection kept alive by social media is with an elementary and high school classmate that has allowed me to see the growth and achievements of her young daughter. Now, this daughter is making waves in the Australian music scene, with the release of her debut R&B mixtape. She is no other than up and coming, triple threat artist, Lara Andallo.</span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Lara’s musical influences go way back, when she started playing musical instruments from the young age of three. She played 10 years of classical violin, along with sax, drums, guitar and piano. At the age of 11, she focused on professional dance - ballet, contemporary, hiphop. She was home-schooled, to complete a Certificate IV in dance, dancing almost 50 hours a week. Her plans for a professional dance career went awry with surgeries on her ankle at the ages of 15 and 17. Faced with learning to walk again and unable to dance, Lara turned to music as a form of expression - writing about her devastation, isolation, of being culturally different, and peer abuse.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMYvJSwj0hOkKyyIIy7GP6dy1AfhzxXB5nkDANCvH6hSUEuXnBmyCYn2vUhCtg5DWRkqR5Ic8l5CPSEAjQZfzD1Qg0r-ezJpfbhhtqHsrHwPk8KfkRDVIT0kKDcvc7HrX40tVEQVmrw1w-Q6L0ZZlR884eQ7qFK79AjaWcFU2ry7Qn8ojRp4ygcs1h=s666" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMYvJSwj0hOkKyyIIy7GP6dy1AfhzxXB5nkDANCvH6hSUEuXnBmyCYn2vUhCtg5DWRkqR5Ic8l5CPSEAjQZfzD1Qg0r-ezJpfbhhtqHsrHwPk8KfkRDVIT0kKDcvc7HrX40tVEQVmrw1w-Q6L0ZZlR884eQ7qFK79AjaWcFU2ry7Qn8ojRp4ygcs1h=s320" width="285" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">At 17-years-old, Lara has signed with Warner Music Australia, independently released three bedroom recordings that were met with praise from likes of Off The Clef, Thank Guard and Complex AU & UK, and released singles ‘Confidential’, ‘180’ and ‘Said & Done’. Early this year, she released her mixtape “For Her” with tracks ‘365’, ‘Proud of Us’ and ‘Trophy’. Lara describes her sound as "R&B at the core, with heavier trap and hip-hop influences”. According to her, the process with “For Her” was like “subconsciously writing the songs to empower myself… and writing affirmations for myself. It is also for young girls specifically who feel like they are outsiders and don’t have a place in this world.” To celebrate the release, Lara played a headline show and showcased her soaring vocals and virtuosic dance skills.</span><p></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWp-FuQdbpYmecwXpeCGu8B0nrFxZJ3-hdImu-mIPP4H0jw7JfG8blC-jMrMQNB__FYrA95HbPNbcR5Sln2tUsgrWlxrNJwnenQWYtC7RT7loUvk6r6nEIrHBVKAb-a8jwbIjO8lNN5TLI8QQ09jnnyAgeZZ8xRLwlBmMjtsyAbZkEHfgXpg0KPwfY=s900" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWp-FuQdbpYmecwXpeCGu8B0nrFxZJ3-hdImu-mIPP4H0jw7JfG8blC-jMrMQNB__FYrA95HbPNbcR5Sln2tUsgrWlxrNJwnenQWYtC7RT7loUvk6r6nEIrHBVKAb-a8jwbIjO8lNN5TLI8QQ09jnnyAgeZZ8xRLwlBmMjtsyAbZkEHfgXpg0KPwfY=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">While she’s at the early stages of her musical career, Lara seems to have already made an indelible mark in the Australian, if not international, music scene. Music reviewer Thomas Bleach has dubbed her as “the R&B princess that Australia deeply needs”. Other praises - “At only 19 and with just two studio singles under belt, Lara Andallo is already one of the most promising R&B artist in Australia” – The Guardian. “The name Lara Andallo may not be familiar to you, but keep it on you radar” – Artist 1 On 1. “At just 19 years old, this Filipino-Australian artist is an absolute force to be reckoned with. ” and “...one of the most addictive R&B songs we’ve heard in a while” – Tone Deaf. “The way she maneuvers the melody of this recalls early Kehlani with a hint of SZA. It’s an exciting step forward and an anomaly for Sydney which hasn’t been known for it’s R&B in the past.” – The Interns. “...it’s those crisp vocals that take center-stage, soaring high with an intoxicating and utterly convincing hook.” - Life Without Andy.</span><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Young as she is, I love how Lara's story is a story of using her art as a tool for reflection and empowerment, of turning a dark time into a show of force, of overcoming difficulty, and a story of self expression and pursuing one's passion. Lara Andallo is definitely a rising star in her own right.</span></span></p> <div><span><br /><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 16pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">*Lara’s music is on all streaming platforms. You can also follow her on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Photo credits: Chris Loutfy, ℅ Filterzine; Facebook</span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 16pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 16pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>** This article was published in the April 2020 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span></div>The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-29372329703644315962020-01-18T16:13:00.001-07:002022-01-14T16:32:35.416-07:00The Edmonton Philippine International Centre (EPIC) Defined<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJxhr17FoCtQ3aHl5Ox1ikaFo0YrLy7QdzAEnUaxEurm3R4KczbqHUfCu_3lek_prDXECKRybZaAyEFMKzA1jhLMvQOqNpESzyUdsDKdTgNRhpHz23LrZgGyoxjiWFaQtrF5EXsa940q2GoaxEdWIzNEshvX8vItADY9VuM5w74PXJ2Xy0oeT2xcXD=s2550" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJxhr17FoCtQ3aHl5Ox1ikaFo0YrLy7QdzAEnUaxEurm3R4KczbqHUfCu_3lek_prDXECKRybZaAyEFMKzA1jhLMvQOqNpESzyUdsDKdTgNRhpHz23LrZgGyoxjiWFaQtrF5EXsa940q2GoaxEdWIzNEshvX8vItADY9VuM5w74PXJ2Xy0oeT2xcXD=s320" width="207" /></a></div>In a multicultural society, it is inevitable to encounter a number of cultural community centres around the city. Top of mind would be: the Polish Canadian Cultural Centre; Sejong Multicultural Centre; Edmonton Korean Community Centre; Ukrainian Cultural Centre; La Cite Francophone; Edmonton Chinatown MultiCultural Centre; Portuguese Cultural Centre; Italian Cultural Centre; Slovenian Canadian Cultural Centre; Hellenic-Canadian Community of Edmonton & Region; German-Canadian Cultural Centre; Dutch Canadian Centre; and Edmonton Japanese Community Association, to name a few. The irony of this is that on some occasions, the reason for my being in these venues, were due to a Filipino community event.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-40e0a89a-7fff-7f21-b22f-ee73081df5d9"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cultural infrastructures are an integral component of Canadian communities. These centres promote cultural values among the members of its community. They are a reflection of an established community where cultural services are increasingly part of municipal services. Arts and culture is one of the attributes that contribute to the highest quality of life of a community.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the influx of Filipinos in Alberta, which has the second largest Filipino population in Canada at approximately 175,000, and with a migration history to Canada beginning in the 1930s, it is ideal, and rather imperative, that we Filipinos have a sustained venue, that will serve as a gathering place - a recreational, educational and cultural facility. There is nothing wrong in using another culture’s space, but it’s much more gratifying to have one that reflects your values, and way of life.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIlovPttp3aSOOGmWnIf4CpHvyCDGMA1nYYl_TO5a5Z5WKhD5ylXbaa2uGJZ0WDPViuyspgvnB2FqcZYGnxbvYQQgk8C_0l_1SUfrzKySW_pueDLgiardxNeu7bp4NhEw3V9tmhy2iLfDR8peTq4EW6KNgVLMkNAX53XfZj5rCi_LkodZZCTCRlMJr=s576" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIlovPttp3aSOOGmWnIf4CpHvyCDGMA1nYYl_TO5a5Z5WKhD5ylXbaa2uGJZ0WDPViuyspgvnB2FqcZYGnxbvYQQgk8C_0l_1SUfrzKySW_pueDLgiardxNeu7bp4NhEw3V9tmhy2iLfDR8peTq4EW6KNgVLMkNAX53XfZj5rCi_LkodZZCTCRlMJr=s320" width="267" /></a></div>Some people may think: What does it mean for me?... I have no personal need for this… or this is only relevant to those who are involved in arts and culture work. Research on the impact of cultural community spaces has shown: that 95% of respondents learned something new, and 88% increased their confidence and pride in culture and traditions by participating in programs; for 85% participation increased their desire to learn, while 83% explored ideas, values and dreams, and 79% made friends; 77% reported a positive impact on their creativity; 65% developed skills; and 64% reported a positive impact on their health and well-being. There is substantial and diverse body of evidence that a wide range of cultural activities positively add value to regeneration initiatives - economic, social and environmental.</span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Philippine centre is envisioned to be the architectural definition of our community identity. Yet, it is not just about infrastructure but is about the people, our culture, creative engagement, and social interaction. The planning will include multiple perspectives: disciplines of expression – e.g., visual, performing, literary, media arts, heritage, etc.; functions – e.g., recreation, instruction, training, production, exhibition, preservation; levels of artistic activity – e.g., recreational arts, amateur arts, emerging and professional/not-for-profit arts, for-profit creative industries, etc.; and community goals. For a community whose people are geographically separated with the 7,100 islands, should we not bond ourselves in our communal experiences of migration, values, and way of life in our adopted country?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQKqpWWbztHSx8xaZLsn1n8FJ1C9K_2_-h_gXSidjAcK3GxWCXmvtGH37nK7oSKYIPAZJtaDh7jfAw57Jrn4Z0mQe_pKV8125pdi5XibCXHMo8TX-9g-TglqyOCghB6x4rSexDyRRoWfHFvtAXwdY2byp4ccdqdBvvEGuW1xcp08LpZGxMziCyyKGL=s576" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQKqpWWbztHSx8xaZLsn1n8FJ1C9K_2_-h_gXSidjAcK3GxWCXmvtGH37nK7oSKYIPAZJtaDh7jfAw57Jrn4Z0mQe_pKV8125pdi5XibCXHMo8TX-9g-TglqyOCghB6x4rSexDyRRoWfHFvtAXwdY2byp4ccdqdBvvEGuW1xcp08LpZGxMziCyyKGL=s320" width="267" /></a></div>In my article on March 2019 on “The Quest for a Philippine Centre in Edmonton”, I posed the challenge on what would it take for us to work together towards this goal. And now, I am elated to report that Filipino community organizations and volunteers are working together towards the establishment of the Edmonton Philippine International Centre (EPIC), which will have its launch and fundraiser on February 1, 2020, Saturday, 1:30-4:30 pm at the Corpus Christi Church Hall at 2707 34 Street, Edmonton. The event aims to disseminate information on the initiative, and show what Filipinos have been doing in, and contributing to, the city of Edmonton. There will be performances, tables featuring businesses and services, door prizes, silent auction and food. It is an opportunity to once again convene, be proud of our personal history, share our culture and participate in this legacy project.<p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Work towards establishing a centre is long term work requiring dedication, focus, determination and commitment with time, energy and resources. The current group of organizers and volunteers recognize the importance of accountability, trust and transparency and are exerting efforts to uphold these. However, an endeavour of this magnitude will only be made possible by sustained commitment, time, input and vision of MANY supporters - advocates, artists, business leaders, volunteers and community members. I appeal to everyone to lend their support, in whatever capacity, to the various upcoming projects supporting the Edmonton Philippine International Centre initiative. And let us uphold our tagline, The Filipino Spirit Shines Through! </span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>* This article was published in the January 2020 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></div></div>The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-65665015392746451282019-12-15T15:24:00.021-07:002022-01-14T16:13:09.492-07:00Quezon’s Game: the Largely Forgotten True Story of Holocaust Heroism<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhG5a8_62Q9ZfYZ6-qOMXv-QUkhcjfqDuV1gXXKvM7EFQEOdG22IR9VeVV5_kpF-c6PPJHOaYzrpSeL5ZgpUJrnTlz6XfotXO-3rqYzh11Dw8GPN6WLEEnxbEoyqS2s-3b1XU52lUS9IErGRwdy0C8cZOv3S_auW3yluWgYA_ArTsJVGCYE6M88YoKO=s2400" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2400" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhG5a8_62Q9ZfYZ6-qOMXv-QUkhcjfqDuV1gXXKvM7EFQEOdG22IR9VeVV5_kpF-c6PPJHOaYzrpSeL5ZgpUJrnTlz6XfotXO-3rqYzh11Dw8GPN6WLEEnxbEoyqS2s-3b1XU52lUS9IErGRwdy0C8cZOv3S_auW3yluWgYA_ArTsJVGCYE6M88YoKO=s320" width="320" /></a></div>According to R. G. Collingwood, “History is for human self-knowledge ... the only clue to what man can do is what man has done. The value of history, then, is that </span><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">it teaches us what man has done and thus what man is.” On January 2020, we will have a chance to reflect on this with the North American screening of the film Quezon’s Game. </span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">How many know of the Filipino Oskar Schindler, who is no less than President Manuel L. Quezon? Director Matthew Rosen rectifies this through his feature film directorial debut Quezon’s Game, which premiered in May 2019 in the Philippines. Manuel Quezon was the President when the country was a Commonwealth under the United States’ jurisdiction. At a time when most countries were reluctant in assisting Jews who were being sent to death camps, Quezon worked to grant asylum in Manila despite various setbacks (his failing health due to tuberculosis, resistance from colleagues, Philippine-US politics), even housing them in his family property in Marikina. Although Quezon’s intent to rescue 10,000 Jews was abruptly curtailed by the Dec. 8, 1941 invasion and three-year occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese, he succeeded in welcoming more than 1,200 refugees.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO41gsVsDg6tdY7UCmRlOD9jTvLkeBE5pnCoXK-XWzYxXPGVUSviB0B8KgUWfC-4KDdyfXvt3E1AiIXpxhUb0_TJM5xRF3kzWNFxUH4JonSt3MWavWijsrDgwm3fcy93pkqIszmyyhj-SbkEK4iGwRFZUCtqWArZ_tqu-nyHY4zC-bcTLr3vZlEjmA=s2251" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2251" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO41gsVsDg6tdY7UCmRlOD9jTvLkeBE5pnCoXK-XWzYxXPGVUSviB0B8KgUWfC-4KDdyfXvt3E1AiIXpxhUb0_TJM5xRF3kzWNFxUH4JonSt3MWavWijsrDgwm3fcy93pkqIszmyyhj-SbkEK4iGwRFZUCtqWArZ_tqu-nyHY4zC-bcTLr3vZlEjmA=s320" width="320" /></a></div></span>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Quezon’s Game director, Matthew Rosen, is a British national residing in the Philippines, and with Filipino wife Lorena Rosen, co-producer for the film. They first heard about Quezon’s efforts in 2009 from members of the Jewish Association of the Philippines. “I am a Jew who grew up in England and have experienced bigotry,” Matthew Rosen comments, “but after 37 years in the Philippines, to this day, I have never come across prejudice, dislike or distrust because I am White or Jewish. I’m Pinoy at heart and this was truly a passion project for me. The story behind Quezon’s Game remains a reflection of the Filipino people today, a warm and welcoming culture. In a time of war, when the rest of the world was in despair and apathetic, the Filipino people—who were suffering their own hardships—shed a light on justice and morality to lead others. Quezon fought a lonely battle for what was right up until his untimely death. The message of this amazing story, which was largely forgotten, is more important than ever in today’s growing climate of intolerance—and my wife, Lori, and I wanted to tell it. It’s my ‘thank you’ to the Philippines.”</span><div><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFP5gBPmZjMfqEfq2KWx-OhWNoTCUyivl7N732S0qtiVFrJVvYKmJ_0tPoF5A7wryjlgnGuiqXTO-8q8c4WZkbME70QW6waelCE-r17jfZd3-G4a27KhISJG-js8RSJfI1xuzNzsXwMsBXhdj_roxRBDv9YmjVKKcMVtirYyRfX-P3rO0ZwkKChUrE=s2400" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1352" data-original-width="2400" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFP5gBPmZjMfqEfq2KWx-OhWNoTCUyivl7N732S0qtiVFrJVvYKmJ_0tPoF5A7wryjlgnGuiqXTO-8q8c4WZkbME70QW6waelCE-r17jfZd3-G4a27KhISJG-js8RSJfI1xuzNzsXwMsBXhdj_roxRBDv9YmjVKKcMVtirYyRfX-P3rO0ZwkKChUrE=s320" width="320" /></a></div>The US/Canada theatrical rollout will mark the 75th anniversary on Jan. 27 of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi’s most-notorious concentration camp. Quezon’s Game stars Raymond Bagatsing as President Quezon, Rachel Alejandro as his wife Aurora, Kate Alejandrino as their daughter Baby, Billy Ray Gallion as the Jewish cigar maker Alex Frieder, James Paolelli as American diplomat Paul V. McNutt, and David Bianco as future president Dwight D. Eisenhower who was then the chief aide to General Douglas MacArthur. </span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The film is abundant in symbolism and intentional in honouring the people in this tragic moment in history. It’s theme song is performed by Shulem, a rising star of the Jewish music tradition, backed by the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. The original soundtrack features songs composed by concentration camp prisoners, Karel Švenk and Z. Stryjecki, granted by the Terezín Music Foundation (TMF), a non-profit dedicated to amplifying the musical legacy of the artists imprisoned at the camp, where a group of prisoners composed and performed music that nourished spirits amidst the great suffering around them.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF8zNafZos4XvBm9_IVyiLYX9aeurUgCkQ45uAXdX3S8mRmpQfa73jypSY6lm2pfSDKy8t0NV5hwHNHS-dFAVcXZaNyDQdbT65M7zE4rHK8WfAwiLgXUFnfP30y11QqLFjaAnxnyXP4outZsKZdNfGsM5VuXdApkTp-zoelrJR_NJKyjWr0pwOXmdr=s960" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF8zNafZos4XvBm9_IVyiLYX9aeurUgCkQ45uAXdX3S8mRmpQfa73jypSY6lm2pfSDKy8t0NV5hwHNHS-dFAVcXZaNyDQdbT65M7zE4rHK8WfAwiLgXUFnfP30y11QqLFjaAnxnyXP4outZsKZdNfGsM5VuXdApkTp-zoelrJR_NJKyjWr0pwOXmdr=s320" width="320" /></a></div></span>
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Quezon’s Game has garnered awards at international film festivals for acting, direction, cinematography, original score, lighting, screenplay and design. It is critically acclaimed: “...the scope and enormity of Schindler’s List ... Quezon’s Game delivers the same powerful message against racism, bigotry and discrimination … a very compelling and deeply moving film …” - Esquire Philippines; “the story of Quezon’s Game is nothing short of magnificent.” - Business Mirror; “Gripping performances …” - ScreenRaven.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">"The difference between Schindler's List and Quezon's Game is that the former studies the horrors of war and you feel broken about humanity when you leave the theatre, while the latter is about hope and the humaneness of the Filipino people. When you watch Quezon's Game, you'll feel proud as a Filipino," Matthew explained.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmS2vYxkxZMDKSOTWVXOH5sveIMon69PBJpKi-rs74xPDHZL4GPQtl2OBNUyU7HxzvhboYYWLr1IpTyY92lmElab0qHcNOOHYCgePiwk4l9iriUaOeWqEvVrM5nOW-597SaOcmJ8IfAtPS1AsjnXehi9-HWOdycqocAl2QOCou9qgPvGUJvLd52O4D=s2400" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="2400" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmS2vYxkxZMDKSOTWVXOH5sveIMon69PBJpKi-rs74xPDHZL4GPQtl2OBNUyU7HxzvhboYYWLr1IpTyY92lmElab0qHcNOOHYCgePiwk4l9iriUaOeWqEvVrM5nOW-597SaOcmJ8IfAtPS1AsjnXehi9-HWOdycqocAl2QOCou9qgPvGUJvLd52O4D=s320" width="320" /></a></div>When you watch Quezon’s Game, make sure you don’t miss the closing credits which is accompanied by testimonials of now-elderly survivors who emigrated to the Philippines as children, Max Heintz Weissler, Lotte Cassel Hershfield, Margot Pins Kestenbaum, and Margot’s son, Danny Pins, recalling the events that reshaped their lives.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In recognition of Quezon’s moral courage and the consequent deep ties between Israel and the Philippines, Israel instituted an open-door policy with the country, permitting visa-free visitation by Filipino tourists. In 2009, an Open Door monument was erected in Tel Aviv in commemoration of this act of humanity. Today, the Jewish diaspora in the Philippines remains a vibrant and welcoming community, with the descendants of refugees rescued by Quezon numbering around 8,000, according to a 2017 estimate by the Israeli Embassy.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is the kind of story we need In today’s climate of tenuous, intolerant and cynical humanity and politics. That we be inspired by this story of doing what is right despite astronomical obstacles, of an act so selfless and remarkable, yet makes one ask to his dying day, “Could I have done more?”. Quezon’s Game then is a study of not only history, but of benevolence.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Quezon’s Game is a Star Cinema/ABS-CBN Film Productions production in association with iWant and Kinetek. For further details on the US/Canada screenings, visit quezonsgame.com.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i>* This article was published in the December 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span><br />
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</div>The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-29580015852138143542019-11-15T15:22:00.022-07:002022-01-14T11:16:13.135-07:00Lyrique: a Filipino Artist in the Flow of Words & Beats<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg36cdpwrXUcI2q0bFulXjEwFonc9aT8qOxxjczxqZa2zfEMAWXYOTan0SYEyMcloJA6emCyvfkUQ4pmS0So4F8Rw1PMCvC4aLxrVemCZwR7irOsTT71jnWt790wa4pQfNZbOjqDhDbvAcVhAfB3I0JbOTjScYNGjhGF-kkPnCNhVNghf9K0kYLazjW=s964" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="653" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg36cdpwrXUcI2q0bFulXjEwFonc9aT8qOxxjczxqZa2zfEMAWXYOTan0SYEyMcloJA6emCyvfkUQ4pmS0So4F8Rw1PMCvC4aLxrVemCZwR7irOsTT71jnWt790wa4pQfNZbOjqDhDbvAcVhAfB3I0JbOTjScYNGjhGF-kkPnCNhVNghf9K0kYLazjW=w218-h320" width="218" /></a></div>Filipino-Canadian rapper Lyrique (Edward Que) from Calgary has released the video for his latest song Ivory off his EP Saints of the Summer. With four EPs and a few singles to his credit, Lyrique is hard at work on his first full length album, Lust, Art, Liquor.</span></span></div>
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<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">But who is Lyrique (pronounced Ly-ric)? Lyrique, Edward Que in real life, is from Baguio City, a nursing student and call center agent, who moved to Canada in 2014 under the Temporary Foreign Workers program. Battling with homesickness and a loss of family and emotional support, he turned to music as a form of therapy and an outlet for his feelings of isolation. His initial foray into music was learning to play different kinds of instruments. He always loved writing and composing music, and being a fan of hip hop, eventually found himself into rap. </span></span></div>
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<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Using the moniker Lyrique, his music has a strong focus on lyricism, cadence and flow. “I really put effort into wordplay. I may not be the deepest writer/rapper when it comes to metaphors but I always make sure the songs I write have a story. I try to make sure the punchlines work to the listeners’ appeal. As for the spelling of Lyrique, I added the Que as a reminder of who I am at the end of the day, as Que is my last name.”</span></span></div>
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<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lyrique’s turning point came when he performed at the 10 at 10 stage in Calgary, a platform that promotes Canadian artists and hip hop culture - whether it be in music, dance and art. It was around this time as well that he received permanent resident status in Canada, which allowed him to focus more on his music, i.e. how to be a better rapper/artist, increase his social media presence, and be a part of Canadian guilds for music artists. “I enjoy the hustle and I find every day is an opportunity for growth. I have people who help me out in amplifying my craft such as videographers, producers, sound engineers and other artists as well. I keep my unit small but tight, but most of the time I do things myself. I book shows myself, do the graphic art and press releases myself. All in all, it’s still an unending process. Art is beautiful but inevitable, just like growth.”</span></span></div>
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<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lyrique’s latest EP is Saints of Summer. When asked why Saints of Summer, “The title had a nice ring to it but in reality what is a saint? A saint is someone holy and free. In the summer we feel a certain melancholy where we all feel a certain cleanse from the cold. But that being said, we all let loose in our own havens in the summer - be it in parties, festivals or out of town trips.” “The other songs on the EP touch different vibes. On GOD is me rapping about how I will make an impact this summer on God. There are tracks like R.O.Y and Pulp Fiction which are just easy going tracks on living your dreams and at the same time being a product of your environment and having fun with it.” Another single is Marathon. “Marathon is a confidence song. I’m still the shy type, a socially awkward person. Marathon made me confident in who I am. I’ve gone this far so why not take ownership of it.” The track was produced and engineered by DJ Rocswell.</span></span></div>
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<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lyrique is now working on a full length album, Lust, Art, Liqour. To know more about Lyrique and his music, check out Instagram and Facebook: iamlyrique, YouTube: Lyrique Music, stream “Ivory” on Spotify and Apple Music, or purchase the EP Saints in the Summer on https://fanlink.to/saintsinthesummer.</span></span></div>
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<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo credits: Val Parenas (@vparenas), Esther Cho (@estherchophotography), Oliver Banyard (@oliverbanyard)</span></span></div>
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<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>* This article was published in the November 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></span></div>
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-38993880543705964492019-10-15T12:28:00.026-06:002022-01-14T11:17:17.067-07:00Celebrating Philippine Culture for Canada Culture Days 2019<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-aQTsqKjaJUUEzXrvRTjbtzmGjGgXqwR_rEQLucPHbdDTQBgoxlS6A5SOIuycFXXdX2tj1kfJYvvOto_0ALshuKr8VjKlyY_O-pm0b03minpgzDW3-_FgSuedN8RpzNhqvgmruBkTik/s1595/Kalinangan+2019_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="1595" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-aQTsqKjaJUUEzXrvRTjbtzmGjGgXqwR_rEQLucPHbdDTQBgoxlS6A5SOIuycFXXdX2tj1kfJYvvOto_0ALshuKr8VjKlyY_O-pm0b03minpgzDW3-_FgSuedN8RpzNhqvgmruBkTik/w400-h220/Kalinangan+2019_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Every year, a national celebration of arts and culture is commemorated as Culture Days on the last weekend of September (Friday-Sunday). Thousands of events across the country are offered free of charge, highlighting the importance of arts and culture in our communities. The mandate of Culture Days is “to eliminate barriers to access and participation, and stimulate understanding, appreciation and exploration of arts and culture—so that every person in the country has a deeper connection with themselves, their communities, and Canada”.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEGW70AjOnqQCOTtLx8haPkTwoAqs-w3vNKcf4It5NXRE-ju0Vye9JQJVYiJJHnnuOOZRz2S7nn7VQlKmP5BOcTo_zFiNEeg5ykJFwJYe3U6uhOZhqxE8KkFgOXCDYrhc4Y1OIvVHLdM/s1024/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_104c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEGW70AjOnqQCOTtLx8haPkTwoAqs-w3vNKcf4It5NXRE-ju0Vye9JQJVYiJJHnnuOOZRz2S7nn7VQlKmP5BOcTo_zFiNEeg5ykJFwJYe3U6uhOZhqxE8KkFgOXCDYrhc4Y1OIvVHLdM/s320/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_104c.jpg" /></a></div></span><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This year, two events focusing on Philippine culture have been selected as Official Celebration Sites by the Ministry of Culture and Multiculturalism, and Status of Women - Philippine Arts Council’s Kalinangan and Pinoy Roots Rondalla’s Ugnayang Kultura.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Kalinangan, in its many variance of use, is the Tagalog word for culture, way of life, or cultivation of learning. This is Philippine Arts Council’s third offering of Kalinangan and has been selected twice as a featured Celebration Site. This year’s Kalinangan was a two-day event, with the first day held at Lynnwood School and the second at Mill Woods Seniors and Multicultural Centre.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjMlEl93g2IMvIEoDnT8i9nguSl6Bs9i4eDISqUGmELX_hyphenhyphenVVynBsqkc5WiES5odPJWtjKMp1I4IEFFxPchA4HVephNH4r9ZHTd4jsgTx778jRHBbvwG2zZ24r6RSzQkTehXO4hvMbkE/s1024/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_107a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjMlEl93g2IMvIEoDnT8i9nguSl6Bs9i4eDISqUGmELX_hyphenhyphenVVynBsqkc5WiES5odPJWtjKMp1I4IEFFxPchA4HVephNH4r9ZHTd4jsgTx778jRHBbvwG2zZ24r6RSzQkTehXO4hvMbkE/s320/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_107a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>On its second year at Lynnwood School, the students participated in workshops on Philippine dance and martial arts provided by The Lucila Project and Philippine Warrior Arts Society. By dismissal, parents and siblings came to the school and participated or observed the workshops. Former students visited from their junior high schools to dance folk dances they have learned before. It was a fiesta atmosphere with students decorating the school with self-made Philippine flags and posters, and baking cassava cake to serve to guests. Some parents made pancit (noodles), and Loriz Bakery and Golden Bucks Bakeshop provided generous food donations, which were thoroughly enjoyed by the school community. It was heartwarming to see the children enthusiastically embrace Philippine culture. It also empowered and instilled pride in the Filipino students and parents to witness the support and enthusiasm by the school community. Young students were asking us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjvHmAT1d6OJSTBsLIHDwiwDWaJc4vn5wCrBjfBvdb0cRO75WzGnBSBhPCO4_A8AHH1kqHMgtiYGWrKAO_-Bi5Vp1DQljChGBSZN66L6BN6UwbRhyDTEu-1EC-CxFDElmR06Nq8QEW5U/s1024/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_10e6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjvHmAT1d6OJSTBsLIHDwiwDWaJc4vn5wCrBjfBvdb0cRO75WzGnBSBhPCO4_A8AHH1kqHMgtiYGWrKAO_-Bi5Vp1DQljChGBSZN66L6BN6UwbRhyDTEu-1EC-CxFDElmR06Nq8QEW5U/s320/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_10e6.jpg" /></a></div> so many questions about the Philippines, the food, and especially the language. It was amusing and at the same time touching to watch them engage in Tagalog conversations with their Filipino classmates. With their parents’ arrival, students have asked for music to be played so they can be videoed dancing what they have learned. Teachers shared their Filipino experiences too - whether through Filipino friends, food, or information they have read or seen.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">At the Mill Woods Seniors and Multicultural Centre, Kalinangan featured workshops on: Parol (Christmas lanterns) Making by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association Edmonton (UPAAE); Learning the Language through Song and Dance, by Koro Filipino; Filipino Martial Arts by Philippine Warrior Arts Society; and Philippine Folk Dance, by Jojo Lucila. Other activities included: colouring of Philippine-themed illustrations by Katrina Cereno, and indigenous designs and patterns of Mindanao from Lumad, a colouring book project by Salupongan Internaitonal; Historya exhibit by the UPAAE; Kwento’t Litrato exhibit by Migrante Alberta; and tables of Philippine products and businesses by Akia Crafts, Love Thy Planet, and <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKp9V9PwkmV4Nqhn9Wul7gaoom4Q5Q3vMh78W3cLllpi2ahVQ36t6r0_bkPDoXWgke-N19tqLYFMS0q-uPk9w4a2-Y9vzi5xwd_EoUqrh6-oyIMFBvTVJkKmQeBCkFroPwoCOw_Yj13xM/s1600/Kalinangan+2019_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKp9V9PwkmV4Nqhn9Wul7gaoom4Q5Q3vMh78W3cLllpi2ahVQ36t6r0_bkPDoXWgke-N19tqLYFMS0q-uPk9w4a2-Y9vzi5xwd_EoUqrh6-oyIMFBvTVJkKmQeBCkFroPwoCOw_Yj13xM/s320/Kalinangan+2019_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Human Nature Canada. Members of the Legislative Assembly and Parliament also came to give messages of support and fellowship: MLA Christina Gray (Edmonton-Millwoods), MLA Sarah Hoffman (Edmonton-Glenora), MLA Jasvir Deol (Edmonton-Meadows) and MP Amarjeet Sohi (Edmonton-Mill Woods, and federal Minister of Natural Resources).</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">On the third day of Culture Days, Pinoy Roots Rondalla held Ugnayang Kultura at the West Edmonton Mall with rondalla performances, Philippine folk and Polynesian dances by Pacific Island Dance Troupe, crafts and displays of Filipino instruments and clothing, Zumba by Manny Arban, and dances by the Edmonton Indonesian Community Association. MLA Sarah Hoffman was again there to provide messages, along with MLA Lorne Dach (Edmonton-McClung) and MLA Jon Carson (Edmonton-West Henday).</span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FFHgnQdVZ02NEpKXrAwJ0SFmoOFSO-pVjnKy5ScgavUrrZQJv90_wnJpMaSw0f4azN9W2lf_D6aDQKjnnyDrYHV9gdhqcPSBpIJOldqchPmKOhLRnAVNDNVu15FsgVXXRhOfHtrIHcE/s960/Kalinangan+2019_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FFHgnQdVZ02NEpKXrAwJ0SFmoOFSO-pVjnKy5ScgavUrrZQJv90_wnJpMaSw0f4azN9W2lf_D6aDQKjnnyDrYHV9gdhqcPSBpIJOldqchPmKOhLRnAVNDNVu15FsgVXXRhOfHtrIHcE/s320/Kalinangan+2019_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In summation, it was a good Culture Days year with offerings on Philippine culture provided in every single day of the Culture Days weekend - a result of Philippine Arts Council and Pinoy Roots Rondalla coordinating to avoid any schedule conflict. Because I have found out through the years, that there is a good percentage of people who take advantage of this Culture Days weekend, research on calendar activities and map out an itinerary of events to go to. It is a testament to our society for embracing diversity, an earnest desire to learn more about art and culture, and its importance in our daily lives. It is for this very reason that we are steadfast in featuring Philippine art and culture, and establishing our stamp in this multicultural community.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i>* This article was published in the October 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal, and written by Ida Beltran Lucila.</i></span></span><br />
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</div>The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-69937686092619568072019-08-15T11:32:00.020-06:002021-07-11T20:22:40.215-06:00GT Leo Gaje Jr: Pekiti-Tirsia’s Law of Self-Protection<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ71Tcvxhiont6owlQcnC9qllPiQdAb9PFmpiqHhTzCc6H1dVo9R4EOG2-eVOTy7WGe8NORRUpzi-cOB4jtppytkwfDBy_T0uj4Lxm85gYIVDx2Y9yFJ4b4uYtTmItzhXLi3tp3PoBvpQ/s2048/GT+Leo+Gaje+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ71Tcvxhiont6owlQcnC9qllPiQdAb9PFmpiqHhTzCc6H1dVo9R4EOG2-eVOTy7WGe8NORRUpzi-cOB4jtppytkwfDBy_T0uj4Lxm85gYIVDx2Y9yFJ4b4uYtTmItzhXLi3tp3PoBvpQ/s320/GT+Leo+Gaje+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Last month, I wrote about my encounter with celebrity Yeng Constantino. This time around, I had the chance to meet another superstar, Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje </span><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Jr. during an intensive camp workshop in Edmonton in the system of Pekiti-Tirsia, last July.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pekiti Tirsia Kali is a style of Filipino martial arts system founded in 1897 by the Tortal family, whose sole heir and guardian is Leo T. Gaje Jr.. As a combat-oriented system, it is the preferred training program by military and law enforcement units, and for Hollywood movies. GT Leo Gaje Jr. instituted this fighting system at the United States upon his move to New York City in 1972. Since then, he has been at the forefront of promoting Filipino martial arts globally.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRi-hSiXPVNPCa7icnPwlWImplRGq-h5rI1JS8eS4g52lIH2NW3XeSpqmB0eRxNgH9e5ANXpNb24xkBdyPtR7vRT-P9nZoBjblqEbwmzzuXDnUsBdQLsw1mS9m8x2TmkTtasslM7oG6A/s2048/GT+Leo+Gaje+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRi-hSiXPVNPCa7icnPwlWImplRGq-h5rI1JS8eS4g52lIH2NW3XeSpqmB0eRxNgH9e5ANXpNb24xkBdyPtR7vRT-P9nZoBjblqEbwmzzuXDnUsBdQLsw1mS9m8x2TmkTtasslM7oG6A/s320/GT+Leo+Gaje+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">At 81 years old, GT Leo Gaje Jr. is an unassuming man, candid in his conversations. He was even singing karaoke over dinner. But behind that modest demeanour is a formidable spirit, still quick in his footwork and steadfast in his determination. The list of his achievements is mind blowing. He has been conferred: the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame; the Presidential Exemplary Meritorious Award, presented by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; United States Police Association Edgar Hoover Meritorious Award; was named Man of the Year by Black Belt Magazine; and the Martial Arts Super Show First Filipino Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been featured on BBC, Discovery Channel, the History Channel, Game Plan, Comparative Style, Surviving Edge Weapon and other broadcasting and multimedia platform.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPLkaxTbTHnjNsDBmFYyduaPR09OqsmcD_reUy1AJx8b19F4xa9nSYBtbRPv1ikttjoGaczzixXrEi6C8_lgU-RFtTDNxKGgc84Y2hbfk8XY9RBdXtY3gs5mF8A4r8X8YLW4FTRjpUk4/s2048/GT+Leo+Gaje+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPLkaxTbTHnjNsDBmFYyduaPR09OqsmcD_reUy1AJx8b19F4xa9nSYBtbRPv1ikttjoGaczzixXrEi6C8_lgU-RFtTDNxKGgc84Y2hbfk8XY9RBdXtY3gs5mF8A4r8X8YLW4FTRjpUk4/s320/GT+Leo+Gaje+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>GT Gaje introduced Filipino martial arts to the New York Police Department and developed a training program on “Safety Baton and Edged Weapon Awareness/Strategic Knife Defense programs – the FIRST Defensive Tactics system based on safety and liability reduction at a time when the accepted methods targeted the vital areas of the body resulting in substantial liability to police officers and departments”. He was subsequently appointed as the National Training Director for the Justice System Training Association and the Technical Advisor for the U.S. Police Defensive Tactics Association. He is also Senior Advisor to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It was notable that the participants I encountered in the training camp last July were in majority, consisted of non-Filipinos, who came from different provinces in Canada, and even from the US. Why there are less Filipinos engaged in this indigenous Filipino martial arts form was a bit puzzling. Kudos to Tuhon Herald Casaña who has been tireless in promoting this system. It was admirable on how the participants entrusted themselves to the training - not knowing the schedule as everything was spontaneously dictated by GT Gaje. They found themselves training for hours on end without meal breaks, and early morning wake up calls for another round of intense training.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Tim Mercer of Edmonton: “Despite the bruises, blisters, sore muscles, pain and early morning wake up calls I learned valuable skills that will help future my martial arts career. Quite an enjoyable experience and something I look forward to all year.”</span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mandala Bryan Stoops of New York: “The training was intense and demanding, but only because GT truly wants all participants to develop at peak capacity. Not only did I train, but because we were in a small group, I had conversations and meals with GT as well. GT wants Kali to flourish and his means to that end is Pekiti Tirsia. He is passionate about helping people develop themselves within PTK. I traveled all the way to Alberta from NYC for my training experience, and it was more than worth it!”</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Guro Quent Ferdie Roxas of Calgary: “Wilderness training camp with Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje. J.R was everything I expected and more. I was filled with anticipation and nervousness as I have never embarked on an adventure like this on my own before. It was almost like entering or enlisting in the military and getting sent off to boot camp for preparation...Promptly at 6am training started with calisthenic training. I was tired as hell but motivation was all around. 2 hrs would pass till breakfast break. At that time already drenched in sweat.</span><br />
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Breakfast was a short hour where we would pick up with Doble Dagga, single stick and firearm retention techniques, all before lunch. I ate and passed out for 20 minutes before the next stage of the day. Double stick and single knife finished off the day shortly after 6. Oh man I was tired. The next day would follow the same routine. This training session was by far an experience that I'll remember. GT even with his hardcore demeanour is a caring man that just wants the very best for his pupils. He wants the torch carriers to be well versed and prepared with his art of Pekiti Tirsia. Perfection is what he demands and for good reason as he is the sole Master carrier of his family's art. I left tired, bruised, fulfilled and grateful to be part of such a great brotherhood of warriors. GT is a great teacher, a legend, and his instructors underneath him are just as passionate. Great leaders produce great leaders and that's why I am a PTK practitioner. Will I do this again?</span><br />
<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hell yes!!!”</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pekiti Tirsia Kali is a Filiipino martial art and self-defense system known for its methodology in the use of and protection against weapons, grounded in the philosophy: We believe in success, not failure. We believe in health, not in sickness. We believe in life, not in death. This is the major artery in the Pekiti Tirsia Kali culture, embedded in the doctrines of survival, discipline, and perfection - values that are not just solely for this martial arts system, but for living a life well-lived. For more information on the Pekiti Tirsia Kali, contact Tuhon Herald Casaña at 780-717-9164, ptkab@telus.net, and https://ptkalberta.webs.com.</span><br />
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<span face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">* <i>This article was published in the August 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal, and written by Ida Beltran Lucila.</i></span></span><br />
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</div>The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-52189311568139883932019-07-15T11:23:00.033-06:002021-07-11T20:13:44.172-06:00The Phenomenon that was Yeng Constantino<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HfND_gL_TQM6ylAF2FMyq1yqzcOexXOQr9BNge7ZmKNIO7keB3FJZCnD7eArSyeSanjUKfNjvVUCgSmF97VAmaZKW2KkIXJUKyemhYmd2oaKAntbQPxiEGGa4M0GZSeuUOZoILr8snE/s2048/65387440_10213729019929608_2473227574185033728_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HfND_gL_TQM6ylAF2FMyq1yqzcOexXOQr9BNge7ZmKNIO7keB3FJZCnD7eArSyeSanjUKfNjvVUCgSmF97VAmaZKW2KkIXJUKyemhYmd2oaKAntbQPxiEGGa4M0GZSeuUOZoILr8snE/s320/65387440_10213729019929608_2473227574185033728_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I must admit that when I was informed that Yeng Constantino was the selected artist to grace the Edmonton Filipino Fiesta through the auspices of TFC (The Filipino Channel) Canada, I did not know much about her. The realization on how big and significant she is, I was able to gauge based on the public’s reaction to the announcement of her participation at the Fiesta. You could feel people shaking with excitement and hyped up through social media posts. I was getting calls from outside of Edmonton asking for details, as they were driving to Edmonton as far away as BC. People were also willing to shell out money for a chance to see Yeng live and were just too happy to learn that it was open to the public.</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Once the excitement of the news of her performance waned, we buckled down to preparations for her arrival - i.e. performance stage, adjunctive activities, programming, and what seemed to be the most pressing one, security and safety</span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF9G4LSgbYmw7jhIS2hn1SU2MQ7CIQj2_vvZGDQ2hyphenhyphenccIKzAuLAO4wESUzmn_fZ26SlPUjx34yC_PD6E5zR8mJ4wSSquwW_rPZT5Fv3s4Dbya0oQ8SRCsAqlUPV0M0SgAj0qQoKWorIs/s960/64833487_2129317890511759_8369567662652522496_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF9G4LSgbYmw7jhIS2hn1SU2MQ7CIQj2_vvZGDQ2hyphenhyphenccIKzAuLAO4wESUzmn_fZ26SlPUjx34yC_PD6E5zR8mJ4wSSquwW_rPZT5Fv3s4Dbya0oQ8SRCsAqlUPV0M0SgAj0qQoKWorIs/s320/64833487_2129317890511759_8369567662652522496_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> in terms of crowd control. Call me naive but I had a thought that the concern was a little bit overplayed. I recall stories of sightings of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Ed Sheeran, Sarah Jessica Parker at the West Edmonton Mall; of Stephen Tyler at Churchill Square; Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez by downtown - and of people maintaining distance and respecting their privacy. I was constantly told - “Well, it seems it’s a different story with Filipinos.” And judging from what actually transpired, Filipinos do love and go crazy over their local celebrities.</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Yeng Constantino is a singer-songwriter, host and actor. She is dubbed as the Pop Rock Princess. Her breakout moment in the music industry was bagging the Grand Star Dreamer in the inaugural season of Pinoy Dream Academy in 2006. She has recorded several platinum albums and is the singer and songwriter for the hits “Hawak Kamay”, “Ikaw”, “Salamat”.</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJHYQfVLMOevxMalhtDLvCouD2rGCQ4AqzUdRjE5ZhDOrksbuVSTfHt5f6T27KoMpOPJxWZiAX2w6kvgmEBGn64Yz7_UxHD2i9yZ5JeRxpdkMIDE2rxJUty7igzPTGcuCJCRWC3MxxdU/s2048/LT+with+Yeng+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJHYQfVLMOevxMalhtDLvCouD2rGCQ4AqzUdRjE5ZhDOrksbuVSTfHt5f6T27KoMpOPJxWZiAX2w6kvgmEBGn64Yz7_UxHD2i9yZ5JeRxpdkMIDE2rxJUty7igzPTGcuCJCRWC3MxxdU/w180-h320/LT+with+Yeng+1.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>Yeng arrived in Edmonton from Manila close to midnight on June 21. On June 22, running on just three hours of sleep, she engaged in a Philippine Arts Council Learning Table session with students and young artists in the morning, and a TFC Hour performance at the Edmonton Filipino Fiesta in the evening. From the Fiesta, she went straight to the airport and headed to Surrey for another Fiesta/Philippine Heritage Month celebration on June 23. The following day, June 24, she flew back to Manila. Apparently, this kind of schedule is not out of the norm for her. She travels a lot and in fact, finds the buzz of the plane or the car as a calming, and at times, inspiring sound for her. Some of her songs were written during these times. With this hectic schedule, Yeng remains a true professional in her engagements.</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Before her arrival in Edmonton, I did some research on her and watched some of her vlogs to have a sense of her personality. Meeting Yeng at her hotel room, I was amused at how quickly she transformed from a worried professional suffering from a sleepless night, to an ecstatic fan when presented with a Raptors merchandise. I was surprised to learn that she was nervous about The Learning Table, and anxious about not meeting people’s expectations. There was nothing for her to worry about and I gave the assurance that the intent is to learn from her, that the participants are eager to know more about her, to present herself as she is, and just be her own person. And boy, did she do that and more. Yeng was genuine in her sharing and rapport with the participants. She was vulnerable and revealed her insecurities. She was also greathearted in sharing how she coped with uncertainties, in responding to the questions, and giving advice. Majority of the participants for The Learning Table were regulars of previous The Learning Table sessions and projects of the Philippine Arts Council. So they are not easily fazed and can sometimes be jaded. But never had I seen them more star struck than this one with Yeng.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwp1GJLvSvsmxWGcoA8fWiESybkYqtCEUrKjdceRh1jPX9ZFe09Jvn85_xsQ3n2aQx_PlzU9YNSANuUKsPa3IpcBGLlBoBMd5ft4nLRHzYf4_OPn8gQHfddkMhVFiOwHBNJb0yzw8dWdw/s2048/fullsizeoutput_13f4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwp1GJLvSvsmxWGcoA8fWiESybkYqtCEUrKjdceRh1jPX9ZFe09Jvn85_xsQ3n2aQx_PlzU9YNSANuUKsPa3IpcBGLlBoBMd5ft4nLRHzYf4_OPn8gQHfddkMhVFiOwHBNJb0yzw8dWdw/s320/fullsizeoutput_13f4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Her appearance at the Edmonton Filipino Fiesta for the TFC Hour was both record breaking and refreshing. It was heartwarming to see the overwhelming crowd just having a really good time. They were enamoured and in high spirits. Yeng had good banter with her audience and hosts, and was gracious even with technical difficulties. Her singing, needless to say, was exceptional. Yeng was running on a tight schedule, yet she somehow managed to suspend time by singing an extra song from her playlist, and engaging in conversations with fans during the Meet and Greet just before heading to the airport.</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-S9Xpae1ohH4E9ZBjCxdTh6E8gx1N7CZMIZLM-KMyRB131CE8S7wdRXOerBTqfU_1TcO-heCFEXJZDB2ZjFuZgAfKdpatmWB5i1RGkhamQ0ljCCPgPj-aWMu9nuW4FBKK7HctLI7r0o/s2543/TFC+Hour+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-S9Xpae1ohH4E9ZBjCxdTh6E8gx1N7CZMIZLM-KMyRB131CE8S7wdRXOerBTqfU_1TcO-heCFEXJZDB2ZjFuZgAfKdpatmWB5i1RGkhamQ0ljCCPgPj-aWMu9nuW4FBKK7HctLI7r0o/s320/TFC+Hour+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And this is Yeng’s appeal. Apart from her undeniable talent, she is right off the bat charming and down to earth. A person who is deeply spiritual and emotional, knows her boundaries, and values her authenticity. From this experience, I have gleaned that Filipinos do really love and adore a role model hailing from the home country. It is good to see that all this fawning and adulation is for someone truly deserving of all these. Yeng’s visit to Edmonton was courtesy of TFC Canada - true to their vision of bringing joy to Filipinos wherever they are, in the spirit of “Kapamilya”. </span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><i>* This article was published in the July 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal and written by Ida Beltran Lucila.</i></span></span><br />
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</div></div>The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-55785324890607195632019-05-15T10:53:00.000-06:002020-04-14T20:50:25.859-06:00Food as a Gateway to Culture and ULAM: Main Dish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we were still living in the Philippines, everytime we went to a new town, the first thing my husband Jojo Lucila would visit was the food market. He claims that you learn a lot about the people’s lifestyle based on the kinds of food sold in the market. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now there is more to discover, as we live in a society that prides itself of embracing and celebrating cultural diversity. There are festivals, events and community activities that allow us to engage in different cultures without having to travel to another country. There are many other ways to immerse in a culture - learning the language, folk dances, songs, literature. But the easiest to enjoy and digest (so to speak) is food. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food brings people together. Shows like Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown”, Eddie Huang’s “Huang’s World” and David Chang’s “Ugly Delicious” have focused on showcasing cultures through food. When one partakes of a dish, one learns about the topography of the region by the ingredients and its spices. The way it is prepared, presented and eaten speaks volumes about the traditions. Our food has sentimental value, usually passed down through generations, and connected to life moments, i.e. celebrations, or as comfort food to cheer us up.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT32kxYmCAO2Fk5EHmA4UmIn07bUgKNKo01d5Rv6OY7CJlj8GaHpMlJfmUxjJEMJ1HbC-BKR_Epc5fNUUR5aAALqzJfj6aIF2CGpsyVr5x1Nkbdmhd2ezddfotD19_0ndG1qCWQpaIFPE/s1600/ULAM+review+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="1600" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT32kxYmCAO2Fk5EHmA4UmIn07bUgKNKo01d5Rv6OY7CJlj8GaHpMlJfmUxjJEMJ1HbC-BKR_Epc5fNUUR5aAALqzJfj6aIF2CGpsyVr5x1Nkbdmhd2ezddfotD19_0ndG1qCWQpaIFPE/s400/ULAM+review+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the documentary ULAM: Main Dish, Filipino-American director Alexandra Cuerdo focuses on the ascent of Filipino cuisine in American tables by following the journey of award-winning chefs. These chefs and restaurateurs share their stories of breaking prejudices, being authentic, using food as a vehicle to communicate and present ourselves, and validating our culture. They come from different walks of life, i.e. from Michelin-starred line cooks to high school dropouts, successful restaurateurs to first time shop owners - but all highly acclaimed by critics. They share their histories, their sacrifices and what it takes to run a successful restaurant in two of the most competitive markets in the world: New York and Los Angeles. The film also talks about the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino Americans, and the struggle to have Filipino food and identity be recognized in the larger American society and even their own Filipino community. There are also philosophical conversations on the Filipinos’ history, crab mentality, the effects of colonialism, and the need for support from the Filipino community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The narrative for our food is a narrative of our history. In the words of the film’s creators, “It's like saying, this is me on a plate. We can say, we both enjoy this, this is some version of what we both grew up with, it's some version of ourselves — even more so when we're connecting with a non-Filipino. I can say: This is a version of me, this is a version of my history, what I grew up with, and you should try it. If you don't like it, that's OK. I have twenty other dishes for you to try… Filipino food and its ability to succeed is also a window into our future — and we must discuss what divides us, to find what unites us. If we are to celebrate Filipino food, and be respected as a people, we must dig deep into what makes us, and examine the future we want to create.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are timely messages for us. There is a global surge on advancing the Filipino and the culture. For Filipino Albertans and Canadians, it is a crucial next step soon after the provincial and federal proclamations of Philippine Heritage Month. It is a call for unity, of collaboration and bayanihan spirit, and of collective, not just individual, pride.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As part of the Philippine Heritage Month celebrations, the Philippine Arts Council is presenting the screening of the much acclaimed documentary ULAM: Main Dish on June 19, 2019, 7 pm at the Myer Horowitz Theatre. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Tickets are $15 + s/c through Ticketfly, or at selected Filipino businesses. For more information, go to philippineartscouncil.com. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a not-to-be missed opportunity in showcasing the Filipino culture and at the same time reflecting on who we are. The film has been featured in the international film festival circuits since its premiere and has even screened in the same theatre as the Oscar winning film “Roma”. It is the film that propelled the late Jonathan Gold, food and music critic, to convince the LA Times to book the whole LA Grand Central Market to do Filipino food pop-ups, for the LA Times Food Bowl. Jonathan Gold was a strong and early supporter of the film ULAM: Main Dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To quote a review on ULAM: Main Dish in the Vancouver Asian Film Festival 2018, “In the end, Ulam is a noteworthy film, mainly for shining a spotlight on a community and food that for so long has flown under the radar. According to an interview with the director, Cuerdo has been getting inquiries from teachers wanting to use the film to teach since there has been so little representation of Filipino-Americans in the media.[1] This film will certainly provide a crash course on Filipino food for the uninitiated, fill the Filipino-Canadian community with a sense of pride at what their fellow Filipinos have accomplished and hopefully encourage more visits to local Filipino restaurants.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>* This article was published in the May 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span><br />
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-58469760408126378852019-04-17T20:41:00.000-06:002019-04-17T20:41:02.810-06:00Cherry Samuya Veric: More than just Glitz and Glam<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Filipino designer has been showcasing his collections for three consecutive years at the Western Canada Fashion Week (WCFW), the longest running event of its kind in Alberta, and the second largest in Canada. Cherry Samuya Veric, known for his classic silhouettes and stunning detailed work, has been showcased in the International Collections segment of the fashion event, even featured as a closer for the night.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uENqzErZ_InJmA2-Q829JZXulHJl7KCGUDLpvNTecu_zGYeGWMkZ6zH9PBhK6Y4ACyZLsDmcne3cPzUK4Q_8QFjpmpz4xF9HJw_TkgyArfExSDVDS3LK2v2RFH_szyqCSrBSjPpi-7s/s1600/cherry+s+veric+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uENqzErZ_InJmA2-Q829JZXulHJl7KCGUDLpvNTecu_zGYeGWMkZ6zH9PBhK6Y4ACyZLsDmcne3cPzUK4Q_8QFjpmpz4xF9HJw_TkgyArfExSDVDS3LK2v2RFH_szyqCSrBSjPpi-7s/s320/cherry+s+veric+5.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In his WCFW debut in 2017, Cherry brought his 26-piece collection of evening wear "Viva", his favourite collection to date. This was the same collection presented when he was chosen to close the 20th anniversary of Philippine Fashion Week, known as the Olympics of Philippine fashion, and a career highlight for Cherry. Viva is his tribute to the Ati-Atihan Festival and the Sto. Ni</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ño, as he hails from Aklan and is a Sto. </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ni</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ño devotee. This collection was described as "a breathtaking collection... on the story of West meeting East through a fusion of indigenous patterns and modern forms. The lean lines and stunning visuals emphasized the alluring stylishness of ethnic patterns, and by mixing native designs with modern cosmopolitan trends. Veric proved that native design can be very appealing on a global scale." This collection featured a staggering amount of sequins to form the ethnic patterns. Needless to say, this was a great hit in his debut appearance in Edmonton. He would later bring this collection to Fashion Weeks in Paris, and New York.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXk8jXltO0YNpfWdx8UPr13_3n913xX_mU8gT5BlE5qohIptKTpaQnWPKcfLk_HMEnf_yp0EuZQp7bNmX_WGAiM8oqdrt0FIG_LEA8lVqWgGyYa3eHSrHuZBe8zwf7r4aIlSifLdjTwUc/s1600/cherry+s+veric+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXk8jXltO0YNpfWdx8UPr13_3n913xX_mU8gT5BlE5qohIptKTpaQnWPKcfLk_HMEnf_yp0EuZQp7bNmX_WGAiM8oqdrt0FIG_LEA8lVqWgGyYa3eHSrHuZBe8zwf7r4aIlSifLdjTwUc/s320/cherry+s+veric+4.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2018, with the WCFW theme on Diversity, Cherry drew inspiration from Game of Thrones, and translated it into daily and evening wear. And in 2019, he brought his "Homage" collection, inspired by church frescoes, with fabrics that looked like paintings, paying homage to the romance and art of the Old Masters. Cherry is honoured and humbled to be presented for consecutive years by the Western Canada Fashion Week. His participation is a great platform for international exposure for him, but is a source of pride for the Filipino community here. I'm not sure he realizes enough the impact of his presence in this event.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJRuDJ1XU5KdCXSf35fglyXG7vUQahMIwrKyzeNVlaq-OS11MeL7fQaA5fQnwKmYBMJp-fRwG07nl4evbzynpyqgGlnGwgnbcjYpZ7sbDp5LCc6F2-JruiRSSrH0paDSzP8_68nulX9w/s1600/cherry+s+veric+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1109" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJRuDJ1XU5KdCXSf35fglyXG7vUQahMIwrKyzeNVlaq-OS11MeL7fQaA5fQnwKmYBMJp-fRwG07nl4evbzynpyqgGlnGwgnbcjYpZ7sbDp5LCc6F2-JruiRSSrH0paDSzP8_68nulX9w/s320/cherry+s+veric+1.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The love for design was evident as a young child. Cherry remembers dressing up his sister's Barbie dolls with different fabrics, yarn and lace from their family's store. As an undergraduate, he was an abstract painter, joining visual arts competitions organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. This is why I believe his designs show fluidity in its lines and detailing, has drama, and has an affinity to works of art, particularly of the Renaissance period.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Right after graduating with a Fine Arts degree with a major in Advertising at the Far Eastern University, he landed a contract in Saudi Arabia by accident. He was accompanying a friend to the interview and ended up being offered the job. After his 2-year stint there, he went to Guangzhou, then Dubai. In between, he joined Season 2 of Project Runway Philippines, ending as one of the last 2 finalists. He recalls rushing from the airport and straight to the auditions, where he was the last applicant. This is where Cherry met Tessa Prieto, who was one of the judges and has since become his muse.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Cherry Samuya Veric design is known as a work of classicism, alluring silhouette, and true workmanship of intricate patterns and hand sewn details. They are haute couture luxurious, glamorous, bold, personalized, yet wearable, taking months to create. He has been honoured as Top Haute Couture Designer of the Year 2016 during the Fashion Asia Awards in Chongquing, China. His works have been favoured by: beauty queens Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Miss International 2016 Kyle Versoza, Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup-Lee; actresses Marian Rivera, Anne Curtis, Bea Alonzo.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOJVs5GiAsWFOzifIRaQLAbozJUG63d8RuOFDvJ6jW6KSlRC_SMWS8fWitFO1kqer1_MFKhKqDuCSpfM0v0JpY1CSjlcr1tpvdgTfBZwd_-lP1J29I9_JX5rGUhjhEqs3osGqTrTwhuU/s1600/cherry+veric+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOJVs5GiAsWFOzifIRaQLAbozJUG63d8RuOFDvJ6jW6KSlRC_SMWS8fWitFO1kqer1_MFKhKqDuCSpfM0v0JpY1CSjlcr1tpvdgTfBZwd_-lP1J29I9_JX5rGUhjhEqs3osGqTrTwhuU/s320/cherry+veric+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I met up with Cherry along with his good friend Edge Gabrador, who is in charge of the Asian Division for Western Canada Fashion Week, and responsible for bringing Cherry Veric for 3 years along with Julius Tarog in 2018. The person I met is a reticent guy, confident in his capabilities and achievements but not overbearing. Evidently a smart and astute guy in the way he approaches life, faces challenges, intuitively designs and brings out a facet of a client, and conveys a point through his designs. Our conversations reveal a person who is grounded, who dreams but at the same time is aware of the pitfalls of the industry that has a very thin boundary line between glamour and superficiality. And yet, seeing him groove while taking a smoke break with his headphones, he is capable of enjoying the moment and just going with the flow. I guess this is why big things happen for him, even when not highly sought. I shared some planned and dream projects for the Philippine Arts Council, and he totally got it. It is an exciting moment when people connect this way. Here's hoping that Cherry Samuya Veric returns to our part of town once again and soon. And this time on a more extended and synergetic enterprise.</span></span><br />
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<i>* This article was published in the April 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></div>
The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-51691727876685374292019-03-15T10:47:00.000-06:002020-04-14T19:42:56.285-06:00The Quest for a Philippine Centre in Edmonton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMnYn8oTpjNE88ynrT9YuNRixa_yasqV0xmGnTvR42dRqG1juGn0ilylkOfxbchu2j4d_R1RQlmsznGqL85pkIRLkHS0A75BEjvfTSmEfivzCd7nl8JwdGaMq0YYdm5UO-aQYaFExuAA/s1600/filipino+centre+toronto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="834" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMnYn8oTpjNE88ynrT9YuNRixa_yasqV0xmGnTvR42dRqG1juGn0ilylkOfxbchu2j4d_R1RQlmsznGqL85pkIRLkHS0A75BEjvfTSmEfivzCd7nl8JwdGaMq0YYdm5UO-aQYaFExuAA/s400/filipino+centre+toronto.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Ever since my family arrived in Edmonton from Manila, I have consistently heard random comments and yearning for a Philippine Centre in Edmonton. It is not difficult to imagine the benefits of having a venue uniquely catering to, and reflective of, the Filipino community - having a “home base” to interact and socialize with fellow kababayans; a resource and programs centre for Philippine art and culture; and an infrastructure legacy and monument of, for, and by, the Filipino.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Edmonton did have a Filipino centre before. In 1984, the Philippine Bayanihan Association in Alberta purchased a building on a ¾ acres of prime land by 12520 135 Avenue for the Filipino Canadian Community Centre. However, it was sold in 1995 due to the cost of maintaining the building. To date, the other Filipino centres in Canada that I know of are: the Filipino Centre in Toronto; the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture in Toronto; the Filipino Community Centre in Windsor, Ontario; the Philippine Bayanihan Community Centre in Victoria, BC; the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba in Winnipeg; and the Philippine Cultural Center Foundation in Calgary.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmnzgjEdymRoqCI5JjnfeHRQH-z02WVmXDDiuoWBtD6wc7ciLHGoeT8pOZRpT8VvKg3q3xx7i1U3GvIeBqyXT6SxgOdshC2pJLtdOAARyBYblMuAVWGAepOT8T7yBbPGVcuJLTmMJU3s/s1600/Bayanihan-Center+Victoria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmnzgjEdymRoqCI5JjnfeHRQH-z02WVmXDDiuoWBtD6wc7ciLHGoeT8pOZRpT8VvKg3q3xx7i1U3GvIeBqyXT6SxgOdshC2pJLtdOAARyBYblMuAVWGAepOT8T7yBbPGVcuJLTmMJU3s/s400/Bayanihan-Center+Victoria.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the declaration of Philippine Heritage Month both provincially and federally, it is an importune time to revisit the goal of a Philippine Centre in Edmonton. After a consultation with Minister Amarjeet Sohi where the Minister committed to assist in the establishment of the centre, community leaders met to brainstorm on the vision, governance model, and feasibility of an Edmonton Philippine centre. There was commonality in the thought that this can only be realized with the community working together rather than in silos. An offshoot of that meeting was a survey that was released to gauge the Filipino community’s interest, current utilization of rented facilities, wish list, and thoughts for making the establishment of a Philippine centre a reality. Is it really possible? The sentiment in that meeting was of optimism and enthusiasm. But there are also naysayers who declare that this has been tried several times in the past and therefore, this current initiative is doomed for the same failure. But do we remain shackled in the past and keep this as a pipe dream, or do we learn from these experiences and dream big?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6-k1BHHEV-EimLjh28pLgejCtWLUkHpdG0XvpsMDz3xDp9_IpCJwxYC8KmY2JUU1RcXauZNS4QNPAdJMCoPoGadVs0hGTcHbKev3M-DBRK-UKMirfWRJxUCMD3i5LrRFDSsSa6fNtDM/s1600/Philippine+Canadian+Centre+Of+Manitoba+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="934" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6-k1BHHEV-EimLjh28pLgejCtWLUkHpdG0XvpsMDz3xDp9_IpCJwxYC8KmY2JUU1RcXauZNS4QNPAdJMCoPoGadVs0hGTcHbKev3M-DBRK-UKMirfWRJxUCMD3i5LrRFDSsSa6fNtDM/s400/Philippine+Canadian+Centre+Of+Manitoba+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let’s do the math. Edmonton alone, I believe has 30+ Filipino organizations. If we sum up the amount each organization, and in some cases individuals, spend on venue rentals for various activities, and allocate these to one centre, there is a strong possibility that this can cover at the minimum, monthly rent or mortgage for a dedicated facility. The most recent census revealed that there are 60,000+ Filipinos in Edmonton. Let’s look at a scenario where, even if just 20% of the 60,000 Filipinos donate just $1 a month to a building fund, that would already yield $12,000/month already. These are some schemes that can be worked within the community, in addition to the efforts to advocate and apply for funding from different levels of government. Money, as it turns out, may not be the biggest obstacle after all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here lies the challenge. For in order to build and to sustain a Philippine centre, we all, collectively, need a paradigm shift. I believe that we all know what it would take to make this a reality (i.e. accountability, transparency, credibility), but the bigger challenge is, will we do what needs to be done? And so I will pose the questions with the hope that this will galvanize us to be united in our goal. What would it take for us to work collaboratively in the spirit of servant leadership and trust? Do we have what it takes to focus on long term goals and veer away from trivialities? There is undoubtedly no individual financial gain, personal aggrandizement, and special entitlements in this initiative but the community legacy is immense. It is an initiative of selflessness, volunteerism, dedication and perseverance. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNkrpCaGCYRqoyh8LEGuHSniaai5Yh3BL_9kLsCZhLnq_RYcKyWAbGfR_i_ppVzlDRASPgGFWcHGfP_ksP9sjBpcKbiS0_NVIqFyrJ001x8ZPd5K2UQ3EK-kRuErXLC2JFSud9_YGHTI/s1600/filipino+centre+windsor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNkrpCaGCYRqoyh8LEGuHSniaai5Yh3BL_9kLsCZhLnq_RYcKyWAbGfR_i_ppVzlDRASPgGFWcHGfP_ksP9sjBpcKbiS0_NVIqFyrJ001x8ZPd5K2UQ3EK-kRuErXLC2JFSud9_YGHTI/s400/filipino+centre+windsor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Toronto, there were several attempts since the 1970s, by the Filipino community to build a centre. They were able to purchase a property in 2002 for The Filipino Centre, 18 months after the group’s launch. Community leaders in Windsor convened in 1992, opened a centre in 1993, and in 2014, opened an expanded and improved Filipino Community Centre. The Bayanihan Centre in Victoria, supported by several Filipino organizations, raised funds since 1990, and was finally established in 2001 after acquiring a provincial grant and a credit-union mortgage. The Philippine Cultural Center Foundation in Calgary, sitting in a 2,750 square feet condominium property, took five years of hard work to fulfill their dream in 2001. The Filipino community in Winnipeg had the foresight to establish their Philippine centre way back in 1984 and have since then moved to a bigger location, sustained by continuous fundraising and volunteering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s high time for an Edmonton Philippine centre. Each one of us has the capacity to contribute for this cultural monument and legacy project. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.” So to all Filipinos and those of Filipino descent in Edmonton, shall we?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>* This article was published in the March 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span><br />
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-89877971400611416922019-02-15T15:29:00.000-07:002020-04-14T18:54:34.926-06:00Antonio and Ross Baisas: Masters of Ice and Snow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavGFsu3vpuU-VJ_udm-vY461w8x3bu0eLRIcszNP39xomFVrjQxeTeXS6oFnKPIo5zQZlCKIOrqH_ggo5EUS_CYiRnPvtghLb1mu0zUgM1iWMJUuYpBqEqGZZZfHkT1n2IFLMeMegUkI/s1600/IMG_1649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavGFsu3vpuU-VJ_udm-vY461w8x3bu0eLRIcszNP39xomFVrjQxeTeXS6oFnKPIo5zQZlCKIOrqH_ggo5EUS_CYiRnPvtghLb1mu0zUgM1iWMJUuYpBqEqGZZZfHkT1n2IFLMeMegUkI/s400/IMG_1649.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I first met and wrote about the Baisas Brothers, Antonio and Ross, last year when they competed for the first time at the Ice on Whyte Festival. Already on a wave of a succession of top awards in previous competitions, they won 1st place, Judges' Choice, and People's Choice Awards for their ice carving "Alliance" in the 2018 Ice on Whyte. A day after the opening of the festival, they left immediately for work and two other competitions in the ice carving circuit. These were the Winter Interlude 2018 in Ottawa where they again garnered the top prize, and the Judges and Public Choices Awards at the Fete D'hiver Saint-Jean-Port-Joli International Competition in Quebec.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The top three awardees in Ice on Whyte are automatically qualified for the following year. And so, the Baisas Brothers were prominently featured in the 2019 Ice on Whyte media releases. However, before returning to Edmonton from Montreal and Ottawa where they are respectively based, they participated in the SnowDays International Snow Sculpture Competition in Banff. Their work "Tangled", which depicted two moose with interlocking antlers, won Judges' Pick and People's Choice Awards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had the privilege of spending some time with Ross and Antonio, and witness the stages of their creation "Roarrr!!!" in the Ice on Whyte, 2019 Canada Cup of Ice Carving. On Day 1, when they showed me their design, my eyes just popped with their derring do. Their design was the riskiest. While the other competitors had detailed designs, they had wide and solid bases. The Baisas Brothers' design, a skeletal tyrannosaurus, would after all just stand on two legs, and have unsupported front and back extensions, not to mention the detailing for the bones, head and teeth for the dinosaur. When I remarked on it, they answered with a shrug, "That's the risk. What's the point in competing when you don't challenge yourself? You can't always play it safe." Well said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I referred to the Baisas Borthers' work in my previous article as A Story of Fire and Ice - fire for their passion for their work and ice as the medium. Observing them work for three days validated this notion. The longest I lasted with them outdoors was 30 minutes, whereas they would work on their sculpture for 14 hours a day, a total of 35 hours, with 15 blocks of ice. I would joke with them about having no right to complain anymore for shoveling snow and having to find a better way of earning a living. I witnessed how a plain block of ice is transformed into a t-rex's foot in a span of 10-15 minutes. I saw their patience and perseverance in the painstaking grinding and scraping they do in frigid temperature.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKE9ux5pf6WXhadgkR2A5Y6OtGR9GrhwOpk1EXU1uDFh_nlLo7i4s6uWENRCWvHQdx80-9Eb2IDaxCINbtXGb-WaKEE-00u_-2p15NWZaoXyTOs4UuIVYRI0pjnRS-AhN13CWAsj9MLI/s1600/Baisas_Tangled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKE9ux5pf6WXhadgkR2A5Y6OtGR9GrhwOpk1EXU1uDFh_nlLo7i4s6uWENRCWvHQdx80-9Eb2IDaxCINbtXGb-WaKEE-00u_-2p15NWZaoXyTOs4UuIVYRI0pjnRS-AhN13CWAsj9MLI/s400/Baisas_Tangled.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What struck me most though aside from their skills and talent, is the love for what they do and the humility for what they can do and have achieved. The ice and snow sculptors circle is a tight knit group. They regularly meet up in the competition circuit. So while they are competitive, they are also supportive. It is not unusual for Ross and Antonio to lend their tools to their competitors, especially those who fly in from other countries and whose tools will not be allowed to go through Border Security. Spending time with them allowed me to be privy to their conversations about which competitions to vie for, strategies for funding and making the trip viable, and commissioned works. All these made it more concrete for me the amount and the kind of sacrifices they make for something they love, and not necessarily something they will earn money from.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stunned as I was initially with their design, I knew though that if there's anyone who could execute the design, it would be them. And they did, with flying colours. I was amazed by the detailing, the way they were able to make the long tail curve, and the clarity and seamlessness of the ice. When I asked him why their work was so, whereas with the other competitors' sculptures you can detect the delineations of the ice blocks, they just smiled enigmatically and said, "There's a technique for that. And that's the secret."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nature, though, has cunning ways. On Day 3, with its 0 degree overnight temperature and +4 Celsius daytime high, lovely for Edmontonians for January, proved to be challenging for the ice sculptures. With the ice melting, a perilous part of "Roarrr!!!" collapsed 10 minutes before the final judging. Nature, after all, is something you have to contend with in these competitions. Nevertheless, "Roarrr!!!" and the Baisas Brothers were awarded 3rd Place and the Artists' Choice awards during the opening of the Festival. After its 2-week run, Roarrr!!! was announced the winner of the People's Choice Award despite having part of its tail in the ground.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Baisas Brothers were scheduled to leave first thing in the morning after the announcement of winners. Reality sets in quickly and they needed to meet work demands for the upcoming Lunar New Year. I asked them to have an extended time in the city when they return next year to allow some time for the Filipino community to meet them. Unfortunately, a return to the Ice on Whyte or other competitions might not even be in the plans pending financial support to cover travel expenses to these competitions, and allowed time off from work. In fact, it was a little bit aching to attest that someone who shovels snow in the sidewalk probably earns more than someone who has earned top prize after 35 hours of hard and skilled work in the ice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nevertheless, I hope that Antonio and Ross find consolation and fulfillment in the fact that we are in awe of their talents and skills, and are proud of what they have achieved and will continue to reap representing both Canada and the Philippines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>* This article was published in the February 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">** As an update, just this February, the Baisas Brothers together with Kiara-Lyne Baisas, won again 2nd place and Public Choice Award in the Snow Sculpture Competition at Fete L'hiver at Saint-Jean-Port-Joli at Quebec.</span><br />
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<br />The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-58051906811109301582019-01-19T19:33:00.000-07:002020-04-14T19:35:21.135-06:002018 Retrospective<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2018 proved proved to be a banner year for the Filipino community and a momentous one for me - meeting new people, working on new projects. It was a year of recognition of Philippine art and culture, and the talent of Filipino artists.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The year started with my meeting the immensely talented and much acclaimed ice sculptors Baisas Brothers, i.e. Ross and Antonio, based in Montreal and Ottawa, respectively. They were in Edmonton for Ice on Whyte where they won the top awards, and continue to win in global competitions. I also had the pleasure of getting acquainted with pastry chef Ely Rowen Salar of Calgary, and photographer Sherwin Calaluan of Banff, both winning competitions in their respective fields. In February, the Edmonton Arts Council announced award recipients which included three Filipinos: yours truly, Ida Beltran-Lucila for the Edmonton Artist Trust Fund (the first and so far the only Filipino recipient), and Erica Cawagas and Jonathan Sherrer for Cultural Diversity in the Arts. Another first is the feature on Rommel Tingzon's paintings at The Works Festival. Rommel is the first Filipino painter to be featured in this festival, and one based not even in Edmonton or Canada, but in Palawan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was also a landmark year of special events and collaborations on Philippine art: the concerts of Koro Filipino (<i>Paraiso</i>), Bamboo, Tunog Kalye, Heber Bartolome, Piolo and I</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ñigo Pascual, Jose Mari Chan; Emma the Musical; the 3rd Edmonton Filipino Fiesta; and MC College's New Designers Fashion Show which featured three Filipino designers Fely Agader, Gian Salvador and Francis Tungul. Fely Agader would later hold her solo fashion show in November at Fort Saskatchewan. Philippine Arts Council held Learning Table sessions with Bamboo, who was remarkable with his generosity of time and experience, and with the Tunog Kalye artists. Philippine culture had more presence in the Alberta Culture Days, with Philippine Arts Council's full day workshop at Lynnwood School and a stand alone folk dance workshop, and the UPAAE's Historya: Walking through the Story of the Filipino People. The Philippine Arts Council continued grassroots education on Philippine dance throughout the year at Sister Annata Brockman School, Blessed Oscar Romero High School, Balwin School, and Lynnwood School. And of course, there is the regular radio show Himig Pinoy at 101.7 World FM, featuring original Filipino music.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">However, the significant moment of the year was the declaration of June as Philippine Heritage Month by the cities of Edmonton, Calgary and Fort Saskatchewan, then by the Legislative Assembly for the province of Alberta, and later in the year, by the federal government. All these efforts stemmed from community initiatives, consultations, and negotiations. Coinciding with the provincial declaration was a release of the Philippine episode of Seconds Please TV documentary, whose launch was organized with the Philippine Arts Council and the MultiCultural Health Brokers Cooperative.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There were several other events in the community. Shows in local establishments like Panciteria de Manila, TFC Restaurant, Casa Laurel featured local groups like The Girls of Crazy Sexy Cool, Sooner Band, Switch Band, Skyfall Code Band, Simplicity Band, Enrico Ilaga, among others. Individual artists like actors Danielle Yu and Jimmy Buena, were respectively part of productions by Walterdale Theatre and Theatre Yes, Mila Bongco-Philipzig was part of writers' reading AlbertaLitFest, and Kristina de Guzman was involved in an art installation exploring perceptions of immigrant communities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There were probably more events and achievements which I unfortunately was not able to attend or were not in my radar. Nevertheless, these mentioned are proof of a revitalized regard of, and by, the Filipino community in bringing forth our cultural fabric. Everyone of us should continue to be guardians and good representations of our heritage. And here lies the challenge. For artists, stretch your boundaries, explore your creativity and create something authentic. For producers, respect your artists and your audience. And for the general public, support, promote and be proud of your culture. This way, we Filipinos significantly show up in this multi-cultural arena, creating a legacy that is truly deserving of the municipal, provincial and federal declarations of Philippine Heritage Month that have been bestowed on us.</span></span></div>
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<i>* This article was published in the January 2019 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></span></div>
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-71067318813059403302018-12-22T18:31:00.000-07:002018-12-22T18:33:02.351-07:00Art for Social Change: Viscosity and The Right to Exist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this past month, I attended two events that remarkably utilized art to deliver messages for social change. The first was Theatre Yes' "Viscosity", which ran from November 7-17, and "The Right to Exist: An Evening of Arts and Culture", presented by Migrante Alberta and Climate Justice Edmonton, last December 8.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Viscosity was a uniquely staged production in the manner of performance and installation, tackling real life stories of people working in the front line of the oil industry. It featured a powerhouse cast - Chris Bullough, Leo Campus Aldunez, Murray Farnell, Byron Martin, Sandy Paddick, Melissa Thingelstad, and our very own, Filipino Jimmy Buena. This performance thrust people to engage in one-on-one encounters with the actors, absorbing the highs and lows of their respective experiences. The vignettes were culled from transcripts of interviews and delivered verbatim. The most heartrending of which was the story of a Filipino worker entangled in the ploys of an illegal recruiter. Jimmy Buena delivered a compelling portrayal, and I saw several in the audience in tears.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The production garnered rave reviews: ... <i>unlike anything we've seen on Edmonton's stages before </i>(Jenna Marynowski, After the House Lights); <i>... I invoke no hyperbole at all when I say it was one of the most engaging and enjoyable artistic experiences of my life </i>(Dylan Howard, film director). We may know and have heard of experiences like these in the oil industry, but this staging just brought things to the heart. The transcripts of the interviews made for Viscosity will be provided to the Alberta Labour History Institute. Theatre Yes is a company dedicated to "responding to local, national and international conversations in thought-provoking ways". To know more about their work, go to theatre-yes.ca.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Right to Exist: An Evening of Arts and Culture, was held in commemoration of International Human Rights Day and International Migrants' Day. It brought together activists, supporters, and artists across the Treaty 6 territory. It was a night of music, spoken word, visual arts, and thought provoking </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">messages. The blessing was given by Elder Eli Green. Different cultures were represented in the performances provided by: drumming by Carol Powser and Chubby Cheeks (Noah), 8 year-old with a powerful voice; dry humour from comedian Mav Adecer; soulful and passionate singing by Chilean Marianela Adasme, Jesse Cunningham, Lyla Luciano, and trio Gregie Flores, Gina May Ramirez and Gemalil Bonaobra; spoken words by Shima Robinson and Brandon Wint. The performances addressed issues of displacement, racism, advocacy, and healing. Whitney Haynes shared her insights from a trip to the Philippines where indigenous tribes were violently displaced and abused, in favour of Canadian mining business. Visual artist Yazmin Juarez exhibited works of exploring the imagination and of art as the balance and catalyst for social awareness, specially made for the event.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Art breaks down language barriers. Even when performed in a foreign tongue, the passion and spirit of the delivery still sends the message across. Interestingly enough, the issues that had roots from one culture resonates in various levels with another culture, setting and time. This demonstrates that these are universal issues, that events have a ripple effect across humanity, and that people don't live in silos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both events made me ache and naively wonder how these things can happen in our world. It made me grateful that there are people who go beyond their comfort zones and continue to push these issues into our awareness. All of us, in whatever capacity, i.e. artists, activists advocates, can be galvanized into action and heed John F. Kennedy's words "One person can make a difference, and everyone should try".</span><br />
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<i>* This article was published in the December 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></div>
The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-88802821793768543892018-11-19T20:55:00.000-07:002018-11-19T20:55:18.852-07:002018 National Artists - Seven Stalwarts of Philippine Art<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seven icons in art and culture were bestowed National Artist status by President Rodrigo Duterte in a ceremony last October 24, 2018 at Malaca</span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ñang Palace. Do you know the songs Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika, Paraisong Parisukat and Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka? Have you been to The Coconut Palace or seen the San Miguel Building in Pasig? Do you remember chuckling at the humour of the Mang Ambo and Slice of Life comics? These are just some of the works of these artists. The 2018 National Artists are: Larry Alcala (for Visual Arts), Amelia Lape</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">ña Bonifacio (Theatre), Ryan Cayabyab (Music), Francisco Ma</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">ñosa (Architecture), Resil Mojares and Ramon Muzones (both for Literature), and Kidlat Tahimik (Cinema). The awards are bestowed posthumously for Alcala and Muzones. This brings to 73 the total of proclaimed National Artists of the Philippines, the highest national recognition bestowed on Filipinos who have made significant contributions to their artistic field.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cartoonist and illustrator <b>Larry Alcala</b> is best known for his Slice of Life which depicts the quirks of the Filipino psyche. He pioneered animation for tv commercials in the late 1950s, and was given the title Dean of Filipino Cartoonists. He is the creator of 500 cartoon characters, 20 comic strips, six movies, two murals, and 15,000 published pages of comic strips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Amelia Lape</b></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>ña Bonifacio</b> is the founder of Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas, a children's theatre and puppetry company based in the University of the Philippines (UP). Known as the Grand Dame of Southeast Asian Children's Theatre, she was also the chairperson of the UP's Creative Writing Program. Her literary output covers 20 books, 40 plays, 130 stories, and a number of essays and research on theatre. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Musician, composer and conductor <b>Ryan Cayabyab</b>, aka Mr. C, is probably the most famous composer of the century, having crossed over many disciplines and industries. His body of works range from theatre musicals, commissioned full-length ballets, an opera, a Mass, popular music, film scores, tv specials, and orchestral pieces. He has been a recipient of numerous awards, i.e. Philippines' Ten Outstanding Young Men, 2001 Onassis International Competition in Greece, as well as accolades from the film, television and recording industries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Architect <b>Francisco Bobby Ma</b></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>ñosa</b> is known for his designs using indigenous materials and forms (i.e. bahay kubo, bahay na bato), combined with modern building technology. Among his iconic designs are: the Coconut Palace; Amanpulo Resort in Palawan; Pearl Farm in Samal Island; Shangri-La Hotel in Mactan; the San Miguel Building in Mandaluyong; and the EDSA Shrine. He was among those proclaimed National Artists in 2009 by President Gloria Arroyo but was rescinded by the Supreme Court due to legalities in the proclamation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Writer, historian and literary critic <b>Resil Mojares</b>' writings focus on literary criticism, urban and rural history, and political biography. He is the founder of the Cebuano Studies Center, a library and research center dedicated to Cebuano culture and history. Because of his significant work on Visayan literature, he is touted by peers as Visayan Titan of Letters. He has won numerous National Book Awards by the Manila Critics Circle and was honoured with a Gawad Balagtas award from the Unyon ng Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Ramon Muzones</b> completed his law degree at the Central Philippine University in Iloilo City. He founded Sumakwelan, a group of Hiligaynon writers, and has 62 novels to his name. He was awarded the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from UMPIL in 1988, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Gawad para sa Sining in 1989. He passed away in 1992 at the age of 79.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Kidlat Tahimik</b> (real name Eric de Guia) is widely regarded as the father of independent Philippine cinema. He earned his MBA from Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School and worked in Paris for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. It was a chance meeting and a small role in Werner Herzog's film that started Kidlat's film career. His first film, Perfumed Nightmare in 1977, won the International Critics Award at the Berlin Film Festival. Since then, he has acquired international and local awards for his films, and has inspired filmmakers to pursue their vision, independent of commercialism. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">These are some of the artists who have forged paths in Philippine art and culture and are a source of national pride. The bestowment of the National Artist Award is valuable in that nominations come from peers and as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines, is the highest state honour conferred to artists. May the legacy of all National Artists continue to be recognized and appreciated by Filipinos, in the Philippines and globally, for the present and the succeeding years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>* This article was published in the November 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></div>
<br />The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-44810674829735500912018-10-18T20:53:00.000-06:002018-10-21T21:04:29.419-06:00Emerging Fashion Designer: Fely Agader, the Dragon Lady<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUNFc1wdPzPx1M80AdjnnRO9yrLBz8wFiow5pjh3O1vFdBOaDV8VMyr7jNH7U5tG1cc8OE6bbz62vC_AHKY-TPd7-gvwOM3L0jwImQ2wCd5EZO06S0TIwFL8INX4PNgZ_0cgEBoNzw_M/s1600/fely+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUNFc1wdPzPx1M80AdjnnRO9yrLBz8wFiow5pjh3O1vFdBOaDV8VMyr7jNH7U5tG1cc8OE6bbz62vC_AHKY-TPd7-gvwOM3L0jwImQ2wCd5EZO06S0TIwFL8INX4PNgZ_0cgEBoNzw_M/s320/fely+5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">During the Philippine Heritage Month Declaration for the City of Fort Saskatchewan last June 2018, I met a Filipina who had an impressive table display of beaded and embroidered handicrafts, notably a detached wired beaded butterfly sleeves (which took her 60 hours to create) and an elaborately and painstakingly embroidered dragon jacket. And that lady is Fely Agader.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fely hails from Cavite and grew up in a family engaged in the clothing industry. Her mother sewed uniforms and her aunt designed, sewed and beaded clothes for Lily Monteverde, the film mogul aka as Mother Lily. Even at an early age, Fely did embroidery for the family and would sketch her own designs. Having studied Foreign Service at university, Fely worked as an English-Arabic interpreter in Jeddah then in Dubai with Prince Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. She also worked in Hong Kong before moving to Canada in 2006. She is conversant in Arabic, Nippongo, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eDYY0615ZNdqhxhe5ArDERHX6UbbsuEYi02KwWvBluC7m7z2NUgGrnZObzwNtzHHqeN6fOgcGy32PWQ5haCXZSqAlYCypnzDrQASDXG8aov6-8uurl1MJdiNbi8di8VkMF_ubofaMeY/s1600/fely+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eDYY0615ZNdqhxhe5ArDERHX6UbbsuEYi02KwWvBluC7m7z2NUgGrnZObzwNtzHHqeN6fOgcGy32PWQ5haCXZSqAlYCypnzDrQASDXG8aov6-8uurl1MJdiNbi8di8VkMF_ubofaMeY/s320/fely+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In Canada, she started creating embroidered and/or beaded handicrafts, retailing them in farmers markets and craft sales. The detailing of her work lead to customized requests which resulted in expanding her business to include wedding trails, christening gowns and creating her own lace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In 2009, she decided to pursue formal studies in fashion design, to fulfill a life long desire and as a means to distract herself while battling (and surviving) cancer. Her first collection, "D Fire", in her recent graduation fashion show was a play on the dragon and yin yang symbols, which are a representation of her personality. The dragon is known as a symbol of power and strength. It may be </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">silent when undisturbed but fiery when provoked. The yin and yang symbols speaks of her philosophy of balance in life. Her collection presented an interesting use and match of different fabrics, with embroidery detailing in unexpected ways. Her designs, geared towards adult women, are "simple, clean cut, but elegant". It was impressive enough that she has received three internship offers in Edmonton fashion houses. In addition, Fely still plans to spend more time back in the Philippines to do more work on Philippine fabric as she plans to expand her collection on Filipiniana clothes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On November 24, Fely will hold her first ever solo fashion show featuring 50 designs </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in celebration of her 50th birthday. With a business tagline of "Skin doesn't matter" she aims for her collection to appeal across cultures. In fact, she has designs specifically for Fort Saskatchewan MLA Jessica Littlewood, and Mayor Gale Katchur, who have gamely agreed to walk the runway. In getting to know Fely, I believe that her collection will reflect her innate sense of creativity, good eye for detail, and craftsmanship. I wish her all the best in her career, and in her life, and live the words of prominent designer Diane von Furstenberg, "I wanted to be a certain kind of woman. I became that kind of woman."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Agader Fashion and Designs Show is on November 24, 2018 at the Pioneer House,</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">10102 100 Avenue, Fort Saskatchewan. Doors open at 7 pm and show starts at 8 pm. Free admission. For further inquiries on the show and Fely's design services, email agaderfely@gmail.com.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>* This article was published in the October 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span><br />
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-14191154965797560482018-09-18T20:15:00.000-06:002018-10-21T20:17:18.138-06:00Hannah Adamson: The One, and the Star<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the delightful surprises during my work on Emma the Musical came in the form of pint sized and spritely Hannah Adamson. The youngest of the cast members, she handed me her artist's resume on my first day of rehearsal for the production so "I will get to know her better". At the Emma performance, a number of people inquired about her, noting her stage presence and earnestness of her performance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hannah is the only child of Douglas and Vilma Adamson. A precocious child, she was singing songs she had heard only once or twice when she was 2. She started performing at age 4, singing in family and social functions, and continued later on doing guest stints in community events, front acts for visiting artists (Maja Salvador, Pooh, Bamboo), singing competitions, and musicals. At age 10, she's already had her own sold out solo concert. She has won in competitions like St. Albert's Got Talent and Futures Fest. Last summer, Hannah competed in the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Long Beach, California. Despite a lack of dedicated preparation for the competition since she was deep into the production of Emma (in fact heading straight to the airport a few hours after the performance to fly to the US), she still managed to garner: 2 Silver medals for Original and Contemporary Songs; a Gold for Broadway category; Gold for the Finals - as the top 5 out of 400 in her division; and received a plaque for Overall Winner of the Broadway category. It should be noted that the song she performed in the Original Song category, "The One", is her own composition. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the Emma production, Hannah was relentless and exhibited enthusiasm in learning - asking tips for acting, how to execute complicated dance steps, etc. In between rehearsals, she would pull us to choreograph her musical theatre entry, which we were pleased to learn was the piece that brought her to the finals in WCOPA, gave her a Gold medal, and made her the Overall Winner for the Broadway category. Some people may regard this as a kind of pestering, but she is such a sweet and affectionate girl with sponge-like absorption of every correction and advice, that you can't help but entertain and nourish this passion and curiosity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hannah's zest for life and adventurous spirit is evident in her various interests: aside from singing (both as a solo artist and part of a school choir), she plays the piano, drums, guitar; does ballet, hiphop, jazz, modelling, acting, skating, swimming; has won awards for her writing; composes songs; and still manages to be a top student in her class. Even with all these activities though, truth be told, I think her parents are more exhausted than her.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAONUQofAT4EHwBmf5q6QsUKJFyo98C34EF0K5G9xqoicbxcNqPMSeKdSv4K-MaXFBdSAotWH1sc8ikDf_MfXYivbA9BlgHh7DlBdYB7yK59fgXIJbN7k2w3j4Q13ihZEiYOpBrUA-PsE/s1600/Hannah+Adamson+-+Canada+-+Semi-Finals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAONUQofAT4EHwBmf5q6QsUKJFyo98C34EF0K5G9xqoicbxcNqPMSeKdSv4K-MaXFBdSAotWH1sc8ikDf_MfXYivbA9BlgHh7DlBdYB7yK59fgXIJbN7k2w3j4Q13ihZEiYOpBrUA-PsE/s320/Hannah+Adamson+-+Canada+-+Semi-Finals.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With her talents and all her achievements, it is stirring to see her parents' dedication in supporting her endeavours, making sure she gets the opportunities she needs to grow, but at the same time making sure she enjoys her childhood, and grows up aware of her dual heritage. So yes, they may remark about being tired or craving for more time, but they are definitely, deep down, proud of their daughter.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, not everything is rosy and bright for Hannah. She has her fair share of catty remarks and attitude from peers, perhaps jealous of her achievements and popularity. When confronted with the taunting, she keeps quiet and ignores the negativity, and releases her emotions and thoughts by composing her own songs - creating the melody, doing the musical arrangement, and writing the lyrics. Her songs "The One" and "Stars" are expectant and philosophical. They talk about soaring towards your dreams, of not being pushed to the ground when people put you down, of being strong and true to yourself. She is able to go beyond her peers' animosity as she maintains that her singing is not a way of showing off, but a means of expressing herself and developing her talent. Wise words from such a young girl. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzH9Nde5QqKGEk1kcOmJN_VBz1lUTk7GcqHQF_U66-ifDE9OlFeiMg4bGew2ZMD5uzeW2q9KFunu8v_sxTtV7YsfS6IULJyQOltgbp-Mt15o8_ezGnzbULheljBVU2WcBrmdJ_Le0IjWs/s1600/DSC_0237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzH9Nde5QqKGEk1kcOmJN_VBz1lUTk7GcqHQF_U66-ifDE9OlFeiMg4bGew2ZMD5uzeW2q9KFunu8v_sxTtV7YsfS6IULJyQOltgbp-Mt15o8_ezGnzbULheljBVU2WcBrmdJ_Le0IjWs/s320/DSC_0237.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now opportunities are opening up for Hannah - for performances, projects, possible recordings. Up next in the near future is a plan to do a music video for her next composition. Equipped with talent, grit, and the support of her parents, the world is at Hannah Adamson's feet. A word of advice though, for this young prodigy - always remember where you came from, the people who helped you along the way, and give credit where credit is due. Not only will you be a true and good artist, but a much better person for doing so. And with that, you will embody what you aspire for in the songs that you have written so profoundly - the One and the Star.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>* This article was published in the September 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></div>
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-45426104866467858642018-08-25T13:05:00.000-06:002018-08-25T13:07:57.751-06:00Rommel Tingzon and Gordon Snyder: A Filipino-Canadian Story of Arts Patronage<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmIAn7t7r7GAAOiLE8xgPVXOzcIGA8NCpZ-YradSEhPRfsP0wHdXvQXS4t-J9WaMSSx0-7VOusOcOxWdOUMpidRCrJtAjLLSZ2epLUrcN0Wlrp7uZBsRsHGIK563U-xntFC6y2-hwbzY/s1600/rommel+tingzon+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmIAn7t7r7GAAOiLE8xgPVXOzcIGA8NCpZ-YradSEhPRfsP0wHdXvQXS4t-J9WaMSSx0-7VOusOcOxWdOUMpidRCrJtAjLLSZ2epLUrcN0Wlrp7uZBsRsHGIK563U-xntFC6y2-hwbzY/s320/rommel+tingzon+4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the recent The Works Art & Design Festival, a young Filipino painter from Palawan, Rommel Tingzon, had his own exhibition entitled Portraits of the Philippines, at the Manulife Place, up until the end of August. There is no doubt that Rommel is talented but he is also undeniably fortunate to have an advocate for his talent and work, in the person of Gordon Snyder, Canadian artist and curator.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gordon, who lives part time in Palawan, met Rommel in 2017 and was stunned to find 200 recent paintings rolled up in a small room, distinguishing Rommel as the most prolific painter in the area, and marking him as a true artist who really just wants to draw and paint. From then on, Gordon worked on having Rommel featured at The Works Festival, and for financially setting him up for post-secondary studies at the Far Eastern University (FEU) Institute for Architecture and Fine Arts this year.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rommel's exhibit at The Works, according to Amber Rooke, Executive Artistic Director, is significant in terms of "cultural exchange as well as in the invitation and inclusion in The Works Festival of the substantial Filipino community in Edmonton." It is also the first time that an artist from the Philippines has had a solo exhibition at The Works. It also marked Rommel's first ever exhibition! It was well-received and garnered a lot of media attention. The local art critic cited one of Rommel's works as being his favourite of all the works in the 2018 festival.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEnFcH-gUTstbVsvkL917LzrHBMb_2c2lu994zzmujOXb53LXjEBHgEufEa0lw2d8zBv6ITcVpWdjPoaxTwzAbvO3EAPcAR5GjWC9MPQLDVkUwcMbefr3jSgZ-OT8abJcnU4d6D7te1o/s1600/rommel+tingzon+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1070" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEnFcH-gUTstbVsvkL917LzrHBMb_2c2lu994zzmujOXb53LXjEBHgEufEa0lw2d8zBv6ITcVpWdjPoaxTwzAbvO3EAPcAR5GjWC9MPQLDVkUwcMbefr3jSgZ-OT8abJcnU4d6D7te1o/s320/rommel+tingzon+3.jpg" width="213" /></a>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I met Rommel during The Works, he had that bewildered look with him - perhaps due to jet lag, or the surrealness of travelling to, and having an exhibit in, Canada. He is soft spoken, introverted but deeply reflective. Painting for him is a means of expression and a safe zone, where he is the most comfortable and secure. Even with no formal art training, his artworks are striking, bold and impressive. Rommel signs his works with a mirror image of his signature, to convey to the viewer that the work is a reflection of himself.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Excited as I was about Rommel's discovery and journey, I was more deeply touched by Gordon Snyder's unselfish support to the young artist. In the same way the Medici family was to Michelangelo and Queen Elizabeth was to Shakespeare, arts patrons enable artists to pursue whatever they want in style, subject, concept, and medium. The chance of a benefactor appearing, especially in rural Philippines, is unlikely, and in addition, with a triple whammy gift of education, exhibit, and travel.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgBLk78AO39sQT7ZcTXZJo7yHZ9s7N3w1p9MrK6iVIjjtM7UlxZPU8e7BaIXmqcmRT1zTX3DrlyMaGcJFrAOCY6VQFQ3ZT3hv4be4M-8TExE2_hD-Fu-MVlQw-jLSHFI6lULfVlCtSAE/s1600/rommel+tingzon+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1070" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgBLk78AO39sQT7ZcTXZJo7yHZ9s7N3w1p9MrK6iVIjjtM7UlxZPU8e7BaIXmqcmRT1zTX3DrlyMaGcJFrAOCY6VQFQ3ZT3hv4be4M-8TExE2_hD-Fu-MVlQw-jLSHFI6lULfVlCtSAE/s320/rommel+tingzon+1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As an art student, Gordon was mentored by Illingworth Kerr, an artist who studied with the Canada Group of Seven and became the Head of the Alberta College of Art. Gordon explains, "He was someone who saw more talent within me than I saw in myself and helped bring it out of me." This is the same belief that propels his support for Rommel. "In my mind, I see Rommel gaining that same confidence in himself - that someone so believes in him (and not only his talent) that he can learn and grow and perhaps someday work with me. I want him to have time to mature, study art history, improve his English skills and prepare himself for a career in the arts. I want to encourage his independence and recognize the uniqueness of his personal journey. Many years are spent building networks and nurturing relationships. Getting him an exhibition at The Works and taking him to Canada, and sending him to FEU shows him dreams can come true if you work hard and are true to yourself. When the time is right, I'd like to find a good gallery in Manila to represent him. Right now, I don't want money to be his main concern. If I can write about him and promote his work, I would enjoy that. Ultimately, it is the quality of his work that is what is important."</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jz74TqTWjE3LIi0Xtx2Q0_K7GuAWviIW3tclT8JWL2cKdd_mRfPW8ZKMiHNwer_COElqRmbpO1yuVmTgTsOcms_uttCERo0ckgADctJ8g9n5G8IwM1WxMi3WU4m_YEKkuTp5wTxbOSg/s1600/rommel+tingzon+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1070" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jz74TqTWjE3LIi0Xtx2Q0_K7GuAWviIW3tclT8JWL2cKdd_mRfPW8ZKMiHNwer_COElqRmbpO1yuVmTgTsOcms_uttCERo0ckgADctJ8g9n5G8IwM1WxMi3WU4m_YEKkuTp5wTxbOSg/s320/rommel+tingzon+2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have written features of Filipino artists working within the Canadian setting - of overcoming hurdles and of maximizing the opportunities in the adoptive country. This is my first story of a budding Filipino artist in the Philippines, provided unsolicited support by a Canadian artist, bringing him exposure in Canada and at the same time providing a pathway to artistic success and economic stability. This is a true and unique Filipino-Canadian arts dynamic, and an inspiring story on arts patronage. Gordon's support, however, is not an unlimited free pass - "I do have limited funds and hope he will work hard and get some scholarships." But it is a far-reaching one that hopefully will be picked up, or supplemented, by other arts patrons as well. Because there is no doubt that Filipino artists are immensely talented. And wherever they are, in any discipline, in whatever form, we must support our artists. Because investment in the artist, is a cultural and social investment.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rommel Tingzon's exhibit will be up at Manulife Place in downtown Edmonton until end of August. For inquiries or interest on his works, email snyderfinearts@yahoo.com.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>* This article was published in the August 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></span></div>
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-85826106788390086272018-07-21T20:32:00.001-06:002018-07-21T20:33:30.774-06:00Ely Rowen Salar: Whisking Magic from Imagination to Palate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo1uAZeA2lr3jpRoAjHn5JBOwoRBLUXcfwRQYRc8GZyDdoZwSLRl3NjIqx2rJqiLhILK9DAqHHTjHHbedD7rUP940Jw5hJdFO-dw5-Vz5GsbMUMJRLzKFDKCY6Sn7SINbNlnL1xNZQDo/s1600/Ely+Rowen+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGo1uAZeA2lr3jpRoAjHn5JBOwoRBLUXcfwRQYRc8GZyDdoZwSLRl3NjIqx2rJqiLhILK9DAqHHTjHHbedD7rUP940Jw5hJdFO-dw5-Vz5GsbMUMJRLzKFDKCY6Sn7SINbNlnL1xNZQDo/s320/Ely+Rowen+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the best things I enjoy in writing my articles is meeting people and encountering creativity and excellence in sometimes the most unexpected ways. One such case is Calgary-based, multi-awarded Ely Rowen Salar, Head Pastry Chef of the Hotel Arts Group. Pastries are a different level of art. According to Ron Ben-Israel, chef and owner of one of the finest couture cake studios, "Pastry is different from cooking because you have to consider the chemistry, beauty and flavour."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Born in Bukidnon but raised in Tacloban, Ely's passion for baking had its roots in his parents' bakery and catering business, where he insisted on working as a young boy. He then realized it was something he wanted to do as a career. He took up Hotel and Restaurant Management in university, had his internship in Virginia, USA and worked as a culinary operations supervisor. Later on he moved for work to the Fairmont in Dubai, to a French-American restaurant in Singapore, and then to Russell, Manitoba.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5YY7fbkV7QngkHnY02YAujy2ujNLBf68VXy3IPTdDRaWDtK3vx5x9liY1mt00dePsiR5C-wJ_4fVVlj8mFvP7Fo1opYxP66gaeK6qRtL7AppONx3ztXVSl2EmT81T-bpD0ouBNb0nIo/s1600/Ely+Rowen+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5YY7fbkV7QngkHnY02YAujy2ujNLBf68VXy3IPTdDRaWDtK3vx5x9liY1mt00dePsiR5C-wJ_4fVVlj8mFvP7Fo1opYxP66gaeK6qRtL7AppONx3ztXVSl2EmT81T-bpD0ouBNb0nIo/s320/Ely+Rowen+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even while working on the management part of the industry, his creative side fueled the desire to become a pastry chef. Fortunately, despite a lack of experience in the field, he was offered a job as pastry cook, where he worked hard to prove himself and got promoted four times in less than three years, to be recognized as a pastry chef.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ely's pastry creations are like pieces of jewelry, showing unbelievable artistry and sense of design with shapes, symmetry and colour. They are exquisite to the point that cutting through the pastry might make you feel guilty. And the flavours assault you with both the familiar and unexpected, as he always aims to put a twist to classic flavours. And these are validated by the numerous awards he has garnered. For this year alone, he was the overall Winner of the Pastry Chef Showcase Competition, on top of winning the Best Plated Dessert Category and the Lindt Chocolate Showpiece Category, effectively sweeping all the awards. He also was the Winner of the Lindt Chocolate Showpiece Competition at the Pastry Chef Showcase 2016, and 2nd Place for Contemporary Cake Category and People's Choice Award at the Calgary Sugarcraft Cake Competition 2015.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgFH_BbxoWXzW0u9BwVvUX01vFdJ2Tuf_ggw6YqB0t3Rw9cWh508EI5iCeG6yRogNUuRtDYNUPns-QqV9VqzkZ9t_zKWevUauFH_vb-jfA-4oJG6GYNdWUGOxMkYUHtCrJTa4MhaZ_QM/s1600/Ely+Rowen+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgFH_BbxoWXzW0u9BwVvUX01vFdJ2Tuf_ggw6YqB0t3Rw9cWh508EI5iCeG6yRogNUuRtDYNUPns-QqV9VqzkZ9t_zKWevUauFH_vb-jfA-4oJG6GYNdWUGOxMkYUHtCrJTa4MhaZ_QM/s320/Ely+Rowen+4.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the recent Balik Kultura, a culinary tribute to Philippine culture spearheaded along with three other Filipino chefs, i.e. Rupert Garcia, Jose Battad, and Zac Ardena, Ely's dessert pieces were in the shapes of Philippine fruits like macopa, mango and guava, which featured ube macapuno flavours with a coconut mousse, purple yam sponge and candied coconut strings. This was accompanied with kalamansi bonbons designed with symbols of the Philippine flag and came with a chocolate coconut shell. Words are not enough to describe his creations. You just have to see and savour them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aside from his stint with Hotel Arts Group, Ely is also the Education Board of Director of Philippine Culinary Federation of Canada (PCFC) and a member of SAIT's Baking and Pastry Arts Advisory Committee. Through these initiatives, he aims to share his skills and knowledge to aspiring pastry chefs and cooks. Recognizing the value of constant learning in honing your craft, Ely himself ceaselessly does research, training on latest trends, learning from the best chefs in the world, and joins competitions to challenge himself. His recent campaign is to "shed light on the true value of Filipino cuisine, build a better stage upon which to celebrate and elevate the Filipino food experience", and bring it to the forefront of the hospitality industry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To quote Anthony Bourdain, "Food is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go." Ely Rowen Salar, in pursuing his childhood passion with determination, is doing great things both for his personal career and the Filipino psyche. Once upon a time, chefs were nameless and faceless people toiling in a back room of a restaurant. Today, however, they are conferred celebrity-like status, with their names attached to their creations, whose movements are tracked, and are the reason people go to their restaurants. To fully appreciate Ely's work, check him out in Instagram @elypatissier, the Hotel Arts website, or better yet, go and have a taste at the Hotel Arts. Not only will it fill your sense of sight and taste, but your sense of pride as well, knowing that the brains and skill behind the plated designer sweets before you, is a Filipino.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoWcZy1Ek7zjP-eOpbU8FD-mvM3Kt4ZaLWUTDbcExT5Z5pi4IFrqa_011_Xy7by7mAonpmXq1fvs8E9krcI-FnGYaKrLY1Ss9RQvcF1COIulReXhNZatTEVb4Bx4kqgHOAUJpSx_yai0/s1600/Ely+Rowen+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoWcZy1Ek7zjP-eOpbU8FD-mvM3Kt4ZaLWUTDbcExT5Z5pi4IFrqa_011_Xy7by7mAonpmXq1fvs8E9krcI-FnGYaKrLY1Ss9RQvcF1COIulReXhNZatTEVb4Bx4kqgHOAUJpSx_yai0/s320/Ely+Rowen+5.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This article was published in the July 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></div>
The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-55931497402938174592018-07-21T15:42:00.000-06:002018-07-21T15:42:24.771-06:00Across the Map: Arts and Migration<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-91786911-a41e-eb34-5572-3edfe34f1d0f" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Migrante Alberta celebrated the launching of its comic book “Bridging the Gap: A Short History of Migration to Canada” last May 31, 2018 at Panciteria de Manila. Written by Marco Luciano, with illustrations by Mark Suva, the book is a Canada 150 project, which “provides a lens of the hardships of settlement and getting accepted in their new home”.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNj8gJplXONshGHoanyTbYdqeIdF2zjH-qD0plt0XZY4QXQAwnM9NsjIgYYs91qu0gf5wkByvjJDDGj0GmMV0ayo82hBOL2FjzAOLEuxfJIvVZ4YOW-z3V7WhTxCy1U1yLGKLqB9ZbFM/s1600/Migrante+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNj8gJplXONshGHoanyTbYdqeIdF2zjH-qD0plt0XZY4QXQAwnM9NsjIgYYs91qu0gf5wkByvjJDDGj0GmMV0ayo82hBOL2FjzAOLEuxfJIvVZ4YOW-z3V7WhTxCy1U1yLGKLqB9ZbFM/s320/Migrante+5.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bridging the Gap starts with a newly arrived Filipino student meeting his high school Jamaican teacher. On his first day of school, he is introduced to school staff and learns more about their respective backgrounds, thus providing the reader a bird’s eye view of the history of migration to Canada. A 48-page book, it is envisioned to be just the beginning of a series of books on migration stories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book launch, hosted by generous couple Bayani and Lorena </span><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alcantara, was a night of story sharing by Clarizze Truscott, Ida Beltran-Lucila, Avnish Nanda, Poushali Mitra, “Lynn” and Vicky Venancio. Rod Loyola, MLA for Edmonton-Ellerslie, and Jon Carson, MLA for Edmonton-Meadowlark, delivered messages on behalf of the provincial government. Stirring performances were provided by Lyla Luciano, and Julius Ylagan and Danielle Yu of Emma the Musical. The presentations touched on varying migrant issues: refugee experience, challenges for temporary foreign workers, the Komagata Maru, health care for Canadian children of non-status parents, and for my own part, the value of arts and culture in an immigrant society. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sharing my own immigration story, I related how I anticipated my life in Canada as a regular 9-5 employee and complete giving up my persona as an artist. However, through time, I found myself revisiting my passion, i.e. dance, arts and culture. For the story of </span><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">migration is a story of reconstructing one’s identity. When one uproots oneself from his/her home country, there is a sense of loss of social status, and of family and social networks. And this is where the points of art, culture, and migration converged in my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Art, culture and migration are rich with stories of aspirations, love, struggles, sacrifices, perseverance and success. Art provides a safe and personal space for self-expression and inclusion. Cultural activities foster a sense of community and belonging, and subsequently, mutual understanding. Furthermore, art provides a platform to reflect, to question, and to inform, thereby being an effective channel for social change. This is why art and culture play a crucial role in reclaiming our identity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so in my journey, the role of art and culture has gone beyond </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJkVdS_usG6fvX_R-eWHiU6ZpDzDugTEGTdsE642mb8_VDJL9Z7SlW5W88DLfLzPW4Y3t2Mb68wvFg-GvWcHV7kdh-VbhoLPW9wOgK9iW_sguoI1LpRPbwkiKHQaik6UKhEq1HNDhApQ/s1600/Migrante+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="717" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJkVdS_usG6fvX_R-eWHiU6ZpDzDugTEGTdsE642mb8_VDJL9Z7SlW5W88DLfLzPW4Y3t2Mb68wvFg-GvWcHV7kdh-VbhoLPW9wOgK9iW_sguoI1LpRPbwkiKHQaik6UKhEq1HNDhApQ/s320/Migrante+4.jpg" width="229" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my personal realm and has extended to benefit the greater community. Our community is so diverse. It is said that diversity makes a society stronger. I believe this is true, but so long as the people are empowered with their cultural identity as well. This is the belief behind the Philippine Arts Council.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5ae14d59-a422-ec50-441a-b524ca62d498" style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">The Philippine Arts Council and Migrante Alberta have collaborated in different initiatives, most recent of which was the June Philippine Heritage Month Proclamation by the Government of Alberta. Two distinct organizations whose objectives share a cross-point. I am delighted with the launch of “Bridging the Gap: A Short History of Migration to Canada” and in the decision to release it in comic book format. The message and the format, important as it is, renders it accessible as well to all ages and deserves to be disseminated as widely as possible. During the book launch, MLA Rod Loyola and MLA Jon Carson have pledged to provide all schools within their respective riding a copy of the book. Mabuhay ang Migrante Alberta and more power to you! To obtain copies of “Bridging the Gap: A Short History of Migration to Canada”, email migrantealberta@gmail.com.</span></span></div>
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-38934190779715496702018-05-19T18:38:00.000-06:002018-05-19T18:38:27.682-06:00Meet the Cast of Emma - the Musical<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 7, 2018, marks the world premiere of Emma the Musical, an original Filipino musical in English, at the Myer Horowitz Theatre. Set on the cusp of the Japanese occupation of 1942, it is a story of perseverance, faith and resilience of the Filipino spirit, in peace or in war, and regardless of any sacrifice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under my artistic direction, with choreography by Jojo Lucila, music by Erica Cawagas and script by Chie Floresca, the musical is headlined by a zealous cast: Cameron Gamez, Carlos Gamo, Cassandra Baltazar, Catherine Lelis, Danielle Yu, Gerald Penaco, Hannah Adamson, Hans Casana, James Velasco, Jeannine Naboye, Jimmy Buena, Jo-ann Aguilar, Joshua Zoleta, Julius Ylagan, Lauren Lizada, Maicah Macatangay, Mark Laraya, Marjorie Galido, Raphael Tolentino, Riana Torre, Simonette Brigola, and Veronica Knodel.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirI3SBcY6OsNtibzTKgntb8Zw1uGQ2KMHECjBTlGmChmiBKPUCzUybL1W8Sc-8a-9HTN9QFgdFC1BiWB0zYrqPv0EDIhkLfy6u2lT1Tn7EG10_0vUdGUo_6b3Ot5YVCWM5Dsh6k0UvI8/s1600/26172457_1610275739034427_4407047602603860742_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgirI3SBcY6OsNtibzTKgntb8Zw1uGQ2KMHECjBTlGmChmiBKPUCzUybL1W8Sc-8a-9HTN9QFgdFC1BiWB0zYrqPv0EDIhkLfy6u2lT1Tn7EG10_0vUdGUo_6b3Ot5YVCWM5Dsh6k0UvI8/s320/26172457_1610275739034427_4407047602603860742_o.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I accepted the artistic directorship of the musical, the production had been in rehearsals for 3 months already. Admittedly, I was reluctant in working with a group that I did not personally select and cast. And so on my first rehearsal day, I drilled down the value of commitment, perseverance and respect for the art. In other words, they were given the hard line talk to prepare them for hard work and being pushed beyond their comfort zones. And boy, did they deliver and face challenges head on. Now on the homestretch of the production timeline, I can truly say that it is a privilege to know and work with each one of them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cast is a mixture of seasoned performers, emerging artists and newbies. Some intend to make a career in the performing arts, and some are just testing the waters. One of the young members of the cast was so serious that she handed me her resume on day 1. They have varying reasons why they joined the musical - from the hilarious anecdote of being hardballed by a relative, to the lofty objective of pushing Filipino stories. They live full lives apart from the musical but manage to come together as a family for rehearsals. Let's hear directly from some of the cast members about their production experience and thoughts:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Riana:</i> Sharing some of the history of the Philippines through a musical was very appealing as I love music and history. Emma has helped me better connect to history as there is this dissociation at times when you just read about history in a textbook. The most difficult part in this production is knowing that while I may play this as a part, this was a real experience that countless people underwent. It makes my chest ache and we have cried many times during rehearsal as even a taste of the pain that people had to bear during this time, and the courage they had to exhibit in the face of death is something that absolutely floors me. I don't know how one could have survived through these conditions, but they did.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7fuLZWpX94JKW5iWzo8osz7Vu6LGFq4geKnJUjcimxcRd4TN8feigir4yucTHaL2dpyEJTvh6-NIJa6-0lwkuPCECjUvt6yoy963BBYnOZtI0DfOpgOU8molpP6qxxX_BQYncmv8qMY/s1600/IMG_3002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7fuLZWpX94JKW5iWzo8osz7Vu6LGFq4geKnJUjcimxcRd4TN8feigir4yucTHaL2dpyEJTvh6-NIJa6-0lwkuPCECjUvt6yoy963BBYnOZtI0DfOpgOU8molpP6qxxX_BQYncmv8qMY/s320/IMG_3002.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Danielle</i> [who plays the title role]: Knowing that it was an original Filipino musical based on true events made me that much more interested to mold and shape the story and portray it to its truest potential. Many of Emma's family and friends will be sitting in the audience reminiscing about her experiences, and we need to give justice to their stories.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Maicah</i>: I've created new friendships and amazing memories with the cast. I'm very thankful to experience all of it. In portraying my role, I did find some similarities with my character, like our optimism and fighting for what we believe in. After this production, I plan to start composing and writing songs again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Jimmy</i>: I joined Emma because I would like to share my talent that God bestowed upon me. The people involved in the musical are my second family. It has been my desire to be part of a musical may it be local or international, and I will continue my passion in singing may it be off or on stage.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLo8WQcetLXs3KrnK7SH3mFAeh_UT7N0EEY32cEj-GRnFAM5_slODJKzPxGz-Y9jJC_KiXyA4yS0qUWvkto3WceN_bq6L0eBByr8AEKf38yzO_-wHhiAGlblNTeRKpwFcWK0teHtCznc/s1600/24879822_301115290380201_6464369750081015634_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLo8WQcetLXs3KrnK7SH3mFAeh_UT7N0EEY32cEj-GRnFAM5_slODJKzPxGz-Y9jJC_KiXyA4yS0qUWvkto3WceN_bq6L0eBByr8AEKf38yzO_-wHhiAGlblNTeRKpwFcWK0teHtCznc/s320/24879822_301115290380201_6464369750081015634_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And why should people watch Emma? In <i>Riana</i>'s words, the show moves you on a rollercoaster ride and has all the elements of a great story with love, action, loss, and bravery all wrapped in one beautiful musical. And <i>Julius</i> states it succinctly: I would say that this story, could be any of us, obviously not exactly the same, but listening to our grandparents on their bed telling us how they survived a war, how they found love, how they went through pain, and how in the end all of that made them even stronger as human beings. When people watch Emma, they are going to learn so many different things about the Filipino culture that they may or may not already know, but if there's one thing I really want people to take away and learn from this musical, it's this: it's to fight for what you love.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you watch Emma, you will not only see a snippet in time of Philippine history, but you will witness the performers' own stories on overcoming challenges, extending personal boundaries in the commitment to bring to life someone else's dreams, and in the process, fulfilling their own. Don't miss this opportunity of youthful enthusiasm and artistic energy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emma the Musical is presented by the Filipino Canadian Saranay Association. Tickets are available through Ticketfly or message the Emma the Musical FB page, or any of the production team.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This article was published in the May 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span>The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-47854051494309699792018-04-20T20:17:00.000-06:002018-04-20T20:17:39.509-06:00Sherwin Calaluan - a Serendipitous Life through the Lens<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppOU5MK3l6-SKbDTS3ZDBbxkW0kb-INrkxQwuHm6oYCStdIQUrtRl65zEV7L3ysKDwOUo4KA8QYZqcJZxaE81zeKM5JrzJglgpBa4_W4O_LJjbqcEhMBWZgG7iY3EQztnztSFPy5Vk7w/s1600/Sherwin+Calaluan+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppOU5MK3l6-SKbDTS3ZDBbxkW0kb-INrkxQwuHm6oYCStdIQUrtRl65zEV7L3ysKDwOUo4KA8QYZqcJZxaE81zeKM5JrzJglgpBa4_W4O_LJjbqcEhMBWZgG7iY3EQztnztSFPy5Vk7w/s400/Sherwin+Calaluan+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz once said "I wish that all of nature's magnificence, the emotion of the land, the living energy of place could be photographed." Considering Sherwin Calaluan's start and journey in photography, this quote might just as well be his.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sherwin Calaluan is an accidental photographer whose images have been gracing publications and winning awards and competitions. He is originally from Isla Verde, a small island located between Batangas City and Mindoro. After obtaining his degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management in 2006, he went to Canada to work as a housekeeper at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. And when you live in Banff, how can you not be impressed </span><br />
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with the magnificence of nature? Sherwin remarks, "When I first came to Canada way back in 2007, I fell in love with the beautiful sceneries in Banff National Park. I met fellow kababayans who convinced me to buy an entry level camera Nikon D90 with kit lens and <br />joined them exploring the Rockies. After work we would go out to catch the sunset or during days off, we would go for sunrise trips. From the moment I started documenting the changing, rugged landscapes in the mountains and the wildlife that they host, I was hooked. It became my testing ground and eventually opened the door for more opportunities in photography."<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sherwin has no formal training in photography and would hone his craft by watching tutorial YouTube videos and studying the works of his favourite landscape photographers. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRcJWJRYpOsztUoNtAFM50g7-XPDJOkEySi4cVn5niTxe6JfvqyePiZi79keY2sjSLj_BUY7dMlVnd3rdzfi9ICNBe-yP0CkjI3cBESOA_RSszYis_b4M-763LS9I98_IfHbXUPwE89k/s1600/VermilionNovNewEdit+copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="320" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRcJWJRYpOsztUoNtAFM50g7-XPDJOkEySi4cVn5niTxe6JfvqyePiZi79keY2sjSLj_BUY7dMlVnd3rdzfi9ICNBe-yP0CkjI3cBESOA_RSszYis_b4M-763LS9I98_IfHbXUPwE89k/s400/VermilionNovNewEdit+copy.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Soon after, this accidental photographer started garnering notice and acclaim for his images. Among these are: Canadian Wildlife Federation Landscape Category Winner 2016; Outpost Magazine 2016 Landscape Category Award; front cover of Canadian Geographic Quiz (2016-2017); front cover for the Canadian Geographic 2017 Calendar Edition; Moscow Foto Awards 2017, Silver Award in Panoramic Category; Epson International Panorama Awards 2017 Bronze Award; and for 2018, First Prize for Mountain Landscape Category at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, where there were more than 500 participating landscape photographers and filmmakers. He has been featured by CBC and has had 2 Solo Art Exhibitions at the Banff Library and Banff Film Festival Gallery Hop.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Feeling blessed to be able to experience the beauty of nature and capture its magnificence, Sherwin further enjoys the opportunities to meet and interact with people equally </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz11cQcI2Qvg2G-nYhxSM0p2x-eSnDA-sPAhFNQY7SuXG5sBtETEaQUOwWuVMvpyCEs3gETVfrSXRRSFIgxntDvc8MYlxJmClFc8zA4RJbZd213hyphenhyphenoCC_TJZE8gJv93yGOw3PI65DmgFo/s1600/MorainelakeSunset+copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="320" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz11cQcI2Qvg2G-nYhxSM0p2x-eSnDA-sPAhFNQY7SuXG5sBtETEaQUOwWuVMvpyCEs3gETVfrSXRRSFIgxntDvc8MYlxJmClFc8zA4RJbZd213hyphenhyphenoCC_TJZE8gJv93yGOw3PI65DmgFo/s400/MorainelakeSunset+copy.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">passionate about photography. He is the first one to stress though, that his journey in photography, even if unexpected, is fraught with strains. He may have been bestowed with accolades, but he has also been showered with challenges. Sherwin shares, "Photography is not an easy job. I would say, one of the biggest challenge is how to balance time between my full time job, my family (I have a 4 year old daughter) and my photography. Because of the nature of my chosen field, another big challenge is the weather. Most of the time, I am along shooting for sunrise/sunset, and the weather here in the Canadian Rockies is very unpredictable, it might be calm in a minute but in a blink of an eye, it can turn into a blizzard." Photography is a yardstick for patience. To quote art critic John Berger, "What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although Sherwin is most known as a landscape photographer, he also shoots portraits and anything else that captures his attention, shows character and tells a story. His </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQQDu5Jm4aQXPpCoBhuNvfy07KtXNvU0c7TPvdJ3EhGXo4bU87yP3oRJuGvMylvLuBO71L_kGt8tHPqjWAJ7XwSY33VK6WspqYjBmCM9zoRe_3YTNLowcKKdXTCTMlPUllwvQri8EhE/s1600/MinnewankaAurora+copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="320" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dQQDu5Jm4aQXPpCoBhuNvfy07KtXNvU0c7TPvdJ3EhGXo4bU87yP3oRJuGvMylvLuBO71L_kGt8tHPqjWAJ7XwSY33VK6WspqYjBmCM9zoRe_3YTNLowcKKdXTCTMlPUllwvQri8EhE/s400/MinnewankaAurora+copy.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">favourite things to capture though are sunrises, sunsets, the northern lights and winter scenes, particularly when the surroundings are blanketed in snow. He dreams of eventually having his own gallery and be a full-time landscape photographer traveller. In his bucket list is to shoot the Patagonia in Chile, Tombstone National Park, Yukon Alberta, Mayon Volcano and Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sherwin found his passion in an unexpected way and discovered a new, unpredicted life. With his own journey, he hopes to inspire people in pursuing their dream and their heart's desires. His advice to aspiring photographers, "Go outside and experience the beauty of nature. Keep pressing the shutter speed and follow the light while the sun reveals the colours of the clouds. Don't be afraid to be criticized by others but instead use it as a positive way to improve yourself. And have fun!" As French photographer Marc Riboud says, "Taking pictures is savouring life intensely, every hundredth of a second."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sherwin Calaluan's images are available for purchase. Check out his Facebook page @sksherwin and his website at sherwincalaluanphotography.ca.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>This article was published in the April 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></div>
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-51251684674094953542018-03-15T09:57:00.000-06:002018-03-19T09:58:40.020-06:00Erica Cawagas - 2017 Cultural Diversity in the Arts Recipient<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpi9qh3XpzUUmig8-7yEmNdP675Ftey496Z4u4ZXPASkyczJp_F7daJW2YZ-tDFgqfupGvAY1l2QiY7nJAAhapCXDvYzznX2RluMWma9YRJn2njgzHh_zwMzSqMZWggyFdQ6HbJ70ihW8/s1600/IMG_0563.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="374" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpi9qh3XpzUUmig8-7yEmNdP675Ftey496Z4u4ZXPASkyczJp_F7daJW2YZ-tDFgqfupGvAY1l2QiY7nJAAhapCXDvYzznX2RluMWma9YRJn2njgzHh_zwMzSqMZWggyFdQ6HbJ70ihW8/s320/IMG_0563.jpeg" width="184" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Erica Cawagas was one of 17 recipients of the 2017 Cultural Diversity in the Arts project grant, as announced by the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC) last February. This project grant was established by the City of Edmonton through EAC “to recognize that artists from all parts of the world enrich Edmonton’s cultural scene. Grants will support the activities of individual, Edmonton artists for a specific time towards a specific project.” Erica’s grant is in support for “Emma - the Musical” of which she is the Musical Director and will premier on July 7, 2018 at the Myer Horowitz Theatre. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the daughter of piano and rondalla teacher Roujea Cawagas Cates, it was inevitable for Erica to be caught in the music world. She started with the piano but it was only when she got hold of a guitar that she found this sense of rightness, of finding her soul instrument, the medium that would express her feelings and thoughts that she dared not express verbally. She also discovered that she could play by ear. Since then, Erica has played with the Filipino Canadian Saranay Rondalla group, and participated in Kiwanis Music Festivals. For post-secondary, she studied Music Composition at the Grant MacEwan University with the intent of performing in cruise ships, as a means to travel around the world. This shifted though when during the course of her studies, she discovered that she would much rather compose than perform, and was enthralled in the process of putting together different instruments. Erica describes her music as complex, melancholic and contemporary but influenced by the romantic period.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6e8CuAsc4gTy9mcL4Lv1KI0k1C-pd9WuaC3UmOn9h90fcYRi-QcjAGTZtz0qNujLoy3fUYsdnOdYypoUXlKXsXdQMVwwTaL08PyrMnpC291dsbJnDLQxIPiEixGeAMUzeFkfw21jlRvc/s1600/IMG_0568.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6e8CuAsc4gTy9mcL4Lv1KI0k1C-pd9WuaC3UmOn9h90fcYRi-QcjAGTZtz0qNujLoy3fUYsdnOdYypoUXlKXsXdQMVwwTaL08PyrMnpC291dsbJnDLQxIPiEixGeAMUzeFkfw21jlRvc/s320/IMG_0568.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Right after finishing her Music Composition diploma, Erica went to Manila. There she did musical scoring for UNICEF children’s books, with Anne Curtis doing the live reading; and for the MathDali show under the Knowledge Channel Foundation. It was during this time that work on the Emma - the Musical commenced.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emma - the Musical is based on Erica’s great grandmother’s stories on the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Written by her aunt Chie Floresca with music by Erica, Emma was originally intended as a mini-presentation for their great grandmother’s 95th birthday. Unfortunately, she passed away before her birthday. As a way to honour their matriarch, they resolved to make her stories a full-length musical. And this is where Erica has been devoting most of her time these days till its premiere here in Edmonton in July.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBUInyq__wEM6VqhrYrFquZGCs4FZWuCL9a0iP_ArwZOeedLsjUsYt7_y3YMsbsaOZ3CwAns-lYUbqCnIrHgm9O4GOu-z16a-I75_I4W9Dc-ksUsZUmvxFzuG62kJM5QvW01aA5z2r4U/s1600/IMG_0551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBUInyq__wEM6VqhrYrFquZGCs4FZWuCL9a0iP_ArwZOeedLsjUsYt7_y3YMsbsaOZ3CwAns-lYUbqCnIrHgm9O4GOu-z16a-I75_I4W9Dc-ksUsZUmvxFzuG62kJM5QvW01aA5z2r4U/s320/IMG_0551.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For someone who right off the bat declared that she does not do well expressing herself verbally, a face to face interview must have been uncomfortable, at the very least. In conversations, Erica tends to focus on facts and details, and appears hesitant to open up about emotions, fortifying her initial declaration. This is how you appreciate what her music is to her and how important a role it plays in her life. Music is her shield. “People can listen to my music and they can say what I want to say for me.” This hesitancy to verbally communicate, however, may be the only place she falters. For Erica is a person with dogged determination. With her music for Emma, in particular, she was able to galvanize a group of young singers/cast, long before the rest of the production aspects came into play. Working with her in my capacity as artistic director of the musical allows us artistic leeway, with musical arrangement requests being done right on the spot. Her sheer determination to mount this musical lead to her assuming a producer role on top of being a musical director. And her ambition enables her to acknowledge the necessity of overcoming her introvertness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Erica is at the cusp of her music journey. Emma - the Musical is her biggest and most personal project so far. It is an ambitious project that not only benefits her artistic career but contributes to the Edmonton repertoire of Asian musicals. With Emma, she not only wants to share her great grandmother’s stories, but to bring to the forefront a period of Philippine history that is not often talked about. And for Erica, there will always be the aspiration to tour the musical to different cities and to stage it in a greater magnitude, with full orchestration. These, hopefully, may just become a reality soon. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tickets for Emma - the Musical are on sale through Ticketfly. For more information, check the Emma - the Musical Facebook page. Emma - the Musical is under the Artistic Direction of Ida Beltran-Lucila, with Choreography and Musical Staging by Jojo Lucila, Script by Chie Floresca and Musical Direction by Erica Cawagas. The musical is presented by the Filipino-Canadian Saranay Association.</span></span></div>
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<i>This article was published in the March 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></div>
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-55682969398305524862018-02-18T12:22:00.000-07:002018-02-18T12:22:42.644-07:00Baisas Brothers: A Story of Fire and Ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a team of Filipinos firing up the international ice carving circuit. These are the Baisas Brothers, specifically Ross and Antonio Baisas, representing both the Philippines and Canada. They are international ice carving champions, having won more than two dozen awards, most recent of which were the 1st place for both Ice on Whyte in Edmonton and at the Winterlude in Ottawa. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently based in Montreal (Ross) and Ottawa (Antonio), the Baisas Brothers hail from the Philippines’ wood carving capital, Paete, Laguna. In this town, carving is something passed on from one generation to the next, a milestone of a childhood, and possibly a rite of passage, and where everyone whiles away the time whittling wood. The name Paete has as its root word “paet”, which means chisel. Surrounded with this way of life and the fact that carving is the town’s main source of income, it is not uncommon for people of Paete to find their way working in hotels and cruise ships as carvers with ice, fruit, vegetables and pastries. This was the ticket that lead Ross and Antonio to Quebec and work for casinos under Loto-Quebec.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Competing as ice sculptors is no walk in the park. First of all, the main ice carving competitions are prestigious, and competitors are screened and selected. The rules of a competition are stringent. There are thematic and technical conditions to follow. Designs are submitted way in advance. So to be in the roster of competitors is already a feat by itself, and winning takes it to a level of incredible recognition and accolade. An ice sculptor has to have the artistic eye, the skills, the technical know-how, the instinct to adjust to the dictates of uncontrollable variables like weather, temperature, sunlight, and imposed time constraints. As if these are not intimidating enough, one has to be physically fit and with endurance. One is expected to haul on average 10-15 blocks of ice, hauling and stacking about 135 kg, working in frigid temperature for 34 hours, and working with power tools, i.e. chainsaw, grinder, gas cylinder, chisels, among others. On top of these, there are competition requirements on safety and environment care that need to be met while working.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLGtfGhYnt8Ukkl85wz7LcNcCdfuyWynJBezE2MSsqQIx1Ur722Q9he8lrSI-D4MoISQTG1Yy5bHkNY4C616SsmEj-3kks2TSqhidSLApe42BEF2mJWNVOpn-luIY856ZTeNBQQzKk4Y/s1600/Baisas+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLGtfGhYnt8Ukkl85wz7LcNcCdfuyWynJBezE2MSsqQIx1Ur722Q9he8lrSI-D4MoISQTG1Yy5bHkNY4C616SsmEj-3kks2TSqhidSLApe42BEF2mJWNVOpn-luIY856ZTeNBQQzKk4Y/s320/Baisas+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Baisas Brothers have been doing the route of competitions for 15 years now, travelling around the world and garnering recognition in Canada, the United States, and Europe. They compete in 3-4 international competitions a year, on average. They are not only judges’ choices but are more often than not, media and public favorites. Ice is their favorite medium because of its translucency and crystalline quality, and the challenges it presents with its solidness and unpredictability. Yet they have created stunning works with pasta, chocolate, sugar, grease, fruit and vegetables, snow and sand. No medium is spared, and they seem to get fired up with the challenges of working with each medium, in unraveling the secrets, and gaining mastery in its manipulation, and eventually, stretching the boundaries.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwjFn5ge8j0Cp0H7Np3XZjM4Jzrb0Nn2Ar9v7tN83rBphY6YhJdScEaBnYLstOwmpgUosrNolfsJyyc-QYuyJo7E2OCmrQozf6Kwr1M8N-63B5kb6CuyMw9W7Ki_na1x_jmMQ-ckNzmA/s1600/Baisas+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwjFn5ge8j0Cp0H7Np3XZjM4Jzrb0Nn2Ar9v7tN83rBphY6YhJdScEaBnYLstOwmpgUosrNolfsJyyc-QYuyJo7E2OCmrQozf6Kwr1M8N-63B5kb6CuyMw9W7Ki_na1x_jmMQ-ckNzmA/s320/Baisas+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Artists find their way to ice sculpting through different ways. Some are formally schooled or mentored. The Baisas Brothers are self taught. But their training and learning is endless. Despite all their accolades, up close the brothers are unassuming, friendly and with a wicked sense of humour. In outlook, they are positive and adaptable. At work, they are exacting, perhaps their own worst critic, analyzing their own flaws but taking it as a lesson to further their art. As partners, one complements and supports the other. Ross is adept at shaping and Antonio’s forte is the finishing and detailing. They are able to sense each other’s moods, and anticipate needs without verbal communication. They claim that they will keep on going as long as there is something they can conjure which they have not tackled yet. The possibilities are endless, limited only by the imagination. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iTIJHR0Alc1qsmvQrx8kUnmB_qMUVHcRp9N6sK_QwVCMJTqXJynb4vKo1MzCKE4Y1KtdLAMDLSPvKNghgtypqh0-60vOMmHDSfvkKEqQm0BhJystyw3X49EA4nRAm9oBtcuVC2wxZX4/s1600/Baisas+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="960" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iTIJHR0Alc1qsmvQrx8kUnmB_qMUVHcRp9N6sK_QwVCMJTqXJynb4vKo1MzCKE4Y1KtdLAMDLSPvKNghgtypqh0-60vOMmHDSfvkKEqQm0BhJystyw3X49EA4nRAm9oBtcuVC2wxZX4/s320/Baisas+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ice carving is art and engineering, also skills and heart. The Baisas Brothers execute this through their burning passion, combined with cold grit. Amidst the cold environment they’ve chosen as their arena, is the fire to achieve greater heights, stoke their passion and enjoy the ride. My impression is that ice sculpting competitions allow a sense of superhumanness, an adrenaline rush - brought about by using power tools in unbearable conditions. Ice sculptors, having challenged themselves with their designs, work with full concentration, grit and determination, with all senses heightened since a small error, or mindless slip, could be fatal. They are a rare breed and it is stirring that blazing through this international circuit is a team of Filipino artists. Amidst the snow and ice, the Baisas Brothers, Ross and Antonio, are on fire!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT-rhU0c4ODAfpF_0IRGam7i5e6CCeNRJtKA_QfvIvYSbTpr7QxVNT3pUQSz9fgh7YCza0A08FKMOJvXlFqvGFZJziPdscNOHKhOgDbUgfQu9U__daSTydgiZIQIy3Xw71e3YE5lX_J0/s1600/Baisas+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDT-rhU0c4ODAfpF_0IRGam7i5e6CCeNRJtKA_QfvIvYSbTpr7QxVNT3pUQSz9fgh7YCza0A08FKMOJvXlFqvGFZJziPdscNOHKhOgDbUgfQu9U__daSTydgiZIQIy3Xw71e3YE5lX_J0/s320/Baisas+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This article was published in the February 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>All photos c/o Ross Baisas.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyKWuK8v8Hw0gPAUC0sha4zWQX89gCnDH66uVBPh4H9k_5BqA_RQbzUg2io18Q6RwUT3M9T63RXno429UCl7SXEkFGqCm3dB0Qcy4fc706RFFIDA6Gr5XBWDk2F7SReLlwxxn4OY0VdQ/s1600/Baisas+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-DgT3BB27yP5bvPDQvNYNo2v2X2TNmNz-dSDDaOgqYg0Pza6l7cCxnsdhyphenhyphenjjmv5_Ha2kghZiZ6KiUthcuWwIMPHTbvwnp8WBWsudeF9YCCLRYQ60qTHY_6hF0ga-K-tkKUih36tzUnc/s1600/Baisas+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-DgT3BB27yP5bvPDQvNYNo2v2X2TNmNz-dSDDaOgqYg0Pza6l7cCxnsdhyphenhyphenjjmv5_Ha2kghZiZ6KiUthcuWwIMPHTbvwnp8WBWsudeF9YCCLRYQ60qTHY_6hF0ga-K-tkKUih36tzUnc/s320/Baisas+12.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwV095Qtw1ZKKR60qzv0Qla0zJFoZlaVzzJH734TbLHn5m02UYlei6hsxtBn5UJZB_eLpXc4jIYt15R8X0JtQysW12VpAYnnHxUVMdgYWJu7XQ6mMK0MD3EKCT11-V1kX-10JJFxq2BI8/s1600/Baisas+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwV095Qtw1ZKKR60qzv0Qla0zJFoZlaVzzJH734TbLHn5m02UYlei6hsxtBn5UJZB_eLpXc4jIYt15R8X0JtQysW12VpAYnnHxUVMdgYWJu7XQ6mMK0MD3EKCT11-V1kX-10JJFxq2BI8/s320/Baisas+14.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNOPcPnCjJVc6-LXYlIPbD_mSf-3TpguSwff0RYrMFITL3u9XPQxcvBqCO2Ar3TSYV6jk6whLns5O9arDWgHIlnCKxaWt9__ASnXsO890vIdu80UhdJe-L9fI3a8oi-2q1uUqQcHYBWE/s1600/Baisas+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="960" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNOPcPnCjJVc6-LXYlIPbD_mSf-3TpguSwff0RYrMFITL3u9XPQxcvBqCO2Ar3TSYV6jk6whLns5O9arDWgHIlnCKxaWt9__ASnXsO890vIdu80UhdJe-L9fI3a8oi-2q1uUqQcHYBWE/s320/Baisas+15.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyKWuK8v8Hw0gPAUC0sha4zWQX89gCnDH66uVBPh4H9k_5BqA_RQbzUg2io18Q6RwUT3M9T63RXno429UCl7SXEkFGqCm3dB0Qcy4fc706RFFIDA6Gr5XBWDk2F7SReLlwxxn4OY0VdQ/s320/Baisas+6.jpg" width="240" />The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830996743803683394.post-61771166703818910222018-01-28T12:57:00.000-07:002018-01-28T12:57:56.345-07:00Behind the Masks of the Girls of the Crazy Sexy Cool (GCSC)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuQlJBynlLu1I88IqfUKwGe_ejrT5YLQp0pw3lwnOngoFbpecsqp0q_CaE8RQlvVvLSDfMC7KXD37deLYQ4QJcW2DiPcHOHitifgMuxd3tXyOFHSRNh4Dwrdx7Qji4dTjwxSs0840Se4/s1600/26648098_2032334840388253_802232049_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="960" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuQlJBynlLu1I88IqfUKwGe_ejrT5YLQp0pw3lwnOngoFbpecsqp0q_CaE8RQlvVvLSDfMC7KXD37deLYQ4QJcW2DiPcHOHitifgMuxd3tXyOFHSRNh4Dwrdx7Qji4dTjwxSs0840Se4/s320/26648098_2032334840388253_802232049_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Victor Hugo said that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.</i> Within the Filipino circle, there is a group gaining increasing popularity and following, very visible in most Filipino events and concerts, and headlining their own shows bringing laughter and fun to their audience. This group is The Girls of Crazy Sexy Cool (GCSC).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The GCSC is a trio of transgender performers: Isabella Araneta-Marquez, Jerome Salvador Weissbach in real life, a retail manager with Guess; Mimi Flowers, aka John Cabarrus who works in Hospitality at the Matrix Hotel; and V'gina Grande, aka Juven Paul Somcio, also a retail manager in another Guess location. Isabella and Mimi met about four years ago while doing individual guestings, and then formed the group The Girls of Crazy Sexy Cool as a comedy and singing act at the Panciteria de Manila, with the prodding of Bayani Alcantara. The trio then consisted of Isabella, Mimi and Megan Starr (by Jerome Martinez, who has since returned to Manila, and replaced by V'gina Grande).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Dying is easy, comedy is hard" is a popular quote with actors. With this group, not only do they face the challenge of making people laugh but simultaneously hurdle issues of prejudice on their gender orientation and subsequently, their capabilities. The GCSC was initially formed as a way of having fun and as a form of personal expression. After a couple of years, this objective evolved into gaining more popularity and fame. But lately, it has transformed into an altruistic objective of bestowing joy, respite and a sense of affinity with their audience. And it is this latter purpose that propels them to forge ahead, taking into stride the negative perceptions and viewing every critical comment as a chance to improve, to focus on the positive aspects and to remain true and authentic to their passion and identified calling.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To the outsider, it may seem to be all fun and games for this trio. But cognizant of the difficulty they have hurdled individually and as a group, and in anticipation of impending challenges to attain bigger dreams, they work hard. Show or no show, they have committed to meeting at least twice a week to brainstorm, practice their songs and choreography, and work on their styling to fine tune their acts. Their lives rotate around the GCSC so much that the daily encounters are now a source for their acts where an observation, a simple event or a thoughtless remark is immediately jotted down and worked as a spin-off or punchline for future acts. They are serious with their craft, and they aim to be taken seriously as performers. Their journey of four years has taken them beyond their expectations - from individual guestings as a hobby, to becoming fillers then regular front acts for shows, and finally, headlining their own shows and touring these shows. They are surprised by their popularity, of being recognized in public places, and are deeply touched by their audience's heartfelt regard of them, relayed face to face or via social media.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However remarkable these achievements are to them though, they are unanimously grateful for the intangible benefits they derive from the group. For the GCSC is not just an entertainment act for them, but a sisterhood as well. They bond both as performers and as their regular selves. Their work process is one of collaboration and reinforcement. Each brings in their own expertise and personality - Isabella, the non-singer, is the host and business strategist who loves being the shock factor of the group; V'gina, who is the youngest, is the dancer and rap artist who loves urban pop fashion; and Mimi, is the belter, the experienced singer and eternal optimist, who loves nature tripping. They are co-workers but more importantly, they are friends. The group is close knit and has become a supportive avenue in their personal journey, for self-exploration, self-validation and self-empowerment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now, fortified and sustained, they dare to dream on. They aspire to be regarded as professional artists by learning more of the technical aspects of their craft; to be instrumental in the understanding of gender roles and stereotyping by using their own stories in their acts; and to be a positive example of self-discovery, of persistence and overcoming challenges.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSrt6xev0iaDreLhAV-YfAl90PzS1z5FZQAmG-iWt0c30nxZ-coIYnoqMZX7n_g0JT_Fkjf879lBTON4FZ4Wx2yipMtpAsRsaqA6xv5zHh6_2XcXcdvZOZNqIgf2M0o4t-7JL-fw2G8A/s1600/26648644_2032334883721582_1151690659_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSrt6xev0iaDreLhAV-YfAl90PzS1z5FZQAmG-iWt0c30nxZ-coIYnoqMZX7n_g0JT_Fkjf879lBTON4FZ4Wx2yipMtpAsRsaqA6xv5zHh6_2XcXcdvZOZNqIgf2M0o4t-7JL-fw2G8A/s320/26648644_2032334883721582_1151690659_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like the two masks of theatre, I have discovered through my onstage and offstage encounters with them, that The Girls of Crazy Sexy Cool is a study of contrasts. They are timid but at the same time bold. Insecure yet courageous. Humble in their approach and proud in their accomplishments. All these translate into being strong enough to make themselves vulnerable, and to overcome hurdles to come out stronger - traits that are respectable and admirable. With their costumes and make-up, they command a powerful presence. But behind the mask, in person, they capture you with their personal stories of resilience. Yes, these are The Girls of Crazy Sexy Cool. They are daring enough to be crazy, confident enough to feel sexy and smart enough to be cool.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>This was published in the January 2018 issue of the Alberta Filipino Journal.</i></span></div>
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The Lucila Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039504281715110455noreply@blogger.com0