It's extra depressing to see corrupt and incompetent politicians delightfully speak about their questionable appointments on national television. This is why I don't like watching news on TV. I actually wanted to commit harakiri after learning that Chavit Singson, an infamous security threat to his political rivals, has been appointed as the new National Security Adviser!

Anyhoo, it's good to know that in spite of all the ugly images we see on broadcast media, there are websites that proudly feature inspiring stories of simple people doing remarkable work for their fellow Filipinos. One website, Good News Pilipinas has, for years, filled us with daily doses of inspirational stories of people stepping up in pursuit of their sublime goals for the country and themselves. Today, it features two promising individuals who have made their mark again in the fields of Film and Entertainment.

Acclaimed Filipino independent film director Lav Diaz ("Death In The Land of Encantos") has been awarded the Best Film trophy in the Orizzonti Section of the Venice International Film Festival for his outstanding work in "Melancholia". The 8-hour long film deeply explores the question of why there is so much sadness and madness in today's world. Very profound, indeed! I wish there were more filmmakers creating quality films worthy of international acclaim.

Another good news to really, really rave about is that our own Charice Pempengco was, again, featured on Oprah, and this time, the episode showcased more of her life story. In the show, she sang "My Heart Will Go On" with David Foster on piano, and was invited by Celine Dion (Not De Leon...Eugene, take note!) to sing a duet with her at the Madison Square Garden in New York! She has such an incredible gift, and I would be sad if years from now, all these would only be part of her 15 minute-claim to fame. Institutions in music believe in her (Imagine, David Foster?!), so let's continue supporting Charice in her quest to make it big in the music world.

I want to share my delight, so feel free to check out the following links:

Lav Diaz wins a second Venice filmfest award

Charice does an encore on Oprah!

Charice - My Heart Will Go On - Oprah show

It was my first time to attend the Cinemalaya, and I was amazed by how this festival drew such a huge and diverse crowd. I didn't expect that CCP would be full-packed and that tickets to a number of films would sell out several hours prior to screening.

While we all had little idea about the films we were set to watch, we decided to watch Chris Martinez's "100" and Tara Illenberger's "Brutus." But sad to say, last screening tickets had been sold out, so my friends suggested that we watch the world premiere of Adolf Alix's "Imoral" and Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil's "Boses" instead. I'm not writing a film critique, but I say that these are out-of-the-ordinary selections.

To yours truly, alternative cinema could either be a breather or a shocker. Although there are notable shocking elements in the films we watched, overall, taking part in the Cinemalaya is a great breather. It felt good to see people from various circuits converge at the CCP in support fora promising Filipino independent cinema.

It is no question that the event has become a topic in most academic fora, so the organizers are bringing Cinemalaya to the UP Film Center with special screenings of full-lengths and shorts from July 28 to August 6. I'm looking forward to watching "Brutus" and "100" which are two of the big winners in this year's awards. Should you be interested to see any of this year's competing full-lenghts and shorts, check out the schedule and head over to the Diliman campus!

CINEMALAYA 2008 AT THE UP FILM INSTITUTE

Monday, July 28
5 pm BABY ANGELO by Joel Ruiz / Abi Aquino
7 pm CONCERTO by Paul Alexander Y. Morales

Tuesday, July 29
5 pm JAY by Francis Xavier E. Pacion
7 pm HULING PASADA by Paul P. Sta. Ana
 
Wednesday, July 30
5 pm BRUTUS by Tara Illenberger
7 pm NAMETS by Emilio "Jay" Abello VI
 
Thursday, July 31
5 pm 100 by Christopher D. Martinez
7 pm MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT by Onnah C. Valera/Ned Trespeces
 
Monday, Aug 4
5 pm BOSES by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil / Froi Medina
7 pm RANCHERO by Michael Cardoz
 
Tuesday, Aug 5
5 pm SHORTS A
7 pm SHORTS B
 
Wednesday, Aug 6
5 pm JURY PRIZE
7 pm BEST PICTURE

Screenings will be held at the Cine Adarna, UP Diliman (Film Center).

FULL-LENGTH:

100 by Chris Martinez is about a stern, uptight and exacting woman with a terminal illness who tries to accomplish a list of 100 things to do before she dies. Her tasks vary from the simple to the complicated, from the practical to the mundane, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. In the process, she accepts the truth that even if death is something personal, dying never is.

BABY ANGELO by Joel Ruiz and Abi Aquino centers on an investigation that ensues when an aborted fetus is found in the dumpster of a run-down apartment complex. The lives of the tenants—a reclusive old man with curious ramblings, a landlord with overzealous thirst for justice and a young couple whose past threatens to unravel their marriage—are suddenly exposed in the hunt for the perpetrator of the baby's death.

BOSES (VOICES) by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil is the story of a musician, who regains back his humanity by giving violin lessons to a child of the slums. In turn, the child, through the instrument, is able to get back his voice from a muted, abused and desensitized existence. This is a story of a friendship founded on the sublime beauty of music.

BRUTUS by Tara Illenberger tells the tale of two Mangyan children, hired by illegal loggers to smuggle wood from the mountains of Mindoro, as they embark on a dangerous journey to deliver the goods to the lowlands. In the process, they discover a world run by the greed of men, a world governed by ideologies that bring about the armed conflict that plague the Mindoro highlands, the home of their own people.

CONCERTO by Paul Alexander Morales is about how, in the last part of World War II, a special piano concert is held in the forests of Davao. In these boondocks, a displaced Filipino family becomes acquainted with a group of Japanese officers, similarly camped nearby. Based on true stories from the director's family, Concerto celebrates a family whose reverence for life, expressed through their love of music and friendship, can survive even war, and shows how beauty and compassion can grow in even the harshest of situations.

HULING PASADA (FINAL STOP) by Paul Sta. Ana follows the creative process of Ruby, a prolific writer, abandoned wife and protective mother. She writes about Mario, a taxi driver and father figure to a street child. As she tries to resolve Mario's story, she seeks refuge in her own creative output and the line between reality and fiction is blurred. Mario's past becomes entangled with her own inevitable future.

JAY by Francis Xavier E. Pasion is the name of the two protagonists in the film, one is living, the other dead. The living Jay is producing a documentary of the dead Jay, a gay teacher who was brutally killed. As Jay recreates and examines the life of his subject, his own life is affected when he unravels his subject's hidden life and secret love.

MY FAKE AMERICAN ACCENT by Onnah Valera and Ned Trespeces is a slice-of-life workplace comedy following the lives of technical support call center agents in the span of six months. Speaking with a fake American accent is a prerequisite for the job. This ensemble comedy is an inside look into the maddening, sleep-deprived, caffeine-fuelled lives of those who ply their trade in the call center industry.

NAMETS by Emilio “Jay” Abello is a colorful celebration of food as well as love, and the love of food above all, which is central to being Negrosanon and being Filipino. It follows the flirtation between Jacko and Cassie, two Negrenses who grew up in Bacolod, and whose lives revolve around food. The film will be shot on location in Negros Occidental and will be primarily in Hiligaynon, the language spoken in that region.

RANCHERO by Michael Christian Cardoz is the story of convicts who serve a special role inside the jail - they prepare the meals everyday. But in a jail where some inmates see no reason to continue living, what is the role of food? Is the food's role to extend life or to prolong the pain of those who don't want to live?


SHORTS:

Cinemalaya 2008 Shorts Programme A

ANDONG by Rommel "Milo" Tolentino is a story about a six-year old boy's obsession, family dynamics, and the real value of a hard-fought twenty pesos.

ANG IBANG MGA PAMILYA (THE OTHER FAMILY) by Joel P. Ruiz is about a woman who overcomes the grief of losing her adopted son.

ANGAN-ANGAN (DREAMS) by Sheron R. Dayoc centers on a mute nine-year-old girl named Satra, whose determination to secure a good education reverberates clearly amid the strictness of her Yakan culture. The Yakan are one of the 13 Moro groups in the Philippines. They mainly reside in Basilan, Mindanao.

DIAMANTE SA LANGIT (DIAMOND IN THE SKY) by Vic Acedillo, Jr. is about two brothers' journey to compete in a kite flying contest. But getting there takes some time. In the end, they face something unexpected and discover something more precious than winning.

GOD ONLY KNOWS by Mark V. Reyes focuses on the disturbing and gut wrenching tale about the realities of life in the sprawling metropolis of Manila.

Cinemalaya 2008 Shorts Programme B

HULING BIKTIMA (THE LAST VICTIM) by Vitaliano A. Rave is a film noir style about a detective's last minutes.

MY PET by Anna G. Bigornia is a 7-minute animation about an 8-year-old girl and her relationship with her first pet, a chick, the subject of a class experiment.

PANGGARIS by Dexter B. Cayanes is about a prostitute whose life changed when her mute sibling learned to talk, uttering only the word "panggaris."

TRAILS OF WATER by Sheron R. Dayoc is an experimental film about a young boy's emotion as seen through his make-believe story.

TUTOS (COST) by L.A. Yamsuan tells about the dynamics and complexities of a single father-daughter relationship in a postmodern patriarchal Filipino society.

I told Body Pump and, at times, Yoga pal Riza that I’m losing drive to work out.

Feeling that I needed some change of environment to regain focus on my fitness goals, Riza and I decided to skip Pump and Combat (which I’m not exactly a great fan of) at Eastwood, and attend Gentle Flow Yoga at North EDSA instead.

Although I rarely attend this class, I somehow got used to the sequence of poses with unending downward-facing dog in between. Last Tuesday’s class with James, however, was more intense and challenging. With all poses still focusing on the breath, I felt added concentration on my shoulders and back. Sustaining the stance and stretching these body parts got more challenging since I lack the flexibility to skillfully execute the poses. It was a good workout, nonetheless, which felt like doing Arnold presses sans the plates.

Attending James’ class at North EDSA would probably add variation to my weekly workouts, but traveling from Eastwood to the Block on Tuesday nights is not a very sustainable endeavor. I needed an alternative workout with minimal use of equipment (so I can do it wherever - FF Libis, Fairview, or in the comfort of my own bedroom), but with optimal results. And so, I surfed the internet and found out about the 300 Spartan Work Out Plan.

Fine. Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his Spartan militia look effortlessly ripped like a Michelangelo sculpture in the epic film, but I was under the impression that lighting directors, graphics and make-up artists were to be commended for creating this 6-pack chimera. I wasn’t as impressed as others until I read about it yesterday that these guys actually went through months of painstaking mental and physical conditioning to appear in this movie. I know genetics also play a role, but I’ve nothing to lose and more to gain anyway, so I’m giving it a go!

My 300 work out would look like this:
-    Staggered Push-up (50 reps)
-    Alternating split jump or Jump & Lunge (50 reps)
-    Explosive Push-up (50 reps)
-    Prison Squat (50 reps)
-    Hindu Push-up or downward-facing dog (50 reps)
-    Kneeling Band Row (50 reps)
-    Burpees (50 reps)
-    Pull Ups (50 reps)
-    Crunches (50 reps)

I tried some of the sets, and I find the explosive and Hindu push-ups really intense! My heart beat raises after few repetitions. Anyhoo, I’m about to leave for the gym and try this workout. I hope this works in my favor. I hope I don’t get traumatized like when I first tried Body Attack. Wish me luck, guys!

Simple lang naman hiling ko ngayong araw na to. Gusto ko ng sundae. Kaso di ako mapagbigyan ng Jollibee dahil sobrang haba ng pila at 11am, at ng McDo dahil wala daw silang bentang Sundae ngayon. Naman!



Naisip ko ang Ministop ngunit bukod sa lasang Milo na walang asukal ang sundae nila, mangangamoy Kariman naman ako sa sandaling paglagi ko dito.

Nakapasok na ako ng DQ, pero naisip ko 40 pesos nga lang pala pera ko, so lumabas ako ulit. Haha!

Hay, I need comfort food to endure a sluggish Monday.

Inggit...

Calauan
Outside the San Isidro Labrador Church in Calauan, we couldn’t resist getting ourselves some freshly squeezed pineapple juice. I couldn’t remember the last time I sipped a drink in plastic, but it felt like I was 7 again. Hehe!

Bring home some of Calauan’s sweet pineapples.

San Pablo
Lunch at Patis Tesoro’s old rest house situated in one of San Pablo’s blossoming woodlands was a great respite. We didn’t get to call for reservation, so we had to be there early. Fortunately, we were the first to arrive among walk-in diners, so we secured a table at the outdoor café. God loves us after all.

Kusina Salud is all about gastronomic delights and great ambiance! Anyway, we couldn’t stay longer because there were other hungry travelers waiting in line. Besides, we had to complete the remaining 6 stations before sundown, which was our primary reason for being in Laguna.

Liliw
Before we left, my friends checked out the flip-flop bargains. You may know already that Liliw has a thriving footwear industry for a small town. So if you’re into flip-flops, why not travel down to Liliw and bring home some of these export-quality slippers and sandals?

Nagcarlan
If you pass by the town of Nagcarlan, have a quick tour of the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, a national historical monument, which also served as a meeting place of the Katipuneros during the Philippine-Spanish Revolution towards the end of the 19^th century. Today, Nagcarlan townsfolk hold historical, cultural, and religious presentations here.

Back to San Pablo
Last pit stop before heading back to Manila was at Anj’s lola’s house in San Pablo. To me, this is the most memorable segment of this viaje. I’ll let you know offline. Haha!

West Avenue, QC
We reached Manila at about 9 in the evening. After dropping off Rose at their house in Pasig, QC peeps Kat, Anj, Thesa, and I had dinner at Mister Kabab’s newly opened resto in West Avenue.

The new resto is a major makeover of the old one at Quezon Av. It is more spacious, has better lighting and cleaner bathrooms – the toilets even have bidet! Well, this was our last chance to feast on red meat before we abstain for Good Friday and Black Saturday. I had my serving of Sizzling Keema, my Holy Week guilty pleasure. Yum!

We passed through several bottlenecks on the road, apparently due to the exodus of people from Manila to their provinces, but we’re content to have reached Los Baños at around 9AM. We intended to visit 7 churches, stop by two stations per church, read Biblical passages, say a short prayer for reflection, and recite the Rosary. In between, we’d immerse in the local culture and marvel at some fresh scenery and Filipino-Spanish religious architecture.

In the morning, we stopped by the Parish of St. Therese of the Child Jesus inside UP Los Baños for the first two stations. It’s a beautiful church, which, in some aspects, is similar to the Church of Jesu in Ateneo de Manila.

San Agustin Church in the nearby town of Bay was next on this trip. One may think that this church was built more than a hundred years ago because the walls are thick and the material (probably adobe) resemble those used in most old churches. Restoration works probably took place in recent years, and were probably done so hastily. Anyway, I don’t know anything about its construction and restoration, so I just went inside and prayed.

Next stop would be another old church - San Isidro Labrador Church in Calauan. Religious icons in carrozas filled the aisle of the church. Traditionally, these carrozas are taken around town during Good Friday processions. The Santo Entierro and Virgen Dolorosa are the main spectacle in these religious rites.

The Cathedral Church of St Paul, the First Hermit in San Pablo was our next destination. It was my second time to visit the Church; my first was in 2006 when we attended Easter Sunday mass, after Rose and I joined Anj’s extended family for their yearly reunion two years ago. J It was the largest church we visited this year.

The sun was out and the sky was clear all day. The sunrays were blistering at high noon, but perhaps bearing a little scorch was such a small sacrifice compared to the suffering endured by the Son of Man on his way to Golgotha. So we carried on without (or for some :-), with just little) complaining.

We intended to finish all 14 stations by midday, but due to human constraints (obviously starvation), we had to break for lunch. It had been a long trip since 4:30 in the morning, so we prayed that the good Lord would pardon us for our human weakness. Anyway, after visiting the St. Paul the First Hermit Church we headed for lunch at the quaint Kusina Salud in San Pablo.
 
After a gastronomically satisfying lunch, we went past the San Pablo town proper on our way to St. Peter’s College Seminary which houses a little chapel (my favorite church/chapel this year) secluded from the pulsating streets of the poblacion. It was so quiet inside you could hear a pin drop. This is a peaceful haven where anybody can truly be one with the Almighty.

Our last two stops were historic churches built during the Hispanic times – the San Bartolome Church in Nagcarlan and the San Juan Bautista Church in Liliw. The façade of both churches have been preserved, and the interior partly restored. In recent times, these churches have given films and telenovelas a very elaborate backdrop. The Nagcarlan church would be most familiar to followers of Kapamilya soap Kampanerang Kuba, while the Liliw Church would be recognizable (to some extent) to those who closely watch the new Kapuso station ID. I figured the latter just last night.

We capped our Visita Iglesia 2008 in Liliw. 6 towns, 7 churches, 14 stations. Thank you, Lord! Well again, let me say that this year is extra-special because we took the challenge to go on a road trip to Laguna and let Kat and Thesa join our pack! It was tiring, especially for Kat who endured the looooong drive. You made a big sacrifice, Kat, so ewan ko na lang kung di pa i-grant ni Lord yung Visita Iglesia wish mo. Hehe! Nevertheless, not counting the filling road and food trip in this Viaje del Sol, I feel fulfilled that we get to accomplish yet another soulful mission to quench our spiritual thirst. I continue to pray that all of us live on to be better Christians as we celebrate the Christ’s victory over sin and death. And for this, I say Happy Easter and may God bless us all!

Our Bad

Girl #1: So, we have a bet -- if I have sex first, then I have to wear a shirt that she's written all over, but if she-- [looks around].
Girl #2: If she what?
Girl #1: ... I'll tell you later. I feel like people are listening, and I don't want to end up on some website.

--Starbucks, 51st & Broadway

Hmmm...Estwood-Quezon Avenue-SM North shuttle riders should conceive a local version. Hehehe!