LIPA, BATANGAS—It all came together for three childhood friends when they sent out the invites to the blessing of their Pilates studio in this city south of Manila. They had been planning this project for ages. And their guests, including friends from Quezon City, didn’t fail them, arriving before 9:30 a.m. on June 26. Fr....
Author: Liana Garcellano (Liana Garcellano)
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Experience autumn in Korea (or how it aims to be Asia’s prime MICE destination in 2025)
Holding a corporate meeting with special frills afterwards? Korea is pulling out all the stops to become Asia’s destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) this year. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) kicked off the campaign with the 2025 Korea MICE Roadshow in the Philippines with the Manila leg at Fairmont Makati on June...
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F.H. Batacan talks about writing crime fiction and her new book of short stories
At the Quezon City Public Library (QCPL) main branch’s conference room on June 19, crime writer F.H. Batacan is telling everyone that she’ll be reading an excerpt from her short story titled “The One Cry.” It’s in her new book, “Accidents Happen,” a collection of her previously published short stories. It features journalist Joanna Bonifacio,...
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A national issue: Men can and should do care work, expert says in Oxfam Pilipinas forum
Let’s get the definition straight: Care work is care giving and domestic work—cleaning, cooking, as well as caring for children, the elderly, family members, people with disabilities, and even pets—that’s largely unpaid. And Filipino women have been getting short shrift for the longest time when it comes to care work. Dr. Macario Jusayan, the chief...
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Alice Reyes opens 2025 with ‘Pagdiriwang: Sayaw Alay Sa Sining’
That dance is life must surely be the motto of ballet dancers. They devote countless hours to perfect a hand gesture, an extended leg, or a hair toss, much like the way the members of Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP) do. In fact, the ARDP dancers are busy rehearsing—eight hours every day—the choreography of the...
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The heritage house, the choreographer, and the ballet
Archivist Purissima “Petty” Benitez-Johannot and her team have been looking after Helena’s house, cataloguing its contents since 2018. The house on Mariposa, Qùezon City, is MiraNila, ancestral home of the Benitez family; Helena is Helena Z. Benitez—educator, former senator, and founder of the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company of the Philippine Women’s University (PWU). Helena was...
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‘Less is more’: learning basic hair and makeup lessons from K-beauty masters
At SM Aura’s Atrium last Friday afternoon, crew members are prepping the stage for the lecture by K-beauty masters. They set up the floor standing lights at opposite ends of the stage and plug in the extension cords. They put a large metallic case of styling tools on a high chair behind the light on...
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‘Spirit of the Glass’ keeps the fight for human rights alive
“Spirt of the Glass,” a new play written by Bonifacio P. Ilagan and directed by Joel Lamangan, had a brief run at the IBG-KAL Theater at the University of the Philippines, Diliman on March 8-10, with two performances per day. We caught the 2:30 p.m. show (the other was at 7 p.m.) on March 10,...
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Sam Oh is the ultimate Korean fan meet host and fangirl
That Sam Oh never queues for tickets to the K-drama stars’ fan meet is why she’s envied by fans. She already has a special place on stage, right next to the latest oppa in town. Her proximity and friendly repartee—helped by translator Joonhyun Kim this time—with the Korean celebs are stuff that fuel K-drama oppa...
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When food tourism in US colonial period spurred fight for Filipino cuisine
The adventurous palate of foodies and their #willtravelforfood motto are interesting phenomena. The trend mentioned in a recent lecture intrigued me and moved a university student in the audience to ask Dr. Kristine Michelle L. Santos if Filipinos of yesteryear inherited their fondness for food from the Americans during the colonial era. Santos, an assistant...