Araneta City opens to the public the “Ang Batang Hesus” exhibit in Ali Mall in partnership with Santo Niño devotees to honor the Child Jesus.
In time for the feast of Santo Niño, the faithful are invited to visit the solemn display of the different images of child Jesus near the Gen. MacArthur entrance of Ali Mall from January 7 to 15, 2022.
The “Ang Batang Hesus” exhibit features more than 50 images from Santo Niño devotees and benefactors. Among them are the famous replicas of the three oldest Santo Niño images in the Philippines: Santo Niño de Cebu, Santo Niño de Tondo, and Santo Niño de Arevalo.
Aileen Ibay, Ali Mall Property Manager, sees the exhibit as an opportunity to strengthen the faith of the public given the ongoing health crisis. “This exhibit aims to give hope to people by reminding them the symbolism of Santo Niño to our faith and culture,” she said.
In Philippine history, the original image of the Santo Niño was given as a baptismal gift to native Filipinos by Spanish explorers. The image was venerated and accepted by the locals but was lost in warfare. It was, later on, discovered intact and safe amidst burning debris, a miracle regarded to show that anyone can rise from any tribulation.
A formal opening and blessing of the exhibit on January 7 were led by Rev. Fr. John Thomas of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. The exhibit is open for public viewing for free during mall hours.
Under Alert Level 3, Ali Mall and other Araneta City malls (Gateway Mall and Farmers Plaza) are open from 10 am until 9 pm from Sunday to Thursday, and until 10 pm every Friday and Saturday.
Now that we are still in a pandemic and the threat of the Omicron variant is here, the more that we should take care of ourselves. Here are some important facts to guide you on how to quarantine properly.
The “Fashion Interiors” (2307 Chino Roces Extension, Makati 1232-Former Pasong Tamo, Magallanes ) exclusive furniture store had the honor to host the soft opening of “L’Art de Trois Femmes,” an exhibition of European artists featuring Swedish Jeanette Kamphuis, Polish Natalia Biegalska and Denise Hedera. The soft opening was broadcasted by the music group “Anything goes 101”.
Kamphuis exhibited her larger Suprematism Contemporary collection where she gives honor to the infinity in the Universe and the living basic elements on Earth. As you go for a visit you will also have the opportunity to view a few of her skyline series where she encourages the audience to take care of Mother Earth. For this series, she received an award 1 Dec 2019 in Manila Hotel from the “Noble Queen of the Universe” organization as “Ambassador Queen of the Environment.”
Kamphuis is a multi-talented artist. At the tender age of eight, she won an art competition and she never stopped painting since then. Many of you might know her as a musician or talent in many telenovela series but art has become second nature to her. One of her sayings is “Art is OXYGEN” and we all surely need that especially these days.
Kamphuis skyline series.
She is an artist, a musician, an actress. She is a citizen of the world with deep ecological sensibilities whose many iterations stem from her varied life experiences of traveling to more than 96 countries over seven continents. Ultimately, she is a constant evolution of talent, ideas, and beliefs. You can find her murals and art in Sweden, Germany, Austria, the USA, the Philippines, South Africa, and Mozambique.
Kamphuis has made a great impact on the Philippine art scene with three solo exhibits and 34 group exhibits with local artists. For more information, visit her website http://artisticeuro.com/.
“L’Art de Trois Femmes” group exhibition has been extended to January 8, 2022.
“Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life.” – Lisa Weed
This Holiday Season is a great time to go to the Gingerbread House located at Barangay Palumlum in Alfonso, Cavite, Philippines (a few kilometers away from Tagaytay). Since its opening two years ago, GBH has become an all-year-round family destination. It’s a perfect tourist spot for kids and kids-at-heart. With a very affordable entrance fee of Ph150.00 pesos per head, it’s definitely an awesome treat for the entire family!
The Gingerbread House will give you that fairytale book setting. The jungle-like drive to Gingerbread House provides an actual feel of a Hansel and Gretel journey. In the story, two children, Hansel and Gretel get lost in the woods. They come upon a house made of gingerbread covered in frosting and candy. Unfortunately, it’s the house of the wicked witch. She befriends the kids, fattens them up, and tries to eat them.
As for us, how did we end up at The Gingerbread House? It was Christmas Day when we all decided to visit the place and to experience its snowfall. It was our family bonding moments, apart from being near Lebajo ArtFarm, where we spent our Christmas vacation.
What to see?
Upon paying the entrance fees, guests will be greeted by a dream board and Well of Dreams, where visitors (especially kids) can write down their goals and then make a wish.
The main attraction is the snow-like theme of Gingerbread house giving you a white Christmas feels! It has a kiddie theme background and colorful Christmas decorations that are good for photo-ops.
Inside the house is a snack place on the first floor. It serves mini cakes, brownies, muffins, chocolates, and a corner filled with confection. An actual Gingerbread House can be ordered and even rice meals. One of the attractive spots inside the resto is the reception area where you can find the giant Teddy Bear lying on the sofa. It looks so cute and huggable!
The play area for the kids is located on the second floor with a veranda overlooking the greenery surrounding the area.
There are other attractions to explore like the Gingerbread field, Christmas Kubo, Mini-Forest Trail that is similar to the path ventured by Hansel and Gretel going to the Gingerbread house, the colorful Candy Village, dining al fresco areas, quaint cottage-style rooms, swing area, inflatable Christmas corner, and other instagrammable spots.
The Christmas Kubo, offering Filipino delicacies like bibingka, etc.
There’s also a museum, where you’ll see a wonderful miniature of Christmas and Candy Village. And feel at home in their family living room area. It makes a good backdrop for your family photo souvenir.
One happy family – with Nikulas and Beatrice
There’s also a souvenir shop for your last-minute shopping before leaving the place. Just like in my previous travels, I always bring home some ref magnets as mementos of my sojourn.
The Gingerbread House was definitely worth creating fun and special moments with every member of the family.
What is unique about the resort is that you get to experience and stay at the traditional houses that serve as hotel accommodation for guests and tourists who are seeking meaningful staycation.
Taking part in a heritage tour one fine weekend gave me a glimpse of the past — reliving the age-old yet distinctive Filipino heritage while offering discerning visitors a unique experience.
The moment you enter the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan you are transported back to the 18th-century Philippines in the blink of an eye. The Filipino-Spanish influences are very evident in the architectural pieces from different parts of the country transferred and reconstructed in the resort to create a heritage community for everyone to experience and take inspiration from.
What is unique about the resort is that you get to experience and stay at the traditional houses that serve as hotel accommodation for guests and tourists who are seeking meaningful staycation.
Tramvia ride
Tramvia ride
One of the architectural attractions in the resort.
Walk down Tulay ni Lola Basyang.
A village of cobblestone streets.
Cultural performance
Impressive architectural piece.
Our group had the opportunity to stay in Casa San Miguel, the old home of an ilustrado family during the Spanish era. It is huge with its two big rooms and a very spacious sala where you can play games or relax during siesta with your loved ones.
There are so many things you can do at the resort from going on a heritage walk. You can ride a kalesa, or tramvia to admire up close the impressive noble-class mansions, wooden stilt houses, the main building made of stone which stands proudly in a village of cobblestone streets.
You can also promenade along La Playa beach, enjoy the Batis, its version of a swimming pool located next to Casa Cagayan, walk down Tulay ni Lola Basyang, and dine at Hotel de Oriente where we were served a sumptuous breakfast and dinner. The Hotel de Oriente, which originally stood in Binondo, Manila, is believed to be the first hotel built in the country.
Those who want a quiet moment alone, can pray and give thanks at Santuario de San Jose, located near Plaza Mayor de Tobias and Casa Biñan.
There’s so much more to discover at this rare heritage resort in Bataan. A second visit is a must to see how this fascinating place will develop in the future.
The laundry-conscious mama Lumen we saw on TV commercials wears two martial arts black belts – one for taekwondo and one for aikido.
We saw her lovely face on the boob tube in the role of Lumen, the worldly-wise and ingenious young wife and mom in the once-popular ad series of a detergent. Lumen is January Isaac a.k.a Sandra Gomez (her screen name).
She related that the “Lumen” commercial had contributed a lot to her popularity. However, she doesn’t want to think that it had made her an overnight sensation. “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to be a series. I thought it was just one project. For some people, they don’t see what I’ve gone through. It really took some time. But I should give credit to Lumen because that character has really helped me.”
Just like Lumen, she speaks her mind when it comes to being practical. “I weigh things before I buy. I’m very fond of shoes; I like shoes that are unusual and I buy them especially if they’re sporty.”
Throwback photos of January Isaac (Sandra Gomez): Personal file
A martial arts expert
This lady is not just a pretty face. In real life, she weàrs two martial arts black belts – one for taekwondo and one for aikido. She was introduced to taekwondo at the age of 11 and took up serious training at 15. After two years, she added another sport – aikido.
“My appetite for the martial arts was enhanced when I started joining inter-school competitions,” she said. Her dad, Pastor Isaac, has become her mentor in a contact sport. “My dad used to be active in martial arts when he was my age. He suggested that I should try it.” More than anything else, it’s more of physical fitness for her. She’s also a semi-vegetarian.
Aside from being a health buff, she’s an artist, too. She loves everything that involves the arts – music, painting (she paints a landscape and still life in watercolor and acrylic), reading literature/classic, and theatre. Her favorite painters are Renoir and Monet.
Since she was eight years old, she has been watching musical plays. “From then on, I started loving it,” she said. “But that’s not the path I’m being led to.” January has taken the path to show business instead. She joined showbiz in 1997 and did some action flicks. What makes her different is that she enjoys her sports and she used it as a vehicle to get into the movies.
However, she doesn’t want to be confined to just doing drama or action movies. As much as possible, she wants to be a character actress “somebody who can be different.” “I don’t want to be stereotyped. I want a little bit of everything,” she quipped. “For me, it’s boring if you stick to just one character. I want to be versatile because that’s the joy of acting.”
Her name, January, was taken by her mother Millicent Joy, after a movie character, January Wayne, in the movie Once Is Not Enough. She was born in Cagayan de Oro City and comes from a well-to-do family. She is the eldest in a brood of three. Her other siblings are Hillary and Erik.
What is her secret of success?
“Believing in the talent that God has given you. Invest in that. Some people have talents but they don’t flourish, they don’t nurture them. For me, I really take care of it,” said the articulate January.
The Bodlovic family in the USA. Courtesy: @januaryibodlovic IG account
Above everything else, she has a strong faith, being a Christian. “Faith sustains me, that no matter how difficult life becomes, I’ll be okay. Never lose your faith in God,” said January, who has been living in the United States with her husband Wade Bodlovic. The couple has two beautiful children Hunter and Harley.
The fascinating Sabang beach became our playground for three days. We enjoyed immensely playing with the waves. How many times did we fall but returned and continued to play with the waves?
I’ve always wanted to go to Baler in Aurora Quezon. I’ve been interested in the stories shared about the place. Back of my mind, “I’m not a surfer, not even an excellent swimmer. So, why the eagerness to go there?”
Baler is the capital of Aurora, a province popular for its natural wonders, pristine beaches, and surf-worthy waves, as well as its place in Philippine history and world cinema.
Without much planning, my family headed on a journey to Baler during the Holy Week break some years back. We traveled by land. First, we stayed overnight at the Harvest Hotel in Cabanatuan City. Then, from Cabanatuan City, we traversed the roads with the aid of GPS (geographical positioning system).
However, the GPS led us to the rough roads of Nueva Ecija and Aurora Province, crossed the shallow river to be able to hit the cemented roads leading to Baler proper. Indeed, the four and a half drive turned out to be an adventure! We were told that we should have taken the Pantabangan roads going to Baler.
Beautiful waves at Sabang beach.
The second challenge we faced was how to get a place to stay since most of the hotels and resorts were fully occupied by tourists. We continued to ask around until one gracious lady from the souvenir store referred us to her relative who has a transient house. In short, we were taken in for overnight accommodation.
Baler Boardwalk
After only 30 minutes of interval, the other nice lady from a transient house texted me that there was already an available air-conditioned room. So, we decided to transfer the next morning. We liked it there better since it was located on the beachfront, very convenient when we go swimming. We were truly lucky to get a decent place, and most importantly, we immensely enjoyed the fascinating Sabang beach!
Sabang beach is popular for being the surfers’ paradise.
Local and international travelers (surfers and non-surfers) are always captivated by the charm of Sabang beach. At first, you had this inner fear of being drowned.
But lo and behold, my daughter and I found ourselves playing with the waves. The vast beach shorelines became our playground. We laughed and anticipated every approaching wave to hit us. How many times did we fall but returned and continued to play with the waves?
Now, I understand, why surfers like it here; they are after the waves. They want to surf the waves! Thus, Sabang beach became the surfers’ paradise.
At the Manuel L. Quezon Monument.Museo de BalerThe Baler Monument symbolizes the 400th Anniversary of Baler township, created by foremost installation artist Junyee. His design is composed of four pillars — representing Baler’s 400 years of history interconnected by horizontal bars.
Traveling creates new discoveries – from within yourself, the places you have been, the people you met along the way – all these make our journey truly a memorable one.
The ageless Gloria Diaz tells us her beauty regimen to maintain that Miss Universe look. She believes in the old adage that “you are as old as you look and feel, you are the age you are.”
Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz has retained that Miss Universe look after all these years. She conducts herself with flair and elan.
Miss Universe 1969 Gloria Diaz, who appeared as a guest star on Netflix’s hit series “Insatiable” and portrayed a character based on herself, has retained that Miss Universe look after all these years. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Gloria believes in the old adage that “you are as old as you look and feel, you are the age you are.” What keeps her radiant is maintaining a lifestyle of moderation, meaning, not too much alcohol, not too much late night-outs, and adhering to the saying, “early to bed, early to rise.”
Just like other figure-conscious women, she stays fit by engaging in constant exercise and watching her diet. Every day she goes to the gym to flex some muscles and from time to time undergo a massage treatment to lessen the pain and stiffness of her body.
She doesn’t really follow any special diet, although she chooses to eat more fruits and vegetables. “Quite often, I also eat junk foods,” she admitted from the previous interview. She takes care of her hair by using fewer chemicals like hair spray and other similar stuff.
One of her stunning assets is her almost flawless skin. She scrubs her body with a loofah (a rough sponge) and sometimes had it done in the parlor. Then she applies lotion to her skin. But most importantly, she says, is to take lots of vitamins and calcium.
For her face, she makes sure that it’s clean before she goes to bed. “I only use heavy makeup when I’m shooting or taping. You can’t help that. Otherwise, I just apply a little bit of eye makeup and lipstick,” she tells.
Gloria Diaz in her winning moments as Miss Universe. Photos courtesy of philippineone.com
“It was worth a try,” she says of her experience in winning a Miss Universe title. “You must enter into it with an open mind that it’s not the be-all and end-all if you win or not win. Life goes on, and there can only be one winner. Fortunately, I came out on top.”
(Based on the exclusive interview in the old Mirror Weekly magazine by the same author)
Featured photo courtesy of gloria.diaz 69 on Instagram
Coldplay has released today their much-anticipated collaboration with BTS. My Universe, which was written by Coldplay and BTS and produced by Max Martin, is available to stream/download worldwide now.
The song’s official lyric video – which is available now – features handwritten lyrics from both groups, in both English and Korean.
Coldplay has also teased the song’s Dave Meyers-directed official music video, as “coming very soon.”
My Universe follows Coldplay’s worldwide hit Higher Power as the second single to be taken from the band’s forthcoming album Music Of The Spheres (out October 15th).
“If you’re happy and passionate about the things that you do, your aura will always show it,” shares Atty. Margarita “Migs” Bendigo Nograles.
Among our young lawyers today, 30-year-old Atty. Margarita “Migs” Bendigo Nograles has the three essential qualities that spell a lifetime success: beauty, brains, and the heart for public service.
Her positive aura is an outcome of waking up to the life that she wants to liven up with gusto. “If you’re happy and passionate about the things that you do, your aura will always show it,” she intimates.
“Conquer your fears and believe in yourself to follow your dreams and passion,” says Atty. Migs.
Migs takes care of her lovely face by cleaning it always. She makes it a point to remove her makeup after every working day. “I would say always remember to wash your face every night, moisturize, and put sunblock!” Her nighttime beauty must-haves are Clinique facial wash and toner, together with a moisturizer. “Some days, if I find the time, I get to go and have facials at Oroderm Davao.”
If there’s a particular motto on beauty that she believes in, it would be “Never compare beauty with anyone else. It all starts from within. Be comfortable with your own skin and never ever dress to impress others but only yourself,” shares Migs, the well-schooled partner-lawyer at Nograles Ilagan Sagarino Selgas Cayco Aban & Dabi Law (NISSCAD Law) based in Davao, offers legal services on civil law, criminal law, corporate law, family law, and taxation law.
Her beauty icons are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Amal Clooney. The former is the youngest woman ever to serve in the US Congress, and the latter is a well-known barrister specializing in international law and human rights. “They are always just so perfectly dressed and perfectly demure in every way,” she quips.
At the home front, she admires her lovely mom Rhodora “Bebet” Bendigo-Nograles, sister Dr. Kristine Nograles-Hugo, and her sister-in-law, Marga who owns Kaayo Modern Mindanao.
“Be comfortable with your own skin and never ever dress to impress others but only yourself,” shares Migs.
Migs complements her beauty regimen with a healthy lifestyle. “I try not to eat a lot of salty food and make sure I lessen rice. But when I do eat rice, I make sure I use Oh Crop! Adlai rice. It’s the best!” she says.
Cooking and baking are her stress relievers. “Actually, it is my mom whom I idolize when it comes to that. What is just lacking is for her to start her own pastry store! She bakes every day just to share to friends and family complete with the entire packaging!” she exclaims.
When it comes to food, she loves Japanese food, seafood, but her comfort food will always be that popular Filipino chicken joy brand! From her hometown Davao, her favorite fruit is pomelo. “Have you tried it? If you haven’t, you must!” she urges. “Chocolate and strawberry, too, are pretty good here.”
Every day, she tries to run at least 30 minutes before she starts her day. “It keeps my mind and adrenaline running and gets me ready and pumped up for the day,” she discloses. “I work out (at least try to do so) every day for at least 30 minutes. If not, I find time to play badminton with friends.”
Migs has been active doing sports activities since she was young. “For example, I was part of the track and field team in High School and so I have always been very sporty. Nowadays, I do indoor cycling, running, and Zumba!” utters Migs, who acknowledges the fact that endorphins (the happiness hormones) make one happy. But most importantly, she says, “You have to listen to your body; when the body tells you to rest, you have to rest. Otherwise, everything else falls down.”
During this pandemic, Migs is coping well with her workout routine by setting up a small home gym – complete with treadmill, rower, indoor bike. “I just do a lot of cardio. If possible, I go with my friends to do badminton when I’m not too busy.”
After a hectic day, she unwinds by reading self-help books or books about stoicism. “It helps you keep intact with yourself. Otherwise, I call friends and catch up with the family,” she shares.
Ask Atty. Migs, the young lawyer’s new brand and her way of giving back.
What could be her biggest realization during this pandemic? “Life’s too short to have big regrets. You never know when you’re going to lose someone or when you’re going to go; so you have to make the most out of every day and live your life to the fullest. There’s no time for negativity or fear. Conquer your fears and believe in yourself to follow your dreams and passion.”
