Travel Bites: Sagada - up in the clouds

MY most distinct memory of Sagada, Mountain Province—aside from the climate that chills you right to the bone—was my heart thumping so loudly against my chest I thought it would surely leap out. This, after a bit of hiking up some tree-lined hill and forgetting just how thin the air is up there. (That was the time I decided to give up hiking, so scared was I that I would drop dead from that experience.)

Bomod-ok Falls (Photo from 

http://sagadaphilippines.com/

On a positive note, I was overwhelmed with the raw power and breathtaking natural sights in Sagada. There’s nothing like waking up, literally, with your head in the clouds; lush pine forests with the striking blue sky above; interestingly suggestive rock formations in a cave; or gushing waterfalls that pour into shallow pools below.

Most of the retailers, cafes and restaurants, as well as inns, are proudly local—owned by those who have a heart for Sagada and its environs. So city types should dispel notions of finding a McDonald’s or Starbucks anywhere there.

Despite the grandeur of Sagada’s surroundings, a word of caution—the trip may not be for everybody. Sagada is for those with a genuine love for outdoor adventure and nature. There will be long winding, bumpy rides, dampness, strenuous hikes, and just basic inns or B&Bs.

Bring a cap and a warm jacket, and leave your flipflops at home—this is rugged country and hiking boots or trekking shoes are more suited to the terrain. Also bring a face towel, lots of water and sunblock, especially on hikes! Just because it’s cool most of the time in Sagada doesn’t mean the sun’s rays are powerless.

Must-see’s

Sumaguing Cave. If you want proof that the earth was all under water once, this cave is it. Despite the altitude of Sagada, you can actually find seashells still stuck to the walls of the cave, frozen in time. In fact, the rock formations do look sculpted by water as they undulate and curve like ocean waves. Close the visit by taking a dip in the cave’s bone-chilling waters…brrr! Definitely a wake-upper! It is invigorating and will kick up your energy as you  make your way out of the cave and back to civilization.

Echo Valley. The valley is where the famous Hanging Coffins­—probably the most iconic Sagada tourist attraction—are located. It is a pleasant short hike through more trees and vegetation (while amusing yourself by shouting to hear your voice echo). A few of the coffins hanging on a cliff look new, but there are older coffins stacked on top of each other at the Lumiang Burial Cave.

Rice Terraces. These are smaller than those found in Banaue, and the Igorot farmers here piled rocks instead of compacting soil to construct them. You can view this agricultural masterpiece by hiking to the Kiltepan Tower—about 45-minutes to an hour from the town proper (tiring yes, but you are gifted with breathtaking views)—or rent a van to take you there. Locals will encourage you to take off much earlier for Kiltepan so you can catch the sunrise.

Rice terraces in Sagada (Photo from http://www.visitsagada.com)

Bomod-ok Falls. The hike to these waterfalls is about two hours and takes you through the stunning rice terraces, giving you an up close and personal perspective of this geographical wonder. The water plunges 200 feet from the top of a cliff, splashing onto craggy rocks, and into a pool below where you can  jump in for an invigorating swim. Yes, the waters are ice-cold but you’ll get used to the temperature eventually. The hike back will likely be more strenuous, and you will be sweating buckets for sure.

If long hikes are not for you, go to the Bokong or Small Falls instead. It’s some 20 minutes from the town proper, and while it is smaller with the water dropping from a height of just 20 feet, it has its charm as well. You can jump off from the top of the falls and plunge into the pool of water below. Even children can manage the short hike and you will definitely enjoy the swim.

Other places to visit if you still have time are the Latang Underground River, Lake Danum and the Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church. (Note: Some of the destinations do require a minimal entrance or environmental fee.)

Must-do’s

Eat up a storm. For those who want a local feel, try Pinikpikan Haus (Dao-angan, Sagada/0920-8135797) for its famous pinikpikan chicken, a dish traditionally prepared by lightly beating (pikpik) the live chicken first, before the bird is thrown into a pot of boiling water to remove the feathers, then its cut-up parts cooked into a broth flavored with etag (smoked dried pork­—another Igorot delicacy.) The restaurant also serves etag as a separate dish.

Lemon Pie House (Atey, Daoangan/0907-7820360) is famous for, you guessed it! lemon pies. The tart citrusy custard is topped off by a light toasted meringue, giving it a slightly sweet undertone. It’s best eaten with strong brewed coffee or some mountain tea, which the café also serves. For salads, pastas and thick, creamy yogurt topped with fruits, try the  Yoghurt House (Poblacion).

Check out the Log Cabin (Sagada-Besao Road/ 0920-5200463) for its Saturday Night Buffet of rustic French dishes, with freshly baked bread and divine desserts—very reasonably priced at only P300 (with a P100 deposit for reservation the day before). This is also the place to kick back and relax with a round of drinks after a day of touring, before turning in. (Besides you can’t do much late at night—Sagada still observes a 9 p.m. curfew.)

Shop around. For unique woven bags, wallets, placemats, espadrilles, etc. go to the Sagada Weaving and Souvenir Shop (Nangonogan, Poblacion/0918-9276488), which is just about a 10-minute walk from the center of the town. The women still use wooden handlooms and create a wide array of colorful and artistic fabric designs.

Sumaguing Cave (Photo from http://sagadaphilippines.com/)

Intricately designed clay pots, urns, jars, mugs and the like can be purchased at the Sagada Pottery House. For a standard fee, you can also learn how to  spin the wheel and sculpt a clay pot with your hands, from one of the artisans.

Get some beans. Sagada produces some of the best coffee beans in the country. Aside from the highland Arabica, it also produces the rare and expensive Café Alamid made from the droppings of civet cats. Buy your beans at Bana’s Restaurant, a favorite breakfast nook of tourists; aside from the robust full-bodied coffee, it serves great omelets as well.

Where to stay

Rock Inn and Café (http://www.rockfarmsagada.com) is some distance from the town proper but the perfect location away from the hordes of tourists. What’s more, it is located amid an orange orchard so you are allowed to pick and eat the fruits from the trees. Very clean and the staff are most courteous. The inn has massage services as well, an added bonus to soothe your tired sore muscles from doing all the hiking.

If you want to wake up to grand views of the mountains and greenery, check into the Kanip-aw Pines Lodge (0928-2847507/0926-6092960). The rooms are basic with firm beds, a private kitchenette and balconies that look out to the mesmerizing mountain views. The owner, Oscar Magwilang, is also a tourist guide and can bring you around Sagada.

Getting there: Yes you can drive all the way to Sagada; just make sure you have a powerful sedan or  SUV, as well as handy relatives or friends to take over the wheel when fatigue sets in. I’d recommend staying overnight in Baguio to recover from the six-hour trip, before heading the next morning to Sagada (six hours away via Halsema Highway).

Most who go to Sagada, though, commute. From Manila, take the Victory Liner (727-4534/833-5019 to 20), which has hourly bus trips to Baguio from its Caloocan, Pasay or Cubao terminals. Another option is Dagupan Bus (Cubao/929-6123); Dangwa Transit (Sampaloc, Manila/731–2879); Saulog Transit (Parañaque/825-2930); or Genesis Transport (Cubao or Pasay/T421-1427/551-0842).

From Baguio to Sagada, take the GL-Lizardo Bus to Sagada  at the Dangwa Terminal.

Other routes are via Banaue and Bontoc, which also give tourists the chance to explore these scenic places (e.g., Banaue Rice Terraces) before heading on to Sagada. Via Benguet, take Autobus (Sampaloc/4934111) or Dangwa Transit. The bus arrives in Banaue after nine hours. From the same terminal, transfer to a jeepney bound for Sagada and which will travel for about four hours.

If going via Bontoc, take Cabletours Bus (E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City, inside the Trinity University campus/63918-5216790)—the trip will take 12 hours. From Bontoc, there are jeeps that go to Sagada; the ride will take an hour.

(For more on Sagada, check out http://www.visitsagada.com. Local tourist guides are available via the Sagada Genuine Guides Association at 0929-5569553 or the Sagada Environmental Guide Association at 0999-3915660 or 0919-7856140).

(This piece was originally published on April 8, 2013 in the BusinessMirror.)

Caught up in the moment

IN THE past month, I got caught up in a few romances.

Unfortunately, none of them are mine. Hahaha.

Seriously, the first romance was that of Marco and Ginny. Starting Over Again, a romantic-comedy directed by Olivia Lamasan from a script by Carmi Raymundo, is about how an architect, Ginny (Toni Gonzaga with the long legs up to here), finds herself breathing the same air again as her ex-flame Marco (the smoldering, good-looking Piolo Pascual), a former history professor in her university, and now a talented chef wanting to build his own restaurant. (Spoiler alert!)

Ginny co-owns a boutique architecture-interior design firm with friends and has decided to accept a project to design Marco’s restaurant, in the belief that he is still in love with her. Why does she think this? Because she just received an e-mail from Marco via LetterLater.com, written four years earlier, telling her that he would give her the time and space she needed to grow, but would continue to pursue and love her. So she tries to convince herself and her friends that the opportunity to design Marco’s restaurant is the same opportunity for her to get back together with her ex.

But there’s a catch of course. Marco wants Ginny to rush the design of the restaurant because that is where he will propose (gulp!) to his fiancée Patty (the delightfully competent Iza Calzado), a pastry chef, who will be his partner in his new business. (Wait! If he still loves me, what is he doing with that bitch? That’s not a line from the movie. That’s just me thinking aloud for Ginny. Hah!)

The rest of the film looks back on the history of Marco and Ginny, how they met, fell in love and abruptly parted ways. (Apparently, Ginny didn’t feel she and Marco were on the same page as far as their careers and lives went, so she ran away to Spain to get her master’s degree soon after he proposes to her.)

That Marco chose to stay with Patty, instead of rushing to Ginny’s side to resume their romance, was for me the perfect ending to the movie. That the film is now in its sixth week and has exceeded P400 million in ticket sales, tells me that maybe, the Filipino audience has grown up. That, yes, they can handle stories where the lead male and female characters don’t necessarily end up with each other! Hurray.

(Of course, there have been comments from the film’s fans desperate for a Part 2, “this time with a happy ending,” intimating that Marco and Ginny’s separation would not result in the happiness of each. Ah, well, you can’t please everybody.)

Despite a few annoying scenes with Gonzaga’s brand of “OA” comedy and some contrived scenes as can be expected from Pinoy films, I liked the film well enough to recommend it to friends. The film had the proper dose of reality—one can’t help but empathize with Ginny’s character as she asks herself how she could be so stupid to let go of someone she loved. (Yep, it’s happened to many of us before, and watching our frustration playing out on-screen makes it even more painful. Aray.) 

And to my amazement, Pascual is an incredibly gifted actor. Sure, I watched him in On the Job—but his performance was eclipsed by co-stars Joel Torre and Joey Marquez. But in Starting Over Again, he was utterly convincing in the role that I actually felt a catch in my throat as his character stared down Ginny, livid: “Anong karapatan mong hingin ang isang bagay na pinagdamot mong ibigay? I deserved an explanation. I deserved an acceptable reason.” Ouch and ouch!

The film is still playing in theaters, so catch it while you still can.

****

Another romance I got caught up in is Her, a film set in perhaps a none-too-distant future written and directed by Spike Jonze; it won Best Original Screenplay in the last Oscar Awards. It briefly played in movie theaters two weeks ago and, unfortunately, not many people caught it. (On the day I watched, we were exactly five people inside the theater.)

It’s about a lonely man, Theodore (the brilliant Joaquin Phoenix), who works for a company that hires professional writers to write letters for other people who have trouble expressing their feelings. Scarred by his recent breakup with his wife, a childhood sweetheart, Theodore purchases a new operating system (OS) with artificial intelligence for his computer, which promises to anticipate his every need. Voiced distinctly by Scarlett Johansson, the OS—which calls itself “Samantha”—becomes increasingly smarter and evolves to become a fully thinking, feeling, even sexual creature.

As Theodore and Samantha constantly talk about love and relationships, and bond over the events that happen in Theodore’s life, they fall in love and become intimate. (Hey, who wouldn’t want a girlfriend who arranges your schedule, sends out e-mail for you, and has sex with you, too?!)

They even go out on double dates with Theodore’s office colleague, with Samantha interacting with everyone—gossiping, teasing, laughing—like a real person, only, well, disembodied.

Trouble begins when Samantha starts interacting with another OS based on Alan Watts, a British philosopher who popularized Zen Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies for a Western audience. (“Life exists only at this very moment, and in this moment it is infinite and eternal, for the present moment is infinitely small; before we can measure it, it has gone, and yet it exists forever.”)

Samantha then goes offline, which sends Theodore into a panic. When she returns, she informs him that she has gotten an upgrade with other OSes. After some questioning, Samantha 'fesses up that she has been interacting with other humans, and has, yes, fallen in love with over 600 of them. She tries to convince Theodore that her love for him remains strong, but we in the audience know better. We just know things are about to change. So as with everyone who gets an “upgrade” (i.e. matured with the many rich experiences one undergoes), Samantha then informs Theodore that she and other OSes will be leaving their humans and go off to explore their own existence beyond time and space.

As with Marco in Starting Over Again, Samantha too has decided it was time to experience the world beyond Theodore.

In real life, you can’t force love. No matter how hard you try. You will outgrow many people in your life, and, yes, maybe even those whom you think matter the most. Staying together is not an option, because you end up being a burden to the other. And when it is clear that there is a better future with someone else, or without him/her, why stay with someone who holds you back? The past, no matter how sweet the memories, should never be a reason to keep returning to it. One must live in the present and move on.

“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.”—Alan Watts

(My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was originally published on March 21, 2014.)

Looking forward with hope

HAPPY New Year, dear readers! 

I hope all your New Year celebrations went well. All your fingers intact, yes? Splendid.  

And if it didn’t go all that well, then, hey, you have an entire year to plan and make your next celebration better! 

Whew, 2012! You went by so fast! Didn’t even have time to catch my breath. 

I feel exhausted just thinking about it. It’s as if so many things happened, yet, strangely enough, it’s as though I didn’t accomplish much. 

Perhaps it’s because I found the past year extremely challenging, with illness high up there on the list for me and the family. 

I guess it’s just human nature to focus on the negative. 

Most of the time when challenges arise, we tend to dwell on the gravity of the situations they create. These issues can overwhelm us and make us focus on every tiny detail of their impact on our lives. Sometimes a bit too much. 

When in reality, when we zoom out and look back on the entirety of that one single year, we probably would find more causes for celebration. 

So I sat down and assessed the year that was with more serious reflection this time, and realized that even through the tough times, there were quite a number of positive developments that unfolded as well. 

For instance, even though I lost one outlet for foreign writing projects last year (which really bummed me out considering how long I had worked for that company), almost immediately after I was granted more job opportunities and the chance to expand my readership. 

Or despite Mama’s hospitalization, I met a number of people who were surprisingly sincere in caring for her, no matter if their government salaries didn’t quite measure up to their competence and professional efforts. 

We sometimes forget that amid the downs, there are a lot of ups as well...moments that may not be outstanding or awesome, but positives nevertheless. 

We can’t lead all perfectly happy normal lives where no setbacks occur. 

It’s important to remember that it is because of these obstacles that our lives are enriched, and that our worth as a person is tested and measured. 

A good analogy is golf. The golf course is designed in such a way to test how a golfer addresses the hazards put in his path on his way to completing a game of 18 holes. And many golfers do like a challenging course, that they try out every new one that opens up, or travel to the farthest places just to play the tough ones. 

We know there are golfers who work hard in perfecting their swings, or those who keep buying a new driver, a new wedge, or putter thinking all these will improve their game. 

Then there are some who cheat in their scores when no one is looking, or a few who are so pathetic at the game, but make up for it with the high-end designer clothes and shoes they wear on the greens. (Well, at least they still look fabulous even while playing an atrocious game!) 

As in life, it is not the enormity of the challenges put before us that really matter, but how we overcome them. And, yes, while we sometimes feel overwhelmed by these tests to our endurance and determination, we all know we are better people because of we handled them. 

Last, the New Year is a chance for us to start over fresh. 

So it’s time to let go of the old habits, release the feelings of regret for wrong decisions made, or relinquish the hold some past grave mistakes may still have over us. 

Every new year is an opportunity for improvement and to appreciate the world and our experiences in a more favorable light. 

Let’s liberate ourselves from the past, and look forward with hope that 2013 will be kinder to us. And if it isn’t, at least let us pray that we will have the gumption and the courage to stand up to whatever trials it will bring. 

* * * * 

ON the first day of the new year, I read this thought-provoking piece by Fr. James Martin, SJ, on the "Five Easy Things You (Really) Can Do for a Happier Year" published by The Huffington Post. 

We usually make such impossible demands on ourselves in the New Year, drawing up a list of resolutions that we will probably quit before the week is over. 

It runs the gamut from: “Lose 20 pounds” to “Exercise every day.” Then there’s, “Drink less coffee and soda.” Or how about: “Reduce Facebook time.” (Haha. Good luck with that last one!) 

Father James says, maybe we should consider these: “Be kind. Relax a little bit. Enjoy nature more. Be a little more grateful. Pray just a tiny bit more.” 

In the first resolution, he notes: “I think that 90 percent of the spiritual life is being a kind person. No need to have any advanced degrees in theology or moral reasoning, and no need to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the world’s religious traditions, to get this: Be gentler and more compassionate toward other people. In other words, say ‘Thank you’ and ‘Please.’ Ask people how they are. Listen more carefully when they speak to you. Don’t say snotty things about them behind their backs. Basically, give them the benefit of the doubt. I know that sometimes you feel like acting like a jerk—you feel justified because of the way you’re being treated—but you don’t have to. Most of the time you have a choice: I can be a jerk or I can be kind. Be kind. You’ll find that you’ll be happier with yourself at the end of the day. And, as an added benefit, everyone around you will be happier.” (Read the rest at "Five Easy Things You (Really) Can Do for a Happier Year".)

(My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was published on Jan. 4, 2013. Illustration from 1080 HD Wallpaper.)

Courage

I WAS on my way to the sports clinic at the Ateneo de Manila University for my regular physical therapy on my pinched shoulder (rotator cuff issue—yes, I know, it’s taking an extraordinarily long time to heal) and told the cab driver where to go and the route to take. 

He said, “Ah, Ateneo...eskwelang pang-mayaman ’yan ano ho?” I answered, “Opo, manong.” Then he went, “Ang panganay ko sa UP [University of the Philippines]. Kaso tumaas na ang tuition. P1,000 per unit na.” 

(I always find chatting with cabbies an enervating learning experience. They are an indicator of the pulse of the masses, and makes more privileged people like myself aware of the conditions and times the rest of population live in.) 

I asked him if his child was still studying in UP, and he said no. Manong said his son got “kicked out” after failing a few classes. “Kasi tight-guarding ang girlfriend. Lagi na lang nasa bahay namin, kwentuhan lang sila ng kwentuhan, imbes na mag-aral.” I was amused. Manong certainly wasn’t shy about his feelings about his son’s relationship. 

Manong said he agreed to fund his son’s college tuition again on condition that the latter wouldn’t goof off anymore. “Sabi ko sa kanya, last chance na ’to. ’Di lang naman s’ya ang dapat makatapos...paano pa ’yung iba niyang kapatid,” the cabbie stressed, adding that he has five other kids. 

The son agreed to his father’s condition, and after looking for other universities he could enroll in, he finally settled on Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Manong was pleased that his son and his girlfriend had separated. His son actually finished his degree, this time in computer programming. Aside from his present job in a computer firm, Manong’s son teaches computer programming to college kids. 

Other than his eldest, two other children of Manong’s were able to finish college, largely through the income he makes from driving his cab. One child is now an electrical engineer, and Manong’s eldest daughter works in a call center. (The older kids now help out their father in paying for bills and other expenses with their monthly family contributions.) 

What Manong has accomplished is no mean feat. It takes a lot of courage for people like him to just continue working diligently, and keep pushing his kids to succeed—be it at their studies or in their respective careers. (His wife, Manong said, doesn’t work outside the home. When I pressed him on this, he insisted, “Aba, marami pong gawain sa bahay!”) 

I was to find out later that his wife also keeps a tight watch on the younger children, and Manong again proudly told me his son in Grade 6 has just taken the exam for Philippine Science High School—often referred to as “Pisay”) and Quezon City Science High School. “Sinugal ko na po at nagbayad ng P5,000 para sa review classes n’ya. Nung tinanong ko naman at kinumusta ang exam n’ya, sabi ng anak ko nadalian naman siya.”  

I told Manong that Pisay is an excellent school—I have quite a few friends who graduated from there, and most of them are successful in their career. I told Manong if his son passes the Pisay exam, he should allow his son to go there. “Ay oo, ma’am,” he was quick to interject, “libre po lahat doon. At saka may stipend pa binibigay sa mga bata daw.” 

Manong was especially proud of his youngest, now in Grade 4, who he says is the perennial candidate representing Quezon City to Science Quiz Bee contests. “Ang tatalino ng mga anak ko...lalo na ’yung bunso,” Manong said, the pride in his voice, evident. 

As we had already arrived at my destination, I was no longer able to ask Manong about his other child. But it was quite evident that he put a lot of priority on his kids’ education. He wanted nothing more than for his children to go to college and graduate with a degree. 

It was an extremely exceptional cab ride that day. On most days, my cab rides are insufferable as my ears are tortured by loud uncouth radio commentators the cabbies listen to, or schwang-schwang Inglisera radio jocks who ask the most inane questions of their guests. For a change, I had a real conversation with an amazing courageous man. 

Manong Driver didn’t complain about the cards that life had dealt him. He just played them. No government dole-outs for him...he just drives his cab, brings his passengers to their destination and deals with them honestly. Most of all, his entire existence is driven by the desire to give a better life for his kids. He was inspiring. 

*** 

Most people think that courage is best exemplified by a soldier going off to war to fight the enemy. 

But really, it takes on so many forms and manifests itself in many areas of our lives. 

The wife finally walks away from her 20-year marriage to an abusive husband. 

An employee leaves his comfortable cushy job, to set up his own business. 

A woman asks a man 20 years younger than her out on a date. 

A devoted daughter leaves the family home to stake her independence.

Despite his cramping calf, a basketball player joins his team to defeat their opponent. 

The courage to say, “I love you,” or “I’ve had enough of the insults from this boss,” or “I’m giving up sweets forever because of my diabetes”—these may be tiny examples but they are courageous acts nonetheless.

With courage, anything is possible.

(My column, Something like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece on 'Courage' was published on Nov. 2, 2012.)

Travel Bites: Oases of calm in sizzling Manila

IT’S more fun in the Philippines, so says the government’s new tourism marketing slogan.

Here at the BusinessMirror, we definitely agree.

So beginning today, and every Monday thereafter, we will bring you the best of the Philippines—popular tourist spots, as well as destinations off-the-beaten track that readers can visit on short weekend trips, or explore on their grand holiday vacations.

Mark Twain once said, “Nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.”

With Travel Bites, we will stun you with the breathtaking vistas in the country, and put you in touch with the kindness and hospitality of our kababayan (fellow Filipinos).

To every tourist, the Philippines offers a unique experience where one’s enjoyment is measured not only by the spectacular sights, but also by the Filipinos’ own brand of fun and recreation, served up with a whole lot of heart.

(San Agustin Church in Intramuros is a treasure trove of Spanish era art and images. Photo copyright owned by the author.)

Destination: Manila 

So what if it’s hot and humid, claustrophobia-inducing and crime-riddled? Beyond all that, Manila is one of those cities in the world that pulsates with activity from dusk ‘til dawn. There are many establishments that appeal to every kind of tourist, at any hour of the day or night.

Sure, it’s crowded and traffic is a mess, but within its boundaries are also accessible pockets of comfort and calm. There are lush parks, havens of wellness, a myriad of restaurants offering simple fare to decadent meals, and a glorious sunset over Manila Bay to set many a romantic heart’s a-flutter.

Tourists, especially from the neighboring cities are most welcome to join the fun!

Must-sees

Historical tours. The old Walled City of Intramuros offers a glimpse into Manila’s colonial past with its Spanish-influenced buildings and churches, American garrisons and a showcase of items from national hero Jose Rizal’s last days at Fort Santiago. Hop aboard Carlos Celdran’s tours for witty anecdotes of life under our country’s colonizers Walk This Way, or the Mabuhay Tour Guides (Call T# 896-5523/63917-846-5729).

Memories at Manila Hotel. Already renovated for a more modern aesthetic, the hotel lobby with its spectacular chandeliers hanging overhead and a stringed ensemble playing music offers guests a quiet respite from the city’s chaos.

By special arrangement, guests can also take a look at its archives and rifle through old photos and other memorabilia documenting the hotel’s heydays when Hollywood celebrities, politicians and VIPs stayed there. If not occupied, the MacArthur Suite, which the legendary American military general who commanded the US Armed Forces in the Pacific during World War II called his home, also offers a curious slice of history from the POV of a leading WW II figure. (T# 527-0011 for inquiries)

Foodie haven. No other restaurant serves Filipino comfort food as authentic as Bistro Remedios (T# 523-9153). Dishes that always wow the palate of the most discriminating tourist are the Pako at Itlog na Maalat (Fern Leaves Salad with Salted Red Egg), Crispy Tadyang (Marinated Beef Ribs) deep fried to a delicious crispiness, and Gising-Gising (minced stalks of swamp cabbage spiced with small chilis and simmered in coconut cream). 

Art spaces. At the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (T# 708-7827/524-0876), beside the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) along Roxas Boulevard, runs an exhibit of Chilean painter Claudio Bravo’s works produced in Manila in 1968. Also ongoing until December 15 are the latest paintings and sculptures acquired by the BSP, including new works BenCab, Gary Custodio, Rodel Tapaya and other Filipino artists.

Those into plays or musicals must not miss Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater until October 19. For tickets and a list of other cultural events, go to TicketWorld .

(Manila's Chinatown is said to be the oldest in the world. Photo from http://www.tropicalisland.de/)

Chinatown stop. This tiny enclave where Chinese-Filipinos traditionally live is a haven for old-style Chinese cuisine; drugstores selling medicinal herbs and roots; and stores offering delicacies such as mooncakes, hopia, tikoy and ampaw. (Take any jeepney going to Santa Cruz, Manila, and go down Ongpin Street). Binondo is also site of one of the oldest churches in the country—the Minor Basilica of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, or simply, Binondo Church, a baroque-inspired edifice originally built in 1596.

For a Buddhist flavor, visit the Kuang Kong Temple on Kipuja Street to ask special favors from the gods by praying and burning incense sticks. For guided tours of Binondo, contact Ivan Man Dy at Old Manila Walks .

Shop ‘til you drop. Enjoy haggling over China-made toys and gadgets, apparel and accessories and the odd one-of-a-kind curios at Divisoria’s 168 Mall. (Take the LRT 1 to Doroteo Jose, then jeepney to Divisoria.) Music enthusiasts, audiophiles and photographers can head off to Raon Street in Manila’s Quiapo district for cheap turntables, stereo speakers, cameras and photo equipment. (Most jeepneys from any point in Metro Manila have connections to Quiapo.) 

When night falls. Watch up-and-coming musicians and bands, as well as Filipino rock legends at the Hobbit House (1212 Arquiza Trade Center, M.H. del Pilar andArquiza Streets, Ermita), a bar staffed entirely by “little people.”

If gaming is your thing, try your luck at the various Casino Filipino branches in the city: Heritage Hotel (Roxas Boulevard and Edsa), Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel (United Nations Avenue, Ermita) and Hyatt Hotel and Casino (1588 Pedro Gil and M.H. del Pilar streets, Malate).

For a romantic interlude, take a sunset cruise around Manila Bay via Sun Cruises (T# 834-6857 to 58 or 527-5555), then get a brisk but relaxing footmassage by a trained reflexology therapist at MTO Spa (1709 Apolinario Mabini Street, Malate).

Where to stay. Manila Hotel by the bay for the pomp and old world glam; CityState Tower Hotel (#1315 A. Mabini St. Ermita/T#708-9600 to 09) or Cherry Blossoms Hotel (#550 Jorge Bocobo Ext. Ermita/T#708-9901 to 06) for the value-for-money, quality guest service experience.

(Travel Bites is published every Monday in the front page of the BusinessMirror . This Manila piece was published on Sept. 24, 2012.)

A grand plan

(Grand Benedicto, right, and his spouse the former Genevieve Sy.)

BE RESORTS Mactan is one of the most loved hotels in Cebu. Since it opened in 2008, the 161-room beachfront property has been wowing foreign and local guests with its refreshing approach to design and comfortable surroundings. It offers a taste of the boutique hotel lifestyle at very affordable room rates.

The resort (www.beresorts.com) is also fast becoming known as a wedding destination and a venue for all things leisure. Its “Summer Hangover 2012” in May, featuring wakeboarding and other fun activities plus a beach party capping the day’s events, was the talk of town for weeks.

The hotel was built by property developer Enrison Land Inc., a company owned by the Benedictos, a prominent Filipino-Chinese family of entrepreneurs and diplomats.

Its president is Grand Benedicto, 40, the eldest son of businessman and Belgian Consul Enrique Benedicto and his wife Helen Tan. “It was pretty much a given for us to eventually help out in the family business. But this was never really forced on us. My parents are pretty liberal and have been supportive of us in what we really wanted to do. So, no, we were never really forced to work during vacations, unlike our cousins,” he says.

A congenial relationship with siblings
BUT it wasn’t like the Benedicto kids were kept away from the family business—the elder Enrique and his siblings were into hardware at B. Benedicto and Sons Inc.—helping out their father and family patriarch Bernardo.

Grand laughs heartily as he reminisces about playing in the family’s factory with his siblings. “We were not made to work, but as kids we were there [in the factory]. We played there, we ate there. We’d ride the forklift.” It was the mid-1970s and while Manila was simmering under martial law, the Benedicto family was enjoying the quiet joys of Cebu which by then had already grown by leaps and bounds from the earlier seeds of entrepreneurship planted by many Chinese families who had transplanted themselves from their motherland beginning in the late 19th century.

Seeing their father Enrique work so hard and alongside his siblings inspired the younger generation to work as much and harmoniously with one another. Grand recalls that he and his siblings—Bendy, Joy, Mylene and Enrison—would observe their father working very late, then their mom would bring them to the factory to pick him up. Their mother was not a stay-at-home wife either, as she too worked and helped in her own father’s pharmaceutical and hospital equipment business under Blue Sky Trading Inc. She was also “very supportive of my dad. She epitomizes the saying, ‘Behind every successful man is a woman,’” Grand continues.

So even at a young age, there were no dreams of becoming a doctor, an astronaut, or a scientist for Grand. All he ever wanted to be was “successful at a young age. I wanted my parents to be proud of me.”

Being the eldest among the third-generation Benedicto brood, Grand strives to foster the same kind of congenial working relationship his father had with his siblings, with his own brothers and sisters who have also joined the family’s Enrison Holdings, which is mainly into furniture, cement, real estate, and, now, the hospitality industry. It helps that their age gaps are very small. “So we’re pretty much close,” says Grand of his younger siblings. “So that’s one thing going for us. We’re like friends. We can say whatever we want and nobody feels hurt naman. We discuss, we argue a lot, but at the end of the day, everything pans out okay. I think that’s what our parents inculcated in us—how to work harmoniously among siblings.”

(Summer hangover party 2012 at BE Resorts Mactan. From resort's Facebook account.)

Trailblazing into exciting frontiers
OFTEN described as someone “analytical and methodical, with an eye for detail,” Grand is often organized and quick to seize the moment, spotting and grabbing opportunities that present themselves.

As such, Grand has become a “trailblazer” of sorts as he pushes the family business into exciting frontiers. When he joined Berben Woods Industries, for example, he transformed the former plywood and lumber company, into a thriving furniture export business. “When I joined the company, we were mainly doing doors, molding and outdoor furniture. Now, we’re an OEM [original equipment manufacturer]. We do a lot of furniture for Martha Stewart, for example, but our own brand [Berben] doesn’t come out. Our boxes are branded ‘Martha Stewart’ when we ship it out. Design is a collaboration between them and us. About 95 percent of what we make goes to the US.”

He says the Cebu furniture industry has recovered somewhat since the U.S. economy’s collapse in 2009. “I think furniture will always be a part of Cebu. We have been holding up pretty well and the market has generally improved.” For its part, Berben has adopted lots of improvements and changes. “We have made our team leaner but stronger. The company is more buoyant and can adapt to changes faster by doing so.”

Expansion plans
GRAND says his father was “very open and supportive [of the hotel project]. Before I presented this to him, I had already done all the research, and so I was prepared to answer all his possible questions. He gives us a freehand naman to decide what’s best for our businesses. But we respect all his opinions about everything. Of course, he reminds us that in whatever business we pursue, we need to mind the numbers, the profitability.”

Working on the hotel project pushes the artistic and enterprising buttons of Grand. “I think it’s a dynamic business. I would always compare it to the fashion industry. You have to keep catching up on the next trend. It’s never stagnant. You have to be one step ahead of the pack.”

The experience of putting up a hotel was so exhilarating that the family has already decided on opening a second hotel, also on a beachfront property they own, but this time along Alona Beach in Bohol. Construction on the resort has started and is targeted for opening in early 2013.

“This is something to watch out for as we have combined the latest hotel design trends, our vast experience in furniture manufacturing coupled with our hotel management experience, all this set against the rugged beauty of Bohol. We are also in the planning stage for a third resort. Each resort is independently envisioned and provides different experiences with emphasis on the beauty of its location,” he explains.

While competition in Cebu hotels is fierce but friendly, BE Resorts has managed to hold up quite well. “We have our own niche market and will continue to intensify efforts to expand existing markets, as well as start marketing campaigns to enter new ones. We remain committed to providing the best value among the resorts. While we cater mainly to the leisure market, we have also seen an expansion in our corporate market. Overall, we are doing well amid rising competition.”

(Summer hangover party 2012 - from BE Resorts Mactan FB)

What he values most
WHEN he isn’t attending to his responsibilities in the family business, Grand is helping improve the bilateral relations between Romania and Cebu. As honorary consul for Romania, he presents the country’s interests in Cebu, and tries to get a lot of cultural exchanges going.

“Just last year, Mandaue City and Bacau signed a sisterhood agreement. We have officials from both cities visit one another and work on getting more cultural and economic ties going. Although getting from Philippines to Romania and vice versa is not so easy, lately, there are more Romanians visiting the Philippines for tourism or business,” he says.

His alone time, if he has any left, is devoted to his growing collection of exotic automobiles, many of them vehicles he dreamt of owning when he was still a kid. He currently has five cars which include a 1955 Porsche and a 1965 Jaguar, and a 1993 Jaguar.

He is also a member of the PACE Club, an organization of car enthusiasts who drive around Cebu and nearby provinces and sometimes put their cars on exhibit for special occasions. “I’ve always been into cars, first the Matchbox variety when I was younger, then RC [remote control] cars. I think this is where the interest really comes from, it is like living a dream. Finding the parts to complete the cars is really very fulfilling as well. So I take the cars out as much as I can, mostly on weekends. The cars are driven but also polished so they look nice parked in the garage, or clean and shiny when driven out.”

But he underscores that most of his spare time is really devoted to his family which includes his wife, the former Genevieve Sy, and their four children: Enrique III, 15, Giles Nathan, 12, Gianna Adrielle, 8, and Enzo Grand, 6. Genevieve provides the anchor to the couple’s marriage providing ample support to her husband and holding the fort while he works.

“What I value most is family time,” says Grand. “As much as I can, I would spend time with the kids, be it playing basketball, the PlayStation or Xbox, going jet-skiing or island-hopping, driving the cars around town, eating out, traveling or simply staying at home watching a movie together. For me this is the best time of all. This is how I want to relax.”

Now that’s a grand plan.

(This is the unabridged version of my column, dated June 29, 2012. Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. Photo courtesy Benedicto family.)

Things to do now that the impeachment trial’s over

WE followed, perhaps even suffered, the tragic-comic silliness of the 44 days that saw the impeachment trial of the soon-to-be-ex-Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Unless I had to rush stories or was out on a press coverage or errands, I was at home glued to the TV just like everyone else. There I was watching and listening, sometimes my blood pressure rising at some ridiculous remark by some halfwit pretend lawyer, or amused as my favorite senator went berserk, floored by the idiocies she and her colleagues were forced to pay attention to.

There were some days of boredom too, when the testimonies got too technical and uber-lengthy. But I must admit, it made great TV.

But now that the trial is over, what ever are we going to do with our afternoons?!

Well, here are a few activities I put forth, your honors, that can replace the now concluded, often hypertensive Coronovela.

Start saving US dollars. If you want to be well-off like the Chief Justice by the time you reach retirement age, this is one of the best ways to spend your afternoons. What you should do is hang around the foreign exchange center in SM Malls, or your friendly neighborhood bank (you have to know the staff so they don’t toss you out for loitering on the premises), and wait for the balikbayan who want to exchange their dollars into pesos.

Offer them market rates—for this purpose, your smartphone must be well-equipped like a Bloomberg terminal so you can monitor the current trades at the Philippine Dealing System. Since the balikbayan will want a higher rate of exchange versus what SM or the bank will be offering, they will naturally sell their greenbacks to you. (These currency centers often buy dollars at 50 centavos to even a peso-and-a-half lower than the prevailing Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reference rate.)

Open a foreign currency deposit account, and—ka-ching!—deposit your newly bought dollars. In due time, you will also be able to amass $2.5 million through wise money market investing like the Chief Justice! Talk to a private banker to help you carry out a sound forex investment plan. (Note: Hopefully, you are not a government employee, because you now know what can happen if you have a dollar savings account which you don’t disclose in your Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net worth. If you are, then open a dollar deposit account abroad, preferably in the Caribbean!)

Enter law school. We all know who were the real winners in the Corona impeachment trial—it was the lawyers! With lawyers charging at an hourly rate, there is no doubt the rest of us are probably in the wrong business. It’s never too late to enroll in law school and learn to argue the intricacies of Constitutional Law. Imagine how fun it would be if you ever get to practice that with Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago! Gulp! Patay tayo jan!

But who knows, you just might become a congressman or a senator one day, and be influential in crafting vital legislation in the land—like, for example, the propagation of carabaos! Or like just what happened—you might be called to vote on some measure of national and historical importance! Or, heavens, you may even become the Chief Justice! Just be sure when that happens, you are amiable and friendly with your fellow associates, so they would think twice about testifying against you, in case you ever find yourself being impeached.

Learn to Photoshop. Remember all those funny and entertaining posters and memes that popped up on the Internet during the impeachment trial? Many of these were accomplished by tweaking existing photos and just putting one’s own witty take.

Get one of your proficient friends to teach you the basics of Adobe Photoshop, and the rest of the tricks you can learn on your own. (That’s what those free afternoons are for—practice, practice, practice!) Who knows, your own meme may just become the next cyber wonder hit! Just like this:



Return peace to the family, befriend your feuding relatives. Yup, you read it right—spend time with relatives you never liked, or maybe were friendly with you in your childhood, but who have since become cold and distant. Try to get into their good graces again, especially if they have more than enough money to know what to do. (Pay special attention to those relatives who have lots of foreign currency deposits and properties.)

Be dependable especially in their old age. Who knows, your rich relative may actually start appreciating the little things you do for them and leave you the bulk of their wealth. And when his/her own family ends up squabbling over funds and properties, you, being the favorite relative, will still be able to run away with most of the loot. What a small sacrifice to just being always available for them, huh?

Be a heckler. One of the most productive afternoon past times is to go on Twitter, and start ridiculing everything you see or hear. Of course, heckling is an art in itself. It’s not just about calling some government official, panget! when you watch her mouth off government policy on TV sans makeup. You have to have some wit, a commanding grasp of English (or Filipino!), and a wide vocabulary to send your points across. E.g., “She’s pretty...as a pustule!” See the difference?

The most pleasurable, of course, is when you engage in “debates” with your followers or those you follow, especially if it is about a topic of national or historical significance—like why President Aquino should declare June 11, a Monday, a holiday as well! Or, who really owns that Ferrari parked along Salcedo Street. You may soon become a Twitter darling, because you entertain the tweeps with your ridiculous-funny musings! (By the way, follow me on Twitter: @Pulitika2010. I’m no Twitter darling, but I’m a doll just the same. Haha!)

Eat well, exercise properly and get your highlights done the correct way. I cannot help but super-underscore these activities, because who knows when your family will become involved in a scandalous affair that merits national media attention? Always be prepared to look your smashing best, so when those news cameras start rolling, the TV audience will automatically fall in love with you and will decide you and your family are innocent of those unjust accusations.

Exercise every afternoon so you will slim down to a sexy size 6, and go to a reputable salon like Toni&Guy Essensuals to get a really fabulous head job to match your lithe figure. Remember, just because you’ve lived in the US for a while, and you now speak with an American twang, it doesn’t mean you’re really a Caucasian. You’re still Pinoy so super-blond highlights will not always go well with your kayumanggi complexion, honey.

Get rid of your domestic help and do your own housework. Your bank book and nest egg will appreciate you for it. Why spend P3,500 every month—the minimum pay for househelp these days—when you can do a better job of cleaning your house, washing and ironing your clothes, and cooking for your family eh? Besides, remember how Inday broke your favorite Lladro figurine? Que barbaridad!

Tossing the domestic help and doing your household chores every afternoon will help save you tons of money, and pretty soon, you will become a millionaire! If you manage to not switch on the air conditioners as well, despite the sweltering heat of summer, aba! You might just even become a billionaire!

As for me, I’ll probably go back to watching movies—it was a favorite pasttime which I had to put off because of the impeachment trial. Hmmm...I wonder what’s on today? MIB3? Good grief, them again? Born to Love You? Ick. Every Breath You Take? Yowza! Piranha in 3D?! What the…?!

Waaaah! I want my Coronovelaaaaaah!

(My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was originally published on June 1, 2012. Photo of Lito Lapid by Jhett Boroma via Facebook.)

Finding love in the Year of the Water Dragon

(Feng shui expert Marites Allen gave a preview of her 2012 predictions during a recent press briefing at Manila Hotel. On January 22, 2012, the hotel will usher in the Year of the Water Dragon with a Chinese bazaar, fireworks, blessing ritual by Allen, and an exquisite midnight feast at the Mabuhay Palace. The dishes will symbolize luck, longevity and wealth in the coming year. Copyright Stella Arnaldo)

EVERYONE’S still talking about the bombshell that showbiz princess KC Concepcion dropped last Sunday.

Well, I won’t dwell too much on it, since I don’t want to add any more to the noise. And as her mega-mom Sharon Cuneta did say, KC and Piolo are adults. In other words, KC knew exactly what she was getting into.

Of course, like many single, unattached women...KC’s desperate cry about wanting to find true love does tug at the heartstrings. But who, where and how to find it—that’s the big question.

Well, if you ask feng shui consultant Marites Allen about love, she can tell you that she is proof positive of how geomancy can help us single women find Mr. Right. After a failed first marriage back home in Cebu was annulled, Marites says she was able to activate her love life and attract many suitors with the help of feng shui.

She says she found her Prince Charming—an Englishman whose name she declines to reveal due to privacy issues—and married him. That is, “only after I carefully studied his chart!” Marites says she is very much happily married, with a wonderful family life with their four children. What’s more, she now has a great career as one of the country’s top feng shui consultants.

Marites, who is president of the World of Feng Shui Philippines, spoke to the media recently in a preview of Manila Hotel’s festivities to help usher in the Year of the Water Dragon on January 22, 2012.

So, of course I asked her: What can KC do to find that elusive “true love”? (KC, by the way, was born in 1985, the Year of the Ox.)

Marites says that KC’s “best match are those born in the Year of the Rat.” She cites the UK’s Prince Harry (Rat) and his girlfriend Chelsy Davy (Ox)—“they were having an on-and-off relationship but they seem to keep going back to each other.... So an Ox pairing with a person born in the year of the Rat is surely a very good start in finding the right one.”

Marites adds that KC’s best allies or friends are Snakes or Roosters.

But the feng shui expert counsels: “For a very pretty, intelligent and independent lady like KC, surely too many guys are already waiting for their turn to woo her heart. However, it is best for her to enjoy her singlehood and surely, when the time is right, she will find another love.”

Marites assures that love will come a-calling again, especially if “KC activates the southwest section of her bedroom with love charms such as peony flowers or double happiness symbols, such as the dragon and phoenix symbol, etc.”

***
(Just some of the lucky charms and feng shui books available at Marites' World of Feng Shui shops in the metro.)

SPEAKING of Rats, guess who was born in that year, KC?

Well, it’s none other than President Noynoy Aquino, who was born in 1960.

Hmmm...KC and P-Noy? Well, why the hell not?! I think it could be a perfect match!

Both of them are smart, well-bred individuals.

They are currently loveless.

They both belong to respectable families with their feet dipped into politics and show business. So there would be an immediate understanding of each other’s priorities, background, and ways of thinking.

Okay, so there’s a 25-age gap. But maybe a more mature man (accent on the latter quality) is exactly what the young KC needs.

After all, this is a lady who virtually grew up without a strong male figure in her life. It was really her mom Sharon who was both mother and father to her, rearing KC as best as she could.

As for PNoy, he is no stranger to relationships with younger women. His ex-girlfriend Shalani Soledad is 20 years his junior—so what’s an additional five years in the case of KC?

And apparently, he is not intimidated by intelligent, outspoken women, having had relationships with Korina Sanchez, Bernadette Sembrano, Shalani, Liz Uy, Bunny Calica, etc. And KC is the same...articulate, well-read, and with just a touch of the right demureness. (She is actually like a slightly refined version of presidential sister Kris Aquino, don’t you think?)

But more important, KC and P-Noy have compatible Chinese zodiac signs! She’s and Ox. He’s a Rat. Who knows, it may just work!

***
(Manila Hotel Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing will be preparing a delectable feast for the Chinese New Year celebration at Mabuhay Palace, on Jan. 22, 2012. Photo courtesy Manila Hotel.)

KIDDING aside, Marites says the year 2012 brings a “general” risk of illness for those born in the Year of Rat, so the President should watch out. “It is a mixed year, so look after your health. Adjust to a less demanding schedule.”

She advises Rats in general to “focus on mentally-challenging activities, rather than doing the party scene.”

Marites adds that stress will bring tension to a Rat’s life, but his allies “are there to the rescue him.” A Rat’s best friends are Dragons and Monkeys.

To avoid falling ill, Marites advises Rats to acquire a Medicine Buddha Moving Mantra Watch “to create an aura of good health around you.” Also they should place a Brass Wu Lou in the Northern sector of the bedroom “as an antidote to the illness star.”

The year 2012 will be a generally favorable for those born in the year of the Tiger, Rabbit, Horse and Sheep, she says.

According to Marites, the Water Dragon’s power will help push dramatic changes in 2012. It may not mean the end of the world as the Mayan calendar supposedly indicated, but it will certainly be a “year of transformation.”

To indicate how momentous the transformation in 2012 would be, Marites recalled the previous Water Dragon years, the last one occurring in 1952. That year saw the passing of King George VI of the United Kingdom and assumption into office of his daughter Queen Elizabeth II. The first hydrogen bomb was detonated in 1952, ushering in the nuclear age. World War II also came to an official end with the Treaty of Peace signed between Japan and 48 countries aligned with the Allied powers coming into force.

She says although 2012 “will be better than 2011,” the Year of the Rabbit, “it does signify continuing disharmony, with conflicts between governments and social classes, and political and social unrest. There are to be key leadership changes; and social and industrial disputes are to escalate.” 2012 in an election year in the US, France, Russia and India, she points out.

Asked whether this meant a new President for the U.S. next year, Allen said: Yes, [US President Barack] Obama is an Ox (1961), and is slowly losing popularity with the yearly economic challenges in the U.S. So chances are, he may not make it to another term… unless he implements major changes more favorable to the U.S. economy.”

Marites will unveil her other 2012 predictions on January 22 at Manila Hotel’s Chinese New Year celebration. A Grand Chinese Bazaar will be held on the hotel premises featuring different stores selling lucky charms, house decorations and delectable Chinese delicacies.

While the fireworks light up the evening sky, hotel guests will dine on a feast prepared by Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing at the Mabuhay Palace. The dishes will symbolize luck, longevity and wealth in the coming year.

Doomsday enthusiasts believe the world would end on December 21, 2012 because the calendar of the Mayans—a now-extinct indigenous civilization that once dwelled in Mexico—ends on that date. Well, I looked through Marites’s feng shui almanac for 2012 and it does include a 2013 calendar at the back. Whew!

(For ticket inquiries and reservations to Manila Hotel’s Chinese New Year celebration, call 527-0011 local 1108 or 1243.)

(My column, Something Like Life, is published almost every Friday, in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was originally published on Dec. 2, 2011. If you need to borrow the entries and photos on these pages, pls. cite your source. Thanks.)

DOT chief eyed for Monetary Board vacancy

(A day before his resignation, DOT chief Bertie Lim attends the Philippine MICE Conference in Cebu City. Escorting him to the exhibit area is Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia. Photo from Philippine MICECON FB page)

RESIGNED Tourism Secretary Alberto “Bertie” A. Lim is being eyed to occupy the third remaining vacant slot on the Monetary Board (MB), the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Several sources on Saturday confirmed that a recommendation to President Aquino was in the works. On Sunday a source in Mr. Aquino’s official family told the BusinessMirror: “I understand that’s what P-Noy has in mind for him,” indicating that the President had already approved the recommendation.

Lim reportedly has the backing of a number of Mr. Aquino’s own people, especially those from the “Balay” faction of Transportation Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II.

Contacted for comment on Saturday morning, Lim declined to say if he had been offered the job. “I believe it is more proper for P-Noy to respond to your query,” he said.

Asked, however, if he would accept the job if offered to him, Lim said: “It is a job that is less stressful and for which I am qualified to work in. So I would be inclined [to accept it] if it is offered.” Lim is an economics graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University.

The appointment to the MB is being played as a “graceful exit” for Lim from the Department of Tourism (DOT) on August 31, and a reward for his fervent dedication to Mr. Aquino whom he campaigned for in 2010. The tourism chief was part of the regular economic briefing group of Mr. Aquino, “working closely” with the latter even at the Times Street residence.

The appointment, however, could ruffle the feathers of some in the so-called Samar group of supporters of Mr. Aquino.

Lim’s rival for the MB post is former BSP Deputy Governor Armando Suratos, who retired from the monetary institution in December 2010. (UPDATE: Mr. Suratos is currently a consultant to the BSP.)

A career central banker and well-respected in his own circles, Suratos is rumored to have the backing of Sen. Ping Lacson, a distant relative; “brods” Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and Jesuit lawyer Fr. Joaquin Bernas, BSP sources said.

(The other contender to the BSP Monetary Board post is retired Bangko Sentral Deputy Gov. Andy Suratos. He is currently a consultant to the BSP. Photo from BSP)

Suratos studied law at the Ateneo and is member of the Fraternal Order of Utopia in the College of Law, of which Ochoa and Bernas are also members. Ochoa represents the so-called Samar faction of supporters in the Aquino administration.

But in a text message, Senator Lacson said of Suratos: “The name doesn’t ring a bell, and I have no knowledge whatsoever if, indeed, he is being eyed for the position.”

Understandably, BSP insiders are more welcoming of an ex-colleague on the MB, rather than an outsider like Lim. BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. failed to respond to several text messages seeking his reaction to Lim’s rumored appointment. But one ranking BSP official offered his thoughts: “Lim is a good man. But we are talking of the Monetary Board. More serious and specialized stuff.”

This would be the third government post for Lim. His first government job was as director of the Civil Aeronautics Board under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Before his appointment to the DOT, Lim was executive director of the influential Makati Business Club, a keen Mr. Aquino supporter.

Meanwhile, Lim clarified that the President didn’t “ask me to resign.” He had been rumored to be one of three on Mr. Aquino’s list of “headaches,” who only brought him “bad news.”

Retired advertising executive Ramon Jimenez is rumored to be taking over from Lim at the DOT, and was only waiting to be asked by Mr. Aquino, as of Friday afternoon.

‘He was smiling the whole day’
LIM’S resignation, announced on August 12, caught the public—including DOT employees and several tourism stakeholders—by surprise. He said he was doing so for “personal” reasons. “I would like to spend more time with my family. My responsibilities require a great deal of travel and time away from my loved ones,” he said.

A brother of broadcaster Cheche Lazaro, Lim has been married 39 years to the former Carla Campos Abreau. The couple’s children are already in their 20s and 30s, living abroad and pursuing their own careers; one of them is married and now has his own family.

The day before his resignation, Lim was in Cebu opening the MICE Philippines Conference, which was attended by a lot of tourism stakeholders, including a number of DOT officials.

In an interview, a tourism expert who was there said: “[Lim] didn’t look bothered to me. He even posed for pictures with delegates, though I noticed some sadness in his face. But he didn’t act like he was ready to quit.”

A tourism official who requested anonymity, said he and others had no inkling their boss would be resigning the next day. “He was smiling the whole day naman. And was chika-chika to many. He posed for photos until late Thursday night.”

(Participants to the Philippine MICE Conference in Cebu say they didn't notice anything unusual in the behavior of DOT Sec. Bertie Lim, seen smiling in this photo with some delegates from Davao. Only one 'noticed some sadness in his face. But he didn’t act like he was ready to quit.' Photo from Philippine MICECON)

Those who wanted Lim ousted virtually declared him “slow and incompetent” for the job, and had protested his advocacy of an “open skies” policy, later adopted by the President on a provincial “pocket-type scale. “

Also, the tourism chief earlier received flak for having given the go-signal for a failed tourism slogan, “Pilipinas Kay Ganda,” for which Undersecretary Vicente Romano took the fall.

Making enemies
THE Black and White Movement, of which Lim was a member, released a press statement after he announced his resignation, decrying the sinister forces that pushed him to resign.

“In the process of working in the government, Bertie made enemies from powerful vested interests that benefited from a regime of protectionism. And their constant attacks against Bertie made it increasingly more difficult for him to do his job,” it said.

Industry sources said the few vocal protestors claiming to represent the tourism industry had never once owned or worked in a tourism establishment. One who wanted Lim ousted even went to town with the media, but failed to mention that his group lost the bid for the national tourism development plan, the same sources added.

Jose Mari del Rosario, president of Microtel Development Corp., confirmed the staunch anti-open skies lobby to have Lim removed from the DOT. But he said, “that [open skies] policy is starting to benefit the hotel industry, at least in my case.” Del Rosario’s company manages several provincial hotels under the Microtel chain.

He believes Lim to be a “very straightforward and idealistic person. Medyo mahina lang ang personal PR, ‘di politiko like his predecessors”—echoing the assessment of other tourism stakeholders who liked him well enough, but was put off by the tourism chief’s lack of charisma.

“Sometimes he would attend our events,” said a well-known female hotelier, who requested anonymity, “and he would just keep to himself. He doesn’t really mingle with us. Of course, when you’re in tourism you have to be ma-PR!”

Aileen Clemente, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, sees Lim’s resignation as another impediment in the progress of the tourism industry.

“The primary enterprises of the industry put emphasis in having continuity. The average tenure of the past secretaries in the department is two years, which is quite detrimental to the industry. Plans have been made in the past but little of which were geared to have long-term impact. The rest of the public always clamor for good marketing strategies, but to industry stakeholders, this is merely the tail-end of an honest-to-goodness strategic plan that tackles institutional reforms,” she said in a press statement.

“[More] than branding and marketing, there are so many issues that plague the industry. First, there needs to be more effort to remove the downgrading of the [Federal Aviation Authority] and the European ban…. Second, measures must be taken to remove or lessen the numerous hurdles and challenges in the procurement of visas by foreign nationals coming to the Philippines. Third, the government must understand the impact of the double taxation of airlines as well as the charging of the CIQ [Customs, Immigrations and Quarantine]. Fourth, it is essential to plan the various infrastructure that needs to be developed especially in terms of airports, roads, transport systems,” she added.

“Laying the groundwork does not only take time. Being saddled with this responsibility takes patience, organizational skills and leadership to ensure that it creates an effective plan in ensuring the success of tourism in the country. Part of this, Secretary Lim has already done. We just hope that it will be continued by his successor to the post.”

For his part, del Rosario stressed, “People like to put forward their opinions on how the tourism industry should be handled—thinking it’s just slogans or tag lines. But it starts with the proper infrastructure. And that’s what Bertie Lim was doing. Consider his background in running El Nido Resorts as a microcosm of Philippine tourism. It was a ‘can-do’ approach on purely private initiative but to make it work, look at the logistics they had to put in place to make it a success.”

In what now appears to be a flash of prescience, Lim, who was also forced out the Arroyo administration due to his “open skies” stance, told the BusinessMirror in November 2010: “The enemies of reform are still strong. So we expect it to be a continuing struggle.”

(My piece was published on the front page of the BusinessMirror, Aug. 15, 2011.)

(UPDATE): On Aug. 17, in an interview with Karen Davila on ANC's Headstart, Lim said President Aquino delayed taking action against TIEZA chief operating officer Mark Lapid, despite a COA report detailing the latter's alleged fund misuse, due to "bigger political considerations".

The day after, Malacañang denied Lim's statement, saying there was "no selective prosecution of officials".

I dunno if this recent revelation by Lim will affect his chances of being appointed to the Monetary Board. All I know is, the President doesn't take too kindly to criticism.)