10 Things You Should Know About Kenneth Cobonpue

Kenneth Cobonpue: Politicians should not play architects and urban planners

So inspired: Kenneth Cobonpue has furniture designs inspired by a crushed Coke can, a croissant and even Yoda.

For the set design of the Hollywood film Ocean’s 13, a few pieces of unique, rattan weave furniture were ordered. The producers and directors at Warner Brothers liked the pieces so much that they ordered whole collections from him, so that everything on the set was made by just one designer. When Brad Pitt stepped on the set, he instantly recognized the furniture, saying he knew who designed it because he owned a few of those, too. After filming, the group auctioned off the furniture among themselves and even ordered more. These pieces can also be seen in some of the most exclusive resorts in Greece, Spain, Mexico, Dubai, Maldives and even in the home of Queen Ramia of Jordan. This world-class luxury furniture is proudly Philippine made by Cebu-based designer Kenneth Cobonpue, and here are 10 things you should know about the man who has been dubbed “The Rock Star of Philippine Design.”

1. Kenneth, along with other top Filipino designers Budji Layug and Royal Pineda, worked on a re-design plan for NAIA I, offering all services pro bono. A few days ago, they got a call saying that they won’t be doing the project anymore.

Way before news broke of the Philippines having one of the worst airports in the world, eight months ago, Finance Secretary Purisima, Budget Secretary Abad, and DTI Secretary Domingo asked a small, influential group of Pinoys (that included Josie Natori and Fernando Zobel) what they could do to help the country in terms of imaging. They went to Kenneth’s showroom, took a look around and said, “This should be the face of the modern Philippines.” From then on, the three designers completed a proposal to renovate NAIA I into a “boutique airport,” specialized in terms of design and service, and they would do everything free of charge as a way of giving back and helping the country. “From inside, you look out and see glass, trees, canopies, it’s very tropical and Asian-inspired,” Kenneth shares about their vision.

Just recently, though, they were told that their services won’t be needed anymore, and that the original architect of NAIA I, National Artist Leandro Locsin, will be the one to work on the project instead. People have begun to express angry reactions, and Kenneth says, “We all just want transparency.”

2. Brad Pitt owns a total of seven pieces by Kenneth, and the two of them are actually collaborating on a huge design project soon.

“Brad Pitt is a design collector, he can talk to you about every single item in his home,” Kenneth shares. Pitt purchased items made by Kenneth around three years prior to the Oceans movie.

Pitt owns a green design company, and when he was planning this project promoting sustainable materials, he told his team that he knew a designer from the Philippines who did this kind of work. Two months ago, one of Pitt’s people showed up in Kenneth’s Cebu showroom and said, “Brad Pitt told me about you, and so I’m here.” They are currently working together on a (secret) project, and though they have scheduled to meet up several times, he says he will meet Pitt in person soon.

On the famed Voyage bed that Brad Pitt owns, Kenneth shares: “That was the only piece of furniture he had shipped from the US to their home in the south of France.”

3. Kenneth Cobonpue in numbers:

27: Number of countries that his furniture is distributed in.

15,000: Amount in dollars of his most expensive furniture.

1: Number of years it takes to create a piece of furniture, from idea to actual finished product.

2: Number of children, both boys, Julian, 14, and Andre, 11 (both showing interest in design and “building things”) with his German wife Susanne.

4: Number of siblings, all living abroad, and none of whom (except for one sister) owns a single piece of his furniture!

4. He has won over 20 design awards locally and internationally, but back in school, he did not pass the exam to get into the UP College of Fine Arts.

He attended college in UP Diliman taking up a business degree, and after two years, he figured it wasn’t for him and instead he wanted to take up design. Since he didn’t make the grade, he went back to Cebu to again learn the basics of drawing, before moving to New York’s Pratt Institute to take up industrial design. After graduating, he wanted to stay and work abroad, but had to go home when his father passed away to take over the family businesses. One of which was furniture.

For Kenneth, the most prized award out of all that he has received is the Design for Asia Award. It is usually awarded to industrial products like Sony, Hyundai, Samsung, “But that year, they awarded it to a rattan chair,” he shares with a smile. The Lolah chair is so far the only Philippine winner of this award.

Ironically, a few years ago, he was invited to talk at the commencement exercises of the UP Fine Arts College.

5. In international exhibitions, he is almost always given an obscure space “where hardly anyone sees it,” Kenneth shares. This year, he told organizers that he would make a car out of rattan, and they said that if he could do it, they would give him a space front and center. And he did it.

Being a vintage car collector, Kenneth was inspired to make the Phoenix roadster, a biodegradable concept car made of bamboo, rattan, steel and nylon. This first and only bamboo car in the world was one of the most talked-about pieces in the Imagination and Innovation exhibit in Milan, Italy in April this year. He and his team worked on it day and night for 10 days, sharing that it doesn’t run but “it rolls,” and an electric engine is the next step.

With great designs seem to come many copycats. In fact, Kenneth has to go to court once or twice a month to defend his designs from those who blatantly copy them. Between getting flattered and getting inis, he chooses the latter, saying “I’m not happy about it, but I try to think that I’m contributing to the progress of Philippine design.”

On originality, he likens the world of design to the world of music where remakes are a constant: “What’s the point if you can’t offer a fresh alternative or do it better?”

6. On finding inspiration: “It’s like a sport. When you do it a lot, you get better at it.”

Kenneth is known for drawing inspiration from the most ordinary things. He has furniture designs inspired by a crushed Coke can, a croissant, and even Yoda. The challenge there is, “If something appeals to me, I have to make sure it also appeals to you.” He explains that there must be a common fascination or a universal feeling evoked for the concept to work. “Finding inspiration in things is a discipline,” he shares, adding that he wasn’t born with this skill, but he worked hard to develop it.

7. On the problem of bad urban planning in the country: “Politicians should not play architects and urban planners.”

He believes it can still be fixed. He cites The Fort and Greenbelt in Makati as ideal examples, saying, “Without the Ayalas, Manila would be a concrete dump.” On how to solve the problem, he explains: “When a mayor can decide in a particular province how the roads should be or where certain buildings should go, that’s the worst. I think they should leave it to professionals to do it.”

8. Aside from making a mark in the field of industrial design, he believes the Philippines can also make it globally with fashion and food.

“Definitely,” he exclaims. “Monique (Lhuillier) is already an American brand as much as it is Filipino,” he says, emphasizing that we should have more designers and brands that are well known internationally, but still Filipino. He adds that Filipino food is so underrated and that we can market it to be cuisine that is in demand internationally like that of the Thai or Vietnamese.

On the problem of “brain drain” and Filipinos wanting to work abroad, Kenneth shares that he has also been dealing with that issue. “That’s the problem of the creative industry here, after you train them, they leave.” His wish for those who do leave is to learn and get better wherever they are in the world, then come back. “They do that, many have,” he shares.

9. Being well traveled all his life, Kenneth shares some of his favorite places in the world:

Most inspiring: Milan, “during the Design Week in April.”

Best food: Tokyo

Best shopping: Milan

Most culturally-rich: Nepal. He adds: “In a lot of places like Morocco and Bali, the display of culture has become so commercial.”

Most beautiful design-wise: Munich, Prague, and in Asia, Singapore

10. It is his greatest advocacy to put the label “Made in the Philippines” on all things proudly crafted by Pinoys, and in the early 2000s, he had no orders for two years because of this mentality of his.

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, the Philippines would export a lot of handicrafts but it would always be labeled a generic product or under a different brand. Kenneth changed all that 12 years ago when he insisted that his name and logo be put on his pieces, saying “this is made in the Philippines.” For two whole years, he didn’t get any orders and though he did think of changing his strategy, he stuck to it, persevered, and now, many dream of owning a piece by Kenneth Cobonpue. “I think it’s just difficult for them to believe that luxury can come from a Third World country,” he shares. But we can.

Around four years ago, international luxury label Fendi carried his furniture in their home line Fendi Casa. “It was great in the beginning. But when you put your brand in a bigger brand, you’ll always be pushed down, and so I learned from that and pulled out all my furniture and said, ‘No more,’” Kenneth reveals.

He actually has gotten more offers since. Kenzo wanted to put his Bloom chair in their collection and label it as a Kenzo product. Kenneth said, “But wait, you have to put my name on it,” and Kenzo refused because that’s not the way they do things, so Kenneth declined the deal as well. He had another offer from Louis Vuitton, asking if they could work with him on their home line, but since they also refused to put Kenneth’s name on it, he also declined that deal.

* * *

I strongly applaud Kenneth for changing the way Filipinos see design, and for changing the way the world sees Filipinos. He holds dear to him a handwritten letter and clippings sent via snail mail by a Pinay OFW caregiver based in Israel. She wrote: “I’m just so happy you’re doing what you’re doing because my employer thinks that all Pinoys are good for just domestic work. Then I saw this newspaper where you were featured and I showed it to my employer saying, ‘Look, there’s a Pinoy featured in your national newspaper,’ and you did good.” Kenneth believes so much in the talent of the Filipino that when I asked him if it’s a big deal that all these luxury labels want his work, with both humility and pride, he says, “Not really. It’s like, I’ll get there one day, where you are. We’re no different. You just have a hundred years ahead of me, I’ll get there slowly.”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/752045/kenneth-cobonpue-politicians-should-not-play-architects-and-urban-planners

10 Things You Should Know About .Maria Ressa

Maria Ressa: Courage makes a woman sexy

 

Not in the news is bad news: “I don’t want to not be a journalist,” says former CNN bureau chief and ABS CBN News head.

When asked in a past interview how powerful she was, Maria answered, “I’ve gained some pretty powerful enemies.” She’s interviewed some of the most influential and controversial people in the world. She’s looked into the eyes and minds of murderers and terrorists. She’s headed massively powerful news organizations. She’s won over 25 local and international awards. She was cum laude at Princeton. But when you talk to her, you get this sense of idealism, enthusiasm and humility as though you’re talking to a fresh journalism graduate. Just 1,800 words is not enough for all the life lessons and opinions she has to share, but here are 10 things you should know about Maria Ressa.

1. It was actually friend and fellow top broadcaster Che Che Lazaro who she recommended to be the on-cam talent for CNN, but Maria was the one who got the job.

When CNN came to Manila they were looking for a reporter, and Maria reveals, “I offered them Che Che!” At that time, they were working together on Probe where Maria was a producer. “In fact didn’t want the post,” she reveals. She was at the University of the Philippines on a Fulbright Fellowship, with no experience of on-camera work, but in the end she felt she was the one chosen because she “was young, cheap, smart, and I spoke English with an American accent.” With no training whatsoever, she went straight to the field. Her boss told her she looked like she was 16 (she was actually around 21 at the time) and that she should wear makeup, a suit, and drink brandy to lower her high-pitched voice.

“They’d call us at 2 a.m. and say, “Go to Pakistan by 6.” You wake up, you go find a visa, you do a live show as soon as you land,” Maria recounts. She says the whole CNN experience taught her to never take “no” for an answer. She spent 18 years with CNN, heading the Manila and Jakarta News Bureau.

2. On the real reason she left her post as head of ABS-CBN News: “Ultimately, if you don’t see eye to eye, either you do what your boss wants, or you leave.”

She makes it clear that there is no bad blood, sharing, “I love Gabby (Lopez).” They each had their vision of where they wanted to go, but at the tail end she felt that her leaving was the right time for her and the right time for ABS-CBN. She spent six years building the organization, and four years into it, she realized she wasn’t doing any real journalism work, “and I don’t want to not be a journalist,” she shares.

“I felt that something was fundamentally changing in the world, and what the job of the head of news demanded was someone who was going to stay and fix these problems,” Maria shares. She is currently finishing her book, From Bin Laden to Facebook, and is spearheading social media news group Move PH.

She doesn’t think she’ll ever join government because “It’s more fun to be a journalist.”

3. “Every president is a reaction to the last one,” Maria strongly believes.

The 25-year journalist shares her thoughts on our presidents.

Ferdinand Marcos: Cunning and intelligent.

Cory Aquino: Sentimental, inspirational and “the angel to the devil’ but didn’t have the nuts and bolts to really bring about the reforms that needed to happen at that point.”

Fidel V. Ramos: Not flashy, but got the work done and “turned out to be an extremely efficient, goal-directed president.”

Joseph Estrada: Fun, represented a certain machismo in our culture, was “inclusive but wasn’t a visionary.”

Gloria Arroyo: The technocrat who “knew what she was doing, but if you look at the potential of what we could’ve achieved in nine years, you can certainly say there was room for improvement.”

Noynoy Aquino: “Again, he’s a reaction to Gloria Arroyo.” A good man with values, but, she asks: “Okay, next step?”

She shares that all sides can keep throwing rocks at each other, but who cares? “The problem is, we’re still here, and who can do something about it? We’re waiting. Where is the government that will give us what we deserve?”

4. Her take on why the Philippines isn’t moving forward as it should be: “We’ve been so personality-driven that we’ve sacrificed our institutions.”

It is her frustration that every new government that comes in takes out people with experience, and brings in new ones without experience. It makes more sense to keep people who know the job. She cites Indonesia as a case in point.

“What did they do when they kicked out Suharto in 1998? They took out the top, and they kept everyone in place until elections,” she points out. When she asked why they weren’t changing people in power, they answered “Why? This maintains the institutions.” Sure enough, during the next elections, the people too close to Suharto and those who didn’t share the peoples’ ideals were voted out. “You allow the vote to happen,” Maria concludes.

On the Arroyo hold-order situation: “I could be wrong, but President Aquino’s government has been in office more than 500 days, they could’ve filed a case against her that would prevent her from leaving, but they didn’t. At some point they decided that she couldn’t leave. Legally, they violated her right to travel. There is a constitutional clash. Who will be the one to decide? It’s public opinion again.”

If personalities continue to prevail over our institutions, “We’ll keep winding up in the same place which is where we’ve been for 25 years.”

5. Her take on our first step to move forward: “Everyone knows what is right and wrong and too many people stay quiet when the wrong thing is being done.”

“We need to feel that we are responsible for it if we do not call it out,” she adds. As social media becomes bigger and bigger in our country, it has the power to spread the following: Terrorism. Fear. But also hope. Maria shares: “If corruption spreads through social media, we can also counter it. If we spread that within our networks, and share the action they can take for it, then we begin to change reality.” She believes our greatest strength as a people is that we are hard working, patient, caring and giving, and that when you put Filipinos anywhere in the world where the system is good and institutions are strong, we perform really well.

6. Maria Ressa in numbers:

250: Number of pages in her book, Seeds of Terror.

23,686: Miles she flew within 12 days just last week, traveling to 10 cities, giving a total of five talks.

6: Number of siblings, her being the eldest. She has three sisters, one brother, and two Vietnamese foster brothers who escaped Vietnam by boat and stayed in First Asylum camps in the Philippines.

8: Number of musical instruments she plays.

10: Number of cities she lived in for three months or more.

7. She is constantly trying to make our country better for future generations, but doesn’t see herself having her own children to pass that on to.

Even on the thought of adopting, Maria shares, “I work too hard, I’d be a really bad mom, unfortunately. I can’t even keep a plant!” She shares that her great dream is to see real progress in our country where institutions become strong. She treats her Probe team, her ABS-CBN group, as her “babies,” and says that “If I had my own children, I wouldn’t have been able to throw that much of myself into my work.”

8. In 2010, she was hailed by US Esquire magazine as the Philippines’ sexiest woman alive, but what Maria finds sexiest is courage. “I get drawn to people who work for a vision of the way things should be.”

Her friends call her a serious cookie, but for fun, Maria likes playing instruments, watching movies (Inception is her current favorite), and reading books (she loves Milan Kundera). When not wearing suits, she likes wearing jeans and a shirt.

As to which cliques she was part of back in school, she says she was a nerd. But she was quite active! She played basketball (she was the point guard), did theater, was in the chess club, played softball. She was never part of any school publication.

9. A look back at some of her most memorable interviews:

Most charming: “Bill Clinton. He’s larger than life. He’s smart, substantive, and in control. The US made some mistakes in East Timor and I threw him the question expecting him to sidestep it, and he said ‘You’re right, we could’ve done this better.’”

Most surprising: “Gloria Arroyo. Seeing what happened after nine years in office was so disappointing, for me personally, but I think historically it shows how power can isolate.”

Most touching: “Suharto was an interesting one. After he fell from power, and was under house arrest. It was humbling.” She adds: “There’s a man in Samar, I keep going back to him. Every time a typhoon hits, his house would get torn down. And every time we would arrive, he would be sitting there, smiling.”

Most abrasive: “Lee Kuan Yew. But not in an offensive way because he was smart. He’s a control freak.” In every interview with him, the room has to be 65 degrees Fahrenheit, “for optimal performance.”

A dream interview she still wants to happen: “Ramzi Yousef, one of the main perpetrators in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He lived in the Philippines and trained the Abu Sayyaf. I put in a request every month for a year to Colorado Super Maximum Prison. The US won’t give me access.”

. On the future of journalism in the Philippines: “Now, everyone is a journalist. We have to move up and offer analysis, context, the ability to encapsulate the story.”

She says that we can take advantage of new technology, specifically, social media. “Before, journalists only used to write about what people do, but now, we can crowd source action,” citing ABS-CBN’s Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo Campaign as an example.

She points out, “I’m tired of just writing about weak institutions. I can take what everyone else is feeling and we can do something together to actually help strengthen that weak institution.”

* * *

“The more you do the right thing, the harder it is to do the wrong thing.”

“Never judge. Step in their shoes.”

“You cannot succeed if at some point you haven’t failed.”

These are just some of the countless inspirational quotes from Maria. The usual “dream” of a Filipina woman is to be a good mother or wife with a successful career. While the former isn’t part of Maria’s list, I personally am thankful that modern-day heroes like her exist, who devote their lives to pushing the country forward and making change happen. Without revolutionaries like Maria, where would we be? And seeing people like her compel you to ask yourself, “What have I done for the country?”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/749773/maria-ressa-courage-makes-woman-sexy

10 Things You Should Know About Ely Buendia

Ely Buendia on being a dad: 'It's everything'

Ely Buendia, the UltraElectroMagneticPop icon, believes that people can fall in love and stay happy forever.

I greeted Ely a late happy birthday (he turned 41 last Nov. 2) as he welcomed me into his super-cool home in Parañaque, wearing a black shirt, jeans and barefoot. I was told by friends that he is kind of shy and doesn’t talk much at first, which was quite daunting, considering I am writing this 10-point article. He may seem very serious and is quite intimidating, but close friends say he’s very kind, generous, loving, and even jolly. Always mysterious and interesting, I was full of speculations about what he really was like as a person — luckily I got to do this interview. He shared stories, smiled and laughed a lot. Here are 10 things I talked about with Ely Buendia.

1. Ely is considered a Pinoy rock icon and was part of the legendary group Eraserheads that Francis Magalona called “the most significant OPM band of Pinoy rock,” but he doesn’t even consider himself a “rock” person.

“I consider myself a pop songwriter in the sense that all my writing skills were gathered from listening to pop,” Ely shares. He believes that rock is just a sub-genre of pop, and pretty much everything we listen to falls under “pop” music. The earliest memory he has of singing is of learning Bicolano kundimans like Sarung Banggi from his parents who used to sing around him. He grew up listening to Rico J. Puno and Diomedes Maturan, and as he grew older, Elvis, Bob Dylan and the Beatles. He wrote his first song Unstrung Heroes when he was 14, and updated and recorded it years later. He considers the Beatles to be the best songwriters, admires how their music evolved without losing their audience, and names Ringo as his favorite Beatle because “Siya yung pinakamasaya.” When asked if he ever listens to boy bands, he actually starts singing a few lines from Backstreet Boys’ Quit Playing Games and says, “I like that.”

2. The fastest song he ever wrote was the massive hit Ang Huling El Bimbo. He wrote both the lyrics and the melody in under five minutes.

“Sabi nga nila the easiest ones are the best ones,” Ely shares.

His favorite song: “I tend to be biased about that, I like the most recent ones,” Ely says. His favorite song right now is an unconventional love song titled TNT.

Song he sang the most times: “Alapaap. I’m still singing it,” Ely says.

Song he feels he should’ve sung more: “A lot!” he exclaims. “I think my career would probably have taken a different turn if I was the one who actually chose the singles for release because I prefer the underappreciated songs,” he reveals. Hula is one of those special songs.

His most confessional song: Poor Man’s Grave, which he wrote when he was in high school and was depressed and unhappy with his life.

On his songwriting process, he shares: “I usually start with the melody, and most of those come at a time when I’m just sitting around.”

3. On the best thing about being a dad: “It’s everything.”

“I like the fact that it gives you a perspective,” Ely says. He shares that his life totally changed after his first child, and after his second child, he started to fully enjoy fatherhood. When asked what his kids inherited from him, he laughs and says, “Some of the bad traits!” He reveals his daughter Una, 19, is “always super agitated,” and son Eon, 11, is “super sensitive.” On what important life lessons he wants to teach his kids, Ely shares “I want them to be confident, to not stress too much about life, and to have fun.”

4. On love: “I do believe that people can fall in love and stay happy forever.”

At the age of 41, he sees himself somewhere between people who have turned cynical about love, and those who are romantic, passionate and hopeful about love. He says writing a song is the most romantic thing he’s done for a woman, and reveals that the most special of all would probably have to be Toyang, a song about teenage love which he wrote for Una’s mom Vicky.

His long-time manager, Diane, is also his former partner, the mother of his son, and was a much talked-about figure during the controversial breakup of the Eraserheads. “I used to think it was impossible that people who were together, then separated, could still work together,” Ely shares. In their case, they just chose to be mature about it and set their priorities straight. He reveals that he did consider getting another manager at some point, but they surpassed that stage and today, they enjoy this “harmonious” relationship as manager and talent and as parents to Eon.

5. On what is baduy and a turnoff: “Nababaduyan ako sa mga hard sell. Actually anything “hard.” Trying hard. Trying too hard.”

He says his main consideration in accepting projects and endorsements is if he will be allowed artistic license on how it will come out. When asked what he thinks of the influx of reality singing searches, he says, “There’s not enough!” He adds: “Hearing people sing and watching them perform is the best thing in the world.” On the topic of qualities that attract him to a woman, within a second he says “sense of humor,” and adds, “I’m drawn to people who are just steady.”

6. Ely Buendia in numbers:

9000: Number attached to his twitter id @elybuendia9000, because he is now his “latest, newest, best version,” Ely explains.

500: Amount in pesos he paid for the first guitar he ever bought in Raon when he was 19.

2: Dogs he currently has — Teevie, a Boston Terrier, and Orion, a Japanese Spitz.

10: Number of minutes his band Pupil was allowed to stop traffic to be able to shoot on a seemingly deserted EDSA for the music video for 20/20.

13: Number of albums recorded in his 22-year career.

200,000: Number of Eraserheads’ “Cutterpillow” albums sold, making it his best-selling album, going five times platinum.

Ely quips: “I don’t really like numbers.”

7. In 2007, Ely suffered a heart attack. He calls himself a philosophically changed man, changing his way of thinking more than his eating habits.

He shares that he doesn’t want to be strict in his diet, considering some people can be vegetarians but still suffer some fatal illness. Exercise is part of his rehabilitation, and brisk walking is his exercise of choice. He reveals that he is now more pragmatic, is trying not to be so passionate (“Because sometimes that’s bad for you,” he says), is trying to be more positive, doing as much good work as he can. “I think that’s the only thing a man can do after being given another chance in life,” Ely says.

8. He describes his fans as being just like him (“Tame but weird”), which is why they are drawn to him. On the other hand, he has also had fans literally throw stones at him, and some who even “killed” him through text.

He shares that he doesn’t really have female fans who throw themselves at him, and in his opinion, “It’s not about the rock star, it’s about the music.” One of the toughest times he had dealing with fans was when the Eraserheads disbanded. His band after that, the Mongols, had fans that went to their gigs just to throw rocks at them. He turned things around by trying to put himself in their shoes and says, “If I was a music fan and a hero or music idol of mine did something that I did not agree with, I would also be very violent about it.”

On more than one occasion, hoax texts spreading news of Ely’s death circulated. The latest one made him say, “Next time na may magkalat pa na patay na ‘ko di na ‘ko maniniwala.” He shares that you have to have a sense of humor about such morbid pranks, and calls it the “pinnacle of meanness” that someone would actually make that up. He reflects, however, “Well, if I died today I wouldn’t mind kasi I’ve done so much and I’m really happy.”

9. When asked now whether he feels he left the Eraserheads at the “right time,” Ely says, “I would’ve done things differently, and definitely would’ve done it sooner.”

“Siguro right after the third album, at the peak, I should’ve quit,” Ely reveals. (The E-heads released seven albums between 1993 and 2001.) He believes in quitting while you’re ahead. He recalls that the decline of the record sales — and the fun — just happened naturally, and goes on to say that if he had left earlier, “It would’ve saved everyone a lot of pain.”

10. During the much-anticipated reunion concert of the Eraserheads in 2008, as soon as the stage revealed the four members and the crowd went wild, despite everything that had happened between them, Ely, Marcus, Buddy and Raimund realized this was all bigger than them.

He reveals that things may have been awkward during the first rehearsal, but that “When you start playing, it all comes back, and all the other goes away, and it’s just four guys playing the music.” Ely agreed to do the concert because, for him, it was a win-win situation. “I was really hoping it would close the book on everything and that it would make people happy,” he shares. He says that for a time, he was really putting much effort into trying to make a different mark, and preparing for that concert was great because he was doing something without effort for a change. He goes on to say that it is always good to go back and reminisce: “That concert was a super nostalgia trip and everybody was really happy, including the four of us.”

When asked if he thinks he would ever work with them again: “I’m not discounting it or I’m not saying never. Parang Justin Bieber.” Never say never.

* * *

After my interviews, I usually ask for an autograph in my notebook. Ely wrote: “Thanks for the wonderful set of questions,” as if he hasn’t been interviewed hundreds of times before. Ely is one of the most desired men in the country, but he claims to have been “basted” more than once back in high school and college (and he says he doesn’t know how to court girls). He is an iconic figure of this generation, but doesn’t walk around acting like he’s the sh*t. He seems to just do what he loves doing, and fame, fortune, acclaim, and a loyal following just pleasantly happened to come along with it. Definitely not hard sell nor trying hard. Effortlessly cool.

Ely says that he wrote the song 20/20 with the loss of innocence in mind, as though looking through a child’s eyes. A lot of us definitely wish that we could see the world through Ely’s eyes.

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/747021/ely-buendia-being-dad-its-everything

10 Things You Should Know About Chris Tiu

Chris Tiu believes in chastity before marriage

My friend Roch has been a huge fan of Chris since his Ateneo basketball days. When asked why she likes Chris so much, she says, “He’s someone that you can say is the perfect guy and the man you would love to introduce to parents and friends.” She enumerates: he is intelligent, athletic (and emphasizes that its rare to find those two traits together in one guy), comes from a good family, is wholesome, religious, charitable, friendly, and well rounded. She does make sure to ask, “What’s his flaw? Parang perfect eh.” What could it be? Fan girls of Chris may or may not know the items below, but here are 10 things you should know about Chris Tiu.

1. He bashfully smiles at the thought of people calling him “perfect,” and shares that in his honest opinion, his flaws are his being impatient and passive.

“I’m not very patient, I get ticked off with small things,” Chris shares. He reveals that he has an obsessive-compulsive side and that he has a daily schedule by the hour. So when things run late and he’s not where he’s supposed to be at a certain time, he gets impatient and tends to lose focus.

He also admits to being passive when he should be more active: “Sometimes, when people’s opinions are already offending people who are close to me, I tend not to fight back, I just keep quiet about it. It’s my nature as a person, I’m not confrontational.” He acknowledges that there must be a limit, and that there will come a point that he will have to make a stand. He admits he tried to please everybody when he was younger, but as he grew older, he realized that you can’t please everyone. “Sometimes, I try to be too nice,” Chris reveals.

2. Chris doesn’t smoke, drinks on occasion but has never gotten drunk, has never tried any kind of illegal drug, is turned off by pornography and believes in chastity.

Chris doesn’t smoke, but he did try it once. Who made him try it? His mom! She does not smoke at all, but “she wanted me and my siblings to see how terrible the feeling was, and it worked, I didn’t like it, and I never smoked in my life,” Chris shares. He drinks once in a while with friends, and scotch with Coke is his drink of choice. He admits to having gotten tipsy more than once, but never drunk to the point of vomiting and not remembering things the day after. Some acquaintances have asked him to try taking drugs, and he politely says, “No, thanks.” He has seen pornography in print and on video because of friends, but says: “Personally, I get turned off with it, I can’t stand it.” He is strong in his faith and believes in chastity before marriage, saying, “The consequences are just very detrimental and I don’t think it’s worth it.”

So what’s his vice? “I don’t think it has to be a bad habit as an outlet, it can be traveling, doing new things, meeting new people,” Chris explains. He does admit to biting his nails, picking skin and hair on his face, and his brother Charles reveals that Chris “sleeptalks” (“at minsan, galit pa”).

3. He was told that he was too small to play professional and even international basketball.

Chris was all-around athletic since childhood. His mom made him try out many different sports, from swimming, to horseback riding, badminton, table tennis, golf, and basketball. It was in fourth grade when Coach Ronnie Mutuc spotted him playing basketball just for fun, and asked him to try out. Coach Ronnie personally called Chris’s house and talked to his mom to convince her to make him try out. He made the grade school team, won championships, went on to the high school team, got recruited to Ateneo, and is now going on three years with the National Team. “Basketball was really the sport that gave me the opportunity to pursue it, that’s why I’m here,” Chris shares.

4. It’s national pride that made him choose to play for the National Team over the PBA.

During the last PBA draft when some were hoping Chris would be drafted, he chose to stay with Smart Gilas. Many wondered why, and he says: “I guess it’s because of the jersey that we put on, which has the word Pilipinas on it and the flag, it gives a sense of pride,” adding, “I’m not totally closing my doors on the PBA, but for now, I’d rather just stay with the National Team.”

5. One of the most touching things a fan has ever done for him was when a Japanese woman flew over a thousands miles just to watch him play.

In this year’s Jones Cup in Taiwan, a woman in her late 40s gave Chris bread, chocolates or bananas after every game. Apparently she had no Filipino blood, was pure Japanese, and saw him in the Jones Cup a year before. They finally got the chance to meet and talk during the awarding ceremonies.

All the letters, collages, albums and gifts his fans have given him are placed in special boxes in his room.

6. After the “cockroach-in-the-cup” controversy hit his store Happy Lemon, business was not affected at all; in fact, sales still keep going up.

A few weeks ago, an alleged customer of milk tea brand Happy Lemon reported through social media that they had found a cockroach in their cup. The accusations were not proven to be true, and business is still doing well. “Generally the trend is still upward, people want to try it and are talking about it,” Chris says. They found milk tea to be a staple in Hong Kong, Vancouver and other cities, and Chris and his business partners hoped it would do well in Manila. So far so good because with three stores open, this month Happy Lemon will also be opening in Megamall and TriNoma.

7. Chris Tiu in numbers:

Fanfare: “If we make it, I think I can move on…”

8: Current jersey number in the National Team. In Ateneo, he wore 17.

3: Average number of hours a day spent training.

60-plus: Number of Jay Chou items he owns! Chris is a huge fan of the Taiwanese singer, and his collection includes Jay Chou CDs, movie and concert DVDs, caps, matches, stickers, cards, concert tickets, posters, piano pieces and other paraphernalia.

109: Number of blogposts since he started blogging in May 2008 on http://chris-tiu.blogspot.com.

109,689: Number of fans on the Chris Tiu Facebook Fan Page as of Nov. 3, 2011, set up by his supporters, the Tiunatics.

1: Total girlfriends he’s had, ever.

8. He sees his current girlfriend Clarisse as the one he will end up with.

Chris has always preferred to protect their privacy and not talk much about his long-time girlfriend Clarisse, a 26-year-old investment banker, with the public. “As much as possible, I keep her out of the limelight, I don’t want to give people the chance to gossip about her,” Chris shares. He does share however that he met her in sixth grade, courted her when they were in seventh grade, when she didn’t like him (he says he was “chubby, with crew-cut hair”) and gave him a hard time, and they officially got together in their third year of high school. He reveals that since they got together, there were times that they’ve taken a break from the relationship, but never more than a few months. When asked who, between them, initiates fixing things up, he said it was “pantay,” sometimes he did, sometimes she did.

Years ago, during those times they were on a “break,” he was linked to actresses Anne Curtis and Maxene Magalona. I asked him how, despite being linked to different girls and despite being the center of attention of so many fan girls, he’s able to reassure Clarisse of his loyalty and love? “Actions speak louder than words, it’s a matter of communicating well, spending time together and with our families,” Chris says. He finds it hard to share just three things that he loves most about his girlfriend and asks with a smile, “Can it be more?” He beams, “She’s understanding, smart, funny, she’s very grounded, and of course she’s beautiful.”

9. Chris is now 26, and sees himself getting married before he hits 30.

In an interview for The Philippine STAR in June, 2010, Chris shared that his ideal marrying age is 30. During our interview, when asked if that has changed, he says, “Maybe a little earlier.” Chris explains: “I feel there is so much more good I can do as a married man. God has given me so much blessings and I feel I can share it more through marriage.”

Since he has only had one girlfriend since high school and has never been single for a long time, he has been told many times by friends that he might regret not enjoying the single life before settling down. To this, he answers, “Whatever age you are, if you’re really the type of guy who enjoys being a bachelor, you’ll be a bachelor forever.” He shares that he’s the type of person who’s more settled and would like to start a family early, pointing out that he is lucky to have found the right person. “Sayang naman ang genes ko,” he shares with a laugh, and says he dreams of having little Chrises soon. Maybe three to five he says.

10. The usual retiring age for Pinoys in professional basketball is 35, but Chris does not mind retiring way earlier. Possibly even 29.

“I just want to try to put the Philippines on the map in terms of basketball,” Chris explains. He shares that the next major international tournament the Philippine Team will join is the World Championships in 2014, and that the qualifiers for that is in 2013. Asia has three slots for that, and Chris reveals, “If we make it, I think I can move on after that.”

In five years, he sees himself married with one kid, with his businesses hopefully continually expanding.

Chris is a professional athlete, a businessman, a TV host for values-oriented programs, an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity and World Vision, as well as a Barangay Kagawad in Makati. He is all that, plus a very nice person too. It is human nature for people to try to find flaws in others, maybe because we hold on to the saying “Nobody is perfect.” (Yes, I am sure he doesn’t have six toes on one foot.) I think Chris just seems to make the most out of what he has and the talents he’s been given, is always thankful and grateful, all of which makes his imperfect life as perfect as it can be.

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/744617/chris-tiu-believes-chastity-marriage