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

10 Things You Should Know About Derek Ramsey

 Derek Ramsay on love, sex, lust and indecent proposals

 

Derek walks into the Swatch store in Greenbelt 5 for this interview. Mallgoers walking by whisper and giggle while looking at him. Derek gives them a warm smile, and despite wearing shades, you can definitely feel his famous smiling eyes beaming behind those lenses. By the time the interview ends, a whole crowd is gathered outside the store, with girls, guys, gays, both young and old, eagerly trying to catch his attention and take his photo. As he moves closer and waves to the people, you hear what can be described as screams and sighs at the exact same time. Girls swoon. Derek has that effect. Take note, this is just one store, in one mall, in one city. Derek has this effect everywhere. Here are 10 things you might want to know about Derek Ramsay.

1. Derek has received so many indecent proposals since his blockbuster movie No Other Woman came along.

In the movie, he plays a married man torn between his wife and his mistress. When asked how many “offers” he’s gotten, he shakes his head and says, “Ang dami, and I’ve even been attacked,” Derek reveals. He recently just got home from a Frisbee tournament in Hong Kong, and his cuts and bruises on this trip weren’t from the game, but instead from a mob of Pinays who grabbed him (and some even went straight for his you-know-what!). He gets all kinds of indecent proposals in person, some jokingly, some through text. What do they say? “Pwede ka bang matikman?” Derek shyly says. “It’s been a crazy five weeks,” he adds.

2. He has never been homophobic. In fact, he grew up surrounded by gay people.

In other blockbuster movie out now, Praybeyt Benjamin, where he is the leading man with Vice Ganda, there is a much-talked-about shower scene, bed scene and other intimate scenes. When I asked Derek which of all these was the most awkward, he answers: “None! I think it was Vice who was more uncomfortable!”

He shares that his mom only trusts gays to be their househelpers. His mom’s “sidekick,” Junday, was the only one who knew the code to the family safe — not even his dad or any of the kids. They also had a six-foot-tall cook, Poday, who would run around and spank them. Today, Derek has countless gay friends and he believes they “rule the entertainment industry.” He makes it clear, though, that he may be close to gays but if ever the time comes that he feels violated, he won’t hesitate to “put you up against a wall, and say, ‘Hey, that’s not how I am.’” He has actually done this, in fact.

3. He calls himself a “late bloomer,” and was actually already 19 years old when he first kissed his girlfriend, and (believe it or not) it was his first kiss!

In fact, his parents chaperoned him and his date during his junior prom. For his senior prom he decided to go stag, and went home early that night to be able to wake up early the next day for a golf game with his dad. Back then, he would rather do that than go out for a night of partying or out on dates. Up until when he was 18, for him, girls had “cooties.”

4. His super-fit body was achieved and is maintained with pure discipline. He doesn’t diet.

“Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve always been very active,” Derek shares. He was into swimming, running and other sports that instilled in him the discipline of keeping his body in shape. When he doesn’t get to do his favorite sports, the key to maintaining his abs, arms, chest and everything else is, simply, pushups. “Everyone thinks that pushups just develop the arms, but it’s not just that! You contract your abs so that your back is straight, and you concentrate more on form than the number of pushups that you do,” he explains. He does 100 pushups almost daily, and goes to the gym or a session of plyometrics when he needs it. A quality 30-minute nonstop workout is better than being in the gym for two hours, according to Derek.

5. On sex in a relationship: “It plays an important role but it’s not the most important.”

“I think it is important. It’s when you give yourself to one person, it shows how comfortable you are and how much you trust the person,” Derek opens up. He also makes clear that there is a big difference between lust and love. He says: “Lust will die. You can’t be with somebody just out of lust. Lust and love are two totally different things.” He ends by talking about his girlfriend Angelica Panganiban saying, “What I have with Angel is love.”

5. Derek Ramsay in numbers:

31: His waistline in inches.

180: His weight in pounds. If he is in competing in a tournament, he can go as low as 165. He stands 5’10 1/2”.

10: Pounds he can lose with one whole day of activities. “Everyone doesn’t believe me but then I prove it to them. My body transforms,” Derek shares.

10: Around the number of moles on his body, including what he calls the “mega mole” on his face.

4: Number of cars in his collection (including a 1964 Volkswagen Kombi, Volvo V60, 1967 Mini Cooper, and a Porsche).

6. At 22, Derek ran away from home, and woke up every day not knowing what he wanted to do with his life.

He found himself in the Philippines in 2002 as a favor to his dad who wanted him to join (and eventually run) the family business, Electronic Security. They disagreed on a lot of things in terms of direction for the company; they fought, and so he ran away from their family home in Alabang. In what he calls the most interesting part of his life, he then moved into a run-down, rodent-filled apartment in Quezon City with his now good friend Martin Castro, and became a kanto boy. From pronouncing Caloocan as “Ca-lu-can” to now effortlessly saying the word “nakakapagpabagabag,” Derek learned Tagalog, the ways on the street, and became more wais.

7. It was when he fell sick after eating ocho pares that his reconciliation with his family started, which also led him to find direction in his life.

After eating that particular street food, Derek fell sick and started vomiting blood. His friends rushed him to the hospital where his hand turned blue because of the incorrect way the medical staff had stuck a needle in his vein. His mom visited him in the hospital and, in Derek’s words, “The rest was history.”

That was also when Derek hit a turning point. “I’m going to start doing things on my own, I can’t go back to my dad’s business,” Derek realized. His start in modeling was a lead role in a Close-Up commercial, then projects kept coming and he eventually became a very successful model. He also joined the cast of Eat Bulaga where, he says, “Martin (Castro) would drive me to work!” For a time he played for the Toyota Otis team of the Philippine Basketball League or PBL. He also became a VJ for MTV and a host for entertainment talk show ETK. He has always turned down inquiries for him to act, but he couldn’t refuse the offer of the teleserye Panday, which required him to shoot in Bohol (he loves to travel) and do fight scenes (he loves being active).

From playing a warrior in Panday, to playing Machete in Super Inggo, to getting his big break in a role alongside Judy Ann Santos in Ysabella, Derek never had qualms about playing a supporting role or playing characters that eventually die, and today he is a bankable leading man in both television and film.

8. According to Angelica, his being muscular seems like a front. He likes showing he’s strong but, in reality, he’s a baby you need to take care of 24/7. And though he may seem like a tough guy, he has his fair share of vanity concerns.

After a few seconds of disbelief that he was just “sold out” and a few seconds of laughter, Derek confirms this, saying, “I am a baby.” He smiles with his head down and adds, “I don’t like being alone.” He says that after his games, he says that all he asks for is lambing. Angel takes good care of Derek but he also understands how this trait of his can annoy his girlfriend, since she always warns him about his injuries and aches and pains and bugs him to have them checked, but in the end still allows him to play because it is what he loves doing.

Also according to Angel, Derek couldn’t care less about injuries and scars, but when he has a pimple, “sira araw niya.” To which Derek bursts into laughter. He is quick to retort that Angel reacts exactly the same way when she has a pimple, and even shares that she has a “pimple popping kit.” He shaves his head (razor: Uno) once a week, and makes sure he takes a shower and most importantly washes his face before he goes to bed.

10. On marriage: “If Angel wants that, I will give her that.”

He shares that he has the perfect marriage to as a role model, because his parents have been married for 30 years. “I don’t think I have to rush into it though because Angel still has a lot to do in this industry and I don’t want to hinder that,” Derek adds.

He declares that he has never cheated on Angelica, and thinks that he is constantly labeled a babaero because athletes are labeled such. “I’ve been an athlete all my life and even when I was in college they would say that if you’re in the rugby team you’ll get the girls, or if you’re in the basketball team you’ll get the girls,” Derek explains. He says that the great thing about their relationship is that they let each other grow and they don’t set rules or restrictions for one another.

He ends by saying this: “With all the intrigues that have been thrown at us, we have been blessed in so many ways.”

Things didn’t happen overnight for Derek. His enduring relationship with Angelica was worked on through time, his closer-than-ever ties with his family took years to happen, and he didn’t reach his matinee idol status overnight. And in a generation where impatience is common and everything is “instant” — instant coffee, instant messaging, instant stardom — you can’t help but feel that those who genuinely worked hard for what they have in life truly deserve it. Derek Ramsay is an example of that.

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/742268/derek-ramsay-love-sex-lust-and-indecent-proposals

10 Things You Should Know About Liz Uy

She is known as the top celebrity stylist, or that “super fashyon” girl, or as the ex-girlfriend of John Lloyd Cruz or the woman who President Noynoy Aquino dated. Because of what she does and the man she went out with, Liz has become a household name, with random people on the street calling her by name or asking to have their photo taken with her. She often still says, “I can’t believe kilala nila ako.” She styles cover shoots but is now a cover girl herself. Everyone wants to know what her fashion opinion is. And people want to know about her love life. This is the story of a girl who so many people are intrigued by, and why. Here’s 10 things you should know about Liz Uy.

1. The most important fashion advice she wants to share with men is “to always look and be mabango.” The most important fashion advice she wants to share with women is “you should never be lazy.”

For men, Liz says, “Even if you don’t really dress up, you just wear jeans and a shirt. If you are so mabango, it is so attractive.” On the topic of women having “unfashionable” days, Liz says, “Why?” She insists that women should make that extra effort to wake up a little earlier every day to fix themselves up. The most fashionable men for her are Hollywood actor Ryan Gosling and local model-slash-entrepreneur Borgy Manotoc. With women, she admires European editors Emmanuelle Alt and Giovanna Battaglia, as well as young stars like Emma Watson and Elle Fanning.

2. Liz believes that there is no such thing as a “fashion no-no,” but fashion victims do exist.

She explains that for her, there are no rules in fashion. “Gold and silver? Check. Stockings and open-toe stilts? Check. Brown and black? Check. Print on print? Check. It is about the right kind of mix. I can’t explain further, but I can show you how,” Liz shares. She does have a definition of what a fashion victim is. She says it is someone who follows fashion blindly, meaning somebody who can’t define their own sense of style and just follows all the trends, all at the same time.

3. Liz Uy in numbers:

500: approximate number of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) messages she sends a day. “Never less than 500,” Liz says.

93: number of lipsticks in her collection.

4: average number of shoots she styles a week, whether it be for advertising or for Preview and Esquire, for which she is currently fashion editor-at-large.

3: number of years that she and John Lloyd were together, it being her longest relationship ever.

3: number of dates that she and P-Noy had at McDonald’s. Liz would like to clarify rumors and say that the three dates were in the Pearl Drive branch, F. Ortigas Jr. branch, and Greenbelt 1 branch. (They had these three public dates plus a couple other private dinners.)

345,811: number of Twitter followers as of Oct. 21, 2011.

4. She went from HRIM student to editorial assistant to fashion editor to top stylist, and from sporting baby tees to wearing gorgeous gowns.

Liz took up hotel, restaurant and institution management in the College of St. Benilde in the hopes of becoming a restaurateur and club owner. “That’s one thing people don’t really know about me, I’m super ‘Monica’ in Friends. I cook, I sew, I clean, I wash the dishes, I design my place,” Liz reveals. Her college boyfriend was extremely conservative and didn’t like her fixing up too much. When that relationship was coming to an end, she started wearing makeup and dressing up, and discovered that fashion is what she is really interested in.

Everything changed in 2004 when she did a photo shoot for fun. She bought clothes from an ukay ukay, got her brother Vince to be the photographer, and got her friends Kelly Misa and Anne Curtis to be the models. Vince then sent the photos to Pauline Suaco-Juan of Preview magazine, and the next day she was called in for an interview (she was wearing a green cotton shirt, high-waisted pencil-cut skirt, three brooches which was her mom’s, and peep-toe shoes.) At the very end of that interview, Pauline asked her, “How soon can you start?” From editorial assistant, in only six months, Liz was promoted to associate fashion editor, and after just two years was again promoted to fashion editor.

Liz Uy, the super fashyon girl, cover girl and shoe-perb stylist: She dreams of becoming a fashion mogul like Rachel Zoe

She not only credits talent, hard work and taste for her quick rise in the industry, she also says luck was a big factor. “It was my time when celebrities started requesting stylists,” Liz shares. Today, her regular clients include Kris Aquino, Anne Curtis, Marian Rivera, Bea Alonzo, among others.

5. It took over a year for Liz and Ruffa Gutierrez to patch things up, and all Liz was waiting for was an apology.

When news of Liz and John Lloyd’s breakup came out, at the same time, rumors of a relationship between John Lloyd and Ruffa circulated. When that ended, Liz recalls one time she and Ruffa bumped into each other at an event. Ruffa said to her, “Girl, let’s move on,” to which Liz asked, “Why are you saying sorry now?” Ruffa answered, “Who says I’m saying sorry? I’m not.” Liz then stopped the conversation, thinking: what use is there in talking if no apologies are given? A year after that incident, Liz and Ruffa bumped into each other again at an event. Ruffa then said, “Liz, I’m sorry.” At that time, Liz was very much over the whole thing and even teased Ruffa, “Hmm, parang di ka naman nagsisisi eh!” They sat down to talk more, and Liz told Ruffa, “It’s nothing now. Things really happen for a reason, ang tagal na, and everyone has moved on.”

Liz also makes a surprisingly ironic revelation that the first-ever celebrity who requested her to be a personal stylist was Ruffa.

6. Liz on why she is still single: “I don’t know, I’ve been told I strike men as intimidating. But honestly, I don’t really care if they are intimidated, it shouldn’t be my problem if they are.”

She shares that no one really comes up to her here in Manila, which is the exact opposite of when we travel because when we’re abroad, so many guys go up to her to try and get her attention. Liz reveals that one of the men who did express interest before was now-Rep. Roman Romulo (ironically, now engaged to Shalani Soledad, who was in a relationship with the President before Liz and Pnoy started dating). “He called me, called Gang (Badoy), called Erwin (Romulo), called the owners of companies I’ve worked with,” but the meet-up never pushed through because Liz doesn’t do blind dates. For her, it’s not a matter of “This is the kind of guy who deserves you” or “This guy doesn’t deserve you”; Liz believes that when it’s love, it’s love. And she is willing to give her all in the name of love. She’s done it before (read: John Lloyd) and she’ll do it again (man yet to be found).

7. The reason why things didn’t work out between her and John Lloyd is that they “were too young to be living together.”

It has been three years since they broke up and looking back now, she says she realized so many things and can think of three things to say about why it didn’t work out. First, they were really too young. Second, she would not advise couples to live together at that young age (they were around 23 then) because it is too suffocating. “At that time, I was so in love that I wanted us to be together all the time,” Liz shares. Lastly, she shares that she became too demanding.

Today, Liz and John Lloyd are good friends. When they bump into each other in public, they say “hi,” they hug, and they catch up on stories.

8. She promised good friend and first sister Kris (Aquino) that for everything to stay peaceful, she won’t talk about the President anymore.

“If I say something, people might take it in a different context, iba-iba ang interpretation, so para peaceful na for everyone, I’ll just keep my mouth shut,” Liz shares. Being Liz’s friend, I was actually witness to a lot of their moments together and what I feel I can share is that when they were going out, they enjoyed talking to each other and they made each other laugh; sometimes when P-Noy would pick her up for dinner, he would be driving the car himself (of course with backup cars and security not far behind); and that when he would come home from official trips, he would bring simple pasalubong home for Liz.

After they dated, to avoid any issues, Liz ceased to be the personal stylist of the President.

9. At the time she was seeing the President, she did try to imagine what it would be like to be First Lady, and in her mind, the airport would be on top of her list.

In her mental picture as First Lady, making the Philippines more beautiful would be her top priority, that being her line of work. “There is so much we can do. Unang una na diyan yung airport, to help the tourism industry,” Liz reveals, being an avid traveler herself. “When we travel, we get inspired by everything we see, and we should show na kaya din ng Pinoy yun.”

10. Liz dreams of becoming a fashion mogul like Rachel Zoe, hopefully with her own book, website, and possible business. She dreams of doing all this, while being a dutiful wife and mother.

“Housewife with a pet project,” Liz says about her dream. She doesn’t think she will ever want to give up the career that she loves, but she reveals that she wouldn’t mind staying home with the kids or living abroad, if the need may arise with her future husband.

For Liz’s closest friends, they say her best trait is her sense of humor, her compassionate nature, her “cowboy” style. These make her a joy to be with. With me, Liz often shares her insecurity about her legs, how she can’t believe that all these important people seek her advice, or how she doubts that this certain guy will notice her. I think it is because she is so unaware of her charm and beauty, and how she doesn’t think of herself as an “it girl” that she is all the more charming, beautiful, and “it.” She works hard, loves what she does, takes care of her family and friends, makes the most of the talents she has been blessed with, and in return, life loves her back. Something we all can learn from.

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/739944/liz-uy-ill-just-keep-my-mouth-shut-noynoy

10 Things You Should Know About Ted Failon

Ted first applied to ABS-CBN twice and was not accepted. It was when he tried a third time that he finally got the job as a desk editor in 1990.

On radio and TV, he has a unique way of delivering the news and gives informed and witty commentaries. In person, he is simple as simple can be, very low-key and unassuming. Known to be a private person, he politely begged off having his photo taken during the interview, but agreed to behind-the-scenes shots during his live newscast. He smiles and laughs much more off camera than on camera.

We usually do not know much about the personal lives of journalists, but one of the things we do know about Ted’s personal life is the tragedy his family went through in 2009, when they were involved in a controversial case over the death of his wife Trina. Failon’s life has been filled with enough experiences for two or more lifetimes, and here are 10 things you should know about him:

1. Ted was once a room boy, waiter, construction worker, tsinelas vendor, tricycle driver, disc jockey, and was, most of the time, a working student.

His dad Jose was a jeepney driver and his mom Josefina who was a market vendor. Mario Teodoro Failon Etong was born and raised in Tacloban City, before moving to Manila where he eventually started his career. While in school, he had to work to help his parents, which was also how he developed his people skills and his gift of gab. He recalls these memories with fondness and shares a few stories. On the time he was 15 years old working as a waiter, “Nagtataka yung mga customer na kapag dumating yung order nilang fried chicken,parang may bawas. Kinakain kasi namin.” And he proudly shares that he was part of the “first batch ng room boy sa Tacloban Plaza.”

When Ted got married in 1983, he had to quit school and work full time at a local radio station. Not taking for granted the importance of education even when he was already working, 11 years after he left college, he enrolled at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and two years after, in 1996, graduated with a degree in broadcast communications.

2. When he was starting out in ABS-CBN, he practically lived in the network’s compound, sleeping in the janitor’s quarters every night.

“I was so eager to be in any network in Manila. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na kapag binigyan ako ng break, gagandahan ko at aayusin ko talaga ang trabaho ko,” he recalls. Doing his job as a desk editor from 4 p.m. to midnight, a radio show from 2 to 4 a.m., then often pinch hitting for the 4 a.m. show of the late Lito Villarosa, and sometimes even also for the 5 to 8 a.m. show of KabayanNoli de Castro, Ted found it “sayang sa pamasahe at sa oras” to go home every day. So he literally lived in the office for almost the whole week, and went home on Sundays. Ted first applied to ABS-CBN twice and was not accepted. It was when he tried a third time that he finally got the job as a desk editor in 1990.

3. Before ending his first year as a Congressman, Ted already talked to his ABS-CBN boss Gabby Lopez to ask if he could come back to the programs he had left as soon as his term would end.

With over two years left in his term, he told his boss “parang di ko yata ito kakayanin, pag umuuwi ako ng distrito ko para akong ATM machine eh.” He shares that with all due respect to other politicians, he has two reasons why he felt Congress was not for him. First, he says, “No matter how good your intentions are, or how great your advocacy is, at the end of the day pagbobotohan yan and if you don’t have support of the majority, ingay ka lang dun.” Second, he shares, “Ang dami nilang parang obligado kang buhayin mo sila, and when you refuse to heed to their demands, they will say ‘lilipat na kami sa kabila.’”

When he found out he could return to broadcasting, in 2004, he finished his term and all his projects in the district, and declared that he would not run again. No regrets though, because he was able to apply what he learned as a politician saying, “Pag nag-interview ako ngayon ng Congressman, di nila ako pwedeng bolahin.”

4. Ted Failon in numbers:

21 — His age when he married his wife, the late Trina Arteche-Etong, with whom he has two daughters (Kaye, 26, who works in TV production, and Karish, 15, a junior high school student).

2,600 — Amount of pesos a month he received as his first-ever salary at ABS-CBN.

45 — Awards received for broadcasting in radio and TV.

1 — Ballpoint pen that he uses in his signature move, placing his pen in his coat pocket after the closing spiel of “TV... (wait for it) Patrol!” He has been using the same Cross pen on the main newscast ever since he returned in 2004.

15 — Days a year he is allowed to go on leave.

14 — Number of newspapers he reads every morning.

5. On the issue of bribery in journalism, Ted says, “these PR guys know kung sino ang pwede nilang suhulan at sino ang hindi.”

He gives this direct quote and statement: “Yung industriyang ginagalawan namin ay maliit lang. Everybody knows everybody. At yung mga PR operators, maliit lang din na grupo yan. They know, among us, sino ang kanilang kaya, sino ang nasa kanilang payroll. Let them speak sa usapin na ganyan. I don’t want to pass judgment on my colleagues.”

He adds that if you are a keen follower of radio commentaries, you will know who is corrupt versus who is incorruptible.

6. Broadcaster Gabby Aurillo was the one who inspired him to try to make it big, and “Kabayan” Noli de Castro advised him, “wag kang mahiyang ilabas ang talento mo.”

Gabby Aurillo was a local broadcaster and the professor of Ted at the Divine Word University in Tacloban. Gabby became an anchor for Channel 9 news in Manila, which made Ted and other aspiring broadcasters in Tacloban look up to him. He said to himself then, “kung kaya ni Gabby, why not subukan ko din.”

Former Vice President Noli de Castro was the one who really helped Ted get his big break. When Kabayan would be absent from his radio or TV shows, he would insist that Ted be the one to sit in for him. “Pati kurbata ko kanya, at kung kasya lang sa akin Amerikana niya, siguro ipapahiram niya din yun sa akin,” Ted fondly recalls. Kabayan encouraged Ted in his work, and not once did Ted ever see unkindness from his mentor. From broadcasting to politics and back to broadcasting, things have come full circle for these two colleagues and good friends.

7. Ted’s good friend and long-time colleague Korina Sanchez on their one-in-a-million tandem: “I joke that after two decades of seeing each other every day in our morning radio program on DZMM, he is like a work-husband!”

Ted is the only boy in a brood of four children, and Korina the only girl in a brood of five. In what seems to be a partnership made in broadcasting heaven, they formed a real and deep friendship in a very competitive industry. Their list of award-winning hit programs include Hoy! Gising, Pulso: Aksyon Balita, Tambalang Failon at Sanchez, Harapan and TV Patrol. According to Korina, they share the same sense of humor, have similar advocacies, and they grew together both personally and professionally. According to Ted, “naiintindihan ko siya, yung mood niya, yung temper niya, at naiintindihan niya ako, yung mood ko, yung temper ko.”

8. He turns to books for answers.

On his office desk was the book Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know by Meg Meeker, which he has read cover to cover to help enlighten him on how to deal with his daughters. They may not give him answers when he asks them “May nanliligaw na ba sa iyo? May nambu-bully ba sa iyo,” but he seems to be doing fine because his eldest daughter Kaye shares that the best thing about her dad is “his capacity for acceptance and understanding.”

On the set of TV Patrol, beside Ted’s chair and retouch kit was the book Pananampalataya written by his good friend Pastor Joey Umali. On the cover it read “Buhay na pag-asa sa pag-ibig ng Diyos” and inside, the bookmark he used was a photo booth shot taken of him and his daughter. He would read a few lines during commercial breaks.

Off camera, Ted’s executive producer Irene Javier-Manotok reveals that Ted is a very spiritual person, and that he once advised her that we should kneel when we pray. “I don’t want to be preachy about it, but I discovered so many things when I became more spiritual,” Ted shares. When asked what Bible verses are his favorites, he effortlessly recites chapters, passages, and lines, citing the books of Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Habakkuk and Philippians.

9. He still finds himself asking questions about the fate of his dearly departed wife Trina.

“Meron pa rin sa aking mga low moments, meron pang panghihinayang. Bakit kinakailangang mangyari? Bakit kinakailangang humantong sa ganun? Hindi pa rin nawawala yun,” Ted opens up. After that incident, he shares that “life is too short,” which is his life philosophy. We should enjoy it, we should do what we can to help others, and we should do what we want for ourselves, because no one knows what will happen tomorrow.

10. Ever since he and his daughters lost his wife, Ted declared one most important, basic rule to his family: “Errors are accepted in this home.”

“Lahat tayo nagkakamali,” Ted declares. And he reaffirms his two daughters by telling them, “Kapag nagkamali ka sa anumang desisyon mo, sa anumang ginawa mong bagay, mali man ito sa mata ng lipunan, sa ibang sektor, sa ibang tao, nakagawa ka man ng hindi tama.. Bago mo kausapin ang kaibigan mo, barkada mo, sa takot mo na magagalit ako, hindi dapat ganun. Dapat ang una mong kakausapin, ako. Tatlo tayong mag-usap, kasi wala ka nang ibang uuwian. Pag nagkamali ka sa labas, you seek refuge sa bahay. Tanggap ka dito, dahil bahay mo ‘to. Yun ang rule number 1.”

For this family man and passionate broadcaster, life is simple. He does not have more than one credit card (he has one foreign card for when he travels, which he hardly does), he does not bring his wallet to work because “wala naman akong inaasahan na bibilhin ko,” and the one thing he wants to achieve more in life is to see his youngest daughter Karishma graduate college. They say that there really is no sure “secret” to success, but in the life of Manong Ted, simplicity, humility and hard work seems to be what brought him straight to the top.

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/737454/ted-failon-waiter-tricycle-driver-newscaster