Iloilo City's Dinagyang Festival: The Religious Sadsad @ San Jose de Placér Parish Church

It's the feast day of the Santo Niño, the Child Jesus, whom the Catholics in the Philippines worship and celebrate every January.

The Sto. Niño is at the center of the most popular festivals of Cebu, Kalibo and Iloilo Cities in the Philippines, where the locals organize and hold extravagant parades in His honor.

     (The San Jose de Placer Parish Church at dawn)

A year ago, I was lucky to have attended the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City, and the night before the main festival competition, a religious sadsad was  held after the Holy Mass celebrated in the honor of the Sto. Niño at the San Jose de Placer Parish Church. This church is located right in front of the Plaza Libertad of the city, and the religious sadsad was held in front of the church to accommodate the thousands of devotees.

(Parish priests welcoming parishioners to the church)

(Those chandeliers bring 'light of a million mornings')

'Sadsad' is a Visayan word that means dancing, and a religious 'sadsad' is a religious activity, where devotees dance and sing to express their gratitude and devotion to the Sto. Niño. This activity is both a religious and a cultural tradition practiced by devotees of all ages.

The San Jose de Placér Church has seen history for more than 400 years. The site of the church was put up in 1607. Its belfries were built in the 1890s with the help of Ilonggo laborers.

The interiors of the San Jose de Placér Parish Church were impressive! With all the illumination inside the church during the festival day, the grandeur and beauty of the church would overwhelm any new visitor like me. 

The giant chandeliers lining up the ceilings along the nave reminded me of the song 'Light of a Million Mornings' because the hundred light bulbs from these chandeliers spread so much brightness that it literally felt grand and heavenly inside this place of worship.

        (A welcome banner at the Plaza Libertad 
                    in Iloilo City, Philippines)


But it was the religious sadsad in front of the church that fascinated and enthralled me. Even before the Holy Mass for that Saturday night finished, thousands of people carrying their Santo Nino's of all sizes - from baby Sto. Ninos to child-sized ones - all in different fancy costumes and colors, were already gathering outside the church.

With prayers and chants, the devotees danced, sang and raised their Sto. Niños to the tune played by loudspeakers next to a small stage on the right side of the church, where a big Sto. Niño was also standing and being regularly wiped by handkerchiefs brought by the devotees. 

              (A video of the religious sadsad)

         (The huge crowd of devotees in front of 
                the San Jose de Placer church)


The devotion to the Sto. Nino dates back to the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines, almost 500 years ago, when only a handful of natives were converted to Christianity. 

Today, the devotion and veneration of the Child Jesus have grown even more, with religious festivals and processions being held all over the Philippines just to celebrate the feast of the Child Jesus.

          (Another video of the religious sadsad)

Those who attend the religious sadsad not only ask for graces and pray to the Sto. Niño for their wishes to come true. They also dance to express gratitude for the blessings they receive all year-round.

I won't be able to join this year's sadsad in Iloilo City, but just let me include my prayers for the Sto. Niño - prayers of gratitude, continued blessings, peace and safety for me, my family, my friends, and for those who need them.

       (Hands raised in devotion and supplication)

Viva Señor Sto. Niño!

A Pinoy @ The Movies: Ang Larawan

During the Christmas holidays, I tweeted the SM Cinemas and Robinsons Cinemas asking them as to when they were going to screen Ang Larawan (The Portrait) here in Bacolod City (in the Philippines) because, unlike the other films participating at the Metro Manila Film Festival, this film was pulled out from the cinemas because it wasn't as popular as the other films in the festival. 

Luckily for moviegoers in Bacolod City, both cinema chains finally screened Ang Larawan in the first week of January! 

As expected, and worthy of being awarded the Best Picture trophy during the festival, the movie was fun to watch. No wonder my friend Roselyn, who lives in Hollywood but watched the film in Makati last month, wanted to applaud after every number. From the production design, to the music, libretto and dialogues, and the voices of the lead actors, this musical is a must-see. Forget the other trashy MMFF movies. Yes, it's time we educate the moviegoers to watch the films that really matter. 

Today's moviegoers don't need to pay at least 200 pesos to watch trashy comedies in cinemas. All they need to do is switch on their TVs to watch poorly-made, poorly-acted, poorly-written Filipino television dramas that, to me, are comedies pretending to be dramas.

It's time we had better films, not only during the Metro Manila Film Festival, but all year-round.  

Ang Larawan, which was based on an English play written by the Philippine National Artist for Literature, Nick Joaquin, titled A Portrait of the Artist As Filipino, is set in the pre-WWII Manila, where two unmarried sisters fight off their two other siblings from selling their ancestral house in the charming Old Manila.

As to how it all happened and ended, you need to listen to the music, watch the acting, and admire their voices. I have an issue with the lead male though. Paulo Avelino's voice isn't exactly made for singing. Instead of music, I was hearing noises. Although he was probably hired because he was handsome and could draw the younger moviegoers, he was a miscast. 

I am sure there are other young, male actors who could sing out there. Piolo Pascual comes to mind, but he was probably very expensive. Forget Coco Martin; he could carry a handgun and shoot a target while tumbling, but that guy couldn't carry a tune even if it meant saving his family in Ang Probinsyano. Would Gary V. or Martin Nievera count? How about Jed Madela? Jake Zyrus?

And another thing. Zsazsa Padilla portrays a conga singer. But when she showed off her conga skills, she was shaking her shoulders like she was trying on a new bra. Again, I am sure there are singers out there who can sing and dance properly at the same time. Verni Varga, anyone? Sultry, sexy, and a real performer! They could have gotten Dayanara Torres. They could just have made her look Asian-ish, train her to sing a few bars, and she'd shake her shoulders like a real conga dancer! After all, she wasn't called a 'dancing queen' for nothing.

And Rayver Cruz as Zsazsa Padilla's partner looked like he belonged elsewhere. He was actually in my hometown to celebrate the opening of a new mall last year. He didn't belong in the movie; he belonged there. At the mall.

And if you saw the movie, remember the opening scene where the two sisters served tablea tsokolate to their male guest? It reminded me of my mother's tablea tsokolate at home.The old tradition was, if you served pure tablea tsokolate to the guest, he or she was welcome and would be seen by the master of the house. If you served diluted tsokolate, that's a message to the guest that he or she wasn't welcome at all and had to leave.

The two sisters served pure tsokolate. So does my mom. Ha-ha-ha!

I wish they make more Filipino movies like Ang Larawan. It's very educational, telling the new generation of what it was like before when the world was charming and peaceful. When everyone had manners and decency. When everyone enjoyed a cup of tablea tsokolate, played the piano at home, and sang like they meant it. :-)

Airline Review: Bravo, Asiana Airlines!

Seven years ago, I flew to Tokyo from Seoul and decided to take Asiana Airlines. And since it was my first time to visit Japan, I figured I should see Mount Fuji!  Unfortunately, my holidays were limited and I could not travel outside of Tokyo to see the most famous peak in Japan. But there was another way!

I did some research and I found out that the flight route from Seoul would fly over Mount Fuji! So, when I was buying my plane ticket, I asked the Asiana Airlines staff to seat me on the window that would allow me to see the famous mountain.

And did you know what she did?

To make sure I got the correct seat, she called a pilot!

The same thing I would do! In case of doubt, ask!

And I was able to see Mount Fuji without having to leave Tokyo!

And this time, seven years after I was impressed, I had to run again to Asiana Airlines for a ride home!

You see, I waited for the last minute to get me a plane ticket home for Christmas as I wasn’t sure of my schedule. So, when I started calling travel agents, it was already late! All I got were fully booked flights and expensive plane fare responses.

                (Incheon International Airport)

Armed with my passport and my Asiana Airlines membership card, I headed to the Kumho-Asiana Building in Gwanghwamun area in Seoul. This was the same area where Pope Francis celebrated a beatification mass in 2014. When I got there, I was told that the flights from Incheon International Airport to Cebu International Airport from mid-December until the 31^st were all fully booked. I didn’t believe her. An hour before, I visualized that I would be able to get a seat, and what she said didn’t even register; I knew there was seat for me somewhere.

She checked again, and this time, she said there was a seat, not in the economy class, but business class! I then asked her whether my mileage amount was enough. And she said “Yes!”

That was the moment I realized my visualization technique actually worked! Ha-ha-ha!

This was the singular moment the universe conspired to help me!

A week before I decided to get my ticket home, I received tennis rackets that my friends living in Seoul donated. I planned to bring them home so I could give them to the kids whom I taught tennis as a volunteer. But with the limited baggage allowance, I thought of postponing bringing them to the Philippines.

          (The Asiana Airlines check-in counter 
            at Seoul Station's Airport Railroad 
                      Express Terminal)

But with this business class ticket from Asiana Airlines, I had a 32-kilo, check-in luggage allowance! The tennis rackets were flying home with me!

So, on the day I was to fly home, I ditched using the airport limousine bus because it was snowing and the traffic was bad. If it took me almost two hours to get to the airport on good weather, it would probably take me three that day.

And thanks to my friend Andrew, who gave me a lift to the Seoul Station, my trip to Incheon International Airport was a breeze. I simply bought a discounted express train ticket (discounted because I had an airline ticket), checked in my luggage and tennis bag at the early check-in counter of Asiana Airlines at the AREX terminal (how convenient for the passenger!), and took to my assigned seat for a 43-minute train ride to the airport! All I was carrying were my handcarry bags! I already got a boarding pass!

When I got the airport, I didn’t waste any time. I immediately headed to the Immigration Gate. As expected after the final security check and Immigration, my legs were complaining. It was a long walk from the AREX train terminal up to the pre-departure area. It was time to lounge!

After presenting my boarding pass at the entrance of the Asiana Airlines Business Lounge, I went inside and picked a quiet corner where I intended to spend the next four hours in solitude and nutrition! Ha-ha-ha!

I actually asked the lady at the lounge entrance whether they had pizza; sadly, there wasn’t any. But they had fried rice, tofu in spicy sauce with vegetables, a salad bar, different breads, porridge, nachos with cheese dips, and mini-cookies! I was especially happy that they had regular Coke!

  (Nibbling on nachos with cheese dip at the lounge)

As I experienced before, Asiana Airlines’ impeccable customer service started at the ground. From the very helpful lady at the Asiana Airlines’ ticketing counter, to the available check-in at the Seoul Station which made everything very convenient, and up to the business lounge facility which any tired traveler would appreciate, this airline obviously thought through the whole passenger experience.

              (Asiana Airline's Business Lounge)

Although our flight was delayed by almost an hour, I didn’t mind as my connecting flight from Cebu International Airport to Bacolod-Silay Airport was at 8AM the next morning. Whether the flight was early or late, I still had a lot of waiting at Cebu.

As regards customer communications, I received an email and a message in my KakaoTalk from Asiana Airlines advising me that my flight was delayed while I was resting and having merienda. Asiana made sure I knew my flight was delayed and I could stay longer at the Lounge. You’d never get this kind of effort from any Philippine airline.

Well, the in-flight movies weren’t really the ones I wanted to watch. But Glenn Close and Taraji P. Henson did just fine.

                 (Glenn Close as Cruella DeVille joining me
             for a grilled chicken breast dinner)

           (Taraji P. Henson in Hidden Figures)

During the day before Andrew drove me to the Seoul Station, we stopped by the donkatsu restaurant at Nam-san near the cable car station for lunch. Their donkatsu was horrible; people were patronizing them because they have been there since 1960, serving horrible donkatsu (I’ll never go back there again).

But, lucky me! My in-flight dinner was a thousand times better than my lunch. Salmon carpaccio and mixed greens with balsamic vinegar for appetizer, grilled chicken breast stuffed with ham and cheese, and slathered in cream sauce, and served with deep-fried potatoes.

And as I was watching snippets of movie scenes, I nibbled on blue cheese, gouda, and camembert! And to cap my midnight, Haagen Dazs ice cream! I didn’t try to finish my ice cream though. I still had another flight and I am lactose intolerant. You know what I mean. Ha-ha-ha!

Maybe I was just too tired at the end of the day that I forgot to write the crew a ‘Thank you’ note. But I hope this blog could make up for it. After all, a note could just contain about 20 words; this blog is already in excess of a thousand!

So, thank you, Asiana Airlines! You made my journey home convenient, relaxing and memorable!

Bravo and kamsahamnida!

Seoul Blog: The Philippine Women's Club Celebrates 'Paskong Pinoy sa Korea'!

(PWC members, families and guests; 
 photo courtesy of the PWC FB page)

“When you’re with Filipinos, you’re with family!”

That's the message of the Philippine Women's Club (PWC) to everyone who attended its Christmas party held at the Seoul Global Cultural Center right in the middle of the busiest shopping center in the whole of South Korea, Myeongdong!

                    (Consul General de Jesus)

                      (Christmas sing-along)

That message is absolutely true! In my 13 years of joining Christmas parties organized by Pinoys in Seoul, it’s more than just fun games, food, and exchanging of gifts that gather everyone together. There’s this bond that transforms everyone from just being friends to being family.

            (Shake and rattle the ping-pong balls!)

                        (Lucky draw prizes)


Though the whole celebration is primarily to let the registered guests enjoy the Filipino style of celebrating Christmas, the party was also a venue to help promote a campaign by Sunfull Movement against cyberbullying, a harmful online disease that just pops up everywhere in social media. 

The current Consul General of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Mr. Christian de Jesus, also helped kick off the party by sharing with the audience the greetings of 'Merry Christmas' in different Philippine dialects.

           (The kids competing at the sack race!)

                (Name the Christmas carol contest)

       (A booth for a family Christmas photo!)

The whole afternoon program was stuffed with fun parlor games for kids and adults, lucky draws that gave away movie tickets, stuff toys and other gifts, a booth for family photoshoots courtesy of a Filipino group of photographers, a sing-along (obvious, Filipinos love to sing!) exchanging of gifts, and the parents' gift-giving to their kids!

            (Christmas carol singing competition!)

             (Exchanging of gifts among adults)

Of course, there was food! And as one American guest exclaimed, "You guys know how to party!", there was a long table full of Filipino snacks and delicacies, like barbecues, cassave cakes, different rice cakes, buko pandan, and other yummy pinoy food that would probably cause me to drool if I write them all here. Ha-ha-ha!

                                  (Pabitin!)

                (Pinoy delicacies for everyone!)

From the top of my head, the PWC members include Wendy Palomo, Katherine Corteza, who's the 2017 Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Awardee from South Korea, Rina Arinas-Imm, Razel Kim, Anne Campos, Samie Bee, and other hardworking ladies whose names I can certainly add here later (paging Wendy!).  

       (A cute kid's Christmas sweater matches the                 Santa on the yummy chocolate cake!)

The mission of the PWC is to promote the Philippine culture through activities and event, such as this Christmas party, and by participating in social responsibility and outreach programs. You can also join their future activities by signing up for events on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/philippinewomensclub/

       (The members of the Philippine Women's Club 
               with the Sunfull Movement officials;
               photo courtesy of the PWC FB page)

Congratulations and thanks to the Philippine Women's Club for a fun party!

Kalamayan Festival: Honoring The Sugarcane Workers And Celebrating The Sugary Heritage!

(Blue skies over Victorias)

Last month, I blogged about Silay City's gastronomic heritage. This time, I am writing about my hometown's own sugary heritage!

Being the home of the Philippines' largest sugar refinery, Victorias City (in Negros Occidental) capitalizes on its reputation as a sweet village on the Negros Island.

And since the City's important historical dates are celebrated in March (Charter Day) and April (religious fiesta), the organizers have earmarked the last two weeks in December to celebrate the Kalamayan Festival.

            (Competitors awaiting their teammates 
                         during the relay)

                  (Sack race bit-bit kalamay!)

                                (Kadang!)

                  (Racing while inside the sack!)

The Kalamayan Festival celebrates the people working in the sugar industry: the sugarcane workers, or 'tapaseros'. 

'Kalamay' means sugar, while 'tapás' means to cut down in Hiligaynon, the language of the western part of Negros Island and the eastern part of the neighboring Panay Island. 

The 'tapaseros' are workers in the sugarcane fields who plant and harvest sugarcane plants, which are then turned into sugar.

      (Contestants for 'pang-os tubo' getting ready 
                     for a tough competition)

                       (The cockfight crowd)

                                (Cockfight!)

The main participants in this festival are the farm workers who compete in the games prepared especially for them: kadang (stilts) race, sack race, relays while carrying sacks of sugar, a sugarcane peeling and munching contest using only one's teeth! The winner is probably the one with the strongest set of teeth! "Katig-a ayhan sang tubo!" The sugarcane is tough!

                        (Pang-os kita tubo!)

(Ang manok ni San Pedro...nga ugis ang balahibo...ang manok ni San Pedro...pustahi kay sigurado...)

                  ("The first rule of Fight Club is: 
               you do not talk about Fight Club".)

I was able to watch the activities of the 2016 Kalamayan Festival, where I saw for myself the fun and enjoyment of the tapaseros and their families.

Aside from the games, there were cockfighting events and an exhibition of tarantulas, rare lizards, Burmese pythons and scorpions at the Victorias Plaza. Thanks to July and Jake of the Bacolod Tarantula Keepers, I had an on-site education about these fascinating creatures. 

(Birdman: The referee's name is Duro and he's a veteran in cockfighting. He judged all the fights of the flightless birds. In this photo, he's raising the winged winner. I wonder if the losing bird is turned into 'tinóla' or chicken soup.)

(The betting game is called 'pula-puti', where the bets are placed on specific squares and a ping-pong dropped through the funnel decides the winner. If the ball settles on your square, you win.)

Also, I was able to watch the dance performances of students from elementary schools in Victorias City. I was especially impressed by the performance and costumes of pupils of a certain group. The competition was won by the Estado Elementary School.

Here are a couple of clips I took:

                                     

                                     

                  (Grade school pupils with their 
        musical instruments and colorful costumes)

So, if you're in the neighborhood of Victorias City in Negros Occidental this month, watch the fun games enjoyed by the 'tapaseros', and attend events of this year's Kalamayan Festival in December.

Also in 2016, as part of the Festival, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra serenaded the Victoriahanons and visitors with Kachaturian and familiar Christmas melodies. The PPO was invited by several cities in Negros Occidental and dropped by Victorias City for a night.

                        (Masquerade Waltz)

                          (Pamasko songs)

                  (Love Yourself by Justin B.)

                             (Sleigh Ride)

"Gabay pa nga mapasidunggan guid ang mga tapaseros kag mga naga-pangabudlay sa kampo sa ini nga Kalamayan Festival!" 🙏

Hopefully, this Kalamayan Festival will be able to give honor to all sugarcane workers as well as their work.🙏