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Double Trouble

Two ‘brats’ of counterculture fashion have a pop-up

A POP-UP STORE shared by designers Rik Rasos (of Proudrace) and Randolph Santos (of Randolf) was announced via a poster on Instagram earlier this month. With Leah Navarro’s “Ligaw-Tingin” playing in the background, the poster showed the two designers like wrestlers, with horses and flames framing the both of them. That’s not so easy to ignore, is it?

We caught up with both designers on the first night of their pop-up in Cubao Expo’s Pablo Gallery on Oct. 14. The pop-up will run until Nov. 11.

RANDOLF
The designer has come a long way from his cheeky tote bags and T-shirts in 2013. He got a big push when he was named the winner of the 2017 Bench Design Awards.

Then, last year, he was picked up as one of the new labels of Rustan’s, showing off his playful take on the barong. His barongs are embroidered with childish line drawings, tattoo outlines — anything but the traditional rococo-style embroidery — making the stiff formal Filipino garment more mentally accessible to a younger, more daring audience.

Yet that was not his original intention. Mr. Santos told BusinessWorld that he just really liked see-through fabrics. After making a shirt out of jusi, someone remarked, “You make barongs pala.”

“I guess,” he said.

The barongs first came out in 2019, and his name has since become synonymous with counterculture formal Filipiniana. His clients include LGBTQ+ TV host Vice Ganda, their colleague Anne Curtis-Smith, beauty queen’s daughter Isabelle Daza, and actress Bea Alonzo. Another reason why he started making these barongs was his own conflicted relationship with tattoos: he wants one, but is afraid to commit to one. What was meant to go on his skin is simply embroidered onto translucent fabric, thus for him becoming a second skin.

Poking fun at fashion is rooted in his favorite art movement, Dadaism. The art movement came about after the First World War, with artists responding to the absurdity of death and destruction with their own take of the absurd and the loss of reason. In his case, he learned about it during his studies in Fine Arts at UP Diliman, before shifting to Clothing Technology. “It kind of made fun or destroyed traditional art,” he said about Dada. “Feel ko I found myself there.

“That’s me as a person. I like having fun. I wanted to reflect that in clothing. Part of the reason why I started Randolf was really to poke fun at pop culture,” he said.

Part of his display at Pablo includes crisp white shirts covered in childish scrawls, and bodysuits with puppies. The name of the brand itself is a game: named after his father, he changed the “ph” of his own name to “f” for his brand, to make it truly his.

Still, it’s funny to think that a guy poking fun at well-established tropes in fashion now has a home in what can be considered a decidedly “establishment” store, Rustan’s. “They never really told me to tone it down,” he said, adding that predicted slow movers at his display actually sell faster. “I’m happy that now, it’s accepted. When I was starting, it was really difficult for me to get clients. Now, I feel the appreciation of other people.”

PROUDRACE
What started out as a joke between drunks is now a brand selling in Tokyo and Canada, and even dressing Korean boyband BTS.

Talking about how the brand’s name came about, Proudrace co-founder and Creative Director Rik Rasos (his fellow co-founder is industrial designer Patrick Bondoc) said that during a night of drinking in the early 2000s, his friend tried to take a picture of him, but he covered his face. His friend said, “Why are you covering your face? We’re a proud race.”

“I ran with it,” he said, and made that the name of his new brand.

When they were starting in the early 2000s, it was all about graphic T-shirts, his cheeky slogans emblazoned across the torsos of the young and wild. In 2012, the brand received a makeover, and now, they’re better known for manipulating what were supposed to be ordinary clothes into something more avant garde. At his display, we saw a trucker jacket with an extra flap in front, forming a sort of wing, and a polo shirt with a print that could only be loved by a lolo, with one shoulder stretched to inhuman proportions. Ads for the Mahal Kita Inn are printed on T-shirts, and another shirt is ripped then flipped to create the illusion of being worn inside out.

These designs are rooted in the more subtle nuances of Filipino pop culture and streetwear. “You see everyone in the streets. That for me is Filipino streetwear. Very casual. What you would wear at home, what you would wear sa pagbili sa tindahan (to go out to buy something at the store). What we did was just twist that… and try to make it more fashionable,” said Mr. Rasos.

His efforts have landed them in Vogue Talents (by Vogue Italia) as well as a listing in Highsnobiety. “From what I see, global audiences resonate if you’re very authentic to your culture and who you are. You’re not masking anything.”

RESURGENCE OF FILIPINIANA
We see now a resurgence of cool in wearing the Filipino identity on one’s sleeve. Filipino formalwear has never been more visible, and wearing local brands has never been a better choice. The two designers talk about how this came about, and, surprisingly, it happened because of what should have been disastrous events.

Mr. Rasos, for example, thinks that the pandemic changed how Filipinos dress. Not only have they begun to appreciate local craftsmanship more, but, “It became more experimental. Because of the pandemic, nobody’s afraid to dress up anymore. They just want to do what they want, what makes them happy.”

For Mr. Santos, it’s the arrival of all the global fast fashion brands in the 2010s, which once threatened to kill off smaller local brands. The sheer saturation in the market of their clothes brought out the opposite effect. “Maraming ayaw nilang may kapareho (nobody wanted to dress the same as everybody else). Naghahanap na sila ng bago (they are looking for something new), something different.”

“That’s where we come in.” — Joseph L. Garcia

Michael Cinco pays homage to Spain

THIS YEAR’S Legacy gala ball is the next place to see renowned Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco’s latest works, this time inspired by the vibrant culture of Spain.

Titled “The Impalpable Dream of España,” his newest collection of elegant creations will take center stage at the charity ball on Nov. 27 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom.

At a media preview on Oct. 25, he said that it wouldn’t be his first time to design pieces with Spanish cultural influences.

“I did it back in 2010 and 2013, and now I decided to do it again. I have always been in awe of Spanish culture, ever since I first went to Spain in 1998,” he told BusinessWorld.

His designs, exquisite as always, this time fuse artistic, historical, and architectural influences, from the Roman Catholicism of La Sagrada de Familia to the iconic masterpieces of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí.

Most evident in his latest collection are the silhouettes and overall visual flair lifted from Spanish matadors and flamenco dancers.

“All 50 of the haute couture looks draw inspiration from my travels,” Mr. Cinco said.

With long capes, intricate embroidery, and sparkling stones, the fiery red-and-black blazers and dresses instantly catch the eye and hold the gaze.`The Dubai-based Filipino designer has dressed A-list Hollywood celebrities including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Mila Kunis, Rihanna, and Naomi Campbell.

However, his priorities now are to give back to his home country. Proceeds from the Legacy gala ball will benefit the Philippine Missionari Della Fondazione di Carita, Inc. and the Gusi Peace Prize Foundation.

The show will also mark the launch of his new perfume series and jewelry line, offering a complete lifestyle brand experience — all for a good cause.

For table reservations and more information, e-mail thephlegacygala@gmail.com. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

A brief history of goth fashion – from all-black to pastels

FREEPIK

GOTH is the subculture that never died — or more precisely, perhaps, remains undead. The persistence of the subculture’s style is due to the remarkable richness of the cultural tradition on which it draws, and its malleability — its striking ability to absorb new influences into a recognizably coherent aesthetic.

Goth’s visual style has left as vivid a legacy as its music, one that continues to inspire designers, creatives and today’s teenagers far beyond its initial invention.

Early goth fashion shared many of the same reference points as punk. Many of its early icons, such as The Damned’s singer Dave Vanian and Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees, straddled both scenes.

In late 1970s and early 1980s Britain, subcultural style was very much a DIY affair. In the economic recession of the late 1970s, an improvised approach to style became a necessity for many young people. As the economy boomed later in the 1980s, this remained a form of resistance to a mainstream culture that fetishized wealth. In the ongoing spirit of punk, those pursuing “alternative” style would raid jumble sales and charity shops, recycle army surplus, customize high street fashion, and make their own clothes and accessories.

This creative approach to style has been the key to the subculture’s longevity. Goth has always been about mixing things up and adapting what you find to fit your own aesthetic.

The goth aesthetic distinguished itself from punk through its preoccupation with imagery of death and decadence. As such, it seemed to articulate the underlying mood of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain — a culture in which pervasive images of wealth and success were underpinned by policies facilitating the disintegration of the social fabric. The earliest goth ensembles, like those associated with London’s Batcave club, were characterized by ripped fishnet stockings, repurposed bondage gear, deathly makeup and improvised chain jewelry. Towering, backcombed, dyed black hairstyles were a crucial element of the look.

As the 1980s wore on, however, goth style diversified, absorbing looks from other subcultures such as metal, rockabilly and even hippy psychedelia in the model of Kate Bush or Stevie Nicks.

DIVERSIFICATION OF GOTH STYLE
Although the goth music scene began to lose impetus in the early 1990s, versions of goth style began to appear on the catwalks.

This was most prominent in the work of British designer Alexander McQueen. His uncompromising collections experimented with the macabre in ways that thrilled the alternative scene and high fashion insiders alike.

Meanwhile, goth style became more available to mainstream consumers through high street versions of designer trends. In the US, the Hot Topic chain, founded in 1989, sold alternative style to teenagers through regional mall outlets.

For some, this commercialization diluted goth’s countercultural charge. In contrast to the do-it-yourself (DIY) culture of the 1970s and ’80s, a desirable Goth look became increasingly expensive to acquire.

Nevertheless, the subculture proved resilient, expanding to incorporate new influences. By the later 1990s, hybridization with dance music culture produced cybergoth. Ensembles combining colossal platform boots, neon hair extensions and tech accessories like masks and goggles evoked a dystopian, posthuman future. 

The international spread of the subculture generated new styles, too. Japanese Gothic Lolita style aimed to refashion its wearer in the image of a Victorian doll.

Exported internationally in the early 2000s via manga and animé, Gothic Lolita became a major influence on western goth style. It indirectly inspired “cute” gothic looks like “pastel goth” — goth style in the sweet, childish colors the subculture once rejected.

At the same time, many goths cultivated a passion for authentic recreations of historic costume, harking back to period styles inspired by the literary and cinematic tradition of the gothic. At the twice-annual Whitby Goth Weekend, founded in 1994, many participants pay tribute to Dracula author Bram Stoker by parading the sea front of the town where the author found his inspiration for the novel in meticulously crafted Victorian ensembles.

For members of the subculture, one particular style might define their personal image, or they might choose to wear different looks for different occasions.

The “corp goth” even adapts their look for the corporate environment, wearing office-friendly versions of the style. But crucially, by 2023, there are many ways of being a goth.

THE SECRETS OF GOTH’S ENDURANCE
Goth style has its controversies. Subcultures are, understandably, resistant to the appropriation of their style by outsiders. There is endless debate about whether offshoots and associated aesthetics such as emo or steampunk can be counted as goth or not.

While the finer points of these debates can be difficult to resolve, this very diversity is the key to goth’s longevity. Goth is not one look, one style — it is a rich, complex aesthetic drawing on many influences across literature, art and culture. This makes it remarkably resilient to cultural change, as it is able to shift to meet new demands.

Goth is not static, but a living tradition. Research shows that many goths remain active in the subculture long past youth. Moreover, new generations of goths continue to seize the subculture and make it their own.

One of the most dynamic developments of recent years is the mobilization of goths of color, sometimes known as Afrogoths, who resist the presumed association between goth and pale skin and draw music and fashion inspiration from black culture.

It is important that we recognize these new ways of being a goth, even if some of them find connection through visual rather than musical culture. In them, lies the subculture’s lively (undead) future. — The Conversation via Reuters Connect

 

Catherine Spooner is a Professor of Literature and Culture, Lancaster University.

SC tells Pasay court: Resolve common train station dispute

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

THE SUPREME COURT (SC) has ordered a Pasay City court to resolve a dispute involving the construction of a common train station that would connect separate rail systems in front of the Trinoma mall, which was originally supposed to be in front of the SM North EDSA mall.

Its order to the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 111 involved SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPHI) and entities handling the rail systems — Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).

In a resolution dated March 15 and made public on Oct. 26, the tribunal lifted an injunction on the station’s construction but said that doing so was moot since SMPHI had reported that the station’s construction had started.

“This is a judicial admission that is binding upon SMPHl, without need for further proof. At any rate, the aforesaid admission of SMPHI itself renders the present petition for injunction moot,” the tribunal said.

“Here, further proceedings would be of no practical value because there is no longer any substantial relief to which SMPHI would be entitled and or would otherwise be negated by the denial of the petition.”

In a 2017 agreement, SMPHI, the LRTA, and the Department of Transportation (DoTR) agreed to compromise on a common station plan acceptable to all parties, after the High Court told them to do so.

The tribunal said the parties have yet to finalize or implement the plan for the common station.

The entities had agreed to “facilitate the immediate development, construction, and operation of a Unified Station/Grand Central Station.”

“While judicial policy strongly encourages compromise, the court cannot allow the supposed negotiations to indefinitely stay hanging in the air and continue to clog the docket of the court, without any clear showing that it would ever come to fruition,” the High Court said.

In 2009, SMPHI and the LRTA signed a deal that involved SMPHI agreeing to help finance a common station that would be built in front of SM North EDSA by earmarking P200 million for its construction. Funding was delivered to the LRTA that same year.

Under the agreement, SMPHI was granted naming rights over the common station.

Two years later, the LRTA and the DoTR, formerly known as the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC), signed a separate agreement assigning the latter as the lead implementing agency for the project.

SMPH argued that the LRTA and the DoTC suddenly stopped the station’s construction and complained that it had not been informed of plans to change the construction site to Trinoma, which the DoTC confirmed in a 2014 bulletin.

SMPHI had asked a Pasay City regional trial court to implement a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the station’s construction in the new site in front of Trinoma, which the court denied.

That same year, the firm asked the Supreme Court to grant its plea for a TRO, saying that not even the government can violate a valid contract and that the P200 million it had delivered to the LRTA should have been used for a common station in its original location.

The SC granted the petition for an injunction, halting the transfer of the common station.

The DoTC argued that the transfer of the common station’s location was “made for the best interest of the public,” claiming that the transfer would save the government P1.22 billion since the Trinoma location was more convenient.

“Considering the parties’ protracted negotiations, and the absence of even a faint showing that the parties are attempting to comply with the supposed conditions precedent… the court could only conclude… they are no longer minded coming to any compromise agreement which would write finish to their 9-year-old case,” the High Court said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Zara-owner Inditex to buy recycled polyester from US start-up

AN AMBERCYCLE x Zara Athleticz Zippered Training Shirt. The shirt is made of lightweight, technical stretch fabric.

MADRID/LONDON — Zara-owner Inditex, the world’s biggest clothing retailer, has agreed to buy recycled polyester from a US start-up as it aims for 25% of its fibers to come from “next-generation” materials by 2030.

As fast-fashion retailers face pressure to reduce waste and use recycled fabrics, Inditex is spending more than €70 million ($74 million) to secure supply from Los Angeles-based Ambercycle of its recycled polyester made from textile waste.

Polyester, a product of the petroleum industry, is widely used in sportswear as it is quick-drying and durable.

Under the offtake deal, Inditex will buy 70% of Ambercycle’s production of recycled polyester, which is sold under the brand cycora, over three years, Inditex Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Oscar Garcia Maceiras said at a business event in Zaragoza, Spain.

Mr. Garcia Maceiras said Inditex is also working with other companies and start-ups in its innovation hub, a unit looking for ways to curb the environmental impact of its products.

“The sustainable transformation of Inditex … is not possible without the collaboration of the different stakeholders,” the CEO said in a speech at the event.

The Inditex investment will help Ambercycle fund its first commercial-scale textile recycling factory. Production of cycora at the plant is expected to begin around 2025, and the material will be used in Inditex products over the following three years.

CAPSULE COLLECTION
Zara Athleticz, a sub-brand of sportswear for men, launched a capsule collection last week of “technical pieces” containing up to 50% cycora. Inditex said the collection would be available from Zara.com.

Some apparel brands seeking to reduce their reliance on virgin polyester have switched to recycled polyester derived from plastic bottles, but that practice has come under criticism as it has created more demand for used plastic bottles, pushing up prices.

Textile-to-textile polyester recycling is in its infancy, though, and will take time to reach the scale required by global fashion brands.

“We want to drive innovation to scale-up new solutions, processes and materials to achieve textile-to-textile recycling,” Inditex’s chief sustainability officer Javier Losada said in a statement.

The Ambercycle deal marks the latest in a series of investments made by Inditex into textile recycling start-ups.

Last year it signed a €100 million ($104 million) three-year deal to buy 30% of the recycled fiber produced by Finland’s Infinited Fiber Co., and also invested in Circ, another US firm focused on textile-to-textile recycling.

In Spain, Inditex has joined forces with rivals including H&M and Mango in an association to manage clothing waste, as the industry prepares for European Union legislation requiring member states to separately collect textile waste from January 2025. — Reuters

Real Steel taps TotalEnergies ENEOS for solar rooftop 

REAL STEEL Corp. (RSC) is partnering with a Singapore-based renewable energy company to build a 16.8-megawatt-peak rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system in its manufacturing facility in San Simon, Pampanga.

“By implementing the largest rooftop solar PV system in the Philippines, we are accelerating the production of lower carbon, high-quality steel products for the Philippine market,” William T. Chen, chief finance officer of RSC, said in a media release over the weekend.

The company said it had inked the deal with TotalEnergies ENEOS for the project, which is aimed at significantly reducing operational expenses and the carbon footprint of its high-speed rolling mill.

TotalEnergies ENEOS is a joint venture between French energy and petroleum company Total Energies and Japanese oil company ENEOS.

With over 22,000 solar modules to be installed, the PV system will generate 26,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity annually, which will lead to “substantial cost savings” for the facility, RSC said.

The project would also reduce the company’s carbon emissions by approximately 12,800 tons of carbon dioxide per year equivalent to planting 200,000 trees.

Under the agreement, TotalEn-ergies ENEOS will install and maintain the PV system, while RSC will be the operator and owner of the asset from the commissioning.

“The business model proposed by TotalEnergies ENEOS ensures a neutral cash flow for RSC for the first 10 years of engagement,” RSC said, adding that it “will fully benefit from the asset for its entire lifespan of around 30 years.”

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by executives of RSC and TotalEnergies ENEOS, as well as by Marissa P. Cerezo, the director of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau, and Rémy Tirouttouvarayane, deputy head of mission of the Embassy of France in Manila.

“As a leading solar service provider for commercial and industrial businesses, TotalEnergies ENEOS is committed to aiding companies like RSC in reducing their energy costs and carbon footprint through our expertise in tailored renewable solutions,” said Elodie Renaud, managing director of TotalEnergies ENEOS Renewables Distributed Generation Asia.

RSC, a manufacturer of steel deformed bars, has melting and rolling mill facilities in San Simon that are equipped to produce high-quality steel products. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Style (10/30/23)

Fenty x Puma Avanti’s 2nd drop on Nov. 3

ON NOV. 3, global singer Rihanna and sports company Puma will launch two new colorways of their Fenty x Puma Avanti sneaker. The shoe is an unconventional mix of two Puma icons blending the high-quality leather design of the King football boot with the outsole of the heritage running shoe, Easy Rider. A fashion take on the football trend and inspired by the materials and colors of vintage sport styles, the second drop of Avanti will be available in dark myrtle and club navy, in men’s, women’s, and children’s sizing. The price point will range from ₱9,600 for adults and ₱5,800 for kids. Both colorways will feature oil treated leather, a tonal leather formstrip with leather piping, gold aglets, and a debossed Fenty number 1 logo on the tongue. The second drop of the Fenty x Puma Avanti will be available to shop from Nov. 3, 10 a.m., exclusively at Puma Glorietta and on PUMA.com.

COS reimagines its iconic Quilted Bag

COS’s signature Quilted Bag – spotted on the arms of several style icons all over the world – consists of an immediately recognizable pillowy, cloud-like texture that adds a sense of tactility to any look. From its original oversized crossbody bag design to its mini and micro versions, the Quilted Bag has become a must-have within fashion circles for its functionality and innovative construction. For its Autumn/Winter 2023 Collection, the London-based fashion brand gives an elevated flair to the iconic piece in luxurious, butter-soft leather. The COS AW23 iteration of the Quilted Bag comes in ew hues like cappuccino, banana-milk yellow, and turquoise in their micro and mini versions. It is also offered in black and cream-white colors. All crafted in 100% leather shell and 100% cotton lining, limited pieces of the Quilted Bag and more contemporary designs from the AW23 Collection are available at the COS Store Manila, SM Aura Premier, or on cos.com.

Flawless Face & Body Clinic marks 22 years with promo

IN HONOR of the 22nd anniversary of the Flawless Face & Body Clinic in December, the clinic is offering both old and new customers 3+1 and 4+1 Medical and Non-medical Service Packages that, after free consultation, promises to holistically cater to each individual need. In these packages, medical and non-medical services are available for clients to further their beauty journey. Clarifying treatments include the Easy Peel, Mesoestetic Peel, FNT Retinol, and Fraxelite, while Brightening treatments include the nutrient-rich Beauty Drip, Vita Detox or Vita Detox with Vitamin C, and FNT Whitening. Customers may opt for lifting in the form of FNT Exosomes or FNT Lifting, or Body Solutions like Shape & Sculpt or Laser Hair Removal. Each remaining month of 2023 will also see exclusive Flash Sales from Flawless, including this month’s offer of 22% off on two sessions of Nano PowerPeel with Mask or Advanced Facial with Rejuvelite, and a free second session with every purchase of Beauty Drip, Vita Detox, or Laser Hair Removal, until Oct. 31. Learn more about the promo via their website, Facebook page, Instagram, and TikTok.

Cebu Pacific says biggest aircraft purchase to be completed by early 2024

CEBU PACIFIC is expecting to complete its biggest aircraft purchase by early 2024, the company’s president said.

“We have just released the RFP (request for procurement) to Airbus and Boeing. We hope the entire process will end by the first quarter of next year,” Alexander G. Lao, president and chief commercial officer of Cebu Pacific told reporters last week.

The budget carrier is planning to order over 100 narrow-body aircraft from Boeing or Airbus worth roughly $12 billion based on the current list of prices, Mr. Lao said.

“We are excited. It is such a big commitment, it will be the largest order in Philippine aviation history,” he added.

Cebu Pacific currently operates a fleet of 73 Airbus and ATR aircraft, which it earlier said will double with its planned order of more aircraft.

It is anticipating 76 aircraft in its fleet this year before expanding to 91 aircraft by 2024.

Earlier, the company’s listed operator Cebu Air, Inc. said it would lower its fleet growth rate for 2024 as engine maker Pratt and Whitney (P&W) inspects A320/321 NEO aircraft engines worldwide following suspected issues.

Cebu Air reported a profit of P2.67 billion in the second quarter after a significant boost in passenger revenues, turning around from the P1.89-billion net loss incurred in the same period last year.

From April to June, the company recorded P22.67 billion in gross revenues, marking a 62.3% increase from last year’s P13.97 billion.

Passenger revenues, totaling P15.84 billion, constituted the majority of Cebu Air’s second-quarter top line, reflecting an 86.3% increase compared with last year’s P8.51 billion.

To date, the low-cost carrier flies to over 30 local destinations and 25 international destinations across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Friends star Matthew Perry, who struggled with substance abuse, 54

Matthew Perry in a publicity shot for Friends. — IMDB

LOS ANGELES — Actor Matthew Perry, who gained fame in the 1990s as the wise-cracking Chandler Bing in the top-rated US television comedy Friends and chronicled his decades-long battle with substance abuse in a memoir last year, died on Saturday at age 54.

His death was confirmed in a statement posted by NBC, the broadcast network that aired Friends for 10 years, on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We are incredibly saddened by the too soon passing of Matthew Perry,” NBC Entertainment said. “He brought so much joy to hundreds of millions of people around the world with his pitch perfect comedic timing and wry wit. His legacy will live on through countless generations.”

The Los Angeles Times and TMZ.com, both citing unnamed law enforcement sources, reported that the American-Canadian performer was found dead in a hot tub or jacuzzi.

NBC News, citing an unnamed representative of Perry and a law enforcement source, reported the actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Ironically, Perry’s last post on Instagram, on Oct. 23, was a photo of him sitting by a pool or jacuzzi at night, with him writing, “Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.”

Perry was best known for his longtime role as Chandler in the hugely successful Friends, which ran for 10 seasons on the NBC network from 1994 to 2004, co-starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow.

The series made international celebrities out of all six castmates, playing a close-knit group of young adults who shared space in one another’s apartments and met for coffee at the Central Perk, a fictional Manhattan cafe.

One of the major story lines involved a clandestine romance between Chandler and Monica Geller, the character played by Cox, which the four other friends — Rachel, Joey, Phoebe and Ross — each discovered one by one. The two characters eventually marry.

The entire group came back together 17 years after the series finale for a much-ballyhooed reunion special that aired on HBO Max in 2021.

But none ever managed to rekindle quite the level of individual stardom and commercial success they garnered as the ensemble cast of what was for a time the most watched US television program in prime time. Each reportedly earned $1 million per episode at the height of the show’s popularity.

Hidden from the public’s view during much of the original run was Perry’s prolonged struggle with addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol, which he detailed in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.

“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead,” Perry wrote in the opening of the book.

In a New York Times interview published in October 2022, Perry said he had been clean for 18 months, telling the newspaper: “I’ve probably spent $9 million or something trying to get sober.”

Perry recounted in his book that he had to be driven back to rehab right after shooting the episode of Chandler and Monica’s wedding.

Following Friends, Perry went on to star in three more network television ventures that proved short-lived — Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Mr. Sunshine, and Go On.

Through his career, he also logged guest appearances or recurring roles in other hit TV shows, including The West Wing, Ally McBeal, Scrubs, and Beverly Hills, 90210. His motion picture credits included Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, Almost Heroes, and Three to Tango.

The Massachusetts-born actor grew up in Ottawa after his mother, a Canadian journalist who once served as press secretary to former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, divorced Perry’s father and married a Canadian broadcast personality.

Mr. Trudeau’s son and incumbent Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute to his boyhood friend, calling Perry’s death “shocking and saddening.”

“I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them,” Mr. Trudeau wrote on X.

As a youngster, Perry became a top-ranked junior tennis player before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting and improvisational comedy. — Reuters

Belle’s nine-month income up 20% to nearly P2B

LISTED real estate developer and gaming operator Belle Corp. logged a 20% increase in its net income for nine months to September due to the improved operation of its gaming business units. 

In a regulatory filing, Belle said its net income climbed to P1.97 billion for the January-September period from P1.64 billion in the same period a year ago.

“This increase in bottomline figures is mainly attributable to the improved operation of the group’s gaming business units for the period,” Belle said.

Its consolidated revenues as of the third quarter climbed 1% to P4.30 billion from P4.27 billion last year amid gaming revenues’ higher share.

“The increase in revenues was mainly brought about by the improvements in the group’s gaming business units due to a more open economy in 2023 and the lifting of quarantine and capacity restrictions as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in the country became more controlled and manageable,” the company said. 

According to Belle, revenues from the share of subsidiary Premium Leisure Corp. (PLC) in the gaming earnings of City of Dreams Manila increased 24% to P1.8 billion.

However, revenues from the lease of the land and buildings of the City of Dreams Manila integrated resort and casino complex fell 4% to P1.5 billion.   

Belle also said that revenues from Pacific Online Systems Corp. increased 40% to P502.4 million from P358.1 million last year.

Pacific Online, which is 50.1%-owned by PLC, leases online betting equipment to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for lottery operations.

“Belle’s real estate sales and property management activities at its Tagaytay Highlands complex contributed revenues of P500.1 million as of third quarter of 2023, which was P406.4 million lower than its revenues as of the third quarter of 2022 of P906.5 million,” the company said.

Belle is among the portfolio investments of Sy-led holding firm SM Investments Corp., which also has a stake in mining firm Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., local bakeshop Goldilocks, and Philippine Geothermal Production Co.

On Oct. 27, Belle shares at the local bourse closed unchanged at P1.15 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Walt Disney Studios postpones release of Snow White, Elio

RACHEL ZEGLER in a scene from Snow White. — IMDB

WALT DISNEY Studios on Friday postponed the release of the live-action remake of the animated classic Snow White and Pixar Animation’s Elio, citing the impact of the ongoing actors’ strike.

The studio moved the release of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler in the title role, until March 21, 2025, a year later than its original premiere date. The science-fiction animated adventure Elio, which originally was slated to reach theaters in March 2024, has been moved to June 13, 2025.

Hollywood film slates have been scrambled as the result of a work stoppage that began in May, when writers walked off the job. In July, they were joined on the picket lines by members of the SAG-AFTRA performers’ union.

Writers began returning to work earlier this month, after reaching a new three-year contract with the major studios. Actors are still out on strike, effectively stalling much of film and scripted television production.

Other films have also been impacted by the labor unrest.

For instance, Warner Bros delayed the release of its big-budget Dune sequel, initially planned for November, to March 2024 because the stars of the film will not be able to promote the movie by next month.

Earlier this week, Paramount Pictures pushed the release date for the next installment of its Mission: Impossible franchise into 2025.

Disney also said Magazine Dreams, a drama from the company’s Searchlight Pictures starring Jonathan Majors, has been removed from the release calendar. The actor is facing assault charges stemming from an alleged domestic dispute. The film was scheduled to premiere on Dec. 8. — Reuters

SP New Energy’s attributable net loss widens 

SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC) saw its attributable net loss widen to P32.29 million in the second quarter from P12.31 million in the same quarter last year.

In a stock exchange disclosure, the listed energy company said its revenues from contracts with customers stood at P64.04 million, without disclosing a comparative figure.

It said that as of June 30, 2023, the group recorded a total of P64 million in revenues, which was mainly contributed by Solar Philippines Rooftop Corp. and Solar Philippines Tarlac Corp. from the sale of electricity.

Gross expenses were at P37.39 million during the period while gross profit reached P26.654 million.

As of August, Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings, Inc. (SPPPHI) held 80.5% ownership of SPNEC’s outstanding common shares.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. in March entered into a share purchase agreement with SPPPHI to “acquire the latter’s rights, title and interests in and to SPEC” with 1.6 billion common shares.

Earlier this month, MGen Renewable Energy, Inc. (MGreen), the renewable energy unit of the Manila Electric Co., said it had signed an investment agreement with SPNEC and SPPPHI to develop a solar and battery energy storage systems project.

Under the agreement, SPNEC will serve as the primary vehicle to develop 3,500 megawatts (MW) of solar panels and 4,000 MW of battery energy storage systems in Luzon.

To enable investment, MGreen will subscribe to 15.7 billion common shares and 19.4 billion redeemable preferred voting shares in SPNEC.

SPNEC will apply to increase its authorized capital stock to allow the investment. The fresh injection of capital by MGreen will fund the construction and expansion of its solar projects. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

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