Tag: Michelle Anne P. Soliman

IT WAS a few minutes past 7 p.m. when spectators gathered to watch young Pandanggo sa Ilaw dancers performing in the streets of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro at the 2019 Pandang Gitab (Festival of Lights) on April 27.

FOR 2003 National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, the role a National Artist is a challenging task.

IN ANCIENT Greece and Rome, roses were associated with the goddesses of love, Aphrodite and Venus. In Christianity, a red rose was associated with Christ’s death and sacrifice. For 21-year-old playwright Junine Ray “Rayne” Jarabo, a rose’s petals symbolize resilience while its thorns symbolize challenges.

AN ARTIST’S work is inspired by many things. It may be his environment, the events in his community, or his personal experiences. For playwright Floy Quintos, current events in his country inspired the creation of what he previously said would be his “swan song.”

TOWARDS the end of Spanish colonial rule, architect Felix Roxas, Sr. designed the San Ignacio Church in Intramuros, Manila for the Jesuits. The structure was completed in 1899 but it, along with the other seven churches of the walled city, were devastated in the Battle of Manila at the close of World War II. When the smoke cleared, only the centuries old San Agustin Church still stood. San Ignacio was reduced to rubble.

LIFE SCIENCE Institute (LSI), a subsidiary of the ROMLAS Health Group (RHG), in partnership with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) in the US, is hosting its first Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP) Conference in Southeast Asia in Pasay City at the Marriott Grand Ballroom D from April 29 to May 4.

WHEN catching up with family and friends, most prefer to go out and dine to reminisce about past experiences and talk about how things are going. Nothing beats heart-to-heart talks paired with delightful meals.

IN THE late 1800s, German design professionals envisioned that German companies would be as competitive as those in England, the United States, and the global market. In the 1900s, 12 artists and 12 companies joined forces to establish Deutscher Werkbund.

WITH the oppressively warm weather, one of the last things a person may want to eat is something spicy. But it will not hurt to try enhancing a dish with a dash of pepper sauce once in a while.

“I LOOKED at people, I try to imagine them, and draw them from memory. I never use pictures because I hate pictures,” painter Nemi R. Miranda, Jr. said about his creative process. “What you see my painting is the product of my soul.”

IN CELEBRATION of National Dance Week, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) – National Committee on Dance will hold the 8^th Dance Xchange: The Philippine International Dance Festival on April 26 to 30 in Roxas City, Capiz.

FOR Catholics, religious images are representations of faith. The religious and devotees of patrons wipe cloth on images with the belief that this brings physical healing. In some communities, a statue of the Blessed Virgin is transferred from one house to another after a week. Miracles have purportedly been witnessed in the presence of holy images.

IN AN EPISODE of The Late Late Show with James Corden, the TNT Boys — 14-year-old Kiefer Sanchez, 12-year-old Francis Concepcion, and 13-year-old Mackie Empuerto — were invited to the show and performed Jennifer Hudson’s “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the film Dreamgirls. As the boys were performing, pop singer Ariana Grande unexpectedly entered the stage to finish the song with them.

BRYAN MCCLELLAND, founder of Bambike, takes a 20-minute ride on a bamboo bike daily from his house in Makati to his office in Intramuros; frequently, young businessman Brian Poe Llamanzares begins his day with meetings at the office, then braves the rush hour to get to the airport to catch a flight for a business trip; hours before an event, stylist Rainier Dagala runs to three fashion houses to pick up clothes in time for his scheduled events. At the end of a busy day, they all get the job done, not in suits, but in khaki pants.

MEMBERS of the press were led to the kitchen before lunch time. This writer remained quiet and very nervous as we walked to the kitchen. We were told that after a short cooking demo by celebrity chef Jereme Leung, we were to recreate the same dish ourselves. Mr. Leung showed the group how to prepare crispy milk fritters, a traditional dessert in Da Lang in Guangdong, China which uses buffalo milk as a special ingredient.

FOUR YEARS ago, visual artist Maris Medina thought of organizing a reunion with her batch mates from the UST College of Fine Arts, Advertising batch 1980. With the help of social media, she was able to rekindle old friendships. Aside from a planned reunion, she spearheaded the idea of mounting a batch exhibit.

THE melody of Ernani Cuenco’s “Bato sa Buhangin” filled the room, the polished notes coming from a Steinway & Sons Spirio player piano. When the recording ended, pianist and composer Raul M. Sunico stepped onstage and performed the same piece romantically with precision.

“IN 1941, Japan was invading almost all the [Asian] countries because of their aggressive expansion... We were still called the Philippine Islands back then. Almost immediately, the countries around us surrendered in a matter of days. The Philippines is the only country that resisted the Japanese. From Dec. 8 when they invaded Philippines, it was only after four months that the Philippines decided to surrender,” Miguel Angelo C. Villa-Real, Philippine Veterans Bank Marketing Communications Division Head, said as he narrated the events of the Battle of Bataan.

AN INTERACTIVE exhibit comes to SM malls as Marvel fans await the conclusion to a series of Avengers films.

“JUST like our beautiful old songs, antique houses, and folk dances, our long standing culinary traditions need to be celebrated and preserved as well, especially since many of our food products and practices are slowly disappearing in the face of globalization of food culture.”

A SATISFYING cup of coffee or a refreshing cold drink paired with a sandwich can keep one occupied before hopping on a plane as Tim Hortons opened its first airport branch in the Philippines at the NAIA Terminal 3.

WATCH spoken word poetry performances, interact with renowned Filipino writers, witness the first slam poetry championship, and learn about folklore from the Dumagats — all these activities can be experienced with a donation of a book.

MISTAKES of the past are repeated — it takes a long time before the cycle is broken.

IN 2017, Academy award-winning documentary director Ross Kauffman (Born in Brothels, 2004) and his team worked through extremes of temperature — -27° Celsius in Far East Russia and 35° C in India — on a very different kind of project. For the first time in his career, Mr. Kauffman was filming a documentary about animals — specifically, tigers — a break from telling stories about people and their struggles. The documentary, Tigerland, is meant to raise awareness of a project to create preserves for the rapidly dwindling population of great cat.

PULLING the plug when devices are not in use, avoiding the use of disposable utensils, and recycling and upcycling materials are only a few of the many ways to practice sustainable living.

CHINESE technology company Vivo has innovated its design, AI and camera features with the release of the Vivo V15 Pro.

BEFORE the advent of Photoshop, the initial design for a poster was drafted by hand. A stencil would be made and the design would then be transferred onto a screen. A sheet of poster paper would be set under the screen, ink would be applied and pushed through the screen onto the paper with a squeegee. The paper would then be set aside to dry. Then the process would be repeated for the next poster, and the next, and the next.

HIMALA: Isang Musikal and Ang Huling El Bimbo each got 12 nominations for the upcoming 11^th Gawad Buhay Awards which honors the performing arts.

IN NOVEMBER 1996, Georgia left her home while the children were sleeping one evening. With only P20 (about four US cents) she traveled with her husband to the airport. She was scheduled to take a flight to Singapore to become a domestic worker.

PAINTINGS by Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo fetched P9 million at Salcedo Auctions’ Important Philippine Art sale on March 9.

FROM the opposite end of the foyer, you could hear Meghan Picerno giggle as she approached our station at the foyer at the Theatre at Solaire last Tuesday afternoon for a short interview before that evening’s show. Like the rest of the cast members of The Phantom of the Opera whom we met, Ms. Picerno — who plays the lead Christine Daae — talked about the preparations they did for the show and why the musical continues to resonate with audiences 33 years since its premiere in 1986.

AS AN adolescent, there is always that piece of literature that, or an author who, introduces us to a genre we grow to appreciate. Before a reader’s widened exposure to various forms of literature, we all start from somewhere. These days Lang Leav opens the door to poetry for many young people.

“PHILIPPINE art history is never static. It remains in constant flux,” remarked Salcedo Auctions director Richie Lerma, speaking about the emergence of three works by classic Filipino artists.

THE dancers of Ballet Manila have been training six times a week since last December for two very different kinds of shows. This is in preparation for the closing performances of its 23^rd season, “Tour de Force,” which ends in March with a double-header called Deux.

APPROACHING the close of World War II, Japanese and American armed forces clashed in the Battle of Manila which lasted throughout the month of February in 1945. By the time it was all over on March 3, the once beautiful city of Manila was battered, its buildings lay in ruins, and over 100,000 civilians lay dead.

I VAGUELY remember my introduction to Josh Groban — I only recall hearing a deep and operatic male voice as a seven-year-old one evening in the master’s bedroom. Out of curiosity, I approached the front of the old stereo system to see what new album was playing. The artwork on the cover was divided horizontally into 2 frames — at the top was the artist’s name in lowercase letters and below was his photo. I couldn’t imagine that a baby-faced young man would sound like that. I flipped the album to read the track list and kept track as the record played each song.

TWENTY-ONE years after it was first perfomred, Miong, the musical based on the life of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, has returned to the stage as Repertory Philippines’ first production for its 82^nd season.

PETA’s inventive musical comedy Charot! takes place on election day in May 2020 when citizens of P.I. battle traffic and bad weather to reach their voting precincts before they close. A plebiscite is being held to determine whether the nation will transition to a new charter which will establish federalism as the country’s new form of government.

NATIONAL ARTIST for Architecture Francisco “Bobby” T. Mañosa, passed away due to a lingering illness at the age 88 on Feb. 20.

FORT SANTIAGO was the “epicenter of evil” where “the Japanese used starvation as a weapon.” American mining engineer Frank Bacon recalled having only two bowel movements in 25 days; Chinese prisoner Ko King Hun dropped to 68 pounds from 118 in two months, to the point that he could wrap his thumb and index finger around his leg. People were starving in the city of Manila as World War II raged.

IT WAS few minutes past 2 p.m. and the afternoon sunlight illuminated the high ceiling in the partly glass-enclosed living room. Dressed in a light blue shirt and jeans, American photographer Tom Epperson sat in front (instead of behind, as he usually does) of the camera. For someone who admits to being camera shy, he comfortably introduced himself in one take.

A LITTLE boy is eager to wear a colorful costume for the first time; a new mother who recently returned as a festival dancer, is dedicating her performance to her daughter; and last year’s best female performer from Badoc hopes to bag the same award for a second consecutive year. They have been preparing their routines, props, and costumes since November, and rehearsing along with 49 other performers for a month.

ONCE UPON a time in Malaysia, there lived a couple named Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng who shared a dream of opening a book shop and starting a regular book fair. However, they had no money for advertising. So they enlisted the help of The Big Bad Wolf.

A JAPANESE electronic music dancer, an Indonesian comb musician, and a 16-year-old contortionist from India each took their turn onstage. Their entrance and short introduction sparked curiosity, but when the music played, they all astounded the audience.

A SCARECROW is a human-like figure that guards crops from marauding birds, and is usually made of sticks and old clothes stuffed with straw, held up by a frame over a field -- and can be a farmer’s best friend. The province of Isabela celebrates these farmer’s helpers -- known in the province as bambanti -- with a festival every fourth week of January.