Looking back at a beloved mother’s recipes is a nostalgic trip that almost every home cook and chef take at least once in their life.
At the Spiral of Sofitel, different chefs recreate their mother’s recipes and share it with diners as a way to honor the hand that rocked their cradles and nourished them to adulthood, and also as a way to share culinary memories and treasures.
Executive Chef Eric Costille presents his mom’s Rabbit cocotte; western chef de cuisine Anne Cecile Degenne makes her mom’s paella; executive Chinese chef Mok Chee Wah prepares his mom’s “slow cooked chicken with Chinese herbs wrapped with lotus leaf;” Indian chef Halim Ali Khan recreates his mom’s egg biryani; Japanese chef Horoaki features his mom’s nikujaga, beef with potatoes, onions, ginger, dashi, sugar, sake and sesame oil; chef de partie and Filipino chef Jojo Babierra serves a version of his mom’s goat kaldereta; and lastly, chef Tweet Obsequio, master chocolatier, makes decadent jasmine pralines, the ganache in the confections unmistakably flavored with tea.
Aside from these creations that transport one to the childhood stoves of the chefs that verily shaped their culinary philosophies, the Spiral buffet spread is always a treasure trove of many undeniably tempting delights.

Buffet highlights
The fresh seafood selection of king-size tiger prawns, the baby lobsters, curacha crabs from Zamboanga, the New Zealand mussels and oysters can be eaten as a cold cocktail with just lemon and Tabasco or cocktail sauce or grilled in a salamander with butter and lemon.
The French counter features king scallops that are wrapped in bacon and are as big as a dumpling! The sweet saltiness of the sea fruit served with sauteed mushrooms are flame-grilled and so tender it collapses in the palate in a sweet symphony of luxury.
The roast section boasts of truly young lamb that is grilled to tender perfection; pairing it with grilled pineapples with a side of mint jelly is a palate-pleasing, eye-closing moment of joy.
The naan bread baked upon order is a guilt-free carb intake since bread this good is worth the calories. The dough is baked on the walls of an authentic tandoor oven and as the bread begins to pull away from the hot wall, it is ready. It is slightly crusty, cotton soft inside yet substantial enough to pull apart. With or without a curry dip, naan is one of my favorite breads, diet or no diet.
The Cheese Room is another highlight of the buffet, one of its kind with a cheese and dried meat selection that can rival any deli. The aroma in the glass-encased room is creamy and sharp, the dizzying array of condiments that complement the cheeses, from strawberry preserves, tomato chutneys, figs, olives in every color and size, dried tropical fruits and nuts of all kinds makes one feel like it is Christmas when every culinary treasure is laid out to celebrate.
Dessert is always a treat with fresh baked chocolate cookies made upon order. A cup of chocolate from the fountain makes for a double chocolate treat or, for a classic childhood take, one can ask for fresh milk in which to dip the cookies.

The Perey show
To highlight mother-daughter connections and achievements, Sofitel also hosts a fashion show of Manila-based Filipino designer Pia Gladys Perey (PGP) creations, who showcased her first solo show at the Style Fashion Week at The Vibiana in Los Angeles, California.
Perey spent time during vacations not playing with her friends, but watching her grandmother sew.
The PGP label debuted at the Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in 2007. In 2008, it was featured in the New Generation Shows and the Ladies’ Ready To Wear Show in 2009. In 2010, PGP launched in the US at the Miami International Fashion Week and at an off-site show at the New York Fashion Week.
PGP is worn by Angelina Jolie, Gabrielle Union, The Office’s Kate Flannery, Nadine Ellis, Kim Kardashian, Carrie Underwood, Eva Longoria and Camilla Belle.  The line is currently being sold in Sydney, Queensland, Perth, Adelaide, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, New York, Florida, Texas, Louisiana and California.
Mark Bumgarner, Formula 1 racer turned designer, will also showcase his denim designs on Mother’s Day.

For more information visit www.sofitel.com.

Ingesting Philippine history in Romulo Cafe steeps one in the life of a global Filipino, long before the term was even coined. Carlos P. Romulo, renowned secretary of Foreign Affairs for 17 years, illustrious Philippine ambassador to the United States for another 10 years, infamous aide-de-camp to general Douglas MacArthur during World War II and distinctively elected the Filipino president of the United Nations General Assembly in 1949, had received hundreds of awards, declarations and more than 60 honorary degrees from universities worldwide during his lifetime. 

He took with him the highlights of being a Filipino in his time when he carried his voice loud and clear to many nations, showcasing how globally at par and intelligent a Filipino can be. To date, his heritage is preserved in many history books and biographies. Those of his time still remember the badge of pride he gave every traveling Filipino and Filipino immigrants who were struggling to gain respect while working abroad.
His two grandchildren, Sandi Squintillani and Liana Romulo, help preserve that heritage and carry it to the younger generation by showcasing the Romulo family through its cuisine. Enzo Squintillani, husband of Sandi, originally came up with the idea to preserve the memories of Carlos P. Romulo by setting up a restaurant that would house his memorabilia and serve the heirloom recipes of the family. More than just a business, the two grandchildren also felt that it was a way to honor their grandfather and share his legacy.
With Yong Nieva, Ivy Almario and Irene Montemayor as partners, Romulo Cafe was born. The recipes of Virginia Llamas Romulo, Carlos P. Romulo’s wife, are recreated in the cafe and presents how their family serves Filipino cuisine during family gatherings and even diplomatic dinners hosting foreign dignitaries.
The menu ranges from old-fashioned Filipino food, modern Filipino food to vegetarian offerings. The appetizer selection features classic chicharon, crisp and substantial fried pork rinds with a hunk of meat; tuna sisig, a seafood version of pork cheek, liver and pork rind, Pampangan confection; the Spanish inspired mambas, the shrimp sweet and tender with a glazing of butter, garlic and olive, making it savory and addictive; sweet crisp crablets with a vinegar dip; guinataang kuhol, snails in coconut cream, a beloved provincial Filipino dish; and the irresistible crispy squid that ensures a demand for double servings per person each time.
The pomelo salad, a Thai influenced dish, is made Filipino with Romaine lettuce and other local ingredients like salted duck egg and Baguio strawberry vinaigrette.
The monggo soup, a green mung bean dish that is a staple in every Filipino home, is comfort food at its best as it is served in the classic way with malunggay (moringa) and ampalaya (bitter melon) leaves and made modern with crisp chicharon. Sinigang na bangus belly in ripe guava is an indulgent treat for those who love milkfish belly in a soup soured with sweet ripe guavas, another provincial dish that many in the city are homesick for.
Lola Virginia’s chicken relleno — a whole stuffed boneless chicken made savory with secret ingredients I suspect sausage, carrots, eggs, pickle relish, sautéed onions and browned garlic — is the easiest way to eat chicken and certainly very elegant when carved and served. This dish has been served to many a foreign diplomat in the home of Carlos P. Romulo while he was abroad.
Tito Greg’s kare-kare is another hit in the cafe. Many balikbayans rave that this is the best kare-kare in Metro Manila with its thick real peanut and rice sauce and tender oxtail and tripe meat. The crispy pata binagoongan — pork leg with shrimp paste — is another melt-in-your-mouth confection with the shrimp paste sautéed with eggplant, tomatoes, garlic and onion, making the crisp and tender pork dish even yummier than when it is served by itself. White soft fluffy rice is best eaten with this dish, whether or not one is in a diet.
The baby pusit in garlic — baby squid sautéed in olive oil and garlic — is a simple yet perfectly done dish in the cafe. The squid is soft and just slightly chewy, sweet and aromatic. Each bite satisfies and one can close one’s eyes and think how Filipino cuisine merged with a few imported ingredients can be so simple and yet so elevating. In the Flying Tilapia, a fillet of tilapia is not quite severed from the bone but is artfully separated enough just to create wings on both sides of the head, then fried so crisp that one can eat the crunchy bones.
For meat lovers, bagnet pakbet, sweet pumpkin, okra, string beans, bitter melon and tomatoes are combined with salted twice-fried pork belly and flavored with local anchovy sauce, the confection closest to ratatouille made with anchovies. For seafood lovers, ginataang sigarilyas with tinapa, wing beans with smoked fish cooked in coconut cream, is downright delicious and can be eaten as a meal by itself.
The vegetable selection is extensive, with enough appetizing options for vegetarians to choose from. The cafe offers tofu with ampalaya in tausi sauce (tofu and bitter melon in fermented black bean sauce), meatless tortang talong (eggplant in egg), ginataang sigarilyas (the wing beans sans the smoked fish), guinataang kalabasa and sitaw (pumpkin and string beans in coconut cream), and laing (taro leaves in coconut cream).
The dessert selection is both Filipino and Continental — suman latik, steamed rice rolls in reduced coconut cream sauce; leche flan, egg and milk flan; sans rival, meringue torte with butter and cashews; Mango Tango; tiramisu; chocolate cake; New York cheesecakes with either blueberry or raspberry sauces; and mocha mousse.
Dining in Romulo’s is an unforgettable experience, the halls decked with pictures of the great Filipino diplomat with dignitaries from different countries line the walls make’s one feel how great the heights a Filipino can scale. Eating the food his family enjoyed and shared with the world not only sates the appetite for classic and modern Filipino food, it also binds one closer to one’s heritage and affirms that Filipino greatness as well as Filipino food has indeed touched and changed the world.

Romulo Cafe is located at 32 Scout Tuason Street in Quezon City, with tel. no. 332-7273 and mobile no. 0915-6623121 and at 148 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Village, Makati City, with tel. nos. 478-6406 and 822-0286. For more information, visit www.romulocafe.com.

Growing up with someone then seeing them as adult and successful is an eye-opener on how one can actually make it in the world someday. Archie Rodriguez, president and chief executive of Global Restaurant Concepts Inc., (GRCI) used to be just the younger brother of my best friend, Sean Rodriguez. He would tag along as we would gallivant in Baguio City, where we all went to high school.

Little did I know then that Archie would someday run a chain of international restaurants, launching new brands from the United States into the Philippines. Fifteen years ago, he, along with Griffith Go and Manuel Zubiri, brought the first California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) out of the US. Now GRCI has seven CPK branches in Metro Manila.

To mark this anniversary on Aug. 15, CPK will celebrate with National Pizza Day and give away free pizzas. For more information on this click on http://cpk.com.ph/blog/2013/01/14/prosciutto-pizza-vegetarian-pizza-even-smores-pizza-have-them-all-on-national-pizza-day/.
My first bite of CPK pizza was when I was working as a lawyer in a multinational pharmaceutical near Shangri-La Plaza Mall. My boss was always calling lunch and dinner meetings in CPK and I got to try almost everything in their menu.
The first time I had their Singapore shrimp rolls, I was addicted to the fresh shrimp cooked only until tender. I loved the freshness that the cilantro lent to the dish. The lettuce wraps was one of my boss' favorites and was a hit with all my colleagues. We always ended up asking for more lettuce as their servings of the minced chicken or shrimp were generous.
My favorite pizza at CPK is the BBQ Chicken with Applewood Smoked Bacon. The combination of smoked Gouda and mozzarella cheese, sweet pineapple with tangy barbecue chicken, and smoked salty bacon with fresh made chewy crisp pizza dough hit all the sweet, salty and tangy cravings of my palate. My other CPK favorite is the White Pizza with cheese oozing all over the crust. Made with a melange of mozarella, Fontina, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano with sauced garlic and spinach, the pizza bursts with all the creamy, salty and rustic profiles of said cheeses.
It was over these favorites that Archie and I got caught up with stories of growing up together and how he got to where he is now. After studying in the US and working there, he finally decided to come home and set up his own business. Of course, being the son of Tito Jack Rodriguez, the man responsible for launching a chain of international restaurant brands like Italianni's, Outback Steakhouse, Bulgogi Brothers, Fish and Co., TGIF, to mention a few, helped as it opened Archie's eyes to the potential of bringing more American restaurant brands to the Philippines.

P.F. Chang's opens in W Global Center
One of GRCI's recent projects, P.F. Chang's, was launched recently at the W Global Center, Bonifacio Global City. Archie hosted the launch. And there I got to reunite with Griffith, who I knew while I was in college as he was a close friend of Jackie, Archie and Sean's older brother. Seeing Archie and Grif again in their new restaurant was a deja vu moment for me, bringing back college days when we would all hang out in the Rodriguez Villas in Castilla Street in San Juan.
Partaking of P.F. Changs chicken lettuce wraps made me think of Peking duck lettuce wraps as it was as tasty and savory. The Dynamite Shrimps were cooked to perfection, just right when it turned crystal so it stayed sweet and tender. The spicy sauce coating the shrimps revved up one's appetite and I had more than appetizers as I couldn't stop finishing the entire serving in a cocktail glass. The crab wontons were crisp and filled to the gills with fresh sweet crab. The plum sauce provided the piquant counter-flavor to the creaminess of the crab.
As a main, we were served Chang's spare ribs, an addictive concoction of tender sticky ribs in an Asian barbecue sauce. It was sweet, salty and tangy all at the same time. The Mongolian beef, tender US Angus beef cooked in the searing heat of the wok, is best eaten with white rice, says Archie. I don't heed his advice as I am trying to stay off carbs. The scallions in the beef dish gave a sophisticated Asian twist to the US Angus and made the dish appealing even without rice.
For seafood, we were served shrimp with candied walnuts, a heavenly combination of tender, sweet shrimp, with crunchy walnuts and the deal sealer, refreshing honeydew melon that is tossed with a creamy dressing along with the other ingredients. I can only say everyone finished off their servings of this irresistible dish.
For dessert, the Great Wall of Chocolate with its six layers of chocolate sponge cake enrobed with sticky chocolate frosting and topped with chocolate chips is an indulgent triple chocolate treat!
For more information visit http://www.pfchangs.com.ph.

Looking forward to Gyu-Kaku
Recently, GRCI launched yet another restaurant, Gyu-Kaku, a yakiniku destination that originated in Japan and with branches worldwide. I was not feeling well enough to go to the launch so going there is something I look forward to.
I missed another chance to hang out with Archie as I also missed the experience of the "Thrill of the Grill" as their invitation dubbed the place. I love grilled food, and I'm not too fond of sweet barbecues. Upon hearing that the chef is from the northern part of Japan where the food is not sweet, I am even more intrigued to try it out.

For more information visit http://www.globalresto.com/gyukaku.php

The summer heat envelopes everyone in its sultry embrace and no one escapes the humidity unless they keep themselves in the cold confines of an air-conditioned room. Even the coldest of car air conditioners is hard put in keeping the heat away.

When outdoors, next to taking a shower or dipping in a pool, the most convenient way to freshen up is by spritzing oneself with a cooling cologne that livens up an otherwise hot and lethargic day.
To help one cool off, Regatta, a preppy outdoorsy fashion brand, adds the fresh new scents Leisure and Preppy Resort as part of its summer collection.
The new fragrances were recently launched at the One Esplanade. Regatta brand director Carlo Rufino shared, "Leisure is what a Regatta summer smells like: A light combination of freshness for women or an outdoorsy combination of musk for men. The summer bouquet evokes a memory of summer that perfectly complements the brands' summer collection wear."
The Preppy Resort fashion collection was also showcased dockside with models coming from the boardwalk and strutting up bayside in their cool and comfy shorts, shirts and summer dresses. Some were even cycling around the picnic area and fit right in the elements of the the Manila Bay — breeze, boat and boardwalk.
Regatta's tradition of relaxed leisure fashion was accentuated with a palette of bright summer colors for this collection: Orange shorts and pants paired with breezy polo shirts; a selection of prints mimicked from playful surf board designs; bicycle designs to floral artwork. Dusky peach tops, sky blue shorts, crisp white wraps, bright reds and sunflower yellows highlighted the popsicle colors of summer.
Pairing bright colors with khakis, sober greys, nautical stripes and anchor designs created a resort collection that is casual, playful and evidently comfortable.
Clothes made with chambray fabric, lighter and softer than linen is one of the key pieces of the collection. The fabric highlights that Regatta is keen on comfort while using materials that provide structure to the cut of its designs.    
A mix and match collection of swimsuit tops and bottoms also form part of the collection where traditional one-piece suits stand side-by-side with flirty two piece suits that show off summer bods.
Pairing the tops with Regatta shorts creates a playful sexy summer look for the girls, while Regatta shorts for men only need a fit bod to complete the look.
Battle off the summer heat with Regatta's new scents and catch some fun in the sun with the playful and colorful Preppy Resort collection.

A family meal, when every family member not only sits to lunch or dinner but also pays attention to the family conversation, is indeed a prized occasion. More often, however, it is a rare occasion especially when work, school or other activities impinge on precious family time. As families begin to slack on this important facet of family life, often the closeness dissipates with time and neglect.

Monde Nissin, which launched the Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga in 2007, recently launched the book, Famealy Matters: 50-Plus Stories of Everyday Intimacy at the Family Dining Table, a compilation of stories by well-known personalities and how they share meal time moments with their respective families.
Gen Aquino, Monde Nissin manager of Media and Public Relations, says, "Meal times provide opportunities for members of the family to sit around one table, share the same food, and listen to each other's stories."
No one can deny that many a family meal has been missed for work, school or even friends. Each meal missed is an opportunity missed to strengthen familial bonds.
Aquino adds, "Many Filipino families are guilty of taking such moments for granted and we at Monde Nissin wish to remind them of the joys that come with sharing meals together."
Famealy Matters compiles stories of people who have made it big in their own fields of endeavor and yet found time to spend time to have meals with their families. Francis Kong, publisher of the book, said that "even well-known celebrities and personalities go out of their way just to be able to gather their family together and sit down at the dining table." Kong, well-known for his succinct advice on both family and business matters, brings to fore his advocacy in promoting relational wellness amongst family members.
Family meal time is an important part of parenting, so much so that the Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse of the Columbia University released a statement that, Research consistently shows that the more often children have dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, use illegal drugs and indulge in early sexual behavior."
Presidential Proclamation 326, issued by President Benigno Aquino III, mandates that Sept. 4 is to be celebrated as the Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga (The Value of Family Meals day). It is often said that when it comes to children, it is not only quality time but also the quantity of time that will bring them closer to their parents, siblings and even their extended family.  
"One of the meaningful traditions of Filipinos is the common family meal where all members of the family are present to signify their unity and thanksgiving for God's abundant blessings,” Aquino said, adding that "having a family meal encourages parents to stay connected with their children and understand the challenges they face."
The compilation of stories shares how different families from different walks of life are able to spend time preparing meals, eating together at home or dining out, all the time sharing stories from their day, venting their feelings to each other, seeking comfort in the company of family, laughing and, yes, even arguing with each other.
Pastor Peter Tan-Chi, one of the contributors in the book, says he refrains from preaching at the dinner table. He and his wife, Deonna, try not to "chide, correct, scold or criticize" their children because they want family meals to be a positive experience. He added, "We don't want to give them indigestion!"
Ige Ramos, a Doreen Fernandez awardee, shares how he and his family relished pinangat, individually banana leaf wrapped fish cooked in a claypot with tomatoes and kamias, the bilimbi sour fruit to add tartness to the dish. He shares how he grew up eating it, with condiments "like satellites in orbit." The platitos de condimentos in Chabacano (a local version of the Spanish language), small plates of condiments ground pork rind, fish sauce, coriander leaves, pickled radishes, salted fish with a salad of tomatoes, pickled green mangoes, etc.) makes the dish special.
Ardy Roberto, a book author, CEO and co-founder of Salt and Light Ventures and Inspire Leadership Consultancy, prepares Saturday breakfast the healthy way —"whole wheat pancakes with flax seed, olive oil, slivers of almond, banana, and dark chocolate truffles melting on top."
Monique Buensalido, a Carlos Palanca awardee and contributing writer for several publications, says that the plates in their homes after a family meal is a "dishwasher's dream come true with every last piece, morsel and crumb" eaten.

Famealy Matters: 50-Plus Stories of Everyday Intimacy at the Family Dining Table is available at the National Book Store and Powerbooks.

Tales of women who triumph over commonplace and extraordinary adversities are the stuff of legend. How many tales though also pay tribute to how beauty re-emerges or even perseveres in spite of wrinkling-causing female dilemmas?

Strength and beauty within
Recently, Olay Conversations struck a chord as it launched a series of Web episodes (Webisodes) with the infamously inquisitive Boy Abunda hosting engaging intimate conversations with women who have their own tales of woe to tell, yet exemplify that just like the legendary phoenix, beauty can rise out of the ashes. The first two episodes feature Mons Romulo and Denise Laurel and can be viewed in  www.youtube.com/OlayPH.
Mons Laurel, an intensely private person, now tells how the end of her 21-year marriage devastated her, emotionally and physically. And how she came out of it with a better understanding of herself. She relates how she learned to take care of herself, and how her beauty inside and out re-emerged.
While she is not staying beautiful on account of a romantic involvement and she is focusing on her children, the way she takes care of herself is evident in her full smile, the twinkle in her eyes, and her clear rested skin. She related that she can take anything life throws at her now as she has seen herself crumble to nothing and rise again.
When complimented by Abunda on her beauty, she replies, “I am beautiful because of the pain I went through.  I am taking care of myself better now because I’m much happier today than I ever was before.”
Olay’s launch of several new and improved anti-aging products under its Total Effects and Regenerist range takes into account the varied changes in lifestyle and societal trends, globalization, financial pressures, relationship and career stress that women bear, resulting in stress levels like never before and which significantly impact skin aging.  
Justin Lladoc, Olay brand manager, explains, “This is why we have launched the upgraded Olay ranges which have Olay’s highest-ever level of anti-aging ingredients, delivers accelerated anti-aging results and some products have dual fairness and anti-aging benefits.  We want to help women challenge what’s possible in anti-ageing and be their ally in fearlessly facing all the stress and challenges that come their way.”
“For several decades, Olay has been the ally of women no matter what age. Olay recognizes that every woman faces dauntless challenges, adversities and ever-changing needs in every life stage,” says Lladoc. “We want to help them meet these needs and lessen their fears and worries because they can count on the best products innovations with accelerated and long-lasting results. We hope we can help women face anything life has to offer and inspire them with the stories on Olay Conversations,” Lladoc explains.
Actress Denise Laurel also shared how her unplanned pregnancy threatened her acting career just when she was at the peak she worked so long and so hard for.  
“I knew getting pregnant was teaching me something. It was teaching me to be an adult,” Laurel revealed in the Web episode.  
Laurel gave most of the credit of surviving her ordeal to her family who supported the difficult decision of leaving showbiz for a while with the risk that all she had accomplished would be put to naught.
Her comeback shows her with an undeniable glow that speaks of how her ashes turned to beauty in every aspect of her life. Learning how to manage one’s emotions and matching the peace and calm one arrives at with exterior beauty completes the circle of womanhood’s triumph.
Bea Alonzo, Crickette Tantoco and Priscilla Meirelles’ Olay Conversations will also be on www.youtube.com/OlayPH.
Olay Regenerist and Olay Total Effects products are available at olay.com.ph or at leading department stores and supermarkets nationwide.

Natural super moms
Motherhood spurs a certain kind of heroism which otherwise might not exist if the demands of the vocation did not call for it. Women faced with the demands of career and home, often struggle with priorities that come in between. To pay tribute to mothers everywhere, Ascof launched the Natural Super Moms as a way to honor those who, outside of the home, are career women, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, business partners, socio-civic leaders, health advocates, etc.
Rep. Lucy Torres, an Ascof ambassador, a natural super mom herself who balances between her roles as public servant, television personality, mother and wife, knows firsthand how complex and challenging the multitasking roles are.
Winnie Monsod, more popularly known as the no-nonsense Mareng Winnie who minces no words when interviewing personalities on her television show Bawal ang Pasaway, is also a natural mom who raised five children with her husband, Christian. As a hands-on-mom who for the first 10 years of her married life had no household help, she learned to rely on her instincts to address motherhood emergencies. Growing up amidst natural remedies as a child taught her to go the same route with her children. That is why she had no qualms at all in taking on the role of Ascof ambassador.
Winnie Cordero, Umagang Kay Ganda, ANC home design host and radio broadcaster as well as mother to two girls and wife to a very understanding husband, is also a natural super mom who juggles her many roles. At her stint in the Magandang Umaga Bayan show, she discovered herbal cures and has not gone back to synthetics for ailments that can be addressed by herbal supplements. Her enthusiasm for natural cures at work and at home got her the title “Doc,” she laughs.
Mia Pascual-Cenzon, PascualLab’s director for Corporate Communications, also a natural super mom herself, says that the two new Ascof ambassadors, both Winnie’s, represent the ideals of the brand which is nurturing families the natural way.

Woman to woman
W2W stands for women to women mentoring each other as they build their businesses powered by the very strength and uniqueness of being a woman. The Women’s Business Council of the Philippines (WBCP) continually explores opportunities to serve the untapped reservoir of women entrepreneurs and help women to step up to international standards.
The WBCP records and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) database shows that about 60 percent of businesses are registered under the name of women. The steady rise of women entrepreneurs and the women joining the workforce, makes women a force to contend with in the marketplace. WBCP, a non-stock, non-profit organization made up of women who are leaders in their chosen endeavours, seeks to enable women from every walk of life to give them economic leverage either as single or married persons.
Chit Juan said that “We hope to inspire more women to get into business or to find a career they wish to shift to.” More women leaders in traditionally make dominated fields like Information Technology, Engineering, Automative Industries, Law, etc., prove that women can excel in any given field.
We Connect International, a group made up of Fortune 500 companies, charter is unique as it requires that its members be 51 percent owned by women. Once a company gains entry into the We Connect database, it spells the opportunity of being in the procurement list of international purveyors.
The Women Vendors and Exhibition Forum also hosts the meet ups of women suppliers with American and European buyers. ECHOstore’s Jeannie Javelosa was chosen as a supplier under the category of Textiles and she proudly brings Philippine weaves to the international market. Juan, of Le Bistro Sustainable Coffees, also met with coffee buyers through We Connect.
WBCP aims to bring more women into the international marketplace, at the same time nurturing business locally to prepare them for the global economy.
For more information visit www.wbcp.ph.

For those who grew up in the ’80s, Hong Kong was a cheap foreign destination for young families who could otherwise not afford go out of the country.  Many a 1980s child have walked the streets of Hong Kong before they even ventured to local destinations whose ticket fares rivaled that of the Chinese island.
Jose Rizal’s famous line ingrained in every Filipino student’s head — “Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika, daig pa ang hayop at malansang isda (He who does not love his own language is worse than a wild animal and smelly fish)” — was taken further by many to say that he who opts to travel abroad first without experiencing the beauty of his own country is just as worse. As the 1980s children grew into yuppies who could afford to indulge in vacations, a surge in local tourism marked the rise to make Rizal’s daunting words more and more untrue.
With the new campaign of the Department of Tourism (DoT), “It’s more fun in the Philippines,” BPI provides ease with which travelers can easily access cash to enjoy the local tourist sites.
The DTI-BPI More Fun Pre-paid Visa reloadable card connects the young tourist who does not have a credit card with the financial digital world, allowing cashless transactions 24/7 at over 800 BPI branches locally and internationally. Parents can even load the cards at every destination so that the youngster can budget their vacation money for every stop.
BPI has undertaken to extend DoT’s presence by allowing more accessibility for said cards and even providing more points for currency exchange; allow for affordable financing options for tour packages by providing guarantee facilities for  qualified tourism enterprises, giving them a breather to provide better offerings for the touring public; and, deploy more ATMs and Points of Sale terminals to allow for more financial mobility.
DoT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said that the DoT has seen “a staggering increase in the interest of the Filipino to visit other parts of the Philippines. In 2008, there were about eight million domestic trips and in 2011, it grew to 27.9 million.” The jump in numbers speaks for itself and younger and younger Filipinos who visit other islands to experience local festivals like the Sinulog in Cebu City, Maskara in Bacolod or Panagbenga in Baguio City, testify to how well locally traveled the youth are.
Iaian Janeson, Visa country manager, adds that “the recent spike in young people traveling more” motivated this partnership so that the DTI-BPI More Fun Pre-paid Visa reloadable card gives a safer and more convenient option than handling large amounts of cash when in transit. What’s more, the card offers discounts at partner establishments, simplifies booking and ticketing procedures and offers a secure electronic transaction, to boot.
The DoT’s target of 10 million foreign tourists by 2016, which will make tourism a key driver for socio-economic growth, is not a far-off dream. In fact, spurring tourism in our very own shores, and among the youth at that, is a good first among many steps.

The oft-said line that the future is in the hands of children can never be said enough. How to nurture children should then be the one of the priority programs of government and non-government organizations (NGOs) alike, not to mention of profit corporations whose future also lies in the potential of children not only becoming their leaders, but also their future consumers.

Playing up play time
The “Di Lang Laro Ang Laro” (Play is Not Just Play) campaign event held recently at the Palm Grove, Rockwell, Makati City, launched a partnership with the Department of Education, Play Pilipinas and Johnson and Johnson Philippines.
Their partnership is an example of a public-private campaign, which aims to establish that at least one hour of daily active play promotes children’s health and holistic development, also an advocacy of Unicef’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Johnson & Johnson Philippines also commissioned a study to see how mothers with four to nine year old kids in the greater Metro Manila area discourage play time and encourage more study time. This prompted it to partner with Play Pilipinas, a local NGO that promotes children’s rights to play.
At the launch, Play Pilipinas held a workshop called “Rediscovery” that allows one to re-experience playing the games played during one’s childhood. The guests at the launch were encouraged to go down memory lane to see the value of play in their own development.
“We only have to look back to our childhood days to be convinced of how free play is a learning tool, helping us discover our capacities,” enthused Sigrid Perez, executive director of Play Pilipinas.
“We at the Department of Education support this advocacy because we believe that children can also learn skills and values outside the classroom,” said lawyer Tonisito Umali, assistant secretary for Legislative Affairs of the Department of Education, in his video message to the guests.
“When you encourage and participate in play, you recognize not only the child’s right to play, but the child’s right to be a child. Enter the child’s world of play. You will be better parents. You will have healthier and smarter children. All of you will have fun!” also said Maria Mercedes Chavez, Unicef ECCD specialist.
Songwriter and singer Barbie Almalbis-Honasan “noticed that children easily make new friends on the playground, especially when they are with other children around their age. From there, children get really creative and come up with their own games and make up their own rules.”
The launch was hosted by Luisito “Bodjie” Pascua, popularly known as “Kuya Bodjie” from the iconic children’s show that triggered early memories of play among the guests. Fellow advocate, Barbie Almabis serenaded the guests with her rendition of the classic APO Hiking Society song, “Bawat Bata.” It was also the first time that the campaign’s advocacy TVC, which features Bro. Armin Luistro, was shown to the public.
The “Di Lang Laro Ang Laro” campaign also has a 365 Days of Play game where parents and children can submit their original versions of active play games. Entries which best exemplify the campaign will be posted on the Johnson’s Baby Face book page.
“We at Johnson and Johnson commit to sustaining this advocacy. Together with Play Pilipinas, we are building ‘Palarujuan’ as reminders that play has huge benefits on our children’s development,” said Sean Zantua, HR and CSR director of Johnson and Johnson Philippines. “We also invite our guests and their children to submit their entries for the 365 Days of Play game.”
“In promoting the role of play in children’s health and development, we also hope that even we adults can pick up a thing or two about play,” said Trina Almario-Tanlapco, group brand manager of Johnson and Johnson Philippines. “Far from being idle time, play has the power to make our kids more creative, social and strong, smart and more. Easy-access playgrounds like  Palarujuan,   are there for kids and parents alike to rediscover for themselves the power of play.  A daily dose is good for everyone.”
For more information visit facebook.com/johnsonsbabyphilippines.

Food for thought
Nomama Artisanal Ramen also partnered with guest chefs Rolando & Jackie Laudico one Open Kitchen Monday night dinner for the benefit of the Shepherd of the Hills Foundation (SoTH).
Children from SoTH serenaded the guests after a Filipino-Japanese fusion dinner of ceviche of fresh Spanish mackerel with a piquant salsa of roasted capsicum and ripe mango; smoky grilled squid and prawn with a yuzu, bagoong (shrimp paste) and wasabi dressing; rich duck confit ramen in a batchoy (pork and bagoong) broth; mirin soy glazed tender tuna loin with addicting buro (fermented shrimp and rice) edamame sauce; garlic sautéed tuyo (dried anchovies) with cherry tomatoes; tender kitayama wagyu with shitake, winter, wood ear, shimeji and button mushrooms; grilled corn, onion and sweet potato mash; and delectable rice cake zuki roll in coconut black sesame latik (sweet coconut oil sauce).
SoTH is a child care organization that cares for underprivileged children and rescues abused, abandoned or neglected children. It has developmental programs in place to address the changing needs of children as they grow. SoTH also has a Center for Music, Arts and Sports (SoTHMAS) to develop multiple intelligences. Play as a pivotal role in children’s development is an integral part of SoTHMAS educational programs which boasts of a pre-school and elementary school levels.
The proceeds of the dinner tickets for that Monday night went to SoTH and SoTHMAS as part of Nomama Artisanal Ramen’s advocacy to provide its kitchen and dining area as a venue for promoting causes, but also to leverage its culinary influence for the good of others. Guest chefs provide their services for free and donors of the ingredients provide the meal. For this dinner, the Umalag Farms provided the Kitayama wagyu grown in Bukidnon; More than Organic gave the duck and eggs; and Down to Earth donated the greens.
For more information visit facebook/nomamaramen or www.shepherdofthehills.org.ph.

Parenting wisdom
Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, an award-winning actress and book author of Super Benj, which garnered a Catholic Mass Media Award, also runs The Parenting Company (TPC), which offers learning programs geared toward equipping families to become a foundation for strengthening society.
TPC organizes corporate parenting seminars, hosts mall, school and hospital tours, creates family projects and even provides yaya (caregiver) workshops, all aimed to create a family environment that nurtures children who are also future parents.
Laxa-Pangilinan shares her knowledge on work-life balance to provide a loving and nurturing environment for her children. Her parenting style is also evident in her other books Meet My Super Dad, I Love You Yaya Handbook, Kuya Na Si Bunso (The Youngest Child is Now an Elder Brother) and the bestselling Mommy Talk. Her weekly column in the Philippine Star provides sage advice for moms of all ages.
Laxa-Pangilinan is also the wife of Anthony Pangilinan. Together, they exemplify how work, school and play all together help raise balanced children. They are sports enthusiasts and with their children run marathons together.
For more information visit www.facebook.com/pages/Maricel-Laxa-Pangilinan.

Truth-telling and national healing
Ma. Lourdes Carandang, a clinical psychologist and a 1995 National Social Scientist awardee, advocates that “Parenting is nation-building.”
The MLAC Institute for Children and Families was established in 2010 by a team of psychologists to apply its science in promoting the well-being of children and their families with a special focus on “the poor, the disadvantaged and traumatized,” says Carandang.
In a “Truth-telling and National Healing: Claiming Our Dignity and Integrity as a People” seminar held at the St. Luke’s College of Medicine, Carandang discussed how children learn how to lie from their parents, older siblings, relatives, neighbors and playmates.
The culture of lying has helped to erode dignity and integrity, in turn, eroding nationhood as children grow to become the adults that shape society.
Carandang also up played the role of media, especially television and the Internet, in shaping how children see the world and how they should act in it. She lauded shows like Batibot, Sineskwela and Hirayamanwari that employ positive images for children to emulate.
MLAC advocates different forms of psychotherapy like play therapy, expressive arts therapy and trauma therapy to nurture and heal children as means of taking care of the future and building a people of dignity and integrity.
For more information, visit mlacinstitute.com.

The Telus International Philippines Community Board's (TIPCB) philosophy — "We give where we live" — is embodied by its community involvement efforts by providing US$10,000 grants to grassroots non-government organizations (NGOs). These NGOs are chosen based on how they specifically address the community's needs.

More than just being one of the leading BPO companies in the Philippines, Telus International Philippines (TIP), through the board, is reaching out and seeking involvement with grassroots charitable organizations, which, in turn, can directly reach the communities they serve. Through this initiative, TIP's long arm touches the needs of the community it lives in and serves a broader range of advocacies.
The board's funding focus areas are: arts and culture; education and sport; and health and well-being. These focus areas are targeted on how the youth can be empowered to improve their quality of life and to enable them to reach their full potential. There are 14 boards worldwide, 11 of which are in Canada, one in Guatemala, one in El Salvador and another in the Philippines. All the boards are made up of community leaders; a majority of them are not part of Telus, but were chosen for their strong commitments to their advocacies. The strong external representation that Telus seeks to establish is to put the decision-making in the hands of community leaders who are more in touch with the specific needs of their localities.
In the Philippines, the board, which was born Feb. 28, 2012, aims to provide a total of $100,000 annually to meet the needs of the qualified NGOs. The board engages in activities to attract initiatives for its funding focus areas; allocates the funding to the chosen NGOs, represents Telus at community events; and helps raise awareness of Telus's philanthropic efforts in the community with key stakeholder groups.
Last year, the board chose among several applicants and the Philippine Red Cross Rizal Chapter (PNRC), which needed the funding for the Antipolo City and Rizal Branches; Project Pearls, which needed to rebuild and repair homes in the sitio of Damayan, Tondo, Manila;  Unang Lingap Kapwa Philippines Inc. (ULKPI), which sought the funding for sponsorship of impoverished Filipino children; Empowering Communities with Hope and Opportunities through Sustainable Initiatives (ECHOsi) Foundation, which pledged to teach marginalized women on how to engage in fair trade practices and how to produce environmentally-friendly products; Alay Pag-asa Christian Foundation Inc., which sought to use the funds for values transformational efforts as part of its program development initiatives; and Childhope Asia Philippines Inc., which helped more street children in Metro Manila.
This year the grant is open to more NGOs that are accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO certification. Grassroots charitable organizations can visit the Telus Web site and download the application form at www.telus.com/community.

For more information about TIP, visit www.telusinternational.com

The smooth, satiny skin under one's arm is taken for granted until puberty hits and strange follicles begin to peep out of it. Until then, one gives no thought to the underarm. No inhibitions beset one until then.

Even growing up amidst the angst that surrounds the underarm — unsightly hair, odor, plucked chicken skin, darkened skin and all — one does not confront the kili-kili (underarm) until puberty when all these become a reality. Men, expected to carry the underarm hair with pride, only have the odor issue to contend with. Women, on the other hand, are beset with much more.
In Underarm Monologues, a play written and researched by Joel Trinidad, a man at that, fun is poked at all these underarm blues. How Filipinas would love to be as carefree as the French or other European women who can sport their underarm hair without blinking. How much freedom would that be if society did not expect smooth, white and hair-free underarms! The saying "up in arms" would take on new meaning, or it could mean women can just do away with society's expectations and be "up in arms, hair, dark chicken skin, odor and all!”
The obsession with fuzz-free, smooth and satiny white underarms is just on part of the battlecry of vanity. Don't women and yes, men, obsess about this? The gift of technology to beauty has also become a bane to many. A wide range of hair removal creams, potions and lotions is touted to also whiten and smoothen skin! All kinds of shaving and plucking handheld appliances claim to remove unwanted hair from the root! Laser, IPL and other procedures promise underarm beauty to those who can pay the exorbitant prices.
But, really, how are we to confront kili-kili and the woes that come with it? Dove Deodorant recently presented Unspeakably Yours: The Underarm Monologues at Teatrino in Greenhills and put one face to face with kili-kili stories from puberty and beyond.
A particularly funny exchange was the section on the “arch-enemy” where enthusiasm took the blame for exposing the unexposable! A fashionista's enthusiasm with a new sleeveless blouse, child-like enthusiasm when one wins at a major raffle or just plain enthusiasm when seeing an old friend and running to meet that friend with arms all raised in excitement — such is enthusiasm even when the kili-kili has been left unattended. If only the underarm could speak, Trinidad imagines it would say:
Underarm to Woman: "I hope that one day, you can be proud of me!"
Underarm to Woman: "Ingat lang sa pag-shave! Medyo masakit eh!"
Underarm to Woman: "Bakit ako 50 shades of grey???" (Why am I fifty shades of grey???)
In the monologue, women were mimicked saying: "Guys, you probably can't imagine what it feels like to pluck the hair from your armpits for the first time. But if you want an approximation, grab a random bunch of nose hair really tight and just yank it right out of there. Then do it about a hundred more times."
Unspeakably Yours: The Underarm Monologues hilariously develops the theme of how females "love to hate and hate to love" their underarms. Trinidad and his creative team took to the streets to weave different plots for the script.
"I thoroughly enjoyed creating the script, especially as more and more responses were coming in," he states.
"The descriptions and underarm analogies that we got were hilarious-although they did reveal some frustrations and insecurities among women. I never knew women went through such trouble just for the upkeep of the underarms," he enthuses.
"We know that women rarely describe themselves as beautiful, with some body parts even less loved than others," explains Cindy Melocoton-Manlapaz, Unilever Philippines marketing manager for Deodorants and Oral Care. "More than half of Filipinas rank their underarms as one of the body parts they are unhappiest about: being laden with dark spots and chicken skin. We believe that the underarms can be things of real beauty too, if only we cared for them more."
One's journey in confronting the kili-kili from puberty to adulthood is poignant to say the least as one recalls one's travails in the pursuit of the white, smooth, hair-less underarm. The obsession with one's underarm can not only be a source of neuroses when taken to the extreme, it can also be draining, effort and money wise. What, then, is a girl to do? One can continue on with the obsession as long as resources — sanity, energy and money. Or one can apply the principle of Know Your Enemy in Sun Tzu's Art of War. The kili-kili is not the enemy, it is vanity.
Unspeakably Yours: The Underarm Monologues is written by theater veterans Joel Trinidad and Cathy Azanza-Dy, and directed by Dy and Jenny Jamora. The show starred Caisa Borromeo, Jenny Jamora and Angela Padilla.