HARD as it is to believe, there are people today who still see poetry as a literary form that elitist white men used in the past to articulate their thoughts on nature and women. But after World Poetry Day was celebrated last Thursday, people are encouraged to take another look at the genre and its potential to become a powerful force in international relations.

The last few years have seen poetry becoming a potent tool for those speaking out against social injustice and prejudice. Interestingly, most of these new poets and their admirers are millennials. One of them is Indian-Canadian Rupi Kaur, who has sold millions of her poetry books around the world.

Poetry has become so popular, especially in the Western hemisphere that last year, observers have considered it a new form of religion that believes in honesty and equality for everyone. Furthermore, with the absence of prejudice as its core value, poetry has become the preferred tool for people searching for meaningful self-expression.

Poetry has much to offer in today’s increasingly divided world. It has the power to bridge gaps between people, because it forms real connections based on our common human experiences, regardless of nationality, social status, religion or political views.

In a world where social media is often characterized as promoting only the edited highlights of a person’s life, its traditional platforms may not be the best places to share one’s innermost thoughts, worries or memories. Because of this, Lukas and Johana Sedlacek, a couple based in Prague, designed Poetizer. It is a social network for those devoted to writing, reading and sharing poetry.

“Poetizer is creating a space for poetry lovers across the globe that share the same desires and values, like freedom of speech, authenticity and the love of poetry as a form of self-expression,” said Lukas, also the site’s managing director.

“We believe that the platform will interest even those who don’t write poetry themselves,” he added.

“More and more people don’t feel free to be fully themselves on current social media sites, as they feel pressured to live up to other people’s expectations,” the co-founder explained, adding that Poetizer should serve as a safe space for the global poetry community and represent those who want to be heard in society.

Unlike other social-media platforms, Poetizer was created to suit a poet’s needs.

“When we were creating Poetizer, we primarily listened to the wishes and needs of poets,” Johana said. “The community of people interested in poetry is rapidly [expanding] around the world and they deserve their own social network built on their wishes and with no limits to their artistic expression.”

Poetizer allows users to create an account, save drafts, publish finished poems and share them with the world. Besides a news feed with new posts and the option to create poetry collections, the platform has features that allow users to be anonymous, edit text with great detail, and ask other users for feedback. All this is underscored by a minimalist design that doesn’t distract the users from the poems.

Since its launch in 2017, Poetizer now boasts of 120,000 poems written by users from 120 countries. It has encouraged people to interact with each other, regardless of their differences, and build friendships based on their common human experiences.

Poetizer can be accessed at poetizer.com and is available for download from the Apple Store and Google Play. For more information, send an email to press@poetizer.com.

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The IYAS La Salle National Writers’ Workshop of the University of St. La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental province has revealed the dozen fellows for its 19th edition, to be held at the school’s Balay Kalinungan complex from March 31 to April 6, 2019.

They are Elizabeth Joy Serrano Quijano (Binisayang Sugilanon), Maria Cristina I. Canson (Hiligaynon Binalaybay), Nicole-Ann T. Lucas (Hiligaynon/Kinaray-a Sugilanon), Isabella Kathrina S. Villarojo (Binisayang Dula), Ryan Cezar O. Alcarde (Filipino Tula), Alec Joshua B. Paradez (Filipino Maikling Kuwento), March Anetonette S. Ortuoste (Filipino Dula), Jefferson G. del Rosario (Binisayang Balak), Sigrid Marianne P. Gayangos (English Short Story), King V. Llanza (English Poetry), Jose Luis B. Pablo (English Poetry) and Edmark T. Tan (English Poetry)

John Iremil Teodoro is this year’s workshop director. Panelists are Marjorie M. Evasco, Grace Monte de Ramos-Arcellana, Susan S. Lara, Isidoro M. Cruz and Em Mendez. Joining them are Elsa Martinez Coscolluela, Ronald Baytan and IYAS Project Director Raymundo Pandan Jr.

The workshop is organized by USLS and the Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center of De La Salle University. It is supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities.

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THE University of the Philippines (UP) Press recently launched 16 books, including the fourth in a series of poetry anthologies, three books of plays and a biography of a prominent anti-Marcos activist, that reaffirmed its status as a leading publisher of literary and scholarly works in the country.

During the “Paglulunsad” event at UP Balay Kalinaw in Diliman, Quezon City on March 15, the esteemed publishing house formally introduced The Achieve of, The Mastery: Filipino Poetry and Verse from English, mid-’90s to 2016. Edited by prize-winning poets Dr. Gémino H. Abad and Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta, the two-volume anthology is a sequel to A Habit of Shores: Filipino Poetry and Verse from English, ‘60s to the ‘90s (1999).

That book followed A Native Clearing: Filipino Poetry and Verse from English since the ‘50s to the Present: Edith L. Tiempo to Cirilo Bautista (1993) and Man of Earth: An Anthology of Filipino Poetry and Verse from English, 1905 to the mid-’50s (1989). UP Press also published the three previous collections, which Abad also edited, the latter with Edna Z. Manlapaz.

The Achieve of, The Mastery was previously launched last November at De La Salle University, where Katigbak-Lacuesta teaches.

“The anthology will give a serious student and scholar of our literature a better sense of [our] literary tradition,” said Abad, also a literary critic and UP professor emeritus.

According to him, an anthology of Philippine literature is significant in capturing and understanding the Filipino people’s history and culture.

“Our literature, in whatever language, not just in English — Tagalog, Cebuano and so on — they are our people’s memory, our day-to-day living. It’s our culture. Our history and our culture [are] in our literature,” he told The Manila Times.

UP Press also launched Rody Vera’s Tatlong Dula (na Itinanghal ng Dulaang UP), which collects the 2014 Palanca Hall of Fame inductee’s plays penned for the university’s premier theater group; U Z. Eliserio, Maynard Manansala and Chuckberry J. Pascual’s Kolab: Koleksyon ng mga Dula, which gathers the plays they have collaborated on, some of which have been staged at the annual Virgin Labfest theater festival; and Vladimeir B. Gonzales’ Lab: Mga Dulang Adaptasyon at Iba Pang Laro para sa mga Klaseng Panlaboratoryo.

Also unveiled were Lorena: Isang Talambuhay, Pauline Marie Hernando’s biography of the Martial Law-era activist and feminist Ma. Lorena Barros; A Split Second in Time: My Life, Times and Works, the autobiography of National Scientist for Veterinary Medicine Teodulo M. Topacio Jr.; and Dusking, Dawning, award-winning playwright and former political detainee Bonifacio P. Ilagan’s translation of activist and cultural worker Lualhati Milan Abreau’s autobiography Agaw-Dilim, Agaw-Liwanag.

Other titles introduced are Palanca awardee Will P. Ortiz’s Si Maria Makiling at ang Alamat ng Animas Anya: Ikalawang Aklat; Dennis Andrew S. Aguinaldo’s Bukod sa Maliliit na Hayop: Mga Tula; Edward delos Santos Cabagnot’s Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time and Manuel Silos’ Biyaya ng Lupa; and Sir Anril Pineda Tiatco’s Cosmopolitanism, Theatre, and the Philippines: Performing Community in a World of Strangers.

Na Kung Saan: Kapirasong Kritika, Mahigit Isang Dekada by Teo S. Marasigan; Stories of Struggle: Experiences of Land Reform in Negros Island, Philippines by Sarah Wright and Ma. Diosa Labiste; Powering the Philippine Economy: Electricity Economics and Policy by Majah-Leah V. Ravago, James A. Roumasset and Rolando A. Danao; and Sakunang Darating, Saklolo’y Tayo Rin: Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Handbook for Academic Institutions: The University of the Philippines Experience, edited by Ferdinand C. Llanes, et al., complete the list.

Established on March 16, 1965, UP Press has published important and often groundbreaking books in various fields, including literature, arts and humanities, history, economics, and the social sciences. Many of these works won prizes from various award-giving bodies. The National Book Awards recognized it as publisher of the year in 1996, 2002, 2010 and 2016.

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Like most children who grew up in traditional Asian households, Pakistan Ambassador to the Philippines Aman Rashid was expected to follow his family’s profession. In his case, it was to be a medical doctor like most everyone in his clan.

Adding to the pressure for the young Rashid was the fact that in Pakistan, doctors are highly regarded professionals with a career in medicine most sought after in society and a standing that gives the utmost prestige.

Nevertheless, the diligent son in Rashid — the youngest in his family — took him to medical school despite a feeling of uncertainty. He studied as any medical student would — intensely and vigorously — developing the kind of commitment and discipline that would make any other endeavor almost a walk in the park.

But even then, Rashid realized two years into medical school that he did not want to become a doctor. He had no idea what he wanted to do but he was certain a career in medicine was not for him.

“The question suddenly crossed my mind, ‘Was I willing to practice as a doctor?’ I knew it is a challenging profession but I was also aware it is a very committing job where you’re expected to work round the clock because you’re dealing with human life,” Rashid recalled to The Sunday Times Magazine in this one-on-one interview.

Looking back, he realized how his father’s career as an ophthalmologist contributed to his hesitation to carry on. “I witnessed how my father was always working that he hardly had time for his family because he had to be committed. And the family had no right to say anything regarding his absence.”

And yet, even with a heavy heart, Rashid fulfilled his promise to his family to finish medical school while respectfully expressing his decision not to practice as a doctor. Because by then, he already found a career he was willing to pursue to the fullest.

“I thought that if I really had the desire to serve the humanity, I can do it better as a diplomat because then the canvas and the horizon to do so is broader,” he explained.

Thankfully, he sought and was given his family’s blessing to take complete turnaround toward his future and immediately prepared to take Pakistan’s Civil and Foreign Service examinations. And in 1987 at 24 years old it became official — Rashid was accepted into the Pakistan Foreign Service.

A little over decades and several countries of posting later, The Sunday Times Magazine ventured to find out whether the Pakistan ambassador can say he truly found his calling. Can he wholeheartedly say today he did the right thing to turn his back in serving humanity as a medical doctor and instead, choosing to serve as bridge between peoples of different nations? Does he feel fulfilled in representing Pakistan in the realms of global trade and social cultural exchange? Is he making a difference in people’s lives as he would have as doctor?

These and more are questions Ambassador Aman Rashid generously and colorfully answered in the exchange that follows, while happily detailing how the 70-year-long relationship between Pakistan and the Philippines continues to grow strong, prosperous and meaningful under his watch.

The Sunday Times Magazine: What were the initial challenges you had to face when you embarked on a career in foreign service?

As with anything, if you want to do your job in the most professional way, the first thing to do is learn.

I take everything as a challenge, but with the kind of life and discipline I had as a medical student, the challenge of learning the things I had to learn for foreign service were not as difficult as one would imagine it to be. In medical school, you are so focused, you have to put up long hours and these traits already became part of me before I shifted careers, so sure, it was a challenge to do so but it actually became a pleasant change too.

Following how you value learning and past experiences in dealing with the present, how do you think your previous postings helped you get settled in Manila.

I have to say that my previous posts actually had me wanting to go to Manila. All my career, most of the time I had been posted in a country that has snow! I’m not really complaining about them, but you know coming from Pakistan — which also has four seasons — sometimes you just want to be assigned to a different setting. So it was my own choice to come to Manila.

Moreover, during my career in foreign service, I have continuously interacted with Filipinos in different levels — from the diplomatic level all the way to house workers [domestic helpers] — so you can say I’m familiar with the culture.

Also, I wanted to serve in Asia because this century, I believe, belongs to us Asians. I have never served in Asia as an ambassador so it was a plus factor for me [to be posted here].

Additionally, I find it interesting that in the Philippines, despite the fact that you are a Catholic country, there are a lot of pluralistic societies, like the Muslims and the Christians living together in a very harmonious manner. In fact in the United Nations (UN), the Philippines is among the countries that promotes interfaith dialogue.

And by the way, at the UN, Pakistan and the Philippines closely cooperate each other, not only in terms of having the same opinions, but also literally since seating is arranged alphabetically, and we are always sitting next to each other.

When you eventually arrived in the Philippines though, what were your immediate impressions of the country?

They were very good. When I come to a country, my country’s reputation precedes me, because as ambassador, I’m not Mr. Rashid but Ambassador of Pakistan.

In my case here in the Philippines though, it turned out to be a very pleasant experience and a very positive thing because I was received with a lot of warmth and smiles, not only by officials, but by people in general. That’s why my family and I are very comfortable here because we’ve been received with so much love and affection. I mean, there are no Pakistan biases or negativity in the Philippines.

So I will always say I was received in a very pleasant way in this country than when in other countries and for me, it just speaks of the cordiality and the openness of the people of the Philippines.

In fact, in my first meeting and presentation of credentials, I was also very warmly received by President Duterte. He told me that he has a special place for Pakistan in his heart and he was very forthcoming to improve relations between the two countries.

So I think we’ve been received at the highest level and at the leadership level very positively. And I really appreciate that at the highest level, there’s equanimity that the Philippines would like to have better and improved relations with Pakistan.

What do the Philippines and Pakistan have in common?

We’re both developing countries. We have the same kind of agrarian economies and social economic standards.

With our new government, the new Prime Minister Imran Khan has only been in office for about seven months now and his main political campaign and slogan was to bring justice to people and to uplift the poor. And this is exactly in conformity with what President Duterte is saying.

The other thing very interesting I noticed is that one of your main sources of foreign exchange earning in Philippines is from overseas workers, which is similar in Pakistan.

I believe we also have similarities in history because we also had a US camp just like the Philippines.

So to reiterate, we have similarities not only in terms of culture but of being family-oriented with social commonalities and our status of development.

All in all, these allow both sides to identify with one another more easily. We have the same skin color and neither countries have stereotypes or negativity for one another.

I can say this because I went to the Fletcher School in Boston and did my masters in diplomacy there from 1990 to 1992. At that time, it was very convenient [to study there] and [the people were] very open. But after 9/11, there came a concept of the clash of civilizations and it really created some friction between the West and the Muslim world, unfortunately.

But here in the Philippines, it’s very open. Filipinos have no biases at least against my country. So that’s a very positive thing.

Can you share what you know of the diplomatic history between Pakistan and the Philippines?

Pakistan gained independence in 1947 and it was in 1949 that the Philippines first opened an office in Karachi, which was initially the capital of Pakistan. That started the diplomatic relations of the two countries. And this year, we are on our 70th year of diplomatic ties so both countries agreed to celebrate the milestone.

In the past I believe the late President Ferdinand Marcos visited Pakistan and now, I think we are again expecting a visit from Philippines to Pakistan at the highest level.

What are some of the projects you have established so far at the Pakistan Embassy in Manila?

The job of the ambassador is to institutionalize the links between two countries, so when I came in we had the bilateral political consultation in January 2018.

Going back in history, our two countries signed an agreement for the Joint Economic Commission in 2009 but the exchange and meeting never happened. So for me, one of the biggest achievements of my posting was in February 2018 when we finally held that exchange with Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ceferino Rodolfo who led a delegation to Pakistan. It was a very fruitful exchange.

Then on the second day, they had businessmen meeting here for Pakistan businessmen in the country.

The outcome was to work on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between our two countries because of the constraints for us as an outsider of the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations]. Although we are the sectoral dialogue partner of Asean, to do business for us is difficult because the 10-member countries have their own trade regime. So this is one of the reasons why we have to think of ways and means of encouraging and increasing our trade.

Pakistan is exporting cement and now that you have the “Build, Build, Build” policy of President Duterte, your requirement of cement is unimaginable. We produce large quantities of cement.

Pakistan also has an agricultural economy. We have four seasons, so we grow rice, we grow all the crops and we are also self-sufficient. We always have an ample amount of production of rice to be exported, which is what I always tell Secretary Manny Piñol of the Department of Agriculture.

Another landmark achievement is the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on agriculture population. We signed it on the 17th of October — myself and Secretary Piñol. So now it covers all the different aspects of agriculture — food crops, food chain and the agribusiness industry because you also have a very strong agriculture industry especially in making dry foods. So there’s a lot of opportunities for cooperation.

Recently, from February 24 to 26, we had a high level delegation under the Pakistan-Philippines Business Council because we have reinvigorated this relationship. Almost 24 exporters to the Philppines from the rice, pharmaceutical and cement sectors came. In fact, one of the them said he is developing international food in Pakistan and negotiated with Jollibee, so maybe we’ll be opening a branch in Lahore.

There are a lot of areas of cooperation which can be developed. There is a strong desire on both sides for exchanges. The challenge is to translate this desire into action and your side and my side are trying our best to do that.

As of now then, what can be expected of these constant developments between our two countries?

We are working on to make Makati and Karachi as sister cities. As both have same culture and Karachi is our business hub. So that is one of my goals, to at least have a sister city agreement so we can bring people together.

With a sisterhood, we can bring people together because it provides us an apolitical forum where you can have any interaction under the sister city, youth exchanges, professional lectures, and you can have business exchanges, just to name a few.

Can you give us an insight into your leadership style as ambassador?

In terms of leadership style, I see myself not only as the head of the administration but the head of the family also.

Half of the people working for me are locals who already have their homes here, but the rest of the staff are from Pakistan too, so it’s not only their professional requirement and competence which matters to me, but also their welfare.

On the other hand, my demand from the staff is discipline and responsibility.

Considering the challenges of a career in diplomatic service, what fulfillment do you achieve from choosing this career over your original profession?

I would say the fulfillment is felt both in my professional life as well as my family life. All human beings have a desire to travel overseas and go for tourism for new experiences. Foreign service allows you that but with a vivid sense of purpose, a sense of commitment and a sense of contribution.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to represent my country at the highest level so besides the satisfaction of traveling overseas, this career is also very emotionally satisfying because you’re doing something very few people do.

So if I compare this career to medicine, medicine also serves humanity and yet foreign service has a bigger, larger canvas where you are able to contribute towards making policies, bringing the people of two countries where you are representative together in very meaningful ways.

At the end of the day, do you feel you have found your life’s purpose in shifting careers?

Life is a continuous learning experience. I have no regrets.

***

Aman Rashid’s 32-year career highlights

1987: Joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan

1992: Obtained Masters Degree in International Relations from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy Medford, USA

1987 to 1990 and 1992 to 1994: Served at the Headquarters of Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Desk Officer

1998 to 2000 and 2004 to 2007: Served at the Headquarters of Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Director

2012 to 2013: Served at the Headquarters of Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Director General

*Held various diplomatic assignments in Pakistan Missions abroad:

1995 to 1997: Paris, France (Unesco)

2001 to 2003: New Delhi, India

2007 to 2010: Chicago, USA

2010 to 2012: Tehran, Iran

November 2013 to August 2017: Served as Ambassador of Pakistan to Switzerland with concurrent accreditation to Liechtenstein and the Holy See

September 2017: Ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Philippines

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witness a combination of two different aesthetics as German Club Manila presents “Kunstausstellung,” an exhibit of the recent works of Anthony Fermin and Carmela Geisert. A vernissage is scheduled on April 11 at 6 p.m.

Fermin, who hails from Cebu, has had his works making rounds in Cebu, Bacolod, Dumaguete and Palawan before coming to Manila for a well-attended 2013 solo exhibition at the Ayala Museum Artist Space in Makati.

Abroad, he has participated in shows at the Zurich Hall in Vienna, The Athenaeum in San Diego, California, the 2005 International Artists Assemblage in Berlin, and the Expo 2000 Ostrich Egg for South Africa Children Exhibit in Hanover, Germany.

Fermin’s paintings embody rich, colorful and multi-layered aspects of Filipino culture, preferring to populate his canvases with crowds of people on streets and public places such as shops, market, roads and plazas.

His interpretation of figures, vehicles and even animals project whimsy, optimism and positivity in each brushstroke.

Fermin injects gaiety and joy in each piece as he delves into areas of commerce and progress, figures ever-moving and enjoying life as exciting prospects abound in each square inch of his works.

Meanwhile, the Manila-born and raised Geisert is the president of the Asia Grand View Hotel in Coron, Palawan and one of the recipients of 2005 Manila’s Best Dressed Awards. It is her passion for art that drives her to create while she straddles work, travel, photography, makeup and fashion.

Getting hold of pastel crayons and charcoal and sketching during long-haul flights has now led her to the exploration of fluid art and abstract expressionism.

For this exhibition, Geisert marks her artistic journey with blossoms that draw a parallel to her blooming artistic career. Her pieces reminds one of leisurely strolls in formal gardens, with special attention paid to bright color combinations of flowers and foliage.

Geisert lets her paint flow on canvas, respecting her medium’s fluid disposition and saturated hues.

With their organic and free-flowing characteristics, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine her painting printed on fabric such as scarves and bags, as a not to her fashion background.

Kunstausstellung is on show until May 7 at the German Club Manila, located at the Penthouse of Eurovilla 2, 117 Rufino Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City.

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Celebrating 65 years of being “In the Service of the Filipino,” ABS-CBN expresses its gratitude to its audience by airing a series of special tributes to the Filipino people on “TV Patrol,” featuring the stories of Filipinos whose values, character, and triumphs have inspired the Kapamilya network through the years.

Inspiring stories

The first of the three initial heartwarming stories premiered on March 27 and was also posted on its Entertainment YouTube channel.

It featured Ryan Canda, a talent show contestant who was born with a cleft palate. He had to develop a talent that does not require speech so that he could find his place in a milieu that bullied him. He got into dancing and found the perfect stage to show the world what he got in the “World of Dance Philippines.” His group from Cebu reached The Cut Round and his story went viral as people were touched by his determination to pursue his dream and prove himself to the world.

Enrique Vista, meanwhile, is a person with disability (PWD) who is unable to earn enough for the family and could not afford to take his wife Rowena to a nice dinner. He took a chance in joining DZMM’s “Once Upon A Heart” contest. With luck on his side, he was finally able to take his wife to a romantic date as the contest’s winners.

Proud “Kapamilya” fan Anthony Bendo also has a touching story to tell. His family became economically challenged after his father returned home from an overseas job. Helping Anthony stay motivated and inspired to work hard in school and eventually in his career were the drama programs he watched and followed on TV.

From 1953 to present

ABS-CBN (Alto Broadcasting System-Chronicle Broadcasting Network) introduced television in the Philippines in 1953.

In 1967, ABS-CBN’s first chairman Eugenio “Geny” Lopez Jr. said that TV network’s motto will forever be In the Service of the Filipino, and this has been the North Star for all Kapamilya employees and staff since then.

Today, it serves the public through free television, digital terrestrial television, radio, cable, music, publications, internet content and services, publications, live events, recreations parks and support for the sports.

Its advocacies and public service programs cover child welfare, relief and rehabilitation operations during calamities, environmental protection, livelihood, health care, among many others.

ABS-CBN now serves Filipinos all over the world and is also exporting entertainment content for non-Filipino audiences in Asia, Africa, Europe and South America.

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Students of the Project Development and Gallery Exhibition class of the Bachelor of Arts in Photography Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) held a photo exhibit of distinct interpretations of combined interests, personal issues and documented campaigns under the guidance of professional photographer-mentor Vincent Jaime Villafranca.

Called “Daloy,” which means continuous stream in Filipino, the culmination exhibit featured the works of student-artists Nicolai Briones, Kristen Mulingtapang, Mattias Moraleda, Jonathan Oyales, Joash Usa, Adrian Daez, Jorge Bermal, Genely Therese Esplana, and Dana Santiago.

“Daloy was suggested by one of the students wherein they could freely express any topic of their choice, from travels to their personal travails,” Villafranca revealed.

Held at the Vetro Art Gallery on Congressional Avenue in Project 8, Quezon City, the photos ran on themes on of personal issues such as beauty, mental health and how the human relationship is affected by technology.

Other students took a more traditional approach such as employing street and documentary tactics with their chosen topics of home, transport and their views of open spaces in Manila.

“My piece was about student stagnation. This was a representation of myself stuck as a high school student. I was failing my classes, while my classmates graduated, pursued college degrees, then started on their careers. It made me feel that time flowed slower in my world, and theirs was faster,” shared Briones.

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If you have ever spent time in the Old Binondo area, most likely you have dined at the famed San Jacinto restaurant and enjoyed its ambience.

Established in 1894, San Jacinto was known for its scrumptious Cantonese dishes but most importantly, it was known as a place where family gathered to celebrate life’s milestones.

Juliet Bato would know for she grew up in the restaurant’s famed walls. In fact, some of her earliest memories was learning how to count money with her dad.

“I would help my dad and was his assistant cashier on weekends. He would teach me how to count money, use cash, and write receipts,” she revealed.

Through the years, I have heard Juliet’s fond memories of the restaurant that is closely tied with her memories of her father. Unfortunately, the doors of San Jacinto closed in 2009 when Juliet’s dad passed away. Since then, Juliet became determined to continue her father’s legacy. Juliet believed that she needed experience elsewhere before she could fully establish herself in the family business.

“I worked in Public Relations and Business Development after college and it taught me a lot about managing businesses. After having worked in the corporate setting for more than five years, I woke up one day and realized that this was the time for me,” she continued.

Juliet was then inspired to become who she always dreamed of being and to hustle for herself and her family the same way her dad did, “I know no one is completely ready but the experiences I have had has made me confident enough to pursue this.”

This is what led Juliet to open Cantina Antigua, a food enterprise that caters to parties and now to individual consumers through a stall in Sidcor Market in Eton Centris in Quezon City every Sunday.

For Juliet, it was a dream that took a while to come true.

“I have been planning to pursue this for the longest time but it wasn’t until I pitched it to my mama Nancy, who takes care of the cooking and keeps the family recipes close to her heart, and my boyfriend Nick that I was inspired to be really serious about pursuing it. My boyfriend really encouraged me to pursue this dream, he pushed me to actually execute it,” she related further.

Staying true to San Jacinto’s tradition of good food, Cantina Antigua continues to serve dishes known to San Jacinto loyalists and new clients as well – with their cold cuts best sellers that include Char Siu which is charcoal-roasted marinated pork, Lechon Macau, Soy and White Chicken, all paired with side dishes and their own special sauce.

Today, Juliet is more than happy to serve old and new foodie fans alike but most importantly, she feels fulfilled because of what Cantina Antigua means to her and her family.

“It’s how I keep my father’s memory alive,” she stressed.

And that is what keeps Juliet going – her desire to serve customers in a way that resonates with them.

“My vision for Cantina Antigua is for the brand to be known by future generations and for it to be relevant to them the same way that San Jacinto was to older generations. We want to be there for every celebration, we want to be included in their life’s important moments,” the San Jacinto Restaurant heiress concluded.

I am pretty sure that Juliet’s papa is definitely smiling on his little girl from heaven, proud of the woman she has become.

To know more about Cantina Antigua, you can like them on Facebook or call 09561235425.

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PH–developed technology helps SM Malls visitors

As part of a series of innovations designed to improve customer experience, SM Supermalls raises the bar in customer service with the introduction of Sam, the country’s first-ever in-mall smart robot launched at SM Megamall on March 28.

Sam is an artificial intelligent (AI) humanoid robot programmed to deliver a smoother, more personalized and efficient interaction with customers.

“Throughout the years, innovation has always been at the core of SM in delivering better malling experiences. This year, one of our strategies is to leverage on the latest and most advance technologies,” SM Supermalls COO Steven Tan said during the launch.

“We are thrilled to share with you another milestone as we bring in the country’s first-ever smart customer service robot. This robot is designed to provide greeting services via face detection, quick access to mall and product information, mall directions, deals and promos, and even a 24/7 online concierge that can provide information like branch locations, mall schedules, to name a few. Customers can also chat with Sam through the SM Supermalls Facebook page,” he added.

Sam was created in partnership with the Cal-Comp Technology (Philippines), which is a leading provider of electronic and original design manufacturing services.

Meanwhile, when asked the reason of naming the robot Sam, Tan told The Sunday Times Magazine, “Sam is very generic. Sam can be a boy or a girl, it’s gender fluid. Also, there’s a relation to SM. We talked about it and thought it’s a good name and very appropriate.”

Tan added that they’ve seen this trend abroad.

“As executives, we always travel and when we travel, as long as there’s something new, something interesting, we really try to bring it to the Philippines whether it’s in in our technology or a concept, we always try to see what advancement we can make. And now it’s here. For now, it’s only in Megamall, but we will soon roll it out in our premiere malls.We will be deploying initially three, but as the demand goes up, definitely we will be deploying more,” he enthused.

Indeed, shopping experience became more enjoyable as SM Supermalls believe that innovation is a combination of creativity and problem solving – forming a solution with imagination.

On the next visit SM Megamall, drop by Mega Atrium, Mega Fashion Hall, or Bank Drive and say hi to Sam for a more fun, convenient, and exciting malling experience.

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THE Angono National Summer Writers Workshop is now accepting applications to its seventh edition, to be held in Angono town, Rizal province, from May 17 to 19, 2019.

The workshop offers 12 fellowships to promising writers, campus journalists and teachers of creative writing. Regional fellows will be provided housing, a stipend and transportation subsidy.

Applicants are required to submit three poems, two short stories, one piece of creative non-fiction, one one-act play or a work-in-progress novel in Filipino or English. A bionote with a 2×2 ID photo must accompany the submitted work.

Applicants must email their entries to Richard Gappi, the workshop director, at richardgappi@gmail.com.

Deadline of submission of entries is on April 30.

Angono 3/7 Poetry Society and Angono Rizal News Online are spearheading the workshop in cooperation with the local government of Angono, Neo-Angono Artists Collective and Giant Dwarf Art Space.

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In line with the government’s celebration of April as National Literature, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF or the Filipino Language Commission) and the University of San Carlos’ (USC) Cebuano Studies Center are sponsoring an event called “Cebu Reads Lazaro Francisco” on April 11.

To be held at the Fr. Albert Van Gansewinkel Hall of the USC-Downtown Campus from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, the event celebrates the late National Artist for Literature Lazaro Francisco and his works. During his lifetime, Lazaro had written 12 novels in Filipino. These include Maganda pa ang Daigdig (The World is Still Beautiful, 1955), Daluyong (The Surge,1962-1963), Sugat sa Alaala (Memory’s Wound, 1950-1951) and Ilaw sa Hilaga (Northern Light, 1946-1947).

“Cebu Reads Lazaro Francisco” aims to introduce and showcase Francisco’s genius to today’s Filipinos; encourage young people to return and read the early, meaningful Filipino writers in the different languages; and foster understanding of the Filipino sense of identity that is based or centered on being Tagalog or Manileño.

The experience, depth and importance of a Tagalog as Filipino will be tackled in the keynote address of Dr. Soledad Reyes, professor emeritus of Ateneo de Manila University and primary critic of Francisco’s works.

There will also be critical discussions with invited scholars or critics who will discuss the oeuvre of Francisco. To present their papers are Haidee Emmie Palapar, Joanalyn Gabales, Francis Luis Torres, Niño Augustine Loyola and Clyde Inso Chan.

A dramatic reading of excerpts from Francisco’s work will be presented during the event, which will be graced by National Artist for Literature Resil B. Mojares, also professor emeritus of USC.

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PARIS: George R.R. Martin, the 70-year-old writer behind HBO’s blood-spattered epic Game of Thrones, has created a multitude of fantasy worlds spanning medieval pasts to distant science-fiction futures.

Portly, with a white beard, glasses and usually wearing a cap, Martin has been described as “America’s Tolkien” and says he was inspired by the British fantasy master’s The Lord of the Rings as a teenager.

He grew up poor, but his rich imagination and prolific output — including the five novels in the A Song of Ice and Fire series that became television’s Game of Thrones — saw him listed by Forbes magazine as the 12th highest-paid author in 2016.

Heavy on violence and sex, the books about noble families vying for the Iron Throne were released between 1996 and 2011 and already bestsellers before they were adapted for television.

“His skill as a crafter of narrative exceeds that of almost any literary novelist writing today,” Time magazine wrote in 2011.

Imagination unbound

Martin started on the first in the series in 1991 aiming to “write something just as big as my imagination,” he told Time in 2017.

From the mid-1980s he had worked as a Hollywood television screenwriter, including on “The Twilight Zone” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

The reaction to his first drafts would be, “’George, we love it, but it’s five times our budget … the big battle you have where there’s 10,000 people on a side, make that a duel between the hero and the villain,’” he told Time.

He could abandon such limitations when he dedicated himself to prose from the mid-1990s.

“I’m going to have all the characters I want, and gigantic castles, and dragons, and dire wolves, and hundreds of years of history, and a really complex plot, and it’s fine because it’s a book,” he recalled thinking.

The first in the famous series, A Game of Thrones, was published in 1996.

He thought it was “essentially unfilmable” until he was approached by directors and writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss in 2006. “Game of Thrones” was launched on HBO five years later.

Genius of George

“The show could not be without the mad genius of George,” Benioff said in 2018, when accepting one of its 47 Emmys.

Translated into 47 languages, the books have sold more than 85 million copies and fans have been impatient for the sixth and seventh novels promised since 2011.

Their huge popularity means that “I’m very conscious I have to do something great, and trying to do something great is a considerable weight to bear,” he told The Guardian newspaper in 2018.

‘Anyone could die’

George Raymond Richard Martin was born on Sept. 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey, where his father worked as a docker.

“We were poor,” he told PBS television in 2018. “We never went anywhere in the summer, we just stayed in the same old place. But books took me everywhere.”

At 13 he became hooked on by J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, learning from the killing of the wizard Gandalf that the sudden death of key characters is a twist that can work.

“The minute you kill Gandalf, the suspense of everything that follows is a thousand times greater, because now anybody could die,” he told PBS.

As a child, he wrote monster stories, selling them to friends for a nickel, then superhero tales for school fanzines.

Martin graduated in journalism from Northwestern University in Illinois in 1971, becoming a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War.

Sci-fi fascination

Passionate about medieval history and mythology, he started publishing in the 1970s, winning prizes for his sci-fi short stories.

Other top titles have included the sci-fi novella A Song for Lya (1976); fantasy mystery Armageddon Rag (1983); horror Nightflyer (1985); and the extensive superhero series Wild Cards, from 1987.

He has lived in Santa Fe in New Mexico for four decades and he married Parris McBride, his second wife, in 2011.

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Orion, Bataan: A 28-year-old poet from southern Mindanao was formally conferred the 2019 Makata ng Taon title by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) during the commemoration of the 231st birth anniversary of Filipino poet laureate Francisco Balagtas here on April 2.

In a ceremony at the town’s Orion Elementary School, Michael Jude “MJ” C. Tumamac of General Santos City was awarded the title for his poetry collection Mga Mungkahi ng Pagdanas ng Dahas sa Maitum, which tackled poverty, injustice and tribal wars, among others.

Maitum is a municipality in Sarangani province.

The poems in the collection are “Mag-abang ng Bangkay sa Baybay,” “Kalimutan ang Kasaysayan,” “Magbuntis ng mga Butil,” “Lumanghap ng Alingasaw,” ”Payuhan ang Sipit at Sampayan,” “Mangwasak ng mga Mukha,” “Manunumpa sa Sumpa,” “Lumikha ng Tula at Bata,” “Magpalit ng Dila,” and “Magpahaloghog ng Loob.”

Tumamac has published four books and edited and translated books for children. He previously won second place in the 2017 Makata ng Taon competition for his collection Balak na Maikling Dokumentaryo Tungkol sa Isang Binatilyo sa Badjao Village.

Other winners are Fr. Arnel S. Vitor, who nabbed second prize for his collection May Nakakatawa Ba Sakaling Mamatay: At Iba pang Tula sa Panahong Eksayting ang Pagkakahimlay, and Richard R. Gappi, who scored third for his collection Dulok: Gunita ng Tubig. Both hail from Rizal province’s Angono town, long considered as the country’s art capital.

The parish priest of the Transfiguration of Christ Church in Antipolo City, Vitor is also a fictionist, having won third prize at the 2000 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature for his Filipino short story “Logos sa Lotus.”

A previous fellow of the University of the Philippines and IYAS La Salle national writers workshops, Gappi is editor of Angono Rizal News Online and a founder of the Neo-Angono Artists Collective and Angono 3/7 Poetry Society.

In addition to being named Makata ng Taon, Tumamac received a cash prize of P30,000. Vitor and Gappi received P20,000 and P15,000, respectively.

Tumamac joins a distinguished group of writers who have been named Makata ng Taon in previous years. They include National Artists for Literature Virgilio S. Almario (1984) and Cirilo F. Bautista (1993); Palanca Hall of Fame inductees Ruth Elynia Mabanglo (1992), Reynaldo A. Duque (1998), Eugene Y. Evasco (2000) and Reuel Molina Aguila (2008); and Christian Ray P. Pilares (2015), Mark Anthony S. Angeles (2016), Aldrin P. Pentero (2017) and Christian Jil R. Benitez (2018).

Also honored during the celebration were singer-songwriter Rey Valera and playwright Rody Vera, this year’s recipients of the Gawad Dangal ni Balagtas.

Valera was cited for his contributions in enriching Philippine music, while Vera was praised for teaching young Filipinos about theater and further modernizing Philippine drama.

Some of Valera’s best-known hits are “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako,” “Malayo Pa ang Umaga,” “Tayong Dalawa” and “Maging Sino Ka Man.” Vera’s works include the plays “Kung Paano Ko Pinatay si Diana Ross,” “Ralph at Claudia,” “Luna: Isang Romansang Aswang” and “Indigo Child,” and the screenplays for “Die Beautiful,” “Signal Rock” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.”

Valera attended the awarding ceremony at the Pambansang Kampong Balagtas held at the school, where he serenaded the audience. Prior commitments prevented Vera from attending, but he expressed his thanks in a video played during the event.

Previous Dangal ni Balagtas awardees are poets Lamberto E. Antonio (2013), Teodoro “Teo” T. Antonio (2014), Rogelio G. Mangahas (2015) and Jose “Pete” F. Lacaba (2016); novelist and screenwriter Lualhati Bautista and Mabanglo (2017); and screenwriter and novelist Ricardo “Ricky” Lee (2018).

The awarding ceremony was part of the government’s arts and language agencies’ celebration of the Araw ni Balagtas in Orion, where the Bulacan-born author of Florante at Laura settled and raised 11 children with wife Juana Tiambeng. He died there on Feb. 20, 1862 at age 74.

The annual celebration also saw flowers offered at Balagtas’ monument in the Hardin ni Balagtas in Orion’s Wawa village and Aeta children from Abucay town performing songs and indigenous dances.

It also saw the start of the three-day Pambansang Kampong Balagtas, in which 200 student-writers from all over the country learned more about writing poetry, short stories and essays. KWF organized the camp, led by its chief Almario, also the chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

The camp kicked off the country’s celebration of April as National Literature Month, which is spearheaded by the NCCA, KWF and the National Book Development Board. WITH ALVIN I. DACANAY

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His beloved Bangladesh and his nation’s longtime Philippine friendship

Nestled in the south of Himalayas amid a majestic interplay of three of the world’s major river basins, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh is a land of natural beauty blessed with lush greenery and many waterways. In possession of the most active deltaic plains, this South Asian country carries billions of tons of alluvial soil a year via a most dynamic, intricate river system in the world.

Moreover, Bangladesh is home to Cox’s Bazar — the longest sea beach in the world — and as an old land dotted with archeological heritage, it represents a diversity of major faiths, with a very hospitable and open people who pride themselves in their artistic heritage in arts, crafts, cuisine and creativity.

Despite the natural and societal riches of Bangladesh, however, there are many around the world who continue to have a negative perception of the country, mainly because only its negative side is often presented in mainstream media.

The most common news that comes from the country for example are how floods are very common there particularly during yearly monsoons and how cyclones and storm surges have caused widespread devastation in recent years.

Some also still remember how Bangladesh was once shattered by poverty for many years since it gained independence in 1971, as well as being the eighth most populous country in the world with a total of 164 million people living within 56,990 square miles.

But the reality is, Bangladesh has become one of Asia’s most remarkable and unexpected success stories in recent years. Its economy is on a upsurge what with the country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth far better compared to its neighboring countries.

This in mind, Bangladesh Ambassador to the Philippines Asad Alam Siam knows he has a lot of work to do to change the world’s impression of his beloved Bangladesh in his country of assignment and the rest of the world.

Key player for unity

Since the beginning of his posting on February 28, 2017 when he presented his credentials to President Rodrigo Duterte, Ambassador Siam has been upbeat in nurturing a deeper friendship and stronger ties between the Philippines and Bangladesh as best he can.

Ambassador Siam came to the Philippines with a 23-year experience of representing his country in the international community after joining the Bangladesh Civil Service (Foreign Affairs Cadre) in 1995.

Before his posting in Manila, Siam was former Chief of Protocol of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Bangladesh; Director General in charge of the Europe Wing in the ministry; Consul General of Bangladesh in Milan, Italy; Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Manchester, United Kingdom; as well as serving in missions in Jakarta and Bangkok in different capacities.

Armed with a degree in Architecture from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and a Master in Business Administration from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands, his choice of profession may seem surprising to most, but he is definitely thriving on the world’s diplomatic stage.

The Sunday Times Magazine had the distinct opportunity to sit down with the seasoned envoy where he talked about the challenge and honor of uniting Bangladesh with many parts of the world.

Asean expert

One can venture to believe that as diplomats go, Ambassador Siam is already an Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] expert. The Philippines is his third Asean posting to date, following Indonesia and Thailand, which he credits for helping him adjust to the weather and culture of Manila.

“Like I said this is my third country [of posting] in the Asean. Besides that, I have been following the Asean region since I was a young diplomat so the knowledge I gathered definitely helped me when I was assigned to this part of the world,” he happily related.

“One advantage of being here in the Philippines is that I didn’t have to learn the language — everybody speaks in English!” Siam chuckled.

“But I understand many of the psychological, cultural and social traits that is prevalent in this region. Of course every society and country is different but there is also an underlining similarity among the Asean nations.

“So in many cases, since coming to the Philippines, the kind of understanding of what I had of Bangkok and Jakarta helped me get settled quicker here and understand the society very well.”

Filipinos’ friend

Ambassador Siam credits Filipinos for being “foreigner-friendly.”

“That’s what I like most in the Philippines — there are no question marks or frowning on foreigners. You are very foreigner-friendly country and I felt welcome and accepted from the very beginning. In fact in my first encounter with people here, they treated me like a friend so I’m very lucky to be here — with my wife and our six-year-old daughter.”

Working with Filipino members of his staff at the Bangladesh Embassy has also been a breeze for the ambassador for over two years now.

“Filipino people in general are very friendly and it’s never a problem to approach someone. My staff therefore are very accessible and receptive and if they see any cultural differences, they respect them. We have a very friendly environment at work.”

All the same, Siam is delighted to note more similarities between Bangladeshis and Filipinos which he continues to discover as the years go by.

“To begin with, Bangladesh and the Philippines are both tropical countries. We both have lots of friends, we both are fish- and rice-eating people. From the societal part, we are both friendly, and we are both religious though a majority have different religions in my country,” he enumerated.

“Both countries are also centered on families and social values and social cohesion is very strong. In terms of foreign policy, I think both follow the same principle, which for us was outlined by our Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — that is, ‘friends to all, malice towards none.’

“We also face similar challenges — from climate change, disaster management and disaster recovery — but we are both very resilient.”

Clearly knowledgeable about his country of posting, the ambassador continued, “We both also have a big younger population in our demographic composition; many citizens working outside our countries, and our state visions are more or less the same.

“Like you, we have a vision by 2041 to become a developed country, wherein the journey will entail lots of investment and improvement of infrastructure projects.”

Strengthening ties

Despite the long list of similarities between the Philippines and his country that he knows off the top of his head, Ambassador Siam admitted that Filipinos hardly have any idea what Bangladesh is like today. To make that known remains to be a challenge he wholeheartedly takes on and vows to fulfill through his tenure and beyond.

“Sometimes Bangladesh appears very negatively as a country of flood, as a country of natural disaster due to international media. But I would say, Bangladesh is one of the fastest rising countries in the world, like the Philippines,” he emphasized to The Sunday Times Magazine.

“I’m happy to inform your readers that we have been achieving over six percent growth in our economy for a long time, making us the 41st economy in terms of size. By 2030, we will be the 23rd and Philippines will be 20th or 19th in the list, so we’re both growing country in terms of economy.”

“The more we can project ourselves to you through our rich culture, through people to people engagement, only then will Filipinos come to know that ours is a country that has potential they can engage with. Bangladesh is bordering the Asean region and it’s also between two big economies which are India and China. We are basically the land that bridges Southeast Asia with the rest of Asia.

“Aside from that, it’s a country that is also doing very well on its own despite being between these two economic powerhouses. We are more than 160 million people, so if you go there and do business or invest, you get a big market.”

Bridging the psychological distance

Besides the kind of news that is aired internationally about Bangladesh, the ambassador also relates the lack of information about his country in the Philippines to what he calls “psychological distance.”

“When I arrived here, I found that despite being so similar, there’s a sort of psychological distance between our two countries. And one way to bring awareness to the minds about our similarities is to address them culturally,” Siam shared.

Currently, his embassy is running numerous projects to engage with Filipinos through cultural and people-to-people exchange, which they will further develop throughout his tenure.

“We have sent Filipino journalists to Bangladesh and brought cultural teams over here. So there’s people to people exchanges already. Among these, I would say that the most important [activity] was the visit of our SME [small and medium-sized enterprises] delegation.

“There is a platform in my country, which actually helps poor Bangladeshi rural women to establish their own enterprises and they came here to see the work of Go Lokal by the Department of Trade and Industry and they were able to learn from you and implement their learnings back in Bangladesh.

“Aside from that, we had 400 teachers trained in the Philippines in installing automation and digital technology in the schools. Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given us a dream to transform Bangladesh into a digital Bangladesh and this training was a part of that journey.”

Further strengthening ties with the Philippines, Bangladesh has also opened an honorary consulate in Davao City with the aim of fostering cooperation between Mindanao’s agriculture and business processing sectors.

According to Ambassador Siam, overall, Bangladesh is particularly interested in learning from the Filipino’s advance farming and deep sea fishing technique, the BPO sector, as well as the export of its medicine and garments.

Moreover, an exchange of different officials at different levels, especially in defense, has taken place between the two countries with Bangladesh receiving Filipino military officials for training in Bangladesh and vice versa.

Executives from Oishi, a leading food company in the Philippines, also went to Bangladesh to establish their factory there which became operational this year.

Foundation of history

In establishing just how far Philippine-Bangladesh relations go, Ambassador Siam went back in history and acknowledged the Philippines as one of the first Asean countries to recognize Bangladesh as republic on February 24, 1972, barely a couple of months after the country gained independence in 1971. Ten years later in 1981, Bangladesh already opened an embassy in the Philippines.

“We are a younger country than the Philippines. We gained independence in a struggle led by our Father of the Nation. We were a part of Pakistan after the British left India and we came to be an independent country through a liberation war where three million people died, many men and women suffered and women were violated. We were completely ruined but despite that, we achieved victory in December 1971,” Ambassador Siam noted.

“From the diplomatic side, our Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a stopover in Manila when he was flying back from Japan to Bangladesh, and that marked the first presence of leadership from Bangladesh in the Philippines.

“And our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also visited the Philippines twice, first was on an official visit, and the second upon an invitation of late President Corazon Aquino.

“President Fidel Ramos visited Bangladesh too,” he continued.

“We have almost 20-plus documents signed covering cooperation in different areas between our countries — in culture, trade, export, immigration and others.

“We have regular foreign office consultations whose goal is coordinating bilateral cooperation.

“This is basically the historical part of engagements between the two nations,” the envoy related.

There is no better time than now indeed for his embassy and their Philippine counterparts plan to establish more projects over the next few months and years to further strengthen bilateral relations.

“The Philippines is very good in agriculture and aquaculture and food processing, and subsequent value addition in agricultural products. So we are trying to take that skill and technology to Bangladesh because we are not on that level yet. We are going to encourage people to come here and learn,” he said.

“As one of the countries that produces world-class pharmaceuticals, we would like for Filipinos to import our pharmaceuticals because it’s cheaper in Bangladesh.

“Also, we would like to learn and gain investment from you in terms of BPO since Bangladesh has a young population who are good at digital technology. And as a former English colony, we know English, but we are not getting enough business yet. We are just beginning.”

Ambassador Siam is further looking into skills and training in the Philippines particularly when it comes to nursing, medicine and seafaring to name a few.

“Other objective is to go beyond Manila. So far, our engagements have been very Manila-centric when you have a big country. So we are sending our cultural teams to other places for more exposure and for Filipinos to know more about Bangladesh,” he rounded up.

Big celebrations are also in the works across all the countries where they have embassies as Bangladesh will be observing the 100th birth anniversary of their Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 2020.

“Aside from that, in 2021, the age of Bangladesh will be 50. We will celebrate it also in a very big way involving local dignitaries and the Filipino people. We will have year-round celebrations for two years and we hope your people will join us on these occasions.”

Hopes for the future

Finally asked what he hopes from the continued cooperation between the Philippines and Bangladesh, Ambassador Siam replied, “What I would like to see is for Bangladesh and the Philippines to become an ideal role model of South-South Cooperation between two of the fastest growing economies, helping each other in whatever expertise they have.

“We have a huge expertise in development and poverty alleviation. You have experience in the service industry, so we can have an exchange on those factors and enrich each other in terms of experience and economic growth. That’s the dream I would like to see, that Philippines and Bangladesh become an example of cooperation between two growing economies,” Ambassador Siam ended.

***

The Ambassador’s take on the Rohingya refugees

Rohingyas are a Muslim minority in Myanmar regarded by many Myanmar Buddhists as illegal migrants. The Rohingyas are from Arakan, Myanmar and have been so for generations but they were denied citizenship and therefore described as the world’s most persecuted minority.

In 2015, a crisis began when a mass migration of Rohingyas occurred. Nearly all who fled to neighboring Asian countries including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand did so aboard rickety boats via the waters of the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea. From this migration came the collective term “boat people” used by international media.

As of December 2017, an estimated 655,000 to 700,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh to avoid ethnic and religious persecution by Myanmar’s security forces.

In this interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, Ambassador Siam shares his thoughts on the issue to call the attention of the world to heed the call of help by the Rohingyas.

“Since the ‘70s, we have been hosting the Rohingya people, and following the latest influx, we are now hosting around a million Rohingyas,” the top diplomat began.

“We are already a crowded country and then we have these additional people, but we are sharing whatever we have with them because their stories are very tragic. If you go and listen to them you would cry: numerous young girls and women were raped, people were killed, you will find children became orphans and they have seen their family members died in front of them. They had no other option but to flee. Their houses were burned, their crops were destroyed, and they were literally not treated as human beings.

“So any sensible responsible country, which Bangladesh is, would have received them. Unfortunately, that is not happening for all. It is only Bangladesh in all the world receiving these people. My take is that Asean and the rest of the world need to be involved with the situation on the ground with Myanmar so that the people in Rakhine can create an amicable environment for the Rohingyas, and let them feel that they can go back.

“Myanmar’s society has not accepted them as equal. Rohingyas do not feel safe to return as they have not been promised Myanmar’s citizenship, or that of a normal life—like [being allowed to] go to hospital, going to school, earning a living. So the world has to engage, and it cannot continue eternally that only Bangladesh will host one million displaced people.

“The nations of the world have a responsibility to address the situation and improve the situation, and ensure that rights that are to be given to Rohingyas like other citizens of Myanmar so they can return to their motherland.”

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The National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Provincial Government of Capiz, led the Visayas leg of the first ever Filipino Food Month occurred on April 11 to 12 with multi-venue activities within the province.

The celebration of Filipino Food Month is in accordance with the Presidential Proclamation No. 469, signed in April 2018 it carries the theme “Ang Sarap: Piyesta ng Pagkaing Pilipino.”

Filipino Food Month is a celebration to promote, preserve, and ensure the transmission of vast culinary traditions and treasures to future generations, and to support and appreciate various industries, farmers, and agri-communities which benefit therefrom.

The Filipino Food Month celebration in Visayas opened with Patubas (which means harvest) or farmers and fisherfolk day at the Villareal Stadium, Roxas City, Capiz, and competitions such as the PINAKA-Contest. Tiyangge was also part of the celebration featuring agricultural and aquamarine products sold by participating farmers and fishermen.

The formal launch highlighted the unveiling of Filipino Food Month logo, food offering, performances, and cooking competitions among local government units of Capiz. The main proponent of the Filipino Food Month and President of Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement, Chef Jam Melchor shared his views and thoughts on the Filipino food and its celebrations, and also conducted a cooking demonstration.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) also took part in the festivity with their series of food fairs which will happen in different cities and regions around the country including Baguio City, Quezon, and Iloilo.

For the whole month of April, expect multi-venue events all over the country. In Cavite, an exhibition titled Sinag: Tracing Emilio Aguinaldo’s Palate is on view through the whole month of April at Sarmiento-Panlilio Room, Museo De la Salle, De la Salle University-Dasmariñas City.

Pista sa Guevarra’s: Celebration of Filipino Food Flavors, Chef Roland and Jaq Laudico’s own celebration at Guevarra’s, San Juan City, runs until April 30.

Republic of Taste: A Gastronomic Journey in South Luzon with food historian Guillermo ‘Ige’ Ramos will also celebrate the Filipino Food Month from April 26 to 28 at the SM City Rosario, Cavite.

For the culminating activity, PCHM will hold a gala night titled “Ang Sarap! Philippine Food Festival Gala 2019” on April 30 at the Manila Hotel, with invited chefs and purveyors from all over the country.

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The Provincial Government of Capiz and its Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office is currently celebrating the province’s annual Capiztahan Festival which will end until April 15 in Roxas City, Capiz.

Capiztahan is an annual tourism and cultural event of Capizeños to celebrate the founding anniversary of the civil government. This year’s fete showcases the richness of its agricultural and aquamarine resources.

Before the formal celebration of Capiztahan, pre-Capiztahan activities were held such as farms and industry encounters through science and technology agenda, Mutya sang Capiz, farmers and fisherfolks day, night market, zumba for a cause, bloodletting activity, international cock derby, and the Visayas launch of Filipino Food Month.

Capiz is known to be the “Seafood Capital of the Philippines.” Capizeños prepared huge servings of crabs, oysters, shrimps, and other seafood as part of the Capiztahan Food Festival.

During the Capiztahan Agro-Industrial/Trade and Tourism Fair, there will be local products and crafts all over the province will be sold.

As the province’s aim to be the sports-tourism capital of the country, Capiz Triaksyon National Age Group Triathlon 2019 will be highlighted on the festival.

Sadsad Capiz, a street dance competition that showcases colorful and vibrant performance to interest local and foreign tourists will happen until today, April 14.

On the last day, April 15, a wreath-laying ceremony for the 71st death anniversary of President Manuel A. Roxas will be held at his monument. April 12 was declared by the province as a special non-working holiday by virtue of Executive Order No. 005, in consonance with Republic Act No. 9217, to commemorate the death anniversary of the late President Manuel A. Roxas.

Other activities to expect are the 5th Capiztahan Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Tournament, 3rd Capiztahan Taekwondo Championship, 3rd Capiztahan Regional Invitational Bowling Tournament, Capiztahan Chess Festival, among others.

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“Art 2 Art,” hosted by Prima Ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, offers a summer harvest of creativity as it focuses on visual arts, film, cartoons and dance in its episodes for April.

For today’s episode, organizers behind CineSpectra 2019 reveal details about the new film festival that will initially focus on HIV-AIDS as theme. Guesting are Adam Crayne, advocacy lead of EON Foundation, Noel Escondo, award-winning filmmaker and EON Multimedia head, and Film Development Council of the Philippines Chairperson Liza Diño.

On April 21, Art 2 Art pays tribute to National Artist Larry Alcala who was posthumously accorded the honor last October. His granddaughters Ana and Angela Alcala share anecdotes about him as a family man, while colleagues Jun Aquino and Boboy Yonzon of the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas give insights on the cartoonist’s popular cartoon series such as “Asiong Aksaya,” “Kalabog en Bosyo” and “Slice of Life.”

Finally on April 28, in celebration of International Dance Day which is on April 29, newly promoted Ballet Manila principal artist Mark Sumaylo talks about the challenges of being a danseur — especially having started out late at it — and exploring his interest in photography.

Master abstractionist Edwin Wilwayco also graced the show early on April 7. He related his artistic journey – from his childhood in Guimba, Nueva Ecija to pursuing fine arts in UP Diliman and eventually experiencing the highs and lows of a career nurtured in the Philippines and in the US.

Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company and hosted by Ballerina ng Bayan Lisa Macuja, Art 2 Art airs every Sunday, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on DZRH radio, RHTV on cable television and at dzrhnews television.tv for livestream. The show may also be viewed via the Facebook account DZRH News Television.

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As part of its commitment to contribute to nation-building and art appreciation for mental wellness, Philam Foundation unveiled at the National Museum an artistic masterpiece by renowned Filipino artist Jose Alcantara.

Named as “the last maestro of traditional wood carving in the country,” Alcantara is one of the few artists who used the Philippine classical wood carving tradition. Born in Pasay City, he trained in the atelier of the prince of Philippine sculpture during the colonial period, Isabelo Tampinco, after which he worked as a carver in the furniture shop of Gonzalo Puyat. His talent took him to numerous shows and gave him countless accolades here and abroad.

The classical carving panel of Alcantara, which is now on display in Gallery 16 of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila, is made from carved wood relief and lacquer feature elements from Philippine folklore, traditional musical instruments, and mythical characters like Maria Makiling and Malakas at Maganda, all known to have a semi-abstract approach to form.

Philam Life commissioned the carving in 1961 to embellish the wall of the Philam Life Auditorium situated beside its former head office along UN Avenue in Manila, which was then one of the first international-style design buildings in the area. The auditorium was known for its excellent acoustics which were done by Bolt, Beranek and Newman who are also credited for the Sydney Opera House, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the United Nations Assembly Hall in New York.

Alcantara’s work indeed celebrates the brilliance of Philippine art, exhibiting its distinct culture through the rich details and formal patterns.

Continued partnership with National Museum

Meanwhile, as part of its thrust to support nation-building, the Philam Foundation continues to be a strong supporter of Philippine arts. For the past five years, the Foundation has given the National Museum an institutional grant of P5 million which supplements funding for acquisition, preservation, and restoration of artworks, as well as for the upkeep of key pieces of Philam Life’s art collection: the Vicente Manansala paintings and Jose Alcantara murals.

Aside from the unveiling of the carving, the event was also held to formalize the renewal of another five-year institutional grant for the National Museum. “We hope this partnership will pave the way for further appreciation and cultivation of our love for the arts,” said Max Ventura, Philam Foundation President.

“Philam Life, through the Foundation, is a firm supporter in the role of the arts in achieving mental wellness. We want to go beyond physical and financial wellness. It is our intention to come full circle in bringing to life our brand promise of helping people live healthier, longer and better lives,” added Kelvin Ang, Philam Life Chief Executive Officer.

The donation was received by Jeremy Barns, Director of the National Museum, and Ana Labrador, Assistant Director of the National Museum.

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One of the podcasts I enjoy listening to is by Gospel singer songwriter Christy Nockels, and this week she spoke about the beauty of spring.

Growing up in the Philippines never really afforded me the beauty of spring and the understanding of how significant shifting seasons are but if there is any country in the world that understands coming out of darkness to see a ray of light beckoning us to move forward, it is my motherland, the Philippines.

The country has survived storms both in the literal and metaphorical sense and the reason why it was easy for me to relate the shifting of seasons to the country that only boasts of two seasons.

Christy asked a question so thought provoking that I ended up writing about it for this week’s column, “What would you take from your winter into the spring? What are you emerging from?” And I knew that this wasn’t a question about trees blossoming or flowers blooming – this was a question about our souls.

Whether you come from a country with four seasons or a tropical country with only two, all our lives have specific seasons. Just like what is said in Ecclesiastes, we are constantly reminded that God has an ample time for things – a time to plant, a time to sow, a time to say hello, and a time to bid goodbye.

When we go through dark times and periods of loss, we are faced with our winter seasons – a season when all is dark and where nothing seems to go right. When the sun doesn’t seem to shine and when we are left with nothing but our faith. We hold on to our faith, to the anchor of our souls, and we believe that no matter how dark or how cold it gets, a new season will emerge.

When my brother and I go through difficult times (surprisingly so we do at the same time, I’d like to believe we are twins, born five years apart), we always remind each other that unlike the weather seasons, life’s seasons could change in an instant. We can go sleep to the coldest winter of our lives and awaken to the first day of spring. This is the faith that keeps us going – tomorrow could be our lives’ first day of spring.

And yet, Christy was right, we must never forget the lessons of winter. Because just like the flowers, it is in the winter that we dig deep into the depths of who we are, the winter is what allows us to bloom because despite not seeing anything happening on the outside, we are being prepared underneath, in the ground where no one sees.

Winter would be useless if we do not remain true to the roots that have allowed us to grow in the winter. Spring can only be thoroughly enjoyed if we truly grow and winter allows that – it allows us to grow into a more beautiful version of ourselves only if we remember the days of cold for this is what keeps us grounded.

Spring is so beautiful – both literally and metaphorically. There’s a new sense of reawakening and it gives us hope, the first blooms always give me hope because it means that there is greater joy ahead only if we remain faithful in our winter, spring always comes.

What would you take with you this Spring? What are you emerging from?

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A film about a gravedigger (played by Joem Bascon as Bangis) living inside a cemetery mausoleum pushed to the limit when his daughter becomes critically ill won the Best Picture award in the Full-Length Film Category in this year’s Sinag Maynila.

The Awards Night (Gabi ng Parangal) held at Conrad Manila’s Forbes Ballroom also saw the film, “Pailalim,” winning the Best Director for Daniel Palacio, Best Cinematography for Rommel Sales and Best Editing for Diego Marx Dobles.

In the acting derby, Mar Cabico was named Best Actor for his role in “Akin Ang Korona,” while Sylvia Sanchez and Angela Cortez tied for the Best Actress award for their moving portrayals in “Jesusa” and “Jino To Marie,” respectively.

Joselito Altarejos’ Jino To Marie was this year’s Sinag Maynila’s Box Office Awardee, and also won trophies for Best Musical Score for Richard Gonzales, and Best Screenplay for John Bedia and Joselito Altarejos.

Akin Ang Korona garnered the SM People’s Choice award based on the results of an exit poll held among moviegoers during the festival. Jesusa also won the festival’s Special Jury Award; while citations went to Cyrus Khan for Jesusa for Best Production Design, and “Persons Of Interest” for Best Sound.

“Entablado” by Lie Rain Clemente and Nori Jane Isturis won Best Documentary while “Panaghoy” by Alvin Baloloy won Best Short Film. “Marian” by Brian Patrick Lim received a Best Short Film Special Citation.

A distinguished board of judges led by multi-awarded and internationally acclaimed filmmaker Carlitos Siguion-Reyna selected the winners in the main competition.

Other jurors included Joanne Goh, one of the most influential people in Malaysia’s entertainment industry and managing director of Jazzy Group of Companies, and Michael Werner, an American-born, Hong Kong-based producer, strategic consultant and producer/executive producer of nearly 30 high-profile films.

A joint project of Solar Entertainment, Centerstage Productions, and SM, Sinag Maynila seeks to inspire, educate, and enlighten the viewing public.

Now on its fifth year, the festival continues to showcase quality and thought provoking full length movies, documentaries, and short films from young, non-mainstream Filipino filmmakers.

True to its mission of bringing sine lokal, pang-international, Sinag Maynila — in partnership with the Film Development Council of The Philippines (FDCP), and in celebration of 100 years of Philippine cinema — has become an important pathway for Filipino film artists to communicate their stories, and an irresistible opportunity for enthusiasts to watch unique and exciting films.

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