In the Lap of Luxury

By Anna De Leon
 

The Holiday Season is officially upon us and so are the never ending Christmas Party invitations. Here are two distinct looks that are so different from each other, yet equally as beautiful when applied properly.


Read Full Post: http://goo.gl/NclMnw

Work. Life. Balance. And having it all at the same time.

By Didi Paterno-Magpali




Mixing a demanding career and a happy family life. Can working moms really have both? Two power Pinays share how they hold everything in check and keep things in balance.


Read Their Stories about having a career and a happy life…
see here: http://goo.gl/hLsTfv

1.) Engr. Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi: Grounded by contentment

2.) Vagelyn Tumbaga-Federico: Don’t insist everything will be perfect

The 5 New Year Resolutions You Should Make Instead

By: Anna Oposa

Ah, it’s January 2016! ‘Tis the time we make promises to ourselves to leave the “old me” in 2015 and usher in the “new and improved me” at midnight. We list a number of things we will do differently. We will stop hitting the snooze button. We will exercise more. We will stop smoking and will drink less. The list goes on.



See Full Article about “New Year Resolutions 2016”: http://goo.gl/e5iBJL

Holiday Survival Tips for Singles

Bring a jacket. Too cold outside? Going to simbang gabi? Be prepared. Sure it’s hard to hug yourself, but having a nice warm coat or cool hoodie helps to fight the cold and while you’re at it put on a lovely scarf too. The best way to stay single during the holidays is to keep on being your fabulous self-sufficient best.
 

 

See Full Article: http://goo.gl/es7nDb

Being Single During the Holidays

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Dealing with Being Single During the Holidays

By Kristine Abante

“Single. There’s a certain dignity to it”, goes a line from an old 90’s cult movie favorite, but this quote is especially challenged during the holidays, when the temperature starts to drop, love is in the air again and you start to notice that snuggling in bed with your comforter watching silly rom-com movies just doesn’t seem to be enough to compensate for the general lack of body warmth around you.


See Full Article: http://goo.gl/Zm64gS

SNOWREADY: 6 Things Filipinos Need to Learn to Survive In the Cold

From the tropical islands of the Philippines to the Frigid Zone countries of the Arctic Circle – mabrrrhay!



One of the most dreaded things about migrating to another country is the prospect of having to adapt to extreme cold weather. And nowhere is that more pronounced than in the case of the tank top and flip-flop wearing, Boracay state-of-mind loving Filipinos. Still, neither below zero temperatures nor frostbite will scare the determined Pinoy expat. Alas, our compatriots have not only chosen to migrate, but our communities in fact thrive from Canada, to the Nordics, even all the way to Russia.


Click the link for Full Article: http://goo.gl/anco9X

10 Luhoxuries that Only Overseas Filipinos Would Understand

#Blessed. That’s what people back home are, since the best things in (a Pinoy’s) life are just within their reach. (Forget the traffic, 2016 elections, and pabebes for five minutes. Don’t ruin the good vibes.) And while many take this for granted, most of our filipinos abroad choose to suffer in silence, counting the days when they’ll finally return to Pinas to indulge in these luxuries (luho) or counting cash until they can afford them at last—whichever comes first.


Read Full Post: http://goo.gl/7f3Sra

Debt and Luxury May Not Mix

By Francisco Colayco

Craving luxury is normal, especially in the consumer-oriented world that we have today. But before you even start thinking about luxury, you must get down to the basics on your financials first.

First and foremost, you should prepare your Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL), Personal Income and Expense Statement (PIES), and Personal Financial Plan. In this manner, you know exactly where you are in terms of your financial life, and where you want to be at a certain age.

Thereafter, your most important formula is: Income minus Savings equals Expenses. Then work on a realistic budget after this formula.


Read Full Post: http://goo.gl/6yuQpA

In Search for Stories

By Excel V. Dyquiangco

Introduction:

Filipinos are storytellers. In the world of journalism and media, they serve to bring tales that revolutionize, narratives that change, and sagas that challenge.

Here are four brave souls who have managed to cultivate an environment that’s definitely rich in Filipino class, culture and talent. Armed with much love for the country, they devote their whole lives to bring honour, prestige and style to the whole world–the Filipino way.

Read Full Post: http://goo.gl/KM1tol

Ateneo LSE Batch 26 Graduation

Fifty-three Overseas Filipinos (OFs), received their diplomas during the Ateneo LSE Batch 26 graduation on the 11^th September 2015 in Dubai, after having successfully completed the six-month Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE) program of the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG).

The commencement exercises held at the Al Ghurair Rayhaan – Rotana Hotel were attended by the Philippines’ top diplomats and officials in the UAE led by outgoing Ambassador Grace Princesa, Consul General Paul Raymond Cortez, Consul Giovanni Palec, Consul Ferdinand Flores, and Labor Attache Atty. Delmer Cruz.

Read Full Content: http://bit.ly/1TbEEtG

Philippine Business Council – Abu Dhabi hosts Bizz Talk 2015

The Philippine Business Council – Abu Dhabi kicked off this year’s Bizz Talk on the 29^th October 2015 at the Le Royal Meridien – Abu Dhabi. Business executives, professionals, PBC members, sponsors, media partners, Filipino community leaders, distinguished Philippine Embassy guests including Consul Maria Roseny Fangco and Vice Consul Rowena Daquipil participated in the muc-awaited networking event.


Read Full Post: http://bit.ly/1N5l5hs

Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf: Filipino Ladies Association for Growth (FLAG)

Nowhere is the special role and capacity of women in facilitating cross-cultural understanding more apparent than in the case of the group FLAG (Filipino Ladies Association for Growth).

Composed of the Diplomatic Ladies of the Philippine Consulate General of Dubai & the Northern Emirates, and supported by a select group of prominent Filipina leaders, FLAG was founded by Mme Lu Cimafranca – wife of former Phil Consul General Head Hon. Frank Cimafranca in 2014, and is now lead by Mme Yasmin Balajadia-Cortes wife of current PCG Consul General Hon. Paul Raymund Cortes. Mme. Cortes explains, “FLAG’s main objective is to enhance the role of Filipino ladies in the UAE through active participation in community events. It focuses on women empowerment and the advancement and the promotion of Philippine culture. We hope to raise awareness among the various ethnic communities in the UAE about what the Filipina woman can contribute and achieve in this country’s multicultural landscape.”


Read Full Post: http://bit.ly/1GP9nLG

Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf: Ambassador Renato Pedro Villa

Ambassador Renato knows firsthand what it feels like to be an overseas Filipino worker. He held a post in Saudi Arabia as technical writer before moving on to work with the Department of Foreign Affairs. He was an OFW before he had to represent the OFW’s as an ambassador. This gives him valuable insights on the true plight of Filipinos abroad, and informs his decisions on how to better serve their interests.


Read Full Post: http://bit.ly/1kfhiYG

Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf: Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa

She would refer to herself as the ‘Nanay’ of the Filipino community in the UAE, most importantly a servant leader – an Ambassador for God and country. She would coax audiences to sing-a-long with her ‘Ako Ay Pilipino’ and ‘Sino Ako’ every chance she would get at community gatherings. In her six year tour of duty here in the UAE, she has always tried to hammer the six F’s that Filipinos bring with them anywhere they are in the world, how Filipinos are like the abaca (strong, resilient and exceptional), and how we should always be ‘Taas Noo, Filipino’ and PinoyWise – lessons that have been imprinted on our heads through her many repetitions.


Read more: http://bit.ly/1RXdZzA

The Original Barrio Fiesta Wows Foodies in the UAE

ETA Star Retail and the Ongpauco family, owners of the Original Barrio Fiesta chain of Restaurants in the Philippines, recently signed an agreement to open its first restaurant in the UAE.


Read Full Post: bit.ly/1Q9lc1l

Filipino Entrepreneur – Dowel Deligos, Adobo Authentic Filipino Cuisine

Filipino Entrepreneur Dowel Deligos,
Adobo Authentic Filipino Cuisine – Muscat, Oman

Dowel Deligos started Adobo Restaurant in March 28, 2014. He worked at Muscat Duty Free when he came to Oman as a Marketing Executive and decided to establish his own business along with the help of Dowel’s Omani business partners, Ibrahim and Salim.


Read Full Article: bit.ly/1M2Ahvg

In the Mood for Love

Illustrado Fashion Editorial:
In the Mood for Love
PHOTOGRAPHER: Irvin Rivera / graphicsmetropolis.com
MODELS:
Kendall Galan @No Ties
Jesse Somera @Photogenics
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Ryan Domigpe
PRODUCTION ASST: Francis Gum
ASST PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Darwin Abad
Ben Kui
STYLIST: James Juarez
ASST PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Darwin Abad
Ben Kui
STYLIST: James Juarez
ASST STYLIST: Victor Jonas
MAKE-UP ARTIST: Tokiko Inoue
HAIRSTYILIST: Nina Jo

See Video here: bit.ly/1jlYnLu

Filipino Traveler: Cleo Eleazar in Berlin

 

Berlin is known for a lot of things, but the most popular sights are the Berlin Wall and the Brandenburg Gate. Both are known for their historical significance.

Continue Reading Full Content: bit.ly/1jeqnAv

Mastering the Filipino Flavor: MasterChef Australia's John Carasig

 
MasterChef Australia’s John Carasig shares his experience on the beloved reality cooking show, and his vision of putting Filipino cuisine in the global culinary scene.


Read Full Story: bit.ly/1MCNPAZ

Feeling Mayaman: A Sensible Person’s Guide to Modern Luxury

By Nicholo Jallores


Sometimes you just gotta feel rich.

You know how it is. You work like a dog day in and day out, and come payday you just want – no, need – to reward yourself for all of your sacrifice and hard labor. The struggle is real, hence the prize must be as real and tangible. You have to see it, smell it, hear it, hold it tightly in the palm of your hand until you feel in the very core of your being that, yes, you are successful. There is a point to all of your demeaning elbow grease. You are not just another cog in the machine.  You are the toast of the town. You are made, and you have the bag, the gadget, the dress, the shoes to prove it. Viva la alta!

Read Full Post: http://bit.ly/1NR4hQZ

Meet Consul General Paul Raymond Cortes, Dubai & the Northern Emirates

Hon. Paul Raymond Cortes, the Consul General of the Philippines in the United Arab Emirates, did not dream of working in the Foreign Service. In fact, as a graduate of Computer Science from the prestigious Ateneo de Manila University.


Read Full Story: http://bit.ly/1WfEB21

Ezra Santos: Ezra Enraptured

By Lalaine Chu-Benitez


If Michael Cinco is all about grandiose beauty, Furne One the master of dark drama, and Rocky Gathercole continues to play shock and awe, Ezra Santos’ domain is firmly placed on the altar of refined elegance.


Read Full Post: http://bit.ly/1KwOSyi

Filipino Designers on Fashion’s Original Sin: Borrow, copy, steal or share?

Filipino Designers on Fashion’s Original Sin: Borrow, copy, steal or share?
 
Is there still such thing as a fashion design original? What warrants an accusation of being a ‘copycat?’ And what makes something tiptoe the fine, gray lines of ‘inspiration?’
 
By Rav De Castro


Read full content: http://bit.ly/1NOueRc

GLOBETROTTER's NOTES: AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam

By Kristine Abante
 

Aside from the obvious ones like the beautiful network of canals we often see in postcards, the impressive and well-oiled bike culture, and the deliciously addictive stroopwaffels, I would say Amsterdam is unique because here, you can enjoy a kind of freedom and open-mindedness that you will not easily find anywhere else.

Read Globetrotter’s Notes – bit.ly/1UFBCCx

Science and the Art of Seeing

On the Prowl and In the Know – August 2015 

By Kristine Abante – Dubai




I always had this fascination with space and the great beyond. I spent my elementary years in an all-girl Catholic school; after that, I received this strange piece of news that I got accepted into my own version of Hogwarts…
http://bit.ly/1JVaJAk

Filipinos in Dubai: It’s What I Do

Filipinos are known to be always happy, and I am proud to be one. I am also very lucky that I am part of a very diverse company. I make sure that I pay it forward to the Filipino community in Dubai.

http://bit.ly/1LhY8Hh

Life is Art

Chancing Upon Filipino-Belgian Painter Christian Van Maele’s 4^th Solo Exhibition in Belgium

By Kristine Abante
Photo credits: Mark Ganzon



Antwerp, a city known for its diamond trade, revealed to me during an unplanned visit that it was also hiding other gems.

It was an unusually cold summer day when we arrived at the private viewing of Filipino-Belgian painter Christian Van Maele’s solo exhibition.


Read Full Post: bit.ly/1K2fKu8

My Pinoy Life in Xiamen, China

I have been staying here in Xiamen since 2011. I was a pioneer employee of Saint Gabriel International School in Pasig City, Philippines that it began its operations in 2000, and I have been working there as a preschool teacher when it decided to open another location here in China in 2011.


Read Full Story: bit.ly/1JXU8uP

Top 10 Excuses That Should Not Hold You Back From Traveling

As someone who leads a life of travel, I get a lot of messages from people who also want to live a life of exciting trips, colorful destinations, and breath-taking adventures.

Read Full Post: http://bit.ly/1hW6OMS

Shaping Filipino Dreams

After learning from a survey that 7 out of 10 Filipino youths do not have dreams in life, Prim Paypon established ‘The Dream Project PH,’ a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that aims to enable Filipino children to dream, and strive towards realizing them.


Read Full Post: http://bit.ly/1N6ziQN

Third Culture Kids—How Pinoy Are They?

By Rav De Castro

For most of us, the concept of home is a very simple thing—it’s our permanent address where everyone we know lives. It’s the place where we grew up alongside our families, relatives, and friends. But for some, home is a complex map of different cities with different cultures.


Read Full Post: http://bit.ly/1LN6sEz 

Filipino Designers: Ezra Santos at Fashion Forward Dubai 2015

Filipino Designers: Ezra Santos at Fashion Forward Dubai 2015 (Illustrado)

 

Fashion Forward Dubai http://goo.gl/8vXkrv

10^th April 2015

Leading international Filipino couture designer Ezra Santos wows the Dubai fashion crowd with another beautiful homage to the Philippines – re-imagining the elegance of 1930s Manila.  Congratulations and thank you Ezra for always bringing Filipino talent and elegance to the fore.



Filipino Designers: Ezra Santos at Fashion Forward Dubai 2015

 

Meet Angeli Agbayani: Actress and Artist

Meet Angeli Agbayani: Actress and Artist (Illustrado)

 

By KC M. Abalos



Illustrado’s KC Abalos sits down with the Filipina actress who beat Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos at the 37th Gawad Urian, the thespian renowned director Ang Lee called a “National Treasure.”


So we were about to wrap the interview when ‘the’ Celeste Legaspi entered the coffee house. Angeli and I were star struck. Our hearty chat suddenly turned into a whispered conversation. Ms. Legaspi stopped at a table where she said hello to a friend she’s meeting. Then, she started walking towards our table. She extended her hand to my companion and said, “Hi, I’m a big fan.” That’s when I realized that my old pal and UP Repertory Company orgmate is now a big star.


When I first met Angeli Bayani, she sported these huge vintage glasses which were her signature look back in college. She was majoring in Voice at the University of the Philippines’ College of Music then and had no inkling that, years later, she’ll beat Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos at the 37th Gawad Urian for her role in Norte: Hangganan ng Kasaysayan.

Meet Angeli Agbayani: Actress and Artist - Read full article http://goo.gl/qaXDCm

 

Filipino Recipes: Chef Roland Garcia’s Oven Roast Turkey Breast

Filipino Recipes: Oven Roast Turkey Breast (Illustrado)

Filipino Recipes: Chef Roland Garcia’s Oven Roast Turkey Breast
Photo by Chef Mico Galliguez

Chef Roland Garcia’s Oven Roast Turkey Breast with Foie Gras and Truffle, Manila String Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato and Cranberry Sauce – Photo by Chef Mico Galliguez

Try Chef Roland Garcia’s – Oven Roast Turkey Breast with Foie Gras and Truffle, Manila String Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato and Cranberry Sauce.

Chef Roland Garcia

See Chef Roland for this Filipino Recipes: Oven Roast Turkey Breast http://goo.gl/MKn5R4

Puppy Love

Puppy Love from Illustrado

By: Neph Kirong

When the kids start talking about romantic relationships, it signals two things:  One, they are about to cross into adulthood and two, their parents don’t know quite how to handle it. Neph Kirong takes a look at puppy love from the perspective of both parent and child.

Personal experiences on teenage love are probably one of the most exciting stories parents love to tell their children. Of course, for most, the story ends with “Pero anak, bata ka pa ha, di pa pwede (You’re not allowed yet, you’re still young)” or something that goes along that line.
While it certainly sounds funny, it’s a different story altogether when children actually experience their own actual teenage relationships. For most parents and children, it becomes a very serious and sensitive issue.

In this issue of Illustrado magazine, we look at how Filipino parents and teenagers weigh on the issue, and actually suggest ways to avoid what most parents call the “rebellious phase”, and what teenagers call “they can’t understand me.”


See full story about Puppy Love: http://goo.gl/hYkzLw

Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa: An island to call your own

Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa: An island to call your own (Illustrado)

By Ana P. Santos

Luxury has a reputation that precedes it. It is commonly perceived to be grandiose, flamboyant and flashy — where everything is over the top. In Marinduque, just a 35 minute plane ride from Manila, one will discover another aspect of luxury borne of quiet relaxation and harmony with nature. Balance and serenity cast a magic spell on white stone structures nestled on a cliffside and create an island paradise known as Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa.



If it is the secret desire of most to have an island all to yourself – somewhere you can spend time doing nothing more strenuous than watching the day unfold and the sun set as it gives way to the night; then it is also a blatant wish to have this seclusion come with the comfort of being pampered in the most indulgent and yet unobtrusive way.

These seemingly celestial pleasures are the promise of Bellarocca.

A speedboat ride takes you from the mainland to the island where Mediterranean style houses sitting as high as 114 meters above sea level conjure images of Santorini, Greece. Here, you are greeted by hotel staff performing a traditional welcoming ceremony called the “putong” – a song and dance meant to wish visitors good health, good luck and long life. It is an indigenous tradition among the people of Marinduque.

A golf cart whisked us away to the reception area which was actually a piano bar, filled with plush sofas and chairs. We filled out the forms sitting down and sipping a cold glass of iced tea.



There are many things that differentiate the experience of having an island to yourself.  One of them is the offer of a tour of the 20 hectare island to orient yourself on your surroundings: the 50 de luxe rooms, suites, terrazas and villas.

Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa: see full article http://goo.gl/zGyNMd

Beautiful Batanes in Philippines: Enchantment, Love and Undeniable Beauty

Beautiful Batanes in Philippines: Enchantment, Love and Undeniable Beauty (Illustrado)

By Nina Terol-Zialcita

Batanes Lighthouse – Photo By Richard Balonglong – Dreamstime.com

In the age of concrete mountains and jungles, of dizzying speeds and polluted streets, a group of islands in the northernmost part of the Philippines lies almost untouched by time. Its lush, emerald-green mountains stand as they always had, and its azure waters flow practically undisturbed by the passing of years and people.

Here, hundred-year-old stone houses sit as proud testaments of an intact culture, its inhabitants living as they had been taught for generations. People who eat organic vegetables grown from their own gardens, co-exist without poverty and crime, and believe that they were separated from the rest of the Philippines because they were “born to fly.”

Ivatan Church – Photo by Laszlo Lim – Dreamstime.com

This is Batanes: a living story of enchantment, love, and undeniable beauty. http://goo.gl/YsaoOH

Vintage Restore: Queen of Restoration

Vintage Restore: Queen of Restoration (Illustrado)

By 

Bernadette Reyes

Your vintage bags can now stand the test of time, albeit with a little help from the “Restoration Queen”.

Do you have a faded Balenciaga City Bag hiding in your closet? Did the sling of your Louis Vuitton Neverfull handbag break off because you always kept it full? Are you always trying to hide the part of your Chanel Quilted Bowler Bag that is peeling off?

Take a trip down Jupiter St. in Makati or visit White Plains in Quezon City and look for a signage that reads Vintage Restore. The shop promises to bring your beaten up bag back to life.
A family business, Vintage Restore came about after their Edna Buenviaje-Cruz, who has over 30 years of experience and technical know- how of the bag manufacture industry began to see a decline in the bag manufacturing business.

“Back in 2004, more and more brands began looking at China to manufacture their bags. I thought of diversifying our family business,” says Trisha Cruz-Cuazon, Edna’s daughter and co-owner of Vintage Restore.

However, their first attempt in the business was a flop. In 2005, the family opened its first shop in Market! Market! in Taguig under the brand Bag Specialist. The mall sought to cater to the high-end clientele of Makati, but was later repositioned to serve the middle class market of Taguig. “Nobody was doing repairs for luxury items so we opened our business there. Turns out the location wasn’t the right fit for our business so we closed shop a year after,” reveals Trisha.


Vintage Restore also began accepting overseas clients...

Read full article about "Queen of Restoration" http://goo.gl/JaFfNr

Leyende Organic Skincare Business

Leyende Organic Skincare Business - Illustrado

By Bernadette Reyes

 

As an awarded poet, Neva Kares Talladen never really thought about becoming an entrepreneur. She probably never thought that she would transform skin rashes into a homegrown Philippine cosmetics and skin care line that is fast becoming a world-class brand.

In her twenties, while Neva was indulging her fascination for make-up as most girls her age, she suddenly developed severe skin allergies known as eczema and contact dermatitis which are characterized by severe rashes. None of the dermatologists she consulted were able to cure her condition until an allergologist diagnosed she is allergic to phenoxyethanol and sulfate which are chemical compounds commonly used in most commercial skin care products.

 


Named after famous movies and books, Leyende products are an interesting eye-catcher: Clear and Present shampoo named after the movie Clear and Present Danger, Rapunsilk Shampoo after the famous cartoons Rapunzel and Smoothie Operator bath and shower gel after the movie Smooth Operator.

See full article about "Leyende Organic Skincare Business" http://goo.gl/pLdEDK