Philippines, the Fiesta Islands

Philippines, the Fiesta Islands from Illustrado

By Ivan Henares

The Philippines is, without a doubt, a country of beautiful sights, festivities and merrymaking. Throughout the year, around the 1,701 islands, festivals abound in an exciting explosion of local color, food, traditions and the boundless energy of locals and visitors who participate in these celebrations with much gusto.





Although May has always been the undisputed month of fiestas, for party enthusiasts, there’s always a festival to visit virtually every month around the islands, and some of these unique celebrations have withstood the test of time and carved their own niche in Philippine culture. Here’s our pick of fiestas around the Philippines the whole year round.

Image: benjie@belarmino-law-office.com

In January, the Ati-atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan is held in honor of the Sto. Niño every third week of January. The festival got its name from the fact that Aklanons and tourists alike imitate the Ati, the local aborigines or Negritos, by wiping soot on their faces. They don colorful ethnic costumes and dance around the streets of Kalibo to the beat of ethnic troubadours. Similar celebrations are held in honor of the Sto. Niño around the Visayas, most notable of which are the Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City and the Sinulog Festival in Cebu.


Every January 9, the Feast of the Black Nazarene is held in Quiapo, Manila. This intense mammoth procession winds through the streets of Quiapo like a strong wave of faith, with devotees risking life and limb just to get close to the miraculous image and touch it.


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Filipino Martial Arts: A Return to Being Maharlika

Filipino Martial Arts: A Return to Being Maharlika from Illustrado

 

By Flordeliz Samonte

Awed by the moves of Matt Damon in Bourne Identity? Lapu Lapu, the Datu of Mactan and the First Filipino Hero and his stronghold of Kali warriors, defeated Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 with the same fighting skills which have worked their way into Hollywood movies today. The story has been heard several times but the role of the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) has been kept in the sidelines waiting for another warrior to take up the art once again.




FMA known to many in various names like Arnis, Escrima or Kali is a warrior art which is now being rediscovered by Filipinos. Known by different systems as varied as the 7,107 islands of the Philippines, FMA is a complete package. Before Spanish conquerors came to the archipelago, Filipinos already had their own fighting system used as defense during tribal wars. During the Spanish regime, it was banned, giving rise to the popular use of the rattan stick as a weapon. Driven to secrecy, FMA was secretly passed down from father to son and Kali movements were disguised as folk dances such as tinikling, maglalatik and sakuting.


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Pinoy Entrepreneur: Good Old Reliable Karinderya

Pinoy Entrepreneur: Good Old Reliable Karinderya from Illustrado

By Bernadette Reyes

 

How I started a fast food business and became successful:

 

A perfect match in the offering – Sonny Santos used to be a cigarette vendor while his life partner Rowena Mallari, was a former “yaya” until a lot of hard work and love for for both couple yielded a successful business undertaking for them, earning a remarkable Php 15,000 pesos a day.

 

“Nakabili na ako ng condominium unit dahil dyan,” Rowena said of their karinderya business. The ubiquitous karinderya or eatery in the Philippines may appear plain and small compared to other popular food establishments but it can be a significant source of income when managed well. Sonny admitted their business almost closed shop because of poor management. “Sa mother ko itong business pero matanda na sya, ‘di nya kayang patakbuhin. Sinubukan naming mag asawa na ipagpatuloy,” Sonny claims.

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The karinderya used to be a sari-sari store with only a handful of basic items on the shelves. “Nagsimula kami padala-dalawang toyo, suka at iilang de lata lang,” Rowena recalled. Their initial capital was only Php1,500 pesos. Determined to succeed, the couple vowed tol endure all the hardships just to be able to pick themselves from dirt. “Sabi ko okay Rowena, ‘hindi tayo puedeng mapagod,’” Sonny adds. They had to wake up at 1AM to go to the market and finish cooking all the dishes 12 hours after, only to realize there is more work ahead. Customers began to arrive and only Sonny and Rowena manned the eatery. Today however, they have a number of staff delegated to cook, wash the dishes and clean the place while Rowena takes charge of the accounting and Sonny looks after operations and conceptualizing new ideas for the thriving carinderya. The business has likewise grown to three branches all located within Pasig City.


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Indulgence and Obsession: Single Malt Whisky from Scotland

Indulgence and Obsession: Single Malt Whisky from Scotland from Illustrado

 

By Krip Yuson

 

If I am asked what I indulge in these days, I’ll say that it’s still single malt whisky from Scotland. Oh, you can toss in Japan as provenance, too.





The last holiday season naturally turned into a wonderful opportunity to stack up on those precious bottles of quality booze. Balikbayan buddies were warned that the only way they could avoid a hold-departure order was to pay a sort of tribute to this trusty friend upon their arrival. And so they came with those large Duty Free plastic bags with a sealed transparent display of a boxed Glenlivet, Macallan, or Bowmore — among the staples of discernment found in airport liquor shops.


It pays to advertise one’s desiderata. I’ve been doing it for years, in fact nearly a couple of decades now, since literary fellowships allowed me to visit the British Isles and introduced me to the top of the line among Scotch whisky offerings. I do not tire telling everyone about the special virtues of single malt whisky other than their enchanting names.

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Berlin Things: Ich Liebe Berlin (I Love Berlin)

Berlin Things: Ich Liebe Berlin (I Love Berlin) from Illustrado

Words and photos by Al P. Manlangit




I doubt if there’s a more colorful and controversial city in Europe than Berlin. Starting out as the capital of Prussia, it metamorphosed into a great metropolis under Kaiser Wilhelm who wanted it to be at par with Paris and London. Like a grainy, black and white film, many indelible images that shaped Europe’s destiny have come alive here: World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the rise of the Nazis, the ’38 Olympics and the infamous Hitler Bunker.





After the Second World War, the Russians moved in and the city was partitioned by the Allies. Then came the Cold War with more images reinforcing the city’s reputation as a flashpoint for another conflict: the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, JFK intoning “Ich bin ein Berliner”, the Berlin Airlift and espionage of the highest order. This status quo remained for almost three decades before the turning point came in 1989 when Communism collapsed and peaceful reunification ensued. So much engrossing history bubbled on the surface of the book I was reading, making me completely forget that the highspeed ICE (InterCity Express) train we boarded earlier in Frankfurt was gliding to a halt. We’re here, the wife said, tugging at my arm as I glanced awestruck at the spanking brand-new 1.5-billion Euro Berlin Hauptbahnhoff.


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Things to Do: Travel Destination Beijing – Gateway to China

Things to Do: Travel Destination Beijing – Gateway to China from Illustrado

Globetrotters Blog

By: Marianne Silloriquez

DESTINATION: Beijing – Gateway to China

How to get there: You can fly Emirates Airlines or China Southern direct. We took Qatar Air because it has the best rate and schedule at that time. Since it’s around 9 hours travel, it’s advisable to get into an evening flight so you don’t waste a day on the plane.





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Where to stay: Three star hotels are not bad; they have the regular amenities you need. Ours, cost us about AED 900 for 5 nights on twin sharing. Hotel personnel are generally helpful although communication was quite a problem. Try to learn a few basic Chinese phrases like “Who can speak English” and “I don’t understand” this will come in handy. Consider to select a hotel that is near the subway station because in Beijing it is the best means of transportation.


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A Pinoy Breakthrough: Wealth Mindset

A Pinoy Breakthrough: Wealth Mindset from Illustrado

 

A Pinoy Breakthrough

By Bo Sanchez

 

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We Filipinos have weird dreams – like dreaming the American Dream – you know, a life of abundance in the land of milk and honey. But there’s a more wonderful dream and it happened to me. I call it a breakthrough.

 Have you ever been denied a visa? If not, believe me, you don’t want to experience it. I’ve been denied a visa. Twice.  From the United States Embassy no less. Look into my heart and you’ll find two ugly scars.

I remember my first attempt. I was still in my teens. When I woke up, I was already wet with nervous sweat. It didn’t help that when I arrived in the U.S. Embassy, I saw a humongous crowd of hopeful Pinoys outside the gates of American Heaven. They were standing in long lines, all of them begging for a visa. I felt their collective fear. It was nerve-wracking.

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