At a Kabilin Fest

KABILIN is Cebuano for heritage. West Gorordo Hotel celebrated it with a cultural festival it called Kabilin Fest on International Museum Day with the aim of “connecting crafts people, conserving our heritage, (and) creating vibrant and sustainable communities.”

Singlestalk: Dating after 48 years

Michelle: We have a reader named Ricky who is asking for dating tips. He has not dated for a long time. So have I!

Seriously, the first dating tip that I can give Ricky is this: You don’t have to date. Society abides by a timeline that expects that singles be married at a certain age, and when you’ve gotten married, expect you to have a child and when you have one, ask when you’ll have another.

Luab: Our needs over our wants

ELECTIONS are finally over and now we can concentrate on what has to be done. I am happy that many of us went to the polls in spite of the long hours many had to suffer in order to stand in line. Being a senior citizen has its advantages. My actual voting time only took five minutes but climbing up three flights of steps at Philippine Normal College (now Cebu Normal University) was horrible for one who suffers from osteoarthritis. It took me several stops before I reached precinct No. 0223A.

Women's world: Quarreling parents dismay daughter

Dr. Dana Ruiz-Sesante Cindy Ruiz Garaña, R.N.

Dear Cindy,

A 'balancing' food tale

FOODIE Francis Onglatco is savvy in the yin and yang of dining, balancing combination of ingredients like spices and herbs to nourish the diner’s body and health.

Easy food tips for camping trips

DON'T expect to whip up a six-course gourmet meal from the confines of a tent in the middle of nowhere. When a group goes camping, it’s usually best to stick to the basics—including food. Check this article out from thekitchn.com on some suggestions on how to prepare good, affordable camping food.

Simple meals with a few ingredients are going to be a person’s most convenient option and will, conveniently, be easiest on his wallet.

Sira-sira store: Boy, interrupted

I BECAME the male version of Girl, Interrupted, a movie in the ‘90s, but only as far the title is concerned (mine has a small “i”). A little boy kept interrupting me this week. Here’s my story.

“Uncle, no one won the election,” Pannon, my nephew, interrupted me in the middle of my afternnon snack of chicken sandwich.

Chameleon charm

IN ORDER to conquer life and its challenges, a person has to become a chameleon at least once in a while.

As its qualities suggest, the lizard hints at its capability of changing to a color to suit its purpose; and in a person, it means getting the most out of his or her essence. And with life sometimes leaning towards monotony, who can deny beauty in versatility?

Santacruzan style

THE annual Santacruzan celebration ushers in some of the best and most elegant in Philippine fashion. Clothes for Life, Inc. has partnered with SM City Cebu for the fifth year to showcase the couture creations of some of Cebu’s top designers in Santacruzan sa Sugbo.

Save Yourself from Makeup Meltdown

ALTHOUGH we’ve been having quite a few rainy nights in the last couple of weeks, daytime temperature has still been 30 degrees or more. Hot days and rainy nights only mean that there’s a blanket of humidity enveloping us, posing a challenge for getting makeup to stay put. Here are some tips to get your makeup to stay on the entire day.

With this routine, my makeup is still mostly intact even after a whole day of field and office work, dinner and two hours of sweaty badminton.

Serna: Martin Nievera, a generous guy

DESPITE the intermittent rains, the air is still generally humid and hot. In other words, the Bodies of Summer competition is still very much in.

This will finally be held on Sunday, May 26, at the Montebello Villa Hotel. As announced by its organizer, Jake Rhodel de Silva, it’s not the usual competition in which sexy contestants go on a parade.

Unleash the heroes of change

EVERY child has an inner bida—a hero-in-the-making waiting to be unleashed. The real change we’ve been waiting for could be locked inside young minds and hearts. All they need is the right reinforcement to bring out their potential even at a tender age.

CBN Asia and its flagship TV program The 700 Club Asia believe in investing in the country’s future by inspiring Filipino children and giving them a strong faith foundation.

SM brings back your favorite movies for P25

WATCH your favorite movies once again for only P25 in SM Cinemas Film Fiesta. SM Cinema lets you experience the thrill of these movies all over again.

Ongoing until May 28, watch the 2012 American psychological thriller film House at the End of the Street.

Skylights and bougainvilleas that lead to Panglao

THIS place is not for everyone.

Crowd-jostling, skin to skin contact? Not here.

Utzurrum: Special occasion

WHO says Ernesto “Erny” Elizondo looks like a doddering 80-year-old? No one who saw Erny on the night of his 80th birthday would ever say so! Not with the celebrator, garbed in a flaming red shirt, greeting his many friends, colleagues, taking time to engage in lively banter, raising the hand of a candidate and just having fun, we had never seen Erny as fit as a fiddle and in fine spirits!

Fetalvero: The aftermath of a decision

MORGAN FREEMAN, actor and narrator of documentaries, once said: “Questions could spark a conversation or a revolution.”

In the recently concluded electoral exercise voters made an agonizing decision—meaning, they must have deliberated hard and I can only surmise that they simply wanted to get rid of traditional politicians and elected mostly young candidates.

A new beginning

WHEN news of its closure broke out last year, many Cebuanos were disheartened.

Since 2006, The Outpost has somewhat lived up to its name of being a refuge spot.

Literatus: Triggers to dyspepsia

WHEN you repeat or hear repeatedly a difficult word often enough you get to know it by heart. That’s the case with the word dyspepsia. The Greek root dys means “painful” (remember, "painful menstruation" in dysmenorrhea); while pepsia or pepsis means “to digest.” Together, and literally, dyspepsia means “painful digestion.” We know its simple equivalent better: indigestion (in Cebuano, we say “wa kahilisi”).

Clinically, dyspepsia is that vague feeling of discomfort (of heat, burning or pain; or of fullness that is bothersome) in the upper belly or abdomen during or right after eating.

Neri: What's up? What's new?

On the travel front...

Setting a higher line

AT least from a mainstream point of view, Manila has always been the center of attraction when talking about the filmmaking industry. The capital like no other place, hoards its share of stars—and like it isn’t bright enough already—is where the entire entertainment spotlight is pointed at.

Regional, but marginal no more

Joanna Cuenco

Espina: P.E.O.P.L.E and ‘Talento Cebuano’

ON its fifth year of celebrating success stories and skills of the Cebuano people, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arts and Culture and P.E.O.P.L.E (People Enhancing Opportunities Propelling Leadership Excellence) will be at Ayala Center Cebu’s Activity Center (co-sponsor) on June 22, Saturday, from 1-5 p.m., to acknowledge the initiatives of Marilyn Chua; who started from cooking as a hobby for kins and friends at her home, to putting up ‘Kusina ni Nasing’ in 2011, with only P6,000.00 for an investment.

World-class act

NOT a lot of people know that a world-renowned design professional was in Cebu lately to give a talk to a group of architects during their convention. Well, Cebu was honored to have rolled out the red carpet for Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima of the Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates firm, which won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Award in 2010, a recognition equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize in architecture.

Freedom in filmaking

VINCENT SANDOVAL is only 30 years old, but the films he directed have already received global acclaim. His first film, Señorita, has screened in nearly two dozen notable film festivals in Greece, Morocco, South Africa, around Europe and the United States.

Cebu’s ‘puso’

ASK Cebuanos what is good to pair off with their favorite barbecue or lechon and you’ll likely get the same answer—puso. And the better way to indulge in this special rice is by kinamot or eating with your bare hands.

Costanilla: Producer, actress Pilapil in new film

GLAD. We are glad to see her lovely face once again on the big screen after years of being away from the acting field. Despite her age, her acting prowess is still evident and impressive. Cebuana star Pilar Pilapil plays Leona Calderon, which is also the title of her comeback (?) film. She is also one of its three producers. Pilapil’s character is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in London whose biggest dream is to return home and reunite with her son. But she could not fulfill it after unsuccessful cancer surgery.

Bamboo Bay Community breaks ground

BAMBOO Bay Community broke ground for their first tower in Hernan Cortes Street, Subangdaku, Mandaue City last April 16, 2013. This ceremony marked as a start of their mission of providing quality and affordable homes to their buyers.

Tower One is already sold out and is considered to be a huge success for Bamboo Bay, which was launched only five months ago. The growth is really fast considering that they are just new player in the industry.

CEB pioneers direct flights to Phuket, Thailand

THE Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) announced it will begin direct flights from Manila to Phuket, Thailand, starting August 16, 2013.

CEB is the first and only airline to provide direct air services from the Philippines to this popular island destination.

Pavilion of memories

IN architecture, a pavilion could have more than one meaning.

One, it refers to a projecting part of a long building façade, usually emphasized by elaborate decorations or greater height such us in some government buildings.

Singlestalk: This guy’s in love with his buddy

Michelle: “In a complicated relationship” seems to be a common state of life these days. I wonder why?

Mark, who’s 28, has a girlfriend of two years but he is still in love with his buddy for five years now. How he has managed to live this seemingly “double” life is not difficult to imagine. There are many who are in denial of their sexuality. But they cannot deny it forever especially if they involve innocent people like Mark’s girlfriend who is unaware of Mark’s dilemma.