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.

Luab: Friendship is a two-way street

FRIENDSHIP cannot and must not be a one-way street. Many of us are givers and a lesser number are takers. I’m sure a great number of people share this experience.

We who are givers are sometimes pushed to a corner, cleverly manipulated by a friend into doing something we do not want to do. Many times we are bombarded with cunning manipulations which, while sly, can be so transparent. We see through a ruse that redounds on the taker’s comfort, his or her laziness and total disregard for our dignity as a person.

My BF has no time for me

DEAR Cindy,

I love my boyfriend very much and the thought of losing him kills me.

Lechon: In the resto or on the road

SERVING something classic and as old-fashioned as lechon is beginning to take on a more innovative approach.

Cebu’s culinary heritage

EVERY year, there’s something that makes Gabii Sa Kabilin (GSK) grander. While last year guests were treated to a “let’s get there first, beat the others” Amazing Race-like game that required them to make puso or practice calligraphy, GSK on May 31 adds a whole new ingredient into the mix: food.

Sira-sira store: I’m ‘chori’

I WANTED to kick myself for not thinking of the survey cooked up by GMA 7 sometime in April. I’m really chori (sorry) for not thinking of this.

The TV network has this wonderful show, I Juander, that discusses beliefs, food, fashion and other cultural aspects that define Juan de la Cruz. I Juander is hosted by Susan Enriquez and Cesar Apolinario, who both lend a folksy note to the show.

At the height of glamour

SHANDAR is a foreign word that is becoming more and more familiar in Cebu and also gradually in Manila. It is the Hindi word for “proud” and can also mean “elegant” or “fabulous.” The name is apt for Mark Tenchavez’s line of shoes, headdresses, hats and accessories, none of which could be described as plain or boring.

5,10, and 20-minute beauty tips

SOME people think putting on makeup is a task that will eat up an hour of their day, the kind of time that most busy women don’t have. If you have even five minutes to look pulled together, here are some beauty routines to help you look more polished in a rush. When getting ready, it helps to consider which parts of your face need perking up, i.e. if you have sparse brows, you’ll need to spend more time on them than someone with fuller, groomed brows.

Serna: Fast forward: More events

WHEW! That was a grueling, taxing, draining, exhausting electoral exercise that we had last Monday. If we, ordinary voters, felt that way, I can just imagine how the candidates, their close associates and avid supporters felt.

Barbecue nights at Parklane

LATELY, summer nights have been a bit sweltering. Instead of staying at home with the air conditioning, one can spend them better by being on top of Cebu Parklane International Hotel. This is not just a breezy escape to a toasty night, but also an indulgence to a delish dinner to share with friends and family.

Parklane’s Barbecue Buffet is truly a must-try for these warm summer nights. For P450, one can already dig in to a sumptuous all-you-can-eat dinner at the hotels’ poolside restaurant.

Global Football Club visits Autowelt BMW Showroom

GLOBAL Football Club, the private football club owned and managed by Philippines Men’s National Football team manager, Dan Stephen Palami, visited the Autowelt BMW Showroom in Nivel Hills Lahug Cebu City last Monday, May 6, 2013.

The players who represented the Global FC were Ange Marios Tresor Guisso, Moussa Sanogo, Ben Starosta, Nino Ocohotorena, and Valentine Kama.

Australia as Top Study Destination in IDP Fair

AUSTRALIA is highlighted once more as among the world’s best education destinations in the next education fair organized by IDP Education Philippines this month.

The Australian Education Exhibition 2013 will be held at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao on Friday, May 17. It moves to the Dusit Thani Makati the following day, culminating with its Cebu staging at the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu on Sunday, May 19.

New Tattoo Lifestyle Stick

TATTOO, the country’s most reliable mobile broadband, unleashes a new weapon bringing to life your many passions, designed to seamlessly sync with your fast-paced lifestyle whether online or offline.

From three different lifestyle sticks now come one revamped and powerful mobile pre-paid gadget that combines countless passions exclusively created in tandem with esteemed furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue. The three exclusive stick designs exemplify style and function in unison, and is also the smallest and lightest broadband stick available in the market today, only from Tattoo.

Davao beyond durian

WHEN I talk to friends about Davao, the reaction is often, “There’s nothing to do in Davao except eat durian.” I beg to differ.

Utzurrum: A fond farewell to a beloved diplomat

AFTER 52 years in the Philippines, British Consul Moya Jackson can truly say, “that’s half my life I’ve spent among such warm and wonderful people.” Of these 52 years, 25 of them were as British Consul in Cebu, and what a job that was!

Proudly, Moya retires as an MBE (Member of the British Empire), a singular honor if ever there was one. This was significantly mentioned by British Ambassador Stephen Lillie when he and British Consul (Manila) Brendan Gill, honored Moya with a consular award at farewell cocktails at the Cebu Country Club.

Fetalvero: Surpassing trials with dignity

“I GET up every morning and I shake my fist at God and I say, “I will not be defeated.” These are powerful words from Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, mother of the first Irish Catholic President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.

Royal treatment on the green

GOLF aficionados have a new place to tee off and perfect their swing on the green, without having to hop on a plane to enjoy world-class facilities.

Spanning over 70 hectares in the town of Medellin in northern Cebu, Queen’s Castle Golf and Resort is the newest golf course and hotel on the island. The 18-hole golf course spans a total length of 6,850 yards.

Literatus: Knots of pain

I GUESS the most painful experience a person can have upon waking up is to have muscle cramps.

The condition consists of a sudden but involuntary contraction of a muscle or part of it that is painful as well as self-extinguishing (or self-limiting), with a palpable knotting of the muscle accompanying it.

Chill with Fantastics at Marco Polo Plaza

SUMMER in Cebu is hot and as the temperature goes up Marco Polo Plaza Cebu brings you something to cool you down. Indulge yourself to Fantastics, the thirst quenchers that will keep you pumping up with coolness in the midst of the heat of summer.

Relax your mind with Matcha Green Tea. Clear your head from all negative thoughts, enjoy the comforting view at El Viento and take a sip of this smoothie. Though the heat may hype everything, the soothing effect of matcha will calm you on any weather.

SilkAir to fly to Semarang and Makassar

SILKAIR, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will soon fly to two more cities in Indonesia, increasing its Indonesian network to 11 destinations.

Subject to regulatory approvals, SilkAir will offer thrice-weekly flights between Singapore and Semarang, the provincial capital of Central Java, from July 29, 2013, and thrice-weekly flights between Singapore and Makassar, the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, from Aug. 1.

Golden Haven annual awardees for 2012

GOLDEN Haven Memorial Park, indisputably Cebu’s most beautiful memorial park recently feted its top investment professionals for 2012 during Golden Haven’s annual awards night held last March 18, 2013.

Leading the year’s top awardees was Rupert Rabanes of Big R & Associates who bagged Top Business Director, the evening’s highest award. The other top winners in the other categories were Alma Quintilitisca (MB Explorers), Top Team Manager, and Auji Dakay (Team Player & Associates), Top Investment Consultant.

How old should my child be to go to preschool?

THERE used to be a general idea that children cannot go to school unless they are at least three years old. Some even go so far as to say that they can go starting five years old.

But now, research and studies show that early stimulation of young children's mind and bodies go a very long way towards their eventual success in big school, even in life.

Calligraphy of art

CALLIGRAPHY, the dictionary says, is beautiful or elegant handwriting. In the case of Iranian artist Hassan Eftekhari, he used Arabic script to create works of art that to the unlettered in Arabic or Persian script, looks like modern non-figurative art: numerous little squiggles in different vibrant colors which are actually letters or words seem to swirl on the paper they are painted on, resulting in a piece of abstract art pleasing to the eye.

Espina: Power up tourism

EXCITE Cebu! “Power up Tourism!” The tourism team of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will intensify the marketing brand of Cebu locally and internationally and share the best practices of Asian countries—like Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong—and, of course, the Philippines, hotels, resorts, airlines and travel groups.