Sun.Star Davao's white Christmas

SUN.STAR Davao celebrated Christmas with a white-themed party at the Grand Regal Hotel last December 18.

River Cruising

I HAVE seen the lush mangroves in Palawan. Mati in Davao Oriental has the mangrove forest reserve. Traveling from Digos to Davao, you get a glimpse of mangroves along the shores of Santa Cruz.

Classmates matter

MY SCHOOL life in Bacolod came to a close after grade 6. My Mom and Dad decided that it was time for me to join my siblings who were already in school in Manila. So bidding goodbye to my friends in St. Scholastica's Academy, I was off to Assumption.

Do you know where St. Scholastica was before it is where it is now? St. Scho then was in the Shopping area. That was where it had its first location and our baptism as Grade 2 Scholasticans. We were there for just a year but when the initial building in the new site was ready, we were all transported to its permanent abode today.

Special kids 'Reach for the Sky'

TRUST SM City Clark to come up with the most unlikely project for children with disabilities, as some 39 special kids with different disabilities were given a once-in-a-lifetime experience to ride the planes at the Angeles City Flying Club in Magalang town as over the weekend.

New York on New Year's Day

START spreading the news.

It's another one for my books. I made it to this town and another entry ticked off in my must-go to list - New York City. And what perfect time to be there than New Year's Day.

Singapore in a flash

EVER hada long stop-over in Singapore or maybe, decided to do a quick weekend getaway to this metropolis, known as the “Lion City”? Through the years, the world has seen this city roar into an economic success, receiving praises from many.

Utzurrum: Meaningful gesture

EVERYTHING seems to be happening at the Marriott!

They had a scintillating Christmas tree during the holidays, but with it came the spirit to serve, and share. Each Christmas, Cebu City Marriott Hotel (CCMH) initiates the Spirit to Serve, the community project (a core value of Marriott hotels worldwide), which involves the betterment of underprivileged children.

Fetalvero: Carried by the current of adulation

DANCE as a form of expression is the best non-verbal way of communicating. When did dance originate?

Wikepedia.com informed me that dance does not leave behind identifiable physical artifacts such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave paintings. It is therefore not possible to say when dance became a part of human culture.

The crispy, crunchy, all-time favorite fried chicken

I AM pretty sure everyone grew up with at least one favorite dish that would be remembered for the rest of their lives. And I am not just talking about any ordinary dish, but one that will evoke childhood memories, be it alone or with family and friends dining together.

Cinemagis 3rd Digital Short Film Fest set

THE Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA), Xavier Science Foundation (XSF) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) are set to present Cinemagis - the 3rd Digital Short Film Festival in Northern Mindanao on January 24 to 27 at the XU Little Theater and SM City Cinema 2.

Lanao Norte contingent gears up for Sinulog 2011

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte - It's all systems go as Lanao del Norte, dubbed as "The Land of Beauty and Bounty," joins again the biggest cultural competition in the Philippines - Cebu's Sinulog Festival.

Tribal council leaders visit EastMinCom headquarters

TWENTY-TWO tribal leaders and youths from Davao and Caraga Regions visited the headquarters of the Eastern Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for a dialogue.

DHC and its amazing ride

"WE ARE not just friends here, we are family," Francis "Bong" R. Ledesma reminded his fellow officers and members after being sworn in as the new president of the Davao Horse Club (DHC) last Sunday at the Marina Park Stables in Matina Aplaya.

Holidays in the Latin City of Asia (Last of 2 parts)

ZAMBOANGA City boasts of its wealth in cultural heritage. Its geographical location and dynamic history have made the city a cultural and religious melting pot for both Christians and Muslims.

Miss Balingasag 2011 search opens

AT LEAST 21 lovely candidates are out to outwit each other for the 2011 Miss Balingasag beauty search.

Silverscreen snacks

WHY is popcorn a popular snack people choose to bring with them inside cinemas?

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

IT IS the Sinulog season and the excitement in the city heightens with daily presentations at the Fuente circle. Set for tonight is the selection of Miss Cebu at the Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.

Literatus: ‘Pink’ flags on skin, hair products

THIS WEEK we will cover reviews that may not have reached you: cancer-causing substances that can have you exposed as you have your hair done either by a hairdresser or a barber, or even from your personal use of hair dyes.

The Lyons, France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) facilitated a meeting between 17 scientists from seven countries in February 2008 in order to address new studies on compounds, scientifically referred to as “aromatics,” a name given because of their pleasant scents.

Beaujolais

MORE than 500 guests gathered for cocktails at the lobby before the doors of the Marco Polo Ballroom opened at past 7 p.m. The French Troubadours ushered in special guest Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia, escorted by the French Commercial Attache Dominique Lebastard, the French Chamber president, Didier Chalemeau and Marco Polo GM Hans Hauri. Gov. Gwen acknowledged the people behind the Soiree for continuously picking Cebu as its venue, an indication that indeed Cebu is an “event hub rich with resources and creative people.”

Addu holds exhibit on consumers' awareness

IN LINE with the 10th year anniversary celebration of the Ateneo de Davao School of Business and Governance, the fourth year Accounting major students of Ateneo de Davao University (Addu) are holding a week-long exhibit, which started Monday at the Thibault grounds of the Ateneo-Jacinto Campus.

Worried on some wine because she's pregnant

DEAR Dr. Fritz,

Call me Elizabeth Vodka. Well, I would like to call myself vodka because I simply love its sparkling taste. But, I'm now pregnant. The problem is, last new year; I was not able to control myself. I sipped a bit of my favorite wine. My OB has been telling me all along to avoid alcohol. But, I the temptation was just so strong.

Ring In the New

IT SEEMED like a salad swap to me after Christmas Day. I help Mother pack a jarful of our fruit salad for a kindly widow a block away. In a while, the doorbell buzzes and someone hands my cousin a container from that block-away neighbor filled with -- buko salad.

Mastering the Art of Giving

NOWADAYS, most people don’t have the luxury of living in abundance. Nevertheless, those who have the heart for giving, like me for instance, certainly found ways to observe the age-old tradition of gift-giving that characterizes the Yuletide season.

“Sorbetes” and more for the angels and the wise men

Great author Luciano de Crescenzo once penned “we are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing each other.”

Lizares: Saying Hello to the New Year!!!

NEW Year for my family has always been greeting it in our home unless of course we are out of town. This has been the tradition with my parents and I don’t see any reason to break it at this point in my lifetime. Whether we have plans before or after that, what is important that we say hello to a new beginning in this place called our home. And so it was.

The unsung hero

FOR those of you that don’t know, the Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is normally only given to American citizens serving in the United States armed forces.

Spell of Words

THE TRUE wizards of writing seldom arrive at a particular venue with flair. Rarely do they come by, donning alluring robes or wearing pointed hats resting on their heads.

A prayer for the new year

THE new year is here and with it comes new hope and new dreams. We usually start our meals, our journeys, our ventures and daily work with prayer. Well, why not start the year with prayer?

Costanilla: Villareal’s song, re-recorded in the US

SINCE last Friday evening, we’ve been watching the nightly “Sinulog Idol” singing competition at the Fuente Osmeña Circle. This is the contest’s second edition and this writer takes pride in emceeing it again for seven consecutive nights just like last year. The young contestants show a lot of promise and potential as entertainers, but we hope that they will prioritize their studies while their parents can still afford to send them to school. The “Sinulog Idol” grand finals will be on Thursday, Jan. 13.

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Gardenia opens bread manufacturing plant

AFTER several years of planning, Gardenia Bakeries Philippines Inc. finally opened its own bread manufacturing plant in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu last Jan. 5.

The Lapu-Lapu plant, which started its commercial operations last December, is now serving Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Iligan, Malaybalay and Davao City.