LOVE IN THE TIME OF RUIN

Lately, I noticed that I am leaning towards featuring travel-related blog entries - an unexpected course that I am now fully interested in threading through. Why not share those unique out-of-town experiences, di ba? But here is something that marries both travel and fashion (that I love most), and is a good follow-up to my Bacolod post. Entitled "Love in the time of Ruin", I found myself repeatedly looking at this pictorial we did for People Asia Magazine's Travel Issue (April-May 2014), as I fell in love (literally) with the grandeur and beauty of both old-rich Bacolod and the remarkable designer creations we used for this shoot. Hope you all feel the same way, too!

Nostalgia. Heaven and earth. A forbidden love affair between the alta and the poor. It's old-world romance ala Romeo and Juliet. Or more currently and more aptly, Kim Chiu and Coco Martin in the now-running Ikaw Lamang teleserye, which, I believe, also shot their scenes in Bacolod specifically The Ruins. Pure drama indeed!

Grab People Asia April-May 2014 (the Travel Issue) at magazine stands now.



________________________________________________________________________
Photography: Mau Aguasin (MA Studio)
Art Direction: Chino Corrales
Styling: Mike de Guzman & George Palmiano (MGP)
Makeup: Sari Campos
Hair: Charisma Vicuna
Models: Naigel Haran & Vanessa Andres (Mercator)
Shot on location at The Ruins, Balai ni Tana Dicang, Bantug Lake Ranch, Bacolod City
Special thanks to Mayor Monico Puentevella, Rocky Puentevella & Jhordan Gepaya

REFLECTIONS & TRADITIONS

Christian devotees from all walks of life recently observed the Holy Week, and although it ends with the Easter celebration, images of sacrifices and devotion still remain unscathed in my mind. Although we have different ways on how we contemplate all throughout the said week, nothing is more fashionable and significant in this world than offering prayers to those you love most, and reflecting on the Passion of the Christ. I went around Manila as part of my Lenten panata, and would continue doing so as part of my religious tradition and obligation. See snapshots (in nostalgic black & white) as I went through several churches at night (when temperatures are more bearable), and hope you all, too, had a reflective experience doing the same in prayer and solitude:

People line up for a brief religious moment with the lying Nazarene during Good Friday at Quiapo Church.

The Quiapo Church was filled with people doing their Stations of the Cross even during late at night.

A classic picture of a staunch Catholic devotee.

Stations of the Cross has gone outdoor at the (under renovation) Malate Church

A time of peace, a time of prayers.

A street procession just outside the Paco Catholic Church

An empty Paco Catholic Church is the best time to pray and contemplate.

The Greenbelt Chapel was a full house during Black Saturday.

Celebrating evening mass al fresco at Greenbelt.

The facade of one of my favorite local churches: the San Agustin Church in Intramuros at night.

The grand architecture of San Agustin Church still leaves me at awe.

The Passion of the Christ.

The Crucifixion.

The Mother and The Son: San Agustin's La Pieta.

The Lord Has Ressurected! Salubong festivities at San Agustin.

Easter procession with street dancing at San Agustin Church.

The stone walls and pathways of Intramuros still captivated me as the procession went on and left me behind.

To everyone, Happy Easter! May the Risen Christ bless us all! :-)

OF GREEK PILLARS AND MISADVENTURES

Immediately after our Bacolod assignment, my partner George and I hurried to Pico de Loro in Nasugbu, Batangas, for the summer ad campaign shoot of SM MEN'S FASHION. It was a 3-day pictorial where we toiled relentlessly under the scorching sun. Never mind the heat and the sweat, what's wonderful about working with these people is that we've become very good friends, allies and families, and even though there are "negative forces" to deal with, the results remain the same - simple yet excellent images without having to try too hard, and never looking too stereotyped.

On the third day, our team decided to shoot in a secluded island off the Balayan Bay since we've exhausted all the possible areas in Pico. We boarded two outrigger boats and crossed the sea with excitement flowing thru our veins, curious on how Fortune Island would look like when we get there.

The Calm Before the Storm: Our assistant Sheila Marie Danipog, makeup artist Ria Aquino and videographer Mau Aguasin were still all smiles when we started sailing... until we reached the open waters!

However, our anxious moment suddenly became a scary misadventure. Everybody was silenced (perhaps in prayers) as soon as we hit the open waters. We were all taken to a hellish roller coaster ride in the middle of the rough sea. Then I soon found myself being blamed, for it was my ambitious idea to use the island as another location for our shoot. And I felt even more frightened because there was no turning back, and every unrelenting splash of wave hitting us is a matter of life or death. 

Little did we know that passenger ferries like MV Princess of the Orient of Sulpicio Lines and MV Kimelody Cristy of Moreta Shipping lines, both sank off the Fortune Island in the 90's! After sailing roughly for more than 1 and a half dizzying hours, a majestic Greek-looking isle in the middle of nowhere finally revealed itself.

Greece in Batangas: Fortune Island looks like Mt. Olympus from afar.

Because of the strong current and traitorous waves, our boatmen decided to dock on the opposite side of the island instead of bringing us on the shore. However, there was another obstacle - we have to swim by ourselves to get to the ladder leading up to the rocky, steep hill. For a non-swimmer like me, I thought that this place could be renamed as Misfortune Island!

Do or die: Ayen Florendo (in purple life vest), AVP of SM Men's Fashion, leads the way as the first one who gutted splashing through the water. With Cheska Summer (left) and Daniel Matsunaga (right).

Since I didn't know how to swim, I was the last person to go off the boat - of course! This was such inconvenience for all of us because we have to cross the deep waters and it's quite difficult to prevent our things (clothes, food, equipments, etc.) from getting wet.

I also realized that this was a courageous, commendable moment for all - seeing everybody go on professionally and deal with the challenge (in high spirits) - knowing that our lives were at stake. As the leader of the pack, Ayen Florendo (AVP for Marketing  of SM Men's Fashion) exhibited no fear as she wore her life vest and took the plunge. Our foreign models, Fabio Ide, Swell Damas and Daniel Matsunaga dived seemingly without qualms, too. My styling partner George Palmiano and our assistant Sheila Danipog were both well-equipped, and instantly sealed all the necessary clothes with plastic bags. Makeup artist Ria Aquino took her brushes and followed, too. Videographer Mau Aguasin was pulled downward by the current and hit her head on a sharp rock, but managed to carry on. I also admire ace photographer Marc Nicdao, who was celebrating his birthday that day, but he, together with his assistants, braved the currents while bringing their priced equipments across. Buwis-buhay indeed - all of this for a nice shoot!

Scenic Splendor: A desolate place with a marvelous view.

All the troubles reaching this location were paid off as soon as we reached the top of the hill. What a breathtaking view of blue skies, white sand beach and azure waters! The island's main attraction is a mini version of the ancient Greek citadel Acropolis, with dilapidated pillars and statues majestically overlooking the sea.

The Acropolis: This looks like a lost, ancient city of a once-great civilization of eons past.

Pillars of Eternity. It seems like Zeus stroke his lightning here in the past, and resulted in these beautiful ruins.

Picture Perfect. Statues and ruins stand tenaciously against the elements.

Inviting. Check out the sparkling blue to emerald waters beaneath the rocky cliff.

Ivory Coast. The beautiful seascape is calling us to take a dip.

Beyond beautiful. A stretch of pristine white sand with pebbles, debris and sediments.

Ghost Town. A deserted resort, but still enchanting.

Based from my research, Fortune Island was once a luxury resort with fine amenities, owned and operated in the 1990's by Tony Leviste, a former governor of Batangas. All that was left was a deserted white sand beach, along with abandoned cabanas, a dilapidated helipad, broken glass window panels, an emptied pavillion, an outworn mini museum in a shape of a galleon, an outworn basketball court, unmaintained toilets - that in summation, leave a creepy, ghostly feel and impression. But in utmost honesty, all the rubbish did not diminish the raw splendor and beauty of the island. And we all had it for ourselves even for a single day!

Cam Whores. Mau Aguasin, George Palmiano and Ayen Florendo smile for a Kodak moment.

Clash of the Titans. Mau Aguasin and George Palmiano again - this time without Ayen Florendo.

The Hunger Games. Luckily, we brought packed food or else we died in the island!

Stand by Me. My corner of the island.

Say cheese! Our assistant Sheila does a photo op.

Windswept. Bikini babe Mau Aguasin with Madam Ayen Florendo.

On a Cliff's Edge. Highly in-demand photographer Marc Nicdao (leftmost, while being held by his assistant) does a series of clicks on Fabio Ide. Ria Aquino also checks out her makeup kit.

Here are some sizzling snapshots from our summer shoot which I took from my camera (meaning, these are not the actual campaign photos). Hope you all like these pics as much as we do.

Greek God. Model Swell Damas is a modern Adonis in skinny white jeans.

Red Hot. Fabio Ide is super handsome in a red pair of denim pants.

A sight to behold. Daniel Matsunaga is hotness overload in a pair of blue-colored denim.

Watch out for the complete series of summer ad campaign pictorials of SM MEN'S FASHION this April. We'd like to thank the whole team - models, photographers, stylists, makeup artist, videographer and ad agency for another awesome, kaloka experience. Thanks to the marketing duo of Rudolph Leonor and Ayen Florendo - just continue doing what you do best - and that is being the best from the rest. :-)

UNMASKING BACOLOD CITY

For quite sometime, I am eloquently lost - searching for the right words - in writing this blog entry. There are not enough good lines that are comparable or descriptive, to the wonderful experience we had in Bacolod City. A truly memorable trip, Bacolod for me is more than a "City of Smiles."

Last month, we flew to this part of Visayas for a fashion shoot assignment with the awesome editorial team of People Asia Magazine. More to work, we were treated with extra special care by the hosting City Government of Bacolod headed of course by Mayor Monico Puentevella. His son Rocky and personal assistant Jhordan were there to take us to different locations where we can shoot, as well as to savor the varying local flavors, feel the cultural vibe, see historical sites and experience the best of what Bacolod can offer. But overall, it is the kindness, warmth, superb hospitality and accommodation that they offered that the whole team were immensely grateful for - and hope to come back for more!

Bacolod seems to be thriving and it is perhaps the next best city in the Philippines to live in or open up a business. It is the gateway to Negros Occidental, and is the home to the widely-known Filipino favorites like Chicken Inasal, Piyaya, Napoleones, Kansi, Batchoy, as well as hectares of sugar cane plantations, azucareras and haciendas, and the colorful Masskara Festival. 

MASSKARA FEVER. Surrounded by Masskara dancers, I can't help but also dance to the beat and get into the festive vibe.

See what the city has to offer as I unmask the best of Bacolod:


THE BEST CHICKEN INASAL EVER!
The original is always the best. Bacolod's chicken inasal is very juicy and tangy, and the taste still lingers in my mind. Visit the Manokan Country (just across SM Bacolod) where inasal restaurants all line up in a single area. Aida's Chicken, according to our tour guide Jhordan, is the most famous among the roster - and we all agree.

If you're in Bacolod, it is worth stopping by the Manokan Country for Chicken Inasal lunch.

The original and the best Chicken Inasal ever - yummy!

Chicken is indeed big in Bacolod!

A BLAST FROM THE PAST: THE RUINS
A picturesque thing of old history, "The Ruins" stands majestically in a sugarcane farmland in Talisay City as one of Bacolod's top cultural heritage sites and popular tourist attraction. Known as the Taj Mahal of Negros Occidental, the mansion (with Italian architecture) was built in the 1900's by a sugar baron named Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson in memory of his beloved wife, Maria Braga, who died while giving birth to their youngest child. It was also told that the mansion was burned during World War II to prevent the invading Japanese soldiers from using it as their headquarters. To this day, the structure remains, and has become a picture-perfect backdrop for both local and foreign tourists to see.

Old Glory: "The Ruins" looks like a grandiose European mansion in the middle of nowhere.

This heritage site is a picture-perfect backdrop for tourists, pre-nups, blog features, fashion shoots, travel reviews, telenovelas, and even selfies.

A romantic setup of lush greens and a fountain.

Into The Ruins.

An indoor garden against an old backdrop of  what's left behind - sturdy European-style columns, walls and flooring.

My partner George dons a peace sign while looking green as a farmer. Lol! 

Hat Ladies: Monty, Joy, Sari and Kristel are having fun with the awesome hats that were custom-made by George Palmiano (except the green one) specifically for our shoot.

There's a cafe inside, too, that serves pasta, tapas, beef, lamb dishes, coffee, cold drinks and wine.

An old golf car, perhaps?

My partner-stylist George Palmiano acts on a dual role: as a stylist and as an assistant to our photographer, hehe! With our awesome model Vanessa Andres in a red couture by Randy Ortiz.

So this is how it feels like to be rich and powerful - our model Vanessa as a baroness in splendid gown by Frederick Peralta.

Make a grand entrance: Lavish antique architecture vs. modern casual me :-)

SUGAR RUSH AT CALEA
What's Bacolod for, if not the sugar capital of the Philippines? All town folks were telling us that we must satisfy our sweet cravings by having a slice of cake at Calea, but we ended up eating more! Located along Lacson St. in Metro Bacolod, have a sugar overload with dozens of cakes and desserts to choose from, and finish up with a cup of coffee.

Cakes galore!

Choosing the right cake is quite hard pala for this people :-)

Yum! Me want some more...

A TOUR OF THE OLD & THE RICH AT BALAI NI TANA DICANG
An ancestral house in Talisay that was turned into a museum, Balai ni Tana Dicang is another cultural/historical site in Bacolod. It echoes an epoch that was gone long time ago, and all that was left - and preserved - were things of a colonial past belonging to a once-prominent haciendera named Erica Alunan-Lizares (Tana Dicang, as she was called) who was then a figure of wealth and power in the province.

The old, colonial facade of Tana Dicang's house.

An antique wooden door welcomes guests to a visit to a bygone past.

An angel on guard.

A tour guide greets us upon entry to the 1st floor.

An ornamental carosa used for saintly processions.

The old staircase has an "Oro, Plata, Mata" feel.

The Way They Were: I can imagine how lavish parties of herederos & herederas were held in this hall on the second floor.

Geo while channeling old conservative Filipina trait... And oh, Starbucks, anyone?

Dinner table that's only for the rich.

Geo checks out the grand piano.

There's something eerie when I entered this bedroom.

A pile of old luggage bags.

A set of beauteous things of the past.

A wood carving of Tana Dicang with a framed photo of herself beside it.

Talk about political connections: A photo of Tana Dicang rubbing elbows with past Philippine presidents Manuel Quezon & Sergio Osmena.

What's a tour without a stolen group shot!

A BARON'S MANSION: BALAI NEGRENSE
Yet another haciendero's ancestral house, Balai Negrense is a cultural attraction located in Silay. It was owned by Victor Fernandez Gaston, whose father Yves Leopold Germain Gaston was known as the pioneer of sugarcane cultivation in Negros. According to our tour guide, the museum was established in the early 1990's.

The Balai Negrense in all its glory.

A panoramic view of the surrounding garden.

Not for child's play: an old doll wearing a Filipiniana costume welcomes visitors by the entrance.

An afternoon siesta would be nice in this lobby area on the 1st Floor.

An outlandish two-way staircase where males at that time could only use the right side, while females on the left side.

The second floor has a magnificent American-colonial architecture.

Important visitors during the past were entertained in this area.

The dining hall is another exemplification of old wealth.

A well-lit, old pantry.

A white-washed kitchen with vintage stove, gas range and refrigerator.

A typical Pinoy-style bedroom with outworn shoes, typewriters, TV, electric fan and radio. 

I dare not to play with those antique chaka dolls in one of the female bedrooms.

A display of traditional Filipiniana gowns.

This motorbike is a true rare vintage.

As they say, there's light at the end of the tunnel.

A WINDY AFTERNOON AT THE LAKE RANCH
I've written about this in my most recent blog entry, but aside from a man-made lake, sprawling green grass and mango trees, horses abound in this nature park owned by the Puentevellas.

A breathtaking view of the man-made lake perfect for picnics, fishing, boating, photo-ops and pre-nups.

Our wonderful People Asia team. L-R: Monica Araneta-Tiusejo, Chino Corrales, Mau Aguasin, Joy Avila, Sir Rocky Puentevella, Kristel Dacumos-Lagorza, George Palmiano, Charisma Vicuna and moi :-)

The ranch with some of the grazing horses.

It has always been my dream to spend a day in a ranch and see the magnificent thoroughbreds.

Geo and photographer Mau Aguasin are harutan buddies.

Our model Naigel tries on a horse while looking sexy and tough.

COURTESY VISIT AT THE CITY HALL OF BACOLOD
Part of out itinerary was to pay a courtesy call to the mayor's office. Sadly, Mayor Monico Puentevella was in an emergency call due to a fire incident in one of the towns there. Anyways, Bacolod's City Hall was relatively new, and the interiors looked amazing.

White space: the City Hall of Bacolod

A lagoon  just outside the City Hall decked with artistically-crafted horses that signify the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Another whimsical horse figure - proof of the Puentevella's fondness for horses.

The lobby's interior looks equally impressive, too.

My friends checking out the Mayor's office. L-R: People Asia's Monica Araneta-Tiusejo, art director Chino Corrales, photographer Mau Aguasin, George Palmiano and Joy Avila.

The seat of power: Naigel Haran acts up as the city mayor.

THE MASSKARA FEVER
Bacolod takes pride with its local version of the Mardi Gras celebration - the Masskara Festival. It is celebrated annually with a big street party with loads of chicken inasal offered from street to street to party-goers and a boost galore during October. It wasn't Masskara season yet, but the kind representatives of the city government made sure that we wouldn't leave the province without having a feel of what it's like to party Bacolod-style. True enough, it was an exciting, festive experience as we danced to the beat with the Masskara dancers. Wish we could come back in October!

Notice that the designs of each Masskara head gear (or mask) aren't just colorful and artistic - they are always smiling, too. Truly, Bacolod is a City of Smiles!

The Masked Avengers: Kristel Dacumos-Lagorza, George Palmiano & Joy Avila are having fun with those Masskara head gears.

The Masskara dancers line-up for a festive performance.

An all-out production number... Man, those masks are heavy!

Strike a pose! Me versus a Masskara dancer :-)

All I can say is thank you Bacolod City for this unique, wonderful experience. Thanks Mayor Monico Puentevella and his son Rocky for the utmost hospitality you've given us. To Jhordan Gepaya, who accommodated us all along and showed us the best of what Bacolod can offer, thank you sis, and we miss you already. Too bad, we weren't able to visit Mambukal Hot Springs due to our flight schedule. If you're in Bacolod, also check out 21 Restaurant (which serves Filipino & continental food, and the best batchoy in town), buy pasalubong at Bongbong's (for piyaya and barquillos) and at Roli's Bakeshop (for the tastiest napoleones in town), and the best local flavor ever (with the most reasonable price), Aboy's Restaurant (for grilled sinugba and seafoods like blue marlin, squid and scallops to calamares and tinolang halaan) - really, I can eat there forever!

Anyways, before I end this lengthy blog, here's a teaser from the shoot we did for People Asia which is coming out this April. It's the ultimate travel issue, and be sure to grab a copy. And oh by the way, our sincerest gratitude to the whole People Asia team especially Kristel Dacumos-Lagorza, Chino Corrales, Monica Araneta-Tiusejo and Joy Avila. Till our next out-of-town shoot, hehe! :-)

Photography: Mau Aguasin (MA Studio); Art Direction: Chino Corrales; Styling: Mike de Guzman & George Palmiano (MGP); Makeup: Sari Campos; Hair: Charisma Vicuna; Model: Vanessa Andres (Mercator) with the Masskara Dancers.