All Souls Long Weekend

So guess where I'm headed this long weekend? 

Why, to the beautiful beaches of Siquijor of course! 

To experience an All Souls Weekend dedicated to experiencing the occult- a weekend of  ghost hunting and possible interactions with aswang locals, in one of the most mystical islands in the Philippines!


I was very enthusiastic about all of that until friends started warning me with their stories of "kulam". Kulam is actually a Tagalog noun which literally means bewitchment or hex. If you irk a powerful mangkukulam (voodoo witch lady), a spell as trivial as a persistent itch and as bad as vomiting cockroaches can be cast on you . Horror writer, Yvette Tan, said that Siquijor was a lovely place but she came back with two of her fingers seemingly having a life of their own. She couldn't type properly for days. That definitely made me think twice about about ghost hunting. Also, I might just skip the town tour and stay in my comfy resort. 


I researched on how to steer clear of trouble in spooky provinces, but I couldn't find anything useful. So I guess I'll just rely on the advice of my friends. 

 Advice from Friends:

1. Don't eat anything.

2. Try not to be touched by anyone.

3. Don't stand out. 

4. Last but not least, huwag kumirengkeng! 

(Meaning, don't be too flirty or flamboyant)

Real useful stuff. Wish me luck everyone!

Lee Urban Riders with Manila Fixed Gear

Looking at my blog, I’m so ashamed. It’s been a month since my last post. The culprit of my lack of presence is my big move from Cainta to Metro Manila. I’ll post more on that later.

Just to get me back on track, I’m posting this awesome video on fixed gear biking in Manila, featuring some friends who are fixie fanatics. Dale and Jeck were encouraging me to get a bike so they'd have a biker girl in the office. But their fixies with no brakes just scare me silly. Seeing them ride on EDSA like this, I think I made the right choice. It's too badass! 

I love biking in general, basta ba may brakes. Last year, I was able to go around Manila on  Carlos Celdran’s bike tour  and I agree that biking needs to be considered as an alternative mode of transportation. Cut traffic, lessen pollution, and trim belly fat! Here’s to a bike-friendly Manila!

WWF Anti-Plastics Print Campaign

There are so many things I've wanted to blog about the past week, but free time just isn't on my side. I was involved in a major pitch and I'm also getting ready to move closer to Makati. Whut, probinsyana no longer! (For those who were not aware, I was originally based in Region 4.)

So in the meantime, here's an ad that I love. Yes, I worked on it! But I love it because the environment is something I care deeply about. It angers me to see trash on rivers, beaches, and even on the road. I'm sure you've witnessed a similar scene when you're stuck in traffic and suddenly a car near you rolls down a window and unloads trash on the street. I want to scream, "Hey people! The world is not your trash can!" Well, in doing these ads I learned that plastics, the most dangerous form of everyday trash, actually ends up primarily in the ocean.

This last print ad was cited by Bestadsontv.com today. Yay.  

Every year, 70% of plastic wastes are dumped into the sea. Most people are unaware of the massive amounts of plastic circling the ocean. In parts of the Pacific Ocean, plastic particles outweigh plankton - the main food source for most fish. Thus, fish accidentally consume these particles. They end up poisoned or on our dinner plates. The key really is to prevent them from reaching the sea. BBDO Guerrero hopes that with these print ads featuring disposable plastic objects shaped into corals, people will think twice the next time they pick up a plastic stirrer.

Agency: BBDO Guerrero

CCO/Writer: David Guerrero

ECD: Brandie Tan and Tin Sanchez

Creative Director: Pia Roxas Ocampo

Art Director: JP Palileo

Copywriter: Knox Balbastro

Photographer: Neil Oshima and Paulo Gripo

Sculptor: Olivia d’Aboville

Partners: Photolibrary

Account Management: Carmela Quirino and Angelica Uy.

Juice.ph Article on Secret Fresh Art Toys

I have a confession. Before doing this article, I never understood what the heck art toys were. For the life of me, I couldn't fathom why people collected them. I'm happy these two people from Secret Fresh enlightened me. Click this link to see full article on Juice.ph. It's a fun one I promise ;)

Artist JP Cuison and Gallery Manager Lena Cobangbang

Electromagnetic Tentacle T-Shirt Pageant

The guys behind Electromagnetic Tentacle are releasing another epic set of Pinoy, pop-culture, parody shirts. Fans get to choose six out of the ten that will make the cut. Since we all know how much we love polls and popularity competitions, let us get to it. Click here to vote. Here are my personal pics: 

 My Little Kalesa 

 The Flush

 This is Spartan

 He-Pon

Kingkong Matsing

Yokona

.MOV Zero Degrees of Separation Begins Today

I personally don't want to commemorate the death of Eggy and Nika, though perhaps not thinking about it is the same as forgetting that it ever happened and that justice has yet to be served. The cold truth- 2 years have passed and still their killers have not been found. Recently, Eggy's family released a statement offering a 1 million Peso reward for any information on the whearabouts of former household help, Criselda Gesman Dayag. I pray that she is found, if only to shed light on why this heinous crime was committed. 

On a much lighter note, the .mov festival is on going in the metro. Organized by their good friend, Khavn dela Cruz, it is a touching tribute for two people who were passionate champions of films. I'm looking forward to seeing the films especially dedicated to them both. 

4th .MOV International Film, Music, & Literature Festival
September 1 to 6, 2011
*Zero Degrees Of Separation*
*20 Singer-Songwriters*
*30 Filmmakers*
*150 Poets*

September 1, Thursday.1:30pm to 11pm. The Podium.
Premieres from Roy Andersson (Sweden), John Gianvito (USA), & Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand)
Silvershorts Finalists
DVD Launch “Cinema Is Love: Best of .MOV”
Opening Film: Tan Chui Mui’s “Year Without Summer” (Malaysia)

September 2, Friday. 6pm to 11pm. Ayala Museum.
Book Launch “Under The Storm: An Anthology Of Contemporary Philippine Poetry”
Featuring Bienvenido Lumbera, Gemino Abad, & Pete Lacaba
Live Music from Vigo, Radioactive Sago Project, & Corporate Lo-Fi

September 3, Saturday. 6pm to 11pm. Greenbelt 3 Park.
Album Launch “Songs From The End Of The World: Philippine Singer-Songwriters”
Featuring Ely Buendia, Vin Dancel, & Toi
Silvershorts Awarding

Setpember 4, Sunday. 1pm to 7pm. Mag:net Katipunan.
Free Film Workshops with Vanja Kaludjercic (Croatia), Joel Shepard (USA), & Chris Fujiwara (Japan)

September 2, 3, 5, & 6. 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, & 7pm. UP Film Center.
Films For Alexis & Nika
Premieres from Asia, Europe, & Latin America
Featuring Lav Diaz, Jose Luis Guerin (Spain), & Edwin (Indonesia)

www.movfest.org
www.facebook.com/movfest

Poster photo by Christian Yambing
Poster design by Norman Wilwayco

Two Free Tickets to MANILART 2011

I went to Secret Fresh over the weekend to talk about their upcoming exhibit at MANILART 2011. I got a first-hand introduction to art toys- displayable sculptures that take inspiration from more traditional art. Think a 3D form of a painting. I think it's definitely a form of artistry worth exploring. Here are some of the local toy art figures that caught my eye.  

Bochog Manster by Nemo Aguila 

Rizalborg by JP Cuison 

 Rainbow Bringer by Bjorn Calleja

 Paley Pills by Christian Tamondong

I also got to meet some very cool people. From left to right: Toy maker Rommel Chua, Artist JP Cuison, Gallery manager Lena Cobangbang, Artist Christian Tamondong, Secret Fresh owner Big Boy Cheng, and Gallery assistant Robert Dim. Of course, that's me at the end. Thanks to Marlo Ongpin (not pictured) for all the awesome photos!

They gave me some complimentary tickets to MANILART but I was able to go to the gala event last night so I've decided to give them away. MANILART is happening now until Saturday. It's something special to do this long weekend, with a friend or with a special someone. Just leave a comment on the blog (not on FB please) to let me know why you'd like to go. Best answer by 12pm tomorrow (August 26) wins it!