Carmen Westendorp Brias Comes Home

The Excelsior, along the coastal boulevard of Roxas in Parañaque City, was bathed in the afternoon sunlight, highlighting its age. Inside, it reeks of the 1970s, its walls having dulled through the times and the dark wood accents contributing to the somberness. The ride on the elevator felt like a slow travel through time. At the twelfth floor, the hallway was empty with a series of doors. I opened the one nearest, a latticed door that opened to another, one with the knob at the center. From the dim and narrow hallway, I emerged to bright light and sounds of conversations.
“My soul is Filpino,” I first heard 55-year-old, Filipino-Spanish painter Carmen Westendorp Brias telling a small group of journalists. They sat around a large round table like the legendary knights with the light streaming through the curtains of the large windows.
Slowly the seats around the table would be filled up. They were not talking about strategies in slaying a dragon but the discussion was not less magical.
Carmen returns, after so many years, to the Philippines where she was born to mount an exhibit of her paintings with her 81-year-old painter-mother Betsy Westendorp, a celebrated artist especially during 1970s Manila when the city’s high society was clamoring for their portraits to be painted by her.

Betsy, in all white like a high priestess and still regal, hovered around preparing food and taking photographs of the whole thing. She joined her daughter briefly. After answering a few questions and nibbling on a piece of prosciutto, she floated away, refilling the plates with prosciutto, salami and cheeses; serving soft drinks; and taking more photographs. She was letting her daughter shine. She had her moment when she mounted an exhibit here in the Philippines a few weeks ago called “Reflections” after five years of absence. Admirably, she still paints and mounts exhibits, many of which have won acclaim. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo awarded her the Presidential Medal of Merit for arts and culture in 2007.
Around the apartment were Carmen’s and Betsy’s paintings, mostly Carmen’s now, ready for the mid-April exhibit at the Ayala Museum. There were two large paintings behind Carmen — one showing a girl sitting on a chest and behind her the deep blue sea, and the other a bird in flight in a dense jungle. Nearby was another large painting, striking because of its hot pink color and an image of a jeepney.
Lately, she has been using lots of blues, greens and pinks. It is a phase, she thought.
The 2003 painting Girl Sitting on Muslim Chest, about 50-inch tall, interested many people. The girl, wearing a colorful hat and a shirt with the word Love, is sitting on a baul, the kind with mother-of-pearl inlays crafted by the Muslim Maranao, with seashells and a horse figurine with an American flag. The sea is calm behind her.
Carmen thought of it after the September 11 terror attacks in New York . The girl is Filipino, and the shells represent material wealth while the sea represents love, she explained.
“When you see the sea, don’t you feel loved? Something big is loving you,” she laughed.
The bird in the other painting, Flight, is a Philippine eagle, which she refers to with its old moniker, the monkey-eating eagle. Peace Jeepney, painted in 2003, depicts the Philippine icon, gaily decorated like a fiesta, with lyrics from the John Lennon song “Imagine” and words she picked up from real jeepneys.
It is evident that many of Carmen’s paintings are of Philippine inspiration, even the colors — the blue, green and even pink. She said that there are many old churches in Spain , where she lives and works, but she doesn’t like painting old churches. She likes painting tropical scenes, which can be found in the Philippines.
“The Philippines is an Aquarian country,” she said. “Spain is Sagittarius.”
“It’s hard to come from an all green island,” she commented. “In Madrid, everything is dry.”
Carmen maintains a lifelong love affair with the Philippines, springing from fond memories she has of her childhood here. Like her two sisters Isabel and Sylvia, she was born here. Her father was Spanish-Filipino businessman Antonio Brias.

The Briases traced their ancestry to Guadalajara, Spain. The family patriarch, Enrique de Coya Brias, came to the Philippines in the 1800s and eventually became the general manager of the San Miguel Corporation. His son Antonio also joined San Miguel and eventually became its general manager and vice presidents.
Antonio met Dutch-Spanish Betsy, whose father migrated from the Netherlands to Spain. Despite her family’s objections, Betsy married Antonio and resided in the Philippines, making a name for herself as a painter.
Eventually, the Briases came to live in Spain. They could have gone there for good. Betsy remembered during his last days, Antonio was listless — suddenly wanting to go to Spain and when in Spain having the urge to go back to Manila. The doctors found some kind of virus in his brain after he died, Betsy said. After some time shuttling back and forth, Betsy grew tired of the packing and unpacking, the impulsive decisions and the traveling; decided to sell their Manila property; and permanently settled in Madrid. After Antonio’s demise, Betsy did not sever ties with the Philippines and would occasionally return.
Carmen, who studied in Assumption College, was always eager and excited when her mother took her along to the Philippines.
Besty Westendorp bought an airy apartment along Roxas Boulevard, which she still keeps and stays in whenever she is in the Philippines. It has a high ceiling, enabling her to do her big paintings, and a beautiful view of the Manila Bay and its much acclaimed sunset.
The apartment affords one a view of the sprawling SM Mall of the Asia, the biggest in the country, and acres of reclaimed land. Betsy remembered the time when the shore was nearer. Now, one can see more of the browns of the reclamation than the blues of the sea.
Carmen wondered if the Philippines became a better or worse place. But she is optimistic, she admitted, and will always see the country, the home of her fond memories, as always beautiful. She remembered enjoying her foray to Baclaran Church, which is near the apartment, and getting amused at the colorful things being sold at the stalls around it.
While she is always sure of her feelings for the Philippines, it is not the case for painting. Her family is into painting. Her great-grandmother Betsy Westendorp-Osiek (1880-1968) was a prominent painter. Aside from her mother Betsy, her sister Sylvia became involved in painting as well. Carmen grew up seeing painting but she was not pushed into doing it.
“I wanted to do everything but paint,” she revealed. “I did not know what exactly I want to do but everything but paint.”
One of the things she did was being a fashion reporter, something thrust to her.
Eventually, she came home to painting although in an unconventional manner and with some reluctance. She studied painting restoration at the Artes Aplicadas a la Restauracion de Madrid because she did not have the patience to pass the test for a painting school.
“I couldn’t spend ten years drawing statues in order to get into a painting school,” she said. “I decided to go to painting restoration because they were made to draw statues after statues. On the tenth, I kind of exploded. Painting restoration had an easier exam.”
“Restoring is related to painting,” she continued. “That’s what I did, and it was interesting but it is not creative; it is very scientific. This is a way of finding something else [besides painting], but I enjoyed restoring.”
She worked as a painting restorer for some time and painted on the side. Eventually, painting became her main line. She joined a group show in Madrid in 1985 and had a solo exhibit in 1992 at the Sotogrande in Cadiz. She had several group and solo shows thereafter.
Carmen was also coordinator of her mother’s art school in their family home in Aravaca, just outside Madrid. Also into doing sculpture, mostly in terracotta and wood, she put up her own sculpture school in Madrid, where she lives with her 14-year-old daughter Karla. “I paint to express myself and in order to make a living,” Carmen simply put it. “It is like any other job. It requires a lot of work. It’s like 90 percent work and ten percent inspiration….If you’re lucky enough, you’ll find your way through.”
And Carmen has found her way through. She has been included in the Dictionary of 20th Century Spanish Painters and Sculptors, in which her work is described as “a fantastic ingenuism with a surrealistic inclination, an exuberance of color using firm drawing to recreate the reality surrounds us.”
Carmen found it hard to describe her style though. She admitted being an unschooled painter like her mother: “I am a ‘wild’ painter. I try to experiment. I try to mix… I don’t have any one style.”
But she has a consciousness to veer away from what her mother and sister are doing, but not to the point that it bothered her. “I don’t get compared,” she said. “It is very clear who I am.”
She commented that its very handy having a painter mother, especially when she needs brushes or canvases.
Carmen’s work is usually marked by mixing media and using unconventional materials like paraloid, a non-yellowing acrylic polymer used for consolidating wall paintings.
Many times, Carmen’s works are compared to Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaugain, both of whom she loves along with the Flemish painters, Diego Velasquez and Edvard Munch. But unlike some of the works, Carmen’s paintings depict “happy” subjects.
“I must feel good. I can’t paint when I am depressed. I must be happy,” she shared. “That’s what I have in common with the Filipino people. They don’t like angst.”
The sunset outside the apartment glowed brightly, like blood-tinged dragon breath, almost dissolving the grit and decay of the city.

The joint exhibit of Betsy Westendorp and Carmen Westendorp Brias “Mother and Daughter” will open on April 14 at the ArtistSpace, second floor Glass Wing of the Ayala Museum, Paseo de Roxas, Makati City . The show runs until April 26. For more information, contact Galleria Duemilaat 831-9990, telefax 833-9815, e-mail duemila@mydestiny.net. Visit www.galleriaduemila.com.

Revealing the Richness of Santa Ana Church

One of the best and popular ways to observe the Holy Week is by visiting churches, a practice referred to as Visita Iglesia. In plotting one's route, consider the churches rich in history and culture, which make visiting them doubly enriching even for the non-religious.

Despite being an urban sprawl, choked with malls and drab commercial buildings, Manila has quite a number of old churches. One of them is the church of Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados or Our Lady of the Abandoned, or simply Santa Ana Church.

Interest in the Santa Ana Church may have increased because its camarin, or the dressing room, of the image of Our Lady of the Abandoned was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum. The church received its certificate of declaration last Jan. 23.

Also, a guidebook, Santa Ana Church of Manila,Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned: A Historical Guidebook, was published by the Cofradia de la Inmaculada Concepcion, written by one of its trustees, Dr. Jaime Laya, businessman and heritage advocate, who was once governor of the Central Bank of the Philippines and the chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

The colorful guidebook proves it is not only the camarin that is interesting, but the whole church as well. For first-timers and would-be visitors of the church, the slim volume is a helpful companion, describing the key locations and items of the church and relating their history.

The book tells about the churchfs historical background, its internal and external features, the retablo, the churchfs patroness Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados, the churchfs treasures (the imagefs accessories like trinkets and crowns), the ceiling paintings of the camarin de la Virgen, the convent and patio, the Lady of the Well or El Pozo de la Virgen, the plazas around the church, the town itself, and the connection and significance of Fr. Vicente Ingles, OFM, to the church, and its restoration and conservation.

The words are supplemented by photographs of the present church taken by prominent photographer Wig Tysmans and old prints and photographs from different collections including Layafs own. Many of the old prints and pictures enable readers to see what the Manila district of Santa Ana and life were like before the war.

The Franciscans established their first mission outside Intramuros in Santa Ana, building a small church by a brook in 1578. The place, in the area called Namayan, was called Santa Ana de Sapa, dedicated to the mother of Mary. Eventually, Santa Ana became a favored escape of the elite, who built country homes along the Pasig River. One can still see vestiges of the former grandeur if one were to look closely enough. The present structure of the Santa Ana Church was built beginning 1720, with substantial help from Fr. Vicente Ingles, one of its first parish priests.

"The church is remarkably well-preserved and retains much of its original appearance," Laya wrote.

It was Fr. Ingles who brought the much venerated image of Our Lady of the Abandoned, the patroness of Santa Ana, in 1717, from Spain, traveling across the Atlantic Ocean, then Mexico and the Pacific. It is a replica, carved in 1713, of the original Our Lady of the Abandoned in Valencia, Spain, venerated for almost six centuries. Santa Ana was spared much of the ravages of war, unlike other parts of Manila, and this is attributed to the patronessfs grace.

The image occupies the central niche of the retablo, and its finery is a point of interest. Over the years, devotees and patrons have showered it with gifts including jewels and gowns.

If one wishes to touch the hem of the Virgin’s dress, one goes behind the retablo, to the camarin or antesala. The large room, according to Laya, is unique in the Philippines. Prominent among its features are the ceiling paintings depicting episodes from the lives of Mary and Jesus. Believed to be as old as the church, they are the oldest datable Philippine paintings.

Its location, aside from the church itself, is culturally important because it is an archaeological site. In 1966, graves dating back to the 11th to 14th century were excavated at the convent patio and churchyard, revealing pottery, porcelain and ceramic wares from China, Thailand and Vietnam. This reveals that there was a thriving community in the area. Before the church, this site was first declared a national culture treasure in 1973.

Santa Ana Church indeed deserves attention and celebration. The Cofradia de la Inmaculada Concepcion, formed to intensify devotion to Mary and whose 30th anniversary occasioned the publishing of the guidebook, is also assisting in the restoration and conservation of the church.

For group pilgrimages to the church, one may contact Philip Escudero at telephone number 582-0149.

Violence Preventing Education of Many Filipino Children

It is not only poverty that prevents Filipino children from going to school but also bullying, humiliation, physical maltreatment and sexual harassment perpetrated not only by fellow students but also by teachers. And violence against children proves to be prevalent with at least five out of 10 children in Grades 1 to 3, seven of 10 in Grades 4 to 6 and six of 10 in high school experiencing some kind of violence in school.

This was revealed by Plan Philippines, part of an international non-government organization (NGO) concentrating on the welfare and development of children, in the regional launch of its Learn Without Violence campaign on Feb. 20 at Hotel Alejandro in Tacloban City, the regional capital of Eastern Visayas. The launch was attended by academics, students, social workers, journalists, local government officials and representatives from the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD) and Department of Education (DepEd).

Plan, which started operating in the Philippines in 1961, commissioned the Philippine School of Social Work (PSSW) of the Philippine Women’s University in 2005 to study violence against children in public schools, specifically in Masbate, Northern Samar and the Camotes Islands in Cebu, where Plan Philippines has programs. The study involved 2,442 children from 58 public schools, and adult stakeholders such as parents and other community representatives, school personnel and guidance counselors.

In Western Samar in particular, of 127 youths in various Western Samar towns 74 percent claimed they experienced some form of abuse, according to the Plan’s short documentary, Abuso.Among those who claimed they were abuse, 53 percent said they were pinched in the ear or cursed; and 32 percent were pinched. The remaining 15 percent experienced other forms of abuse including the physical and sexual kinds.

According to the study, titled “Towards a Child-Friendly School Environment: A Baseline Study on Violence Against Children in Public School,” verbal abuse―including being ridiculed and teased, being shouted at and being cursed or spoken to with harsh words―is the most prevalent form experienced by children in all school levels.

Fellow students like classmates and peers more than the adults are often the perpetrators in schools with male children more likely to experience physical violence than their female counterparts, the study says.

Furthermore, it also reveals that children accept physical and verbal forms of violence as part of the discipline and seen as appropriate when inflicted within parameters, but “generally prefer a more positive form of discipline such as being talked to and corrected or guided/counseled in response to offenses or violations made in school.”

The study also shows that experiences of violence usually result in low self-esteem, fear, anger and helplessness among children.

It cites some factors contributing to incidences of violence in schools, and these are “family background and personal circumstances; influence of peers and media; lack of awareness about children’s rights; fear; inability of authority figures to respond to cases; abuse of power relations; inadequate capacity to cope with student population and performance demands; and insufficient policies and mechanisms.”

Also according to the study the children and adult “recommend awareness raising and capacity building activities for parents, teachers and children, clear policies and collaborative measures that involve all stakeholders including community leaders as measures to address violence against children in schools.”

Rodel Bontoyan, Plan Philippines ’ area manager in Eastern Visayas , said that their organization prioritizes in reducing and eventually eradicating corporal punishment, bullying and sexual harassment. They are working with communities in increasing their awareness and changing their attitudes. They are also working with the government in helping draft laws concerning violence against children. And they are also working with the media to increase awareness. In fact, Plan Philippines have recruited famous personalities like Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski to act as ambassadors and have co-produced a series of short videos and documentaries about the issues concerning Filipino children.

One documentary shows a case in which a child was hit on the face with a shoe by his teacher. An empowering video shows a gay child standing up against those taunting him, and another one suggests an alternative punishment for misconduct.

“We envision for all school-age children to enjoy the right to education without fear, threats or violence,” Bontoyan said.

I, Ipanema and the Earth

I must admit I am a Havaianas wearer. That imported and expensive tsinelas brand has become vogue in the country. Suddenly wearing tsinelas is chic. I was leery at the beginning and slowly became a fan, sort of. The rubber is soft but very durable, and the flip-flops come in different designs. There are other flip-flop brands from Brazil such as Ipanema. Their designs for men are limited, but the women’s are wide and interesting. Anyway, Ipanema recently launched their newest collection, and with it is their environmental campaign. Here is a release about the collection called GB Seeds:

Ipanema goes eco-chic with Gisele Bündchen Seeds Collection
Put your best foot forward and don fashion savvy flip-flops in funky and vibrant styles as the premiere Brazil based flip-flop brand, Ipanema takes on a new look this 2009 and introduces the GB Seeds Collection by famed Brazilian fashion icon, dubbed by Forbes magazine as “The World’s Top-Earning Model,” Gisele Bündchen!
Unique details adorn the latest GB Seeds Collection by Ipanema such as the forest-inspired print on its soles and the metal spiral button gracing the front sandal strap that symbolizes “the seed of life.” This metal emblem empowers each wearer to do their part and share in the campaign towards a lush Philippines by helping to spread the word.
With the vibrancy of Brazil’s people, life and most especially, the environment, the Ipanema GB Seeds Collection is actively working for a better environment through conscientious resource management.
Choose from a wide array of five diverse styles in eye-popping and vibrant hues.
The New Thong Fem, made with double straps, is perfect for casual strolls at the park or the beach!
Strut with ease with the classic thong-styled Thong Fem that adds that funky flattery on the go. Grab a pair in each color to match your every outfit whim!
Glamorize any outfit with eye-catching straps from Sand Fem. Up the ante and stylize your look when you adorn your feet with this style.
Thong Strap Ad combines the classic thong strap with a uniquely positioned horizontal strap, adding sophistication to one’s casual look.
Need a little height lift? Plataforma Fem is a wedged sandal that lets you look lean and tall. The three-strip strap detail also adds extra oomph to this style from the GB Seeds Collection.
As the summer season draws near, effortlessly transform your look from the beach to the bar with the Ipanema GB Seeds Collection. The ultimate flip-flop for the eco-chic and environment conscious, take a green stride by donning your favorite style from the GB Seeds Collection and joining in the movement towards a more lush Philippines today!
Ipanema is exclusively distributed in the country by ELRO Commercial and Industrial Corporation. Ipanema GB Seeds Collection for women are available in SM Department Store, Shoe Salon, Chocolate Clothing Company, Red Alert, Landmark, Freeway, Planet Sports, Crossings, Brent and Chloe in Pampanga, Stand and Stride in Cabanatuan, Chimes Davao, 25th Avenue Square Naga, Basix Bacolod and for other boutiques nationwide, kindly check the complete list at http://www.ipanemaphils.com.

The Walk the Green Mile event
Environmental group Haribon Foundation partners with ELRO Commercial and Industrial Corporation to organize a walkathon called Walk the Green Mile for the benefit of the Philippine rainforest. This is slated for March 21, 2009. Starting point is in front of Le Souffle restaurant in The Fort, Taguig City.
Those who purchased a pair of Ipanema flip-flops can join the walkathon. Moreover, part of the proceeds from purchase will go to the Road to 2020, the awareness campaign of Haribon, especially to its project of planting and growing native trees in one million hectares of rainforest until 2020.
You can register and grab prizes and freebies at the event. The first 30 persons to finish get a free pair of Ipanema GB Seeds flip-flops of their choice. The first 300 people to join and register on March 21 get a limited edition Ipanema Gisele Bundchen baller ID while the first 100 participants get shirts.
During the event, Ipanema GB Seeds flip-flops will be on sale with ten percent off. Three pairs, signed by Bundchen herself, will be raffled off. Registration starts at 3 P.M. while the walkathon starts at 5 P.M. For more information, contact Maricel Mabalot through number 7533647 to 48 local 103 or e-mail cel.mabalot@elrocom.com.

Big Love at Amorita Resort

Ignorance made us bold, Ria Hernandez-Cauton said with a laugh. The 28-year-old owner of Amorita Resort was relating her adventure in putting up this very new vacation haven in Panglao Island’s Alona Beach. Although she graduated cum laude with a management degree at the Ateneo de Manila University, had a master’s in business management and helped managed her family’s bus company, Five Star, one of the country’s largest, Ria modestly admitted having no background in the hospitality industry, not conducting a market study and having no thought that Bohol would soon become a tourism buzzword. She still went on building Amorita. What she said about ignorance may be partly true, but there were more important factors that came into play like serendipity and love, perhaps more of the latter that the result is perhaps the most beautiful resort on the most beautiful beach in the province of Bohol.
Ria never dreamed or planned having a resort of her own but a rundown resort on a cliff at one end of Alona Beach “beckoned” to her like a vision she could not shake off. They were on a vacation in the island province in central Visayas, and she had no intention of hunting for property to buy.

She and her family occasionally vacation in Bohol since 2003. Aside from the beach and the natural attractions, the resorts on Alona Beach appealed to her because each has its own character. One can try different resorts and the experience will different every time, she said. The first time they stayed in Panglao Island Nature Resort. In their next jaunt, they went for Alona Tropical Resort. It was during this time that she saw the property on the cliff. They were eating lunch at Alona Tropical Resort when the property caught her attention. They inquired about it but someone told them that the property has been hold a week ago. The resort was Crystal Cove, one of the first resorts on the island, owned by the Lims, a prominent family in Bohol who owns a small mall, the only one, in the capital Tagbilaran.
When they went back to Manila, Ria told her father about it, who remembered it being offered to her uncle. They decided to make a try in acquiring the property, which proved to be exasperating. Ria said they were three attempts and every time there were hitches or something happened that prevented them.

When they were about to give up and let it go, it was offered again to them. This time, the negotiations pushed through. Ria vividly remembers the day they visited their newly acquired property: it was a Saturday, July 5, 2005. It was ramshackle place, she recalled, but intriguing with curiously triangular rooms and a swimming pool shaped like a question mark. The owners must have been into the pyramid thing, she thought.
Her father decided to let the boys do the initial work, staying there for a month to secure the place. After that the girls entered the picture. The resort became Ria’s pet project, which she christened Amorita, which means “little love” in Spanish, and referred to as a girl, a she. Not only the project acquires a personality, it also had a gender.
Ria liked to think of the project as feminine because “working with bus company is very masculine and ‘dirty.’ No room for creativity.” Ria is the granddaughter of Jose Hernandez, the founder of Victory Liner, one of the country’s largest bus companies with more than six decades of history. She practically grew up with buses.

They started working on Amorita on March 2007, tearing the original structures down, and finished the initial construction on November 2007. In February of the next year, they concentrated on the landscaping. Shortly after that, they began having guests, although Ria admitted having no formal opening. “It is still a work in progress,” she said.
I stayed at Amorita in August 2008 and everything seemed to be beautifully in place and was smoothly run, not bad for a greenhorn. The first time I met Ria I was surprised by her youthfulness. She and her darkly handsome lawyer-husband Nicky, whom she married last year when this big thing is happening, now live in the resort. She was pregnant but remained energetic and effervescent. The resort staff remarked on her diligence and desire to get things done.
Ria revealed that of the 1.8 hectare land area, a hectare has been developed. The remaining is reserved for the second phase of construction which will include 30 to 40 more rooms and a branch of Mandala Spa, the well-known and acclaimed spa in Boracay Island.
Right now, there are 20 deluxe rooms and two sky suites at a hotel near the reception, and 14 villas, six of which has a view of the Bohol Sea, spread over the landscaped garden lush with palms, hibiscus and birds of paradise.
With 150 square meters, each villa has a wooden gate which leads to a private plunge pool and the room. I stayed at one of the Ocean View Villas. I woke up to the view of the plunge pool and the sea beyond. The bathroom was open-air with L’Occitane toiletries. The room, which has all the amenities de-rigueur of any good resort, is Zen-like in its cleanness of design.
That is the way Ria wanted it—simple, clean and tropical but not too “rustic.” By rustic, she meant rough. The inspiration is not even a resort, she revealed. It was a boutique hotel they found in the Internet while planning an excursion to Angkor in Cambodia. The stylish Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap describes itself as a “hip combination of art deco and traditional Khmer design.” But Ria said she was inspired by the feel of the place, which she said had an element of hominess and is not grand and not “rustic” either.

Another lovely feature of Amorita is the view. Though the resort has no beachfront, it has an envious view. Perched on a cliff, guest is afforded a panorama of the Alona stretch, best enjoyed at the infinity pool, or at the restaurant or at a platform where dinner can be set under the trees and globular lamps and diners can feel as if floating towards the sea and sunset.
The open-air Saffron Restaurant, so named because of the color of the sunset which cast a lovely glow on the restaurant, is where one can watch the beautiful sunset of Bohol and have comfort food. The menu features local fares like sinigang and gambas and international foods like fish and chips and cheeseburger. There is an ample selection of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, entrees and desserts. Try their original Peanut Kiss sans rival and coffee with the sunset.
Other than imbibing the view and the place itself, Amorita can arrange for tours and activities like a countryside tour of Bohol and diving. The area offers a number of dive spots. In fact, nine kilometers southwest of Alona Beach is Balicasag Island, which many consider as having the best diving spots in the region. Other water activities include snorkeling,
kayaking and island tours. Try also the dolphin watching activity, which takes guest near Pamilacan Island.

Or course, one can simply enjoy the one-and-half kilometer stretch of white-sand beach. Alona Beach at the southwest of Panglao Island, which in turn is at the southwest of the main island of Bohol, is the most beautiful beach in the province and is also the most happening place, with its row of resorts and bars. But it is “relatively sedate,” according to Ria, than Boracay. Indeed, if one wants carousing and a rowdy night life, then there is the neighboring island of Cebu or Boracay, but Bohol is a place to chill.
On Alona Beach at night, one can easily spot Amorita Resort, glittering like a lit jewel on a craggy limestone stand. I could understand how it beckons to someone. Then again, I had not seen the place before Amorita. I just saw something blossoming, an achievement kindled by a mysterious sense of calling and ushered into realization by ignorance. Undoubtedly, there is big love put in this place called “little love.”

Getting There
Major airlines fly from Manila to Tagbilaran including Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines, Cebu Pacific and Seair with a traveling time of about an hour. By boat, WG&A goes to Tagbilaran from Manila on Friday and Sunday with a traveling time of 31 hours. WG&A goes to Cebu daily except Monday and Friday, taking about 24 hours. Negros Navigation goes to Tagbilaran on Wednesday, taking about 19 to 23 hours.
In Tagbilaran, the resort can provide land transfer from airport to Panglao Island, 18 kilometers away. Traveling time takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

Contact Information
Amorita Resort is at Alona Beach, Tawala, Panglao, Bohol, with telephone numbers (+63 38) 502-9001 to 03; and fax number (+63 38) 502-9002. Its Metro Manila sales and marketing office is at Unit 1632, Cityland Megaplaza, ADB Avenue corner Garnet Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City with telephone numbers (+63 2) 914-0585 and (+63 2) 687-3641; fax number (+63 2) 914-0584; email inquiries@amoritaresort.com; and Web site www.amoritaresort.com.

Luke for Love

These days, singers are prepping up for Valentine shows, including Luke Mejares, who is still famously known as a former lead vocalist of the band South Border. Now he is striking it out on his own—performing in hotels, bars, lounges and concert halls; doing corporate shows and shows for overseas Filipino workers; and releasing two CDs, Stop, Luke, Listen and Pangako. He has been in the professional music business for more than a decade now, but I was getting to know him a little more just recently aside from his being with South Border.
A friend organized an intimate dinner at Uno Café in Quezon City with Mejares, some of the producers and a few journalists. Mejares was affable and shy, somehow self-effacing. He is known for his falsetto, singing rhythm-and-blues and pop songs with pitch and breadth that elicit applause, as vocalists of South Border are known for. What is immediately noticeable about him is his physical features—more African-American than Filipino—which I am sure has been asked about him frequently.
His father is black Mexican-American, Mejares said. Despite the sad story behind it, he talked about it as if there is no bitterness, remorse or anger. Someone eventually asked and he was open to talk about it.
Mejares grew up in Tagbilaran, Bohol, only knowing his adoptive parents as his real ones. Often, he got teased about his features. He was often called “Negro” or “Igorot.” His parents, Leonides and Elvira Mejares, told him that he is pinaglihi kay Michael Jackson.
As grew up he learned that his parents are really his uncle and aunt; that his real mother live in Cebu; and that his real father was with the United States Navy who got assigned to the Philippines. It was only in recent years that Mejares got to know his father. That journey started in 1998 while in the company of friends, who were asking what little he knew of his father.
Former MTV VJ Sarah Meier was taking note of the details Mejares was giving, and unknown to him she embarked on a search through the Internet. One day, Mejares got a call from Meier. They met up, and she handed him a diskette, crying. The diskette contained pictures and information on Mejares’s father, Robert Edward Davis.
When he opened the diskette, he saw his father’s picture and immediately recognize the physical similarities. The diskette also contained his list of achievements, an admirable one, and his current whereabouts. Davis lived in Hyattsville, Maryland, and was with the faculty of the town’s Northwestern High School.
Mejares wrote his father a letter, telling him that he doesn’t want money, that he is a famous singer and that he only wanted to know him. He also sent a few clippings, a photograph and a CD with it. But the letter went unanswered. In 2002, Mejares had saved enough money and decided to go to the United States to meet his father. His then girlfriend Inger Cuenco from Cebu went with him.
They went to the school where his father worked. Inger went in his office first and Mejares followed. As soon as Davis saw Mejares, there was instant recognition, and his demeanor changed. He went berserk and yelled at them to get out, pushing them out of the office. As they were leaving, Davis even called security. Inger was crying and Mejares was numb, too shocked to feel anything. Davis had built up a good standing in the community and church that perhaps he did not want tarnished. After that episode, Mejares seemed to have moved on well. Mejares married Inger and has two children, Akeisha and Jamal. And he has a career in music he has to concentrate on.
Music is another journey for him. Aside from sports, music was one of Mejares’s loves when he was young. In Bohol, he became known as the Gary Valenciano of Bohol, singing and moving like the famous singer, although he still maintains Michael Jackson as his most influential artist.
He has always been sent to compete in amateur singing contests, and he remembers always emerging second to Cebu’s Ana Fegi. They eventually became schoolmates when Mejares moved to Cebu to study college. He also moved in to his aunt who later turned out to his real mother. Fegi and Mejares were always chosen to do front acts whenever a famous performer visits and does a show.
Ryan Cayabyab went to the south, searching for a new member of his singing group Smokey Mountain. Fegi was chosen while Mejares became an understudy. In Cebu, he slowly carved a name as an entertainer, doing front acts and becoming a host for an ABS-CBN lunchtime show.
He eventually went to Manila, trying his luck in the music business. He was then chosen to replace Brix Ferraris for South Border in 1998. After fruitful five years, he left the band and went solo.
Now, he is evolving as an artist. “One has to grow with time. As an artist, I feel that I should be open to explore possibilities, to spread my wings as a singer, to sing songs beyond those that I usually perform,” he said.
His latest gig is a Valentine’s show at Club Mwah in Mandaluyong City. The idea for the show came from a small group of friends partying at the Abaca Resort in Mactan Island, Cebu, where Mejares was performing. The producers include the owner of Abaca Resort and the owners of Club Mwah, a small club known for its cabaret-like performances and performers, some which are transsexuals.
“I’d be doing musical collaborations with the Club Mwah performers,” Mejares said. “It’s a first for me and I’m excited. I have heard a lot of good reviews about them, and I’ve seen them do their act. They are really amazing at what they do—so much passion, so much heart, so much color, so much art, too!”
As of now, Mejares is concentrating on this and looking forward to a musical future.
“Music is what brought me to where I am now. I am grateful for all the small victories I had and many of the perks I still get as a singer. I look forward to continue singing for as long as there will be people out there listening to my songs and watching my shows,” he concluded.

For inquiries on the Valentine’s show at Club Mwah, call 0929-8568428, 0922-8584321 or 0922-7832012, or e-mail luke_atmwah@yahoo.com. Club Mwah is at the third floor of The Venue Tower, Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City.

Spotlight on the Sarsuwela

After focusing on the komedya for a month last year, the University of the Philippines is shifting the spotlight on another traditional theater form, the Philippine zarzuela or sarsuwela, also for the whole month of February with an exhilarating array of activities and performances aimed at generating awareness and appreciation, stimulating scholarship and generally enjoying this once popular entertainment.
Aside from the performances of important works of sarsuwela by select theater groups, there will be an educational and interactive opening parade, film showings, a national conference and an exhibition. There will also be researches, an outreach program and a writing series.
The zarzuela, a form of musical theater first presented to the court, originated in Spain and spread to its colonies, including the Philippines, developing their traditions. It was introduced to the Philippines in the late 19th century and became popular, performed in different languages in the country. Contrary to the komedya, also introduced by the Spaniards, which is didactic, the zarzuela is primarily for entertainment, usually a love story and has formulas. By the turn of the 20th century, the form was ensouled with nationalism and was used as a vehicle for subversion against American rule. With the advent of other forms of entertainment and technology, it died down.
Now and then, the sarsuwela is being performed by contemporary theater groups, and there is sporadic interest in its revival and study. UP’s Sarsuwela Festival is perhaps the biggest sarsuwela venture in modern times.

The festival has four sarsuwelas, deemed classics, to be presented by different theater groups: Paglipas ng Dilim by the University of the East Drama Company, Walang Sugat by the Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation, Sa Bunganga ng Pating by the Far Eastern University Art Theatre Clinique, Ang Kiri by the Dulaang UP, and Iloilo Sarsuwela: Padayon Ang Istorya by the UP Visayas Alumni Theater Company.
To be mounted by the official student theater organization of the University of the East, formed in the 1970s, Paglipas ng Dilim was written in 1920 with libretto by Precioso Palma and music by Leon Ignacio. It tells about the love story between Estrella, a maiden with a pure heart, and Ricardo, a popular young man who recently graduated from medicine, which will be tested by Caridad, a society figure who had her heart set on Ricardo.
Sa Bunganga ng Pating is written in 1921 with libretto by Julian Cruz Balmaseda and music by Leon Ignacio. While telling the loves story of Nati, daughter of a greedy landowner, and Mario, a son of one of their farmers, the play also tackles injustice and other social matters.
With libretto by Severino Reyes and music by Fulgencio Tolentino, Walang Sugat was performed in 1902, tackling the oppression of Filipino prisoners by Spanish Friars in the love story between Julia and Tenyong. This will be mounted anew by the Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation, an award-winning community theater based in Bulacan.
Ang Kiri, written in 1926 with libretto by Servando de los Angeles and music by Leon Ignacio, is the story of Sesang, who is a non-conformist, thus misunderstood as loose, and her search for true love.
Paglipas ng Dilim will be onstage from Feb. 4 to 6, Walang Sugat from Feb. 11 to 13, Sa Bunganga ng Pating from Feb. 18 to 20, Ang Kiri from Feb. 25 to 27, and Iloilo Sarsuwela from Feb. 23 to 24 at the University Theater, with P75 ticket price.

Sarsuwela on celluloid
Complementing the live performances, there will be a showing of films to underline the great influence of sarsuwelas on early films. In fact, these films were from sarsuwelas like the 1919 Dalagang Bukid, produced and directed by Jose Nepomuceno, considered the father of Philippine cinema and starring Atang de la Rama. The sampling of sarsuwela-based movies includes ones from the 1930s to the 1970s such as the 1939 Giliw Ko (on Feb. 18), which stars Fernando Poe Sr; the 1939 Tunay na Ina (on Feb. 19) directed by Octavio Silos; the 1954 Maalaala Mo Kaya (on Feb. 25) starring Carmen Rosales and Rogelio Dela Rosa; and the 1971 Stardoom (on Feb. 26) directed by Lino Brocka. With ticket priced at P50, they will be shown at the UP Film Institute.

Making the milieu
UP’s Vargas Museum will mount “Zarzuela Sarsuwela,” an exhibition that aims to replicate the sarsuwela culture of the turn of the 20th century, allowing the viewer to situate him- or herself in the social milieu of the time through sound, image and performance.” It will run from Feb. 11 until April 5.

The national conference
From Feb. 25 to 27, at the Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal, UP Diliman, researchers, academics, scholars, historians, theatre practitioners and many others are expected to converge for the First Sarsuwela National Conference. Esposuing the theme “Amor, Vida, Patria: Re(dis)covery of the Nation in the Sarsuwela,” the conference aims “to interrogate sarsuwela as a Philippine traditional theatre form or performativity; to reevaluate the nature and elements of sarsuwela; to rediscover the past (history) through sarsuwela; and to historicize the historical continuum of sarsuwela.”

Other components
The other components of the Sarsuwela Festival include research to answer to the dearth of materials on the sarsuwela; a lecture series for secondary schools and colleges with resident theater companies to encourage them to mount sarsuwelas and other traditional theater forms; and the sarsuwela writing competition to encourage playwrights to create new sarsuwelas.

Drawing up the curtain
To usher in the festival with a bang, there will be an educational and interactive opening. Scenes of the featured sarsuwelas will be paraded around UP Academic Oval on Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.

The Sarsuwela Festival is organized by the Office of the Chancellor of UP Diliman through its College of Arts and Letters and the Office of Initiatives for Culture and the Arts (OICA), in line with the University of the Philippines centennial festivities. For inquires or ticket reservations, e-mail sarsuwelafestival2009@gmail.com, visit http://kal.upd.edu.ph/sarsuwela/ or call up telephone numbers 928-7508 and 981-8500 local 2105.