The Wutz Up in the Philippines!

In the thick of the controversy on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s supposed lavish dinners in her recent United States trip, an official from the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday said there are no standards on what constitutes a lavish lifestyle for a public official.

“Sa batas, di sinabi ang amount o value, so contextual po yun in terms of society…Walang standard po, pero titignan natin ‘yong sweldo po kung kaya,” said Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni in an interview on GMA News’ Unang Hirit.

(There is no mention in the law of the amount or value, so it’s contextual in terms of society … There is no standard, but we will look into whether a public official’s salary can afford such lifestyle.)

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TODAY’S lifestyle dictates healthy eating, just as it is tolerated to eat “rich” once in a while, especially if the menu is as exquisite as this diner recently had.

Le Bistro

Streetside, Forbes Tower, Fraser Place, Valero cor. H.V. de la Costa, Salcedo Village, Makati City; tel. 4031841.

This is a new venture of partners who used to be actively involved with a popular brand of coffee. Le Bistro is a resto that serves café food and drinks, light meals, coffee and cocktails/refreshments.

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A certain charm imbues century-old houses. One would initially remark their look of defiance, having survived possible catastrophes either natural or otherwise. Next would be how, in their architecture and design, these houses have frozen time: the imposing door, the august hallway, the large rooms opening into a view of courtyard, the pieces of furniture harking back to the old days of “calesas,” women in their “ternos,” and the long silences of the afternoons un-interrupted by work or soap opera. Inevitably, one would notice the history contained in the houses’ space, that ineffable sense conveying how people lived during a certain time, the values and aspirations they upheld, and the culture that governed them.

I have seen and stepped into such houses, beginning with the handful I visited in Negros Occidental, Cebu and later Vigan. So well-preserved, these houses echo their former glory, evoking a sense of nostalgia and also a sense of pride for their brand of architecture where every component was dutifully carved, planed, sculpted, polished and built by human hands. If you position yourself in the center of a room and close your eyes, you may hear the creaking of the wood, feel the soft breeze due to efficient ventilation and smell the unmistakable odor of history itself.

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MANILA, Philippines – New dramatic works that are “topical but freshly imagined”—that was our plea two years ago at the end of our omnibus review of that season’s Virgin Labfest.

We meant plays that examined society as much as the self in contemporary light, stripped of easy sloganeering or default flag-waving. Stories that combined public urgency with private griefs in ways that avoided the simplistic Manichean comforts of tidy talking points or grim propaganda.

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Why you should be wary of insomnia.

While you may think continuous sleepless nights are harmless to your mental wellbeing, think again. More research shows that insomnia is directly associated with and is a symptom of anxiety, depression, and mood affective disorders causing one an impaired quality of life. Hence, doctors suggest that any person having trouble sleeping take heed because this isn’t a matter that should be taken so lightly.

Defining insomnia

Insomnia is not sleep deprivation, says former president of the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) Dr. Felicitas Soriano. She explains that sleep deprivation is when one could sleep but is not allowed to, as in a new mother who is sleepy but could not go to bed because she needs to feed her baby in the middle of the night. On the other hand, insomnia happens when one still cannot sleep despite his or her having an adequate opportunity to do so.

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PEÑABLANCA, Cagayan, Philippines — Despite its searing hot weather, Cagayan province is home to some of the coolest adventure destinations in the country.

With over 300 known caves (97 of which have been documented while only 37 have been explored in the past three decades) and countless river systems, this northern province is a must-go-to place for adventure and travel junkies.

Tucked away in the mountains of the unassuming town of Peñablanca, a 30-minute drive from Cagayan’s capital Tuguegarao City, is Callao Cave, one of the province’s most popular.

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There is an ‘army’ of followers waiting for a bold menswear designer, argues Jerome Lorico.

If you think men’s fashion is all about rehashing past trends or tweaking conservative styles, then you haven’t seen modern menswear by new and upcoming designers like Jerome Lorico. At the recently concluded Philippine Fashion Week, Lorico, a nascent name in the industry, showcased a cerebral collection, aptly titled “Stitch,” that explored the body’s process of healing. With slashed sleeves and perforated fabrics, his Holiday 2009 collection mimicked human skin and framework and resulted in wearable pieces of art.

Here, the designer talks about his creative process and the directions menswear is taking in the country:

Manila Bulletin: What is your inspiration for the collection?

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The road to a healthy, glowing complexion is as easy as 1,2,3 says Filipina icon Lea Salonga.

As much as many women find it very necessary to pamper themselves, go to salons and get facials in spas every week, truth of the matter is, they simply can’t, as their ever-so-hectic schedules and their tight budgets won’t let them. But however tough the times are and  demanding work could be, there is no escaping the apparent that women need their dose of beauty and confidence pick-me-uppers. Why? Nowadays, it’s more shameful to go in public with a wrinkled and pockmarked skin than to make a major fashion faux pas—and many have taken notice.

Achieving such perfectly clear, healthy, and smooth skin may seem unattainable especially to ordinary women who can’t afford to break the bank with ludicrously exorbitant professional anti-aging skin treatments. But at a recent Avon event at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, performer and Filipina icon Lea Salonga begged to disagree.

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MANILA, Philippines—There’s more to barbecue than the classic “toyomansi” (calamansi and soy sauce) with sugar and black pepper.

Celebrity Chef Robert Rainford suggests experimenting with herbs and spices to “elevate your food.”

Rainford’s grill churns out classic as well as exotic fare – from Jerk Chicken, a nod to his Jamaican heritage, to chicken marinated in coffee and cinnamon.

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Home is traditionally perceived as the inviolable place of the family, evoking all the notions of warmth, security and belongingness. The house outside the city most especially aspires to a picture of contemplative bliss: the slanting roof, the sprawling lawn, the white picket fence. When we say, “home is where the heart is,” we try to sound earnest, not ironic.

And why should it be otherwise? Where else but in our homes do we feel safe, loved and protected? As the shell that encloses our private life, doesn’t the home allow us the utmost freedom to be ourselves?

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