GOODBYE. AND THANK YOU!

In memory of the late Soozy, let's get a little chatty about the alta sociedad of this city of our affections. But now a lot less about the ones that are a complete waste of our rice, and more about the ones who set a pretty good example of what it means to be privileged in this country. As an example, let's talk about someone like Bea Zobel Jr. (pictured below with anonymous companion)

Now I like this chick. I like her style and her heart is in the right place. She is totally under the radar in the dog eat dog world of the Makati poofy class and yet a perfect example of how the elites of the third world should act. I have never heard stories about her snorting coke in the bathrooms of Nuvo or getting caught with fake luxury goods at Charles de Gaulle. She is only really seen at events that have to do with the arts, culture, her family's interests, and her favorite project, The Metropolitan Museum of Manila. You never see her overdressed at the launch of the latest Hello Kitty alarm clock scarfing free vodka before sunset. And I'm not blowing smoke up her ass because I'm close friends with this woman. I have only met her four or five times, but each time was a civilized encounter. The last one being a week ago, when I toured her and a representative of a French arts foundation.

She also seems to have different standards from you and I. When I showed her the Gardens of Father Blanco behind the museum, she said, "That's it? That is all there is?" In all the times that I have shown people the garden (pictured above, thanks Ren), people have either paused in delightful surprise, or gasped in overplayed amazement, but never - never - has anyone ever said, "That's it?" So naturally I explained to her the current situation here at the San Agustin Church. I told her that the garden is being managed on a shoestring budget and that it's current resident botanist, Onie, needed more plants to complete the original digest listed in the book, Flora de Filipinas, written by the garden's namesake and founder. She looked at me, blinked a blink, and then handed me enough funds to buy additional birds of paradise, champaca, camia, banaba, rosal, pandan, taheebo, tuba, ginger bird of paradise, sampaguita, jasmin, ilang ilang, kamuning, dama de noche, millionaire's plant, quiapo, torch ginger, and Schiflora Mt. Pinatubo to the collection. Now that's class.

I'll post pictures of the plants once they are delivered to Onie. Next project, hopefully, would be the final completion of the list (anybody out there want to donate more Philippine flowers to the garden?) and to renovate the disgusting bathrooms of the museum.

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!

SAUCER OF MILK. TABLE FOR TWO.
Omigod. You must log onto SOOZY, my new favorite blog. It's a freaking lawsuit waiting to happen. No holds barred and shameless. Kawawa (How sad it is) for some of the people who were ripped to shreds on her blog, but I guess that's the price they pay for allowing their mug to be slathered all over the papers. Actually, I have met some of the people mentioned on her blog and those people really did deserve to be taken down a notch. I have to agree with her that some are so pathetic that they would be willing to attend the opening of a frigging can of tuna if only to mooch a free drink or to hang out with some badly dressed boring rich Makati people. I just hope I never get important enough for Soozy to write about me.

IN MEMORIAM...

MALATE IS DEAD. LONG LIVE MALATE.

It just couldn't go on any longer I guess. The Malate of yore is gone. And I'm not talking about the Malate of the American Period, mind you. That Malate - the quiet residential enclave of Art Deco apartment buildings and low rise chalet style houses, has been dead since General Douglas MacArthur blasted away most of it in February 1945. I'm actually talking about the second more commercialized incarnate of Malate. The one that started out the 1980's and 1990's when some of the surviving old houses were converted into trendy shops and four star restaurants filled with an upscale, artsy crowd. It's that one that's gone. Just take a walk around the neighborhood and the de-gentrification will be more than apparent. The formerly chic yet bohemian ambiance pioneered by Penguin Cafe*, Cosa Nostra Restaurant*, Guernica's*, Cafe Adriatico*, The Library* and Blue Cafe has been overwhelmed by the overbearing aura of Karaoke Bars, dingy noodle joints, and low-end comedy clubs.

And although classy establishments like Matina, Fidel, Mama, Cafe Caribana, Acquario and Raj shuttered up more than a few years years ago - casualties of the Erap impeachment/Abu Sayyaf fueled economic/tourism downturn - there were still many survivors left. And despite the less prosperous atmosphere, upper middle class aspirations were still kept alive in the district. But now that People's Palace, Firma, Portico (above), and Bravo's (below) have also thrown in their hat, the era of genteel street level establishments is finally over - save for lone wolves Sala and Lolo Dads. Downward mobility is now on a roll, it's going full steam, and there ain't no turning back. But just how did Malate manage to find itself in this current state? And is it necessarily a bad thing?

Perhaps it just couldn't compete with Makati. Back in the mid 90's, Greenbelt was just a low rise shopping arcade and Rockwell an abandoned industrial zone. Malate was literally the only place to go and it monopolized the nightlife scene for all of that decade. But now, with the rise of Greenbelt, Metrowalk, Rockwell Power Plant, and Eastwood City, there are more choices when one wishes to combine street life, outdoor greenery, and a cafe style ambience in their evening's activities. And since the middle class (and upper middle class for that matter) hasn't increased in Manila, each of these places are really fighting for a smaller piece of the SAME proverbial pie.

Or maybe it could be something deeper like the lack of political will? If Manila City Hall looked at Malate holistically and concentrated on the pedestrian infrastructure of the MH del Pilar and A Mabini (the main arteries of the Malate tourist district), things might not have turned out this way. Perhaps better parking, cleaner sidewalks, heritage architecture preservation, and strict NOISE POLLUTION regulation could have kept the higher spending crowd coming. I guess that in their mad rush (and successful one if I might add) to add life to the neighborhood, little details regarding sustainabilty were overlooked. Sure the neighborhood may be more alive than it's ever been before, but noise pollution levels, air pollution levels, vagrancy and litter are at an all time high as well. Not only are higher end customers staying away, but long time renters/residents/tax payers and five-star hotel guests now shun the area to rent, sleep and dine in quieter, less congested Makati or Pasig. And at the rate the plant boxes/sidewalks are being ripped apart, and the noise levels rising due to the ever-increasing number of live bands/concerts on the Baywalk, it won't be long till even the low spending juvenile crowd stays away from this recipe for disastrous overdevelopment as well. And don't get me wrong either. It's not an elitist standpoint from whence I gaze. There is nothing at all wrong with having cheaper, less sophisticated establishments around. But if it reaches a point when that becomes the ONLY kind of establishment present, then the district becomes monotonous. It becomes stagnant. It becomes a form of ghetto if you will.

But ever the relentless optimist, I have faith that the City Hall of Manila MIGHT one day get their act together and repair the frayed urban fabric of this historic quarter. After all, if they can upgrade the sidewalk pavement in areas that are of low pedestrian density such as Quirino Avenue (above) - and finally refurbish the historically neglected Remedios Circle (below - hmmm) - then why can't they eventually solve the sidewalk, drainage, noise, litter, and congestion problems of Adriatico, Remedios, Nakpil, Orosa, MH del Pilar, San Andres, et al..? I just hope it doesn't take too long for them to realize what's going on though. Time is of the element when it comes to stopping the hemorrhaging of this once graceful district.

Grimy, smelly scenes like the one below (taken beside Malate Pensionne) do the district's tourist and nightlife industry no favors in any way. Furthermore, the unbearably loud bands currently on show outdoors at the Baywalk are repellant to all those who are not part of their audience. Imagine, it's the rights of thirty beer-drinking patrons given priority over the the hundreds who rent the apartments and pay for the hotel rooms around them. Misguided priorities and neglected issues like the aforementioned are simply inexcusable if the City Hall of Manila wants this district to compete with their uptown counterparts.

But then again, perhaps this is really the way things are meant to be around here. This current situation could be the natural order of things. Sometimes things go up, sometimes things go down, and this decline is an unavoidable part of this city's evolution. Perhaps Malate never really dies, perhaps it only changes. And if so, I wonder what the next chapter in Malate's history has in store - or if it even will a happy ending.

Closing Thought: I have this theory that through the centuries, we Filipinos have cultivated a slash-and-burn attitude towards our surroundings, specifically when it comes to real estate. We have no concept of history when it comes to our built/natural environment. The overexploitation of the Binondo area and Baguio being prime examples of how the Philippine government and society can take too much out of a good thing and bleed an asset out of all it's socio-cultural promise and potential. Could Malate be just another manifestation of this ideal? And could this be an attitude brought about by a society whose main architectural identity is rooted in the temporality and disposability of a bahay kubo? It makes one think. It really does.

*Highlighted restaurants mean that the places still exist.

WHEE! WHEE! WHEE! NOT REALLY...

Although the banner headline, "Philippine Population Growth down to 1.94%" was a good enough reason for me to pick up the Philippine Daily Inquirer once again, the elation didn't last very long. The sobering reality is that those useless twits in Congress and Senate haven't come around to passing House Bill 3773 yet. And until then, lower middle class Philippine women must remain at the mercy of Philippine Catholic Church when it comes to being educated about family planning. Sigh. Time to put the cork back on the champagne and keep passing out those Trust Condoms and Birth Control Pills once again.

Sidebar: If you are looking for work in the Family Planning industry. DKT Philippines is looking for help. Click here for more info. It's work. And a good cause at the same time.

Thank you www.disciplestoday.com for the photo. But I wouldn't raise the victory sign yet, kids. There is still a long way to go.

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!

BLOODY GREAT STUFF...
I'm so glad to see that things are moving along quite nicely with the restoration efforts of the National Museum. After months of construction, the museum's halls are finally being opened to the public in phases and the grand Hall of Masters (where our national collection of paintings by Luna and Hidalgo are displayed) will apparently be done before Christmas this year. BRAVO.

But even then. They still need more cash to finish off the job. So please contribute your time and money to go see this:

SPOLIARIVM: JUAN LVNA
This will be the inaugural opera to be performed at the National Museum and it will pay tribute to the patriot and painter, Juan Luna, the first Filipino to receive international acclaim for art. It was his painting, The Spoliarium – a depiction of defeated Gladiators being dragged off the coliseum arena - which won the country a gold medal at the Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1884. This painting, which measures 4.6 meters in height and 7.72 meters in length is currently housed in the National Museum. If you go, you will be treated to an intimate experience of Luna’s personal - and turbulent - life through an opera about this intriguing work.

Composed by Maestro Ryan Cayabyab of the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra with a libretto by Fides Cuyugan Asensio. Rising star, soprano Anna Feleo plays the tragic role of Luna’s murdered wife, Paz Pardo de Tavera. This opera in concert will be performed in English.

The whole shebang is brought to you courtesy of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, a volunteer organization which seeks to draw attention to the restoration work being done on the paintings of Juan Luna and Felix Resureccion Hidalgo as well as the refurbishment of the FCCP-Ablaza Halls (below) and other galleries. It's a pretty noble effort which simultaneously preserves our architectural patrimony while providing Manila with another classy venue for the hosting of activities such as fashion shows, fund-raisers, receptions, and corporate events.

What: SPOLIARIVM: JUAN LVNA
Where: The National Museum’s new FCCP-Ablaza Hall
When: Saturday, June 3, 2006.
Cocktails begin at 6:00pm
Performance starts promptly at 7:30 pm

Tickets to SPOLIARIVM: JUAN LVNA are at PhP5,000 and PhP2,500. For more information or ticket purchases, please call Andrie Bañaga at 813-0771 or Elvie Magpayo/Dindin Araneta at 404-2685.

I know. It's pricey. But really - it's for a good cause. Besides, Glenda Baretto of Via Mare will be catering. So at least you won't go home hungry.

Attire: Casual Chic Filipiniana (whatever that means.) And not that it matters to anyone, but I'll also be hosting the durned thing that night too.

FASHION FAUX PAS FOREVER...

HIGH SCHOOL LIFE. OH MY HIGH SCHOOL LIFE...

Regarding my last post:

Ok. Fine. I concede. I have no right whatsoever to speak about fashion. After all, if I once wore oversized tourquoise CRISPA shirts with - gasp! oversized Giordano ACIDWASH jeans, bottomed out with - horrors! oversized ASICS TIGER rubbershoes, then I am truly a hypocrite to the first degree.

Photo above: Myself and my high school classmates from Colegio San Agustin on a picnic in a construction site next to the American Cemetery in Fort Bonifacio. Circa 1988. The area is now the grassy knoll beside Essensa in Global City.

The crimes against fashion above are way too many to mention. A freaking fashion massacre no less.

Shudder...

THE MILLION MAN MUMU...

Now is it just me, or is every freaking white collared Filipino man in Manila retarded when it comes to gauging clothes sizes? I mean, just take a short walk around the business districts of Makati or Ortigas, and you will spot legion upon legion of the city's male salaried class swimming in yards of polyestered office wear. And apparently the retardation crosses all age and social brackets too. From the lowly clerk to middle management and above, it seems that the preferred choice is whatever fits their body's measurements PLUS enough room to fit a small mammal.

Now is this done by ordinance or is this a subconscious effort ruled by the cosmos? Either that, or it seems that our city's department stores only offer clothing in three sizes: blousy, blousy, and blousy. Whatever the case may be. Allow me to say this: "Dudes. It's just panget. panget. panget.*"

Wearing oversized barong tagalogs/shirts does nobody any favors aesthetically. Really. It kids no one. It doesn't hide the beer and sisig gut; it does not make one look younger; it does not elongate the silhouette; it's not "ghetto" or whatever; and believe you me - just because it's big enough to flap like a fan, it does not mean it can cool off like one either. And even though I only have limited fashion sense, one doesn't have to be blessed with a queer eye to realize that it's just flipping fugly**. The hip-hop baggy look in embroidered polyester or in cotton knit is not a good one for the office - or anywhere for that matter.

But how How HOW did these crimes of couture become so common in our fair society? Could there be a historical precedent to all this oversizedness? Is it a reaction to the climate? Or could this just be the result of a society whose mothers forced their male offspring to wear bigger clothes to save on money (No outgrowing of clothing if you know what I mean)? It truly boggles the mind.

But there is always hope. There are ways out there to make it look hip. Might I recommend accessorizing or using a healthy dose of irony when picking up the baggy look? It could soften the image and not make one look so DOWDY. The latter adjective being a description that should never ever be used on a male. It's emasculating and almost as bad as having man boobies. But remember, only follow the aforementioned suggestions if you MUST do the baggy look (ie. You have a gun to your head). Otherwise, if you are a size 42, then well, I recommend you wear a size 42. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Or just save yourself the effort and take a cue from the chicks. They know how to buy clothes of the proper size. Really. It isn't that hard to do.

*fugly, fugly, fugly.
**f--k--g ugly.

AHEM...

Just in case anyone is wondering. I am all for CHA CHA a.k.a.charter change. Why? If only to put those useless freaks in The Philippine Senate out of a job*. A.They are lazy as hell: Only two bills were passed this year and sent to the president (July 26, 2004 - April 5, 2006). B. They are relentlessly myopic: Their "investigations" are seriously delaying the completion of many important infrastructure projects. C. They quibble and quarrel like spoiled schoolchildren and display their political agenda in a way more juvenile than a cheerleaders meet: The Jamby-Enrile tiff certainly needs no introduction and their Happy Birthday Gloria statement was a stupid waste of our time. But most of all, D. They are spending our hard earned tax money: And shamelessly so to the tune of Php1,000,000.00 ++ a MONTH EACH: 'Nuff said.

All morons, please raise your hand...

Log onto: http://www.sigawngbayan.com/ and sign up with the People's coalition if you wanna throw these jerks out on their heels.

DISCLAIMER: *This comment does NOT in any way mean that I think Congress is doing a better job. I think they are morons too.

TSK...TSK...TSK...

It's been almost a week since it happened, but there still isn't much in the blogosphere regarding the brilliance of Dominik Diamond, the fellow above on the right with the drill. That being the case, I will naturally be more than happy to make a post about this pseudo martyr. Apparently, this British gameshow host (pictured with his wife, Phoebe) planned to film a documentary about himself joining the many other Filipino penitents who literally crucify themselves as part of a yearly Filipino Lenten tradition called "Kalbaryo". Unfortunately, much to the chagrin - but not the surprise - of many bystanders, he bailed out at the last minute.

According to the Sunday Times:
'God made me cancel my own crucifixion'
By Nico Hines
BRITISH broadcaster who travelled to the Philippines to be crucified on Good Friday for a television programme pulled out of the stunt in tears yesterday — and blamed God for his decision.

Dominik Diamond broke down and wept after watching nine Filipinos take their turn to be whipped and nailed on crosses and realising that his turn was next. “God wanted me only to pray at the foot of my cross,” he sobbed, sinking to his knees and praying as local people and tourists started to boo.

Read more here.

Now I still haven't made up my mind about this guy. Was he really a serious devotee who truly feels bad about losing his nerve at the last minute? or was this just an aborted attempt by a western journalist to portray our culture as bizaare and grotesque for the sake of selling a story?

Whatever the case may be, I can't help but say: "Dude. What the hell were you thinking?"

The blog, "Only in the Philippines" has a cartoon about it here.

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!

PHILIPPINES THEN AND NOW

A fantastic forum on Philippine Heritage and Heritage Architecture. A pretty heavy read but definitely worth leafing through all twenty six pages if only to check out the links and the amazing photo comparisons by a guy named Wonderboy. Click onto SkyscraperCity forum Philippine Then and Now Photos here.