![\"\"](\"https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/hl_DSC8292-JOSEMARI-CHAN.jpg\")
Jose Mari Chan explains why \u201cChristmas in Our Hearts\u201d is an earworm.
\n\n
WORDS SAM L. MARCELO | PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN BALDONADO
\nJose Mari Chan is aware of your viral memes. He knows that when September rolls around, Photoshop-happy netizens transplant his head onto Ned Stark\u2019s body, or onto a White Walker\u2019s, or onto Thanos\u2019s (or, more precisely, Jose Mari Chanos\u2019s). \u201cI\u2019m the gap between the millennials and the ancients,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know who makes them up. Some are a bit clever, like that Game of Thrones one. In general, the memes help promote the song so I thank them.\u201d
\nWe all know \u201cthe song\u201d he\u2019s referring to: \u201cChristmas in Our Hearts,\u201d that infectious earworm he\u2019s obligated to sing regardless of what month it is. \u201cEven if I do concerts in April or May,\u201d he said, without a hint of peevishness. Mr. Chan had just flown in from China during the time of the interview and was preparing to fly out again to Australia and Canada for a string of concerts. Seated by a Steinway Model M piano, the very same one where he composed \u201cMinsan Pa,\u201d he narrated the beginnings of his runaway Christmas hit. \u201cIn 1988, I got a call from an old friend from my college days\u2014Chari Cruz-Zarate. It was her high school silver jubilee and she wanted me to set to music a poem she had written for their homecoming. The poem was entitled \u2018Ang Tubig Ay Buhay.\u2019 I was inspired to compose a melody to it and I did so in less than a week.\u201d The story of \u201cChristmas in Our Hearts\u201d is one he\u2019s used to telling. The details are well-worn by now: how he shelved the tune, brought it back out two years later when his record producer Bella Dy-Tan suggested that he put together a Christmas album; how a budding songwriter by the name of Rina Ca\u00f1iza tapped on the windshield of his car on a Sunday morning and said she wanted to collaborate; how both Lea Salonga and Monique Wilson almost did backing vocals but for one reason or another, couldn\u2019t (Ms. Salonga because the label didn\u2019t want her to; Ms. Wilson because she lost her voice);\u00a0 and how his daughter Liza, then a student at Ateneo, came to the rescue and learned the song overnight.
\nHow do you explain the success of \u201cChristmas in Our Hearts\u201d?
\nIt\u2019s partly due to its melodic structure. The verse starts out in a minor mode\u2014which is Filipino and Oriental\u2014then the refrain turns into a major mode, which is Western. This combination is interesting\u2014very few songs do this. Also, the melody itself is lilting, very easy to learn, very easy to hum, very catchy. Kids take to it as soon as they hear it. Internal rhymes are also very important. It was Rina who came up with the first line (\u201cWhenever I see girls and boys / Selling lanterns on the streets\u201d). I came up with the second (\u201cI remember the Child / In the manger as He sleeps\u201d). It\u2019s not a perfect rhyme but it\u2019s there.
Tell us about your songwriting process.
\nWhen I compose, the melodies almost always come first. I compose in the car, on the plane, or at work, without any musical instruments. I hear a basic melody in my head. \u201cTell Me Your Name\u201d may have come from Close Encounters of\u00a0 the Third Kind. [Mr. Chan is referring to the five-note sequence used to communicate with aliens in the Steven Spielberg film.]
When the song is ready, I get an arranger and I tell him how I\u2019d like to hear it so he can instrumentalize it.
\nWhen writers are given deadlines, they come out with their best work. You work under pressure. I believe that a good song is a marriage between words and music, complementing each other like husband and wife. I\u2019ve heard songs where the melodies are nice but the words somehow don\u2019t fit. I make it a point to that my words and melodies complement each other.\u00a0
\nDid you know that you had a hit on your hands with \u201cChristmas in Our Hearts\u201d?
\nI wasn\u2019t sure. When I presented \u201cChristmas in Our Hearts\u201d to Bella Dy-Tan, she said it sounded too Christian and denominational. She asked me to come up with a romantic Christmas song and in two days, I came up with \u201cA Perfect Christmas.\u201d We played both at a press conference; the radio and TV people chose \u201cChristmas in Our Hearts.\u201d I was happy with that.
Do you ever get tired of singing it?
\nWhen I sing this song in concert, especially with a choir or a full orchestra, it can still bring tears to my eyes.
What is your favorite Christmas song?
\n\u201cLittle Christmas Tree\u201d is quite nostalgic. I remember one Christmas eve where I was running a slight fever and so I couldn\u2019t go to midnight mass with my parents and my lola. I had to stay home and \u201cLittle Christmas Tree\u201d was playing on the radio. I associate the song with that particular moment.
Are you thinking of releasing another album with your new-found fame as an ambassador for Uniqlo and Shopee?\u00a0
\nI still write songs but you probably won\u2019t hear them. The melodies that I come up with now may no longer be relevant to the millennials. I listen to the radio and I hear the type of music they like. I\u2019m afraid my melodies sound old-fashioned to them. Times have changed. Christmas songs are expected to sound old-fashioned. But if I come out with a love song now, the millennials will say that it belongs to the time of their lolos.
Do you still get royalties from \u201cChristmas in Our Hearts\u201d?\u00a0
\nYes, I still get royalties from Filscap [The Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc.], Universal, and Spotify. Sometimes, the royalties I get from radio play are enough to buy me a cup of coffee. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
\nGallerist Tina Fernandez dreams of emptying her house and rotating works in her personal collection.
\nINTERVIEW\u00a0NICKKY FAUSTINE P.\u00a0DE GUZMAN |\u00a0PHOTOGRAPHY\u00a0LANCER SALVA
\nTina Fernandez started her art venture\u2014and adventure\u2014with one thing in mind: debunking common misconceptions about art (among them, that art is intimidating and that it is easy to make). To this end, she put up a gallery in Greenhills called Artinformal (AI1) in 2004, in what used to be her family\u2019s home, to help educate people about art.
\n\u201cNot too many people were buying art that time,\u201d she said, adding that the little interest that existed was\u00a0 for \u201cdecor purposes only.\u201d She continued: \u201cThey didn\u2019t know what they were buying and they couldn\u2019t understand why an art piece was nice.\u201d
\nAI1 became successful over time, showing established and emerging artists such as Jose Tence \u201cBogie\u201d Ruiz, Costantino Zicarelli, and Nilo Ilarde.
\nThe desire to open a gallery was triggered by an experience that she still remembers vividly.
\n\u201cI remember a lady asking out loud…or was she was talking to another out loud to another person?\u2014and saying \u2018Bakit pinagkakaguluhan \u2019yung painting na \u2019yan? Anong maganda diyan?\u2019 I asked her if she found it nice. She said she couldn\u2019t understand it, and I told her it didn\u2019t matter if you cannot understand or not. What\u2019s important is if you like it,\u201d she recalled.
\n\u201cSadly, a lot of people don\u2019t have their own opinion. I have a lot of artist friends and I thought why not teach the public and maybe we can increase the number of people buying art since they already know and understand the process of art-making. They can feel confident because they now know the process behind an art.\u201d
\nArtinformal in San Juan has expanded with a second space called Artinformal 2 (AI2), which opened in Pasong Tamo, Makati City, this February. Her efforts, combined with that of other gallerists, have paid off.
\n\u201cWe now do not hear comments like \u2018Ang dali namang gawin niyan, parang gawa ng bata. Kaya ko rin \u2018yan.\u2019 To that I always answer\u2014which is almost always sounding pikon\u2014\u2018eh bakit hindi mo ginawa?\u2019 So they try. We had an abstraction workshop for people who said it\u2019s easy to make. We asked them to copy\u2014not even conceptualize their own\u2014only copy, and they couldn\u2019t. Now they understood that art is difficult,\u201d she said, smiling.
\nThe gallerist, who used to make art\u2014\u201cI don\u2019t practice, I have no time. I think I\u2019m a better gallery owner than I am an artist,\u201d she said\u2014also owns Aphro, a store that sells functional art pieces, including accessories (like earrings and bags) and furniture (like tables and chairs).
\nAphro has an unconventional layout: locally made goods are displayed on bleachers (think of the Banaue Rice Terraces) flanked on one side by a slide meant for patrons who haven\u2019t lost their childlike sensibility.
\n\u201cIn Aphro is everything that I like. It\u2019s a reflection of my aesthetics, yes. It\u2019s more fun. It\u2019s meant to be like a jewelry box. When you open it, you see everything. The design of the story is playful,\u201d said Ms. Fernandez.
\nDo you have a favorite artwork?
\nThat\u2019s the problem, I don\u2019t have a favorite. But the first piece of art that I ever bought was a Tony Lea\u00f1o painting. I was fascinated by the way he was able to confidently paint three women with so much character with minimal strokes. But that\u2019s not my favorite\u2014it was just my first.
\u201cMy favorite now, at this moment, is something I don\u2019t even own.\u00a0 It\u2019s this work titled Picture for a Bee by Singaporean artist Robert Zhao Renhui. The reason I like it is the concept behind his work. It\u2019s based on his research about the behaviors of insects toward certain colors. Blue, apparently, attracts bees and they love it so much that they stay there until they die. He created this blue [painting] in his studio.
\n\u201cAnother favorite is this work by JC Jacinto\u2014an artist I represent\u2014that he gave to me as a gift. It\u2019s the painting of AI2\u2019s downstairs when we tore it down and reconstructed it. This is what it looked like at ground zero.
\nAnd in Aphro, can you name some of your favorite items?
\nI have several favorites: Zacarias bags, and pottery and ceramics. Also works by Geraldine Javier. I\u2019m also encouraging more artists to create non-gallery works that are functional and more playful. The Aquilizans have Fruit Juice Factory Studio. It used to be a fruit juice factory, thus the name, and it has been collecting Japan Home Surplus ceramics. What they do is they upcycle it; they look for interesting shapes and put them together to create functional art. It\u2019s interesting.
Please name your favorite artists.
\nEmerging or established? I like to be part of the growth of their career. Let\u2019s pretend that she\u2019s still emerging: she is our latest artist, Nice Buenaventura. With an established artist, there\u2019s no challenge anymore. I think having Jose Tence Ruiz is enough for me. I like working with him and we have a history, as far as exhibitions are concerned. I would rather add to my roster an emerging artist who will add something new in terms of creativity in using certain media. They show exactly what they want to show because it\u2019s important, and not because it\u2019s popular.
If I were to tour your house today, what would I see?
\nThere are works by Johnny Alcazaren, Kawayan de Guia, Cos Zicarelli, Ling Quisumbing, MM Yu, the Aquilizans, Gaston Damag. A lot of objects like pottery.\u00a0 Mark Valenzuela\u2014wait, I\u2019m walking through my house in my head\u2014Maria Taniguchi, Nilo Ilarde, Marina Cruz, Rodel Tapaya, Manuel Ocampo, Elmer Borlongan, Erwin Lea\u00f1o, Ian Fabro\u2026\u00a0 a lot!
My dream is to empty my house and maybe put few artworks up at a time and then rotate them, but my problem is I don\u2019t have storage to put the others that are not in rotation yet. What I don\u2019t want is to boast. I want to concentrate on a few pieces. If you put a lot, you don\u2019t highlight the work but your collection.
\nThis interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
\n", "content_text": "Gallerist Tina Fernandez dreams of emptying her house and rotating works in her personal collection.\n\nINTERVIEW\u00a0NICKKY FAUSTINE P.\u00a0DE GUZMAN |\u00a0PHOTOGRAPHY\u00a0LANCER SALVA\nTina Fernandez started her art venture\u2014and adventure\u2014with one thing in mind: debunking common misconceptions about art (among them, that art is intimidating and that it is easy to make). To this end, she put up a gallery in Greenhills called Artinformal (AI1) in 2004, in what used to be her family\u2019s home, to help educate people about art.\n\u201cNot too many people were buying art that time,\u201d she said, adding that the little interest that existed was\u00a0 for \u201cdecor purposes only.\u201d She continued: \u201cThey didn\u2019t know what they were buying and they couldn\u2019t understand why an art piece was nice.\u201d\nAI1 became successful over time, showing established and emerging artists such as Jose Tence \u201cBogie\u201d Ruiz, Costantino Zicarelli, and Nilo Ilarde. \nThe desire to open a gallery was triggered by an experience that she still remembers vividly.\n\u201cI remember a lady asking out loud…or was she was talking to another out loud to another person?\u2014and saying \u2018Bakit pinagkakaguluhan \u2019yung painting na \u2019yan? Anong maganda diyan?\u2019 I asked her if she found it nice. She said she couldn\u2019t understand it, and I told her it didn\u2019t matter if you cannot understand or not. What\u2019s important is if you like it,\u201d she recalled. \n\u201cSadly, a lot of people don\u2019t have their own opinion. I have a lot of artist friends and I thought why not teach the public and maybe we can increase the number of people buying art since they already know and understand the process of art-making. They can feel confident because they now know the process behind an art.\u201d\nArtinformal in San Juan has expanded with a second space called Artinformal 2 (AI2), which opened in Pasong Tamo, Makati City, this February. Her efforts, combined with that of other gallerists, have paid off.\n\u201cWe now do not hear comments like \u2018Ang dali namang gawin niyan, parang gawa ng bata. Kaya ko rin \u2018yan.\u2019 To that I always answer\u2014which is almost always sounding pikon\u2014\u2018eh bakit hindi mo ginawa?\u2019 So they try. We had an abstraction workshop for people who said it\u2019s easy to make. We asked them to copy\u2014not even conceptualize their own\u2014only copy, and they couldn\u2019t. Now they understood that art is difficult,\u201d she said, smiling.\nThe gallerist, who used to make art\u2014\u201cI don\u2019t practice, I have no time. I think I\u2019m a better gallery owner than I am an artist,\u201d she said\u2014also owns Aphro, a store that sells functional art pieces, including accessories (like earrings and bags) and furniture (like tables and chairs).\nAphro has an unconventional layout: locally made goods are displayed on bleachers (think of the Banaue Rice Terraces) flanked on one side by a slide meant for patrons who haven\u2019t lost their childlike sensibility.\n\u201cIn Aphro is everything that I like. It\u2019s a reflection of my aesthetics, yes. It\u2019s more fun. It\u2019s meant to be like a jewelry box. When you open it, you see everything. The design of the story is playful,\u201d said Ms. Fernandez.\nDo you have a favorite artwork?\nThat\u2019s the problem, I don\u2019t have a favorite. But the first piece of art that I ever bought was a Tony Lea\u00f1o painting. I was fascinated by the way he was able to confidently paint three women with so much character with minimal strokes. But that\u2019s not my favorite\u2014it was just my first.\n\u201cMy favorite now, at this moment, is something I don\u2019t even own.\u00a0 It\u2019s this work titled Picture for a Bee by Singaporean artist Robert Zhao Renhui. The reason I like it is the concept behind his work. It\u2019s based on his research about the behaviors of insects toward certain colors. Blue, apparently, attracts bees and they love it so much that they stay there until they die. He created this blue [painting] in his studio.\n\u201cAnother favorite is this work by JC Jacinto\u2014an artist I represent\u2014that he gave to me as a gift. It\u2019s the painting of AI2\u2019s downstairs when we tore it down and reconstructed it. This is what it looked like at ground zero.\nAnd in Aphro, can you name some of your favorite items?\nI have several favorites: Zacarias bags, and pottery and ceramics. Also works by Geraldine Javier. I\u2019m also encouraging more artists to create non-gallery works that are functional and more playful. The Aquilizans have Fruit Juice Factory Studio. It used to be a fruit juice factory, thus the name, and it has been collecting Japan Home Surplus ceramics. What they do is they upcycle it; they look for interesting shapes and put them together to create functional art. It\u2019s interesting.\nPlease name your favorite artists.\nEmerging or established? I like to be part of the growth of their career. Let\u2019s pretend that she\u2019s still emerging: she is our latest artist, Nice Buenaventura. With an established artist, there\u2019s no challenge anymore. I think having Jose Tence Ruiz is enough for me. I like working with him and we have a history, as far as exhibitions are concerned. I would rather add to my roster an emerging artist who will add something new in terms of creativity in using certain media. They show exactly what they want to show because it\u2019s important, and not because it\u2019s popular.\nIf I were to tour your house today, what would I see?\nThere are works by Johnny Alcazaren, Kawayan de Guia, Cos Zicarelli, Ling Quisumbing, MM Yu, the Aquilizans, Gaston Damag. A lot of objects like pottery.\u00a0 Mark Valenzuela\u2014wait, I\u2019m walking through my house in my head\u2014Maria Taniguchi, Nilo Ilarde, Marina Cruz, Rodel Tapaya, Manuel Ocampo, Elmer Borlongan, Erwin Lea\u00f1o, Ian Fabro\u2026\u00a0 a lot!\nMy dream is to empty my house and maybe put few artworks up at a time and then rotate them, but my problem is I don\u2019t have storage to put the others that are not in rotation yet. What I don\u2019t want is to boast. I want to concentrate on a few pieces. If you put a lot, you don\u2019t highlight the work but your collection.\nThis interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.", "date_published": "2018-10-06T09:00:34+08:00", "date_modified": "2018-10-06T09:00:34+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/blexticauldulack/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bb9711778f8535a5c41d2e047686ad3e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/blexticauldulack/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bb9711778f8535a5c41d2e047686ad3e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "art", "gallerist", "Michelle Anne P. Soliman", "Tina Fernandez", "Favorite Things" ], "summary": "Gallerist Tina Fernandez dreams of emptying her house and rotating works in her personal collection." }, { "id": "http://www.bworldonline.com/?p=175540", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/favorite-things/2018/08/03/175540/highlife-francis-libiran-for-flag-and-country/", "title": "Favorite Things | For flag and country", "content_html": "\n
Francis Libiran on the one accessory he always wears.
\nINTERVIEW MICHELLE ANNE P. SOLIMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY KAI HUANG
\nWhen he was eight years old, fashion designer Francis Libiran would accompany his mother on her visits to the dressmaker. He felt that his young opinion was valued as he was always asked if a certain design or detail suited her. It was also at that age that Mr. Libiran began drawing: armed with a flashlight, he would hide in a closet and sketch on the back of his notebook. He imagined a parade of glamorous women, dressed to the nines in his designs, strutting down the red carpet\u2014the swishing fabric magnified in his mind\u2019s eye. And when the fantasy ended, he would come out of the closet and shove the notebook under his bed.
\n![\"hl-francis-libiran-inside\"](\"http://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/fave1.jpg\")
\u201cIt\u2019s as if I was hiding my talent at that time,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery time I sketch, I remember that time when I was in my own little world where I would daydream.\u201d
\nDespite pressure from his father to pursue medicine, Mr. Libiran took up architecture at the University of Santo Tomas and later pursued fashion design at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines.
\nSince entering the fashion industry, his designs have been featured in America\u2019s Next Top Model, Philippine Canada Fashion Week in Toronto, and the Sakura Collection in Tokyo. Mr. Libiran also dressed Miss World 2013 Megan Young in a serpentine-cut evening gown the color of blushing coral, decorated with sea plumes.
\nAt work in his atelier, Mr. Libiran refers to his constantly shifting mood board. His design process still involves a lot of daydreaming, the same as when he was a little boy, but informed by conversations with his team and his clients. \u201cI always imagine and visualize how each person will look,\u201d he said. \u201cMy mind is ahead before it happens.\u201d
\nWalk us through your design process.
\nIt\u2019s geared toward lines. Lines can make the figure of a woman shapely.
Talking to your clients is part of your process. What do you talk about?
\nMy first question to my clients is: What are your body insecurities? I want to target [those insecurities] then explain to them their best assets. It\u2019s really explaining to the client what looks best on them. As a designer, I always want to make women feel the most beautiful. Fashion is about feeling good in what you\u2019re wearing \u2014 that\u2019s its function.
How is designing a gown unique from other apparel?
\nWith a gown you can be very creative. The hardest thing for me is designing a T-shirt. How can you design a T-shirt and make it stand out? You really have to sit down and give a lot of thought on how to make it different from the usual. Gowns are easy. For couture, it\u2019s everything excessive. It\u2019s hard to design something very simple.
What\u2019s the most valuable lesson you\u2019ve learned?
\nYou need to be very disciplined with your work. It\u2019s easy to get distracted by the works of others. You need to be very disciplined about your vision as a designer and that\u2019s where your design DNA comes in.
Do you agree that designers should not fall in love with their first designs?
\nYes, because you have to develop. Being creative, we are never satisfied. We always try to surpass what we\u2019ve done yesterday.
Do you remember your first fashion gala?
\nMy first major show was in 2012. It was the 100th anniversary of The Manila Hotel. They closed the lobby for the first time in history. I was wearing all black, red Prada shoes, and the Philippine flag pin.
![\"hl-francis-libiran-inside-2\"](\"http://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/fave2.jpg\")
How did you acquire the Philippine flag pin?
\nIt was given to me by my best friend and business partner Arsi Baltazar. Every time I use it, he gets it from me afterward so that I won\u2019t lose it. He\u2019s the keeper of my flag. He is the one who pins it on me before walking down the runway.
How many pins do you own?
\nI have three, but Arsi kept the one he gave me in 2012.
Was there an event where you forgot to wear it?
\nYes, but I forget which country. We had to go to the Philippine consulate to ask for a pin.
What sentimental value does it have?
\nWearing the Philippine flag wherever I go is a reminder that Filipinos are excellent.
A CEO took up karate as a form of revenge then learned that karate was a way of life.
\nINTERVIEW MICHELLE ANN P. SOLIMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN D. BALDONADO
\nAntonio \u201cJumbing\u201d G. de Rosas says that his lifestyle has not changed since becoming Pru Life UK president and CEO. He rises between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. and begins the day by running, swimming, or practicing karate.
\nInside his office hangs a candid photo of his late sensei training with a fellow prot\u00e9g\u00e9, and a certificate of achievement he earned in 2006 at the age of 41, indicating his promotion to 4th dan\u2014mementos of years of dedication to martial\u00a0arts since he began training in 1977.
\nAs a child based in Hong Kong where his father was assigned, Mr. De Rosas was introduced to karate at the age of 12 when his father enrolled at the Hong Kong branch of the Japan Karate Organization, the only karate school approved by the Ministry of Education in Japan.
\n\u201cI went to British School for my primary education, and I was bullied by classmates twice my size, which is why my father enrolled me in martial arts. My motive then was revenge. But after several months, I learned that there was more to karate, and that it was a way life.\u00a0 The more you advance in karate, the more you will find yourself not needing to use it, and if a time will come you would have to, it would be to protect others rather than yourself,\u201d he said.
\nOutside his responsibilities as CEO, he continues the legacy of his late sensei, who trained him in the Philippines, by being an active member of the organization.
\n![\"inside-antonio-pru-life\"](\"http://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/inside-antonio-pru-life.jpg\")
Which type of martial art do you specialize in?
\nJKA Shotokan Karate.
What makes it unique?
\nWe have longer stances. It\u2019s a matter of emphasis on the movement, blocks and kicks and strikes.
How often do you practice it?
\nAt least twice a week.
What was the most difficult part in earning a black belt?
\nFirst dan black belt because the final part of the exam would be to spar with nine senior black belters.\u00a0 It\u2019s more of an initiation rather than a test of skill, although your skill level after a minimum of three years training would be sufficient.\u00a0 The purpose is to break you down and make you humble so you can grow again into a better person and martial artist. However, this part of the exam has not been practiced since 2000 due to potential legal liability issues of the karate school.
How do you get to 4th dan?
\nIt takes three years of training to get to 1st dan, six years thereafter for 2nd, another 12 years for 3rd dan.\u00a0 You don\u2019t apply to take dan examinations above 3rd dan and you wait for your sensei to tell you that you are ready.
What is your favorite move?
\nAll the basics must be mastered, and a true martial artist does not have a favorite move because different situations require different \u201cmoves.\u201d
![\"inside-antonio-pru-life-1\"](\"http://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/inside-antonio-pru-life-1.jpg\")
Why martial arts?
\nIt builds and endeavors you to seek perfection in character maintaining your principles, values, and integrity. \u00a0 \u00a0
What values and goals are parallel in the practice of martial arts and being the CEO?
\nSeek perfection of character. No one is perfect, and no one will ever be, but that does not preclude us from trying to achieve perfection in every aspect of our lives. When we develop a product, we always have the interest of the customer in mind.
Be faithful. We can have the best intentions for all our stakeholders (employees, distributors, customers, shareholders, our community) only if we remain faithful to them and have their interests at heart.
\nEndeavor. Martial arts training takes years\u2014even decades\u2014and you have to be persistent and diligent to progress through difficulties.
\nRespect others/refrain from violent behavior. The company must promote respect in the workplace and that is a given.\u00a0 We respect each other as colleagues and professionals, and we encourage openness and value everyone\u2019s ideas and opinions.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0
\nWhy do you continue to make time for karate?
\nKarate is my way of life.
A girl who dreamed of working in a bank and ended up becoming Miss Universe.
\nINTERVIEW\u00a0POLA ESGUERRA DEL MONTE |
\nPHOTO KAREN KHO
Margie Moran-Floirendo, who has yet to pass the Miss Universe crown to another Philippine hopeful, was a dancer before she was a beauty queen. Prior to her 1973 pageant victory, she had already appeared in The Best of Broadway production mounted by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, performing in excerpts of\u00a0My Fair Lady,\u00a0Hello, Dolly!, and\u00a0Camelot.
\nThe most challenging dance in Ms. Moran-Floirendo\u2019s repertoire is her presidency of Ballet Philippines, which requires her to raise enough funds\u2014around Php30 million annually\u2014to keep the company going. The steps are complicated, but she\u2019s taken on yet another \u201cpartner\u201d: Habitat for Humanity, where she is an ambassador.
\nWhen she turned 60 this September, Ms. Moran-Floirendo put on her dancing shoes and did the tango. She prefers Comme Il Faut, a luxury brand hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the birthplace of Argentine tango, the type of tango she dances. The brand is known for its daring use of color, its incorporation of novel textures, and the studied care given to proportion. Each design is produced in limited quantities, making every customer the owner of an exclusive item. Since she started buying Comme Il Faut shoes two years ago, Ms. Moran-Floirendo has already rounded up \u201ca usable collection\u201d of 10 pairs. \u201cIt\u2019s a very sexy shoe,\u201d she said.
\nHL : When did you start dancing the tango?
\nMMF :\u00a0I\u2019ve been dancing tango for the last two years. Argentine tango. I was dancing international tango for so many years. At one point, I got busy with other exercises like yoga and Pilates. Now that Argentine tango is back in fashion, I\u2019ve started dancing it again. I have an instructor here and I also go to Argentina. There are also Argentine maestros who come here so I also take lessons from them.
\nHL : Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?
\nMMF :\u00a0I have several pairs. The newest I bought in June, particularly for my birthday. I like it because of the colors: it\u2019s fuchsia and pink. I like fuchsia, oranges and reds this year. I just matched the dress to go with it.
\nHL : What do you think about tango shoes?
\nMMF :\u00a0I think it\u2019s a very sexy shoe because of the way it\u2019s built. I\u2019m a shoe person. I like shoes and I have nice feet. The tango shoe, because it has a particular arch and a nice heel, gives my foot a nice look. In tango, the focus is the feet. You can tell a good dancer by her feet. So it\u2019s not just the look of the shoe, it\u2019s how the dancer uses her shoe to dance tango.
\nHL : You\u2019ve worn so many \u2018shoes\u2019 in your life, so to speak\u2014that of a humanitarian, beauty queen, dancer, wife, and mother. Which role is dearest to you?
\nMMF :\u00a0A mother, of course. It gives you the best satisfaction if you know that your child is already growing up, probably ready to have another family. And you know, my kids went to study abroad at a very young age and I\u2019m satisfied that they\u2019ve already done well. And as a mother, it never ends.
\nHL : If you could be in another person\u2019s shoes, whose shoes would they be?
\nMMF :\u00a0Before, when I was young, I wanted to work in a bank. When I was already settled in life, I thought of being a politician as well. I don\u2019t think of that anymore, but I did have that ambition to be a public servant. Now, I think, I should just wear my shoes.
\nHL : Shoes can take you places. Are there any other places you want to go to?
\nMMF :\u00a0I love to travel. I like to go to different places I\u2019ve never been to and explore. If I could just be a backpacker and wear trekking shoes, I\u2019d do that.
\nHL : How about stages?
\nMMF :\u00a0No, no more. I dance because I enjoy dancing. My birthday was something special and nobody would complain over the dancing. But no, I just enjoy dancing with friends. It\u2019s like another stage.
\nHL: So now, it\u2019s something more personal?
\nMMF :\u00a0Yes. It\u2019s personal. I dance to enjoy. That\u2019s it.
\n\n", "content_text": "A girl who dreamed of working in a bank and ended up becoming Miss Universe.\n\nINTERVIEW\u00a0POLA ESGUERRA DEL MONTE |\nPHOTO KAREN KHO\nMargie Moran-Floirendo, who has yet to pass the Miss Universe crown to another Philippine hopeful, was a dancer before she was a beauty queen. Prior to her 1973 pageant victory, she had already appeared in The Best of Broadway production mounted by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, performing in excerpts of\u00a0My Fair Lady,\u00a0Hello, Dolly!, and\u00a0Camelot.\nThe most challenging dance in Ms. Moran-Floirendo\u2019s repertoire is her presidency of Ballet Philippines, which requires her to raise enough funds\u2014around Php30 million annually\u2014to keep the company going. The steps are complicated, but she\u2019s taken on yet another \u201cpartner\u201d: Habitat for Humanity, where she is an ambassador.\nWhen she turned 60 this September, Ms. Moran-Floirendo put on her dancing shoes and did the tango. She prefers Comme Il Faut, a luxury brand hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the birthplace of Argentine tango, the type of tango she dances. The brand is known for its daring use of color, its incorporation of novel textures, and the studied care given to proportion. Each design is produced in limited quantities, making every customer the owner of an exclusive item. Since she started buying Comme Il Faut shoes two years ago, Ms. Moran-Floirendo has already rounded up \u201ca usable collection\u201d of 10 pairs. \u201cIt\u2019s a very sexy shoe,\u201d she said.\nHL : When did you start dancing the tango?\nMMF :\u00a0I\u2019ve been dancing tango for the last two years. Argentine tango. I was dancing international tango for so many years. At one point, I got busy with other exercises like yoga and Pilates. Now that Argentine tango is back in fashion, I\u2019ve started dancing it again. I have an instructor here and I also go to Argentina. There are also Argentine maestros who come here so I also take lessons from them.\nHL : Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?\nMMF :\u00a0I have several pairs. The newest I bought in June, particularly for my birthday. I like it because of the colors: it\u2019s fuchsia and pink. I like fuchsia, oranges and reds this year. I just matched the dress to go with it.\nHL : What do you think about tango shoes?\nMMF :\u00a0I think it\u2019s a very sexy shoe because of the way it\u2019s built. I\u2019m a shoe person. I like shoes and I have nice feet. The tango shoe, because it has a particular arch and a nice heel, gives my foot a nice look. In tango, the focus is the feet. You can tell a good dancer by her feet. So it\u2019s not just the look of the shoe, it\u2019s how the dancer uses her shoe to dance tango.\nHL : You\u2019ve worn so many \u2018shoes\u2019 in your life, so to speak\u2014that of a humanitarian, beauty queen, dancer, wife, and mother. Which role is dearest to you?\nMMF :\u00a0A mother, of course. It gives you the best satisfaction if you know that your child is already growing up, probably ready to have another family. And you know, my kids went to study abroad at a very young age and I\u2019m satisfied that they\u2019ve already done well. And as a mother, it never ends.\nHL : If you could be in another person\u2019s shoes, whose shoes would they be?\nMMF :\u00a0Before, when I was young, I wanted to work in a bank. When I was already settled in life, I thought of being a politician as well. I don\u2019t think of that anymore, but I did have that ambition to be a public servant. Now, I think, I should just wear my shoes.\nHL : Shoes can take you places. Are there any other places you want to go to?\nMMF :\u00a0I love to travel. I like to go to different places I\u2019ve never been to and explore. If I could just be a backpacker and wear trekking shoes, I\u2019d do that.\nHL : How about stages?\nMMF :\u00a0No, no more. I dance because I enjoy dancing. My birthday was something special and nobody would complain over the dancing. But no, I just enjoy dancing with friends. It\u2019s like another stage.\nHL: So now, it\u2019s something more personal?\nMMF :\u00a0Yes. It\u2019s personal. I dance to enjoy. That\u2019s it.\n ", "date_published": "2013-08-21T12:07:32+08:00", "date_modified": "2013-08-21T12:07:32+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/blexticauldulack/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bb9711778f8535a5c41d2e047686ad3e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "BusinessWorld", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/author/blexticauldulack/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bb9711778f8535a5c41d2e047686ad3e?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "ballet", "Ballet Philippines", "ccp", "Dancing Queen", "Margie Moran", "Miss Universe", "Pola Esguerra del Monte", "tango", "Favorite Things" ], "summary": "A girl who dreamed of working in a bank and ended up becoming Miss Universe." }, { "id": "http://highlife.com.ph/?p=2964", "url": "https://www.bworldonline.com/favorite-things/2005/12/08/112923/favorite-things-a-slim-fit/", "title": "Favorite Things | A slim fit", "content_html": "
The young congressman from Sorsogon introduces Iris Cecilia C. Gonzales to his buddy, Mr. Slim.
\nWORDS\u00a0 IRIS CECILIA C. GONZALES |\u00a0IMAGES\u00a0 MIKE ALCID
\nFrancis “Chiz” Escudero, he with the boy-next-door looks and charming smile, is a major figure in the political arena. A staunch member of the opposition party, Escudero is proud to be on that side of the fence.
\n![\"Rep.](\"http://highlife.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/MG_6437-683x1024.jpg\")
At the House of Representatives, this lawmaker leads the minority bloc with wit, calm, and humor. He speaks rapidly, yet in a sober tone, making him stand out among his senior peers, some of whom easily blow their top over things both marvelous and mundane.
\nHe dishes out diatribes against the Arroyo administration, yet has managed to earn Malacanang officials’ respect as a “responsible member of the opposition.”
\nPassionate and convincing, Escudero is a fixture in opposition rallies and street protests. Not a few times, he would expose what he perceives to be a wrongdoing and demand an explanation from the Palace.
\nHe is now on his third term as Representative of the first district of the province of Sorsogon. After his term ends in 2007, he says he is vying for a Senate seat.
\nEscudero, a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, is also a serious lawyer, having served as professor of the University of the Philippines College of Law.
\nBelieve it or not, however, this lawmaker knows when to stop. He knows when to take a break from politics. And when he does decide to take it easy, one of the things he is known to do is spend time with Mister Slim, a red 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL.
\nWhy did you acquire it?
\nWhen I was born, my dad didn’t plant a tree, so there was nothing that I could sort of measure my age with. I searched and searched, and that led to a 1969 Mercedes.
![\"1969](\"http://highlife.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/3047overhead.jpg\")
Where did you find it?
\nA friend sold it to me, and then I bought all this other stuff from eBay as part of the restoration of the car. I bought parts, accessories, and other stuff that would go along with the car.
What kind of repair work did it require?
\nIt took me four years to restore it. Everything… the works. It required a lot of technical restoration in the engine, chassis, and suspension, and some works on the door, hood, and deck.
How often do you use it?
\nI use it on weekends. I just love driving it.
What’s the best part about driving it?
\nEvery time I start the engine, I feel like Forest Gump, opening a box of chocolates. Life, he said, is like a box of chocolates: You don’t know what you’re going to get. That’s how I feel with the car, and that’s why I love it so much. Every time I start the engine, I wonder whether or not I will arrive at my destination.
One time, I drove to Tagaytay and asked a driver to follow me in another car. As I expected, the Mercedes broke down, so he was left with it while I drove home the car that he drove. It can be tricky, but that’s part of the fun.
\nWhat’s your advice to people who want to own vintage cars?
\nIt’s not practical and it’s expensive, but if you really want it, it’s worth all the trouble.
When is your next trip?
\nI will have to decide on that after I get the car out from the mechanic’s. It’s there now for a regular check-up.
Do you think you can ever part with it?
\nLet’s put it this way: I have five cars. I can give up any of that except my Mister Slim. I love that car. She’s simply sexy and elegant.