Tapulanga Foundation sets Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction to help deserving students

Tapulanga Foundation presents the 6^th Eat.Share.Love.2014 Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction at the La Proa Ballroom of L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City this November 21, 2014.

The foundation’s annual event aims to promote awareness about Tapulanga Foundation and to generate sponsorship and funds for their college scholarship program. 

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The 29th Negros Trade Fair

The 29th Negros Trade Fair

September 24 to 28, 2014

Glorietta Activity Center

Makati, Philippines

I am so proud to be from Negros Island.

Living in Manila for a couple of years now and I am ALWAYS missing home. The food. The people. The nightlife (YES, we party hard!). The places. HIDLAW is the perfect Hiligaynon term which means the longing for someone, something or some place.

I always go to The Negros Trade Fair to get that "bulong sa kahidlaw" which means to heal the longing.

I will tour you now in the country's longest running trade fair. Welcome to The 29th Negros Trade Fair!

We came around 7PM on a Friday night and the Glorrieta Activity Center was packed with Negrenses and lovers of Negrenses alike. I was with my friends January, Alden and Rachele and we were all famished after the day's work.

The food --- do I need to say more?

Negrense food --- home is where your stomach is. Inasal, KBL, Cansi and loads of rice.

Mindblowing dessert Brazo de Mercedes from Elsie's at The 29thNegrosTradeFair. It proved once more thatLIFE IS INDEED SWEETER IN NEGROS.

With Bacolod friends and a convert to our la dolce vita. Great food and wonderful people. (L-R moi, January, Rachele, Alden)

I was transported back to Bacolod and Negros for a few hours. The smell of chicken inasal from the aptly named booth Inasalan sa Dalan (Grilling in the Streets) and the lure of the desserts all around were just too sweet to resist.

These are a few of my favorite things

at the Glorietta Activity Center

Virgie's Cheese Tarts

Mariel's Cookie Melts from Silay City

El Ideal - one of the oldest bakeries in Negros

Dulce Gatas

And the exquisite design of my friend Ina Gaston for Hacienda Crafts:

And look they included my brother EDBON SEVILLENO's watercolor paintings! 

Thanks Ms. Ina and Sir Joey :)

And don't forget to grab a copy of our documentary film 

PUREZA: The Story of Negros Sugar by Direk Jay Abello

The art scene in Bacolod and Negros Island has a lot to offer in every genre and every medium available. You can take a peek into our art scene during The Negros Trade Fair. 

I also had the chance to see my friend Paul Sumagaysay (from the town of Binalbagan, a municipality 2 hours south of Bacolod) who is a portraitist and painter. He is also the son of the late Negrense artist and portraitist Lor Sumagaysay. I am so happy for Paul to follow in his father's legacy. He also told me that many came to commission him to do their portraits and some paintings. 

Seeing old friends from La Salle-Bacolod's Mass Comm: DLSU-CSB's Carrie Mendoza and Danjugan Island's island manager Dave Albao

Buy from this booth's little gifts and you can help Danjugan Island's efforts to preserve the reefs and marine sanctuaries in the Philippines. A big shoutout to Mr. Gerry Ledesma and Kaila Ledesma-Trebol for continuing their noble efforts to preserve the bounties of the oceans while educating others about it too.

KICULO BAGS from my friend KitKat Cusi-Lobaton

My friend Joba is my model for these bags :)

Shells with tassels put together in a charming ensemble ---

We have this in our house: flattened glass bottles as unique chimes ---

Weaving through time is how we see the designs of the tradition and arts of our ancestors. These are colorful banigs and woven cloths in different indigenous materials. This is also a salute to The Negros Trade Fair for encouraging both traditional and contemporary art to be showcased in Manila.

The fair also offered some usual treats with surprising twists like the Oregano Piaya. 

A special thank you to fellow La Salle-Bacolod Mass Comm alumna Tep Hilado-Lindaya for entertaining our million questions.

Reminiscing All Star MassComm days back home :)

Hats off to you Tep and your team for this year's fair!

Please see Press Release below from Organizers:

Official Poster for The 29th Negros Trade Fair

Smiles Beyond Borders

So goes the theme of the 29^th Negros Trade Fair scheduled for September 24-28 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati. Moved by the destitution that followed the Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda, the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), organizer of this annual exhibition, has challenged its members to share the blessings of their craft to people living in communities affected by natural calamities and armed conflict.  Disaster relief must be sustainable, not only in terms of emergency food and medicine, but in helping locals find new livelihoods so they can rebuild their lives. Almost a year after Bohol and Yolanda, many are still homeless, let alone jobless.

Members of ANP, led by their Chairman Mary Ann Colmenares and President Jojie Locsin, visited communities in Bicol, Cebu, Masbate, northern Negros, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Antique. They bought raw materials that otherwise may be sourced closer to Bacolod, if not for the need to help alleviate the situations in devastated and distant areas. They hired locals to gather shells, pandan leaves, wood from fallen trees, and coconut shells and lumber. At the trade fair in September, expect to find calamity-inspired products, including Hacienda Crafts’ Macramé Pendant Lamp that uses woven baskets from San Remigio in Cebu, Tumandok’s Haiyan Collection of furniture constructed from coconut wood from San Dinisio in Iloilo,  NVC’s “The Story of Maria Luisa”, a mosaic art collectible depicting the life of a two-year-old in Palo, Leyte, who lost her mother to Yolanda, Jojo Vito’s Festival Dolls Collection wearing shells from Bantayan Island and Molocaboc Island, Marayo’s Sea Jewels necklaces and bracelets adorned with shells from Cebu, Artisana’s Yolanterns decorated with coconut shells from Leyte, and the pandan-woven Bantayan Tote of Kiculo. Some of these products are also winners of the 2014 Bulawan Awards, a competition that the ANP holds to push its ranks to create high-quality, high-design merchandise. No doubt, products like these will creep into the hearts of buyers, but it will also give buyers an avenue to help. Shoppers will even more distinguish the Negros Trade Fair for this wonderful emotional experience.

ANP members are experts at helping. In the 80s, ANP was established by visionaries who built handicraft businesses to give alternative livelihood to farm workers displaced by the sugar crisis and insurgency. ANP’s original guards may have given way to the next generation, but the calling remains.

The Negros Trade Fair is the longest-running provincial trade fair held in Metro Manila every year, a feat made possible by the support of the provincial government of Negros Occidental. There are over 80 selling booths to be filled with the latest merchandise from ANP’s five sectors, namely, Furniture & Furnishings, Gifts & Housewares, Fashion & Garments, Food, and Natural & Organic. There will also be hot food featuring the best of Negrense cuisine, headlined by the original chicken inasal. The famous piayas, mango tarts, and other pasalubong delicasies will also be available.

The five-day trade fair will include the following events: Arima! Preview Cocktails on Sept. 23, the official opening of the trade fair on Sept. 24, the NVC Foundation Thank You Day on Sept. 26, the 8^th Tipon Negrosallians on Sept. 27, a reunion of Metro Manila-based alumni of the University of St. La Salle and St. Joseph School. It will also feature the Balay Kalamay Exhibit: The Story of the Sugar Industry of Negros in collaboration with the Sugar Regulatory Administration and Victorias Milling Company.

The 29^th Negros Trade Fair will be open from 10am to 9pm on Sept. 24, 25, and 28 (Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday) and from 10am to 10pm on Sept. 26 and 27 (Friday and Saturday). Entrance is free. For more information, call 034-434-1000 or 0917-312-1664. Follow the Negros Trade Fair on Facebook, or send an email to negrostradefair.anp@gmail.com.

CONTACT:

29^TH NEGROS TRADE FAIR SECRETARIAT

T: (034) 434-1000

M: 0917-312-1664 / 0933-377-9703

E: negrostradefair.anp@gmail.com

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Caloy's Buko Pie sang San Enrique

YOU CAN ALSO FIND US AT THE SAN ENRIQUE BOOTH DURING THE PANAAD FESTIVAL

CALL OR TEXT US 09209008072

Layers upon layers of fresh buko meat with the right crunch of its pie crust --- this is what you will TASTE from every single bite of Caloy's Buko (Coconut) Pie sang San Enrique.


I have heard about this special Buko Pie from friends since early 2011 (or maybe earlier). Someone from down south shared with me a piece of this pie. With just one bite, I finally knew what I have been missing in a Buko Pie for a long time.

I got the softest young buko meat layered on a bed of generous custard. I was happy that this pie is not that sweet. Just the right sweetness that it needed. That sweetness that did not overpower the freshness of the young coconut. It was like munching on a mouthful of soft coconut clouds! 


I am now helping the owners to improve their marketing and online communications since we know we have a Facebook market ready. I have actually volunteered to help them a year ago because I knew that they have a good product. And as young entrepreneurs, I also support their idea of doing business in their small town of San Enrique (about 30-40 minutes away from Bacolod City in Negros Occidental). This small business provides jobs for the local people of the town. This is also a great thing for tourism for it highlights the best products of San Enrique.

For deliveries, please call 09209008072.  

A plate of buko pie can be divided into 8 slices. The 9-inch buko pie is in a sturdy box so you can easily bring it as pasalubong. Or better yet, eaten freshly baked on the same day as it is delivered to you. I think the latter is the best way to enjoy your Buko Pie. Or best strategy is to buy one for pasalubong and one for consumption. Fresh buko pies definitely require you to throw away delayed gratification. You just have to eat it while it's hot!

AVAILABLE IN THE SAN ENRIQUE BOOTH DURING THE PANAAD FESTIVAL!!! Hurry :)

But hey, if you badly need a buko pie fix, we do understand and would like to accommodate your cravings. :) 

If you are near San Enrique or passing by the town, please ring or send a message through these Mobile Nos. +63-927-8297888 or +63-923-8823144. The owners would really be happy to serve you in their main branch. Ask any local around San Enrique and they will lead you to us. The business is also open for hotels and restaurants who would like to feature Caloy's Buko Pie sang San Enrique in their menus or special buffets. 


Click the Facebook Fan Page Caloy's Buko Pie sang San Enrique for more information and some promos that we can think of. 


Have a slice of Caloy's Buko Pie sang San Enrique! Kanamiton!

As for me, I will have to wait for another Negros trip to taste my Coconut clouds :) 

XLXL,

FatGoddess

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On Pureza, The Story of Negros Sugar (Documentary Film - 2012)

PUREZA, The Story of Negros Sugar

A Full Documentary Film by Jay Abello

February 2012

Part 1

LIVING MI DULCE VIDA

by Ihvonie “Teytey” Sevilleno

Pureza, The Story of Negros Sugar is a full documentary film

Executive Producers J. ABELLO, JOEY GASTON

Producers FIONA BORRES, AGNES VILLAR

Director J. ABELLO

Writers JET ORBIDA, CHECCS OSMEÑA

Editor FIONA BORRES

Director of Photography J. ABELLO

Asst. Director LOVELLE BELLOCILLO

Visual FX Supervisor RICHARD FRANCIA

Sound Engineers ALBERT MICHAEL IDIOMA, ALEX TOMBOC

Music PEARLSHA ABUBAKAR

Researchers IHVONIE SEVILLENO, KAT VALENCIA

Living mi dulce vida in Negros, I thought I knew it all. Spoken like a true-blue Negrense, “Kabalo na ko na ah!”

Tawrrnngg… was I sooo wrong. Researching for a 200-year old province – our Negros Occidental – was HHHHHAAARRRRDDDD.

Preparing a Scene at General Aniceto Lacson's Ancestral House in Hacienda Claparols, Talisay City

 Finding books and research materials about Negros was not as easy as typing N-E-G-R-O-S on Google. Thousands of delicate pages, old newspaper clippings, heavy hardbound books, wooden chests and decrepit boxes of old photos were our companions for a year.  After 3 years, some pages are still haunting my dreams.

Moi, Researcher

Kat Valencia, Researcher while researching
at the Negros Occidental Historical Commission
Library beside the Provincial Library

As researchers, we had to bring our own “top-of-the-line” mobile digital archiving equipment.  This included laptops, point-and-shoot cameras, flash drives, removable drives and an old grey scanner (which seemed heavier because of its monstrosity of cables). For a year, we lugged them around so we could provide our writers with the information they needed.

My tasks in this location shoot at Hacienda Santa Rosalia in Manapla includes Photo Documentation,
Wardrobe Assistant and Production Coordinator

I have always loved libraries but I got overdosed with libraries while doing the film. We spent thousands of hours at the Rafael Salas Library of the Negros Museum, the Provincial Library of Negros Occidental and its neighbor the Negros Occidental Historical Commission Library. I also went to the Silliman University Library in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental and the Center for Western Visayas Studies of the University of the Philippines – Iloilo. And the list goes on and on, with thousands of pages, maps, political cartoons, articles and photos scanned to the highest resolution that our old thick scanner can handle.

The House of the Gastons, Hacienda Santa Rosalia, Manapla, Negros Occidental, Philippines
(one of our locations for the Cosplay Shoot)

Kat, Velle and I (and our countless assistants) visited ancestral homes and private libraries and went through numerous personal collections – all these to know more about US. I was basically a scavenger/hunter/forager for anything NEGROS and WHO to talk to in Negros. It seemed to be an endless quest for yours truly, the struggling “Sugar Expert IV (a sugarity)”.

(Sugarity:  noun: an original Pureza term related to Negros sugar and its industry.)

Ihvonie “Teytey” Sevilleno

Researcher/Production Coordinator/Director’s Soothsayer/Pureza House Dumaan and Official Cook/Marketing Person/Museum Worker

PART 2

MARRIED TO PUREZA

Direk Jay Abello on the Cosplay Shoot (Chroma)

I remember how we called ourselves - work addicts and OCs – because of the passion we gave to our work.  The repercussions were so great that we had sleepless nights and numerous trips to 24-hour McDonald’s stores.  By then, we had a regular quitting of Production Assistants who got overwhelmed with our sugarities and such.

Makeup for our "Uncle Sam" (Direk Milton Dionzon)

Direk Jay Abello with the cast and production crew at our Pureza - Giant Exterior Chroma Wall (available light)

Migraine-inducing meetings went for, sometimes, 72 hours.  These meetings had Direk Jay, Sir Jet and Miss Checcs endlessly talking and writing on our humongous white boards in PeacePond and Pureza house. How I wished then that those white boards were large digital touch-screens so I could copy-paste their notes unto MSWord! By the end of the 72^nd hour, I resorted to taking photographs of the notes on those white boards.

Ms. Checcs, Fiona Borres, Kat Valencia and Lovelle Bellocillo:
We will always be Pureza Girls!

With Pureza, it was like a wedding. Something blue, something borrowed and something new. Pureza was not only blood, sweat and tears but tons of laughter, friendship and family. After three years, I am not divorcing Pureza. But we are all coming home to finally tell OUR story. Finally.

===========

Negros Pureza Foundation and Bonfire Productions, Inc.

in cooperation with

the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and 7th Films

present

 “PUREZA:  The Story of Negros Sugar”

SYNOPSIS


For the first time in Philippine cinema, a full-length documentary film on the struggling sugar industry of the island of Negros and how a piece of crystallized grain could affect a whole island of 3 million people!


At the turn of the 20th century, Negrense “hacienderos” (sugarcane land owners) were the richest and their farm workers the highest paid in the country. But in a span of a century, the Negros sugar industry plunged from its proverbial pedestal into its inglorious present state.


Why is the industry in peril?  Is it, indeed, a flailing sunset industry?


Filmmaker J Abello, a former sugarcane farm manager, offers a glimpse of the island’s turbulent history through dramatic and controversial video:  lavish parties of Negros sugar barons, candid interviews with hacienderos, never before seen footage of Negros Island…and more.


“Pureza: The Story of Negros Sugar” traces the history of the Negros sugar industry as it faces strife and discord in the advent of the 21st century. 


 PRODUCTION STAFF:
Director – J. Abello
Editor – Fiona Borres
Executive Producers –J. Abello, Joey Gaston
Producers– Fiona Borres, Agnes Villar
Writers – Jet Orbida, Checcs Osmeña
Director of Photography – J. Abello
Sound Engineers – Albert Michael Idioma, Alex Tombok
Music – Pearlsha Abubakar
Visual FX Supervisor – Richard Francia
Asst. Director – Lovelle Bellocillo
Researchers – Ihvonie Sevilleno, Kat Valencia




COSPLAY ACTORS:


Oying Osmeña
Milton Dionzon
Mandy Alimon
Eero Martinez
Dante Amaguin




DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
JAY ABELLO


An industry disciple working on over 25 feature films in the Philippines, countless TV shows including soap operas and TV commercials in a span of 10 years, Jay Abello is a movie fan by heart.  He describes the movie set as “one of the most romantic places you can ever be in. You’re in the middle of nowhere and you have all these lights and production people trying to make something out of nothing and it’s a new world altogether.” 


He also believes that he is a film student at best and has always traveled and accepted projects based on this—“I just want to learn more about film.”


Among Jay Abello’s best works is doing cinematography for the films Brutus (Tara Illenberger), Donor (Mark Meily), Kano’(Coreen Jimenez) and Nino(Loy Arcenas).   He has also directed two feature films (Ligaw Liham and Namets!) and Pureza is his first documentary feature.


DIRECTOR’S INFORMATION:
Unit 1806 Tower 3
Avida Towers
New Manila
Quezon City
Mobile: 0917-8588813
Landline: (02) 2151205
Email: behonest@jayabello.com


PRODUCERS’ INFO:


NEGROS PUREZA FOUNDATION, INC.
North Drive Corner Margarita Streets
Villamonte Public Market
Bacolod City
Contact Persons: Andrea Gallos or Jojane Morcilla or Mel Mendoza
Mobile: +63 907 706 1332 or +63 932 306 5277 or +63 917 301 2878
Landline: (034) 433-5034 


BONFIRE PRODUCTIONS
FSS Bldg 1 Annex
89 Scout Castor St.
Diliman, Quezon City
Contacts: Fiona Borres or Zandra Garay
Mobile: +63 928 551 6724
Landline: 632-3762346
Email: fiona@bonfire.com.ph
Visit www.bonfire.com.ph


For those who are asking for the Screening of Pureza: 
SCREENINGS:


PREMIER (By Invitation):
Screening 1 – February 7, 2012 | 6:30PM, Cinema 3, SM Bacolod
Screening 2 - February 7, 2012 | 9:00PM, Cinema 3, SM Bacolod


BACOLLYWOOD | CINEMA REHIYON 2012
Screening: 6PM, February 11, 2012 at Robinson’s Place-Bacolod
Please contact Secretariat for Tickets - 0916 8782878


February 17
3 REGULAR SCREENINGS
(Open to the Public, Tickets at P 120.00)
Regular Cinema Hours at SM Bacolod, Tickets will be available at Cafe Uma


For schools, universities and large organizations, please contact NEGROS PUREZA FOUNDATION for screening.

Here's the full Trailer:

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