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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USLS-IS HS Batch 96 - 15th Year Reunion Party!

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FatLadies Sol&Tata present "Tambs&Lags"

FatLadies Sol&Tata present "Tambs&Lags"

A Comedy Improvs Show for everyone!

Nights at the Negros Museum

and the

Museum Cafe

present

TAMBS & LAGS

with FatLadies Sol&Tata

November 19, 2011

Saturday

7 PM

at the Museum Cafe

Negros Museum (beside Hall of Justice)

Gatuslao St., Bacolod City

P 300 with food, drinks and unli-tawa!

For the benefit of the mountain schoolchildren of southern Negros (RECOP)

For ticket reservations and information, please contact 09154472885 | 09213307861 | 09339603627

or 4334764 | 7085080 | 4319451

Limited to 70 tickets only!

If you want to donate to RECOP, you can also contact us how you can best help this project.

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What's in the Museum Cafe?

I work at the Negros Museum and since we opened our Museum Cafe, everyone I know would ask me about our Museum Cafe. What to eat, What's on the menu, What's the specialty, Do we serve lunch, rice, pasta, blah, blah, blah, blah...

I have constantly talked about it for 2 months now and I guess my mouth is a bit sore from all these talking. Here goes. My personal choices at the Cafe. Next time someone asks me, I will just give them the link.

About the photos, they are from my photographer friends who came to volunteer for our food shoot for the Museum Cafe. Thanks to Quino Yao, Dr. Michael David, Jomi Garrucho, KitKat Lobaton, Lynell Gaston, Ronnie Baldonado, Christine Weber, Nephi Treyes, Bumpy Coscolluela, Marianne Coscolluela and Carlyn Martir.

OKAY...let us start with the first thing that I would usually ask for at the Cafe. The amazing Pork Bitter Balls. These are for real. And they are not Bitter, at all!

These 5 pork balls are deep-fried and are crunchy outside. Inside is just a mouthful of heaven. I don't care what's in it, though I trust our cook about the natural and fresh food that they have been making. I know it's kinda irresponsible for me to say that. But then.....

YOU will definitely understand when you will take a bite of this.

And the orange juice, is squeezed from fresh oranges. 3-4 oranges are squeezed into a tall glass, no sugar, just pure orange juice with its natural fibers. Drink up.

SO NOW, I want to take you to the MEAT OF THE MATTER.

This is the Talisay Ham on Sesame Bread with lots of greens, fresh tomatoes and cucumber slices. Thrown in are some fresh tarragon from the cafe's garden outside. Just ask for mustard if you would like some.

These are my other personal choices from the sandwiches:

Smoked Salmon on Sesame Bread

 Some Bacon and Spiced Pork Belly Ham would also do you good. I didn't provide the photos so you would order them at the our Cafe. Haha!

Homemade Cheese in French Baguette

My favorite bread is the French Baguette, freshly baked everyday. But I love the others too: Sesame Bread, Corn Bread and the Whole Wheat Bread. Heavy bread and you can have it as your lunch because it will hold for several hours on your stomach.

French Baguette   Photo by Ronnie Baldonado

Whole Wheat Bread

Corn Bread

Black Sesame Bread

I don't really have anything to say. I just want to line them up. My heart skips triple-beat when I see something significant as a % symbol.

Ice-cold beer, wine and international liquors are available after 4pm.

For desserts, you need to try the Apple Cake. NAMIT gid ya. But it's a big slice so you might need someone to help you eat it. Rich cake with toasted green apples which are surprisingly sweet and not a hint of the natural apple sourness. And hehehe.... a lot of whipped cream on top. (Photo will be added soon when I have the patience to take a photo of eat instead of just thinking of getting the picture before I finished the whole cake.)

When you order your coffee, don't forget to taste the madeleines with it. I am not a coffee drinker but these madeleines are just fluffy and sweet and melts in your mouth. Perfect.

Madeleines from the Museum Cafe   Photo by Michael David

So anytime you are free, you can come to the Negros Museum (just beside the Hall of Justice and a few minutes away from the Provincial Capitol Building). The food is great and I always feel relaxed when I am there.

And for those asking if they are serving lunch, they have this Special of the Week (or until supplies last) and they have different kinds of international cuisine. They also have the Snack of the day and Soup of the Day. Check them out for their Weekly Specials. If you need to call for reservations or any information, contact 09213307861 or (034) 4334764. The PHINMA Main Gallery is also open for functions,  meetings and events.

They are with the same hours as the Negros Museum: TUESDAYS TO SUNDAYS from 10am-8am.

When i need a break from the office, I go to our Museum Cafe to order Orange Juice or talk with the staff. You may choose to sit outside under the umbrellas with your friends or read a book inside the PHINMA Main Gallery surrounded with the current art exhibits. I am sure you will enjoy the ambience and the food.

I have brought some of my friends here to eat and talk and catch up.

With Easter, Elaine and Odie

Ramon my friend, playing around with the water pitcher

Happy eating!

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CERES PASALUBONG: Ceres is not just my RIDE, It's also my FOOD TRIP

WOW! This weekend is just great!

First of all, I want to thank my cousin, Julie (iamsuperjulie), who designed the new look of my blog. I am also most grateful for her for pushing me to write more and share more. Manang, salamat and I love you gid!

For now, I want to share my sister's work. She is with CERES PASALUBONG INC. I started helping my older sister years before when they started because she can't layout on either CorelDraw or PhotoShop and she said I was good (or so I thought she implied...ehem).

But then, I became more involved because I felt there is more potential in their products. And I have always believed that GREAT PRODUCTS just needs a little boosting in all these --- marketing, packaging, branding, advertising and all that. 

YES guys, I have already tasted every single kind of bread, roll, pasalubong, sweets and whatever they have. Well, let's just say I am my sister's unofficial-official taste tester.

This fairly new company which offers Negros' best in pasalubong, desserts, treats and fresh bread is fast becoming known. Ceres Pasalubong can be found in the different Ceres Terminals all over Visayas and Mindanao. Ceres Pasalubong shops are also located in strategic places around Bacolod City and Negros Island.

More shops and standees will be opened in the next few months in malls and locations here in Bacolod and in other provinces.

FatGoddess' Personal Choices:

I love their PIAYA! I like mine with very thin unleavened bread and oozing muscovado filling and they just nailed it for me. Very moist filling just fills you with this sugar rush, pure and unadulterated sugar rush, courtesy of our very own Negros product, muscovado.

This Ceres Pasalubong Especial, although packed, is near THAT piaya served hot off the griddle.

For the bread, I love their old school mamon (muffin) which they call Kabayan Mamon (very nationalistic eh?). This Kabayan Mamon is simply delicious and like their other bread and rolls, the prices are very reasonable. When I first tasted this, I thought I ate a corn muffin from Kenny Rogers. Surprising at first and then I keep on ordering more of these. Addicting.

And.... (drum roll please).....Spanish rolls -- I just have to tell you this. YUMMY... mmmmm mmmmmm mmmm! Just for PHP 6.00, an ideal snack.

They have so many products and they also help out local producers in Negros. And what is more interesting is that they try to make these traditional baked goodies that we have in our local bakeries. They have the Quinamoncil, Sesame Cookies (a cookie smothered with sesame seeds), Pulceras (a cracker that looks like an infant's bracelet), Teren-teren (comes from the word "tren" or train, the bread resembles a train with coaches), Sambag-Sambag (which really looks like pale Sampalok or tamarind fruits), and the sweet brojas.

I really want to share these products because I know if you taste them, you would agree with me. With Ceres Pasalubong, you get your money's worth with the quality and taste.

If you want to reach them, you can call their hotline +63 34 434-4118 or Mobile No. +63 917 723 2515.

Note: My sister is working for the company, my brother made the branding and I have been helping this company for years with graphic layout for their packaging and marketing. But mind you readers, this is not a paid blog. I just believe in their products and I just LOVE food, what can I say? 

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Easter Sunday Merienda

lazy Easter Sunday afternoon merienda: lugaw with flour balls, sago, saging, gata, butong, ube, camote

LINUGAW brings me back to our humble home some 25 years ago. After the summer's precious rain, our grandmother Nanay Laon would make a very big cauldron of LINUGAW with all the good stuff. I love the soft flour balls in this sweet porridge with sago (pearls), ripe bananas, violet sweet potatoes, Ube or yam, strips of young coconut meat mixed with coconut milk and brown sugar. Eaten steaming hot or as a cold dessert, it doesn't matter. The taste and the texture of the different ingredients together in a mouthful is incredible. The soft richness of the potatoes and the Ube complements the sweet bananas. Comfort food.

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The Bacolod Chicken Inasal Tour

Let's take a trip around Bacolod for the Best Chicken Inasal in Sugartown!  

INASAL is somewhat synonymous to BACOLOD and NEGROS OCCIDENTAL. 

I can smell them! Wash your hands and be one with your food...its called the gracious art of eating with your fingers :D DIG IN!

My favorite chicken inasal resto in Bacolod is Chicken House North (or just about any Chicken House branches -- Mandalagan and Singcang). You are sure of the best chicken for every visit. And very good service. I get accustomed to the personalized service from  "self-assigned" waiters.  Although, they have to think about the rice portions. I think it is way to small, considering its comfort food for all. :D Attention Cajilis, rice alert. 

Sometimes, my waiter in Chicken House North Manong Jun would ask, "Pila ka rice 'day?" (How many rice would you like to order?) I would promptly answer, "Seven." I like the feel of SEVEN as a word and of course, you'll know what I mean when you are there. 

Chicken House North's PAA (thighs)

I would usually order: Pakpak or PAA, Atay, Spare Ribs (which is just plain awesome at less than 100 pesos and is part of a different blogpost coming soon) and X number (secret) of garlic rice.

And since we Negrenses definitely love our own, we had to feature this in our Food and Travel Show for TV5 last 2009 PROMDI CHEF. I worked as writer and associate producer for this show. A foodie like me would kill for this kind of job, so good thing I did not have to do anything gruesome.

PROMDI CHEF was directed and produced by: Direk Jay Abello and Bonfire Productions
Hosts Chef Jomi Gaston of Bacolod's Trattoria Uma and Cafe Uma, Masskara Queen 2008 Jan Mari Vega and local celeb/host John Arceo. 

Before we proceed to our next stop, don't ever forget to mix your own 'Sawsawan' (dip). First, squeeze 2 - 3 calamansi, then put some 'sinamak' (spiced vinegar) and soy sauce to color, not too much ok? 

Off to another stop for our tour is the resto at the aptly called inasalan strip MANOKAN COUNTRY -- AIDA's!

Aida's Chicken Inasal is located at the Manokan Country, in front of the SM Mall Bacolod, Reclamation Area. 

This is Aida's Chickan Inasal (Grilled Chicken).Well-cooked chicken paa (thighs) or pecho (breast) or any part of the chicken that is -- tinae (intestines), atay (liver), batikolon (gizzard), pakpak (wings) and some that I cannot translate like bul-o (errrr...) and isol (my favorite, but just discover for yourself what this thing is). Don't worry, the last 2 parts are still parts of a chicken.

Every guest or friend from outside Bacolod would ask me how to make these heavenly barbequed gifts.. I would tell them its marinating the chicken with just calamansi, vinegar, soy sauce, tanglad (lemon grass), rock salt and garlic. It is also about grilling them the right way. 

Before I clip my PAKPAK and fly out of here, here is another lovely addition to the meal (you are drooling now,  cover your mouth). Aida's GARLIC RICE and it does not add up to 1 cup only. I think 2 cups and a half! So watch it when you order or you'll get a pile of yellow colored rice and some fried garlic toppings. Very important: Don't forget to drizzle (fun word to use) your rice with "THE" CHICKEN OIL, chicken oil colored with achuete (annatto seeds). 

Aida's GARLIC RICE, 1 cup is probably equal to 2 1/2 cups!

Just a few reminders before deciding to eat here, you have to take a small snack before going or take some candy with you because they cook the chicken well before serving. They don't half-cook like some of the "fast food" chains do out there. Slowly cooking the chicken without turning the skin to black.

I got homesick when we were in Brunei for a couple of months. So when I got the chance, I cooked up my own version of Bacolod chicken inasal in a beach called Pantai Tungku in Jerudong Bandar Seri Bengawan, Brunei. Tada!

A Filipino Fare: Grilled Pork Belly and Bacolod Chicken Inasal complete with sawsawan, sliced red tomatoes and ehem... a pot of rice!

Beautiful sunset near the equator. Pantai Tungku Beach, Jerudong, BSB, Brunei Darussalam 2008. I did Chicken Inasal near the entrance and other beachgoers came to ask what were cooking. They said it smelled super good!

Well, if you are about to go back to Manila and is en route to Bacolod-Silay Airport, check out the GOLDEN FOOD PARK. They have the best and most-reasonably priced Chicken Inasal in Silay. Just before turning right on the corner of the CALTEX Gasoline Station, 100 meters away is the restaurant. Or you can ask any people and they will point you to the location. 

Hope you get a good grasp of how to eat Chicken Inasal, where to eat the best inasal here in Bacolod and what to order, etc. etc. So now.................you hungry?

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iPaint

i painted this last year! made myself a bag. :D

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