Is Filipino cuisine an endangered heritage?

Tamales

Like our indigenous fabrics and oral chants and literature, Filipino cuisine is a cultural heritage that needs protection and preservation.

Kapampangan chef José Antonio Miguel Melchor is advocating the preservation of the wealth of recipes, resources and skills to be passed on to the next generations.

“If you ask millennials what’s their favorite cuisine, they usually cite Italian or Japanese because it’s sosyal,” said Melchor. “For them Filipino cuisine is equivalent to Jollibee. They don’t know what’s galantina (stuffed chicken), tamales (steamed rice cakes with chicken) or pianggang (Tausug chicken dish).”

The chef’s crusade began in 2014 when he was commissioned by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to handle the Filipino section of the Asean food festivals at the Shangri-La hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia; Yangon, Myanmar; Phnom Penh and Vietnam. The buffet of adobo, kare-kare, sisig, suckling pig and other classics was well received by international guests.

“I taught the local chefs how to make our food from scratch using the DA’s produce,” said Melchor. “It dawned on me that the government markets our cuisine abroad while there is not enough promotion of our own cuisine here. Many are still not aware what Filipino food is.”

He then formed a group that would take up this cause. Some proponents of Filipino cuisine, celebrity chefs and food journalists supported him while others said that it had been done.

Despite the naysayers, Melchor established the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement, composed of industry stalwarts and people with influence. For its launch, a gala was held at the National Museum honoring the people who popularized Filipino food such as Glenda Barretto, Engracia Reyes of Aristocrat Restaurant, Lorenzo J. Cruz, Nora Daza and the late Inquirer food columnist Doreen Fernandez. For its second anniversary, the movement held a fiesta at Kabisera restaurant.

Melchor also collaborated with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for government legislation.  NCCA chair Felipe de Leon Jr. suggested that April be proclaimed Buwan ng Pagkaing Filipino.

Melchor said he hopes the proposed Filipino Cuisine Month would make people more aware of the unique cultural and social characteristics of Filipino food.

Melchor seeks to create a center of Filipino cuisine with the DA. He said the Agribusiness Development Center has a showroom which could be used as showcase of Filipino products. He said the center could also advise suppliers how to make their products marketable.

Food culture

Growing up in Pampanga, the Philippines’ food capital, Melchor was always surrounded by good food. His parents loved to entertain while his great grandfather was a chef for the Americans in Clark Air Base. He lauded the resourcefulness of Filipinos as they recycled airplane body parts into cooking pots and pans.

Melchor owns and manages a catering service, Healthy Eats, which delivers food to people who want to eat nutritionally balanced meals.

But his repertoire of Filipino food is a diet buster. Melchor said he cooks such classics as kare-kare using tripe and fresh sauce. It comes with fish paste from Pangasinan which is washed to reduce the saltiness and spiked with onions, garlic and fresh tomatoes.He also makes pastel de lengua and morcon with beef.

Melchor recently participated at the Terra Madre Salon del Gustilo in Italy where he showcased Filipino dishes. He said the international network aims to protect ingredients that are endangered because of the lack of demand.

He said Filipinos are no longer familiar with purple yam, turmeric or yellow ginger, tinawon and adlai or pearl barley.  “Filipinos don’t know these crops, they only know of chili flakes,” he said. “They are also unaware of the varieties of heirloom rice around the country like tinawon or white rice from Ifugao, and Cordillera red rice which we put on top of adobo.”

Melchor acknowledged that Filipino cuisine is evolving. “We don’t have to cook in the palayok and serve on banana leaves,” he said.

But he observed how puto would be compromised with flour for convenience instead of the traditional galapong or rice dough, or how it would take several hours to stir boiled ube with fresh coconut cream until it thickens. Today, people cook with  powdered ube and canned milk, he added.

In the end, it is important to maintain the defining features of Filipino food, Melchor declared.

Source: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/249618/filipino-cuisine-endangered-heritage/#ixzz4V1uNFDdk

The 80s will be the biggest trend of 2017. For Better or Worse

80s Chic, anyone?

Marc Jacobs was on to something when he threw a recent party in Brooklyn with a wildly specific dress code that started with the mandate of "Chic '80s." Apparently, in 2017 we'll all be wearing 1980s-inspired clothing, at least according to two of the latest analytical forecasts of next year's trends.

It all sort of makes a bit of sense. We'll have a controversial celebrity turned Republican politician in the White House. Popular music is as synth-heavy as it's ever been since that decade. People are actually excited about new Star Wars movies. Stranger Things is the most buzzed about show of the year. Makeup on men is an even bigger trend than it was during the glam rock heyday. Heck, Hollywood is even rebooting Dynasty.

According to Pinterest's in-house analytic team, the '80s trend isn't about to die down. The team has analyzed the trends that have seen the most year-over-year pinning growth over the past year and that seem primed to peak in 2017. Among their forecasts is the belle sleeve top silhouette taking over the off-the-shoulder look, an even more heated interest in flair (as in things like stickers and pins), and of course, more '80s.

"Other big shifts were in political Ts (no surprise there), backless shoes—and not just the mule—and multiple earrings," writes WWD. "That goes hand-in-hand with the popularity of Eighties-style trends, such as high-tops, peg legs and denim skirts."

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'80s trends that are making a comeback:

1. ‘80s and ‘90s Perfumes are Coming Back in a Major Way

2. '80s Beauty Trends You'd Never Try Today

3. 10 Pieces You Need to Bring Some '80s Glam to Your Style

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Meanwhile, retail analytic firm Edited is also forecasting trend temperatures in the '80s as well.

"The 1980s will be huge—everything from power suits and slouchy tailored trousers for office wear, through to off-the-shoulder looks, activewear and [over-the-top] ruffles," the report stated.

So, while there are some disagreements as to the fate of off-the-shoulder tops, both agree that '80s are in.

Which isn't a surprise. Designers have packed recent collections with '80s details. Hedi Slimane's last collection for Saint Laurent saw more dramatic shoulders since the series finale of Dynasty, and other designers followed suit with Reagan-era stylings in their spring 2017 collections.

Li Edelkoort, the Danish consultant widely regarded as the master of all fashion trend prognosticators, also sees fashion's increasing obsession with trends of the past as well, but she's not happy about it. In a recent talk in London, Edelkoort decided to forgo a traditional trend-setting talk, and instead delivered a stern chiding of fashion's recent practices.

According to Business of Fashion, she pointed out that designers of the past made their names by creating radically new silhouettes and types of clothing, while too many today rely on simply reinventing old ideas from the past.

“These categories of designers are working on clothes and are no longer concerned or interested in change for change’s sake – unanimously declaring newness a thing of the past," Edelkoort said. “With this lack of conceptual innovation, the world is losing the idea of fashion.”

Which does make a certain amount of sense. Why head to the department store to find the latest trend when you can just as easily find it in the thrift store?

Source:  http://www.allure.com/story/80s-fashion-trend-for-2017?mbid=social_cp_facebook_vf

Marketing Christmas. Where it all began.

A Christmas Carol: The revival of the Christmas "spirit"

Christmas began as a religious and social holiday and then it morphed into a commercial phenomenon worldwide.

In the Philippines, Christmas begins as early as September. This has been noted since the mid-1980s. It is  curious as to its coincidence with the establishment of the first shopping malls such as SM North EDSA and SM Centerpoint.  Also, it was observed that starting September 1, radio stations commenced playing Christmas carols every hour on the hour. It will be followed by radio commercials of ham, cheese, milk and spaghetti.

But where did it really start?

By mid-4th century AD, December 25, has been established as the date of Christmas but there was no festival as we know it now. In fact, early Christian festivals were based on Jewish festivals such as the Passover. But with the rising power of Christianity by the time of Emperor Constantine, efforts have been made by the Christian Church to separate itself from Judaism, citing the existence of the New Testament.

December 25 was also associated with the Winter Solstice, that is when the night is longest and the days coming after will start to grow longer. This was associated with hope after the winter. In Rome, it coincides with the festival of Sol Invictus, the Sun God or Apollo. As with any polytheistic religion, Rome also celebrates the pagan feast of Saturnalia and it also coincides with the early rival of Christianity, the religion of Mithraism. 

Early Christian theologians such as St. Irenaeus and St. Tertullian did not include Christmas in their list of Christian festivals and in 245 AD, Origen of Alexandria stated that only sinners and Pharaohs celebrated their birthdays. 

The first recorded celebration of Christmas was in 336 AD in Rome but this celebration was overshadowed by other Christian feast days such as the Epiphany celebrated on January 6. 

The popularity of Christmas eventually gained when Charlemagne was crowned King in 800 AD and King William I  was crowned king of England in the year 1066 AD. In the year 1377, King Richard II celebrated Christmas by serving 28 oxen and 300 sheep to the celebrators. Other tradition also became popular but also contributed to the decline of Christmas as a feast. Caroling was one of them. During that time carolers sang and danced but since it was an offshoot of Saturnalia, the carolers were drunk and there were times that they danced in the nude.

By the time of the Protestant Reformation, gift giving was introduced and instead of January 6, it was done on Christmas eve. During the English Civil War, the Puritan government banned Christmas. What followed was rioting that engulfed Canterbury for days.  Even in North America, the celebration of Christmas was banned for a time. It was only during the Restoration of King Charles II that Christmas was celebrated again. 

But it must be noted that Christmas was dictated by the Church and Government. What happened between then and now.

In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. Dickens wrote that Christmas was about family, social and economic justice, feasting, goodwill and compassion. This revived the “spirit” of Christmas. It also must be noted at that time, the British Empire was ruling most of the known world. Thus, the Christmas culture spanned the globe. Also in 1843 Sir Henry Cole crafted the first commercial Christmas Card.

By the year 1900, other contemporary Christmas traditions were being established such as the Christmas Tree, Christmas themed advertisements in magazines and newspapers and even Christmas greeting by companies that got put up in billboards by the 1920s and 30s. 

But Christmas really broke out after WWII. During the boom years, Americans used to just having candies, apples or oranges in their stockings got toys and other gifts. The industrial complex began churning out products especially for the Christmas holidays and these also involved advertising in print, radio and television.

And we go back to now. That is how Christmas was marketed, first by the churches, then governments and now by economic and industrial enterprises.

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year from Advertising and Marketing Philippines! 

Curious Curator launches with art exhibition on “The Quiet Strength of a Woman” featuring two Ilonggo artists

The Filipino art scene has been evolving and flourishing in recent years. Our artists are getting rave reviews in auctions and exhibitions abroad, while local art events like Art in the Park and Art Fair Philippines are staged with resounding success. This signals not only a renewed appreciation for Filipino art by locals and foreigners alike, but also the eager interest and growing population of art enthusiasts in the country. It is within this context that the idea of Curious Curator was formed by a pair of art enthusiasts. 

Curious Curator was conceptualized in order to help budding and potential artists from outside Metro Manila, especially from the Visayas and Mindanao, penetrate the mainstream art scene. Keeping the welfare of the artist front and center, Curious Curator manages the financial, marketing and sales aspect of the collaboration so that the artist can focus on the creation process. Curated and conceptual art exhibitions are held in non-traditional venues to reach a wider audience.  This enables the startup to promote the evolving Filipino artistry while diversifying and simplifying ways that budding art collectors can secure original but affordable art pieces.

To officially launch Curious Curator, two Ilonggo artists will be featured as the first curated artists in an exhibition entitled, “Ang Maugdang nga Kusog sang Babaye.”  Showing contrasting perspectives on the “quiet strength of a woman,” the exhibit will feature two entirely different artists who are both lovers of the silhouette of a woman. One is a man; the other, a woman. One is a sculptor; the other, a painter. One is seasoned; the other, budding.

For Harry Mark Gonzales, “How I carve shapes and movement is how I appreciate and celebrate the beauty and strength of a woman.” The 34-year old effortlessly manipulates cold-cast marble into stunning silhouettes of women. His love affair with marble started after his “A Protest Over Guimaras Oil Spill” terra cotta sculpture bagged the grand prize at the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Awards in 2007.  A self-taught artist, his material mastery was honed by years of experience under the influence of respected artist Ed Defensor, allowing him to create some of Iloilo City’s most important landmarks.

Inspired by poet and artist Akiane Kramarik, 21-year-old Kat Malazarte pursues spirituality as the main theme in her body of work, recognizing this as the core of a woman’s strength.  “A woman’s quiet strength is her resilience. That no matter the storms that rage at her life… she, in the end, rises.” This is beautifully captured in strokes that convey the depth and mystical quality of the woman, strokes that have been meticulously guided by the late Norce Salazar. A Vision Petron National 
Student Art Competition Grand Prize winner for the video-making category in 2015 for her entry, “Tingnan Nang Malapitan, Damhin Nang Malaliman,” Kat is the first cum laude graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program of the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City.

The 18-piece collection of eight oil paintings and ten cold-cast marble sculptures creates a visual feast that pays homage to the strength that allows women to endure.

The exhibit runs from September 30, 2016, 6:00pm to October 2, 2016, 6:00pm at _GALLERY at A SPACE, 5th floor, 110 Legazpi St, Makati City and is staged by Curious Curator with their partners A SPACE, Nipa Brew and 034 creatives. An Artists’ Talk is scheduled on October 1, 2016 at 2:00pm with the two featured artists to share their thoughts on the theme as well as their creative process. For more information, you may contact Curious Curator at 09178828299, or email them at curiouscuratorph@gmail.com or visit fb.com/curiouscuratorph or www.curiouscurator.ph.

31st Negros Trade Fair showcases unique fashion incorporating this year's theme "Biodiversity in Tourism"

The annual Negros Trade Fair has always been a fashionista’s dream. Why? Simple. There’s always a find for them – something unique, stylish, and just, oh, so beautiful. So come September 14-18, 2016, at the Glorietta Activity Center, fashionistas should come in full force.

Exhibitions like Negros Trade Fair help sustain communities of artisans in developing markets; by cultivating innovative business practices & providing an avenue to promote and sell their locally made products. Exhibitors use resources which are unique in their communities and incorporate their artisan skills to produce products for the global market.

As in previous years’, the 31st Negros Trade Fair will again have a mind-boggling array of fashion and accessories that will satisfy every craving of any fashionista. There will be the clothes, accessories, fashion jewelry and what have you that will add to that special look you want to achieve.

In the press conference of Negros Trade Fair last September 13, the representative of fashion sector, Margaret “Maymay” Villacin, proudly promoted the fashion industry of Negros. Some of the exhibitors  in this sector this year are MCV Designs, Reyes house of Piña, Masaste Art Collection, Tickled Tripper, ChiEvs Stones and Crystals by Maria Sigrid Dugeno-Lo, Kiculo Crafts, Ellege Fashion, Casa Mercedes and the business owned by Ms. Villacin, Maitasun Lan.
But some of the fashion and accessories available at the 31st Negros Trade Fair will have a new twist. In line with this year’s theme of Biodiversity in Tourism, some of the producers’ creativity was challenged and they faced up to it by creating items that incorporate the diverse natural beauty that nature has blessed this particular island paradise.

 Some of these accessories are necklaces made of clay and bamboo clutch. Most of the jewelries and accessories are handcrafted in the local municipalities of Negros. Imagine fashion items inspired by the species’ endemic only to Negros? Unique, huh? You’ll never find that shopping in any of the other places around the metro! That’s for sure!

The fashion and accessory finds at the Negros Trade Fair isn’t just for fashionistas though. There’s a find for anyone and everyone…from babies to those with grand babies, there’s the piece that’s just perfect for you. What’s best is that their all beautifully created and designed, as well as crafted to the highest quality standards.

So if it’s unique fashion and accessories you’re looking for, the 31st Negros Trade Fair is the place for you. You can visit the trade event until Sunday. Hurry up!

Source: Association of Negros Producers

MCV Designs

 Tickled Tripper

 Reyes House of Piña

Casa Mercedes

ChiEvs Stones and Crystals by Maria Sigrid Dugeno-Lo

 Ellege Fashion

 Kiculo Crafts: The Pandan Bag Ladies

 Masaste Art Collection