Illustrado Magazine – Filipino Abroad

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  • Woman of Substance: Lily Libo-On

     

    Photo by Eros Goze, Styling by Ushi Sato and Make Up by Ginno Alducente, “Mariposa” wrap by Dita Sandico-Ong and Diamonds from Liali Jewellery

    DEVOTION

    Lily Libo-On

    Spiritual Servant

    Very few could claim to have been touched by something as life-changing as a miracle; Lily Libo-on is one of those rare people.

    In 2005, then based in Brunei Darussalam, Lily who had a flourishing career in journalism was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and was given two months to live.  After seeking a second opinion and being given the same findings, she decided to go to Mindanao, where her family lives, and where all of them – her mother, five sisters and a brother – were involved in an evangelism and healing ministry.  Lily travelled there to wait for death to come.

    But it wasn’t Lily’s time to go.  When her family members preached spiritual healing and laid their hands on her, she had a profound experience that allowed her to rise up and changed her life forever.  Lily remembers that defining moment.  She shares, “I felt so blessed. Gone was the excruciating pain. The unbearably distressing feeling suddenly turned into a feeling of relief.  I knew from that time on that I had to devote my life to become a spiritual servant and a prayer warrior for others in the same situation to be free.”

    A regular member of the National Press Club – Philippines, and the Filipino Press Club – UAE, Lily is also a United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) accredited environmental journalist since 1987. She was one of four Filipino journalists commissioned by the UNEP to write a four-country book on ecology, which included the Philippine Environmental Situation in 1991-1992.  She presented a paper before the UN delegates entitled “Eco Tourism: A Boon or A Bane in the Philippines.”

    This mother of four has been an Overseas Filipino (OF) since 1995.  She started her expat life working as a Technical Director to the Asian Institute of Development Communication (AIDCOM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She then moved to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to join Borneo Post as Feature Editor.  After that, she shifted to Brunei Darussalam to work for News Express as Business Editor for two years, then as Deputy Editor.  Her last post was Chief Editor at online newspaper brudirect.com before her life took a different turn in 2005.

    Six years on, Lily reflects on how she decided to stop working and live her life fully by faith.  She shares, “My two sons were still in college and could not understand my decision. They were worried about how they could finish their studies. I could not give them clear answers except that God would do it.  Somehow, scholarship offers came and we were able to manage.”

    Lily studied to join the spiritual community, both in Manila and in Kuala Lumpur and served the healing ministry.  During her free time then, she could be found at Luneta Park and all over Luzon, even as far as Mountain Province sharing the good news of salvation to everybody she encountered.

    By a stroke of destiny, she ended up in Dubai in October 2007 to aid a friend who needed healing.  During her trip, she saw many distressed Filipinos who needed spiritual direction, assistance and comfort.  At the same time, without any plans of working or staying in the country, fate led her to a job offer at Khaleej Times.  She took the latter and accepted to humbly work, not as an editor but as a staff reporter for the first time in her life, so that she could also pursue her spiritual advocacy.

    With a ministry combining journalism and spiritual servanthood, Lily did her bit to help in the local community – writing about the situation of Filipinos and other expats to call the attention of the authorities, and at the same time, feeding the souls of the needy.

    Together with other well-meaning Filipinos, Lily helped a lot of compatriots in distress; among them were 61 construction workers in Sharjah left by their employers with no food and salary, 86 abandoned cleaners in Ajman, runaway maids, as well as women who were forced into the flesh trade. Each time they helped, Lily’s group provided not only assistance and food, but also hope and spiritual comfort.

    At work, while keeping a low profile, Lily has achieved quite some success.  Last year, she received an “International Media Award,” as one of 23 awardees from different countries, the only journalist from the UAE honored at the 8th Thailand Tourism Awards.  In the same year, she also received the “Best Prolific Writer” award from the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) – a feat she replicated just recently when she won the same honor in February 2011. Her latest is the “Best English Press Coverage Award” from the Global Village, handed to her by Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also in February, the fourth award she got since arriving in Dubai.

    Still, with the recognition, Lily says nothing keeps her more motivated than the drive to sharing the love, light and life that she has received from above.

    She says simply, “God has blessed the works of my hand as He has promised. He is amazing and faithful. He made greater things happen to me. Many times in my life before, I felt emptiness inside me even in the midst of a tremendous success in my career. I used to ask myself why without finding any answer. Now, I have found what I have been searching for: the fullness of life in my Creator.”

  • Michael Cinco’s America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) Cycle 16 Debut

    Tongues have been wagging for months between the UAE’s fashion elite crowd and the Philippine style industry with news of Michael Cinco’s debut at the popular US reality show America’s Next Top Model Cycle 16.

    Can we?  Could we finally officially announce it?  We were told to keep mum – tough for such hot news on one of the Filipino community’s top couture designers.

    But here it is – finally!  Airing this Wednesday is La Cinco’s debut on ANTM Cycle 16.

    Michael says, of his ANTM stint, “I live in a place where I see amazing and beautiful things around me almost every day – a place where people aim the greatest, the highest, the grandest. So there are times that nothing fascinates me anymore…as if everything is NORMAL. But when I received a call from the producers of ANTM, I felt so ecstatic and I felt it far from being ‘normal.”

    He also shares that when he met Tyra Banks on the set of ANTM the first thing she him was – “So you’re the first Filipino designer in our show and you’re based in the Middle East. Did you bring all the blings from Dubai?”

    And the designer did more than just bring the “bling,” he brought his own brand of ingenuous and cutting edge fabulousness with a decidedly elegant twist.

    On fashion and fabulousness, Michael recalls a conversation he had with Naomi Campbell when he dressed her in Dubai some ten yrs ago. The supermodel asked the designer about the other things he wanted to do in life other than fashion. Michael replied, “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else than fashion. I eat couture, I breathe couture, I sleep couture.”

    To whet your insatiable style appetite, here are choice pics from the show.

    Michael Cinco with the photographer-Nigel Barker and Jay Manuel at the landfill where Michael’s pieces were shot.

    Photos Courtesy of ANTM

  • Woman of Substance: Socorro Yap Sun

    Photo by Eros Goze, Styling by Ushi Sato and Make Up by Ginno Alducente, “Mariposa” wrap by Dita Sandico-Ong and Diamonds from Liali Jewellery

    RESILIENCE

    Socorro Yap Sun

    Top Executive

    Socorro Yap Sun oversees 70 countries for the Nestle Nutrition business, and is in charge of taking care of the performance, welfare and development of some 500 employees.  As Regional Human Resources Head for the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Sub-Sahara Africa, this lady has a few lessons to teach and quite a few misconceptions to correct, for those pushing to get ahead in the corporate ladder.

    Quite different from the stereotypical aggressive and stressed out jet-setting female top executive you would expect to find in major corporations around the world, Coritte, as she is known to her friends, is easy to smile and is spontaneous.  She is also a good listener and thoughtful conversationalist.  The calm air about her and her gentle pleasant presence are what strike you first when you meet her.  Though with this Filipina achiever, you can trust that your first impression is not a misleading one. In fact, it gives you a peek at how she actually conducts her life and her work.

    Socorro has shining credentials and started her career at the prestigious San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines.  Here, her different approach to work was already evident. At one time, she refused an offer for a promotion that would fast track her career, believing that it would be unfair to her colleagues who were more senior than her – a move so rare in the corporate rat race where everybody is jostling their way to the top, and where office politicking is the order of the day.

    She has over 31 years in Nestle spent in key leadership positions. She started with the company’s Philippine organization and diligently worked her way up from Personnel Officer, Asst. Vice President – HR Management to HR Team Leader – Nestlé Globe project from 1979 to 2004.  In a measure of admirable patience and conviction, Socorro, through all this time, resisted the pull of foreign posting – the acceptance of the latter a usual circumstance if one wanted to get ahead in any multinational company’s system.  She says as a matter of fact, “I opted to wait for so many years before I accepted a posting abroad.  My family is my first priority, and I had to make sure that we will move only when all of us are ready.”

     

    In 2005, she finally took the plunge and accepted the post of HR Director – for Nestlé Southern African Region’, wholly supported by her family. Her husband, Dr. Facundo Sun, offered to take a sabbatical from his medical practice, and her only son was now in his late teens.

    Socorro hit South Africa with tremendous impact.  Her first order of business was to ensure that the HR function is effective and efficient; leading a team of over 100 HR managers, specialists and administrative staff, redefining the situation of some 3,000 employees.  It was a bold move. One where she had to deal with the difficult job of having employees moved, at times terminated, as well as dealing with resistance that the change generated.  It was particularly hard in the beginning considering how she was viewed with a lot of caution and skepticism – as a woman, and an Asian one at that.  Despite that, Socorro took on the challenge successfully and achieved what she had set out to do.  She shares, “You just have to be clear with what you have to do and be sensitive to the environment as it will make the journey somewhat easier.”

    With her contributions recognized, Socorro earned her current position in January 2010, in charge of an extensive area and sizeable workforce.  Here, she continues, not only to lead HR talent management and organization changes, but also to develop company leaders and to foster a high performance corporate culture the organization is known for.

    She says of her success, “I am very lucky to have a supportive family and had supportive bosses whom I can be very candid with.”  She adds, “I’m also very fortunate that I did not have to sacrifice my family, nor did I lose my core values and my character for the sake of my career.”

    Asked what was it that helped her get to where she is right now, Socorro thoughtfully answers, “Resilience, I guess; being strong, flexible and open to new ideas.  Those are the qualities that have helped me through all the years and challenges.” She furthers, “And it wasn’t aggressiveness or being unduly hard that helped me succeed and win the confidence of people.  It was gentle firmness.”

    Truly, these are the admirable qualities of an empowered Filipina.

  • Woman of Substance: Gerby Cadungog

    Photo by Eros Goze, Styling by Ushi Sato and Make Up by Ginno Alducente, “Mariposa” wrap by Dita Sandico-Ong and Diamonds from Liali Jewellery

     

    AMBITION

    Gerby Cadungog

    Young Entrepreneur, Go Getter

    “I’ve always known that I’m going to be rich someday.  I didn’t know how, but I was very certain that it was going to happen,” entrepreneur Gerby Cadungog said resolutely.  In her mid-30s, this young Filipina achiever co-founded and leads a successful five year old company – NineCubes Interior Design Company LLC, which counts Etisalat, Comtel, UTS, Al Sayegh Brothers and LG, among their roster of prestigious clients.

    But her bright smile and infectious energy would belie the fact that her climb to sustainable entrepreneurship was not an easy one, in fact just eight years ago, her family went broke and was saddled with a PHP1.8 million debt when they were cheated out of an investment.  She shares, “We had no means to pay our debts. We were left with PHP4,000 in the bank.  I was in a catatonic state.”

    Gerby was born to a middle class Filipino expat family and spent her early childhood in Iran and Libya. “I was the responsible ‘ate’ always taking care of my brother, especially when we were left home alone, when our parents would go to work.” From a young age, she was already very conscious about her responsibilities and was eager to help contribute to the family’s finances.  “My parents were not so savvy when it came to managing our money.  So I knew I had to be prudent.”

    She was a go-getter and a consistent achiever from the start – a valedictorian from elementary through to high school, an awarded high school Corps Commander and Editor-in-Chief, and a scholar at the University of the Philippines where she took up Journalism. “More than just wanting to learn and excel, I had to make sure that I was at the top of my class to get scholarships – to save my parents from paying tuition fee.”

    A voracious reader, Gerby poured all her efforts into everything she set her heart to.  She even joined the Binibining Pilipinas in 1997 and bagged the Ms. Talent award in a bid to convince her brother Gerard Pizarras now an actor, to explore his potential in modeling and enter Philippine showbiz.  “I used to have a weight problem.  And I didn’t have much money so I would dance for an hour at home every single day, just to get myself into shape,” she shares.

    The same determination, focus and drive were carried by the young lady everywhere she worked.  She started as Marketing Officer and later moved on as Area manager and Sales and Marketing Manager for leading shipping and logistics companies in the Philippines, as well as Japanese pharmaceutical corporation Yamanouchi where she was a consistent performance awardee, leading sales teams towards achieving their numbers.

    Then, misfortune struck in 2003 when she and her family were left heavily in debt, when they were cheated off a pyramid scheme investment.

     

    Determined to recover and pay-off their dues, Gerby tried out for employment in Dubai and landed an Account Executive job at Pico, a company that provided experiential marketing services.  Here she focused all her efforts on work.  Her colleagues found her strange, she said, since she didn’t socialize much. “My focus was my work, to close as many projects as possible so I can get commissions. I had to work late nights and early mornings. In some client meetings, I was even hesitant to spend for bottled water because I only had ten dirhams in my wallet. It was a trying time but I survived and surpassed it with flying colors.”

    She made waves in the company, bagging three performance awards during her training in 2005, and got the attention of satisfied clients who were offering to help her start her own business. In 2006, with the encouragement of a colleague and an investor backing her up, Gerby left Pico and started NineCubes with a designer and production manager.  And the rest is history.

    For the last five years, Gerby had been able to recover capital, and drive the company into profitable and sustainable existence. On a personal level, Gerby says she was able to settle the family debt and secure their financial situation and make some worthwhile investments in the Philippines. She also continues to give back to the community and built a dream house in scenic Tagaytay. Currently, she is building a Montessori Pre-school back home and she has also completed a course in Pre-School Montessori Education. She says, “Learning is never ending. Education is the best investment. I want to become a teacher, who teaches life experiences and help create future leaders. This will be my legacy.”

    And you better believe it, because this empowered Filipina will definitely make that happen.

     

  • Woman of Substance: Lourdes ‘Tata’ Kintanar Kapfer

    Photo by Eros Goze, Styling by Ushi Sato and Make Up by Ginno Alducente, “Mariposa” wrap by Dita Sandico-Ong and gold necklace from Liali Jewellery

     

    COURAGE

    Lourdes ‘Tata’ Kintanar Kapfer

    Fearless Community Volunteer

    In tightly-knit Cebu, the Kintanar’s are well known as government and military officials. So it comes as no surprise that Lourdes ‘Tata’ Kintanar Kapfer grew up as an assertive and fearless lady who did  whatever she thought she needed to do, and stood up for what she believed was right.

    A Political Science major with three years of Bachelor of Laws studies, Tata was quite the activist in her youth. With her strong calling to government service, she spent the 70s through to the mid 80s working for various government departments – including the Philippine Population Commission (POPCOM), the Interim Batasang Pambansa (Philippine Parliament), and the Bureau of Customs in Cebu.

    Tata has dealt with government and military VIPs, community groups, not to mention some dangerous elements in her involvement with Cebu Coastguard and Customs joint-operations in the Anti-Smuggling Task Force.

    She was a PRO and VP-Development of the Cebu Hara Jaycees and a member of Cebu Travel & Tour Operators Association, as well as the NBI Gun Club and shared James Bond’s Walther PPK pistol as a favorite piece with her mentors at the CPRA (Cebu Pistol & Rifle Association) Shooting Range.

    Enter the civilian Tata, circa 90s.  After a long stint in the government, Tata moved into the tourism business and married Frenchman Vincent Kapfer. That meant her relocating abroad to start a family in Lyon, and eventually settling in scenic Cannes.

    There, Tata was in- charge of the UCPI/UCPB (United Coconut Planter’s International) representative office, and also took active interest in the Filipino community. She founded the Association Heritage Philippin, Cannes. She also played the role of President for the PAG-ASA Filipino Association and participated as well, in L’Association Francaise de Conchyliologie, L’Association France-Grande Bretagne de Cannes, and the FSC Filipino Seaman’s Club Cote d’Azur. In 1999, recognizing her service to the community and exceptional capabilities, the PTIPO-Paris (Philippine Trade and Investment Promotion Office), recommended her appointment as HITR-South of France (Honorary Investment and Trade Representative), a role which she held for four years.

    But that was not all for Tata, the call to serve her compatriots and her keen sense of justice drove her to some precarious situations; thankfully, however, to the benefit of those she came to help.

    In France, she aided a number of distressed Filipinos – some victims of exploitation and some cheated out of their dues.  She also helped seven Filipino crew members of a yacht to get their two year’s worth of unpaid salaries by bringing up the case to the ITF/IMO (International Transport Workers’ Federation/International Maritime Organization) headquarters in Rotterdam. Tata also assisted in the Perfume Palace swindling case in the French Riviera where over 50 Filipinos were victimized.

    Through all this time, Tata also collaborated with the Philippine Embassy Paris, doing various works which included the sealing of the casket of deceased compatriots about to be repatriated, with the French authorities – the task that she dreaded most.

    Back home in Cebu, apart from her civic contributions – helping Lo-oc, Oslob Elementary School and Oslob District Hospital through personal donations and soliciting medical equipments from France, Tata was also instrumental in the jailing of a German national who was into gun running. Thereafter, she also assisted in the case of a Filipina being battered by her estranged British husband – in the end personally taking the consequences for a three year court battle.

    She says of her exploits, “I don’t know why, wherever I go, I get attracted to help carry other people’s burdens. I’m just very lucky to have a supportive and understanding husband and four loving children.”

    Tata brought the same brand of socio-civic participation when she and her husband moved to the emirates in 2003.  During Former Ambassador Libran Cabactulan’s tenure in the country, she volunteered to assist in trade endeavors and under former Philippine Labor Attaché Ching Ardivilla, provided voluntary assistance to countless distressed Filipinos, including a nurse cheated by her employer, and abandoned in a hospital after suffering from a stroke, as well as illegal recruitment victims.  She was also involved in a corruption expose case leading to the recall of a diplomatic official.

    Through all the grave situations she has experienced, Tata remains lighthearted and refuses to take herself so seriously.  With expressive eyes sparkling, the fearless lady chuckles, “I’m not so sure about my mission in this world. It seems that I’m just another version of Tia Dely, a little crime buster, or perhaps, a warrior in my previous life?”

    Whatever her true mission is, one thing is certain: people like us are very fortunate that there are Filipinos like Tata Kintanar Kapfer.

     

  • Woman of Substance: Agnes Aquino Stott-Briggs

    Photo by Eros Goze, Styling by Ushi Sato and Make Up by Ginno Alducente
    “Mariposa” wrap by Dita Sandico-Ong and Diamonds from Liali Jewellery

     

    GRACE

    Agnes Aquino Stott-Briggs

    Mother, Career Woman, Community Leader, Image Consultant

    Agnes Aquino Stott-Briggs is a walking-talking testimony that women can: take care of their families, efficiently run a household, have a successful career, participate actively in the community, entertain socially, follow their personal passions – and do so elegantly in high heels.

    More than just the effective and efficient multi-tasker, Agnes is, first and foremost, a doting wife and mother of three, who has a thriving career in real estate – a Leasing Manager running a team of various nationalities in the UAE capital, handling high profile clients and dealing multi-million contracts.  She is the Chairman of the Philippine Business Council (PBC) – Abu Dhabi , who has also recently added the title Certified Image and Style Consultant to her credentials.

    Agnes is one of those rare ‘superwomen’ who seem to be able to juggle managing a family, a beautiful home (with interiors done by herself and maintained without any fulltime household help), property leasing and expat relocations with personalized service, team supervision, social and networking events for the PBC, the International Business Women’s Group, Expat Woman and various other clubs, throwing fabulous parties in her home, pursuing continued professional education to follow her dream, all the while always looking elegant and immaculately put together, without so much as breaking a sweat.

    “It’s all about planning ahead of time, time management and timely execution.  I grew up in a very dynamic household where there was always something to do, so it became a way of living,” says Agnes who is the eldest of 9 children of a middle class family from sleepy Pangasinan. She adds, “Both my parents worked and I learned to be responsible at an early age, helping my parents look after my brothers and sisters. I could wash my own clothes at the age of 9 and can cook a meal at 10 years old.  As a result of my family upbringing, I have a strong sense of responsibility and I am sure I got my decision making capabilities from my mother.”

     

    Agnes has a Bachelor of Arts degree, Major in Economics from Saint Louis University in Baguio City, a diploma in Interior Design, as well as a Real Estate Broker’s License in the Philippines. Arriving in Manila from Baguio City, when she was 23, she took a Personality Development course at Cora Doloroso, which she says has helped her to enhance her personality and ability to work with all sorts of people confidently – a skill that has paid off for her especially in her dealings with high profile clients in the capital. “Believing in yourself and being confident in the fact that you are as good, if not better, than most people you meet whatever nationality, is the first step to being accepted as a business person in an international market,” Agnes shares.

     

    Apart from diligence, good work ethics and managing her time wisely, she also puts a premium on the importance of appearance.  Agnes explains, “It’s important to always project the right image and to be dressed appropriately and for the occasion. You only get one chance to make a first impression. And I believe that your personal presentation, communication skills and appearance influence people’s perception towards you – including their instant evaluation of your intelligence, credibility, capability to comply with requests; whether to trust you with information, give you access to decision-makers, pay you a certain salary or fee for contracted business; or even hire you or purchase your product.”

    But Agnes was quick to point out a common misconception – that being well presented and stylish is not about flaunting expensive things. “A Louis Vuitton bag with a too tight spaghetti strap top, a skirt that is too short and flip flops doesn’t make you stylish,” she states emphatically.  “Style’’ is a manner of expressing oneself through appropriate and tasteful clothing.  It is about being smart when choosing a wardrobe that consists of clothes that are age appropriate, clothes that flatter your body lines, scale and proportion, clothes that reflect your personality in colors that complement the color of  your skin to create a polished , well put together look in order to boost your confidence and help you reach your goals and triumph at work and at home and in life!

    Last year, pursuing her passion for style and the dream of having her own finishing school in the Philippines someday, Agnes earned her Image and Style Consultant certification from the Sterling Style Academy – USA.  She says, “I want to make a difference in people’s lives by teaching them how to look polished and confident in order to best present themselves to better their opportunities and achieve their best potential in their chosen careers.”  She furthers, “I have come from simple provincial background and now work at a corporate level in an international community in a country halfway around the world. I know that other Filipinas can do the same.”

    Indeed, this well-rounded Filipina can teach a thing or two to those of us who want it all – and how to do it fabulously.

  • Woman of Substance: Susan de Guzman

    Photo by Eros Goze, Styling by Ushi Sato, Make Up by Ginno Alducente
    “Mariposa” wrap by Dita Sandico-Ong and Diamonds from Liali Jewellery

     

    INFLUENCE

    Susan de Guzman

    Top Notch Educator

    There was a time at the beginning of Susan de Guzman’s career as a teacher in the Emirates, when a colleague, referring to her credentials and her pursuit of a Masters Degree, said to her, “But what do you need all that qualification for?  Don’t you know that Filipinas are seen as domestic helpers?”

    Sixteen years on, this humble and soft-spoken educator has stayed on-the-job, and stands proud as lead faculty at the Sharjah Women’s College – Higher Colleges of Technology. She has consistently driven her students to earn award after award, year after year, and is instrumental in helping the esteemed educational institution gain a reputation of excellence, especially in the field of graphic arts.

    Truly, this is one Filipina who has not only imparted knowledge and skill, but is also helping to shape the minds and values of young Emirati women set to be part of the country’s privileged circle of movers and shakers in the future.

    Susan de Guzman was born to parents who were both doctors.  She says, “My siblings and I were reared on the values of integrity, hard work, determination, and a sense of family.” Although her parents wanted her to follow in their footsteps, Susan’s calling in life was totally different, “I’ve always wanted to be an artist, for as long as I could remember. I love exploring and actualizing new ideas, and the fact that art is freewheeling.”

     

    From a very young age, her creativity was already apparent – Susan won countless art and talent competitions in school.  In college, she earned a degree in Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas.  But her quest for knowledge didn’t stop there, she pursued continued professional learning, while working as a teacher, and gained two masters degrees – Masters  in Educational Technology and a Masters of Education in Open and Distance Learning, both from the University of Southern Queensland, in Australia.

    Early on in her professional life, she dabbled both in advertising, working as a graphic artist, and in education, as a faculty member at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.  Somehow her career path led her completely to teaching.  She joined the Higher Colleges of Technology in 1996, first as Graphic Designer in the school’s Academic Services Department, and was eventually promoted to faculty when management took notice of her capabilities.  “People were telling me that I should be working in the advertising industry, especially here in the UAE, because there’s more money there,” she shares.  “But somehow, I’ve always kept it in my mind that I want to be a teacher, especially to these Emirati students.  So that when they become business owners someday, they will know how to treat their Filipino employees.”

    Susan’s approach to work extends well beyond just teaching her subjects.  She said that oftentimes, she provides guidance like a surrogate mother and friend, as knowledge is the least of the students’ challenges – some of them lack confidence and some have emotional issues.  As a Filipina educator, she credits her success in enriching her students learning experience with the innately caring attitude of Pinoys, “It’s probably our nurturing spirit.  It helps a lot.  There are certain students who need special attention.  So I make it a point to hold their hold through the process, and help them realize how good they are, in the process helping them gain confidence and motivation.”

    But all is not easy with this highly disciplined firm educator, she shares “Yes, I do fail students, sometimes too.  Strangely enough, there are students who thank me even when I fail them.  They say that because of the failure, they eventually realized how to correct their mistakes and improve upon their work.”

    And her formula for teaching seems to work wonders.  Since she has joined the college, Susan has helped the school secure countless honors from various academic award giving bodies, at one time orchestrating a grand slam earning 22 top awards in 2005.  Her efforts have been duly recognized as well. In 2008, she received the much coveted Director’s Award from the Higher College of Technology. Just recently, she has also been selected as Deputy Chief Expert for the World Skills Competition London 2011, the first Asian (carrying the UAE flag, at that) to have been given such distinction, in the global competition countries symbolizing excellence in vocational training with participants from all over the globe.

    Still, with all her accolades, Susan says she has one regret, “I wish that I was doing all this for Filipino students; helping them to be successful in life.”

    Regrets aside, it has to be said, that in the grand scheme of things, the role that Susan plays for Filipinos as a whole, is nothing short of priceless.

  • Woman of Substance: Ambassador Corazon Yap Bahjin

    Photo Courtesy of the Philippine Embassy in Bahrain

     

    COMMITMENT

    Ambassador Corazon Yap-Bahjin

    First Muslim Filipina Ambassador

     

    “Forget that you are a woman; because dignity and humanity has no gender.   Women do not need any special treatment, because we can do it just like everyone else can.”

    That philosophy might sound quite radical in a world where specific gender roles – male versus female – are still as distinct as night and day, but for the First Muslim Filipina Ambassador, who considers herself “feminine but not a feminist,” these are just simple truths founded on sound and pragmatic thinking.

    Ambassador Corazon Yap-Bahjin made Philippine Foreign Service history when she became the first Filipina Muslim to pass the career Foreign Service Officers’ examination, and then head a diplomatic mission, when she became the Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain in 2009 – the fourth female to have done so in the kingdom.

    Of Tausug roots, the eldest of two siblings born to highly educated parents – her father was a lawyer and her mother the first Regional Director of CNI (a defunct office in charge of indigenous people in the Philippines) who later became a college professor – Ambassador Yap-Bahjin takes pride in her parents’ legacy of good values. “The pursuit of excellence and hard work has always been a tradition in our family, with both my mother and my father.  We were taught to be honest and dedicated, and to be loyal to our service,” she shares.

     

    And indeed, her family’s principles put her in good stead, setting her up for a purposeful future.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree at the University of Santo Tomas in 1967, graduating cum laude with a co-major in English and Theology. In 1974 she finished Master of Arts, major in Social Studies, at the University of the Philippines, and went into a teaching career from 1967 to 1979.

    She joined the Foreign Service in 1979.  Rising from the ranks, she started as Acting Director of the Cultural Division of the Office of Islamic Affairs (now the Office on Muslim Affairs). Her first overseas posting was for a Vice Consul’s position in Jeddah in 1986.  Thereafter, she was posted as Second Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Amman in 1990 where she assisted in the repatriation of Filipinos from Kuwait during the first Gulf War.  Her next posting took her to Cairo as Second Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy.  She then moved to the same position in Bangkok in 1992 and was promoted to First Secretary in charge of Political Division and Consul and    Deputy Representative, ESCAP for the Philippine Embassy there.  Her last post before heading the Philippine diplomatic mission in Bahrain was in Xiamen, China as Consul General from 1995-2005.

    At the home office, she served as Acting Asst. Secretary of the Office of Consular Affairs in 1999, Asst. Secretary of the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Coordination 2006-2007 then Asst. Secretary of the Office of Personnel and Administration Services from 2007 to July 2009.

     

    Asked about her formula for success, the Ambassador credits it all to hard work, her commitment to her profession and her constant pursuit to improve upon herself and the work she did.  She explains, “I was never competitive.  I only competed with myself.”  She furthers, “At the end of the day, if you want to set your target on 80 percent, or 100 percent or even 120 percent, it is all up to you.”

    On being the first Muslim Filipina Diplomat, she says that certainly, there are challenges that one faces, not only because of being from a community that is considered a minority back home and one that suffers some negative stereotypes, but being a woman at that – “I have to prove that we also have what it takes to succeed and that we can be as good, if not better, as everybody else. But,” she counters, “in the long run, when it comes to my work, it is really not about me being a Muslim, or me being a woman, it is the work and the service that I am focused on. My output and work do not depend on my religion or gender.”

    The good Ambassador is constantly working for the betterment of some 45,000 Filipinos in Bahrain and hopes that someday the deployment of domestic helpers, the most vulnerable segment of Filipino expatriate workers, will eventually stop. She says, “It would be better if our women did not put themselves at such a vulnerable situation, for meager salaries, especially considering the social cost of such employment.” She continues, “We’re not belittling our compatriots, but if only they can be a little creative, they can earn more at home.”

    Ambassador Yap-Bahjin says that she has nothing against Filipinas opting to go and work overseas, as long as they are dignified.  She explains, “If they really want to work abroad, it is better for them to acquire some skills that will allow them to work in other fields, instead of having to take care of other people’s children.  Then at least, they will have the freedom to move and they will be treated better.”

  • Illustrado’s Women of Substance 2011 Continues to Advocate Filipina Empowerment

     

    Attendees at the recent Illustrado Women of Substance 2011 Pres Conference: Johanna Dalocanog (Illustrado), Sherry Tenorio, Milo Torres, Rony Aquino (Illustrado), Regilyn Dimaculangan (Unilever), Reynaldo Samson and Gopal Sudhkaran (Nikon), Lalaine Chu-Benitez (Illustrado Publisher & Editor-in-Chief), Hon. Consul General Adelio Cruz (Philippine Embassy Abu Dhabi), Mohammed Al Mahdi, Mariecar Jara-Puyod (Gulf Today), Mary Jane Alvero Al Mahdi (CEO Geosciences Laboratories), Lily Libo-On (Khaleej Times), Amorsolo Dagdag, Mariyah Gaspacho, Art Los Banos and Kristine Fuentes. Photo courtesy of Donald Rosales.


    Press Release

    20 March 2011

    Illustrado’s Women of Substance 2011 Continues to Advocate Filipina Empowerment

     

    In its 4th annual Women of Substance event, Illustrado Magazine continues to promote female empowerment by celebrating Filipina achievers, and uplifting the image of the Filipina

     

    This edition will witness the showing of mini-documentary film that boldly explores issues and solutions that aim to empower Filipinas in overcoming prevalent concerns such as sexual harassment, sexual abuse and unwanted pregnancies

     

    Keynote speaker to this year’s celebration of Women of Substance is renowned Clinical Psychologist and author Dr. Margarita Holmes

     

    Aside from the film, Women of Substance 2011 will also showcase various facets the Filipina with its segments including “The Empowered Filipina Nikon Photo Competition” and “The Dove Real Beauty Runway Show”

    Dubai, UAE – Today witnessed the unveiling of Women of Substance 2011, an annual gathering spearheaded by Dubai-based Filipino lifestyle publication, Illustrado Magazine, held under the auspices of the Philippine Embassy in the UAE. With the esteemed presence of H.E. Consul General Adelio Cruz of the Philippine Embassy Abu Dhabi, Ms. Lucille Ong, Women of Substance Honoree 2008 and President of the Philippine Business Council (Dubai), Engr. Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi, Women of Substance Honoree 2009 and CEO of GeoScience Testing Laboratory, and members of the media, the details of this year’s edition were announced.

    This year, seven Gulf-based Filipina role models will be honored at the elegant coffee-afternoon event happening on the 1st of April at the Godolphin Ballroom in Jumeirah Emirates Towers.  According to Lalaine Chu-Benitez, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Illustrado, “Our honorees this year come from different walks of life, each of them role models representing certain facets of a Filipina that make her an empowered woman – namely: courage, ambition, resilience, integrity, grace, devotion and influence.”  She adds, “This year’s exemplary group of women includes – a young entrepreneur who rose from extreme difficulties; a jet-setting top executive at a renowned global corporation; a community volunteer who has played the role of de facto crime buster; a mother-career woman-socio-civic leader who is the embodiment of grace; a devoted spiritual servant; a creative Pinay motivating young Emiratis to success; and a woman who made Philippine foreign affairs history.”

    The event will also feature “The Filipina on Top” a mini-documentary film by Dubai-based Kamil Roxas, winner of the Hayah Film Competition at the Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF) in 2008. Clip from the said film was previewed showcasing prevalent issues that the Filipinas in the region suffer from, including sexual harassment and abuse, and unwanted pregnancies.

    H.E. Consul General Adelio Cruz expressed his support to the advocacy and said, “We commend Illustrado Magazine’s initiative in uplifting the image of the Filipinas in this region. We believe that Women of Substance event has been an essential tool to empowering women, thus we fully support its present campaign that reaches out to some of the critical concerns of the Filipinas.”

    Lalaine Chu-Benitez adds, “Over the years, the Women of Substance project has endeavored to provide inspiration to our compatriots in the region, through the Filipina achievers and role models we have honored.” She furthers, “This year, instead of merely helping to promote a more balanced Filipina image, we are also tackling prevalent issues in our community and will be promoting the spin-off ‘Pinays Take Charge’ advocacy to create awareness and learning opportunities for Filipinas to avoid and overcome such challenges.”

    However crucial is the take for this season’s campaign, Women of Substance 2011 will continue its tradition of elegance and glamour. Red carpet and mini bazaars will welcome the anticipated number of over 600 guests. Furthermore, “The Empowered Filipina” Nikon Photo Competition is expected to showcase an array of beautiful images, while “The Dove Real Beauty Runway Show” displays the natural beauty of the Filipina.

    Dr. Margie Holmes, renowned Philippine-based clinical psychologist, author and TV personality, will deliver the keynote speech during the event, and will answer the queries from the attendees.

    Lalaine Chu-Benitez concluded, “We believe that Women of Substance has transcended its usual talk-show segment. Now, the event sees various aspects that celebrate womanhood especially that of being a Filipina. We are thankful for all the support that has been extended to us, and we hope to continue this remarkable program of honoring and serving the Filipinas in this region.”

    Illustrado’s Women of Substance 2011 is a project done in cooperation with Dove and Nikon, and supported by London Dairy, SM Development Corporation and Anlene.

    For more information, please contact Illustrado at 04-3654547 / 04-3654543.

    -Ends-

    About Women of Substance

    Illustrado’s Women of Substance is an advocacy that aims to widen horizons for Filipinas in the region by celebrating female empowerment. It is an annual gathering spearheaded by Illustrado Magazine, devoted to inspiring members of the community to aspire for higher heights.

    Now on its 4th year, the event which endeavors to be a reflection of the positive and balanced international image of the Filipina, honors Filipinas from the Gulf who exemplify achievement, societal contribution and exceptional character, in the process spreading positivity that extends beyond the local Filipino community.

    Since it started in 2008, Illustrado’s Women of Substance has honored 22 extraordinary Filipinas from all walks of life, including – community leaders, achievers and volunteers, entrepreneurs, social activists, artists, exemplary mothers, survivors, philanthropists, women on the cutting-edge, as well as beauties who promote true, confident Filipina allure.  Differentiating itself from society pageants and popularity contests, Illustrado’s goal is promote the genuine triumph of Filipina women from different perspectives, not only generate hope, but also to motivate people to improve their lives.

    About Illustrado Magazine

    Illustrado is a unique lifestyle-community magazine published in Dubai devoted to uplift the morale and the image of Filipinos in the Gulf.  The slogan ‘Taas Noo, Filipino!’ [Heads up high, Filipino!] and the vision of ‘Helping the Filipino flourish – Global Vision, Native Soul’ define the substance, style and corporate ethos that has helped Illustrado gain respect and recognition in the region as a wholesome, positive, highly engaging and richly visual medium that has accorded due respect and recognition to the Filipino community.  Illustrado’s distinctive approach combines premium production values with a very down-to-earth philosophy; it is not only a magazine, but is a social enterprise that speaks and aspires to enrich a very diverse range of readers, veering off the usual media fare of gossip, scandals, sensationalism and materialism.

    For inquiries on the Women of Substance Event, please contact Johanna Dalocanog at +971 4 365 4543 or 365 4547, or e-mailjohannadalocanog@illustrado.net

    For general inquiries on Illustrado contact the above numbers or e-mail us at: admin@illustrado.net

  • Eco Art Chic

    Photography           Eros Goze

    Post Processing       Tom Bolivar

    Hair & Make-Up     Ginno Alducente

    Model                        Fara Manalo

    Waste not, want not.

    Join the wave of the new age green movement by finding style in ordinary everyday bits and pieces, recycled materials and found hardware that celebrate diversity in expression, textures and artistic interpretation. Challenge the establishment with out-of-the box thinking and intelligently crafted pieces, which toe the line between eco art and fashion that’s stylishly sustainable.

    Egg and Paper Ingénue

    Turn of the century, white dress made out of recycled kitchen towels and a bodice embellished with eggshell mosaic in graduating sizes – by Shelfred Surdilla

     

    Plastic Venus versus Mars

    Two-piece PVC sheet dress with futuristic detailing, with 3-D swirls and cut PVC pipes embellishment. High-heels made of plaster cement, metal heels and cut PVC pipes – by Ushi Sato

    Illustrado Barlequin

    Out of this world ballerina with a harlequin feel – Illustrado Magazine tear sheets stitched like a puzzle with PVC sheets; bustier top matched with 3-D volume skirt – by Jessie Sindayen

    Bridal White Trash

    Three-piece ensemble made of a sculpted bolero, bubble wrap corset, and skirt, all appliquéd with embroidered foil and plastic grocery bags, and further embellished with beads made out of foil and softdrink can lids – by Dan De Lima

    Chambermaid in Lino

    Halter dress made of folded, woven shredded vinyl linoleum, embellished with ruffles and lace cut outs made out of plastic lace table cloth and doilies, studded with inverted crystal clips and held together by cable straps, with no sewing – by Ramil Garrote Noveda

    Victorian Bag Lady

    Victorian ball gown made of plastic garbage bags, held in by safety pins, accessorized with necklace made out of laundry clips matched with a steel wool bib, steel wool arm “warmers” and braided garbage bag headpiece – by Eros Goze

    Designers Guide

    *In alphabetical order

    Dan Delima – LA DIVA MODA HAUTE COUTURE – Abu Dhabi UAE – Tel: (971) 2

    Eros Goze – FARFALLA COUTURE – Dubai, UAE – Tel: (971) 4 283 1010

    634 8494

    Ramil Garrote Noveda – AMATO HAUTE COUTURE – Dubai UAE – Tel: (971) 4 398 8586

    Ushi Sato – WARDA HAUTE COUTURE – Dubai, UAE – Tel: (971) 4 349 5200

    Jess Sindayen – EZRA FASHION DESIGN – Dubai, UAE– Tel: (971) 4 395 5385

    Shelfred Surdilla – SCALINI HAUTE COUTURE – Dubai, UAE – Tel: (971) 4 348 6151