Tag: philippines
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POWER TO THE PINOY: Is there a point to Pinoy Pride?
POWER TO THE PINOY: Is there a point to Pinoy Pride?
By Lalaine Chu-Benitez
In a time of rampant fake news, internet trolls, a community bitterly divided by warring political factions for all the world to see; when words like “bobo,” “dutertards” and “yellowtards” are hurled from one kabayan to another because “it’s a democracy and one can say what one wants to say”; while high and mighty foreigners take it upon themselves to lecture our government on how to manage our sovereign nation’s affairs – may silbi pa ba ang Pinoy pride?
Some would ask, what Pinoy pride? Why do you have to call somebody’s achievement your own? Porke’t Filipino? Why do you need to claim every American Idol contestant or Hollywood celeb with a drop of Filipino blood as one of us, if they were not even born in the Philippines? Why even boast of Manny Pacquiao’s and Lea Salonga’s triumphs when you had nothing to do with it?
Perception is reality. Perception is reality. Perception is reality.
And so if we should not celebrate the wins of our own compatriots, what is there to define us? What value do you think are our people accorded if what is mostly known about us is derogatory? A decade ago, the most common words associated with Filipinos were “Sick Man of Asia”, Ondoy, rape, domestic helper abuse. Now it is EJKs, Abu Sayyaf, “hopeless and helpless,” among others. The law of propaganda attributed to Nazi Joseph Goebbels says – “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.” This works for us the same way – “Repeat a negative often enough, and it becomes the ONLY truth.”
One could argue that there is a measure of verity in all that. However, that is only one part of the whole. The other side is that –
We have a lot to be proud about.
There is no denying that our country and our people are blessed. We have been bestowed a myriad of assets from places of natural beauty, to talented compatriots making a mark whether they are based back home or elsewhere, Filipino brands and businesses that have given the world a little taste of our culture, and common values that have endeared our people to others – our friendliness, hospitality, our resilience, our orientation to service.
We are in this together.
If we cannot see the positives ourselves, how else can we contribute to the promotion, let alone the upliftment of our own people? Surely, you don’t think someone else is going to take it upon themselves to promote our community? On the contrary, each of us have a role to play in this equation, as de facto ambassadors of goodwill for our country and our people. Because remember, whether we like it or not, we are all in this together. We are the summary of our individual efforts and our own collective drive. We might as well use the cards that are stacked in our favor for our own betterment and advancement.
Let Pinoy pride inspire and motivate.
Pinoy pride is about empowering people. It is not a license to be lazy while resting on somebody else’s laurels. There is nothing wrong about thriving on reflected glory. What is wrong is wasting the positive impact or utilizing it for something negative. Pinoy pride also does not exclusively reside in the Philippines or within the “purong Filipino.” It is in the hearts of all Pinoys and Pinoy+ scattered beyond the motherland, who feel connected despite the distance.
We Filipinos need to start looking kindly, more positively and progressively at ourselves and each other, and utilize the successes of our kababayans to help us forge onwards.
So claim it, claim them all. Take that Pinoy pride and use it to fuel your confidence and aspirations. We have all to gain from being “Taas Noo, Filipino.”
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Find more Pinoy Progressive on Illustrado Life.
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It’s What I Do: Yvette Santos & Nolie Hans Dagman
Yvette Santos
Office Manager
KLS Martin Group – Middle East Representative Office
MY JOB
I am an Office Manager who wears different hats. Our company is an established manufacturer of medical instruments produced in Germany. Working for KLS Martin Group Middle East is challenging yet fun filled at the same time. I have been privileged to organize courses and exhibits. I have worked closely with highly respected surgeons from all over the region and the world. I started as a customer service agent and was given the privilege to be trained in Germany to learn the ins and outs of handling customers’ sales orders and quotations, software programs, logistics and about the company. I am so blessed to have been given this opportunity. After a year, another blessing knocked on my door when the management moved me one step ahead and became the Office Manager.
My Typical Workday
My typical day starts with a silent prayer and a cup of coffee. When I’m in front of my laptop that means one thing… work mode. I make sure I cover all the deadlines, reports, our boss and office bills, signatures and stamps. And did I mention signatures? Despite the language barrier, working hand in hand with our head office in Germany has taught me to smoothly handle the accounts, HR, events, and overall office management.
Message to my fellow Filipinos
I look at the Filipinos around me in a pool of different nationalities and I can only wish for life of joy and true beauty and to always love your abilities and roles, whether you are a working mother or stay home dad and that includes all the awesome roles out there too. It is beautiful to live life for a meaningful purpose, authentically, and with no regrets. So reach for the stars and never stop, because you are a Filipino. Kaya natin to!
Nolie Hans DagmanSr. Interior Designer – MJU Engineering Consultancy
Dubai, UAE
My Job
I work as a Senior Interior Designer at MJU Engineering Consultancy. As a Senior Interior Designer I am tasked to provide Conceptual Designs & 3D renderings for the interior Spaces of a Project to be later presented for approval of the Client. I am also responsible for performing preparing the Working Interior Design Drawings for the approved designs. I work closely with the managing Director who is also hands-on on all projects, so I make sure I’m always on my top performance and achieve all tasks necessary. It maybe terrifying at first but when you get the hang of it and built a proper means of communication and rapport, you will feel it’s much easier to get the job done as opposed to having a manager in between you & your boss.
My typical work day
A day in a life of a Senior Interior Designer consist of checking emails in the morning, sending out request & attending meetings for suppliers, coordinating drawings to contractors, and occasionally updating with the Boss for any upcoming projects.
Message to my fellow Filipinos
In our daily jobs, it is easy to be comfortable and just do whatever. We just stick to what’s in our job description, thereby missing out on opportunities for our companies to see that we can perform better. It’s time for us to step out of our comfort zones and do beyond our regular call of duty to prove to the world that the Filipinos are indeed a cut above the rest when it comes to diligence and work ethics.
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Artist Spotlight: Isa Tabasuares – Singer-Songwriter in Berlin
Artist Spotlight:
Isa Tabasuares
Singer-Songwriter in Berlin
“Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong in life and love, when this happens, make good art’, says the famous writer Neil Gaiman, and this is exactly how 37-year old, Berlin-based singer-songwriter Isa Tabasuares found her salvation in music and the arts.
My Journey
I have been in Berlin for nearly a decade. I got accepted to Charite Univertiätsmedizin Berlin to study Masters of Nursing Science. Right after I graduated, I had the opportunity to do my Phd in the same university but halfway through, in 2013, I realized that I wanted to write more about my heartaches than to write scientifically. I was going through a bad break up. Everyday my heart wants to write songs and paint. I guess that is how I found my path in music and arts and why I ended up in the company of talented creative people here in Berlin. This city is just the right place to grow as an artist.
My Music
I enjoy a lot of pop and I love listening to jazz legends such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, so I guess I can consider them as some of my main influences. For my first album “The Mess I Have Made”, I have collaborated with a good friend and an award-winning Swedish singer songwriter, Siri Svegler. The songs are about the beautiful experiences of love and the growing pains that come with it. I recorded my album here in Berlin with my producer, Moritz Ecker. There are 9 original songs and one rendition of the song ‘Wag Na Lang Kaya’ by True Faith.
My Personal Milestones
Aside from working with Siri and Moritz on my soon-to-be released debut, I have also had the honor to play with some very talented jazz musicians her in Germany. I once shared the stage and opened a couple of shows for the brilliant British-Filipino singer-songwriter Mishka Adams here in Berlin. That was an awesome experience.
In 2013, I visited the Philippines. This was the year I transitioned to music. I found myself singing for peace and the environment. I was on tour with the legendary Fantuzzi , Kate Torralba and my friends, Siri Svegler and Thomas Walter and other artists from Spain, New York and the Philippines like Waway Saway.
My Plans
Right now we are busy preparing for the release of the album. I am collaborating with Hineleban Foundation back home. They are a group of people who are dedicated to reforest, restore and enhance the Philippine environment. For every album I sell is a tree planted in the Philippines. When I went back home in 2013, I learned that there is less than 2% left of our rain forest. I find this really sad and felt the need to get involved. Check out their website: http://hineleban.org/
I have a couple of solo gigs coming up as well. Kate Torralba and I will have a back to back concert soon in Berlin and then the record release party. I would also love to collaborate with a lot of my Filipino friends back home that are so talented and full of creative ideas.
My Advise
Be true to oneself. Try not to compare yourself with others. Let it flow and just be!
Watch out for Isa’s debut album , soon to be released in Germany and the Philippines.
Follow her on facebook : www.facebook.com/isatabasuares
To check out more of her beautiful tunes: https://soundcloud.com/isa-tabasuares
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Filipino Daly City: My Pinoy Life in Daly City, California
Filipino Daly City: My Pinoy Life in Daly City, California
By Terisha May Marquez
My City
On September 1999, my family moved from the Philippines to the United States. I was only one-year-old at the time. For 17 years, I have been living in California. To have a better life for my siblings and I, my parents made the sacrifice of leaving their home in the Philippines in hopes of having my siblings and I have a career and future. To my parents, America is where dreams come true, so to make my dreams come true we moved to the Land Of The Free.
I live in Daly City, California with my parents, two brothers and my sister. We all live in one house, kind of like the Filipino Brady Bunch. I am lucky to have a close family that always supports me.
My Work
Since I am only 18 years old, I am a full time student and I also work part time at David’s Bridal. College is very expensive in America, which is a downside, so I work part time to help my parents with the expenses of school. Even though I do work, being a student always comes first so, I study when I can.
Filipino Daly City: My Pinoy Life in Daly City, California
My Community
Another name for Daly City is “Little Manila.” Daly City has one of the biggest Filipino communities in the Bay Area. Growing up, there was not much of a culture shock as other young Filipino immigrants’ experience. I grew up with people who were the same color and race as me. The Filipino community in Daly City is a tight knit group where it feels like every Filipino here is like family.
My Life
Growing up Filipino is a blessing. I learn the importance of family, respect, and hard work. But growing up where people have the same morals as me is a plus. Most of my neighbors, classmates, and friends are Filipino. We all grow up with the same culture and morals that I can relate too.
Because I moved to the US when I was only a year old, I do not speak Tagalog well. Even though my parents and family talk to me in tagalog, I always respond in English. In school, my Filipino friends and I never practiced our Tagalog because our courses were all in english.
If I were given the choice to grow up in Daly City or somewhere else, I would always choose Daly City. Being Filipino in Daly City, you will always have support from the Filipino community. My friends are also young Filipino immigrants who have moved to the US when they were young, and finding people who are on the same boat as me makes it easier to cope.
To my fellow Pinoys…
Being Filipino is a blessing and it is something I take pride in. No matter where I am, I will always have the love and support of the Filipino community across the globe. I will always support my fellow Filipino friends.
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If You Could Upgrade or Evolve on Thing in Your Life
USAPANG ILLUSTRADO
If You Could Upgrade or Evolve on Thing in Your Life Right Now, What Would it be and Why?
If the recent presidential election is any indication, the Philippines is a nation that is hungry for change. We want to see tangible and immediate reforms, not just in our government, but in our society. But what we must not forget is that for us to see change in our community, we must first affect change within ourselves. Michael Jackson said it best: “If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.”
Kristine Alcazar – UAEIf I could evolve or upgrade an aspect of my life right now, I would opt to be multilingual. In this fast-paced and modern world where people become more and more connected through technological advances, it would be wise to keep up with some sort of advantage. Being able to speak and understand several languages would give me the privilege to interact within multiple communities which is highly essential now that I’m living in Dubai. As i am working in the airline industry as well, traveling around the world would be more fun as i get to broaden the range of people I interact with and it would be much easier to embrace different cultures. Imagine enjoying Japanese cuisine while the Chef explains the Zen way of eating, or chatting around in French over coffee and croissants in a Parisian cafe or going around the outskirts of Italy and speaking to random locals about wines and their way of living. “The limits of your language are the limits of your world”, a great philosopher once said and I believe he is right.
Phil Domingo – UAEI would create a vision board of all the places I would like to visit and make it happen. You can never go wrong with travelling. It doesn’t matter if it’s a weekend day trip or a weeklong vacation. Put it on your desk or somewhere in your bedroom as long as you see it regularly. This will inspire you and it will help you focus and motivated on taking steps to achieve and reach that destination.
Every journey changes your perception towards life and the world you live in. Not only does it leave a mark on your memory but each journey you take leads you to self-discovery. These experiences enrich your heart and soul and in the end, you will always go back home with something far better than what money can buy.
Live your dreams, take risks, and live life to the fullest now.
Alvin Joseph Mateo – PhilippinesI would want to increase my emotional intelligence. It is in my opinion, an aspect of life that is hardest to master. The ability to discipline the mind and control emotion is paramount not just in surviving our daily struggles but also in dealing with and accepting difficult realities of our lives and of this world. I cannot stress enough how essential this is.
Elea Katindig – USAI would take Trainstation’s “Breaking Through Barriers” again. It’s a workshop on the basics of Neuro-Linguistic Programming that teaches mindfulness and, taking control of your mind, your life, and your results. You really come out of it being transformed into an upgraded version of yourself.
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Divining Digong: Dutertenomics in the Time of Brexit
DIVINING DIGONG: Dutertenomics in the Time of Brexit
By J. Albert Araneta Gamboa
D-Day 2016 – the inaugural date of the Philippines’ 16th President, Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte – fell on a rainy Thursday, the 30th of June. Unlike his predecessors, then President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III did not declare a national holiday, supposedly in keeping with his successor’s low-key style.
Duterte had convincingly won the May 9th presidential election with 38% of the votes cast. Results were known in a matter of hours, thanks to automated voting machines. Senator Grace Poe showed amazing grace by immediately conceding defeat on election night, followed by former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas the next day. It took then Vice President Jejomar Binay some time to concede, while to date, former Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago hasn’t.
Conflicting media advisories indicated Duterte, who was still Mayor of Davao City at that time, would be flying to Manila and claiming Malacaňang on the days immediately following the most divisive presidential election in recent memory. But weeks passed and he was still ensconced in Davao, save for a day or two in Cebu.
In the interim, Duterte conducted midnight press conferences in the so-called Panacaňang or Malacaňang of the South, a presidential guest house in Panacan, Davao City. Eventually he tangled with the Manila press and vowed never to talk to all media entities till the end of his term.
Meanwhile, his Finance Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez convened a consultative conference on inclusive growth with representatives of business organizations from all over the country the week before the inauguration. “Sulong Pilipinas: Hakbang Tungo sa Kaunlaran” was held at the SMX Convention Center in Davao’s Lanang district.
Organized jointly with the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the June 20-21 summit drew almost 500 captains of industry and entrepreneurs who participated in workshops, town hall meetings, and site visits to pro-people projects of the Davao City government such as the Central 911 and the Public Safety & Security Command Center.
Plenary sessions included an eco-briefing from Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, who is concurrently the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General. He set the stage by telling the conference delegates where the Philippine economy was at the end of the Aquino administration and what to expect under the Duterte government.
PCCI honorary chair Donald Dee hailed the conference as a seminal event in Philippine business history. “This is the first time we are being consulted by an administration even before it assumes office, and we helped put this together because this is the most comprehensive consultation that you can ever see,” he said, citing the range of attendees coming from provincial, regional, national, and international business chambers.
Incumbent PCCI President George Barcelon said: “Having the government and private sector sit down to discuss and reach a consensus of what needs to be done is a very positive development.” He said the PCCI is supportive of the broad-based socioeconomic agenda because “they’re talking agriculture especially in the rural areas, and that has an encompassing impact on poverty.”
Lawyer Mike Toledo, media bureau head of the MVP Group of Companies, expressed bullishness about the economy under the Duterte presidency. “Sonny Dominguez is saying all the right things for business, such as respect for contracts,” he said. Toledo, who is also Philex Mining Corp.’s senior vice president for public and regulatory affairs, pointed out that “these are what the business sector would want to hear, and it’s a good sign that they’re already reaching out even prior to their takeover as a new administration.”
MinBC President Vicente Lao, Foundation for Economic Freedom President Calixto Chikiamko, Davao-based businesswoman Joji Ilagan-Bian, and Wallace Business Forum founder Peter Wallace agreed that reaching out to the business sector through Sulong Pilipinas is a good start for the Duterte government.
Lao said: “For the first time in our political history, an incoming administration is immediately consulting with the private sector, and I’m quite confident it’s going to address the issue of inclusiveness.” Chikiamko believes that “getting opinions from a diverse set of participants will enable the next government to come up with policies that would make sense to everyone in all the regions.” He said the socioeconomic agenda lacks specifics and needs to be fleshed out, but found the statement of Dominguez that “the environment will be good for business” heartening to know.
Bian said Sulong Pilipinas is a signal that Duterte will have a people-focused administration. She said “if you look at the six regions of Mindanao, the growth has not really been inclusive, and the proposed economic agenda is doable if there’s political will.” Wallace thinks the incoming Chief Executive’s consultative approach is very impressive, saying “it shows he realized business creates jobs and employment generation is absolutely what matters.”
DIVINING DIGONG: Dutertenomics in the Time of Brexit
In his keynote address, Dominguez batted for wide-reaching “coalitions for change” that would enable the country’s growth streak to continue. He said both the private and public sectors need to jointly build such reform coalitions behind the next administration’s socioeconomic agenda.
He also called on the business sector to help the incoming government draw up new metrics to understand how economic expansion could be more meaningful to majority of Filipinos. These standards are meant to measure how the socioeconomic targets are beneficial to low-income families.
“I challenge the business community to build coalitions for change in every sphere of our social life,” he said, adding that these partnerships are “not just for projects but to transform our national community into a cooperative enterprise that brings out the best in everyone and delivers the best for all.”
Wallace and Lao expressed concern that at least 25% of Filipinos still suffer from poverty, which is the second highest in Southeast Asia next only to Myanmar. Lao lamented that “from the NEDA presentation, I noticed that poverty incidence has not improved at all, and it means the macroeconomic advantages enjoyed by the previous administration is not really filtering down to the masses.”
As part of the more than 100 local and international media contingent that covered the event, I witnessed the unveiling of the Duterte administration’s proposed 10-Point Socioeconomic Agenda.
10-POINT SOCIOECONOMIC AGENDA OF THE DUTERTE ADMINISTRATION
- Continue and maintain current macroeconomic policies
- Institute progressive tax reform and more effective tax collection
- Increase competitiveness and the ease of doing business
- Accelerate annual infrastructure spending to account for 5% of GDP
- Promote rural and value-chain development
- Ensure security of land tenure to encourage investments
- Invest in human capital development
- Promote science, technology, and the creative arts
- Improve social protection programs
- Strengthen implementation of the reproductive health law
The business leaders were split into groups of eight to discuss the 10-point agenda and their comments were posted on a series of 10 boards inside the cavernous session hall. Then they came up with the top 10 issues they considered of highest priority for the Duterte administration to address.
BUSINESSMEN’S WISH LIST FOR THE DUTERTE ADMINISTRATION
- Adopt a comprehensive tax reform package
- Implement a national ID system
- Streamline the bureaucracy
- Improve internet and telecom services
- Provide support services for farmers and fishers
- Ensure value-added and responsible mining
- Develop regional industries
- Upgrade infrastructure and transport networks
- Review the conditional cash transfer program
- Remove PPP bottlenecks and respect contracts
Highlighting the conference was the presentation of the businessmen’s wish list to Duterte, who responded that “it’s all doable, it’s just a matter of doing it.” He told the business community he would consider the suggestions and refer them to the concerned Cabinet officials while reiterating his campaign promise to fight corruption, which he said “makes me sick.”
During his inaugural address at the Rizal Hall of Malacanang Palace, the newly-minted President immediately acted on the third top issue on the wish list by ordering all government agencies to cut the so-called bureaucratic red tape.
In this time of Brexit and anti-elitism, the work is cut out for the new government to make poor Filipinos truly experience inclusive growth.
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J.ALBERT GAMBOA
JAG to his friends, J. Albert Gamboa wears multiple hats – business journalist, management consultant, headhunter, CFO, and book editor. A banker and stockbroker in his previous life, he is currently a columnist of Business World, Manila Bulletin, and Manila Times who threatens to join the government soon.
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Usapang Illustrado: FILIPINOS VS. FITNESS
Being a fit Filipino isn’t exactly a cakewalk, given the kind of food that we normally enjoy, or the way food takes center stage in most of our familial milestones. Unlike the majority of our Western counterparts, we kabayans are comfort eaters, above all. We like abundance, and richness; food that are so heartwarming, they feel like hugs. But oddly enough, we Filipinos are also incredibly obsessed with body shape. On top of the usual “hi’s!” and “hello’s,” we greet each other with “Uy, antaba mo,” or “Uy, pumapayat ka!” We’ve actually managed to make criticizing one’s weight a part of our daily courtesies! Why are we so caught up in this sordid business of shape-shaming? Just how important is fitness to us, really?
Louise Monique Soriano – UAE
Physical appearance, body shape & fitness are important to me though sometimes I tend to neglect it. I have a love/hate relationship with fitness but nonetheless, I accept and love my body through thick and thin. Right now, I think I need to improve my physique. I have been neglecting exercise for quite a while and I know I have to get back at it soon. In terms of surgical & non-surgical methods of improving how I look, I’m only up for non-surgical method. I don’t have any issue with people who are up for going under the knife for the sake of beauty but it’s just not my cup of tea.
Being fixated on fitness and aspiring for a certain body type is okay as long as that pursuit brings joy in your life. It depends on the reason why you’re doing it. If you are only doing it to gain likes on social media or if you do it to please your partner..how are you going to keep up with that? You have to do it for you. You have to do it for your happiness.
Ronna Rita Garcia Ellsworth – USA
Physical appearance is important to me because I believe that one should present the best person that they can be. We come in different shapes and sizes , beauty is in the eye of the beholder. No matter how physically attractive a person is. If one is insecure, mean and has an ugly personality, the ugliness will eventually show. Personally I’ve experienced this. I used to be 250 lbs. Most of my friends and family would say ” I never saw you that way”. I was always perceived as a confident person with a great sense of style. I believe one should find the best aspect of themselves and showcase it. Always put your best foot forward. Not a copycat because you will never be satisfied. I do plan to have reconstructive surgery ( mommy makeover ) this year. I am getting myself physically fit to control my blood sugar ( I used to be insulin dependent diabetic ). Making sure my post surgical recovery is uneventful. I believe that my outer shell should show the inner me- a sexy, vibrant, talented woman. Mother Nature needs a little help in that department.
BRENDA TUGELIDA-LUMANLAN – UAE
Fitness ranks high on my priority list. To be fit is to always feel healthy and strong and to have the ability to control my body. I can only accomplish that by having a balanced diet, a lot of water intake, sufficient sleep and rest, a daily dose of laughter and exercise and most importantly having people around me that exudes positive energy. To ensure I remain attractive, I consciously make an effort to go beyond just about how I look, but how I feel about the way I look. Being attractive is not confined within the image that I see when I look at the mirror. I need to constantly develop my personality enough to pull in the attention of others. I always make sure that I am confident in what I do and that I should always know the right thing to say.
There is nothing wrong with being passionate when it comes to fitness and to aim for a certain body type if it is for the right reasons. We want to be fit because we want to be healthy, happy and live a longer life. I am happy and confident with my body but it does not mean I have to stop from making it even better. I cannot stop aging and I cannot control the various external factors that affect my body. In a world that is constantly altering the definition of beautiful, sexy and fit, I need to keep up. I need to be proactive to ensure that I continuously improve as well.
JEREMY DE CHAVEZ – PHILIPPINES
The importance of fitness in my life varies. There are moments when I am heavily invested in my body, but there are also moments when I convince myself that to invest so much time and effort to pointless vanity is alarmingly narcissistic and perhaps, ironically, even unhealthy. So, its importance in my life ebbs and flows, but I don’t think that it’s necessarily a bad thing. Rather, for me it signals a tendency towards balance and moderation. The problem, as I see it, is excess; that is, to fall in either extremes of the spectrum; to either be fascistically devoted to working out at the expense of other aspects of one’s life or to be neglectful of one’s health under the pretext of keeping true to one’s supposed principles. So it really is just the rather banal problem of balance, of negotiating the tug-of-war between those two opposed tendencies.
I think much of what we consider as the ideal body is controlled—even insidiously manipulated—by the media. Bodies come in irreducibly diverse forms and shapes but it seems that only a select few get exposure and representation. Just think about the types of bodies you see on movies and TV and compare those to the type you encounter in daily experience. The gulf is far and wide. It’s also deceptive that those ideal bodies are depicted as involved in the same type of life that regular people live. So, the problem is that those images may set standards that are near impossible to reach and the fitness industry has taken the impossible and made it a challenge. I think we must resist that and be able to distinguish between image and reality. Health must mean a balance between mental, emotional, and physical health. We have to learn to be comfortable in our own skin and not in someone else’s.
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Filipino Style: Real Style, Real People
Whether they’re strutting down the street in cooler climes or keeping cool in the region’s sweltering heat, these Filipino fashionistas know how to keep their swagger – anywhere and everywhere. Take a look at our best style picks this week from Filipino style bloggers from around the world.
Real Style, Real People:
BETTINA MICU
Dubai – UAE
Photo by Gied Sarmiento & Gerald Chua
LO PASCUAL
Abu-Dhabi – UE
KARL LEUTERIO
Queensland, Australia
GILLIAN UANG
Cebu, Philippines
ALYSSA NICOLE
Dubai – UAE
LAUREEN UY
Manila – Philippines
PATRICIA PRIETO
Manila, Philippines
DOMINIQUE TIU
Cebu – Philippines
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Illustrado Scrapbook: Arch. Ramil Sunga and Maricris Fabi Carlos
Illustrado Scrapbook
Arch. Ramil Sunga
KUWAIT
http://www.flickr.com/photos/obadia/
Maricris Fabi Carlos
PHILIPPINES
https://www.facebook.com/krisfabicarlos
