UNO briefly caught up with former Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon, who’s been busying himself with the Philippine Red Cross, to discuss the group’s efforts in aiding the victims of typhoon Sendong. Known for supporting the men’s senior basketball team of ADMU (his alma mater) especially during the UAAP basketball season, Gordon confessed his lack of knowledge of football during the press conference, but expressed his openness to checking out the country’s other favorite sport, especially if it meant raising funds to help out the survivors of the typhoon, which hit major parts of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

Red Cross was one of the organizations behind the recently-held charity match between Azkals-UFL Alyansa and FC Internacional de Madrid last January 7 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, wherein the Spanish club won 3-1 against the host. At the half, the generous team from Spain formally donated 10,000 euros, plus signed jerseys to be auctioned off all for charity. Gordon was also present to accept the gifts.

Below are photos (taken by Juan Benjamin Janeo) from the press conference and match, and exclusive interview with the Philippine Red Cross chairman:

How have you been since after the Senate?
I’ve been working on the Red Cross. I have a radio program and a TV program on TV5. I also sit on the board of several corporations, but my focus has been mainly on the Red Cross–[we're] humanitarian, we’re non-profit. I’m a volunteer; I don’t get paid any money. And I enjoy [working with] talented people [putting] all our efforts into the Red Cross as volunteers. And this is a definite example. The request is starting to build now–1000 homes right away in Cagayan De Oro. And with the other 2 hectares again we have another 300, and if we get the land in Iligan, we get another 1000 homes as well. And we’re ahead of giving the non-food items and food items, and the idea here is to provide not just survival but dignity and recovery.

How are we with our target? Are we far from it?
No, we’re alright except that we want them to go from dependency mode into recovery right away. We want them to get their minds off the idea that there will always be handouts and that they need all hands to carry the load. So I think that we’ll be able to do that once the housing starts. Beneficiaries will be the ones to build the house. So we have a thousand tents that will be placed right away so that they can get out of the schools and a family of six can stay in a tent; even a family of seven. And [with] a thousand tents across the land–they can just build their homes and we’ll provide them with the materials and we’ll provide them with the equipment: saws, hammers, everything. At the same time they’re building on it, we’re giving them food so that they won’t be stressed [out] looking for food. And if there’s more money later on, we’ll provide them with Php7,000 as startup capital.

How’s the experience going to the site and seeing everything first-hand?
Oh, first day was really a shocker. You have a lot of people who not only lost their homes, but lost families. They’ve not gotten closure because there have been missing people in their families. And there’s no future because they’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their past, they’ve lost their present and it’s a very uncertain future, so it’s a very difficult proposition. That’s why we’re exerting all our efforts to help them.

How’s the group been working with our government for this cause?
Oh, we do that. We need a lot more coordination because everybody was doing it in Christmas, so there’s probably an oversupply of food there. But the request goes for the “over-served” and the “under-served.” So the under-served, we take care of as well.

What’s next for you? Are you planning to go back into politics?
There’s always that option. In the Senate, perhaps, I don’t know. I’ve not been offered any of the Cabinet [positions]. They were making noises, but the decision is theirs, it’s not my decision to make.

Pasay City, Metro Manila – On Tuesday, December 20, the Kaholeros, as the official booster squad of the Philippine National Football Teams, hosted the first Azkals Christmas Party at the SMDC Grand Showroom. The party, which was also graced by the coaching staff of the Azkals, the players of the Under-23 National Football Team (Junior Azkals), the players and coaching staff of the Women’s National Football Team (Malditas) and the officials of the Philippine Football Federation, was primarily organized so that the team may spend some time with fans outside of the football scene.

Kia Motors, the event’s main sponsor, gave commendation in the form of four brand new Kia Picantos to Azkals veterans Ian Araneta, Anton Del Rosario, Roel Gener and Ed Sacapano for their contribution to the team and to Philippine football in general.

The Kaholeros also gave out awards, which results were arrived at via online voting of its members. The winners were Nate Burkey and Lexton Moy (Social Service Award), Alexander “Aly” Borromeo (Fair Play Award), Stephan Schrock (Goal of the Year), Neil Etheridge (Save of the Year), and Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong (Congeniality Award and Player of the Year).

In the midst of the celebration, the Kaholeros did not ignore the tragedy brought about by tropical storm Sendong; so they brought old clothes and blankets to be donated to the victims. LBC Express graciously picked them up from the venue.

Team Manager Dan Palami, not forgetting the crucial role they play in the success of the team on and off the field, raffled off a few prizes exclusively for the members of the Kaholeros, to the surprise and utter delight of all attendees. He capped the night off with a message of thanks to everyone who has supported and has been instrumental in the promotion of the game in the country. He promised that 2012 will be a bigger year for football in the Philippines.

by Cherrie Billones

More photos from the event:

Secret Fresh’s year opener for 2012 is an exhibit of poster art created by Manila’s top and up and coming graphic designers and artists who also venture into illustration.  The show opening this January 8 Sunday at 6 PM is entitled AGIT POP! Post-Its To The Post Apocalypse and showcases their poster designs which imagines them as message boards to a future world promising utopic  visions in the aftermath of an imagined anticipated holocaust as prodded by the much Mayan calendar footnoting of the year 2012. Reversing the doomdsday prophesies, the posters present instead a possibility beyond such eventuality, speculating on the premise of a promised renewed world or the unfulfillment of such in a rather dystopia.

The line up of artists for this show is composed of JP Cuison,  Dina Gadia, D.O.T. , Folk Superlative, Electrolychee, 27 + 20,  Dee Grayson, AJ Dimarucot, Paulo Reyes, Russell Vergara, Wes Valenzuela, Mimi Tecson, A.lien, Dang Sering, Jackie Millonado and Jay Mitra.

UNO’s third wave of photos featuring the three-day Manila visit of reigning MLS Cup champs the Los Angeles Galaxy. On their third and last day (December 3) in the country was the much-awaited friendly against the Philippine National Football Team at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, in which Bruce Arena’s boys dominated the match, winning over the Azkals, 6-1.

Dubbed as the SMART Dream Cup, David Beckham scored the very first goal at the 28th minute, while Mike Magee followed it up ten minutes after with the second goal of the game, off a Landon Donovan pass.

Philippines’ Phil Younghusband answered back with his own goal, to narrow the gap 2-1 right before the break. But the California-based squad showed more skill and endurance in the second half, scoring four unanswered goals, courtesy of Adam Cristman, Robbie Keane and Greg Belhalter.

Despite Azkals Coach Michael Weiss expressing his disappointment with how the team lost focus in the second half, much has been accomplished in the promotion of football on that surreal Saturday alone. A perfect way to cap a historic year in Philippine sports, indeed.

More photos below (by Juan Benjamin Janeo):

“I think every player has got a certain ability–with Landon (Donovan) it’s his finishings, his pace, the way he plays. For myself, obviously, my free kick, my corners, my passes. It’s something I’ve worked on throughout my career. I know what my strengths are. I know what my weaknesses are. So I work on both of them. And if we can, obviously, advise children and let children learn from the players, that’s important, ’cause children are our future. And we will bend to have fun, we will bend to learn, and if we can start by doing that tomorrow, then it’ll be a great day.”

-David Beckham

Here are more photos (taken by Juan Benjamin Janeo) from the Los Angeles Galaxy’s football clinic attended by 200 children, held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last December 2, 2011:

International football star David Beckham, Landon Donovan, and Coach Bruce Arena represented the Los Angeles Galaxy at the press conference held at the Makati Shangri-La yesterday that kicked off the three-day visit the right way. Also present were players from the Azkals, who also welcomed the reigning MLS Cup champions with much excitement.

Next, the Beckham-led team will hold a football clinic for children at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Friday, before finally getting to play against Philippines’ very own team Azkals, on Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

All photos taken by Juan Benjamin Janeo

The Azkals vs. LA Galaxy friendly match will be held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium and will air LIVE on Dec 3, 6:30 pm (kick-off 7pm) on Studio 23. To avail of discounted tickets, go to any TicketWorld outlet and mention the Promo Code 6987.

by Michael Mirasol

One of the great joys of the movies is its ability to bring our fantasies to life. Whether it’s time travel, alien worlds, alternate realities, or superhuman feats, film allows us to transcend our physical limitations; to make the fantastic real.

Superhero films are but the latest popular manifestation of this desire to materialize our fondest imaginings. Any youngster who has ever been entranced by a comic book or serial would surely jump at the chance to see their heroes fully embodied on screen. The child in all of us has always wanted to be super strong; to be super fast; to fly.

And the genre is flying indeed. In the past decade, there has been an average of around 4 superhero films a year, raking in just over $1Billion per annum (2011 has already crossed that number). Some of the most profitable film franchises have come out in this period, along with some of the most ambitious and memorable takes on the most recognizable of costumed crime fighters.

But as the decade came to a close, the genre seemed to be losing its mojo. Since 2008 when the great pair of IRON MAN and THE DARK KNIGHT began and ended that Summer Blockbuster season, there hasn’t been a single worthy successor mentioned in the same breath. There were ambitious attempts here and there (e.g. WATCHMEN) whose success depends on who you speak to. But none have captured the same kind of critical and commercial acceptance comic book fans have been looking for.

This sentiment was probably best captured in A.O. Scott’s essay “How Many Superheroes Does It Take to Tire a Genre?” In it, Scott had a hunch that 2008 may have been the peak of genre’s interest and noted the “rules” which its films have to live by.

“The climax must be a fight with the villain, during which the symbiosis of good guy and bad guy, implicit throughout, must be articulated. The end must point forward to a sequel, and an aura of moral consequence must be sustained even as the killings, explosions and chases multiply. The allegorical stakes in a superhero are raised — it’s not just good guys fighting bad guys, but Righteousness against Evil, Order against Chaos — precisely to authorize a more intense level of violence.”

It was the predictability of such conventions Scott claims that ultimately restrict a superhero film’s greatness, such as the reliance on bigger and more elaborate special effects, or the insistence to spell things out. Read THE DARK KNIGHT’s climactic dialogue on paper and it will feel ham-fisted.

But here enters the important question: What do we, as comic book lovers, want superhero films to be?

When superheroes entered first entered the collective consciousness, they were first adapted to film as Saturday Movie Serials in 1940s. Some of the earliest examples were Captain Marvel, Batman, The Phantom, Captain America, and Superman. Find them on YouTube and discover how they felt anything but super in retrospect. Yet they served their purpose. In the shadow of World War 2, they were an escape for millions of children.

Politics momentarily torpedoed the comic book industry and so with the films that were inspired by them. Caped crusaders were only to be found on TV, most notably Adam West’s “Batman,” which remained securely in its corner of children’s entertainment. But the baby-boomers had grown up by the 70s, and so did special effects. Surely Richard Donner must have seen what Steven Spielberg and George Lucas did with JAWS and STAR WARS. Thus arrived the first great (and probably the greatest) Superhero film, SUPERMAN.

What made SUPERMAN (1978) so great among many things was that it was the first true ambitious attempt to evoke the almost mythological reverie young comic book lovers hold for their heroes. It’s evident from the film’s first shot of a young hand turning a comic book page while a child’s voice narrates the exploits of the Daily Planet. Its aspirations were so grand that they could not be contained in one film and were eventually carried over to its equally majestic sequel.

It was also a product of great creativity, utilizing shots and techniques maximizing the capabilities of special effects despite the limitations of their time. It did so well that no other film of its kind in the 1980s came close to it. That is until Tim Burton revolutionized the feel of the superhero film with his gothic vision of BATMAN (1989). Until then, superheroes had to live up to a kind of sunlit glory. Tim Burton completely upended this notion with his dedication to darkness and shadow, reveling in his hero’s menacing intimidation. Both films set the bar for the genre and set the divergent paths their successors would take in the 1990s.

As more and more superhero films were being produced, partly because advances in computer generated effects (CGI), an over-reliance on spectacle over story started to take hold (sound familiar?). Throwaway characters came and went; the bad outnumbered the good. But regardless of the style whether grand (Supes’ influence) or foreboding (Batsy’s), the genre continued to tell their stories with a strong adherence to the fantastic. A select few dared to focus on the stakes which heroes fight for (e.g. X-MEN and UNBREAKABLE), looking prophetic in hindsight.

September 11 changed the cinematic landscape, causing almost all films to focus on the stakes. From then on, it wasn’t enough for a superhero film to have a great protagonist or premise. The conflicts had to involve soul-searching. The risks had to be grave.

Some of the very best Superhero films are characterized by this. The X-MEN films have always put their focus on discrimination and the treatment of minorities as outcasts. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is the best of the lot because of how it juxtaposes this issue with historical events more closely than any other film of its kind.

HULK is probably the most introspective of all Superhero films, telling how such superhuman abilities can be much more of a curse than a blessing. HELLBOY is amazing in its ability to portray its supernatural character dealing with the human reckoning of nature versus nurture. HELLBOY 2 feels like it was directed by Hayao Miyazaki, soulfully mourning the gap between man and the natural world.

Though Peter Parker is no ordinary man, his not so extra-ordinary abilities make him a more empathetic character as compared to someone who can fly. And in SPIDER-MAN 2, Sam Raimi uses this hero who isn’t extra-ordinarily intelligent, wealthy or powerful to somehow convey the awesome responsibility of doing the right thing. Tony Stark gave America a chance to atone for its wartime sins. IRON MAN was wish-fulfillment, granting the chance to his immense wealth and technological advantages at defeating the correct enemy, big business.

BATMAN BEGINS was epic in finally revealing the nature of Batman’s dark notion of justice, digging deep behind Bruce Wayne’s trauma and patiently building the legendary persona with a complete commitment to defeating evil. And miraculously, THE DARK KNIGHT turned the stakes several notches higher by presenting an ugly, fearsome, and equally determined anarchist who embodied our all-too-grounded fears of complete chaos.

Is it any wonder how superhero films came to the fore during World War 2, and how it reached its cinematic golden age after 9/11? The most interesting ones have grown with gravity along with the times. But as with the 1990s, throwaways are coming back. Would anyone consider the personal dilemmas of THE GREEN HORNET (spoiled brat), THOR (big dumb blonde) and GREEN LANTERN (pilot who’s scared of admitting fear) worthy of a hero? CAPTAIN AMERICA may bring back fuzzy nostalgia of the good ole’ days, but did have to be fuzzy about non-existent discrimination (not to mention being completely predictable)?

Yes, Superheroes by their very nature are fantasies. Originally conceived to make us feel good, and have us suspend logic for the short time we have with them. But even comic book fans want their genre to be taken seriously too, and it is not enough to merely go to the theater and appear more knowledgeable than the casual moviegoer who goes in with a blank slate. Do we really want to see superhero movies, just because we know who is who and what the plot points are?

And for those of us who are seeking that SUPERMAN/BATMAN moment, of seeing something truly original or fantastic for the first time, those moments will come few and far between. CGI has made the incredible familiar. It’s time to tantalize ourselves with ideas, not just imagery. I long for the day when Kal-el has to justify altruism over conquest or to see his alternate history if he had landed in the good ole’ USSR.

Steven Spielberg didn’t make a dozen versions of E.T.’s. He grew with his art. Cowboys didn’t just stop at the duel at high noon. As A.O. Scott noted, the Western was able “to find ambiguities and tensions buried in their own rigid paradigms.” Superhero films have grown and must continue to grow rather than being about the good versus evil storyline that keeps itself from exploring new territory. It’s a scourge that is not only afflicting film but the comic book industry itself. It won’t be solved by constant reboots.

In an inspiring scene in SUPERMAN RETURNS, Kal-el goes into the highest reaches of the stratosphere to listen in on how to help the mankind. But what follows is maddening: Does he help resolve Middle Eastern conflicts? Help to stop the atrocities in Sudan? Rid North Korea of Nukes?

Hell no. He stops a bank robbery.

My fellow fanboys, it’s the 21st Century. Is this the best we can hope for?

Originally published in UNO October – November 2011 issue.

Ed: Oh how time flies.. here’s a feature on Andrea de Guzman — now Andrea Mago from earlier this year.

“My idea of fun is anything to do with travel, friends, my fiancé, and food!”


Words by Luis Katigbak | Photographed by Pam Viguera
Shot on location at Xocolat, Libis

“Funny you mentioned my commercials,” Andrea de Guzman laughs. “Alexis would bug me non-stop– at the cafeteria, in the car, on the way to the classroom, at a random spot somewhere outside school, and even in the middle of lunch, to give him a montage performance of my roles. And I’d be like, ‘Montage? No way!’ but deep inside I’d be like, ‘What’s a montage?’”

Light-hearted, candid, and charming: these are no doubt a few of the qualities that drew the young, late, lamented film critic Alexis Tioseco to Andrea. Their friendship was cemented over midnight nacho runs and “coffee over useless conversation.” “He was my biggest fan, or at least he made me feel that he was,” Andrea recalls with affection.

You may remember Andrea as, among other roles, the best friend in that KC Concepcion ad who discovers the benefits of a certain energy pill. There may be some truth to it, because these days her schedule is nothing but busy: “As a full-time job, I teach [Art and Social Graces to] first year high school kids at Bannister Academy. On occasion, I write for several lifestyle publications. In between working on lesson plans and food or travel write-ups, I run to the recording studio to squeeze in little voice-over jobs for TV and radio ads.” She’s also a writer and speaker for I AM S.T.R.O.N.G., a group of college students and young professionals that promotes proper decision-making for the youth through books and talks given throughout the country.

Andrea’s plans for the future include getting married this December, starting a family, “working out and achieving the Alessandra Ambrosio figure,” and putting up her own preschool. “There’s a lot of fulfillment in seeing your ideas materialize,” Andrea says of her teaching. “When I sorted through my first few unit plans, test papers, handouts, lesson plans, Powerpoint presentations, I was like, ‘Wow, I made these.’” Alexis, as always, would have been proud. ν

GOING UNDERGROUND

My wife and I headed out to Puerto Princesa, Palawan to spawn.

But, admittedly, it is quite difficult to spawn if you are sharing a room with your two and a half year old daughter, your yaya and your in-laws (yes, that same father-in-law who custom-fitted you with a chastity belt when you and your then girlfriend, now wife were still dating).

To keep myself in a constantly amorous state during the whole weekend, I was on the lookout for the infamous (infamous in the same way that The Three Amigos were infamous) Palawan delicacy tamilok (wood worm), which is renowned for its, ehem, aphrodisiac qualities. However, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to break my vegetarian diet just for this worm (which I later found out was actually a slimy, fat and long mollusk that made most men feel inadequate because it was longer than a twelve-inch ruler.  More importantly, I have not read any scientific tests that herald the efficacy of eating tamilok versus watching really crude pornography).

During our visit, we took a 1.2 kilometer bakawan (mangrove) forest paddleboat ride to see hundred year old mangrove trees that jutted thirty meters into the sky.  Little did my wife know that I had an ulterior motive for taking her on the mangrove tour: Nesting inside rotting mangroves were the elusive tamiloks.  But I was warned to be careful scouring for these mollusks because – aside from trudging through muddy ground and evading discarded oyster shells and fallen tree branches – there could be some DOMs (read about DOMs in this issue’s BARRAGE, Page 18) lurking inside those rotting mangroves as well.

We had the privilege of being toured around the bakawan by Aida, the self proclaimed Lady Mangrove who pointed out to us the different varieties of plants and animals that occupied this protected area: There were yellow-striped snakes (makamandag), pythons, bayawaks (monitor lizards), porcupines, anteaters, parrots, myna, cockatoos, hornbills, wild pigs, and even some wild chickens (you knew they were wild by the way they foamed at the mouth). (Which brings us, we had Man vs Wild guy Bear Grylls teach us a thing or two about the wild on Page 96).

Later that afternoon, we had finally come to my declared purpose behind this trip (aside from spawning and eating tamilok) and that was a visit to the Puerto Princesa Underground River. Conveniently enough, Daluyon was a mere stone’s throw away from the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River national park (especially if you had a pitching arm like the Incredible Hulk’s).

One of the first structures we encountered was the aptly named bat cavern. There are seven different species of bats that lived inside these caves but, trust me, all their guano smelled the same. During our visit, the bats were taking their beauty while preparing for their night shift. So if we felt something cold and wet dripping on our clothes, that was fresh rainwater that had seeped in through the mountains. But if you felt something wet and sticky dripping on our clothes, then a bat must have used you for target practice.

Of course, we were kilometers deep inside a cave that was millions of years old. Who knows that kind of underground fumes this river was spewing? Joyce could have told me that he saw formations that resembled Paris Hilton (see Page 28 for more on the hotel heiress) and Chinese warships and the actual results of the 2004 Presidential elections and I probably still would have believed him.

But if we traveled further down the underground river, we would encounter a structure that was not subject to aesthetic interpretation: the fossilized remains of a twenty million year old dugong (sea cow) that has been embedded on the cave walls. Yes, that’s right. A fossil that’s even older than some of the DOMs out there.

As our paddleboat turned around and we headed back to the mouth of the river, it occurred to me that the underground river could be an exhilarating yet slightly terrifying experience at the same time. Especially when you realize that you are a more than a kilometer deep inside an underground cave that is underneath a mountain that is swarming with bats and swallows from above and eels in the brackish waters below and all that you can rely of for safety in a pitch black cave is the knowledge of your paddleboat operator and battery-powered searchlight. But probably the most terrifying part? Aside from the fact that your car battery might run out of juice or that bats go Signal Number Three all over your head? The fact that there was no cellphone signal inside the cave. The only Twitter that would be coming from the inside of the underground river would be from the swallows.

And so goes our desperate attempt to make our lives a little less boring that we present to you, our dear readers, a source of inspiration to go out there and look for some adventure (at a nifty price of P190, cha-ching!), For starters, we’ve got entertainer extraordinaires Hollywood’s Donald Glover and Fil-Canadian Mikey Bustos to share about their rising careers (See Page 22 and 46, respectively). Meanwhile, Jinno Rufino (Page 44) and the sexy Jacq Yu (Page 86) narrate about their own trips abroad to see some pretty mean cars in action.

Speaking of pretty, we’ve got two of the prettiest women on our covers this time around. Get to know hot and talented TV personalities Bianca Manalo (Page 56) and Sam Pinto (Page 64), who both talk about their rise to fame and the thrills of being up there.

So you see, adventure is just out there for you to stumble upon, whether in some underground river or within the confines of your own bakuran. Palawan was amazing, but it’s also nice to be back in the city, where bats are more known to produce films rather than guano. Whatever your fancy, may this UNO issue encourage you to stretch your legs, turn to the next page and let the fun begin.

-RJ Ledesma, Editor-in-Chief