UNO Online: At Your Service
Posted by RJ Ledesma at August 27th, 2010
We here at UNO would just like to thank all of you who bought our August issue and sent us so much great feedback and praises. Yup, we serve at your pleasure. And we can promise you more adventures in the coming issues. We hope you continue to fly with us.
(And, Phoemela is just so gorgeous, isn’t she? Book us for a return flight!)
No Fun
Posted by RJ Ledesma at August 22nd, 2010Sometimes working on an issue you really love can only be described with a song (and a live YouTube video)
This August: Phoemela Baranda In Flight
Posted by RJ Ledesma at August 2nd, 2010
Starring Phoemela Baranda
In this issue:
Award-winning writer Angelo “Sarge” Lacuesta gives us two stories about desire and flight, accompanied by an airport shoot starring the lovely Shawn Yao and Annicka Dolonius.
Kristine Lim Spoor writes about life in New Zealand, Denise Mallabo pays a visit to Ilocos Norte, and Yvette Tan writes about destinations unusual and foreboding.
Menchu Aquino Sarmiento tells us about the gender-transcending Transpinays. Sylvia Mayuga pays tribute to aviation pioneer Capt. Bobby Lim.
Marguerite Alcazaren de Leon lets us into the mind of a Japanese porn star. Andrea Go gives us the Divino experience from a girl’s POV. We count down hentai’s greatest hits. And Armi Millare of Up Dharma Down eats organic with us.
Fallout Boy: An interview with Atom Henares
Posted by RJ Ledesma at July 7th, 2010
With a name like Atom Henares, you can’t expect anything less than explosive
By RJ Ledesma
After working as an SGV management consultant, our favorite unit of matter pursued his MBA at Harvard Business School. He has diverse business interests in the country that include: palm oil, power plants, a pulp and paper, a cable television and radio station, and real estate. He sits through three meetings a day, leaves work at around 7 p.m. to work out for about an hour, then heads out for dinner at half past ten. And then he (as the young ‘uns call it) makes “gimmick.” This building block of matter also scuba dives and races cars, and he does all this while employing his secret identity.
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King of Pawn: Jean Henri Lhuillier
Posted by RJ Ledesma at May 17th, 2010
Photos by Carina Altomonte
Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and CEO of the Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop companies, the largest pawn brokering chain with 4000 employees, serving 30,000 customers daily in over 1200 branches around the country
He is also president and CEO of Cintree Management Services, Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions, Netword Capital Ventures, Inc., Le Soleil de Boracay Resort, Inc., P& EL Realty Corporation, Just Jewels Diamond Boutique Corporation.
Add to that lengthy list: director of Enderun Colleges, DFNN.com, Hatchasia.com, Intelligent Wave Philippines, director and chairman of Global Restaurant Concepts (Philippine Franchiser of California Pizza Kitchen), and Exteriur Resources Worldwide, Inc.
It doesn’t end there. He is also former manager of the Philippine men’s national basketball team that won a gold medal in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games; team manager of the RP Davis Cup since 2004, and current president of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines.
I shouldn’t neglect to mention that he is also Honorary Consul of San Marino to the Philippines.
Finally, most importantly, husband to the former Bea Lucero (former Olympian, commercial model, and insanely popular host of a late ‘90s show called Teen Talk), and father to four impossibly adorable kids.
Here’s the question: What does Jean Henri Lhuillier not do?
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How to Throw a Kick-Ass Party
Posted by RJ Ledesma at May 13th, 2010
By events organizer Cacay Moras, as told to RJ Ledesma, originally appearing in UNO Magazine’s March 2010 issue.
Throwing parties, is it in the blood?
I’m the current events organizer of the monthly Fabric Fashion Show at Encore and Capone’s Bar in A. Venue. I like throwing parties because I’m a Leo, and Leos are very social creatures. We want to be around people all the time. We like making people happy in the craziest possible way that we can. The party has to be crazy, and it has to give you a rush or else, it’s not worth it.
How to make a party kick-ass
A truly kick-ass party has to be original: there has to be something novel about every party to keep the guests coming. That is why I don’t organize weekly parties anymore as they tended to become very stale— you’ve got the same DJ and the same boring activity.
As a partygoer, one of the truly kick-ass parties that I attended was the first Classic 99 party organized by Ivan Zalameda. I was a big fan of trance music back in the late nineties, before the club scene gave way to house music. So when Ivan put together the first Classic 99, it brought together all of us trance fans that shared the same type of vibe.
But some of the best parties I’ve attended don’t need to have any theme or occasion. These are the type of parties that happen at the last minute when you just call a couple of friends, close down a place, and say that you just really want to party.
Good vibrations
It depends because there are different levels of kick-ass. You could have intimate parties or the extra huge ones. Stephen Ku of the World Wide Womb threw great kick-ass parties in Embassy (now known as Encore). He brought in Tiesto. But I’ve also attended really great parties in Nuvo where you have an intimate gathering of twenty to thirty.
When you’ve been in the party/events industry long enough, you know the right mix of people to invite for the more intimate parties, and these are the type of people who know that ‘What happens in the party, stays in the party’ (laughs).
But a kick-ass party really has nothing to do with the size of the venue. It’s all about the people and the vibe that they bring to party. It is the who that matters.
Poison of choice?
Johnnie Walker. Definitely Johnny Walker (laughs).
This is how we do it in Cebu
In Manila, a kick-ass party usually starts at night. But, in Cebu, any time of the day is fine. There’s no such thing as “time of day.” You can decide after lunch to go on a boat and head to Bohol, or hang out on the beach, or go diving. You live a great lifestyle in Cebu because it is complete. You’ve heard of that cliché “its now or never?” In Cebu, “its now or later.” Partying is inevitable. That’s why I moved to Manila from Cebu eight years ago—to teach Manileños how to party (laughs).
Keep the party going
A kick-ass party should last long, but short enough to give you time to recover, so you can function the next day.
And, finally, how do you know the party was kick-ass?
When somebody asks you the next day, ‘How was the party?’ and you answer, ‘I don’t know’ with a big, fat smile on your face.
The Elections Issue with Annicka Dolonius
Posted by RJ Ledesma at May 6th, 2010
“In my country, everything has changed and nothing is different.”—Rio Gonzaga, The Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn
When we first heard about political unrest between Thailand’s “red shirt” protesters—supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006—and government forces that has led to some less-than-peaceful confrontations right smack dab in the heart of Bangkok, most of us Pinoys probably reacted the same way: a collective shrug of the shoulders. Sounds family naman e. We have been there, done that. And, at the rate that we’re going, we’re liable to do it again.
If the Thais think they’ve got it bad, tell them to visit the Philippines. We can show them the best of cultural landmarks and coup sites across Metro Manila because we’ve had revolutions—from bloodless to less than peaceful—up the wazoo.
After all, my generation have been (rather mute) witnesses to the game of political musical chairs that has been played since before we started sprouting pubic hair: the February 1986 EDSA revolution; the July 1986 Arturo Tolentino takeover of Manila Hotel, which set the gears turning in the mind of a 15-year-old Anthony Trillanes who told himself “I wanna take over a hotel someday. Maybe even two.”; the August 1987 Honasan-fueled insurrection; the bloody December 1989 return of the comeback; the January 2001 EDSA II revolution; the May 2001 EDSA III revolution (some sequels just don’t live up to the originals); the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny; the February 2006 State of Emergency, and the November 2007 Manila Pen mutiny. We’ve had more false alarms than a woman with an irregular menstrual cycle.
And if our Thai neighbors think their politics is more screwed than a two-dollar whore, well then wala yan sa lola ko. In this administration we have a pretty good cathouse. In this administration alone, we’ve had the “Hello Garci” scandal, the multimillion peso fertilizer scandal, the IMPSA bribery scandal, the “Jose Pidal” scandal, the jueteng scandal, the Northrail project scandal, the Venable contract scandal, the NBN-ZTE scandal, the bribery at Malacañang scandal, the extrajudicial killings scandal, the Eurogenerals scandal, the Maguindanao Massacre scandal, and the President running as a congresswoman (well, it isn’t a scandal, but it should be). There are more scandals in this administration than there are in a bootleg sex video DVD.
My generation is jaded with politics. And how can we not be jaded? I grew up in the Philippines of the ‘80s. We are the That’s Entertainment generation. We are the poster children for the jaded. We grew up against the backdrop of the Aquino assassination, the snap elections, the Mendiola massacre, the power outages, the Metro Manila Film Fest fiasco, and the showbiz career of Kris Aquino. We’ve survived an earthquake, the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption, waist-deep floods, dengue outbreaks, three days of darkness, bird flu, and the showbiz career of Kris Aquino. Somedays, I feel like we’re trapped in a poorly written sitcom that is starring bad actors with poor makeup, in a show that is in a perpetual state of re-runs—with Kris Aquino.
And what’s the next piece of jade that we can add to our jewelry collection? The great circus slash production number slash talent variety show slash pissing contest that is the 2010 Presidential Elections.
Road diversions. Campaign overspending. Technical problems with election machines. Secret candidates. Illegal campaign contributions. Failure of elections. Fake psychiatric tests. Unreadable ballots. Midnight appointments. The wrong freaking ink. Partial manual count. Womanizing endorses. No elections. Party defections. Military takeover.
So, what else is new?
This election was touted to be the battle between good versus evil. But—depending on who you are talking to—it might be a battle between the lesser of two evils. For others, it could just be a Hobson’s choice. And for the rest: they just want someone who won’t screw up or who won’t screw us over.
But jaded as we are—as I am—I’m still getting indelible ink on my index finger on May 10 because I still have hope. But I’m not hoping for the best, mind you. I’m just hoping that whomever I vote for doesn’t screw us up, or screw us over—much. Hell, we’ve got to start someplace. Or else we’re back to That’s Entertainment.
Bully for You // Ornusa Cadness in UNO’s October ’09
Posted by RJ Ledesma at September 28th, 2009
Bully For You
an alternate editors note from RJ Ledesma
If the schoolyard adage “Knowledge is Power” holds any weight, then Washington “Wash” SyCip is the undisputed heavyweight of the schoolyard.
Wash—born in China, reared in the Philippines, and sworn in as an American citizen—has always been ever so familiar with the sweet science of success: He graduated college in two years at the age of seventeen with an accounting degree from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) summa cum laude. He began teaching at UST while also earning his master’s degree at his alma mater. Although Wash passed the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) exam at age 18, he was too young to receive his license to practice (You can be old enough to turn your liver into a punching bag, but not old enough to balance books, go figure) so he opted to pursue his doctorate in Columbia University.
While working on his dissertation, Wash’s studies were rudely interrupted by history: Pearl Harbor and Clark AirBase were bombed. When his father, Albino (yes, Albino) was arrested by the Japanese, he joined the Second Filipino Infantry Regimen of the U.S. Armed Forces. Although Wash wanted to fight on the front lines, he was told that he was overqualified for infantry work (read: he was too damn smart), so he was put to better use in the U.S. Armed Forces as a Japanese language code breaker out of a squadron stationed in India (Did I mention he had to learn Japanese first before taking on the intelligence work).
After the end of World War II, Wash returned to Manila and was enthused over the great opportunities that arose for the country’s reconstruction efforts. Bucking the trend of joining the big British-owned accounting firms of the time, Wash established his own firm. “Those firms were all Caucasians, and they had a fairly general policy that partners were Caucasians. From my viewpoint, I was as good as anyone and should not be subjected to discrimination in my own country.”
So, on the fifth floor of he Trade and Commerce Building in Binondo, Manila, Washington SyCip put up his shingle (“W. Sycip & Co.”) in March 1946, and the rest is business history.
Along with his longtime friend Alfredo M. Velayo, the firm was renamed SyCip, Gorres & Velayo (SGV). By building on Wash’s principles of emphasizing merit, training and integrity (which is something the current administration needs to take remedial classes in) SGV – later the SGV Group – became the country’s biggest and most prestigious accounting and consulting firm. And, under Wash’s leadership, SGV became Asia’s largest accounting firm – he was responsible for the firm’s expansion into Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. He was responsible for SGV’s partnership in 1985 with Arthur Andersen, one of the largest professional service organizations in the world (at that time).
SGV’s reputation as a firm has been so rock-solid in that managing partners and directors have been spirited away from the SGV to serve as technocrats over the past five administrations (and many of these technocrats have also left administrations that were not as rock-solid as they claimed to be). Meanwhile, Wash continues to be on a first name basis with the leaders of big business, including the Lopezes, Ayalas, Sys, Tys, del Rosarios, Gokongweis, Aboitizes, Gotianuns, Tans, Cosetengs, Sorianos, Cojuangcos, Kuoks, Delgados, Yuchenghocs Uytengsus, Yangs, Chiongs, Roxases and many others. And Wash is probably one of the few men who can bring together the country’s top political, economic, society and cultural elite on one table for a reasonably quiet dinner. And perhaps a good bottle of scotch.
Wash has been retired since 1996. But that doesn’t stop him from coming to office everyday at 6:30 am. Or from continuing to serve as the Honorary Consul of Austria to the Philippines. Or from being a fashion model for couture barong-makers Silk Cocoon. From still being. Or from being a big fan of the transvestite performers at Club Mwah. Really.
***
I blame pop culture for all of my conditioned fears. I blame the movie Jaws for my perennial fear of swimming by myself even in a kiddie-sized pool for fear that a 40-foot great white shark might just appear and turn me into lunch. I blame the move The Changeling for my fear of bathtubs because I might see a dead boy floating inside the tub. But for my biggest fear—the fear of sleeping by myself with the lights closed—is because of Freddie Aguilar.
When I was about four years old, I remember watching a (sort of) music video of Freddie Aguilar’s song Anak. The music video featured the drawing of a giant eating little boys. To my 4-year old mind, this image was terror epitomized, and I could not sleep with lights closed because the image of that toddler-eating giant would replay itself in my mind’s eye. I have not had a good night’s sleep for the past 31 years. Thank God for night-lights and (now) my wife.
Unfortunately, no amount of lighting or spooning can make me any less frightened reading the stories in Yvette Tan’s first collection of short fiction, Waking The Dead. The award-winning fictionist was one of the names we named in our ’52 Women On Top’ list in our June issue. Her recently released book, which features a fair amount of monsters (both mythical and the all too real), certainly marks her out as one of the dark stars of Philippine literature. For that reason we’ve asked her to guest-edit our October issue—only fitting given that we celebrate the pagan heresies of Halloween this month. Who better guide to the season than a lovely and talented witch like Tan? (Anybody who reads her prose knows there’s some black magic at work there; and, not very long ago, at least one of the stories in her book would’ve easily gotten figuratively “burned at the stake” if not realistically incarcerated.)
So, set aside your Necronomicons for a while, and peruse UNO’s October issue. Turn up the lights then, don’t be selfish. You want those around you—even in your seemingly empty room—to see the pictures properly.
Singular Sensation
Posted by RJ Ledesma at June 4th, 2009
It began with the Japanese Monster Sex Show.
This was what a rather harmless looking baby-faced man with a perennial scowl, a slight paunch and a predilection to wearing rock music t-shirts two sizes too large for his baby damulag body recommended, nay, demanded that I use as the title of the monthly music column that he would write for me in my previous stint as an Editor-in-chief of a now defunct men’s magazine (Although I still fail to see what the title of his column had to do with music unless the squeals of three hundred foot tall monsters in the throes of love sounded like heavy metal).
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