At the turn of the 20th century, Negrense “hacienderos” (sugarcane land owners) were the richest and their farm workers the highest paid in the country.
But in a span of a century, the Negros sugar industry plunged from its proverbial pedestal into its inglorious present state.

Why is the industry in peril? Is it, indeed, a flailing sunset industry?

Filmmaker J Abello, a former sugarcane farm manager, offers a glimpse of the island’s turbulent history through dramatic and controversial video: lavish parties of Negros sugar barons, candid interviews with hacienderos, never before seen footage of Negros island…and more.

“Pureza: The Story of Negros Sugar” traces the history of the Negros sugar industry as it faces strife and discord in the advent of the 21st century.

Executive Producers J. ABELLO, JOEY GASTON
Producers FIONA BORRES, AGNES VILLAR
Director J. ABELLO
Writers JET ORBIDA, CHECCS OSMEÑA
Editor FIONA BORRES
Director of Photography J. ABELLO
Asst. Director LOVELLE BELLOCILLO
Visual FX Supervisor RICHARD FRANCIA
Sound Engineers ALBERT MICHAEL IDIOMA, ALEX TOMBOC
Music PEARLSHA ABUBAKAR

By Denise Mallabo

Photos by Magic Liwanag

The last time pop star Katy Perry was here in Manila three years ago, she played alongside Journey’s Arnel Pineda and Neal Schon and the band MAE at a benefit concert for the survivors of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. She was warmly accepted by her adoring fans– mostly teens during that time– so it was no surprise she was here again just recently for a bigger and grander concert. Manila was the last stop of her California Dreams 2012 Tour. The show started at 8pm with Los Angeles-based DJ Skeet Skeet pumping up the crowd with an hour-long mix. About another hour later, the lights dimmed and a video narrative was played. A few minutes after that, Katy, sporting a dress adorned with swirl candy-looking contraptions, kicked things off with her song “Teenage Dream.” Her stage looked like candy land had just been transported there, and her dancers, wearing equally colorful costumes, were really good. She sang all of her hits, from “Waking up in Vegas” to “Hot n’ Cold,” “Peacock” to “I Kissed a Girl” when she pulled model Ivan Dorschner onstage and planted a kiss on his cheek, which he also gave her in return. The laser light show as she sang “E.T.” was really impressive. A favorite moment of mine was when she sang a toned-down version of “The One That Got Away.” Here her voice was so controlled I found it very moving. Katy ended the concert with “California Girls” and  blasted everyone with water and bubbles. The audience bounced beach balls around and everybody was showered with confetti. She definitely saved the best country for the last leg of her tour.

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

Interview and photo by Shawn Yao

Favorite character in Greek mythology?
I would go for Heracles—Hercules to the Romans. Because of his courage, strength, and skill, Heracles was able to accomplish numerous great tasks, which can be compared with the problems we face today. He should be a role model for all of us: the manner he hurdled all the challenges that came his way.
There are a number of other favorite heroes and heroines who walked through Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey during the Bronze or the Mycenaean Age. Also, another important Greek poet who created influential heroes and heroines would be Hesiod who lived during the 8th century BC, and who, back then, already espoused that as human beings acquire more technology, their values will deteriorate.

How has being named “Midas” affected your psyche?
It has not. The story of King Midas has a number of versions and variations, but what is universal and what most people remember, is only that portion that everything he touches turns to gold, which makes “Midas” as the bearer of good luck. In fact, I was told that my parents were lucky with the business they were into when I was born. Hence they named me Midas.

How do you like Maritess Vitug’s book Shadow of Doubt? Rate it with five stars being the highest.
Sorry, I don’t. The book Shadow of Doubt tarnishes the Supreme Court and the justices and puts them in a bad light. It tries to appear impartial when in truth, it is very biased. Even the undoubtedly highly successful programs of the Court were assailed. Quite cleverly written, it makes surmises appear as hard facts, which in reality, never actually transpired. [It is] Full of conjectures which are passed off as facts. One star for clever writing.

Don’t you find the pending lawsuit against Vitug contrary to the Court’s sworn duty to uphold freedom of the press?
Like all freedoms, freedom of the press is not limitless. The Court will always uphold freedom of the press, but it will not consider it as a license to malign anyone.

What does Midas Marquez do for fun?
Go to the gym, play basketball, prune bonsais, and shop.

What time do you get out of bed on Sundays?
10 a.m.

Do you have any pets?
I used to walk our three dogs around the village, a Shar Pei, a Chow Chow, and a Labrador. Right now, we only have the Chow Chow and a Toy Poodle. Oh, I also have a big tank, which used to have tropical fishes. It now has fresh water fishes and a turtle.

We heard that you’re a basketball fanatic. What position and how often do you get to play?
I play the point guard and off guard positions. I get to play on weekends. I join the village tournament, the alumni leagues of Ateneo and La Salle, and the SC tournament. I’m pretty full already on weekends.

How is it different working for Chief Justice Puno as opposed to Chief Justice Corona?
CJ Puno only had more than three years as chief justice (while CJ Corona will have more than eight years). As such, we hit the ground running from the time CJ Puno was appointed, and never stopped. He was a man in a hurry. Plus, I am no longer chief of staff of the Office of the Chief Justice. Thus, I have less interface with the incumbent chief justice, which means also less butterflies in the stomach.

Ever plagiarized as a student?
Nope. I have always thought that the more references and citations you have in a paper, the more scholarly it is. Thus, I strive to have as many references and citations as I can.

What would you consider your greatest virtue?
Hard work and passion for work.

Vice?
Social drinking.

What do you listen in the car?
AM news during the rush hour. Otherwise, hip-hop and R & B.

Favorite writers?
Bob Woodward, Jeffrey Toobin, John Dean, and Joseph Stiglitz

Books?
Biographies of presidents, justices, politicians; non-fiction books about history, culture, economics, politics

Favorite Jollibee menu item?
Chickenjoy.

Favorite alcoholic drink?
San Mig Lite.

Do you think the executive interferes too much with the work of the judiciary?
Not really. The executive department always has its own national agenda and it is just natural that some of its policies and programs will be questioned in Court. This is all part of the checks and balances among three branches government, which is a manifestation of a healthy democracy.

Guiding principles of Midas Marquez?
First, you have to tell the truth. Second, you have to provide the public and the media a bay window of the court—that means, explain to them how decisions are made or what programs the court has. Third, you have to defend the institution at ALL costs. It’s a very important part of government. The Supreme Court is very important. People run to it for anything and everything. If the institution fails… I don’t want to see what happens next.

The Supreme Court is a lot more mysterious than the other two branches of government.
The Executive and Legislative, they are elected. They always have to be in the consciousness of the people. They have to be popular all the time. Otherwise, they won’t be voted into office anymore. In the Supreme Court, they are appointed. It’s true that you can just appoint anyone—as in ANYONE—basta popular, basta guapo, basta maganda, basta trip mo. You cannot get appointed into the Supreme Court if you’re dumb. You have to have qualifications. You have to prove your worth. You HAVE to protect the institution. Because you know, the institution is greater than anyone. We are all just passing by. We will all come and go but the institution shall remain.

What’s the one big thing that can f*ck up the institution?
When people lose trust and confidence in the institution.

Don’t you think that is happening right now with all the issues plaguing the Court?
No, not yet. Not yet. It’s too early to say, to come up with a conclusion. But, really, everyone should try to protect the institution because—corny, pero, diba?—it’s the last bastion of democracy, and all that. Even if it sounds trite.

Originally published in UNO December 2010 – January 2011 issue.

Life2short Production presents the Manila premiere of ‘A Week In Metro Manila: Up Dharma Down’ this Saturday, November 12 at Capone’s A-Venue. Music and screening starts at 9pm.

For ticket inquiries, visit http://updharmadown.tumblr.com for details.

UNO Magazine caught up with pro-surfer and musician Donavon Frankenreiter and got this exclusive online interview with him.

To know more about Donavon and details about what happened at his beach side concert in La Union, stories will be out in the December -January issue of UNO Magazine.

Essential items to surviving one of the rowdiest festivals in the Philippines

Cebu’s Sinulog festival is one of the wildest gatherings in the country. It has the ability to wake up muscles you didn’t even know you had, what with all the street dancing and  walking you’ll do from the time you step out of your haphazardly parked car to the end of the procession. In this kind of assembly, you must dig deep and unleash your inner boy/girl scout in order to face a battle of extreme agility and strength, and muster the willpower to hold your pee (although this is not advisable).

This writer was a Sinulog virgin until recently. If not for the kindness of Cebuano friends who gave me pointers on what and what not to bring and wear, I wouldn’t have survived. There were so many do’s and don’ts but for my next trip to Sinulog (and maybe yours, too), I’ll be ready with at least five out of the seven items on this list:

COMFORTABLE SHOES

You‘ll murder your feet if you wear heels or really tough boots. Imagine dancing and standing for hours wearing the aforementioned. Flip-flops are also a big no-no for Sinulog, unless you have masochistic tendencies, and get off on having your feet trampled by thousands. Your call. Put on your most comfortable sneakers so walking and dancing are a breeze.

RELIABLE COMPANIONS

If you like to get drunk but can’t handle your alcohol too well (i.e. sleeping in the gutter, picking a fight with total strangers, spewing vomit anywhere and everywhere), you are what they call a “hassle.” Make sure you do not go alone to Sinulog, and make sure that at least one of your companions can play the “reliable one” so you can party like a rock star. Remember, after Sinulog, make sure to treat said friend to dinner—I hope that’s enough—for putting up with all the craziness you put the unfortunate soul through.

WHISTLE

Not only good for making extra noise, but also an effective way of grabbing the attention of your friends, preventing “persons gone missing” disasters.

CAMERA
There’s nothing like documenting the craziness that is Sinulog! This is definitely a must because after the festival, chances are, everything will seem like a blur due to numbers two and seven. It’s nice to have something to remind you—more or less—of what really happened during your Sinulog experience via photos that you or your friends took.

WATERPROOF BELT BAG
Somebody told me it often rains during Sinulog, but even if it doesn’t, it’s still good to be prepared. It’s not advisable to lug a big bag or even a backpack because the bigger the bag, the greater your tendency to stuff it with useless things, making it next to impossible to carry. I know the belt bag won’t give you extra pogi (handsome) or ganda (pretty) points but it has enough space for your other necessities (i.e. money, mobile phone, point & shoot digicam, tissue, lighter, etc.), and besides, you need both arms to throw in the air, while dancing and screaming: “Pit Señor! Pit Señor!”

BOOZE
If Halloween is a good excuse for people to don costumes, Sinulog is a good excuse to get hammered. Liquor (or any fluid that would result in light-headedness) is available on any corner. Ladies and those with bladder problems be warned: there’s a scarcity of public toilets during this time, and if by some chance you find one, the queue would be endless.

‘ERB (also known as weed, ganja, bakes, dope, schwag, chongki, etc.)
This is optional, but for the majority of those who would really, really like to have the complete Sinulog experience, why not take a whiff?  You only live once, right?  Just remember, in the immortal words of The Mighty Diamonds, “Pass the kutchie ‘pon the lef’ hand side.”

Originally published in UNO March 2010 issue

Article by Jay de Leon / Photos by Brendan Goco

Read on as a man’s journey with his longboard, through the hills and plains of Cebu, leads to lifelong camaraderie and an unexpected epiphany

Here I was, climbing steep hills and slithering through the heavy traffic, with two others barely fitting behind the driver on a habal-habal designed for two. These motorbike taxis are better at keeping me awake than my usual two cups of dark coffee. The ride has you hanging to the edge of your seat, literally. I certainly missed this. I’m glad to be back. Back to this enigmatical, enthralling, laid back city of non-stop adventure, dreadlocks, reggae, puso and sugba—the city I’ve grown to love: Cebu.

During the past 12 months, I have had the great pleasure of being part of a series of epic skate trips to the Visayas: Skate and Surf Escapade in eastern Samar’s majestic shores; bombing the Philippines’ tallest bridge, the Agas-Agas, somewhere in the remote mountains of Southern Leyte; exploring the insane hills of Negros, Western Visayas; downhill racing in the islands of Siquijor, Iloilo, Car-car, Danao, and Alta Vista; cross-country skating the magnificent Spanish-era coastal roads for an average of 60 kilometers a day; bombing down unfamiliar provincial roads, taking wild chances with those raging steel beasts, which the locals usually refer to as the Ceres buses. And the main force driving all these expeditions: Cebu’s phenomenal longboard skating community.

Cebu’s longboard community has its roots in the biggest board community in the Philippines—skimboarding. In fact, it is bigger than surfing and skateboarding combined. Cebu’s top riders, John “Dandoy” Tongco and Arjun Jimenez, are both skimboarding champions. Like many others in their group, their superior skateboarding style is distinctly unique: that fluidity, that rhythm, that poetry in motion cannot be mistaken for anything else—it is the skimboarding signature.

There are several longboard communities in Cebu but the most prominent among them is Grupo Nopo, the group Dandoy and Arjun represent. Nopo really is Lapu-lapu City’s traditional name—Opon, spelled backwards. About two years ago, these kids from Opon, in the island of Mactan, gained worldwide recognition. Their self-produced Cebu-style skate videos—focusing on the amazing styles of Boeing Paras, Dandoy, and Arjun—became YouTube sensations. At the time, these riders/filmmakers were known as the A-Boys.

Some of the Grupo Nopo kids have dropped out of school, unable to afford an education. But these kids are resilient and talented. With the kind of “make-your-own” attitude they have here in Cebu, most of these kids can shape their own skimboards and longboards. In fact, these high school and college dropouts practically educated themselves on the streets. They know how to shoot, direct, edit and produce their own skate videos, on the fly. They are just as brilliant cinematographers as they are board riders.

A unique subculture of creativity and brotherhood evolved from the synergy of local communities and creative minds (Ricric Ricablanca, Joseph Falcone, Dave “The Wave” Debuque, Juan Duazo and Cebu’s golden boy, Jukka Holopainen—an outspoken and charismatic advocate of hemp and free energy).

Kings of the Outlaw
It is unusually windy and cold when I arrive to Cebu the night before the race. Sinulog is just a few days away but really, I came back for the much anticipated Kings of the Outlaw: a series of three outlaw races, in three different cities, in three days. This is the biggest downhill skate race event ever to happen in Cebu since the first King of the Hill race last year.

Danao

At around 2 p.m. on January 14, strong winds blew the clouds in from the sea, and within an hour, the whole of Danao was engulfed in darkness. It began to rain—hard. It seemed the downpour would never stop. It was wet, windy, and crazy. I told myself it would be insane to race in these conditions. This wasn’t my first wet race. I’d been to Whiskey Hill 2 and the Gravity Games Subic. They were both wet races, but nothing compared to this one. As I skitch behind a motorbike, climbing back to the starting line during practice runs, two riders slam on the wet pavement at 60 kph, blown sideways by the wind. I try to act cool and mask my fear, as everybody else seems to be having a sweet time. But my worst fear has come to pass—the race would go on as planned.

It is probably the biggest race Danao has ever seen, with teams coming in from Tacloban, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Butuan, and other Cebu cities like Talisay and Opon, while I represent Manila. Yikes! I am glad to see so many new faces, and even familiar ones from my climbing and outdoor days. Since last year, longboard skating seems to have grown thrice more in popularity—this I gather from the awesome turnout of this race.

Finals. I’ve made it this far. I thanked the cosmos, told myself to stay focused, and emptied my mind.

“Racers: Ready… Set… Go!”

Junjun Vidal, Dandoy and Ricric Ricablanca explode hard and fast with their kicks. I stay behind Ricric at fourth (and last) position. I made mistakes on the earlier heats, even lost in round two, and had to play an extra heat to advance as a wild card for the next round. There was no time to think about anything else. Now, every second, every opportunity, and every line is the only thing that matters. I try to breathe calmly. There will be no second chances.

Drafting behind Ricric, I make my move. I break formation, sling past Ricric and Dandoy to their right. Surprised by momentum, I then catch the lead from Danao’s reigning outlaw champion, Junjun Vidal at the last 50 meters.

It is surreal. I am dumbfounded, caught in disbelief.

Some cosmic force must have been involved.

I start walking back towards the other riders, un-strapping my helmet as I go.

And I look at Dandoy and Ricric who are hugging and scream in jubilation. Junjun Vidal joins in. And I just look on as they hug.

The race just ended, right?

I think I just won the Danao race. Jun Vidal came in second, Dandoy third, and Ricric at fourth place.

Later that night, Juan Duazo pointed out in his race footage how I (referred to as “Tito Jay”) didn’t get a hug after the finals, unlike everybody else. The Grupo Nopo boys haven’t stopped teasing me about it since

Alta Vista
The day after, the weather didn’t improve. Alta Vista’s concrete slopes are just too steep, too fast, too sharp, and drifty. Without a doubt, nobody sane would think of pushing through with the race. This is not Danao. This is Alta Vista. And this, this is the insane new course. Nobody’s seriously raced on this yet. Everybody is chilling, waiting for the weather to clear, but it never does. Thank you, thank you, I pray silently. I don’t want to die just yet.

Carcar: The True Victors
The next day, I decide to ride with JunJun and Joseph Falcone on a motorbike to the course in Carcar, a town about 90 minutes from Cebu city. Dark clouds are still hovering over the whole of Cebu. We stop for a quick lunch at Joseph’s hometown then proceed to the hills of Carcar. I need to be there early so I can assess the course. The weather remains gloomy, the course wet and slippery. I am in an unfamiliar town, about to undertake a course I’ve never seen. “I don’t want to die today,” the inner voice insisted.

The dump truck shuttling the riders and spectators finally arrives. Juan gathers the crew and evaluates the safety concern. The traffic police provided by the municipal government decide to call off their support, which was in suppose to be in the form of controlling motor traffic during the race. They figure no race would ever push through under these rainy conditions.

It is quite clear that the weather is not going to improve. And without anyone stopping vehicles from running along the road during the race, postponement is imminent.

But Juan just doesn’t want to pack up yet. We have gone too far. We couldn’t waste the last day of the Kings of the Outlaw. Not like this.

The majority has come to a decision: a time trial race format will be used instead of the usual. That way, only one racer would be going down the course at any given time, significantly minimizing accidents when dealing with those incoming trucks and motorbikes on blind corners.

Because there isn’t much daylight left, the racers are only allowed to do two trial runs at most. Great. I have only tried the course once. Footbraking seems like a heavy necessity today. And so, everybody footbrakes on the nerve-wracking, wet S-turns. I can feel my quads burning so I stop. I am only halfway through the 2.5 km course. It feels good to be alive. As I walk back up, I have to decide if today is a good day to die.

But, there is no turning back. I bombed, and I got my time. What a relief.

All racers were sternly reminded of the golden rule: always stay on the right side of the road. In spite of spotters being assigned on critical turns, every rider is on constant heightened alert of any speeding trucks, popping a fatal surprise in every corner. Severe exposure to situations like this leads to a rare medical condition called “balls in.”

It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. I am glad I don’t have to pull a repeat. After repeatedly auditing the individual times, a name is called, and I am declared winner.

This is just unbelievable. The Kings of the Outlaw’s final race is over. Despite the unforgiving weather and road conditions, the three-day event has come to a successful conclusion. Nobody died. Thank you. And everybody is fired up on stoke, ready for Sinulog.

I may have won the Kings of the Outlaw and can call myself King of the Hill for now, but it is Tata and Rommel who will go home with the biggest smiles. This is the first time these two high school kids have ventured outside of their sleepy, small town of Lazi in the island of Siqujor. They are eager to go home and share stories of their adventures in the big city with friends. Having only been skating for a few months, Tata and Rommell brave racing in Cebu, competing against the country’s top riders with crude, homemade skateboards that resemble a lavandera’s bangko (washing lady’s bench). How can such spirit not inspire you? To me, they were (and still are) the true Kings of the Hill.

This is one of those times when you feel some cosmic force flowing in a beautiful symmetry of unusual possibilities. I can’t explain it, and I don’t need to define it. When you experience it, you just know it is beautiful. This is the same way I feel about Cebu.

Ride your heart out.

Originally published in UNO March 2010.

For ticket reservations call 0917-5345404 or 0922-8259516.

text by Denise Mallabo / photo by Magic Liwanag

Last June 2 at The Peninsula in Makati, my phone was taken from me before I entered the beautiful Salon de Ning. No cameras or phones were allowed at a press conference of the newest Penshoppe endorser, British actor Ed Westwick. We all know him as the ladies’ man Chuck Bass in the hit show Gossip Girl. Westwick was here for a few days to shoot his ad campaign for the brand and to say hello to some of the selected few media outfits at the press con, which was hosted by model and UNO cover girl Sarah Meier-Albano. When Westwick came out he charmed the press with his witty and honest answers, not to mention his English accent. He was asked almost everything that the press can think off, from him being in Gossip Girl and of course being a Penshoppe endorser. That night went on and Westwick answered all the questions that left the guests, including me, satisfied. He promised to come back for a longer stay so he can visit the Philippines thoroughly.