February is the Arts Month and this year, Bacolod City will host Bacollywood: Cinema Rehiyon 2012, , a National Independent Film and Video Art Festival, a project of the National Commission of Culture and the Arts (NCCA) on February 8-11, 2012.

Bacollywood has featured films in Negros and other provinces in the Visayas since its inception in 2009. It has served as platform for budding film-makers to be featured and a venue for discussions on the different issues in the local independent film industry.

Cinema Rehiyon is a non-competition film festival showcasing the works of film-makers from different regions with films set in their respective regions in their own dialect.  With the joint holding of Bacollywood and Cinema Rehiyon, more independent films will be featured and will be made available to local filmgoers.

The festival starts with the opening of “Killing Time,” a Video Installation on February 7, 6 PM at the Negros Museum.  This will be a first time in Bacolod and the exhibit will feature the works of internationally acknowledged Filipino video artists Tad Ermitaño, Gerry Tan, Kiri Dalena, Bea Camacho, Kaloy Olavides, Yason Banal and Maria Taniguchi. It is curated by Clarissa Chikiamco and open to the public until February 29.  This will be followed the next day by the festival opening on February 8, 9 AM, also at the Negros Museum.

Screenings of the different films will be at the Robinsons Movieworld Cinema 6 on February 8-11. The first day will feature Bacolod short films by directors Peque Gallaga, Carlo Ledesma, Jed Sicangco, Cindy Ballesteros, Junjun Montelibano, EJ Ballesteros, Neil Colanggo, Miguel Cruz, Paolo Lindaya and Michael Varca.  Also to be featured will be more than fifty short films from all over the Philippines.

Full feature films from Luzon, Visayas and Minadanao will also be shown such as BIYERNES, BIYERNES (Cebu), DI INOGON’ NATO (CEBU), ING BABAING MAPAMALIT SIM (Pampanga), SA KANTO NG ULAP AT LUPA (Nueva Vizcaya), BUSONG (Palawan), GAYUMA (Bicol region), LAWAS KAN PINABLI (Pangasinan), etc.

Pureza, the full length documentary film on the Negros sugar industry by Jay Abello will be shown on the last day of the festival, February 11.

Films will also be shown in barangay public venues through Cine de Barrio.  After doing the barangay rounds from December 2011, Cine de Barrio venues for the festival proper will be on Brgy. 19 on Feb. 8, Brgy. Villamonte on Feb. 9, and Brgy. Punta Taytay on Feb. 10, all at 6 PM.  Each cinema and barangay screening will be followed by interaction with the film directors as the festival will be graced by filmmakers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

There’s a wealth of talent in film-making in the regions that has not been getting a lot of attention and support compared to their Manila-based counterparts. As moviegoers, by supporting Bacollywood: Cinema Rehiyon 2012 will be our way of helping our local artists and also learn more about our culture.

For FREE Tickets, please contact the secretariat at 09162173010.

Below is the schedule of activities:

February 7-8, 2012

February 9, 2012

February 10-11, 2012

The Bacolod Capitol Shopping Center is known as the Chinatown of Bacolod City because of the numerous Chinese business establishments in the area. Perhaps, only a few Bacolodnons, especially the younger generations, knew that it is a tragedy which gave birth to Shopping.

In 1955, a big fire gutted the area bounded by Araneta, Gonzaga, Locsin and Luzuriaga which is growing commercial center where most Chinese business establishments were located. The business establishments also doubled as residents so these Chinese were also displaced because of the fire.

Alfredo Montelibano Sr. saw an opportunity to attract the displaced Chinese businessmen so he developed the 27-hectare property north of Bacolod which gave way to the Capitol Shopping Center. Mr. Montelibano also donated a half-hectare property to the Bacolod Chinese Catholic Association where Hua Ming School and church are now located.

The Montelibano family has already transformed what used to be cogonland into Villamonte Subdivision and the upscale Capitolville Subdivision. During the time that the Capitol Shopping Center was being constructed, the exclusive boy’s school La Salle Bacolod and St. Scholastica Academy were already operating not far from Shopping. It’ not surprising then that the area became a prominent commercial center in Bacolod after its completion.

However, through the years, various business establishments re-opened in Bacolod downtown area and big malls opened in the city which took away customers from the Shopping area. Years of neglect have deteriorated most establishments in the Shopping area and even parts of the roads need to be rehabilitated.  Capitol Shopping Center has lost its luster as a business center and no longer attracted investments and only a few new establishments located in the area in recent years.

In the hope of reviving the once prime commercial district, Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia recently signed City Ordinance no. 576 naming the Capitol Shopping Center as the Bacolod City Chinatown. The ordinance was authored by Councilor Dindo Ramos and co-authored by Councilor Em Ang stipulated that the city government will appropriate at least P15 million initial funding for the improvement of the infrastructure such as the welcome arch, greening and landscaping as well as road concreting. The city government, through the ordinance, hoped to attract investors by returning up to 70% of the cost of a project that will be put up at the Chinatown Center in the form of tax credits spread over five years.

The revival of the Capitol Shopping as the Bacolod Chinatown was lauded by the Filipino-Chinese Community since the Chinatown has been an important economic, cultural and spiritual hub for the Filipino-Chinese in Bacolod City.

Just like the way the Filipino-Chinese has risen from the ashes of the great fire of 1955, the renewal of interest in the Bacolod Chinatown Center will hopefully give way to the rebirth of the once robust business center.

The Bacolaodiat Festival 2012 will be celebrated on January 20-23 and  this year will be the 7th BacoLaodiat Festival which will usher in the Year of the Dragon with the theme  “A Majestic Spirit in a Challenging Year.”

Bacolaodiat which was coined from Bacolod and Lao Diat (Fookien word for celebration), is Bacolod City’s celebration of the Chinese New Year.

Every year, the Bacolaodiat Festival gets bigger with the support of Filipino-Chinese community. Filipinos have also embraced the celebration since the Chinese culture has a very strong influence us.

Chinese foods will be showcased at the Chopsticks Alley with cooking demo from our local cooking experts such as Chef Sandy Solinap of Verdera and Chef Ronnie Guance of PURO Organic.

The Lantern and Street Dance Competition also gets more exciting every year with more groups joining. Dancers wear colorful Chinese costumes and uses lanterns as they dance to the lively Bacolaodiat theme song.

Last year I wished that the Chinese New Year will be declared a non-working holiday and I’m glad this came true this year. With the declaration of January 23 as a non-working holiday, expect more people to come to the Bacolaodiat festival.

Chines New Year is more fun in Bacolod City so don’t be left behind. Mark your calendar Toto and Inday. Kiong Hee Huat Tsai!

 2012 Bacolaodiat Schedule of Activities

I believe the Virgen sang Barangay Chapel is one of the most beautiful churches in Negros Ocidental. In fact, I find it so beautiful I got married there.  Located inside Sta. Clara Subdivision, considered as the Forbes Park of Bacolod City, the chapel is quiet, intimate and with no unwanted observers. If you’re planning to get married here, book your wedding date early since we had to book as early as April for our December wedding.

Virgen sg Barangay Chapel Interior

The Virgen sang Barangay Chapel was built in 1983 on a land donated by Antonio Gaston. The chapel was designed by Architect Norman Campos and features shell mosaic done by Ms. Leticia Sia Ledesma.

The centerpiece of the Virgen sang Barangay Chapel is a 9 ft x 21 ft mural mosaic of Virgen sang Barangay made of 95,000 pieces of polished shells done by Ms. Leticia Sia Ledesma. It is said that the image on the mural of the Virgen Sang Barangay floating on clouds over Negros in protection came to Ms. Ledesma in her dream. All 95,000 pieces of polished shells are in their natural color and all are gathered locally from the shores of Negros. It is said that it took 60 men 100 hours to polish the shells.

Virgen sg Barangay Chapel Mural

Look closely at the intricate details of the mural and you’ll surely admire the meticulous hands that painstakingly cut, polished and glued the shells. The minute images of houses, boats and trees are all made of shells.

Close-up of the Virgen sg Barangay Mural (Photo by Maricar Dabao)

The chapel is always part of the longest running cultural tour in the world, the Annual Cultural Tour of Negros Occidental (ACTNO) of Ramon Hofileña. If you want to know more about the story behind the chapel and other cultural places in Negros Occidental, join Mon Hofileña’s tour every December.

An imposing chandelier made of 14,000 pieces of  white shells hang at the center of the chapel and glows dramatically when lighted.

Virgen sg Barangay Chapel Chandelier

The Stations of the Cross and images of saints and altar pieces are made of 30,000 shells.

Virgen sg Barangay Chapel Images of Saints

History of the Image of Virgen Sang Barangay

In 1954, Antonio Gaston of Silay, the visionary founder and leader of the Barangay Sang Virgen Organization, had a word with Bacolod Bishop Manuel Yap about an idea of giving the patroness of the Barangay Sang Virgen Organization a purely Filipino look. Bishop Yap approved the idea, but getting the icon painted proved to be difficult. Works from artists from the Salesian order and from graduates of prestigious art schools were not satisfactory.

Several months later, Father Pixner sent Gaston a painting done by Crisogono Domingo, an inmate of Santa Barbara Leprosarium in Iloilo. It is not a painting on a canvass but on a lawanit board. Mr. Domingo was an ordinary house painter. It took one look from Gaston and he knew it was going to be the image of the patroness.

The icon also gained the approval of of Bishop Manuel Yap who canonically blessed and installed the image in the diocese by October 16, 1954. The Bishop acclaimed the painting to be a work of art and inspiration. The original painting was personally blessed by the Blessed Pope John Paul II at the Bishop’s Palace when he visited Bacolod City on February 20, 1981 .

Today, the replica of the Virgen sang Barangay image on a lawanit goes house to house in Barangays where family members pray the rosary for several days before transferring the image to the next house.

I haven’t tried asking at the Diocese of Bacolod if they know where the original painting is now located. God-willing, I’ll try to search for it if only just to admire the work of an ordinary house painter who has inspired one of the most enduring images of the Virgin Mary and one that is truly Filipino.

Post Script: Added January 3, 2012

During the get-together dinner with NITI tour guides, Bambi Borromeo revealed to me that the original image of the Virgen Sang Barangay painted by Crisogono Domingo is at the Virgen Sang Barangay Shrine in Silay City.

Fresh Start Organics will be inaugurating their Organic and Natural Store today December 14, 2011 at the Robinsons Central Citywalk coinciding with the birthday of the owner Chin Chin Uy. Organic consumers will now have a place where they can buy organic fresh produce, rice, coffee, fruit jams, and personal care products of Fresh Start Organics.

Fresh Start Organics is one of the pioneers in the organic movement in Negros Occidental. Their organic farm in Silay City is a showcase on sustainable farming and a proof that organic farming is the way to go especially for small farmers.

Fresh Start Organic Grocery

Fresh Start Organic Coffee

Customers can also enjoy organic food at the Fresh Start deli such as taro-malunggay pandesal, artisan piaya, organic ice cream and fresh fruit juices and dine al fresco at the Central City Walk.

The taro-malunggay pandesal is sold for P8 per piece and it’s composed of 60% taro flour. Taro flour is derived from taro (Colocasia esculenta) a root crop we locally call bisol or palawan. The taro-malunggay bread is healthy, very filling and goes well with Fresh Start Organic coffee.

Fresh Start Taro-Malunggay Pandesal

Fresh Start Organics Ice Cream has several flavors to choose from and it’s sold for P85 per cup. The flavors were created by Pinkerton Ice Cream for Fresh Start Organics using organic ingredients.

Fresh Start Organic Ice Cream

The Fresh Start Oraganic and Natural Store opened in November without much fireworks but it has already attracted the attention of organic consumers. I have been to the store several times already and guess who I caught buying organic products at Fresh Start? No less than Margarita Fores and Silay City First Lady Marissa Montelibano.

Chin Chin Uy, US Peace Corps Volunteer Rachael Saler and Margarita Fores

Chin Chin with Silay First Lady Marissa Montelibano

Happy birthday to Chin Chin Uy and congratulations to you and Francine on the grand opening and inauguration of Fresh Start Organic & Natural store at the Robinsons Central Citywalk! I hope you continue to convince more people on the benefits of living an organic and healthy lifestyle.

The 6th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival is no doubt the most anticipated organic event of the year. You don’t get to see all of these world-class chefs and restaurateurs in one event very often. Don’t miss to attend the various lectures on different topics on organic lifestyle and see various cooking demo by the country’s top chefs using local organic ingredients.

Meet the Chefs

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

The venue of the Cooking Demo is at the Organic Market Restaurant while the lectures will be at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall.

Other activities include Daily Trade Fair, Daily Night Events, Daily Organic Cocktail Demo by Culinary Students, and Daily Organic Farm Tours (pls email viajenegrense@gmail.com for rates & schedule).

My friends and I were hanging out t the Robinsons Central City Walk when my friend Weng commented how beautiful the moon was. Indeed, the sky was cloudless so we get to enjoy the full moon. It was only when I got home and logged in at Facebook that I learned that we are also having a total lunar eclipse and Bacolod City had a clear, cloudless sky to enjoy the full view of the unfolding of this natural phenomenon.

Lunar eclipses happen when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned or are very close to each other with the Earth in the middle blocking the Sun’s rays from reaching the moon.

In the Philippines, there are superstitious beliefs attached to eclipse. It is said that a giant snake or Bakunawa is eating the Moon in a lunar eclipse or the Sun, in case of a solar eclipse. Pregnant women are also prohibited from going outside the house without covering for the head or they risk giving birth to a child with defects.

It’s a sight to behold as the shadow of the Earth slowly blocked off the Moon and the latter turned to red. The moon’s red appearance is due to the refracted sunlight which is refracted through the dust and clouds on the Earth’s atmosphere. Color of longer wavelengths such as red reaches the surface of the moon.

I hope you were able to see the total lunar eclipse last night since we will not see another one until 2014.

Christmas is the time for bazaars where you can get big discounts and hard-to-find items. However, aren’t you tired of the usual fashion bazaars? Bacolod is a haven for the foodies yet there’s no food market where you can find great-tasting, artisanal food in a venue where you can also enjoy great meals with friends.

A group of young Negrense students who are starting out in their food business or simply just have a knack for cooking thought of starting Comer.Cio food market in Bacolod City. The food market will open at 4:00pm and will end at 1:30am this December 16-18, 2011 at the Central District.

Comer in Spanish means “to eat” so expect to enjoy great-tasting food and even heirloom recipes from these young Negrenses. December is perhaps the only month where we have a lot of excuses to eat. Tag along your friends so you will not be the only one to gain weight.

For more details and if you want to apply as one of the exhibitors, you may contact the organizers at 0922-8291049 or email them at comercio.bacolod@yahoo.com.

Before they wore the hat of restaurateur, they were already engineers, educators and inventors. Caido del Cielo was not in their immediate plan but as the name suggests, it’s a blessing in disguise sent from heaven for a purpose.

The space at Sta. Isabel Bldg. in Yakal St. was initially rented by a friend of Engr. Dioscoro “Nonoy” Marañon under his name. However, the friend backed out and now he was left with a space which he has to pay whether he will use it or not. He consulted his colleague and “partner in crime” Engr. Paolo Petalver on what to do with it and the rest is history.

Engr. Paolo Petalver and Engr. Dioscoro "Nonoy" Maranon

It wasn’t hard for them to think of a restaurant specializing in organic and healthy foods. They are both advocates of organic and healthy lifestyle and they have been developing products  in support of the industry. I know them both professionally since Engr. Petalver is also a Chemical Engineer and Engr. Marañon is the Dean of the College of Engineering of West Negros University. My colleague and I were invited by Engr. Marañon for a meeting and I took it as an opportune time to review Caido del Cielo.

The ambience was very cozy and it could be a nice meeting place for a small group who needs a quiet venue. You could even bring your date here. The red tables and the interior lighting can make the place ideal for an intimate dinner. The building has plenty of parking space and it’s far from the crowd of downtown Bacolod.

Caido del Cielo interior

I was impressed by the sophisticated and expensive looking floor lamp. But upon closer inspection, I realized they were made from garbage can and PVC pipe. It’s the owners and their innovations at work.

Caido del Cielo has a wide variety of  Fruit and Vegetable Smoothies. I’m not very adventurous so I chose Broccoli Strawberry Delight. I  was pleasantly surprised that they serve it on a tall glass which makes it really affordable at P50.

Broccoli Strawberry Delight

It’s really refreshing with the taste of raw broccoli and a hint of peanuts. I happen to love broccoli so if you’re not into this vegetable, you may want to choose a fruit smoothie. But remember, broccoli is high in vitamin C and has anti-cancer properties.

For our main dish, we had Steamed Tilapia and Tangigue in Mango Salsa. These are all priced at P150 per serving which is already good for two. It also comes with a free laswa (vegetable stew).

Tangigue in Mango Salsa

The salsa was simply mango, tomatoes and onions and a good flavor enhancer of fish. We tried the fried tangigue instead of tilapia for variety. It was good but I would prefer the salsa for steamed fish for a healthier option. You can actually give instructions how you want your fish to be cooked.

Steamed Tilapia

The Steamed Tilapia was topped with an escabeche sauce with lots of ginger and spring onions. Any steamed fish would be perfect for the sauce specially if it’s fresh. The sweet and sour flavors blend well with the steamed fish.

Caido del Cielo was really heaven sent not only for the owners but also for customers who are looking for affordable and healthier food options. They also serve pasta, breakfast combo meals and brewed organic coffee.

Visit Caido del Cielo’s Facebook Page for their menu and prices.

How to get there:

From downtown Bacolod, take the Shopping (La Salle or San Agustin) jeepney and get off at corner Yakal-Lopez Jaena near Circle Inn Hotel. Take a trike to Sta. Isabel Bldg. or you may walk since it’s close enough.

I’m not a loyal Kapuso, Kapamilya or Kapatid. I channel surf among the few channels on my TV and sometimes the TV serves as a background to keep me awake while I blog. I have to admit though that I’m quite familiar with the Kapuso Stars with Telenovelas on primetime. If not by name, at least by face.

I did not expect it will be an informal presscon with the Kapuso Stars at Pietro Kaffe at SM City Bacolod last MassKara Festival. I have no time to be starstruck when we met them up close and personal. My only thoughts were I have to ask sensible questions, know more about them in such a short time. By then I will be in a better position to have an opinion about them more than somebody who has just read about them in tabloids.

Kristofer Martin & Joyce Ching

We were first introduced to Joyce Ching and Kristofer Martin. The teens are being paired as love team and used to be at Munting Heredera until they were “killed.” The teens are very friendly with the press and sweet with each other. I’m not sure if that’s for appearance. I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to them since I was seated near Roxanne Barcelo,  Glaiza de Castro and Sid Lucero who are stars in the teleserye Amaya.

Glaiza De Castro

I watch Amaya if I can because it’s loosely based on the Binukot women of the Panay-Bukidnon tribe. If you happen to watch Amaya you’ll notice a lot of Hiligaynon and Karay-a words being used although most are not pronounced correctly. Although I laud GMA 7 for the effort to make a historical fiction, I wish they’ve done more by teaching the actors the proper pronunciations.

Sid Lucero & I

I chatted more with Roxanne and I can tell she’s quite intelligent. She’s one of those TV personalities who are just very wholesome in their image and in real life as well. She used to be a Red Cross Volunteer and once represented the country in the Youth Exchange Program held in Japan in 2004. She also recounted a story wherein she was in Bacolod during a MassKara Festival as a Red Cross Volunteer where she had to administer first aid to a guy who turned out to be a snatcher who got caught and beaten. Mind you, she asked me if we’ve met before since I looked quite familiar. I can’t pass up as an actress so perhaps I look like somebody’s PA?

Roxanne Barcelo & her new PA?

And then Dion Ignacio, also of Amaya came to our table. I’ve watched him since he started with Starstruck and I know he came from a poor family. I asked him how he’s doing now since he started with Starstruck and he’s so proud to announce that he sends his siblings to school and one of them just graduated from nursing. He is the breadwinner of the family thus was not able to finish school himself. We encouraged him to go back to school or take homeschooling program if he has a chance. He agreed with his “Titas”.

Myself & Maricar with Dion Ignacio

Finally, we get to meet Heart Evangelista. I was tempted to say, “Heart, ang ganda mo.” But I was afraid she would reply, “Sana ikaw rin.” She might not have learned those lines from our Kasimanwa, Sen. Miriam Santiago but she has picked up the feisty senator’s choice of books. Heart was reading A Little History of the World by Gombrich which was recommended to her by the senator. They are both advocates of the RH Bill. Heart is also an advocate of animal rights.

Heart Evangelista

I’m not really the type who would go out of my way to have my picture taken with movie stars I happen to see. But then,it was one of those rare occasions wherein you get to talk to them in person and ask them some personal questions. If you take away the glamour, most of them are really hard working professionals who do their best in their chosen career.