T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R O V E R S E A S F I L I P I N O S

First Quarter 2009 - Issue No. 10

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The Heart ofEMMANUEL D. PacquiaoAlso in this issue: Vivere Azure, Anilao’s Hidden Treasure Be Well Always • Kultura Filipino • Christopher Kahler Blazes New Trail in Social Networking Technology

Currimao Stopover

Medical City’s Center for Wellness and Aesthetics

Kultura Filipino

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I �

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RICHARD MERK & RONI L. TAPIA-MERKPublishers

BETING DOLOREditor-in-Chief

MA. ELENA M. VILLACORTEManaging Editor

CITO BELTRANRIA V. FERRO

PABLO A. TARIMANRAMON C.M. BERMEOEditorial Consultants

BOOTS ANSON-ROAANGELO V. PALMONES

Columnists

ROMAN J. DANIELCreative Director

WILLY AVILAROLANDO ANONAS

Photographers

MANOLET GARCIATEODORO L. PELAEZ

Contributing Photographers

NORBERTO SACROOverseas Photojournalist

ANGIE AYLSWORTH (San Francisco, USA)BECKY GARCIA (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

FLORENCE MONTEMAYOR (San Francisco, USA)TERESA REED

ANAGAILE & TENNY SORIANO (Canada)RACHEL ANNE SPITALETTA (New York, USA)

JUN VICENCIO, (USA)CHITA WILCOX (Paris, France)

Overseas Correspondents

BIBSY CARBALLOLORENZO MERCEDES

VIC A. LACTAOENDIANA B. NOCHE

ANSELMO TALAGTAG, JR.JADE-CERES VIOLET DOLOR

Contributing Writers

NATALIE C. PALANCANORIEL ILDEFONSO

EDNA JIMENEZMILLETTE G. HAMMOND

Special Projects, USA

ABBY T. ABARIOANNA C. BONIFACIO

KATHY U. PAGUIOED SANTILLAN (East Bay, USA)

RALPH FRANCIS WOLFESubscription

MALOU GABIANAGENDA GACUD

Marketing & Promotions

MARIDEL C. TAPIAVP PROMOTIONS

Pinoy Global AccessPublished by MerkMedia, Inc.

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Publishers’ Notes

Richard & Roni Tapia-Merk

We expect this issue to be the most in-demand ever. The reason should be obvious. The most recognizable Filipino today is on the cover.

His full name is Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, but he is best known as simply Manny Pacquiao, or, better yet, Pacman. Anyone who has ever seen Pacquiao fight and has played the classic video game knows why sportswriters christened him as such. He has been voted as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world for good reason. Outside the ring, he is your typical, fun-loving, God-fearing Pinoy with a ready smile and a quick wit. But inside the ring, he is one of the most fearsome and fearless pugilists the world has ever seen. He is constantly on the attack, becoming an unstoppable force of destruction once he gets started. Thus, the sobriquet Pacman.

This is Pinoy Global Access’s Manny Pacquiao Special. We are proud to have one of the most comprehensive stories on Pacquaio ever written. Actually, there are several stories on the Filipino gladiator, a comprehensive feature, a one-on-one interview, and a piece on his friend, mentor, patron and fan, Luis “Chavit” Singson, himself a most colorful personality, but in the political, rather than the sports arena.

We also have the usual bumper crop of feature stories on topics of interest to the global Filipino.

Besides Pacman and Chavit, we get to meet a young IT businessman who is half-Filipino and who plans to set the IT world on fire.

Everyone wants to be healthy and we have an inside look at one of the most modern medical facilities in Asia, The Medical City. Specifically, we learn more about its Center for Wellness and Aesthetics.

We also have two favorite destinations inside, one in the capital city of Manila and the other in Northern Luzon.

The constant improvement of the Walled City of Intramuros never ceases to amaze us. This place is a definite must-visit, not just for inbound tourists but all Filipinos as well. Then there is the Ilocos Norte town of Currimao, which has been declared a UNESCO Heritage Site. Both places bring visitors back to a gentler time of a century ago, when life in the fast lane was unheard of.

Today’s fast lane, Philippine-style, is best exemplified by the country’s public transport system. The essay on those kings of the road known as jeepneys should remind Filipinos based abroad that there really is no place like home.

We won’t even ask you to enjoy this issue, as we know you will!

Manny P acquiao: The Most Global Filipino of All

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CONTENTSFirst Quarter 2009

Cover Story 6 The Heart of Emmanuel D. Pacquiao Who Is That Pacman?

14 Pacman, Faithman One-on-One Interview with Manny Pacquiao

Special Features

21 Chavit Singson As Pacquiao’s Friend and Mentor 23 Interview with Ronnie Nathanielsz

Boots On

28 The Overseas Filipino Worker as Survivor

Lifestyle, Arts and Culture 30 Kultura Filipino

The Intramuros of our Dream Is Here

36 War Veterans’ Play As Tool for Lobbys

Travel Destinations and Tourism 42 Vivire Azure, Anilao’s Hidden Treasure

45 Currimao Stopover Ilocos Norte Town Is a UNESCO Heritage Site

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CONTENTSFirst Quarter 2009

Europe

45 Spring in Holland

Technology

47 Data Banking: How IT Improves Heart Disease Treatment

Hometown News

49 Kings of the Road

Health/Wellness

52 Be Well Always: The Medical City’s Center for Wellness and Aesthetics

United States and Canada 56 Letter from a Kababayan

Asia and the Pacific

59 Christopher Kahler Blazes New Trail in Social Networking Technology

Christopher Kahler, CEO of Urbian Inc. Pinoy Global Access Magazine Interview

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The Heart ofEMMANUEL D. Pacquiao

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Who Is That Pacman?By Victoria V. Ferro

Photo: Willy Avila

COVER STORY

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The Pacquiao Family: (Clockwise, from left) Jemuel, Michael, Manny, Princess, Queen Elizabeth and Jinkee

Photo: Ferdie Singh

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because of its violent nature. It’s just not a pretty sport. And while I did appreciate its rigorous discipline having practiced the sport recreationally, what really piqued my interest in the sport is the rise of the remarkable young Filipino who fought his way to the pinnacle of the boxing world; to imaginations of people everywhere. The unassuming probinsyano who first hailed from the mountains of Mindanao rising to become the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, the highest possible accolade in the sport of boxing.

Fast forward to December 2008, the memories of Mano-a-Mano still fresh, I watched the Pacman vs. Oscar De La Hoya fight live on Solar Sports cable at a Tagaytay Highlands venue while enjoying a sumptuous Chinese lauriat. Not even the delicious food could distract me from giving full attention first to the HBO 24/7 documentaries that aired before the fight, and then to the fight itself.

Ironically, the ominous pre-fight threats of the larger, more famous Golden Boy to “take Pacquiao’s heart” came to nothing in the ring, where Pacquiao fairly reduced him to a catatonic walking punching bag. While I took no pleasure from the beautiful Golden Boy’s punishment, which one commentator called a “reconfiguration” of De La Hoya’s handsome face, and another called an “annihilation”, I was jubilant at Pacman’s resounding victory over this erstwhile Goliath.

My prayers, together with millions of Filipinos were answered. Pacquiao’s superstar status in the global boxing arena was now cemented and his name catapulted into the mainstream of world sports. Against great odds, Pacman overpowered a living legend, and effectively helped to end his illustrious boxing career. But he did it with his characteristic class and style.

Pacquiao, who refuses to “trash talk” his opponents, and who will not make public predictions of who will win fights in which he competes, other than to say, “Only God knows,” assured De La Hoya rather sweetly after the Golden Boy’s trainer threw in the towel before the 9th round, “I’m sorry…You’re still my idol.” An endearing gesture from the man who at that very moment not only strengthened his position as the best boxer in the world, but also supplanted the Golden Boy as the sport’s biggest box office draw.

Growing Global AppealPacquiao’s public appeal grew tremendously in the process of

I bought the tickets on a lark, a birthday gift to a friend. It was in July, 2006 when I scored upper box seats to the Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao vs. Oscar “Chololo” Larios, the Mano-a-Mano fight at the Araneta Coliseum. It would be the first time I would see the Pacman fight in the flesh.

The stage was set that day with one Filipino boxer after another defeating their Mexican opponents, inspired in their home turf, each winning fight bringing the moment closer to the main event.

When the time came for Pacquiao to meet Larios in the ring, it was clear that these two warriors fought at a level higher than any of the other fighters who fought before them that day. Every powerful punch reverberated through the Big Dome; the impact on the muscle, sinews and bone heard with great resonance through the space, and even from a distance, the spewing of blood, sweat and spit. This was a tough fight.

My friend and I cheered ourselves hoarse every time Pacman connected with a punch. And when he took a hit, we winced. Our bodies moved in our seats as if we were in the ring ourselves, punching and ducking. Adrenalin rush. It was a blistering 12-round fight to the finish. Both men took a beating, but especially the Mexican. Larios was knocked down twice, first in the 7th round and then again in the 12th round, but got back up both times, the second time, smiling.

Pacman was named the victor by unanimous decision. Larios, the Jericho Rosales look-alike, was a victor too in his stubborn unwillingness to stay down. I cheered for him too, the valiant underdog who defied expectations by going the whole distance. But my loudest cheers were for Pacman who successfully defended his IBC international superfeatherweight title that day.

Before July 6, 2006 I did not know that a spectator sport could be more electric, exhilarating and exciting than the best entertainment events. There’s simply no comparison. Boxing has got to be one of the most grueling, brutal, precise and taxing sports around, requiring of champions extreme discipline, stamina, focus, courage, determination, as well as an excellent sense of strategy, clear-mindedness, a willingness to take risks, and most of all the readiness to make necessary sacrifices to achieve the highest levels in fitness, strength, speed and technique. Before this day, I wasn’t too enamored of watching the sport perhaps

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preparing for the fight with De La Hoya. In the HBO 24/7 film series that had camera crews follow Pacman and Golden Boy everywhere they went for weeks before the fight, Manny exuded an aura of cool, lightness of mood, even joviality, courtesy; and kindness, always kindness. His brotherly affection towards his staff, Team Pacquiao, his coach, “Tatay” Freddie Roach, and his fans who visited the Wild Card gym was palpable.

Whether he is personally doing weigh-ins for his staff whom he’s motivated to compete in a weight loss contest, or singing a duet on Videoke with his wife Jinkee, or giving away free thanksgiving turkeys to Filipino families and others in need, you get the sense that Pacquiao is happy, on an even keel, with the spontaneous propensity to smile that gentlefolk have.

Even on the day of the weigh- in, when Golden Boy stared down the Pacman in a threatening pose, you could not see a trace of aggression or hostility on the Filipino’s face, nor of being even slightly intimidated. What I did see was a glint in the Pacman’s eyes, as if he was buoyed by some secret strength.

As the day of the fight unfolded, we saw a drama in contrasts. Golden Boy was the picture of worry and dread as he marched with

tense and solemn demeanor with his entrance parade towards the ring, seemingly very focused on his thoughts, unmindful of those around him.

By contrast, from the Pacman’s entrance parade emerged a fighter fully at ease, joyful, excited, and open, greeting people as he went, very aware of those around him. If he had any qualms, reservations, fears or anxiety of any sort in that hour, he did not show it, not for a moment, not outside the ring, and certainly not inside it.

In this manner, from outside of the ring as well as within, Pacquiao appeals to fans and followers with unique charisma and character unlike any other boxing star in history.

Outside the ring, Pacman is simply Manny, a friend to all, soft spoken, gentle, sometimes distracted because of so many people trying to get his attention, but once you have his attention, he is kind, courteous, open to conversation. If you didn’t know he was a fighter, you would never guess it, because it would seem impossible that a shred of violence could dwell in this soft-spoken, gentle man. However,

the extreme fitness of his body -- 6% body fat in early April -- hints at the violence he inflicts on himself during training.

Outside the ring Pacman can be a friend even to his opponents, always respectful, such as with Ricky Hatton, the British pugilist whom Pacman will battle next on May 2nd, and who by contrast has not stopped talking about how he will certainly destroy Pacquiao’s hopes of taking his Junior Welterweight Crown.

By contrast, Pacquiao is relatively silent, peaceful, unmoved by all the verbiage. During their promotional tour of the UK in late February, Pacquiao played a friendly game of darts against Hatton and lost quite good-naturedly …demonstrating that it is possible to drum up attention for a fight in a fun, pleasant and friendly manner, sans the usual threats, insults, bashing and bravado.

Once he steps into the ring, it is a different matter altogether. Pacquiao transforms into Pacman, the Destroyer. He trains like a machine, relentless and disciplined, constantly pushing himself to go beyond physical limits. The Pacman internally expands in strength and stature in the ring, morphing into the most exciting boxer in the world, blessed with astonishing speed, exceptional strength, aggressive momentum, wielding precise boxing skills and techniques with two of the fastest, most powerful fists in boxing today. Moreover, he is unpredictable, a tremendous asset in the ring. Most significantly, Pacquiao exhibits raw courage, fearlessness, and passion that is breathtaking in a fight. You know with some decisions he risks even his life.

The Great Communicator

Indeed, Pacman’s most eloquent speeches are those he makes in the ring, written both with his heart and with his fists. In the ring it seems he communicates to the world not merely his own message but a message from the nation he represents. Every blow echoes the fierce

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and indomitable warrior spirit of the Filipino. Every knockout a ringing promise that the Filipino nation will rise to conquer every obstacle to its greatness, silencing even its most cynical and malevolent critics. Every triumph of a new title won, an invitation for the world to watch and see, that as far as the Philippines is concerned, they haven’t seen anything yet of what this nation can do, of what this nation will be.

The truth is Manny Pacquiao is a very eloquent man, contrary to those who criticize his use of the English language. His own column titled “Kumbinasyon” [or ‘Combination’] numbers 140 published articles written under his byline since the first piece came out in the Abante newspaper and Philboxing.com on August of 2007. Taken together, this collection of very elegantly written letters expressed in the Filipino language, well convey the true nature of Pacquiao, his personality, identity, his hopes and dreams, his philosophy of life and faith, articulated in his own expression, his own words.

His columns which almost always begin with a courteous ‘Kumusta’ (How are you?) for his readers, are rich in expression with the cordiality and consideration of Filipino culture.

Some of my favorite columns include “Ang Kahalagahan ni Buboy Fernandez” where he takes the time to appreciate his close friend and assistant trainer, Buboy Fernandez, a childhood friend from General Santos City who has grown with Manny into a truly excellent boxing trainer of world-class caliber and who functions as an absolutely important member of his own coaching team. Manny fondly remembers when he and Buboy as children both used to wear “butas-butas na salawal”, trousers with holes in them.

In “Tsismis: National Pastime”, Manny cleverly answers the many allegations that it is not actually he who writes the column, but ghostwriters; he also wittily responds to those who criticize his English and Tagalog language skills.

In “Ang Aking Pinakamamahal: Jinkee Pacquiao”, Manny describes his love for his family, and especially his deep and abiding appreciation for his wife Jinkee, whom he says has supported him all the way and has been a wonderful partner in the life of sacrifice that is a boxer’s wife.

His recent column on HBO 24/7 reveals how he thinks about being constantly followed by camera crews from HBO and GMA TV from the time he wakes up in the morning to the time he turns in at night. He poignantly reminisces about the time he and his family were very poor and essentially invisible. In those days no one paid attention to them and their needs, but now he is filmed even while brushing his teeth.

In “Kahalagahan ng Sports” and other columns where Manny writes about fellow boxers, his strong dedication to fully supporting Filipino boxers and Filipino sports in general is very apparent. In one such column he wrote of how he spent some time watching young boxers in an amateur boxing tournament in order to bring them inspiration. He wrote that they too can excel at the highest levels with hard work, sacrifice, discipline and dedication, adding “Tiyak Yun!” which means “That’s Certain!”

In “Napakasarap Mag-aral” Manny talks about his love for learning, and the great value he places on education. He remembers the years when he had to stop his schooling to help his family make ends meet. In

those days he longed to go to school like other youth but could not. Now he is thoroughly enjoying pursuing his studies in Business Management at the Notre Dame University in Dadiangas.

Finally, in “Pangunahing Misyon sa Buhay” Manny divulges the real reasons why he has decided to retire soon and enter politics. In his own words:

“Nabanggit ko rin po sa media kamakailan na marahil tatlong laban na lang ang nalalabi sa aking boxing career at maaring magretire na ako sa taong 2009 hindi dahil sa desisyon kong pumasok sa public service sa taong 2010. Opo, ginamit ko ang katagang public service at iniiwasan kong usisain ang pagpasok ko sa pelikula dahil marami na ang hindi natutuwa sa pagbigkas pa lamang ng salitang politics. Sa totoo lang po, ang aking pag-retire sa 2009 ay walang koneksyon sa aking pagpasok sa public service sa 2010.

(I told media recently that there are probably just three fights left in my career and I will retire in 2009, but not because I want to go into public service in 2010. Yes, I use the term public service, which could include my doing movies, because no one likes the word politics. My possible retirement in 2009 is not connected to my desire to enter public service in 2010.)

Dahil ito ang desisyon at mungkahi ng aking pamilya at mga malalapit na kaibigan, ang pagsasabit ng aking gloves ay dahil gusto kong magtapos ng pag-aaral, ma-enjoy ang aking pinaghirapan sa itaas ng ring at makasama ko ng lubos ang aking pamilya at mga anak na lumalaki na.

(It is the advice of my family and close friends, and I am hanging up my gloves because I want to finish my studies, to enjoy what I earned in the ring and to spend as much time as I can with my family, my growing kids.)

Ninanais ko pong tapusin ang aking career na ako pa rin ay nasa mataas na antas ng respeto sa ring at magreretire na kampeon. Ayaw ko pong magtapos ang aking career na kagaya ng ibang mga boxer na naging kampeon at nauwi lang na naghihirap sa huli ng kanilang buhay. Ang iba ay nagreretire na may pinsala sa katawan at pag-iisip at walang sapat na halaga ang kapalit nito.

Bukod dito, ang pinakapangunahing misyon ng aking buhay ay ang pagtulong sa aking mga naghihikahos na kababayan at ang pagpasok ko sa larangan ng public service ang magdudulot ng katuparan sa mithiing ito.

(I want to end my boxing career at the top of my game and retire a champion. I don’t want it to end like other champions who ended up poor in their retirement years. Some have even retired with permanent injury to their bodies and minds. Nothing is worth this. My main mission in life is to help the poor, and to enter public service is the only way I can feel complete.)

Filipino Son

Mirroring his own words into what we witnessed of Manny in the HBO 24/7 film series first with De La Hoya, and now the new HBO 24/7 four-part series with Hatton (the first episode premiered April 11th) we need to understand that in seeking to get a handle on the essence of

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Manny Pacquiao, it is important to note that he is, first and foremost, very much a Filipino. That is to say, embodied in the Pacman is a set of qualities, characteristics, personality traits that can be identified as distinctly Filipino, that which essentially he has refused to be taken away from him. And unless you are a Filipino, or have lived in the Philippines for a long time and lived among Filipinos, you are not likely to comprehend this. But it is essential to understanding Pacquiao.

We observe from his column and in the HBO films that depict him, Emmanuel D. Pacquiao embodies several Filipino leadership ideals or characteristics discussed by author Ed Lapiz in his book “Pagbabagong-Loob”:

First is the concept of “Husay” or excellence. People can look to someone with ‘husay’ as their hero because he is able to achieve excellence that other people, including they themselves have not. Clearly, Manny has achieved “husay” in the sport of boxing perhaps beyond any other human being in the planet at this time.

Second is ‘Lakas,’ or strength, taken from the Filipino legend “Malakas and Maganda”, or “The Strong and the Beautiful.” Filipinos look for leaders that personify strength, which Manny reflects not only in his physical strength but also in his dramatic triumph over adversity.

Third is the concept of “Kalooban”, which has no direct translation in English, but which may be roughly translated as “Soul.” The ideal Filipino ‘Soul’ is defined by character that is good, stable, solid, courageous, combining the strength of maleness and the compassion of femaleness in one person. If you are a Filipino, you will understand how Alex Ariza, Pacman’s sparring, partner could call him a “Juggernaut” on one hand and on the other listen to how Manny speaks softly and affectionately about his mother in the HBO film. The Filipino Kalooban can contain strength and softness in perfect harmony.

Fourth is “Paninindigan” or roughly translated, “Conviction”. You have paninindigan if you are able to stand for what you think is right even if you are the only one left standing. Manny’s conviction is seen in his commitment to a fight, no matter what the odds look like, no matter the naysayers.

Fifth is “Pakiramdam”, that is “Sensitive” to and able to perceive other people’s thoughts, feelings, needs. In “Kumbinasyon”, Manny anticipates and responds to his fans’ and followers’ unspoken concerns and questions, discerns their interests and addresses them. When Manny says that he feels “hurt” when the country is in strife, turmoil and trouble, he is sensitive to the people of the country, he is “nakikiramdam”.Sixth is Pakikisama or “Pakikipagkapwa-tao” which is probably Manny Pacquiao’s most obvious Filipino trait. This is actually a very sublime and profound concept that means “I am also my fellow man.” If he suffers misfortune, I suffer misfortune.’ “His wound is my wound.” “His triumph is my triumph.”

Despite his great wealth and ability to live anywhere in the world he likes, in any type of home he likes, Manny chose to build a mansion near the slums where he grew up, surrounded by family and friends. He has contributed much to the community in General Santos City and except for the armed guards and staff that accompany him everywhere, he relates easily and normally to the people in the community as one of their own. You note from this choice that Manny identifies himself

as part of a larger community, one that he has been a part of since his youth. He does not distance himself from them after his triumphs, but rather includes them in its rewards.

Indeed non-Filipino viewers of the HBO film series might have been perplexed by the way the Pacman chose to live while training in Los Angeles. He is very well able to afford a luxurious apartment and stay there in quiet solitude to rest and recover after every training session. But no, Manny chooses to be with his Filipino staff, the male-dominated Team Pacquiao, a very large high-spirited posse that resembles a den of brothers more than a place where a boxing star and his staff live. They eat together, sing together, play darts together, try to get into shape together, and are pretty much always together, mirroring the dynamics of traditional Filipino families.

In vintage pre-colonial style, Manny is the boss of the group, but he does not lord it over them, he is one among them, he cares for them and guides them. Wherever they go, the group brings with them a visceral cocoon of cultural familiarity that Filipinos recognize instantly. Pacquiao thrives in the warm, festive, sometimes chaotic, environment of living with his posse in Los Angeles, and with his extended family in General Santos City. To live apart from such camaraderie and familial bonding would probably be very uncomfortable for Manny, and likely not be the optimal environment for him when preparing for a big fight.

Probably the ultimate expression of Pakikipagkapwa-tao is Pakikiisa, which means unity. “You and I are one”. The Pacman demonstrates this by his very clear understanding of his unique burden or calling. He is keenly aware that his triumphs as a boxer actually impact the unity of our nation. He is one with the Filipino nation. His triumph is our triumph. This awareness motivates him to sacrifice and do his utmost to win for his country.

Seventh is “Malasakit”, Roughly, that means to care authentically for another, and to be willing to do something about it. It can also mean being willing to undergo suffering or sacrifice in order to help another. Ronnie Nathanielsz, a veteran sports reporter who has followed Pacquiao’s career since 1995, heard Manny say when he was just 16 years old that he aimed to serve in public office one day so that he could help the poor. In fact, he dedicated much of his youth to helping his family out of poverty. He endured the sacrifices necessary in the sport to attain financial security for himself and significantly for his family. He has since cast the net of his philanthropy much wider, contributing to various causes such as sports development, education and hospital facilities that treat cancer patients. He is constantly finding ways to help other people as part of a culture where value is measured not by what one has, but by what one gives away.

Eighth is “Galing” or power or super-humanness. Filipinos value leaders who not only interact, empathize and communicate well, but also if possible have some connection with the spiritual world. Like Fernando Poe, Jr. as Panday, or Ramon Revilla as Nardong Putik, or even Corazon Aquino as herself, Filipino leaders in our myths and legends always had a mystical power or a source of power. Part of Pacquiao’s persona as he grows in popularity as a world figure is his reputation of being somewhat of a mystic. He professes a deep love

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and intimate relationship with God whom he claims actually speaks or has spoken directly to him. He has attributed every single triumph and success he has achieved in and out of the ring to the blessing of God. Apart from God, he fears nothing. I believe that this concept of “galing” through authentic divine connection is an important key to the heart of Pacquiao.

Ninth is “Kabanalan” which can be translated as pag-ibig sa bayan or love of country. Manny loves the Philippines so much he is unwilling to change residency or citizenship. He does not see himself living anywhere else. He does not want his children to grow up anywhere else. He is still intent on helping poor people through public service, more so when he retires from boxing. From how he speaks of the Philippines, you can perceive that his love for her, and especially her poor and disenfranchised, is very deeply felt.

His love for the country is very much tied to his love for its beauty in nature. Few people know that Manny grew up in the mountains of the Saranggani province in a place called Miyasong; or that he once lived by the sea. He is currently Chairman of the Task Force Luwas Kinaiyahan (Saving Mother Nature) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the whole Mindanao region. He took the position as it gives him the opportunity to help protect the forests and mountains of Mindanao. He is inspired by our pre-colonial hero, Lapu-lapu, whom he says fought to protect our land.

Finally, there is Katapatan or “Integrity”. To the public eye, this is probably one aspect where the Pacman is most imperfect. Most recently, many Filipinos were disenchanted by Manny’s alleged negotiations

with ABS-CBN, which were meant to supplant his earlier agreement with Solar Sports and GMA TV. He was accused of greed and failing to keep his word. Filipinos, after all, still have a culture of orality. The spoken word is important to the Filipino culture. When a word or verbal promise is not kept, the Filipino loses heart. Many people lost heart with Manny after the recent network wars over him. In fairness to Manny, we don’t know what really happened. Different stories abound. It is easy to see how he can get confused with his many advisers. I can imagine how he can, like any businessman, want to get a better deal, get access to more reach, better coverage. The important thing is at the end of the day, Manny chose to honor his commitment to Solar Sports and GMA, even apologized profusely to its respective CEOs. Felipe Gozon of GMA said Manny is to be admired for his humble act of contrition, which he says is remarkable for a man of his world stature.

Indeed his close friend and mentor, former governor and now deputy national security adviser Chavit Singson, can not get over how exceedingly good “super bait” and humble Manny is and continues to be, which he says is very rare for someone who has entered into the realm of money, fame and power that the champion has.

He has won world titles in four weight divisions. He is the only Filipino and only Boxer who has made it to the list of 203 Finalists for Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list. At one point, he was ranked 2nd on the list but now has slipped to 22nd. [Voting continues at Time.com.] Even global superstars Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, and Kobe Bryant are fans of the Pacman. They make the trip to visit him at the WildCard Gym in Los Angeles. Mark Wahlberg, Hollywood star and Producer of HBO Hit series the “Entourage,” raves about Pacman during one of his visits in a GMA news video interview dated April 13, 2009: “He’s the best in the world pound-for-pound possibly of all time. He’s

Dyan Castillejos and Ronnie Nathanielsz interview Manny before his departure to London

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so fast, powerful and most importantly, he’s such a nice humble guy outside of the ring.”

Mystic WarriorI used to think it must have been Manny’s humble roots that have

helped him to maintain such groundedness in the face of previously unimaginable fortune. After all, here is a young man who as a boy helped his family make ends meet by selling donuts or cigarettes, and would sometimes sleep on cardboard on the streets, just like many of the poor homeless destitute we see around Metro Manila.

But now I am certain the reason is much more than his impecunious beginnings, for it is possible for people who start out poor then come into wealth to change their values and attitudes toward their fellow men. I’m convinced that the very essence and heart of Pacquiao lies in his deep and authentic spirituality. It is a spirituality that is not merely inherited from the lessons of a religious mother, which his vibrant and colorful mother, Aling Dionisia certainly gave him. It is a spirituality rooted in a true abiding relationship with the divine. There is no other way to explain how he can remain peaceful, calm and joyful on the edge of risking his life. No other way to explain how he of all people would be the one to calm all his fans from De La Hoya’s threats to “destroy” him by publicly saying on global television: ‘Why are you so anxious? It’s as if you don’t believe God. There is no need to be anxious. God is in control.”

I could say many more things about Pacquiao, perhaps compare him to Jose Rizal, who though he wielded a pen rather than his fists, had many similarities to the Pacman. Rizal was also not very tall, but multi-gifted, loved music, himself practised boxing with his cohorts, also liked

to sport a moustache, and also became a unifying symbol to the Filipino nation in the late 1800s. I can talk about Pacman’s many interests and pursuits such as basketball and darts and politics. But from the one-on-one interview I was privileged to have with the Pambansang Kamao February 26th at the Shang Palace of the Makati Shangri-la Hotel, the night before he flew to the UK for his promotional tour with Hatton, Pacquiao’s mind was focused only on one thing.

It is the thing that if you mine the depths of the man’s heart and mind, and take everything away from him, even his own life, would still remain. He says it is God himself. He agrees that it is this ineffable divine connection which is like what King David in the Bible had that gives him the strength to defeat his Goliaths.

Indeed Pacquiao’s faith is not lost on his observers around the world. Gareth Davies, the respected UK sportswriter in his article “Pacquiao has God and a Million Filipinos on His Side” (posted on UK Telegraph.Co.UK on April 1, 2009) writes about Pacquiao’s growing stature as a world figure and increasing public perception that the fighter is also a mystic.

Which isn’t surprising since he comes from a country rife with mysticism and spirituality. I wonder if he isn’t a mystic somewhat akin to Teresa of Avila or St. John of the Cross or even St. Ignatius of the Catholic tradition. He openly shares that God speaks to him directly. He recalls to one journalist of one instance that God spoke to him in a dream “Son, why are you distancing yourself from Me?” “Anak, bakit ka lumalayo sa akin?” Manny woke up in tears. The champion openly confesses his flawed humanity and imperfection, which in his acceptance, magnifies his love and devotion to his perfect loving God. He admits it is only God who determines who is blessed inside the ring.

It is this devotion that has kept Pacquiao grounded and able to pass the character test of success. His deep knowledge and awareness of God’s love for him anchors his response of love for God, love for His creation, love for country and love for his fellow man. It is this same knowledge that fuels the amazing faith that has brought him from sleeping in cardboard boxes in the streets to being catapulted into the global arena as the world’s greatest living boxer. And in this position, Pacquiao has gained the greatest platform and opportunity, even if only for given seasons, to galvanize the attention of an otherwise divided global Filipino nation to an incredible focused unity.

I venture to say that this tried and tested faith, the faith that prioritizes one’s relationship with God above all else is that same faith that dares to dream audaciously, the same faith that demolishes every obstacle to greatness and destiny, the same faith that never attributes glory to oneself but only to the Object of one’s faith. It is the same faith that Pacquiao received and absorbed as a little child, and which only grew stronger and permeated deeper through the rough vicissitudes of his life. It is Object of Pacquiao’s faith that is his very source, center and inspiration. His being is so full of the Substance of this faith, that he can’t help convey Him to any one who would listen. “Don’t tell God that you have a problem. Tell your problem that you have a big God.”

When asked what dreams he had left to fulfill aside from helping his fellow man, he said that his one remaining goal would be to leave this earth with his heart not distanced from the God that he loves.

The champ strikes a pose with the writer.

Pacman, FaithmanOne-on-One Interview with Manny PacquiaoMakati Shangri-la Hotel Shang Palace RestaurantBy Victoria V. Ferro

Photo: Ferdie Singh

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Victoria:Anchor mo yon, di ba, ang faith? Ever since ba yon? [That’s your anchor, isn’t it? Your faith? Have you had it for a long time?] Was it something you got from your mother?

Manny:Ever since we were young, our mother taught us how to pray before we eat, after we eat, before we sleep, every time we wake up in the morning. Tinuturuan ka niya so talagang very thankful kami sa mother namin kasi pinalaki niya kami na may faith sa God. [She taught us that way so we are truly very thankful to our mother because she brought us up with faith in God.]

Victoria:Tapos, I notice in all your fights before you even step in the ring you pray then whatever happens after you pray, ano yung mga pinepray mo? [What do you pray for?]

Manny:During my fight, before my fight, I pray to God na sana iligtas niya ako sa kapamahakan. At siya na ang bahala. Pinauubaya ko sa kanya ang lahat. Ako’y isang tao lamang at nasa kanya ang pagbabasbas para manalo.

[During my fight, before my fight, I pray to God to keep me from harm. And that I trust Him to be in control. I give everything to Him. I am just a human being and the blessing to win comes from Him.]

Victoria:Meron bang kinakatakutan ang isang Manny Pacquiao? [Does a Manny Pacquiao have any fears?]

Manny:Ang tangi ko lang kinakatakutan ay ang Panginoon. Except that, wala na. kasi kung nakakaramdam ka ng takot, itanung mo sa sarili mo kaagad, bakit ka kinakabahan? Yung faith mo sa God hindi talaga 100%. Pag kinakabahan ang tao, ang faith niya sa God hindi talaga 100%.

[I am afraid of only one thing and that is God. Other than God, I fear nothing. Because if you feel fear, ask yourself right away, why do you feel fear? That means your faith in God is not 100%. If a person gets nervous, that means that person’s faith in God is not 100%.]

Victoria:You really remind me of David in the Bible, of the story of David and Goliath. Your fights are reminiscent of that story, especially with the way you talk. I’m just telling you that I’m inspired and many people are inspired because you have the David kind of faith, a man after God’s own heart. Would you agree?

Victoria:Maraming maraming salamat [Thank you very much] Manny, on behalf of Pinoy Global Access magazine… Many readers of PGA are more interested in the Manny who’s not really the boxing Manny, but rather the other side of Manny Pacquiao. You are the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. What do you think are the qualities that set you apart from other boxers?

Manny:I think I have the blessing from God and because of my sacrifices. I am dedicated to my career. That’s why I deserve everything I have achieved.

Victoria:So talagang [truly] super hard work.

Manny:[Nods] Hard work and belief in God.

Victoria:You really have so much faith in God. Like with your De La Hoya fight, lahat ng tao sobrang kabang-kaba. [Everybody was very anxious and nervous.] I watched you in the documentary of HBO and you said “Huwag kayo mabahala. Para namang wala kayong tiwala sa Diyos.” [“Don’t worry. If you worry it’s as if you have no trust in God.”] Where did that come from, Manny? That faith?

Manny:I always believe that without God we cannot do anything in this world, in this planet. You have to believe God and do something for God. Then you’ll be successful.

Victoria:Was there an incident when you were young? Nung batang-bata ka pa [When you were very young] did you have that faith already?]

Manny:When I was young, we had to go to school and study but because talagang mahirap lang kami even my mother walang trabaho, my father also. Kaya hindi ko natapos ang pag-aaral ko. After that, I decided to box kahit mahirap sa loob ng mama ko, napilitan ako because wala kaming pera, walang trabaho. Start nun, dun na ang simula…napamahal na sa akin yung boxing. Tapos nung napamahal na sa akin yun boxing, lagi kong dinadasal kay Lord na sana sa pamamagitan ng boxing, maiahon ko at matulungan ko ang mga magulang ko.[When I was young, we had to go to school and study but because we were poor, my father and mother had no jobs, I wasn’t able to finish school. After that I decided to box even if my mother didn’t like it. I was forced to because we had no money, no jobs. From there started my love for boxing. Then when I came to love boxing, I kept praying to the Lord my wish that I could, through boxing, be able to help my family, my parents out of poverty.]

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RVFManny:I agree. Talagang naniniwala ako kasi like me I’m always inspired because I believe God. Kaya lagi akong inspired dahil sa kanya.[I agree. I really believe that. I’m always inspired because I believe God. God is my source of constant inspiration.]

Victoria:Kaya ka masaya palagi?[Is that why you’re always happy?]

Manny:Ya! Because I have a great God. Sabi ko nga sa kanila [That’s why I say] don’t tell God you have a big problem. Tell your problem that you have a great God.

Victoria:Wow, I saw you say that in the HBO 24/7 documentary with De La Hoya and it was amazing. You sounded like you were preaching, like an evangelist. It was fantastic.

Gaanong katotoo yung movie…I’m sure a lot of people are asking this, lalo na abroad. How close is it to reality, the movie about you, yung sa Star Cinema, yung starring Jericho?[How close to the truth was the movie that Star Cinema produced on your life, starring Jericho (Rosales)?]

Manny:Actually, alam mo, yung movie na yun nasa 15% lang yung totoo dun. Talagang…I mean 15%, out of 100%, 15% lang ang totoo.[You know with that movie, only 15% of the movie was true.]

Victoria:Ok. So you’re not very happy with it then.

Manny: [Shakes his head and doesn’t look happy.]

Victoria:Oh okay, that’s good. I’m curious about that part in the movie na nagbabasa ka ng [when you were reading the book] Purpose-Driven Life, totoo ba yon [did that really happen]? And did reading the book really have an impact on you?

Manny:Purpose-Driven Life [nods] yes. Talagang malaking tulong non. Maganda! Mapaiyak ka! [Yes that book was a great help to me. It was beautiful. That book will make you cry!

Victoria:Is there a particular chapter or merong isang kasabihan dun na talagang hit you in particular sa libro na yon?

[Is there a particular chapter or statement in that book that really struck you?]Manny:Dami! Halos lahat dun matamaan ka dun sa ano. Nagbabasa ka ba nun?[A lot! Almost everything in that book had an impact on me. Do you read that book?]

Victoria:Opo! Kasi I actually worked with Purpose-Driven Life before.[Yes, because I actually worked with Purpose-Driven Life before.]

Manny:Aaah! [with interest]

Victoria:Are you really the one who writes yung mga piesa sa Philboxing? Is it really you who writes those pieces?[Are you really the one who writes the columns with your byline on Philboxing.com?]

Manny:Yung mga articles ko? Yung Kumbinasyon? [He nods with a smile.][You mean my articles? Kumbinasyon? (the name of his column in Abante)]

Victoria:Galing naman, I’m so impressed talaga. [You write very well. I’m truly impressed.] There you said something about Lapu-lapu being one of your inspirations, can you talk about that?

Manny:Si Lapu-lapu kasi nakipaglaban yun kay Magellan. Hero natin yun kasi binantayan niya yung lugar nating lahat.[Lapu-lapu had the courage to fight Magellan. He is our hero because he guarded our land.]

Victoria:Kung di po kayo nakatira dito, where would you live? Where would you want to live? Is there a country you would prefer to live other than this country?

Manny:Wala. Dito talaga ako.[No other place. This is where I will stay.]

Victoria:Would you ever change your citizenship? Would you ever consider that? If you were offered it?

Manny:[Shakes his head.]

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Victoria:Ganun ninyo kamahal ang Pilipinas? [That’s how much you love the Philippines?]

Manny:[Nods his head, with a sound that means ‘yes’ and a peaceful smile on his face.] Kung nagchange pa ako, kinuha ko na yung Green Card ko. [If I wanted to change citizenship, I would have gotten my Green Card already.]

Victoria:Your children can study anywhere. But I heard you decided and said, ‘Gusto ko dito sila mag-aral kasi ayaw kong mawala ang pagka-Pilipino nila.’. [I want them to study here because I don’t want them to lose their sense of being Filipino.] Can you say a little bit more about that?

Manny:Puede ko silang pag-aralin sa Amerika, kaya lang gusto ko sila dito mag-aral kasi ayaw kong mawala sa kanila yung ugaling Pilipino. Kasi kahit na dugong Pilipino ka pero dun ka naman lumaki sa Amerika, hindi ka pa rin Pilipino kasi yung ugali mo Amerika na.[I can give them an education in America, but I prefer that they study here in the Philippines because I don’t want them to lose their Filipino values. That’s because even if you have Filipino blood in you but you grow up in America, you won’t be Filipino anymore in the sense that your values and behavior will be American already.]

Victoria:Happy naman po kayo sa education nila sa Brent? Okay naman kayo don?[Are you happy with the education your children are getting from Brent School? Are you okay with it?]

Manny:Happy naman. Ok naman. [with a smile][Yes I am happy with them. They are okay.]

Victoria:Gaano kaimportante sa inyo ang pagiging Pilipino po ninyo?How important is your Filipino identity to you?

Manny:Alam mo napakahalaga sa akin ang pagiging isang Pilipino dahil unang-una, ako’y Pilipino. At saka ayokong magkagulo ang bansa natin. Ayoko kasi nasasaktan ako. Kasi buhay natin yan eh. Kasama sa buhay natin. Pero baka magtaka ka kung bakit ko masasabing ang tinitirhan natin ay kasama sa buhay natin. Ma-explain ko ng mabuti yan. Baka tanungin nila ano ang koneksyon ng tinitirhan natin sa buhay natin di ba? Yan ang hindi alam ng mga tao.[You know being Filipino is so very important to me. In the first place, I’m Filipino and I don’t want any problems or issues to beset our country.

I don’t like it because it hurts me. Because that is our life. What happens to our nation is part of our lives. People might wonder how I can say that the place we live in is part of our lives. I can explain that very well. People might ask what is the connection between the place we dwell and our lives. That is what people don’t know.]

Victoria:How do you see yourself as a Filipino, compared to, say, mga Mexicans, mga Americans, and other nationalities?

Manny:Alam mo merong mga mabait, merong hindi naman masyado. Pero walang ibang katulad talaga ang Pilipino.[You know there are people who are good, some who are not so good. But Filipinos are a breed apart. Filipinos are truly unique.]

Victoria:You are continuing with your university studies, right? Saan po? [Where?]

Manny:Notre Dame University

Victoria:What are you studying po?

Manny:Business Management.

Victoria:It’s interesting kasi obviously napaka-successful ninyo na in the sense that if you don’t want to study, you don’t have to. So why are you pursuing your studies pa rin po?[It’s interesting because obviously you are already very successful financially in the sense that if you don’t want to study, you don’t have to. So why are you pursuing your studies still?]

Manny:Even when I was young, I loved to go to school. I wanted to finish my school, my studies. Like what I said, mahirap lang kami noon. Kaya ngayon talagang pinagpatuloy ko ang pag-aaral ko para ma-manage ko rin ng tama yung pera kong pinagkakitaan sa boxing. Kaya management ang kinuha ko, business management.[Like what I said, we were very poor then. That’s why now I am continuing my studies so that I can also effectively manage the money I’ve earned in boxing. This is the reason why I took up business management.]

Victoria:May relasyon din ho ba yun sa intentions niyo po to run for public office?[Does your studies relate to your intentions to run for public office?]

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Manny:Unang-una para di ka laiitin ng mga tao na wala kang pinag-aralan. Ang dahilan talaga ay para mai-manage ko yung kinita kong pera sa boxing.First of all it’s so that people won’t be able to call me derogatorily as someone ignorant or without education. The real reason is so that I can manage my boxing earnings effectively.

Victoria:Kasi actually I’m a documentarist. I so love that documentary that HBO did on you, that 24/7. What was it like for you that they were following you around na sinusundan kayo saan man? Sa loob ng kuwarto, etc… I mean what was that experience like?[I’m actually a documentarist and so I loved that 24/7 documentary HBO made on you. What was it like for you when you were being followed and filmed everywhere you went? What was that experience like?]

Manny:Okay lang. I mean masaya ako dahil sinusundan ka ng mga ganyan kahit saan ka magpunta. Eh ang iba tinatawag pa sila para sundan, di ba? Naiintindihan ko yan dahil kasama yan, bahagi yan ng tagumpay.[It was fine with me. I mean I was happy that I was being followed everywhere by these people. For others, they have to call people to follow them, right? (Manny smiles as if to appreciate his good fortune.) I understand the attention because that’s all part and parcel of success.]

Victoria:Were you happy with the final product? Nung napanood ninyo? Yung documentary? [When you got to watch it? The documentary?] Did you like it? Were you pleased?

Manny:OO. Nagustuhan ko. Gustong-gusto ko. Kasi maganda ang pagkagawa.[Yes. I liked it. I really really liked it. Because the film was very well made.]

Victoria:So compared to the Jericho Rosales film, versus this one, you really like the documentary more.

Manny:Siyempre. Kasi kung ano yung mga ginagawa mo…[Of course. Because whatever it is that you are doing…]

Victoria:Yun talaga yon.

[That’s exactly what they show.]

Manny:Yun talaga.[That’s it exactly.]

Victoria:And ang ganda ng coverage nun about Freddie Roach and your relationship with Freddie. [The coverage on your relationship with Freddie Roach in that film was excellent.]It’s really wonderful. So you’re really close and he’s like your father, in a sense.

Manny:[Smiles and nods. Yes.]

Victoria:Do you have any other passions aside from God and boxing that we don’t know about?

Manny:I love to play basketball…Basta mahilig ako sa sports.

Victoria:Para sa inyo po, what do you think are the things that matter most in life? Sa buhay po, ano ang pinakaimportante?

Manny:Alam mo ang una sa buhay ko, ang relasyon ko sa God. Alam mo relasyon sa God yun lagi pinakaimportante sa akin. Yun ang laging iniisip ko. Baka lumayo ako o gaano ba akong kalapit sa Panginoon? Hindi porke’t nagdadasal ka okay na yon. Kailangan palagi mong tanungin sa sarili mo, malapit ka ba sa Panginoon?[You know the first priority in my life is my relationship with God. For me the most important thing is always my relationship with God. That is what I am always thinking about. I ask myself, ‘am I going further away from the Lord’? Or how close am I to Him? It doesn’t mean that just because you pray that everything is okay. You must always ask yourself, are you close to the Lord?]

Victoria:So, talagang totoo sa inyo ang intimate relationship with God?[So an intimate relationship with God is very real for you?]

Manny:Kailangan kasi tayong human may tinatawag tayong idol, hero natin, mahal natin pero sa akin iba. May hero ako, may mahal ako, may bida ako, ang Panginoon.[We need this relationship with God. We humans might call someone or something idol, hero or beloved but for me it is different. I have a hero, I have someone I love, I have an idol (or the winning protagonist in a story), and that is the Lord.]

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Victoria:Wow! Ang ganda [That’s beautiful.]

Manny:Lagi tayong nagsasabi sa mga tao, sa mga mahal natin sa buhay “I love you.” Sa Panginoon ba, nasabi mo na ba ang ‘I love you’? Tanungin kita, nasabi mo na bang ‘I love you.’ Madalas mo bang sinasabing ‘I love you’?[We often tell people, the people that we love in life, “I love you.” Have you said the same thing “I love you” to the Lord? Let me ask you. Have you told the Lord “I love you’? How often do you say ‘I love you’ to Him?]

Victoria:Ako pa. Oo. Yung mga iba po hindi ko po alam.[Me yes, I say that to the Lord. I don’t know about other people though.]

Manny:Madalas pa nating sabihin sa kapwa natin ‘I love you’; ‘I love you’ sa asawa natin.[We say “I love you” more often to other people, to our spouses.]

Victoria:Wala po akong asawa kaya si God lang talaga. (laughter)[I don’t have a husband so it’s truly only God. (laughter)]

Manny:‘I love you God.’

Victoria:Ano pong mga dreams do you have remaining. Kasi I’m sure marami na po kayong nakamit. You’ve reached so much of your goals already. What dreams do you have remaining for yourself, for your family, and for your country?

Manny:I’ve really done my dream to my family na natulungan ko na silang lahat, even my brother and sisters, nabigyan ko na sila. Ang dream ko na lang, hindi ko naman lahat matutulungan, kaya kahit papaano gamitin niya ako para makatulong ako sa mga kapwa tao.[I’ve already achieved my dream for my family. I’ve helped all of them already, even my brother and sisters. I’ve given to them already. My remaining dream, though I may not be able to help everybody, is that somehow God can use me to help others.]

Victoria:How about for yourself? Do you have any other dreams or goals you want to reach?

Manny:My dreams? (as if surprised by the question)Victoria:Yes! For you! Long term.Manny:Long term my dream is talagang ako ay mawala sa mundo na hindi ako malayo sa Kanya.[Long term my dream is for me to leave this world without distance from God.]

Victoria:Wow, ang ganda naman. [Wow that’s so beautiful.]

Manny:Ang panaginip ko ay hindi ako malayo sa Kanya kasi lahat ng mga bagay na nakikita mo sa mundo, pansamantala lang yan. At panghabang buhay ang hindi mo nakikita.[My dream is that I will remain close to God because all the things you see in this world is temporary. What will last are the things you can’t see.]

Victoria:Last question. Is there anything that the Filipino public does not know about Manny Pacquiao? There’s so much coverage about you already but is there something about you that people don’t know?

Manny:Alam mo bihira ko sinasabi sa mga tao ito. Ang hindi nila alam na kaya palagi kong sinasabi sa kanila na Panginoon, Panginoon, magtiwala kayo kasi ang totoo niyan kailangan lahat ng tao wala sila dapat ialay sa buhay nila kundi ang Panginoon lang. Sino ba ang gumawa sa mundo? Sa ating daigdig? Di ba sa ating daigdig completo. Lahat ng … nandyan na lahat. Completo. Sinong gumawa? Ang God. Di ba ang God? So sa Kanya tayo nanggaling, diba? Dapat maniwala ang mga tao, magtiwala sila sa Panginoon, matakot sila sa Lord. Ako? Billion of people sa buong mundo. Billions, di ba billion? Ilang billion?[You know it’s very rare that I tell people this. What people don’t know is that the reason why I keep telling people “God, God, trust in God” is because that is truly what people need to do. They should give their lives to nothing or no one else but God alone. Who was it that made the world? Who created our planet? Isn’t our world complete? Everything we need is there. It’s complete. Who made it? God made it. Wasn’t it God? So we come

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from him, don’t we? That is my people need to believe in God, to trust in God, fear God. Me? There are billions of people in the whole world. Is it a billion? How many billions?]Victoria:6 yata e, 6 or 7 billion. [I think its about 6 or 7 billion.]

Manny:7 billion. Masuwerte ako dahil ako isa sa mga kinausap ng Panginoon. Sa billions of people, bihira ang tao na kinakausap ng Panginoon.[Out of 7 billion people, I’m very fortunate because I am one of those rare individuals that the Lord has spoken to.]

Victoria:Ano ang sinabi niya sa iyo? [What did He say to you?]

Manny:Basta yung mga nasabi ko sa iyo nung mga nakaraan. May mga nasabi ako sa yo dun na sabi ng Panginoon.What I already spoke about earlier to you. I said some things to you that the Lord told me.

Victoria:Aaah okay. I will figure it out. [a bit lost]

Manny:Like na…reviewin mo ha tulad ng sinabi ko na sa kanya mo ialay ang buhay mo. Siya lang ang nagiisang Panginoon natin. At yung ano ba ang relasyon mo kay God? Gaano ka bang kalapit sa God, diba? Minsan may tanong tayo, Gaano ka bang kalapit sa tao na yan? Sasabihin natin ‘Close kami niyan.’ Diba, ginaganoon natin. Sa mother natin, father natin. Saan ka ba close, sa mother mo, sa father mo? ‘A mas close ako sa father ko..’ Pero ang tanong, gaano ka ba ka-close sa Panginoon?[Like I said earlier, it is to God that we should offer our lives. He is our one and only Lord. And what is your relationship with God? How close are you to God, right? Sometimes we ask the question “How close are you to this or that person?” We would say ‘We’re close.’ Isn’t it we have these kinds of conversations? How about to our mother or father. ‘Who are you closest to? Your mother? Your father?’ ‘Oh I’m closer to my father.’ But the question is, how close are you to the Lord?]

Victoria: Are you certain of your eternal… parang kunyari… let’s say 50 years later… tapos dumating si Jesus. Are you sure that you will be with God in heaven? Manny:Basta ako, God knows that I live my life like everyday is the last. I live

my life like everyday is the last. Anytime. Hindi ako kasi. Hindi ako natatakot. Kasi, isa lang ang bida ko, Siya. One God forever. Kahit anong sabihin nila. Sabihin nila, mga tao nagkakasala naman tayo…Nagkakasala naman tayo tapos paulit-ulit nagkakasala tayo pero alam mo ang katawan natin madalas nagkakasala pero kailangan pag nagkakasala ka, sa mind mo. Pagnagkakasala ka, nagkakasala ka sa mind mo at sa puso mo. Kailangan ang sa puso mo pa rin, andyan ang Panginoon, sa mind mo, andyan ang Panginoon. Pagkakasala mo sa katawan lang yan, iwanan natin yan… Inaamin ko nagkakasala ako. Araw-araw nagkakasala tayong lahat. Nagkakasala ako oras-oras pero ang puso ko… it’s deep in my heart and in my mind, wala ng iba kundi ang Panginoon lang. Yun lang talaga. Kaya, bakit ka matatakot? Kung gusto mo nang kunin ako, wala akong magagawa, basta ikaw ang bida ko… Di ba?[God knows I live my life like everyday is my last. Anytime He can take me. I’m not afraid because I have only one hero, and that’s God. One God forever. Whatever people say, as people we will have our faults, we will sin. We may sin over and over. We know our bodies often sin, our minds often sin. And when we sin, we sin in our minds and hearts. What is needful is that in our hearts, God is there, and in our minds, God is there. If we sin in our bodies, let’s leave that behind. I admit I sin…Everyday we all sin. I sin every hour but but deep in my heart and in my mind, there’s nothing and no one else but God, the Lord. That’s it and nothing else! So why should I be afraid? If God wants to take me, I can’t do anything. But no matter what, He is my hero, right?]

Victoria:Maraming salamat. Alam ninyo po, you remind me talaga of David. Kasi si David rin po, nagkasala diba? Pero sabi ni God, ang tawag ni God sa kanya, a man of faith, a man after God’s own heart. So kahit nagkasala siya, yun pa rin ang paningin niya, talagang a man after His own heart.Thank you so much. You know you really remind me of David. Even if David sinned, in the eyes of God, he was a man after His own heart.

Manny:Hindi sinasabi ng Panginoon na maging perfect kang tao. Ang kailangan lang niya ay marunong kang magsisi sa iyong mga kasalanan.[The Lord is not telling us to be perfect persons. What is needful is that we know how to be sorry for our sins.]

Victoria:Amen. Marami salamat po. [Thank you very much.] MVVF

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS 20

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I 21

T

Chavit SingsonAs Pacquiao’s Friend and Mentor

By PABLO A. TARIMAN Photos: WILLY AVILA

Two weeks before the much-anticipated Pacquiao-Hatton bout, Luis “Chavit” Singson has a day full receiving assorted visitors in his Corinthian Gardens residence.

This is a huge mansion typical of the houses in this high-end village manned by guards who call owners before visitors are allowed inside. It has a spacious living room highlighted by what looks like Van Gogh and Rembrandt paintings and there is a curious baby grand by the stairway. There is an album full of memorabilias from his bio-film which starred Cesar Montano. One spotted a copy of his biography entitled “The Nine Lives of Chavit Singson”. Another album gives us a glossy pictorial of his Baluarte residence in Vigan. It is a gorgeous vacation house with a baby grand piano, a zoo and a massive pool.

As you wait for the master of the house to wake up, you get an idea who his visitors are. Aside from the usual trickle of media persons, there are two town mayors and assorted ward leaders from Ilocos Sur, an Italian-American who used to work in a Las Vegas casino and local business executives heavy with business proposals.

Long after he retired as governor and congressman and later losing a senatorial bid, Chavit Singson remains the political father figure of his province. He now carries a new title -- deputy national security adviser -- a job that makes it imperative for him to monitor everything going on in the national scene.

Says he: “This new assignment entails a lot of work and covers not just the armed group but the socio-economic profile of the country. I have to visit the provinces as often as I can and monitor everything and make recommendations to the president. The work practically covers all the departments. I have to check the soldiers in Mindanao and find out how they are doing and you have to do a periodic report to the president.”

On the other hand, his most visible role is that of a friend and supporter of boxing champ Manny Pacquiao. In a few days, he will be off to Las Vegas to watch the Pacquiao-Hatton fight.

“I’ve been a Manny Pacquiao watcher even before he became famous,” Singson confides in his well-appointed study room. “At a young age, he was already fast on the draw and vastly different from other aspiring boxers. The first time I saw him fight, I knew he was different. Aside from being fast and quick, his jabs have unusual strength. I think his talent in the boxing ring is really God-given. On top of that, he is hard-working.”

Singson says he has been a boxing fan since the early ‘70s, years before Pacquiao was born. Already governor of Ilocos Sur in 1971, he made

it a point to watch all the great fights here and abroad and he is familiar with all the legendary boxers, among them, Mohammad Ali who had an unforgettable fight at the Araneta Coliseum in the mid-70s.

In recent years, Singson has evolved from a curious fan to father-and- brother figure and special friend to Pacquiao.

But the two are really worlds-apart in social, political and family lineage.

Singson is the second among the seven children of José Singson and Caridad Crisólogo. His other siblings include Evaristo (Titong), Bernardo (deceased), Fernando (Dodoy), Maria Olivia (Honeygirl), Jeremias (Jerry), Germelina (Germy) and Jose, Jr. (Bonito).

But his Vigan roots actually date back to the 17th century. According to Ilocos chroniclers, one Joaquín Ayco, a merchant from Oasay, China, married a Chinese mestiza, Rosa Songnio, a Vigan native. Singson’s forefathers ruled Vigan as far back as the 1800s. The post of gobernadorcillo was held by Don León Singson in 1846, Don Estanislao Singson in 1852, Don Domingo Singson in 1854, Don Tomás Singson in 1858 and Don Jose Singson in 1877. Chavit grew up in Vigan, where he led a normal childhood “with a very liberal upbringing and a lot of opportunity to play and make friends”. The family brought the first redrying plant to Ilocos in the ‘60s.

SPECIAL FEATUREs

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS 22

It is also common knowledge that Chavit’s paternal (Singson) and maternal (Crisologo) families have dominated the political environment of the Ilocos region for generations.

On the other hand, Pacquiao was born in Kibawe, Bukidnon in 1978 from a poor family before he moved to General Santos City in South Cotabato. His professional boxing career started at the age of 16 (at 106 lbs--light flyweight). His early fights took place in small local venues and were shown on Vintage Sports’ Blow by Blow, an evening boxing show. His professional debut was a 4-round bout against Edmund “Enting” Ignacio on January 22, 1995, which Pacquiao won via decision, becoming an instant star of the program. The rest is of course history.

So what did Chavit see in Pacquiao when he first met him?

“Manny is different from all the boxers I came to know,” he says. “For one, he is a natural, very deeply religious and with a refreshing humility which is rare

among legendary boxing champions. Hindi ko pa siya nakikitang magyabang even if he has all the right to be.”

How does he see the Pacquiao-Hatton fight?

Chavit says he has a trained eye for likely winners after watching many landmark boxing fights here and abroad. “My intuition is that he will knock out Hatton in the first to fifth round. They practically share the same height. But Hatton is smaller than De la Joya and a bit slow. Ang style ni Hatton parang laging nakabukas kaya madaling pasukin ni Manny. So I predict a knockout in the first five rounds.”

Moreover, Chavit doesn’t see the coming fight as Manny’s “biggest challenge”. I think his biggest fight will be the one with Floyd Maywether, Jr. if it materializes. This will easily translate into his biggest paycheck of anything from $20 to $30 million plus revenues from pay-per-view. Actually, potential losers from Manny’s fight stand to earn more. They have to talk a lot on TV and sound confident because if they don’t, no one will bet on them. So Manny doesn’t mind some of them actually bragging about their so-called invincibility. Kung hindi sila magyabang, talagang walang pupusta sa kanila.”

He likes to think good politicians and good boxers have many things in common. After more than 40 years in politics and still deeply in it, he compares the demands of boxing to the exigencies of business and politics.

He opines: “Politics is like business. In both, you have to work hard to make it grow and flourish. You have to pay attention to

your ward leaders and you don’t abandon them even if if you have to put your life on the line. That’s how I stayed put. Lagi akong nakatutok sa mga leaders ko.”

Now knowing Manny that close, will the people’s champ make a good politician?

Chavit concludes: “There is no doubt he will make a good politician although still a reluctant one. He is sincere, he came from the rank of the poor and he knows how to listen. You’d be surprised but Manny is very intelligent. Sa boxing, hindi lang suntok ng suntok yan. He plans everything from practice to strategy and the final attack before his next winning knockout.”

“Manny is different from all the boxers I came to know. For one, he is a natural, very deeply religious and with a refreshing humility which is rare

among legendary boxing champions.”

The Champ with his friend and mentor, Chavit Singson, in a hotel in Makati before his departure to London to promote his fight with Hatton.

Chavit Singson answers questions from this writer with Rhea Ferro and Richard Merk during the interview in his office.

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I 2�

As a ‘discoverer’ of Pacquiao at the age of 16, what were your early impressions of him? What were the circumstances? You said that at this age, he had already stated his intention of running for public office, right?

Longtime boxing people and friends Rod Nazario, Lito Mondejar and Moy Lainez teamed up with Vintage Sports to telecast the top-rated weekly boxing show, “Blow by Blow”.

The fights were usually staged at the Mandaluyong Gym which was constructed at that time by Mayor Ben Abalos, a passionate boxing fan.

Pacquiao’s third fight in his career and his first on “Blow by Blow” was staged in Bacoor, Cavite when he defeated Rocky Palma on May 1, 1995.

My initial impression was that he had no finesse, threw punches from all angles but had power and the most important element, courage.

I recall that perhaps two years later he told Rod Nazario in my presence that he wanted to run for public office because he wanted to serve the poor people in his area.

What is your view of the recent network wars brouhaha over Pacman? Does

this issue tarnish Pacman’s credibility considerably or not at all? What do you think really happened?

The network war was unfortunate. It didn’t need to happen. ABS-CBN has, through the years, done a substantial amount to help grow the image and popularity of Pacquiao not just nationally but internationally with their extensive coverage especially by Dyan Castillejo who did a remarkable job.

Even though ABS-CBN didn’t have the rights to several of Mannys big fights which had been acquired by Solar Sports, they provided incredible coverage which is a tribute to them. They saw the value of the story and didn’t let the fact that the fight was on a competitive channel affect their judgment in terms of providing extensive coverage for their viewers and in the process clearly benefiting from it. Truth to tell they did a much better job than GMA and Solar Sports.

Pacquiao has an uncanny knack of getting out of trouble in terms of his image. Once he starts training and the stories come out of how well he is doing and Manny’s built-in charisma and conduct in public in a boxing or sports environment, helps people forget any wrongdoing in a hurry.

His credibility was questioned if not tarnished by some American journalists and a few Filipinos but not too many, surprisingly. In fact, it was turned around

to make ABS-CBN and Dyan Castillejo look bad which I thought was unfortunate because most people didn’t know what really happened.

Pacquiao and a few around him thought ABS-CBN did a much better job of

covering Manny. Manny too had expressed, whether he will admit it or not, a desire to try and move by offering to buy out his contract from Solar Sports. That’s why Gabby Lopez and Mr. William Tseng met over breakfast…to try and hammer out an agreement. But it didn’t work.

Meantime, Manny, according to his lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal didn’t consult him although we know that Gacal met with ABS-CBN officials precisely on the issue.

Manny, according to Gacal himself, received a fairly substantial amount as a down- payment for the Hatton telecast from ABS-CBN hoping that something could be worked out.

Solar stood firm along with the backing of GMA and that was it.

Was it you who first wrote of Pacman starting off as a baker’s assistant and sleeping on cardboard boxes? What was the sleeping in cardboard boxes all about? Does that mean that his family didn’t have a roof over their heads?

INTErvIEW WITH roNNIE NATHANIElSzVeteran Sports Analyst and CommentatorBy Victoria V. Ferro

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS 2�

RN: Our early footage shot in General Santos City for the hugely successful DVD – The Manny Pacquiao Story by Viva Productions – had a recreation of Manny selling pandesal. He started boxing as an amateur early and most of the time lived in the home of his trainer – Cordero. Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia had a small sari sari store and they did have a rather rundown shack they called home.

What is it about him that has allowed him to rise, as HBO Sports put it in its latest Pacman greatest hits video “The most exciting fighter in the sport today and arguably the best pound-for-pound’?

He has the amazing capacity to train like no other fighter. He kills himself in the gym. He is sharply focused. He never underestimates an opponent and never puts him down. He is respectful to his opponent and to the sport itself.

His aggressive style, his remarkable hand-speed, the way he moves in the ring and his willingness to take on any fighter, even at a higher weight, his friendly disposition and the smile etched on his face as he enters the ring all add up. Add to that his act of kneeling in his corner and praying before a fight and making the sign of the Cross, going down on his knees and thanking God when it’s over has endeared him to fans and those who cover the sport.

All this provides a dimension of excitement and by beating all the Mexican

legends – Barrera, Morales, Marquez and in recent fights WBC lightweight champion David Diaz and Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds set him apart. He has won titles in five divisions and with the retirement of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. he arguably is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today.

Who is the most influential person in Pacman’s life? What is your take on his

very public spirituality?

Tough question. But I figure it’s his wife Jinkee and their children who collectively make him turn away from wrongdoing and have helped him mend his ways – especially after two daughters were born.

Others who probably exert some guidance rather than influence are President Arroyo who always showed care and concern for him even before Manny became the superstar he is today, Luis “Chavit” Singson, Secretary Lito Atienza, Freddie Roach for sure in boxing terms and promoter Bob Arum.

In fairness to Manny, he is obviously influenced by his mother who is a very religious lady and in fact wanted Manny to become a priest. So in that sense its nothing new. He is spiritual and built a nice little chapel in Cebu near Rex “Wakee” Salud’s gym last year.

His spirituality is made public not by him but essentially by media, particularly television.

Who’s going to win the May 2nd fight?

It will be a tough fight because Ricky Hatton hasn’t been beaten at 140 pounds and lost only once to Floyd Mayweather Jr at 147 pounds. Besides, Hatton is a solid body puncher and could hurt Manny if he connects with strong blows to the body. Besides, he is a brawler, pushes his opponent against the ropes, hits and then grabs preventing his opponent from hitting back.

Overall, Manny is so much quicker, moves so much better, comes at his opponent from different angles and throws rapid-fire combinations backed by power. Besides, he is always in perfect condition. Add to all this is his courage which can never be questioned. In the end – whether it ends in three rounds as Roach says or in eight or nine as I believe it will – Manny should win. If he doesn’t our nation will weep.

What do you think is the essence or heart of Manny Pacquiao?

He desires to do good. He is sometimes far too kind and generous to a fault. He forgives people who do him wrong, easily. He has supreme confidence and indomitable courage. Intrinsically, for all his faults, real or imagined, he is a good young man.

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I 2�

COMPARISON CHART 1

MANNY PACQUIAO RICKY HATTON

Age 30 30

Record 48-3, 36 KOs 45-1-32 KOs

Height 5’6” 1/2 5’7” 1/2

Reach 67 inches 65 inches

Titles Won WBC flyweight title, IBF super bantamweight title, WBC super featherweight title, WBC lightweight title

WBA welterweight title, IBF/WBA junior welterweight titles

Key Fights Lehlohonolo Ledwaba, Erik Morales Fights 1, 2 and 3, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez Fights 1 and 2, Marco Antonio Barrera Fights 1 and 2, Agapito Sanchez, David Diaz, Jorge Solis, Oscar Larios

Jon Thaxton, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Jose Luis Castillo, Paulie Malignaggi, Juan Urango, Luis Collazo, Vince Phillips, Ben Tackie, Kostya Tszyu, Carlos Maussa, Juan Lazcano

Key Wins Lehlohonolo Ledwaba, Erik Morales Fights 2 and 3, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez Fight 2, Marco Antonio Barrera Fights 1 and 2, David Diaz, Jorge Solis, Oscar Larios

Jon Thaxton, Jose Luis Castillo, Paulie Malignaggi, Juan Urango, Luis Collazo, Vince Phillips, Ben Tackie, Kostya Tszyu, Carlos Maussa, Juan Lazcano

Win Streak 9-0, 6KOs 2-0, 1KO

1 AdaptedfromanarticlebyMarkVester

ADvANTAgeS

Power - Pacquiao

Chin - Even

Skill - Pacquiao

Speed - Pacquiao

Reach - Pacquiao

Height - Hatton

experience - Even

Stamina - Pacquiao

Betting Favorite - Pacquiao

Media Favorite - Pacquiao

Fan Favorite – Pacquiao

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS 2�

WWe Filipinos are renowned

the world over for our

many attributes and values:

our love of God, warmth,

hospitality, respect for elders,

our Bayanihan spirit or sense

of community, our unique

humor that enables us to

lau gh at our own foibles

and many others that far

outweigh certain traits that

blot our slate as an ethnic

race.

Among the former, it is

perhaps our resilience that

has given us Filipinos a global

face worth reckoning. And

where resilience is concerned,

again, perhaps no sector

of our population can outdo the Overseas Filipino

Worker (OFW) as leading exponent and paradigm.

The OFW is both an ambassador and missionary

of our country.

Like the diplomat, he sells his country’s best traits

through his presence, words, and, most importantly,

through his deportment and achievements by way

of work and community involvement. What foreign

nationals see of him is deeply imprinted in their

psyche as Juan dela Cruz or the Filipino “Everyman”.

Like the missionary, the OFW leaves hearth and

home; most of all the love and comfort of family,

THE OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKER AS SURVIVOR

and treads on strange,

uncharted territory, the

indifference or animosity

of which people confront

him initially. As he spreads

the Gospel of Truth about

his country, his people and

his work, he is continuously

challenged by the trappings

of cultural difference. There

is the language barrier, the

work ethic, the religious

practice, and the dynamics

of interpersonal relations,

even the dictates of law and

morality.

As an OFW from 1982

to 1993, first as a Philippine

Embassy attaché and then

as a Washington DC bank officer, I was not spared

the travails of working in foreign shores, amidst a

different culture, although afforded opportunities

to work in simulated “home grounds” within the

confines of the Embassy and with the Filipino

Community as a social milieu.

Just the same, there was a lot of initiation to

undergo; some of them dramatic, but more often

amusing if not outright funny.

On my first meeting with an American, after

engaging in business conversation, I said: ”goodbye”.

He answered: “See you later” and left. Meanwhile, I

By BootS AnSon-RoA

Boots On

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I 2�

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS 2�

stayed waiting for him to come back, not knowing

that “later” meant any other appointed time except

later that afternoon. I took it as “overtime”, but

then, I learned that “overtime” in the US had to be

authorized and pre-approved. I only realized that

I was mistaken on both counts until the security

personnel approached me and advised me that

everyone had gone home and that we were not

allowed to “loiter” in the workplace after work. Well,

so much for my first “nalipasan ng gutom” caper.

Pete, our kids and I guffawed at the experience over

dinner.

I wondered early on why everyone called

everyone else “hey”. At first, I would get offended

and would politely give my name to be addressed. I

was met, of course, by mild shock and a perception

of some arrogance in me. Eventually, I realized that

“heeey” actually was a term of endearment. I have

not used it in any context to date. I feel more at ease

calling people by their names.

The first time I served coffee to my American

boss, he gave me such a strange look, like: “Nobody

makes my coffee except me”. I had to explain that

it was my act of deference; not in any way meant

to preempt his privilege to make his coffee to taste.

Of course, the day before, I got my first shock when

he chided me for calling him “Sir” and “Mr. Cotman”

and insisted that I call him, the bank president,

“Linwood” instead. Up until I left the bank seven

years after to return to the Philippines, I had yet to

call him “Linwood”, but adjusted in every other way

to his work ethic.

Once I had to go to another superior’s home

for some emergency paper work on very short

notice. It was dinnertime. I half-expected that, as

in the Philppines, I would be invited to table, “kahit

pabalat-bunga”. But since I had no appointment nor

invitation, I waited at the receiving room. No offense

meant on the family’s part, I’m sure, just the premium

they put on appointments and formalities.

But, as in the case of every Filipino I knew in and

out of work in the US that patience, commitment,

a modest attitude, resilience and the ability to

improvise and make do with what was not available

was the hallmark of the OFW.

At the end of my term at the US bank, prior

to repatriating, my bosses paid me a tribute at a

send–off attended by the bank’s officers and gave

me rather precious going- away presents. But what

remains unforgettable was the president’s reference

to me as “this Filipina who introduced a new work

ethic in our bank”, after which the officers gave me

a standing ovation. I cried. I felt I could’ve died that

very moment and gone straight to heaven.

As members of the ethnic minority, my family

and I had survived 11 challenging, learning and

sometimes, humbling years in the US. But it was

these that brought out the best of the Filipino in

us, the pliancy of the bamboo that characterizes us,

that ultimately carve in us the endearing qualities of

survivors. At the end of our stay, we knew that it was

these values that spawned whatever achievements

we may have enjoyed.

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I 2�

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS �0

I

Kultura FilipinoThe Intramuros Of Our Dream Is Here

If domestic and foreign tourism appears to be getting a shot in the arm, it can only be because of people like Ace Durano at the helm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Cecile Guidote Alvarez at the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Anna Maria ‘Bambi’ Harper at the Intramuros Admistration (IA), and dozens of private individuals like Barbara de los Reyes and Carlos Celdran whose passion and dedication are indescribable.

As colorful, gaily painted kalesas, karuwahes, and a modern version of the tranvia ferry tourists around the storied Walled City, a rush of history accosts and mesmerizes them. Intramuros means “within the walls,” honored by King Philip II of Spain with the title of Insigne y Siempre Leal Ciudad or

Distinguished and Ever Loyal City, which served as the political, cultural, educational, religious and commercial center of Spain’s empire in Asia. With goods loaded on galleons bound for Acapulco, Mexico, the Spanish for 300 years continued what Tagalog chief Rajah Sulayman saw way before them in Intramuros when he made it his fort and trading center.

A walking tour of Intramuros that Celdran has hugely popularized may include any of the 27 highlights of the Walled City including Fort Santiago, Palacio del Gobernador, Bagumbayan, Baluarte de San Diego, Rizal Shrine, Baluarte de San Gabriel, Plaza de Roma, Manila Cathedral, Puerta Real, Puerta de Isabel II, Bahay Tsinoy, Puerta de Sta.Lucia, Baluarte de San Andres, Aduana, Plaza de Santa Isabel, Parian gate, San Agustin

Text by BIBSY M. CARBALLO

Photos: WILLY AvILA

Lifestyle, Arts & Culture

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I �1

Kultura FilipinoThe Intramuros Of Our Dream Is Here

Church, and Plaza San Luis Complex.Under the term of current IA head Harper construction of the

remaining walls of the Maestranza began. This is the only section still to be restored by funding from Japan acquired during the term of Senator Richard Gordon as tourism head. The rehabilitation of the Almacenes Reales or Royal Warehouses has been completed with brick walls strengthened, roofing installed, featuring a collection of Marian images, antique doors and windows serving as décor – a perfect place for functions. The Visitors Center located at the baluarte de San Francisco circa 1662 is spruced up. The Boy Scouts and Makati West Rotarians teamed up and planted 500 fire trees to make good Harper’s vision of a city of flaming colors in the future.

Over at the Plaza San Luis complex, Barbara’s and Intramuros Administration are holding “Kultura Filipino” in cooperation with the DOT. The newly launched cultural production has answered numerous requests from tour operators, individual tourists and educational institutions for regularity in performances that would depict the life and ways of Filipinos. Shows by Filipino artists recognized here and abroad, are shown regularly Tuesdays and Thursdays at Barbara’s Restaurant at Casa Manila.

“Kultura Filipino” showcases performances that depict the life

and ways of the Filipino through artists like The Mandaluyong Children’s Choir which won top honors in the 2004 World Choir Olympics, the world

famous Bayanihan Dance Company, the internationally known Halili Dance Company who has brought honor to the country, even young performers like bossa nova singer Sitti who provides guests with a sampling of modern renditions of old songs.

Durano has said the “Kultura Filipino” should establish Manila, a city entrenched in history and culture, as a major destination in terms of cultural awareness as the project aims to be one of the highlights of their city tour packages.

With these performance nights firmly in place, what is now to stop them from expanding the tourism package to include the visual arts such as sculpture, painting, photography, printmaking, and cinema and other performance arts like theatrical productions?

From left, Casa Manila’s Barbara De Los Reyes, Pinoy Global Acces s’ Roni Merk, DOT’s Elizabeth Nell, and DOT Secretary Ace Durano, in attendance at Kultura Filipino presentation in Casa Manila, Intramuros.

Anna Maria ‘Bambi’ Harper, Intramuros Administrator, in a huddle with Charge D’Affaires Manuel Perez Iturbe of the Venezuelan Embassy.

A calesa provides nostalgia and convenience to visitors around Intramuros.

Bayanihan Dance Company welcomes the guests at the presentation of Kultura Filipino .

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS �2

“19th Century Evenings,” on the other hand, provides visitors a taste of how it was then with food, décor, authentic costuming, dances and music of the era beginning May 12 during Heritage Month. Partners in this enterprise are the IA, DOT, Camp Suki and Ramon Obusan for authentic costuming, and Barbara’s for 19th century cuisine. Traditional afternoon soirees called tertulias will be held during which young ladies sing and play the piano. The dances of the period and classical Filipino songs or kundimans will be performed. Visitors can have photos taken in traditional costumes of the period. The venue can also be booked for debuts, anniversaries, and weddings with all the trappings of the 19th century.

In tandem with cultural performances is the perennial search for souvenirs and gift items. At the new Museum Shop in Fort Santiago can be found a whole new selection that Harper herself developed and conceptualized to integrate Chinese, Spanish, American, and Asian influences on the Filipino. Together with the usual key chains and magnets, will be found tin pots, wooden boxes, tote bags, dinner sets, towels and pillow cases, a fan inspired by the Letras y Figuras of 19th century painter Honorato Lozano at only P450. The collector’s item is a Noritake tea set for four in porcelain from a 1790 print of Juan de

Cuellar at P8,300. Only 60 sets remain since the Noritake Philippine plant has closed.

Perhaps the most ambitious undertaking of the IA will be the building of the Intramuros Museum. Dr. Jaime Laya who headed the IA during the Marcos era left the post but not before having acquired 6,000 pieces of antiques, carefully chosen and documented. This collection is said to become the largest under one roof after the museum is built.

But many things still need to be addressed. In the offing are: the development of the American barracks into a functional going concern; rehabilitation of 22 public bathrooms all over the Walled City; rebuilding of the Maestranza gates destroyed during the American period; a light and sound historical presentation; a garden tour along the puertas and baluartes that could be planted with all kinds of native Filipino flora; continuation of archeological diggings started during the time of Laya; and the revival of tennis courts in the Aurora Gardens reminiscent of the days when Dwight Davis, American governor-general of the Philippines from 1929 played tennis in Intramuros. It is in honor of him that the prestigious Davis Cup has been named.

It is now proudly stated in its brochures that Intramuros lives on, within the walls, within ourselves. More than that, Intramuros is beginning to live again, in the hearts and understanding of a generation rushing towards promises of a better future yet aching to step back and better appreciate their roots and what makes them unique from the rest of the world.

Kultura Filipino also showcases a wide array of delictable Filipino dishes prepared by Barbara’s Restaurant for all the guests to feast on

An evening of lively festivities at the Kultura Filipino in Intramuros.

One of the evening’s highlights, Sayaw sa Bangko.

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I ��

WWe caught the repeat of Tanghalang Pilipino’s powerful drama “Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street”, adapted by Rody Vera from the short story and subsequent novel by Benjamin Pimentel about the plight of a handful of Filipino WW2 veterans waiting for justice.

Subsequently, we read of efforts in the US Congress to reconcile two versions of a bill that would benefit these Filipino war veterans – a recent one called Senate Bill 366 that includes a rider providing additional benefits to the Filipinos; and the controversial S-1315 passed last April 2008 without the equity rider. The new Senate Bill filed Jan. 29 this year by US Senator Daniel Inouye (Hawaii, Democrat) has once again raised the hopes of around 10,000 veterans in the Philippines and five thousand in the US. The rider authorizes a one-time payment for $15,000 to Filipino veterans who are US citizens and $9000 for non-citizens including those in the

Philippines. Inouye, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, is one of the three remaining WW2 veterans in the US Senate. He is said to have stated, “It’s a matter of honor and the good name of the United States.”

The story of the travails

of these veterans in the US who have elected

American citizenship while waiting for their chance to return home is the heart-rending tale of “Mga Gerilya” made palatable by humor and a superb cast of veteran theater denizens under the direction of Chris Millado.

War veterans’ Play as a Tool for lobbyBy BiBSy M. CARBAllo

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS ��

Many have already been helping Filipinos involved in the long lobby in the US Congress. Ernesto Carolina, undersecretary of the Philippine Veterans Office who watched the play’s opening night, along with a dozen members of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines was reported to have tagged as many as 500 veterans dying monthly without receiving the benefits accorded war heroes.

When Senate Bill 1315 was approved providing annual $3600 for single veterans or $300 monthly, $4500 for married veterans, $2400 for surviving spouses, this was already welcomed by many veterans. After waiting for 62 years, one could understand their feelings. At least, they would be able to afford to be sent home in a casket to be buried in their homeland; not put in a box with their ashes thrown to the wind (an integral and heartbreaking concern verbalized in the play). They feel they do have to

be content with crumbs in their hand-to-mouth existence.

“Is that enough? When you offer yourself to the service of the country, is that all you get? These are our heroes. Why should they practically beg for things they truly deserved?” moans Fernando ‘Tata Nanding’ Josef, artistic director of Tanghalang Pilipino.

The set by Clint Ramos is stark and modern, very much conducive to mobility. Lighting by Dennis Marasigan takes care of making the scene changes from flashback to present understandable; sound by Jethro Joaquin establishes the milieu clearly.

Media coverage could easily drum up enough interest and noise that could reach all the way to Congress and the White House. This is an opportunity for Pinoys abroad to join hands and patronize a production that will honor our veterans and help get them out of their miserable state. As Tata Nanding has said, “This production is so timely. The public, especially the youth should be interested in the story. We want the young to know the dilemma of our poor soldiers, and also inspire them to take care of our elderly. They should not be deprived of what they actually deserve.”

Email the author at bibsycarballo@yahoo.com

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CURRIMAO STOPOVERIlocos Norte town as a UNESCO heritage siteBy PABlo A. tARiMAnPhotos: Willy AVilA

Dr. Joven Cuanang, Owner of Sitio Remedios and Medical Director and renowned neurologist of St. Luke’s Hospital.

“What I have done is actually just

to preserve my Ilocano

heritage for all the world

to see”

Currimao in Ilocos Norte is about 465 kilometers northwest of Manila and it is a bucolic town. It can be found before you reach the northern border town of Paoay where the historic town church is an unrivalled UNESCO heritage site.

On its eastern border is Badoc town where the Lunas -- painter Juan Luna, General Antonio Luna and the first Ilocano violinist, Manuel Luna came from.

Just a few minutes away is the town of Batac, the birthplace of former President Ferdinand Marcos, while just a song away is Laoag City where you land and depart by air. The land trek takes between eight to 10 hours and it is a trip that gives you a smooth ride from Balintawak to Tarlac by northern diversion road, a horrible traffic from Carmen, Rosales to Urdaneta, Pangasinan and a view of the South China Sea from La Union towns to the first town and cities of Ilocos Sur.

Currimao is about an hour and a half from Vigan City where you get a taste of your first pizza ala pinakbet and pizza ala Ilocos longaniza from Café Leona.

Travel Destination & Tourism

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Groaning with Vigan Ilocanized pizza, you arrive in Currimao on a late afternoon when the noonday heat has started to subside. Past Marco Bridge, you proceed to barangay Victoria and here you find a beach resort like no other, a virtual heritage village reflecting the cultural heritage of Ilocos Norte.

This amazing recreation of a mid-century Ilocos Norte village — sitting on an 18,000 square meter lot -- is called Sitio Remedios and it is owned by Dr. Joven Cuanang, medical director of St. Luke’s Hospital.

For the renowned neurologist, the place is both refuge from his hectic Manila hospital schedule as well as his own house of childhood memory. He was the youngest of three children born in Batac town from a couple named Remedios (from whom the resort was named) and Mariano Cuanang who were public school teachers. They were largely influenced by the first batch of Thomasites. Dr. Cuanang’s memory included the leisurely walk or a bicycle ride to and from school in Batac, reciting poems of Longfellow (Songs of Hiawatha, etc.), playing Love and Devotion and Noche Azul on their upright piano and the weekends in Currimao beach.

During the era of the Galleon Trade, it is said

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that Moro pirates frequented the coast of the China Sea. As protection, the Spanish authorities built watchtowers in two strategic points, one at the tip of what is now called Arboledan Point and the other at Barangay Torre. Whenever pirates appeared on the horizon to attack the village, the people manning the watchtowers warned the people by shouting ‘correr’ which means “to run”. At the time, the pirates were known among the natives as “cumaws”, a name which struck fear and terror among the inhabitants.

The local chroniclers wrote that was how Currimao got its name.

For the record, Currimao was once a barrio of Paoay town and was created as a municipality by Executive Order No. 59 of the then Governor General Francis Burton Harrison on December 28, 1920. Currimao town ( now with 23 barangays nestled on a 3,590 hectares of flat, upland, rolling and forest lands) became a separate town on January 21, 1921 with the late Don Julian Aglipay as the first municipal president as its town head was earlier known.

The entrance to Sitio Remedios begins on a 70-meter long Avenida de Azucao dotted with stones and boulders that came all the way from Pasuquin

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS ��

town. The ancient bridge which highlights it are made of antique bricks that came all the way from several Ilocos Norte towns. On the sides are cacti of different varieties and assorted plants -- maguey, kalachuchi, katuray, capas-sanglay, cadena de amor and other local plants.

It is an area where you can start your Holy Week ritual because the fourteen Stations of the Cross are captured on cement plinths in the shape of lotus flowers.

Just after the chapel, you see rows of Ilocano houses with their original look and named after several Ilocos towns namely Balay Batac, Balay Dingras, Balay Radrillo, Balay Puraw, Balay Piddig, Balay Bacarra and Balay San Nicolas. A room in Balay Piddig is named after pianist Cecile Licad who inaugurated the place in May 2006. (By coincidence, the piano talent discovered by Licad in her Tuguegarao concert in 2002 is from Piddig and has since then become a scholar of the Philippine High School for the Arts and now enjoying full schoalrship in a northern Carolina school in USA.) In still another house, you find a Manny

Garibay mural of “El Vibora”, depicting the bravery of Gen. Artemio Ricarte. In the living room on the second floor, you see portraits of Juan and Antonio Luna, who come from the neighboring town of Badoc.

Balay Piddig also has the upright piano that used to occupy the doctor’s ancestral house in Batac. He made a replica of that Batac house in other Ilocos Norte-inspired houses in the resort complete with his parents’ wedding picture retouched and given a new look by Bencab.

The idea for a heritage resort started one day on December 31, 2005 when on his birthday, Dr. Cuanang started fantasizing about a place where he could nurture and preserve Ilocos Heritage while reliving landmarks of his Batac childhood. Intently listening was architect Rex Hofileña who the following day gave him a sketch of his idea for the place. In a few days, they were rescuing old Ilocano houses about to be demolished in various parts of the province and preserving them before they metamorphosed into firewoods. When the various houses were done, Dr. Cuanang used his prized collection of family heirloom,

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I ��

Photo: Willy Avila

antique furniture, locally woven white cotton linens and paintings from his Manila galleries as materials for interior décor.

What came out is complete replica of a quaint Ilocos community in the ‘50s. “What I have done is actually just to preserve my Ilocano heritage for all the world to see,” he said.

As we get to the end of his story, we see a good portrait of the Filipino artisan as Ilocano.

Todate, the resort is a virtual cultural center in this part of Ilocos Norte. After Licad opened it with a recital in 2006, Raul Sunico followed and later violinist Coke Bolipata who played at Teatro Ilocos. Historical lectures are conducted in a hall called Centro Ilocos de Juan Luna – all within Sitio Remedios.

Meanwhile, we enjoy a quiet routine in the heritage resort.

In the early evening, we wade through the seashores and see the lights flickering in the horizon. The sea is quiet but it is dark. We retreat to the swimming pool and hear the sound of waves. Amid candlelights, we dine on Ilocano food and nearly

requested Ilocano songs.On an early morning before we motored back to

Manila, we watch fishermen go out to the sea in that lean but brittle boat. The oldtimers say fishermen here still use the traditional three-kilometer fishnets and sing the popular Ilocano song “Pamulinawen” to help coordinate the laying of nets and provide relaxation for arduous fishing expedition.

Towards noon, we dine on pinakbet and sashimi from the fresh tuna caught during the day.

Everything you encountered in Sitio Remedios is part and parcel of memory of Dr. Cuanang’s parents who lived in that genteel era of an Ilocano past.

My own recent memory was hiring a truck and a piano tuner that travelled 465 kilometers from Manila to get to this town. Todate, I still can’t forget the sight of Licad playing a Mozart Fantasy with a view of a tranquil Currimao Sea in the background.

(Sitio Remedios is located in Brgy. Victoria, Currimao, ilocos norte. For details, call Ray Boy Barona at 0917-332 0217 or log on to sitio_remedios@yahoo.com. For reservations, call 702-0888.)

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We go stir-crazy when cooped-up in packed cities for long periods of dry-as-dust times so we vacation to small towns that bring unknown tranquility to our hearts. Anilao, in the province of Batangas, is one such town, a sought-after area with those seeking an alternative lifestyle that mixes contemporary culture and traditional rural life in a charming crossbreed. While Anilao’s slow, relaxed atmosphere may yet become Thailand’s Phuket or our own Boracay which are at all times awash in tourists, the seaside resorts lining up Anilao’s coastline are nevertheless still at their not-quite-so-backwater development stage, offering comfortable lodgings and services, gentle sun and more fun for your money. And when in Anilao, we might as well have the best there is. Vivire Azure is a five-star experience, and with its huge plan for future expansion (the resort currently is perched on a half hectare plot of precious seaside land), it might be seriously considered, as it is highly recommended, for a second home to relax in and feel “loose as a goose”.

A visit to Vivire Azure is something exceptional to remember your getaway by. The two-and-a-half

hour drive past the SLEX toll booths opens up to an uncluttered horizon, away from the long and honking traffic jams you left behind. A few minutes from the Mabini town proper and once you have squeezed your way through the thick crush of market goers and tricycles, the dramatic landscape along the two-lane San Teodoro road stretching itself up the wooded slopes of gentle, unpretentious hills is one of Vivire Azure’s own rewards. The whole view reinforces the

Text and photos by DIANA B. NOCHE

The multi-tiered beach resort as seen from the ocean.

The main lounge with entertainment features such as chess, karaoke and wide-screen tv.

W

VIVIRE AZURE, ANILAO’S HIDDEN TREASURE

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VIVIRE AZURE, ANILAO’S HIDDEN TREASURE

feel of being in Sausalito, that chic beachside resort overlooking the city of San Francisco in California. The ascent is non-resistive; all you see are warm, tranquil beaches below, a few crags, and deep-souled forests of trees growing to enormous heights with huge trunks and arms prolific with growths of strong vines. In some parts of the journey the hills make a gruff plunge to the sea; at some points they merely fade away into undeceptive coastal plains. In between these green

growths are houses of the more prosperous families built on the higher ground to capture the sea’s panoramic vision as other small houses follow the curvings of the hills.

Designed by Richville Companies, the five-level Vivire Azure resort opened in March of last year. Built in three years, the resort roosts 70 meters above sea level, precipitously cuddling the rugged contours of a cliff so that the guests, at each level, find themselves in a wide, quiet, breathtakingly simple landscape: the sea which alters its blue from turquoise green to swimming pool-deep cerulean; a wall of trees that provide haven for birds and butterflies; and a 24/7 sound of foamy seashore. The roofs are made from the long, braided leaves of reeds and woven palm fronds. The stairs, following the configuration of the hill where the resort sits, are made of wooden planks inlaid with pebbles, shells and castoff corals. Even the tree stumps that serve as side tables at the seaside goofing off area were washed ashore. There are thirteen suites, including one labeled presidential, café, bar, a four-and-a-half feet deep edge pool that overlooks the sea,

The two-bed unit has a spare bed.

There is always a spot for contemplation.

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS �2

a breakfast lounge called Cenare, a game room for billiards, and the Meditare, where one gets pampered with a massage until you are lulled to a restful slumber. The tree house, large enough for a family, is a great spot for breakfast and for afternoon latte when it is particularly striking to hear the hush of an impending dusk. The rooms were styled by interior designer Rony Bugay, and are provided with tons of cheerful throw pillows on the porch where you sit on and watch the sun make a slow, orangey descent behind the El Sombrero Island and the Marikaban Strait.

Well-ventilated and breezy with the salt air, the rooms are homey and without the feel of transcience common to most hotel rooms. And for those who refuse to leave their office behind, Vivire Azure has Internet access. Cooking is impeccable, the meals (Filipino, American, and continental) creative but not complicated --- you feel yourself drooling as you stab a good serving of beef steak at your plate. The service is unharried and pleasantly courteous.

Elmer Garcia, the resort’s resident manager, will move mountains to please his guests. Kayaking, anyone? Snorkeling? Peek below the sea’s surface. In Anilao, the fish don’t go on vacation. There are several schools of tropical fish (they used to find their way to some Cartimar pet shops until Anilao residents realized that these are nature’s treasures and should not be disturbed). Two rafts provide secluded togetherness (or aloneness) out in the sea – perfect for moonlit dinners – as waves lap against the bamboo rafts.

For disaffected city dwellers who feel that the weekend is a time to merely get through, Vivire Azure offers immediate, affordable, and satisfying break. Take some time off, flush the mental knots out of your head, come to Vivire Azure. And find yourself coming back.

The Marikaban Strait and the El Sombrero is just a few minutes away for island-hopping.

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I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS ��

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SSpring is in the air and the flowers are all abloom. All roads lead to Keulenhof where all the beautiful flowers that Holland is famous for are there for visitors from all over the world to see and enjoy.

The Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam is the first of its kind in the world, showcasing a fine collection of handbags made from Philippine fibers and shells. These are designed by internationally acclaimed Filipino designer Cora Jacob, also known as Cora Jacobs. Being so well known, she has been commissioned by high-end fashion houses like Givenchy, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent to make bags for them and have been seen carried by Holllywood stars and royalty alike, such as Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Elizabeth Taylor and Kim Basinger.

Cora earned the accolade “indigenous genius” during the ‘80s in the fashion capitals of the world when her ecologically chic handbags made of raw materials from the Philippines like bamboo, jute, raffia (grass), sugar cane, shells, beads and leather landed in the shelves of high fashion stores like Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue.

At the opening day, she caught the attention of a member of the royal household of Holland’s Queen Beatrix, Mistress of the Robes and close confidante of the queen Madame Martine Louise Amelie van Loon-Labouchere, who cut the ribbon.

Cora flew in 300 bags from the Philippines that are on display at the world’s largest museum of bags until May 3. It is like a homecoming for Cora whose first customers back in 1978 were the Dutch. The exhibit dubbed as Woven Chic Summer Collection 2009 is part of the celebration of National Arts Month organized by the Philippine Embassy in The Netherlands.

Sigrid Ivo, daughter of museum founder Hendrikje Ivo, was also impressed by the colorful

Spring in HollandBy BECKy GARCiA

Ribbon-cutting of the Cora Jacobs Exhibit. From left: Ambassador Romeo Arguelles, Mrs. Arguelles, Madame van Loon Labouchere and Cora Jacobs.

collection inspired by tropical themes like the sea, lush forests, tropical fruits and the sun.

By the way, in conjunction with this exhibit, former First Lady Imelda Marcos donated two Philippine-made bags from her personal collection. So anyone who visits the museum will see Mrs. Marcos’s bags on exhibit there as well.

At the opening, Philippine Ambassador Romeo Arguelles welcomed both the Filipino

and Dutch communities who all admired the exquisite designs of the bags. Some even bought the bags on display.

Cora also flew to Paris to conduct a similar exhibit. Congratulations, Cora. Filipinos are proud of you.

On another occasion, one of the pioneer Filipinos in The Netherlands, Liza Aguado Moncado, celebrated her 50th birthday at the Fokker party hall in Hoofddorp. The color motif

Europe

Cora Jacobs buntal and mother-of-pearl collection.

of the party which was fuchsia and tangerine gave the hall a very festive atmosphere. Organizing this party for her were her two lovely daughters, Liezl and Marizza, while Liza and husband Mar were in the Philippines attending Liza’s class reunion in Quezon. She arrived a few days before her party and was so happy to find that everything had been so well organized. Liza and Mar have

a successful door- to-door business sending balikbayan boxes to the Philippines.

There was a nice program presented by her close friends and family, mostly singing and dancing. Friends of Liza who call themselves the Golden Ladies did a surprise dance number. Ditto with the Totoy Bibo girls and the Hagupit Boys. The Aguado

clan serenaded her with a touching song

composed by good friend Jun Ortega which brought Liza to tears. At the latter part of the evening, a six-layer birthday cake made by niece Dorie Cosip was rolled out.

A Filipino party is never complete without dancing so everyone ended up dancing until midnight. And not to forget the long buffet table of Filipino dishes prepared by her family, kumpares and kumares, from lechon to dinuguan, pancit, embutido, and so many kakanins like ube, bibingka, bilo-bilo and other Filipino sweets.

While the guests enjoyed their dinner, they were entertained by talented singer Ramil Magtibay. Filipinos really know how to enjoy life. Wherever they are in the world, they stand out.

About 300 guests were invited. Special guests were Ambassador Arguelles and newly-arrived vice consul Cynthia Pelayo. Also there were Pieter and Connie Kinkel and daughter Aileen, who runs the Sari Sari Store, Ricky Tuazon, Ruby Cumba and the whole family of Liza. Sister Elma with husband Boy Balmaceda who has a travel agency in Holland were all there to help her celebrate her milestone. To Liza, wishing you more candles to blow.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the Philippine Independence Day picnic on June 6. See you there!

Cora Jacobs with Ambassador Romeo Arguelles, Madame Martine Louise Amelie van Loon, nee Labouchere, Mistress of the Robes to her Majesty the Queen; Mrs. Arguelles and Sigrid Ivo, the Museum Curator.

Liza Aguado Moncado, (right) celebrated her 50th birthday at the Fokker party hall in Hoofddorp.

Bags donated by Mrs. Marcos, side-by-side Madonna’s bags, collectors’ item bags of Fendi, Dolce and Gabana, Chanel and other bags belonging to royalties.

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��First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I

Good news for Pinoys overseas! Here’s how information technology or IT has improved the quality of care of patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A noted cardiologist explains the nitty-gritty of heart disease data banking that can be accessed by doctors even outside the Philippines.

Thanks to research and modern technology, risk factors have been identified and significant advances made in CVD treatment. However, risk factors vary widely from country to country, with socioeconomic and cultural factors coming into play.

“To address the overall health burden of CVD in the country, health professionals must be aware

of disease frequency and risk factors prevalent among patients,” according to Dr. Antonio S. Sibulo, Jr., Director of the St. Luke’s Heart Institute and Past President of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) and ASEAN Federation of Cardiology.

Moreover, Dr. Sibulo continues, health professionals need an organized information gathering and storage system that can accurately

assess quality of care and the actual impact of the different cardiovascular treatment strategies and technologies on treatment outcomes. “Such a system provides data that help us benchmark standards of quality care, which translate to higher levels of patient safety and success of care.”

In 2004, the St. Luke’s Heart Institute launched its Cardiovascular Disease

Information System (CVDIS), the first, most advanced and most ambitious project of its kind in the field of cardiovascular informatics in the Philippines.

The CVDIS is a unique m o d u l a r i n f o r m a t i o n system that collects clinical, demographic and procedure-s p e c i f i c i n f o r m a t i o n from all patient encounters at the Institute’s

Data Banking: How IT Improves Heart Disease TreatmentBy AnGElo B. PAlMonES

St. Luke’s Heart Institute: At the forefront of patient care.

Technology

cardiovascular units. The data is quality controlled and encoded at each cardiovascular unit then electronically downloaded to a central storage server. The system is designed to generate standardized procedural reports and store such data in the form of patient-specific electronic files in cardiovascular disease. To date, the system has compiled more than 120,000 procedural records of over 60,000 patients.

Data gathered from the Heart Institute’s exercise ECG laboratory in 2006 indicate that the top 3 CVD risk factors among almost 8,000 patients were family history of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. “No adverse events were noted in more than 14,000 procedures, affirming the high standards of safety and technical proficiency of the laboratory staff,” Dr. Sibulo says.

Since going online in 2004, the CVDIS has enrolled more than a thousand patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. Seventy percent of patients were male. Top risk factors reported were high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. No procedural complications were noted.

In 2006, the Department of Invasive Cardiology reported a total of more than 1,600 patients who underwent coronary angiogram and angioplasty.

Angioplasty success rate was more than 98%, with rate of adverse events a low 2%, all not life-threatening. Data gathered for 2007 to date indicate a 100% procedural success rate for stent implantation and plain balloon dilatation. Almost 7 out of 10

patients were men. Top risk factors reported for those undergoing coronary angioplasty were (in descending order) high blood pressure, high cholesterol, prior angina (chest pain), smoking, and diabetes. Prevalence for hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes were higher than the nationwide rate.

“These data tell us that once cardiovascular disease is present, the patient’s risk factors increase and their significance become more pronounced,” Dr. Sibulo explained.

Sixty-five percent of the 303 heart surgeries at the Heart Institute in 2006 were coronary bypass procedures. Average age was 58 for male patients and 67 for women. Top risk factors for bypass patients were high blood pressure, high cholesterol, prior heart disease, and diabetes. Coronary bypass success rate was more than 98%.

“The CVDIS provides a powerful clinical data base that enables St. Luke’s Heart Institute to evaluate its performance and keep it at par with the world’s best cardiac centers. It helps us make recommendations to maintain and upgrade quality of care as well as conduct research to further the science of cardiovascular medicine—all for the benefit of the cardiac patient,” Dr. Sibulo said.

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS ��

Talk about amusing shocks. A jeepney ride is like an earthquake: expectedly brief but possibly dangerous, doing its coup with an intensity that unerringly scares people. Considerably a long-standing thorn in the paws of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the present-day, high-concept jeepney --- borne out of patched-together World War II junk --- is built for speed with a gruff and extra tough body so it can sail through the streets seamlessly (on Good Fridays when a jeepney driver has the street practically all to himself ) or crisscross them during hellacious traffic jams).

In much the same way, the jeepney driver is likewise made of stuff that is supposed to scream machismo. Both jeepney and jeepney driver --- macho for macho --- are imbued with the make-it-happen mentality of a Pinoy’s super self-confidence, that “Bahala na” gung-ho spirit. The image is deeply entrenched and brings a unique eloquence to the popular slogan “Basta jeepney driver, good lover”.

Like it or not, the jeepney is here for keeps. It is one of the spirits of our roads and an essential part of our culture. A jeepney ride is still the best and most

inexpensive mode of transportation and for getting the feel for the flavors of the country. As in most cases, and keeping all things in perspective, this Pinoy contraption’s mainstream functionality, as well as its predictable discomfortability, must be experienced and felt. If you are disposed to having anxiety sieges, riding the jeepney may not be for you. The heart thumps faster at every brake --- the tires squealing like airplanes at touchdown --- as the jeepney master gives full rein to his inner outlaw. Most jeepneys ply short distances but these short trips can be dramatic experiences.

Take the early morning ride as the sun is about to rouse from its sleep and you’ll be whisked from one world to another where the unobstructed road is the arena for warfare and the driver, psyched for the day and still smelling of “kapeng barako”, is the soldier, convinced that slaving the gas and brake pedals is the quickest route to earning the day’s boundary. Mercifully, the short trip is over; you sigh with relief and get off the vehicle quaking. Towards the afternoon once you survived the early morning trip, the urban experience continues. Henceforth, it’s a roll of the dice.

kINGS OF THE ROADText and photos by DIANA B. NOCHE

Hometown News

T

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Temper, temper, temper.There are times, of course, when the ideal is set

aside in favor of compelling necessities such as roomy pockets so you take the ride and cross your fingers a little more tightly as you sail through the honking traffic bottlenecks, signal jumpers, the shudder of wheezing buses and the belching tricycles (and its de-padyak cousin), pumped-up motorcycle radios as well as the jeepney’s own unlistenable music, darting pedestrians ignoring the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) warnings of “Walang tawiran. Nakamamatay.” Screaming babies, passengers jabbing you with their elbows, and baggages crammed and stacked together leaving little wiggle room, and if you’re not lucky on some days, the occasional holdupper.

The jeepney’s idiosyncratic accretion from the Willys Jeep relic of the past to its present radical mutation --- successfully pioneered by Sarao Motors and replicated by quite a number of motor shops --- is the high priest of unorthodoxy. This sleek-bodied roadrunner, originally used to transport World War II military personnel and light ammunitions, is created for speed freaks, its engine pumped-up to rev in a daily ready-to-rip mood. Befrilled with unusual details yet retaining its ultramasculine chic, the jeepney struts the streets in a substantially hallucinogenic onslaught of rainbow and neon colors that characteristically shriek of femininity. Its chameleon nature can be whimsical and absurd or artlessly utilitarian.

Others are either sporty or sexy and cute. The minutiae have touches of crass --- buntings, fringes and ruffles hemming the mini curtains, and wind chimes--- and on the dashboard, icons profoundly Catholic, the

popular ones being a rosary, a tiny crucifix, the Black Nazarene, Mother Mary, and the Sto. Niño in spangled get-ups --- enough passports to qualify for heaven. And what is a macho driver’s jeepney without some prints of seductive chicks?

A jeepney is principally a macho thing,

high and low, of godly-mindedness and earthiness, a festival of illusions and emotions that, by sheer necessity and economic practicality, is a component of an every-man’s daily life. To ride in a jeepney is to subject as passenger under the crotchetiness of nature (a toasty temperature that soaks the shirt with sweat and a wet climate with blinding rains and deep ruts on the road after a heavy storm and street floods) and of man (the driver with his contentious way of earning some spending money, smoking despite the “No Smoking” sign posted somewhere on his vehicle, and co-passengers huddled together in mutual need to get their thing done).

Despite the jeepney (and its driver) being considered as a bad grape in the LTFRB and MMDA fruit salads, and forced off the commendatory driving habits by a relaxed national policy on road habits and courtesies, there is a common latitude that this landscape should not fail to define. Its quotidian worth, for instance, which gets sidestepped due to an inconstant human factor. As the globe tightens its belt and we open our wallets less often, it should be a crime against wisdom and good sense to use a gas-guzzling private car when other less expensive means of transportation such as the jeepney can take you where you intend to go. If you can ignore the unpleasantness and are ready to take in a dose of life’s reality, by all means take the jeepney. A jeepney ride opens up human emotions. It is about making do with what we have and of making lemonade out of the lemons we encounter along the way.

It is wisdom invariably to be had and saved up in order to make us wiser or, at least, tolerant and adaptable.

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL �0

M O D E O F P A Y M E N T CASH CHECK Payable to Merkmedia, Inc.Please remit to Bank of the Philippine Islands Peso Current Account No. 0011-1680-86 and send us proof of remittance by fax (892-0177) or e-mail (pinoyglobalaccess@gmail.com.)Check No. Bank Branch of AccountName (Mr./Mrs.)Address: Home Office

Telephone No.: Home OfficeFax No.: Email

The list of Filipinos who made it and those

who are still making it is rather long but

nonetheless worth emulating.

Pinoy Global Access chronicles the strides

and accomplishments of

Filipinos abroad so that they

may serve as an inspiration

to all of us.

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Richard Merk’s Filipino Songs“Alaala” CD

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS �2

TTrue beauty, it’s been said, emanates from the inside out.

A truly beautiful person -- regardless of age, race or gender -- is one whose pleasing external appearance is a result of internal good health.

It is behind this principle that The Medical City put up its Center for Wellness and Aesthetics. “Our philosophy is beauty through holistic health,” Dr. Rolando A. Balburias, consultant director of the Wellness Center, told Pinoy Global Access in a recent interview.

He referred to the Wellness Center as “a one-stop shop wherein patients are provided a venue to be able to determine the status of their health.”

The Center utilizes the principle of being promotive of wellness and health. “When we become promotive, we become pro-active. When we become pro-active, we become preventive.”

The paradigm now, he said, is to prevent rather than find a cure for illness.

The practice of wellness is not new, he added, but it is only in recent years that it has taken a prominent place in health care, plagued by rising costs practically everywhere in the world, including the US and the Philippines.

“Even employers are into wellness programs,” he said. They see the importance of having a corporate wellness program because it lessens absenteeism and stress in the workplace.

The saying may be old but has never been truer. An ounce of prevention truly is better than a pound of cure. But when the best possible cures are needed, they are available.

the wellness lifestyleThere really is no universal

definition of what he calls the wellness lifestyle, according to the doctor, but he said: “It is a decision, it is not a medication, it is something that a patient needs to realize and for himself or herself to decide to live a healthy lifestyle.”

Dr. Balburias is the perfect poster boy for the Wellness Center. At 38, he looks a decade younger than his biological age, looking for all intents like an intern instead of the internist, the adult disease specialist that he is.

He credits “good family genes” for his youthful

BE wEll AlwAySThe Medical City’s Center for Wellness and Aesthetics Goal for Its PatientsBy BeTINg LAYgO DOLOR

Dr. Balburias is the perfect

poster boy for the Wellness

Center. At 38, he looks

a decade younger than his biological age, looking

for all intents like an intern

instead of the internist, the

adult disease specialist that

he is.

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS �2

aPho

to: W

illy Av

ila

Health & Wellness

The Medical City along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City was designed as an ideal home for the Wellness Center. There is no hospital “feel” to the place.

appearance and said he has never had to undergo any of the specialized treatments offered by the Wellness Center. But he does practice what he preaches, he added. This means maintaining a proper diet and active lifestyle. Within the hospital premises, for example, he eschews taking the elevator when moving from floor to floor.

More than the physical aspect, a wellness lifestyle must be holistic. “You must address not only the physical, but the mental, social, even spiritual.”

The trouble with the wellness industry, however, is that some people look for quick fixes. “This can be a problem for us doctors,” he told Pinoy Global Access. Some people look for these quick fixes which are available, but which have no real long-term benefits, he said..

This is precisely what the Wellness Center tries to avoid. The wide range of products and services they offer should not be treated as a shopping list, but rather as all possible options from which a tailor-fit program should be arranged in consultancy with one’s preferred physician.

The wellness lifestyle that he speaks of may be

ideal for those who are still in relative good health, but is a must for those who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension. Or obesity, for that matter.

never too lateThankfully, Dr. Balburias said it is never too late

to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and this is where The Medical City’s prized facility comes in. And Filipinos are

The Medical City along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City was designed as an ideal home for the Wellness Center. There is no hospital “feel” to the place.

Dr. Evelyn Gonzaga performing a simple hair removal procedure or Mini Gentlelase using Alexandrite user.

��First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS ���� I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS

more aware now of the need for “clean living”. Still, the mortality rates of the country indicate that more work needs to be done to inform the public of the health risks they are under.

Bad diets, vices and lack of hygiene are some of the woes besetting the Filipino people, he said. Many diseases, even fatal ones, can be prevented, he said.

Cardio-vascular diseases are the most common of the preventable causes of death in the country, and this is almost always due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Ditto with diabetes. Even cancer “is a lifestyle-related disease,” he said.

Inherited genetic traits may play a role in one’s general health, according to Dr. Balburias. “Our genes are the bullets of the gun, but our lifestyle is the trigger,” he said. Having genetic predispositions to certain ailments does not automatically lead to one’s having those illnesses.

Something can be done, and the Wellness Center provides the needed products and services. All kinds of packages are available for whatever a patient needs. The hospital’s rates cannot be considered inexpensive, but are not beyond reach either. A complete executive check-up, for example, is priced at around P20,000, or $400.

It is not a question of whether their prices are high or low, but whether the patient gets good value for money. In this regard, The Medical City delivers the best possible value, according to the doctor.

looking good, feeling goodThe aesthetics side of the medical service they

offer is what is popularly known as plastic surgery. The doctor said that such a procedure is not necessarily a luxury. And vanity may not be the overriding reason

to have surgery to correct inborn imperfections or damage caused by a variety of factors such as disease, aging or accidents.

“If a person feels good about his appearance, then he or she becomes more productive,” he said.

Put up more than five years ago, the Wellness Center’s patients are not just the obvious such as movie stars and models whose line of work demands that they look as good as possible, but also executives and OFWs, housewives and ordinary employees.

Foreigners as well as Filipinos living and working abroad have been their most avid clientele since they began operations. Again, not because their prices are high or low, but because they deliver good value for money.

The doctor is not impressed by the rise of doctors offering over-the-counter operations and beauty

treatments like liposuction. Being part of an ethical industry, he gives the thumbs down to doctors who market themselves.

At the same time, he sees the medical tourism industry as a boost to the Philippine economy. The downside is that hospitals are “still competing instead of working together to achieve this common goal of making the Philippines like Singapore or Thailand,” two Asian countries where medical tourism is a big dollar earner.

But he said there is no question that Filipino doctors are at par with the world’s best, which is why the exodus of local physicians to the West continues.

Main lobby of the Medical City Nursing Center Tower.

Hotel-like lobby of the Center for Wellness and Aesthetics.

Phot

o: W

illy Av

ila

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I ��

More hotel than hospitalThe Medical City along

Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City was designed as an ideal home for the Wellness Center. There is no hospital “feel” to the place.

“We are a hotel pretending to be a hospital,” he said with a smile. He was not completely jesting, though. Only the presence of so many doctors, nurses, orderlies and other medical staff serves as a reminder that the place really is a hospital, one of the most modern in the country.

For one, that alcohol-based scent common to most hospitals anywhere is almost totally absent in The Medical City. And its glass exteriors are seen more in modern office buildings and yes, hotels, than medical centers.

Beyond its impressive exteriors and interiors, however, are the main reason that The Medical City is a beehive of activity – their doctors.

There may be a handful of well-known Class A hospitals in Metro Manila, all of which claim to have the best doctors in the Philippines, but the ultimate proof must be the high percentage of patients who leave the place looking and feeling better than when they first came in.

Dr. Balburias can be forgiven when he says that they have the best physicians in the country and that the medical services they offer are at par with any of the world’s best. They are committed to insuring that when patients leave, they do so looking and feeling better, from the inside out.

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS ��

Dear Sis,

Happy Easter! Wow, how time

flies! I can’t believe that the first

quarter of 2009 is over. Remember,

last January, I promised you a

picture of our Sto. Niño. Well,

finally, I’m sending you the picture

of our Sto. Niño enthroned in our

parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Catholic Community in Ontario.

We celebrated its 16th year Anniversary Feast last January

12. We have been very fortunate to be able to express our Filipino

religiosity in our parish. The Sto. Niño Feast starts our year

and is always a big celebration here.

As you know we have a monthly Filipino Mass that is

celebrated every second Saturday of the month at 7pm which

is when we pray and sing in our native language.

Aba, completo kami ng choir, lectors, extraordinary

ministers, ushers at altar servers.

During the celebration, we start with the procession of

our Sto. Niño with our little angels, both boys and girls. Then

comes the mass followed by our fellowship.

Alam mo naman tayong mga Pilipino, maraming

handa at hindi mawawala ang ating “lechon” sa menu. For

the entertainment we feature our Sinulog dancers. Every

year, this event is packed with at least 300 parishioners of

various ethnic groups…Caucasians, Nigerians, Hispanic,

Portuguese, and Vietnamese, among others.

Next is our Flores de Mayo & Santacruzan celebration

in May wherein we offer flowers to Mama Mary. During

the meditation, Maela sings the Ave Maria while the

Reyna Elena with Constantine as Consort offer a bouquet

to our Virgin Mother.May mga sagalas pa kami, anong say mo. After that, a

prayer poem composed by mommy is read.

In August we have our “Pista sa Nayon” featuring

all the different folk dances, and again a lot of food. This

is another part of Filipino culture that we share with

other cultures.Then, Simbang Gabi closes our year with a beautiful

letter from a kababayanFilipino Easter and other celebrations in a California town

Our kababayan from Ontario,

Beth Manangan

Palm Sunday celebration.

Sagalas and Consorts — Flores de Mayo

Flores de Mayo organizers and members of the Filipino Ministry

of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic community

USA & Canada

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I ��

Tapos Stations of the Cross hanggang 12:30. Normally,

wala kaming tulog for 32 hours dahil mga bandang

5:00 ng hapon ay pupunta naman kami sa bahay ng

isang kaibigan at babasa uli ng Pasyon. Susundan ito ng

Veneration of the Cross ng 7:00 ng gabi sa simbahan. At sa

Sabado de Gloria naman ay may Easter Vigil Mass kami

na nagsisimula ng 8:00 ng gabi sa courtyard wherein the

candles are lit and the bonfire is set followed by procession

to the church.Bells ring as the Lord is risen in the Gloria. Normally,

mass finishes in three hours. Tapos the next day simba

naman dahil Easter Sunday na. I am attaching a photo of

the church. Talagang very involved. Never akong kumanta

ng magdamag…214 pages ng buhay ng Panginoon.

I guess my point is that it does not matter where

we are, that even though we are far away from our

homeland, we are still Filipinos. Our hear ts and soul

searches for the traditions we were raised and our faith

brings for th this religiosity wherever we are. And these

we share with our children.

Well, I guess I’ll sign off now. It’s 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday

here in California.

Ate Beth

liturgy. Everyone wears barong and saya. We profess our

gifts of offerings of thanksgiving to a wonderful prosperous

year….lighted parol to guide us; our Filipino Cross made of

bamboo, fruits & vegetables, flowers, Filipino bread and last

but not least, our San Lorenzo Ruiz statue.

Sa fellowship naman ay mga iba-ibang kakanin

ang aming handa.. Mayroon din arroz caldo at pandesal.

Siyempre, mainit na tsokolate. Para ka talagang nasa

Pilipinas.Amazingly, we practice our Filipino religiosity here

in the United States more than when we were in the

Philippines.Nakakatuwa dahil mas marami pa kaming

natutunan tungkol sa ating mga kagawian dito sa America.

Kamukha ng Mahal na Araw (Holy Week), we start our journey with Jesus in a retreat, and then liturgy and washing of the feet sa Huwebes Santo mula 7-9 ng gabi at pagkatapos ay adoration ng Holy Sacrament hanggang 12 midnight, at tuloy na sa Pabasa (singing

Passion of Christ)

mula 12 midnight

hanggang 12 pm.

‘Amazingly, we

practice our Filipino religiosity

here in the United

States more than

when we were in

the Philippines.’

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS ��

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I ��

WWhat if you took a social networking engine like Facebook and add a significant dimension to it, that is, make it location-based? Location-based means having the facility to find and interact with people based on their specific location real-time. This is done through the use of location based systems like GPS or real-time enabled mapping software like GoogleMaps. What if you are able connect with and keep in touch with friends and business connections in the usual ways that social networks provide but also seamlessly connect their activities to specific places real-time?

What if this facility can help you to communicate with people outside your own personal or company network in a targeted manner, based on the usual demographics and psychographics but also based on locations where they live or work and on specific activities related to those locations, also potentially real-time? Finally, what if you are able to enjoy these benefits not just online on your PC but also seamlessly through your mobile phone?

Think Facebook or Ning married to Google Maps and the Phonebook with interactive functionality, and fully integrated on the web and mobile phone. What do you get? Introducing the groundbreaking…Urbian Inc.

A brainchild of Filipino-Austrian Christopher Kahler, 27 and Austrian partner, Abraham Muller, 30, Urbian Inc. is set to turn the world of social networking once again on its head. Urbian, which means “denizen of a city or urban area”, offers a fresh portfolio of social networking services to users and enterprises previously not available in the market. In particular, Urbian offers value to people living in dynamic, high density urban areas, where people are constantly on the move and where we are constantly trying to locate people in the course of a day. Incorporated in January 2008 in the United States, Urbian set up its operations in Shanghai, China, with a young dynamic multicultural team comprised of Asians, Europeans and Americans.

I interviewed Christopher Kahler, the young maverick CEO of Urbian for Pinoy Global Access magazine last December while he was visiting his family in Ayala Alabang in the Philippines. Since that interview, Urbian has moved to larger offices, added staff, and clinched a deal that would distribute Urbian services throughout China by the 2nd quarter of 2009.

Christopher talks about Urbian Inc., how it’s different from other social networks and how it got started. He shares how they were able to raise funding from VCs, and discusses their unique business model. He also provides insight into the dynamic corporate culture of Urbian and his own idea-centric management philosophy.

He shares how his Filipino family influenced his decision to become an entrepreneur, shedding some light on the benefit of growing up half

Filipino and half-Austrian. Eating Filipino fare such as ampalaya and lengua is as familiar to him as enjoying coffee in a Viennese Café. As a struggling student, he performed guitar on the streets in Malaysia and Vienna, valuable experiences where he gained insight into human nature and the psychology of cultures that one simply can’t learn vicariously.

Most interesting is how Christopher overcame daunting obstacles, such as getting kicked out of university and fighting to be admitted back, to eventually pioneer an original and relevant cross-cultural venture that can potentially benefit the world.

He is unlike other technopreneurs with Filipino heritage who emerged primarily through US universities and related technology eco-systems. Christopher Kahler, propelled by “bonafide” curiosity (a term he coined) has invented himself from a inimitable blend of European, Asian

Christopher kahler Blazes New Trail in Social Networking Technology

Urbian, Inc. CEO Christopher Kahler (inset) as a toddler with his Filipino mom, Cynthia Valmonte-Kahler and now as a young entrepreneur based in China.

Asia & The Pacific

By Victoria V. Ferro

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS �0

and American cultural experience, evolving into one of the most unique young leaders in global technopreneurship today.

According to Christopher, the global economic situation has been a boon for Urbian Inc. “We were lucky enough to raise some financing when a lot of competitors couldn’t and that’s given us an edge. China’s economy is still comparatively solid, and apart perhaps from India is currently one of the best places to be doing what we’re doing.”

Christopher also plans to take Urbian, Inc. to other international markets. “Eventually, we’d definitely like to take the concept abroad. We are focusing all our resources on proving ourselves in the China market first which if we nail would alone be a glowing success!”

Christopher doesn’t just carry vision into the brave new world beyond web 2.0, he may very well embody it, with his hybrid background, multiple intelligences, and strong social conscience.

What I found most impressive about Christopher, however, is what I perceived as character that is quite well developed for a young man still in his 20s. Despite his achievements, Christopher presents himself modestly, humbly, at times even self-effacingly. And for someone who has an

artist’s sensitivity to people, to the environment in which he operates, even to what constitutes authenticity, Christopher exudes a kind of solidity in his personality that can’t be taught, but can only be borne from being tempered through experience and keen observation, supported by the decision to live by well-considered values and principles. Enormously passionate about his work, he is charismatic and reserved at the same time, an uncommon balance.

In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world economy characterized by volatility and speed of flux, leaders who are poised to succeed are those armed with well developed capacities in the exercise of hard business and the soft arts, the supple use of left brain and right brain, the sensitivity and adaptability of having lived inside different cultures, the facility to make astute observations objectively from a larger perspective, the energy to learn and act very quickly, optimizing opportunities inherent in that dynamic environment, and the ability to articulate ideas and inspire action of multi-lingual, multi-cultural teams and publics. Kahler and his team may very well have what it takes and that makes Urbian Inc. a company to watch.

For Urbian workers, work and play go hand in hand.

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I �1

Urbian, Inc. founders: Christopher Kahler, with his Austrian and Chinese business partners.

Victoria:Tell me about yourself and your company, Urbian Inc. and its products and services.

Christopher: My name is Christopher Kahler. I’m half-Austrian, half-Filipino. My Dad’s Austrian, my Mom’s from the Philippines. I grew up all over the world mostly in Southeast Asia. I was born in the Philippines, moved about to Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, all over. Went to undergrad in the States, took my bachelors in mechanical engineering there with a focus in biomechanics, then I moved to Vienna, Austria and began my graduate studies there in biomechanics. In grad school, I met one of the partners I’m working with now in my current project, Urbian Inc., which I’ll tell you about in a second. He’s Austrian, and we met up and came up with the idea together there. And I have since moved to Shanghai in China to set it up.

I’ll tell you a little bit about the project. How we like to frame it is a customer engagement solution for enterprises. The idea is to provide a platform for companies. So for predominantly for offline, larger, multinational companies, looking to increase their customer engagement, or their engagement with the customers and users, as opposed to the very kind of static, one-way dialogue that currently exists that companies typically employ with advertising, billboards, TV ads and radio ads, web banners, that kind of thing. We think that the future of engagement between customers and users and companies will be a dialogue, so it will be bidirectional and what we wanted to do was to create a platform to allow companies to do that.

More specifically, how that works, it’s a location-based mobile social networking application suite combined with a website that we design, host and update for companies, branded for them, its proprietary. We handle all their presentation. All their presence, we design for them. We work with them in creating that so we are completely brand transparent. For us, we have no real brand presence. Or the product is brand transparent for us. We give them this tool, which they then, in turn, promote. How we differ as well is we own the database, so we own the actual information about the users and what that allows us to do is offer the same service to other companies and give the opportunity to users of both to communicate with one another. So that allows the network to grow at a much faster rate. It provides a lot of value.

In controlling the database we allow the users in what we call ‘door networks’ to communicate with one another. So basically we’ve eliminated the problem of having to seed and grow a very large network by ourselves. We’ve kind of shirked that off to our partners and in exchange we give it to them for free. So that’s our model. That’s how we distinguish ourselves from our competitors at the moment.

Christopher kahler, CEO of Urbian, Inc.Pinoy Global Access Magazine InterviewBy Victoria V. Ferro

I First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS �2

Victoria:So you give the customized solutions for free?

Christopher:We do, yes.

Victoria:And in exchange, you just own the database?

Christopher:Exactly. That’s right. So we sign a contract with them that we don’t mess with the database, we don’t do business with advertisers directly. We give them that control. We give them that interface. We have to own it to allow them to target other users of networks. That’s another thing. If let’s say, a sports manufacturer wants to send a location based targeted tailored advertisement to a shoe manufacturer or something or a ticketing company, then they can do that through our network, so they can advertise cross network. We charge a premium for that which is how we intend to make money.

Victoria:Do you divulge information from your database? Is that at all part of your business model or not?

Christopher:We anonymize data by reports. It’s anonymized and generalized. Do women age 18 to 24 tend to be more receptive to this kind of advertising, or do they

tend to go to these types of places more? Because everything is location-based but we don’t sell data about our users. Obviously, a high priority for us is data-protection, security, and privacy.

Victoria:So ok, aside from the fact that you’re working on a product that has location-based services, what is the difference between you and Ning?

Christopher:Us and Ning? Ning is predominantly web-focused. That’s one difference. Another difference would be is that when you go to Ning, they very much have a brand presence, Ning’s brand presence, which we don’t have. Those are the two main differences. So we remove our brand, and we make it location based, and do it mobile. So it’s all those combined. Ning, I think, is obviously a great company. I respect them a lot. And they may be the closest to what we are doing.

Victoria:But their business model is very different, isn’t it?

Christopher:I think, I’m not sure, but I think they rely on typical web-based advertising. We don’t deal with advertisers directly. We charge our partners a fixed, per thousand communication model, which is very easy to control. We don’t have to run around to 10,000 different merchants or 10,000 different agencies. We only collect from our partners.

First Quarter 2009 PINOY GLOBAL ACCESS I ��

Victoria:I think Ning charges for customized solutions, if there are customers who choose not to use the suffix “.ning.com.” They’ve got to be monetizing their database, which I understand they own as well. Do you have any idea if there are any similarities to your business model at least on that aspect?

Christopher:I think there are definitely some similarities. I think if they go the traditional social networking web-based advertising revenue model, they’re going to have some problems. Because everyone who’s implemented this model is. Personally, this is a bit of digression of my own thoughts on this. I think that the inability to monetize eyeballs, monetize large databases is kind of the end of web 2.0 as we see it. All these massively inflated valuations of companies such as Facebook and Twitter and Slide.com. They just make apps for Facebook right? And they have a $500M valuation. I think a lot of these crazy valuations are because of some kind of faith that they’ll be able to monetize tons and tons of users, right? Skype has that problem already as well. They have this massive $4 point something billion valuation and they haven’t been able to monetize that 100%. So I think that how we’re going to make money from having lots of users. How we, the people in the industry are going to do that will mark a new era in social networking, a new era in mobile technology.

Victoria:Very interesting.

Christopher:When you’re working in the industry, you think about it a lot. As an entrepreneur as well, you have to develop your own philosophy, your own views on how things are the way they are and how they’re going to be, right? And of course if your thoughts aren’t your own then somebody has already done it. If they are your own, then you’re going to sound like a fool to many people. That’s the price you pay for originality, right? As an entrepreneur, I hope its original in a good way, not a cranky way. Time will tell, I guess.

Victoria:So tell me what body of thought has informed your becoming an entrepreneur. Was it your undergraduate study? Tell me the evolution of how you got to where you are now.

Christopher:As an entrepreneur, you have to have a certain sense, a powerful sense of dissatisfaction with the way things are done, right? Maybe that sounds too cliché but you have to see ways where life isn’t as good as it can be. You can’t really be an entrepreneur because of the profit motive itself. You have to be

sensitive to certain inefficiencies... And I think I had that. I think all entrepreneurs have that. I don’t think I’m special in that way. In the sense of being able to do things better. My Filipino side is chock-full of entrepreneurs and I think it was pretty influential in my more formative years. Surrounded by people who said, why don’t you do your own thing? People who had done it already, so I had this idea I could do it as well. I think if you come from a family or come from a background where everyone is typically employed, so not doing your own thing, it may sound more risky, I suppose. There has to be a certain belief that what you are aiming to do is actually possible to realize. And I think that’s what, especially my Filipino side gave me.

Victoria:So tell me about your undergraduate study, as far as how it formed your mindset today. Where did you go to school anyway?

Christopher:I did my undergraduate studies in the University of Arizona. I changed my major a ton of times. I think my left and right brain, to use a probably pseudo-scientific analogy, are well developed. So I started off in the science side in mechanical engineering, moved to philosophy, then back to mechanical engineering, then to media arts for a while. And I think the one thing that really contributed to my current state perhaps, or current path from undergrad was really a bonafide curiosity. I was kicked out of school. I was quite a maverick, I guess.

Victoria:Kicked out of school?! Where?

Christopher:I was kicked out of Arizona. I had to go to community college, and then fight my way back. I think it was that. I was just so annoyed at everyone just studying just for grades, just for career. I really wanted to go to school

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and to understand. Really understanding something. Really understanding what it is to learn. Why knowledge is important…Really honing my sense of curiosity. I call it “bonafide” curiosity. That was a painful, expensive, tumultuous experience to finally get to that point. That was it really. Getting kicked out of school was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Victoria:Defining experience in a sense.

Christopher:It was very very defining, yeah. I think a lot of people would have done it more efficiently perhaps. That’s never been my thing. It’s always been the more roundabout path. That sums it up pretty much.

Victoria:You sound like a Renaissance man.

Christopher:[Laughter] I guess. I don’t know. I think at the end of the day, I’m just very curious. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. Good thing because when you understand something, you understand it for the right reasons, but its bad because it’s difficult to focus. I think a lot of entrepreneurs have that problem. This need to realize something. A need to not just to have an idea but to do it, to execute on it …To have something that is just a concept and see it become real as a product, as a software. To see people’s reactions. Probably one of the really really amazing things is when you have an idea and you can implement it and you can see someone’s life benefiting from it. It’s not just theory; it’s not just a proposal. You can see someone’s life benefiting …being changed by an idea. I think that drive to do that, that impetus can be very distracting, because you want to do it for everything. And I think it is a problem that I have as well.

Victoria:So would you say that is your motivation? Could you give an example of having created something that has benefited somebody else?

Christopher:I would say with our product right now, it’s location-based, mobile, social-networking applications, and website. I’ve seen users engage the application in a way and be really positively surprised. I love this reaction “I didn’t know

you could do that.” Or “Oh that’s so cool.” Seeing the people’s faces light up and be really moved by something that just a couple of months ago was just an idea, that’s the ultimate thrill. Everything else just doesn’t compare to that.

Victoria:What was your primary role in developing this company and this product?

Christopher:I’m technically the CEO of the company. We try and stay away from that kind of labeling you know. I think I benefit the company the most in giving people the fuel to dream, the fuel to hope. When you’re a start-up, you have no money; you have no credibility, nothing except your idea. But oftentimes an idea is not enough, you have to inspire. And I think that’s what I bring. I wish I could bring more, but I think that’s what I bring at the moment to the company. My other partner, the Austrian guy I met at grad school is our main tech, CTO and architect. And my other partner is Bizdev because he’s much better at speaking and networking than I am. I think I’m kind of just like the guy that ties everyone together and makes sure we still keep that dream, we still believe in the dream.

Victoria:And what is the dream?

Christopher:What is the dream? You know, to articulate it like that is tricky because…there’s a lot of metrics that you can use to define that, financial, employees or whatever you want to call it. I think for us, all of us, all the founders have the sense of how the idea has reached its fullest potential that it’s evolved, it’s matured, and it’s done, yeah. That “doneness” I suppose, that sense of completion that is the dream. It’s not a financial target; it’s not like $1 billion dollars or something. It’s that sense that now we’ve done it. Now we can evolve, move on, sell, whatever, whatever it is. That I suppose is the dream. It’s that sense that we’ve completed it.

Victoria:From your description of your role, you sound like the ‘Chief Inspirator’ of your company.

Christopher:I think that’s pretty good. I’ll go with that. I’m changing it right now actually.

Victoria:You said you don’t want to have traditional titles. How do you then negotiate your working relationships?

Christopher:I think the thing is the hierarchy, right? I should say we botched it a couple of times in the beginning developing the culture. I’m obviously very young; don’t have much experience in this kind of thing. But we wanted to create a really really cool culture that people felt free but also accountable. Find a way that we can engage with our staff such that they can be always open, always willing to try new ideas, while at the same time without it being

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like some kind of kid’s playground. I don’t like that. I don’t like the whole “anyone can just say anything and do anything.” Now I think we’ve done it. I’d love to take this interview to our office so you can meet everyone and see how it works now. But I think we’ve done it. We’ve created a really really cool culture. You know we have a marketing girl and she comes up straight to me and tells me, “No sorry, your idea is wrong. It’s rubbish. You got to do it this way.” And I love it. I love that because it shows conviction, it shows that she’s really really on to something. And of course, the main dialogue is on “why”. I would say the leading or strongest point is never who should have the right idea. It’s always idea-centric. It’s always the winning or best idea gets implemented. The best idea gets listened to. The best idea gets credit. Not the best person, not the best anything. It’s always idea-focused and I think when you energize people on that, when you get people really really passionate about coming up with good ideas that “senior” management will listen to and implement, then you solve the problem. That’s poorly articulated but it’s something like that. It has something to do with being idea-centric and being honest.

Victoria:It’s not at all poorly articulated. It was articulated very well. So you talked about your defining moment, your roundabout journey. I’m

interested in what happened before that. Growing up as you said, multicultural, you mentioned to me before that you were ”culturally confused.” But there’s got to be some benefit to that. I mean there’s got to be something there that’s given you an edge I suppose, as you navigate this.

Christopher:I would say, being exposed to a lot of cultures, I think the common misconception is you see how everyone is different but actually I think it’s the complete opposite. It makes you see how everyone is kind of the same. We use all these different criterion, criteria to distinguish people. How they eat, how they act, how their family…are they very very like socially tight or more solitary. We get caught up, I think, on those details and we latch on to them more than we should and being exposed to a lot of different cultures I think you see that people are just trying to be happy, wherever they are, Americans, Europeans, Asians, everyone is trying to be happy. Maybe that’s given me an edge. I don’t like to see it that way but it’s made me realize I guess that everyone’s just trying to get the most out of life and win life. And yeah, you see that first. You don’t see what they eat or look like. You see character. You see personality. You build relationships based on that because you don’t really have a choice as a kid, right? So like if you’re surrounded with people who aren’t ethnically similar to you, the only thing that you have is character and personality, so I guess growing sensitive to that has been helpful. Our team right now is completely multinational. My one partner is Austrian, the other is ethnically Chinese but he grew up in Holland. We have Austrians, Americans, and Chinese people. I think we get along more because of personality and character, as opposed to cultural similarities.

Victoria:Are they very much like you? Your colleagues?

Christopher:In some ways I think so. We’re all very idea-centric. All very very curious, very anxious, crazy people. So I think in that way, we share the same energy and the same vision. But you know, it’s difficult to say if someone is like someone else. I don’t know anyone who is like anyone, right? But I think we share important certain morals, important scruples, important attitudes and that’s the only way a start-up being as volatile as one typically is can consist.

Victoria:Can you define like a couple of those shared scruples, morals, and attitudes?

Christopher:Loyalty and honesty at the end of the day. I believe it’s totally possible to conduct business with integrity. A lot of people have this view that it’s very very cutthroat and the only way you can make it is if you screw people over. I don’t believe that. I believe any advantage should come because of your ability to work hard. So that’s another thing. Well I think we’re very very industrious. Everything can be compensated for with good ideas and a really good healthy work ethic. So I’d say work ethic, that idea that you can conduct business with integrity. That old, I guess very commercialized term, ‘thinking outside the box’. I’d say that non-traditional problem solving approaches is also something that characterizes. We also have the ability to

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dream. The ability to be dissatisfied in a productive way, not in a way that makes you bitter and cynical and bitch about the world.

Victoria:You also mentioned crazy, I guess you mean in the best sense right?

Christopher:Yeah. Crazy is definitely a defining one…The whole team will work 100 hours in a week or work 50 hours straight and sleep on the floor. You know, typical start-up drama. We slept in the same bed, my partner and I, because we couldn’t afford a real flat for half a year pretty much. Subsistence level, as an entrepreneur, you don’t pay yourself anything but work 10 times as hard. So crazy is an accurate descriptor, even now still.

Victoria:So talk about that process when you got the idea, then you came up with your first prototype, getting your seed funding and so forth.

Christopher:In grad school, a bunch of friends and I, we had these million-dollar idea sessions on Fridays. It was obviously partially serious and also partially not. We wanted to, like a lot of people, come up with an idea that would solve all our financial problems. We could retire at 28, move to the Bahamas, whatever. The fruit of one of these sessions was this idea that we’re currently doing and you know when you have an idea, and you have these kinds of entrepreneur clubs, it’s always this thought at the back of your mind: it’s not actually going to get done. It’s not actually going to get realized. It’s just kind of like fanciful dreaming. One of my partners and I though, we executed on it right away. The next day we had already prepared all these studies, did a lot of research to see what was out there. We did some preliminary coding, preliminary design work, that kind of thing.

Victoria:You did it in one day?!

Christopher:We did something. Just something like feasibility studies and I realized that this partner and I, like we were on the same track. It’ s like, ‘Holy Cow!’ We’re going to do it. It’s not just conversation. It’s not just cheers over beer. But you execute and you really do it. And that’s just like compounding that whole effect and we began just working on it like nuts. And it hasn’t stopped since then. We built a prototype.

Victoria:What year was this? Can you name the date and the month?

Christopher:Yeah, that was the end of February last year (I don’t know the exact date) when we had the idea. From February last year, designing and coding the whole time. Then summer we brought in our third partner, Ken Lim. And then when we had a prototype, a show prototype, we began looking for seed money. We got that in November. Then the legal stuff, we incorporated it in the States in January. I moved to China with everyone else, with all my partners, and we set up offices there. So yeah, it’s just been, since then, you know, just continuously expanding and developing faster. Every milestone, I

think you think okay now, I can take a bit of a breather, it’s completely wrong. It never ever happens. It just ups the speed and ups your self-confidence with the thing you can do for the next step. And you end up doing more, trying to do it quicker, trying to do it better. It’s pretty much how it is.

Victoria:You’re going way too fast Christopher. Can you back up a little bit? I want to know from when you got this idea, tell me about the process of creating your prototype. How did you know that it was finally ready and so forth? Did you do it in a month?

Christopher:It took about nine months to create a prototype that I felt that we were comfortable enough showing to an investor. That was then. Now obviously I’ve learnt more. I wouldn’t have shown it then. Nine months of pretty serious work. I personally didn’t do any coding. My partner does that. But I do all the design work and we figure out the functionalities together. I do the user interface, the UI. The mathematics behind some of the algorithms but not the actual coding. So nine months of work.

Victoria:So what do you think were the greatest challenges in actually creating your prototype?

Christopher:The technical problems, I would say. If a website, like Ning for example, you have a few cross browser compatibility problems, but otherwise it’s quite easy, its one set of code. When you do mobile applications for mobile clients, you have to make it compatible on so many different phones and the number of phones you have to get it working on is just growing with time, with new releases and so on. So I’d say that was really really tough. That is, getting it functional on a broad range of phones and it’s still, I would say, our biggest challenge. That is, getting it compatible. With a new idea, you have to test it on 200 phones or whatever. I’d say that’s the toughest part.

Victoria:Are you happy with it now? I mean, what’s your satisfaction level on your prototype.

Christopher:I would say, again as an entrepreneur, you’re never really satisfied. You’re

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proud. You have your silent moments of pride. You say ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool. I can’t believe we did that. It’s working.’ But it’s never ever near good enough. I don’t think you’d be an entrepreneur if you were satisfied. It’s always like, okay, now that this is done imagine where we can take it. Imagine what we could do if we had this feature. Imagine all the extra value, how much more fun it would be. So I guess the answer is simply, I’m not satisfied. (laughter)

Victoria:What are the functionalities and features you are most proud of?

Christopher:Without getting too technical I guess if you want to have a location-based service, there’s a couple of technology options that you can use. You can use GPS or you can use Cell Tower Triangulations or Cell Tower ID. You can use Bluetooth. We decided on a system that allows user to define where they were over mobile Internet using addresses, a physical address, using Google Maps and to select from a predefined list of places that solves a lot of… also supplementing that with GPS though, and now we’re doing triangulation. So that idea, is that people I think in our user studies, that was really well received. People understood. So where we are right now, you enter an address, as opposed to trying to figure out how to turn your GPS on and see your location on a map, which is kind of abstract. I would say the location-based aspect I’m pretty proud of. Also, we have a really tight integration of our web and our mobile phone suite. Like a lot of mobile companies tend to see web as kind of a necessary add-on and vice versa for web companies. We design both from the ground up with the database designed to interact very closely together, to make a product that people use online, when at work or at home, and then offline when they are away on the phone. I think that’s how it’s going to be in the future as well. You can’t just be a mobile company, you can’t be a web company, you have to be an information company, like Google and that means providing value wherever you are, which is nowadays either on your phone or on your computer, or when you’re sleeping. (laughter)

Victoria:Now can you talk about the process of funding? Congratulations by the way, that’s a great achievement!

Christopher:Thanks very much…Entrepreneurs are so hell-bent on their idea. They’re so passionate about everything. It’s really just an annoying obstacle…it’s just something that has to be done. This convincing a VC of the brilliance of your ideas, right? I’ve come across entrepreneurs who were extremely extremely arrogant. I’ve come across more arrogant entrepreneurs than venture capitalists because you know, entrepreneurs tend to think, my idea is going to change the world, you’re going to use it, it’s just genius, where’s the money, right? For us, I think we’re a bit more … maybe the European side, or maybe the Filipino side, I don’t know, I guess, a bit more modest with that. We tried really hard to just show the value of the product, to show why we think it would add value to lives. But of course we had our stories with VCs. Most of them rejections of course, that’s the case for most people. Yeah, and learnt a lot in the beginning.

Victoria:So how many rejections did you get before you got your ‘yes!’

Christopher:Actually our first, our seed round, we got no rejections. This was the first person we spoke with.

Victoria:WOW!

Christopher:We were just lucky. And right now we’ve secured some more funding in this round, but we decided to continue raising in light of the positive investor response. And we’ve had a few rejections from those already. Some because the company’s too small…Yeah, it’s a great process. You learn an amazing amount about yourself, about your company, about your products. All of the things that you kind of cursorily pass over, you really now think about, you ponder. I guess, an entrepreneur, as he or she evolves, thinks more and more like a VC. And you see that a lot. You see a lot of entrepreneurs who join companies or who have successful companies leave there to become VCs. You realize you know what it takes to have a good company. But it’s an entertaining, crazy, crazy experience. You know, as a kid, you can go into a room talk about a couple million bucks right, and you’re trying to be all serious. You’re trying to be like “I do this thing all day, everyday. I’m not fazed by it. ”But of course 5 minutes before, you’re crapping yourself. And if you get a good response, you’re dancing, dancing…you know…like a madman. Yeah, it’s good fun.

Victoria:Adrenalin, huh?

Christopher:Tons of it… you know, Six Flags is great and scary movies are great but nothing really beats that kind of adrenalin rush.

Victoria:So how much funding did you get in your seed round?

Christopher:In our seed round, we got 150,000 Euros. This round, I can’t disclose yet until we finish it but it’s going to be at least 250,000 Euros.

[Note from an email received from Christoper on April 1, 2009: “2nd round negotiations went very well. We raised 250k€ at a very respectable valuation.”]

Victoria:Who are your investors?

Christopher:Also, I can’t disclose that. I’m not sure if they’d want to be known.

Victoria:You alluded earlier in the interview re: how your family has influenced you. Can you tell me a bit more about your Filipino side?

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Christopher:I think the sense of family is very very strong in Filipino culture, right? I would normally spend one vacation of the year with my Filipino family, and one with my Austrian family. I adore them obviously both sides equally. But how family is conducted. The business of family is very different in both. In the Filipino side, it’s much larger. My Filipino family, that side has many more members. I think it’s the sense of family closeness that regardless of whatever happens that you always have your support from everyone. It’s very very close. Very warm and I think what that does, or what that did to me…obviously I can’t speak for everyone…but what that did for me was it gave me a lot of confidence. That I felt like I could go and pitch an idea to my family for my life, my career or whatever and my family would find someone to help me. They would have really really good responses. They would work together, with a lot of emotional support, and try and guarantee it, or try and increase the likelihood of success. And that’s exactly what happened with this company…Obviously, I’ve had a lot of nervous moments, a lot of insecure moments, and sad moments in the beginning, even now. And my Filipino side of the family was very supportive of that, very very warm. And I think it would’ve been impossible without them, without that kind of classic Filipino support. It sounds cliché but it’s difficult to explain. The European side is colder, not less loving, but colder. It’s more independent, I guess. It stresses more on finding your own way and being autonomous and solving your problems on your own. It’s harder, you know. The Filipino side is more like, it’s great, let’s all get together and talk about it and see who we know, and see what we can do, and what do you need from me, what do you need from my family or whatever. And I think that helped a lot.

Victoria:Kind of like a warm blanket?

Christopher:Yeah, I’m feeling fuzzy now and may cry. But I think that helped. Definitely. I think a lot of Filipinos who know what other families are like will understand what I am saying. It’s this sense of family unity and closeness, an unrelenting willingness to help regardless of the circumstance. It’s also why Filipinos get far in life because of that. In the States, I think the statistic is [Filipinos are the] 2nd highest earning ethnic group behind Japanese or Chinese or something. I think one of the reasons is because of that cohesion. Everyone helps each other, tries and guarantees the success of everyone in your clan. That’s my unprofessional, uninformed theory.

Victoria:Who are your role models and they don’t need to be Filipino. Who do you really look up to?

Christopher:My Filipino grandmother. Actually, I’m in her house right now. She is a role model for me. I don’t really have role models. Not really role models per se, just people I really admire, right. So no one I say, “I want to be like this person.” Just people with uncharacteristic concentrations or uncharacteristic development of certain traits that I think are important in leading a good life. Ultimately it’s that, right? What makes life good. My grandmother is one of those people that possesses a trait that I think is really important in

leading a good life. The ability to put everyone ahead of yourself. Yeah, it’s like you can see a lot of people, they’re waiting for my time, waiting for time to talk about their problems, waiting for a chance to stop helping. Like you can see for a lot of people, when they help, it’s taxing. You can see that it causes them a lot of distress, right. There is a cost to something, right. This is an exchange for something that is ultimately what I want. She has the characteristic where it’s the opposite. This is something that is far beyond me. If I had an iota of what she had then I think I could call this life a success. Sounds really corny but that’s really what I think. Everyone else I tend to look up to it’s not because of character or personality but it’s more because of some sort of ability or something.

Victoria:I’m jumping to another topic. Why did you choose to go to Shanghai?

Christopher:Purely for commercial reasons. The Chinese market is, everyone says, insane. But it’s really really insane. The entire population of the United Kingdom, that number of people, buys mobile phones every year. That’s the idea of the scale. So it’s really really really insane. I think it’s the sheer scale that’s exciting. If you get an idea in the States and it has a lot of penetration and shows a lot of traction and you get 10% of the population, that’s 30 million people, right? And that would be a glowing, resounding success. In China… Shanghai where I live at the moment is 18 million people actually. Officially it’s more than that probably. So the sheer number of people you can potentially influence, the number of lives you can potentially better is amazing. And that’s why. I don’t really enjoy living there. I miss Europe. I miss living in Europe. It’s that. It’s the scale.

Victoria:What’s your favorite place in the whole world?

Christopher:I would have to say Vienna. It’s really great. Crappy place to work compared to most places in Asia. Definitely Shanghai. It’s far more static, far more

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established. Everything has been done. Everything is on system. It’s slow. But that’s what makes it great for life. I like those things when you can just take it easy and you can enjoy joie de vivre kind of stuff. Yup those places are often crappy to work because everything has already been established. All the vacuums have been filled. And Shanghai feels like you are in the middle of a hurricane. It is so dynamic. Everyone is there to do something. Everyone is there to invent himself. Everyone is there, like I said earlier, to “win life.”And that kind of spirit, energy, dynamism is really really amazing for business. And if anyone wants to launch a start-up, I would highly recommend looking at China for that reason.

Victoria:So I heard that you also play the guitar?

Christopher:Yeah.

Victoria:Is it professional? Do you go out there and jam? What kind of music do you play?

Christopher:Its pretty boring stuff. I like a lot of classical stuff. A lot of Spanish romantic classical stuff. But I also like a lot of Baroque music: Bach and that kind of thing. Tango as well, modern stuff. Flamenco.

Victoria:There’s nothing boring about that by the way.

Christopher:Okay, cool. I never played professionally. I never studied professionally. It’s just something I picked up, I guess, over the years. I busked in Malaysia and Vienna for survival.

Victoria:What do you mean? What does that mean?

Christopher:After undergrad, I lived in Vienna looking for a job so I could afford to end myself to grad school. And I couldn’t find anything. I couldn’t find anything decent anyways. I didn’t want to work in McDonalds so I decided to busk instead.

Victoria:What does that mean? Play on the streets?

Christopher:Yeah, I got a license you know. I was like a hobo, wore poor looking pants and didn’t wash.

Victoria:On purpose?

Christopher:On purpose, yeah. Just to give myself a bit more credibility. It was a good experience!

Victoria:What did you learn?

Christopher:You learned that if you want help, ask poor people. John Steinbeck said that in Grapes of Wrath in a much nicer way. But that’s how it is. I played in the central districts where rich tourists went by and no one gave me anything. I made all my money in the student district, by the university, where poor students were. And they would say, ok here’s a euro or two or something. That was really valuable. That blew my mind. I was expecting like these Japanese American tourists to like look at some young Asian kid on the street and throw me a 10-euro bill or whatever. That’s not the case at all. It was the students who had nothing. That was valuable I think.

Victoria:Do you have a long-term personal vision for yourself? What would it be? No set time limit.

Christopher:No set time limit. I want to create a university. I want to start a university is my goal actually. I would love for this company to work and exit nicely, financially and have enough funds to set up a university. I mean it sounds pretty crazy. Everyone thinks I’m already crazy. But to set it up with my current partner actually. This is a dream we both share as well; to create an institute. Call it university, call it an athenaeum, whatever you want. But basically a place… a place where people can…actually, preamble…how I anticipated university life to be. I was very very shattered in my actual experience. You know I thought there would be people running around having deep thoughts. Everything sounds wonderful and naïve right now but that’s how I thought. In high school I thought, really smart people go there and there are great ideas and everyone looks like Plato or something, right? Obviously it’s not. It’ s tons of beer and messing around. Largely I was with the studious people as well but that original idea of academics and the supremacy of intellectual life, put it that way, is something that I still want to do in a pure way in the institute. Where there’s no admissions. There’s no tuition. It’s all funded. It’s all non-profit. And everyone comes together who has an idea and they do it there. We’d pay professors and pay people to give talks, give lectures, like an Agora or something. It’s a bit loosely defined right now but that’s what I want to do. Definitely what I want to do, eventually. Leave the private sector and go entirely non-profit. I mean if I can afford it. That’d be really great.

Victoria:Wow, that’s awesome! Is there anything else you’d like to tell the world about Urbian?

Christopher:I would say for anyone looking to become an entrepreneur, it’s an absolutely miserable life. It’s crap. You work like hell. You don’t get paid or anything. But I would highly highly suggest that you do it anyways. Just do it. Try and do as much with this life as possible. And I think becoming an entrepreneur is a good way to do it.

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