The Fine Arts graduates of the University of Sto. Tomas, Asia’s oldest existing university with a European-style higher education institution that enjoyed all the rights and privileges of similar universities in Spain and Europe, are reuniting in “Balik USTe UST Atelier Alumni Grand Homecoming” this Saturday, April 14, 2018 from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Dr. Robert C. Sy Grand Ballroom, 2nd floor Buenaventura Garcia Paredes O.P. Building (Thomasian Alumni Center) UST, Espana, Manila.
UST alumni visual artist Elmer Dumlao’s “Full Cargo” retrospective at the Art Center of Megamall is a major component of this homecoming, which was spearheaded by Marissa Pe Yang as president. Marissa and Elmer both belong in batch 1981 of the Fine Arts in Advertising course of the College of Fine Arts and Design. Elmer was a UST Outstanding Atelier Alumni in 2016. His first-ever solo exhibit in the Philippines is for the benefit of the UST Atelier Alumni Association Inc. (USTAAAI).
Since UST has so many accomplished artists, the USTAAAI officers and the homecoming committee members have decided to postpone the awarding ceremony to give more time for the Jubilarians. A separate awarding ceremony will be scheduled to give sufficient time to gather and select awardees. UST alumni are encouraged to continue nominations.
Ticket price is P800 with raffles offering artworks by Raul Isidro and Elmer Dumlao, stamps designed by Al Perez with his signature, Sugbu brand slippers by Islander Footwear Manufacturing Company as prizes and dinner. Corona Supply gift packs will be given to all attendees.
GMA NETWORK’S NEW SHOW AMAZES. Having attended the opening of Elmer Dumlao’s “Full Cargo” retrospective on Sunday at the Art Center of Megamall, I failed to watch the new show of GMA Network, Lip Sync Battle Philippines, as hosted by Michael V. and Iya Villania-Arellano, which piloted that night.
Fast-paced, an audio-visual feast and thrilling, the much-publicized Lip Sync Battle Philippines featured a four-way competition with a cross-dressing Andre Paras the giant, punky twins Mavy and Cassy Legaspi as a tandem and young, sexy and gorgeous Sanya Lopez in a Madonna-theme event to bring home the much-coveted championship belt!
Eagerly viewed by their parents Carmina Villaroel and Zoren Legaspi, the showbiz royal twins Cassy and Mavy engaged in a lipsych battle while in a dance fight routine. They were the clear winners as they were raved at by the audience. Lip Sync Battle Philippines is clearly the best show intro of the season!
JERICHO’S WALL. The name “Jericho” brings to mind Israelites marching, trumpets sounding and walls crumbling down. It is a wonderful story of faith and victory, but did it really happen? The skeptic would say no, it is merely a folk tale to explain the ruins at Jericho.
Jericho Villarico, fourth from left, proved he is as formidable as the legendary Jericho’s wall. From Baguio City High School of Region CAR, Jericho is champion for the 8th ASEAN Quiz (National Level) as broadcasted by PTV4. Fifteen regions competed and Jericho clinched the top slot. Marina Tabangcura is Schools Division Araling Panlipunan Supervisor, while Eva Layagan was his coach. Jericho bagged a trophy, certificate and the prize money for the champion of P20,000.
The 8th ASEAN Quiz National Level Competition, Philippines was conducted by the People’s Television Network, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Communication Operations Office, the Philippine Information Agency, and the Philippine Broadcasting Service from April 3 to 6, 2018 at the PTV Broadcast Center, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City.
The competition, which is a continuing project of the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information, aims to foster a spirit of healthy competition among the ASEAN youth in a friendly quiz game that exposes them to ASEAN cultural, political, economic and social information.
The triumphant Jericho is shown with his happy family. From left is Eddielea Villarico, Jericho’s mother; Jermaine Villarico who is ASEAN Quiz Bee Champion is Jericho’s sister; Eugene Villarico is Jericho’s father; Jericho; Perjohn Gomez, Jericho’s uncle; and Rachel Verns, Perjohn’s ladylove.
YOU ROCK, BPO QUEEN. The much-awaited screening of BPO Queen, the first-ever pageant for queens in the national Business Processing Outsourcing industry, will be held at The Crew Room on Makati Avenue on April 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. Coronation Night will be on May 29, 6 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena
“The BPO Queen will definitely rock the Arena because of the overwhelming response. All the ‘queens’ from the BPO industry are talking about it and they’re preppin’ up for the screening. I just can’t imagine the fun and excitement that will happen come Coronation Night,” said the pageant’s fashion and stage director Calvin Murphy Neria. He will make sure to highlight the beauty and wit of the candidates, while promoting diversity, inclusion and equality. He hopes this will be one of the most talked-about LGBTQ events this year.
IKEA COMES FOUR DECADES LATE TO MANILA. The IKEA showroom in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was my favorite destination every no-work day when I worked there from 1983 to 1994. I missed this pastime when assigned as country representative in Lebanon of the Saudi company I worked for.
The Philippines will build its first store of Swedish furniture company IKEA of simple but sturdy designs and self-assembly products as built in the Philippines by largest shopping mall operator in the country, SM Prime the Holdings.
The IKEA store will be built in SM’s Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex, home to one of its largest malls, an events arena, and a Conrad hotel branch, SM Prime vice president Alex Pomento. Josefin Thorell, spokesperson of Inter IKEA Systems, first confirmed to IKEA’s planned Philippine foray in February.
Familiar in homes around the globe, the retailer is aiming to generate 50 billion euros ($62 billion) in annual revenues by 2020.
LEAD-OUTS. When an unknown sender of an SMS offering the identity of the local entertainment executives involved in a #MeToo scheme as published in a local broadsheet refused to identify his/her person, I just blocked the number and the libel ended!... Dean of Filipino Entertainment Writers Manay Ethel Ramos revealed at the launch of CineMarya at the FDCP Cinematheque Manila that, according to Mother Lily Monteverde, most Filipino-produced films this year are not turning profitable!... About 85 percent of the objects offered in actor Russel Crowe’s auction, from his films such as Gladiator and Cinderella Man, dubbed as “The Art of Divorce,” were sold!...