Self-Portrait: Mga Hulagway sa Baji

The curator, muralist Jhacky Curambao-Aballe.

Baji articulates and highlights her many forms, reflections and iterations in its aptly titled 2020 Women’s Month exhibit “Mga Hulagway sa Baji” which opened last March 10th at the Lobby of the New Bohol Provincial Capitol Building.

Catigbian National High School wins top prize of the Bohol Sandugo Festival 2019 Street Dancing and Performance Arts Competition

The Catigbian National High School Sandugo contingent is the Grand Champion of the 2019 Bohol Sandugo Street Dancing and Performance Arts Competition held on July 27, 2019 in Tagbilaran City.

Catigbian National High School also bagged the Best in Drama Production, Best in Design, Best in Music, and Best Performer in a Lead Role (Male) awards.

Runners up were the Baclayon National High School/ LGU Baclayon and the Lumad Tubignon/ LGU Tubigon, who was also declared the Most Lively Group.

Watch: 2019 Bohol Sandugo Trade Expo Floor Tour

(The Trade Expo yet again saves this otherwise lackluster Sandugo month. People are trying, sure -- and thanks for all your efforts -- but this year's just not at par.)

The 2019 Bohol Sandugo Trade Expo ‘Beyond Expectations @ 32’ features your favorite export-quality products ranging from furniture and home furnishings, gifts and decors, wearables and homestyle, fashion accessories, and processed food from 200++ exhibitors from 10++ regions around the country --- and then some.

The Trade Expo opened last Wednesday, July 24 at the Island City Mall in Tagbilaran City and will run until this Sunday, the 28th.

Watch: Tagbo sa Tagbi Night Market

Tagbilaran City pilot tests its night market concept to revitalize the old area around the old Holy Spirit School in downtown Tagbilaran.

Dubbed Tagbo sa Tagbi, the night market will run from July 17 to 21, 2019.

Video: How to Open a Calamay

Calamay is a local Boholano sweet treat made from sticky rice, kinugay (muscovado sugar) and coconut milk contained in an iconic brown-stained coconut shell secured with a signature red (originally paper) tape.

Ever wondered how to open a calamay? Check out this video, and learn how:

 

Where a ‘baji’ breaks her silence, flowers bloom

Rolaine B. Uy, Executive Director of the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, points to her work made just for the Baji Exhibit 2018 “Take Off” (Oil on canvas, 32x34 inches)

...butterfly wings flutter, as a soft breeze wafts through, whizzing: listen. Lightnings crack, thunders roar, as ravens cry in flight, cawing: listen, listen, take notice. Where the ‘baji’ artists break their silence, canvases are stretched out and slathered with colors, brushes gliding through, deliberately scraping: look, listen, take action.

Guimbawan sa Batuan 2018

Guimbawan sa Batuan 2018 is Batuan's yearly festival in honor of the Sto. Niño.

Sunday morning, 28th of January, there was an unusual hustle and bustle in downtown Batuan, Bohol. While its famous roadside attraction, the ShipHaus, still drew in the usual selfie-stick-toting tourist-types – elsewhere in the poblacion, around the market, the municipio, the plaza, and the ogee-arched parish church, brimmed with people, young and old, excitedly awaiting the start of Batuan’s own Sto. Niño fête, the Guimbawan Festival.

Sandugo Trade Fair 2017: Same old, same old

Dumaguete's Subida Souvenirs

The Sandugo Festival has been around for decades now, and along with the Street Dancing competition, the Sandugo Trade Fair has always been the more-awaited of THE Bol-anon fete's banner events. 

Like its mother event, the 'trade fair' has its hits and misses year on year. This year's, sadly, disappoints.

Sandugo de Kuradang - The Most Fun Sandugo Yet!

Kuradang Queen and King 2016

22 July 2016 - For once, a Bohol Day brought us a Sandugo event where the performers were genuinely having fun -- more smiles, vigour and energey and less strained & exhausted faces (the late afternoon start sure helped) --  which inspired the audience and in turn inspired the performers. It also helped that the familiar fun(ny), upbeat melody, lyrics and dance steps (!) of the Kuradang that harked back actual fiestas and family celebrations had us all beaming and wanting to join in the fun.

Music and Heartbreak (Millennial Edition) at the Freds Book Cafe Poetry Night

Krizzia and Erick sing their heartbreaks away

Very briefly, Friday night, Freds Book Cafe became the "Sagada" for millennial broken hearts as the coffeeshop-cum-library hosted its first poetry night bannered "Music and Heartbreak".

The intimate gathering kicked off with the reading of "Broken Hearts" written by literati-snubbed social-media-darling multimedia artist Lang Leav. Where the first line of the night is -- "I know you’ve lost someone and it hurts." -- you know you're in the company of romantics who embrace all of love and life's joys and pains.

In Photos: Saulog Tagbilaran 2016

Saulog! Tagbilaran Festival, now on its 4th year, is getting more spectacular! spectacular! by the year. We can't say we haven't seen these costumes and dance moves and formations before, but those smiles are sure Tagbilaranon! 

Maayong pista!

Earth Day Jam with Joey Ayala

Joey Ayala

Boholanos were once again regaled with one of the country's quintessential folk singer/songwriter Joey Ayala, this time in an intimate setting by the Tagbilaran Bay in celebration of the Earth Day, April 22.

In Photos: Saulog Arts Exhibit 2016

The 22-28 April 2016 Saulog Arts Exhibit at the BQ Mall Atrium features the latest works of Bohol visual artists. It is organized by Bohol visual artists led by Joey Labrador and Jhacky Curambao in cooperation with the City Government of Tagbilaran.

BB5: Reading Poetry in the Rain

Development worker Nestor Pestelos read from his own book of poetry and essays.

Poetry is night and day, love and war, rain or shine - literally.

Kaliwat ni Karyapa presents...

In celebration of Arts Month, Kaliwat ni Karyapa presents Balut, Beer ug Balak, an open mic poetry session, on February 26 at the Plaza Rizal, Tagbilaran City. Beers will be waiting by 7pm.

Kurambos sa Arte ug Kultura: NAM 2016 - Bohol Opening Salvo

Diwanag Cultural Group of the Holy Name University is Bohol's most accomplished cultural group.

5 February, 2016 - The National Arts Month (NAM) 2016 kicked off in Bohol with a simple program at the Bohol Cultural Center, with an arts circle of sorts where the audience and artists alike were regaled with a preview of the month-long celebration of the arts and culture in the province.

The School as a Canvas

Baji artist April Aquino conceptualized this wall's design

On November 7, 2015, the school buildings of Ubujan Elementary School in Tagbilaran became a canvas for a mural project initiated by its school principal Mrs. Evangeline I. Canda.

In an effort to bring more inspiration into the school environment, and inspired by a recent visit to a school in Negros festooned with wall paintings, Mrs. Canda sought out local artists to help bring into fruition her vision of a similar splash of color and creativity into her school. This is, in addition to existing school improvement programs in Ubujan Elementary School (ES) such as Bio or Green Parks, Gulayan sa Paaralan, Waste Segregation and the like.

Boholanos as Filipino Americans

October is Filipino American History Month or Filipino American Heritage Month.

#FAHM2015 is the hashtag campaign in social media sites.

We saw one post in Facebook sharing this KVIE documentary on Little Manila.

Heneral Luna: Adelante!

The student discount didn't count.

Heneral Luna, the independent film by Jerrold Tarog is the first Filipino I watched in the cinema since Eric Matti’s On The Job. Sadly, I only knew of it after reading raving reviews from Facebook and Twitter friends. Marketing budget was perhaps nil, which is unfortunate because these sorts of movies are exactly what Filipinos need, young and old. I watched a matinee showing at the Tagbilaran Island City Mall on its last day, and expected a full house. But alas, despite the 50% student discount (regular price is P120), the theater was mostly bare saved only by a string of senior Tagbilaranons enjoying their free movie passes c/o the city government. Where were the students?

In Photos: SidlaKasilak 2015

SidlaKasilak is an offering of dance and lights to Loon's patron saint the Lady of Light.

It was fortunate that we got the chance to again witness one of our favorite dance festivals in Bohol, Loon's SidlaKasilak Festival of Lights.

"SidlaKasilak is a combination of the words sidlak which means to rise, just as the sun rises to break the darkness of night, or to rise from life’s adversities; and kasilak, which means light. Collectively, SidlaKasilak expresses the Loonanons’ resilience amid challenges, hardships and suffering, and their ability to shine with their talents, capability and creativity." (Monreal, 2015)