Review: President Duterte's First State of Nation Address (SONA)

President Digong looked and spoke like the badass Mayor that he was.

We watched the first State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Here's what we have to say:

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.

Deep Deep Blue (Updated)

Bohol Dance Project dancers Marvin Ablao, Jerrey David Aguilar, Jay Banquil, and Yassie Nalo dance, fly, swim, move the blue way.

Blue Way is a trippy choreographic creation -- a metaphysical study in contrasts and progressions set to motion by  the ebb and flow of sea/river waters -- by French dance guru/choreographer Gigi Caciuleanu (with music by French-Cameroonian Manuel Wandji) featuring Bohol Dance Project dancers Marvin Ablao, Jerrey David Aguilar, Jay Banquil, and Yassie Nalo.

Bohol Fever

Behold...Bohol
"BEHOLD (the beautiful)...BOHOL" Take a peek at the newest promotional video for the island of Bohol, including #SUPToursPhilippines, in partnership with Bohol Tourism Office and the Philippine Department of Tourism. filmed and edited by Bohol's finest, Chris Ramasola. #suprivers #suplove #supbohol #supholiday #suptravel #supyoga #supyogaretreat #standuptraveller #supschool #asieducation #starboardsup #beholdbohol #itsmorefuninthephilippines #thephilippines #travelPH
Posted by SUP Tours Philippines on Sunday, March 13, 2016

With Bohol being THE hottest destination this part of the islands, thanks to the Tenten and Serena's Dolce Amore wanderings in the island, the release of this beautiful no-nonsense Bohol promotional video (filmed and edited by Bohol's finest, Chris Ramasola) is very timely -- and a much-needed follow-through to the stunning Bohol imagery that was backdrop to Tenten and Serena's budding "thing".

We say no-nonsense because devoid of the usual voice over and captions -- it "shows" not "tells". And we like it!

The catchphrase Behold... Bohol, though, still "meh". 

Mga Kalaki sa Baji (The Baji Arts Exhibit 2016)

"Ang Bildo nga Kisame", installation by Regina Estorba Macalandag

Now on its 6th year, the annual Baji Arts Exhibit 2016 was unveiled last Monday evening at the Oak Brook Library, showcasing 38 Boholana artists aged 11-86 and around 70 works of arts, creative interpretations of this year’s theme: “mga kalaki sa baji”.

In her installation work “Ang Bildo nga Kisame” where red female figures are barred from going further up the ladder by a glass ceiling only occupied by black male figures, research and development worker Regina Estorba Macalandag enjoins women to take on the “glass ceiling”, the “unacknowledged discriminatory barrier that prevents women and minorities from rising to positions of power or responsibility”. The accompanying note reads: Unsay kalaki sa mga baji?/ No.1 tig-atiman sa pamilya./ Mao na sa trabaho, gawas niini, /maglisod na mobida./ Kalaki sa mga baji/ Ang dugmokon ang Bildo nga Kisame/ ang dili makita nga babag/ naghikaw ug nag-abog / sa kaangayan sa responsibilidad ug gahum /nga angayang pagabahinon sa laki ug baji. 

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?

Mosia: Must Love Dogs

Not your ordinary cupcake place.

Their minimalist logo is a cute dog nose-kissing a cupcake. And when you're lucky, the real-life fluffy Mosia avatar will usher you into the lovely quaint little sweets haven, south of Tagbilaran.