Their wedding was highly anticipated, their love story well-known and when Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos tied the knot on April 28, 2009, it was billed as the secret wedding of the century.
The private ceremony was held at daybreak at the San Juan Nepomuceno Church in San Juan, Batangas. The reception was held at the Balai, Anilao Beach Resort. All the preparations were held in secret, and no media was allowed at the actual event. Only family and close friends, all of whom wore white, were invited.
Now, we can get a glimpse of Ryan and Juday’s special day. Here is their wedding video, courtesy of their videographer, Jason Magbanua. Jason shot the video entirely on Super 8 film, giving it a timeless and classic feel that perfectly complemented the joy and romance of the day.
June 12 is celebrated as Independence Day in the Philippines. It’s a holiday, and a time to reflect on what freedom means to us Filipinos and to our native land.
We have so much to be proud of, from heroes, natural bounty, acts of bravery and simple patriotism. May these inspire us to love our country even more:
the literary gifts and martyrdom of Jose Rizal
the courage of Macario Sakay and Andres Bonifacio
the tenacity of Cory Aquino
the patriotism of Ninoy Aquino
the vision of Fidel Ramos
the beauty of the mountains and beaches of the Philippines
the fragrance of our flowers
the high flying Philippine eagle
our diverse arts and languages
the enduring love of our culture by ordinary Filipinos
To this end, I originally wanted to show you a video of a well-known celebrity singing “Ang Bayan Ko” or the “Lupang Hinirang”. But I came across this little-viewed clip of a group of Filipino friends celebrating our culture in their own simple way.
Wherever you may be, my dear kababayan, Happy Independence Day!
Here’s a video of Charice’s performance of her brand new single “Note to God” at the Oprah Winfrey Show on May 18, 2009.
Before Charice sang, Oprah gave an overview of the career of the 17-year-old singer, which included the following highlights:
a previous appearance on Oprah
a performance accompanied by David Foster
singing with Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany
duet with Celine Dion in Madison Square Garden
Charice signing an album deal
a glimpse at her life in the Philippines
Charice’s emotive rendition brought the song “Note to God” to life in a very powerful way. She brought the show audience to their feet and elicited much praise from the host.
Charice has continued to carve out an international career for herself with her soaring voice and youthful charm. The 17-year old Filipino singer has just released her single, "Note To God", which was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster. It was first heard on "Oprah’s Search for the World’s Smartest and Most Talented Kids" on May 18, 2009, and is available for download on Amazon.com.
Charice has also signed on with 143/Reprise Records to release her debut album, due out later this year. She is now hard at work recording the album. I have a feeling her debut will take the music world by storm, she is such a talented young lady!
I hope you enjoy these photos of our young kababayan!
This month on Good Housekeeping (Philippines) Magazine, the cover features happily married sweethearts Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago. The issue promises a look at the couple “away from the camera”, how they are as husband and wife, and as parents to their little ones, Sabina and Santino.
For a peek into their home, which was designed in part by Raymart, here’s an older clip from Chika Minute.
Raymart and Claudine have grown up in the entertainment industry, but they also seem to have settled quietly into the married life. You can read about their family life in the magazine, available in magazine stands and bookstores all over the Philippines.
I love to try new things. Adventures in food and fashion are part and parcel of any travel experience, IMO. After all, getting a taste something new and different is what traveling is all about. And sometimes, the new and different experience is right in our own culture.
These featured posts from Filipino blogs are a prime example.
If you’re a Filipino, you probably already know what “sukang maanghang” (spicy vinegar) is. Chili peppers steeped in vinegar. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. It is a staple dip for many Filipinos who want to kick up the heat just a notch (or several notches). You may even be so used to it that you don’t even think much of it anymore. But did you know that you can use it to make a Filipino-Style Dirty Martini? Marvin of Burnt Lumpia has the recipes for making both the spicy vinegar and the martini. While you’re there, you might also want to check out his excellent primer on the different types of commercially-made Philippine vinegar.
Now on to Philippine shores… have you ever tried any of the dishes of Sentro 1771 at Greenbelt 3 in Makati? They are famous for their Sinigang na Corned Beef, which is a must-try. Over at Kitchen Cow, several other dishes are in focus, including Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls, Fried Kesong Puti, and Rated GG (galunggong made 5-star!).
Filipino-American artist Fred DeAsis’ artwork, “Trois Koi” was given the top award at the 4th Annual Highland Park Art Walk festival in Illinois. The Art Walk, which is organized by the non-profit Anatomically Correct, is “a juried exhibition of artwork by Illinois artists displayed in merchant windows”. The award was announced on June 1, 2009 and will be
Fred DeAsis was born in the Philippines and currently lives in Chicago. His work currently focuses on “kut-kut”, an ancient Philippine art style which was mainly used in Samar. He conducts workshops on the technique.
“Sharing our rich arts, culture and history to mainstream America is my way of giving back to the Philippines,” DeAsis said in a press statement.
DeAsis’ Art Walk painting is a 36” by 48” acrylic impasto on hardwood. It can be seen at Macy’s Department Store on Greenbay Road, Highland Park for the entire month of June.
Below are some of the events where you can catch Fred DeAsis this month:
Highland Park Art Walk Reception and Award Ceremony June 6, 2009; 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Las Palmas Restaurant 474 Central Ave, Highland Park, Illinois
Kut-kut Art Workshop June 14, 2009 “Gateway to the Philippines” Celebration Chicago Children’s Museum in Navy Pier, Chicago
It’s the day before June, the “weddingest” time of the year!
Countless Filipino brides are preparing for their wedding, and one of the most important choices is that of photographer. After all, once the wedding day is over, all you’ve have left are the husband, the rings, and the memories! Making sure that you have the perfect photographer will go a long way to preserving the emotions of your special day.
MaybeBlack and Silver Photography, by husband and wife team Bobby and Maritoni Eleazar, will be just what you need. Bobby and Maritoni started photography as a hobby, then evolved it into a business. Learn more about them in our interview below.
Filipina Soul: Tell us about your services. How does a couple go about booking you for their wedding?
Black and Silver Photography: We are a husband & wife team who only does one wedding a day so that we can focus solely on the couple on their special day. We rarely join bridal fairs, instead couples can view our work through our website www.blackandsilverphoto.com or www.blackandsilverphoto.multiply.com. If they like what they see they can ask for our packages & we can meet with them to discuss the details. We’ve had couples who reside in the States, Singapore & Dubai who have availed of our services through our website.
FS: What are some of the things you do to make a wedding special for a couple?
Fans of the “world’s best rubber flip flops” should scoot off to the Rockwell Tent at the Power Plant Mall this weekend. The “Make Your Own Havaianas 2009” event is going on during mall hours from May 28 to June 1. You get to make your own unique pair of these popular footwear, blinged up with with flags, Swarovski pins and whatever you may fancy.
Anton at Our Awesome Planet has some tips for you to make the most of the event.
Make Your Own Havaianas 2009 May 28 to June 1, 2009 Rockwell Tent, Power Plant Mall
I’m going to send you around to several links which caught my attention today.
First is this must-read from veteran columnist Armando Doronila on Iloilo Views. Joseph Estrada is, unfortunately, not cured of his hallucination that he can do something good for the Philippines. Despite being ousted and convicted for plunder, he continues to dream of regaining political power. But Doronila says he is “damaged goods”, and I hope to high heavens that he is right and that the masses see it in 2010.
There’s a date already set for Manny Pacquaio’s next fight, though with no opponent yet. That date is October 17, 2009. Names that have come up for the Pacman’s next match include Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Then there’s this lighthearted turn on the popular Manny. You know you’ve truly arrived when people are making fanpics of you. No disrespect meant by these altered photos; most of them are very well done, and some are truly funny. My favorite is the one of PacGlo, ie., Gloria MannyPacquiao Arroyo. ;)
If you’re a Filipino, you probably already know what “sukang maanghang” (spicy vinegar) is. Chili peppers steeped in vinegar. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. It is a staple dip for many Filipinos who want to kick up the heat just a notch (or several notches). You may even be so used to it that you don’t even think much of it anymore. But did you know that you can use it to make a 
Science Garden, PHILIPPINES