0

ee
Fr
February 2014
Issue 14

THE

Jessy

VALENTIISNSEUSE
DAY

Mendiola
Her Road to Stardom

Exclusive
Interview With

Ambeth
Ocampo

When Women
Make the Move
Valentines Day in Japan

PNoy

Meets Filipino
Community
in Japan

KathNiel
The Loveteam
to Beat

February
2014

Table of Contents

Editors Pick

The historic Ponte Vecchio is the most

famous and oldest bridge in Florence Italy.

4 6 8
9 12 14
4

Photographer: Chino Manding Caddarao

We Want Your Photos!

Send your submissions to the editor at dang010@yahoo.
com or filjapmagazine@yahoo.com. Resolution must be
300 dpi at actual print size. Please include applicable
credits and captions.

FilJap
M A G A Z I N E

In Focus
PNoy Attends ASEAN-Japan Commemorative
Summit in Tokyo

Publisher: Yonei Toshikazu

Editor-in-Chief: Florenda Corpuz

6
8
9
12
13
14
15

Cover Story
Jessy Mendiola: Her Road to Stardom

16

Culture & Arts

When Women Make the Move: Valentines Day in
Japan

Associate Editor: Nel Salvador

Faces
Bea Rose Santiago: In the Elite Circle of Beauties

Layout Artist: VerJube Photographics

Tokyo Office: 114-0004 Tokyo-to

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Telephone:
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Spotlight
An Exclusive Interview With Ambeth Ocampo
FilCom Watch
PNoy Meets Filipino Community in Japan
Star Watch
Jessica Sanchez: Singing Her Way To Help
Philippine Adventures
Fili-festivals

Florenda Corpuz
Editor-in-Chief

Advertising Executive: Judith Takahashi

Distribution Executive: Genie Omata

Celebrity News
KathNiel: The Loveteam To Beat

Editors NOTE

Photographers: Din Eugenio

Oliver Corpuz

Digital Edition: issuu.com/filjapmag

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FilJap Magazine is published by FilJap Consulting. All rights
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Where there is love, there is life.

ebruary, the month of love,

signifies the time when we
think about the people we
love, care about and come
into contact with on a daily basis
be it our family, our friends, our
neighbors, our co-workers or our
significant others.
In this issue of FilJap
Magazine, we have wonderful
stories for all of you our dear
readers.

is KathNiel.
Then we also have a feature
story about the recent trip of
Jessica Sanchez to the Philippines
where she gave hearing aids to
Filipinos with hearing impairment.
And we close off the issue
with an exclusive interview with
Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo where he
talked about his passion for history
and his love for the country.
Our hope is that our
Valentines Day Issue will touch
your hearts.

First up is our cover girl Jessy

Mendiola who never hesitated to
share her rough road to stardom
in a very inspiring rags-to-riches
story.
Next is an uplifting piece
about the recent victory of Miss
International 2013 Bea Rose
Santiago.
We follow that with a special
feature about the most popular
love team of this generation that
FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

PNoy Attends
ASEAN-Japan
Commemorative
Summit in Tokyo

quino said in his departure

speech that he remained
committed to work together
with ASEAN leaders in
carrying out exchange projects in a
wide range of fields, including the
economy, culture, tourism, peace and
stability in the region.
Following a working lunch and
bilateral talks with Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe, the President
expressed appreciation for Japans
tireless efforts to support the peace
process in Mindanao.
They were responsible for
fostering the millieu through which we
made our initial breakthrough, even at
a very short notice when they hosted
our talks with the MILF here in August
2011. Now we are in the penultimate
stage of the framework agreement we
are working on with the MILF, he said.
He also reiterated its commitment
to uphold the rule of law and promote
the peaceful settlement of disputes
while ensuring freedom of flight in
international airspace.
Both the Philippines and Japan
have been pursuing peaceful means to
resolve territorial disputes with China.
Furthermore,
he
said
that

TOKYO, Japan President Benigno S. Aquino III joined

other ASEAN leaders in the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative
Summit held on December 12-14.

2013 has been a banner year for

high-level exchanges between the
Philippines and Japan.
Meanwhile, Abe lauded the
Filipino people for what he called their
admirable spirit in responding to
disaster.
The two leaders witnessed the
exchange of notes on the post-disaster
standby loan amounting to Y10 billion
($100 million) from Japan, loan for
the multi-role response vessels for the
Philippine Coast Guard worth Y18.732
billion ($187 million) and the revised
route schedule for the PhilippinesJapan Air Services Agreement.
Aquino also informed Abe that
the Philippines has officially adopted
Japans ISDB-T system for digital
terrestrial television broadcasting.
In his statement at the session
of the ASEAN Japan Commemorative
Summit, Aquino also made a new
call for a peaceful and rules-based
approach to resolving territorial
disputes, including those with China.
To avoid a repeat of the
devastation brought by typhoon
Yolanda, Aquino called for an
international mechanism to combat
climate change.

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

He also reaffirmed its support

for giving women a prominent role in
various aspects of society, including
spurring economic development.
On the sidelines of the summit,
Aquino invited the Japan Business
Federation (Nippon Keidanren) to
further explore opportunities of
investing in the Philippines. He also
met with officials of major Japanese
companies like Sumitomo Metal
Mining Co. Ltd., Nidec Sankyo Corp.
and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.
He received an honorary doctoral
law degree from Sophia University on
the second day of his visit.
Before
returning
to
the
Philippines, Aquino attended a gala
dinner hosted by Abe and wife Akie at
the Imperial Hotel.
The ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit commemorated the 40
years of ASEAN-Japan relations.
The
ASEAN
and
Japans
cooperative partnership began in
1973 with the establishment of the
ASEAN-Japan forum on synthetic
rubber. Through the years, ASEAN and
Japan have forged close cooperation
towards peace, stability, development
and prosperity in Asia.

Photos courtesy of Gil Nartea / Ryan Lim (Malacaang Photo Bureau)

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COVER STORY

Jessy Mendiola:
Her Road to Stardom

Text courtesy of ABS-CBN

Photos courtesy of Star Cinema / Jojit Lorenzo

Fame didnt even cross the mind of then 14-year-old Jessy Mendiola when she joined Star Magics workshop back in 2007
together with her older sister. But it seems it was her destiny to become Philippine televisions next big star because out of
the many aspiring, young talents in her batch, she was the only one who caught the eye of star maker Mr. Johnny Manahan.
6

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

can still remember

Mr. M asking me
Gusto mo bang
mag-artista?
The clueless me back then
answered, Is it okay if pagisipan ko po muna? Can you
give me three days? Jessy
recounted.
She did think about it for
three days and after discussing
the matter with her mom and
siblings, Jessy signed up with
Star Magic, the countrys most
prestigious artist management
arm. But she did not say yes
to Mr. Ms offer because she
wanted to be an actress,
but rather because she felt
the need to be the familys
breadwinner.
Life wasnt easy for us
especially before I entered
showbiz. I grew up without
a dad and its only my mom
whos working to support
our needs. Ive experienced
very tough times. I have
experienced not having much.
I even experienced eating
instant noodles for dinner for
many days, she shared.
Jessy was born in Dubai
to a British-Lebanese dad and
a Filipina mom. She moved to
the Philippines when her mom
decided to start anew here.
Jessy lived a life apart from
her dad and grew up seeing
her mom as both a mom and
a dad to her and her two
siblings.
My mom has been
working hard all her life. Thats
why it was very easy for me to
take a stand and unburden
her of the responsibility of
providing for our family, she
explained.
From being a simple high
school student, Jessys life
turned 360 degrees when she
entered show business and
began acting on television. Like
any other rising star, she went
through a series of workshops
and did minor roles on various
ABS-CBN
programs.
She
waited long hours on the set,
with only minimal speaking
lines. Slowly, the reluctant
star began to embrace her
newfound passion acting.
I have learned to love the
craft and it motivated me to do
better. I am working not only
to provide for my family, but
because I have actually started
to enjoy acting. I realized that

I really want to become a good

actress, Jessy revealed.
She waited patiently for
her career to blossom until
she finally got her big break.
In 2010, she was launched in
her first title role as Sabel,
a show that marked the
beginning of her reign as ABSCBNs next teleserye princess.
Her popularity and premium as
an actress were bolstered after
she did the television series
Budoy and afternoon soap
Precious Hearts Romances
Presents Paraiso and starred
in movies The Reunion and
Call Center Girl.
Now tagged as one of
Philippine televisions prettiest
faces, Jessy has become one
of the countrys fast-rising
cover girls after being featured
on the covers of top glossy
magazines such as Metro,
Chalk, Mens Health, Meg,
Preview and now Japan-based
publication FilJap Magazine.
She has also proven to be a
sought-after product endorser
after
brands
Head
and
Shoulders, Myra E, Boardwalk,
Bench and McDonalds tapped
her to be their image model.
Bigger things happened
to Jessy this year as she
reprised the role of Maria
Mercedes played by Mexican
superstar Thalia back in the
90s.
This is really one of
my dream roles. I grew up
watching Maria Mercedes
and I still cant believe that I
am now the Pinay version of
this character loved by many
Filipinos, she said.
Last October 2013, Jessy
was appointed as honorary
Ambassador of Korea Tourism
Organization
(KTO),
a
government agency dedicated
to tourism promotion of the
Republic of Korea.
I am very honored and
thankful that the KTO chose
me as ambassador. The
Koreans are very nice to me
when I visited their country
and they instantly became
dear to my heart, Jessy said.
Just recently, Star Cinema
also announced that Jessy is
set to do a movie with John
Lloyd Cruz, Richard Gomez
and Dawn Zulueta.
Jessy was romantically
linked to JM De Guzman,
Matteo Guidecelli and Sam
Milby.
FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014 7

FACES

In the Elite Circle of Beauties

riella Arida, the Philippine representative in

the Miss Universe pageant held in Moscow,
Russia made a good finish as she placed
3rd in the said competition. Mutya Johanna
Datul was crowned Miss Supranational 2013 at
Belarus while Angeli Dione Gomez bagged the Miss
Tourism title in Malaysia.
Completing the roster is Miss International
2013 Bea Rose Santiago who made Filipinos proud,
especially the Filipino community in Japan where
the pageant was held. Amidst all the controversies
and tragedies that the country faced last year,
these victories were welcomed with much gusto -providing relief even for a short while.
In fact, the 23-year-old beauty who hails from
Masbate dedicated her win to the victims of super
typhoon Yolanda that struck the nation in November
that killed thousands of lives. It was the said tragedy
that inspired the 30-second speech of Bea Rose
in the question and answer portion that garnered
praise and applause from the audiences.
The whole world saw how my country, the
Philippines, suffered. The agony of my people
was felt. But one by one, country to country came
to help. I would like to thank all the nations that
helped my country. In our darkest hours, you have
opened my eyes and my heart and how important
it is if we all just support each other. If I become
Miss International, I will uphold international
camaraderie to sustain the spirit for sympathy and
to continually share the message of hope. I believe
8

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

that whatever calamity may come to us, as long as

we have each other, there will be hope. Thank you.
She bested Miss Netherlands Nathalie den
Dekker who placed first runner-up and Miss New
Zealand Casey Radley who made a second runnerup finish. The other two who made it to the Top
5 were Miss Colombia Cindy Aguilar and Miss
Hungary Brigitta Otvos.
After the win, Bea Rose came back to the
Philippines where she made the rounds including
a courtesy call to President Benigno Aquino III
where they were snapped doing a selfie. It can
be recalled that the President has personally wished
Bea good luck when he visited Japan in December.
Bea Rose also had a motorcade in her hometown in
Masbate where she confessed tearing up because
of the warm reception that she received from her
kababayans.
The Filipina stunner was born in Cataingan,
Masbate in Bicol and is the eldest among three
siblings. She grew up with her grandparents and
migrated in Canada when she was 15 years old.
Prior to the Miss International pageant, Bea has been
doing some modeling stints and is the only Filipino
who became a part of the Elite Management. She
was also the representative of the Filipino community
in Canada at the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2011 pageant.
Bea Rose is the fifth Filipina to win the title after
Precious Lara Quigaman (2005), Melanie Marquez
(1979), Aurora Pijuan (1970) and Gemma Cruz
(1965).

Photos by Din Eugenio

Bea Rose Santiago

2013 was the year of beauty queens. The

country has produced its first ever
Miss World in the person of Megan Lynne
Young when she bested 130 contestants
in the prestigious pageant held at Bali
International Convention Center in
Bali, Indonesia last September.

KathNiel
I

Th e Loveteam To Beat

t is without a doubt that the tandem of Daniel

Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo, collectively
known as KathNiel, leads the pack of the
most popular and most bankable stars of this
generation. Their new primetime series, Got to
Believe, is a consistent top-rater where Daniel
played the role of Joaquin who came from a wealthy
family and eventually fell in love with Kathryns role,
Chichay, a poor but optimistic girl who grew up in
an amusement park (perya).
Their chemistry is palpable, arguably one of
the reasons why their team is loved and accepted
by adoring fans.
Since its airing last August 2013, the series
never fails to trend worldwide in social networking
site, Twitter. Daniel and Kathryn couldnt hide
their happiness working with each other again in
the series with a slew of other credible artists like
Manilyn Reynes, Carmina Villaruel, Ian Veneracion,
Al Tantay and Joonee Gamboa.
It feels good to be working with Daniel again
and Im happy that our fans like it and that they
never fail to watch every episode, quipped the
17-year-old Kathryn.
Most KathNiel fans are intrigued if the love
team has gone off-screen but the two are quick to
dismiss that they are not yet in a relationship but
they already have a mutual understanding. The
two admitted that they want to take things slowly
because they are still young and are fairly new in
the showbiz industry.
Well, we have mutual understanding and
were contented with that. Our career is our priority
because we are still young. Lets see what the future
holds, Kathryn said.
Daniel, nephew of action star Robin Padilla,
started his career in 2010 doing minor roles in
Gimik 2010 and Growing Up before replacing
Albie Casino in the series Mara Clara, which
starred Kathryn.
Kathryn, on the other hand, has done series of
acting shows before she was paired with Daniel in
the afternoon series Princess and I, which became
a hit. Their mother network, ABS-CBN, saw the
potential of the team and gave them their first solo
movie project entitled Must Be Love.
The two are very thankful to their network for
giving them big projects that allow them to learn
and hone their craft as artists. They
are looking forward to doing more
projects together
and they are
hoping
that
their
love
team
will
overcome the
test of time.

CELEBRITY NEWS
Love teams play a vital role in show
business; many celebrities have reached
their popularity by being a part of onscreen
love teams. The most popular includes Nora
Aunor-Tirso Cruz III, Vilma Santos-Edgar
Mortiz, Maricel Soriano-William Martinez,
Sharon Cuneta-Gabby Concepcion, Judy Ann
Santos-Wowie de Guzman, Angelu de LeonBobby Andrews, John Lloyd Cruz-Sarah
Geronimo among others.

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014 9

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

11

spotlight

An Exclusive

Interview With

Ambeth

Ocampo
Photos by Din Eugenio

FilJap: Describe yourself in one

word. Why?
Ambeth: Uncommon. I did not fit
the molds in the various jobs that came
my way, I always tried thinking out of the
box.
FilJap: How did you feel when you
received the Presidential Medal of Merit
from President Aquino?
Ambeth: In 2006, as the President of
the Philippines conferred the Metrobank
Outstanding Teacher medal around my
neck, the Secretary of Education, who
was assisting, remarked: napakyaw mo
na lahat ng awards ah. Meron pa pong
kulang Mr. Secretary. I replied. Ano pa
ba? he asked. The Order of Sikatuna.
When the president heard this, she
exclaimed: Sikatuna? Thats for retiring
diplomats. Two presidential awards and
two knighthoods later, I have yet to retire
and receive the Order of Sikatuna. While
I enjoy the recognition awards bring,
these actually terrify me. Most people
are blinded by the glitter of medals
and trophies they fail to see the burden
honors actually bring. Recognition is not
bestowed on people for merely doing
their job, prizes go those who do ordinary
things in an extraordinary way. Awards
are a burden because they challenge
people to maintain excellence. The real
burden is trying to outdo oneself.
FilJap: If you were to deliver a
speech during the conferment, what
would you say?
Ambeth: Thank you for the
recognition but the honor is not mine
alone but shared with many people and
institutions who made and continue
to make my work possible. If I had to
acknowledge each one, it would take
more than an hour, they know who they
are so this medal and honor is also theirs.
FilJap: How do you find the
Filipinos in Japan?
Ambeth: The ones I have met
bring tropical sunshine and warmth to a
people steeped in formality.
12

TOKYO, Japan After receiving the Presidential Medal of Merit from President
Aquino during the Meeting with the Filipino Community last December 2013, Dr.
Ambeth R. Ocampo, renowned Filipino historian, journalist and author, granted
us an exclusive interview, where he talked about his stay in the country, his
profession and his commitment to the preservation of Philippine history, arts
and culture.
FilJap: Being a renowned historian
and a visiting lecturer at Sophia
University, how do you let your students
appreciate our history and make it more
interesting for them?
Ambeth: In Manila and Tokyo, I
make history come alive by telling stories
that make students smile, stories that
connect past with their present because
it is only when students find the link does
it become relevant to them. Teaching
Philippine history and culture in Tokyo is
different because my students have no
previous background, I have to teach the
basics from ground zero.
FilJap: What is your take when
people say that history is a boring
subject?
Ambeth: History is interesting, if
you think otherwise that probably means
you had a bad teacher. History is one of
the most engaging subjects so teacher
and textbook should be able to tell a
good story.
FilJap: The best and worst things
about Japan?
Ambeth: Best is their sense of order
and discipline, the downside is that they
sometimes refuse to do things differently
or think outside the box.

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

FilJap: What lessons have you

learned in your stay in Japan that you

want to impart to our kababayans back
home?
Ambeth: I learned many things in
Japan but the one that I treasure most is
seeing how attuned the Japanese are to
the seasons, to nature. From the cherry
blossoms and irises in Spring to the
changing colors of momiji and gingko
trees in the Fall. We often go through
life missing out on the simple things
that matter, we see but seldom notice.
Nature, our environment, the people
we are with have to be noticed and
celebrated for these are what make life
worth living.
FilJap: What is your message to all
our kababayans in Japan?
Ambeth: Speak to your children
in Filipino, it not only makes them
multilingual, it makes them remember
that though they were born, raised, and
educated in Japan, an indispensable part
of them is Filipino.
FilJap: Who is Ambeth Ocampo and
what achievements and contributions do
you want to be remembered for?
Ambeth: That question can be
answered by Google and Wikipedia. My
real achievements are: my writings, my
books, my students. All these will outlive
me.

filcom watch

PNoy Meets Filipino Community in Japan

Photos by Din Eugenio

Be

Published

o you have the knack

for writing? Do you
have something in
mind that you want to
Share? This is your chance to
be heard!
FilJap Magazine is inviting
you, our valued readers,
to submit informative,
entertaining and interesting
articles (must be written
in 300-500 words, MS Word
format) and photos (should
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dpi at the minimum), which
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You can send them to
filjapmagazine@yahoo.com.

We want to
hear from

or the second time

since assuming office,
President Benigno S.
Aquino III met with
the Filipino community in
Japan on December 12.
It was first on his
itinerary during his threeday official visit to take
part in the ASEAN-Japan
Commemorative Summit.
The President had the
opportunity to interact with
several of the 202,974
Filipino nationals living and
working in Japan.
During the meeting held
at the National Olympics
Memorial Youth Center in
Shibuya, Jenavila Shigemizu,

Chairperson of the Philippine

Barrio
Fiesta
Executive
Committee and Olive Akatsu
handed over a symbolic
check worth Y1 million
(P426,007) for the victims of
super typhoon Yolanda to the
Chief Executive.
According to Philippine
Ambassador
to
Japan
Manuel Lopez, the Y1
million was the profit from
the Philippine Barrio Fiesta
Festival in Yokohama held
last September.
The
President
also
awarded the Presidential
Medal of Merit to National
Historical Commission of the
Philippines chairman Ambeth

Ocampo.
Philippine Ambassador
to Japan Manuel Lopez also
delivered remarks as well as
Joyce Ogawa, chairperson
of the Philippine Assistance
Group
representing
the
Kanto region and Jocelyn
Yoshitomi, chairperson of
the Philippine Community
Coordinating
Council
representing
the
Kansai
Region.
Filipinos
comprise
10 percent of all foreign
nationals living in Japan and
are its third largest population
of foreign nationals.

YOU!

FilJap
readers!

Let us know what you

think of our issue.

Send us your
feedback or
suggestions to
filjapmagazine@
yahoo.com.

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014 13

Jessica Sanchez

star watch

Singing Her Way To Help

Filipinos, no matter where in the world, will always find ways to excel, to shine, and to show to people how talented they
are. It wont be surprising if we see in the news or read in the papers about overseas Filipinos excelling be it in sports,
music, showbiz or business.

uch is the case of Jessica

Sanchez who wowed
the
audience
when
she became one of the
contestants of American Idol
Season 11, placing second to
Philip Phillips. She was wellapplauded in the said popular
reality singing show and there
were numerous times when she
was given a standing ovation
especially when she did a
rendition of Whitney Houstons
I Will Always Love You.
Born to a Filipina mother
and
Mexican
father,
the
18-year-old singer has since
then started to build a singing
career for herself. Her American
Idol stint has opened up many
opportunities for her including
singing the American national
anthem for U.S. President
Barack Obama at the White
House, a single with Black Eyed
Peas member Apl.de.ap entitled
Jump, and an appearance in
the fourth season of Glee.
She also released her
debut album Me, You & the
Music, which debuted at
number 26 on the Billboard 200
chart, selling 14,000 units in the
first week.
With all the recognition,
the Filipina beauty has never
forgotten her roots. Aside
from visiting the Philippines,
Jessica has also reached out
to the victims of super typhoon
Yolanda by lending vocals to
the inspiring single Lead Me
Home. Jessica and Decca
Label have partnered to donate
$0.90 from each single sold to
the Red Cross.
They asked me to lay my
vocals on one of their tracks
and I was like of course, its
an amazing opportunity and

14

I would love to, and then we

recorded the song and they
wanted to release it early for
the victims of the typhoon and I
was completely all for it.
Everything
has
been
amazing and Im so glad to help
the Filipino people any way that
I can, Jessica revealed.
Recently, she personally
went to the Philippines not only
to promote her single but also
to go to some places in the
country to give hearing aids
in partnership with Starkey
Hearing Foundation.
Its
been,
honestly,
amazing. Weve been driving
around in these buses and I
look at the country and its so
green and so beautiful and
on top of that the people are
so welcoming and so kind.
I think the Philippines is just
so amazing, she said of her
experience going around the
country.
It cant be denied that even
if Jessica lives in California like
thousands of other Filipinos out
there, shell remain loyal and
proud of her roots.
Our food is amazing.
My grandma makes the best
lumpia ever. On top of that,
were very family-oriented and
we love to have the love of
our family around us. Im very,
very proud of that. Im familyoriented myself and even if Im
18 and I can travel by myself
now, I just like to take my mom
everywhere because Im so
used to having her around.
I love being with my
family when I move, my
family moves and I think
thats how Filipinos are. We
love to be together and Im
proud to have that trait.

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

Jessica also divulged her

willingness to hold a concert
in Japan and to meet Filipinos
who live and work there. Oh, I
would love to! Id love to go to
Japan; that would be amazing.
And to Filipinos in Japan and
anywhere and everywhere, I
love you guys so much. Youve
been really amazing and I cant
thank you enough.

M
y
kababayans,
I love you so
much.

Fili-festivals
P

PHILIPPINE ADVENTUREs

Text and photos by Arlene Donaire

Sinulog Festival

Maskara Festival
Pahiyas Festival

Talulot Festival

Aliwan Festival

Phil. Hot Air

The Filipinos surely know how to
Balloon Festival
celebrate no matter what the adversities
are! Throughout history, Pinoys have
demonstrated a unique sense of unity
through their shared optimism and
love for life, an admirable trait that is
depicted in all the festivals and fiestas
that are celebrated across the country
year-round. The diversity that divides the Philippines into its many
geo-political, ethnic, and religious communities is the same thread
that unites the Filipinos in their shared yearning to celebrate.
There is always a reason or basis to celebrate.

hilippine festivals
and fiestas, as
numerous
as
they are, offer a
unique source of pride
and joy, for the folks
in each locality where
they are held. They are
a welcome respite from
the humdrum of daily
life but more importantly
a collective mark of a
nation whose communal
psyche is boosted by its
strong faith, resilience,
and aspiration to rise
from the adversities that
beset the country year in,
year out. The festivities
can range from simple
to grandiose, solemn to
frenzied, and sometimes
even elevated to an
official holiday category,
depending on whether
it
coincides
with
a
government proclamation
like
the
chartering
or creation of a city or
honoring a person who
figured significantly in the
countrys history. Festivals
are made more attractive
in that they naturally set
off a chain of benefits for

the locales where they

occur as they trigger the
local economies into
action,
even
months
ahead of the actual event,
spurring
commercial
investments, engendering
government support for
public infrastructure, and
enhancing tourism.
For the year 2014, as
in past years, the Filipinos
continue to enliven the
country with a celebration
of long-held traditional
festivals that are religious
and ethno-cultural in
nature and those that
have been promoted in
recent years in keeping
with the countrys tourism
and economic programs.
For the many Filipinos
who live and work abroad
and foreign tourists that
plan to visit the country
this year, here is just a
sampling of the more
popular festivals with
their tentative dates and
venues. There usually is
a dedicated website for
these events, so make
sure to check online for
final details.

Its more fun in the Philippines; celebrate at least one Fili-festival this year!

January
Feast of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo,
Manila; 9th)
Sinulog Festival (Cebu City; 13th to
19th)
Ati-Atihan Festival (Kalibo, Aklan;
19th to 26th)
Dinagyang Festival (Iloilo, 26th)
February

Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival

(Clark; 13th to 16th)
Panagbenga Festival (Baguio City;
26th)

March

Paraw Regatta (Iloilo; 2nd)

Sandugo Festival (Tagbilaran, Bohol;
15th)

April

Moriones Festival (Marinduque; 14th)

May

October

Pahiyas Festival (Lucban; 15th)

June

Mudpack Festival (Murcia, Negro

Occ; 14th)
Parada ng Lechon (Balayan,
Batangas; 29th)
Pintado/Kasadyaan Festival (Tacloban
City; 29th)

July

Bocaue River Festival (Bocaue,

Bulacan; 1st Sunday)

Talulot Festival (St. Therese of Child

Jesus Parish, Pasay City; Oct 6th)
Lanzones Festival (Camiguin; 18th)
Masskara Festival (Bacolod City; 18th
to 19th)

November

Higantes Festival (Angono, Rizal;

23rd)
Grand Cordillera Festival (Baguio
City; 23rd)

December

Immaculate Conception (Intramuros,

Manila; 8th)
Giant Lantern Festival (San Fernando,
Pampanga; 20th)

August

Kadayawan Festival (Davao City;

23rd to 24th)

September

Penafrancia Viva La Virgen (Naga

City; 20th)
FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014 15

CULTURE AND ARTS

When Women Make the Move:

Valentines Day
in Japan

In one of my favorite scenes in the Japanese high rating drama Gokusen 2 released
in 2005, Yankumi, the female protagonist, is surprised when she finds her male high
school students in the classroom all chanting together, chokoreto ga hoshi! (I want
chocolates!) with big, hopeful smiles and dreamy eyes. Why? Because it is Valentines
Day and in Japan it is the women who give chocolates to men on this special day!
By Herlyn Alegre
The Origin of this Tradition
This
chocolate-giving
tradition
in Japan originated in 1958 when
a confectionery company, Marys
Chocolate, sold sets of three chocolates
worth 170 yen as lovers day treats
at the Isetan Department Store in
Tokyo. This marketing strategy further
expanded to what we know at present
as the Valentines Day craze. To further
their sales, White Day was invented
in 1977 by the company Fukuoka
Marshmallow. On March 14 of every
year, a month after Valentines Day, it is
the mens turn to return the favor. Men
are expected to reciprocate women who
gave them chocolates on Valentines Day
with gifts usually white chocolates
wrapped in beautiful white packages
with white ribbons. They also send
cards, flowers and jewelries. These
gifts are often called sanbai-gaeshi
() because the value of the
mens gift should be thrice the value
of what they received on Valentines
Day.
Japan is regarded by the Cocoa
Association of Japan (CCAJ) as
Asias largest consumer market for
chocolate confectionery. In 2012, CCAJ
recorded that 208,770 tons of chocolate
were produced by Japan. The sales
usually peak around February of every
year. Chocolate manufacturers from
abroad even came up with chocolate
variations mixed with fruits like banana,
mango and watermelon and more
exotic flavors like green tea, ginger ale
and soy sauce. A resort in Hakone even
offers a hot bath with melted chocolate
during this special season that allows
people to wallow in chocolate like a little
16

child playing in Willy Wonkas chocolate

factory!
Chocolates:
Opportunity or Obligation?
In the Philippines, it is the custom
on Valentines Day for men to give
chocolates and gifts to women they
fancy, but in Japan, it is the other way
around. On Valentines Day, women
receive the special license to express
their real affection towards the man they
like by giving them chocolates. This type
of chocolate is called honmei choco (
),
which is given to loved
ones such as

boyfriends,
husbands or men that women want to
date or confess their emotions to. So for
women who want to take the drivers
seat in shaping their love lives and quit
waiting for Mr. Right, this is the time to
make a move!
However, in Japan, it is not only
loved ones who are given chocolates

FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

but also bosses, male colleagues and

friends. This type of chocolate is called
giri choco (), which literally
means obligation chocolate. Giving
this chocolate is grounded more on
responsibility and paying respect instead
of expressing affection and fondness
to someone you like. A more recent
tradition is the giving of tomo choco (
), a type given by women to
other female friends. Because this is
the trend, it is not unlikely for a woman
to be shopping several different kinds
of chocolates on Valentines Day and
spending a great sum of money on
these.
On a common understanding,
Valentines Day offers an opportunity
for women to express their feelings a
license which has not been culturally
available to other countries including
the Philippines. On the other hand, it
also connotes obligation as women
are expected, if not totally required, to
give chocolates to office colleagues.
Adding the layer of over promotion in
every shop, top of the line marketing
strategies to sell and ubiquitous
campaigns to convince women to join
the chocolate bandwagon, Valentines
Day seems to be a very interesting time
of the year in Japan.
As Yankumis high school students
herald the coming of Valentines Day
with their chants, chokoreto ga hoshi,
it is also every womans choice to realize
what they want should they view this
interesting tradition as a personal choice
or a commercial gimmick; a day of
love or a day of unmindful spending; a
language of the heart or a continuation
of tradition; a gesture of love or a sign
of respect?

ADVERTORIAL
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FILJAP MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2014

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20 FILJAP
MAGAZINE
| FEBRUARY
2014
Legal Adviser Iwasaki Yo 40913 Tokyo Lawyer Association