ONE BIG GATHERING Dioceldo celebrating with his family Silliman and Leah Sy with family After a succession of birthday parties tendered in his honor, hosted by his best of friends, Dioceldo Sy thought that the night of his actual birthday would be spent in relative peace, with just...
Revitalizing a sleepy, rural village in Tuscany, then two Crime novels that deal with murder in different locations across the globe, geographical and temporal - are the books we review here. Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton A sleepy Tuscan village that’s fallen on hard...
HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE Even if you were not connected with the Philippine food and hospitality industry, there was no escaping what became the two hottest topics on most everyone’s lips two weeks ago, and were featured prominently on social media platforms — the untimely loss of...
Briccio Santos Briccio Santos’ "Sentinel (Cognitum)," a solo sculptural exhibition, runs at the Leon Gallery International, Corinthian Plaza, until March 4, 2025. It’s a poignant companion piece to his giant metal Sentinels that can be found at the Legazpi Active Park in Makati. Renowned...
FOR THE VIBES At the rooftop MOA Amphitheater KICK OFF The MOA Football Pitch The newly opened MOA SKY revolutionizes what Malls can do with their rooftops, converting them to recreational spaces that offer what hasn’t been offered before. It’s truly a gamechanger in the...
WELCOMING THE ARK From left: UnionBank wealth and brokerage head Therese Chan, UnionBank president Ana Aboitiz-Delgado, UnionBank chief marketing and experience officer Albert Cuadrante, and UnionBank senior vice-president James Ileto UnionBank and their private banking and wealth management...
HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE (Part 2) In last week’s column I made mention of the Manila Bulletin’s ongoing Matalinong Boto campaign against election-related violence, against fake news, and against mud-slinging and character assassination. I commented on how social media, with...
While two of the authors in the book review today hail from the West, it’s interesting to note the settings of these three novels - and why my Eastern Promises title. One is set in Egypt and is described as ‘very Patricia Highsmith’, while the second is set in Japan and comes from a...
HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE (Part One) In my very first column of 2025, I drew up my wishlist for the year that was to unfold, and prioritized peaceful, violence-free elections come May. Even if this year would be a mid-term election, I could foresee how much was at stake in terms...
Labubu, Crybaby, Molly, Skullpanda, Dimoo, and Hirono. If those names mean nothing to you, then consider yourself out of the very hot Art-Toys loop of today, and crawl out from under your rock. These brands are among the IPs (intellectual properties) that have thrust Pop Mart into the...
ALL PRESENT Owners and directors of Marie France with Dr. Regie Layug (center), and Endospheres’ Roberta Falcetta (second from right) The Electric Garden at BGC was the setting for a first-quarter salvo from Marie France. While acting as a sustaining party for Marie France’s ongoing 40th...
HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE The Manila International Film Festival in Los Angeles that I wrote about a few columns ago was postponed; but thankfully, that was a temporary delay, and it will now push through a few days after the Oscars, during the March 7 weekend. It’s the second...
