National Artist Bobby Mañosa's Green Architecture in Ylang Lane New Manila

I've always been a fan of green architecture, as I believe that it's always been how architecture should always be-- environmental friendly! The "green" innovation in architecture is more or less an indigenous use of landscaping, water conservation techniques and energy-saving spaces abundant with natural lighting and ventilation. The modern bahay kubo, in essence, the perfect model of sustainable living.

National Artist for Architecture Bobby Manosa is a name parallel to design trademarkedly Filipino. Some of his famous works include the Amanpulo in Palawan, Edsa Shrine and Coconut Palace.  Drawing from an inexhaustible reserve of Filipino-inspired motifs, Manosa Properties unveil the luxurious Ylang Lane in New Manila. 

Seven duplexes and single attached units has breezy open spaces and the feel of the finest resorts Manosa has produced. Each unit is 4-storey high with a grand penthouse, surrounded by lush vegetation. With a project that has a national artist for its name, nothing can come short in terms of beauty and practicality. Manosa is a distillation of his design philosophy that he followed for more than 35 years. 

With only seven 350 square meter units, this exclusive abode is for those wanting to put a premium on living not only in a luxurious home but in a genuine piece of art. Each has a 3-car garage with a rooftop garden entertainment area, a rainwater harvester that can collect water for household use and centralised CCTV and roving security.This project was put together by the second generation of Manosas, because they wanted to make houses that doesn't cut corners on design because of budget constraints. 

For more information, contact Lisette Mangonon (Sales and Marketing Director) at 705-1135 497-7302 or 0917-5856709 or visit www.manosa.com 

Master Chefs Michael Ty and Chris Neary at the American Hospitality Academy

AHA is the first and only culinary school in the Philippines accredited by the American Culinary Federation, which means it has the same program, facilities, methods and instruction of culinary schools in the US. I had the privilege to be invited to a cooking demo by American Culinary Federation National President Chef Michael Ty and New York Chapter President Chef Christopher Neary. All demonstrated in front of me with select bloggers and media. It was fun to witness these top chefs in action, from preparing to plating!

It was a gastronomic adventure to be treated to a feast of East meets American flavours. The chefs made a trip to Salcedo Market earlier in the day to find local ingredients they can play around with on the demo. While giving his catfish fillet a dry rub, Chef Michael relates his humble beginnings as a dishwasher and all the hard work that comes along before becoming a successful chef. He now runs a project with First Lady Michelle Obama for USDA's "Choose My Plate" program which aims at promoting better, healthier choices instead of fastfood choices. It was also interesting to note that Chef Michael is a Filipino-born Chinese Immigrant and how he has journeyed from the Philippines to becoming an executive chef and food director in Ceasar's Palace and Lawry's The Prime Rib in Las Vegas.

Chef Chris Neary tells the story of how fish cakes came to be from being a popular and economical "workers fare" to being served in restaurants all over the world. The trip to Salcedo was yielded fresh catfish for the chefs to use in our fish cakes. The results were delicious, it was a welcome surprise as I wouldn't normally purchase catfish and go through the painstaking process of cooking it!

Like Chef Michael, Chef Chris is a Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Certified Culinary Administrator and a member of the American Academy of Chefs. He has spent his whole culinary career in Long Island, NY and is running the reputed finest restaurants in NY as reviewed by New York Times and NewsDay. He was awarded Chef of the Year by ACF Long Island Chapter in 2004. 


Basil-infused cornbread

Caper salad, mustard seed dressing, fishcake

This is what went into our plates 

Light, simple and healthy in a flash! Pan-seared Pacific Cod wrapped in Bacon, Roasted Garlic Hash, Mango Habanera Salsa and Blackened Salmon Cowder with Corn 

The master chefs also demonstrated the different kinds of Roux from the blondest to the darkest, depending on how it is made and how strong the flavor is. The bitter taste is different from the ones offered in Manila and it's awesome that we had a taste of authentic Louisiana-style gumbo.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

The delightful finisher to this meal was Chef Philip Golding's Panna Cotta, Blueberries and Cheesecake with "Secret Sauce" 

Outtakes: Crush was there! Chef Philip Golding was there to supervise the demo

With bloggers, my nanay Mommy Jo of http://jobonsol.net and Arpee Lazaro of Pinoy Life at Large

With Chef Gene Cordova and BusinessWorld columnist Boysie Villavicencio

We capped off the afternoon with a nice cold cheesecake frozen coffee in Seattle's Best Greenbelt.

There's more to come from AHA. Chef Toba Garret, the multi-awarded, "it" chef in cake decorating and design will be coming on October to hold baking demos, Magnolia Bakery level! Catch her from October 2-4 at AHA Philippines. You may contact http://www.ahaphil.com or call 632-8927372 / 8927702 for more details.

Project Pagsulong: Looking for a New Brand of Heroes to Alleviate Poverty

Social entrepreneurship is making waves in the Philippines. Business is no longer about just pure profit, but a solid, sustainable way to run an enterprise involving community development, with social responsibility in mind. This concept has been around for ages, but only now is it becoming recognised mainstream, and it one big a solution to the economic problems we face in the Philippines. I'm very excited because it's exactly what the youth needs: simply said, to earn, succeed and create an impact in the community.

Project Pagsulong, a P1M Youth Challenge to alleviate poverty in the Philippines, invited me to an intimate dinner with bloggers to discuss this project of a lifetime-- a project not only for profit, but will change the lives of young men and women with great business ideas but also use those ideas to help the underprivileged.

This project invites the youth (18-30 years old) to form a team of 3-5 members to come up with a viable business idea that provides real-life solutions. It's a team project of a lifetime--- with cash grants, pre and post coaching and mentoring from partner institutions to see their ideas put into action instantly. 

They tapped the talents of youth leaders Bam Aquino, Chris Tiu, Mark Ruiz, Erika Tatad, Bryan Lim, Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, Japoy Lizardo, Noorain Sabdulla, Sittie Lao, Christian Sorongon, Elma Arboleras and Niccolo Cosme to be the faces for Project Pagsulong

As an advocacy, the project has gotten the attention of top businesses in the Philippines to inspire more young people to go into social entrepreneurship, namely PLDT KaAsenso, PLDT Smart Foundation, RFM Foundation and the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines Alumni Community, Draftcb, IdeaSpace and GoNegosyo.

If you have a business idea that aims to reduce poverty or address a social need, and is financially viable, shoot this idea to the project.  At stake are: grants P500,000 for 1st prize, P300,000 for the 2nd, P200,000 for the 3rd and P100,000 for the 4th. Mentoring. Training. A chance to make a difference.

College students, enterprising kids, young housewives, fresh grads on a job-hunt, and out-of-school youth, if you want to change the world, now is the time to do it. Project Pagsulong is the perfect platform.
Check them out: www.facebook.com/projectpagsulong www.twitter.com/projpagsulong

I Am For RH BILL!

I proudly am wearing an IUD inside me-- yes, because Senator Sotto, I cannot train my eggs to dodge my husband's very fertile sperm, and yes, because we are comfortable with a family of 5. My husband and I likes to have sex like any other couple out there, whenever we can escape from the kids in the wee hours of morning or sneak a quickie in the shower. We schedule it when it's convenient to us, because with a schedule as hectic as ours, we can't "schedule" according to when I'm ovulating or not--- otherwise, I would have been separated by now due to lack of sex. However, no matter how "hot" we both are, we aren't crazy enough to breed like rabbits and leave the the part to whether God decides to fertilise my eggs or not. Our children didn't ask to be born into this world. We caused them to be born into this cruel, cruel world. Therefore, obviously the right thing to do is to provide for them. We don't leave the fate of our children's food, education and shelter to the hands of the government  or the church. We don't have free meals, free education, free housing-- none of those things. We actually are the ones who put money into the government through the taxes we pay, and the "abuloy" we give to the Church. Now in this cruel, cruel world where only God can save us from ourselves, we need to step up to save ourselves from the lies of our very own Church.

It hasn't always been this way. I used to follow the Church's reproductive program based on natural family planning methods. Not because I was ignorant nor crazy. It was because I was tired of having to miss pills and spin my hormones out of control from my own doing. I felt I was young and didn't really need it, because we only had two kids and life was good. I thought, with the egging of my local parish catechists, who swore by their apos that this method works and in between lines like, "God will not give you a child until you're ready" and "In His time." Boom! Pregnant as a whale after nine months. The natural family planning method does not work, you have your living proof right here.

Upon giving birth to my third son, I decided to take the guesswork out of my uterus, sucked it in and gave in to a fairly simple procedure of having an IUD.

You may say that the RH Bill is just one of the many laws we have out there, think again. Our system, although badly broken, can still be repaired. The population problem is one key problem, and it is a class problem. It's a product of not having laws to protect mothers from ignorance and give them the tools they need to make a decision for themselves. It's a problem for too many, that existing policies are not enough to address it, unless a clear-cut law is made, where steps are taken to get that law into place. If more moms are given the education to dispel old wives' myths about contraception, and the opportunities to have an IUD, pills or an injectable without fear, more children will have a better quality of life with their mom who can keep her sanity, and father earning low wages to provide for three, and not nine children. And if the Church can please stop interfering with state policies, then maybe I would listen. Not!