FROM GENE DE LOYOLA, PAINTER

HANGAD KO LANG NA MAGING MAAYOS ANG PAGTURING SA MGA ARTISTS LALO NA ANG MGA NAGBUHOS NG PANAHON SAKRIPISYO UPANG MALINANG AT MAKABAHAGI SA PAG-ULAD NG SINING NA NAGHAHATID NG KALAYAAN SA KAMANGMANGAN AT SA TULOY-TULOY NA PAG-UNLAD SA PISIKAL AT PANG KAISIPAN SA SINING NG BUHAY.

NAKITA KO NA MAGANDA ANG SITE NYO LALO NA FILIPINO ART GALLERY HOPE NA MAGING MAAYOS AT MAUNLAD PA KAYO PARA SA IKABUBUTI NG KABUOAN AT BAHAGI DIN KAYO, PASENSYA NA RIN SA HINDI PAGKAKAUNAWAAN.

NAILABAS KO LANG ANG AKING SINASALOOB ITO AY BAHAGI NG ATING KALAYAANG MAY RESPOSIBILIDAD BILANG ANG INYONG SITE AY IMAHE NG SINING SANA AY LALO PANG MAPAGANDA

WHY CULTURE?

Culture defines a people's noble purpose, gives national identity, strengthens their artistic souls, and builds up their hopes for a country that is democratic, prosperous, just and equal.

The Cultural Program of TF-PRG promotes the best of Philippine arts, literature, and education to cultural and academic institutions across the country and the world. Thus we have this blog for everybody to read, comment on and feed with information and reviews.

This blog shall have articles that are conceptual, critical, and promotional of all Philippine cultural products, administration, policies and programs. Our view is to focus attention that is prompt, sustained and high-spirited on cultural issues between and among amateurs, professionals and administrators of cultural groups, events, academes, and all other institutions, concerning the products of artists, writers, thinkers, students, and educators, as well as to increase the number of opportunities for them to develop their fields.

The blog shall draw attention to developments in Philippine culture, including contemporary and indigenous dances; music; theater, plays, and other forms of literature.

We shall always be interested in new and challenging ideas that will bring Philippine and foreign peoples together in debating and discussing issues related to culture. In particular, this blog will raise public interest in the recognition of exceptional artistic and academic accomplishments and the need for public support, material and spiritual, of such endeavors.

We hope you will join us by feeding information, remarks and reviews of the different cultural events that you find happening in your community, or locality.

-by Wilhelmina S. Orozco, Ph.D.

--Margie Politzer Photo Print, Woman leaving an offering on Mt. Batur, Bali, Indonesia

JOSE INGLES: Finding the Right Mix

by Wilhelmina S. Orozco

With curly hair flowing like Einstein’s, wearing faded blue jeans, and easy gait as he walks, Jose Ingles, Inner Alchemist, Filipino Inventors society member looks every inch like any inventor who cares not whatever happens to the world except perfecting his product. He is the typical science-oriented individual whose focus is on how to extract, blend, mix and come up, voila! with a new or improved product.

Right now Ingles is very busy propagating flowering plants – ylangylang, roses, -- as well as calamansi, from which he can extract essences and market them as medicinal herbal products. Elemi, an essence that contains oils from the wild pili, citrus, rose, sampaguita and lemongrass, and has aromatherapic qualities that relax and provide a really restful feeling is his latest product. “Ipahid mo sa ilong, masarap ang tulog mo pagkatapos,” he said.

Another product of Ingles, who conducts training at the Department of Agriculture Training Institute on homemade probiotics extracts essences alchemy, is Colloidal Elixir made of a combination of two or more elements Silver. In his study, Ingles unearthed a 1940’s revelation of Dr. R. R. Rife MD that bacteria and virus are “vulnerable to suffocation from the catalytic action of Colloidal Silver, “ which then results in its having healing properties.

In another study done in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ingles mentioned that silver “is a powerful, natural antibiotic prophylactic antiseptic, known anciently and at the turn of the century as an invaluable medication.” The compound does not damage the organs of the body but in fact “accelerates healing” he said. Hence, this product has curative qualities on the skin, and treats rushes, hematoma, and when ingested, can also be anti-bacterial and anti-viral. “I am promoting this as it can cheapen the treatment of many illnesses. It is the first formulation of several mineral elements,

Actually, Ingles, a member of the Filipino Society of Inventors has traveled around the world as his father, Minister Jose Ingles during the 80’s was assigned in many places with the longest period in New York City. He finally settled down in the Philippines and got interested in chemistry when as a researcher at a Japanese okra company in Moncada, Tarlac, he discovered a distiller of ilang-ilang flowers next town and helped improved the distillation of the oils which made it more marketable as it brings a very fragrant smell. His theory which was proved to be true that ilang-ilang flowers when picked early morning, when it is most fragrant can produce the best essences.

Each 5 ml is worth P100 while 35ml is P700. With ylang-ylang, it is priced at P1,000 as the process becomes of extraction is more expensive. “It takes 5,000 kilos of rose petals to produce 1 liter, and 100 kilos of ylang-ylang to get 1 liter.

Ingles is one among so many of our inventors whose prime motivation is to increase knowledge, discover original products that can be known by the world with profit as a secondary objective. Unfortunately, the Technology Application and Promotion Institute, the agency tasked to help inventors seems to be eyeing other schemes.

WHY CULTURE?

Culture defines a people's noble purpose, gives national identity, strengthens their artistic souls, and builds up their hopes for a country that is democratic, prosperous, just and equal.

The Cultural Program of TF-PRG promotes the best of Philippine arts, literature, and education to cultural and academic institutions across the country and the world. Thus we have this blog for everybody to read, comment on and feed with information and reviews.

This blog shall have articles that are conceptual, critical, and promotional of all Philippine cultural products, administration, policies and programs. Our view is to focus attention that is prompt, sustained and high-spirited on cultural issues between and among amateurs, professionals and administrators of cultural groups, events, academes, and all other institutions, concerning the products of artists, writers, thinkers, students, and educators, as well as to increase the number of opportunities for them to develop their fields.

The blog shall draw attention to developments in Philippine culture, including contemporary and indigenous dances; music; theater, plays, and other forms of literature.

We shall always be interested in new and challenging ideas that will bring Philippine and foreign peoples together in debating and discussing issues related to culture. In particular, this blog will raise public interest in the recognition of exceptional artistic and academic accomplishments and the need for public support, material and spiritual, of such endeavors.

We hope you will join us by feeding information, remarks and reviews of the different cultural events that you find happening in your community, or locality.

-by Wilhelmina S. Orozco, Ph.D.

--Margie Politzer Photo Print, Woman leaving an offering on Mt. Batur, Bali, Indonesia

PANAHON NG PAGKILALA SA MUNDO

Para kay Mang Freddie ang Paglalayag ay
Panahon ng Pagkilala ng Mundo
Wilhelmina S. Orozco

Ang buhay ng isang seaman ay hindi biro. Sa loob ng barko, paulit-ulit araw-araw ang trabaho. Bago ka makakita ng isla, aabutin ka ng buwan-buwan at pagkatapos may panganib pa ngayon na ma-hostage ng mga pirata sa Aprika.

Subalit para kay Mang Alfredo Mendoza, isang retiradong seaman napawi lahat ng hirap niya sa pamumuhay sa Pilipinas mula ng naging seaman siya hanggang sa nagretiro siya sa loob ng 35 taon mula noong 1969 hanggang 2000. At hindi baleng mababa ang naging pusisyon niya sa barko,. Pangatlo naman siya sa mahahalagang pusisyon sa barko. Mataas na yun para sa kanya dahil hindi naman daw siya puwedeng tumaas pa duon dahilan sa hayskul gradweyt lang siya. Wala naman siyang pinag-aralang nautical science na requirement para sa mga magiging opisyal ng barko. Naging supervisor siya ng mga taong naglilinis, nagpipinta ng barko.

Sa mga naging karanasan niya sa paglalayag, ang pinakamagagandang pagkakataon niya ay sa Gresya, sa Hapon, sa Caribbean Islands, at sa Venice. Noong nasa Gresya siya, nagustuhan niya ang pagkain at ang mga tanawin, pati na ang mga tao. Natuto siya ng salitang Griyego dahil talagang nais niyang matuto. Araw-araw ay nag-aaral siya ng 2 salita, tulad ng “Thank you, I love you”. Apat na taon siya sa Gresya subalit sa loob ng isang taon ay natuto siya kaagad ng wika nito.

Sa Hapon naman, nagustuhan niya ito dahilan sa maganda ang bansa at disiplinado ang mga tao kaya umuunlad, wika niya. Kung bibili ka ng isang bagay sa halagang P5 kahit saan ka magpunta sa buong syudad, P5 rin ang halaga nito, hindi nag-iiba. At minsan nagtanong siya sa isang may-ari ng tindahan kung nasaan ang post office. Walang kaabug-abog na sinara nung may-ari ang kanyang tindahan at isinama siya kung nasaan ang post office.

Nagustuhan din ni Mang Freddie ang Caribbean Islands dahil sa klima, parang Pilipinas. Espanol ang salita na kanya ring naiintindihan dahilan sa ang Tagalog ay maraming salitang galling ditto. Parati rin siyang nasa tabi ng beach, sa pampang kung saan ay marahil naiisip-isip niyang sa kabila ng dagat ay mga isla na ng Pilipinas. Sa Venice naman ay natuwa siya dahilan sa ang mga kalye ay puro tubig at ang mga tao ay tumatawid ng mga bahagi ng syudad sa pamamagitan ng bangka.

Kung meron mang hindi magandang karanasan si Mang Freddie, ito ay noong nagretiro siya sa idad na 45 years. Forced retirement kung baga dahil kaya pa niyang maglayag noon. Kaya lang may isang batas daw na inihain si Edgardo Angara at naipasa ng Kongreso na nagtatakda ng retirement age. Dati rati noon, kahit 50 o 55 years old kayang maglayag. Pero ngayon ginawang 35 below.

Nagtapos si Mang Freddie ng hayskul sa Centro Escolar University kung saan naging kaeskwela niya si Nora Aunor. Hiwalay si Mang Freddie sa asawa niya subali’t sa halip na mag-migrate, siya ngayon ay nasa Pilipinas at aktibo sa kanyang born-again na simbahan ang Jesus Miracle Crusade International. Dito ay kasama-sama rin niya sina Mel at Nanding Pasion, mag-asawang mataimtim na dumadalo sa mga pagsamba na tinuturing siyang kapamilya. Ang misyon na lamang niya ngayon ay ang magsilbi sa Panginoon dahil para sa kanya natupad niya ang kanyang mga pangarap. Natupad niya ang kanyang mga pangarap, “I wanted to see the world,” (Nais kong makita ang mundo) at kumita siya.

Mang Angel, Tenacious Violin-Maker

Mang Angel, Tenacious Violin-Maker
By Wilhelmina S. Orozco

From north to south, the Philippines marvel at violinists for their ability to play on their instrument with great enthusiasm. They ooh and ahh over the pieces played by Master Gil Lopez Kabayao whose folk song album remains to be a precious relic in the music world. For my part, I also treasure the pieces played by another master violinist Alfonso Corpus Bolipata like Sana Wala Nang Wakas, and Kahit Na composed by Willy Cruz, the latter with arrangement by Alfredo Buenaventura in the tape, Pelikula which can make lovers swoon to every note.

Thus, music has that tendency to convert all ill into humanistic feelings. Perhaps, even those thinking of getting into wars would turn into peace-niks or pacifists if only they would listen to violin music, think of the world on a standstill, and just allow the
notes to carry them through the wind. Yet, are they aware that violins are now being made in the country?

Angelito Gabute or Mang Angel is one such maker who has crafted lots of violins, violas and double basses through the years embracing his craft and art with great discipline without any kind of assistance from any financial institution. Born in Romblon, he is highly proud that many of the violinists today have been his customers. In his whole lifespan, he must have made a mark already of handling over a thousand violins owned by both professionals and amateurs including those by Gil Lopez Kabayao who introduced him to working as a professional in the field of music.

The studio site of Mang Angel is a simple abode in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City where he lives with his wife, Evelyn and his daughter,Angeline, their only child, a nursing student. Evelyn helps him in marketing, judiciously going to academic institutions where orders or requests are made for him to repair instruments and also help him with the financial accounting and the pricing of his output. Whether repairing or making a new violin, he goes about the small space of his studio, measuring only about 3 x 3 meters, sawing, shaping, sanding, and then assembling wood, after which he attaches the pegs and the strings. Of course the process is more complicated than that as he also tacks in pieces of wood inside the violin to make it produce sounds more pleasing to the ears. His major tools are only his hands and a handful of machines, big and small, for wood cutting
and shaping.

From birth, Mang Angel has been a musician all along having been largely influenced by his father, Juan, a guitar maker and an arts-inclined family.Besides guitar-making, Mang Angel's father knew wood carving, blacksmithing -creating knives, axes, and horseshoes out of iron. His mother, Leonora Mirano has many relatives who are also musicians. His grandfather by his mother, and the cousins of his mother, now abroad, know how to play the harp. A brother, Roberto, has traveled already to other countries like Italy, Germany, America, Japan to learn and to work as a maker of bows used for the string instruments. Meanwhile, his sisters, Paz and Marilyn are handicraft maker and educator respectively while harp.

Mang Angel's father, Juan, learned how to make the guitar from a Spain-educated Cebuano, Mr. Jose Flaviano who went to Romblon and put up a seminar on guitar-making. Juan attended the seminar which launched his career as a guitar maker. Mr. Flaviano bowed out of the
market as the products of my father became more sellable because of their better quality and lower priced, Mang Angel narrated gleefully knowing how competition plays even in the musical world.

To learn a craft requires a good mentor, interest and perseverance. Mang Angel had all three. Although an associate in agricultural technology in the province, producing crops using highly scientific methods, Mang Angel opted for the joy of making sounds, a very difficult and highly skilled work. His source of inspiration: no less than the master violin icon, Gil Lopez Kabayao and the unqualified support of his better half, Evelyn.

"Hindi ako nag-aral ng music. Self-study lang ako. (Pero) nag-aral ako sa mga musicians sa pagbasa ng nota," he confessed. Three years old pa lang ako, marunong na ako ng tono. Tumutugtog na ako ng bandurya at 5 years old. Kung ano ang sound, kaya kong gayahin. Tinuruan ako ni Mr. Aguedo Faderon, sa Romblon. Conductor siya ng rondalla, (at)lumalaban kami sa kumpetisyon sa Western Visayas, Nananalo (rin) sa kumpetisyon kasi magaling ang teacher," he narrated. In the seventies, Mang Angel went to Manila abandoning his profession , and sought out Mr. Kabayao who encouraged him to work as an apprentice to Mr. Amador Tamayo, the violin-maker schooled under Italian violin makers.

For 17 years, he dutifully studied the intricate and difficult ways of making a violin under Mr. Tamayo, broken only by a year of paid work at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Every violin he did he used to pay his tuition as an apprentice but after three years, he got more regularly paid.

Actually, he just accidentally met Mr. Kabayao, when the latter visited his hometown to deliver a concert. Fortunately, after the event, Mr. Kabayao met his mother backstage, who showed him a ukulele made by his father. Wondering how in that very distant place anyone
could be making such an instrument, Kabayao walked through 8 kilometers of rough roads with his mother just to meet his father and there Angel learned about the beauty of music from the master himself.

Local and international customers

Aside from students of violin studies, Mang Angel=92s list of customers now include Mr. Kabayao who had ordered several new instruments from him like the violin, the viola and the double bass as well as a Canadian, Jack Gagnon, a musician who had bought 20 pieces already of the latter.

Wise wood choice for good tones
Nothing can make Mang Angel come up with a violin quickly. Two months or more is the minimum for finishing one especially if the wood is not dry enough. "Maganda kung 10 years na natuyo ang kahoy para hindi na gagalaw," he said meaning that the woodgrain would no longer be contracting anymore once the instrument is made. "Pangit kung may tubig, kasi nagiging damp yung tunog. Hindi pa matured yung kahoy," Mang Angel added. (It's not good if the wood is damp because it means the wood is not mature enough=92 thus it would produce a tone too low than what a violin should have. )

Mang Angel explained that the top of the line is usually cut from trees found in the high mountains like those used for the Stradivarius, creating good and high tones. Such wood are best because their grains are closer to each other; the wood will not shrink anymore once shaped or used as material for instruments.

"Ang Class A top of the line nasa tono, maganda ang kahoy, maganda ang pinagkuhaan. Yung Stradivarius, kinuha sa bundok. Yung (mas)mataas (ang pinagkuhaan) yun ang maganda...(yung) masinsin ang grain yung annual ring. Kung napakalaki ng haspe, abnormal ang paglaki, (ibig sabihin) mabilis ang paglaki niya. Kailangan (gamitin) siya sa mababa (ang tunog na instrument katulad) ng bajo, Mang Angel further explained.

"Pero kung masinsin ang grain, kailangan (gawin) pang violin. Yung magandang klase, masinsin (ang haspe), mataas ang tunog (na napo-produce). Ang mga nota matataas," Mang Angel explained.

Unfortunately, the Philippines is not a haven for wood. Mang Angel has to import wood from Italy, Germany or Canada via air freight or sometimes by boat; sometimes this takes ages. On the other hand, he prefers purchasing the strings from Austria and the pegs from Hongkong or the United States rather than making them himself, which he finds too laborious to do. With great tenacity, he could make 12 instruments costing around P60,000 per piece depending on the class of the wood every year, which is almost one a month.

Practical Experience over academic learning
Many Filipino musicians are self-taught or play by ouido, Angel learned music while working as a violin repair technician in the beginning. "Hindi ako nag-aral ng music. Self-study lang ako. Nag-aral ako sa mga musicians magbasa ng nota," he confessed. (I did not study music (in the academe.) I just studied it myself and also learned it from the musicians who taught me how to read notes.)

Violins belong to the family of two-stringed upright fiddles which originated from the nomads found in Turkey and Mongolia in Inner Asia. These instruments used the horses's hair as strings and for bows to play them. Thus as a professional violinmaker, Mang Angel could be said to descend from a long line of musicmakers in Asia.

By his achievements, Mang Angel proves that anyone with grit, courage and tenacity can succeed even without help from institutions. But he wishes anyone wanting to be in this profession to go abroad and learn in those countries that have been making violins for centuries. Also he advises them to take care of their ears, as this profession requires sharp listening skills.

How many hearts and minds have been touched by music coming from a violin? How many souls have been appeased by its tones floating through the wind? Truly, Mang Angel is an angel of the musicians so that, through his care for their instruments, they may continue to heal the world of its anxieties and stresses and make everyone think of goodness and a creative life for everyone.

WITH THESE HANDS

FE BAGUIWA PADUYAO AND HER WEAVING PASSION

BY Wilhelmina S. Orozco


FE BAGUIWA PADUYAO AND HER WEAVING PASSION

BY Wilhelmina S. Orozco

The mantra to solve recession nowadays is “Go Negosyo or get into business.” Thus many trade fairs and exhibits are being conducted to provide markets for products, but not all could be said to be ethically-run. Fe Baguiwa Paduyao, farmwoman from Ifugao turned entrepreneur had to contend with festival organizers who did not fulfill their obligations, those persons who went into get-rich-quick schemes.

“Minsan nagpunta kami sa Brent School (sa Baguio). Duon nakatinda ako. Pero yung ibang mga festival ayoko. Lolokohin ka. Pagdating mo run, wala kang puwesto. Yung mga kasamahan kong vendors, (ang nagkuwento,) she narrated. (One time, we went to Brent School in Baguio. There I was able to make a good sale. But in other festivals, I don’t like anymore. They fool you. When you arrive at the site, you won’t have any space to sell. One time, my Ifugao townmates told me they had paid in advance for a space to put up their wares but when they arrived at the exhibit venue, no space was available.)

Another time, Fe narrated that her townmates also tried Pinagbenga (Festival of Flowers in Baguio City). “O yung sa Pinagbenga. Nagdown (ang mga kasamahan ko.) Pagdating nila run, wala na yung tao..) Wala silang puwesto, ” she woefully narrated. (There at Pinagbenga, my friends gave a downpayment to sell their stuff. But when they arrived, the person in charge was no longer there and the space for the stall was nowhere to be found.)

“Kaya naawa ako (sa) mga kasamahan kong vendors, kasamahan ko sila sa tiangge-tiangge at yung may cooperative. Luging-lugi sila. Kaya ayaw ko na yung ganun, ” Fe sadly reported. (I pity my friend-vendors. They are my companions in selling, some belong to a cooperatives. They really lost a lot. That’s why I don’t like those (exhibits) anymore.)

Handmade, hand-cared for products
Fe’s products include hand-embroidered blouses and dresses made of cotton for women and also some baby dresses. Her business dates back to the 70’s when UP now retired Prof. Rosario De Santos and Artist-Painter Anna Fer started Pinangga and later on helped her continue the business by contributing ideas for design and giving her tips on marketing. The idea for baby dresses cropped and then a foreigner, Odille, Malay, married to a Filipino intellectual, joined her business for two years after which they separated, each continuing the business on their own.

At present, Fe has 30 or more women, mostly homebased and subcontracted to do the sewing and embroidery while in her house, a sewer does the drawing and ironing. “Ako nagbibigay ng lahat ng gamit, tela, sinulid, drawing. Binibigay sa mga nanay, tapos kinokolek ng isang lider, nilalabhan, at pagkatuyo, pinapalantsa. (I supply everything to them, equipment, cloth, thread, drawing (of design). I give these to the mothers, and when finished a leader of the group collects them, and bring them to Fe to be washed, dried, and ironed.)

“Kasi pag embroidery, maraming lapis na marks; hindi papasa ang mga yun kung hindi lalabahan. Yung ordinary soap lang naman, pagkatapos nilalagyan ng softener,” she continued. (With embroidered cloth, left over pencil drawings of the designs will bring down the quality and price of the product. So it is better if these are washed away using ordinary soap and then rinsed with softener.)

Marketing woes
Marketing is a big problem for Fe because she holds business informally and yet the business establishments require her to provide so many papers before she can sell her stuff.

“Last year, nag try ako ng cotton knit, mabili rin. Ininvite din ako ng Kultura na nasa Mall of Asia. Kaya lang wala akong papeles ng city hall. Kasi kung kukuha ako ng papeles, maraming gastos. Kaya maliit ang returns sa manggagawa.

So registered ang business sa DTI na lang, na nire-renew every time it expires,” she said. (Last year, I tried using cotton knit and found it sellable. Then I got invited by a store in Mall of Asia. Unfortunately, I did not have the necessary papers from City Hall. But instead of paying for those permits, I would rather use the money for paying the workers. So I just register with the Department of Trade and Industry, which I renew everytime the papers expire.)

Not much profit can be had from the products. At most Fe would earn only about 30%. Payments to sewers are not fixed. Per embroidered product, if complicated, she pays them from P60 up to P200, but if simple would be only P25. A blouse could cost from P500 to P1,000 depending on the intricacy of the design.

Aside from the sewer, she has to take care of the artist who draws the designs on the cloth, and the finisher who sews the buttonhole and/or the hemlines. Her expenditures include thread, light and water added to the personnel costs, as well as transportation fares in going to Divisoria to buy the supplies. Fe also draws her own honorarium only as the administrator of the business.

Through the years, Fe has gotten the hang of her business setting up the price, budgeting her expenses to make the products sellable in the market and talking to managers of stores. Sometimes though, she wishes she could stop; but the workers do not want her to. It is a rare opportunity for them to be a part of the business as they have to stay home, and yet be able to earn extra income for their families.

Lonely trek to Manila
From far away Tinoc, Ifugao, where she was born, Fe came to Manila with Prof. Rosario, an anthropologist in the seventies. They traveled for almost 12 hours by bus.

Fe is the only girl and second to the eldest among 7 children. Most of her relatives have gone abroad, some to Taiwan, working at factories while her brothers are still in Ifugao, farming. Two other brothers are engaged in Benguet, planting and selling vegetables.

Used to hard work, Fe finished high school by being employed as a home helper at the same time. “Bata pa ako, nag grade 1 hanggang grade 4 ako sa Ifugao. Tapos nagpunta ako ng Kiangan, sa Ifugao pa rin, at nagpatuloy mag-aral hanggang high school. Working student ako. Nakitira ako sa mga tao sa pinagtatrabahuhan kong bahay at pag araw, nag-aaral,” she narrated.

Sometimes she worked in the fields, or washed clothes for a certain religious organization. After her third year in high school she met Prof. Rosario who then invited her to spend her vacation in Manila and work at the same time to earn her tuition fees for the next schoolyear. However, instead of returning, she decided, upon Prof. Rosario’s invitation to just finish schooling in Manila, transferring to Roosevelt Memorial High School in San Juan, Metromanila.

After that, Prof. Rosario enrolled her at the Miriam College adult education class in tailoring and later on in basic dressmaking to acquire skills that would be her stepping stone to financial independence.

Pinangga birthpangs

Upon Fe’s graduation, Prof. Rosario and Anna Fer absorbed her in Pinangga, a shop that specialized in handembroidered clothes and other products located at Cortada in Ermita, Manila. She became the errand girl, buying the supplies from Divisoria as well as the tailor who sewed the T-shirts to be given to the homebased workers for embroidery.

“Hanggang 1974 to 75, nag-boom noon. Kaso natuklasan kami ng malalaking kompanya. Ginaya ang aming produkto tulad ng crochet at embroidery. After some time, nag-close na yung shop sa Cortada. Kulang ang pondo. Tinuloy ko na lang unti-unti,” she narrated with great regret.

The business boomed again but big companies copied their products which then made them lose in the market. Though having meager funds, Fe continued the business and in the 80’s started making cotton blouses.

A lot of outlets are open to Fe’s business. Her products appeal to both local and foreign buyers. However, the marketing terms are not always palatable. At shops at UP Arcade in Diliman, at Intramuros and in Makati, the products are sold on consignment basis.

This is a big headache for her because her capital does not move as fast as she would want them to. Thus, she wishes everyday would be like the American women’s bazaar at Roxas Boulevard where she easily makes good sales. An American woman approached her one time at an exhibit, “You want to join?” she was asked and after that, she has been a regular exhibitor at that place.

Through the years, Fe has been a single parent and now also a grandmother. She has grown used to being partner-less, knowing the great difficulties of keeping a husband and supporting a family at the same time.

Sometimes though she reminisces on those more profitable times and wishes they would return. She recalled going to Batangas, the land of Ate Vi, as she referred to her. “Kumita ako.” Another time was in Tarlac, “kina Cory” wherein a group of women invited her. “Maganda, provided pa yung tulugan namin for 2 nights,” she described her experience. (It was good; they even provided for our resting place for two nights.)

The bane of business is when the mothers do not speed up their work and deliver on time. Fe is not able to keep up with the orders at the malls, despite the fact that she has one embroiderer from Cainta who is working full time. “Kasi hindi lang yun ang gawa nila. Magpapakain muna,” she explained. (Embroidering is not their sole work; they still have to take care of the gastronomic needs of their family first.)

Intricacies of the trade

Despite the hardships, Fe sticks to hand-made embroidery as her customers appreciate their uniqueness, are discerning of what is handmade and machine-made, and always preferring the former. Besides, she said it is difficult to work with a machine if a piece requires several colors of thread.

“Gusto ng mga buyer maraming burda, kaya bihira yung mga kokonti; so binibigay ko talaga at sa mababang halaga,” she said. (More buyers prefer plenty of embroidery; so I really give it to them and at a low price.)

Even the tastes of her customers are embedded in Fe’s system. “Mga high end ang bumibili. Pag summer gusto ng mga tao sleeveless. Bihira yung may gusto ng ¾. Pag December naman, hanap nila yung long sleeved, mga Kaftan. Pero hanap rin nila, may kolar, o walang kolar.” (Products are for high end. In summer, customers prefer sleeveless, rarely with ¾. In December, they look for the sleeved blouses or Kaftan dresses. They are also selective of blouses that have collar or no collar.)

The network of Fe’s sewers is rather extensive, with leaders from Cainta, Novaliches, and Caloocan getting from and delivering orders to her. This eases up a lot of her work, making her concentrate on marketing and other minor tasks.

Fe wishes she could feel inspired to continue the business no matter how great the difficulties are now – like low production, marketing on consignment basis which saps up her capital and profit. The greatest dent in her business is the lack of time to even take a vacation. One time she still cannot manage to pay up a loan from an international women’s fund due to her low sales and the unpredictability of the market.

“Sabi ng mga kababaihan, ‘Ito si Pinangga, ang yaman-yaman na nito.’ Pero hindi nila alam, na kaunti lang. isang kahig, isang tuka ang kita ko. Pagkolek, mo, maraming bayarin. Kailangang mamili na naman ng supplies. Kasi kailangang magtinda ka na naman,” she said with sadness. “Pero wala ka naming mapagtindahan araw-araw.”
(Women would say, ‘Pinangga is very rich already.’ They don’t know that it earns only a little, a scratch and a peck. After getting the payment, out goes the funds again for purchase of supplies so you can keep on selling. )

Weak body, high spirits

Fe now is also facing health problems like diabetes, fading eyesight and physical weakness from having to take care of administrative duties like going to Divisoria to buy the supplies, taxiing the products and then attending bazaars where she has to sales talk her customers into buying her products.

Her advice to anyone entering the business: “Kailangan dito, may kaalaman ka at tiyaga.” (You must have knowledge and perseverance.)

Perhaps another advice should be given to trade and industry officials for them to provide regular outlets with ethical practices for her products and not just let her float in the laissez-faire economy.

Every product of Fe goes through the soft touch of her women workers, which actually gives reality to the name of their business, Pinangga, a Visayan term meaning “minahal” or loved. So as customers wear the clothes, they feel much loved and cared for.
Pinangga can be reached at tel. no. 7248284 or Cellfone: 09294507729

SAMPAGUITA NG AKING BUHAY
KAY BANGO PAG-IBIG ANG ALAY
BAWA’T BUTIL MAY DALANG ALAALA
TUWA AT LUNGKOT, HIRAP AT GINHAWA

ISA-ISA KANG TINUTUHOG
PERLAS NA MGA TALULOT
KARAKA’Y SA LEEG NAGIGING HIYAS
HALIMUYAK MO’Y ABOT-LANGIT SA WAGAS

SAMPAGUITA ALAY SA LAHAT
HALINA’T ILAWIT SA DIBDIB
O IKORONA SA BUHOK AT ULO
PALAMUTI SA REYNA AT SA HARI

ALTERNATIVE HEALING: WHEN HEALTH IS WEALTH

By Wilhelmina S. Orozco

Many people when feeling sick or have sick relatives readily run to a medical clinic or doctor in order to get healed. And usually, the kind of treatment they get is allopathic, or that which uses medicines processed by laboratories. Rarely do they get naturapathic treatment which is a not really new movement in the field of healing.

In our country, naturapathic goes back centuries even before the coming of the Spaniards. Our ancestors, the herbalists in them, were already using herbs, plants, and other natural substances in order to produce concoctions that could heal their subjects, coupled with prayers and even dancing. The Babaylan mostly women with a sprinkling of men, were such people readily approached by the common folks in order to heal their sick, and among other things, pray over the dead, as well as over start of and harvest gains in order to appease or thank their gods and goddesses. In other words, using natural herbs and plants, the Babaylan sought godly intervention and guidance in order to conduct all of those activities.

Behind those practices were the beliefs that healing takes place with divine intervention and not through human touch alone, and that healing also has to be connected with Mother Nature, not apart from it.

Hence, naturapathic healing is very much an easy but long-lasting approach to treatment which has now gained its rightful place in the health field in our country. No less than the Philippine General Hospital has a Department of Traditional and Indigenous Medicines proposed by former Secretary of Health, Jaime Galvez Tan. Amidst us are many herbal medicines, ranging from capsulized charantia and lagundi, to the herbal teas like the same lagundi, pito-pito (seven herbs) both concocted by inventor Erlinda Sanqui and her husband Jose, tsaang gubat, and many more. Then we also have Bioneem, a bacteria cleaning agent sourced from the neem leaves by no less than the most famous woman inventor, Carlita Rex Doran; herbal eyedrops with toothache healing properties like the Panlapu by Ms. Ramona Castro-Acuna, and liniment oils that are used for body massage. Probiotics drink and elemi oil have been invented by Jose Ingles with the first helping those having problems with elimination, and also who want to undergo rejuvenation. Elemi oil meanwhile is used as aromatherapy and for massage also.

In terms of treatment, the Richter Alternative Medicinal Clinic espouses the use of naturapathic practices. It was started in 1994 by Ms. Cecilia Almasa married to Ruel Lucentalles and who hails from Davao.

“Taga Davao kami, Ilonggo. Pero ang parents ko, taga Iloilo. My mother Nieves Esmejarda is from ilioilo and my father Bernardino Alamasa is from Bohol. 9kapatid, ako ang panganay. Nag nursing ako kasi yun ang gusto ko.” Thus, Ms. Lucentalles took up preparatory nursing at Centro Escolar University 1974 and then proceeded with her internship at Ortanez University from 1974-75.

From Mindanao to Manila
Being the eldest, Ms. Lucentalles had the drive to pursue further studies like iridology and naturapathy, especially colonics, which then attracted her to start her own clinic offering those practices. Iridology is a form of eye examination which reveals the diseases in the body while colonics is a form of intestinal cleansing.

The family established the first clinic in 1998, in Davao, and then the branches in 2000, in Cebu and Manila during which they also included medical practices thus allowing patients to get confined for complete detoxification therapy. In other words, they started this integrative practice of using medical drugs, blood transfusion, and use of antibiotics, side by side with alternative forms.

“Dati alternative (lang ang offer naming) like colonics, herbal therapy and other modalities, but in 2000, we started medical, (accepting patients for inhouse detoxification. Complete detoxification therapy which enhances the condition of the eliminative organs includes “irrigating” the skin, lungs, kidney, colon, and the lymphatics system. ‘Habang nililinis yung katawan, ina-adres talaga ang sakit.’

Richter Clinic also has resident doctors and consultants for medical treatment while on the naturapathic side, Ms. Lucentalles guides every program they offer, whether infrared, accupuncture, juicing therapy, and iridology.

Mel Pasion, a breast cancer patient once confined was given dextrose as her body was expelling food taken through the mouth, while her health medicines included both vegetarian pills and antibiotics to counter the spreading cancer cells in her body organs.



All kinds of cancer patients from breast to brain tumor and even those who do not feel pain but have tumor are admitted at the clinic. Many prefer it probably because of its homey atmosphere, a room having an extra bed for those caring for a patient the whole day, colorful curtains and decorative paintings adorning the walls.

Timing important in arresting cancer
However, full medical support is not enough for a patient to heal. The patient and the immediate family have to work together to show courage in overcoming the disease. Ms. Lucentalles said that if only patients would come to them when their cancer is just benign, there is 100 percent chance of recovering. However, “90 per cent of cancer patients enter Richter when their condition can be labeled grave to gravest already. They refuse to go to the hospital. Ayaw nilang lumipat sa hospital. Galing na sila duon. Ayaw na nilang ma-ICU. So dito na lang sila hanggang mamatay sila.” (They refuse to transfer to a hospital; some who had been there also refuse; they don’t want to undergo ICU treatment. So some stay here until they eventually die.)

Ironically, the name of the clinic, Richter is no fancy name but rather that of the discoverer of the scale used for measuring earthquakes. Richter is also the name of Ms Lucentalles’ son,Richter Jose born in 1980, and whom they had named as such, because of their past experience with a strong earthquake registering 7 in the Richter scale and which hit Cotabato City in 1976.

Since 1994, the clinic has had over 35,000 patients overall including Cebu and Davao which do not offer confinement unlike that in Manila with patients numbering about 3000 already.

Types of naturapathic herbs
Naturapathic consists of oral, injectable and paretheral. Oral food supplements are for cleansing, reparing cells, strengthening and nourishing the body. Some patients who cannot tolerate oral administration are giveninjectables like the vitamin C drip.

Ms. Lucentalles has found that those patients with families not offering support for alternative therapy do not get cured. This is because at present, to go alternative is considered conservative as against modern. “Sa atin, pag nagkasakit punta ka sa duktor, bili ka ng medicine (unlike) in other countries, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, traditional muna ang punta bago ang medical.

Nutraceutical - for natural healing herbals
“But this (naturapathy) is the original way of healing,” said Ms. Lucentalles. “Yan ang sinauna. Labatiba. Magkasakit ka, sumakit ang tiyan, labatibahin. Hilot, kasama yan. Ngayon Medicol, Biogesic tablets (pag masakit ang ulo.) Mas mabilis ang bumili ng gamut.
Nutraceutical is the opposite of pharmaceutical as it is a take off from the word nutrition. Nutraceutical means converting herbs into capsule forms. For example, malunggay leaves are dried and inserted in capsules for sale in packs.

To propagate “Wellness is better than cure,” mission, Richter conducts seminars about naturapathy and iridology. Promotion of its offerings is by word of mouth now which has been proven more effective. Its approaches are integrative, touching on the “spiritual, physical and emotional needs of the patient. ” Prayers and counseling are included to relax the many cancer patients who suffer from all kinds of stresses.

As medicines are too expensive to purchase for those sickly individuals, naturapathy affords a type of healing that could well be longer-lasting than those pills and capsules that could induce speedy recovery but not stronger resistance to viruses and bacteria that cause illnesses. Hence the adage, "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure." Cheap herbs that are easy to make into naturapathic healing elements could prove to be the Philippines' saving grace now and for all times.