Folk dances reflect the traditional life of the people. All over the world, folk dances are showcased and used as a form of cultural exchange among nations. Folk dancing is usually associated with social activities. That’s why no fiesta or festivity in the Philippines is complete without folk dancing.   Yearly, the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation hosts the Fiesta Folkloriada, an international festival of folk dance held in December at the at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Under the auspices of FIDAF (Federation of International Dance Festivals), The Fiesta Folkloriada of the Philippines, a project of the Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation in partnership with the Ambassador Alfonso T.  Yuchengco Foundation, gathers a select group of five dance companies from the different parts of the globe to conduct cultural exchanges in various parts of the Philippines, teach and learn from each other and perform in a grand finale with the Bayanihan, the...

Do you know that it’s a French woman who has spawned the act for the protection and rehabilitation of sexually abused girls in the Philippines? Cameleon Association Inc. Founder Laurence Ligier has been living in the country for 24 years and tirelessly ‘adopt’ these girls until such time they are equipped and ready to face the world. Laurence Ligier (seated, leftmost) with Zonta members during the media launch of  No to VAW Campaign  on November 15 at the Diamond Hotel. The gastronomic campaign was held in partnership with several food establishments in the country. “One child is raped every 53 minutes. We have more cases reported now because people are voicing out,” Ligier, who first came to the Philippines for a humanitarian mission in Aklan in 1992, said.  Ligier did another one month mission in 1993 and two years after, she was invited to join the educational program for disadvantaged children in Barrio Obrero, Iloilo, and spent half a year as ...

Healthy, active lifestyle is in.  Goodbye couch potatos and hello to busy, always on-the-go generation!  Herbalife Nutrition, a global nutrition company, has recently released the findings from its Asia Pacific Millennials At Work Survey:  Filipino millennials are adapting a healthy, active lifestyle. The s urvey was conducted in 2016, with 5,500 respondents aged 18 and above, from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. However, most of these young people believe that their current workplace environment prevents them from doing so. Millennials, or people born in between 1980 and 2000, are opting for a workplace that will encourage them to stay active, if only this will be embedded in every company culture.  According to the survey, about 83 percent or eight (8) in 10 millennials have agreed that they would like their company workplace to adopt a healthy, active lifes...

JC Enriquez (center) with his family, (from left to right) Jovan Enriquez (brother), Crisaldo Enriquez (father), Mareng Vicente (grandmother), Josephine Pronebo (aunt) There are more than two million Filipinos working abroad for various reasons: lack of jobs in the homefront, mismatch and in pursue of bigger pay and greater opportunities in foreign land. The children of these OFWs had gotten used to having absentee parents who miss out milestones and special occasions -- from intimate moments like a baby’s first steps, first words, or first day in school to important events like birthdays and graduations. The separation is painful for both children and parents, but it’s worth the sacrifice as the parents look ahead to the promise of a secure future. John Czarleen “JC” Enriquez knows of these aches and pains twice over. He was in Grade 1 when his father and mother left the country to work abroad as electrical engineer and as domestic worker...

With the recent opening of SPARK by Philam Group at Bonifacio Global City, Philam Life proves to be the leading innovator in the life insurance industry. SPARK by Philam Group is a state-of-the-art customer service center that offers fully digital and personalized services. It serves as the pilot office of all the company’s flagship stores that will open soon in key cities nationwide.  “We are all very privileged to be part of this important milestone in our history. This customer service center is the pilot office of all our flagship stores, which we will open in the coming months in key cities nationwide,” Philam Life CEO Ariel Cantos said during his opening remarks. SPARK makes use of technological platforms to make services faster and easier for customers amidst the sleek interiors of a modern-day office. It showcases the company’s latest technological capabilities such as the online customer portal called e-Plan, the Agency Portal for Philam Life financial a...

Cosmetic surgery procedures are usually done to correct a physical abnormality or to enhance a normal physical feature to improve and boost appearance – such as to smooth out wrinkles, augment or reduce breasts, or reshape a nose. According to Dr. Jose Artemio “Joey” Luat many Filipinos have become open about the procedure in recent years. He credits Dr. Vicky Belo and Dr. Manny Calayan for spearheading the industry and paving the way for Filipinos to be open about cosmetic surgery in the country. Dr. Joey Luat, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Luat with hius colleagues at  Cosmetic Surgery Institute “Before, people would not admit having undergone under the knife while most are afraid to undergo even a single, simple procedure,” Dr. Luat said. Coming from a family of doctor -- his dad is the famous internist in Cubao whose clients included the family of the late showbiz’ star builder German Moreno and his sister is an anesthesiologist – the amiable doctor said he has done e...