I mulled over the sensitivity of my last post.  I am a professional after all, working across different ad agencies from a neutral standpoint.  Therefore confidentiality must be the minimum order of the day.

The irony of it all lies here : we lose our humanity in the name of professionalism and non-disclosure.  We have it this way simply because there are so many jobs that need to get done - the majority of which were supposed to be done yesterday.  So most of us speed off as robots trying to do the impossible.

Robots.  That's the perfect noun - robot.  I guess I was a robot for the large part of the time I spent in the agency.  Then singlehandedly trying to do what now takes 6 or more people to do.  In the process losing so much time.  Much time to talk, much time to live, much time to connect, and more importantly, much time to show appreciation.

In trying to recover what may have been lost in time, allow me the space to show appreciation for someone who has transcended an uncharted dimension of motherhood.

Minnie Bobe and I met her in 1996 when our fledgling agency in Bacolod became McCann's strategic alliance partner in that part of the country.  After doing some media training at McCann when the agency was still in Herrera St., a dinner at Italianni's to cap off a week of media info overload.  When dinner was done, she had to excuse herself to get back to work.  To say that I was impressed by her dedication is an understatement.  Little wonder that five years later, when Venus calls on me to join the agency, Venus emails, "I will be out of the country by the time you join the agency but AVP Cookie Bartolome will be there to orient you".

And so it was. Cookie welcomed me to the team and served as mother to the brood which found Mon Samarista and myself as the only males working directly under her auspice.  There were only good times and hard times. 

The good times: Touch Mobile OOH launch, TCEC Non-Carbonated Beverages win, winning Project WTA, Globe Handyphone relaunch (total overhaul of Globe's OOH inventory), Coke OOH plan year after year, plus a whole lot more to mention including the recovery of PhP 2million of Coke's money from a supplier who failed to deliver.  

The hard times : Cost Esimates forever stuck and unsigned in the desk of a brand manager; me almost breaking down due to the lack of an available assistant during the days when OOH planners were as scarce as an ice cube in the desert (thank God Dep de Pasion came along!); consequently, I would for a long time be behind in my plans for the NCBs; a lot of momentary setbacks like Coke Chief Marketing Officer Mary Minnick at the verge of staring at a non-operational Coke tri-vision billboard from her room at the Makati Shangri-la; Mother Ricki and Angel Guerrero appeasing an upset Cathay Pacific Country Manager; the litany of unpaid media suppliers and my "heroics-slash-stupidity" of advancing payments to them which later backfired.

Through it all, it could only be "the best of times".  In contrast to Dickens, there could be no worst of times.  

My account above is only one of the many stories of her brood.  The rest have deeper stories to tell, more profound statements to share.  With tighter bonds forged through the years, they are even in a much better position to share how great a mother/leader/friend Cookie is.  And I guess that is why this Mother's Day weekend may go down as one of the longest weekends ever for some.

I've seen the tears and I could feel the pain.  The stillness permeates.  I wouldn't be surprised if even the arowana at the UniversalMcCann lobby feels the loss.  The pain is not in Cookie's leaving and moving to a new agency.  Everyone moves on at one point or another.  The pain is really in the abruptness of the move.  For the most part, it has left a number of people...errr, 'blindsided'.

With a big jolt like this, it only serves as proof that Cookie B. has really cornered a large part of our hearts.  Proof as well that I am not a robot anymore.  Humanity largely restored.

Trash professionalism and sensitivity of confidential agency info...anyway, the transition will be heralded in Media Magazine's next fortnightly issue.  Mother Cookie, you're the best!  I did recall that I was hoping to talk to you before I left the agency but it seems like we were all too busy.  Before we know it, three years have passed by and BOOM!, you're the one now leaving.  My family and I wish you the best in your new endeavors!  

I know the decision you had to make was a tough one but, like 'blindsided' always says, "The greatest risk one will ever take is not taking a risk at all".

For this, you deserve a bag!  A Rafe bag no less!

Happy Mother's Day!





-photo note : none of the people in the picture are with UM anymore, even the background has been changed :)

What is it with March 3 that it seems to produce fearless heroes of the faith?  I just wrote about Omeng Cervantes and once again, I find myself greeting another "adventurer" by the name of Ryan Gidor.  Ryan Gidor is the pastor of Victory Christian Fellowship in Bacolod City.

I knew Ryan way back when he was still in La Salle Bacolod as a high school student.  Being an Explorer Scout, the traces of a call to leadership were very evident even in those days.  Funny, witty, and most importantly having enough faith to say, "Come on, let's do it!" even in the face of uncertainty.  If Ryan were flying an airplane, he would be best described as a daredevil pilot who would defy the readings of all the gauges and panel instrumentation to do that aerial somersault.  He can even mock an empty fuel gauge and exclaim, "Let's glide!"

I salute you bro!  Grabe!  Ano iniinom mo?....adrenaline?

Happy Birthday!

In our clan, I am perhaps the only guy who has a friend known to every Tito, Tita, and cousin.  Come to think of it, a family affair may take place and without me being around, this guy could easily take my stead.  His name is Rommel Cervantes.  Known to all as Omeng.

Omeng and I go back a looooooooong, looooooooooong way.  Twenty five years and counting.  Adventures and misadventures in high school.  Oh man, should I admit everything here?  If I were to do so reader, you would easily start thinking that my voice and point of view sounds familiar.  It sounds like,....sounds like,.... that of an older Fred Savage of the Wonder Years!

What roles have we played in the past?  Batman and Robin driving around Metro Manila with a falsified driver's license in the days of the Metrocom.  Bon vivants feasting on breadsticks and calzone at Italian Village Quezon Avenue long before Italian joints became commonplace.  Then there was this episode which reminds me of a scene from "Speed" wherein we were coasting southbound along the North Expressway and soon approaching the Balintawak tollgate.  With no loose change on hand and eagerly trying to avoid the foreboding scene of a tollbooth officer hurling expletives at us, we drove side by side a bus and handed a big bill to the conductor on the "estrebo" saying, "Boss may palit ka sa P500?".  The conductor gladly obliged and handed the change!  Eat your heart out Keanu Reeves!  No stunt double for this.

Life is always an adventure when Omeng is around.  I salute you boss!  You are really one of our heroes!

Omeng now resides in Riga, Latvia and pastors the Every Nation church there together with his wife, Ira and their three lovely kids.  Picture shows Omeng and Ira with their latest addition, Arianna.  His adventures continue having had episodes with Russian goons and long and shivering sub-zero winters.

Happy Birthday ` tol!

I am convinced that no other batch of St. Scholastica's Academy has dented the school's history as much as the high school batch of 1983.  Of course I tend to be biased.  After all, a large part of Bacolod Scholasticans I know hail from this batch.  What may surprise you reader is that I am not even their age.  Batch 83 is two years ahead of my own year (which makes their average age around 42 (owww!)).  Ok lang 42 na pero joven gyapon itsura ah :-)

So what makes this Batch stand out among the rest?  Well, for one, they have the thickest yearbook St. Scho Bacolod ever had.  In 1979, the year they graduated from grade school, both Grade 6 and Grade 7 marched up to receive their grade school diplomas thus consolidating the two year levels into the largest high school batch SSA-B has ever had.  I leave it to your imagination how the halls of SSA-B were like on the day school opened in June 1979, seeing around 200 new freshmen (or freshwomen to be more gender correct).

Within our clan alone, the scions of D. Mariano Ramos, I count six members of SSA-B 83.  These include Binky Alunan, Reeda Bantug, Marijean Limjap, Liscel Ramos, and the "BAYO sisters", Corcor and Lynn Dizon.  This count of six does not include all the distant relatives within the batch.  Negrense ancestry and heritage weaves this complex web of family relationships which can easily make a total stranger become part of the family by a mere "count-back" (daw golf ba!).

Then there was this episode in college wherein I had to be in a class with a whole bunch of them.  The school, La Consolacion College Bacolod.  The class, Oriental Art under fave teacher Bamboo Tonogbanua.  This was the only time wherein Interior Design students were lumped in one classroom with the Advertising students.   Sitting at the back of the room, I observed that every class was a scene out of a Billy Joel song where the uptown girls had to mingle with the backstreet guys :-) .  Riot! Riot! Riot!  Gender and class borders were broken with whispers stating, "Pssst, akon na lang `na tunga sang Bultog mo".

The hallmarks of Batch `83...Crayon Shoes, Teri de Sario's "Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You", Jordache, Sasson, Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, Famolare, the basement of the Sea Breeze Hotel commonly known as the Spectrum, Magik 103FM blaring Nicolette Larson's "It's Gonna Take A Lot of Love", Marcialangelo photoshoots (with his trusty Nikon F2AS and Harley-Davidson), Bob's Big Boy, CB radio, skateboard, "Good Times" by Chic, happy herb (not all did it, mmmmm, mga 49% lang, pati ah.), biking in Capitolville, softball, Don Juan tragedy, martial law, NPA, sugar crisis, strict parents, Republic Sugar Bank, este Republic Planters Bank, cheering for West Visayas in the Palarong Pambansa.....the list may go on but one easily gets the picture.  It was a period in time wherein despite the backdrop of a politically charged and tumultuous Negros in the early 1980s, idyllic would not be enough of an adjective to describe high school life.

Twenty-five years have come and gone.  Batch 83 sang SSA ara gyapon a!  Grabe ang energy!  In your lingo, "Fuerte!!!".

Kudos to you on your Silver Jubilee!  Kudos to Miss Batch 83 and Alfred E. Neuman awardee, Julie May Calderon!  Hopefully by your Ruby Jubillee you would have finished the AVPresentation slash Indie Film entitled "Mga Tuig Sang Katingalahan" wherein you would do the voice over a la Fred Savage.

Am thinking...maayo lang (good thing) my sister wasn't a part of your batch (whatever that means).

As such, let's just change that blog title to : The Indefatigable Batch `83 of St. Scho Bacolod


Batch `83 25 Years After

I just got this forwarded email entitled "It's All About You". Instead of forwarding it, I've decided to post it on Multiply.  Tweaked it a bit for Multiply users as well.

Here it goes:


Three jobs I have had in my life:

Managing a small trucking business - my first job after my dad passed away when I was 17
Art & Culture Columnist - weekly column in the Visayan Daily Star
Out-Of-Home Media Strategist and billboard maven - the job that will never escape me no matter how hard I try to veer away from billboards


Three movies I would watch over and over:

What Women Want
The Fountainhead
The Lakehouse


Three people who e-mail me regularly:

Dae
Dep
Zeno


Three of my favorite foods:

Kadyos with Linaga nga Baboy - Ilonggo delicacy with yummy beans!
Chicken Inasal with Garlic Rice
Batchoy


Three places I have lived:

PSHS Boys Dorm
Maida Vale, London
Bacolod City


Three shows that I watch:

-I'm not a TV person so I guess I'll have to pass this one; I just watch whatever my wife is watching


Three places I have been:

Lucerne, Switzerland
Ronda, Spain
Danjugan Island, Negros Occidental


Three places I'd rather be right now:

Barcelona, Spain
Berkeley Square, London (favorite spot to forget all the cares in the world)
Marapara


Three friends I think will repost this on Multiply:

Minnie Bobe
Geena Semana
Je de Asas


Three things I am looking forward to this year:  (not in any particular order)

Having a long overdue one-man-exhibit
Jumpstarting the ideas in my head
Just having a totally awesome year with my wife as we celebrate 10 years of marriage and both our 40th birthdays :-)



Now, here's what you're supposed to do... And please do not spoil the fun. Copy this entire post and repost on your Multiply, delete my answers and type in your answers.  The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known facts about those who know you.

Sketching with the late National Artist Cesar Legaspi at Banago Wharf, Bacolod City (1975).

What a way to begin a passion for art!

Click here for artwork.

Last August 31, I wrote about putting a twist to my blog.  The entry, "A blog with a twist" outlined my intent to feature my friends/contacts/kasimanwas on a regular basis.  Think of it as a mini-interview a la Ricky Lo (LOL!). The exercise would allow me the chance to let my contacts know how much I appreciate their friendship.  So without further ado, first up is.....

Doc Gina Gamboa

If you cringe at the sound of the dentist's drill, you should rest in the fact that 80% of the world have the same feeling upon hearing that high pitched buzz.  As a kid, I used to have this fear of going to the dentist for treatment.  It seemed like every trip to the dentist would be an occasion for me to recite that section of Psalm 23 which reads, "Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil". 

All of that changed until I had my first treatment at the Bacolod clinic of Gina Gamboa in 1991.  I clearly remember that I was winding down the weeks before I had to fly off to London to study there for a considerable time.  Thinking that I had to avoid any dental visits in a foreign land, it was imperative to get all the necessary treatment done given the brief span of time.  Suffice it to say that in the short series of treatments which I'd like to refer to as "semi-surgeries", Doc Gina was instrumental in changing my perception of dentists from "artists of torture" to gentle dental specialists.

Through it all, Gina is not all about dentistry.  If there is another thing that she should be known for next to her profession, it should be her unfathomable zest for life.  There are so many pictures of the Doc on various multiply sites, all vividly displaying how one should have a good time and live it up to the full (one can easily pin that to her Ilonggo heritage).  The heck with all these crummy write-ups in glossy society magazines, they just don't know...my dentist Gina Gamboa,....she is the real bon vivant!

Doc, madamo gid nga salamat!  You're the best!

....and it's so good to know that you are here in Manila already.  Your clinic down in Amorsolo Street, Makati is just a few steps away from where I am. :-)