With Love From The City Of Smile

With Love From The City Of Smiles

Iya Villanueva

“When strangers become friends and moments turn to unforgettable memories, you know you are home. Where your heart is.” When I first heard this in the Negros Love Dance Festival’s trailer, my first thought was that the whole event was being overly dramatized. It was just all hype and people succumbing to the mainstream. I had not gone to the first two Love Dance Festivals, one in 2013 and one in 2014. My friends who went just told me stories about the people who got drunk, so I thought I wasn’t really missing out on anything. It’s just a bunch of teens dancing and getting drunk in an outdoor festival.

I arrived at the venue at 9:30pm, a bit late for something that starts at 12nn. I was immediately annoyed because I had to step out of my car at an area quite far from the venue. My car could no longer come to a nearer place or else it would be stuck forever, so I decided to walk to the entrance. Getting there, though, didn’t make me feel any better. The line to get inside was too congested. Entering was such a hassle because people were being inspected; to make sure they weren’t bringing in illegal substances or deadly weapons. Another cause of congestion was that a lot of tickets were fake. Scalpers outside were selling them so they really had to check every ticket. I finally got in and as I stepped onto the field, a refreshing burst of music and lights welcomed me.

My friends were all the way in the front of the field, right in front of the stage. I caught up to them and immediately joined in dancing to the beat. A mix of local and foreign DJs graced the stage. It seemed as though the whole island was jumping with one heartbeat.

Even the rain did not stop us from having a great time. For a moment, people left to take cover. But after a while, we all went back to the field. We didn’t even care how muddy it already was (it was literally so muddy that I had to throw away my shoes after the event). It’s definitely one of those events where you leave with no regrets because no matter what happens, everyone surely had a good time. It definitely made me love Bacolod even more.

The Negros Love Dance Festival debuted in the summer of 2013 as Bacolod City’s first massive outdoor music festival. Ryan Saez, event director for Love Dance, said that Headrush multimedia, the team behind NLDF, basically coined the concept of “Love Dance” through the inspiration it has drawn from similar electronic music festivals worldwide. Headrush decided to take a huge leap and make one for Negros making a mark while revolutionizing tourism for the province.

Bacolod is already known worldwide for its Masskara Festival, which is held every October. During this festival, Lacson Street, Bacolod City’s longest street, is closed and a weekend-long celebration is held. The street parties are the main attraction. This is where the people of Bacolod developed their party-loving attitudes. Naturally, the talk of a massive music festival in the middle of the summer got the people excited, because they no longer had to wait ‘til October to party.

Headrush used the most well known means of disseminating information: social media. I first heard about NLD from a video my friend shared on Facebook. They make trailers that not only encourage people to go, but also show what really happens in the festival using video clips. After every NLD, an official “aftermovie” is released. It is much awaited by the festivalgoers in hopes of seeing themselves in it.

The Love Dance Festivals have significantly grown since the first headcount of only 2000 people in 2013, to an astounding 10,000 people in 2015. It grew to be so famous, that the succeeding Love Dance festivals got more and more sponsors. Famous bloggers and even celebrities attended Love Dance and posted about it on their social media accounts. Many people went to love dance to see their favorite celebrities.

Love Dance 2015 was a great one for me. I got to take a picture with Laureen Uy and Nicole Anderson, two lifestyle bloggers whom I look up to. The acts were really amazing and I really enjoyed. There was set where a DJ let his kids take the set and I was amazed at how his two sons performed even though they looked younger than 13. At one point, the sprayed paint across the whole grounds and it looked really cool like rainbows cascading in the sky. Walking around the grounds, there was a variety of food stalls showcasing the various homegrown cuisines Bacolod had to offer. It was cool to see a lot of foreigners there. It made me proud that they could see this side of the Bacolod people.

      

                Pictures with Nicole Andersson and Laureen Uy were quite blurry but it was great seeing them.

After acquiring an abundance of praises, Headrush decided to extend the festival and create a Love Dance for the Masskara season. Despite the venue being quite far from the main street where Masskara is being held, people still attended and the headcount even reached to a whopping 8,000 people. “Love Dance is a time where people can escape reality for a short while to come with a lot of excitement and leave with either regrets or awesome memories” says Christian Torres, a local who has been a faithful attendee of the festival.

Being named in another article as a “worth the plane ticket” festival, I asked one local who was now studying in Manila for college if he would be willing to go home for the festival. “Yes, I would go back for Love Dance. It will be a venue to reconnect with my friends and will likewise be a good break from college life. Love Dance gives me the luxury of enjoyment and a sense of liberation.”

Headrush is proud to claim that the LOVE DANCE event is the most sought after in the island in terms of experience, consistency, safety, talent acquisition, and style. This is indeed true; I did not have to worry about the security of the place. The themes of the festivals per year are also very creative.

Negrenses are proud to have something like this to call their own. For the locals, it is a venue to feel a connection. Dancing together to a single beat feels as though the province is as one, and it’s an amazing feeling. For the people coming in from other places, they witness Bacolod. They witness the locals and catch a glimpse of how they live. Some even stay a few days after the festival to really experience Bacolod. They find a home because Bacolod has captured their hearts. The Negros Love Dance festival has formed friendships and lasting relationships. It is indeed more than just a party. It is a celebration of life, love, and freedom.

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203874279371409&set=t.633475328&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203874276211330&set=t.633475328&type=3&permPage=1

http://www.ndb-online.com/sites/default/files/LOVE%20DANCE.jpg

http://bluenergy.ph/images/event-images/negroslovedance/BLU%20Energy%20Drink_Negros%20Love%20Dance%202015_Elements_7.jpg

Bike for Life: Using the Past to Pave the Future

Bike for Life: Using the Past to Pave the Future

Zachary Pangan

"Life is a perpetual journey, till it stops; so take a wheel and drop a hop." - Anonymous

                Breeze rushing past your face, colors zoom by your side and an exhilarating feeling welling up inside - that's what I have felt when I first rode a bike. Learning how to ride a bike is my first real milestone, for I've accomplished it myself - well, mostly; I have a little kick start from dad. At that moment I felt I could do anything, that nothing could stop me. It was something special and dear - It is a rite of passage for children, a bragging right. Wheeling past your friends who could not ride a bike and seeing the looks on their faces, it is priceless: it is something that jumpstarts your childhood.

La Bici Mountain Bike, a common bike used by Bike for Life participants

                As I grew up, I've lost interest in biking; it has become something mundane - a child's play toy. My first real milestone became nothing in comparison to what I have been facing as I grew up. That became my notion for biking for a long time, until I saw the program, Bike for Life - it is a program that encourages biking for the citizens of Pasig. It uses biking to advocate environmental awareness and instills the feeling of community among the people. It was that moment, I have realized that biking has gone past its stereotype and propelled itself into the present; from its humble beginnings to the near imminent future.

The Humble Beginnings of the Biking Industry

                The bike has been invented during the early 19th century by Karl Drais, the body is made up of wood, 2 wheels are attached at its front and back, the front wheel can be controlled and directed. It became the general template of a bicycle. Back then it was utilized to solve the problem with the horse-drawn carriages: the horses' refuse pollution and horse maltreatment. As years passed by and industrialization progressed, the body became metal, then into titanium, but the general format remains. The bike is another step of the evolution of human transportation. The bicycle was developed into engine-powered machines, then into automobiles of the modern age.

The draisienne, created by Karl Von Drais

                As time progressed, automobile production increased and bike utility declined. It is now only a choice of transport, a less chosen one. Biking has been mostly considered a leisure activity. The beginning of the 21st century sparked a new perspective for biking. Since health awareness has sharply increased during the turn of the century, exercise activities were given the spotlight. Biking is an exercise activity with varying intensity, from non-strenuous to rigorous: given how long does the activity take and how steep the road is. Biking has been given a fresh breeze thanks to health awareness. Since then, its popularity has been increasing exponentially. Bikers and bike enthusiasts started forming biking groups: they travel together as a pack into mountainous and idyllic places around urban regions. People started to take notice of this rising bike movement.

The Bike Industry Wheeling up the Ramp: Bike for Life

Bike for Life event featuring Pasig Cathedral Church

                It was only four years ago when the Philippines, specifically Pasig and other cities of  Metro Manila, decided to look back and revamp biking into its full capacity. The "Bike for Life", a non-government biking program at Pasig city was initialized by former mayor, Robert Eusebio. The event organizers, Mr. Gregorio Evangelista and Ms. Andromeda Calapi, say "Bike for Life is for the people, it encourages Pasigueños to bike; for their health and for the environment”.  It is a program that envisions the incorporation of biking into people's lifestyle to advocate health and environmental awareness alongside creating camaraderie and the sense of community among Pasigueños. The Bike for Life event is held every last Sunday of the month. Around 800 to 1300 bikers join the event to bike around temporarily closed roads at Pasig City. “Bike for Life is for everyone who appreciates biking, people who love and live it. People join the event just for the fun and leisure it brings them. Former Mayor Robert Eusebio was a bike enthusiast himself; that is why he chose biking to be the central concept in alignment with the “Pasig Green City” motto. Aside from its eco-friendly front, Biking is fitness-friendly too; it is a great form of exercise, not only for the body, but for the mind as well. It clears up the mind, de-stressing it from the daily pressures people encounter. It balances you, makes you whole and one with nature”. People from all walks of life could join the Bike for Life event, for biking is a cheap hobby; decent mountain bikes have amounts ranging from three thousand to five thousand pesos. Its maintenance and other peripheries are cheap as well. That is why, presently, the urban population turns to biking for it is a cheap way of transport, which also saves them time from traffic jams here and there.  It is a rising movement which is transcendental from automobiles that produced different problems we are now facing. Biking is a growing trend among travellers and leisure hunters, multiplying in numbers as time progresses.

Bike for Life event featuring Pasig’s Revolving Tower

Bikes of the same Rubber Flock Together

                There are some bikers who take biking seriously; they spend a lot of money for the bike itself and its peripheries.  Established bikers like them are forming packs: biking groups where they bike together almost every weekend to nearby provinces. Provinces like Rizal and Laguna, for these provinces are mountainous, the roads are steep and difficult to climb – a challenge for them.  For them biking is not just a simple leisure activity, they take it as a challenge, a competition. One of the participants of the Bike for Life event, Andy Rubia said “I took pride in biking, it motivates me, it presents me difficult challenges that I would like to overcome. When I overcame a steep road atop a hill, I took pride in it. I have done something others could not do, and that is the prize I get from biking.”  For them biking is serious business, a neck to neck competition.

                “What are the benefits you get from biking?” I asked a participant of the Bike for Life event. Jomar Garicia said “It is a good form of exercise for me, It helps me burn fats and stay in shape. During weekends, I bike alongside my biking group to Rizal; I enjoy the lush green scenery around me. I enjoy the fresh air zipping past my face; lastly I cherish the camaraderie between us bikers.  They have my friends, my support group and my brothers.”

                “What do you make out of the future of the biking industry of the Philippines?” I asked an adept biker that has attended the Bike for Life event.  He is Leo Tusi, He has been biking for almost five years now; a biker since the boom of the biking phenomena in the Philippines. He answered “I think the Biking Industry will increase at a faster rate for programs like Bike for Life has been popping up all over Metro Manila. A lot of people would be encouraged to bike for it is a leisure activity at the same time a good form of exercise. It also saves money and time when commuting; bikes occupy less space and can maneuver easily at tight spaces. The biking industry could also be a possible solution to the environmental problems that we are now facing. Global warming and climate change is an effect of the air pollution from the exhaust fumes of automobiles, bicycles produce no pollution and at the same time it discourages the use of automobiles.

Biking Frontiers, Soaring to the Future

                The rise of the biking industry leads to the deepening of the environmental concern of the people. It made them realize that it is a possible solution to the traffic and environmental problems of the country. It is an alternate form of transportation that is cheap, eco-friendly and readily available to the masses. The biking movement all over the cities of Metro Manila reflected the trending bike industry, making a permanent and lasting impact upon the people. With these things biking would soar into the future, with its wings spread wide.

Bike For Life event in front of Pasig City Hall

                Biking is an excellent way to relax and enjoy life, an ideal way to lose weight and maintain a healthy body and mind, and the perfect medium to instill environmental concern among the people.  From its humble beginnings up to now, the biking industry underwent a lot of twists and turns on the road. It went through changes, to make it timely to each generation, like the Bike for Life event; from being a solution to the pasts’ problem to being a possible solution to the present’s problem giving us the promise of a brighter future. 

                 I felt breeze rushing past my face, colors zoom by my side and an exhilarating feeling welling up inside, I was riding a bike again, after all these years. I have found new perspective on biking, encouraged by curiosity driven by the problems we are now facing, I have a new-found courage. Now, Will you step up and join me and the whole biking movement wheel up the ramp to help save tomorrow?

  

Picture Sources:

https://bikecyclinglife.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/grandseigne-draisienne.jpg

http://www.pasigcity.gov.ph/subpages/news.aspx?nSeq=664

http://www.pasigcity.gov.ph/upload/news/20144/2814235295.jpg

http://www.pasigcity.gov.ph/upload/news/20144/28142329677.jpg

http://www.pasigcity.gov.ph/upload/news/20144/28142231817.jpg

http://www.pasigcity.gov.ph/upload/news/20144/28142433653.jpg

The First picture was taken by Zachary Pangan

Secondary Sources:

https://bikecyclinglife.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/bike-of-the-week-first-bike/

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/bicycle.html

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/22-inspirational-cycling-quotes-34881/

http://www.statista.com/topics/1448/bicycle-industry-in-the-us/

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/studies-reports-0

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/resources/entry/enthusiast-demographics-industry-trends-survey

Lloyd Cadena’s Journey to Stardom

Lloyd Cadena’s Journey to Stardom

Catherine Guevarra

                       Photo: uploaded by Lloyd Cadena (http://lloydcafecadena.tumblr.com/)

It has never been a smooth ride for youtuber Lloyd Cafe Cadena as he admits the difficulty of diving into the video making industry and making a statement for yourself to get known.

It was half past six on rainy Sunday evening when I arrived at the SMX Convention Center in Pasig City. I hurriedly got out of the car and rushed past a crowd of people, as I tried to enter the jam-packed hall thinking that I was late for my interview with Lloyd Cadena.

            Inside, I was shocked to see these weird creatures scattered around the halls. “Cosplayers?” I asked myself. After thinking that I might be at the wrong venue, a guard standing behind two tall grey doors assured me that Lloyd Cadena would be attending a book-signing event inside.

      Photo: uploaded by Lloyd Cadena (http://lloydcafecadena.tumblr.com/page/3)

           Lloyd Cafe Cadena is an online superstar known for his YouTube videos and his laughable but quite relatable memes on Facebook. He is also a published book author and hosts an online blog. Although his name is not quite recognizable, once you see one of his memes, you will surely be able to recognize his face.

                                                    Photo: lloydcafecadena.tumblr.com

           

As I stood in line waiting for my turn at the booth, where he would be signing the books, a lady approached me and said that Lloyd still has not arrived yet and that he must have been stuck in traffic.

Nearing for my turn at the booth, I could already see him. He was wearing a casual black and white patterned shirt, with his hair slicked back; he was signing a fan’s book, a Cadenator, as he would call them. He was casually chatting with the overwhelmed fan in front of me, as if they have been friends before they have even met. When the fan asked for a picture, they were interrupted by one of the coordinators, who asked if they could video him endorsing his books. After taking the video, he then gladly went back to the fan, and gladly took a selfie with her.

When it was my turn, my hands started to turn clammy and I started to feel nervous. Although my uneasiness was quickly expelled when I started to introduce myself, he immediately recognized my name. He knew that I was the person sending him e-mails asking about an interview. Luckily, I was the last person in line, and so I immediately went in and asked if we could start the interview.

Half way through the interview, I was interrupted as he overheard his friends talking at the side, about eating out after the event. He apologized for rudely intervening and I quickly dismissed it, knowing that it was already late and that he must have been really tired.

Starting in the Social Media Industry

Photo: uploaded by Lloyd Cadena (http://lloydcafecadena.tumblr.com/page/2)

           

Having the lack of anything to do during his free time, he decided to make videos and posted them on YouTube. He thought that filming himself was a way where he could amuse himself and that it would be a way of forgetting about his lack of having a partner.

He admitted that starting up in the said industry was very hard. His main dilemma was that he had a very limited amount of viewers. “Hindi ko hinayaan ung factor na iyon para magstop ako (I did not let that factor stop me from creating videos),” he said.

The 22 year old had created a first YouTube channel, however it did not receive much attention. But after a while, he then created a new channel named Lloyd Cafe Cadena (formerly known as LloydCafeCadena2) where he posted comical skits. Through his perseverance, he managed to spread his channel.

Rise to Fame

            With a whopping 30,000,000 views and more than 270,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, you definitely cannot deny his fame. He is also dubbed as “The face that launched a thousand memes.” He has also received awards such as the YouTube Silver Play Button and the 2013 Globe Tatt Awards Best Comedy on YouTube.

He had his first breakthrough through a video called “Crush mo ako, crush kita… Ano na?” It was in his most popular segment called “LC- Learns” in 2011, which reached 700,000 views. Now, his most watched video is called “Anong mas gusto mo, Showtime or Eat Bulaga?” where he interviews locals to see if which network do they like the most. The video has now reached 1.2 million hits. “I like watching his videos because he's really funny and he always has a point on what he says,” said Ck, a Cadenator. 

  

                                                

                                                                     
    






















                                                                   Photos: goodreads.com

Aside from making videos and memes, he is also a published book author. He has written two books called “Eng Serep Megwele ‘Yung Tataa” and “Hopia” both of which are published under VIVA Psicom Publishing Corporation. Recently, he has been attending book-signing events throughout the country.

Just this June, he attended the very first YouTube Fan Fest, which was held here in the Philippines. He shared the stage with other youtubers both local and international such as Bethany Mota, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Joe Sugg, Caspar Lee, Donnalyn Bartolome and many more.

“He is not like the other public figures, which forgot how they started,” said Shinlie, one of his Facebook Admins and close friend. “He always looks back and he always keeps himself grounded.”

Future Aspiration 

           

                                        Photo: www.lloydcafecadena.com

One thing that Lloyd really wants to aspire is his singing career. He says that it has always been his true passion.

 In 2012, he created a YouTube channel called PawsUpChannel, where he posts song covers from Beyoncé to Mariah Carey; however, this channel is no longer active. Lately, he has been posting song covers in another YouTube channel named LloydCafeCadenaTV.

He says that he gets his music inspiration from Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey. “We loved Gaga,” said Riel, a friend of Lloyd. “He has a pretty nice voice in my opinion. Let him follow his dream. There should be no one stopping him from it.”

Lloyd is currently attending workshops for voice lessons under ABS-CBN’s Star Magic to further enhance his abilities.

Through all of what Lloyd has achieved, I am pretty sure that he will find success in whatever he decides to do. I have observed that he is a fighter and he does not easily quit. He is a very optimistic person. “Gamitin mo ung negativity para maging positive ka (Use the negativity to become positive),” he once said during the interview. He is much like the person you see on your computer screen, “What you see is what you get,” if I may say so. He is very down to earth and appears to be laughing and making jokes most of the time.

           

           

References:

·         https://www.youtube.com/user/LloydCafeCadena2/about?spfreload=10. YouTube. 4 Oct. 2015.

·         Montenegro, Bea. “YouTube FanFest to arrive in the Philippines on June 26.” 24 June. 2015.http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/509770/scitech/youtube-fanfest-to-arrive-in-the-philippines-on-june-26. 4 Oct. 2015.

           

           

The Ocean Park of the Future

The Ocean Park of the Future

Mark Li

The moment I enter the big blue park, fragrant freshwater odors completely arouse my nostrils. With numerous food stalls, exciting attractions, and souvenir shops found at every corner, people always fill this grand aquarium, giving endless noise throughout the whole 743 square meter park. The Manila Ocean Park, a theme park unlike any other, boasts of its exotic animals, state-of-the-art facilities, and other attractions as the Philippines’ only marine-based theme park. Located just behind the Quirino Grandstand at Manila, this theme park is ideally situated for the convenience of its visitors.

Showcasing a variety of marine animals, the Manila Ocean Park aquarium, or “Oceanarium,” houses different sea creatures native to the Philippines. “The ‘Oceanarium’ itself makes the trip of going here to the park worth it,” says Darwin Calpatura and Noemie Tesorero, a visiting couple at the park. This grand aquarium’s greatest attraction—a 25 meter underwater tunnel named as Buhay ng Karagatan (Living Ocean)—allows the park visitors to watch the fish and other marine life such as sharks and stingrays literally swim over their heads. “We love watching the sharks and stingrays from such a close view,” the couple said. “All of us, including our daughter, are having a wonderful time here at the ‘Oceanarium’.” Other parts of the “Oceanarium” include Agos, where most of the small fish are found. Though people more often go to the other areas, this area is still considered a major part of the park. Bahura is another part of the park where all of the coral reefs are displayed; Laot is always filled with visitors for displaying big fish and some stingrays; Kalaliman is where marine creatures in the deepest parts of the ocean are found; Pagi is a tank where stingrays fly over the person, much like the Buhay ng Karagatan, except that only stingrays are found in this area; and Pating, where a number of sharks are featured. “Not only do we enjoy watching the fish here, but we also learn more about what they are and how they live,” says the couple as they exit the park.

Aside from showcasing marine animals, the park also displays a number of exhibits and attractions not exclusive to sea creatures. Some of these attractions include a fish spa, a penguin exhibit, and a glass-bottom boat ride. The fish spa, a small pool filled with fish feeding on dead skin cells, exfoliates and massages the feet after a long, busy day.  Allen Capua, a student from DLS-CSB, shares his personal experience on his first visit to the park. “Out of all the attractions inside the park, the fish spa is my favorite,” says Allen, “because it massages my aching feet after a long day of walking throughout the park.” He says that he loves the feeling of getting a thousand kisses on his feet, which, if you ask me, is pretty much amazing. The park also features a penguin exhibit displaying a number of penguins swimming in water, sliding on ice, and feeding on fish. Isolated in a cold-weather zone, the penguins feel just at home. “I love how the penguins wobble as they walk on the icy floor,”

says Albert Uy, a first time visitor of the park. “They look so cute walking with their flippers on their sides. I also love it when I get up-close with the penguins to feed them,” says Albert, “because I can see their cute little bodies with a much more detailed look.” Another of the park’s wonderful attractions is its so-called “Glass-bottom Boat,” which, as the name implies, offers a boat with a glass bottom, enabling its passengers to see the waters below them. Eunice Ong, a student of Ateneo who has already visited the park for the second time, tells us why this boat ride is her favorite attraction. “I love watching fish, especially from the glass-bottom boat where I stare directly down to watch the fish swim. With the glass being crystal clear, it makes watching the fish even more interesting.”

The Manila Ocean Park, through years of development, has added a hotel with a restaurant for visitors to enjoy. This 4-star hotel, named Hotel H₂O, is a separate project which opened five years before the opening of park itself, as stated by Nikko Rodriguez and Giecel Vales, concierges of the hotel. Situated literally above the sea, this hotel also provides beautiful sceneries of the sea for its guests. “Our hotel is not your average four-star

hotel,” says Nikko and Giecel, “Unlike other hotels, ours is built right inside a theme park, providing an ample number of attractions for the guests’ entertainment.” They also said that the hotel’s 149 rooms are always full during weekends, occupied mainly by foreigners. “Forty-nine of our rooms, including nineteen suites, have an aquarium inside,” the concierges said, “to show the aquatic theme of the hotel. The hotel also has a restaurant called “Makan Makan Asian Village,” where buffets and popular Asian dishes are served to hotel guests.

The Manila Ocean Park truly is a sight for sore eyes, with lots of attractions and places to visit. From its big blue aquarium, to its aquatic hotel, this park will surely capture the hearts of its visitors. The chit-chat of the people, the freshwater odor of the park waters, and the fun attractions—all of these, now engraved into my memory of the park. Now, as I exit the big blue park, I stare out the window of my car, hoping to go back to the park on another day.

Picture references:

1.      https://pinaymomloves2blog.wordpress.com/photo-gallery/under-the-sea-experience/

2.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iah489GW0tE

3.      http://www.tripkolang.com/2011/11/trails-to-antarctica-the-penguin-quest-in-manila-ocean-park/

4.      http://www.ilink.ph/h2o-hotel-manila