A DRINK TO DEMOCRACY. Champ Lui Pio and I raise a glass of Morals and Malice’s signature Pomelo Spiced Mojito (Bacardi Silver rum, ginger syrup, mint, lime and citrus soda topped with pomelo) to the May 9 elections, because the Hale frontman is part of Rock The Vote, a campaign to inspire the Filipino youth to exercise their right of suffrage.
I SPENT half an hour writing what would have been my first political piece in support of a candidate. After reading and re-reading it, I pressed the delete button tentatively.
Erasing a few words, then entire sentences. Finally, command A, and in a single stroke it became one of those unsent letters we keep in boxes in darkened places. I choose not to tell you who is getting my vote.
In the first place, why would it even matter to you? My vote is between myself and the ballot. I have always regarded this right and exercise sacred. After all, blood has been spilled so I have the right to choose a leader on my own, and I extend the same respect to you.
For months now everyone’s social media feeds have been abuzz with support for this and contempt for that candidate for office, and I do not intend to contribute to the noise. What a circus! Photographer Jim Ubalde vocalized on his Facebook status that it is a good sign, that the buzz—no matter how raucous it can get at times—is a clear indication that the general public (and not only the ones who are online) gives a flying fig about this election. Although I quite agree that apathy is the enemy, so is a misinformed mouthpiece—albeit it being a well-meaning one, and whichever politics it is you espouse. Even worse, the ones who so vociferously impose their views on everyone within earshot but have given up their right to vote because… “ay, wala man ko naka pa biometric gud.” As moral ground goes, the one beneath you just crumbled.
What I do find incredibly perplexing is the seemingly unbreakable cycle of election wrought insanity that we find ourselves in every time the season is upon us. The promises get to me. On a live broadcast, a female lawyer for Senator starts throwing hers at the audience, portioned into bite-size pieces flavored especially for a certain demographic. “Sa mga LGBT dyaaaaaaan, gusto nyo ba ng…; sa mga Senior citizens, gusto nyo ba ng…” Her tone can only be described as condescending, the kind that you use when you speak to a classroom full of eager-eyed five-year-olds. She flings her tidbits to the crowd like they were a foregone conclusion, that all they needed to do was get her elected and whatever travails they have been suffering to alleviate all these years would be delivered back to them—perhaps not on a silver platter—but at least a Tupperware-sealed reusable plastic container. Because green is in, apparently.
What irritated me the most was this: “Andito po ako para ipaglaban ang mga kababaihan!!! Gagawa tayo ng batas na lalake naman ang magbuntis!” At this, the audience erupts into laughter, of course. Then she continues: “Para malaman nila gaano kahirap magpalaki ng anak. Gaano kahirap mag alaga ng bata. Gaano kahirap magpa aral.” An assumption that only women are capable of child-rearing, which many confuse to be the same as child-bearing, excluding and negating the number of responsible fathers who do share in the process, despite the stereotypes she reinforces at her convenience.
And then she treads on dangerous ground: “Samantala ang mga lalake natin ay nasa kabilang bahay, di baaaaaa?” More laughter, her punchline lands nicely on the intended audience. With just a few choice words, this self-proclaimed champion of women’s rights (and heck, the way she was preening, LGBT and Senior Citizens’ rights, too!), despite her degree and pedigree, pulled the fight for true equality down a few notches by playing on stereotypes that someone in her position should have concentrated on breaking down instead of fortifying for the sake of votes. How is she any better than Alma Moreno and her vacuous answers? After all, I’m sure they both mean well and have a heart to serve truly. So, no, I am not voting for Alma or the lawyer, whose call to action was at least effective in reminding me who to skip: “Tandaan nyo po, dos por dos sa balota! Palaban tulad ng dos por dos!” Yes, because the reminder that the Filipino voter needs a spanking is a brilliant mnemonic device.
So here we are again, listening to would-be messiahs instead of continuing to be the saviors we desperately seek; digging deep to find skeletons in each other’s closets with the knowledge that not one of us is without sin; asking to be saved from the mess we’ve created.
Broadcaster Leo Lastimosa left a stirring meme on his timeline, the words of Nelson Mandela with this reminder: “May your choices reflect your hopes. Not your fears.”
On May 9, I will cast my vote (kay nagpa- biometric ko!) at my precinct with the hope that this person will continue the string of successes done in this administration. Yes, there are many of them built on the labor of previous administrations, even if cognitive dissonance rears its monstrous head in the most inopportune of moments. After all, if you are to believe that each administration is worse than its predecessor like many naysayers on your feed propose, are we to believe then that our presidentiables and all their men and women fight tooth and nail to inherit an inept government riddled with corruption to face six years of strife trying to right every single wrong turn all for the love of the Filipino?
They may have been seeking sainthood and filled out the wrong form.
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ZORI ROOTS and
how they are interpreted for 2016 by the brand.
MYOH 2016 IS TURNING JAPANESE
OF THE many aesthetics put forward by the institution that is known as the Make Your Own Havaianas, this one strikes my fancy the most. The colors of shibori and the whole kawaii vibe, as well as the nod to important history, is a Japanese fix a long time in the making.
LOOKING VERY KAWAII are the
twosome behind Havaianas in these parts, say arigato to Aimil Sarmiento and Leanne Florendo for bringing MYOH to us on its 11th year!
In fact, the very first flip-flop for the Brazilian brand was patterned after the zori, a sandal made of straps from fabric and rice straw soles.
On its 11th year, the Japanese roots show quite well in this year’s 2016 limited edition commemorative sole inspired by a Japanese fabric-dyeing technique called shibori, to its selection of pins that spell kawaii, a state of being, well…cute. Embellishments in 2016 run the gamut of iconic Japanese imagery as The Sakura, Ramen, The Japanese Fan, The Empress, The Zori and the Ninja.
Also, a new location this year, too.
MYOH in Cebu was held, for the first time, at the spanking-new SM Seaside Mountain Wing.
What will they think of next? (Check out everyone’s Japanese fix by searching for the hashtags #MYOHCEBU2016 or #MYOH2016 on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook)
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CAUGHT BETWEEN MORALS AND MALICE
I’M BEING a major tease when I show you these photos, because the full spread will be out in our sister publication, Cebu Living Magazine. After all, isn’t that what a balance between good morals and a hint of malice is?
MIKAELA Pacubas,Joseph Michael Yu and Champ Lui Pio at Morals and Malice.
This weekend, I played temptress to Hale’s frontman Champ Lui Pio and his drummer Pao Santiago when they played in Cebu. Champ rarely drinks, except when I’m around his bar in Makati called 12 Monkeys. He’ll tell you that I’ve missed my flight twice because he got me so sloshed. This weekend was revenge.
After a few beers at Sugbo Mercado (and CRIB’s mee goreng and satay, Hala Paella!’s lechon paella, and Pares Baka Baboy’s insane bagnet sisig), we ended up at Morals and Malice.
Turns out, I know three of the four directors: Paco Rodriguez, Glenn Soco and Kenneth Cobonpue, and the one that I did not was Champ’s friend. We ended up in a table with Joseph Michael Yu and Mikaela Pacubas with a bottle of Jack, a craft beer each, two Pomelo Spiced Mojitos, and three of their intriguing Burning Bush (ginger liqueur, fig syrup, Yoichi single malt whiskY, Makers Mark bourbon, salinated herb, lemon and a burnt rosemary twig).
ABET, PAO AND CHONG set aside a good chunk of malice for the night.
Of course we stumbled out at 2 a.m., skipping the Kusina Uno pochero ( a reason to return), and Champ and Pao made it to their 8 a.m. flight in one piece.
The moral of this story? “You gotta go when you are compromised,” says Champ with that smile of his.
I wish I could tell you the rest of this tale, but that would be plain malicious.
(Morals and Malice is located at the 2/F of Tinderbox along Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Banilad, Cebu City. Morals lounge is open everyday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Malice bar is open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays and until 3 a.m. on weekends. Find the latest news and promos by liking “Morals and Malice” page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moralsandmalice and at @moralsandmalice on Instagram. For inquiries and reservations, contact (032) 412-1922, 0915.200.7625 or email [email protected].)
