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Women
of the world stationed here unite to
display the world’s chic jewelry and
garments and premium wine and food items
at the 2007 International Bazaar to be
held, Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Geared toward raising |
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unds
for the less fortunate, the event will
be held at the Philippine International
Convention Center Forums I, II and III.
After 40 years in existence, the
international bazaar has developed a
reputation for carrying only quality
items from all over the globe which are
all bought out |
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A Slice
of Singapore
By Vanessa R.
Balagapo
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A crowd of media
people and curious spectators
headed to the Podium mall in
Ortigas for the “Uniquely
Singapore” launch held last
week. People from all over
witnessed a pocket tour, a slice
of Singapore at the heart of the
Ortigas business district.
Held every year, the event aims
to lure tourists to experience
for themselves the rich and
colorful culture that Singapore
has to offer. According to
Rocson Chang, area director of
the Singapore Tourism Board-
Philippines, as of middle of
this year some 4.6 million
visitors from around the world
have visited Singapore
registering a 4.6 percent
increase over the same period
last year.
“At this rate, we appear on
track to meet our global target
of 10.2 million visitors for the
year,” Chang, who hosted the
“Uniquely Singapore” launch,
said.
The launch opened with a soulful
performance from Fame Flores, a
17-year old soprano with Maestro
Purification Cavan on the piano,
which definitely set the mood
for the evening. Guests helped
themselves and happily filled
their plates to a variety of
good, ole hors d’oeuvres which
Singapore is known for. And yes,
the spring rolls were a huge
hit.
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Three roundtrip
tickets to Singapore were
raffled off to some lucky media
people.
Visiting Singapore this year
will lead the traveller down the
road of indulgence, shopping and
good eats. Whether enjoying a
spa using chocolate as an
anti-aging treatment, indulging
in a luxurious dinner at Raffles
Avenue, getting a dose of retail
therapy at Orchard Road or
simply looking forward to the F1
Singapore Grand Prix, there’s
something for everybody in
Singapore.
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A Toast
to Singapore. (From
left) Christian Mathay,
The
Podium’s mall manager,
Rocson Chang, area
director of
Singapore Tourism Board-
Philippines, Lee Foo
Tuck, vice
president of
administration and
finance of Keppel Group
and
Desmond Ng, counsellor
of the Embassy of
Singapore. |
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Local Eye |
for the |
Foreign Guy |
A Whole New World
By
Lex Ledesma
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The life span of
a star in our galaxy varies from
a few thousand years at the very
least and some billion years at
most. The life span of a star in
the Philippine showbiz industry
also differs but obviously not
to the same extent as the
heavenly bodies. With all the
artista search reality-based
shows being conceptualized,
products are lucky to be given a
project that will run for a
season or two. Nowadays, most of
these aspirants’ careers end
even before it actually begins.
Amidst this trend, the
Philippine showbiz industry
still has a few good stars to be
proud of. These celebrities were
able to stand the test of time
not just by text votes from
devoted fans but by winning
awards for remarkable
performances. One celebrity who
glowed in this limelight for
many years is the well-loved Lea
Salonga.
Lea Salonga is one of the best
performers Philippine
entertainment has ever produced.
At a tender age of seven, she
started a professional career in
acting. Her debut was landing a
role in the play The King and I
by Repertory Philippines. She
also bagged the lead character
in Annie and took part in other
major productions like Fiddler
on the Roof and The Sound of
Music, to name a few. Being
extremely versatile, she also
ventured into acting, hosting
and recording. At ten, she
already became an icon
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with the release
of her first album, Small Voice
which earned gold recognition;
winning Best Child Performer for
hosting her own musical TV show,
Love, Lea in the Aliw Awards;
and being nominated for Best
Child Actress for Tropang
Bulilit in the FAMAS Awards
(Filipino Academy of Movie Arts
and Sciences).
Lea even went beyond our shores
by conquering the international
arena. Among her most notable
performances abroad was her
portrayal of Kim in the hit
Broadway play, Miss Saigon
(1989). For her outstanding
performance in this role, she
brought home an Olivier, a Tony
and a few more international
awards. Aside from Miss Saigon,
Lea also showcased her acting
prowess by playing the part of
Eponine in Les Misérables
(1993). She was also the singing
voice of Princess Jasmine in the
Disney movie, Alladin. The
movie’s soundtrack “A Whole New
World,” which she sang with
international singer Brad Kane,
also won an Oscar.
These are just a few of Lea’s
milestones. She has done so many
other things that made the
Filipino community proud. From
her beginnings on the local
stage she persevered and
eventually made it to the top.
Hopefully, we Filipinos will
imbibe the same spirit, passion
and confidence to likewise
compete in and conquer the
global stage.
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Officers of the
International Bazaar Foundation
together with the diplomatic
participants |
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out
long before the affair’s final hours.
Coming from over 40 countries, the
annual non-profit event is organized by
the International Bazaar Foundation in
collaboration with the Spouses of Heads
of Mission. The foreign diplomats’
spouses will man the booths carrying
their countries’ unique products.
Some of the items--Spanish fans, Thai hand-woven bags and tabletop
knick-knacks, Korean ginseng and elegant
shawls from various countries--will make
perfect gift items for Christmas.
Other highlights of the bazaar include British sporting goods;
exotic Egyptian necklaces; Italian
perfumes, leather goods, cutlery and
crystal glasses; Turkish scarves and
silverware; Indian saris; Lebanese
robes; Pakistani embroidered cushions,
sofa spreads, bracelets and shoes;
Malaysian batik paintings and coffee and
tea containers; Spanish olives and
chorizos; Myanmar’s exquisite pieces of
jewelry; and German gingerbread houses
reminiscent of Hansel and
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Gretel, will be among other exotica.
Culinary buffs will enjoy test-tasting cheeses and examining fine
wines, juices, pâté, pastries, olive
oil, sauces, herbs and spices.
As in previous years, the proceeds of the 2007 International Bazaar
will go to IBF’s various education,
medical and skills training programs;
and SHOM’s chosen charity projects.
“It is our dream to alleviate suffering and misery by improving the
living conditions of the poor. I am glad
that I am at the forefront of making
this dream a reality,” says Rosie Lovely
Romulo, the IBF Over-all Chairperson.
To liven up the event, raffle tickets for premium prizes will also
be sold. Entrance and raffle tickets are
available at National Bookstore branches
in Glorietta, Greenbelt, Ayala Alabang,
Rockwell, Market Market, Harrison Plaza,
Shangri-La Mall and Katipunan. The IBF
Secretariat’s telephone numbers are (02)
834–3036 or (02) 834–3054. |
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Mrs.
Soledad Lavina de Arias of Spain gives a
glimpse of choices of Spanish products
during the Mini-Bazzar held at the
residece of Pining Tambunting in
Dasmarinas Village in Makati City, such
as Olive oil; the all-time favorite
choriza de Bilbao; jamon; various kinds
of sauces/dips: Napolitana; Siciliana,
red wine (tinto de verano); stuffed
olives; famous Spanish fans and many
more |
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The booth of
Turkey has a huge assortment of
collectibles, ranging from
breakable items such as
figurines, dolls, hand-painting
porcelain to metal craft
collections of silver and bronze |
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Mrs.
Cosette Cassin Fedele of Italy and
President of the SHOM with Mrs. Rossana
Nerini, wife of Consul Nerini of Italy,
proudly displaying Italian products
consisting of name brand items from
Feragamo to Gucci, Prada, perfume,
leather bags, swim wear items, red wine,
olive oil and many more |
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