Cebuano Artists Painting Collection- Audie Estrellada

Audie Estrellada is a naturally gifted visual artist. He showed his talent at a very early age. Not fully contented with what he was capable of, he looked for ways to enhance his craft by enrolling in the International Arts School (IAS) in the 1980's.

His artworks are wide-ranged and multifarious: still life, landscapes, seascapes, figures, human interest, cultural and values-oriented themes and landmarks.

His media are oil on canvas, watercolor on paper, acrylic and oil antiquated wood and driftwood. He also experimented on sculpturing, doing images of religious saints. Most of his artworks dwell on realism.

His major awards were: First Place- Open Art Competition by the Art Association of the Philippines; Grand Prize, Filipino Inc.: Outstanding Siquijodnon in the Field of Visual Arts.

The artist is also involved in social activities. He is a Rotarian and a member of the LGU Committe on the culture and arts. He also conducts Summer Art Workshops.

Cebuano Artists Painting Collection- Jose Brillo Villaver

Jose Brillo Villaver was born in Cebu City on March 13, 1959. His early interest in painting has brought him to the hall of the University of the Philippines Cebu College where he completed his certificate of Fine Arts in 1980.

Before embarking on a full time mission as a painter, he first engaged himself into product and interior designing. Altough he was financially rewarded during this stint, he slowly realized spending much time in this area never gave him satisfaction. Thus, in the year 2005, he decided to go full time on painting.

Villaver's paintings are reflective of his concern and appreciation for the Filipino's tenacity in dealing with life, appreciating not only the positive but also the negative aspect of living. He employs heavy textures, applies radiating warm and cool colors, and uses strict heavy lines to emphasize his chosen subjects.

Cebuano Artists Painting Collection- Billy Pomida

Born in the island of Samar in the Philippines on July 11, 1963, Billy Pomida started the rudiments of drawing at a young age which inspired him to take up Fine Arts in college at the University of the East in Manila. In 1986, he worked as a graphic designer for a government research institution before devoting to full-time painting in 2001. Since then, he has participated in numerous group exhibitions in different places in the Philippines and a series of Three-Man Shows in the United States in 2002.

He has won numerous awards, among of which are the following: One of the Top Five Watercolorists for 2001 and 2007 and the runner-up for the 2008 in the Kulay sa Tubig Annual Invitational Watercolor Competition and Exhibition in Manila, Grand Prize, Cebu Arts Association 70th Anniversary Painting Competition in 2007, Grand Prize, President Ramon Magsaysay Death Anniversary Painting Contest, Grand Prize, Dona Modesta Gaisano Foundation Painting Contest in Cebu 2002, and First Prize, Civil Service Commission On-the--Spot Painting Contest in Tacloban City in 1991.

Above is Billy Pomida's watercolor painting of the Liloan lighthouse in Northern Cebu, now the centerpiece of Ayala Land's project Amara- a high-end seaside community.

Cebuano Artists Painting Collection- Gabriel Abellana

Gabriel Abellana comes from a family of artists. His father is a sculptor, musician and a dentist. His uncle is considered as one of the most influential artist in Cebu. He is a graduate of Fine Arts at the University of the Phillipines Cebu College.

Abellana is a plein air landscape artist but never ceases to artistically evolve by experimenting in abstraction using nature as inspiration. He mounted several group exhibits locally and internationally. He is presently a member of the faculty in the University of San Carlos Fine Arts Department. He also administers the Cebu Academy of Arts which regularly conducts Summer Art Workshops for children and adults.

Abellana organizes the yearly Doña Modesta Gaisano Foundation Annual Painting Competition. He is also an active member of the Association of Museums and Carcar Heritage Conservation Society.

Cebuano Artists Painting Collection- Celso Duazo Pepito

When we look and appraise a painting by Celso Duazo Pepito, one will immediately come face to face with a brilliantly made work of art. He was born 51 years ago on November 22 in Daan Bantayan, Cebu. He plunged into the world of art as a young man who showed special skills in lettering. He was surprise when he steps into the halls of the University of the Philippines that the fine arts course was after all about painting. His painting career took off soon after college.

There were years of facing struggles hurdling one trial after another. Like college education, experience is considered as the best teacher. His paintings are known to contain imagery that is brought to life by crisp and clear lines, bold strokes and his usual usage of bright color scheming. But deep within his subjects are personal motives and intentions that come from his heart.

The man is with a mission he believes not impossible. Apart from the physical manipulations of the hand that holds the brush, the works carry messages that Pepito infuses to visually communicate. The paintings aren’t just made of the medium but it can be said that the messages he wants to convey and the meaning the artwork may possess is what completes the painting. Even with the seemingly straight-forwardness of Pepito’s paintings it is unwise to take them at face value because there is more to it than meets the eye. Because there are several symbolisms in the composition though these symbols are not hidden or coded. Pepito do not hide them, the symbols actually doubles as aesthetic elements and embellishments. These symbols have become a common feature and fixture.

His paintings are usually made up of three planar divisions used as backdrops to his modern figural subjects. What isn’t known to many is that they carry personal meanings. Pepito has three different explanations for the three geometrical partitions. One has to do with strengthening family ties; the second is about the spirit of nationalism while the third embraces religious spirituality. These three concerns sum up the totality of his art and person. The first symbolize the family and the number takes significance because he’s got three young-adult children who are all boys.

Pepito is an unwavering believer that positive change in society will start in the family. This is why his works always and never-fails to show and depict family values and tradition. Second is that of nation-building and nationhood. They represent the concept of Luzviminda, the three geographical parts of the country. Pepito’s paintings are nationalistic in the sense that it gives a positive picture of what the Filipino life style is. And notice his choice of colors the preference are our national flag colors. Lastly the third stands for the Holy Trinity. This is Pepito’s commitment to a continuing apostolate.

Pepito's painting style is in the modernist vein that verges towards cubism hence they are heavy on polygons. But what is the most readily discernable is the octagon shape rising high above his canvas. To him the bright octagon symbolize hope, a virtue Pepito never seems to run out with.

The National Anthem of Bolivia

The national anthem of Bolivia (Himno Nacional de Bolivia), also known as Bolivianos, el Hado Propicio (Bolivians, a most Favorable Destiny) was adopted in 1851. José Ignacio de Sanjinés, a signer of both the Bolivian Declaration of Independence and the first Bolivian Constitution, wrote the lyrics. The music was composed by an Italian, Leopoldo Benedetto Vincenti.

José Ignacio de Sanjinés Barriga (1786 – August 15, 1864) was a Bolivian poet and legislator. Born in Chuquisaca, he was a delegate to the Asambleas Deliberante y Constituyente (Deliberative and Constituent Assemblies) of 1825 and 1826, when Bolivia first became an independent republic.

He signed the Bolivian Declaration of Independence and the first Bolivian Constitution. His lyrics were meant to inspire patriotism, hatred of tyranny and love of freedom, and admiration for Bolivian soldiers who had recently won Bolivia's war of independence against Spain. He died in Sucre in 1864.

World Heart Day Race

The World Heart Day Race unfolded last September 27, 2009. This was my first race- a 10K which started at exactly 6 am at the Cebu Provincial Capitol area. Being a nocturnal person, waking up at 4:30 am to get ready for the race was really an effort, but I thought, this is a race for the heart and only those with a "heart" will survive the race. After packing my running stuff and carb loading with a slice of bread and a teaspoon of crispy peanut butter, my wife and I were off to the venue. She had to come with me or else, no one would take pictures of me running. This is a momentous event for a first timer like me. We then proceeded to the booth to get our singlet and race number (008)- "a lucky number", my wife commented.

At the starting line, I mentally told my self that I would run to enjoy the moment, no sprinting- just running at my average pace of 6 min and 40 seconds per km. When the gun fired to signal the start of the race, a crazy thing happened which triggered a transient bout of panic attack. My iPod- with its Nike iSport kit- refused to play. Is my sensor at my other shoe, the battery low or busted earbuds? What in God's name is wrong here?? I CANT RUN WITHOUT MY MUSIC. I walked for at least 2 minutes trying to figure out the gadget problem. My wife was able to capture this as you can see in the pics. After incessantly pressing the center button, the thing miraculously played and off I went.

The weather was fine and the air was cool. This was the earliest run in my whole life and the road without traffic was a pleasant sight to see. The 10 kilometer run felt short and easy. At around kilometer 4, the fastest runner had already made his U-turn at Gaisano country mall and we met in the opposite direction near crossroads. At kilometer 5, Yong and Donna Larrazabal were already on their way back. "It's okay", I told myself, my goal was to finish the race and time was not of importance.

After 1 hour and 3 minutes of running, I reached the finish line smiling- happy and contented to have finished my first race intact. Next time, I'll run the 10K in less than an hour- if my iPod cooperates.

My Running Playlists and Gadgets

I always run with my iPod. Music gets me motivated to run and there's never a dull moment running with it. I usually play the alternative, nu-metal and emo-screamo stuff coz it really gets my nerves going and prevents me from falling asleep while I run. Ha Ha. Current favorite artist in my playlist include Linkin Park (my power artist), Billy Talent, AudioAdrenaline, Chickenfoot, Flobots, Guano Apes, Inward Eye, Our Lady Peace, A Perfect Circle, Rev Theory, Taking Back Sunday and Thousand Foot Krutch. My favorite instrumental piece is the Shard by Steve Jablonsky, composer of the Transformer score. It is the background piece in the breath taking chase scenes in the movie. I imagine my self being chased by the Bad bots and this really increases my pace.

My favorite running gadget is the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit. In this gadget, you can press the center button in the hardest phase of your run and immediately your powersong plays to give you the added boost of energy. I love the Nike + iPod sport system- its a workout partner and coach all in one. In this system, you select the type of workout you like- open-ended, distance, time or calorie burning. You then choose the music to keep you motivated, and then, it keeps track of your progress every step of the way with spoken and on screen feedback. After your runs, you can upload you workout data to your computer where you can set goals, monitor your improvement and even participate with runners from across the globe. The kit comes with a sensor, which you place in a Nike-enabled shoe, and a remote, which you connect to your iPod Nano. Come October 24, 2009, I will be joining the worldwide race, Nike+ Human Race 10K. Though I'm not in any of the venues, my Nike iPod Kit enables me to join this race if I run 10K on this race and upload my run after. I will be running in my favorite shoe- the Nike Vomero 4 - a superb neutral-cushioned shoe for medium- arched supinators like me. Running on this shoe felt like running on soft pillows. For trail running, my current favorite is the North Face Arnuva 50. Can't wait for my next to run!!!

The National Anthem of Nepal

Sometime during the 1895-1901 reign of the hereditary prime minster Bir Shumshere Jung Bahadur Rana was advised that a "salutation melody" should be composed for both the king and the prime minister. The military band, under the directorship of Dr AM Pathan was given the task, and the Shree Teenko Salaami (for the Rana hereditary prime minister) and the Shree Paanchko Salaami (for the king) were composed. The prime minister's successor, on assuming to office, ordered that words be composed for the tunes. The task fell to the Nepali Language Publications Committee, the superintendant of this group turned to his assistant, Pandit Chakrapani Chalise, a prominent poet, who wrote words to both anthems.

With the ousting of the hereditary Rana prime ministers in the early 1950s, the Shree Teenko Salaami was no longer used, and the Shree Paanchko Salaami (king's anthem) gained more prominence. The anthem underwent some minor changes as a result. The 1962 constitution, handed down by the king, made this anthem into law, thus making it no longer just the royal anthem, but the "ras triya gaan" (national song). Upon official adoption, the second stanza was dropped. The verse that was left honours the king.

After the revolutions of spring 2006 against the monarchy, Nepal sought to replace its pro-monarchy anthem with a new one in a public contest. The winner, Pradeep Kumar Rai (writing under the pen name Byakul Maila) was selected from 1,272 submissions. The new anthem was officially declared on August 3, 2007.

The National Anthem of Romania

Romania's first national anthem in use was "Traiasca Regele", which was used until the deposition of the monarchy on December 30, 1947. The Romanian composer George Enescu quoted this anthem in his "Poème Roumain", op. 1; in performances of Enescu's work during the communist era, this piece was edited out. After the end of the communist regime, this piece was once again played in Enescu's work.

The lyrics are by Vasile Alecsandri, considered one of Romania's great national poets. He was a figure in the 1848 revolution and later in the 1859 union of Moldavia and Walachia, which is considered the founding of modern Romania. The music was by captain Eduard Hubsch, general inspector for military music in Romania.

The second anthem used by the communist government of Romania, "Te slãvim, Românie" was in use until the rule of Ceausescu. One of the authors, Dan Desilu was a poet whose works generally praised the communist government during the early years of communism, but later became disillusioned with the regime. The composer, Matei Socor, was once president of the Composers' Union (which was, at the time, used to extol the Communist government in musical form.)

Starting in the late 1960s, the second verse, referencing the Soviet Union and Leninism, was no longer performed. Then, shortly after, the anthem became officially wordless (two verses were played instrumentally.)

"Trei culori", the anthem during the rule of Nicolai Ceausescu's communist government, is based on a Romanian patriotic song with the same title, the same music, but the text was revised to conform with Communist standards. The title refers to the national flag of Romania, which is a tricolour: red, yellow and blue. The composer, Ciprian Porumbescu also wrote the melody for the Albanian anthem.

After the fall of Ceaucescu in late December, 1989, "Trei Culori" remained the official anthem for several months until replaced by the decomcratic government. "Trei culori" was still played for those months in post-Communist Romania, without the Communist verses, and possibly with the original text.

During the fall of the Communist government in the last days of 1989, the popular song "Desteaptate, romane" was prevalent in the streets and quickly became a kind of "second anthem"; it was officially declared as the anthem in April, 1990, and was also used for a time by Moldova. Written during the 1848 revolution, it has been used by Romanians in their many struggles for freedom, such as from the Nazis in 1944, and during the end of communism, thus becoming the logical choice as a new anthem. The original work has eleven verses, but only four (verses 1, 2, 4, and 11) are the official lyrics.

The Macau Communication and Philatelic Museum

Although the Communications Museum of Macau is located at a very awkward, far, and hard-to-reach place, it is still worth a visit.

The Communications Museum boasts of uniqueness and distinctiveness because it is the only museum in Macau that features the mechanics and specifications of such basic items such as the telephone or how the post works. Not only that, it's also one-of-a-kind for the reason that it's the only museum in Macau that is situated along the Grand Prix circuit.

The Communications Museum was inaugurated on the 1st of March of this year, which makes it the youngest and newest museum in Macau. It presents its exhibits in two main areas: the Post or Philately area and Telecommunications area.

One of the main objectives of the Communications Museum is to serve the Macao population, especially primary and secondary students, aiming at stimulating interest in Philatelic Collection, promoting scientific and technical knowledge of telecommunications, and making it more accessible to the general public.

It also aims to be a place of divulgation of Stamp Collection techniques and of promotion of Macao Philately, both to the Macao population and the tourists that visit the Museum.

The building of the Communications Museum is composed of three floors, excluding the ground/reception floor. On the ground floor, the reception desk and museum shop are located. There is also an auditorium and a multi-functional room which can both be used for special occasions.

To get to the next floor, you can either use the stairway that's strategically located in the middle of all the exhibits or the elevator that lets you look at the exhibit area through the glass windows. On the first floor are interactive activities for the visitor and there is also a mini-theatre. Most of the interactive activities in the Communications Museum are located on this floor and some of them are stamp activities, a flight simulator, postal activities, and communications activities

The exhibitions on the third floor are more about electronics and communications apparatuses. There are also live demonstrations about inventions by famous scientists and an electronic workshop on the second floor of the Communications Museum.

On the 3rd and last floor of the museum, there is a terrace and a snack bar where the visitors can go have a rest after a tiring and interesting day in the Communications Museum. Also, the Macau Philatelic Club can be found on the museum's topmost floor.

The Communications Museum is a place where visitors can simultaneously experiment, learn, and have fun because of the interactive exhibitions inside. It is designed to be a place of interactivity, discovery, experimentation, satisfaction, and development of your abilities in the fields of Telecommunications.

One or two hours aren't enough for a visit to the Communications Museum because of the numerous activities that you, whether you're with your family or friends, can do there. It is also a place of dissemination of Stamp Collection technique and promotion of Macau Philately, both to the local residents of Macau and visitors.

The National Anthem of Columbia

In 1887, a Bogota comedian named José Domingo Torres, combined his two passions of theatrical music and his love for his country to push for the creation of a national anthem for Colombia. He decided to use as the lyrics of the anthem an inspiration poem written by then President Rafael Núñez commemorating the city of Cartagena, and asked his friend Oreste Sindici, an Italian opera teacher, to compose the music. The anthem, containing eleven verses in total, was first performed in November of that year in a music hall in the public school where Sindici taught. The anthem was officially adopted by Congress in 1920, and an official transcription was made in 1946.

Little is known about the first years of the life of Rafael Núñez. It is known that he served as Judge of the circuit of Chiriquí, Panama in 1848. Later that year he founded in Cartagena, Colombia, the newspaper 'La Democracia' with the intention of favoring the presidential election of general Obando - as successor of José Hilario López. That same year he was named secretary of the government of Cartagena, and thus beginning his political life.

In 1853 he was elected to Congress. And later was elected governor of the Departamento of Bolívar. Between 1855-1857, during the government of Manuel María Mallarino, he carried out the ministries of property, and war. In 1855 he published his first volume of political essays, under the name of 'La Federación'. Later, under the government of Mosquera, he served as minister of national property. After representing Colombia in the Ríonegro treaty, he travelled abroad. He first lived in New York City for two years, later he represented Colombia in Le Havre, and finally he became a Consul in Liverpool. In 1874, while in Europe, many of the most important writings of Núñez were published.

He returned to Colombia in 1876 at the center of a political fight. He had been already selected, in 1875, as a candidate for the presidency, but did not manage to get elected. Five years later he occupied for the first time the presidency (1880-1882). Soon, in 1884, he was chosen president again, with the support of the Conservative Party. The Constitutional reform of 1886, carried out with the collaboration of Miguel Antonio Caro, is possibly the most outstanding political performance of Núñez. This constitution, with some later modifications, was essentially in effect until the proclamation of a new one in 1991. From 1878 to 1888 he wrote hundreds of influential articles related to the constitutional reform for the newspapers 'La Luz' and 'La Nación' of Bogota, and 'El Porvenir' and 'El Impulso' of Cartagena. He also wrote the lyrics for the Colombian national anthem. He was once again re-elected in 1886 for the presidency and finally retired from political life in 1888, settling down in Cartagena, where he died in 1894.