The Anthem Philatelist

 "Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Filipino art and culture with the newly released coffee table art book, 'Filipino Artists: Their Culture, Their Art.'    Join us for a captivating journey as we celebrate this masterpiece at its soft launch in Cebu 4 pm, June 3 at Abuhan Art Gallery and in the main launch in Manila on July 16, hosted at the prestigious Nami Art Gallery .    Mark these dates your calendars and experience the rich tapestry of Filipino creativity come to life."

   Once upon a time... an old donkey was ill- treated by his master. Tired of such unkindness, he decided to run away, and when he heard that Bremen was looking for singers with the town band, he decided that someone with a fine braying voice like his might be accepted. As he went along the road, the donkey met a skinny dog , covered with sores. “Come with me. If you have a good bark, you’ll find a job with the band too. Just wait and see!”   A little later, a stray cat , no longer able to catch mice, joined them and the trio trotted hopefully on towards the town. As they passed a farmyard, they stopped to admire an elderly rooster who, with outstretched wings, was crowing to the skies. The donkey, the dog, the cat and the rooster “You sing well,” they told him. “What are you so happy about?”   “Happy?” muttered the rooster with tears in his eyes. “They want to put me in the pot and make broth of me. I’m singing as hard as I can today...

I've been road running for the past 3 years. A few days ago however, I ventured into a different running adventure-  trail running.  Earlier on, I always wanted to run in varied off-road terrain, but friends warned me that injuries are higher in these types of run .    A colleague of mine, dislocated his knee and another had bruises in his shins and foot courtesy of the rocky terrain. My witty, humorous, fitness loving travelmate  Dr. Clifford "Ipyok" Aranas almost collapsed due to anaphylaxis after being bitten by a bee. Some even got lost (due to absence of signs) and became severely dehydrated (due to lack of water stations).  So, I told myself: "I'll have to prepare for this event"- the first ROX (Recreational Outdoor Xchange) Trail run in Liloan , Cebu sponsored by Salomon .    After much reading from various books and frequent site visits to Runner's World , I came up with these strategies, which I call the ABCDE strategy, for a successf...

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 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 Worksho...