Titas de Bacolod

Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion

You just haven’t seen anything like it! The WOW ladies recently held their first quarter birthday celebrators’ party at Ambience, Pavillon Hotel in Bacolod, and it was a scream!

Everybody came in their most summery outfits, adding glamour and color to the torrid hot summer night. Guest of honor was Tita Nena de Leon, who looked simply stunning in her bold engine-red summer outfit. The party began with a game where the guests were divided into groups of five. The head of each group was given a letter which was to identify parts of the body, either in English, Tagalog, or Ilonggo. The group that had the most number of body parts identification won. Things started heating up when the letter P was given to the group heads. Amidst naughty laughter and squeals of glee, the ladies began giving the parts of the body beginning with the letter P. This was pretty risqué so I’ll leave it up to your imagination what words they came up with.

The next game was the “Longest Line”. Each group had to form a long line with the things they wore. There was mad scrambling as the ladies took off their jewelry, headbands, hats, flowers, jackets, etc. Finally, an ear-splitting scream could be heard when Edith Robillo took off her entire outfit. I saw the waiters run out of the room in sheer panic! Voila! She was wearing a matching bathing suit underneath, to everyone’s surprise (relief?). Mercifully, Baby Bonnin announced that dinner was served.

After dinner, there was an induction of new members: Dr. Margarita Nosce, Chuchi Ledesma and Edith Robillo. All the WOW officers, led by president Inday Pefianco and members, came up to personally congratulate and welcome the inductees.

Afterwards, it was dance, dance, dance ‘til you dropped. Wotta night! Trust the WOW ladies to have a riot of a party!*

Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion

Our good friend Mely Gonzales recently invited her friends to a merienda cena at her newly re-opened Mely’s Garden located at her home at C.L. Montelibano, Bacolod City.

It was a sunny afternoon with just the hint of a mild breeze when we arrived at her sprawling place which was laid out with tables and chairs for the occasion. We were impressed with the homey feeling the place immediately made one feel. The floor-to-ceiling windows gave the garden feel with a lush view of the colorful plants outside.

As we entered the room which was already filled with guests, the aroma of delicious food wafted towards where we were, filling us with wild anticipation of the scrumptious Filipino fare we would soon be enjoying. The merienda buffet was groaning with so much native delicacies that we just had to have a peek at what was prepared for the meal. Ahhh, our lips smacked at the wonderful spread Mely had prepared.

It was great to see our good friend, Marlin Villasor, who came with daughter Therese. There is never a dull moment when Marlin is around. Soon, she kept the group laughing with her steady supply of naughty jokes. Another gal who swept into the room like a breath of fresh air was popular DJ Gigi Starr, who tablehopped and swapped stories with a delighted group of friends.

Needless to say, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the feast that was laid out by our gracious host. Good luck on your new venture, Mely!*

Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion

 There was a collective reaction of surprise from some of the audience during the 79 th Negros Press Club induction ceremony held recently at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City, when the guest speaker, lawyer Teodoro Locsin Jr., described the King of Jordan's immediate reaction to the brutal killing of a young Jordanian pilot by the ISIS militants.

Locsin described King Abdullah's reaction as that, “of a true leader, not a brat”.

Whaaat? Coming from one of the closest and most loyal men of the late former President Cory Aquino, it was a shock to hear him describe her son, President Benigno Aquino III, as a brat. We have always admired Teddy Locsin (as he is more popularly called), for being a man of distinction with a brilliant mind.

He was Pres Cory's speech writer, especially when she spoke at the US congress where the top American leaders wildly applauded her speech and gave her a standing ovation. Why would Teddy now call Pres Noy, a brat? Does he know something we don't?

Nonetheless, the NPC induction was a well-organized and well-attended affair. Kudos to the new president, Dolores Epacta, for the smooth running of the entire program. The SMX Convention Center was an excellent choice for the formal ceremony.

We managed to have a brief chat with Teddy Locsin after the program and we suggested to him that a Filipino poet should write a poem about the “Gallant 44”, who died in the Mamasapano massacre. This could be somewhat similar to Alfred Lord Tennyson's immortal “Charge of the Light Brigade”. One of the lines in the poem even says, “Someone had blunder'd”.

What an interesting evening it was. I do love moments like this when we are spellbound by a man with a brilliant mind. *

One of blessings of social media and the digital age is that publication of an article may not have to take a week or even a day.  There is no press production time to wait for.  The satisfaction of seeing one's literary work is instantaneous by the mere press of a button.  The obvious downside to it though is that in the flurry of churning out that all important post, the devil lurking in the details emerge.

Such is the case of a blog which on the page of it's Managing Editor claims to be "the best food blog according to Google".  Philippine cuisine is enchanting to say the least, simply because of its diversity.  Comprised by multiple regions, the Philippines has so many culinary offerings.  In reviewing these offerings, the least a food blogger or an editor can do is to be adept with the regional origins of Filipino cuisine. 

Take the example of this post recently made wherein Pat-Pat's Kansi of Taboy Servando was referred to as an Ilocano Bulalo soup.  Well, the last time I recall, kansi never changed its place of origin.  It was and always will be an Ilonggo or Negrense dish.  To say that is Ilocano could be tantamount to saying Negrenses staple crop is tobacco.

Research! Research! My dear!  If being adept with the regional origin of Filipino dishes is not one's strength, one should at least be a ruthless editor of his or her own work.

Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion

The wedding invitation said “Strictly Formal (long gown and coat and tie)” for the evening wedding of Mariel Genito and Bryan Hojilla at the Queen of Peace Parish Church in Bacolod City, recently.

And so we headed off to the venue for a most romantic wedding ceremony ever. Tons of well-dressed guests from the old families of Negros, socialites, movers and shakers, and the couple’s young friends soon filled the church. Our good friend and mother of the groom, Cristie Montilla vda. de Hojilla, looking drop-dead gorgeous, welcomed us with beso-beso y abrazo and a radiant smile.

As the wedding entourage marched down the aisle, everyone turned to look at the church’s entrance for a vision of the lovely bride. And there she was, looking so stunning and ethereal in her exquisite wedding gown as she floated towards her handsome groom with his “movie star” looks, at the altar.

The reception was held at L’Fisher Hotel, La Proa Main, which was soon filled with Bacolod’s crème de la crème, who enjoyed their cocktails with tasty hors d’oeuvres. Dinner was a superb collection of buffet selections that would satisfy the most finicky taste. Our enjoyment of the food was often interrupted with greetings from friends we haven’t seen for some time now.

The young friends of Bryan and Mariel livened things up with their good wishes for the newlyweds, who looked so much in love. To describe the occasion, it was certainly one of “understated elegance”. *