(This is a contributed article by Phillip Somozo.)
This Davao-born visual artist frequently stepped upstage during his college years for consistently winning painting competitions. His stuttering childlike speech, incompatible with his towering 6-foot height, sometimes made people laugh. Today, Bienvenido Banez, Jr., towers all the more for achievements uncommon among Filipino artists.
Diagnosed with mild learning disability [...]

[Media Release]
From rowing a banca in a river during his teen years to bringing his own children to their first beach outing, Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Felix Mari Hotchkiss Durano shares why idyllic Carrascal in Surigao del Sur is still home to him in the latest issue of m (Life and Living in Mindanao) magazine. [...]

My personal celebration of Philippine Independence Day got extended with a new pair of special havaianas® flip-flops that I got today. Havaianas Philippines sent me their limited-edition Filipinas, which are “emblazoned with renditions of Filipino pride.”
And they were serious about the nationalistic campaign. They sent the flip-flops along with truly Filipino icons: a miniature jeepney [...]

Unbeknownst to many, there is an active equestrian club in Davao — there has been for many years now. In fact, they just held their 11th Davao Horse Show last 30 April to 2 May 2009. In spite of the oppressive heat of the summer sun, the Davao Horse Club pulled off a very entertaining [...]

Happy New Year!!!
I celebrated the coming of 2009 A.D. and spent the last hours of the year 2008 with good friends & family at Eden Nature Park in the south of Davao City. It was my first time to spend New Year’s Eve at this mountain resort that I love so much — a big [...]

[Press Release]

Film actress, TV host, product endorser, fashion model and mother Angel Aquino shares her life, her passions and her unforgettable return to Mindanao in the latest issue of m. (Life and Living in Mindanao). A CineMalaya Film Festival Best Actress awardee, Aquino was once referred to as the “Ingrid Bergman of Asia” by a [...]

My last stay in Metro Manila was my busiest this year, even counting my stay in the nation’s capital for the WordCamp Philippines event on 6 September. On the plane back to Davao last Saturday, I was mildly surprised at my count of the number of restaurants I’d gone to: 18!
My new favorite cheap, [...]

(This is a contributed article by Phillip Somozo, the 2nd of a 3-part series. Click here for Part 1.)
Davao Surreal Artist features in New York Exhibit celebrating John Milton and Paradise Lost
Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo* were the first Filipino visual artists to achieve international recognition by virtue of their winning gold and silver [...]

(This is a contributed article by Phillip Somozo, the first of a three-part series.)
When British Renaissance poet John Milton wrote what is considered as the greatest poem in the English language, he was a frustrated political/religious writer and financially distraught. Worse, he had become blind. He retreated to a silent life and dictated Paradise Lost [...]

Once again, Chattee and I attacked the streets of Davao at night. But this time, the objective was food. We had planned on joining Chow King’s congee-picture-taking contest yesterday, so off we went to the Bajada branch… but they were out of stock! This branch is open 24 hours, but they wouldn’t serve us [...]