Beauty and Beyond

I was invited by fashion designer and beauty queen maker Renee Salud to a gathering of the members of Beyond Beauty which in composed of well-meaning personalities mostly former beauty queens who have banded together to give a deeper meaning to their usual get-together. I should say that they have truly lived their lives not only as society figures but role models that even the present crop of beauty queens and their mentors should emulate.

The gathering last October 26, 2016 was done at the Missionaries of the Poor in Manila where old homeless men and children with cerebral palsy are housed. The members of Beyond Beauty helped  in taking care of the children even just for a short while.

They assisted the volunteer teachers in making their classes. One thing that I realized is that children with cerebral palsy have a chance of being a part of mainstream society. All they need is care and dedicated love so that they can be useful citizens of the country. Mama Renee even shed a tear because he remembered his ward who also had cerebral palsy and died a few years ago.

Aside from the visit of the Beyond Beauty team, they brought food not just for the day but supplies of necessities in the days to come. They pitched among themselves certain amounts to buy the food that they donated. Of course, there are also well-meaning friends who augmented by giving financial donations for their outreach program. Since Christmas is just two months away, they also helped in setting up the Christmas tree and some decorations that made the place livelier in time for the yuletide season.

They say that beauty queens have good bodies and intelligent brains. But this group is made up of people who have the heart not only for their respective loved ones but for their fellowmen as well. Kudos to Mama Renee Salud, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1979 Dang Cecilio-Palanca, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1981 Maricar Mendoza-Du, Miss Young Pilipinas 1982 Sharon Hughes-Bediones, Bb. Pilipinas-Maja 1985 and Miss Maja Internacional 1985 Second Runner-up Izza Gonzales-Agana, Mutya ng Pilipinas-World 1988 Dana Narvadez-Silverio, Bb. Pilipinas-International 1995 and Miss International 1995 Top 15 Gladys Duenas, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2005, Miss Universe-Photogenic 2005 and Thai Royal Silk Awardee 2005 Gionna Cabrera and all the other members of Beyond Beauty for making your usual gatherings more worthwhile and meaningful.

May the Lord continue to bless you and give more strength to be of help to our needy countrymen. Indeed, there is more to beauty queens than just the physical. You are all truly BEYOND BEAUTY!

Prague, One of the Most Beautiful Cities in the World

Prague, the capital city of Czech Republic, is dubbed as one of the world's most beautiful cities. It is located in the central part of the country in the heart of Europe. It is one city which I can consider a visual treat.

My visit to Prague is doubly special because it is where the patron saint of San Beda College, my alma mater, can be found. I really made it a point to visit the Church of Sto. Nino de Praga, one of the churches that abound Prague.

Despite having been under communist rule, Prague, and the whole Czech Republic as well, has never ceased to follow the Catholic faith as evidenced by the way people show their religiosity. The beautiful churches that can be found in the city very well shows how Czechs value catholicism.

The Old Town Square is a convergence area of tourists. Stores and restaurants are all over. Old and new establishments share with tourist markets of various items to shop. One good thing in Prague as well as in other European cities, is that the facade of their buildings are well-preserved. Businesses strictly follow rules in maintaining the sanctity of architecture which date back to the medieval times.

The Astronomical Clock is one spot that is always awaited by tourists. Every hour, the clock bells ring and icons of the 12 apostles come out of the tiny windows near the clock. Our host told us to pray and make a wish while the bells are ringing.

A must-see when in Prague is the Charles Bridge. It crosses the Vitava River which is its main waterway. The said bridge is lined with different statues of saints on both sides. You can also see different activities on it...from selling of souvenir items and artistic gimmicks that attract tourists all the more.

Baroque architecture is what tourists can see in Prague. Of course, there are also areas where modern buildings have been built. It was even surprising to see a Filipino store in the city. I suppose that the population of our kababayans is slowly increasing that part of Europe.

Prague, which is also know as the City of a Hundred Spires, had me in awe. Its jaw-dropping sceneries and beautiful architecture will leave an imprint in one's mind. For everything that it offers, it is a place worth traveling to.

Many thanks goes to our host, Mrs. Angelita Santos, for making this trip to Prague possible. It was one trip that made my bucket list shorter.

With the many beautiful things the I saw in Prague, it truly is one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

Venice: From Dream to Reality

Venice is one city in the world that has been in my bucket list to visit during my lifetime. Little did I know that 2016 would be the year that this dream of visiting the city would become a reality. Thanks to the Balik sa Basik fashion shows of Renee Salud. Venice is the first stop of our shows in Europe.

The Hotel Russott Ballroom was the venue of our show in Venice. It is one hotel near the airport that has a spacious venue for different types of events. Although service is by the hour and per hour, its personnel are very gracious and helpful. Everything we asked for were given to us almost instantly.

Of course, a trip to Venice would not be complete without traversing through its narrow pathways and seeing the canals that make the city a special one. Complete with Italian and European architecture, it is like being inside an architectural book brought into reality. Tourists, local and foreigners, enjoy the sights of the city.

The islands of Murano and Burano are must-see places when in Venice. Murano is famous for its crystals which command good prices. Tourists must just be careful in buying Murano crystals because fake ones abound. Burano, on the other hand, is famous for the colorful houses of its residents. It is like being in a craft store but made of true houses.

The Canale delle Fondamente Nuove is the major gateway to Venice and to other beautiful towns that surround the city. It was through the trip to the other places in Venice that I saw how Italians were able to preserve structures as well as have the discipline to make the city a clean one despite the droves of tourists.

The Piazza San Marco is the focal point of one's trip to Venice. It is where all tourists converge to play with the doves or ride the gondola in traversing the city's canals. It is where one can find the best architectural designs that can be seen from its domes, churches, museums and other establishments. It is where one can appreciate the true Italian ambience.

With the many areas of art in Venice, you cannot just have enough. Every corner presents surprises that can only be seen there. The ones you see in books and magazines are right before your eyes. I just marvel at how they were able to preserve its heritage.

Religiosity is one trait that Italians adhere to. Just like in any other city in Italy, churches abound. Coupled with rich designs that depict the richness of the country's culture and its strong adherence to the catholic faith.

From its canals and monuments, Venice is a city that has kept its image as a bastion of art, culture and religion. From where Marco Polo started his journey, Venice is place worth visiting.

With the world getting smaller, the dream of going to Venice is not just a dream anymore. 2016 made it a reality for me.

Special thank you to our Balik sa Basik producer Laarni Silva, our Venice leg producers Ness Araja, Runna Pervado & the B52s, one of our gracious hosts Belinda Rodrigo and all the others who made our stay in Venice a very special one. We hope to see you again in the future.