Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia in Laguna, Philippines.

Interview conducted by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Izah Morales. Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia.

This is the last in a series of five videos capturing a day in the college life of this Filipino student.

Check out the first, second, third and fourth videos.

This is the fourth in a series of five videos capturing a day in the college life of this Filipino student.

Check out the first, second and third videos.

Video taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla at the CSFU campus.

This is the third in a series of five videos capturing a day in the college life of this Filipino student.

Check out the first and second videos.

An avid gamer, he is shown here playing Dance Dance Revolution. Video taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla at the CSFU campus.

This is the second in a series of five videos that capture a day in the college life of this Filipino student.

Check out the first video.

He has been diagnosed with general aniridia and glaucoma, visual malformations that prevent his eyes from operating normally. Here he explains his condition over lunch at the school’s food court to INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla.

This is the first in a series of five videos capturing a day in the college life of this Filipino student.

Video taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla in Orange County, California.

By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

KNOWN for its wood-carved religious images, Paete is a haven for sculpture. But behind the religious images are two different sculptors whom I met while looking for the Last Supper.

When I entered Galerie Christine, I was amazed by the paintings and sculpture displayed.

There I met a young sculptor, Glenn Cagandahan, a Fine Arts graduate of the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He shared that he once only created art when he was in the mood. But then, sometimes it takes a month before inspiration motivates him to do sculptures. His wake-up call came when he was asked to do masks for a theatrical production at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños.

Here’s a video interview I conducted.

What makes his masks distinct is the unusual material. I was surprised to learn that epoxy clay, the same one used in construction, was his medium.

It takes him an average of forty minutes to create a mask. He creates different facial expressions inspired by Pinoy characteristics.

“Expressive kasi tayong mga Pinoy. Pinapakita kung galit man, malungkot o masaya,” he explained.

The Pinoy element is evident not only in the facial expression but also the physical features (especially the nose). He shared that he has also experimented with combining the epoxy with different materials such as wood and steel.

An important lesson that he learned was that one will be inspired if he works every day.

“If you wait to be inspired, it will not come,” he said.

After a chat with Glenn, I left the gallery to continue my hunt for the Last Supper. I chanced upon a humble dwelling where an old man was carving on wood. What caught my attention was not his wood carving but the fact that was in a wheelchair. His name is Ernesto Agbada. I found out from him that he contracted polio when he was still three months old. He shared that he does not know any livelihood except for carving wood. It has been his bread and butter because it was what he knew since his childhood. No one taught him how to carve. His sculpture is the result of his imagination, but surprisingly, he revealed that he is really not that interested in his craft.

“Mapapaganda ko pa sana ang mga ito kung hilig ko talaga,” he said.

Here’s a video interview I conducted.

Mang Ernesto shared that this Last Supper is an unfinished piece due to financial difficulties.

Ironies, no matter what shape or form, do exist in a place called Paete. Passion drives one young sculptor to create art, while an older one is left with no choice but to carve wood in order to survive.

Here’s a photo of Co addressing the participating teams.

The opening ceremonies held at the Al Nasr Gymnasium in Oud Metha, Dubai saw the Intercontinental Hotel team win the best in uniform award, while Nina Cascades of the Fairmont Hotel team was named Ms. FBC-Chikka Grill at Marco Polo Hotel Cup.

The marching band of the United International Private School provided the fanfare. For his part, Philippine Consul Vicente Bandillo commended the participating teams and the organizers for the good turnout.

Co is a member of the PBA Hall of Fame. He was the first player to score 5,000 and 10,000 points at the time when the three-point shot was not yet introduced. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983. He won the Most Valuable Player award in 1979, and is a 9-time Mythical First Team Member.

In a press statement, Ramon Pizarras, chairman of the Filipino Basketball Center (FBC), said the tournament dubbed as “Chikka Grill at Marco Polo Hotel Cup” will see the participation of 40 teams representing the hotel and corporate sectors in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, as well as teams with former professional basketball players from the Philippines. The tournament will be held every Friday and will end in September.

“This year’s event will see a new division being introduced. We have opened up the tournament for basketball enthusiasts who are 40 and above. It will be a good opportunity for these individuals to continue playing in a competitive environment,” Pizarras said.

The FBC is a duly-licensed entity in the United Arab Emirates established to promote sports and entertainment activities among the Filipinos and other nationalities. It was responsible for bringing the first Middle East game of the PBA when Ginebra and Purefoods played against each other on April 13, 2007 in Dubai.

Editor’s note: Photos by Darwin Reyes of MEsnipers.