LIVES, LOVES, AND LIVING: 2006 SERIES

Subject: Carlo Cruz, chef.
Starbucks Muralla, Intramuros by Dylan Yap Gozum, s. 2005

FLASHBACK: 1966

Teruhiko Kikuchi ©Stars and Stripes

Tokyo, Japan, September 28, 1966: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and wife Imelda stand with Japan's Emperor Hirohito during a Tokyo International Airport welcoming ceremony for the Marcoses, who were starting a five-day state visit to Japan. This was made on the occassion of the 10th anniversary of Philippine-Japan relations.

MABUHAY!

You may not be aware of it but we are commemorating this year the 50th anniversary of formal relations between Japan and the Philippines. Yes, we also did the same for China last year and like China, our relationship with Japan - albeit remembered best because of the war - goes a long, long way back.

Activities are being sponsored by the Japan Foundation. These include the Japanese Doll Exhibit, J Pop concert which will bring together some of the best Japanese and Filipino peformers and musicians, and the traditional twice-a-year Eiga Sai, the much-awaited film festival. Because of budgetary constraints (*gasp*), at least three of the films featured a year ago, including the crowd favorite WATERBOYS, will be returned to grace the screens of CCP, UP's Cine Adarna, and Shangri-la Mall's Cineplex.

The opening activity featuring drummers was held early last week although you can still catch the film festival because it runs until March in CCP. Check out the schedule here.

NATIONAL ARTS MONTH 2006

February is National Arts Month in the Philippines. Begun in 1991 through Presidential Proclamation No. 683, the National Arts Month activities are spearheaded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, or NCCA, which is the country's premier government institution for arts and culture.

This year, the theme is ANI NG SINING: Celebrating a bountiful harvest in the arts. You can visit the NCCA website and download the schedule for 2006.