Ankrizel Santos

ANKRIZEL SANTOS writer. content producer. TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 STANLEY RUIZ ON CREATING DESIGNS THAT CAN BE PASSED ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS 06 JOSEPH JAVIER: "GOOD DESIGN IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR NATION BUILDING" 09 MANDATORY ROTC ON SENIOR HS STUDENTS APPROVED ON FINAL READING 10 FAQ: IMPROVISATIONAL THEATER 12 REESE LANSANGAN GIVES ADVICE TO ASPIRING YOUNG ARTISTS 15 BEAUTY TOOLS 101: 5 MAKEUP SPONGES FOR BEGINNERS UNDER P500 03 STANLEY RUIZ ON CREATING DESIGNS THAT CAN BE PASSED ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS After years of living and working in New York, the industrial designer decided to give it all up to move back to the Philippines. Today, he works with local communities and artisans to champion heritage craft. Photograph courtesy of CITEM Stanley Ruiz used to dream of becoming an engineer before deciding on industrial design career. He decided to enroll at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Fine Arts, armed with only just a little knowledge about the field. “I just know it’s one of the majors to take or select. I only have a very shallow understanding of it before,” he says. Later on, Ruiz took the course seriously and immersed himself in the field. He fell in love with industrial design, and while learning about its discipline, he started getting designing gigs on the side. Working with fair trade-related NGOs helped him gain even more experience. He was assigned to do product developments and to work with small enterprises in Negros, Leyte, and Bicol. After two years, work would take him to Bali, Indonesia. He was happy in Bali, but when the opportunity to work in New York came, Ruiz moved there immediately. He designed for a number of furniture and lighting companies, including the famed potter and designer Jonathan Adler. A few years later, Stanley started to launch his own line of products while maintaining his day job. “I had this full time work, tapos at night and weekend, pumupunta 'ko sa studio ko to develop my own products,” he shares. 04 Although, he loved the Big Apple, he admits there were a lot of struggles. Apart from designing and creating, he was also his own accountant, marketing guy, and even delivery boy. “I barely knew people there and I didn’t have enough resources,” Stanley admits. “Rent is really high tapos yung struggle na all-inone ka. It’s a one man show, kumbaga.” Moving back to the Philippines Apart from dealing with the feeling of being alone in the city, sourcing materials for work was also a problem. Ruiz usually uses indigenous materials like rattan, abaca, and bamboo, and these materials were not readily available to him in the US. Eventually, he decided to move back to the Philippines and start over. In 2013, the new balikbayan established Estudio Ruiz Design Consultancy. Since then, he has worked as a consultant for DTI-CITEM’s Manila FAME and for Design Center of the Philippines. Ruiz is also the creative director of Go Lokal, a new design and marketing platform by DTI. Ruiz admits his career in New York was on an upswing before he left it, but there was nothing like living and working in a city where his roots are. “I had a good position in a good reputable company, pero I gave it up,” he says, recalling his New York days. “[And then] I started from scratch and gave up the convenience of a good monthly paycheck. But I don’t have regrets." He's happy to be back. "I have freedom here.” Supporting sustainability Ruiz is known for combining natural and industrial designs that are minimalist and sophisticated. His creations are never overly decorative, and he makes sure it communicates his idea. The designer is also a supporter of sustainability, and believes it “should be part and parcel of the design process,” not an afterthought. To him, what's important is looking for ways to develop better quality products, ones that users can enjoy for a longer time instead of being replacing regularly. “We’re all for products na baka pwede mo pang ipamana. I mean, there’s a [high] price tag to it, it’s an investment,” he explains. “But then if you look at it, if you settle for lower quality, siguro every two years you’ll change your furniture. In the end, gagastos ka rin and hindi siya ganun ka-sustainable.” 05 Photograph courtesy of Stanley Ruiz Ruiz says supporting Philippine craft is also advocating sustainability. For him, it’s all about making sure the resources we are using now will be available for the generations to come. Manila Fame 2019 A big chunk of Ruiz’s time is spent participating in Manila Fame, the country’s premier design and lifestyle trade fair organized by DTI-CITEM. This year’s theme is “Heritage Reimagined,” and the three-day event will feature Filipino ingenuity as it highlights products from more than 300 exhibitors. Ruiz shares that the 69th Manila Fame will be more contemporary, and will highlight iconic styles interpreted in modern ways. “In terms of colors, forms, geometry, abstraction, it’s bolder,” he says. “Pero represented pa rin ’yung iba’tibang materials.” This year, he is part of Design Commune, a merchandise development program. It is a curated exhibition space that nurtures a community of creative prime movers and their collaboration with manufacturers. The designer worked with over 20 companies and MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) in the home and lighting sector for this particular event. “I designed a bunch of products from small home accessories to lighting and even furniture pieces,” he adds. --- 06 JOSEPH JAVIER: "GOOD DESIGN IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR NATION BUILDING" The architect believes that good design can bring about positive social change. And the School of Innovation founder also says that we should create our own parameters for what’s beautiful and proper. Growing up in a family of architects and engineers, Joseph “AJ” Javier has been exposed to design since he was a kid. “When there are family reunions, we would visit our uncles in their firms to explore the work around,” he recalls. Javier started pursuing his own career in 1996 and, after passing the board exams, quickly established Javier Design Studio Manila (JDSM) when he was just 21. “Back then, the only future for you if you're an architect is to open a design firm,” he explains. “I would hire 27-year-olds, and I will have a difficult time managing them because they’re older than me. So madalas may mga arguments.” He uses his 23 years of experience in the industry to spread awareness that architecture can be a catalyst for positive social change. The architect advocates transformational design, which he describes as a purposeful and human-centered process promoting positive behavior modification. “I feel that design is a good platform. Transformational design is about changing the mindset and behaviors of society, family, and community. That’s essentially the message: design is a powerful tool for nation building,” he says. ANCX caught up with Javier at B+Abble 2019: A Series of Talks on Contemporary Arts and Design. There, he shares his love for J-pop, Boracay, and crabs, and how he thinks design can transform us all. 07 You’re one of the senior faculty, curriculum designer and industry consultants at College of St. Benilde. Have you always wanted to be a professor? No, it was really an accident that I was there. A good friend invited me to teach as a hobby because we’re stressed at work. I discovered that maybe this was something that I like to do. Then they invited me to open and found the School of Innovation. That's how accidental it was. The plan was, after one year, okay na alis na ako. Little did I know that I would become a senior consultant of the program. You pioneered BentaMobile Project. Can you tell us more about it? It is a community activation project that uses design as an instrument of change. Benilde is embedded in Malate, where it’s a mixed community composed of everything from informal settlers to big institutions. The target is to improve the lives of street vendors without eradicating them. The BentaMobile will enable them to formalize their business, within the framework of local government and then expand their market reach through design. They can access students inside the buildings of Benilde and inside the offices around Taft Avenue. The design product is an app with a mobile cart and they will have runners. If you're a student and you want fishballs, or any food practically, all you need to do is open the app and order. The app will tell the vendor, then the runner will come and deliver. What can you say about the local design industry? I think there’s a lot of potential. It’s overlooked and it has been set aside as an article of luxury. That is my crusade—to make people see that it is an item of essence. For that to happen, amendments need to be made. Competitiveness is missing and there are a lot of obstacles that are getting in the way that needs to be addressed. We seem to reject Filipino things and prefer what is western. We need to avoid parroting the western parameter of what is beautiful and what is proper. If we let this happen, we will eventually become a theme park of other styles and other persuasions. We don't want that to happen. You’re always talking about how design can bring positive change. Can you talk about this more. It is a viable instrument because we are a culture of feelings, and that’s where arts and designs reside. More than the function, there's this need to surround yourself with beautiful things so that you can become a better version of yourself. 08 On that very simple basis, if the entire nation becomes a better version of itself, then the potential is there to be harnessed. And design can do that. Its objective is to surround yourself with efficient, beautiful things. Let's talk about some of your favorites. Favorite place in the Philippines? Boracay is my happy place. I made my happiest memories there. I’m very ambivalent on how Boracay has turned out to be right now, how clean and pristine it is. But my happiest memories happened when it was really dirty and noisy. I’m very happy to see this change though because I’ve seen Boracay deteriorate. I started visiting the island in 1996 and I never stopped visiting since then. It’s been an annual pilgrimage. If I am to retire, I will probably open a bed and breakfast there, or a café. Favorite food? Spicy Singaporean crab. I forgot the exact name of the dish, basta anything with crab. That's really my favorite. When I'm stressed, I just call my friends and invite them to eat crabs. Favorite drink? I’m not much of a drinker, but I really like this drink at Agimat. It’s in a shell. It’s really good. How do you destress? Well, I have my music. I'm a musician. That's number one. I also have my regular fitness routine. I make sure to meet my friends at SPAM, which is a group of architects that can talk about anything. We ventilate, and weave our ambitions together. I also have plants and dogs. What’s on your playlist? On heavy rotation is the live album of Sting in Berlin. I'm a huge fan. I'm not too familiar with new music, but I’m a pluralist. I appreciate different genres, from hip-hop to classical. I listen to a lot of J-Pop, too. Somehow, I love it even if I don't understand the lyrics. I have come to love it so much that I even look for the translations. When I listen to music kasi, I pay attention to the melody more than the lyrics. Dream dinner guests? On the same table—Donald Trump, Margaret Thatcher, Lee Kwan Yew, and Rodrigo Duterte. What’s on your bucket list? The home stay at the night market district of Marrakech, and to see the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis. --- 09 MANDATORY ROTC ON SENIOR HS STUDENTS APPROVED ON FINAL READING House Bill 8961 establishes a basic ROTC program for students enrolled in grades 11 and 12. The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the bill reviving mandatory military training for senior high school students in the country on Monday, May 20. With 167 affirmative votes, four against and no abstentions, the Lower Chamber passed the bill providing for mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). House Bill 8961 or the ROTC Act establishes a basic ROTC program for students enrolled in grades 11 and 12 in public and private educational institutions as a requirement for their graduation. Only those physically or psychologically unfit, part of the school’s varsity team, or those who get an exemption from the Department of National Defense (DND) are exempted from mandatory ROTC training. High school students who are undergoing a similar military training will also be exempted. Although it’s already passed by the Congress, Majority Leader and Capiz Representative Fredenil Castro said that there’s a little probability that the bill will be implemented in the coming school year. But he added that it will be immediately referred to the Senate. This also proposes to amend Republic Act No. 077 (Citizen Armed Forces of the Philippines Reservist Act), which is the base for the expansion of the AFP in the event of war, invasion or rebellion; to assist in relief and rescue during disaster or calamities; to assist in socioeconomic development; and to assist in the operation and maintenance of essential government or private utilities in the furtherance of overall mission. HB 8961 also bans hazing and other forms of physical or mental abuse. --- 10 FAQ: IMPROVISATIONAL THEATER Know about improv, how it differs from stand-up comedy, and where to watch Filipinos have always loved comedy. Be it movies, TV, radio, and even theater, comedy, especially slapstick, you can count on Pinoys to be on it. Thankfully, there’s another comedic form that’s slowly taking a foothold on the scene: Improv. It’s been around since 2002 and slowly, more and more people are talking about it. What it’s all about? Who started it? Where to watch? Allow us to answer your hard hitting questions about improv. Photo by Madel Crudo/MB Life 1. What is improv? Improvisational theater or popularly known as improv, is a form of live theater in which the plot, characters and the dialogue of a scene are made up spontaneously. The improv artist or called the improvisers will ask suggestions from the audience and will start the show by using those suggestions and they will draw on some other source of inspiration to get started. 2. Who started it in the Philippines? Silly People’s Improv Theater or known as SPIT is the premiere improv group here in the Philippines. Established by known actor Gabe Mercado and his 11 friends in 2002, SPIT has already performed in many events all over the country. Composed of thespians, teachers, commercial models and professionals from various fields, the group also represented the country in the prestigious Los Angeles Comedy Festival in 2004, Hong Kong International Improv Festival in 2012, Improv Festivals in New York and Chicago, and Amsterdam Improv Festival in 2015. 3. What makes it different from stand-up comedy? Unlike stand-up comedy, improv is basically unscripted and unrehearsed performance in front of an audience. Every action of the improviser is spontaneous and the scenes were co-created by the audience and the actors in real time. The audience holds most of the power and they will decide which way the story will start and end. 4. How to become an improviser? Theater or acting background are not required if you want to pursue improv, but aspiring if you want to get serious on this, SPIT has actually put up an improv school in 2015. It’s called Third World Improv (TWI) and it’s open to anyone who would like to experience the joy of improvisation. Currently, TWI is home to over 100 students and gave birth to different improv groups. 5. Where to watch improv? SPIT regularly performs around the city—check and follow its Facebook page for schedule announcements—but there’s a huge gig coming up. In partnership with Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), SPIT and TWI are cooking up the 3rd Manila Improv Festival, featuring improvisers from Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Osaka, Tokyo, Mumbai and Brisbane together with the Filipino improvisers from Manila, Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro. It will run from March 22 to 26 at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. --- 12 REESE LANSANGAN GIVES ADVICE TO ASPIRING YOUNG ARTISTS "Start with small steps." It’s been almost four years since we first heard Reese Lansangan’s debut album entitled ‘Arigato, Internet!’. Since then, she’s been known for her compelling songs about love and life in general. Her songs are so relatable that’s why it’s no surprise that she’s one of the most successful musicians in the local music industry today. Photo from @reeseypeasy / Instagram During the SM Woman Fashion Meet Up event on March 20 at SM Megamall, Reese said that she’s really grateful that women like her continue to gain recognition in the music industry. “It’s very cool kasi when I started, I think until now, [the industry] is still kind of male dominated, but slowly a lot more women are owning the space,” she said. For her, women process emotions differently that’s why we need to have someone in the industry that we can relate with. 13 “I think there’s value from the stories of females kasi it’s very different, we feel differently. We process emotions differently and there needs to be voices heard from the pop music scene or rock music scene na galing sa babae. Kasi the male perspective is so different and they also tell stories differently. I’m so happy because we need more women to share our side. Women and girls who are listening can have somebody directly to identify with,” Reese added. When asked about her tips or advice to aspiring young artists, she shared: “Now, more so than ever, there's a lot of role models and a lot of female artists that they could listen to. Hopefully they could get inspired by the paths that we have taken. We all go through our careers differently so hopefully they got encouraged to try it out and to see that we are supporting one another as women and that’s a great place to be. They can show their talents more and get themselves out there.” The 28-year-old singer also encourages all the women who are struggling to express themselves to start with small steps, practice, and to get feedback. “I think maybe, start with small steps. If they have Instagram, they can start sharing their stories or their art or their creative self expression. Kahit in a small community, like a private one, it doesn’t have to be a big thing,”she started. “What’s important is the practice of doing something then sharing it and getting feedback from people you trust. After that, you can think about growing that audience of you sharing things with. Ayun lang, start small, you don’t have to aim to be big all the time. The important thing is you are able to let it out and somebody else is benefiting from your own creative energies.” On her new song Aside from being part of the SM Woman family, Reese also launched a fun video for her new single called “The Chase.” The music video produced by the singer herself and her friend GeloYellow or Gerard Lopez, it featured Reese sporting athletic running gear, sparkly eyeshadow, and a cute headband in a track field all by herself. According to her, the song is about her own experience in handling relationships and making the wrong decision when it comes to choosing a partner. “I think it’s a compilation of everything that I’ve felt and experience in terms of handling relationships or having a significant other and just always making 14 wrong decisions when it comes to choosing a partner. Ayun, always being attracted to danger. You choose to experiment, go through something that looks unsafe. Pero alam mo ‘yun, it’s all for experience naman. As long as you’re not harmed or anything, it’s just learning,” she said. She also revealed that she’s not the athletic type, but she wanted something different for the music video. “It’s called “The Chase” so I wanted something na literally running. So I thought it would be fun because I never run and I’m not athletic. If you watch the entire video, at the end of it may reveal na parang tinutulak lang ako ng managers. Parang medyo comic siya ng kaunti. I don’t really match it with the message of the song. I was just chasing, I was jut running, pero ambiguous ‘yung pagtakbo, parang ganun.” What to expect from Reese this year If you watch the MV for “The Chase,” you’ll notice that there’s an “easter egg” at the last part of the video. In the 30-second mark, Reese was seen crossing out days in a whiteboard. The line “I’m not the kind of girl who cries for a long time” was also written in all capital letters. At the post-credit scene, Reese was listening to a song with the lyrics same as the line written in the board. “A lot of new tracks are coming this year and the goal is the second album towards the end of the year. But a lot of new tracks definitely. I do have some collaborations lined up, but depende kung ano ang mauuna. I currently have four in the works, pero they’re still pending as of now. Focus ko muna is to release my own solo stuff and then the collabs,” she shared. --- 15 BEAUTY TOOLS 101: 5 MAKEUP SPONGES FOR BEGINNERS UNDER P500 Blending is key! Photo by Madel Crudo/MB Life If you love using makeup, you know that the perfect partner for a good makeup product is a high quality beauty tool. We’re sure you love your brushes, but if you want only one tool that you can use to apply your foundation, contour, cream blush, and powder, an egg-shaped blending sponge is perfect for you. Below, we round up five makeup sponges you can buy in local beauty counters here in the Philippines for P500 and below: 1. Ever Bilena Blend Me Sponge (P200) This makeup sponge from Ever Bilena looks like the dense kind, but it’s actually soft and lightweight. It will help you blend your foundation easily. It also comes in three sizes: the large (P200) one can be used for your base, medium (P150) perfect for bronzer/contour application, and the smallest (P135) one can be used for concealing. (Available at BeautyMNL and department stores nationwide.) 2. FS Chiseled Puff (P245) The FS Chiseled Puff has angled edges that will help you apply product under 16 the eyes and on the corners of the face. The rounded side, on the other hand, can blend makeup on larger areas of the face. No need for other sponge for different products. You can use this product either damp or dry. (Available at BeautyMNL and department stores nationwide.) 3. All Covered By Anna Cay Teardrop Pink Airblender Sponge (P288) Filipina beauty vlogger Anna Cay just launched makeup sponges as the first two releases under her beauty line in February and it sold out in just 13 minutes. The sponges comes in two variants: the Teardrop Pink and Bevelled Black Airblender Sponges. Both are so soft and fluffy to use! It’s recommended to be used damp to achieve a flawless look. (Available at All Covered By Anna Cay Shopee.) 4. Happy Skin Air Touch Sponge (P299) Happy Skin is known for skin-loving makeup products, but did you know that they also have makeup sponges? This Air Touch Cushion sponge is a three-way makeup blending tool designed to cradle the contours of the face, creating an airbrushed finish. Its unique shape will let you reach the corner of your face easier. (Available at happyskincosmetics.com and Happy Skin stores nationwide.) 5. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (P460) Aside from Beauty Blender, this beauty tool from Real Techniques has been a constant favorite among beauty gurus and makeup artists. It’s much cheaper than the original blender, but it delivers great results. Apply your makeup with the Miracle Complexion Sponge by using a repeated dabbing or “stippling” motion for a flawless finish. (Available at BeautyMNL, Watsons, and The SM Store.) --- Check out my online portfolio by visiting my wixsite: https://ankrizelvsantos.wixsite.com/portfolio