Monday, September 23, 2013

Rajah Sikatuna winner angry over delayed prizes



Wake-uppers:
Scene: Bohol’s well-loved hairstylist Ryan Sines celebrated his birthday last Sept. 1 with an ultimate dinner. Bohol’s seasoned host Raul Gatal said, “It was a heady mix of friends from childhood, from school and from the beauty and fashion scene where Ryan is in great demand for the way he weaves magic and beauty to every girl’s crowning glory. Yes, Ryan is Bohol’s numero uno when it comes to stunning hairstyling. Women, men and even those from in- between including Bohol’s top socialites, beauty queens, models, brides and debutantes have availed of his services
When 2010 Miss Universe runner up Venus Raj flew
in to Bohol to grace the 2013 Miss Panglao Pageant, it was only apt that the honor of making up her fabulous hairdo would naturally go to Ryan Sines. It’s never a stress- free moment with Ryan when he is busy with your tresses.”

Scene: Watch out for the Wedding of the Year in December 2013! VRS has learned that the son (clue: WY) of a “powerful business family (PBF) was asking the woman's family (also PBF in Bohol) for her hand in marriage. Another clue: The bride-to-be is the goddess of the moon.

Seen: Spotted in Bohol last Friday was actress Isabel Oli. She described Chocolate Hills as “one of God’s amazing creations.” Kapamilya star Julia Barretto was also seen at ICM. Last week, Richard Poon and Christian Bautista were spotted in a wedding in Panglao.

Scene: From Ariel Fullido: R.I.P. MICHAEL. So sad about the tragedy that befall my good friend Michael Villa, who died last Sunday while trying to finish the 21K of the 37th Milo Marathon here. He used to be my running buddy, and always in tandem with him in every running event. We always chat each other at the CPG Sports Complex during running routines. Last Sunday's marathon, I was not able to participate because of a band performance at Doctors Cardio Summit 2013, at Flushing Meadows Resort and Playground, last Saturday night. I arrived home early Sunday at 3 AM dawn, and no time to go to the marathon since gun start is at 4 AM. I trained so hard for 4 months for the marathon but I didn't bother to join it, because no matter what, I always listen to my body first. All I did was just slept the whole Sunday morning, but when I woke up I just got the bad news of Michael's death. One member of our AGC Runners Club (name withheld) suffered a stroke due to heat, and landed in the hospital. So long, Mike!

***
Ryan Sines with Venus Raj
Participants of this year’s Sikatuna: Rajah sa Bohol, a male beauty pageant, have accused the organizer, JCI-Boholana Kisses, of not giving them their prizes months after the event.

The pageant debuted on July 19, 2013.

Crowned Rajah sa Bohol Danilo Torrifiel Torcende said that the organizers told him he would receive his Php 10,000 cash prize as grand winner but he has not heard anything from the organizers and all efforts to get the prizes have proved futile.

According to Torcende, he and the other contestants paid Php 500 for the registration fee and also provided their own costumes at their own cost.

Torcende said JCI-Boholana Kisses President Adam Tagaktak could no longer be found in the city.
                   
“Maskin piso wala ko kadawat. Niduol ko sa ilang Vice President (Maria Escabarte- LPU) unya gipangita pa daw nila si Adam karun kay wala na magpakita,” Torcende told VRS. “The entire production gani wala pa mabayri.”

Non-winners, according to Torcende, were promised to receive a Php 500 consolation prize.

Last Wednesday, Torcende went to the PNP-Tagbilaran City to report the incident.

However, JCI-Boholana Kisses Vice President Maria Escabarte is not tight-lipped on the “pageant scam.” In her reply to VRS, she said, “Unfortunately, we can’t give you an official statement yet since we are still waiting for Mr. Tagactac's report. The organization has also been questioning Mr. Tagactac about the issue since he spearheaded the event and action especially on money matters has been taken by him.”

Danilo Torcende
(Note: VRS called, texted and messaged (on Facebook) Adam Tagaktak for his side but he never replied.)

Meanwhile, Bohol’s most popular hairstylist and make-up artist Tracy Remolador Torres also said that his “alaga” didn’t receive the prizes from Mr and Miss Teen Bohol 2013 organized by Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Bohol headed by Jethro Lim Imboy.

“Same sa Mr.and Ms Teen Bohol 2013 wapa sad gibugwak ang mga prizes dugay nani,” revealed Tracy.
Tracy added, “Ilaha promise nila after 3 weeks after the pageant ma-release na, now pila na ka buwan. Didto ko last week ingon karun daw nga week unya asa naman?”

SK staff Julan Crisale Cordova answered:

For and in behalf of the Mr. & Ms. Teen Bohol Organizing Committee, we would like to inform the followers that we follow strict compliance in terms of the prizes in all our events. Upon during the orientation of this year's pageant we already inform the candidates regarding about the dealing of our prizes. Just like the previous year among gisunod and process sa mga national pageants that the prizes will not be release right after the pageant kundi more or less a month or 2 pa siya namu mahatag due to government processing method...and we make sure that the candidates will receive their prizes and we have the office nga ila ma visita or makita. Unlike sa nahitabo sa Rajah nga wala na gyud magpakita og dili makontak. In as much as we would like to release the prizes og Sayo but due to a very keen strict COA policy in processing government fund Mao nga nadugay. But rest assured we give our prices as promised. Also to inform everyone that the prizes last year were already given and done. This is to emphasize the followers that we have our office and our faces to answer all your questions unlike og dili pareha sa nahitabo sa Rajah.”

Tracy Torres with Julia Barretto
When Torcende posted his anger on Facebook about the “Rajah scam,” it has struck chord around the province, racking up people and it quickly found its way to the beauty pageant industry in Bohol.

Blogger Edik Dolotina said, “Why a lot of them happened in Bohol?”

Fashion guru Henry Baron also commented, “My advice to all the concerned winners, it’s better to go directly to legalities, the authority will take care of this very abusive act. A very malicious pageant such like this and the abusive act of the organizers concerned should not be tolerated....it’s a disgrace to all the gay community....”

The plot is thickening.

Stand by for further development.

***
Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Hasta la vista EJ! Goodbye Susan Fuentes!

Goodbye, EJ, hasta la vista!
•Goodbye Susan Fuentes!

Wake-uppers:
Scene: The 7th School Press Advisers Movement Inc. (SPAM) was held in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Sept. 12-14 attended by student writers and advisers in the country. Two GMA pillars are recognized by SPAM with their first awards of excellence for media practitioners. GMA News anchor and “Imbestigador ng Bayan” Mike Enriquez has received the Award of Excellence in the Field of Broadcasting, while GMA News Online Editor-in-Chief Howie Severino has received the Award of Excellence in the Field of Documentary Reportage. With the theme “Intensifying the power of Campus Paper in Protecting and Preserving the Environment and Natural Resources,” the convention aims to recognize the excellent services of campus journalists and advisers, hone their talents, and provide them with the recent trends in campus journalism.

Mike Enriquez and Howie Severino during the 7th SPAM
Scene: Dindo Tallo and his wife Rose (Miss Tagbilaran 1987 first runner-up) were in Bohol to attend to their father’s wake and burial.  Dindo is the eldest son of Dr. Prisco Tallo who died on August 28. Dr. Tallo served as resident physician of the Bohol Provincial Hospital and chief of the Loon District Hospital and Carmen Cong. Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital, respectively.

Scene: Maria Mercedes ang pangalan ko! Sa 'king pamilya'y tumutulong ako. Nagtatrabaho ng kahit ano. Sanay ako magbanat ng buto...Maria Mercedes, the Mexican telenovela starring Thalia will be back on primetime. The first official teaser for the Philippine remake of the hit Mexican series "Maria Mercedes" was released last week. The clip uploaded on ABS-CBN's official YouTube page shows lead actress Jessy Mendiola dancing in a long red dress -- a throwback to the iconic take of Mexican superstar Thalia on the title character. The teaser also offers a brief taste of the updated Filipino version of the series' theme song, as first heard in the local telecast of the original "Maria Mercedes" in 1996. Thalia fans couldn’t wait to see the soap. Si señor!

***
Ania si Rosas Pandan
Gikan pa intawn sa kabukiran
Kaninyo makiguban-uban
Sa gisaulog nga kalingawan

Balitaw day akong puhunan
Maoy kabilin sa akong ginikanan
Awit nga labing karaan
Maoy garbo sa kabungturan

Ayayay ayayay ayayay!
Ayay sa akong balitaw
Kanindot ba mosayaw
Daw yamog ang kabugnaw

Tigadong tigadong tigadong!
Ayay usab si Dodong
Nagtan-aw kang Inday
Nagtabisay ang laway...

Susan Fuentes
I’m not sure how old I was at the time but I remember singing Rosas Pandan while the song was being played by our neighbors back in old Booy. The neighborhood was simple. Technology was slow then. Since only a handful few had TV, most people tuned in on radio especially on Sundays for their favorite oldies.

I also remember Rosas Pandan was used as talent in barangay beauty pageants and amateur singing contests. It was easy to sing. It still is. Thanks to the Queen of Visayan Songs Susan Fuentes, who’s a half-Boholana-half Butuanon, who also has a string of other enduring hits to her name.

For the information of today’s generation of music-lovers, between 1970s and 1980s, Susan racked up
several No. 1 Visayan songs, including “Matud Nila” (They Say), “Gimingaw Ako” (I Feel Lonesome), “Usahay” (Sometimes), “Rosas Pandan,” She also originally recorded and popularized Miss Kita Kung Christmas.”
Call me old, but I love listening to Susan’s authentic and uniquely poignant voice that reminds me of good times.

I like Susan’s version of “Ang Bol-anon” (originally composed by Regino Bastes Dano) which shows her clean, soulful and authentic voice. And it’s Binol-anon for using the word gaJud instead of gayud.

Kung ikaw Inday mangita'g pamanhunon, Siguro-a baya inday ang Bol-anon, Kung matuman mo suwerte ka kay ang Bol-anon buotan gajud, Magmahal kanimo hangtud sa Tagbilaran... Magmahal kanimo hangtud sa kahangturan...

Is there any difference between women of past and women of present? Yes, her song “Kagahapun ug Karun” tells why.

Kagahapun ug karun
Kadako diay sa kabalison
ang dalaga ta manggi-ulawon
moduko lang kon imo lang sud-ungon

Ang karun pagkatahum
kon tutokan mo mapahiyumon
kon halaran mo iya kang tubagon
hinay ka ra kay may tag-iya na

Ang dalaga ta karon dili daling muhilak sama kagahapon Ondo
ikaw pa hikapa ang gihay di ba mangatangtang ug mangapangtagak

Lahi ang kabulakan nga katilingbanun
Buyog magsibadsabad mata magsiplatsiplat

Mao kini ang lingla sa bag-o nga panahon
lahi ang kagahapon lahi ang karun...

Her fans, including my Mama Inday, Inday Charity and yours truly, are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Susan who died on Sept. 7 after a prolonged confinement due to a kidney ailment. She was 58.

Mama Inday has paid tribute to Susan last week. She was singing all her Awitnong Bahandi songs although Mama Inday was not hitting all the right notes with her lusty vocals and emotional stylings like Susan’s, while Inday Charity has  paid tribute to Susan in her radio program.

Well, it’s a misty-eyed Sunday morning today while listening to Visayan classic oldies.

Midag-om, midag-om na, dapit sa atong habagatan,
pagbantay-bantay mga kauban, ang timbangan dili pagbiyaan,
ayaw baya kalimot nga gikalisangan kining hangina,
 Mugisi sa layag, Muguba sa atong sakayan,
Timbang kamo, hinubig kamo, Dagan ngari, dagan ngadto,

Walay labing pait Ingon sa kinabuhing sakayanon,
 Init ug ulan , Gisawod nga walay pulupasilong,
Nia pay katugnaw, Ug kagutom pa gayud intawon,
 Giantus ang tanan,Kay gim but-an sa kapalaran...

***
Anytime now, fashion icon EJ Relampagos is flying to New York to relax.

He has been busy in wedding coordination alongside some other events like debuts, beauty pageants and fashion shows.

EJ Relampagos
EJ is planning to see famous landmarks in New York such as the Empire State Building, the 911 memorial, Statue of Liberty and American Museum of Natural History.

What will happen to EJ’s House of Fashion (along Pamaong Road, Tagbilaran City) where he has total creative responsibility for the designs and all of its collections?

“It is still open. It will continue with all my staff. But we're only accepting wedding gowns for now while I will be away,” says EJ.  

However, VRS heard that EJ was invited to design for an American singer (name not disclosed by VRS) as part of the New York Fashion Week in the US.

“He will also be there to visit some famous fashion houses and attend charming workshops in New York,” adds VRS.

Well, then, to EJ, wishing you the best in NYC! C'est la vie!

***
Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.

Hasta la vista EJ! Goodbye Susan Fuentes!

Goodbye, EJ, hasta la vista!
•Goodbye Susan Fuentes!

Wake-uppers:
Scene: The 7th School Press Advisers Movement Inc. (SPAM) was held in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Sept. 12-14 attended by student writers and advisers in the country. Two GMA pillars are recognized by SPAM with their first awards of excellence for media practitioners. GMA News anchor and “Imbestigador ng Bayan” Mike Enriquez has received the Award of Excellence in the Field of Broadcasting, while GMA News Online Editor-in-Chief Howie Severino has received the Award of Excellence in the Field of Documentary Reportage. With the theme “Intensifying the power of Campus Paper in Protecting and Preserving the Environment and Natural Resources,” the convention aims to recognize the excellent services of campus journalists and advisers, hone their talents, and provide them with the recent trends in campus journalism.

Mike Enriquez and Howie Severino during the 7th SPAM
Scene: Dindo Tallo and his wife Rose (Miss Tagbilaran 1987 first runner-up) were in Bohol to attend to their father’s wake and burial.  Dindo is the eldest son of Dr. Prisco Tallo who died on August 28. Dr. Tallo served as resident physician of the Bohol Provincial Hospital and chief of the Loon District Hospital and Carmen Cong. Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital, respectively.

Scene: Maria Mercedes ang pangalan ko! Sa 'king pamilya'y tumutulong ako. Nagtatrabaho ng kahit ano. Sanay ako magbanat ng buto...Maria Mercedes, the Mexican telenovela starring Thalia will be back on primetime. The first official teaser for the Philippine remake of the hit Mexican series "Maria Mercedes" was released last week. The clip uploaded on ABS-CBN's official YouTube page shows lead actress Jessy Mendiola dancing in a long red dress -- a throwback to the iconic take of Mexican superstar Thalia on the title character. The teaser also offers a brief taste of the updated Filipino version of the series' theme song, as first heard in the local telecast of the original "Maria Mercedes" in 1996. Thalia fans couldn’t wait to see the soap. Si señor!

***
Ania si Rosas Pandan
Gikan pa intawn sa kabukiran
Kaninyo makiguban-uban
Sa gisaulog nga kalingawan

Balitaw day akong puhunan
Maoy kabilin sa akong ginikanan
Awit nga labing karaan
Maoy garbo sa kabungturan

Ayayay ayayay ayayay!
Ayay sa akong balitaw
Kanindot ba mosayaw
Daw yamog ang kabugnaw

Tigadong tigadong tigadong!
Ayay usab si Dodong
Nagtan-aw kang Inday
Nagtabisay ang laway...

Susan Fuentes
I’m not sure how old I was at the time but I remember singing Rosas Pandan while the song was being played by our neighbors back in old Booy. The neighborhood was simple. Technology was slow then. Since only a handful few had TV, most people tuned in on radio especially on Sundays for their favorite oldies.

I also remember Rosas Pandan was used as talent in barangay beauty pageants and amateur singing contests. It was easy to sing. It still is. Thanks to the Queen of Visayan Songs Susan Fuentes, who’s a half-Boholana-half Butuanon, who also has a string of other enduring hits to her name.

For the information of today’s generation of music-lovers, between 1970s and 1980s, Susan racked up
several No. 1 Visayan songs, including “Matud Nila” (They Say), “Gimingaw Ako” (I Feel Lonesome), “Usahay” (Sometimes), “Rosas Pandan,” She also originally recorded and popularized Miss Kita Kung Christmas.”
Call me old, but I love listening to Susan’s authentic and uniquely poignant voice that reminds me of good times.

I like Susan’s version of “Ang Bol-anon” (originally composed by Regino Bastes Dano) which shows her clean, soulful and authentic voice. And it’s Binol-anon for using the word gaJud instead of gayud.

Kung ikaw Inday mangita'g pamanhunon, Siguro-a baya inday ang Bol-anon, Kung matuman mo suwerte ka kay ang Bol-anon buotan gajud, Magmahal kanimo hangtud sa Tagbilaran... Magmahal kanimo hangtud sa kahangturan...

Is there any difference between women of past and women of present? Yes, her song “Kagahapun ug Karun” tells why.

Kagahapun ug karun
Kadako diay sa kabalison
ang dalaga ta manggi-ulawon
moduko lang kon imo lang sud-ungon

Ang karun pagkatahum
kon tutokan mo mapahiyumon
kon halaran mo iya kang tubagon
hinay ka ra kay may tag-iya na

Ang dalaga ta karon dili daling muhilak sama kagahapon Ondo
ikaw pa hikapa ang gihay di ba mangatangtang ug mangapangtagak

Lahi ang kabulakan nga katilingbanun
Buyog magsibadsabad mata magsiplatsiplat

Mao kini ang lingla sa bag-o nga panahon
lahi ang kagahapon lahi ang karun...

Her fans, including my Mama Inday, Inday Charity and yours truly, are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Susan who died on Sept. 7 after a prolonged confinement due to a kidney ailment. She was 58.

Mama Inday has paid tribute to Susan last week. She was singing all her Awitnong Bahandi songs although Mama Inday was not hitting all the right notes with her lusty vocals and emotional stylings like Susan’s, while Inday Charity has  paid tribute to Susan in her radio program.

Well, it’s a misty-eyed Sunday morning today while listening to Visayan classic oldies.

Midag-om, midag-om na, dapit sa atong habagatan,
pagbantay-bantay mga kauban, ang timbangan dili pagbiyaan,
ayaw baya kalimot nga gikalisangan kining hangina,
 Mugisi sa layag, Muguba sa atong sakayan,
Timbang kamo, hinubig kamo, Dagan ngari, dagan ngadto,

Walay labing pait Ingon sa kinabuhing sakayanon,
 Init ug ulan , Gisawod nga walay pulupasilong,
Nia pay katugnaw, Ug kagutom pa gayud intawon,
 Giantus ang tanan,Kay gim but-an sa kapalaran...

***
Anytime now, fashion icon EJ Relampagos is flying to New York to relax.

He has been busy in wedding coordination alongside some other events like debuts, beauty pageants and fashion shows.

EJ Relampagos
EJ is planning to see famous landmarks in New York such as the Empire State Building, the 911 memorial, Statue of Liberty and American Museum of Natural History.

What will happen to EJ’s House of Fashion (along Pamaong Road, Tagbilaran City) where he has total creative responsibility for the designs and all of its collections?

“It is still open. It will continue with all my staff. But we're only accepting wedding gowns for now while I will be away,” says EJ.  

However, VRS heard that EJ was invited to design for an American singer (name not disclosed by VRS) as part of the New York Fashion Week in the US.

“He will also be there to visit some famous fashion houses and attend charming workshops in New York,” adds VRS.

Well, then, to EJ, wishing you the best in NYC! C'est la vie!

***
Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.

Hasta la vista EJ! Goodbye Susan Fuentes!

Goodbye, EJ, hasta la vista!
•Goodbye Susan Fuentes!

Wake-uppers:
Scene: The 7th School Press Advisers Movement Inc. (SPAM) was held in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Sept. 12-14 attended by student writers and advisers in the country. Two GMA pillars are recognized by SPAM with their first awards of excellence for media practitioners. GMA News anchor and “Imbestigador ng Bayan” Mike Enriquez has received the Award of Excellence in the Field of Broadcasting, while GMA News Online Editor-in-Chief Howie Severino has received the Award of Excellence in the Field of Documentary Reportage. With the theme “Intensifying the power of Campus Paper in Protecting and Preserving the Environment and Natural Resources,” the convention aims to recognize the excellent services of campus journalists and advisers, hone their talents, and provide them with the recent trends in campus journalism.

Mike Enriquez and Howie Severino during the 7th SPAM
Scene: Dindo Tallo and his wife Rose (Miss Tagbilaran 1987 first runner-up) were in Bohol to attend to their father’s wake and burial.  Dindo is the eldest son of Dr. Prisco Tallo who died on August 28. Dr. Tallo served as resident physician of the Bohol Provincial Hospital and chief of the Loon District Hospital and Carmen Cong. Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital, respectively.

Scene: Maria Mercedes ang pangalan ko! Sa 'king pamilya'y tumutulong ako. Nagtatrabaho ng kahit ano. Sanay ako magbanat ng buto...Maria Mercedes, the Mexican telenovela starring Thalia will be back on primetime. The first official teaser for the Philippine remake of the hit Mexican series "Maria Mercedes" was released last week. The clip uploaded on ABS-CBN's official YouTube page shows lead actress Jessy Mendiola dancing in a long red dress -- a throwback to the iconic take of Mexican superstar Thalia on the title character. The teaser also offers a brief taste of the updated Filipino version of the series' theme song, as first heard in the local telecast of the original "Maria Mercedes" in 1996. Thalia fans couldn’t wait to see the soap. Si señor!

***
Ania si Rosas Pandan
Gikan pa intawn sa kabukiran
Kaninyo makiguban-uban
Sa gisaulog nga kalingawan

Balitaw day akong puhunan
Maoy kabilin sa akong ginikanan
Awit nga labing karaan
Maoy garbo sa kabungturan

Ayayay ayayay ayayay!
Ayay sa akong balitaw
Kanindot ba mosayaw
Daw yamog ang kabugnaw

Tigadong tigadong tigadong!
Ayay usab si Dodong
Nagtan-aw kang Inday
Nagtabisay ang laway...

Susan Fuentes
I’m not sure how old I was at the time but I remember singing Rosas Pandan while the song was being played by our neighbors back in old Booy. The neighborhood was simple. Technology was slow then. Since only a handful few had TV, most people tuned in on radio especially on Sundays for their favorite oldies.

I also remember Rosas Pandan was used as talent in barangay beauty pageants and amateur singing contests. It was easy to sing. It still is. Thanks to the Queen of Visayan Songs Susan Fuentes, who’s a half-Boholana-half Butuanon, who also has a string of other enduring hits to her name.

For the information of today’s generation of music-lovers, between 1970s and 1980s, Susan racked up
several No. 1 Visayan songs, including “Matud Nila” (They Say), “Gimingaw Ako” (I Feel Lonesome), “Usahay” (Sometimes), “Rosas Pandan,” She also originally recorded and popularized Miss Kita Kung Christmas.”
Call me old, but I love listening to Susan’s authentic and uniquely poignant voice that reminds me of good times.

I like Susan’s version of “Ang Bol-anon” (originally composed by Regino Bastes Dano) which shows her clean, soulful and authentic voice. And it’s Binol-anon for using the word gaJud instead of gayud.

Kung ikaw Inday mangita'g pamanhunon, Siguro-a baya inday ang Bol-anon, Kung matuman mo suwerte ka kay ang Bol-anon buotan gajud, Magmahal kanimo hangtud sa Tagbilaran... Magmahal kanimo hangtud sa kahangturan...

Is there any difference between women of past and women of present? Yes, her song “Kagahapun ug Karun” tells why.

Kagahapun ug karun
Kadako diay sa kabalison
ang dalaga ta manggi-ulawon
moduko lang kon imo lang sud-ungon

Ang karun pagkatahum
kon tutokan mo mapahiyumon
kon halaran mo iya kang tubagon
hinay ka ra kay may tag-iya na

Ang dalaga ta karon dili daling muhilak sama kagahapon Ondo
ikaw pa hikapa ang gihay di ba mangatangtang ug mangapangtagak

Lahi ang kabulakan nga katilingbanun
Buyog magsibadsabad mata magsiplatsiplat

Mao kini ang lingla sa bag-o nga panahon
lahi ang kagahapon lahi ang karun...

Her fans, including my Mama Inday, Inday Charity and yours truly, are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Susan who died on Sept. 7 after a prolonged confinement due to a kidney ailment. She was 58.

Mama Inday has paid tribute to Susan last week. She was singing all her Awitnong Bahandi songs although Mama Inday was not hitting all the right notes with her lusty vocals and emotional stylings like Susan’s, while Inday Charity has  paid tribute to Susan in her radio program.

Well, it’s a misty-eyed Sunday morning today while listening to Visayan classic oldies.

Midag-om, midag-om na, dapit sa atong habagatan,
pagbantay-bantay mga kauban, ang timbangan dili pagbiyaan,
ayaw baya kalimot nga gikalisangan kining hangina,
 Mugisi sa layag, Muguba sa atong sakayan,
Timbang kamo, hinubig kamo, Dagan ngari, dagan ngadto,

Walay labing pait Ingon sa kinabuhing sakayanon,
 Init ug ulan , Gisawod nga walay pulupasilong,
Nia pay katugnaw, Ug kagutom pa gayud intawon,
 Giantus ang tanan,Kay gim but-an sa kapalaran...

***
Anytime now, fashion icon EJ Relampagos is flying to New York to relax.

He has been busy in wedding coordination alongside some other events like debuts, beauty pageants and fashion shows.

EJ Relampagos
EJ is planning to see famous landmarks in New York such as the Empire State Building, the 911 memorial, Statue of Liberty and American Museum of Natural History.

What will happen to EJ’s House of Fashion (along Pamaong Road, Tagbilaran City) where he has total creative responsibility for the designs and all of its collections?

“It is still open. It will continue with all my staff. But we're only accepting wedding gowns for now while I will be away,” says EJ.  

However, VRS heard that EJ was invited to design for an American singer (name not disclosed by VRS) as part of the New York Fashion Week in the US.

“He will also be there to visit some famous fashion houses and attend charming workshops in New York,” adds VRS.

Well, then, to EJ, wishing you the best in NYC! C'est la vie!

***
Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.