Rogue.ph

Although schooled and raised in Manila, Teodoro Locsin, Jr. spent the idyllic summers of his wonder years in the “Paris of the Orient”— Silay, Negros Occidental, a town where nothing ever seemed to change. Three months on the island, year-in and year-out, left a lasting and haunting impression on the starry-eyed Ilonggo boy, who hunted wild pigs, had rifles and real locomotives at his disposal, and slept with his “ancestors.”

Political pundit Ricky Carandang expects even more agitation for the Philippines next year, the penultimate year before the much-awaited 2010 elections. Complicating matters further—as if the three-ring circus of local-style campaigning isn’t enough aggravation—is an administration hell-bent on staying in power despite (or perhaps because) it is loathed by the people.

Collecting art can sometimes be an intimidating, even frightening, endeavor, especially for dilettantes and pretentious wannabes. But Rina Ortiz, in her over ten years of collecting and evolving, dispels all fears and sums it up neatly: If it feels nice, don’t think twice. Buy what you love, she urges; learn as much as you possibly can and allow your tastes to evolve—guilt-free; sell what no longer moves you.