Into the Heart of the City: FACES and places

Julienne "Pearl" Depatillo is a dancer, choreographer and instructor. Her dance journey started when she took up ballet when she was four years old. She hasn't stopped dancing and performing since then, and her influences and style have developed even more. She was recently introduced to improvisation and contemporary dance theater by Daloy Dance Company.

Julienne's transformative and thought-provoking choreography, "Maiba Taya?"—an existentialist dance dialogue about navigating real-life challenges in the modern world—placed her as a finalist in the recent WIFIBODYPH 2024: PLATFORM competition.

#Project Larawan. Profiles of the Filipino. One Portrait at a Time.

The Department of Tourism — National Capital Region is set to release the “Into the Heart of the City” video in the first week of September. This video, which I conceptualized and directed, is based on an article of the same name that I had previously written.

The article is essentially a love letter to a much-maligned city. The purpose of the video is to show Metro Manila for what it is. Rather than to beautify or sterilize its appearance, I opted to emphasize its subtleties and charms that not only make up for its flaws, but also redeem itself.

The video depicts the various souls that comprise the metropolis and their preoccupations as they go about their daily lives in various means of conveyance and, in the process, showcasing the city, its different corners, many facets, personalities and idiosyncrasies.

The narrative opens with the lone figure of a sculler sailing across the Pasig River’s calm surface in the early morning. On her way to a heritage site in Quezon City, a young woman rides the MRT. A dancer utilizes Paco Park’s wide space to rehearse her routines, then races off to her appointments. Before proceeding on his usual route in BGC, a cyclist makes a planned visit to the American Cemetery to roam around in isolation. An artist finds inspiration for his own work both in the arbitrary street murals and in Hymen, oh Hyménée!, the masterpiece created by Juan Luna. An enthusiast ends his day by admiring the lamps at Jones Bridge after taking the Hop On-Hop Off to explore Manila. In the bar he runs in Población, a mixologist serves his creations. Recording live for a vinyl release, a renowned songwriter takes the stage to perform. The video concludes with a plethora of vibrant lights illuminating a thriving metropolis, characterizing a city that is alive and well.

“Into the Heart of the City” is about people in as much as it is about places to see and things to do. I had hoped to tell the story of the city also through its inhabitants, who call it their home.  

AJ Laberinto. Voracious Reader. Proprietor, Books from the Underground at Lagusnilad. An institution to book lovers and students for his extensive collection of titles. As part of the ambitious effort to rebuild Manila, then-mayor Isko Moreno had originally planned to demolish AJ’s bookstore under the underpass near City Hall. Following fruitful discussions with the mayor, he was given permission to keep operating his bookstore, which is still located under the underpass among the vibrant murals and continues to provide an invaluable service to the public. He is holding up his copy of Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag by Edgardo M. Reyes in the photo.

Prominent mixologist Kalel Ervin Demetrio spends his time traveling to find spices and other ingredients for the many brews and drinks he serves at his Poblacion establishment, Agimat Foraging Bar. He creates intriguing concoctions by experimenting with flavors and tastes; one of his best-selling creations is Agimat ni Heneral Malvar, a lambanog-based beverage that is robust and delicious, but enhanced by the lime and citrus found in Batangas.

Lois Mendoza, the valedictorian of her AA in Entrepreneurship class at UPLB, is still in pursuit of her BS in Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship from the same university. Passionate about serving others, she can be found assisting in USAID-sponsored development workshops for NGOs. As soon as she graduates, she will immediately begin implementing her pre-planned social entrepreneurship advocacy.

Kris Ablan is a lawyer and career public servant who is currently the Assistant Secretary at the Department of Trade and Industry, with stints at the Department of Education and the Presidential Communications and Operations Office. Kris received the Gawad CES, the highest honor a career public servant in the Philippines may earn, in 2021 from the President of the Philippines for his work on information access. In addition to being an avid softball player, he trains for regattas by rowing in the Pasig River in the early mornings.

When he’s not teaching his clients strategic and critical thinking, TJ Parpan keeps himself sane, healthy and grounded by riding his bike around the city and finding new routes. A seasoned rider, he is in his element on the picturesque paths of Arayat or slippery trails of the La Mesa watershed. Given his love for music, it is not surprising that he has for a father-in-law well-known vocalist and composer, Jose Mari Chan.

Roberto Fernando O. Sanchez, also known as Danger, considers himself a melomaniac and a student of philosophy, with an artistic style that is dynamic and ever-changing. Beginning his musical career in the 1980s, Danger went on to become one of Manila’s most renowned DJs, formed the band Tribomanila, and hosted the group’s own television program, Urbantribe. He also co-founded Spincity, the first DJ school in Manila. After music overtook his early attempts at visual art in his teens, Danger decided to return to painting in 2013.

Danger’s current quest is to learn something new every day in order to broaden his artistic perspective in the areas of painting, sculpture, photography, music and the NEW new media. His current project, Ugly Portraits of My Beautiful Friends, is heavily influenced by punk and gothic icons like The Cure and Tim Burton. Major pieces by Danger are on exhibit at his gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, and at Planta in Roxas City, and UP PGH in Manila.

Joey Ayala is a well-known musician, educator and social activist. In the 1980s, Joey Ayala pioneered a new genre of music by fusing indigenous instruments with contemporary and folk melodies, resulting in a rich, incredibly ornate sound. After forty years, he gets together with the most recent iteration of Ang Bagong Lumad (New Tribe) in 70s Bistro to record a live album that would be printed and preserved on vinyl. All signs point to Joey Ayala eventually breaking through as a National Artist for music. Sooner rather than later, hopefully.

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Project Larawan is an initiative of Gabriel “Gabby” Malvar, a documentary filmmaker, writer and photographer, whose narratives are nuanced with unique, inventive perspectives to provoke an inquisitive look at his favorite subject, the Philippines. Become a part of Filipino identity every other Saturday on the DAILY TRIBUNE.