Foreign Films as Inspiration for Making Global Products

Each year, I’m always on the watch for the latest foreign film festivals.

There’s something about watching foreign films --- it broadens your world perspective and gives you a feel of other cultures. Eventually, you realize that there is more out there than your own small, shallow, petty “universe”.

Cebu’s film calendar is packed with many film events, thanks to combined efforts of the Cebu Arts Council and foreign embassies.

I’m fascinated by the wide selection of foreign film festivals we have here (considering that Cebu is a tiny island), such as French Film Festival, British Film Festival, Australian Film Festival and European Film Festival, just to name but a few.

So if you ran out of inspiration on what product to sell to the international market, buy popcorn and swing by the Cebu foreign film festivals. These are usually held either at the SM or Ayala Malls.



Held mid-year, this is one event film lovers must not miss! Makes you think Cebu has become a true global city for the arts.

Jungle in my front yard

My sister enjoys gardening.

It’s not that she cares for plants; it’s just her way of releasing stress and all the tribulations of work.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t have an eye for aesthetics. She plants whatever catches her fancy. Three months ago it was papaya. The grown plant is presently leaning awkwardly by the balustrade, beside a bunch of ferns. I’m currently sitting under it right now ---- reading a book and sipping hot Chamomile tea.

I also need to relax.

In fact, I’ve voluntarily imposed a “news blackout” for myself today. This means no television, radio or newspapers --- just silence and the company of plants.

A constant supply of "bad news" isn't healthy for our bodies—our cells are designed to take in joy and peace, not catastrophe.

I’ve spent my weekends for the past few months just gazing at these plants, sipping tea, and trying not to think about the office.

There is something about nature that mutes internal chatter and heals the spirit. I also sleep better at night.

Out of the box

As far as I can remember, I’ve always loved reading. As a kid, it was a way to escape the monotony of school. As an adult, it is a means to break away from the ennui of work.

To me, reading should be as natural as breathing for all human beings. For heaven’s sake, books and other reading materials are basic vehicles of communication! Communicating, verbal or non-verbal, is what we do everyday.

It’s baffling to me why reading would be a neglected snag in today’s work places. I also heard that adults nowadays seldom prefer reading as a hobby.

So, with the existing scenario, expect Filipino officemates who loath reading books and news publications to settle on discussing the travails of their favorite TV soap opera heroes or the love lives of movie stars and their neighbors.

That’s the disadvantage of having a limited repertoire of subject matters for conversation --- talk revolves only around other people and mundane matters. After a time, it can get really boring. Eventually, it feels like your life is boxed-in to “birth, school, work, marriage, death.”

Don't you think that's confining and claustrophobic ?

I do.

Books widen the doors of imagination and stimulates the mind. It ignites creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness--- qualities which are valuable in the work place. And best of all, it widens the range of office conversation topics.

There’s got to be more to life than diapers, loans, showbiz personalities, clinging housewives, rebellious kids, wayward husbands, clothes and work.

Sachet Economy

Today, we had visitors from China doing research on Central Visayas, with focus on Cebu’s foreign trade activities.

The researchers were particularly interested in Cebu because of the impressive economic development in this tiny part of the archipelago.

I can see what they mean, a quick glance at our export statistics show that Cebu’s exports to China is on a steep climb. In fact, the value of our exports is higher than our imports to China.

Oh yes, we gave our foreign researchers the usual data we make available to the public. --- nothing confidential and not so much as to give ourselves away.

Being hospitable, we served them coffee, sugar and creamer in sachets, of course. .

Speaking of sachets, I noticed that this has become a trend in the Philippine economy.

While US consumers are obsessed with super sized orders, here everything is purchased bit by bit.

Local consumers have learned to adapt to economic hardships by deciding to buy products in the smaller quantities rather than pay for volume which may be cheaper in the long run. This is how they are able to cope with high prices and low incomes.

Still, big profits come in small packages - from cigarettes sold by the stick to little plastic packs of salt. A recent Synovate Global Omnibus study revealed that “nearly 90% of Filipinos buy items in sachet sizes, including non-food goods such as shampoo (90%), toothpaste (47%) and detergent powder (13%).”

The Philippines has become one of the world's biggest markets for goods sold in small quantities, earning itself the nickname 'sachet economy'.

Although logic dictates that buying a small pack is more expensive in the long run than buying a huge bunch in one go, the introduction of sachets has made most products accessible to the poorest segment of the population.

This is significant because, according to figures from the Asian Development bank, 39.5% of Filipinos live below the poverty.

Still, it is ironic that the poor need to pay more for things they can’t afford to buy in bulk.

Less is more

My married officemate is again in a financial quandary. She needs money to pay-off a debt.

Considering that her husband doesn't have a stable job and with children she can ill afford to raise, she'd have to squeeze-out what other financial sources she has at the moment ... that could possibly include me (that is if I give in to her constant, palpable hints).

There is no point in giving her another lecture on family planning and financial literacy.... that doesn't seem to get through her.

What makes matters worse is that she's not alone in this office. It appears that her dilemma is repeated in several other married officemates ( I hate to admit this, but it seems borrowing money is part of the culture here).

You don't need to be a math wizard or a rocket scientist to know the advantages of having less or no children in a marriage. There are less mouths to feed, less friction (several people in the house mean living with several different personalities), more food on the table, more attention for each member of the family, more savings, less debts, better education for the kids etc.

Whether you like it or not, those cute, "bundles of joy" will eat up into your savings. I don't want to sound heartlesss, but financially speaking, children are a pecuniary liability. That is why raising kids is only recommended for those who are financially capable (aside from being emotional mature, of course).

Most people go into marriage and have babies because it's expected of them or they fear growing old alone. From experience, I've realized that what society expects of us doesn't always mean it's good for us. And alone doesn't automatically mean lonely; nor can anyone say with certainty that she will be happy in a crowd of children.

I know that what I'm saying here is too radical for most people and I don't expect everyone to bite.

Hide and seek

At the moment, I can't locate my old personal posts in my previous blog, nor can I locate my other office blogs when I migrated to Beta.

I hope there is still a chance that I'm going to find those precious pieces of myself.

Those more than 100 posts and around ten blogs were really dear to me. In fact, those were rare revelations of myself.

If I had known this was going to happen, I could have copied the files in my hard drive.

Oh woe to me.

Meanwhile, I want to rewrite my Tagaytay adventure. That was too valuable an experience to be deleted from this blog.

So here it is ----

It took us (all nine DTI Central Visayas staff) around 50 minutes to one hour land trip from Tagaytay City ( where the DTI National Planning and Communications Forum was held) to Batangas using the OOP van with the permission of Director Jean Pacheco, of course; 20 minutes boat ride across the Taal Lake which is, according to sources, a lake within an island within a lake--- a crater lake to be exact; 40 minutes riding on horseback up the Taal Volcano.



As you very well know, the island is the Taal Volcano, one of the world’s smallest volcanoes, yet one of the Philippines’ most dangerous volcanoes.

As a backgrounder, scientists believe that a massive prehistoric eruption blew the top of the then much larger Taal Volcano, causing it to cave in on itself forming an immense crater or caldera.

Into this massive bowl, the nearby seawater rushed in, filling it, and creating a 30-kilometer diameter lake which exists to this day.

Then over the centuries, a new and much smaller volcanic crater was formed and rose above the lake’s surface, creating a unique lake within an island within a lake.

One can get a close-up look at Taal in its splendor by crossing the large crater lake which surrounds the volcano and then trek to the top of the volcanic island to peer down into Taal’s own crater lake.



Getting to the top of the Taal Volcano seems like a smooth, straighforward affair on paper. But believe me, it was one of our most frightening and thrilling experiences...it could pass for one of the sequences of the television show "Fear Factor" or "Extra Challenge".

First of all, that was the first time I have seen a live horse -meaning I have absolutely no experience touching or riding one ...Much more riding it while negotiating a steep ascent.

There was a guide of course, but she didn't ride with me...she only gave me morale support....aw shucks... The guide mentioned in passing a few "hold-ups" that happened last year at the Taal trail and that a tourist was killed in one of the bushes... Yeah, right, magaling talaga siya sa morale support, ano?

Oh, and she also mentioned that their barangay tanod which we met along the way is named Osama.(sounds like the name of a terrorist)...very reassuring... ha..ha..ha He sure looks like an NPA rebel.

To be honest, I really wasn't in the mood for horseback riding but when I realized I will be the only one left at the foot of the volcano, I decided to join the group.

The poor, malnourished horse that had the misfortune of carrying me was suppose to be one of their more experienced "alagas". But as I found later, para yatang may suicidal tendencies ang kabayo ko.

My horse always chose the most dangerous path---- the edge of a cliff, the steepest side of the volcano, the most slippery area with no shrubs or bushes to hold on. The guide said "namutla at naninigas daw ako during the entire 30 minute climb". Who wouldn't be frightened out of her wits?! ! This is my first horseback ride and I have to contend with a suicidal horse, a very steep ascent, and the possibility of being robbed or killed !!!

At the rim of the volcano, I wasn't riding the horse, I was already hanging on to the horse. For a moment, I could feel my ass in the air. I was told to put my chest and head close to the horse's neck during the climb so that the weight of my body is on the shoulders of the horse.

Despite my fright, I still thought of asking the guide" Manang, naligo na ba ang alaga mo? Bakit amoy kabayo siya?". My guide said, "dahil kabayo po siya, Ma'am". Aaah, oo nga ano? I also asked, "May asthma ba itong kabayo mo? Nahirapan atang huminga." Guide answered,"nanibago lang siguro sa pasahero niya" (this is a diplomatic way of saying that the horse is not use to overweight passengers).

Come to think of it, their horses were unusually small and lack bulk. There was even one horse which Vierna rode that was named "Kambing" because of its bonsai size. Sabi ni Eugene, pag si Aga ang sasakay ni "Kambing" todas si "Kambing". Fortunately, there weren't large size European or American tourists who rode on "Kambing", just small "Koreans".

Yep, I had a crash course in horseback riding.


Also learned how to balance my ass and use the rope and stirrups. The descent from the rim of the volcano was even more dangerous. My guide slid a meter away from the horse. My horse also nearly slipped. There is only soil, sand and a few rocks to hold on to.

The guide instructed me to hold the rope at the back of the horse during the descent. I mistakenly held on to the tail of the horse...it leaped in pain. I thought we would roll off the side of the volcano. My horse managed to find his balance and use a rock as brake.

Gosh, that was close. If there were any accidents, I would probably be traumatized. But the trip went well.

In fact, it was the most memorable experience in our Tagaytay stay... thanks to the ever daring, galivanting, beautiful PD of Siquijor aka head witch...he..he..he.

By the way, we got back to the DAP building for our one-on-one talk with the DTI brand managers at 7:00 in the evening.....still smelling like horses.

The OOP director was worried sick that we wouldn't make it. She couldn't figure out how we managed to get ourselves back on time... Nimfa isn't the head witch of Siquijor for nothing, o say?