A Peso X A Dream

When Typhoon Haiyan hit in late 2013, I saw a brand named ‘Flipcore’ were selling t-shirts to help the cause – I had to get one to support the relief efforts and because they were designed very nicely! It was not until competing for Miss Philippines UK that I was able to meet Jonny who runs Flipcore. Now, through crowdsourcing on Kickstarter, he is following his dreams of making Flipcore bigger and better than ever.

Could you introduce yourself, where are you from and what are you doing at the moment?

I go by the name of Jxhnny Esta, but my friends know me as Cras. I am based in London and I am an Entrepreneur, currently working on a project for my brand, Flipcore.

What is Flipcore all about? When did you start it and what makes it important to you or different from other brands?

The name Flipcore originated from the term “Filipino to the core”, which spoke for every person proud of their heritage. I started this brand in 2007, when I got inspired to create something that portrayed the culture. As an artist I knew that seeing my artwork being worn by people was a special feeling. It was not until later in 2009 I came up with the name and established the name. Flipcore has now developed into a Lifestyle brand, which represents a movement to inspire people in achieving their goals and staying true to the heart. Unlike other companies, Flipcore is not just a clothing line with a logo, but it is a part of our daily lives.

What has been your favourite/most memorable project that you have worked on at Flipcore?

Hmm, I have quite a few favourites. Back in November 2013, we launched a fundraiser for the Typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines, which really meant a lot to me. It was the only way I could think of to get funding from a crowd and donate back home. Like most people, I wasn’t in the position to donate but I did everything I could to make sure I made a difference. With the help of many supporters, we were able to raise some money by selling fundraiser shirts.

This project “A PESO X A DREAM” is the currently the biggest project I’ve done as it is real personal to me. It is the first time I am sacrificing everything I have into the brand and releasing a full complete collection (I have never put out more than one clothing design at a time). I recently visited the motherland, and during my stay, it made me learn a lot about myself and my life. Just like some people, I feel lost at times. I just can’t stick to one thing, like I am still trying to figure out what to do with my life. I’ve been through so much struggle in the past, and one day, God spoke to me. I realized I needed to make a change, because life is too short, and nobody wants to live with regret. If I didn’t have this project, this brand, I wouldn’t know what I’d be doing right now. This is my passion, this is what I love to do. I’m going for my dreams and trying to be the man God wants me to be.

What gave you the inspiration for the “A Peso X A Dream” project? And what is the meaning behind the name?

“A Peso X A Dream” basically represents anybody who ever started from the bottom. It speaks for every person who understands what it’s like to go through pain & struggle. Whether you come from a broken home, living without a job, living with addiction, money problems or even poverty. Throughout it all, you just want to change all that. I know this doesn’t relate to everybody, but it does for me. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but just know that I am not proud of my past as it left me facing lot of problems, spiritually and financially. I don’t really have much right now, but this dream. A dream that I believe will turn my life around and inspire people in the process if I really work hard for it. We all want to be happy, and we know that success brings happiness. I believe anyone can be successful, you just gotta be passionate about what you love to do.

And what makes you proud to be a Filipino?

I’m proud to be Filipino because lumpia… Hahaha! Seriously… besides the corruption and poverty, you can’t take away the fact that The Philippines is one of the happiest countries in the world. Oh, and the hospitality! I’ve learned that even with no money, Filipinos know how to be happy. We often laugh during difficult situations, bringing light into the darkness. Like even if we are struck by typhoons, we don’t stop trying and we can still put the smiles on our faces which makes us stronger through the trials and tribulations. That’s the true Filipino spirit. Dreams don’t easily come true for everyone in The Philippines, but the Filipino is one of the happiest, creative, passionate and hard working people you can ever meet. That’s what makes me proud.

His Kickstarter is live and there are some amazing rewards up for grabs. Jonny has also made a documentary that is on the Kickstarter page (we did a photoshoot together in Manila so try and spot me in the film!) I would personally recommend any of the t-shirts because they are amazing quality (the t-shirt I bought in 2013 is still in good condition after a million washes!) and their grey sweatshirt is going on my Christmas list. Any pledge would mean so much and I can not wait to see what is next for Flipcore!

Flipcore Kickstarter

Miss & Mr Philippines UK 2015

Prior to the big night, I was able to meet all of the candidates during rehearsals. I helped out with their pageant walks and tried to calm their nerves down. Since I knew how they must be feeling during this time, I really wanted them to relax and have a great night, just like I had!

The Miss and Mr Philippines UK 2015 competition was held at the same location as last year, Camden Centre on Saturday the 12th of September. I was lucky enough to have a spot on the VIP table with my mum and dad, which meant amazing Filipino food and a front row seat. Before the competition started, I went backstage to check up on the candidates and give them my last pieces of advice. Everyone seemed quite relaxed (unlike last year!) so I had a lot of faith in them for an amazing show.

The first time you are on stage is always the most difficult. You are trying to remember all of your steps to the dance and trying to look out for your supporters at the same time, but all of the contestants kept their focus and started the night off with a bang. They also had a casual, swim and formal wear and everyone’s style and confidence was shining throughout.

Since I was the Miss Philippines UK 2014, I was able to do my last walk with the title and also give a little speech towards the end of the night (Charlene, I am sorry I missed your shoutout!) I hope that my words were felt amongst the audience and that some of them are here reading my blog.

At the end of the night, John Paulo Bendana was crowned Mr Philippines UK 2015 and I had the honour of crowning Christa Borja as Miss Philippines UK 2015. I am sure that all of the contestants had a great time on the night and it is an event that will stay with them forever. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing team behind Miss and Mr Philippines UK every year. It continues to get better and better every time, I cannot wait until next year!

OOTN

12th of September
Miss Philippines UK 2015

Dress – ASOS – Not available anymore
Shoulders – Kultura – Bought in the Philippines
Makeup by Chloe

Sept. 30 | BLOG-TEMBER CHALLENGE

Wednesday, Sept. 30: A farewell coffee date. Take some time to breath, sip a warm drink, and share with your new blogging buddies. If you’d like a prompt: how did the Blog-tember Challenge go for you? Any surprises? What was your favourite prompt, or what would you like to see included next time?

WOOO! September is over! I must admit, it was really hard to post something every day and considering that I only missed two days: “Saturday, Sept. 19: Tell us about one of the best days of your life” and “Wednesday, Sept. 23: Grab a guest post. Recruit a friend or fellow blogger to share on your space for the day”, I think I did pretty good! My favourite posts were the creative ones so look out for more of them on my blog, what posts were your favourite?

#blogtemberchallenge

Sept. 29 | BLOG-TEMBER CHALLENGE

Tuesday, Sept. 29: Write your own list of 10 blog topics to inspire us next month.

1. Events
Try and go to different events in your area and write about your experiences. It could be anything from a food pop up to a pottery class.

2. Story
Tell us a story either from your own past experiences or write one just for your followers (it can be about anything!)

3. Review
With so many new things to try out these days from apps to makeup, let us know what you have been trying out and whether you love it or hate it.

4. Characters
Who is your favourite Disney (or anything else you like) character? If you were a 90’s cartoon character, who would it be?

5. Fear
What is the one thing you are really afraid to do? Why are you so afraid of it? What could you do to get over this fear?

6. Letter
Write a letter to yourself that you can read a year from now. (I did something similar during the Blog-Tember challenge and it was really fun!)

7. Advice
Give one piece of advice that you wish someone had given you five years ago.

8. Earth
Where is your favourite place on Earth? Snuggled up in your bed? Exploring ancient Egypt? Tell us why this place is so special to you.

9. Hidden Gems
Name five hidden gems in the town that you live in. Maybe it is the perfect place to take a scenic view picture or the best place to get a burger.

10. Language
Can you speak a second language? What inspired you to learn? Any advice for people wanting to learn another language?

#blogtemberchallenge

Sept. 24 | BLOG-TEMBER CHALLENGE

Thursday, Sept. 24: Shout out five of your favorite bloggers. Who are your regular reads?

Girl, Unspotted
I have been loving Erica’s blog since day one! Her travels are so interesting to read about and her pictures are amazing as well. She also has a lot of love for the Philippines and it is making me miss it even more *sad face!*

The Chriselle Factor
Ever since she was mentioned on Michelle Phan’s YouTube page, I have been following Chriselle on Instagram and her blog as they are both stunning. From her family to her fashion, this woman is beyond chic.

Food & Baker
I know Jessica from Miss Philippines UK and she now has a blog! As a fellow food lover, I appreciate all of the delicious food pictures that she puts up and I love learning about new places to eat.

Yours Truly, Micah
Micah was a former candidate for Miss Philippines UK and she has also written a post on my blog (you can read it here.) Her fashion and beauty blog has had a recent makeover (which I loveee) so I can not wait for more posts!

Hapa Voice
Being half Filipino half British, I can relate to being asked “what are you?” Hapa Voice is a collection of posts by mixed raced people who want to share their experiences growing up in a mix of cultures.

#blogtemberchallenge

Rafaella’s MPUK Experience

It’s been almost 1 year since my mum and her friends encouraged me to join Miss Philippines UK. It was a very daunting process, as pageantry has always been a foreign concept for me and it still is! Having the right walk, the right sway and the right stature, was confusing and slightly awkward for me. So I met Yulee, maybe 4th week after the auditions. I joined late! Because nursing placement had to be done. Assignments had to be completed, and an extreme increase of self-belief had to be boosted in order for me to even join a beauty pageant!

Luckily, Yulee, the other contestants and the dancers were kind enough to teach me the steps to some of the choreography that I missed during the first few weeks. So there I was dancing to Chris Brown, doing the salsa to Enrique Eglesias and walking to Ed Sheeran. I come home and think, did I really just do that?! Well I did and I sort of performed it to quite a lot of people, actually WE, all the contestants and the dancers performed it exceptionally well in front of our family, our loved ones and to people who just wanted to watch!

Overall, it was an unforgettable, amazing, emotional- slightly cringy experience and I don’t regret it for the world. It gives you a chance to meet other young Filipinos here in the UK, full, half, quarter, three-quarter, one-fifth, two-fifth… Anyway, it was a very good experience to mingle and talk about our Filipinoness and share about what we love about our heritage! Thank you to all the organisers of Miss Philippines UK and the contestants for making it fun and enjoyable!

Rafaella Carreon
2nd Runner Up 2014

Mr&Miss Teen Philippine Islands UK

Last Saturday, I had the privilege of being a judge at the Miss and Mr Teen Philippine Islands UK. The event was being held at Baden Powell House, which is right opposite the Natural History Museum.

Mr and Miss Teen Philippine Island UK is aimed for teenagers aged 13-17, who have a Filipino heritage. This year, there were 6 girls and 3 boys competing for the title and I thought they were all so amazing and had so much more confidence than I had at their age! On the night they had: their casual wear, a talent portion, creative island wear, formal wear and a question and answer. My favourite part of the night was the creative island wear. They had all chosen a region in the Philippines and put together an outfit to best represent that area. I had no idea what to expect but their outfits were so gorgeous and creative, it blew me away!

This was my first time being a judge for anything and it was an honour to be asked, but it was a very difficult job! Mr Malcolm Conlan, Ms Joysel Dizon Livelo, Ms Audrey Horca, Ms Jenny Daquioag and I judged the girls whilst Ms Ela Hidalgo, Miss Jodie Sayson, Mr Ali-Ali Hajj and Ms Catherine Samang judged the boys. We had a range of categories from how photogenic each contestant was, their various outfits and their overall presentation to judge on. I found the job difficult because I thought that everyone did an amazing job. To put themselves on a stage and perform, in front of not only their friends and family but strangers as well, must have been very daunting. I can remember when I did my question and answer for Miss Philippines UK and how nervous I was, I can not imagine doing that 5 years earlier.

The overall winners from the night were Reniel Lewis Bantolino and Arianne Michelle Arcilla with the title of Mr and Miss Teen Philippine Island UK. I wish them all the best of luck with their year to come and a massive congratulations again to all of the contestants – you were all beautiful and every single one of you are a winner!

Mr and Miss Teen Philippine Islands UK
Facebook – Mr and Miss Teen Philippine Islands UK

Charlene’s MPUK Experience

My name is Charlene Foster, candidate of Miss Philippines UK in 2013 and sister of Miss Philippines UK 2014 (and I would like to say personal trainer! *wink*)

The Barrio festival of 2013 (when I was 18) was when I first heard about MPUK. They made the event sound AMAZING and persuaded me to join. However, the thing I was really worried about was being half Filipino…

I don’t look Filipino. I don’t talk Tagalog. And, I was not used to being around Filipino’s (it was only when I was 16 I started going to Filipino events and immersing myself in my Filipino culture.) I was really scared I wouldn’t fit in and that the other candidates wouldn’t accept me because I am not ‘Filipino’ enough (despite my blood being 50% Filipino!) Nonetheless, my mum and the organisers persuaded me to join and I also thought it was an amazing opportunity to discover more about my Filipino culture.

However, I did join quite late. I think I missed the auditions and the first two or three weeks of practice, everybody started to mingle with each other already and I was even more nervous when my mum and me were slightly late for my first ever rehearsal. But once I arrived, I LOVED it! Everybody was really friendly and nice and I definitely did not feel left out. Meeting a group of amazing people who supported each other throughout the experience, not only in the pageant but also through newfound friendships, made my pageant experience particularly memorable.

Although I should be writing “unfortunately, I did not win anything on the night,” I achieved far more than I could have imagined. In particular, I gained a MAJOR CONFIDENCE BOOST (and right before University, there was no better time!) I enjoyed it SO much that I even persuaded my older sister, Yulee, to join! I felt like as I already experienced it, I could give her thorough advice and guide her way through it. And, guess what? SHE WON!

The advice I gave to Yulee and the advice I would give to everyone is, well… I’ll let Yulee pass that advice onto you. I look forward to meeting all you lovely candidates of Miss Philippines UK 2015, despite all your worries, just go for it! I can 100% assure you that you WILL enjoy your experience.

Until then,

Charlene x

Miss NABA

Miss London NABA (National American Basketball Association) is an annual pageant put on by the Filipino-British community. It is part of the wider Miss NABA that is held in Canada and the winner from this pageant goes on to represent London there.

This year, my friend Erika (from Miss Philippines UK 2014) entered the competition so I wanted to go along and support her as much as I could. Micah, another past candidate from MPUK, was also competing so I got to cheer for two people! This was the first pageant that I had been to apart from Miss Philippines UK so it was interesting to see all the similarities and differences. As this was a Filipino event, I saw lots of familiar faces from MPUK and also from the Greenwich Filipino Community, which are always great to see!

On the night the candidates had four different categories to compete in: casual, sports and formal wear and then also a Q&A section. My favourite section was the sports wear since I was really interested to see what everyone was going to wear. I could see that a lot of hard work and effort was put into every outfit, it must have been very hard to judge! But it was Erika’s formal wear dress that stole my heart. It was just perfect. It fit her like a glove and the style was unique yet classic, she really is the queen of formal wear dresses.

By the end of the night, my voice hurt so much from cheering for two people but it was all worth it when Erika won the overall title of Miss London NABA! I know how hard she had worked for the title and I can not wait to see her competing in Canada.

Some photos from Erika and her family
Miss London NABA Beauty Pageant Page
Erika’s Miss Philippines UK Experience

Santo Niño Thanksgiving Party

Last Saturday, I went with my mum to the Santo Niño Thanksgiving Party at the Holiday Inn on Cromwell Road. This celebration is put together a few weeks after every Santo Niño Festival as not only a fundraiser for the next year, but also as a thank you to all of the communities that put so much hard work into it as well. When we arrived at the venue, there was a bit of a mix up with where we were sitting so sadly, we did not sit with our own Greenwich Filipino Community; but, it was really good anyways because we got to know new people!

Throughout the night, there were different performances from various Filipino communities. There was also a speech by Fr Jake, one of the Filipino priests. He highlighted that the Santo Niño Festival has been going on for 7 years now and that he is proud of everyone involved. Also, he commented that even though there are lots of communities, not once has there been a dispute and he is so happy of how well everyone works together. After the food and drinks, then the real party started! I never knew how much Filipinos LOVE to dance, I could sense that everyone in the room could not wait for the dancing to begin. I had such a good night and I am sure that everyone else did as well. Until the next Filipino celebration!

PCF Award Ceremony

Last Saturday, the Philippine Community Fund held their first Annual Awards Ceremony at the Royal Society of Medicine in London. This event celebrated the volunteers that had gone above and beyond to help PCF. As well as this, it was also a great chance to meet other supporters! The ceremony started with a speech from Jane Walker, the founder of PCF, introducing their three special guests; Jessa Balote, Mary Blessie Daliva (who are PCF’s own students) and Tess Sarmient (their most committed staff member and Head of the Health and Nutrition.) After all of the awards had been handed out, Mary Blessie sung ‘Gravity’ from Wicked and ballerina Jessa danced along. They are both so talented and it is wonderful to see their talents being showcased.

There was a reception after the ceremony with some food and drinks and an opportunity to meet other supporters. Since my mum went to the event with me, it was great for her to talk to Tess, Jessa and Mary Blessie in Tagalog and to learn more about them. I also met other people who had been to the Philippines and had seen PCF in motion and it was great to hear their stories and their enthusiasm for the charity. I hope that when I go to the Philippines I am able to help out, see the PCF school and maybe get to see Jessa, Mary Blessie and Tess again!

Santo Niño

Pit Señor! Viva Señor! On the third Sunday of January at St George’s Cathedral, Filipinos from all over London and the UK come together in a celebration of faith and culture for London’s very own “Sinulog.”

Sinulog is a dance ritual in honor of the miraculous image of the Santo Nino. The dance moves to the sound of the drums and this resembles the current (Sinulog) of what was then known as Cebu’s Pahina River. Thus, in Cebuano, they say it’s Sinulog.
sinulog.ph

My mum went to the celebrations last year and this year, I thought it would be really fun to go with her! This is the fifth year that it has been running and hopefully it will continue to grow each year. When we arrived at the cathedral, nearly all of the seats were gone, so sadly we had to sit right at the back (that is what you get when you run on your mums Filipino time!) Even though we could not see the alter, I had the chance to see everyone that was part of the Sinulog dance. I loved everything from the drumming to people dancing with their Santo Niño statues. Then, the mass started which was led by Bishop Patrick Lynch. In his homily, he said that wherever the Filipino community go, they always bring their faith with them, which I think is very true!

After the mass, everyone was given food (it would not be a Filipino event without some!) A packet of sky flakes, water, an orange and a homemade cupcake, that was all surprisingly good. Then they had a cultural presentation in the hall next to the church, and I made sure we had good seats this time! Various Filipino communities that make up London and parts of the UK, performed different traditional Filipino dances. This was my favourite part of the night since I love learning more about my Filipino culture and seeing all of the diverse outfits and dances. I hope that this tradition will continue and that more people from outside the Filipino community experience it as well.

The Official Website of the Sinulog Festival in Cebu
Sinulog – Wikipedia

Some Will Win… Some Will Lose

The Philippine Community Fund Christmas Music Quiz

I first met Helen who works for the Philippine Community Fund (PCF) back in November to discuss what the charity does, how I could get involved and possibly visit their projects back in the Philippines. PCF work in some of the most depressed parts of the Philippines and help them with everything from building community schools to health programs to improve their quality of life. She also mentioned some fundraising events that they were holding including the Music Quiz.

For the Music Quiz, we could have a total of six people per group. I invited Jasmine (Miss Friendship), my sister (Charlene) and three of her friends, Trisha, Alex and Hieu. Our team name was ‘Wildcats!’ (since we were the youngest team there we thought we would embrace it and dedicate our team to High School Musical. *cringe*) On the night, there were 6 rounds with different themes and a bonus round to name the artists from their picture. There was also a raffle throughout the night to win some great prizes that included a pair of beats by Dr. Dre! (Unfortunately, we didn’t win anything big but we won a box of chocolates!) We didn’t win the music quiz (or anywhere close to winning) but we had lots of fun and I know that everyone there had as just as much fun as we did. I am looking forward to attending more of their events and to hopefully see their work in the Philippines when I go back.

The Philippine Community Fund
The Philippine Community Fund Facebook Page
I suggest subscribing to their mailing list or liking their Facebook page to stay up to date with all of their current events.