I feel bad for Vanessa Paradis. Johnny Depp’s rumored new girlfriend is a gorgeous 26-year-old American actress called Amber Heard. The dead-ringer for Scarlett Johansson’s younger sister starred with Johnny Depp in 2011′s The Rum Diaries. So nakakainez.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
As I feel my metabolism slowing down each passing year, I am terrified to find out that Yayoi Kusama
once upon a time
looked like this
http://www.louisvuittonkusama.com/
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
This Saturday at 10:30 PM (Manila time), watch the Burberry Prorsum Menswear Spring/Summer 2013 here at Chuvaness.com. The show will live stream from Milan beginning 4:30 PM (Milan time).
You can also follow the event through Twitter and Instagram.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
This July, renowned commercial and music video director Marie Jamora presents her long-awaited feature-length film debut with Ang Nawawala, a finalist in the Cinemalaya Film Festival’s New Breed Full-Length Feature category.
A project almost 10 years in development, the film is composed of images, characters, scenes and dialogue Jamora has been collecting since her college years as a Film student at Columbia University.
“This is my dream film, one I’ve been thinking about for years, and there’s nothing better than being able to make it with some of my best friends, who also happen to be damn good at their jobs,” Jamora said. “I have never been so happy on a set in my life. It’s also because of our cast—I got everyone I wanted.”
Jamora has assembled a cast of prodigious talents, some from a series of open auditions and Cinemalaya casting sessions. Her crew consists of trusted friends and professionals she has worked with, including Hong Kong cinematographer Ming Kai Leung, a classmate at Columbia.
The film also features performances from some of the best bands and artists in the country, including Sandwich, Pedicab, Itchyworms!, Hannah + Gabi, Flying Ipis, Outerhope, Tarsius, and Ebe Dancel, many of whom wrote original songs for the film.
Synopsis:
Gibson Bonifacio stopped speaking when he was a child. Now 20 years old, he returns home to Manila from his studies abroad. It’s his first visit in three years and finds his family trying to keep it together, his mother still hurting from a tragic loss in the past.
Against the backdrop of the vibrant local music scene, his childhood best friend tries to reconnect with him, while he unexpectedly finds a chance at a first, real romantic relationship.
Amidst the holidays, Gibson reconsiders and redefines his relationships with his family, his friends, and with himself.
L-R: Dawn Zulueta, Dominic Roco, Felix Roco, Mercedes Cabral
Cast:
Dominic Roco - Gibson Bonifacio
Felix Roco - Jamie Bonifacio
Dawn Zulueta - Esme Bonifacio
Boboy Garrovillo - Wesley Bonifacio
Annicka Dolonius - Enid del Mundo
Alchris Galura - Teddy Guinoo
Mercedes Cabral - Simone Sales
Kelvin Yu - Mac Yu
Sabrina Man - Promise Bonifacio
Marc Abaya - Michael Magallanes
Jenny Jamora - Corey Bonifacio
Crew:
Director: Marie Jamora
Writers: Marie Jamora + Ramon De Veyra
Producers: Bernard Dacanay, Trinka Lat, John Sy, Daphne O. Chiu, Marie Jamora
Line Producer: Daphne O. Chiu
Director of Photography:Ming Kai Leung
Production Designer: Trinka Lat
Stylist: Mara Reyes
Editors: Edsel Abesames & Marie Jamora
Sound Design: Ditoy Aguila
Music: Diego Mapa, Jazz Nicolas, and Mikey Amistoso
Production Company: Brainchild Studios
In association with: Indie Pop Films
With the support of: Liquidpost • Fluidpost • Gung Ho Films
Screening dates: July 20-29, 2012 at the CCP • Greenbelt • Trinoma
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
The first travel documentary series on the Philippines premieres on the National Geographic Channel this June 23, 2012 at 8:30 PM. The six-part series showcases travel destinations in the Philippines, as seen by an unobtrusive host (Ginggay Hontiveros) seeking to understand her heritage better.
While the visual appeal of the locations is highlighted by cinematic photography, greater emphasis is placed on the who, what, why and how aspects of a place to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of preservation and conservation.
Tourism destinations are not static, evolving or deteriorating in time, and require intervention and attention to be sustained for future generations.
The show seeks to reveal the cultural and historical bases of the sites, elevate the issues hand in hand with the natural beauty, so that the viewer achieves a more comprehensive appreciation of the national treasures in the Philippines.
The show is presented in semi-documentary form, with interviews and sound bytes from different local characters and experts along with vivid images.
The first six episodes:
BATAD – Walk through the world famous Batad Rice Terraces, nestled high in the mountainous region of the Cordilleras, and immerse in the culture, heritage and tradition of the Ifugao Tribe. The host seeks to understand the symbol of the Bulol and how it is tied to the rich rice growing heritage and landscape of the Ifugao.
TAAL – Just a few hours from Metro Manila is Taal Town, which boasts of heritage bahay na bato houses, an immense basilica, the balisong, burda and distinct food and delicacies such as kapeng barako, suman, maliputo and tawilis. Visiting Taal is like stepping back in time.
CORON – Kayak the crystal-clear waters of Palawan and climb soaring limestone crags to catch a view of a secret cove, while seeking a deeper understanding of the Tagbanua Tribe and a handful of present day stewards of this magnificent piece of heaven on earth.
SIQUIJOR – No other place in the Philippines inspires as much dread and fascination as Siquijor—a vast canvas of legends and folklore, healers who utter incantations and perform rituals, remedies taken from roots and herbs, and sorcerers who practice witchcraft.
MT. PULAG/KABAYAN – Trek to the mountains in Benguet : Mt. Timbac where the ancient Ibaloi tribe would carry their dead, and where present day travellers can catch a glimpse of the Mummies. Summit Mt. Pulag and discover how Luzon’s highest peak is related to the Ibaloi’s quest for eternal life.
ANILAO – Submerge in the waters of Anilao in Batangas province, and marvel at the sheer bio diversity of marine life that has grown over the decades thru efforts of locals and resort owners to regenerate the coral reefs in these waters.
To know more about Islands Insider, click HERE.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
When I turned 30, I focused on meeting the right person and getting married so I could have children.
I feel so lucky to have married at the age of 33, and become a mother at 34 and 36. I hurried with my second child as my OB-GYNE said it is safest to have kids until 37.
Then I heard this story about a woman in her mid-30s whose biological clock was ticking.
More than getting married, she wanted to have a child. So what she did on her fertile days was to hang out at the poolside of a five-star hotel, where hooked up with a smart and good-looking afam (foreigner) and conceived.
Nine months later and still single, she gave birth to a future supermodel.
Aside from lounging by the pool, I’ve also heard of single women who purposely ride business class in the hope of sitting next to a rich and successful businessman. Now it looks like KLM is making it easier for passengers with an agenda.
KLM’s Meet & Seat program allows you to find out who will be on your KLM flight through their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles and find out where they’ll be sitting.
To me it sounds scary. What are your thoughts on Meet & Seat? Is it yay or nay?
Details HERE.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
Last month I blogged about a home office I wanted to set up in a room in our house.
Right next to our bedroom is a small room that has become a stock room of junk, stuff and prizes I have to give away. The idea is to convert it into a room I can work in, instead of my bedroom.
Though the room is tiny, it has a high ceiling that offers possibilities such as this
That looks like something that needs to be built. So after some intense Googling I found setups where furniture can transform from desk
to bed
As luck would have it, I found a shop in Makati that brings in transforming, space-saving furniture from Italy. Zpoint at the New World Shopping Arcade is the exclusive distributor of CLEI Transformable Furniture Systems in the Philippines.
Imagine a desk that turns from this
to this.
Or maybe you want to squeeze two beds into a small space. The Lollisoft looks like nothing when it’s closed
but it can turn into a day bed
or a stylish bunk bed.
You might want to have a spare bed in a small studio. Check out this unobtrusive sideboard
that turns into a work or dining table
and an extra bed!
The possibilities are endless.
All you have to do is know what you need, measure your space and check out the choices at http://www.clei.it/.
To order, visit ZPoint at New World Hotel Shopping Arcade, Esperanza cor Makati Avenue (Tel. 811-6702).
Now watch these videos to see how it works.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
More than 300 entries later, here are the five winners of Rajo Laurel’s recent giveaway:
Jade Jasmin Borja-Laure of Quezon City
Louis Arceo of Quezon City
Suzanne Mariano of Makati
Claudette Cruz of Quezon City
Katherine Buenavista of Marikina City
Each winner will receive a pair of Rajo Uno + Dos scents by BENCH.
Please expect a direct message from me on how to claim. Enjoy!
http://www.bench.com.ph/
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
You may have seen these bottles in the supermarket or convenience stores.
But Hope in a Bottle isn’t just your regular bottled water. Each 500 ml bottle of purified drinking water is distributed by the Friends of Hope, Inc. And each time you buy, 100% of its profit will go to building public schools around the Philippines.
Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila is a proud supporter of this campaign to increase the quality of education in the Philippines.
Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila believes in the power of education and its significant role in developing a nation, which is why bottles of “Hope” are now available at the hotel’s Pastry Boutique. With each “Hope” bottle sold, PHP 10 will benefit the students of the Divine Healer Academy, a school run by the Healing Servants Foundation, Inc. in Sorsogon.
Making a difference in our country’s future generation is now as easy as choosing which bottled water to buy. Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila hopes this initiative will help quench the nation’s thirst for proper and quality education.
Hope in a Bottle is also available at Rustan’s supermarket, Krispy Kreme, Pancake House, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and others. To know more, go to https://www.facebook.com/HopeInABottle
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
Bet you didn’t know there was a World Oceans Day.
Started in 1992 and made official by the United Nations in 2009, World Oceans Day takes place annually on June 8.
It strives to promote the importance of the sea as a vital ecosystem and to preserve its delicate habitats and wildlife.
Last June 15, 2012, La Mer launched its limited-edition World Oceans Day Crème de la Mer at the Ayala Museum.
Partnered with Travel magazine, La Mer presented the works of four passionate underwater photographers featuring the marine sanctuaries of the Philippines. They were: JM Abregana, Sean Calma, Mich Manuel and Dominic Nuesa.
Roman Azanza and Monique Buensalido
Tim Yap
Maxine Ignacio
Suki Salvador and Mich Manuel
La Mer Team: Jill Baysa, Camille Flores, Sharlynmae Reyes
La Mer experts Joanne Bautista and Jael Dumlao
As a tribute to founder Dr. Max Huber’s passion for the sea, La Mer is proud to support ocean conservation efforts worldwide by its partner, Oceana.
With more than 300,000 members in 150 countries, Oceana has greatly reduced over-fishing and protected threatened marine habitats with its science-based policies.
This is the seventh year of partnership between La Mer and Oceana.
To commemorate, La Mer has created a limited-edition 100 ml World Oceans Day Crème in a specially designed ocean-inspired jar. In addition, La Mer will make a $200,000 donation to Oceana in support of their Habitat Protection Campaign, as well as other global initiatives for ocean conservation.
Retailing at Php 21,000, the limited-edition World Oceans Day Crème de la Mer is now available at Rustan’s Makati (812-2507) and Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza (633-4636 loc 114).
http://www.cremedelamer.com/wod/
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
Celebrity stylist Liz Uy, the modern Filipina’s fashion inspiration, is Plains & Prints’ newest style icon.
All she ever wanted was to become a fashion editor. Working behind the scenes—either making a celebrity or model look more stylish, or conceptualizing what would become the fashion editorial spread of glossies—she never envisioned herself to be the one taking center stage.
Liz, who used to stage kiddie runway shows at home with her equally fashion-inclined siblings, is now taking her well-deserved turn in the spotlight via local women’s work wear brand Plains & Prints.
“I feel very much honored to be part of this collaboration. Plains & Prints is a label that I’ve worked with for six years as a stylist. It’s a brand that I trust, and most importantly, that I wear,” Liz said.
“Liz is a ‘thinking’ woman,” said, Plains & Prints owner and founder Roxanne Ang Farillas.
“By this, I mean she is a woman of style and substance. She understands the value of hard work and determination—very much the characteristics that Plains & Prints champions.
She puts thought and effort into everything she does, and she does it very well. As a result, she exudes confidence and glamour that is tempered by approachability, making her someone every working woman can relate to.
More important is her understanding of the versatility of individual pieces and the value of knowing how to put these together to create different looks. This not only extends a woman’s wardrobe, but provides her more choices, which ultimately is what the brand offers consumers.”
From editorial assistant, Liz worked her way up to become fashion editor.
“She brought celebrity styling into the limelight, making it a career girls aspire for,” Roxanne added. “Liz didn’t take the celebrity route when she was starting out, but it seems like whatever she does, she turns into something big—and this is what made everyone sit up and take notice. She’s definitely the woman to watch out for.
Most people have the impression that styling is an easy job, just a matter of picking out pieces and putting them together. What they don’t realize is the amount of thought and work put into that process,” Roxanne said.
Styling is about creating maximum impact by bringing out the beauty of each piece, and it takes a highly creative mind to be able to spot fashion potential at first glance. Liz does this very, very well.”
She concludes that all such qualities make Liz the apt personification of the brand.
“Liz perfectly embodies the Plains & Prints wearer. She’s very discerning in all aspects of her life, is career-driven and successful; and she brings to the plate the very qualities that women have come to admire about her and make her their ultimate inspiration—her fashion expertise and impeccable style sense. By virtue of all these, she is a natural advocate of our trademark aesthetic: versatile, classic and chic staples that take cues from the latest trends.”
Liz says, “As a stylist, my job isn’t just to know what looks good on other people. I also need to reflect what I can do by knowing what looks good on me—and Plains & Prints is definitely the brand I would instantly go for.
I’m really happy this came at the right time. I’m at a point in my life where I’m surer of myself and more mature, and I feel ready to take on new things in my career. I can only be thankful for opportunities like this, so it goes without saying that I want to embrace and enjoy the entire experience. I’m very excited about this new venture with Plains & Prints.”
Check out Liz Uy’s personal picks from the upcoming collections tomorrow, June 27, 2012 at the sneak preview event, only at Plains & Prints Glorietta 1.
And now after more than 460 valid entries to this contest, here are the five winners who guessed the new face of Plains & Prints correctly:
Jane Chua of Pasig City
Norissa Chavez of Tondo, Manila
Marivic Pascua of Cainta, Rizal
Ma. Catherina V. Tolentino of Mandaluyong City
Madeleine M. Gonzales of Makati City
Each winner will receive Php 5,000 worth of Gift Certificates (GCs) from Plains & Prints.
Plains & Prints’ marketing team will coordinate with winners on how to claim your prize.
http://www.plainsandprints.com/
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
I get swag* all the time, but TV5 sent something really unique last week.
They sent me a Miss World crown as an invite, I kid you not.
I wasn’t able to attend but look who won the real crown: Queneerich Rehman is Miss World Philippines 2012.
What is up with beauty queen names like Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup and Queenrich Rehman??
23-year-old Queenrich, who hails from Las Piñas City, bested 24 other candidates in the recently concluded pageant held at the Manila Hotel Tent.
She took home one million pesos cash, PhP 100,000 worth of Metro Dental services, a year’s supply of Manny O Wines, luggage from World Travellers, and a Hyundai Eon.
As if that’s not enough, Rehman also won the following awards: Miss Zena Body Beautiful, Miss Talent, Miss Photogenic, Miss World Traveller, and Miss Philippine Prudential.
This August 16, 2012, watch as Rehman represents the Philippines in the Miss World Pageant in Ordos to be held Inner Mongolia, only on TV5.
http://www.missworldphilippines.com/
*stuff we all get
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
This June 29 to July 1, 2012 KISH goes on sale, with 25% off all furniture, including Vito Selma and Ito Kish pieces.
The rest of the decorative collection—lamps, vases, John Robshaw beddings, and everything else will go from 25% to 50% off. KISH will be open this Friday to Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM to accommodate shoppers.
KISH is at 233 N. Garcia Street, Bel-Air, Makati.
For more information, call 896.8366
http://kish.ph/
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
As a new fan of COS (or Collection Of Style) I’m thrilled that it has finally opened closer to home.
The fashion brand, known for its clean aesthetics and design-quirky touches, opened its first store yesterday in Hong Kong. COS, a brand under the H&M Group is located right next to the H&M store at 74 Queen’s Road Central.
COS photographed on its opening day in Hong Kong by Keri Zamora
The ceremonial ribbon cutting was led by COS Stores HK Responsible – Chi Cheng (L) and Brand Overall Responsible – Marie Honda (R).
Models in COS AW12 collection
COS likes functional design crafted from simple ideas.
Since its launch in 2007, COS has opened over 50 stores across Europe, the Middle East, and now Asia.
The Queens Road store, which is the 53rd store across the globe, features the entire COS collection—from womenswear, menswear and childrenswear, spreading across two floors over 556 square meters.
The interior embraces a modern-sleek store design, which reflects COS’ Scandinavian roots in the use of natural hues and materials.
Okay. This looks huge.
The menswear is simply cool.
Marie Honda, Brand Overall Responsible for COS, says, “We are very pleased to have opened in Asia and to be expanding internationally. Opening our first store in Hong Kong, a city renowned for culture, art and fashion is an exciting step for COS. We hope our customers will be happy with the brand, the collection and the new store.”
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
These days I can’t help but look if a picture is photoshopped or a movie is computerized.
Of course one prefers to watch a movie shot on location. Then again we had no idea Philippine movies could do this:
Before
After
Before
After
TIKTIK:The Aswang Chronicles is the first feature-length Filipino movie entirely shot on green screen.
Only the houses and vehicles are real. All the backgrounds, including trees, mountains and creatures were laboriously and painstakingly realized using the latest computer technology.
TIKTIK:The Aswang Chronicles honors the genre’s traditions without taking itself too seriously as it combines honest-to-goodness scares with irreverent Pinoy wit and humor.
Directed by Erik Matti, it stars Dingdong Dantes, Joey Marquez, Janice de Belen, Lovi Poe, and Ramon Bautista, as an odd mix of characters who suddenly find themselves the target of a vicious, deadly attack by a legion of pissed-off aswangs. As if their own strained relationships weren’t stressful enough, they now have to fight for their lives with all the heart, guts, and garlic they can muster.
Produced by Reality Entertainment, Agosto Dos, and GMA Films, TIKTIK:The Aswang Chronicles opens in theaters nationwide in October.
To know more, go to Facebook.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
This celebrity death watch ongoing on Twitter has made me recall this YouTube video titled, “The Best Way To Tell If Your Patient Will Die.”
Sometimes when I lay down in bed at night, I google weird stuff as I try to lull myself to sleep.
One thing leads to another, and I found this video which might be helpful to those watching over a loved one in the hospital.
It always helps to know when it’s time to call others to come over and keep vigil.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
Every times I hear of someone committing suicide, I think about what else a person can do if they feel like their life has ended and nobody cares.
I think that if one is in the depths of despair you need to take care of yourself, whether it’s a bottle of Coke, your favorite ice cream, or a trip out of town. A nap helps a lot. A bubble a bath (not Whitney Houston style, RIP). A retreat? Or buy yourself a present. Talk to a friend. Go to church. Get a massage. See a doctor. Check in at the hospital. Anything but suicide.
But for Michael Marin—convicted arsonist who burned his house because he couldn’t pay his mortgage—it appears he just wanted out the minute he was served a guilty verdict in court.
Watch as he seems to slip some poison into his system and dies in this video.
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
“A social climbing is a social climbing is a social climbing,” said one righteous commenter on my Uniqlo entry.
No offence to people who call their bags “babies,” but I’m not really impressed by people who tote expensive bags. I have a friend who sells bags that cost as much as a car, or a downpayment for a car. Some of them pay him in post-dated checks. Some of the checks bounce. Some of the people go into hiding.
As for me, I’d rather have a Porter bag I can pay for in one go. Thank God Comme des Garçons bags are not expensive.
I’ll buy the occasional leather bag (not into exotics), but canvas and nylon also work for me.
This Sunday a lot of families talked about the Birkin scammer over lunch.
I don’t know this woman. I have never heard of her until today. If she were standing in front of me, I wouldn’t know it.
But looking at her Twitter account, we are only separated by two degrees. People need to be more careful who they associate with.
Read Cheche Moral’s article in the Inquirer and find out why one shouldn’t be blinded by “riches.”
The P500-million ‘Birkin scam,’ or how a woman’s obsession led to crime
By Cheche V. Moral
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The names have been changed pending the filing of case in court.
Nate met Sheila (not their real names) in 2004 through his friend Jack, who owns an art gallery. Nate is the gallery director in a Manila university owned by his family. A former flight attendant who had taken a break from work when she married and had children, Sheila had just started working at Jack’s gallery.
Nate and Sheila quickly became friends. She was a very simple girl, he recalls in our interview, and even as she had no experience in the art scene, Sheila showed a knack for sales so that Jack began to trust her. Jack made her industrial partner, and later, managing director, widening her social network in the moneyed, art connoisseur set.
“When we first met, Nine West or Cole Haan were already expensive for her,” Nate says. “When she started hanging out with people from the art scene and several of her former flight-attendant friends who had married rich, that all began to change.”
He adds, “Louis Vuitton, she had a lot of those. Then this Birkin thing came about…”
Nate and Sheila’s friendship developed into a business relationship. It all started smooth and harmless. Nate would travel to Europe with his partner Tom, and Sheila would ask him to buy a few designer bags to sell her “clients.”
“At times, she said the orders would be three Chanels, five Goyards, one Hermes… All of these I would finance,” Nate says. “I made money by keeping the tax refund, and for each bag, depending on the price, I would get P10,000 to P25,000 each as carrier’s fee. I did that for almost 2½ years.”
Sheila made good on her word. “I enjoyed doing it,” says Nate. “With that alone, each of my flights to Europe was already paid for. And I was also into bags. I even earned points on my credit card.”
Then he quickly adds, “Let me be clear that I was only doing it for fun. I only did it on the side, I didn’t travel to Europe just to buy bags for her.”
It was about the time Hermes opened its first boutique here that things became complicated.
Hermes Birkin was the one bag everyone lusted after. But even if you had P500,000 lying around, which was the estimated cost of the cheapest Birkin in Greenbelt, the boutique couldn’t stock up by the dozens. If you wanted one quick, you had to look elsewhere.
“She asked if I wanted to invest in the Birkins,” Nate recalls.
The deal went this way: Sheila would ask an investor to pull in P450,000. In Europe, the cheapest Birkin costs shy of P400,000. She would sell the purse for P550,000. It was a plausible proposition: Some women would rather pay the extra P50,000 (over the Manila price tag) than travel to Europe to buy a purse.
Of the total sales, P50,000 would go to the carrier who buys the bag in Europe or elsewhere, P50,000 to Sheila as middle person, and P50,000 to the investor. In short, an investor’s P450,000 becomes P500,000 in just a month, or a profit of 11 percent—a deal even the top banks couldn’t give.
This time, Nate was a mere investor, not a buyer/carrier.
“We did that for about six times,” Nate says. On the seventh time, Nate asked his nephew if he wanted to invest as well. The nephew said yes and, as usual, all parties involved laughed all the way to the bank.
“I never saw the Birkins; she just showed me photos on her phone,” Nate says. It didn’t matter. She paid him on schedule. Business was good.
Then came February this year. Nate was readying for another Europe trip when Sheila called to ask if he had P2 million. It was for a crocodile Birkin, she said, which would cost that much. She was sure she could sell the bag the following week. Expected profit was a cool P200,000.
“In a pyramid scam, this tactic doesn’t make you instantly rich, it makes you buy time,” Tom, Nate’s partner, points out. “If I ask P2 million from you, I’ll use it to temporarily make good with everybody.”
Looking back, Nate believes the P2 million was intended to pay off checks issued investors that were due for payment. At the time, he didn’t suspect yet that anything was amiss.
Again, Nate turned to his nephew for P500,000 with a promised profit of P50,000. “My nephew wanted to invest the entire P2 million but good thing I told him no.”
Nate met with Sheila a few days later, on Feb. 13, in a friend’s house, where she handed him the check for the investment plus profit, dated Feb. 17.
“She looked different,” Nate says on hindsight. “She had no makeup on, no jewelry. She looked gaunt and sick. I didn’t know then that her financial woes were already piling up.”
On Feb. 15, a Wednesday, Sheila called Nate to say she wasn’t able to deposit the check payment of the Birkin buyer (to fund the check issued Nate). “Monday came and she called again early to say the buyer’s check bounced so she’d just deposit the amount to my account that afternoon. I kept calling the bank all day as I was leaving for Europe the next day, and nothing. I had already issued a check to my nephew dated Feb. 23. I didn’t want that to bounce, especially since I would be away. I decided to get back the check, and just paid my nephew in cash. I didn’t want any trouble with my family.”
On their way to the airport, Tom finally told Nate: “Can’t you see, the pyramid is crumbling?”
Tom says he always had misgivings about Sheila’s dealings, but he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. He thought it was too good to be true, but he had no reason to doubt her; she was a good friend to Nate. And up until that moment, she always delivered.
Turned out his gut feel was right. “If you can make that much money out of nothing, why would you let other people in?” Tom says rhetorically. “You’d just keep it for yourself! The fact that she can extract money from people for nothing, she must be good, all right.”
Sheila has not been seen or heard from since February. Nate and their friends suspect she’s hiding somewhere in the US. When things unraveled, it became known that the woman had duped many people, including her own closest friends and Nate’s. The others lost enormous amounts that made the P550,000 Nate had lost seem like loose change.
“Funny because we had regular dinners and no one ever spoke of their business dealings with Sheila,” Nate says wryly. “It just seemed like good business that each wanted to keep it a secret…
“One time Sheila went to the wife-manager of an artist to ask for P5 million,” Nate says. “Her favorite line was ‘magwalis-walis ka diyan, baka naman may mahanap kang P5 million.’ When that manager told her she had no money and to ask from our friend Jane instead, Sheila replied that how could she do that when Jane was just on an allowance from her rich husband. In truth she’d already gotten P13 million from Jane!
“When it was suggested that she come to me instead, she told the person that we were not close. I’m the godfather of her son!”
Nate estimates Sheila has made off with about P500 million from different people, based on the claims of those who have come forward. “We can’t really tell how much. More victims are coming out every day.”
(Nate, Tom and Celina, another victim, spoke to Inquirer on condition of anonymity, pending the filing of a case against Sheila. Other supposed victims declined our requests for interview.)
Nate witnessed Sheila’s transformation from the simple girl he met eight years ago to a Birkin-toting social butterfly.
On her birthday last April, Sheila had a Makati salon closed for her private party. She had the model’s posters on the walls replaced with her own portraits, and she hired a top caterer. After the salon party, she and her guests were chauffeured to a five-star hotel, where she hosted dinner and after-dinner cocktails.
Nate never wondered how Sheila was able to maintain her lifestyle; he just assumed her Birkin business was doing very good.
Sheila’s husband, Jake, works for a high-profile veteran politician and wears designer suits.
“Hermes, Louis Vuitton,” Tom says. “He never wore Hugo Boss because he said it was beneath him, and that’s what he told people.” Jake’s shoe closet of over 200 pairs of designer brands—Prada, Dior, Gucci—was even featured in a shoe blog, says Nate.
In an art fair last year, Sheila’s young son pointed to a random painting and said he liked it. The mom didn’t think twice about plunking P75,000 for the painting, Nate says.
Of how the couple kept their lavish lifestyle, says Tom: “I told Nate that it could be one of two things: It was either Sheila’s business was doing so good, or her husband was really corrupt.”
One time, Nate went to a Greenbelt 4 boutique with Sheila and her husband. Jake paid for the purchases in cash. When Nate asked why he didn’t use a credit card since it was a large amount, Jake joked that it was better that way since it meant no paper trail.
Sheila’s scheme turned out to be not just about Birkins. “To others, it would be paintings,” says Tom, who also owns an art gallery. “She would show a photo of a painting on her phone. She’ll say 10 Anita Magsaysay-Ho! Even a Monet! How can she get a Monet! All these people believed! Different approaches to different people. Minsan alahas, watches. Very creative.
“There are lots of sad stories. She got money from someone who was getting chemo. Someone’s house got foreclosed because they invested all their savings with Sheila. She also got money from the owner of her son’s school, even the PTA. Of course, how could they not trust her? She brought her son’s entire class to Ocean Park, complete with lunch!”
While no case has yet been filed against Sheila, the irony is that one of her former airline friends, Celina, is being sued by an investor who lost P7 million. Celina’s son had asked Jake to issue an affidavit attesting that Sheila and his mom were not “business partners,” ergo not in cahoots, as alleged in the suit, but Jake refused.
Celina was Sheila’s senior in the airline they worked for. The older woman was a sponsor at Sheila’s wedding.
“I had no reason to doubt her,” says Celina in a phone call to the Inquirer. “She had no history of being dishonest.”
Distressed about being sued for Sheila’s crime, Celina laments her predicament. “I really want to go after her, but I can’t even do that because I can’t pay for a lawyer; she made off with all my money!” She lost P11 million of her personal money to her old friend.
A fashion designer, who asked for anonymity, describes Sheila as a good client for about five years. She never haggled, he says. At one point, she paid him with a painting; she claimed she owned a gallery.
“That was her packaging: young, rich and successful,” says the designer. “She always wore new things. Her bags were always the latest.”
Nate also found out that Sheila never sold those Chanels and Celines he had been buying for her in Europe; she used them herself. “She just never wore them when we were together. But she told our friends they were gifts from me! No wonder when someone had a birthday, they would tease me, pa-Chanel ka naman.”
The week before Sheila disappeared, Nate learned she held a garage sale, apparently to offset her other debts.
“She had 40 pairs of Tory Burch flats. If she liked something, she bought it in all colors. The Celine bags that are so popular now, she had 12 of those, all in exotic leather.”
Their friend Amy, who was closest to Sheila, wasn’t spared. She offered to sell Amy’s croc Birkin, and the trusting friend said yes. Sheila didn’t sell the bag, she only pawned it. “Good thing Amy knew the person she pawned it to. Amy redeemed her own bag,” Nate says.
It wasn’t, however, the only time Sheila tried to pull a fast one on her best friend. She sold a 3-carat diamond ring to Amy, an object so cherished by the self-made IT entrepreneur that she had a safe built just for it.
But at a party, a jeweler-friend noticed that the rock was a fake. Sheila shrugged this off, saying that the stone must have been replaced by the person she entrusted with it for cleaning. She offered to reimburse Amy, just like that. The trusting friend was appeased.
Sheila’s tastes had gotten quite expensive through the years that on a Bangkok vacation last year with Nate, Tom and their girl friends, she refused to join them in the city’s bargain haunts. Instead she stayed behind in the hotel to get spa treatments, and shopped only in high-end malls.
Sheila’s Twitter account, which is public but hasn’t been updated since she disappeared, also provides an insight into her lavish lifestyle. Frequent subjects of her tweet exchanges with friends were designer clothes, bags, shoes and jewelry. (Her Facebook account has been deleted.)
Investors and creditors had cleared Sheila’s home of furniture and art pieces, says Nate, the same home she claimed she owned and had renovated for P2 million. “We were there for the blessing. It turns out they were just renting.”
Her family has since vacated the apartment, according to Nate.
“She just had to keep up with friends!” Tom says. “She must have thought they wouldn’t stay her friends if she didn’t have the same things they had.”
Even in his resentment, there’s a tinge of grief in Nate’s voice over the friendship and trust that’s now in ruins. “She was really nice,” he concedes. “We never knew she would be scamming everyone.”
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
Some of you may be waiting for a follow-up on the Birkin scammer issue. I got new information today. However I’m not allowed to blog about it. Instead, let me tell you what happened last Friday at the Globe Tatt Awards.
Jeroen had to stay home with the boys, so Grace and I went to the NBC Tent past 7.
Spotted at the door: Victor Basa and Divine Lee
David Milan
Globe Tattoo Head of Nomadic Broadband Business, Dong Ronquillo
Mike Concepcion
Bianca Gonzalez
Ginggay dela Merced
Grace Velasco
Robbie Becroft
Mikee Carrion
And me.
I was not feeling well. Ryan Vergara took this photo. As you can see I’ll never be a Sunsilk model.
We were early birds. My friends and I got Table 18.
Margarita Forés was in Italy for the Festa Artusiana, so I just want to tell her that the food and her staff were really lovely.
I loved the slow-roasted beef belly (tiny portion, lower right)
The dessert makes me want to get married again.
For my vegetarian friend Nikki, we made a special request through Margarita’s headwaiter
She loved it
So how did it go? I came home with the Stylisimo award!! Thanks to all of you who voted for me!
The following day I found out that Mang Siniong‘s daughters campaigned to their friends and relatives to vote for me.
That night I got my prize money (Php 100,000 from Globe) which will go towards purchasing Mang Siniong’s house 
Thank you Globe! And thank you judges who voted for me.
On my way out I met Bogart The Explorer who won The Explorer award (surprise!).
Congratulations too to Ryan and Garovs of Everywhere We Shoot who won Visualizer.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
The One – Bianca Gonzales
The Explorer – Bogart The Explorer
The Advocate – PAWS
Indie Rocker – Gloc9
Visualizer – Everywhere We Shoot
Game Changer – Jinoe Gavan
Stylisimo – Cecile van Straten
Video Slinger – Jamich
Tech Junkie – Jason De Villa
#Thought-Mover – Kimpoy Feliciano
Special Awards:
The Freshest – Robbie Becroft and Pepper.ph
The Prodigy – Luigi Yotoko
Safe Surfer – GMA’s Think Before You Click Campaign
People’s Choice – Julie Anne San Jose
Trending Personality – Julie Anne San Jose
Trending Radio – Morning Rush (Chico Garcia, Delamar Arias and Gino Quillamor)
Trending TV – Vice Ganda
Trending Podcast – Becky Nights
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
UK High Street clothing brand Miss Selfridge recently opened its first store at Greenbelt 5, with the latest Summer 2012 collection in pastels, neons, florals, Aztec-prints, denims, laces and chiffons cut into youthful peplums, bodycons, cut-outs, and uneven hemlines.
Spotted at the VIP event were actress Bela Padilla
Audrey MacCormack
Preview magazine’s Lyca Puno
Model Jasmine Maeirhofer
Robinsons Specialty Stores, Inc. (RSSI) is the exclusive franchisee of Miss Selfridge in the Philippines.
To know more about Miss Selfridge, go to http://www.missselfridge.com/
Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.
