VP 2018-02 DIGITAL

VP/TRAVEL

VIETNAM: THE HEART

OF INDOCHINA

COMPLETE GUIDE BY EDEN MORALES P. 4

VP/LIFESTYLE

HERMANA: A TASTE

OF TRADITION

BY RALPH & MICHELLE HUERTAS P. 6

VP/TECH

TECH FOR YOUR

#RELATIONSHIPGOALS

BY EDGE BUENVIAJE P.1 3

Meet Me In

St. GallEN

Carlo Aquino and Bela Padilla

and the modern-day dilemma of fleeting attractions

P. 8

VP editorial

CELEBRATING

10years

EVOLUTION

FAB4 PRODUCTIONS, THE COMPANY THAT PUBLISHED THE 1 ST FREE

ONLINE AND PRINTED NEWS MAGAZINE IN THE PHILIPPINES, VILLAGE

PIPOL, WAS ESTABLISHED ON OCTOBER 2007. #CHEERS!

“Lovers Month” is a time to celebrate with your Love One’s or for some, a time

to be bitter about love lost, lack of it or love gone cold.

We find the malls littered with heart-shaped goods and think about what we

don’t have. We see happy couples on dates and, if we’re being honest, have

trouble wishing them well.

It seems that almost every other day of the year, the majority of us are content

with being romantically uninvolved, but during Valentine’s Day, all the single

people become slightly uncomfortable with the idea of being alone.

Perhaps the key to being happy on this day, regardless of whether or not you

have a significant other, is to treat this day as a day to celebrate the people

you love in your life. There is no rule that says that Valentine’s Day is for lovers;

there is no doctrine stating that the love celebrated must be the romantic kind,

despite the popular narrative.

So this Valentine’s Day, buy your friend a card, send flowers to your parents

or buy chocolates for your best friends, or even greet your enemies. Whether

you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, going on a date or spending time alone, we

at Village Pipol hope your month is filled with love … even if it is just from your

dog.

#VPTEAM

Richie de Quina

Gwyn Crisostomo

PUBLISHER

John Luke Chica

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Josh Austria

PR & ADVERTISING MANAGER

Frame Rivas

LAYOUT ARTIST

Wil Joseph Magsino

VIDEOGRAPHER

Jean Dalida

FASHION EDITOR

Ralph Huertas

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

Philip Andaya

DIGITAL MANAGER

Eden Morales

Sylvester Sy

Michelle Huertas

Edge Buenviaje

CONTRIBUTORS

Happy Love Month Villagers!

Village Pipol is the #EvolutionOfAdvertising!

“Innovation is change that unlocks new value”

Village Pipol – The Evolution of Advertising!

Richie de Quina

PUBLISHER

Fab4 Productions, Inc.

Unit 419 & 420 One Oasis Hub B Building M,

Ortigas Ext. Ave., Brgy. Sta. Lucia, Pasig City 1600

For Inquiries:

0917.844.5981 | 0998.984.9169

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A PART OF RED ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

2 | VILLAGE PIPOL MNP|villagepipol

VP travel

Uncovering Vietnam:

A Complete Travel Guide

Text & Photos by Eden Morales

Vietnam is a close neighbor to the Philippines. It is vastly

different and similar to the our very own country, at the

same time. From agricultural landscapes to breathtaking

seascapes, Vietnam’s tourist destinations will feel eerily

familiar to us, Filipinos. But is there more to it than these?

Let me share to you how I uncovered Vietnam within my

10 days of stay.

Night time lanterns at Hoi An

Hanoi: The Heart of the North

I started my very long journey in Hanoi, the heart of the north. I

booked a hotel room at Little Hanoi Hotel via Airbnb and the room

exceeded my expectations! We had a bathtub and the interior is very

high-end looking. I felt like a royalty though the expenses were really

affordable.

Hanoi Opera House

Cold and very laid back, Hanoi has easily grown on me. I woke up

early and started to navigate the streets. I intentionally do this every

time to get really lost. It’s where the most unforgettable stories are

made. Plus, you can really get to know the ins and outs of a foreign

city the organic way.

The famous Pho

Vietnamese Egg Coffee

We rode a rickshaw driven by an elderly Vietnamese man headed

to the Old Quarter where Hoan Kiem Lake is particularly located.

We spent more than 2 hours just strolling along the bank, eating and

buying souvenirs.

In the afternoon, we drank the very famous Vietnamese egg coffee

and devoured my first local Pho. We sat on tiny stools and just let the

world pass us by even for just a few minutes.

Afterwards, we hailed a taxi that took us to Maison Centrale or

Hoa Lò Prison in Viet, a museum of the chilling encounters of the

prison during the Vietnam War. It was eerie — you can feel a little

somber while reading it’s history. Truth be told, some of the tourists

cried as they roam around the museum.

Other spots we had the pleasure of visiting were National Museum

of Vietnamese History, Vietnam Museum of Revolution, Hanoi

Opera House, Temple of the Jade Mountain and St. Joseph’s

Cathedral.

Before sundown, we took another cab ride to Ba Dinh Square

where the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum lies. Reaching it in the nick of

time is the most perfect thing we did that day. We slowly watched

the skies turn to deep shades of purple while the lights faintly

flicker to life.

Hanoi by Night

We retired after experiencing the night life of Hanoi. We ate fried

ice cream even though it was a little cold and another Banh Mi

because we can’t have enough of it.


Ha Long Bay

Exploring Central Vietnam

The next morning, we were booked to go to Ha Long Bay. Alongside

other travellers from all over the world, we spent more than an hour

on the road. We reached the majestic islands before noon time. It

stretches as far and as wide as my eyes could see. From what I’ve read,

it’s direct translation is “descending dragon” as it resembles the back

of a dragon going slowly into the deep waters. We had our lunch in the

massive boat as it sails across the endless bay.

We went cave touring and just spent the rest of the afternoon resting

under the sun. At sunset, Ha Long Bay almost seemed like a dream.

The water glittered as the sunshine hits its surface. The atmosphere is

filled with golden orange hues that gave it a more surreal look.

Hoi An

The next day, we flew to Da Nang, located in the central region of

Vietnam. The weather is completely different here. It rains and it

shines but the wind is constant. Our love for theme parks brought us to

Ba Na Hills, a premiere resort that boasts the longest cable car ride in

the world!

To complete our visit in Central Vietnam, we reserve our last day

for a trip to Hoi An, the quaint fishing village located nearby. Due to

it becoming UNESCO World Heritage Site, visitors tend flock this

picturesque town daily. But fortunately, it was not crowded when we

got there. We had the luxury of going into the interconnected alleys

that lead to the river, the town’s center. At night time, the lanterns

light up the whole place. It will really make you feel like you’re inside a

fairy tale.

Mui Ne

Down to South: Ho Chi Minh City

We took another one-hour flight the following day that headed directly to Ho

Chi Minh City. Once outside the airport, heavy congestion of automobiles

and motorcycles welcomed us. Funny that the first thing that popped into my

head is its uncanny resemblance to our very own, Metro Manila.

We stayed at De Tham Street, a street adjacent to Bui Vien, renowned as

the backpacker’s district.

We had a walkathon around Saigon. We have visited the Independence

Palace, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, Ben Thành Market, War Remnants

Museum, Central Post Office, Bitexco Financial Tower, Municipal

Theatre, City Hall and so much more. It was tiring but liberating. Getting to

manage how to cross their streets that are seemingly filled with millions of

motorcycles going directionless was my ultimate achievement.

On our last day, we rose up early to catch the sunrise at Mui Ne, a coastline

located at the south of Ho Chi Minh City with red sand deserts and low-lying

fish ports. The highlight of our sand dunes adventure was riding a 4x4 car

that went 90 degrees as it plummets straight at the bottomest part of the

slope.

I left Vietnam with the pieces of my heart left on each of the

places we went to. I don’t think I will ever want to pick it up

again. I want it to stay there and have a part of me eternally

engraved in the streets where we got lost and cities where

we almost cried with utter joy. Vietnam will always be my

home away from home.

For more in-depth look of Eden’s Vietnam adventures,

visit www.uncoveringeden.com

Follow them on Instagram, too! @UncoveringEden

TRAVEL• LIFESTYLE• ENTERTAINMENT

www.villagepipol.com | 5

VP foodie

Hermana:

A Taste of Tradition

Thinking of getting some fresh air complemented with a cold

weather and a fascinating view? Look no further.

Text and Photo by Ralph & Michelle Huertas

Going to Tagaytay is just 1.5 hrs drive from

Manila. With a wide choice of accommodations

that caters to any market segment, this town is

definitely a wise choice.

While enjoying the cold weather and the view

of Taal Lake, food shall not be far behind. If

there’s a place where no diet is allowed, it will

be this part of Luzon as your choices of cuisine

is very vast. Filipino cuisine are abound but this

local restaurant stood out our 4-point check –

Taste, Ambiance, Presentation and Price.

And here are our favorites!

Hermana Taste Tradition serves both your

visual and palate well. Earthly motif and design

that is soothing to the eye with modern fixtures

are incorporated to suite any type of gathering

are present in both their Tagaytay branches,

one in Sky Ranch and another in Ayala Malls

Serin. Our go-to branch though is the one in

Sky Ranch since the kids love the park view.

Hermana’s menu list is extensive, hence you

will never ran out of new things to try. But with

the kid’s in tow, we always end up with their

favorites (which eventually become ours too).

Another kids’ choice is their Tilapia. We

have tasted two variants, Tilapia Escabeche

which is their Sweet n Sour version and the

Tilapia Strips served with Lime dip, Salsa

and sour cream. Both are crispy fried to

perfection.

Ralph: Their Baked Beef Kaldereta is something I

will order in a heartbeat. Very tender and flavorful,

baked just enough with cheese. Although the

kids are missing the rich saucy feel of traditional

kaldereta since as mentioned, this one is baked.

Our kids’ comfort food of Sinigang won’t be

missed, although they have several choices

of this soup, we always order their Bangus

Belly Sinigang. The soup has the right

amount of sourness with fres h fish meat

and generous serving of vegetables.

Oh and if you are celebrating birthdays,

they have several choices of noodles too.

We ordered their Pancit Canton with

substantial serving of shrimps, chicken liver

and morsels of chicken meat.

Rice are served either by cups or you can

order their platters which can be customized

depending on your party size.

Price-wise, Hermana Taste Tradition is very

affordable and budget-friendly. For a group of

six, we spent less than 3k which is definitely

average in this part of town.

Michelle: Hermana’s Sizzling Tofu is our staple

order too. We consider this as the healthier

version of sisig since it has the taste of original

sisig minus the cholesterol.

I also love their Sugpo

sa Gata, cooked prawn

with the right amount

of coconut milk laid

on a vegetable bed

of Kangkong and

Kalabasa.


VP health & beauty

Glowing Skin

On Valentine’s Day

by Sylvester Sy



VP cover

Meet Me IN

St. GallEN

New Year, New showbiz tandem to watch

out. Actors Bela Padilla and Carlo Aquino

go through the modern-day dilemma of

fleeting attractions in their movie

“Meet Me in St. Gallen”.

text by jean dalida


PHOTOGRAPHY | RAYMOND CAUILAN

ASSOCIATE | RAYMUND SERANILLO

FOR BELA PADILA:

HMUA | EFFIE GO

STYLING | #STYLEDBYMYRRH

FOR CARLO AQUINO:

GROOMING | JOSH LEE

STYLING | PATTY YAP

SPECIAL THANKS TO CORNERSTONE

ENTERTAINMENT INC.



It’s February, which means it’s a month

for romance -- the time of year where

flowers, chocolates, and love poems

abound. If you’re thinking of having a

movie date on Hearts’s Day. Here’s one

of the local films you definitely have to

look forward to in 2018 to watch with

your special someone or to celebrate

Valentine’s Day with your gal pals or to

merely raise a glass to your awesome self

all by your lonesome, we’ve got a classic

film for every type of romantic.

New Year, New showbiz tandem to watch

out. Actors Bela Padilla and Carlo Aquino

go through the modern-day dilemma of

fleeting attractions in their movie

“Meet Me in St. Gallen”.

The story unfolds in a coffee shop where

the two first meet. Padilla, who plays

Celeste, is known as “Katy Perry” in

the shop, due to the name she gives the

clerks for ordering her coffee. Meanwhile,

Aquino’s Jesse appears to be a rock star,

as he is shown singing in a band.


BelA PadillA



CArlO AQuiNo


Both of them wish they do not meet the

same fate as that of their namesakes in a

break-up movie they talk about, Celeste

and Jesse Forever. The two engage in a

one-night stand.

As time passed, they find themselves

later in the same coffee shop, finally

considering themselves real friends.

The movie, which takes place in

Switzerland, is directed by Irene Villamor

of “Camp Sawi” fame. It is slated for

release on 2018.

Oh wait! You also might be wondering

“Why St. Gallen?” ‘coz that’s exactly

our question too. According to Bela in

an interview, one of the reasons might

be, that the Philippines is a very catholic

country. The name ‘St.Gallen’ has an extra

draw for us. It feels like somewhere you

could find shelter, when you’re going

through rough patch. The name sounds

so comforting. Plus, their director is a big

fan of Christmas villages. She looked for

good ones online and she stumbled upon

seeing St.Gallen.



















Catch Meet Me in St. Gallen, set to

premier on February 7, 2018 in cinemas

nationwide. Produced by Spring Films,

the team behind of the smash hit, “Kita

Kita,” the country’s highest-grossing

local indie movie of all time. Starring Bela

Padilla, Carlo Aquino.



VP fashion

V-Day

Approved

Outfits!

Text by Jean Dalida

@imkimsantiago

@leximendi

Valentine’s Day is one of those days

where you can be romantic to your

loved ones, and if you plan a romantic

date you need to have a proper plan

with that. From deciding the location

to choosing the valentine dress. We all

know that the color that reflects love

on Valentine’s is none other than Red.

Though you can wear other colors too

such as pink and white. February 14th

is the day when you can flaunt your

beauty. Embrace anything that suits

you. Whether it is a short dress, a long

maxi, formal coat with pants, a shirt

with a coat etc. you can go for anything

that you like. Carry a classy handbag

with it along with wearing perfect pair

of shoes or long heels. Make sure that

anything you wear makes you look

feminine and elegant.

Choosing the perfect outfits for

Valentine is a tricky job, but it will no

longer be coz we got you, girl. We have

made this job too easy for you. We

bring you most stylish and amazing

outfits combinations for 2018 Valentine.

TRAVEL• 26 | VILLAGE LIFESTYLE• PIPOLENTERTAINMENT

www.villagepipol.com MNP|villagepipol | 26

@elxielvina

@vinaguererro

@janeskamargaux

@rochelleabellaa

@rhipesbackyard



5 VP-Approved

Bloggers That Will

Stand Out in 2018!

Meet the new bunch of influencers destined to break

onto your screen this year!

Kerwin King

@kerwinking

Kerwin can be described as someone who

has the eye for art. His feed is definitely

#feedgoals with its colorful hue. You can

really feel like you’re also with him during

his getaways. His creative expression

shown on his feed reflects his skillfulness in

photography with eye-catching shots.

There are tons of amazing

bloggers & influencers out there,

and we love having the chance

to get to know them a little

better and introduce them to

the Villagers! If you’re looking

for a little up-to-the-minute

inspirations, whether it’s tech,

travel, food, fashion/lifestyle and

beauty, you’ve come to the right

place! Let the uprising bloggers

and influencers in the metro

inspire you! And hey Villagers,

don’t forget to follow them!

Jean Dalida

@skinniestjean

Jean is a funny and easy to be with kind

of person. She speaks and acts with no

filter which makes you feel that you have

known her for quite sometime even though

you just met her. Blooming being her own

boss, her drive to succeed in her business

is admirable.

Pia Padre

@piadaniellepadre

Pia has a reserved personality when you

first get to talk to her, but once you get to

know her, she is actually full of surprises.

Beauty with brains is one way to describe

her. Her makeup looks are so natural that

you might not notice that she is wearing

makeup. She totally aced the no makeup

look!

Candis & Daphne

@loveposhp

Candis and Daphne are your bestie goals!

Their blog Posh Possibilities showcases

how best of friends can enjoy each other’s

company. Their looks are always on point

and are totally wearable. These girls seem

quite timid when you first meet them but

give it some time and you would see that

they are quite the opposite.

Angel Yeo

@imangelyeo

Angel is not your typical model stereotype

since she’s an energetic and fun person to

be with. You’ll be surprised! Any style can

suit her whether it be girly or sporty. You

would notice her immediately when she

is with her friends. She totally rocks the

simple yet put together look.


Tech Items for Your

#RelationshipGoals!

Written by: Edge Buenviaje

#RelationshipGoals comes

in many shapes and form. No

matter what your goals are with

your partner, these tech items

will definitely help you achieve

them one by one!

#1: Smartphones!

For couples who love to have an allaround

great smartphone, you need

to consider a lot of things. First off,

performance must be a top priority.

Make sure that it can do the tasks that

you plan to do whether it is for gaming,

photography and vlogging and more.

A Samsung S8+, Cloudfone Next

Infinity Quattro, Huawei Mate 10 are

just a few to consider. If you are on a

budget, you can look into the Cherry

Mobile S6 series and the Cloudfone

Excite Prime 2.

#2: Fitness Band for some

#FitnessGoals!

For couples that also has fitness goals,

you can grab a pair of fitness band

or smartwatches. This will definitely

help track your activities, heart rate,

sleeping patterns and even handling your

music and notifications. Something like

Samsung Gear series, Fitbit Ionic and,

for a more budget-friendly approach, the

Xiaomi Mi Band 2 will be perfect for that.

#4: Try These Useful Apps!

In terms of traveling couples, we have a

couple of apps to suggest. Try AirBnB and

Booky. These apps are very useful for your

travelling needs. AirBnB can help you find

the perfect lodging anywhere in the world.

There are a lot of options from transient

houses to condominiums. They also have

reasonable rates.

Booky, on the other hand, is a restaurant

booking app that has more 1000 partner

cafes and restaurants nationwide. There is

a subscription of 199/month that with great

discounts, ‘buy 1 get 1’ coupons and more.

#3: Ensure to Keep Your

Precious Moments!

If you are into scrapbooking or if you just

want to keep physical mementos of your

precious moments then something like

Fujifilm’s offering is perfect. Fujifilm has

an Instant Photo system product lineup

that brings back the old-school Polaroidish

photos.

Their Instax cameras are great for

couples who want to see their photos

into small printed media. It is perfect for

crafty couples as well.

These are some of our ideas of

what can help you in achieving

your #RelationshipGoals. From

travelling, foodie, fitness and

even artsy couples, we tried to

find whatever tech we feel may

help you. Let us start achieving

those goals!



VP entertainment

Love Songs for the

Titos and Titas of

the Philippines

Written by Edge Buenviaje

The term “Titos and Titas” has

picked up steam in the latter parts

of 2017. These are usually regarding

with peeps 26 years of age and

above. But, we all know that no

matter our age is, we all have those

Titos and Titas inside of us.

That is why we decided that for the

Love Month we will focus on love

songs relatable to the Titos and

Titas of the Philippines.

“As Long As You Love Me”

by Backstreet Boys

Once you here that intro, you immediately

remember your first crush. It is an upbeat love

song that has a surprisingly deeper meaning

than it shows. As long as that persons love you

for who you are, you are willing to love them no

matter who they are, where they’re from, what

they did…

“I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz

The love that never gives up no matter what

the obstacle is is a love worth keeping. Jason

Mraz did this song justice by pouring out his

emotions into and directly connects to his

listeners. Do not give up on a relationship just

because of some bumps.

“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

Come on! This is one of Ed Sheeran’s most..

uhm.. perfect song. Pun intended! Whenever

you hear this song, you will imagine yourself

on your wedding day, looking at the love your

life, saying your vows and then riding off into

the sunset. Then you are interrupted by your

sibling’s less than perfect rendition.

“You’re Still The One”

by Shania Twain

Have you ever been with someone that no

matter how many years passed, you are still

falling heads over to that person? That is what

this song is about. It is falling deeper and

deeper in love with same person each day.

“Nothing’s Gonna Change My

Love For You” by George Benson

Everybody knows this song and everybody

Filipino that this is one of the mispronounced

lyrics of all time. Jokes aside, this song is the

epitome of never changing love. No matter

what physical changes the person goes to, no

matter how much they’ve aged, you will still

stay in love with them. “You know naman my

love how much I love you…” Those are the

lyrics right?


NBA All Star Captains

Revealed: LeBron

James and Steph

Curry to Pick their

Teams for the 2018

NBA All Star Game

Written by Edge Buenviaje

This February, the NBA All Star game

will be the first ever to have a pick-up

game like draft wherein two captains

will drafting their teammates from a

pool of players voted in by the fans. No

more East versus West, this year it is

Team Curry versus Team James.

VP sports

Players are still voted in from each

conference. There are the top vote

getters from the Eastern Conference

and the top vote getters from the

West. However, this year each team

captain, this year it is LeBron James

and Stephen Curry, will pick their

teammates in a draft regardless of their

conferences.

The Eastern stars will have Kyrie Irving

from the Celtics, DeMar Derozan

from the Raptos, Joel Embiid of the

76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo from

the Bucks, and the captain Lebron

James. The West have the other

captain Stephen Curry, James Harden

from the Rockets, Kevin Durant from

the Warriors, and Anthony Davis with

Demarcus Cousins from the Pelicans.

All these top vote getters will be

available for the two captains to pick

from. This opens up a lot of possibility

from super teams and dramas as well.

Will LeBron pick Kyrie after their well

publicized debacle last off season? Will

Davis and Cousins play on the same

team or against each other?

Team James will have the first pick of

the draft while Team Curry will choose

their team’s colors first as the West

will be holding home court advantage

this year. Among the top vote getters,

there will also be an additional yet to be

named 8 starters and 14 reserves that

will round out the player pool. This may

include Russel Westbrook, Paul George,

Victor Oladipo, Al Horford, Jimmy

Butler, and LaMarcus Aldridge.



VP 2018-02 DIGITAL

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