Innholdsfortegnelse for May-21 i Tatler Philippines

TATLER PHILIPPINES Appearing on the cover for the first time together are five pillars of the Philippines’ dining scene who have set the benchmark for how we see and appreciate food today: award-winning chefs Tony Boy Escalante and Margarita Forés, notable restaurateurs Rikki Dee and Abba Napa, and renowned chef and food writer Claude Tayag. tatlerphilippines.com TATLER INDONESIA Previously a lawyer before becoming a social entrepreneur, Helianti Hilman is on a mission to save the rich diversity of food in Indonesia. Through her artisanal food company, Javara Indonesia, she partners with local farmers to sell indigenous, natural and organic products to promote sustainable production and consumption. tatlerindonesia.com TATLER MALAYSIA Tatler Malaysia profiles Cindy Ong, a two-time World Masters swimming champion. She discusses the merits of perseverance, her passion for the…

MICKY FENIX A food writer and editor, Fenix writes a weekly column, “Country Cooking” for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Her book, Country Cooking: Philippine Regional Cuisines won the National Book Award Food Category in 2014. She chairs the Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award and is president of the Food Writers Association of the Philippines. In this issue, she writes about Philippine regional cuisine (p. 166). PACO GUERRERO Freelance photographer, director and co-founder of Grid magazine and Stills & Motion, Guerrero has immortalised many an emotion in his perspective-changing documentary work or thoughtful editorial and commercial projects. As a visual storyteller, his images and videos have landed on respected local and international platforms such as Conde Nast, New York Times, Travel & Leisure and Monocle. In this issue’s cover, Guerrero…

It’s not just the cost but the guarantee of savings on electricity and major repairs that attract buyers to the houses Emma Marcha Imperial builds. The group chair and president of Imperial Homes Corporation (IHC) had a vision to provide affordable and sustainable homes using two technologies borrowed from Denmark. Applying both (and more) to Via Verde, IHC’s development in Sto Tomas, Batangas earned for her house model the distinction of being the first recipient of the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) Certificate. The coveted award for meeting the global standards for green buildings is given by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. The development’s major source of financing, Development Bank of the Philippines, also won the Outstanding Sustainable Project Financing Award from…

Introducing the Young Leaders on the Gen.T List He has built a successful business that supports persons with disabilities. Seeing that the hearing-impaired were disadvantaged in employment, Reyes created his concepts around them, and expanded to work with those who have autism and Down’s syndrome too. Why did you want to support PWD? During the conceptualisation of Overdoughs (doughnuts) and Elait! (rolled ice cream), I remembered a moment when I was still a kid, checking out a clothing store, and not one staff in the store assisting me. I could not blame them because, looking back, I didn’t really look like someone who would purchase any of their items. One man, however, approached me with a smile on his face and tried his best to help me. I was wondering…

PAUL SORIANO Listening: Anything Cecil Licad, especially while writing. I do listen to various musical scores, specifically, right now, to John Williams. Most of the time, however, I love silence; it allows me to listen to my thoughts. Watching: Nomadland, First Cow, Sound of Metal Rewatched: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Signs, Taxi Driver, Day for Night, The Rider, Singin’ in the Rain and M Night’s Servant Reading: Paul Schrader’s Transcendental Style in Film, a lot of storylines and scripts for different filmmakers. ELENA COYIUTO Listening: When working out: Celebrate by Pharell Williams, Don’t Start Now by Dua Lipa, Don’t Stop the Music by Rihanna, September by Earth, Wind & Fire and Rain On Me by Lady Gaga What I play on the piano: Wind Beneath My Wings, What…

In many New Age shops, the process of purchasing crystals involves sifting through bowls of small, colourful stones. Hong Kong-based independent crystal dealer Stone and Star does things a little differently. “Selecting and owning a crystal is extremely personal,” says Joyce Tsang, founder of Stone and Star, which takes a personal approach to helping serious collectors find speciality stones to suit their energetic and spiritual needs. “In Hong Kong, we have a lot of requests for pyrite, as it’s a crystal known in feng shui for wealth and prosperity, and for being beneficial for business. It’s a very masculine, outwards-energy stone, which is good for motivation and creativity,” she says. “Other energies that are requested are love and emotional healing, anxiety relief, repelling negativity, harmony and support in meditation practices.”…

Tell us about your latest collection, Shakti. I had been thinking about how to create a collection around the concept of shakti, which is energy that’s responsible for creation [in the Hindu tradition]. This idea came together when I observed how the women around me were dealing with our “new normal” after lockdown was imposed early last year. At this point, I knew that the collection should be dedicated to the strength of independent and intelligent women. It seems you were also inspired by art deco. I’ve always loved art deco, particularly the Darbargadh Palace in Gujarat, India, which was influenced by the final phase of the European art deco movement. It was built by the last Maharaja of Morvi in the 1940s and I just love the palace’s faded…

Supermodel and activist Adwoa Aboah has partnered with John Hardy on a 14-piece capsule collection called Mad Love that’s made of recycled gold or silver. It’s Aboah’s second collaboration with the Bali-based company—in 2018 she launched a 34-piece AAxJH collection with the brand. The collection features an elegant interpretation of a heart motif and has been designed so that it’s easy to stack and layer. In addition to her John Hardy collaboration, Aboah has also been working on her non-profit Gurls Talk, which she founded in 2015 to advocate for the mental health of girls and young women.…

Annie Darling Watches & Jewellery Director of Tatler Asia Roger Dubuis’ monster Excalibur model now comes equipped with a revamped double flying tourbillon. Available in pink or white gold, this new watch boasts sapphire crystal, a skeletonised dial and a daredevil tourbillon that’s constructed out of titanium and mirror-polished cobalt chrome. This watch’s complex movement, Calibre RD108SQ, is made up of 319 components and provides a 72-hour power reserve. Both models are limited to eight pieces each, so act fast.…

The Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade is the last iteration of H Moser & Cie’s Swiss Alp Watch saga that’s had collectors scrambling for their wallets since 2016. “The Swiss Alp Watch was an instant success for us,” says H Moser & Cie CEO Edouard Meylan. The original 50-piece run sold out in the first 48 hours of its release. “From there, we’ve developed the collection using different materials, like white gold or steel, as well as different dials and high-end complications.” The first thing you’ll notice about these watches is that they look nearly identical to the Apple Watch. The watchmaker’s latest edition comes with an ultra-modern, rounded rectangular-shaped case. Its super-slick dial is coated with Vantablack. “We’re been using Vantablack for a couple of years,” says Meylan. “It’s…

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Heritage Gallery is dedicated to preserving and showcasing our brand’s legacy. Housed in the oldest building of our Vallée de Joux manufacture, the space was refurbished in 2017. Aged archives and documents line the shelves of this museum, as do some of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s most iconic timepieces, most of which date from the 1920s to the late 1980s. We were able to buy back most of them through auction houses. I’ve been with Jaeger-LeCoultre for over 20 years and in that time hundreds of vintage watches have been displayed at our Heritage Gallery. There is, however, one yellow-gold model from the 1980s that will always be important to me. It is the smallest and thinnest Reverso ever made thanks to quartz technology, which revolutionised the industry in the 1970s and…

CHERYL TIU-SNYDER Journalist, content creator, World’s 50 Best Restaurants and Bars Tastehunter and co-founder, Proclamation Gin Through her exciting passion and field of work, Cheryl Tiu-Snyder has managed to shine a bright light on many deserving foods, flavours and finds. She says this didn’t come overnight. “It involved many years of writing about and promoting the Philippines, travelling overseas for events, talking about the Philippines and our food, and organising Filipino food events and pop-ups,” she shares. There’s a devotion to these islands that gives her body of work both depth and personality; it helps that she uses her platform to highlight the new yet deserving. “I like to shine the spotlight on the non-commercial, to introduce an audience to a small business or a cultural aspect not known in…

OLIVIA LIMPE-AW President and CEO, Destileria Limtuaco The fifth-generation chairman and CEO of Destileria Limtuaco has pushed the 168-year-old distillery to greater heights. One of only two Filipinas on the Forbes list of Asia’s Power Businesswomen for 2020, Olivia Limpe-Aw introduced several exciting products using Filipino ingredients: Paradise Mango rum liqueur, Amadeo coffee liqueur, Manille Liqueur Collection (basic ingredient, calamansi and dalandan), Dragon Fruit wine and Very Old Captain Artisan-crafted Rum (basic ingredient, molasses). In the process, she brought Philippine craft spirits to erstwhile untapped middle-class. Limpe-Aw remarks, “You not only do your country proud; you also help the local farmers by bypassing the middlemen.” Limpe-Aw, who remembers being introduced to various liquors and spirits early on as part of her training for the leadership position, follows an illustrious ancestry…

It was a freezing day in New York City in March when I spoke to Vladislav Doronin, chairman of Aman Hotels and Resorts, who had arrived there in preparation for the opening of Aman New York, the brand’s second city-centre hotel after Tokyo and one of four urban properties housing its Aman-branded residences. The past seven years have been a whirlwind for Doronin, who acquired Aman in 2014. At the time it was considered something of a controversial takeover, with bickering among creditors and investors. Since then, the 58-year-old Russian businessman and international real estate developer has made his own imprint on the brand, implementing changes that have raised the eyebrows of seasoned hoteliers and the global jet-set alike. Doronin first encountered the brand on a visit to Amanpuri in…

VP Sales and Marketing, CWC Interiors Any tips on designing a comfortable professional home office? A home office is where productivity is of the utmost importance; yet it is also highly likely that you will be using this area at times for more than eight hours. Therefore, you really need a high performing, ergonomic task chair that is not only comfortable but sturdy as well. Always think of height and weight. Consider this chair as an investment, so find the time to look at several options and try which one will give you the best fit, for what may be comfortable for some may not be comfortable for another. Go for a design that will blend in with the house and one that looks professional. At CWC, we pride ourselves…

BEFORE BED What’s your bedtime skincare routine like? From holy grail products to trade secrets, we ask Tatler friends for some advice on how to get the best-looking skin, no matter your age. WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING? Every Friday, visit Tatler Online to see what’s on people’s “must-watch” list. From the latest releases on Netflix to classic movies revisited, personalities and friends dish on their favourite shows and films. FOODIE FINDS For our newest online series, we interview personalities, chefs and food lovers about their favourite take-out options and dishes from their go-to restaurants. Follow us on social media @tatlerphilippines…

When asked what experiences shaped Raymund Isaac as a creator he said: “Rejection. In the first three years of my career, I was rejected [frequently] because I was too young, avant-garde, not experienced; name it, I’ve heard it.” In his early years Isaac left Manila to study in New York since his opportunities on the home front looked bleak. Upon returning, he heard about a rumour going around “about an intriguing young photographer from NYC” going by the name, Raymund Isaac. “I took advantage of the ‘colonial mentality’ of the time, marketing myself to the perception they wanted. Needless to say, I got my foot in the door” he shared frankly. “I didn’t know what being creative was in the beginning” says the acclaimed photographer. “All I knew was daydreaming…

As we continue to face the world’s harsh realities in these challenging times, the least we could do is to cope by finding a sliver of light and inspiration around us. Meet five people who continue to work and change the game in their respective fields; they have managed to rise and make their names known around the globe. May their stories be a source of inspiration to all of us today and in the years to come. TODD GLORIA Politics In the last US elections, there were several Fil -Ams elected to office—from congressional representatives and mayors to state officials. One of them is Todd Gloria, the mayor of the City of San Diego. He’s the first person of colour and the first openly gay person to serve in…

By now, even if the tears have dried, the memories must certainly still be alive—and will possibly stay this way for a long, long while. Such is the likely consequence in the passing of a legend. And on March 6 this year, a legend passed away, leaving a huge void in the realm of Philippine fashion. Ben Farrales—or Mang Ben to many, or the Dean of Philippine fashion titularly, or Ben Farraray to newshen Millet Mananquil referencing to the designer’s no-nonsense attitude—clocked around 50 years in the industry, before retiring upon reaching 80. Eight years later (nine on his birthday on July 1), he was gone. But not before leaving a legacy of a career that turned global attention to the country’s fashion, that helped professionalise the modelling industry, that…

CRIMSON RESORT & SPA Experience the culture of clean at Crimson Resort & Spa located in a secluded part of Boracay Island. Apart from the hotel’s exquisite interior, white sand beach and Cobalt Pool (which is regularly disinfected), you’ll be filled with awe once you set eyes on its beautiful view of the ocean. Social distancing is followed, and automatic dispensers and UV light systems are set up so you may explore and dine at the hotel without a worry. www.crimsonhotel.com/boracay ASTORIA Escape to Astoria’s resorts for a serene and unforgettable vacation. For spacious, picturesque views and decadent dishes, head over to Astoria Current in Boracay, currently the top-rated resort on TripAdvisor. To breathe in the fresh mountain air and sway with the ocean waves, visit Astoria Palawan and join…

POWER PAIRS May sees two powerhouses, French designer Alexandre Vauthier and Italian shoemaker Giuseppe Zanotti, collaborate on a series of sexy jewelled and sculptural footwear. The shoes are executed in signature Zanotti style, with an injection of Seventies and Eighties nightlife glamour from Vauthier. “Working with Alexandre has felt very natural; right from the beginning I’ve realised we speak to the same woman with our work. I believe you’ll see this energy running from the clothes to the shoes and vice versa,” says Zanotti. The collection of 90 pieces, ranging from sandals to booties, hits stores this month. NEW DIRECTIONS This season, historic leather goods house Moynat welcomes its new creative director, Nicholas Knightly, who previously designed handbags for Louis Vuitton. In his first collection, the British designer presents modern…

The social and economic disruption brought by Covid-19 did not spare the world’s most successful and beloved fashion lines. From supply chain problems down to the difficulty in sourcing materials, the sector was among the groups that received the pandemic’s most dreadful blow. Aranáz, a local brand of handmade bags and accessories had all the reasons to cave in, but when the national government imposed a nationwide lockdown in the early months of 2020, the label was able to create Raw Start, a collection made from repurposed raw materials. “We are very ambitious when it comes to product development, but with our Raw Start collection, we had to work with the ‘basic building blocks’; we had to use our imagination and repurpose some of our unused raw materials,” its owner…

1 Untreated coloured gemstones About 90 per cent of gemstones are heated to improve their colour or clarity. Some of the rarest untreated coloured gemstones are Kashmir sapphires, so it’s likely these will be very popular at auction this year. 2 Pink diamonds Less than 0.1 per cent of diamonds mined worldwide are pink and they are only found in certain areas, such as the famous Argyle mines in Kimberley, Western Australia. Last year, the Argyle mines closed for good, and prices for pink diamonds reportedly shot up 40 per cent. 3 Spinels For hundreds of years, people believed that rubies and spinels were the same stone. Look for spinels that are unheated and preferably from Myanmar. A strong colour with as few inclusions as possible is also desirable. 4…

In 1921, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel commissioned perfumer Ernest Beaux to create a signature scent. The couturier considered the number five to be lucky and, as the story goes, she consequently chose the fifth sample of the fragrance, deciding to name it No 5. A decade later, Mademoiselle (as she’s often known) introduced her first and only official jewellery collection, named Bijoux de Diamants, at her home on Paris’s Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Set with diamonds and sculpted using platinum that was cast to shape shooting stars and bows, most of the pieces were later disassembled. A surviving brooch was eventually recovered by Chanel, and it is now part of the house’s heritage collection. To celebrate No 5’s 100th anniversary, Patrice Leguéreau, director of Chanel’s fine jewellery creation studio, has brought…

Caroline Scheufele calls me from her office in Geneva. She’s Chopard’s co-president and artistic director, and has been preparing for the launch of the brand’s new limited-edition Happy Sport watch, which made its debut in 1993. “It’s become a watchmaking icon,” she tells me. “It’s had a few facelifts over the years and I thought it’s about time we go back to its roots.” The case and bezel maintain the watch’s steel appearance as well as its signature seven diamonds, which move freely between two sheets of sapphire crystal above the dial. This is a style that dates back to the original nearly 30 years ago, and which the rest of the industry didn’t look too kindly on. “At that time, combining steel with diamonds was an absolute no-no,” Scheufele…

ALEX LICHAYTOO President, Bacchus International Quality is key when it comes to Alex Lichaytoo’s philosophy. The avid wine collector first found his passion importing Grand Cru wines for friends 25 years ago. “Our big break came when Shangri-La Makati Hotel asked us to open a temperature-controlled wine shop. This made us feel more serious about this potential business,” Lichaytoo reminisces. The established purveyor, who’s been knighted with the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Order of the Star of Italy) and French Mérite Agricole, provides the local food industry with not only the best of wines but quality ingredients and the latest in kitchenware. “We’ve always wanted to inspire chefs to realise that quality of ingredients is the number one consideration if you wanted to create world-class cuisine, whether it’s in…

1 SIT TO STAND Refrain from staying hunched over the desk from nine to five. Instead, use the Touch Down Unit from the Molteni&C collection by Studio Klass for Molteni. Adjust the unit according to your position, so you may choose to work from a chair, sofa, stool or even from a standing position. It’s also functional as it provides a storage space. Available at Furnitalia 2 UNDER COVER Spruce up the office by storing items you do not use often in Crate and Barrel’s Steen Grey Bench. Its modernist design features matt black legs that extend to the back of the seat, securing a bolster at both ends and allowing the bench to appear suspended. Its functional feature is its seat that pops up to reveal ample space for…

There’s a cardboard crate of wine sitting near my desk that feels, in the context of our Covid-19-fixated world, like a relic from a bygone era. “Don’t get off the couch,” it urges in a large, friendly voice. “It’s wine o’clock.” It seems to harken back to a time when a spell on the couch with a glass sounded like a tempting indulgence, rather than the only option after yet another set of plans got Covid-cancelled. Indeed, who among us has not logged more couch time than we ever thought possible? In this work-from-home, learn-from-home, play-from-home era, it’s certainly understandable to seek a little escapism through wine, which, with its inextricable link to its place of origin, can transport us to remote places and eras, at least in our minds.…

Metiz is a Filipino restaurant; don’t be mistaken. What makes its chef, Stephan Duhesme, stand out is his redefinition of our country’s cuisine. He explains: “If I need to make adobo or sinigang just to have a Filipino restaurant, then we will never think progressively as a nation.” This chef (like other notable culinary talents) pays homage to the classics, revisits them and then innovates. As such, he has turned Metiz into a place for gastronomes, for people who understand the fluidity of flavour and can appreciate the growth of a culture. Duhesme has worked around the globe honing his skills and refining his palate. “Each and every restaurant that I’ve worked in has taught me valuable lessons—from techniques to philosophies and general kitchen organisation,” he says. “Bogota is where…

“There is this generalised psychological distress and anxiety that is quite palpable as a result of the pandemic,” says Dr Rene Samaniego, psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Makati Medical Center, past president of the Philippine Psychiatric Association and currently the Secretary for Education and training of the Asian Federation of Psychiatric Associations. “We can’t ignore it as our lives have been completely turned around and disrupted. We are grieving the loss of our former lives. We are all essentially in grief now and it’s very complicated as with it comes a lot of uncertainty.” The words of Samaniego resonate with many as the pandemic has put a spotlight on the importance of mental health. Isolation, lockdown, restriction of movement, economic and financial losses have all culminated in a sort of global…

Hawaii became the first US state this year to ban the sale of any sunscreens containing ingredients linked to the harming or destruction of coral reefs: oxybenzone and octinoxate. Since then, the US Virgin Islands and the island city of Key West in Florida have followed in Hawaii’s footsteps with similar bans. But it was the Pacific archipelago of Palau, which prides itself on being a “pristine paradise” for divers, that set the precedent in 2020 when it became the first country to ban ‘reef toxic’ sunscreen. “This is a big issue for reef environments that rely on tourism and heavy people traffic,” says Craig Leeson, who directed the documentary A Plastic Ocean. It’s estimated that up to 6,000 tonnes of sunscreen wash into the world’s coral reefs each year,…

OPPOSITES ATTRACT This double-sided watch by De Bethune comes with two different dials that are centred around the brand’s new Calibre DB2579. One side displays a space-agey design complete with specks of blue and grey, as well as a combination of polished and matt finishes that surround a tourbillon at six o’clock. The other side reveals a more traditional dial with an elegant hand-guilloché centre. Which is your favourite? FLOWER POWER For the Éclosion de Chaumet watch, a white mother-of-pearl Grand Feu enamel dial by Anita Porchet, one of Switzerland’s most recognised and respected enamellers, is set with brilliant-cut diamonds and rubies. White gold, black lacquer and gold thread are carefully positioned to resemble the spring flower ranunculus. Wear yours with a red alligator leather strap. ROCKETMAN Omega has launched…

Julia Roberts is the new face of Chopard, starting with the brand’s latest Happy Sport campaign, which marks the release of a limited-edition Happy Sport watch that pays tribute to the original from 1993. This isn’t the first time Roberts has been photographed wearing Chopard. In 2016, at that year’s Cannes Film Festival, the actress famously wore an off-the-shoulder black dress with a high jewellery diamond-set necklace from the jeweller’s Red Carpet collection. It was mounted with a whopping 52.76-carat emerald. “I am honoured to be collaborating with Chopard on the Happy Sport watch, one of the most iconic and desirable models in the industry,” says Roberts. TRUE STYLE Legendary designer Henri d’Origny first developed the Arceau, which has since become Hermès’ longest-standing men’s watch, back in 1978. This new…

How has the pandemic impacted Zenith? It has definitely forced us to develop new ways of working but almost immediately we found ways we can still be efficient, despite being restricted to our homes. On a personal level, it’s been hard because I like meeting people, so while we’ve been successful at digitising the company, not being able to meet collectors is something I’ve missed. What have you learnt over the last year? One big learning curve for us was e-commerce, which we had initially intended to develop over the next 18 months. Of course, because of the pandemic, we had to master it over just 18 days—my team has been super-fast. I wouldn’t describe it as pleasant but we successfully started e-commerce for Europe in June and the US…

ELBERT CUENCA Owner and founder, Steak Room Concepts, Inc “Oddly enough, I believe my big break came when Restaurant12 shut down in 2004. That allowed me to realise and learn from all the mistakes I made,” says restaurateur Elbert Cuenca. In 2007 he opened the widely successful, specialised dining concept, Elbert’s Steak Room. “This is what established my name in the industry.” The owner of Elbert’s Pizzeria and a partner in Metronome, he says: “I endeavour to help educate and elevate our diners’ level of appreciation for quality, not just with cuisine, but in terms of service as well. I involve myself with restaurant projects that hopefully raise the bar of the Philippine dining scene.” Rather than operating with a costly set-up, he prefers a more personal approach and is…

ERNEST ESCALER Founder, Gourmet Farms “In the early Eighties, I decided to try and convince local consumers to shift from instant coffee to freshly brewed with our roasted beans under the label Gourmet Coffee,” Ernest Escaler recalls. At the time, most roasted and ground products in the Philippines were imported from abroad, ironic because the country grows cacao. Years later, Escaler decided to convert a two-hectare orchid farm in Silang, Cavite into an organic vegetable farm now known as Gourmet Farms. Not long after, he opened Gourmet Café at the farm, which soon drew visitors by hordes, mostly coming from Metro Manila. “There were very long lines of customers waiting to be seated.” Escaler finds happiness in seeing workers gladly serving loyal customers a fresh cup every single day. Even…

British-Filipina beauty Jessica Wilson has seen some of the world’s most beautiful destinations. From the snow-capped mountains of Niseko and the raw beauty of Nepal to captivating Istanbul, New Zealand, Italy and Spain, her list goes on. And yet, she keeps going back to Coron. She explains: “I love the deep blue ocean colour surrounded by massive mountains that remind me of Jurassic Park, untouched and majestic. The fresh open air and space, the most beautiful beaches in the world, the island trips and the kamayan [eating without utensils] lunches, the amazing sunsets and, most especially, the stars that cover the sky at night are some of my favourites.” And confesses after returning from another trip to the Last Frontier early this year: “This is probably my fifth time now…

More popularly known as “GenSan”, this southernmost city of Mindanao is dubbed as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines” for being the largest producer of sashimi-grade tuna in the country. Its main fish port along Saranggani Bay is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that comply with international standards on fish handling. The fishing industry in GenSan yields an average daily capacity of 750 metric tons of fish catch, which provides jobs to about 8,000 local workers. Formerly known as Dadiangas, this city geographically located within the province of South Cotabato, was named after General Paulino Santos, a former commanding general of the Philippine Army. Alphabet City is a series in 26 parts. Each month, Tatler invites an artist to create a work that celebrates the best of the Philippines, from A…