Escaño: A family portrait

CEBU, Philippines - Paintings and photographs have long proven to have the power to challenge, persuade, and connect.

This is apparent in an exhibit that fetes paintings, photos and memorabilia owned by members of the Escaño clan - "Escaño: A Family Portrait" - paintings and framed stills that are not just as family treasures, but also as rearview mirrors of Cebu's days of old.

Opening on Thursday last week and slated to run until the second week of August at 856 G Gallery along A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City, the exhibit is one of the highlights of the Escaño family reunion in Cebu this year - an occasion which ran from July 31 to August 2.

Setting the spotlight on various family collections and memorabilia owned by different members of the clan, the exhibit is top-billed by a selection of photographs of old Cebu taken by Mamerto Escaño, paintings by Augustina Escaño Unchuan and portraits by Martino Abellana, among many others.

More than just a family affair, the exhibit brings Cebu's past to light, a glimpse of the city during the early 1900s.

Apart from presenting family photographs and art works, the exhibit opened with the launch of the coffee book "Escaño: A Family Portrait" by the renowned historian Resil Mojares. The book - which is now on its third edition - documents the history of the Escaño clan, tracing the family's history to Don Fernando de Escaño, a native of Ecija, a town in the province of Seville in southern Spain.

Complemented by the presentation of portraits made by Martino Abellana, the "dean of Cebuano painters," the exhibit is not just of value to the members of the family - the featured images bridges the Cebu today with its past and history.

Trip Advisor's Hall Of Fame

A Cebu hotel recently received Trip Advisor's Certificate of Excellence for the 5th time this year. Since 2011, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu has consistently received the award - elevating it to the Trip Advisor's Hall of Fame.

Trip Advisor awards its Certificate of Excellence to properties that have consistently achieved outstanding traveler reviews.

Seven other Marco Polo Properties across Asia have also been inducted to Trip Advisor's Hall of Fame: Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, Marco Polo Prince Hotel, Marco Polo Gateway Hong Kong, Marco Polo Xiamen, Marco Polo Shenzhen, Marco Polo Wuhan and Marco Polo Davao.

Marco Polo Hotels President Mr. Eric Waldburger attributes the award to the hotel's "Red Ring Philosophy," which provides for leadership, innovation, vision and exceptional experiences for the guests.

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu's contact number is (032) 253-1111, the email address is www.marcopoloplazacebu.com. The social media accounts are: @5StarInCebu on Twitter and  facebook.com/marcopolocebu.