Every child is a masterpiece. Created by God in His image and likeness, a child is also a museum of treasures. Some children have talents that immediately catch the eye, others have hidden talents.
On Feb. 3, 5:30 p.m. at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of the Yuchengco Building on Ayala Avenue, the Manila Symphony Orchestra will perform Love & Luck: Bach vs. Beatles for the benefit of The Center for Possibilities Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization for persons with special needs. The concert will also feature Juno Santos, a 12-year-old artist and musician. He will play a special number with the Manila Symphony Orchestra and launch his first one-man exhibit, “Not About the Dog.”
Juno is an 8th grade student from Reach International School, who trained to become an artist and musician at home. He learned the piano at home, initially through his dad. He learned music reading on his own prior to getting lessons from his current teacher, Sara Matsura. He learned art through his mom. Not surprisingly, Juno is the grandson of National Artist for Music Dr. Ramon P. Santos.
Juno loved making a mark on paper; so, writing and drawing for him were automatic and came naturally. He started with writing numbers and letters, which then evolved into shapes. His mother, an artist herself, helped guide him, but he developed his own style and preference, particularly in colors. He really just needed guidance because a lot of discipline is needed in practicing art.
Why is his exhibit entitled, “Not About the Dog?” You just have to see it to find out.
The Center for Possibilities Foundation, Inc. (CFP), which is spearheading the concert and exhibit, is a non-profit organization committed to creating a compassionate and nurturing community for individuals with special needs and their families. “The organization aims to promote an inclusive society where persons with special needs can be fully embraced,” says Cynthia Tinsay-Gonzalez, one of CFP’s directors. She runs Reach, where Juno goes to school.
CFP also has an operational SPED Center in Sagada, Mountain Province. The Center houses 25 special children, all of whom are under the program for free. CFP is in the process of opening another SPED Center in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
The concert and exhibit will be for the benefit of CFP’s SPED Center in Sagada, Mountain Province. CFP is establishing another SPED Center in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
(For tickets, please contact Maricar Diokno at 0918-8881759 or 723-1242.)
‘On a Wing and a Prayer’
Women acrobats Katie Hobbs and Emily Guilding.
Can you do a handstand...at 1,000 ft...on the wings of an aerobatic Boeing-Stearman Model 75 biplane?
Look up the sky this week and you may see one of the world’s most spectacular flying troupes. The AeroSuperBatics WingWalkers will strut their stuff for the 22nd Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) from Feb. 8 to 11 at the Omni Aviation in Clark, Pampanga.
Capt. Joy Roa, an accomplished and confirmed air safety advocate on his Boy Scout’s word of honor, may surprise us this year for introducing the derring-do act of two intrepid women acrobats — the blonde Emily Guilding and the brunette Katie Hobbs — who do the stunts and hang upside down from outside of plane, strapped in only by a harness. The British duo are part of the AeroSuperBatics Ltd. wing-walking team performing aerobatic maneuvers, while their pilots do loops, rolls and turns.
They performed as the Breitling Wingwalkers in 2011 under a sponsorship agreement with the Swiss watch manufacturer, which ended when Breitling was sold to new owners in 2017.
What’s it like up there? A (shy) survivor recalls: “The engine of the plane shudders and roars into life and a stuntwoman is strapped in safely. The plane faces down the runway that now stretches out. I may have been on a plane a hundred times, but this time I am quite literally ON the plane — strapped to the wings. We start hurtling down the runway, gathering speed at a startling pace. This is it...Before I know it I’m soaring through the sky...I spend the entire 10 minutes screaming.
“It’s the thrill of a skydive, the tranquility of a paraglide and the sensation of really, truly flying is one I’ll never forget.”
For this year’s Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta, 26 hot-air balloons converge from all over the world. (There are 11 new special-shaped ones -— Happy Heart, Matryoshka Russian Doll, Queen’s Guard, Giant Strawberry, Buddy Balloon, Captain Jack, Princess Nellie, Vostok Balloon, Master Yoda, Morris the Donkey, Bruno the Clown and Pepe the Hedgehog.)
British skydivers will perform at the 22nd Philippine International Hot-Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark, Pampanga.
Early morning balloon flights are followed by non-stop flying activities -— paragliding, skydiving, aerobatic exhibitions, formation flights, balloon bursting competitions and kite flying.
There will be round-the-clock entertainment for the whole family. Supercar drifting exhibitions; airplanes drop flour bombs overhead; drone racing; remote control flying exhibitions; unique finds from the Fly Market; archery, horseback riding, camel-riding, and animal feeding. Or tickle your palate on the array of delectable eats.
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PIHABF gathers pilots from the world over every year to showcase the beauty of the Philippines, and for Filipinos to experience other cultures. The Philippines hosts the Airsport Federation of Asia (AFA) conference this year at the Fiesta to promote and strengthen air sport events among member nations.
The Balloon Fiesta is the longest-running sports aviation event in Asia, annually boosting tourism in Clark, Pampanga and the Philippines. For over two decades, it has sustained the dream to promote aviation, to instill discipline in young pilots, and to encourage the spirit of volunteerism in the community.
(Tickets are available at the Fiesta’s website, Ticketnet outlets, or at the event gates. For more details, visit philballoonfest.net, follow @philballoonfest on Twitter and Instagram, and like @PIHABF on Facebook. P500 for entrance tickets, part of proceeds will support the PIHABF Foundation Scholarship Fund for underprivileged students who want to pursue a career in aviation.)