HONG KONG—The one place I visit the most here is not Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui or the Harbour City-Ocean Centre mall or Victoria Peak up the mountains. It’s not a ride aboard the iconic Star Ferry or a stroll along Granville Road. It’s not even inside shops like H & M or Esprit [...]

[Read more →]

Doc Tony (2nd from right) with (from left) Ogie Laranas, Gabby Cruz and Gerry Malixi during the ‘La Salle Goes Bad!’ tournament

When I asked one of Cebu’s top sports medicine physicians what the best ways are to prevent injuries, his answers were four-fold: 1) Proper conditioning. 2) Using appropriate equipment. 3) Employing proper techniques and, [...]

[Read more →]

First published in October 24, 2006, here’s a tribute to my best friend…
I don’t do this. Usually, I don’t yield space to send birthday greetings to friends. But this one’s special. This person is different. Someone I’ve known for many Septembers, opened my ears and listened to talk, someone whom I’ve heard sing—and what [...]

[Read more →]

Two weeks ago I bought myself a Christmas present: a bench press set with barbell and weights from JB Sports. With the dumbbells that I previously kept, I hung a full-size mirror on the cement wall, installed a portable speaker for the iPod Nano and created for myself a mini-gym at home.
Strength-training. Is it essential [...]

[Read more →]

Among all the superlatives that people attach beside the name of the incoming US President—“the first among 44,” “the new JFK,” “the savior of U.S.A. after the debacle named W.”—there is one more attribute that fits best on these back pages: “Exercise-in-Chief.”
Yes. Because while staring at Barack Obama’s scrawny look on CNN might give you [...]

[Read more →]

ILOILO—Each Holy Week for the past three years, I’ve stayed at my wife’s uncle’s beach house in Oton, a town 20 minutes away from Iloilo City. Last year, I wrote an article in Sun.Star Cebu about a sport I exercised here each morning. Here’s a revised version of that piece…
Here in the rest house, right [...]

[Read more →]

 
I never used to drink one of the world’s most popular drinks. Every time I step inside Bo’s Coffee or walk beside a Coffee Dream kiosk—with no offense meant to Steve Benitez and Glenn Soco, my good friends who own our two most popular and home-grown coffee shops—I stare at the menu, pause for three [...]

[Read more →]

If you’re still in search of gifts to hand out this Monday night, search no more: Buy the gift of exercise. No, no, no. You can’t burn calories for your mom, spouse or best friend—but you can buy a gift that’ll make him or her sweat. Here are some suggestions…
Treadmill. Ever since 12 months [...]

[Read more →]

“Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we shall…. diet!”

Haven’t you noticed? Santa Claus singing this tune every single Christmas for hundreds of centuries now to no avail? And for good reason…
Think of that mouth-watering La Marea warm-brownie cup. Or the turtle pie only Coffee Bean perfects. Or Homebakers’ merceditas and Leona’s Chocolate Surprise. [...]

[Read more →]

My good friend Bobby Villareal sent these 15 tips a few days ago. They’re a must-read…
1. Just stop. Take 20-30 minutes out of your day to think about nothing. But don’t sleep – you’ve got to meditate. Sit still, reduce sensory input, and try to focus your mind on something like a calm scene or [...]

[Read more →]