The Freeman Lifestyle has come up with the innovative idea of being close and personal with their readers by doing projects involving the community. The Freeman has started what may well be a quarterly event in cooperation with its advertisers on areas that it covers — arts and culture, couture, cuisine and wellness.
The event showcases local talents and expertise that underscore The Freeman’s core value, which is to serve Cebu and the Cebuanos.
The first undertaking, which was jointly sponsored by the University of San Carlos Press and the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino was the unveiling of two new books, playwright and author Linda Faigao Hall’s The Female Heart and Other Plays and Canto Voice, a collection of verses by her late father Cornelio Faigao, who was at one time an active journalist, editor and columnist of several newspapers in the city and was once-upon-a time president of the Cebu Press Club.
Held at the Baltic-Balearic rooms of the Waterfront Hotel, the well-attended event opened with guest speaker Juan Mercado, whose career in journalism started in early ‘50s and was Philippine Press Institute’s founding director, sharing his memorable experiences and personal stories of the times he spent with Cornelio Faigao.
Faigao’s satiric verses, edited by Dr. Hope Sabanpan Yu, Ph.D were read by three well-respected media practitioners led by Eileen Mangubat, publisher of Cebu Daily News, Dr. Mila Espina, Ph.D. columnist of Sun Star Cebu and Joeberth Ocao, copy editor of The Freeman.
A brief intermission followed with Joel Oporto, an acclaimed Cebuano, classical guitarist and past president of the Cebu Guitar Society, performing a beautiful harana, a Spanish-influenced serenades.
The dramatic readings from Linda Faigao Hall’s two popular plays, Woman from the Other Side of the World and The Female Heart as directed by Archie Modequillo, The Freeman Slick Sunday columnist, were brought to life by proficient individuals such as Marlinda Angbetic Tan, toastmaster and Freeman lifestyle executive dditor; Dr. Randolph Libres M.D., president, St. Paul College Foundation; Michelle Varron, columnist, SunStar Cebu; Gerard Joshua Ma, 6th grader at Sacred Heart School; Alice Kintanar Queblatin; former speech and drama teacher, USC Department; Dondi Joseph, president of the Cebu Business Club; Joanna Fajardo Salazar, Dean, College of Business & Hospitality Management, Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology and Joeberth Ocao.