Category: Business Mirror

Two chefs turn years of corporate experience and a shared passion for cooking into an unconventional dining experience in Silang, Cavite.

There is something distinctly Filipino about gathering around a table laden with food. Meals are meant to be shared, conversations flow as dishes are passed around, and the pleasure of eating lies as much in the company as in what is served.

At Obscure Table in Silang, Cavite, chefs GB Barlao and Dennis Hipolito take this familiar tradition and give it a contemporary twist. Their concept revolves around the Filipino salo-salo, but instead of keeping diners in one place for the entire meal, they invite them to experience dinner in three acts, moving through three distinct spaces on the property.

For the two chefs, Obscure Table is the culmination of a friendship built over years in the food industry and a shared desire to return to their first love: cooking.

Both studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, although they met only after graduation. Their professional paths eventually crossed, leading to a friendship and working relationship that would span nearly two decades.

Hipolito spent years in Singapore working with Yum! Brands in the Asia-Pacific region, developing products for brands including KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. Barlao, meanwhile, built experience in culinary education, ingredient sourcing, and product development.

Understanding food beyond the kitchen

THEIR corporate careers gave them an understanding of food beyond the kitchen, encompassing innovation, marketing, and operations. But the desire to cook and create something of their own remained.

‘We wanted to pursue the passion of cooking,’ Hipolito recalled, describing conversations that began before the pandemic about leaving corporate work and exploring their culinary ambitions.

Initially, they envisioned a café that would transform into a supper club in the evening. The opportunity that eventually presented itself, however, was different.

A relative of Hipolito offered them a property in Silang. Expecting a simple farm space, the chefs discovered an old family dining hall, a patio, and several distinct areas that could accommodate different dining experiences.

Rather than force their original concept onto the property, they allowed the space to shape their plans. The result was Obscure Table, a destination built around the idea of making the meal itself a journey.

Three acts, one communal experience

OBSCURE Table describes itself as an elevated salo-salo told in three acts. Operating by reservation, it accommodates 15 to 20 guests for one seating each night from Friday to Sunday.

The evening begins in an indoor-outdoor garden, where guests enjoy breads, spreads, and appetizers. The experience then moves into another space for the main courses before concluding in a separate area for desserts and conversation.

Each setting has its own atmosphere, with distinctive lighting, furnishings, and tablescapes contributing to the progression.

The chefs drew inspiration from their dining experiences in the Philippines and abroad.

They wanted to preserve the communal character of Filipino eating while offering something different from conventional tasting menus, where diners typically remain seated and receive individual portions throughout the meal.

At Obscure Table, dishes are served in sharing portions, allowing guests to choose what they want and return for second servings. Those booking individual places may also find themselves sharing a long table with people they have never met.

The chefs initially wondered whether diners would embrace communal seating, so they tested the concept through dinners with guests. The feedback encouraged them to continue, with conversations sometimes leading to new friendships and professional connections.

For Barlao and Hipolito, bringing people together is as important as the food itself.

billboards do the job socmed

Familiar flavors, a different perspective

‘WE don’t claim authenticity. We claim sincerity,’ Barlao explained, describing their approach to cooking.

The chefs take familiar dishes and apply culinary techniques, layers of flavor, and contrasting textures to present them differently without losing their recognizable character.

The September menu served during the media preview illustrated this philosophy. The meal began with a grazing board of balut , eggplant tapenade, ensaymada coffee butter, maple walnut cream cheese, and scallion spread, accompanied by curated breads.

One of the more enjoyable parts of the meal was the pulutan platter, which showcased the kitchen’s playful approach to Filipino favorites. A ‘Tokwa’t Baboy’ terrine with prune chutney and crispy tokwa reimagined a familiar pairing, while mini embutido corndogs gave the well-loved meatloaf a different presentation. The ‘Sinuglaw’ Agua Chile de Camaron with Thai BBQ pork brought together seafood and pork in an inventive combination.

The main courses continued the reinterpretation of familiar flavors. Bulalo Dashi with Chili-Manis Patis offered a different dimension to the comforting flavors associated with bulalo, while the spiced lamb shank and slow-cooked oxtail and tripe kare-kare stew provided a more substantial take on the beloved peanut-based dish.

Equally welcome were the vegetable courses, which balanced the richer meat offerings. Carrot cake pavé, charred cabbage with fish sauce caramel, and ginataang calabasa casserole brought contrasting textures and flavors to the table. Rather than treating vegetables as mere accompaniments, the menu gave them a distinct place in the overall spread.

Dessert continued the progression with the Obscure Table Pianono, dacquoise, and caramel crémeux, combining familiar pastry references with contemporary techniques.

For the chefs, the goal is not simply to make dishes look different. Their experience in product development and culinary operations gives them the technical grounding to work with flavor, texture, and execution while keeping the pleasure of eating at the center of the experience.

The dish that started it all

AT the heart of Obscure Table is Chicharonillo, the chefs’ original creation combining cochinillo with a specially developed chicharon skin.

Developed through repeated trials, the dish brings together crisp pork skin and tender meat, accompanied by several accoutrements. It is presented whole and carved tableside, turning its arrival into a shared moment for diners.

The name is trademarked, and the creation has become a defining feature of the concept. It is included in the Grand Menu, while guests choosing the Salo-Salo Menu may order it separately. A limited holiday-season release will also make it available outside the private dining experience for the first time.

Hospitality at Obscure Table extends beyond the guests. The chefs also prepare meals for accompanying drivers, mindful that finding food for them can be difficult while their passengers dine. Their kitchen team likewise gets to enjoy meals prepared by the chefs themselves.

After years of working behind the scenes, Barlao and Hipolito are now exploring the Philippine dining scene through a concept that brings together their corporate experience and culinary ambitions.

Obscure Table may be an unconventional destination, but its underlying idea is familiar. Filipino dining has always been about salo-salo-sharing food, making room for others, and finding pleasure in the company around the table.

Here, that tradition becomes a three-act experience, shaped by two chefs who believe that food can be creative and thoughtfully prepared without losing its most important quality: the ability to bring people together.

SPANKING and physical discipline with objects like sticks, brooms, or hangers were widely accepted and considered effective by many parents, favoring the ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ to correct the misbehavior of a child.

Such support for ‘tough love’ has recently found its way into some arguments meant to delve into why, it seems, some of the younger generations these days seem ‘weak’ and impulsively point to their ‘mental health’ problems when in crisis.

An expert, however, has asserted that, everything else considered, it is still not good parenting to use force on a child; and that it won’t ‘toughen’ the child against crisis in the future.

For Psychology Professor Dr. Liane Peña Alampay of the Ateneo de Manila University, more frequent spanking is linked to greater anxiety and aggression in children over time, as she cited international research that includes Filipino families. Alampay presented the findings during the recent Ateneo Breakthroughs Lecture.

The findings challenge the familiar belief that ‘pamamalo’ produces more disciplined children, pointing instead to the benefits of warm relationships in the home, clear expectations, and nonviolent disciplining.

Largest global multicultural project

In her Ateneo Breakthroughs Lecture, Alampay drew from the Parenting Across Cultures (PAC) research project, the largest multicultural and longitudinal study of its kind in the world.

Over 15 years, the PAC project followed children and their parents in nine countries-some 4,500 families in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the USA. As the Philippine site lead, Alampay examined how parenting shapes child development and how culture influences parent-child relationships.

Alampay said that the beliefs of parents and attitudes, behaviors, relationship with children shape a personal, physical growth, psychological adjustment, cognitive development, pro-social behaviors, and anti-social behaviors.

‘These are borne out of of a wealth of research studies, but also in our personal experiences as children of our parents, and as caregivers ourselves’ Alampay emphasized during the lecture.

Corporal punishment

Across the various cultures it studied, the PAC project found that more frequent physical punishment predicted greater anxiety and aggression. Cultural acceptance of the practice sometimes weakened these outcomes, but did not transform physical punishment into a beneficial practice.

‘In no instance does corporal punishment have positive effects,’ Alampay said, underscoring the project’s findings.

She noted that in the Philippine context, corporal punishment is often synonymous with discipline.

‘But I want to correct that; there are many types and forms of discipline. We need to discipline our children, but in ways that are not harsh or inflicting pain,’ she explained.

Alampay’s research challenges the assumption that warm, accepting parenting is a Western approach unsuited to Filipino families. Across the nine countries, rejection, neglect, and hostility toward the child were consistently associated with later emotional and behavioral difficulties that remained from age seven to 14.

In contrast, children who felt valued and accepted were protected from aggressive or antisocial behaviors, depression, and anxiety in relationships.

Alampay also said that preventing school violence depends on addressing children’s relationships at home and in school. Rejection or harsh parenting at home can combine with bullying and exclusion in school, leaving distressed young people vulnerable to online groups that encourage violence.

‘Of course, we need to make schools safe spaces, not just safe in terms of cameras and bag searches, but safe with a teacher, safe with classmates,’ she said, calling for parenting support and environments where children feel accepted and can trust adults.

Authoritative vs. authoritarian parenting

The Filipino parents represented in the research were among those reporting the strongest authoritarian attitudes, emphasizing strictness, obedience, and respect for authority. Alampay distinguished this approach from authoritative parenting, which combines rules and expectations with warmth, open communication, and recognition of the child’s perspective.

Moreover, close family ties also emerged as a potential strength. Valuing family responsibilities-such as helping in the home, spending time with the family, supporting siblings, and respecting parents-predicted later helpful behavior and, among Filipino participants, protected against the effects of negative parenting by shaping the meanings of parent behaviors. This variable may be related but not equivalent to ‘utang na loob.’ How family obligations can bring about positive as well as negative effects among the youth needs further study.

She added that parenting also reflects pressures outside the home: financial hardship, unsafe neighborhoods, and household instability can strain parents’ well-being and relationships, increasing the risk of harsh parenting.

Putting research into practice

As a way of putting research into practice, Alampay discussed Masayang Pamilya (MaPa), a Philippine adaptation of the Parenting for Lifelong Health support intervention that aims to promote positive caregiver-child relationships, prevent violence in the home, and enhance caregiver and child well-being.

MaPa teaches caregivers practical skills through model scripts, guided practice, illustrated stories, and stress management. A randomized controlled trial of MaPa for young children found reductions in child maltreatment sustained a year after the program.

Likewise, her team is working with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to expand MaPa through family development sessions for conditional cash transfer beneficiaries.

Alampay shared that the best way to reach parents is through support and empathy, rather than judgment for most parents do not intentionally choose negative parenting. They would like to see their children thrive but do not know how to do it.

‘We are also products of our history and how we were parented; it is all we know,’ she said, added that it is reassuring, however, that when provided with inputs, parents are motivated to unlearn past practices and learn new behaviors that will help foster positive relationships.

Alampay’s lecture is part of the Ateneo Breakthroughs Lecture Series’ current focus on the family, bringing Ateneo de Manila University research into public conversations about children, relationships, and well-being.

MYLENE PAAT-REZANOVA needed no starting role to make a winning impact for Farm Fresh.

Coming off the bench, the veteran opposite hitter delivered 15 points as the Foxies completed a reverse sweep of the Choco Mucho Flying Titans, 20-25, 26-28, 25-23, 25-23, 15-13, in the 2026-27 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series on Thursday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Her timely contribution and leadership in the comeback, which gave Farm Fresh its second win in three games, earned Paat-Rezanova the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week citation.

The recognition comes as the league celebrates its 10th year and carries added meaning for the 32-year-old, who previously said she is treating every game of the 2026-27 season as if it’s her last.

Rather than dwell on what she can still accomplish individually, Paat-Rezanova has approached the season intent on sharing the lessons she has learned over the past decade while helping Farm Fresh continue to grow as a group.

That mindset was evident against the Flying Titans, with the Foxies forced to dig deep after dropping the first two sets.

‘Actually, siguro ‘yung pagiging positive mindset ko and kada set talaga sinasabi ko kailangan naming magtulong-tulong, pagkatiwalaan namin yung bawat isa, especially nung umabot kami sa fifth set,’ Paat-Rezanova said.

The comeback eventually turned into an emotional one for the ex-PVL MVP, who pointed to the trust that surfaced when Farm Fresh was pushed to the brink.

Paat-Rezanova beat out Creamline’s Pangs Panaga, Farm Fresh teammate Trisha Tubu, Nxled’s Jonah Sabete-Escamillan, Akari’s Eli Soyud, PLDT’s Savi Davison, and Capital1’s Bella Belen for the weekly honor given by print and online reporters covering the pioneering professional volleyball league organized by Sports Vision.

‘Wow! Meron tayong sariling atin!’

That was my reaction during that most eventful 1985-86 with the explosion of the local punk and new wave scene.

What I read and heard about in the pioneering music scenes in New York, Los Angeles, and London had found its way to Manila. Personally, that fired up all my synapses. I felt so alive.

While I was weaned on 70s hard rock and metal, psychedelic and pop rock, punk and new wave came to the fore during my teen years in the 1980s, thus me gravitating towards the scene with Twisted Red Cross bands Urban Bandits and Betrayed, and new wavers Ethnic Faces, the Dawn, and Identity Crisis, among others.

As a young boy who frequented Musikland (like almost every day from 1979-82) at the basement of Ali Mall, the biggest record store in Manila until Tower Records in Glorietta opened in the late 1990s, they had this long rack dedicated solely to Filipino artists. That rack? It must have had at least 36-40 records on display on either side.

While I purchased foreign artists, I was always drawn and intrigued by the records on display at the local rack. The one record that first drew the attention of my friends and I was Maria Cafra’s debut album with that burning guitar.

‘Like Jimi Hendrix,’ we told each other. And honestly? I didn’t think that was bad. After all, we had the Tony Bennet of the Philippines (Arthur Manuntag). Our Elvis Presley (Eddie Mesa). The Filipino Bee Gees (VST and Company and the Boyfriends). The answer to the Beatles (Dynasouls). And so on.

The Juan dela Cruz Band’s Kahit Anong Mangyari opened the floodgates for me to local music, especially the 1970s Pinoy Rock and its guitar heroes. That was the first Pinoy music record I ever purchased, and I never stopped since.

There was a lot of hype when the Juan dela Cruz Band put out Kahit Anong Mangyari in 1981, where there were print ads, TV and radio appearances, and during launch day, lines of fans eagerly looking to get their mitts on a copy. Me included.

I watched their album launch at the Big Dome and at the Loyola Center.

I did buy that record of Maria Cafra and later tore off a mini poster from Songhits that I taped to my bedroom wall.

The other album cover that snared my attention was Wally Gonzalez’ Tunog Pinoy that is a totally underrated album. And to this day, I enjoy listening to Wally’s two solo albums.

However, what got me to really listen more to local artists was Twisted Red Cross, that legendary underground punk rock label where all their bands had to create their own songs. And honestly, I think the songs where they railed against government corruption and ineptitude, as well as social ills, were something I learned more from music than school. Furthermore, their titles were my first-ever cassettes.

And boy – those early underground cassettes – are very much a part of my teen years aside from Philippine music history. They are keepsakes and treasures. And to this day, I love them as much as my teen self did back in the day.

It massively helped that my schoolmate, friend, and neighbor, Dominic Gamboa, was the vocalist for Betrayed. That put a name and a friendly face to the scene for me.

A few years before Twisted Red Cross detonated like Daisy Cutter (the most destructive conventional non-nuclear bomb in the 1980s) on us unsuspecting music fans, there were the Jerks who whose original songs were played only on DZRJ after which Ocean Zoo and Ethnic Faces put out independently released 7-inch extended play singles.

Then OctoArts released the Dawn’s ‘Enveloped Ideas’ on a 12-inch single, making the band the first local new wave artist signed to a local major label. There was a lot of noise and hype about the Dawn and that 12-inch single (that came out ahead of the full-length album).

I can remember that almost all radio stations gravitated towards ‘Enveloped Ideas’.

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That was the first 12-inch single ever released in the country, and soon the major labels began to put out even foreign 12-inch singles and remixes that were popular at that time because of the rise of the new wave dance parties.

And then came – Identity Crisis, Dean’s December, the Khumb Mela Band, and that 10 of Another Kind compilation.

I fell in love with the scene, and kind of lapped up all the Pinoy Rock, punk, and new wave releases that were issued. I guess that is where I became a true collector in every sense of the word. And to this day, I still do try to get as much local music as I can.

I have been blessed to have put out on vinyl a lot of local artists including the early Jerks music that was never released and only played on DZRJ.

With my own underground label, Eikon Records, the pioneers of the indie scene – (thanks to Insect Dance, DMZ, and Twisted Red Cross – gave me the inspiration to follow in their footsteps.

Who thought I would work with Betrayed, Maria Cafra, Sugar Hiccup, Neighbors, Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad, Apo Hiking Society, Greyhoundz, Kapatid, Wolfgang, among many others?

Pinch me, man. I am still dreaming.

And it only further whets my love for local music – rock, pop, jazz, classical, and all. After all, sariling atin ito.

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WASHINGTON-Blistering record heat in Europe this summer helped kill more than 50,000 people, with nearly two-thirds of that death toll blamed on human-caused climate change, a new study found.

Researchers modeled heat-related deaths for different age groups in 854 European cities during repeated heat waves in June, July and August and found that 50,391 people died from warmer temperatures, and of those, 32,619 died because of the extra heat caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas, according to a study in an upcoming issue of Nature Health.

That’s 71% higher than the previous deadliest summer, which was 29,480 in 2022, according to the same researchers, who produced a study earlier this month tracking yearly summer heat-related deaths in those European cities.

And this summer’s death figures are underestimates because they don’t count a deadly heat wave in May and they only look at deaths in those 854 cities, which are about 40% of Europe’s population, study authors said.

About one-third of the deaths were from June 17 to July 1, a particularly intense heat wave when temperatures were 9.5 degrees Fahrenheit (5.3 degrees Celsius) above normal, said study co-author Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, a biostatistician at Imperial College London.

‘Much of Western and Northern Europe, our infrastructure is just not designed to cope with the sort of temperatures that we are seeing now because of the effects of human-caused warming,’ said lead author Clair Barnes, a climate scientist at Imperial College London. She said some European cities this summer had temperatures 21.6 F (12 C) warmer than normal.

Of those 50,000, more than 32,000 died from the added heat of human-caused climate change, the study also found. Italy, France, Spain and Germany had the highest death tolls, the study said.

Of all the European capitals, Rome had the highest heat death total from 2000 to 2025, according to the team’s study earlier this month.

An extra dose of heat from fossil fuel burning

This would’ve already been an abnormal natural hot spell on top of a huge amount of climate change, Barnes said. She said Europe is the fastest-warming continent-although the Arctic, which is not a continent, is warming even faster-and is 4.5 F (2.5 C) hotter than pre-industrial times.

‘Just the underlying warming from human activity, from mostly the burning of fossil fuels, it’s increasing all of our temperatures by what sounds like quite a small amount,’ Barnes said. ‘For many people, it’s certainly the case that that extra two-and-a-half degrees (Celsius) of warming is what’s going to tip those temperatures from uncomfortable to dangerous and potentially deadly.’

More than half of the people who died in Europe’s heat were age 85 or older, but the stifling temperatures also killed more than 800 people between the ages of 20 and 44, Konstantinoudis said.

How the death numbers are calculated

The team used an established and accepted scientific method to figure out how many of the 50,000 heat deaths were from natural high summer heat and how many were due to what heat-trapping gases have done to the climate. They ran computer simulations of a world without climate change and compared it to the deaths that happened this summer. The difference is what was caused by global warming.

The percentage of heat deaths attributable to global warming has grown from about 45% in the early 2000s to 65% now, Barnes said.

‘Summers are getting hotter, and the analytical tools for attributing deaths to heat are getting more accurate,’ said Dr. Howard Frumkin, former director of the National Center for Environmental Health in the US, who wasn’t part of the study. ‘Together, these two trends yield increasingly high and increasingly accurate counts of heat-related deaths.’

The scientific team also had to use statistical modeling to come up with the base count of 50,000 heat deaths because those deaths are underreported and often not listed in death certificates, despite being a major factor, Konstantinoudis said. Several outside experts agreed with him, calling the methods state-of-the-art.

The researchers ran a complex mathematical equation that has been used in several previously peer-reviewed studies, Barnes said, which factors in specific age and temperatures for each of the 854 cities based on a localized optimal temperature that coincides with the fewest deaths. When it’s warmer or colder, the equation calculates excess deaths above lowest-death conditions.

Researchers then checked their calculations against real-time estimates from government agencies. Mostly-but not always-they matched fairly well, Konstantinoudis said. The team’s methods for May and June British heat waves calculated 2,700 excess deaths and the United Kingdom health statistics agency said it was 2,800, he said.

Cooling and adapting are needed, but they’re not enough

‘We need to prepare for the heat we cannot now avoid, with urgent investments in heat early-warning systems, equitable access to low-carbon cooling, and neighborhood buddy systems that check on and support people most at risk-while rapidly reducing the fossil fuel use driving the crisis,’ said Canadian emergency room physician Dr. Courtney Howard, president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association, who wasn’t part of the research.

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Adapting is only part of the answer, said Dr. Jonathan Patz of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who wasn’t part of the research but also praised it.

‘We can’t just be mopping up the mess on the floor without thinking about turning the faucet off,’ said Patz, a professor of health and the environment. ‘So we need prevention at different levels. We need better cooling and protecting vulnerable populations from inevitable increased frequency and extreme heat waves. But we also need to go to the root of the problem and absolutely address the burning of fossil fuels.’

NAGOYA-Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick Gregorio and Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) president Mike Barredo hailed the Filipino athletes for responding to the challenge and finishing 17th overall with two golds, two silvers and three bronzes in the 5th Asian Para Games which drew to a close Saturday at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

After more than a week of grueling action, swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Arjay Alegarbes bagged gold medals, with Gawilan and table tennis mixed doubles pair of Wilfred Redulla and Lhey Manginsay contributing silvers and swimmer Raemond Adefuin, runner King James Reyes and shot putter Ma. Ravinia Carpena adding bronzes to the coffers.

The haul surpassed the Philippines’s performance in the last edition in Hangzhou three years ago when chess, which the Japanese hosts excluded from this year’s program, is taken out of the tally.

In Hangzhou, the Filipinos collected 10 golds, four silvers and five bronzes, with chess accounting for eight golds, three silvers and two bronzes.

‘It was a very successful performance, congratulations,’ said Gregorio, who flew in for the final two days of the event to cheer for the Filipinos.

‘More or less, with what we did last Para minus chess, of course, we did well,’ Barredo said.

The Philippine squad is now looking forward to the next edition in 2031 in Doha, where it hopes to make the country proud again.

‘What’s important is that we’ll continue supporting our athletes,’ Gregorio said.

Gregorio and Barredo also met with Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) president Majid Rashed to discuss plans to collaborate on building the Philippines’s first training center exclusively for para athletes.

‘One of the reasons I’m here, I met with the APC president and asked them to help develop a game center pareho ng ginawa natin sa taekwondo, football and baseball,’ Gregorio said.’

Two chefs turn years of corporate experience and a shared passion for cooking into an unconventional dining experience in Silang, Cavite.

There is something distinctly Filipino about gathering around a table laden with food. Meals are meant to be shared, conversations flow as dishes are passed around, and the pleasure of eating lies as much in the company as in what is served.

At Obscure Table in Silang, Cavite, chefs GB Barlao and Dennis Hipolito take this familiar tradition and give it a contemporary twist. Their concept revolves around the Filipino salo-salo, but instead of keeping diners in one place for the entire meal, they invite them to experience dinner in three acts, moving through three distinct spaces on the property.

For the two chefs, Obscure Table is the culmination of a friendship built over years in the food industry and a shared desire to return to their first love: cooking.

Both studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, although they met only after graduation. Their professional paths eventually crossed, leading to a friendship and working relationship that would span nearly two decades.

Hipolito spent years in Singapore working with Yum! Brands in the Asia-Pacific region, developing products for brands including KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. Barlao, meanwhile, built experience in culinary education, ingredient sourcing, and product development.

Understanding food beyond the kitchen

THEIR corporate careers gave them an understanding of food beyond the kitchen, encompassing innovation, marketing, and operations. But the desire to cook and create something of their own remained.

‘We wanted to pursue the passion of cooking,’ Hipolito recalled, describing conversations that began before the pandemic about leaving corporate work and exploring their culinary ambitions.

Initially, they envisioned a café that would transform into a supper club in the evening. The opportunity that eventually presented itself, however, was different.

A relative of Hipolito offered them a property in Silang. Expecting a simple farm space, the chefs discovered an old family dining hall, a patio, and several distinct areas that could accommodate different dining experiences.

Rather than force their original concept onto the property, they allowed the space to shape their plans. The result was Obscure Table, a destination built around the idea of making the meal itself a journey.

Three acts, one communal experience

OBSCURE Table describes itself as an elevated salo-salo told in three acts. Operating by reservation, it accommodates 15 to 20 guests for one seating each night from Friday to Sunday.

The evening begins in an indoor-outdoor garden, where guests enjoy breads, spreads, and appetizers. The experience then moves into another space for the main courses before concluding in a separate area for desserts and conversation.

Each setting has its own atmosphere, with distinctive lighting, furnishings, and tablescapes contributing to the progression.

The chefs drew inspiration from their dining experiences in the Philippines and abroad.

They wanted to preserve the communal character of Filipino eating while offering something different from conventional tasting menus, where diners typically remain seated and receive individual portions throughout the meal.

At Obscure Table, dishes are served in sharing portions, allowing guests to choose what they want and return for second servings. Those booking individual places may also find themselves sharing a long table with people they have never met.

The chefs initially wondered whether diners would embrace communal seating, so they tested the concept through dinners with guests. The feedback encouraged them to continue, with conversations sometimes leading to new friendships and professional connections.

For Barlao and Hipolito, bringing people together is as important as the food itself.

Familiar flavors, a different perspective

‘WE don’t claim authenticity. We claim sincerity,’ Barlao explained, describing their approach to cooking.

The chefs take familiar dishes and apply culinary techniques, layers of flavor, and contrasting textures to present them differently without losing their recognizable character.

The September menu served during the media preview illustrated this philosophy. The meal began with a grazing board of balut pSté, eggplant tapenade, ensaymada coffee butter, maple walnut cream cheese, and scallion spread, accompanied by curated breads.

One of the more enjoyable parts of the meal was the pulutan platter, which showcased the kitchen’s playful approach to Filipino favorites. A ‘Tokwa’t Baboy’ terrine with prune chutney and crispy tokwa reimagined a familiar pairing, while mini embutido corndogs gave the well-loved meatloaf a different presentation. The ‘Sinuglaw’ Agua Chile de Camaron with Thai BBQ pork brought together seafood and pork in an inventive combination.

The main courses continued the reinterpretation of familiar flavors. Bulalo Dashi with Chili-Manis Patis offered a different dimension to the comforting flavors associated with bulalo, while the spiced lamb shank and slow-cooked oxtail and tripe kare-kare stew provided a more substantial take on the beloved peanut-based dish.

Equally welcome were the vegetable courses, which balanced the richer meat offerings. Carrot cake pavé, charred cabbage with fish sauce caramel, and ginataang calabasa casserole brought contrasting textures and flavors to the table. Rather than treating vegetables as mere accompaniments, the menu gave them a distinct place in the overall spread.

Dessert continued the progression with the Obscure Table Pianono, dacquoise, and caramel crémeux, combining familiar pastry references with contemporary techniques.

For the chefs, the goal is not simply to make dishes look different. Their experience in product development and culinary operations gives them the technical grounding to work with flavor, texture, and execution while keeping the pleasure of eating at the center of the experience.

The dish that started it all

AT the heart of Obscure Table is Chicharonillo, the chefs’ original creation combining cochinillo with a specially developed chicharon skin.

Developed through repeated trials, the dish brings together crisp pork skin and tender meat, accompanied by several accoutrements. It is presented whole and carved tableside, turning its arrival into a shared moment for diners.

The name is trademarked, and the creation has become a defining feature of the concept. It is included in the Grand Menu, while guests choosing the Salo-Salo Menu may order it separately. A limited holiday-season release will also make it available outside the private dining experience for the first time.

Hospitality at Obscure Table extends beyond the guests. The chefs also prepare meals for accompanying drivers, mindful that finding food for them can be difficult while their passengers dine. Their kitchen team likewise gets to enjoy meals prepared by the chefs themselves.

After years of working behind the scenes, Barlao and Hipolito are now exploring the Philippine dining scene through a concept that brings together their corporate experience and culinary ambitions.

Obscure Table may be an unconventional destination, but its underlying idea is familiar. Filipino dining has always been about salo-salo-sharing food, making room for others, and finding pleasure in the company around the table.

Here, that tradition becomes a three-act experience, shaped by two chefs who believe that food can be creative and thoughtfully prepared without losing its most important quality: the ability to bring people together.

LILOAN, Cebu-Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan has warned Catholic charismatic communities against the rise of ‘spiritual celebrities,’ saying spiritual gifts must serve the Church rather than personal prestige.

Addressing the second National Spiritual Direction Conference of CHARIS Philippines in Liloan town in Cebu on October 20, he said spiritual gifts should strengthen the Christian community, not elevate individuals above others.

‘The Holy Spirit does not distribute gifts to create spiritual celebrities. The Spirit distributes gifts to build up the Body of Christ,’ David said.

He said gifts such as preaching, healing and discernment should strengthen the community, not become tools for gaining recognition, influence or authority within charismatic groups.

‘A charism is a gift of the Spirit not for the individual alone, but for the community,’ David said, warning against rivalry and the pursuit of spiritual prestige.

He also urged charismatic leaders to avoid making followers dependent on their personal gifts, saying leadership should help people develop their own abilities and take responsibility for the Church’s mission.

‘The purpose of leadership is not to make people dependent on leaders. It is rather to help them become mature disciples, capable of exercising their own gifts and responsibilities,’ David said.

Authentic spiritual renewal, he added, must lead to concrete service, especially through greater concern for marginalized people, a commitment to justice and active participation in the Church’s mission.

The cardinal also linked spiritual growth to synodality, the Church’s emphasis on listening, shared responsibility and collective discernment, urging communities to recognize each member’s gifts and discern the Spirit’s guidance together.

The October 19 to 21 conference brought together about 165 delegates, including bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay leaders from dioceses and charismatic groups across the Philippines.

The gathering aimed to deepen participants’ formation in spiritual direction and strengthen their involvement in the life and mission of the Catholic Church.

THAT was a huge win by the Ateneo Blue Eagles over the Far Eastern University Tamaraws last Saturday at the Blue Eagle Gym. They got payback for the first-round loss where they were outplayed.

Ateneo returned the favor this time around, 75-72.

The team showed its potential and when locked in, playing with that kind of manic intensity and nearly four periods of harassing defense, what they can do. How far they go depends on how many more wins can they pull out and how the other teams fare.

Here were their keys to victory against the erstwhile league leader.

High intensity from the onset

FROM the opening whistle, they attacked that basket, took fewer outside shots, played 2-2-1 on the trap, switched on defense, and made FEU feel very uncomfortable (at least for the first 25 minutes of the game).

Ateneo is still far from the finished product. They sustained their defense and intensity for much of the game except for those unforced errors that allowed the Tamaraws back in the game.

It is all about handling the pressure and the inevitable run or runs by the opposing teams.

The Blue Eagles coughed up leads against UP and La Salle and nearly did to FEU-twice in fact. However, this time, they held fast through their defense and some timely plays.

Sultan Baruwa huge difference

SULTAN BARUWA has had his moments during Ateneo’s very brief pre-season and this UAAP campaign, but yesterday, he was more in control rather than playing out of it. If he works on that drop step and is quicker around the hoop-watch out.

While Ateneo registered zero blocks for the game, Baruwa did make FEU think a few times on whether they should challenge him inside.

I had a short conversation with him last Thursday when I dropped by before the team’s practice to share some anecdotes.

I didn’t want to give a pep talk and the usual, ‘kaya niyo yan’ and so-so. Instead, I shared true to life anecdotes where I worked with players from Ateneo, Adamson, San Beda, UST, and National University to help them look at their struggles from another perspective.

What I shared, I made it clear, take away from them what you can or want.

When Sultan came over to shake my hand, I pulled him aside and told him to ‘play with controlled chaos.’ The result was 13 points, 12 rebounds and two assists against four turnovers.

Need for further consistency

THIS is that weird collective stat just like in football where a team can have the most time of possession or even shots at goal but still lose.

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Consider that FEU had more points off turnovers (20-13), rebounds (44-35), points in the paint (40-36), second chance points (17-11), bench points (31-12), and fastbreak points (20-16), but they still lost.

Ateneo had better statistics in the first half but when they coughed up that 18-point lead (48-30) in the third period, that really boosted FEU’s opportunity to steal the game. The Tamaraws’ collective body language was better in the second half (especially after the 26th minute).

When Ateneo got its second wind, they once more gained a double-digit lead late in the game. It was the unforced errors that allowed FEU to come back.

The Blue Eagles take on National University this coming Wednesday, October 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Ateneo upended NU 87-76 in the first round encounter. They will shoot for a repeat win while the latter will seek revenge.

Needless to say, this is a big game, and the Bulldogs are stoked more so after crushing Adamson, 79-43, also last Saturday. That mauling if Adamson saw the Bulldogs return to the top of the league standings with a 6-2 record. Ateneo is at 7th with an even 4-4 slate with percentage points separating them from four other squads with similar win-loss records.

KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel-Kiryat Shmona has long been a bastion of support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. But that loyalty is no longer ironclad.

Once a bustling commercial center, Israel’s northernmost city was temporarily evacuated three years ago after being battered by rockets from nearby Lebanon, and it still feels half-empty even though the attacks have mostly subsided. Although the town remains staunchly conservative, there are rumblings of displeasure with Netanyahu’s handling of the latest war against the militant group Hezbollah, and that could bode poorly for him in Israel’s election Tuesday.

Vowing to stop Hezbollah’s attacks, Netanyahu led a bombing campaign in Lebanon and invaded the country twice since 2023. More than 4,000 Lebanese have been killed, and Israeli troops have occupied a swath of southern Lebanon, leveling multiple towns and displacing an estimated 1 million people.

Still, Hezbollah remains active. Some in Kiryat Shmona say Israel should have been even tougher; others say they no longer trust that Netanyahu cares about them.

Eti Ben Shabat, 64, says in previous elections she had always followed her family in voting for Likud, almost without thinking. But in recent years, she said, something snapped. She pointed in part to Netanyahu’s broken promises to bring security to the north and dismantle Hezbollah.

‘I don’t want the lies to continue,’ she said.

In previous elections, support went heavy for Netanyahu

Netanyahu is unlikely to lose Kiryat Shmona entirely. But even a small dip in its support-and that of other traditional strongholds-could spell trouble for him.

It could tip a very tight election to the man aiming to replace him, Gadi Eisenkot. Or it could strengthen far-right parties, which would likely back Netanyahu to remain prime minister but would then have even greater power in a ruling coalition.

Kiryat Shmona has always supported right-wing parties, particularly Likud. In the last elections held in 2021 and 2022, around 50% of voters there chose Likud, compared to a quarter of voters nationwide, according to the Central Elections Committee.

‘Kiryat Shmona, the way the city is socioeconomically and religion-wise, it is made for the right and specifically Likud,’ said Sami Malul, 72, a retired Likud city councilor who served as the town’s acting mayor in 2008.

But the town is reeling from the war. The government evacuated Kiryat Shmona and dozens of other towns and villages along the Lebanese border for more than a year – from the time Hezbollah began firing on Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel until a ceasefire with Hezbollah was reached in late 2024.

Netanyahu claimed to have subdued Hezbollah. So trust in him shattered among some in Kiryat Shmona when Hezbollah missiles again started hitting in March after Israel and the US launched their war on Iran.

Israel’s subsequent occupation of southern Lebanon has reduced but not stopped Hezbollah fire. Efforts by the Lebanese army to remove Hezbollah from southern Lebanon have made little progress.

Kiryat Shmona claims that nearly 80% of its 22,000 residents have returned, but locals say the real figure is closer to 50%. Streets feel empty and abandoned. On the main commercial drags, several shops remain shuttered. Others are open but devoid of customers.

Malul insists the government handled the war and the evacuation well, prioritizing residents’ safety. He argued Kiryat Shmona has faced attacks since its founding and Netanyahu isn’t to blame for the current situation.

Many others feel the same.

‘We really love Bibi, and we can’t choose anyone else, but he should see the needs of his people,’ said Maimon Amsalem, using Netanyahu’s nickname. ‘Keeping our security is the most important thing, we don’t want anything else.’

For some, three years of war triggers a dramatic shift

Nissan Zeevi, a third-generation resident of northern Israel who lives in a town adjacent to Kiryat Shmona, has voted for Likud as long as he can remember. But this year he is running for a seat in parliament with the Beyachad opposition party, furious over what he calls Netanyahu’s ‘abandonment of the north.’

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During the most recent war with Hezbollah, Zeevi founded Lobby 1701, an activist group advocating for better security in the north. He wants the Israeli military to increase its attacks against Hezbollah and maintain its buffer zone in southern Lebanon until the Lebanese government identifies Hezbollah as a terror organization.

‘Residents in the north have been in a war for three years that hasn’t ended,’ said Zeevi. ‘You can see the people’s great frustration and great disappointment in Netanyahu.’

‘Netanyahu still has his base here, who will go with him through fire and water. But people have much more political awareness now,’ said Zeevi. ‘After 20 years, he needs to make way for new leadership.’

In a small town, voting along family lines

Around town, there’s little evidence that elections are just days away, and little outward excitement for Likud or Netanyahu. A few scattered campaign posters for the smaller right-wing parties flutter at intersections or are glued onto mobile bomb shelters. Few residents wanted to speak about politics, citing a general feeling of hopelessness and frustration.

No candidates have offered a concrete plan for the conflict with Hezbollah, beyond offering vague promises of ‘strong defense.’

In northern Israel as a whole, support for Netanyahu dropped from around 29% just before the last election in 2022 to around 17% in a poll conducted earlier this month for Agam Labs at Hebrew University.

Nimrod Nir, the director of Agam Labs, said most Likud voters frustrated with Netanyahu will likely support hardline parties like Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) and the Religious Zionist Party, which advocate tough military action against Israel’s enemies.

Waiting outside a downtown hairdresser in Kiryat Shmona, Ben Shabat talked about her decision to support Eisenkot, a former military chief who ordered disproportionate force in response to Hezbollah attacks when he was a general during a 2006 war.

Ben Shabat said she trusts Eisenkot as a more honest leader than Netanyahu, who she feels made little effort to connect with residents in the north and sent soldiers to fight while his own son was in a luxury apartment in Miami. She also pointed to his ongoing corruption trial.

Netanyahu made a brief campaign stop in the town on Tuesday. He visited a high school and university, events that were closed to the public, but did not walk around downtown to mingle with residents, as other candidates have done.

Her decision to vote for Eisenkot wasn’t easy in a place where Likud support is a matter of identity more than ideology. The town is overwhelmingly made up of Mizrahi Jews, who arrived from Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa in the 1950s.

Mizrahi Jews often identify with the right and especially Likud, having faced discrimination by the European-descended elites that traditionally dominate Israeli government, military and business institutions.

‘Kiryat Shmona is like a small family, we’re always helping each other, it’s one of the things I love about it,’ Ben Shabat said. But that close-knit support also comes with social pressure to vote a certain way.

At a recent meetup for Eisenkot supporters, the room was packed, but people did not want photos taken of the audience, worrying what their family or neighbors would think, Ben Shabat said.

‘It’s a small place, so people aren’t speaking about it openly,’ she said. ‘But inside, people really want a change.’