Effective writing skills, as well as the ethical use of these skills, are a must in the conduct of business in the country. This is why most business professionals see the need to ensure that all communication materials issued under their organizations’ name convey their message in the clearest, most ethical, and most compelling manner. After all, the crispness and clarity of communication materials released by a company reflect the kind of organization it is—its character, its priorities, and even its values.

The speaker, Ms. April Yap has one foot in the corporate world and the other in writing. She taught Creative Writing at UP Diliman for 8 years then moved the corporate world. She was Deputy Director of Insights at GroupM Philippines and, briefly, Senior Research Manager for Bright Consulting working with Nestle Philippines. Currently, April teaches and writes and does market research all on a freelance basis.

The workshop fee is P2,500 for both classes inclusive of handouts, materials, snacks, and a certificate. A nonrefundable down payment of P500 is required to reserve a slot. The deadline for reservations is on February 4, 2012. A 5-percent discount will be given to those who pay in full and in cash on or before the deadline. A 10-percent discount will be given to all Acentive members. Payments can be made in cash, check, or through credit card.

Proceeds of this workshop benefit the literacy projects of the Filipinas Heritage Library, including the development of community libraries, book donations, and the training of teachers and librarians all over the country.

For inquiries, please call Joy de Asis-Villaflores at 892 1801, send an SMS to 0917 561 2413, or e-mail villaflores.md@ayalafoundation.org

Writing about real life events need not always be so serious. One can write about any life experience with humor. Learn how to inject humor and wit into your essays and memoirs from Bebang Sy, author of “It’s a Mens World,” and one of the funniest young writers in the Philippines today.

Si Bebang Siy ay ipinanganak sa Quirino, Maynila. Nanirahan sa Paco, Pandacan, at Pasay, mga tigagatlong buwan. Nagkaisip sa Ermita. Lumipat sa Paranaque.Nag-aral sa Malate. Umuwi sa Las Pinas. Nagkolehiyo sa may bandang Philcoa. Nag-board sa may Kamias. Namamalengke sa Q-mart. Nagtatrabaho sa Mandaluyong. A, wala naman. Wala naman siyang planong gumawa ng mapa ng Metro Manila. Gusto lang niyang isalaysay sa iyo kung gaano kadugo ang ganitong uri ng mundo.

The workshop fee is P2,500 for both classes inclusive of handouts, materials, snacks, and a certificate. A nonrefundable down payment of P500 is required to reserve a slot. The deadline for reservations is on February 6, 2012. A 5-percent discount will be given to those who pay in full and in cash on or before the deadline. A 10-percent discount will be given to all Acentive members. Payments can be made in cash, check, or through credit card.

Proceeds of this workshop benefit the literacy projects of the Filipinas Heritage Library, including the development of community libraries, book donations, and the training of teachers and librarians all over the country.

For inquiries, please call Joy de Asis-Villaflores at 892 1801, send an SMS to 0917 561 2413, or e-mail villaflores.md@ayalafoundation.org.

What role does the cultural worker play in today’s global society?

Through Cultural Work 101, the Filipinas Heritage Library provides cultural workers the opportunity to enrich their understanding of the depth, scope, and value of their profession—how it relates to various disciplines, as well as how it contributes to the discourse on culture, history, and identity. The course hopes to equip participants with the knowledge on how cultural work translates to civic action toward the sustainable development of individuals and of society, through class lectures, personal reflections, group discussions, and other learning tools and methods.

Felice Sta. Maria, the facilitator for this seminar, is an award-winning cultural essayist and advocate. In 2001, she was the first recipient of the Dangal ng Haraya for cultural management, a lifetime achievement award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). She is actively involved in various causes, often using her writing to champion these advocacies. Her writings are centered on a personal philosophy for social transformation.

The workshop fee is P2,000 inclusive of a book, workshop materials, meals, and a certificate. A nonrefundable down payment of P500 is required to reserve a slot. The deadline for reservations is on February 21, 2012. A 5-percent discount will be given to those who pay in full and in cash on or before the deadline. A 10-percent discount will also be given to all Acentives members. Payments can be made in cash, check, or credit card.

For inquiries, please call Joy de Asis-Villaflores at 892 1801, send her an SMS at 0917 561 2413, or e-mail her at villaflores.md@ayalafoundation.org.

The Filipinas Heritage Library celebrates World Poetry Day 2012 with a poetry panel featuring professors and multi-award winning poets Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta and Allan Popa. Students and teachers of all ages and backgrounds are invited to participate in this engaging dialogue on poetry appreciation.

Come and join a conversation on the intricacies of poetry—on how poems connect with readers and express universal truths in the fewest of words. Share your experiences on reading, writing, and teaching poetry, while gaining insights from your panelists and co-participants.

Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the Ateneo de Manila University, before obtaining her Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the New School University in New York City. Mookie has won the Philippine Free Press Awards and a Palanca Award for her poetry. Her first poetry collection, The Proxy Eros, was published in 2008.

Mookie teaches poetry at the Ateneo de Manila University and the De La Salle University, Manila. She is also the editor of Metro Serye a foldout chapbook series that features “the works of different artists, fictionists, and poets with every issue.”

Meanwhile, Allan Popa earned his MFA in Poetry from the Washington University in Saint Louis, where he won the Norma Lowry Prize and the Academy of American Poets Prize. He is the author of seven poetry collections, the latest of which is Basta (2009). He has won the Philippine Free Press Award, and received the Manila Critics Circle National Book Award for his poetry collections Morpo (2011) and Samsara (2002).

Allan is on the permanent faculty of the Ateneo de Manila University’s Filipino Department. He also teaches poetry at the De La Salle University, Manila.

For inquiries, please call Joy de Asis-Villaflores at 892-1801 local 27, send an SMS to 0917-561-2413, email villaflores.md@ayalafoundation.org

The Filipinas Heritage Library invites budding travel writers to learn the basics of travel writing for various platforms and mediums. Understand the difference between print and online writing, gain insights from a travel magazine publisher, and learn tips on how to self-publish from a world traveler who sees his writings through to print.

The workshop facilitator, Ms. Kristine Fonacier, is a writer and travel enthusiast. She currently works as a contributing editor for the newly launched Philippine edition of Lonely Planet magazine, and is the former editor-in-chief of MTV Ink and music editor for Pulp Magazine.

Guest speaker, Mr. Bruce Curran, is a senior consultant at the Campbell Alexander Group, and regularly writes for the Campbell Alexander and Wealth Traders financial website. He is the author of the book Blow Ur Horn ”The Motorcycle Journeys”: 1 bike: 16 countries: 40 years. He also wrote Urban Stew, The Manila Menu, 28 stories about life in Manila, and Combing the Coral Carpet, a 400-page coffee table book, the second volume of which will be published this 2012.

The workshop fee is P 3,500 inclusive of materials, handouts, meals, and a certificate. A non-refundable down payment of P1,000 is required to reserve a slot. The deadline for reservations is February 24, 2012. A 5-percent discount will be given to those who pay in full on or before the deadline. Acentive members can also avail of a 10-percent discount.

Payments can be made in cash, check, or through credit card. *Discounts do not apply to credit card transactions.

Proceeds of this workshop will benefit the literacy projects of the Filipinas Heritage Library, including community library developments, library book donations, and teacher and librarian trainings across the country.

For inquiries, please call Joy de Asis -Villaflores at 892-1801, send an SMS to 0917-561-2413, or email villaflores.md@ayalafoundation.org.

How do you get people to read your blog or website when there are millions, even billions, of other web pages out there? How do you get them to keep reading your work, when leaving is just a click away?

Enhance your writing skills through a variety of exercises, and learn other skills essential to writing web content. Captivate today’s online reader by crafting irresistible headlines that get them reading, and employing content structures and writing styles that keep them begging for more.

Tarie Sabido, the facilitator for this workshop, was a writing and literature professor at De La Salle University-Taft and the Ateneo de Manila University. She also edited instructional materials at goFLUENT International.

Now, she is an instructor at Obelisk International Learning Hub and the Ateneo Language Learning Center.

A prolific blogger, Tarie writes about children’s and young adult literature through her personal blogs, Her first blog, “Into the Wardrobe,” is “mostly about literature for the young and young at heart.”

Her second blog, “Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind,” is about “books set in Asia and books with Asian Characters” and books that were created by “Asian authors and illustrators.” It also caters towards children and young adults.

Aside from writing personal blogs, Tarie is a staff writer for “Color Online,” a website dedicated to women writers of color. She also contributes articles to other blogs such as “Paper Tigers” and “Rocket Kapre.” She is a sought-after speaker for talks on blogging and writing online.

Tarie was a judge for the 2009 Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards (CYBILS) the 2010 National Children’s Book Awards.

The workshop fee is P2,500 inclusive of handouts, materials, snacks, and a certificate. A non-refundable down payment of P1,000 is required to reserve a slot. The deadline for reservations is March 2, 2011. Register before the deadline and receive a 5-percent discount. Acentive members can avail of an additional 10-percent discount.

Payments can be made in cash, check, or through credit card. *Discount does not apply to credit card transactions.

Proceeds of this workshop will benefit the literacy projects of the Filipinas Heritage Library. These include the development of community libraries, book donations, and the training of teachers and librarians all over the country.

For inquiries, please call Joy de Asis-Villaflores at 892-1801, send an SMS to 0917-561-2413, email villaflores.md@ayalafoundation.org.

Intended for beginning photographers and even photography enthusiasts or hobbyists, Digital Photography 101 is an introduction the basic principles of digital photography. It will give the participants the needed technical and aesthetic skills to produce good quality photographs. Topics include the following among others:

• Introduction to photography
• Importance of light in photography
• The digital camera and its settings
• Lenses and perspectives
• Composition and the different design elements
• Overview of the digital workflow
• Tips on shooting various photography subjects

Instructions will be given in a class setting and there will be actual photo shoots or assignments and critiquing to oversee the individual progress of participants.

Requirement
Digital camera, preferably SLR

Venue
Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati Avenue, Ayala Triangle, Makati City (across The Peninsula Manila)

Speaker
Estan Cabigas, who is handling the weeknight classes, is a professional photographer specializing in architecture, travel, documentary, and sports. He was the principal photographer for the books entitled Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu and Philippine Church Facades. His works have also been published in National Geographic Magazine, Geo (Germany), The Sunday Times London and in various local publications such as Philippine Daily Inquirer, BluPrint, and High Life. He has been exhibiting his works since 2008 and the most recent was at the Noorderlicht Photo Festival in Groningen, The Netherlands.

Another professional photographer and studio owner, Dennis Balangue, will conduct the weekend classes. He has photographed and exhibited numerous celebrities and some of Europe's celebrated scenes. He is also servicing some of Studio 23's photography needs.

Participation fee and discount
P4,000 inclusive of handouts, meals, and certificate. Cash or check payments are accepted at the library or through a BPI bank deposit. Payment through BPI EPS and major credit cards is also accepted.

Due to the limited number of available slots, interested participants are requested to register at least one week prior the class by paying at least P2,000 (nonrefundable; full payment is due on the first day of class).* An early bird discount of 10 percent will be given to those who pay in full on or before the deadline (except for credit card payments).

* Payment is transferable to another class if a written notice is given at least five days prior the start of the workshop. Otherwise, a P1,000 no-show penalty will be deducted.

For more details, please call 892-1801, send an SMS to 0917-559-4417, e-mail cruz.ct@ayalafoundation.org.

Digital Photography 101 introduces beginning photographers to the art of taking photographs using a digital camera. It is also a refresher course for photography enthusiasts and hobbyists. Through this workshop, participants will gain skills in the aesthetic and technical aspects of digital photography needed to take photographs with beauty and meaning

• Photography: then and now
• The digital camera (types, components, and settings)
• Exposure and light
• Camera lenses
• Composition, perspective, and elements of design
• The digital workflow
• Shooting various photography subjects

Lectures will be given in a classroom setting, while the application of lessons will be done through actual photoshoots or assignments. Photographs taken by participants will be critiqued by the lecturer and co-participants.

Participants are required to bring their own digital camera, preferably an SLR. Workshops will be held at the Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati Avenue, Ayala Triangle, Makati City.

Workshop Facilitators
Weeknight workshop sessions will be facilitated by Estan Cabigas, a professional photographer whose works have been published in National Geographic Magazine, Geo (Germany), the Sunday Times London, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, BluPrint, and High Life. He was also the main photographer for the books Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiosese of Cebu and Philippine Church Facades.

Cabigas specializes in architecture, travel, documentary, and sports photography. He has been exhibitng his works since 2008, and his most recent exhibit was held at the Noorderlicht Photo Festival in Groningen, The Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the weekend sessions will be facilitated by Dennis Balangue, a professional photographer and studio owner whose works have appeared in publications such as High Life, Mabuhay, Lifestyle Asia, Travelife Asia, Sense and Style, Men’s Health, Our Home, and Photolife Magazine of Canada. He now works as a creative manager for Studio 23, while providing some of the television network’s photography needs.

Balangue has presented his works featuring celebrities, European cities, and scenic spots in various exhibits. He has also mounted an exhibit with fellow-photographer Joel Bondoc at the Alcove photo gallery, the Duets photo show in the White Gallery in Singapore, and the Subway Scenes of Europe exhibit in Baguio.

Workshop Fee and Discount
The workshop fee is P4,000 inclusive of handouts, meals, and a certificate. A non-refundable down payment of P2,000 is required to reserve a slot. The deadline for reservations is one week before the start of the workshop. Register on or before the deadline and receive a 10-percent discount.

Payments can be made in cash, check, or through credit card. Discount does not apply to credit card transactions.

Payments may be transferred to another class if a written notice is given at least five days prior to the start of the workshop. Otherwise, a P1,000 no-show penalty will be deducted.

For more details, please call 892-1801, send an SMS to 0917-559-4417, e-mail likha-aralan@filipinaslibrary.org.ph.

Photography and travel complement each other. Like travel, photography encourages us to discover new places, express new feelings, and create fond memories in an enjoyable way. With digital technology, travel photography has become readily accessible to everyone presenting new opportunities and challenges.

Join us in the LEARN FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERTS | Travel Photography workshop and discover the world through a photographer’s eye. Be able to adjust to different travel or shooting environments when photographing for work or personal fulfillment.

The workshop, which combines lectures and hands-on sessions, aims to teach participants how to give their travel photos a unique and lasting quality. It will deal with the following topics:

• Travel photography today and how digital advances have influenced the market
• Knowing the essentials of travel photography
• Learning the photojournalistic style of travel photography
• Researching your trip/Travel light
• Returning from the trip: The no-photo-editing philosophy
• Caring for your camera and other equipment

As an immediate application of the classroom topics, an actual shoot will be conducted where the speaker-photographer will guide each participant and additional shooting tips will be shared.

Requirements

• Working knowledge of digital photography
• Digital SLR camera
• Tripod and other accessories, optional

Gunther Deichmann is a multi-awarded Australian photographer. He prefers to travel during the worst times of the year creating dramatic results and images seldom seen before. His works have been published worldwide in major book productions and magazines like The Racing Game, National Geographic, Time-Life, Reader's Digest, BBC (London), and in magazines such as the cover of Der Spiegel (Germany), Bunte (cover), National Magazine (South Africa), National Geographic, New York Times (USA), Sued Deutsche Zeitung (Germany), Grand Reportage (France), VSD (France), GEO (France & Germany), Terre Savage (France), and Figaro (France), Asian Geographic. The Cover of Time Magazine and the IAAP awarded him the Professional Landscape Photographer of the Year in Australia. Together with Steve McCurry and Michael Yamashita, he was again on the judging panel and a speaker for the One Asia Festival: Celebrating the Images of Asia Event in Singapore in December 2011. For more details, please log to www.deichmann-photo.com.

Take advantage of the sun this summer by joining the Summer Photography Challenge of The Alcove, photography nook of the Filipinas Heritage Library. Show off your photographic prowess, and you might win a prize, or even three!

Interested photographers can choose between one (or all) of three stages, in which they will shoot photographs on-location. There are also themes for each stage: subjects in motion for the first stage, architecture for the second, and nature for the third.

Stage one will be held on March 31, from 11am to 8:30pm, at Enchanted Kingdom, Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Stage two will be held on April 28, 6am to 5pm, in Taal, Batangas. And lastly, stage three will be held on May 26, from 6am to 5pm, in Nuvali, Laguna.Assembly for all three stages of the contest will be at the Filipinas Heritage Library, Ayala Triangle, Makati Avenue, Makati City.

Contest Mechanics
The Photography Challenge is open to all photographers, regardless of age and skill level. Interested photographer aged below 18 must have a written consent from a parent or guardian to participate.

Each participant will submit one photograph as his or her entry for every stage of the contest. Only one entry per stage can be submitted. Photos may be in full color or black and white. Each photo must be saved in JPEG format, and must not exceed 4MB in size. Deadline for submission of entries is the Tuesday after each contest stage.

Photographs will be judged based on adherence to the theme, visual impact, and technical correctness. In-camera editing and minimal post-processing (cropping, levels, curves, and color correction) are allowed prior to submission.

Three winners for each contest stage will be announced at least a week after submission. The first prize winner for each stage will receive P5,000, the second P3,000, and the third P2,000. Winners will also receive certificates from FHL.

Participation fee and Discount
The participation fee is P2,500 per stage inclusive of a photography cap, entrance fee, permit, and round-trip transportation. Participants are encouraged to pay in full two weeks before the contest stage they would like to join. Previous and current workshop participants of workshops by The Alcove can avail of a 50-percent discount.

Non-refundable payments can be made in cash, check, or through credit card. Discount does not apply to credit card transactions.

Payments may be transferred to another photo shoot if a written notice is given at least one week prior to the contest stage. Otherwise, these payments will be forfeited.

For more details, please call 892-1801, send an SMS to 0917-559-4417, e-mail likha-aralan@ filipinaslibrary.org.ph