Ayala Group Chairman Emeritus Jaime Zobel de Ayala on communication: “Look for time. Take the trouble to communicate with people because that’s the essence of the beauty of our nation. You'll never understand the person’s, for lack of a better word, sou

"It is a pity that, as I see it many times, we love to copy and we are stuck right there.  And we don’t know what really our roots are, our origins and why. And everybody is so busy doing things (like) Facebook and You Tube,” laments Ayala Group Chairman Emeritus Jaime Zobel de Ayala, in his compassionate paternal voice, on how so many young Filipinos today have forgotten the art of communicating on a personal level as against the advancement of technology.

The art patron, himself an artist (though he humbly suggests that his photography work should not be taken seriously) Don Jaime stressed the need to re-educate the public specifically the younger generation on the beauty and sophistication of being truly Filipino.

He recalls having the opportunity to speak to the youth directly at the recent Ayala Young Leaders Congress. “I said, you know; of course (the) times require you to do this (being constantly online). It is a necessity that you have to be in a hurry. But have you had the chance to talk, and I mean talk and communicate with individuals? Because with our expressions, in our way of speaking, with our shifting from Tagalog to English or whatever. The art of communication has to go back to speaking from the heart which the Filipinos know best.”

Accordingly, when the students argued that with their hectic schedules coupled with the lure of instant connectivity brought about by modern technology, “they don’t have the time for such” and Don Jaime recalled answering them back firmly with: “Look for time. Take the trouble to communicate with people because that’s the essence of the beauty of our nation.  You will never understand the person’s, for lack of a better word, soul.”

With his innate passion for the arts, Zobel de Ayala stops at nothing in making sure that art appreciation and learning are not only for the privileged few but for everyone. And in 2008, the Ayala group of companies celebrated the unique talent of the Filipino in various fields of art–music, dance, visual arts, and fashion with Bravo Filipino!

Two years ago, Bravo Filipino made two landmark fashion events that speak so much of the message of the entire project – that is to pay homage to the greats of the past, showcase the talent of current creative icons, and introduce world-class artists enjoying global success.

I remember this vividly since I was closely chronicling the activities of Inno Sotto, incidentally the Creative Director of Bravo Filipino, for the Fashion Documentary I was putting together back then.

For the first time since he left for London to pursue his dream of becoming a fashion designer, Aklan-native Lesley Mobo showcased his impeccable collection that he had painstakingly hand-sewn to the Filipino public at the Greenbelt 5.

The other one was the fashion show that gathered for the first time all the important fashion designers from the era of Pitoy Moreno and Ben Farrales up to the fashion-forward young designers of today. Inno Sotto was the creative mind behind the project together with Sophia Zobel-Elizalde.

Bravo Filipino was recognized and given awards by various institutions such as the Gold Award for Community Relations and the Silver Global Maxi Award from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), and the Quill Award of Excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

This year, Ayala Malls, together with the Filipinas Heritage Library, Ayala Museum, Globe, and BPI, presents another series of world-class performances and exhibitions in Bravo! Celebrating The Filipino.  In addition to music, dance, fashion, and photography, it will be showcasing film, literature and other visual art forms.

The celebration started with a series of intimate musical performances that featured the best Filipino love songs called “Harana” at the Ayala Malls and the Ayala Triangle Gardens early this year.

Performers including Isay Alvarez, Robert Seña, Bituin Escalante, Jan Nieto, Apple Chui and others serenaded the public with the best Kundimans.

“To our great surprise, (the passersby) both young and old liked the harana. They stopped and appreciated the music.” said Zobel de Ayala beaming with pride as his “experiment” in bringing harana to the young modern Filipinos turned out to be a success.

A concert featuring virtuoso classical pianist Cecile Licad will be held on March 18, 20 and 23 at Greenbelt, Alabang Town Center, and TriNoma respectively.  Cecile Licad was one of the youngest musicians who received the Leventritt Gold Medal in 1981. This will be her first time to perform in a mall.

A unique fashion event celebrating the strength of the Filipino woman is in the works with the Master of Philippine couture Inno Sotto on top of the project is scheduled on April 23. And in May, Bravo Filipino will launch the ArtPark – a public art exhibition to promote works of world-class Filipino artists like Arturo Luz, Lor Calma and other artists.

An anticipated Photo Exhibition is scheduled to be held on May 4. The Chairman Emeritus himself will be one of the five non-professional photographers who will exhibit their works on basket-weaving, guitar-making, pottery and other forms of activities that are unique to the Philippine setting.

Despite the fact that his photographs have been published in books and exhibited in art galleries, he still considers his passion for photography more of a self-expression that is beyond professional boundaries and expectations.  This prompted him to say that no one should take him seriously as a photographer. And he means this in a good way.

“The moment they take me seriously, I would know. Because I do this for pleasure, I don’t want boundaries. I don’t want deadlines. I don’t want to stick to a system. I have been on a system since I was 24 years old. Now, I want to run free. Now, I want to do something that just gives me pleasure,” insists Don Jaime.