^u get an F, for watching that in your test in singapore

how about burying marcos in the smokey mountain. that would be the perfect burial place for him and the rest of his family.

Source: Philippine News
By Rita M. Gerona-Adkins, Nov 30, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Rudy Pamintuan, 34-year old president of his own Chicago, Illinois-based public policy and media strategy firm, Sherman Consulting, Inc., was designated by President George W. Bush on Nov. 22, 2005 to chair the White House Advisory Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

”I am grateful to President Bush for giving me this honor, and the opportunity to serve in the commission’s leadership and take the commission to the next level,” he told Philippine News in a long-distance call from his home on Nov. 21, just before his official appointment was announced in a press release from Eric Wang, Deputy Director of the commission.

He takes over the task from former Commission Chair Betty Wu, who left in October when Bush appointed her to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program and Performance in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Budget, Technology, Finance and Grant at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Pamintuan has first served as Commissioner when appointed by Bush in July 19, 2004 to the 15-member advisory commission, along with another Filipino American, Vellie Dietrich-Hall of Virginia. A third Filipino American, Eddy Badrina of Texas, was also appointed as the commission’s Executive Director, but he has recently departed to pursue personal business ventures.

“My priority task is to help the commission finish the report that Betty had worked hard on until her departure,” he told this correspondent. “We aim to finish a draft covering the commission’s partial work since last July, and have it ready for presenting to the president in January next year.”

The final report, he said, would cover the commission’s full term, which expires in July 2006. The commission has held several town hall meetings throughout the country, and has some more scheduled for the first half of next year before it wraps up its activities in the final report to be released by the president in July.

“I’m big on dissemination of information,” he said. “I also would like to work more effectively with the commission’s Interagency Group to identify what’s going on in their respective department programs that the AAPI community can be best helped with.”

Mandated by Bush with Executive Order 13339 when he signed it on May 13, 2004, the two-year commission focuses primarily on business opportunities and economic development as a way to empower the underserved among the 14.5 million Asian and Pacific Islander population in the country.

The commission was first established during then-President Bill Clinton’s administration, and has continued to exist with a renewal of its mandate with a Presidential Proclamation.

Pamintuan takes the commission’s helm at a time when the diverse AAPI population needs to have a more focused understanding of what its specific mission can do, and what programs may be out there in the government that they have not tapped as much as they could.

Trained at Loyola University in organization development focusing on communications, the young and well-spoken Filipino American has a mix of formal training and practical experience and community exposure that bode well for his watch. Even while in college, he had started burnishing his abilities toward opportunities in the Republican Party at a time when it was reaching out more aggressively into minority and immigrant communities, as well as the youths.

His strategy resonated with results. As Illinois State Senator Chris Lauzen, during a stomping tour on Feb. 23, 2003 in Evanston, said of Pamintuan:

“It takes truly brilliant strategists, like Rudy Pamintuan…[who] has formed the Sherman Society within the New Republican effort to link those recently graduated College Republicans – men and women, African American, Hispanic, and all religious denominations – with private sector employment opportunities so they can continue to grow as our ‘farm team’ of future candidates and effective organizers.”

Asked where he wants to take the commission during his eight-month term, he told PN, “My talent is in communication, not only in crafting issues but also in articulating them. I think we in the AAPI community are mostly preoccupied with looking at our problems, and we tend to look less for solutions. I plan to be more aggressive in looking for solutions, such as programs that already exist in the government but have not been utilized by us as much as we should.”

He adds that this is true in various areas of concern, not only relating to economic opportunities, but also to health-related services and other government social services.

Pamintuan has been described by some local Illinois publications as a “staple in Chicago’s philanthropic and non-profit community,” an active volunteer and member of various charities and civic organizations throughout the Chicago area, including the Y-Me Organization, Misercorida, Maryville and the Executives’ Club of Chicago. He is also board member of the Remey Bumppo Theater Company, the Chicago chapter of U.S. Lacrosse, and serves on the Asian American Advisory Council to the Illinois Treasurer.

He is not shy in putting his nose to local community issues, such as library concerns in Des Plaines, Illinois City, when he addressed the city council’s meeting on Aug. 16, 2004 and suggested, “The Library Board should be elected and not appointed by the City Council.”

His most ambitious plan that he hopes to succeed in pushing, or at least, starting, is creating a cadre of hard-working and community-service oriented youths in the Asian Pacific American community, by identifying them and bringing them together for sessions in leadership training.

“We need to train the young in our communities, and I would love to be able to help in our own Filipino American community toward that goal – training future leaders who not only would know where problems are, but especially would know where to look for solutions,” he said.

^^^ I forgive him for being a Republican and being a communications grad from Loyola (the most stuck up dept in the University)

2 Filipinos reach mobile phone film finals
December 6th, 2005

TWO Filipinos are among the six finalists in a mobile films contest in which first-time film-makers use mobile phones to create short films, INQ7.net has learned.

Noel Osting and Janice Yu are in the running for the 10,000-dollar cash prize, according to the First-Time Mobile Film Makers website.

More details and their interviews can be read at http://www.mobifilms.net/6finalists.html. Visitors to the website can vote for their favorite film-makers.

In his brief profile on the site, Noel Osting said he submitted a mini-documentary about his life experiences as a young Filipino growing in the Philippines.

"What inspired me most to enter this contest is my desire to give my family a decent house to live in, and to further enhance my skill thru the filmmaking workshop," he said on the website.

Osting's entry is titled "Kuliglig" (Cicada), a word to describe a native farm trailer commonly used as a tool for tilling rice fields in his community.

"I chose this because it represents my community's struggle to [be] free from the bondage of poverty," he added.

Yu's entry, on the other hand, dwells on the Chinese Cemetery in Metro Manila.

"My treatment of the story would be to focus more on how the cemetery brings about a sense of belonging to a present day Chinese-Filipino, who are slowly beginning to lose their sense of identity as they begin to embrace a more Filipino way of life," a description of her entry read.

Yu said the availability of video on mobile phones is "a godsend" for videographers like her as it gives them access to equipment that is packed with features despite their small size.

Discovery Networks Asia, the Asia entertainment company of Discovery Communications, has partnered with mobile phone company Nokia for this contest.

Got this off Yahoo News...

Miss Philippines odds on favorite to win Miss World 2005

1 hour, 2 minutes ago

Miss Philippines Carlene Aguillar is the odds on favorite to win the Miss World 2005 contest, with the world's top bookies nearly unanimously picking her to win the coveted title.

Over 100 women from around the world will vie for the 2005 beauty crown when Saturday's final is beamed globally to an expected audience of up to two billion people from southern China's tropical Hainan island.

Some of England's best known bookmakers -- including Ladbrokes, SportingOdds and Centrebet -- all had Miss Philippines winning the title at 4-to-1 odds, according to the bestbetting.co.uk website.

Miss Philippines was followed by Miss Canada Ramona Rina Amiri at between 11-1 and 12-1, Miss Iceland Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir at between 12-1 and 14-1, and Miss Italy Sofia Buscoli at between 11-1 and 14-to-1.

Miss China Zhao Tingting was not among the front-runners despite being a home-town favorite, rating between 16-to-1 and 50-to-1 by the three bookmakers.

The US-based Sportsbook.com also favored Miss Philippines and Miss Italy, both at 12-to-1 odds, followed by Miss Canada and Miss England Hamassa Khoistani.

Twelve finalists chosen by global voting to be named Saturday will compete for the crown against Miss Russia Yulia Ivanova, who this week won the bathing suit contest, and Miss America Virgin Islands Kmisha-Victoria Counts, who won the talent show contest.

One more finalist, who has yet to be named, will be the winner of the "Beauty With A Purpose" contest, which is based on the charity activities of the contestants.

For the first-time in the pageant's 55-year history, the panel of judges to choose Miss World 2005 and the regional winners will all be former Miss Worlds.

Filipino mayor among world's best

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Mayor Oscar Rodriguez of this capital city of Pampanga province placed fourth in the world's 10 most outstanding mayors, a London-based research organization behind the international search event announced in a statement.

Rodriguez, 60, a first-term mayor, was the first Philippine mayor to get the recognition. In July, he made it to the list of top 65 mayors short-listed from out of 550 mayors in the world.

Tann vom Hove, editor of the City Mayors, the organizer of the "World Mayor" search, said Rodriguez "played a key role in transforming San Fernando from a town to a recognized city."

As Pampanga representative, Rodriguez worked for the legislation of the town into a city in 2001. Von Hove said Rodriguez "won wide support" from across the Philippines. He also received votes from Filipinos in North America and Europe.

According to Von Hove, the four top mayors all received more than 6,000 votes.

Voted top three mayors were Dora Bakoyannis of Athens, Greece; Hazel McCallion of Mississauga, Canada; and Alvaro Arzu of Guatemala City, Guatemala.

First-time Filmmakers take Home Awards
http://www.international.ucla.edu/cms/images/nathanjr2.jpg

The annual Asian Festival of First Films (AFFF) was held in Singapore last month to acknowledge first-time filmmaking achievements. Awards included: best film award, which went to Filipinos Raymond Lee and Aurdeus Solito’s for The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros; the director nod award, which went to China’s Xiao Jian for Electric Shadows; producer honors went to Malaysia’s Tiara Jaquelina for Puteri gunung Ledang; best documentary went to the United Kingdom’s Sandhya Suri for I for India; documentary director award went to Japan’s Yang Yonghi for Dear Pyongyang; best actor award went to India’s Saksham Kulkarni in Pak pak pakkak; and best actress went to Canada’s Anita Majumdar in Murder Unveiled.

Filipinos are honest
By BEN R. ROSARIO

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Members of the royal family here, including the newly-crowned King Abdulla Bin Abdulaziz, has developed a preference for Filipino workers who have been winning praises from majority of Saudi employers for their “honesty, dedication, and industry.”

A group of Filipino legislators, business leaders and members of the media led by Speaker Jose de Venecia visited this country and personally witnessed how King Abdulla and three of his brother princes, aired a sequence of accolades given to the more than one million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stationed here.

De Venecia and his group called on Crown Prince Sultan, Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Riyadh Governor, Prince Salman, in separate occasion in their respective palaces and offices during the Filipino delegation’s four-day visit here.

All four confided to the visiting group that their respective household staff are composed of Filipinos because they possess admirable traits that are common only among Philippine natives.

Compared to workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and India which have patterned labor exportation program to that of the Philippines, Filipino laborers and employees get higher pay from Arab employees.

“I learned that many Filipinos are paid at least 10 to 20 percent higher than their counterpart from other nationalities,” said Sulu Rep. Hussin Amin.

De Venecia said the tribute to hardworking and trustworthy Filipino was also heard from government and business leaders, as well.

Sheikh Dr. Bin Homaes, Speaker of the Shura Council, and official of the Saudi Arabia Chamber of Commerce are among the Filipino's admirers.

“In general, Filipinos are very honest, have good reputation and I’m very comfortable with them. My children are growing up with their Filipina nanny,” said Prince Talal, chairman of the agriculture fund of Saudi Arabia.

In appreciation of the Filipinos’ help to his country, the prince financed a Riyadh school for children of OFW’s which he asked the Speaker to visit.

In his visit to King Abdullah at the latter’s Jeddah Palace, the Saudi leader described his preference for Filipino workers to serve in the Palace, praising them for their “honesty, dedication and industry.”

De Venecia said the King has also praised Filipino workers as “very stable and friendly.”

The Saudi monarch later vowed to “seriously consider” the Philippine proposal for an endorsement by Saudi Arabia to achieve an observer status in the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC).

^ sana nga. a single act can ruin the whole good reputation.

First-time Filmmakers take Home Awards
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros

topic lagi namin ito sa house. ang pagdadalaga ni maximo oliveros. hehe. ganda daw kaso hesitant akong panoorin. :D

@kiretoce wow ganda ng news.. im one of those honest filipinos :D

^^ That's good to hear! Keep it up! :okay:

what about Enrique Iglesias whose mother was born in the Philippines, I think her last name is Preysler or something like that. He's obviously doing well.

^^ Oh yes, Isabel Preysler who also became Comtessa D' Garcon. She is proudly Pinay. From what clan is she in the Philippines?

^^ Oh yes, Isabel Preysler who also became Comtessa D' Garcon. She is proudly Pinay. From what clan is she in the Philippines?

^^ she's a tuason.

according to her website, preysler and perez de tagle

what about Enrique Iglesias whose mother was born in the Philippines, I think her last name is Preysler or something like that. He's obviously doing well.

Is it Enrique Iglesias or Julio Iglesias Jr?

^^ Both! :colgate:

Filipino mayor among world’s best

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Mayor Oscar Rodriguez of this capital city of Pampanga province placed fourth in the world’s 10 most outstanding mayors, a London-based research organization behind the international search event announced in a statement.

Rodriguez, 60, a first-term mayor, was the first Philippine mayor to get the recognition. In July, he made it to the list of top 65 mayors short-listed from out of 550 mayors in the world.

Tann vom Hove, editor of the City Mayors, the organizer of the “World Mayor” search, said Rodriguez “played a key role in transforming San Fernando from a town to a recognized city.”

As Pampanga representative, Rodriguez worked for the legislation of the town into a city in 2001.

Von Hove said Rodriguez “won wide support” from across the Philippines. He also received votes from Filipinos in North America and Europe.

According to Von Hove, the four top mayors all received more than 6,000 votes.

Voted top three mayors were Dora Bakoyannisof Athens, Greece; Hazel McCallion of Mississauga, Canada; and Alvaro Arzu of Guatemala City, Guatemala.

good news!!! and im proud na taga village namin sya...

Wow. I wonder kung kamaganak namin siya. Dami kasing Rodriguez nagkalat sa Pinas. I'm happy for him! Congrats.

^Wow! Taht is our mayor! Galing!

Wow. I wonder kung kamaganak namin siya. Dami kasing Rodriguez nagkalat sa Pinas. I'm happy for him! Congrats.

malay mo poh malayong kamag-anak nio...


can someone post some of his achievements so far...

found this at our city's website: www.cityofsanfernando.gov.ph

Oca Ranks Fourth in 2005 World Mayor Search
Posted by Admin on Wednesday, December 14th, 2005 at 03:08 AM

Recognition beyond expectations.

Besting other mayors from countries such the US, Austria, Germany, Brazil and Australia, City Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez placed fourth in the recently concluded 2005 World Mayor Search, giving prestige to the city as well as the whole country.

Rodriguez, who was the lone nominee from the country stood next from World Mayor winner Dora Bakoyannis of Athens, followed by Hazel McCallion of Mississauga, Canada and Álvaro Arzú of Guatemala City.

Mayor Rodriguez was cited for playing a key role in transforming San Fernando from a town to a recognized city. He won wide support from across the Philippines in addition to votes from Filipinos in North America and Europe. His supporters describe him as one of the most honest politicians in his country

One comment, the website has posted, said of Rodriguez, “I know for a fact that Mayor Rodriguez is a man that every mayor in the Philippines should emulate for good governance and integrity. He is a man of deeds than words.”

Another comment in the website read, “We need a mayor like Mr. Oscar Samson Rodriguez, who will change the people's mindset from corrupt government to a clean government by his good values and character.”

World Mayor, an internet-based competition in London, aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide as well as to honor those who have served their communities well and who have made contributions to the well-being of cities nationally and internationally. Each year the most outstanding mayor is presented with the World Mayor Award.

Mayor Rodriguez, elated in this honor, expressed his gratitude to the people who has placed him in this distinction. He said that this award is not for his to cherish but for every Filipino around the world. Rodriguez added that such recognition signifies his dedication towards the service of his administration to the Fernandino, and to the glory of the City of San Fernando

Cobonpue wins


Cebuano furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue won the 2005 Design for Asia Award (DFAA) in Hong Kong last month.

The most prestigious design award in Asia was given at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre after the contest last Nov. 19 to 23.

The invitational international competition was organized by the Hong Kong Design Center.

It is dedicated to promoting design excellence.

It also recognizes individuals or companies whose designs reflect or move the Asian Lifestyle.

Cobonpue’s work, called “The Lolah Chair,” bested competitors from 22 countries and regions.

The Lolah was made from rattan poles and strips fastened together with glue, nails and nylon wire in a process reminiscent of traditional Asian shipbuilding.

The judges praised the design for its simple structure, sculptural form and innovative use of material.

Wow! Nice article. Cebuanos are really famous here and abroad for being very creative. Go Cebuanos! Go Pinoy!

grabe humahataw ang mga pinoy ngayon!!

Christian Bautista bags Double Platinum in Indonesia



Warner Music Philippines Christian Bautista continues to reap success even outside the Philippines by recently receiving a double platinum award from Warner Music Indonesia’s Managing Director Iman Sastrosomo for selling over 100,000 copies of his debut CD "The Way You Look At Me" in that country.

Presented during the launch of Christian’s second CD, "Completely," the plaudit jacks up total sales of "Way" past 200,000 Asiawide (including Malaysia and Thailand where the CD is also available) making Christian the best selling male artists in the crop of new young balladeers.

"He is as big as Basil Valdez, Rico J. Puno and Jose Mari Chan were in my country during their heydays," says Iman. "People don’t care if he is Japanese, Burmese or Filipino. To Indonesians, Christian is the international multiplatinum pop idol."

Christian cites a guest performance he did a few months ago in "Indonesian Idol" that refelcts his stellar status there. "Over 60,000 people showed up and sang along with the song from start to finish. At the time, ‘Way’ had just hit number one in their charts so Indonesian fans were as excited as Filipinos were when the song was released here. There was a lot of waving, smiling and crying during the performance—but no fainting. At least not yet."

Meanwhile, Christian’s magic on local retail remains steadfast. "Completely" was declared Gold less than a week from release while the single off it, "Everything You Do" (also written by Andrew "The Way You Look At Me") zooms up radio charts this week rivaling the frequency of airplay by Christmas carols.

Warner Music Philippines expect more frenzied chart action, though, once the video to "Everything" featuring Miss International 2005 Lara Quigaman is put on rotation in various music channels.

"By the time the holidays are through, we foresee ‘Completely’ to have outdistanced by miles other OPM CDs released in the same period," says Warner publicist Tony Molina.

When asked how the new album differs from its predecessor, Christian cited three things. "I wrote two songs (‘Please Don’t Go’ and ‘Now That You Are Here’) in this album——a first for me. Warner Music Philippines tapped the services of top Indonesian songwriters for several tracks that were imbued with distinct melodic lines. I got to sing an upbeat tune entitled ‘She Could Be.’ This is a more rounded album and even lyrically, songs tackled a variety of love aspects."

Also, "Completely" is more elaborately packaged than "Way" as Warner Music Philippines had released limited edition of the CD containing photos of Christian shot in Indonesia.

"Still, no matter how big I become abroad, I will always be based here," he ends. "I’d be too homesick otherwise."

yehey christian. I love Christian bautista. He has good songs and cute pa.

^Although he's not a big belter, his voice is very good and unique, and that's what were looking for right? Not another Martin Nievera. I usually go for belters when it comes to OPM Music because that's what Pinoys are good at.

^yeah he doesn't have a big voice but he can carry and deliver a tune .His music is pleasant . And let's face it it's the overall package you have to not just have a good voice but also pleasant to look at.

In the Philippines, Filipinos were introduced to the English language in 1762 by British invaders, not Americans.

What is the world's 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to the USA and the UK? The Philippines.

The USA bought the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam from Spain in 1898. The Filipino-American Independence War from 1898 to 1902 ensued, killing 4,234 Americans and how many Filipinos? 16,000 were killed in action and 200,000 died from famine and pestilence. (The Philippines lost and was colonized until 1946.)

Los Angeles, California was co-founded in 1781 by a Filipino named Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, along with 43 Latinos from Mexico sent by the Spanish government.

What antibiotic did Filipino doctor Abelardo Aguilar co-discover? Hint: Brand is Ilosone, named after Iloilo. Erythromycin.

The one-chip video camera was first made by Marc Loinaz, a Filipino inventor from New Jersey.

The first ever international Grandmaster from Asia was Eugenio Torre who won at the Chess Olympiad in Nice, France in 1974.

This son of two Filipino physicians scored over 700 on the verbal portion of the Standardized Achievement Test (SAT) before age 13 - Kiwi Danao Camara of Punahou School, Hawaii.

Edward Sanchez, a Mensa member, bagged the grand prize in the first Philippine Search for Product Excellence in Information Technology.

Who was the Filipino-American dancer who scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT? Joyce Monteverde of California.

Who invented the fluorescent lamp? Thomas Edison discovered the electric light and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores (a Cebu man named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer), a Filipino scientist. Americans helped then Philippine leader Ramon Magsaysay to develop it for worldwide commerce.

(Yes! Many foreigners have noted that the Filipino population has Asia's highest rates of inventors and international beauty queens.) Two Filipina beauties, Gloria Diaz and Margie Morgan, chosen as Miss Universe in 1969 and 1973.

Pure or part Filipino celebrities in American showbiz include Von Flores, Tia Carrere, Paolo Montalban, Lea Salonga, Ernie Reyes Jr., Nia Peeples, Julio Iglesias Jr., Lou Diamond Phillips, Phoebe Cates and Rob Schneider.

The first Filipino act to land a top hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1960s was the group Rocky Fellers of Manila. Sugar Pie de Santo (father was from the Philippines), The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (according to the October 1984 article "Prince in Exile" by Scott Isler in the magazine Musician), Jaya, Foxy Brown and Enrique Iglesias followed.

Pure Filipinos who made success in minor charts were Jocelyn Enriquez aka Oriental Madonna, Buffy, Pinay and (Ella May) Saison.

Latina-American pop star Christina Aguilera lost to Filipina vocalist Josephine Roberto aka Banig during the International Star Search years ago. In a mid-1999 MTV chat, she said that competing against someone of Banig's age was "not fair."

Besides gracing fashion magazine covers, this international supermodel from Manila had walked the runways since the 1970s for all the major designers, like Calvin Klein, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix Donna Karan, Gianni Versace and Yves Saint Laurent - Anna Bayle.

Who is the personal physician of United States Pres. William Clinton? Eleanor "Connie" Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest captain in the US Navy.

The first Filipino-American in US Congress was Virginia Rep. Robert Cortez-Scott, a Harvard alumnus.

Distinguished British traveler-writer A. Henry Savage Landor, thrilled upon seeing a Bicol landmark in 1903, wrote: "Mayon is the most beautiful mountain I have ever seen, then world-renowned Fujiyama (Mt. Fuji) of Japan sinking into perfect insignificance by comparison." Mayon has the world's most perfect cone.

Filipinos had their first taste of Mexican chili and corn during the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade (1564-1815). In return, Mexico's people had their initial taste of tamarind, Manila mango and a Filipino banana called racatan or lakatan.

Founded in 1595 by Spaniards, the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines is older than Harvard and is the oldest university in Asia. University of Santo Tomas in Manila, established in 1611, is Asia's second oldest.

Who's the Filipina senator popular for her colorful jargon, delivered in a mile-a-minute speed and in a weird Harvard-meets-Ilonggo accent? Atty. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

The first female president of the Philippines sworn into office in 1986 was Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Her maiden name is Chinese... In a March 31, 1997 article, The New York Times reported that the CIA manipulated Philippine elections: "(CIA operative Col. Edward Lansdale) essentially ran the successful presidential campaign of Defense Minister Ramon Magsaysay in the Philippines in 1953."

Who was the first Asian and/or Filipino to snatch America's Pulitzer Prize? Philippines Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo in 1941. (He was also the first Asian to become UN President.)

The first two Filipino-Americans to garner the same award 56 years later were Seattle Times' Alex Tizon and Byron Acohido, who is part-Korean.

Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. What were his last words? "Consummatum est!" ("It is done!")

"What's still most impressive to me about the Philippines is the friendliness of the people, their sense of humor...," wrote Honolulu journalist John Griffin in a 1998 visit to Manila.

http://www.thepinoy.com/html/fil_trivia.html

stig! ng trivia napinost mo Animo, I never knew a lot of things posted there :)

EUGENIO Matibag is an associate professor of Spanish in Iowa State University's Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. He teaches Spanish-American literature, language, conversation, and composition. He has published two books: "Afro-Cuban Religious Experience: Cultural Reflections in Narrative," published by University Press of Florida in 1996; and "Haitian-Dominican Counterpoint: Insularity and Difference," published by Palgrave Global Publishing at St. Martin's Press in 2003. He is now working on his third book, "Spanish Philippine Literature and Post-colonial Theory: 1840-1941."

His father, an officer in the US Navy, brought the family to the US when Matibag was only a year old. In college, he studied Comparative Literature at the University of Redlands, then acquired his M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine. Matibag has been teaching since 1980. For him, the academic life provides "something sophisticated and spiritually satisfying... it was the work of the mind, somehow pure and unalienated; essentially bourgeois notions." He went into teaching because he was also "attracted to work related to language," which fascinates him. But he admits that presently, he has more "serious intentions" of addressing important social and philosophical issues related to language.

Experiences of culture

Matibag's research and studies have brought him to many places including Mexico, France, Cuba, Martinique, Spain, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic. Areas of his study involve Hispanic Caribbean Literature, Critical and Postcolonial Theory, Modern Latin American Literature, and Spanish Colonization in the Philippines. His current project on Spanish-Philippine Literature has brought him to visit the country twice, in 2002 and 2004. His future plans include researching the Asian presence in Latin America.

"I have committed my work to cross-cultural and cross-ethnic understanding; in recent years I have researched and spoken on the topic of 'diversity' both in society and the academic institution," he says. Matibag also believes that the Asian-American Studies program at Iowa State, which he started "almost single-handedly," makes a big local contribution to the teaching of issues related to US populations of Asian descent, including Filipinos. When we experience the culture of the Asian-American, it leads us to "reconnect with our own heritages and awaken interest in our own genealogies."

Love of teaching

According to Matibag, teaching in a university where there aren't too many Asian-American students or faculty members can get lonely sometimes. But he uses the situation to his advantage by teaching others about Asian-American and Philippine-related issues. "Much of my research has to do with the impact of colonialism and its legacy; I try to raise my students' awareness of these issues and their implications for their actions in the world," he said.

Presently, Matibag has been appointed interim director of the new Center for American Intercultural Studies. Tasks related to this new post form part of his current workload. That's on top of the ordinary day-to-day school activities like interviews with students and colleagues, preparation of lectures and discussions, teaching, attending meetings, and grading papers.

Success ladder

The movie "Tampopo" suggests that success is a ladder that each one of us has for ourselves. "Some of us don't make much effort to climb, some don't even know that they have a ladder," Matibag says. "And some, by dint of hard work, focus and determination, can make it to the top." He believes that such a ladder can be either personally or institutionally defined, or both. The important thing is to set objectives and goals, to determine how to achieve those goals and objectives, and then to "make an all out effort to achieve them-or, in falling short and failing, at least knowing that one has done his best and come out ahead, no matter what the outcome."

Accomplishing scholarly and academic projects that make a positive impact in the world is important to Matibag. But he says that it's good to be realistic and practical, as well. "Some financial security-money enough 'to satisfy the requirements of the imagination,' as one of Henry James's characters puts it-is necessary as a base on which to build the dream and fund the personal projects," he admits. "And success would not be a complete success if I hadn't done my best to play a nurturing and supportive role as father and husband in my family."

Send feedback to blubitel@yahoo.com
http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_fea/2005/aug/11-02.htm

Panganiban is new Supreme Court chief justice

First posted 07:56pm (Mla time) Dec 20, 2005
INQ7.net


PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Associate Justice Artemio Panganiban as the new chief of the Supreme Court replacing Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. who retired Tuesday, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=60573

Is this article even in the right place?

Filipino chesser snares 5th gold
By Peter Atencio

Wheelchair-bound athletes, led by woodpusher Sander Severino and table tennis bet Josephine Medina, emerged as the most bemedalled Filipino athletes at the close of the third Asean Para Games.

Severino, a polio-stricken woodpusher, bagged two more golds for a total of five as he carried host Philippines to the team and individual honors at the end of the blindfold chess competitions at the GSIS Building.

The Negros Occidental-born Severino earned 12 points as he led Henry Lopez and Francisco Ching to the top of the standings for the team gold.

Lopez was the second most prolific athlete of the meet with four golds.

A second team of Filipinos composed of Alexis Elinon, Ailen Bables and Elmar Olivar took the silver with 10.5 points while the Edy Suryanto-powered Indonesia settled for the bronze with 9.5 points.

The Philippines finished the five-day meet with 21 gold medals, 39 silvers and 37 bronzes and ended up sixth overall.

The tally is better than the 2-15-23 performance of the Philippines during the 2003 Asean Para Games in Vietnam.

Severino’s other golds came in the handicapped team event when he towed Lopez and Elinon to the top spot with 13 points. He had five points in the individual event.

In the combined category, he also had 12 points as Severino, Lopez and Elinon came away with the team honors for the second time last Friday.

Thailand formally emerged as the games’ overall titleholder, collecting 139 golds, 64 silvers and 28 bronzes, while Vietnam is in second (80-37-22) and Malaysia is third (75-40-26).

Medina claimed the women’s individual table tennis gold after she went past Vietnamese foes Tran Nguyen Nga Quynh and Viet Thi Kim Van.

With Minnie Ramos, Medina prevailed over the pair of Viet Thi and Mai Ngoc Trung for the women’s doubles honors.

In athletics, Isidro Vidisola ruled the long distance events by setting new meet records in the 1,500-meter run and the 800-meter run.

Meanwhile, Philippine Asean Para Games Organizing Committee chairman Mike Barredo said he is delighted at the resounding success achieved by the weeklong meet.

“We have achieved all our objectives and these are to promote regional solidarity and tradition, create awareness for nations to take cognizance of the needs of their disabled insofar as their mental, physical and spiritual strength is concerned,” said Barredo.

Barredo added that the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons is now setting its sights on the gold medals, which can be won in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Filipino grade schooler wins WTO design contest
By Blanche S. Rivera Dec 24, 2005

http://images.inq7.net/news/nation/images/2005/dec/24/1224wtowinner.jpg

Unbeknownst to most of her compatriots, a shy second-grader from the Philippines stood tall in the arena of global trade and development experts.

Amid all things grand, the simple artwork of 7-year-old Mary Loise Magno welcomed trade ministers from 149 countries to the recent World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong.

Her design of clasped hands encircling the Hong Kong flag was chosen from over 3,000 entries to the Welcome Card competition launched by the former British colony for the WTO's sixth meeting on Dec. 13-18.

The conference, which was held in Hong Kong for the first time, was reputedly the most crucial yet for the WTO.

Mary Loise's design was used for the postcards and welcome cards given out to WTO delegates.

"We didn't know it was a big thing until we saw [the members of the media] at the awarding [ceremony]," recalled her father, Hong Kong-based architect Luisito Magno.

"She cried when she got the award because she was not used to all the attention," Magno said, amused at his daughter's reaction.


Always drawing

Mary Loise's shy nature was apparent in most of the pictures-flinching in the flash of the cameras, obviously uncomfortable in the limelight.

"At home, she would just draw or read Bible stories. She loved to go to Sunday School," Magno said.

Perhaps having observed her father's work, Mary Loise would draw on the white board attached to their front door every day before heading to her classes.

She attends the Sir Ellis Kadorie Primary School, a semi-private institution in Causeway Bay, where Filipinos make up about 10 percent of the student population.

Mary Loise has often been recognized by the school for her art works and her academic performance, but the WTO card award is the most prestigious yet.

"She's always drawing something. Sometimes I have to tell her to stop and attend to her other school assignments," Magno said.

Drawing entries to the WTO Welcome Card design contest was a school assignment.

Launched last month, the contest was opened to all primary school students in Hong Kong Island and the New Territories.

From the Hello Kitty and Disney princesses she loved to draw, Mary Loise shifted to flags-the Hong Kong SAR flag, in particular-for the school assignment.

She and her father later came up with the idea of handshakes encircling the flag, to signify the host territory's welcome to people from all over the world.


Well-adjusted

Mary Loise was one of several winners who were honored at the Educational Bureau building in Northpoint, but her design-originally done in crayon on A4 bond paper-was the only one used for the postcards and welcome cards.

Magno has been working in Hong Kong for the past 11 years. Mary Loise and the rest of the family relocated there only two years ago.

"She has adjusted well. She has Chinese playmates. She even speaks and writes Cantonese better than I do," the father said of the elder of his two daughters.


WTO conference

The Magnos came home to the Philippines last week, around the same time that trade officials, experts and activists returned from the WTO conference.

The family is spending the holidays in Santiago City in Isabela, with relatives on Magno's mother's side.

According to Magno, Mary Loise had yet to declare what she would want to be someday.

But from the looks of it, the shy one's future is pretty much well-drawn.

what a cute story. and sweet ^

^tinulungan ng tatay niyang Architect :lol:, pero cute pa rin yung story

still proudly pinoy! credits to the cute girl and to her dad but still
WTO 4 me is no,no..

‘Bata’ rakes in P14.8M, tops money list

Efren "Bata" Reyes is sure hoping he has another year like 2005.

"The Magician" conjured even more cash to his burgeoning account last year, raking in a total of $279,169 (about P14.8 million) from 15 tournaments worldwide tracked by azbilliards.com—again putting him on top of the website’s players’ money list for the fourth time in the last six years.

Besides topping the charts last year, Reyes ruled the azbilliards.com list in 2001, 2002 and 2004—and was a strong third in 2003 and fourth in 2000 when the website began its tally.

The 51-year-old Bata’s earnings last year, however, overshadowed his hauls in previous years, easily beating his previous high of $215,362 in 2001 or P11.4 million at the current exchange rate of P53 to a dollar.

A $200,000 (about P10.8 million) windfall from the International Pool Tour (IPT) King of the Hill 8-ball Shoot Out in early December was the highlight of 2005 for Reyes.

The pride of Angeles City thumped the event’s defending champion, American Mike Sigel, for the hefty purse at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Reyes’ lowest earnings last year was $435 (about P23,000) for 13th place at the Derby City Classic Bank Division in January at Louisville, Kentucky—but he came back to win both the One-Pocket and 9-Ball events of the tournament, taking an additional $23,484 (P1.24 million) in prize money.

Backed by longtime benefactor and RP billiards patron Aristeo "Putch" Puyat and Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines president Ernesto "Ernie" Fajardo, Bata also led four other Filipinos who made it to the top 20 of the website’s list.

Marlon "Marvelous" Manalo was at No. 3, just behind Sigel, with $199,500 (P10.57 million), and Reyes’ bosom buddy, former world No. 1 Francisco "Django" Bustamante, was fourth with $140,272 (P7.43 million).

Kenneth Cobonpue Wins Design For Asia award


Acknowledged furniture design leader Kenneth Cobonpue gives the Philippines a reason to be proud. Once again, he has highlighted the country on the map of the highly competitive world of design. Him being granted the prestigious 2005 Design For Asia Award is a fierce statement that Filipino creativity is indeed world class.

The Design for Asia Award (DFAA) is the most prestigious design award given in Asia. An invitational international competition organized by the Hong Kong Design Center, it is dedicated to promoting design excellence and aims to raise awareness among businesses and the public that good design makes good business and improves quality of life. Awards are given to companies whose designs reflect or move the Asian Lifestyle. Criteria for judging are based on design, impact on Asian lifestyle and influence in Asia, and commercial success.

After a series of deliberations, 17 judges from around the world narrowed the more than 500 entries to a small selection of 11 winners. Kenneth Cobonpue’s design, the Lolah Chair, bested competitors from 22 countries and regions. The Lolah is a furniture collection that is made from rattan poles and strips fastened together with glue, nails and nylon wire in a process reminiscent of traditional Asian shipbuilding. The judges praised the design for its simple structure, sculptural form and innovative use of material.

Other prominent designers and companies who garnered awards are fashion designer Vivienne Tam, Nokia Corporation, and Sony.

Known for combining traditional materials with innovative production methods and a modern aesthetic, Kenneth has gained design prominence through various awards such as the Japan Good Design Award (7 time winner), the Grand Prize at the Singapore International Design Competition, 2 awards for Best Seating at the 2005 Las Vegas Hospitality and Design Show and Best Outdoor Chair given by HOME Magazine at the 2004 High Point Furniture Show.

Kenneth is a Cebuano whose passion for design triggered his temporary move to the West. There, he studied Industrial Design at Pratt Institute, New York and took up Furniture Marketing and Production in Germany. He briefly worked in Munich and in 1996 returned to Cebu to manage Interior Crafts of the Island, Inc., a family-owned furniture design and manufacturing company. Kenneth regularly gives presentations and lectures around the world from Japan to New York and is an active member of Movement 8, a select group of Filipino designers.

A Pinoy church in the Big Apple

First posted 01:16am (Mla time) Jan 08, 2006
By Catherine Sarah Young
Inquirer

FILIPINOS ARE ALL over the globe. Pick a country, and there's bound to be a colony of Pinoys in there, be it on tour, to get an education or to earn a living.

And where Filipinos go, so does their faith. In September last year, the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz on 378 Broome Street in Little Italy, New York, was designated as a church dedicated to Filipinos, the first in the United States and the second in the world, the first one having been designated in Rome by no less than the late Pope John Paul himself.

Fr. Erno Diaz, coordinator of the Filipino Apostolate of the Archdiocese of New York since 1995, has been appointed the director of the Filipino Apostolate of the chapel.

Not yet a parish church

"The Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz is the official name," says Fr. Diaz. "Any reference to 'church,' as in 'Church of the Filipinos' or 'Church of San Lorenzo Ruiz' is not accurate and premature inasmuch as it is not yet a parish church. It is hoped, though,it would be a parish church someday when the Chapel has become stable with its programs and its finances."

It took five years of formal lobbying to obtain the blessings of Cardinal Edward Egan, the Archbishop of New York, although "the seed for a church for the Filipinos was sown as far back as 1987 after San Lorenzo's canonization."

In 2002, Cardinal Egan visited the Philippine Pastoral Center (PPC) on East 62nd Street and told the Filipinos his intention of finding a church for St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint.

In December 2003, the Cardinal offered the Church of St. James near Brooklyn Bridge for the Filipino church. However, the trustees of the PPC recommended that Fr. Diaz decline the offer since the chapel was badly in need of repair.

After two years, the Cardinal offered the Church of the Most Holy Crucifix, which was founded in 1925 and originally used by Irish, Italians, Spanish and Chinese immigrants. Fr. Diaz, with the consent of the PPC trustees, accepted the offer.

Migrant-saint

Why name the chapel after Lorenzo Ruiz? "Filipino Catholics of New York, especially the devotees of San Lorenzo, have always believed that the first Filipino saint should have a church with his name in New York," says Fr. Diaz.

"The movement for the canonization of San Lorenzo was quite strong and aggressive here where Filipinos rallied around then Blessed Lorenzo as a symbol of their Catholic faith."

Lorenzo Ruiz also served as an empathetic figure, having been martyred in Japan.

"Filipino immigrants saw in him a migrant-saint... whose experience of loneliness, alienation [and] rejection is similar to theirs in some ways. Also, like the old immigrant groups from Ireland, Italy, Poland and so forth, the Filipinos feel they need their patron saint to be in their midst to serve as their inspiration.

Hall of Sin

Another significant fact about the chapel is the dedication of the chapel hall in honor of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, who played a pivotal role in the faith of Filipinos in the US.

He encouraged the movement for canonization of Blessed Lorenzo in New York; he celebrated mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1984 to honor the figure. He also did the same to other states, such as New Jersey, to which many Filipinos have also migrated.

The hall will be used for community functions like prayer meetings, forums, Bible studies and several outreach programs, among them for the Chinese-Filipinos, the elderly, the youth and newcomers.

The masses will be held in both English and Tagalog, although if a particular regional group would like to have mass said in their dialect, it is possible to do so if there is a priest who can do the mass.

Fr. Diaz himself has celebrated the Eucharist in Ilonggo. Filipino celebrations such as Misa de Gallo, salubong, Flores de Mayo, etc., will also be held in the chapel.

Despite the Filipino label, everyone, regardless of race or religious affiliation, is welcome to the chapel to worship.

Fr. Diaz hopes the chapel "will serve to highlight the fact that the Filipinos finally have a place they can call their own where they can strengthen their faith and hand that same faith to their children even as they live in an adopted country and culture."

Victory

Securing the chapel is certainly a victory for Fr. Erno Diaz, who has been in New York for 28 years. Despite being in a foreign country, Fr. Diaz remains steadfast in his vocation to the diocese.

Pinoys in foreign lands have not forgotten their faith. "The Filipinos of New York look to their faith as a spiritual resource in a foreign country," the priest said. "Their faith is quite strong as evidenced by their strong presence and involvement in their parish churches. Some churches in New York have been saved from closure because of the presence of the Filipinos. Their faith is still very much like their countrymen's back home."

It is this faith that also keeps Fr. Diaz going. "There are beautiful things that gladden my heart, like the fruitful pursuit of a church for the Filipinos and the trust and encouragement of many supporters who believe in the pursuit. There have also been trials and obstacles along the way that I find to be God-sent opportunities to strengthen our resolve to keep on."

The Church is also expected to fire up further the Filipinos' missionary passion. "Filipinos are noted for their apostolic zeal. In their mission as evangelizers, trials are turned into blessings. I have learned this beautiful lesson from them."



_____________________________


Happy Sunday! :)

^^ Reverend Diaz is my uncle. I think this is the one he was talking about the last time I visited the Epiphany Church.

Filipina Actress to play as Psylocke in X Men 3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'X-Men 3' has another villain in Melancon
By Tatiana Siegel Thu Dec 29,11:35 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The evil mutant assassin Psylocke has joined the lineup of "X-Men 3," the latest installment of the Marvel superhero franchise.

The character will be played by Filipina actress Mei Melancon, who previously worked with "X-Men 3" director Brett Ratner in "Rush Hour 2."

Word began leaking last week from the Vancouver set that "X-Men 3" would introduce Psylocke, who has had several incarnations in the Marvel comic book series and is best known for her fighting and telepathic skills as well as an ability to transport herself and others through shadows. In the film, she will fight against the X-Men as a member of Magneto's (
Ian McKellen) Brotherhood of Mutants.

"X-Men 3" is set to bow May 26, on Memorial Day weekend, via Twentieth Century Fox.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

http://www.pbase.com/jarconcengco/palm_springs

I checked out Mei Melancon's pictures. She's pretty.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/ECdoesit/Mei.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/ECdoesit/Mei2.jpg

She was also in Rush Hour.

She is hot.

OH YEAH, SHe is HOt Hot hOT!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see the movie, Psylock has been one of my fav X-men characters ever. I originally thought Tia Carrera would play psylock. Guess not

YOu know who's hot is Lexa Doig, I didn't know she was pinay. I was just wondering why she looked like someone I knew when I saw her tv show, iyun pala pinay si loka.

^^ You had me yahooing her. She is hot.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/ECdoesit/LexaDoig.jpg

I have not seen her scifi shows. Her bio says she was born and raised in Toronto. Her mother is Filipina while her father is of German/Irish descent.

yeah and she was born in manila :)

^ I dont see her in the website??!!!

The newly introduced/reintroduced (with bigger roles) characters are Colossus, Angel, Juggernaut, The Beast, Shadowcat, Callisto, Jubilee, Leech, Multiple Man, Siryn, Omega Red et. al and no 'Psylocke'?????

totoo ngang madaming filipinos s hollywood! their also hot!
bat dito sa atin ung iba hindi n hot parang cheap n hehe..

^ye our race overflock on schwarzenegger's turf

I dont see her in the website??!!!The newly introduced/reintroduced (with bigger roles) characters are Colossus, Angel, Juggernaut, The Beast, Shadowcat, Callisto, Jubilee, Leech, Multiple Man, Siryn, Omega Red et. al and no 'Psylocke'?????
yahoo her name, look at the imdb

Hollywood doesn't mean high quality movie. There are many ones out there that are way better and aren't hollywoodized. For example Kung Fu Hustle, Battle Royale and House of the Flying Daggers.

hindi ko pa napapanood ang battle royale

^^ Its kinda brutal. Do you like gore movies? For me, its alright.

theyre fine, i watch em if theres not'ing to watch

Try it out. What I like about it is how the producer put his idea of politics to extreme by simplifying it in that movie.

Sundance Film Festival 2006: Auraeus Solito
By indieWIRE (January 18, 2006)

http://www.indiewire.com/people/BlossomMaximSM.jpg

Every day through the end of the Sundance Film Festival, including weekends, indieWIRE will be publishing two interviews with Sundance '06 competition filmmakers. Sixty filmmakers were given the opportunity to participate in an e-mail interview, and each was sent the same questions.

Filipino filmmaker Auraeus Solito directed "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros," screening in the World Cinema Competition: Dramatic section. In the film, 12-year-old Maximo dutifully performs tasks like cooking and sewing for his family, while his father and two brothers all involved in criminal activities. He becomes conflicted when he falls for a cop. Solito's films have received awards at a number of festivals worldwide.


Please tell us about yourself. How old are you? Where are you from?
I'm ageless. Our tribe originally didn't measure time so I have stopped counting my age.

I never had a day job, used to be a theater director in college and became a full-time indie filmmaker after.

I grew up in the heart of Manila [Philippines], in Sampaloc, where I filmed "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros". After college I returned to my indigenous roots in the beautiful pristine islands of Palawan, south of the Philippines, [and] went back to Manila and made "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros." I am now in Okinawa, Japan, [on] an Asian Public Intellectual Fellowship, where I will be making a documentary on Okinawan rituals. I am a man of two worlds -- the ancient universe of my tribal ancestors and the modern concrete civilization of Manila.

[b]What were the circumstances that led you to become a filmmaker?
Since I used to direct theater and started out as a playwright, [I] wrote a play about the myths of my tribe, the Palawanon, for my thesis production. After graduation, I searched for the roots of these myths, and when I met my tribal relatives and experienced our culture and our rituals, this profound epiphany led to my realization that theater was not enough to express these visions, so I shifted to film.

How did you learn about filmmaking? How did you finance your own film?
I took a basic filmmaking workshop at the Mowelfund Film Institute in metropolitan Manila. After my long hiatus in Palawan, where I made a documentary about my tribe, I returned to Manila where I was asked to direct this script, which won a film fund (about $10,000) [in] the First Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

At first, I was not sure [about] making this film since I really dreamt of making a Palawan tribal film as my first feature. But I guess it's destiny, and serendipity took place. I decided to film "Maximo" in the neighborhood where I grew up in Manila, the Sampaloc slums. I really didn't grow up in the slums, don't get me wrong. The Philippines is an example of extremes. Since my parents were successful government employees, we had a nice house amidst the slums. And we have always had a beautiful relationship with our neighbors. We are poor but not in spirit.

Where did the idea for your film come from?
My producer, Raymond Lee, decided to form [a] production group, ufo Pictures, of the best young writers [in] mainstream Philippine cinema. They conceptualized this movie about a gay boy in the slums and asked one of their writers, Michiko Yamamoto, to write the script.

I have always wanted to direct a progressive gay film. For in the history of Philippine cinema, gay people have always been portrayed as oppressed or as the oppressors. Philippine gay cinema in the '70s always had this theme of guilt [for] being homosexual while in the '80s gay people were always portrayed as the exploiters of handsome Filipinos who become macho dancers or call boys. And even worse, most of the time, queer folks are used as a butt of jokes in movies and [on] TV.

I always thought that I wanted to make a film where the gay character was happy for being who he is, accepted for who he is, and his being gay is just incidental or just part of the main theme of the film.

I even wished, while I was in the imagineNATIVE Film Festival (an Aboriginal film festival where my documentary "Basal Banar," about my tribe, was shown) last year [2004] in Toronto, to one day make this liberating gay film. Magically, when I arrived in Manila after the festival, I was offered [the chance] to direct this script.

I injected a lot of insights in[to] the script, especially being a gay boy growing up in Manila.

And the reactions in Manila and other international film festivals (Montreal World Film Festival, imagineNATIVE again, Asian Festival of First Films in Singapore) has been indeed liberating to a lot of people who have seen the film. I have never seen a Filipino audience react this way. It was really overwhelming (I [am] showing [the film] now in movie houses in the Philippines).

What are your biggest creative influences?
When I saw "The 400 Blows" by Truffaut, I knew I wanted to make a coming-of-age film someday. I also love the cultural epic scope of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and the political cinema of Philippine director Lino Brocka (his films were shown [at] Cannes, and he was even a jury [member] once). Also, the original and indigenous inspired cinema of Philippine indie filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik (who won a prize in Berlin in the '70s) plus the magical and mind-opening images of Okinawan filmmaker Takamine Go.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in either developing the project or making the movie?
Perhaps the most difficult part was the transition from my Palawan universe to the world of Manila. For almost seven years, I immersed myself in my indigenous culture, almost rejecting what the modern world had to offer. So when I started filming Maximo Oliveros' made-up life, I made it truer to myself by filming it in the familiar areas of my neighborhood. It was almost like going back and remembering how I grew up, like being in a documentary myself.

Tell us about the moment you found out that you were accepted into Sundance.
I just got my visa from the Japanese embassy, went straight to my PC in my house in Sampaloc, and there it was ... the email that made me so happy. A dream come true. To think in my younger days I used to watch the E! Channel's coverage of Sundance on TV. And now... I'm actually going.

What do you hope to get out of the festival and what are your own goals for the experience?
I am already content that I'm the first Filipino filmmaker in the World Cinema Competition. Big news in my country, the Philippines.

I guess I expect a sharing of ideas and experiences [with] indie filmmakers [from] the U.S. and worldwide... to forge brotherhoods and deep friendships with different filmmakers. For in the end we're here for the same reasons, creating cinema.

What is your definition of "independent film?"
Independent film is when you are free to realize your visions.

What films are you hoping to see at Sundance?
As many films as I can watch since I realized I am really an "audience," I love watching films. That's why I do my best to make films that I would love to watch.

Who are a few people that you would most like to meet at Sundance?
I want to meet Michel Gondry since I love his films, also Wim Wenders. And hopefully, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna (since I noticed that they are part of some films [at] Sundance), and I loved them in "Y tu mama tambien" and especially Gael in "The Motorcycle Diaries." Perhaps Sam Shepard, one of my favorite playwrights, and Jessica Lange, one of my favorite actresses.

If you were given $10 million to be used for moviemaking, how would you spend it?
Wow! That's a lot for our country! I [would] make 10 big-budget Filipino films in all genres! Since the biggest budget Filipino film ever made [cost] roughly $1 million.

What is your top 10 list for 2005?
I hardly saw any films this year -- been busy making "Maximo" and another one after, for a big studio in the Philippines, entitled "Tuli" (roughly translated as "The Circumcision").

What are one or two of your New Year's resolutions?
Exceed myself, make more films...

If you took President Bush's job, who would you hire/fire and why?
I would hire all Native American elders so that we will learn from them... the essence of sharing, strength in spirit and the humanist point of view.

^we barely make movies that can go to sundance thats because when we intend our moves to be a fairytale like or so fictional, enteng kabisote, :no: i dont recall any filipino movie that i like, i actually watch maalaala mo kaya episode than our movie thats because its been bastadized. i remembered a movie from FPJ and he was doing his routine fast punch to the stomach and pla plak to the ears, but he's doing it with multo, i mean what the hell, :lol:

I checked out Mei Melancon's pictures. She's pretty.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/ECdoesit/Mei.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/ECdoesit/Mei2.jpg

She was also in Rush Hour.

Is she pure Pinay? coz her full name is Meiling. Sounds Chinese to me

I think the sister of this director Aureaus Solito was a classmate of mine. He said he grew up in Sampaloc, an affluent house amidst the slums. This classmate of mine was also involved in theater and mentioned to me a brother also involved in theater. But man, she was disturbed. Very silent in class but I saw her scribbling on her notebook a lot of cuss words repeatedly. Pages of it all over her notebook. And she also was involved in a lesbian relationship. But that was ages ago in high school. Perhaps part of teenage angst.

But I'm truly proud of this true blue Sampaloqueno making good in the films. I'm happy his film got accepted in the Sundance Film Festival.

I wonder if the film is in Tagalog with English subtitles, or dubbed?

Lunasin - the cancer preventive-curative drug developed by a Filipino Scientist at UC Berkeley


US firm buying into biotech start-up

New York Stock Exchange-listed company is buying into start-up biotechnology firm FilGen BioSciences, Inc. (FGB) which is set to release in the market a cancer preventive-curative drug "lunasin" developed at the UC Berkeley by a Filipino scientist.



"All the shareholders of Filgen will become shareholders of that company. (Like a stock swap), for every Filgen share, they’ll give us so much share of the company," said Dr. Ben De Lumen, FGB chairman, in an interview during the International Conference on Biotechnology Enterprise and Investment.

The value of the investments in the soy-based drug has gone up since FGB started developing it six years ago originally under a partnership between the University of California Berkeley and seven private company investors in the US.

But De Lumen refused to disclose the name of the investing firm nor the amount of investments eyed.

It is expected that lunasin will become available within one year initially over the counter as a vitamin which will have an affordable price.

With a partnership with the University of Alabama and perhaps with the Philippine General Hospital in the Philippines for clinical trials over the next five to 10 years, the product may be subsequently considered a therapeutic drug once the Food and Drug Administration approves it.

Lunasin has been developed with a million seed money and a million fund from angel investors and venture capitalists.

De Lumen, a professor at the UC Berkeley’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, said clinical trials for cancer therapy will be done on cervical, prostate, and colon cancer.

Lunasin was found to prevent cancer based on a mechanism that the novel cancer preventive peptide (a small protein), first discovered in soy and later on found also in other seeds, guards cells at all tissues of the body and prevents cell division of abnormal cancer cells.

With its fast approach at stopping abnormal cell reproductions, a recommended dosage of at least 50 grams of soy per day was found to have caused a proven record of the absence of cancer in heavy soy-consuming populations in China, Japan, and Taiwan.

De Lumen merely stumbled on the discovery of soy protein as a cancer-preventive agent.

His laboratory really meant to enhance the nutritional quality of soy protein and other legumes through bioengineering. This was supposed to be done by increasing the level of methionine, the essential amino acid that is most limiting in soy and other legumes such as the mung bean.

AS de Lumen made the "fateful decision" of cloning the methionine-rich protein (MRP), rather than another option of getting the source of the MRP gene from another plant, he then tripped on the soy protein’s ability to arrest cancer cell’s fast reproduction.

While effectively killing cancer cells, normal intake of lunasin on a daily basis does not harm other normal body cells.

"Lunasin selectively kills cells that are being attacked by carcinogenic agents while leaving other cells unharmed by interfering with the unfolding of the chromosome that is necessary for cell proliferation," he said.

A patent had been obtained by UC Berkeley for lunasin, and 14 patents worldwide had also been granted to lunasin including those in Canada, Japan, Singapore and European Union as a requirement for FGB’s commercialization of the product.

Aside from de Lumen, the cancer-preventive agent was developed by two other Filipino graduate students from the University of the PhilippinesLos Banos.

These are Dr. Jamie Revilleza who contributed to the purification of the MRP from soy as part of the gene cloning and also Dr. Alfredo Galvez, a postdoctoral scientist who took over the project and found the cancer-preventive effect of the lunasin peptide.

"While it was not by design that the major contributors to lunasin discovery were both Filipinos, it is a source of price to point this out," said de Lumen.

Lunasin is a natural molecule that comes from soy, barley, and other seeds, and even from beer.

De Lumen is proud that lunasin is just one of the many scientific discoveries developed at the UC Berkeley where start-up ventures blossomed into full-blown businesses that bring huge revenues to California.

And this is because universities, private sector, and government collaborated for the success of the scientific works.

Biotechnology companies, he stressed, gives California .5 billion in annual revenue, .4 billion in research and development fund, and 60,000 jobs.

Fully supportive of biotechnology research and development, the state of California provides a counterpart fund of for every {{MB:DR(ARTICLE:CONTENT):MB}}.50 fund from UC Berkeley while the state legislature matches another of the funds.

AS a policy, royalty revenues from an intellectual property right goes to UC Berkeley by 30 percent, to the Department of the inventor, 30 percent, and to the investor, 30 percent.

I wonder if the investment firm is the same one in which Martha Stewart was involved in insider trading? That investment company was said to have been engaged in offering stocks in a biotechnology venture that has discovered a novel cure for cancer. But for some reason, at that time, the stock value plummeted and someone from the inside gave Martha Stewart a heads-up so that she could unload her stocks before it did so.

I wonder if the film is in Tagalog with English subtitles, or dubbed?

There was a time they exhibited a digital film which was a Robin Padilla starrer that was produced by Sharon Cuneta's Unitel. I can't remember the name of the film but it had Robin Padilla's character being willing to be crucified during a Pasyon to get a visa to America. The subtitles only went half-way through the film. The rest did not have sub-titles. The same thing happened during the first showing of American Adobo here in NY. It seems they rushed the release without having in mind that non-Filipino speakers are also interested in watching these films. At least with Dubai, the entire film had subtitles.

http://www.sony.com.ph/images/events/details/IMG_2621.jpg

Charo Ronquillo, 17 years old, won the 3rd place in the recent 2005 Ford Supermodel Of The World ($100,000 modelling contract with Ford)

http://imgfarm.com/images/fashion/feed/20060120104B.JPG

Katsia Damenkova of Belarus, center, winner of the 2005 Ford Supermodel of the World contest, poses with 3rd place winner Charo Ronquillo of the Philippines, left, and 2nd place winner Bojana Reijic of Canada

More from HERE (http://www.supermodeloftheworld.com/main.cfm)

There was a time they exhibited a digital film which was a Robin Padilla starrer that was produced by Sharon Cuneta's Unitel. I can't remember the name of the film but it had Robin Padilla's character being willing to be crucified during a Pasyon to get a visa to America. The subtitles only went half-way through the film. The rest did not have sub-titles. The same thing happened during the first showing of American Adobo here in NY. It seems they rushed the release without having in mind that non-Filipino speakers are also interested in watching these films. At least with Dubai, the entire film had subtitles.

The name of the movie is La Visa Loca. Yes, the lead actor is Robin Padilla and the producer is Sharon Cuneta...

Such a nice movie, I think...

There was a time they exhibited a digital film which was a Robin Padilla starrer that was produced by Sharon Cuneta's Unitel. I can't remember the name of the film but it had Robin Padilla's character being willing to be crucified during a Pasyon to get a visa to America. The subtitles only went half-way through the film. The rest did not have sub-titles. The same thing happened during the first showing of American Adobo here in NY. It seems they rushed the release without having in mind that non-Filipino speakers are also interested in watching these films. At least with Dubai, the entire film had subtitles.


La Visa Loca?

Filipino physicists share Einstein’s drive

As 2005 ended the first International Year of Physics, it also culminated the centennial anniversary of physicist Albert Einstein.

Although Mr. Einstein had formal education in teaching physics and mathematics, he did not get the chance to do physics research.

Surprisingly, he completed a range of theoretical physics publications by working during his spare time, without close contact with any scientific literature or colleagues.

A century ago, the way of teaching and studying science was different. There were quite a few science books, no laboratories and no experienced teachers to give advice and guidance.

Science education has since evolved into a more institutionalized way. In fact, the National Institute of Physics (NIP) at the University of the Philippines-Diliman is an institution run by well-trained professors and equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities.

For years, researchers who are also students and faculty members of NIP, have been conducting research in many different fields of physics such as condensed matter, instrumentation, structure and dynamics, theoretical physics, photonics and plasma technology.

The Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCAS-TRD), an agency of Department of Science and Technology, provides funds to support many of NIP’s major research projects and laboratories.

Dr. Caesar A. Saloma, a professor at the institute, is the first from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be awarded the Galileo Galilei Award from the International Commission for Optics in 2004.

His research has resulted in a device to detect failures in manufacturing electronics and semiconductors in the country.

By using combined capabilities of laser confocal microscope with single-photon optical beam induced current imaging, Mr. Saloma’s team of researchers was able to produce high-contrast layer-by-layer images of semiconductor sites in the integrated circuits at microscopic resolution.

A semiconductor is a tiny material essential in today’s computerized machine systems such as automated teller machines, airplanes and cars. It has electrical elements that work together to do specific tasks.

With Mr. Saloma’s technique, it is now easier to detect which part of the semiconductor failed to do its task because direct observations of the deeper structures and access to hard-to-reach surfaces can be made. Semiconductor device makers can then save themselves from substantial wastage and further revenue loss.

Another physicist is Dr. Arnel Salvador, deputy director for research and extension service at NIP.

His team produced unique semiconductor compounds such as gallium arsenide and aluminum-gallium arsenide applicable in fiber optic communication.

The semiconductor materials allow faster data transmission over long distances. They made use of a thermally controlled evaporation process in an ultra-high vacuum environment known as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).

Mr. Salvador said MBE is considerably essential in creating new structures and crystal materials such as semiconductor laser and light emitting diodes, photodetectors and quantum dots.

All these are useful in fiber optic communication where light is used as major carrier of information through a fiber medium.

Fiber optic communication enables the replacement of the conventional copper cable wires in telephone networks to wireless optical networking for a borderless and global undertaking. With fiber optic technology comes the convenience of video conferencing, internet and an array of wireless electronic gadgets.

Dr. Henry Ramos has developed a state-of-the-art but cheaper coating technology for cutting tools. Cutting tools are useful in metal, wood, and plastic fabrications for producing construction supplies, car and computer parts, and many others.

Mr. Ramos’s low-temperature coating technology can deposit either a gold luster titanium nitride or a diamond-like thin film on metal substrates like knives, scissors, and drill bits that extend their usability three to five times longer.

Basically, he made use of plasma, which is a high-energy state of gases. Instead of going to Singapore or Sweden to avail of technical services, manufacturing firms can now save hundreds of thousands dollars by using these alternative tools available at NIP.

In superconductors, Dr. Roland V. Sarmago leads a team to develop a low-cost material that exhibits superconductivity at higher temperatures or anywhere close to room temperature with the use of crystal oxides.

Superconductors are materials that lose all resistance to the flow of current at low temperatures. They operate extremely fast and produce almost no heat. They are useful in manufacturing materials in electronics, glass and ceramics, and construction supplies.

Mr. Sarmago’s team has prepared and characterized high-criticaltemperature superconductors. This research gives way to further and cheaper studies of the applications of crystal oxides. -- Liza Aleria, NIP

http://www.sony.com.ph/images/events/details/IMG_2621.jpg

Charo Ronquillo, 17 years old, won the 3rd place in the recent 2005 Ford Supermodel Of The World ($100,000 modelling contract with Ford)


I like her sweet face. :)

Yes @Amigo and @XP, the film was La Visa Loca. Robin Padilla was really good there.

Filipino physicists share Einstein’s drive

As 2005 ended the first International Year of Physics, it also culminated the centennial anniversary of physicist Albert Einstein.

Although Mr. Einstein had formal education in teaching physics and mathematics, he did not get the chance to do physics research.

Surprisingly, he completed a range of theoretical physics publications by working during his spare time, without close contact with any scientific literature or colleagues.

A century ago, the way of teaching and studying science was different. There were quite a few science books, no laboratories and no experienced teachers to give advice and guidance.

Science education has since evolved into a more institutionalized way. In fact, the National Institute of Physics (NIP) at the University of the Philippines-Diliman is an institution run by well-trained professors and equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities.

For years, researchers who are also students and faculty members of NIP, have been conducting research in many different fields of physics such as condensed matter, instrumentation, structure and dynamics, theoretical physics, photonics and plasma technology.

The Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCAS-TRD), an agency of Department of Science and Technology, provides funds to support many of NIP’s major research projects and laboratories.

Dr. Caesar A. Saloma, a professor at the institute, is the first from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be awarded the Galileo Galilei Award from the International Commission for Optics in 2004.

His research has resulted in a device to detect failures in manufacturing electronics and semiconductors in the country.

By using combined capabilities of laser confocal microscope with single-photon optical beam induced current imaging, Mr. Saloma’s team of researchers was able to produce high-contrast layer-by-layer images of semiconductor sites in the integrated circuits at microscopic resolution.

A semiconductor is a tiny material essential in today’s computerized machine systems such as automated teller machines, airplanes and cars. It has electrical elements that work together to do specific tasks.

With Mr. Saloma’s technique, it is now easier to detect which part of the semiconductor failed to do its task because direct observations of the deeper structures and access to hard-to-reach surfaces can be made. Semiconductor device makers can then save themselves from substantial wastage and further revenue loss.

Another physicist is Dr. Arnel Salvador, deputy director for research and extension service at NIP.

His team produced unique semiconductor compounds such as gallium arsenide and aluminum-gallium arsenide applicable in fiber optic communication.

The semiconductor materials allow faster data transmission over long distances. They made use of a thermally controlled evaporation process in an ultra-high vacuum environment known as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).

Mr. Salvador said MBE is considerably essential in creating new structures and crystal materials such as semiconductor laser and light emitting diodes, photodetectors and quantum dots.

All these are useful in fiber optic communication where light is used as major carrier of information through a fiber medium.

Fiber optic communication enables the replacement of the conventional copper cable wires in telephone networks to wireless optical networking for a borderless and global undertaking. With fiber optic technology comes the convenience of video conferencing, internet and an array of wireless electronic gadgets.

Dr. Henry Ramos has developed a state-of-the-art but cheaper coating technology for cutting tools. Cutting tools are useful in metal, wood, and plastic fabrications for producing construction supplies, car and computer parts, and many others.

Mr. Ramos’s low-temperature coating technology can deposit either a gold luster titanium nitride or a diamond-like thin film on metal substrates like knives, scissors, and drill bits that extend their usability three to five times longer.

Basically, he made use of plasma, which is a high-energy state of gases. Instead of going to Singapore or Sweden to avail of technical services, manufacturing firms can now save hundreds of thousands dollars by using these alternative tools available at NIP.

In superconductors, Dr. Roland V. Sarmago leads a team to develop a low-cost material that exhibits superconductivity at higher temperatures or anywhere close to room temperature with the use of crystal oxides.

Superconductors are materials that lose all resistance to the flow of current at low temperatures. They operate extremely fast and produce almost no heat. They are useful in manufacturing materials in electronics, glass and ceramics, and construction supplies.

Mr. Sarmago’s team has prepared and characterized high-criticaltemperature superconductors. This research gives way to further and cheaper studies of the applications of crystal oxides. -- Liza Aleria, NIP

:eek2: I thought Philippines aren't capable of making those!

Palafox Associates breaks into Top 100 of World Architecture


The Philippines’ premier architectural, planning, and design firm Palafox Associates now ranks 94th overall in the World Architecture Top 200. The result, as published in the January 2006 edition of BD World Architecture, showed the firm has improved its position in the overall listing of the Top 200 largest architectural practices in the world from its 105th place in 2005.

The list, being dominated by architectural firms from the USA, UK, Japan, and other European countries, singled out Palafox Associates as the only Southeast Asian architectural firm. The firm debuted in 1999 when it ranked 220th in the Top 500 architectural firms of the world. Six years later, Palafox Associates consistently eases its way up when it breaks into the Top 100 mark.

The Building Design World Architecture is published in London, United Kingdom and is circulated around the globe. The publication holds an annual survey for the largest architectural practices based on project aggregate, workforce, fee income, and market sectors. These sectors, or fields of specialization, include urban design, transport, hotels, government buildings, education, residential, master planning, criminal justice, cultural, business parks, health care, sports, industrial, retail, and leisure. The data for the rankings and tables were gathered after practices from around the globe have been surveyed.

^^ what are the projects of Palafox bai?

http://www.palafoxoutsourcing.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=49

^^^^
Palafox's plan for LAmesa dam and others.

^^ wow! I like their plan on Makati's streetscape :)

^^ the best is their plan for the Pasig River.. kelan kaya mag materialize to?

thnx for the link..

Interesting article on today's news - proud to be pinoy. :)

Inventor finds good use for coconut husk

The Philippine Star 02/02/2006

Imagine turning a worthless waste material into an innovative, biodegradable product that protects the environment, promotes plant growth and gives jobs to poor farmers.

Former agriculture college dean Justino Arboleda, 56, has done just that.

Arboleda has turned the lowly husk of the coconut fruit, the most ubiquitous plant in his native Philippines, into an award-winning product.

His innovation makes use of the husk fibers to produce a tough but biodegradable netting that anchors the soil on sloping land as well as river banks, protecting against erosion while encouraging the growth of vegetation.

The product, called "coconet," has been adopted in infrastructure projects all over this Southeast Asian archipelago, as well as in China and Sri Lanka.

It landed the top prize of the 2005 BBC World Challenge, where it beat some 456 entries from 90 countries for best innovative grassroots project and earned Arboleda a $20,000 prize and recognition from both BBC and Newsweek magazine.

A late 1980s study commissioned by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank into the conditions of millions of coconut farmers in his impoverished Bicol region inspired Arboleda’s invention.

The study he conducted found that "most farmers in Bicol live below the poverty line," unable to earn enough money off their small plots, Arboleda said.

The dried coconut meat, or "copra," was the only part of the tall plant that had recognized economic value — the raw material for vegetable oil, soap, animal feed and industrial processes.

The discarded husks were the largest waste product of the coconut-growing regions. Arboleda estimates the Philippines produces 12 billion coconut husks a year with 75 percent of them thrown away.

"We wanted to give jobs to the farmers, especially the women," who often are left idle when the coconut crop has been harvested, he said.

"We found a way to mill (coconut) husks, convert them to fibers and bring (the fibers) to the houses" of the farmers, where their wives would spin them into a tough thread which in turn is woven into the netting.

The net could then be laid onto sloping land, especially the kind left behind in road construction.

Using his life savings and money borrowed from relatives, Arboleda in 1995 set up a company to help save the planet and his neighbors with an initial capital outlay of P100,000 ($3,817).

A factory was set up in Bicol, to make use of the excess labor in the area. The company is now worth about P20 million with P13 million in sales last year.

He named the company Juboken Enterprises — a combination of the nicknames of Arboleda, his wife and son — but also a Japanese word meaning "important venture."

The company subcontracts the thread and net-weaving to local farming families, giving them an extra daily income of P150 to P200 a day.

Arboleda says his product not only holds the soil down against erosion. It absorbs water, preventing soil runoff from rains while serving as a fertile bed for plant growth.

It can also be installed manually unlike alternatives that often require heavy equipment.

"Before, everyone would use plastic nets or steel wire," or even concrete to shore up slopes, he said.

"Coconut fiber is cheap, it does not deteriorate quickly," he said, allowing plants to grow in coconet-covered slopes or river banks, to eventually anchor the soil down.

In tests, coco-fiber has lasted for four years submerged in water, he said.

The product is now used to shore up the exposed earth in dam and highway projects in the Philippines, preventing landslides in hillside housing projects and covering garbage used as landfill.

Arboleda recently sealed an agreement with China to study how coconet could be used in slowing desertification.

He said that when he offered his product for use in a landfill in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the Chinese were skeptical that it would be better than plastic netting. So he spent P500,000 of his own money to prove coconet would work.

He has also struck a deal with a Sri Lankan company to provide the technical know-how on how to use coco-fiber in that country.

Arboleda also has agreements with companies in the Netherlands to make doormats from the material and do joint research on other ways to use coco-fiber.

In addition, Arboleda has found a way to use the dust produced when coconut husks are made into fibers. He turns it into "coco-peat": a fertile, porous soil-like material used as a growing medium for plants and can be shaped like bricks, pots or posts, for ornamental vegetation. — AFP


http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200602020403.htm

Palafox Associates breaks into Top 100 of World Architecture


ImageThe Philippines’ premier architectural, planning, and design firm Palafox Associates now ranks 94th overall in the World Architecture Top 200. The result, as published in the January 2006 edition of BD World Architecture, showed the firm has improved its position in the overall listing of the Top 200 largest architectural practices in the world from its 105th place in 2005.

The list, being dominated by architectural firms from the USA, UK, Japan, and other European countries, singled out Palafox Associates as the only Southeast Asian architectural firm. The firm debuted in 1999 when it ranked 220th in the Top 500 architectural firms of the world. Six years later, Palafox Associates consistently eases its way up when it breaks into the Top 100 mark.

The Building Design World Architecture is published in London, United Kingdom and is circulated around the globe. The publication holds an annual survey for the largest architectural practices based on project aggregate, workforce, fee income, and market sectors. These sectors, or fields of specialization, include urban design, transport, hotels, government buildings, education, residential, master planning, criminal justice, cultural, business parks, health care, sports, industrial, retail, and leisure. The data for the rankings and tables were gathered after practices from around the globe have been surveyed.

that's great. IMO we have a lot of good architects, interior designers.
Even if they're not as high tech they're very creative.

^^ kasama na ako diyan.. hahaha (30 yrs from now)

nice to hear that!! palofox is one of the good architects today!!

Palafox Associates breaks into Top 100 of World Architecture


ImageThe Philippines’ premier architectural, planning, and design firm Palafox Associates now ranks 94th overall in the World Architecture Top 200. The result, as published in the January 2006 edition of BD World Architecture, showed the firm has improved its position in the overall listing of the Top 200 largest architectural practices in the world from its 105th place in 2005.

The list, being dominated by architectural firms from the USA, UK, Japan, and other European countries, singled out Palafox Associates as the only Southeast Asian architectural firm. The firm debuted in 1999 when it ranked 220th in the Top 500 architectural firms of the world. Six years later, Palafox Associates consistently eases its way up when it breaks into the Top 100 mark.

The Building Design World Architecture is published in London, United Kingdom and is circulated around the globe. The publication holds an annual survey for the largest architectural practices based on project aggregate, workforce, fee income, and market sectors. These sectors, or fields of specialization, include urban design, transport, hotels, government buildings, education, residential, master planning, criminal justice, cultural, business parks, health care, sports, industrial, retail, and leisure. The data for the rankings and tables were gathered after practices from around the globe have been surveyed.

lol. when my parents were looking for an architect, one of my uncles gave them the full on press kit for palafox. i almost died laughing when i saw the folder. my parents want to build a HOUSE, not a $290384029 dollar, 23502389 sq. meter building!!! Never in a million years would we be able to afford palafox. :tongue3:

^^ the best is their plan for the Pasig River.. kelan kaya mag materialize to?

thnx for the link..

I agree! Its really something

hmmm...seems like they updated their website:okay:

^^is that lika an actual project? or a proposition?!

Carol Banawa auditioned for american idol, don't know if she went through though!

Carol Banawa auditioned for american idol, don't know if she went through though!


did you see her on tv?

^^ yup, but only for like 2 seconds, and I saw a couple of audition pictures with her in it. It can't be her twin because no matter what angle the pics were taken, they look well....like carol! :)

^^ dwhere did she auditioned? SanFo? i am browsing their website and there are a lot of photos! hehehe

she auditioned in Austin Texas

here's a small clip on youtube http://www.youtube.com/?v=NfwcjeH1qbA

and a couple of pics

http://www.idolonfox.com/photos/?cat=1&sub=14&pic=6356

http://www.idolonfox.com/photos/?cat=1&sub=14&pic=6473

http://www.idolonfox.com/photos/?cat=1&sub=14&pic=6475

http://www.idolonfox.com/photos/?cat=1&sub=14&pic=6487

^^ yup it is her! thnx for the links. ill post the pix here ha?

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2359/cb18qj.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9360/cb29gs.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3989/cb38zb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/7051/cb44we.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

was this aired already?

In or Out?

markiiboy: those pics were never aired, the youtube video was the only one shown on tv

don't know if she was cut though...

^^any idea, what song she sung for the audition?!!...

^I watched that but only 14 yata yung nakapasa sa Austin, baka di siya nakasama kasi yung tatlong baliw na yun mahilig sa mga batak ang boses whereas Carol's quite cute, pero sana in siya!!!

^^ i think if she made it, she would have been already in the news. pero ala eh. hehehe

dba hindi puede ung professional singers? ganun din ung nangyari sa babae na member sa smoky mountain....

di ko rin nakita c carol sa austin audition.... the austin audition was aired last tuesday i think at inabangan ko talaga yun lalo na malapit lang yun d2 sa houston.... ala eh... puro lang students sa UT-A

i didnt know carol had a twin.... aaaarrrrggghhhhh! i hope she's in.... i mean... no doubt that she has a good voice.....


the narrator said something about over confidence or something negative... does this mean she did bad in her auditions?

meron akong nakitang site d2 sa internet... sabi daw nila.... tanging yaman daw ang kinanta ni carol kaya di sya nakapasa.... but... di naman gaanong ka reliable yung source ko so... di pa rin ako naniniwala.....




http://pinoy.rickey.org/2006/02/02/channels/abs-cbn-the-filipino-channel/carol-banawa-on-american-idol-video-clip/

link kung saan ko nabasa ung sabi-sabi....post number 18.... pero sabi naman sa post number 46.... nakapasa daw siya.. umuwi daw siya dahil i shshoot ung background niya at kung saan daw siya nangaling.... i hope:)

sana kasali nga sya...

dba hindi puede ung professional singers? ganun din ung nangyari sa babae na member sa smoky mountain....

di ko rin nakita c carol sa austin audition.... the austin audition was aired last tuesday i think at inabangan ko talaga yun lalo na malapit lang yun d2 sa houston.... ala eh... puro lang students sa UT-A
Hindi pwede talaga. Meron isa nakapasa sa mga recent auditions, Greensboro yata, si Jose Penala, pinoy band member siya dito, baka daw masuspend siya kasi nagpeperform pa daw siya recently sa Manila.
Di naman siguro anti-pinoy ang Ai kasi sina Jasmine at camille nakapasaok pa sa top 12.

^^diba nag perform palang recently si carol.... may guestings nga sya sa asap, little big star, star in a million tsaka concerts....

sa tingin ko rin di cla anti pinoy, kaso lang ung mga pinoy naman na sumasali, ung mga professionals na... soooo... yun.... hehehehe

Pinay bet tops international CPA tilt
The Philippine Star 02/07/2006

After Duke, here comes Duchess.

A Filipina certified public accountant of a local auditing firm bested 21,000 other examinees from different parts of the globe to become the second Filipino to top the Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) examination held last year.

Duchess Marie Cruz, senior staff member of Punongbayan & Araullo (P&A), won the "gold medal" in the exam that Duke Bahinting won two years ago.

The 23-year-old Cruz will be given the honor of personally receiving her gold medal and certificate during the annual conference of the International Institute of Internal Auditors sometime in June this year in Houston, Texas, said Alfredo Damian, head of P&A’s human resources and communication division.

Cruz obtained the highest rating among the Top 25 out of 21,000 examinees from 55 countries, Damian told The STAR, adding there was no figure given for the rating.

Cruz took the uniform CIA exam in the Philippines, according to Damian.

"It was a computer-based program simultaneously given to the examinees through the auspices of the local chapter of the International Institute of Internal Auditors," he said.

Cruz graduated magna cum laude from the University of the East in Caloocan with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy and passed the October 2002 national CPA licensure examinations.

She is now a senior auditor of P&A’s business risk services group, which handles internal audit and technology risk management engagements.

Nine other P&A auditors passed the CIA exams. They are Jasper Antolin, Nick Buscato, Carolyn Cabanit, Deogracias Pante, Joy Payongayong, Mariam Suson, Marilyn Tuano, Dennis Villamin and Jamaema Yap.

I made a thread in Samahan, not aware of this one....

Anyway, more info.

The site for Here Lies Love, the musical by David Byrne (from Talking Heads) and Fatboy Slim about Imelda Marcos is live.

Visit it here: http://www.davidbyrne.com/here_lies_love/

It has the song structure and some set design photos. The song structure will show what the story is really about. Check it out.

Here's what DB has to say:

Here’s a quote from James Hamilton-Paterson’s book America’s Boy — one of the best accounts of the Marcos era, putting it in the context of both village life and global politics. From the chapter The Politics Of Fantasy: “There are moments when it seems that the world’s affairs are transacted by dreamers. There is a sadness here in the spectacle of nations, no less than individuals, helping each other along with their delusions. This way what is thought to be clear-sighted pragmatism may actually be shoring up a regime’s ideology whose hidden purpose is itself nothing more than to assuage the pain of a single person’s unhappy past.”

And these quotes from Imperial Grunts: “Just as the stirring poetry and novels of Rudyard Kipling celebrated the work of British Imperialism… the American artist Frederic Remington, in his bronze sculptures and oil paintings, would do likewise for the conquest of the Wild West… ‘Welcome to Injun Country’ was the refrain I heard from the troops from Colombia to the Philippines, including Afghanistan and Iraq… the War on Terrorism was really about taming the frontier.”

These two quotes encapsulate for me why I am here in the Philippines. Granted it is a very short trip. And at a peculiar time of year. The Here Lies Love music project might be about this conflation of fantasy, personal pain and politics that runs through history and played itself out here in a dramatically obvious way. Hamilton-Paterson nails it better than I could.

— DB, Manila, December 2005

Link to David Byrne's travel journal to the Philippines:
http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2005/...ppines_mar.html

I just had a chance to peruse through the travel journal. It's really, very interesting. He even includes some cool pictures. Go through it and read. You'll find it interesting too.

It's a captivating account by a westerner, visitor to Manila with a critical eye-- a westerner who is aware of the colonial legacy and his participation in it as somebody from the west. There are of course, the vignettes about the "Manila life" but the eyes that view them are painfully aware of his positionality as an outsider, as a white man.

It's also a good history lesson on the excesses of the Marcoses. Good stuff. Cool pictures of Imelda Marcos as Maganda and Ferdinand as Malakas. I'd like to spend more time with it, but alas, I have to go.

But there you go. Discuss.
__________________

just watched american idol... i dont think i saw carol among he contestants that were sent in hollywood.... but i saw a girl na prang c carol pag nakatalikod.... hehehehe.... i still hope she was accepted.....hehehehehe :)

hindi ba bawal ang mga professional singers sa idol

un na nga ang sinasabi ko.... baka d sya natanggap kasi professional singer siya...

ok... i have a very important news..... a filipino made it through hollywood..... his name is jose penala..... here is his myspace link so you can hear his voice.... maganda, pang idol ang dating... http://www.myspace.com/joseswaypenala
here is his pic

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/carlosalmacen/467215726_m1.jpg


there is also another asian girl... im not sure if she's filipina.... ala camille velasco ang style niya... her name is jayne santayana


http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c101/carlosalmacen/viewpics1.jpg



here's a link to her myspace... her audition video can be viewd here... enjoy!

http://www.myspace.com/jaynerio

but there are also rumors that jose maybe disqualified becauase he has an album na... im not sure pa... all i know that jayne made it to hollywood

Did anyone read the blog? The guy went to Ilocos (Ferdinand), Leyte(Imelda), and many other places associated with the Marcos Regime and Imelda.

http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2005/12/philippines_mar.html

Interesting read.

Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls

Nicole Scherzinger is what entertainment industry executives call "a triple threat." This free-spirited artist is not just another pretty face; she can sing, act, AND dance. In a business that has been criticized for placing more emphasis on "image" than "ability" she shatters stereotypes with her blend of exotic beauty, charisma, and undeniable talent.

Scherzinger, who is of Hawaiian-Russian-Filipino descent, knew from a young age that she was destined to become an entertainer; performing is in her blood. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a child she watched her family of entertainers perform Polynesian shows featuring her mother as the lead hula dancer and her grandmother, Tutu, as the singer. At the age of six her family relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. Transitioning from island life was a new challenge for Nicole. "It was difficult at first because I didn't look like everyone else", she recalls, feeling at times like the ugly duckling.

Growing up, Nicole attended performing arts junior and senior high schools. At 14 her first professional play was at the prestigious Actors Theatre of Louisville. While attending Wright State University in Dayton, OH, she majored in theatre and minored in dance, garnering such lead roles as Velma Kelly in "Chicago" and Julie LaVerne in "Show Boat", supporting herself with local modeling jobs.

Nicole then learned the rock band Days Of The New was looking for a female vocalist. Soon after hearing the demos she recorded with lead singer, Travis Meeks, the band's producer Scott Litt called her out to L.A., where she recorded their second album and set out on the road to tour with them.

After touring she returned home to work on her own music. However auditions for WB's talent series "Popstars" had her driving to Chicago, joining an audition line at five a.m. but would soon pay off. Eden's Crush, the girl group that resulted from "Popstars," was a sensation. Its 2001 self-titled debut album went Top 10 and the single "Get Over Yourself" went to #1 on Billboard’s singles chart. In its year-plus together, the band toured with N*Sync and Jessica Simpson.

After Eden's Crush, Nicole explored opportunities in the acting world. Back in LA, she landed acting roles in feature films such as "Chasing Papi" and guest-starred in television series such as "My Wife and Kids."

It wasn't long until she heard that The Pussycat Dolls were looking for singers and she landed the coveted spot for PCD. "The Pussycat Dolls have no boundaries," says Scherzinger, who also wrote on the soon to be released album. "We continue to stretch and find ourselves in every performance. We do what is truthful for each of us." While it is obvious she has everything it takes to be a career artist, it is Nicole Scherzinger's unbridled passion to express herself musically that intrigues and inspires her growing legion of fans.

Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls

Nicole Scherzinger is what entertainment industry executives call "a triple threat." This free-spirited artist is not just another pretty face; she can sing, act, AND dance. In a business that has been criticized for placing more emphasis on "image" than "ability" she shatters stereotypes with her blend of exotic beauty, charisma, and undeniable talent.

Scherzinger, who is of Hawaiian-Russian-Filipino descent, knew from a young age that she was destined to become an entertainer; performing is in her blood. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a child she watched her family of entertainers perform Polynesian shows featuring her mother as the lead hula dancer and her grandmother, Tutu, as the singer. At the age of six her family relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. Transitioning from island life was a new challenge for Nicole. "It was difficult at first because I didn't look like everyone else", she recalls, feeling at times like the ugly duckling.

Growing up, Nicole attended performing arts junior and senior high schools. At 14 her first professional play was at the prestigious Actors Theatre of Louisville. While attending Wright State University in Dayton, OH, she majored in theatre and minored in dance, garnering such lead roles as Velma Kelly in "Chicago" and Julie LaVerne in "Show Boat", supporting herself with local modeling jobs.

Nicole then learned the rock band Days Of The New was looking for a female vocalist. Soon after hearing the demos she recorded with lead singer, Travis Meeks, the band's producer Scott Litt called her out to L.A., where she recorded their second album and set out on the road to tour with them.

After touring she returned home to work on her own music. However auditions for WB's talent series "Popstars" had her driving to Chicago, joining an audition line at five a.m. but would soon pay off. Eden's Crush, the girl group that resulted from "Popstars," was a sensation. Its 2001 self-titled debut album went Top 10 and the single "Get Over Yourself" went to #1 on Billboard’s singles chart. In its year-plus together, the band toured with N*Sync and Jessica Simpson.

After Eden's Crush, Nicole explored opportunities in the acting world. Back in LA, she landed acting roles in feature films such as "Chasing Papi" and guest-starred in television series such as "My Wife and Kids."

It wasn't long until she heard that The Pussycat Dolls were looking for singers and she landed the coveted spot for PCD. "The Pussycat Dolls have no boundaries," says Scherzinger, who also wrote on the soon to be released album. "We continue to stretch and find ourselves in every performance. We do what is truthful for each of us." While it is obvious she has everything it takes to be a career artist, it is Nicole Scherzinger's unbridled passion to express herself musically that intrigues and inspires her growing legion of fans.



infairness siya lng maganda sa grupo ., at laging may exposure... prng bcak up lng nya ka grupo niya.. hehe

Nicole should be a solo star. JLo has nothing on her. She may even give Beyonce a run for her money. Sige, just for exposure PussyCat Dolls lang muna then break-away.

IN JUNE 1990, 18-year-old high school senior Mercedes “Tata” Escaño Gorre vowed in her valedictory speech that she would find a cure for cancer. Her mother Lisa, a research chemist at the Hughes Laboratory in Malibu, California, had died of cancer a few months earlier. In August 2001, Tata’s promise came true. Her paper from her doctoral dissertation on molecular mechanisms in chronic leukemia was published in the prestigious journal Science.

Tata’s work aimed to thresh out what exactly was happening with the cancer drug called Gleevec, developed in 2000.

Gleevec seemed to work very well with leukemia patients, at first. However, the drug would seem to stop working. Why?

Protein mutation

Tata eventually found that certain leukemia patients have a mutation in a certain protein that would not make the drug work, and this discovery was the basis of her paper.

At first, other researchers were skeptical, but now her discovery is widely accepted, and Tata and her adviser (Dr. Charles Sawyers) have filed a patent claim for their discovery.

But Gleevec can work with other patients. It is relatively inexpensive (just one pill a day) and has little side effects (it targets the abnormal protein and nothing else). Currently, Tata and her team are working on alternative ways to help Gleevec-resistant patients, and other researchers have found that their study could be applied to other cancers besides leukemia.

Line of scientists

Tata hails from a line of scientists. Aside from her mother, her physicist uncle and my friend Dr. Gregory Tangonan used to work in Hughes Labs. As principal research Scientist at Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, a huge medical diagnostics firm in California, Tata heads a laboratory in the Hematology-Oncology R&D Department.

Tata’s aunt, writer Paulynn Sicam, says there was only one other Filipina in Tata’s graduate class at the University of California, Los Angeles. Tata did not let this matter, and at heart she remains a Pinay.

Making Filipinos proud

In an e-mail to her aunt, Tata says, “I am certain that whatever accomplishments I have achieved are largely due to my Filipino family and its strong emphasis on education, discipline and social responsibility. I only hope that I can continue to make them and other Filipinos proud.”

For more information on Tata, e-mail psicam@cyberdyaryo.com.

Science humor

Another physicist friend, Alan Batongbacal, e-mailed this bit of science humor:

A math professor noticed that his kitchen sink broke down. He called a plumber. The plumber came the next day, sealed a few screws and everything was working as before. The professor was delighted.

However, when the plumber gave him the bill a minute later, he was shocked. “This is one third of my monthly salary!” he yelled.

The plumber consoled him, “I understand. Why don’t you come to our company and apply as a plumber? You will earn three times as much as a professor. But remember, when you apply, tell them that you completed only grade school. They don’t like educated people.”

The professor became a plumber, and his salary went up significantly. One day, the boss decided that every plumber has to go to evening classes to complete high school.

The first class was math. The teacher asked for the formula for the area of a circle. The professor went to the board but realized he forgot the formula.

So he started to reason it out and soon filled the board with integrals, differentials and other advanced formulas to derive the formula. Then he got “negative pi times r squared.” He didn’t like the negative, so he started all over again. No matter how many times he tried, he always got a negative.

He was frustrated and looked helplessly at his classmates. Then all the plumbers whispered, “Switch the limits of the integral!!”

For more science humor, go to http://ask.slashdot.org/askslashdot/04/03/03/2125257.shtml.

http://news.inq7.net/lifestyle/index.php?index=2&story_id=65813&col=117

http://images.inq7.net/news/nation/images/2006/feb/11/nat_5.jpg
EVELIO JAVIER: 20 years ago today, a young man with an “impossible dream” was brutally murdered in the plaza of San Jose, Antique. There now stands a monument to the relentless freedom fighter in a time of dictatorship.

EVELIO Javier, the once and future governor of Antique, had a dream: Genuine public service that would uplift the lives of the people, especially the poor.

But his life—as well as what he called his "impossible dream"—was cut short by a hail of bullets 20 years ago today, at the height of the struggle against Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorship.

Javier backed Corazon Aquino against Marcos in the "snap" presidential election in 1986. Public anger over his brutal murder added fire to the nationwide anti-Marcos protests leading to Edsa I.

To mark Javier's 20th death anniversary, his family and colleagues have called on the youth to live his dream.

Said his widow, Precious Lotilla-Javier, in an e-mail to the Inquirer: "All that he had was his idealism and the rage to serve—to lead our young people to a better future so they could break out of the cycle of poverty and dream of better and meaningful lives. That was all that he asked for."

At around 10 a.m. on Feb. 11, 1986, masked gunmen on board two vehicles arrived at the San Jose public plaza, where Javier was monitoring the canvassing of votes at the Antique provincial capitol.

The gunmen opened fire at Javier, who was then conferring with supporters.

Wounded in the left shoulder and leg, Javier ran to a store 200 meters away and sought cover in the toilet. But his attackers pursued him, found him, and finished him off.

Today, commemorative rites and Masses will be held in Antique's capital town of San Jose, in Manila, and in the United States where Precious and one of her two sons are now based.

But like the biblical mothers battling over a child, Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier and Antique Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez have planned separate activities as though to claim sole right to keep the memory of Javier alive.

Javier's family, led by his brother Exequiel, has scheduled a Mass, a wreath-laying ceremony and a caravan in the Antique towns of San Jose, Hamtic and Sibalom.

The congressman said in a phone interview that the Javiers had been doing this for years until "two or three years ago, when somebody started meddling in and disrupting" the family affair.

A grander commemoration has been planned by the provincial government led by Perez, who belongs to an influential family that launched Javier's political career in 1971 and continued to support him until his assassination. It includes a Mass, a wreath-laying ceremony with a 21-gun salute, and a parade depicting the highlights of Javier's life.

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, a close friend of Javier's and his colleague in the Liberal Party, and National Historical Institute executive director Ludovico Badoy will lead the unveiling and blessing of the Evelio B. Javier Historical Marker at the EBJ Freedom Plaza.

The daylong affair will also feature an amateur boxing competition, a medical mission and a concert featuring original compositions in honor of Javier.

"Evelio belongs not only to the Javier family; as a former governor, he also belongs to Antique and the nation," Perez told the Inquirer.

Youngest governor

Javier's death ended a short but distinguished political career.

He sought the governorship and won by a landslide in 1971, becoming the Philippines' youngest governor at the age of 28.

Under his term, he initiated sustainable development projects, like the Antique Upland Development Program.

Instead of seeking reelection in 1980, Javier decided to pursue graduate studies at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University in 1981.

In 1984, he ran again for governor but lost to staunch Marcos ally Arturo Pacificador. He questioned his loss and accused his political rival of fraud.

Pacificador was tagged as the mastermind of Javier's murder. But he was acquitted on Oct. 12, 2004, after an 18-year trial.

Judge Rudy Castrojas of the Antique Regional Trial Court Branch 12 said in a 113-page decision that the prosecution failed to prove that Pacificador had masterminded the killing.

The court, however, found Pacificador's lawyer, Avelino "Bob" Javellana, and seven others, mostly security men of Pacificador, guilty.

There are two other co-accused: Eduardo Iran alias Boy Muslim remains at large; Pacificador's son Rodolfo is still seeking political asylum in Canada.

Elusive closure

Even as closure for Javier's death remains elusive for his family and admirers, his widow said the young people of Antique should not mourn his death but fulfill his dream.

"God granted him his wish-gave him more than he asked for-meaning, fulfillment each moment of his life in public service," Precious said.

"My father died expecting justice and a just society after his death. In fact, nothing of that sort has happened," said Javier's Manila-based son, Gideon.

He lamented how his father's name had been "used by self-serving politicians."

Gideon also said his father had shown what public service was by way of self-sacrifice: "He knew he was going to be killed but instructed his people not to carry guns."

In a phone interview, Mayor Atienza recalled Javier's commitment and dedication to his mission.

"He did not want to leave Antique because he wanted to guard the results of the elections with his life," Atienza said.

Pacificador invited?

Louie Sison, president of the Evelio Javier Foundation and a classmate of the former governor at the Ateneo de Manila, said he and others would boycott the activities led by Perez because the latter had invited Pacificador to the commemoration.

"We cannot possibly go there with Pacificador around," Sison said.

But Perez said the report that she had invited Pacificador was "black propaganda" sown by Congressman Javier.

"I did not invite Pacificador, and I will never invite him," she said in a phone interview.

Pacificador himself has gone back to practicing law and is president of the Antique chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

Now 75, he has not ruled out running for election again and has scoffed at the constant political bickering between Congressman Javier and Governor Perez.

Pacificador also said the majority of the people of Antique knew that he was innocent of Javier's murder.

"I maintain my stand that I can forgive those who persecuted me for 18 years. But I cannot forget," he said.

Place in history

To stress Javier's importance in the history of Antique, Perez has declared February as Evelio Javier month in the province.

She has also scheduled a week of activities that includes a symposium, the launching of the Evelio B. Javier Leadership Award and the inauguration of the Evelio Javier Museum.

The two camps will hold Masses in different churches, and will take varying parade routes.

But the two wreath-laying rites will be held at the bronze statue by Napoleon Abueva at the EBJ Freedom Plaza.

http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=3&story_id=65777&published_site=16

THE world's first commercially produced high-tech fastcraft vessel was launched yesterday in Balamban town, Cebu by FBMA Marine Inc.


The crew vessel, which took 12 months to build at a cost of US$9 million, was made by Filipino hands entirely in Balamban, according to a briefing sheet from the Aboitz company.

Ordered by a Mexican state oil company call Pemex, the vessel will operate in the Gulf of Mexico. Two of these vessels were ordered in November 2004 and specified by the customers to be state-of-the-art in offshore support craft.
Advertisement

The vessel uses the design of Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defense contractor. The prototype of this "Slice" vessel was built in Hawaii in 1998.

"The vessel was constructed entirely by Filipinos assisted by expat management," said company representatives.

FBMA is an Aboitiz company with a long history of building and delivering aluminum or steel high-speed ferries, patrol vessels and specialist work boats.

Its first vessel was a 50-knot Tricat for the Hong Kong-Macau route.

The shipyard has been operating in Balamban since 1997.

FBMA has built 14 vessels with another four currently in construction for clients in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom, Korea, Netherlands and Mexico.

^aaah wow neat stuff :D, knowing from Cebu ;)

The 100 dollar laptop and the Philippines

IJsselstein, Friday, 03 March 2006 16:37:08

Recently the head of the US based MIT Media Lab, Mr. Nicholas Negroponte presented a prototype of the 100 dollar laptop to UN Chairman Kofi Annan at the WSIS-summit in Tunis. This little bright green laptop can do almost anything a current laptop computer can, but, by using mass-produced cheap components, omitting expensive moving parts, and by the law of great numbers can be made for just one tenth of its price. The price in the title is no mistake: this machine can be made for just 100 US dollars (5500 Pesos).

The specifications are not bad, and tuned for the requirements of developing countries. They have a color display, 128 MB of DRAM memory, 500 MB of flash memory, a 500 MHz processor, and include Wifi (wireless LAN) connectivity and four USB ports. What they lack is a hard-disk or CD-Rom drive: they use flash memory instead. Installed on the laptop will be the free Linux operating system, and can be loaded with various types of educational software. The design is quite revolutionary, and allows the machine to double up as a media player and electronic book, and even includes space for a hand-driven generator, to be used when no grid-power is available. Software will be included to create an instant peer-to-peer network, using wifi, such that even remote areas can be interconnected, as long as enough machines are available within each-others range. Ideally to share information, homework, and chat, and with a microphone, it could even replace a cell-phone locally.

To understand how big a revolution this machine would be, I compare this project with a small project I've been involved with preparing refurbished computers for Philippine schools. This project has been somewhat unsatisfying for a number of reasons.

1. Costs of shipment. Although I have been partly relying on donated shipping, the cost of shipping a complete refurbished computer, including required peripherals, such as a monitor and keyboards, is about 100 dollars (door-to-door from Holland to Bohol, The Philippines, when shipping several sets at once). This already pays for one laptop.
2. Hardware diversity. The machines a refurbish come from various sources, and as a result, I have to deal with a large variety of machines, and find drivers to support all kinds of odd and outdated hardware. This is fairly labor-intensive, and would, if performed by paid labor, be quite expensive. This also complicates hardware support on the spot.
3. Software not included. Refurbished machines typically come without software. Even though most machines where originally pre-configured with an OS, the original media and licenses are lost. Linux is not always the solution, as it often doesn't run with the variety of hardware offered, and older versions of Linux do not offer a viable desktop environment. The introduction of license stickers has somewhat resolved this issue now.
4. Energy consumption. The refurbished machines are bulky, consume considerable amounts of energy, and rely on the presence of a reliable grid. Given the current price of electricity and the number of brown-outs in the Philippines this is a major drawback.

The $100 Laptop would resolve all these issues, and would be more powerful than most refurbished machines.

It is surprising, the Philippine government appears not to be more involved with this development. Currently, only Brazil, China, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and South Africa seem to be on the list. The machine is also ideal for this country. With over 15 million school-going children, this machine would not only allow a leap forward in education, it would actually allow the government and parents to save considerably on books. This would balance considerably the investment required, as the $100 laptop could replace all books: in the 3 years life-time of such a computer, the books, and cost of their distribution, could easily add up to its price, even considering the rather low quality of paper and printing used. Distribution of books on these computers would be very easy, given their build-in wifi connectivity. Copyright would not be in issue here, as all books thus distributed would specifically commissioned for this project.

The distribution of knowledge those laptops enable, connects this project two other projects that I consider revolutionary. They are Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg (for which I'm currently building a Philippine daughter site), in that they make the distribution of knowledge, and the access to cultural heritage dramatically cheaper than it used to be. Project Gutenberg currently has almost 20000, mostly older, books available for free download, whereas Wikipedia already presents current knowledge in considerable depth. Having millions of young people able to access those resources will instantly magnify their significance.

For most families in the Philippines, 5500 pesos is a considerable amount, but not one that is unsurmountable. Given the quick spread of cell phones even in poor rural areas and the wide distribution of television sets, both costing roughly the same as this laptop, people can be willing to invest in this laptop, once they see the value of it. This means, the government need not even invest huge amounts of money into this. As long as it is willing to serve as a cataliser, shoulder initial investments, build a proper infrastructure, and develop teaching materials for it. This will enable the children of the Philippines to obtain such a machine, and many families will fairly well be able to pay--if not all, a significant part--of the costs. By not giving them away, but selling them, it would build in a guaranty that the machines are not wasted, but cared for as a valuable piece of property.

Please note that the $100 laptops—not yet in production—will not be available for sale. The laptops will only be distributed to schools directly through large government initiatives.

Jeroen Hellingman


http://www.bohol.ph/article116.html

^^ummm relevance to this thread?!!

March 3, 2006: Backyard astronomers, grab your telescopes. Jupiter is growing a new red spot.

Christopher Go of the Philippines photographed it on February 27th using an 11-inch telescope and a CCD camera.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/02mar_redjr.htm?list12287

^^ whohoooooo galing!!!!

gaya nga nung sinabi ko sa cebu thread.... a true filipino and a world-class cebuano

Im not so sure if we are to be proud of this:

3 Philippine Tycoons made it to the Forbes List of World Billionnaires this year

These are:

1. Lucio Tan #451 worth $1.7B --- The most controversial among the three. Open your secrets, men...are you really a tax evader?

2. Henry Sy #512 worth $1.5B --- King of retail in the country... Open your MOA!!!

3. Jaime Zobel de Ayala #606 worth $1.3 B --- Congratulations, boss. :)

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Instituto%20Cervantes/FLA_85_fi.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Instituto%20Cervantes/Clara-Ramona3.jpg

WITH the subtle combination of delicacy and earthiness, dancer-choreographer Clara Ramona shows off flamenco’s eloquent postures, the piquancy of her fan and the silken drama of her biased skirt and fringed shawl. As she coquettishly poses for the photographer at the marble staircase of the Peninsula Manila lobby, foreign businessmen at the adjacent tables steal admiring glances. They are captivated by her curvaceousness and sensuality, and are unaware that she’s pushing 50. She doesn’t look it, though, thanks to classes conducted at performance level, occasional gym and ballet workouts, and frequent trips for workshops and shows abroad.

Clara Ramona describes herself as a born survivor. “I have applied that instinct and became a dancer.”

Born and raised in the Philippines, Claire Ramona Batchelder studied ballet with Carmen Locsin in Davao and pursued professional training at the Boston Conservatory of Music. Since her parents couldn’t afford the high cost of college dance education, Clara supported herself by taking odd jobs. One day, she was drawn by the percussive power of the footwork in a flamenco class at the Conservatory. She signed up to study under mentor Ramon delos Reyes.

Lead dancer

Blessed with innate musicality, a sharp memory, dramatic flair and strong feet, Clara was a quick study and became Ramon’s lead dancer, much to the envy of his advanced students. Her love for flamenco and his discovery of a brilliant protégé blossomed into a romance despite their 20-year gap; she was 19 and he was 39 then.

“People could not believe that. But it was mutual respect,” recalls Clara.

Ramon’s maturity gave her a sense of security, especially in making decisions. “When you’re young, you’re vulnerable. You need support. He’s just a very caring person. I was struggling, and doing things all on my own. So someone came around and took care of me. He was older and nurturing. That was a welcome thing for me.”

After three years, Clara started teasing him about their age difference. “It didn’t look right. Me, a young girl, calling him ‘boyfriend.’ I told him we either get married or we’ve got to do something.”

They were married in 1979. Their sons, Isaac and Niño, literally followed their parents’ footsteps, by taking up dance lessons. While her sons were growing up, Clara continued to dance ballet, jazz and modern dance, and also performed as the principal in Ramon de los Reyes Spanish Dance Theater in Boston. As a choreographer and teacher, she melded all her dance styles to create new works for American dance companies. Her first major obra was “Carmina Burana,” performed at the North Shore Music Theater in Boston.

Soon Clara outgrew the American dance scene. She wanted to advance her career as a flamenco soloist and choreographer, but the dancers in Boston were too technically weak to meet her demands. “I felt I was not able to choreograph to the best of my ability, because I did not have the best dancers.”

1n 1992, the whole family moved to Spain for Clara to pursue her dreams. She says, “You are a nobody unless you’re in Madrid, the mecca of flamenco.” At first, Clara was considered an outsider invading the enclosed but competitive flamenco world. She jostled her way to get contracts and performed in such famous nightspots as Café de Chinitas, known for launching the careers of flamenco artists. She made her mark by restaging “Carmina Burana” at the Teatro Alcala Palace, performed by her own group Ballet Español de Clara Ramona, composed of dancers with strong technique.

Getting restless


Meanwhile, Ramon was getting restless. He had a well-established career in America, and returning to Spain seemed like a dead end. “He didn’t want to lose what he had built in Boston. That was his world. Going back to Madrid at his age was not the best thing. He was not a young dancer. He felt he didn’t want to lose his career in Spain,” recalls Clara.

“I needed to branch out. I didn’t want to be a shadow or be known as the wife of Ramon. I wanted to have my own identity. I felt hindered. We separated in 1996. He had to continue his work in Boston, and I had to find myself in Spain.”

Clara singlehandedly raised her sons in Madrid. “I think you can be both a good parent and a professional. It’s working overtime in both,” she says. The double life paid off. Clara established an international network, where she can hold classes and perform overseas. Her sons studied at the Escuela de Amor de Dios, considered the Harvard of flamenco. Isaac, 26 and Niño, 20, are touted as the new generation superstars in Spain. The whole family still remains close.

Leap of faith

Love came the second time around for Clara when a Japanese TV crew came to Madrid to film a documentary on her. They hired a local company which sent a lighting technician, Fernando Sampedro, to work with the team. Clara would have just ignored him, but he charmed her by laughing at her jokes. Since then, they’ve been together for seven years; Fernando is 13 years her junior.

When Clara became weary of the cutthroat competition of the flamenco world in Spain, she took a leap of faith to return to her roots. She has been teaching at the Fundacion Centro Flamenco in Makati.

“As an artist, if you stay in one place, you will suffocate. Change is always good,” says Clara. “I have made my niche in Asia. I found my contacts in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan all on my own. I’m constantly traveling. Discovering is what I’d like to do,” she says.

As proof of his love, Fernando decided to uproot himself from Spain to follow Clara to Manila. “He is open to adventure,” she says.

Of her professional life in Manila, Clara says it has been a challenge to subsist in an environment where the dance scene is dry. Enrollment in dance schools in general is erratic. Students take classes as a hobby and performances are sparse. Yet, with her incisive teaching, students learn the aesthetics of theatrical performance and are enlightened in what is authentic flamenco, which is essentially non-verbal communication between the musician and the dancer. There is no separation between the dancer and the cante (song).

Clara explains that within the framework of flamenco lies the dancer, singer, guitarist, palmeros (clappers) and jaleistas (back-up singers who give shouts of encouragement.) “A true flamenco artist would never say they are dancing flamenco unless there’s a live musician accompanying them. If they are using recorded music, then it’s simply Spanish dance or modern flamenco or ‘flamenco-cized’ dance,” she notes.

Her persistence in teaching is slowly paying off. Clara discovered young talents in her classes who can perform with her. They will debut in Clara’s show, “Flamenco Amor,” on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14 at Dante Silverio’s Spotlight. She hopes to spot more dancers whom she can hone into pros in her forthcoming workshop from March 6 to April 2 at the Centro Flamenco. But for those who just want to dance for recreation, Clara’s classes can make students more expressive with their emotions.

Passionate lady

Asked what the difference is between living with a mature man and a younger one, Clara replies, “I thought I would be taken care of by an older man, but that’s not what I wanted because I’m still young and ambitious. Now that I’m with a younger guy, I feel I’m at more liberty because I’m on top. I can do things the way I want to, if he has to follow me. If he doesn’t, then we can talk about it. As an artist, I feel young and Fernando is quite mature for his age. At the same time, we might run into the same problems as I had with my husband. I’ve done so much, and Fernando is still discovering.”

This passionate lady is hoping that, as far as their personal life is concerned, she and her man can keep their dance interesting. “Back then, I was ready to take on the world, and Ramon was ready to sit back and enjoy. I just hope Fernando and I can compromise, or keep discovering together.”

http://news.inq7.net/sunday/index.php?index=1&story_id=65887

Dr. Rolando Hortaleza: From Acetone Beginnings

People Asia Magazine 03/09/2006

Nothing can be truer than this aphorism: A drop, no matter how small, always makes a splash.

In 1985, Dr. Rolando Hortaleza, who was earning P7,000 a month from a government hospital in Tondo, Manila, decided to let go of his stethoscope to become an entrepreneur. His decision was borne out of his desire to provide better for his growing family. He never knew that he was in for an uphill battle when he decided to choose amber bottles, which he filled with acetone and cuticle remover. With simple hard work, which he consciously coupled with discipline and dedication, he proved that he could break the glass ceiling and become a purveyor of personal care products in the country.

This is the success story of Splash, a multi-billion peso cosmetics company that processes and distributes soap, lotion and exfoliating products like Extraderm, Skin White, Maxipeel and Biolink. His latest product to hit the market is flavored virgin coconut oil. Though it is not yet available all over the country, Hortaleza is happy with the overwhelming response of the consumers to his new products. He intends to introduce his virgin coconut oil products in the international market soon. More than anything else, Hortaleza stresses, Splash is a story of hope, a story of human survival and triumph.

"We started the business with a paltry capital of P12,000," he says, adding that the startup capital he used in the business came from the total cash gifts he and his wife Rosalinda, also a doctor, received as their wedding presents from friends and relatives. With this total amount, he ventured into repackaging acetone and cuticle remover after he paid P5,000 to his cousin in exchange for a special formula for these personal care products.

With the help of his wife and an all-around assistant, Hortaleza started his backyard industry in his 25square-meter apartment on Hippodromo Street in Sta. Mesa, Manila.

"Our production standard was not in any way high tech. It was very crude," recalls Hortaleza. Cuticle remover, for example, was manufactured using tablespoons for measuring the solution. A tabo (water dipper) was used to transfer acetone from a drum to small amber bottles, which were actually discarded cough syrup bottles that they bought from many a magbobote (junk dealer). Many times, too, Hortaleza and his assistant would suck the liquid formula from the drum using a rubber tube and quickly pour it into rows and rows of bottles that had been previously cleaned.

"There were times when I would accidentally ingest acetone as I siphoned it from the drum to the bottles," Hortaleza remembers as he shakes his head in disbelief at what he had to go through in those trying times.

When all the little bottles were filled, Hortaleza would bring them to product dealers in Divisoria using his Harabas, a locally assembled utility van. He would always be asked by dealers to leave his products while they were tossing his price list aside. Even if she was heavy with their first child, his wife peddled the products to different shops in Manila and, as in the case of her husband, she had to stand in front of the stores not really sure whether she would make a sale. But the couple had indomitable spirits. With fortitude and perseverance, they were able to make more than P100,000 in the first year of operation. The initial earnings may have been small, but it was a triumph nonetheless for the couple, especially in those days when the economic condition in the country was much affected by martial rule.

It was in 1987, when business in the country seemed profitable under the new Aquino-transition, that Hortaleza made it big. Because big hairstyles were the fad then, he introduced hairspray in bottles, not in aerosol cans. It was such a hit that customers went gaga over transferring their bottled spray to empty squeeze-spray containers. In the words of Hortaleza, Splash hair spray was able to bridge the gap between beauty and budget. As many a woman used Hortaleza's hair spray, he stumbled upon a spray of luck as he earned hip first P1 million in sales that year.

It was only in 1993 that their technology became sophisticated. Their factory now sits on two hectares of land in Valenzuela. Hortaleza even changed the name of his company - from Hortaleza Cosmetics in 1986, it was renamed Splash Cosmetics in 1987, then Splash Manufacturing Corp. in 1991, until it became Splash Corp. in 2001. (Hortaleza named his company Splash because he was inspired by the movie starring Darryl Hannah, where she portrayed a mermaid. More than that, he says Splash connoted "refreshing, cool, dynamic, freshness" - the basic traits of his products.)

From the P12,000 business venture, Splash is now a multibillion-peso enterprise courtesy of the company's three arms - local distribution and international distribution of Splash and their retailing stores called HBC. Hortaleza says their revenue for 2005 increased by 15 percent. From three workers that's him, his wife and an all-around assistant (who has already left the company to start his own business courtesy of the Hortaleza couple) - the company now has 1,600 employees and 40 Indonesians who are employed in Hortaleza's factory in Jakarta. Hortaleza also exports his products to Malaysia, Vietnam and other countries in the Middle East.

"Before, I couldn't hire new graduates because they wanted to go to big, multinational companies," says Hortaleza, a TOYM awardee for Entrepreneurship in 1999. Without a single college graduate applying for a job for his company, he simply filled his workforce with warm bodies. "I just hired people who knew how to use the lowly non-scientific calculator." But he did just not employ them based on that qualification alone. He hired them for their passion, dedication and determination to be part of the company. Those he hired at the onset of his venture who are still with Splash enjoy benefits like housing provided by the company. Those who left happily went away with capital from Hortaleza to start their own businesses.

"You can buy technology. You can build structures. But you cannot buy passion and loyalty," says Hortaleza, who maintains good rapport with his employees by breaking bread with them, playing basketball with them or simply talking to them about anything under the sun. Even their three children, Allue, 20; Alfonso, 18; and Alexone, 15, get to interact with their employees occasionally.

Now that Splash is the No. 1 skin care product in the Philippines and No. 6 in the international market, many companies, both local and international, send fillers that they want to buy him out. But he is not selling his company because it is the flagship of the country when it comes to cosmetics products, a domain dominated by North American and European countries.

"I always rally my people behind our corporate cause: "Bagong Pilipino, maka-Pilipino, kayang tumapat sa buong mundo (The new Filipino is for the Filipino, able to face off with the whole world)," he says, emphasizing that Splash is the only local company in a pool of international brand names that has made a dent in the fierce global market.

These days, now that he has made his presence felt in the cosmetics market, Hortaleza says making Splash a bigger and better company is no longer about money.

"It's about bringing pride to the country. Everything we do should make sense in the bigger scheme of things," Hortaleza concludes. - Bum D. Tenorio Jr.

Filipino-owned call center operates for the poor
Posted: 3:26 AM | Mar. 12, 2006

Vincent Cabreza, PDI Northern Luzon Bureau
Inquirer


(Published on page B7 of the March 12, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

BAGUIO CITY—Business Circles have been talking about them for months now. But few took serious note of talks that a group of retired bankers and accountants has set up a call center to finance philanthropic work in the poorest communities of this city.

Nam-ay Ti Umili Inc. (NTU), a foundation that provides business consultancy and micro-finance support for Baguio's urban poor, formed a non-stock, non-profit call center inside the Baguio City Economic Zone on Oct. 3, 2005 for under P2 million.

NTU is a two-year old foundation, which began as a group of computer-savvy business experts before it diversified into a P100,000 lending project that caters to street vendors and residents here.

NTU operates its 50-member call center as an outbound facility, which sells credit lines or American products overseas on behalf of foreign clients so it can generate P6 million each month to fund social projects.

Lilia de Lima, director-general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza), has proclaimed the NTU call center as the only non-profit operation that has so far been allowed inside any government-administered economic zone in the country.

The fledgling call center trade also classifies NTU as the country's first all-Filipino venture in this industry, said Rodie Abejero, NTU operations manager.

Yet at first, even Peza could not immediately swallow NTU's profit-for-social-upliftment concept, says Erlinda Alvaro, NTU vice president and a retired manager of the Bank of Philippine Islands' Baguio branch.

She says NTU president Rafael Orpilla and NTU lawyer Arleen Rodelas-Orpilla had to challenge Peza to treat them as an "out-of-the box test case" before the foundation could sign up as the latest firm to locate to the Baguio zone.

Laurence Sagucio, one of NTU's trustees and a former official of PCIBank, says a general cynicism surrounding NTU's goals appeared influenced by the government's masked profiteering activities.

The direction taken by their five-month-old call center operation also wobbled slightly off course when some clients from the United States began pulling out on Feb. 24, the day President Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of national emergency, Abejero says.

If NTU's clients, like street vendors, even knew how emergency rule had almost cost them their "business life support," they would immediately blame Ms Arroyo, says Teresita Sagucio, NTU treasurer and a former BPI official.

But she says blaming the government was the nature of poor Filipinos outside Metro Manila that the NTU wants to change.

"Nam-ay ti Umili" is the Ilocano translation of the phrase "community welfare" and it defines the outlook of this business venture.

Before they met up with NTU, the US-based Orpillas went to Baguio to find people begging for loans to cope with the slide in the national economy, Alvaro says.

Taking their cue from their findings, the Orpilla couple returned to the US to handle NTU's marketing overseas.

At about the same period, NTU's original business consultancy discovered a better way of doing business when it took on an auditing assignment for some Baguio-based lending institutions.

Alvaro says a credit check of the clients serviced by these lending firms revealed to them the kind of poverty Baguio residents would never encounter.

"For former bankers who used to deal exclusively with corporate accounts … we were suddenly going to the Irisan dumpsite. We saw the houses there have no floors. We saw beds set alongside kitchens that were an inch high in water … We realized that street vendors who lose a day's worth of [earnings] when caught by police will literally starve for the day [gauging by the condition of their homes]," she says.

Alvaro says their audit assignment was supposed to uncover irregularity in the lending firms' operations, "but it also enlightened" NTU about what the poor really need.

Traders sometimes diverted borrowed money to pay for tuition, buy medicine or add to savings intended for the overseas employment of a relative, Alvaro says, "although 90 percent of the borrowers ultimately complete their payments without a hitch."

These revelations guide NTU's call center mission, says Rika Cariño, the call center administrator.

All employees sign contracts that oblige them to devote a portion of their time to community service, and much of the NTU's training manuals supply management instructions that would help them transcend their career goals by focusing on "what they can do beyond their obligations to their respective families," she says.

It's a manual for a new business principle that the NTU plans to advocate in the future.

Not all about shoes
By Emma Rodgers in Adelaide Post Monday, March 13 2006

The steel butterfly of the Philippines tried to stop Imelda being shown in her home country because she said it made her look like an air head, but her obsession with beauty and her strange pop philosophy on life probably helps the image along more than anything the film might have done.

Made by Ramona Diaz, who lived under martial law in the country until she was 18, Imelda takes us through the rise and fall of the former Philippines first lady, with plenty of words from the woman herself, who initially agreed to the film being made.

We get to see the weird diagrams she draws about how to have a complete life, which is basically a circle made up of the body, mind and spirit. And if one is missing, "it looks like a Pac Man" she tells us.

And she reflects on what went through her mind when she was attacked with a bolo knife during an assassination attempt. Well, it was such an ugly instrument, she says. Why could it not have had a yellow ribbon tied around it?

And we learn that she has been accused of having an "edifice complex", due to her propensity towards constructing big ugly buildings, a cultural, arts, kidney, lung and film centre among them.

Despite her claims about the movie, we do hear from a variety of voices, both supporters and opponents, including journalists, White House officials, relatives, friends and her son Bong Bong as well as interviews with her taking up a sizeable chunk of the film.

Some of the stories told are hilarious, such as the Jesuit priest who says she talked non-stop for four hours when he met with her.

"She began to tire after three, so she brought in a video of herself, so then I had her talking to me twice," he comments.

But other perspectives really shed light on what the Marcos regime really meant for ordinary people.

Her couturier, who said that "many women went blind" in the process of embroidering so many dresses for the first lady, said he did not realise until towards the end that the country had been fooled.

And when the regime fell and everyone was allowed into the palace they saw 16 years worth of his work in the form of racks and racks of clothes.

He says sadly: "I didn't know whether to be proud of ashamed of it."

The film screened as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts to complement David Byrne's Here Lies Love, a song cycle about Imelda.

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/witandwis.gif

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/money.gif

"My economic theory is that money was made round to go round. Money was made to encircle man so that he would blossom with many flowers. The whole trouble is, the center is money. All the heads of people thinking about money. All the hands of people reaching out for money. All their poor little bodies working for money. They are running in all directions for money." -- November 1985, to Sandra Burton, in Impossible Dream

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"This is the Philippines... This is China, this is Russia... This is the east, the west. And the equator. As anyone could see, the Philippines was right at the center of the globe. I'm surprised nobody saw this. As Chairman Mao said, you can change ideologies anytime, but you can never change geography. Geopolitics! This is what will make the Philippines great and beautiful again." -- explaining her "masterplan for the country" by drawing a map of the world, quoted in Today, April 1998 (contributed by Jane Po)

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/flady.gif

"I am my little people's star and slave. When I go out into the barrios, I get dressed because I know my little people want to see a star. Other presidents' wives have gone to the barrios wearing house dresses and slippers. That's not what people want to see. People want someone they can love, someone to set an example." -- from the Los Angeles Times, October 1980

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/beauty.gif

"Our opponent [Cory Aquino] does not put on any make up. She does not have her fingernails manicured. You know gays. They are for beauty. Filipinos who like beauty, love and God are for Marcos." - on why Ferdinand Marcos would win the gay vote, January 1986

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"People say Mrs. Marcos is a great dreamer. Oh, yes, I dream not only at night when there is the moon and the stars, but I dream more so during the daytime without the moon and the stars. But I don't just dream. I do it. I'm an activist." -- cited in Beatriz Romualdez Francia's Imelda: A Story of the Philippines

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/not.gif

"It makes it appear that I am a criminal element, an evil person, a vampire, a werewolf, a prostitute, a professional thief, a very greedy person, a person who deserves to die, a person whose death will be good for the people, a person who deserves to go to hell for stealing from the dying and starving, a dangerous person, a killer, a power-hungry person, a usurper of authority and a person without conscience who should be condemned." -- from the libel suit she filed against Argee Guevara's column in Businessworld, August 1996

^^Why is she so popular? Even Princess Mia knows who she is.

^^ I mystery that even I would like to know!

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/witandwis.gif

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/money.gif

"My economic theory is that money was made round to go round. Money was made to encircle man so that he would blossom with many flowers. The whole trouble is, the center is money. All the heads of people thinking about money. All the hands of people reaching out for money. All their poor little bodies working for money. They are running in all directions for money." -- November 1985, to Sandra Burton, in Impossible Dream

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/country.gif

"This is the Philippines... This is China, this is Russia... This is the east, the west. And the equator. As anyone could see, the Philippines was right at the center of the globe. I'm surprised nobody saw this. As Chairman Mao said, you can change ideologies anytime, but you can never change geography. Geopolitics! This is what will make the Philippines great and beautiful again." -- explaining her "masterplan for the country" by drawing a map of the world, quoted in Today, April 1998 (contributed by Jane Po)

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/flady.gif

"I am my little people's star and slave. When I go out into the barrios, I get dressed because I know my little people want to see a star. Other presidents' wives have gone to the barrios wearing house dresses and slippers. That's not what people want to see. People want someone they can love, someone to set an example." -- from the Los Angeles Times, October 1980

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/beauty.gif

"Our opponent [Cory Aquino] does not put on any make up. She does not have her fingernails manicured. You know gays. They are for beauty. Filipinos who like beauty, love and God are for Marcos." - on why Ferdinand Marcos would win the gay vote, January 1986

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/philo.gif

"People say Mrs. Marcos is a great dreamer. Oh, yes, I dream not only at night when there is the moon and the stars, but I dream more so during the daytime without the moon and the stars. But I don't just dream. I do it. I'm an activist." -- cited in Beatriz Romualdez Francia's Imelda: A Story of the Philippines

http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/images/not.gif

"It makes it appear that I am a criminal element, an evil person, a vampire, a werewolf, a prostitute, a professional thief, a very greedy person, a person who deserves to die, a person whose death will be good for the people, a person who deserves to go to hell for stealing from the dying and starving, a dangerous person, a killer, a power-hungry person, a usurper of authority and a person without conscience who should be condemned." -- from the libel suit she filed against Argee Guevara's column in Businessworld, August 1996

Nyahahaha!!!! :lol:

Gross national happiness
Bernardo M Villegas

A new profession may be open to the average Filipino. There is a growing demand, as reported in the Dec. 30, 2005, issue of the International Herald Tribune, for "teachers of laughter" or "giggling gurus." In Seoul, South Korea, or Munich, Germany, people are paying as much as US0 for sessions on how to laugh. Since laughter is second-nature to the Filipino, he or she may be the world’s leading expert on this emerging art.

This is not the first time groups of people or whole nations have had to be given lessons on smiling and laughing. More than a decade ago, leaders of Singapore waged a national campaign to get their citizens to smile. Their Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, among others, was concerned about how serious-looking the average Singaporean appeared. They considered this characteristic trait a liability to their developing a thriving tourism industry and other service-oriented sectors. They decided to plaster signs all over the city encouraging people to smile.

Any foreigner who visits the Philippines can immediately verify that Filipinos don’t have to be taught how to smile. Having a cheerful countenance, even in the midst of adversity, comes naturally to the Filipino. That is why the Philippines has a competitive advantage in such service-oriented activities as nursing, caregiving, customer interaction, and tourism.

But what is the secret of the gift of joy of Filipinos? A clue was recently provided by economist David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College, a prestigious Ivy League institution in Hanover, New Hampshire. In an empirical study of what makes people happy, Professor Blanchflower and Andrew Oswald, a British economist, discovered that a monogamous marriage is a bigger contribution to happiness than money. Blanchflower referred to a recent paper entitled "Money, Sex, and Happiness," which concluded that those in a monogamous faithful marriage are the happiest. Using econometric language, "the happiness-maximizing number of sexual partners in the previous year is one."

Families that stay together give their members the greatest happiness. Since the rate of marriage breakups is still relatively low in the Philippines, it can be argued that a strong family foundation is a major explanation for the usually cheerful disposition of Filipinos on all social levels. The findings of "happiness" economists identify divorce as the leading source of unhappiness in countries with high per capita incomes.

Prof. Andrew Oswald recently authored an article in The Financial Times (Jan. 19, 2006) in which he explained why the economists’ faith in the value of economic growth is diminishing. Gross National Product (GNP) may not necessarily equate to Gross National Happiness (GNH). The following are some of his findings: "First, surveys show that the industrialized nations have not become happier over time. Random samples of UK citizens today report the same degree of psychological well-being and satisfaction with their lives as did their (poorer) parents and grandparents. In the US, happiness has fallen over time. White American females are markedly less happy than were their mothers. Second, using more formal measures of mental health, rates of depression in countries such as the UK have increased. Third, measured levels of stress at work have gone up. Fourth, suicide statistics paint a picture that is often consistent with such patterns. In the US, even though real income levels have risen sixfold, the per capita suicide rate is the same as in the year 1900. In the UK, more encouragingly, the suicide rate has fallen in the last century, although among young men it is far greater than decades ago. Fifth, global warming means that growth has long-term consequences few could have imagined in their undergraduate tutorials."

Pope Benedict XVI has a more profound explanation of why joy is a rare commodity in many economically advanced countries. In his book entitled Salt of the Earth, he answered a question about the increasing incapacity of modern man to rejoice. He said: "Something I constantly notice is that unembarrassed joy has become rarer. Joy today is increasingly saddled with moral and ideological burdens, so to speak. When someone rejoices, he is afraid of offending against solidarity with the many people who suffer. I don’t have any right to rejoice, people think, in a world where there is so much misery, so much injustice.

"I can understand that. There is a moral attitude at work here. But this attitude is nonetheless wrong. The loss of joy does not make the world better – and, conversely, refusing joy for the sake of suffering does not help those who suffer. The contrary is true. The world needs people who discover the good, who rejoice in it and thereby derive the impetus and courage to do good. Joy, then, does not break with solidarity. When it is the right kind of joy, when it is not egotistic, when it comes from the perception of the good, then it wants to communicate itself, and it gets passed on. In this connection, it always strikes me that in the poor neighborhoods of, say, South America, one sees many more laughing, happy people than among us. Obviously, despite all their misery, they still have the perception of the good to which they cling and in which they can find encouragement and strength.

"In this sense, we have a new need for that primordial trust which ultimately only faith can give. That the world is basically good, that God is there and is good. That it is good to live and to be a human being. This results, then, in the courage to rejoice, which in turn becomes commitment to making sure that other people, too, can rejoice and receive good news."

Only the ability to perceive what is good and to struggle to live it can give lasting joy to a person. As St. Josemaria Escrivá said, "The cheerfulness you should have is not the kind we might call physiological – like that of a healthy animal. Rather, it is the supernatural happiness that comes from the abandonment of everything, including yourself, into the loving arms of our Father God."

Imelda is an international celebrity.... hehehe

^^Why is she so popular? Even Princess Mia knows who she is.

Pinoy makes skating history


CALGARY, Canada - Michael Novales etched his name in the record books on Monday by becoming the first skater from the Philippines to compete in the World Figure Skating Championships. The 20-year-old from Manila made history when he glided out on to the ice to take part in the men’s free skate qualifying in front of a crowd of about 7,000 at the Calgary Saddle-dome arena.

"It is great, it is history, the first ever Filipino," Novales said. "I am so proud of this and everyone is happy for me."

For the past five years, Novales has been forced to compete for his adopted United States because of the lack of an Olympic-size surface in his homeland.

But that will change next month when a new rink opens in Manila. Under International Skating Union rules, countries that do not have Olympic-size facilities cannot send skaters to the world.

"I never imagined I would be here. I always wanted to represent the Philippines, but we were just waiting for the Olympic-size rink," he said.

Novales is one of a handful of competitors, who are the lone representatives from their countries. Croatia, Spain, Latvia, New Zealand and Greece also have just one skater apiece in Calgary.

Novales took up the sport about 10 years ago at a small rink located in a shopping mall near his home.

There are about 80 figure skaters in the Philippines, where they train on tiny rinks under poor lighting and soft ice conditions. The rink Novales began on has a pole in the middle, which he had to dodge during workouts.

He now trains in the Los Angeles area where his family lives and is coached by John Nicks, the same coach as reigning Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen.

But with the new rink, Novales predicts the sport will gain popularity among the locals.

"We are going to have more skaters who are going to want to do international competitions," he said.

The Philippines has also been developing a hockey program and now even has a women’s team that travels around Southeast Asia competing in tournaments in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

^^ Great news! It's amusing to think (we'll daydream a little here) that the first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines might very well be won at a Winter Olympiad. :lol:

^^ That is good news indeed!!! :okay:

^^^ That's awesome.

FINALLY, Filipino figure skaters are getting more into the spotlight! My little cousin does skating herself so I'd usually have chats with my uncle on the possibility of having the RP bring up world-class skaters. If the POC is looking further to this, facilities have to be built and experienced coaches are needed. ..one could hope that such a thing turns up though...:D

Havaianas USA's tribute to the 'Filipinas' flip flops...

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/4001/flipflop2zd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The brand recently launched Filipinas—a style of Havaianas designed exclusively for Filipinos. The white design is simple but the message “proud to be Filipino” is loud and clear as the straps are adorned with the Philippine flag and the sides of the soles are decorated with stripes using our nation’s colors.

^^ Cool!!! :okay:

RP shines in Fribourg

http://news.inq7.net/express/html_output/20060322-70253.xml.html

Mar 22, 2006
Updated 11:47pm (Mla time)
Bayani San Diego Jr.
Inquirer

IT was a Brazilian juror—actress, producer and director Paloma Rocha—who fought "vigorously" for Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz's "Heremias," which went on to win the Special Jury Prize at the 20th Fribourg International Film Festival, held March 12 to 19 in Switzerland.

This was disclosed to Inquirer Entertainment by award-winning Filipino screenwriter and FIFF jury member Jose F. Lacaba.

There were five jurors in all, Lacaba said, and every single one stayed for the whole screening, which included snack and dinner breaks. The movie—about a farmer who makes a pact with God to save a girl— is eight hours long.

Apart from Diaz's epic, 11 other Filipino digital films were showcased at the Fribourg fest, established in 1980 and originally called "Third World Film Festival."

Then and now, the film fest "aims to promote quality films … primarily from Asia, Africa and Latin America," according to Evelyn Vargas-Knaebel, programmer of the Filipino section dubbed "Panorama Philippines: Digital Cinema from Revolution to Ebolusyon." "In previous years, movies from Central Asia (2004) and Palestine/Israel (2005) were presented in a comprehensive program," Knaebel explained. "This year, we selected 11 films from the Philippines … all [shedding light] on the complexity of Filipino life."

Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, whose "Mga Pusang Gala" was part of the RP section, participated in a forum on Pinoy cinema, along with Diaz and Lacaba.

Lacaba reported that, since the Fribourg crowd was mostly unaware of Pinoy movies, the discussion became an introduction, too, tackling the industry's history, and its present problems.

Marfil told the audience: "The local film industry used to produce over 200 films yearly, but only 10 had been invited to film fests abroad. Last year, we [released] only 50 to 60 films, but half of them—24 to 30—has so far been invited abroad."

It was Marfil's first time to screen her debut film before a foreign audience. "Norwegian critic Jorunn Stone Johansen told me that she laughed and cried throughout the screening."

For his part, Diaz recounted that, apart from the jurors, serious film enthusiasts saw "Heremias" in full.

"I was trying to catch real time [in making the movie]—the rhythm of rural life," he said.

He said the Special Jury Prize recognizes "Philippine cinema as part of the discourse on world cinema."

Marfil happily reported that foreign distributors had expressed interest in Filipino films.

"Swiss distributors, theater owners and film journalists had also been invited to the festival," Knaebel added.

Through the years, FIFF screenings have been expanded to more than 30 cities and towns in Switzerland, Italy and Austria.

Filipino singer wins world jazz competition in London

First posted 02:40am (Mla time) Mar 24, 2006
By Tonette Orejas
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on Page A1 of the March 24, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Once again, a Filipino is the best of 'em.

Jazz singer Mon David won the grand prize in the prestigious London International Jazz Competition (LIJC) last Wednesday, besting 106 vocalists from 27 countries.

The 52-year-old native of Pampanga province began his performance at the finals-held at the Cadogan Hall in London's Sloane Square-with a few bars of an ethnic chant, singing a cappella the first lines of "Nature Boy," and then crooning "My One and Only Love" and "Lullaby of Birdland."

As LIJC Jazz Vocalist 2006, David will receive 1,000 euros (nearly P90,000) and take on engagements at the Jagz in Ascot and the 606 Club in Chelsea.

Confirming on Thursday news of his winning, David told his friends in Pampanga that in his spiel, he shared his "amazement at how music can transcend borders and cultural differences, how it can bring people together, how it can truly set us free."

Said David's 19-year-old daughter Nikki: "We were asking him if he had felt like he won it after he performed. He said he knew he had connected with the audience and with his band. He was able to get them hooked from the beginning. He wasn't consumed by nervousness and anxiety because he really enjoyed performing. At a certain point, he said he was in a trance."

Only Asian

David was the only Asian among the 12 who made it to the finals. (At the March 18 semifinals, he sang "Waltz for Debby," "No More Blues" and "Skylark.")

He outdid Dan Barnett and Karlie Bruce of Australia, Torsten Goods of Germany, and Heidi Martin and Alison Wedding of the United States.

The finalists were scored on intonation, jazz vocal sound, time feel, interpretation and phrasing, innovation concept, improvisation and convincing stage presence.

The judges included Lee Gibson and Tina May, described as "two of Britain's finest jazz vocalists and educators," LIJC executive director Ursula Malewski, jazz vocalist Ian Shaw, and Pete Churchill and Adam Sieff, jazz consultants with Sony BMG Music International, Dune Records and DDE Records.

The LIJC said the contenders from Britain, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States were of "an exceptionally high and professional standard."

Revival advocate

David, who is due to return to the Philippines on April 5, is expected to get a grand welcome in Pampanga where he is an advocate of Kapampangan culture revival, said Robby Tantingco, director of the Center for Kapampangan Studies of the Holy Angel University.

A recipient of the 2004 Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award (in the arts, culture and music), David supported the revival of folk songs recorded in musical compact discs by the Crissot Foundation, ArtiSta Rita Foundation and the center, and their inclusion in his recordings and concerts.

Smart Communications Corp. chairman Manuel Pangilinan helped fund David's trip to London.

Wow, it seems that Imelda is becoming a Global Icon

Cardinal Rosales gets Red Hat in Vatican ceremony


Manila Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio B. Rosales received the Red Hat (biretta), symbol of his elevation to the College of Cardinals, in a consistory Friday at the Paul VI Audience Hall of the Vatican in Rome.

Rosales joins 14 others, two of them Asians, who were named Cardinals by the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI in February.

Twelve of the 15 cardinals elevated on Friday are aged under-80. The electoral College of Cardinals, when the time comes, will choose Benedict's successor.

The consistory, Benedict's first since he took over the papacy a year ago, is a solemn ceremony that involves the Liturgy of the Service of the Word. The cardinals-designate will process from the Synod Hall to the Paul VI audience hall, while a hymn is being sung. The Pope will deliver the homily after the prayers and readings. After the homily, the cardinals-designate will each approach the Pope to receive the biretta.

At noon, a reception will be held for Rosales at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino. A courtesy call on the new cardinals will be held in the afternoon at the Vatican Palace where each cardinal is assigned a room where they can formally meet the members of the dicastery in Rome, their relatives, bishops, priests and members of the delegation from their country.

On Wednesday the Pope called his more than 150 cardinals and cardinals-elect to a special day of "prayer and reflection" at the Vatican. The 78-year-old pope opened the meeting, which took place behind-closed-doors in a Vatican hall, with a prayer chanted in Latin. The special day of prayer was shown to journalists via closed-circuit television but the reflection on key issues facing the Catholic Church itself was held in secret on Thursday.

On March 25 the Feast of the Annunciation, the new cardinals will receive their rings at a Mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica, where they will be the sole con-celebrants of the Holy Father. During this Mass the Holy Father will also assign to them their titular church in Rome.

Rosales, 73, succeeded the late Cardinal Jaime Sin as archbishop of Manila, the largest diocese in Asia.

Rosales will celebrate a thanksgiving Mass with the Filipino migrants, priests and religious in Italy on March 26, Sunday, at the Sta. Maria Maggiore church. He will lead the Filipino delegation of bishops, priests and laypeople in an audience with the Pope on March 27 at the Paul VI auditorium.

Rosales will be back in Manila on March 30. He will celebrate his thanksgiving Mass on April 1 at 10 a.m. at the Manila Cathedral.

Amateur astronomer from Cebu tracks Jupiter storm


By JONATHAN M. HICAP, The Manila Times Reporter

A 35-year-old Filipino amateur astronomer has become the toast of the international astronomical community for his discovery of the transformation of a high-pressure storm on the Jupiter, the solar system’s biggest planet.

Christopher Go, a furniture company owner in Cebu City who gazes at and photographs celestial bodies as a hobby, has been observing Jupiter for the last two years.

On February 24 Go observed that a white egg-shaped storm system in Jupiter called "Oval BA" changed its color to red, thus it was called "Red Spot Junior." He used an 11-inch telescope and a CCD camera to capture the image.

Go informed the Jupiter Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers of his observation.

Go told The Manila Times that the Red Spot Junior is an "anticyclonic" or high-pressure storm that is three times more powerful than a typhoon.

Jupiter, named after the Roman god, has a diameter 11 times that of Earth. It has 63 moons.

The original Great Red Spot was first discovered by the Italian-French astronomer Jean Dominique Cassini in 1655.

According to the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, the Great Red Spot is a perpetually swirling hurricane that "is a cold, high-pressure area two to three times wider than planet Earth."

The Oval BA first appeared in 2000 when three smaller spots collided and merged, according to the NASA.

The Oval BA’s color was white until it turned to brown in December last year and red this year.

Because of his discovery, Go has been invited to participate in the imaging of Jupiter by a team of 20 to 30 astronomers in the United States in April using the Hubble space telescope. He will be taking images of the planet in Cebu. He will become the only non-Ph.D. holder in the group.

He said the imaging session aims "to learn more about the Red Spot."

Go has been an amateur astronomer since 1986 when he was in high school, starting with the last appearance of Halley’s Comet. In 1990 he started taking images of celestial bodies. In 1988 he founded the University of San Carlos Astronomical Society. Since then he has invested in buying telescopes and cameras.

Go and his wife Vicky set up the Christone Industries in Cebu, which manufactures and exports fossil stone and wrought-iron furniture.

^^ Is that a good thing or a bad thing? :dunno:

When I first heard about the Filipino “co-founder” of Los Angeles, I reacted with understandable incredulity.

“Talaga?” I exclaimed to Larry Zabala, then with the press office at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles. It was less a question than an expression of disbelief.

According to Larry, William Mason, curator of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, and his wife, Roberta, had written a paper entitled, The Founding Forty-Four. It was about the 44 pobladores who had been dispatched by the Spanish government from Mexico to found El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula.

A native of Manila, a Malay, was one of them. His name was Antonio Miranda Rodriguez.

On a visit to Mexico City in 1981, I had been informed that there was a colony in Acapulco whose residents could trace their ancestry directly to the Philippines. It, therefore, became believable, at the least, that Filipinos had found their way to America at the time that the Europeans were beginning to colonize it.

In the first place, the Galleon Trade that began in 1565 had Filipino crewmen onboard. In October 1587 the ship Nuestra Señora de Esperanza, under Capt. Pedro de Unamuno, landed at Morro Bay in California, a few miles from what is now San Francisco, with Filipinos onboard.

So, why not a Filipino “Founding Father of Los Angeles”?

However, being an old journalistic hand, I decided to do my own checking. I took a quick trip to Santa Barbara where Rodriguez was supposed to have been garrisoned shortly before his death. I also went to see the marker at the plaza on Olvera Street in the Mexican quarter, in the heart of L.A., where the pueblo was originally established.

The marker, which listed the names of 11 families, consisting of 22 adults and 22 children, revealed the family names Camero, Lara, Mesa, Moreno, Navarro, Quintero, Rosas, Villavicencio, Vanegas and Rodriguez.

But the Rodriguez family only had Pablo, Maria Rosalia and Maria Antonia. There was no Antonio Miranda Rodriguez.

If he had, indeed, been among those who had been sent from Mexico to establish the pueblo of Los Angeles why wasn’t his name on the marker?

According to Mason’s article, the founders of L.A. were almost completely non-White, with only two being Spanish. Most were Indian and of a White-Indian mixture. Some even had some degree of African ancestry. Rodriguez was the only Malayan.

Because this ethnic headcount did not fit into the pattern of California’s mythical Castilian heritage, historians and writers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries had not been overly enthusiastic about the details of Los Angeles’s founding.

As a result, after the census of 1781, tracing anyone who could claim ancestral links with the founders of Los Angeles became a difficult process.

Was Rodriguez inadvertently left out of the list engraved for posterity on that marker on Olvera Street? Dogged by an identity crisis—being mistaken for a Chino and for someone of White-Indian-Negro extraction, alternately—could he have suffered the misfortune of being left out of the historical headcount?

In the summer of 1989, I arranged to interview William Mason in Los Angeles. Besides unraveling the mystery surrounding Rodriguez, Mason turned out to be a virtual encyclopedia on Pinoy roots in America.

According to him, Filipinos were among the early settlers in what is now California, pointing out that many galleons stopped for provisions in the area before proceeding to Acapulco.

On the whereabouts of Rodriguez on the foundation day of L.A., Mason said that his subsequent researched revealed that while the man was an original member of the expedition, he could not be present during the momentous occasion—on September 4, 1781—because he had to attend to his dying daughter in Loreto in Baja, California.

But founding father or not, the saga of Antonio Miranda Rodriguez is intriguing, nonetheless. It says something about the adventurous spirit that is behind the Filipino Diaspora.

Rodriguez, according to Mason’s findings, was in the employ of the Spanish expeditionary force sent from Mexico to colonize the western part of America. He must have been a man of extraordinary skill because he was the only Filipino recruited for the journey to California.

Before the expedition, Rodriguez had lived a reasonably productive life in Sinaloa. Sketchy accounts indicate that he married a Mexican woman, by whom he had two children. She died when the children were still young and, shortly after her demise, one of the two daughters also passed away.

This was when the expedition to California was being organized and the Spaniards were recruiting craftsmen and other skilled individuals for the long journey north. Rodriguez, still grief-stricken over the loss of his wife and daughter, volunteered and brought his remaining child with him.

The soldiers and craftsmen who made up the expeditionary force that trekked from Sinaloa to Loreto underwent considerable difficulties, losing many men along the way. An epidemic of smallpox hounded them, and by the time they staggered into Loreto, Rodriguez’s daughter had been stricken by it.

Rodriguez lived in Loreto for the next two years, re-establishing his craft. He soon caught the attention of the Spanish authorities. Needing an armorer and a silversmith for the fortification in Santa Barbara, Rodriguez was sent there.

It was in Santa Barbara that Rodriguez died in 1784. The simple entry in the burial documents of the old mission reads: “Buried this day of May 26, 1784, in the church of the Royal Presidio, Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, a widower of Sinaloa, of the company of leather jacketed soldiers, without the sacraments due to sudden death, by Fr. Vicente de Santa Maria of the Mission of San Buena Ventura.”

Antonio Miranda Rodriguez could have been swept away in the dustbin of history had it not been for the efforts of William and Roberta Mason, and the determination of the Filipino American community of Santa Barbara to keep his memory alive.

Led by then-County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa, the community installed a marker for Rodriguez in the presidio chapel, where it may be seen to this day.

A lasting tribute to one of the earliest Global Pinoys.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/dec/23/yehey/opinion/20041223opi5.html

^^ very touching naman yan @ animo....
baka isa ako sa mga descendants niya dahil rodriguez ako sa mother side (joke only)

Amateur astronomer from Cebu tracks Jupiter storm


By JONATHAN M. HICAP, The Manila Times Reporter

A 35-year-old Filipino amateur astronomer has become the toast of the international astronomical community for his discovery of the transformation of a high-pressure storm on the Jupiter, the solar system’s biggest planet.

Christopher Go, a furniture company owner in Cebu City who gazes at and photographs celestial bodies as a hobby, has been observing Jupiter for the last two years.

On February 24 Go observed that a white egg-shaped storm system in Jupiter called "Oval BA" changed its color to red, thus it was called "Red Spot Junior." He used an 11-inch telescope and a CCD camera to capture the image.

Go informed the Jupiter Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers of his observation.


2 Pics from NASA:

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/7465/nasajupiter4vz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

and his other work

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1557/nasasolareclipse8vn.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Filipino bags gold in Thailand duathlon

By Tonette Orejas
Inquirer


CLARK SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE -- The Philippines' top duathlete, Air Force First Class Ryan Mendoza, bagged the gold in the Mekong River International Multisports Festival held March 24-26 in Thailand, making him the first Filipino to win the run-bike-run event, the sponsor Clark Development Corp. announced on Monday here.

Mendoza, clocked in 1:53:20 in the game's elite category, besting more than 50 athletes.

The Mekong River event was part of the Philippine team's preparations for the 2006 Asian Duathlon, which will be held at the Clark Expo here on April 9.

^^ Wow, truly world class!!!! Filipinos can really go to the top

Filipino bags gold in Thailand duathlon

By Tonette Orejas
Inquirer


CLARK SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE -- The Philippines' top duathlete, Air Force First Class Ryan Mendoza, bagged the gold in the Mekong River International Multisports Festival held March 24-26 in Thailand, making him the first Filipino to win the run-bike-run event, the sponsor Clark Development Corp. announced on Monday here.

Mendoza, clocked in 1:53:20 in the game's elite category, besting more than 50 athletes.

The Mekong River event was part of the Philippine team's preparations for the 2006 Asian Duathlon, which will be held at the Clark Expo here on April 9.

Shouldn't it be called Biathlon instead of "Duathlon?" :colgate:

^^ Haha, you're right, kimber. Didn't even notice that. Baka nagpapauso sila ng bagong salita? :dunno:

"Nagpapauso" my ass! Style nilang bulok! :rofl:

The sport of duathlon is different from that of biathlon, which is an official term for the Olympic sport of skiing and shooting.

Duathlon combines the sports of cycling and running. Typically, it is in run - bike - run formats and varied in length and run/bike/run combinations.

(Sorry for the correction. :) )

Pics from NASA:
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/7465/nasajupiter4vz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
yung bilog dun sa loob nang Jupiter ay bagyo (hurricane) thats been roaming around since the birth of the said planet. also, its made of methane not hydrogen and oxygen therefore poisonous. alam ko, binisita ko sya last month ;)

The sport of duathlon is different from that of biathlon, which is an official term for the Olympic sport of skiing and shooting.

Duathlon combines the sports of cycling and running. Typically, it is in run - bike - run formats and varied in length and run/bike/run combinations.

(Sorry for the correction. :) )I, obviously, did not know that. I thought biathlon (much like triathlon) is a generic term used to refer to an athletic contest with 2 successive events. :dunno: You learn something new everyday. :)

yung bilog dun sa loob nang Jupiter ay bagyo (hurricane) thats been roaming around since the birth of the said planet. also, its made of methane not hydrogen and oxygen therefore poisonous. alam ko, binisita ko sya last month ;)

sana nagdala ka ng lighter tapos sinindihan mo...

and Aquathlon naman is swimming and running

The sport of duathlon is different from that of biathlon, which is an official term for the Olympic sport of skiing and shooting.

Duathlon combines the sports of cycling and running. Typically, it is in run - bike - run formats and varied in length and run/bike/run combinations.

(Sorry for the correction. :) )

Pumar stops Lefele in 7 Seizes WBC International minimumweight crown


The youthful Gabriel Pumar, in a scintillating display of brute strength and firepower, captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) International minimumweight crown by scoring a fantastic seventh-round knockout of defending champion Tshepo Lefele of South Africa yesterday at the Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa.


Pumar, who puts his hometown Lapu-Lapu City in the international map of boxing with his historic feat, is only the second Filipino fighter to win a major title in South Africa next to Bert Batawang of SGG Stable, who dethroned Sipthemble Kibiti also by seventh round knockout to win the WBA Pan-African light flyweight belt on November 20, 2004 at the Oliver Tambo Hall in Capetown, SA.

Pumar actually scored a total of four knockdowns as he also sent the hapless South African down on both knees in the fifth round, but referee Andy Smale ruled it a slip.

Pumar again floored Lefele in round six and then mercilessly flattened the South African twice in the next round, the last was so lethal that it forced the third man on the ring to intervene and halt the bout. The official time was 2:56 of round seven.

"Pumar showed a very impressive performance. I really didn't expect he would win that convincingly. I'm very happy for him. He deserves all the credit.," Pumar's manager Rex "Wakee" Salud told The Freeman via overseas call.

Aside from stretching his unbeaten record to 9-0 now spiked with six stoppages, Pumar is also expected to shot up in the WBC ratings as his victim is ranked No.2 105-pounder by the prestigious organization.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza, a supporter of Pumar, was very elated with Pumar's masterful conquest that he will tender a grand welcome and victory bash after Pumar and his entourage arrive at 12:30 pm today at the Mactan International Airport.

"I'm very happy that my son was very lucky enough to pull one big win abroad," said Pumar's father Pablo.

Pumar's stablemate, Benedict Suico, was not as lucky though as he lost by unanimous decision to Mhikiza Myekeni in their 12-round battle for the WBC International flyweight championship.

Boxing from behind the jab, Myekeni, who was in fine physical condition, piled up the points against Suico, who was missing badly throughout the fight.

The feverish Suico, however, still deserved an honorable mention for putting up a brave stand despite being stricken with tonsilitis going into the match.

The scores were 119-110, 120-108 and 119-109, all in favor of Myekeni.

"Suico was in top form. It's just unfortunate that he was caught up with fever," said Salud.

Initially, three of Salud's boxers were scheduled to fight in the explosive "Parade of Champions" fight card, but Mercito Gesta failed in the final medical exam, promoting the event organizers to scrap his bout with WBC International featherweight title-holder Jeffrey Mathebula.

Philippines breaks Guinness record in world's biggest rice cake


CANDON CITY - The people of a city in northern Philippines on Tuesday broke the Guinness World Record when they baked the world's biggest rice cake called “calamay “ weighing 2,547 kilos.

The huge rice cake eclipsed the existing world record established in Niigita City in Japan on March 21, 2002 weighed 2,097 kilos. It was baked by the Kamaura Food Co. Ltd.

Forty-five Filipinos, mostly women baked the giant 'calamay' for three days, using 22 huge barrels in six shifts or a total of 132 vats.

They used 2,000 coconuts, 200 gantas of glutinous ground rice, and 1,200 kilos of brown sugar to bake the rice cake.

"Calamay" is a sticky concoction of ground glutinous rice, grated coconut meat and sugar.

Some 10,000 people, including foreign and local tourists trooped to the city of Candon, Ilocos Sur about 500 kilometers north of Manila, to witness the weighing of the giant Filipino rice cake that tipped the scale at 2,547 kilograms.

After it was weighed, the rice cakes were sliced and distributed to the people.

"Calamay" is one of the indigenous products of Candon that is sold in the city plaza, 24 hours a day all year round.

Candon City Mayor Allen G. Singson, in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Tourism, are yet to submit the full documentation of the event to the Guinness Book of World Record, said Rep. Eric Singson of the second district of Ilocos Sur.

"Now we want to make our claim official," said Rep. Eric Singson.

He said the city already contacted the Guinness World Record about the giant "calamay."

A foreign tourist named Rony Shemtov of Toronto, Canada was so impressed when he tasted "calamay" which he called "amazing and delicious food delicacy.”

Proudly Filipino made
By Estela Banzon-De La Paz
The Philippine STAR 04/03/2006

While the Thais, Indians, and Singaporeans have made their mark in bringing their culinary taste to the international market through different prepared food and spices, Mama Sita’s mixes and sauces may yet be the country’s bet to being the brand of choice worldwide.

"We want Philippine products to be recognized as a household brand like Campbell soups or Nestle in the near future," said Ramon Reyes, corporate services officer of Marigold Commodities Corp. (MCC).

Marigold Commodities Corp. is the corporate vehicle for Mama Sita’s mixes and sauces. It was established in 1980 as a small cottage industry to make Mama Sita’s products at the ancestral house of the Reyeses in San Juan, Manila. Today, Mama Sita’s mixes and sauces are produced in a state-of-the-art facility in Pasig City.

Ramon Reyes, son of Teresita "Mama Sita" Reyes and grandson of Dona Engracia "Aling Asian" Reyes, founder of Aristocrat and Grand Matriarch of Philippine restaurateurs, says the legacy of his mother and grandmother still thrives in their generation.

The passion for good food and discriminating taste have been passed on from generation to generation. In fact, the Reyes clan holds a "get together lunch" almost every Sunday at their ancestral house in San Juan.

According to Reyes, this is the time not only to savor the good food they have known for generations but also the time to taste the latest mixes and sauces developed at their Pasig facility.

"It is amazing that almost everybody either approves or disapproves of the latest mixes and sauces that our food technicians and staff have developed at Marigold. If we approve of it, it goes to the market, if not, it goes back for further improvements," Reyes said.

He noted that unlike other mixes and sauces, Mama Sita’s products are all natural and do not use artificial ingredients. They only use natural ingredients like guavas, sampaloc for their sinigang mix.

So far, Mama Sita’s best selling products are the kaldereta mix, oyster sauce, sinigang sa bayabas (which is hard to copy because there is no artificial substitute for it); and palabok sauce, a real hit for Filipinos living abroad.

Mama Sita’s policy to use only natural ingredients has also led to helping small agro-industrial business in the countryside. MCC through its Mama Sita Foundation assists farmers in planting crops that can be dried and processed. Thus, the abundant produce of the season like chilis, tomatoes, onions are not wasted and instead can be sold to companies like MCC.

"Today, Mama Sita’s products can be found anywhere in the world where there is a Filipino as far as Cape Town, South Africa to the Middle East, Australasia, US, Canada and Europe, there will always be a Mama Sita to give them a taste of being at home," Reyes said.

Yet, more than this, Reyes is hopeful that aside from Filipinos, foreigners can acquire the taste and appreciate Filipino cuisine. After all, he noted that not only do the products taste good, it has passed international food standards wherever these are exported.

With this, Mama Sita’s products may well be the much-needed breakthrough that the country needs to make Filipino food products as one of the world’s best.

^I use Mama Sita mixes. So convenient. :)

^^ WOW...I feel like singing "Mama Sita, Donde esta Santa Clause...." :D

Filipino wins award in international horror film festival
By Bayani San Diego Jr. April 04, 2006

Another Filipino film -- of the horror genre -- howled victory in Brussels.

Yam Laranas' "Sigaw" won the Orbit Award at the 24th Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film (BIFFF), held in Belgium on March 10-25.

Laranas, who directed and co-wrote the movie, is in Manila working on a TV commercial. He learned of the good news only after reading about it on the website of Variety, a Hollywood trade paper.

The BIFFF is "considered the world's biggest festival of horror, fantasy and science fiction films," Laranas told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

Previous winners in the BIFFF include horror masters Wes Craven ("People Under the Stairs"), Sam Raimi ("The Gift"), Jee-woon Kim ("A Tale of Two Sisters") and James Wan ("Saw").

Now on its seventh year, the Orbit previously honored directors Christopher Nolan ("Batman Begins"), Takashi Miike ("One Missed Call") and Gaspar Noé ("Irreversible"), said Laranas.

The Orbit honor, according to Laranas, is awarded to "new filmmakers who are making a debut in the international scene."

"It has been a while since an Asian won the award," he noted. "Previous Orbit winners went on to make bigger movies. Asians cornered the Orbit this year."


Hello, Hollywood

Variety reported in its March 28 issue: "[Orbit's] special mention went to 'The Beautiful Washing Machine,' directed by Malaysia's James Lee."

Laranas, who had signed up with Hollywood talent agency International Creative Management (ICM), is currently working on an English-language remake of "Sigaw," now dubbed "The Echo," with Los Angeles-based scriptwriter Stephen Susco and producer Roy Lee.

Susco penned the Hollywood version of the Japanese hit "The Grudge." Lee is producing "The Departed," with director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

"The Departed" is a remake of another Asian hit "Infernal Affairs," which originally top-billed Hong Kong stars Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai.


A-list horror movie

Laranas said the script for "Sigaw" now has a base price of $350,000 (P17,949,400) -- meaning it could still go higher. "My co-writer Roy Iglesias and I will not only get credits, but also proceeds from the sale of the script."

The Brussels victory could mean bigger business for "Sigaw" in Hollywood, he said.

"My ICM agent Renee Tab was very excited when she learned about the Brussels win," Laranas said. "Stephen and Roy were so happy about the film's latest award. To think it was first released way back in 2004 [as an entry in the Metro Manila Film Festival]!"

Last year, "Sigaw" won Best Music for Jesse Lucas at the Los Angeles Screamfest, another A-list horror film festival.

In February, the movie was also screened at another prestigious horror film fest, the Fantasporto in Portugal, before proceeding to the BIFFF.

Laranas said the Brussels victory was significant because "it proves that the local movie industry is not dying nor dead ... Filipino filmmakers are still fighting to be recognized and to make quality films. When they talk of horror films, Filipinos will be mentioned along with the Japanese and Koreans. There are a lot of talented Filipinos out there."


Next stop

Laranas expressed the hope he would be able to cast homegrown star Iza Calzado in the Hollywood remake. Calzado won a Urian Best Supporting Actress award for the horror film last year.

"A talent like Iza deserves to be seen by the world. If I cannot cast her in 'The Echo,' I have other scripts in the offing. Right now, I am working on a psychological thriller," Laranas said.

He added that he would only collaborate with the movie's producer, Roselle Monteverde-Teo of Regal Entertainment, in his next local project.

Next stop for "Sigaw" is the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in May.

Good news indeed!!!

^^I havent seen that movie..but is it really original?!!
coz knowing some Filipinos movies. . . .ya know, we tend to "copy"..

Hollywood loves David Tupaz
Janet Susan R. Nepales, April 05, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Call it sheer luck, immense talent or both, but Filipino American fashion designer David Tupaz has arrived.

Dubbed as “couture’s 21st century genius,” the New York fashionista who transplanted himself in Los Angeles in 1997 because he believes “Hollywood should be the couture capital of the U.S.,” has made his presence felt in Hollywood with his sophisticated, elegant and classic lines from bridal attires to custom made dresses, gowns, handmade veils, beaded bags, shoes and unique jewelry.

It was no less than the late editor of Harper’s Bazaar magazine, Liz Tiberis, who encouraged David to be on his own and start his own atelier. “You cannot be an assistant forever,” she told him.

Convinced by a client to cater to the entertainment industry, he moved to Hollywood in 1997. It was here that he caught the attention of Hollywood sophisticates and celebrities.

Later in 1999, David was commissioned by Japanese director Keiko Ibi to do her gown for Oscars night. Ibi brought home the small guy that night and received the award from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in an orchid peaux de soie designed by David.

It’s said to be one of the evening’s most memorable gowns and was dubbed by People magazine as one of the best.

Suddenly other celebrities flocked to David’s door for some of his creations and now he has a “full rolodex” of Hollywood clients. To name a few, his regulars include Mariel Hemingway, Cheryl Ladd, Goldie Hawn, Jane Wyatt, Christine Baranski, Rain Pryor.

Recently, David collaborated with Filipino designer Rajo Laurel to come up with another winner gown for first Filipina Oscar nominee Pia Clemente when he and Rajo designed a champagne-colored, beaded gown inspired by the Pintado Tribe or Painted Tribe.

In fact, growing up in the Philippines “where we were brought up in a traditional Catholic setting, I was taught the good, old values and customs of having strong faith, love for family, respect for elders and the like.” Because of his love for the Philippines, he admitted, “I always make it a point to stamp the Filipino mark in every creation I make.”

When he designed the Pia Clemente gown, David prayed to Saint Anthony de Padua “because he is my patron saint. He never lets me down no matter what I ask him. I have introduced Rajo to him so now Rajo also prays to him.”

In his recently successful 2006 Fall & Winter collection fashion show held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, David also showcased the handmade beaded veil exclusively done by the cloistered nuns of the Carmelite Order in the Philippines.

Pia’s gown for the Oscar night also revealed the intricate beading and embroidery work that the Philippines is well known for and is not common here in the US.

“The Philippines always gets bad press whether it be in politics, economy, what-have-you. I believe that the only way to uplift the image of the country is through art and culture and fashion is under that. Through fashion and design, we can showcase the Filipino talent and show to the world what we are capable of doing,” he pointed out.

David, who has also done costumes for such television shows as “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Boston Legal,” stressed that unlike other Hollywood stars who buy their gowns from the boutiques or borrow from designers, Pia’s gown is “a collaborative effort of two Filipino designers who produced a unique Philippine-inspired gown.”

In his recent 2006 Fall & Winter collection which was part of the celebration of the Los Angeles Fashion Week, David displayed clothes “for the real women, not the anorexic looking mannequins that you usually see on ramp.”

Wearing his Luxe Wear for Fall and Winter, in fact are the so-called “Fabulous Housewives” who made their fashion ramp debut at the David’s fashion show at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. (Yes, the same hotel where your “Pretty Woman” Julia Roberts made her presence felt.)

“It originally wasn’t planned to be that way but when one heard that the other was modeling for me, everybody wanted to join the bandwagon,” David revealed.

Comprising the “Fab Four” are Tonya Thicke (wife of Alan Thicke), Elizabeth Shatner (wife of William Shatner), Cris Jenner (wife of Bruce Jenner) and Tracy Hamilton (wife of Scott Hamilton).

The Hollywood Housewives were, indeed, fabulous as they confidently carried themselves on the ramp for the first time. They all looked great in the ash grey collection of pants and tops, the long dresses accented by beaded shawls, the couture gowns as well as the bustiers and jackets designed by David.

The event, which was divided into five segments, highlighted the classical lines and timeless designs of David who made a name for himself when

According to David, his 2006 Fall & Winter Collection is inspired by “the fashion influence on the post-war industrial boom, the days when air travel was a luxury, the birth of the commercial airline, suits and coats, pants and skirts to evening dresses when commercial airline travel was a reason to get dressed in the latest fashions.”

The show was divided into five segments: 1) the pants and tops in ash grey matte jersey, 2) the skirts, bustiers and jackets using a stretch viscose material, 3) the ensembles for men and women using a platinum glazed washed denim material, 4) the ensembles for both men and women using denim with a silver sheen finish, and 5) a variety of long dresses in ash grey and black matte jerseys.

The Finale – the David Tupaz Bride (modeled by versatile CJ Paredes) – was reminiscent of traditional Philippine weddings. It was a peaux de soie bridal gown embellished by embroidered and beaded appliqués with silk florettes.

Making the evening extra special was the attendance of Hollywood celebrities from the Fab Four’s husbands – Alan Thicke (and son Carter), Scott Hamilton (and son Aidan), Bruce Jenner, William Shatner – to singer Jasmine Trias, rocker Mig Ayesa and wife Simone, choreographer Cris Judd, actress-singer Jennifer Paz, actor Dante Basco (who will co-star with Antonio Banderas in “Take the Lead”), Oscar nominee Pia Clemente, 2005 US Miss World Lizette Diaz, and Grammy Award winner Mariah Carey among others.

So what’s next for David Tupaz, we asked.

“I am preparing right now for my third haute couture show this year,” he disclosed. “Following the tradition of the Chambre Syndicate in Paris but with an American approach.”

He added, “People should realize the importance of fashion as a contributor and a helping hand in nation building.”

Leviste honored to represent Southeast Asia in 2006 World Cup Final


MANILA - Filipina equestrienne Toni Leviste said Friday that she's very honor to represent the Southeast Asian region in the prestigious 2006 FEI World Cup Final Jumping slated from April 26 to 30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"Being the only rider from Southeast Asia to qualify in such prestigious event is something that our country should be proud of and I'm very honor to represent our country," said Leviste during the Friday SCOOP session at the Kamayan Restaurant along Padre Faura.

Recognized as one of Asia's top rider, Leviste obtained slot in the Kuala Lumpur Final after topping the final leg of the World Cup for Southeast Asia last November at the Alabang Country Club.

Leviste, the daughter of former Batangas Governor Antonio Leviste and stepdaughter of Senator Loren Legarda, is set to leave ahead of the schedule on April 18 to acclimatize her horse Globe Platinum Maktub.

"Although the Philippines and Malaysia have the same weather climate, it would still be good for my horse to acclimatize and that is why, we have to be there ahead of the actual competition," said Leviste.

Leviste, who was part of the silver medal-winning team in the 2002 Asian Games, said at least 40 riders mostly coming from Europe will be competing in the World Cup, the first to be held in an Asian country like Malaysia.

"World Cup is the most prestigious event next to Olympics Games and World Championships and for that reason, at least 40 riders from all over the world will be competing there," said Leviste.

Another Filipina rider named Michelle Cojuangco-Barrera has also qualified in the Kuala Lumpur world Cup but she’s representing Australia which is part of the Oceana-Pacific region.

The World Cup will also serve as tune-up tournament for Leviste who qualified in the 15th Asian Games after winning gold medal in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games held here.

At least 150 athletes, including karateka Gretchen Malalad who also graced the weekly sports forum sponsored by Accel at Kamayan Restaurant, have qualified in the Asian Games based on the criteria approved by the Asian games Task Force and Philippine Olympic Committee.

Malalad said she is ready to at least duplicate her bronze medal finish in the Busan Asian Games despite her hectic commitment following her 39-day experience as housemate of the Pinoy Big Brother's celebrity edition.

"For 39 days was absent for training but now I returned and focus to my preparation for the Asian Games and hopefully this time, I will win gold medal," said Malalad.

College dropout invents all-weather solar dryer for palay


MANILA - A college dropout has invented an all-weather portable solar dryer as an answer to save the P15 billion of palay postharvest chronic wastage Filipino farmers suffer annually.

The revolutionary invention of Popoy Oral Pagayon, national president of the Filipino Inventors Society (FIS), called Portasol Grains Thermal Speed-Drying Tray (GTDT), totally eliminates the dangerous centuries-old highway pavement drying practice being used by farmers in central and northern Luzon, southern Tagalog, Bicol, some parts of the Visayas and southern Philippines.

People who travel to these areas always would see half of national roads being utilized by rice farmers dry their newly harvested palay on the pavement, posing dangers to motorists and pedestrians.

But in the process they incur unavoidable losses when there is a sudden downpour, and the constant passing of vehicles, slicing away a big portion of the palay being dried under the sun.

"The Portasol is the answer to this perennial woe our farmers have been suffering all these years as it eliminates postharvest losses to zero," Pagayon, who is also a part time radio commentator of Radyo ng Bayan.

"Designed as a multi-purpose devise, the Portasol can doubly be used as hygienic drier for fruits, vegetables, coffee beans and corn, right in the home of farmers, rain or shine without the use of electricity because it utilizes solar energy," Pagayon added.

His being a school dropout did not prevent Pagayon from pursuing his goal of becoming an enterprising Filipino inventor.

He used his God-given talent initially by fixing things until he invented some gadgets through the years, the lastest of which is the Portasol solar dryer which he thought of helping farmers from sustaining postharvest spoils.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Philippines incurs annual losses of postharvest palay to the tune of P15 billion.

The wastage could feed millions of Filipinos and would even enable the country to export rice if these losses could be saved.

"The big advantage of using Portasol is that even during the raining season from June to October, there is no problem for farmers to dry their newly harvested palay because it is well-covered," Pagayon said.

The Portasol measures 32 inches by 32 inches, and has 12 layers, more than enough to contain three sacks of palay.

Pagayon said that "the trick is to spread the palay in each level, cover it with a huge plastic and leave it at that without any worry of sudden rain or be blown by the wind."

After drying the farmer can collect the palay with great ease without using a shovel which is used when the palay is dried on the highway pavement.

"During summer, by sundown the palay is all dried devoid of any small stones or insects that might be mixed while the palay is being tried," he said.

Pagayon also said that using Portasol aside from preventing spillage, it improves grains quality, increase production and multiply pre-mill granary capacity.

But as an added value to this Filipino invention, Portasol can be converted into artificially-induced device using charcoal or rice hull cinders as heaters.

Pagayon has appealed for government support to propagate his invention here and abroad as a "new unconventional Filipino technology that will help achieve a giant stride in attaining food security to our country."

^^ Really cool, sugbuanon! :okay:

165 peacekeepers of RP awarded in Monrovia

Monrovia, Liberia — The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Liberia, Alan Doss, over the weekend decorated 165 peacekeepers of the Philippine contingent deployed in the country with United Nations peacekeeping medals for their contribution to the peace process in Liberia.

Special Representative Doss commended the peacekeepers for their professionalism and dedication to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Recognizing the significance of April 9 for the Filipino people, Doss said "on the Day of Valor, Filipinos pay tribute to their fellow citizens and soldiers who gave up their lives during World War II, whose heroism made it possible for your countrymen to now enjoy the freedom that they have."

He added: "It is the very same valor that your soldiers have demonstrated in the performance of their duties."

Doss reminded the peacekeepers that UNMIL’s work in Liberia is not yet finished. "Notwithstanding recent events concerning former President Charles Taylor, the situation remains calm and stable," he said. "UNMIL is working with the national authorities to ensure that violence has no part in the new Liberia."

Welcoming the guests to the ceremony, the Philippine contingent commander, Col. Mario A. Mendoza, said the presence of Filipino peacekeepers in Liberia represents their selfless service and commitment to the ideals and goals of the United Nations.

"It is our pride and honor to be of service to UNMIL and the good people of Liberia. Be assured of our continued support and cooperation towards the successful accomplishments of UNMIL’s mission," he said.

The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Special Representative for the Secretary-General for Recovery and Governance, Jordan Ryan, and senior UNMIL military officials including the Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Chikadibia Obiakor, and Deputy Force Commander Maj.Gen. Muhammad Tahir.

There are currently 172 Filipino peacekeepers, including nine women, serving in Liberia. The Philippines began contributing troops to United Nations peacekeeping operations in 1950 in Korea and since then has served in over 20 peacekeeping missions including Vietnam, the Congo, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, East Timor, Haiti and now Liberia.

Hey, that nice :)

Czech envoy translates Rizal's poetic masterpiece
By Volt Contreras March 22, 2006

"MI Ultimo Adios" ("My Last Farewell"), the timeless poem written by national hero Jose Rizal while awaiting his execution in 1896, was unveiled Monday night at Fort Santiago's Rizal Shrine in Intramuros, in Czech.

This latest of many versions was penned by self-confessed "shy poet" and now the Czech Republic's Ambassador to the Philippines Jaroslav Ludva.

The gesture was in celebration of what historians now consider as the immortal friendship between Rizal and his Czech friend Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, then a school principal in the town of Litomerice, in what is now the Czech Republic.

Blumentritt (1853-1913) is credited with, among other things, convincing Rizal to overcome his doubts about publishing "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" -- two books that would stoke the flames of the Philippine revolt against Spain.

On the eve of his death, Rizal actually wrote two pieces: "Ultimo" and a last letter to Blumentritt, his Czech "soul mate," Ludva noted.

To mark the bond between the two men-Blumentritt never came to the Philippines but corresponded with Rizal for a long time-the national hero's native town of Calamba, Laguna, and Litomerice were declared "sister cities" in 1974.

Litomerice has since built four monuments to Rizal, including a bust in City Hall, while one street in Manila has been named in honor of Blumentritt.

But while Monday's presentation was considered an official gift from the Czech government, it carried more meaning for Ludva.

"I really fell in love with Jose Rizal," the diplomat told the Inquirer. "A true ilustrado in those days, the most famous personality here and beyond this country."

Readings on Rizal

Ludva, who was assigned to Manila in September last year, said he first thought of a Czech translation of "Ultimo" in January.

Before sitting down to write, he read several books on Rizal -- including two by Czech authors-which centered on the patriot's final hours as well as his friendship with Blumentritt.

Although he translated the masterpiece from the original Spanish, he also studied the versions in English and German to further distill the hero's "message."

One weekend in late January, Ludva decided to send "my wife, my daughter and my mother-in-law to Mindoro, because I needed to be alone for 48 hours." he said.

He was home alone writing in his residence in the Forbes Park subdivision in Makati City, "and within 48 hours I did it," he said.

"Jewel of romantic poetry"

Ludva said it was "very difficult" to do justice to the poem in his mother tongue since he not only had to find the proper Czech words for Rizal's "rich Spanish vocabulary ... but I also wanted to capture his [Rizal's] good sense of rhyme in that language."

The envoy described "Ultimo" as a "jewel of romantic poetry in East Asia."

And unless one knew of Rizal's situation when he wrote it, the reader could not easily sense that these were the musings of a man hours away from the firing squad, Ludva noted.

"You can feel that he was not [sad]. He was upbeat when the hero wrote it. Rizal's message to his closest friends and family was: 'Be happy, life is nice, I will give my life to my country because I want it to prosper in the future. It is my contribution to the next generation,'" he said.

"It was a long poem but it's wonderful and I admire him for that. He was about to be executed yet still he found something deep inside his soul to give to his countrymen," Ludva added.

Place of honor

An aspiring poet in his youth, Ludva said he considered his translation of "Ultimo" as his first "published" work in verse.

"Published" was an understatement, since the Czech version was mounted-on what could be considered a place of honor: right next to the original Spanish text on a wall of the Rizal Shrine.

"I have written a lot of poems but I was too shy to publish them because I felt somebody would say it's not right. In those days, I was so devoted to writing poetry I thought it would be the end of my life if it was not accepted by the public," Ludva said.

"But now I have decided to return to my roots-and be more daring," he said. "I think what I did was not only a must for a Czech ambassador. It was more of a devotion."

From memory

On the night of the unveiling, Ludva apparently thought his two days translating the Rizal were not enough to honor the hero.

The program indicated he would give the closing remarks. But he went beyond the usual spiel and surprised everyone by reciting from memory the original Spanish version of "Ultimo."

He delivered all 14 stanzas -- each consisting of five lines -- to the applause of the gathering that included fellow diplomats, Philippine officials and educators, as well as Rizal's descendants.

Visibly moved were the Filipinos in the audience for here was a foreigner appreciating, and perhaps even surpassing them in mastering a national literary gem.

The ceremony was graced by Senate President Franklin Drilon, visiting Czech Senate President Premysl Sobotka and National Commission on Culture and the Arts chair Ambeth Ocampo.

"Mi Ultimo Adios" has been translated into 70 foreign languages and 57 Philippine dialects.

Australian musical on Imelda Marcos previewed

First posted 09:53pm (Mla time) April 16, 2006
By Maida C. Pineda
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page C1 of the April 17, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA- Shopping for shoes in Adelaide recently, one brand caught my eye. It was called Imelda M, named after who else but our famous former First Lady with a shoe fetish.

It was cheap and made in China, but its clever name made it stand out among its competitors. My American friend Michelle chided me to buy it. But why would I want to be in her shoes?

In this southern Australian state of one million people, its residents seem constantly preoccupied with some festival or another. There are countless Food and Wine Festivals, Womadelaide (World Music Festival), and the annual Clipsal Motor Race.

Recently, the city was agog with the Adelaide Festival of the Arts. This dates back to 1960, and is held every other year. This year, it was held on March 3-19. Lovers of the arts are treated to a plethora of concerts, theater, dance, film and visual-arts events.

Surveying the dizzying list of entertainment options, the former First Lady's name again haunted me. "Imelda," the compelling and provocative documentary by Ramona Diaz, was one of the five films featured in the Festival on Film. I failed to see this documentary in 2003, when it was first shown in Manila. Hence, I grabbed this opportunity to see it.

As my friend and I indulged in a bag of potato chips, a woman bolted straight into my direction.

"Excuse me, aren't you Imelda?", she asked. Turning to my Japanese-American friend from Hawaii, she continued, "Weren't you in the play, too?"

Our faces were blank. When we realized we were mistaken for stars of the musical "Here Lies Love," about Imelda and her maid, we immediately shook our heads.

The Australian fan's excitement quickly evaporated into thin air. We then took the cue to join the crowd of less than a hundred people walking into Mercury Cinema on this Sunday afternoon.

As we entered, the usher took our tickets. He mumbled something like "You're here to watch the shoes?" And as the lights shut out, and the film began, the opening lines again pertained to shoes, "She had enough shoes for eight years..."

Watching the documentary was enlightening. It was not the opulence that shocked me, rather it was Imelda's unique mindset on beauty and love. She sincerely believed she was serving the country by being beautiful.

With much conviction, she drew her theories using images like hearts, reversed hearts, and even a Pacman. She acted like a teacher making perfect sense. To this student, it was pure nonsense.

Viewing the documentary in the intimate setting of the cinema made it even more fascinating. The images of high society lifestyle shown in contrast to the poverty of "homes along the riles" left a tangible shock and discomfort in the audience.

No words were exchanged. But at the end of the show, some members of the audience shared their thoughts with me.

Bernadette and Lee from Adelaide found the documentary absolutely fascinating. "The weaving of the corruption, the view of how she was helping people and how she was so detached from it all... The theatrics of the politics was the most amazing thing I found." They were struck by Imelda's unusual persona.

"There was a narcissistic view about herself. She said she blocked out what she didn't like. I think she spent her life doing that."

For Helen, another resident of Adelaide, "I was astonished that the Filipinos welcomed Imelda back after all the years of martial rule and the murder of Benigno Aquino. I would say Imelda appeared to believe she had done nothing wrong..."

On a personal note, she felt ashamed of her ambivalence: "The worst thing for me was that I knew and didn't care when all those things were happening. It was feeling like a spectator on something, when something should have been done."

Musical on Imelda

Two days later, on March 14, I watched the last day of "Here Lies Love," A song cycle, it ran from March 9-14.

David Byrne, musician and founder of the rock band Talking Heads, is responsible for the concept, lyrics and music.

The world premiere of this theatrical music event was exclusive to Adelaide. Byrne's fascination is not with Imelda's abundance of shoes and her opulent lifestyle, but, rather what motivates people in power to behave as they do. He appeared at the start of the show, clutching his guitar and explaining this.

Byrne found inspiration for this production when he read about Imelda's NY townhouse, how she frequented Studio 54 in New York, and built her own disco in Malacañang Palace.

"She is someone in power who comes with her own soundtrack," Byrne said.

Truly, Imelda's life makes good copy. Byrne deliberately takes a different take on the former First Lady. He never mentions her shoes or even shows any footage on a single high-heel pump.

Clad in a plain white shirt, Byrne acted as the casual narrator and the ensemble parts of Ninoy and Ferdinand Marcos. Dana Diaz-Tutaan sang the Imelda vocals whilst clad in the signature terno with butterfly sleeves and high-coiffed hair.

Byrne was accompanied by "Estrella Campos," Imelda's devoted maid from childhood, to accompany her on stage. A Thai actress, Ganda Suthivarakom, played Estrella.

A live band playing the disco groove by Byrne and Fat Boy Slim accompanied the two singers onstage. A large screen flashed videos of the young Imelda, the proclamation of martial law, Filipino films, and other footage, interspersed with text and visuals designed by Peter Norman.

I sat along with 200 people in the limited reserved seating at the rear of the venue. Another hundred people milled around the stage with two bars serving beer, wine and other alcoholic beverage.

The venue mimicked a disco like Studio 54, with a mirror ball and fluorescent neon lamps. From my vantage point, I could see the audience bopping their heads to the catchy music of Byrne with their eyes intently engaged in the story told by the visuals and the two Asian singers.

I enjoyed Byrne's casual story-telling style. His interest in understanding the complexity of Imelda and her behavior was tangible.

Using Estrella Campos, Imelda's devoted housekeeper and yaya as the second character on stage was a fresh take. It provided a useful tool in illustrating the powerful and the powerless.

Byrne's knowledge of Imelda is vast. I was even shocked to learn that Ninoy and Imelda had dated.

Filipina as Filipina

As the lone Filipina in the audience, I was proud to see Dana play Imelda, the lead role. Finally a Filipina actress was portraying a Filipina role, instead of pretending to be a Vietnamese character.

She retained the Filipino accent as she sang beautifully. It was only later that I learned this 30-year-old Filipina singer and actress left Manila when she was only six months old to move to Papua New Guinea. She then moved to Australia when she was four, until finally relocating to New York in 1999.

Dana has impressive acting and singing credentials, including "Miss Saigon" in Australia in 1996. When asked what was it like to be in Imelda's shoes, she replied "really bizarre." She explained there is a point of conflict understanding her character traits while still crediting the good things she had done.

Dana's mother from La Union coaches her daughter on Philippine history. The Thai actress playing Estrella, Suthivarakom, beautifully executed the Filipino accent. Perhaps, it helps that she grew up alongside many Pinoys in LA.

The show was two hours long. It was engaging, but it seemed to pack too much information in. It was nearing 10:30 in the evening and we had only covered Imelda's life until martial law.

Byrne proceeded to Imelda feeling betrayed as she left Malacañang during the Edsa Revolution. Then the show abruptly ended on high with a resounding rendition of the song "Here Lies Love." These are the three words Imelda wishes inscribed on her tombstone. The tune was catchy, leaving me singing it over and over the next day.

I may not agree with Imelda's view on the world, love and beauty, but she definitely succeeded in putting the Philippines on the map.

I never want to be in her shoes. And I strongly believe there are more noble ways for Filipinas to make their mark in this world.

BY MADEL SABATER
http://www.mb.com.ph/MTNN2006041761552.html

A Filipino inventor has come up with a technological breakthrough that could decontaminate and recycle water from any source, including polluted and flood water.

Inventor Ernesto Labuntog, operations manager of the EAL Air and Water Technology, who invented the Rapid MultiMedia Filtration System (RMMFS) introduced last year, developed the "Portable Water Treatment Device," a water treatment device which can be used by communities, particularly in farflung areas which lack water supply.

Labuntog said the gadget, which weighs six to eight kilos, is very easy to operate. "Practical ito sa walang kuryente at walang tubig because it’s easy to understand and user-friendly," he said.

Just like his first invention RMMFS, his latest gizmo can recycle water from any water source such as surface water, stream, pond, river, and brook, among others, and can even purify polluted, contaminated, and flood water.
The processed water can be used for taking a bath, cooking, laundry, and is even safe for drinking.

Labuntog said his latest invention could be used in evacuation centers where lack of water is a problem.
"I’m planning to massproduce it for our country and for other Third World countries," he said.

Last year, Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) infused R1.5-billion in Labuntog’s RMMFS water purification plant in Antipolo City to increase its capacity from 100 to over 300 cubic meters of water per day.
Polluted water is processed through 19 different stages, which take one and a half hours.

"I was able to reduce two tons of the RMMFS to create six to eight kilos of Portable Water Treatment Device," he said.

Labuntog added that through this technology, waste water is not only recyclable, its waste materials can also be used as garden fertilizer, which means that no water is wasted.

Labuntog’s other projects include the Chemical Dosing Unit in Trento, Agusan del Sur; Filtration Unit in Antipolo City; and RMMFS in Rizal, Agusan del Sur, and Payatas, Quezon City.

Labuntog said he is now working on a 30,000-cubic meter RMMFS for Iligan City in Lanao del Norte. (Madel R. Sabater)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjtpiXfc9UA

First Daily Show For and By Filipinos Set to Premiere on LA18
By Momar G. Visaya April 24th, 2006

Tables were turned Thursday afternoon at the LA18 studios when media practitioner Jannelle So answered questions from her colleagues in the local press at the launching of Kababayan LA, the first locally-produced daily show for and about Filipinos in Southern California.

So is the host and producer of the 15-minute show, which will premiere on Monday, April 24, 2006 at 4:45 pm on LA18, and will air from Monday to Friday, immediately right after TV Patrol World. As LA’s leading Asian language television station, LA18 KSCI-TV continues to beef up its Filipino programming with the introduction of Kababayan LA.

"I am very excited about this show not only because this is going to be the first of its kind here in LA, but because I hope this show could provide a voice to the thousands of kababayans out there," she said.

Eric Olander, LA18's Director of News Programming and Production echoed So's sentiments. "We have been talking about a show like this for the longest time, and now it is finally here. This is going to be a concerted effort of the Filipino community and I hope the viewers are going to like what we have prepared for them," he said.

“Living in Southern California with an expanding Asian population, we are excited to have a show finally tailored towards the burgeoning Filipino American community,” said Olander.

Kababayan LA has formed a partnership with the Asian Journal.

Asian Journal reporters and editors will appear regularly on the show to report on the issues important to the local Filipino American community. The program will feature a unique mix of Tagalog and English language reports from across the Filipino American community.

“We are happy to have the Asian Journal as one of our valuable partners in the show, and we look forward to providing the Filipino-American community with a quality show they deserve,” Olander said.

“This is a special time for us and we thank LA18 for the trust that they have given us and we are proud of the alliance between the Asian Journal and Kababayan LA,” remarked Cora Macabagdal-Oriel, Asian Journal’s President.

Feedback is something that the show's producers want to have.

"Remember, this is your show, too," Olander told the local press which gathered at the LA18 studios in West LA to celebrate the launching of the show. "We have placed onscreen an e-mail address where the viewers could use to send us their feedbacks about the show, or if they have any specific requests about topics they want to be covered," Olander added.

According to Olander, the block of Tagalog shows at LA18 ('Pilipinas, Game KNB' and TV Patrol World) has one of the highest viewerships among the shows they air. "The figures are impressive. We know and we recognize that Filipinos in the Southland watch these shows," he said.

Asked about why the new show was only 15 minutes long, Olander quipped, "This is just the beginning. We have to start somewhere. It is better to improve as we go along, than start big and then lose steam along the way."

An avowed multi-tasker, So's foray to daily news anchoring will add to her list of activities. She works full-time with the Asian Journal wearing two hats: covering news events and managing accounts. She also maintains a lifestyle column with The Philippine Star and continues to work on freelance writing jobs for Young Money and Audrey Magazine.

Before moving to California three years ago, So was an accomplished media practitioner in the Philippines where she had a six-year print and broadcast journalism career. Among the local and international events she covered were the 1997 ASEAN Informal Summit in Malaysia, 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok and the 2002 Asian Games in Korea; the 1998 Philippine Presidential Elections, the Centennial Celebrations in the Philippines in 2000 and most recently, the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston, Texas.

Filipino playwright shines at Canadian stage


TORONTO - Jason Maghanoy has many stories to tell. And so did 56 other playwrights from across Canada.

Each were from various cultural backgrounds, and each wanted to share their special tales at this year’s prestigious CrossCurrents Festival held at the Factory Theatre on April 1 to 9.

The only festival of its kind in Toronto, CrossCurrents celebrated its fifth year of launching new plays from emerging and established writers of colour from across the nation.

But only seven authors caught the eye of the discerning judging team and thankfully, Jason was one of them. And just what does Jason have to say?

Surprisingly enough, his play, Dust, which premiered at the festival, featured the talents of fellow Filipino-Canadians, Jennifer Villaverde and Byron Abalos, but the focus was not on Filipino culture.

Dust took center stage on April 6. Dust is about two soldiers who meet and fall in love at an Abu Ghraib prison.

So unlike most Filipino literature of today, there are no young debutantes in frilly white dresses. No families dining on a suckling pig. No elderly Lolos telling tales of the old country. Just a shocking juxtaposition of romance set in a backdrop of a war torn country.

“My life colors all of my stories,” said Jason.

“Telling stories about the war in Iraq became important to me when I was studying at the National Theatre School,” he said.

The school is just so focused that sometimes there’s a disconnect from current events,” he added,

When he began writing for the McGill Daily newspaper, he became learned in the impending war in Iraq.

His mission was not to make his anti-war message overt, but inherent in what happens to these young people in the action of the play.

“I wanted to find out what it would be like to be pushed into barbarity; to be 18 years old and a killing machine,” said Jason.

“If I crossed that line -– from a person to a killer -– what would the implications be?”

While Dust and his other recent piece, "Gas are war-centric", Jason is open to the possibilities of writing about his experiences as a Filipino-Canadian.

At 25 years old, he has never experienced being a Balikbayan and he looks forward to releasing his inner Filipino.

“There’s talk of me going to the Philippines this summer to accompany my grandfather,” quipped Jason.

“That in itself is the makings of another play,” he added.

First posted 03:11am (Mla time) April 25, 2006
By Doris C. Dumlao
Inquirer
http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=73650

DUMAGUETE -- The Philippines’ first integrated production complex for ethanol, an alternative fuel highly in demand across the globe because of skyrocketing oil prices, will rise in the sugar-farming province of Negros Oriental using P2 billion in fresh investment.

In a chance interview, Rep. Herminio Teves said the pioneering integrated plantation and distillery for ethanol using sugarcane would be operational within two years on a 24,116-hectare government property. The complex will be located in the third district of Negros Oriental spanning the municipalities of Sta. Catalina, Siaton, Valencia and Sibulan.

Aiming to replicate the success of other countries like Brazil in the commercial production of ethanol using sugarcane, Teves said the Philippines could maximize its vast agricultural lands to produce this sustainable fuel.

“You can’t introduce any system for the production of oil because it’s God-given but in the case of sugarcane, we can increase the volume for ethanol,” Teves told visiting reporters from Manila, during the lawmaker’s 86th birthday celebration held here Sunday night.

In pipeline

The ethanol project, an initiative by Teves, is now in the pipeline through a newly incorporated company called Tamlang Valley Development Agricultural Development Corp. Thirty-five percent of the company is owned by the government while 65 percent is owned by a private sector consortium controlled by alcohol distillery Tau Commodities and Teves’s own family.

“The corporation is only worth P100 million but the total investment could go up to P2 billion, for the purchase of the equipment and overall project, including the distillery,” he said.

The corporation recently signed the lease for the idle government land and is now negotiating with European and Brazilian suppliers to buy the necessary equipment. A purchase deal is expected within the next three months.

Foreign investment

“There are also foreign investors wanting to come in,” Teves said.
The congressman said ethanol production could be rolled out into a nationwide initiative to reduce reliance on imported crude oil -- whose price has gone up to a record-high $75 per barrel -- by converting vast idle properties in Mindanao into sugarcane plantations.

Teves said he suggested to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that in order for the model distillery to work, the plantations must be devoted to ethanol production so as not to compete with sugar produced for food consumption.
Prices of sugar in the global market have likewise risen since Brazil pioneered the commercial production of ethanol using sugarcane.

“In the Philippines, sugarcane is the easiest crop to produce. But considering the world market price for sugar, it will be prohibitive for us to convert existing sugarcanes into ethanol. We have to venture into new areas of sugarcane production in order to separately produce ethanol for the purpose of blending with gasoline,” Teves said.

Prices to remain high

He predicted that sugar prices would remain high in the next five years because many countries were converting sugarcane plantations into ethanol production sites. He noted that 50 percent of sugar plantations in Brazil had been converted to ethanol plantations and distilleries, 30 percent in Thailand and more than 20 percent in Australia.

With the shift to ethanol, he said sugar prices would be buoyant due to the reduction in the sugarcane supply for food consumption.
“Ethanol would be competing with the price of sugar unless we develop an area only for ethanol,” he said. “That’s why I thought of putting up a corporation for the plantation of sugarcane for ethanol in order to have a distinct land area for ethanol.”

this was taken from philstar.com.. what do you guys think?



Marcos wealth could pay off RP’s P3.9-T debt, says PCGG
By Sandy Araneta
The Philippine Star 04/26/2006

The ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family may be enough to pay off the national debt, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) said yesterday.

During yesterday’s Bulong Pulungan sa Philippine Plaza in Pasay City, PCGG Commissioner Ricardo Abcede said former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos told him the national debt would amount to about P3.9 trillion.

"I had dinner with her (Mrs. Marcos) before the (taping of a talk) show (about the Marcos family wealth)," he said.

"Tinanong ko iyun (I asked the total amount of wealth they have). Ang sabi niya (She said) this is enough to pay our national debt plus more. Yun ang sinabi niya (That’s what she said)."

Abcede denounced claims by several sectors, among them the first PCGG head, former Senate president Jovito Salonga who argued that entering into a compromise with the Marcoses is illegal.

A complete identification of all Marcos assets would be prudent in entering into a compromise, he added.

Abcede said local cases involving the Marcoses and their cronies, some 520 of them, amount to P220 billion.

There are more Marcos assets abroad, he added.

Malacañang expressed support yesterday for the PCGG’s efforts to enter into compromise agreements with the Marcos family and businessman Eduardo Cojuangco.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye issued the statement after Salonga wrote to President Arroyo appealing to her to stop the PCGG’s talks with the Marcoses and Cojuangco.

"I believe at some point we have to settle this question this has been pending for so many years and we have to have a closure to this issue," he said.

"We have to settle this one way or the other, I don’t think we can let this issue (of recovering alleged ill-gotten wealth) fester for another 25 years."

Bunye denied that Mrs. Arroyo had given the PCGG the go-signal to undertake negotiations with the Marcoses and Cojuangco. — With Paolo Romero

they should have done it a long time ago. what are they waiting for. fishy

Now, there's a reason to grip Imelda's neck and force her to come up with the money.

Why is the "Presidential Commission on Good Government" doing this? It's not exactly going to lead to good government I would think, but rather good ol' bickering.

there should be no negotiations with regards to the ill-gotten wealth... wy on earth do you have to beg for something that belongs to you... let the court take action on wresting the marcos money and giving it to the government TO BE SPENT FOR SOCIO-CIVIC PROJECTS.

Commissioner Abcede has a habit of shooting from the hip. He works with our office to privatize assets in PCGG's possession. With the Imelda jewelry, he started talking to the press even before any of the staff work was done.

I won't put too much weight in him getting anything done...

i just hope that they be able to get the money back.. it would be a god-send to the country dont you think?

Don't put up your hopes. Government win rates in cases are dismal.

There are just too many weak links on the gov't side to make a winning case. Here are some of the problems:
1. Gov't lawyers are either incompetent or easily bribed. They can easily "lose" importan documents.
2. Judges can be bribed
3. Lawmakers can be bribed to change the rules of the game
4. Offices in the gov't not working on the case can pressure the office in charge of the case not to pursue the cases

It's nice to get back the Marcos wealth but you can't really make plans based on winning the cases against the Marcoses.

walang mangyayari, bubulsahin lang ng mga opisyal ang yaman ng mga Marcoses. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata

LMAO, but I'm still thinking that mining, ICT and tourism will be the debt reductor in our country.

I dunno exactly but this is based on what I know:

Mining = year 2006 will mark the start of major mining projects. I've even heard that one nickel mine somewhere down south has TOTAL mineral deposits that are equal to FOUR times our 4 Billion debt (of course more investments would be needed for this to happen). Fortunately, that's just in one nickel mine and I've haven't mentioned the other 30 or so mining sites.

ICT = by 2010, the revenue stream will already be at more than 50 Billion pesos. Even for 2006, we may earn more than a billion pesos. The good thing about this is that the revenue stream increases year-on-year.

Tourism = It still isn't at its peak but I'm aware that they are trying to lure more Japanese here in the country (masyadong marami Koreano dito sa bansa eh). Also, I think aside from getting more from US/Canada, they are eyeing Russia as a new market. Expect higher earnings year-on-year.

Well that's what I think anyways....

^ my big question regarding mining is why are the citizens of mining towns always remain poor despite the mountain of "wealth" they stand on?

and regarding the Marcoses, why hold on to such vast amounts of money? Aren't they content on living a comfortable luxurious life without that much money? Oh the greed!!!!!!!!!!!!

walang mangyayari, bubulsahin lang ng mga opisyal ang yaman ng mga Marcoses. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata
mismo! :bash:

^ my big question regarding mining is why are the citizens of mining towns always remain poor despite the mountain of "wealth" they stand on?

and regarding the Marcoses, why hold on to such vast amounts of money? Aren't they content on living a comfortable luxurious life without that much money? Oh the greed!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first question assumes that they are poor and I don't think the people who live in mining towns are, they become poor when the mine closes and there are no jobs left.

Re the second one , well yes, in general it is greed, pretty much drives the whole human race if you think about it, why should we (the marcoses ) return ours when everyone gets to keep theirs!

:weirdo: Most of the money are already spend by corrupt officials already

I don't want to believe Mrs Marcos anymore because she keeps on saying things and then she would take it back again. She have lost her credibility because of that. And about the Marcos cases, we don't rally have to debate if the government is winning or not. Because as far as I can remember, not a single case has indicted Mrs. Marcos and her family. There was one before but it was overturned by the SC. Besides, the Marcos family is still around and still living the old ways. Even thier cronies got even wealthier. So I think a settlement is much more feasible and advantageous to the government. All we can do for now is wait and pray and watch the game.

Hayaan nyo na ang mga Marcos, darating din ang PARUSA ng mga yan!

Filipinos earn raves from Singapore hotels & restaurants

The reputation of Filipinos as among the world’s finest chefs has attracted Singapore’s hospitality industry with favorable consideration for their employment in some of the island-state’s top hotels and restaurants.

Marinella Cinco and Reagan Dy, two young Filipinas who dreamed of studying and working overseas, are moving closer to realizing their ambitions to become international chefs after receiving offers for permanent positions in two of Singapore’s biggest hospitality and tourism entities.

Cinco, 22, from Quezon City, is about to complete her 12-month Diploma in Culinary Craft at at-sunrice, Singapore’s top culinary school, and she has already received an offer for a permanent position with an attractive salary from Singapore Airlines Terminal Services (SATS).

Cinco described her course at at-sunrice as "brilliant.’’

"Each week, we spend two days studying a wide range of culinary and pastry techniques, while four days were spent in the workplace (for me that was with Singapore Airlines catering) putting everything into practice,’’ she explained.

"Best of all, we got paid SGD0 every month during the entire course, which was enough to take care of all our living expenses,’’ she said. "The costs were not expensive and the places where we worked were so supportive of our studies.’’

22-year-old Dy, on the other hand, also from Quezon City, is about to finish the same course and has received offers for full-time positions from the Ritz Carlton and Conrad hotels in Singapore.

She said she picked at-sunrice because "my parents did not want me to be very far away and they wanted me to be somewhere safe. Singapore was the perfect location.’’

"On top of that,’’ she said, "the facilities and the reputation of the school were very good. at-sunrice students were taking apprenticeships in all of the major hotels and restaurants. I did my apprenticeship with the Ritz Carlton and had the opportunity to work in many different kitchens in the hotel. What’s more, I got paid every month while studying and working.’’

Cinco and Dy were only two of several Filipino students who were recommended for the study/apprenticeship program at at-sunrice by International Education Specialists at Makati (Inter-Ed 8191001/8191002) after successfully passing the counseling and career aptitude tests for applicants in search of the right career directions.

According to Inter-Ed president Roger D. Bartholomew, at-sunrice has emerged as the most famous culinary school for Filipino who wish to pursue a career in this exciting and fulfilling field.

8-yr-old girl wins top prize in Korea international stamp design contest
Thursday, April 27, 2006

An eight-year-old Filipina won the top prize in the 2006 international postage stamp design contest in Korea.

Lea Anne R. Rulloda bested more than a thousand other entries to get the top prize in the youth category of the 2006 International Postage Stamp Design Contest, sponsored by the South Korean Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC).

Ambassador Susan Castrence of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea, said Rulloda won over 1,679 contestants from the other countries.

“That another Filipino has been recognized for her skills adds and testifies to the growing respect of the international community for Filipino artistry, as well as the global, dynamic outlook that has become inherent to many Filipinos. Lea Anne’s accomplishment, at such a very young age, is indeed cause for celebration and pride,” Castrence said.

A Ubiquitous World

The online stamp design competition, whose panel of judges is composed of government officials and artists, was unveiled last year under the theme “A Ubiquitous World.”

The results of the contest were announced in November last year.

In a ceremony at the Ministry of Information and Communication on April 24, commemorating South Korea’s Information and Communication Day, newly appointed Minister Rho Jun Hyong presented the stamps to Castrence, who expressed pride in the child prodigy’s achievement.

The stamp, which depicts a globe linked by a computer, began circulation in South Korea on April 21, 2006.

Rolluda is a native of Bacoor, Cavite, and a student in Santa Cruz, Manila.

Besides Rolluda, 18-year-old Jessy L. Salas of the Technological University of the Philippines received an honorable mention for his design in the same youth category.

I don't want to believe Mrs Marcos anymore because she keeps on saying things and then she would take it back again. She have lost her credibility because of that. And about the Marcos cases, we don't rally have to debate if the government is winning or not. Because as far as I can remember, not a single case has indicted Mrs. Marcos and her family. There was one before but it was overturned by the SC. Besides, the Marcos family is still around and still living the old ways. Even thier cronies got even wealthier. So I think a settlement is much more feasible and advantageous to the government. All we can do for now is wait and pray and watch the game.

If the terms are favorable, then I think the government should settle, rather than continue spending millions on these cases which will never get anywhere.

thanks for responding Bustero :):):)

Greed in a suffering and poverty ridden country is a big sin . they'll not be able to take their billions in hell. Yet you even see the motherboard of looters ,Imelda kneeling in church.
All the stolen loot of Imelda and gang can build a world class state of the art airport and pay off the national debt to boot.

why don't we hold the rest of the marcos family hostage and torture them and then kill them all one by one until they return the money. hehehe JOKE lol

Pero kun sa mga medievel times tayo yun ang gagawin dapat.. swerte nila at nasa modern times tayo kun hindi ako mismo ang magiging berdugo nila... hehe

my first thought on the article above is... Imelda maybe saying this to Abcede sarcastically since she knows that the whole world knows that they are being accused of allegedly having an ill-gotten wealth that we all know that that could pay up the national debt.... of course she still think that the Swiss accounts and the jewelries are still theirs...

anyways.. whether the government takes back the billions of dollars, we aren't going to be paying back our national debts since the courts made it to go to the agrarian reform... too bad.. I'd rather have those dollars go straight to IMF and WB than to our agriculture to stop the annual interest that we incur..

of course the Marcoses won't give up their riches since the courts has still not confirmed they have taken them ill-gottenly, except maybe for the Swiss accounts... we don't need to focus on Marcoses on this alone... because there are other billionaire political families out there that may have ill-gottenly taken money from our coffers... and they are on both sides of the camp....

Are those yamashita treasure just a myth and isn't really stolen by the marcoses?

I believe it is still a myth... I remember National Geographic made a documentary on this and they have maintained it as still a myth....

I see, thanks pau. I was thinking it's really what made the Marcoses filty rich...LOL

why don't we hold the rest of the marcos family hostage and torture them and then kill them all one by one until they return the money. hehehe JOKE lol

Pero kun sa mga medievel times tayo yun ang gagawin dapat.. swerte nila at nasa modern times tayo kun hindi ako mismo ang magiging berdugo nila... hehe


If we were in medieval times we would be in civil war because they have a a lot of supporters!

the fact that they still have a lot of support base makes Filipinos a laughing stock of the whole world. They're not only greedy they're selfish too. Imagine having all the treasures of the world from the jewels of Czarinas and other royalties when your countrymen are mired and wallowing in filth and hunger that they have to enslave themselves in other countries and endure exploitations and abuses just to survive . FRom Swiss banks to new york realstate. pweh!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO shame or guilt exude from them only happy days.

By Go Bon Juan

Three firsts

Because of its strategic location, the Philippines played a significant role in the cultural exchange between China and the West in ancient history. Unfortunately, its great contributions to world civilization have been either overlooked or under-emphasized. The three “firsts” are:

• Many people are aware that Apologia dela Verdadera Religion or Pien Cheng-chiao Chen-ch’uan Shih-Lu (in Chinsese) is one of the first two books printed in 1593 (the other one being the Doctrina Christiana en lengua espanol y tagala) by a Chinese printer. But few people know or mention that this Shih-Lu was in fact the first Chinese book ever introduced to western scientific knowledge. The original copy of this book is kept at the National Library in Madrid.

• The Beng Sim Po Cam translated by Fr. Juan Cobo into Spanish is the first book ever translated from Chinese into a European language. It was translated in the Philippines and brought to Madrid by Fr. Miguel de Benavidez. The book was displayed during the UNESCO-organized “The East and the West: The Initial Contact between Spain and Asia Pacific” exhibit in Madrid on Dec. 14, 1958. In 1959 a facsimile was published with the Spanish translation. Beng Sim Po Cam was compiled and published in China in 1393 (26th year of Emperor Hong Wu of Ming Dynasty). It is a collection of mottos for children drawn from books and writings from the Tang dynasty to early Ming dynasty. The preface of this Chinese classic was lost in the Qing dynasty. Fortunately, the original preface was preserved by Fr. Juan Cobo and kept by Spain.

•The first bilingual Chinese and foreign dictionary, Arte y Vocabulario dela Lengua China, was edited by Fr. Martimus de Rada in 1576 when he arrived in Fujian He used the lingua franca of the Southern Fujianese (Quanzhou dialect) and Spanish in editing this dictionary. The Chinese title is Hua Yu Yun Pian. Unfortunately, the first Chinese foreign language dictionary is nowhere to be found.

Historical facts tell us the three firsts in ancient Chinese civilization with regard to its cultural exchange all have something to do with the Philippines.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/may/23/yehey/top_stories/20050523top5.html

I see, thanks pau. I was thinking it's really what made the Marcoses filty rich...LOL

Yamashita's treasure was a way for them to explain away the origins of their ill-gotten wealth. :)

Mining = year 2006 will mark the start of major mining projects. I've even heard that one nickel mine somewhere down south has TOTAL mineral deposits that are equal to FOUR times our 4 Billion debt (of course more investments would be needed for this to happen). Fortunately, that's just in one nickel mine and I've haven't mentioned the other 30 or so mining sites.

that's in Surigao ;)

^ my big question regarding mining is why are the citizens of mining towns always remain poor despite the mountain of "wealth" they stand on?

in the case of Surigao, that's not very true...when Nonoc was still in operations, Surigao was a boomtown...everyone employed at Nonoc had a business and everyone seems to have a lot of disposable cash...the nightlife was insane...kids went to private schools with fat allowances... Brgy. Nonoc itself could boast a downtown as lively and as busy as the poblacion (Washington-Taft area)...now, Nonoc is almost just a ghost town...now that Nonoc is re-opening, everyone's excited once more...the glory days may just be over the horizon...
-------------------------------

re: Imelda's wealth...hope that before she dies...ibigay naman nya kahit kalahati...

First posted 00:04am (Mla time) April 28, 2006
By Dennis Jay Santos
Inquirer
http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=73939

DAVAO CITY—Thousands of youths have vowed to plant millions of trees within the next five years in their desire to check air pollution and prevent other environmental hazards that, they said, had killed thousands of people.

“There are at least 200,000 youths committed to plant some 25 million trees in the next five years,” Xavier Padilla, international coordinator of the Youth for Christ, said of the ambitious project.

“This is to [encourage] the youth to do good work and to take care of the environment,” Padilla said during a recent Youth for Christ convention held here.

But Padilla said getting the youth to actually participate in the undertaking would require an information dissemination campaign and help from the communities.

He said lectures, symposiums and moves to convince the local governments and other community sectors to participate in the cause was what the group has been doing.

But not only the young are joining.

Rene de Rueda, national coordinator of the Couples for Christ-Oikos society, said his group would help the youth tackle at least five areas of environmental concerns that must be addressed.

One issue is reforestation, De Rueda said.

He said planting the targeted 25 million trees within five years will be the youth’s goal and the source of fund would come mostly from donations and “from ourselves.”

Air pollution, garbage disposal, food production and access to safe water are also on top of their list of concerns.

Dr. Donato de la Cruz, clean air advisor for the Energy and Clean Air Project, an initiative funded by the US Agency for International Development, said air pollution in urban cities is currently tagged as one of the leading causes of deaths in the world.

Citing a World Bank study, De la Cruz said some 2,000 people die each year of respiratory-related illnesses because of “heavy particles” of harmful air pollutants emitted by motor vehicles and factories.

“In (the) roadside alone it’s three times higher (air pollution) than the standard that is safe for humans,” De la Cruz said.

He said local governments should come out with more stringent anti-air pollution measures and tap alternative fuels, such as coconut methyl esther, as a positive step toward cleaning the air.

Arlene Donaire, Ecap deputy chief of party, said her group would provide technical assistance to local government units and introduce best practices for clean air programs.

my first thought on the article above is... Imelda maybe saying this to Abcede sarcastically since she knows that the whole world knows that they are being accused of allegedly having an ill-gotten wealth that we all know that that could pay up the national debt.... of course she still think that the Swiss accounts and the jewelries are still theirs...

anyways.. whether the government takes back the billions of dollars, we aren't going to be paying back our national debts since the courts made it to go to the agrarian reform... too bad.. I'd rather have those dollars go straight to IMF and WB than to our agriculture to stop the annual interest that we incur..

of course the Marcoses won't give up their riches since the courts has still not confirmed they have taken them ill-gottenly, except maybe for the Swiss accounts... we don't need to focus on Marcoses on this alone... because there are other billionaire political families out there that may have ill-gottenly taken money from our coffers... and they are on both sides of the camp....

I don't think Abcede would come out with such information if Imelda was just being sarcastic. Anyway, never mind about the Marcoses being on both sides of the fence, they are politicos after all. What matters is the government getting a favorable deal for the people. I think Congress could easily amend the existing law (which appropriates the Marcos wealth for agrarian reform) so that it could go to paying the country's debts instead.

Siguro kung wala perang nawala that is really meant for the the Filipino people, wala sigurong OFW na kagaya ko, wala sanang naghihirap na malayo sa kanilang pamilya para mabigyan lang ng magandang kinabukasan ang kanilang mga anak. Wala sanang insurgency problems kasi walang nagugutom, wala sanang magmigrate sa ibang bansa para maging minority people of other country, sana we are all happy in our own land.

Siguro kung wala perang nawala that is really meant for the the Filipino people, wala sigurong OFW na kagaya ko, wala sanang naghihirap na malayo sa kanilang pamilya para mabigyan lang ng magandang kinabukasan ang kanilang mga anak. Wala sanang insurgency problems kasi walang nagugutom, wala sanang magmigrate sa ibang bansa para maging minority people of other country, sana we are all happy in our own land.
just an FYI, sa marcos regime nagsimula yung labor export policy ng government... palinhasa maraming nga tayo noong mga skilled labor at yung universities natin at that time were one of the best. the problem was that there weren't enough jobs that were created to absorb the labor force thats why marcos encouraged filipinos to work abroad in the hope that they could have jobs and they could send money to boost the economy... the government was suppose to create millions of jobs through its multi-billiona dollar loans from the WB and other countries, bu of course pati iyon binulsa nila kaya hindi natuloy yung pangarap ng mga pilipino na panandalian lang sana yung pagtrabaho sa ibang bansa, instead it became a permanent phenomenon and is actually getting more severe that its already tapping away into the critical number of professionals needed for industrialization.

hahay nakooo, para bang lord of the rings.. "men are weak", in this case, pera lang ung pinag-uusapan.. 3.9 trillion pesos to rule them all.. hehehe

Thanks D. Pigeon for your support and sentiments, like what I have read an article in newpaper about OFW of the Philippines, it was said this practice was not "A Long Term Boom", maybe it was correct even it really helps the Philippine economy because it cause minimal impact of % of our GDP growth since the remitted money was just used end users expense not for investments that can generate more revenues to the government. Since if we do a close trade system like what did Japan do after World War-2, I mean more peopel not going out of the country and be entepreneurs in their own land, we can be competitive to other countries and send more exports in terms of goods rather than labor. Due to this practice, as you can see now even medical representatives are lacking already. But it is to us to stop this practice if we see a light that give us hope to start a better life in our own land. I understand this situation that's why if the government are sincerely in their endeavor towards good future of our country, it takes minimum 10 up to see a new light to our progress, sorry it seems out of topic.

LAST weekend, I learned that Filipinos were considered "honorary whites" in the pre-Mandela days of South Africa. Curiously, we were not lumped into the "Asians" category like the Chinese and Japanese. The Indians, despite their Aryan origin, were never "honorary whites." Was it advantageous for Filipinos to be classified as "honorary whites?" Most definitely, explained an ex-"honorary white;" ex because Nelson Mandela abolished apartheid and because the ex-"honorary whites" I met last weekend have since resettled in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, their hometown. Roxas was established in the 1930s by the patriarch of the clan who was a political ally and admirer of President Manuel Roxas. Needless to say, they hope that Senator Mar Roxas will someday soon follow the footsteps of his grandfather.

In the dark days of apartheir, being "honorary white" in South Africa meant that Filipinos could use "only whites" public transport, restaurants and other facilities without fear of suffering indignities, unlike their counterparts in the USA who were subjected to humiliating treatment during those pre-civil rights movement days. They could also send their children to schools of their choice and in fact, Filipino students excelled brilliantly in every subject and did our country proud.

Back in Roxas, the Tesado-Tesorero-Bacay families established a pre- and elementary schools in 1996 where Montessori principles were adapted. Soon enough, parents themselves persuaded Prof. Tesado to establish a high school (2001) and college (2002) so their children could complete their education in an institution of learning with high standards.

The mission of Clarendon College is to train competent professionals imbued with dignity, integrity, pride, and a caring spirit that will make them true servant leaders. Excellence, discipline, love for things that elevate the mind and strengthen the character, love for freedom and justice, and above all, service to Philippines are instilled in the students of Clarendon College. They also learn very good English. During the Graduation ceremonies, (of which I was the guest speaker) I could see and feel that in the hands of these enthusiastic, talented young graduates, Roxas town is well on its way to progress and prosperity. (I hope they won’t look for greener pastures for their hometown is quite verdant with potentials.)

I will forever associate Roxas with dazzling emerald ricefields which I hope will never be converted into cement and concrete subdivisions with absurd alien names. Idyllic and lush, there are hectares of orchards (kalamansi, papaya, bananas, mango, lanzones, rambutan, chico, langka, not to mention coconuts and a variety of vegetables) along the main thoroughfare and dozens of hidden brooks silently meander into marshes and the open sea. Typhoon Udung which came with a cyclone wrought havoc a couple of years ago, lamented Prof. Flerie Tesado (college dean of Clarendon); her family lost thousands of fruit-bearing kalamansi and mango trees. Many of the barangay roads used to be beautifully shaded by canopies of hardwood trees, but the majority was ripped and uprooted by Nature’s wrath.

Because Roxas was established in the 1930’s, there are no "bahay na bato," no Baroque churches, no traces of the Spanish colonial "cuadricula." The municipal building is new and the Gabaldon school houses I saw had been restored beyond recognition. Yet, Roxas has its own inexplicable charm, its unique architecture and gastronomy. There is a refined, nostalgic and gracious way of living which I hope will never be swept away by the commercial tides of two ro-ro ports. (gemma601@yahoo.com)

Tune in "Krus na Daan," DZRJ 810 khz, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. Watch "Only Gemma!," RJTV, Mondays, 7 to 8 p.m. Sky 19, Destiny 96, Home 19, Sun 65, UHF 29.

http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/04/04/OPED2006040460553.html

^^I havent seen that movie..but is it really original?!!
coz knowing some Filipinos movies. . . .ya know, we tend to "copy"..

TO my judgement it is not although many would "conclude" about the Asian Horror trend. I've seen Psychothrillers from Japan, Korea, and Thailand(which usually have the same "pattern" in their horror movies) and one good thing it did not totally follow the Asian Horror pattern.

@ Fhoy, well that's the problem isn't it???? Mining towns and their economic stability only lasts briefly. Has there been a mining town in the country where economic stability has been sustained long after mining has retired?

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060407/images/news_valor.jpg

SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
Petty Officer Nathaniel R. Leoncio, 24, was awarded the Bronze Star yesterday at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton for heroism during an attack on a Marine patrol in Iraq.
In a war marred by prisoner-abuse scandals and rife with political wrangling, Nathaniel R. Leoncio's heroic actions in Iraq are the pure stuff of legend.

Leoncio, a 24-year-old corpsman, received the Bronze Star yesterday at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.

The Navy petty officer third class was on patrol with Marines in southern Ramadi on Oct. 4 when they were struck by a series of roadside bombs. The explosives killed one Marine and seriously injured three other men, including Leoncio.

At least two of the bombs detonated under the 6-ton Humvee that carried Leoncio, flipping it upside down and on top of him, severing his right leg just below the knee.

Although his right thighbone was shattered and he was bleeding internally, Leoncio refused to be evacuated. He ignored his wounds and cared for a severely injured Marine, likely saving the man's life.

....
Dozens of people attended the ceremony, including about 20 of Leoncio's relatives and friends, some of whom had flown in from his native land, The Philippines.

Semper Fi, Marine

I salute you guy, you are an example to every Filipino

^^^ poor guy, when is this war going to end??? its been 3 years and how many times have we actually "turned the corner"

as long as Bush can smell some oil, war would go on

A FILIPINA maid is under arrest in Saudi Arabia for chopping off the penis of her abusive employer, reports said yesterday.

According to a report in the Okaz daily, the 38-year-old employer allegedly snuck into the maid’s quarters after his wife had gone to sleep and tried to rape her. The Filipina managed to escape his advances, rushed into the kitchen and got a knife.

“Despite her weapon, the man attempted to assault the maid, who, in return, pulled a ‘Lorena Bobbit’ defense and cut off the man’s penis,” added Arab News, an English-language daily, referring to the New Jersey woman who cut off her husband’s sex organ with an eight-inch carving knife in a high-profile 1993 case.

The Saudi man was recovering in a hospital after having his penis sewn back, but the maid has been detained for questioning, the reports said without identifying the woman.

The Department of Foreign Affairs refused to confirm the report yesterday, saying that it has yet to receive an official report from the Philippine embassy in Riyadh.

In 1991, Filipina Sarah Balabagan was jailed in Kuwait for stabbing dead her 72-year-old employer who tried to rape her.

More than one million Filipinos work in Saudi Arabia, most of them in the construction and housekeeping sectors. The kingdom remains a top destination for job-seeking Filipinos.

Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia, many of them maids, are systematically abused and exploited, the New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch said in a July 2004 report.

The Saudi authorities strongly deny the charge.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news03_may03_2006


You go girl.......

^^ Ahh uhmm Proudly Pinoy?

^^ Penis Cutter onli in the pilipins and now exported to middle east :D

^^ She fought back against that dude, makes me proud.

http://iraq.pigstye.net/images/articles/MaravillosaMylaL_1.jpghttp://iraq.pigstye.net/images/topics/flag1.gif

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/4976/zoom14oh.jpg

INABANGA--Proud townsfolk of the first Filipino-American woman soldier killed in Iraq buried her remains Thursday with full US military honors in the tiny village where she grew up before migrating to America nine years ago.

A Roman Catholic chapel near the childhood home of Army Sergeant Myla Maravillosa in the village of U-og in central Inabanga town was too small to accommodate hundreds of people attending a funeral Mass.

A contingent of US Army honor guards led by Brigadier General Gregory Schumacher provided traditional US military honors, while Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado directed all Philippine flags flown at half-mast in the entire province.
Schumacher, commander of the Military Intelligence Readiness Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, described Maravillosa as a "true Filipino-American hero" who "represented the very best of the qualities that we desire in our soldiers and indeed represented the very best of humanity itself."
"The ties between the United States and the Philippines are deep and enduring and she is a symbol of that very strong relationship," he said.

Schumacher knelt as he offered the folded US flag that draped Maravillosa's coffin to her mother, together with her daughter's US military medals, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Relatives and friends released white balloons with the message, "We will always remember, we will love you forever." Maravillosa's mother, Estelita, clutched the US flag and watched quietly as people wept.

"What sorrows I have now, I have to accept because that is her fate," Estelita Maravillosa said at the chapel. "She died not in vain. She died for a cause -- for the freedom of the whole world."

Provincial administrator Tomas Abapo said Maravillosa "died an honorable death in an important war" against terrorism, which is also plaguing the Philippines.

Maravillosa moved to Hawaii when she was 16 to join her mother, who migrated in 1986. She attended college in Wahiawa and enlisted in the US Army Reserves in 1999.

On Christmas Eve, Maravillosa's Humvee was attacked by Iraqi insurgents firing rocket-propelled grenades, mortally wounding her, according to the US Defense Department.

Maravillosa, an interrogator assigned to the 301st Military Intelligence Battalion, had been in Iraq for only a little more than a month.

She was the first Filipino-American woman soldier to die in Iraq. At least one other Philippine-born US soldier has been killed in Iraq since 2003.

Her grade school teacher, Dulce Betinol, said she could not imagine "this cute, gentle girl, so sweet with a ready smile" joining the Army and marching off to war.

"None of us thought or even just dreamed that our [village would] ever produce such a young woman with such commitment, serving at the cost of her life," Betinol said.




Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

FIL-AM TRAINER SET TO TRAIN HIS SECOND WORLD CHAMP


Alberto "BOBBY" Villaver, a Fil/Am trainer based in Honolulu, Hawaii who traces his roots in Carcar, Cebu, Philippines and better known as the trainer of recently crowned WBA Jr. featherweight world champion Somsak Sitchatchawal of Thailand has been contracted by Kokiet Panichayarom to train another of his hot Thai prospect at Oscar Dela Hoya's boxing gym in Los Angeles.

Bobby Villaver was highly credited for Somsak's masterful and workman-like destruction of French superstar Mahyar Monshipour for the world WBA Jr. featherweight title a couple months ago.

Kokiet Panachiyarom, manager of WBO Asia Pacific featherweight champ Terdsak Jandaeng (23win-1-15ko's) contacted Mr. Leon Panoncillo today to get a hold of Bobby Villaver to take charge of the training camp for Jandaeng who is scheduled for a WBA / WBO eliminator against Eric "Mighty Mouse" Aiken of USA on June 10th.

'Mighty Mouse' Aiken is credited for beating Tim Austin on April 01, 2006 via a 6-round TKO, an impressive win by conquering a man who was calling out Manny Pacqauio recently.

Oscar Dela Hoya, Golden Boy Promotion's top man, who formed an alliance with Mr. Kokiet Panichayarom of Thailand through the guidance of international matchmaker Sampson Lewkewicz, latter promised to deliver another big opportunity for the only Thai winner of the World Cup, Terdsak Jandaeng. This led Terdsak to participate in his biggest showdown of his career on a supporting bout of Hopkins versus Tarver live televised via HBO PPV on June 10th.

Bobby Villaver informed this writer on a conference call, "Without the help of my best friend from Hawaii Mr. Leon Panoncillo I could never display my ability to be a great trainer, I know I have the goods to prepare prized fighters. I am very excited to be part of a leading promoter in Thailand who is linked with the most renowned promoter in the world (Oscar Dela Hoya) Golden Boy Promotion. I will do my best to maintain Somsak Sitchatchawal as a WBA world champion and give the same efforts to Terdsak Jandaeng as well to become the next world champion for Mr. Kokiet Panichayarom. Kokiet is a good man, good things happen to good people. It makes me proud to be a respected Asian trainer."

Villaver was also credited in the past for having trained ex-WBO bantam champ Ratanachai Vorapin.

More than 3,000 mothers packed a sports stadium in Manila yesterday and set a new world record for the largest number of women simultaneously breastfeeding their babies in the same place.

The city government of Manila and the Department of Health (DOH) said a total of 3,738 mothers breastfed their babies for at least one minute at the San Andres Sports Complex, breaking the current Guinness Record set in Berkley, California.

Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza announced that based on the tabulation of the independent firm Sycip Gorres and Velayo (SGV), 3,754 pairs of mothers and babies went to the sports complex, however, only 3,738 breastfed their children simultaneously for the one-minute period.

Atienza, president of Prolife Philippines, said the city government is fully committed in advocating breasffeeding because of the many health benefits to children as well as mothers.

"We will strongly promote breastfeeding in Manila through the city’s 48 health centers, four hospitals and other offices. Personally, all my children were breastfed," the mayor said.

The event dubbed "Sabay-sabay, Sumuso sa Nanay" took place on the same month that the world celebrates Mother’s Day.

The organizers of yesterday’s event are now awaiting official confirmation from the Guinness to declare the setting of a new world record.

Dr. Nicholas Alipui, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) country representative, called the event a "magnificent gathering."

"It was wonderful to see so many children being breastfed simultaneously," he said.

He said breastfeeding can help curb malnutrition in children under two years old, provide them with anti-bodies to fight diseases and boost the country’s economy because families save on infant formula.

"Breastmilk has all the nutrients that a newborn infant needs," Alipui said.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III, for his part, paid tribute to nursing mothers.

"Next to (boxing champion) Manny Pacquiao and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), kayo (breastfeeding mothers) ang bagong bayani dahil itinataguyod ninyo ang breastfeeding," he said.

Among those who participated were new born babies, carried by their mothers still wearing their hospital gowns.

Maricar Mendoza, 22, of Tondo, said she gave birth to her second child at the Tondo Medical Hospital last April 30. She said breastfeeding would strengthen the bond between her and her child.

For Mary Roy Anim, 30, and Joan Dioctol, 19, both believe breastfeeding will make their babies healthy and build stronger immune systems to fight illnesses.

Figures show that the rate of breastfeeding in the Philippines has been declining. The average duration of exclusive breastfeeding as of 2003 was 24 days, down from the 1.4 months in 1998. Only 1.4 percent of babies six to seven months old are still being exclusively breastfed.


---By Evelyn Macairan
The Philippine Star 05/05/2006
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200605056307.htm

I think we should use it to pay the debt of the country. It would benefit the whole nation.

@ Fhoy, well that's the problem isn't it???? Mining towns and their economic stability only lasts briefly. Has there been a mining town in the country where economic stability has been sustained long after mining has retired?
You mean like Baguio?

the fact that they still have a lot of support base makes Filipinos a laughing stock of the whole world. They're not only greedy they're selfish too. Imagine having all the treasures of the world from the jewels of Czarinas and other royalties when your countrymen are mired and wallowing in filth and hunger that they have to enslave themselves in other countries and endure exploitations and abuses just to survive . FRom Swiss banks to new york realstate. pweh!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO shame or guilt exude from them only happy days.
Well I'm sure the many people who actually vote for them do not share your opinion. And if some people think that this makes Filipinos seem laughable perhaps they are not as well versed with history at least as perceived by those supporters.

^Well I hope the lightbulb in their head turns on and they get enlightened while tripping on Imelda's billions.

^^this assumes of course that should they be enlightened they will agree with your assesment but many people who are enlightened, who did not benefit from any marcos largesse do not take this position

WEll they need to take their heads then and bang it againts the wall.

sounds very open minded and sure way to convince people of opposing views to see your side

The Department of Health (DOH) is expecting to come up this year with locally made vaccines for rabies and hepatitis and bacillus-calmette-guerin (BCG), a combination of drugs against tuberculosis.

Health Undersecretary Dr. Jade del Mundo said urine-based diagnostic tests for schistosoma infection are also being developed at the laboratories of the DOH-run Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang.

Del Mundo said planning and researches for the needed medical supplies started in 2000 and RITM is now in the process of developing them.

"We hope to market them by September of this year. This will generate savings for us because we may no longer have to import vaccines (and other needs)," he said in an interview.

By producing these vaccines locally, the DOH expects to save at least 50 percent of the budget earmarked for the importation of supplies.

Del Mundo said RITM is developing rabies immuno globuline vaccine, which would strengthen the immunity of a person bitten by a dog.

Experts are extracting rabies virus and injecting them into a horse that will then produce vaccines which would be processed.

The diagnostic tests being produced for schistosoma or blood flukes, can be applied using the urine of an infected person. At present, the tests being done are based on the blood samples taken from victims.

For hepatitis B, the RITM is manufacturing recombivant vaccines, which are created by utilizing bacteria or yeast to produce large quantities of a single viral or bacterial protein.

The protein is then processed and injected into the patient, enabling the immune system to develop antibodies.

Del Mundo said the materials being used for the production are mostly imported but they are purified for local production.



By Sheila Crisostomo
The Philippine Star 05/09/2006
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200605090407.htm

A group of human rights victims of martial law expressed gladness yesterday over a recent decision of a US Court of Appeals affirming the judgment of the Hawaii District Court awarding approximately $40 million in favor of the 9,539 victims of human rights violations under the Marcos dictatorship.

Claimants 1081 described the decision as "sweet victory" for the Marcos victims.

"The decision is a sweet victory for the victims who have struggled since 1986 for justice and compensation and who, after having won a landmark decision of almost $2 billion in a class suit against the Marcos estate in 1986, have nevertheless received not a single centavo," said a statement issued by Rep. Loretta Anna Rosales and Roland Abiog, chairwoman and vice chairman, respectively, of Claimants 1081.

The group said the favorable judgment is a big boost to the cause of restorative justice and human rights.

In its unanimous decision, the court took notice that the class is "composed of victims of a rough and rapacious ruler, who often exercised arbitrary power" and is "a group whose suffering naturally evoke sympathy."

However, Claimants 1081 said this did not come easy as the victims’ lawyers had to initiate legal action in several countries and tirelessly search for the hidden wealth of the Marcoses.

The martial law victims filed a case in 2000 against Merrill Lynch, a New York-based company which was used to invest money for a Panamanian corporation that was secretly owned by Marcos.

Claimants 1081 said as in other cases involving Marcos assets abroad it was the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) that was the main obstacle to the victims’ efforts at recovery.

"As our lawyers pointed out, the government repeatedly sought to prevent the US court from adjudicating the case, despite lack of evidence to support its claim, forcing over nine appeals to the US Court of Appeals, and even sought to remove distinguished US jurist Manuel Real from hearing the case," the group said.

The court had pointed out that the Republic had not taken steps to compensate the victims who suffered outrage from the extra-legal acts of Marcos.

Recently, PCGG Commissioner Ricardo Abcede has been trying to forge a compromise agreement with former first lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos.

Abcede said the government is trying to recover all the hidden wealth of the Marcoses, in exchange for dismissal of the cases against the Marcoses.

Claimants 1081 said this is being done by the PCGG notwithstanding legal impediments like the 1998 Supreme Court decision and with disregard to Marcos’s accountabilities.

"We hope that the process of distribution of the money for the compensation of the victims can be started soon," the group said. "This tangible recovery of symbolic significance, as the Court put it, can go a long way in helping the victims and their heirs in rebuilding their lives, trust in the integrity and fairness of the processes of the US court."

It is indeed ironic that the victims cannot find redress from their own government and had no other recourse but to seek justice from a foreign court, Claimants 1081 said. — Sandy Araneta


The Philippine Star 05/09/2006
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200605090408.htm

sounds very open minded and sure way to convince people of opposing views to see your side
hey, whatever works.

^^touche, hence the civil war comment

News: Marcos victims hail US court ruling

The judgment of a foreign court basically infringes on Philippine sovereignity. While it's sad that they suffered the reality is that this is a classic tort case with an american lawyer pushing it so he can get up to a third of the proceeds. By international law the Philippines is not bound to recognize it. It's ironic that people like rosales on one hand raise hell at any mere suggestion of US impingement on our sovereignity in terms of war exercises like balikatan but praise and push for US court intervention to get their agenda going.

What happened to @TJ's Marcos-bashing thread?

lol :lol: it was closed.. hehe may we should start making a petition like similar to the sigaw ng bayan to kick off the marcoses out of the country for good...

What happened to @TJ's Marcos-bashing thread?

I was wondering the same thing, WHAT EXACTLY WAS WRONG WITH IT?

What happened to @TJ's Marcos-bashing thread?

I was wondering the same thing, WHAT EXACTLY WAS WRONG WITH IT? I thought healthy discussions was happening there, even if the title may be deemed "politically incorrect"....So it was deleted and closed?!!!!!

Are the moderators like...over doing their censorship or what?!!!

OUST THE MODERATORS!!!!!!!!!!!

Joke, i love you guys