Pinay makes history as 1st West Point graduate in ’08


By Cathy S. Babao Guballa, Roxanne T. Estrellado Limjoco
Inquirer


http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/9818/allfilipino2bwith2bcadecl6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8840/squad2bleader2bof2b112byx5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



MANILA, Philippines -- She had only asked to be part of the Philippine Military Academy, “but God gave me West Point.”

This is how Christy Isis “Ice” Achanzar, a 24-year-old native of Davao City, explains why she feels “extremely blessed” as she looks back on her three years at the premier military academy in the United States.

Next year, Achanzar will make history at the academy in New York as the first Filipino woman born and raised in the Philippines to graduate from its hallowed halls.

The US Military Academy at West Point has been in existence for over two centuries but it was only in 1975 that it began admitting female cadets.

Achanzar entered West Point in June 2004—the first Filipino woman to do so.

“The top 50 from our class during our plebe year at the PMA were asked to take an initial test,” she relates in an e-mail interview. “That number was whittled down to 16, and all of us underwent interviews [with] the respective US service academies we had chosen.” (For her, it was the Army.)

Achanzar and the others took physical tests as well as the SAT and TOEFL exams. The results came out in April when she was in Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija, for summer training.

Huge surprise

Through a rigorous process of elimination, Achanzar and Filipino-Iranian Mario Feliciano, a native of Zamboanga City, were picked from the batch.

“It was a huge surprise for me since I am a female, and I know that it has always been a competition between males,” Achanzar says.

When she first heard that she had been accepted, she thought it was a joke. “I didn’t believe it until the command personally informed me about it,” she says.

Achanzar was initially plagued by doubts about pursuing her dream of going to West Point: “I didn’t want to be so far away from my family, losing the peers I had established at the PMA and doing the cadet basic training all over again, which would make me fall behind by 14 months. The different culture and environment to adjust to, the language barrier, and the thought that I was not the best in my class were all floating in my head at that point.”

But in the end she conquered her fears, and together with Feliciano, became part of West Point.

Lifelong dream

Joining the military had been a lifelong dream for the young woman who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering from the University of the Immaculate Conception in Davao.

“I had always been fascinated with the bearing and principles of men in uniform. And my question has always been how I can be an instrument of God. Our parents brought us up to be service-oriented and prayerful, and the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi has always guided my decision-making,” she says.

According to Achanzar, the most difficult aspect of being at West Point is the physical distance from her family.

“Here at the academy, we are granted more leaves than when I was at PMA. However, I’m not really that excited about it since it’s almost always impossible for me to go home and spend it with my family and friends,” she says.

On her days off, Achanzar spends time with the other Filipinos at West Point—Cadet Carl Liwanag, who will graduate in May, and Feliciano, her classmate.

She talks of the “boodle fight,” a social dining activity that sees the cadets scrambling for the boodles (or food) made up of rice, pancit canton and other Filipino dishes brought by their sponsor, Nympha Leano. “The American cadets are welcome to join us,” she says.

The Filipinos’ long weekends are sometimes spent with their host families—the Laysons in Maryland or the Floreses in New Jersey.

“These families have generously opened their homes to us cadets,” Achanzar says.

Achanzar, Liwanag and Feliciano regularly check up on one another through e-mail, phone calls and the occasional get-together.

Sharing notes, techniques

“We share notes and academic books, and techniques on physical development in the areas of swimming, gymnastics, indoor obstacle course tests, and the Army physical fitness test,” Achanzar says.

She jokes that her male Filipino classmates are “studs,” in the sense that they are extremely physically fit.

Among Achanzar’s most memorable times at the academy was when she saw her squad shine: “One summer, my squad successfully finished basic training with zero-percent attrition rate and was awarded the best squad in our summer company for first detail. Three members were chosen Soldier of the Quarter for their class. I was very happy for them.”

Another memorable event was when she “shot” the enemy during a “raid operation” after what she describes as an “exciting” Black Hawk helicopter ride.

“My buddy left me when he needed to stop the enemy movement. I took a shot and both the ‘enemies’ went down. Their MILES gear (Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System) beeped when they got hit by my laser,” she relates.

Up until then, Achanzar had doubts about her ability to actually point and shoot. “I realized that when you are in the situation, you’ve just got to do it,” she says.

Equal opportunities

Being female and Filipino in a male-dominated academy does not faze Achanzar.

“Equal opportunities are granted and we get the same training. Admittedly, at certain points you cannot disregard the physical limitations of being female. It really takes a good amount of perseverance and more effort to catch up with the rest of your peers here, and so I have to train harder. People here are respectful and the environment is culturally diverse,” she says.

Achanzar says that as Filipinos at West Point, she and the other two cadets continue to keep the values imparted to them by their families and their alma mater.

“The PMA taught us not to complain about our difficulties but to try harder to get through that particular trial. You don’t always succeed in everything. When you fail, stand up and redeem yourself,” she says.

The thought of being the first Filipino woman to graduate from West Point in the near future continues to give Achanzar goose bumps and challenges her to do better so that she can promote the status of Filipino women and females in general.

Faith

And she has not forgotten the faith that carried her through the PMA and now West Point. As a PMA cadet, she remembers that in her low days, she simply prayed: “Lord, take charge and remove all the difficulties.”

After almost three years at West Point, Achanzar says her sentiments remain the same.

“My parents are my main prayer warriors,” she says. “If it wasn’t through their support and prayers and the trust of the people who gave me this opportunity ... I would not be here now.”


[I]Originally posted by Dinabaw at Mindanao Thread

^nakakatawa yung eteam na lalake sa huling pics
parang where is waldo

^^arnel pineda's performance is electrifying
im proud of him

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20080330-127261/2-Filipinas-make-it-to-Elle-Dcor

2 Filipinas make it to Elle Décor
By Anton San Diego
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/30/2008

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos are making waves again in the international style scene— this time for their talent in interior design.

Elle Décor US featured the houses of two Filipino fashion designers living in two different continents: Monique Lhuillier in its Jan-Feb 2008 issue (US); and Rose Anne de Pampelonne, April 2008 issue (Europe).

Both are known for their fashionable clothing lines. Lhuillier, of course, has been garnering worldwide acclaim while De Pampelonne, whose line Rose Anne de Pampelonne is barely a year old, was featured in (US) Vogue as one of the best-kept secrets in Paris.

When I was in Hong Kong for the Louis Vuitton event, I talked with the head of the LV communications department in Europe. She told me that she has a Filipina friend who is creating major waves in the fashion scene there.

When she mentioned that it was Rose Anne, within a heartbeat, the designer happened to call. During our long chat, Rose Anne told me she is scheduled to show her line in Hong Kong through a friend of ours.

Differences

Lhuillier’s and De Pampelonne’s houses vary in decorating style. While the former espouses a neutral palette and a modern sensibility, the latter veers towards opulence and color.

Lhuillier’s house is a French manor-inspired structure in Los Angeles while De Pampelonne’s is a limestone mansion near the Invalides in Paris. Both homes are rich in texture. De Pampelonne mixes velvet, damask and silk faille with Chinese porcelain, Nepalese horns and many pieces of Filipino antiques.

Lhuillier opts for modern accents of zebra-print cowhide, quiet and rich velvets and patterned tiles in grey, black or white. Both homes display coziness, elegance and chic, with De Pampelonne’s showcasing Filipino flair in furniture, material and accent pieces.

Three cheers for these style-makers and icons. We hope to see more talented Filipinos on the pages of international glossies to give us national pride.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080330-127248/Toti-Fuentes-played-with-international-stars-dies

Toti Fuentes, played with international stars, dies
By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/30/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Versatile musician Toti Fuentes passed away on Thursday in the United States after battling cancer for the last six years.

He was 55.

Born in Cagayan de Oro City, Fuentes—named after his father Francisco and the second of eight siblings—received musical training at an early age. At 6, he learned to play the piano. His parents saw the prodigy in him and sent him to the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music for college.

He also entered the seminary, but realized music was his calling.
Determined to pursue a professional career as a musician, Fuentes hooked up with Rico J. Puno, then an aspiring Taglish folk singer beginning to build a reputation at Spindle, a folk club, in 1974. When Puno broke into the pop scene, Fuentes became his regular pianist in concerts and recordings.

Fuentes also did session work with the Apo Hiking Society, Hajji Alejandro, Basil Valdez, Pilita Corrales and other popular artists.

By 1978, Toti was evolving as a jazz musician and wanted to get to “the source,” as he called it. He went to the US, where he spent the next 20 years as a working musician—performing with Natalie Cole, Anita Baker, Julia Fordham, Aretha Franklin, Andy Williams and many others.

Fuentes spent several years as a session musician in Los Angeles, hoping to play with his idol, Sergio Mendes. When they finally met, it didn’t take long for Mendes to ask Fuentes to join him on a concert tour.

He also conducted the North Dakota Symphony Orchestra and the Louisville Pops Symphony Orchestra.

In 1999, Fuentes was diagnosed with a rare tumor in the stomach, which he battled with an experimental treatment administered by a hospital in Chicago where he had been residing.

The cancer had been in remission when he was in Manila in October last year for a series of shows with singer Ana Fegi.

“But even now,” Fuentes told the Inquirer then, “I feel death follows me all around. On the other hand, I have more angels of life around me as well.

When I have to be rushed to the hospital, these angels come to my rescue.”

Early this year, Fuentes was back in Manila as bandleader in British singer-songwriter Julia Fordham’s Valentine shows at the Ayala malls. Two weeks ago, he performed with former Sergio Mendes vocalist Kevyn Lettau on the last night of the week-long 3rd Philippine International Jazz Festival.

“He was dedicated to his craft. He always had time to listen and give breaks to singers,” said Richard Merk, one of Fuentes’ many friends in the local music industry.

“He had many dreams,” said Bibsy Carballo, Fuentes’ manager. “He always told me he couldn’t die because he had so many things to do. He wanted to help disadvantaged and sick children through his foundation, Hope for the World.”

Fuentes is survived by his Polish-American wife Jodi and sons Damien and Xavier.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080330-127210/Hip-hop-artist-apldeap-gives-back

Hip-hop artist apl.de.ap gives back
By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/30/2008

MANILA, Philippines - Struggle and perseverance are situations that Allan Pineda Lindo dealt with early in life.

An abandoned child of an American serviceman stationed at the former Clark Air Base in Pampanga, he planted rice and other crops to help his mother earn a living. When the opportunity came for him to travel to the US, he learned to speak English by reading a dictionary.

Now that he’s achieved success as a hip-hop artist, Allan―better known as apl.de.ap of the Grammy-winning, internationally famous Black Eyed Peas―says he wants to reconnect and give something back to his native land.

The 33-year-old Fil-American musician was in town as the main presenter and a special awardee at the Myx Music Awards show held Wednesday night at the Meralco Theater. He’s also set to shoot an independent film titled “Subject: I Love You.”

In an interview shortly after his arrival, apl said he wanted to get his own foundation more involved in projects that would benefit Filipino children.

Charity show

The Los Angeles, California-based Apl Foundation organizes an annual event called the “Apl Benefit,” a charity show featuring him and musician friends. Some of the money raised has helped apl’s community in his hometown.

“We built a stage for graduation rites in my old elementary school,” he said. “We also bought computers and installed electric fans in the classrooms.”

This year, the foundation wants to raise more money to build music schools for kids. “I want to launch it very soon,” he added.

Seeing deprived children stirs vivid memories for apl. Born in Sapang Bato, a poor barangay in Angeles, Pampanga, he had to work as a farm hand at a young age to give money to his mother Cristina. His father, an African-American airman whom he didn’t want to name, practically disappeared shortly after his birth.

It was during that period that he started developing an ear for music. At age 8, he remembers hearing the songs of the Pinoy folk-rock group Asin through his mother. “My mom used to have a cassette tape of Asin. That’s why when it was time for me to do a Tagalog song, the first thing that came into my mind was Asin, because it was played nonstop in our household.”

‘The Apl Song’

The composition, titled “The Apl Song” and which encapsulates his life story, borrows the chorus in Asin’s “Balita.” It was part of the BEP’s 2003 debut album, “Elephunk,” which went platinum in the US, UK, Germany and other European countries.

Another song he wrote, “Bebot,” a tribute to Pinoy street life and culture, was
included in BEP’s 2005 “Monkey Business” album.

Apl tweaked some of the song’s lyrics to suit his live performance at the recent Pacquiao-Morales boxing match in Las Vegas. “I’m good friends with Pacquiao, I always visit him when he’s training in LA. I asked if I could walk him out to the ring with a song,” he recounted. “It made me feel so proud as a Filipino.”

Apl was 11 when he was sponsored by the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, an organization that finds healthier living environments for young abandoned or orphaned Amerasian children. He was brought to the US for treatment of nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes that afflicted him. During a trip to Disneyland, apl expressed his interest to stay in the US for good. It took another three years before he was formally adopted by an American family.

But when it was almost time to leave Pampanga, apl expressed apprehension. “I was so worried and asked my mom how I was gonna learn to speak English. She said, ‘Read the dictionary.’ And that was how I learned, by reading an English-Filipino dictionary like a textbook.”

Apl went to live in LA, where he met will.i.am, founder and frontman of BEP.

The group also struggled before joining the big league. “We had to work hard to achieve our dreams. For three years, we played wherever we could for free. We played in schools during lunchtime. We played a lot of benefit shows. But we believed in ourselves and soon we started having a following.

The audience got bigger after every show. And then record companies took notice of us,” apl recalled.

He also sold popcorn in movie theaters, handled a telemarketing job, and did construction work while recording the early albums with BEP. “The struggle made us strong as a group,” he said.

Now BEP can afford to take a break, temporarily, while its members pursue individual projects. Will and female vocalist Fergie have both released their own respective albums, while apl is currently working on his debut solo.

He says it will contain “new songs about the country and some that can make you dance. It has modern sounds like house music, but I also put in some folk guitar and tinikling beats.”

New album

One of the new songs, “Island,” was heard for the first time at the Myx Music Awards. Apl performed with another Fil-American, a female DJ named Mia Guzman.

Apl added that the album will feature collaborations with Filipino artists such as the Apo Hiking Society, Billy Crawford and Lolita Carbon of Asin. “It’s like a Black Eyed Peas album but it will show my individuality, who I am, where I came from, the struggle I’ve been through.”

Today he can live like a rock star, but refuses to. “I’m still Allan Pineda who eats with my hands at home. I’m not trying to get all bling-blinged out, you know, and have five cars and buy a $4-million house. I just built a simple house where I was born in Sapang Bato.”

Although he has never known nor met his father, apl has no intention of seeking him out. “A couple of years ago I was really interested to look for him. I asked my mom, and she said something that made me think otherwise. She said, ‘You might not like what you’ll find out.’”

It’s something apl would rather not struggle to find out.

Si Arnel at Allan Pineda parin ang the best! Im proud of them!

Si Arnel at Allan Pineda parin ang the best! Im proud of them!

Ngayon ko lang napansin... both are Pinedas!

The Pineda family is soo talented;)..hehe

Si sinjin kaya?

^^ a talented SLUTT (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=597594) :lol:


Philippines' PC Maker Neo Partners With Intel For Mini Laptop

March 31, 2008 8:22 a.m. EST

Isabelle Duerme - AHN News Writer

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Neo, a Philippine PC maker, will work with chipmaker Intel on a mini laptop designed for school children.

Weighing about 1.45 pounds, the Ned eXplore will offer children a portable, lunchbox-sized information tool with the features and capacity of any basic laptop.

Neo spokeswoman Mariel Que described the laptop as "ruggedized and shock-proof," and will come with a spill-resistant keyboard, according to AFP.

According to Rich Banaag of Intel Philippines, the laptop may also be sold beyond school kids, because the basic functions and Internet access would appeal to older computer newcomers.

"Intel and Neo are working to...develop affordable and relevant PC designs to suit local market needs," Banaag told the Inquirer. "The Neo eXplore is designed for people who previously couldn't afford to buy a PC for accessing the Internet."

The Neo eXplore will feature an Intel processor running at 900 Mhz. The PC will also have 512MB of memory, and a 30-gigabyte flash drive.

It will allow Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, will have two USB 2.0 slots, and an SD/MMC card reader.

The laptop will cost $406 run Windows XP Starter Edition.

It will soon be available in major Philippine cities.

Source: AHN (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010490140)

Only in Hollywood
Turner impersonator mistaken for the real thing

By Ruben V. Nepales
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:16:00 03/31/2008

LOS ANGELES—“Spectacular” was how one Canadian critic described the performance of Luisa Marshall, a Vancouver-based Filipina who is making waves with her Tina Turner tribute act.

In this part two of our column on Luisa, my former classmate at the University of Santo Tomas, whose maiden name is Mendez, we cite some reviews by British Columbia, Canada critics of her show, “Tina, A Rock ‘n’ Journey,” which she has been performing in Canada and will be bringing to the US, Europe and, hopefully, the Philippines.

Kerstin Renner wrote: “A dazzling ride … Luisa Marshall and her troupe of dancers recreated the amazing journey of Tina Turner, showing people how the talented young singer Anna Mae Bullock turned into the queen of rock ‘n’ roll. The performance was anywhere between a concert, musical and multimedia show and done on an incredibly high level … Perched on dangerously high stiletto heels for the entire show, Marshall mastered every detail of the performance, from the typical bowlegged stance to the characteristic, slightly choppy arm movements and robotic dance steps. Her voice had the signature sound with its powerful and slightly nasal quality … Like the original Tina, Marshall proved she could command an entire stage with her presence.”

Shaun Thomas, raved, “The writing and pacing of the story truly captured the life of the unique performer. Just as spectacular … was the performance put on by Marshall and her dancers. Marshall truly owned the stage and, more importantly, the role of Tina Turner the performer. Her powerful vocals and stage antics mimicked those of Turner herself, and the variety of costumes and looks she brought to the show helped bring across the different eras and evolution of the singer.”

In yesterday’s column, I wrote that I recently reconnected with Luisa and several classmates from UST Communication Arts, Class of ’77. I hope that, with this piece, I’ll hear from other classmates as well (Please contact me at my e-mail address listed at the end of this column.).

Read full story @ Inquirer.net (http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20080331-127371/Turner-impersonator-mistaken-for-the-real-thing)

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20080331-127381/MiG-Ayesa-rocks-in-We-Will-Rock-You

MiG Ayesa rocks in ‘We Will Rock You’
By Lito Zulueta
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/31/2008

MANILA, Philippines - The Singapore production of the West End musical “We Will Rock You” opened at the Esplanade Theatre last Friday, and the verdict is loudly unanimous: Long live Queen!

Queen, of course, is one of the world’s greatest rock bands. Since the death of its front man, composer and chief vocalist Freddie Mercury, its legend has grown, and it is to the credit of the remnants of the band that they have remained a close-knit group to protect the Queen legacy and ensure its perpetuation.

In the case of the musical, the direct involvement of the Queen remnants, Brian May and Roger Taylor, who tweaked the original lyrics to suit the book and story by Ben Elton, ensures that the instrumentation hews closely to the Queen original.

Many Queen aficionados would be surprised, in fact, that May’s unmistakably brash and blistering lead-guitar pyrotechnics has been retained, so much so that they would think May has taken his place among the musical’s instrumentalists, many of whom are only in their 20s and were probably not yet born at the heyday of the songs.

It helps that the production features somebody who’s very familiar to Asian audiences: Filipino-Australian MiG Ayesa, who became a household name in the region for landing on the Top 3 in the global search to replace Michael Hutchence, the late front man of the top Australian rock band INXS, in the hit 2005 reality TV show “Rock Star: INXS.”

Many Asians who came to the opening night admitted they were lured to watch the show by Ayesa and the prospect of reliving the glory of Queen—through Ayesa’s lung power and pelvic passion, of course. To them, Queen is Queen and Ayesa is King.

Ayesa had come close to winning the 2005 contest, but his theater background apparently got in the way. Before joining the contest, he had already built a sizeable theater resumé, having played Angel in the West End production of “Rent” and Danny Zuko in the Australian production of “Grease.”

Apparently the “Rock Star” judges and texters had thought in the end that, in joining the contest, Ayesa seemed in-between jobs and was merely auditioning for another stage role.

In any case, a theater background sounded too establishment, a tad too conservative for a rock group like INXS that, in its peak in the 1980s, had been called the Down Under reincarnation of the Rolling Stones.

True enough, in true theater fashion, Ayesa was able to parlay his exposure in “Rock Star” to a rock-star status in British musical theater. In the aftermath of his loss, West End drafted him to play the lead role in “We Will Rock You.”

The play had already opened successfully in 2003, but Ayesa’s entry last year appears to have revived the production and infused it with a new energy. Now the production is touring worldwide.

Craggily handsome in a rock-star sort of way, Ayesa has stage presence and grace. Although lanky and perhaps even short, he holds himself admirably against a mainly hefty Caucasian cast and prevails chiefly through his confident characterization and passionate singing. He never strikes a false note.

Royal regurgitation

But how could anyone fail with Queen?

If the musical succeeds, the verdict is not unexpected. “We Will Rock You” is hardly a subtle attempt to regurgitate and recycle the hit records of the seminal British rock band.

The title of the musical itself comes from one of the band’s many several smash records, the anthem of the generation of the 1970s barely out of Woodstock but also barely into the new romantic and utterly materialistic mode of the 1980s that saw the onset of the second British musical invasion.

To date, Queen forms a pillar in the trinity of rock gods, with The Beatles and, perhaps, the Bee Gees.

The Beatles ouvre, of course, has enjoyed periodic reinventions in film and theater across the decades, the latest being the movie “Across the Universe.”

In contrast, the Bee Gees’ legacy appears problematic (as problematic as their appropriation of The Beatles hits in the late 1970s movie “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”).

Queen may not have as many hits as the Bee Gees, but their sound is at once mind-blowing and as defiant as The Beatles, if not more so. And, like The Beatles, their songs lend well to reinterpretation and narrativization.

Therefore, the musical “We Will Rock You” is one whole concept album in spectacle across two hours and 26 hit Queen songs.

The story happens in the future but the plot is not so futuristic; in fact, it’s a bit jaded and hackneyed; it’s about oppression and totalitarianism, and defiance and liberation—and that’s trying to put it in new and revolutionary terms. It’s really “Matrix” onstage and with loud music.

Rock music banned

The year is 2350, and live music is banned on earth by the Globalsoft Corporation, which feeds the kids with a diet of synthesized pop and controls their lives like control-freak parents.

Ayesa plays Galileo Figaro. We don’t know if that’s his real name. We know, of course, the name comes from “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen’s pastiche tribute to opera, and the play is much like that—a pastiche of references, allusions, even parodies and mockeries.

Written by Ben Elton (who shares authorship with Queen), a comic writer and actor, the play is predictably premised but outlandish, its outlandishness charged to the comic spirit and its rejection of anything serious.

Galileo is a dreamer, a poet, and a rock star who does not know he’s one, because all memories of the rock-and-roll era have been nearly successfully obliterated by Killer Queen (New Zealand’s Annie Crummer), head of Globalsoft who’s bent on wiping out all traces of rock from the face of the earth through her ruthless lieutenant, Khashoggi (Neels Classen, a South African in a cast in which many of the chief roles are played by South Africans).

In his many dreams and daydreams, Galileo catches whiffs and phrases of the old rock-and-roll. With Scaramouche (Sivan Raphaely, also a South African), a spunky girl who cannot fit in the tinsel world of the Teen Queens created by Globalsoft, Galileo stumbles upon Vic (Van Niekerk) and Oz (Carly Graeme), who are part of the Bohemian crowd driven underground by Killer Queen.

But because radar chips have been placed in their brains by Globalsoft, Galileo and Scaramouche unwittingly lead Khashoggi to the lair of the Bohemians, who are captured, brainwashed and exiled to the Seven Seas of Rhye, where barman Pop (played with great comic timing by Malcolm Terrey, also South African) holds an admirable though shoddy and wobbly wisdom about rock’s lore and secrets.

Of course, it’s up to Galileo to rise to the occasion and become the hero who will usher in rock music’s triumphant return. But first he has to find out where Queen buried their instruments, like Arthur drawing out the sword from the stone, finally.

Amorphous songs

Since the musical would be banking on a revival of the Queen repertoire, one might think it would put a more contemporary narrative context to make rhyme and reason of the rather amorphous songs. But instead of situating the story in the probable present, it places the locus on the future, which is not sci-fi but speculative. It’s futuristic but hardly the future.

So who killed rock music in the 24th century? According to the play, it was killed by globalization (“Globalsoft”) with its tendency to make an assembly mill of art and music. This is all well and true, except that even rock music has always been an intrinsic part of globalization, however its proverbial defiant pose against business and the establishment.

Bono may now be called a saint for his advocacy of the environment and other anti-establishment issues, but could there be anything more establishment than being named by Time magazine as Man of the Year and basking in that recognition?

Could there be anything more establishment than Queen front man Freddie Mercury being summoned to a performance by the British royalty at the Royal Albert Hall and, in one of his last public appearances, looking gaunt due to a mysterious disease which later killed him, playing a flamboyant bridegroom to Jane Seymour’s blushing bride in a fashion show that was more show than fashion, since it was common knowledge that Mercury was gay?

Or could there be anything more establishment than Brian May opening Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee concert in 2001 with a guitar rip of “God Save the Queen” atop Buckingham Palace? Or Roger Taylor in the same show leading the performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” in a medley together with young stage performers that seemed a prefigurement and rehearsal of “We Will Rock You”?

Hip-hop may have outdone and displaced rock music in the battle for coruscating lyrics and anti-establishment music, but, in the end, both are in the same boat, where genuine artists and visionaries sit side by side with interlopers and pretenders.

Queen aficionados and other lovers of great rock music know the future of rock. If “We Will Rock You” is to be believed, the future is not nebulous but solid as a rock. It is commerce and globalization debasing originality and creativity.

For artists and audience, the future will always be something like finding oneself between a rock and a hard place.

“We Will Rock You” runs at the Esplanade Theatre until April 27. Visit www.lunchbox-productions.com (http://www.lunchbox-productions.com). Booking website is www.sistic.com.sg (http://www.sistic.com.sg).

Harvard fellowship for Pinoy scholar Epifanio San Juan


INQUIRER.net (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/diaspora/diaspora/view/20080404-128325/Harvard-fellowship-for-Pinoy-scholar-Epifanio-San-Juan)
First Posted 10:37:00 04/04/2008

The internationally acclaimed W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University recently announced the award of a prestigious fellowship to E. San Juan, Jr., a Filipino scholar and writer, for Spring 2009.

Currently based in the United States, San Juan recently taught a graduate seminar in the Department of English, University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. Balikbayang Sinta: An E. San Juan Reader, a collection of writings dating back to the sixties, was also launched by the Ateneo de Manila University Press last March 12.

As keynote speaker at an earlier conference of West Visayan writers at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo on February 14-15, San Juan stressed the inter-textual linkage of the nationalist imagination with human rights in the context of massive extra-judicial killings, abductions and human-rights violations in the Arroyo regime. His book of poems, Salud Algabre at Iba Pang Tula was also launched by the University of San Agustin Press under the supervision of Prof. John Iremil Teodoro, director of the Fray Luis de Leon Creative Writing Center.

San Juan is emeritus professor of English and Comparative Literature in several American universities. Before teaching at U.P. Diliman this year, he was Fulbright professor of American Studies at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium and fellow of the Rockefeller Study Center at Bellagio, Italy. He also taught at the University of Trento, Italy and Tamkang University, Taiwan.

His recent scholarly books are Racism and Cultural Studie (Duke U Press), Working through the Contradictions (Bucknell U Press), In the Wake of Terror: Class, Race, Nation and Ethnicity in the Postmodern World (Lexington), and US Imperialism and Revolution in the Philippines (Palgrave Macmillan).

San Juan also directs the Philippines Cultural Studies Center in Connecticut and is a member of PEN American Chapter and the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism.

Proud and happy enough to croon


Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:54:00 04/06/2008

MANILA, Philippines - (Thumbs up) Lesley Mobo, Rafe Totengco, Tina Ocampo, Bea Valdes and of course, Monique Lhuillier, Josie Natori, Budji Layug, Kenneth Cobonpue and the Movement 8.

The parade of Filipino names making waves abroad continues, enough to eclipse or at least match the bad buzz, one hopes, raised by the scalawags on the front page. Each time the going gets rough, the Filipino talent renews your faith in the Filipino.

Interestingly, spearheading this proud-to-be-Filipino advocacy, at the center of the action is a retiree—Jaime Zobel de Ayala.

What drew him back to the public eye was his idea to launch the “Bravo Filipino” series of activities at Greenbelt 5 to showcase the works of Filipino designers and musicians. Greenbelt 5 is also where retail history is being made—for the first time, Filipino designers are showing and selling their merchandise in the entire wing. A no mean gamble for the Ayala Group.

For the first time in a long while, Zobel de Ayala, chair emeritus of the Ayala Group, hosted a sizeable dinner in his home last week for the artists and all those who helped mount “Bravo Filipino.”

He was in high spirits as he mingled with artists Ryan Cayabyab, Louie Ocampo, Basil Valdez—and he even crooned his very own version of “Moon River.” Now, that’s Filipino talent.

(Thumbs up) A Calma in NY

The most recent design talent to make it in New York is Lorena Calma whose clothes are in the latest issue of US Marie Claire.

Lorena is the daughter of Lor Calma, himself a pillar of Filipino design, architecture and sculpture, and a sister of Ed Calma, one of the most sought-after talents in design today.

Lorena was studying to be a lawyer at the University of the Asia-Pacific until it dawned on her that art was her passion.

Fifteen years ago, she studied design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, then trained at Salvatore Ferragamo’s school in Florence, Italy.

She then worked for Giorgio Armani, learning design and sourcing. Back in New York, she stayed in her parents’ apartment in the East Side, worked for the Ungaro company until she decided to freelance.

Today, the 34-year-old designer has two labels, Lorena, the high-end, tailored limited edition line, and Yenyen, a younger, sporty line.

Last year, she presented her collection in Paris with great success. She is also consultant of Gap and Banana Republic.

She is preparing her Fall-Winter collection. Between deadlines, she hies off to a farm which she bought.

“Where did you get your money,” asked her father.

“Don’t worry about money!” she replied. Now that’s an easy lesson on prosperity.

Read more (http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20080406-128662/Proud-and-happy-enough-to-croon)

Filipino to carry Olympic torch (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news6_april7_2008)

A Filipino expatriate will join seven other foreigners in carrying the Olympic torch in August, besting four other Filipino candidates for the right to relay the flame for the Beijing games.

Marco Antonio Torres, 39, a marketing director of the interior-design firm of M Moser Associates, received the second-highest number of votes in the online campaign launched by computer maker Lenovo Group, the worldwide partner for the relay, and China’s English-language newspaper China Daily.

Torres aside, the other foreign residents chosen to carry the torch for 200 meters on Chinese soil were Jenny Bowen of the United States, Werner Ebel of Germany, Meena Barot of India, Yoshitoshi Mizuya of Japan, Luis Hong Sanchez of Colombia, Yury Ilyakhin of Russia, and British-Venezuelan Deidre Smyth.

“This is an opportunity to unify all Filipinos towards a single golden Olympic cause. I will take it as an opportunity to promote China to the Philippines and vice versa,” said Torres who has been living in Beijing for over a year.

“I love Beijing and I love the Olympics. Proof of this is that I declined an opportunity to move to Shanghai if only for the Olympics. I also know now that my destiny of being in the Olympics will be fulfilled.”

The other Filipino candidates who did not make it were CNN Beijing bureau chief Jaime Florcruz and his daughter Michelle, Filipino-Chinese Vlad Reyes, and Philippine vice consul Noel Novicio.

“For me, having united all Filipinos for a positive cause is a victory in itself. Carrying the torch now will just be icing on the cake,” Torres said.

According to the China Daily’s Web site, Torres received 13,342 votes when the online voting was concluded last year.

A total of 262 people from 47 countries and regions vied for the eight available slots, and another 245,000 voted during the online campaign.

More than 21,880 torch-bearers from China and around the world, including Torres, will participate in the 137,000-kilometer relay that started on March 31.

The torch traveled across Greece March 25 to 30, ending at the Panathinaiko Stadium, site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.

Chinese President Hu Jintao led the lighting of the torch on Tian An Men Square on March 31, launching the official start of the torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

From Beijing, the torch was passed on to Almaty, Istanbul, St. Petersburg and London.

It will arrive in Paris today and travel to San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Brunei, Muscat, Islamabad, New Delhi, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Canberra, Nagano, Seoul, Pyongyang, and Ho Chi Minh City within the month.

For the first time, the Olympic flame will travel to the world’s highest peak, Mt. Everest, in what is touted to be longest relay in Olympic history.

The first and only time the Olympic torch reached the Philippines was on Sept. 3, 1964, for the Tokyo Games.

SAYS UP PROF
RP-made app for poisoning diagnosis wins programming award

By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:18:00 04/08/2008

MANILA, Philippines--James Gosling, one of the creators of the Java programming language and environment, has chosen a Philippine made Java-based application aimed at helping doctors in rural areas manage poisoning cases as among the most innovative applications from around the world, a University of the Philippines Computer Science professor told INQUIRER.net on Tuesday.

Students from the UP Department of Computer Science who developed the Expert System for Poisoning (EPS), have won in this year's Duke's Choice Awards, according to UP professor Prospero Naval of the Department of Computer Science.

The ESP application is a "clinical decision support system for the diagnosis and management of poisoning," according to the project information that Naval provided.

"ESP was designed to help doctors in the provinces who don't know a lot about poisoning to diagnose quickly. In cases of poisoning, doctors have to act quickly," he said in a telephone interview.

Naval and Riza Batista-Navarro guided computer science students Diana Bandojo, Ma. Jaymee Gatapia, and Reggie Santos in the development of the ESP prototype.

Naval said medical expertise and direction were provided by Dr. Alvin Marcelo, director of the National Telehealth Center in UP Manila.

Gosling handpicks winners for the Duke's Choice Awards, according to the award's website.

"Winners are selected by James Gosling and the Java technology leadership team. Judging will be based on the innovation and creativity of the Java technology-based applications and services, including web applications and tools, mobile applications and services, games, and card-based applications," the website added.

Naval said the ESP prototype is a system that can be handled by trained physicians or health professionals.

After being supplied basic information such as symptoms, the application use a knowledge base of common poisons and a rules-based approach to generate an assessment or set of recommendations, which are then presented to doctors for consideration.

Naval said that the ESP is still in phase one, and could be developed further.

The UP professor said the next step is to develop a mobile phone-based version of the application.

In 2005 alone, there was only one doctor for every 80,000 in the Philippines, according to a presentation of the ESP project.

The prototype has been valided using 50 test cases, where about 82 percent of the actual results consist of the expected result in the first or second rank in the list of possible poisoning types, the ESP presentation said.

Gosling did the ""original design of the Java programming language and implemented its original compiler and virtual machine," according to his biography on the Sun Microsystems website.

Charice Pempengco... from Youtube... to Ellen DeGeneres Show... now on the Paul O'Grady Show in London where she sang 2 songs:

"And I Am Telling You, I'm Not Going"

Paul O'Grady Show
April 8, 2008
The London Studios
Channel Four
London

ytKRADHZrTQ

"I Will Always Love You"

Paul O'Grady Show
The London Studios
Channel Four
London

CLBSa5PrlOo

^^She's really talented. She's gonna be on the O'prah too this coming May for its World's most talented kids episode as I've read.

Yeah you are right... I just found this on the net...

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=114650

After 'Ellen', Charice guests on 'Oprah'

By REYMA BUAN-DEVEZA
abs-cbnNEWS.com

Filipino singing sensation Charice Pempengco will once again charm audiences in the US and the rest of the world with her upcoming performance in the highest-rating television talk show, "Oprah".

"Mayroon po akong guesting sa Oprah. Tapos na po akong kumanta para sa isa pong episode ng Oprah," Charice told abs-cbnNews.com in a phone interview after returning from London where she appeared in a popular British talk show.

But other than confirming her appearance on "Oprah", the young diva declined to give other details.
However, she disclosed that a teaser for the episode, which includes her, can be viewed on YouTube.

"Nasa YouTube na po yata iyong sa Oprah," Charice said.

5QbxT92ub0U&hl

The episode will air in May.

Charice returned to the country Thursday afternoon after appearing in the Paul O’Grady Show in London, Tuesday, April 8.

"Nandito na po ako sa Maynila, kalalapag lang po ng eroplano," Pempengco told abs-cbnNews.com, just minutes after arriving in Manila at around 2:30 pm.

Just as she did in the Ellen DeGeneres show in December 2007, Charice also delighted audiences in Britain with her performance on the TV talk show, Paul O'Grady Show.

such a strong and powerful voice from a little body. Her new hairdo suits her better too, it camoflauges her round face.
She's even better than Sarah geronimo and friends.
Why isn't she famous in the PHils?

such a strong and powerful voice from a little body. Her new hairdo suits her better too, it camoflauges her round face.
She's even better than Sarah geronimo and friends.
Why isn't she famous in the PHils?

Charice joined a talent competition on ABSCBN where she lost then pretty much disappeared after that. Few people knew who she was until YouTube videos of her singing on a popular tv show in Korea got the attention of record producers in Europe and also Ellen who aired the video on her show. Ellen asked anyone who knew Charice to get in touch with her so that she can fly to the US and guest on her show. The rest, as they say is now history.

Her loss in that ABSCBN talent competition showed how much talent there is in the country. Her case also proves that more often than not Pinoys who are already famous in the Philippines don't usually enjoy the same success abroad while relatively obscure local talents are the ones who make a name for themselves in another country.

^^ Charise and Arnel Pineda are showing the world that there are lots of talents in our country. Kahit parehong maliit, matindi ang boses. :D

I just finish watching 1-8 Youtube videos of Journey's first tour in Chile. Parang nasa 80s pa rin ako. :lol:

Dun na lang sa ibang bansa yang si charice kasi di talaga siya sisikat dito. May something sa kanya na di ko magustuhan. Talented siya pero may (^%^$%$) di ko ma-explain. Kung ano man iyon. Yun na yun. :lol:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=19564044

Brilliant Wesley So tops tough Dubai Open
Roy Luarca
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04/16/2008


Final standings:
7 points – W. So (RP), M. Gagunashvili (Georgia), E. Ghaem (Iran), L. Chao (China); 6.5—A. Gupta (India), Y. Drozdovskij (Ukraine), R. Laxman (India), V. Neverov (Ukraine), D. Arutinian (Georgia), R. Ibrahimov (Azerbaijan), G. Guseinov (Azerbaijan), S. Guliev (Azerbaijan)


MANILA, Philippines—So young, so good.

Filipino sensation Wesley So, the world’s youngest grandmaster at 14, drew his final match with Chinese GM Li Chao Monday night and went on to rule the 10th Dubai Open at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club.

So posted a total of 7.0 points after nine rounds, the same output as Li, Georgian GM Merab Gagunashvili and Iranian GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami.

Gagunashvili drew with Ukrainian GM Valeriy Neverov while Maghami trounced Kazakh GM Nurlan Ibrayev.

After the tiebreak—based on the average ratings of opponents—was applied, So emerged champion, followed by Gagushnavili, his sixth-round tormentor; Maghami and Li, winner of last year’s President Macapagal-Arroyo Cup.

So, Gagunashvili, Maghami and Li, however, split the top four prizes, with each pocketing $4,500 (about P185,000) at the end of the event that lured 131 entries, including 24 GMs and five WGMs, from 25 countries.

So, an incoming junior at St. Francis of Assisi College System-Bacoor, swept his first five foes, including third seed GM Levan Patsulaia (ELO 2617) of Georgia in the third round, world junior champion GM Ahmed Adly (ELO 2578) of Egypt in the fourth and Asian Under-14 champ Saleh Salem (ELO 2429) of the United Arab Emirates in the fifth.

Playing well above his No. 16 seeding on an ELO of 2540, So also beat Ali Al-Sulati of Brunei in the first round, FIDE Master Wu Xibin of China in the second round and GM Abhijeet Gupta of India in the seventh round. He also drew with Ghaem in the eighth round.

National Chess Federation president Prospero “Butch” Pichay congratulated So on his victory, saying his feat will help Filipino players regain respect on the international scene.

From Dubai, So will fly to Indonesia on Wednesday with his father William for a match with GM Megaranto Susanto.

Two other Filipino campaigners, GM-candidate Julio Catalino Sadorra and Joebannie Tabada, shared 40th to 56th places with 5.0 points.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080414-130356/Next-for-Charice-debut-CD-and-Oprah

Next for Charice: debut CD and ‘Oprah’
By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04/14/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Charice Pempengco is a wounded pup.

The 15-year-old singing wunderkind has known pain and sadness since her parents separated when she was just this high. It was, by her mother Raquel’s account, a parting preceded by heart-rending incidents that Charice witnessed (and is now requesting not to be discussed in detail).

Fortunately, mother and daughter resolved to leave it all behind and move on. It was not easy, but the way things have turned out is a testament to the power of faith and the will to succeed.

On a hot Saturday afternoon, Charice is cooling her heels in an ABS-CBN office, two hours before she enters a nearby recording studio to finish three songs for her forthcoming debut album with Star Records. The album is a bit overdue, on account of a busy schedule that saw her traveling to Sweden, Korea, the United States and, only last week, England, as a sought-after guest on TV shows that beamed her awesome, lung-busting vocal skills globally.

Charice recently taped a special episode for “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” where she shares the stage with other gifted children. The episode airs in May.

Her most recent appearance was on the “Paul O’Grady Show.” “Nakakatuwa, pinaghandaan talaga nila,” Charice says, referring to the top-rating British talk-comedy program. “Meron pang fireworks, para mas maganda raw habang kumakanta ako.”

The songs she sang—the “Dreamgirls” anthem “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You—were exactly what she rendered in her now world-famous stints on “Star King” in South Korea and the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” in the US. “’Yun ang hiniling nila, kung ano raw ang napanood nila sa ‘Ellen,’” Charice explains.

Perfect stranger

The studio audience on the "Paul O’Grady Show" gave her a standing ovation. She says she was told it was the first time ever.

All the attention would not have been possible, she says, without the single-handed stroke of genius of Dave Dueñas, a.k.a. FalseVoice on the YouTube channel. A 19-year-old nursing student at Perpetual Help College, Las Piñas, who also happens to be a techno geek, Dave uploaded Charice’s taped performances on YouTube, the popular video-sharing Web site whose total viewers have reached 79 million as of January this year.

Charice says Dueñas was a complete stranger and only when she sought him out through e-mail did she discover why he fancied her videos. “Kasi raw natatawa siya dun sa nanalong contestant sa “America’s Got Talent.” Mas magaling daw ako kaya pinagsama niya yung video namin.” Said videos paved the way for all succeeding uploads now currently seen by people around the globe 24/7.

The phenomenal exposure has paid off on a slow but steadily increasing rate. “Lahat ng TV appearances ni Charice sa abroad libre, pero napakalaking tulong,” mom Raquel says. “Sa ‘Oprah’ binigyan siya ng shopping money.”

The guest stint with Paul O’Grady reportedly happened on the recommendation of David Foster, the music industry stalwart who has produced albums for the likes of Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Josh Groban.

Charice laughs, saying Foster took her by the hand and introduced her as “my new singer” to the American press when they attended a high-profile show biz affair.

After mom

It’s been a long, strange trip for a teenager who remembers being very shy as a young girl. “Ang mommy ko ang talagang singer,” Charice points out. Mom Raquel, 35, used to sing with a sister in a band called Soul’s Free, and little Charice would tag along during gigs in Tagaytay and Laguna where the Pempengcos lived.

“Talagang mahilig ang magulang at mga kapatid ko sa music,” Raquel says. She tired to make both ends meet as a single mom, working as a quality control supervisor in a garments factory in the day and singing at night. “Hindi rin naman ako tumagal, six months lang ako sa banda.”

But one day she was surprised to hear her daughter, who was then 6 years old, belting a tune on the karaoke. She would go on and teach the budding singer a few techniques she learned from peers.

When Raquel opted to quit working and devote her time to raising two growing children, she got another surprise: Charice told her she would start joining singing contests to help the family survive.

One weak moment

Since then, Charice has become a “Reyna ng Singing Contest,” if there ever was one. She has joined some 70 competitions, mostly in town fiestas around the country, winning most of the time. The only time she “lost,” she says, was when she placed second or third.

The only time she felt like quitting was when she got eliminated in the early stages of the ABS-CBN singing tilt “Little Big Star”; but she was so good, she was picked as a wild card to reenter the competition, and made it to third place. “Na-realize ko hindi dapat mawalan ng pag-asa, tuluy-tuloy lang para mag-succeed,” Charice says in hindsight.

Raquel says she never tires of reminding Charice that this isn’t the big time yet—at least not in the context of what her daughter is aiming at.

Good thing Charice is having fun despite all the ruckus. “Bata pa po ako, mahilig maglaro,” she jokes before saying goodbye. But maybe it’s not entirely a joke. Moments after boarding a van that will take her to the recording studio, she starts cradling a baby doll.

Charice joined a talent competition on ABSCBN where she lost then pretty much disappeared after that. Few people knew who she was until YouTube videos of her singing on a popular tv show in Korea got the attention of record producers in Europe and also Ellen who aired the video on her show. Ellen asked anyone who knew Charice to get in touch with her so that she can fly to the US and guest on her show. The rest, as they say is now history.

Her loss in that ABSCBN talent competition showed how much talent there is in the country. Her case also proves that more often than not Pinoys who are already famous in the Philippines don't usually enjoy the same success abroad while relatively obscure local talents are the ones who make a name for themselves in another country.

mula noong sumikat sya at na interview sa amerika at europa, inangkin na uli ng ABS CBN si Charice:ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:

mula noong sumikat sya at na interview sa amerika at europa, inangkin na uli ng ABS CBN si Charice:ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:

Why not? Negosyo ito :lol:

Charice sings "I Have Nothing" for Oprah
By REYMA BUAN-DEVEZA
abs-cbnNEWS.com

International singing sensation Charice said she performed the song "I Have Nothing" for her guest appearance on the popular U.S. TV show "Oprah".

"Isang kanta lang po sa Oprah. Kasi 10 kids kami tapos iyon iyong title ng episode na "World’s Smartest Kids," Charice exclusively told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

The song "I Have Nothing" is also one of Charice's songs for her upcoming album under Star Records.

Almost a week after abs-cbnNEWS.com broke the story of Charice guesting and meeting one of the world's most powerful women, Oprah Winfrey, in the U.S., the young singer is still overwhelmed by all the blessings she is now receiving.

"Hindi pa din po ako makapaniwala pero ngayon mas nakilala na ako ng tao sa Pilipinas at sa ibang bansa kahit yung mga Malaysian, American nakikilala na nila ako," she said.

Pempengco said she will never forget Oprah's VIP treatment which included giving her shopping money and providing her with her own hairstylist during her visit to the U.S. for the show.

"Hindi niya ako binigyan ng doll, pero binigyan niya ako ng pang-shopping, tapos iyon, before niya ako binigyan ng pang-shopping binigyan ako ulit ng pang-shopping po noong umaga tapos noong hapon," Charice said.

Charice was one of the 10 kids for Oprah's special episode entitled "World’s Smartest Kids" that will be aired in May.

"Charice" only

From now on, Charice will be known simply as Charice and no longer Charice Pempengco, since her estranged father has asked her to stop using his surname.

"Sana lang po kahit na ayaw n'yang ipagamit ang apelyido niya ay maging proud siya kahit konti lang."

Charice shared that her father abandoned them when she was only three years old. From then on she never heard anything from him.

When asked if she would still want to see her father, Charice replied, "Kasi po masaya na po ako na tatlo lang kami. Masaya na po kami doon."

Charice lives with her mother, mommy Raquel, and her younger sibling.

International projects

After her international guestings on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show and "The Paul O' Grady Show" in London, Charice admitted that she is now receiving a lot of offers locally and abroad.

But Charice also said that there is still no confirmation on her project for Disney.

"Wala pa po. Hindi ko alam, ang alam ko under negotiation pa," the young diva said.

Charice is now busy with her new album to be released soon under Star Records. She will be having her birthday celebration in Hawaii on May 10, when she will guest for ABS-CBN's "Wowowee."

Next week, Charice is set to meet well-known rapper Puff Daddy.

LINK (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=115223)

Wesley So wins Dubai Open...

17.04.2008 – 14-year-old Wesley, the world's youngest grandmaster, has won this year's Dubai Open. Wesley scored 7/9 with a 2708 performance. The event was marred by a case of cheating: an untitled Iranian player was caught receiving moves by SMS on his cellphone. His brilliancies against grandmasters were annulled and the delinquent disqualified. Shocking.

Report by IM Ravi Kumar

He had a brisk start and led the tournament till the end, with just one hiccup in the sixth round. Top Filipino grandmaster and whiz kid Wesley So never let it slip. He won the tournament with 7/9 and a 2708 performance. 14-year-old Wesley and 15-year-old Salem A.R. Saleh captured the imagination of the Dubai open chess championship with their sheer talent and panache. Wesley So became the first school boy to win a major open tournament in the history of the championship and Salem made a Grandmaster norm with a round to spare.

http://www.chessbase.com/news/2008/events/wesleyso02.jpg
The winner: Wesley So, at 14 the world's youngest grandmaster from the Philippines

The 10th Dubai open chess Championship took place from April 6th to 15th, 2008, in the spacious Dubai chess club in United Arab Emirates The event was a 9 round Swiss System with 132 players. The rate of play was one hour 30 minutes for the whole game with an incremental time of 30 seconds per move from move 1. First prize was $6000.

After eight of nine rounds 14 year old Wesley So Philippines, Gagunashvili Merab of Georgia and Li Chao of China were in the lead, with 6.5/ 8. The trio were half a point ahead of a phalanx of eight grandmasters – just the kind of situation in which one would expect tough battles. However in the last round the drawing trend started in earnest on top boards, and only Iranian Grandmaster Ghaem Maghami Ehsan had the guts to play on and managed to attain an important victory over Ibrayev Nurlan. The championship ended in a four way tie, with Ghaem joining the overnight leaders. Wesley clinched the championship title on superior technical counts.

Read Full Story (http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4570)

b'z2;19772600"]Wesley So wins Dubai Open...

17.04.2008 – 14-year-old Wesley, the world's youngest grandmaster, has won this year's Dubai Open. Wesley scored 7/9 with a 2708 performance. The event was marred by a case of cheating: an untitled Iranian player was caught receiving moves by SMS on his cellphone. His brilliancies against grandmasters were annulled and the delinquent disqualified. Shocking.

Report by IM Ravi Kumar

He had a brisk start and led the tournament till the end, with just one hiccup in the sixth round. Top Filipino grandmaster and whiz kid Wesley So never let it slip. He won the tournament with 7/9 and a 2708 performance. 14-year-old Wesley and 15-year-old Salem A.R. Saleh captured the imagination of the Dubai open chess championship with their sheer talent and panache. Wesley So became the first school boy to win a major open tournament in the history of the championship and Salem made a Grandmaster norm with a round to spare.

http://www.chessbase.com/news/2008/events/wesleyso02.jpg
The winner: Wesley So, at 14 the world's youngest grandmaster from the Philippines

The 10th Dubai open chess Championship took place from April 6th to 15th, 2008, in the spacious Dubai chess club in United Arab Emirates The event was a 9 round Swiss System with 132 players. The rate of play was one hour 30 minutes for the whole game with an incremental time of 30 seconds per move from move 1. First prize was $6000.

After eight of nine rounds 14 year old Wesley So Philippines, Gagunashvili Merab of Georgia and Li Chao of China were in the lead, with 6.5/ 8. The trio were half a point ahead of a phalanx of eight grandmasters – just the kind of situation in which one would expect tough battles. However in the last round the drawing trend started in earnest on top boards, and only Iranian Grandmaster Ghaem Maghami Ehsan had the guts to play on and managed to attain an important victory over Ibrayev Nurlan. The championship ended in a four way tie, with Ghaem joining the overnight leaders. Wesley clinched the championship title on superior technical counts.

Read Full Story (http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4570)

:bow: :bow: :bow:

Check this out on www.youtube.com, a Filipina called Madonna Decena has got through to the next round of Britain's Got Talent. Even the hard-to-please Simon Cowell loved her performance. The winner of such show will perform in front of the Royal Family in London on the Royal Variety Show some time this year.

Here's another link: http://talent.itv.com.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyleexclusives/lifestyleexclusives/view/20080420-131512/This-Pinoy-is-a-rock-starbelieve-it

Arnel Pineda: This Pinoy is a rock star–believe it
By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04/20/2008

MANILA, Philippines - This guy’s a rock star? Arnel Pineda, new lead singer of the famous American band Journey, says he still goes to Nepa Q-Mart to buy his favorite dalagang bukid.

He confesses that he is “living like a saint” at the moment, religiously following a regimen of exercise and healthy diet, and mostly just staying home with his family. This, before a daunting tour that starts in June.

Yes, he is a rock star, though stands a tad too short and, offstage, looks so unassuming, that he could blend with the neighborhood bums.

But Pineda, the country’s biggest music celebrity at the moment, doesn’t give a hoot.

At 40, he is no spring chicken, but life for him is just beginning. In two months he is bound to fully appreciate what it means to be Journey’s frontman, as the band goes on an intercontinental tour that kicks off in Spain, and proceeds to Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Italy, Ireland, and the US. The tour’s Asian leg will have stops in Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

There are reportedly eight promoters bidding for the band’s Manila gig in November.

Plus, Journey has been invited to play on “Ellen” (Ellen DeGeneres’ show) on the strength of Pineda’s celebrated YouTube video that caught Journey founder/guitarist Neil Schon’s eye. Taping for “Ellen” is set May 22.

Huge following

Journey is not exactly the world’s hottest band right now. None of its albums figure prominently among critics’ favorites. But from 1979 to 1983, it gained a huge following after recording a string of albums (“Evolution,”

“Departure,” “Escape,” “Frontiers”) that helped define what a power ballad sounded like.

These days, it’s typical of karaoke clubs to have somebody at the mic belting out Journey hits like “Don’t Stop Believing” or “Open Arms”—often with difficulty.

Last year, Journey enjoyed newfound resurgence, via the US hit TV series “The Sopranos.” The last scene of the final season showed actor James Gandolfini (as Tony Soprano) scanning a jukebox and playing “Don’t Stop Believing” while waiting for his wife and kids at a diner. The song served as soundtrack for the scene.

The band has toured regularly in the past few years with former big names like Def Leppard, Cheap Trick and Heart. But probably not until it announced Pineda’s hiring did the idea of a top-draw American band with an Asian front man become very interesting, indeed.

Regular guys, but white

“The weird part is, performing with Journey feels just like playing with my old band Zoo,” says Pineda in an interview at the Inquirer office. “Kaya lang, major league ang Journey— big stage, big lights, big music.”

Having gone past the star-struck phase, Pineda has discovered that his new bandmates are regular guys who talk about simple things and have their own dreams. He felt right at home with them, “kahit puti sila.” (even if they are white).

Home for a break before the grueling tour (the US leg alone has 49 shows), Pineda talks about the curious little details that he is doing, or not doing, for the first time: “I don't eat pork and beef, just fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken. I take raw, wild honey because it’s good for the voice, it’s an antioxidant and anti-viral. I drink lots of alkaline water. And I talk only when really necessary.”

But he rehearses old and new Journey songs every day. The routine starts with exercises that he learned from vocal coaches who’ve trained the Eagles’ Don Henley and Journey’s former frontman, Steve Perry, acknowledged as the one who gave the band its distinctive voice.

That high tenor, Pineda admits, is like a “shadow” that he won’t be able to get away from easily.

Make or break

But the forthcoming release of a new Journey album offers a window of opportunity. The record, a special 3-disc (CD/DVD) package titled “Revelation,” features Pineda singing in 11 Journey classics, as well as 11 new songs.

“It's make or break,” he says. “‘If it becomes a hit, I can get get our from that shadow. But not totally, kasi andu’n yung greatest hits. But it’s a huge honor to sing those hits.”

A track from the album, “After All These Years,” is touted to be a potential hit.

Pineda describes it as a ballad “about a couple—after all the trials and heartaches, they are still together.”

The recording sessions, according to Pineda, were enough to debunk the notion of Journey as being inflated with rock-star egos. He says Schon has invited him to contribute songs for the next album. “Sabi niya, ‘Man, you have to get used to living in America because I want you to write songs with me.’” Pineda says he’s got a bunch of English lyrics written down through the years.

Apart from his bandmates’ graciousness, Pineda is grateful for having been introduced by his vocal coaches to the “science of singing.” He refers to techniques through which he learned how to breathe properly. Now he’s amazed that he’s able to again sing the songs he had long dropped because he couldn’t reach the high notes.

“When I was 15, maski three hours lang ang tulog ko, kinabukasan kakanta uli ako ng Chaka Khan (‘Through the Fire’) or Heart (‘What About Love’),” he recalls, cracking up the Inquirer Entertainment staff.

Tailored future

This rock star, by the way, used to sing just about anything.

He remembers that his parents, both tailors, used to prop him up, as young as 6 years old, to join amateur singing contests. “‘Pag fiesta, kinakabahan na ko, bobolahin na ’ko ng father ko, susukatan na ko ng damit, kunwari may magpapatahi, pero ako na pala ’yung gagawan ng damit. Pinapalista na nila ko sa barangay. Ayoko, umiiyak ako, pag kumakanta ako sa stage, nanginginig ako sa nerbiyos.” (I get the jitters every fiesta season. My father would make me a nice costume, then he would enter my name in the village singing contest. I used to cry. I had sever stage fright.)

It is his late mother that he considers his earliest musical influence.

“Tatawagin niya ako habang nananahi siya para kantahin namin ’yung Carpenters … ‘You’ve got to love me for what I am…’ Saka ‘yung ‘Evergreen’ ni Barbra Streisand.” (We used to sing songs by the Carpenters. And Evergreen by Barbra Streisand.)

In hindsight, his mother’s death, which left the family in financial trouble, gave him the impetus to try doing what he never thought he would be good at—singing for a living.

Pineda has come a long way from Shakey’s Cubao, Cal-Jam Olongapo and Cavern Club in Hong Kong, singing the classic hits of his idols, from Aerosmith to Led Zeppelin. He’s some sort of a legend in the cover-band circuit for his high-pitched vocals that could tackle any rock ballad that one could think of.

Even so, he says nothing prepared him for the daunting task of singing with Journey for the first time at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile last February. Backstage, he was scared as hell, certain that the gig was an acid test and that the audience had turned up only to judge whether he deserved to be there.

It turned out they were indeed rabid Perry fans, a fact that Schon only told him after the show. So I won't get the jitters,” Pineda laughs.

Another show was in Santiago, known for one of the most vicious audiences in the world. “I was told they would boo you until you lose focus,” Pineda relates. “The good news is, it did not happen.”

He says the fear of committing a mistake benefited him, as he became more careful, not overly confident, “pero kung maririnig ng matatalas ang tenga ’yung performance ko, marami akong sabit, mga flats, kasi I was being very careful na ’wag akong sumobra.” (but I always listen to myself, I don't want to go overboard.)

Voice in protest

He has enough reason to be extra careful now.

During a small gig in Pebble Beach, Monterey County, California, his voice collapsed
after eight songs. “Bigla na lang siyang bumaba, hindi ko maabot ’yung right key,” he recounts.

“Unti-unti ko lang siyang naibalik after four more songs pero kung baga, pilay na ako. Dinaan ko sa showmanship. Nagustuhan pa rin ng tao. Ang nanood sa ’min mga 300 people lang, pero top dealers of Chevrolet cars. It was a corporate show.” (I faltered once. I was able to recover with lots of showmanship. The people liked it.)

He says he’s psychologically prepared, in case it happens again. “Kailangan alam mo kung pa’no i-turn around. Gamitin mo siya to your advantage.” (One must realize when to turn-around and use that to advantage.)

He’s noticeably wearing braces to correct a dysfunction. He says his left jawbone is deteriorating and the right one is starting to show the same symptoms. “But it’s curable through therapy. Nakuha ko ’to from stress and too much talking … also because I grind my teeth while asleep.”

The pain of those dysfunctional jawbones, alongside another affliction called acid reflux in the stomach, made him quit singing in Hong Kong in 2006. He describes acid reflux as being akin to ulcer, something akin to having intense heartburn. At this point, the normally jovial Pineda turns morbid: “‘Pag pinabayaan, it can lead to cancer.” (It might just develop into cancer.)

Three-year contract

But these ailments are the least of his worries right now, since he has a dependable manager in Bert de Leon, otherwise known as a TV director (“Eat Bulaga,” “Todas”), but whose love of music and knowledge of the business (he was a former executive at the defunct Blackgold label of Vicor Records) serves Pineda in good stead. De Leon makes sure he gets sufficient medical attention.

“We’ve been ‘married’ for the past two years,” Pineda says of his relationship with de Leon.

It’s something that Pineda holds dearly, since de Leon was instrumental in getting him gigs and a record deal with the band Zoo when he decided to return from Hong Kong, where he said he was one of the highest paid performers in the famous Lan Kwai Fung entertainment district.

De Leon, who was present at the interview, says Pineda’s contract with Journey is for three years, with mutual renewal options. The time frame was based on the three-year working visa that the US Immigration and Naturalization Service gave Pineda.

Friends say he should seize the chance to have a green card, but he’s nonchalant about the idea. For now he’s just happy to be home in Kamuning, Quezon City, to play with his 2-year-old son, Cherub, and look brightly to the future with his “wife-to-be” Cherry. (He has two other sons, Matthew Anthony, 19, and Angelo Neil, 13, from previous relationships.)

He says Cherry is overwhelmed. “Life has changed, all too sudden. That’s why Direk Bert is not only a manager now, but also a big brother and adviser. He tells us: ‘Take things one day at a time. Otherwise, mapi-freak out ka.’”

Check this out on www.youtube.com (http://www.youtube.com), a Filipina called Madonna Decena has got through to the next round of Britain's Got Talent. Even the hard-to-please Simon Cowell loved her performance. The winner of such show will perform in front of the Royal Family in London on the Royal Variety Show some time this year.

Britain's Got Talent - Madonna Decena
tgxkZuBJW6M

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80421/Madonna-Decena-A-crowd-favorite-in-UK-talent-search

Madonna Decena: A crowd favorite in UK talent search

Tita C. Valderama
GMANews.tv
02/13/2008

Madonna Decena, a Filipino performing artist in the United Kingdom, has reached the semi-finals of the judges’ auditions for “Britain’s Got Talent," a television show produced by American Idol judge Simon Cowell with the same format as its US counterpart, “America’s Got Talent."

Madonna, 32, obtained a communication arts degree from Miriam College in Quezon City. The family’s breadwinner for years now, Madonna is a single parent with two daughters, aged 5 and 6, who are under the care of her parents in Proj. 8, Quezon City.

Britain's Got Talent is a British television show on ITV (also on TV3 in Ireland). The talent search premiered on June 9, 2007, and broadcast daily with a live finals on June 17, 2007.

It is a search for Britain's next best amateur talent act, featuring singers, dancers, comedians, variety acts, and other talents of all ages. Anyone who believed they have talent was encouraged to audition.

The winner of last year’s search received £100,000 and performed at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen and members of the Royal Family at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool.

Standing ovation

Madonna has become a crowd favorite in the ongoing search, especially after the three judges – Cowell, actress Amanda Holdren and journalist Piers Morgan – picked her for the semi-finals during the live audition at Manchester theatre.

When interviewed by Piers during the first round of audition, Madonna’s voice cracked when she said she joined the search for exposure that she needed to get more work and be able to provide for her two young daughters, then cried uncontrollably before the gallery crowd.

The remark could have struck the audience and Holden who cried in sympathy until Madonna belted out the last line of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You."

It was an emotional number as the audience gave Madonna a standing ovation.

In the second round in London, 40 out of 150 contestants made it, and Madonna went on to advance to the semi-finals.

If she gets to win the search, she would have a rare privilege to perform before the Royal Family.

Most appealing solo performer

"About five months ago, Donna, as we call her, performed at the 'ShowCall' event, a four-day showcase of different artists, bands, duets and soloists performing before agents, talent bookers and journalists. She topped all the performers in that event," recalls Marlon, Madonna's younger brother.

Madonna was described as “definitely the most appealing new solo female singer" in her performance at the Showcall Showcase.

“Decena is pressing on with her one woman charm offensive. The vocal quality is nothing short of extraordinary and the future for this superb and glamorous Filipino lady seems assured," UK’s The Stage website said.

“This very attractive and versatile female vocalist has performed both solo and with her own band in prestigious venues around the world. The vocal ability of this young lady is exceptional and her professional stage presence is beyond reproach," according to the website of Steve Jones Entertainment, whose owners discovered her.

Madonna performed with a Filipino band for two years in Singapore, then moved to Manchester, England to study music production.

"She moved to Manchester early last year to seek a better paying job and hopefully to find more opportunities for her singing career," said Marlon.

"My sis has a friend by the name of Renz Santos who convinced her to move (years ago pa) there and he also helped her during her stay in the UK," Marlon said.

Before her overseas exposure, Madonna joined many local bands and major musical theater plays in the Philippines.

She has won in numerous singing competitions during her childhood years.

While pursuing her studies, she worked as a part-time crew of a choco-fruit shop, and a sandwich store to make ends meet.

She was discovered last year while singing in a music lounge in Liverpool by a British couple, Steve and Judi Jones, who runs a small talent management company, Steve Jones Entertainment, and later gave her a working permit and started singing in various places in the UK.

"Miss Decena came to audition for my company in Liverpool, England, she had only a a student visa at the time and was unable to perform in the UK," recalled Steve Jones in an email to GMANews.TV.

Upon learning about Britain’s Got Talent, Madonna lost no time in joining. Fortunately, the show accepted foreign talents to compete. She took it as a rare opportunity to fulfill her dreams for her two daughters.

"Following her audition, I was so impressed with her talent I set about getting her a full work permit and I am happy to say that after flying her back to the Philippines to do this, I am now her employer, manager and guardian in the UK and responsible for being able to perform and appear on Britains Got Talent," Mr. Jones wrote.

Madonna’s accomplishment is significant to the Filipinos, being 100 percent Filipina, she epitomizes the millions of overseas Filipino workers sacrificing separation from their families just to give them a better future.

"According to my sis, sometime in May the contest would have a winner already. We are praying that she makes it to the finals...win or lose," said Marlon.

Britain’s Got Talent is starting to film and will be aired first quarter of this year in the Philippines, according to Marlon.

Calling all people of the Philippines especially from Marikina City:

After Mayor Oscar Rodriguez of City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Here now comes Marides Fernando, the mayor of Marikina City.

Please vote her for World Mayor 2008.

Profile of Mrs. Marides Fernando (http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/marikina-mayor.html)

Voting Page (http://www.worldmayor.com/contest_2008/world-mayor-vote.html#Anchor-Asia-14210)

For reference, Mayor Rodiguez' profile:

Profile of Mayor Rodriguez of City of San Fernando, Pampanga (http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/sanfernando_mayor.html)

Calling all people of the Philippines especially from Marikina City:

After Mayor Oscar Rodriguez of City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Here now comes Marides Fernando, the mayor of Marikina City.

Please vote her for World Mayor 2008.

Profile of Mrs. Marides Fernando (http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/marikina-mayor.html)

Voting Page (http://www.worldmayor.com/contest_2008/world-mayor-vote.html#Anchor-Asia-14210)

For reference, Mayor Rodiguez' profile:

Profile of Mayor Rodriguez of City of San Fernando, Pampanga (http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/sanfernando_mayor.html)

Si señor.

Filipino awarded for serving with UN forces in Korea

By Cynthia Balana
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080421-131830/Filipino-awarded-for-serving-with-UN-forces-in-Korea)
First Posted 21:32:00 04/21/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- A Filipino Army soldier based in South Korea was recently awarded the Six Star Salute medal by the United Service Organizations, Korea (USO Korea), a group of American and Korean businessmen, for his exemplary service with the United Nations Command (UNC) there.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, quoting a report from the Philippine embassy in Seoul, identified the honoree as Technical Sergeant Megazar Obra, a member of the Philippine Honor Guard at Yongsan Base in South Korea.

Also awarded were other enlisted men from the US, South Korea and Thailand.

The awarding ceremonies were held at the Grand Hyatt in Seoul on April 17 and were attended by Korean and US military officials, dignitaries and prominent businessmen.

“These dedicated individuals are selected by their commanders to represent the finest military forces in the Republic of Korea,” the embassy report quoted USO executive director David Proch as saying.

“For two days, the honorees shall be regarded as VIPs in Seoul and will participate in special activities and events,” Proch said.

In his keynote address during the ceremony, General Burwell B. Bell, commander of United States Forces Korea, thanked the Philippines and Thailand for their continuing role in helping preserve peace in the Korean peninsula.

The Philippines, together with 16 other countries that signed the 1953 armistice with North Korea, is required to send representatives to the UN Command (UNC) on a rotating basis.

Obra is one of the three Filipino honor guards deployed by the Philippine government to the UNC.

He hails from Pandan, Antique and is married with five children.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
FEATURE

Pinay bags $10,000 in McDo singing tilt
(http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/22/yehey/top_stories/20080422top7.html)By Jayson Cruz Luna, Reporter

Now she has some big things to show that a small country like hers can produce singing sensations faster than the world can say, “To go.”

Margaret Yu of Davao sang Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” at the recent “Voice of McDonald’s 2008” in Orlando, Florida, and came out as first-runner up. She got a standing ovation and $10,000.

Yu, 22, was among 3,600 contestants from McDonald’s stores in 118 countries. A worship leader who sings in a church choir in Davao, she said she dedicated her winning song to God.

Natercia Pintor of Portugal won the grand prize.

The judges, evidently, were impressed with what they had heard, said juror and multi-platinum artist Ne-Yo. “I was blown away by the talent. They [contestants] brought the house down. It was really difficult to choose a winner. I applaud McDonald’s for doing this.”

Two of the other judges were Jody Gerson, co-president of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, and Ken Hertz, LLP senior partner.

Two other Filipinos made it to the semifinals—Canada-based Candido Revilles, who eventually placed third, and Yu’s best friend, Paulina Susan Bacarat, also from Davao.

The contest is the biggest singing competition of its kind for 1.6 million McDonald’s employees from around the globe and from more than 30,000 restaurants in over 100 countries.

Yu and Bacarat will be the international fast-food chain’s singing ambassadors. They will help raise funds for McDonald’s Charities, which looks after poor children in the Philippines.

His sticks are made for walking (http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=78673)
By: Ginger Gadsden

Largo, Florida - On most days you can find Reynato Aquino in his garage carving out a piece of paradise.

http://www.tampabays10.com/assetpool/images/08421101812_stickman.jpg

The 73-year-old retiree takes daily walks to keep his body active and fit. He keeps his mind active too.

One day on his walk Aquino noticed branches that had been cut back or fallen from trees on his path. That’s when inspiration struck.

Aquino picked up a few of the branches and took them to his garage. The more he looked at them the more he saw how beautiful there were and his new hobby of whittling was born.

It has given birth to beautiful and unique walking sticks.

He calls his creations "Tungkor," which in his homeland of the Philippines means walking stick. It’s a new hobby that has given him hours of delight.

Aquino says, “It’s so refreshing because the time will pass so quickly. My wife says, 'It’s time for lunch,' and I say, 'Wait, wait, I am right in the middle of something.'”

Aquino says each piece has a story to tell but you have to listen.

Aquino begins by carefully removing the bark and letting the wood dry in his garage. That process can take as long as three months. Putting the branches in the sun would be faster, but it would make the wood very brittle.

After it has dried, Aquino begins bringing out the natural beauty in the branches. Some of the walking sticks have the faces of wild animals like bears or monkeys.

Aquino believes almost everything can be given new life or a second chance. One look around his Largo home and you see what he means. Old coffee cans are planters and he’s turned items like DVD’s, old golf balls and vacuum handles into melodic wind chimes.

He still collects branches during his daily walks, but now he’s also looking up at branches that are still in the trees.

He’s already planning a second life once they fall to the ground or are cut away.

More of Aquino’s work can be seen by going here (http://www.freewebs.com/tungkorznawalkingsticks/).

Calling all people of the Philippines especially from Marikina City:

After Mayor Oscar Rodriguez of City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Here now comes Marides Fernando, the mayor of Marikina City.

Please vote her for World Mayor 2008.

Profile of Mrs. Marides Fernando (http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/marikina-mayor.html)

Voting Page (http://www.worldmayor.com/contest_2008/world-mayor-vote.html#Anchor-Asia-14210)

For reference, Mayor Rodiguez' profile:

Profile of Mayor Rodriguez of City of San Fernando, Pampanga (http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/sanfernando_mayor.html)

bat si binay nde nasama?

nagrarally kasi sa makati noong inimbitahan sya kaya yun, hindi sya nasama sa nominees.

^^lol... nakakatawa naman si Binay...

Voice of Mcdonald's 2008 winners

http://http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2434054568_4c29fd88a7_m.jpg


http://http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2126/2433236867_67cf5f5126_m.jpg



http://http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2145/2434051024_ff6dd90970_m.jpg

'So' young and 'So' good

20.04.2008 – The youngest grandmaster in the world is Filipino Wesley So, who last December made his final norm at the tender age of 14 years and two months. That was no fluke, as Wesley went on to win the 10th Dubai Open this April, with a 2708 performance. In a match that is under way against Susanto Megaranto, Indonesia's highest rated player, Wesley leads 3:0.

Report by IM Rodolfo Tan Cardoso.

Portrait of Wesley So by IM Rodfolfo Tan-Cardoso

Wesley So, a Filipino who is currently the youngest grandmaster in the world, scored another milestone by winning the 10th Dubai Open Chess Championship held form April 5 -15, 2008. The 14-year-old schoolboy, who is enjoying a two-month summer break from his high school studies in the Philippines, finished with 7.0/9.0 output and a performance rating of 2708 in this tournament, the same number of points as GM Gagunashvili Merab, GM Ghaem Maghami and GM Li Chao B, but won the title with a better tiebreak to grab the Sheikh Rashed Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup. What a better way to start a summer vacation!

http://www.chessbase.com/news/2008/wesleyso01.jpg
The currently youngest grandmaster in the world: Wesley So

Wesley So bested 131 players from 25 countries in the tournament that attracted 29 GM/WGM, 21 IM/WIM and 22 FM/WGM held at the Dubai Chess Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It offered a guaranteed prize of $45,000.

Full story here (http://www.chessbase.com/news/2008/wesleyso01.jpg)

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/diaspora/diaspora/view/20080421-131822/Filipino-architect-makes-it-to-Vogue-book-on-dream-houses

Filipino architect makes it to Vogue book on dream houses
By Gibbs Cadiz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04/21/2008

“Daniel’s a master at taking people’s taste and making it better.”

Daniel is Filipino architect-designer Daniel Romualdez, and the words come from Tory Burch, better known as a New York socialite who parlayed her glamorous image into the successful contemporary fashion brand “TRB.”

Romualdez’s work on Tory Burch’s 9,000-sq ft Manhattan apartment is in “Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People,” a coffee-table book that collects “36 spectacular houses and gardens—whose owners come from the worlds of fashion, music, art and society,” as the jacket puts it.

Bylined by Vogue European editor-at-large Hamish Bowles, the story first appeared in a 2004 issue of the magazine.

Among the boldface names whose dwellings are celebrated in the book are Madonna, Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld, Julian Schnabel, Donna Karan, Christian Louboutin, Marella Agnelli, Sofia Copolla, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Lacroix, Gianni Versace and Bruce Weber.

First choice

Romualdez was Burch’s first choice as decorator for her Manhattan apartment, after he had impressed her with his work on an oceanfront house in Southampton that Burch’s husband had bought.

The new dwelling provided a design challenge for Romualdez, beginning with its sprawling size—three neighboring suites plus a long corridor in a hotel building. The suites had been merged to accommodate Burch’s large family of three sons and three stepdaughters.

Collaborating with Burch, Romualdez thought of a design that “evoked the atmosphere of those graciously proportioned places created by Jazz Age architects such as Rosario Candela.” The results mixed classic and contemporary, stately and bohemian, casual and chic—just as Burch wanted it.

Use of colors and fixtures

The book’s six-page spread on the apartment highlights Romualdez’s ingenious use of colors and fixtures: moss green velvet for the drawing room, accented by a luxurious silk sofa designed by Romualdez himself, that paid homage to fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy; varnished burnt-orange walls and aubergine linen slipcovers for the dining room; warm orange for the library, festooned with lampshades in mandarin silk; bold boudoir red for the bar; and gleaming black and gold for a powder room.

The flair extends to the furniture, which reflected Burch’s knack for mixing “plums... with vintage haute couture finds.” She wanted “to mix it up a bit—to add some David Hicks inspirations and eclectic touches, and above all to make it comfortable.”

Real apartment

The apartment is by no means a sterile design showroom. Burch’s kids bicycle and skateboard in the long hallway—the old hotel corridor now transformed into an entrance gallery that hosts, among others, a Walton Ford painting. The Givenchy sofa may also be a play area, and the Burch twins’ bedroom, with its Crate and Barrel chairs and black-and-white color scheme, radiates coziness.

“I wanted a real family apartment. I didn’t want any rooms that the children couldn’t go into,” explained Burch.

That aesthetic also extends to TRB, her fashion line, which New York magazine has dubbed the “easy-chic style.” Burch spent many years doing PR for designers such as Loewe, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang and Narciso Rodriguez before striking out on her own. TRB got Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement in 2005, and is now a well-established brand.

“I always get inspired by my client’s personal style,” said Romualdez of Burch’s luxe bohemian tastes. “Try to picture them—in whatever they wear to our meetings, or in the evenings—in the room.”

The verdict on their collaboration? A “dazzling residence,” wrote Vogue.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/diaspora/diaspora/view/20080407-128924/A-Young-Fil-Am-Genius-in-Florida

A Young Fil-Am Genius in Florida
INQUIRER.net
04/07/2008

Florida, US- When her three-year old son started reading signs on stores and restaurants, Gwen de Leon figured it was just logo recognition from watching television.

But when young Nicolas, aka Nico, next read "Questions to ask the pharmacist" from the back of a prescription bag, Gwen and her husband were shocked.

Ten years later, 13-year-old Nico is a seventh-grader at Green Cove Springs Junior High in Jacksonville and is being celebrated for several impressive academic accomplishments.

"He can do whatever he sets his mind to," says Nico's sixth-grade reading teacher Debra Pope at Paterson Elementary School. "The sky is the limit for him."

Nico is Northeast Florida's top speller, poised to represent the region in May at the Scripps National Bee spell-off in Washington, D.C., the first representative from Clay County in more than 30 years of the spelling bee competition.

"Pantomime" was the winning word for Nico in the regional bee last February. The bee went 21 rounds with children in the fifth to eighth grades who had won spelling county bees all over Florida.

Nico won a six-day trip to the national spelling bee in Washington, a new dictionary, a $100 savings bond, a $200 check and a year’s subscription to Brittanica Online Student Edition. His name is now inscribed on a plaque displayed in his school for the year.

One of Clay's brightest

Weeks before the Washington trip, Nico will go to Lakeland, Florida as a Clay County qualifier for the state science fair. In between the contests, he will be honored at Duke University in North Carolina for scoring 31 out of 36 in the ACT college entrance exam, topping 99 percent of test takers, including high school students, in Florida and 98 percent in the U.S.

Proudly cheering him on, former teachers say they adore the quiet, self-driven, disciplined and friendly child considered one of Clay County's brightest students.

Shy and introspective, Nico says he's not sure he likes all the attention. He received a standing ovation at a recent School Board meeting where the chairperson Carol Studdard presented him with a suitcase for his spring travels.

"It's like meeting my match, so to speak," says Nico's science teacher Howard Katz, who has welcomed Nico's thoughtful challenges and observations in class.

For his science fair project, Nico tested the effectiveness of soup can reflectors to channel a wireless Internet signal. He used a soup can reflector to channel the wireless Internet signal from his living room to the laptop computer in his bedroom and found that a can, cut open and fanned out like a flower, was most effective because it enabled the computer to download files fastest.

Teacher Diane Matthews credits Nico with recovering a valuable document she had lost in her computer, adding that he won both the school-wide spelling bee and the school geography bee last year.

Nico's sixth-grade English teacher at Paterson, Sue Middleton, considers him one of her all-time favorite students."His eyes sparkled, and you could see him absorb lessons. There was never a groan or a moan about assignments. He has a brain that won't quit. He makes you remember why you do this [teaching]."

From the Philippines

Nico's parents, Gwen, a pharmacist, and Ron, a software analyst, moved to the U.S. from the Philippines in the late 1980s. Ron worked for the military at Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Gwen works at Publix in Fleming Island.

Nico is their only child and he’s spent most of his time with his parents, aunts and uncles reading to him. They never baby-talked to him, says his mother.

"I guess we just treated him like an adult. Not sure if that's good or bad," Gwen said, adding that she didn't quite realize how unusual it was for him to read so well at age three. "He was the only child. I never even baby sat. It was never really a conscious thing, nothing on purpose. It's not like we planned to have him reading before kindergarten."

Public librarians tried to discourage the de Leons from checking out particular books for Nico, saying they were over his head, like the first three Harry Potter books he devoured in first grade before moving on to his father's college text books on computers and then adult science fiction novels.

Giftedness shows up early

Tests in kindergarten proved that Nico is gifted and he's been in exceptional education classes ever since.

"I worried he'd be nerdy and bullied and get wedgies," his mother said recently.

"Wedgies?" Nico replied. "Kids don't do wedgies at school. Let's just say I haven't been ostracized at school, but I don't have a ton of friends either." He's not interested in sports, but loves games of strategy. He was on the chess team for a while.

"He's just always been smart. He was never a bratty kid," said Saldajeno. "And this is his year."

Nico’s favorite subject is math and is currently reading science fiction series by Naomi Novik. His favorite movie is Lord of the Rings, his favorite games, Age of Empires and Launchball on PC and Geometry Wars Galaxies on Nintendo DS.

Not surprisingly, this young Fil-American wants to become a web designer.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/features/features/view/20080417-130983/Wunderkind-Charice-Pempengco-is-still-a-kid

Wunderkind Charice Pempengco is still a kid
By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04/17/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Charice Pempengco is a wounded pup. The 15-year-old singing wunderkind has known pain and sadness since her parents separated when she was just this high. It was, by her mother Raquel’s account, a parting preceded by heart-rending incidents that Charice witnessed (and is now requesting not to be discussed in detail).

Fortunately, mother and daughter resolved to leave it all behind and move on. It was not easy, but the way things have turned out is a testament to the power of faith and the will to succeed.

On a hot Saturday afternoon, Charice is cooling her heels in an ABS-CBN office, two hours before she enters a nearby recording studio to finish three songs for her forthcoming debut album with Star Records. The album is a bit overdue, on account of a busy schedule that saw her traveling to Sweden, Korea, the United States and, only last week, England, as a sought-after guest on TV shows that beamed her awesome, lung-busting vocal skills globally.

Charice recently taped a special episode for “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” where she shares the stage with other gifted children. The episode airs in May.

Her most recent appearance was on the “Paul O’Grady Show.” “Nakakatuwa, pinaghandaan talaga nila, (It’s delightful, they really prepared for it,” Charice says, referring to the top-rating British talk-comedy program. “ “Meron pang fireworks, para mas maganda raw habang kumakanta ako (There were even fireworks, to make it lovelier as I sang.”

The songs she sang—the “Dreamgirls” anthem “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You—were exactly what she rendered in her now world-famous stints on “Star King” in South Korea and the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” in the US. “’Yun ang hiniling nila, kung ano raw ang napanood nila sa ‘Ellen, (That’s what they requested, what they saw on Ellen’s show. ’” Charice explains.

Perfect stranger

The studio audience for the "Paul O’Grady Show" gave her a standing ovation. She says she was told it was the first time ever.

All the attention would not have been possible, she says, without the single-handed stroke of genius of Dave Dueñas, a.k.a. FalseVoice on the YouTube channel. A 19-year-old nursing student at Perpetual Help College, Las Piñas, who also happens to be a techno geek, Dave uploaded Charice’s taped performances on YouTube, the popular video-sharing Web site whose total viewers have reached 79 million as of January this year.

Charice says Dueñas was a complete stranger and only when she sought him out through e-mail did she discover why he fancied her videos. “Kasi raw natatawa siya dun sa nanalong contestant sa America’s Got Talent. Mas magaling daw ako kaya pinagsama niya yung video namin. (He said he was amused at the contestant who won in America’s Got Talent. He says I’m better so he put our videos together.)” Said videos paved the way for all succeeding uploads now currently seen by people around the globe 24/7.

The phenomenal exposure has paid off on a slow but steadily increasing rate. “Lahat ng TV appearances ni Charice sa abroad libre, pero napakalaking tulong (All of Charice’s TV appearances are free, but they’re a big help),” mom Raquel says. “Sa ‘Oprah’ binigyan siya ng shopping money (On Oprah, they gave her shopping money.”

The guest stint with Paul O’Grady reportedly happened on the recommendation of David Foster, the music industry stalwart who has produced albums for the likes of Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Josh Groban.

Charice laughs, saying Foster took her by the hand and introduced her as “my new singer” to the American press when they attended a high-profile show biz affair.

After mom

It’s been a long, strange trip for a teenager who remembers being very shy as a young girl. “Ang mommy ko ang talagang singer(It’s my mom who’s the real singer,” Charice points out. Mom Raquel, 35, used to sing with a sister in a band called Soul’s Free, and little Charice would tag along during gigs in Tagaytay and Laguna where the Pempengcos lived.

“ Talagang mahilig ang magulang at mga kapatid ko sa music (My parents and siblings really love music),” says Raquel. She tried to make both ends meet as a single mom, working as a quality control supervisor in a garments factory in the day and singing at night. “Hindi rin naman ako tumagal, six months lang ako sa banda (I didn’t last, I was with the band only six months).”

But one day she was surprised to hear her daughter, who was then 6 years old, belting a tune on the karaoke. She would go on and teach the budding singer a few techniques she learned from peers.

When Raquel opted to quit working and devote her time to raising two growing children, she got another surprise: Charice told her she would start joining singing contests to help the family survive.

One weak moment

Since then, Charice has become a “Reyna ng Singing Contest,” if there ever was one. She has joined some 70 competitions, mostly in town fiestas around the country, winning most of the time. The only time she “lost,” she says, was when she placed second or third.

The only time she felt like quitting was when she got eliminated in the early stages of the ABS-CBN singing tilt “Little Big Star”; but she was so good, she was picked as a wild card to reenter the competition, and made it to third place. “Na-realize ko hindi dapat mawalan ng pag-asa, tuluy-tuloy lang para mag-succeed (I realized that one shouldn’t lose hope, you just keep going to succeed,” Charice says in hindsight.

Raquel says she never tires of reminding Charice that this isn’t the big time yet—at least not in the context of what her daughter is aiming at.

Good thing Charice is having fun despite all the ruckus. “Bata pa po ako, mahilig maglaro (I’m still a kid, I love to play),” she jokes before saying goodbye. But maybe it’s not entirely a joke. Moments after boarding a van to take her to the recording studio, she starts cradling a baby doll.

Poor boy from Samar wins International Student Award in the UK (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/features/features/view_article.php?article_id=132190)

Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III, a third year PhD student at Cardiff University, has been chosen by the British Council as one of the 2008 SHINE International Student Awardees of the United Kingdom.

He is the first Filipino to receive this award in an annual competition of foreign students recognized for exceptional work. According to the British Council, a total of 270,000 foreigners studying at British universities makes the UK the second most popular destination after the US.

Lucero-Prisno, whose PhD research is on the vulnerability of seafarers to HIV/AIDS, is a Nippon Foundation Fellow at Cardiff University’s Seafarers International Research Center. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Catholic University of Santos in Brazil where he’s conducting fieldwork among the bars of the port city of Santos.

His SHINE award is for several achievements: academic work and advocacy for the health and welfare of global seafarers and ship breakers; support for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in his Balud Project; international science promotion; and various involvements at Cardiff University.

Working for a PhD is no ordinary task, especially in a highly-ranked research university which won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 2007. But despite the rigorous demands of his academic work, Lucero-Prisno finds time for another passion – world health. He has a special interest in the health and welfare of the global seafarers and shipbreakers, i.e. ship recycling workers exposed to various toxic chemicals like asbestos.

He has advocated for the improvement of their lives through presentations in conferences. Within the three years of his PhD studies, he has traveled to present papers on the issue in the USA, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Panama, Brazil, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Canada. He has pushed for a social insurance fund for the maritime industry in Panama City and advocated for more maritime AIDS programs in Toronto.

He has also preached on the perils of alcohol and drug use among seafarers in Mumbai, and presented the plight of shipbreakers in Milan, Rio de Janeiro and Washington DC. Besides co-authoring the International Medical Guide for Ships published by the World Health Organization in February 2008, he has been actively involved in various international working groups and organizations in the areas of maritime health and occupational health.

Lucero-Prisno’s work with the Balud Project also caught the attention of the SHINE jurors. This project started as a simple renovation of a poor school in the island of Samar in rural Philippines. In a span of three years, the project has grown into a global project as Lucero-Prisno drummed up support from foreigners and international organizations.

Dutch, Australians, British and Japanese have visited the school. The Balud Project has secured funds from The Netherlands, USA, Finland, and UK, among other countries. Lasten Tulevaisuus of Helsinki provided a grant for a library building and the Imperial College London has been sending their students to teach at Balud School. Ddock, a big design and architectural company in Amsterdam volunteered to design the new school buildings.

Balud launched its ‘new campus’ before the donors in a big event on 20 March 2008. De La Salle University in Manila has sponsored books in its library. American donors provided new furniture, books and school materials. Given generous support from all corners of the world, the Balud Project has spun off into a bigger community project benefiting the whole village.

Seeing this project as a contribution of the attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Lucero-Prisno moved forward to replicate the Balud Project in Balud Global. It involves more young people to help fast track MDGs, especially in the areas of childhood education and health.

As an academic and a medical doctor who believes in the role of science in human development, Lucero-Prisno has also enthusiastically supported science promotion, especially among young students. He has been the only Filipino invited annually by Intel Corporation since 2002 to be a judge at the International Science and Engineering Fair in the U.S. He has also been invited as a speaker at the prestigious Intel Educators Academy and sat in the Intel Philippine Science Advisory Board. The annual Balud International Development Award (BIDA) at the Intel Philippine Science Fair to recognize young Filipinos, whose science projects address the needs of rural communities, was his concept.

Lucero-Prisno is also an active member of a number of international scientific organizations like the World Academy of Young Scientists and three international honor societies. He won the research competition of the World Science Forum in Hungary in 2005 and his work was published the following year.

His work in establishing the Filipino Society of Cardiff University was also recognized by the SHINE Award. Noting that there had been no Filipino organization in the history of the university despite the number of Filipinos enrolled, he gathered and formally organized the group that has since held many activities.

During his first year in Cardiff, Lucero-Prisno sat in two university committees, the Postgraduate Committees of the Student Union and the Academic Committee of the School of Social Sciences. He represented the students in committee meetings and raised issues on their behalf. Organizing is not new to him. He was the founding president of Estudyanteng Pinoy sa Netherlands (EsPiN) while a masteral student in Amsterdam in 2002.

Humble Beginnings

Lucero-Prisno’s academic career is of a piece with his early life in Samar. While his mother worked hard for family survival, he and his siblings all went to public schools. They spent summers with in with their grandparents in rural Samar which had not even been reached by electricity.

Back in the city of Tacloban, he remembers watching the neighbour’s TV since they did not have one. His first trip outside was at the age of 17 to represent the region at the Fifth National Population Quiz Show in Manila. He won the competition, shown live on national television, an experience that gave him a lasting impression of the wider world.

Lucero-Prisno made sure to finish his education as a way out of poverty. His knack for leadership also started to show at a very young age as he excelled in many activities, especially in writing, drawing and sports. Ending every school year in the honor roll, always chosen Model Student of the Year, he graduated salutatorian in both elementary and high school.

Tenacity for education eventually brought Lucero-Prisno to the University of the Philippines where he finished his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, cum laude. He then enrolled in the UP College of Medicine with a scholarship under the STUFAP program. Next he worked for a Master of Public Health in Amsterdam under the Netherlands Fellowship Programme before pursuing a PhD.

He has this to say about the SHINE award: “I have been privileged to get accepted at Cardiff University, which is considered one of the best in the world. I come from humble beginnings. I was born to a poor family in the Philippines. I was raised by a single parent together with three other siblings. Growing up was always hard because of economic difficulties.

“There were days that we barely had food on the table. These life realities made me the person I am now and the reason for my interest in poverty and health. I never imagined that I would go this far. Had the university not offered me a fellowship, I would not have made it. I feel very blessed.”

He considers awards as a way to highlight the works of individuals like himself, “who are advocates and emissaries of marginalized people. An award should not be self-serving. It's not about the awardee; it's about the people s/he works for. And I will continue working for them because I know how it feels, having been one of them.”

Another Pinay talent - Britian Got Talent

Madonna Decena
6SNcEoIdeNQ

Filipino woman wins second place in McDonald global singing contest in US (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Entertainment_27/Filipino_woman_wins_second_place_in_McDonald_global_singing_contest_in_US.shtml)
By Rick R. Flores

DAVAO CITY, April 23 (PNA) – An obscure 22-year old Filipino woman from Matina, Davao won the second prize in the 2008 McDonald’s global singing contest in Orlando Florida, USA last Sunday. Mary Margaret Yu, who works at the local McDonald’s restaurant on Ilustre Street in here, pocketed US $ 10,000 for her superb rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.”

The top prize was won by Natercia Pintor of Portugal. There were 3,600 contestants coming from McDonald’s service crews from 118 countries. Yu was given a standing ovation when he sang the Houston’s popular rendition.

Two other Filipino singers Paulina Susan Bacarat also from Davao City and Candido Revilles who is based in Alberto, Canada, made to it to the semi-finals. Before the singing contest took place, the contestants underwent a weeklong training on voice lesson.

They were also given the opportunity to meet top McDonald's executives. Yu started singing when she was only four years old and joined the church’s choir at the age of 12.

Yu and Bacarat work in the same restaurant. During the online voting in the two-level elimination rounds, the two went around McDonald's restaurants in the country to encourage people to vote for them. They also appeared together in local TV shows like "Rated K"a nd "Umagang Kay Ganda" to win over support from music-loving Filipinos.

The contest is arguably the largest global singing competition of its kind, open to 1.6 million McDonald's employees from a round the globe and from over 30,000 restaurants in over 100 countries. (PNA)

Filipina joins grand finals of top Australian dance contest (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=116015)

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Filipinos have recently reaped recognition for their vocal abilities in international competitions, like Charice in "The Ellen de Generes Show" and "The Paul O'Grady Show", Ramiele Malubay in "American Idol", and just last week, Madonna Decena in "Britain's Got Talent".

In Australia, a Filipina is gaining popularity in another contest, but this time, it's for her dance moves.

28-year-old Filipino-Australian Demi Sorrono has made it to the Top Four of the popular Australian TV dance competition, "So You Think You Can Dance".

Sorrono, who battled poverty as a child back in the Philippines, was initially hesitant to audition as she has never had any formal dance lessons.

According to the show's website, it was the first audition that she ever went for. "So that was my first audition, with those huge lights, on one of the biggest stages in the Southern Hemisphere! Just seeing all these people that were trained and everything, doing amazing things and I was just like, OK, well I just gotta do what I gotta do, and hope for the best."

Sorrono bested thousands who auditioned for the show, eventually landing in the top twenty, and now the Top Four.

The Top Four will have their final performance this Sunday, April 27. The contestant with the most number of votes sent via text message or phone calls wins the title "Australia's Favourite Dancer." The cash prize is not substantial, but a win is expected to open doors and provide opportunities in the entertainment industry.

Aside from Sorrono, two other Filipinos made it to the Top Twelve of the show, JD de Carteret and Rhiannon Villareal.

Pinoy tailor makes it in NY with Divisoria cloth (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=116105)

Out of materials bought in Divisoria and Tutuban in Manila, Filipino Andy Arcangel has created a men's wear line that is now the emerging craze in New York, ABS-CBN North America Bureau reported.

“My design philosophy is to produce masculine but trendy and funky and fun clothes to make guys feel more comfortable and more fun,” Arcangel said when interviewed by ABS-CBN’s Lenn Almadin-Thornhill.

Arcangel studied at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila and from running a tailoring shop in Sta. Mesa, he decided to pursue further studies at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology.

Though nervous at first, he and business partner Dino Lomboy took the leap and opened a boutique at Manhattan’s lower East Side.

“Business is doing very well, we’re open about a year now and we’ve gotten repeat customers,” Arcangel said.

Although moderately successful already, Arcangel still holds down his day job as a computer programmer while Lomboy works as a physical therapist.

To keep overhead costs down, they manufacture their products in the Philippines.

“We get the fabrics from different fabric stores in Queens, New York and New Jersey and when I go visit my family in the Philippines, I go buy my fabrics from Divisoria and Tutuban,” Arcangel said.

Because their materials are bought in the Philippines, their prices are competitive and the savings are reflected in their prices.

Imagine getting a dress shirt for at least $50, pants and vests for $65 and suits for about $200!

Andy and Dino are happy that their business is doing well despite the current status of the economy. They are now looking forward to the day they can quit their day jobs – hopefully next year.

kudos to Theresa Marie Fenger :cheers:

April 26, 2008 06:50 PM Saturday Article read 525 time(s)
Miss Teen World is Pinay

BRIMMING with talent, Theresa Marie Fenger, winner of Miss Teen World, was born in Davao City. The 19-year-old Filipina-Canadian beauty was raised in Vancouver, Canada after her Filipina-Chinese mother and a father with Italian-German descent migrated to Canada 15 years ago.

Theresa Marie, a recording artist in Tokyo, Japan, will release her songs world-wide and is arriving in the country on April 29 to visit her relatives.

Last year, Theresa Marie received invitations to be in the country and make a movie. She is not just a singer, she is also a songwriter, a model, dancer, actor, host/dj, and performer.


http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-04-26&sec=4&aid=57441

where's the pic

^^ is she the same girl featured in this site (http://www.theresamarief.com/theresa_marie_gallery.html)???

Alcano & Paeng bring home silver & bronze (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1788)

Philippine bowling champion Paeng Nepomuceno and billiard titlist Ronnie Alcano brought home the silver and bronze in two tough prestigious tournaments in United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

He fell short of his bid in the second Kingdom International Open, bowing to Naif Oqab in the stepladder semis at the Universal Bowling Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Nepomuceno, a four-time World Cup champion, held his own to finish third in the Kingdom International Open at the Universal Bowling Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Nepomuceno pocketed $12,000 for finishing third in Saudi int’l tourney
Ronnie Alcano

Ronnie Alcano

While Ronnie Alcano, the defending champion of the World 8-ball Championship grabbed second place in the 2008 edition after just barely losing to German ace Ralf Souquet in the nerve wracking final in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates Friday.

Souquet lost to Alcano in the final of the 2006 World 9-ball Pool Championship in Manila. Alcano, came home with $20,000 (P840,000) runner-up purse.

Alcano, a stalwart of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) and Bugsy Promotions, was one of the 10 Filipinos who competed in the eight-day, $200,000 tournament. After him the next best finisher was world no.1 Dennis Orcollo, who made it to the semifinals and bagged $10,000.

Warren Kiamco, also of BMPAP and Negros Billiards Stable, finished fifth and took home $6,000, while Middle East-based Alan Cuartero, who made it to the Last 16 and received $3,000. Gomez and Elvis Calasang, who were in the Last 32, got $1,750 each.

The victory of Souquet, who won the World Pool Championship in 1996, is the fourth player – after Efren “Bata” Reyes, Taiwanese Wu Chia-ching and Alcano – to win both the world 8-ball and 9-ball titles.

Pinoy is N-Y Times teacher of the year (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1794)

A Filipino teacher is The New York Times 2008 Teacher of the Year.

Feliciano Jaime Atienza, known to everyone as “Chito,” is a Filipino immigrant and a career (English as a Second Language) ESOL professional in New York City.

He has been an ESOL practitioner with the YMCA International, ELESAIR Project for 22 years and the Queens Library for 10 years.

He received his ESL/CO teacher training at the Southeast Asian Refugee Program in the Philippines, a joint project of the UNHCR, ICMC and funded by the US State Department.

Chito is a compassionate professional whose classroom is characterized by a healing and empowering concept of “skinship ” and trust.

He possesses a cheerful “can-do” attitude and time-tested skills as a teacher, teacher trainer, mentor, test-giver and facilitator in the following areas: Diversity and Conflict Management in the ESOL Classroom; Literacy Teacher Training and Cultural Orientation; ESOL Testing and Evaluation; Language Program Development and Implementation; and UNHCR/ICMC Southeast Asian Refugee ESL/CO Programs.

Filipino wins U-K Int’l Student Award (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1784)

Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III, a third year PhD student at Cardiff University has been chosen by the British Council as one of the 2008 SHINE International Student Awardees of the United Kingdom.

SHINE is an annual competition of foreign students studying in the United Kingdom that recognizes their exceptional work. Don is the very first Filipino to receive this award. According to the British Council, there are 270,000 foreigners studying at British universities making UK the second most popular destination after the US.

Don, whose PhD research is on the vulnerability of seafarers to HIV/AIDS is a Nippon Foundation Fellow at the Seafarers International Research Center of Cardiff University. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Catholic University of Santos in Brazil where he is conducting his fieldwork among the bars of the port city of Santos. Don is recognized for his academic work and advocacy for the health and welfare of global seafarers and shipbreakers, his support for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the establishment of the Balud Project, his work on international science promotion and his various involvements at Cardiff University.

Doing a PhD is no ordinary task especially in a highly-ranked research university which won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 2007. Despite the rigorous demand of academic work, he is able to find time working on one of his passions, international health. He has a special interest in the area of health and welfare of the global seafarers and shipbreakers. He advocated for the improvement of the lives of seafarers and shipbreakers through presentations in conferences. Within the three years of PhD, he traveled to present papers in the USA, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Panama, Brazil, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Canada. He pushed for a social insurance fund for the maritime industry in Panama City. He advocated for more maritime AIDS programs in Toronto. He preached the perils of alcohol and drug use among seafarers in Mumbai. He presented the plight of shipbreakers in Milan, Rio de Janeiro and Washington DC. He co-authored the International Medical Guide for Ships published by the World Health Organization, which came out in February 2008. He has been actively involved in various international working groups and organizations in the areas of maritime health and occupational health.

His work with the Balud Project also caught the attention of the jurors. This project started as a simple renovation of a poor school in the island of Samar in rural Philippines. In a span of three years, the project has grown into a global project. Don was able to drum up support from foreigners and international organizations. Dutch, Australians, British and Japanese have visited the school. The Balud Project has secured funds from The Netherlands, USA, Finland, and UK among other countries. Lasten Tulevaisuus of Helsinki provided them a grant for a library building. Imperial College London has been sending their students to teach at Balud School. Ddock, a big design and architectural company in Amsterdam volunteered to design the new school buildings. They launched the ‘new campus’ before the donors in a big event on 20 March 2008. De La Salle University in Manila has sponsored the books of the library. American donors provided new furniture, books and school materials. Given the generous support from all corners of the world, the Balud Project has spun off into a bigger community project benefiting the whole village. Don sees this project as a humble contribution in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. To replicate the project in other countries, Balud Project launched Balud Global. The latter involves more young people in supporting the fast tracking of the MDGs especially in the areas of childhood education and health.

Don is an academic and a medical doctor who believes in the role of science in human development. It is not surprising that his enthusiastic support in science promotion especially among young students was also recognized in the SHINE Award. He has the distinction of being the only Filipino who has been invited annually since 2002 by the Intel Corporation to judge at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held every year in the USA. Don has been invited as a speaker at the prestigious Intel Educators Academy. He is an active member of a number of international scientific organizations like the World Academy of Young Scientists and three international honor societies. He used to sit in the Intel Philippine Science Advisory Board. He conceptualized the Balud International Development Award (BIDA), a prize given annually at the Intel Philippine Science Fair to recognize young Filipinos whose science projects address the needs of rural communities. During the early part of his PhD, Don won the research competition of the World Science Forum in Hungary in 2005. His work was published the following year.

The SHINE Award also looks into the involvement of the student in university activities. Don’s work in establishing the Filipino Society of Cardiff University was also recognized. The organization involves itself in the local Filipino community. He noticed that there has been no Filipino organization in the history of the university despite the number of Filipinos enrolled. So he started gathering them and formally organized the group. Since then they have been holding many activities. During his first year, Don sat in two university committees, the Postgraduate Committees of the Student Union and the Academic Committee of the School of Social Sciences. He represented the students in committee meetings and raised issues on their behalf. Organizing is not something new to him. He organized Estudyanteng Pinoy sa Netherlands (EsPiN) while a master student in Amsterdam back in 2002 making him the Founding President.

“I am extremely happy with the award as I have made a very good name for my university and my country, the Philippines. Had it not been for Cardiff University and my fellowship from the Nippon Foundation, I would not have received this accolade,” commented Don. Just like his exceptional works, Don’s life is considered another extraordinary story. He was born to a poor family in Leyte. His mother worked hard to keep the family surviving. All the children had to go to public schools. Summers would be spent in rural Samar with his grandparents in a place that has not been reached by electricity. When back in the city of Tacloban, he remembers watching the neighbour’s television all the time since they did not have one. Don’s first trip outside his islands was at the age of 17 when he had to represent the region at the Fifth National Population Quiz Show in Manila. He won in the competition, which was shown live on national television. This first trip outside gave him a lasting impression of the wider world.

Knowing how it is to be poor, Don saw to it that he should finish his education as a way out. He was always a conscientious student who balanced academics and extracurricular activities. He graduated Salutatorian in both elementary and high school. His knack for leadership started to show at a very young age. He excelled in many activities especially in the areas of writing, drawing and sports. He ended every school year in the honour roll and was always judged as the Model Student of the Year. His tenacity to want for a better education brought him to study at the University of the Philippines where he finished his Bachelor of Science in Psychology and where he graduated cum laude. Back then the tuition of UP was 1,000 pesos per semester. He entered UP’s College of Medicine with a scholarship under the STUFAP program. He breezed through medical school without paying tuition fees. He ended up studying a Master of Public Health in Amsterdam under the Netherlands Fellowship Programme before pursuing a PhD.

Commenting on the award, Don said, “I have been privileged to get accepted at Cardiff University which is considered one of the best in the world. I come from humble beginnings. I was born to a poor family in the Philippines. I was raised by a single parent together with three other siblings. Growing up was always hard because of economic difficulties. There were days that we barely had food on the table. These life realities made me the person of who I am now. Thus, the reason for my interest in poverty and health. I never imagined that I would go this far. Had the university not offered me a fellowship, I would not have made it. I feel very blessed.”

According to Don, “awards for me are instruments to highlight works of individuals since they are the advocates and emissaries of this marginalized people. An award should not be self-serving. It’s not about the awardee, it’s about the people s/he works for. And I will continue working for them because I know how it feels having been one of them.”

http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080430-133582/Fil-Am-Spoelstra-is-new-coach-of-Miami-Heat

Fil-Am Spoelstra is new coach of Miami Heat

INQUIRER.net
04/30/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra has replaced Pat Riley as the new head coach of Miami Heat after the latter announced his resignation on Tuesday.

"I just want to let everybody know how excited and honored I am to be the next coach of the Miami Heat," said Spoelstra, who has worked for the club for the past 13 years. "I want to thank everybody for having the confidence in me to lead this team on the court and in the future."

Before he assumed his new post in the 2006 National Basketball Association champion team, the 35-year-old Spoelstra served as Riley’s assistant, training young players such as Dwyane Wade.

Spoelstra’s mother is a Filipino, the former Fe Celino of San Pablo City, and his father Jon is of Dutch-Irish origin.

^^ I've met him. Damn, he's tall! :lol:

Journey's newest Album Revelation is now available at walmart.com (pre-order)

Please click below link to hear sample tunes. AP is the vocalist, of course. Really good!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9864208&povid=cat4104-env10169-module160989-lLink1

I have already pre-ordered my copy which I will receive on or after June 3 as per Walmart.

The new Journey 3-Disc Set is available only at Wal-Mart. The set includes the new studio album Revelation, the re-recorded classics from the Greatest Hits and a new live DVD from Las Vegas.

Let's all support the album.:cheers:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=116965

PBL's Jason Castro first Pinoy to play in Aussie pro basketball league

By TJ MANOTOC
ABS-CBN News
May 3, 2008

Just last week, news came out of the National Basketball Association (NBA) that the new coach of the Miami Heat in the NBA will be Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra. Now, more good news comes the way of Philippine basketball.

For the very first time, a Filipino will play in the Australian professional basketball league, the NBL or National Basketball League.

Executives of the NBL team Singapore Slingers are in town for that one purpose: to go after the Pinoy basketball player they so badly want.

And this player is none other than former National Collegiate Athletic Association and Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Most Valuable Player Jason Castro.

The Slingers first saw Castro play in exhibition tournaments in Singapore and in Brunei last year, and since then have been in awe of the 5'10" point guard's talents. It only took another nudge from their star player, Australian Ben Knight (who has played against Castro several times), to tell the team's management that Castro is the kind of player that they need to boost the team's chances.

The Slingers' executives, led by managing director Bob Turner himself, flew into town Thursday to watch Castro play in the PBL, and brought along with him a handsome contract to get one of the most sought-after Filipino amateurs to strut his wares in the NBL.

"When we saw Jason last year, we just knew he was the one we've been looking for. We really wanted to find a talent from the region, and we

were not surprised that we found him here in the Philippines," admitted Turner, who himself has been a basketball coach in the NBL for 20 years.

Pinoy Connection

Turner adds that getting a Filipino to join the team is also a good marketing move considering the big Filipino population in Singapore. He is confident that the Filipinos living and working there would be proud to support their countryman. "This is a great moment for Singapore, a great moment for Philippine basketball and great for Jason."

The Slingers are the only NBL team based outside of Australia, a first in FIBA (International Basketball Federation) history that Turner admits they had to get special permission from the FIBA. But with this new first, they open up doors now for other nationalities aside from Aussies and American imports to play in the NBL.

"David Stern of the NBA has been to the NBL several times, and he admits that this is one of the top 5 pro leagues in the world. So, definitely, having a Filipino play in the NBL is a big, big step in the right direction," he says.

As for Castro, he is ready for this next challenge in his young, yet already extremely successful career.

"Hindi naman ako kinakabahan. Sanay na ako sa pressure. Di ba nga, sabi nila, embrace the pressure. Proud ako na akong unang Pinoy na makakalaro dun. Gagawin ko ang lahat para pakita sa kanila yung kaya kong gawin," Castro humbly shares.

PBA dream on hold

In the upcoming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft late this year, Castro is a shoo-in to be in the top 3 picks. But his opportunity of playing abroad and reperesenting the country in an international pro league is a chance he did not want to pass up on.

"Nandyan naman ang PBA, puwede kong balikan yan. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, sayang naman 'to. 'Wag ko na palampasin 'tong opportunity na ito, kaya grab ko na," he says.

Turner and Castro signed Friday at the Dusit Hotel the 7-month contract that will run from July to January. Joining them were team executive Michael Johnson, head of basketball operations, and Castro's manager, Danny Espiritu.

Financial details were kept private, but Espiritu admits it is quite bigger than what he would make in the PBA as a rookie.

ABS-CBN's Sky Cable sports channel, "Balls", has already signified interest in airing the games of the Sligners for Pinoys to follow Castro's international career.

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1823

Charlie & Madonna shine in Britain’s Got Talent

Charlie Green, a ten-year old half-Filipino and club singer Madonna Decena are singing their way to the next round of Britain’s Got Talent. It’s a talent search created by American Idol judge Simon Cowell who also acts as judge in the show, alongside journalist Piers Morgan and actress Amanda Holdren.

During the program’s second week of live auditions in Birmingham, Charlie gave a spirited rendition of Frank Sinatra’s 1966 hit record “Summer Wind.” He was cool and composed throughout the entire performance, even doing some old-fashioned jazz scatting and finger snapping. After he sang, the audience gave Charlie a standing ovation and chanted his name for a few seconds.

vGnptPYrp3A

Charlie is the second Filipino to make waves in the talent search. First was the 32-year old single mom and club singer Madonna Decena, who auditioned in Manchester, and wowed the judges with her powerful rendition of “I Will Always Love You.”

Piers Morgan, who called Charlie, the boy “Old Charlie,” was entertained with both his singing and dancing. Amanda went as far as giving a bold forecast: “I predict, you could win in this show.”

Even the panel’s harshest critic, American Idol judge Simon Cowell, had nothing but praises. He said, “Charlie, I think you’re a little star! I really, really like you!” In the end, Charlie got three “YES” votes from the judges, and is now set to move on to the next round of competition.

Charlie’s mom is a Filipina Cecilia Sumargo- who hails from Dumajug, Cebu and his dad is British dad. Auditions for Britain’s Got Talent are currently ongoing and will air locally very soon.

Filipino English teacher gets award from New York Times (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080504-134444/Filipino-English-teacher-gets-award-from-New-York-Times)

There are times when the classroom of Feliciano Jaime “Chito” Atienza, who teaches English to immigrants, seems less of a classroom and more a United Nations peace panel.

In Atienza’s class in Queens, New York, culture-shocked (and sometimes shell-shocked) students who speak zero English not only master a new language, they are also helped by people they consider their enemies back in their motherland.

Atienza, winner of The New York Times 2008 English for Speakers of Other Languages (Esol) Teacher of the Year award, has been teaching English to immigrants for two decades. He recalls one class where Afghans and Russians glared at each other. There were also students, fresh from their war-ravaged Bosnia, who refused to speak to one another.

“The class was divided into two. You can really feel their hatred toward each other,” he says.

With some coaxing, the warring classmates set aside their past grief and became friends. After all, they were Americans now, he reminded them.

Students poured their hearts out to Atienza, the first Filipino and immigrant to receive the award. A Hispanic man lost his job and found a new one thanks to his teacher’s intervention.

More recently, because of Atienza’s class, a Tibetan and a Chinese bonded over the recent clashes in Lhasa. Said the Chinese to the Tibetan, who was worried sick about her family: “I’m sorry.”

These little dramas, played out in Atienza’s classroom in the Queens Library and in the YMCA Center, underscore his ability to reach out to his students. The classroom is not just a place of learning, but also a place for healing.

He is not only their mentor, he is their first friend in a strange land.

Atienza, who studied at De La Salle University, says his method is a blend of linguistic techniques and compassion which he describes as very Filipino and very Christian.

Atienza is a member of the Focolare Movement, which is known for living a certain Gospel verse each month. He visited the Philippines late last month and spoke with the Inquirer.

Atienza says he helps his students learn the English alphabet by “importing” kindergarten textbooks from Manila which teach basic letter construction.

He recommends that his students read anything written in English like newspapers, lottery tickets and restaurant menus.

Atienza swears by a tried-and-tested method of compassion and kindness. He calls this method “skinship.”

“Skinship is a methodology, a teaching approach underpinned by genuine love and concern for students. Its techniques are numerous: A warm smile, a sincere handshake, an encouraging nod, an open and tolerant mind, a word of praise for pronouncing thank you perfectly,” he says.

“What are these but building blocks of hope—the very foundations of trust? In the Esol classroom, without trust, without compassion, without love, there is no meaningful learning,” he adds.

In the speech he delivered when he won the award last March, Atienza recognized that more than anything, learning the English language one word at a time, was the first step in an immigrant’s dream of a rosy future in the United States.

“Willingly or unwillingly, we all came to America and our search for hope began in the Esol classroom. In the Esol classroom, the teachers and the students keep hope alive. [Because] without hope, dreams die,” Atienza says.

Atienza migrated to New York City in 1985, after years of teaching English to college students and displaced Southeast Asians coming to the United States. He received his English as a Second Language (ESL/CO) teacher training at the Southeast Asian Refugee Program in the Philippines, a joint project of the UNHCR, ICMC and funded by the US State Department.

New York City, a bright point in the immigrant’s imagination because of its history as a gateway to America and the American dream, was a logical choice for an Esol teacher like Atienza and in a way, it made leaving the Philippines easier.

He already loved teaching English. While on vacation in New York City, he realized the city needed Esol teachers to teach immigrants.

“I enjoyed teaching here (Philippines). But when I went there (New York), I saw the need,” he said.

Atienza said he “fell in love” with teaching after his stint in Bataan province, where Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees would stop over for a few months to learn English before proceeding to the United States.

If his heart wasn’t in it, he says, he would have gone to other, more lucrative professions. A housekeeper’s paycheck, he notes, is bigger than an Esol teacher’s.

Teaching is a sacrifice. Nobody does it for money. “Teachers, wherever they are, don’t get rich,” he says.

Atienza says the award is not only a personal recognition, it is a recognition of all teachers in the Philippines and abroad. It should erase the stigma that Filipino teachers can’t teach English abroad, he says.

He adds that sometimes, Filipinos are more than capable in teaching the language than their native English-speaking counterparts. Sometimes, the students understand Filipino teachers more easily than their American teachers, whose pronunciations are slurred by their regional accents and twangs.

When the New York Times announced that he won the award last March, it featured Atienza’s photograph on a full-page ad. Beneath the photograph was a white space.

His friends saw the ad and said the white space was a waste of space.

But not for Atienza. The space, he says, is for all Filipino teachers.

Atienza expresses optimism that the Philippines will become a hub for English language teaching.

Reports that the Filipinos’ fluency in the language has been slipping is news to him.

“It’s a bit sad,” he says, noting that decades ago, the country was the No. 1 English-speaking nation in Asia.

Atienza says he hopes the award will allow him to pursue projects with local English teachers. He’s thinking of setting up an exchange program to promote English literacy between Esol teachers in the United States and in the Philippines.

He also wants to set up a Filipino language center in New York because Filipino immigrants want their children to learn their native language.

Deal or No Deal Philippines

E2QzBKtwJ4Y

Filipino Mariner Exposes Vessel's Illegal Dumping Of Waste In The Atlantic

May 4, 2008 8:07 a.m. EST
Jupiter Kalambakal - AHN (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010845234)News Writer

Montreal, Canada (AHN) - A Filipino seaman, 49-year old Domingo Silva, lost his job and may no longer board a ship after he exposed container ship MSC Trinidad for illegally dumping waste in Canadian waters while in transit in the Atlantic.

"I told him he was brave," said Patrice Caron of the International Transport Federation in Montreal to the Canadian Press. "This guy might never sail again because he complained."

In Ottawa, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon said to the Globe and Mail that Canada has to ensure that witnesses should come out "without threats from anyone". Silva's move led to calls for better security for environmental whistle-blowers.

Caron said that Silva, the vessel's third engineer and one of the Filipino crewmen, contacted him late Monday to report what he witnessed- tons of sludge, a mix of ballast water and oil, being released through a bypass pipe from the ship directly out to the sea.

Silva, who took a video of the incident, said that up to five tons of sludge an hour was being released over a six-hour period while the vessel was in transit in the Atlantic between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The waste dumped was estimated at 30 tons.

Read full story here (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010845234)

Here is more on Erik...

http://sports.inquirer.net/inquirersports/inquirersports/view/20080505-134567/NBAs-Fil-Am-Spice-Boy-Spoelstra-heats-up-Miami

NBA's Fil-Am Spice Boy Spoelstra heats up Miami
By Percy D. Della
Philippine Daily Inquirer
05/05/2008

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – "Where Amazing Happens" is the theme of the National Basketball Association's advertising campaign this season.

The Miami Heat's hiring of Erik Spoelstra indeed lends credence to the league's current branding effort. A promotional spin-off should be tag lined "Where the First Asian Head Coach Happens."

Spoelstra, the 37-year old wunderkind from Portland, Oregon refers to himself as a "Dutch-Irish-Filipino." His dad, Jon is a retired executive of the NBA's Portland Trailblazers. His mom, Elisa Celino, hails from San Pablo City, Laguna.

Spoelstra is now the NBA's youngest head coach. With his boyish looks, he appears even younger than his actual age.

There is no mistaking the guy's Filipino lineage, with his black hair, brown complexion and smiling, bright eyes.

You'd easily mistake this bachelor for one of the Spice boys of the Philippine Congress – those erstwhile 30-somethings critical of the Joseph Estrada administration in the late '90s and who played a key role in his removal from office.

Erik isn't just the youngest of NBA head coaches right now (he's 69 days younger than the New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank). He is apparently the first Asian American to crack the head-coaching ranks in any of the three major sports leagues – the NBA, National Football League and Major League Baseball.

By naming the first Asian American head coach, the NBA has wittingly or unwittingly scored a marketing coup. It has amplified the league's popularity in the Asian continent, including the Philippines, a rabid basketball country.

And, all of a sudden, the NBA has just become more compelling to watch for the basketball fans among 11 million or so Asian Americans. Eric will be in their radar screen as he helps rebuild the 2006 NBA champion Heat, owners of the worst record in the league this season (15 wins and 67 losses).

Previously, Asian Americans felt a small sense of pride in Chinese imports like Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian who are making good in the NBA. They were walking on air when Erik was named to fill the shoes of Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley in Miami.


http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080430-133582/Fil-Am-Spoelstra-is-new-coach-of-Miami-Heat

Fil-Am Spoelstra is new coach of Miami Heat

INQUIRER.net
04/30/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra has replaced Pat Riley as the new head coach of Miami Heat after the latter announced his resignation on Tuesday.

"I just want to let everybody know how excited and honored I am to be the next coach of the Miami Heat," said Spoelstra, who has worked for the club for the past 13 years. "I want to thank everybody for having the confidence in me to lead this team on the court and in the future."

Before he assumed his new post in the 2006 National Basketball Association champion team, the 35-year-old Spoelstra served as Riley’s assistant, training young players such as Dwyane Wade.

Spoelstra’s mother is a Filipino, the former Fe Celino of San Pablo City, and his father Jon is of Dutch-Irish origin.

And more on Jason Castro...

http://businessmirror.com.ph/05052008/sports02.html

RP Still On His Mind
Jason Castro hasn’t ruled out playing for country
By Joel Orellana
Business Mirror
May 5, 2008

JASON Castro would still love to serve the Philippines before embarking on a new career with the Singapore Slingers in the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia.

Danny Espiritu, the handler of the 21-year-old slasher from Philippine Christian University, told the BusinessMirror yesterday there’s still a strong possibility for Castro to play for the national team in the coming Jones Cup in Taiwan this July.

“Why not,” said Espiritu, when asked if his ward can suit up for the Philippine team despite signing a one-season contract with the Slingers last Friday, with no less than the club’s operations manager Michael Johnson and managing director Bob Turner personally in the country to seal the deal with Castro.

“I’m sure the officials of the team will lend Castro to the national team, because that will also be part of his training,” Espiritu added. “The players in the Jones Cup are taller and bigger, just like in the NBL, and that could be a good tournament for Jason before playing for the Slingers.”

The new NBL season unfolds this September but the Singapore Slingers have allotted two months of training and exhibition games against club teams in Japan and Korea.

And Castro, the two-time Most Valuable Player in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), might miss the early part of the preseason training of the Singapore Slingers, as he’ll most likely be included on the roster of the Harbour Centre-backed Philippine squad for the Jones Cup cagefest, slated from July 10 to 18.

Junel Baculi, the man tasked to handle the RP 5, said in a previous interview that the coaching staff and management, led by Harbour team owner Mikee Romero and manager Erick Arejola, would no longer conduct a tryout and instead will select the PBL players who will comprise the team.

Baculi said he already talked with Castro about the Jones Cup tournament and the five-foot-nine guard agreed to play anew if he’ll be allowed by his new mother team in the NBL.

“As far as I know, Jason will be there [Singapore] in August,” said Baculi.

Arejola said Castro is one of the eight players they are considering to have a spot in the national team for the Jones Cup. The squad will be beefed up by four players from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

According to reports, Castro will be receiving at least Australian $40,000 or P1.6 million. Castro’s contract also has a specific clause that states he’ll be part of the team’s starting unit in each of the 30 games.

“I already broached the idea to the PBA and, hopefully, it would materialize because we all want to see how Castro will play alongside with his new teammates,” said Espiritu, adding that he is contemplating arranging an exhibition game between the Singapore Slingers and a selection of PBA players or one ball club here to see how Castro will fare with his new team.

With the deal, Castro might altogether miss the chance to apply for the coming PBA Rookie Draft this August, as there are rules for incoming aspirants that the player might not fulfill, like attending the Rookie Camp, among others.

“We will appeal his case to the PBA if he can be allowed to join the draft,” said Espiritu.

Meanwhile, local basketball stakeholders expressed excitement over the breakthrough development.

“We have to dream, and it’s been the country’s long dream to send a Filipino player to the NBA. To achieve a dream, one has to start with a first step, a giant step. Hopefully, Jason will be the one to lead us in achieving that dream,” PBL commissioner Chino Trinidad said Saturday during an impromptu press conference arranged for Castro at Kamayan Edsa.

Romero also gushed at the prospect of seeing his own player make it to the big league abroad.

“Jason Castro being signed up by the Singapore Slingers is the biggest thing that happened in Philippine basketball. This is the Australian pro-basketball league, considered as one of the top five pro leagues in the world today. This is not a joke,” Romero said.

“Players there are as big as the NBA already. The whole country must be very proud of Jason. He can now be scouted worldwide even by the NBA. The coming of Bob Turner and the NBL in the Philippines has opened the door for Filipino players to be known worldwide. This is big,” Romero added.


http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=116965

PBL's Jason Castro first Pinoy to play in Aussie pro basketball league

By TJ MANOTOC
ABS-CBN News
May 3, 2008

Just last week, news came out of the National Basketball Association (NBA) that the new coach of the Miami Heat in the NBA will be Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra. Now, more good news comes the way of Philippine basketball.

For the very first time, a Filipino will play in the Australian professional basketball league, the NBL or National Basketball League.

Executives of the NBL team Singapore Slingers are in town for that one purpose: to go after the Pinoy basketball player they so badly want.

And this player is none other than former National Collegiate Athletic Association and Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Most Valuable Player Jason Castro.

The Slingers first saw Castro play in exhibition tournaments in Singapore and in Brunei last year, and since then have been in awe of the 5'10" point guard's talents. It only took another nudge from their star player, Australian Ben Knight (who has played against Castro several times), to tell the team's management that Castro is the kind of player that they need to boost the team's chances.

The Slingers' executives, led by managing director Bob Turner himself, flew into town Thursday to watch Castro play in the PBL, and brought along with him a handsome contract to get one of the most sought-after Filipino amateurs to strut his wares in the NBL.

"When we saw Jason last year, we just knew he was the one we've been looking for. We really wanted to find a talent from the region, and we

were not surprised that we found him here in the Philippines," admitted Turner, who himself has been a basketball coach in the NBL for 20 years.

Pinoy Connection

Turner adds that getting a Filipino to join the team is also a good marketing move considering the big Filipino population in Singapore. He is confident that the Filipinos living and working there would be proud to support their countryman. "This is a great moment for Singapore, a great moment for Philippine basketball and great for Jason."

The Slingers are the only NBL team based outside of Australia, a first in FIBA (International Basketball Federation) history that Turner admits they had to get special permission from the FIBA. But with this new first, they open up doors now for other nationalities aside from Aussies and American imports to play in the NBL.

"David Stern of the NBA has been to the NBL several times, and he admits that this is one of the top 5 pro leagues in the world. So, definitely, having a Filipino play in the NBL is a big, big step in the right direction," he says.

As for Castro, he is ready for this next challenge in his young, yet already extremely successful career.

"Hindi naman ako kinakabahan. Sanay na ako sa pressure. Di ba nga, sabi nila, embrace the pressure. Proud ako na akong unang Pinoy na makakalaro dun. Gagawin ko ang lahat para pakita sa kanila yung kaya kong gawin," Castro humbly shares.

PBA dream on hold

In the upcoming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft late this year, Castro is a shoo-in to be in the top 3 picks. But his opportunity of playing abroad and reperesenting the country in an international pro league is a chance he did not want to pass up on.

"Nandyan naman ang PBA, puwede kong balikan yan. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, sayang naman 'to. 'Wag ko na palampasin 'tong opportunity na ito, kaya grab ko na," he says.

Turner and Castro signed Friday at the Dusit Hotel the 7-month contract that will run from July to January. Joining them were team executive Michael Johnson, head of basketball operations, and Castro's manager, Danny Espiritu.

Financial details were kept private, but Espiritu admits it is quite bigger than what he would make in the PBA as a rookie.

ABS-CBN's Sky Cable sports channel, "Balls", has already signified interest in airing the games of the Sligners for Pinoys to follow Castro's international career.

^^Kala ko yung sa American Idol, di pala!

^^Kala ko yung sa American Idol, di pala!

Haha another Jason Castro is also in AI. Exactly the same first and family name. :)

http://businessmirror.com.ph/05062008/sports03.html

Eugene sees Wesley-Fischer comparisons
By Reuben Terrado
BusinessWorld
May 6, 2008

EUGENE Torre, the first Asian grandmaster (GM), is all praises for Wesley So, the youngest GM in the world today.

In fact, Torre said the whiz kid’s current accomplishments may be compared with another great who started making a name for himself when he was a kid—the late Bobby Fischer.

“Bobby learned the game on his own like Wesley. And like Bobby, Wesley studied and still is studying on his own at such a young age to improve on his game and excel,” Torre, a best friend of Fischer, said.

Fischer, the only American world champion in the sport’s history, was already making a name for himself when he was only 12, when he was still ranked a National Master. At age 15, Fischer became a GM, or a year older than So, who copped the much-coveted title as a 14-year-old late last year.

Torre said So has all the makings of a future world champion just like Fischer.

“Wesley is a rare find,” Torre said recently. “He has an exceptional talent and has a potential to be a world champion. This is a great opportunity to have a kid like him. He is still young and dynamic. He has a bright future, and we all need to support him.”

So, who is only an incoming third-year high-school student at Saint Francis of Assisi in his hometown of Bacoor, Cavite, emerged as the champion of the recently concluded Battle of the GMs tournament, beating out the rest of the field including Torre, who settled for second, along with International Master Richard Bitoon.

Earlier, he also became the champion of the 10th Dubai Open chess championship, beating out the best and brightest woodpushers in the world.

Torre, 56, said that with So’s emergence, the future of Philippine chess looks bright.

“He is worth emulating. He can serve as the force for the revival of chess in the country,” Torre said.

The National Chess Federation of the Philippines, led by president Prospero Pichay, has bright plans for So, as he is slated to compete in four international tournaments here in the country in order to get a shot at the Super GM.

Presently, So has a 2,540 ELO rating, 60 shy in order to be considered a Super GM.

So is slated compete in international tournaments in Subic, Clark, the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Cup and the Pichay Cup slated later this year.

Great moments for Filipino artists in Europe (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/diaspora/diaspora/view/20080506-134919/Great-moments-for-Filipino-artists-in-Europe)

As we celebrate the triumphs of Cecile Licad, Otoniel Gonzaga, Jonathan Zaens and Rachelle Gerodias in Europe, let's take note of the fact that other Filipinos were actually making waves in that part of the world much earlier.

The late baritone Aurelio Estanislao and conductor Oscar Yatco figured in a European competition way before Gonzaga's time as a major prizewinner.

Way before soprano Evelyn Mandac sang Susanna opposite Kiri Te Kanawa’s Countess in "The Marriage of Figaro"at the Salzburg Festival, mezzo soprano Conchita Gaston was the definitive Carmen in Holland and Germany.

Many years earlier, composer Richard Strauss was coaching our own Jovita Fuentes in the German production of "Salome," and soprano Isang Tapales was making waves in Opera Comique in Paris opposite Beniamino Gigli, the idol of Luciano Pavarotti.

Before Zaens debuted in Prague, José Mossessgeld Santiago-Font went straight to La Scala in Milan after his stints as a Caruso scholar.

Cagayan-born soprano Eleanor Calbes toured Germany and sang over a dozen performances of a major part in Bernstein's "West Side Story"—in German!

Next week, Licad plays Gerswhin's Concerto in F (her first) in Germany before a series of Rach 3 in the United States.

Double victory

What does it take to make it in Europe?

One can find a lot of insight from the transcript of my last interview with violinist Carmencita Lozada before she passed away a couple of years ago.

While Yatco was teaching in Hannover and Mandac was making her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, Lozada was taking Europe by storm.

After her double victory at the Paganini Competition in Genoa, Lozada was harvesting acclaim in Germany, Holland, Austria, Great Britain, Belgium Greece and Poland.

In West Germany, Lozada was described by German critics as a violinist with "volcanic temperament and fascinating with exotic sparkle." Still others saw "the devil of a violinist in her blood."

In Holland, a critic noted: "Lozada played with nearly superhuman virtuosity, passionate yet controlled musical temperament and a remarkably right feeling for rhythm."

Lozada admitted that her earlier stint at the Vienna Academy made her absorb different musical periods and styles and exposed her to musical buoyancy.

"In Europe is where you feel a lot of musical energy," she said of that time. "Both young talents and seasoned artists have the chance to join festivals and competitions."

One of the highlights of her European sojourn was being chosen as a last-minute substitute for a famous violinist to play a Sibelius concerto in Frankfurt.

In France, she discovered her recital was graced by a famous violinist, Henryk Szeryng, who was very enthusiastic when he greeted her backstage.

Lozada further reflected: "To be a real artist in its truest sense is always a tough one. It is never easy. But if your talent for that is great, it becomes a compulsion and probably a responsibility. I am reminded of a concert I accepted in Holland.

"I was called as a last-minute substitute for a sick artist a day before a recital. I could no longer engage my accompanist, who was also not available at the time. Nevertheless, I accepted to play the concert and proposed an evening of violin sonatas for violin alone. My repertoire consisted of solo sonatas by Bach, Hindemith, Max Reger, Jean Martinon and Prokofiev.

"In the morning of the day of the concert, I warmed up routinely in the huge podium. And to conserve energy, I asked for a chair for my practice. On the evening of the performance, as I was about to go onstage, I saw the same lonely chair in the middle of the huge stage-a sight which made me almost break into laughter. With that chair, the audience probably expected a grandmother violinist. The audience broke into laughter when I pushed the chair out of my way with my feet. I was 26 then!

"After the concert, I had a headache for three days due to the concentration I mustered because of the tough unaccompanied repertoire. I believe very few artists would dare face such a challenge on one-day notice. But the audience response, which was overwhelming, made up for all that preparation.

"To be an artist, it is important to have spiritual insight, individualistic nuances within the confines of the style. Once the mastery of the piece is achieved, the artist surrenders to the dictates of the music as in a trance. There is no substitute for total immersion in the music."

Fortunately, Lozada made a recording of her European and Philippine engagements before she passed away.

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1865

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/jaryd_farcon_cara_campos.jpg
Fil-Am kid couple on Dancing with the Stars

Young Fil-Am Ballroom couple, Jaryd Tyler Farcon and Cara Abaya-Campos are proudly representing the Philippines in U-S television’s most popular dance competition Dancing with the Stars on ABC.

Jaryd, who is 10 years old, is the son of Drs. Cayetano & Armie Farcon of Princeton, NJ, and Cara who is 8 years old and daughter of Walden & Irene Campos of Nutley, NJ, dance next week on May 13, 2008 in the Finals of the Junior segment of Dancing with the Stars.

They are 1 of 3 couples competing for the Championship Title. Next weeks show results are based solely on viewer votes, so please vote for the kid couple to victory.

They have been dancing together competitively for the past 14 months under the direction and coaching of Spencer Nyemchek and have already captured the 2007 United States National Title in International Latin in the Preteen Age division.

Jaryd & Cara have been featured twice on the Maury Show and won the Maury’s Most Talented Kids contest and also appeared on NBC’s TODAY show last December 2007. Their most recent appearance was on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars on April 15, 2008, where they captured the 10 year old and under category and will compete on May 13 in the Finals of the Junior segment of Dancing with the Stars.

This dynamic pair has been very busy making public appearances and showcasing at various fundraising events and cultural gatherings. They are scheduled to perform at the Phil-US Expo ‘08 on May 17-18 and at the Philippine Independence Day Cultural Show in NYC on June 1.

Y'all remember Paolo Montalban? The one who played Prince Charming on the ABC-TV special to the (first) 'egat' Cinderella, Brandy. He made such a big splash then.

Well, I just watched the concert version of "CAMELOT" on the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast. Running thru the credits at the end, the name 'Paolo Montalban" was listed under: Chorus. That name's familiar I said to myself. So I just checked with IMDB, and it's him. But he's just in the chorus of this production (one of the knights).

What happened? From a lead a few years ago to chorus na lang siya. I know an actor's life is hard, but I guess you get any work that comes your way.

Oh, and guess what? Lea will be headlining an international company of the same Rodgers & Hammerstein CINDERELLA to premiere in Manila (in July) and then taken on a tour of Asian cities. It's being assembled in New York but their Prince Charming is back to a Caucasian -- an Australian guy. It looks like they purposely bypassed Montalban. I guess because the lead will already be a Filipin(a), they don't want another Noy-pi as the leading man.

Interesting turns on casting.

Thoughts, anyone?

yEbPVdluSxM
g5QGk45U7KM

Steven Spielberg Group choose Sam Concepcion to sing "Kung Fu Panda" theme song in Asia

Charice Pempengco on Oprah

bB1ER43teIg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j243/samsters_rock5/Other%20Guestings/Bandila%20051208/IMG_5356.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j243/samsters_rock5/Other%20Guestings/Bandila%20051208/IMG_5357.jpg
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http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j243/samsters_rock5/Other%20Guestings/Bandila%20051208/IMG_5366.jpg
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http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j243/samsters_rock5/Other%20Guestings/Bandila%20051208/IMG_5368.jpg

only if we had DTV and HD: http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/8397/vlcsnap170450qv3.png

^Digital TV? We already had DTV since January 2008 via ABS

^ Really? In public? Then alls ya'll gotta wait for is that HD.

^yes, call ABS-CBN lang para makakuha ka ng Digital TV Box at may Six Free Channels duon na kasing linaw ng cable.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/diaspora/diaspora/view_article.php?article_id=136084

A singing star born in Geneva
By Miko L. Morelos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
05/12/2008

Born in the Philippines, Charice Pempengco and Madonna Decena shot into the spotlight overseas for their singing. Born in Geneva, a much younger Filipina songbird has been enthralling audiences in tiny Switzerland Lica de Guzman, 11, is the latest child prodigy of Dinemec Music, one of the most versatile television and sound studios in Switzerland. She is set to become a recording artist in the Swiss Alps with the release of her album there this year, says her father Nicanor.

Her voice has thrilled not only the Filipino community there but also government officials in the tiny landlocked country.

In May 2007, Lica sang “Prendre un enfant par la main (Take a child by the hand)” on Swiss television to an audience that included former Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey, Nicanor said.

“The president was amazed at how Lica sang and gave Lica a hug backstage after the show,” Nicanor said. “The audience gave her a standing ovation.”

Nicanor, a civil engineer, discovered his daughter’s singing talent when she was 4. “We sent her to music school for formal training and we found that she has a gift for singing,” he said in an e-mail to the Inquirer.

By the time she was 7, Lica was already singing for community events, the highlight of which was her performance at the Caribana Festival in 2004.

Discovered by TV exec

An executive of Television Suisse Romande (TSR) noticed her presentation in a school event, and asked Lica to perform on TV. Nicanor says this was her “biggest break.”

Versed in French, English and Filipino, she first appeared in the show “Les coups de coeur d’Alain Morisod” as one of the guest child singers for a special Christmas presentation and rendered cover of the Louie Armstrong-classic “What a Wonderful World” for the program aired Dec. 17, 2005.

A few days later, she was a guest performer of the show “Rêves”: A new musical show for Christmas!,” another special holiday production of TSR and Little Dreams Foundation, an organization put up by the Grammy-winning artist Phil Collins.

The show featured other artists, including Belgian-Italian Lara Fabian, who popularized the song “Broken Vow” in the 2003 Taiwanese hit show “Meteor Garden” warmly received in the Philippines.

Born in Geneva

Nicanor de Guzman, an engineer, met Joy, a nurse, when they were both working in Bahrain in 1990. They tied the knot in 1994 in the Philippines then left for Switzerland in search of better opportunities. Lica was born in Geneva in 1997.

“We chose Switzerland because we found out that the country gave out the highest wages in the world,” said Nicanor. They did find work in the Holland mission, where they continue to work to this day, but their life as career professionals took a 180-degree turn.

Nicanor put down his drawing pencils to become a butler. Joy discarded her nursing cap for an apron and a set of pots and pans as a cook. He does not regret making their career-altering decision. They discovered that it was difficult for skilled migrant professionals to find jobs in Switzerland.

“Despite many opportunities for professional jobs, Swiss employers prioritize their citizens for jobs,” he said. There was also a language barrier in French-speaking Switzerland.

Nicanor almost got into one of the largest physics laboratory in the world, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern or Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire), but his application was turned down because the Philippines is not one of member-states that run Cern. (Cern is home to the particle accelerator called Large Hadron Collider that smashes atoms in hopes of discovering the origins of the universe.)

Lica has made all the difference. At her last major singing gig for the annual United Nations’ Women’s Guild Bazaar in November 2007, it was the first time a child was a guest of honor. The guests included UN Geneva director general Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Swiss Ambassador to the UN Blaise Godet and women’s guild officials and organizers. Like the Swiss president, this distinguished audience gave Lica a rousing applause for her performance.

Now the De Guzmans are postponing their annual vacation in the Philippines as they await the release of Lica’s debut album in Geneva.

“The producers haven’t given a definite date but it’s certain that it’ll be released this year,” Nicanor said. The record will only be released in Europe.

But nothing beats performing for fellow Filipinos back home. Lica hopes to have a concert, say in Araneta Coliseum or the Cultural Center of the Philippines, to bid for the same recognition from her own musically gifted race.

Until that day comes, she’ll be in the Swiss Alps doing what she does best — proving that in music, the Filipino can.

Pinoy wins London public speaking title (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1877)


Gian Dapul of Philippine Science High School, won the English Speaking Union’s International Public Speaking Competition in London.

The incoming senior student bested 57 other contestants representing 35 countries with his delivery of a five-minute speech on the theme “New Frontiers.”

In his speech titled “Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus,” Dapul cited recent scientific finds and expressed his desire to help his country by joining the avant-garde army of science researchers discovering new ways to enhance health and extend life spans.

The sixteen-year old became the official Philippine representative by winning the local contest for 16- to 19-year-old students held at UP Diliman a few weeks ago.

Gian was named one of 12 finalists after the preliminary heats held at Dartmouth House, ESU International’s headquarters.

The finals were in turn conducted at the American Embassy at Grosvenor Square, with Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James Edgardo Espiritu in attendance, together with Loline Reed, a Filipino officer of the Overseas Women’s Club who has helped the young Filipino contestants since 2002.

As the very first speaker, Gian led off the highly competitive Heat 1 with 14 other participants from the US, UK, the Netherlands, Australia, India, Hong Kong, Pakistan and China.

In the finals held later in the day, he competed against representatives, mostly college students, from Thailand, Poland, Bulgaria, Argentina, Lebanon, and China. This time he was the last speaker.

Gian reportedly impressed the judges and audience with his relaxed and humorous delivery of a substantive speech with a clear message.

Placing second was a young lady from Thailand who spoke on the need to avoid pre-marital sex, while the third-placer, from Bulgaria, promoted the use of bicycles instead of cars.

Reed recounted that the chairman of the judges for the finals, Peter Kyle, the chief executive of the Shakespeare Globe Trust, acknowledged that Gian “impressed everyone with his speech, which from the start got the audience’s attention.”

The other judges were Dame Mary Richardson DBE, who set up the HSBC Global Education Trust, and Tony Byrne, special adviser to major cultural organizations in the UK.

Reed added: “Not only did Gian speak very well, but his replies to questions from the floor were succinct and quite scholarly. One question asked of him was, ‘What does he think of the ethics of stem cell research?’ He obviously knew what to say, which should make his school proud, as he evidently knows his Science subjects, indeed!”

In November, Gian will be presented with a certificate at the ESU Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace by His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Most likely, the Queen herself will be present as well, since the English Speaking Union marks its 90th anniversary this year.

Filipino in UAE wins comic project award (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1902)

A Filipino professional received an award in the United Arab Emirates for his idea on creating a technical-information comics for health and safety.

Manuel Perito received the prestigious IDEAS.ARABIA award organized by the Dubai Quality Group for his creative project called, “Super Oman.” [View here and here]

The 37-year-old civil engineer from Samar was given the award last April 22 at the Mina Salam Hotel at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.

A member of the Philippine Society of Safety Professionals in UAE, Perito has been with the Oman Insurance Company for more than three years as a Risk Engineer.

Perito deals with loss control and risk management for property insurance clients.

“I used to know him dabbing as a Komiks writer and illustrator while working as risk surveyor for Malayan Insurance back in the Philippines so I was not surprised when he injected comics in his technical job,” said a friend of Perito.

Pinoy wins London public speaking title (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=1877)


Gian Dapul of Philippine Science High School, won the English Speaking Union’s International Public Speaking Competition in London.

The incoming senior student bested 57 other contestants representing 35 countries with his delivery of a five-minute speech on the theme “New Frontiers.”

In his speech titled “Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus,” Dapul cited recent scientific finds and expressed his desire to help his country by joining the avant-garde army of science researchers discovering new ways to enhance health and extend life spans.

The sixteen-year old became the official Philippine representative by winning the local contest for 16- to 19-year-old students held at UP Diliman a few weeks ago.

Gian was named one of 12 finalists after the preliminary heats held at Dartmouth House, ESU International’s headquarters.

The finals were in turn conducted at the American Embassy at Grosvenor Square, with Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James Edgardo Espiritu in attendance, together with Loline Reed, a Filipino officer of the Overseas Women’s Club who has helped the young Filipino contestants since 2002.

As the very first speaker, Gian led off the highly competitive Heat 1 with 14 other participants from the US, UK, the Netherlands, Australia, India, Hong Kong, Pakistan and China.

In the finals held later in the day, he competed against representatives, mostly college students, from Thailand, Poland, Bulgaria, Argentina, Lebanon, and China. This time he was the last speaker.

Gian reportedly impressed the judges and audience with his relaxed and humorous delivery of a substantive speech with a clear message.

Placing second was a young lady from Thailand who spoke on the need to avoid pre-marital sex, while the third-placer, from Bulgaria, promoted the use of bicycles instead of cars.

Reed recounted that the chairman of the judges for the finals, Peter Kyle, the chief executive of the Shakespeare Globe Trust, acknowledged that Gian “impressed everyone with his speech, which from the start got the audience’s attention.”

The other judges were Dame Mary Richardson DBE, who set up the HSBC Global Education Trust, and Tony Byrne, special adviser to major cultural organizations in the UK.

Reed added: “Not only did Gian speak very well, but his replies to questions from the floor were succinct and quite scholarly. One question asked of him was, ‘What does he think of the ethics of stem cell research?’ He obviously knew what to say, which should make his school proud, as he evidently knows his Science subjects, indeed!”

In November, Gian will be presented with a certificate at the ESU Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace by His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Most likely, the Queen herself will be present as well, since the English Speaking Union marks its 90th anniversary this year.


he's good., :) nakalaban ko siya for the ESU elims in UP., :) nakasama ko siya sa room ng eliminations., hehehe., wala lang., :)

San Miguel Pale Pilsen Asia’s best tasting beer:banana:

San Miguel Pale Pilsen is the best tasting beer in Asia, according to a popular US Magazine which recently gathered major beer brands from China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines for a taste test.

The iconic brand of San Miguel Brewery, Inc. (SMB), San Miguel Pale Pilsen bested six other international brands in all categories – appearance, aroma, taste and finish — used by the magazine to determine the best tasting beer.

In the article entitled "Far East Beer Showdown" by Derek Buono published in Beer Magazine’s March to April issue, the lone Filipino beer brand has been described as having "the most flavor and tasted better than all the other beers of the region."

"The SMB family is truly inspired by the recognition given to San Miguel Pale Pilsen. We are glad that our very own product stands above the rest and for us Filipinos, that’s something worth celebrating for," said SMB management.

San Miguel Pale Pilsen was also recommended for its "certain wheat/ citrus hit that sets it apart from the rest," that one can "drink lots of it with most Asian foods and in most climates."

San Miguel Pale Pilsen, one of the eight widely popular beer brands in the SMB portfolio, is known for its smooth moderate bitterness, pleasant hoppy aroma and snappy clean palate. :cheers::cheers::cheers:

http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20080519125031.html

San Miguel Pale Pilsen Asia’s best tasting beer:banana:

San Miguel Pale Pilsen is the best tasting beer in Asia, according to a popular US Magazine which recently gathered major beer brands from China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines for a taste test.

The iconic brand of San Miguel Brewery, Inc. (SMB), San Miguel Pale Pilsen bested six other international brands in all categories – appearance, aroma, taste and finish — used by the magazine to determine the best tasting beer.

In the article entitled "Far East Beer Showdown" by Derek Buono published in Beer Magazine’s March to April issue, the lone Filipino beer brand has been described as having "the most flavor and tasted better than all the other beers of the region."

"The SMB family is truly inspired by the recognition given to San Miguel Pale Pilsen. We are glad that our very own product stands above the rest and for us Filipinos, that’s something worth celebrating for," said SMB management.

San Miguel Pale Pilsen was also recommended for its "certain wheat/ citrus hit that sets it apart from the rest," that one can "drink lots of it with most Asian foods and in most climates."

San Miguel Pale Pilsen, one of the eight widely popular beer brands in the SMB portfolio, is known for its smooth moderate bitterness, pleasant hoppy aroma and snappy clean palate. :cheers::cheers::cheers:

http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20080519125031.html

Agree!

Great Beer...!:cheers:

http://medya.todayszaman.com/todayszaman/2008/05/15/paint.jpg

The daughter of a Filipino model and a Spanish lawyer, Cavestany spent her first 18 years in Barcelona. The day she turned 18, the high school graduate boarded a plane to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The city felt like home and would soon become such.

"Here is how the story begins: I settled in the land of my maternal grandparents and soon discovered Chinese painting," Cavestany recalls. The young university student decided to major in history and took up painting classes with one of the many Filipino-Chinese professors in Manila. "For several years, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to go to classes. Yet Chinese painting can take a lifetime to learn," she says.

Since these days, Cavestany has been focusing on watercolor -- although she does use other techniques at times. Some of her most recent canvases are currently on display in Nişantaşı’s İlayda Art Gallery, which is exhibiting 30 of those pieces, watercolor paintings and "mixed media" alike.

"Fragments and Flowers," which runs through May 18, is far from being Cavestany’s first exhibition. The young woman was still in her early 20s when a gallery offered to exhibit her work. "An exhibition had been planned for several Manila artists and one of them had to turn down the invitation," she explains. "I replaced him, which felt strange because I had never thought that I could become a professional painter, let alone have my work exhibited and judged."

That first exhibit was only the introductory chapter to Cavestany’s impressive record of other such events around the world. "Galleries started to call me as I was pursuing my training with workshops in Seattle, New York or Mexico," she says. "Manila is a mixture of 400 years of Spanish rule followed by 50 years of Hollywood -- the Americans -- and by independence in 1975. There are many talented artists in Manila, but they do not all get the chance to exhibit abroad."

A story of luck and work

Cavestany, who now alternates six months in Manila with six months in Barcelona ("I follow the monsoons"), says her story is one of luck and work, of talent and encounters. "I was once walking on the beach on the tropical island of Boracay, when I met a French woman who was an art merchant in Tokyo," Cavestany cites as an example. The artist showed some prints of her work and the merchant promised to arrange an exhibition in Tokyo. Since then, London has been followed by Japan, Mexico, Madrid, Barcelona, Singapore, Stuttgart, İstanbul and soon Hong Kong -- in addition to Cavestany’s two annual exhibits in Manila, where she sells most of her work.

"Until recently, I had never had an agent. I was calling galleries, showing my portfolio around or just being lucky," says Cavestany. "I think people feel a kind a proximity to my paintings. They feel that they don’t need a book to understand and like them. It goes straight to the heart and it is original, but not too much, so that everyone can relate to it."

Above all, Cavestany likes to paint beauty. And, to her light-green eyes, flowers are the personification of beauty. Little wonder then that the İstanbul exhibit features 30 exclusive pieces filled with colorful flowers, all combined with elements of Turkish and Ottoman culture. "I like to mix motifs and patterns," she adds. "İznik tiles, Ottoman motifs, 19th century Manilan figures. … After all, we are not pure but a mixture of here’s and there’s."

Among the 30 paintings on display -- most of them already sold -- visitors might notice dervishes whirling on a vase of fresh flowers, painted on a background of İznik motifs. "I always do my homework beforehand," Cavestany notes. "I have a history background and I am used to reading a lot. On my first trip to Turkey, I bought a pile of books about İznik pottery and tiles. I also went several times to İstanbul’s Rustem Pasha Mosque."

Another piece shows a Chinese-like teapot covered with İznik motifs on a floral background. Colors and flowers are the recurring features of Cavestany’s paintings and she describes her home as naturally full of colors and flowers. "I cultivate flowers, especially orchids, though I don’t have a favorite flower. Flowers make you feel better. When we surround ourselves with beauty, we become better artists and better humans." On a side note, Cavestany advises Today’s Zaman readers to put a few ice cubes into their flower vase for their flowers to stay beautiful.

"I paint flowers and other figures as they come out. The element of surprise is the key, although there are some recurring patterns, such as the use of color and the use of space," she notes, admitting a fondness for bright, tropical colors. "Also, my compositions are always full, as if I were afraid of blank spaces, which I think is not the case."

The chaotic harmony of ‘mestizaje’

Cavestany says artists such as Francisco Goya, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Joaquin Sorolla or contemporary Spanish artists like Perico Pastor have been, more or less consciously, a source of inspiration to her. "Plus, my work seems to transcend borders and nationalities, although I must say that the reactions of the Japanese audiences were incredible. I was surprised and flattered to hear them say that they ‘could never do this’," she smiles.

Cavestany is a prolific artist, averaging 70 paintings a year. "I paint several pieces simultaneously," she explains. "I can paint 10 hours or more in a row, day and night, locked in my studio with no contact to the outside world." Cavestany notes that the most difficult part is not to start but to finish a painting. "I tend to put too many things so I often have to get away from my work in order not to spoil it," she notes, adding that she is never fully satisfied with a piece. "Now I am strolling around the exhibition hall, hoping that I could remove some brush strokes from this or that painting."

As she pronounces those words, Cavestany heads to the side hall that hosts the "mixed media" she realized for the exhibition. "Those are called ‘mestizaje,’ the Spanish for ‘mixture’ or ‘crossbreeding’," she says. "Those pieces are both chaotic and harmonious. They combine decoupages of Filipino, 19th century art with motifs from Turkish carpets and traditional artifacts, a portrait of Suleiman I with flowers popping up from his turban. ... It is like painting several pieces in one."

Cavestany, who traveled extensively to Turkey ahead of the exhibit, says she is not done yet with the country. "For example, I would love to be part of the İstanbul Biennial," she says, adding that she hopes this first exhibit will help foster some further contacts.

http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=141857

First ad-funded mobile phone service in Asia! :okay:

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


http://businessmirror.com.ph/05202008/companies04.html

New Smart unit to offer ad-funded mobile brand
By Lenie Lectura
BusinessMirror
May 20, 2008

NEWLY acquired Smart subsidiary Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise (CURE) yesterday launched ümobile, the first ad-funded mobile-phone service in Asia. Commercial launch is set on June 1, officials said.

CURE chief marketing officer Ardie Balderrama said the cellular firm, the newest player in the telco market, will compete with other mobile-phone firms by giving out free load credits to subscribers who receive advertisements via their 2G- (second-generation) or 3G-enabled handsets.

“For our subscribers, it will be like earning money by watching commercials on television or viewing print ads in newspapers and magazines, except they will do it through their ümobile phones,” said Balderrama. CURE is a licensed 3G operator in the country.

CURE will partner with corporations that wish to advertise or create mobile-based campaigns for a particular brand. A portion of the revenues generated from a brand’s mobile-marketing campaigns will be given back to the subscribers who can purchase or make transactions for ümobile services or avail themselves of a brand’s product offer, such as freebies, discounts and other rewards.

CURE sales head Noli Romualdez said the company is set to partner with five to 10 companies prior to the commercial launch of ümobile. “We are in advance talks with them. They are all very interested about it. They are in the food business, beauty products, and goods and services businesses, and even financial institutions,” he said.

ümobile will focus on a niche market composed of men and women aged 15 to 35. Forty-five percent of the population belongs to this age segment, where brand preference and loyalty is built.

Subscription will be by-invitation and only around 10,000 subscribers are expected every month. Subscribers accepted into the service from June to August will get P100 worth of prepaid load every month for six months. On top of that, every ad message they view on their ümobile phone earns them rewards in the form of free load, text messages, data minutes, etc.

Additional freebies will be given based on their participation in mobile- marketing campaigns by advertisers in the ümobile network.

“Through ümobile, we offer advertisers the opportunity to tap into their emerging marketing medium where they can directly target the consumers they want to reach. We’ll know if our subscribers go to the gym, what movies they watch, what kind of music they listen to, among other things, and this will allow to cater to the prime prospects of our advertisers,” said Balderrama.

By the end of this year, CURE expects it would register up to 100,000 subscribers.

While other mobile-phone operators have their versions of unlimited voice and text messaging services, CURE’s business model is anchored on bringing together brands and consumers closer via mobile-phone services. “This is how CURE will compete in the mobile telco arena,” added Balderrama.

ümobile will ride on the network of Smart Communications Inc., the cellular unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT). CURE has already forged interconnection agreements with the PLDT group, which means that CURE subscribers can call and send text messages to Smart and Piltel cellular subscribers, PLDT landline users and vice versa.

CURE will pay Smart for the use of the latter’s network. Balderrama did not reveal details of the commercial arrangement between the two networks. “Our coverage within Metro Manila is only 30 cellular sites. Outside of Metro Manila, we will tap on Smart’s network,” he added.

CURE is confident that it will ink similar interconnection deals with Globe Telecom, Sun Cellular and Bayan Telecommunications Inc. prior to the commercial launch.

Smart recently purchased the entire issued and outstanding capital stocks of PH Communications Holdings Corp. and Francom Holdings, Inc. (FHI) in CURE for the total amount of P419.54 million. PH Communications used to own 96.57 percent of CURE while FHI had 3.43 percent stake in the 3G firm. Both were controlled by an investor group led by businessman Roberto Ongpin.

Smart said it intends to directly invest up to P210 million in CURE, in the form of subscriptions for new shares. The fresh funds will be used for working capital.

^^ ngayon lang uli nagka news tungkol sa CURE ah., binili na pala ng smart., :)

http://www.mb.com.ph/ENTR20080520124982.html

Fil-Am actress Liza Lapira in US No. 1 hit ‘21’
Manila Bulletin
May 20, 2008

Columbia Pictures’ new thriller "21" – which was No. 1 in the U.S.box-office for two consecutive weeks – features Filipino-American actress Liza Lapira in the ensemble cast led by Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess.

Lapira, most recognized in Hollywood for her turn in the Showtime series "Huff," plays Kianna in "21," a key member of a group of math whiz students that heads to Las Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big time.

The film is based on Ben Mezrich’s bestselling novel "Bringing Down the House," the true story of the very brightest young minds in America – and how they took Vegas for millions.

Lapira says that she was astounded by the chance to work with Kevin Spacey, "I was so excited to find out that I got this role with Kevin in the movie. I know it’s a cliché thing to say, but just watching him work, I learned a lot."

Two weeks prior to filming, Lapira and the other actors who play the team of card counters spent time with card consultant Kyle Morris to learn how to play the game. Lapira explains, "Before being in this movie, I never thought playing blackjack was fun. But thanks to ‘research,’ we got to go to a lot of cool places. It didn’t feel like we were working."

Lapira, will next star in "Repossession Mambo," opposite Jude Law and Forest Whitaker.

She made her mark in television with a recurring role on Showtime’s Emmy award-winning show "Huff." She played Maggie Del Rosario, Oliver Platt’s long-suffering assistant.

Her film credits include "Domino," "Brown Sugar," and "LA Blues." Her notable credits on television include guest appearances on "Grey’s Anatomy," "Monk," "The Sopranos," and "Sex and the City." She also has recurring roles on "Law & Order: SVU" and "NCIS."

She is originally from Queens, New York, and moved to Los Angeles in 2004.

(Opening across the Philippines in May 28, "21" is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.)

Bamboo School Wins Architectural Design Competition (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080522137)

A state-of-the-art school building made of bamboo and built to withstand powerful cyclones won first prize in the recently concluded Millennium Design School competition.

The international contest was launched by the Philippine government, the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and My Shelter Foundation in a bid “to find solutions to the problems of school buildings in the developing world, and in particular those that are constantly faced by natural disasters like typhoons, flashfloods and earthquakes.”

“It aims to solicit the best architecture-for humanity designs from all over the world,” said Illac Diaz, executive of My Shelter Foundation.

The winning designs and entries submitted by architects from all over the world were presented and shown to students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in a forum here.

Diaz, a former student of the MIT, said the designs will be put on exhibit and presented to President Arroyo on May 23. The names of the winners will be announced in a formal ceremony.

The bamboo school building, supported by pillars of steel and reinforced concrete, was designed by a Malaysian architect and can withstand gusting winds of over 150 miles per hour or winds that can uproot trees, houses and destroy school buildings.

The judges unanimously chose the bamboo design because it can bend and flex in strong winds and will rarely break. It has a tensile strength superior to mild steel and is an indigenous material that grows in the Philippines.

The local government of Camarines Sur will soon build the first prototype of the bamboo school building in Barangay Nato, Sagnay.

The Millennium Design School competition is also an initiative of the Private Sector Disaster Management Network, National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), the Department of Education and Department of Public Works and Highways.

The Millennium Design School competition is part of the Be Better, Build Better campaign, a program that aims to come up with innovations to make Philippine school buildings safe, conducive to learning and to devise technological solutions to improve the quality and standards of how these structures are built.

The government will build a prototype of the bamboo school building in typhoon-affected areas and will eventually serve as a model for other Asian regions that are battered by typhoons.

Diaz said they focused on the sustainability of schools because it is one of the most vulnerable to disasters. Aside from using them as structures for learning, they are also used for evacuation centers, he added.

“When they are damaged they are rehabilitated only to be damaged again, and to break the vicious cycle of destruction-death-rehabilitation-destruction, the competition was launched.” Diaz said.

The Philippines is frequently battered by tropical cyclones (typhoons), earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and floods. Based on the yearend report of the Office of Civil Defense, from January 2004 to June 2005, there was an average of 4,500 deaths, 650 missing persons and P15 billion in direct damages equivalent to 0.5 percent of the country’s GDP.

The Philippines is battered by 16 typhoons annually and at least five of them are destructive.

Diaz said that with stable typhoon-resistant schools, the government could save on post-aid funds usually poured into communities after a severe calamity.

“A large part of the funds is spent on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of buildings damaged during the onslaught of typhoons. Millions of pesos are spent on these. What if we can build more disaster-resistant schools to minimize the spending on post-aid and allot this to other needs of the education department. If we think ahead of disaster, the amount of personal damage could be reduced,” he said.

The competition, Illac said, served as a venue to present the challenges.

“The key of the competition is to stimulate innovation, serve as a means of exchange and ensure the widest dissemination of new technologies in the area of learning-conducive, sustainable, disaster resilient and cost-effective school building design. By creating a forum where design, technology, education and disaster management converge, the quality of education can be improved through a best practices manual that could be used worldwide. The competition will also yield the most appropriate green technologies with minimal negative effects on the environment,” Diaz said.

He said now is the time to do something to improve the sustainability of school buildings in the Philippines.

“If First World is trying to deal with carbon emission, we are trying to design our own blueprint in these climate hotspots,” Diaz said.

Manila-Tondo Foreshore International Architectural Competition

The inspiration for the Millennium Design School competition came from a contest in 1976 called the Manila-Tondo Foreshore International Architectural Competition that called for architects to address the needs of mushrooming squatters in the 1970s. The competition coincided with the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements held in Vancouver, Canada also in 1976.

The conference led to the establishment of UN Habitat, dedicated to human settlement development, envisioned to create a paradigm shift towards recognizing that upgrading the standards of living of those below the subsistence level in Manila is a better solution than just physically removing slum areas.

“Several architects answered the global call at that time. We thought why not launch another one today, hence the Millennium Design School competition. It all began from that literature,” Diaz said.

With the help of his former classmate at Ateneo, Dr. Tony Gonzales, they enlisted some important people and organizations to get things rolling.

“We put in the director of the National Disaster Coordinator Council (NDCC), the head of the Meralco foundation, ABS-CBN and gave grants. We also flew to Camarines Sur where I knew Gov. Lray Villafuerte,” Diaz said.

They learned that school buildings, particularly in disaster-prone areas, could not withstand 150 mile per hour winds.

A lot of architects from different parts of the world answered the challenge.

But Diaz said this is just the first step. When asked if the school building would also address the problem of flooding, he said it was just specific to the aspect of cyclone or strong winds since the area where the bamboo school building will be built is in the mountain area of Camarines Sur.

But he said the competition is a good start.

“There are many challenges but we should unite against a common problem, and work for a common solution and get the best standards in the world. Everything is possible. For the longest time, charity was always geared to donating money but one of the greatest donations is the donation of ideas,” Diaz said.

Diaz is one of the Young Global Leaders chosen by the World Economic Forum of 2008. In 2007, he was awarded National Winner of the DHL Young Entrepreneurs for Sustainability and in 2006, he was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World by JCI International and was chosen as one of the People of the Year of People Magazine.

My Shelter is a non-stock non-profit organization that aims to create a system of sustainability and replicability through its capability-building and employment generating projects. Among its projects are the 25 Earthen Schools in Surigao, Coral Walls development and the innovative peanut shellers for peanut farmers and processors.

Europeans praise RP's top equestrienne (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=119069)

"A one-of-a-kind world class equestrienne." This is how some Europeans described Toni Leviste in the most recent Jumpen Antwerpen held in Antwerp, Belgium.

Tal Milstein, organizer of the show admitted he felt very honoured to have Leviste in the show, whom he considered one of the finest riders the competition ever had.

"It was nice to have Toni with us as a Filipino rider of course, contributing to the variety of riders. She had very nice results, she played very well, she made good publicity for the country, so we like to have her of course for next year," he said.

Leviste is the only Asian equestrienne who qualified in this year’s most prestigious show jumping in Belgium. Though she finished with one fence on the floor, she ranked 14 out of the 60 riders.

Thus, the organizer had nothing but praises for Leviste’s performance.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate Toni 10. First of all, she’s a great public person. She contributes a lot for the show jumping. I think, she’s an asset for the country," he exclaimed.

Even coach Stanny Van Paeschen attested that Leviste is a player who keeps getting better in each competition.

"Toni is a great rider. She is making good progress. I hope she will get the Olympic gold in London. She’s good. She needs to go a little bit quicker but she made them quite strong. She goes off and clear," he said.

Leviste may have failed to bring home the award both in the silver and gold class, but stated that she is equally happy to represent the country.

"I am proud to be a Filipino athlete and that’s what I am in my heart and in my soul. I’ve been riding for the last 20 years representing our country and I feel very proud that I carry the Philippine flag, the Philippine colours," she said while beaming with pride.

The 33 year-old equestrienne emphasized that as an athlete, her spirit remains high even in times of failures.

"I always have a philosophy that a winner is a dreamer that never quits. You win some, but you lose a lot more. But it’s in fact in the difficulties, the obstacles that you learn a lot from. It’s in getting up while falling and after falling that you become stronger, wiser and more experienced. And I just have to keep going," she said.

Three Ds

On the other hand, Leviste encouraged Filipino youth to be involved in sports, which she believes would be vital in developing their personality.

"Sports, for me, builds discipline, dedication and determination. Yan ang tinatawag ko na 3Ds", she explained.

She also cited that sports is one of the factors why Filipinos remain united despite the current crisis that hounds the country.

Leviste said there are so many crises hounding the country, "pero pag may isang atleta na Pilipino na lumalaban sa international arena, talagang buong bayan nasa likod nya (if there is a Filipino athlete competing in the international arena, the entire country is behind him)."

"Manny Pacquiao, Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes, and all the great athletes compete for our country, there’s no reason but to feel proud," she said.

While an Olympic gold medal seems to be very elusive for a Filipino athlete, this petite and pretty equestrienne said she's working hard for the 2012 London Olympics.

2008 World Sport Stacking Champion: Steven Puruggunan

Dsw_qaU3wGc&feature

Wow! another Filipino made it to the top..
After, Charice Pempengco (of Youtube performances)
Wesley So, of Dubai Chess Champion
And many other Filipinos out there..
Here is another Pinoy from Longmeadow, Massachussetts,
In the name of Steven Purugganan,10-year-old who was held
as 2008 WSSA World Sport Stacking Champion
last April 5-6.

His records are:
1.86 seconds for the Individual 3-3-3 Stack Division
6.21 seconds for the Individual Cycle Stack Division

http://euts.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/steven-purugganan-2008-world-sport-stacking-wss-champion/

Filipino students win special award at Intel science fair

May 23, 2008 15:35:00
Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net (http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/thegoodnews/view.php?db=1&article=20080523-138367)

MANILA, Philippines--A microtremor device developed by a team of Philippine Science High School students won a special award at the recent Intel Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Atlanta, Georgia.

The team--composed of Adrian Patacsil, Marvin Paolo Ambrosio and Rachel Ruth Cahilig--won the Distinguished Achievement Award given by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists to projects that display excellence related to the geophysical sciences. The team received a $1,500 cash prize and a trip to the Society of International Exploration Geophysicists international expo this November in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Ma. Teresa Pacis, Intel Philippines external affairs manager.

A microtremor device measures ambient vibration on the ground, and is commonly used by architect and engineers to ensure safety of structures, Pacis said.

"There is only one such instrument in the country and it's in Phivolcs [Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology]," Pacis said in a text message to INQUIRER.net. "Their project made a prototype that's affordable and portable."

More than 1,500 students from 51 countries joined this year ISEF, competing for more than $4 million worth in prizes and scholarships. Nine students, chosen from the local science ISEF contest held last February, represented the Philippines in the annual Intel event.

Aside from the PSHS team, the delegation also included Jed Sidney Oliva (Ballesteros National High School Cagayan), Andrew Diamante (Visayas State University Laboratory High School), Steven Tan (The Quantum Academy Inc.), and teammates Michelle Barbon, Rachel Bernados and Mary Cris Corpuz (Gingoog City Comp. National High School).

The top prizes went to Natalie Saranga Omattage of Cleveland, Sana Raoof of New York and Yi-Han Su of Taipei. Each received $50,000 as Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award winners.

2008 World Sport Stacking Champion: Steven Puruggunan

Dsw_qaU3wGc&feature

Wow! another Filipino made it to the top..
After, Charice Pempengco (of Youtube performances)
Wesley So, of Dubai Chess Champion
And many other Filipinos out there..
Here is another Pinoy from Longmeadow, Massachussetts,
In the name of Steven Purugganan,10-year-old who was held
as 2008 WSSA World Sport Stacking Champion
last April 5-6.

His records are:
1.86 seconds for the Individual 3-3-3 Stack Division
6.21 seconds for the Individual Cycle Stack Division

http://euts.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/steven-purugganan-2008-world-sport-stacking-wss-champion/

:)galing

Congrats to Steven!!! I didn't know there was such a sport as Sport Stacking until now.

P.S. Is there a slow-mo version of that video? I wanna learn it. LOL. :lol:



2008 World Sport Stacking Champion: Steven Puruggunan

Dsw_qaU3wGc&feature

Wow! another Filipino made it to the top..
After, Charice Pempengco (of Youtube performances)
Wesley So, of Dubai Chess Champion
And many other Filipinos out there..
Here is another Pinoy from Longmeadow, Massachussetts,
In the name of Steven Purugganan,10-year-old who was held
as 2008 WSSA World Sport Stacking Champion
last April 5-6.

His records are:
1.86 seconds for the Individual 3-3-3 Stack Division
6.21 seconds for the Individual Cycle Stack Division

http://euts.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/steven-purugganan-2008-world-sport-stacking-wss-champion/

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080524-138566/Pink-Power-Ranger-is-Filipina

Pink Power Ranger is Filipina

goodnewspilipinas.com
05/24/2008

RHODA Montemayor is doing the country proud as the only Power Ranger in the international hit series. The London-based Filipina actress can be seen in the recent season of Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive, in which she plays the character Rose Ortiz (Pink Overdrive Ranger).

The series is currently being aired on television world wide, including Toon Disney’s Jetix TV and ABC kids cable network in the US and on ITV1 in the UK.

Rhoda is a multi-talented and diverse actress, whose versatility as a performer has landed her roles on both stage and screen, from musical theatre (”A Chorus Line” and “West Side Story”) to feature films (”Finding Neverland”).

Rhoda currently resides in London, where she was also born and raised. Her ethnic origin is Filipino, though her enigmatic looks have led her to play a wide variety of roles from Latino, Native American, Mixed Race to Asian.

She trained professionally at Laine Theatre Arts and at The Actors Temple, where she was able to develop and maintain her skills as an actress / dancer / singer; and was also fortunate enough to acquire extra skills, such as martial arts (stunt work) through the various productions she has worked on over the years.

Rhoda also recently finished filming a cameo role in the film Adulthood (sequel to Kidulthood), written produced and directed by friend, Noel Clarke, coming to UK cinemas in 2008 from Pathe.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080524-138558/Charice-Groban--Keys-in-David-Foster-concert

Charice, Groban & Keys in David Foster concert

goodnewspilipinas.com
05/24/2008

FILIPINO singing sensation Charice Pempengco is set to star with Andrea Bocelli, Alicia Keys, Josh Groban and John Mayer in a concert tribute to songwriter David Foster on Friday (Saturday in Manila) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The concert will highlight the luminous career of Foster, one of the music industry’s most celebrated producers. He will be honored by a historic one-night-only live concert, David Foster and Friends.

This special tribute to Foster -- the man and his music -- is set to take place at the Event Center at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

The show will also feature a host of acclaimed performers, including Michael Buble, Babyface, Kenny G, Katharine McPhee, Brian McKnight, Boz Scaggs, piano virtuoso William Joseph, Renee Olstead, and Cheryl Lynn.

Foster, along with these artists, will be performing some of his biggest hits.

During Foster’s 35-year career as a songwriter, producer and 14-time Grammy winner, he has discovered and nurtured the careers of scores of artists, as well as creating chart-topping hits for Barbra Streisand, Céline Dion, Whitney Houston, The Corrs, Chaka Khan, Madonna, Josh Groban; Earth, Wind and Fire; Natalie Cole, Michael Bublé and many others.

“I am honored to be recognized in this way by so many of the artists I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past three decades,” Foster says. “Not only are they supremely talented, but I also consider them dear friends, so I’m really looking forward to getting up onstage and spending the evening with some of my favorite people in the world.”

David Foster and Friends will be filmed for broadcast in December on PBS stations nationwide. A CD/DVD of the show will be released by Warner Bros. Records this fall.

Foster entered the music business in l973, quickly establishing himself as a sought-after session musician and premier keyboardist. By the end of that decade and throughout the next, he ventured into writing and producing and worked with such artists as Chicago, Hall and Oates, The Corrs; Earth, Wind and Fire, and Kenny Rogers, among others. In the ’90s, Foster’s producing credits included Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable, Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, Barbra Streisand’s Somewhere, Toni Braxton’s Un-Break My Heart and Céline Dion’s Because You Love Me.

Other Foster hits include I Have Nothing (Whitney Houston), Tell Him (Barbra Streisand/ Céline Dion), Through the Fire (Chaka Khan), Got to Be Real (Cheryl Lynn), You’ll See (Madonna), The Prayer (Céline Dion/ Andrea Bocelli), Hard Habit to Break (Chicago), You’re the Inspiration (Chicago), Hard to Say I’m Sorry (Chicago), When I Fall In Love (Clive Griffin/Céline Dion), Who’s Holding Donna Now (DeBarge), Stand Up For Love (Destiny’s Child), After the Love Has Gone (Earth, Wind and Fire), Man in Motion (St. Elmo’s Fire) by John Parr, The Only One (Lionel Richie) and Glory of Love (Peter Cetera).

ohh i love that song. who's holding donna now...:cry:

Jupiter: Hubble Unveils Third Red Spot on Planet Jupiter (http://newsoxy.com/newsc/hubble_unveils_third_red_spot_on_planet_jupiter/article10914.htm)

The Hubble space telescope and the Keck telescope provided new images that might support the idea that climate change is under way on planet Jupiter.

The gas giant's temperatures may be changing by 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit perhaps driving more turbulent storms.

By: Mary Couchman
May 24, 2008, 8:27 PM EDT

The Hubble space telescope and the Keck telescope provided new images that might support the idea that climate change is under way on planet Jupiter.

A team of international scientists said the new spot on Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, arose from a white oval-shaped storm and has changed to a red color clearly showing that the storm is swirling high into the Jovian atmosphere.

The images, taken by the orbiting Hubble space telescope and the Keck telescope in Hawaii, may support the idea that climate change is under way on Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system.

Amateur planet-gazer Christopher Go of Cebu in the Philippines helped locate the new development.

While the Great Red Spot has been visible for as long as 350 years, Red Spot Jr. had only been around since 2006. The team at the University of California Berkeley said all three spots represent storms and must be towering above the methane in Jupiter's atmosphere.

"If this spot and the Great Red Spot continue on their courses, they will encounter each other in August, and the small oval will either be absorbed or repelled from the Great Red Spot," Michael Wong of Berkeley, who worked on the study, said in a statement.

The Great Red Spot has raged for 200 to 350 years. Red Spot, Jr., has continued since spring of 2006.
The gas giant's temperatures may be changing by 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit perhaps driving more turbulent storms.


***


Christopher Go of the Philippines photographed it on February 27th (Edit: 2006 pa pala 'to nakunan, of special interest uli ngayon dahil sa projected climate change :)) using an 11-inch telescope and a CCD camera:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/images/redjr/go1_strip_lab.jpg

Read related article here (http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/02mar_redjr.htm)

Arnel Pineda is on the June issue of GQ

http://www.imageox.com/image/267647-DSC08594.jpeg

HE DIDN’T STOP BELIEVIN’ (http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6818)

When the legendary rock band Journey needed to replace their lead singer, they turned to the Internet, where they found clips of an unknown 40-year-old singer from the Philippines. Arnel Pineda was just a small-town boy, living in a lonely world, covering Journey songs in no-name bar bands, but he had the voice—and the hair—of a natural-born rock star. Now he’s living a dream that goes on, and on, and on, and on…

By Alex Pappademas; Photograph by Andrew Hetherington

Arnel Pineda, who turns 41 this year, has been performing in bands since he was a teenager, and by now he has mastered virtually every kick-ass lead-singer move known to rock. He can launch his compact body off the drum riser and land without twisting an ankle. He plays excellent microphone-cord air guitar. He knows when to do the reach-out-and-touch with the fans in the front row and when to turn the microphone stand upside down and lift it above his head, as if calling down the lightning. He knows how to do these things because he is a professional lead singer and a good one, which means he is a virtuoso whose instrument is his own charisma. He is also adept at the parts of the lead-singer job that involve singing.

Until recently, the only place you could see Pineda doing any of this stuff was in Manila, where he and his band, the Zoo, appeared regularly at bars and nightclubs, or on the YouTube channel of an industrious Zoo fan named Noel Gomez, who has uploaded more than sixty video clips of the band performing live, usually on stages that resemble discarded sets from early-’90s late-night talk shows. It was thanks to those videos, in which Pineda sings the songs of Deep Purple, the Goo Goo Dolls, Heart, Stryper, Styx, Toto, Aerosmith, Bob Marley, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Simple Minds, Bryan Adams, Men at Work, the Beatles, and REO Speedwagon, that he wound up here at the Planet Hollywood hotel in Las Vegas on a Saturday in early March, playing his first U.S. show as the new lead singer of the legendary ’80s rock band Journey.

Read the rest of the article (http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6818)

http://http://www.charicemania.com/charicemaniacom/2008/05/concert-review.html#more
CONCERT REVIEW: Foster's secrets on display

BY JASON BRACELIN, Review Journal

If Groban is one of Foster's most renowned discoveries, this night truly belonged to a newer one, doe-eyed 16-year-old Filipino belter Charice, whose voice is like a jetliner taking off from her sternum.She turned in a stunning rendition of Whitney Houston-by-way-of-Dolly Parton hit "I Will Always Love You," singing with such power and poise, it was hard to believe that she wasn't even yet alive when the song originally became a hit on "The Bodyguard" soundtrack in 1992.

"Tonight, a star is born," Foster gushed after her brief set, another grand sentiment from a man defined by them.

What others are saying 'bout Charice watch here

Submitted by: Pvash

rated 5.0 by 4 people [?]


Friday during the David Foster and Friends concert at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

His songs always seem to sprout wings and not only fly too close to the sun, but swallow it whole.

He favors singers with voices so big, it's as if they were trying to smuggle a gospel choir in their lungs.

For David Foster, more is always more, and why nibble when you can gorge? If the guy was a chef, he'd weigh 500 pounds.

Instead, Foster's a well-decorated songwriter and producer who has seemingly notched that number of hits over his 35-year career.

On Friday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Foster revisited his extensive canon with more than a dozen singers whose careers he has helped shape, from neo-classical pop superstar Josh Groban to honey-voiced R&B crooner Brian McKnight to former Chicago frontman Peter Cetera.

At nearly four hours long, with a 15-minute intermission, the show was every bit as outsized and extravagant as Foster's works have long proved themselves to be. The $2 million production was taped for a TV special to air on PBS this winter, as well as a corresponding CD/DVD release.

The evening underscored the secret to Foster's success: He's a penultimate craftsman, a guy who seldom seems to pay much heed to genre distinctions because the basis for a hit is largely the same in all of them.

He traces the shared genealogy of seemingly disparate forms of music -- say, country and R&B -- by applying the same principles of songwriting to each one: a meticulous production done with the precision of a surgeon wielding a scalpel, an emphasis on melodrama and a love for the kind of soaring voices that aren't satisfied until they're resting on a bed of clouds.

As such, his works have been dismissed as maudlin by some, and Foster is well-aware of this.

"Most people that know me know that I haven't been in an elevator for 30 years," he wrote in the program for the show. "Some people would say that's because I don't want to hear my own music!"

Sure, it's some indulgent stuff at times, but then again, a glass of chardonnay is indulgent compared to a can of Coors Light and Foster's musical decadence is tailored for pop epicureans. It's the audio equivalent of eating prime rib for breakfast.

And there was plenty to feast on during this night.

Backed by a mammoth band that included members of the Las Vegas Symphony, Foster occupied center stage at his piano while a rotating cast of singers joined him to belt out a jukebox worth of songs you know by heart.

They ranged from his first hit (stirring ballad "Wildflower," sung by country singer Blake Shelton) to foot stompin' funk (Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real") to neo-jazz swing (a dapper Michael Buble purring through "Save The Last Dance For Me" like a kitten getting its belly rubbed).

The show was highlighted by a series of dramatic duets, such as former "American Idol" contender Katharine McPhee joining operatic Italian crooner Andrea Bocelli for a heart-in-the-throat version of torch song "The Prayer;" Shelton and Buble trading lines on the wistful "Home" and Groban and McKnight teaming up on Simon and Garfunkel standard "Bridge Over Troubled Waters."

Speaking of which, Groban was the night's main attraction, especially for the many in attendance with silver hair.

When Groban tore into his signature "You Raise Me Up," audience members leapt to their feet like they had just won at bingo.

If Groban is one of Foster's most renowned discoveries, this night truly belonged to a newer one, doe-eyed 16-year-old Filipino belter Charice, whose voice is like a jetliner taking off from her sternum.

She turned in a stunning rendition of Whitney Houston-by-way-of-Dolly Parton hit "I Will Always Love You," singing with such power and poise, it was hard to believe that she wasn't even yet alive when the song originally became a hit on "The Bodyguard" soundtrack in 1992.

"Tonight, a star is born," Foster gushed after her brief set, another grand sentiment from a man defined by them.

http://http://www.charicemania.com/charicemaniacom/2008/05/how-charice-mad.html#more

How Charice Made It to David Foster’s Elite List of Friends

The young singing sensation continues to count her blessings, among them making it to the elite list of people prolific songwriter, producer and musician David Foster call friends as they will perform at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Friday, May 23, alongside Foster’s other friends such as Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Brian McKnight, Babyface and Katharine McPhee, among others.

Charice met with the famous composer/producer in Los Angeles last year before she taped her Ellen guesting. They flew together to Las Vegas on a private jet to watch the farewell show of Celine Dion at the Caesar’s Palace Colosseum.

All these seem to be happening so fast for the diminutive diva, after her ground-breaking guestings on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Paul O’Grady Show in London, and just recently, Oprah.

Last Saturday, Charice shared the spotlight with Josh Groban, John Mayer and Alicia Keys in a show organized by Foster at the grand opening of the MGM Grand Casino-Hotel at Foxwoods in Connecticut.

rated 4.87 by 15 people [?]


Noted immigration lawyer Michael Gurfinkel and his wife Millie were with Charice and her mom Raquel in Connecticut and they shared their story with the Asian Journal. Atty. Gurfinkel helped expedite the issuance of US visas to Charice and her mom.

"David Foster put together and produced the very first show, featuring Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, John Mayer and, of course, the International Singing Sensation and pride of the Philippines, Charice. She appeared just before Josh and sang a medley of Whitney Houston hits (I Have Nothing and I Will Always Love You, from the movie The Bodyguard which starred Houston herself and Kevin Costner)," Millie shared.

Charice received a standing ovation, the only performer to receive one that night, and ovation, the only performer to receive one that night, and Foster asked the crowd after Charice finished her rousing rendition, "Would you like one more song?" The audience cheered and shouted an enthusiastic "Yes!" The crowd’s request for an encore led David and Charice to do an unrehearsed performance of And I’m Telling You.

After they performed, the audience once again gave Charice yet another standing ovation. Among those in the audience were Quincy Jones, and Michael Douglas with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones. Backstage, David, Alicia and Josh congratulated Charice for her "phenomenal performance."

For her part, the young diva was just so happy to be a representative of the Philippines on such an important world stage, with some of the biggest names in entertainment. "I hope I make my kababayans proud," Charice said.

Touted as one of the music industry’s most celebrated producers, David Foster, will be honored by a historic onenight-only live concert, David Foster and Friends this Friday, May 23. This special tribute to Foster —the man and his music—is scheduled to take place at the Event Center at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

The show will feature a host of acclaimed performers, including Andrea Bocelli, Babyface, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Kenny G, Katharine McPhee, Brian McKnight, Boz Scaggs, piano virtuoso William Joseph, Renee Olstead, Cheryl Lynn and Charice among others. Foster, along with the above artists, will be performing some of his biggest hits. During Foster’s 35-year career as a songwriter, producer and 14-time Grammy winner, he has discovered and nurtured the careers of scores of artists, as well as creating chart-topping hits for Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, The Corrs, Chaka Khan, Madonna, Josh Groban; Earth, Wind and Fire; Natalie Cole, Michael Buble and many others.

"I am honored to be recognized in this way by so many of the artists I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past three decades," Foster said, "Not only are they supremely talented, but I also consider them dear friends, so I’m really looking forward to getting up onstage and spending the evening with some of my favorite people in the world."

David Foster and Friends will be filmed for broadcast in December on PBS stations nationwide. A CD/DVD of the show will be released by Warner Bros. Records this fall. Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster and the Mandalay Bay box office online at www.mandalaybay.com. (AJ)

:)

"David Foster put together and produced the very first show, featuring Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, John Mayer and, of course, the International Singing Sensation and pride of the Philippines, Charice. She appeared just before Josh and sang a medley of Whitney Houston hits (I Have Nothing and I Will Always Love You, from the movie The Bodyguard which starred Houston herself and Kevin Costner)," Millie shared.

Charice received a standing ovation, the only performer to receive one that night, and ovation, the only performer to receive one that night, and Foster asked the crowd after Charice finished her rousing rendition, "Would you like one more song?" The audience cheered and shouted an enthusiastic "Yes!" The crowd’s request for an encore led David and Charice to do an unrehearsed performance of And I’m Telling You.

After they performed, the audience once again gave Charice yet another standing ovation. Among those in the audience were Quincy Jones, and Michael Douglas with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones. Backstage, David, Alicia and Josh congratulated Charice for her "phenomenal performance."

For her part, the young diva was just so happy to be a representative of the Philippines on such an important world stage, with some of the biggest names in entertainment. "I hope I make my kababayans proud," Charice said.

:applause: :applause: She's really amazing.

Winners of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival:

Awards given Sunday at the 61st Cannes Film Festival, selected by a nine-member jury headed by actor-director Sean Penn:

_Palme d'Or (Golden Palm): "The Class," Laurent Cantet (France).

_Grand Prize: "Gomorrah," Matteo Garrone (Italy).

_Jury Prize: "Il Divo," Paolo Sorrentino (Italy).

_Special 61st Anniversary Prizes: Catherine Deneuve (France) and Clint Eastwood (United States).

_Best Director: "Three Monkeys," Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey).

_Best Actor: Benicio Del Toro, "Che" (United States).

_Best Actress: Sandra Corveloni, "Linha de Passe" (Brazil).

_Best Screenplay: "Lorna's Silence," Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Belgium).

_Golden Camera (first-time director): "Hunger," Steve McQueen (Britain).

_Best short film: "Megatron," Marian Crisan (Romania).

Unfortunately, the much touted Philippine entry including Gina Pareno for Best Actress did not make it. Are Filipino films over-rated?

:applause: :applause: She's really amazing.

I totally agree... I love to see the video of her appearance with David Foster!!!

:applause: :applause: She's really amazing.

Personally, hindi ako naaappeal sa "hitsura" ni Charice. That's also the same reason maybe bakit hindi siya masyadong kinakagat ng Pinoy "masa". And also, that must be the same reason why she did not win in the talent search, Little Big Star, before.

Kung dad ko naman ang tatanungin, Oo nga, maganda at powerful ang boses ni Charice for her age, kaya nashock ang buong mundo and naging instant click si Charice pero sure daw siya na may marami pa sigurong mas magaling and undiscovered Pinoy talents out there.

Ewan ko, likas nga ba sa Pinoy ang maging mapanghusga sa hitsura?

Personally, hindi ako naaappeal sa "hitsura" ni Charice. That's also the same reason maybe bakit hindi siya masyadong kinakagat ng Pinoy "masa". And also, that must be the same reason why she did not win in the talent search, Little Big Star, before.

Kung dad ko naman ang tatanungin, Oo nga, maganda at powerful ang boses ni Charice for her age, kaya nashock ang buong mundo and naging instant click si Charice pero sure daw siya na may marami pa sigurong mas magaling and undiscovered Pinoy talents out there.

Ewan ko, likas nga ba sa Pinoy ang maging mapanghusga sa hitsura?

Different cultures would have different acceptance of talent. She's a hit in South Korea and America is just tuning on her talent on how far she can go.
A youtube sensation that took her all the way to a singing contract in Europe and being a guest on 2 famous celebrity shows in America, Charise doesn't need to be accepted by the Pinoy masa since her exposure in her native country is very limited. If there are still undiscovered talent left behind in the Philippines, only time will tell on when and how would they show up. For now, the dream of that little girl with a powerful voice being fulfilled is the best thing that could happen to anyone and her country is somehow attached on her popularity.

The best that we can do is to support her for what she had done on her way to fulfilling her dreams.

^ True. Nakakapigil-hininga nga naman ang mga performances ni Charice. How I wish I had that kind of voice. :laugh:

Personally, hindi ako naaappeal sa "hitsura" ni Charice. That's also the same reason maybe bakit hindi siya masyadong kinakagat ng Pinoy "masa". And also, that must be the same reason why she did not win in the talent search, Little Big Star, before.

Kung dad ko naman ang tatanungin, Oo nga, maganda at powerful ang boses ni Charice for her age, kaya nashock ang buong mundo and naging instant click si Charice pero sure daw siya na may marami pa sigurong mas magaling and undiscovered Pinoy talents out there.

Ewan ko, likas nga ba sa Pinoy ang maging mapanghusga sa hitsura?

I guess you're right. Just compare her to the champion Sam Concepcion, she's too far from him in terms of appeal and even energy. Sam is very energetic when he performs upbeat songs unlike Charice (She's a balladeer kasi). Those qualities made Sam the champion but unfortunately Charice's voice made her more famous.

Winners of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival:

Awards given Sunday at the 61st Cannes Film Festival, selected by a nine-member jury headed by actor-director Sean Penn:

_Palme d'Or (Golden Palm): "The Class," Laurent Cantet (France).

_Grand Prize: "Gomorrah," Matteo Garrone (Italy).

_Jury Prize: "Il Divo," Paolo Sorrentino (Italy).

_Special 61st Anniversary Prizes: Catherine Deneuve (France) and Clint Eastwood (United States).

_Best Director: "Three Monkeys," Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey).

_Best Actor: Benicio Del Toro, "Che" (United States).

_Best Actress: Sandra Corveloni, "Linha de Passe" (Brazil).

_Best Screenplay: "Lorna's Silence," Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Belgium).

_Golden Camera (first-time director): "Hunger," Steve McQueen (Britain).

_Best short film: "Megatron," Marian Crisan (Romania).

Unfortunately, the much touted Philippine entry including Gina Pareno for Best Actress did not make it. Are Filipino films over-rated?

So sad, nobody from the country won. But, I think, it's already a great honor for the country to be nominated in such prestigious awards.

Wow just finished reading it and it's a very loooooooooooooong article about Arnel. 14 pages!!! Congrats!!!:banana:

;21071460']Arnel Pineda is on the June issue of GQ

http://www.imageox.com/image/267647-DSC08594.jpeg

HE DIDN’T STOP BELIEVIN’ (http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6818)

When the legendary rock band Journey needed to replace their lead singer, they turned to the Internet, where they found clips of an unknown 40-year-old singer from the Philippines. Arnel Pineda was just a small-town boy, living in a lonely world, covering Journey songs in no-name bar bands, but he had the voice—and the hair—of a natural-born rock star. Now he’s living a dream that goes on, and on, and on, and on…

By Alex Pappademas; Photograph by Andrew Hetherington

Arnel Pineda, who turns 41 this year, has been performing in bands since he was a teenager, and by now he has mastered virtually every kick-ass lead-singer move known to rock. He can launch his compact body off the drum riser and land without twisting an ankle. He plays excellent microphone-cord air guitar. He knows when to do the reach-out-and-touch with the fans in the front row and when to turn the microphone stand upside down and lift it above his head, as if calling down the lightning. He knows how to do these things because he is a professional lead singer and a good one, which means he is a virtuoso whose instrument is his own charisma. He is also adept at the parts of the lead-singer job that involve singing.

Until recently, the only place you could see Pineda doing any of this stuff was in Manila, where he and his band, the Zoo, appeared regularly at bars and nightclubs, or on the YouTube channel of an industrious Zoo fan named Noel Gomez, who has uploaded more than sixty video clips of the band performing live, usually on stages that resemble discarded sets from early-’90s late-night talk shows. It was thanks to those videos, in which Pineda sings the songs of Deep Purple, the Goo Goo Dolls, Heart, Stryper, Styx, Toto, Aerosmith, Bob Marley, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Simple Minds, Bryan Adams, Men at Work, the Beatles, and REO Speedwagon, that he wound up here at the Planet Hollywood hotel in Las Vegas on a Saturday in early March, playing his first U.S. show as the new lead singer of the legendary ’80s rock band Journey.

Read the rest of the article (http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6818)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=119580

Charice sings with US stars, wows Vegas

By Reyma Buan-Deveza
abs-cbnNEWS.com
May 26, 2008

Young singer Charice once again proved her singing prowess as she got two standing ovations for her performance with musician-record producer David Foster's discoveries for a benefit concert at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last Friday, May 23rd.

For the event entitled "David Foster & Friends" in front of an audience of almost 10,000, Charice sang a medley of Whitney Houston's hits- "I Will Always Love You" and "I Have Nothing".

These songs are from the original sound track of "The Bodyguard" which was produced by Foster. "And I Am Telling You" is from the original soundtrack of "Dreamgirls", also produced by Foster.

Audience impact

After her performance, Charice got two standing ovations. People cried during her performance, and she received loud cheers and applause after each song.

Charice said in an interview after her perfomance that she was really happy and thrilled to be part of Foster's special show.

"Masaya lang po ako na biglaan po yung napabilang ako sa kanila, lalo na po sa Las Vegas. Mas maraming big stars ang nakasama ko like Mr. Andrea Bocelli.

Sobrang bait na talagang after ng performance ko nakita ko nasa baba siya nag-stay. Akala ko kung ano ang meron, yun pala iko-congratulate niya ako parang di ako makapaniwala na sila ang kasama ko," Charice said.

"Basta parang nanaginip lang ako lalo na noong nakita ko 'yung program. Hello pinagitnaan ako ng big star Michael Buble at Josh Groban," Charice added.

Proudly Filipino

The 16-year-old belter said she was emotional after her performance.

"After ng performance ko, naiiyak ako. Hindi ko lang mailabas kasi may second song pa po pero talagang natutuwa ako na kahit po 'yung mga Amerikano nakikilala po nila ako. Tapos sinasabi nila na ako daw po yung best na nakita nilang may best performance," she said.

"Proud po ako, Filipino po ako. Tapos natuwa ako na binanggit ko na taga-Pilipinas ako ang daming nag-chi-cheer nakaka-proud. Sana proud din sa akin ang kapwa Pilipino ko po," said Charice.

Charice's famous fans

As for David Foster, he did not have anything but good words for his new discovery -- Charice.

"Tonight, a star is born," Foster said.

"I had the great pleasure of being able to stand inside behind the stage when she was performing... she has a beautiful voice," Josh Groban said.

During the cast party where no cameras were allowed, people, including the artists flocked to Charice.

They were all hugging and congratulating her for a very wonderful performance.

The caterer, famous chef Wolfgang Puck who saw the show with his wife could not get enough of Charice.

Mrs. Puck said, "I want to be your mother from now on."

Charice got a standing invitation from Wolfgang for free dinners with him and his wife every time Charisse is in Beverly Hills.

Making Filipinos proud

Charice said she gives her best in every performance to make her fellow Filipinos proud of her.

"Iniisip ko lang po na ibigay ang best ko sa bawat performance ko, kahit sino ang kasama ko...para maipagmalaki ko sa mga nanonood na pwede din po akong isabay sa mga talagang batikang singers like mga idol ko," she said

"Kaya binibigay ko ang best ko. Ito pong malaking oportunity na binibigay nila sa akin yun na po ang sinusukli ko sa kanila. 'Yung best performance ko na masasabi pong karapat-dapat ako sa binigay nilang opportunity."

Charice gives thanks

Charice thanked all the people who had faith in her talent and gave her breaks to be recognized.

"Salamat sa lahat ng pinag-guest-an ko sa Oprah, sa Ellen DeGeneres sa Paul O' Grady siyempre David Foster," Charice said.

Charice appeared in the Paul O’Grady Show in London, Tuesday, April 8 and on the Ellen DeGeneres show in December 2007.

Last April 11, abs-cbnNEWS.com broke the story that she just finished taping a special episode for Oprah. Her special guesting with Oprah was aired May 12th.

With a report from TV Patrol World.

Tanong ko lang, bakit kapag may mga performer na mga Pinoy galing Japan?
Walang nag-a-appreciate, lalo na yung mga bebot at babaeng entertainer?


Bayanihan Dance Troupe may alam ba kayo na performance sa abroad?

Philharmonic Orkestra?
Hwag ko na banggitin ang MPO(Manila) baka may mainggit :)

Wow just finished reading it and it's a very loooooooooooooong article about Arnel. 14 pages!!! Congrats!!!:banana:

Here are the links...

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=1

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=2

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=3

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=4

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=5

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=6

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=7

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=8

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=9

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=10

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=11

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=12

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=13

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_6818&pageNum=14

:D :)

Tanong ko lang, bakit kapag may mga performer na mga Pinoy galing Japan?
Walang nag-a-appreciate, lalo na yung mga bebot at babaeng entertainer?



You know Filipino entertainers in Japan has a connotation of being a prostitute or GRO that's why it's not well appreciated, imo.

You know Filipino entertainers in Japan has a connotation of being a prostitute or GRO that's why it's not well appreciated, imo.

And that's why MISS SAIGON was not quite wildly appreciated in its Manila run. Para bang -- wow, if this is the only way that Filipina talent can make an international (subtext: playing tragic call-girls) -- then how sad!! Like why not more positive female role-models, like Ripley in "Alien", or Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blon...err, Brown!!" :lol:

Tanong ko lang, bakit kapag may mga performer na mga Pinoy galing Japan?
Walang nag-a-appreciate, lalo na yung mga bebot at babaeng entertainer?


Because "Entertainers" aren't "Artists."

Well sinjin, i think its unfortunate to think that the only reason why the Filipino massa hasn't completely embraced charice is because of her "looks." I think she's a beautiful lady. And the way she carries herself in public, how gracious and humble, makes her even more beautiful.


Personally, hindi ako naaappeal sa "hitsura" ni Charice. That's also the same reason maybe bakit hindi siya masyadong kinakagat ng Pinoy "masa". And also, that must be the same reason why she did not win in the talent search, Little Big Star, before.

Kung dad ko naman ang tatanungin, Oo nga, maganda at powerful ang boses ni Charice for her age, kaya nashock ang buong mundo and naging instant click si Charice pero sure daw siya na may marami pa sigurong mas magaling and undiscovered Pinoy talents out there.

Ewan ko, likas nga ba sa Pinoy ang maging mapanghusga sa hitsura?

Well sinjin, i think its unfortunate to think that the only reason why the Filipino massa hasn't completely embraced charice is because of her "looks." I think she's a beautiful lady. And the way she carries herself in public, how gracious and humble, makes her even more beautiful.

She even look-alike with Tintin Bersola Babao..

Well sinjin, i think its unfortunate to think that the only reason why the Filipino massa hasn't completely embraced charice is because of her "looks." I think she's a beautiful lady. And the way she carries herself in public, how gracious and humble, makes her even more beautiful.

I saw the clip on Clarice performing at the Mandalay in David Foster's show. She's a belter, and I am happy that she is getting her big breaks early -- but I partially don't like her style. In certain parts, she 'masculinizes' her voice -- really forcing it in a harsh way. FGS, she's a 14-15 year old girl. Why? And then she's tending to do that 'black/American Idol-type of singing -- rhapsodizing 18 notes where there should only be 1 or 2. Sometimes, that's like nails clawing on a black board. I wish someone would correct those bad habits. Is she copying Aguilera's style?

(I'm more into Lea's speed and style.)

^^ well Lea Salonga and Charice Pempengco's style are completely different. Its a matter of taste then.

yes. if there's one thing we filipinos should be proud of, it's charice. no other filipino performer has gone as far as charice achieved in terms of publicity in the US tv mainstream...go go charice...

I don't think there's anything to be proud about the Filipinos making it big around the world if it's nothing more than their personal achievements. Non-Filipinos can be as talented as Filipinos who are popular in their own fields. I choose to be proud if let's say Philippines were able to achieve something through collective and or collaborative effort by contributing knowledge or discovery that is beneficial to the humankind or to prove that Filipinos as a people have the potential to achieve in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, literature, sports and others.

I saw the clip on Clarice performing at the Mandalay in David Foster's show. She's a belter, and I am happy that she is getting her big breaks early -- but I partially don't like her style. In certain parts, she 'masculinizes' her voice -- really forcing it in a harsh way. FGS, she's a 14-15 year old girl. Why? And then she's tending to do that 'black/American Idol-type of singing -- rhapsodizing 18 notes where there should only be 1 or 2. Sometimes, that's like nails clawing on a black board. I wish someone would correct those bad habits. Is she copying Aguilera's style?

(I'm more into Lea's speed and style.)

I couldn't find a clip of that in youtube - I mean most of the clips there are just still pictures.

I don't think there's anything to be proud about the Filipinos making it big around the world if it's nothing more than their personal achievements. Non-Filipinos can be as talented as Filipinos who are popular in their own fields. I choose to be proud if let's say Philippines were able to achieve something through collective and or collaborative effort by contributing knowledge or discovery that is beneficial to the humankind or to prove that Filipinos as a people have the potential to achieve in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, literature, sports and others.

:yes: I wholeheartedly agree. You took the words right out of my mouth, Louie. :okay:

I couldn't find a clip of that in youtube - I mean most of the clips there are just still pictures.

Charice Las Vegas pt 1

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ctNO4GVHQsc

Charice Las Vegas pt 2

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fuVEQBlFKhs

^^ she's just amazing and it boggles my mind at how young she is. I hope some really good people take her under their wings and keep her as golden as she already is, while advancing her talent.

I don't think there's anything to be proud about the Filipinos making it big around the world if it's nothing more than their personal achievements. Non-Filipinos can be as talented as Filipinos who are popular in their own fields. I choose to be proud if let's say Philippines were able to achieve something through collective and or collaborative effort by contributing knowledge or discovery that is beneficial to the humankind or to prove that Filipinos as a people have the potential to achieve in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, literature, sports and others.

I don't think there's anything wrong with being proud about someone doing anything good anywhere, anytime. I think its sad why anyone can't just be proud or happy for someone who is coming of age with an obviously superb talent in a very negative time in our lives. Charice makes me a proud Filipino, she may not be an einstein, but she didn't get where she is by sitting on her ass waiting for the cows to come home.

I don't think there's anything to be proud about the Filipinos making it big around the world if it's nothing more than their personal achievements. Non-Filipinos can be as talented as Filipinos who are popular in their own fields. I choose to be proud if let's say Philippines were able to achieve something through collective and or collaborative effort by contributing knowledge or discovery that is beneficial to the humankind or to prove that Filipinos as a people have the potential to achieve in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, literature, sports and others.

I wholeheartedly agree. You took the words right out of my mouth, Louie.

I saw the partial video of her performance and when she ask the crowd :

"May mga Pilipino po ba dito?",

kinilabutan ako na baka may Pinoy na sumigaw:

"tangna naman, Charise, hagis mo naman ang mic dito at kakanta rin kami"

Then I believe that all Pinoys are really talented. :lol:


Anyways, we, if not all of us would have to settle and be proud of her great achievement in the entertainment world.
(Those guys with her are like the heavyweights of musical industry.)

*she said "Ito po ay para sa karangalan ng mga Pinoy" * ~ what more can we ask for?

And about the outstanding Filipinos in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, literature, sports and others, don't worry, my future grandchildren would take care of those. :lol: (don't wake me up)

nKe5l7UJfw0

the crabs, the crabs are a-crawlin'
tsk...tsk...tsk...


I don't think there's anything wrong with being proud about someone doing anything good anywhere, anytime. I think its sad why anyone can't just be proud or happy for someone who is coming of age with an obviously superb talent in a very negative time in our lives. Charice makes me a proud Filipino, she may not be an einstein, but she didn't get where she is by sitting on her ass waiting for the cows to come home.

i agree with you 100%

iJmCX1xW6aU
EV6ZxdpdPjM

Dreamworks Kung Fu Panda Theme Song in Asia by Sam Concepcion.

he's so cute, yum.

I don't think there's anything to be proud about the Filipinos making it big around the world if it's nothing more than their personal achievements. Non-Filipinos can be as talented as Filipinos who are popular in their own fields.

I choose to be proud if let's say Philippines were able to achieve something through collective and or collaborative effort by contributing knowledge or discovery that is beneficial to the humankind or to prove that Filipinos as a people have the potential to achieve in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, literature, sports and others.

Is this Charice's personal achievement? Yes, of course no doubt about it. But her personal achievement is our collective achievement as a Filipino nation too. Personal or collective achievements by Filipinos whether in sports, music, science or any other field for that matter done in any country in any part of the world are also sweet triumphs for nearly 90 million Filipinos. When we cheer for Filipinos, we are also cheering for us right?

Some of you may or may not like Charice but we should all really be proud of her and support her by praying for her continued success out there in the world. This thread In The News... Proudly Pinoy Thread II is alive and kicking because of so many Filipino achievers like her and I, for one will be most happy to share their successes in this thread for all the world to see and read.

^^
i agree,We must cheer the success of filipinos in any fields,charice success is our success too.she does not deserve negative remarks.

I agree with Askal . We need more recognition in the fields of Science and technology.
too many singers already, It won't make us globally competitive.
But still I congratulate Charice (not just to cover my ass) because she has great talent.
She kind of looks like Anjelica Jones.

Arnel Pineda and Journey on Ellen DeGeneres Show
May 28, 2008

OLQl0kCIYiQ

he's so cute, yum.

sam concepcion?!

Phoenix is a robotic spacecraft on a space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The scientists conducting the mission will use instruments aboard the Phoenix lander to search for environments suitable for microbial life on Mars, and to research the history of water there. The multi-agency program is headed by the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, under the direction of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The program is a partnership of universities in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, the Philippines, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and other aerospace companies.[1]

Phoenix is a partnership of universities, NASA centers, and the aerospace industry. The science instruments and operations will be a University of Arizona responsibility. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, will manage the project and provide mission design and control. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, Colorado, built and tested the spacecraft. The Canadian Space Agency will provide a meteorological station, including an innovative Laser-based atmospheric sensor. The co-investigator institutions include Malin Space Science Systems (California), Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (Germany), NASA Ames Research Center (California), NASA Johnson Space Center (Texas), De La Salle University (Philippines), Optech Incorporated, SETI Institute, Texas A&M University, Tufts University, University of Colorado, University of Copenhagen (Denmark), University of Michigan, University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), University of Texas at Dallas, University of Washington, Washington University in St. Louis, and York University (Canada). Scientists from Imperial College London and Bristol University have provided hardware for the mission and will be part of the team operating the microscope station.[3]

The reason why di siya kinagat ng pilipinong masa dahil sa crab mentality natin. Ugali na ng Pinoy na mahilig manglait gusto di siya malalamangan. It is unfortunate that those on other side of the world need to exposed the brilliant talent of Charice. Bakit si Foster, just once heard about Charice, binigyan na kaagad ng brake yung bata. Maraming mga American singers dreaming to be involved in that scenario as part of the most celebrated singers in American. but why they haven't been recognized. In fact who is that who compare to Charice was also won I think in American Talent, why she havent been chosen first before Charice by this famous composer, Foster. Because Foster know what is the capability of Charice and she deserve to have that triumph. I salute False Voice, this guy is a true human being, he must be an example to every Filipino people. For whatever we feel is good for our countrymen, we must support it, coz his/her achievements carry the pride of Filipino people. Sorry I disagree if someone say this is not an achievement to national concerns, you are definitely wrong, even it is a personal achievement, it still carry the pride of being she is a pure Filipino. I salute you Charice and Iam dreaming, hope I am your father, I'm very proud of you, God Bless You and praying you will gain more success in your career. Kaya minsan I hate those mga mayayamang singers sa atin, they thing sila ang magaling, mas marami pang magagaling na mahihirap sa kanila, kaya lang di magkaraon ng break dahil sila ay mahirap at laging nahahrang yung chances nila. I know I encounter and I have lot of friends in Singapore and Malaysia, those bands, they're really terrific, kaya hanggand duon na lang sila but I know someday kung talagang bibigyan sila ng break, Oh my God they will beat all those groups in America. Like Madonna Decena, she's i think from one band before, ngayon they she slowly stepping up to meet her dreams. Kaya I call all those silented bands, please go out and exposed your talent to the whole world, I know you can coz I experience it to hear you....

The phrase "A dime a dozen" comes to mind.

karamihan ng malakas manglait ay nasa metro manila dahil sa showbiz culture nyo dyan. mga fans ng artistang nalamangan, mga manager, mga kamag-anak, nagwawala sa mga online forums para manglait, wala ng pinatawad pati bata.

^^I totally agree... Karamihan ng Filipino mga magagaling na kritiko kahit wala pang napapatunayan sa buhay nila... Ako I just enjoy ung talent ni Charice and proud sa mga naabot nya ngayon. May pinoy na bang napasama sa David Foster and Friends at nagperform together with top caliber artists... Kung magiging mabait si Charice and will follow ung advise ni David Foster, magiging malaking international artist sya...

^^David Foster is a big name in American Music Industry, that means he knows who to choose and what to choose. Among thousands of artists it's just perfect for Charice to be picked by him because he knew what talent this petite lady has got. And that means we don't have the right to criticize because we don't have the guts to do it, it's only David Foster and the likes who has the right to do it.
=====
I just wish that Charice continues to be humble and to keep her feet on the ground always despite her very obvious bright future ahead.

Whatever success Charice has right now and will have, it's the success of every Filipino around the world! Keep the Filipino spirit alive!

^^ criticism is okay to some extent, but "manglait" is completely different and is never constructive.

well, of course, since she is new, she was cheap; wanted to get exposure -- PLUS they needed a young teeny bopper girl presence to balance the all-male likes of Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli. So, she happened to be available, so she got her lucky break. I wish she could also converse in more polished English -- para hindi tatanga-tanga.

Phoenix is a robotic spacecraft on a space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The scientists conducting the mission will use instruments aboard the Phoenix lander to search for environments suitable for microbial life on Mars, and to research the history of water there. The multi-agency program is headed by the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, under the direction of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The program is a partnership of universities in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, the Philippines, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and other aerospace companies.[1]

Phoenix is a partnership of universities, NASA centers, and the aerospace industry. The science instruments and operations will be a University of Arizona responsibility. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, will manage the project and provide mission design and control. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, Colorado, built and tested the spacecraft. The Canadian Space Agency will provide a meteorological station, including an innovative Laser-based atmospheric sensor. The co-investigator institutions include Malin Space Science Systems (California), Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (Germany), NASA Ames Research Center (California), NASA Johnson Space Center (Texas), De La Salle University (Philippines), Optech Incorporated, SETI Institute, Texas A&M University, Tufts University, University of Colorado, University of Copenhagen (Denmark), University of Michigan, University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), University of Texas at Dallas, University of Washington, Washington University in St. Louis, and York University (Canada). Scientists from Imperial College London and Bristol University have provided hardware for the mission and will be part of the team operating the microscope station.[3]

That is hot!! Philippines is also part of the Mars exploration program.

Other reason to be proud is this:

gox4soZmC7A

(READ: PHILIPPINE TEAM)

bakit sino ba nanglalait ke Charice as far as I know and what i've read Most Filipinos support and are proud of her.

We also have Filipino high school students who won/excel in Math competitions abroad! I'm happy and proud of all the pinoy achievers! Crab mentality, why are you still here?

Taken from: PGMA Ordered: Buy Pinoy, Buy Local

Though Lexmark is a foreign company, some of their products were developed by locals..

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m195/diehardbisdako/lexmark1.jpg

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m195/diehardbisdako/lexmark3.jpg

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m195/diehardbisdako/lexmark2.jpg

This is maybe a baby step, but a step nonetheless.

EVERYBODY BUY LEXMARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@ Rover 3

How you say she is cheap and got only her luck, do you think she will got those million of views in you tube, or she was invited those well known tv shows i Korea and America just by luck, about you, have you been invited by those well known celebrities. nabigyan ka na ba ng 2x time standing ovations by the viewers, you cannot easily convinced d americans to stand up if you dont deserved it. Please she is not a dummy in that Foster show, for me she is better that any veteran singers in the Philippines. Ang yabang mo naman, ikaw kaya mo bang humarap sa 10,000 viewers in that stage, first time mo at kaharap mo yung mga beteranong mga singers, di ka kaya kabahan. Why Charice she can handle all this in her first debut in that performance. Maganda nga yung tatanga-tanga kaysa dun sa mga taong socialite hepocrite, wala namang ibubuga, hanggang dada lang. Show your talents and let's see........

HELLZ YEAH!!

@ Rover 3

How you say she is cheap and got only her luck, do you think she will got those million of views in you tube, or she was invited those well known tv shows i Korea and America just by luck, about you, have you been invited by those well known celebrities. nabigyan ka na ba ng 2x time standing ovations by the viewers, you cannot easily convinced d americans to stand up if you dont deserved it. Please she is not a dummy in that Foster show, for me she is better that any veteran singers in the Philippines. Ang yabang mo naman, ikaw kaya mo bang humarap sa 10,000 viewers in that stage, first time mo at kaharap mo yung mga beteranong mga singers, di ka kaya kabahan. Why Charice she can handle all this in her first debut in that performance. Maganda nga yung tatanga-tanga kaysa dun sa mga taong socialite hepocrite, wala namang ibubuga, hanggang dada lang. Show your talents and let's see........

Whatever. Did I say I was invited by those celebrities or so?

Did I not say earlier "I was happy for her?" BUt I don't see why I have to have unqualified adulation for her. I'm entitled to my opinion and so are you to yours. Why should I have the same sycophantic views as you? Am I asking you to share the same view? That's the point of a forum -- where everyone can express their opinions even if they vary. Duh! :ohno:

AGain, crabs! why are you still here?

Whatever. Did I say I was invited by those celebrities or so? So defensive. Blah...blah...blah... :ohno:

That's your best retort? Well, we know who lost that debate.

wOhoooOOO! sayang! tapos na ata ang mainit na debatehan dito :D

That's your best retort? Well, we know who lost that debate.

:cool: cool response. :) awarding time now.

won by technical knockout...

won by technical knockout...

corny...

Ahhh basta ako namili na ng Album ni Charice. Bayaan nyo na yung mga nagmamagaling na ibang tao dyan. Pinapahirapan lang nila sarili nila sa paninirang puri, mga wala namang talento. IMHO...

Go Charice Pempengco! Go Arnel Pineda! <-his surname reminds me of someone.... hmmm.......

Wag niyo na kasing pansinin ang mga kababayan nating nasasadlak pa sa kadiliman ng crab at colonial mentality!

Let's just be proud na napapansin kung ano nga ba talaga ang itinatagong yaman at maipagmamalaki ng Pilipinas!

Oo nga pala. Vote nyo parin sina Tubba, ChoHi, Subta, at si Mayon! Go Go Go!

corny...

:lol: wala na.. sumuko na..

karamihan ng malakas manglait ay nasa metro manila dahil sa showbiz culture nyo dyan. mga fans ng artistang nalamangan, mga manager, mga kamag-anak, nagwawala sa mga online forums para manglait, wala ng pinatawad pati bata.


I agree with you.

But I wouldn't single out Metro Manila. IMHO It is prevalent everywhere in the Philippines. Bata pa kasi ang bansa natin, marami pang pagdadaanan bago maging isang bansa, isang diwa.
Sa ngayon meron munang kapuso, kapamilya. Sa susunod meron ng kabayan at kabansa.

:horse:
J.P.

Sa ngayon meron munang kapuso, kapamilya. Sa susunod meron ng kabayan at kabansa.

That would make a nice political slogan. :okay:

Ahhh basta ako namili na ng Album ni Charice. Bayaan nyo na yung mga nagmamagaling na ibang tao dyan. Pinapahirapan lang nila sarili nila sa paninirang puri, mga wala namang talento. IMHO...

How's the album? How's her original songs?

http://beta.ph.news.yahoo.com/star/20080528/tel-david-foster-charice-dd408b0.html

David Foster on Charice: Tonight, a star is born!

May 28, 2008

***********************

Curtain-raiser: Arnel Pineda (featured in this corner yesterday) and the Journey are guesting on Ellen DeGeneres' show, airing tonight in the US and in the Philippines tomorrow (May 29) night at 7 o'clock on 2nd Avenue (Cable TV). They will sing two songs, Separate Ways and After All These Years (the carrier single from the new Revelations CD). Watch it.

***********************

Two Mondays ago, Funfare reported the exclusive story about Charice's guesting in a show famous songwriter David Foster put up for the opening of MGM Grand Casino Hotel in Foxwood, Connecticut, accompanied by exclusive photos (Charice with Foster, and fellow performers Alicia Keys and Josh Groban; not in photo was John Mayer) you see only in The STAR.

A few days later, Funfare published another "scoop," this time about another show Foster was mounting in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last May 23, called David Foster and Friends. Here's what happened in that star-studded event in which Charice got another standing ovation, showered with praise by her co-performers:

Charice's performance (I Will Always Love You, etc.) was described as "jaw-dropping," after which Foster told the audience which gave Charice a standing ovation, "Tonight, a star is born!"

The other performers included Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Kenny G, Babyface, Groban, Katharine McPhee, Brian McKnight, Boz Scaggs, Peter Cetera and many others.

As soon as Charice appeared onstage, she asked (in Tagalog): "Marami po bang mga Filipino dito?", adding mesmerized by the magnitude of the event, "Sobrang masaya po ako. Parang nananaginip pa po ako hanggang ngayon. Proud po ako at nire-represent ko po ang Pilipinas dito sa ibang bansa. Proud po ako at Filipino po ako. Sana po proud din po sila sa akin."

"Never perhaps in the history of Philippine entertainment has a Filipino artist shared the stage with some of the world's greatest performers," gushed immigration lawyer and STAR columnist Michael Gurfinkel and his wife Millie who were in the audience. (It was the Gurfinkel couple who helped "expedite" the issuance of Charice and her mom Raquel's US visa, after they lost their passports to a bukas-kotse gang in their native Laguna).

Said a Funfare contributor who was also there, "Charice had the audience on their feet as she received a standing ovation after each of her songs. The only other performers who received standing ovations were Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban (for his finale). After the show, Charice was showered with praise by both her co-performers and the audience.

"Bocelli had already finished his performance and was in his dressing room when he heard Charice singing onstage through the monitor. He insisted that his handlers take him backstage, so that he could be among the first to congratulate Charice. He told Charice, after her performance, 'You have a beautiful voice; I was moved!' "Asked how he felt having performed twice with Charice, Groban said, 'I was backstage, getting ready to go on, and not really paying attention to the act onstage, when all of a sudden I heard the voice of a beautiful siren, and my jaw dropped. I had to stop everything and just watch her from the wings. It was marvelous!'"

An excerpt from a Vegas newspaper:

If Groban is one of Foster's most renowned discoveries, this night truly belonged to a newer one, doe-eyed 16-year-old Filipino belter Charice, whose voice is like a jetliner taking off from her sternum.

She turned in a stunning rendition of the Whitney Houston-by-way-of-Dolly Parton hit I Will Always Love You, singing with such power and poise, it was hard to believe that she wasn't even yet alive when the song originally became a hit on The Bodyguard soundtrack in 1992.

"Tonight, a star is born," Foster gushed after her brief set, another grand sentiment from a man defined by them.

========================================

For those who missed Journey on The Ellen DeGeneres Show mentioned in the article above... here it is again (repost)...

Arnel Pineda and Journey on Ellen DeGeneres Show
May 28, 2008

OLQl0kCIYiQ

1st song: Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
2nd song: Faithfully

How's the album? How's her original songs?

Hi Garland, th album is a money well spent. After all it's only Php250. It has 7 songs and 7 minus one tracks. 3 ung inde nya original songs. Maganda ring ung mga original songs nya. :)

^^nice article..nakakaiyak at nakaka-galak ang mga praises:
Said a Funfare contributor who was also there, "Charice had the audience on their feet as she received a standing ovation after each of her songs. The only other performers who received standing ovations were Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban (for his finale). After the show, Charice was showered with praise by both her co-performers and the audience.

"Bocelli had already finished his performance and was in his dressing room when he heard Charice singing onstage through the monitor. He insisted that his handlers take him backstage, so that he could be among the first to congratulate Charice. He told Charice, after her performance, 'You have a beautiful voice; I was moved!' "Asked how he felt having performed twice with Charice, Groban said, 'I was backstage, getting ready to go on, and not really paying attention to the act onstage, when all of a sudden I heard the voice of a beautiful siren, and my jaw dropped. I had to stop everything and just watch her from the wings. It was marvelous!'"


thanks tc!

am looking for her dvd/s..anyone knows how or where to buy them?

http://www.charicediva.com/forum/charicediva.png

it seems everyone is interested..according to this forum. (http://forum.charicediva.com/viewtopic.php?t=439)

That would make a nice political slogan. :okay:
http://www.bdo.com.ph/filerep/bdo/images/poster_bdo_asenso_kabayan.jpg

Thanks.:dance2:

:horse:
J.P.

^^ :bow: You'd make a very good spin doctor. :okay:

Update:

Madonna Decena - Semi Finals

PM7rzoQ_c8I

^^Is she out from the competition?

I've been watching her video on Las Vegas and I can't get enough of her...
It's Charice as usual:

Charice back in town, shares Vegas experience

By REYMA BUAN-DEVEZA

abs-cbnNEWS.com

International singing sensation Charice arrived in Manila Wednesday morning from her well-praised performance at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last Friday, May 23 for record producer David Foster's benefit show entitled "David Foster & Friends".

Philippine Airlines flight PR 103 from Los Angeles bearing Charice and her mother Raquel Pempengco touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport tarmac around six in the morning.

In an exclusive interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, Charisse shared her unforgettable experience of performing with international big stars in Las Vegas especially with operatic pop tenor Andrea Bocelli.

"Siyempre iba, kasi ako po 'yung nag-iisang Pinoy doon tapos kasama mo ang big stars. Hindi ko makakalimutan 'yung nakasama ako sa concert kasi siyempre napakalaking opportunity sa akin ay 'yung nakasama ko si Mr. Andrea Bocceli.

"Kinongrats niya ako at sabi niya sana ay maka-duet niya ako. Siya ang pinakamabait sa lahat, pero siyemore mabait din sila Josh Groban at Michael Buble," narrates Charice.

Charice's mother said she did not do anything during her child's performance but cry.

"Wala akong masabi, kasi halos hindi ko mapanood dahil sa kaiiyak. Hindi ako makapaniwala na ito na ang anak ko, kasama ang international artists. Second to the last pa siya bago kay Josh Groban. Tapos tatlong kanta ang ginawa niya. Nakakatuwa," she said.

Support from Oprah

The young singer's mother also said that the staff of Oprah Winfrey were at the event to make sure Charice had everything she needed for her performance. The staff also gave Charice a box full of gifts from Oprah.

The gifts included clothes, a bag and other personal items. Aside from the gifts Charice also received a card from Oprah that said, "Dear Charice, This is just the beginning of your big fantastic life ahead. Enjoy it all. Love, Oprah.":master::master::master:

Mrs. Pempengco also said that she just heard the news that Oprah's staff are planning to visit the country to document the life of Charice.

Charice reiterated how much she appreciates the attention and support being given to her by fellow Filipinos.

"Sobra akong nagpapasalamat sa mga Pinoy na nanonood doon, ang dami nila doon. Nagpapasalamat din po ako sa mga Filipino dito sa atin sa bansa, sa kanila po kasi kahit nasa malayong lugar ako nandiyan sila para sa akin. Nakakatanggap ako palagi ng news. Salamat po sa kanila," Charice said.

Standing ovations in Las Vegas

Charice once again proved her singing prowess as she got two standing ovations for her performance at Mandalay Bay.

In front of an audience of almost 10,000, Charice sang a medley of Whitney Houston's hits- "I Will Always Love You" and "I Have Nothing".

These songs are from the original sound track of "The Bodyguard" which was produced by Foster. "And I Am Telling You" is from the original soundtrack of "Dreamgirls", also produced by Foster.

Charice and her mother will stay in the country for two days. On Friday, May 30, they are flying to New York for the Philippines Independence Day Parade that will be held at Madison Avenue on Monday June 1st.

Charice will be back in the country on the second week of June as she is set to guest in the concert of Air Supply at Araneta Coliseum on June 14th.

Whatever kind of terminology you can reiterate on my views, it's still considered totally degrading to one's personality and achievements. You can put constructive criticism but saying she is "cheap" and tatanga-tanga", that is unacceptable. It means, David Foster who is a legendary and veteran American composer is also "cheap and tatanga-tanga" in choosing her, that's all............

^^David Foster is a big name in American Music Industry, that means he knows who to choose and what to choose. Among thousands of artists it's just perfect for Charice to be picked by him because he knew what talent this petite lady has got. And that means we don't have the right to criticize because we don't have the guts to do it, it's only David Foster and the likes who has the right to do it.
=====
I just wish that Charice continues to be humble and to keep her feet on the ground always despite her very obvious bright future ahead.

Whatever success Charice has right now and will have, it's the success of every Filipino around the world! Keep the Filipino spirit alive!

to wrap it all, i like what mr foster said of charice..."A star is born...":banana::banana::banana:

tama si simon dun sa sinabi nya kay madonna
ni walang kasalingkingan ni ate shawi

i was reading about the F1 GP in malaysia the other day when I saw photo of a BMW road car with the philippine colors.

that made me curious...so i check the net for some facts, and i read about this filipino-swiss guy: MARLON STOCKINGER. he's one hell of a car racer.

go philippines!

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450133.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450127.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450141.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450132.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450135.jpg

for more information about him check his website at: http://www.marlonstockinger.com/index.html

at ang guapo pa niya.

at ang guapo pa niya.

:D sis tama ka dyan:D

i was reading about the F1 GP in malaysia the other day when I saw photo of a BMW road car with the philippine colors.

that made me curious...so i check the net for some facts, and i read about this filipino-swiss guy: MARLON STOCKINGER. he's one hell of a car racer.

go philippines!

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450133.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450127.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450141.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450132.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450135.jpg

for more information about him check his website at: http://www.marlonstockinger.com/index.htmlOMG!!! nagkandalaglag na panty ko at lahat lahat sa akin dahil sa pics na yan. Ke-guapo namang bata niyan. :drool:

Is this Charice's personal achievement? Yes, of course no doubt about it. But her personal achievement is our collective achievement as a Filipino nation too. Personal or collective achievements by Filipinos whether in sports, music, science or any other field for that matter done in any country in any part of the world are also sweet triumphs for nearly 90 million Filipinos. When we cheer for Filipinos, we are also cheering for us right?

Some of you may or may not like Charice but we should all really be proud of her and support her by praying for her continued success out there in the world. This thread In The News... Proudly Pinoy Thread II is alive and kicking because of so many Filipino achievers like her and I, for one will be most happy to share their successes in this thread for all the world to see and read.

How? Did our taxes went to improve her singing skills? :lol:

Don't get me wrong but I'm not targeting Charice Pampengco and I do recognize her as an outstanding singer. However, I can't seem to comprehend why Filipinos should make it a big deal and claim credit at a national level for something that is simply a personal achievement of an individual while non-Filipinos can basically do the same thing albeit with much lower publicity. Charice success is inspiring, but there is nothing to be proud about it as a Filipino.

Great Britain is known for their literature and science, France and Italy are known for their art and fashion, Japan & U.S. is known for their technology, Netherlands and Germany, for their engineering prowess, and the China for their great civilization. How about Philippines? Just singing? This country really needed to rethink its priorities if we are going to move forward. :ohno:

^^ Wag kang mag-alala, sa dami ng Pinoy sa mundo, something gonna be achieved by our own lahi that we can surely be proud of.


Except sa paramihan ng bukol and tongpats, may lilitaw din na Pinoy that we can say "I'm proud to be a Pinoy dahil sa pagkaimbento ng gamot that would stop corruption".














.... ang side effect nga lang ng mga users ay : -- "Their sex organs would be on their foreheads".

:lol::lol::lol:

@ASKAL Sorry but I really don't know what's the sense of making this kind of argument. I don't know it's like trying to prove which is true the theory of Creation or the Theory of Evolution. It will go on and on and on. You are trying to say that we need to discriminate other fields like the field of arts and entertainment because it has nothing to do with our economy...

Charice, Manny Pacquiao, Lea Salonga, Recent Filipino Chessmaster and many other great Filipinos in their field make us all proud as a Nation. After all this thread is about In The News....Proudly Pinoy Thread. We are commending those people who made great in their field. Each and everyone of us also wants to bring glory to our country but of course there are also personal interest in it.

Right now I'm thinking if your parents commended your talent when you were a kid or maybe they told you:"Ano yang ginagawa mong talent talent na yan, pinapakain ba tayo nyan???"

We can move forward if all the Filipinos started to appreciate each and every single accomplishment that thier fellow kababayans achieved. In that way each and everyone of us will become a morale booster, a wind beneath each and everyones wing. Kesa magsiraan tayo at mag magaling na kritiko sa mga kababayan natin tulad ng nangyayari ngayon... IMHO

i was reading about the F1 GP in malaysia the other day when I saw photo of a BMW road car with the philippine colors.

that made me curious...so i check the net for some facts, and i read about this filipino-swiss guy: MARLON STOCKINGER. he's one hell of a car racer.

go philippines!

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450133.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450127.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450141.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450132.jpg

http://pic60.picturetrail.com/VOL1698/10588304/18969014/319450135.jpg

for more information about him check his website at: http://www.marlonstockinger.com/index.html


Aside from Marlon Stockinger, we have a lot of other Filipino champion racers making a name for themselves abroad. To mention a few: Stefano Marcelo, Michelle Baumgartner and Tyson Sy. Aside from these 3, there are more who are actually making it big abroad and making Filipinos proud.

Recent article on Stefano Marcelo below:

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

Filipino karter joins Italian race team

Reigning Karter of the Year Stefano Marcelo scored another milestone as he joined the Italy’s Maranello Factory Team.

The 16-year-old became the first Filipino to be tapped by a multi-national racing team for its Factory B Team.

Aside from clinching the crowns in the local Shell Karting and the Cebu ROK Championship last year, Marcelo also bagged the overall crown of the 2007 Asian Karting Open Championship, wound up 10th in the ROK World Cup and finished 10th in the World KF1 championship in Macau.

Stefano, who’s also being backed by San Miguel Corporation and Marcelo Racing, even stunned world karting officials when he copped third in the Belgian Karting Series at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit.

“It’s a big honor and prestige for a Filipino to be chosen as part of a world-renowned factory team,” said Marcelo.

“Signing up with Maranello gave me the added confidence to pursue my dream of making it big in the international scene.”

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

Try to visit The Motorsport Thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=447971) in the Samahan subforum once in awhile. :)

How? Did our taxes went to improve her singing skills? :lol:

Don't get me wrong but I'm not targeting Charice Pampengco and I do recognize her as an outstanding singer. However, I can't seem to comprehend why Filipinos should make it a big deal and claim credit at a national level for something that is simply a personal achievement of an individual while non-Filipinos can basically do the same thing albeit with much lower publicity. Charice success is inspiring, but there is nothing to be proud about it as a Filipino.

Great Britain is known for their literature and science, France and Italy are known for their art and fashion, Japan & U.S. is known for their technology, Netherlands and Germany, for their engineering prowess, and the China for their great civilization. How about Philippines? Just singing? This country really needed to rethink its priorities if we are going to move forward. :ohno:

Why do we have to follow what they have. It's their own "expertise", it's what they're known for and we don't need to duplicate or triplicate it. We have to establish our own brand or our own identity and that is through TALENT, not just in singing but other aspects of talent.

I don't have a doubt that we could excel in other fields like what's happening now but what is important is the establishment of where we really good at.

Why do we have to follow what they have. It's their own "expertise", it's what they're known for and we don't need to duplicate or triplicate it. We have to establish our own brand or our own identity and that is through TALENT, not just in singing but other aspects of talent.

I don't have a doubt that we could excel in other fields like what's happening now but what is important is the establishment of where we really good at.

I agree and I would have to add that it is not only in singing that Pinoys are great, but generally in Performing Arts, which is also an exceptional thing because whether we like it or not, the world would not progress without entertainment, just as how it wouldn't without science. We don't want to turn into a bunch of emotion-less, black-and-white robots right? If France is known for its cheese, wine, painting and Chanel, it would be just as great if we are known for our artists that bring not only recognition for the country but smiles, elation and satisfaction to those who watch them.

Arnel Pineda rocks Ellen DeGeneres show; gets standing ovation

By RAMIL DIGAL GULLE
abs-cbnNEWS.com

Filipino rock singer Arnel Pineda rocked the house Wednesday on the set of "Ellen" the talk show hosted by Ellen Degeneres. He sang live as frontman for Journey, a legendary rock band that rose to its peak during the 1970s and 1980s. The crowd gave Journey and Pineda a standing ovation. Degeneres herself heaped praises on the band.

Globally-syndicated US magazine GQ also picked Pineda as subject for a special feature in its latest issue. The piece is exhaustive and, considering that we're talking about GQ here, says a lot about the heights Arnel has reached musically.

Clips of Journey's recent gig at "Ellen" are already on the video-sharing Website www.youtube.com, including Pineda's versions of Journey hits like "Separate Ways" and "Faithfully".


Full story here (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=120201)

@ASKAL Sorry but I really don't know what's the sense of making this kind of argument. I don't know it's like trying to prove which is true the theory of Creation or the Theory of Evolution. It will go on and on and on. You are trying to say that we need to discriminate other fields like the field of arts and entertainment because it has nothing to do with our economy...

Charice, Manny Pacquiao, Lea Salonga, Recent Filipino Chessmaster and many other great Filipinos in their field make us all proud as a Nation. After all this thread is about In The News....Proudly Pinoy Thread. We are commending those people who made great in their field. Each and everyone of us also wants to bring glory to our country but of course there are also personal interest in it.

Right now I'm thinking if your parents commended your talent when you were a kid or maybe they told you:"Ano yang ginagawa mong talent talent na yan, pinapakain ba tayo nyan???"

We can move forward if all the Filipinos started to appreciate each and every single accomplishment that thier fellow kababayans achieved. In that way each and everyone of us will become a morale booster, a wind beneath each and everyones wing. Kesa magsiraan tayo at mag magaling na kritiko sa mga kababayan natin tulad ng nangyayari ngayon... IMHO

It's not wrong to recognize the accomplishments of our kababayans abroad who made a global brand for themselves, however it is totally wrong to claim it as the glory of the Philippines simply because they are Filipinos. The basis for being proud is being a Filipino itself and not because Philippines support or the society and environment provided them the opportunities to put the country on the map. It's all about celebrity fanfare folks.

Why do we have to follow what they have. It's their own "expertise", it's what they're known for and we don't need to duplicate or triplicate it. We have to establish our own brand or our own identity and that is through TALENT, not just in singing but other aspects of talent.

I don't have a doubt that we could excel in other fields like what's happening now but what is important is the establishment of where we really good at.

It's their 'expertise' that they are widely known for and they have every right to be proud of it simply because they made that name by 'themselves' (from a collective point of view). Filipinos should emulate their perseverance, group dynamics and hard work to achieve the level these countries accomplished. Think kaizen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_improvement). Mediocrity has no place in this world.

^^ Wag kang mag-alala, sa dami ng Pinoy sa mundo, something gonna be achieved by our own lahi that we can surely be proud of.


Except sa paramihan ng bukol and tongpats, may lilitaw din na Pinoy that we can say "I'm proud to be a Pinoy dahil sa pagkaimbento ng gamot that would stop corruption".














.... ang side effect nga lang ng mga users ay : -- "Their sex organs would be on their foreheads".

:lol::lol::lol:

Marami ka pang matutulungan ng gamot na yan. Yun nga lang, wala ka namang privacy. :lol::lol:

[QUOTE=-TC-;21286241]Aside from Marlon Stockinger, we have a lot of other Filipino champion racers making a name for themselves abroad. To mention a few: Stefano Marcelo, Michelle Baumgartner and Tyson Sy. Aside from these 3, there are more who are actually making it big abroad and making Filipinos proud.

QUOTE]


also Mathew Guidecelli (from Cebu Karting Group)

it is totally wrong to claim it as the glory of the Philippines simply because they are Filipinos.kaizen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_improvement). Mediocrity has no place in this world.

"totally wrong..."? says who, your textbook? i don't know how limited your concept of nationhood is but it surely is myopic.

the achievements of these artists inspire millions of Filipinos, whose place in the field of performing arts goes a long way, from banig to lea salonga, and now pempengco. now some of these performers aren't high brow, but they do serve their purpose of entertaining and inspiring others. if that doesn't make you proud, i don't know what will.

besides, the fact that a Filipino acknowledges a fellowman as a "kababayan" says a lot. we pinoys embrace pempengco and pineda the way we do pacquiao.

totally wrong? says who, your textbook?

You're completely missing the point. There is a reason why I made those texts bold. By the way, I didn't read that from a book. It is a product of my own reason. ;)

no, other people's points often miss you.

^^ as for me...
the achievements of fellow Filipinos who make their mark in whatever field they are involved with wherever they may be in the world help provide inspiration to the entire Filipino nation to do better...
that is enough reason for me to be proud as a Pinoy.
but that's just me :cheers2:


Close to 100, this Filipino still works

By Jude O. Marfil-Schwalbach
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080601-140027/Close-to-100-this-Filipino-still-works)
First Posted 01:27:00 06/01/2008

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA -- ON THE PHONE, the security guard at the office of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adamant: “Sir, you have to come down here to sign in your guest.”

He hangs up and turns to the guest, saying: “Is Mr. Bacani sick? How come his voice sounded kinda scratchy?”

“He’s not ill,” the visitor replies. “He’s just old -- 97, actually.”

“What?” says the guard, gaping. “Call him back. Tell him it’s okay.” Then he pulls out his walkie-talkie. “Tell him I’ll find somebody to take you up there.”

Alberto S. Bacani -- “Bert” to his family and friends -- works on the ninth floor of the EPA building. At 97, he is probably the oldest person working in any federal agency. (As a matter of policy, the US Office of Personnel Management refuses to divulge information about the age of any federal worker.)

Until he was 95, Bacani was working full time -- eight hours a day, five days a week.

But now he works only two days a week. No, it’s not his age. It’s a result of a cut in the EPA budget and downsizing.

“Bert was furious with me for weeks when I told him that I had to cut his hours,” says Bacani’s boss, Diann Sims, who runs EPA’s Science Information and Analysis Branch.

Bacani is in charge of all EPA information related to pesticides. He also maintains its library. He’s the go-to guy for agency scientists who need the latest pesticide research.

“We’re a data-driven agency, so Bert’s work is important to us,” Sims says.

Sims has been with the EPA since 1986, but Bacani has seniority over the boss.

He started out as a statistical assistant in 1980. The National Older Workers Career Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit organization that helps US citizens over the age of 55 find work, landed him the job. He was then 69.

“The fact that we keep renewing his contract every October means we value his contribution to our agency,” says Sims. “I’m a strict boss and Bert is a good employee.”

It’s unusual, Sims acknowledges. “In our culture the ability of older workers is not highly valued.”

So why does the man still work? To prove himself?


Read on (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080601-140027/Close-to-100-this-Filipino-still-works)... this is an inspiring story.

^^ and i, along with millions of filipinos, agree wholeheartedly :D

no, other people's points often miss you.

Other people's points? I've read it and internalized what they had in mind. Here is what I found out:

Oooohhh!! We should be proud of Charice because she is good and she is A FILIPINO.

I asked myself, why should we be proud as a Filipino for someone else's personal achievements? What effort did the Philippines or Filipinos for that matter was exerted to deserve such worldwide recognition? Such statements only create stereotyping and generalization that Filipinos are best singers to the exclusion of other peoples who are as talented or even better than Filipinos. The reason being a racial driven rather than effort driven source of pride.

The answer: None, its not a national effort. It is Charice talent and her own effort that propelled her popularity.

Same with Manny Pacquiao. However, I would be proud of being a Filipino if Manny Pacquiao did not enter professional boxing and won the gold medal in the Olympics.

I may not be proud of Charice as a Filipino but I think she's an inspiration for each one of us to pursue what we wanted to achieve in life.

Other people's points? I've read it and internalized what they had in mind. Here is what I found out:

Oooohhh!! We should be proud of Charice because she is good and she is A FILIPINO.

I asked myself, why should we be proud as a Filipino for someone else's personal achievements? What effort did the Philippines or Filipinos for that matter was exerted to deserve such worldwide recognition? Such statements only create stereotyping and generalization that Filipinos are best singers to the exclusion of other peoples who are as talented or even better than Filipinos. The reason being a racial driven rather than effort driven source of pride.

The answer: None, its not a national effort. It is Charice talent and her own effort that propelled her popularity.

Same with Manny Pacquiao. However, I would be proud of being a Filipino if Manny Pacquiao did not enter professional boxing and won the gold medal in the Olympics.

I may not be proud of Charice as a Filipino but I think she's an inspiration for each one of us to pursue what we wanted to achieve in life.

I am really confused now.

Does it mean I can not be proud of someone (say Charice), whether the person is a FILIPINO or not, if the person has achieved an honor characterized by excellence or distinction, since I nor any of my fellow FILIPINOS did not contribute anything to her success??

And as a FILIPINO I shouldn't take PRIDE** in any honor brought by about another FILIPINO's personal achievements??

** Pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association

Malabo pa rin talaga, tara inum na lang tayo sa Roosevelt Av. baka dun mapaliwanagan pa ako.:cheers1:

:horse:
J.P.

^^ nationalism' can be a barrier to personal success. Hehe. Why be proud of a Filipino only? Why aren't we proud of our co-humans? Nationalism is very limiting talaga

What if there aren't international achievements that any Filipino has made?

I am really confused now.

Does it mean I can not be proud of someone (say Charice), whether the person is a FILIPINO or not, if the person has achieved an honor characterized by excellence or distinction, since I nor any of my fellow FILIPINOS did not contribute anything to her success??

And as a FILIPINO I shouldn't take PRIDE** in any honor brought by about another FILIPINO's personal achievements??

** Pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association

Malabo pa rin talaga, tara inum na lang tayo sa Roosevelt Av. baka dun mapaliwanagan pa ako.:cheers1:

:horse:
J.P.

Tara meet tayo? When? Calling the attention of the NY based SSC Phil forumers!! :lol:

There's nothing wrong for being proud of someone who is not a Filipino. We are acknowledging their personal achievements so let's give them what they deserve.

or there will be a time that international achievements made by a filipino will be a dime a dozen that we don't need to point it out.
our culture has been badly damaged and stigmatized because of the mistakes of the previous generations. when these bastards disappear then maybe we can start a new.
ngayon parang naghahalungkat tayo, kahit me isang percent (tagalog?) lang ng dugong pinoy inaako natin.

the dude said it himself that hes proud for being half pinoy, w/c what made him different frm the other competitors. otherwise, he'll just be any regular european guy who likes doing that

maging humble muna si charice para hindi sayang ang suporta ng kanyang mga kababayan.


"Im proud of myself" Sino nga ba nagsabi nun kay Oprah? :lol:

http://www.mb.com.ph/ENTR20080601126188.html

Just call her Charice

By WALDEN SADIRI
Manila Bulletin
June 1, 2008

Chances are if you didn’t see Charice Pempengco on "Ellen’s" and "Oprah’s" shows, you may have caught those episodes on YouTube. But Charice said there were still un-aired parts of the show that she wished viewers worldwide could have enjoyed watching.

She, for instance did the famous "Ellen" dance steps. She also had a dance showdown with Ellen."Ginawa po niya yung dance steps niya and tapos ako naman po nag-strut ng mga arms ko," she

recalled. "Sayang because they were editted out...bata pa lang ako mahilig na ako mag-sayaw. Ginagaya ko nga ang moves ng Streetboys. Sayang talaga na di po pinakita sa TV ang pagsayaw po naming pareho."

While in "Oprah" Charice did a Tom Cruise — she jumped on the couch excitedly. It wasn’t though in front of a live audience or millions of televiewers. She was told she could jump on the couch by the production staff of "Oprah" who gave her tour of the show’s set.

"Sayang bawal po ang camera sa loob," related Charice about her exhilirating experience on the set of "Oprah." "I couldn’t believe it po na nasa set po ako eh pinapanuod ko lang po ito noon."

On both occasions Charice was well taken care of and she even received gifts from Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey. But the most importatnt thing aside from those gifts were the hosts’ trust and belief in her talent that they invited her as their guest. "Malaking utang na loob ko kay Ellen. I saw in her na she’s not only funny but mahilig din sa kids. Si Oprah naman po seryoso pero mararamdaman ang care and yung pag-alaga sa yo ma-feel mo na gusto ka niya," she shared.

If she cried on the "Oprah" show it was because she was in awe to be besides one of the most powerful women in the world. "Kaya po ako napaiyak nang umpisa pa lang ng show niyakap ko na siya kasi hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. And while I was singing, nasa isipan ko that I should impress her kasi ako yung first Filipina na nag-guest sa kanya. Napaiyak din ako kasi nakita ko na sobrang humanga siya. Nang napanuod ko yung show natuwa ako na wow siya ng wow," said Charice proudly.

The guest appearances of Charice on "Ellen"and "Oprah" also resulted in making her globally popular as both shows are syndicated worldwide — the reason why more people recognize her like after her stint at the Mandalay Hotel in Las Vegas with world-class perfomers like Andrea Bocelli,

Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys and Katherine McPhee. It was a tribute show for famed songwriter David Foster.

"Dream ko po na makilala ako ng mga Filipino at mga pinakamagandang experience yung after Mandalay Bay as in lahat ng audience, mga 10,000 nakasalubong ko sa hotel. Nakapaa pa ako noon kasi masakit na paa ko. Di lang mga Filipinos ang naka-recognize sa akin pero pati mga foreigners kaya hindi ako makapaniwala," she exclaimed.

Though very talented, her instant popularity couldn’t have come on a better time. Charice now

has been landing more gigs than before here and in abroad. And hopefully soon, through the management team of Star Records, she would become financially stable.

She now lives with her family in Sto. Tomas, Batangas and they are still renting a vehicle when she needs to travel to Manila for her engagements. She also hopes to finance her college studies too with the money she makes.

She is contemplating of either taking up law or becoming a doctor someday. Charice is again leaving for the States for a couple of shows and then she’ll be back on June 12, just in time for the Air Supply concert on June 14 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The petite-Pinay-wonder also recently launched her self-titled debut album under Star Records. It contains the two songs she recorded in Sweden entitled "It Can Only Get Better" and "Born To Love You Forever." Also in it are "I Have Nothing," "Mama," "I Am Telling You" and her popular rendition of the Whitney Houston hit song "I Will Always Love You."

Star Records Audio Unit Head Nixon Sy expressed, "It’s only but natural for Star Records to produce her an album because she is a goldmine. And it’s high time that tayo, her own kababayans accord her the same recognition that international TV shows gave her."

He added that Charice gave a world-class performance in her album which Star Records was very happy and contented with the results. In fact they are already planning and collecting songs for her second album which will contain all original songs and remakes. In the past, Charice has been part of three Star Records albums namely, "Little Big Star," "Little Big Deeds"and "Teen Popstar."

Charice will also have a mall tour for her album "Charice." She will be visiting SM Clark on June 15, SM Marilao on June 21, SM Fairview on June 22 and SM Bacoor on June 28.

Star Records is also setting the right direction of Charice’s singing career which would include more shows, hopefully a major one, and even acting opportunities on the side!

Part of their image building is shortening the artist’s name to just Charice. "I’m not dropping my last name. Kaso lang po sa mga guestings ko sa American TV shows iba iba ang pronounciation. Charice na lang po para mas mabilis pong matandaan ng mga tao. Kahit po sa America mas maganda yung isang name lang parang Madonna," she quipped.

Charice who turned 16 years old last May 10 said that she is only wishing for more jobs.

Aside from Marlon Stockinger, we have a lot of other Filipino champion racers making a name for themselves abroad. To mention a few: Stefano Marcelo, Michelle Baumgartner and Tyson Sy. Aside from these 3, there are more who are actually making it big abroad and making Filipinos proud.




also Mathew Guidecelli (from Cebu Karting Group)


Ah yes and also Enzo Pastor. See this article:

Enzo Eyes US Campaign
Manila Bulletin
June 1, 2008

Ferdinand 'Enzo' Pastor is eyeing a stint in the A1 GP or the US-WTCC series championship, according to his father and manager, Tom Pastor, president of the Philippine Formula Autosports Foundation, Inc.

The elder Pastor said he is negotiating with motorsports and Asian sponsors to fund Enzo's campaign in the US.

Enzo, now based in the US where he handles his newly-formed business called VBA, stopped over the Subic International Raceway in Subic last Sunday and showed off his skills against the old regulars.

He started third from the grid and overtook Jody Coseteng and Kookie Ramirez to win the race. He went to Subic to pull his old E.G. Honda from storage.

Enzo is the only Filipino so far to have been invited to race in the Formula One (for Minardi in 2004 - TC).

Isang Felix Barrientos lang ubos na silang lahat!

Tennis player na! Stockmarket analyst pa!

:applause: :banana2: :applause: :banana2: :applause: :banana2:

There is a reason why the adage that everyone gets their own 15 minutes of fame is because that's the shelf-life of celebrities these days. "Hot" today, "Not" tomorrow. But advancement in research, science, technology, or even humanitarian efforts are remembered ad infinitum.

Isang Felix Barrientos lang ubos na silang lahat!

Tennis player na! Stockmarket analyst pa!

:applause: :banana2: :applause: :banana2: :applause: :banana2:

I am a tennis player and a fan of Felix Barrientos
Nasaan na siya ngayon?

Ah yes and also Enzo Pastor. See this article:

Enzo Eyes US Campaign
Manila Bulletin
June 1, 2008

Ferdinand 'Enzo' Pastor is eyeing a stint in the A1 GP or the US-WTCC series championship, according to his father and manager, Tom Pastor, president of the Philippine Formula Autosports Foundation, Inc.

The elder Pastor said he is negotiating with motorsports and Asian sponsors to fund Enzo's campaign in the US.

Enzo, now based in the US where he handles his newly-formed business called VBA, stopped over the Subic International Raceway in Subic last Sunday and showed off his skills against the old regulars.

He started third from the grid and overtook Jody Coseteng and Kookie Ramirez to win the race. He went to Subic to pull his old E.G. Honda from storage.

Enzo is the only Filipino so far to have been invited to race in the Formula One (for Minardi in 2004 - TC).



Madami dami na din palang mga pinoy ang naggagawa ng pangalan sa Racing. Sana magkaroon din tayo ng F1 race track. Ako hanggang Gran Turismo lang naglalaro ng Car Racing eh...

Walang katapusan ung issue kung saan at kailan tayo dapat maging proud sa mga kababayan nating nakikilala sa kanya kanyang mga larangan. Mas mabuti sana kung tanungin din natin sarili natin kung ano ba ang pwede nating gawin para magbigay karangalan sa Pilipinas at maging proud ang mga kapwa natin pinoy sa atin kesa pang habang buhay tayong magingkritiko ng mga pinoy na tumatamasa ng papuri mula sa iba't ibang panig ng mundo...

Naalala ko ung scene sa Monalisa Smile nung nagmamagaling si Kirsten Dunst na hindi art ung pinakita ni Julia na drawing nya nung bata pa sya. Ung argument dito parang yun hehehehe...

Here is one of the Filipinos na hinahanap nyo na asa Field ng enterpreneur and Technology (schoolmate kami hehe):

Engineer Diosdado 'Dado' Banatao
"The Filipino Computer Guru"

What do Filipino American entrepreneurs Elizabeth Rivera, Rodolfo Dorilag and Diosdado Banatao have in common? All of them own multimillion dollar companies in California's high tech center, the Silicon Valley in Santa Clara. While Rivera owns RiveraTech Multimedia, Dorilag has Micro-Integration Engineering. Banatao holds many lucrative companies. An Ilocano and Ibanag speaking engineer, he hails from Barrio Malabbac, Iguig Town, Cagayan Province in Northern Luzon Island, Philippines. He finished electrical engineering Cum Laude at Manila's Mapua Institute of Technology. A pioneer in graphics acceleration, he introduced the semiconductor industry's first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator which significantly enhanced the performance of today's PC's. This chip is now found in at least nine out of 10 PC motherboards. It was also Dado's genius that gave the world the first Ethernet controller chip that enabled computers to link up and to communicate with one another and the first chip set that significantly reduced the complexity of the personal computer. By the time IBM introduced the personal computer in the early 1980's, Banatao was already deep in chip technology research and experimentation. He immediately saw that the computer chip had to be redesigned to make it more compact and cheaper to produce. Under his own companies, Mostron and Chips & Technology, he developed the chip set for the PC that made the personal computer affordable to millions of people. He was also founder and past CEO of other computer-related multimillion dollar companies, including California's S3, Inc. which makes high-speed video chips. Never content until an invention of his could be made accessible to many, Banatao has had the satisfaction of knowing that the products of his genius continue to benefit not only Silicon Valley but also the Philippines and the rest of the world.

"I have lowered the cost of the computer, made it high performance. If you look at the names in the U.S. that have made a tremendous impact on the PC, I would be one of them," he said. When inquired by the Philippine Daily Inquirer about American business monopolies: "Do you think Bill Gates has learned his lesson or…? You think they'd easily give in?" His response was, "Not Bill Gates. He's a very shrewd businessman. He is plain good, that's why Microsoft is Microsoft. Microsoft is not successful by accident. They are very good! [Grins] His human side, I heard--because I don't interact with him--that he's not fun to be around with. [Laughter] Maybe he just doesn't know how to enjoy himself." Banatao flies his own plane, someting he learned right after college. He told the Inquirer, "I splurge on airplanes; I have one now and I have ordered a business jet and I'm about to buy a turbine. I splurge on very high-performance cars--a Porsche. I splurge on resort properties, like in Lake Tahoe and Sonoma, San Francisco." He is married to a Filipina, the former Maria Cariaga, an educational psychologist. The two have two boys and one girl. The eldest son is a future Ph.D. in bio-informatics, a combination of biology and computer science. The second son graduated in 1999 from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in material science. The youngest child is still at UCB.


Banatao's Contributions to the Computer Industry:
1. First single-chip, 16-bit microprocessor-based calculator (while at Commodore in 1976)
2. First single-chip MicroVAX for Digital Equipment
3. First 10-Mbit Ethernet CMOS with silicon coupler data-link control and transreceiver chip; got 3Com into the Ethernet PC add-in card business (while at Seeq in early 1980s)
4. First system logic chip set for the PC-XT and the PC-AT (while at Mostron in 1984 and Chips and Technologies in 1985)
5. First enhanced graphics adapter chip set (while at Chips and Technologies in 1985)
6. Pioneered local bus concept for PC (while at S3 in 1989)
7. First Windows accelerator chip (while at S3 in 1990)
8. Chips & Techs - acquired by Intel

I am a tennis player and a fan of Felix Barrientos
Nasaan na siya ngayon?

Wala akong kaugnayan kay Felix Barrientos, nababasa ko lang sya nuon sa mga dyaryo at napapanood sa TV.

December 1991, napanood ko ang live na laban nina Roland So at Adam Malik sa Manila SEA Games.

Thanks bro :) :hi:

Journey on CBS Sunday Morning

bkMBCHOtKm8

Thanks ergit222 for this. :)

Watch that clip from start to finish to hear Arnel talk about his mom and why "Don't Stop Believing" is the theme song of his life.

Galeng galeng.

Kya I WON'TSTOP BELIEVING!

Proud ako sa PILIPINO na ito.

:horse:
J.P.

oh wow he sounds so much like steve perry and sting.
that clip made me cry.

Yes!:cheers:


Philippine Star
Headlines
Pinoys shine at West Point
By Jose Katigbak STAR Washington bureau
Monday, June 2, 2008

WEST POINT, New York – It was a historic day for the Philippines at West Point over the weekend.

Christy Isis Achanzar became the first Filipina to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from America’s premier military academy, and Mario Feliciano was the highest ranked international cadet ever to graduate from West Point.

As if that were not enough, Feliciano graduated with honors in engineering management and placed 87th out of a graduating class of 995.

Achanzar bagged a number of awards including the Superintendent’s Achievement Award and the National Society Dames of the Court of Honor Award for excellence in electrical engineering sequence.

They were among 15 foreign cadets of class 2008 whose motto is “No Mission Too Great.”

After their graduation, Philippine embassy defense attaché, Army Col. Rolando Tenefrancia presented Achanzar and Feliciano their commissions as second lieutenants in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

He described the pair as “the best of the best and a credit to the country and the AFP.”

“To the best of my knowledge they are the finest cadets we have ever sent to West Point,” said Tenefrancia who is due to return home soon at the end of a three-year posting to Washington DC to take command of a brigade.

Philippine Consul General New York Cecilia Rebong, one of several Filipino dignitaries at the graduation, said she was very proud of both cadets, but as a woman she was especially pleased at Achanzar’s achievement.

“I’m sure they’ll have a great career in front of them,” she said.

The graduation ceremony was held at the USMA football field on the banks of the Hudson River under a cloudy sky that gave way to rain before the traditional hat toss.

In addition to Achanzar and Feliciano about 10 Filipino Americans also graduated from West Point including Anthony Bulaclac Jr. of Victorville, California, Daniel Asia of Jersey City, New Jersey and Diana Alquero and Christine Limsiaco, both of Houston, Texas.

Bulaclac was born in Mindanao and moved to California when he was seven years old with his parents, Anthony and Pomben Bulaclac.

All three plan to go back to the Philippines for a three-week holiday later this month.

In an interview with The STAR, Feliciano said his dream is to become AFP chief of staff and president of the Philippines.

Not surprisingly his idol is former President Fidel Ramos, also a West Pointer.

Listening to him talk, one gets the feeling there is nothing he cannot do. He has his life planned out like a roadmap.

In contrast Achanzar, who hails from Davao City and is deeply religious, wants to take life one day at a time.

She doesn’t place too much stock on being the first Filipina West Point graduate.

“I don’t want to set goals and put pressure myself,” she said. “My only goal is to do my best and leave the rest to God.”

Her mother Asuncion is a lay apostolate and her father Ermine works for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Davao.

Feliciano, son of Rosauro Feliciano of Zamboanga and Iranian mother Nahid Mokhtarian, has lived in the Philippines less than two years, doesn’t look Filipino and barely speaks Tagalog. But he more than makes up for this with his professed nationalism.

“It does not matter if you don’t look Filipino or if you don’t speak the language well,” he said. “What matters is what you feel in your heart and I feel and I know that I am a Filipino.”

He describes himself in his web site as “born in Iran, raised in Kuwait, now a proud Filipino.”

“He has a very bright future ahead of him. Wherever he goes he’ll do well,” said Capt. Geraldo Peralta, Feliciano’s mentor at West Point.

“He has dreams of finding ways of making the Philippines a better country.”

Feliciano was made a regimental commander for the summer Cadet Field Training but could not hold on to the rank when the regular senior term began because as he explained, he is not an American.

The highest rank in the regular term he could obtain was that of regimental command Sergeant Major, one of the top 10 leadership positions in the Corps of Cadets.

Journey on CBS Sunday Morning



Thanks ergit222 for this. :)

ANG GALING talaga nya.

Steve Perry and Arnel iisang boses naririnig ko.

^^ Gee yeah. Tingin ko nga'y higit na mahusay si Arnel Pineda. Pinanood ko yung comparison nilang dalawa sa YouTube. Marami ang nako-convince (through comments) na [mas] malupit si AP kaysa kay SP. Pero, syempre, iba pa rin ang orihinal. :)


llll One of the latest news from GoodNewsPilipinas:

Pinay top foreigner in Mt. Everest race (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=2015#comment-115)

Carina Dayondon was the first among foreign female climbers to finish the 2008 Hillary-Tenzing Mount Everest Marathon, tagged as the highest marathon in the world.

Carina one of the three Filipinas who scaled Mount Everest last year, came in behind seven Nepali women who joined the race.

She together with the other five other Filipino participants triumphantly reached the finish line in Nepal.

The prime slot in the men’s division went to a Japanese national.

Dayondon’s fellow Everest veterans Noelle Wenceslao and Erwin “Pastor” Emata, and other members of the First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition (FPMEE) team, namely Dr. Ted Esguerra and Fred Jamili, composed the six-man team.

The marathon was not a race to the top of Mount Everest but was a 42-kilometer race from the Mount Everest base camp at the Nepal or south side at an altitude of 17,149 feet, to the town of Namche Bazar, which is at an altitude of 11,300,

The marathon route runs over rough and treacherous trails and while the course is basically downhill, it has two steep uphill sections, according to race organizers.

The 6th Hillary-Tenzing marathon 2008 was organized to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the climb to the summit of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and his Nepali sherpa, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa.

________________________________________________________________

World Bank gives Taguig high marks (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=2017)

The World Bank’s International Finance Corp. cited Taguig as one of most business-friendly cities in the country.

Based on a recent study of the World Bank entitled “Doing Business in the Philippines”, Taguig was tagged as the Philippine city where starting a business is easiest with its simplified government procedures.

The study also recognized Taguig’s best practices having the minimum number of days and procedures to start up a business, and the lowest number of license-related procedures.

Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga said “Notwithstanding the results, we believe that there is still a lot to be done. This study will give us the direction for the next steps we need to undertake in further improving service efficiency in Taguig.”

“He said that the city government is laying the groundwork for its Integrated Systems Information Software (ISIS) that would make its services available online. This system will link them directly to business establishments for faster and hassle-free transactions, such as property assessment and taxation, land use zoning and planning, and business permit and license issuance.

The mayor said the city government is also working to link Taguig to the Philippine Business Registry. The PBR is an online system of registry, that is currently being developed by the Department of Trade and Industry together with the local government units and the private sector, aimed to streamline business procedures in the country.

Tiñga believes making government services available online will not only lessen red tape in the bureaucracy, but will reduce corruption.

The World Bank credits Taguig with the easiest business entry requirements because it has the least number of procedures to comply with. Given these procedures, business operations can start in as short as 27 days, the shortest lead time in the country.

The study also cited Taguig for simplifying government procedures and cutting up requirements to obtain business permits. The city effectively initiated the Customer Service Office that process business permit approval upon submission of necessary documents.

Aside from topping the list in the ease of starting a business, Taguig ranked number one in aggregate score, followed by Mandaluyong, while Cebu and Marikina tied at the third spot.

The World Bank publishes the “Doing Business” series to compare regulation in 21 Philippine cities and 178 economies all over the world.

After Patricia Evangelista... here comes Gian Karlo Dapul! :okay: :bow:

-------------------------------------------------------------
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view/20080602-140194/Filipino-wins-UK-contest-with-fish-mucus-fungus

Filipino wins UK contest with fish mucus, fungus
By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
06/02/2008

MANILA, Philippines—While London was abuzz with the premiere of "Sex and the City" last month, a Filipino wowed Brits with a speech on fish mucus and foot fungus.

Gian Karlo Dapul, 16, won this year's International Public Speaking Competition conducted on May 9 by the English-Speaking Union (ESU) for his speech titled "Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus."

"I wasn't confident of winning. I wasn't planning on winning," Dapul told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Thursday. "On the plane I was just thinking: 'Yehey, I get to stay in London for a week.'"

The incoming senior at the Philippine Science High School in Quezon City was one of the youngest contestants, yet he bested 57 speakers from more than 30 other countries, including the United States, England and Australia.

Dapul is the second Filipino to top the competition after then University of the Philippines student Patricia Evangelista won in 2004, proving anew that foreigners can speak English well. Evangelista now writes a column for the Inquirer newspaper, parent company of INQUIRER.net.

The competition is one of the ESU's most popular international programs. The ESU is an international charity founded in 1918 with the aim of fostering international understanding through the English language.

Dapul acknowledged that the other competitors spoke more eloquently of their topics -- teenage sex, communism, the bane of Internet, yearning for peace -- but reckoned that the content of his speech gave him the edge.

Improbable items

He delivered a speech on the wonders that scientific research could do for the country's public health, citing for instance, researches on the curative powers of fish mucus and foot fungus.

"Although I'm only 16 years old and an incoming fourth year high school student, I know that my country has more problems than any Mathematics book. Strangely enough, the answers to some of our problems are fish mucus and foot fungus," he said in his speech. "These seemingly improbable items are products of what we call scientific research."

Dapul went on to point out that nudibranch, a soft-bodied sea creature, has been used in tumor research, that samples of fish mucus have certain antibacterial properties, and some types of infectious fungi that coat a person's toes "form beneficial relationships" that support plant growth.

"New challenges are coming, and they will always confront us. What we need is an army of scientific researchers that will help find the solutions in advance. I want to be part of the army that would cross the new frontiers first," he said.

By accident

In the interview with the Inquirer, Dapul said he learned of the ESU national competition in Manila by "accident" from a classmate -- a fellow member of the high school debating team --who prodded him to join for kicks. He almost didn't make it.

He signed up, but forgot all about it until the night before the April 8 competition.

"I checked it out, and shucks, I found out it was going to be held the next day. What's more, I didn't know I had to deliver a prepared speech. So I panicked," Dapul said.

So he locked himself in his room the whole night and wrote his speech in some five hours, finding the topic of scientific research "perfect" for the ESU theme of "New Horizons, New Frontiers."

"I crammed for my speech," he said, recalling that he wrote down his major ideas in bullet points.

The next day, Dapul, the fourth of six children, asked his mother Rosanna to drive him to the contest venue on the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City -- the first time he told his parents about the competition.

There, he found himself pitted against college students. But to his surprise and his parents', he was named one of the eight finalists that day, and the winner, the next day.

"We were all surprised. They were just telling me to do well so I could land second or third place," he said.

The national contest was initiated by a Philippine chapter of the ESU, which has been sending representatives to the international competition each year since it was formed in 2002 by a group of Filipino writers.

As the winner, Dapul represented the country in the ESU's international public speaking competition in London, and delivered essentially the same -- but more polished -- speech.

Last speaker

On May 5, Dapul traveled with his father Santi to London, and stayed for a day at the home of his brother Omar before he checked in at a hotel, an accommodation provided by the ESU.

During the semifinal heats at the ESU headquarters in Dartmouth House, the young Dapul was bracketed with 14 others, including native speakers of English from the United States, England and Australia. He was the first speaker.

"After my speech, I watched the others. They were really, really good. I felt nervous for the first time," he recalled.

In the end, only he and another Chinese student in their bracket moved on to the finals, along with six others, later held that day at the US Embassy. This time, he was the last speaker. After his speech, he fielded questions from the audience.

Scientific romance

"In the finals, I was more confident. As they say on 'American Idol' (reality talent show), the last spot is the winning spot. It gave me confidence because I saw what I was up against," he said.

"They had good delivery, but I had better content. That's what I told myself then," he added.

After he was declared the winner, Dapul was presented a winner's cup and a silver gavel. The cup stayed at the ESU headquarters for display. In November, he will be presented with a certificate at the ESU awards ceremony by Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace.

Choosing scientific research as a topic was just natural for him, said Dapul, who has been a consistent director's list scholar and an officer of the student council since his freshman year.

By focusing on the topic, he was able to highlight potential researches, particularly those dealing with cures to diseases, waiting to be discovered, tested and applied.

Likes trains

"I thought that if people saw how our research can actually help, not only here but also internationally, the government might notice and start funding the research," he said.

Of his London experience, Dapul relished the rollicking fun he and the other students had while touring the city, including visits to the House of Parliament and a theater.

"The most exciting part was commuting on [subway] trains. I'm not really fond of the attractions. The trains were intersecting. It was easy to get on and off. It was very convenient," he said.

O.T.
http://www.retztv.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/paquiao-morales-beer.jpg
Tara meet tayo? When? Calling the attention of the NY based SSC Phil forumers!! :lol:...

Sige, tara, puede ako sa Sabado 06/07/08 in the afternoon. ?Donde?
Who else is interested among the NY SCC forumers??

:horse:
J.P.

Mga SSC peepz....

May nagpost na ba ng performance ni Nikki Gil sa HK-Disneyland?

Reply is urgent! Salamat!

Mga SSC peepz....

May nagpost na ba ng performance ni Nikki Gil sa HK-Disneyland?

Reply is urgent! Salamat!

Ito ba yun @stanley?

Its A Small World- Asian Version Cantonese, Mandarin, Thai at Filipino (i'm not so sure)
N7V9lgWcNuk
Music Video
BeCMo6rRT1g

Heto pa hehe
FdSOQInpUJ0

i like how the Cantonese sound

Its A Small World- Asian Version Cantonese, Mandarin, Thai and Filipino.
N7V9lgWcNuk

Music Video
BeCMo6rRT1g

Heto pa hehe
FdSOQInpUJ0

They should have that here too, especially at EPCOT in DisneyWorld. Asians are underrepresented with only China and Japan representing.

^^ Yeah I hate that. As a kid riding It's A Small World in Disneyland, I was looking forward to the Filipino version which I didn't see. :(

Proud to see that tho!

Yeah I hate that. As a kid riding It's A Small World in Disneyland, I was looking forward to the Filipino version which I didn't see. :(

Proud to see that tho!

Actually, in the "It's A Small World" ride there is one lone doll that's in Filipino costume towards the end of the ride, easily missed if you aren't really looking. But you're right, Tagalog wasn't one of the languages being sung all throughout the duration of the ride.

Arnel Pineda we are all happy for you.

You deserve to be a member of journey not because you are a filipino

you're talented and paid your dues,hard work pays indeed

Arnel is a true example of rag to riches not by luck but by destiny

we cant wait to buy the cd and see you in concerts

Best Wishes to you from all your fans in Tampa,Fl.

Actually, in the "It's A Small World" ride there is one lone doll that's in Filipino costume towards the end of the ride, easily missed if you aren't really looking. But you're right, Tagalog wasn't one of the languages being sung all throughout the duration of the ride.

ah darn it ! just one :lol:

How bout the little boy riding the carabao right after the thai dolls? Filipino or vietnamese. :lol:

I found the doll you're talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArujOTIu2dQ at 00:27

Ito ba yun @stanley?

Its A Small World- Asian Version Cantonese, Mandarin, Thai at Filipino (i'm not so sure)
N7V9lgWcNuk
Music Video
BeCMo6rRT1g

Heto pa hehe
FdSOQInpUJ0

Wow! eto nga! Thanks! Crush ko kasi si Nikki e. So thanks!

Ang ganda niya dun sa MV! hehehehehe.....

Like ko yung Filipino and Thai kasi ang cute nung lyrics nung Thai tapos ang heavenly nung voice ni Nikki. Hate ko yung Chinese and Hong Kongese? :nuts: PArang walang kalatuy-latoy......... :ohno:

Lo phai noi ti rao phong tai
Lo phai noi ti rao phong tai
Kay liit lang ng mundo
Ang mundo natin

Kung Filipino Version,....

Hindi tayo iba, Puso'y magkaisa
Kay liit lang ng mundo...

I love you Nikki! :)

Kcj51gdhqW4

Check at 1:06, andun yung bahay kubo, sampaguita at tarsier. May bubuyog ata sa bubong..... :lol:

X_BY_CCc4o0

at 00:36 yung bahay kubo at yung sampaguita and tarsier ng Pilipinas!

Yehey!

Cebu Pacific is world’s no. 1 in passenger growth (http://bworld.com.ph/BW060408/content.php?id=031#cebu)
BusinessWorld

AMONG THE WORLD’S 30 largest low-cost carriers in 2007, Cebu Pacific (CEB) ranked first in terms of passenger carriage growth, according to Airline Business magazine’s May 2008 issue.

CEB was also ranked no. 23 in the world and no. 5 in Asia in total passengers carried in 2007. CEB carried a total of almost 5.5 million passengers in 2007, up 57.4% from 2006.

Lance Y. Gokongwei, CEB president and CEO, said, "This is a testament that our offering — new aircraft and most affordable fares — has caught on and we believe will continue to gain momentum."

This year, CEB expects to fly 7 million passengers as it takes delivery of new planes and expands its service domestically and internationally. It recently offered an unprecedented 500,000 seats for free with the passengers paying only for the surcharges and government tax.

Southwest Airlines (USA) topped the low-cost carrier category with 88.7 million passengers, followed by Ryanair (Ireland), easyJet (UK), Air Berlin (Germany) and AirTran Airways. CEB joins Indonesia’s Lion Air (1) and the now defunct Adam Air (4), Malaysia’s AirAsia (2) and Deccan (3) of India in Asia’s Top 5.

CEB has a fleet of ten A319s, eight A320s and two ATR 72-500 aircraft. The airline flies to 14, soon to be 16, international destinations with the addition of Kaoshiung in June and Kota Kinabalu on July. It will also add Tuguegarao and Naga in its domestic network in June and San Jose, Mindoro in July.

KAY LIIT LANG NG MUNDO

Ang mundo natin may saya’t luha
May pag-asa takot tawanan pa
Hindi tayo iba
Puso’y magkaisa
Kay liit lang ng mundo

Kay liit lang ng mundo
Kay liit lang ng mundo
Kay liit lang ng mundo
Ang mundo natin

After Patricia Evangelista... here comes Gian Karlo Dapul! :okay: :bow:

-------------------------------------------------------------
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view/20080602-140194/Filipino-wins-UK-contest-with-fish-mucus-fungus

Filipino wins UK contest with fish mucus, fungus
By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
06/02/2008

MANILA, Philippines—While London was abuzz with the premiere of "Sex and the City" last month, a Filipino wowed Brits with a speech on fish mucus and foot fungus.

Gian Karlo Dapul, 16, won this year's International Public Speaking Competition conducted on May 9 by the English-Speaking Union (ESU) for his speech titled "Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus."

"I wasn't confident of winning. I wasn't planning on winning," Dapul told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Thursday. "On the plane I was just thinking: 'Yehey, I get to stay in London for a week.'"

The incoming senior at the Philippine Science High School in Quezon City was one of the youngest contestants, yet he bested 57 speakers from more than 30 other countries, including the United States, England and Australia.

Dapul is the second Filipino to top the competition after then University of the Philippines student Patricia Evangelista won in 2004, proving anew that foreigners can speak English well. Evangelista now writes a column for the Inquirer newspaper, parent company of INQUIRER.net.

The competition is one of the ESU's most popular international programs. The ESU is an international charity founded in 1918 with the aim of fostering international understanding through the English language.

Dapul acknowledged that the other competitors spoke more eloquently of their topics -- teenage sex, communism, the bane of Internet, yearning for peace -- but reckoned that the content of his speech gave him the edge.

Improbable items

He delivered a speech on the wonders that scientific research could do for the country's public health, citing for instance, researches on the curative powers of fish mucus and foot fungus.

"Although I'm only 16 years old and an incoming fourth year high school student, I know that my country has more problems than any Mathematics book. Strangely enough, the answers to some of our problems are fish mucus and foot fungus," he said in his speech. "These seemingly improbable items are products of what we call scientific research."

Dapul went on to point out that nudibranch, a soft-bodied sea creature, has been used in tumor research, that samples of fish mucus have certain antibacterial properties, and some types of infectious fungi that coat a person's toes "form beneficial relationships" that support plant growth.

"New challenges are coming, and they will always confront us. What we need is an army of scientific researchers that will help find the solutions in advance. I want to be part of the army that would cross the new frontiers first," he said.

By accident

In the interview with the Inquirer, Dapul said he learned of the ESU national competition in Manila by "accident" from a classmate -- a fellow member of the high school debating team --who prodded him to join for kicks. He almost didn't make it.

He signed up, but forgot all about it until the night before the April 8 competition.

"I checked it out, and shucks, I found out it was going to be held the next day. What's more, I didn't know I had to deliver a prepared speech. So I panicked," Dapul said.

So he locked himself in his room the whole night and wrote his speech in some five hours, finding the topic of scientific research "perfect" for the ESU theme of "New Horizons, New Frontiers."

"I crammed for my speech," he said, recalling that he wrote down his major ideas in bullet points.

The next day, Dapul, the fourth of six children, asked his mother Rosanna to drive him to the contest venue on the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City -- the first time he told his parents about the competition.

There, he found himself pitted against college students. But to his surprise and his parents', he was named one of the eight finalists that day, and the winner, the next day.

"We were all surprised. They were just telling me to do well so I could land second or third place," he said.

The national contest was initiated by a Philippine chapter of the ESU, which has been sending representatives to the international competition each year since it was formed in 2002 by a group of Filipino writers.

As the winner, Dapul represented the country in the ESU's international public speaking competition in London, and delivered essentially the same -- but more polished -- speech.

Last speaker

On May 5, Dapul traveled with his father Santi to London, and stayed for a day at the home of his brother Omar before he checked in at a hotel, an accommodation provided by the ESU.

During the semifinal heats at the ESU headquarters in Dartmouth House, the young Dapul was bracketed with 14 others, including native speakers of English from the United States, England and Australia. He was the first speaker.

"After my speech, I watched the others. They were really, really good. I felt nervous for the first time," he recalled.

In the end, only he and another Chinese student in their bracket moved on to the finals, along with six others, later held that day at the US Embassy. This time, he was the last speaker. After his speech, he fielded questions from the audience.

Scientific romance

"In the finals, I was more confident. As they say on 'American Idol' (reality talent show), the last spot is the winning spot. It gave me confidence because I saw what I was up against," he said.

"They had good delivery, but I had better content. That's what I told myself then," he added.

After he was declared the winner, Dapul was presented a winner's cup and a silver gavel. The cup stayed at the ESU headquarters for display. In November, he will be presented with a certificate at the ESU awards ceremony by Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace.

Choosing scientific research as a topic was just natural for him, said Dapul, who has been a consistent director's list scholar and an officer of the student council since his freshman year.

By focusing on the topic, he was able to highlight potential researches, particularly those dealing with cures to diseases, waiting to be discovered, tested and applied.

Likes trains

"I thought that if people saw how our research can actually help, not only here but also internationally, the government might notice and start funding the research," he said.

Of his London experience, Dapul relished the rollicking fun he and the other students had while touring the city, including visits to the House of Parliament and a theater.

"The most exciting part was commuting on [subway] trains. I'm not really fond of the attractions. The trains were intersecting. It was easy to get on and off. It was very convenient," he said.

for a kid his age, magaling siya., pero during the competition (elims), he wasnt my bet., i thought yung pamangkin ni mar roxas yung mananalo or yung isang classmate nun from FEU, kaso di siya nakapasok sa final rounds man lang., pati yung taga paref magaling din., never expected na mananalo siya, proud ako sa kaniya, kasi he speaks from his heart, which is hard. :) and siyempre its an honor for me na makasama siya sa isang competition kahit natalo ako., :) :) congrats. :)

for a kid his age, magaling siya., pero during the competition (elims), he wasnt my bet., i thought yung pamangkin ni mar roxas yung mananalo or yung isang classmate nun from FEU, kaso di siya nakapasok sa final rounds man lang., pati yung taga paref magaling din., never expected na mananalo siya, proud ako sa kaniya, kasi he speaks from his heart, which is hard. :) and siyempre its an honor for me na makasama siya sa isang competition kahit natalo ako., :) :) congrats. :)

You mean you competed against him?

yep., same batch at the eliminations., talo ako., hehehe., :) i'm very happy for him., :)

the eliminations were held last april sa UP Diliman during the PIDC (phil. inter-col. debating championships) which i joined as well.

yep., same batch at the eliminations., talo ako., hehehe., :) i'm very happy for him., :)

the eliminations were held last april sa UP Diliman during the PIDC (phil. inter-col. debating championships) which i joined as well.

The fact that you were one of them means you're good at it. Congrats pa rin.

yep., same batch at the eliminations., talo ako., hehehe., :) i'm very happy for him., :)

the eliminations were held last april sa UP Diliman during the PIDC (phil. inter-col. debating championships) which i joined as well.

Debating pala expertise mo. Useful sa SSC yan lalo na dito sa Eco forum. :okay: Haha. :lol:

I received the Journey Revelation CDs that I ordered from Walmart! Yey!

It’s Super perfect. It’s all worth it! Buy only the Original Copy!

I received the Journey Revelation CDs that I ordered from Walmart! Yey!

It’s Super perfect. It’s all worth it! Buy only the Original Copy!

New York Times gave it a positive review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/arts/music/02Choi.html

More importantly, Arnel seems to have won over the majority of the die-hard Journey fans, especially those who were initially criticial of him due to his race and accent. Though it is considered heresy apparently to profess that Arnel has surpassed Steve "The Voice" Perry, still, many fans have been gracious enough to praise Arnel's immense talent and to hope that his future in the band will last a long time.

Personally, I am very proud of Arnel, not just because of the honor that he has brought to Filipinos everywhere, but mainly because of what he himself has been able to achieve. Many were skeptics, but the man proved them wrong, while remaining ever humble.

I received the Journey Revelation CDs that I ordered from Walmart! Yey!

It’s Super perfect. It’s all worth it! Buy only the Original Copy!

meron na? pa copy:D:lol:

bibili rin ako nyan, sana umabot sa Pinas ang walmart:D

^^ Or, you can go to China if you really can't wait, Wal-Mart opened a few stores there over the past few years. :colgate:

Di ba may WalMart sa Pasong Tamo, Makati? Teka... Wal Mart ba yun o Walter Mart? :D

dba may SM din sa china? wouldnt it be great to see a SM VS Walmart rivalry? hehe

^^ I think that's not a fair comparison. SM is a "department store" while Wal-Mart is a "discount retailer."

but walmart has that dept store feel IMO they have groceries to clothes to mcdo. howbout SM VS TARGET? hehe

The fact that you were one of them means you're good at it. Congrats pa rin.
thanks., :)

Debating pala expertise mo. Useful sa SSC yan lalo na dito sa Eco forum. :okay: Haha. :lol:
naku, bihira ako napapadpad sa part na to ng SSC., :) and besides, i get enough of it outside na., :)

I received the Journey Revelation CDs that I ordered from Walmart! Yey!

It’s Super perfect. It’s all worth it! Buy only the Original Copy!

A week ago on the local radio station in Vegas, Journey with Arnel Pineda were interviewed and during the course of the interview the station played some of the songs on the new album. Catchy tunes.

He will be raking in the money, he just need to be smart with his voice. The band will be having a concert at Mandalay Bay in a few weeks. They were at Planet Hollywood not long ago.:)