Woman to Head White House Kitchen By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
Mon Aug 15, 2:29 AM ET

WACO, Texas - The search for a new White House chef took six months and then ended right where it began: in the executive kitchen.

Cristeta Comerford was chosen from hundreds of applicants to head the executive kitchen. A naturalized U.S. citizen from the Philippines, she will be the first woman and first minority to hold the post.Comerford has been an assistant chef at the White House for 10 years. She worked under former executive chef Walter Scheib III, who resigned in February.

Scheib said Sunday that Comerford was hands down the best assistant he has had in his 30-year career. She is a great cook with an artistic eye and a calm demeanor that can handle the pressure cooker that is the White House kitchen, he said.

"People keep talking about how wonderful it is that she's a woman," Scheib said in a telephone interview. "If there is value in the gender, that's fine and dandy. But I say she's a great chef who happens to be a woman."

While the job of White House executive chef is prestigious, it also can be grueling. Comerford will be in charge of whipping up everything from state dinners for world leaders to munchies for the commander in chief, his family and guests.

As many as 2,000 guests are fed at the White House each month. First lady Laura Bush has signaled her intent to do more entertaining than in the first term, when festivities were taboo after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Mrs. Bush said she was delighted that Comerford accepted the job. "Her passion for cooking can be tasted in every bite of her delicious creations," the first lady said in a statement.

Mrs. Bush has been trying out finalists for the job, asking them to prepare test meals at special functions and private meals at the residence.

Comerford developed the menu for last month's honorary dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The 134 dinner guests dined on chilled asparagus soup and lemon creme; pan-roasted halibut, ginger-carrot butter, basmati rice with pistachio nuts and currants and herbed summer vegetables; and salad of Bibb lettuces and citrus vinaigrette.

Comerford will have ample opportunity to oversee more simple fare — the Bushes are known for staying in most nights rather than socializing like their predecessors. The president has a liking for cheeseburgers, peanut butter and honey sandwiches and, of course, Tex-Mex and barbecue.

The first lady's press secretary, Susan Whitson, said Mrs. Bush chose Comerford while spending August at the Bushes' Texas ranch. The job was offered to Comerford on Friday by the White House social secretary, Lea Berman, and head usher Gary Walters.

Whitson said Comerford then left for a vacation to a foreign country that the White House would not disclose and was not available for interviews Sunday.

Comerford has a bachelor's degree in food technology from the University of the Philippines. She has worked at Le Ciel in Vienna, Austria, and at restaurants in two Washington hotels — the Westin and the ANA, which has since changed ownership.

The head chef is responsible for designing and executing menus for state dinners, social events, holiday functions, receptions and official luncheons hosted by the president and first lady. The job pays from $80,000-$100,000 a year.

Mrs. Bush's statement said Comerford has been trained in French classical techniques, specializes in ethnic and American cuisine and has experience working with chefs in San Francisco and the California wine country.

Hillary Clinton hired Scheib, a California native and graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, in April 1994 because she wanted to feature American cuisine after years of French cooking ushered in by Jacqueline Kennedy.

Scheib has started his own business planning private events and is writing a book that will include recipes and tales of working for the Clintons and Bushes.

"We're not doing a dishing-the-dirt, not at all," Scheib said. "It was an honor to be there and work with the families. I wouldn't want to do anything to embarrass them."

^This was posted in the good news. Anyway good thread to showcase Pinoy Pride!

Oh ok, I got lost. Thanks.

The last time I heard, the chief doctor at the White House is also a Filipina.

I heard there are a lot of Filipinos in Bush's staff.

^^ So true, my aunt's husband (a very distant relative) was the former head of his security detail when "Dubbya" was still the governor of Texas. Now he still works for the President but he's still based in Texas.

The last time I heard, the chief doctor at the White House is also a Filipina.

Yes, this was during Clinton's presidency if I am not mistaken.

HEAD OF WHITE HOUSE KITCHEN:
that means sinigang, pansit at dinuguan ang ulam sa whitehouse

OMG, i heard she's from UP Diliman?

Filipinos in demand at the White House

First Lady Laura Bush’s announcement of the appointment of Filipina Cristeta Comerford as the first female White House Executive Chef simply confirms Filipinos are extremely popular in the Bush household. Cris, a naturalized American, was personally chosen by the Bushes because of her enchiladas and cheeseburgers. She helped former Executive Chef Walter Scheib prepare the menu for the State dinner during President Arroyo’s visit to the US in 2003. Bush sometimes gets his private, unofficial briefings on the Philippines from his Filipino valet and stewards. Another successful Filipina-American in the Executive Mansion is Dr. Eleanor ‘Connie’ Mariano, who was President Bill Clinton’s physician until 2001. She was also Air Force One’s chief physician. Mariano was also a top ranking officer of the US Navy, having been promoted to Rear Admiral, the highest military post ever occupied by a Filipina-American in the US Armed Forces. Mariano, who is now with Mayo Clinic in Arizona, also came to the White House by way of the kitchen, having come from a Fil-Am family of US Navy stewards.

TRULY SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. Filipinos have the capacity to excel. We're good, talented, versatile, hardworking and resilient. Gamitin natin sa tama ang lahat ng mga ito.

First he chocked on a pretzel, next he'll choke on a lumpia. Gwahahahaha!

...or on a turon. :D

..or kare-kare, dinuguan, suman, sisig, isaw, bulalo, embotido, relleno, lechon... the list is endless... sarap!

One thing he cant live without-----talBUSH ng kamote!

hahaha :lol: talBUSH ng Camote...

LOL! at saka BinUSHang mani for snacks.

I watched the Insider today(yung sa channel 9) Tapos fineature yan!!!
Syempre walang sinabing Pilipino siya pero sinabi dun nakasulat pa:
Bachelor's Degree from the University of the Philippines

Food Technology yung course nya, diba sa UP Los Banos yon?

Cristeta Comerford has broken the "glass ceiling" by being the first woman and first minority to hold that position. All former White House Executive Chefs were caucasian males with specialties in French cuisine.

Bravo to her! :cheer: :applause:

That is a very important position since she prepares the food of the First Family and all the dignitaries who visit them in the White House.

WOw naman! Galing talaga ni Cristeta. Ang galing ng Pinoy! Proud to be one..bow! :)

Here's a pic of that lucky chef. :D

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/nm/20050815/mdf643802.jpg

Magkano kaya sueldo niya?

^^ I was wondering too. Must be quite high.

^^ i heard around $80,000-$100,000 a year!

Wow!!!

gumagawa sya ng kilawin para kay pareng bush.

buti nde sya nasali sa HELL'S KITCHEN

I heard Bush is very health conscious. That means, most Filipino dishes are out of his league. Dinuguan and Adobo would kill him. Although, i do very very much DISLIKE the man, i don't wish death or ill upon him.

I heard Bush is very health conscious. That means, most Filipino dishes are out of his league. Dinuguan and Adobo would kill him. Although, i do very very much DISLIKE the man, i don't wish death or ill upon him.
^^^^^^^

Why is it that a lot of Filipinos think negatively about most things associated with the Philippines. That is so sad!!! Good thing I'm not one of those Filipinos, hehehehehe!!

pwede sya dun sa japanese show "IRON CHEF"....to represent the Phils....

gumagawa sya ng kilawin para kay pareng bush.

buti nde sya nasali sa HELL'S KITCHEN


The sous chef of Gordon Ramseh of Hell's Kitchen is also Filipina. I can't remember her name.

The host of Iron Chef America is part Filipino. He used to star in the TV version of 'The Crow'. His name escapes me, too. :scratching head:

Guess what made the front cover of the LA Times....
--------------------

Dusting Off a Dictator

By Bruce Wallace Times Staff Writer
Fri Aug 19, 7:55 AM ET

BATAC, Philippines — He doesn't look like he could cause much trouble anymore, flat on his back in an airtight glass box, toes up, eyes waxed shut. Dead.

But almost 16 years after dying in exile and infamy, deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos — or at least his reputation — is being resurrected in the Philippines. And it's causing a commotion.

Filipinos are no longer sure how to remember the man they drove from power in a massive but peaceful street revolution in 1986, turning him into an international byword for dictatorship and corruption.

These days, watching their tired cast of politicians fiddle while poverty deepens and Asia's economy takes off without them, many exasperated Filipinos look at the Marcos era as happier times, the good old days before their hard-won democracy turned into what they now call "democrazy."

Was Marcos really a tyrant? they ask. Or just another Asian strongman imposing order on a country desperate for stability? A crook who stole from his own people and stuffed billions into Swiss bank accounts? Or a politician no different from the rest, in a country where everyone knows corruption is the oxygen of politics?

They can't even agree on how to bury him.

The ex-president has never had a funeral. Though he died in 1989, a standoff over where his final resting place should be divides Filipinos, exposing the cleft between those who feel a rosy nostalgia for the Marcos era, and those with unhealed wounds from his rule.

The late president's body rests in the purgatory of a private mausoleum in Ilocos Norte, the rural northern province that was — and remains — the Marcos family's political power base. He lies under soft lighting, wearing some of his soldier's medals.

A few mementoes are hidden away inside his glass casket: his favorite black plastic made-in-America comb, cotton pajamas with a motif of red hearts (an anniversary gift from his perhaps more-famous wife, Imelda, herself an international byword for conspicuous consumption), and a tin in which he once kept coins to parse out to his children.

The corpse is seen daily by a trickle of loyalists, schoolchildren and the curious, who come to peer at the local boy who became an accomplished lawyer and war hero before going to Manila and making it big in politics.

Marcos ruled — and defined the Philippines to the world — for 21 years. Twice elected president, he turned to martial law in 1972, when communists and other opponents were jailed and tortured.

He was chased from office by street protests in the 1986 "People Power" revolution, and he and his family were "picked up and dumped in Hawaii," as Imelda puts it, by a Washington that cut him loose.

"Yes sir, that's him," says Master Sgt. Catalino Bactot, who served in Marcos' private security detail for 17 years and now makes sure no one gets fingerprints on the glass covering his old boss. Bactot is asked about rumors that the figure on display is just a reproduction. He shakes his head vigorously.

"It is coated with seven layers of wax," he explains.

Real or not, the corpse with its combed-back hair and pancake complexion has lain here since 1993, when then-President Fidel V. Ramos stifled his qualms and, bending to indefatigable lobbying from Imelda, allowed her to bring her husband home from Hawaii, where he died at 72.

Imelda Marcos is not just a lady who lunches — though she does that, too, meeting regularly with her social circle at Manila's finer restaurants and hotels. Despite the ignominious fall from power, she refuses to retreat into seclusion. She ran for president herself, twice, and though she failed, she was elected to Congress in 1995.

"The poor people love me," she said one recent evening in the art- and photograph-cluttered living room of her 34th-floor Manila apartment, explaining her enduring appeal. "The poor are looking for a star in the night."

But mostly she carries the torch for her dead husband. She wants the Marcos name cleared, rendered as innocent and appealing as the black-and-white framed photograph of a heroic, square-jawed young Ferdinand that sits on her living room table.

Not unexpectedly, Imelda has one more wish.

She will not allow Marcos to be buried in Ilocos Norte, no matter how hard her three children plead with her to give their father a Christian funeral and be done with it.

Now 76, she is holding out for what she sees as her husband's rightful entombment in Manila's Libingan Ng Mga Bayani, the Cemetery of Heroes, where presidents are traditionally buried and where Marcos picked himself a plot when he was president — the best spot in the cemetery, just a few steps from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The hole has already been dug. All that is needed for a state burial is the permission of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the sitting president.

"Marcos deserves it," Imelda says with customary defiance. She cites his record: the roads and hospitals built; the diplomatic overtures to the Soviet Union and communist China, which she claims "knocked down the Iron Curtain and the Bamboo Curtain at the height of the Cold War"; the deals struck with foreign governments to allow thousands of Filipinos to work abroad and send home the foreign currency that is now a pillar of the economy.

Above all, she says, there was "Marcos' greatest achievement:" choosing exile over further bloodshed, and refusing to allow loyal elements of the armed forces to use their guns against the civilians massing against him in the streets.

But what might otherwise be dismissed as a political widow's relentless attempt to polish history has found some surprising traction with the public.

A nationwide poll last month rated Marcos the best of the last five Philippine presidents. He ranked not only far ahead of Arroyo, who is battling allegations of corruption and electoral fraud, but even topped Corazon Aquino, who led the revolution that toppled his dictatorship.

For Imelda, sitting ramrod-straight on her sofa, paintings by Picasso and Gauguin framing her like epaulets, the poll is an auspicious sign: Forces may be aligning at last to give her husband a burial with honors.

"Was Marcos the greatest president? No doubt about it," she says. "He was a mother to the nation; he could not destroy his country and his children. He sacrificed himself.

"Eventually," she is sure, "they will see it that way."

Her fist-clenching frustration is that "they" — the other 87 million or so Filipinos — don't yet all agree.

"No, no, too much killing, too much stealing, too many people disappeared," says Catholic Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who thinks Marcos doesn't belong in the Cemetery of Heroes. "That is not a hero."

The idea of burying Marcos at Libingan was suggested once before. In 1998, then-President-elect Joseph Estrada, an old family friend, gave the go-ahead, arguing it would provide closure on the Marcos years.

He was pummeled for it. Wounds were too raw. The outcry forced Estrada to withdraw the offer, and he has since blamed the country's floundering economy and dismal politics on the "bad karma" that comes with leaving Marcos unburied.

But politics is fluid; alliances shift. Facing impeachment and desperately seeking allies, Arroyo had a private dinner with Imelda last month and, when news got out, the president told reporters she wanted to "have a healing of the wounds" caused by the anti-Marcos revolution.

The Manila media pack swiftly concluded that Arroyo was preparing to give Marcos the presidential burial, and church and civic leaders pounced on her.

"Every time there is a political crisis in this country, people say maybe we should go back to dictatorship — they are looking for quick fixes," says Monica Feria, 51, who was jailed twice under Marcos and now edits a lifestyle magazine in Manila. "People have forgotten what it was like to have no free press, to have people killed in detention. Torture was standard operating procedure.

"It bothers me when people say nothing has changed."

But reaching out to the Marcos family is tempting for Arroyo, who is desperate to weaken the coalition of forces gnawing at her presidency.

Many old Marcos associates are back in positions of influence in politics and business. Among the prominent Arroyo critics accusing her of corruption and electoral fraud are Marcos' son, Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos Jr., 47, the second-term governor of Ilocos Norte, and daughter, Imee Marcos, 49, an articulate congresswoman who has become a champion of the arts and is enough of a celebrity to appear on the cover of Philippine magazines.

The Marcos family and their allies now find themselves part of an anti-Arroyo coalition that includes the same church leaders and civil rights groups that helped bring down the elder Marcos.

"Yes, the Marcoses are on the side of the progressives," says Satur Ocampo, a leading Arroyo critic, acknowledging the irony. "We find ourselves in a tactical alliance with the remnants of the junta ousted by popular power. But we are accommodating them, not forgetting what Marcos did.

"Look, Imee is quite an adept politician," he continues. "We are not attributing the sins of the father to her. But people expect them to realize the degree of suffering under her father. And Imelda and the children have not owned up to any responsibility."

Nonetheless, this region of farmers, fishermen and soldiers is solid Marcos turf. There's even a Marcos cult that can point to biblical passages they say prove the ex-president was a messenger from God.

A onetime presidential residence is open to the public, everything of value sold off by the Aquino government, its bookshelves empty but for a few political books written by Marcos ("Today's Revolution: Democracy").

An Imelda-funded museum will open here in September. The walls are already papered with floor-to-ceiling photographs of Marcos shaking hands with long-forgotten dignitaries.

But for Imelda, only her husband's burial at Libingan will completely rescue the Marcos name. Her apartment is her command center. Surrounded by dazzling pieces of fine art salvaged from her old collection (a Miro, a Warhol) and a piano covered with rows of framed photos from better days, she fights old battles and revisits old victories.

Remote control in hand, she fast-forwards through video of her days as first lady of the Philippines, meeting foreign leaders: China's Mao Tse-tung, Cuba's Fidel Castro, Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev and Saddam Hussein. "I was a symbol of my country," she says. "Like a Miss Philippines."

"I never had a mission that failed," she continues, as the images of her foreign trips and meetings with some of the 20th century's greatest rogues blur by. "They always dismissed me as BBD" — she pauses to see whether a visitor understands the code — "beautiful but dumb," she exhales, clearing up the mystery. "But these leaders always opened up to me. Mao took my hand in his … "

"Ooh," she squeals, her face contorted in sadness. "If only Bush had sent me to Baghdad, we could have avoided this whole terrible war." She looks as though she is about to cry.

Every few minutes, she summons an assistant to bring her another box of documents from her court cases, flourishing stacks of paper to proclaim her innocence. Rudy Giuliani, then New York's district attorney, brought racketeering charges against her. Acquitted. Hundreds of corruption charges were filed against her in the Philippines, and there were convictions. None have stood up under appeal. A few cases still remain.

Imelda dismisses it all as so much envy. The Marcos money, she says, comes from gold certificates, painstakingly — and legally — acquired by her husband over the years. When gold jumped from $35 an ounce to the $800 range in the 1970s, Marcos simply borrowed against it and invested the windfall wisely.

"They opened my closet and all they found were shoes," she says of the investigators who hunted for the allegedly stolen billions. "They opened another closet, and all they found were more shoes." She nods her head. Case closed.

Imelda has no shortage of shoes — a shoe rack covers the wall of one room. Admirers send them to her, she says with a shrug. What she misses is the fine art. The government continues to auction off the bulk of the Marcos collection.

"Cory auctioned off my paintings by Italian masters, my silverware collection," she says of the Aquino government's moves to recover what it said were national assets stolen by Marcos. She looks incredulous. "And we were the thieves?

To Imelda, this is unfinished business. There is wealth to recover. History to rewrite.

"You know, when we were leaving with [the Americans], I confronted him. I said, 'Ferdinand, what happened to us?' " she recalls. "And he said to me, 'Never argue with destiny.'

"But it has been 20 years now," she says. "Eventually, the truth will prevail."

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

Ugh.. I swear the stupidity of some people. To bury the former dictator at Cemetery of the Heroes would be a slap in the face for every soldier and president buried there, who fought for the country's democracy and freedom and guided the country to its (former) glory. The former dictator is very well defined by his dictatorship, not by his duty as a soldier fighting in WWII. If we bury him there, it'll be another layer of embarassment piled on an already ugly PR mess. Who else will take the Philippines seriously if Marcos was buried there?

Cremate IT and flush IT down the toilet!!

^^ I heartily agree with both comments.

His purple heart and other so-called medals were fraudulent and fake, anyway. Go figure.

Don't you notice pi politicians are very busy slinging and concucting scandals instead of development issues. The way they fight they acy like we are the richest country in the world. the hell with poverty.
Maybe he should be buried in payatas dumpsite. I mean what for his kin is still enjoying the fruits of his looting.

what's so difficult with "letting go"? the filipino people has so much of a burden trying to better themselves and now this? c'mon imelda, what's so difficult of letting go and "bury" the past? give it a rest will you so we all can move on. the more you display a body to gain public sympathy, the more you're hurting us who want nothing of it.

or have you not have enough of this pain?

It's sad to hear the worsing poverty in the Philippines, who is to blame? It seems like up to now, politicians and the people itself are always pointing their fingers on one another, always looking for ways to blame everything on anybody. I can just look around where there are Filipinos overseas almost always ready to raise eyebrows on each other as if they have different color of skin and they look down on each other. I think this is the saddest part that's been going on with Filipinos, there is no true love and pride for the race and creed except for a very few . One would always want to be above other fellow filipinos yet they want other filipinos to look at them and to look up to them as if they are God and be envied but whenever there is another race or even if he or she is in another country, the they have their heads down, walks around like a dog with their tails down between their legs, there are only few who would stand with pride and dignity, to stand with what they see and believe and express these in a more positive way. Truely, it would be a slap on every citizen of the Philippines to bury the former dictator as a hero when they themselves are the ones that kicked him out of the country and the same people that voted the former dictator's family/children into different lower/local offices. Looking back in the Marcos era, there were of course torture, less freedom and treason or what have you but there was also worldwide positive recognition of the philippines and lesser poverty. Now,where is the Philippines in the foreign media? It is almost like a laughing stack especially in terms of politics. So, let us not add this insult by giving Marcos a state funeral fit for a hero but just a solemn and a quiet recognition of a statesman whom has contributed to the Philippine history good or bad, after all, he left Malacanang without too much a fight and bloodshed, atleast we know he still have some love for his own people.

Marcos a statesman? bwa haha. Positive recognition and lesser poverty during his tenure? That's because we had less people then. was a false mirage , like the calm before a tsunami.

I think we should send his body to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean in one of those rusty boats that people use to travel distant islands.

Cremate IT and flush IT down the toilet!!

^^ :rofl: :rofl:

I LOVE THIS IDEA.....lets throw it in the filthiest toilet bowl we can ever find and flush it with human crap. He doesnt even deserve water to flush his remains....

Marcos a statesman? bwa haha. Positive recognition and lesser poverty during his tenure? That's because we had less people then. was a false mirage , like the calm before a tsunami.


well yeah marites, back in the days the philippine population were smaller, but the number of OFW hasn't shrink yet, it doubled as a matter of fact as the population continues to grow. Who spearheaded the talks to open up oppotunities overseas particularly in the middle east countries that opened the eyes of the world in recognition that filipinos are competitive and hard workers? It was during the Marcos era, it's is the core of todays economy that kept the philippine reserves afloat. It was much safer back then unless you are an anti-marcos that kidnappings are happening left and right on a daily basis because at the time marcos was able to control the insurgents, it so sad it has to be through martial law. So, there were also many good things happened also during his regime.Sure enough he became greedy of power to keep his post, that is the sad and bad part. I'm not saying he should be given a state recognition as a hero, the filipino people can't afford to do that, it would be like a person who "put his/her own foot in his mouth". So, we are in the same page, it is a NO for a heroes or state recognition...

use his ashes as some kind of pesticide...ahmm or maybe fertilizer...

use his ashes as some kind of pesticide...ahmm or maybe fertilizer...

and let the earthworms and roaches feast on IT!!!

definately not in the libingan ng mga bayani. he has polarised filipinos everywhere that he is not fitting, but PLEASE frickin bury him. It's just a cause for stupid senators wasting time and Imelda making money out of a dead man.

I'm afraid the plants that will take in the ferdy fertiliser will impose martial law on its other plants.:D

Please just bury him anywhere but not in the Cementery of heros. Please, have pity on a dead man, give him peace and have him buried. Goodness.

I wouldn't bury him if only it's a divisive issue, but I don't think most people really know what they talk about when they discuss the marcos years.

YES BURY HIM OVER THERE, PHILIPPINES WUDNT B KNOWN W/OUT HIM

I think what's going to happen is that piece of wax will stay in his crypt, paid for by the Philippine people (as it currently is) while Imelda is alive. And when that megalomaniac finally kicks the bucket, her kids will bury their father in Batac. End of chapter.

YES BURY HIM OVER THERE, PHILIPPINES WUDNT B KNOWN W/OUT HIM
yeah he gave philippines world notiriety , a bad one.

Just please bury him somewhere and move on already...:\

I agree to the idea of burying him at The Libingan ng Mga Bayani. If the cemetery is a burial place for heroes (soldiers, national artists) and past presidents, then Marcos deserves to be buried there. The way he served his presidency (martial law, corruption allegation, etc..) is another issue. The mere fact that he was a former president is enough justification of a burial at The Libingan.

yeah he gave philippines world notiriety , a bad one.
Marites, I don't want to sound like I'm contradicting you, it's not my intention all along, but notoriety that Filipino received overseas were also due of their own wrong doings. Look at the so called, japayukis/ sex workers, domestic helpers who get caught stealing in HK, the trickiness of SOME filipinos when overseas, women that marry foreigners for convinience and money, those students in the past that started that internet virus worldwide, the bad choices of choosing a government leaders both local and the national offices who are mostly celebreties, the disorganization of the system, the the rampant bribing and corruptions. The comon people in the streets and drivers that don't follow the law, everybody wants their way out of something the easiest way. There are more bad news you hear about the Philippines than the good , I see it on TV at CNN/BBC and FOX, Marcos is just a minute(adj) one although it was loud. All in all, it's mostly the dirty politicians that pull the country down. Look at the Philippines comparing to other ASIAN countries? During the Marcos time, the philippines is somehow 20 years behind, now it's even far beyond that. How many years since Marcos had passed and out of the office? Even India moved far ahead than the Phil. It's easy to point fingers on one individual but one cannot see one self, that that my folks is what happening to the Philippines now, pointing fingers on one another if their own greediness has not been satisfied....

The mere fact that he was a former president is enough justification of a burial at The Libingan.

Nah-uh. Just because he was former president doesn't mean enough justification from me. Does that mean Estrada and Arroyo have reserved lots already in Taguig? No. Put him somewhere else becaus he may be a hero to some, but not to a majority of Filipinos.

Please just bury him anywhere but not in the Cementery of heros. Please, have pity on a dead man, give him peace and have him buried. Goodness.

I agree. Imo, they should bury him in his hometown. They can set up any kind of memorial thing over there if they want...as long as the bill for construction costs goes to the Marcos Family and not the Philippine Government.

[QUOTE=Louman]Guess what made the front cover of the LA Times....
--------------------

Dusting Off a Dictator

By Bruce Wallace Times Staff Writer
Fri Aug 19, 7:55 AM ET



Was Marcos really a tyrant? they ask. Or just another Asian strongman imposing order on a country desperate for stability? A crook who stole from his own people and stuffed billions into Swiss bank accounts? Or a politician no different from the rest, in a country where everyone knows corruption is the oxygen of politics?

They can't even agree on how to bury him.

She will not allow Marcos to be buried in Ilocos Norte, no matter how hard her three children plead with her to give their father a Christian funeral and be done with it.

Now 76, she is holding out for what she sees as her husband's rightful entombment in Manila's Libingan Ng Mga Bayani, the Cemetery of Heroes, where presidents are traditionally buried and where Marcos picked himself a plot when he was president — the best spot in the cemetery, just a few steps from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The hole has already been dug. All that is needed for a state burial is the permission of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the sitting president.


I was just wondering if the Marcoses actually bought the plot at the "Manila's Ligingan Ng Mga Bayani"? If that's the case, then he can be buried there but without the state ceremony where foreign dignitaries and world leaders would be attending. The marcoses and their loyalies can shoulder all the expenses and not coming from the tax payer's money...

GRRRRRRRRR, I hate it whenever I would make an error when posting. That was supposed to be a short quote. Bare with me folks, I'm still learning my ways around skyscrapers. My apologies to all of you.

LOL, xDieselJockx
You can always edit your posts if you want :D

Technically speaking, Marcos should be given a spot at the 'Libingan ng mga bayani' since he's one of our former presidents, but the mere fact that the morality of his tenure as a president had been totally hazed up, he abusively ran the country in a tyrannical way, leading to the deaths and sorrows of most Filipinos. There were those who'd seen through the martial law days telling me that the real person behind was his wife. But how intelligent was he? Everyone knows he ordered for Ninoy's execution but no credible evidence or witness could attest to it until now ... I guess his brilliance as a president is not enough to justify the immoral ways that dominated those years. So I guess, he doesn't deserve a spot at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

i cant really wait if sen. miriam defensor becomes a president. it wud be a true legacy for the pnoi, that were been thinking thoroughly not to vote any popular citizen rather than for what a person really worth for.

LOL, xDieselJockx
You can always edit your posts if you want :D


I tried editing man, it was turning to another disaster in the making so I let it rest... sheesh LOL

I was also flooded with what-if's on Senator Miriam... I was thinking what it would be like to have a president just like her...

http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101661021,00.html

The dictator actually made the cover of TIME magazine in 1966. The featured article in the magazine was called "A New Voice In Asia", during the time when our country had more good news coming out of it than bad.

---------
From http://politics.alleba.com/2005/07/29/ferdinand-marcos-not-a-hero/
---------

For God knows what reason, the debate regarding the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani has been re-opened for the nth time. I am on the anti side.

I am against it simply because the Libingan ng mga Bayani is a burial site commemorating the heroism of Filipino heroes who lived noble lives and most of whom sacrificed themselves to advance the rights of the Filipino people and to fight for and uphold the democracy of the Philippines.

Is Ferdinand Marcos a hero? Of course not. He might have been a president and he might have served the interests of a very select segment of the population (ie his family and friends) but he did nothing heroic. He plundered the country and ignored basic human rights.

Another argument of those for the burial of Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani contend that he should be buried there simply because he was the president. What they fail to realize, however, that being president is not enough to become a hero. More than the position one holds, is how he uses the power given to him. Do we simply herald him a hero by burying him there just because he was the president? I hope not.

Does Ferdinand Marcos deserve to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani? OF COURSE NOT! Doing so, would not only be wrong, but it would be an insult. It would be an insult to the millions of Filipinos who died and suffered during the Martial Law Regime. And more importantly, doing so would be an insult to the memory of real heroes who are buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Ferdinand Marcos was never a hero. No matter what his family and friends believe, Ferdinand Marcos had never, does not and will never deserve to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

i cant really wait if sen. miriam defensor becomes a president. it wud be a true legacy for the pnoi, that were been thinking thoroughly not to vote any popular citizen rather than for what a person really worth for.

Judging from how the Philippines has gained female presidents, someone will have to first lose their job through a military coupe before she can become president. :lol:

and let the earthworms and roaches feast on IT!!!
...pwede rin....he deserves no mercy..

i hope apparently, i think sen. miriam defensor is a female pres marcos, ofcurs!!!, w/ no corruption. she's very upfront, strong, loudvoice w/c a president characters shud attain. but you know how pnois politics work, first u must b an actor/actress then becomes a politician even if ur a pea brain. obviously, the more famous u are the more vote u'll get, example erap, fpj supposedly pres., well countless actor n actress that shouldnt be in the senate or representative w/c are pointless n waste of space. i reckon, one of these election days that sen ramon revilla is gonna run for presidency w/c obviously not very surprising. erap, fpj n ramon revilla. c'mmon now

tigidig it was hard for me to understand you. This is not text.
Maybe they can bury him there after he returns all the money he looted even the ones hidden in other countries.

WELL READ IT AS A TEXT DUHHH,

BTW YEAH IM HOPING SO, THE GOVN CANT EVEN OPEN THE NEW AIRPORT LET ALONE TRYTO GET THE MARCOSES SWISS ACCOUNT. MAYBE WHEN IMELDA DIES, SHE OLD ANYWAY, THE MARCOS FAMILY WILL ALLOW US TO GET THOSE GOLD BAR. LOL

If I want to read text I'll use my cellphone.
X Diesel Marcos was the motherboard of corruption.
He alone brought bad notoriety to Pinoys not the hardworking OFW's . Where are you coming from? Pinoys in othe countries behave and mostly bring pride and not the other way around.
When you talk to other peoples of the world and ask them about corruption and the PHils. they always bring up Marcos. There are other factors yes, like Honasan coup attemtps during Cory's time, when we had the good grace of the world and we had a good start to high growth, but HOnasan ( by the way I don't know why tht mtherf did not go to jail and later on became a senator) derailed all that. Yeah Marcos and his billions and the shoelady that's the only notoriety of their legacy. He had 20 years to bring us to the level of other asian countries or even surpass it . But he blew it big time.

There are some truth to what you have stated marites, Marcos did make a big impact about the corruptions in the philippines but at the same time it was well televised how he was forced out of his office by his own people, it means that the world knows that the Filipinos recognized what democracy and freedom is is all about so that's a good news and impression.

We've got to realize that the corruptions in the Philippines started long before Marcos became the icon of corruptions, from what i've read, these corruptions stemmed way back hundred years ago under the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, it was the Spaniards that introduced bribery. Bribing is evil and is considered a corruption practices. To this date the Philippine gov't ranks one of the most corrupt government/politicians in the world I can't remember by how much to be honest with you. it didn't stop with Marcos.

With regards to the OFW per se, it is most definitely not the main reason for the well earned of notoriety, it was in the wrong doings of a certain few, it's like the principle of "nerve endings" you hit the tail, whole body ache. I have an example, from a HK chinese friend who told me that there are cases of filipinas picked up for shop lifting or stealing from their employers and for prostitution.(ofcourse there are cases of employers abusing their filipina workers, that's given also) that's what I meant about being notorious. Given the benefit of the doubt I agree that the filipinos are still considered one of the best workers in the world. I just made domestic helpers as an example and women marrying foreign men for comfort, thats where other foreign countries look down upon the filipino people. The good thing is just like the filipino people, there are those in ohter countries who are all openminded too where they look at one as an individual and not as a whole.

Now, Is it only Marcos here is to be blamed with how the Philipine people suffer now? No... nobody really knows. I guess my point here really is "it's easy for someone to point his/her finger on someone" but no one is willing to offer any help to solve the issues and the poverty. Wouldn't it be nice if the economy is great and the filipino people would only go visit other countries for leasure?
Let the Marcos issue rest, he is dead, he can no longer harm nobody, learn from from the past mistakes and move on.

He is dead but he has not paid for his crime. His survivors and minions still living the lap and benefitting from it. Since he is dead his family should return the loot and Imelda should spend a day in jail. That is why you cannot learn from the past because no thieves are punished in the Phil. always forgiven and forgotten ,sets a bad precedence and everybody follows. The motherload crook bore millions of offsprings you said it yourself.

" . . . LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD." Matthew 8:22

Well, true that they should return the billions of dollars and golds they amazed during the Marcos term but the problem is even in the US Court Imelda was acquitted, they can't prove anything on her. In the Philippines alone, they can't prove anything in court, to this date some of their cases are still pending awaiting on trial.

Let me ask you this marites? Does your kids needs to be crucified by your own sins (just for instance)? remember it's you who commited a crime.

Quote from Marites " the motherload crook bore billions of offsprings, you said it yourself" The corruptions has been there lingering before and after Marcos's time. There is only 1 in a dozen you can consider sincere.

Let me ask you this marites? Does your kids needs to be crucified by your own sins (just for instance)? remember it's you who commited a crime.

yeah if they were accomplices

Let me ask you this marites? Does your kids needs to be crucified by your own sins (just for instance)? remember it's you who commited a crime.

yeah if they were accomplices

There you go, "if they are accomplices"............ I don't think none of Marcoses children and grandchildren engaged in their father's wrong doings or they would of been charged with their mother. They benefitted from it, yes, although the marcoses does have their own wealth before all of these just like Estrada being a movie star prior to his political ambitions...

they had their own wealth before theycame to power but not in the tunes of billions of dollars. I don't think any politicos will amass billions in dollars given their salary is only 35000 us dollars per annum. You do the math. The only Marcos sympathizers are those who benefitted from them which are their cronies who bled the Philippines all those years smuggling money outside the country left and right. And about his children it's disgusting that everytime they put the camera on Imee Marcos she's preaching and accusing someone about the evils of corruption.

Surely, alot of politicians owns something like a business or other sources of income, they do have to declare that when they run for the office. Where are the billions of dollars the marcoses stashed? There is no clear account of how much they really amassed (however it is spelled..LOL) nor any of it has been proven as loots in and out of the Philippines.

Politically incorrect, how odd it may seems, Imee M is making speeches against corruptions. She, her sibblings their children are innocent and can't still be liable for their own father's crime.Why should they have to suffer? You are kind of missing the point. It's all hatred and complaints. Up to this moment, btw, the Marcoses does still have loyalist, stupid as it sounds but it's true.

As much as it is fun to continue with our own little discussion Marites, I think we should break away from this because the main topic here is whether to allow the former strongman be buried in the "cementeries of heroes" which I think we both agreed that it does not befitted him well. However, I did mention that if their family bought a plot there, they should be allowed to bury his remains in there with no state funeral and recognition from the gov't.

^ The question is, if their family bought a lot there using the people's moneys, the people should have a say if Marcos should be buried there. Judging from this thread, the prevailing sentiment is NO. It is a divisive issue that it is not an opportune time to make this decision if it would further rankle the nation.

Yes Lili, but up to now they don't know which wealth is rightfully owned by the Marcoses and which ones belongs to the Philippine people. Nothing has been proven yet,so meanwhile, legally speaking if they did buy a plot there, then, they have the right to bury him there. Is that cementery belongs to the Filipino people or there are portions of land there where certain people can buy a plot for burial? Please enlighten me..

Why do they need to suffer? you are the one missing the point . To me if they benefitted from wealth they knowinglly were illgotten meant for the welfare of people and used and wasted it to live an extravagant lifestyle when the rest of her countrymen wallow in filth and poverty then they are guilty by association . It's not complaining it's taking a stand and not being fencesitters at all times. That's the problem with the Phils. it's got too many fencesitters . I'm not talking about the communist activists who do nothing but complain but never offer solution. but clearly in certain issues there is a moral choice like this one where even just asking this question is an insult in itself.
Well we agree to disagree and if you don't want to discuss it anymore then just stop replying on my post . thankyou

Diesel, buying a lot or a burial space in the Libingan ng mga Bayani doesn't give justice enough to extend the right of being buried there. If that was the case, then anyone who can afford will buy his own space there. The cemetery is a symbol, tribute, or a final dwelling for Filipinos who contributed significant values and service for the welfare of the Philippine society.

Until now, the pandemonium raised about Marcos's credibility is almost getting perpetual. And I think the general public shouldn't really sit on this issue too long. Instead of fighting or debating about where Marcos should be buried, the Filipinos should focus more on other important issues relative to improving our nation. As for the goverment, I don't understand why this is still hanging and unresolved? If this has been directed to the judiciary sector, those who are empowered to decide, should've come up with a final decision already. So many years have passed and settling on an issue as to where he must be buried shouldn't consume much time further as it's becoming really preposterous and a pain in the ass!

The reason why it is hard to prove the rightful ownership of the wealth is because the Marcoses have used every underhanded device to hide the wealth, putting them in Swiss bank accounts with very rigid anti-disclosure policies, siphoning them off to other overseas accounts and investments, employing dummies as cover-ups. But as Marites stated, you do the math. It is very evident that they have pilferred the nation's coffers for their own aggrandizement. Imelda's excuse of gold speculation is a lot of BS.

This is one form of legal technicalities creating obstacles and perpetuating more injustice to the people.

As to the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the article says that the plot that they intend to bury Marcos is in a prominent area meant to eulogize or put a monument for renowned patriots and presidents of the country. If it were in some obscure nondescript place in the cemetery, then I don't think it would be such of an issue. But knowing how the Marcoses have conducted themselves, creating such fanfare bordering on megalomania to 'honor' Marcos, it would indeed be a slap in the face of the Filipinos who had struggled to oust the dictator from the country. In the eyes of the international community, Filipinos would appear to be laughable and duplicitous, unable to make up their minds. Is he a hero or a villain? Until a united front is presented, I'd rather not wangle this issue in the face of the people. There are more pressing concerns that the nation needs to attend to.

@ Lili : My god! That was the most clever insight I have ever read in this thread. I am sure you really take pride about your knack for writing. You're amazingly smart and straightforward in extending your points of view... Superb!!! (Not just this one, but also in your other postings :eek2: jaw-dropping!)

^^ Ano ba 'yan! Mutual Admiration Club? :)

Okay, I don't know what happened but I lost my post prior to this. I don't think I can reconstruct it anymore.

Going back to the topic, yes Lily, I do agree with what you have stated, it is what I have been mentioning before. It is definitely a slap in the face of every filipinos if the Marcos remains is buried in a state owned cementery and give him a full state honours and recognitions.

The issues on Marcos wealth that needs to be returned to the filipino people is given and there is no need for a more flowery debates. As far as I know, there are alot of ill gotten wealth by the Marcoses that has already been sequestered, the politicians who took care and made sure of liquidating those asset might be sitting on it by now, greesing their lips. We all really don't know how much wealth they really stashed in a Swiss bank account if there really is and in billions. All that was accounted for was just a projected figure. None of it was proven,not even in the United States when the Philippine government filed the lawsuits just to find Imelda being acquitted not guilty. Are there really more wealth left after sequestrations? We don't know. Imelda could have just chosen to be exiled and enjoy their looted wealth and jet set with her best friend George Hamilton.

NO lili I think he just wants to sell you properties.

XDiesel there was a 750 million $ swiss account proven. That's not a billion but it's still a lot of money just for a president who earns only 30000$ a year.

NO lili I think he just wants to sell you properties.

Who was this meant for?

Oh you can just choose to ignore me. Anyhing about The marcoses really sicken my stomach.

Oh you can just choose to ignore me. Anyhing about The marcoses really sicken my stomach.

Well pardon me. I am a real estate agent and if that statement was specifically meant for me, which I think you purposefully did, given the fact I belong to the real estate industry, then I don't appreciate it at all. How about this? How about you stay out of my 'personal' comments on people I am fond of? Does that work? :)

Well pardon me. I am a real estate agent and if that statement was specifically meant for me, which I think you purposefully did, given the fact I belong to the real estate industry, then I don't appreciate it at all. How about this? How about you stay out of my 'personal' comments on people I am fond of? Does that work? :)
It was a joke . get a grip

There's a lot of hot air in here

I'd say>> love is in the air everytime I look around...LOL. I don't think Marites means anything by it cinqular, it's just that sometimes there are certain people (in general) have a way of expressing themselves in their own words.

There's a lot of hot air in here
:fart:

Who is the developer of Libingan ng mga Bayani, I reckon I should invest in a lot for myself................

There you go, "if they are accomplices"............ I don't think none of Marcoses children and grandchildren engaged in their father's wrong doings or they would of been charged with their mother. They benefitted from it, yes, although the marcoses does have their own wealth before all of these just like Estrada being a movie star prior to his political ambitions...

'The LORD is slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the parents
upon the children
to the third and the fourth generation.'
Numbers 14:18

:fart:

@tigidig: :lol:

Who is the developer of Libingan ng mga Bayani, I reckon I should invest in a lot for myself................

I did not know that you can actually buy a lot there.
Isn't like buying a trophy at an Oscar?!

Sabi nla, the best business today is the memorial lot. ang dami namn kasing namamatay araw2.

Sabi nla, the best business today is the memorial lot. ang dami namn kasing namamatay araw2.

how bout yung midwife, madami din daw nanganganak araw2:hahaha:

Mas madaming pinapanganak kesa namamatay.

Mas madaming pinapanganak kesa namamatay.

so we concluded that mas magandang business ang midwife than funeral

^ On that note, tapos na ba yung 'flowery debate' sa issue? Off-tangent na talaga. :lol:

:lol: enjoy ako sa pagbabasa ng mga previous posts... tapos napunta sa funeral business then midwifery. hahaha. kau talaga. :D

Who is the developer of Libingan ng mga Bayani, I reckon I should invest in a lot for myself................

It's owned by the government for the burial of past presidents, national artists, war heroes & distinguished Filipino statesmen.

That answered my previous question also daDJ because in an article I read somewhere not too long ago, apprently, the marcos clan most especifically Imelda had the plot dugged and is supposed to be ready for the late strongman's proper burial, Imelda and their loyalist are just awaiting for the greenlight from the government.( or atleast in her dreams there was a traffic light..LOL)

It's owned by the government for the burial of past presidents, national artists, war heroes & distinguished Filipino statesmen.

That's reason enough for me for Marcos to be buried there (be it under the past president category, or his much disputed war hero status), but that's just my opinion and I'm sure nobody cares about that anyway. :colgate:

They won't bury him there, some Marcos detractors (there are alot of them) might dig up his grave and do something horrible to his remains, you know, Marcos was a DEMON and he's been a very bad figure in his life.

I personally wish that all his remnants be destroyed, his family should be exhiled especially that Imelda. I just simply hate this man.

I agree with kiretoce... being a former president and being a war soldier in his time gives Marcos a right to be buried in the cemetery... so no matter how bad Marcos has become in his image... he still deserves to be buried there.. so as with Erap should he dies....

Isuzu PowerTrain Group boosts ‘Jumbo Jeep’ project


By ARIS R. ILAGAN


After almost a decade of serious debate on the fate of the public utility jeepneys, it seems that this symbol of the Philippine mass transport system is here to stay.


About a year ago, President Arroyo had ordered the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) to formulate measures that will support the manufacture of passenger jeepneys. As a result many jeepneys found their way to Papua New Guinea, Guam, and Marshall Islands. On top of that, some 250 jeepneys are now set to be sent to Africa.

Orlando "Ka Lando" Marquez, chairman of the Makati Jeepney Operator and Driver’s Alliance Inc. (MJODA) is very proud of the Pinoy jeepneys. Ka Lando—who was a jeepney driver in 1978— said that he is rushing the assembly of 60 passenger jeepneys from his two assembly plants in Valenzuela and Parañaque. Those vehicles have been made to service the foreign athletes during the South East Asian Games in November this year.

In 1996, Ka Lando launched the first Pinoy air-conditioned passenger jeepney with a 20-passenger seating capacity. Through his ventures involving the jeepney, his dream of coming up with a Pinoy vehicle that will be acceptable as a mass transport system prevailed.

That dream may just be on its way to reality. As head of the Philippine Jeepney Operators and Drivers Alliance Foundation, Inc., Ka Lando recently entered into a partnership with Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC), to manufacture "Jumbo Jeepneys" with upgraded features for comfort and safety.

The "Jumbo Jeep," the first of its kind in the country, occupied the center stage at the launching of the new Isuzu PowerTrain Group that will make available diesel engines for industrial, marine and automotive applications.

Art Balmadrid, IPC vice president for corporate business, said the company aims to expand its existing client base by marketing diesel engines, and other powertrain components for commercial uses, such as automotive applications (for jeepneys, trucks and buses), industrial use (freezer units, generators, forklift, heavy equipment), and marine applications (fishing and leisure boats).

Before this, the market procured the diesel engines from various sources, mostly as secondhand units.

Isuzu’s move specifically answers the need for brand new engines for public jeepneys and buses to comply with the Clear Air Act. Isuzu engines, according to Balmadrid, have clean emission, being compliant with the Euro standard.

DoTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza acknowledged the reality that the Filipinos are still dependent on jeepneys and buses which are mostly reconditioned units using old engines. "The main thrust of Isuzu’s PowerTrain business is to re-power existing vehicles, offering a realistic solution to owners of existing jeepneys who can not afford to replace their fleet with brand new units," Mendoza said during the ceremonies.

Mendoza added that the IPC Power Train business which offers brand new Isuzu engines, will provide a solution to the issues of environmental protection and motoring safety.

Ronnie Fabello, IPC assistant department manager for business and technical development, explained that safety issues related to the common jeepney have been addressed by this new project. The "cut and weld" process, for example, has been eliminated. This was common in the assembly of passenger jeepneys with reconditioned engines and "chop-chop" chassis, suspension and steering system.

Under the partnership, Isuzu also provided the Jumbo Jeep a brand new 4HF1 engine that packs 120 horsepower, transmission, front and rear axle, steering gearbox and the entire suspension system.

Fabello assured that the new Isuzu engines are fuel efficient and more importantly, environment-friendly.

Fabello said he hopes to convince Ka Lando to use Isuzu-built chassis that is known for reliability since the previous aircon jeepney models are made of locally-assembled body frames.

Ka Lando also cited the passenger comfort in the newly-designed transport jeepneys where a powerful airconditioning system with side air ducts extends to the farthest seat at the rear.

Already, he has plans for another Jumbo Jeep model, this time with a 30-passenger seating capacity, a body that is eight inches wider and about one meter longer than the existing unit.

A door at the right side of the Jumbo Jeep conforms to the international safety standards for mass transportation. The rear door has been left to be the emergency exit.

To allow passenger traffic inside the Jumbo Jeep, a bubble-type ceiling gives a higher head room so that passengers will not have to crouch to get to their seats.

The trademark lavish designs in the exterior, though, will not be on the Jumbo Jeep for reasons of cutting cost. But the wrap-around galvanized body, featuring painted scenes of the Philippines’ tourist destinations, will still be there.

With her cap, she stands 6 feet tall. We are really going to look up to her.

well I don't ,stealing 15 billion dollars from the nation's coffer is reason enough to prevent him from being buried in the libingan ng mga bayani...

besides he's the most ungrateful lout in the history of the phils , him and that idiot bobby benedicto...... he betrayed the sugar bloc which placed him in the presidency in the first place.... just because he was scared of their power,.. what a drag

I may have opened a can of worms here by posting this....let the debate rage on! :colgate:

================================================================

Imelda on Marcos burial at Libingan: Just say when
By Cristina Arzadon Inquirer News Service Sept 11, 2005

LAOAG CITY -- Whether or not she had an agreement with Malacañang, former First Lady Imelda Marcos appeared confident her husband would finally be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

"In 24 hours I can have the burial arranged... all they have to do is tell me when," Mrs. Marcos told reporters at the Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino here on Friday night.

Mrs. Marcos said President Macapagal-Arroyo had always signified her willingness to allow Marcos' burial at the heroes' cemetery after she was elected to office last year.

The Marcos widow, however, denied reports that a deal had been made between her and Ms Arroyo in exchange for a hero's burial for her late husband.

She also dismissed speculations that her daughter Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos' no-show at the plenary voting at the House of Representatives on the impeachment complaint against Ms Arroyo was in exchange for the President's approval of the late strongman's burial.

Mrs. Marcos recalled that in 1998, then newly elected President Joseph Estrada gave her the green light to bury her husband at the Libingan. She even had a platform mounted on a lot reserved for Marcos at the cemetery but the burial was called off due to a public backlash.

"This should have been done long ago. It is not only a legal right but it is something natural and sacred... an honorable burial [for Marcos]," she said.

Sept. 29 burial

Asked to confirm reports that her husband's Libingan burial was set for Sept. 28, the strongman's 16th death anniversary, Mrs. Marcos said: "That will happen because it is only right. This is a sacred right of an individual to have an honorable burial. I don't have doubts about this."

For years, the Marcoses had repeatedly asked every sitting President to allow Marcos' refrigerated remains to be buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani.

Marcos' body was brought to his family's ancestral home in Batac, Ilocos Norte, in 1993 after the family was allowed to return to the country after living in exile in Hawaii since 1986. The strongman died in Hawaii in 1989.

Mrs. Marcos, along with her grandchildren and younger daughter Irene Marcos-Araneta, arrived in this city on Friday night to supervise the preparations for Marcos' 88th birth anniversary today.

Family reunion

Mrs. Marcos went to Batac and stayed briefly at the newly built Marcos museum beside the family's compound.

The museum houses the strongman's various photographs and memorabilia set for public display in time for his birth anniversary.

Traditionally observed as a working holiday in Ilocos Norte if it falls on a weekday, the Marcos Day rites were made part of annual celebrations among the Marcoses in the company of friends, local and national officials and Marcos loyalists.

The other Marcos siblings, Representative Marcos and Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., were not part of the entourage which flew to the Laoag International Airport from Manila on Friday.

Worrying about Imee

Governor Marcos was set to arrive here on another flight from London also on Friday night while Rep. Marcos had not indicated whether she would attend the rites for her father's birthday.

Representative Marcos arrived in Manila Thursday night from Singapore where she holed up while the plenary voting at the House was going on.

Mrs. Marcos had reservations on whether her elder daughter would show up in Laoag to join the family in observing the rites for the patriarch.

"I am worried about Imee. I know she is embarrassed, humiliated and feels isolated. If it were not for Marcos' birthday, I would rush and be with her," she said.

Mrs. Marcos admitted she had asked her daughter not to vote for the impeachment complaint.

[b]Mother's advice

"[My advice to her was to] get out of it because it was only going to be divisive. I know she's suffering. She will not be visible for the next few days because she feels so humiliated [with all the talk that she had been bought off or there was a deal]," she said.

Mrs. Marcos, however, insisted that her daughter's no-show during the voting was not a result of a supposed secret deal with Ms Arroyo for a hero's burial for Marcos.

"We have no compromise with the Palace. We have no deal with anybody, including the President. My asking Imee to defer from that voting was purely an advice of a mother to a daughter," she said.

Mrs. Marcos said she and her daughter spent a series of discussions about the impeachment complaint, including consulting with lawyers on its implications.

According to Mrs. Marcos, it was during the deliberations of the three impeachment complaints by the House justice committee that she asked her daughter not to cast her vote "for the sake of peace and of the country."

Arroyo supporter

Mrs. Marcos has been openly supportive of Ms Arroyo since the impeachment crisis started hounding her presidency, giving rise to speculations that a secret deal had been struck between Malacañang and the Marcoses.

The Marcos widow said Ms Arroyo had always been in favor of a hero's burial for her husband since she was elected president last year.

She said the family's critics had prevented Ms Arroyo from allowing the burial.

Mrs. Marcos said she would continue following the rule of law. She said Filipinos should recognize Ms Arroyo as the country's leader until she resigns or is impeached.

"If I have to, I will go see her and volunteer myself to help her. Let's follow the law. I will volunteer not for GMA [alone] but for the Filipinos," she said.

I was just about to say that if it is just a ploy that Imee was prevailed upon not to vote for impeachment because of an alleged deal between her mother and Mrs. Arroyo, then that strategy has a glimmer of brilliance in it because if the gullible will believe her, then it makes Arroyo look bad for striking a deal with the devil.

Pare-pareho lang sila-- politics make strange bedfellows. Cory and Imee on one hand to oust Arroyo. Arroyo and Imelda on the other to give Ferdinand a hero's burial. How laughable is that?

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/marcos.jpg
i didnt know they open lrt in sept 11, hehehe, whata circumstances

Marcos built the Nuclear power plant in Bataan right? i'm not really sure about this since i was still an infant when the news errupted. so the Aquino gov't prevented the power plant to operate and until now the Philippine gov't is paying for it? hmmm... could lives of the Filos been better if the power plant went operational?

I don't know if Marcos played hero during the past, but almost everyone was saying he's a mean dictator. so if i were to decide Marcos be buried in Libingan ng mga Bayani, i think its better not to. i'd rather build a Libingan ng mga Presidente ng Pilipinas. that way, all late Philippine Presidents will finally have their own resting place regardless if he/she was heroic or not. hehe

That nuclear power plant was defective. The government had to sue Westinghouse to recover moneys for that white elephant. I don't know what happened to that case.

I dont know Y almost everyone here hates Marcos. Its a fact that he was a venal president and he was corrupted. But isnt most of those time he reigned the country, Philippines was known and much richer. He was corrupted yet he was the only one that can corrupt and no one else. Now, everyone corrupts, face to face - back to back - side to side, from the highest position in congress to the lowest sector of police, a nationwide corruption. so, he deserves to be buried in the cemetery of heroes because he limited the corruption throughtout the country.

Actually the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was not defective. Cory's cabinet then was a polygot of different parts of society, many of whom were not that competent and who had their own agenda. The enviromentalist group who actually had the nuclear bit put into the constitution won the day on charges of safety . There was supposed to be a fault, no place to store the waste etc. Aside from this there was the specter that the government was bribed to put up the plant. Technically there was really nothing wrong with the plant, at least nothing that could not be addressed engineering wise. Many people were convinced by the antinuclear lobby (which was a world wide thing - specially at that time) that this was not really repairable or unsafe, and since it's easy to play up on fear than reason, it was easy to let it slide. Couple this with the fact that they were able to convince the Aquino that they would actually win against westinghouse in court ( who wanted to settle, essentially lowering the price and operating the plant , fixing all the actual defficiciencies that may be found), and the decision to not open the plant and mothball it was made.

This is perhaps one of the most momentous decisions in the Aquino government because It set off a chain of events leading to the current deficit:

By closing the plant a huge hole in the grid was left open. Not enough power production in the system specially when you consider reserve.

Because of this the completion of CBK was postponed, as it's a stored energy plant specifically designed to make use of the excess nuclear power to fill up caliraya at night then to be turned on in the day or during peak hours.

The Department of Energy was downgraded into a loose struture because of allegations of corruption. Because of this, new power plants which should have been rushed, languised.

By the end of her adminsitration , the economy was in recession due to the power crisis.

Ramos fixed it by doing deals with anyone quick enough to put power plants fast. They were done at a high price but at that point everyone was agreeable to the fact that expensive power was better than no power at all. All these plants were short term but were dollar denominated and tied to the price of oil, which for most of ramos time was around10$.

By the end of his administration and into Eraps, the price of oil rose and the dollar doubled in value versus the peso, basically making power at least double in cost. NPC ran into deficit but rates could only be raised a little bit at a time.

By 2001 NPC had a over a 100 billion hole. At this point GMA in order to ensure her grip on power actually lowers electirc prices and subsidizes NPC and the country's power grid. Until election time this move will generate at least another 350 Billion in losses reflecting in her deficit.

So now we have the highest power cost in Asia and we may still be facing another energ crunch.

This of course of the short story there's lots more twist and turns and of course it's more complicated than that but the switchin off , of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant can easily be traced to the source of at least 20% off in GDP growth.

And no unfortunately it was not defective, but our whole energy decision making system was.

He was corrupted yet he was the only one that can corrupt and no one else.

Oh yeah? What about his cronies and the then corrupt military? Not to mention his and Imelda's extended families and the blue ladies, et. al. If you are saying that they limited the booty of corruption to themselves, the corruption was on a GRAND MASSIVE scale. Most of these political dynasties that are still existing now were once part of Marcos's regime. They just play musical chairs to align themselves to whoever is in power. Kaliwaan 'yan. May family member na pro kay kanino and against kay kanino, meron naman family member na vice versa. They got both sides covered. The Philippines has not gotten over the looming shadow and ruins brought on by the Marcos' conjugal dictatorship. It just spawned all these opportunists.

By the way we lost the against Westinghouse as they could not proove the corruption and defects, and we're still paying for it today!

Ok, I agree Bustero. The whole energy decision making system was defective. If there had been more transparency then about the building of the Bataan Nuclear Power plant, then there would not have been any strong resistance or if there was, it wouldn't have been built in the first place. It was overtaken by events and as you stated the worldwide strong sentiment against nuclear plants especially when there are no safety nets on how to properly and safely dispose nuclear wastes.

By the way, out of curiosity, which other countries in South East Asia have nuclear plants?

the corruption was on a GRAND MASSIVE scale.

let shall say the marcosses not just himself, fine, but i thought wealth goes w/ the family and its common sense. so, I didnt say the whole shebang marcos. Anyway, last time I check that it was so grand that GMA even had to build a department against graft and corruption w/c im hearing was corrupted itself. And, wasnt those military official was given property w/c was taken away after the Marcosses came down the podium. HUH

A lot of those moneys remained with the cronies because they couldn't be traced. Marcos was very sly and clever because he created all those dummy corporations to cover for him. Have you seen the houses in Corinthian Gardens and Valle Verde? Most of those are owned by military men. The corruption in the military they are just unravelling right now is just skimming the surface. Corruption there is deeply entrenched and practiced for years because at that time they could get away with it with impunity.

Goodnite guys, tulog na muna ko. May office pa bukas. :)

Oh yeah? What about his cronies and the then corrupt military? Not to mention his and Imelda's extended families and the blue ladies, et. al. If you are saying that they limited the booty of corruption to themselves, the corruption was on a GRAND MASSIVE scale. Most of these political dynasties that are still existing now were once part of Marcos's regime. They just play musical chairs to align themselves to whoever is in power. Kaliwaan 'yan. May family member na pro kay kanino and against kay kanino, meron naman family member na vice versa. They got both sides covered. The Philippines has not gotten over the looming shadow and ruins brought on by the Marcos' conjugal dictatorship. It just spawned all these opportunists.

Don't forget the rampant human rights abuse and lack of personal freedoms. If Marcos was still in power, he'd be filtering the internet and raping the economy with his crony friends while he's beating your dad in jail for speaking his mind. If you think GMA is the worst president the Philippines has ever had, you have no idea what you are talking about. Ill-gotten wealth and cheating in elections are merely a fraction of what the dictator Marcos did!

yes, true the phils was progresive during the early years of the marcos dictatorship but mind you... he brought it down as well...

Marcos and Imelda sequestered most of the nation's corporations and placed it under the control of their family and friends ,... unfortunately most of them were incompetent businessmen, large amounts of money loaned by government owned banks were used to bail out corporations bankrupted by ill management.... so as to speak the government lost billions of dollars doing this.. while the companies crashed one by one... causing an economic backslide that is still felt today,.. currently we are still paying the interests alone for the huge amounts, marcos loaned from the world bank and the IMF which were mostly directed in preserving the falling corporations and decadent lifestyle of their family and friends....

why does Imelda care so much where he's buried I'm sure he's burning in hell.

symbolism.... Imelda cares so much for symbolism

sa house na lng nla i bury si Mang Marcos bat ba pilit nla pilit dun..hahaha

^^ may sarili na nga siyang refrigerator eh.

Ok, I agree Bustero. The whole energy decision making system was defective. If there had been more transparency then about the building of the Bataan Nuclear Power plant, then there would not have been any strong resistance or if there was, it wouldn't have been built in the first place. It was overtaken by events and as you stated the worldwide strong sentiment against nuclear plants especially when there are no safety nets on how to properly and safely dispose nuclear wastes.

By the way, out of curiosity, which other countries in South East Asia have nuclear plants?


Only the Philippines. That's to show how far advanced our energy development was. The Ministry of Energy was one of the most progressive in the world, e.g. leadership in geothermal , one of the highest proportions of renewable energy powerplants to non renewable. Engineering wise it was also very advanced you need extremely high quality engineers and scientist to have these types of plants around.

put marcos in box and throw it into the garbage truck... lolzzz i don't care about the people and sympathizers showing the facts on about how good marcos was on running the economy all i know is that the facts about him dont fit the truths that was happening all over... and if the facts dont fit the truth f*ck the facts... Marcos was an evil f*ck like hitler.... i don't care about his body... may his soul burn and suffer forever in hell... so with his wretched wife and their evil sons and daughters and friends... lolz hehehe i really hate them all...

never never never

Itapon nalang yan sa bibig ng Mayon.

bwa h a ha

baka nama isuka ng Mt. Mayon 'yan. Masira pa ang world-renowned almost perfect cone n'ya.

Hah! good one. Wawa naman tong si Ferdie pero buti nga sa kanya.

Definitely not. Mas worthy pang ilibing ang patay na kuko ni Lili dun. :lol:

Hoy Andre, you are getting too fresh! Pristine ang beauty ko at wala akong patay na kuko. You wouldn't know anyway.

^^ Umm....his name is Andy. :colgate:

Akalo ko pa naman, ipagtatanggol mo ako Kimber.

Oops my bad! Of course I'll defend your honor....for a price! :lol: :jk:

ilibing ang patay na kuko at patay na buhok!

Oops my bad! Of course I'll defend your honor....for a price! :lol: :jk:

Ahh... chivalry is dead... huhuhu...

^^ I guess that died with Marcos too! :lol: (no pun intended!)

At least yung Chivalry puedeng ilibing sa Libingan ng mga Bayani.

:hilarious :hilarious :hilarious :hilarious That's a good one Lili! :okay:

Oops my bad! Of course I'll defend your honor....for a price! :lol: :jk:

So, what's your price, Kimber? My honor?

di ba inumin yan? tsaka malakas ang tama? hehehe.

^^ Hehe Chivas Regal yata ibig sabihin mo, Paul

ke chivas o chivalry pareho din yon.

^ lashing ma na yata p're. panay khanta mo sya othet thread eh. hic!

seriously, this issue about burying has a comparison in the former soviet republic, while we're talking about marcos, they're talking about lenin. aba'y lintek (pardon po), inaamag at nangangamoy na ang pamburol di pa rin naburol.

They now want to bury Lenin and not display his corpse in their Museum/Mausoleum?

yups, but the thing is, most russians have a differing perception of lenin too. those that are young doesn't care (same with us), those with the former ruling government (the communists that is) doesn't want elsewhere and the majority of russians doesn't him elsewhere because his part of history.

Hoy Andre, you are getting too fresh! Pristine ang beauty ko at wala akong patay na kuko. You wouldn't know anyway.

:cry: Naku, sorry po... di na po mauulit (siguro). Bati na tayo, ha? :master:

Now, kiss my foot. JOKE!

^^ :naughty: Done. What else would you like me to kiss? :lol:

^ Wait, I have to don my dominatrix suit and get the whip and chains.
Tama na, it's already giving me the heebie jeebies. Ugh. ;)

^ naku po!!! namamalo pala si lili, mata lang walang latay, ano d ba

I figured since @Quietlife is a proponent of benevolent dictatorship, he might welcome a velvet-gloved iron-fist treatment. That's what he wants for the country, someone to whip it into shape. Haha! I was supposed to stop but I just can't resist commenting.

Ganyan ka pala Lili.... ano ba ang paborito mo? Paddle o whip?

No you choose what you want. Then, I won't give it to you. That's S & M for you.

Masochist: Hit me.

Sadist: No. I won't.

How risque. Welcome to the dark side. It's almost Halloween. :shocked:

^ gone crazy :lol:

^ Wait, I have to don my dominatrix suit and get the whip and chains.
Tama na, it's already giving me the heebie jeebies. Ugh.

I figured since @Quietlife is a proponent of benevolent dictatorship, he might welcome a velvet-gloved iron-fist treatment. That's what he wants for the country, someone to whip it into shape. Haha! I was supposed to stop but I just can't resist commenting.

No you choose what you want. Then, I won't give it to you. That's S & M for you.

Masochist: Hit me.

Sadist: No. I won't.

How risque. Welcome to the dark side. It's almost Halloween. :shocked:

:lol::hug: :horse: I might just enjoy that. :rofl:

cheez I don't know... maybe we should build him a giant gold statue ... imelda would love that...

Abroad, Pinoys do us proud!
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
The Philippine Star 10/12/2005

SHANGHAI – Oishi, Figaro, Metrobank. Filipino brands are making a push for the large China market. Jollibee is here too, but not as Jollibee. It bought an existing local Chinese fastfood chain pretty much like Chow King, to fasttrack its China venture.

In a sense, being here is also a way out of the economic quagmire that is the Philippine home market, one that is an economic hostage to warring politicians. Here, Pinoy entrepreneurs are busy doing business instead of worrying the next political bombshell between Ate Glue and the opposition.

Oishi has been here over 10 years, and is now fighting head to head with large multinational brands in the snack food business, like Frito Lay. With 10 factories all over China, as far north as Manchuria, it is set to open two more.

The other pioneer here among the Pinoy taipans is George Ty of Metrobank. After three years, Metrobank is now licensed to operate as a commercial bank here. But Mr. Ty told me over breakfast last Sunday at the Shanghai Westin, the competition in the banking sector in China is stiff.

But, Mr. Ty emphasized, they are here for the long haul. They are targeting not just the Pinoy workers and entrepreneurs here, but whatever business they could get from other Southeast Asian countries. A branch in Beijing is next in Mr. Ty’s "to do" list.

Metrobank in China is also busy in the real estate market. A new twin tower to be called Metrobank Plaza, is set to rise in Shanghai as the bank’s bet on this city’s very vibrant real estate market. One tower is designed for residential use and the other for offices. Topping off is set for next month and completion of the project is expected after a year.

On the whole, Mr. Ty is bullish about the Filipinos in Shanghai, even as he concedes that doing business in China is not a walk in the park. Doing business here requires not just hard work and determination but a lot of guts. He walks around Shanghai in his barong tagalog precisely because, he said, he wants to dramatize our presence here. Curiously, the other leading Pinoy taipan here, Carlos Chan of Oishi, also proudly flies the Philippine flag in his factories, also to proclaim Philippine presence in China. He has assigned 65 Pinoy expat executives and engineers to run his business here.

The Pinoy entrepreneurs here are not lacking in the guts department. Figaro, the Pinoy answer to Starbucks, has set up two branches in Shanghai. One was opened last March and the other opened last May. Rosario Juan, Figaro’s area manager was glad to welcome our 20-person Tuesday Club group to its very distinctive coffee house in an up and coming trendy area of Shanghai.

The Figaro coffee house does the Filipino proud, that is, if people here even think of it as Filipino. The only hint of its Pinoy origins is a blown up ancient map of the region showing the location of the Philippines as part of the wall décor. Figaro’s upscale international ambience competes very well with Starbucks, but there is no doubt Figaro would need staying power to survive in this market.

Ms. Juan didn’t tell us how much rent Figaro is paying for the spacious coffee shop we visited. But people here estimate they must be paying the equivalent of a million pesos a month for rent. That sounds to me like an awful lot of coffee lattes to sell to cover overhead and make some profit.

Still, Ms. Juan sounded absolutely enthusiastic and optimistic about the Pinoy brand’s future in Shanghai. Business is good, she says, and it could only get better once the new buildings being constructed in the area are done. In any case, the pressure of meeting the challenge of doing business in a foreign land has not caused this 23-year-old entrepreneur/manager any loss of her youthful exuberance.

Another Pinoy brand trying to establish itself here is Bench. On the surface, trying to sell garments in the country known as the world’s foremost producer of garments is like trying to sell freezers to the Eskimos. But it was explained to me that Bench is precisely trying to establish itself as a premier brand that would attract increasingly fashionable and free spending young Chinese yuppies. In fact, I am told that Bench is even manufacturing some of its higher value products in Manila.

I suppose too, Bench is comfortable here because Ben Chan is the younger brother of the man behind the successful Oishi brand of snack food. Then again, Oishi had first mover advantage in the China market, having staked out the market long before the mad rush to China happened. Snack food is also a world away from garments.

To make the big time here, Bench would have to compete with deep pocketed international brands. It seems that for garments, there is no middle ground between being seen as a premier brand and being a mere commodity. I visited a Bench outlet in a mall near the famous Nanjing Road shopping street and it is clear that the brand is in for tough competition. Then again too, if it manages to develop a niche market here, even a small slice of the large China pie should be more than satisfying.

Two other Chinoy taipans are also here in Shinghai. Lucio Tan is building a tower that would include a premier hotel. John Gokongwei’s Universal Robina is also testing the waters for its candies. For these established taipans and as well as for the aspiring entrepreneurs behind Figaro and Bench, it is a struggle to be here in China. But the market is large and the rewards are great once they get over the initial struggle to survive. And I am sure, it beats having to fret about the business climate back home. Holidays
The Chinese are also believers in holiday economics but in their case, they make sure holidays do not cut national productivity… unlike you-know-where. They had a weeklong holiday to commemorate China’s National Day last October 1. Since only three of the five days are legal holidays, the next two Sundays after the weeklong break become regular working days.

This happens during the lunar new year break and during the May 1 break too. Chinese authorities do not sacrifice productivity by declaring unscheduled holidays just because, as in our case, Ate Glue delivered her SONA.

The crazy thing is, we wonder why investors love China. Because Ate Glue still doesn’t get it, the answer is, because China respects its investors. It is as simple as that.

@ jbkayaker, Well adobo and dinuguan are unhealthy. I'm not being negative, i'm stating the truth. You're just being sensitive.

some healthy pinoy dishes

dining ding
anything ginataan
does sinigang count?

^^ China maybe doing so well economically but i still hate them in many aspects, eg human rights violationssss, and disrespect of intellectual property. i wonder if those phrases are even part of their vocabulary :(

453 Pinoys in Malaysia undergo skills upgrading


A total of 453 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Malaysia have undergone skills training to boost their global competitiveness and ensure their active participation in the Philippines' socio-economic activities when they return to the country, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said yesterday.



Labor and Employment Acting Secretary Manuel G. Imson disclosed that said OFWs are scheduled to graduate from a skills training program in ceremonies to be attended by various guests from the Filipino community and Malaysia at the Concorde Hotel Grand Ballroom on October 30, 2005 in Kuala Lumpur.


He said the program was provided by the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) in Kuala Lumpur free of charge to the OFWs under the supervision of he Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Malaysia.


According to the report of Labor Attache to Malaysia Josephus B. Jimenez some 30 courses were offered to the OFWs which included basic computer, basic and advance tailoring, agribusiness, basic and advance English, business development, hair culture, basic and advance dressmaking, culinary arts, cosmetology, basic nursing home care, arts and crafts, and others.


Imson lauded the faculty members and trainors for devoting themselves, and their time, in upgrading the skills of the OFWs for free. (Emily G. Bugarin),


back t

The host of Iron Chef America is part Filipino. He used to star in the TV version of 'The Crow'. His name escapes me, too. :scratching head:

Marc Dacascos?

Yes, I think. He was even the lead of The Crow, TV version. Thanks @Ramvingar.

yes. i remember marc dacascos, he shot a movie once in the phils...

Ms International 2005 (PHILIPPINES) - THE WINNING ANSWER

Q: "what do you say to the people of the world who
have typecasted filipinos as nannies?"

A: "i take no offense on being typecasted as a nanny. But i do take offense
that the educated people of the world have somehow denegrated the true sense
and meaning of what a nanny is. let me tell you what she is. she is someone
who gives more than she takes. She is someone you trust to look after the
very people most precious to you - your child, the elderly, yourself. she is
the one who has made a living out of caring and loving other people. so to
those who have typecasted us as nannies, thank you. it is a testament to the
loving and caring culture of the Filipino people. and for that, i am forever
proud and grateful of my roots and culture."

^^ nice!
but i thought there was no Q&A in ms international pageant? :?

well, that's been circulating around hehehe. but a pageant's really pointless without question and answer portion.

yes. i remember marc dacascos, he shot a movie once in the phils...

With Susan Africa and TomTaus. The tribeleader in the movie even speaks Ilonggo.

Ms International 2005 (PHILIPPINES) - THE WINNING ANSWER

Q: "what do you say to the people of the world who
have typecasted filipinos as nannies?"

A: "i take no offense on being typecasted as a nanny. But i do take offense
that the educated people of the world have somehow denegrated the true sense
and meaning of what a nanny is. let me tell you what she is. she is someone
who gives more than she takes. She is someone you trust to look after the
very people most precious to you - your child, the elderly, yourself. she is
the one who has made a living out of caring and loving other people. so to
those who have typecasted us as nannies, thank you. it is a testament to the
loving and caring culture of the Filipino people. and for that, i am forever
proud and grateful of my roots and culture."

She forgot to add "....and world peace!" :lol: But kidding aside, that's a very good answer, one that would have never crossed my mind if someone were to ask me that question. :okay:

She forgot to add "....and world peace!" :lol: But kidding aside, that's a very good answer, one that would have never crossed my mind if someone were to ask me that question. :okay:

may balak kang sumali? hehe :D

^^ No. But if I did....they all would lose! :lol:

^^ ikaw ang mahigpit kong kalaban sa swimwear portion. :D

Speaking of Imelda Marcos - An international musical is about to unfold


http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40914000/jpg/_40914818_slim_203.jpg
Fatboy Slim will join David Byrne on the "multimedia extravaganza"

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40914000/jpg/_40914814_marcos_203.jpg


Fatboy Slim makes Marcos musical (BBC News Report)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4346938.stm
Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim will join David Byrne on the "multimedia extravaganza"
DJ Fatboy Slim and Talking Heads singer David Byrne are writing a musical about former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, to be shown next March.

Here Lies Love will examine Mrs Marcos' passion for music and night clubs.

Billed as "a timeless story with more contemporary resonances than are comfortable", it will premiere at Australia's Adelaide Festival.

Mrs Marcos was found guilty of corruption in the mid-1990s, but her conviction was overturned on appeal.

The charges were part of a wider case alleging that Mrs Marcos and her husband, former President Ferdinand Marcos, plundered the nation's economy between 1968 and 1986.

The pair were overthrown in a popular revolt in 1986 and fled to Hawaii, where Ferdinand Marcos died three years later.

'Non-stop party'

Mrs Marcos - who now lives in the Philippine capital Manila - is well-known for her huge collection of shoes, which came to symbolise her family's excess.

Imelda Marcos
Mrs Marcos and husband Ferdinand were overthrown in 1986
"She loved the nightlife in all parts of the world, and in New York at Studio 54, so much so that she installed a disco in her NYC townhouse," an Adelaide Festival spokesman said.

"It was a non-stop party, featuring politicians, arms dealers, financiers, artists, musicians and the international jet set."

Here Lies Love was the concept of Talking Heads star Byrne, who has written the music with Fatboy Slim, real name Norman Cook.

The 90-minute musical will be directed by Marianne Weems, artistic director of New York ensemble The Builders' Association, as "a multimedia extravaganza".

Interesting stuff. Imelda even makes a mark when not being in the public eye

ay doble, meron na yata nito sa samahan eh, tell grey

baka t-back portion. hihihihi.

Filipina breaks world record in power lifting

First posted 05:10pm (Mla time) Oct 18, 2005
By Veronica Uy
INQ7.net



Subscribe to Breaking News alerts, send ON EXTRA BREAKING to 2207 for Globe, or send EXTRA BREAKING to 386 for Smart.


A FILIPINA broke the world record for power lifting by carrying a total of 205 kilograms in the squat event of the 8th World Master Power Lifting Championships 2005 held recently in Pretoria, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced Tuesday.

Ambassador Virgilio Reyes of the Philippine embassy in Pretoria, who was present at the Carousel Sports Arena during the record-breaking feat, said that Erlina "Lily" Pecante also won three gold medals in the 75-kilogram to 90-kilogram class, on October 6.

In his report to the home office, Reyes said the rest of the four-member delegation of the Power Lifting Association of the Philippines bagged medals in their respective categories during the championships from October 4-10.

On October 8, head of delegate Peter Edward Torres of the 100-kg class, won a gold medal in the dead lift event, a silver medal in the squat, and a bronze medal in the bench-press event, garnering the third overall honors in his weight class.

On October
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5, Catalina "Nina" Oca of the 44-kg to 56-kg class won a bronze medal in the bench press event.

The other member of the team is Antonio Taguibao of the 62-kg to 67.5-kg class.

“I congratulate these four world-class Filipino power lifters who proved their strength by beating their contenders and breaking [the] world record. Their display of strength is a manifestation of the Filipino’s physical and moral strength,” Reyes said.

i wonder what the imeldific is thinking?

^^ Oh, I'm sure she's over the moon with this. She just loves basking in the limelight.

there's already another imelda music that came out a few months ago. i saw it in Downtown LA. I thought it was great but I thought it needed more extras especially during the EDSA Revolution scene.

they should then do a movie about her... I'm sure it'll be the most expensive film of all time...

There is already an Imelda documentary. Wasn't it shown in Pinas?

^yeah sa pbs. my mom made me watch it, idolo kasi eh :lol:

We need a Imelda movie. Make it even more grande than Evita!

Lets have Lea Salonga as Imelda!. She has the pipes to make a spectacular performance and i bet her acting is pretty good too

Hmm and Ferdinand.. how about Cesar Montano?

lol just some ideas

^yeah sa pbs. my mom made me watch it, idolo kasi eh :lol:


I thought PBS is just a children show network? I only see, barney, boobah, teletubies, sesame street and so forth in that channel, but maybe that's just our local public tv network.


hummm, Imelda still lingers in everybody's mind even overseas, doesn't it? I bet she is loving all these attention.

Palma to be inducted into IWF Hall of Fame
By Perseus Echeminada
The Philippine Star 10/20/2005

Former Supreme Court justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma will be inducted in Washington tomorrow by the prestigious International Women’s Forum (IWF) into its International Hall of Fame "for making a difference as a fearless woman prosecutor, fighter for truth and justice and for the full dedication of her career to God, country and fellowmen."

Palma will receive "The Women Who Make a Difference Award" and join former President Corazon Aquino and other woman leaders in the roster of IWF Hall of Fame honorees, among them former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, former Irish president Mary Robinson,, and heads of state Gro Harlem of Norway, Violeta de Chamorro of Nicaragua, Hanna Suchocka of Poland and Eugenia Charles of Dominica.

Other past awardees are Katherine Graham of The Washington Post, Rosa Parks, mother of the civil rights movement, US astronaut Sally Ride, and several other women from various parts of the world who made a difference in their respective fields of endeavor.

For health reasons, however, Palma will be unable to make the trip to the US to attend the historic ceremonies and receive the award at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington.

Her son Tady Palma, secretary to Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., told the STAR that his sister Pearl will receive the award on behalf of their mother, who is now 92 years old.

"My sister will be representing our mother during the ceremonies," he said.

Celing, as she is fondly called by close friends and relatives, began her career in public service as the first woman prosecutor of Quezon city in 1947 and as the first woman judge in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental and in San Pablo City, Laguna.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law, Palma topped the 1937 bar exam with 92.6 percent. She also obtained two master of Laws degrees and is a recipient of nine honorary degrees here and abroad.

Palma’s career reached its peak in 1973 when she became the first Filipino woman to be appointed as Supreme Court justice.

According to former Supreme Court justice Jose B.L. Reyes, Palma’s appointment to the high court brought her conviction and courage to the fore during the dark years of martial law when she dared expose what she believed to be the shortcomings of the

military regime and openly criticized its disregard of constitutional principles and disrespect for human rights.

"In numerous Supreme Court opinions she eloquently and succinctly argued her point, sometimes packing her family off to her native Batangas to write these opinions in seclusion away from the reaches of those who would intimidate her," Reyes said.

After retiring from public service, Palma continued fighting for truth and justice. She won a seat in the now defunct Batasan Pambansa and when President Ferdinand Marcos called for snap elections, she mobilized volunteers to campaign for Mrs. Aquino.

She was also a major personality that became a rallying point for the eventual fall of Marcos during the EDSA people power II that catapulted Aquino into the presidency.

Although she opposed the revolutionary government’s move to set aside the Marcos constitution, Palma accepted the appointment to join the 1986 Constitutional Commission.

In 2003, Palma was chosen as among the most outstanding citizens of Quezon City.

A compilation of selected decisions, opinions and speeches and writings by Palma was published in 2001. The book has become a valuable reference for law students.

The IWF is a global organization of women with significant and diverse achievements who came together across national and international boundaries to share knowledge and ideas, to enrich each other’s lives, to prove a network of support and to exert influence.

The Women’s group was founded in the United States in 1992, its has forums in 21 countries and counts among its members head of states, top corporate executives, academics, artist, athletes, diplomats and makers of public policy and opinion.

Current president is former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell.

In the Philippines, the IWC chapter was founded in 1992 by former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Labor Secretary Patricia

Sto. Tomas, former tourism secretary Mina Gabor and civic leader Maribel Ongpin.

Members include international businesswoman Josie Natori, Ambassador Delia Albert, former justice Harriet Demietriou, Mother Earth chairwomanr Tes Choa, and former Civil Service commissioner Corazon Alma de Leon.

isang Filipino na naman na karapat-dapat ipagmalaki, hanagaan at tularan..

...HANGAAN..... (sorry)

Hey, I'm a member of IWF.

She's really big news in Europe especially in London. That explains why there are a lot of articles on her in the BBC website.

Ambassador Virgilio Reyes of the Philippine embassy in Pretoria, who was present at the Carousel Sports Arena during the record-breaking feat, said that Erlina "Lily" Pecante also won three gold medals in the 75-kilogram to 90-kilogram class, on October 6.

Congratulations Lili! Galing naman!

Nahawa na sila ng Imeldific effect

^ You got very good sleuthing skills, indeed. How come you got inside information? Yeah, IWF -- International Wrestling Federation. Weightlifting is just a hobby. But asskicking is my true talent.

wow we have a celebrity here pala! congratulations:)

^^^I'm hoping you realized I'm just pulling your leg. I weigh less than that. It's gonna flatten me.

BUT, with a name like Lily Pecante, she must be like me -- one Hot Lili! :lol: For crying out loud, I just can't resist that.

The host of Iron Chef America is part Filipino. He used to star in the TV version of 'The Crow'. His name escapes me, too. :scratching head:

Sorry this is from way back..

I'm a huge fan of the show (of all Iron Chef shows-- ICJ or ICA). Spent a good part of my week last week visiting all sorts of Iron Chef web pages to waste my time. I think I read on his webpage that he's Hawaiian of Japanese and American descent. His biological father is Japanese and his biological mother is caucasian.

His step-mother is Filipina and he considers her his real mother. But I don't think he is part Filipino by birth.

http://www.dacascos.com/

Why is his last name 'Dacascos' then? Most Hawaiians are of Filipino lineage but if he isn't acknowledging his Filipino roots, then so be it.

Here's an excerpt from an interview for his film "The Brotherhood of the Wolf", the French film "Le Pacte Du Loupe":

I think the love for nature and the wildlife are similarities that I had with Mani. Also, being of a different color and culture, speaking a different language, definitely looking different, all those things that Mani went through in the movie, Mark was living out in real life. Not only during the course of the shooting, because I was there [in France] for six months, but I spent from the age of nine until 18 in Hamburg, Germany. Trust me, I looked very different. I'm 37 and back then we didn't have MTV, so the first day I walked into school, people just looked at me like, "What the heck is that?" I mean, literally, "Is he Asian? Is he white?" Quite honestly, I didn't know myself, because I was mixed. My father — my stepmother raised me, she's Spanish and French — my father is Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino. My biological mother is half-Japanese and half-Irish. Born in Hawaii with a Greek last name, I'm all over the place. [Laughs]

http://www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/interviews/dacascos

I think now he is capitalizing on the Japanese roots because of that gig in Iron Chef America. No one beats the flair of Chairman Kaga.

Yeah I'm researching that right now... so far here's what I found.

Al Dacascos was Mark's first Sifu (martial arts teacher). Moriko McVey, Mark's natural mother, was also one of Al Dacascos' students.

Malia Bernal, Mark's "second mother," became Mark's second Sifu. She was one of the top ten competitors in the United States, and for five years was rated as the Number One female competitor in weapons, fighting and forms. She was also the first female to grace the cover of "Black Belt" magazine.

^ I'm thinking Moriko is the Japanese half. Malia Bernal sounds Filipino. But Dacascos is still the part that needs to be deconstructed.

Woops... This just in. From IMDB.
Al Dacascos (father) is of Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese ancestry; Moriko McVey (mother) is of Irish and Japanese ancestry.

Yep you're right. There's some Filipino in there.

FAITHFUL SOLDIER GUARDS EX-PRESIDENT, IN LIFE AND DEATH

BATAC, October 20, 2005 (STAR - AFP) Catalino Bactat has spent nearly all his adult life guarding Ferdinand Marcos, from the time when his boss was the most powerful man in the Philippines and now as a mass of dried tissue in an airless glass case.

"He was a good man, the president was a disciplined man. He was not a soldier for nothing," Bactat says of Marcos, who in life had been accused of robbing his country blind and oppressing its people during his 20-year rule, much of it under martial law.

As politicians and ordinary citizens renew a national debate on what to do with the Marcos corpse some 16 years after his death, Bactat, a retired soldier, is sticking by his boss as administrator of the former leader's mausoleum.

Public displays of the remains of former leaders are going out of fashion elsewhere in the world including Russia, where, after eight decades on public display in a glass box like Marcos, the government is considering what to do with the remains of its first communist leader Lenin.

But on an ordinary day several hundred people, including curious foreign tourists, enter the air-conditioned stone structure here, built at the Marcos family estate in Batac.

Amid piped-in music of Gregorian hymns, they gawk at the preserved Marcos remains in an airtight glass case that appears to float in a darkened hall.

On some days the number of visitors rises to several thousand, with busloads of students making the trip from areas as far away as Manila, about 400 kilometers (248 miles) to the south.

"The people coming here are disciplined," says the 57 year-old Bactat, who reached the rank of master sergeant in the paramilitary constabulary when he retired. "No one has tried to desecrate the place," he adds.

Stern and watchful, the wiry old soldier stands out despite his casual dress of a blue printed Hawaiian shirt. He bars visitors from taking pictures of the remains.

After the government withheld a state funeral when Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989, three years after a bloodless popular revolt ended his 20-year rule, his widow Imelda brought her late husband's remains home in 1993 and put them on public display.

The widow insists her husband deserves nothing less than a plot at the National Heroes' Cemetery in Manila.

Like the former president, Bactat is also a native of this northern town.

He was barely out of his teens when he joined the presidential security force in 1969 and was separated only from his boss by the 1986 popular revolt. So it was no surprise when he was drafted in for guard duty anew.

Bactat works days when the mausoleum is open to the public. Two active-duty policemen from Batac take the night shift. Marcos' surviving heirs -- the widow and her three grown offspring visit at least once a month.

"I get an allowance from the family, which is enough to buy me a few cigarettes," says Bactat, a father of four. "I will stay here until they bury him."

The eldest Marcos daughter, House of Representatives member Maria Imelda Marcos, better known as Imee, caused a stir last month when she publicly urged her mother to allow the remains to be buried here in Ilocos Norte province, "where the people still love him".

Imee Marcos expressed concern her father's grave could be vandalized if President Gloria Arroyo were to grant the family's wish for a state funeral, citing the case of the giant concrete bust of her father built on a mountainside in the northern Philippines, which was dynamited by communist guerrillas several years ago.

But her brother Ferdinand Marcos Junior, better known as Bongbong and who is the current Ilocos Norte governor, stressed last week that there was no family feud over what to do with the patriarch's body.

"It is our family's absolute right to bury our father in the National Heroes' Cemetery like all the other Philippine presidents before him. He had been the longest-serving president and he really was a soldier in the Second World War so just on those two bases, it is non-negotiable," the son told reporters.

"Maybe the children do not feel quite as strongly because we are also thinking about alternatives," Marcos Junior said. "My mother insists on it absolutely and at the end of the day, it is her decision to make."

Ex-sergeant Bactat gives scant credence to reports that a state funeral for his boss is imminent.

He said he has heard that family members are secretly planning to build a mausoleum on a hill that overlooks the town center of Batac and nearby Banna.

"It seems that the children want the place to become a tourist spot," he adds.

page 7, i just hope this thread will not reach part 100 at hindi pa rin nalibing somewhere in ilocos. hmm, i wonder, what if, nagkaroon ng extreme heat wave at nalusaw yung wax, ano kayang labas?

^^pwede gawing pang-shine ng sahig kaya? gaya nang ginagawa sa esperma, pagnalusaw, pinapahid sa sahig para kumintab... (jk lang po..no offense meant..)

^mop n glow

^^pwede gawing pang-shine ng sahig kaya? gaya nang ginagawa sa esperma, pagnalusaw, pinapahid sa sahig para kumintab... (jk lang po..no offense meant..)

What is esperma?

hahaha? hindi ko alam na yung "esperma" pala ay nakaka pakintab ng sahig....

if she goes, will she also be coated in wax just like ferdie?

if she goes, will she also be coated in wax just like ferdie?

^ that would be eerie. anyways, there was that documentary recently that someone had mentioned earlier, Imelda. And didn't Imelda herself get it banned in the Philippines for the first few months that it came out in the cinemas in the country and the rest of the world? I think it was a year or two ago.

Yup, it was a documentary, quite popular, imelda tried to tro it. She wasn't too annoyed witht he shoes or charges against her and her family but more the way her interviews with the filmaker were spliced , taking some things she said out of context and more importantly making her look like an airhead !!!:) Ah vanity - the devils favorite sin.

^ But that diagram she made about The True, The Good and the Beautiful and The Circle of Life was quite hilarious.

No kidding, Lili! Can't fool me with the crap-ola she lays out--and I believe the global community at large sees her more of a novelty instead of newsworthy material--kinda like a comic relief amid the real serious issues and problems. And of course, humans tend to have this curiosity for the bizarre and eccentric--adjectives that just scratch the surface when describing the former "Rose of Tacloban" or whatever the hell she was...The saddest part is that a huge generation of young Filipinos adults didn't experience life during the agonizing years of Bagong Lipunan and MetroManila governorship, and that there's a danger in not seeing this double-chinned bouffant-hairdo old lady as the wicked she-devil that she was to us oldies!

No kidding, Lili! Can't fool me with the crap-ola she lays out--and I believe the global community at large sees her more of a novelty instead of newsworthy material--kinda like a comic relief amid the real serious issues and problems. And of course, humans tend to have this curiosity for the bizarre and eccentric--adjectives that just scratch the surface when describing the former "Rose of Tacloban" or whatever the hell she was...The saddest part is that a huge generation of young Filipinos adults didn't experience life during the agonizing years of Bagong Lipunan and MetroManila governorship, and that there's a danger in not seeing this double-chinned bouffant-hairdo old lady as the wicked she-devil that she was to us oldies!

You have to admit that her quotes and some of the stunts she pulled were great quotes and had impact in positive ways besides some negative. She has a wittiness to everything, but then she could head towards plain crazy.

i remember she said: Im allergic to ugly especially yung madaming pimples.
i would say the same thing too, pimples is very contagious may nana pa yung iba

^ there's a point!

Academy of American poets honors Fil-Am awardee
November 3, 2005, 7pm
Lang Auditorium, New School
55 West 13th Street, New York City

Barbara Jane Reyes has been selected by the Academy of American Poets as the recipient of the prestigious 2005 James Laughlin Award for her second collection of poems, Poeta en San Francisco (Tinfish Press). The James Laughlin Award is given to commend and support a poet's second book of poetry. The award was established by a gift to the Academy from the Drue Heinz Trust in honor of the poet and publisher James Laughlin (1914-1997). Ms. Reyes will receive a cash prize of $5,000, and the Academy will purchase copies of Poeta en San Francisco for distribution to its members. This year's judges were James Longenbach, Susan Stewart, and Elizabeth Alexander.

^ Great News. Hey, it's in NY. I wonder if that's open to the public to attend.

New White House chef makes official debut today
By Darlene Superville Associated Press

The temperature is rising in Cristeta Comerford's basement kitchen.

After two months on the job and plenty of meals served behind the scenes, the first female White House chef makes her official culinary debut in a very public way today: preparing lunch and three dinner courses for Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

It's the couple's first visit to the United States since tying the knot in April.

But if pleasing the royal couple isn't pressure enough, next on Comerford's plate is the December holiday season. That's when President Bush and wife Laura throw open the White House doors to some 9,500 guests who file through 25 parties in search of some of the finest food and drink in town.

Other cooks may wilt like spinach under the stress, but Comerford is no stranger to the heat of the White House kitchen. She has been slicing and dicing there for 10 years, assembling meals big and small as an assistant to former chef Walter Scheib III, who hired her as a part-timer in 1995.

In fact, Comerford gets credit for one recent White House meal.

The menu of chilled asparagus soup with lemon cream, pan-roasted halibut, ginger-carrot butter, basmati rice with pistachio nuts and currants, and herbed summer vegetables was served to 134 guests at an official dinner in July in honor of India's prime minister.

It helped her clinch the promotion.

With such experience under her apron, dinner for the royals "should be, in many respects, old hat," said Scheib, whose exit from the kitchen last February after 11 years of cooking for two presidents cleared the way for Comerford's appointment by first lady Laura Bush.

"She is one of the best chefs culinarily that I've ever worked with," Scheib said in an interview, describing Comerford as "basically a co-chef with me. Her input and her menus were as used as often as not."

Roland Mesnier, a former White House pastry chef, said Comerford was "extremely knowledgeable" about the cuisines of different cultures. That "helps tremendously when you're the chef of the White House" and feeding many foreign visitors, he said.

In her statement announcing the promotion in August, Laura Bush said Comerford's "passion for cooking can be tasted in every bite of her delicious creations."

Besides being the first female White House chef and personal cook for the first family, Comerford, 43, is the first minority in the position. She is a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Philippines who studied French cooking in Vienna and specializes in ethnic and American cuisine.

For a May 2003 state dinner for the Philippine president, Comerford planned a meal with that nation's tastes in mind: scallops, brandade of smoked trout and crab cakes with tomato gazpacho; lamb in a red wine reduction with achiote polenta, fresh fava beans, morels and braised cipollini onion; and avocado, tomato and goat's cheese terrine, spring greens, candied pepitas and calamansi dressing.

Pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, are popular in Mexican cooking; Calamansi is a citrus fruit native to the Philippines.

The appointment of a woman was strongly encouraged by Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, an advocacy group. Women represent half of all food service workers but just 7 percent of executive chefs, said president Bonnie Moore. Even fewer women hold the "clout" jobs, such as White House chef.

Comerford's appointment "is exactly what young women thinking of a career in the culinary arts need set as an example before them," Moore said in an interview.

Comerford now has the prestigious yet grueling responsibility of pleasing the palates of some of the world's most powerful and, perhaps, finicky eaters. She will design menus for everything from state dinners and other official functions, where the guest list can soar into the hundreds, to cozier gatherings hosted by the president and first lady. The job pays between $80,000 and $100,000 a year.

uy, i've heard a pinay won the silver prize at the 8th Asian Song Festival?

Have you seen that soup man , I'm salivating as I read it.

siyempre she's from UP :)

Mukang masasarap gourmet cooking niya. She should open her restaurant call it white house inn or president's kitchen or something.

whohoooo good for pinoys! it's refreshing to hear those kinds of news

i just seen MADE in MTV, the coach of SanAntonio Spurs's cheerleader is a fierced Filipina. She's Very pretty, fit, and Very pretty.

Monique Lhuillier's A-list clients have made her young Hollywood's hottest designer—just ask Britney
By Allison Samuels
Newsweek International

Jan. 31 issue - When Monique Lhuillier peeks from behind a rack of her lavish wedding gowns, you could easily mistake her for one of her A-list clients. Personal chic is just one asset that has made Lhuillier (pronounced Loo-lee-ay) the designer for trendy young celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker, Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Connelly, whether they're walking down the aisle or the red carpet. As this year's award season opens with the Golden Globes, Lhuillier's signature look—figure-hugging sleek, often with a jeweled halter top—is the one to watch for. "She has a very hip sense of style," says Jessica Simpson, another repeat customer. "It's sexy and sophisticated at the same time. That's what any girl wants to look like when she steps out of the house."

Although Lhuillier's wedding gowns and eveningwear have been a fashion force for the last few years, 2004 was her big breakthrough. At the Emmys, Jamie-Lynn DiScala dazzled in a teal satin Lhuillier halter gown that landed the "Sopranos" star on just about everyone's best-dressed list. Lhuillier also put "The West Wing's" Allison Janney in the standout green chiffon dress she wore as she happily clutched her Emmy. But the high point, Lhuillier says, was adding Britney Spears to her client list when she created the showstopping gown the pop star wore for her September wedding to Kevin Federline. "Britney was icing on the cake," says Lhuillier. "Everybody is intrigued by her and everything she does. We became part of that, and I can't say I mind."

It turned out to be a tough assignment. Spears, trying to avoid paparazzi, didn't want to come to the store when she first called in June, so the designer went to her house, where, Lhuillier recalls, "she was so sweet and absolutely excited about trying dresses just like any other bride." But on Sept. 19 Spears called back to say the date had been pushed up four weeks—which meant everything had to be ready the next day. With her staff on red alert, Lhuillier managed to finish the strapless silk gown (complete with a cathedral-length train) in just 24 hours. She also created a postceremony lace minidress and five burgundy crepe bridesmaid dresses, plus gowns for Spears's mother and Federline's mother and stepmother. "The dresses were a dream," Spears says. "It was all exactly as I wanted."

Beautiful dresses have been on Lhuillier's brain since her childhood in the Philippine city of Cebu. Her father was a wealthy French jeweler and former diplomat; her Filipino mother was a model. Lhuillier, now 32, grew up watching magical parties in the lavish family home. "People were dressed to kill," she recalls. "It was dreamy, and I knew I wanted to be part of creating that somehow when I got older." Her parents sent her to a Swiss boarding school. From there, she went on to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles because her parents thought New York (the obvious destination for a future fashionista) wasn't safe. In L.A. she met business student Tom Bugee, who had a background in retail finance. They married in 1996 and, with $20,000 in seed money from Lhuillier's parents, started their own company. After building a couture clientele in top stores like Saks and Neiman Marcus, they launched a ready-to-wear line just three years ago that accounted for 60 percent of the company's $15 million in sales last year. Up next: handbag and shoe lines. The price of all this glamour is high, as much as $10,000 for a top-of-the-line wedding gown. But her clients clearly think it's worth it. Lhuillier's goal is to "give them what they need for the events in their lives. There's no better feeling." Unless, of course, it's actually wearing her creations and watching jaws drop.

© 2005 Newsweek, Inc.


*************************
her website!

http://www.moniquelhuillier.com/

Born Diane Monique Lhuillier to French, Spanish/Filipino parents, Monique was raised in the southern part of the Philippines called Cebu. As a child, Monique was very influenced by her mother's glamorous sense of style and was exposed to the importance of style because the family traveled extensively. Her favorite destinations were always Paris and Los Angeles. At the early age of 15, Monique left home to attend the prestigious Chateau Mont-Choisi boarding school in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was while she was in Switzerland that she decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a designer. She decided to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and move to Los Angeles.

At FIDM, Monique excelled and received a merit-based scholarship to attend the advanced program. During her studies, she decided to focus on the luxury market and specialize in bridal and evening gowns. It was also during this time that Monique met her husband, Tom Bugbee.

When Monique graduated and began looking for a job, she realized there were very few couture quality companies based in Los Angeles. Unwilling to leave for New York, Monique took a design and production position at a small French firm that specialized in better eveningwear and separates
Shortly after her engagement, Monique decided to take some time off to plan the wedding. During her dress search, Monique's focus on the wedding business was reborn. She was determined to be part of it and to do it better.

In 1996, Monique launched her first bridal collection. It was very well received by retailers and by magazine editors. In the next year, Tom took control of the company and turned Monique's vision into reality. The collaboration has proved to be very successful. In 2001, Monique designed her first evening collection, which has now developed into a complete ready to wear collection.

Monique received the 2001 Glamorous Bridal Designer Award, the 2002 Avant Garde Bridal Designer Award and the 2003 Designer of the Year Award from Wedding Dresses Magazine and the bridal industry members. In 2003, she was also inducted as a new member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).


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Today, Monique Lhuillier is considered one of the leading innovative fashion houses in terms of design, quality and brand image. The Monique Lhuillier boutique, in the heart of Beverly Hills, offers world-class service and a wide selection of her latest Ready-to-Wear and Bridal collections as well as some custom offerings. Her famous designs have been featured on such fashion forward television shows as Sex and the City and Will & Grace, and is a favorite among many noteworthy celebrities. Her Ready-To-Wear collection has been worn by megastars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Connelly, Janet Jackson, Debra Messing, Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey, Sarah Michelle Geller, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Marg Helgenberger, Amber Tamblyn, Elisha Cuthbert, Jorja Fox, Holly Hunter, Tiffany Thiessen and Jamie Lynn Discala just to name a few!

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galing!! ang maganda pa jan is that she never denies that she's a filipina... i remember in ET.. she was interviewed there.. then may nagsabi na French raw siya coz na of her surname.. but she corrected the host.. na FILIPINA siya actually... the host could hardly believe nga... and mind you she speaks CEBUANO fluently nakasabay siya ng aunt ko sa Rustans... walang bodyguard walang alalay... so simple

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/lucifrah/Moniquepix.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/lucifrah/untitled.jpg

^ Yes, she's beautiful. Proudly Pinay.

^ Yes, she's beautiful. Proudly Pinay.
beautiful nga... but she's 33 though... and currently pregnant.. pro she looks younger.. prng 26

ya very pretty. do her wedding gowns now command the same prestige and pricetag a vera wang's does?

beautiful nga... but she's 33 though... and currently pregnant.. pro she looks younger.. prng 26

She can be a model herself.

She looks better than most of those holllywood stars she dresses.

ya very pretty. do her wedding gowns now command the same prestige and pricetag a vera wang's does?

She is very in demand among the celebrity set but still not on par with Vera Wang.

^^ but soon will be :D hope she creates men's line of clothes.

Oh, that will definitely something to be proud of. :)

yeah, she's really somethin! hope to see a lot of monique's creation at the oscar's next year!

^ Yes, she's beautiful. Proudly Pinay.
magkalahi kami, cebuano, guapo't guapa ;)

Yup, Monique is unique heheheh. I love her designs everytime I see stars wear them on the red carpet. She's one of the designers that I look up to.

I saw her being interviewed in F a few weeks ago when she was included in the New York Fashion Week, I really admired her because she's very articulate and her collection is gorgeous.

Her mother and her father was also interviewed which was an added plus during the show hehhehe

what show is F

what show is F


F is a local lifestyle show hosted by Angel Aquino, Daphne Osena and Amanda Griffin (formely Cher Calvin was in her slot). It covers everything from fashion, food, family and everything else. I think it used to be shown on TFC.

^nah, not here. i think they have those the ponds show. i dont know whats the tittle actually, the ponds, i guess, they always say ponds in every words that coming out of their mouth.

You mean, Perfect Moments?

ABOUT F
It was used to be aired in ABS-CBN and it won several awards but today, it is aired on Studio 23 and on ANC.

Monique Lhuillier is really getting popular now!

I like watching F but because of PBB on Sundays, I tend to forget to watch F.