PPCI Christmas Party at Dominguez Hills

All Photos by Albert Vargas


Philippine Press Club International (PPCI) Christmas Party Group Photo


Taliba editor Manny Patolot with ace photographer & artist Vics Magsaysay


The muses of PPCI - Loi Hererra - Eileen Dario - Edith Andres and Pia Legaspi


Jay Fermin, Manny Ortega and Ver Penaranda


Karl Kohl of Simple Elements with TV18 Kababayan L.A. host Jannelle So


PPCI President Lydia Solis with author John Lacson


l to r - Alex Pascual - Lydia Solis - Suzette Lopez - Susan Rozal - Vics Magsaysay and Jay Fermin


The 3 Mannys - Patolot - Legaspi (of MyGringos.Com) and Ortega



Lara Andrea Avengoza belts out a song. She will star on her own Valentine Broadway Musical Comedy Show this February. She also played a role as one of the diwatas in the Filipino opera - Karim at Jasmin


Tony Vizmonte of Celebrity Chronicle - Romeo Balboa - Loi Hererra and hubby

Lea Salonga at San Manuel Casino January 03, 2008

She made her professional stage debut at the age of seven, recorded her first album at 10, and was winning multiple industry awards at 13. At 18, she won the starring role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon”, for which she earned a Tony. Since then, Lea Salonga has appeared in countless musicals in both the states and her native Philippines. She also was the singing voice of both Jasmine (Aladdin) and Fa Mulan (Mulan) in the animated Disney classics.

Tickets: $40, $50 and $60
Doors Open at 6:30pm

Buy tickets now at Ticketmaster.com. Must be 21 or over to enter casino and see the show.

San Manuel Indian Casino, 777 San Manuel Blvd., Highland, California, 92346
Phone: (800) 359-2464

From the Los Angeles Area
Take I-10 E toward SAN BERNARDINO.
54.2 miles
Merge onto I-215 N toward SAN BERNARDINO / BARSTOW.
4.9 miles
Continue on CA-215 N toward CA-30 E / HIGHLAND / MTN RESORTS.
1.8 miles
Merge onto CA-30 E.
2.9 miles

OR
Take the new 210 E. to San Bernardino
Take the HIGHLAND AVE exit.
0.2 miles
Merge onto E HIGHLAND AVE.
0.6 miles
Turn LEFT onto VICTORIA AVE.
0.9 miles

Colorado Blvd. Prepares for the 2008 Rose Parade

All white police cruiser checks on motorhome with Nevada license plate near parade route December 30, 2007. Editor's note: License plates on photo has been privacy protected.


View Larger Map

 

Stores are chain linked and boarded up along the Parade route.

 

 

Police uses state of the art equipment and computers and checks on motorhomes along the parade route.

 

All mailboxes and newstands are removed all throughout the parade route to secure the area.

 

Grandstand to Heaven at $85.00 a pop. The fun part though is camping out on the sidewalk starting noon of December 31 and braving the cold on Colorado Blvd. to wait for the New Year and the 8:00 am start of the 2008 Rose Parade on January 1st.

 

Float drivers will navigate their float looking down and using this pink colored line in the middle of the parade route. Look-outs are stationed on either side of the float which communicate with the driver. Huge tow trucks are stationed on every other intersection of the route just in case a float engine fails.

 

Police has deputized hundreds of motorhomes along the parade route to be volunteer "eyes and ears" for public safety and to call the police on any suspicious activity.

 

Colorado Blvd. at night with shoppers and diners all over Old Town Pasadena.

 

If you cannot read and understand this sign, you will lose your car to a towing company.

 

City of Pasadena are working around the clock to put up barricades on the five and a half mile stretch of parade route as well as the multiple float decorating sites and the post parade area.

 

Warped me in Old Town Pasadena taking a walk. It is nice, cold and exciting.

(Photos and text by Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

"Jueteng Power" in Pampanga

PerryScope
Perry Diaz

The victory of Fr. Eduardo "Among Ed" Tongol Panlilio over two powerful political Goliaths in Pampanga last year demonstrated once again that "people power" would prevail when all other means would fail. But unlike the "people power" that toppled the Marcos dictatorship in 1986 and deposed Joseph Estrada in 2001, the "people power" in Pampanga was different -- it was done through the ballot.

"Among Ed," as he was affectionately called by his followers, brought down his two rivals who have close ties to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. One was 29-year-old Mark Lapid -- the incumbent governor at that time and son of former governor and now Sen. Lito Lapid -- who was referred to in some quarters as the "quarry-tax-theft king" for alleged corruption in the "lahar" quarry operations. The other was provincial board member and former Lubao Mayor Lilia Pineda -- Arroyo's town mate and "kumadre." Pineda was referred to as the "Jueteng Queen" because of her marriage to Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda, the alleged king of "jueteng" -- an illegal numbers game -- in at least nine provinces in Central Luzon. With formidable foes like Lapid and Pineda, Among Ed was never given a chance to beat Lapid and Pineda, both of whom were backed by well-oiled political machines and huge campaign war chests. But Among Ed did the impossible. Some people believed that his victory was a miracle.

Soon after he was sworn in as governor, Among Ed faced an uphill battle. Vice Governor Joseller Guiao -- as de facto head of the 10-member provincial board -- has taken an adversarial role against Among Ed. On September 21, 2007, the provincial board unanimously approved Ordinance 176 -- a measure filed by the Pampanga Mayors' League -- which would transfer the authority to monitor the extraction and payment of quarry fees from the provincial government to the mayors of the seven "lahar" quarry towns in Pampanga. When the ordinance reached Among Ed's desk on October 9, he vetoed it claiming that it violated the 1991 Local Government Code which clearly assigns management of the quarry operations to the provincial government. However, on October 15, the provincial board, by unanimous vote, passed a resolution overriding Among Ed's veto. Last November 22, Among Ed asked the Department of Justice to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Ordinance 176 claiming that it was "unconstitutional and illegal." Meanwhile, to avoid being accused of dereliction of duty and be subjected to administrative proceedings -- and possibly removal from office -- Among Ed issued an executive order to implement Ordinance 176.

It is interesting to note that in less than five months, from June 29 to November 21, 2007, Among Ed collected P97.41 million which was more than the P78.15 million collected from 2004 through 2006 by his predecessors. Assuming that the quarry production remained the same since 2004, where did P623.20 million go, or, to be more precise, whose pockets did it go to?

While Among Ed is faced with mounting opposition in his attempt to stop corruption in the quarry industry, his crusade against jueteng is turning out to be a "mission impossible." With the alleged "jueteng king" -- reputed to be the biggest and richest of the country's 16 known jueteng lords -- running his jueteng empire right in President Arroyo's "backyard" in Lubao, Pampanga, Among Ed cannot stop jueteng all by himself. He made a campaign promise to stop jueteng in six months. Five months have already passed. Unless a miracle happens again, jueteng would continue to thrive in Pampanga.

Clearly, Arroyo has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to what has been happening in her home province. In less than seven years that she has been President, Pampanga has become one of the most -- if not the most -- corrupt provinces in the country. Indeed, Pampanga is now the country's jueteng capital where "jueteng power" controls the body politic of the province and, to a large degree, the country.

It is estimated that the jueteng industry is raking in at least P40 billion a year in collections. A third of the collections would go to politicians and government officials, and the police; thus, ensuring the "protection" needed to keep the jueteng operations insulated and uninterrupted.


Now, let's play a different kind of numbers game. The Bible says that 777 symbolizes Yahweh (God) and 666 is the mark of the Beast (Antichrist). "Eduardo" consists of seven letters and his middle name "Tongol" and surname "Panlilio" together have 14 letters which would give two 7's. Thus, "Eduardo Tongol Panlilio" would be 777. And who is 666? The conjugal dictators Ferdie and Imelda Marcos would be the first 666 and Gloria and Miguel Arroyo would be the second 666. Intriguing, isn't it?

Last October 11, 2007, at a meeting in Malacanang hosted by Arroyo, Among Ed received a brown bag containing P500,000 from another governor without any note or explanation. Allegedly, it came from an Arroyo aide. At another meeting attended by 190 congressmen on the same day in Malacanang, several congressmen said that they also received brown bags containing money. Two days later, Among Ed exposed the alleged "bribery" in a press conference. It was revealed later that seven other governors received similar brown bags from Malacanang aides.

A month later, all 21 members of the Pampanga Mayors League did not show up at a meeting of the Provincial Development Council convened by Among Ed. Was it a coincidence? Or was it a part of a concerted effort to neutralize Among Ed and strip him of his authority?

With the Vice Governor, the entire provincial board, all the mayors, the jueteng king and queen massed against him, Among Ed has his back to a precipice. Is he going to fight back and try to regain control of the province that he was elected to govern? Other than capitulation, that may be his only option. Should he do so, he should once again seek divine guidance to bring about another "people power" to combat the formidable forces of "jueteng power." Yes, it's going to be "people power" versus "jueteng power," good against evil, and 777 against 666. Indeed, a titanic battle is about to loom in the horizon.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

The Trip to Snow-filled Yuhaviat

If someone told you they had just spent a fun-filled weekend at a popular southern California resort called Yuhaviat, you probably wouldn't know what they were talking about. Yuhaviat is a Serrano Indian word that means "Pine Place," and it is the name Big Bear had for more than a thousand years.

Big Bear is no longer called Yuhaviat, because back in 1845, Benjamin Davis Wilson rode into Yuhaviat Valley with a posse of 20 men. They were chasing Indians who had been raiding their ranches in Riverside. As they entered the valley, they found it swarming with bear.

Wilson divided his men into two-man teams. Each team went out, roped a bear and brought it back to camp. They had eleven bear at the camp all at the same time. This prompted Wilson to come up with the name Big Bear Lake. However, it should be noted that Big Bear Lake is a man-made lake that didn't exist in 1845. The lake Wilson named Big Bear was actually the natural lake at the east end of the valley, now known as Baldwin Lake.


Ben Wilson is not only remembered for giving Big Bear its name, but he went on to become an important figure in Southern California history. Among his accomplishments, he is remembered as the first mayor of Los Angeles. He was also a two term California state senator, and he built the first railroad between Los Angeles and San Diego. Wilson died on March 11, 1878, but before he died, he donated land and buildings for the construction of a college. This new college eventually became the University of Southern California.

Wilson's energy and leadership qualities were passed down through his children to his grandchildren. One of those grandchildren was famous World War II General, George S. Patton.

Our own trip started as a conversation on Thursday evening December 27 over dinner. We wanted to see some snow and get out of greater Los Angeles even just for a day. We gas-up and packed our day-trip supplies including snow gloves, winter clothes and boots, food and wine, the always ready "survival bag" (just in case of an earthquake, or maybe a wrong turn on the mountain?) which included a 72 hour kit for six persons. The trip from Pasadena started around noon on Friday December 28 and one hour and forty-five minutes later, we were greeted at Big Bear with a pleasant and cool 35 degrees with 20 percent chance of rain. Snow was on the ground and all the ski lifts were open.


Snow Ball fights ensued in between the different stops between Snow Summit and Big Bear lake. I started drifting out of civililization to take photos of the beautiful pine all around including the spiky Jeffrey Pine and the Western Juniper pine. The Christmas tree like Pinon Pine is also plentiful and lends into the experience which just made me wonder how it was like during the 1800s. Live Oaks which are green in color contrasts sharply with black oak which has a dead leafy light yellow brown color but are still alive.

Encountering countless skiers in their eskimo outfits along the way, we drove to the other side of the lake to the Big Bear Discovery Center where I found the three Forest Rangers busy answering visitor questions as well as the never ending phone inquiries. Inside you can find the different taxidermied example specie of birds, wildcats, the American bald eagle, as well as the famous Grizzly Bear which once shared the Eastern lake with the Serrano Indians.


Big Bear Discovery Center showing the Forest Rangers at work


It was a fun-filled day trip to the mountain resort. Just another good reason of living in California. You can indeed go up and ski in the morning and head down and surfboard in the afternoon. Weather permitting though.

Happy Holidays.

(Text and Photo by Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Telltale Signs/ DON'T STOP BELIEVING

Rodel E. Rodis, December 28, 2007

If Terri Hatcher’s character in Desperate Housewives ever slips and breaks her spinal column while strolling on Wisteria Lane, she would be well-advised to seek treatment at the Memorial Hermann Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) at the University of Texas Hospital in Houston. If she’s really fortunate, she would be treated by Dr. Teodoro Castillo, a Spinal Cord Injury specialist who has a diploma from "some med school in the Philippines”.

Last week, on the Sunday morning before Christmas, Dr. Castillo was interviewed on ABC about Buffalo Bills football player Kevin Everett who suffered a life-threatening dislocation and fracture of his cervical spine during a home game with the Denver Broncos on September 27. After surgeons operated and repaired a break between the third and fourth vertebrae of his spinal cord, they announced that chances were slim that Everett would ever walk again.

But to everyone's surprise, on December 23, Everett appeared at the locker room of the Buffalo Bills players to greet them and wish them luck just before they were to play the New York Giants. The players were absolutely stunned that Everett was even able to stand up. That he was walking without any assistance was a miracle, they said.

Everett gave credit to his spinal cord physician at TIRR, Dr. Teodoro Castillo, for his recovery from an injury that would have otherwise rendered him a quadriplegic.

ABC News' TV reporter Dan Harris asked Dr. Castillo whether he thought Everett would ever walk again. Dr Castillo responded: “When I first met him, I knew he had the movement in the legs, and he showed me he had good recovery just from the time he had the surgery to the time he got to our facility, so I knew he was going to walk again. But the type of walking, the quality of walking, that remained to be seen.”

When asked about Everett’s determination, Dr. Castillo said that Everett’s mother told him that “he's always followed a rigorous training schedule and with that attitude, with his determination, family support, which he really has, and the team of clinicians he has to guide him and optimize his recovery, I think he will be successful… The key to Kevin's success is the determination he's had, and the family support and a team of clinicians to guide him through - he has all the necessary ingredients to guide him to a good outcome.”
Dr. Castillo received his medical degree from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center in the Philippines. He completed his transitional year medicine internship at the Seton Hall Program in St. Michael's Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Spinal Cord Injury Medicine. He is concurrently a Clinical Assistant Professor at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and Adjunct Assistant Professor of PM&R, Baylor College of Medicine.

Kevin Everett never stopped believing in himself and Dr. Castillo never stopped believing in him.

****************************
"Don’t stop believing", the title of the hit song of 70s era rock band Journey, was played at the last scene of the final episode of the HBO hit, The Sopranos. The airplay revived interest in the band which had been performing without its frontman, Steve Perry, since the mid-90s when he quit. Journey’s journey back to the big time would be complete if they could only find a new lead singer.

It was difficult for the band to find a replacement for Steve Perry. “Those anthemic Journey power ballads, sung by Perry in his operatic tenor, have been known to shred vocal chords, and it takes an extraordinary talent to be able to sing them,” reported Paul Liberatore from Medianews.

After months of auditioning prospects without any luck, Journey’s Neal Schon tried the Internet. “I went on YouTube for a couple of days and just sat on it for hours. I was starting to think I was never going to find anybody.” That is until he chanced upon a video of Filipino singer Arnel Pineda singing Journey’s hit “Faithfully” with a Filipino cover band called the Zoo.

“After watching the videos over and over again, I had to walk away from the computer and let what I’d heard sink in because it sounded too good to be true,” he said. “I thought, ‘He can’t be that good.’”

He was that good. Before Pineda knew it, Journey had obtained a work visa for him and had flown him in to San Francisco to audition with the band in Marin. After a few songs, the band members were unanimous that they had found their lead singer at long last. The official announcement was made on December 5 after Pineda returned to record 11 new songs of Journey that will be released in the spring of 2008.

In his blog, Journey record producer Kevin Shirley wrote "Just got back from Vegas last night, after mixing seven new Journey songs. They are outstanding... For the record, I think Arnel is 'the business!' - the guy can really sing! He handles the ballads with SO much heart, and belts the rockers as hard, and melodically, as anyone I have heard. The songs are sensational - wonderfully crafted and deep, and so focused, you may wonder where they all came from."

A news article about Pineda reported that since English is his second language, he was provided with an accent reduction coach to work on his phrasing and diction. This was no problem for Arnel but he also had to deal with racism. “When there were rumors about me joining Journey, there was a lot of that,” Pineda told Liberatore. “One of the worst things I read on a fan message board said that Journey is an all-American band and it should stay like that. But I don’t care. I just say, ‘Hey, grow up.’”

“We’ve become a world band,” Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain said in reply. “We’re international now. We’re not about one color. I kind of like the whole idea of having a singer like him. It’s exotic.”

Don't stop believing in yourself. Have a happy exotic new year.

Send comments to Rodel50@aol.com or log on to www.rodel50.blogspot.com/) or send your letter to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call (415) 334-7800.

Celebrate New Year the Filipino Way

New Year is a riotous, rowdy fiesta when, according to Filipino Chinese beliefs, evila and ominous spirits should be warded of by noise. Familes from all walks of life gather together at the stroke of mindnight for the salubong (Welcoming the New Year). They light firecrackers, or bet their drums and pans. Some toot their car horns while stringing along empty cans. Some also ring their bells or sound sirens.

Traditional Midnight Mass has been recently moved earlier in the evening so that family members are all gathered safely home by midnght where the sumptuous Media Noche (family midnight meal) is served. On the table one would typically find 12 types of round-shaped fruits such as oranges and grapes to represent the 12 months of the year.

For New Year everyone usually ware their new clothes, preferebly with polka dots or in "prosperity colors" of red and gold. Clothes must have deep pockets and be filled with new money bills and coins, that are jingled vigorously at the stroke of midnight for good luck.

To invite prosperity in one's home, all light in the house must be lit and coins are scattered throughout the window sills and door steps.

Crackers and Noise
During the whole day of December 31, children blow their plastic toy trumphets (torotot) and stamp on their watusi - a kind of small firecracker that when rubbed against a rough surface and released, crackles into a little sparkwork dance. Bamboo cannons boom, low and basso. There is, too, the sporadic bang of firecrackers.

After dinner these noises are joined by rowdier ones: the hiss of the baby rocket that ends with a burst-boom, the sudden explosion of a bawang ("garlic"), or a trianggulo ("triangle"). By 11 pm the air becomes charged with the rat-tat-tat of a "Judas belt", the ear-splitting BAM of a dinamita ("dynamite") or the shrill of a whistle bomb.

By 11:15 the air is shattered into smithereens, each bit charged with thunder. Some people fling their windows wide open, and beat on cooking pans or metal basins to drive malas (bad luck) out of every cabinet and corner of the house.

Cacophony goes mad as all the crackling, banging and booming rise to a climax that is joined by the honking/hooting of car horns, big and small, the wailing of ambulance sirens, and the clanging of fire truck bells. Absolute madness!

The year ends in cacophony, and it is that same discordant noise that welcomes the New Year. Ending and beginning are the same: not a whimper but a bang. Goodbye and hello are coterminous. And since they are, the dichotomy vanishes. The sliding out is the sliding in.

Around 12:15 am, the noise zenith starts its decrescendo. The human voice reasserts its presence. The air gradually fills with conversation. The New Year has arrived!

(compiled by Jay J. Fermin ppp-usa)

119th Rose Parade to Be Broadcast Live on Nine Networks in U.S.A. and will be aired in the Philippines by ABS-CBN Studio 23

TV Production trucks line up December 27, 2007 at the Wrigley Mansion, Headquarters of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association

December 27, 2007. The 119th Rose Parade in Pasadena, California will be broadcast live by nine networks in the United States: ABC, NBC, HGTV, Tribune, Univision, Telemundo, Travel Channel, Discovery HD Theater, and Sky Link TV. Local California stations KWHY-22 and KTLA-5 will also provide live coverage. The Rose Parade will be viewed by millions of people in more than 75 countries including the Philippines where ABS-CBN Studio 23 will air the parade. Almost one million spectators will line the five-and-a-half mile parade route.


Honda with Special TORA Plates are the official vehicle of the Rose Parade.

The USET Foundation squad of 12 Olympians representing show jumping, dressage, and eventing is scheduled to be #47 in the line-up of 90 participating organizations in the 2008 Rose Parade. The U.S. Olympians will parade behind the Olympics-themed "One World, One Dream" float sponsored by Avery Dennison and the Roundtable of Southern California Chinese-American Organizations. The theme of this year's parade is "Passports to the World."

Pre-Show Broadcasts:

THE TRAVEL CHANNEL will provide a preview of the annual march in Pasadena, California, on January 1, starting at 9:00 am Eastern Standard Time/6:00 am Pacific Standard Time.

HGTV (Home & Garden Television) will air "The Making of the Rose Parade 2008" showing the preparations for the parade, starting at 10:00 am Eastern Standard Time/7:00 am Pacific Standard Time.

Rose Parade Live National Broadcasts Start at 11:00am EST/8:00am PST
The Rose Parade starts at 8:00 am Pacific Standard Time. The following networks will provide two-hour live broadcasts, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am Pacific Standard Time and 11:00 am to 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time:
ABC
NBC
Discovery HD Theater
The Travel Channel
HGTV (commercial free)
Telemundo (Spanish speaking)
Sky Link TV (Chinese)
Tribune
UNIVISION -



Rose Parade Local Coverage - 8:00 am - 10:00 am PST
KWHY-TV Channel 22, a Spanish Independent station owned by the Telemundo network/NBC Universal, a subsidiary of NBC. For details in Spanish, click here.

KTLA-TV Channel 5, an affiliate of the CW Television Network, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, owned by the Tribune Company. The parade coverage features Grand Marshall Emeril Lagasse, KTLA's Michaela Periera, and Bob Eubanks as hosts.

USET Foundation in Rose Parade
The mounted Olympians participating in the 119th Rose Parade are: show jumpers Margie Engle, Anne Kursinski, Beezie Madden, and Melanie Smith Taylor; dressage riders Sue Blinks, Debbie McDonald, Guenter Seidel, and Steffen Peters; and eventers Darren Chiacchia, Nina Fout, Kim Severson, and Karen Stives.

USET Foundation President and CEO Jane Forbes Clark and Mason Phelps, alternates on the U.S. eventing team at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games, will lead the 12-member Olympic squad on foot as flag-bearers for the USET Foundation.

The non-profit United States Equestrian Team Foundation supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing international, high-performance athletes and horses in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation. For more information about the USET Foundation or to make a donation, please call (908) 234-1251 or visit the USET Foundation website at www.uset.org.

(Text and Photo by Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Filipino Top Bloggers of 2007

1. ABE “YUGA” OLANDRES
yugatech.com/blog 5.8
pinoytechblog.com 4.0
pinoytravelblog.com 2.4
motorcyclephilippines.com 2.3
pinoyblog.com 1.5
pinoyurbanblog.com 1.4
smartwifi.org.ph 0.9

2. BRYAN BOY
bryanboy.com 5.6

3. CARL OCAB
carlocab.com 5.6

4. RHIZA SANCHEZ
guitarchic.net 4.8
pinkseo.info 4.7

5. EUGENE “SEAV” VILLAR
vaes9.codedgraphic.com 4.8
vistapinas.com 1.3
blogenyo.codedgraphic.com 0.8

6. ELOISA “BRATYFLY” SERGIO & JOJO “DYU”
pinoyblogosphere.com 4.8

7. J. ANGELO RACOMA
racoma.com.ph 4.8

8. RICKEY YANEZA
rickey.org 4.7
pinoy.rickey.org 2.1

9. CONNIE “SASSY” VENERACION
pinoycook.net 4.6
houseonahill.net 4.2
sassylawyer.com 3.5
pinoymomsnetwork.com 3.5
pinoyfoodtalk.net 1.5
pearloftheorientseas.com 0.8

10. KEVIN “KIVEN” CODAMON
codamon.com 4.6
thatdamnpc.com 2.3
gamesindustrywire.com 1.3
problogger.com.ph 0.6

11. SHAI COGGINS
justmakemoneyonline.com 4.5
shaicoggins.com 3.2
aboutweblogs.com 1.8
selfhelpdiva.com 1.6
ewritelife.com 1.3
chrysaliscreativity.com 1.2
freshwave.tv 0.8

12. ERIC SALAS
salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com 4.5
lakaw.com 1.0

13. SUSTINES LAPLANA
selaplana.com 4.4
songslyrics.selaplana.com 2.9
narutoshippuuden.selaplana.com 1.3
cellphones-for-sale.blogspot.com 0.8
philexamresults.com 0.7
motoristangpinoy.com 0.5

14. ANDREW DELA SERNA
alleba.com/blog 4.4

15. KARLO LICUDINE
pinoyblogero.com 4.4

16. JAMES RYAN JONAS
pinoymoneytalk.com 4.4

17. SHARI CRUZ
misteryosa.com 4.4

18. JOHN “JAYPEE” HABARADAS
jaypeeonline.net 4.3

19. JAYVEE FERNANDEZ
abuggedlife.com 4.2
cellphone9.com 3.2
blogandsoul.net 2.1

20. NOEMI LARDIZABAL-DADO
aboutmyrecovery.com 4.2
nimrodel.net 3.0
pinoyfood.nimrodel.net 2.4
blogged.the-protagonist.net 1.4
filipinaimages.com 1.4
thevoipresources.com 0.7

21. MARHGIL MACUHA
macuha.com 4.2
textmates.blogspot.com 2.0
blogtimizer.blogspot.com 1.2

22. TESS TERMULO
tesstermulo.com 4.2
health.tesstermulo.com 2.0

23. MELISSA “ANP” ATIENZA-PETRI
parenting-weblog.com 4.1
flyaway-weblog.com 2.9
wandalust.com 2.8
europestring.com 2.4
roadgladiator.com 1.8
pinayexpat.net 1.8
escapeblog.com 0.5

24. MARKKU SEGUERRA
rebelpixel.com 4.1
lyrics.rebelpixel.com 1.8
photo.blogger.ph 1.1
pro.blogger.ph 1.0
builder2.blogger.ph 1.0
pinoyidol.blogger.ph 1.0
bb.rebelpixel.com 0.7

25. ANTON DIAZ
anton.blogs.com 4.1

26. JANETTE TORAL
digitalfilipino.blogspot.com 4.1
w3o.blogspot.com 2.6
philippineinternetreview.blogspot.com 1.6
philippineoutsourcingreview.blogspot.com 0.7

27. JULIUS ROCAS
jrocas.com.ph 4.1

28. RICO MOSSESGELD
thesmartpda.com 4.0
bayanihanblogs.com 2.9
fool45.com 2.8

29. RUTH SCHAFFER
biotech-weblog.com 4.0
allergizer.com 2.8
eatingfabulous.com 2.6
nextninemonths.com 2.2
letsvisitasia.com 1.9
about-ruth.com 1.0

30. NOEL BAUTISTA
searchengine-weblog.com 3.8
unpluggedliving.com 2.0
onlineadswami.com 1.1
noelbautista.com/blog 0.5

31. PAOLO MENDOZA
paolomendoza.com 3.7
the-philosophical-bastard.blogspot.com 1.4
khoops.com/blog 1.0

32. MELO VILLAREAL
melovillareal.com 3.6
lakbaypilipinas.com/blog 3.1

33. RICHMOND “RETZ” RUIZ
retzwerx.com 3.4
talentado.com 1.6

34. DEXIE WHARTON
sheknowsbest.com 3.3
styleitless.com 3.0
styletots.com 1.9
forks.ca 1.9
hell.ca 1.9
superwoman.ca 1.9
soapsonabc.com 1.6
feistymomma.com 1.6

35. MIKE ABUNDO
insideonlinevideo.com 3.0
mikeabundo.com 2.9
emergingearth.com 2.7

36. GLORIA GAMAT
daily-diabetic.com 3.0
straightfromthedoc.com 2.8
cancercommentary.com 2.0
daragang-magayon.com 1.1

37. SASHA MANUEL
beautybentobox.com 3.0
tops2bottoms.com 2.5
the-parody.com 2.4
stylemanila.com 2.3
lightthetorch.net 2.3
datingdames.com 3.0/2 = 1.5
truthandtravesty.blogspot.com 0.6
hanging-out.blogspot.com 0.6

Congratulations to all the top Filipino Bloggers. Check out their interesting Blog content on different aspects of life. I know the list is too long but the content are all very interesting. What can I say but encourage them to keep on writing..... for the Year of the Rat 2008 and keep us abreast of anything new and different. Read on.
(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

New Year's Resolution of a Blogger

It's almost 2008, so here are five New Year's resolutions you should consider:


1. I will spend no more than one hour writing each blog post. Harder than it sounds, but with practice, you can become consistently quick at publishing to your blog. More content means more eyes on your site.

2. I will figure out this podcasting thing. I'm throwing this one in for my own benefit, but I think it applies to all blogs. Grab a microphone, record yourself reading a new blog post, and upload the MP3 recording to your blog. That's podcasting, baby. You'll improve your image and reach more Web users by adding podcasts to your blog.

3. I will participate in others' conversations. Spend some time each day - even if only 30 minutes - searching the Web for blog conversations related to your market. Comment at other blogs to enhance their users' experiences, and you'll reap what you sow at your own blog.

4. I will hammer out a great 2008 themed approach. Without one, you're up the proverbial paddle without a creek. But I promise to keep up with the leading edge of new and relevant web content.

5. I will focus and prioritize nonstop. It's so easy to get lost in the sea of conversation. Make sure you have clear goals and strive to reach them, and your blog is likely to succeed.

I wish you all the best of success as bloggers and if you feel you have to respond, start your own blog. Happy New Year 2008 to all.

Here’s how to celebrate Pasko, the traditional Filipino Christmas:

Put up a Filipino Christmas “tree“.
Play Christmas tunes like “Pasko na naman” and “Pasko na sinta ko“.
Attend the “Misa de Gallo” - midnight masses that began on December 16.
(After church) buy Christmas foods like puto bumbong, bibingka, suman and hot ginger tea (salabat).

Display your Christmas parols, star-shaped lanterns made from colored chinese paper, capiz shells and brightened with either candles or lights.

Expect “cumbancheros,” or carolers, to visit your house with musical instruments to serenade you and your neighbors.

Watch the “Panunuluyan” in the town plaza (oops, no plaza here in the U.S.) on Christmas Eve. This is a re-enactment of the Holy Couple’s journey to Bethlehem and portrays the lack of hospitality they encountered along the way.

Gather with friends and relatives for “Noche Buena” after the Mass ends. Serve pandesal, queso de bola, home-made hot tsokolate and “mansanas na marami”. This is a festive meal followed by the exchange of gifts, which lasts through the next morning.

Arrange to visit family and friends on Christmas Day. Be ready with your new and crisp dollar bills, to give out to children as their aginaldos.

Celebrate the NEw Year with a bang, and don’t get out of your Christmas spirit until mid-January, when we celebrate the Three Kings.

Have a Joyful and Blessed Christmas.

Christmas Greetings from Mars

December 23, 2007 Los Angeles

(Click Photo to enlarge)

Did you notice the sunset and the moonrise earlier tonight...I wasn't able to take pictures though. It was soo beautiful. Then Noel G. called me to check out the "red dot" beside the moon. Malamig lumabas so I decided to shoot from indoors--took out the screen from my window and fire away. Used my D1X, with the 600 Sigma mirror lens, mounted on tripod. The second photo with a bigger moon (looked like cropped) was taken using a 2x on the sigma. No cropping. Did some post process in ps to balance the exposure.

(Click Photo to enlarge)

Tomorrow is full moon! Abangan ninyo.... what a way to welcome Christmas eve! See you.....somewhere.... ! Ilabas nyo na ang mga "kanyon" nyo!!!

Merry Christmas sa inyong lahat!

Peace!!!

Uncleralf

(photo and text by Ver Penaranda)

Not Best Buy After All?

December 23, 2007

The Connecticut attorney general's office sued Best Buy in May, charging the electronics heavyweight with using deceptive in-store websites to trick customers into paying higher prices than available on the company's actual site.

"We thought Best Buy had addressed this," Connecticut Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal said the other day. "That's what they said to us. Apparently that's not the case." Apparently not. Last week, Simi Valley resident Leigh Murphy, 53, went online in search of a new DVD player. He finally settled on a Toshiba model that he found on Bestbuy.com, marked down from $79.99 to $71.99.

He decided to stop by the store and buy it there instead. "I just assumed the same price would be available," Murphy said. "That's why I didn't order it online."

He found the DVD player at the store without difficulty, but it was selling for the full $79.99 price. Murphy asked a salesman about the discrepancy. He said he'd found it online for less.

The salesman guided Murphy to one of Best Buy's in-store kiosks, which displayed a page virtually identical to the website Murphy had seen at home. He called up the Toshiba device and, lo and behold, no more markdown. It was going for the full list price.

Murphy, an engineer, wasn't sure what to make of this. So he returned home and went back online. Once again he visited Bestbuy.com, and once again the DVD player came up at the reduced price of $71.99.

So Murphy purchased the player online and then returned to the store to pick it up. But the experience left him wondering. "It seems like they have one website online and a fake website that's available only in the store," Murphy said.

That's also what Blumenthal in Connecticut concluded after receiving numerous complaints from local residents. He called Best Buy's in-store kiosks "an Internet bait-and-switch" that allowed the store to charge higher prices once it got online shoppers through the door.

"Consumers seeking bargains were led to believe that lower online prices had expired or never existed," Blumenthal said. "Best Buy treated its customers like suckers."

Jerry Farrell Jr., commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, said in a statement that the in-store kiosks appear to be "an intentional effort to mislead."

The state's lawsuit is proceeding.

Sue Busch, a Best Buy spokeswoman, acknowledged that customers may encounter different prices on the company's website than may be available in the store -- and at the store's kiosk. "Bestbuy.com is the national price," she said. "Individual store prices may vary from market to market."

Busch said the in-store kiosks closely resemble Best Buy's website "for the sake of efficiency and to ensure that customers who were familiar with the national website could easily navigate the in-store kiosk to find what they were seeking." She said the kiosks were never intended "for price-match purposes," but admitted that "a small percentage of customers did not receive a price match when they should have due to errors in policy execution."

Busch said that in response to the Connecticut attorney general's investigation, Best Buy placed a notice on its in-store site making clear that prices might not reflect what was available on the company's Internet website.

On another note, I went to a local Best Buy early morning today with their 'weekly ad' (prices effective December 23-31, 2007) in tow to look for an HDTV on sale. Upon meeting Jeff at the TV department, he went on to point out that my ad was 'outdated'. So, I checked my watch date and it stated December 23, 2007. I told him that the weekly ad I had was just received the prior day at home and prices are effective from December 23rd to the 31st of 2007 on the loweer right of the ad cover. Without even checking, he told me bluntly that the date are only good for the "cover page" and does not include the inside cover of the 48-page weeky ad.

The controversial weekly ad dated December 23-31, 2007 printed on lower right of cover."

Is Best Buy not only misleading their customers online but also on their weekly ad? I asked for a manager and apparently Jeff the TV salesperson (officially called a CSR: Customer Service Representative) is too busy standing at his cash register doing nothing. I asked him pointedly, "Can I get the HDTV that was in the ad at the advertised price?" He bluntly answered "NO." Without even checking where the item is, he shrugged his shoulders and said with hint of humor (or was it a smirk?)"Merry Christmas", and sent us away.

So I went in search of a Manager and I finally ended talking with Jorge (one of the Managers on the floor). He clarified that yes the HDTV is still on sale but it was not at the TV section of the store, and yes he acknowledge that his TV sales people (CSRs) are not aware of it. This puzzled me alot. While we were now talking at the front of the store where I found him, I glanced to my side and behold, there in front of the entrance walkway is stacked countless HDTV of the exact type and brand that is on the ad. Amazingly, it was located near the front of the store together with the candies and the camera memory cards and not where a customer would expect, at the TV department !

Apologetically, Jorge (the Manager) was able to let one of the cashier complete the transaction. As I left the store, I had a bad feeling of a typical "bait-and-switch" tactic which left a bad taste on my mouth. "Bait-and-switch" is the practice of advertising an item and when you the customer get to the store, the item "is no longer availabe or cannot be found" and then you are stuck with the ones on "regular price." I hope this is not true of Best Buy otherwise they should change their name.

So I placed a call to their Corporate Customer Care in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I spoke to a nice lady by the name of "Jenny" which promised to do an internal review of the 'ad discrepancy' on the sales floor as she deligently recorded her incident notes on her computer. She listened and apologized and listened some more and ended by giving me a "Case Number." I asked her if I would get a reply and she nicely stated that customers do not get a response on "internal issues."

I know Best Buy is striving to create good customer service, but these holiday examples just perplexes me. I hope Santa Claus won't have the same problem on his last minute shopping spree. Otherwise Santa might get delayed, or worse, bankrupt.

Merry Christmas to all.

More Best Buy Stories

FilAm Doctors, Nurses Get Commendation from L.A. Council

Consul General Aragon addressing the Los Angeles City Council. Flanking her are Councilmembers Richard Alarcon and Eric Garcetti

LOS ANGELES — Consul General Mary Jo A. Bernardo-Aragon reported that the city of Los Angeles, during its City Council Meeting on Friday, 14 December 2007, presented several Filipino American health care workers with certificates of commendation for their exemplary work as health care professionals and as role models. The commendations were awarded by Councilmember Richard Alarcon of District 7 and Councilmember and current Council President Eric Garcetti of District 13 to 13 exemplary Filipino American doctors and nurses from the city of Los Angeles.

Councilmember Alarcon acknowledged Filipino Americans as an integral part of the health care workforce in the city who continue to meet the demands of an expanding healthcare system with their demonstrated skill, work ethic and passion. He added that everyone who encounters Filipinos in hospitals can rest assured that they are highly qualified professionals with unquestionable credentials.

For his part, Councilmember Garcetti thanked Filipino Americans for looking after the well-being of Los Angeles residents. He recalled that he sponsored the creation of Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles in 2003 in recognition of the vibrant Filipino community in the city. In reference to the recent Desperate Housewives episode maligning Philippine medical schools, Councilmember Garcetti expressed his belief that the good record of Filipino Americans in healthcare will prevail over any misinformed comments about the second-largest Asian ethnic group in Los Angeles. Councilmember Bill Rosendahl (District 11), who proudly stated that he has visited the Philippines, recognized the Filipinos as the backbone of the U.S. nursing industry.

Councilmember Tom Labonge (District 4) echoed his colleagues’ high praise for Filipinos in helping the U.S. meet its healthcare needs.In her response to the Councilmembers, Consul General Aragon expressed her profound appreciation to the Los Angeles City Council for recognizing Filipino Americans who have distinguished themselves in the field of healthcare services in the city of Los Angeles. She added that over the years, Filipino healthcare workers have established a solid reputation in many parts of the world particularly in the United States in the services sector, most notably in health care provision.

She thanked Councilmembers Garcetti and Alarcon for continuing to champion causes concerning Filipino-Americans in Los Angeles. She added that she looks forward to working even more closely with the City of Los Angeles in attending to the needs of Filipino-Americans in Los Angeles. The awardees are: Dr. Francisco P. Quismorio, Jr., Dr. Robinson Villaverde Baron, Ms. Mila Velasquez, Ms. Lydia Roblow-Jimenez, Dr. Rolando Mercader, Dr. Noli Soza, Dr. Arnel Joaquin, Dr. Erwinn Sistoza, Dr. Mariedel Leviste-Mosqueda, Ms. Violeta Unabia, Dr. Edgar Bañez, Dr. Delia Cabansag, and Ms. Josie Jones. Before the awarding of commendations, Consul General Aragon met briefly with other Los Angeles City officials, namely Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilmember Tony Cardenas (District 6), and Councilmember Wendy Greuel (District 2).

PerryScope: Quo Vadis, Filipino Veterans?

Perry Diaz

A year ago, at a summit held at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC, representatives of various groups of Filipino Veterans of World War II and their advocates met. The participants unanimously approved the formation of a coalition that would lobby for the passage of a full equity bill. More than 20 Filipino veteran groups and community advocates were unified under the banner of the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity (NAFVE). In February 2007, they formed a steering committee and hired a staff of three legislative consultants -- Filipino-Americans with strong ties to the Democratic Party -- to lobby for the Equity Bill.

By the summer of 2007, the 60-year legislative impasse was finally broken… or so it seemed. In my article, "Hope Brightens Up for Filipino Veterans" ( July 6, 2007), I said: "The U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee marked up -- or approved -- S.1315 which contains a modified version of the Filipino Veterans of World War II Equity Act of 2007. For the first time in 14 years since the Equity Bill has been repeatedly introduced in the U.S. Congress, the bill was voted out of committee and will move to the Senate floor. This is a significant -- and unprecedented -- first step towards the enactment of the bill."

At about the same time, Congressman Bob Filner, author of the House version of the Equity Bill and the new Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, was able to get the bill voted out of committee and sent to the House for floor vote. Finally, victory was within sight. One of the Fil-Am leaders said, "I can smell victory in the air." Indeed, there was every reason to be optimistic. "The Democrats will pass the Equity Bill. They promised us that," Filipino-American Democrats said. With both chambers of Congress controlled by the Democrats and the newly elected Speaker of the House, San Francisco Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, solidly -- and squarely -- behind the Equity Bill, how could they go wrong?

Then subtle things began to happen. In my article, "Filipino Veterans' Final Battle" (July 27, 2007), I said: "I just received a disturbing report that American veterans have been pressuring Speaker Nancy Pelosi not to pass the Equity Bill. Although Pelosi came out solidly behind the Equity Bill when she was elected Speaker of the House, the report I got was that her office is being bombarded with calls from American veterans who are concerned that the money that would be earmarked for the Filipino veterans would be taken away from the US veterans' budget." I brought this issue to the attention of NAFVE's Steering Committee but they shrugged it off.

In September, Congressman Filner told key Fil-Am leaders that there were not enough Democrats to pass the Equity Bill in the House. He said that 20 Republicans were needed to pass it and suggested hiring a Republican lobbyist. The Philippine Embassy contacted former Congressman Benjamin Gilman -- a Republican from New York who authored Equity Bills in the past -- for help. Gilman was willing to give his free time except for the incidental expenses associated with the lobbying which was estimated at $10,000.

The Philippine Embassy conveyed Gilman's proposal to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for approval. Arroyo approved the proposal but would not provide the $10,000 for incidental expenses. The Philippine Embassy then asked NAFVE for help in raising $10,000 but the NAFVE consultants rejected the request saying that any money raised should go to NAFVE's account for its own lobbying efforts. They also said that they did not need Gilman to get Republican votes. They were pretty sure that the Democrats would deliver the votes needed to pass the bill. To date, no progress has been reported on the Gilman deal and Filner still does not have enough votes to pass the Equity Bill. Meanwhile, Speaker Pelosi has clammed up. I wonder what would she tell her loyal Filipino-American constituents when she runs for reelection next year?

In the Senate, Republican Senator Larry Craig -- a ranking minority member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee -- created a furor when he threw a monkey wrench into the Equity Bill by putting a "hold" on the bill because "a provision was added after it cleared the committee to reopen VA health care to new Priority 8 enrollees." Priority 8 enrollees are veterans who have no service-connected disabilities and no adequate income by government standards. Craig also made it known that he is opposed to giving Philippine-based veterans the same amount of pension given to US-based American veterans. He believed that $300 for Philippine-based veterans was too much but would support a lower amount of $100. He did not, however, object to US-based Filipino veterans receiving $911 a month which would be same as what American veterans are receiving today. The good news is: Craig indicated that he was willing to compromise.

In politics, "compromise" is the name of the game. It produces a win-win solution that would make all parties happy. What we're talking about here is a $200 difference for Philippine-based veterans. An easy way to a compromise would be to split the difference. That would give the Philippine-based veterans $200 a month, which was what has been floating around in the Filipino veterans community since the "demise" of HR 677 during the 108th Congress in 2004.

In my opinion, the major obstacle is not in the Senate but in the House of Representatives. If Speaker Pelosi would only use the power of the Speakership, the bill could pass. However, there is a small but powerful clique known as "Blue Dog Democrats" who have not indicated their support for the Equity Bill. Without their support, Filner would have difficulty in mustering the 219 votes necessary to pass the bill.

It's different in the Senate because of a blocking procedure known as "filibuster" which could only be ended by at least 60 votes. The Senate Democrats have a razor-thin majority of only one vote and it is very unlikely that they could get nine Republicans to join them in ending a filibuster. The only known obstacle at this time is a potential filibuster by Craig. But he's willing to compromise. If the Filipino veterans fail to compromise, they might as well kiss the Equity Bill goodbye.

Retired U.S. Major General Antonio Taguba had advised the Filipino World War II veterans to take "whatever comes our way for now and just work for an additional amount later." It's time for the Filipino veterans to bite the bullet and settle for a lesser amount.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Telltale Signs/ THE GRINCH WHO STOLE THE FILVETS’ CHRISTMAS

Rodel E. Rodis, December 21, 2007

When I was in Washington DC last February, I sensed a palpable excitement among the veterans and their ardent supporters that the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill would be passed by the US Congress in 2007.

This optimism was fueled by the appointment of the two principal sponsors of the bill in the Senate and in the House, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Bob Filner (D-California), as chairs of the veterans committees of their respective chambers, thanks to the Democratic sweep in the November 2006 elections.

By April of 2007, both Sen. Akaka and Rep. Filner had conducted hearings on their respective equity bills and had garnered their committees’ approval. It had never advanced to this stage before and many believed that it would be just a matter of time before the bills are brought to a floor vote in the Senate and House.

The principle was one thing but the principal was another. How much should the Filipino WW II veterans (“Filvets”) receive in monthly pension benefits? Should Filvets residing in the US receive more than those in the Philippines?

Because of the difference in the costs of living, some contended that Filvets in the US should receive $800 a month while Filvets in the Philippines should get $100 a month pension. But many Filvets supporters opposed the proposal on the basic principle that there should be no difference in pension based on geography.

A significant compromise was reached when the veterans and their supporters agreed that all Filvets should receive the same amount – a minimum of $200 a month. Filvets in the US receive about $800 a month in SSI benefits anyway which would not be affected by the additional $200 pension while Filvets in the Philippines would receive the equivalent of the average monthly salary there.

Under Akaka’s guidance, the Filvets bill (S.57) was tacked on to an omnibus veterans bill (S.1315) that would cover other veterans issues. Akaka stressed that “as a matter of fundamental fairness and justice, Filipino veterans' benefits should be similar to those of other veterans.”

"S-1315 would fix a historical wrong,” Akaka said, “Filipino veterans served under the command of the US military during World War II. They were considered by the Veterans' Administration, the predecessor of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, to be veterans of the US military, naval and air service until that status was revoked by the Rescission Acts of 1946.”

At the Senate hearing last April, Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), the former chair of the Senate Veterans Committee, opposed the bill because he calculated the price tag of the bill to be almost $1 billion over ten years which he believes the US government cannot afford when “there are other pressing bills pending before the Committee especially benefits for veterans of the War on Terror.”

The US Department Of Veterans Affairs (DVA) under Secretary Jim Nicholson contended that additional benefit costs including medical and memorial benefits of $510 million in the first year would total more than $4 billion over ten years.

But the key to passing the Filvets bill was Sen. Craig. How could he be convinced to drop his strident opposition? Perhaps it would be too much to hope that he would just resign so the bill could pass.

On June 11 of this year, Sen. Craig went to the men’s room of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and did something there that led to his arrest by an undercover officer for lewd and lascivious conduct . On August 1, Sen. Craig pled guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge hoping no one would notice. But when news of the gay solicitation charge broke, which GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell described as “unforgivable”, Sen. Craig had no choice but to announce his resignation from the US Senate effective September 30.

This was the break the Filvets needed. Unfortunately, this was too much to ask as Sen. Craig reneged on his promise to resign.

On December 12, when Sen. Craig was asked to agree not to filibuster the bill so that S.1315 would not need 60 votes to pass, Sen. Craig refused to oblige.

Reflecting the anti-immigrant, anti-foreigner sentiment of many in his party, Sen. Craig spoke against providing benefits to Filvets in the Philippines. "First of all, they do not live in this country, they are not US citizens. They are taking money away from our veterans. That is the 'Robin Hood in reverse' effect. At least Robin Hood, when he took money, left it in Nottingham. He spread it out amongst his own. Here we are taking money from our own and sending it all the way to the Philippines," Sen. Craig the Grinch charged.

Perhaps the most eloquent response to Sen. Craig was the selfless sacrifice of seven of the grandsons of these “Robin Hoods” who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan in the service of the United States just in the last six months: Army Pfc. Victor M. Fontanilla, 23, Stockton, CA (5/17/07), Army Spc. Mark R. C. Caguioa, 21, Stockton, CA ( 5/24/07), Army Sgt. Richard V. Correa, 25, Honolulu, HI (5/29/07), Army Staff Sgt. Greg P. Gagarin, 38, Los Angeles, CA (6/3/07), Marine Sgt. Michael E. Tayaotao, 27,Sunnyvale, CA (8/9/07), Army Pfc. Paulomarko U. Pacificador, 24, Shirley, NY (8/13/07), and Army Specialist Lester Roque, 23, Carson, CA (11/10/07).

Sen. Craig should be reminded of what George Washington said in 1789: "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."

Will young Filipino Americans be as willing to serve and die for the US in future wars when their grandfathers who served honorably in WW II are disrespected by the US government?

Send comments to Rodel50@aol.com or log on to www.rodel50.blogspot.com/) or send your letter to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call (415) 334-7800.

Charice Pempengco Performs On Ellen DeGeneres Show

Charice Pempengco, the now 15 year old talented Filipino singer from Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines is the latest YouTube sensation. Her video performance clip of Whitney Houston’s "I Will Always Love You" when she appeared on ABS-CBN’s Little Big Star when she was 12 years old has garnered more than 700,000 page views and counting.

On this her first visit to US in which she was invited and performed on the Ellen DeGeneres Show which aired last December 19, 2007, the young Filipina singer wowed the studio crowd which gave her two standing ovations.

On the Sneak Preview of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Charice Pempengco was described by Ellen as having a joyful voice in which "you got to see it to believe it!" Charice Pempengco entered the studio with a charming and lively countenance and hugged Ellen DeGeneres warmly. She belted out the song "And I Am Telling You, I'm Not Going," with the audience watching with awe and a standing ovation at the end. Charice was surprised with the standing ovation she received and the iPod Touch Ellen DeGeneres gave to her to replace the one she lost on her 13 hour flight to the U.S.

On the second part of the show, Charice sang "I Will Always Love You" senging the audience again on a standing ovation. Ellen invited her to come again. Her appearance on the show was kept secret with Filipinos worldwide wondering if she will be singing after all. Charice is truly amazing. Watch the Video and be awed.

Passport to the World's Celebrations: The 119th Rose Parade on New Years Day

The 119th Rose Parade themed Passport to the World's Celebrations, will take place on Tuesday, January 1, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. (PST) featuring spirited marching bands from throughout the nation, majestic floral floats, and high-stepping equestrian units.

The Grand Marshal for the 2008 Tournament of Roses is Emeril Lagasse (pictured with TORA President CL Keedy). On television, Lagasse is known for his light and jovial hosting style as well as several catchphrases, including "BAM!", "Kick it up a notch", "Feel the love", "Oh yeah, babe", and "Spice it up", usually said before or after adding something spicy to a dish, or after the reaction to adding something, respectively. For instance, often when he adds garlic to a dish, the audience cheers enthusiastically. He commonly refers to food that is not seasoned as "not happy" and will add seasoning to make it "happy". When frying or making dishes like sausage, Lagasse advocates using genuine lard, boasting "Pork fat rules!" This style developed fully and Lagasse became more comfortable when a live studio audience was added in the change from Essence of Emeril to Emeril Live. He is also known for the unusual sentence constructions he uses on his show, such as "And now we're going to beginning to start."

Lagasse calls his cuisine "New New Orleans". He describes it as using local (Louisiana) ingredients in new and different ways. It should be noted, however, that the styles of cuisine from Lagasse's many restaurants vary a great deal. Tchoup-Chop in Orlando is "Pan-Asian" while Delmonico Steakhouse at The Venetian in Las Vegas is a traditional steakhouse.

Lagasse can be found in his restaurants' kitchens a good part of the year and can often be seen at his flagship restaurant, Emeril's New Orleans.

Rose Queen and Court:

A place of honor is reserved in each Rose Parade® for the float carrying the Royal Court. Every September nearly 1,000 young women vie for the honor of riding that float - participating in a month-long interview process designed to find those participants with the right combination of poise, personality, public speaking ability and scholastic achievement.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses crowned the 90th Rose Queen, Dusty Gibbs, in an official Coronation ceremony last October 2007 at the Tournament House presented by Citizens Business Bank. As her first official act, Queen Dusty helped Tournament of Roses President CL Keedy unveil Roses on Parade, a new initiative designed to provide art for the public and funds to support art in Pasadena-area schools.

“I can’t think of a better way for Dusty to begin her reign than by joining me on stage to usher in this exciting art program,” said CL Keedy. “Rose Parade floats are a unique American art form. Supporting art education for our children through Roses on Parade will help us foster their unique and creative talent and hopefully inspire the next generation of local artists.”

Queen Dusty and the six Rose Princesses were selected from more than 1,100 Pasadena-area young women based upon a combination of qualities, including public speaking ability, poise, academic achievement and community involvement. Dusty is only the fourth Rose Queen to wear the recently designed crown made by Mikimoto featuring 10 white South Sea pearls, 632 Akoya pearls and 6.09 carats in diamonds set in sterling silver. The handmade crown is valued at $100,000. Each of the six Princess tiaras are valued at $45,000, bringing the total value of the crown and tiaras to $370,000.

As an official ambassador of the Tournament of Roses, Queen Dusty, a 17-year-old Senior from Arcadia High School, will participate in approximately 100 community and media functions along with Rose Princesses Zena Brown, 18, Alverno High School; Chloe Ghoogassian, 17, Pasadena High School; Kelsey MacDougall, 17, La Cañada High School; Katie Merrill, 17, Pasadena High School; Courtney Rubin, 17, San Marino High School and Gaelen Stanford-Moore, 17, South Pasadena High School.

The Rose Queen® and six Rose Princesses will reign over the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game®. They will attend nearly 150 public and media functions during their year in the spotlight, spreading the word about the Tournament and Pasadena wherever they go.

Tournament of Roses Association (TORA) President Keedy revealed Passport to the World’s Celebrations as the theme for the 119th Rose Parade. “I chose Passport to the World’s Celebrations as the theme for this coming Rose Parade because New Year’s Day is a global celebration of the year to come,” says Keedy. “The Rose Parade provides the perfect opportunity to showcase traditions from around the world. I am passionate about this because growing up overseas I was exposed to a variety of different cultures. It made me appreciate foreign traditions and celebrations as well as those within the United States.”

“Every year on New Year’s Day, the Rose Parade provides the world with a passport to our celebration and I want our Parade to give people a glimpse at other festive traditions around the world,” he adds. “It will be fun for our global audience to see the traditions of their culture parade down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day.”

CL Keedy has been a volunteer member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association since 1975 and was elected to the Tournament of Roses Executive Committee in 2000. Throughout his extensive Tournament career, Keedy has served on, and chaired, various committees including Budget and Finance, Business Development, Game Policy, Government and Community Affairs, Guest Luncheon, Membership, Music, Parade Operations, Personnel, Post Parade, Public Relations, Queen and Court and Real Estate. He has also served on the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Foundation Board and has been at the helm of the Tournament’s recent strategic planning process.

In addition to his many years as a Tournament of Roses volunteer, Keedy’s community involvement includes being a member of the Optimist Club of Pasadena, a former member of the Pasadena Rotary, AYSO referee and a graduate of the Pasadena Police Department Citizens Police Academy. He also serves on the Board of Directors and is a Medical Council Member for the Huntington Medical Research Institute. Professionally, Keedy is the owner of a Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Franchise.

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, while growing up, Keedy spent two years in Heidelburg, Germany and five years in Hong Kong and has continued to travel internationally for business and pleasure. Keedy earned his Bachelor of Arts in History at the University of California at Irvine. He then went on to earn a Masters degree in International Relations and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He and his wife of 27 years, Adrienne, reside in Pasadena, California. The Keedys have two children, Amanda, 20, and Neil, 17. An avid history fan, Keedy enjoys collecting King Arthur books, reading, golf and skiing.

Stay tuned for celebrity, behind the scene and extensive event coverage of the 119th Rose Parade by the pool reporters and photographers of www.philippinepressclub.com and www.pinoywired.com who will be reporting from Pasadena on the final preparation up to the end of the five and a half mile stretch of the historic Rose Parade and anything that happens in between.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2008 to one and all.

(Compiled by Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Hearts Pound

Los Angeles is home to some of the best street artists in the world. Street art is fast becoming the choice for artists and activists to voice their opinions. In the past graffiti and street art were considered to be nuisance, but as more artists choose to display their works on the streets, a growing sense of legitimacy has been building. The streets offer a more dynamic canvas for the artist to showcase their work to a diverse community, and reach more people than they usually would. Check out this photo gallery for a sample of amazing street art.

By Ryan Jesena

Health Reform Measure Gets OK

Joined by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and a diverse coalition of labor, business, elected officials, and health care professional groups, Governor Schwarzenegger applauded today's successful Assembly vote of AB x1 1, the Health Care Security and Cost Reduction Act.

Assembly bill faces tough fight in Senate
By Mike Zapler, MediaNews Sacramento Bureau
Article Launched: 12/17/2007 11:39:56 PM PST

The state Assembly on Monday approved a sweeping health reform plan that could be a model for the nation - if it ever happens.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez celebrated the "historic" deal, which culminates nearly a year's worth of negotiating that has dominated the Capitol this year. But the plan is far from reality.

Senate leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, insisted again Monday that he will not allow the Senate to vote on the plan, which would provide insurance to more than two-thirds of the state's uninsured, until after the state's independent legislative analyst examines its impact on the state's budget deficit, now estimated at $14 billion.

The plan also still must be approved by voters because it proposes a number of taxes to fund it, including a requirement on employers to either provide insurance or pay a tax on payroll that would go into a state pool, as well as a hefty cigarette tax. An election campaign is sure to be costly and contentious.

Schwarzenegger and Nunez, however, appeared confident.

"California has taken a giant step forward today on something that many people thought could not be done," Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger told hundreds of people assembled in the Capitol rotunda after the vote.

"This is truly an historic effort," added Nu ez.

The plan would create a new requirement that people carry insurance or potentially face a fine. To help ease that burden,

Lower-income people would be eligible for free or subsidized coverage depending on their income. To pay for the estimated $14.7 billion plan, new taxes would be levied on hospitals and tobacco, and the state would attempt to draw billions in new dollars from the federal government. Altogether it aims to cover more than 70 percent of the roughly 6.6 million million Californians uninsured for all or part of the year. It also requires insurers to accept all customers regardless of pre-existing medical conditions.

But as ambitious as the plan is, it may not make it farther than Monday's 46-31 party-line vote. Perata - echoing a concern voiced by Assembly Republicans - said it would be a mistake to create a new health care program with the state's finances in peril. Perata is especially concerned about existing health programs potentially on the chopping block.

If Perata does not relent soon, it could doom the proposal. Supporters are already running behind schedule to meet a series of deadlines to qualify an initiative for the November ballot. Beyond that, the political dynamics could shift dramatically next year, as the budget dominates the statehouse agenda to the detriment of other issues.

Flanked by labor and business leaders, Schwarzenegger and Nunez hoped to build momentum for the bill that Perata would have difficulty resisting. Among those on hand were Andy Stern, president of the nation's largest union of health-care workers, SEIU, and Steve Burd, chief executive of Safeway.

"I'm not telling Senator Perata how to do his job," Schwarzenegger said, "but I know he will do the right thing."

The governor maintains that the health care plan is "revenue neutral," meaning that it would not affect the state's general fund. But skeptics doubt that claim, given the high and fast-growing cost of health care.

Perhaps the most far-reaching part of the plan is the so-called individual mandate to carry insurance, much like drivers have to carry auto insurance. The goal is to push as many people as possible into the insurance market, lowering costs for everyone. But the governor spent months debating how to make it fair for families already struggling.

They settled on a series of subsidies and tax credits. The state would provide free or heavily subsidized care to people making up to 250 percent of the poverty line - just under $52,000 for a family or four. People in that income bracket who still had to spend more than 5 percent of their income to obtain insurance would be allowed to opt out of the mandate.

In addition, those who earn between 250 percent and 400 percent of the poverty level - between $52,000 and $83,000 for a family of four - would be eligible for a tax credit if the cost of insurance exceeded 5.5 percent of family income.

The state would also consider case-by-case requests for an exemption to the mandate if a person or family was experiencing financial hardship.

If the proposal does make it through the Legislature and on to the ballot, it is sure to trigger a major battle. Although the governor has enlisted significant business backing for the plan, opinion is far from unanimous, and opponents are expected to spend millions to defeat it.

Blue Cross, the state's largest insurer, says the measure would bring steep premium increases to millions of people, mostly young and healthy, who buy insurance in the individual market. The company opposes the provision that would require insurance companies to accept all applicants, regardless of previous health conditions, saying premium rates have skyrocketed in other states that enacted the idea.

A $1.50 to $2 per pack cigarette tax could also draw heavy opposition from tobacco companies. And the pharmaceutical industry is against another provision that would allow the state to buy prescription drugs in bulk.

In the debate leading up to Monday's vote, Assembly Republicans gave a sample of the criticism likely to come, calling the plan a "massive tax increase on California businesses."

"We are in a budget hole," said Assemblyman Roger Niello, R-Sacramento, vice chairman of the budget committee, "And the first rule when you find yourself in a hole is, stop digging."

An estimated 6.6 million people in California - about a fifth of the population - go without health coverage for all or part of the year. The number of chronically uninsured is approximately 5.1 million. The plan would extend insurance to more than 70 percent of the uninsured, supporters said; excluded would be roughly 1 million illegal immigrants, and another 500,000 low-income people who don't enroll in coverage or can't prove they are legal residents.

M.Zapler
Mercury News

Telltale Signs/ SANTA'S HOME IS MELTING

Rodel E. Rodis, December 17, 2007

Santa Claus will have more problems delivering gifts to kids all over the world this Christmas because his home in the North Pole is melting away and his worker elves are all virtually homeless. According to a new scientific study, the frozen sea ice within the Arctic Circle could disappear entirely by 2040.

It is getting hotter in the arctic regions and colder and wetter in the tropical zones. This is the phenomenon known as climate change.

Despite the Bush administration’s repeated insistence that climate change is "unproven conjecture" (the position of the oil industry which produced George W. Bush and Dick Cheney), more than 10,000 delegates from some 190 countries around the world gathered in Bali, Indonesia for two weeks in early December of 2007 to discuss the reality of climate change.

Even before the Bali Conference began, scientists from all over the world, including the US, were already unified in their view that climate change is indeed taking place and that the world needs to act now before its too late and that there are technologies available and affordable to tackle the problem.

The conference venue was significant because, as New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman noted, “Indonesia is now losing tropical forests the size of Maryland every year, and the carbon released by the cutting and clearing — much of it from illegal logging — has made Indonesia the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, after the United States and China. Deforestation actually accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars and trucks in the world, an issue the Bali conference finally addressed.”

Friedman interviewed Barnabas Suebu, the governor of Papua, home to some of Indonesia’s richest forests, who explained that his villagers cannot earn anything close to what they get from chopping down a tree and selling it to smugglers, who will ship it to Malaysia or China to be made into furniture for Americans or Europeans.

This is the same problem in the Philippines where virgin forests are being continuously raped by illegal loggers with connections to Philippine military and government officials. In last week’s column, I wrote about Ensign Philip Pestano who, according to a 1997 Philippine Senate report, was murdered in 1995 because he objected to his Philippine Navy vessel being used to load illegal timber from Tawi-Tawi and to off-load them in Cavite. That timber probably wound its way to China for products that were then exported to Wal-Mart stores all over the US.

International agreements that would seek to limit greenhouse emissions which cause holes in the earth's ozone layer (which create climatic changes) have long been opposed by the Bush administration which believes the limits would hamper American competitiveness with countries like China. Using China as an excuse is ironic because China’s rapid economic development has been largely fueled by American consumers’ insatiable demand for its goods. Net exports from China to the US accounted for 23 percent of Chinese greenhouse gas emissions.

The Philipppines was a major source of discussion at the Bali Conference after the environmental group, Germanwatch, released a report citing the Philippines as the world's top climate change victim in 2006 for the strong typhoons which caused the Legazpi Mudslide and the Southern Leyte Landslide. They were the world's 2nd and 3rd deadliest disasters of 2006 claiming the lives of 2,511 people and rendering almost 800,000 families homeless.

The natural disasters inflicted on the Philippines were always exacerbated by man-made disasters like the illegal logging which deprive the country of valuable forest trees that could stop the rain waters from flooding the lowland areas.

The Bali Conference delegates called on the Philippines to pass the Renewable Energy Bill, sponsored by Sen. Dick Gordon, which has in various forms languished in the Philippine Congress for almost 10 years. The bill will actively promote the development of renewable energy sources abundant in the country like solar, wind, tidal and geothermal and setting time-bound renewable energy targets. It will ensure that the Philippines will wean away from overdependence on power generated through fossil fuels like oil and coal which have been identified as major contributors to climate change.

Passage of the Renewable Energy bill is especially critical because of the rising price of oil which now costs more than a US$100 a barrel. “With the RE Bill,” Jasper Inventor of Greenpeace said, “the country will utilize its massive renewable energy potential. The Philippines' wind energy potential alone reaches up to more than 70,000 MW. Solar power is abundant in the country and is capable of producing 1500 hours of power annually at 5 kilowatt hours per square meter per day."

There is very little time left. Pass the Renewable Energy Bill now!

On a personal note, I would like to express my condolences to the family of Charles Mosser, a philanthropist and environmentalist who died in the Philippines on October 17, 2007 at the age of 82. Charles and his wife, Annabelle Indemne Mosser, amassed a fortune in San Francisco real estate, a part of which they used to invest in Annabelle’s home province of Negros. They bought or leased more than 20,000 denuded hectares of mountain land and funded the planting there of their goal of 18-M trees of which 2-M have already been planted.

In 2005, the Philippine Congress granted Charles Mosser the Philippine citizenship he had long sought.

On that note, I wish you all the happiest of holidays.

Send comments to Rodel50@aol.com or log on to www.rodel50.blogspot.com or send your letter to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call (415) 334-7800.

It's Time For A Change

As we close the year, we hear a lot of people say, "Thank God this year will soon be over." Indeed, 2007 is a year that most people would like to forget and just move on. A lot of events in the Philippines have made us to wonder: "Where are we heading as a people and as a nation?"

Many Filipinos have given up hope that our country will ever get out of the abyss of corruption and poverty. The recent survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed President Arroyo as the "Most Corrupt President in History." Arroyo was named as "Most Corrupt" by 42% of the respondents followed by Ferdinand Marcos at 35%, Joseph Estrada at 16%, Fidel Ramos at 5%, and Corazon Aquino at 1%. Arroyo's rah rah boys were quick to dispute the poll blaming the media for her poor rating. She needs to understand that she made the news and the media merely reported it.

While it can be argued that Marcos was more corrupt than Arroyo, the real significance of the survey is that almost one out of two Filipinos perceived Arroyo as unsuitable for the job of President. It was a vote of "No Confidence" on her performance notwithstanding all her pronouncements that the country's economic engine was revving at full speed.

There has been a call for "moral revolution" by several Catholic bishops and Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. A "technical working group" was formed and Fr. Romeo Intengan, a Jesuit academic of Ateneo de Manila, was appointed to head it. Fr. Intengan is the top ideologue of the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (Social Democratic Party of the Philippines).

The group's initial meeting was attended by leaders of the Nacionalista Party (NP), Liberal Party (LP), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI), Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), and Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP). The NP and LP are identified with the opposition and the rest are identified with the Arroyo administration. It's interesting to note that one of the representatives of Lakas-CMD was President Arroyo's brother Diosdado Macapagal, Jr. who, other than Fr. Intengan, was the only non-politician in the group. Did Arroyo send her brother to be her eyes and ears at the meeting and to report to her every word spoken at the meeting? It would seem that way.

One of the Nacionalistas' representatives, Deputy Majority Leader Crispin Remulla, was quoted as saying that the "NP believed certain things in government and society were needed to address the persistent problem of corruption." Yes, he hit the nail on the head; however, the question is: Can politicians change the way they govern? Can -- or would -- they eradicate corruption in government? We need to understand that the government is only as good as the people who run it. Bad leaders create bad government. So where do we start the change?

Recently, the House of Representatives, at the urging of Arroyo, revived the effort to change the constitution. Several resolutions and bills were filed for Charter change or "Cha-cha." One bill calls for a constitutional convention (Con-con) and another one calls for the adoption of the controversial constitutional amendments that were drafted by the Constitutional Consultative Commission established by Arroyo's Executive Order 453. A third bill calls for a people's initiative to amend the Charter.

Two year's ago, the Philippine Supreme Court dismissed a petition for a people's initiative to amend the constitution to replace the presidential system with a parliamentary form of government. The Supreme Court's decision stated that to allow the "constitutionally infirm initiative, propelled by deceptively gathered signatures, to alter basic principles in the Constitution is to allow a desecration of the Constitution." This was in reference to documented reports that those signing the petition did not know what they were signing. There were reports of signature-buying and coercion by barangay leaders. It further stated that "the great majority of the 6.3 million people who signed the signature sheets did not see the full text of the proposed changes before signing."

A lot of people are cynical of another attempt to change the constitution. Arroyo's call for Charter change was perceived by many as another attempt to alter the constitution in a manner that would allow her to stay in power beyond 2010 when her term ends. With her tight grip on the House or Representatives where 80% of the members are allied with her, any of the three Cha-cha proposals could easily pass. However, the opposition-controlled Senate would block any attempt for Charter change. That would leave Arroyo with only one viable option -- people's initiative. She has done it before and she can do it again.

In 2005, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition for a people's initiative because of flaws in the signature-gathering process; otherwise, the High Court would have approved it. So, all Arroyo had to do was to start another "people's initiative" that would incorporate a "process" acceptable to the Supreme Court.

If a "moral revolution" is to succeed, we need to have a clean slate in the 2010 elections. Under the present constitution, Arroyo is precluded from running for another term. And the only way that she could continue to rule is to change the Charter.

Indeed, Fr. Intengan's "technical working group" has a monumental task. The corrupt system is deeply rooted. A "moral revolution" would not succeed without a broad base of support. The "technical working group" should not be limited to political office holders and should include representatives of various sectors. Anything short of that would be perceived as another round of gimmickry by the ruling oligarchy.

The moral decay that has been eroding the nation's foundation needs to be stopped. It's time for a change.

(PerryDiaz@Gmail.com)

December 31: One Last Time with Lani & Society Of Seven at Las Vegas' Flamingo?

December 31 this year might very well be the last time you see Society of Seven with Lani Misalucha at The Flamingo. The group is currently in negotiations to renew its contract with the hotel and has not made any announcements as of print time.

This has been a momentous year and a half for all eight members – SOS comprises Tony Ruivivar, Bert Sagum, Roy Guerzo, Vince Mendoza, Wayne Wakai, Marc Escueta, Hoku Low, plus Lani Misalucha – the group has gone through personal tragedy and in the face of it all, come out stronger.

A chat with Tony Ruivivar (SOS founding member, to-gether with Bert Sagum) reveals some plans. He says, “As far is Vegas is concerned, it’s SOS with Lani – we’ve combined and this is what we’ve been doing and what were successful at.” He adds, “We’re on the brink of people accepting different shows and talents from other countries, so we feel it’s been perfect. Also, we’re happy to be right in the heart of the Las Vegas entertainment scene; just entertaining and making people happy.”

They show no signs of slowing down. And the question isn’t really if they’re going return to Las Vegas, but where and for how long? The group will be taking a 5-week break early on in the year, just after their final show on December 31, but that period will be peppered with roadshows in Sacramento and Redondo Beach.


Ever the consummate performer, Tony shares that they’re already rehearsing some numbers for next year. We asked if there will be anything new added to the format of the show? “It’s gonna be a mixture of a lot of new stuff but still keeping the favorites. The format is going to stay the same – a little bit of comedy, impersonations, singing, either solo numbers or as a group; and some of the numbers might change, with us introducing new songs, but the combination of SOS with Lani has been successful, and that will not change.”

Herein lies the difficulty of what to add and what to take out. Attempts in the past to add certain numbers and shorten others have not proved successful, because it seems everyone’s got a favorite and that happens to be, well, everything. I for one, hinted to Tony about the possibility of extending the show’s duration, making it longer than the current hour and a half, but certain factors beyond their control, like union rules and sharing the venue with other shows, prohibit them from running overtime. He adds, “For Vegas standards, we’re actually running pretty long already. We have a lot more opportunity to extend the show during our outside concerts, where we can better accommodate our fans. For example, if someone asks us to sing a Hawaiian song, we can oblige; if others request for a Filipino song, we’d be happy to do that as well. We’ve got enough material that we can perform for five hours.”



We feel for the group - it’s tough to cram the talents of eight people in 90 minutes. That’s only over 10 minutes per person. We caught the show on a Sunday, two weeks ago, and the showroom was packed. And it did seem that everyone had their favorites. One lady we sat next to told me afterwards that there were a couple of moments in the show that brought tears to her eyes. Then there were those who were so enamored of Lani’s version of Nessun Dorma. Laughter filled the room with Bert and his antics. The oldies were brought back in time with Roy’s “Sammy” and Hoku’s “Frankie Valli.” The younger generation connected with Wayne’s “Kenny G.,” Marc’s “Michael Jackson” and Vince’s “Eminem.” Then of course, the old standards and Broadway tunes brought fond memories of the Rodgers and Hammerstein era, as in the case of Tony’s rendition of “I Have Dreamed” from The King and I.

Another thing is that it’s difficult to describe the show because it doesn’t quite fit into a stereotype. For the most part, if you’re unfamiliar with Society of Seven or Lani Misalucha, it would be difficult to explain what the show is all about. In this instance, the audience doesn’t know what to expect. It’s not an acrobatics show, like Cirque Du Soleil; nor is it a magic show and while ‘impersonations’ are a part of the act, it cannot be called a ‘tribute show,’ either. What it is, is a variety show, or as Tony likes to put it, “We’re an evening show in the afternoon.” Come to think of it, it isn’t too far off to imagine the same set-up for an evening show, complete with dinner.

They are, however, very pleased with their afternoon time slot. Adds Tony, “We’re all fighting for the same tourist dollar, and given that there are about a few hundred shows in the evening, we’re happy that we can get the crowd and not have to compete with the big productions like Cirque or Celine.”

In closing, Tony says “I’m going to do this as long as I’m still enjoying myself.” Judging from group’s camaraderie, Flamingo showroom or not, they’re going to be here for a long time.

Rachel M. Sugay

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

Society of Seven with Lani Misalucha
Flamingo Showroom, Flamingo Hotel
Show times are 3 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.
Tickets are $49.95. Last show for the year will be December 31, 2007.

Barong in the 65th Annual Golden Globe Nominations

HOLLYWOOD, CA, December 12, 2007 – Dane Cook, Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Reynolds and Golden Globe Award-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino joined Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Jorge Camara announce the Nominations for “The 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards” last Thursday morning, December 13, 2007 at The Beverly Hilton.

Nominations were announced in 25 categories. “The 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards” will take place Sunday, January 13, 2008 at The Beverly Hilton with a live telecast airing on NBC at 8 PM (EST) and produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Jorge Camara is President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Terry Bateman and Barry Adelman are executive producers. Chris Donovan is director. Al Schwartz is consulting producer. Ken Shapiro is producer. Ron Weed is consulting producer. Bob Bardo is executive in charge of production.


The 65th annual Golden Globe Awards nominations were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel last Thursday in Los Angeles, California. Hayden Panettiere, of Heroes; Ryan Reynolds (Blade: Trinity) and director Quentin Tarantino announced the nominations.

And what stole the show, at least for Filipinos around the world is Mr. Quentin Tarantino donning our national dress for men, the Barong Tagalog. This is the second time in public that Mr. Tarantino wore the Barong. He wore a Barong when he was presented a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Indie Film Festival Cinemanila in Malacanang Palace by President Gloria Arroyo in Manila.

In Manila, he rode a pedicab just to arrive in time to receive the award, so much so that he wore a jogging pants with the Barong. This time Tarantino wore it the usual way, in a formal slacks.

'Live from Los Angeles' Makes it to Technorati.Com

Welcome to Technorati

Currently tracking 112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media. We are proud to announce that "Live from Los Angeles" of www.philippinepressclub.com made it to Technorati's top list.

Technorati is the recognized authority on what's happening on the World Live Web, right now. The Live Web is the dynamic and always-updating portion of the Web. We search, surface, and organize blogs and the other forms of independent, user-generated content (photos, videos, voting, etc.) increasingly referred to as “citizen media.”

But it all started with blogs. A blog, or weblog, is a regularly updated journal published on the web. Some blogs are intended for a small audience; others vie for readership with national newspapers. Blogs are influential, personal, or both, and they reflect as many topics and opinions as there are people writing them.

Blogs are powerful because they allow millions of people to easily publish and share their ideas, and millions more to read and respond. They engage the writer and reader in an open conversation, and are shifting the Internet paradigm as we know it.

On the World Live Web, bloggers frequently link to and comment on other blogs, creating the type of immediate connection one would have in a conversation. Technorati tracks these links, and thus the relative relevance of blogs, photos, videos etc. We rapidly index tens of thousands of updates every hour, and so we monitor these live communities and the conversations they foster.

The World Live Web is incredibly active, and according to Technorati data, there are over 175,000 new blogs (that’s just blogs) every day. Bloggers update their blogs regularly to the tune of over 1.6 million posts per day, or over 18 updates a second.

Technorati. Who's saying what. Right now.

Thank you to the readers for all your support.

LA's Five Prettiest, LA's Five Handsomest, Cover Girls, Cover Guys

STV Entertainment, in cooperation with Celebrity Chronicle, announced the search for new faces to join Cover Girl and Cover Guy 2008. The exciting contest is open to male and female residents of Los Angeles and nearby counties, ages 13 to 25, at least 5’3" in height, good skin, and with a proportion body. To join the search, send one headshot and one full-length shot. Please include personal info like name, age, birth date, address, weight, phone number, school, and e-mail address. Send entries to 127 East Palmer Avenue , Glendale , CA 91205 , or e-mail CelebrityCM@sbcglobal.net for more information.

The winners will be presented by Celebrity Chronicle to the public on Friday, January 25, 2008 at the MGM Banquet Hall, Inc. for the tenth annual entertainment and achievement awards night called “Celebration 2008.” Deadline of entries is December 31, 2007

Lani Misalucha: Enjoying the Best of Both Worlds

By Jackie Regala-Katigbak

World-class chanteuse, Lani Misalucha was last heard in Manila doing a duet titled "The Prayer" with no less than mainstream artist, Josh Groban. It could have been any Filipino singer, but we were told that Groban personally handpicked Lani from the other names and artists offered to do the duet. Lani had to do last minute arrangements with her management to be able to be excused from her Flamingo Las Vegas gig to join Groban in the latter's first concert in Manila. Reports have it that indeed, Josh Groban would like to bring Lani along with him on his next concert tour not only in Asia but also here in the USA.

Lani is the only Filipino headliner in Las Vegas whose performance have been widely accepted by music aficionados of different genres. Her performances always receive the nod of approval from Las Vegas entertainment critics. They always say and write that Lani's voice will "surely astound you."

While happily nestled with Noli and and their two daughters in an exclusive home in Las Vegas, Lani finds time in her busy sked to jet set between here and Manila. She can't quite turn her back when offers come from hometown promoters. "I still have my fans back home and I also owe it to them. I love going home and performing for them, especially if it means that they will be getting a glimpse of what I do here in America."

Yes, what might be harder to fathom, is the fact that this chanteuse even finds time for domestic chores. Since family is numero uno on her list of priorities, Lani makes sure she is a wife and a mother first. it might be hard to believe but I have seen Lani at work. Right after her meet-and-greet during their shows at the Flamingo, Lani would whisk her way through her kitchen at home to cook the family's favorite meals. She enjoys preparing family meals from scratch and she is quite a cook. There was even a time, I was at her home and she was busy telling me about her new projects while cleaning a big size fish in the sink.

The very down-to-earth Lani is not your fancy showgirl - she is your kind of artist who is naturally gifted with a powerful voice that can be so soothing in delivering love songs, catchy in R & B soul grooves and totally awesome in arias or classical pieces.

Experience Lani and her unique voice and performance come Dec. 16, Sunday, 6 p.m. at Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in Cabazon. The casino is conveniently located across from the premium store outlets in Cabazon - a shopping haven for the Filipinos. This is a chance to watch Lani especially for those who have not seen her perform with the Society of Seven in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the Lani show at Morongo Casino are $55 and $75 and for info you may call KATZ at 562-529-8680/ 562-787-8939. The concert is produced by KATZ Entertainment with Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in cooperation with Goldilocks Bakeshops and Restaurants, Seafood City Supermarket, Unistar Foods, Inc. and Energinseng Coffee. It is also brought to you by Superior Paper & Plastics and Ma Sol Trading.

Lani Misalucha And The Society of Seven
When : Sunday Dec 16, 2007 at 6:00 PM

Where :
Morongo Casino Resort and SPA
49500 Seminole Dr
Cabazon , CA 92230

Contact : Katz Telephone: (562) 529-8680

(Ed’s note: Jackie Regala-Katigbak has been writing and doing promotions in the entertainment business since the 1980s. The past two decades saw her columns and articles being published in the Philippines via the Bulletin Today, Manila Standard and Philippine Times Journal. Currently her articles are published by www.Carousel Pinoy.com and in various leading publications in Southern and Northern California. For correspondence, you may send her an email at JackieRegala@ca.rr.com. Thank you.)

Writers Guild Charges Unfair Labor Practice

Friday, December 14, 2007 10:31 AM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Union officials representing striking Hollywood writers on Thursday said they have filed an unfair labor practices complaint claiming studios violated federal law by breaking off negotiations.

The Writers Guild of America demanded in a statement that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers return to the bargaining so the six-week strike can be ended and thousands of workers idled by the walkout can return to their jobs.

Negotiations broke off Dec. 7 when the producers alliance refused to bargain further unless the union dropped a half dozen proposals that included the authority to unionize writers on reality shows and animation projects.

The producers criticized the complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

The "baseless, desperate NLRB complaint is just the latest indication that the WGA's negotiating strategy has achieved nothing for working writers," the alliance fired back in its statement.

The labor board did not immediately return a call to its Los Angeles office. The guild said in its statement that it was "a clear violation of federal law for the AMPTP to issue an ultimatum and break off negotiations if we fail to cave to their illegal demands."

It also said it was irresponsible for the alliance to break off talks in the midst of the holiday season "with thousands of our members and the membership of other unions out of work." Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney and former associate counsel for the writers guild, said the union made an "ill-considered and inflammatory" move that jeopardizes back-channel efforts to restart talks.

"The AMPTP would not want to look like it's caving into a legal threat," Handel said.

The complaint came on the same day the Directors Guild of America said it may open its own contract negotiations with studios next month, a move that's expected to put more pressure on writers to reach an agreement. A quick deal by directors could undercut the bargaining power of writers by serving as an industry template for new media and other issues.

Both sides in the writers strike have said the central issue is compensation for programs, movies and other content streamed or downloaded over the Internet. That issue is also expected to dominate upcoming studio negotiations with directors and actors. The contracts of both those guilds expire in June. In a statement, directors said they were deeply disappointed by last week's collapse of talks between writers and the studios.

Directors delayed starting their contract talks for two months "out of respect for our sister guild," directors union President Michael Apted and negotiations chair Gil Cates said in the statement. "But now the situation is dire. The WGA-AMPTP impasse has cost the jobs of tens of thousands of entertainment industry workers, including many of our own members, and more lose their jobs every day the strike continues," the statement said.

New York-based writer Warren Leight, executive producer of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," said he believes the studios would welcome a deal with directors as a way to force concessions from writers. "We've always known the DGA was the alliance's fallback position," Leight said. "I hope it tells the DGA something that the studios are licking their chops to get into the negotiating room with them."

A Los Angeles scribe fretted over the role directors might play in the Hollywood labor picture. "Writers took the lead here because we're contrarians, independent thinkers," movie writer Bobbette Buster said Thursday while picketing outside Paramount studio. "Directors like to have the whole tribe behind them."

The studio alliance said it looked forward to talking with directors but cautioned it would be "an extremely difficult process" because of the complexity of the rapidly changing new-media marketplace. The writers guild wished directors well in their talks but said "they do not represent writers. Our strike will end when the companies return to negotiations and make a fair deal with the WGA."

The directors guild represents about 13,500 directors and associated production workers. In a letter to members last week, Apted and Cates said the guild has been studying the issue of digital media for nearly 18 months and is determined to get a fair deal for members in both old and new media. "There is a reason that few in the industry ever accuse the DGA or its members of being pushovers. We've never been that, and we don't plan to start now," the letter said.

MARTIN NIEVERA HEADLINES CHRISTMAS CONCERT DECEMBER 21, 2007 in LA MIRADA

MARTIN NIEVERA HEADLINES CHRISTMAS CONCERT WITH MS. GENEVA CRUZ AND THE PCS-LA CHOIR

Los Angeles, CA. (December, 2007) - Continuing with the celebration of his 25th anniversary in show business and in giving back to his “kababayans”, Philippine “Concert King” Martin Nievera will headline a special concert on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2007 to raise funds for the victims of the Southern California wildfires as well as for the Filipino Veterans of World War II. “I wanted to make my last concert of the year a special one about giving to those who are in need,” said the singer, “especially those who were affected by the wildfires here in Southern California ”. A portion of the proceeds with go to the Sagip Kapamilya project of the ABS-CBN Foundation USA, Inc. which assists Filipinos who are victims of natural disasters. “There were definitely some families that were affected by the wildfires,” says co-producer Badette Mercado, “particularly in the Northern San Diego counties and hopefully, Sagip Kapamilya will be able to offer them some assistance as they rebuild their lives”.

In addition, concert producer Sonia Delos Reyes Caspe wanted to help out the Filipino Veterans of World War II by allocating an additional portion of the proceeds to the Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI), a Los Angeles based non-profit agency that operates programs on behalf of the Veterans or widows of Veterans. “I agree with Sonia about raising funds for our heroes”, added Martin “because until that bill passes in Congress bestowing them their full entitlements, we should be proud of these men and women of WWII and remember what they sacrificed.” People who attend the concert will be able to drop off in-kind donations --- clothes, canned food, gift certificates, etc. --- as well as monetary donations which will be collected by FASGI staff. Additional proceeds from the concert will be donated to FASGI to assist in their Veterans programming. “This is absolutely thrilling and we are so very thankful that someone remembered our veterans, especially at this time of year,” said Susan Dilkes, Executive Director of FASGI.

Geneva Cruz together with The Philippine Chamber Singers (PCS-LA) will be joining Martin on stage. PCS-LA will lend their dynamic and vibrant passion for choral singing. Notable performances in its 3 years of existence include community outreach appearances on various festivals that include the 3rd World Festival of Sacred Music Los Angeles (spearheaded by UCLA). The greatest achievement of the group by far is their participation at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) 24th biennial National Convention via the opening night performance at the International Concert Session Gala held at Miami, Florida last March 2007. The choir is the first ever local Filipino chorale group that has made the distinction of making an ACDA debut on the National level. To add to that, the chorus and its members played major roles in the U.S. production of the Filipino musical opera "Karim at Jasmin" during its staging at the Long Beach Convention Center in June. This September to October they teamed up with Three of a Kind and the Philippines' Concert King, Martin Nievera, for a series of benefit concerts within Southern California. Martin Nievera liked how the chorus sounded that he personally invited the group to participate in his Christmas Concert this Dec. 21 at La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts.

Seasons Greetings from Philippine Consulate General Los Angeles

A WINNING TRIP

Ivy Wisco Marketing Manager of Moneygram presented the award to John Lacson of Pinoywired.com. Photo courtesy of Jojo Margen, Balita Media.

Dec 6, 2007 was the date that I was awarded 1st prize for the Balita Media Inc Literary Award for Poetry. This event was the company’s annual Christmas party and awards night. There were 12 winners from different categories such as High School, College/Adult, and Seniors divisions. Being a baby boomer, I belonged to the category for seniors. Almost AARP, mind you. This was a high-end event held at the Universal Hilton hotel right there in the middle of “The Studios”!

The 90-minute drive from Riverside, California to Universal city was of course stressful and snail-paced on account of the rush hour traffic. The event started at 7:00pm that evening and I checked map quest on my laptop before I left making sure I had the right directions. This was an event I would hate to miss since I was looking forward to receiving that award.

I made it. Arrived barely on time and checked in with the pretty ladies manning the guest registration desk. Giving my name, the lass who helped me identified that I was an award winner and gave me her winning smile. It’s nice how people can be extra nice when they recognize a positive individual. The lady took me to my table where my fellow winners sat in anticipation of the night ahead.

The evening’s program was all class. Speakers, entertainers, and dignitaries where there to enhance the quality of the event. The food buffet was delicious and one of the best I have tried. I imagine we, in that winners’ table all felt the same way. Feeling wonderful in knowing that the award we were going to get reflected media recognition that we indeed had that ability, that talent to take the pen and create a piece that was appreciated. Writing is a passion that is innate. A literary piece is conceived in our mind as an idea and stays in our heart like a child waiting to be born. Some individuals do something about this desire by taking a pen (or laptop) and starting scribing their thoughts away. Some don’t do anything about it. Outwardly you don’t die if nothing is done, but inwardly there is this fruit that’s just withering in the vine. You’ll know it since you feel it.

After all the introductory razzmatazz and wonderful feast, we were ready for the actual awards ceremonies. One by one, the winners in the winning tables were called upon to receive their prizes consisting of an in scripted trophy, a certificate of achievement (just dying to be framed), and of course the prize money. My turn came. I shook hands with the award presenter and received my prizes. Both my presenter and me turned to the audience and smiled. Beautiful people were clapping their hands and the cameras where rolling, flashbulbs popping, and this was like, nirvana. I felt excited, happy, but also worried that I may have some spinach stuck on my teeth. What the heck, I thought, just go with the flow. We stood there for about 10 seconds while all this was going on. I told the lady presenter thank you so much and proceeded to walk back to my table making sure that I did not slip and fall. For a few seconds there, I felt like one of those celebrities. I imagined that the paparazzi was after me and resisted the urge to run and slide into my chair. Oh well, so much for drama.

The evening proceeded with Christmas songs rendered by entertainers and the Balita Media production dept. Again they were superb in their singing. There were door prizes raffles presented by Moneygram International. I guess that night was meant for me since again my raffle ticket won a high tech DVD player! Like the saying comes, when you have your 15minutes of glory, you might as well enjoy it. Winning that door prize was not rigged but pure luck. There is this book titled “The Secret” which deals with the law of attraction. A person who smiles and thinks positive will attract good things. I have been feeling that way lately and wonderful things happen. Believe me, it works. Thank you, Jesus!

Going back about five months ago, my good friend and mentor Vics Magsaysay sent me an email indicating that Balita Media News was holding a writing contest. The theme of which was “What My Filipino Heritage Means to Me”. This was right up my alley since I know the Philippines, being born and raised there. And I believed I had the talent and ability to pull it off.

My journey to success started with an email and phone call from a friend. An opportunity was presented to me. A decision had to be made as to whether I would take advantage of this window. The mind and heart wanted to win this tournament. Henceforth, I decided to go for it.

The effort placed into writing that winning piece started off as work. As I continued writing and getting involved, it became a passion. And a passion is never work since we are in pursuit of something that we really want. That poem was written in less than a day since it was inspired. The heart and soul was into it.

Real winning does not just come to us. Like somebody said, “A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.”

Make that step. Just do it.

Article by: John F Lacson

KAPUSO FEVER DAZZLES LAS VEGAS!

KAPUSO FEVER DAZZLES LAS VEGAS!

On this cold Sunday winter morning of December 2, all roads led to the Sports Center of Las Vegas for KAPUSO FEVER, the first ever Entertainment Festival and Christmas Fair following the successful entry of GMA Pinoy TV in the world’s entertainment capital!

As early as 9:30 a.m., men, women, and children had started to line up by the entrance of the Sports Center to join the KAPUSO FEVER celebration featuring Filipina Marimar Marian Rivera and Pinoy Sergio Dingdong Dantes, the lead stars of Marimar, the phenomenal and highest-rated primetime telenovela in the Philippines today. The festival was a colourful, impressive, dazzling celebration of culture and live entertainment which drew thousands of people from across the U.S.

Guests during the half day festivities witnessed the best in Filipino entertainment while they visited the different booths, shopped at the Christmas “tiangge”, enjoyed the sumptuous Filipino food, took home the GMA Pinoy TV bag giveaways, Kapuso Abroad magazines, premium items, and won the raffle prizes like the 41 gift bags filled with Mama Sita’s sauces and mixes, the two domestic round trip tickets and two round trip tickets to Europe from the corporate partners, event sponsor, and local retailers.

Due to technical problems, the show started late but it was definitely worth the wait. The Sport Center vibrated with loud shrieks from the audience when Dingdong got up on the stage, greeted the crowd, and rendered these songs: Ricky Martin’s Living La Vida Loca and She Bangs. Several thousand fans clustered shoulder to shoulder, and endlessly cheered when Marian took center stage, danced the trademark Marimar moves and sang the theme song of Marimar.

The audience ecstatically requested Dong to kiss Marian and went rapturously crazy when the two stars obliged to their fervent requests. They kissed twice since the audience would not settle just for one. The crowd jubilantly cheered and applauded wildly as Marian and Dong exchanged banter with each other ala Marimar and Sergio and gleefully answered some questions thrown at them by the adoring crowd.

All throughout, Marian and Dong were simply bursting with energy and élan, and undoubtedly, the undisputed loveteam to beat in Philippine Television. The appearance of the two Marimar lead stars was the most anticipated and applauded portion of the show.












By this time, the audience could care less if they waited hours just to see their favorite TV couple on stage!

Marian and Dong also shared the stage with Philippines’ Prince of R&B JayR. He gave such a soulful rendition of his first Filipino hit song “Bakit Pa Ba?” which had the crowd gaping in awe and ardent fans screaming for more!

Aside from Marian, Dong, and JayR, singer-actress and recording artist Ciara Sotto together with the cast of soon-to-be-launched Las Vegas musical “Fever”, 2007 Pinoy Pop Superstar North America champion San Francisco-based Jae Buensuceso, Los Angeles native singer-comic Joseph Gelito, Meccamee Dancers, ACTS with Ann, Christine and Timmy, Filipiniana Dance Troupe of Las Vegas, Gawad Kalinga’s Gerald Gosioco, R&B band South Border with members Butch Victoriano, Paul Benitez and Tata Balane featuring Duncan Ramos, and Introvoys with musician/drummer Paco Arespacochaga and members Jonathan Buencamino (vocals), Steve Guadiz (guitar), Chot Ulep (bass), and JJ Buencamino (keyboards), zealously took turns in entertaining the crowd.

The star-studded entertainment extravaganza and Christmas Fair was delightedly hosted by Paco, Joseph, Jae, and Ciara.

KAPUSO FEVER, a dazzling and spectacular celebration, was made more colourful by the involvement and in association with Gawad Kalinga / ANCOP and NaFFAA Southern Nevada Chapter.

KAPUSO FEVER, directed by Jet Montelibano, was presented by GMA Pinoy TV and line produced by Creative Concept International. Major sponsors were Metrobank, Avida Land, Xoom.com, and Mama Sita’s Mixes & Sauces. Minor sponsors were A&A Travel Service and Seafood City. Participating sponsors included ANA Travel, Aqua Imaging & Design Inc., LGB Jewelry, Globe Express International, Café Moda, Aloha Kitchen, and Monet Lu/Beau Monet. Media sponsors were Las Vegas Asian Journal, Philippine Times of Las Vegas, Philippine News Las Vegas Edition, Nevada Examiner, Las Vegas Valley Balita, Planet Philippines, Asian American Times, and Asian-American Peoples Journal.

See how KAPUSO FEVER came, conquered, and heated up Las Vegas making it not only world’s entertainment capital but also home of Kapuso (1 in heart), check www.joshandowitt.com for pictures. For more information, please log on to www.gmapinoytv.com.

ROCK BAND JOURNEY WELCOMES ARNEL PINEDA

JOURNEY WELCOMES ARNEL PINEDA
WITH “OPEN ARMS” TO THEIR FAMILY
AS THE BAND’S NEW LEAD SINGER

December 5, 2007 — After much speculation…the wait is finally over.

JOURNEY–Neal Schon (guitar), Jonathan Cain (keyboards), Ross Valory (bass), Deen Castronovo (drums)–is proud to introduce fans all over the world to their new lead singer, Arnel Pineda (“pin-eh-da”). He replaces Jeff Scott Soto, who parted ways with the band earlier this year after stepping in for Steve Augeri, who had to leave the band in 2006 for medical reasons.

Arnel hails from Quezon City in the Philippines and has been singing Journey songs–in addition to original material–with his band, The Zoo, for the past couple of years in clubs all over his homeland. Joining the legendary band is a dream come true for him.
“It’s so exciting to sing with one of the best bands in the world. It’ll be a lot of hard work on my part and I’m actually looking forward to the scrutiny I’ll get from the hardcore JOURNEY fans. I know they’ll expect me to sound exactly like ‘the voice’ (Steve Perry), but that will never happen. I know there’s only one Steve Perry in this world.”

When it was time for JOURNEY to look for a new lead singer, the internet came to their rescue. Guitarist Neal Schon wanted someone new to the music business, so he turned to YouTube. After finding Arnel singing “Faithfully,” he knew he had found the perfect frontman.




“I was frustrated about not having a singer,” explains guitarist Neal Schon, “so I went on YouTube for a couple of days and just sat on it for hours. I was starting to think I was never going to find anybody. But then I found The Zoo and I watched a bunch of different video clips that they had posted. After watching the videos over and over again, I had to walk away from the computer and let what I heard sink in because it sounded too good to be true. I thought, ‘he can’t be that good.’ But he is that good, he’s the real deal and so tremendously talented. Arnel doesn’t sound synthetic and he’s not emulating anyone. I tried to get a hold of him through YouTube and I finally heard from him that night, but it took some convincing to get him to believe that it really was me and not an imposter.”

Arnel Pineda picks up the story: “My friend Noel picked up the message on YouTube and told me it was from Neal. I thought it was a hoax so I ignored it. Noel said, ‘what if it really was Neal and he wanted to offer you the chance of a lifetime?’ So I e-mailed Neal back and the rest is history.”

“Arnel brings a soulful and passionate voice to JOURNEY,” continues keyboardist Jonathan Cain. “His personality is very well-suited to our music. He’s a sincere, authentic person with a great smile and a big heart. I think fans are really going to love him. With Arnel’s soaring tenor, Journey returns to our heritage sound.”

Schon agrees, “We feel reborn. I think there’s a lot of chemistry between the five of us. At first we were going to go into the studio and just write 4 songs, but now it’s escalated to a lot of great new and diverse material. The stuff sounds tremendous. Everyone’s so stoked about it. We feel very fortunate to have found Arnel.”

JOURNEY is currently working on a new album with legendary producer Kevin Shirley, which they hope to release by spring/summer 2008. Details will be announced early next year.

Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California. The band has gone through several phases since its inception by former members of Santana. The band's greatest commercial success came in the late 1970s through the early 1980s with a series of power ballads and songs such as "Don't Stop Believing", "Any Way You Want It", "Faithfully", "Open Arms", "Separate Ways" and "Wheel in the Sky". Videos of The Zoo performing cover songs by Journey, Survivor, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Air Supply, The Eagles, Kenny Loggins and other popular acts from the 70s, 80s and 90s, began appearing on YouTube.com in February 2007 and now number more than 200 in total. In August 2007, Neal Schon of Journey contacted the YouTube member who uploaded many videos asking for contact information for Pineda. Pineda, along with his manager, Bert de Leon, flew to San Francisco to audition for Journey later in August, 2007.[4]

On December 5, 2007, Pineda was announced as the lead singer of Journey. El Mercurio Online in Chile notes that Pineda will appear with Journey at the Festival de Viña del Mar at Quinta Vergara Arena in Chile on February 21, 2008.[5] Pineda will also perform with Journey on February 23 at Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo in Santiago and at a private Remax Convention event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on March 6, 2008.

Journey and renowned producer Kevin Shirley are currently in the studio creating a new album which he is producing, for release in spring/summer 2008. In his online diary, Shirley described the recording sessions as "wonderful, successful, stupidly creative" and said that "Sometimes you just know when there's history in the making."[6] In a statement on December 5, 2007, Shirley said "I was stunned at Arnel, who is a monster vocalist. He is the real deal. Just phenomenal."

In his blog, Kevin Shirley wrote "Just got back from Vegas last night, after mixing seven new Journey songs. They are outstanding... For the record, I think Arnel is 'the business!' - the guy can really sing! He handles the ballads with SO much heart, and belts the rockers as hard, and melodically, as anyone I have heard. The songs are sensational - wonderfully crafted and deep, and so focused, you may wonder where they all came from. And I'm being serious...."

(Submitted by Albert Vargas: PinoyWired.com)

Telltale Signs/ DEATH OF AN ENSIGN

Rodel E. Rodis, December 10, 2007

The messenger, Lt. Antonio Trillanes IV, was wrong in his ill-advised megalomaniacal coup attempts, but the message about pervasive corruption in the military was essentially right. This point was brought home most effectively by the eminent Jesuit educator, Fr. James Reuter, in an article that appeared the day after the Manila Peninsula occupation. Entitled “Justice at 3 A.M.”, Fr. Reuter wrote about Phillip Andrew Pestaño, a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila High School in 1989, who entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), and graduated as an Ensign in the Philippine Navy in 1993, when he was then assigned as a cargo master on a Navy ship.

Sometime in 1995, Fr. Reuter wrote, Pestaño discovered that “the cargo being loaded onto his vessel included logs that were cut down illegally, were carried to the ship illegally, and were destined to be sold, illegally… Then there were 50 sacks of flour, which were not flour, but shabu (methamphetamine) - worth billions. Literally, billions ... And there were military weapons which were destined for sale to the Abu Sayyaf.” As cargo master of the ship, Pestaño refused to approve the illegal cargo despite orders from his superior officers that he do so.

According to Fr. Reuter, “Pestaño’s parents received two phone calls, saying: "Get your son off that ship! He is going to be killed!" When Phillip was given leave at home, his family begged him not to go back. Their efforts at persuasion continued until his last night at home, when Phillip was already in bed.”

"His father came to him and said: "Please, son, resign your commission. Give up your military career. Don't go back. We want you alive. If you go back to that ship, it will be the end of you!" But Phillip said to his father: "Kawawa ang bayan! (Pity the country)" And he went back to the ship.”

"The scheduled trip was very brief - from Cavite to Roxas Boulevard - it usually took only 45 minutes. But on September 27, 1995, it took one hour and a half. When the ship arrived at Roxas Boulevard , Ensign Pestaño was dead.”

Within a day, the Navy investigators determined that Pestaño had committed suicide because a “suicide note” was found in his cabin. Phillip's family objected to this finding as they pointed out that the note was not in his handwriting and he was an honor student at Ateneo and engaged to be married in a few months.

After two years of prodding by Pestaño's family the Philippine Senate conducted an investigation on the Pestaño death in 1997. The resolution calling for this investigation was sponsored by then Sen. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Pestaño family's lawyer was former (now incumbent) Sen. Nene Pimentel.

In the course of the Senate investigation, witnesses testified that before he died, Pestaño refused to authorize the loading of 14,000 board feet of illegal hardwood logs in Tawi-Tawi even though its governor, Gerry Matba, had a gift for his good friend, Admiral Pio Carranza.

Despite Pestaño’s objections, the logs were loaded in Tawi-Tawi andoff-loaded in Cavite just before the ship sailed for its home port in Manila in what would normally be a 45 minute trip. The trip lasted more 1 ½ hours.

After hearing from numerous witnesses, the Senate Report (#800) concluded: “Pestaño did not kill himself aboard the BRP Bacolod City… He was bludgeoned unconscious and then shot to death somewhere else in the vessel. His body was moved and laid on the bed where it was found.”

“The clear absence of blood spatters, bone fragments or other human tissues is physical evidence more eloquent than a hundred witnesses,” the Senate report observed. “It is impossible for a person who has just sustained a fatal head injury to walk from some other place in his room, lie on his bed and drop dead…”

“He was killed by an assailant, necessarily aboard the BRP Bacolod City”, before it docked at the Navy HQ on Roxas Boulevard. The attempt to make it appear Pestano killed himself inside his stateroom was so deliberate and elaborate that one person could not have accomplished it by himself.”

So who killed Pestaño?

In a privilege speech several years later, Sen. Fred Lim, now mayor of Manila, named Lt. Carlito Amoroso (PMA class 1994), a close-in security for Admiral Carranza who was on the ship (perhaps accompanying the illegal cargo) even though he was not a crew member, as the possible gunman.

Sen. Lim also linked Ensign Joselito Colico to the crime as he admitted before the Senate that he removed the magazine from the .45 caliber pistol and wiped off fingerprints. Calico was never charged even with tampering with the evidence.

Pestano, Lim said, was not the only casualty of this conspiracy. There was also Petty 0fficer (PO2) Zosimo Villanueva who was the officer who tipped Pestaño on the presence of illegal cargo on the ship, specifically about “the concealed bulk of illegal drugs (hidden) in the more than 20 sacks of rice cargoes aboard the ship." A week after Pestaño’s murder, Lim revealed, Villanueva was sent on mission where he mysteriously “washed away in a sea mishap”.

Another casualty was Ensign Alvin Parone who was the officer who called Pestaño’s parents to warn them of plans to kill their son. He was also killed, Sen. Lim said, “a victim of another unsolved murder.”

Also missing and presumed dead is Petty Officer (PO3) Fidel Tagaytay who was the duty officer on board Pestaño’s ship. When he was summoned to testify before the senate, he disappeared. His wife, Leonila, has been desperately searching for him, begging the authorities to investigate his disappearance. He is “absent without leave” is all the Navy brass will tell her.

No one has yet been charged with the murders of Pestaño and the other officers who would not condone the corruption they witnessed. The military whitewash has continued.

Fr. Reuter wrote: “Some military men are killed in battle. They are given a hero's burial. But Phillip died for a much deeper cause - he was trying to preserve the integrity of our Armed Forces. He died out of loyalty to the Philippines, in an effort to keep the oath that he made when he graduated from the Philippine Military Academy.”

”Graft and corruption are the curse of this nation. But when they take root in the heart of our Armed Forces, they threaten our existence as an independent, democratic country.”

Let us all demand JUSTICE for Phillip Pestaño, a genuine Philippine hero.

For more information, log on to www.phillippestano.com. Send comments to Rodel50@aol.com or log on to www.rodel50.blogspot.com or send your letter to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call (415) 334-7800

La Gloria's European Junket

In the aftermath of the failed rebellion last Nov. 29, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo -- confident that the rebellion had been suppressed -- embarked on a three-country trip to France, Spain and England. Her state visit to Spain was the first by a Philippine President since her late father, President Diosdado Macapagal, was a state guest of Spain in 1962. Except for few details of the trip, Malacanang Palace did not disclose the members of the presidential entourage.

However, the day after they left for Spain, the office of House Speaker Jose de Venecia leaked out the names of 34 congressmen who were in the President's retinue. They were mostly members of the President's coalition -- KAMPI, LAKAS-CMD, NPC, and LDP. According to the information released, the members of Congress and their wives or companions were given $5,000 roundtrip tickets, $500 per night for hotel accommodations, $500 for daily food allowance, and $3,000 "pocket money" for the duration of the trip. And who paid for the trip? According to Speaker De Venecia, Malacanang Palace paid for the congressmen's travel expenses.

Three Senators also joined the trip -- Edgardo Angara, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Juan Miguel Zubiri. The entourage included the entire First Family -- the First Couple; their children Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, Diosdado "Dato" Arroyo and Evangeline Lourdes "Luli" Arroyo; and their four grandchildren. A Philippine Air Lines plane was chartered for the eight-day trip. All in all, there was a total of 192 names on the flight manifest which also included several cabinet members, presidential staff, and a group of 50 business cronies.

Opposition leaders were outraged at what they termed as a "junket" to reward the congressmen for junking the impeachment petition against Arroyo. It was estimated that the total cost of the European junket was at least $1.5 million. However, the "junket" was defended by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye claiming that the host country -- Spain -- paid for the trip (of course the side trips to France and England were not included) of the official Philippine delegation including the First Family (nine persons), five Cabinet members, three senators, and two House leaders. He also claimed that the other members of the presidential party paid for their own expenses. If that's the case, I would not be surprised if the congressmen and senators took the money from their pork barrel allocations.

A recent Commission on Audit (COA) report revealed that Arroyo spent P398 million -- the equivalent of around $9 million -- in 2006 for travel to 13 countries. In 2005, she spent P154 million for travel to four countries. To date this year, Arroyo has traveled to 18 countries. That is one country every 20 days!

But what is really pathetic is that Arroyo herself is the number one violator of her own Administrative Order 103 -- "Directing the Continued Adoption of Austerity Measures in the Government" -- issued on August 31, 2004. AO 103 suspended "All foreign travels, except for (i) ministerial meetings, and (ii) scholarships/trainings that are grant-funded or undertaken at no cost to the government." It also suspended all unnecessary domestic travels. However, she spent P55 million and P83 million for domestic travels in 2005 and 2006, respectively. All in all, the peripatetic President spent almost a quarter of the 2006 Office of the President budget.

What is the political repercussion of this "junket" scandal? I am pretty sure that some people will be "punished" for the leakage. And this brings to mind the ongoing feud between President Arroyo and Speaker De Venecia. Imagine, a battle between the two "giants" of the two branches of the government. Indeed, it could become a war of "Napoleonic" proportion.

It is no secret that the relationship between Arroyo and De Venecia is not as cordial as the two tried to project it in public. The National Broadband Network (NBN) scandal is not yet over. De Venecia's son, Jose "Joey" de Venecia III, is still smarting -- and is still on the warpath -- from losing the $329 million NBN contract. Meanwhile, in what appears to be a politically motivated gambit, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCCG) asked the Solicitor General to review the $120-million "behest loan" contracted by Landoil Resources which was formerly headed by Speaker De Venecia 20 years ago.

"Behest loans" during the Marcos regime were called as such because they were extended by government financial institutions at the behest of Marcos. The loans were not collateralized; the word of the strongman was the "collateral." After Marcos was deposed in 1986, the newly formed PCCG negotiated a compromise deal with Landoil that called for dismissal of the case against De Venecia and for Landoil and De Venecia to repay the $120 million "behest loan." De Venecia agreed and signed an agreement in 1988 which stipulated that should Landoil failed to repay the loan, the case against Landoil and De Venecia would be revived. The loan was never repaid; however, De Venecia claimed that the Supreme Court dismissed the case in 1995. He said that "political vendetta" was behind the revival of the case against him.

De Venecia is left with few options. One option is for him to rein in his son Joey and tell him to shut up. Or he can fight back. With the 34 "junketeers" back in Congress from their European escapade, I would not be surprised if they would soon start a move to junk De Venecia from the Speakership. His political power could diminish very fast and once Arroyo starts using her political patronage, De Venecia's political base could be blown to smithereens.

But who knows? De Venecia is an old pro and a survivor. Last November 28, 2007, he attended and spoke at the 100th anniversary of the Nacionalista Party. He alluded to the strong alliance between NP and his Lakas-CMD, saying: "The alliance is ongoing, we have a powerful coalition with NP." Is De Venecia ready to junk Arroyo and join the Nacionalistas? In politics anything is possible.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

SANTA AT THE CONSULATE

Wednesday 12/5/07 was a great day to have a celebration of life! The occasion was the Christmas party held at the Philippine Consulate in honor of the media. Address was in Los Angeles at 3600 Wilshire blvd on the 5th floor. In attendance were the wonderful officers and crew of the consulate spiced up by media members representing different publications in Southern California, USA.

A traditional Holy Mass kicked off the party. Fr Palines delivered the sacrament and was a superb host at the same time. The Filipinos present were pleasantly reminded of younger days attending evening mass at the old country. The Christmas spirit was embodied in this tableau of Holy Eucharist being held in a cozy environment. Attended by persons who were bonded together in their quest to serve a nation that needed guidance in one way or another.

The Philippine national anthem was rendered by Romy Borje ( he rocks!) who has the energy of a young adult but the wisdom of a media patriarch. Mr Borje is an icon in the local Fil-Am journalist world and an inspiration to who ever wants to pursue a career in the media. A treasure indeed.

Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo Aragon adresses the media


Consul General MaryJo Aragon delivered the welcoming address. She introduced her two brand new cohorts in Daniel Espiritu (Consul) and Charmane Serna-Chua (Vice Consul). ConGen Aragon is as good as they come in representing an interactive leader who at the same time embodies the positive qualities of a Filipina. She is a non-stress type of person, which is reflected by her staff who smiles a lot. You can just imagine how hectic it can get at the consulate during peak periods!


At his point, the officers and staff of the Consulate gathered front and center to sing the Noche Buena Christmas song. Like a practiced choir, the group sung and delivered with such professional quality. That moment was reminiscent of our tradition when a choir group would come to our houses and sung songs making the holiday complete.

Dinner came after the welcoming address. The food spread was a feast of Filipino cuisine cooked to perfection. The roasted pig (lechon) melted in the mouth while the pancit and lumpia tasted so good. Again, this food tradition reminded us of how our culture knows how to party!


While having dinner, the entertainment portion went into action with James Saspa belting out a couple of songs. Ms Janelle So, hostess to KABABAYAN LA, sung two karaoke hits. She is so young but so loaded with talent. Also pleasing to the eye. Proud to be Filipina! Tess Villanueva, and Romy Borje contributed to the entertainment with more songs.


Florante, who is a legend in the Phillipine music world, came and honored the occasion with songs and ballads reflective of life in the old country. His pieces brings memories of yesteryears when the baby boomers where growing up and wondered what the future held for them. His ballads trigger soft spots in the Filipino psyche which makes a true pinoy think of going back to the homeland to take a walk down memory lane. Florante is like the Bob Dylan of the Philippine music industry. He too, rocks!

The media party winded down with participants exchanging gifts and a dance. Congen Aragon sung a duet with Johnny Pecayo. A lot of food still on the table. Wine flowed and the people were happy.

The Philippine Consulate and its warm staff are representative of our nation. They work hard and know how to have a good time. It is in these celebrations that they open up their hearts and homes to people in need. It gets busy at the Consulate since they are the corridors ultimately leading back to the homeland. They embody the spirit of assistance, which is Christmas itself. It is wonderful that the Consulate honored the media at this event. May these two entities work in the Christian spirit of giving. Merry Christmas and a Great New Year, po!

By: John Lacson

Photo Coverage by: Albert Vargas

The Magic of Narnia at Sierra Madre Playhouse

(Photo l to r Mary House & Chris Loop)

The rush of the Holidays are here and I was not prepared for it. Amidst the never ending work and the deadlines, I was hoping somehow to catch the spirit of the Holidays. What was bugging me was the thought of having winter without Christmas, or rather without the spirit that is. That’s when I brought my daughter and niece to watch a play at the quaint Sierra Madre Playhouse entitled “Narnia” based on the novel by famed British Author Clive Staples Lewis, better known as C.S. Lewis, the play based on his novel “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.” It was their second night run of the tight performance schedule from November 23 to December 23, 2007, so tight anyway that they have to triple cast some of the characters.

The whole Sierra Madre Playhouse was completely turned back in time to 1940 all over again and the German Blitz against London was on. Sandbags were piled up along the sidewalk outside the theatre and the ticket booth sign proclaimed “SHELTER”, a safe place from an air attack. Entering thru the small corridor, huge World War II posters were everywhere and one quickly caught my eye warning me to “Always Keep Your Gas Mask Ready.” When we slumped into our comfortable seats and surveyed the stage, we can see a huge backdrop of the British Flag, proudly hanging amidst a scattered array of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) prop microphones at stage center. Our narrator, Mr. Don Savage in his neatly pressed two-piece business suit quickly stood up from his armchair on stage right and led the audience in singing a standing rendition of the British National Anthem “God Save the Queen”, after which, part of the cast (or was it the crew?) stumbled playfully onstage trying to reach for the various sound effect pieces on stage left which will bring sound and life to the play. You see this play actually takes “Narnia” as a radio drama play in war-torn London complete with radio static.


And so the magic begins. “Narnia” revolves around the Pevensie children, Peter (the Eldest), Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who are evacuated from London due to the German bombings were brought to the huge country home of Professor Kirke. One day, Lucy (splendidly played by 11 year old Sarah Gilman in photo) discovers a wardrobe or what we call nowadays a clothes cabinet and she enters into a magical world called Narnia. She meets a faun, which tells her of a curse that has turned Narnia into winter for a long time, but without Christmas. Seems like my own predicament. But back to the play. As we watched and listened (remember, this is a live radio broadcast, but the acting of the whole cast was superb), instead of handling Lucy to the White Evil Witch who has cast a curse over Narnia (beautifully played by Stasha Surdyke), he lets her go.

(Megan Sanborne, Keith Harmel, Kenneth Woods, & Sarah Gilman)

Edmund meets the White Witch who tricks him into bringing the other three children to her first. You see there is an old rhyme that says:

When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone
Sits at Cair Paravel in throne,
The evil time will be over and done.

Now I am glued to the plot as well as to my seat as the story unravels onstage on the BBC radio station live set. Who is Aslan? They say Aslan the Lion is on the move to free Narnia from the Evil Witch’s curse but the four children must help the great Lion as prophesied.

The four children will help save Narnia from the perpetual curse of winter and bring back Christmas and goodness to all the creatures together with “Aslan”, the great Lion. The curse of having no Christmas is broken:

Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.

Father Christmas finally arrives and gives the three children not toys but tools to help them defeat the Evil White Witch. Stumbling upon the prophesy of “a deeper Magic” that the Witch did not know about, Aslan the resurrected Lion with the help of the children, brought Spring and Christmas back to Narnia.

Coming out from the theatre with the cast given standing ovations by the audience for a great performance, I slowly crossed the street of the normal world with my daughter and niece in tow, the soft cool night breeze of Sierra Madre hitting my face gently, and the warmth of Christmas deep inside. Then I remembered a similar story of long ago.

Ages of silence end to night
Then to the long-expectant earth
Glad angels come to greet His birth
In burst of music, love, and light.

Written in 1950, C.S. Lewis dedicated this his first novel “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” with the following:

My Dear Lucy (Barfield),

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fair tale, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be.
Your affectionate Godfather,
C.S. Lewis

Catch the deep magic of Christmas. Watch “Narnia” at the Sierra Madre Playhouse directed by Alison Kalmus together with the Southern California Lyric Theater.

(Sierra Madre Playhouse is at 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 and can be reached at (626) 256-3809.)

For show schedule and tickets:
www.sierramadreplayhouse.org

By Jay J. Fermin ppp-usa

The 19th Reflection Awards Night

19th Reflection Awards Night, Sunday, November 11, 2007 Los Angeles, CA.



MyGringos Manny Legaspi receives Award. Photos By Nic Arriola (Philippine Times) and Romeo Balboa (Manila US Times)


L to r - Manny Legaspi - Dr. Ramon Geluz - Kristine So - Jhon and Leila Mendoza - Joseph Gelito - Thelma Aranda Sugay - Dion Santos - Jappy Fancisco and Bennie Lagos. Photos By Nic Arriola (Philippine Times) and Romeo Balboa (Manila US Times)


l to r - Cora Pastrana - Jet Montelibano - Marie Regina Labid - Angelique Gradney - Elwood Perez - Nora Aunor - Annabelle Rama - Eddie Gutierrez - Michelle Molina and Monet Lu. (Photo by Joe Cobilla)

Recognized were Dr Ramon S Geluz (Excellence in Operatic Arts), Bennie Lagos (Excellence in Pastoral Ministry), Kristine So (Young Achiever), Mango Tours / Johnny Francisco (Excellence in Business – Travel & Tours), Jhon and Leila Mendoza (Outstanding Couple), Dion Santos (Man of Style), Thelma Aranda Sugay (Excellence in Newscasting / Film Acting), Joseph Gelito (Excellence in Entertainment – Comedy), and Mygringos.com/Manny Legaspi in photo above. (Outstanding Fil-Am Online Resource).

Also presented with awards were Stephanie Reese (Excellence in the Performing Arts), Cora Soriano (Excellence in Community Service), Dr Pierre Joven (Excellence in Dentistry), Michael “Michelle” S Molina (Excellence in Make-up Artistry), Katrina Nable-Villa (Excellence in Interior Design), Dr Erlinda Enriquez (Hall of Fame Award), Joseph Calderon (Excellence in Trade Show Promotion and; Marketing), Ted Benito (Man of the Year), Fe Israel Benito (Woman of the Year), Cinema Indio/Cora Pastrana (Cultural Pride Award), Jet Montelibano (Excellence in Stage Design & Production), Angelique Gradney (Renaissance Award), Marie Regina Labid (Presidential Award), Eddie Gutierrez (Golden Reflections Award), Elwood Perez (Outstanding Director), and Nora Aunor (Milestones Lifetime Achievement Award).

GO WILD WITH BORN TO BE WILD!

All over the world, attention is geared increasingly toward environmental conservation, yet in the Philippines, a country blessed with so many natural resources, very little focus is dedicated to preserving the environment and its creatures. Taking on the challenge of putting Mother Nature’s welfare at the forefront, GMA Public Affairs has hatched BORN TO BE WILD, a top-caliber production that attempts to bring environmental issues closer to home.

Featuring up close encounters with nature and wildlife, Born to be Wild is a must-see TV offering like no other. Entirely devoted to environment and wildlife conservation, the show is the only one of its kind on Philippine television.

Born to be Wild goes underwater to swim alongside sea creatures, and will take viewers trekking through mountains and deep caverns to discover endemic and endangered species. At the heart of these adventures is a desire to make environmental concerns more real to viewers, and encourage active participation in nature conservation.

The show is hosted by one of Philippines’ famed Everest mountaineer, Romi Garduce, and popular veterinarian, Dr. Ferdinand Recio. As hosts, they both have the credentials because not only are they environment-and-animal enthusiasts, they also have significant exposure to nature and wildlife.

Touted as the Everest man who has paid homage to the world’s highest peak, Romi Garduce, proves there’s more to him than conquering peaks and glaciers.

He is a dive master who is constantly involved in various ecological causes like reconstructing coral reefs in different parts of the country. Also, Romi is extremely passionate about environmental issues and the protection of critically endangered species.

Without plans for marriage in the foreseeable future, Romi regards the environment as his ‘girlfriend.’

“The environment is like a girlfriend. And like being in a serious relationship, you would want it to last longer. You wouldn’t want a disrupted relationship, and wouldn’t want her to get back at you after the hurting stage. That’s why we need to care for it,” Romi said.

Dr. Ferdinand Recio, Romi’s partner in exploring the environment, has seven years of veterinary practice and specializes in animal surgery. And on Born to be Wild, part of his mission is to go deep into the wilderness to rescue and care for animals in distress.

“I see the importance of all lives. Be it an animal or a plant, there’s a reason why they are there. And we should give importance to all who give balance to our ecosystem,” Ferdinand shares.

More importantly, what they want to do with Born to be Wild is to create action beyond awareness, and encourage active involvement from a wide share of audiences – all social classes included. They want to highlight that which is often neglected, and raise the level of appreciation for nature as both of them honestly believe that the Philippine environment is in great danger, rating the country an “eight” on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst case possible.

There is still hope, they say, and this is the reason why they took the challenge to stand at the frontline of Born to be Wild.

And for its premiere episode, Born to be Wild brings amazing animal encounters to your TV screens.

Romi explores a remote mountain town in Calatrava, Negros where he meets feisty, little Macaque monkeys. Unlike other animals in the wild, these monkeys are sociable with people, and even look to the locals regularly for food. Romi takes a close look at these creatures and discovers that even in their world; there is politics, social etiquette and a systematic way of life. Romi also uncovers the dangers that threaten the survival of these fascinating animals.

In Palawan’s Calauit Island, Ferdinand discovers a curious Philippine safari of sorts. On this island paradise, zebra, giraffe and other animals are in need of medical attention. Ferdinand and the Calauit caregivers give relief to these animals, curing their wounds and attending to their medical needs.

Through their adventures, they discovered the secret to truly getting to know nature: the willingness to explore the unknown, getting out of your comfort zone, and to go wild, wild, wild!

Call your preferred pay TV operator now to catch these amazing wildlife encounters on Born To be Wild, airing on GMA PINOY TV! For more information, please log on to www.gmapinoytv.com.

Becca Godinez, Lea Salonga & Guests at ABS-CBN Foundation USA Family's Simbang Gabi 2007

Los Angeles: The 10th Anniversary of ABS-CBN's "Bantay Bata' Fundraiser was held at the prestigious Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel. The traditional and most revered Filipino Holiday themed event started with a Pre-Dinner Reception at the Courtyard featuring traditional Simbang Gabi faire—hot chocolate, puto bumbong, ensaymada, bibingka, pan de sal with kesong puti and other delicacies.


Sit Down Dinner followed at the Filipino Town Plaza celebration featuring Filipino holiday dinner menu created by Rod Aglibot, internationally-acclaimed Filipino culinary consultant.

Church Courtyard and Town Plaza Guest Artists entertained the guests. Among the performers were Lea Salonga, a Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, and Theatre World award-winning Filipino singer and actress who is best known for her portrayal of "Kim" in the musical Miss Saigon. In the field of musical theater, no other Filipino has achieved the same international recognition as Salonga. She has been the first to win various international awards for a single role.

Joining Lea was Becca Godinez, an artist who has a broad crossover base. She has performed in concerts, in theatre plays and musicals, has written words and music for herself and other artists, recorded albums, and has traveled to numerous countries to perform. Her ability to speak, write and sing in several languages has also contributed to her crossover appeal.

Other performances were rendered by the "Tinig at UCLA' choir. Tinig, which means “voice” in Tagalog, is a student-initiated, student-run, Pilipino-American Chorale Group under the Ethnomusicology Departmentof UCLA. Tinig strives to celebrate Pilipino culture through traditional chorale music, as well as the "Los Angeles Filipino Rondalla". Rondalla Club of Los Angeles (RCLA) was formed in 1991 in Los Angeles through the efforts of the late Nitoy Gonzales, former Rondalla maestro of the famed Bayanihan Dance Troupe from the Philippines, Leonilo "Boy" Angos, also a former member of Bayanihan, son of Nitoy Gonzales, and Tagumpay "Pi" M. de Leon, son of the late Philippine composer and national artist, Felipe Padilla de Leon. Other members are Kathleen Mangusing, Ador Tan and Patrick Tanega.

Joining them were the "Search to Involve Pilipino Americans" (SIPA) Children’s Choir. Search To Involve Pilipino American (SIPA) Children's Choir is composed of Emi Ordaz of Virgil Middle School, Tifffany Navarro of John Burroughs, Edison Mazariegos of Precious Blood Middle School, Matthew Pascua of Virgil Middle School, Elijah Baguio of Rosemont Elementary, Allisandra Baguio of Rosemont Elementary, Allen Abrillo of Rosemont Elementary, Micah Linog of Precious Blood Elementary, Elizabeth Cosio of Precious Blood Elementary and Patricia Manzanilla of Precious Blood Elementary.

















(Photos from Top L-R: Becca Godinez with Asian Journal Publisher Roger Oriel, Atty. Michael Gurfinkel receiving Award from Jovie Saddul assisted by Lea Salonga, Vicky Bello with Apl de Ap of the "Black Eyed Peas" presenting Award, Asian Journal Publisher Cora Oriel receiving Award, Event Producer & Bantay Bata Member Ted Benito, Lea Salonga, AJ's Cora Oriel, and Bantay Bata Board of Trustee Member Gina Lopez. Photo coverage by Angeli Lacson)


Simbang Gabi

Literally meaning “night worship,” Simbang Gabi is the Filipino tradition of attending Church service in the pre-dawn hours in preparation for Christmas. For nine consecutive early mornings before Christmas Day, Catholic Churches throughout the Philippines ring their bells around 3 am to invite the faithful to worship and announce the start of this holiday custom.

Simbang Gabi is also a festival for the senses for the whole family. Around the country, churches and their courtyards are decked with multi-colored streamers and parols—the traditional Christmas lanterns that adorn the homes of Filipinos around the world during the holidays. Amidst the strains of a rondalla band and the caroling of children, families gather at Church courtyards after mass to partake of traditional early morning refreshments of hot chocolate, bibingka, ensaymada, puto bumbong, pan de sal with kesong puti, and other delicacies.

For Filipinos everywhere, Simbang Gabi ushers in the start of the Christmas season, and it represents some of our most deep-rooted ideals—trust in God, love of family and country, and hope for peace on earth.

Simbang Gabi 2007 Leadership Awardees Included:

Mending Kids International
www.mendingkids.org

This leadership award is presented in recognition of Mending Kids International’s
efforts to create a partnership with ABS CBN Foundation USA and Philippine Airlines Foundation to bring children from the Philippines who are in need to life-saving medical operations to the United States .

Michael Gurfinkel
www.gurfinkel.com

Through Citizen Pinoy, his highly-rated show on The Filipino Channel, Attorney Michael Gurfinkel has promoted Bantay Bata to his many loyal viewers. This leadership award recognizes this special effort and Michael’s years of advocacy in support of reuniting Filipino families in the United States as a preeminent Immigration Lawyer.

Filipino American Library of Los Angeles
www.filipinoamericanlibrary.org

For over 22 years, the Filipino American Library has been preserving and promoting the Filipino heritage, history and culture in the only Pilipino American Library that exists in the US. The Library is also ABS-CBN Foundations USA's partner in a new initiative to promote financial literary in the Filipino communities within the Los Angeles area..

The Asian Journal
www.asianjournal.com

In the last 16 years, The Asian Journal, through the leadership of Roger and Cora Oriel, has brought the power of print media to spotlight on the issues that are important to the Filipino American communities in the United States. This leadership award recognizes the publication’s special role as a community advocate through excellent, unbiased and fair reporting of the news in our communities.

Proceeds of Simbang Gabi 2007 will benefit the Children’s Village of Bantay Bata

Established in May 2003, the Children’s Village serves as a shelter for children who need medium to long-term care and rehabilitation as a result of abuse, neglect, exploitation or abandonment by their parents or guardians, or even due to congenital special needs. Children at the Village are provided extensive nutritional, educational and psychological intervention in a live-in, home-like environment before reuniting them back into society.

Situated in Norzagaray, Bulacan, the 2.5 hectare compound with 6 cottages is home to at least 130 children at any given time, ranging in age from 3 months to 16 years old. The Village has the capacity to house up to 200 children.

Congratulations to the awardees as well as to the numerous guests who supported a truly great fundraiser event for a good cause that has spanned one decade of service to the Bantay Bata 163, the child welfare program of ABS-CBN Foundation that not only rescues and rehabilitates sick and abused children, but also provides shelter, therapy and quality home care for rescued children until they can be reunited with their families or referred to proper child-caring agencies.

Bantay Bata 163 gives emphasis on the family through the following services: training and advocacy on child abuse prevention, rehabilitation of families in crisis, educational scholarships, livelihood, community outreach and medical and dental missions. To all who supported the event, thank you for touching the hearts of thousands of children and their families for the past ten years. This is the real spirit of Simbang Gabi.

(Jay Fermin ppp-usa)

Filipino protesters storm US Embassy

Filipino student activists hold papers with slogans written in front of the US embassy during a rally in Manila on Sunday Dec. 2, 2007. The protesters demanded the transfer to a Philippine jail of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith, who was convicted this day last year of raping a Filipino woman but has remained detained at the embassy. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines -- About two dozen protesters angry over a rape case involving a Marine stormed the American Embassy on Sunday, hitting a U.S. government seal on the gate with fists and a brick before surprised policemen pushed them away, police and witnesses said.

The protesters demanded the transfer to a Philippine jail of Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith, who was convicted a year ago of raping a Filipino woman but has remained under U.S. government custody and detained at the heavily fortified embassy.
Taking advantage of the absence of policemen, who usually stand guard outside the embassy, the protesters ran toward the gates and used their fists and a red brick to pound the bronze seal, an Associated Press photographer at the scene said.

It was unclear why policemen were not posted outside the embassy at the time. Officers later arrived and pushed the protestors away, but did not make any arrests. "It has been one year, and he is still being protected by the United States government," said protest leader Vencer Crisostomo, adding that Washington should face the consequences of crimes committed overseas by its troops. The protesters demanded the repeal of the bilateral Visiting Forces Agreement, which allows large numbers of American troops to join war exercises in the Philippines. The agreement spells out terms of how to deal with troops accused of crimes.

Smith was convicted by a suburban Manila court last year of raping a Filipino woman in a van as fellow Marines cheered him on. The court sentenced him to 40 years in prison for the crime, alleged to have been committed while he was on a break after joining military exercises north of Manila.

Smith, from St. Louis, claimed that the sex was consensual and appealed the court ruling. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's government agreed to allow Smith to be detained at the U.S. Embassy while appealing his conviction, angering women's groups and left-wing activists. Smith's conviction has been hailed as a victory for women's rights and Philippine independence from its former colonizer.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Telltale Signs/ THE CARICATURE COUP

Trillanes, Lim and Guingona at the Manila Peninsula Hotel


Rodel E. Rodis

The 1986 People Power revolution that brought down the Marcos Dictatorship was instigated by the foiled coup attempt of a group of soldiers called the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) led by an ambitious young colonel named Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan. Although the RAM coup attempt failed, the government’s subsequent move to crush it resulted in the People Power overthrow of the Marcos Dictatorship.

Because the Philippines is a nation of copycats, young “idealistic” military officers have since sought to copy the RAM example. Including the last one on November 29, 2007, there have been at least thirteen abortive coups since 1986: nine against President Cory Aquino from 1986 to 1989 and four (so far) against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo since 2001.

The most serious coup attempt was the one that nearly toppled Aquino in December of 1989 and involved the military occupation of several hotels in Makati’s financial district. Led by Col. Honasan, who has been involved in virtually every coup attempt against the government, it included then Major (now General) Danilo Lim.

In 2003, a group of young junior officers and soldiers led by Lt. Antonio V. Trillanes IV mounted what has been called the “Oakwood Mutiny” after the plush hotel they occupied with high-powered weapons and explosives. The 60 “Magdalo” rebels, as they called themselves, surrendered after their 4-day siege failed to garner support from the Philippine military. The mutineers were charged with rebellion and are still going through legal proceedings.

What all these coup plotters forgot is that the 1986 RAM coup attempt against Marcos was effectively crushed before it could get started. In that ironic sense, though, all the 13 military coup attempts that sought to emulate the RAM example succeeded because they all failed.

In that ironic sense then, the latest coup attempt of Lt. Trillanes and Gen. Lim, staged at the Manila Peninsula Hotel last week, was a roaring success.

It was not a spontaneous coup, however, as it was seriously pre-planned. Both Trillanes and Lim had criminal hearings scheduled for November 29 at a courtroom in Makati when they left the courtroom, along with most of their guards, and marched on to the Manila Peninsula Hotel a few blocks away. While they were still en route to the hotel, their Magdalo group’s website, SUNDALO, was already announcing news of their “constitutional rescue” of the country and of their call on the people to rally behind them. Gen. Lim informed the press that other officers and soldiers from military camps all over the Philippines would soon join them as planned.

But they knew they could not succeed militarily, that much they learned from Trillanes’ disastrous 2003 Oakwood Mutiny and from Lim’s 1989 putschist adventure. They could only succeed politically but only if they were able to replicate and recreate the 1986 People Power revolution. In place of the charismatic Cardinal Jaime Sin, they had Bishop Antonio Tobias from Novaliches and Bishop Julio Labayen from Quezon. Instead of Cory Aquino, they had former Vice President Teofisto Guingona. To represent civil society, they had former UP President Francisco Nemenzo. And they had the entire Philippine media covering all their grievances against the “corrupt, vicious and illegitimate” government of President Arroyo.

If they could just hold on for another day, then the massive rallies already scheduled for Bonifacio Day, November 30, would surely converge at the Manila Peninsula Hotel to support them and People Power 3 would be on its way, with military commanders from all over the Philippines announcing their withdrawal of allegiance to the Arroyo government and political leaders pledging their support for the new government.

While Trillanes and Lim learned something from history, so did the government. Marcos and Estrada were ousted by People Power because they waited too long to crush the rebellion. This time, there would be no such hesitation and there would be no negotiations as were held during the Oakwood Mutiny. A Marine battalion was quickly dispatched to the Manila Peninsula Hotel with orders to quash the Magdalo rebellion immediately, which they accomplished with no loss of life.

In staging their rebellion, Trillanes and Lim presented themselves as the new Bonifacios of the Philippines while strangely invoking the name of a group with a questionable past. In his senatorial campaign literature, Trillanes explained that "the name 'Magdalo' is homage to Emilio Aguinaldo’s faction of the Katipunan Chapter in Cavite that supported and pushed for a revolutionary government as a replacement for the Katipunan.”

The Katipunan was the revolutionary organization founded by Supremo Andres Bonifacio which launched the revolution against Spain in 1896. In the course of that revolution, two Katipunan factions emerged in Cavite province, the Magdiwang, which was loyal to Bonifacio, and the Magdalo of Gen. Aguinaldo, which believed that the Katipunan was obsolete and needed to be replaced by a revolutionary government.

To unite the warring factions, a reconciliation meeting was held in Tejeros, Cavite but the meeting soon turned into a presidential convention with snap elections. While the Katipunan had chapters in at least eight provinces, the voters at the Tejeros convention were mostly Cavitenos, like Aguinaldo.

Gen. Aguinaldo was predictably elected president of the new revolutionary government that replaced the Katipunan and Bonifacio was elected Secretary of the Interior, perhaps as a gesture of unity. But one of Aguinaldo’s men, Daniel Tirona, questioned Bonifacio’s credentials because he was not a lawyer. This brazen insult to Bonifacio caused him to walk out of the convention and to declare the elections null and void because they were "fraudulent".

Before Bonifacio and his men could leave Cavite, however, “President” Aguinaldo ordered their arrest for treason. After a mock trial, Bonifacio and his brother were found guilty and sentenced to death. They were executed in Mt. Buntis by Gen. Lazaro Makapagal (another irony).

After Bonifacio’s execution, the tide of the revolution turned against Aguinaldo, who then negotiated his surrender to the Spaniards in the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. In exchange for P200,000 pesos, Aguinaldo and his men agreed to go into exile in Hongkong in December of 1897.

While George Santayana is famous for his line that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, he also wrote that “the world is a perpetual caricature of itself; at every moment it is the mockery and the contradiction of what it is pretending to be.”

Pretending to be the new Bonifacio of the Philippines, Trillanes emulates the name of the very group that executed his hero and that sold out the Philippine revolution, a mockery and contradiction all in one.

Send your comments to Rodel50@aol.com or log on to www.rodel50.blogspot.com. Letters can be sent to the Law Offices of Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call (415) 334-7800.

Ruthlessness Amidst the Restlessness

When Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim walked out of the court house, some people expected that their action would spark another "people power" revolution. But as the event unfolded, it turned out to be just another display of bravura.

For six hours Trillanes, Lim and about 30 rebel soldiers held the government forces at bay in the middle of a slashing storm. A former Vice-President, a Catholic bishop and a priest, a former U.P. president, several prominent citizens, and political activists joined them. They were hoping that this time around their movement would reach a critical mass that would explode into a popular uprising. Instead, it imploded like a dud. I wonder how it would have turned out had it happened on a clear and sunny day? Military strategists have always taken the weather into consideration when planning an attack.

Had Trillanes and Lim succeeded in evicting Arroyo from Malacanang, they would have been the new heroes. Yes, Filipinos love winners but disdain losers. The military top brass would have abandoned Arroyo at the blink of an eye and rallied behind them; after all, they were all comrades-in-arms. And the politicians -- the administration lap dogs as well as the opposition wanna-be's -- would have turned their political coats in a heartbeat.

Trillanes and Lim knew the dire consequences should they fail and possibly face death at the hands of Arroyo's forces. But when Arroyo's forces started the assault, they did not put up a fight. Instead they opted for the easy and convenient way out -- surrender. What a shame. A Roman centurion or a Japanese samurai would never have done that. They would rather have fallen to the sword. Such is the way of a true warrior.

After they surrendered, Trillanes said, "You have been witnesses to the kind of ruthlessness this administration has been giving to the people." "We're going out," he said, "for the sake of the safety of everybody, for your sake because we cannot live with our conscience if some of you get hurt or get killed in the crossfire."

There is truth to what Trillanes said about the "ruthlessness" of the administration or, to be more precise, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Her use of naked power to suppress dissent has been her trademark ever since she grabbed the presidency from Joseph Estrada in 2001. She would not hesitate to use emergency powers just like what she did in 2005. She imposed a curfew for no valid reason after Trillanes and Lim surrendered. The arrest and handcuffing of an 81-year old Catholic bishop and several journalists who covered the Trillanes-Lim mutiny only reinforced the perception that she would do whatever it takes to suppress dissent and rein in freedom of the press.

But the most damning manifestation of her ruthlessness was in her formal statement after the failed mutiny. She said: "The isolated wrongful acts of a few speak neither of the people's sentiments nor those in the uniformed services. They shall be dealt with firmly and uncompromisingly as in the past." There was no magnanimity nor a conciliatory tone in her six-paragraph statement. But what is dumbfounding was her statement: "Time and again, we have shown the world that stability of our democratic institutions and the strength of this government. Our strong republic is underlaine (sic) by a strong economy that has the full support of the Filipino people." Whoa! She calls several coup attempts, repeated calls for her resignation, widespread extrajudicial and political killings, and three impeachment resolutions "stability"?

In a recent survey by Pulse Asia, it was revealed that Arroyo's disapproval performance rating was 39% compared to an approval rating of 30%. And her "distrust" rating has gone up to 46% with only 23% trusting her. Clearly, she doesn't have the "full support of the Filipino people." In another survey by Social Weather Station, 30% of those polled said they were "better off before" while only 13% said they were "better off now." And among families with at least one member working overseas, 45% said that the strengthening of the peso did not make any difference while 37% said they were "better off before" and only 18% said they were "better off now."

Based on these surveys, the Filipino people are sending a strong and clear message that the country is not as stable as Arroyo thinks so. Behind the Filipinos' smiling face and "happy" demeanor is a restrained restlessness that has been smoldering for years. Balibakayans have been saying that the gap that divides the rich and the poor has been widening.

But violence is no longer a viable method to put to an end the morally corrupt Arroyo presidency. Many have tried but failed. Simply put, the government has superior military and police forces that would thwart any attempt to overthrow it. What the country needs is a non-violent revolution in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela. These great men proved that "civil disobedience" is much more potent than violent means in achieving change and progress. And we have in our midst today two great men -- Fr. Ed Panlilio and Tony Meloto -- who have already started the motion of changing our country.

In the few months since his election as governor of Pampanga, Fr. Panlilio demonstrated that corruption can be dealt with effectively. He set a new moral standard for leadership. And Meloto -- who has never been in politics before -- has done a great deal of work for the poor people through his leadership and advocacy of Gawad Kalinga. He proved that the Filipino people are capable of uniting and working together in the true spirit of "bayanihan."

Ultimately, a "moral revolution" would exorcise the evil that has possessed our country for so long. Fr. Panlilio and Meloto have what it takes to accomplish that. In my opinion, they are the only two leaders today that have the moral ascendancy to lead a crusade against corruption and poverty. The question is: are they willing to lead the people? I fervently hope so.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

"Narnia" at Sierra Madre Playhouse

November 23-December 23, 2007

Directed by Alison Kalmus

The story of four ordinary children: Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy Pevensie during World War II. They discover that the wardrobe in an old professor's house leads to the magical land of Narnia, currently under the spell of a witch. The children fulfill an ancient, mysterious prophecy as they help Aslan save Narnia from the evil White Witch who has reigned over the kingdom of Narnia for 100 years. Done as a live, BBC 1940's Radio Broadcast.

Review of the play "Narnia" by Jay Fermin ppp-usa soon to follow. I watched the November 24th Show and it was just fabulous.

Reserve now, and avoid sell outs!
Call 626-256-3809

Show Times and Dates:

Fridays at 8:00pm: 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21
Saturdays at 8:00pm: 11/24, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22
Saturdays at 2:30pm: 12/8, 12/15, 12/22
Sundays at 2:30pm: 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23
Sundays at 7:00pm: 12/16, 12/23
Tuesday at 8:00pm: 12/18
Wednesday at 8:00pm 12/19
Thursdays at 8:00pm: 12/13, 12/20

All Seats: $20

The Sierra Madre Playhouse
87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024