June 2007 Archives

By Christian V. Esguerra Inquirer ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey--Filipino success has a lot to do not just with skills but the right disposition. "Sometimes, it really depends on the person if he has the right attitude and the clarity of vision that should go with his skills," Mila Mendez, 54, tells the Inquirer in an interview at the sprawling Tropicana Hotel and Casino here. This was the formula Mila and her husband Fernando "Nanding" Mendez used when they first arrived in the United States in the 1980s. Mila has since moved from a clerical job at Dow Jones to a top marketing official at the American publishing and financial information firm. At one point she was earning more than $80,000 a year. Her husband was just as successful in the design, publishing and consultancy industry. Today the couple runs the Special Edition Press, a leading promoter of shows for Filipino communities in the New York-New Jersey area. Bonding On top of their thriving business, they own properties in both states, affording them the luxury of moving across the Hudson River depending on where they want to spend the weekend. How the Mendez couple was "made" in the big league was the product of sheer determination, skills and, of course, Divine Providence. It began when Nanding, the more "adventurous" of the two, left Manila to try it out in the US in 1982. He was already a successful art director in top advertising agencies back home. But he somehow felt -- and knew -- that he was meant for something bigger. He spent his first four years in Billings, Montana before Mila and their two sons -- Nathan and Marvin -- joined him in 1986. The family's reunion and subsequent "road trip" from Montana to New York had the clear mark of Nanding’s vision for his family. The cross-country trip took all of six days, taking the family to places like Dakota, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, New Jersey, and finally, the Big Apple. Whatever Nanding owned in Montana was heaped on a hitch attached to an old Nissan Maxima. In two weeks Mila was hired as an administrative manager -- a "glamorized" secretary, she says -- at the Knight-Ridder media company. The job wasn't anything close to her erstwhile job as marketing research analyst at the old Philippine Advertising Counselors Inc. But for an Asian trying to find her place in busy New York at that time, she really didn’t have much of a choice. Big gamble Nanding, a former art director also at the PAC, spent his first six months in the Big Apple doing design and consultancy work. Later he designed catalogues for a jewelry company before joining the prestigious Simon & Schuster publishing house. "Moving to the US was really a big gamble on my part," he says. "But I had skills and I knew I could get a nice job." Mila and Nanding, who met while working at the PAC, had practically the same determination and natural efficiency for climbing New York’s corporate ladder. Mila’s skills in marketing research and data analysis weren’t left unnoticed. In three months her boss promoted her to the position of international marketing manager. She later joined her boss at Dow Jones and her annual salary shot up from $28,000 to $37,000. The job also gave her a postcard view of New York from her office on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center I. She showed so much potential that her company sent her to study at the New York Financial Institute. When she left the company in 1994, she was a business manager for international marketing, earning around $80,000 yearly. Meanwhile Nanding too was making waves in the world of publishing and design. He says that back in the late 1980s, he was among the few in the business to notice the immense potential of incorporating computer with design. So he studied programs like QuarkXpress, Illustrator and Photoshop. As good an artist as he was, he knew computers could do the job better. “Back then, these programs were seen only as toys or computer additives,” he says. “I saw their potential in my work and I even ended up teaching them to several art directors in New York.” Special Edition Press By the mid-1990s, the Mendez couple knew they were ready to venture on their own. For some reason Nanding wanted to do a book on then President Fidel Ramos and Vice President Joseph Estrada. He and his wife ended up publishing a magazine reporting significant stories from home to Filipinos in the US. It had a circulation of around 25,000—said to be the biggest for any ethnic publication that time—and lasted for 10 years. Like other Filipino publications, the couple’s Special Edition Press magazine helped boost their compatriots’ “community consciousness” in the US. In 1994, they were offered to promote a show by Kuh Ledesma in New York. They took the job, partly because they were risk-takers, partly because of “dismay.” People like Mila and Nanding knew their art and advertising and just couldn’t stand seeing promo items like posters shaming—not showcasing—what’s good about Filipino entertainers set to visit the US. “Imagine cut-out pictures of Gary Valenciano pasted on some cheap paper,” she recalls. “Who would bother to go to a show being promoted just like that?” Whatever the couple learned in advertising work showed when their Special Edition company branched into promotions. Suddenly posters in the New York-New Jersey area took a semblance of a professional job. Promo tours were organized and effective, usually bringing Filipino celebrities to Filipino restaurants, groceries and other establishments. Special Edition had previously promoted concerts by Banig, Sharon Cuneta, Nora Aunor, and Gary V. Early this month the company teamed up with Kumustahan Inc. to bring the APO Hiking Society, Nanette Inventor and Heart Evangelista for a concert at the Boardwalk Hall here. Philippine fiesta in America Besides concerts, Filipinos in the East Coast look forward to the annual Philippine Fiesta in America every August at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. It’s popular and well-attended, says Mila, simply because it’s the real thing. On top of a trade fair, it has the ati-atihan march, arnis and chess demonstrations and a beauty pageant. The traditional novena procession isn’t only a commemoration of the mythical finding of the cross by St. Helena To Mila and Nanding. It’s also their way of expressing gratitude for the many blessings they’ve received.

By Tina Santos Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Members of a spiritual organization from all over the country will gather at 6 a.m. today in front of the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta in Manila to form a “human flag” as tribute to the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, on his 146th birth anniversary. The first-of-a-kind patriotic display of the flag is made up of 500 members of Bigkis ng Pangkalahatang Espirituwal at Materyal na Rizalista ng Inang Pilpinas Unibersal Pederasyon Inc., a federation of various Rizalista groups nationwide. “This is a symbol that the spirit of nationalism is alive,” said Bigkis president Gauvencio Serrano. “To be united as a people, we have to have a starting point of oneness,” he said. “Saan ba tayo pwede magsama-sama? The historical Rizal, the radical Rizal and the mystical Rizal. When it comes to Rizal’s teachings, we are one.” Participants will wear robes and caps according to the colors of the flag they represent, Serrano explained. The male members will be in red (Mindanao) and the females in blue (Visayas); the white (Luzon) is reserved for “Sagrada Pamilya” (Holy Family) or parents and their children; and the sun and stars, officials, leaders and incorporators of Bigkis. Descendants of Rizal are also expected to attend the wreath-laying rites in Luneta. Outgoing Manila Mayor Lito Atienza will lead the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal monument at 7 a.m., with National Historical Institute executive director Ludivico Badoy and members of the military. In a related activity, environment advocates will honor the national hero for his love of nature from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Orchidarium, also at the Rizal Park grounds. With Allison W. Lopez

By Oliver Pulumbarit Inquirer AFTER episodes where older works by filmmakers like Khavn Dela Cruz and Keith Deligero were featured, calls for entries were announced and the program “Dokyu” (Fridays, ABC 5, 10 p.m.) was ready to air the short-listed entries. The show’s current season is concentrating on the tilt, with competing students from different universities to be judged based on scores given by a panel of critics, and viewers via text voting. A list of over 160 hopefuls has been narrowed down to a select few. The winner of the P50,000 grand prize will be announced in August. Analytical perspective The reformatted show does away with the singular critique of the featured documentaries. The new episodes have an eclectic panel of critics—broadcast journalists Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala and Ed Lingao and journalism professor Danny Arao—whose reviews of the finalist documentaries offer an analytical perspective. Inquirer columnist Patricia Evangelista is the new host. A wide range of subjects and stories are tackled. Most of the finalists show technical proficiency and a cohesive attention to details. The more intriguing ones make the seemingly mundane topics many times interesting and captivating. In a recent episode, two gay-oriented entries were able to present sides to issues that homosexuals face. The first, “Nasaan ang Katawan ni Baklesh” by Gerardo Calagui, talks about the buff, gym-frequenting Pinoy gay man and how he has become an example of the growing diversity of queerdom. Three men’s thoughts on the matter are shared in the 11-minute docu, emphasizing that not all gay men can relate to the old stereotypes played by Dolphy and Roderick Paulate. Worth supporting Then there’s “When Fingers Talk Pink” by collaborators Benedict Navarro, Cindy Tejada and Leo Maranan. Running at 25 minutes, it dissects the origin of “Gay Sign Language,” created by a group of young gays. The recounting of their loved ones’ discoveries years back that they’re deaf—and later, gay—are sensitively executed. The creation of a new series of expressions is explained as well as the need for a rare minority group to come up with ways to communicate apart from the traditional “Filipino Sign Language” mode. The other finalists will have their share of air time. In such a limited span, these young talents have been challenged to tell real human interest stories, and to capture as many of their facets as possible. The new focus on the student competition, and the informative and creatively done entries, make “Dokyu” definitely worth seeing and supporting.

By Amando Doronila Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Five months after his inauguration in January 1962 as fifth president of the Third Philippine Republic, Diosdado Macapagal stunned the nation, as well as the United States, with a proclamation declaring June 12 as Independence Day, replacing July 4, the day when the United States relinquished sovereignty to Filipinos in 1946. As Filipinos celebrated yesterday the 45th anniversary of the historic change of date, the nation stood deeply divided, following the May 2007 election, in contrast to the euphoria that united the people when they celebrated the first June 12 behind a newly elected president. More than a million people packed the Luneta [now Rizal Park] in a sea of humanity, compared with fewer than 300,000 that attended previous Fourth of July celebrations. The first June 12 celebration crowd was surpassed in size and nationalistic fervor only by the Independence Day parade at the Luneta during the 1998 centennial of Philippine Independence proclaimed by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit. Macapagal of the Liberal Party, on the first June 12 celebration, seized the standard of Philippine nationalism from the Nacionalista Party administration of President Carlos P. Garcia, whom Macapagal defeated in the November 1961 election mainly on the issue of corruption stemming from Garcia’s “Filipino First” economy policy. Macapagal turned the tables on Garcia by accusing him of using economic nationalism to cover up corruption. He inaugurated a New Era administration promising “moral regeneration,” undertaking the liberalization of the economy under the tenets of “free enterprise,” and lifting a regime of foreign exchange and import controls that favored cronies of Garcia with business advantages and windfall profits from foreign exchange and import licensing. Macapagal, a charismatic, articulate and visionary leader, at first inspired great expectations of political and economic reforms and in ethical standards for the presidency, with his New Era programs modeled on US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s revolutionary 1934 New Deal that sparked the US recovery from the Great Depression of 1929 to 1933. But within months of his inauguration, Macapagal plunged into the turmoil of scandals and controversies spawned by his reforms, and rapidly dissipated the enormous political capital he had won in the election. Yesterday, the nation marked with a tinge poignancy one of the undoubtedly memorable legacies of the first Macapagal presidency to the nation, including the agrarian reform program and a strong suit for foreign policy, under the administration of his daughter, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. When President Arroyo presided over yesterday’s Independence Day rites, she was less of a nationalist vis-à-vis the United States than her illustrious father and had slipped into public disfavor more deeply than her father at the lowest ebb of his political fortunes, after she was overwhelmingly repudiated by the Filipino people in the last Senate election. When Macapagal spoke at the Luneta on his first June 12 address to the nation, his speech was drowned by waves of thunderous applause from more than a million Filipinos packed at the Luneta, waving small Philippine flags, especially when he said: “In the discharge of my responsibility as President of the Republic, I moved the observance of the anniversary of our independence to this day, because a nation is born into freedom on the day when such a people molded into a nation by a process of cultural evolution and sense of oneness born of common struggle and suffering, announce to the world that it asserts its natural right to liberty and is ready to defend it with blood, life and honor.” Macapagal had first noted, as a junior officer of the Philippine foreign service, that the celebration of a common Independence Day with the United States on July 4 “caused considerable inconvenience” since the American celebration “dwarfed that of the Philippines” and the common event “served to perpetuate unpleasant memories” of American colonial subjugation of the Philippines. In his memoirs, Macapagal said that after checking the reaction to shifting Independence Day to June 12, he found there was virtual unanimity on the desirability of transferring the celebration from July 4. A few suggested Jan. 21, the opening day of the Malolos Congress in 1899, or Jan. 23, when the Congress ratified the Kawit independence proclamation on June 12. The problem with these other dates was that the government Aguinaldo established when he proclaimed independence on June 12 was a dictatorship, and June 12 became the consensus. Macapagal found the occasion to declare the break on May 9, when the US House of Representatives rejected the $73-million additional war damage bill to the Philippines. The rejection touched off a wave of public indignation in the Philippines. It came as Macapagal was scheduled to make a state visit to the United States. He postponed the visit, and told US President John F. Kennedy in a letter: “The feeling of resentment among our people and attitude of the US Congress negate the atmosphere of goodwill upon which my state visit … was predicated.” The shift was one of the most widely applauded decisions Macapagal ever made. To emphasize the symbolism, he invited Aguinaldo to be the guest of honor at the first June 12 celebration. Aguinaldo wrote Macapagal to express his “profound gratitude” for the proclamation, calling it a “patriotic act” and saying that June 12 was the date “when we announced to the whole world that we were a free and independent nation.” The shift was formalized into law on Aug. 4, 1964, when Macapagal signed Republic Act 4166, declaring June 12 as Philippine Independence Day. July 4 faded into history to be known as Republic Day.

By Vincent Cabreza Inquirer BAGUIO CITY, Philippines -- The flag believed by heirs of Emilio Aguinaldo to be that unfurled by the general in Kawit, Cavite, in 1898 still received no respect at Tuesday’s rites marking the 109th Independence Day. Marching bands accompanying the city government’s Freedom Day parade loudly made their way down Session Road, but only a handful of people paid quiet homage to the tattered relic encased in glass at the Aguinaldo Museum on Happy Glen Loop here. Emilio Aguinaldo Suntay III, the general’s great grandson, said he was glad that some people still managed to show up. The bad news, he said, was that the flag had only “our lifetime” -- or 30-50 more years -- to last. Suntay said technicians and preservation specialists of various facilities, including the Washington-based Smithsonian Institution, earlier warned the family that there was no technology available to restore and preserve the flag at its present state. He said the decay of the silk fabric had progressed beyond any known method of chemically or physically preserving it. “Nothing lasts, anyway. And that goes double for fabric,” Suntay said. Former Baguio representative Honorato Aquino, lawyer of the Aguinaldo heirs, said the family might seek a second opinion from Japanese experts. Meanwhile, Suntay said, the family would maintain the procedures that scientists had required for preserving the flag, “for as long as it remains intact.” The family was prepared for the flag’s inevitable decay, Suntay said. He said this was why he and other family members had commissioned University of the Philippines experts to replicate the flag down to the silk fabric. The replica was displayed here during the centennial of Philippine Independence in 1998. The original flag was later framed and secured from the ceiling of the Baguio museum. The National Historical Institute has yet to authenticate the original flag despite years of probing. But it was responsible for wrapping the fragile relic in a metallic net to keep the fabric from shredding under its own weight. The city government offered in 2006 to help raise capital to preserve the flag, but Suntay said the Aguinaldo heirs decided to raise the funds themselves. He said they were raised to follow a principle espoused by US President John F. Kennedy. “It doesn’t matter what the country can do for you, but what you can do for your country -- and what we are doing is protecting this symbol,” he said. Suntay said his grandmother, Cristina Aguinaldo Suntay, started this crusade when she inherited the flag, which the family discovered under the general’s deathbed. The original flag is distinctive because its sun bears a golden face paler than that in the contemporary flag that Baguio residents waved during Tuesday’s Freedom Day parade. The section symbolizing peacetime is light blue, in contrast to the dark blue hue in the contemporary flag. The phrase “Fuerzas Expedicionarias del Norte de Luzon” runs across one side of the flag, and the words “Libertad” and “Justicia” on the other side. Lack of funds has forced the family to share the original flag’s glass casing with an authentic flag used by General Gregorio del Pilar. Suntay said the family also managed to preserve a bloodstained flag used by Aguinaldo during the Philippine-Spanish War. Most of Tuesday’s visitors to the museum belonged to the anthropology class of Danish teacher Lars Kjaerholm, who has been sending students to the Philippines for social immersion activities. Baguio’s official representatives to the program were officials of the village of Salud Mitra led by village chief Nida Galace. Suntay said he did not mind the seeming snub of the family’s precious relic. His niece, Anna Suntay, attributed the low turnout of visitors to Malacañang’s earlier announcement that June 12 was a regular working day.

By INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has proclaimed June 12 as Philippine Independence Day in the American City “in appreciation of the contributions that Filipino-Americans have made,” Philippine Consul General Blesilda Cabrera said in a statement issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs Tuesday. The statement said Daley presented the proclamation to Cabrera during the reception he hosted on June 7 to mark Philippine Independence Day and celebrate Chicago's Philippine-American community. Daley also encouraged all Chicagoans to appreciate the contributions the Filipino-American community has made to Chicago, the statement said. In remarks, Daley said Filipino immigrants have played a major role in strengthening the cultural diversity, economic vitality and global presence of Chicago for more than 100 years. He cited Filipinos' strong family values and commitment to quality education and said he looked forward to continue working with the Filipino community to make Chicago “the best city in the world.” Daley also presented certificates of appreciation to three Filipino-Americans -- Dr. Virgilio Jonson, Angeles Carandang and Sam Castagña -- for their leadership in making Chicago a better place to live, work and raise a family in. The Filipino community, for its part, presented Daley with a painting of a countryside scene in the Philippines.

By Maila Ager INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reiterated her call for unity on Tuesday urging all leaders to set aside politics and prioritize the interest of the people as she led the country's celebration of the 109th anniversary of Independence Day. “Obligasyon nating lahat sa ating mga ninuno lalo na sa mga nagbuwis ng kanilang dugo at buhay para sa ating kalayaan na tayo’y magkaisa at magsikap upang mabigyan ng magandang buhay ang bawat Filipino (It is our duty to our forebears, especially to those who gave their lives for our freedom, that we unite and uplift the quality of life of every Filipino),” Arroyo said in her speech after flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. “Kung nakipaglaban noon ang ating mga bayani upang matamo ang kalayaan, nararapat lamang na ipagpatuloy natin ang naunang layunin upang mapalaya ang sambayanan mula sa kahirapan (If our heroes fought to gain our independence, then it is but fitting that we continue their legacy to free our nation from poverty),” she said. “The people desire political stability and economic reforms. It is hoped that we will continue on the path that gives priority to the people instead of politics, she added. The President had made the call for national reconciliation during her speech at the adjournment of the 13th Congress last Thursday, where she urged both her political allies and foes to move forward from the “contentious” May polls. Arroyo said this year’s Independence Day celebration would be more meaningful if every one would show his heroism in facing the present challenges of the country. Improving the economy and its continued growth was a key to liberate the Filipino people from poverty, the President said. Instead of politics, Arroyo boasted that her administration is more focused on pro-growth, pro-trade and pro-investment strategies that would help address the problem of poverty of more Filipinos. She mentioned the robust growth of the economy, a more balanced budget and, more importantly, expenditures for public service can be had as well as an increase in the salaries of government employees, she pointed out. The President ended her speech with a prayer for everyone, especially for those in need. This year's theme was “Sama-sama sa pagpupunyagi at pagdiriwang.”

By Vincent Cabreza Northern Luzon Bureau BAGUIO CITY, Philippines--You won’t find the Philippine flag laid out on the tombstones of Ibaloi revolutionary heroes Mateo “Kustacio” Carantes and Mateo Cariño on Tuesday, Independence Day. This omission was not made out of spite. Few in this generation recall the names of their former presidents, much less obscure members of the Katipunan in Igorot country, who helped General Emilio Aguinaldo escape from the Americans when the Philippine-American war broke out in 1899. Ignorance, however, is no longer an excuse, at least for a group of young Igorot professionals who have started filming the legacy of their region’s cultural and historical heroes. Dr. Ryan Guinaran and Betty Lestino have formed ResearchMate Inc. to draw factual accounts of Igorot heroism for this generation of Cordillerans. ResearchMate has completed filming a reenactment of the liberation of Baguio and Benguet, using amateur actors, aged between 12 and 30 years old. The film focuses on war veterans from Ibaloi, Kankaney, and Mt. Province groups who stayed here to fight in spite of the fact that the Imperial Japanese Army had converted Camp John Hay into its Philippine headquarters during World War II. Many of the actors are great, great grandchildren of these veterans, who were teenagers when they fought the Japanese. Sections of the film are posted on YouTube on the web or are promoted enthusiastically by Cordilleran bloggers to overseas Igorots. Guinaran said he hoped to get the films distributed in schools, or even through the pirated DVD network to win a wider audience. He may follow the marketing strategy used by Raymund Red who toured the independently produced movie, “Sakay,” around the country alongside his actors. Heroism is an oft-quoted value that has lost its meaning to present generations, according to Listino, a former researcher of the Philippine Rice Institute. She said this has been working against the case for Igorot heroes, who were too far off the fringe of mainstream society to even win official recognition. The heirs of Carantes said it took Ibaloi families years of painstaking research to even get the National Historical Institute to acknowledge their great grandparents as legitimate Katipuneros. Carantes was a community leader who coordinated the Katipunan activities in the Cordillera during the 1896 Revolution. Notes compiled by the late Ibaloi historian Geoffrey Carantes indicated that Mateo Carantes may have helped hide Aguinaldo as he made his way through the Cordilleras to escape American troops. Members of the Cariño clan have obtained the most-detailed archival records about their great grandfather from the United States. Aside from Cariño’s revolutionary links, he was also credited with winning a landmark US Supreme Court case that recognized his right over lands that became Camp John Hay. The US military converted Cariño’s pastureland into a garrison. The Ibaloi protested America’s actions in a series of cases that culminated in 1909, the same year the summer capital was officially chartered.

By Jerome Aning Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Honor the unsung heroes -- the teachers and poll watchdog volunteers who served in the recent midterm elections, as well as the victims of extrajudicial killings and involuntary disappearances. This was the Independence Day message of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo. Aside from honoring the heroes who helped the country attain nationhood 109 years ago, he urged Filipinos to remember the ordinary heroes. “In the attempt to showcase some great, mighty and popular personalities as icons of the bayani (hero), let us not lose sight of the innumerable and unnamed bayani of our country’s history,” Lagdameo said Monday in a statement reflecting on the theme of Tuesday’s Independence Day celebration: “Kalayaan 2007: Bayan, Bayani, Bayanihan.” The prelate cited the volunteers of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections and the public school teachers “who, despite odds, difficulties, obstacles, frustrations and threats, defended the sacredness of the ballot against those desecrating groups.” Lagdameo added: “In the midst of rampant and wholesale ‘buy and sale’ of votes, there were still those who refused to be controlled by the dictatorship of money. Their small stories are worth noting down on Independence Day.” A teacher, Nellie Banaag, and a poll watcher, Leticia Ramos, died in a fire on May 15 after five armed men torched a school in Taysan, Batangas, during the counting of votes. Another teacher, school district supervisor Musa Dimasidsing who exposed cheating in the Maguindanao provincial elections, was shot dead on Saturday. Lagdameo said in his message that the extrajudicial killings, involuntary disappearances, and cases of graft and corruption should be a reminder to everyone “that while we have been liberated from the control of foreign invaders, we are victims of the abuses and exploitation of fellow Filipinos.” He added: “There is so much demand for restitution for helpless and voiceless victims. May we not consider the uncompensated victims also bayani ng bayan (nation’s heroes), especially since their appeals are apparently falling on deaf ears?” The Catholic Church in the Philippines has joined the clamor for “the restoration or return of the victims of disappearances,” the archbishop said in his message. “Our prayer is that they will be allowed to return safe and sound to their grieving and anxious families, to enjoy basic freedom.”

FILIPINOS in Saipan trooped to the Civic Center in Susupe for the annual Pistang Pinoy celebration of Philippine independence. Here's an excerpt from the Saipan Tribune article:

For thousands of Filipinos and their families in the CNMI, the Civic Center in Susupe was ground zero last Sunday, with the annual Pistang Pinoy in celebration of this year’s 109th Philippine Independence.

The annual tradition, prefaced by the raising of the Philippine flag at the grounds of the Marianas Business Plaza (the erstwhile Nauru Building), was held two days ahead of schedule to ensure the participation of hundreds in the all-day affair. Headed by Philippine Consul General Wilfredo DL Maximo and other consulate and labor officials, dozens of Filipinos representing different organizations and groups gathered at the back of Marianas Business Plaza on Sunday for the Independence Day ceremony at 7am.

The Saipan Tribune also posted Consul General Maximo's Independence Day message.

HERE'S an excerpt from the Hernando Today article:

WEEKI WACHEE — Maria Busque was born in the Philippines, lived among other Filipinos for years in Canada and California, but she never felt the urge to join a club with others who shared her ethnicity until she moved to Florida. “Everybody here is friendly,” Busque, who was still chewing the last bit of food she had eaten during Saturday’s cookout. “I love the activities. We are very active in the community. Here, you have to give back. “In California, it was totally different,” she continued. “You felt like an outsider.” The Hernando County Philippine-American Association celebrated the 109th Philippine Independence Day Saturday at Linda Pedersen Park.

PHILIPPINE President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stressed the need for economic reforms to free Filipinos from poverty in her Independence Day speech. She called on every Filipino to become productive and on every government agency to put the needs of the public first, so that the sacrifices of the heroes who fought and died for the country's freedom would not be in vain. Arroyo called for "pro-investment" policies that would help the Philippines continue its economic growth in the speech she delivered at the Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park in Manila. Arroyo ended her speech with a prayer. The Independence Day parade has begun, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines performing the parade and review.

By Maila Ager INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines--President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday led the country's celebration of the 109th anniversary of Independence Day at the Luneta Park in Manila. After the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies, the President will deliver her speech before proceeding to Malacañang for the traditional vin d' honneur at 10:30 a.m. This year's theme was "Sama-sama sa pagpupunyagi at pagdiriwang." Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano said this year's celebration was timely, in that it was held after what he described as "divisive" mid-term elections last May. "It's a good way to shift gears," Durano told reporters. Aside from Durano, other government officials who graced the event were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon, Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes., Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, among others.

By Michael Lim Ubac Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--On the eve of the 109th commemoration of Philippine independence from colonial rule, the United States ambassador said the country remained “very free.” “Happy independence,” Ambassador Kristie Kenney said. “This is a great country filled with wonderful people. We’re proud to celebrate independence amongst all of you. It’s clear, to all of us, (this is) a very special moment,” she said, adding that she “feels at home here.” Kenney said the country was on the correct path having chosen a democratic setup. “Now, we can all agree that sometimes democracy is not pretty, [but] it sure beats the heck out of the alternative,” she told reporters at Malacañang after the rites honoring slain US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell. “I have a great picture in my office … the Philippine flag going up and the American flag coming down. I think it’s a great symbol of the wonderful friendship we’ve always had,” Kenney said. The picture she was referring to was of the July 4, 1946 rites when the US formally gave the Philippines back its freedom. This took place at the Luneta in Manila. The Stars and Stripes was lowered as the Philippine flag was raised in its place. On Aug. 4, 1964, President Diosdado Macapagal, Ms Arroyo’s father, changed the date of Philippine independence to June 12, 1898, the date Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed freedom from Spain in Kawit, Cavite. Kenney enumerated the things Filipinos should be grateful for: “Filipinos are known throughout the world for their hospitality, their innovations, their services, their climbing Mount Everest, their cooking in the White House, their winning boxing matches, their hosting important international summits. “And if I can say on a personal note, I thank all of you. I feel at home here. I consider this my home now. And I know my colleagues would feel the same. That’s never been the case in other countries -- a special place,” she said.

AS we celebrate the 109th anniversary of Philippine independence, let's remind ourselves that, in spite of all the challenges we face, we still have a lot to be thankful for, and should be proud of being Filipino. That's something that's hard to remember in the face of all the bad news that we read, see and hear. As I've blogged in @play, we have to show readers that not everything has to be tragic in order to be newsworthy. This need is even greater for all our countrymen who are outside the country, many of whom are already enduring loneliness, homesickness and other hardships, only to be dismayed by the kind of news they read. Not that we're saying we should stop reporting the truth, no matter how unsavory it may be. But as many of these readers have told us in their comments, surely a lot of good things are also happening, in the Philippines and in Filipino communities all over the world. They hunger for good news, because the world doesn't just revolve around show biz and political scandals. And they also hunger for news about their own communities, wherever they may be in the world. Which is why we've launched Being Filipino, to complement our Global Nation site and celebrate everything that's good about the Pinoy. And to celebrate Philippine Independence, we're encouraging you to e-mail your videos and photos of Independence Day celebrations in your corner of the world. All submissions will be subject to editorial discretion. Videos should run for no more than 10 minutes and be less than 100MB. They must be in WMV, ASF, QT, MOD, MOV, MPG, 3GP, 3GP2 or AVI format, and have audio. Videos should be sent via e-mail to inquirerdotnetvideos@yahoo.com.ph and include a brief description of 100 words or less. So, let's start feeling good about being Filipino. Isn't it about time?

HERE'S an excerpt from the article in The China Post:

Not even the rain could stop some 1,000 members and friends of the Philippine community in Taiwan from celebrating the 109th anniversary of Philippine independence yesterday. Organized by the Labor Center of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), an elaborate parade featuring colorful traditional costumes kicked off the day-long event at Taoyuan Covered Stadium. None of the wet, dreary atmosphere outside seeped into the grand venue, where balloons, streamers, and other party paraphernalia made for the festive event, as children ran around playfully and families and friends chatted away on the stands.

A VENDOR sells Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila to be used for the celebration of Philippine Independence Day. Photo courtesy of INQUIRER/Ryan Lim.

By Dr. Pablo S. Trillana III Inquirer (Editor's Note: The author is a former chair of the National Historical Institute and currently Knight Grand Officer of the Knights of Rizal.) MANILA, Philippines--Within a week of each other, the nation will commemorate two events of great national significance -- the declaration of independence in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12, 1898, and the birth of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal on June 19, 1861. These seemingly disparate events, in the course of our story as a people, led to a historical conjunction that gave birth to our modern nation. It would be difficult to think of one without the other. The radical idea of separating from Spain through a revolution is generally laid at the doorstep of the Katipunan. This was the secret society founded on July 7, 1892, the day the decree of Rizal's exile "to one of the southern islands" was published in the Gaceta de Manila. In truth, the roots of separatist ideas reached deeper into the past. On Dec. 12, 1896, in preparing his defense against the charge of rebellion, Rizal acknowledged these roots: "Separatist ideas have existed in the Philippines for many years. In this century alone there occurred many uprisings: Those of Novales, Cuesta, Apolinario, in the Ilocos and Pangasinan, of the regiment of the Pampangos, of Cavite and again that of Pangasinan in 1884." Novales was Capt. Andres Novales, a Spanish mestizo who led a revolt in 1823 and declared himself "Emperor of the Philippines." His armed uprising was foiled and he was executed. Cuesta was Lt. Jose Cuesta, another Spanish mestizo who, in 1854, rebelled and declared the country's independence from Spain. He was also captured and then hanged. Apolinario, on the other hand, was Apolinario de la Cruz, more popularly known as Hermano Pule, a native of Lucban, whose movement called the Cofradia de San Jose attracted thousands of followers in Tayabas, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite. They were suspected of being heretics and subversives and were attacked in 1841 on the slopes of Mt. San Cristobal in Tayabas. Pule was captured, shot and quartered. Early conquest years Going back farther, down to the early conquest years, the sons and relatives of Rajah Matanda, Lakandula and Rajah Soliman attempted in 1574 to separate from the Spaniards and regain leadership over their ancient domains. Thirteen years later, Magat Salamat and Agustin de Legazpi led the so-called "Revolt of the Lakans (1587-88)" to drive away the Spaniards. Both attempts failed. The uprisings were easily suppressed. They were not based "on the necessity of the whole nation," a principal reason, according to Rizal, why they failed. There was yet no clear idea of nation, no national sentiment that could galvanize disparate ethnolinguistic communities into a united yet widespread struggle for independence. Rizal changed all that and gave the idea of independent nationhood moral clarity. Social order Rizal’s choice of means were words. When Filipinos were falling for the line that our culture was nonexistent before the arrival of Spain, he found Antonio de Morga's "Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas" (Events in the Philippine Isles), first published in 1609, and annotated it to emphasize the richness and liveliness of our pre-colonial past. In "Noli Me Tangere" (The Social Cancer), published in 1887, Rizal took the bold step of laying bare the cancerous present by accurately depicting everyday events under the velvet heel of Spanish oppression, leading up to "El Filibusterismo" (The Reign of Greed), which came out in 1891, his call to revolution. And in "Las Filipinas Dentro de Cien Años" (The Philippines a Century Hence), Rizal lightly parted the veil of the future to give a glimpse of the direction toward which the country was heading. In these works, Rizal created a climate of opinion that questioned the existing social order. If Spain, after more than 300 years of colonial rule, had nothing more to offer than tears and chains for the indios, it was time for the Filipinos to separate from her by regaining their freedom and establishing their own nation. Rizal clearly laid out the historical basis for independence in Las Filipinas Dentro de Cien Años: If Spain would not introduce equitable laws and sincere reforms to assimilate Filipinos then he predicted that "the Philippines one day will declare herself inevitably and unmistakably independent." Peace or destruction? It is true that the national hero emphasized education as the foundation upon which the Filipinos could succeed in developing a fledgling nation. He condemned the 1896 revolution of Bonifacio because Rizal believed that conditions were not ripe for its success. Armed struggle, however, was an option that remained on his mind. On June 19, 1887, his 26th birthday, Rizal wrote to his good friend Ferdinand Blumentritt: "I assure you that I have no desire to take part in conspiracies which seem to me too premature and risky. But if the government drives us to them, that is to say, when no other hope remains to us but to seek our destruction in war, when the Filipinos would prefer to die rather than endure longer their misery, then I will also become a partisan of violent means. The choice of peace or destruction is in the hands of Spain…"

By Peter La. Julian Northern Luzon Bureau BATAC, Ilocos Norte--Instead of focusing solely on the national language, Filipino, the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF or Commission on the Filipino Language) has revised its vision toward the development, propagation, and preservation of the country's more than 179 dialects and regional languages. "The KWF leadership has agreed to establish a center for information, documentation, and research on the languages and various literatures of the Philippines," said Dr. Ricardo Ma. Nolasco, KWF chairman. Nolasco, a Bicolano who spoke in Filipino, delivered the keynote address in a recent international gathering here of 182 Filipino educators, scholars, and writers from the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera, the United States, and Japan. Called "Nakem" (consciousness or maturity in Iloko), the three-day affair tackled, beside the Ilocano diaspora, the state of Philippine dialects and languages, and was held at the Mariano Marcos Memorial State University here. Nolasco said the center, to be established within three years, will create original and model dictionary, grammar, and orthography (spelling), scholarly journals and literacy materials and references for teaching various disciplines. He said the center will be a storehouse of data on various dialects and languages, equipped with audio and video recording of communicative events, including annotations and commentaries. The project is in line with the policy, "Isang Bansa, Maraming Wika" (One Nation, Many Languages), which is the basis for this year's language theme, "Many Languages, Strong Country," Nolasco said. He said English, as one of the country's official languages, would also be enhanced. He said the policy has been formulated in keeping with the fact that the Filipino is multi-lingual and multi-cultural and that the country's having more than 170 dialects and regional languages is not a handicap but a big advantage. "It is ordinary for a Filipino to know how to speak two or more languages," Nolasco said, citing the case of President Macapagal-Arroyo who can speak Kapampangan, Sinebwano, Iloko, Tagalog, English, and Spanish. He said, however, that the country has a national language, Filipino, that has become a common language for various ethno-linguistic groups. He nevertheless admitted that Filipino is simply Tagalog in syntax and grammar, with no grammatical element or lexicon coming from Iloko, Sinebwuano, Ilonggo, and other major Philippine languages. This is contrary to the intention, he said, of Republic Act 7104 that requires that the national language should be developed and enriched by the lexicon of the country's other dialects and languages. The KWF is working toward that direction and would conduct research and studies not only on the national language but also on the country's dialects and languages, Nolasco said.

By Gian Camacho Inquirer THERE is no other family I know of that's as intensely defined by international migration than mine. I haven't encountered any other family as mobile as mine. Beginning with my great grandfather, Gavino Camacho, our family has so far accumulated a grand total of 77 years of migration history, which effectively covers all three major waves of Filipino migration abroad. Although the first generation of Filipino migrants could be traced all the way back to the Spanish colonial era, particularly during the galleon trade, the history of Overseas Filipino Workers is popularly divided into three systematic waves. First wave The first wave began from 1900s to the 1930s and was composed of pensionados, Filipino students awarded with academic scholarships to American universities, and agricultural laborers recruited by the US government to work in the vast sugar and pineapple plantations of Hawaii. My great grandfather Gavino belonged to this wave. He used to work as a rig driver in our hometown, Bayambang, Pangasinan. Without much to live by with his and his wife Antonia's earnings, my Lolo Gavino and several men in his barrio decided to volunteer as plantation workers in 1930, during the final years of the American government's massive recruitment of Ilocano laborers for Hawaii's sugar and pineapple plantations. World War II Because of Gavino's departure in 1930, the family he left behind had to work hard to get by. My great grandmother Antonia’s earnings as local midwife weren't enough to feed all her five children. So my grandfather Justo Camacho, with his siblings Bernardo, Calixto, Fulgencia and Clara, had to start working at a very young age. My Lolo Justo can't even imagine how they managed to survive all those years without a father to support them. All they had to rely on was the entire family's pooled earnings and sporadic remittances from Lolo Gavino. There even came a time when they lost all contact with Lolo Gavino after the Second World War broke out. It was only after the war that Lolo Justo and his siblings got word on Lolo Gavino's whereabouts. Through the help of Emmanuel Pelaez, then secretary of Foreign Affairs, they found out that Lolo Gavino was still in Hawaii. But with the good news that their father was still alive and well came the discovery that Lolo Gavino already had another family in Hawaii. From that time on, the Camacho siblings realized that they really only had each other and their mother to rely on to survive. My Lolo Justo and his brothers and sisters began building families of their own and managed to make a decent living by becoming one of the pioneering families that went into onion farming in our Pangasinan hometown. In spite of having no father to guide and support them, Lolo Justo and his siblings secured a relatively comfortable life for themselves and each of them found success and respectability in the town. During Lolo Gavino's absence, Lolo Justo and his siblings received a significant degree of prominence in Bayambang town through their renowned values of hard work and service. Lolo Gavino's last visit Lolo Justo became the most respected captain of their home barrio for almost 30 years while his younger brother Calixto had a long and fruitful career serving the people as town mayor. It took over 40 years for Lolo Gavino and his family in the Philippines to be reunited, but only for a brief period. In 1971, my great grandfather returned home for a 40-day vacation, which turned out to be his last and only visit to the Philippines after moving to Hawaii. After seeing my Lolo Justo and his siblings getting by well enough without him, Lolo Gavino returned to his family in Hawaii where he spent the final years of his life. It was my Aunt Lourdes, Lolo Justo's eldest child, who spearheaded our family's inclusion in the second wave of Philippine labor migration. Armed with a working visa, Aunt Lourdes left for the United States in the early '70s, and became part of one of the final batches of the second major wave of Filipino migrants. Exodus to US The migrants of the second wave were family members of first generation American labor migrants and Filipino World War II veterans who were given US special citizenship opportunities because of their service during the war. Aside from these groups, post-World War II America experienced the immigration of Filipino professionals from the medical, nursing, accounting, engineering and other technical fields -- this was the group in which my Aunt Lourdes belonged. In 1980, she facilitated the migration of my Lolo Justo and his wife, Lola Monica to the United States. In a slightly warped sense, 1980 turned out to be the right year for Lolo Justo to move to America because a few months after migrating there, Lolo Gavino died in Hawaii. Lolo Justo flew to Hawaii that same year to go to my great grandfather's funeral and finally met his half-siblings there. Third wave After acquiring American citizenship in the mid-80s, Lolo Justo started taking all of his unmarried children (my father among them) with him to the United States. Because it took a longer time to petition for the migration of married children, it was only two years ago when Lolo Justo finally completed sending for all his other children left behind in the Philippines. With the departure of Lolo Justo’s children who stayed back in the Philippines at first, the series of migrations that my Aunt Lourdes started was finally closed. They are all in California now. But the international exodus of my family did not end there. Some family members went on to join the third wave of Filipino labor migrants. This third wave began in the mid-70s when the Middle East oil boom created a huge demand for Filipino contract workers. It’s is still going on at present and is now composed mostly of Filipino contract workers trying to meet the demands of the international labor market. Some of my aunts and cousins joined this exodus of Filipino laborers to different parts of the globe. This effectively completed our family's inclusion in all three major waves of Philippine labor migration. These days, my Lolo Justo still finds it unbelievable that through our long history of migration, the entire family has found security and contentment in life. Global Pinoys Of his 16 children, 15 made something of themselves after grabbing the opportunity of a better life through overseas work. Some of my cousins now work in Singapore, Hongkong, Taiwan and Dubai. (Four members of the fifth generation -- a nephew and three nieces -- are also based in California now.) As for me, after looking back at the family’s labor migration history, it's no wonder that the world of overseas Filipinos continues to fascinate me. Because of this fascination, the subject of Philippine labor migration continues to dominate my research work in school. My immersion in a family made up of four generations of Global Pinoys, beginning from my Lolo Gavino down to mine and my cousins', has certainly contributed a lot to defining who and what I am right now. Gian S. Camacho, 21, graduated with honors from San Beda College with a degree in Philosophy last March. He has been admitted to the College of Law of the University of the Philippines this school year.

By Apples Aberin Sadhwani Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--In celebration of Independence Day, here’s a shout out to all Filipino designers who make us truly proud to be Pinoy! To Rafé, Lesley Mobo, Monique Lhuillier, Cesar Gaupo, Bea Valdez and all those who’ve successfully ventured out to the highly competitive international fashion scene, kudos for putting us on the map and setting a wonderful example for all aspiring designers here in the Philippines. Yes, it is possible to dream big and to actually see one’s dreams come to fruition. To those who’ve stayed and who continue to elevate the standards of the local fashion industry -- that means you, Inno Sotto, Auggie Cordero, Jojie Lloren, Cesar Gaupo (again!), among others -- a big thank you for setting the bar and providing local clients a taste of high fashion at its finest. To those who continue to build and promote local brands like Tyler, Aranaz, Bench, F&H, Kashieca, Kamiseta, Bayo and such, thereby promoting locally designed products, please continue to collaborate with our extremely talented homegrown designers, who are not only brimming with ideas but who also understand the market they are serving. To all young designers and newbies out there, who continue to design and create in spite of limited resources, fueled only by passion for their craft, a big pat on the back for your tenacity and perseverance, which serve as an inspiration to others who are also struggling to be seen and heard. We, in Inquirer Lifestyle, hope to help spread the message that the Philippines is rife with talented individuals who need and deserve all the support they can get. We also hope to serve as a venue for you, our dear readers, to discover new faces and talents, as well as rediscover older (but not necessarily old!) ones. With that, here are four relatively new designers, who have joined and won various competitions here and abroad, and who are slowly but surely making their marks in the local fashion industry. Dimple Perez Lim, 25 First Grantee, Ben Farrales Scholarship Foundation, 2002; Crowd Favorite, Wild Vines Fashionista 2003; Second Place, Philippine Shoe Competition, 2003; Best in Casual, Fashion Institute of the Philippines Graduation Show, 2006; Bench Choice Award, Philippine Fashion Design Competition 2007 Educational background: BS Interior Design -- College of the Holy Spirit Certificate in Patternmaking -- Lasalle International All Pattern courses -- Fashion Institute of the Philippines What's your design philosophy? Imagination + reality = function. Everything is all about yin-yang. You have to be crazy but defined, fun and serious, avant-garde but wearable, old but new. When and how did you get started in the fashion business? I started in my parents' garments factory during my grade-school summer vacation. I would trim and pack T-shirts. Serendipitously, a few years ago, I would be in the same situation, but this time designing clothes for a street-wear brand. That was the time I affirmed that this is my destiny. What are your current projects? I'm working on a collection with my accessory-designer friend Jackie Tan and we will be launching it very soon. I’m also doing made-to-measure clothes for various clients and I’m collaborating with my cousin’s retail company. What makes you proud to be a Pinoy fashion designer? It makes me all the more proud being a designer in a Third World country like the Philippines. My sources of inspiration: creating and finding our own way, and eyeing things to come from a perspective unknown to global fashion. I’m proud to be in a sanctuary not many fashion people have discovered. Prisara Morales, 25 Finalist, Philippine Fashion Design Competition, 2007 Educational background: AB Interdisciplinary Studies, Major in Communication and Fine Arts, Ateneo de Manila University; took up a few classes in Clothing Technology, University of the Philippines; took up Fashion Design, Patternmaking and Haute Couture, Fashion Institute of the Philippines. What's your design philosophy? I love clean and pure shapes and forms, which translate into a very minimalist sensibility in my designs. I am very much into the structure of the piece and the way its details are tailored, rather than unnecessary embellishments. I want to create nondisposable clothing, pieces that people will keep and still love to wear for years to come. When and how did you get started in the fashion business? I'd always been making clothes for myself since my early teens. That was around the time grunge was in fashion and my sister and I would scour second-hand stores for vintage clothes, which we would fix up and customize to our liking. It was very hands-on, very D-I-Y, and I absolutely fell in love with the whole process -- choosing the material, designing, sewing and then the pleasure you get wearing something that you created. I realized then that I wanted to be a designer. A highlight in my career in the fashion business was apprenticing for Dita Sandico-Ong. A resilient figure in the local fashion industry, she imparted to me an appreciation of indigenous material and inspired me more than ever to pursue my dream. What do you hope to achieve in five years and what steps will you take to achieve it? I'd like to have established my clothing line by then and launched it into a serious business. At the moment, I've been developing miniature collections for my RTW line called Flight, but it's still in its infancy and not yet a full-fledged business. Another related but slightly off-tangent dream of mine is to set up a local design collective, something along the lines of the Surface To Air group, a modern-day version of Andy Warhol’s Factory. What makes you proud to be a Pinoy fashion designer? The Pinoy fashion industry is made up of the most creative, talented people and I'm proud to be counted among such a group. I am also proud to be in a field that allows me to share my point of view, and art, with the world. Jerome Salaya Ang, 29 Finalist, Smirnoff Fashion Awards 1999; Representative, Philippine Young Fashion Designers Competition in Paris 2004 and 2005; Delegate, Asia Europe Foundation Young Designers Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam 2005; Representative, Asia Young Fashion Designers Competition in Singapore 2004 and 2005; Finalist, Mercedez-Benz International Fashion Awards in Malaysia 2006 Educational background: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Interior Design, University of Santo Tomas What's your design philosophy? Order in chaos. My signature style? Couture avant-garde. When and how did you get started in the fashion business? I started in the fashion business doing freelance designs for uniform companies. Then, I ventured into bridal fashions. I studied fashion in Saint Benilde under Inno Sotto, took further studies under Shanon Pamaong at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. And also took draping courses at Raffles, Bangkok. Who are the designers you look up to? I admire Inno Sotto’s simple elegance, Shannon Pamaong's pattern techniques, John Galliano's opulent frivolity, Alexander McQueen's impeccable tailoring and master showmanship, and Hussein Chalayans' innovation. What do you hope to achieve in five years? In the next five years, I plan to expand my horizons by venturing into pret-a-couture shoes, bags and accessories. What makes you proud to be a Pinoy designer? I'm proud to be a Pinoy designer because we are globally competitive and we are trained to make the best out of things. Given the lack of resources and technology, we still manage to be on the top. Aries Iñigo Lagat, 24 Representative, Asean Skills Competition in Jakarta, Indonesia, 2003; Semi-finalist, Philippine Young Designers Competition 2005; Grand Prize winner, MEGA Young designer’s Contest, 2006 Educational background: I graduated at Ocsat (Ozamis City School of Arts and Trades) first in my class (and actually the only boy!) in Garment Technology in 2002. I also graduated from a Fashion Design course in Slims in 2004, from a scholarship that was given by Mr. Ben Farrales. Then, I took up a patternmaking course in FIP (Fashion Institute of the Philippines). I am currently teaching basic and advance patternmaking both for womenswear and menswear in FIP. What's your design philosophy? I am more of a tailored/experimental designer particularly in cuts and shape. My focus is always on the construction of the garment. It has to be precise, clean and well-executed. It's funny 'cause I was known for convertible pieces that I showed in the last MEGA competition. One time I made a cocktail dress for a client, and my students where asking me if it was going to transform into a jacket or a bag. When and how did you get started in the fashion business? I was 4 when my parents discovered my God-given talent for clothing design. I guess I broke their hearts when they realized I was going to be a fashion designer, and not a dentist or a seaman like they wanted me to be! But I guess I really started back in college where I made dance costumes for the faculty at school, then got a job as an assistant designer for Mimi Pimentel in Cagayan de Oro. How do you hone your craft? I always research, study all kinds of methods in patternmaking, making samples or prototypes for experimental projects and learning from every mistake that I make. As much as possible, I want to be hands-on 100 percent. What do you hope to achieve in five years and what steps will you take to achieve it? I’ll have my own atelier or I’ll be working for the great designers of the world like Christian Lacroix. I got a scholarship in Paris as my prize for the MEGA competition so I hope to take it early next year. What makes you proud to be a Pinoy designer? We are very talented and creative fashion designers and people. Jojie Lloren, Frederick Peralta, Carie Santiago and my favorite, Lesley Mobo, already proved that to the world. I just really hope and pray that Aries Iñigo Lagat would leave that kind of mark in the fashion industry.

By Dexter R. Matilla Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--Disney's new animated movie "Meet the Robinsons" is big in every way. Big cast, big-name voices, and big ideas all throughout. But perhaps none is bigger than the biggest character in the movie, Tiny, the Robinsons’ T-Rex pet. The obviously hard-to-miss Tiny steals the scene in one sequence, eliciting laughter once he speaks. The voice belongs to Filipino-American Joe Mateo. A Fine Arts Advertising graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, Mateo also co-wrote the script and did storyboard work for the movie, which is based on the book "A Day with Wilbur Robinson" by William Joyce. Already based in LA, Mateo said it was his wife, a former classmate in UST who was already working for Disney’s Art Classics Department, who informed him of a job opening at the studio. "It was an opportunity," Mateo said. He has since done artwork for such beloved Disney movies as "Pocahontas," "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Home on the Range." In the same way that Mateo's creativity landed him a dream job in Disney, Lewis (Jordan Fry), the main character of "Meet the Robinsons," gets the story going for this hilarious animated movie with his inventiveness and creativity. Left by his mother in an orphanage when he was still a baby, Lewis grows up to be a very smart kid and an inventor to boot. Not knowing why his mother gave him up, however, Lewis has a hollow feeling. Wanting to be reunited with her, he invents a "memory scanner" from a couple of household items put together. With Lewis’ plan seemingly foolproof, in comes the Bowler Hat Guy who steals the memory scanner. Voiced by "Meet the Robinsons" director Steve Anderson, this Bowler Hat Guy is from the future and possibly the worst villain there is. Back to the future An upset Lewis returns to the orphanage, where a teenage boy about his age appears out of nowhere. Introducing himself as Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman), he takes the young inventor on a ride in a space ship/time machine and brings him 30 years into the future where Lewis meets the Robinsons. There have been other animated movies about boy geniuses before, but "Meet the Robinsons" offers something different. Smart and engagingly witty with unexpected twists and turns, it peeks into what could or couldn't have been from decisions made today. And while failures cannot be avoided, it imparts what can be learned from them. For his part, Joe Mateo advises anyone who wishes to succeed in life to just "give everything you can." Other big-name voices in the movie include Tom Selleck, Angela Bassett, Adam West and Laurie Metcalf.

By Volt Contreras Inquirer MANILA, Philippines -- Before Oscar Franklin Tan drew raves for his commencement address at the elite Harvard Law School the other day, this young Filipino lawyer had his share of silent, awkward moments when basic things like meals became ''an issue.'' In a candid, light-hearted exchange with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Tan shared how campus life could be tough even for excelling foreign students like him in one of the world's premier institutions. He managed to stretch his limited food budget, for example, by improvising his menu and even collecting ''leftovers'' at school functions. He also took advantage of his professor's habit of bringing two baskets of apples to class each Friday. Tan saw an opportunity when he noticed that most of his classmates, especially the Americans, ''just ignored'' the treat. ''There was usually at least one basket left. I would bring an extra backpack every Friday and waited until everyone left and had free fruit half the year, thanks to Professor Lawrence Tribe,'' he said. Tan fondly recalled all these ''embarrassing'' episodes in his e-mail to the Inquirer on Thursday, the day before he stood proud and tall as the commencement speaker at the 2007 HLS graduation rites, an honor bestowed upon him by his class. The 27-year-old bachelor and 2005 law alumnus of the University of the Philippines completed his master's degree at the premier institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was chosen to speak at the ceremony in behalf of some 700 American and foreign graduates. ''Food was really an issue because I was on a tight budget, having entered Harvard Law practically a fresh graduate,'' said Tan, whose studies were shouldered in part by the HLS, the Ayala Scholarship Fund, his law firm (Angara, Abello, Concepcion, Regala and Cruz law office) where he is an associate, and with a little help from his father, fellow lawyer Edmund Tan. ''Some of the Asian and African students have become notorious for trying to save on food, and looking for free food. I became one of them after I learned that Harvard threw away uneaten food from all the functions and talks (which shocked the Africans in particular), and I just brought the food back to the dorm.'' Chow time in his fourth-floor unit at the Gropius dormitories, ''the ugliest but cheapest'' lodging on campus, often had him ''experimenting with many combinations to save food, such as making sandwiches and buying microwaveable chicken strips.'' He also stocked up on canned soup and tuna whenever there was a sale. But while his cupboard was almost bare, Tan apparently had in abundance memorable campus experiences, especially with classmates of diverse cultural backgrounds. Being Filipino with Chinese lineage gave him a ready affinity with East and Southeast Asians. Coming from a former Spanish and then US colony like the Philippines made it easy for him to relate to Americans, Latinos and Europeans, he noted. ''That leaves the Africans. I also had a ready affinity with them because I was from a developing country with postcolonial issues. I'd like to think that each of my classmates identified with me one way or another,'' he said. A Thai classmate was kind enough to help carry Tan's refrigerator to his fourth-floor unit, since the dormitory had no elevator. A Saudi classmate, apparently familiar with the many Filipino workers in his oil-rich state, could understand most of Tan's sentences in Filipino. But his international relations were not always that smooth. ''There was one embarrassing moment where a French classmate and I almost had a fight until we sat down and compared our cultures. Our Nigerian classmate had lost a close relative and was feeling very sad, so I e-mailed the class requesting the religious students to pray for him and console him.'' The French classmate then sent Tan an e-mail, expressing "shock that I would violate someone's privacy in such a public manner.'' ''We discussed it, and he realized that grief is treated as a community issue in the Philippines (and in other developing countries), where public wakes are held and everyone tries to pass by to pay their respects. It was very new to him,'' Tan recalled.

By Volt Contreras Inquirer THIS year's elite, multiracial class of Harvard law graduates may have found their best speaker in a young Filipino lawyer of Chinese descent, one obviously honed for the global stage but who hopes to pay back "the nameless farmers and fishermen" who partly paid for his studies. Oscar Franklin Tan, 27, earned the rare honor of delivering the commencement address in behalf of some 700 American and foreign graduates of the Harvard Law School. Adel Tamano, spokesperson of the Genuine Opposition ticket in the recent senatorial elections, served as commencement speaker at Harvard Law in 2005. The 2005 law alumnus of the University of the Philippines pursued a master's degree at the exalted academy in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tan was to deliver the commencement address on June 7. Tan is an associate at the Angara, Abello, Concepcion, Regala and Cruz law office. His father, Edmundo L. Tan, is a managing partner at the Tan Acut & Lopez law firm, while his mother, Dr. Jesusa Barcelona Tan, is a dermatologist. His name was added to the growing list of Filipino legal luminaries who attended Harvard, some of whom went on to shape the country'’s history. They include former Senators Jovito Salonga and Rene Saguisag; Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, Representatives Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr. of Makati and Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara of Aurora, former Press Secretary Ricardo Puno, former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza, former Environment Secretary Fulgencio Factoran, Ateneo Law Dean Cesar Villanueva, and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist and former UP Law Dean Raul Pangalangan, and the latter’s wife Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan. Crossing cultural barriers Tan said he apparently earned the distinction not by academic prowess alone. "I feel that I was selected to speak because I am able to touch base with all my classmates and cross all cultural barriers," Tan said Thursday, in reply to e-mailed questions from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net. "This does not just come naturally when one is in an international community. For example, some Europeans can be more aggressive and direct culturally, while some Asians can be less direct and be uncomfortable with their English capability." "I made it my priority to get to know each and every one of my interesting classmates, and let them know I was open to whatever they had to say. In this way, I was perceived as being able to best represent the class," he said. "For excellence alone is never enough," he explained, a mind-set imprinted on him at Harvard where, unlike in Philippine law schools, the obsession over good grades and bar exam results are considered "juvenile" pursuits. He recalled that awards were recently handed out to American law students at Harvard --not for academic achievements but for public service, like participation in legal aid programs. Respect for leadership "Students here respect not grades," he said, but "leadership," particularly in shaping the school journal, the Harvard Law Review. US presidential contender Barack Obama, for instance, caught the attention of the national media way back when he became the first African-American president of the HLR. Legal writing is one area where Tan left his biggest mark as a UP law student. He racked up 17 writing prizes, mainly for term papers and analyses of Supreme Court decisions. He went on to chair the prestigious Philippine Law Journal. ‘Wine in the River’ In the draft of his speech sent to the Inquirer, Tan delved no more into stiff legal discourse but rather reveled in the cultural cornucopia that made up his Harvard batch, where up to 60 nationalities were represented. The speech partly read: "A Saudi Arabian reminded me that you can fry eggs on a sidewalk in Riyadh. An Italian gave me tips on women because Italian men are the world’s greatest lovers, with the disclaimer that their style does not work on American women. A Malaysian was asked to explain the religious significance of the color of her hijab or headscarf. She would answer: It had to match her blouse. "On New Year’s Eve, a Belarusian handed me a glass of vodka, but scolded me when I began to sip it. Sipping, he emphasized, was not the Slavic way. I shared a Frenchman’s champagne, a Peruvian’s pisco sour, a Costa Rican’s piña colada, a Brazilian’s caipirinha, a Mexican’s tequila and a Japanese’s sake. "And apologies to the Germans, but I learned how even weak American beer enlivens an evening when you drink it with the Irish." 'Citizens of the world' In a piece he titled "Like Wine in the River, Like Citizens of the World," he asked rhetorically: "How do a mere 700 change the world, even with overpriced Harvard diplomas?" He called on his classmates, the "future leaders" of their respective countries, "to transcend our individual nationalities and affirm that we are citizens of the world." For regardless of race, color or creed, he said, "our peers in faraway lands face the same frustrations, the same nation-building ordeals, the same sorrows and, ultimately, the same shared joys and triumphs." Describing himself as a witness to two Philippine people power revolts, Tan acknowledged among his classmates an Afghan lawyer chased out of his country by the Taliban and a Bhutanese princess who "wants to help shape her country’s constitution after her father-king voluntarily gave up absolute power." He also noted how his Chinese classmates have "come to grips” with the Tiananmen Square crackdown, and how an Iranian, upon meeting the speechwriter of US President George W. Bush, introduced himself by saying: "Hi! I’m from an Axis of Evil country." Securities Law After Harvard, he hopes to build a career in Securities Law and Constitutional Law (the specializations he took up there), Tan said in the e-mailed interview, adding: "I hope to be in a position to influence our economic institutions’ development, and I learned so much here about how American companies are policed and how investor rights are protected. So many people agitate for political change, but I feel that we also need highly technical people able to act as midwives for the legal institutions that underpin our economy." Filipinos have "a beautiful Constitution," he said, which unfortunately remains barely appreciated or understood by the common citizen. "For example, when the Jose Pidal scandal broke out, so-called legal experts questioned whether a 'right to privacy' existed in the media, even though this is taught to UP Law freshmen during their first week of class," he said. But underlying all these lofty plans -- now all within his reach, thanks to his “overprized Harvard diploma” -- is a rather humble mission for someone who got his headstart in law at a state university like UP. “Our studies were paid for by nameless poor farmers and fishermen, and I hope to one day pay my dues,” Tan said.