"In societies where Robbing Hoods are treated like a celebrity it is but natural to expect political parties to act like a Mafia syndicate" Political Jaywalker "In a nation where corruption is endemic people tend to confuse due process with aiding and abetting criminals" Political Jaywalker "War doesn't determine who is right, war determines who is left" Bertrand Russell "You have just one flash flood of money, you keep your people poor. It's like a time bomb and it's scary" Philippine Lawmaker

Inaugural Speech of President Benigno S. Aquino III

His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Former President Joseph Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and members of the House, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the foreign delegations,Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow colleagues in government, aking mga kababayan.

Ang pagtayo ko dito ngayon ay patunay na kayo ang aking tunay na lakas. Hindi ko inakala na darating tayo sa puntong ito, na ako’y manunumpa sa harap ninyo bilang inyong Pangulo. Hindi ko pinangarap maging tagapagtaguyod ng pag-asa at tagapagmana ng mga suliranin ng ating bayan.

Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan.

Nilabanan ng aking ama ang diktaturya at ibinuwis niya ang kanyang buhay para tubusin ang ating demokrasya. Inalay ng aking ina ang kanyang buhay upang pangalagaan ang demokrasyang ito. Ilalaan ko ang aking buhay para siguraduhin na ang ating demokrasya ay kapaki-pakinabang sa bawat isa. Namuhunan na kami ng dugo at handang gawin itong muli kung kinakailangan.

Tanyag man ang aking mga magulang at ang kanilang mga nagawa, alam ko rin ang problema ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Alam nating lahat ang pakiramdam na magkaroon ng pamahalaang bulag at bingi. Alam natin ang pakiramdam na mapagkaitan ng hustisya, na mabalewala ng mga taong pinagkatiwalaan at inatasan nating maging ating tagapagtanggol.

Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawang-sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin.

Katulad ninyo ako. Marami na sa atin ang bumoto gamit ang kanilang paa—nilisan na nila ang ating bansa sa kanilang paghahanap ng pagbabago at katahimikan. Tiniis nila ang hirap, sinugod ang panganib sa ibang bansa dahil doon may pag-asa kahit kaunti na dito sa atin ay hindi nila nakikita. Sa iilang sandali na sarili ko lang ang aking inaalala, pati ako ay napag-isip din—talaga bang hindi na mababago ang pamamahala natin dito? Hindi kaya nasa ibang bansa ang katahimikang hinahanap ko? Saan ba nakasulat na kailangang puro pagtitiis ang tadhana ng Pilipino?

Ngayon, sa araw na ito—dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan. Hindi si Noynoy ang gumawa ng paraan, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ngayon, magtatapos na ang pagtitiis ng sambayanan. Ito naman ang umpisa ng kalbaryo ko, ngunit kung marami tayong magpapasan ng krus ay kakayanin natin ito, gaano man kabigat.

Sa tulong ng wastong pamamahala sa mga darating na taon, maiibsan din ang marami nating problema. Ang tadhana ng Pilipino ay babalik sa tamang kalagayan, na sa bawat taon pabawas ng pabawas ang problema ng Pinoy na nagsusumikap at may kasiguruhan sila na magiging tuloy-tuloy na ang pagbuti ng kanilang sitwasyon.

Kami ay narito para magsilbi at hindi para maghari. Ang mandato ninyo sa amin ay pagbabago—isang malinaw na utos para ayusin ang gobyerno at lipunan mula sa pamahalaang iilan lamang ang nakikinabang tungo sa isang pamahalaang kabutihan ng mamamayan ang pinangangalagaan.

Ang mandatong ito ay isa kung saan kayo at ang inyong pangulo ay nagkasundo para sa pagbabago—isang paninindigan na ipinangako ko noong kampanya at tinanggap ninyo noong araw ng halalan.

Sigaw natin noong kampanya: “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” Hindi lamang ito pang slogan o pang poster—ito ang mga prinsipyong tinatayuan at nagsisilbing batayan ng ating administrasyon.

Ang ating pangunahing tungkulin ay ang magsikap na maiangat ang bansa mula sa kahirapan, sa pamamagitan ng pagpapairal ng katapatan at mabuting pamamalakad sa pamahalaan.

Ang unang hakbang ay ang pagkakaroon ng tuwid at tapat na hanay ng mga pinuno. Magsisimula ito sa akin. Sisikapin kong maging isang mabuting ehemplo. Hinding hindi ko sasayangin ang tiwalang ipinagkaloob ninyo sa akin. Sisiguraduhin ko na ganito rin ang adhikain ng aking Gabinete at ng mga magiging kasama sa ating pamahalaan.

Naniniwala akong hindi lahat ng nagsisilbi sa gobyerno ay corrupt. Sa katunayan, mas marami sa kanila ay tapat. Pinili nilang maglingkod sa gobyerno upang gumawa ng kabutihan. Ngayon, magkakaroon na sila ng pagkakataong magpakitang-gilas. Inaasahan natin sila sa pagsupil ng korapsyon sa loob mismo ng burukrasya.

Sa mga itinalaga sa paraang labag sa batas, ito ang aking babala: sisimulan natin ang pagbabalik ng tiwala sa pamamagitan ng pag-usisa sa mga “midnight appointments.” Sana ay magsilbi itong babala sa mga nag-iisip na ipagpatuloy ang baluktot na kalakarang nakasanayan na ng marami.

Sa mga kapuspalad nating mga kababayan, ngayon, ang pamahalaan ang inyong kampeon.

Hindi natin ipagpapaliban ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga estudyante, kaya’t sisikapin nating punan ang kakulangan sa ating mga silid-aralan.

Unti-unti din nating babawasan ang mga kakulangan sa imprastraktura para sa transportasyon, turismo at pangangalakal. Mula ngayon, hindi na puwede ang “puwede na” pagdating sa mga kalye, tulay at gusali dahil magiging responsibilidad ng mga kontratista ang panatilihing nasa mabuting kalagayan ang mga proyekto nila.

Bubuhayin natin ang programang “emergency employment” ng dating pangulong Corazon Aquino sa pagtatayo ng mga bagong imprastraktura na ito. Ito ay magbibigay ng trabaho sa mga local na komunidad at makakatulong sa pagpapalago ng kanila at ng ating ekonomiya.

Hindi kami magiging sanhi ng inyong pasakit at perwisyo. Palalakasin natin ang koleksyon at pupuksain natin ang korapsyon sa Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas at Bureau of Customs para mapondohan natin ang ating mga hinahangad para sa lahat, tulad ng:

  • dekalidad na edukasyon, kabilang ang edukasyong bokasyonal para makapaghanap ng marangal na trabaho ang hindi makapag-kolehiyo;

  • serbisyong pangkalusugan, tulad ng Philhealth para sa lahat sa loob ng tatlong taon;

  • tirahan sa loob ng mga ligtas na komunidad.

Palalakasin at palalaguin natin ang bilang ng ating kasundaluhan at kapulisan, hindi para tugunan ang interes ng mga naghahari-harian, ngunit para proteksyunan ang mamamayan. Itinataya nila ang kanilang buhay para mayroong pagkakataon sa katahimikan at kapayapaan sa sambayanan. Dumoble na ang populasyong kanilang binabantayan, nanatili naman sila sa bilang. Hindi tama na ang nagmamalasakit ay kinakawawa.

Kung dati ay may fertilizer scam, ngayon ay may kalinga na tunay para sa mga magsasaka. Tutulungan natin sila sa irigasyon, extension services, at sa pagbenta ng kanilang produkto sa pinakamataas na presyong maaari.

Inaatasan natin si papasok na Kalihim Alcala na magtayo ng mga trading centers kung saan diretso na ang magsasaka sa mamimili - lalaktawan natin ang gitna, kasama na ang kotong cop. Sa ganitong paraan, ang dating napupunta sa gitna ay maari nang paghatian ng magsasaka at mamimili.

Gagawin nating kaaya-aya sa negosyante ang ating bansa. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance, to business. Sa ganitong paraan lamang natin mapupunan ang kakulangan ng trabaho para sa ating mga mamamayan.

Layunin nating paramihin ang trabaho dito sa ating bansa upang hindi na kailanganin ang mangibang-bansa para makahanap ng trabaho. Ngunit habang ito ay hindi pa natin naaabot, inaatasan ko ang mga kawani ng DFA, POEA, OWWA at iba pang mga kinauukulang ahensiya na mas lalo pang paigtingin ang pagtugon sa mga hinaing at pangangailangan ng ating mga overseas Filipino workers.

Papaigtingin namin ang proseso ng konsultasyon at pag-uulat sa taumbayan. Sisikapin naming isakatuparan ang nakasaad sa ating Konstitusyon na kinikilala ang karapatan ng mamamayan na magkaroon ng kaalaman ukol sa mga pampublikong alintana.

Binuhay natin ang diwa ng people power noong kampanya. Ipagpatuloy natin ito tungo sa tuwid at tapat na pamamahala. Ang naniniwala sa people power ay nakatuon sa kapwa at hindi sa sarili.

Sa mga nang-api sa akin, kaya ko kayong patawarin, at pinapatawad ko na kayo. Sa mga nang-api sa sambayanan, wala akong karapatan na limutin ang inyong mga kasalanan.

To those who are talking about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no reconciliation without justice. Sa paglimot ng pagkakasala, sinisigurado mong mauulit muli ang mga pagkakasalang ito. Secretary de Lima, you have your marching orders. Begin the process of providing true and complete justice for all.

Ikinagagalak din naming ibahagi sa inyo ang pagtanggap ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide sa hamon ng pagtatatag at pamumuno sa isang Truth Commission na magbibigay linaw sa maraming kahinahinalang isyu na hanggang ngayon ay walang kasagutan at resolusyon.

Ang sinumang nagkamali ay kailangang humarap sa hustisya. Hindi maaaring patuloy ang kalakaran ng walang pananagutan at tuloy na pang-aapi.

My government will be sincere in dealing with all the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflicts, inclusive of the interests of all – may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian.

We shalI defeat the enemy by wielding the tools of justice, social reform, and equitable governance leading to a better life. Sa tamang pamamahala gaganda ang buhay ng lahat, at sa buhay na maganda, sino pa ang gugustuhing bumalik sa panahon ng pang-aapi?

Kung kasama ko kayo, maitataguyod natin ang isang bayan kung saan pantay-pantay ang pagkakataon, dahil pantay-pantay nating ginagampanan ang ating mga pananagutan.

Kamakailan lamang, ang bawat isa sa atin ay nanindigan sa presinto. Bumoto tayo ayon sa ating karapatan at konsensiya. Hindi tayo umatras sa tungkulin nating ipaglaban ang karapatang ito.

Pagkatapos ng bilangan, pinatunayan ninyo na ang tao ang tunay na lakas ng bayan.

Ito ang kahalagahan ng ating demokrasya. Ito ang pundasyon ng ating pagkakaisa. Nangampanya tayo para sa pagbabago. Dahil dito taas-noo muli ang Pilipino. Tayong lahat ay kabilang sa isang bansa kung saan maaari nang mangarap muli.

To our friends and neighbors around the world, we are ready to take our place as a reliable member of the community of nations, a nation serious about its commitments and which harmonizes its national interests with its international responsibilities.

We will be a predictable and consistent place for investment, a nation where everyone will say, “it all works.”

Inaanyayahan ko kayo ngayon na manumpa sa ating mga sarili, sa sambayanan, WALANG MAIIWAN.

Walang pangingibang-bayan at gastusan na walang wastong dahilan. Walang pagtatalikod sa mga salitang binitawan noong kampanya, ngayon at hanggang sa mga susunod pang pagsubok na pagdadaanan sa loob ng anim na taon.

Walang lamangan, walang padrino at walang pagnanakaw. Walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong. Panahon na upang tayo ay muling magkawang-gawa.

Nandito tayo ngayon dahil sama-sama tayong nanindigan at nagtiwala na may pag-asa.

The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality. Sa inyong mga nag-iisip pa kung tutulong kayo sa pagpasan ng ating krus, isa lang ang aking tanong – kung kailan tayo nanalo, saka pa ba kayo susuko?

Kayo ang boss ko, kaya’t hindi maaaring hindi ako makinig sa mga utos ninyo. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to the people’s needs and aspirations.

Kayo ang nagdala sa akin sa puntong ito—ang ating mga volunteers—matanda, bata, celebrity, ordinaryong tao, na umikot sa Pilipinas para ikampanya ang pagbabago; ang aking mga kasambahay, na nag-asikaso ng lahat ng aking mga personal na pangangailangan; ang aking pamilya, kaibigan at katrabaho, na dumamay, nag-alaga at nagbigay ng suporta sa akin; ang ating mga abogado, na nagpuyat para bantayan ang ating mga boto at siguraduhing mabibilang ang bawat isa; ang aking mga kapartido at kaalyado na kasama kong nangahas mangarap; at ang milyun-milyong Pilipinong nagkaisa, nagtiwala at hindi nawalan ng pag-asa—nasa inyo ang aking taus-pusong pasasalamat.

Hindi ko makakayang harapin ang aking mga magulang, at kayong mga nagdala sa akin sa yugto ng buhay kong ito, kung hindi ko maisasakatuparan ang aking mga binitawang salita sa araw na ito.

My parents sought nothing less and died for nothing less than democracy, peace and prosperity. I am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward.

Layunin ko na sa pagbaba ko sa katungkulan, masasabi ng lahat na malayo na ang narating natin sa pagtahak ng tuwid na landas at mas maganda na ang kinabukasang ipapamana natin sa susunod na henerasyon. Samahan ninyo ako sa pagtatapos ng laban na ito. Tayo na sa tuwid na landas.

Maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!

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Leaving a real legacy: Beyond the spin and the smokescreen

Never mind making everyone rich. Focus on reducing poverty and growing the middle class. That in a nutshell should be the critical benchmark by which an outgoing administration is judged. President Arroyo can spend hundreds of millions putting the most positive spin on her legacy as she packs her bags, but if all indicators point to a burgeoning underclass and a thinning economic middle, then she has failed.

The National Statistical Coordination Board’s (NSCB) calculations point to a less than desirable trend. The gist: as the ranks of high- and middle-income Filipinos slowly dwindle, the low-income class has grown.

How rich is rich in the Philippines? To be considered rich, the NSCB technical staff calculated a cut-off annual family income (for 2010) of at least Php2,393,125 (US$52,024 at Php46=US$1) or a monthly family income of almost Php200,000 (US$4,347 dollars). Based on available data from the Family Income and Expenditures Survey of the National Statistics Office (2000, 2003, and 2006), high-income Filipinos declined from 0.3 percent in 2000 to only 0.1 percent in 2006. In absolute numbers, the Philippine upper crust declined from 51,160 families in 2001 to only 19,738 families in 2006.

But screw the rich. They can help themselves, especially the rags-to-riches characters. They’ll find ways to recover. Let’s turn to the middle and lower classes.

To be considered middle class, a Filipino family must earn between Php294,296 and Php2,393,125 (US$6,397 to US$52,024) per year or a minimum monthly income of Php24,524 (US$533). Between 2000 and 2006, the Philippine middle class declined from 22.7 to 19.1 percent. In absolute numbers, it’s a decrease from 3,422,524 to 3,317,824 families. As tens of thousands of rich Filipinos slipped down one economic rung to the ranks of the middle class, more than 100,000 middle-income families fell through the cracks to join the subterranean underclass.

Needless to say, the biggest swath of the Philippine demographic is comprised of low-income families, defined by the NSCB as families earning less than Php24,524 (US$533) a month. In 2000, they comprised 77 percent of the population. By 2006 (even before the Great Recession), they went up to 80.8 percent. From 11,598,258 families just before Arroyo took office, the number jumped to 14,065, 921 six years hence. That’s a net gain of 2,467,663 new entrants to the low-income block party.

In the absence of official government figures from 2005 to 2010, data from the Social Weather Station’s quarterly Degree of Hunger in Households survey reveal an even bleaker trend. From a total of 10.5 percent hunger incidence in March 2000, the number of cases jumped to 21.2 percent in March 2010. A “hunger incident” is defined as at least one instance, in the last 3 months, in which a family experienced hunger but had no food to eat.

It is most ironic that this economic decline occurred under the watch of a president who taught economics. As senator, President Arroyo worked like a horse, churning out arguably more bills than any of her peers. When she assumed the presidency, however, the string of damning scandals (electoral fraud and corruption) gnawed at her political credibility like terminal cancer, making her a loathed and an ineffective political pariah. She is now succeeded by her economics student, who as a member of the House of Representatives and later of the Senate did not pass any legislation of major import. A new leader with all of the pedigree and an apparent desire to do good but none of the track record will require a solid circle of advisers, certainly not to serve as cordon sanitaire reminiscent of the Cory Aquino administration but to move him, and consequently transform the nation, with the compelling urgency of their ideas.

Six years hence, when the dust will have settled in what will probably be another quintessentially rambunctious cycle of Philippine-style politics, the bottom-line question for the outgoing Noynoy Aquino administration will be as elemental: Did you reduce poverty and grow the middle class? It is the last question to be asked but the first issue he should tackle from Day 1.
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Marvin Bionat is the creator of PhilippineUpdate.com, a news and views site that has served as a virtual platform that promotes various advocacies, including the political empowerment of overseas Filipinos and accountability in government. He wrote the National Bookstore bestseller How to Win (or Lose) in Philippine Elections (Anvil Publishing, 1998) and is now based in the U.S. working as an editor.

Read more articles by Marvin Bionat
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Secure Maguindanao Massacre Witness Lakmodin "Laks" Saliao Now!

Suwaib Upham a key witness who was personally involved in the Maguindanao massacre was liquidated 3 months after recounting his role in the barbaric atrocities implicating the Ampatuan clan as the responsible party, who masterminded, planned, executed and led the carnage.

Three months and the Department of Justice under Alberto Agra failed or did not secure the witness under the witness protection program on a flimsy excuse that the witness did not present himself to them. How exactly does Secretary of Justice Alberto Agra expect the witness to trust them to put his very life in their hands when Agra absolved two of the principal accused, suspended ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and another co-accused Datu Akhmad Ampatuan Sr. only to reverse himself due to the strong outcry from his whimsical treatment of the case?

Instead of ordering the investigation surrounding the murder of a key witness Alberto Agra would rather indulge in a blame game even threatening Harry Roque a private prosecutor hired by some of the massacre victims of filing a disbarment case. If the intent is to distract the people away from their responsibility and accountability of criminal neglect and sheer incompetence, he is sadly failing miserably at this cheap distraction.

Meanwhile, another vital key witness Lakmodin "Laks" Saliao a long time Ampatuan servant is out there facing the same likelihood of suffering the same fate of Upham while Agra plays the blame game. What is foremost is for the DoJ to secure the safety of the witness first before indulging in idle blame game that is just a pathetic attempt to extricate themselves from their responsibility. Alberto Agra’s antics on passing the blame on others will not resurrect a dead man and a witness at that, if this is not at the height of incompetence I don’t know what is?


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Get the picture? The Philippine DEBT - from EDSA to the stolen election of 2004!

A leading advocate for good governance US based Loida Nicolas Lewis was shocked beyond belief upon seeing the graph of the Philippine DEBT – from EDSA to the stolen election of 2004, to quote:

My Goodness! Could this be true?
Then, PGMA is worst than Marcos!
Where is decency? How did this happen? What is Gary Teves doing?


Image
National government outstanding debt. Source: Bureau of Treasury.

That is so true and it is now 2010 and the public debt is almost 5 Trillion

And how did this happen?

Well for instance Jose Ibazeta has some explaining to do.

He was former head of PSALM the body formed in 2001 to implement the EPIRA mandate of privatizing the power generation capacity of NAPOCOR or NPC. before he was named Sec. of Energy. The purpose of privatization aside from promoting competition in the power sector is also to get rid of part of our external public debt. In 2001 that debt of NAPOCOR was about US$15 Billion.

Now 9 years later in his own words Ibazeta said that they have already privatized 98 percent of NPC's power generating capacity. However NPC is poised to go into new borrowing to service NAPOCOR's debt which still stands at close to the same 15 billion dollar figure. So how do you think was privatization implemented? it seemed that the crown jewels of NAPOCOR were sold out but the government was left with the debt - with NAPOCOR now just almost an empty hulk.

NAPOCOR is now faced with the problem of down sizing 50 percent of its work force -- when these employees should have been sent off with the privatized power generation capacities in a properly packaged privatization process.

Now Ibazeta is making noises about staying on as Energy Secretary -- what for? To do rear guard action - to clean up evidence - in a possible CRIME scene?

Ibazeta has to go! This is necessary whether he is innocent or not -- just for Noynoy to have a clean start in this energy area.

Imagine scenes like these happening in the entire PRIVATIZATION PROCESS and you see how our public debt can balloon up to such stratospheric levels.

Ever wonder who is behind Ashmore investments of London -- the erstwhile partner of Roberto Ongpin who together with Ramon Ang cornered the privatization deals of PETRON, MERALCO, and the govt. owned stocks in San Miguel?

Supposedly Tomas Alcantara and Benito Araneta sits in the board of the corporations of Roberto Ongpin and Ramon Ang. These personalities are known to be quite close to FG Mike Arroyo.

So do we have a better guess now as to who could be the very secret clients of Ashmore Investments? We may have no way to confirm it, nonetheless since there could be several layers of corporate veils hiding the actual principals.

When privatization deals are not done in a level playing field - full value is not gained by the public. The only harvest we get is an empty bag bereft of value and full of debts - with the prospect of more to come as government try a PONZI scheme to service these debts.

Hope we really get the picture!!!

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More Articles from GRR:
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Gil R. Ramos Ph.d. finished his Doctorate in Monetary Economics and Masters in Population Economics at the University of Hawaii. He did his AB Economics and also a Masters in Urban Regional Planning both at the University of the Philippines. He currently teaches MBA students at the (New Jersey City University) NJCU in Managerial Economics, Corporate Financial Management, and Managerial Information Systems. He runs his own consulting firm GRR Analytics based in the New York / New Jersey area.






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Grand talks about unity and Gabriel Fabella, Father of Independence Day

President Diosdado Macapagal earned the distinction of being a nationalist president when he signed the law moving the date of Philippine Independence Day from July 4 to June 12. However, others credit academician Gabriel Fabella as the true "Father of June 12". Photo shows Filipino Americans gathered around the flag for the traditional opening of an Independence Day celebration.

The week that passed saw a frenzy of celebrations in various parts of the homeland and in foreign shores where compatriots now reside. Philippine Independence Day celebrations in this part of U.S.A. have always been appropriate occasions not only to commemorate our past struggles against foreign domination but also in highlighting our community's interaction and collaboration with others in the country. And unity of the Filipino community, if I may add.

At least in our part of California, it had not been that way in the past. In the City of Carson, for example, the two main Filipino organizations for years had been trying to outshine each other in celebrating the day's significance. There has been a united celebration this year, thank you.

In Los Angeles, I recall that time in 2001 when the designation by the consul general of his wife as overall Independence Day chair led to the splintering of a prominent community group and the holding of two separate gala dinner-balls. Thus on June 9 of that year then Senate President Aquilino Pimentel commuted one after the other as guest speaker of two Independence Day evening events held in different parts of this city. The lingering animosity between the two groups was partly blamed for the subsequent recall and replacement of that consul general.

Anyway, Gil Mislang, chair for Kalayaan 2010, mentioned this need for unity and may be excused for vaunting his "great happiness for our success in celebrating the 112th Anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence... At a time when our community needed a shining moment to uplift its sagging spirit caused by the economic turmoil." Many in the audience "dressed to the hilt in their terno na sayas and barong tagalogs exhibited the elegance of our native dress" and supposedly shed tears of patriotism and pride by the performances, Mislang claimed.

Well and good. If only so many more in the community were able to witness such patriotic, historic and cultural rendition that were so compelling as to prompt the shedding of tears. The fact is that for a long time now segments in this community of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos have complained about the elitism of the yearly event, which by its nature should have catered to the majority of countrymen but instead limited -- especially at this time of economic turmoil -- to the fortunate few who could afford the prohibitive costs that high-end venues require.

Further on the topic of the June 12 celebrations, Eddie Calderon, a Minnesota-based Ph.D., had generated much traffic in an Internet discussion board regarding his advocacy for the giving of appropriate honors to the late Professor Gabriel Fabella as the architect of the June 12 RP Independence Day.

In 1959 Calderon took Philippine Nationalism under Professor Fabella, at that time chair of UP Department of History and acting director of UP Clark Air Base Branch. It was the latter's passion and crusade that eventually changed the date of observance of that national holiday, the former student said.

A 2008 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer carries an item by Kristoffer Esquejo entitled Gabriel F. Fabella: 'Father of June 12'. Esquejo noted that in 1962 President Diosdado Macapagal moved the date of Philippine Independence from July 4 to June 12. Such nationalist gesture earned Macapagal the distinction of being a nationalist president and since then, he had been commended for his well-deserved decision. However, Esquejo added, Fabella did not receive any credit except being mentioned in several newspapers and dubbed by his contemporary scholars the "Father of June 12." -- Text and photo by Dionesio C. Grava

Note: Also published in the Pinas Global Newspaper
*********************************************************************************
Dionesio C. Grava - Part-time community journalist based in Los Angeles and editorial writer at Forum Asia.






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Filipino events in California

Fashion Show for a Good Cause

June is Rose Month and Kababayan Grace Walker's HOPE4Children Foundation (H4CF), in association with Parris Harris Productions and Angel Entertainment, will host a rose themed fashion show featuring the new collection of fantasy gowns, corsets, dresses of Daisy Viktoria.

Start Time: Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 10 pm
End Time: Sunday, June 20, 2010 at 2 am
Location: Kress VIP Rooftop (6608 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA)

The benefit event will also highlight the luxurious accessories of MAI Collections as seen in red carpet events and fashion magazines such as Elle Magazine. In addition to the fashion show, the event will showcase Maria Amor's beautiful Exoti-Angels with their captivating dance moves. Hip-hop artist Re-D.mer will provide the animated emceeing for the night. Seating and bottle service start at 10:00 p.m. and the show will begin at 10:45 p.m. For more details, contact Commissioner Walker or visit FaceBook.

-0-

Carson Celebrates 149th Birthday of Rizal

A flower offering to be led by Carson Mayor Jim Dear and Mayor Protempore Elito Santarina will highlight the commemoration of the 149th birthday of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

DAY/DATE/TIME : Saturday, June 19 at 3 pm
PLACE : Seafood City Plaza in Carson.

Mayor Dear: "Like Dr. Martin Luther King and George Washington, Dr. Jose P. Rizal gave up his life so that Filipinos may obtain freedom. These lessons about his life are, in essence, what the youth in Carson should learn from. We are proud to honor a great man like Dr. Rizal."

Mayor Protempore Santarina: "Filipino Americans should be proud of Dr. Rizal for the values that he has fought for... In a multicultural city like Carson, the Filipinos will continue to focus on the value of patriotism in America which is what our youth should bear in mind."

Filipino tenor Rodell Rosel will sing at the Rizal Day event together with Willie Manacsa and Gloria Hernandez of the Midnight Motion Band. For additional info call Fe at (310) 987-8886.

-0-

Sustainable Home Ownership Conference Tonoght

DAY/DATE/TIME : June 18, 9am-6pm:
PLACE : South San Francisco Conference Center
for venue map and directions

The National Alliance of Filipino American Real Estate Professionals (NAFAREF) and Mabuhay Alliance will be holding their first-time conference that looks to the future of the industry. Contact person is Regina Zarate, (408) 531-5684. She's chairperson of NAFAREF and will be available on-site.

-0-

Seminar on Disaster Preparedness

Philippine Consul General-San Francisco Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. invites the public to a Seminar on Disaster Preparedness, an event organized for SF Bay Area Community Leaders and in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Red Cross, and the Cavalier Prayer Warriors (CPW).

DAY/DATE/TIME : Saturday, 26 June 2010, 10 a.m. - 12:00 noon

PLACE : Ground Floor, Philippine Center, 447 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

-0-

PINOY PLAYWRITES IN EAST WEST PLAYERS

Come see Thirteen Works-In-Progress from the David Henry Hwang Writers Institute at EAST WEST PLAYERS! Playwriting Workshop Leaders: Prince Gomolvilas & Dorie Baizley. Fil-Am works included are the following:

TUESDAY, June 22 @ 8pm
FORTUNE WHEEL by Joey Damiano

WEDNESDAY, June 23 @ 8pm
POSTAL AMERICANA by Alison M. De La Cruz

SATURDAY, June 26 @ 3pm
HEAD ACHES by Aurelio Locsin

SATURDAY, June 26 @ 8pm
MIDNIGHT MAKEOUT SESSION by Dante Basco

All readings are to be held at THE DAVID HENRY HWANG THEATER
(120 Judge John Aiso Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Tel. 213-625-7000)
$5 suggested donation. Play synopses and other information

-0-

"SHEroes Monologues: The Women of the Philippine Revolution"

The FILIPINA WOMEN'S NETWORK invites you to its celebration of the anniversary of Philippine Independence. Filipino (or Filipino-inspired) attire requested.

DAY/DATE/TIME : Sunday, June 27, 5:00 - 8:30 pm
PLACE : Kalesa Restaurant (1783 N. Milpitas Blvd., CA 95035)
(early bird) FWN Members $35; Nonmembers $45
After June 21, FWN Members $70; Nonmembers $90
RSVP online

-0-

The 2nd Annual Filipina Salo Salo - the "Sabaw" Crawl

DAY/DATE/TIME : June 27 (Sun, 5-8:30pm) -

The salo salo is a celebration of Filipino heritage and cuisine in collaboration with highly acclaimed restaurants / food organizations who serve authentic Filipino and Filipino-inspired dishes. FWN Salo Salo in 2010 will explore a variety of soups such as sinigang, nilaga, bulalo, batchoy, tinola, misua, etc. In Filipino cuisine, hearty soups are significantly served as the main dish.

Send questions via email or go to FWN website
San Francisco, California 94119 / 415.935.4FWN (415.935.4396)

-0-

2nd Annual Sake Mixer

The San Francisco Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce (SFFACC) cordially invites you to the event to be held at the beautiful Vanguard Headquarters building in San Francisco. It says that there will be a bigger selection of sake compared with last year to complement a wider menu of exciting food options. More sponsors, a live sushi chef, and a nice elegant venue in which to establish relationships critical to enhancing the well being of the Filipino Business community.

DAY/DATE/TIME: Wednesday, June 30 at 6 - 8:30 pm
PLACE: Vanguard Properties 2501
Mission Street @ 21st Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Parking garage between 21st and 22nd - Mission & Valencia Streets (Enter on 21st)

Members, $30; non-members, $35. Price includes sake tasting, hors d'oeuvres, and other specials. Dress Code: strictly business or business casual.

San Francisco Filpino American Chamber of Commerce is at 233 Sansome Street
12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104.

-0-

The 9th All Ateneo Alumni International Convention

DAY/DATE/TIME : July 1 - 4, 2010
PLACE : Anaheim Plaza (1700 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92802)

For RSVP kindly contact Roy Gaane or Atty. Luna Reyes


Gaane and Reyes informed that Ateneo de Manila's Sesquicentennial (150 Years) Celebration has the motto, "Lux in Domino (Light in the Lord). Ateneans from Davao will mark their 60th year with the motto, "Fortes in Fide" (Strong in Faith); Zamboanga, "Pro Deo et Patria" (For God and Country); Xavier/Cag. de Oro, "Veritas Liberabit Vos" (The Truth Shall Set You Free); Naga, "Primum Regnum Dei" (Seek First the Kingdom of God); The overall Jesuit motto is "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" (For the Greater Glory of God).

The convention will highlight workshops on how Ateneans can be of better service and be more responsive to new initiatives that improve the Ateneo environment of academic excellence and advance the Ateneo outreach mission in the Philippines.

-0-

THE WHITE HOUSE DOCTOR : My Patients were Presidents

Invitations will be sent shortly for the book launching a riveting look into the personal lives of US Presidents through the eyes of their White House Doctor.

DAY/DATE/TIME : Monday, July 12, 2010 / 5:30pm - 9:00pm
PLACE : Venue to be announced (to those who will RSVP)

From Linda Nietes

Connie Mariano held many titles during her nine years at the White House. In each case, Connie was the first to hold the title: the first military woman to become a White House Physician, the first woman Director of the White House Medical Unit, and the first Filipino American in American history to become a Navy Rear Admiral.

Mariano served nine years as White House doctor, first for the final year of the term of George H.W. Bush, then for the entire eight years of Bill Clinton, and lastly, during the first year of George W. Bush's first term in office. During that time she not only cared for the leader of the free world and the entire First Family, she also cared for dignitaries, and traveled all over the world with the Presidents in her charge.

-0-

AND, FINALLY, A REMINDER THAT THE IN-THING NOW ARE ePASSPORTS!

In Los Angeles, the Philippine Consulate have been accepting applications for

ePassport since 1 June 2010. It says that the ePassport is highly secure. Hence, it avoids passport reproduction and tampering. The ePassport database is enhanced with Automated Fingerprint Verification System (AFIS) that guards against multiple passport issuances to the same person and enhances impostor detection. It also facilitates fast clearance of travelers at immigration checks.

The ePassport costs $60. Photo, thumbprints and signature are captured at the Consulate during processing.

*********************************************************************************
Dionesio C. Grava - Part-time community journalist based in Los Angeles and editorial writer at Forum Asia.






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Stand Up, Take Action, Make Noise for the MDGs 2010

Found this on Marvin Bionat's FaceBook page.......



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Gloria Arroyo's Lies Not Even Close!

I know much work remains to be done, but I am determined to turn over to a new government a new Philippines, one that is ready for the challenges bringing the nation to the verge of First World [status] in 20 years.” (GMA June 12, 2010).

This statement of GMA is clearly a hyperbolic claim that borders on an outright lie. As a trained economist she should know that given the more widespread access to data at present her claim can be easily checked against empirical facts.

It is a stylized fact in economics to consider the US and Japan as first world countries. So using these countries as benchmarks and a simple growth rates ratio index which compares the percent share of world product of a nation to its share of world population ( we refer to this henceforth as a gross rates ratio index or GRR index), let us check the viability of GMA's claim.

Taking data from our own central bank, the World Bank, the IMF and the CIA fact books, I made an estimate of the gross domestic product and population data of a few relevant selected countries. The GRR index scores are then computed to facilitate cross country comparisons. The process of computing index scores is a familiar tool in geomatics to reduce comparison factors to pure numbers so that standardization across geographic regions is achieved.

In the following table gross domestic product data is presented together with population figures for eleven countries and the resulting GRR index.
__________________________________________________________

country gdp pop gdpshare popshare GRR Index
United States 15000 315 0.24590 0.04500 5.464
Japan 5320 129 0.08721 0.01843 4.732
Singapore 190 5 0.00311 0.00071 4.361
Korea 842 54 0.01380 0.00771 1.789
Taiwan 360 30 0.00590 0.00429 1.377
Malaysia 215 26 0.00352 0.00371 0.949
Thailand 300 66 0.00492 0.00943 0.522
China 4758 1500 0.07800 0.21429 0.364
Indonesia 530 238 0.00869 0.03400 0.256
Philippines 180 94 0.00295 0.01343 0.220
India 243 1150 0.02038 0.16429 0.124
__________________________________________________________
Based on 2009 and 2008 data projected to 2010 values. World Population 2010 (my estimates) 7 Billion. World Product US 61 Trillion. All GDP figures are in current US billion dollars.
Population are in millions.
___________________________________________________________
Our 2008 GDP (gross domestic product - goods and services produced domestically in the Philippines) according to bangko sentral figures is $166.9 Billion US dollars. Growth in 2009 was just 1 percent on account of the world economic contraction. And with the election spending upward adjustments for 2010 growth were made up to 3.8 percent. Lately with strong first quarter growth of 7.3 per cent, private international groups adjusted their annual growth estimates to above 4.2 percent for the years 2009 to 2010. I used a 5 percent growth rate and forecast Philippine GDP to be about $180 Billion dollars for 2010.

With a World Product estimate of about $ 61 Trillion in 2010 (my estimate, 2008 figures of the World Bank has a larger World Product but the financial crisis has since then shrank World GDP) Philippine GDP accounts for less than a third of one percent of total world product. Our own central bank estimates our share at .47 percent of world product after PPP (purchasing power parity) adjustments. I think there is a bit of window dressing here since PPP adjustments involves a lot of subjectivity. Without such adjustments, my own estimate places our share at just about .295 percent of world product.

In terms of population share we account for 1.3 percent of the 7 billion world population. Contrasting this with similar measures for the US we have the US share of world product at 25 percent while its share of world population is only 4.5 percent. The ratio of GDP share to Population share gives an index score for the Philippines at .22 while the equivalent GRR index score for the US is 5.5 . Using this index scale the difference of 5.5 to .22 gives us an idea of how far our state of economic development is from a first world country.

These GRR indexes of the US and the Philippines tell us that a person living in the united states is 25 times better off than a person living in the Philippines (0.22 divided into 5.5 = 25). Translated into a meaningful interpretation for US based Filipinos this index means that the average Filipino american is 25 times more economically potent than a Filipino in domecile in the Philippines.

Compared to our Asian neighbors Thailand has a population of 66 Million and a GDP of US 300 Billion for a GRR index score of .52; Malaysia has a 26 million population and a GDP of US 215 Billion for an index score of .95 ; and Indonesia with a population of 238 Million and a GDP of US 530 Billion has an index score of .26 which is still better than the Philippines. China with 1.5 billion people and a GDP of US 4.758 Trillion gets an index score of .36; While India with a population of 1.15 billion and GDP at US 1.243 Trillion has an index score of .12 . Japan has a population of 129 million and a GDP of US 5.32 Trillion for an index score of 4.73 ; Singapore has a population of only 5 million but has a GDP of US 190 billion ( bigger than the Philippines in absolute terms) and has an index score of 4.4 ; Korea has a population of 54 million and a GDP of US 842 billion.for an index score of 1.79 ; Taiwan has a population of 30.3 Million and a GDP of US 360 Billion for an index of 1.38. The computed Gross Rates Ratio index shows the Philippines as a cellar dweller only better off than India in these current year 2010. Singapore occupies an exalted position next only to Japan - the honored place the Philippines had in the 1950's.

What the GRR index tells us is that given a nation's share of the world's population, a score that is close to one like that of Malaysia in the table means that Malaysia is getting a proportion of world income flows that is almost equal to its percentage share of the world's population. Hence Malaysia is close to Unitary Balance while Thailand, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and India are in a development deficit status. These latter countries mentioned are getting a much lesser share of world income flows when compared to their share of the world's population. Comparing the GRR index results to that given by the HDI - Human development index of the UN, the rankings were almost identical. However in the HDI using 2008 data the UN ranked Japan higher than the US and the Philippines ranked a bit higher than Indonesia with India remaining at the bottom.

Using the GRR index we can roughly classify the eleven countries in our table as first world for those with an index above 1; second world for those close to 1 like Malaysia; and third world for those below .5 and close to 0. We can use the concept of unitary balance where the percent share of world population equals the percent share of world product to indicate second world status and among the non-first world countries in our set of eleven nations it is only Malaysia that has attained this.

Given the disparity in development among the eleven nations being discussed the relevant question apropos GMA's 20 year claim is how much should the Philippines have in population growth and GDP growth during that period to achieve first world status? second world status?

World product is estimated to grow at 4 percent a year. At this rate world product will be 134 trillion in 2030 at constant 2010 US dollars. The world’s population is also estimated to grow at 1.14 percent a year and is projected to to be 8.8 Billion people by 2030. Using the highest GDP growth rate of 7.3 percent per annum attained during GMA's governance we project Philippine GDP in 2030 to be 737 billion at constant 2010 US dollars. Since GMA was not able to tame Philippine population growth in her term we use the existing 1.9 percent growth and project Philippine population to be 137 million people by 2030. Deriving our GRR index using these projected figures our result is .353 only. This index score is way below unitary balance and therefore does not even allow us to classify the Philippines in 2030 as a second world nation. By 2030, with just following GMA's template and no radical changes in the way we manage our economy, we will be well below Malaysia in relative terms and clearly nowhere near 'the verge of first world status' that GMA claims.

Not even close.
___________________________________________________
Related Articles from GRR:
**********************************************************************

Gil R. Ramos Ph.d. finished his Doctorate in Monetary Economics and Masters in Population Economics at the University of Hawaii. He did his AB Economics and also a Masters in Urban Regional Planning both at the University of the Philippines. He currently teaches MBA students at the (New Jersey City University) NJCU in Managerial Economics, Corporate Financial Management, and Managerial Information Systems. He runs his own consulting firm GRR Analytics based in the New York / New Jersey area.



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112th Philippines Independence Day Celebrations

I. Proclamation/Program/Vendors' Showcase
Place: Los Angeles City Hall City Council Chambers & Forecourt, 200 North Springs St., LA, CA 90014
Date: Friday, June 11, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 3:30pm
Host: The Los Angeles Filipino Association of City Employees (LAFACE)
Attire: Filipiniana
Costs: Free entrance. Free lunch. Everyone invited.
Contact: According to Cora Aragon Soriano, please
email Alex Banares
for free parking. Furnish your car info (make/model/color/year/owner).

Additional remark:

10:00 am Proclamation by the LA City Council of Philippine Independence Day at the Council Chambers, LA City Hall, 3rd Floor
11:30am-1pm: Reception and Entertainment at the LA City Hall Forecourt.
FREE lunch will be provided
10am thru 3:30pm: Vendor's Showcase

2. ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER BALL
Theme: "Celebrating Freedom through Culture and Arts"
Place: Hilton Hotel near Los Angeles Airport, Los Angeles
Date: June 12, 2010
Time: Not indicated
Host: The Kalayaan 2010 Planning Committee headed by Gil Mislang
Attire: Filipino formal wear, Barongs for men and Terno na Saya, Sarongs and Maria Clara-styled evening gowns for women.
Costs: Requires ticket. Price not indicated.
Contact(s): For tickets and/or other inquiries: Gil Mislang, (323) 286-2121;
Josie E. De Jesus, (714) 272-0300; Trini Foliente, (909) 226-3271;
Bing de la Vega (661) 468-0497.

Additional remark:

The event will feature local Filipino pop singers Mon David, Louie Reyes, Paco Arespacochaga, Miguel Vera, Angeline, Gelo Francisco, violinist Andy Tecson and pianist Juliet Posadas. Music by Midnight Motion Band and MC, Shiela Ferrari, a former Miss Philippines and actress in Miss Saigon. Guest speaker will be Filipino American Corey Calaycay, councilman of the City of Claremont and candidate for the California 59th District Assembly in the June 8th primary elections. He will be introduced by Vice Consul General Daniel Espiritu.

3. Filipiniana at Union Square Philippine Independence Day Gala
Place: Union Square, San Francisco
Date: Saturday, June 12
Time: Program is from 1:30 through 4 pm
Host: The San Francisco Filipino community in association with West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service and the Filipino WWII Veterans Memorial Library and Museum
Attire: Filipiniana
Costs: Free entrance. Everyone invited.
Contact(s): Rudy Asercion, Yolanda Stern, Rodel Rodis, and Dennis Normandy are members of the Philippine American War Centennial Committee. For more information please (415) 724-0641.

Additional remark:

The Filipiniana at Union Square Philippine Independence Day Gala is a major celebration by the Filipino community of the San Francisco Bay Area to create awareness of the Philippine culture and for many Filipino-Americans to rekindle their roots and heritage and to raise funds for charity projects.

The celebration will start with an opening reception and unveiling of the Dewey Monument Plaque at 1:30pm. It portrays the struggles in the Philippines after Commodore Dewey victory in Manila Bay and the taking possession of the islands by the U.S. To follow will be performances including that of soprano Stephanie Reese, tenor Dr. Tito Yusi, The Singing Priests, the FilVet Rondalla and other surprise guest appearances.

4. A PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY OFFERING
Pakaraguian Music & Dances of the Southern Philippines
Place: Neurosciences Institute Auditorium
10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive
San Diego, CA 92121
Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010
Time: 7:00 PM
Host: Sponsored by the Center for World Music
Attire: Not indicated
Costs: Not indicated
Contact(s): For information, please call - (619) 470-6024; email

Additional remark:

Mini concert featuring the traditional culture of Mindanao to be performed by the Samahan Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble & Samahan dancers. Generously underwritten by the Neurosciences Institute as part of the program, "Performing Arts at the Neurosciences Institute", a series of cultural events presented as a community service to support the arts in San Diego & to underscore the special relationship between the arts & the brain. Web announcement

5. "HIMIG NG KALAYAAN '10 FREE CONCERT" .
Place: Kapistahan Grill
1925 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Start Time: Saturday, June 12 at 7:00pm
End Time: Sunday, June 13 at 1:30am
To see more details and RSVP, follow the link:here

6. 2010 HERITAGE DAY
Date: Sunday, June 13, 2010
Place: West Covina and Azusa, California
Host: Filipino American Chamber of Commerce-San Gabriel Valley
Attire: Not indicated
Costs: Not indicated but everyone invited and WELCOMED to bring family and friends.
Fellowship lunch after the program..
Contact:
Johnny Chua

Additional remark:

1) Free health screening in front of the Seafoodcity Market [Amar and Azusa], West Covina
2) Program starts at 11am with a Special Sunday Service, "FREEDOM CRY," describing the birth of Filipino Revolution. To be held at the Gospel Life Community [18901 E. Amar Rd., Walnut, CA 91789]
7. FIESTAS FILIPINAS 2010
"Stories of My Heritage"
Place: Oxnard Performing Arts Center
800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, CA 93030
Telephone: (805) 486-2424
Date: Sunday, June 13, 2010
Time: 12-11pm
Host: Not indicated
Attire: Not indicated
Costs: Free and open to the public
Contact(s): Charleen Morla, Fiesta chairperson: (805) 236-1309
Grace Tuazon, co-chair: (805) 766-3231

Additional remarks:

Featuring Performances by Rey Kilay, Freda Simone, Salin Lahi Dance Troupe, Zambales Youth Dancers, Undeclared, Emanon, Ohana Dance Group, Henry Garcia's Tae Kali Do, Icac Line Dancers, Fil-Am Dancers, Fil-Am Camarillo's Polynesian Dancers, Cirque Quejada, Doce Pares Eskrima, and more.

Vendors Include: Philippine Center of Ventura County, Our Pet Stop, Philippine Expressions Bookstore, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Salin Lahi Dance Troupe, C&C Sweden Shoes, Silver Mountain Jewelry, Magnetek USA, Missing Ink Tattoo, Among Friends, Katalysta, and many many more!!

OTHERS:

FULL SLATE OF EXHIBITS COMMEMORATING 112TH ANNIVERSARY OF PHILIPPINE
INDEPENDENCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Philippine Embassy announced a full slate of art exhibits – from paintings to pottery - in the month of June to commemorate the 112th anniversary of Philippine independence.

Showcasing Filipino artistry, craftsmanship and heritage, June month begins with the launch on June 1st of "Brown Strokes on a White Canvas," which features paintings by more than 20 Filipino and Filipino-American artists from the community. Now on its seventh year, "Brown Strokes on a White Canvas," is presented in partnership with the Philippine American Foundation for Charities, Inc.

To be launched on June 10th, during the week of the 112th anniversary of Philippine Independence, is the exhibit "Lupang Hinirang" by Chicago-based visual artist Paul C. Balan. Lupang Hinirang Series 1 through 10 is a visual representation of the lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem. Consisting of ten 24" x 18" pen and ink compositions, the works highlight the virtues of courage, pride, honor, duty and love of motherland that inspired Filipinos in their quest for independence and greater peace, progress and prosperity.

According to Paul Balan, his striking images drew inspiration from Philippine folklore. Balan is from the town of Paete, a town known for its sculptors, painters, musicians and poets. Balan is a descendant of Pablo Bague, one of Paete's master sculptors. Chicago-based Balan is an Associate Artist for the United States Mint's Artistic Infusion Program.

Capping the month will be the exhibit of stoneware potter Hadrian Mendoza entitled, "Carabao" which will be launched on June 18th. Named after the Philippines' water buffalo, the exhibit shows three dimensional works evoking Philippine symbols and icons, including the carabao.

Mendoza is a graduate of Mary Washington College in Virginia and was a former student of Washington, D.C.'s Corcoran School of Art where he was awarded the prestigious Anne And Arnold Abramson Award for Excellence in Ceramics. Mendoza recently received and completed the 2007-2009 Toyota Foundation Grant: "Asian Neighbors Network Program: Unlocking Southeast Asia's Potential.

The exhibits will all be held at the Embassy's Carlos P. Romulo Hall.

SHORTENED CONSULAR HOURS ON 11 JUNE 2010
Los Angeles, 02 June 2010 – The Philippine Consulate General wishes to inform the public that in view of the preparation for the celebration of the 112th Declaration of Philippine Independence which will be held at the Rizal Hall of the Consulate General, the Consulate will be open from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon on 11 June 2010.

Information Section
Philippine Consulate General
Trunkline: 213 639 0980
Directline: 213 637 3028
Website

SF CONSULATE HOLIDAY NOTICE

The San Francisco Philippine Consulate General will be closed on the following dates in commemoration of the 112th Declaration of the Philippine Independence:

Friday, 11 June 2010
Monday, 14 June 2010

Regular consular service hours will resume on the Tuesday, 15 June 2010.

For emergency cases requiring assistance from the Consulate during the holidays, please contact the Help Desk at telephone no. (415) 269-2090.
Cultural, Community Relations and Public Information (CCPI) Section
Philippine Consulate General, San Francisco
447 Sutter Street, 6th Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94108 USA
Tel. No.: (415) 433-6666 ext. 314
Fax No.: (415) 421-2641
Email
Website
*********************************************************************************
Dionesio C. Grava - Part-time community journalist based in Los Angeles and editorial writer at Forum Asia.






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