Filipino, 7 others picked to carry Olympic torch in China
Associated PressLast updated 00:47am (Mla time) 11/03/2007
BEIJING -- (UPDATE) A Filipino marketing manager and an American who works with Chinese orphans are among eight foreigners living in China who have been picked to join in the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch run across the country, organizers said Friday.
Marcos Antonio Torres was picked from among 262 applicants in a contest organized by Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group, an Olympic sponsor, and the government newspaper China Daily. Each will carry the torch for 200 meters on Chinese soil.
Torres is a marketing manager in Beijing who launched an online campaign to appeal for votes. He said it made him a celebrity in his homeland.
"It started out with one e-mail which I forwarded to people in my address book. After that, I wrote a blog, and then a day or two after there were over 1,000 blogs about my appeal," he told The Associated Press.
"Then I went to the Philippines for national holidays and I was invited by TV and radio. In fact, it wasn't just any TV and radio shows. I appeared on the No. 1 radio station in the Philippines," he said.
Torres has been living and working in the Chinese capital since June 2006. He also writes for Metrozine, which he describes as the top bilingual magazine in Beijing.
He wanted to witness the 2008 Olympics so much he declined an opportunity to move to Shanghai.
In his desire to become an Olympic torchbearer, Torres “e-mailed everyone [he] possibly [knew] including [his] office e-mail address,” which connected over 400 persons in nine cities worldwide, to ask them to vote for him.
In the website www.pinoytorchbearer.com, he said that even company founder Moira Moser voted for him.
Numerous blogs, websites, television and radio stations in the Philippines have supported him in his dream.
A sports buff, Torres was captain of his college’s volleyball team and had won amateur badminton tournaments. He also enjoys bowling and playing tennis.
Meanwhile, American Jenny Bowen, from San Francisco, lives in Beijing and runs a foundation to help Chinese orphans. People who answered the phone at the foundation's Hong Kong office said she was in the United States and not immediately available for comment.
The other winners come from India, Venezuela, German, Russia, Japan and Colombia. They will be among 19,400 runners who are to carry the torch across China for the games next August.
Lenovo hopes the Games will help to make it a global brand following its 2005 acquisition of IBM Corp.'s personal computer unit. The Beijing-based company's designers created the 2008 Olympic torch.
The final selection was made by a panel of Lenovo and China Daily employees after nearly 300,000 people voted in a month-long online campaign, according to the newspaper.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
351 Media Movement- Preparing The Filipino Youth
Leaders of 351 Media Movement, Preparing The Filipino Youth, in the Philippines. L-R: Delfin Diezmo, Ruby Tan, Manny Lumba, Ian Barcelona, Zonny Lerum, Jr., Joey Lina, Butch Belgica, Jojo Gonzales, Lloyd Luna, Pocholo Gonzales
The 351 Media Movement logo and emblem
NEW JERSEY, USA—Without doubt, the youth is the hope of tomorrow. But it is the older generation that is the hope of the youth. The 351 Media Movement will call for the older generation here in the United States and other parts of the world to rally behind the youth. Our target is the youth in the Philippines, because we want to change the Philippines from a nation of poverty to a nation of prosperity like Japan. We also want to change the present array of politicians with the youth who are yet in universities and colleges and high schools that we are going to pick and select from and then train and mentor. We will hold youth conferences, fora and group discussions and from there we will select the most promising youth, to make them speakers and leaders and send them out to business places, government places, and church places, to speak and motivate all people in all walks of life. In other words, Preparing The Filipino Youth Program, from the Resolution 351 Media Movement will take care of these chosen youth and mentor them to see to it that they carry the true ideals of leadership and how to be able to govern properly. Without training people fail. Without training the youth will also fail.
The good news is, now, Resolution 351 Media Movement, through the founding president, Dr. John A. Ayudtud, and the founding Chairman, Architect Zonny Lerum, will campaign for helps in the United States and Canada, and other parts of the world to support the many youth movements that are already in place in the Philippines. We have three youth leaders in mind that we are going to be rearing up with financial backing and they are: Lloyd Luna, Ian Barcelona, and Pocholo Gonzales. Their names are frequently used now here in the United States as the three top ranking youth leaders in the Philippines. We are raising up members here for the movement, and we believe that we will be able to raise millions of dollars for our youth projects in the Philippines; aimed at raising potential leaders in the future.
We will also raise up youth here in the United States who will become speakers to youth conferences in the Philippines, and likewise, we will try to bring youth from the Philippines to speak to youth conferences here in the United States. Everyone that we talk to about Preparing The Filipino Youth Program exclaims with excitement. I spoke to a doctor friend in Florida and he gets so excited to join in.
The good news is, now, Resolution 351 Media Movement, through the founding president, Dr. John A. Ayudtud, and the founding Chairman, Architect Zonny Lerum, will campaign for helps in the United States and Canada, and other parts of the world to support the many youth movements that are already in place in the Philippines. We have three youth leaders in mind that we are going to be rearing up with financial backing and they are: Lloyd Luna, Ian Barcelona, and Pocholo Gonzales. Their names are frequently used now here in the United States as the three top ranking youth leaders in the Philippines. We are raising up members here for the movement, and we believe that we will be able to raise millions of dollars for our youth projects in the Philippines; aimed at raising potential leaders in the future.
We will also raise up youth here in the United States who will become speakers to youth conferences in the Philippines, and likewise, we will try to bring youth from the Philippines to speak to youth conferences here in the United States. Everyone that we talk to about Preparing The Filipino Youth Program exclaims with excitement. I spoke to a doctor friend in Florida and he gets so excited to join in.
We want to encourage all youth groups in governments, in churches, in the schools, and in businesses to get into our website and apply for recognition. We need as many youth organizations that we can tap. One day, we will get the Araneta Coliseum to have our youth conference. And we will get speakers from the United States and Canada, young people, who are also Filipinos, and who are challenged and poised to change the Philippines in a big way.
Friday, October 26, 2007
PINOY NAMED HARVARD SCIENTIST OF 2007
PINOY NAMED HARVARD SCIENTIST OF 2007
MANILA , MARCH 15, 2007 (STAR) By Doreen G. Yu -
A Filipino molecular biologist has been named by the Harvard Founda tion as 2007 Scientist of the Year. Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera, son and namesake of a former STAR columnist, will receive the distinction at an honorary luncheon on Friday at Harvard's Pforzheimer House, which opens the annual Albert Einstein Science Conference sponsored by the Harvard Foundation. The foundation is observing its 25th anniversary this year. Olivera, who was nominated by the Harvard Foundation's Student/Faculty Advisory Committee, is being honored for his contributions in the field of biology, in particular for his groundbreaking research on neurotoxins produced by venomous cone snails found in Philippine waters. The toxins that he and his team identified are now widely used in neuroscience research. He is a leading figure in the emerging field of neuropharmacology. Although based in the US , Olivera maintains a laboratory in the Philippines that continues research work on neurotoxins that target specific ion channels in the central nervous system. His work has led to the development of a drug, now in clinical trails, that appears to be more effective against chronic pain than morphine. Knowledge provided by his basic research studies may also shed light on conditions, such as schizophrenia and epilepsy, which involve the function of receptors and ion channels in the nervous system. "Dr. Olivera is widely respected as a biological scientist for his excellent work in neurotoxicology and his dedicat ion to students in the field," said Dr. S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation and associate professor of neurology and neurophysiology. "In his research, teaching, and social commitments, he is a distinguished role model whom we honor for his fine example," Counter added. Olivera is Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Utah . He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, summa cum laude, from the University of the Philippines and a doctorate in biochemistry from the California Institute of Technology . He did postdoctoral work at Stanford University with Dr. I Robert Lehman. Last year, he was appointed a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Olivera has published over 250 scientific papers on the biological sciences. Each year, the Harvard Foundation and members of the science community present a special award to an internationally acclaimed scientist for his or her contributions and achievements in the biological and physical sciences, and particularly their efforts to advance minorities and women in the sciences. Olivera will receive the award from the dean of Harvard College and the president of Harvard University . Olivera will speak about his life as a scientist and deliver remarks to encourage college students to pursue careers in the sciences. On Saturday, Olivera will join some 30 Harvard undergraduate students and a hundred boys and girls from Boston and Cambridge public schools for the foundation's annual Partners in Science program, which features lectures and demonstrations by Harvard science faculty at the Science Center for inner city junior high school students, and interactive science experiments with Harvard College students. Last year's Harvard Foundation Scientist of the Year awardee was Dr. P. Uri Treisman, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Texas in Austin , who was recognized for his efforts to improve math and science education, particularly for minorities. Past Harvard Foundations honorees include Nobel Laureate in chemistry Dr. Mario Molina, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, former chair of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, astronauts Dr. Ellen Ochoa and Dr. Mae Jamison, mat hematician Dr. Jonathan David Farley, and distinguished mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante of the Stand and Deliver project. The annual Harvard Foundation Albert Einstein Science Conference: Advancing Minorities and Women in Science, Engineering and Mathematics aims to bring together a diverse group of professors and students with interest in the basic, applied, natural and biological sciences. It is named after the distinguished scientist who visited historically black colleges to demonstrate his commitment to equal education and civil rights, and who spoke out against racism and anti-Semitism in American and around the world.
MANILA , MARCH 15, 2007 (STAR) By Doreen G. Yu -
A Filipino molecular biologist has been named by the Harvard Founda tion as 2007 Scientist of the Year. Dr. Baldomero M. Olivera, son and namesake of a former STAR columnist, will receive the distinction at an honorary luncheon on Friday at Harvard's Pforzheimer House, which opens the annual Albert Einstein Science Conference sponsored by the Harvard Foundation. The foundation is observing its 25th anniversary this year. Olivera, who was nominated by the Harvard Foundation's Student/Faculty Advisory Committee, is being honored for his contributions in the field of biology, in particular for his groundbreaking research on neurotoxins produced by venomous cone snails found in Philippine waters. The toxins that he and his team identified are now widely used in neuroscience research. He is a leading figure in the emerging field of neuropharmacology. Although based in the US , Olivera maintains a laboratory in the Philippines that continues research work on neurotoxins that target specific ion channels in the central nervous system. His work has led to the development of a drug, now in clinical trails, that appears to be more effective against chronic pain than morphine. Knowledge provided by his basic research studies may also shed light on conditions, such as schizophrenia and epilepsy, which involve the function of receptors and ion channels in the nervous system. "Dr. Olivera is widely respected as a biological scientist for his excellent work in neurotoxicology and his dedicat ion to students in the field," said Dr. S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation and associate professor of neurology and neurophysiology. "In his research, teaching, and social commitments, he is a distinguished role model whom we honor for his fine example," Counter added. Olivera is Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Utah . He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, summa cum laude, from the University of the Philippines and a doctorate in biochemistry from the California Institute of Technology . He did postdoctoral work at Stanford University with Dr. I Robert Lehman. Last year, he was appointed a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Olivera has published over 250 scientific papers on the biological sciences. Each year, the Harvard Foundation and members of the science community present a special award to an internationally acclaimed scientist for his or her contributions and achievements in the biological and physical sciences, and particularly their efforts to advance minorities and women in the sciences. Olivera will receive the award from the dean of Harvard College and the president of Harvard University . Olivera will speak about his life as a scientist and deliver remarks to encourage college students to pursue careers in the sciences. On Saturday, Olivera will join some 30 Harvard undergraduate students and a hundred boys and girls from Boston and Cambridge public schools for the foundation's annual Partners in Science program, which features lectures and demonstrations by Harvard science faculty at the Science Center for inner city junior high school students, and interactive science experiments with Harvard College students. Last year's Harvard Foundation Scientist of the Year awardee was Dr. P. Uri Treisman, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Texas in Austin , who was recognized for his efforts to improve math and science education, particularly for minorities. Past Harvard Foundations honorees include Nobel Laureate in chemistry Dr. Mario Molina, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, former chair of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, astronauts Dr. Ellen Ochoa and Dr. Mae Jamison, mat hematician Dr. Jonathan David Farley, and distinguished mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante of the Stand and Deliver project. The annual Harvard Foundation Albert Einstein Science Conference: Advancing Minorities and Women in Science, Engineering and Mathematics aims to bring together a diverse group of professors and students with interest in the basic, applied, natural and biological sciences. It is named after the distinguished scientist who visited historically black colleges to demonstrate his commitment to equal education and civil rights, and who spoke out against racism and anti-Semitism in American and around the world.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
THIS LOOKS LIKE BRIBERY
Bribe It Was
By Antonio C. Abaya
Written Oct. 15, 2007
For the Standard Today,
October 16 issue
Is there no end to our despair, our despondency, our humiliation over our politics and our politicians? .
Some 190 congressmen and women were summoned to a breakfast meeting in Malacanang with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last Thursday, Oct. 11. At the end of the meeting, envelopes were allegedly given away to the attendees, each one supposedly containing P200,000 to P500,000 in cash., as "send-off gifts" or "a remembrance" or "help"(See the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oct 12.)
In addition, each attending congressman and woman was allegedly promised pork barrel allocation of up to P70 million.
The cash envelopes were given away apparently without any vouchers to be signed by the recipients, without any indication from which department the (presumably public) money was coming from, without any instructions on how or for what purpose the money was to be used for, and without any indication that the amounts were to be accounted for or liquidated at a certain date.
In other words, each recipient was free to use the cash, partly or fully, for the coming barangay elections or other local community project, or for his or her own personal needs. Which would be a working definition of a bribe.
Especially since the cash were being given away just before a showdown looms in the Lower House over the possible impeachment of President Arroyo over the scandal-racked national broadband network project..
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that President Arroyo is buying the loyalty of some 190 congressmen and women, to either reject an opposition-launched impeachment resolution, or to support an administration- launched resolution deemed so weak and flawed as to suffer an inevitable rejection
Either way, President Arroyo would emerge unscathed for another 365 days, as only one impeachment resolution can be filed against a sitting president in one year.
At P200,000 per envelope, the total cash bribe to 190 congressmen and women add up to P38 million. At P500,000 per envelope, the total reaches P95 million. So between P38 million and P95 million in cash were given away by Malacanang last Oct. 11 to insulate President Arroyo from a possible impeachment for the next 365 days.
And it did not end there. In a separate Malacanang meeting that day, Oct. 11, this time with mayors and governors, more cash – this time in shopping bags - was given away to the attendees. There were said to be 200 attendees, 48 of whom were provincial governors and the rest city and municipal mayors.
Again, no vouchers or receipts, no indication as to where the money came from or what purpose or purposes it was to be used for, and without any accountability at all as to how it is spent.. Again, the working definition of a bribe.
At least one provincial governor – Fr. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga – revealed that he was given a bag containing P500,000 in cash. Fr. Ed says that the man who gave him the cash told him he can use the money for the barangay elections or for other barangay projects. (PDI, Oct. 14, 2007).
Or, if he were so inclined, he could use it for his own personal agendas, as other recipients of Malacanang's largesse no doubt would, if they had no moral qualms about it as Fr. Ed did.
The Inquirer (Oct. 14) revealed that two more (unnamed) provincial governors, both from Southern Luzon , have revealed that they received similar bags full of cash It is inconceivable that the 45 other provincial governors, or the city and municipal mayors in attendance, received nothing.
Malacanang apologists are stumbling over each other claiming that these were not public funds but were more likely private donations from businessmen friendly to Malacanang who want to help in the barangay elections. That's a lot of bull, and they know it.
It is more likely that these bundles of cash were sourced from the so-called Intelligence Fund of the President, which must now amount to a few billion pesos a year, and which are not subject to any audit at all, and which a sitting president can use to bribe or reward not only loyal governors, congressmen/ women and mayors, but also cooperating senior bureaucrats, military generals and Comelec officials
The office of the Philippine president is probably the most corrupting and corruptible political position in this part of the world. When an utterly immoral and manipulative person occupies that position, even the angels in Heaven and the demons in Hell can be bought. The Intelligence Fund of the President should be abolished.from the National Budget. Now!.
Fr. Ed has been quoted by the Inquirer as saying: "Since that was public money and it belonged to the people, I decided to take it and use it in a beneficial way. I couldn't be blind to the needs of my constituents. That's public money anyway. What will matter is how I would use it and I intend to use it to answer the people's needs."
He has turned the money over to the provincial administrator for safekeeping. "My conscience tells me that whatever resources came my way, as long as these came from public taxes and honest means, I will utilize these for the people….."
I hope his conscience will also tell Fr. Ed that, yes, these P500,000 came from public taxes, but they are being used as private funds by unscrupulous individuals in power to promote their private agendas, such as immunizing themselves from impeachment, and staying in power indefinitely, contrary to all the moral scruples that Fr. Ed. has come to symbolize.
With the hundreds of millions of pesos that his honest governance stands to earn in the next 12 months from quarrying fees alone, Fr. Ed does not need the sordid half a million pesos from Malacanang, which will use his acceptance of it to clothe its bribes to everyone else with some veneer of respectability.
But we do not know if Fr. Ed will become another co-opted Romulo Neri, or will choose to be the heroic moral leader whom Filipinos have been longing for for so long..*****
Reactions to acabaya@zpdee. net or tonyabaya@gmail. com . Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in tonyabaya.blogspot. com.
By Antonio C. Abaya
Written Oct. 15, 2007
For the Standard Today,
October 16 issue
Is there no end to our despair, our despondency, our humiliation over our politics and our politicians? .
Some 190 congressmen and women were summoned to a breakfast meeting in Malacanang with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last Thursday, Oct. 11. At the end of the meeting, envelopes were allegedly given away to the attendees, each one supposedly containing P200,000 to P500,000 in cash., as "send-off gifts" or "a remembrance" or "help"(See the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oct 12.)
In addition, each attending congressman and woman was allegedly promised pork barrel allocation of up to P70 million.
The cash envelopes were given away apparently without any vouchers to be signed by the recipients, without any indication from which department the (presumably public) money was coming from, without any instructions on how or for what purpose the money was to be used for, and without any indication that the amounts were to be accounted for or liquidated at a certain date.
In other words, each recipient was free to use the cash, partly or fully, for the coming barangay elections or other local community project, or for his or her own personal needs. Which would be a working definition of a bribe.
Especially since the cash were being given away just before a showdown looms in the Lower House over the possible impeachment of President Arroyo over the scandal-racked national broadband network project..
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that President Arroyo is buying the loyalty of some 190 congressmen and women, to either reject an opposition-launched impeachment resolution, or to support an administration- launched resolution deemed so weak and flawed as to suffer an inevitable rejection
Either way, President Arroyo would emerge unscathed for another 365 days, as only one impeachment resolution can be filed against a sitting president in one year.
At P200,000 per envelope, the total cash bribe to 190 congressmen and women add up to P38 million. At P500,000 per envelope, the total reaches P95 million. So between P38 million and P95 million in cash were given away by Malacanang last Oct. 11 to insulate President Arroyo from a possible impeachment for the next 365 days.
And it did not end there. In a separate Malacanang meeting that day, Oct. 11, this time with mayors and governors, more cash – this time in shopping bags - was given away to the attendees. There were said to be 200 attendees, 48 of whom were provincial governors and the rest city and municipal mayors.
Again, no vouchers or receipts, no indication as to where the money came from or what purpose or purposes it was to be used for, and without any accountability at all as to how it is spent.. Again, the working definition of a bribe.
At least one provincial governor – Fr. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga – revealed that he was given a bag containing P500,000 in cash. Fr. Ed says that the man who gave him the cash told him he can use the money for the barangay elections or for other barangay projects. (PDI, Oct. 14, 2007).
Or, if he were so inclined, he could use it for his own personal agendas, as other recipients of Malacanang's largesse no doubt would, if they had no moral qualms about it as Fr. Ed did.
The Inquirer (Oct. 14) revealed that two more (unnamed) provincial governors, both from Southern Luzon , have revealed that they received similar bags full of cash It is inconceivable that the 45 other provincial governors, or the city and municipal mayors in attendance, received nothing.
Malacanang apologists are stumbling over each other claiming that these were not public funds but were more likely private donations from businessmen friendly to Malacanang who want to help in the barangay elections. That's a lot of bull, and they know it.
It is more likely that these bundles of cash were sourced from the so-called Intelligence Fund of the President, which must now amount to a few billion pesos a year, and which are not subject to any audit at all, and which a sitting president can use to bribe or reward not only loyal governors, congressmen/ women and mayors, but also cooperating senior bureaucrats, military generals and Comelec officials
The office of the Philippine president is probably the most corrupting and corruptible political position in this part of the world. When an utterly immoral and manipulative person occupies that position, even the angels in Heaven and the demons in Hell can be bought. The Intelligence Fund of the President should be abolished.from the National Budget. Now!.
Fr. Ed has been quoted by the Inquirer as saying: "Since that was public money and it belonged to the people, I decided to take it and use it in a beneficial way. I couldn't be blind to the needs of my constituents. That's public money anyway. What will matter is how I would use it and I intend to use it to answer the people's needs."
He has turned the money over to the provincial administrator for safekeeping. "My conscience tells me that whatever resources came my way, as long as these came from public taxes and honest means, I will utilize these for the people….."
I hope his conscience will also tell Fr. Ed that, yes, these P500,000 came from public taxes, but they are being used as private funds by unscrupulous individuals in power to promote their private agendas, such as immunizing themselves from impeachment, and staying in power indefinitely, contrary to all the moral scruples that Fr. Ed. has come to symbolize.
With the hundreds of millions of pesos that his honest governance stands to earn in the next 12 months from quarrying fees alone, Fr. Ed does not need the sordid half a million pesos from Malacanang, which will use his acceptance of it to clothe its bribes to everyone else with some veneer of respectability.
But we do not know if Fr. Ed will become another co-opted Romulo Neri, or will choose to be the heroic moral leader whom Filipinos have been longing for for so long..*****
Reactions to acabaya@zpdee. net or tonyabaya@gmail. com . Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in tonyabaya.blogspot. com.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Bishop Ef Tendero- Diplomat, Public Servant, Huge Church Leader
Bishop Efraim M. Tendero serves as national director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC)—the largest group of born-again Christians in the Philippines composed of 20,000 evangelical churches, denominations, parachurch organizations, and mission groups. He is also the pulpit minister of Kamuning Bible Christian Fellowship (KBCF) which he helped establish together with a pioneering team when he was still a seminary student.Besides providing leadership to PCEC, Bishop Tendero is the chair of the board of the following organizations: Asian Theological Seminary, Back to the Bible Broadcast, Evangelism Explosion (EE) 3 Philippines, Philippine Association of Christian Education and Philippine Missions Association, Philippine Bible Society, and the Youth Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia. He is also a member of the Youth Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance. He was chair of the General Committee of the Metro Manila Franklin Graham Festival that spearheaded the festival of Franklin Graham in the Philippines in February 2006.
As national coordinator for the DAWN (Discipling A Whole Nation) 2000, he provided leadership for the mobilization of churches in the Philippines that made possible the accomplishment of the movement’s vision of seeing 50,000 local churches planted nationwide by 2000. At present, he directs the various strategies to achieve the goal of DAWN 2010 to see the Philippine churches become healthy, holistic, and harvesting.
Owing to his dynamic preaching, excellent leadership and rich ministry experience, he has become among the country’s favorite speakers on leadership, church growth and missions, and has been invited numerous times to speak not only locally but in 18 other countries. Furthermore, he functions as executive editor of Evangelicals Today—the longest-running Christian magazine in the Philippines.
He also served as one of the spiritual advisers of former President Fidel V. Ramos in his capacity as chair of the National Ecumenical Consultative Committee (NECCOM). He continues to be a part of NECCOM and is a member of the newly created Presidential Council for Values Formation. Bishop Tendero was also appointed by President GMA as one of the members of the 50-man Citizen’s Consultative Commission or Concom that went around the country to consult and gather input from various sectors and stakeholders of the nation so as to review and craft possible amendments to the present Constitution, for which he was awarded a Presidential Medal of Merit.Bishop Tendero earned his B. A. Theology degree from FEBIAS College of Bible in 1978, cum laude and was the recipient of that year’s Most Outstanding Student Award. He also went to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois for his M. Div. (Pastoral Counseling) degree, graduating cum laude. He is listed in the 1989 “Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.” Just recently, the Febias College of Bible and the International School of Theology-Asia separately conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree on him.
In recognition of his exemplary leadership in the body of Christ as he fosters unity and advocacy for national transformation, he was given the Distinguished Evangelical Leadership Award, making him the fifth person to receive this prestigious award in the 35 years of PCEC then.
Born in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro Bishop Ef is married to the former Sierry Soriano. The couple are blessed with four children, namely: Elizabeth Esther, Efraim Elijah, Ezra Emmanuel, and Elah Eunice.
New York/New Jersey Leaders for Knowledge Channel
Circle of Champions in New York/New Jersey: (seated from left) Benpres Rosan Cruz, Knowledge Channel president Rina Lopez-Bautista, Philippine DepEd Secretary Jeslie Lapus, New York Consul General Cecilia Rebong, Fiesta Philippines Mila Mendez, Robert Perez de Tagle, Chamber of Commerce president Butch Meily, Philippine Fiesta president Nanding Mendez, Moneyfast Remittance Lee Quimbo, NaFFAA-NY Joe Ramos Philippine Independence Day Council president Gani Puertollaño, and Metrobank NY's general manager and first vice president Alfred Madrid.
The Filipino-American community in New York pledged its support for Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI), through the establishment of the Knowledge Channel Circle of Champions – NY Chapter (KC3, NY), a group that will actively advocate for the improvement of the quality of Philippine public school instruction through the Knowledge Channel, a curriculum-based all-educational channel available by cable and satellite in the Philippines.
At the organizational meeting of KC3, NY, the KCFI founder and president Rina Lopez-Bautista appealed to community and business leaders to champion the future of the Philippines by helping more schools gain access to Knowledge Channel. Out of the 42,000 public schools throughout the country, only 1,709 schools have been covered so far.
Lopez-Bautista pointed out that the Knowledge Channel has proven to improve retention and comprehension levels of students and has increased National Achievement Test (NAT) scores in schools. "The schools' use of the Knowledge Channel has resulted in improvement of the children's test scores. A school in Batanes increased its NAT scores by 107%. Knowledge Channel has improved the learning curve of Filipino youth," she said.
She added, "Especially in the more remote areas, KCh in the school is more than just a learning tool. It has become a source of hope to the principals, the teachers, the students and the community. It is a catalyst to galvanize the community in supporting the school and their children's education even more. And when parents, teachers and the community work together, magic happens."
Department of Education Sec. Jesli Lapus attended the event and stressed that government alone cannot solve resource gaps in schools and that it is crucial to "reverse the deteriorating trend as soon as possible." He also said that this year he relaunched the Adopt-A-School program, which includes Knowledge Channel as one of the programs to be supported.
Philippine Consul General in New York, Cecilia Rebong also attended the meeting and rallied attendees and the organizations to take up education as a cause, with Knowledge Channel as one of the main interventions that could create a big impact in Philippine education.
Attendees were Metrobank general manager and first vice president, Alfred Madrid, Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce president Butch Meily, Philippine Independence Day Council president Gani Puertollaño, Philippine Fiesta Nanding and Mila Mendez, Joe Ramos of National Federation of Filipino-American Associations, NY Chapter (NaFFAA-NY), Lee Quimbo of Moneyfast Remittance Services and Robert Perez de Tagle.
View the Knowledge Channel website at http://www.knowledgechannel.com.ph/ or email knowledgechannel@sky.pinoycentral.com. Donors may contact them through telephone at 1-800-527-2820 or 650-508-6118 or use our online form and click on Pay Pal.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Filipinos In Hongkong
There are on average around 140,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, of whom most find work as foreign domestic helpers. Filipino maids are known by the locals as feiyungs and the slang bun muis or bun buns. A Hong Kong work visa requires some amount of higher education; and in some cases Filipino women with university degrees and perfect command of English are willing to work as maids and nannies for the higher salary they will receive in Hong Kong than they could make at home.
On Sundays and on public holidays, thousands of feiyungs gather in Central, Victoria Park and around Hong Kong Cultural Centre to socialise.
Although Filipino domestic workers vastly outnumber other Filipinos in other professions, there are a notable number of Filipino professionals in Hong Kong. Some are architects and civil engineers, working on some of the more prominent buildings and construction projects in Hong Kong. Some are information technology professionals, and some are in professional services (accounting, law, finance)too. A significant proportion of those employed as domestic workers in Hong Kong have other professions in the Philippines, there are those with university degrees who work Hong Kong for more opportunities.
The first Filipinos to have worked professionally in Hong Kong were these groups who went to Hong Kong during the post-World War II years and following the fall of the Mainland to the Communists in 1949. Many Filipinos also work in service industries in the Central business district, and also in Hong Kong Disneyland as entertainers or other cast members.
There are also some Filipinos who have married expatriates, mostly from Western countries, and have settled down in Hong Kong.
Most Filipinos in Hong Kong communicate with the local population in English (usually a second language for both parties). However, they communicate with their own friends and community in Tagalog or in another Filipino dialect. Most of them also have picked up a few Chinese (Cantonese) phrases in everyday life. A few are adept at Cantonese usage.
Filipinos haven't settled long enough in Hong Kong to have a large number who know Cantonese fluently, unlike some of the other ethnic minorities such as the Pakistanis and the Indians who often speak Cantonese like locals. Typically, the 140,000 Filipinos are transients -- each year, a large number of these leave Hong Kong permanently, to be replaced by a different set of Filipinos who have to learn Cantonese from the beginning.
The World-Wide House arcade in Central is popular with the Filipinos, as many of the shops are run by Filipinos. The wide assortment of typically small shops caters to their needs, selling telecommunications and banking services, to food, and magazines.
On Sundays, one can usually encounter a large number of Filipino maids gathered at various spots in Central, including the ground floor of the HSBC Hong Kong headquarters building. Many maids in Hong Kong have Sunday as their fixed once-a-week working day off, during which they socialize, eat self-prepared food, sing, and even sell various items. This weekly gathering is such a long-standing practice that the "No littering" signs in the vicinity are written in three languages: Chinese, English and Tagalog.
Most Filipinos in Hong Kong are Christians, the majority Roman Catholic. There are also a sizeable number who congregate in Protestant and non-denominational churches. A minority are Muslims. Many spend at least a part of their Sunday mornings attending Mass and various church services. Numerous Catholic parishes in Hong Kong offer Masses in Tagalog or English geared towards the Filipinos, who make up a large part of the membership of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong (2005: 353,000, but it is unclear whether Church statistics include them).
Friday, September 28, 2007
Atty Alexander Lacson
Alexander Ledesma Lacson, 40, is lawyer by profession. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines, College of Law (Class 1996) and has taken post graduate studies at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Four years ago, he and his wife (Pia) had a serious discussion whether to migrate to the US or Canada because Philippines, as a country, appeared hopeless as it only got worse year after year. They wanted to know if they and their children would be better off staying in the country or abroad in the next 20 years.
They asked themselves this formula question - "Will the Philippines progress in the next 20 years?"
If the answer is YES, they will stay. If the answer is NO, they will leave and relocate their family abroad while they are still young and energetic.
But after a long discussion, they could not give a definite answer to the question. Until they realized that actually the answer to that question is in them. The country will improve if they do something about it. It will not if they do not do anything.
They realized that the answer is in us as a people, that hope is in us as a people.
Four years ago, he and his wife (Pia) had a serious discussion whether to migrate to the US or Canada because Philippines, as a country, appeared hopeless as it only got worse year after year. They wanted to know if they and their children would be better off staying in the country or abroad in the next 20 years.
They asked themselves this formula question - "Will the Philippines progress in the next 20 years?"
If the answer is YES, they will stay. If the answer is NO, they will leave and relocate their family abroad while they are still young and energetic.
But after a long discussion, they could not give a definite answer to the question. Until they realized that actually the answer to that question is in them. The country will improve if they do something about it. It will not if they do not do anything.
They realized that the answer is in us as a people, that hope is in us as a people.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Global Filipino Leaders Convention
“The 3rd Global’s Executive Coordinator Speaks Up!” by Lorna Lardizabal Dietz
There were a lot of best practices that we learned before, during, and after the Third Global Filipino Networking Convention. For instance, we employed grassroots marketing and public relations throughout the preparations of this special gathering, sending e-mails to all the prospects and participants on a regular basis. Everyone who was in the e-mail list felt that they were a part of the convention’s preparations.
:-DWe did make room for surprises.:-D For example, the overseas delegates didn’t know that they would be treated to an energetic Sinulog dance presentation during the Opening Plenary Session and that Tommy Osmena, the mayor of Cebu City, would enter the Cebu Waterfront Hotel’s Grand Ballroom riding a customized vehicle. Or that there would be a spectacular fireworks display at the Ayala Center’s Lagoon just for us!
As Executive Coordinator of the 3rd Global, I realized how important it was to have someone like me (a Cebuana and a NaFFAA member) who could harmonize with both convenors, NaFFAA and the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB), communicating to them in a timely fashion and making executive decisions with the big picture in mind. I highly recommend having this coordinating position as a “must” for future Global Filipino Networking Conventions.
:-)My Philippine cellphone was a lifesaver many times over.:-) I used it to text over 400 people in my Philippine phone book so that they would register for the convention on time. Or that I would text every forum or workshop’s manager or moderator with instructions on where to board the buses bound for the Ayala Lagoon.
Some of my memorable moments include being supported by a dedicated group of volunteers who pampered and took care of all our plenary speakers. We also had official greeters at the airport and the Cebu Waterfront Hotel. I made sure that a communications person (equipped with a VHF radio) was assigned to each member of the Organizing Committee so we could trouble-shoot efficiently. While Jenny Franco, the convention’s project director, took care of the financial and operational details, I focused on making sure that everyone in the committees knew what was going on. There were five of us who worked in the US committee. A month before the convention, I joined seven other members of the working group from CVCB in Cebu. The best compliment that Patrick Gregorio, the convention’s Secretary General and CVCB’s founder, gave our group was that he believed each one of the eight members did the work equivalent to 10 people.
There are more stories. For now, let me share some of these memories with you.
We had a PowerPoint presentation available at our website, ThirdGlobalCebu.com (which has since been changed to a simplified format at ThirdGlobalCebu.net). It contained a lot of information that truly helped many overseas attendees as well as media practitioners who were covering the convention. Click here to review this presentation at SlideShare.net.
Rodel Rodis is the founding father of the Global Filipino Networking Convention concept. He worked closely with Viki Bamba, a.k.a. the founding mother, in mobilizing more than 4,000 Filipinos to congregate at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, California on August 31, 2002 for the 1st Global Filipino Networking Convention. Rodel summarizes the 3rd Global quite nicely in his syndicated column.
There were a lot of best practices that we learned before, during, and after the Third Global Filipino Networking Convention. For instance, we employed grassroots marketing and public relations throughout the preparations of this special gathering, sending e-mails to all the prospects and participants on a regular basis. Everyone who was in the e-mail list felt that they were a part of the convention’s preparations.
:-DWe did make room for surprises.:-D For example, the overseas delegates didn’t know that they would be treated to an energetic Sinulog dance presentation during the Opening Plenary Session and that Tommy Osmena, the mayor of Cebu City, would enter the Cebu Waterfront Hotel’s Grand Ballroom riding a customized vehicle. Or that there would be a spectacular fireworks display at the Ayala Center’s Lagoon just for us!
As Executive Coordinator of the 3rd Global, I realized how important it was to have someone like me (a Cebuana and a NaFFAA member) who could harmonize with both convenors, NaFFAA and the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB), communicating to them in a timely fashion and making executive decisions with the big picture in mind. I highly recommend having this coordinating position as a “must” for future Global Filipino Networking Conventions.
:-)My Philippine cellphone was a lifesaver many times over.:-) I used it to text over 400 people in my Philippine phone book so that they would register for the convention on time. Or that I would text every forum or workshop’s manager or moderator with instructions on where to board the buses bound for the Ayala Lagoon.
Some of my memorable moments include being supported by a dedicated group of volunteers who pampered and took care of all our plenary speakers. We also had official greeters at the airport and the Cebu Waterfront Hotel. I made sure that a communications person (equipped with a VHF radio) was assigned to each member of the Organizing Committee so we could trouble-shoot efficiently. While Jenny Franco, the convention’s project director, took care of the financial and operational details, I focused on making sure that everyone in the committees knew what was going on. There were five of us who worked in the US committee. A month before the convention, I joined seven other members of the working group from CVCB in Cebu. The best compliment that Patrick Gregorio, the convention’s Secretary General and CVCB’s founder, gave our group was that he believed each one of the eight members did the work equivalent to 10 people.
There are more stories. For now, let me share some of these memories with you.
We had a PowerPoint presentation available at our website, ThirdGlobalCebu.com (which has since been changed to a simplified format at ThirdGlobalCebu.net). It contained a lot of information that truly helped many overseas attendees as well as media practitioners who were covering the convention. Click here to review this presentation at SlideShare.net.
Rodel Rodis is the founding father of the Global Filipino Networking Convention concept. He worked closely with Viki Bamba, a.k.a. the founding mother, in mobilizing more than 4,000 Filipinos to congregate at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, California on August 31, 2002 for the 1st Global Filipino Networking Convention. Rodel summarizes the 3rd Global quite nicely in his syndicated column.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Dr. Butch Belgica and Wife, Dr. Met
Dr. and Rev. Grepor "Butch" Belgica
Grepor 'Butch'BelgicaMini BiographyAt 16, Butch Belgica was convicted in a celebrated homicide case. After conviction he spent the next eleven and a half years in the National Penetentiary. He became one of the youngest gang leaders of the Philippine underworld; was radicalized and indoctrinated into a communist movement front organization. He then started writing for various publications in prison and exposed the unjust systems practiced by prison authorities in the penitentiary.Released in 1976, he was a changed man, not because prison life reformed him but because the Lord Jesus Christ found him and touched him. He was called by God in an audible voice to proclaim His Word.Now ...
Evangelist, Ordained Minister of the Gospel of Christ (International Credentials)Senior Pastor, Elder, Teacher, The Lord's Vineyard Covenant CommunityFounder, Joshua Men's FellowshipPresident, The National Reform AssociationPresident, Prison Fellowship PhilippinesChairman, Glimpse of Jesus Missions (Phil)Founder, 7-14 Missions InternationalSpecial Projects Director:- Feed my People, Intl (US Aid Agency)Founder, Philadelphian Porters, (Living Miracle Foundation) 1984-1988
Implementor of KAPATIRAN, a Campus Outreach for Christian Values under the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Executive Director, EDSA-ILAW (Eradicate Delinquency and Substance Abuse through Information and Law)
In Politics
1. Councilor, 6th district, Manila 1994-1996 2. Speaker of the House during his term in 1994 to 1996.3. Assistant Majority Floor Leader, City Council, Manila 1995-19984. Action & Performance Officer, Office of Manila City Mayor(Mayor Atienza)5. Special Assistant, Office of the President of the Philippines 6. Consultant, Office of the First Gentleman of the Philippines (current)7. Consultant to the Undersecretary, Department of Transportation and Communications8. Pinoy Votester 2007 Liberal Party Candidate for Manila Vice Mayor ( link)
A Businessman
Chairman & CEO, GREBBS Holdings, INC.General Manager, GREBBS M2 Building SystemPresident, Town Planners and Development Corporation
Past:
Consultant, AMCO Industrial Sales & AMWAY Trading CorporationPresident, Believer Bros. Realty Management & Development Corp.Managing Director, San Felipe Mining ExplorationManaging Director, Concorde Marketing CorporationVice President, RL Umali Construction CorporationVice President & Director, Astro Builder Corporation
Resource Speaker
Resource Speaker for:
National Bureau of Investigation(NBI)
Philippine National Police (PNP),
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
Department of Education (DECS)
and other local/national government units.
Lecturer, Conducted more than 700 lectures, Seminar-workshops, from 1984 until present on various subjectstopics: - Spiritual on Human Development - Values Formation and Human Behavior, - Delinquency and Drug Abuse - Word Approach Counseling, - Nation Building , - Bible, Family and Parenting, - etc/Adviser, 351 Media Movement Foundation, Inc.Chairman, KABATAS (Justice Advocates) An association of Law Enforcers, Judges, Prosecutors (active and retired) and concerned citizens involved in the continuing reinement of the criminal justice system.
Author
Author: From Darkness to Light An Autobiography
Feature Writer, Contributor, Various Magazines
Reporter, Tempo and Bulletin Today
Other Books/ Works/ Writings:1. First Lessons About Christ - Bible study Guide and Teaching Manual2. Word Approach in Counseling - Counseling Handbook3. Covering and Authority Series4. Blessing of Betrothal5. Covenant: Principles, Rights, Responsibilities and Structure6. Third Dimension of Human Development7. 2 Chronicles 7:14 - Strategy Manual for Discipling Nations8. Remove the Evil from Our Midst - Biblical Blueprint for Comprehensive Social Action Against Delinquency and Substance Abuse9. You Can Be Married and Be Happy (Pamphlet)10. Society and Civil Government
Membership: Organizations
1. Lifetime Member, Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International2. Lifetime Member, National Press Club3. Member, Kapisanan ng Mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP)4. Member, Manila Bay Lions Club International5. Adviser, Christian Businessman Council, Philippines6. Member, National Radio TV Press Club
Educational Background
Candidate Ph D. HUMAN BEHAVION (Golden Pacific)Friends International Christian University, California, USADOCTOR OF MINISTRY - 1991Friends International Christian University, California, USAMASTER OF DIVINITY - 1989Friends International Christian University, California, USABACHELOR'S DEGREE IN THEOLOGY - 1988Friends International Christian University, California, USAEXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - 1979MASTERS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (Equivalent)Alexander Hamilton Institute (2yr correspondence)SECONDARY AND ELEMENTARY EDUCATIONSan Beda College; LKetran College; Muntinlupa Ext H.S.SPECIAL INTER-DISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN:1. BIBLICAL LAW AND CHRISTIAN ECONOMICS2. BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES IN CIVIL GOVERNMENT Institute for Christian Economics, Tyler, TX3. BASIC AND ADVANCE BIBLICAL STUDIES 1980-1981 Charismatic School of Ministry, Manila
Evangelist, Ordained Minister of the Gospel of Christ (International Credentials)Senior Pastor, Elder, Teacher, The Lord's Vineyard Covenant CommunityFounder, Joshua Men's FellowshipPresident, The National Reform AssociationPresident, Prison Fellowship PhilippinesChairman, Glimpse of Jesus Missions (Phil)Founder, 7-14 Missions InternationalSpecial Projects Director:- Feed my People, Intl (US Aid Agency)Founder, Philadelphian Porters, (Living Miracle Foundation) 1984-1988
Implementor of KAPATIRAN, a Campus Outreach for Christian Values under the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Executive Director, EDSA-ILAW (Eradicate Delinquency and Substance Abuse through Information and Law)
In Politics
1. Councilor, 6th district, Manila 1994-1996 2. Speaker of the House during his term in 1994 to 1996.3. Assistant Majority Floor Leader, City Council, Manila 1995-19984. Action & Performance Officer, Office of Manila City Mayor(Mayor Atienza)5. Special Assistant, Office of the President of the Philippines 6. Consultant, Office of the First Gentleman of the Philippines (current)7. Consultant to the Undersecretary, Department of Transportation and Communications8. Pinoy Votester 2007 Liberal Party Candidate for Manila Vice Mayor ( link)
A Businessman
Chairman & CEO, GREBBS Holdings, INC.General Manager, GREBBS M2 Building SystemPresident, Town Planners and Development Corporation
Past:
Consultant, AMCO Industrial Sales & AMWAY Trading CorporationPresident, Believer Bros. Realty Management & Development Corp.Managing Director, San Felipe Mining ExplorationManaging Director, Concorde Marketing CorporationVice President, RL Umali Construction CorporationVice President & Director, Astro Builder Corporation
Resource Speaker
Resource Speaker for:
National Bureau of Investigation(NBI)
Philippine National Police (PNP),
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
Department of Education (DECS)
and other local/national government units.
Lecturer, Conducted more than 700 lectures, Seminar-workshops, from 1984 until present on various subjectstopics: - Spiritual on Human Development - Values Formation and Human Behavior, - Delinquency and Drug Abuse - Word Approach Counseling, - Nation Building , - Bible, Family and Parenting, - etc/Adviser, 351 Media Movement Foundation, Inc.Chairman, KABATAS (Justice Advocates) An association of Law Enforcers, Judges, Prosecutors (active and retired) and concerned citizens involved in the continuing reinement of the criminal justice system.
Author
Author: From Darkness to Light An Autobiography
Feature Writer, Contributor, Various Magazines
Reporter, Tempo and Bulletin Today
Other Books/ Works/ Writings:1. First Lessons About Christ - Bible study Guide and Teaching Manual2. Word Approach in Counseling - Counseling Handbook3. Covering and Authority Series4. Blessing of Betrothal5. Covenant: Principles, Rights, Responsibilities and Structure6. Third Dimension of Human Development7. 2 Chronicles 7:14 - Strategy Manual for Discipling Nations8. Remove the Evil from Our Midst - Biblical Blueprint for Comprehensive Social Action Against Delinquency and Substance Abuse9. You Can Be Married and Be Happy (Pamphlet)10. Society and Civil Government
Membership: Organizations
1. Lifetime Member, Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International2. Lifetime Member, National Press Club3. Member, Kapisanan ng Mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP)4. Member, Manila Bay Lions Club International5. Adviser, Christian Businessman Council, Philippines6. Member, National Radio TV Press Club
Educational Background
Candidate Ph D. HUMAN BEHAVION (Golden Pacific)Friends International Christian University, California, USADOCTOR OF MINISTRY - 1991Friends International Christian University, California, USAMASTER OF DIVINITY - 1989Friends International Christian University, California, USABACHELOR'S DEGREE IN THEOLOGY - 1988Friends International Christian University, California, USAEXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - 1979MASTERS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (Equivalent)Alexander Hamilton Institute (2yr correspondence)SECONDARY AND ELEMENTARY EDUCATIONSan Beda College; LKetran College; Muntinlupa Ext H.S.SPECIAL INTER-DISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN:1. BIBLICAL LAW AND CHRISTIAN ECONOMICS2. BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES IN CIVIL GOVERNMENT Institute for Christian Economics, Tyler, TX3. BASIC AND ADVANCE BIBLICAL STUDIES 1980-1981 Charismatic School of Ministry, Manila
Monday, September 17, 2007
Hannah Venus Galvez, Filipino Leader in Tokyo, Japan
U G N A Y A N
ni Hannah Venus Galvez
Japan: The Land of the Risen Son
OUR journey as YOU partner with ME
Konnichiwa! A special Japanese greeting from your Filipina missionary to Japan…If asked what keeps me going in a foreign land especially in Tokyo, it’s the day-to-day excitement on what God is doing in this hi-tech, fast-paced and super-expensive society! By God’s amazing grace, I am part of the Filipino Diaspora who can boldly testify that I was “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. [I] always carry around in [my] body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in [my] body.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)
Through it all, it is a privilege to be entrusted with a ministry to our countrymen abroad, to the fellow foreigners in a hostile land and, specially, to the local people. Going 13 years ministering around Japan plus 28 months in other countries is a wonderful testimony of God’s faithfulness and personal care to me! I would never exchange the Kingdom-value learning experiences in frontline missions to the past exposure of working at Malacanang Palace nor the many opportunities to have more comfortable lifestyle nor even be a fulltime housewife to a millionaire…It grows sweeter as the days go by in serving our Father God! I do rejoice in the Lord always as I witness His marvelous plan unfolds specifically for my mission field—the land where the Resurrected Christ be declared the Savior and Lord of all!
Intimacy before Activity
When my sending church, Greenhills Christian Fellowship, makes me an account of my long years of overseas mission, I share with them what I have personally known who our God is and how I have made Him known wherever I go. Our church motto guides me in my ministry: To Know Christ and To Make Him Known.
Filipino community leaders in Japan with Philippine Embassy Consuls and ABS-CBN President. (Hannah, 2nd from right)Indeed, it is just so easy to be lost in the fast and complicated motions of life in Japan and be driven to the flow of people, fashion, culture and the majority…Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness comes to mind almost every morning as I wake up and out of my cozy futon (Japanese bed). Honestly, I struggle to go through the daily life principle No Bible, No Breakfast before I take my nutritious pan (bread) or onigiri (rice ball) over a cup of hot ocha (tea). Well, Christianity is a relationship and lifestyle neither a program nor series of steps nor dogmas.
Developing my intimate relationship with our Creator God is a real adventure. Our systematic Bible readings and study in our outreaches in different cities are times of wonderful discovery of His nature, character and attributes. With our solid teaching and foundation based on the Bible, our new Christian family members seek opportunities to creatively share how each one of us personally experienced God who is Love and Just. His amazing love overflows in and through us that makes life easier to face with the growing challenges as gaijin (foreigner) and as provocatively looked down upon as Firipinjin (Filipino).
Out of the Comfort Zone…Mission seems Impossible
I felt like Alice in the Wonderland when I landed at Narita Kuko (airport) on the first day of February in the year of the Lord 1992! The heaviest snowfall was the “talk of the town” on that day, which explained many of us stranded for more than half a day. It really slowly and painfully melted my excitement to see snow. (The Bible says that when I accepted Jesus into my heart, my sins are all forgiven and I will be whiter than snow!) Since 1988, I had been to about 20 countries on board the mission ship of Operation Mobilization but it was just right at the airport on my very first day in Japan when I saw snow for the first time!
Around me were thousands of Nihonjin (Japanese) with almost the same coat design, haircut, movement, etc. I had not been so scared in my life than seeing all the men dressed in black. They all fit the description of the dreaded yakuza (mafia). My Japanese Religious Activities visa application was well-planned and long prayed over since the ban for women to Japan was as hot as the Comfort Women issue and the mysterious death of entertainer Maricris Sioson then. The orientation given to me was NOT to approach anyone wearing boshi (hat). Everybody wears one and they all look the same! What a homogenous nation…described as matchbox-like society.
On my way to my first mission base in Nagano City, popularly known as host to the Winter Olympics 98, my former shipmate on MV Doulos took time to comfort me. We stood for about 3 hours while our express densha (train) passed through lines of snow-capped mountains and traditional uchi (houses). How I wished we took the shinkansen (bullet train) to shorten our agony; but, we have a missionary budget….Our pick-up car broke down and a fallen tree would not allow us to push it. So we walked to my temporary shelter in the middle of thick snow. Imagine me as I shivered while groping through the dark.
Goodness gracious! What I thought to be a comfy rocking bed in a log cottage where I laid was a strong earthquake that I jumped out like a horse to seek for cover. Day 2 then in my nikki (diary): after 6 years, the strongest earthquake hit the city where I am. I researched and found out that earthquake is a common occurrence as there are 22 live volcanoes in Japan compared to only 6 in the Philippines. Our God who is Sovereign could never make a mistake in allowing me to go through all these bouts of life. I thought deeply then. Later I was counseled that I was and still going through fierce spiritual warfare! Bible verses on Ephesians 6:10-20 sound loud and clear.
Key person in the web society
Japanese educators working for an online, open university. Linking with them could open doors for Filipino’s continued education overseas. (Hannah, 1st row on the right)“You see one, you see them all…their faces all look-a-like.” This is a common lament of my contacts--English Sensei (teachers) as they helped me memorize Japanese names of our seito (students) and attendees of our kyokai (church). One day, I asked my 12 students who most of them belong to a non-political organization (NPO), “What’s the best way to introduce Japan?”
Each one made a report with beautiful props what makes Japan unique. Hopefully, I can write a book out of their creative presentations. Kimono (national dress). Ikebana (flower arrangement). Sushi (dish with raw seafood toppings). Sumo (wrestling). Noren (curtain). Koto (musical string instrument). Matsuri (Festival). Hanami (Cherry-blossom viewing). Hanabi (Fireworks). Tea Ceremony. Garden. Godzilla. It is quite a revelation when the class president emphasized to the Acorn English Group that most non-Japanese cannot understand the whole meaning of their culture and tradition. “No one should miss the spirit and psyche behind what the eyes can see in our land.” One mission book states that Japan has about 10 million gods…to have more gods, the better….Jesus can be taken as additional god to them.
I know the God who is Faithful-- the one & only living true God-- will be forever watching my coming in and going out! Though I still sought who can be my mentor, spiritual adviser, accountability group or even academic circle in Japan. Not long enough I was led to an old Japanese man who was a famous English teacher. Well, 40 years of teaching at a prestigious prefectural university can make you a big name. A mere mention of his name was like having a special power which ripples up to Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Once he gave me a city tour and I had a real back pain at the end of the day. I must bow, real whole body bending, as many times as possible as we greeted people who called his name and bow many times again as we bid sayonara (goodbye).
He was and still is known by most if not all Nagano folks so I did not dare went out with him again! Except one. Kitazawa Sensei encouraged me to meet school principals and company owners right in their Japanese houses. My sense of humor started to develop when he evaluated our visits and exclaimed that all the local people like me. How can that be if I never spoke a single word? I cannot even look at their offered green tea and black sweets as they are strange-looking to me? I felt terrible to sit steadily for hours with knees on the tatami mat (flooring made of special grass) beside a heated kotatsu (low table). Well, my silence and smile made a big difference among the loud foreigners and guests in their very conservative village.
Lost and Found
So many interesting stories of personal belongings lost in the train, bus, airport and any public places but surely found again. Honesty in this country could shame we Christians what we claim a blessing but actually somebody else’s property. What a real and beautiful restoration process--serving with clear conscience and pure heart--if we return all that we see in our house, office and church to the rightful owners!
Maps for short and long distance trips are totally different once you hit the roads. The more you ask for directions, the more complicated you seem to go through….Driving daily around Kanto Area in Japan is part of my ministry which balances my time as I spend a lot of hours in front of my treasured Sony laptop computer. (This could seem the material I could not live without…a well-treasured electronic unit, Made in Japan.) Yes, I had been lost many times but taken as special treats to my passengers (mostly, short-term missionaries) as they have more views of Japan—the beautiful hana (flowers), stylish kuruma (cars), big koen (parks), huge depato (department stores), tall apato (apartments), etc.
It is also encouraging to hear testimonies of entertainers, who comprise the bulk of more than 200,000 Filipinos in Japan. They came to seek satisfaction in material wealth; as lost as their okyaku-san (customers), but JESUS found them! Not a cliché but truly God met them where they are. Their new-found faith creates waves of spiritual renewal and revival in their family back home and host country! As they are transformed by the Holy Spirit, they can be potential modern-day missionaries as they share how God can save materially rich but spiritually poor people.
One considered big lost for me this year is the passing away of my beloved father—a Nazarene Bible College graduate who became an overseas tentmaker in the Middle East. Sadly, I was not allowed to leave Japan then. The timing for visa extension and permanent residency application coincided with the stricter Japanese immigration policy. The mistake of our countrymen who cannot abide by the laws of our adopted country seems to fall on me. As part of the national security and anti-terrorism measure, I went through long investigation, interrogation and personal visit of the Immigration Officers right at our mission center!
Let the dead bury their own dead kept ringing in my ears on February 14. My dad cannot ask now who is my Valentine on this date! Well, thank God for webcams and flatrate internet provider that I was able to monitor the nightly wakes and funeral services. “You didn’t actually lost him but I have him back with me for he is actually mine. You can see him again though…” What a struggle to let him go but our God who is our Comfort and Peace keeps His promises.
Dr. and Mrs. Fujita, my Japanese parents and key people in the Japanese society. God has truly blessed me to have them in my life!Few days ago, God blessed me with a Japanese otosan (father) for I can never have a local shujin (husband)! Dr. Fujita, known to be the Japanese father of negotiation as he wrote the first book and has other 20 books on this special course, adopted me as their Firipinjin kodomo (child). His daughter, who is now my adopted shimai (sister), is a smart lady politician as she is one of the few elected woman councilors of a rich city in Metropolitan Tokyo. She was the guest speaker during our 10th church anniversary on November 21. In the presence of many Japanese and Filipinos, she spoke eloquently that in Japan there should no one be called alien or foreigner. All of us in this momentous gathering of Filipino believers in Japan did found someone who can make us at home where we are now. Indeed, this is actually our Father’s land. In our generation, we want to declare it the land of His Risen Son!
Just keep in touch for Japan Mission:
Councilwoman Hiroko Maekawa and Engr. Raymund Estrella, longtime mission sponsor, witnessed our church anniversary celebration. What a beautiful testimony that FCMN is supported by missions-minded Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs), spouses of Japanese national & Filipino exchange students!
Hannah Venus GalvezFCMN International Mission Centre3-67-9 OhminamiMusashi-Murayama CityTokyo 208-0013, Japan
Overseas Telefax: +81-42-590-4573
Japan Telefax: 042-590-4573Overseas Cell phone: +81-90-6315-3474
Japan Cell phone: 090-6315-3474E-mail: ugnayan@hotmail.com
"The Christian who knows he is crucified with Christ--Has no ambition & so has nothing to be jealous about.Has no reputation & so has nothing to fight about.
Has no possession, therefore nothing to worry about.Has no rights, therefore he cannot suffer wrong.
He is already dead so no one can kill him."
ni Hannah Venus Galvez
Japan: The Land of the Risen Son
OUR journey as YOU partner with ME
Konnichiwa! A special Japanese greeting from your Filipina missionary to Japan…If asked what keeps me going in a foreign land especially in Tokyo, it’s the day-to-day excitement on what God is doing in this hi-tech, fast-paced and super-expensive society! By God’s amazing grace, I am part of the Filipino Diaspora who can boldly testify that I was “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. [I] always carry around in [my] body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in [my] body.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)
Through it all, it is a privilege to be entrusted with a ministry to our countrymen abroad, to the fellow foreigners in a hostile land and, specially, to the local people. Going 13 years ministering around Japan plus 28 months in other countries is a wonderful testimony of God’s faithfulness and personal care to me! I would never exchange the Kingdom-value learning experiences in frontline missions to the past exposure of working at Malacanang Palace nor the many opportunities to have more comfortable lifestyle nor even be a fulltime housewife to a millionaire…It grows sweeter as the days go by in serving our Father God! I do rejoice in the Lord always as I witness His marvelous plan unfolds specifically for my mission field—the land where the Resurrected Christ be declared the Savior and Lord of all!
Intimacy before Activity
When my sending church, Greenhills Christian Fellowship, makes me an account of my long years of overseas mission, I share with them what I have personally known who our God is and how I have made Him known wherever I go. Our church motto guides me in my ministry: To Know Christ and To Make Him Known.
Filipino community leaders in Japan with Philippine Embassy Consuls and ABS-CBN President. (Hannah, 2nd from right)Indeed, it is just so easy to be lost in the fast and complicated motions of life in Japan and be driven to the flow of people, fashion, culture and the majority…Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness comes to mind almost every morning as I wake up and out of my cozy futon (Japanese bed). Honestly, I struggle to go through the daily life principle No Bible, No Breakfast before I take my nutritious pan (bread) or onigiri (rice ball) over a cup of hot ocha (tea). Well, Christianity is a relationship and lifestyle neither a program nor series of steps nor dogmas.
Developing my intimate relationship with our Creator God is a real adventure. Our systematic Bible readings and study in our outreaches in different cities are times of wonderful discovery of His nature, character and attributes. With our solid teaching and foundation based on the Bible, our new Christian family members seek opportunities to creatively share how each one of us personally experienced God who is Love and Just. His amazing love overflows in and through us that makes life easier to face with the growing challenges as gaijin (foreigner) and as provocatively looked down upon as Firipinjin (Filipino).
Out of the Comfort Zone…Mission seems Impossible
I felt like Alice in the Wonderland when I landed at Narita Kuko (airport) on the first day of February in the year of the Lord 1992! The heaviest snowfall was the “talk of the town” on that day, which explained many of us stranded for more than half a day. It really slowly and painfully melted my excitement to see snow. (The Bible says that when I accepted Jesus into my heart, my sins are all forgiven and I will be whiter than snow!) Since 1988, I had been to about 20 countries on board the mission ship of Operation Mobilization but it was just right at the airport on my very first day in Japan when I saw snow for the first time!
Around me were thousands of Nihonjin (Japanese) with almost the same coat design, haircut, movement, etc. I had not been so scared in my life than seeing all the men dressed in black. They all fit the description of the dreaded yakuza (mafia). My Japanese Religious Activities visa application was well-planned and long prayed over since the ban for women to Japan was as hot as the Comfort Women issue and the mysterious death of entertainer Maricris Sioson then. The orientation given to me was NOT to approach anyone wearing boshi (hat). Everybody wears one and they all look the same! What a homogenous nation…described as matchbox-like society.
On my way to my first mission base in Nagano City, popularly known as host to the Winter Olympics 98, my former shipmate on MV Doulos took time to comfort me. We stood for about 3 hours while our express densha (train) passed through lines of snow-capped mountains and traditional uchi (houses). How I wished we took the shinkansen (bullet train) to shorten our agony; but, we have a missionary budget….Our pick-up car broke down and a fallen tree would not allow us to push it. So we walked to my temporary shelter in the middle of thick snow. Imagine me as I shivered while groping through the dark.
Goodness gracious! What I thought to be a comfy rocking bed in a log cottage where I laid was a strong earthquake that I jumped out like a horse to seek for cover. Day 2 then in my nikki (diary): after 6 years, the strongest earthquake hit the city where I am. I researched and found out that earthquake is a common occurrence as there are 22 live volcanoes in Japan compared to only 6 in the Philippines. Our God who is Sovereign could never make a mistake in allowing me to go through all these bouts of life. I thought deeply then. Later I was counseled that I was and still going through fierce spiritual warfare! Bible verses on Ephesians 6:10-20 sound loud and clear.
Key person in the web society
Japanese educators working for an online, open university. Linking with them could open doors for Filipino’s continued education overseas. (Hannah, 1st row on the right)“You see one, you see them all…their faces all look-a-like.” This is a common lament of my contacts--English Sensei (teachers) as they helped me memorize Japanese names of our seito (students) and attendees of our kyokai (church). One day, I asked my 12 students who most of them belong to a non-political organization (NPO), “What’s the best way to introduce Japan?”
Each one made a report with beautiful props what makes Japan unique. Hopefully, I can write a book out of their creative presentations. Kimono (national dress). Ikebana (flower arrangement). Sushi (dish with raw seafood toppings). Sumo (wrestling). Noren (curtain). Koto (musical string instrument). Matsuri (Festival). Hanami (Cherry-blossom viewing). Hanabi (Fireworks). Tea Ceremony. Garden. Godzilla. It is quite a revelation when the class president emphasized to the Acorn English Group that most non-Japanese cannot understand the whole meaning of their culture and tradition. “No one should miss the spirit and psyche behind what the eyes can see in our land.” One mission book states that Japan has about 10 million gods…to have more gods, the better….Jesus can be taken as additional god to them.
I know the God who is Faithful-- the one & only living true God-- will be forever watching my coming in and going out! Though I still sought who can be my mentor, spiritual adviser, accountability group or even academic circle in Japan. Not long enough I was led to an old Japanese man who was a famous English teacher. Well, 40 years of teaching at a prestigious prefectural university can make you a big name. A mere mention of his name was like having a special power which ripples up to Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Once he gave me a city tour and I had a real back pain at the end of the day. I must bow, real whole body bending, as many times as possible as we greeted people who called his name and bow many times again as we bid sayonara (goodbye).
He was and still is known by most if not all Nagano folks so I did not dare went out with him again! Except one. Kitazawa Sensei encouraged me to meet school principals and company owners right in their Japanese houses. My sense of humor started to develop when he evaluated our visits and exclaimed that all the local people like me. How can that be if I never spoke a single word? I cannot even look at their offered green tea and black sweets as they are strange-looking to me? I felt terrible to sit steadily for hours with knees on the tatami mat (flooring made of special grass) beside a heated kotatsu (low table). Well, my silence and smile made a big difference among the loud foreigners and guests in their very conservative village.
Lost and Found
So many interesting stories of personal belongings lost in the train, bus, airport and any public places but surely found again. Honesty in this country could shame we Christians what we claim a blessing but actually somebody else’s property. What a real and beautiful restoration process--serving with clear conscience and pure heart--if we return all that we see in our house, office and church to the rightful owners!
Maps for short and long distance trips are totally different once you hit the roads. The more you ask for directions, the more complicated you seem to go through….Driving daily around Kanto Area in Japan is part of my ministry which balances my time as I spend a lot of hours in front of my treasured Sony laptop computer. (This could seem the material I could not live without…a well-treasured electronic unit, Made in Japan.) Yes, I had been lost many times but taken as special treats to my passengers (mostly, short-term missionaries) as they have more views of Japan—the beautiful hana (flowers), stylish kuruma (cars), big koen (parks), huge depato (department stores), tall apato (apartments), etc.
It is also encouraging to hear testimonies of entertainers, who comprise the bulk of more than 200,000 Filipinos in Japan. They came to seek satisfaction in material wealth; as lost as their okyaku-san (customers), but JESUS found them! Not a cliché but truly God met them where they are. Their new-found faith creates waves of spiritual renewal and revival in their family back home and host country! As they are transformed by the Holy Spirit, they can be potential modern-day missionaries as they share how God can save materially rich but spiritually poor people.
One considered big lost for me this year is the passing away of my beloved father—a Nazarene Bible College graduate who became an overseas tentmaker in the Middle East. Sadly, I was not allowed to leave Japan then. The timing for visa extension and permanent residency application coincided with the stricter Japanese immigration policy. The mistake of our countrymen who cannot abide by the laws of our adopted country seems to fall on me. As part of the national security and anti-terrorism measure, I went through long investigation, interrogation and personal visit of the Immigration Officers right at our mission center!
Let the dead bury their own dead kept ringing in my ears on February 14. My dad cannot ask now who is my Valentine on this date! Well, thank God for webcams and flatrate internet provider that I was able to monitor the nightly wakes and funeral services. “You didn’t actually lost him but I have him back with me for he is actually mine. You can see him again though…” What a struggle to let him go but our God who is our Comfort and Peace keeps His promises.
Dr. and Mrs. Fujita, my Japanese parents and key people in the Japanese society. God has truly blessed me to have them in my life!Few days ago, God blessed me with a Japanese otosan (father) for I can never have a local shujin (husband)! Dr. Fujita, known to be the Japanese father of negotiation as he wrote the first book and has other 20 books on this special course, adopted me as their Firipinjin kodomo (child). His daughter, who is now my adopted shimai (sister), is a smart lady politician as she is one of the few elected woman councilors of a rich city in Metropolitan Tokyo. She was the guest speaker during our 10th church anniversary on November 21. In the presence of many Japanese and Filipinos, she spoke eloquently that in Japan there should no one be called alien or foreigner. All of us in this momentous gathering of Filipino believers in Japan did found someone who can make us at home where we are now. Indeed, this is actually our Father’s land. In our generation, we want to declare it the land of His Risen Son!
Just keep in touch for Japan Mission:
Councilwoman Hiroko Maekawa and Engr. Raymund Estrella, longtime mission sponsor, witnessed our church anniversary celebration. What a beautiful testimony that FCMN is supported by missions-minded Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs), spouses of Japanese national & Filipino exchange students!
Hannah Venus GalvezFCMN International Mission Centre3-67-9 OhminamiMusashi-Murayama CityTokyo 208-0013, Japan
Overseas Telefax: +81-42-590-4573
Japan Telefax: 042-590-4573Overseas Cell phone: +81-90-6315-3474
Japan Cell phone: 090-6315-3474E-mail: ugnayan@hotmail.com
"The Christian who knows he is crucified with Christ--Has no ambition & so has nothing to be jealous about.Has no reputation & so has nothing to fight about.
Has no possession, therefore nothing to worry about.Has no rights, therefore he cannot suffer wrong.
He is already dead so no one can kill him."
The Need For Unity Of Filipino Leaders
The Filipino Leader within the Asia Pacific
The role of the Filipino Leader towards the development of the Asia Pacific Community could be appreciated in four different areas covering the capacity of the Filipino to inspire, rally and convene people towards a cause. This role is essential in uplifting the situation of the Philippines and promoting greater cooperation among Pacific Rim countries toward an essential cause.Peaceful Revolution. In 1986, the whole world was inspired and learned from Filipinos that a major political change (or revolution) is possible through an active and non-violent way. The EDSA Revolution has became a symbol of an empowered people claiming their stake in democracy, which later inspired other countries to pursue the same track in asserting popular democracy. The Filipino leader should inspire other leaders from the Asia Pacific community to constantly pursue active non-violent means towards societal change, and thus, imprinting the need for the leaders of other nations to make sure that the interest and voice of the people remains at their top concern.Making Sense of Things. With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) serving as the mechanism for countries within the Pacific Rim to improve economic and political ties, and with the major role that the Philippine plays in said gathering, the Filipino leader is in strategic position to influence multi-lateral economic relations and trade agreements. The Filipino leader could engage leaders from other countries belonging to the Cooperation to look into trade agreements such as the GATT-WTO and validate its impacts to smaller and developing nations, and through the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). These initiatives will make sense out of these multi-later agreements.Elevating the Philippines. An important role of the Filipino leader is to make sure that the Philippines become a viable destination for investment and tourism. Alongside, the Filipino Leader should mobilize the Filipinos toward becoming a competitive human resource pool for the demand from Asia Pacific countries. The Filipino leader should maximize the potential of the outsource market available to Filipino workers. Taking the case of digital animation, for example, where Philippine-based universities and colleges are producing world class animators, the Filipino leader should bridge needs abroad (i.e., Thailand, S. Korea) to the capacities back home. Bringing investments locally shall prove to be more economically and socially beneficial than sending our workforce abroad.Bridging Cross-National Divides. The Filipino leader should mobilize other nations in the Pacific Rim to look into essential issues facing developed and developing countries. The Filipino Leader should assert that the countries within APEC should holistically look into the situation of the region so as to able identify areas convergence to ensure greater economic equity outside of present approaches of multi-national corporations and business organizations. The Filipino leader should be able to rally the Pacific Rim countries to adopt clear outcomes like the Millennium Development Goal and collectively be accountable for it. This will rationalize existing trade relations and agreements. ~oOo~
The role of the Filipino Leader towards the development of the Asia Pacific Community could be appreciated in four different areas covering the capacity of the Filipino to inspire, rally and convene people towards a cause. This role is essential in uplifting the situation of the Philippines and promoting greater cooperation among Pacific Rim countries toward an essential cause.Peaceful Revolution. In 1986, the whole world was inspired and learned from Filipinos that a major political change (or revolution) is possible through an active and non-violent way. The EDSA Revolution has became a symbol of an empowered people claiming their stake in democracy, which later inspired other countries to pursue the same track in asserting popular democracy. The Filipino leader should inspire other leaders from the Asia Pacific community to constantly pursue active non-violent means towards societal change, and thus, imprinting the need for the leaders of other nations to make sure that the interest and voice of the people remains at their top concern.Making Sense of Things. With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) serving as the mechanism for countries within the Pacific Rim to improve economic and political ties, and with the major role that the Philippine plays in said gathering, the Filipino leader is in strategic position to influence multi-lateral economic relations and trade agreements. The Filipino leader could engage leaders from other countries belonging to the Cooperation to look into trade agreements such as the GATT-WTO and validate its impacts to smaller and developing nations, and through the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). These initiatives will make sense out of these multi-later agreements.Elevating the Philippines. An important role of the Filipino leader is to make sure that the Philippines become a viable destination for investment and tourism. Alongside, the Filipino Leader should mobilize the Filipinos toward becoming a competitive human resource pool for the demand from Asia Pacific countries. The Filipino leader should maximize the potential of the outsource market available to Filipino workers. Taking the case of digital animation, for example, where Philippine-based universities and colleges are producing world class animators, the Filipino leader should bridge needs abroad (i.e., Thailand, S. Korea) to the capacities back home. Bringing investments locally shall prove to be more economically and socially beneficial than sending our workforce abroad.Bridging Cross-National Divides. The Filipino leader should mobilize other nations in the Pacific Rim to look into essential issues facing developed and developing countries. The Filipino Leader should assert that the countries within APEC should holistically look into the situation of the region so as to able identify areas convergence to ensure greater economic equity outside of present approaches of multi-national corporations and business organizations. The Filipino leader should be able to rally the Pacific Rim countries to adopt clear outcomes like the Millennium Development Goal and collectively be accountable for it. This will rationalize existing trade relations and agreements. ~oOo~
Friday, September 14, 2007
MAYOR FELICIANO BELMONTE, JR.
FELICIANO BELMONTE, JR.
Mayor of Quezon City (2001 – present)
Most Outstanding City Mayor of the Philippines in 2003
Mr. Serbisyong Bayan “SB”
Six years of prudent fiscal management, aggressive tax management strategies, as well as increasing efficiency and growing discipline in the management and use of our resources has made Quezon City one of the most bankable local government units in the country today.
QC: Best managed local government
Mayor Feliciano Belmonte’s leadership has brought wide recognition of Quezon City as one of the best managed local governments of the country. Effective capacity building and fiscal and financial management systems are the foundations that Quezon City is building its growing strength on.
Belmonte explains, “I am lucky to be mayor at a time when the global trend is that cities have become the center of economic competition. Cities are now the new nations, able to source for themselves investments, business opportunities and resources. In the Philippines, more progressive cities like Quezon City are igniting the engines of growth. Competition becomes easier now that we have put our “house” in order.”
Over the past six years, the Belmonte administration has developed a Quezon City that has become a model of effective governance, a case study of effective strategies by national and local governments here and abroad.
Dramatic turnaround from bankruptcy into most competitive city
When Belmonte was first elected mayor in 2001, Quezon City was the most financially distressed local government unit in Metro Manila and perhaps, nationwide. The city had a debt of P1.25 billion to the Land Bank and payables to various contractors amounting to P1.4 billion. The general fund was overdrawn by P10 million. In just two years, he was able to turn a bankrupt city into the richest city in the country, a feat very few mayors have achieved.
His goal in building up the City’s financial position is to create a viable resource base that can fund its economic transformation. In just five years, he has transformed a laggard into one of the most competitive cities of the country today. For the first time in many decades, the people of Quezon City are happy about the present and excited about the future.
Consistently since 2002, the Commission on Audit and the Department of Finance has regarded Quezon City as the local government unit (LGU) with the highest net income in the Philippines. For four straight years, the City produced a budget surplus averaging P282 million annually.
Investments in a better life
These resources are now being parlayed into the development and transformation of Quezon City. The people of Quezon City are now enjoying the fruits of more than P 8 billion worth of infrastructure investments. These are investments to make people’s lives better – through safer communities, through more productive environments because people and vehicles can move faster and more conveniently to destinations, and through more pleasurable and healthy surroundings.
Throughout his administration, Belmonte has been investing in LIFE:
* Livelihood and entrepreneurship, which mean investments in productivity that lead to enterprise creation and job generation
* Infrastructure development, which redound to investments in the physical transformation of the City, improving the overall environment for business and almost all aspects of community life
* Fiscal and financial management, which are continuing investments in strengthening governance and management capacity
* Education, which represent significant initiatives in knowledge creation and expansion.
To quote the Mayor, ”I did not aspire to be a mayor simply to look good while in Office. I have heard a man say that the first task of a leader is to keep hope alive. I want to go beyond that. I am working to make hope happen. I want the ensuing reality to endure for many years to come by investing in the future.”
Pioneering in many areas
The trademarks of Belmonte’s style of management have been:
* Operations efficiency
* Prudence and judiciousness in the use of resources
* Innovation and the setting of precedents
It is under the Mayor’s leadership that Quezon City achieved many firsts:
* 1st to computerize revenue collection and assessment function
* 1st to grant to barangays (community-level local government unit), full fiscal control over their share of real property tax collections
* 1st to institutionalize Citywide citizen participation in governance thru the City Development Council
* 1st Urban Center to implement the Solid Waste Management Act
* 1st to use Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as biogas-reduction strategy and revenue generation mechanism from waste
* 1st LGU to manage an advanced computer training center
* 1st to enact a Gender and Development Code for the protection of women and children
Effective fiscal management
Belmonte is best known for his fiscal management acumen. Among his first moves as QC mayor was to revitalize tax collection. His focus on computerization has instituted efficiency and service innovations that has made taxpaying easy, accurate and less prone to graft. The City government developed a database system that now contains around 400,000 real property units with capability to record payments, and the capacity to service 20,000 taxpayer transactions a day.
Belmonte was bold enough to pursue needed resource-saving and revenue-generating strategies that other politicians may steer clear off as unpopular moves. Early on in his first term, he let lapse the contracts of about 3,000 casuals whose services were no longer needed by the City government. The City also raised business taxes considerably, to make QC rates closer to the tax rates in neighboring cities.
According to Belmonte, these were sacrifices that had to be made in order to realize the vision of a "Quality Community."
Now, his administration is further tapping the benefits of technology, principally, Geographic Information Systems, to create new revenue sources, to ensure a continuously increasing revenue base for the City.
Participative governance
Belmonte is an advocate of participative governance
Because of the management policies and strategies of SB:
* Barangay captains are being trained to become effective “little mayors” in their respective localities
* Like Mayor SB, they are trained to become good fiscal managers by the City’s giving them full fiscal control over the barangay share of the real property taxes, and teaching them to properly account and budget these;
* Since 2002, P1.81 B real property tax shares has been remitted to the barangays
* They regularly attend management and public administration seminars thru a tie-up with UP’s National College of Public Administration
Moreover, Quezon City is the only local government unit with a regularly functioning Local Development Council. It was organized and launched for the first time under his administration. The CDC meets regularly, with the full complement of 142 barangay captains, 50 representatives of NGOs and POs, 4 congressmen and the chair of the City Council’s Appropriations Committee
Innovations in environmental management
Quezon City has been accorded the accolade the 2nd Cleanest and Greenest City of the Philippines, according to the country’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
When Belmonte first assumed office in 2001, he was astounded by the staggering cost of garbage collection, which even reached as high as P80 million a month. He directed the study and implementation of a package clean-up system, to replace the corruption-prone and contractor-influenced “per-trip” system This resulted in a much cleaner city, with 500 tons less garbage a day, at a collection cost that was P 20 million a month less.
Once the scene of tragedy, the Payatas open dump has been converted into a controlled waste facility and has been recognized by the DENR as a model and pioneering disposal facility. It is now implementing a biogas reduction project using the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto protocol.
Urban transformation strategies
Among the first dramatic transformations in Quezon City under the Belmonte administration happened in Novaliches which now has its park complete with a fully lighted fountain and promenade areas. Concreting and widening of streets, development of inter-linking roads, rationalization of traffic and discipline of pedestrians relieved years-old traffic problems in the area. Comments one resident, "Ang dami nang mayor ang dumaan pero walang nangyayari sa Novaliches. Ngayon pa lang, kay SB." (“We have had so many other mayors in the past, but no progress ever took place in Novaliches. It is only now, under Mayor Belmonte.”)
Other redevelopment efforts have taken place in the Tomas Morato Avenue areas, Metro Cubao and the other northern portions of the City. Belmonte’s administration has inspired such confidence in the private sector that investments in private developments have grown exponentially since SB took office. These are evident in the rise of new shopping malls, wide-scale real estate developments, office buildings especially those for business process outsourcing.
Investors are finding Quezon City to be a most cost-effective location, with the most expansive lands still available for broad-scale development.
Awards and citations received
* Stanvac Journalism Award from the National Press Club in 1957
* Outstanding Congressman of the 9th, 10th and 11th Congress
* Gintong Ama Awardee in 1993
* Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Manila
* Model Filipino Awardee of the World Family Institute in 1994
* Outstanding Alumni (Lyceum of the Philippines)
* Benedictine Centennial Awardee (San Beda College)
* The Outstanding Filipino in Government Service of the Philippine Jaycees and Insular Life Philippines, 2002
* 2003 Most Outstanding City Mayor (Local Government Leadership Awards)
* Huwarang Pilipino Awardee for Local Governance (Huwarang Pilipino Foundation)
* CEO Excel Awards for Communications Excellence in the Government Sector, 2006
His governance of Quezon City further resulted in:
* 2003 Gawad Galing Pook Award for Effective Fiscal Management (Galing Pook Foundation)
* 2005 Gawad Galing Pook Award for Outstanding Government Program, Molave Youth Home (Galing Pook Foundation)
* "Most business-friendly city" awardee for 2003, 2004 and Hall of Famer in 2005 (Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
* DILG Model of Good Governance citation (Department of Interior and Local Government)
* 2003 Livable Community Award (Metrobank Foundation)
* 2003 Kabalikat sa Pabahay Award for the Local Government Unit with the Most Number of Community Mortgage Programs (Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council)
***
The life of Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte, Jr. shows that a deep commitment to work and a profound understanding and concern for others are important ingredients to success as a public servant.
Born in Manila on October 2, 1936 to Court of First Instance Judge Feliciano Belmonte, Sr. and his wife Luz, he imbibed the important values of public service from his parents. He attended elementary school in Baguio City and high school in San Beda College. He went to law school at the Lyceum of the Philippines while working as a young reporter at the Manila Chronicle. He continued to receive academic recognition even after he became a public official. The University of Baguio conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate in Management. Subsequently, he was honored as an Outstanding Alumni of the Lyceum of the Philippines and was given the Benedictine Centennial Award of San Beda.
As a reporter covering the Manila Police Department and the Commission on Elections, Belmonte was exposed early to the socio-economic and political problems of the country. These influenced his decision to serve the public, an ambition he fulfilled in various capacities.
Belmonte started his career in government service in the 1960’s when he served as Presidential Staff Assistant of then President Diosdado Macapagal, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Finance, Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Customs and Executive Assistant of the Central Bank of the Philippines. He temporarily retired from government service during the martial law years. But when Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986, she tapped Belmonte to head various government-owned corporations that were on the brink of bankruptcy. He was appointed President and General Manager of the Government Service and Insurance System and The Manila Hotel, Chairman of the National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines, member of the Board of Directors of the San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Long Distance and Telecommunications, Co. and most significantly, as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Airlines. It was under Belmonte’s able leadership when PAL registered an unprecedented profit of 1.2 billion pesos, enabling it to pay all its obligations without borrowing a single peso or even firing a single employee despite the pressures from competition.
A public servant with unquestionable integrity and moral values, Belmonte has proven his outstanding character and responded to the needs of the people who have placed their trust in him by maintaining an unblemished reputation, standing by his principles and ideals. Thrice elected Congressman of the 4th District of Quezon City (virtually unopposed in his second and third run), he was able to serve both as House Minority Leader and House Speaker of the 11th Congress, a feat only Belmonte has done.
During his incumbency as legislator, he authored and co-authored major bills such as the General Appropriations Act (R.A. 7845, 8174, 8250 and 8522), the Act Providing for a Dual System of Education (R.A. 7686), An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of the East Avenue Medical Center (R.A. 8374) and Joint Resolution No. 1 – Salary Upgrading of Government Officials and Employees otherwise known as the Salary Standardization Law. Belmonte shone even brighter in the public eye when he was chosen and entrusted to lead the prosecution panel in the impeachment case of President Joseph Estrada and the rest, as they say, is history.
Belmonte is adding to his outstanding record as a public servant in his present position as Quezon City’s Chief Executive. Upon his assumption as Mayor in July 2001, Mayor Belmonte vowed to make Quezon City a Quality Community through good fiscal management, systems improvement and effective delivery of services. Belmonte is well-known as “Mr. Serbisyong Bayan” among his constituents due to the numerous programs he initiated and completed.
His credentials as a private citizen are equally impressive. While Belmonte was a private law practitioner, he participated actively in various civic organizations. He joined the Manila Jaycees in 1967 and became its President in 1971 but it did not end there. He became President of the Philippine Jaycees in 1973, and in 1976, he brought honor to Filipinos by becoming the President of Jaycees International. In 1983, Belmonte joined the Rotary Club of Manila, and soon after, the Knights of Rizal where he became a Knight Commander. In the mid 1990’s, he was selected President of the University of the Philippines Open University Foundation. He was also a member of the Philippine Delegation to the 1957, 1997 and 2000 International Labor Organization’s International Conferences held in Geneva, Switzerland.
His family remains Belmonte’s greatest achievement. His wife, the late Betty Go Belmonte, founder of the Philippine Star, was a woman of courage and true Christian faith who stood by him in everything he did. They both shared a passion for political idealism, publishing and art. They have three sons and a daughter all of whom are successful in their own right – Isaac, editor-in-chief of the Philippine Star; Kevin, President of Philstar.com; Miguel, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Star Group of Companies; and Joy, an archeologist and civic leader.
Mayor FELICIANO BELMONTE, JR. has inspired his colleagues, constituents and even adversaries in making a difference in public service even in a graft-ridden society like ours by promoting productivity, efficiency and accountability. He has given a new meaning to the term Government Official by virtue of his outstanding accomplishments over the years. He was once quoted as saying, “I saw that bureaucracy is almost by definition the first hindrance to quick action, and that the government does not operate on the basis of ‘value for money’ as should be the case. It is not just a question of climate or culture, but also of morale and incentives in action.”
Mayor of Quezon City (2001 – present)
Most Outstanding City Mayor of the Philippines in 2003
Mr. Serbisyong Bayan “SB”
Six years of prudent fiscal management, aggressive tax management strategies, as well as increasing efficiency and growing discipline in the management and use of our resources has made Quezon City one of the most bankable local government units in the country today.
QC: Best managed local government
Mayor Feliciano Belmonte’s leadership has brought wide recognition of Quezon City as one of the best managed local governments of the country. Effective capacity building and fiscal and financial management systems are the foundations that Quezon City is building its growing strength on.
Belmonte explains, “I am lucky to be mayor at a time when the global trend is that cities have become the center of economic competition. Cities are now the new nations, able to source for themselves investments, business opportunities and resources. In the Philippines, more progressive cities like Quezon City are igniting the engines of growth. Competition becomes easier now that we have put our “house” in order.”
Over the past six years, the Belmonte administration has developed a Quezon City that has become a model of effective governance, a case study of effective strategies by national and local governments here and abroad.
Dramatic turnaround from bankruptcy into most competitive city
When Belmonte was first elected mayor in 2001, Quezon City was the most financially distressed local government unit in Metro Manila and perhaps, nationwide. The city had a debt of P1.25 billion to the Land Bank and payables to various contractors amounting to P1.4 billion. The general fund was overdrawn by P10 million. In just two years, he was able to turn a bankrupt city into the richest city in the country, a feat very few mayors have achieved.
His goal in building up the City’s financial position is to create a viable resource base that can fund its economic transformation. In just five years, he has transformed a laggard into one of the most competitive cities of the country today. For the first time in many decades, the people of Quezon City are happy about the present and excited about the future.
Consistently since 2002, the Commission on Audit and the Department of Finance has regarded Quezon City as the local government unit (LGU) with the highest net income in the Philippines. For four straight years, the City produced a budget surplus averaging P282 million annually.
Investments in a better life
These resources are now being parlayed into the development and transformation of Quezon City. The people of Quezon City are now enjoying the fruits of more than P 8 billion worth of infrastructure investments. These are investments to make people’s lives better – through safer communities, through more productive environments because people and vehicles can move faster and more conveniently to destinations, and through more pleasurable and healthy surroundings.
Throughout his administration, Belmonte has been investing in LIFE:
* Livelihood and entrepreneurship, which mean investments in productivity that lead to enterprise creation and job generation
* Infrastructure development, which redound to investments in the physical transformation of the City, improving the overall environment for business and almost all aspects of community life
* Fiscal and financial management, which are continuing investments in strengthening governance and management capacity
* Education, which represent significant initiatives in knowledge creation and expansion.
To quote the Mayor, ”I did not aspire to be a mayor simply to look good while in Office. I have heard a man say that the first task of a leader is to keep hope alive. I want to go beyond that. I am working to make hope happen. I want the ensuing reality to endure for many years to come by investing in the future.”
Pioneering in many areas
The trademarks of Belmonte’s style of management have been:
* Operations efficiency
* Prudence and judiciousness in the use of resources
* Innovation and the setting of precedents
It is under the Mayor’s leadership that Quezon City achieved many firsts:
* 1st to computerize revenue collection and assessment function
* 1st to grant to barangays (community-level local government unit), full fiscal control over their share of real property tax collections
* 1st to institutionalize Citywide citizen participation in governance thru the City Development Council
* 1st Urban Center to implement the Solid Waste Management Act
* 1st to use Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as biogas-reduction strategy and revenue generation mechanism from waste
* 1st LGU to manage an advanced computer training center
* 1st to enact a Gender and Development Code for the protection of women and children
Effective fiscal management
Belmonte is best known for his fiscal management acumen. Among his first moves as QC mayor was to revitalize tax collection. His focus on computerization has instituted efficiency and service innovations that has made taxpaying easy, accurate and less prone to graft. The City government developed a database system that now contains around 400,000 real property units with capability to record payments, and the capacity to service 20,000 taxpayer transactions a day.
Belmonte was bold enough to pursue needed resource-saving and revenue-generating strategies that other politicians may steer clear off as unpopular moves. Early on in his first term, he let lapse the contracts of about 3,000 casuals whose services were no longer needed by the City government. The City also raised business taxes considerably, to make QC rates closer to the tax rates in neighboring cities.
According to Belmonte, these were sacrifices that had to be made in order to realize the vision of a "Quality Community."
Now, his administration is further tapping the benefits of technology, principally, Geographic Information Systems, to create new revenue sources, to ensure a continuously increasing revenue base for the City.
Participative governance
Belmonte is an advocate of participative governance
Because of the management policies and strategies of SB:
* Barangay captains are being trained to become effective “little mayors” in their respective localities
* Like Mayor SB, they are trained to become good fiscal managers by the City’s giving them full fiscal control over the barangay share of the real property taxes, and teaching them to properly account and budget these;
* Since 2002, P1.81 B real property tax shares has been remitted to the barangays
* They regularly attend management and public administration seminars thru a tie-up with UP’s National College of Public Administration
Moreover, Quezon City is the only local government unit with a regularly functioning Local Development Council. It was organized and launched for the first time under his administration. The CDC meets regularly, with the full complement of 142 barangay captains, 50 representatives of NGOs and POs, 4 congressmen and the chair of the City Council’s Appropriations Committee
Innovations in environmental management
Quezon City has been accorded the accolade the 2nd Cleanest and Greenest City of the Philippines, according to the country’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
When Belmonte first assumed office in 2001, he was astounded by the staggering cost of garbage collection, which even reached as high as P80 million a month. He directed the study and implementation of a package clean-up system, to replace the corruption-prone and contractor-influenced “per-trip” system This resulted in a much cleaner city, with 500 tons less garbage a day, at a collection cost that was P 20 million a month less.
Once the scene of tragedy, the Payatas open dump has been converted into a controlled waste facility and has been recognized by the DENR as a model and pioneering disposal facility. It is now implementing a biogas reduction project using the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto protocol.
Urban transformation strategies
Among the first dramatic transformations in Quezon City under the Belmonte administration happened in Novaliches which now has its park complete with a fully lighted fountain and promenade areas. Concreting and widening of streets, development of inter-linking roads, rationalization of traffic and discipline of pedestrians relieved years-old traffic problems in the area. Comments one resident, "Ang dami nang mayor ang dumaan pero walang nangyayari sa Novaliches. Ngayon pa lang, kay SB." (“We have had so many other mayors in the past, but no progress ever took place in Novaliches. It is only now, under Mayor Belmonte.”)
Other redevelopment efforts have taken place in the Tomas Morato Avenue areas, Metro Cubao and the other northern portions of the City. Belmonte’s administration has inspired such confidence in the private sector that investments in private developments have grown exponentially since SB took office. These are evident in the rise of new shopping malls, wide-scale real estate developments, office buildings especially those for business process outsourcing.
Investors are finding Quezon City to be a most cost-effective location, with the most expansive lands still available for broad-scale development.
Awards and citations received
* Stanvac Journalism Award from the National Press Club in 1957
* Outstanding Congressman of the 9th, 10th and 11th Congress
* Gintong Ama Awardee in 1993
* Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Manila
* Model Filipino Awardee of the World Family Institute in 1994
* Outstanding Alumni (Lyceum of the Philippines)
* Benedictine Centennial Awardee (San Beda College)
* The Outstanding Filipino in Government Service of the Philippine Jaycees and Insular Life Philippines, 2002
* 2003 Most Outstanding City Mayor (Local Government Leadership Awards)
* Huwarang Pilipino Awardee for Local Governance (Huwarang Pilipino Foundation)
* CEO Excel Awards for Communications Excellence in the Government Sector, 2006
His governance of Quezon City further resulted in:
* 2003 Gawad Galing Pook Award for Effective Fiscal Management (Galing Pook Foundation)
* 2005 Gawad Galing Pook Award for Outstanding Government Program, Molave Youth Home (Galing Pook Foundation)
* "Most business-friendly city" awardee for 2003, 2004 and Hall of Famer in 2005 (Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
* DILG Model of Good Governance citation (Department of Interior and Local Government)
* 2003 Livable Community Award (Metrobank Foundation)
* 2003 Kabalikat sa Pabahay Award for the Local Government Unit with the Most Number of Community Mortgage Programs (Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council)
***
The life of Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte, Jr. shows that a deep commitment to work and a profound understanding and concern for others are important ingredients to success as a public servant.
Born in Manila on October 2, 1936 to Court of First Instance Judge Feliciano Belmonte, Sr. and his wife Luz, he imbibed the important values of public service from his parents. He attended elementary school in Baguio City and high school in San Beda College. He went to law school at the Lyceum of the Philippines while working as a young reporter at the Manila Chronicle. He continued to receive academic recognition even after he became a public official. The University of Baguio conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate in Management. Subsequently, he was honored as an Outstanding Alumni of the Lyceum of the Philippines and was given the Benedictine Centennial Award of San Beda.
As a reporter covering the Manila Police Department and the Commission on Elections, Belmonte was exposed early to the socio-economic and political problems of the country. These influenced his decision to serve the public, an ambition he fulfilled in various capacities.
Belmonte started his career in government service in the 1960’s when he served as Presidential Staff Assistant of then President Diosdado Macapagal, Special Assistant to the Secretary of Finance, Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Customs and Executive Assistant of the Central Bank of the Philippines. He temporarily retired from government service during the martial law years. But when Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986, she tapped Belmonte to head various government-owned corporations that were on the brink of bankruptcy. He was appointed President and General Manager of the Government Service and Insurance System and The Manila Hotel, Chairman of the National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines, member of the Board of Directors of the San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Long Distance and Telecommunications, Co. and most significantly, as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine Airlines. It was under Belmonte’s able leadership when PAL registered an unprecedented profit of 1.2 billion pesos, enabling it to pay all its obligations without borrowing a single peso or even firing a single employee despite the pressures from competition.
A public servant with unquestionable integrity and moral values, Belmonte has proven his outstanding character and responded to the needs of the people who have placed their trust in him by maintaining an unblemished reputation, standing by his principles and ideals. Thrice elected Congressman of the 4th District of Quezon City (virtually unopposed in his second and third run), he was able to serve both as House Minority Leader and House Speaker of the 11th Congress, a feat only Belmonte has done.
During his incumbency as legislator, he authored and co-authored major bills such as the General Appropriations Act (R.A. 7845, 8174, 8250 and 8522), the Act Providing for a Dual System of Education (R.A. 7686), An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of the East Avenue Medical Center (R.A. 8374) and Joint Resolution No. 1 – Salary Upgrading of Government Officials and Employees otherwise known as the Salary Standardization Law. Belmonte shone even brighter in the public eye when he was chosen and entrusted to lead the prosecution panel in the impeachment case of President Joseph Estrada and the rest, as they say, is history.
Belmonte is adding to his outstanding record as a public servant in his present position as Quezon City’s Chief Executive. Upon his assumption as Mayor in July 2001, Mayor Belmonte vowed to make Quezon City a Quality Community through good fiscal management, systems improvement and effective delivery of services. Belmonte is well-known as “Mr. Serbisyong Bayan” among his constituents due to the numerous programs he initiated and completed.
His credentials as a private citizen are equally impressive. While Belmonte was a private law practitioner, he participated actively in various civic organizations. He joined the Manila Jaycees in 1967 and became its President in 1971 but it did not end there. He became President of the Philippine Jaycees in 1973, and in 1976, he brought honor to Filipinos by becoming the President of Jaycees International. In 1983, Belmonte joined the Rotary Club of Manila, and soon after, the Knights of Rizal where he became a Knight Commander. In the mid 1990’s, he was selected President of the University of the Philippines Open University Foundation. He was also a member of the Philippine Delegation to the 1957, 1997 and 2000 International Labor Organization’s International Conferences held in Geneva, Switzerland.
His family remains Belmonte’s greatest achievement. His wife, the late Betty Go Belmonte, founder of the Philippine Star, was a woman of courage and true Christian faith who stood by him in everything he did. They both shared a passion for political idealism, publishing and art. They have three sons and a daughter all of whom are successful in their own right – Isaac, editor-in-chief of the Philippine Star; Kevin, President of Philstar.com; Miguel, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Star Group of Companies; and Joy, an archeologist and civic leader.
Mayor FELICIANO BELMONTE, JR. has inspired his colleagues, constituents and even adversaries in making a difference in public service even in a graft-ridden society like ours by promoting productivity, efficiency and accountability. He has given a new meaning to the term Government Official by virtue of his outstanding accomplishments over the years. He was once quoted as saying, “I saw that bureaucracy is almost by definition the first hindrance to quick action, and that the government does not operate on the basis of ‘value for money’ as should be the case. It is not just a question of climate or culture, but also of morale and incentives in action.”
New Jersey Leaders
HONOR ROLL. Officers of the Knights of Rizal, guests of honor and the awardees after the rites. From left to right: KGCR Roger Alama; Consul General Cecil Rebong; Pat Berberabe, Entrepreneur; Jose Douglas Ovilla, Civic Leadership; Victor Sison, Esq., Government Service; Arnie Rosario representing Juliet Rosario, Health Care; Reddie Ungco representing Dr. Cecilia Ungco-Schewerman, Health Care; Mystica Flor Tolentino, Education; Lina Gonzales and Amor McQuiness of UP Rondalla, Culture and Arts; and Sir Lito A. Gajilan Jr., KCR chapter commander.
Jersey City, NEW JERSEY --- For their leadership and involvement in the Filipino American community, the husband and wife team of Francis and Evelyn Sison have been selected as Jersey City’s “Outstanding Parents of the Year”.Both Francis and Evelyn hailed from Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur in Northern Luzon.Francis runs his own import-export business FDS Enterprise and his employment agency. He is an active member of the Kansas City, Missouri-based People to People International, and an active leader of various Filipino American organizations in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Philadelphia area.Evelyn, a registered nurse currently with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ, is also active with People to People International.People to People, an international organization founded by President Dwight Eisenhower, aims to encourage international understanding through educational, cultural and humanitarian exchange among peoples from different countries.The Sisons have two sons, Michael Vincent, 25, and Carl Francis, 16. Michael Vincent holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Bio-Medicine from Rutgers University and is currently taking up Nursing at the Bayonne Medical Center School of Nursing.Carl Francis, a consistent honor student at McNair Academy in Jersey City, aspires to become an Army surgeon.Francis Sison is presently the president of the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Association in the Eastern Seaboard Inc., of which he was one of the founders.In 2003 and 2004, he served as the Executive Ball chairman of Performing Arts Philippines Inc. and the Philippine Community Center, spearheading the fundraising drive to benefit gifted Filipino American youth artists.Last year, he was the New Jersey chairman of the of the Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., and presently a committee chairman of the Garden State Filipino American Association.This year, Francis is a chairman for three of the largest Filipino American umbrella organizations in the US. He is executive chairman of the Philippine Day Organizing Council, executive vice overall chairman for special events of the Philippine American Friendship Committee (PAFCOM), and chair of the parade and general services and operations committee of the Philippine Independence Day Council Inc.Evelyn Sison is a co-founder and currently corresponding secretary of the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Association in the Eastern Seaboard.She is the director of the Educational and Cultural Center of New Jersey and assistant business manager for the Performing Arts Philippines Inc.She was crowned Mrs. Independence Day on June 4 during this year’s celebration of the Philippine Independence Day in Jersey City.
Jersey City, NEW JERSEY --- For their leadership and involvement in the Filipino American community, the husband and wife team of Francis and Evelyn Sison have been selected as Jersey City’s “Outstanding Parents of the Year”.Both Francis and Evelyn hailed from Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur in Northern Luzon.Francis runs his own import-export business FDS Enterprise and his employment agency. He is an active member of the Kansas City, Missouri-based People to People International, and an active leader of various Filipino American organizations in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Philadelphia area.Evelyn, a registered nurse currently with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ, is also active with People to People International.People to People, an international organization founded by President Dwight Eisenhower, aims to encourage international understanding through educational, cultural and humanitarian exchange among peoples from different countries.The Sisons have two sons, Michael Vincent, 25, and Carl Francis, 16. Michael Vincent holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Bio-Medicine from Rutgers University and is currently taking up Nursing at the Bayonne Medical Center School of Nursing.Carl Francis, a consistent honor student at McNair Academy in Jersey City, aspires to become an Army surgeon.Francis Sison is presently the president of the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Association in the Eastern Seaboard Inc., of which he was one of the founders.In 2003 and 2004, he served as the Executive Ball chairman of Performing Arts Philippines Inc. and the Philippine Community Center, spearheading the fundraising drive to benefit gifted Filipino American youth artists.Last year, he was the New Jersey chairman of the of the Philippine Independence Day Council Inc., and presently a committee chairman of the Garden State Filipino American Association.This year, Francis is a chairman for three of the largest Filipino American umbrella organizations in the US. He is executive chairman of the Philippine Day Organizing Council, executive vice overall chairman for special events of the Philippine American Friendship Committee (PAFCOM), and chair of the parade and general services and operations committee of the Philippine Independence Day Council Inc.Evelyn Sison is a co-founder and currently corresponding secretary of the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Association in the Eastern Seaboard.She is the director of the Educational and Cultural Center of New Jersey and assistant business manager for the Performing Arts Philippines Inc.She was crowned Mrs. Independence Day on June 4 during this year’s celebration of the Philippine Independence Day in Jersey City.
MAJOR GENERAL ANTONIO M. TAGUBA
Major General Antonio M. Taguba (born October 31, 1950), became known worldwide when a classified report he wrote about cases of torture at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq was published in 2004[1]. Taguba is the second and latest Filipino American to attain General Officer rank in the U.S. Army.
He was born in Sampaloc, Manila, the Philippines, a city to which his family had moved from their home province of Cagayan. His father was a soldier in the 45th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Division (Philippine Scouts), who fought in the Battle of Bataan (January-April 1942), and later survived the Bataan Death March during World War II. Taguba was raised by his mother and grandmother. At the age of 11 his family moved to Hawaii, USA.
Taguba graduated from Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Hawaii Class of 1968. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Idaho State University in 1972[3], and graduated from the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Course, the Army Command and General Staff College, the College of Naval Command and Staff, and the Army War College.
He has received three master's degrees; for public administration at Webster University, for international relations from Salve Regina College, and for national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.
He has received three master's degrees; for public administration at Webster University, for international relations from Salve Regina College, and for national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.
Taguba became a 2nd lieutenant in 1972[4].
In South Korea Taguba served in the 1st Battalion, 72d Armor, 2d Infantry Division, Eighth Army.
At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA, he commanded the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Staff and Faculty Battalion, Field Artillery School/Center.
Taguba worked for three years in Germany, and commanded a tank company of a mechanized infantry division at Mainz, Company B, 4th Battalion, 69th Armor Division.
Back in Korea he commanded the 1st Battalion, 72d Armor, 2d Infantry Division at Camp Casey; and was the executive officer of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command in Yongsan.
At the Pentagon he served as a Material System Analyst, Office of the Chief of Staff, Army.
At Fort Hood, Texas, USA, he commanded the "St. Lo", 2d Brigade, 2d Armored Division. When the division was reflagged to the 4th Infantry Division, Colonel Taguba then became the commander of the "Warhorse", 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division from June 1995 until he relinguished command in June 1997.[5]
At Fort McPherson, Georgia, USA, he was the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army reserve Command.
At Fort Jackson, South Carolina, USA, he was the Assistant Division Commander-Forward, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and Deputy Commanding General (South), First U.S. Army.
In Alexandria, Virginia, USA, he was promoted to brigadier general, and commanded the United States Army Community and Family Support Center.
Major General Taguba served for ten months as the Deputy Commanding General for Support, Third U.S. Army, U.S. Army Forces Central Command, Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC), based in Kuwait. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Acting Director of the Army Staff, Headquarters, Department of the Army, The Pentagon[6].
In 2004 Taguba was assigned to report on prisoner abuse in the Abu Ghraib military prison in Iraq. In May of that year he published an extremely critical report that was leaked to the public. [7]
Later that May Major General Taguba was reassigned to the Pentagon to serve as deputy assistant secretary of defense for readiness, training and mobilization in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs[6].
In January of 2006, Taguba was instructed by General Richard A. Cody, the Army’s Vice-Chief of Staff, to retire by January of 2007. No explanation was given. Taguba's retirement, effective January 1, 2007 ended a 34 year career of military service.
In South Korea Taguba served in the 1st Battalion, 72d Armor, 2d Infantry Division, Eighth Army.
At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA, he commanded the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Staff and Faculty Battalion, Field Artillery School/Center.
Taguba worked for three years in Germany, and commanded a tank company of a mechanized infantry division at Mainz, Company B, 4th Battalion, 69th Armor Division.
Back in Korea he commanded the 1st Battalion, 72d Armor, 2d Infantry Division at Camp Casey; and was the executive officer of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command in Yongsan.
At the Pentagon he served as a Material System Analyst, Office of the Chief of Staff, Army.
At Fort Hood, Texas, USA, he commanded the "St. Lo", 2d Brigade, 2d Armored Division. When the division was reflagged to the 4th Infantry Division, Colonel Taguba then became the commander of the "Warhorse", 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division from June 1995 until he relinguished command in June 1997.[5]
At Fort McPherson, Georgia, USA, he was the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army reserve Command.
At Fort Jackson, South Carolina, USA, he was the Assistant Division Commander-Forward, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and Deputy Commanding General (South), First U.S. Army.
In Alexandria, Virginia, USA, he was promoted to brigadier general, and commanded the United States Army Community and Family Support Center.
Major General Taguba served for ten months as the Deputy Commanding General for Support, Third U.S. Army, U.S. Army Forces Central Command, Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC), based in Kuwait. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Acting Director of the Army Staff, Headquarters, Department of the Army, The Pentagon[6].
In 2004 Taguba was assigned to report on prisoner abuse in the Abu Ghraib military prison in Iraq. In May of that year he published an extremely critical report that was leaked to the public. [7]
Later that May Major General Taguba was reassigned to the Pentagon to serve as deputy assistant secretary of defense for readiness, training and mobilization in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs[6].
In January of 2006, Taguba was instructed by General Richard A. Cody, the Army’s Vice-Chief of Staff, to retire by January of 2007. No explanation was given. Taguba's retirement, effective January 1, 2007 ended a 34 year career of military service.
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