Maniolas

The Filipino American Symphony Orchestra with Robert Shroder, musical director and conductor. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Benny Uy LOS ANGELES–Top Filipino-American choirs will perform together for the first time, and with the Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside the Philippines, in “Handog ng FASO sa Pasko,” a Christmas benefit concert and festival, on Saturday, December 7, at the White Memorial Church, 1720 Cesar Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles. In a history-making concert presented by ABS-CBS Foundation International and FASO, distinguished Filipino-American choirs, including Bridges, Harana Men’s Chorus, Philippine Chamber Singers-Los Angeles, University of the Philippines (UP) Concert Chorus Alumni of Los Angeles, University of Santo Tomas (UST) Singers Alumni and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHMC) Children’s Choir, will render traditional English and Filipino Christmas music. The repertoire includes “Simbang Gabi” and Handel’s “Messiah,” with the orchestra to be conducted by Robert Shroder, FASO’s musical director and conductor. Special celebrity guests will join the show that promises a special, memorable evening that will evoke the joyful ways the Christmas season is celebrated in the Philippines. These talents include Joey Albert, Louise Marie Cornillez, Gelo Francisco, Sal Malaki and Wendy Mazon (FASO’s principal clarinetist). “We are all very excited to offer ‘Handog ng FASO sa Pasko’ again this year,” said Shroder, who is one of the founders of FASO. “We would like to bring to our community the spirit of Philippine Christmas celebration we miss from back home, and hopefully introduce the younger generation to the beauty of our Filipino Read More …

Willie K HONOLULU—Local boy and internationally renowned singer Willie K will headline a star-studded cast of entertainers at “Sharing Memorable Moments with Emme & Friends” on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Filipino Community Center’s (FilCom) Grand Ballroom in Waipahu. The gala fund-raising event is to benefit FiCom. Also performing with Willie will be guests Jasmine Trias, Jimmy Borges and a few other surprise celebrities and stars, many of whom have appeared on “Emme’s Island Moments” television specials. They will be honoring veteran TV personality Emme Tomimbang for her impact on Hawai’i and its Filipino community. “It will be a most unique evening of entertainment and am only sorry I couldn’t invite all the wonderful people who have been on “Emme’s Island Moments.” It would take a weekend marathon!” says Emme. “I wanted Willie to be the key performer because my husband, Jim Burns, and I consider him as family. I’m the godmother of his daughter Lycettiana.” Raised on Maui, Willie Kahaiali’i (a.k.a. Willie K) has been entertaining audiences since the age of 10. One of Hawai’i’s most versatile talents, Willie performs a myriad of musical genres, including Hawaiian, jazz, blues, reggae, rock, country Western, and even opera. He has either played with or opened for musical giants, including B.B. King, Santana, Al DiMeola, Willie Nelson, Prince, Bonnie Rait, Jackson Browne, Mick Fleetwood, George Benson, Jimmy Buffett, Crosby, Stills and Nash and more. Willie released his first CD, “Kahaiali’i,” in 1992 and has since earned multiple “Na Hoku Hanohano” awards, most Read More …

COA Chief Maria Gracia Pulido-Tan INQUIRER FILE PHOTO A Philippine program that extols whistle-blowers and gives citizens a role in promoting a transparent government has caught the attention of a global transparency group. The Citizen Participatory Audit (CPA) Project has made it to the short list of the British-led Bright Spots prize, an award that recognizes “the most inspiring examples of how open and accountable government is changing people’s lives,” said the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Manila. Led by the Commission on Audit (COA), the CPA Project is vying for the top prize with transparency advocacy programs in six other countries— Chile, Estonia, Georgia, Indonesia, Montenegro and Romania. The Bright Spots prize is an annual award given by the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a multilateral initiative launched in 2011 “to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance.” The United Kingdom, currently lead cochair of the OGP, and the Philippines are among eight founding states of the initiative, along with Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, South Africa and the United States. Some 60 countries are participating in the partnership. Pleasant surprise COA chair Grace Pulido-Tan on Sunday said the inclusion of her agency’s CPA Project among the seven short-list nominees was a “pleasant surprise.” “I don’t know how we got into the short list and who nominated us but whatever it is, it’s good news for all of us,” Tan told the Inquirer. In a statement, British Ambassador-designate to the Read More …