Maniolas

F. Sionil Jose (above) is one of the most prolifi c Filipino authors in the English language. TIME Magazine proclaimed Mr. Jose as “One of the [Philippines] most distinguished men of letters….” Philippine national hero Jose Rizal once remarked that a useless life is a life not consecrated to a great ideal. Fast forward to the 21st century. With more and more Filipinos living abroad, the Filipino diaspora has truly become global. Nevertheless, the call to know one’s roots and to live a life of excellence – as echoed by Rizal – continues to challenge the next generation of Filipinos. It is undeniable that Rizal’s legacy has inspired the birth of patriots of the next century – a new group of individuals who would dedicate their lives to reigniting the spirit of the Filipinos to rise up. Amongst those inspired to embrace this call was a man by the name of F. Sionil Jose. Considered a national treasure of the Philippines, F. Sionil Jose is one of the most prolific Filipino authors in the English language. TIME Magazine proclaimed Mr. Jose as “One of the [Philippines] most distinguished men of letters….” He has been awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award as well as the National Artist Award for his writings, which have been translated into 28 languages. His short stories have often been acknowledged as equivalent to the modern Filipino national epic. This coming October 19, 2014, the Filipino-American community of Los Angeles will have the great privilege and honor to share and Read More …

Applause! Applause! To “Impressarios” Becca Godinez (Executive Producer “GODINUSMUSIC)),  Ted Benito, (Producer PAE Live), Paul Alexander Morales (Artistic Director), Victor Usabia (Ballet Master), Allie Eguia (Company Manager), Jairo Ibarrientos (Stage Manager) and Roman Cruz (Technical & Lighting Director for collectively leading “Ballet Philippines” in its stellar performance, along with its five principal dancers: Carissa Adea, Jean Marc Cordero, Katherine Trofeo, Richardon Yadao, Earl john Arisola; five soloists: Cyril Aran Fallar, Emanuelle Guillermo, Rita Angela Winder, Timothy Paul Cabrera; and other company members: Gillianne Therese Guequinto, Edana Mae Labitoria, Ma.Celina Dofitas, Lester John Reguindin, Victor Maguad, Monica Amanda Gana, Eri Emmanuel Sorilla and Jemima Sanielle Reyes, “Impressarios” Becca Godinez (Executive Producer “GODINUSMUSIC” and Ted Benito, (Producer PAE Live) Celebrating its 45th Anniversary since it was founded in 1969 by Alice Reyes with the assistance of Eddie Elejar and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, “Ballet Philippines” is currently recognized worldwide with its classicial ballet presentations as well as ethnic, indigenous performances of “Filipino folklore and social issues” intertwined with a “colorful tapestry of the Philippines’ rich and diverse cultural heritage – uniquely and distinctly Filipino.” Some of the laudable masterpieces presented were: “Farandole,” a Spanish-inspired “neo-classical piece set in the music of Bizet” where dancers were dressed in dramatic red and black “flamenco” style outfits reminiscent of the FIlipino’s Spanish heritage. Choreographed by Russian-born George Birkadze, a resident choreographer of BP who danced throughout Europe but currently is a US resident. “Bungkos Suite,” choreographed by “Ballet Philippines” founder, Alice Reyes and music by the Philippine Read More …

The Manila staging of Beauty And The Beast brought to life specifically by the original Broadway creative team in celebration of the musical’s 20th anniversary will take place at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) from Jan. 11 to 25, 2015.   MANILA, Philippines – “I can’t wait to see Manila and perform for the Filipino audience,” gushed actress Hilary Maiberger, who plays Belle in the first-ever international tour of Disney’s timeless classic Beauty And The Beast, which will hit Manila January 2015. “I haven’t been to Asia, but the Philippines already has a soft spot in my heart because one of my best friends Laura is Filipino,” the gorgeous California-native told The Philippine STAR at a recent press conference for the 10-country tour of the musical which kicked off last Oct. 8 in Istanbul, Turkey. “Laura, in fact, is going to the Philippines to see me and catch the show. I’m so excited to meet the people, see the beautiful beaches and try delicious food.” Darick Pead, who plays the Beast, is also a first-timer in Asia and is learning about the Philippines with the help of his brother, who served for two years as a church missionary in Cebu City. “My brother has a lot of Filipino friends there and he has been telling me about the buses and jeepneys and how crazy and exciting it is to travel in the Philippines,” Pead said. “I’ve also been checking out blogs about the Philippines. So excited.” Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The Manila staging of Beauty And The Beast brought Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – AboitizPower, the power generation arm of the Aboitiz Group, is starting a campaign to encourage more electricity consumers to practice energy conservation measures as a power shortage looms next year. AboitizPower president and COO Antonio Moraza said consumers in Luzon and the rest of the country can follow some of the measures undertaken by Visayan Electric Co. (VECO), the company’s distribution utility in the Visayas, which spearheaded Cebu’s own energy conservation program early this year. The program, dubbed as Cebu Unplugged, garnered the support of the Cebu local government, business establishments and the general public. “Cebu Unplugged is an advocacy that encourages the public to join a collective effort to save energy, and instills an attitude of consciousness and mindfulness towards energy conservation. It was successfully launched in Cebu earlier this year, and AboitizPower believes this can easily be replicated nationwide to create energy consciousness in every Filipino,” Moraza said. Under the program, there are at least eight ways on how consumers can contribute to energy conservation. These are: switching off the computer when not in use and use one gadget at a time, taking a break from gadgets, reading a book or enjoying the uninterrupted company of family and friends and watching just one’s favorite TV programs and turning off the TV while doing other things. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Other measures include switching off the lights when not in use, keeping the refrigerator door closed, washing all the clothes in Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – World Sight Day (WSD) is an annual day of awareness aimed to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. For this year, WSD was held Thursday. Carrying the campaign, “no more avoidable blindness,” the Global Action Plan (GAP) works together with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) for the first time  to reduce the number of people suffering from avoidable visual impairment by 25 percent by 2019. This can be achieved by making comprehensive eye care services affordable and accessible . IAPB NGO According to the website of IAPB, South East Asia has one quarter of the world’s population, but as much as one third of the world’s blind people and half of the world’s 1.5 million blind children live in the region. In the Philippines, a National Statistics Office population report says more than 303,000 people are bilaterally blind. To push further the world campaign for reducing avoidable blindness, Health Secretary Enrique Ona launched the Eye Center in Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City on Thursday. In addition to that, he also headed the kick off of the Philippine Eye Disease Study, a joint undertaking with the Philippine Eye Research Institute.