Maniolas

Participants of the 9th ACGTDT touring the television studio. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO MANILA – Despite the threat of tropical depression Inday brewing northeast of the Philippines, the homecoming of close to 300 Filipino-Americans from all over the US on July 28 to 31, was declared a success by the Philippine Department of Tourism. Generally blessed with good weather and marked with “fun” activities, the 9th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour to the Philippines (ACGTDT) brought home balikbayans from Agana, Honolulu, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC – cities in the jurisdiction of Foreign Service Posts. The visitors arrived to a VIP reception on July 28 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, before they were swept in a whirlwind of activities in the next three nights. Cultural presentations highlighted the welcome reception especially arranged for the tour participants held at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia Jr., who headed the delegation from Washington, DC, warmly welcomed the participants and further encouraged them to visit the Philippines often for a deeper appreciation of all things Filipino. The visitors were serenaded, wined, dined and given some of the best receptions organized by Tourism Promotions Board, DOT’s marketing arm and Rajah Tours Philippines, the ground handler of the annual ACGTDT. Meanwhile, the fellowship night hosted by Western Union at Dusit Thani Hotel on July 29 had lots of music, entertainment by a live band and dancing. The all-white-dress themed party was made more exciting by the surprise raffle prizes with a lucky participant winning a Read More …

Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes said on Saturday that lawyer Arthur Lim, one of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, has been appointed the poll body’s newest commissioner. “We got his appointment papers yesterday (Friday). He has also taken his oath already. I think he will be coming to the Comelec on Monday,” Brillantes said in a phone interview. Brillantes said Lim, whose term runs until February 2, 2018, can help the Comelec resolve election cases since he is a former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. “Once you become president of the IBP, it means you are a very good lawyer,” Brillantes said. Lim replaces former Commissioner Grace Padaca, whose interim appointment expired on June 11. — JDS, GMA News

Lolabeth Ortega and Lord Balatbat of Jersey City, New Jersey died in a tornado that hit a campground in Virginia. FACEBOOK PHOTO CAPE CHARLES, Va. — An F1 tornado toppled trees and flipped campers at a Virginia campground Thursday, killing two Filipino American campers and sending at least 33 more to area hospitals, officials said. The storm slammed into the Cherrystone Family Camping & RV Resort, which sits on 300 acres on the Chesapeake Bay in rural Northampton County. Virginia State Police Spokeswoman Corinne said in a press conference July 24,Thursday afternoon that a husband and wife, identified as Lord Balatbat and Lolabeth Ortega of Jersey City, New Jersey, were killed when a tree crushed their tent. Their son, who was in another nearby tent, was injured. The boy was taken to Children’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Hospitals prepared for mass casualties, but they did not come. Injuries ranged from cuts to broken bones to life threatening, said Geller. “I love thunderstorms and I went out to see it,” said Albert Thorn, of Monroeville, New Jersey. “There was a wall of grey — wind and rain. It was coming through the trees right at us. By then, we shut the sliding door and it was pounding them windows like you couldn’t believe. You could hear people screaming before it even got to us.” When the tornado hit about 9 a.m., more than 1,300 people were at the campground which features swimming pools, mini-golf, pier fishing, crabbing and other activities. “All hell broke loose,” said Read More …

• Alexa Kirby will represent Fil-Am community in Miss World PH contest in Manila Left to right: Judge’s Chair Cory Quirino, winner Alexa Kirby and Grace Labaguis of Synergy Production and Marketing Inc. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO NEW YORK, New York — Alexa Kirby, an 18-year-old, five foot eight summer camp counselor was chosen the first-ever Miss Philippines Quest USA at a coronation ceremony on July 12 at Symphony Space. Kirb was also declared Best in Evening Gown and shared her triumph on stage with four other newly crowned beauty queens: First Princess, Best in Talent, Best in Swimsuit Misook Mendonca; Second Princess Isabella Estella; Third Princess Jenica Balmes; Fourth Princess and People’s Choice Award recipient Erin Manansala. Kirby will represent the Filipino-American community in the 2014 Miss World Philippines pageant to be held in Manila on September 7. She has won a round-trip ticket to the Philippines and an allowance of one thousand dollars. She will also wear a stunning evening gown, courtesy of One.10 Collection, during the Miss World Philippines competition. During the dreaded Q&A, Kirby named young American actress-singer Demi Lovato, who has been vocal about her personal struggles, one of her personal women heroes. “She [Lovato] was able to overcome self-harm problems and is trying to help other people with similar problems to overcome it as well,” she said. A recent graduate of Downington West High School in Pennsylvania, Kirby is a summer camp counselor. She is not new to beauty pageants having joined Miss Teen Pennsylvania USA Read More …

Flipcause co-founder Derrick Cagaanan CONTRIBUTED PHOTO SAN FRANCISCO – Online giving rose by 13 percent and continues to grow, a study revealed, which probably explains the recent proliferation of nonprofits. “There are 1.8 million nonprofits out there, and 30,000 organizations get nonprofit status every year,” reports Flipcause Co-founder and Community Director Derrick Cagaanan. Most nonprofits, he says, are small organizations with small operating budgets of $1 million. This is not a lot of money. And in the nonprofit space, the cost of doing good in the community is expensive. The technical tools for non-profit fundraising already exist online. “But they’re all over the place,” says Cagaanan. “(Although) the tools for donation collection, processing benefit ticket sales and database management for volunteer information in one form or another are there,” he explained. That’s where Flipcause can make the difference, according to Cagaanan. “For the first time in nonprofit industry, we are providing all this tech in a simple, easy to use platform that can be deployed within minutes on any nonprofit website,” Cagaanan says. Nonprofits don’t have to build it themselves. Flipcause doesn’t have to come to their sites and start ripping apart layers of codes. “We install our platform at the back end of their website and, instantly, they can recruit volunteers, sell tickets and take in donations,” explains Cagaanan. In the early 1990s, charities and various causes solicited with chain letters and petitions by e-mail. When web tools came out, it wasn’t long until influence marketing became a buzzword, Read More …