GMA News

MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino-Australians have won public office in Australia’s recent local elections, a report aired over radio dzRH said on Thursday.

The report quoted Philippine Consul General Maria Theresa Lazaro as saying that Irene Ensomo Broad and lawyer Jess Diaz were the first Filipino-Australians to be elected into public office in Australia.

Lazaro added although Filipinos have long been very active in nation building activities, this was the first time that they’ve been vocal about seeking public office.

The report said Diaz was elected as councilor in Blacktown, a city in metropolitan Sydney, which has the largest concentration of Filipinos in Australia.

Broad was re-elected councilor in the shire of Temora in the Riverina region of New South Wales.

Ensomo Broad was first elected as an independent councilor in 2004. She is also the first female councilor who has been re-elected.

Diaz, meanwhile, was a former school teacher before setting up his own law practice. She is also a member of service associations including the Jaycees, the Lions, and the Knights of Rizal.

Filipino seafarers are the most preferred seamen because of the many virtues they possess and the professionalism they demonstrate that significantly contributed to the Philippines and to the global maritime industry.

In recognition of their sacrifices, bravery and achievement, the AOS has aptly themed this year’s National Seafarers’ Day with “Filipino Seafarers: Leading Global Maritime Services”.

“We do appreciate the contributions of Filipino seafarers particularly the international maritime industry,” said Fr. Savino Bernardi, director of the Apostleship of the Ship (AOS) told abs-cbnNEWS.com in a telephone interview Saturday.

The theme, he said, is not only a statement but an invitation to give more professional extended service on board.

Scarcity of ship officers

He stressed that there is a scarcity of about 10,000 officers to man ships especially since thousands of ships are expected to be built within three years.

“There are not enough officers. Without officers, ships cannot run,” he said as he encouraged Filipino seafarers to become officers.

Now on its 13th year, the annual celebration is set on Sunday, September 28 as a conclusion of the maritime week and to celebrated the industry and the people. The AOS is mandated by Presidential Proclamation in 1996 to organize the event.

Fr. Bernardi said a mass will be held at 7:30 a.m. at the Baywalk in Manila.

“In the mass, we will pray for all seafarers and passengers, domestic and interisland, and fishermen,” Fr. Bernardi said.

He added that the 97 Filipino seafarers and seamen of different nationalities held hostage by pirates in Somali will be included in their prayers, as well as those who perished in sea mishaps.

“At 8:30 a.m. we will avail of vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard and go to the middle of the bay to offer prayers, flowers and wreaths for all those who died,” he said.

This will be followed by a parade from Kalaw to Quirino Grandstand where the celebration proper will take place.

Outstanding seafarers

Included in the celebration are the awarding of the Outstanding Seafarers of the Year (OSYA), oratorical and song writing contests winners.

The OSYA is given to seafarers who have shown acts of bravery at sea or for special contributions to the industry while students in nautical schools have been invited to join the oratorical contest and the song writing competition was open to all.

Fr. Bernardi said other activities have lined up to entertain the public who would be attending the event

He said that aside from ensuring the transport of goods, Filipino seafarers serve the maritime industry with professionalism, reliability and the readiness to sacrifice anything for the love of their family despite risky employment.

A total of 226,900 Filipino seafarers have been deployed last year according to data from the 2007 statistics of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

In report for the Migrant Watch newsletter in June, Fr. Bernardi said Filipino seafarers number to about 300,000 in international vessels while an estimated 100,000 more are servicing domestic routes and deep-sea fishing industry. They have contributed about US$2 to US$3 billion in remittances to the Philippine economy each year, Fr. Bernardi said.

According to data gathered by AOS Philippines from shipping employment, around 200-300 Filipino seafarers die at sea during the course of service and from sickness sustained while onboard.

Setting the standard

In terms of protection, Fr. Bernardi said the POEA sets the standards in the contracts of Filipino seafarers.

“The contract is not too bad and the rules and regulations protected them. However, everyday event is a different story,” he said.

While protection is “quite well in place” many Filipino seafarers still fall victims to exploitation and other illegal practices.

“Is the international industry doing enough? Everybody is concerned. We should find methods and systems to protect them,” he said.

He maintains that Filipino seafarers are well rewarded whatever sacrifices they make.

“The Apostleship of the Sea together with the organizing committee wish all seafarers, first of all, a quite fulfilling careers and safety employment aboard ships,” Fr. Bernardi said.

He added: “Filipino seafarers, so well-trusted around the world, give your best: in service to the world and the world will not only appreciate you. You are giving beautiful and impressive value to the Philippines and the whole world”.

GMA News

SUSUPE, Saipan – An all-Filipino band whose members include a carpenter, a heavy equipment operator and air-con technicians by day bagged the second place at a battle of the bands in the US territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Sunday night.

The “High Pitch Band,” one of six Filipino bands that joined the Saipan Summer Jam, proved that love of music and excelling in it knows no social class.

Its members come from different parts of the Philippines – Caloocan City Metro Manila; General Santos City in Mindanao; San Jose del Monte in Bulacan province; Quezon province; and Butuan City.

Another all-Filipino band called “Rated R” got the texters’ choice awards with 3,137 text votes or about 43 percent of all the votes counted, while other bands barely got a few hundred text votes.

Rated R also placed 6th among the 10 bands that competed in the smoke-free event organized by Beach Road Magazine.

“First time naming sumali sa ganito kalaking contest … Nagbunga rin ang pagpa-practice namin (It’s our first time to join in a big competition like this…Our practice paid off),” High Pitch Band guitarist Vergelio Lauganas told GMANews.TV right after the competition.

Lauganas, from General Santos City in Mindanao, came to Saipan in 1992 to work as a farmer. It was only two years ago that he changed his job category to that of a musician for a Polynesian dance group.

The High Pitch Band’s high-wire performance awed the crowd of mixed races and nationalities, who also got to hear rock, reggae, ska, ballads, pop and Pinoy rock and roll from other Filipino bands – “Project X,” “J,” “Past & Present” and “The Channel B Band.”

“Project X” even belted out Sampagita’s classic Pinoy rock song “Nosi Balasi,” to the amazement of the crowd.

“Iba talaga ang Pinoy. Kahit saan makarating, nananalo sa mga contests na sinasalihan (Pinoys are really different. Wherever they go, they win in contests they join in),” said High Pitch Band drummer Virgilio Aguilar, who is an air-con technician by day. He hails from San Jose, Bulacan.

One of Saipan’s most popular bands consisting mainly of Filipinos, the “Big Beats,” pumped up the crowd with cover songs, and wrapped up their performance with the Doobie Brothers’ “Without Love.”

The first prize went to a local band, “Burning Bush,” which belted out reggae songs from the iconic Bob Marley and other island songs which are popular in the CNMI.

The CNMI is host to about 10,000 Filipino contract workers and Filipino-Americans.

ABS-CBN News

Tina Akerly doesn’t hide the fact that she and her family used to live in a squatter’s area in Carmona, Cavite.

That was 20 years ago.

Now, Akerly has made it big in the real estate business in Melbourne, Australia.

“Kasi nga tatay ko namatay ng maaga, napunta kami sa squatter and during martial law giniba kami doon at na-relocate kami sa Carmona, Cavite,” she said.

Akerley said she had little in life and had to walk to school since her family could not afford money for transportation.

Amid the hardships, Akerly struggled. And so during in the 1980s, she went to Australia on a tourist visa. Luckily, she landed a job as an electronics technician.

With her $500 savings, Akerly was able to open a store and later on put up a restaurant, a video store and a travel agency. Unfortunately, the businesses she put up did not succeed.

“Siguro binigyan din ako ni Lord ng mga mali noon para one day maituro ko rin sa tao hindi lang ‘yung success ko kundi pati kung saan ako nagkamali,” said Akerly.

She found her luck when she entered the real estate business. Even without formal training on selling properties, she succeeded.

Now, Akerly owns more than 20 houses in Victoria state.

Despite her success, Akerly has managed to remain with her feet on the ground. She has also imparted her knowledge to other Filipinos wanting to start a business.

She said this is her way of repaying the blessings that God has given her.

OFW Guide

Perlito or Pupung as friends call him thought he will be able to get his dream job right after graduating in college. However, the ambitious lad from Negros Oriental realized that most of the companies where he had worked failed to satisfy him. He was seeking for more.

Nonetheless, when a window of opportunity opens, he recognized it right away. One of his friends invited him for a job interview at Marriott hotel in Cebu six years ago. The employer, (a Saudi national and his present boss) came to Cebu to look for salesmen. He is the owner of a large lubricant trading company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

There were five of them and Perlito was one of the three lucky applicants who passed his interview. They were offered to work in Assawayer Trading Company Limited located in KSA with benefits like a yearly vacation, free accommodation and car. The employer also shouldered their processing fees and they were also given travel allowances. He arrived in KSA August of 2001.

He took a Philippine Airline’s flight from Manila to Dammam. It was Perlito’s first time to ride a plane and he was shaking with tensions when they landed in the large airport of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. He spent more than six hours waiting for someone to pick him up. Fortunately, a Pakistani national offered to help by offering his mobile phone so he can call his company in Saudi. A staff answered and he was fetched from the airport to the Dammam office.

Everything should have gone smoothly from there. But alas Perlito learned that life abroad is not a bed of roses. For six months Perlito struggled to cope with the new environment. He came to a point that he even called and begged his employer to send him back to the Philippines.

The food, homesickness from family, the different nationalities he meet everyday, the unusual lifestyle and the nature of work as a technical salesman for industrial petroleum lubricants made adjustment so hard for Perlito. But eventually perseverance and determination made him survived it all.

Perlito said, “It is far from my dream job as a mass communication graduate. But trainings helped me survived the first year. I studied and learned a lot from the regular sales trainings held by our company.”

In 2004, he was recognized by Magna Industrial Company Ltd in Hong Kong as one of the top salesmen for Omega Specialized Lubricants representing Saudi Arabia among 96 countries worldwide.

Perlito’s message to all OFWs around the world? Take advantage of all opportunities for improvement. Learn to love your job to gain job satisfaction and excel in your work.

GMA News

Out of the hundreds of song entries from around the world, Nathaniel Cabanero has been chosen as one of the 10 finalists in the Tipperary International Peace Songwriting Contest in Ireland.

Composers and singers from all over the world (U.K, U.S.A, Germany, Netherlands, Scotland etc.) travel to Tipperary, Ireland to take part in the Contest highlighting the week long celebration of International Festival of Peace (www.tipperarypeace.ie).

No longer a neophyte in the music industry, Nathaniel Cabanero has been writing songs for more than two decades now. He is originally from the Philippines and currently living in Stranorlar, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland.

Nathaniel’s inspiration in writing songs is drawn from his personal experience and reflections in life. Nathaniel’s inspiration in writing songs is drawn from his personal experience and reflections in life and song styles are influenced by Christian songwriters/Singers like Don Moen, Steve Green, Alvin Slaughter & some pop artists.

In his entire music career, he released 2 Indie labeled albums, chosen as one of the Top 10 finalists of Red Cross/Crescent International Songwriting Contest in 1999, wrote songs for radio station I.D’s, commercial and political jingles.

Not known to all, Nathaniel Cabanero is a passionate peace advocate. He once worked in the Diocese of Kidapawan as a former Catholic priest serving the communities who were victims of wars (evacuees), Christian – Muslim conflicts, by giving them relief /medical aids, temporary housing, and facilitating income generating projects to drive their mentality from ARMS to FARMS.

Currently, he is working with Dergfinn Partnership (an EU cross border peace and reconciliation initiative in Co. Tyrone, U.K & Donegal, Republic of Ireland) as a part time administrative assistant.

With this rich experience of peace advocacy, Nathaniel Cabanero was inspired to write a song entitled “GIVE PEACE A CHANCE” to value peace despite of the wars, conflicts and hatred the world is portraying us.

Lastly, Nathaniel Cabanero is married to Judie Alegarme Cabanero who is also a recording artist and will be performing the song “live” during the contest at Excel Theatre in Tipperary Town, Republic of Ireland.

To hear the song, please copy this link www.myspace.com/nathanielcabanero

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—A Filipino woman from Cavite is making history in South Korea as the first foreign-born candidate for a seat in the Korean National Assembly, according to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

Judith A. Hernandez is the first candidate not of Korean lineage to run for the Philippine equivalent of a congressional seat. She is running under the Republic of Korea Party, a new party organized by former presidential candidate Kook-hyun Moon, for the general elections to be held on April 9.

According to Ambassador to Korea Luis T. Cruz, Hernandez arrived in that country more than 15 years ago when she married a Korean national.

Now a Korean citizen, Hernandez became active in her local community in Seongnam, a city located less than an hour from Seoul, particularly with programs aimed at improving the welfare of migrant workers, foreign spouses and their children. It was upon this advocacy that she built her political platform.

Globalization

During a meeting with Cruz on March 26, Hernandez discussed the challenges of integrating into a society which in the past was referred to as the hermit kingdom and the social changes now taking place there.

She said Korean society was opening up as national and local governments had begun institutionalizing programs aimed at fostering a more global outlook. Her very entry into politics signals changes in perception and a more accepting view of foreigners.

“In a country that is rewriting its social norms and evaluating its emerging role in the international community, Hernandez’s message strikes a sympathetic nerve. [Her] candidature has so far enjoyed warm response. Her ranking in the party recently climbed from 8th to 7th out of more than 20 hopefuls,” Cruz said.

Securing a position

There are two ways to secure a position in South Korea’s unicameral legislature. First, representatives are directly elected from single-member districts. Second, the rest of the approximately 300 slots are filled by the parties following a formula that proportionally allocates membership based on the number of seats won in the election. For Hernandez to win, her party needs to obtain a fair percentage of the votes so she will be included under proportional representation.

Cruz said Hernandez was optimistic since South Korean law limits the campaign period to only two weeks, with the last day ending at midnight prior to the elections. She has enlisted the support of migrant communities and has appeared on various Korean television shows and print media.

Good News Pilipinas

Two Filipino leaders are in the top 300 young global leaders list for 2008 of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The Geneva-based international organization recognized Sen. Francis Joseph “Chiz” Escudero and former actor and entrepreneur Illac Diaz for their contributions to society, among 5,000 candidates worldwide.

Escudero is a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and currently the Secretary General of the United Opposition. During the 2007 elections, he got the second highest number of votes among senatorial candidates.

He was a member of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1998 to 2007, and served as the Minority Floor Leader of the 13th Congress.

Diaz is the founder of Centro­Migrante, a self-help business model that provides clean, safe and affordable housing for Filipinos who come to Manila to look for jobs as seamen.
He also founded the MyShelter Foundation, which builds low-cost classrooms using the Earthbag Construction System. Diaz has been named as one of The Outstanding Young Persons of the World by the Jaycees International.

The WEF also recognized Hollywood Actor Leonardo DiCaprio; Grammy Award winner Shakira Mebarak Singe; Thomas Glocer, Chief Executive Officer, Reuters, United Kingdom; Arthur Sulzberger, Chairman and Publisher, The New York Times, USA; and Hisashi Hieda, Chairman and CEO, Fuji Television Network, Japan. The selection committee is chaired by Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

“We need the Young Global Leaders to be a voice for the future in the global thought process and as a catalyst for initiatives in the global public interest,” Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of WEF said.

Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, the WEF is impartial and non-profit, and is tied to no political, partisan or national interests.

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines – While the world’s largest flag may not be that of the Philippines, a Filipino woman is behind it.

Grace Galindez Gupana, founder of a Christian charismatic group that claims global reach, takes pride in setting two Guinness World records for the world’s largest flag and the world’s largest banner this year.

Gupana, who once worked as a sago’t gulaman vendor at the Quezon City Hall grounds, is the only Filipino so far who has managed to get two world records and the only woman who set those feats in less than 30 days apart.

She was behind the blue and white Israeli flag that was unfurled last November in Masada, Israel. It measured 18,847 square meters (about the size of two football fields) while tipping the scale at 5.2 metric tons; upstaging the previous record of the US flag in 1996 which was at 11,964 square meters.

The second largest flag of the world, the Philippine flag, was smaller by less than 30 square meters (18,818).

She originally wanted the two flags to have the same size. However, in 2006 the Philippine flag was ripped after strong gusts of wind tore the 200 by 100 meter-flag (A similar fate happened to Indonesia when its flag was unrolled on a building in 2003).

Less than 30 days later, she went to Israel, unfurled a new Philippine flag and the Israeli flag and sew them together with the North Korean and South Korean flags and miniature flags of 180 other recognized United Nations members, spanning 54,451 square meters.

Gupana called it the “777 Yahweh’s Banner” which, she said, does not only highlight the four highly christianized countries in Asia but also gave overseas based Filipinos a new source of pride.

“We usually had a hard time at the airport in Israel since we were Filipinos. But when they saw in the news what we did, they were in awe. They let us through. Wherever we go, we were praised,” said Noel Luna, who accompanied Gupana to Israel.

For her, this was the product of her work which she dedicated to God.

“You treat my people as you respect your brother,” Gupana recalled telling Israeli officials during the Guinness stamping of the world’s largest flag.

“[Filipinos] are now respected [in Israel],” said Noel, “[Before,] Filipinos occupied a different elevator.”

A difficult task

The unfurling of the world’s largest flag was not in any measure a small undertaking.

From the Philippines, the two flags were shipped to Israel and brought to the foot of the ancient Jewish fortress in Masada, all expenses shouldered by Gupana.

Salty winds from the Dead Sea constantly swept across the desert, carrying sand and dust to more than 40 volunteers—including Filipino caregivers and 400 Arabs and Jews—under the scorching November afternoon sun.

Gupana said she chose the venue in Israel, as well as the choice of flags, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Israel’s victory in the six-day war; the 50th anniversary of the Israel-RP relations and the centennial of the Christian revival in Korea.

But before going to Israel, Gupana said she received a “tall order from God” one day while she was contemplating on her life on top of her seven-storey building in Quezon City.

“It came in thunder and lightning. God said I needed to raise the standard of his people to raise his own standard,” Gupana told GMANews.TV in an interview.

So, for the next few months, she defied her husband’s wishes and started to finance the making of the largest Philippine flag in August 26, 2006.

One month, two artists, 10 seamstresses, and 3,772 kilograms of materials later, the flag was done.

“I got depressed when the flag was torn apart. I cried. But I guess God was giving me a sign,” Gupana said.

Instead of being swallowed up by her disappointment, she was back on the drawing board and planning a grander project.

She thought of making the Israeli flag instead since it was “God’s country.”

Gupana admits her struggles in making the flags seemed to parallel her own battle in life—filled with big dreams, frustrations, and a lot of faith.

Graceful life

Despite earning a secretarial diploma at the Philippine Women’s University in 1982, Gupana failed to get a job for a year.

Armed only with 800 pesos in her pocket, she went to Divisoria, bought pieces of colorful paper, some cartolina, then locked herself in her room, and for days labored in making cards with inscribed biblical verses.

She then regularly hawked her handmade crafts to bookstores around Manila, ensuring that she was the only supplier in the city.

After much hard work and perseverance, Gupana had her own Christian bookstore by the end of the year.

Easy come, easy go

Gupana was an instant millionaire at the end of the 1980s, owning four businesses—including a restaurant and a flower shop—three vehicles, and one factory.

But success was also quick to get into her head.

“I got instantly drowned by my own success. I began to get bitter towards my family, who only provided me little support with my education before,” she said.

In 1991, Gupana’s life had a 180 degree spin.

She gave birth to premature twins who had to be kept in incubators. Her hospital bills reached P25, 000 a day, making her bankrupt after three months.

From a self-made millionaire, Gupana returned to spartan life, this time, with more mouths to feed.

“I found myself back where I started. I got so depressed. With my boastfulness, it was all gone,” she said.

In that period, she went through deep introspection, resolved her issues with her family and eventually found herself getting closer to God.

“God seemed to tell me that I needed to go back to my senses. Go back to where I came from,” said Grace.

Again with P800 in her hand, she bought ingredients for sago’t gulaman and sold it outside the Quezon City Hall. By nightfall, her money grew to over P2,000.

From there, she added fish balls and rice porridge, and treated her customers well. After some time, she extended her business to food carts, and became popular among the city hall employees.

Eventually, through sheer hard work and determination, she worked her way up. She was invited to conduct livelihood programs and even got invitations to travel abroad.

Looking ahead

As an act of generosity, Gupana donated the world’s largest flag to the government of Israeli, where she was told it would be unfurled every December 25.

Gupana was also honored by the Israel and Philippine governments for her feat. She will be flying back to Israel in March to receive an award.

For now, she said she won’t be making anymore world records, and instead promote tourism and bilateral relations between Israel and the Philippines.

“The flag is my testament to the message I received from God and I hope that in this way I can also promote tourism in Israel,” she said.