Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines -
attracting investors from all over Asia and the world.
HEROIC ASKALS CARRY PHILIPPINE TORCH WITH PRIDE AND EAGERNESS TO QUALIFY INTO THE FOLLOWING WORLD CUP
SHARP SHOOTING, FIERCE DEFENDING, AND TACTICAL BRILLIANCE took our football players through for the first time in Philippine history to the second qualifying round of the World Cup when they scattered the Sri Lankan team to the four winds with a 4-0 thrashing on July 3, 2011.
Two goals by Angel Locsin's boyfriend Phil Younghusband and one each by Chieffy Caligdong and Angel Guirado Aldeguer in the Manila second leg nailed a 5-1 aggregate following the first leg's one-all tie in Sri Lanka.
The home crowd went wild with excitement and pride, while equally proud President Noynoy Aquino said after attending the match:
"I join our people in celebrating their 5-1 aggregate win over Sri Lanka. To the Philippine Azkals, may the teamwork you displayed today on both sides of the pitch lead to more than just future victories; may you continue to inspire our youth to pursue teamwork, and the true spirit of sportsmanship that, win or lose, inspires excellence on and off the field -- for if the Filipino people can work together, and if we can make the most of our inherent creativity and skill, then our victories as a country can extend far beyond the football pitch. Truly, there is no place like home, as those gathered at the Rizal Memorial and who gathered before their TV sets today experienced."
The Askals lost in the next round and failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, but their spirit was undaunted. Already they had achieved something sustainable. Soccer in the past has been a minor sport in the Philippines. What the Askals did in 2011 was not only to capture public interest and inspire our kids to take the sport of soccer more seriously, but at the same time they also raised the Philippine game itself to a higher level than ever before.
The enduring legacy that the 2011 Askals created is that more Filipino sports fans are now interested in soccer, more Filipino athletes are now viewing soccer as the arena in which to best achieve their full potential, more Filipino kids are now playing soccer, more Philippine media are giving regular news about soccer, more Philippine sponsors and advertisers are now putting money into soccer, and the Philippine government is taking soccer very seriously now as a sport that Filipinos can excel in with more official support.
It remains outstanding after decades of political corruption, but the time is fast approaching when the Philippine public will no longer accept any excuses. They will demand with zero tolerance that politicians do precisely what they were elected to do. They will exercise their rights as taxpayers and voters to audit and scrutinize revenue and expenditure at every level of national, regional and local government.
And (this may come as a shock to the families, relatives friends, cronies, hangers on, full-time or part-time staff, and even volunteer unpaid helpers) - the Philippine public will demand that everyone involved in every political corruption must be brought to justice and must receive the heaviest possible punishments for their traitorous crimes against fellow citizens, however poor and destitute these citizens may be. (Video courtesy of Philippine Askals Tube)
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CONGRATULATIONS TO ROYAL NANNY
FILIPINA ARACELI “LILLIE” PICCIO!
IT WAS THE BIGGEST grandest mega-major social event of 2011 on Planet Earth! On April 29 from every corner of the globe, presidents, prime ministers and world leaders representing all aspects of human achievement - including movie stars, pop stars, tv stars and sports stars - descended on London, England, to attend the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton watched by more than 2 billion people on live TV around the world. Among the most highly honored guests, Araceli Piccio from Bacolod was there at the special personal invitation of Prince William himself. His mother, the late and greatly missed Princess Diana, employed “Lillie” for 8 years to take care of her two sons William and Harry when they were children, and those now grown-up children have never forgotten either their beloved mommy or their beloved nanny. Prince William is 2nd in line to be next King of England.
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THE UNITED KINGDOM BACKS THE PHILIPPINES
ENGLAND IS THE HOME OF MODERN FOOTBALL (AKA SOCCER), AND BRITISH AMBASSADOR STEPHEN LILLIE, speaking from the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Manila, gives a strong thumbs up to doing business in the Philippines. To avoid confusion, England is part of Great Britain which is part of the United Kingdom which is part of the European Union.
Therefore with reference to the 2011 Royal Wedding, Prince William and Princess Catherine are now second in line to be King and Queen of the United Kingdom - but not of the European Union, although millions of Europeans have publicly expressed the opinion that 'Will & Kate' also belong to them, as Will's ancestors came to Britain from from Germany and they have branches all over Europe.
Stephen Lillie does not discuss this issue and states that the Philippine population of 92 million makes us the 3rd English-speaking country of the world. He goes on to praise the international success of Philippine call-centers, whose clients include British blue-chip companies such as Shell, HKBC, and the Financial Times.
He says that our battle against corruption is being won, and the presence of more than 200 major British companies here signifies clearly that now is an excellent time for British and other European companies to invest in the Philippines.
Enthusiastic about the developing popularity of Filipino football and the inspiring progress of the Philippine Askals, most Englishmen everywhere look forward to seeing them qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and they also hope that before then Filipino sports fans will join them in visiting the 2012 Olympics in London.
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National Geographic competition winning Filipina photographer Yen Baet grew up in Laguna.
LAGUNA'S YEN BAET WINS INTERNATIONAL
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION ORGANIZED
BY THE USA'S NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC!
AGAINST ALL ODDS a young Filipina photographer who spent most of her childhood in Laguna has won a photography competition held by America's highly respected magazine National Geographic, which has itself for decades been world famous for the superb quality of its photographs taken in every corner of the globe. Furthermore it was Yen's first ever entry of her work to a competition. Read more on our Home Page.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO MARIO MAMON
THE FIRST ASIAN TO BE ELECTED VICE CHAIRMAN OF IAAPA - THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AMUSEMENT PARKS AND ATTRACTIONS
WHAT AN AMAZING CLIMAX TO A FANTASTIC ACHIEVEMENT! In the year that Enchanted Kingdom - Santa Rosa's,
Laguna's, and the Philippines' most popular tourist attraction - celebrated its Crystal Anniversary, its inspirational President
and Chairman Mario Mamon became the first Asian and proudly the first Filipino to be elected Vice Chairman of IAAPA.
Pictured above, IAAPA's Director for Asia-Pacific Andrew Lee (center) gives official recognition and congratulations to Mario
(right), whose beautiful and delighted wife Cynthia (left) is EK's VP for Sales and Marketing, and was herself honored in the same year with the prestigious CEO (Communications Excellence in Organizations) Excel 2010 Award by the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators). Visit the Enchanted Kingdom official website for more information.
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HERE'S A DOUBLE ENCORE IN RESPONSE TO STANDING OVATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE!
Millions of people around the world saw 10-year-old Maria Aragon give her first live American TV performance
on the Ellen Degeneres show or the video of it on YouTube, and thousands of OFWs have asked us to post it on
Sta. Rosa Magazine's "Pinoy Success" web page together with the YouTube video of Charice Pempengco's first
performance on the same show when she was 15. So here they are, with our thanks to Ellen and YouTube. They
both will be in the spotlight for many years to come, so enjoy and be inspired by their first US performances.
Welcome
to Santa
Rosa Magazine - the accessible
open e-magazine of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines. No payment, no registration, no
login required.
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Forget the negative attitudes of stick-in-the-mud critics and do a Google search to see the creativity of Filipinos who have posted on the internet their own versions of DOT's inspiring
new tourism slogan. Who cares what the Swiss did in 1951? They didn't invent the English
language and they didn't coin the "it's more fun" phrase. Positive-thinking Filipinos like the
new slogan and are having lots of fun proving the truth in it. DOT deserves congratulations!
(See Angel Tugado's comments on our Opinion page.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO GWENDOLINE RUAIS FROM MUNTINLUPA!
Her second place at the Miss World beauty pageant in London has only ever been achieved
once before by a Filipina. Read the story
and see more photos on our Opinion
page.
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NOW YOU DON'T NEED THE LOOKS OF A POP STAR! What you do need is a great voice! So if you can sing, in tune, with a charismatic sound, here is your opportunity to make your mark in showbiz with studio-produced or computer-generated videos that do not require your personal appearance if you're shy or simply prefer not. Looks don't matter. Only The Voice matters.
It's the BIGGEST NEW Show from the USA. In a ground breaking new singing competition, four superstar coaches select teams of eight based solely on an artist's voice. Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine, are competing as coaches -- each one hoping to discover and nurture America's next great voice.
The show starts with Blind Auditions, where coaches have their backs turned as the artists sing. If none of the coaches push their buttons, the artist goes home. If any coach is blown away by the sound, she or he hits her or his button. Then her or his chair turns, and the artist lands a spot in that coach's team.
But if more than one coach turns, the power shifts and the artist gets to pick which coach she or he wants to work with. It's then up to the coaches to convince the artists to join their team.
Many Filipinos have fabulous voices, as demonstrated in regular local videoke performances, but they may not have the right looks or be young enough to secure the recording contracts that their voices deserve.
Never mind the pop videos, which can always be produced by film-makers or computers or cartoonists to accompany and illustrate any song. What matters is your voice.
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You can win a great iPad2 in SM's latest promo. There's nothing to lose, so it's worth a try!
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Ryan Silbert, Stefanie Walmsley (in gown by Martin Bautista)
and Gigi Dement (in gown by Oliver Tolentino) on Oscar night.
Photo courtesy of Stefanie Walmsley.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FIL-AM OSCAR WINNERS!
Filipino-Americans Stephen Dypiangco, Stefanie Walmsley and Gigi Dement co-produced the film "God Of Love", which won this year's Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. Dypiangco, who was born in the USA to Pinoy parents from Laguna and Pampanga, could not attend the Hollywood ceremony. He commented afterwards: "An Academy Award is a tremendous victory for everyone involved in the project and I hope that it would open up new doors to all of us professionally. Whether writing, directing or producing documentaries, comedies, dramas or music videos, I hope to fight for social justice by showcasing minority stories with dignity and respect." Their fellow Filipino-American Matthew Libatique was nominated in the Best Cinematography category for his work on the film "Black Swan", which was itself one of the 10 nominated for Best Film. It was an inspirational night for other talented Filipino film-makers back home, who are going from strength to strength.
Watch out for many more international successes in the future.
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L to R: 1st Runner Up (Lithuania), Winner Danica (Philippines), 2nd Runner Up (Poland)
CONGRATULATIONS TO FILIPINA DANICA FLORES MAGPANTAY ON WINNING THE TITLE OF FORD "SUPERMODEL OF THE WORLD" 2011!
Danica Magpantay, a 17 year old Fine Arts student at the University of the Philippines, won the title Ford Supermodel of the World 2011 at the annual contest held in New York, beating contestants from over 50 countries and thereby gaining a $250,000 modeling contract. At 5'9" and 109 lbs, Danica has the perfect physique for a career on the international catwalk. She trains hard to keep in shape and her ambition is to be a top model for Victoria's Secret.
Another deserved worldwide success for another beautiful Filipina!
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WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR
WORLD CHAMPION NEIGHBOR! There has never in history been a boxer like
him. Beating Antonio Margarito so conclusively in Texas, by the
unanimous decision of 3 judges, brought Pacman the WBC World Super
Welterweight title, and nobody has ever before been the World Champion
in eight different weight divisions. What a phenomenal athlete, and
what a tremendous inspiration he is to Filipinos around the globe.
Pacquiao's sportsmanship was such that in the final two rounds of the
match he clearly eased up to avoid handing out excessive
punishment to the bigger Mexican-American fighter, who was tough and
brave but totally outclassed. We are proud that Manny and his
family have a home in one of our local premier subdivisions. In his three careers of boxer, congressman, and entertainer, we wish him further successes in 2011! (See lots of great stuff
for Pacman fans on the Pacland website)
And yet ... and yet ... now there's another great Filipino boxer also raised in General Santos and who even attended the same school as Pacman! Already World Champion in 3 weight divisions, Nonito Donaire is exciting boxing fans like no other - aside from Manny Pacquiao himself. Following Donaire's explosive 2nd Round win on February 19, Ring magazine has just upped his rating to #3 pound for pound boxer behind only the longer extablished greats Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. So will the Filipino Flash go on to equal or beat Pacman's seemingly unbeatable record? And if Filipinos can do it as individuals in boxing, why not in other sports and why not as teams? Wouldn't it be fantastic to have world champions (men and women) in basketball, badminton, athletics, soccer, rugby, tennis? What a boost this would give to everyone's morale in every part of the Philippines, and most of all to OFWs. Take a look at Nonito Donaire's official website)
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As
well as Venus Raj making it to the last 5 of Miss Universe last year,
two other Filipina beauty queens Krista Kleiner (above left) and
Christi Lynn Mcgarry (above right) both did our country proud by
winning through to the final 15 of the Miss International 2010 pageant
and the Miss Intercontinental 2010 pageant respectively. Krista Kleiner
won two special awards, those of Miss Expressive and Miss Talent.
Likewise, Christi Lynn Mcgarry was awarded the special title of Miss
Intercontinental Asia and Oceania. Congratulations to all three
Filipinas! (Visit the websites: Miss Universe,
Miss
International and Miss
Intercontinental)
History
and culture of Santa Rosa City Laguna Philippines were lovingly revived
with colorful displays and entertainments in the "My City My SM" event
at SM City mall. (Read more:)
There's
no live theater in Sta. Rosa yet, but the Insular
Life Theater at nearby Alabang
features productions by the talented and popular drama group Theater Down South.
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Pinoy Global Success
INSPIRATIONAL
QUOTE: (Editor's
note: To be inspired by someone does not mean we agree with every word
they say but we are inspired by their overall vision, their passion and
their personal integrity. For example, like Jim Paredes I am a fan of
Winnie Monsod, although I strongly disagree with her specific views on
OFWs. This does not detract from my admiration of her undoubted
qualities of patriotism and social responsibility in seeking to improve
our nation for all.)
"The
people we really need to be hearing from, the unique and exceptional
talents, crystalline thinkers, creators of astounding beauty, and
people with deep but practical perceptions are exceptions in every
society, whether democratic or not, and are hardly ever heard. They are
the precious grains taken from tons of chaff. They are society’s crown
jewels. In short, they are the true elites, rare and valuable human
assets whose gift of brilliance should be shared with everyone. Do you
see many of them in the media? Of course not.
While a circus may be
entertaining, it would be good to balance this with exposure to other
kinds of shows, books, ideas, events that stimulate the spirit, mind
and senses and give audiences a higher sense of awe and thus be
inspired.
I say give the elites more
exposure. We should be hearing and watching more of them. We need
people who are distinguished because of their depth of intelligence and
talent. They have something to share that can change and elevate us.
They are the salt of the earth. They spice up our lives.
We need more people like
Cheche Lazaro and Winnie Monsod. More National Artists exposed on TV.
More museums, libraries, and less malls. More servant leaders like
Jesse Robredo and Leila de Lima instead of the trapos
that inhabit many government posts. We need elites from the academe,
showbiz, arts, politics, media, sports, and religious sectors to expand
our sense of what is possible for us as a society and as a nation."
- Jim Paredes,
writing in The Philippine Star
EDITORIAL:
"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS,
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS,
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
OF THE WORLD!"
BOXING
IS NOT THE ONLY BREEDING GROUND OF PHILIPPINE
WORLD CHAMPIONS
Our
story's title is from the famous song by "Queen", one of England's most
popular rock bands of all time, and the more recent version by our own
Arnel Pineda is considered even better than Freddie Mercury's original.
The photo in our subtitle above is of the
most celebrated operatic tenor in history, Italy's Luciano Pavarotti,
dedicating a trophy in his name to be awarded to the choir judged to be
best in the world at the famous and prestigious annual Llangollen
International Musical Eisteddfod. If Luciano Pavarotti was alive today,
he would be as proud of the UST Singers' performance as we Filipinos
are.
UST choir members express their joy after
receiving the award.
This year's overall best and winner of "Choir Of The World 2010",
triumphing over 91 choirs from more than 50 countries including the
USA, England, Russia, Germany, China and Japan, was the University of
Santo Tomas Singers. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas is the oldest
university in Asia, and to coincide with its 400th anniversary in 2011
it will be establishing campuses outside Manila, including one at Santa
Rosa City Laguna.
University
of Santo Tomas Singers is the name given to its premiere
mixed choral ensemble consisting of selected students and alumni
representing its various colleges and faculties. It already had a
remarkable history of international successes and won the Choir Of The
World and Pavarotti Award in 1995. Triumph at this year's Eisteddfod
made it the only choir from any country ever to win it twice. What a
phenomenal achievement, both for the choir and for its founder and
conductor Prof. Fidel G. Calalang, Jr.
Prof. Fidel G. Calalang, Jr. (left)
triumphantly holds aloft the Pavarotti trophy.
Prof. Calalang has won many individual awards including Best Conductor
Prize at the 2002 Tonen International Choral Competition in Holland,
where the UST Singers also won the Grand Prize, and the Philippine
Parangal ng Bayan Award for National Achievers (twice) in the field of
arts and culture. He is held in great esteem by his international
peers, and is in constant demand to give talks and join judging panels
at choral competitions all over the world.
Eisteddfod is a Welsh word (from Wales, United Kingdom) meaning
Festival of Literature, Music And Performance. The first Eisteddfod has
been traced back to 1176 at Cardigan Castle, where Lord Rhys held a
grand gathering of poets and musicians from all over the country. It
later evolved into the National Eisteddfod of Wales, the oldest and
biggest festival of competitive music and poetry in the world. This
long established national festival inspired the creation in 1947 of the
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
Jubilation continues as the choristers all
get to touch the world-famous trophy.
Attracting musicians, singers and dancers from around the globe,
Llangollen's colorful festival with its unique "Spirit of Peace and
Goodwill" is acknowledged to be the world’s greatest music festival
that gives special focus to the human voice. For choirs and solo
vocalists as well as for dancers and instrumentalists there's a
competition for everyone.
International contestants are also invited to perform outside the
competitions in evening concerts featuring world-class guest artists.
But the Llangollen experience isn't limited to the stage. Competitors
take part in a spectacular street parade and join in the festival
atmosphere on the Eisteddfod Field.
UST Singers rejoice and judges applaud as
the final result is announced.
The International Eisteddfod always opens with a special message of
peace. It has gone from strength to strength every year since it was
founded, and in 2004 was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Organizers of the 2010 event together with its panel of distinguished
international judges unanimously praised the extremely high standard of
every participant choir from around the globe, thereby voting UST
Singers to be the highest of the high.
"BEAUTIFUL SINGING BY
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE"
But perhaps the best summing up was from one of their competitors.
Lorraine Baisbrown of the White Rosettes choir from England, which won
the Close Harmony competition and was a finalist for Choir Of The
World, commented in appreciative admiration of the UST Singers'
stunning performance: "Beautiful singing by beautiful people."
Philippine Ambassador to the UK Antonio
Lagdameo warmly welcomes Prof. Calalang
and the UST Singers on their triumphant return to London.
Our congratulations also to the DFA, its Ambassadors and its friendly,
tireless, embassy staff around the world who facilitate, coordinate and
provide constant assistance to cultural tours and other events
promoting the Philippines - you are all unsung heroes!
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SPECIAL PRAISE
There
are no world championships in their respective fields but three
Philippine professional singers - Lea Salonga, Arnel Pineda and Charice
Pempengco - have each achieved such outstanding and unique worldwide
successes that they are certainly champions in our eyes.
They are all more than worthy of the acclaim they receive from
Filipinos whenever they come back to perform, or visit their families
and friends, and they merit very special praise indeed.
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"PINOY SENSATION" WINS
FIRST FINAL OF THE 2010
GUINNESS WORLD SERIES
OF POOL
Jundel
Mazon was described as the "Pinoy Sensation" when he grabbed the first
ever 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool Championship title by beating
the best players on the planet at the final in Indonesia.
Jundel Mazon in top form and in total
control
Coming from behind in the almost hopeless position of being 1:5 down,
Jundel won the final 10:5. He commented afterwards: "For sure, it was a
difficult uphill battle but I was able to regain my composure in the
middle stages of the match. From there I was on a roll, and it was then
that I knew I had a chance. So I just kept on pushing until the very
end."
WOMEN AS WELL AS MEN MAKE
THE PHILIPPINES A FORCE TO BE
RECKONED WITH IN RUGBY
Rugby
Sevens will be included at the 2016 Olympics, and already the top
Philippine players are making their mark on the game of rugby in Asia.
At the 2010 Asian Women's Sevens Championships held in China, our
Philippine National Team made a remarkable international debut and won
the Division B trophy by beating India, Korea, Laos and Malaysia. For
those unfamiliar with rugby sevens, this meant playing four matches in
one afternoon - and to cap it all the Filipinas did not concede a
single point!
The Philippine National Women's Rugby
Sevens Team with coach Matt Cullen
Meanwhile at the Asian 5 Nations Rugby Fifteens Championships our
national men's team, named the Philippine Volcanoes, matched the
women's success. They won the Division 2 Championship, beating Thailand
in the semi-final and India in the final.
Arnel Pineda, the
popular Filipino lead vocalist of legendary American rock band Journey,
has formed a non-stock, non-profit, independent foundation providing
quality education, health services and medical attention to
underprivileged Philippine children. The stated reason is that "For
millions of youth in developing countries like the Philippines,
education
is seemingly beyond reach. Poverty and inadequate government support
stifle the future aspirations of Filipino children. Hence, Arnel Pineda
Foundation, Inc. (APFI) was formed, principally to address their sad
plight by preparing them for a brighter future through education." Find
out more and give your support at arnelpineda.org.
Lea Salonga, the
acclaimed Filipino actress and singer, is taking her real-world role of
United Nations Goodwill Ambassador very seriously. Traveling throughout
the Third World she is seeing the poverty at first hand, spreading hope
to the hungry, urging their leaders
to act NOW, and raising funds from national, corporate and private
donors to end hunger.
Find out more and give your support at www.1BillionHungry.org.
Congratulations to Miss Universe 2011 above, Leila Lopes from Angola,
and to our own Shamcey Supsup, who was placed 3rd Runner Up,
one position higher than Venus Raj last year. Editorial photo courtesy of Miss Universe Organization. (More...)
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Globe continues to lead the way in Sta. Rosa with its innovative customizable broadband.
See our Home Page to find out how the new "I Am Involved" SM Eco Bag helps to conserve Philippine forests
