Rocker MiG Ayesa holds 'despedida' concert in New York before world tour

Fil-Aussie rocker MiG Ayesa staged his last North America performance on Dec. 15 at Perlas International Cuisine in Queens, N.Y., before leaving for Europe to reprise the lead role of Galileo Figaro for the first ever world arena tour of the 10th anniversary of the smash hit “We Will Rock You” beginning early 2013.

“We Will Rock You,” a Lawrence Olivier-winning musical based on 24 of the biggest hit songs of Queen, is still on a record-breaking run at London’s Dominion Theatre.

The eight-month world tour will kick off Feb. 15 in Finland, before heading to nine other European countries.

It will also tour Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, where MiG grew up after being born in Manila.

MiG’s two-hour intimate show at Perlas (produced by Castellvi Productions) served as a despedida attended by friends and supporters, as well as non-Filipino fans who flew all the way from Canada and Ohio.

They enjoyed not just the show but also the food at the spruced up Perlas, still home of the best crispy pata based on Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside, Queens.

As always, the mega talented Broadway and West End star didn’t disappoint.

He dished one rousing number after another — mostly from his sophomore album “More Than Ever” — accompanied by international guitarist Jon Skibic, a bassist on Broadway’s “Rock of Ages,” which previously featured MiG as Stacee Jaxx to rave reviews.

The night was made more memorable by the spectacular Kayumanggi Band, one of the best Fil-Am bands today, which took the stage midway the show and played a medley of Queen songs as a tribute to MiG’s upcoming world tour.

“You guys killed it!” an impressed MiG told the seasoned band.

“Awesome! Awesome!”

Kayumanggi, likewise, stunned the crowd with its spirited rock versions of “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko,” “Wonderful Tonight” and “Bulag Pipi At Bingi” before MiG join them on stage and pumped up the crowd even more.

They belted “Come Together,” “You Really Got It,” “Open Arms,” “With Or Without You,” “Hey Soul Sister,” and the Filipino rock “Salamat” by The Dawn, which MiG nailed with perfect Pinoy accent.

Together they also sang “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Play That Funky Music” and “Last Christmas.”

MiG gave it all like there’s no more tomorrow until his distinct voice showed signs of strain past midnight with the crowd still begging for more.

Already tired but still bouncy and loving the crowd’s adoration, MiG promised to mount another New York show before the end of 2013 when the world tour of “We Will Rock You” is completed. - Filipino Reporter

Fil-Canadian journo receives QE II Diamond Jubilee Medal

Ace Alvarez receives Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal [via Interaksyon]

Print and broadcast journalist Ace Alvarez has joined 60,000 Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have received the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal for their contribution to Canadian society the past 60 years, it was learned.

The Canadian government, through the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall, bestowed the award on Alvarez “for his exceptional and meritorius contribution to Canadian print and broadcast journalism and in the further propagation of multiculturalism and diversity, a national policy of Canada.”

An active news and public affairs person, Alvarez has contributed to community development work for the last 16 years.

He was the multicltural media representative from September 2007 to September 2009 to the Canadian National Exhibition Association (CNEA) — the organization which runs the annual Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), an 18-day fair, which has grown to be the largest annual fair in Canada and the fifth largest in North America attracting approximately 1.25 million visitors each year during the CNE’s 129-year history.

Alvarez was also a member of the CNEA’s Marketing Committee during the two terms he served from 2007 to 2009. During his term, the committee adopted Alvarez’s recommendation aimed at making the advertising and promotion of the CNE cost effective to specific cultural communities in the GTA.

As an officer and board member of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA), Alvarez worked closely with the board, community publications and some Members of the Provincial Parliament of Ontario to reverse the provincial government’s ruling to make advertisers’ pay the provincial sales tax.

In 1999, Ace was awarded by the Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club for his consistent trenchant editorials in the Manila Media Monitor during award ceremonies aired over Toronto’s CFMT Television.

Since 2000, he has been (and probably remains to be the only Filipino-Canadian in media) listed for his contribution to Canadian journalism in “Canadian Who’s Who”— the reference book containing names of distinguished Canadians (listing in which is by invitation only and based on merit), compiled and published annually by the University of Toronto.

Ace serves as resource on ethnocultural media to two Toronto-based advertising agencies and has, in the past, been a resource to a high profile multicultural PR company based in Toronto. Likewise, he served as resource to journalism students at one of Toronto’s leading communication and media colleges, as well as the Ontario Chapter of the Federal Communications Council — an organization composed of Information/Media Relations Officers of the various Ministries of the Canadian federal government.

Rey Danseco is WBC Boxing Judge of the Year

Nonito Donaire Jr. isn’t the only Filipino who bagged the distinction as best in the year.

Another reason for the Filipino to be proud of is a veteran international boxing judge, Rey Danseco, who was adjudged Boxing Judge of the Year by the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Danseco was Judge of the Year 2010 and 2011 in the Philippines during the Annual Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Memorial Boxing Awards and Banquet of Champions before taking the biggest honor and recognition in his eight-year career.

The 39-year-old from Calauag, Quezon received the award before a thousand delegates from 163 countries, including legendary American promoter Don King and most respected boxing judges and referees during the 50th Convention of the WBC at the Grand Oasis Hotel in Mexico recently.

Donaire, 30, was named the “Fighter of the Year” by ESPN and Boxingscene after winning all his four title fights, the latter two by knockouts, this year.

In a news carried by USA Today, CBS and Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Danseco is “considered among the best in the world” when he worked as one of the judges in the huge WBC middleweight title on June 16 at Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas where Mexico’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. knocked out Irish Andy Lee in round 7.

Boxingtalk’s Scott Shaffer also reported in one of his scrutinized news that Danseco “has no obvious bad decisions on his resume” after making a record as the first Filipino judge to work in Montreal, Canada for the historic rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal for the WBC light middleweight title.

“He (Danseco) did correctly have Hopkins beating Pascal in their second fight,” figured out Saturdaynightboxing.com.
American Laurence Cole, son of Dickie Cole, administrator of combat sports of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, refereed the Chavez Jr.- Lee fight, was named WBC’ Referee of the Year.

Cole, 49, served as the third man in the ring when Donaire knocked Jorge Arce out in the third round at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas last Dec. 15.

Donaire’s win catapulted his reputation as the Philippines’ best pound-for-pound fighter after Pacquiao’s loss to Juan Manuel Marquez with a knockout last Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.

(Story courtesy of Philippine Star)

Filipino honored 5 years after heroic death

WRIGHTWOOD, California - Residents of the small scenic ski resort town of Wrightwood were in tears during Christmas weekend, as they honored a Filipino for his heroic act which happened five years ago.
The Claridad family was celebrating Christmas day at Jackson Lake in 2007, when two children, whom the Claridads did not know, fell into the frozen lake.
Forty-one-year old U.S. Army veteran and father of four, Claro Claridad successfully pulled the two children to safety. His heroic act also led to his drowning death. “I was very honored and happy, it’s amazing that after 5 years, people still remember his story,” said wife Judith.
Local officials presented the family with a memorial bench which will be placed off the highway where a nature trail leading to the lake begins.
“Today I would say it’s like a happy ending that I know, when my husband saved those children, he knew from his heart, those kids were worth saving for,” added Judith.
The family has moved forward in honoring their late father. The city of Victorville, where the family lives, has held memorials for them.
The incident has also inspired local officials to do specialized ice rescue training. There has also been a push to build a monument at the lake.
The four daughters, all girl scouts, have since written a book about their father; “Meet Our Daddy Our Hero”.
Until now, the two strangers that Claro saved have never been identified.

Donaire nabs RING's 2012 Fighter of the Year award

MANILA, Philippines – Four-division champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. added another feather in his cap by clinching The RING Magazine’s 2012 Fighter of the Year award for his impressive wins the past year.
Donaire, who had a successful campaign as a super bantamweight in 2012, was the fans’ top choice, garnering 55.2% in RingTV.com’s year-end polls.
"The 30-year-old veteran fought four times in 2012 and in the process of doing so the former flyweight and bantamweight titleholder established himself as the best 122-pound fighter on the planet, as well as the Fighter of the Year in the eyes of the fans who took part in RingTV.com’s year-end awards poll,” reported RING editor Doug Fischer.
The California-based Filipino bested Juan Manuel Marquez, who got 27.3% of the fan votes.
Fischer said Marquez may have knocked Manny Pacquiao out in what many considered as the Fight of the Year, but he said fight fans saw Donaire accomplishing more than Marquez inside and outside the ring.
Donaire’s accomplishments include his victories over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., Jeffrey Mathebula, Toshiaki Nishioka and Jorge Arce.
Fischer said the Filipino was the busiest among today’s elite fighters.
“Elite fighters – those precious few who fans and boxing media view as the pound-for-pound best, seldom fight more than twice a year. Donaire was the exception to that rule in 2012,” he said.
Adding to credibility was Donaire’s stance on drug testing.
The Filipino Flash became the first boxer to voluntarily undergo year-round random drug testing at a time when performance enhancing drugs use has reportedly become rampant in boxing.
“Donaire, who doesn’t require that his opponents undergo the same testing and makes the results of his drug tests public, was commended by fans and media alike in 2012, the year that performance-enhancing drug use became a hot-button issue in the sport after Lamont Peterson, Andre Berto, Antonio Tarver and Erik Morales were each found to have banned substances in their bodies either prior to or after major fights,” said Fischer.

PHL honorary consul receives Germany's highest honor

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Zeidler, Philippine Honorary Consul General, was conferred the highest hoonor in Germany for his "exceptional services" to the country.

Zeidler received the Federal President’s “Großes Verdienstkreuz des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland” (Grand Merit Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) on December 17 in Stuttgart, Germany.

In a news release, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Zeidler received the Order of Merit for his exemplary contributions to the common good through public service and exceptional services to Germany.

He has been serving as Philippine Honorary Consul since 2002, supporting the Embassy’s various political and economic diplomacy activities.

He has also  been helping indigent Philippine youth through his boys’ home in Cebu. 

Order of Merit

The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany was instituted in 1951 by Federal President Theodor Heuss. 

The DFA said it is the only honor that may be awarded in all fields of endeavor and is the highest honor Germany can confer on individuals for services to the nation. 

The award may be given to Germans and foreigners for achievements in the political, economic, social or intellectual realm.

Minister President Winfried Kretschmann of Baden Wuerttemberg conferred the award on Zeidler.

Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Cleofe Natividad graced the awarding ceremony.

The consular jurisdiction of the Honorary Consulate General consists of Baden Württemberg and Hesse, with capital cities Stuttgart and Frankfurt, respectively. 

Based on the 2011 report of the German Federal Statistics Office, a total of 5,965 out of 19,370 Filipinos in Germany reside in the said states. - VVP, GMA News

Superior Court of Guam gets its first Fil-Am judge

Filipino-American Maria Teresa Bonifacio Cenzon was recently installed as the newest judge of the Superior Court of Guam, the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Agana said.

In a news release, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the investiture of Cenzon was held on December 20 at the Superior Court of Guam's Atrium in Hagatna.

During his keynote address, Guam Governor Eddie Calvo said he felt the need to wear a Barong Tagalog, the Philippine national attire for men, because “as we know today, it is a historic day.”

Cenzon is the first Fil-Am/Guamanian to hold the position.

She was nominated by Calvo in September and her nomination easily passed the confirmation of the 31st Guam Legislature.

Cenzon is a graduate of Loyola University's Chicago School of Law.

She has worked in the field of law in Guam since 1996.

She served as the former Director of Policy, Planning and Community Relations of the United Judiciary of Guam and as the legal counsel of Calvo before her appointment as the new judge of the Superior Court of Guam.

Cenzon was born in Guam and is the daughter of Edward and Nita Cenzon, who hail from Pampanga province in the Philippines. 

Aside from Calvo, those who attended the investiture rights included Chief Justice F. Philip Carbullido, Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz of the Guam 31st Legislature, senators, judges and other Guam government officials.

Senator Adolpho Palacios, Chairman of the  Senate Committee on Judiciary, presented the Certificate of Confirmation to Cenzon while Chief Justice Carbullido administered her oath. - VVP, GMA News

Armless pilot Jessica Cox, NBA coach Eric Spoelstra among 2012 inspiring Fil-Ams

Everyday many Filipino Americans perform wondrous acts of courage and kindness.  Five achievers from different sectors hit a milestone in 2012 while outdoing themselves year after year and embracing their Filipino heritage with each triumph. 

Philippine News, a content partner of GMA News Online, presents the 2012 Inspiring Filipino Americans.*


ERIC SPOELSTRA
Florida

“Spo,” as colleagues in the National Basketball Association call Eric Spoelstra, is the first Filipino American to coach a North American pro ball team and an NBA team.  He is the first to win a league championship when he led the Miami Heat to victory in June 2012.

Coach Spo was born in Evanston, Illinois, to NBA executive father Jon Spoelstra and the former Elisa Celino, originally from San Pablo, Laguna.

His grandfather was sportswriter Watson Spoelstra.

Filipino American fans admire him for always identifying as one of them and constantly visiting the land of his mother’s birth.  Philippine fans love him for identifying as their own.

On his fourth trip to Manila last year, he met President Benigno Aquino III  in Malacanan and presented an autographed jersey.

Spo played varsity basketball in Portland, Oregon where he grew up and fraduated from Jesuit High School in 2008.  He started as point guard from the University of Portland Pilots from 1992-1996.

He reportedly was known for his accurate three-point shots and free throws as well as his record-breaking assists.

Like his dad, he eventually made his way to the big league.

In  1995, he joined the Miami Heat as video coordinator.  He earned his way up to  assistant coach/director of scouting in 2001.  While there, he had a formidable mentor in legendary head coach Pat Riley, who led the LA Lakers to many championships.

When Riley left the team, Spoelstra took over, but not without demurrers, especially when the Heat played bridesmaid to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

This year Spo proved his detractors wrong.  Big time.

 
JAY AND SHIRLEY MERCADO
California

Life is enough of a challenge being female where men often rule.  Being a woman of color is doubly challenging for FilAm females, therefore.  Which is why gay women of color choose to stay in the closet, avoiding judgments and assumptions about their lifestyles.

Many gay people have taken their own lives not knowing how to address their situation.

For Jay and Shirley Mercado to tell their story in June speaks to their love for each other and their courage to face critics who say they are breaking every rule.

The fact of the matter is that if not for their same gender, the couple is as conventional as most, working hard as an insurance broker (Jay) and day care center operator (Shirley).  They are parents to twin sons, their biological children.  Jay’s mother lives with them.  They are active members of their parish, whose leader wrote a letter endorsing their relationship in the couple’s effort to attain permanent residence status for Shirley.

They do not hide their sexual orientation or their relationship, though they would rather not encounter negative remarks such as those contained in a letter to the editor reacting to the publication of their story.

On their side are U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein and U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, who filed a bill to allow Shirley Mercado to remain in this country as the spouse of a U.S. citizen.

The Mercados are advocating for repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act defining the union legal only between man and woman.  They also want to overturn Proposition 8, the California law that nullified same-sex unions officiated in 2004 by then-S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom.    

Same-sex marriage is legal in eight states plus the District of Columbia.  California is among 10 states that recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships, which allow limited state-level rights and benefits.

“Plain and simply: Discrimination is unconstitutional.  We all should have the same right to marry whomever we love,” Jay Mercado declared why they oppose to the two laws.

The Mercados are sharing their story not just for themselves but to give an accurate depiction of same-sex relationships.

If they were able to change their own families’ attitude, they are open to try and educate others, they said.

ADAM JACOBS
New York

Broadway performer Adam Jacobs already had stars in his eyes as a young boy who traces his roots to Binalonan in Pangasinan, hometown of his mother Abby Sorio Jacobs.

In the late 1980s, Jacobs’ paintings were exhibited in his hometown of Half Moon Bay, California.  Philippine News featured the strapling’s works and predicted a bright future for the Filipino American.

True enough.

Last year, Jacobs portrayed the role of Simba in Julie Traymor’s staging of Lion King on The Great White Way.  The performance caps the actor-singer-dancer’s upwardly mobile career.  In the spring Jacobs will play the title role Zorro in the upcoming musical production of Zorro at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta from April 3 to May 5.

On Sunday, Dec. 9, he joined colleagues in Beyond The Storm, a benefit concert at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in New Jersey, for those affected by the recent disaster on the east coast.

The show was billed as a “show of community strength and compassion.”  Indeed, it reunited the subject and the author of the PNews story from two decades back.

“Yes I am that same painter kid from Half Moon Bay all those years
ago,” Jacobs in an un-diva stance immediately replied to an email inquiry.  “I haven't kept up with the painting, but I imagine I'll turn back to it at some point.”

Reminded of his role model stature, Jacobs hinted at humility.

“It's always strange to think of yourself as a role model, but I'm happy to
be able to give aspiring thespians any inspiration and hope that I
can. I've made a lot of headway in terms of non-traditional casting,
and it's possible that it's just a trend in the industry that I've
been able to capitalize on, but I'd like to think that the overall
mentality is changing...that talent, merit and hard work can count for
more and will continue to do so. The opportunities are there and you
shouldn't let color stand in your way.”

Headed by creative directors Kelli Rabke Agresta and Alexander Diaz, the event boasted “world’s best tap dancer Savion Glover, poet Carlos Andrés Goméz, plus established Broadway stars including…Adam Jacobs…”

All participants “graciously donated” their time and talent.  Tickets $100 sold fast.

One hundred percent of proceeds were donated to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, Pet ResQ and the school districts of Moonachie & Little Ferry.

Jacobs’ next big gig is a Valentine concert with Ali Ewoldt at Town Hall 8 p.m. Saturday, February 23.

“It will be an evening of Broadway love songs and duets,” he said.
 But first, something new:  “I start fencing lessons after Christmas!” he announced.

JESSICA COX
Arizona

Driving and playing the piano can be learned, but not everyone can do both.  Unlike Jessica Cox, who has no arms.  And what she has managed to do despite being armless exceeds most able people’s imagination.

Last summer she was acclaimed a modern-day hero by the Philippine Consulate General and the San Francisco-Manila Sister City Committee at its Philippine Independence Day gala at the San Francisco City Hall.

The Filipino American was born 29 years ago in Arizona to the Inez Macabare Cox without arms due to a rare birth defect.

As a child, she learned how to sit at table and enjoy a meal.  Or apply makeup and contact lenses.

Cox drives (no modification needed on the vehicle) and types (25 words a minute). She pumps her own gas.  She also scuba dives.

In 2008 she earned her pilot’s license.

And now she travels around the world to encourage others to live up to their potential.  So far she has raised the morale of people in 17 countries.  Including her maternal ancestral country, the Philippines.

Cox heads up the Jessica Cox Motivational Services in Tucson founded in 2005.

She is the subject of Rightfooted, a documentary about her ability to overcome every barrier she has had to face.

“Rightfooted will detail Jessica's life, marriage, mentorship and outreach,” said Patrick Chamberlin, Cox’s life and business partner.  “It is being made entirely through donations, made through our fiscal sponsor the International Documentary Association.  Gifts made in support of the project are tax deductible. However it is still in need of generous donors.”

For more information visit http://www.rightfootedmovie.com.

“Think outside the shoe” is Rightfooted’s motto.

“As a person who has never viewed herself as a victim of her condition, Jessica shares humorous stories of struggles and success living in a ‘twohanded’ world. She provides critical insight on how best to approach a challenge, redefining the concept of innovative thinking. She helps people reconnect with their own inner strengths and aptitudes.” 

ROBERT SCOTT
Virginia

Virginia representative to the United States House of Representatives Robert “Bobby” Scott won his 11th term on the Legislature Nov. 6, a feat unto itself.

The Democrat is also the first Filipino American member of Congress, who proudly states the fact on his website:

“Having a maternal grandfather of Filipino ancestry also gives Rep. Scott the distinction of being the first American with Filipino ancestry to serve as a voting member of Congress.”

Scott, 65, is his state’s first African American legislator since the Reconstruction, or the period after abolition of slavery.  He is only the second African American representative of the Commonwealth of Virginia in state history.

First elected in 1993, he serves on the Committee on the Judiciary and is ranking member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.

He also serves on the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

The Harvard College and Boston College Law School alum began his political career as a Virginia House delegate from 1978 to 1983 and then as state senator from 1983 to 1993.

Scott takes pride in his record as “a champion of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, fighting to protect the rights and civil liberties of all Americans.” He touts his campaign to “protect the right of all children with disabilities to obtain a free and appropriate education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA” when he led the defeat of “amendments aimed at curtailing that right for some children.”

When Filipino WWII veterans march to the capitol to advocate for equal benefits as promised in their wartime recruitment, they make sure to call on Scott, who makes himself available.

He has aligned himself with the freedom fighters’ quest for equity. - Philippine News

Pinay teen shines in Olympics of ballet in New Zealand

A 16-year-old Filipina represented the country in the recently-concluded Genee International Ballet in Wellington, New Zealand, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

 

Irene Kim Abrogena was chosen as a semi-finalist in the competition last December 12, joining 65 young dancers in what the DFA described as one of the world's most prestigious ballet competitions.

 

"To be chosen as a semi-finalist in the Genee International Ballet Competition is already a feat and Abrogena’s thrilling performance of ballet interpretation of 'Save the Tree' with music accompaniment of 'Ugoy ng Duyan' and choreography by Ronilo Jaynano, as well as her presentation in the classical ballet portion, was much applauded and admired by the audience," the DFA said.

 

It added this was the first time that the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) staged the Geneee International Ballet Competition in Wellington.

 

The competition was in association with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand School of Dance.

 

Organizers described the Genee International Ballet Competition as the “Olympic Games of Ballet,” the DFA noted.

 

Abrogena received training from Marlinda Claravall, the Director and Choreographer of Claravall School of Dance in the Philippines, a teaching member of RAD and part of the international team of tutors for Certificate of Ballet Teaching Studies.

 

The DFA said Claravall described Abrogena as an outstanding student in her school.

 

She added Abrogena "possesses the distinctive talent, dedication, discipline and commitment to develop her artistic potentials and launch a successful career as a top ballerina of the Philippines."

 

Philippine Ambassador Virginia Benavidez hosted a dinner for Abrogena at “Ang Bahay” last December 12, where she conveyed the Philippine Embassy and the Filipino community's congratulations to her.

 

Benavidez cited Abrogena for “bringing pride and honor to her country, gaining international distinction and acclaim and showing to the organizers, the public and other competitors that the Philippines is home to world-class talents in the performing arts.”

 

Benavidez also lauded Abrogena’s mother Ludy for her support and sacrifice, and to Claravall for her generosity to let her to reach unprecedented heights in ballet and provide scholarships to deserving Filipinos.

 

Other guests at the dinner included Ariel Abrogena, Fe Abrogena, Consul General Marcos Punsalang, Marissa Punsalang, Paul Angell, Wilma Angell, Fe Clouston and Bianca Benavidez. — TJD, GMA News

Fil-Am nurse risks life to help soldiers in Afghanistan

Nurse Analiza Benjamin is currently serving in Afghanistan as a health care mentor, a job description that brings her in “direct contact” with the Afghan National Army.

A reserve officer of the U.S. Navy with the rank of captain, Analiza is one of more than 30,000 coalition forces keeping peace in Kabul. Specifically, she is one of the medical/nursing advisors or mentors assigned to Afghanistan’s National Military Hospital. This is her first time to be called for active military duty.

“My role as the Senior Nurse Advisor to the Afghanistan National Army hospital’s chief of nursing department is interesting and challenging,” she said in an email to The FilAm.

Analiza’s assignment is directly connected to the U.S. government’s “drawdown plan” to pull out American troops and hand over the security of the country to Afghan soldiers by 2014. She is part of the healthcare mentoring team, which will ensure the smooth delivery of health care services in the aftermath of the pullout. But she won’t be staying till 2014. Her year-long assignment will end in April 2013.

“We play a significant and important role in this mission (paving the way for) Afghanistan’s transition and autonomous government,” she explained. “We are part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission that supports the government of Afghanistan as ISAF conducts operations in Afghanistan to build a secure and stable environment that reconstructs and develops infrastructure, improve the delivery of healthcare, and assist with their governance development.”

“It’s great to be a Filipino American, working as a senior Navy nurse corps officer here and serving our country (the U.S.),” Analiza said proudly.

The assignment comes with great risks. She is stationed in a country where bombings are a recurring threat common and the Taliban forces are believed to be resurgent. CNN recently reported a car bomb attack outside a U.S. military base in eastern Afghanistan. Three people died and six others were injured.

“While there is always some personal risk, our mission is not directly kinetic,” said Analiza. Their advisory mission differs somewhat from that of the ISAF which tends to “focus on the combat-action tactical phase of the conflict,” she explained.

With this one-year tour of duty, Analiza leaves behind three daughters in New York. Two have finished college and the youngest is a senior high school student at the elite Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics. The Manila-born Analiza is divorced.

Analiza graduated from the UST College of Nursing in 1983 and worked as a critical nurse in the UST Hospital. She got married after college and had her first daughter at the age of 20. She left Manila in 1985 and found work as a Critical Care Nurse at the Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. She resigned in 1991 with the title of Assistant Head Nurse and moved to Jersey City in 1992.

But then, she missed New York, she said. She returned to Jacobi Medical Center and took advantage of the hospital scholarship program to finish her Master’s Degree in Nursing in 1995 at Columbia University. She was promoted that same year and worked as Nurse Practitioner at Jacobi.

“In trying to find more meaning in what I am doing in this life or probably to make my life more interesting, I joined the military, the U.S. Navy Reserve – Nurse Corps in 1997,” she said.

After her tour of duty ends in April, Analiza will return to the two posts she left when she answered the call for deployment: the Operational Health Support Unit of the Navy Operational Support Center in Ft. Schuyler in the Bronx; and the Jacobi Medical Center where she holds the title of Senior Associate Director for the Education & Training.

Most importantly, she said, “I will be joining my daughters in my home in the Bronx.” - The FilAm

Pinoys set to mark the 115th anniversary of Rizal's martyrdom

Before dawn on Sunday, a funeral procession made its way from the old Rizal home in Binondo, Manila, reenacting Rizal's burial for the first time, 116 years after his martyrdom.

Dressed in 1920s attire, members of the Order of the Knights of Rizal reenacted the transfer of the remains of Rizal from Binondo to the site of the Rizal Monument in commemoration of Rizal’s 116th death anniversary.

Rizal was only given a state funeral 16 years after he was executed in Bagumbayan in 1896. "Matagal ring hindi siya nabigyan ng isang official and state funeral. Napakamakabuluhan para sa atin, kung 'di sa sambayanang Pilipino," Gemma Cruz-Araneta, great-granddaughter of Rizal's sister Maria, said in a report on Balitanghali on Sunday.

A replica of the urn containing Rizal's mortal remains was borne on a military caisson, trooped by six black horses, and accompanied by Knights of Rizal and Members of the Grand Lodge of Masonry.

Rizal family members, soldiers, government employees and officials converged from three assembly points, Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo; Fort Santiago; and the Manila Hotel.

"This is the centennial commemoration of the transfer of the urn containing the mortal remains of Dr. Rizal. It is a special event not only for the Knights of Rizal who took the lead of leading the transfer but also for all the Filipino people who were there,” Knights of Rizal Supreme Commander Reghis Romero II said in a previous report.

The urn was brought to the Rizal monument in Luneta Park, where a symbolic interment was held. President Benigno Aquino III led the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies shortly after 7 a.m. The rites included a 21-gun salute in tribute to the national hero.

Victor Reyes, a great-grandson of Rizal's sister Saturnina, said dying is not necessary to become a hero.

"Hindi na kailangang mamatay para maging bayani ngayon. Sumunod sa mga batas trapiko, maliliit na bagay kung lahat tayo gagawa ng ganun, magpakabayani tayong lahat," he said on Balitanghali.
After Rizal's execution, his mother Doña Teodora begged to be given her son's body, Asuncion Lopez Bantug, granddaughter of Rizal's sister Sisa, wrote in her biography "Lolo Jose: An Intimate Portrait of Rizal."

She wrote that Narcisa had ordered a coffin for her brother, but when it was sent to the Luneta after the execution, nobody could tell them where the body had been taken. After searching all over, from the city cemetery at Paang Bundok, where Rizal had expressed a wish to be buried, to several suburban graveyards, Narcisa found her brother's freshly dug grave at the Paco Cemetery.

She asked the guards to place a marble plaque designed by Doroteo Ongjungco with Rizal’s initials in reverse — “RPJ.” "The family feared that a more explicit tombstone might prompt the authorities to remove the body and hide it elsewhere, to prevent any public veneration of the Rizal grave," Bantug wrote.

The remains were exhumed on August 17, 1898, four days after the Mock Battle of Manila when the Americans took over the city. The remains were then brought to Narcisa’s house, where they were washed and cleansed. They were then placed in an ivory urn designed by Romualdo Teodoro de Jesus.

"This urn was venerated in frequent public ceremonies during the 1900s, when Rizal began to be honored as the National Hero of the Philippines," the biography said. The urn stayed in Narcisa's house on Estraude Street in Binondo, Manila until 1912.

On December 29 of that year, the urn was transferred in a procession headed by the Knights of Rizal to the marble hall of the Ayuntamiento de Manila, where it stayed overnight with the Knights on guard.

On the morning of December 30, 1912, the urn was brought in a solemn procession to Rizal's final resting place at the base of the national monument, which was inaugurated on December 30, 1913. — Carmela G. Lapeña/BM, GMA News