Fil-Am federal judge Lorna Schofield: 'A genius, earnest, and larger than life'

Judge Lorna Gail Schofield will address the Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund (FALDEF) on March 1 in her maiden public appearance after being named the first Filipino-American in the history of the United States to serve as an Article III federal judge, the Filipino Reporter has learned.

 

Schofield, who turned 57 on Jan. 27, was a distinguished attorney with the prestigious Manhattan firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP since 1988 specializing on complex civil litigation and white collar criminal defense.

 

She was nominated by President Barack Obama in April 2012 to succeed Judge Shira Sheindlin (ret.) on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

 

Her nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a 91-0 vote on Dec. 13 and was welcomed with pride by the entire Asian-American community.

 

Article III judges are nominated by the President, confirmed by the Senate and appointed to lifetime tenure.

 

The FALDEF fund-raiser will be held at the official residence of Philippine Consul General in New York Mario de Leon, Jr. on 66th Street in Manhattan.

 

Details of the program and list of other guests of honor are still being finalized, according to organizers.

 

FALDEF is also reportedly eyeing as a guest of honor Filipino Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who came out in 2011 as an undocumented immigrant and helped bring to the political forefront the immigration reform issue.

 

FALDEF is a national organization that provides pro bono legal services to members of the Filipino-American community who are suffering legal injustices by reason of their immigrant origins and status and unable to engage legal aid and assistance on account of poverty.

 

It was helped and established by the late civil rights advocate John A. Payton, head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense and Education Fund.

 

‘Mixed marriage’ child

 

As an only child born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and grew up in New Haven, Indiana, Schofield is a second-generation Fil-Am and the product of what used to be called a “mixed marriage” — her late mother, Priscilla Tiangco Schofield, was a Filipina war bride from Batangas City, Philippines, who married an American serviceman.

 

“My father left us when I was 3,” Schofield disclosed in past interview with The College Magazine of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University (IU).

 

“My mother came to the United States because of her idealism about the country that had saved her during World War II, and remained here, I believe, because of the stigma and shame she would have suffered had she returned to the Philippines as a divorced woman. She was a pharmacist and stressed achievement, independence and self-sufficiency as essential values.”

 

Prior to joining the Manhattan law firm, she served for four years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, where her significant cases involved prosecuting domestic terrorism, arms smuggling, and tax fraud.

 

Schofield is “a top-flight lawyer who would be excellent as a federal judge,” New York Sen. Charles Schumer said in a statement shortly after recommending her nomination to the President.

 

“She would make a uniquely experienced and talented judge on the Southern District Bench.”

 

As the first Asian-American to be elected chair of the 70,000-member litigation section of the American Bar Association, she has been named a Super Lawyer for five years in a row by Super Lawyers magazine.

 

In 2008, she was named one of the nation’s 50 most influential minority lawyers by the National Law Journal.

 

Magna cum laude

 

Schofield, double-majored in English and German on full scholarship and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude in three years from Indiana University, and earned her J.D. from New York University (NYU) Law School, where she served as editor of the NYU Law Review and a Pomeroy scholar.

 

She went to work at the law firm of Clearly, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, and later became an assistant U.S. attorney in the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where she worked as a prosecutor on cases involving domestic terrorism, arms smuggling and tax fraud.

 

As one of the top lawyers in the U.S., she’s best known for successfully defending talk show host Rosie O’Donnell at trial in a multi-million lawsuit brought by the publishers of the defunct Rosie magazine.

 

In an interview with the IU magazine, Schofield said representing O’Donnell in 2003 was her most memorable — and most fun — case.

 

O’Donnell’s publishers sued her for $300 million over her decision to terminate her interest in Rosie magazine after the company attempted to seize editorial control from her.

 

By the end of the contentious litigation, the presiding judge, not content with merely stopping the case, admonished lawyers for the publishing group, saying their case was “ill-conceived.”

 

‘Larger than life’

 

“She’s a genius in a completely different way from the lawyers I work with, and she’s earnest and funny and larger than life,” O’Donnell described Schofield.

 

Since 2006, Schofield has been a director of Rosie’s for All Kids Foundation, which provides non-profit organizations funding for at-risk children, parents, care-givers and teachers.

 

Schofield’s law practice reads like best-selling legal novel, according to the IU magazine.

 

She took the Zenith Electronics Corporation private on behalf of its largest shareholder and creditor, a Korean multinational company, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court; obtained a $10 million award on behalf of an individually owned business for breach of a finder’s agreement; secured a multi-million-dollar damages judgment in a business fraud case on behalf of a foreign bank; and secured criminal convictions in multiple jury trials as a prosecutor.

 

“One interesting case was early in my career as a prosecutor, against a group of African-American radicals, defendants who were charged with plotting to blow up armored cars and break political radicals out of prison,” she recalled.

 

“The verdict was split — an acquittal on the conspiracy charges, and convictions on the weapons possession charges,” she said.

 

“I guess it was hard to argue with the sawed off shotguns, Uzis and ammo found in their homes. I remember their supporters taunting me outside the courtroom and saying ‘Go back to your country. You don’t belong here. You have yellow skin.’ I was young and stunned that people who themselves had endured racism could be so racist.”

 

She continued: “I did not feel like a minority student at IU. The atmosphere at IU was fun. It was so big it had something for everyone — culture (high brow and low brow), sports (basketball and swimming), and all the craziness of thousands of kids living away from home for the first time and trying to figure out who they were.” - Filipino Reporter

Pinay's Lakwatsa tea lounge draws rave reviews in London's Notting Hill

Who knew that a Filipina's tea lounge in one of the world's tea capitals would draw rave reviews?

Claire Buyson's "Lakwatsa" tea lounge did just that -- garnering the praise of food critics and London city folk, including Filipinos.

According to the news site London Evening Standard, at the Lakwatsa cafe-lounge in Portobello Road on Notting Hill, "people are not snacking on Spanish tapas but Filipino meriendas."

"They are larger than canapés but smaller than starters, a plate of them costs no more than £6 and ideally you share them with friends," said writer Victoria Stewart.

She noted that the main draw to Lakwatsa, launched only in December last year, is its food that includes "garlicky prawn toast, tempura and yakitori skewers but its primary features are Filipino — made mostly using her mother’s recipes."

Lakwatsa also earned praises on Twitter:

Pheebz ‏@PheebzEatz: @lakwatsa_UK I'm super-happy you're getting some good publicity. I recently tried another bubble tea, but yours is far superior!

Mark Corbyn ‏@Boy_Mestizo

@yummychooeats mmm yeah I love @lakwatsa_UK , was there last saturday. Well chuffed to see them and filipino food in the papers :-D

'i-am' Online ‏@iamassociates

Make sure you keep your eyes peeled in the Evening Standard tonight for the amazing (and delicious) @lakwatsa_UK

 

Selina Periampillai ‏@yummychooeats

@Boy_Mestizo @lakwatsa_uk sounds good! Might have to take the mother in law there! After your supperclub of course :)

Exotic teas, Pinoy merienda

On its website, Lakwatsa said it serves exotic fruit-flavored teas such as mango, lychee, and kumquat. It likewise serves milk-based teas such as taro, matcha, and honeydew melon.

Just like in the Philippines, Lakwatsa's bubble teas can be served with additions such as tapioca pearls, popping boba (fruit juice balls) or healthy supplements such as aloe vera jelly, aiyu jelly, and grass jelly.

Lakwatsa serves its teas in glass jam jars with colorful, oversized straws.

The tea lounge also serves Filipino merienda with a twist: vegetable, pork, and prawn lumpia; adobo rice balls, prawn toast, turon, halo-halo and more.

Evening Standard writer Stewart said she tried the adobo rice balls — "chicken marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic and wrapped up in sticky sushi rice,which are rich and slightly more than a mouthful, and lumpia Shanghai — a crispy, meaty and well-seasoned pork spring roll."

"The prawn toast — 'they go mad for this; — has a garlicky Filipino touch, while a little bowl of spicy fried squid arrives with a sauce made with olive oil, soy, ginger, onions, chillies and lime juice," Stewart added.

'Big part of life'

In the Evening Standard article, the owner, Buyson, 31, noted that food is a "big part of Filipino life."

She noted how Filipinos usually shared everything and "all of the food comes at the same time. There’s no order. It’s not like you have one main thing."

Buyson noted that for Filipino dishes," the seasonings tend to be garlic, soy sauce and sugar. A classic Filipino dish is adobo — like stew in a pot, eaten with a spoon and fork."

Although she was born in London, Buyson, who studied business management and worked after-hours in bars and restaurants, said she grew up eating Filipino food.

 

According to Lakwatsa's website, Buyson came across bubble tea in California, home to thousands of Filipinos.

She said she wanted to create a lounge that would provide comfort and cultural experience, aside from delicious food and drink.

Buyson, who has a passion for food and travel, urged people to visit their lounge and "enjoy the Lakwatsa experience."

She said she hopes that people would come and "check out what we've created."

With positive reviews on social networking sites, blogs, and even news sites, it looks like Buyson's Lakwatsa popularity will just spiral.

As Stewart noted in the Evening Standard, "eating like this makes eating fun." - Veronica Pulumbarit/KBK, GMA News

Manila ranks 3rd on list of world's top BPO destinations

MANILA, Philippines - Manila and Cebu improved their rankings in advisory firm Tholons Inc.'s 2013 Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations.

Manila ranked third on the list following India's Bangalore and Mumbai which grabbed the top two spots. Manila ranked 4th in Tholons' 2012 and 2010 surveys, and has been ranked 8th in 2009 and 2008.

Cebu, meanwhile, improved its ranking to 8th this year from 9th in in 2012 and 2010. It has been previously tagged as an "emerging city" in Tholons' 2009 and 2008 surveys.

Five other Philippine cities have made it to the list: Davao at top 70, Santa Rosa (Laguna) at top 84, Iloilo City at top 93, Bacolod City at top 94 and Baguio City at top 99.

Baguio City was a new entry to the survey.

"The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia were amongst the most promising Southeast Asian destinations in 2012," Tholons noted.

"Among the three, the Philippines remains to have the most vibrant IT-BPO industry, led by the emerged outsourcing destinations in the country, Manila NCR, which claimed the third top outsourcing destination spot in this year’s list, and deposing India’s Delhi NCR (now 4th)," the firm continued.

Tholons stressed the growth in the country's IT-BPO industry was driven by fresh investments from both large and medium-sized foreign providers, and expansions of companies already in the Philippines.

"Today’s current global market leader for voice BPO, the Philippines has proven that there's still more to gain in the services globalization industry," Tholons said.

"Based on the events of 2012, the Philippines continued to garner interest from large, Western providers, not only as an offshore delivery location, but likewise as a potential rich domestic market for IT Services."

Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) president and chief executive officer Benedict Hernandez said he is confident the industry will continue its growth and reach its targets for this year until 2016.

"The year 2013 promises to be even greater as we expect revenues to increase to US$16 billion to provide employment to 926,000 Filipinos... We are steadfast in ensuring that the industry will achieve its targets of US$25 billion in revenues and 1.3 million full time employees by 2016," he said in a statement.

The Tholons survey revealed bulk or six of the top 10 cities were located in India: Bangalore (1), Mumbai (2), Delhi (4), Chennai (5), Hyderabad (6), and Pune (7).

Aside from Indian and Philippine cities, other destinations that made it to the top 10 were Dublin in Ireland (9) and Krakow in Poland (10).

GM Korea's first female CFO is Filipina

MANILA, Philippines - GM Korea, the South Korean unit of General Motors Co., has appointed Filipina Minerva Matibag as vice president and its first female chief financial officer.

Matibag will replace Carlos Zarlenga effective Feb. 1. 

The Korea Times last week reported Matibag will also serve as vice president and CFO for GM Vietnam and GM Uzbekistan. She currently holds the position of CFO at GM Brazil. 

"As GM Korea's first female CFO, she brings a wealth of experience in finance in Asia Pacific and North and South America to her important new position," GM Korea President and CEO Sergio Rocha has said.

Matibag has been with General Motors since 1997 and has held finance leadership positions for the firm's units in Singapore, Japan and Thailand. 

Zarlenga, meanwhile, will start serving as CFO for GM Brazil and GM South America effective Feb. 1. 

Hard work pays off for Pinoy chef in London

LONDON – A Filipino chef continues to look back at his humble beginnings that became the springboard to his successful career in London.

“Mahirap na masarap ang buhay ko kasi naging dishwasher ako, nawalan ako ng trabaho, buntis pa yung asawa ko hanggang nakuha ako ng Diamond Hotel,” said Chef Arlan Rivera.

During his stint at the Diamond Hotel in the Philippines, he became the Grand National champion in bartending.

His skills caught the attention of the managing director of Benihana Restaurant, a popular Japanese restaurant in the United Kingdom, and he was offered a job in 2007.

He has since worked for several other Japanese restaurants in the UK.

“Iba-iba na rin restaurant ang pinasukan ko,” he said.

Currently, Rivera is working as the executive chef of Savoy Hotel in London.

“Ang main job ko ngayon is Savoy Hotel, which is historical hotel dito sa London," he said.

Rivera recently gave a cooking lesson at the Saladmaster Healthy Cooking Program where his menu list was composed of a mix a mix of Chinese, Indian, African and Filipino food.

His climb to the top has become an inspiration to many Filipinos who also aspire to become successful in their own careers. Report from Babo Gamboa, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Pinoy food brings Fil-Am chef, teammates to victory in 'Top Chef'

It was a win not just for a team on cooking show "Top Chef" but for Filipino food as well after dishes from the Philippines propelled the group, led by a Filipino-American chef from Hawaii, to victory.

Contestant Sheldon Simeon, a Filipino-American, and his team impressed judges through their dishes in the episode where two groups had to create their own restaurants and kitchens from scratch.

An Asian Journal article on the episode noted that Simeon named his team's restaurant "URBANo," named for his grandfather. The dishes he and his team prepared wowed the judges.

According to the article, Simeon and his team prepared four Filipino dishes:

-- Kilawin: a Filipino version of a raw fish dish with yellowtail, cilantro, citrus vinaigrette, spicy chilies, and white soy.

-- Miki: prawns, tapioca noodle with achiote.

-- Balut: modernized as a soft poached egg, topped with a tamarind braised duck leg and a foie gras mousse. The article noted that the dish was described as "not a duck egg but a duck inside an egg.”

-- Adobo: Pork belly served on top of a mung bean puree, topped with a pea-shoot salad.

-- Halo-Halo

Judge Tom Colicchio told Simeon "the concept was a good concept. You don’t see much new Filipino cuisine out there probably because we’re waiting for a chef like you to do that."

In his blog, Colicchio added: “His concept was terrific -- I think he’s really on to something. He put together a great restaurant, and every dish was a very good, strong dish. The flavors in each dish were harmonious, and the meal worked beautifully and harmoniously as a whole as well."

Meanwhile, Simeon, on Facebook, said: “I am blown away by the tremendous outpouring of kind words in the last couple days. It is an honor to represent my Filipino heritage and an amazing man, my grandpa Urbano."

According to the Asian Journal, Simeon's mother is from Ilocos Sur and his grandfather, Urbano, is from Laoag, Ilocos Norte.

Simeon, 30, hails from Hilo in Hawaii and is the executive chef of the Star Noodle restaurant in Lahaina.

A recap on the episode by American publication Esquire noted how Sheldon's food was easily the star of the episode.

"[I]t was clear that Sheldon's classic Filipino adobo, pork belly over a mung bean puree with pea shoot salad, was the best dish of the night," the recap stated.

According to Simeon's biography on the Top Chef program on the website of television network Bravo, which airs the show, his basic culinary skills were acquired at Disneyworld, where he also met his wife. He also expanded his cooking skills at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific and the Maui Culinary Academy.

He was a two-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award--which honors chefs, restaurants and other food professionals in the United States. Simeon was nominated for the "Rising Star" and "Best New Restaurant" categories in 2011.

That year, he was also named as "Chef of the Year" by Maui Nokaoi Magazine. His bio also noted that Food & Wine Magazine named him as "Best New Chef People's Choice" nominee in 2012. - VVP, GMA News

Pinoy tattoo artist Nes Andrion draws a winner with rising NFL star

As San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick popularity grows with every win in the National Football League, so does interest in who does his tattoos.

Kaepernick's tattoo artist is Filipino Nes Andrion, who immigrated from the Philippines.

Andrion met Kaepernick in 2008, when the future playcaller was attending the University of Nevada in Reno.

“We met when he has attending college here. He got to know of my work through word-of-mouth. Now, I have done 90% of his tattoos.”

According to USA Today, the wait list for an appointment with Andrion is three months.

His clientele include Denver Broncos tight end Virgil Green and Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee, both of whom also played for the University of Nevada.

Andrion came to the US when he was 10. He became a tattoo artist at a young age and has been practicing his trade for 18 years.

He started out in Las Vegas and now owns his tattoo shop “Endless Ink” in Reno, Nevada. He serves a lot of Filipino clients, too.

Montage

Andrion’s work on Kaepernick, featured in the Huffington Post, is montage of inspirational phrases and images.

According to the tattoo artist, his Kaepernick likes the juxtaposition of opposing forces, good and bad, and heaven versus hell.

It took four hours for Andrion to inscribe the scripture from Psalms 18:39 on the quarterback's right shoulder: "You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me."

The images of angels and demons on Kaepernick’s back took a total of 18 hours over two
sessions.

Kaepernick

Kaepernick came under the limelight when he filled in the shoes of San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith, who had a concussion in a collision with St. Louis Rams linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar last Nov. 11, 2012.

The second year 49er has led the team to outstanding wins versus the Green Bay Packers in the divisional series and against the Atlanta Falcons in the conference finals.

Kaepernick and San Francisco 49ers are now playing for their sixth Super Bowl in the National Football League.

With all the attention Kaepernick gets, it translates to good business for Andrion.

“I get lots of calls from the 49er fans, and it feels good,” Andrion says. - VVP, GMA News

Travel + Leisure names Boracay’s Discovery Shores World’s 5th best

A luxury hotel in the tourist favorite Boracay island has been named by a prestigious travel magazine as one of the best in the world.

Discovery Shores ranked fifth in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Hotels” list, surpassing hundreds of hotels from different parts of the globe.

It got a score of 96.77.

“Barefoot elegance is undoubtedly the vibe on this tiny island, where the 2 and a half-mile stretch known as White Beach is often singled out for being the softest in the world. The 88 spacious suites all have large glass walls that look towards a scenic rock garden, but chances are you’ll spend more time by the water,” Travel + Leisure said of Discovery Shores in an article posted on its website.

“Take a dip in the infinity pool, or jet-ski on the crystalline area. For people-watching, head to The Sandbar, where they stir up delicious mojitos, infused with local flavors like lychee and mango. Once you’re sufficiently refueled, karaoke your heart out, with over 1,000 songs (mostly in English) to choose from at the resort’s recreation lounge,” it added.

Topping the list is Singita Grumeti Reserves at the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania with a score of 98.25, followed by Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana; South Ocean Lodge in Kangaroo Island, Australia; and Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur, India.

Landing in sixth place is Nayara Hotel, Spa and Gardens at La Fortuna de San Carlos in Costa Rica, followed by Singita Kruger National Park in South Africa; Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Ngorongoro Sopa Lounge in Arusha, Tanzania. Singita Sabi Sand at the Kruger National Park Area in South Africa, meanwhile, rounded out the Top 10.

Travel + Leisure said the results are based on a survey of its readers using the following voting categories: rooms, location, service, food and value.

“Everyone wants to know where to stay, and for 17 years running, we’ve asked T+L readers, who are passionate about travel, to vote on the hotels they love the most. The resulting World’s Best Awards are a collection of properties that go above and beyond,” the magazine’s staff said.

Here is the full list of Travel + Leisure’s top hotels in the world:

1. Singita Grumeti Reserves, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
2. Triple Creek Ranch, Darby, Montana, United States
3. South Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia
4. Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India
5. Discovery Shores, Boracay, Philippines
6. Nayara Hotel, Spa and Gardens, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
7. Singita Kruger National Park, South Africa
8. Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt, Buenos Aires, Argentina
9. Ngorongoro Sopa Lounge, Arusha, Tanzania
10. Singita Sabi Sand, Kruger National Park Area, South Africa
11. The Peninsula, Bangkok, Thailand
12. Wentworth Mansion, Charleston, South Carolina, United States
13. Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve Lodges, Kruger National Park Area, South Africa
14. One&Only, Cape Town, South Africa
15. Kirawira Luxury Tented Camp, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
16. Lodge of Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand
17. Mombo Camp and Little Mombo Camp, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
18. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand
19. Tu Tu’tun Lodge, Gold Beach, Oregon, United States
20. Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
21. Osprey at Beaver Creek, Colorado, United States
22. Waldorf Astoria (formerly the Elysian), Chicago, Illinois, United States
23. The Peninsula, Shanghai, China
24. Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, Turkey
25. Lizard Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
26. Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi, Italy
27. andBeyond Kichwa Tembo, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
28. Oberoi Rajvillas, Jaipur, India
29. Hotel Salto Chico/Explora Patagonia, Torres del Paine, Chile
30. The Sebastian, Vail, Colorado, United States
31. The Peninsula, Hong Kong
32. The Wilcox, Aiken, South Carolina, United States
33. Live Aqua, Cancun, Mexico
34. Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas and Spa, Johannesburg, South Africa
35. Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, Texas, United States
36. Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, India
37. Capella, Singapore
38. Grand Velas, Riviera Maya, Mexico
39. Amansara, Siem Riep, Cambodia
40. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Big Island, Hawaii
41. Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Cape Town, South Africa
42. Four Seasons Resort, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
43. The Peninsula, Chicago
44. Cape Grace, Cape Town, South Africa
45. Palazzo Avino (formerly Palazzo Sasso), Ravello, Italy
46. Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, Nanyuki, Kenya
47. Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India
48. Lodge at Doonbeg, County Clare, Ireland
49. Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, Budapest, Hungary
50. Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand
51. Morrison House, Alexandria, Virginia, United States

PHL sets tourism record with 4.2 million foreign visitors in 2012

More than 4 million foreign visitors arrived in the Philippines in 2012, the highest number posted in the country’s tourism history.

The Department of Tourism said on Wednesday that a total of 4,272,811 visitors arrived in the country last year, 9.07 percent higher than the 3,917,454 posted in 2011.

Leading the list of the country’s top visitors are South Koreans, who supplied a total of 1,031,155 visitors or 24.13 percent of the total volume. South Korea was the first to supply more than a million visitors to the country, reflecting an 11.45 percent growth from 2011 figures.

This was followed by the United States, which accounted for 625,626 visitors or a 15.27 percent share. Japan ranked third with 412,474 visitors or 9.65 percent of the total inbound traffic, DOT said.

Rounding out the list are are China with 250,883 arrivals (5.87 percent), Taiwan with 216,511 (5.07 percent), Australia with 191,150 (4.47 percent), Singapore with 148,215 (3.47 percent), Canada with 123,699 (2.9 percent), Hong Kong with 118,666 (2.78 percent), Malaysia with 114,513 (2.68 percent), United Kingdom with 113,282 (2.65 percent) and Germany with 67,023 (1.57 percent).

Overseas Filipinos, meanwhile, supplied 5.05 percent to the total tourist traffic with 215,943 arrivals, posting a growth rate of 4.24 percent.

“Crossing the 4-million mark is a feat in itself and puts us well on track to achieve our ultimate goal of 10 million visitor arrivals by 2016,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez said.

DOT added that Japan, Taiwan and Russia surpassed their respective target arrivals.

However, the country was not able to reach its 4,556,582 visitor arrival target for the year, citing economic and political pressures from traditional markets such as the US, Europe and China.

“It is going to become increasingly challenging tomeet future targets. But we know that Filipinos are the biggest believers of our slogan,

It’s more fun in the Philippines. We remain confident and will continue to build on the positive energies in order to cross the 5-million milestone in 2013,” Jimenez said, adding that DOT will focus on market development this year.

(Story courtesy of Jovan Cerda of the Philippine Star)

Pinoy film wins at Sundance

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) A Filipino-British co-production took home the Audience Award for Best Film in the world cinema category at this year’s Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, which has been dubbed the premier showcase for independent films.

“Metro Manila,” which stars Filipino actors Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla and Althea Vega, had its world premiere at the Robert Redford-founded film fest, which will ran from January 17-27, 2013 in Park City, Utah.

The movie, which is credited to both the Philippines and the United Kingdom, was among the 12 films vying in the annual festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition, which also included films from South Korea, Indonesia and Afghanistan.

Shot in the Philippines, “Metro Manila” is directed by Sean Ellis, who also co-wrote the script with Frank E. Flowers.

According to the Sundance website, the movie is about Oscar and his family, who, searching for a better life, move from “the poverty-stricken rice fields to the big city of Manila, where they fall victim to various inhabitants whose manipulative ways are a daily part of city survival.”

The movie also stars theater actors Miles Kanapi, Ana Abad Santos and JM Rodriguez, according to its entry on the movie website imdb.com.

Trade publication The Hollywood Reporter praised the film's actors, saying "much of the film’s effectiveness is attributable to the lead actors’ well-modulated performances."

"More of a slow-burner than an outright actioner, Metro Manila reveals how the pitfalls of surviving urban life can drive even a principled family to the ends of desperation. Although it doesn’t have the action muscle of other recently distributed titles from the region, like Indonesia’s The Raid or Thailand's Chocolate, internationally oriented fests will do well to consider programming the film, and it could also prosper in home entertainment formats," The Hollywood Reporter's Justin Lowe said in his review.

In his Facebook page, Arcilla posted photos of the cast, including Macapagal, Abad Santos and Rodriguez at the victory party.

"We won the audience award, for our film 'Metro Manila' in the Sundance world dramatic competition!' Arcilla wrote in his post on Sunday afternoon, Manila time.

Arcilla also reported that the movie was nominated in seven categories and was "well-received."

World cinema winners

In the other world cinema categories, South Korean drama "Jiseul" picked up the grand jury drama prize. The film, directed by Muel O, follows the residents of a small town who were forced to hide in a cave for 60 days after the military attacked their village.

Cambodian documentary "A River Changes Course," about three young Cambodians struggling with adversity in a country ravaged by war and debt, picked up the world cinema grand jury award.

"Events like these really bring our communities together to share in the beauty of the world and the beauty of our future," director Kalyanee Mam said.

"Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer," which follows the story of three members of a Russian feminist punk band jailed for performing a "punk prayer" in a Russian Orthodox church, picked up special jury prize in the world documentary category.

Co-director Mike Lerner said the three members of the band had "started a feminist revolution that we hope will continue around the world."

'Fruitvale,' 'Blood Brothers'

Drama film "Fruitvale" and documentary "Blood Brothers" won the top awards, giving them a big boost to reach independent movie audiences this year.

"Fruitvale," starring Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan and directed by 26-year-old, first-time filmmaker Ryan Coogler," picked up the U.S. drama jury and audience awards for its "moral and social urgency."

The film is based on the true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was killed by police in Oakland, California, on New Year's Eve in 2008 and whose death sparked riots against police brutality. Movie studio The Weinstein Company purchased distribution rights for the film.

"This film had a profound impact on the audience that saw it ... this award goes out to my home in the Bay Area where Oscar Grant breathed, slept, loved, had fun and survived for 22 years," Coogler said in his acceptance speech.

Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim awarded the U.S. documentary jury prize to "Blood Brothers," saying it shook the voting panel to their core.

The documentary follows an American man who moves to Africa and works with children suffering from HIV at an orphanage, and through his work, the children gain a voice.

"It is so encouraging for the kids ... their lives are so encouraging, and they die and no one remembers their name ... To take their story so that everyone sees it, it's so awesome," director Steve Hoover said."

Young actress Shailene Woodley, praised for her performance in "The Descendants" last year, and her co-star Miles Teller won the Special Jury acting prize in "The Spectacular Now."

Actress Lake Bell, who made her directorial debut in the U.S. drama category with quirky comedy "In A World," picked up the drama screenwriting award.

Hosted by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who premiered his raunchy directorial debut "Don Jon's Addiction" this year, the Sundance Film Festival Awards pick winners at the top gathering for independent movies made outside of Hollywood's major studios.

"Sundance is a community of people of filmmakers and film lovers who all believe together that there's more to movies than glitz and glamour and money and the box office. In Hollywood, you can feel like a freak if you talk about movies as art, and here, you don't have that," Gordon-Levitt said.

The Sundance Film Festival, now in its 35th year, is backed by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. The 10-day gathering of the independent film industry is held in snowy Park City, Utah.

In previous years, films that win the top prizes at the Sundance Film Festival often go on to achieve Hollywood awards success as well.

Last year, mythological drama "Beasts of the Southern Wild" won the top prize at Sundance and is now nominated for four Oscars in major categories.

The award winners are voted for by special juries of industry professionals and by the audience for the audience favorite awards.

List of winners

Following is a list of winners at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the top gathering for independent movies made outside of Hollywood's major studios.

The competition categories are grouped for drama films and documentaries in sections for U.S. films and world cinema.

U.S. DRAMA FILMS

Best Film, Jury Prize - "Fruitvale"
Best Film, Audience Award - "Fruitvale"
Directing - Jill Soloway, "Afternoon Delight"
Screenwriting - Lake Bell, "In A World"
Cinematography - Bradford Young, "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" and "Mother of George"
Special Jury Prize, ensemble acting - Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, "The Spectacular Now"
Special Jury Prize, sound design - Shane Carruth, Johnny Marshall, "Upstream Color"

U.S. DOCUMENTARY FILMS

Best Documentary, Jury Prize - "Blood Brother"
Best Documentary, Audience Award - "Blood Brother"
Directing - Zachary Heinzerling, "Cutie and the Boxer"
Editing - Matthew Hamachek, "Gideon's Army"
Cinematography - Richard Rowley, "Dirty Wars"
Special Jury Prize - "Inequality for All" (tied), "American Promise" (tied)

WORLD CINEMA, DRAMA

Best Film, Jury Prize - "Jiseul"
Best Film, Audience Award - "Metro Manila"
Directing - "Crystal Fairy," Sebastian Silva
Screenwriting - "Wajma," Barmak Akram
Cinematography - "Lasting (Nieulotne)," Michal Englert
Special Jury Prize, artistic vision - "Circles"

WORLD CINEMA, DOCUMENTARY

Best Documentary, Jury Prize - "A River Changes Course"
Best Documentary, Audience Award - "The Square"
Directing - Tinatin Gurchiani, "The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear"
Editing - Ben Stark, "The Summit"
Cinematography - Marc Silver, "Who is Dayani Cristal?"
Special Jury Prize, film - "Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer"

OTHER AWARDS

Shorts, Jury Prize - "The Whistle," Grzegorz Zariczny
Shorts, Audience Award - "Catnip: Egress To Oblivion," Jason Willis -- With report from Reuters

IMF raises PHL 2013 economic growth forecast to 6%

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday it has raised its economic growth forecast for the Philippines for this year to 6 percent and 5.5 percent in 2014, but warned a surge in capital flows could make growth more volatile.

Strong growth would be fueled by strong domestic demand and higher public spending, the IMF said in a statement.

It also said potentially volatile capital flows were placing upward pressure on the peso exchange rate.

“There remains the possibility of extreme events originating in advanced economies. On the domestic side, a surge in capital flows could extend asset price gains in the near term, but make asset prices and growth more volatile down the road,” the IMF said.

“Large, stable foreign earnings over the past decade as well as potentially volatile capital flows are placing upward pressure on the exchange rate,” the Fund also said, adding low interest rates were fueling a rise in prices of financial assets and a switch of investments to sectors such as real estate.

But it said the central bank’s move to tighten policies via a broader definition of banks’ real estate exposure, stronger bank governance requirements, and the accelerated start of Basel III capital from January 2014 would help prevent the emergence of financial sector risks.

The Fund had projected growth of 4.8 percent for the Philippines in 2013, based on its forecast as of October, though IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in November during a visit to Manila that the economy may grow around 5 percent this year after projected growth of more than 5 percent in 2012.

The government has forecast growth at 6 to 7 percent this year, rising to 6.5 to 7.5 percent in 2014.

The Fund also said it expects domestic consumer prices to stay manageable and come in near the lower end of the government’s target band of 3-5 percent this year and the next.

The Philippine central bank, which will meet on Thursday to review policy, looks certain to keep the benchmark overnight borrowing rate at a record low of 3.5 percent for a second meeting in a row.

Manila has committed to increase spending on infrastructure this year after successfully raising revenues through stricter imposition of tax laws and prudent debt management.

The IMF said timely and transparent execution of private-public partnership projects and state spending on infrastructure could boost private investment, while relaxed foreign ownership limits may enhance growth prospects.

Manila’s fiscal management efforts have been rewarded with credit rating upgrades, and analysts expect the country to attain an investment grade rating as early as this year.

But Fitch Ratings has said more work needs to be done.

While the country’s public finances have become less of a drag on its credit profile, Fitch said in a Jan. 22 report, the Philippines must prove it can sustain reforms to raise investments and widen its revenue base.

“A key weakness of the sovereign credit profile is a narrow revenue base,” Fitch had said.

(Story courtesy of Karen Lema of Reuters)

Coca-Cola reiterates confidence in the Philippine economy

The world’s largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products has reiterated its confidence in the country’s economic prospects a month after it acquired a majority stake in the Philippine operations of The Coca-Cola Co.

The commitment of Coca-Cola Femsa to the country came during the visit of its CEO Carlos Salazar Lomelin to President Aquino at the Malacañang Palace on Monday.

The visit comes in the wake of Coca-Cola Femsa’s acquisition of a 51-percent stake in Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. for $688.5 million in December 2012—the Latin American bottling giant’s first foray into the Philippine market.

“We are very honored to meet President Aquino and we look forward to a successful relationship with the Philippine government, as we explore additional growth and investment opportunities in our home in Asia,” Salazar said in a statement after his courtesy call.

“We’re happy to have this unique opportunity to operate in a country with healthy growth prospects, dynamic internal consumption and an attractive socio-economic and demographic profile,” he added.

The Coca-Cola Femsa chief was accompanied on his visit by Juan Ramon Felix, Coca-Cola Femsa director for Asia and Juan C. Dominguez, Coca-Cola Femsa director of human resource and corporate affairs for Asia.

During his meeting with the President, Salazar outlined Coca-Cola Femsa’s plans for the Philippines, and the vision of the company for its future undertaking with the government.

“The visit was also an opportunity for Coca-Cola Femsa to exemplify its firm belief and confidence in the Philippine government and economy and to demonstrate its commitment to continuously strengthen and enhance the legacy of its brands in the Philippines,” the company statement said.

Coca-Cola has been present in the Philippines since the beginning of the 20th century and has been locally produced since 1912. The Philippines is the recipient of the first Coca-Cola bottling and distribution franchise in Asia.

In December, Coca-Cola Femsa bought a majority stake of the local Coca-Cola operations from The Coca-Cola Co. of Atlanta.

The deal gave the Philippine bottler an enterprise valuation of $1.35 billion for a 100 percent stake. Under the deal, Coca-Cola Femsa has the option to buy the remaining 49 percent of CCBPI within a seven-year period following the closing. The buyer has the “put option” to sell its ownership to The Coca-Cola Co. of Atlanta at any time during the sixth year.

CCBPI has 23 production plants and serves close to 800,000 customers. It is expected to sell about 530 million unit cases of beverages in 2012, Femsa said.

Google opens office in PH, starts hiring

MANILA, Philippines - Google has finally opened office in the Philippines with the launch of its new unit in Makati.

The tech giant on Wednesday said the country is a key market in Southeast Asia amid its growing Internet population.

"The Philippines is a key country in Southeast Asia in terms of its digital economy and tech-savvy population," Julian Persaud, managing director of Google in Southeast Asia, said in the statement.

"This new office will allow us better engage with our local users, partners and advertisers. Over 33 million Filipinos access the Internet regularly... [and this] is set to grow exponentially," Persaud added.

Google also noted it is currently hiring for its Philippine office.

"We're excited to be deepening our investment in the Philippines with the opening of our office here in Manila," Narciso Reyes, country manager for the Philippines, said in the statement.

"Our local team will be committed to providing better services to our Filipino users and to helping businesses - large and small - grow locally and globally, contributing to the growth of the Philippine economy. We envision Google as part of everyday Filipino lives and as a partner in the development of local communities, culture and business," he added.

Fil-Dutch boy passes 'The Voice Kids' audition

NETHERLANDS - An 11-year-old Filipino-Dutch boy passed the blind auditions of the TV talent search "The Voice Kids" in Holland.

A rising star of the Filipino community, Kim Regasa impressed the judges at the auditions of The Voice Kids Holland aired on Dutch channel RTL4 last Friday.

Regasa became popular in Holland and a star in the Pinoy community when he was dubbed by the Dutch media as the “mini Michael Jackson” in "Holland's Got Talent" in 2010.

He was only nine years old then and managed to finish in fourth place.

But that did not stop the very young boy from pursuing his dreams.

He took voice lessons and this year he’s back, trying his luck at The Voice Kids.

In the blind auditions, the judges are seated with their backs turned and they can only hear the voice of the contestant. Just one push of a button from a judge for the duration of the contestant’s song is enough to qualify the contestant to the next round.

If more than one judge pushed a button, the contestant will have the option to choose who he or she wants to be the coach.

In Regasa’s case, duo Nick and Simon immediately pushed their buttons and later followed by Angela Groothuizen.

The last judge Marco Borsato pushed his button a tad late.

Borsato explained he pushed his button at the last minute but it wasn't counted. To add to his disappointment, when Regasa was asked to choose his coach, he said he had always wanted Borsato to be his mentor.

Regasa ended choosing veteran songwriter and '80s singer Groothuizen with the hope that she will train him and properly hone his talent.

Regasa was among the 90 contestants picked from a total of 10,000 who registered for the The Voice Kids Holland.

Talpa, the production outfit of The Voice Kids, doesn't allow interviews while the contestants are still in competition.

Many youngsters who saw Regasa on the The Voice Kids are in awe of his voice.

Anne, a Dutch student who is on her last year of primary school, finds Regasa very good.

"Such beautiful tone," Anne said.

"He has a good style, he’s very good and he can sing," said Indy, another Dutch student.

After the blind auditions, only 45 contestants were left. They now form the three competing teams.

With his performance of “I Follow Rivers”, Regasa did not only captivate the judges but also now has amassed would-be voters.

“I invited my whole class and they said they're gonna watch and they thought sure I’m gonna watch and the next day, I mean the next Monday, they said he's very good. I think they like him,” eleven-year-old Pinay Lauren-Rome said.

Regasa is now preparing for the Battle Round on Friday, which will begin airing at 8:30 pm Holland time.

All that Regasa needs now is the full and solid support from the Filipinos in Holland, if ever he makes it to the live shows because all the text votes are going to ensure his survival in the competition up to the finals.