THE year 2011 is almost at its end and we would like to view it as a year of achievements for Filipinos here in America as well as those back home. Although all of our cover subjects for Something Filipino are all worth remembering, we have chosen the top 10 stories that have been our favorites:
2011 San Francisco Parol Lantern Festival and Parade (December)
Being one of the most revered symbols of the Filipino Christmas, the parol lantern tradition has been carried on by Pinoys even if they live outside the Philippines.
Here in San Francisco, the annual San Francisco Parol Lantern Festival and Parade has been bringing the Filipino Christmas spirit since 2003, founded by MC Canlas. Filled with activities such as parol lantern-making workshops held at the Bayanihan Community Center on Mission Street, the culmination of the festival is always the most awaited parade where all lanterns go on parade to vie for the esteemed Tala Award Grand Prize.
‘Busong:’ The Palawanon concept of instant karma (September)
This year, the Filipino film, Busong (Palawan Fate), directed by Auraeus Solito, was invited to be part of the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF). A celebration of the best in independent and world cinema, MVFF brings together a community of filmmakers and film lover in Mill Valley, San Rafael and beyond to experience amazing new films in the beautiful environment of San Francisco’s Bay Area.
Busong is not far behind in being noticed internationally, as it was an official selection at the Quinzaine des Realisateurs (Cannes Directors’ Fortnight) last May. Just last week, the film won the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) International Critics Prize at the Eurasia International Film Festival in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Although the title’s translation is more of “fate” than karma, in subtitles, the word “busong” remains the same for its viewers to discover its meaning as the film progresses. The indigenous Palawanon concept of fate or instant karma, Busong shows that what you do to nature, you do to yourself.
Francisco Licuanan III of Geo Estate (July)
Francisco Licuanan III was the founding president of Ayala Land Inc. in the late ‘80s and when he retired in 2005, he thought he was on his way to enjoying fruits of his labor. However, in the middle of 2007, he became a part of a new player in the real estate industry via Geo Estate Development Corp.
As chairman of Geo Estate, it was Licuanan’s vision and design for The Beacon, which formed the company’s foundation as a “residential resort. In just 4 years and with already three high-rise condominium towers in the market, GeoEstate definitely has made its mark in the real estate industry. The Beacon, which stands at the corner of Don Chino Roces Ave. and Arnaiz Ave., also has the advantage of having a prime location which allows accessibility to the Makati Central Business District, major schools, hospitals, and lifestyle districts like the Greenbelt and Glorietta areas.
Pulitzer winner Jose Vargas, after the big revelation (June)
After revealing in his New York Times Magazine essay, My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant, Jose Antonio Vargas rocked the nation and refueled the fire in the debate about undocumented immigrants. For him, confessing the double life he had for years was not enough. He never asked for the government to pardon him but to fix the current immigration system.
With this, he founded Define American, an organization he launched on the same day he revealed that he was an undocumented immigrant in the US. He is also a staunch supporter of the DREAM Act, which is aimed to give undocumented young achievers the chance to legalize their status.
In this story, Vargas shares his memories of his life in the Philippines, to migrating to the US believing it was all legitimate, to finding out his undocumented status and his travails as a successful reporter and writer. He also tells of all the feedbacks he has received after his all-out confession, and the next step he has for the future.
‘Dancing Lessons’ from Cheryl Burke (February)
In between her hectic schedule as a professional dancer and instructor, two-time back-to-back Dancing With the Stars champion Cheryl Burke found time to write a book entitled Dancing Lessons: How I Found Passion and Potential on the Dance Floor and in Life.
In each chapter of Dancing Lessons, Cheryl parallels popular dance steps with her own challenging steps in her life journey. Some highlights from Dancing Lessons include lessons Cheryl has learned from each of her celebrity partners and never-before-discussed revelations concerning Cheryl’s childhood, weight issues, and the media.
One of the surprising revelations in the book describes how Cheryl, at age 6, was molested by a retired mailman.
Cheryl’s book revealed how she put her talents to work to overcome the challenges in her life and anyone who reads it will surely be inspired to pursue their own dreams.
Jessie Marinas: The ‘Miracle Man’ gets inducted in Manteca’s Hall of Fame (May)
In spite of his painful medical condition, Jessie Marinas has made a mark in the field of arts in the City of Manteca. Aside from winning accolades and awards for his murals and paintings, Marinas was inducted in the Hall of Fame in the City of Manteca/Lathrop last May 14 —an extraordinary feat for someone who has only started to paint three years ago.
An electrical engineer by profession, he had to give up his dreams of being an artist being the eldest among 12 siblings. Marinas suffer degenerative spinal problems, something that also almost killed him. But his condition has given him the time to go back to his first love, painting.
Marinas has been commissioned to do a mural for the City of Manteca Library, and still remains true to his faith to God.
Cecilia Gaerlan: Touching her Filipino roots with ‘In Her Mother’s Image’ (April)
A successful playwright, experienced travel organizer and jewelry designer; and now novelist. For Cecilia Gaerlan, writing her debut novel, In Her Mother’s Image, seems just fitting to the list of her accomplishments.
In Her Mother’s Image is a searing portrayal about a mother and daughter entagled in a web of longing and antipathy set in the Philippines amidst the chaos of WWII and 30 years later. It is a story of a journey back to painful memories, family and home. Gaerlan revealed that writing her first novel was an eye opener for her. “Not only did I learn about the resilience of the Filipino people during the war under the Japanese which continues even now when thousands and thousands of Filipinos make the ultimate sacrifice of working abroad away from their families in order to give a better future for their loved ones,” she said.
“There are many Filipino stories out there waiting to be told. As a people, we should be proud of our rich heritage for we have a unique and complex history. I only hope that I am able to capture a small part of that history and resilience of the Filipino people In Her Mother’s Image.”
St. Jude’s Shrine in St. Dominic’s Church, San Francisco (March)
In desperate circumstances, the faithful have always turned to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes. An Apostle and martyr, this powerful saint is invoked in cases of extreme need, illness, poverty and when circumstances seem hopeless. Devotees claim that St. Jude has obtained remedies and comfort, as well as answers to their prayers.
For many Filipinos, St. Jude has always been a part of their lives. The proof is the large following the saint has in Manila, where the shrine is located.
In San Francisco, St. Jude’s Shrine is housed at St. Dominic’s Church. Fr. Martin Walsh, OP, who was then the outgoing Director, noted that when St. Dominic’s Church was dedicated in 1928, it was the Filipino National Church of San Francisco.
Nestor L. Fernandez II (February)
Experienced corporate and non-profit executive, professor and community advocate Filipino-American Nestor L. Fernandez II was no doubt, the perfect fit to be the Executive Director of Telegraph Hill (Tel-Hi) Neighborhood Center in San Francisco. He is also the first executive director of Asian (Filipino) ancestry.
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center or Tel-Hi, is a community center that serves more than 600 low- and moderate-income children, families and seniors in San Francisco’s North Beach, Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhoods. A well-respected neighborhood center, it was founded in 1890 and has been in continuously operating ever since.
He first became a volunteer at Tel-Hi in 2002. He then became interim executive director and, after a four-month search involving staff, supporters and community representatives, was unanimously chosen as Executive Director.
Tony Robles’ ‘In My Country’ (January)
“A country that knows no borders; it’s a country of the heart,” said revolutionary poet Tony Robles, about his beautiful short story, In My Country; which was published in Mythium Magazine (www.mythiumlitmag.com) and nominated by Mythium editor Crystal Wilkinson (www.crystalwilkinson.com) for the esteemed literary honor known as the Pushcart Prize. The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize by Pushcart Press that honors the best “poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot” published in the small presses. Magazine and small book press editors are invited to nominate up to 6 works they have feature and anthologies of the selected works have been published since 1976.
Tony, who is a deeply rooted community storyteller and poet of the people, follows in the footsteps of his uncle, the late Manilatown poet and historian, Al Robles.
“In My Country was inspired by poverty and migrant scholar Jose Sermeno of the Apollo Hotel located in San Francisco’s Mission District,” Tony said as he described his connection to the protagonist from In My Country. Tony went on to point out that Jose was a tenant representative and worked with other migrants in poverty like himself who were working as day laborers.
Tony’s dedication to the community, ethics and resistance began as a young child with the teaching he received from his family of brilliant, conscious artists and organic revolutionaries who, like Tony, supported their families with work in the janitorial or service industry. Throughout his life of work and in the last two years, Tony has worked as a security guard. Through his own lens this “revolutionary worker scholar,” as is the title of his POOR Magazine/PoorNewsNetwork column, has penned a series of brilliant narrative essays and short stories about workers, workplace injustices and peoples struggling with poverty, homelessnes and racism in the US.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(Northern California Dec 30- Jan 6, 2011 Something Filipino pg. 2)
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