Galing Pinoy

A Fil-Am Hero: Deputy Jose ‘Joe’ Nanquil, Medal of Valor Awardee

Sunday, 13 September 2009 18:49 Story and Photos by Rene Villaroman | AJPress

MONTEBELLO – Filipino-American Deputy Jose "Joe" Nanquil, 43, a native of Sta. Rita, Pampanga, is one of the 15 recipients of the 2009 Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Annual Medal of Valor and Meritorious Conduct Awards. "I am overwhelmed, but I am also very excited for the other people that were in the same entry team that went in and stopped a hostage-taker in 2007," the six-foot, 200-lb peace officer declared, minutes before Sheriff Lee Baca placed the Medal of Valor around his neck in front of a cheering audience consisting of family members and hundreds of sheriff deputies at ceremonies held at the Quiet Cannon Golf Club on Wednesday, September 9.

"I am really, really thrilled by what’s going on here today," remarked LA Sheriff Lee Baca. "I am especially proud of the heroics that were accomplished by these good people; people who have everything in mind to do the right thing, and then go forward in circumstances of great physical challenge to themselves."

Fil-Am Hollywood Star Leslie-Anne Huff - Her Funny Calling

Sunday, 06 September 2009 01:31 Marian Maraya

(8 votes, average: 4.38 out of 5)

Fil-Am Hollywood Star Leslie-Anne Huff - Her Funny Calling

IT’S often assumed that every comic has a checkered back story awash with despair and dysfunction--the perfect stimulus for sharp comedic material.

Not for Disney star and comedienne Leslie-Anne Huff. This half-Filipino, half-Caucasian actor-model-performer roots her jocose personality from an organic source: a happy childhood and well-balanced family life.

Kevin Nadal: Saving the World…One Pinoy at a Time

Sunday, 30 August 2009 22:00 Cynthia De Castro/ AJPress Los Angeles

(1 vote, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Kevin Nadal: Saving the World…One Pinoy at a Time

WHEN one is described a professor of psychology and a historian, the image that comes to mind is a serious, no-nonsense guy. Yet, Professor Kevin Nadal does not fit that description. In fact, he is also a stand-up comedian. Truly, Kevin Nadal is unique.

He describes himself as a one-man show.

A professor, psychologist, performer, activist, and author, Kevin L. Nadal, Ph.D. received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Columbia University in 2008. As an assistant professor of mental health counseling and psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice- City University of New York, he has published several works focusing on Filipino American, ethnic minority, and LGBTQ issues in the fields of psychology and education. He has been involved in the Pilipino American, Asian Pacific American, and ethnic minority communities for as long as he can remember.

Celebrity Dollmaker Noel Cruz, The Uncanny Artist

Sunday, 23 August 2009 18:33 Joseph Pimentel / AJPress Los Angeles

(6 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

Celebrity Dollmaker Noel Cruz, The Uncanny Artist

WHEN a life like doll resembling Angelina Jolie surfaced on Ebay last September, many people asked who created it.

The miniature doll and Jolie were eerily similar. The doll had Jolie’s tiny mole above her right eyebrow, the shape of the eyebrows were perfectly curved, and the plump lips, seductive eyes and even the nose were spot on.

Only Jolie’s tattoos were missing but it could have been included for an added price.

When bids ended and the 16 1/2" doll sold to a private collector in Europe for over 2,000 euros (about $3,500), it made worldwide news. Bloggers on the Internet were abuzz about the doll’s resemblance and the hefty price tag.

And front in center of the attention was the creator, Pinoy artist Noel Cruz.

Yvette Dominguez: An emerging Fil-Am leader in the satellite industry

Sunday, 16 August 2009 19:01 Cynthia de Castro / AJPress Los Angeles

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Yvette Dominguez: An emerging Fil-Am leader in the satellite industry

FROM an ordinary motorist who got lost and can’t find his way home, to a family watching their favorite Pinoy teleserye, to a special operations soldier in Iraq running from the enemy, satellites in space provide so much of what the world needs today.

Although initially developed to meet military needs, new ways to use satellites have been expanded to help improve the quality of everyday life. There are the commercial communications satellites that give us the internet, weather forecasting and cable television. We also benefit much from the satellites that make up the Global Positioning System (GPS), which provide precise directions, help save lives and property across the world. And there are the hundreds of military satellites, providing reconnaissance data; communications links for troops on the ground, ships at sea and aircraft in flight; precise targeting data for cruise missiles and smart bombs; and instant warning of missile launches etc. Truly, satellites in space have changed our world and have played such a large role in the lives of individuals and nations.