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Northern California's largest Filipino American newspaper in circulation since 1990, the Manila Mail is the Bay Area's most read Fil-Am weekly publication distributed free in major cities of Northern California. Community is a B Section page that contains the weekly column of Bradford Adkins 'SCENES in the city'. The column features include: the issues and events, the individuals and organizations moving the community.
The search is over after months of looking as Miss Melissa Sokukawa, 19, (stands at 5'8" and measuring an impressive 34-24-34) of Union City, CA was picked to represent the Fil-Am communities of USA-West Coast to the 2010 Miss Philippines Earth beauty pageant to be held in Manila. She will depart for Manila on March 28th and will participate in a month-long envinronmentally-focused activities together with almost 50 beautiful Filipinas from around the world, that will culminate to a finals pageant night on April 25th.
'Miss You Like Crazy' lead stars Bea Alonzo, left and John Lloyd Cruz, right, flank ManilaMail's VP for Community Events, Joey Panlilio during their last show here in the Bay Area. The Philippines' top loveteam's smash hit movie is still showing this week at the UA Stonestown Theater in San Francisco up to Thursday only, March 25th. And then on Saturday, March 27th, they will be performing in person at The Event Center of SJSU in San Jose for the 'Heartthrobs' and Friends US Tour, together with Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Gerald Anderson, Kim Chiu, Pokwang and Richard Poon.
A constant and consistent fixture at every Manny Pacquiao fights I have seen so far, is this pretty lady in shorts adorned with tiny red boxing gloves around her neck, who I personally and finally met minutes before the fight in Dallas, TX last March 13th. Her name is Amy Abena from San Diego, CA who I have been informed has Bay Area relatives who saw her pictures featured before in Manila Mail. She must be a lucky charm for again, for the nth time, PacMan won again and this time, he successfully defended his WBO Welterweight title againstJoshua Clottey of Ghana.
Today's hottest heartthrob, for a reason, Piolo Pascual, appearing here in the cover Mens' Health Magazine, will be performing live in San Jose State University's The Event Center this Saturday, March 27th at 7:30pm, together with his equally popular co-stars - Sam Milby, John Lloyd Cruz, Gerald Anderson, Bea Alonzo, Pokwang and Richard Poon.
Today's hottest heartthrob, for a reason, Piolo Pascual, appearing here in the cover Mens' Health Magazine, will be performing live in San Jose State University's The Event Center this Saturday, March 27th at 7:30pm, together with his equally popular co-stars - Sam Milby, John Lloyd Cruz, Gerald Anderson, Bea Alonzo, Pokwang and Richard Poon.
Sam Milby, who left Bench to model for 'Folded and Hung', collapsed in a Tokyo public toiletjust a few days ago due to over fatigue and lack of sleep and almost didn't make it to, but will perform live, at San Jose's 'Heartthrobs and Friends' US Tour this Saturday at 7:30pm at The Event Center of SJSU. Call Archie Mendiorro of Lighthouse Entertainment for tickets (sorry, but VIP tix are now sold out) at (510) 552-1546.
San Ramon's Ms. Abby Borgonia, models one of Crisanta Malig cocktail creations during last Saturday's Matrix Fillmore benefit event. Photo by Kyle Ventura.
Councilman David J. Canepa, left, personally awarded a Certificate of Recognition to Daly City's resident and Social Worker, Marlon K. Navarro, right, for years of his selfless work to the community of developmentally-challenged at a Red-carpet VIP benefit gala held last Saturday, March 20th at the Matrix Fillmore in downtown San Francisco. Also in photo is Mr. Lyndon Canon, center of Insight ARF, Inc. one of the major sponsors of the event.
Controversial Mexican-american boxer, Antonio Margarito, left, suspended for a year for illegal hand wraps, watched the Pacquiao-Clottey boxing in Dallas, TX last March 13th, shown here having a tete-a-tete with Santana Row's Agnes Aguirre of San Jose. Ths photo was taken inside Manny Pacquiao's private suite at the Gaylord Texan Resort after the fight.
Happy birthday to Bay Area-based Lerma Cailles aka Lerma de la Cruz, mega-promoter of the 'Heartthrobs' seemingly unending series of globe tours, who frowns upon spotting me taking pictures of her artists leaving me no photo of her to publish in effect. She was just doing her job and she does it well..hehehe..we wish you many more birthdays to come for you make this world very interesting.
Our Best Wishes to San Pablo's Miss Valerie Ventura who will wed Mr. Kao Saephan (congratulations!) on May 15th, shown here having a grand time at the Red Carpet VIP Benefit Gala at the Matrix Fillmore in San Francisco last Saturday night. Photo by Kyle Ventura.
Union City Teen is
Miss Philippines Earth USA 2010
Union City’s Half-Japanese Filipina, Melissa Sokukawa to represent the Fil-Am Community in Manila Pageant
Melissa Sokukawa’s Japanese father was born and raised in Canada but now is a United States citizen and lives with her in Union City, CA. Her mother, Rose Sokukawa, who lives with them also, is a Filipina that was born and raised in Pandacan, Manila .
A former ‘Manila Mail’ Magandang Filipina and a graduate of the very populous James Logan High School in Union City, Melissa Sokukawa, 19, balances her spare time from studying by volunteering as a Fashion Model (she stands a very ideal 5’ 8” and measures 34-24-34) for some Bay area based designers like Crisanta Malig, among others. A true Filipina at heart, she doesn’t believe in pre-marital sex.
She joined the Miss Philippines Earth USA contest to be able to raise her level or awareness on the environmental issues affecting our Mother Earth.
For her talent competition, she will be performing a highly-charged belly-dance number.
It is interesting to note that no US representative has ever won the Miss Philippines Earth crown. Will she be the first? “I am very competitive and I definitely will try my best!” is her simple response.
Miss Philippines Earth 2010 is presented by Adkins Multi-Media Concepts and sponsored by INuovi Cosmetics (developed in Italy, France & Japan), Make up by Hollywood-trained Christine Pacifico of Anya Mati, Hair and Hair Products by Larry Hufana of Phyto Hair Products (they’re Number One in Europe now), Ms. Elsie McAteer of the San Francisco City Hall and the Philippine flag carrier, the Philippine Airlines.
SEEN IN THE CITY
Councilman David Canepa Honors Daly City Social Worker
Councilman David Canepa Honors Daly City Social Worker
Daly City Councilman David J. Canepa attended the Red Carpet Gala VIP Event last Saturday, March 20th at the Matrix Fillmore in downtown San Francisco and awarded a Certificate of Recognition to Daly City resident and Social Worker, Marlon K. Navarro, for his years of service to the developmentally-challenged. Marlon also celebrated his birthday on that same day. Spotted in the event was the El Salvador Consul General for San Francisco, Ana Valenzuela, Philippine Consul General in San Francisco, Fred Santos, Antioch’s Favorite Fil-Am Dentist, Dr. Ricky Masiddo with Pleasanton’s Ms. Reggie Panganiban of Sunshine Home Health Care, Inc., Mr. Lyndon Canon, President of Insight ARF, Inc. together that night with Ms. Janet Manaig, model Abby Borgonia of San Ramon, male model Carlo Marfori Del Mundo, Ms. Ning Estrella of Hayward, Matias and Jocelyn Tabora of San Jose, among others.
It was also the very first public appearance of the newly-proclaimed 2010 Miss Philippines Earth USA , who modeled that night several of Crisanta Malig fashion creations.
TO-BE-SEEN IN THE CITY
‘Heartthrobs’ and Friends to Perform in SJSU this coming Saturday
The show you almost failed to see – the ‘Heartthrobs and Friends’ US Tour featuring the Philippines’ top heartthrobs – Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, John Lloyd Cruz and Gerald Anderson, together with Bea Alonzo, Kim Chiu, Pokwang and Richard Poon, will finally perform this Saturday, March 27th at 7:30pm, right before your eyes at The Event Center of the San Jose State University located at 290 South 7th Street, San Jose, CA.
First, the talks going around since last year that Piolo Pascual is moving from ABS-CBN to GMA-7. Reports have it that he is not being paid that much in his TV and movie appearances and he makes more money from private company endorsements. Talks got very hot last week after one of his ASAP XV co-artists, Mark Bautista formally signed contracts with GMA7 and that he will follow suit.
Furthermore, according to reports reaching this column, during the show’s early negotiation phase, John Llloyd Cruz for some reason(s) was to be replaced by then very hot and very in-demand ‘Tayong Dalawa’ standout, Coco Martin. Further negotiations went back and forth and when the dust settled, the producers agreed to take back John Lloyd Cruz (did we hear it right that Coco Martin charges more than John Lloyd?).
And then there’s the Sam Milby incident last week. Sam reportedly blacked out (due to over fatigue and sleep deprivation) in a Tokyo public toilet, unattended and unnoticed for about 30 minutes until his co-workers noticed. It happened after Sam’s concert with Laarni Lozada, Zanjoe Marudo, Bugoy, among others. According to published reports from www.pep.ph, as blogged by Giselle Sanchez, after their Tokyo concert:
“Laarni, Bugoy, Zanjoe and I were planning to go Roponggi bar hopping. We were going to invite Sam but he excused himself for the bathroom. Then he disappeared.
We all thought he went home since he really looked very tired so we proceeded to go bar hopping without Sam. But TFC Japan head Enrique Olives had a weird feeling in his spine so he went back to the bathroom with Bugoy and Zanjoe and, true enough, Sam was still inside the bathroom.
He passed out. He told Enrique he just felt dizzy and blacked out. He was in the Japanese public toilet floor for a good thirty minutes. It was a good thing Japan is known for its honesty, so nobody got his wallet while he was flat on the bathroom floor.
When Enrique arrived, the manager was trying to help Sam up. Please take note that Sam did not drink any Sake or red wine. Averaging eight hours of sleep in three days, rehearsing and performing a total of twenty songs in a performance level, kissed and mobbed by literally a thousand women, Sam's body could not take the stress toll and gave up. And it just had to be in a public bathroom without anybody knowing it.”
Thank God nothing unfortunate happened to Sam. It could have been worse and Sam wouldn’t have been able to travel to the US to perform in San Jose .
HEARTTHROBS & FRIENDS Live in SAN JOSE is brought to you by Lighthouse Entertainment headed by Mr. Archie Mendiorro. For tickets please call Archie at 510-552-1546, 510-648-7278, 415-553-0924 •
Don’t forget and don’t be late for your date with the Heartthrobs this Saturday, 7:30pm at the San Jose State University !
For the benefit of your relatives residing in other cities, the other Heartthrobs and Friends US Tour also includes the following US cities in their itinerary:
Chicago, IL
March 26, 2010 at Copernicus Theater located at 5216 West Lawrence Avenue , Chicago , IL 60630-3677 Phone (773) 777-8898
San Diego, CA
March 28, 2010, 5:00 PM at San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA 92010. For tickets please call Toll Free: 888-874-1719 or visitwww.usasiamediacenter.com
New York, NY
March 31, 2010, 7:00 PM at Manhattan Center , 311 W. 34th Street , New York , NY . Ticket prices $68, $88, $148 (SOLD OUT) and VIP $168. A new section has been opened with $108 tickets and they still have a few $168 (VIP); Please call 201.886.1705 / 201.290.9245/ 917-513-5266 / 917-428-9078 / 989-492-1965 / 914-255-2137.
Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, April 3, 2010 at the Heritage Forum located at 201 East Broadway, Anaheim , CA 92805-3904 Phone (714) 776-7776 www.heritageforum.net. For tickets call 562-787-9030 or 562-964-3434
Dallas, TX
Sunday, April 4 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center , Fort Worth , TX located at City of 3401 West Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76107-3045(817) 392-7469 www.fortworthgov.org
PERSONAL NOTES
Advanced Happy Birthday to the Mega-show promoter, best known for continuously bringing the ‘Heartthrobs’ tours here in the Bay Area, Ms. Lerma Cailles aka Lerma de la Cruz (March 31st).
Best Wishes and Congratulations to Miss Valerie Ventura and Mr. Kao Saephan who will exchange vows on May 15, 2010 at a church in Fairfield, CA with reception following at Crocket, CA. Valerie is the daughter of George Ventura from Agoo, La Union, now based in San Pablo , CA while Kao is a native of the beautiful country of Thailand .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Ang isang boksingero, kung iisipin natin, mag-eensayo ng ilang buwan, not less than two months. Sparring every other day. Bugbugan tapos paglaban sa ring, hindi mo pa alam kung mananalo ka o hindi. Hindi mo alam kung mahirap yung fight o madali. Walang kasiguraduhan," says Manny Pacquia, hinting on retirement, upon his recent arrival in Manila after the Dallas fight. In English, loosely translated, “A boxer practices for months, not 2 months, sparring everyday..gets hit in the ring..you don’t know if you’re gonna win or lose..if the fight’s going to be easy or hard..nothings definite.”
This column also appears online at www.FilipinoVillage.com and http://sites.google.com/site/adkinsmmcevents/Home/ with readership in 68 countries now, according to the latest Google Analytics report.
Do you have any personal or community events you want announced or published? Just email them to bradford_adkins@yahoo.com
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