2010 04/14-04/20

MANILA MAIL COMMUNITY

Sam, Anne renew sizzling chemistry in “Babe, I Love You” .ABS-CBN’s Starry Starry Store brings Spring film offering to 7 U.S. cities this April.

Newly-reinstated 2010 Binibining Pilipinas - Universe, Venus Raj (2nd right) of Bohol celebrates with Ricky Lo (right, who broke the very good news on Startalk last Saturday afternoon), co-host Lolit Solis, leftmost, and Richard Lao of Manila Mail.

The Philippines' most credible columnist, Ricky Lo of the Philippine Star, left, gave merienda treat to Manila Mail's Bradford Adkins during the later's visit to Manila last Saturday afternoon, April 10th.

2009 Miss Earth from Brazil, Larissa Ramos, right, graced the Cultural Attire event last Monday night, together with 2009 Miss Earth Air, Sandra Seifert from the Philippines.

The candidates to this year's Miss Philippines Earth paraded in their regional best costume representation during last Monday night's special Cultural Attire competition.

2008 Miss Earth from the Philippines, Karla Henry, left, poses with PLM's Mass Comm graduating student, Kendrick Ibasco, during last Monday night's Cultural Attire competition night at Intramuros, Manila.

Lubao Pampanga's Angela Mercado was adjudged 'Best In Cultural Attire' during the Miss Philippines Earth 2010's special events night at the Tamayo's Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila.

West Coast USA's Melissa Sokukawa, rightmost, poses with some of the other delegates to the ongoing Miss Philippines Earth beauty pageant in Manila. Finals is set for Saturday, April 24th.

Doctor John T. Cenica, M.D. (right) a noted cosmetic surgeon from Manila poses with Miss Philippines Earth USA (West Coast), Melissa Ann Sokukawa during the pageant's Cultural Attire competition last Monday night.

West Coast USA's bet to the ongoing Miss Philippines Earth, Melissa Ann Sokukawa, 19, of Union City dons an ancestral Imelda Marcos-inspired gown that was handed down from generation to generation of beauty queens, and is currently owned by San Francisco City Hall's Director of Events, Ms. Elsie McAteer.

Miss Philippines Earth USA (West Coast) wins ‘Best In Casual Wear’ Top 5

( Union City ’s Melissa Sokukawa is also a heavy favorite for the Top crown)

SEEN IN THE CITY

Out of 53 vying Filipina hopefuls, Bay Area’s Melissa Ann Sokukawa, 19, the Half-Japanese Filipina from Union City and the West Coast USA’s bet to the ongoing Miss Philippines Earth 2010 Beauty Pageant in Manila was voted one of the Top 5 in Best in Casual Wear competition last Sunday, April 11th, along with the East Coast USA delegate, Renee McHugh, Taguig City’s Yazmin Nicole Kaufmann Ortega, Vigan City‘s Marie Loraine Diane De Guzman and Virac’s Aiza Angelica delos Santos. Melissa was donning a pink floral sheer-like cocktail outfit from the private collection of San Jose’s Susan Pacifico when she was adjudged Top 5 Best In Casual Wear.

The Cultural Attire competition will be held on Monday, April 12^th where she will wear an Imelda Marcos-inspired terno made of pineapple fabric, passed on from one generation of beauty queens to the next, this time from the private collection of San Francisco City Hall ’s Director of Events, Ms. Elsie McAteer.

Vote for Melissa Ann Sokukawa as the most photogenic candidate online! The candidate with the highest number of votes will be awarded as the Miss Philippines Photogenic of 2010. You can vote at this website:http://www.missphilippines-earth.com/vote.php. Voting ends April 19, 2010.

There will be separate events for the Best In Talent Competition, Best In Swimsuit and Best In Long Gown in the coming days.

The Final Pageant night will be held at the Manila Ocean Park on Saturday, April 24^th.

ABS-CBN will delay-televise the pageant finals on Sunday, April 25^th.

TO-BE-SEEN IN THE CITY

Senator Leland Yee Seeks Re-election

Senator Leland Yee, Ph.D., kicks-off his re-election bid this coming Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 10:00 A.M. at the Sunset Recreation Center located at 2201 Lawton Avenue in San Francisco , California .

Aside from the Senator, also expected to attend are John Burton, Chair of theCalifornia Democratic Party, Maureen Dugan, California Nurses Association,

Lakesha Harrison, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

Hene Kelly, longtime San Francisco teacher and activist, Hundreds of community members.

Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) will join friends, family, local leaders, and hundreds of community members to kickoff his re-election campaign.

Yee was elected to the State Senate in November 2006, garnering over 78 percent of the vote – the largest percentage for any Democratic candidate with a Republican challenger. Yee became the first Chinese American ever elected to the California State Senate and the first Asian American elected to theLegislature’s upper house in forty years.

Yee has one of the best track records in getting his bills passed and signed into law. In fact, since 2003 when he began serving in the Assembly, he has successfully passed 110 pieces of legislation, of which 82 have been chaptered into law. He has been a champion for government transparency and accountability, child protection, working families, the environment, mental health, domestic violence survivors, civil rights, and consumers, and he has opposed cuts to education, local government, and critical health and social services.

Yee has been named “Legislator of the Year” by the California Association of School Psychologists; California School Nutrition Association; California Psychiatric Association; Faculty Association of California Community Colleges;California Independent Grocers; California Mental Health Directors Association; California Staffing Professionals; Associated Students of UC Davis; California Partnership to End Domestic Violence; California Society of Certified Public Accountants; San Francisco Women's Political Committee; and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Yee immigrated to San Francisco at the age of 3. His father, a veteran, served in the US Army and the Merchant Marine. Yee graduated from the University of California – Berkeley , then earned a Ph.D. in Child Psychology, and later served in various mental health and school settings. He and his wife, Maxine, have raised four children who all attended public schools.

PERSONAL NOTES

Welcome to Doctor John T. Cenica, M.D., FPAAS, a popular Manila-based cosmetic surgeon who arrived and is visiting California starting on Tuesday, April 13^th. He is a strong supporter and sponsor of the environmentally-focused beauty pageant, Miss Philippines Earth. He has clinics located at Suite 33, 2^ndFloor, Midland Plaza Hotel, M Adriatico St, Ermita, Manila (632) 521-144 and(632) 526-6297. He has other branches in Scout Borromeo, Quezon City Phone985-6328, Angeles Balibago, Pampanga 045-892-6868 and Santa Rosa , Laguna 049-502-0049

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I will take back the crown!" by 2010 Miss Philippines Universe, Venus Raj who was dethroned and stripped of her title, crown and privilege to represent the Philippines at this year’s Miss Universe pageant for ‘irregularities’ in her birth certificate. She won the first round of her fight and got reinstated as this year’s bet, provided she timely secure a Philippine passport to travel.

This column also appears online at www.FilipinoVillage.com andhttp://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