2011 06/29-07/05

MANILA MAIL COMMUNITY

Who will win the Reno Jackpot this 4th of July weekend? It's Ai-Ai vs. SHARON as the 2 duke it out with same day concerts - Ai Ai De Las Alas at the Grand Sierra Casino Resort while the Megastar Sharon Cuneta performs at the Silver Legacy Casino Resort, both on Sunday, July 3, 2011.

Widely-regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century, Professor Craig Venter Ph.D.'s lecture on the latest findings in genomic studies and their future contribution to finding sources of alternative energy & curing serious illnesses, amazed this Columnist at the recent Wharton Global Alumni Forum held recently in downtown San Francisco.

The San Francisco Host Lions Club in joint venture with SF Fil-Am LC, Fil-Am Leos & several SF Lions Club had a Health Fair last June 12 at the United Methodist Church in Geneva Avenue. Free services like Blood Pressure check, Diabetes & Blood Glucose Test, Chitopractic consultation were given so with Glucometer for Diabetic Patients.

Menlo Park-based Tess Perkins (mother of Jesse & Christian Perkins, the twin tennis phenoms from Menlo-Atherton High School) celebrated her birthday vacationing with her whole family in the Philippines. She's shown here receiving fresh flowers from noted singer/composer Jose Mari Chan from her suite at the New World Hotel (Ey, isn't that Manny Pacquiao's favorite hotel in Makati?). Belated Happy Birthday, Tess!

Congratulations & Best Wishes to the newly weds, Michelle Sario & Robert Hutson who lit the unity candle as a couple on June 18, 2011 at the St. Patrick's Church. Wedding reception followed at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis Atrium; sit-down dinner was served at the Golden Ballroom.

ABS-CBN's Ging Reyes, right, Caroline Ocampo (standing) and this Columnist attended the recent Wharton Business Journalism class held at the Wharton SF and the succeeding Wharton Global Alumni Forum held at the nearby The Westin Saint Francis in downtown San Francisco.

Blackhawk's Tracy Lim, left, reunited, after 30 years (Thanks, FaceBook!) with his next-door neighbor in 13th Street, New Manila, Minotte Rodrigo Cuenca, his sister Suzette Lim-Maramba (Minotte's school mate in Assumption, San Lorenzo, Herran and Antipolo) together with Mimi Reynoso, Richard Lao & Carol Lim.

Maria Teresa, right, Vice Mayor of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines with Vic Barba, Chief Security of Luzvimin Association of CA, Sgt.-at-Arms of U.S. Ilocano Association of California and Adviser of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte Club of USA at the Embassy Suites on June 11, 2011.

The Mendaros Family (Parents Edwin & Tess, siblings Kat, Marwin, Dianalyn & Adrin) of Blackhawk, CA celebrated the 18th birthday & graduation of Claryn Joy (center), complete with Hawaiian Luau dancers, Fire dancers, lechon, food/drinks, swimming party and all, last Saturday afternoon. Belated Happy Birthday & Congratulations, Claryn!

Union City-based Paula Enriquez (2nd right) celebrated her 24th birthday at The Intramuros, with boyfriend Christian Lalisan (center), Miguel De Leon (leftmost) & wife, Julie (2nd left), & Richard lao, right.

The Wharton Edge

(Why one of the nation’s top business schools is considered a ‘frontrunner’?)

The Wharton Global Alumni Forum last year was held in Madrid. Next year, it will be Indonesia’s turn to host. This year, it was held last week in San Francisco.

One of the Top 3 Business Schools in the US, The Wharton (alongside Stanford & Harvard), recently invited this Columnist (together with ABS-CBN’s Regina ‘Ging’ Reyes and Filipino News Radio’s Caroline Ocampo), through the courtesy of the Philippine-American Press Club Association, to a series of lectures about Business Journalism, the Current Financial Crisis, Global Private Equity Industry, Innovation, Imagination & Creativity,New Directions for Social Media, How to Play the Global Retailing Game, among others, held at The Westin St Francis Hotel Union Square, in the middle of downtown San Francisco.

I have been informed that The Wharton trained 88,000 graduates in business education and innovative thinking, currently spread across a spectrum of highly-specialized industries of leading technology, chemistry, science, venture capitalism, merger and acquisition, etc.

The series of lectures were delivered by brilliant minds from the CEOs and key executives of Facebook, eBay, Google, and other shakers and movers from Silicon Valley to Brazil to China to Sweden, etc.

But the most amazing piece of information shared in the forum, in my opinion, was the genomic research scope & studies, explained in full detail, in the simplest form of language, by Professor Craig Venter, Ph. D., Founder, Chairman and President of J. Craig Venter Institute. In my understanding of his lecture as he explained it, just like a machine language in software programming (represented in the lowest level by only 2 characters - zeroes & ones), we can program the genetic composition of humans by changing their genomic composition (represented by only 4 characters). This information is useful in our search for alternative sources of energy and curing of diseases via cell alteration. He used simple slides to illustrate very complex breakthrough findings in biology, chemistry, cell studies, encompassing genius minds from Sweden, to the US and all around the world. I find this lecture really amazing!

Collaborative sharing is what makes this country great. Global collaboration is what makes this planet worth saving. And The Wharton fosters it. And that is The Wharton Edge.

Did you know that the first-ever Wharton Global Alumni Forum was held in Manila? And it was held again a second time in Manila only after a few years.

The Wharton San Francisco is located at 101 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Contact, for information, Peter Wincov at (215) 746-6471 or winicov@wharton.upenn.edu.

I can’t over-emphasize enough – again, thank you to PAPC President Boots Chavez for forwarding me the invite to attend this rare and important event.

SEEN IN THE CITY

ABS-CBN WINS INT’L GOLD QUILL AWARD

For being the first to break the biggest election-related story on the Maguindanao massacre, helping drive young voters to register and vote, and creating an army of change to make the 2010 elections work, ABS-CBN Corporation bagged an international Gold Quill Award in recognition of its election advocacy campaign "Boto Mo, i-Patrol Mo." ABS-CBN CorpComm Head Bong Osorio accepted the Intl Gold Quill Award from IABC for BMPM during the awarding event held recently.

It was through ABS-CBN's "Boto Mo, i-Patrol Mo" that the world learned about the single deadliest act against journalists when a Boto Patroller first sent a picture from the crime scene to ABS-CBN. And ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, was the first to break the news.

His bravery in exposing the gruesome crime that left 58 dead showed what BMPM is all about---the ordinary Filipino, making a difference by letting the public know about the realities in his community and the government to do something about it.

"Boto Mo, i-Patrol Mo: Ako ang Simula" was launched a year before the 2010 national elections by ABS-CBN, which pioneered citizen journalism in the country. It not only empowered Filipinos to use technology to patrol their votes but also challenged them to become the start of the change they want for the country.

ABS-CBN was the only Philippine broadcast network to win an international Gold Quill Award from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for its election advocacy and coverage via the BMPM campaign, which also won awards from the 2010 Philippine Quill Awards and the Anvil Awards.

The multi-platform campaign received 500 reports a day by email, 103 calls a day, and 3,058 texts a day during election season. And on election day, citizens' reports grew to four per minute as compared to one per minute in 2007 when it was first launched.

During the campaign last year, BMPM has 87,419 registered Boto Patrollers in its central database, 125,487 fans on Facebook, 23,111 followers on Twitter, 6,960 members on its microsite, and 3,701 members on Multiply.

It organized vice-presidential and senatorial debates and pioneered the use of a Wireless Audience Response System (WARS), which allowed randomly selected citizens to indicate they believe the candidate's answers or not during the televised debates, which became among the highest trending topics on Twitter.

This resulted to making ABS-CBN being cited by most Filipinos as the most credible TV station based on a Pulse Asia national opinion polls in 2010 with 72 percent of Filipinos saying the TV network gave a credible coverage of the elections, which is the highest among the country's top TV networks.

And on election day, ABS-CBN’s election coverage on its flagship national evening newscast “TV Patrol World,” made up of ABS-CBN’s professional journalists and BMPM’s citizen journalists, won in the nationwide TV ratings based on the survey done by media specialist Kantar Media/TNS on Election Day. “TV Patrol World,” the Philippines’ longest-running newscast, notched the highest TV of 31.5 percent among all evening newscasts.

Briefs & Shorts

Search for the 2012 Mrs. Agoonian of America

The first canvassing for the Search for the 2012 Mrs. Agoonian of America is happening this Saturday, July 02, 2011 at the Mount Hamilton Grange Hall, 2840 Abord Road, San Jose, CA 95135 from 6pm to midnight. Those of interest may contact the following individuals via email:

NORMA J. KAVANAUGH norma.kavanaugh@yahoo.com

LINDA GALI ANIT eanit2002@yahoo.com

ROMY E. RONQUILLO reronquillo@comcast.net

Ai-ai/Pops versus Megastar Sharon in Reno

Don’t forget to watch the head-on collision happening this Sunday, July 3, 2011 in Reno, NV as Comedy Queen Ai-ai De Las Alas teams up with the Concert Queen Pops Fernandez (performing at the Grand Sierra Casino Resort) to topple the Megastar Sharon Cuneta who is performing with Anqeline Quinto at the nearby Silver Legacy Casino Resort. Call (925) 932-0170 for Ai-Ai show tickets and (510) 734-1348 for Sharon Cuneta concert tickets.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I apologize for those who feel offended. I cannot deny a person, a human being, a taxpayer, a worker, the people of my district and across this state, the State of New York, and those people who make this the great state that it is the same rights that I have with my wife.” By Senator Mark J. Grisanti, a Republican from Buffalo who had sought office previously promising supporters to oppose same-sex marriage.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed the same-sex marriage law allowing same-sex couples to marry in New York as early as late July - that’s 30 days after the measure signing at 11:55 p.m. last Friday.

Senator Grisanti admitted he had agonized for months, before concluding he had been wrong.

This article also appears online at www.FilipinoVillage.com and http://sites.google.com/site/adkinsmmcevents/Home/ with readership in 130 countries now (& still counting!) according to the latest Google Analytics report.

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