2011 07/20-07/26

MANILA MAIL COMMUNITY

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar is the US Naval Ship named 'Hamilton,' given to the Philippine Navy, renamed after the Philippine Hero of the Tirad Pass, Gregorio Del Pilar. Ninety-eight excelling crew members were selected (from a field of up to 20,000 Philippine Navy) and flown to the United States where they were extensively trained inside the naval bases in San Diego and other coastal areas. It has left the US Coast Guard Pacific Area in Alameda, CA last Monday afternoon and is expected to arrive in the Philippine shores in 3 weeks. Spratlys, here I come?

Pop Superstar Sarah Geronimo's Supervising Producer, Jonathan Ling Aligada (left) of Viva Artists, has been promoted to Vice President for Special Events. Congratulations!

Mexico's next biggest fear after Pacquiao - is Mercito 'No Mercy' Gesta of Mandaue City, Cebu.

Cristina "Tina" Del Rosario plays double-duty as she works as a Registered Nurse at the VA Hospital in San Francisco on weekdays and a 49ers Cheerleader weekends.

Leo Reyes of San Jose, CA will model Barong Tagalog and more than 30 other brands of clothes & shoes (including Bossini, Guess, J. Crew, etc) at at the Bay Area Fashion Week show on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

A private send-off dinner for the departing BRP GREGORIO Philippine Naval Ship and its 98 crew members was hosted by Dr. & Mrs Bernadette Roco of Alameda, CA. Attendees included (L-R) Ronald Paras, Fe delos Reyes, Randy Blantucas, Lotis Gonzales, Dr. Roco, Capt. Albert 'Abet' Cruz, Bernadette Roco, Salvador Pullido, Rico Medina, Irvin Maducdoc, Joselito Peji & Leonardo Baguingey.

Just a few of the civilians who showed their support to the first heroes of BRP - Gregorio Philippine Navy ship are (L-R) VA San Francisco's Cynthia Bustos, RN, Richard Lao, Shane Ordiales, Olive Oliveros, Sofia Hatuina & Sangia Ordiales of St Francis Convalescent Pavilion in Daly City, CA.

Philippine Navy's Roco Sullano, one of the 98 chosen few, flown in from the Philippines to the US to man BRP Gregorio del Pilar with his Manila Mail Newspaper.

San Francisco's Philippine Embassy's Vice Consul Fred Santos leads the farewell ceremonies (along with the Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr., US Coast Guard Pacific Area, Defense Force West Commander Vice Admiral Manson Brown and Philippine defense and Armed Forces attaché to the US Navy Capt. Antonio Habulan Jr.) to the departing Philippine Navy Heroes of BRP Gregorio del Pilar, who left the coast of Alameda, CA for its historic journey to its ultimate destination - the Philippine shores.

Philippine Defense and Armed Forces attaché to the US Navy Capt. Antonio Habulan Jr. of Pijar with Bay Area's Commr Fel Amistad, right, during last Monday's BRP GREGORIO DEL PILAR official send-off ceremony.

The Spratlys’ Solution?

(BRP Gregorio, a Philippine naval ship, gift by the US Government sails home Monday)

SEEN IN THE CITY

It first started in the beginning of February this year – the first batch of 20 Philippine Navy sailors were flown in from the Philippines, chosen from among 20,000 pool. Then came the others – now totaling 98 all in all. They are the lucky ones selected to train extensively in San Diego, CA and other naval shores of the United States in the areas of naval strategies and combat (Spratlys, did you hear that?).

My sources for the foregoing information are a couple of emails that landed on my lap about a month or two ago, sent from vague sources, which I tried to verify and re-verify unsuccessfully. Unable to verify, I did not publish them.

Until I got a personal call from Mrs. Bernadette Roco, the very charitable wife of San Francisco’s Topnotch doctor for the Filipinos – Dr. Carmelo Roco. She is inviting me to a send-off party, she and her husband doctor are giving, in honor of the Philippine Navy crew leaving on Monday, July 18, 2011 for the Philippine shores.

Last Friday, July 15, 2011 the meeting between myself and the ship – BRP GREGORIO DEL PILAR happened. I personally saw with my own 2 eyes, some of the crew and their Captain Abet Cruz. I can’t shake this feeling, but I feel like I am witnessing a historic event that I am compelled by my emotion to shake their hands and treat them as heroes, this early. I took several pictures (some of them accompany this article) in and out of the ship. For security reasons, I am withholding the photos taken from inside the naval ship. All I can say is that this ship is made for heavy combat and true to what I saw, one of the unnamed navy confirmed to me, that this is the most modern and the most powerful property the Philippine Navy has ever acquired in its inventory, in its entire history.

I googled further and an OFW Journal had already been published which I am quoting verbatim herewith: “The Philippine Navy’s newly acquired cutter from the United States (US) Coast Guard is arriving in the Philippines in three weeks’ time (First Week of August 2011) and after some refinements will be immediately deployed to secure the country’s territorial waters in the West Philippines Sea, Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said.

Pama flew to California July 16, 2011 in time for 17th July’s sendoff of BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15) for a long voyage home, with stopovers in Hawaii and Guam for replenishment.

“The sendoff will signal the last activities for BRP Gregorio del Pilar in the US and to start its journey to the Philippines,” Pama said.

He said Philippines Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia Jr., US Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West Commander Vice Admiral Manson Brown and Philippine defense and Armed Forces attaché to the US Navy Capt. Antonio Habulan Jr. will be around during the official sendoff ceremony.

Aside from the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the government is also shopping for additional military assets in the US in line with the capability upgrade program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to be used for its territorial defense amid the increasing tension in the West Philippines Sea brought about overlapping claims over the Spratlys.

A former USCG cutter, the Hamilton Class vessel, which is also classified as Weather High Endurance Cutter (WHEC), will first undergo refinements in its weapon and electronic systems upon its arrival before its deployment for maritime security operations in Palawan.

To accommodate the newly acquired PF-15, Pama said the Navy is putting up a naval base in Hulugan Bay fronting the West Philippines Sea, which will serve at the vessel’s homeport.

The scheduled deployment of PF-15 in the West Philippines Sea is expected to further boost the Navy’s platform in the hotly contested region to include maritime security operations for the Malampaya project west of Palawan.

“The Philippine Navy intends to use this multi-mission vessel for operations such as maritime security patrols and search and rescue. But more importantly, it will be deployed to aid in the maritime security of the Malampaya project,” Pama said.

While PF-15 is classified as a WHEC in the US, the Philippine Navy has refitted and refurbished it as a surface combatant ship with a type code of “P” for patrol and is further classified as a frigate with a type code of “F,” hence the designation of “PF.”

The vessel is powered by combined diesel engines and gas turbines and is equipped with a helicopter flight deck, a retractable hangar, and facilities to support helicopter operations.

With a total length of 378 feet, 42 inches beam, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar will be the Navy’s flagship to replace the WWII Rajah Humabon.”

Good luck, sailors and all hands on the deck!

TO-BE-SEEN IN THE CITY

Bay Area Fashion Week 2011

Mark your calendars - on September 24, 2011 at 8:00PM at the Barrett Ballroom of the San Jose State University, as the Bay Area Fashion Week unfolds beginning with the remarkable collections by AHR.ES.IHM, Kiko House of Couture, Guess, J.Crew, Frock Los Angeles. Donald J. Pliner Shoes (http://www.donaldjpliner.com/) is also one of the major designers featured in this extraordinary charity fashion extravaganza. Another design store playing a major role in this event is Bossini USA (http://www.bossiniusa.net/), a complete sophisticated signature and branded male fashion designs from Italy, Paris, New York and the World.

Eli Thomas is another major design store (http://www.elithomasformen.com​/styles.html) that will add more dramatic execution of the entire magical evening show, showcased with elegant bridal designs from Kiko House of Couture, Seattle, Washington (http://www.kikocouture.com/).

A total of more than 30 different designs of shoes for female and male will be showcased during the fashion show.

Producer Roger Francisco assures us that it is going to be a fantastic evening of fashion, glamor and laughter (with Steve Mazan, top rated comedian in the US and lead star of the movie; "Dying to do Letterman").

Buy your tickets now online (www.bayareafashionweek.com) and don't miss this meaningful event for a worthy cause.

This high-profile fashion event will benefit the following charities: Mainitnons sa Amerika, Friends of SVGMC for SVGMC & Second Harvest Food Bank.

Again, the Fashion Extravaganza will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2011 with red carpet, music, laughs, and for ticket information and more details, please visit: http://www.bayareafashionweek.com

Briefs & Shorts

Milestones

Congratulations to Sarah Geronimo’s Supervising Producer at Viva Artists, Jonathan Ling Aligada, who has recently been promoted to Vice President for Special Events. The University of the Philippines Mass Communications Summa Cum Laude graduate is the one creatively responsible for Sarah’s last five sold-out concerts, mostly held at the huge Araneta Coliseum. To enhance Sarah’s optimal dramatic musical performance, Jonathan’s innovative ideas include, but not limited to, bringing in with Sarah her own sound engineers, make up artists and backup dancers to all of her US concerts and other major cities outside of the Philippines when she performs.

Also, I got another piece of big news landing on my lap, involving a high profile celebrity in the Philippines that has to remain anonymous again due to the sensitivity of the matter. Next week (the week of July 25), a very popular celebrity will fly in the United States to formally announce the filing of a huge lawsuit against a very high-profile individual here in the United States for forgery and damages. The celebrity is so pissed-off that a press conference is being coordinated across the oceans to create a huge impact on the announcement. Stay tuned!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m not trying to be the next Manny, just the first Mercito. I didn’t say I’m the greatest, just the latest,’ by Mercito Gesta, the 23-year old latest Top Rank Pinoy boxing sensation of Mandaue City, Cebu now based in San Diego, CA. “No Mercy” is what he is called inside the ring and last July 12, 2011, he delivered by beating via Round 3 TKO, Mexico’s 31-year-old Jorge “El Tigre” Pimental of Sonora, Mexico. Is he the next Manny Pacquiao, boxing pundits are asking. The scary answer, Mexican boxers are finding is, he may be better!

This article also appears online at www.FilipinoVillage.com and http://sites.google.com/site/adkinsmmcevents/Home/ with readership in 133 countries now (& still counting!) according to the latest Google Analytics report.

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