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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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NEW YORK --- Consul General Cecilia B. Rebong has accepted the invitation to speak on the gala night of the 14th International Assembly of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, to be held on Sept. 4, at the Colony Inn and Convention Center in Vernon, Conn.
The Knights of Rizal (KOR) Supreme Commander Carmelo Gempesa, KCGR, will formally call to order the international assembly, while Sir Roger Alama, KGOR, regional commander for USA, will deliver the opening remarks.
The 3-day assembly is being hosted by the New Haven Chapter of the Knights of Rizal, which is headed by Sir Edgardo Ramas, KCR. The New Haven Chapter is under the jurisdiction of Sir Ray Banta, KGOR, area commander for Eastern USA-1.
The Order of the Knights of Rizal has distinguised members, including King Juan Carlos of Spain, former US State Secretary Henry Kissinger, Philippine Supreme Court Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., former Ambassador to the US Raul Ch. Rabe, and former Mayor Bret Schundler of Jersey City.
Rebong is the recipient of the prestigious Gawad Mabini Award, rank f dakilang kamanong, conferred by the president of the Philippines, on July 22, 2003, for distinguished accomplishment and exemplary service in the Department of Foreign Affairs. She was also touted for promoting and advancing interests of the Philippines and the Filipino people during her service at the Philippine Consulate General in New York, the Philippine Mission to the UN, the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC and for outstanding performance and dedication to the duties as Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs.
She was a member of delegation during the official visits of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to countries in Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East from Aug. 2001 to Dec. 2003.
Another featured speaker during the plenary session is Dr. Romulo F. Magsino. a former dean of the faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba.
After a national competition, Magsino became the ony Filipino dean of education at a major Canadian university from 1996 to 2001.Now a professor in the faculty, he was head of department from 1988 to 1996. He has authored and edited eight books and monographs, and has written more than 70 articles published in Canadian and American journals, and has lectured and presented numerous conference and seminar papers not only in Canada, but also in the US, England, Australia and the Philippines. He was president of the Canadian Philosophy of Education Society, and now is the editor-in-chief of Paideusis, which is the official journals of the Society.
Actively involved in professional and community activities, Magsino was national vice-president of the United Council of Filipino Associations in Canada, president of the Filipino Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, and president of the Association of Multicultural Education in Newfoundland and then in Manitoba. Now a regional deputy commander of the Knights of Rizal, he was the Winnepig Chapter commander from 1994 to 1997.
The senior executive assistant to the Supreme Commander of KOR, Sir Valentin F. Dagani, Jr., is also slated to speak during the international assembly. He is the past overall coordinator for the USA, deputy regional commander and founding chapter commander of Central Florida.
Dagani’s leadership goes well beyond the KOR. He is the co-convenor of the Filipino-American Coalition of Florida, vice chair of NaFFAA Florida, chair of the Council for Filipino-American organizations, an administrative and coordinating body of 11 Filipino-American organizations, former president of the Filipino-American of Central Florida and of the Filipino-American Association of Osceola County.
Involved in the affairs of the Asian-American community, he co-founded the Asian American Chamber of Commerce and had become its incorporator. He chaired several Asian civic and immigration for and had served as vice president of the Asian American Heritage Council, a conglomeration of more than 20 Asian American organizations in Central Florida.
Presently he is the president of the PrimeState Realty, Inc. Dagani Realty and Tri-Star, a business and recruitment consultation firm. For years, he was the practice consultant and legal representative of Cutillar, Dagani & Luayon, MDPA and Osceola Anesthesia Associates in Kissimmee, Florida.
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Young professionals, students reclaim culture via language
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NEW YORK --- Beginning on Sept. 14, the Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI) will offer a 12-week conversational Tagalog course at the Philippine Center in Manhattan. The class will meet twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday nights, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The course will provide college students, recent graduates, and young professionals lessons on conversational Tagalog, covering the basic rules of grammar, verbs, and common vocabulary. In addition, there will be discussions on the history, culture, and business practices of Filipinos.
“Isang magandang proyekto ito ng FAHSI. Matagal nang sabik ang publikong Pilipino, Amerikano at iba pang lahi dito sa New York na matuto ng Tagalog,” stated Consul General Cecilia B. Rebong. “Learning our language is a key to better understanding and appreciating Filipino culture, mindset, and way of life. Our commendations to FAHSI and Mr. Luis Francia. We hope that many will take advantage of this opportunity.”
Former Tagalog student, Lara Manjares, said: “I still use what I have learned from that class today. We learned a lot about the Filipino language, culture and each other's experiences as a Filipino American.”
NYU professor and author, Luis H. Francia, will teach the conversational Tagalog course using both Tagalog textbooks and multimedia presentations.
Luis is author of the semi-autobiographical Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago (Kaya Press, 2001), and co-editor of Vestiges of War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial Dream 1899-1999 (New York University Press, 2002).
His latest poetry collection Museum of Absences is due out this October. Currently, Luis teaches Pilipino Language and Culture at New York University's Asian Pacific American (APA) Studies Program.
Classes will meet at the Philippine Center located at 556 Fifth Avenue (between 45th and 46th streets). Registration is $400/adults and $300/students, with valid student ID. Enrollment is limited, and applicants are encouraged to sign up early. Registration will be taken on a “first come, first serve basis.”
FAHSI is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established to meet the social service needs of the Filipino American community in New York. FAHSI currently offers after-school and summer youth programs, seniors programs, basic computer skills training, immigration seminars, weekly discussion groups, and other cultural and educational programs.
For more information or to register, contact Julman Tolentino at (718) 883-1295, or visit our website at http://www.fahsi.org.
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NEW JERSEY --- The community and the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul in Elizabeth, NJ will be commemorating on Sept. 19, the 35th anniversary of ordination to the Holy Priesthood of Rev. Peter M. Aquino.
At 12:00 noon, a Mass of Thanksgiving will be held in Sts. Peter & Paul Church, located at 211 Ripley Place, Elizabeth, NJ. A banquet will follow the Mass in the Parish Center.
Featured at the celebration will be entertainer/D.J. Mr. Jesse Bambalan; Composer, Eric Houghton; Soloists, Ms. Gina Liana Frio, Ms. Gloria O. Sison, and Violinist, Julius Veblaitis.
Everyone is invited to join in celebration of the occasion. Tickets at $25.00 are available by contacting the parish secretary at (908) 352-2271. Reservations are required and seating is limited.
The last day to order tickets is Sept. 9. The Parish Center's address is 216 Ripley Place, Elizabeth, NJ 07206.
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NEW YORK --- A Filipino-American writer won recently a major U.S. literary award, a report said.
M. Evelina Galang, who is the author of the “Her Wild American Self,” a collection of short fiction from Coffee House Press (1996), bagged this year’s AWP Literary Prize. She is the first Filipino-American to garner this award.
M. Evelina Galang
Her novel manuscript was chosen by judge Elizabeth McCracken, and will be published by New Issues Press in 2005.
Galang’s “Her Wild Self” has been short-listed by both Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize. She is also the editor of Screaming Monkeys: Critiques of Asian American Images (Coffee House Press, 2003).
Recently her anthology won ForeWord Magazine’s Gold Book of the Year Award for 2003.
In 2001, she was the Fulbright Senior Research Scholar in the Philippines where she continued her work on Surviving Comfort Women of World War II for her collection of essays, Lolas’ House: Women Living with War.
Galang teaches in the MFA Creative Writing Program at the University of Miami in Florida.
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