SolarMaxFil-Am Branch representatives and their officers paid a courtesy call to the Honorable Ma. Helen Barber De La Vega, Philippines Los Angeles Consul General, last June 3, 2013 to launch Solar energy utilization focusing on the Filipino-American community in California.

Felino “Jun” Quinto, third from left, branch manager of the Fil-Am unit of Solar Max, also emphasized that while the unit is propagating the energy savings through the use of Solar panels among Fil-Am residential and commercial owners in the State, research is being done here and in the Philippines to evolve a template that would apply in the country and The Asean.

Consul De La Vega, center, welcomed the potential of maximizing the use of such alternative energy in the Islands because “our economy needs this…” and that “this is in line with the platform of the government in supporting small businesses, going green, and it being environmentally friendly.”

Besides this, she says that “if Tibet houses use solar energy, why not in the Philippines where we have so much more sun?”

Shown in picture are (l-r) Renewable Energy Consultant (REC) Rudy D. Liporada, Sales Trainer David Lin, Manager Felino “Jun” Quinto, Sales Director Michael Valencia (back), Consul General Ma. Helen Barber De La Vega, Sales Director Guillermo Santomauro, and Fil-Am RECs Paulo Abesamis and Rodel Urmatan. The meeting was facilitated by Venus Tan, European Tourism Attaché; Annie Cuevas and Eva Adan of LA’s, Department of Tourism.

For more information, call the Fil-Am unit’s hotline at 888.263.8867. (PR)

Here are other photos taken during the event:

MARKHAM, Ontario, Canada — A Markham school named in honor of San Lorenzo Ruiz has scored a statue of the iconic Filipino saint five years after it opened.

The statue was unveiled at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School during the Solemn Blessing and Official Opening of New Addition celebrations held last May 6.

The statue, a mid-size sculpture measuring 40″ tall was carved from plaster, according to its sculptor, artist Mogi Mogado. It stands atop a 32″ pedestal that will be installed permanently to grace the school’s foyer area.

“At this height, it is at a comfortable eye-level that is just perfect for the school children to enjoy,” he said.

His version of San Lorenzo incorporates more of Filipino features, the artist explained. Its form was adapted from the gigantic monument that dominates the San Lorenzo Park in front of the Binondo Cathedral in the Philippines.

Unlike the common, generic version that looks anything but Filipino, Mogado said he modeled it from a Filipino priest from the local St. Patrick’s Church, who was of part-Chinese facial features, reflecting the lineage of San Lorenzo.

In blessing the statue, the officiating priest, Rev. Chris Lemieux, said that “idols and statues are primarily symbols of faith that serve to facilitate the connection between the devotees and God.”

He said they are not objects of veneration themselves. “Rather they are the powerful intercessors on our behalf. If I pray and ask San Lorenzo and the other saints to help me pray to the Lord, in my faith I believe my prayer will have a better chance to be heard and answered,” he said.

School Trustee Marlene Mogado and principal Teresa Lombardo, who both did the unveiling, were happy to welcome the statue. The statue was a gift to the school jointly by Trustee Mogado and the School Council.

“With this statue, I feel there is a sense of closing the circle, a sort of giving wholeness to the school,” Trustee Mogado said. “When we talk San Lorenzo to the kids, it will be easier for them to relate to the subject by visualizing him through the statue.”

Principal Lombardo was most grateful as she acknowledged the gift to her school.

“It’s wonderful. It will be like having the blessed soul of San Lorenzo pacing our corridors, his presence among us in every classroom and every school activity,” she said.

“Seeing the new statue will instill more pride in being Filipino. I feel that way, I’m sure it’s the same with the other kababayans,” remarked Madeleine Ong, a Filipino lay church leader active with the St. Patrick’s Church and the Block Rosary Crusade of Toronto.

Among the honored guests present were Director of Education Patricia Preston, and Superintendent of Schools Nancy DiNardo, both of the York Catholic District School Board, and Chair of the SLRCES Council Nathalie Gonsalves.

San Lorenzo Ruiz is the beloved patron saint of Catholic Filipino migrants and overseas Foreign workers (OFWs). He was beatified by Pope John Paul in Manila in 1981, and later canonized in Rome in 1987 making him the first saint from the Philippines.

At the San Lorenzo Ruiz CES gym a satellite church mass, part of the St. Patrick’s Parish, is held at 10:15 every Sunday morning. Since news spread that there was a San Lorenzo church here, devotees from neighboring communities have been flocking to attend the masses, pushing the numbers of Filipino attendees into the majority among the congregation.

Local Filipino community leaders are campaigning for kababayans to attend mass here. Trustee Mogado said that if sufficient numbers are maintained, it may justify building a San Lorenzo church in the area.

For artist Mogado, it will be his latest major artwork that goes into public view. A few blocks away in the same community as SLRCES is the Don Cousens Public School that proudly displays a bust statue sculpted by Mogado of the former city mayor of Markham in whose honor the school is named after.

Mogado also has a bust statue of the Philippine Hero Jose Rizal enshrined at the Filipino Center Toronto, and one of the late founder of Fiesta Filipina Dance Troupe George Aguinaldo at the Fiesta Filipina Community Center in Mississauga. Not to mention numerous art pieces in private collections and at his home, including a backyard gaggle of Canada Geese sculpture and totem poles in his front yard.

Mogi is active in the community. Among his involvements are as Balita associate editor, past president of the Philippine Artist Group of Canada, past treasurer of the Philippine Press Club of Ontario, and as past chancellor of the Canada Region Knights of Rizal. (PR)

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced 28-year-old Adonil Paul Mariano was one of 33 Brisbane International Student Ambassadors for 2013.

“The ambassadors will use social media to tell the world what it’s like to study and live in our city,” Cr Quirk said.

“Brisbane’s 33 passionate new advocates from 29 countries will share their experiences back home as well as participate in media interviews, volunteer at multicultural events, and assist with hosting official visiting delegations. As well as coming to grips with a different language and unfamiliar campuses, they will witness unique Australian sporting events, feed dolphins, visit our world-renowned Gallery of Modern Art, and much more,” he added.

Cr Quirk said Brisbane’s 75,553 international students were attracted by the city’s growing global reputation as an Australasian centre of excellence for science and technology, drawing international collaborations from industry and research institutes worldwide.

“Another bonus for students is that many companies in Brisbane offer internship and graduate programs which embrace cross-cultural skills. Our strong economy, lifestyle and weather are also drawcards,” Cr Quirk said.

Adonil Paul Mariano is from the Town of General Mariano Alvarez in The Philippines but lives in Brisbane while he completes his Diploma of Nursing at South Bank Institute Technology.

“As Australia’s new world city, Brisbane has a high quality of life and education, freedom and security, and tremendous support to international students,” Mariano said.

“I enjoy the efficient transport services and student concession privileges. Almost everything is pretty to the eyes while services are streamlined and accessible making living in Brisbane a breeze. Being a Brisbane International Student Ambassador allows me to use my skills, talents and intellect to help convey to the rest of the world that Brisbane is the destination to be when it comes to obtaining world class education,” he said.

Cr Quirk said the honorary appointments were for one year. In that time, the ambassadors will use a variety of social media and digital tools, including Facebook, Twitter and the recently relaunched Study Brisbane website, to communicate their real life experiences.

“International students contribute so much to Brisbane and not just on an economic level. They help create a cosmopolitan, vibrant city and strengthen our network with cities around the globe, creating lifelong relationships,” he said.

The student ambassador program was established by Brisbane Marketing’s Study Brisbane (www.studybrisbane.com) program in 2009 and is open to both domestic and international students in Brisbane. (PR)

During the exhibit, the gallery will also give a presentation on “A History of Contemporary Art in the Philippines” by Tally Beck on May 22 and an “Artist’s Talk and Q&A” with Lenore RS Lim on May 29.

In this photo, from left to right, are: Mdme Fe Cabactulan, wife of the Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations, Tally Beck and artist Lenore RS Lim at the opening reception on May 9.

For more info: tallybeckcontemporary.com. (PR)

The pageant is an undertaking of the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation. Final judging and coronation will be held during the Pinoy Fiesta & Trade Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada on June 22, 2013.

Photo by Willie Santiago

BEIJING, China — I’m gearing up for my second Chinese New Year celebration here.

Living in a country with a different calendar gives me a chance to start my year right.

I might have screwed up in my New Year’s resolution since the first day of this year but I can start working on my 2013 checklist starting this Chinese New Year.

Chinese people are using lunar calendar, which means their year 2013 is kicking off on February 9th until February 10th.

I wonder how they are going to open the year of the water snake.
Will they light up tons of fireworks again and blast the roads with lots of firecrackers? I bet I have to buy a filtered mask for thick smog starting this New Year’s Eve.

I’ll enjoy watching spectacular fireworks from my window for 10 days here in Beijing.

Sadly, I have to endure the smog for a month. A beautiful fireworks display comes with a huge price, smog and a deafening noise.

Three years ago, I almost waved a white hanky out of my window just to tell my neighbors that I had enough of their hour-long firecracker session every morning. I felt like I was living in a war zone area.

This has been a longtime tradition here in China.

According to a Chinese friend, the usage of this colorful explosive started during the 6th century. They even used it as a tool against the Mongolian invaders. No wonder they’re still the leading manufacturers today.

Apart from this, every family has to wear something new every New Year’s day. I got excited when all the shopping malls here were on sale starting Christmas day last year.

It was like a black Friday sale here in Beijing. I tried not to shop but I got tempted during the first day of the Gregorian new year. I started my year shopping! I hope I can avoid spending on the Chinese New Year! Chinese people are working hard for the whole year so they can buy new clothes, new furniture and have enough cash to put in the “hongbaos” or the red envelope they’re giving to their kids and relatives. Kids are over excited to collect their red presents, I could sometimes hear them bragging about the amount they collected.

But Chinese kids know how to save. Most of them put their money in the bank. They were exposed to the culture of saving at an early age. I wish Filipino kids will do the same.

Chinese New year isn’t only about fireworks and commercialism; it’s about families celebrating life together. Every New Year the streets here in Beijing are quite, subway cars are almost empty because the “mingongs” or migrant workers go home for the occasion. I bet there are millions of fathers and mothers from far flung towns and provinces working here in the city. Thus, many children are left in the care of their grandparents and only get to see their parents once a year.

One reason why the trains bound to different provinces here in mainland China are jammed. People with their one year earnings and huge bags of presents go home. They have a simple New Year’s Eve celebration. They cook special dishes and must eat “jiaozi” dumplings and fish. I had been invited by a Chinese family a few years ago.

I prepared dumplings with my student’s grandmother in their hutong, the traditional Chinese house. She put one coin in one of the dumplings.

She said a person who can get it will be lucky for the whole year. I prayed that nobody gets choked when we eat dinner. After dinner, they watched the annual Chinese show on TV.

It’s a grandiose musical show with a little poetry. At midnight the firing of fireworks and firecrackers get more intense.

Lanterns swaying with in the wind while hotpot restaurants are full of foreigners working here in the capital.

I was expecting for a dragon dance, just like what Chinese community in the Philippines present to the people every New Year.

I learned that the dragon dance is commonly practiced by the people living in the South of China. That’s why I haven’t seen it here in Beijing.

To them, dining with the family, putting red posters on the door with a good luck sign, filling up the fridge with a lot of food and a two-week fireworks display are the most important things to do.

Since it’s the year of the snake, I bet Zisiqiao, or known as the snake Village here in China might sell lots of snakes for the New Year.

I wonder how many restaurants will serve snake dishes for this special time of the year.

Zisiqiao, a sleepy village in Zhejiang province, has more than three million snakes. Its snake population outnumbers the people living there. Local residents are hoping that they can have a bigger profit this year.

Some Chinese people believe that snakes are good medicine and a good food to offer for their honorable guests. I was even offered once for a Christmas dinner. Just a thought of it makes me cringed so I’m staying away from restaurants on the eve of the lunar new year. It’s a perfect excuse to start my slimming diet. But for now, I have to buy a lot of mandarins for good fortune. Chinese people believe the year of the snake is not as good as the year of the dragon.

They said snakes might bite the economy and the world this year so we better prepare. To all Zhongguo Ren I say Xin Nian Kuai Le, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Happy Chinese New Year to all!

Photo by Romy Zetazate of St. Jamestown News Service, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Guest of honors were Senator Tobias C. Enverga Jr. of the Federal Government of Canada and Philippine Consul Bolivar Bao.

The celebration was hosted by the Rizal Brampton Chapter headed by Sir Del Palileo and sypported by the Rizal Toronto Chapter under Sir Mario Alpuerto.

(Photo by Tom Eng – St. Jamestown News Service – Dindo Orbeso)