#EDSA@30: People Power Experiential Museum

   Photographs by CBCabalza. Copyright © 2016 by Chester B. Cabalza. All Rights Reserved.

As we celebrate and commemorate the 30th anniversary of EDSA I or the People Power through the Experiential Museum located at the heart of Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, we relieve how our democracy has morphed, and remember Filipinos who sacrificed their lives from ordinary people, the religious, military, militant groups, activists, and our children. We thank leaders who stood with firm principles and showed the world that Filipinos are worth living for! Mabuhay ang diwa ng EDSA People Power!

Aquino home with ‘good news’

By: Nikko Dizon

@inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer

07:21 AM February 20th, 2016

President Benigno Aquino III arrived on Friday from a two-day summit between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in California, upbeat over the stronger backing the Philippines has received in its effort to resolve its maritime row with China.

“The good news is, with regard to the talks over maritime concerns, the support of those we had a dialogue with has become clear. If there were only a few (Asean countries) who mentioned this issue before, the stand of the Asean and the United States is clear with the joint statement released after the meeting: we have to maintain the security, stability and freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, and any disagreements should be resolved through a peaceful process, following international law,” President Aquino said in Filipino.

Adopt Code of Conduct

Philippine Airlines flight PR 001 carrying President Aquino touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) at 7:05 a.m.

The Asean-US Summit declaration avoided direct reference to China but it called for an easing of tensions and a “halt” in the reclamation and construction activities and “militarization” in the disputed areas in the South China Sea, a major international trade route.

Throughout President Aquino’s six-year term, he had always raised the maritime row in Asean summits, urging the regional bloc to finalize and adopt a legally binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea between Asean and China.

It was not an easy campaign as other Asean members like Laos and Cambodia have close ties with China.

As the special meeting winded down, China deployed two batteries of surface-to-air missile on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands, which Vietnam claims.

On Wednesday, security expert Chester Cabalza said whatever takes place in the disputed areas in the South China Sea, whether on the Paracel or the Spratlys, would have a “domino effect” for the Philippines.

“When we talk of the whole South China Sea, whatever you do on one part will affect the other areas. It has implications on the regional security. Whatever they do on the other islands in the South China Sea, they can do to the islands we are claiming,” Cabalza told the Inquirer by phone.

Vulnerable situation

Cabalza said that while there are no reports that China has deployed missiles on any of the artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, he sees an already “increasing militarization” in the South China Sea.

“Given that you have the surface to missile on Paracel islands, it would impact on the other islands as well,” Cabalza said.

Cabalza said the different policies on the West Philippine Sea issue given by the politicians running for president in the May 2016 elections, considering their diverse backgrounds, puts the country in a vulnerable situation.

“We don’t have a unified and continuous policy regarding the West Philippine Sea issue,” Cabalza said.

Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/136835/aquino-home-with-good-news#ixzz40wbsBiEi
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

UPscale UP Towncenter

Photo courtesy from www.rchitects.ph

Ethnography by Patricia Lauren Ong

A mall is a building complex containing stores, restaurants, and other facilities. Shopping malls have become a popular go-to place for Filipinos due to its convenience and various facilities.

The UP Town Center (UPTC) has become a popular destination for people within the Katipunan vicinity. Students have been the target customers for this mall due to its close proximity to academic institutions such as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and Miriam College.

The scope of this ethnography will cover the behaviors and practices of students in UPTC and aimed at answering the question, "Is UP Town Center a practical shopping center for all UP students?"

To test my problem, I observed the people visiting UPTC for an hour daily, in a span of three days. I walked around the mall to be able to see the activities of the shoppers.

In addition, I also interviewed students from both UP and Ateneo to compare their mall going habits in UPTC. The limitations of this ethnography are the lack of diversity of students from different socio-economic status, the small pool of interviewees, and lack of time for observation.

The first thing that welcomed me as I entered the mall is the cold air conditioning and the wide and bright interiors. I passed by a number of stores and restaurants that cater to almost every need of the customers. A wide array of establishments from supermarkets to department stores made it a complete one-stop shopping center.

I noticed that food establishments had more customers than other non-food retail stores. In addition, more students flock to cheaper food establishments and coffee shops rather than higher end restaurants.  

When I saw the jam packed S&R food restaurant, I was curious to why there were so many customers. I went into the store and checked out the prices of the food. The food in the store was inexpensive and ranged from as low as P49 to P199.

Other inexpensive restaurants with food priced at P100 include Silantro, Recovery Food, Pepper Lunch, and 8cuts that are popular among students. These restaurants seem to have more studen customers than other high-end food establishments.

Dessert places and coffee shops are also popular destinations for students to study or catch up with friends. Cold Stone Creamery, La Lola Churreria, Rita's Jamba Juice, and Starbucks Coffee are among the many dessert shops popular among students. However, most of these establishments sell expensive food items with prices starting from P150 and above.

National Bookstore is another popular shop for students in UPTC. This bookstore, although small, caters a wide array of students from primary to tertiary school students. Customers are able to buy books and supplies for their requirements. National Bookstore is one of the few non-food establishments with a lot of student customers. The items in National Bookstore are affordable and practical for students to buy as compared to other retail stores such as clothing, shoes and cosmetics.

Going back to my main participation-observation, majority of UPTC goers are students. The crowd in the mall is comprised of mostly Ateneo college students and lesser UP college students. In a span of one hour each day, I was able to see more groups of Ateneans going around UPTC during the days of observation. There were also a lot of grade school and high school studens from Ateneo and Miriam College in the mall.

Although UP Town Center is much closer and more accessible to UP students, the number of UP visitors in the mall were outnumbered by students from other colleges. My assumption is that the UPTC caters to high-end students, often visited by students from UP itself.

To test my hypothesis, I decided to interview ten freshmen students from UP and another 10 from ADMU. the questions asked are stated below:

1. How often do you go to UP Town Center?

2. What are your usual activities in UP Town Center?

3. Why do you go to UP Town Center?

4. Are the goods and services in UP Town Center expensive? Do the prices affect you from visiting UPTC? 

5. Is UP Town Center the number one "go-to" place for UP students? (For UP students only)

6. What are your top three most visited places in UP Town Center? 

Out of the ten Ateneans I interviewed, three studens visit UPTC at least once a week while seven of them visit at least twice a month. The usual activities the Ateneans do in UPTC is to eat and hang out with their friends.

Dining is also the main reason for them visiting UPTC. Eight out of ten interviewees said tha the goods and services in UPTC are fairly priced and it does not affect them from visiting UPTC again. The popular shops among them are Recovery Food, S&R Fast Food, Mad Mark's Creamery, and Cold Stone Creamery.

Half of the UP students I interviewed visit UPTC at least once a week while the other half visit UPTC at least once a month. Their usual activities are to eat, to experience the cold air-conditioning, to walk around, and to buy school supplies. Dining, security, comfort, and accessibility are some of the reasons as to why they visit UPTC. All of the interviewees said hat the products in UPTC are a bit expensive which is why they go to alternative places like CASAA or Area 2.

Some just choose not to go in these expensive stores and just walk around to enjoy the new setting. All said that UPTC is not the most budget friendly place but they still go because of its safety and amenities.

The popular spots for these UP students are Pepper Lunch, National Bookstore, Silantro, Cold Stone, Recovery Food, and S&R Fast food.

Based on the data collected, I can conclude that dining is the main reason for students going to UPTC. It is also evident that UPTC is not the most practical place for UP students to shop and dine in everyday. It would be too costly for UP students to do malling everyday to UPTC.

UPTC caters to the higher ends students who happen to be the minority of the UP student population.

As a result, students tend to go somewhere with much cheaper food for practical reasons, while other students with bigger food budgets dominate the UPTC scene. Another thing we can look into is the variety of cheaper food stalls inside and outside UP. Perhaps, this can also be a contributing factor to the distribution of students in relation to smaller UP student crowd in UPTC.

More runways on reefs

By: Nikko Dizon

@inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer

01:12 AM January 17th, 2016

China rapidly building facilities on reefs

China has nearly completed construction of a runway and other facilities on Panganiban Reef, on the Philippine side of the Spratly archipelago in the heavily disputed South China Sea, a US-based think tank reported on Saturday.

Also known as Mischief Reef, Panganiban Reef is 216 kilometers west of Palawan, well within the Philippines’ 370-km exclusive economic zone recognized under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China is also rapidly completing construction of a runway and other facilities on Zamora Reef (Subi Reef), also part of Philippine territory in the Spratlys.

Zamora Reef is 23.4 km away from Pag-asa Island (Thitu Island), a small municipality in Palawan province that is home to a small civilian population.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (Amti) released its latest report on the developments in the Spratlys on Friday, complete with satellite images that show in detail China’s swift construction undertaken in less than six months.

“Mischief Reef sits just [37.8 km] from the BRP Sierra Madre, which was deliberately grounded by the Philippines at Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) in 1999 and is home to a contingent of Philippine Marines,” the Amti report said.

“China has maintained a constant coast guard presence around Second Thomas since 2013 and attempted to prevent resupply of the Sierra Madre in March 2014. Mischief is also about [108 km] from Reed Bank (Recto Bank), where the Philippines hopes to drill for natural gas deposits over China’s objections,” it added.

Strategic location

“This strategic location combined with its size (China has reclaimed twice as much land at Mischief Reef as it did at Fiery Cross [Kagitingan Reef] and about 50 percent more than at Subi) makes developments at Mischief of particular concern for the Philippines,” Amti said.

Security expert Chester Cabalza of the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) described the progress of China’s work on Panganiban and Zamora reefs as “alarming.”

“China has become [daring]. They have completed their construction, so what’s next?” Cabalza told the Inquirer by phone.

Cabalza said China was actually “challenging the international community” with its expansive construction activities on the disputed areas in the Spratlys.

“China wants to let the international community know that ‘This is ours,’” he said.

Cabalza said China had been able to follow the timeline it set for staking claim to nearly 90 percent of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in global trade passes every year.

“The next step is to totally claim what they say is theirs. They know how the international community, especially the US, Japan and India, would react,” Cabalza said.

Private investment

On Friday, China announced that it would invite private investment to build infrastructure on the artificial islands it had built in the South China Sea and that it would launch flights to one of them this year, moves likely to anger the Philippines and the other claimants to territory in the strategic waterway.

Besides the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also has claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines controlled Panganiban Reef until 1995 when China seized it and put up structures on stilts there, supposedly to provide shelter for its fishermen. It has controlled the reef since then.

The Philippines responded by grounding the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting naval hospital ship, on Ayungin Shoal in 1999.

Amti’s latest satellite images that showed progress on Panganiban and Zamora reefs were dated Jan. 8, the same day Manila filed a diplomatic protest over China’s test flights to Kagitingan Reef.

China rejected the Philippine protest, saying it had “undisputed sovereignty” over the South China Sea, where islands, reefs and atolls are believed to be sitting on vast energy reserves.

On Jan. 6, China landed two test flights on the 3,125-meter-long runway on Kagitingan Reef, a follow-up to the Jan. 2 landing that prompted a protest from Vietnam, which also claims the reef, and drew sharp criticism from the United States.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said China’s flights to the Spratlys should be challenged, as it might next impose an air defense identification zone above the contested region similar to the air exclusion zone it had declared in the East China Sea, where it is locked in dispute with Japan over ownership of five uninhabited islands.

The United States urged China to stop land reclamation and militarization in the Spratlys and Britain declared that freedom of navigation and overflight in the area were nonnegotiable.

Faster progress

Amti said only four months after it released images of China’s completed construction of its first Spratly airstrip on Kagitingan Reef, “China has not only landed three civilian test flights on Fiery Cross, but is progressing even faster than expected with its work at Subi and especially Mischief.”

The think tank observed that if construction of the Kagitingan airstrip took “at least seven months from the start of grading,” China’s work at Zamora is taking at least six months.

On Panganiban Reef, grading began in September or October, and Amti said that “construction is already approaching completion just three to four months later … considerably faster than (its work) on Fiery Cross or Subi.”

“A fully formed and compacted sand runway could be seen by Oct. 19, and by Dec. 5 the runway and apron had been covered with gravel and about [150 meters] of concrete. As of Jan. 8, concrete covered most of the runway, which appears to be nearing completion,” Amti said, describing the work on Panganiban Reef.

Satellite images show that as of Jan. 8, the northwest side of Panganiban Reef already has a 570-m-long seawall, housing facilities, artificial turf parade grounds, cement plants and docks.

China has also constructed a seawall and completed a dock on the artificial island it has built on the southern end of Panganiban Reef.

‘Tower’ on Zamora

Zamora Reef, which can be seen from Pagasa Island, now has an “octagonal tower with a conical feature at its top” measuring 27 to 30 m high and 12 m on each side, Amti said.

Construction of the tower, located on the northeast side of Zamora Reef, was almost complete as of Jan. 8.

“A seawall and docks have been constructed, and work continues on a number of hardened buildings,” Amti said.

Also as of Jan. 8,  the “southern end of the runway” on Zamora Reef “had been paved with concrete as had most of the runway and apron at the northern end, while the gravel base had been completed and concrete strips were visible in the central portion,” Amti said.

Edca

Cabalza said the Philippines “reacted with grace” when it pursued the legal and diplomatic track in responding to China’s expansionism in the South China Sea.

But the Aquino administration is also pushing for joint patrols with the United States in the South China Sea through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), which the Supreme Court declared constitutional last week.

The Edca is seen as a deterrent to China's aggression as the Philippine and US militaries could conduct joint patrols in the South China Sea, although Manila and Washington stress that the agreement will greatly contribute to faster humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

In a speech at the East-West Center Association International Conference held at Manila Hotel on Friday, President Aquino said the "basic logic behind" the Edca was "interoperability" between the Philippine and US militaries.

“Anybody who is reasonable will see that this agreement is an enhancement of both our countries’ abilities, rather than a threat to anyone else,” the President said.

“To my mind, the Edca has a very practical purpose for developing our own armed forces: All the modern hardware carries a significant price tag; yet with the Edca, we have a chance to try the cutting-edge equipment and see just how suitable they are to our needs, without having to buy them first … On the reverse side, the US gets to learn how to make do with fewer resources, which in a conflict situation is always a high probability if not an intense possibility,” the President said.

Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/135189/more-runways-on-reefs#ixzz3yQlBd64K
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

COMMERCIAL PLANES LANDONKAGITINGAN Passengers and crew of a Hainan Airlines plane and a China SouthernAirlines plane pose for a souvenir photo on Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef in the Spratlys that China has transformed into an airfield. The ChinaDaily newspaper said the two planes made the two-hour flight to the reef from Hainan province on Jan. 6. XINHUA/AP

In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 file photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, a China Southern Airlines jetliner lands at the airfield on Fiery Cross Reef, known as Yongshu Reef in Chinese, in the Spratly Islands, known as Nansha Islands in Chinese, of the South China Sea. An official says Philippine and U.S. foreign and defense chiefs will discuss new security concerns arising from China’s completion of artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, on Tuesday, Jan. 12 in Washington. AP

Palace concerned over photos of Chinese tourists on Kagitingan Reef

Published January 21, 2016 9:11am

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/552068/news/nation/palace-concerned-over-photos-of-chinese-tourists-on-kagitingan-reef

Kagitingan Reef or Fiery Cross Reef used to be a mere coral formation that nobody visits. But based on the Chinese government's website, the site has been transformed into a man-made area that is attracting tourists.

Malacañang has expressed this concern over China's latest action in the disputed West Philippine Sea.

"Hindi lamang Pili kundi lahat ng bansa na bumubuo ng ASEAN at ng ASEAN East Asian Summit and nagkasundo noong pagpupulong ng Summit na ito sa Malaysia na dapat tiyakin ang pag-iiral ng United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," said Secretary Sonny Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

Security experts are also concerned over the latest development.

Prof. Chester Cabalza, a security analyst, said the Chinese government seem to have a well laid out plan for the reclamation project at the disputed area.

"After sending off the civilian population there, the next thing is build infrastructures whether commercial and investment. And then magugulat na lang tayo, it will become a city or a resort," he told GMA News.

Cabalza added If there are investments in the disputed islands and once a rich neighborhood develops, the Filipinos will be lured to get employment from their end.

China should be stopped from further developing the area, because if Chinese civilians start to live in the area this would be the basis of their government to protect the region.

Cabalza advised that aside from pursuing a legal track on the issue, diplomacy options should also be used. He added that the Philippine government should strengthen its military presence at the site. — BAP, GMA

PH decision to join AIIB 'realistic and pragmatic'

By: Nikko Dizon

@inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer

02:14 AM January 1st, 2016

The Philippines’ last-minute decision to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a “bittersweet” experience for the country which has to balance its economic interests with its sovereign authority in a maritime dispute with its giant neighbor, according to a security expert.

“It’s a bittersweet participation. The AIIB will likely compete with other financial organizations like the World Bank and it reflects a rising China. But the Philippines has to be realistic and pragmatic, or else we will be left behind,” Chester Cabalza, a professor of Chinese studies at the National Defense College of the Philippines.

Cabalza said joining the AIIB gives the Philippines, among other things, another avenue to source funds for its development projects.

And as a founding member, it will have “certain rights in the decision making” within the AIIB, he said.

Last to sign up

The government announced its participation in the AIIB on Dec. 30, the deadline for prospective members to join the group, making the Philippines the last of the 57 founding members to sign the articles of agreement.

Under the articles of agreement, the Philippine share in the AIIB’s capitalization requirement totals $979.1 million for capital subscription. The bank’s total capital stock is $100 billion.

However, the Philippines’ AIIB participation will still be subject to the availability of funds to pay for its share of the new bank’s capitalization, as well as Senate ratification.

AIIB members have until December next year to have their respective memberships ratified by their governments.

Cabalza surmised that the government’s decision must have been made at the “last hour” because it had to take into consideration the dispute with China in the South China Sea region.

But he said international relations have evolved through the years in such a way that countries now practice “dual engagements,” so that the Philippines can handle the sea dispute and its economic interests separately.

“When it used to be that a country allies itself with another in all aspects—military, political, economic—today, a country can deal with the United States for its security concerns and with China for its economic concerns,” Cabalza said.

‘Hidden agenda’

“Is there a hidden agenda?” he asked.

Certainly, there are doubts about China’s intentions for putting up the AIIB given that there are already more established financial institutions doing exactly what the AIIB intends to do, Cabalza said.

He said the AIIB is part of the realization of the Chinese Dream, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s platform in the lead-up to 2049, the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party.

“The AIIB is actually one of China’s ways of cementing its position that it is a superpower. China always keeps a low profile but always plans for the long term,” Cabalza said.

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/204861/ph-decision-to-join-aiib-realistic-and-pragmatic#ixzz3yFv9V83y
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Pinoy Top Thinkers Today! (2015)

By Chester B Cabalza

(Copyright @ 2015 by Chester B Cabalza. All Rights Reserved)

The Philippines is a game-changer in many fronts this year. 2015 solemnly started when His Holiness Pope Francis blessed the predominantly Catholic nation in Asia. In between the country has graced the world with sweet beam as the phenomenal love team of ‘AlDub’ skyrockets in Twitterverse holding a world record while the Philippines ascended on the center stage as it successfully hosts for the second time the multilateral trade forum of APEC summit attended by 21 world economic leaders. It happily ends the year of the wooden sheep with the crowning of the most beautiful Filipino woman in the universe. 

This year, Filipinos survive many political hullabaloos with a miscalculated strategy on a Mamasapano debacle that brought the elusive peace in Mindanao another challenge. This operational mishap perpetually highlights the heroism of the Special Action Force, a highly-trained elite police corps, as we mystify the so-called fallen “SAF44”.

On the external front, legal luminaries and our international law experts under the aegis of foreign affairs aid the Philippines win the first round of our case against a giant civilization-state as the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Peace Palace at The Hague held that the Philippine case has jurisdiction. The rule of law has prevailed as the tribunal is expected to decide on the second round of the legal bout on the merits of our petition against the aggressive neighbor as early as next year.    

Filipinos have also shown the world their multi-faceted potentials in business, economics, performing arts and film, international law, academia, and more other professional networks courtesy of our expanding diasporic communities worldwide and the nanosecond viral clout of transborder social media. 

Celebrating Filipino top thinkers today since its inception seven years ago is in itself a milestone as we see young and promising thinkers in the Philippines. This gives us more hope that our great country is a producer of knowledge in the knowledge economy of the twenty-first century.

Below is the gallery of thinkers and newsmakers who continuously contribute to the intellectual tradition and cultural transformation of the Philippines. Some of them rise as an ensemble as they outwit others despite pressures and odds with their clever talents while many of them single-handedly share their words of wisdom and expertise in their own respective fields.   

AlDub Cast (best entertainers, twitter record-holder) – the accidental hit kalyeserye (street series) of the noontime show Eat Bulaga surprised millions of Filipino fans or the AlDub nation across the globe that paved way for giant international media and foreign celebrities to digest and comprehend the popularity of the phenomenal love team of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza or "Yaya Dub" supported by wacky and witty grandmothers acted by Wally Bayola, Paolo Ballesteros, and Jose Manalo. They changed the landscape of online and television advertising as they embraced the totality of a new genre of entertainment of the 21^st century combining social media’s apps like dabsmash and a fusion of their own live and situational antics of romantic comedy, dramedy, parody, and positivism. They have cemented their presence on Twitter with their record-breaking 41 million tweets during the climax of the kalyserye’s “Tamang Panahon” episode. Their movie is certainly a top-grosser in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival. The multi-awarded and bankable AlDub cast is also hailed by the powerful Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for spreading commendable Filipino values.   

Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa (Ramon Magsaysay awardee) – as she gracefully dances her style called pangalay in the tune of ‘Twerk it like Miley’ in the primetime news to connect with the millennial crowd, this year’s Ramon Magsaysay winner earns the respect of the world as the keeper of living traditions of dance movements of the Sulu archipelago and the country’s link to the ancient and classical dance traditions in maritime Southeast Asia. In the RMA website, she has been recognized in “her single-minded crusade in preserving the endangered artistic heritage of southern Philippines and in creatively propagating a dance form that celebrates and deepens the sense of shared cultural identity among Asians.” This Tagalog ethnic dancer who deeply embraced her husband’s southern roots creates a healing power through her gift and craft as she advocates cultural empowerment amidst ethnic and religious strife in a plural society of the Philippines. Keeping culture alive through dance is her way of saying “a dance must be repeated, or else it vanishes.”      

John Arcilla (actor, thespian) – the rebirth of General Antonio Luna in film is also the rebirth of best actor John Arcilla. As a character actor in mainstream movies he rarely plays a lead role. Underrated for his holistic talent in theater, television and film until Jerrold Tarog’s game-changer indie film and highest grossing historical movie Heneral Luna paved way for John Arcilla to be recognized as one of the smart actors in the country as he cements his presence in the volatile world of tinseltown. Although, known for his award-winning supporting acting roles in the 90s and bags minor roles in Hollywood movies, his iconic and transformative acting in Heneral Luna  inspired students and history aficionados alike to rethink and review the role of Antonio Luna and other national heroes during the Spanish-American period in the Philippines. He has carried the film with confidence and in character, and he excellently plays the lunatic and ‘renaissance man’ persona of General Luna. With his sterling performance, the historical biopic has been picked as the Philippine entry to the 2016 Oscar’s foreign film up against 80 entries in Hollywood.

  

Christopher Ian Cabalza (multi-awarded physician) – he has traveled the continents of Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Europe to study and practice medicine. His never-ending search for knowledge and sense of volunteerism for the United Nations and other organizations earned him several local and international awards and distinctions. He received commendations like the Epic Award for Community Service and the Medallion and Certificate as Diplomate and Fellow of the Philippine Academy of Medical Specialists, Inc; TOYM 2015 nominee by the JCI, Inc; Dr Jose P Rizal Memorial Award for Filipino Physician with distinction for Community Leadership by the PMA; a Higher Career Ambassador by Commission on Higher Education Region II; and a Dangal ng Bayan and Asian Achiever Honoree. He is one of the editors of the International Institute of Ageing and outstanding blood donor in Guyana, South America. This multi-awarded young gerontologist and physician studied in Malta, Europe and Saint Louis University at Baguio City whose expertise is sought of by radio and television medical programs. He also lectures in medical schools in Region II for his wide-ranging knowledge and experience in community service which is lacking among many medical doctors today.   

Antonio Carpio (senior associate justice) – “equalizer” becomes his proverbial word as the Philippines legally battles with a big and strong country. “Intergenerational” summons his word of wisdom in describing our longstanding legal issue in the West Philippine Sea. He consistently cements his strong presence several times in this gallery of thinkers as long as we have not patched up our political and strategic difference with China over our national sovereignty and territorial integrity. His pioneering archival research on ancient maps can be used as one of our “prima facie” pieces of evidence in our will to win in the arbitration case for the second round. However, The UP College of Law class valedictorian’s legal opinion over presidential candidate Grace Poe’s flaws in SET ruling by stating that she is not a natural born under international customary law irked the lady presidential aspirant. Despite the legal opinion, he remains credible and respected in the legal community while his voice sounds powerful in shaping international law and maritime legal history.

Lav Diaz (award-winning indie filmmaker) – he is the elder statesmen of the New Philippine cinema and his films are haunted by his country’s past, describes http://www.filmlinc.org. He has become famous over the last decade for his works lasting six, seven and eleven hours, almost shot in black-and-white in small towns and countryside of the Philippines, writes http://hcl.harvard.edu. This award-winning filmmaker from Mindanao is known for his extensive films such as Batang West Side; Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino (Evolution of a Filipino Family); Kagadanan sa Banwaan ning mga Engkanto (Death in the Land of Encantos); Melancholia; and Norte, the End of History. His full-length films have been shown in the biggest, most respected, and oldest film festivals around the world as he consistently brings home laurels of honor for the country from the Independent Film Festival of Brussels, Cannes Film Festival, Cinemanila International Film Festival, Fribourg International Film Festival, International Locarno International Film Festival, Singapore International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Venice International Film Festival. He is also a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010 and the Prince Claus Award of the Netherlands in 2014.

El Gamma Penumbra (shadow play genius) – they wowed the world with their genuine and unique talent with such an impeccable class. The group’s name was derived from Latin words meaning “the ray of light behind a man’s shadow”. The ensemble talents from Batangas popularized the human shadow play with just a tarpaulin and a halogen light as an improvisation during their humble beginnings. From a simple stage in a basketball court back in Tanauan to a sophisticated glistening world-class stage at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, they brought home honor for the Philippines tagged as the first Grand Winner of Asia’s Got Talent. Their winning numbers are well-thought of and heartfelt performances showing a masterful Filipino artistry and ingenuity in performing arts that does not deviate from social realism. In the world’s talent search, it is no wonder that our country proves that we are the land of many talents or a land that has its own league of God-given talents. This has been evident during the final's night of Asia’s Got Talent when four Filipino acts out of eight finalists competed in the contest. El Gamma Penumbra’s world-class talent has made them one of the tourism ambassadors of the country as they perform for “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” brand and they also shared their talent during the dinner hosted by President Aquino for world economic leaders during the APEC Summit in Mall of Asia.

Filipino Small Medium Entrepreneurs (Apec superstars) – the buzz word for “inclusive growth” has become a big question mark during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation as the host Philippines paves way for world leaders to expound in their speeches the bigger role of small and medium entrepreneurs. With the striving and expanding economic growth in the Philippines, Filipino small and medium entrepreneurs are key partners to enlarging a pool of middle class to fuel a booming economy. This unprecedented entrepreneurial culture among Filipinos must be mustered and honed more to compete in a globalizing world. Microentrepreneurs must engage with the globalizing world and to open freely their small and medium businesses that boost uniqueness and quality. Definitely to become big time one must start from scratch.   

Gilas Pilipinas (FIBA Asian silver medalist) – in Europe football players are the gods but in the Philippines Gilas Pilipinas are the sports superstars. Despite the looming political relations between the Philippines and China, first they competed to host for this year’s International Federation of Basketball, with the Philippines boasting the Philippine Arena as venue being the world’s largest indoor arena while China’s emerging economy boasts spectacular infrastructures for the event. Secondly, in the championship game, the Philippines and China draw close fight again for the top post with Chinese coach quips in jest by saying that it will give away the Spartlys Islands in case they will lose the game. With many technical glitches and hullabaloos, notwithstanding the obvious maneuvering in favor of the host country, many basketball fans deem that the Philippines truly deserve to win the gold. Nonetheless Gilas Pilipinas’ FIBA Asian silver medal is truly an honor placing the Philippines up to number 28 in world basketball standing, it jumps three notches higher after their breathtaking and intense game in FIBA Asia.

Doris Magsaysay-Ho (Apec business advisory council chairperson) – the shipping heiress wonderfully chairs the APEC Business Advisory Council in the recently concluded APEC Summit in Manila. As the daughter of a successful businessman father and award-winning artist-painter mother, she carries with her a rare breed of philanthropic endeavors with a degree in Industrial Design. As the Entrepreneur of the Year Awardee in 2004 and Socially Responsible Entrepreneur Awardee in 2003, she deems that women entrepreneurs should be empowered and stresses the importance of adopting government policies that promote MSME’s growth and trade.

Richard Javad Heydarian (rising young academic) – turn on to news channels and you would watch him live or listen to his incisive commentaries on various international issues. Surf the net and you may read his articles and stories on the South China Sea disputes, Asian and Philippines current affairs, the Middle East politics, and international political economic issues. This young academic is uber energetic as he thinks, writes, and speaks clearly with credibility. He reads and presents his papers in various international conferences and is sought of for his comments and perspectives in various academic and business engagements. He is the author of “How Capitalism Failed the Arab World: The Economic Roots and Precarious Future of the Arab Uprisings; and Asia’s New Battelfield: US, China and the Struggle for Western Pacific State. This University of the Philippines Diliman alumnus and De La Salle University faculty member has written for and/or interviewed by leading news agencies, local and international, according to his brief biography. As a rising young academic, his brilliant mind will definitely open more doors for him and the country needs this kind of caliber.

Florin Hilbay (solicitor general) – the 1999 bar topnotcher became the Solicitor General only this year but he authored a book entitled “Unplugging the Constitution” published by the UP Press covering theoretical, adjudication and legal hermeneutics on Constitutional Law and Family Relations. He obtained a Masters of Law from Yale University and became a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Boston College. He received Fellowships at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, Germany and the Asian Law Institute for Comparative Public Law in the National University of Singapore. He is a proud alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas and the UP College of Law who also teaches Advance Constitutional Litigation in the premier law school. He handled several high profile cases including the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), both are considered pork barrels. He was also the principal lawyer for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Ramon Jimenez Jr (tourism secretary) – call him the genius behind the phenomenal hit brand of “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”. As the catchy tag hits social media, it was a certified viral and every town and city around the country carry their own memes of “it’s more fun”. Tourism is one of the sunrise industries in the Philippines. We got plenty to offer beginning with our picturesque natural wonders, tasty food, customs and traditions, and the hospitable people. And the lacking ingredient to make the Philippines more fun would be Mon J, popularly known in the advertising world as a guru for his effortless ideas and successful brand campaigns. Because of this, tourism receipts and visits from foreign lands have increased. The land of the most social media savvy used the internet and spread their inherent wit, creativity and humor on the brand. Looks like every Filipino around the world enjoyed the brand and participated in its success. The success of the online campaign fits for Jimenez as he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts major in Visual Communication from the UP College of Fine Arts and received the Gawad Alagad ng Sining from his alma mater. He was also awarded the Achievement Award from the Creative Guild of the Philippines and Pilak Award for the Mavericks of Marketing in the Philippines from Adboard.

Ricky Lee (prime scriptwriter) – this year’s Gawad Plaridel Awardee is unassuming and grounded despite his big name and reputation. He is recognized by his alma mater, the University of the Philippines Diliman, as he exhibits the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service. He is the noted scriptwriter of multi-awarded and influential films such as Himala, Jaguar, Salome, Moral, and Karnal that tackled various taboos and modern moralities in Philippine cinema. As a prime screenwriter, journalist, novelist, and playwright – he is still at the pinnacle of his career receiving left and right awards from local and international award-giving bodies. As a grandmaster of storytelling, he mentors young and budding scriptwriters and filmmakers by conducting scriptwriting workshops for free at his home. He joins his students in their immersion to Quiapo, Ermita, Luneta and other interesting places as refuge for creativity. His supreme writings are well-studied in film schools and he has significantly contributed to Philippine literature and popular culture through his filmography and fiction, according to UP CMC. Nevertheless, time will come he will be bestowed with the National Artist Award in the coming years.   

Ricardo Marquez (police chief) – as the police force is quite painted with dreadful image, we need a police chief that is charismatic, thinking, and clean. The farmer’s son is a product of public schools and graduated from the Philippine Military Academy Class ’82. Marquez is a bemedalled Constabulary and police official receiving 29 PNP commendation medals, four campaign medals and ribbon, two presidential unit citation badges and one honor graduate award. He was lauded for his hard work and work ethics who headed the PNP’s Directorate for Operations and led the Special Task Force “Papal Visit 2015” and under him about 25,000 police men and women were mobilized during the holy visit of Pope Francis, early January. As part of his training and qualifications as the new police director, he was assigned before in several PNP directorates including the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrines Development, Directorate for Research and Development, Directorate for Intelligence, and Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force. Perhaps one of his challenges would be the looming crises in Metro Manila that is to ease the monstrous traffic courtesy of his uniformed men of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) who received mix reviews from irate commuters. As the new PNP chief, he has to prove that he can manage the hullabaloos of the upcoming presidential election next year and elevate public safety among Filipinos.

Aisa Mijano (engineer, scientist) – the salt lamp inventor shines during the APEC Summit in Manila. Her only wish is to power an entire island using just ocean or saline water. But to her surprise, even the most powerful man in the world made her shine and both thinkers enlightened the minds of world entrepreneurs and inventors. In sharing the center stage with US president Barrack Obama and billionaire Jack Ma, she wanted to emphasize the reality of climate change that scientists like her need to get funding for grants to make their inventions viable for all, especially those sectors in need of their masterpiece. As a former Greenpeace Philippines volunteer, she thought of a Sustainable Alternative Lighting lamp that is innovative and environment-friendly light source that may be suitable to those living in coastal areas. The SALt lamp is made of improved chemical compounds, catalysts, and metal alloys that when submerged in electrolytes will generate electricity. Mijano’s ground-breaking experiment received various commendations and awards in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea. Despite the luster of world economic leaders during the APEC summit, Aisa Mijano came out to be the most promising star that young thinkers must emulate.  

Pinoy Young Math Wizards (over-all champion) – from the land of the best English speakers in Asia courtesy of our lead in call centers of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), it is not a big surprise that Filipinos may also excel in mathematics. This is real and not a myth as the Philippine mathematics team bagged the overall champion award in the Singapore International Math Competition (SIMC). They won over Asia’s mathematics powerhouse including China and Taiwan. The young Filipino aces won 31 gold, 60 silver, and 125 bronze medals out of 216 medals. Then came another five young math wizards who took home gold medals in two tough math Olympiad held in China. This only proves that Filipinos are problem solvers and numeric with mathematical inclinations.

Enrique Razon (casino magnate, industrialist) – his luxurious casino resort has become the Pandora’s box for the mushrooming casino havens in Manila’s own Las Vegas strip at Entertainment City with the newly constructed City of Dreams and soon to be completed Manila Bay Resorts and Resorts World Bayshore. Imagine the thousands of local employment it could generate because of these big and plush projects. In 2013, Razon was listed as one of the country’s top thinkers in my gallery as ports tycoon and casino magnate. Wilson Lee Flores described this young accomplished industrialist as visionary, risk-taker, passionate, hard-working, traveler, perfectionist, straightforward, flexible, health buff, sports-minded, avid reader, charismatic, self-confident, good listener, globally-competitive and decisive leader. The third richest man in the Philippines is a street-smart as he left school at age 17 to take a blue collar job at the family’s cargo-loading business and toiled harder and worked his way through the ranks to become the chairman of ICTSI, their family business. His port empire now extends from Asia to Africa and Latin America.   

Howie Severino (multi-awarded broadcast journalist) – documentarist Severino is named as Journalist of the Year by the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. From an award-winning newspaper reporter to an editor-in-chief of GMA News Online and as the first blogger on GMA’s web platform, he is best known for his documentaries on i-Witness and GMA News anchor of the morning television show News to Go. Known as one of the pillars of GMA-7’s news and public affairs, this award-winning journalist has a History degree (magna cum laude) from Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA and a Master’s degree in Environment, Development and Policy from the University of Sussex, UK. He has received several awards including the Neil Davis Award, CMMA, Jaime Ongpin Grand Prize, Rotary Club of Manila, UPLB Gandingan Awards, Titus Brandsma Award, PUP Maringal na Pantas Award, PMA Rizal Award, Adamson Media Award, and La Sallian Scholarium Award. In 2007, he was named as the Broadcast Journalist of the Year and Investigative Journalist of the Year. He was also considered as one of the most trusted Filipinos by Reader’s Digest and Men Who Matter by the People Asia Magazine. He is the son of ASEAN’s former Secretary General, Ambassador Rodolfo Severino. He is married to a TOYM awardee and environmental lawyer Ipat Luna.

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (miss universe 2015) – she stands very tall in her confidently beautiful with a heart answer in the Miss Universe beauty pageant. Amidst the twists, surprises, and mistakes during the coronation night, her wit and poise outshines other beautiful contestants from all over the world. Her controversial answer in the first round and the substantive response in the second round of Q&A have made her the supreme queen of the universe and the darling of the crowd. Beauty and brains plus a va-va-voom figure pave way for wonderful opportunities for this stunning Filipina with a German-sounding surname. Although her road to the Miss Universe 2015 is filled with extra mile challenges and rough roads, by attempting thrice to represent the country in the local franchise of this international pageant; her long wait has paid off and her proverbial tweet to become the reigning queen has come true after a 42-year drought to reclaim the coveted crown for the Philippines. She turns out to be the brightest star in the universe for 2015.