(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 21st 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.
