FIL AM · FILIPINO

Human Beatbox Neil Rey Garcia Llanes Asia's Got Talent (AGT) is the regional version of the Got Talent franchise that is airing on AXN Asia . It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for a prize of $100,000 and an opportunity to perform at the Marina Bay Sands . The show is hosted by Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez ; while the judges are Anggun , David Foster , Melanie C , and Vanness Wu . Melanie C is the third member of the Spice Girls to become a Got Talent judge (after Mel B and Geri Halliwell), while Anggun is judging on a second Got Talent franchise after sitting in the panel in the second season of Indonesia's Got Talent. This show is also co-hosted by Singaporean Youtuber and Power98FM DJ's Dee Kosh.

When: September 4, 2016 Where: Jack Tygett Performing Arts Center Address: 820 4th Avenue, Chula, Vista, California 94103 Tickets: Purchase at http://www.gfbayonaproductions.com/ About Basil Valdez from Wikipedia : Like many Filipino singers in the 1970s, Basil S. Valdez started on a solo career as a folk singer. In 1972, he joined the Circus Band and soon after it disbanded, he released his first solo album entitled Ngayon at Kailanman . While in the Circus Band, he met Ryan Cayabyab , who was then part of another band. When Valdez was preparing tracks for the album Ngayon at Kailanman, he asked Cayabyab to collaborate with and write a few songs for him, which the composer did. Cayabyab then became Valdez's musical director for 27 years. In the 80's, Valdez re-invented himself as a singer of movie theme songs. Among the most memorable were " Paano Ba Ang Mangarap ," " Muling Buksan Ang Puso " and " Paraisong Parisukat ."

Bob Sampayan seeks to become Vallejo's next mayor City Councilman Bob Sampayan is running against Vallejo Planning Commissioner Landis Graden and former Vallejo school board trustee Bill Pendergast in this November's election. Biography at BobSampayan.com : Born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Bob is the oldest of two children. Raised in a career military family, Bob and his family frequently moved throughout the Pacific and United States. In the late 1950's, Bob, his brother, Steve, and his parents, Ruperto and Gregoria Sampayan, settled in Salinas, California. Like many children raised in Salinas, Bob grew up working in the fields. He has been quoted as saying, "I know what it's like to scratch for a living. Growing up, working in the fields was a way of life for me and a lot of other young people. If you wanted extras, you had to work for it. There's nothing like hard work to keep you humble." Bob worked his way through college by driving s...

Typecast (Lorde "Royals" Parody) Written and performed by Tess Paras (featuring Haneefah Wood and Ayana Hampton) Directed by Rebekka Johnson Music produced by Jack Dolgen Click for full cast & credits . Lyrics: I'm gonna play the white girl's nerdy friend [Of course] [Obviously] I'm gonna play the white girl's other friend Who is sassy [Omigod, you nailed that] But she can't have two black friends [Two black friends?] [It gets confusing] And so I'm left out, I play the co-star nanny Yeah, leading ladies are Quirky, hipsters wearing vintage dresses Tiny, pouty pixies, blue-eyed and precious We don't care We're Zooey Deschanel in our dreams But every breakdown's like Sassy sidekick, bitchy nerd or neighbor Oversexed Asian, urban girls with flavor We don't care We'll take any job right now we swear And we're gonna be Typecast Typecast Everyone starts somewhere I'll be a nurse A thug ...

President Duterte leads National Heroes Day rites at 'Libingan ng mga Bayani' in Taguig City Taguig City ( CNN Philippines ): President Rodrigo Duterte led the National Heroes Day flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies on Monday. The commemorative program began at 8 a.m. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City. As the guest of honor, the President delivered a speech. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines led the program, in coordination with other government agencies, local government units, and non-government organizations. This year's theme was " Bawat Pilipino, Bayaning Katuwang sa Pagbabago ." AFP Chief Chaplain Brigadier General Tirso A. Dolina of the Armed Forces of the Philippines led the invocation, while Taguig City Mayor Maria Laarni Lopez-Cayetano gave the welcoming remarks. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana introduced the President. Watch President Duterte's speech on National Heroes' Day “I consid...

Chef Margarita Fores visits the sugar cane fields of the Philippine island of Negros and shows how the local cuisine has been influenced by its sweet crop

Happy Anniversary Robert & Gloria! Robert, bottom, flashes a sign. Top, L to R: Tony P, Marie, Tony M, Missy, J.F. & Gloria.

Time to relax with the family.  I hit the weights and the jacuzzi.

San Francisco Comic Con 2016 When: September 2-4, 2016 Where: San Francisco Marriott Marquis Address: 780 Mission St, San Francisco, California 94103 Tickets: Purchase at http://sanfrancomiccon.com/tickets/ . Watch Whilce Portacio's Timelapse Drawing of Wolverine (Nov. 2013) Whilce Portacio's bio on SanFranciscoComicCon : Portacio was born in Sangley Point, Cavite City, Philippines . He grew up in places such as Midway Island and New Mexico before his family settled in San Diego, California . He began reading comic books at the age of ten, when his neighbor decided to get rid of her husband’s collection, and through this, he discovered the work of creators such as Jack Kirby and Neal Adams, who were the two most important influences on Portacio’s art. Though Portacio dreamed of becoming an astronaut, his height and eyesight did not meet the necessary requirements, which determined that art would be his vocation. In high school, he continued to create ...

On June 13, 2016, Ali Ewoldt became a 'Filipino First.'  She is the first actress of Filipino-descent to play Christine Daaé on Broadway .  But even bigger, Ali is also the first Asian actress and the first actress of color to play Christine Daaé on Broadway! “It was so exciting to be cast in the role—period. But to have this honor on top of it is pretty incredible,” Ewoldt told  InStyle . From her personal website , Ali was born outside Chicago and raised 45 minutes north of New York City in the small town of Pleasantville. She has loved performing for as long as she can remember. She made her Broadway debut as Cosette in the 1st Broadway Revival of Les Miserables and is currently in the company of the Tony Award-winning revival of The King and I at Lincoln Center directed by Bartlett Sher. Ali has starred as Maria in the 1st National Tour of West Side Story directed by Arthur Laurents and David Saint and played Luisa in the The Fantasticks Off-Broadway, the worl...

Join Shar Carillo at Halo Halo Music Fest Aloha Tower Marketplace Saturday, August 27, 2016 Gates open 3 PM.  Event starts 4 PM. For more info, go to  Halo Halo Music Fest . About Shar Carillo: Born and raised on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, Shar Carillo started singing at the very young age of seven. She recorded her first song at the age of 17 and by the age of 23, taught herself to play the guitar and started writing her own music. Shar released her first EP in 2012, which led to three nominations at the 2013 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. She has since released three more singles, all of which were played on local radio stations statewide. Forming her own band in 2012, Shar Carillo gained exposure mainly through weekly performances at local venues. She covers a variety of music from pop, reggae, hip-hop and R&B. Most notably, Shar has opened up for national artists such as Kat Dahlia, Magic, Shaggy, and most recently, the world renowned reggae group...

Join apl.de.ap at Halo Halo Music Fest Aloha Tower Marketplace Saturday, August 27, 2016 Gates open 3 PM.  Event starts 4 PM. For more info, go to  Halo Halo Music Fest . "Bebot" Lyrics Bebot bebot Be bebot bebot Be bebot bebot be Ikaw ang aking Bebot bebot Be bebot bebot Be bebot bebot be Ikaw ang aking Bebot bebot Be bebot bebot Be bebot bebot be Ikaw ay Filipino!!! Filipino!!! Filipino!!! Filipino!!! Hoy pare pakinggan nyo ko Eto nang tunay na filipino Galing sa baryo Sapang Bato Pumunta ng LA nagtrabaho Para makatulong sa nanay Dahil sa hirap ng buhay Pero masaya parin ang kulay Pag kumain nagkakamay Yung kanin, chicken adobo Yung balot, binebenta sa kanto Tagay mo na nga ang baso Pare ko inuman na tayo Filipino!!! Filipino!!! Filipino!!! Filipino!!! Bebot bebot Be bebot bebot Be bebot bebot be Ikaw ang aking Bebot bebot Be bebot bebot Be bebot bebot be Ikaw ang aking Bebot bebot Be bebot bebot Be bebot bebot be Ikaw...

Join Venessa Manzano & Argelyn Tecson at 'Kwentong Pambata' Children's Story Time When: August 27, 2016 - Saturday Time:  10:00 AM Where: Kalayaan Hall, Philippine Center              556 Fifth Avenue              New York, NY 10036

I don't think I've ever met a person that doesn't like lumpia.  I refuse to believe such a person exists.  I love lumpia because it's a staple of Filipino food and everyone has their own recipe & style.  Some people use pork, my mom uses beef, some people use a combination of pork & beef.  One of my Auntie's puts soy sauce in the filling. My mom makes hers skinny, another Auntie cooks the filling halfway through so she can make her lumpia thick.  Everyone has their own version and they are all good! Now that I'm an adult living in Southern California, it seems like the process of making & rolling lumpia is a dying art.  It's so much cheaper, quicker & easier to just to go Seafood City or Island Pacific, and buy a bag of frozen lumpia.  Even the huge chain stores like Von's & Ralph's are starting to carry them!  Growing up, if there were left over wrappers, my mom would make cheese lumpia.  Once, I made stuffed green...

NCAA denies waiver for Utah's Sedrick Barefield Sedrick Barefield , a 6-foot-2 guard from Corona Centennial High (Corona, Calif.), transferred from the SMU basketball program and joined Utah in the spring semester.  Utah had filed a waiver with the NCAA for Barefield to start play in the beginning of the season.  But since Barefield played the first semester of his freshman year, he won't play until December. Per Utah Head Coach Larry Krystkowiak's interview on ESPN 700 : "He’s going to be available around Christmastime and he’ll be ready to roll when we start conference play, but he won’t be able to start the season with us." Watch Steve Angeles / TFC Balitang America's interview from July 2016: 'Fil-Am basketball star finds new home at University of Utah' Sedrick Barefield's mom, Filipina Kat Barefield , shared this photo on her Facbook profile: "Look at this kid! Can't believe he's going to be 20 this year and a sophomo...

Who is your favorite Filipino hero? This video is a celebration of Philippine National Heroes Day this Monday, August 29th, so please share if you are proud to be Filipino! Mabuhay! -- Mikey Bustos  National Heroes Day is a national public holiday in the Philippines to honor the country's heroes (unspecified) and is held on the last Monday of every August to mark the anniversary of the Cry of Pugad Lawin , the beginning of the Philippine Revolution by the Katipunan and its Supremo Andrés Bonifacio in 1896. Lyrics Mikey, aren’t Filipinos practically Spanish? Excuse me? Well, you have a Spanish last name? Oh yes, Spanish Royalty: Bustos, Duke of Spain Uh… I mean, no Frank Filipinos are not a kind of Spanish In fact, check out our Philippine heroes I’m Lapu Lapu , machete na guapo Bold and a king so they called me “Datu” Who is that I see talking to our fellow tribesmen? Ferdinand Magellan and his men from Spain Teaching their religion Catholic Roman I’m...

Join Apl.de.ap at Halo Halo Music Fest Join your fellow FilAm 's and kababayans  to celebrate FilAm music & art this Saturday August 27 at Aloha Tower Marketplace, 4-10 PM. Apl.de.ap , co-founder and member of the Grammy-award winning group The Black Eyed Peas , has been announced as the headliner of Hawaii’s Halo Halo Music Fest by AMP Group, LLC. In an effort to celebrate and recognize Filipino-American culture and the arts through music, dance, and entertainment, the festival will also feature Shar Carillo and Mikey Bustos  along with many other local and national Filipino performers. Celebrating the Fil-Am Music & Arts! - Joey Guila - Shar Carillo - Everyday Aloha -Shyne -Canvas Disciples Dance Crew - Teckniqlingz -Unparalleled -3-Lbs Hosted by: -Krystylez -Rick Rock -Desirea Aguinaldo -Topas Fernandes Tickets are available at www.islandtix.com , All Xclusive Vapor stores, Razor Concepts in Pearlridge, and DJ Motorsports in Waipahu. $...

Do you LOVE lumpia ? Adobo ? Balut ?! Check out my hilarious parody song about Filipino Food . Watch 'Pinoy Pood' - a parody of Meghan Trainor's 'All About That Bass' You know I'm all about that pood, Pinoy pood (like fried rice) All about that pood, Pinoy pood (and BBQ) I'm all about that pood, Pinoy pood  (of course, lumpia) I'm all about that pood, Pinoy pood (Ha Ha Ha) Yeah, it's pretty clear that I can cook that food Cause I can cook it, cook it, Just like my Apu Cause I got that yum yum that all the boys chase Tocino for breakfast with that brown sugar glaze We roll our lumpia just like a sweat shop (sweat shop) We sit around the table, we're not allowed to stop (don't stop) If you get tired, tired, that is just too bad Cause when the freezer is full you'll be so glad Yeah my Momma she taught me how to make good fried rice (fried rice) She said boys like us girls who can cook good & clean ...

Another Filipino first: Filipina Editor Michi Trota wins Hugo Award This year's Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine went to Uncanny Magazine , edited by Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky. With Uncanny Magazine's win, Chicagoan Michi Trota became the first Filipino or Filipina to win a prestigious Hugo Award. Michi Trota is all smiles at 74th World Science Fiction Convention, MidAmeriCon II in Kansas City, Missouri. Photo Credit @geekmelange Watch 'Uncanny Magazine' editors win the 2016 Hugo Awards for Best Semiprozine Michi Trota's acceptance speech is on her website GeekMelange.com .  The full list of this year's winners are on TheHugoAwards.org . 2016 Hugo Awards Acceptance Speech from MidAmeriCon II https://t.co/2Lqctc8xEv pic.twitter.com/R0Iy2TRXeJ — Michi Trota (@GeekMelange) August 21, 2016 From Wikipedia: The Hugo Awards are a set of awards given annually for the best sci...

Ninoy Aquino: “The Filipino is Worth Dying For” Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. (November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983 Benigno Aquino Jr. , or Ninoy , was assassinated on August 21, 1983 , when he was shot in the head after returning to the country. At the time, bodyguards were assigned to him by the Marcos government. A subsequent investigation produced controversy but with no definitive results. After Marcos' government was overthrown, another investigation found sixteen defendants guilty. They were all sentenced to life in prison. Some were released over the years, the last ones in March 2009. Another man present at the airport tarmac, Rolando Galman , was shot dead shortly after Aquino was killed. The Marcos government claimed Galman was the trigger man in Aquino's assassination. Pablo Martinez , who was found guilty of Ninoy Aquino Jr.'s assassination but previously pinned the blame on Rolando Galman, accused Danding Cojuangco , cousin of his wife ...

Nonoy Zuniga, The Man and His Music When: August 27, 2016 - 7:30 PM Where: California Theatre             351 Railroad Ave, Pittsburg, CA 94565 Guests: Miriam Pantig Tickets: Purchase at http://www.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com/ . Listen to 'Nonoy Zuniga - 18 Greatest Hits (Full Album)'

Rembering Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr. Ninoy: The Heart & the Soul was first aired on the fifth death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino. The documentary was written by the late columnist Teodoro Benigno , and was narrated by the late news anchor Jose Mari Velez . Two versions of the documentary exist: one narrated in English, and the other in Filipino. The documentary gives viewers a look back at the career and life of Ninoy; from his rise as a political wonder boy, to his incarceration in Fort Bonifacio and Laur, Nueva Ecija during Martial Law , and eventually to his exile and assassination. A part of the documentary was focused on Ninoy’s solitary prison at Laur, giving viewers a glimpse on what his prison looked like. Other important segments of the documentary include Ninoy’s diary, his hunger strike, and the Aquino family’s efforts to visit and provide moral support to their imprisoned relative. From ' From The Tube .' Jose Mari Velez on Ninoy Aquino  Jose...