DOT fund for New York parade ‘intact’

By Alex P. Vidal

FAIRFAX, Virginia – Even if she did not attend the 119th Philippine Independence 27th Annual Parade in New York City on June 4, 2017, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo decided to retain the $100,000 she had pledged for the event and didn’t withdraw the “donation” as feared earlier, it was learned eve before the parade.

Philippine Tourism Promotions Board Chief Operating Officer Cesar Montano, the source of Teo’s alleged “displeasure”, represented the DOT.

Montano, Teo’s subordinate, joined Miss Universe 2015 Pie Wurtzbach, Miss World 2013 Megan Young and Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa.

Sources told us earlier Teo “felt bad” after parade organizers sent the invitation to attend the parade to Montano instead of Teo.

“Secretary Wanda, a good friend of mine, felt she was bypassed thus she was contemplating on withdrawing the amount the DOT had earlier pledged for the event,” said a source who refused to be named but was “sacked” two days before the parade when the Teo story, which was leaked exclusively to this writer, was traced from her.

CONFIRMED

Dr. Prospero Lim, president of the New York-based Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI), confirmed to this writer on May 28 that Teo “decided to withdraw” from the parade but did not specify why.

“Just give us a good write up,” Lim appealed.

The Parade was held on Madison Avenue (38th-27th Streets) in busy Manhattan. It used to be held on Fifth Avenue.

Singers Martin Nievera, Asia’s Nightingale Lani Misalucha, American Idol’s 11th Season 1st runner-up winner Jessica Sanchez, New York-based Ms World-Philippines 2014 Valerie Weigman, current Grand Champion Global Pinoy Singing Idol, Shane Ericks, and comedian Mikey Bustos also joined the biggest parade of Filipino community in the United States.

PIDCI’s 2017 Parade Grand Marshals Drs. Rod and Ellen Castillo spearheaded the parade with the Mrs. Kalayaan and Diwa ng Kalayaan and their court with Dr. Lim and the PIDCI Board of Directors, the Philippine Consulate General in New York.

PARTICIPATE

Hundreds Fil-Am Organizations and local beauty queens and kings from all over the US and government officials also participated in the parade.

This year’s PIDCI officers and Board of Directors are: President – Prospero A. Lim, MD; Vice-President – Raul Estrellado; Secretary – Joycelyn Aligarbes; Treasurer – Nora Galleros; Internal Auditor – Annie Ortiz; General Counsel – Manny B. Quintal, Esq.

Directors- Anthony Bautista, Olivia David, Dora Koltsidis, Rely Manacay, Beth Manalo, Ronie Mataquel, Bert Olimpo, Nonoy Rafael, Levi Tejada,Shiran Ybanez; Antero Martinez – Executive Director, Gheng Pingol – Special Assistant to the President and Honorary Adviser Consul General Ma. Theresa D. De Vega.

Others who joined the parade were: Mrs Kalayaan 2017-Lourdes Romero Saleh, Mrs Kalayaan Fil-Am 2017-Jodi Michelle Orencia, Mrs Kalayaan Philippines 2017-Rosalie Rabeje, Mrs Kalayaan Luzon 2017-Ann Constantino Beck, Diwa ng Kalayaan 2017-Ramona Munsayac, Bituin ng Luzon-Jasmine Sta Cruz, Bituin ng Visayas-Pearl Reyes, Bituin ng Mindanao-Leah Elizabeth Wong

EXCLUSIVE: DOT Secretary Teo 'backs out' from New York City parade

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Dr. Prospero Lim, president of the New York-based Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI), confirmed in an exclusive phone interview on May 28 that Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo "has backed out" from the 119th Philippine Independence 27th Annual Parade here on June 4, 2017.
Lim said, "I did not exactly know what happened, but there was an official invitation given to the secretary of the Department of Tourism which was officially received (by the DOT)."
"But she is always welcome to attend on June 4," Lim added. "What I can assure you is that Cesar Montano and the three beauty queens--Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, and Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa--are coming."
Montano is the chief operating officer of the Tourism Promotions Board, an agency under the DOT.

SUBORDINATE

"If Montano who is only Teo's subordinate is coming, how come the secretary, who is head of the DOT will not?" asked a parade organizer, who refused to be named because she was not authorized to talk about the parade's details.
Teo, who had earlier reportedly expressed "excitement" to attend the biggest parade of Filipino Americans in the United States held every first week of June, could not be reached for comment.
Lim, who is on his second term as PIDCI president, said "I am not aware" if DOT has made any financial commitment to support the parade on Madison Street in Manhattan organized jointly by PIDCI and the Philippine Consulate General in New York headed by Consul General Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega.
He admitted that "money has always been difficult no matter what we do but the Consulate has been very supportive and helpful and they have been with us."
Dizon-De Vega was expected to come back from the Philippines, where she reportedly met incoming Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

ON LEAVE

Lim said PIDCI treasurer, Nora Galeros, was "on leave."
He confirmed there was an ongoing auditing of PIDCI funds saying "it's natural".
PIDCI officer Joecelyn Aligarbes had earlier disclosed the auditing "is still ongoing."
Lim denied they are having financial problems.
PIDCI is an umbrella organization of Filipino American associationns based on the East Coast.
"It is principally dedicated to promoting history, the cultural heritage and traditions of the Filipino people through the celebration of Philippine Independence Day, hence, the name," its website declared.
Lim said: "We are hoping for the best (parade) and I hope it will not rain. Somebody up there has been good to us."

Amazing Iloilo City, ASEAN Summit host

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." 
--Henry Ford

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- The decision to hold the ASEAN Summit in Iloilo City, Philippines from March 6-16, 2017, aside from Boracay Island and Bacolod City, is laudable.
Summit delegates and other visitors attending the conclave will surely enjoy the warmth and hospitality of the Ilonggos.
Force and Resources for ASEAN 2017 in Visayas Region in Iloilo City composed of highly competent men and women of Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Army (PA), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Philippine Navy (PN) has been on top of the situation and doing a yeoman's task to ensure the success of the event.
Unknown to some people outside the country, Iloilo City, otherwise known as the "City of Love", is one of the most modern and safest cities in the Philippines. 
It is blessed with a high literacy rate and among the progressive cities in the country with lowest rate in peace and order, according to the PNP. The Department of Tourism (DOT) rates Iloilo City as one of the top tourist destinations. 
Rich culturally and religiously, Iloilo City is an ideal venue for any international gathering that requires field trips and visits to tourist spots.

WORLD-CLASS

Infrastructures from the Iloilo International Airport to government edifices, hotels and convention centers are hi-tech and world-class.
When it comes to economic, political, and social progress and development, Iloilo City can definitely compete with other modern cities in Asia.
The city's economic climate has been the subject of positive remarks from industrialists and investors planning to put up additional businesses.
Delegates and guests would also be privileged to set foot in the city considered as the "Athens of the Philippines" owing to the presence of highly-established state and private universities and colleges that have attracted foreign enrollees from different continents.
Iloilo City is the only metropolis in the country surrounded by an octagon-shaped river, a state-of-the-art international pier, and a sea accessible to nearby island-provinces and regions.

VISIT

A crew of the Royal London Circus (RLC) that visited Iloilo City in June 1993 once told us in a press conference at the Sarabia Manor Convention Center that "if you visited the Philippines and you didn't visit Iloilo City, you did not visit the Philippines."
He was impressed with Iloilo City that he decided to marry a local woman who resided near the circus venue and brought her to Europe.
Iloilo City has developed by leaps and bounds since 1993. 
Traffic equipment and facilities, widened roads, lighted avenues, decorated mini-parks, expanded sidewalks, improved lampposts, extended highways and overpasses have spruced up and helped ease movement of local economy and increase the productivity of human resources. 
The grassy area where RLC stunt men and women, mostly coming from Europe and America, held their shows for two weeks in the former Iloilo Diversion Road (now Benigno Aquino Avenue), is now a sprawling commercial fulcrum.
Amazing Iloilo City is indeed now truly a big thing.

Director Catalbas hits the nail right

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." 

-- Albert Einstein

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- One thing we like most about Department of Tourism (DOT) Western Visayas Director Helen J. Catalbas is she talks with a lot of sense.

A lawyer and writer, Director Catalbas attracts attention each time she shares her ideas and suggestions. 

Reporters always go to the newsroom with a handful of positive news after listening to Director Catalbas. 

She became the first government official to exhort all tourism establishments in the region to include high-speed Internet in the services they give their customers.

Director Catalbas has noticed that several tourism destinations in Western Visayas have low-speed Internet connection. 

In technology parlance, low-speed is slovenly or second-rate.

To compound the matter, there are tourist spots and business establishments that don't have Internet or wi fi services, at all, she observed.

There are establishments that don't give a hoot if their Internet is lousy as long as they can make a profit from customers-- students, businessmen, tourists--who are mostly Internet users. 

UPGRADE

With Director Catalbas' suggestions, we expect business establishments in Panay and Negros islands to take the matter seriously and start upgrading their Internet connection. 

There are Internet providers that offer reasonable rates and won't abuse their client-establishments so that these client-establishments won't give their customers shoddy or inferior services to recoup their deficits. 

A quality place, after all, deserves quality services.

In this age of technology, Internet has become part and parcel of our daily life. It has become a necessity. Most people nowadays can't live a normal life without Internet.

Most universities and malls, in fact, are now equipped with free Internet services. In the advent of social media, Internet is the god. 

Establishment owners all over the Philippines have realized that if they did not have Internet services, only lizards and ants patronized their stores.