“From my very first day as an entrepreneur, I've felt the only mission worth pursuing in business is to make people's lives better.”
--Richard Branson
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- Whoever conceived the idea of holding the first-ever Iloilo City Trade Mission and Investment Forum Ilonggo Fashion and Jewelry Show in the East Coast must be a visionary.
The mission is on the right track of globalization.
Convenors of this brilliant project certainly wanted to link Iloilo City to the world in a unique fashion; they wanted foreign businessmen, investors, students, tourists, as well as Filipinos living in the United States and other parts of the world, to “invest, work, create, study, retire, live, and grow” in Iloilo City.
City hall and Iloilo City’s business sector, in fact, have assembled some of the finest, aggressive, and very talented “missionaries” with global minds and technical capabilities to promote local products and tourism as well as investment opportunities no other cities in the Philippines can offer.
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The trade mission, which started on June 1 and officially introduced in a formal program on June 4 at the Kalayaan Hall and Kalayaan Annex of the Philippine Center (which also houses the Philippine Consulate General), is being headed by Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III and his wife, Mrs. Regine “Gina” Sarabia-Espinosa.
They are being backed by key advisers in local government and academe like Commercial Diplomat for Trade Relations and Executive Assistant Rex L. Aguado, City Tourism Officer Junel Ann Divinagracia, City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) chief Jose Roni Peñalosa, Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) chief Ariel “Aye” Castaneda, Dr. Carmencita “Menchie” Robles, dean of the West Visayas State Universty (WVSU) College of Mass Communications; University of the Philippines in the Visayas Vice Chancellor Mary Ann Gumban, Iloilo Business Park-Megaworld Sales Director Carla Margarita Perez, and Eon Group of Companies Founder and CEO and Iloilo Trade and Investments Board Co-chair Felicito Tiu, among others.
Among the topics to be discussed are property development, Infotech and infrastructure pipeline; Iloilo City’s premier schools, business matching and networking.
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The exhibit will feature Habol Ilonggo: Fashion and Jewlery Show by Djohn Clement, Totong Gellangarin, Bo Parcon, Aisha Penalosa, Jaki Penalosa, and Edison Ruedas directed by Iloilo Provincial Tourism Officer Bombette Golez Marin.
Tess Salvador, a pioneer in the promotion of heritage Hablon fabric and the craft of Habol--the art of Ilonggo traditional weaving, and Jhett Tolentino, Tony Award-winning Filipino theatre producer of “Dungog Sang Dakbanwa Sang Iloilo 2017” awardee and dedicated son of Iloilo, will be given recognition.
Also to be recognized are: The Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in New York as venue partner of PHILCOMAN and the Iloilo City Trade Delegation, and the 2018 Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. as organizers of the 120th Philippine Independence Anniversary Commemoration in New York City.
Other schedules outside New York City are: Investment forum at University of North America, Fairfax, Virginia on June 6; Childhood Education Study in Washington D.C. in the morning and Investment Forum in the evening at the Philippine Embassy on June 7; a tour in Washington D.C. on June 8; a Philippine Independence Day Ball in the evening at Hilton, East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 9.
Members of the Iloilo Trade Mission depart to the Philippines on June 10.
Showing posts with label #Philippine Independence Day Council. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Philippine Independence Day Council. Show all posts
Friday, June 1, 2018
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
I believe Vitaliano
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."
--MAYA ANGELOU
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- If not for an invitation for me to participate in a blitz chess tournament in the Long Island on November 12, I would have forgotten that tournament host and organizer Vitaliano "Nonoy" V. Rafael, an industrial engineer and realtor, was outgoing board member of the fractious Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI).
PIDCI, umbrella organization of Filipino-American associations based on the East Coast, was the subject of my scathing articles after its tumultuous election on October 7 won by Antero "Ner" Martinez.
When they could not agree on who should be allowed and not allowed to vote in that election, tension erupted especially when membership chair Ronie Mataquel had been removed from the polling venue on orders of Comelec chair Raul Estrellado.
CANDIDATE
At this juncture, a losing candidate for the board (not Vitaliano) called 911. The police, naturally, arrived. And the rest is history.
In the organization's 27 years of existence, it was the first time that its election was interrupted by a 911 emergency call. Pathetic.
In my first article on October 11, 2017, I quoted an observer who lambasted the feuding officials for "acting like kids."
In a follow up article on October 12, 2017, I scored the act of calling the 911 for a simple case of mismanagement by poll organizers as it transformed the election "like a carnival of thugs."
I wanted to emphasize that if they weren't sure about the final list of voters, they shouldn't have proceeded with the election to avoid that embarrassing and scandalous incident.
Some PIDCI bigwigs reportedly felt slighted as they weren't used to being castigated in the press. If they behaved properly, the press would have nothing to report but their good behavior--and the election results.
The truth is, some of them really behaved like kids and their actuations were uncalled for and unprofessional.
ENTER
Back to Engr. Rafael. As soon as he saw me enter the tournament premesis, he acknowledged my presence and was very cordial and professional.
He did mention that they (meaning the PIDCI officials) monitored my write-ups and analyzed their contents.
He could not speak on behalf of his peers, but told me he never felt alluded to in my articles saying he understood why I wrote about that ugly episode; he stressed that the gist of my stories "was about only the 911 call although you weren't there."
I retorted that I am mandated to write only the truth and nothing but the truth; and that I believe him when he said he held no grudge against me for criticizing the PIDCI.
NOTE: I thank Engr. Nonoy Rafael and Atty. Gerry Albano for allowing me to participate in the 9-round double elimination blitz chess tournament even if I was the only player who did not have any title or rating in the Philippines and in the United States. As a result, I was able to play officially in a formal tournament against Grand Masters Oliver Barbosa and Mark Paragua, as well as FIDE Master Rico Salimbagat, United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Master Albano, and 2010 World Open Chess Championships Under1200 champion Mary Christine Joyce Dacayo-Paragua. Nonoy Rafael himself was the 1989 World Open Chess Championship (expert division) and 1988 New York Chess Open champion.
--MAYA ANGELOU
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- If not for an invitation for me to participate in a blitz chess tournament in the Long Island on November 12, I would have forgotten that tournament host and organizer Vitaliano "Nonoy" V. Rafael, an industrial engineer and realtor, was outgoing board member of the fractious Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI).
PIDCI, umbrella organization of Filipino-American associations based on the East Coast, was the subject of my scathing articles after its tumultuous election on October 7 won by Antero "Ner" Martinez.
When they could not agree on who should be allowed and not allowed to vote in that election, tension erupted especially when membership chair Ronie Mataquel had been removed from the polling venue on orders of Comelec chair Raul Estrellado.
CANDIDATE
At this juncture, a losing candidate for the board (not Vitaliano) called 911. The police, naturally, arrived. And the rest is history.
In the organization's 27 years of existence, it was the first time that its election was interrupted by a 911 emergency call. Pathetic.
In my first article on October 11, 2017, I quoted an observer who lambasted the feuding officials for "acting like kids."
In a follow up article on October 12, 2017, I scored the act of calling the 911 for a simple case of mismanagement by poll organizers as it transformed the election "like a carnival of thugs."
I wanted to emphasize that if they weren't sure about the final list of voters, they shouldn't have proceeded with the election to avoid that embarrassing and scandalous incident.
Some PIDCI bigwigs reportedly felt slighted as they weren't used to being castigated in the press. If they behaved properly, the press would have nothing to report but their good behavior--and the election results.
The truth is, some of them really behaved like kids and their actuations were uncalled for and unprofessional.
ENTER
Back to Engr. Rafael. As soon as he saw me enter the tournament premesis, he acknowledged my presence and was very cordial and professional.
He did mention that they (meaning the PIDCI officials) monitored my write-ups and analyzed their contents.
He could not speak on behalf of his peers, but told me he never felt alluded to in my articles saying he understood why I wrote about that ugly episode; he stressed that the gist of my stories "was about only the 911 call although you weren't there."
I retorted that I am mandated to write only the truth and nothing but the truth; and that I believe him when he said he held no grudge against me for criticizing the PIDCI.
NOTE: I thank Engr. Nonoy Rafael and Atty. Gerry Albano for allowing me to participate in the 9-round double elimination blitz chess tournament even if I was the only player who did not have any title or rating in the Philippines and in the United States. As a result, I was able to play officially in a formal tournament against Grand Masters Oliver Barbosa and Mark Paragua, as well as FIDE Master Rico Salimbagat, United States Chess Federation (USCF) National Master Albano, and 2010 World Open Chess Championships Under1200 champion Mary Christine Joyce Dacayo-Paragua. Nonoy Rafael himself was the 1989 World Open Chess Championship (expert division) and 1988 New York Chess Open champion.
Sunday, May 28, 2017
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."
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."
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