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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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NEW YORK, November 19, 2004 --- Three Filipino stand-up comedians performed at the Takeout Comedy Showcase, held on Nov. 17 at NYU Kimmel Center.
Air Tabigue, Joey Guila and Clarinda Morales tickled the funny bones of the audiences with their punchlines and hilarious verbal tricks on stage.
The show also feature other funny Asian-American comics.
Air Tabigue is one of the fastest rising comedians in NYC. He has performed in all the major comedy clubs in New York City. He has appeared on FOX News, WOR radio and was recently featured on the NBC documentary special “Jane’s New York: Comedy”. He also performed at the National Filipino American Youth Association’s (NFAYA) first entertainment showcase in Atlanta called “The Movement,” where he had the crowd rolling with laughter.This year, Air won the eastern division of the First Asian-American National stand up competition, edging out some of the best Asian-American comics on the East Coast. For more information, log on to: www.aircomedy.com.
Ironically in L.A., Joey Guila killed the competition and won the western division of the First Asian-American National stand up comedy competition.But Joey is use to winning. In 2003, Joey won the regional “Kings of Comedy” and was the first asian comic to tour with Latham Entertainment. He has performed in numerous comedy clubs around California.He also appeared on VH1’s A to Z and recently filmed P Diddy’s Bad Boys of comedy. Both a first for a Filipino-American Comic. Joey also headlined this years Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) in San Pedro where he rocked the crowd. His Website is: www.joeyguila.com.
Both winners, Air and Joey performed in front of thousands on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii for the launch of WorldAsia Television.
Last but not the least, Clarinda Morales is one of the few Pinay comedians in the comedy business. But that will not stop her from bringing the funny. Clarinda hails from L.A. where she has performed in various comedy clubs up and down the west coast. She has also produced her own comedy shows and has now made her move to New York where she is continuing her comedy career.
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Mr. & Mrs. Philippines USA 2005
Wilson and Jocelyn Versoza
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NEW JERSEY, November 19, 2004 --- The stage has been set for the coronation of Mr. & Mrs. Philippines USA 2005 and their court on Nov. 20, 2004, at the Marriot Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey, as part of the 35th Anniversary Dinner-Dance of the Garden State Filipino-American Association, Inc. (GSFAA).
Millie Benito-Hornilla, president of GSFAA, announced that the winners of the title Mr. & Mrs. Philippines USA 2005 are Wilson and Jocelyn Verzosa of Bergenfield, NJ.
The runner-ups are: Suriya and Rebecca Samanyaphon of Jersey City, Mr. and Mrs. Garden State USA 2005; Ed and Beth Manalo of Jersey City, Mr. & Mrs. Manila USA 2005; Chris and Diana Buenaflor of Jersey City, Mr. & Mrs. Hudson County USA 2005; Jake and Eden Marquez of Jersey City, Mr. & Mrs. Jersey City USA 2005.
Consul General Cecille B. Rebong will be the guest of honor at the festivities.
The Mr. & Mrs. Philippines USA pageant is a major fundraising event of the GSFAA intended to benefit various charities. Foremost of these are the Bantay Bata program, the Philippine National Red Cross, and the Adopt-A-Classroom program championed by the Philippine Consulates General. For the latter, officially called the Classroom Galing sa Mamamayang Pilipino Abroad (CGMA), the New York consulate has selected as their beneficiary the schoolchildren of Barangay Inug-Ug, Pagalungan, Maguindanao in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, an area that has suffered under armed conflict.
Mr. and Mrs. Philippines USA 2005 Wilson and Jocelyn Verzosa will receive a round trip plane tickets to the Philippines in 2005 to personally hand over checks for their chosen charities.
Francis Sison is the pageant and ball chairman, assisted by Lilian Benito Equipado and Cely Miralles, together with program coordinators Gani Puertollano and Rose Javier and consultants Ness Quijano and Jun Hornilla and Mely Garcia.
Hornilla pointed out that the success of the Mr. and Mrs. Philippines USA project was driven by the generosity and support of friends and members of the community.
“The important role you have played in the realization of the many programs and activities we have conducted is critical to the Association’s success,” she said.
Biographical sketches of the winners
Jocelyn Buenaflor Verzosa. She hails from Bacolod City and graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Nursing degree from Saint Paul College of Iloilo. A former nursing supervisor in Dhahran, KSA, Jocelyn is a member of the Association of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Personnel Inc. USA, currently serving as the secretary and chair of membership. She is an Emergency Room Nurse at East Orange General Hospital and Passaic Beth Israel Regional Medical Center, NJ. Since 2000, she has served with PIDCI as a member of the parade marshall committee.
Wilson Verzosa, originally from Lipa City, Batangas, served in the Philippine Air Force for nine years. He earned a BS in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering from the Philippine Air Force College of Aeronautics, as well as a BS in Business Administration at Adamson University in Manila. He is presently the Senior Financial Administrator at Mellon Investor & Financial Corporation in New Jersey, and is a second term President of the Association of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Personnel Inc. USA. Wilson has served with the Philippine Independence Day Celebration Inc. (PIDCI) in New York and New Jersey since 1996, and is on the Board of Directors of PIDCI until 2006. He is also the overall co-chair of the Filipino Heritage Foundation for the year 2004-2005.
They are blessed with three wonderful children, Vina Joy, 19 years old, a nursing student and the reigning beauty titlist as Diwa Ng Kalayaan 2004 of PIDCI, Miss Philippines-New Jersey 2004, and Miss Armed Forces of the Philippines USA 2004; and two sons, Patrick Jason, 12 years old, seventh grader, and Wilson Jeffrey, 6 years old, a first grader.
Rebecca Samanyaphon. She was born and raised in Penaranda, Nueva Ecija, the youngest daughter among nine children. She graduated from Manila Central University with the BS degree in Nursing. In 1973, she migrated to the United States and worked at Medical Arts Hospital in New York; presently, she works at Jersey City Medical Center in the Intensive Care Nursery.
Suriya Samanyaphon, her loving husband of 28 years, graduated from the University of Manila with a degree in Political Science, and migrated to the United States in 1975. They married in 1976, and have two beautiful daughters. Annalisa, who holds a degree in Health Administration and is taking a second course leading to a BS in Nursing, is the current Miss Hudson County of the GSFAA. Melanie, the younger daughter, graduated from Bloomsberg University with a Business Administration degree, major in Marketing, and works at Vanguard Company in Pennsylvania. The Samanyaphons has resided in Jersey City, NJ for 26 years.
Ed Manalo was born in Manila, grew up in Naic, Cavite, and came to the United States in 1967. He was drafted into the US Army, where he was a specialist in the electronics unit for the Pershing Missile Field Artillery. He did his tour of duty in Germany for three years and spent time studying the culture of Germany. He studied at New Jersey City University from which he graduated with a degree in Chemistry, and went on to specialize in the instrumental analysis of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. He has worked for L’Oreal Lancome and ISP Van Dyk as a research chemist. Ed is the current President of the Cultural Arts and Dance organization, a member of the Phil. AM Faces, and of the Garden State Filipino-American Association.
Beth Manalo was born in Sariaya, Quezon and raised in Manila. A graduate of St. Paul’s College of Manila, she received her degree in Accounting from the University of the East, and is a Public Relations Assistant for a high-end perfume manufacturer in Manhattan. A former employee of L’Oreal Lancome and ISP Van Dyk, Beth is involved with a number of cultural associations, including the Cultural Arts & Dance organization and the GSFAA. She is also Treasurer of Phil-Am Facesand corresponding secretary of the Federation of Philippine Societies in New Jersey. In addition, she is the current Emperatriz of the 2004 Santacruzan. Together with her husband, she enjoys karaoke and ballroom dancing, especially Latin dancing. She loves to play the piano and draw still life or caricatures, particularly with charcoal, in moments of solitude.
Chris Buenaflor was born in Iloilo City, an only son and the youngest among three children. Hailing from families with members of the religious, he counts among his relatives Monsignor Pepe Buenaflor and Rev. Fr. Clemente Distura. He attended Assumption College, St. Clement School and Colegio La Purissima Concepcion for his early schooling, and went to college at the University of the Philippines. He also managed the family-owned business at an early age. Chris joined Quest Diagnostics as a laboratory technician and has been happily employed with the company for 15 years.
Diana Cawas-Buenaflor grew up in Greenhills, San Juan, Philippines, and spent most of her childhood days taking personality development courses, attending Karilagan Finishing School at age 12 and studying French at the Alliance Francaise de Manille. She also attended ballet & luigi jazz classes and participated in theatrical workshops at The Repertory Philippines. She graduated from Maryknoll College in the Philippines with a BA degree, majoring in Communication Arts, and also studied Public Relations & Marketing, as well as Business Law, at New York University. Diana worked as a sales executive for Silahis International Hotel and with travel companies, as well as at China Bank. In 1991, she went to New York, and later joined Merchant Factors Corp.
Chris and Diana have two children, Patricia Isabel Alexandra, 21, and Carlos Iñigo Alberto, 9. Patricia is a pre-law senior student and Dean’s Lister at New York University and Carlos is a Grade 4 student (Outstanding Student) at St. Joseph School in Jersey City.
Eden Marquez is the second oldest of four children, with two sisters and one brother. She graduated from Nursing at the University of Santo Tomas and is employed at St. Mary Hospital in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Husband Jake, also a nurse, graduated from Nursing at Centro Escolar University. He works as a Case Manager at Palisades Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital.
They have two children, Jason and John Michael. They both enjoy biking, shopping and dancing.
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