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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 JERSEY --- In the tiny Jersey City studio, they gather nightly, to clash one-on-one with rattan sticks, knives and their bare hands. But in the midst of combat, they tread with caution.
“When there’s more than 12 people, it gets too crowded,” said Arnulfo “Dong” Cuesta of the Philippine Integrated Martial Arts Academy on Kellogg Street, home to one of the oldest Filipino martial arts programs in New Jersey. “We can only have one fight at a time.”
That will change January 5, when the 20-year-old academy moves to a larger base on Bergen Avenue to accommodate its growing enrolment.
Although still relatively obscure, the centuries-old martial arts form, once banned by the Spaniards in the Philippines because they believed it took time away from work, has been gaining in popularity among thriving Filipino communities, experts say.
At Cuesta’s academy, membership is now at 70, an increase of about 20 people in the past three years. He said that many are attracted to his program’s more relaxed atmosphere, compared to stricter martial arts methods from other Asian countries.
Carl Atienza, whose family runs Atienza Kali in New York City, trains his pupils in rigorous exercises focusing primarily on blade combat. He said there is a potential to expose Filipino martial arts to a larger, mainstream audience.
“We teach how to protect yourself in real life situations and having that ‘I’m not prey’ mind-set,” said Atienza, 33, who has taught law enforcement and military personnel. “But it’s important that what we teach doesn’t get watered down.”
He added that after Sept. 11, 2001, people have become more interested in personal security, regarding self-defense as a necessary skill.
While its exact origins are debatable, Filipino marital arts has had a long history among the island country’s indigenous tribes. It is known by a variety of names, such as Eskrima and Arnis, words with Spanish origins, and Kali, commonly used in American circles.
Teachers are known as guros and typically emphasize stick or knife combat first, and later, hand-to-hand fighting. Similar to karate or tae kwon do, clubs across the country compete in competitive tournaments, in which fighters, wearing protective body and headgear, strike at each other for points.
The World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation, a governing body of the sport formed in 1989, sponsors annual national and world championships with membership from more than 30 countries.
As its reputation grows, Cuesta said, Filipino martial arts can also serve as a bridge for non-Filipinos to understand Filipino culture.
“I’ve gotten to travel to the Philippines and compete,” said student Art Zigman, 58, of Jersey City, perspiring after a sparring session earlier this month at the Philippine Integrated Martial Arts Academy. “It’s been a great opportunity.”
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NEW YORK --- The Philippine Consulate General in New York, and several Filipino veterans groups jointly presented a movie documentary, “An Untold Triumph,” about the never-been-told story of 7,000 men of the 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments of the US Army who fought in World War II last Sunday, December 11.
Directed by Noel Izon, the movie documentary showed how, on January 2, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order allowing Filipinos to join the US Army and form a volunteer all-Filipino unit.
Those who joined later formed General MacArthur’s “secret weapon” that helped him make good on his promise to return to the Philippines and liberate the country from Japanese occupation.
In spite of the fact that they endured a bleak, racist prewar climate and were not even considered U.S. citizens, the Filipino soldiers proved to be skilled fighters and trustworthy allies to the American forces.
They were an indispensable force in liberating the Philippines from Japan and, ultimately, in America’s winning the war in the Pacific.
Lou Diamond Phillips, a Filipino-American actor whose filmography includes Young Guns I and II, The Three Kings, and La Bamba, narrated the movie documentary. In 2002, the movie won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival.
The two screenings on Sunday were free of charge and attracted Filipino and American audiences from the tri-state area.
In a simple tribute, Consul General Cecilia Rebong honored the veterans with Certificates of Recognition for their valiant deeds and for their meritorious work in working for veterans’ benefits and privileges.
The Consul General also gave out posthumous recognition certificates.
In her message, the Consul General noted that the work of the Philippine government and veterans groups to achieve parity of health and pension privileges with other WWII veterans would be more effective if the Fil-Am community presented a united front in the lobby efforts.
Among the sponsors were the Philippine American Veterans Organization, Inc (PAVO), Philippine-American Veterans Auxiliary, Inc. (PAVOA), and Sons, Daughters and Orphans of Philippine American Veterans, Inc (SDO-PAV).
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NEW YORK --- Spoken word artist Manny Palatulan described the beauty and tranquility of life in Davao, Philippines. Hip-hop duo Kontrast dished out socially-relevant renditions while another group performed the dazzling dance Singkil of Muslim Mindanao.
These were among those showcased during the fourth annual “Sumisigaw” Youth Festival, an annual cultural gathering of some 200 sons and daughters of Filipino migrants and Fil-Ams belonging to the New York-based Philippine Forum.
For four straight years now, the youth festival has managed to creatively weave traditional and contemporary forms in articulating issues and concerns affecting the Filipino community in the United States.
Kadena, for example, is a punk rock band based in New Jersey. But there’s no mistaking the seriousness of the picket line when they sang “Welga” (strike).
House of Straw and Kanang Kamay rock bands echoed the cry of the youths wanting to understand the complexity of life. But a ballad love song by another youth provided a more sober aspect of the life of the young generation.
Sumisigaw ( literally, anguished cry) is an annual Filipino youth festival organized by the Philippine Forum, a NY-based community organization addressing the rights and welfare concerns of Filipino immigrant families, and Lakas Diwa Filipino Youth Alliance of New Jersey.
According to Robert Roy, Philippine Forum executive director, this year’s festival was co-sponsored by Anakbayan (Youth for the People) chapter of New York/New Jersey and the Philippine United Student Organization (PUSO) of State University of New York in Stony Brook.
“Every staging of Sumisigaw since 2002 has shown us how powerful the Filipino youths are when they come together. This year, we saw a gathering of Filipino youth from working families who lent their voices, skills, and talents to speak out on relevant issues affecting youth today-- cultural awareness, the migrant youth’s experience, identity, racial profiling, even staying connecting to the basic problem of poverty in the Philippines today and holding corrupt governments accountable, “ stated Julia Camagong, co-executive director of the Philippine Forum.
“This proves that the Filipino youths, when consolidated, are a potent force in advancing our community struggles and concerns,” Camagong said.
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Jersey City, NEW JERSEY --- A 14-year high school sophomore from Jersey City was adjudged Oratorical Champion in the recently concluded Oratorical Contest sponsored by the Order of the Knights of Rizal New Jersey Chapter.
Kimberly Anne Pangilinan, 14, emerged as champion after garnering the highest points from the three judges.
Pangilinan, a sophomore at the Hudson County Schools of Technology, topped the junior category.
A 21-year old computer engineering student from Union, NJ, Khrizel B. Soriano, 21, came out on top of the senior category.
Both Pangilinan and Soriano will receive $600 in cash.
In addition to the cash prize for topping her category, Pangilinan will receive a trophy for being the Oratorical Champion.
David Kim Eng Pangan, 18. a senior at Palo Verde High School in California, placed second in the senior category. Queens, NY-born Felicia O. Trinidad, 12, finished in second place in the junior category. Both will receive a $300 cash prize.
The senior category is for the 17-21 age group while the junior category is for the 12-14 age level.
The championship trophy will be awarded to Pangilinan and the cash prizes to the other winners in awarding ceremonies during the Knights of Rizal’s Christmas Cruise to be held on board the Spirit of Hudson on December 17.
The oratorical contest was held on December 3 at the Faith Restoration Center in Bergen Avenue, Jersey City headed by Rev. Gaudencio Soriano.
The board of judges was composed of Sir Tom Rodriguez, Ludy Corrales and Lolit Gillberg.
In sponsoring the oratorical contest, the Knights of Rizal-NJ Chapter commander Lito A. Gajilan Jr. said it is hoping that the contest “will bring about the expression of ideas, through oratory, of this great man (Rizal) whose works and whose tremendous love for country and its people inspired a revolution that resulted to freedom in the Philippines.”
The contestants were judged on their knowledge of Rizal’s life and works, and on the organization of their ideas, coherence, clarity of expression and effectiveness of delivery.
The Oratorical Committee is composed of Sir Francis Sison as chairman, with Sir Ador Equipado, Sir Dennis Hayes and Sir Sonny Austria as members.
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