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For the past 20 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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Climate change and Britney spears
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IT is January and I am still wearing T-shirts, jeans and track jackets.
My car heater hasn’t been broken in yet, and my snow boots are missing a lot of action. What’s up with the weather?
The weather is always unpredictable, but not on January. Not this time of the year.
Matter of fact, the forecast this coming Saturday for New York is a mind boggling 62 degrees!
62 Degrees! I can walk around on shorts and sandals on that day. I can even fire up the grill and roll out some sausages on it. Weird but true,
Why is winter warm? What the hell is going on?
During the past few days, this ‘warm’ winter has given me some other form of chill - a scary chill.
I feel like I’ve been thrusted into the pages of the Twilight Zone book that I have just read. I am starting to think of some freak ideas on why this weather change is happening.
Is the world giving signs that it is signing off soon? Are we seeing scenes from ‘The Day After Tomorrow’? Will gigantic robots spring out of my backyard and spray the earth with human blood and vile? Possibly, but if so, why isn’t it such a big deal? Why is everybody acting like it is ‘normal’. How come no one is fascinated? How come only a few are scared?
My pal Gatchie, of the band, The Kuwagos, told me last week, that he read an article about the strange things that are happening on the earth’s Polar Regions. He said that the earth is ‘on the move’ - meaning, the planet’s orientation on its axis is about to be compromised.
Soon, the North Pole will be slightly northeast, and will eventually be the South Pole, and the South Pole will be the North Pole.
I can only imagine the messed up compasses and navigation systems. It will be nothing short of a catastrophe, if that happens.
The ongoing warm winter is also taking businesses away from traditional winter industries like ski resorts, oil companies and clothing companies - I heard signature winter coats are going for less than 40 bucks in retail stores.
Likewise, spring and summer items are on an extended run. Yesterday I saw a Mr. Softee Ice Cream truck along Grove Street.
Even plants and trees are confused. They don’t know if they’re going to die or just remain in some sort of a coma. They are unhappy.
It is not that I pray for blizzards and negative temperatures, but it is alarming to see kids lining up for some Gelato in the early days of January.
Last New Year’s Eve, we found ourselves in a Johnny Rockets diner in Hoboken having milk shakes and root beer float. Cool.
Whatever the reason for this climate change is or are, it has to be given some serious coverage. We should all be informed why this is happening.
We might be sitting on top of a ticking earth and yet we just lay around and talk about Britney Spears’ exposé. Yes that famous Spears’ photo of her getting off Paris Hilton’s car. Yes, the one with K.Fed’s used goods.
Well, Speaking of Britney Spears exposé, I have seen it, and I know the whole world has seen it.
In fact, Britney Spears is the most searched item on Google today.
When I typed global warming on Google for this article, the IT guy from the search engine must have laughed so hard at seeing me search for ‘environment’. Maybe he went like: “Oh... hahahahhaa... someone’s searching for ‘Environment’... 7 million for Britney, 1 for environment.”
Well, in fairness to Ms. Spears, her photo exposé is somewhat weather related. I think it’s really HOT err... WARM perhaps.
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MANILA -- Actress Chin-Chin Gutierrez tearfully faced the media Wednesday, two weeks after a fire burned down her house in Loyola Heights Subdivision, Quezon City.
Gutierrez was wheeled into a conference room in Medical City in Pasig City. The 32-year-old actress had no make-up yet there were no noticeable burn scars on her face. Reports said the actress suffered second-degree burns on her hands and feet, minor burns on her face and a back injury after she tried to save her mother, Cecilia, from the burning house.
‘I know that I’m not the only one experiencing this so I speak not just for myself but for many others who are going through the same shared brokenness. It’s a blessing to be broken together because we know we are not alone,’ Gutierrez said.
‘My heart breaks for my mom because she is alive and she knows what’s happening and I know she wants to do something but she can’t,’ she added, her voice breaking.
Gutierrez’s mother is still confined at the hospital’s intensive care unit due to complications from diabetes.
She added that Gutierrez believed that God has a purpose and will not leave her in the midst of the challenges she is now facing.
Gutierrez’s manager, Anjie Ureta, said the actress is suffering from emotional and psychological problems due to the incident.
Ureta added that Gutierrez has yet to give a statement to the fire department.
Around 3 a.m. on December 20, a fire started on the second floor of Gutierrez’s house, destroying the entire structure and the actress’ Honda CR-V and Lancer cars.
Ureta said Gutierrez broke her back after jumping from her second-floor bedroom, fearful that the oxygen tank inside her mother’s bedroom on the lower floor might explode.
She said the actress had to break the glass windows of the house to get the attention of her sleeping neighbors and the househelp who was in a separate sleeping quarters.
Arson investigators said Gutierrez’s house, which she inherited from her grandmother, was made of light material that caused the fire to quickly spread. Initial investigations showed that faulty electrical wiring caused the blaze.
Gutierrez, one of local showbusiness’ most beautiful faces, made her acting debut as Maria Clara in National Artist Eddie Romero’s TV mini-series ‘Noli Me Tangere’ in 1992.
Gutierrez, who supports the animal rights’ group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and environmental watchdog Greenpeace, adorned the cover of Time magazine’s 2003 special issue on Asian heroes. She received the TOWNS (The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service) award in 2004.
She appeared in Gil M. Portes’ ‘Mourning Girls,’ an entry in the 2005 Metro Manila Film Festival. (MNS)
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MARIEL Rodriguez knows she’s just the second choice as Vhong Navarro’s leading lady in ‘Agent X44,’ but she doesn’t mind. ‘Toni kasi got busy with her soap, ‘Crazy for You’, and her movie with Sam Milby, kaya sa akin napunta ito,’ she says.
‘Siyempre, thankful ako na sa dami ng ibang puedeng kunin as leading lady, ako ang napili and I don’t mind kahit third or fourth choice pa ko. Basta excited ako as this is my first movie at si Vhong pa ang kapareha ko. It’s a comic role, pero mahirap din as I was required to deliver many lines in German.’
How was it working with Vhong? ‘We’ve been friends noon pa, so I’m comfortable with him.’
Is it true she just broke up with Zanjoe Marudo? ‘How can we break up when we were not on.’
Writers interviewing her won’t believe this and say she must be brokenhearted.
‘Friends lang kami talaga ni Zanjoe at hindi kami puwedeng mag-on dahil may ibang magagalit. Kung kami talaga, aaminin ko naman.’ (MNS)
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MANILA -- Glydel Mercado and Tonton Gutierrez were officially married on March 15, 2004. “But even before that, six years na kaming on, so bale eight years na kami together,” says Glydel.
Their daughter, Aneeza, is now 2 and 1/2 years old. “But we have no plans yet na sundan siya. Very energetic at makulit ang anak namin. Kahit babae, si Manny Pacquiao ang favorite at ginagaya si Tonton sa pagsi-situps and in lifting weights.”
What’s the secret of their happy union? “We’re good friends, parang magkabarkada. We’re both Piscean. He was born March 20 at March 10 ako, but he’s six years older and that’s an advantage kasi mas seryoso siya sa buhay, mas batang isip ako. His mom (Liza Lorena) is also a friend of mine. Super cool mom-in-law siya. We’re also close to his dad’s family, pati kay Tita Annabelle (Rama) and his brothers and sister, si Ruffa. We’re together kung Christmas. We also help manage our branch of Reyes Haircutters in Arayat, Cubao. Enjoy kami attending their functions sa branches in Ormoc, Boracay and Palawan.”
For the first time, they appear together as husband and wife in a soap, “Sana Maulit Muli,” that starts on Januay 8. “I’m married to Tonton but I suspect he’s having an affair with Mickey Ferriols. Kaibigan ko rin dito si Gloria Diaz and I match her with Mark Bautista. Usapan namin ni Mark, kukuwartahan lang si Gloria, but they both fall in love with each other at nagpakasal kaya inis na inis ako. It’s while we’re taping this show that Gloria had food poisoning dahil sa pollen food supplement na iniinom niya and she ended up in the hospital.” (MNS)
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NEW YORK - One of the most exciting rock groups in New Jersey, The Kuwagos, will be launching their self-titled debut album on Saturday, January 27, 2006 at Wazzup Cafe and Restaurant in Bergenfield, New Jersey.
The band, fresh from the success of their free holiday single, “Kasama Ka’, which came out from the Free Xmas compilation CD ‘ Rocky Yuletide, will be joined by a number of supporting acts on their album launch: Bleud, The Happy Anlogues, Circled Sin, Qwadra, and P.I.
The debut album, released by Soulworks Records, is a collection of mostly Filipino tunes that resonate with honesty and simplicity, will certainly win ears and eventually fans for this Bergenfield quartet.
Most of the songs in the CD were written by front man Gatchie Ignacio, whose life as a Pinoy immigrant living in the Big Apple became his drive to write such powerful, yet fun songs like ‘Tabo’ ‘Gusto Mo’ ,and perhaps the most melancholic number of the set - ‘Maynila’.
Catch the Kuwagos take flight and get a chance to have your Kuwagos CDs signed by the band.
Wazzup Cafe & Restaurant
8 Bedford Ave., Bergenfield NJ
Doors Open 6:30
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