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For the past 21 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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NOW on its fifth year, Ginoong Pilipinas USA continues to promote the beauty and diversity of the Filipino people and the Philippine culture. And for the first time, the California based pageant is staging its fifth production in "the city that never sleeps" -New York.
The runway pageant cum fundraiser is slated on Friday, December 7th at 7 pm at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center at 556 Fifth Avenue between 45th and 46th streets.
Known for its humanitarian causes, Ginoong Pilipinas USA will share 100% of the event's proceeds this year to the widlfire victims of Southern California. Wildfires threatened thousands of Southern California homes last October destroying buildings and forcing thousands to evacuate.
CBS 2 News Anchor Kristine Johnson will host the program and Ali Ewoldt, "Cosette" of the famed Broadway musical will be the special guest performer. Both featured guests are of Filipino descent.
Over 15 finalists are competing for the title and this year's winner will receive a $1,000 cash, a custom-made trophy and sash and the rare opportunity of representing the country to the Mr International event held annually in Asia.
Previous winners and runners-up of Ginoong Pilipinas-USA participated in international modeling competitions and have won accolades.
Getty Santos went to Korea for the Manhunt International contest in 2005, Chris Friel and Nomer Yuzon flew to China in 2006, and in December this year, Mark Figueroa will compete at the Mr. International pageant in Malaysia.
January Reclosado was a youth ambassador from the Bay Area in 2005 when he visited the ABS-CBN Children's Village in Manila, Philippines. He donated One Thousand Dollars on behalf of Ginoong Pilipinas-USA. He has also become an exclusive talent of the ABS-CBN North America.
Jerald Mutia won numerous awards at the 2005 Maharlikang Pilipino Pageant in Manila.
Ginoong Pilipinas-USA is more than just a pageant and a modeling contest. It is a community service. Over the years, it has initiated numerous events benefiting various humanitarian causes. The organization has helped typhoon victims both in the U.S. and overseas.
Previous winners and candidates have joined together to make a difference. Some of the organization's previous charitable events include relief efforts for the victims of typhoon Reming, Leyte mudslide, hurricane Katrina and financial contributions to the Filipino Task Force on Aids, Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center, ABS-CBN Foundation, and Philippine and American Red Cross.
Tickets to the event are at $20 and are available by calling (917) 553-4750 in New York and (415) 424-3998 in San Francisco. The Philippine Center is accessible by Subway via all trains. It is a walking distance from Times Square, Grand Central and Bryant Park.
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PHILIPPINE Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa congratulated Reverend Norberto Carcellar, Executive Director of the Homeless People’s Federation, for being one of three finalists for the Opus Prize, a US$1 million faithbased humanitarian award annually given by the Opus Prize Foundation to an individual or an organization working on the front lines of today’s most persistent social problems.
While the grand prize was awarded on 08 November 2007 to Brother Constant Goetschalckx for his work in providing high school and college education to thousands of African refugees through a program administered by the Catholic University, the Homeless People’s Federation received US$100,00.00 for being among the finalists.
In his letter to Reverend Carcellar, Ambassador Gaa expressed his hope that the honor and recognition bestowed on the leadership of Reverend Carcellar and the Federation will serve to inspire our “kababayans” to support non-government organizations that are working to improve the living conditions of poor urban communities in the Philippines.
The Homeless People’s Federation Philippines was chosen as a finalist by the Opus Prize Foundation for its work in enabling squatters living on the Payatas garbage dump in Quezon City to create community savings program and credit programs, purchase land, build housing and set up waste disposal and water distribution systems. Founded in 1991, the organization is a national network of urban community organizations, associations of poor people and scavengers and community-based savings group constituting more than 70,000 members from 18 cities in the Philippines.
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