T he wrath of typhoon Ondoy wreaked havoc in Metro Manila and

other nearby provinces in September 2009. Despite the enormity of the devastation, the outpouring of love and

compassion prevailed, giv-ing light and hope to shat-tered spirits. The resilience of the Filipino people has been manifested in at least a cou-ple of incidents.

Continued on p. 11

InsIde thIs Issue

Post-Ondoy: The Filipino Spirit Triumphs 1

President’s Message 2

PCS activities 2009 2

The Ugnayan Team 2

Antipolo 3

Reynaldo Alejandro and PCS 4

Shoes??? Not again?! 5

2009 in Pictures 6

Behind the Scenes with Ellen Marfil, Director of Internationally Acclaimed Boses 8

Bugtong 10

Dr. Jose Rizal, Our National Hero 10

Philippine Cultural Society Updates 12

PCS Officers 2010-2011 12

Volume 4

UgnayanWinter 2009

By Del GowPost-Ondoy: The Filipino Spirit Triumphs

Clockwise from top left: NGOs provide champorado to

residents of Los Baños after the typhoon (5 Oct; photo: IRRI Images

(CC BY 2.0)); relief operations at Ateneo de Manila University (27 Sept; photo: Kevin Tatco); a boy

at Candaba, Pampanga (28 Sept; photo: Allan Borja)

President’s Message

A s we approach the conclusion of our two-year term as Officers of the UNSRC-Phil-ippine Cultural Society (PCS), I am simply

torn between two profound overwhelming feelings.

I am excited to express my profound thanks not only to the Executive Committee

members (2008-2009), Del Gow, Judith Puyat-Magnaye, Elmer Sampaga, Tina Salita,

Joel Picache, Vivian Cruz and Marienette Abadilla, for the unselfish sharing of their

time, effort, resources and talents to benefit the whole Society, but also to everyone.

Your generosity and support were far more than I expected when I accepted this

challenge. Needless to say, the success of PCS is everyone’s success. With your coop-

eration, we successfully launched memorable events and activities, including the

Pinoy Talent Festival, Dinner Dance, Filipino Food Festival, Art Exhibits, and the

three Ugnayan publications, to name a few. I must admit that my term as President

of PCS was life-changing for me. I have learned so much, and gained valuable expe-

riences and friends that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

More importantly, like the rest of you, I cannot help but think of our countrymen

who were affected by the recent flooding. With the immeasurable destruction and

loss of properties and lives, one simply cannot remain unmoved. Day in and day out,

we hear stories and see photos of the floods reaching the roofs of houses, children

being carried to safety and elderly being rescued by motorboats. The immense task

of recovery and reconstruction has begun. Christmas has just passed, but may the

real meaning of the season, which is sharing, be our cause for celebration through-

out the year. May this spirit be a source of hope and strength particularly in this time

of adversity. In this regard, I would like to thank everyone who contributed and vol-

unteered to solicit donations during our United Nations Fund Drive, where we were

able to collect $16,000 for the victims of recent typhoons in the Philippines.

To the next Executive Committee (2010-2011) headed by Ms. Nannette Guinto

Amorado, I wish you all the success ahead. Rest assured that we will offer you the

support and guidance that you may need in the course of your term. Good luck and

God bless everyone for wholeheartedly accepting the challenge of being part of the

new Executive Committee.

Wishing everyone all the best for the New Year!

Mabuhay!

Emma Dumalag President

UNSRC-Philippine Cultural Society2008-2009

Pinoy Talent Festival, April•Ar t Exhibit (Fernando Kabigting), •JuneAr t Exhibit (Eve Red Buhay), June•UNSRC Club Fair, June•Dinner Dance (Friends of PCS), •AugustFilipino Food Festival (Friends of •PCS), SeptemberUnited Nations Fund Drive for •typhoon victims, NovemberElection of Officers, December•Year-End Get Together Par ty, •December

Beneficiaries of United Nations Fund Drive for typhoon victims

Philippine National Red Cross•Daughters of Charity•ABS-CBN (Sagip Kapamilya)•

Beneficiaries of Filipino Food Festival

Alay Lakad, Philippine Consulate•Sisters of the Assumption•

Beneficiaries of Dinner DanceSantiago Educational Foundation in •PampangaPhilippine Dictionar y Project (Ayala •Foundation)

PCS activities 2009

Editors Laura Andal Brenda de la Fuente Marichi Ycasiano

Associate Editors Maria Cristina Aquino, Mary Christine Ong-Reyes, Ruth Valenzuela, Vivian Talambiras-Cruz

Layout Design Cecile Dacudao

Website Elmer Sampaga

Circulating Team Cesar Miraflor, Joel Picache, Elmer Sampaga

The Ugnayan Team

2 | Ugnayan

Vol. 4, Winter 2009 | 3

Tayo na sa Antipolo, At doon maligo tayo, Sa batis na kung tawagin Ay hi-hi-hinulugang taktak, At doon tayo’y kumain Ng mangga, suman at balimbing, Kaya’t magmadali ka at tayo Ay sumama sa Antipolo”.

Antipolo, now known as Antipolo City and the capi-tal city of Rizal Province, is considered the pilgrimage capital of the Philippines and the City in the Sky. It lies on the mountainous east side of Manila where the sun begins to shine. Antipolo’s name came from Tipolo trees (breadfruit trees) that grew abundantly on its land. It is approximately 29 kilometers away from Manila. It has a population of 633,971 (no. 7 in the top 20 densely popu-

Hinulugang Taktak as one of the tour-ist destinations in Antipolo. According to the legend, this waterfall got its name after the parish priest of a local church, at the request of its parishioners who were irritated by the sound of the church bell, disposed of the bell into the water-fall. Hence, Hinulugang Taktak was said to connote where the bell was dropped. With many devotees flocking to Antipolo to visit the Virgin of Antipolo, the water-falls also became a popular destination among the devotees. Visitors avail them-selves of the picnic cottages, swimming pool, pathways and walkways that pro-vide a fantastic view of the dramatic falls. In the 1980s, the government declared the area as a national historic park.

Hinulugang Taktak, however, has not been immune from the effects of the congestion in the city. Many tourists have complained about the deterioration of what used to be an excellent excur-sion place. In spite of this, because of its inherent beauty and magnificent view, the resort continues to be a prominent tourist attraction. Meanwhile, efforts are being made by the government and environ-mentalist groups to restore Hinulugang Taktak and bring it back to its distinction of being a national park.

lated cities in the Philippines) with a land area of 306.10 km (source: Wikipedia). In the early years, the virgin forest of Anti-polo covered most of its mountains with varied tropical trees and wildlife.

Tourism is the primary industry of Antipolo City. Among the many places to visit in the City are the two most promi-nent points of interest: the Antipolo Cathedral and the famous Hinulugang Taktak waterfalls and resort.

The Antipolo Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Parish of the Immacu-late Conception, has, since the 1720s, attracted thousands of devotees from Manila and nearby towns and provinces. Devotees flock to Antipolo especially in the month of May, to venerate the Virgin of Antipolo also known as Our Lady of

Peace and Good Voy-age. The Virgin who is believed to be the protector of travel-ers is the center of religious activities all year round in Anti-polo. The Virgin of Antipolo is so famous that her replica was chosen to represent the Philippine Cha-pel in the National Shrine of the Immac-ulate Conception in Washington, D.C.

The song above had contributed to the popularity of

Antipolo By Emma Dumalag

e m m a d u m a l a g is a Research Assistant at the UN Department of Economic and So-cial Affairs, Division for Social Policy and Development, and an active member of the Association of Former Employees of the Asian Development Bank.

Photo: Jepster (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Photo: Erick Opena (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Vol. 4, Winter 2009 | 3

4 | Ugnayan

Pag-aalaalaIn Memoriam

Reynaldo Alejandro and PCS

abroad marked his 40-year career as a dancer, cho-reographer, chef, author, journalist and historian. He received his latest award on 10 February 2009, when the Philippine Consulate General of New York bestowed on him the “Dakilang Pilipino” award.

One fine evening on 10 October 2008, a group of PCS members invited Ronnie to a SoHo res-taurant to celebrate his 66th birthday. It was to be his last. A few months short of his 67th birthday, he succumbed to cancer. PCS salutes Ronnie for his valuable contributions and support of the Society and sadly says, paalam, Ron-nie, paalam …

Village, he prodigiously and generously shared his culinary, literary and thespian eloquence with many Filipinos, non-Fili-pino celebrities and good friends.

In a span of 30 to 40 years, his impressive accomplishments gained wide recognition, in New York City and abroad and undoubtedly enlightened many Filipinos about their cultural heritage. Conver-sations with Ronnie were like being drawn to a mag-net of kinetic energy. He was like a well bursting with ideas for projects that he wanted to explore and write about.

Filipino by birth and a New Yorker by choice, Ronnie’s string of awards from the Philippines and

On 31 May 1996, he directed a play called Rizalescas, which he conceived, created and choreographed. This play about the life of Dr. Jose Rizal was such a huge suc-cess that then Philippine Mission Ambassador Milagros Perez requested a reprise at the Philippine Center. This event displayed some powerful in-house talents at the United Nations. Among them were Jerome Yap as Rizal, Arlene Sciancalepore as Maria Clara, Cecile Quirino as Josephine Bracken and Sol Oca as the unfortunate Sisa. A choral group consisting of Del Gow, Brenda de la Fuente, Rebecca Caballero, Lina Jacinto, Angeli Florentino and Mary Ann Sayo sang to Ronnie’s expert direction, imparting a balanced rhythm to the full-bodied play.

PCS had several events in which Ronnie played an important role. Of the 43 books he wrote and published until 2009, PCS launched 20 books. Among them were Laguna, Pasko, Sayaw, Kiping, Inukit, Pabalat, Philippine Hospi-tality, Tahanan and various Filipino cookbooks. On 13 November 2003, he conducted a p a r o l - m a k i n g demonstrat ion out of simple bamboo sticks and rice paper.

On 26 June 1996, he helped produce a guitar concert at the Dag Ham-marksjöld Library Audi-torium, performed by Adolfo Toyota-Tumuat, a Filipino expatriate living in Spain.

Ronnie’s various proj-ects kept him traveling extensively to Europe, Asia, South America, parts of Africa and the United States. As a news reporter cum journalist, he cov-ered social, cultural and historical events. He was featured in magazines and newspapers like Food and Wine and the New York Times, which lauded his prolific achievements.

This renaissance of a man started his cultural quest in the 1960s in his Greenwich Village apart-ment in New York City where he lived and con-ducted his professional and social activities. This was where his early artistic life unfolded. With easy access to national and interna-tional talents living in the

By Filipina Tatlonghari

FI l I p I n a “p I n a” ta t l o n g h a r I was a co-founder of UNSRC-Philippine Cultural Society and a former UN Staff Member at the Department of Political Affairs.

R eynaldo Alejandro, or Ronnie as he was known to the Philippine Cultural Society, passed away on 7 August 2009. It was a sad day for the Society. Over the years, he had a colorful relationship with

the Society. In its 14 years of existence, PCS had the privilege of present-ing his many creative talents at the United Nations Headquarters.

Pina and Ronnie.

Portrait: Anita Magsaysay Ho

Vol. 4, Winter 2009 | 5

By Filipina TatlonghariShoes??? Not again?!

A s a woman, have you ever been accused of being an obsessive shopper? Well, I have. But

granting it is true, am I to blame? A lot has been written about women being bigger shoppers than men. And one explanation I think is because women in general are relegated to daily tasks more mundane than men’s.

Therefore, one way women com-pensate for their frustration is by shop-ping. Acquiring personal things can be a high; we know it from receiving toys as

children. It is an emotionally charged experience especially when buying a pair of shoes. Imagine those pretty little things hugging your dainty manicured feet. And peeptoes are really a tease. Wouldn’t you feel terrific catwalk-ing on peeptoes and heels and feeling flirty and proud?

Try entering a restaurant full of people watching you and your new-

found confidence begot by feeling tall in your shoes. Feel how they empower

your gait and improve your grace.

Once seated, drop your goodies into that ban-quette, cross your legs and dangle the leg show-

ing off your shoes! While the other foot rests, a waiter shall

eagerly await your command.

Come kiss me wind and take my breathTill you and I are one

And we will dance among the tombsUntil all death is gone

from The ShackSome of Ronnie’s publications (Photo: Richard Reyes)

Ronnie after receiving the Dakilang Pilipino Award,

Philippine Consulate, NY, 10 February 2009 (Photo: Elmer Sampaga)

Memorial Mass for Ronnie (Photo: Richard Reyes)

2009 in PicturesPinoy Talent Festival,17 Apr.

Food Festival,29 Sept.

Year-End Get-Together Party,4 Dec.

Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado,10 Dec.

8 | Ugnayan

Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil is the Director of Boses (Voices), screened at the Cinemalaya Film Festival in July 2008. The movie received six

awards at the 6th Golden Screen Awards (the Philippines’ Golden Globes), including Best Movie and Best Director. Presently, organiza-tions advocating for child rights, gender issues, human rights, peace initiatives, and music and film appreciation sponsor its screening in international festivals, and local schools and

communities. The Assumption Alumnae Association orga-nized its New York premiere on 1 May 2009. Ellen also established Erasto Films, Inc., which aims to help push alternative filmmaking to the forefront of Philippine cinema and create mainstream impact. In an interview with Mary Christine Ong-Reyes, she articulates the key messages of the film and its advocacy role in the campaign on “Children against Violence.”

Q. Was there a real-life inspiration for the movie? A. At the end of every screening, we are usually asked this question and I would say that it is not the story of one specific child but that of many. At a private shelter in the Philippines, we met an autistic teenager who was found years ago hiding under the kitchen sink, but who has now blossomed into an amateur painter and whose works are lauded by guests at the shelter. Froi Medina, who first wrote this script, for which he won second prize at a scriptwriting contest, worked as a volunteer in a shelter in the United States. After all the applause and the audience

By Mary Christine Ong-Reyes

I think if we start empowering our kids, this country would be better ten years from now because we will have

a better citizenry that can stand up for its rights.

Behind the Scenes with Ellen Marfil,

Director of Internationally Acclaimed Boses

had left, Laarni, our marketing director, would usually be approached by one or two from the audience to tell her his or her story of abuse. What can be more real than that? And so with every screening, we get inspired to keep on going and screening.

Q. What are the three top take-away lessons from this film? A. First, the power of music, film and art as a whole is my no. 1 advo-cacy. So much focus is given to politics and economics, but I believe that culture is just as important in the development of society because of its healing capacity. Culture is an important foundation for children.

Child abuse is not about victims and perpetrators, but about a com-munal problem that needs to be addressed in order to strengthen fami-lies and communities. Child abuse is a major but hidden problem in the Philippines because corporal punishment is accepted as a tool to instill discipline. But if people realized how children could live up to their fullest potential if they lived without fear, imagine how rich this country could be?

Finally, I wish people would see how important it is to focus on the children. Sometimes you read the papers, listen to the news and realize that there are too many inequities and abuses. We are amazed at how we Filipinos can just take it. Women take it from their husbands, employees from their bosses, citizens from their corrupt officials. I think if we start empowering our kids, this country would be better ten years from now because we will have better citizens that can stand up for their rights.

I think the film succeeds in bridging gaps. It actually shows that violin, classical

music, and child abuse are beyond classes.

Ellen Marfil

Ariel and Onyok, characters in the movie.

PelikulaMovie Section

By Mary Christine Ong-Reyes

Q. Violins and classical music may come across with the mass market as being elitist. Who is the movie’s target audience? A. Our primary target audience is the children and their “guard-ians” who are provided insights into abusive relationships. The great attraction of this script for me was the challenge of combining classi-cal music — which in this country is appreciated only by a few of the elite — and child abuse which is considered tabloid material despite its importance.

I am very happy that the film is reaching and is being appreciated by all sectors — people in New York, Tondo, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Bagong Silang, Ateneo and those at the Pangarap shelter — all cheered and cried at similar scenes. At a screening recently in Baguio, where they invited the child prodigy Julian Duque as a guest, you would have been surprised at how ordinary kids started shouting the moment he hit the first chord on the violin. In another screening, a leader of a middle-class community, who was apparently abused as a child, realized that he was in an abusive cycle in his adult life. He was so affected that he pushed for the movie among his colleagues.

I think the film succeeds in bridging gaps. It actually shows that violin, classical music, and child abuse are beyond classes.

Q. Boses received 12 nominations and garnered 6 awards at the 6th Golden Screen Awards (the Philippine version of the Golden Globes) which included Best Director and Best Movie. You were in New York at that time for the Boses premiere. How did you feel about this recognition? A. Of course I was thrilled. We received news on 1 May 2009, on the night of our “Big Apple” where the audience was not your typical Filipino movie viewer. Many of them had not seen a Filipino movie for ages and it is not because they were out of the country. I am grateful to the Assumption Alumnae of New York who did a fantastic job in organizing the New York screening. The audience was touched and felt very proud of the film.

Q. What were some of the challenges you encountered in producing this film considering that this doesn’t fall under the category of a typical Filipino movie? A. For indies, funding is usually a major challenge. But for this project, we received financial help from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNI-CEF), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Council for the Welfare for Children (CWC).

The greater challenge is that of distribution. Awards, newspaper publicity and reviews are not enough to survive mainstream competi-tion. But from the very start, this was not my goal. My intention was to build an alternative but regular circuit by bringing the film to where it matters — to the parents, teachers and children, right at their doorsteps, in schools and communities.

My intention is for the stakeholders of culture to realize its power so that it is not left in the hands of mere business interests. We therefore partnered with various institutions and organizations that shared our advocacy and so amazingly, it has been more than a year and we are still very active — slow but active.

It also has not been easy considering that it is about networking out-side the industry with groups which have their own agenda and timeta-bles. In addition, we have to contend with old habits and the “showbiz”

perspective where they search for movie stars, ask for free loads, and think of film as mere entertainment, and of entertainment as a luxury.

Q. The film has served as one of the advocacy tools of UNICEF Manila, CWC and DSWD in their campaign on “Children Against Violence.” How has the campaign progressed since your film was shown to the public? A. Our wish is to develop a relevant cultural film program within a community. Our slogan is “Let Boses be a rock to help build the com-munity” — from screening to discussion; to linking up with a local organization to initiate community saturation so that consciousness may have a leveling-off; to developing a children’s desk which is man-dated by law but not truly implemented; and to establishing a regular film circuit within the community, with an empowering cultural pro-

gram, organized by the local organization or youth group in the community.

CWC helped us in training child rights advocates. UNICEF just submitted its three-year program for the campaign on children against violence, which Boses will be a part of.

We have far to go, sustained by the reac-tions of people and audiences. We are screen-ing in schools and communities and hopefully this will help pave the way for the acceptance of the anti-corporal punishment bill being pushed by the child rights advocates.

Q. The film has been screened at several international film festivals. What has been the general reaction of our kababayans abroad? A. The film is getting quite an audience despite very limited promo and marketing machinery. Internationally, we have been invited to screen-ings at least once a month either in festivals or among Filipino groups abroad (Hawaii, India, Los Angeles, Oregon, Hong Kong, Geneva, Korea, Spain, New York), and locally, we’ve been to almost all the regions at least once. In Hong Kong, Filipinos who we did not know

emailed us on Facebook regarding the great reception when the Hong Kong Asia Society screened there. Boses was also screened in Geneva during the first Filipino Film Festival.

And the invitations continue to pour in.We had almost daily screenings in the Philippines. From September to

November, we were in Baguio, Pangasinan, Dumaguete, Cebu and Isabela.It is slow but sure because word of mouth is getting around. We are

also working with various non-governmental organizations, religious groups and of course the institutions that helped us.

Q. Are you engaged in any follow-up initiatives on this film, building on its immense success? A. Financially, there is not enough yet to be able to bring it to more people or to be sustainable enough for a next film project that could tackle other child rights issues to complement Boses, but we hope to get there.

Yes, we have not fully reached our goals in terms of target audi-ence reach and the creation of a sustainable alternative film circuit to empower the young, but, the foundation is being developed and I con-sider this a most blessed project.

There is this realization that maybe, if we focus our concerns on children, more blessings will come our way as families and as a nation as well.

Our slogan is “Let Boses be a rock to help build the community”.

ma r y Ch r I s t I n e on g-re ye s works at the United Nations Population Fund.

Vol. 4, Winter 2009 | 9

TulaPoetry Section

KasaysayanHistory Section

Photo: www.knightsofrizal.org vww

Dr. Jose Rizal, Our National Hero

J ose Rizal was born on 19 June 1861 in Calamba, Laguna. He studied at the Santo Tomas University (medicine,

philosophy and literary science). In 1882, he went to Madrid where he continued his studies and later on graduated. He was fluent in several languages and travelled in Europe extensively.

His dream of independence and sense of national dignity brought about his famous book, Noli Me Tan-gere, which was published in Berlin in 1887. This socio-political work grappled with the issues of the Philippine reality and the suppressive policies of the Spanish colo-nial power. El Filibusterismo, his second book, as well as scores of inflammatory essays calling for an uprising against the Spaniards, were soon distributed widely in the Philippines.

In 1892, Rizal returned home and founded a reform movement, La Liga Filipina, on 3 July. He was arrested four days later and exiled to Dapitan in Mindanao.

When the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896, Rizal was condemned to death by a military tribunal in Manila for inciting people to revolt. On 30 December 1896, he was executed by firing squad.

a.Ako’y may kaibiganKasama ko kahit saanMapatubig ay di nalulunodMapaapoy ay di nasusunog

b.Maliit man o malakiTanungan ng marami,Iisa ang sinasabi.

c.Kahit sarili mo naPag-aari rin ng iba.

d. Nang munti pa ay paruparo,Nang lumaki’y latigo.

e.Hindi halaman, maraming dahon,Ang ibinubunga ay dunong.

BugtongBy Elmer Sampaga

(Filipino Riddles)

e l m e r s a m p a g a works for the Voice and Messaging Group in the Office of Infor-

mation and Communications Technology of the United Nations Secretariat.

a. a

nino

; b. o

rasa

n/re

lo; c

. pan

gala

n; d

. sita

w; e

. akl

at.

Source: “Mga Libangan ng Batang Pinoy (Katutubong Laro, Tugma, Tula, Awit, Salawikain at Bugtong)”, Jovita O. Calixihan, 2009, National Bookstore.

Photo: www.knightsofrizal.org

30 December is Rizal Day.

Vol. 4, Winter 2009 | 11

immediate needs. The devastation caused by the typhoons may have been enormous but the outpour of assistance through voluntary work and donations of money, relief goods, food, and medicine far outweighed the magnitude of the calamity. Filipinos around the world united in giving their time, money and effort in helping our kababayans back home.

PCS raises $16,000 for typhoon victimsThe United Nations Staff Recreation Coun-

cil-Philippine Cultural Society (PCS) recently sponsored a -wide fund drive with the sup-port of the Staff Union and the approval from the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. From 9 to 30 November 2009, volunteer mem-bers of PCS went floor-by-floor in every build-ing in the NYC area where staff were relocated. Three beneficiaries (Philippine National Red Cross, Daughters of Charity and ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya) are recipients of the fund, pending final review by the Staff Union.

PCS extends its gratitude to everyone who generously contributed to the typhoon relief fund drive. The total collection amounted to $16,000. Let us continue to support our kaba-bayans as they recover from the devastation and remember them in our prayers.

The Quiapo underpass (Recto subway) which was flooded with about 20 feet of water looked like an Olympic-size swimming pool. How did our kababayans deal with it? A swim-ming competition for kids was held in full view of onlookers standing on the elevated roadways!

Members of the 3rd United States Marine Expeditionary Force headed by Lt. Com-mander Todd Endicott held medical and dental missions in Marikina. Remarking on a quality he found among Filipinos: “We all wonder how Filipinos keep smiling through all this … saying ‘Hi’ to us, giving us high-fives … it’s probably a testament to the culture”.

Filipinos have been tested and challenged, but they will always rise above the obstacles with hope and optimism!

The typhoonsOn average, the Philippines gets 20

typhoons every year. The most significant typhoon this year occurred on Saturday, 26 September 2009. The 15th typhoon to hit the country, Typhoon Ondoy (international code name: Ketsana) brought the heaviest rainfall in Metro Manila — the worst in 40 years, affect-ing 80% of the highly populated area. In just several hours of continuous heavy downpour, Metro Manila received the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain. It was considered to be the most destructive typhoon in recent Philip-pine history.

Specific areas affected were Marikina, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Makati, city of Manila, Pasay, Pasig, Antipolo, Taguig, Valenzuela and San Juan. Nearby provinces

also affected included Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and other southern Tagalog areas. The deluge submerged houses, swept away shanties and cars, forcing residents to stay on their rooftops and wait for rescue. Thousands of motorists were stranded as highways became raging riv-ers. Thousands of families were left homeless. The CALABARZON region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) suffered crop dam-age amounting to P95 million (over US$ 2M). Leptospirosis, a life-threatening disease from contact with contaminated water, caused at least 167 deaths. As per the National Disaster Coordinating Council update on 13 October 2009, a total of 880,175 families (4,320,699 persons) were affected; 337 deaths, 308 injured and 37 missing. Estimated cost of damages is P10.45 billion (over US$ 227M). These num-bers may increase with the latest update. Phil-ippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of calamity in Metro Manila and at least 27 provinces.

Within two weeks, another typhoon entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). Typhoon Pepeng (international code name: Parma) headed for the northern Philip-pines, causing serious flooding and landslides in La Union, Benguet, Cagayan, Catand-uanes and Pangasinan. Major infrastructure were destroyed. Furthermore, on 28 October, Typhoon Santi (international code name: Mir-inae) was located in the Aurora-Quezon area.

Bayanihan spiritVarious government agencies, non-govern-

mental and international organizations, as well as private institutions quickly responded to the

From Cagayan Valley ... (from p. 1)

d e l g o w is a Statistics Assistant in the Development Policy and Analy-sis Division, United Nations Depart-

ment of Economic and Social Affairs. Also a member of the Philippine Chamber Ron-dalla of New Jersey.

At the Covered Courts of the Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City (Sept. 27; photo: Kevin Tatco)Post Ondoy: ... (from p. 1)

12 | Ugnayan

Philippine Cultural Society Updates By Del Gow

PINOY TALENT FESTIVAL17 April 2009Labouisse Hall, UNICEF Building

Filipino UN staff members and guest art-ists captivated the audience with excitement and enthusiasm as they demonstrated their talents and skills. The festival was a show-case of Filipino versatility in singing, dancing and the martial arts. Performers included the PCS Chorale, Nena Villena-Tanedo, Michelle Avendano, Samantha Enriquez, the Jaleo Fili-pino Dancers, E. RO Contemporary Dance Company, Edwin Santayana, Jay Legaspi, and the Bayani Warrior Group. The finale numbers were rendered by Soprano Katrina Saporsan-tos and the Junior Champions from “Dancing with the Stars”, Craig and Samantha Campos.

ART EXHIBIT: “Creativity in Adversity”By Fernando Q. Kabigting8-12 June 2009UN Secretariat South Lobby

Fernando “Didi” Kabigting has been an artist for nearly five decades. His signature painting style on batya (wooden basin used in the early 1900s for washing clothes) has been associated with his name, which received great recognition. Despite suffering from a stroke in 1999 which paralyzed half of his body, he retrained himself to paint with his left hand. With determination and perseverance, his new art pieces are now expressions of human emo-tions that convey life and love.

ART EXHIBIT: “ERBU”By Eve Red Buhay15-19 June 2009UN Secretariat South Lobby

Eve Red Buhay is a visual artist whose artwork is an explosion of colors. Her brush strokes capture the thoughts and emotions being conveyed. Although she

was trained in watercolor, her preference is acrylic. All her paintings are always part of a series. The exhibit was her way of expressing herself as a woman, a mother and a painter.

UNSRC CLUB FAIR26 June 2009UN Secretariat South Lobby

Sponsored by the United Nations Staff Recre-ation Council (UNSRC), this annual event is an opportunity for the staff at large to meet represen-tatives of the different clubs under the UNSRC, know more about club activities and promote club membership to the different Clubs.

DINNER-DANCE sponsored by “Friends of PCS”7 August 2009Bergenfield, NJ

Two beneficiaries of this fund-raising event are the San-tiago Garcia Edu-cational Foundation, Inc. and the Philippine Dictionary Project. The foundation, located in Sta. Ana, Pampanga, provides free vocational training courses to individuals who cannot afford to pay for their secondary schooling, allowing them to acquire special skills to improve their quality of life. The dictionary project aims to distribute brand-new children’s illustrated dictionaries to public elementary schools across the Philippines.

FILIPINO FOOD FESTIVAL29 September 2009DC1 Staff Lounge

Recent typhoons in the Philippines have devastated parts of the country. Proceeds of the event went to the Disaster Relief Fund (Alay Lakad), coursed through the Philip-pine Consulate, and also to the Sisters of the Assumption in the Philippines.

UNITED NATIONS FUND DRIVE9-30 November 2009

In collaboration with the Staff Union, PCS was given approval from the Office of the Sec-retary-General to form a Relief Committee to

collect donations from the staff at large for the victims of recent typhoons. The amount col-lected was $16,000. Suggested benefi-ciaries are the Phil-ippine National Red Cross, ABS-CBN (Sagip Kapamilya) and the Daughters of Charity.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS1 December 2009

The new set of officers for 2010-2011 were elected.

YEAR-END GET-TOGETHER PARTY4 December 2009DC1 Staff Lounge

The well-attended party was graced by the presence of Ambassador Hilario Davide, Jr. There was good food and vibrant music with solo numbers from John Violago and Rhona Mae Amorado. The emcee was the talented Rizza Escobar. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the new set of officers for 2010-2011.

OTHER ACTIVITIES10 December 2009 Simbang Gabi, Philippine Consulate

15 December 2009Annual General Meeting

Miscellaneous

OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTERS (OAV) REGISTRATION 1 February-31 August 2009

Everyone qualified to vote was encouraged by the Philippine Consulate to register and exercise the right to vote in the 2010 National Elections. The election period for overseas absentee voters will be from 10 April to 10 May 2010.

PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY STREET FAIRS, FESTIVALS, PARADE7 June 2009, New York CityAlong Madison Avenue from 41st St. to 23rd St., sponsored by the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. as part of the 111th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence commemora-tion.

14 June 2009, Passaic, NJ Passaic Third Ward Memorial Park, spon-sored by the Philippine Day Organization Council.

28 June 2009, Jersey City, NJFrom Montgomery St. to Exchange Place, sponsored by the Philippine-American Friendship Committee.

PCS Officers 2010-2011

Nannette Guinto Amorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Emma DumalagDel Gow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1st Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Del GowEmma Dumalag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2nd Vice President . . . . . . . . . Judith Puyat-MagnayeElmer Sampaga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elmer SampagaLorna del Rosario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tina SalitaMargie Baccay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joel PicacheCecile Dacudao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P.R.O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Efren Cruz/Vivian CruzCeleste Serrano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant P.R.O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marienette Abadilla

Hello Goodbye

For information on cultural activities and other events sponsored by the Consulate General of the Philippines, please call at 212-764-1330, ext. 310 or 306 or see http://www.pcgny.net.