A Presidential Inauguration in 1935

This event was a first in Asia. This event marked a crucial milestone for a region that was lorded by Western powers at the time. Some of the colonial powers even expressed their concern over the event's impact on the peoples of the region. Time Magazine reported that the British voiced displeasure over this development because it could signal the demise of the white man's rule over that part of the world. The event I'm referring to is the subject of the following newsreel from 1935 that reported on the inauguration of Manuel Luis Quezon as President of the new Philippine Commonwealth.

President Quezon's inauguration was held at the steps of the neoclassic Legislative Building on November 15, 1935. As can be seen from the video, the occasion was graced by then US Vice President John Nance Garner (1868-1967) who served under Franklin Delano Roosevelt from 1933 to 1941. According to Time, Mr. Garner led a party of 17 senators, 26 representatives, and 34 American newspapermen. Secretary of War George Henry Dern (1872-1936) also attended the event as President Roosevelt's personal representative. It was estimated that about 15,000 official guests were on hand to witness history being made.

Mr. Quezon was sworn in to a six-year term by Justice Ramon Avancena (1872-1957) who was then Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. The 1935 Constitution, which the Filipino people had approved in a plebiscite held in May that same year, called for the election of a President to a single six-year term with no reelection. It also called for a unicameral National Assembly. These provisions were however changed later that same decade (1939-40) when the Constitution was amended to allow for a bicameral Congress and to allow a President to govern for a maximum of two four-year terms.

One can see from the video that it was a very well attended affair. It was estimated that about a quarter of a million people attended the ceremonies marking the inauguration of the President and the birth of the Commonwealth. It is to be noted too that President Quezon's inaugural ceremonies were held on the steps of the Legislative Building and not at the Luneta Grandstand as succeeding Presidents have done since 1946. I am assuming that the decision to hold the inaugural ceremonies at the steps of the Legislative Building was patterned after the American tradition of holding Presidential inaugurations at the steps of the US Capitol Building.

The Legislative Building stands at the corner of Taft Avenue and P. Burgos Street. Thus, I'm assuming that the impressive military parades shown on the newsreel were held on P. Burgos Street. It can also be seen from the joyous and excited attitude of the crowd that the move towards independence enjoyed broad popular support.

The newsreel also briefly showed President Quezon's son, Manuel L. Quezon, Jr. (1926-1998), standing attentively and smartly dressed in an aide-de-camp's uniform. Unfortunately, due to the age of the film, it was quite difficult for me to identify the elegantly dressed couple MLQ Jr. stood next to.

I don't mean to deviate from the historical significance of this newsreel but there is one last observation regarding its content. It can be observed from the video that as President Quezon took his oath of office, one of the microphones that stood before him prominently showed the call letters KZRM. Quite a bit of historic information can be derived from the call letters on that microphone stand.

Note that this was the 1930s, a period before the birth of television broadcasting. Thus, all events of historic or national importance were broadcast over radio. Unlike today where call letters of radio stations in the Philippines begin with the letter "D", it is to be noted that during the pre-war years, specifically from 1924 through 1947, the call letters of radio stations in the Philippines began with the letters "KZ". This designation was in accordance with the radio broadcast laws of the US which applied to our country being an American colony.

KZRM was one of six major radio stations that operated in Manila during the pre-war years. The others were KZEG, KZIB, KZRC, KZRF, and KZRH. KZRM was owned and operated by the Radio Corporation of the Philippines (which later became known as RCPI) and began broadcasting in 1928. The Radio Corporation of the Philippines was then a fully-owned subsidiary of the Radio Corporation of America, or more popularly known to radio and music enthusiasts as RCA.

Of the six stations mentioned, KZRH, owned and operated by the Manila Broadcasting Company is the only one that is still around to this day. This radio station began operations in 1939 atop the Heacock Building in Escolta and is now known to Filipino listeners by its call letters DZRH.

It was at a 1947 International Telecommunications Union conference held in Atlantic City, New Jersey where the radio call letters for the Philippines were changed to begin with the letter "D". Radio stations that broadcast from Manila were assigned call letters that begin with "DZ"; radio stations in Luzon were assigned the letters "DW"; Visayan stations got "DY"; and Mindanao stations were assigned "DX".

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this newsreel. Though it runs for less than a minute, it still manages to provide us with a wealth of historical information about our beloved country.

A Pause For A Hero

Youngest elected Mayor at 22.
Youngest Vice-governor at 27.
Youngest elected Senator at 34.

This blog takes pause to honor the memory of former Senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. (November 27, 1932 - August 21, 1983) whose life was tragically cut short on this day 25 years ago.

Some Classic Pinoy TV Commercials

Just wanted to share with you a few of the popular Filipino TV commercials from the 1970s. I chanced upon them earlier today while video surfing on YouTube.

The first is a Coca-Cola commercial from 1979 that featured a much younger Tito, Vic, and Joey.

The video showed them singing revised cuts from the biggest hits from that year as they promoted a Coca Cola contest. Joey De Leon started off with his version of Sampaguita's "Bonggahan" followed by Tito Sotto doing a revised version of Mike Hanopol's "Jeprox". Lastly, Vic Sotto was shown singing his praises to the number of prizes available to the tune of Freddie Aguilar's hit song "Anak".

How about this Ford Fiera commercial that featured the late movie/tv/radio personality Rod Navarro?

As a utility vehicle, the Ford Fiera was quite popular during the 1970s. Vehicles like the Ford Fiera were then classified as an AUV or "Asian Utility Vehicle". The Fiera's popularity prompted Toyota to respond and introduce the Toyota Tamaraw in 1978. Although the clip on YouTube failed to mention the year this particular commercial came out, my guess is that it could have been from either 1976 or 1977. The above commercial was also one of many that featured Mr. Navarro as product endorser at the height of his popularity as a radio personality in the 1970s.

Has any Filipino gone through life without having tasted MY San's FITA Biscuits? Here's a classic FITA ad from 1976.

I enjoyed FITA as a snack when I was a kid. I found it delicious and enjoyed it more whenever it was accompanied by a cold, tall glass or bottle of Coca-Cola. (That in itself sounded like a commercial, didn't it?) This clip also showed a blue Metro Manila Transit bus. Metro Manila Transit was a government-operated bus line that used to have a large number of buses plying the streets of Metro Manila. This bus line also introduced the air-conditioned and popular "Love Bus" during the mid-1970s.

Another popular tv commercial was this classic Superwheel laundry detergent commercial from 1976 that featured a younger and sexier Marissa Delgado.

This humorous commercial was a spoof on Camelot and it shows "King Arthur" and "Sir Lancelot" vying for the affections of Marissa Delgado's "Guinevere". Unfortunately, the name of the older actress who was also shown on this commercial escapes my memory at the moment. Do any of you remember her? She used to be a regular on TV sitcoms and comedy movies.

Lastly, the following cigarette commercial that featured the Champion brand came out in 1974. Its slogan "Champion sa Lasa. Champion Talaga." was one of the most popular at the time. Given the recent enactment of Republic Act 9211 ("Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003"), advertisements like this on both tv and print media are now history.

It is funny for its silliness and at the same time it is also lamentable that given what we all know now about the health risks posed by smoking, the message this particular tv commercial imparted was quite misguided. How could one be considered a great athlete at the top of his game if he was a heavy smoker at the same time? Do fighting cocks have to smoke Champion cigarettes too to help them triumph over their opponents?

Looking back, these commercials, taken as a whole, provide us with a snapshot on how our people lived at the time through the products they consumed, the music they listened to, and the recreational activities they indulged in. Some may seem funny, ridiculous, or even unbelievable now but to many of us, they reflect a simpler, happier and more innocent time.

A Gem of Filipiniana on Padre Faura

When I was still living in the Philippines, it was my practice that whenever I walked into a bookstore in Manila, the first section I would visit was the store's Filipiniana section. It was there where I would go through the latest titles by both local and foreign authors to see if there were new book releases on topics of interest to me, specifically Philippine political and economic history and architecture.

My love affair with the "Filipiniana Section" dates back to my college days in Manila. The section was situated in one of the quietest areas within my college's library. It was in an area I often went to between classes to either take a much needed afternoon nap or to intensely study or prepare for an examination. It took me a while to realize that a few steps away from my favorite nap/study spot were shelves that had copies of respected and historic Philippine publications such as the Philippines Free Press, Weekly Graphic, and the Manila Times. The Philippines Free Press was an influential weekly news magazine that ran from 1907 until the declaration of Martial Law closed it down in September 1972.

From the moment I browsed through an old issue of the Philippines Free Press, I was hooked, to say the least, and I remember spending countless hours going through its past issues and those of other newspapers and magazines. I was quite fascinated by the fact that the school's collection of magazines and newspaper issues went as far back as the 1910s. Reading old news articles could be described as reading Philippine History in "current events" form.

Thus, my old geeky self was so glad when my dear SO finally took me to the Solidaridad Book Shop in Manila's Ermita district. This bookstore is owned by the renowned Filipino author and National Artist Francisco Sionil Jose. ("My Brother, My Executioner", "The Pretenders", "Ermita") Although I've heard of this place, I never had the chance to visit it until I was in Manila last May.

The first two pictures below show the front of the bookstore taken from across the street. (Store's exact address is 531 Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila.)



Solidaridad Book Shop opened its doors to the public back in 1965. As can be seen from above, the book shop occupies the ground floor of a two-storey building with a mezzanine. The building is a concrete and wooden structure and was of an architectural style that was common in Manila from the 1950s through the late 1960s.

The following two shots were taken by the bookstore's front door.



Due to Robinson Place's rather imposing presence across the street, one could easily walk past this bookstore without noticing it. But once found, stepping into the bookstore is like going back in time. This little shop possesses an old-fashioned charm with its simplicity and it reminded me of places in the Ermita and Malate districts I used to visit as a kid. An old family friend, now long gone, used to run a small barbershop a couple of blocks away near the Plaza Nuestra Senora de Guia while another family friend ran his family's construction firm from one of the old buildings that line T.M. Kalaw Street.

The bookstore's interior was basically divided into two sections. As one walks in, one will find the Filipiniana section to one's left while books by foreign authors and foreign periodicals can be found to one's right.

I found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. I heard that customers can even request Mr. Jose to sign a book if he was around. Unfortunately, we were not able to have any book signed because the author was in Japan on business at the time my SO and I went. Well, better luck next time.

Now if there was something that I did not like about this place, it was the fact that the store does not accept credit cards. All book purchases have to be paid for in cash. But given everything that this place has to offer, its refusal to accept credit cards is one inconvenience I can certainly live with.

We ended up buying two books that day. But I liked both the place and the selection of books so much that the SO and I came back the following day to buy two more. I must say then that of all the places I visited in Manila that week, this was clearly my favorite.

So to the Filipiniana buffs among you, whenever you find yourselves in the area, please take some time to stop by this little gem on Padre Faura. I don't think you'll come away disappointed.

Photo credits: The Quint

Meeting of Champions

This was truly a meeting of champions.

Just wanted to share this happy video showing the 2008 NBA Champions Boston Celtics congratulating and cheering our countryman and new WBC Lightweight Champion Manny Pacquiao after his victory last Saturday over David Diaz.

Manny Pacquiao's victory over David Diaz marked the first time that an Asian has become a boxing champ in four weight classes. Such achievement makes it a certainty that Manny Pacquiao would enter Boxing's Hall of Fame someday.

The video shows Celtics stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Sam Cassell cheering and congratulating Manny, himself a huge Celtics fan, in his locker room after the fight. It was a happy and rowdy bunch of champions who earned well-deserved victories and the respect of their peers.

Clips from this video were also shown over ABC 7 Eyewitness News in New York last Sunday night and that was where I first saw it.

Congratulations again, Manny.

Aviation History Made in Manila

While walking around the grounds of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila one afternoon back in 1994, I chanced upon a small commemorative marker that was located near the water, specifically in that part of Manila Bay where there's a small pier situated between the said grandstand and the Manila Hotel.

The marker commemorated the landing of the China Clipper seaplane on the waters of Manila Bay on November 29, 1935. The landing marked the conclusion of the first trans-Pacific flight that began in the City of Alameda near San Francisco, California on November 22, 1935. This flight marked the beginning of regular airmail service between the United States and the Philippines. It was not a non-stop flight for along the way to Manila, the plane made stops at Honolulu, Midway, Wake Island and Guam. (Source: www.flyingclippers.com)

Prior to my "discovery" of that marker, I absolutely had no idea that the Philippines had figured in the making of aviation history. That moment was the first time I heard of such a thing and the marker certainly piqued my interest in the event. I later went to a library and did some research just to satisfy my curiosity about it.

That was pretty much it for years until early this afternoon when, to my very pleasant surprise, I chanced upon a newsreel that reported on this particular event back in 1935 while going through YouTube's video archives. The following newsreel produced by Fox Movietone News reported on the successful landing of the China Clipper at Manila Bay.

Although video and sound clarity on the newsreel leaves much to be desired, we could see that a large crowd and quite a number of government dignitaries led by Philippine Commonwealth President Manual Luis Quezon (1878-1944) were on hand to welcome and congratulate the plane's crew.

We could also see an aerial view of what is the current site of the Quirino Grandstand (then known as the Luneta Grandstand) and the Luneta Park itself prior to the plane's water landing.

What could be historically significant about this newsreel is that the viewer gets to hear President Manuel L. Quezon's voice maybe for the first time through a brief congratulatory speech he gave to the crew of the China Clipper led by Captain Edwin Musick, Pan American Airways' ("Pan Am") Chief Pilot at the time. For his part, we could see that Capt. Musick handed to President Quezon a letter from US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

We can also see standing right next to President Quezon a little boy smartly dressed in what appears to be a Naval Officer's uniform. It is probably safe to assume that the boy was President Quezon's son, Manuel L. Quezon, Jr. (1926-1998) who was nine years old at the time.

But trans-Pacific flights in those days were still in their infancy and often carried a lot of risks. Thus, it is to be sadly noted that a little over two years after this achievement, the China Clipper's pilot, Captain Edwin Musick, perished in an onboard plane explosion in January 1938 off the Pago-Pago (American Samoa) islands in the Pacific. His body was never found.

Another member of Capt. Musick's crew on this flight was Frederick J. ("Fred") Noonan, who served as the flight's Navigation Officer. He was one of the crew members who stood around President Quezon in the newsreel and based on this photo of him, I think he was the tall crew member (Mr. Noonan was said to be six feet tall) who stood second from the right of that particular footage.

At the time, Mr. Noonan was recognized as one of American aviation's best flight navigators and was a regular crew member on trans-Pacific flights. As a result, he had also spent a good deal of time in Manila from 1935 to 1937. Sadly, he will forever be remembered in aviation history as the flight navigator who was with the celebrated aviator Amelia Earhart when her plane, a Lockheed Electra, was lost in the waters of the South Pacific in 1937. To this day, no trace of them or their place has ever been found.

It's been 14 years since I last saw the marker that commemorated this flight. Given the passage of time and the changes that have taken place in its vicinity, I am no longer sure if that marker is still there. I certainly hope that that humble marker still sits on that spot so that it could continue to serve as a reminder that decades ago, our country was part of record-setting aviation history.

A Beautiful City Gone Forever - Manila of the 1930s (Part 2)

This is the second of the two rare videos I wanted to share with you. This second video or "newsreel" as clips like this were called at the time was called "Manila, Queen City of the Pacific". It was made back in 1938 by a travel film producer named Andre de la Varre (1902-1989) as part of his "The Screen Traveler" series.

Back in the days before television, newsreels were shown in movie theaters as part of the "intermission", a term which refers to that short interval of time or break between showings of a particular movie.

For me personally, what stood out in this video clip was the grandeur and beauty of the old Jones Bridge and those of the Legislative and Post Office Buildings. All these beautiful buildings were designed by the great Filipino architect Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano (or simply "Juan Arellano") along the neo-classic style. Mr. Arellano's involvement in these public projects was due to the fact that he worked for the then Bureau of Public Works from 1916 to 1935. Aside from the projects mentioned, he was also the architect behind other great Manila landmarks such as the Metropolitan Theater and the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The original Jones bridge was completed in 1921. As can be seen from the video, the bridge had quite a bit of ornamentation, sculpted figures, and arches. The bridge was of such elegance that one could have easily mistaken it for a bridge somewhere in Old Europe.

Unfortunately, this Arellano masterpiece did not survive the Second World War. A cash-strapped and newly independent Philippine government replaced this elegant bridge with a rather plain-looking steel and concrete structure that remains in use to this day.

The Legislative Building (now known as the National Museum of the People) was completed in 1926 and the Philippine Post Office was completed in 1931. Both the Legislative Building and the Post Office Building suffered significant damage during the war. Unfortunately, although both these buildings were rebuilt after the war, limited government resources prevented the faithful reconstruction of these structures back to their former elegance and beauty.

One of the facts of daily travel that can also be observed was that people drove on the left side of the road (European style) back in those days. My guess is that this practice must have been a carryover from the Spanish era. It was only after the end of the Second World War did the Philippines switch to driving on the right side of the road American style.

Aside from the ubiquitous presence of calesas and caretelas (two-wheeled horse-drawn carriages), there were horse-drawn "buses" that may have been the precursor of today's jeepney. The number of passengers were quite limited and thus, as a mode of public transportation like the present day jeepney, it was quite inefficient.

If there were traffic lights in Manila at the time, this clip certainly did not show them. Instead, we see traffic directed by traffic policemen in "pith" style helmets. This helmet was also known as a "sun helmet" because it provided the wearer's head with ample protection from the sun's rays. As a result, this type of helmet was widely used in the tropics.

The Franciscan Church in Intramuros, sadly, was destroyed during the Liberation of Manila. On its former site now stands the Mapua Institute of Technology. There used to be seven major churches within the walls of Intramuros. However, out of those seven churches, only the San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral survived the war. The Manila Aquarium, also in Intramuros, opened in 1913 and was a popular tourist attraction at the time. It closed during the Second World War.

McKinley Square was the plaza in front of the Manila Cathedral. It is now called Plaza Roma and if you are standing at the plaza facing the Cathedral, on your left would be the ruins of the old and once beautiful Ayuntamiento Building. On your right would be the multi-storey Palacio del Gobernador.

Although it wasn't shown on the clip, the Ayuntamiento was once an administrative building used by the Spanish and American colonial governnments. It was also called the Marble Palace because it was said to be lavishly decorated and was the site of several balls or parties back in the day. Sadly, like the other structures mentioned above, the Ayuntamiento was also a victim of the Liberation of Manila. What remains are its ruins which the Central Bank of the Philippines uses as a parking garage and storage area.

Lastly, one can't help but be awed by the elegantly beautiful homes that lined Dewey Boulevard (now called Roxas Boulevard) in Manila's upscale Ermita district. Unfortunately, a lot of these homes would also suffer mightily from the war. Today, although a rather small number of them still exist, they are now mostly hidden behind high walls.

A lot more can be written about the people and places shown but that would require a rather lengthy blog entry. For now, let's simply enjoy this gem that takes us back to a time when our beloved city was one of Asia's most beautiful.

A Beautiful City Gone Forever - Manila of the 1930s (Part 1)

Just wanted to share one of a couple of rare videos that showcase our beloved City of Manila the way the city used to look back in the 1930s. Both videos are making the rounds of several blogs since they were "discovered" in YouTube's archives recently. What I'm going to do is present each video separately and add some bit of information I know on some of the topics discussed and/or presented.

This first video was part of the "Port O' Call" series produced by a William M. Pizor. Unfortunately, the introduction to the short film failed to show the year it was produced. But judging from the styling of the cars shown on the streets and the way the people dressed, the film must have been taken in the early 1930s at the latest. In addition, at the beginning of the video clip, it showed that the "Cinephone" sound system was used. This system was one of the early sound systems used at the dawn of the talking movies.

The clip showed Manila's then famous Pier 7 (part of Manila's South Harbor) and showed life in nearby Intramuros back in the day when businesses, government offices, and residents commingled within its thick walls. It showed how the Old Bilibid Prison looked and how it was run during those days and gave us a feel for the rather rustic character of the district of Tondo back in those days.

Pier 7 was part of Manila's South Harbor. Manila had, and still has two harbors namely, the Manila North Harbor and the Manila South Harbor. The North Harbor, with its even-numbered piers, is the domestic port that caters to coastwise cargo and passenger ships. The South Harbor with its odd-numbered piers, serves as the international gateway for shipping and trade. I'm not sure if Pier 7 is still in use or service because a review of South Harbor's current active piers do not include it on the list. Maybe the Pier has since been renamed but I can't vouch for that.

The clip also showed elements of the famous 31st Infantry Regiment performing some marching drills outside the walls of Intramuros. This regiment was part of the USAFFE's (United States Armed Forces in the Far East) Philippine Division. Troops of this regiment fought valiantly in the defense of Bataan and a majority of the men did not survive the Second World War.

The Bilibid Prison shown on the video referred to the Old Bilibid Prison on Oroquieta Street in Manila. This served as the country's national penitentiary until 1940 when the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa opened. After most of the prisoners were moved to the New Bilibid Prison, most of the Old Bilibid Prison complex was turned over to the city of Manila and subsequently became known as the Manila City Jail. The whole structure, now decrepit, badly in need of repair and surrounded by shanties, remains as the Capital's city jail.

Founded in 1778, the Hospicio de San Jose Orphanage's mission was to help the poor, disabled, and abandoned. This institution has occupied its current location at the Isla de Convalescencia right off of the Ayala Bridge in Quiapo, Manila since 1810.

My apologies but since I'm a non-smoker, I don't know a stitch about tobacco products. It was never a field of interest to me and thus, I could not share any information on the tobacco products presented on the video. To those of you who have any knowledge on the tobacco products shown, please do not hesitate to enlighten all of us.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed viewing this video. Although short, it succeeds in taking us back to a Manila lost forever to all of us.

Bataan Day

Bataan has fallen, but the spirit that made it stand--a beacon to all the liberty-loving peoples of the world--cannot fall!
- “Voice of Freedom” (Radio Broadcast from Malinta Tunnel, Corregidor, April 9, 1942)

Today marks the 66th Anniversary of the Fall of Bataan. Although the government now calls it Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor, to people of my generation and the ones before us, this day will always be remembered simply as Bataan Day.

It was on April 9, 1942 when, some 70,000 sick, wounded and hungry American and Filipino soldiers under the command of General Edward King finally surrendered to the invading Japanese forces led by General Masaharu Homma after months of fierce jungle fighting. The forces fought valiantly against an enemy that was superior both in numbers and materiel. Corregidor fell a month later on May 6, 1942.

Although our forces were defeated, they were able to extract a high cost from the Japanese in terms of lives and resources. They effectively tied the Japanese forces down for four months. General Homma had to call in reinforcements several times from the Japanese forces stationed in Malaya and Formosa after losing thousands of troops to death and disease in the jungles of Bataan.

The long, drawn-out battle at Bataan and Corregidor gave the United States the time it desperately needed to recover from the defeat it suffered at Pearl Harbor. This preparation culminated in an American victory over the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Midway two months later in June 1942, a victory that put an end to the Japanese offensive and turned the tide of war in the Pacific.

Regardless of the politics these days, this blog takes pause to honor and remember all the lives lost at a time when both Americans and Filipinos fought for the same cause against a ruthless enemy and ideology.

Sweet Victory for Pacquiao

Score another victory and a huge round of applause for the great Manny Pacquiao.

I just finished watching the much anticipated rematch between Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Juan Manual Marquez of Mexico. The fight was held at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was their first fight since they last met in May 2004. That bout ended in a draw in spite of the three knockdowns that Marquez suffered in the first round.

This evening's rematch, like the first one, also went the distance. Once again, Marquez got floored by Pacquiao, this time towards the end of the third round. But except for that knockdown, this was a hotly-contested battle through all 12 rounds. In the end, Manny won by a split decision on the strength of that one knockdown he scored against Marquez. Thus, with this victory, Manny gained the WBC (World Boxing Championship) and Ring Magazine's Super Featherweight Championship belts.

Manny, once again, will receive a hero's welcome once he lands in Manila. A proud country will welcome him with open arms. Our politicians and people will find themselves united again, at least for one brief shining moment. Everyone will put on their best behavior, and rightly so, to honor and pay respect to a man who has always made his country proud.

In the international boxing scene, Manny has become known worldwide as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters today and maybe, even in history. Sylvester Stallone, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Mike Tyson now count among his fans. Mike Tyson even showed up to watch this evening's fight.

Manny's international fame is such that HBO ring announcer Jim Lampley remarked in this evening's fight that Manny is not just an icon in his native Philippines but has also become an icon in Mexico for beating two, and now with his victory over Marquez, make that three, of their best boxing champions. He is in a pedestal of boxing heroes now, along with the likes of Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, and contemporaries Eric Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and his latest victim, Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao now holds the distinction of beating all three of Mexico's finest fighters. He's now a true legend and at 29, his legend may still grow in the years to come.

I wish Manny Pacquiao continued success in career and more importantly, in his life. The poor boy from General Santos City certainly deserves all the riches, accolades, and fame he has garnered. Simply put, they are the just rewards from years of hard work. I just hope that for his sake and that of his family's, that he will be wise and play his cards right in life. I hope that he would channel all that fame and wealth to productive and positive uses to make sure that future generations of Pacquiaos will no longer experience the poverty and hardship he experienced early in life.

Photo credit: MannyPacquiaofan.com

There's A Filipino in the "Association"

This entry entailed some digging through the musical archives and I wonder if a lot of Filipinos are aware of this fact. But decades before fellow Filipino Al Pineda or "Apl.De.Ap" became famous worldwide as a member of the Black Eyed Peas, and a decade before Freddie Aguilar hit it big internationally with his hit song "Anak" ("Child"), there was Larry Ramos, Jr.

Larry who? Yes, Larry Ramos, Jr., a Filipino who was born and raised in Hawaii. Back in the 1960s, there was a band called "The Association" who hit it big and became popular with songs such as "Windy", "Never My Love", "No Fair at All", and "Cherish". Unbeknownst to many Filipinos today, Larry shared lead vocals with fellow bandmate Russ Giguere on a couple of the band's biggest hits, "Windy" and "Never My Love".

"Windy" became the first #1 hit for The Association in July 1967. I don't think you'll have a hard time spotting him in the following video:

A few months later, in the fall of 1967, the band had another million-seller called "Never My Love". The following video shows the band performing the song on The Ed Sullivan Show:

The band broke up in the early 1970s when their style of music fell out of favour with the public. Though a comeback was attempted later, the band never regained the fame they enjoyed during the late 1960s.

Where is he now? Larry now lives on a 300-acre farm in Grangeville, Idaho. As recently as 2003, he was still performing around the US with co-vocalist Russ Giguere in a re-formed Association doing about 80 to 100 concerts a year.

Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin

A Filipino Institution

Its brand name, in bold dark blue letters prominently printed on a white background and wrapped in its trademark bright red foil pack with a picture of delicious corn chips in front, has been omnipresent in Filipino supermarkets, groceries, sari-sari (corner neighborhood) stores, school cafeterias, and Filipino kids' snack boxes for years. Its rectangular-shaped barbecue corn chips are immediately recognizable to every Filipino child. It is so widely popular among Filipinos that it is probably safe to claim that every Filipino child over the age of 3 has had a taste of this snack. Given its special place in Filipino snack culture, let this entry serve as my small and yet dear tribute to arguably, one of the greatest and most popular snack foods to ever come out of the Philippines, Chippy.

A very close friend laughed when I told her that I planned to do a "tribute blog" in honor of this product. It could indeed be quite laughable to honor a product so ubiquitous that it is so easy for everyone to take it for granted. It may even be hard for today's kids to either believe or imagine that the Chippy brand has been around for at least 40 years.

The product was introduced to the Filipino public in the mid-Sixties to very little fanfare, if at all. However, at the time, nobody could have had the faintest idea, probably not even the folks at Universal Robina Corporation (URC, Chippy's manufacturer), of the level of popularity and longevity that the Chippy brand would one day achieve.

As a product, its formulation was nothing short of genius. The blend of the sweet and the salty led to a taste that was so original and that clicked with the Filipino consumer. The taste is so delicious and so appetizing that one almost always ends up devouring the entire pack after that tentative first bite. Taste is so good and could be quite addicting that it is quite common to hear people "complain" that they never really meant to gobble up the entire pack, that all they wanted was a bite or two.Yeah right.

The snack's taste also goes so well with soft drinks that it has become part of the regular "merienda" (afternoon snack) fare for many of our countrymen. Not a few times have I also seen it be feasted on as "pulutan" (finger food) by beer drinkers who were on a tight drinking budget.

Chippy could also be considered a model of successful, grass-roots marketing. By making the product very affordable and available through the country's small neighborhood stores and grocery stores, URC made sure that it would reach its target market.

Depending on one's views, Chippy's list of ingredients could be viewed either as a Chemistry major's sweetest dream or as a cancer/heart specialist's worst nightmare.

Its main ingredients are corn, vegetable oil (which may contain palm, corn, or coconut oil), barbecue flavor (made up of salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), flavor, tomato powder, yeast extracts, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (from soybean), tricalcium phosphate (as an anti-caking agent), iodized salt, MSG, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and antioxidant.

(Author's note: MSG's impact and influence on the flavor must be such that the esteemed people behind this great product deemed it appropriate to show MSG twice on its list of ingredients. These ingredients could also probably explain why consuming a pack or two of Chippy could lead to episodes of coughing or dry throat.)

According to its Nutrition Facts, a serving size of 30 grams yields 170 calories, 35% saturated fat, 8% sodium, 0% cholesterol, 5% of total carbohydrates, and 4% dietary fiber. It should be noted that the Chippy pack above that is regularly sold in stores weighs about 115 grams. Thus, each pack is equivalent to about four servings. Sounds healthy, doesn't it? :D

However, back to a more serious note, it is to be lamented that URC's management has not given due public recognition and honor to the people who were behind the development and marketing of this product. For it truly is remarkable for a product to remain firmly entrenched in the Filipino popular culture and consciousness for four decades. A third generation of Filipino kids are now being introduced to the guilty pleasures of this snack.

Only a few other Filipino products could match Chippy's longevity and popularity. Choc-Nut, Ricoa Flat Tops (from Commonwealth Foods), White Rabbit, and Storck are the other brands that quickly come to mind. These products are so popular that it would be very difficult to find a single Filipino store that does not have any one of them on its shelves. It is way overdue for the people behind these products be given the honor they truly deserve.