Announcing the Top 10 CNN Heroes 2010

Image via WikipediaPreviously, I blogged about CNN's announcement about its search for the CNN Heroes 2010.  Well, there is no Filipino nominee this time, but I am sure, there is no dearth of exemplary Filipinos, doing their heroic acts.
The Top 10 Nominees include:

1. Guadalupe Arizpe De La Vega
2. Susan Burton
3. Linda Fondren
4. Anuradha Noirala
5. Naryanan Krishnan
6. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
7. Harmon Parker
8. Aki Ra
9. Evans Wadongo
10. Dan Wallrath

Read more about their profiles, heroism, and vote HERE.

Read More

Who will be the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year?

Image via WikipediaCNN has made an announcement that it will disclose its 2010 Top 10 CNN Heroes.  According to CNN, the announcement will be made on September 23, 2010, at 1PM at CNN.com., which will commence an online voting.

We recall that, in 2009, Efren Peñaflorida, a street educator from the province of Cavite was bagged the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.  He also made the famous quote "We are the change that this world needs to be."

Will there be a Filipino nominee again this year?  Let us find out on Thursday, September 23. In the meantime, let us watch CNN's video on Efren:


Video Credit: CNN.com

Read More

Video | Manila : Queen of the Pacific

Video credit: The Travel Film Archive

My late father always talked about his Escolta walks.  As a kid who grew in the province, I never had an inkling of how Manila looked like.  I only knew about it from my father's pictures, and later on when I had the chance to tag along with my parents.  He endlessly talked about how beautiful Escolta and Avenida Rizal was.

We know that Escolta was the center of business and trade, much like Ayala Avenue and the Entire Ayala Center, then we had Cubao, Greenhills, and now, we have Libis, Rockwell, and the latest to grow are Fort Bonifacio and Madrigal Business Center in Alabang.  Avenida Rizal, then, was the center for the culture and the arts, where movies were shown and stage plays were held--like London's West End or New York's Broadway.

Having the chance to work in Intramuros in the early 90s made me appreciate the ruins and architecture of Old Manila, and of course, Escolta and Avenida Rizal.  Intramuros, for its being a tourism destination is being preserved and reconstructed to its old glory. Escolta, since early 90s has not changed much.  Perhaps, there are only more traffic and people now.  Needless to say, Avenida Rizal is in shambles. This dingy and grimy place is now home to rotting buildings, peddlers, crooks, street people, and heavy traffic. It is ironic that this strip where Manila culturati has taken its roots, has become a place for lewd movies and sexy stage performances, and worst, a place for prostitution.
Under Mayor Lito Atienza, Avenida Rizal, which was even named after the country's national hero, was given a much-needed facelift.  It was cleared from traffic and was converted into a street mall.  Now, under the leadership of Mayor Lim, the place has gone back to its sham image.

In my photowalks to these places, it is just sad to witness Filipinos' lack of appreciation for history, culture and tradition--which must translate into preservation or restoration of historical places and architecture.  I could only marvel at the thought that Manila was once a pride in Southeast Asia or even the Pacific.

Well, it is not too late to bring back the lost glory of Manila. There are still buildings that can be salvaged from rotting and total destruction.  We only need to clean up these places and at least repaint their facades, and once and for all, get rid of those hanging cables and wires!  Bury them under!   In fact the El Hogar building in Binondo area is now undergoing a major renovation and restoration to be a future site for business and trade. I just hope the National Historical Institute and Manila's planner's would be more gungho about this. 

Do you want to subscribe to this blog?

Read More