Philippine Newsbits…

PHILIPPINES RETURNS TO FAA CATEGORY 1 STATUS

The Department of Tourism welcomes the news of the return of the Phi-lippines to Category 1 status by the US Federal Aviation Administration. With this development, Philippine carriers can now operate to other cities in the United States and increase frequencies to existing routes. The anti-cipated expansion in capacity and network coverage will boost the De-partment's tourism promotion efforts in the US, which is the country's second largest source market.

PHILIPPINES BAGS TOURISM AWARD IN INDIA

Travel and tourism professionals in South India voted the Philippine De-partment of Tourism (DOT) as the “Best National Tourism Organization” for 2013. The DOT was awarded for its branding campaign and road-shows in South India, particularly in the cities of Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.

In 2013, India contributed 52,206 visitors to the Philippines, a 12.53% growth from the 46,395 visitors recorded in 2012. Indian tourists represented 1.12% of the total volume of Philippine visitors for 2013.

APRIL 2014

VOL 46, NO 4 The Tambuli is a monthly publication of the Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City. 9810 W 79th St Overland Park, KS 66204 816-888-4416 www.filipino-association.org

IN THIS ISSUE: 1 News –

Here & Elsewhere

2

Upcoming Events

3

Pinoy Breakfast Photos

4

Feature Stories

5

Community Celebrants

7

Easter Picnic Photos

The Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City is a not-for-profit, non-political, and non-sectarian organization established to preserve, promote, and enhance Filipino culture through education and cultural arts, and to provide service to the community at-large through its projects and programs.

FCC HOSTS KANSAS STATE

YO-YO CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2014 Kansas State Yo-Yo Championship is coming to the Filipino Cultural Center on Saturday, May 3, from 10 AM to 5 PM! Be mesme-rized as some of the best yo-yo-ers from Kansas and surrounding states compete for prizes. State champions will be crowned in the 1A, Open and Fixed Axle divisions; novice and intermediate players will participate in the True Beginner, Spin-Top, and Sport Ladder divi-sions.

General admission to watch the competition is FREE! Visit the official website and Facebook page for more details, including a schedule of events. Sponsored by Cesar Conde, Filipino Association member and

owner of Go Big Skill Toys.

STEPPING UP FOR

HEALTHCARE

Join the World Outreach Foundation Kansas City (WOFKC) for a fun evening of lighthearted dance competition, dinner,

cocktails, silent auction and more dancing! Prominent members of the KC medical field and sports and media communities generously donate their time as contestants and judges. For more info, contact Jerry Smith at jerry@worldoutreachfoundation.com / 816-560-9379.

TAMBULI APRIL 2014

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TAMBULI STAFF Editor-in-Chief

Ping Bayani Contributors

Edward Tumanut Want to submit content or even be part of the staff? Contact the Editor-in-Chief at 913-558-4332 or pbayani@filipino-association.org

FROM THE EDITOR by Ping Bayani I went to see the movie ‘Divergent’ a couple of days ago. And while it may not win any awards, this one did hit home on some level.

Based on the premise that a struc-tured society is the one that will survive, citizens entering adulthood are made to choose which societal faction they’d like to belong to, using the result of an aptitude test, if you will, as gauge: the selfless Abnegation, the happy Amity, the truthful Candor, the brave Dauntless and the brainy Erudite. Of course, there is still ‘free will’ of sorts, i.e. you can choose a faction different from what your test result suggests but once made, your choice is irrevocable, happy or not!

And then there are the Divergents who are multi-faceted, whose test results are ‘inconclusive’. They are seen as ‘threats’ to the structure and are therefore hunted down and eliminated.

Which faction would you choose?

As for me, good Lord - I’m already looking for a place to hide!

UPCOMING EVENTS View a complete listing at www.filipino-association.org/calendar

General Monthly Meeting Friday, May 2, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Filipino Cultural Center These meetings are open to all, members and non-members alike. Potluck starts at 6:30, with the meeting commencing promptly at 7:00.

Feast of Santo Nino Saturday, May 3, 6:00 PM, Christ the King Church A Filipino Catholic tradition honoring the Child Jesus. Contact: Angie Chico-Agustin achico@umikc.com /816-523-7364 *This event is not affiliated with the Filipino Association of Greater KC

FA-GKC Day at Sporting Park Sunday, May 4, 3:00 PM, Sporting Park Join us as our reigning MLS Champions Sporting KC take on the Columbus Crew. Limited group tickets available for $21 each. Contact: Edward Tumanut by April 28 etumanut@filipino-association.org / 816-699-6523

Pinoy Breakfast Saturday, May 10, 9:00 – 11:00 AM, Filipino Cultural Center Join us for a delicious breakfast get-together, featuring your favorite Filipino breakfast foods. Open to all but members get a discount! Contact: Edward Tumanut etumanut@filipino-association.org / 816-699-6523

Parents’ Day Celebration Saturday, May 17, 5:45 PM, Filipino Cultural Center The Senior Council hosts this annual dinner-dance to honor parents and grandparents. Come bring your beloved folks and show them you care! $30 for Association members, $35 non-members; $15 children ages 7-12. Raffle tickets available: $3 each, $5 for 2. Top prize is 42” HDTV with additional prizes for the taking! Winner need not be present. Contact: Mirla De Los Santos by May 10 mdelossantos@filipino-association.org / 816-461-8189

Clink & Clique: Networking Happy Hour Wednesday, May 21, 5:30 – 7:30 PM, Venue TBD Young (and young-at-heart) professionals are invited to this monthly networking happy hour! RSVP not required but helpful in reserving space at venue. Contact: sdehart@filipino-association.org / 816-898-8312

Movie Night on the Terrace Friday, May 23, 8:30 PM, Filipino Cultural Center Featured movie: TBD Bring your family and friends and enjoy a relaxing summer evening with a FREE movie at the beautiful Francisco Family Terrace. Sit on the terrace steps or bring your own lawn chairs and blankets. Some snacks and drinks will be on sale. Contact: Edward Tumanut etumanut@filipino-association.org / 816-699-6523

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PINOY BREAKFAST PHOTOS! (All photos by Armando Costes)

View more photos of our events and activities at www.filipino-association.org/photos

Insert photo here. Caption.

Senior Council Chair Kelly Tumanut talking to members of the Senior Council after the Pinoy Breakfast.

Insert photo here. Caption.

On the FCC terrace, dancing off the calories after a filling Filipino breakfast - and getting ready for the next one!

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KNOW YOUR FILIPINO SAINTS By Manuel P. Pardo, MD

PHILIPPINES OLDEST ARTWORK

IN DANGER OF DISAPPEARING! By Ping Bayani (Photos by Jay Directo)

Most Filipinos probably know their heroes - Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, et al. Their statues that dot the country help us remember them. Most Fili-pinos also know the names of their politicians and movie personalities, thanks to the media. But what about Filipino saints? Yes, we have them too – easy to remem-ber because we only have two so far, with one waiting on the wings.

SAN LORENZO RUIZ DE MANILA

The first canonized Filipino saint is San Lorenzo Ruiz. Born in 1600 to a Chinese father and a Filipina mother in Binondo, Manila, Lorenzo learned to speak both Chinese and Tagalog. As a young boy, Lorenzo served as an altar boy at the convent of the Binondo Church. Educated by the Dominican Friars, he earned the title of “escribano” or calligrapher because of his excellent penmanship. He was deeply religious and worked as a clerk in the Binondo Church. He married a local maiden and they had two sons and a daughter, living a quiet, peaceful, religious life.

In 1636, Lorenzo was falsely accused of killing a Spani-ard. Before he could be locked up, three Dominican priests helped him seek asylum on board a ship headed for missionary work in Japan. Shortly after they arrived in Nagasaki, the Tokugawa Shogunate began persecuting Christians. Lorenzo and the three Dominican priests were arrested and tortured. They were told that they would be freed if they renounced Christianity. Lorenzo refused. He was quoted to say, “I am a Catholic and I wholeheartedly accept death for the Lord. If I had a thousand lives, all those I shall offer to Him.” Lorenzo was martyred in 1637 in Nichizaka Hill, Nagasaki, Japan, his body cremated, his ashes thrown into the sea.

The Positio Super Introductione Causae or the cause of beatification for Lorenzo Ruiz was authored by Fr. Fidel Villaroel, O.P., which led to his beatification by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Philippines on Febru-ary 18, 1981. It was the first beatification ceremony out-side the Vatican in history.

The miracle that led to his canonization took place in 1983 when Cecilia Alegria Policarpio, a 2-year old Fili-pina girl, who suffered from hydrocephalus (brain swell-ing), was cured through the intercession of Blessed Lorenzo Ruiz.

He was canonized on October 18, 1987 in the Vatican by Pope John Paul II. San Lorenzo Ruiz’s feast day is celebrated on September 28. (Continued on page 6)

First documented by acclaimed Philippine artist Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco in 1965 as he led a Boy Scout hike, the Angono Petroglyphs, the mysterious carvings on a hill-side rock wall in Binangonan, are in danger of disap-pearing, their full meaning/significance still unsolved.

Comprised of 127 engravings of people, animals and geo-metric shapes, the artworks have been declared a nation-al treasure, regarded as proof that relatively sophistica-ted societies existed in the Philippines in the Stone Age.

Based on carving tools and pottery shards discovered at the site, scientists believe the carvings date back to 3000 BC, pre-dating a series of geometric shapes in the moun-tainous northern Philippines.

The World Monuments Fund, a New York-based private group that funds the preservation of historical sites, placed the Angono Petroglyphs on its list of endangered monuments in 1996. UNESCO has also placed the petroglyphs on its ‘tentative list’ of world heritage sites.

Still, the threats of urbanization, nearby mining, ravages of nature, vandalism and plain neglect continue.

Visiting students look at the wall carvings

Details of carvings dubbed as Angono Petroglyphs

TAMBULI APRIL 2014

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COMMUNITY CELEBRANTS If any of the information below needs to be updated, contact the Editor-in-Chief.

MAY BIRTHDAYS

Pam Ames 1

Meghan Carey 1

Cora Natividad 1

Jay Villareal 1

Nancy Lacy 2

Sophia Spurlock 2

Tommy Velasco 2

Ruth Velasco 2

Allison Villamayor 2

Tom Nichols 3

Joyce Santillan 3

Tanner Steinback 3

Cornelius Felicecemo Brown 4

Ben Conde 4

Dave Ferber, Jr. 4

Tess Laoruangroch 4

Ariel Menzies 4

Eryn Orille 4

Dr. Doug Dehning 5

Jeff Morrow 5

Marai Sinforosa 5

Steve Calderon 6

Virgie Sears 6

Caroline Summers 6

Megan Spradlin 7

Miguel Gaela 8

Josie O'Neill 8

Celeste Ongioco-Gomez 8

Yollie Endaya 9

Jason Mateo 10

Lodette Orlanes 10

Sonia Parry 10

Randy Ames 11

Mark Crain 11

Evan Lee 11

Jeannie Gador 12

Cely Hernandez 12

Stella Beins 13

Reggie de Guzman 13

Jennifer Mateo 13

Rommel Francisco 14

Clifford Juan 14

Joseph Petree 14

Sid Dolina 15

Sally Faune 15

Anthony Pricer 15

Lacey Ridnour 15

Jennifer Siron 15

Irma Wright 15

Sam Conde 16

Matt Estes 16

Janette Galos 16

Dr. Winifredo Lisondra 16

Mia McGovern 16

Dr. Mila Tiojanco 16

Emie Abella 17

Maydeel Echano 17

Joe Laoruangroch 17

Rain Pickering 17

Sarah Abraham 18

Marites de los Santos-Shields 18

Karl Kroen 18

Michelle Mubarak 18

Ric Rivera 18

Shirley Sulit 18

Zachery Bringer 19

Linda Christian 19

Sil Moulic 19

Don Clearg 20

Cheri Jean Howe 20

Angelica Roman 20

Flor Tabiendo 21

Chit Bernardez-Hale 22

Sam Crawford 22

Ann Hicks 22

Lenalour Limayo 22

Daisy Guela 23

Josh Pecaña 23

Richard Tevis 23

Aaron Lim 24

Maria Celeste Null 24

Joy Arnado 25

Charles Kagahastian 25

Tommy Manay 25

Brian Orlich 25

Amanda Sampson 25

Lauren Covillo 26

Lara Puno 26

Marichi Smith 26

Melody Bittner 27

Rick Francia 27

Nora Graven 27

Daniel Maenle 27

Paulo Ringor 27

Amelia Javillonar 28

Dodie Bacani 29

Araceli Bagunu 29

Elisha Brown 29

Chris Francia 29

Michelle Saing 29

Dr. Andy Sulit 29

Koba Butkovich 30

Michael Navarro, Jr. 30

MAY

ANNIVERSARIES

Jim & Marissa Trujillo 1

David & Judy Sorio-Jeffers 1

Ruel & Jane Miciano 2

Brad & Rose Larson 2

Frank & Hilary Sorio 3

Philip & Leah Helton 5

Arnulfo & Shirley Sulit 5

Robert & Carol Ellis 6

Herminio & Fe Gatapia 7

Mike & Haydee Miranda 12

Roger & Pam McGee 12

Daniel & Cely Hernandez 15

Jason & Gigi Mateo 16

Will & Lacey Ridnour 17

Erick & Eden Orille 17

Roman & Andi Enriquez 20

Jeff & Gerry Morrow 22

Bill & Zennie Kuhlmann 27

Mike & Sylvia Aves-Spradlin 27

Patrick & Mia Pardo 28

Richard & Maria Celeste Null 29

Hans & Rowena Vergara 29

Dave & Bebie Cawley 30

Fred & Del Iloreta 30

Nelson & Nora Graven 30

NEW MEMBERS Whitley Cain Amador Guillergan

Dan & Joan Dalan Maria McCabe

Sarah DeHart Lesley Tumanut-Pace

Tony & Cindy Do Nikki Upton

Carl Estep John Lienemann

John Paul Fontelo Nora Quiason

Jason Sisante

TAMBULI APRIL 2014

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APRIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS For the full meeting minutes, go to www.filipino-association.org/links and check out the Resources section. Minutes of the April General Meeting were not available at press time; they will be included in the next issue.

KNOW YOUR FILIPINO SAINTS (from page 4)

SAN PEDRO CALUNGSOD DE CEBU

The second Filipino saint in the Catholic Church is Pedro Calungsod. He was born in the year 1654 in Cebu, Philippines and died on April 2, 1672 in Tumon, Guam. He received his basic education from a Jesuit boarding school, mastering the catechism and the Spanish language. He prepared for missionary work by learning drawing, painting, singing, acting and carpentry. Leaving his family and friends behind, he joined a missionary group that went to the Marianas Islands and Guam headed by Fr. Diego de San Vitores, preaching and converting natives.

As the missionaries went about baptizing infants, rumor spread that the wa- ter being used in the baptism was poisonous and blamed them for the infants that died from disease. The village chief was angry that his child was bap-tized and decided to kill the missionaries. Pedro could have escaped the attack but he did not want to leave Fr. Diego. Pedro was hit in the chest with a spear. Fr. Diego gave him absolution before he himself was killed. Both were thrown to the sea.

After the martyrdom of Fr. Diego and Pedro, a process for beatification was initiated for Fr. Diego but there was no follow up. Eventually, in 1981 the beatification papers were discovered in the diocese and the process was revived for Fr. Diego who was beatified on October 6, 1985.

In 1994, then Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal asked permission from the Vatican to initiate the beatification process for Pedro Calungsod. In March 1997, the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the petition. In January 2000, Pope John Paul II approved the decree Super Martyrio (concerning the martyrdom) of Pedro Calungsod, setting the beati-fication for March 5, 2000 at St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

On December 19, 2011 the Holy See officially approved the miracle qualifying Blessed Pedro Calungsod for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. The recognized miracle happened in 2002 in the province of Leyte, Philippines, when a lady who was pronounced dead after a heart attack was revived after prayers were offered to Blessed Calungsod.

Pope Benedict XVI set the Canonization date to October 21, 2012 to coincide with World Mission Sunday. San Pedro Calungsod’s feast is observed on April 2.

ON THE WAITING LIST

The one on the waiting list is Blessed Jose Maria of Manila, a priest of the Capuchin Order who was born in Manila in 1880 and died in Spain in 1936. He was beatified October 13, 2013.

Statue of San Pedro Calungsod in Plaza Colon, Cebu, Philippines

A stained-glass rendering of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila

by Chicago artist Plamen Petrov

Editor’s note: There are other Filipinos on the path to sainthood including Venerables Isabel Larrañaga Ramírez, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo and Joaquina María Mercedes Barcelo Pages. There are also many in the category Servants of God which means ‘being investigated by the Catholic Church for possible sainthood’.

TAMBULI APRIL 2014

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APRIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED) For the full meeting minutes, go to www.filipino-association.org/links and check out the Resources section.

EASTER PICNIC PHOTOS! (All photos by Armando Costes)

View more photos of our events and activities at www.filipino-association.org/photos

TAMBULI APRIL 2014

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Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City

9810 W 79th St

Overland Park, KS 66204

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED