The superstar jockey from Port MacQuarie is back on the saddle and raring to hit the racetracks next month.

Fil-Aussie Marlon Dolendo embodies courage and dedication to the sport he loved – horseracing, the same sport that had made him a big name in Australia’s horseracing circuits over the last decade.

But his is a story not without its own trials including battling an illness that cut short his jockey years, an illness that almost cost him his life.

“I’m back to riding races by March, I feel much better now and I cannot wait to ride a winner soon,” he told magPinoy.

Marlon has had a colourful career in Australia’s racetracks since he started in Sydney with Tommy Smith back in 1990.

Full story….

by Titus Filio / magPinoy

The superstar jockey from Port MacQuarie is back on the saddle and raring to hit the racetracks next month.

Fil-Aussie Marlon Dolendo embodies courage and dedication to the sport he loved – horseracing, the same sport that had made him a big name in Australia’s horseracing circuits over the last decade.

But his is a story not without its own trials including battling an illness that cut short his jockey years, an illness that almost cost him his life.

“I’m back to riding races by March, I feel much better now and I cannot wait to ride a winner soon,” he told magPinoy.

Marlon has had a colourful career in Australia’s racetracks since he started in Sydney with Tommy Smith back in 1990.

Bevan Calvert playing reindeer with nieces and nephews

Over the years, readers of this website have been following the achievements of Bevan Calvert, the Filipino Australian who has been making a mark in the Australian and overseas handball arenas.

The only Filipino Australian handballer who has played in four world championships and several other international tournaments, Bevan is a source of pride of the Filipino community.

In July 2008, he was a Global Filipino youth awardee in Sports. In 2009, his achievements featured in interstitials titled “Global Filipino” by the ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel. And years prior to that, he was one of the youngest recipients of an outstanding Filipino youth award from the Filipino Communities council of Australia.

Bevan, whose Filipino heritage comes from his mother Violi, is a member of the Australian Men’s Handball Team playing in a professional handball league in Europe.

At last month’s holiday break, Bevan took time off from the German handball Bundesliga league to spend Christmas with his family and friends. And like other family-oriented young man, he was game enough to play reindeer for his nieces and nephews.

It was a well earned rest for Bevan who is ranked equal 5th place as a top goalscorer in his division in the Bundesliga and number 4 top top goalscorer in his team TSV Altenholz. His scores do not include the free shots taken his team mates fo penalties he earned when he was fouled by their opponents.

Bevan has a full plate. In addition to training four days a week and playing matches on the weekends, Bevan is also doing an apprenticeship to become a licensed Fitness Trainer/Salesman.

[click image to zoom in]

Skilled handballers get to play past thirty years of age. Being 25 years years old, Bevan has a few more years to continue to shine in his sport.

The Filipino Australian wishes this Fil-Aussie dynamo all the best in 2012 and the years to come.

Radio Sandigan (www.radio2rdj.com), one of the participants of the Rizaliana Sesquicentennial Radio Festival, invited her after she mentioned in an early interview with Michelle Baltazar, one of the hosts of Radio Sandigan and publisher of The Australian Filipina, that one of her favourite writings from her great-great-grand-uncle Jose was “Letter to the Women of Malolos”.

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Benny (left) with Ms Vangie Labalan posing in between recording

Benny (left) with Ms Vangie Labalan posing in between recording

When Dr. Mars Cavestany Jr. handed me the task of translating and adapting the story of the two notorious and colorful characters of Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, namely Dona Victorina de Espadana and Dona Consolacion, into Filipino with modern setting for our visiting veteran actress, Ms. Vangie Labalan, I welcomed the challenge – even knowing that I had only 24 hours to research, prepare the script, and finish the task.

Whilst working on the script, I knew up until that Sunday morning of the recording day, we still had to get in touch with our special guest actress – Ms. Vangie Labanan, hoping that her lovely daughter – Pearl, in Strathfield will be able to help. Based purely on faith, we thought that was enough to get us by. (Ms Vangie Labalan is of course the Ms Vangie Labalan, the Philippines’ popular radio actress, notable for her role as the mother of Nora Aunor in the movie, Himala, as well as the voice of many characters in many tele-nobelas.)

In less than 24 hours, I had the translated and adapted script, now set against Blacktown as my backdrop, ready for Ms. Vangie Labalan that eventful Sunday morning. That is, if we can find her on time.

Somehow, with a little bit of luck and a lot of patience, we managed to find Pearl’s home, and we were given her sister ’s address in Rhodes where we were told Ms. Vangie Labalan was staying!

Strathfield being just a few minutes drive from Rhodes, we had the veteran actress in front of us, in the flesh and being a real trouper that she is, she was all dressed up and ready to go!

Once at SBS studio, and after a short read through, Ms. Vangie Labalan immediately transformed herself into these two characters, their distinctly Pinoy traits coming to life, and thus the recording of the script for Ang Dalawang Senyora – Ngayon began. Judging from all the giggling and controlled laughter from the rest of the cast who all watched the recording, I knew we have surefire hit!

My big thank you Dr. Cavestany and to all who helped made this first-ever radio project a reality. At isang natatanging pasasalamat kay Ms. Vangie Labalan, our radio drama artist extraordinaire, ang “makabagong tinig” ng dalawang senyora ng Noli..

Rarely indeed when performing arts productions fit into their right places so perfectly and smoothly with nary a glitch or drama as they normally do; but the recent recording at SBS Radio in St. Leonards of RSRFS (Rizaliana Sesquicentennial Radio Festival Sydney) last Sunday November 20 was a production made in heaven, so to speak!

Benny (left) with Ms Vangie Labalan posing in between recording

When Dr. Mars Cavestany Jr. handed me the task of translating and adapting the story of the two notorious and colorful characters of Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, namely Dona Victorina de Espadana and Dona Consolacion, into Filipino with modern setting for our visiting veteran actress, Ms. Vangie Labalan, I welcomed the challenge – even knowing that I had only 24 hours to research, prepare the script, and finish the task.

Whilst working on the script, I knew up until that Sunday morning of the recording day, we still had to get in touch with our special guest actress – Ms. Vangie Labanan, hoping that her lovely daughter – Pearl, in Strathfield will be able to help. Based purely on faith, we thought that was enough to get us by. (Ms Vangie Labalan is of course the Ms Vangie Labalan, the Philippines’ popular radio actress, notable for her role as the mother of Nora Aunor in the movie, Himala, as well as the voice of many characters in many tele-nobelas.)

In less than 24 hours, I had the translated and adapted script, now set against Blacktown as my backdrop, ready for Ms. Vangie Labalan that eventful Sunday morning. That is, if we can find her on time.

Somehow, with a little bit of luck and a lot of patience, we managed to find Pearl’s home, and we were given her sister ’s address in Rhodes where we were told Ms. Vangie Labalan was staying!

Strathfield being just a few minutes drive from Rhodes, we had the veteran actress in front of us, in the flesh and being a real trouper that she is, she was all dressed up and ready to go!

Once at SBS studio, and after a short read through, Ms. Vangie Labalan immediately transformed herself into these two characters, their distinctly Pinoy traits coming to life, and thus the recording of the script for Ang Dalawang Senyora – Ngayon began. Judging from all the giggling and controlled laughter from the rest of the cast who all watched the recording, I knew we have surefire hit!

My big thank you Dr. Cavestany and to all who helped made this first-ever radio project a reality. At isang natatanging pasasalamat kay Ms. Vangie Labalan, our radio drama artist extraordinaire, ang “makabagong tinig” ng dalawang senyora ng Noli..

Ambassador Rod Smith ends his posting in the Philippines next month. He has been Australia’s ambassador to the Philippines since March 2008.

Ambassador Rod Smith receiving a trophy of appreciation from Global Filipinos Australia president Lolita Farmer for his generous commitment of time, support and inspiration to Global Filipinos Australia endeavours in a ceremony held at the Australian Embassy in Makati last September 26. From left: Louie Tolentino, SBS Filipino journalist, Grace Daonayre, WFA-PAP member, Linda Alvarez Barnes, GFA director, Ambassador Smith, Ms Farmer, Jules Sanchez, SAFSI president, and Leo Ceniza GFA treasurer. // Photo: Mariel Eduarte, Australian Embassy, Philippines. [click to zoom in]

Mr Bill Tweddell will be Australia’s next ambassador to the Philippines, the Office of Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced recently.

Mr Tweddell is expected to take up his post in January 2012.

Mr Tweddell is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has served as Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam; Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom; Consul-General, Hong Kong; and High Commissioner, Sri Lanka; with earlier postings to India, Greece and Bangladesh. He was also Chief of Staff to the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer.

He holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Economics degrees from James Cook University. He is married to Chris and has two sons.

Filipino mestizos maintain their presence monthly at Blacktown Workers Club in Sydney’s west. They have gathered for all-you-can-eat lunch religiously, in fact, every last Monday of the month for more than four years.

Part of the Mestizos de Manila group are: Standing from left, Rafael Larrarte, Paco Sierra, Maro Gonzalez, Ramon Crame, and Joaquin de Ubago. Seated are Tony Andia, Tony Sierra, Clem Serra, Juan Arriaga, Meca Trapagga-Arriaga, Alfonso Sierra, Jess Sequerra, and Isabel Crame Pimentel. //Photo: Jaime K Pimentel

Although the term mestizos can be attributed to any Filipino of Spanish, Portuguese, Irish, German, Swiss, Italian, Japanese, Chinese or American, the Mestizos de Manila in this particular group are mainly Spanish-Filipino.

The most well known regular is Meca Trapagga (married surname Arriaga), once Manila’s most popular singing star of stage, radio and the nightclub circuit.

”Almost all of us are pensioners with one foot on the grave,” said Paco Sierra. “That’s why we talk mostly about our senior ailments and, in my case, my female conquests ~ the end of the table where my wife can’t hear me.”

There is nothing serious with this group, which calls itself Los Mestizos de Manila. Insults fly across the tables and no one takes offence.

“You look fatter today than the last time we met, Kinet!”

“Well, you’re practically blind anyway, Paco, so what the hell!”

“Hey, that’s not the wife I saw you with yesterday, Antonio.”

“Putangina! Why can’t you keep your mouth shut like your arse, Jamito.”

And so it goes until the Bungarribee Room waiters have to force the lot out of the premises way past closing time at 2:30pm.

The Mestizos de Manila number more than 25 regulars. Does the group have a president?

”No one dares,” says Paco.

Miss Earth Australia candidates Lorelee Prentice and Monique Shippen

The only two Filipino-Australian candidates at this year’s Miss Earth Australia quest were special guests at the Filipino Press Group of Sydney’s monthly ‘kapihan’ at Blacktown Workers coffee shop yesterday, Saturday, October 29.

Lorelee Prentice, of Glenfield NSW, and Monique Shippen, of Collaroy NSW, took time out to meet the press group and to pitch for support of the quest’s environmental causes. Both have mothers who are Filipinos.

”I joined the 2011 Miss Earth quest because I believe the need to save our environment and to make as many people as possible aware of the world’s environmental concerns and how each of us can make a difference,” Miss Prentice said.

Miss Shippen, a student of contemporary music at Macquarie University, is a budding composer and vocalist who has recorded her first CD album of 10 tracks. “I want to become a music professional and teacher,” she said.

Miss Prentice, a student at the University of NSW, is developing a talent for painting and drawing.

Miss Earth Australia 2011 will be crowned at a lavish pageant on Friday, November 4, at the University of NSW theatre in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney.

The winner will contest the title of Miss Earth International 2001 in Thailand late November.

Updates: After writing this news, I have received notice from Miss Earth Australia organisers that, after the national pageant on Friday, November 4, in Sydney, the final 2011 Miss Earth International pageant will be held in Manila because of extensive flooding in Thailand, where it had been originally scheduled. The final in Manila will be held on Sunday, December 4.

Joel has sculpted his physique to become an epitome of combined fitness and aesthetics.

From basketball he took the challenge of discipline in bodybuilding when he was twenty one. He never looked back since.

Three years later he has started winning in body building competitions and continued to reap awards yearly after that.

Joel is currently the Overall Winner of the Men’s Title for INBA – International Natural Bodybuilding Association – which was a competition for Australian Natural Physique held last October 9 in Melbourne.

He proceeded to become the Men’s Bodybuilding Overall Champion in the Australasian National Body Building competition held last October 16 at Marconi Club in Sydney. The ANB event was another tough competition sponsored by a federation that brought in 200 body builders.

The Australasian Natural Bodybuilding Association administers the drug free sport of Bodybuilding, Figure and Model competitions throughout Australasia. It aims to take Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Model Competitions to the highest possible level, while at the same time offering competitors more opportunities than the natural athlete ever thought possible.

Joel Ramintas (second from right) in a line-up pose with other competitors.

As ANB’s overall winner, Joel has earned the spot to represent Australia at the International Natural Universe Competition in Brisbane on Sunday October 23, and will be in the running for the International Natural Olympia Competition in Reno, Nevada on November 10-13.

Joel was the first and only Filipino body builder yet to win Mr. Olympia in Australia in 2008.

Chris: Your body is your temple...

This is the message that Filipino Wing chun Gold Belt Chris Hoy tells his martial arts students in the newly opened Temple Dogz Gym.

Chris is a professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter with 18 years of teaching experience, and co-owner of Temple Dogz Gym. The other gym instructors are also well known Australian martial arts practitioners including Jiu Jitsu Master Mauricio Leao Goncalves, who has 15 years experience in professional competitions; Judo Black Belt Diego Barreto, ranked one of the top 5 Judo fighters in the world and with 20 years experience; and Geoff Watson, three time Oceania Judo champion with 30 years experience.

Mitchell and Oscar in a Balintawak Arnis demo

The Temple Dogz also hosted on Saturday September 17 a demonstration of Balintawak Arnis by Mitchell Badelles and Oscar Mistula who both a combined 20 years experience in FMA and Aikido.

Temple Dogz Gym is located at 173 Power Street, Glendenning.

Photos: The Filipino Australian

According to a recent statement by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), remittances from overseas Filipinos amounted to $9.63 billion in the first six months of the year, up 6.3 percent year-on-year.

The OFWs do not only support their country’s economic health but they also provide essential services in various fields they work everywhere in the world. They undergo a lot of sacrifices and hardships, not to mention the homesickness they have to bear. The degree of these hardships must have been thousand-fold for the pioneer OFWS, the courageous nomadic Filipinos of yesteryears.

Without the aid of modern machinery and technology, the pioneer OFWs toiled in pineapple and fruit orchards, construction of infrastructure, monotonous and brain numbing assembly lines in factories, fish canneries. In contrast to the modern OFWs who have access to telephones, emails and video chats, the pioneer OFWs had to bear the long periods of not being able to communicate with their loved ones. The pioneer OFWs also had to live in accommodation without the luxury of heating and air-conditioning.

At the background - an old cottage, now a museum (click image)

In a cruise in Alaska my husband and I recently took, the first stop was Ketchikan, Alaska’s salmon capital. Here, I came to know about the original Alaskan OFWs who worked in salmon canneries and who were fondly referred to as the “Alaskeros”. We toured a cannery which was no longer used for production but is now a museum where machinery still in working condition demonstrates the arduous canning process. A short film was screened in a theatrette showing how work was done in the olden days.

It was heartening to hear that Filipino workers are being acknowledged as part of the workforce which contributed to the successful operations in the canneries. At the same time, it was touching to see the wooden cottage – sans heaters and other conveniences – they shared with the Chinese and other non-Caucasian workers. The narrator in the film also mentioned that to help cope with boredom, loneliness and the cold, some turned to rum and opium.

Tribute to Pioneer OFWs

A marker to the memory of pioneering OFWs (click image)

The next port of call was at Juneau, Alaska’s capital city since 1906. Juneau’s natural beauty is breathtaking, with the snow-capped mountains, deep-blue body of water surrounding it, and with its school of frolicking whales and seals, oblivious to the parade of cruise ships. It is known to be Alaska’s cruise-ship capital and the gateway to attractions including the Glacier Bay National Park.

I think I must have fallen in love with Juneau. But, I must say though these are not the only reasons why I left my heart in Juneau.

In Juneau, I felt proud to see a two-storey hall dedicated to the brave spirits of pioneering Alaskeros and which today serves as a multi-purpose centre in Juneau’s busy business district.

A plaza called Manila Square (click image)

I bumped into a kababayan, who works in the city government. She was proud to tell me that of the 30,000 population of Jeneau, there was an estimated 6,000 Filipino-Americans. In a place which is very far from the Philippines, 20 percent resident population of Philippine origin is quite large.

It was also heart-warming to see a park across the MPC-like hall was dedicated as a the ‘Manila Square’. In the heart of this park, a bust of the Philippine National Hero, Dr Jose Rizal, sits on top of a stone pedestal. Underneath the pedestal, is a plaque which pays tribute to the Filipinos’ contributions to the city from the mid 1920s to the present time.

Marker to recognise the pioneering Alaskeros (click image)

It highlighted that: “The first Filipino community in Juneau was organized in 1929. It was later incorporated under territorial law on Feb. 1, 1956…”

A number of shops either owned or operated by Filipino-Americans line up the business district.

I bought some souvenir jewellery from a Filipino-owned shop and also had a look around in another shop which was next-door to a beauty parlour operated by another kababayan; these were located alongside the ‘MPC’. There was also an eatery called the Manila Grill.

I was proud and happy for these kababayans who are doing well in the land they now call ‘home’

Manila Grill and others in Juneau's business district

Next: My Juneau in Sydney’s vision of a Philippine cultural centre

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Violi Calvert is a free lance writer; Media & PR of the Australian Handball Federation (www.handballaustralia.org.au); Media & PR of the Nenad Bach Music (Australia & Asia – www.nenadbachband.com)