International artists in town

That's me with Congressman Mel Senen Sarmiento, Pianist Mary Anne Espina and Violinist Gina Medina

As I have mentioned in my earlier blog post, two internationally-renowned artists were in Calbayog for a concert. They were Violinist Gina Medina and Pianist Mary Anne Espina.


Violinist Gina Medina was an attraction of the Filipino Artists Series of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2001 and has performed as soloist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the Manila Symphony Orchestra, PREDIS Chamber Orchestra, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Orchestra, among others. A two-time first prize winner of the National Music Competition for Young Artists, Medina was awarded a French government scholarship which gave her the opportunity to participate in several music festivals in France and to study with Oliver Charlier, Dong Suk-Kang, Philippe Bride and the Amadeus Quartet. After her stint in France, she received a full scholarship to study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts where she trained under Professor Pavel Prantl and Barry Wilde, the concertmaster of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. n 1994, Ms. Medina was chosen concertmaster of the Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) under the baton of Maestro Sergui Commissiona which toured Taiwan, Japan and the United States in 1995. As a member of the AYO chamber Orchestra, she had the opportunity to perform at the White House, the United Nations during its 50th Anniversary celebration and the APEC Conference in Osaka, Japan as concertmaster.


Pianist Mary Anne Espina is known for her excellence in both chamber and opera music. She is one of the country's most sought after collaborating artists. She continues to team up with outstanding artists in all the major concerts and recital venues in the country. A few of her excellent collaborations include those with renowned Filipino pianist Nena Del Rosario - Villanueva at the Filipino-Chinese Exchange Program held in the People's Republic of China; French violinist Frederic Pellasy; Israeli violinist Hagai Shaham; Russian violinist Anastacia Chebotareva (winner of the Tchaikovsky and Paganini competitions); soprano Joan Gibbons; American cellist Stephen Framil; German violinist angelo Bard; Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu and recently, with the new exciting Filipino cellist Victor Michael Coo. She was likewise the assisting artist for the full-length staging of Mozart's "Le Nozze Di Figaro", "Great Moments in Grand Opera" and for "Puccini: A Retrospect" which featured Japanese Soprano Kaori Sato.

It's that other day of the year again

Move over cupid! It's still months to Valentine's Day, but some portions of Calbayog got colorful today with the flower vendors on hand with theirs stuff for well, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. More than making the city colorful, it's nice to note how a good number of Calbayognon manifest their entrepreneurial spirit on occasions like this.

My pix from the concert

As I have announced in an earlier blogpost, Concert 1 of the First Samar International Music Festival was held at the Ciriaco Hotel earlier tonight. According to Mr. Pablo Tariman, the perfect acoustics of Cafe Elsa was the primary reason for the choice of venue.

In the audience was Congressman Mel Sarmiento, also present among others were Engr. Oscar and Mrs. Esther Hugo, Mr. Nicolas Chan and Mrs. Agueda Chan. Worth noting was the presence of some members of the CKC Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Here are some pictures I managed to take after tonights concert. 

Some members of the strings section of the CKC Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Congressman Mel Sarmiento

Congressman Mel Sarmiento with Pianist Mary Anne Espina, Violinist Gina Medina and Writer Pablo Tariman.

Samar int'l music fest opens Oct. 29 in Calbayog City

MANILA, Philippines - The first in a series of chamber music events will unfold in Samar island when the First International Music Festival opens in Ciriaco Hotel in Calbayog City, tomorrow night at 7. (read more . . . )

Yellow Ladies to meet in Calbayog today

The members of the Yellow Ladies Movement led by Aika Uy - Delgado and Eunice Babalcon will meet in Calbayog City today. Events are set the the NwSSU Socio-Cultural Center.

He would have been 60 years old today

PET gives COMELEC go-signal for signature verification

Tacloban City - The Presidential Electoral Tribunal has its go-signal for the Commission on Elections to  use election-related documents for it to start the signature verification process relative to the recall petition against Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan and her brother. (read more . . . )

The CKC Youth Symphony Orchestra goes to Cebu

Calbayog Entrepreneurs

Nothing much about this blog post. It's not about any chismis or something like that. Mana Chat (Gonzaga) gave me 3 packs of KL Banana Chips and I liked it. What made it more interesting is that this is locally made, yes in one the barangays in Oquendo District.

KL Agri Food
Brgy. Cagbilwang, Oquendo District, Calbayog City
Tel # +63 55 209-11-49 / 209-13-95


This is a DOST-assisted project

Adlaw san Calbayog 2011

Let me share the news report on the 63rd Calbayog Foundation Day Anniversary. It appeared in the October 16, 2011 edition of the Leyte Samar Daily Express.


Please check this link.

Keeping in touch

A meeting of friends. That's the best description I can give to the meeting held at the CKC President's Office last October 15, 2011. In photo are (l-r) Andrew Marvin Aquino, Councilor Ina Rabuya, Mayor Ronaldo Aquino,  Rev. Fr. Marcelo Tubac, ofm, Congressman Mel Senen Sarmiento, Engr. Arnol Trani and moi.

St. Camillus health services

In celebration of Adlaw san Calbayog 2011, Camillus Hospital extended free medical services for Calbayognons. The activity was held at the City Hall stage this morning. A good number of walk-in patients availed of the service conducted by some members of the Camillian community led by Fr. James Roa, MI and Dr. Manny Rosales.

Dr. Manny Rosales attending to a walk-in patient

St. Camillus Hospital Director Fr. James Roa, MI, MD attending to a patient.

Bishop Abarquez on The Spirit of Assisi

Part of the recent birthday celebration of Fr. Mar was an "Evening Praise and Thanksgiving with St. Francis". It was capped by an exhortation on "The Spirit of Assisi". Calbayog Bishop Isabelo Abarquez gave that exhortation.

Calbayog City, 8 Samar towns organize Yellow Ladies Movement

Pinabacdao, Samar - At least one city and eight municipalities have organized its own chapters of Yellow Ladies Movement (YLM) initiated by Rosa Jessica Uy - Delgado of Calbayog City. (Read more...)

Images from my old hometown

It's the second Saturday of the month. I understand this is the they when personnel from a local bank process that cards or what have you for the 4Ps benficiaries. And as with the previous weeks, the ATM machines of Calbayog are crowded (yup, it seems like dire uso sa ira an pag-linya). 

And that leads to a recent dinner conversation with a Conseulo Foundation officer who asked if I support this 4Ps program. It almost caught me off-guard. Some say it's dole-out, others defend it as something modeled after a very successful program of a certain South American country. Anyway, my reply to the question was that among the guidelines that 4Ps beneficiaries had to follow is that they should send their kids to school, and for that I support the program.

Adlaw san Calbayog 2011

The tarps are in place to announce the various activities in line with the 63rd Calbayog Foundation Day Celebration which will be dubbed as "Adlaw San Calbayog 2011".


The activities:

• October 9 (Sunday) - Alay Lakad 2011
• October 11 (Tuesday) - Photography Workshop with Ace Photographer Nelson Petilla
• October 12 (Wednesday) - Opening of Agro Fair
• October 13 (Thursday) - Libreng Haircut by the SOS-LGU Calbayog Haircutters Association
• October 14 (Friday) - Parade (2:00 pm) and Repeat Performance of St. Francis the Mirror of Life (7:00 pm)
• October 15 (Saturday) - PD Cab Drivers' Day (7:00 am) LAKUB Performance (7:00 pm)
• October 16 (Sunday) - Thanksgiving Mass (8:00 am), Awarding Ceremony for Susbaranan 2011 capped by "Disko sa Nijaga" (at 7:00 pm)

Even men are joining Yellow Ladies Movement in Samar, says Uy-Delgado

Tacloban City - The Yellow Ladies Movement which she helped organize is now gaining followers not only among women but even among men in Samar province.


(read more . . . )

Patrun sa CKC

Let me give you some pictures taken during the feast day celebration at Christ the King College. I got these from the CKC FB account.

Rev. Fr. Marcelo Tubac as he led the Franciscan community during the mass which was held in front of the statue of St. Francis located on the CKC monastery grounds.

As with the previous St. Francis' feast day celebration, the blessing of pets was held after the mass.

World Teacher's Day

In Calbayog, the DepEd Calbayog City Division Supreme Student Government Federation will be spearheading the Teachers' Day Celebration at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

Feast of St. Francis

Here's something that should be very familiar to all Christi Regians out there. The Franciscan community of Christ the King College will be off for a holiday today. It's the feast of the Patron Saint of ecology, Saint Francis of Assisi.

(poster taken from this site)

Women's Movement set to be launched in Samar

Calbayog City - A movement involving Samar's women is set to be launched next month with no less than the sisters of President Aquino among those invited during the affair. (Read more . . .)

St. Francis' Transitus ...Mirror of Life

Onstage tonight at Christ the King College, in celebration of the feast of St. Francis, the Patron Saint of Ecology.

(poster courtesy of Jonas Lim)