ROWENA DELA CRUZ- FRANCISCO : Matagumpay na Ginang ng OFW 2012

Congratulations to Mrs. Rowena Dela Cruz-Francisco of Pulo, San Rafael, Bulacan for being the recipient of this year's Matagumpay na Ginang ng OFW (Outstanding Wife of an Overseas Filipino Worker).

In line with the celebration of Women’s Month, Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy Alvarado recognized Tuesday morning the outstanding contributions of “Bulakeña” women through the “Gawad Medalyang Ginto” awards ceremonies.

“This program aims to acknowledge and give due recognition to the important contributions and worthy achievement of the women of Bulacan. We also hope that this will serve as an inspiration to our young generation of Bulakeña women to continue to mark a difference in their own chosen fields,” said Alvarado.

Before the formal awarding ceremony, the governor called on the podium Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima, who was the occasion’s honored guest and speaker under the theme, “Bulakeña: Kayang-kaya Kung Sama-sama.”

De Lima discussed women’s rights issues and gave her congratulations to the awardees.

Vice Governor Daniel R. Fernando said the awards were given under sectoral categories such as “Matagumpay na Babaeng Makakalikasan (Outstanding Woman Environmentalist),” “Matagumpay na Ginang ng OFW (Outstanding Wife of an Overseas Filipino Worker),” “Matagumpay na Babaeng Mangangalakal (Outstanding Woman Trader), and Matagumpay na KPK.

The “Medalyang Ginto (Gold Medal)” was awarded to the “Natatanging Babae (Outstanding Woman of Bulacan)” who received a cash prize of P10,000 and the “Natatanging Samahang Pangkakabaihan (Outstanding Women’s Organization)” that received a P20,000 prize, he said. 

Read story here. 

I-ENJOY ANG TRIP

ni Wallei Bautista Trinidad


Ang pangit naman yata na kung kailan tuyot ka na saka ka mag-eenjoy. Marami namang paraan para mag-enjoy o i-enjoy ang buhay natin. Bagamat may mga tensyong bumabagabag sa atin sa mga bagay-bagay na nangyayari sa pamilya at maging sa lipunan, hindi natin dapat malimutan na sa paraang gusto natin ay maaari tayong maging masaya.

1. Yung gusto mong gawin, gawin mo na ngayon pa lang. Hindi naman ibig sabihin na lahat ng ikikilos mo ay kaakibat ng paggastos o pag-aaksaya ng salapi.

2. Minsan sa pag-iisip ng kung ano ang mangyayari sa atin sa kinabukasan, nakakalimutan nating harapin ang kung ano mayroon ngayon and we end up wasted sa isang araw na wala man lang nagawa para maaliw tayo.

3. Natatawa lang ako sa pag-uusap naming magkapatid sabi ko kung ano ang hiling nila Nanay at Tatay, ibigay na ng bonggang-bongga basta naayon lang sa kakayanan. Usually, our parents demand for some things na maliligayahan sila. Ibigay agad. Hihintayin mo pa bang mawala sila saka ka gagasta? Kung bet ni Nanay ng angry birds, bilin! Kung bet ni Tatay ng popcorn, gora! Masayang ibigay ang hilig nila basta't kaya.

4. Kung may nagkagusto sa iyo, give him a chance. Huwag ng hintayin pang maging ugat foundation member ka saka mo pagsisisihan ang pagkawala niya.

5. Kung feel mong maligo ng gatas, gawin mo basta huwag kalimutang magbanlaw at baka langgamin ka o ipisin pa.

Endless ang mga bagay na puwedeng gawin. kanya-kanyang diskarte, kanya-kanyang trip. Ang nakakaloka lang kapag may trip kang di naman trip ng iba, i-tsi-tsismis ka pa, pag-uusapan at para bang may nagawa kang kasalanan, Walang masamang maging masaya at gumawa ng ikasisiya basta walang batas na sinusuway at makakasakit sa damdamin ng iba. 


Ang buhay ay trip-trip lang.

JAYPEE BELARMINO : PHOTOGRAPOETIST, A Multi-Talent Package

Photograpoetist (noun) photographer, poet and artist, a multi-talent package of a man. Only Jaypee Belarmino carries this title so far and this is the first time you've seen or heard this word.

Jaypee has a wide array of interests that include writing prose and poetry, photography, abstract painting, mixed media art and multimedia art and has been getting rave reviews on all of his works from the international community. It is his desire to express the contradicting and esoteric nature of life that has led him to these fields. Basically self-taught in all of these art and literary disciplines, his unrelenting passion to capture the essences of life's beauty distinctly manifests in his works. A proud father and a free soul, he dedicates every art and literary piece that he makes to his deepest inspiration, his lovely daughter, Sofia Gabrielle.


Just recently, he was featured in World Poetry International of Canada, the fourth Filipino poet featured on the said prestigious site for poetry after Ms. Anita Nieveras- Aguirre, World Poetry Lifetime Achievement Awardee, and World Poetry Peace Ambassador to Philippines, Doc Penpen B. Takipsilim and Ms. Caroline Nazareno. Believe it or not, he became a record holder for having been viewed thousand times by different visitors all-over the world. 


In 2011, Axlepin Publishing Organization acknowledged him for his distinctive contribution in Summum Bonum Series Studies phase 1 both for his poetry and photography. Also, one of his poems is included in the organization calendar for this year 2012.

His achievements didn't stop here. Being a neophyte in photography, his journey in this field gives him a lot of achievements. He is reaping a lot of awards in diffrent categories in Pixoto.com, one of the most internationally known photography sharing site.

Who is Jaypee Belarmino?


Jaypee Belarmino earned his degree in B.S. Agricultural Economics from the University of the Philippines Los Banos. Inspired by his family’s active involvement in Philippine politics, he entered the University of Nueva Caceres School of Law to continue his father’s legacy of helping the masses. Disillusioned by political and judicial unrests in his native country, he decided to give up law school and left the country to pursue a peaceful and simple life as a dairy farmer in New Zealand. He is currently working as an assistant manager in a dairy farm company in Invercargill City, the coldest and southernmost city in New Zealand.

While in New Zealand, Jaypee started searching to be more in commune with his spirituality by being closer to God. He then decided to join the widest and oldest fraternal organization in the world, the Freemasonry. In 2011, he was awarded the Sublime Degree of Master Mason by the Antient Free and Accepted Masons of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. 


Jaypee’s background as a member of the University of the Philippines’ most famous fraternity, the Alpha Phi Omega International Fraternity, keeps activism alive in his creations while his strong Jesuit education from the Ateneo de Naga University emboldens him to persist revolutionizing his artistry and poetry with unrelenting drive for excellence.

"When creating your art, do not listen to critics.
You create art not for them, but for the evolving civilization of humanity." 
Jaypee's Abstract Art Self-Portrait: The Alignment of Subtleties

Selected Poetry:


YOU

unearth me

from deep slumber.

be the velvet sky

that could lift the burden

in my eyes.

be the soft kisses

from the voice

that thrives

from the gentleness

of light.

because everything starts from you.

you are the beginning of all things,

the seed of magic,

the cause of noble metals

and the bud of that

which is numinous in existence.

be. because you are. 

ISANG LIHAM

paano ko igugupo

ang saya na hatid

ng iyong mga ngiti?

paano ko yayakapin

ang lambing

ng iyong mga tinig?

paano ko iduduyan

ang iyong mga mata

sa uyayi

ng aking paghinga?

igugupo kita

sa mga musika

sa pagitan

ng mga hangin;

yayakapin kita

sa oda ng mga huni

at anino

ng mga lilim;

at iduduyan kita

ng walang hanggang pagsuyo

sa piling

ng mga arkana.

P.S. I wont be surprise if one day he'll become a Palanca Awards recipient for Literature and become a chef. (He's a very good cook, too.)

DOC PENPEN B. TAKIPSILIM : To Be Awarded in Canada Soon

Doc PenPen, "The Father of Phlippine Visual Poetry" will be Honored and Awarded about his works at Renfrew Public Library, Vancouver, BC, initiated by World Poet Ashok Bhargava, World Poetry Lifetime Achievement Awardee and World Poetry Ambassador to Nepal, India and Korea.

WRITERS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK ( WIN ) Vancouver, Canada was founded by Ashok Bhargava to discover, nourish, recognize, celebrate and promote poets, writers and artists & assist them to connect with the community at large.

This will bring-- Great HONOR and PRIDE for the Filipinos and our dear country, the Philippines!

This poster is a gift to Doc PenPen and hereby credited to the very talented Othoniel Neri, a visual artist, painter, photographer and musician.

Credits to Ms. Caroline Nazareno aka Ceri Naz.

ELVIRA ALMENDRA-TANKIAMCO : First Placer for PBB On-the-Spot Photo Contest

Congratulations to Ms. Elvira Almendra-Tankiamco for being the First Placer for the very first PBB On-the-Spot Photo Contest. The shooting was held on 12th of February during the 17th Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Field, Angeles City, Pampanga.


Ms. Elvira Almendra-Tankiamco, also known as Elvs is a member of PBB (Photo Bureau ti Biscaya). She started taking photographs using DSLR two years ago. She does not have any formal training in photography but learned the basics from a mentor who taught her a lot about photography and has greatly influenced her to be passionate with her craft. She is married with three kids and works in one of the most reputable banks in the Philippines. Aside from her family and work, she enjoys photography a lot. For her, it is a way of self expression.

I am proud to say that I call her as my soul sister and our connection is bound by our same passion in photography. We got connected through Engr. James Singlador, one of the most-awarded photographers in the Philippines.


This is her winning entry:

Other winners are:

Ivy Cadiente-Gambito

Jojo Padilla

About PBB:

Photo Bureau ti Biskaya(PBB) is a Society of Novo Vizcayanos with Ardor for Photography. PBB aims to promote tourism in Nueva Vizcaya by exhibiting photographs that will show non vizcayanos , not only the inherent, abundant beauty of our province, but also its totality.

PBB is also geared towards rendering Philanthropic Services to the province’s local government units, schools and agencies by providing PRO BONO ( F R E E ) photography coverage of their own respective public endeavors.

In connection to the club’s very essence of existence, which is to foster photography community in Nueva Vizcaya, the members are geared towarsd sharing their skills/ talents to the community.