Abra Political Violence/October 25, Monday

Maritess Benas, head of the Philippine Information Agency in Abra, said two victims of political violence in Boliney, an upland town, have been transferred to the Lorma Hospital in San Fernando, La Union. The barangay (village) chair Kilong Ulao and an identified Cafgu member were the latest victims of the barangay election in the province, tagged as a hot election. Local, regional and national reporters have converged in the capital town Bangued, with the PIA office located in an annex building at the provincial capital-- as their headquarters. The office was full of people. Former Baguio colleagues mentioned by Tess included Romy Gonzales, formerly of DZRH, now reporter for DZMM. It was past 9:00 PM, Monday in the Philippines, Oct. 25, when I communicated with Tess.

Elsewhere in the country on the same day, seven Cafgu members were slain in an ambush in Maguindanao, where last year at least 58 people, most of them media persons, were massacred. Allegedly instigated by Gloria's political warlords, the Ampatuans.

Filipino Kid Excels in US School

Filipino Kid's Scholastic Achievements*




City of Perris, California--How does a Third World country Filipino kid, a by-product of his country's bi-lingual education, fare in American public high schools whose medium of instruction is English?

He appears to be performing well in both academics and extracullicular pursuits, despite problems like relocation to a new and different environment.

In fact, Jeric-Israel B. Julian, a senior student in one of the public schools in Riverside County, is a consistent recipient of the Student of the Month Award since his freshman year.

The SMA is given to students of US high schools and the 8-year elementary schools who excel in their academic subjects as well as in their extracullicular activities. Although qualified, a student will not receive the award twice during the same school-year.

Jeric-Israel's latest award came honoring him and three other recipients of the SMA from three public high schools during a luncheon program at the Sizzler restaurant here last Oct 13.

In attendance during the event were US education officials, City Mayor Daryl R. Busch of the City of Perris, Congressman Darrel Issa, high school principals and teachers including parents and grandparents of the outstanding students.

Jeric-Israel, a senior at the Paloma Valley High School, was cited for his "commitment to character, love of learning, perseverance and community service" by the Perris Valley and Greater Menifee Chanbers of Commerce, sponsors for the award for the past 13 years.

The other awardees were all born and raised and schooled in the United States. Jeric-Israel, who attended the St Louis University Laboratory Elementary School in Baguio, was the only Filipino recipient of the award.

Jeric-Israel was also presented certificates of recognition by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and the California State Senate and a certificate of Special Congressional recognition by the US House of Representatives.

Earlier, the Princeton, New Jersey-based Advanced Placement Program College Board, conferred on Jeric-Israel the APP Scholar Award.

In an accompanying letter, APP Vice-President Trevor Packer, said that Jeric_Israel belongs to a "unique group of students worldwide who have passed the rigorous series of college-level courses and exams."

Jeric-Israel is one of the sons of Dianne and Anib-Israel Julian of Mapandan, Pangasinan and Oscariz, Ramon, Isabela who immigrated to the US in 2005.

*Jeric-Israel is the author's grandchild.

Simonie Called

For the first time since arriving in California last July 15, I was able to talk on the phone with my cousin Simonie who resides along with her brothers--Perry and Doggie-- in LA. She is inviting us to her home, near Hollywood, today, October 24. That depends on Anib-Israel who will be arriving from Hemet minutes from now. We will be attending mass at the Mother Theresa Catholic Church in Temecula. If the trip to LA will not materiealize, we will be going there instead next week.

Anib-Israel arrived past eight this morning. He said we would be going to Simonie's place next Saturday. Called Simonie. She said she will be waiting for us in LA Saturday. We will be staying overnight at her apartment LA.

Called Simonie, asking for their address in LA. There is supposed to be an on-going fiesta(Latino) in their neighborhood. The Julian family is going there on Saturday, after lunch. It would be our first time to see Simonie's place and Hollywood, the first time for the boys and Dianne to see their relative. The boys are excited.

photo: walking in LA, estelita and dianne in the background, and the boys junjun and jeric not far away

Journal of October 12, 2010

Finally, I located the home address of Lorenzo G. Tabin in Utah. If Anib-Israel will not report for work tonigh, I will send Lorenzo the copies of the latest 2 issues of Timpuyog Journal. The issue printed the speech, a sort of keynote address he delivered during the Summer Iluko Literary Conference in Naguilian, La Union last May.
Emmanuel Cudia did not err in re-scheduling out trip back to the Philippines. We will be leaving via for RP three months from now. We arrived here in Winchester last July 15.

Journal of October 11, 2010

PAL tickets itinerary. January 11 departure in Los Angeles at LAX. To the Philippines. Emmanuel Cudia, a bank executive, erred the first time he booked us.

Journeys by Peter La. Julian

Composed in 2010, Daldalliasat was read during the Baguio Panagbenga Flower Festival last February--at the Audio-Visual Room of the College of Social Sciences, University of the Philippines Baguio.

JOURNEYS/DALDALLIASAT

1.
This looking for the pot of gold
This looking for the rich gentlemen
This looking for the young years

In Darayday, Santa Maria and Gabu
This looking for another shore
Is it looking for what is not there?

2.
In Honolulu, did the sun set in the west?
Did you see the full moon at noon?
Were you looking for the bar girl
Or was it Baguio's naked shadow in a dump
At a Waimanalo back street?

Was the apparition at Halekulani
on the beach at Waikiki a memory
of the white sands of Saud in Pagudpud?

3. What did you say to him--the huge Polynesian
in rumpled coat- who begged for a dollar as you
stepped out of Dimsum after gorging on noodles
in the late hour?

Did you wave him away? Or was it the grease man
stretching his arms for alms on the pavement beside
the Catholic church along Quezon boulevard?



8.
Stop it! Stop it!
Was the Caucasian in red-blue jogging pants screaming?
Was she terrified of the camera aimed at a grove of pine trees
Disappearing in the mist behind her?
Or was it the hound dog barking in nightmarish dreams?

9.
Whatever, arise old friend, walk again
the meandering path home where waits
The New York Times' best seller: it is a must

Read tonight while brown men toil, their color
Turning bloody red in the sun in that sad country
Of shattered windows and vanished dreams.


Caption, from left to right and down: downtown LA, USA, shot from the 5th floor of Sinai-Cedars Hospital; Vivo city, Singapore; Burnham park, Baguio city during a Panagbenga parade; farmers harvesting rice in San Mateo, Isabela; stopping for gas on the way to Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay, where Manny Pacquiao fought Oscar de la Hoya (middle photo).