ASEAN-Filipinos! Now’s YOUR chance to win U$20,000 and to show the world the great and excellent Filipino talent in Lyrics and Music Composition!! The ASEAN just launch (finally, been telling them that) the ASEAN Anthem Competition wherein the Best Composition will become the Official ASEAN Anthem which will be first played and sung at the ASEAN Flag Raising Ceremony on the 14th ASEAN Summit in Thailand this 2008-December.

This is an Open Competition to all Nationals of the 10-Member Country of ASEAN. For more details of the competition, visit Asia’s Perfect 10 and/or Asean Citizens.

GO ASEAN-Pinoys!!!

The Weightlifters of ASEAN took home 3 Medals today, Sunday. A Gold from Thailand’s JAROENRATTANATARAKOON Prapawadee in the Women’s 53kg competition. A Silver and a Bronze from VietNam’s HOANG Anh Tuan and Indonesia’s IRAWAN Eko Yuli from the Men’s 56kg Weightlifting respectively.

Congratulations to all the ASEANs! GO FOR GOLD!!

The updated and latest ASEAN Beijing 2008 Olympics Medal Tally can be found only at Asia’s Perfect 10.

I’m sure you are so excited today because it’s Beijing Olympics today! Yeah! But are you forgetting something today? Something much more important than the Beijing Olympics. Something that has more weight and will affect you and your descendants forever. It’s ASEAN Day today – August 8, 2008.

Do you know this year’s theme? I’ll tell you now: One ASEAN Identity, One ASEAN Community by 2015. ASEAN Community by 2015, do you know that it means integration of 10 South-East Asian countries? But haven’t you realized or even asked the question:

What is an ASEAN Identity? Come share your point-of-views before you glue your eyes and ears with the Olympics.

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This is a photo of myself with some of my brothers and sisters in UPLB MASS taken in December 2004 at UPLB’s Carabao Park. After an org activity, we decided to just dick around the park and bask in the simple beauty of a cool December evening while being surrounded by Christmas lights and friends. It was just us, the trees, the stars, the lights, and the pond. That was what being in UP Los Baños meant to me. Simple joys. Complex relationships. All under the warm shadow of Oble.

But enough about me and my nostalgia. I’m writing this post to invite you to share your UP photos that show how special UP is to you. Not only will you be sharing your UP moments, you will also get the chance to win face-rocking prizes!

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I was just watching updates on the Olympics preps. Each comment is a gold nugget. One of the sayings they have right now is, “Olympic wins are transient, but cultural impressions last forever.” I find it amazing that they are doing everything they can to showcase their culture. They even have officials with the designated job of “manners minder.” This century is really so different. Read more…

The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) is holding two contests this year… It is worth noting that the first requires the use of Filipino, while the other includes Tagalog. This, perhaps, was meant to highlight the difference between Filipino and Tagalog, that one is not equivalent to the other. But what if, for instance, someone submits an essay written in Tagalog for the Gantimpalang Collantes? Will it be accepted as having been written in “Filipino”? If the answer is yes, would the answer still be the same if the essay were written in any of the other major languages? If not, does this mean that the other languages are not, in fact, Filipino? More…

The eighth day of the eighth month of the year two thousand eight is fast approaching. A lot of people are planning to hold their grand events, like weddings, on the very day. Of course, there are other ways of marking day 08-08-08, or just the month 08-08.

One is to start something great like investing. And, I don’t just mean investing your money in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, business, etc. I also mean investing in yourself, like pampering your thirst for knowledge and accomplishment by attending trainings and seminars.

Read more at Pinoy Seminars.

Music Picks blog is giving away 3 sets of invites to the premiere screening of “The Alps” to its lucky readers.

Get a chance to Join the American climber John Harlin in his triumphant ascent up the north face of the Eiger in the majestic Swiss Alps in this extraordinary IMAX adventure from MacGillivray Freeman Film, the producers of “Everest”.

Win FREE “The Alps” IMAX Tickets at Music Picks blog!

We’re getting closer and closers to one of the biggest Philippine blogging events of the year, and it just so happens it’s also in September, like WordCamp Philippines. Yes, the Philippine Blog Awards night will take place Continue reading the whole post…

I didn’t go to the recently concluded San Diego Comic-Con, but thanks to the magic of the Internets, I got all the news and ridiculous photos of ridiculous people in ridiculous costumes from the event that I needed. And then some. It took me a couple of days to rummage through my bookmarks and feeds, but I eventually singled out 10 news items that made my balls sweaty with geeky anticipation. Here be the list:

1. Agents of Atlas Ongoing Series! My mancrush on Jeff Parker began when I was awesomed deeply by the Agents of Atlas mini-series back in 2006. My love for AoA has been well documented (Love & War, 2006 Awesome List, Lantern of Doom!, Agents of Atlas, Top 5 Lists #9 of 10: Graphic Fiction, and Giant-Size Rockery), so it goes without saying that I am extremely happy to learn that I’ll be getting my dose of AoA monthly starting early 2009.

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Lifehouse’s concert held at the Araneta Coliseum last night, July 26, was a huge success as Filipino fans gathered and jammed with the band.

More about Lifehouse’s Concert at Music Picks blog!

I’ve been so busy for the past few days but luckily I had the chance to be part of the press conference yesterday prior to Lifehouse’s upcoming concert to be held at the Araneta Coliseum this coming Saturday, July 26.

More photos at Music Picks blog!

The Malacanang occupant has been bitten by the pink bug of Bayani Fernando, Metro Manila’s czar who has painted the metropolis with pink colors for his beautification drive.

Short on good things to say on her State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) today, GMA would highlight the event instead by what she would be wearing for the joint opening of Congress.

The SONA has long been a fashion show for the rich, the famous and the mighty. But this time it would be more than just a cat walk on the corridors of power. The pink gown of the Palace resident would appear to be the main feature of the SONA. Philippine media is abuzz with it noticeably turning broadsheets into fashion mags.

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Congress would be in the microscope tomorrow as the Malacanang occupant delivers her State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA).

From where I sit, I see the House of Representatives depicting the real state of our nation.

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I am elated that the World Youth Day festivities ended successfully in Sydney yesterday. I now pray for the safe return of Pope Benedict XVI to the Vatican and young participants to their respective countries.

I brought this matter up because in the Toronto edition of this Catholic youth conclave in 2002, many Filipino youth did not return home. I personally know of some Davao delegates who stayed in Canada and others who slipped into the US and stayed there as TNT (tago ng tago) or illegally.

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Sorry folks, Angelo Que did not make the cut.

He won a consolation prize though – valuable experience!

He actually started his second round at the British Golf Open quite brilliantly. A birdie at the 5th after a string of four opening pars placed him tied at the top 50 players. At this point, he was four strokes better than his start the previous day. Then lightning struck.

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Filipino ace Angelo Que made a remarkable start at his maiden major tournament at the 137th British Open Golf championships last night (RP Time).

After opening with a bogey with the jitters I suppose, he evened the next two holes and found himself sharing the leaderboard at No. 8. Even for just this brief moment, he was in the Top 10!

As it was past midnight, I went to bed with a happy smile with this in my dream:

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The search for the next American Idol has commenced.

Because the first of the series of auditions was held at the Cow Palace in Daly City, “the Philippine City” in San Francisco, many Filipino-Americans made it with their entry wristbands, and hoping to pass the first round.

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Even before he tees off for the 137th British Golf Championships today, I consider Angelo Que already a winner. His trophy – the bragging rights as the first Filipino golfer to qualify for this prestigious major.

Little is known of this Filipino ace in The Open. Angelo Que was the last qualifier in the Asian leg of the international qualifying tournaments early this year. He is the leader in the ASEAN Order of Merit and has two wins in the Asian Tour, this year’s Philippine Open and the 2004 Carlsberg Masters Vietnam.

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Photos be here. Congratulations to the winners and good luck at the regionals.

Read more at fritzified.com >>