• Multiawarded artist Elmer Borlongan shares with us his recent work, “Hatid,” which is up for auction at the Art 40 this weekend. Works from 39 other artists are also up for bidding. Art 40 is the project of broadcast journalist Julius Babao on his 40th birthday and will benefit the Art 40 Gawad Kalinga Village in Caloocan City.
• It’s theater season again! Over at Dulaang UP, Anton Juan’s play Hinabing Pakpak ng Ating Mga Anak runs until August 10. The play is Juan’s tribute to the late writer Rene Villanueva, who was an advocate of Philippine children’s literature.
• At PETA, on the other hand, is a modern version of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo: Noli at Fili Dekada 2000 is showing until August 24. Directed by Soxie Topacio, the play is based on a piece by Nicanor Tiongson. Television actor Bembol Roco, who plays Damaso, talks about his stage comebackafter more than ten years .
• EJ Matela of Minland Foundation shares with us some good news from Mindanao: in a school in North Cotabato, NGOs and educators are giving away free breakfasts to students to encourage them to complete the school year. If you want to help in this project, contact Minland Foundation.
• World-class performers Jed Madela and Aria Clemente, who are both WCOPA champions are performing at the talent search’s opening.
• Antonio Graceffo’s story about EMS duty in Tondo concludes this week in Pinoycentric.
• One reason to see West Side Story, which opens this September: Filipina stage actor Joanna Ampil plays Maria–it’s her first time to perform in a Philippine production after more than a decade in London, where she played Kim in Miss Saigon and Fantine and Eponine in Les Miserables.

Image: “Back to School” by dollipoptart

London-based thespian Joanna Ampil is finally coming home to the Philippines to do her very first musical theater project in Manila after 16 years of being a West End star.  Joanna is playing the role of Maria in West Side Story to be produced by Stages and directed by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.

Joanna has long wanted to perform in her own country but never had the chance until she heard of the casting call for West Side Story. She was then busy playing Fantine in West End’s Les Miserables. So she e-mailed Stages president Audie Gemora and asked if she could send in her audition materials instead. Without thinking twice, Audie said yes.
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By Leloi Arcete

This time there will be no cuts and second takes. Ten years after since his last theater appearance, Bembol Roco is coming back on stage.

You would think that a seasoned actor like Bembol Roco is never anxious about performing or  does not experience stage fright, which to some of us is equivalent to the feeling of a sudden rush to go to the john, sweaty palms, and stomach butterflies. But apparently even actors of his status become a little jittery every time they perform. Especially if that someone’s last theater appearance is some ten years ago.

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By Antonio Graceffo

The continuing saga of a Brooklyn monk come to Manila to study EMT. Stumbled onto this randomly? Read this article first.

Last of four parts: Read first, second, and third parts.

The next call came at about nine at night. It was a rekindle. There had been a huge fire earlier in the day in a Chinese factory, next to the Chinese school. The school had been evacuated, then the firefighters climbed up on the second-story roof of the school and cut holes in the walls of the second story of the factory to pump water in.

As always the people of Manila, or the people of Philippines, have luck, fortune, and corruption completely against them. In the case of fire, fore example, the Bureau of Fire Protection only has 60 fire trucks in all of Metro Manila. From that number only 10 to15 are working at any given moment. The rest are waiting for maintenance.

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At the Datu Ambel Memorial High School in North Cotabato, NGOs and school administrators are giving away free breakfasts starting this July to encourage students to complete their education. The high school has a low completion rate, with only 8 graduates in 2008 out of 50 enrollees in 2004.

“Going to school hungry most of the time could affect students’ performance in school,” says Lhor Laguia, teacher in charge at the Datu Ambel High School.

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Singers Jed Madela and Aria Clemente, the Philippines’ Grand Champion Performers of the World in the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) are performing at the 2008 opening ceremony at the Universal CityWalk in Hollywood and at the finals night at the grand ballroom of the Westin Bonaventura in downtown Los Angeles.

Also known as the Hollywood Olympics, WCOPA opens on July 25. The international talent search gathers together delegates from more than 40 countries to compete in a talent search organized by Hollywood and Broadway producers.

Madela, who won the Grand Champion Vocalist of the Year title in 2005, will sing “Go the Distance” from the Disney animated film Hercules during WCOPA’s opening ceremony. He will also be sitting as a judge during the preliminary and semifinal rounds of the weeklong competition.

Madela will also be singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” on finals night. In addition, he will welcome the new 2008 WCOPA Grand Champion Performers of the World with the song “We Are the Champions.” His version is re-arranged by Filipino composer Arnel de Pano especially for WCOPA.

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