Filipino School Program in Southern California - Seeking Teacher
The Kultural Enrichment and Language Program (KELP) is a program developed by Search To Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), is an experiential learning program with an emphasis in Filipino language, arts, and culture. The after-school program targets Filipino American children in elementary grade levels 1-3.
The goal of the class is not only to teach the students Tagalog, but also about the different facets of Philippine culture, art, history, literature and geography. The program design follows the curriculum standards adopted by the California State Board of Education for elementary school levels.
We are looking for an additional teacher who is interested in helping implement amazing program!
TEACHER DUTIES:
- Collaborate with lead teacher on material preparation for weekly lesson plans
- Offer guidance language-learning activities
- Implement appropriate classroom management and child supervision
- Complete administrative duties (including: regular feedback to Program Manager, maintaining sign in sheets and attendance)
- Address parent requests and questions regarding the program curriculum
TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS:
- Classroom experience / elementary aged-level
- Ability to work with lead teacher in adapting existing curriculum to suit student language level
Voting in this round ends Sunday February 17 at 11:59PM EST
With the first couple of days of voting in the Elite 8 round underway, results are closer than ever, with all four matches separated by less than 5%! Jasmine, Constantine, Elliott and Josh currently have the leads, but Bo, Clay, Ace and Carrie are far from out of contention, especially with over a week of voting in this round still to go. Anthony is currently running away with the consolation round, but Kelly Clarkson, Bucky Covington and Kellie Pickler are taking a stab at those 9th and 10th places as well.
Forty five years ago, a Filipino exile in San Francisco by the name of Alex Esclamado started publishing a newspaper out of his garage. Esclamado and his family had fled the Philippines to escape the oppression of the martial law regime of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
Esclamado, as part of the overseas Filipino anti-Marcos movement, initially named his paper The Manila Chronicle, which was in fact one of the major Philippine newspapers shut down by the regime. Later he would rename his newspaper Philippine News.
After Marcos' downfall in 1986, Esclamado took on a new mission: to unite and empower the Filipino American community. He pursued his objective with passion and vigor, often driving across the continent carrying copies of the newspaper in his car to distribute in the different states. This was how Philippine News acquired its national character.
With this as their guiding principle, the editors and business executives of Philippine News have poured their efforts and resources in constantly raising the standards of Filipino American journalism.
Today no other newspaper in America can claim to speak as strongly, as credibly and as passionately for the Filipino community as Philippine News. Whereas most Filipino American publications merely reprint and repackage articles downloaded from the internet, Philippine News has consistently offered original news and information on the Filipino American community.
Such a service is a daunting task, but we are committed to serve not only the Filipino American community but Filipinos everywhere in the world.
Published: February 6, 2008 | Author: Janet Nepales
LOS ANGELES — Renaldo Lapuz, the 45-year-old former tricycle driver-turned-graveyard shift janitor at Wal-Mart in Reno, Nevada, still could not believe what is happening to him. He has become an overnight sensation after auditioning in the top rated reality talent show, American Idol. Unassuming, cheery and very positive, Lapuz may be missing some lower teeth or speak with a heavy accent but he has the confidence to belt out his original composition, “We’re Brothers Forever,” to “American Idol” judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul and host Ryan Seacrest without any sign of stage fright at all.
He may say things like “Over to the maximum of happiness!” or “Hopefully continuous progress” but somehow you know, he says it from the heart. Asked by Seacrest what he would do if he were an “American Idol,” Lapuz said, “If I were an American Idol, I will give hope to all those who are in despairs (sic), to be tough and to be strength!”
Always respectful, Lapuz would always inject an “I love you po!” or to Cowell, “You are heaven’s chosen to give chance to any talent for free of charge, even they throw you negative words. There are many people who really like you, who admire you and one of them is me. You are a great person, Simon.”
Dressed in a costume which he proudly made and designed himself --- white hat with the word “Simon” on it, shimmering metallic cape, all-white ensemble complete with white shoes and a white padded jacket --- Lapuz disclosed in a Fox TV interview that he was inspired by the movie “The Gladiator” (yes, the Russell Crowe starrer). “They said ‘dress to impress’ so I thought for two weeks and finally, I was inspired by the movie as well as the song ‘Skyline Pigeon,’” he candidly disclosed. He said his costume is a combination of Mexican-Cowboy hat with hints of a Greek mythology character and touches of an American cartoon character, Flash.
Suddenly, we saw the usually nasty Cowell beaming approvingly as his colleagues Jackson and Abdul, later on joined by Seacrest, joined Lapuz in an audition-turned-sing-a-long complete with Abdul and Jackson breaking into an impromptu dance as well. We interviewed a former Manila recording publicist who preferred to remain anonymous and we asked him whether we should feel embarrassed or proud of Lapuz’s performance on “AI” and he replied, “At first, it appeared like Renaldo was an easy target of ridicule but the man, despite his outlandish costume, came across as sincere and almost innocent. He was having fun and not taking the whole thing very seriously so Paula and Randy lightened up and had fun too. We should not be embarrassed. Renaldo was charming. It would have been very embarrassing if he took himself so seriously as he wore that outfit. Then the hosts could have spoofed and made fun of him. But there was a winning naïveté about Renaldo so the hosts were not cruel to him.”
Asked whether recording companies in the Philippines should take advantage of Renaldo Lapuz’s popularity to the masses, he said, “They should definitely capitalize on Renaldo’s 10 plus minutes of fame! He captivated the viewers, and from what I understand, the TV audience in the Philippines too. After that appearance and the ensuing publicity, he had a name and a face that are instantly recognizable.”
So how does he explain Lapuz’s song, “We’re Brothers Forever” becoming a hit as Simon Cowell predicted? He pointed out, “Simon could have been sarcastic but there is no denying that refrain is very catchy and memorable. A lot of the songs that were supposed to be ‘silly’ but went on to become hits succeeded because they have hard-to-forget refrain melodies and lyrics.”
He believed that Lapuz belongs to the group of Yoyoy Villame and company “but he’s probably a slightly Americanized version of Yoyoy and company. But don’t discount the legacy and popularity of these so-called novelty singers. They have established a niche in the music scene. After all, we have forgotten some of the ‘serious’ songs by the ‘respected’ Filipino singers but we have not forgotten Yoyoy’s ‘Magellan’ song.”
And finally, how can he explain the likes of “American Idol” rejects like Lapuz and William Hung becoming popular to the masses? He explained, “Because we need a break from those contestants who take themselves too seriously. Folks like Lapuz and William Hung are like a whiff of fresh air. They bring humor and lightness to the proceedings. The regular folks also tend to identify with Lapuz and Hung because they see themselves in these folks, not in the sophisticated-looking contestants who can hold those high notes for 15 minutes.”
Indeed, Lapuz’s sincerity is like a “whiff of fresh air” especially in Hollywood. He may have been rejected to go to Hollywood but after his 15 minutes of fame when he auditioned in Dallas, Texas for “American Idol” season 7, the unassuming church choir member now has his own website (www.renaldolapuz.com); has a loyal following who have posted their own versions of his original composition, “We’re Brothers Forever;” has ringtones of his song that you can download on your cell phones; has t-shirts with the title of his song sold for $19 with 50 percent reportedly being donated to Big Brother Big Sister Organization; has been interviewed twice by Fox 4 and once by Access Hollywood; and has reportedly been invited by the owners of the Sacramento Kings to perform in one of their games.
Lapuz, who just turned 45 last December 18, explained that he was not aware of the age limit of 28 in “American Idol.” He said, “My friends checked online and they did not see any age limit and so I flew immediately to Texas to audition. My friends have been telling me that I should audition because I love to sing.”
In a Fox interview conducted a day after his audition, Lapuz disclosed that his family and friends were all excited. He revealed, “I have a big family and they all gathered together in Reno. There were two groups, one of which was with my sister Irene. Everybody was so excited. They enjoyed watching my audition so much.”
He disclosed that after watching his audition again on TV, “I became nervous again. I felt like I was auditioning again.” He added, “Hopefully continuous progress. I expect more blessings.” The former tricyle driver in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City arrived in the U.S. on August 6, 2004 after being petitioned by his mother. Raised in Marikina, he also worked as a janitor in Pasig and is currently working in the graveyard shift at Wal-Mart in Reno, Nevada. Prior to that, though, he also worked at the Greyhound Bus.
His contract with American Idol is up to May of this year and Lapuz disclosed in an interview that he plans to go to the Philippines after that contract expires. Does he mind being compared to “AI” reject William Hung? Lapuz replied in the negative. “Not at all! He is now rich!” Lapuz revealed that he is now being mobbed. People recognize him on the streets and there are a number of requests for interviews. “My singing career has just began,” he said in an interview. So, all together now – below are the lyrics of Lapuz’s new international hit, “We’re Brothers Forever:”
“I am your brother/Your best friend forever/Singing the songs/The music that you like/We’re brothers ‘til the end of time/Together forever ‘til the end of time/I am your brother/Your best friend forever/Singing the songs/The music that you like/We’re brothers ‘til the end of time/Together or not, you’re always in my heart/Your hurting feelings/Will reign no more.”
4th Quarter 2007 PHILIPPINE ECONOMY SOARS TO 7.4% GDP GROWTH Posted 31 January 2008
In an environment of benign inflation, low interest rates and a strong peso, the Philippine economy sustained its impressive streak of lofty growths that started in the first quarter of the year. Fourth quarter growth of GDP stood at 7.4 percent from 5.5 percent last year, propelled by the robust performances of Trade, Agriculture and Fishery, Private Services, Construction and TCS, with the rest of the sectors posting positive growths. On the demand side, increased household spending and investment in construction were the main drivers aided by the accelerated growths in government consumption, export of non-factor services and investment in durable equipment. The 3.0 percent contraction in the level of NFIA pulled down GNP to a lower growth of 6.5 percent compared to the GDP growth.
The seasonally adjusted GDP, now on its 27th quarter of positive growths, accelerated to 1.8 percent from 1.0 percent in the previous quarter. Likewise, the seasonally adjusted GNP, which has also been on positive territory since the second quarter of 2003, sped up to 1.4 percent from 0.9 percent in the third quarter.
On the production side, the sustained GDP growth in the fourth quarter was bolstered by the fast expanding Services sector whose growth of 9.0 percent from 8.4 percent in the same quarter last year is the highest since 1982. Likewise, Industry went up too at a higher pace of 5.8 percent from 3.6 percent the previous year, albeit slower than during the first three quarters, mainly because of the deceleration of Manufacturing. With favorable weather conditions during the quarter, Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry (AFF) also accelerated to 5.8 percent from its year ago rate of 1.7 percent.
The following were the contribution of the three major economic sectors to the GDP growth in the quarter: Services, with 4.4 percentage points; Industry, 1.8 percentage points and AFF contributing the least with 1.2 percentage points.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, AFF contracted by 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter after three quarters of robust growths while Industry rebounded to a 0.5 percent expansion after suffering a 0.4 percent contraction last quarter. The positive growth was attributed to the strong growths of Construction, Mining and Quarrying, and Electricity, Gas and Water. Services sector came in strongest as it posted an all time record growth of 3.3 percent. The phenomenal growth was brought about by the brisk retail trading during the fourth quarter combined with the strong performances of Private Services and Finance.
The economy continued to keep pace with the population growth in the fourth quarter of 2007 as per capita GDP grew by 5.3 percent from 3.4 percent, per capita GNP by 4.4 percent from 4.0 percent, and per capita PCE by 4.2 percent from 3.8 percent.
NFIA in the fourth quarter declined however, by 3.0 percent from a 12.4 percent gain in the same quarter last year as compensation inflow declined anew by an even higher rate of 3.3 percent from only 0.2 percent in the third quarter. This was aggravated by the deceleration in Property Income from 32.0 percent last year to 18.9 percent, and the growth in Property Expense by 4.4 percent. The fourth quarter recorded the first quarter of negative growth of NFIA since the fourth quarter of 2002.
On the expenditure side, consumer spending grew by 6.3 percent from 5.8 percent a year ago. Food expenditure, which accounted for 56.1 percent of the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE), grew by 6.6 percent from 6.8 percent in the previous year while Miscellaneous expenditures accelerated to 7.8 percent from 5.7 percent last year. Meanwhile, Transportation/Communication and Clothing & Footwear both turned in lower growths as they decelerated to 8.2 percent from 8.3 percent and 2.4 percent from 6.5 percent, respectively. The other sub-sectors that contributed to the growth of PCE were the following: Household Operations, up by 2.7 percent from 1.9 percent; Beverages grew by 4.7 percent from 6.6 percent; Fuel, Light & Water, up by 4.3 percent from 1.4 percent; and Household Furnishings, which recovered from a negative 2.5 percent growth last year to positive 5.0 percent this year.
Government Consumption Expenditure (GCE) accelerated to 10.8 percent from a growth of 9.9 percent last year with the disbursement of government funds for infrastructure project.
Investments in Fixed Capital Formation expanded by 10.3 percent from last year’s growth of 2.2 percent on account of vigorous investments in construction. Construction grew by 17.6 percent from 5.7 percent with the hike in national government’s capital expenditures and capital transfer to LGU’s resulting in the 33.4 percent growth in public construction from 39.6 percent in the previous year. On the other hand, investments in private construction rebounded to 7.4 percent from negative 8.7 percent in 2006. Meanwhile, Durable Equipment sustained a positive growth of 4.9 percent from negative 0.5 percent in the same period last year.
Reeling from the crisis faced by the US economy, total Merchandise Exports skidded to negative 3.7 percent from a growth of 2.2 percent in the same quarter last year.
The top five Merchandise Exports were: Finished Electrical Machinery, which bounced back to a 19.5 percent gain from a 14.0 percent decline; Crude Coconut Oil, which recovered from negative 39.7 percent to positive 9.6 percent; Semiconductors and Electric Microcircuits, which expanded to 1.7 percent from negative 4.3 percent; Canned Pineapple, which rebounded to 29.3 percent from negative 7.3 percent; and Prepared Tuna, which grew by 69.1 percent from 48.9 percent. Exports of Non-Factor Services, on the other hand, accelerated to 6.4 percent from 2.9 percent in the previous year.
Total Merchandise Imports, which has been on a downhill since the first quarter of the year, continued to shrink by 3.2 percent in the fourth quarter from last year’s 0.3 percent growth.
Only three subsectors contributed positively to the growth of Merchandise Imports: Cereals and Cereals Products, with a hefty growth of 96.4 percent from a measly 0.8 percent last year; Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials, up anew by 7.6 percent from 11.1 percent; and Dairy Products, which accelerated to 10.8 percent from 9.9 percent. On the other hand, imports of non-factor services slowed down to 11.1 percent from 17.6 percent due to the lackluster performance of Miscellaneous Services, which contracted by 0.4 percent from a 17.4 percent gain last year.
The terms of trade during the quarter resulted in a Trade Index of 104.2 percent from 109.2 percent in the same period last year. Trading Gains for the quarter amounted to P6.1 billion.
GNP Implicit Price Index (IPIN) stood at 497.1 from 478.6 in the previous year or a 3.79 percent inflation from 2006.
Since 1985, SPINTRONIX Entertainment LLC has been Northern California's leader in mobile disc jockey entertainment, sound reinforcement, lighting effects, and video services.
For over 20 years, SPINTRONIX has entertained at thousands of events -- nightclubs, schools dances, weddings, corporate events, and special private functions -- throughout Northern & Southern California, Northern Nevada, and Hawaii. As pioneers in the mobile disc jockey (DJ) industry, SPINTRONIX has performed for countless people, becoming the premier choice of DJ entertainment in the Bay Area and beyond.
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you know, he says it from the heart. Asked by Seacrest what he would do if he were an “American Idol,” Lapuz said, “If I were an American Idol, I will give hope to all those who are in despairs (sic), to be tough and to be strength!” 
In an environment of benign inflation, low interest rates and a strong peso, the Philippine economy sustained its impressive streak of lofty growths that started in the first quarter of the year. Fourth quarter growth of GDP stood at 7.4 percent from 5.5 percent last year, propelled by the robust performances of Trade, Agriculture and Fishery, Private Services, Construction and TCS, with the rest of the sectors posting positive growths. On the demand side, increased household spending and investment in construction were the main drivers aided by the accelerated growths in government consumption, export of non-factor services and investment in durable equipment. The 3.0 percent contraction in the level of NFIA pulled down GNP to a lower growth of 6.5 percent compared to the GDP growth.