July 20, 2008

UPAAH Banquet and Installation of 2008-2010 Officers

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The Banquet Committee is pleased to announce the next gathering of UP Alumni and friends in Hawaii.

UPAAH Hawaii Banquet and Installation of Officers
August 29, 2008, Friday
6:00 pm to 12 midnight
Hale Koa Hotel Banyan Tree Showroom
2055 Kalia Road Honolulu Hawaii 96815

Donation/Ticket: $50 per person, Checks payable to UPAAH
Event Coordinators are Alma Phocas and Bea Ramos-Razon.

DEADLINE FOR TICKETS: August 15, 2008.
Email upaahawaii@yahoo.com for details.

Q & A About Blogging

What is blogging?

Please view this quick video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI

How did we announce the blogsite?
Instead of a summer e-newsletter, we emailed everyone about the existence of the blogsite. By email, I mean everyone in the current UPAAH membership excel file

Who did not receive the announcement?
Folks in the list without email
Folks not in the list
Folks in the list but had obsolete email addresses
Folks with correct email addresses but did not reach because of errors in typing

Even folks who do not have emails can access the site via any computer that has internet connection.

How do more hear about the blogsite?
The blogsite has an email feature. See how it works in:> http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=4834439408005979836&postID=4049307885177140567

Who were invited to blog (write entries, edit entries)?
Writers for Kuwentong Alumni section and President's Message.
There is a limit of 10 bloggers so the new PRO will have to decide who else will be invited to blog.

How else can readers be engaged?
Anyone reading can comment to a blog entry.
Anyone reading can also participate in the featured survey of the month.
Anyone reading can also decide to subscribe.

July 18, 2008

President's Message

Happy 100th Birthday to our beloved University of the Philippines!

U.P. celebrated its birthday with simple ceremonies in Diliman on June 18. According to Dr. Francisco Nemenzo, “It was a hectic week but very exciting. It started with the Parangal, giving centennial awards to former UP presidents, and UP alumni who became national scientists and national artists. There was a grand extravaganza: Pamantasang Hirang - History of UP in Songs and Dances at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It ran for three nights. The main theatre was filled to capacity. All were very enthusiastic after the show. Then, there was the “Grand Homecoming and Reunion at the Araneta Coliseum, about 3,000 alumni attended, another rousing affair.”

We are overwhelmingly blessed to have great achievers in our midst who represented UPAA Hawaii to these festivities and who traveled to the Philippines to receive their awards, namely:
Amy Agbayani, PhD: UPAA Most Outstanding Alumna Award;

Teresita Ramos, PhD: UPAA Outstanding Award in Academic Leadership;

Jorge Camara, MD: UPAA International Alumni Achiever Award; and,

Lindy Aquino, PhD: UPAA Lifetime Achievement Award. Lindy has also been notified by the UH Manoa Chancellor that she is the recipient of the 2008 Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Foundation Award for Faculty Service to the Community.

The above-named awardees also brought with them the ceremonial $5,000 check donation of UPAA Hawaii to the Centennial Fund to be used for the faculty.

In May, we participated in the Filipino Fiesta with a float depicting the future. We rallied the youth and they performed Maglalatik and Itik Itik behind the float all throughout Kalakaua. We also had a booth showcasing UPAA in Hawaii with UP memorabilia depicting our 100 years in a beautiful garden setting.

The book, Memoirs of UP Alumni Abroad, compiled by Dr. Menchee Fulgado came out in May containing memoirs of twenty three (23) UPAA Hawaii Alumni in time for the Centennial Celebrations in the Philippines. Our contributions in the amount of $2,500 formed part of the funds turned over for the restoration of the Carillon.

More exciting times are ahead as we have our next Induction of Board and Officers on August 29, 2008. Hope to see you then!

Mabuhay ang U.P.! Aloha and God bless!

Leorosie N. Zabanal
UPAAH President 2006-2008

July 12, 2008

Sabina Swift- UH CTAHR Excellence Awardee


Kudos! We are proud of you.


Excellence in Extension 2008 - Dr. Sabina Fajardo Swift, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences

Sabina Swift

In 2001, extension specialist Sabina Swift started working with non-English-proficient Hawai‘i farmers, many of whom were misusing pesticides. Sabina developed a pesticide safety training program based on face-to-face interaction and training materials in the farmers’ native languages. In 2004, the program expanded to encompass risk management training offered by members of the CTAHR faculty, consultants, community leaders, and representatives of government agencies, sometimes aided by translators. More than 200 farmers on O‘ahu and the Big Island have attended workshops, receiving information on integrated pest management, soil fertility, pesticide safety, recordkeeping, crop and business plans, marketing, loans, and taxes. Evaluations indicate that these workshops have helped participating growers improve their agricultural practices and have strengthened their relationships with county agents.

Before joining our faculty in 1999, Sabina worked for more than two decades in the arachnid collection of the Bishop Museum. During that time, she studied entomology at CTAHR, receiving a master’s degree in 1986 and a doctorate in 1994. Today her work has come full circle: she teaches plant protection to underserved farmers just as she did in Vietnam, Laos, and her homeland, the Philippines, before coming to Hawai‘i more than 30 years ago. We thank her for her exceptional work on behalf of our state’s newest farmers.

Newsletter Update

Aloha UPAAH members and friends,

This Summer 2008, you will note that the usual contents of our UPAAH newsletter are now in this blogsite.

The president's message should be posted shortly. Maraming salamat to Divina Robillard who keeps our "Kuwentong Alumni" going. Keep them coming. Mahalo also for the Fiesta photos.

Please feel free to request for more information via the comment link below. Feel free also to email upaahawaii@yahoo.com.

Maraming Salamat,
Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand
PRO UPAAH 2006-2008

UP Alumni Homecoming Reunion Honors Four From Hawaii

Mabuhay Amy, Lyndy, Tita Terry, and Jorge for your exemplary UP Spirit.



Read about the Grand Homecoming Reunion. Check out the UP Newsletter
http://www.up.edu.ph/upnewsletter.php?issue=42&i=666




Read more about Centennial Events at:
http://centennial.up.edu.ph/

An Invitation to Filipino Summer for Kids 2008 Salo-Salo


MUNTING PALABAS at SALO-SALO
Filipino for Kids
Summer Program 2008
Saturday, July 12, 10:30 a.m.-12:00
Filipino Community Center
Waipahu, Hawai‘i

UPAAH is supporting this program by sponsoring the distribution of "My Filipino Word Book"
to all completers of the program.

Lilia Q. Santiago: “LiQuid Sunshine” in Hawaii



May 2008


At 59, Lilia Santiago (AB ‘71, MA ’79, PhD ’91) – wife to Jesus Santiago, mom to four grown-ups, writer, researcher, teacher, American Field Service scholar, political detainee - moved to Hawaii to quench her thirst for travel. Having been in UP all her academic life, she was ready to tackle being Instructor in Ilokano language and literature at UH-Manoa for a change.

Lilia has taught in three UP campuses – Baguio, Los Banos, Diliman – at different times of her life. “I was in UP during the First Quarter Storm (FQS) which ignited the historical protest against fascism and dictatorship in the Philippines,” writes Lilia. “This experience contributed to defining my person. I was called LQS because of that. Now, there is another meaning to LQS - Liquid Sunshine in Hawaii - and I am now basking in that,” Lilia laughs.

A true Maroon, Lilia has always been giving of her time and skills. She was Associate for Fiction at the Likhaan: UP Creative Writing Center. She’s led poetry, fiction and writing workshops for various groups and given lectures and teacher training seminars on language, translation, Philippine, and feminist literature. Her involvement in the women’s movement has taken her to various parts of the world. At UH, she looks forward to doing a more definitive, collaborative research on the intersections/interactions of race, class, gender, and ethnicity.

Always the iskolar ng bayan, Lilia thoughtfully reflects, “I think UP activism has spread the world over. In the 1970s, it was consciousness of service to the nation, thus, “Serve the People,” or Paglingkuran ang Sambayanan. Now, apart from the twin hallmarks of a UP education – academic freedom and academic excellence - UP alumni in the diaspora are adding a third hallmark, ie, dedicated service to the human community, wherever that may be.”

E komo mai, Lilia!

Jon Ellis Pangilinan on Jon Ellis Pangilinan


May 2008


I grew up in Taytay, Rizal although born in Sta. Cruz, Tondo in 1981, the eldest son of Marciano, an engineer and Elizabeth, a banker. Accepted to the UP-Diliman School of Economics in 1998, I became active in numerous community and socio-civic activities of the Economics Society, taking to heart its motto, “Excellence. Service. Tradition.”

In 2000, I joined my family in Hawaii. I continued my studies at UH-Manoa where I was inducted to the Omicron Delta Epsilon International Honor Society in Economics. For two years, I was editor-in-chief of Katipunan Magazine (the official publication of the UH Filipino and Philippine Literature Program) and set standards for succeeding student editors. I graduated with a BA in Economics and Minor in Filipino in 2004.

After graduation, my fighting maroon attitude and warrior instinct helped as I became a Budget Analyst for the Hawaii State Senate Ways and Means Committee (WAM) where I helped craft the State budget. At age 23, I joined the Office of the Ombudsman as its youngest analyst/investigator. Knowing government and Filipino language/culture helped me assist residents, many of them Filipinos, with grievances against the government. After two years plus of investigative experience, I returned to WAM as a Budget Analyst in the midst of a very challenging economy. I plan to apply for admission to the UH William S. Richardson School of Law.

My UP socio-civic awareness always burning, I helped organize the NAFFAA Region XII Conference. I volunteer for fellow UP’ian Ime Gasmen’s Filipino for Kids Program, every summer since 2005. When asked, I share my expertise in Baybayin, the ancient Filipino script, and sipa, our national sport.

I enjoy playing music, writing, surfing, basketball, darts and lately, golf. A devout Catholic, I am a servant leader of the Singles for Christ-Hawaii, as well as its music ministry coordinator.

May 2008 Filipino Fiesta

Maraming Salamat to Divina Robillard for sharing these photos.