"Games Pinoys Play" at Pasko! 2008

It was saksakan ng saya! Never mind the off and on downpour; it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd that flocked to celebrate Pasko! last December 14 once again.

Siyempre, UP’ians were all over the map: from planning the annual Filcom Center Production to organizing and (wo)manning booths!Toy Arre, as President-CEO of Filcom Center, worked with the oversight committee to make sure this year’s celebration was no less successful than the one before. Two other members of this committee were Ka Ray Liongson and UPAA President Alma Phocas. Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand coordinated …. Ime Gasmen led Katipunan Club’s perennially popular parol-making booth. Ka Ray’s Philippine Studies young students…

This year, UPAA was responsible for showcasing Filipino games. UP? Fun? "Nahihibang na ba kayo? Di ba oxymoron yun?" some would be tempted to say. But those who were there that day would have agreed that UP alums are good at anything, including fun and games!

At the booth we labeled “Games Pinoys Play,” six sungkaans surrounding a dama board were arrayed around the edge of the table. The dama was complete with Budweiser tansan properly positioned on the squares at opposite sides of the board. Red sipa tassles sat on their bottoms like tired octopuses. Typed rules of the games were taped onto the table. Bags of goodies which would be given to winners of challenges were arrayed at the ledge at the back of booth. After getting the booth ready, Serge Domondon, Alma Phocas, Jon Ellis Pangilinan, Debs Robillard and Bea Ramos Razon took turns (wo)manning the booth.

People, young and old, swarmed the booth. Not one sungkaan, sipa and dama board was left unused for long. Onlookers would take over the games as soon as one is free. Debs introduced sungkaan, Chinese style and soon, partners were playing it with gusto. Niko Phocas, UPAA First Child, played with somebody at the dama board almost non-stop. Even when the prizes were gone, people still came to play. Young people from Leeward Community College Philippine Studies (c/o Ray Liongson), soon overflowed into ours, totally engaged in the fun of the games!

Promptly at 5pm, Alma rang the bell announcing the start of the pabitin.

High fives to UP alums involved in making Pasko! the cultural highlight of the 2008 Christmas season in the Filipino community!

Singing in the Rain: Carolers Brought Holiday Cheers despite heavy rains

Honolulu, Hawaii. UPAAH members drove all over East Honolulu and Leeward Oahu areas to bring holiday cheers to our friends and families with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Volunteers from the Muscular Dystrophy Association-Hawaii ALS Support Group and Ohana (MDA-HALSSGO) and Singles for Christ Hawaii (SFC) also lend their time and talents for the December 11, 2008 project. It was a night filled with rain, stories, songs and laughter, coffee, milk and cookies and fellowship.  

Divina Telan-Robillard led the Leeward group and was joined by fellow UP alums Ray Liongson and Rose Zabanal; Kathleen Hanson, Paul and Dale Mahi, Penny and Brad Chun represented MDA-HALSSGO.  The group sang for Sherry and Ken Ching in Aiea, Warren Kam, with wife, Jennie Chun in Moanalua Valley and Nana and Dick Meckstroth in Aiea Heights. 

Jennifer Li, MDA Health Care Services Coordinator, led the East Honolulu group with Santa Joe, Nancy and Tammi Fujino, and George of MDA-HALSSGO. Jon Pangilinan, Mylene Agluba, Marjorie Pajaron and Orville Baldos represented UPAAH and were joined by Robert Morano, Ed Leano, Tess Simon, Justin Rivera and Mona Ragodos of SFC Hawaii. The group caroled Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Warren of Hawaii Kai, Errol and Katharine Hind of Manoa and Richard and Mineko Raker of Nuuanu.

The project received heartwarming responses from both carolees and carolers. Mr. Raker wrote, 

“Thank you both so much for organizing and leading the charge with the Christmas carolers. It was amazing to have 15 beautiful people in my bedroom singing their hearts out for me and Mineko. We enjoyed it so much it's really hard to describe in words how I felt. I think Jennifer even caught me with a tear coming down my cheek.” 

Mona Ragodos of SFC wrote,

“Thank you for extending the invitation out to us; it was fun.  The ALS patients touched my heart that night.  It was hard to hold back the tears, especially when I saw Mineko crying.  God truly used them as a reality check and more so to bring our hearts a sense of compassion. Please extend our mahalos to MDA and UPAA.  It was a pleasure meeting and singing with them.  If there is another opportunity for a community service with them, please let's do it!”

 The UPAAH-MDA-HALSSGO caroling project is in its second year and was spearheaded by UPAA Hawaii President-elect and MDA-HALSSGO facilitator/coordinator Divina Telan-Robillard, and UPAA Hawaii PRO and SFC music ministry coordinator Jon Pangilinan.

 

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.

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.

May 2008 Filipino Fiesta

Maraming Salamat to Divina Robillard for sharing these photos.