Thanks to the resourcefulness of Rotarian Vincent Eleazar who contributed these interesting articles:

1. Dondon Razalan won the Kyoto, Japan 9-Ball Open

2. Mark Magsumbol in the American Basketball Association

DONDON RAZALAN

Razalan breaks through in Kyoto 9-Ball Open

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino Dondon Razalan scored a long-awaited victory when he crushed Japan's Tomuya Ima, 6-1, in the finals of the tough Kyoto 9-Ball Open in Kyoto, Japan, late Sunday.

The 34-year-old from Calauag, Quezon won the top prize equivalent to about P200,000.

Razalan previous best finish was runner-up to compatriot Antonio Lining in the 2006 Japan 9-Ball Open.

Razalan blanked another Japanese bet Tokishawa, 6-0, in the semifinal round.

By Marlon Bernardino - February 20, 2008 Source: http://www.azbilliards.com

MARK MAGSUMBOL

(This piece of news could be two years old but the fact that Mark Magsumbol is from Calauag, Quezon  should make us proud. JS)

Pinoy makes US cage debut

By Joaquin Henson
The Philippine Star 02/12/2006

A 6-2 shooting guard from Calauag, Quezon, is now playing for the San Jose Skyrockets in the 31-team American Association (ABA) and making a name for himself as an "import" in the US minors.

Mark Magsumbol, 25, made an auspicious ABA debut by scoring 12 points, including 3-of-4 triples, in the Skyrockets’ 160-101 romp over the Tijuana Dragones at the San Jose Auditorium last Jan. 30.

The former St. Benilde cager was chosen to play for the Skyrockets among 15 Filipino aspirants in a tryout conducted by coach Marc Joffe at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig last October. Joffe arrived here with team owner Kazuni Hasegawa from San Jose to check out Filipino players capable of playing in the ABA.

Ravi Chulani, a 28-year-old La Salle graduate who spends his own money to rent the Brent Gym in Pasig Tuesday nights for pros and would-be pros to play pick-up games, organized the tryouts for Hasegawa. Chulani’s cousin Girish Mirchandani lives in and suggested to Hasegawa, a close friend, to recruit a Filipino for the Skyrockets to reflect the ethnicity of San Jose as a melting pot in the Bay Area. It was Mirchandani who introduced Chulani to Hasegawa.

"Mark’s contract is until the end of the season," said Chulani. "That’s 36 regular season games plus the playoffs. Housing is provided for. Mark lives in a beautiful house with four teammates on Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Crest Drive in San Jose. He is provided with food and a living allowance. He has access to a car which the team has also provided. He has free travel to everywhere the team goes, all over the US and Hawaii. His basic salary is $1,200 a month."

Magsumbol, who wears jersey No. 34, arrived in the US last Jan. 22.

"I wasn’t expecting to play against Tijuana but I kept myself ready at all times," said Magsumbol in an email. "I’m happy I was able to deliver. One of my three-point shots was under the 3D rule so I got four points instead of three. The rule gives you an extra point on a shot after forcing a turnover in the other team’s backcourt."

Former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) import Harold Arceneaux led the Dragones with 42 points. The Skyrockets led, 77-46, at the half. The blowout saw 11 Skyrockets, including Magsumbol, scoring in double digits.

Magsumbol said one of the veterans playing in the ABA is former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Tim Hardaway of the Florida Pit Bulls. His closest friend in the team is Matt Luedtke. Other players in the San Jose roster include Lamar Castile, Jason Smith, Anthony Lumpkin, Darius Pope, Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Winston, Todd Okeson, Jamar Howard and Anwar Ferguson.

Watching out for Magsumbol are his girlfriend Caecent’s parents Ed and Henri who live nearby. "They always make sure I’m okay and take care of me," said Magsumbol. "I’m lucky they’re close by."

Magsumbol said although he’s just new in the team, fans are already asking for his autograph.

"It’s a hard life because I’m all alone," said Magsumbol. "But I know this is good for my future. I just have to sacrifice. I want to get better as a player and I hope to show that a Filipino can play in the league. Playing in the ABA is a different experience for me because the players are really solid. My teammates are very good to me but I still have to memorize their names."

Magsumbol said Joffe was replaced by Kermit Young as San Jose’s coach before the season started. Young has coached for 36 years and is a Hall of Fame athlete at Montana State.

On the ABA, Magsumbol said the league combines NBA and FIBA (Federation Internationale de Basketball) rules. "It is fast-paced and exciting," said Magsumbol. "We play 12 minutes a quarter with a 24-second shot clock. We use a red-white-and-blue ball. It has no one-and-one free throw situation and instead, there’s a penalty of two shots on the eighth team foul each quarter. A shot from behind the halfcourt line is good for four points."

There are seven divisions in the league, named after former ABA stars Spencer Haywood, Ron Boone, Freddie Lewis, George Gervin, Roger Brown, Connie Hawkins and Marvin Barnes-Moses Malone. The Skyrockets are now leading the Boone division with a 20-5 record.

Among the teams are Los Angeles, Southern California, Indiana, Fresno, Detroit, Ohio, Pittsburgh, New Mexico, Harlem, Montreal, Boston, Maryland, Buffalo, Baltimore and Atlanta. The only foreign team is the Aoshen Beijing Olympics whose players include former NBA guard Fred Vinson, Huang Hai Bei, Wo Nan and Sun Yu.

Last Feb. 6, San Jose picked up its 20th win at the Tacoma Navigators’ expense, 124-76. The Skyrockets swept Beijing, 99-80, and 108-91, in a two-game series early this month.

Magsumbol earned a Hotel and Restaurant Management degree at St. Benilde in 2001 but instead of applying what he learned in the classroom, decided to try his luck on the court. He never applied for the PBA draft and has played for four teams in the Philippine Basketball League, three teams in the National Basketball Conference and a team in the Cebu Basketball Federation. Magsumbol also played for the Cebuana Lhuillier national squad.


SOURCE: http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200602121604.htm

 

         CEFERINA PULGAR RUIZ, M.D., Colonel (Ret)

  MISS ABIGAIL A. AVILA

Miss PHILIPPINES KALAYAAN 1996

Binibining PILIPINAS-Canada  1998

Miss PHILIPPINES CENTENNIAL  1998  

We take pride in featuring  Miss Abigail Avila, as another  BATANG CALAUAG. She's the only child of  Ganie Avila of Calauag, Quezon and Elice Arcangel-Avila of Batac, Ilocos Norte. She brought honors to our town for being a brain and beauty  young lady and one who is always proud of her Filipino heritage. The  three (3) beauty titles to her name is already an outstanding feat but what made her literally towering above others was her continuing pursuit of  academic excellence by acquiring not one but three college diplomas, to wit:

1. Bachelor of Administrative Services in 2000, York University

2. Bachelor of Arts, 2002, York University, with Merit Awards

3. Bachelor in Journalism Print & Broadcast, 2005, mber College, with honours

As aptly described in an article written about her, Abigail  certainly  has beauty and talent which she willingly dedicated to the  Filipino community in Canada. She also joined the Folklorico Dance Company based in Toronto, Ontario with the purpose of  showcasing Philippine customs and tradition through dances.  

Yet, with her many achievements, she recall that there's one memorable event in her life she fondly cherished . It was when she came face to face with Queen Elizabeth who personally congratulated her and other Filipino dancers after a Philippine dance performance with the Royal Couple in the audience. It merited front page news in a daily newspaper in Canada.

At the moment, Abigail is still enjoying her single blessedness. 

ABIGAIL  (2nd from left) & the QUEEN

Miss PHILIPPINES KALAYAAN 1996

Binibining PILIPINAS-Canada 1998

Miss PHILIPPINES CENTENNIAL  1998  

ABIGAIL at the CENTERSTAGE  as a Folklorico dance performer.

She danced her way in many  festivals in almost many  parts in Canada,  in US and Mexico and in Europe such as France, Spain, Poland, Ukraine .

Abigail with her proud parents

Ganie Avila of Calauag, Quezon

Elice Arcangel-Avila of  Batac, Ilocos Norte

TWO PRIZE WIINING PAINTINGS BY FRANCO VILLAFLOR,  14 YEARS OLD,  YOUNGER BROTHER OF VALERIE JAN VILLAFLOR.  WE GATHERED THAT FRANCO AT AGE 12 WON IN EDITORIAL CARTOONING AMONG THE SCHOOLS IN QUEZON CITY SPONSORED BY  YMCA

PRICELESS MEMORIES: It was definitely an unforgettable affair last Feb.18 as Allied Medical Health Services (AMHS), a nursing school based in Glendale, celebrated its Third Recognition Day at La Bella Banquet Hall in Burbank. In photo are (first row, from left) Joseph de Veyra, Grace Tadeo, Adrian Ramos, (second row, from left) Rebecca and Nelia Sabroso, Eden Regala, RN; May Quiambao, RN-DON; Nathaniel Garganta, RN; Celeste Barros-Olavarria, LVN (president and school administrator); Sharon Henry, LVN; Lourdes Notario, and Mary Manibog.


By JOSEPH DE VEYRA
BALITA NEWS SERVICE

LOS ANGELES—With an aging population at hand, the nation needs nurses more than ever. Now, it becomes not only a profession but a calling as well. Sadly, the current exodus of nurses and the continuous aging of baby boomers have resulted into a medical crisis for the United States.
Answering this call has been the inspiration of Allied Medical Health Services (AMHS) from the start. Now, it is on its 11th year of offering high-quality education to aspiring nurses in California.
Humble beginnings
This school is the brainchild of Celeste Barros-Olavarria, daughter of Dominador Barros and Purification Reyes; all of them hail from Calauag Quezon, Philippines. She revealed that AMHS started in 1994 through the inspiration of another nurse, the mother of Sharon Henry, LVN (also an instructor of the school). “From her, I envisioned the CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) program and launched the academe with Susan Rivera.”
On Feb. 16, 1995, the Department of Health approved AMHS to offer the CNA program followed by the Home Health Aide program. “Nurse instructors Nombert Valencia, Missie Garcia, Eden Regala, Susan Rivera, and myself pioneered our school,” she revealed.
The program catered to working students prompting the need for part-time or weekend schedules. By 1997, AMHS achieved the approval of Continuing Education for CNAs and it was here that Barros-Olavarria had an epiphany to include an LVN (Licensed Vocational Nursing) program.
“We formally initiated the program in 1998 and we inquired in BVNPT (California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians),” she said. What happened next was a rigorous process of completing the application and following up its progress. In fact, Barros-Olavarria said that it took one-and-a-half year to complete the said application.
It was not until 2002 that the school received the tentative approval of BVNPT. “From there, we started to recruit students. The first LVN batch embarked in 2003. By 2004, AMHS had already satisfied all the needed accreditations and has never looked back with doubt that this noble and humanitarian institution was the best breakthrough ever since.
Competitive edge
“Quality is always the top guiding principle of AMHS,” Barros-Olavarria said with great pride. Interestingly, AMHS also has the most affordable tuition fee in the area and county. What makes this more startling is that the school has never jeopardized the quality of the education.
“Offering an affordable rate is not that easy, [in fact] it has so many setbacks and many sacrifices,” she added, “But I am proud that we hire only the best and most experienced instructors because we offer very competitive salaries.” Being loyal to the school’s vision has definitely paid off. Now, AMHS is currently training its fourth batch of LVNs and has an above average passing rate in the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Moreover, the school hosted its Third Recognition Day recently at La Bella Banquet Hall in Burbank on Feb.18.
It is the mission of AMHS to bring a standard of excellence to nursing education while promoting diversity by accepting qualified students regardless of race, religion or creed.
With these guiding principles, AMHS teaches students problem-solving techniques that are not only applicable in their nursing career but in their personal lives as well.
Visionary
Barros-Olavarria is the School Administrator and oversees the school’s daily operations. Unlike other school administrators, her office is open to her students and is very hands-on with her approach. She has a very warm nature that students who have long graduated regularly come back to visit her and bestows all forms of appreciation. This is truly an immense testament to her success as an educator.
“Whether you come from another country or you graduated from another course, you can’t go wrong with nursing,” she added, “Because nursing opens windows through health care management, home health, bedside care and other aspects of the medical field.”
She experienced this reality first hand. Back in the Philippines, she was a certified public accountant (CPA) but shifted her career to nursing (her first love and vocation) once she arrived in the United States. She is now an LVN with years of experience under her belt.
Perhaps what makes her so endearing is her simple outlook in life. Money has never been her objective in putting up AMHS. “I just want to make good nurses, the best ones, if I can,” she said with imminent passion in her voice. “Successful nurses do not just earn big bucks…though I am sure we are well compensated for a very hard work…I believe they enjoy and love their work more than anything else.” This is what AMHS School wants to represent. “Just remember that AMHS is a nursing school with a heart that cares. That is what the heart in our logo represents.”
Diverse courses
AMHS offers a wide array of medical courses to help solve the current medical crisis of the United States: certified nursing assistant (CNA), home health aide (HHA), (RNA), nurse technician (PCA), phlebotomy (Ltd./CPT), and licensed vocational nurse (LVN).
The CNA course has very flexible schedules and is available in full-time and part-time. Moreover, the LVN program is currently accepting applications. “Students can use the LVN program as a spring board to greater things, from here, they can pursue (RN) registered nursing, a masteral degree or even a doctorate degree in nursing,” Barros-Olavarria revealed. “Just remember that AMHS is a nursing school with a heart that cares. That is what the heart in our logo represents.”
Allied Medical Health Services School of Nursing is located at 730 S. Central Avenue, Ste. 208, Glendale, CA 91204. The school office is open Mondays to Fridays, 11 am to 6 pm and Saturdays to Sundays, 7:30 am to 4 pm. For more information, please call (818) 637-7871 or e-mail amhsinc@sbcglobal.net.

CHARMING ERENO KERKHOF

         Charming Kerkhof (right) with her team mates and coach

    Charming, 16,  excels in acrobatic gymnastics.  Aside from actively competing in Belgium where the family is based, she has participated in various competition in Greece, Portugal, Netherlands,  among others and consistently winning honors. 

 Bronze for Pinay’s Team at World Championship

  Philippine Daily Inquirer,  08/07/2006

Charming Kerkhof - a 16 year-old from Calauag, Quezon province - is the first ever Filipina to win a shared bronze medal at the World Championship, acrobatique gymnastiques.

This is a new highlight in the career of three young gymnasts in the Belgian team. that won 4th place in the European championship in Thessaloniki, Greece last year.

With Charlotte Dewulf and Anouk Dussart, Charming won the Belgian selection trials for the World championship, acrobatique gymnastiques, in Coïmbra Portugal last June. They placed 4th behind Russia, UK and the USA. When the trio was scheduled to perform as a last number in the finals, Russia was in the lead, with the UK second and the USA third. Despite the tension, the trio exhibited a perfect balance exercise and beautiful choreography.

The score of 27.450 that the judges gave them took the bronze medal. Disappointment for the US team was happiness for the Belgian delegation.

Watch her sterling performances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GJuKjV7Mfwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujgart9mdaM

More pictures: http://www.pixieworld.net/photevntacro.php?evnt=4iagc06&sk8=cdchkead&pageNum_photos=0&totalRows_photos=&t=a

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BATANG CALAUAG