Cebu's Dancing Inmates Appear In Michael Jackson's DVD

The inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) are once again making waves.

As I watched last night's news, ABS-CBN's TV Patrol News Anchor Karen Davila revealed that Michael Jackson's choreographer Trevor Payne together with two back-up dancers from the "This Is It" movie were in town to choreograph a new dance move for the Cebu inmates using the King of Pop's song "They Don't Really Care About Us". It only took the inmates two days to perfect the choreography.

The dance is part of the Press Kit content for the DVD launching of "This Is It" and will be featured in CNN's AC 360 by Anderson Cooper

Watching the dancing inmates in the video wearing a black shirt with Michael Jackson's silhoutte print in front and their orange pants is a great sight to see. The shirts were Payne and dancers Ricardo “Dres” Reid and Daniel Celebre gift to them.

See them at Byron Garcia's YouTube channel by clicking here.

Happy 77th Birthday President Cory!

My favorite president the late Cory Aquino is 77 today!

Catholic Churches all over the country honored her through different Masses while her children Viel Dee, Pinky Abellada and Ballsy Cruz led the prayer at the Aquino mausoleum in Manila Memorial Park.

The highlight of her birth anniversary is the unveiling of a 15-foot monument by the City Government of Manila. The bronze statue was sculpted by Eduardo Castrillo and stands beside Ninoy Aquino along Padre Burgos Drive and Roxas Boulevard.

Presidential candidate and Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III was the guest of honor for the occasion while Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim led the unveiling ceremonies.

All the days activities were beautiful birthday presents for the most loved president of the Philippines.

Happy birthday to you Madame President!

The stamp I featured above was released on June 30, 1992 and depicts Presidents Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos.

Cebu Stamp Club's January 2010 Meetup

Usually, Cebu Stamp Club never holds a stamp meetup in January owing to the various activities such as the Sinulog and the Feast of the Sto. Niño.

This year was different as we decided to hold the January 2010 Stamp Meetup and agreed to be at the 2nd floor of McDonald's Jones on January 24, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

I arrived exactly at the scheduled time but was amazed to see Edmund Gruenbaum, David Taylor, Richard Guimbarda, Dinah Potolin, Janice Benolerao, and Eyan Yu already there ahead of me. Sharee Ann Trapa and Marichu Taylor came some minutes later.

Just as in the previous meetups, David gave the club and those who came lots of stamps. The stamps kept everyone busy. He informed the group that he won't be around in the next meetings as he will be leaving for Spain or Portugal before returning to the United Kingdom.

David is Cebu Stamp Club's official representative to the United Kingdom. He mentioned to the club that he will be glad to send some stamps to the members through the want list they will be giving to the club.

Everyone left McDonald's happy with more stamps to add to each one's collections.

France Issues Avatar Stamp

While watching the movie AVATAR together with my son Jerald Kervin, I recall that I read somewhere in the net that an Avatar stamp was released sometime last year.

I found out that it was France that came out with the stamp on December 16, 2009.

AVATAR is James Cameron's newest action/adventure film.

Update:
AVATAR is now the highest grossing film of all time. The movie surpassed TITANIC, a movie also directed by James Cameron. AVATAR raked in $1.859 billion compared to TITANIC's $1.843 billion.

Click here to read more.

Hungary's Michael Jackson Souvenir Sheet

One of the best souvenir sheets issued in 2009 is that of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson that was released in Hungary by Magyar Posta. The sheet features Jackson in his Budapest concert.

Only 5,000 copies were printed in perforated and imperforated colour, and in perforated and imperforated black proof versions.

Goodbye Press Secretary Cerge Remonde

Philippine Press Secretary Cerge Remonde's sudden demise today is a huge loss to Cebuanos and to the local media of Cebu.

I still recall the day when me and Ricky Teves, Cebu Stamp Club's vice president were personally invited to his birthday party in his house in 1998. He was very involved with the Knights of Rizal that most of those who came were KOR members. Both me and Ricky got invited to join the KOR but got our hands full running Cebu Stamp Club.

He introduced to us his wife Marit, who in the later part of the evening gave Ricky some treasured stamps.

Humble, vibrant and charismatic, Cerge was destined to make the people of Cebu proud. When President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won the presidency, she appointed him press undersecretary in 2001. Soon he found himself heading the presidential management staff. He was then appointed press secretary in 2009.

To the family of Cerge, I offer my condolences.

Above photo is from SunStar Cebu website.

updates:

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Grand Cross (Bayani) to the late Cerge Remonde on January 21, 2009. Marit Stinus-Remonde received the posthumous award that was given “for his outstanding service to the Republic of the Philippines and in recognition of his life as an exemplary media man and public servant.”

Cebu's Sinulog 2010 Attracts 8 Million

The Sinulog, Cebu's grand festival that coincides with the Feast of Señor Sto. Niño of Cebu every third Sunday of January never ceases to draw crowds not just from the different parts of the Philippines but from other countries as well.

This year's Sinulog attendees reached a high of 8 milliion according to the local police authorities. Can you just imagine the streets all over the parade route filled with multitudes of people dancing to the beat of the drums and singing Pit Señor?

David "Boy" Odilao, started the Sinulog festival 30 years ago and he continues to be amazed at the increasing number of people who come to enjoy and watch the parade every year.

The Sinulog festival is also featured on Philippine stamps on March 1, 1989.

Click here to read more about Sinulog 2010. Photo above is from http://www.sinulog.ph/