May magandang Balita si Carl

Curtain-raisers:

• These are the juicy/”explosive” stories you will miss if you don’t tune in to Startalk this afternoon (2:30 on GMA after Eat, Bulaga!): Jackie Rice reveals that her parents have been separated and wishes that they will reconcile...Is there really a gap between former sweethearts Mark Anthony and new Kapuso Claudine Barretto?...Is Jomari Yllana still yearning for ex-girlfriend Pops Fernandez?...Why does Arci Muñoz call Kean Cipriano “ungentleman?”...Did Krista Ranillo follow Manny Pacquiao to the US?...and find out who is the pregnant Viva Hotbabe.

• Congratulations to Brillante “Dante” Mendoza (photo) who joins 15 others from around the world in Cashiers Du Cinema’s list of filmmakers who emerged in the past decade. Here’s the list (in alphabertical order) which appeared in the January 2010 issue of the prestigious French publication: J.J. Abrams (USA), Rabah-Ameur-Aaimeche (Algeria-France), Judd Apatow (USA), Wang Bin (China), Miguel Gomez (Portugal), Michael Gondry (France), Alain Guiraudie (France), Christophe Honore (France), Abdellatif Kechiche (France), Richard Kelly (USA), Brillante Mendoza (Philippines), Jao Pedro Rodriguez (Portugal), Albert Serra (Spain), Tariq Teguia (Algeria) and Patrick-Mario Bernard (France) and Pierre Trividic (France).

• Keren Pascual wants to greet the following February-born: Angellete Calero, 2; Raul Manzano, 3; Miel Cuevas and Joy Wassmer, 4; Weng Chang and Elbert Cuenca, 7; Luis Alandy, Angel Aquino, Robby Carmona and Sen./Presidentiable Noynoy Aquino, 8; Wyngard Tracy, Liz Uy, Carlene Aguilar and Liza Ilarde, 9; Bryan Lim, Rhett Eala and Chechel Joson, 11; Johnny Manahan and Lulu Tan Gan, 13; Jasper Tiu, Kris Aquino, Rico J. Puno, Heart Evangelista, Sen. Johnny Ponce-Enrile and John Prats, 15; James Yap, 16; Anne Curtis and AJ Perez, 19; Empress Schuck, 20; Carol Francisco, Brent Javier and Melissa Frye, 21; Malu Gamboa and Mark Nicdao, 24; Rhoda Campos, 25; Roman Romulo, 28; and Maricel Laxa, 29.

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Carl Balita is living up to his name --- and how!

True to his surname (yes, it’s his real surname!), Carl brings glad tidings of great joy not only to the listeners of his DZMM Teleradyo program Radyo Negosyo (every Saturday at 7 p.m.) but also to the hundreds (yes, count ‘em!) who have benefitted (and who stand to) from his many businesses (stay tuned).

I met Carl a few days ago through the invitation of Cristy Fermin who acted as our merienda (of tummy-feeling arroz caldo from Cristy’s kitchen) host at her flourshing Obra ni Nanay Gallery on Scout Reyes (off Roces Avenue) in Quezon City where art collectors have a wide array of masterpieces to choose from...name it, Obra ni Nanay carries it!

Like most self-made success stories, Carl is unassuming, low-key and down-to-earth (yes, the higher people go, the more firmly their feet are planted on the ground).

“I was born poor,” said Carl.

Because he rose from humble beginnings, friends and relatives call him Superman because he is an unrelenting achiever. I saw a Superman standee in Cristy’s gallery and I asked Carl to pose beside it. Very appropriate!

Carl is many roles rolled into one: A registered nurse, a registered midwife, a registered professional teacher with an M.A. in Nursing and Doctor of Humanities and, as if those were not enough, he’s currently completing his second doctorate degree, this time in Education. He started his nursing career as a faculty of the Graduate School and College of Nursing of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila where he also served various administrative and academic positions for six years. He was a clinical perceptor of the Philippine General Hospital, National Center for Mental Health, Philippine Orthopedic Center and San Lazaro Hospital; and dean of Dominican College, an institution of the Dominican Sisters, from 2004 to 2008.

Whew!!! How does Carl find time for all that?

“Time management,” he said. You know, if there’s a will, there’s a way.

And more: He’s also a nurse-entrepreneur, a business leader/business advocate, publisher and author (the best-selling The Ultimate Learning Guide to Nursing Review and Ultimate Testing Guide to Nursing Review, etc.), movie and record producer (Nars, the first such film about nurses, starring Jennylyn Mercado, Jodi Sta. Maria, Agot Isidro, Coco Martin and Jon Avila; and the album iDREAM which is a compilation of the best motivational songs sung by Isay Alvarez, Robert Seña, Jenine Desiderio, Jamie Rivera, Bituin Escalante, Karylle, Luke Mejares, Raymond Lauchengco, Arthur Manuntag and Dr. Tony Rebosa).

In the early ‘90s, Carl served as entrepreneural guru among the OFWs for which, in 1999, he was featured in the Asian Wall Street Journal. The story was picked up by ANC and then by a local paper and that’s how Carl caught the attention of Peter Musngi, head of the Manila Radio Division of ABS-CBN, who promptly invited him to be guest host and eventually the host of Radyo Negosyo which is a four-time Catholic Mass Media Awardee (CMMA) for Best Business News Feature, a CMMA Hall of Fame awardee (its first in 23 years) and a recipient of Kapisanan ng Mga Broadkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP) as Best Public Service Program.

“I love hosting the program because I can reach more people,” said Carl who was recently conferred with The Golden Dove Award for Best Public Service Host (Radio Division) also by the KBP.

Off the air, he attends to his businesses that include the Carl E. Balita Review Center (landline 735-4098 or celfon 0921-2124275), Little Lamb’s Pediatric Wellness Place (413-4478), LyfCenter Beauty & Wellness (489-8467 or 396-5201), Spotlight Artists Centre (899-8089 or 0922-8986644), Ultimate Creatives (383-5082), Ultimate Learning Series (734-5637), Dream, Inc. (376-6628 or 788-8665) and Fiorgelato (The Pure Italian Ice Cream, 332-0883).

He also conducts crash courses on cottage industries (siopao/siomai-making, etc.).

“I believe in the saying, ‘Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime’,” said Carl. That’s the voice of experience.

At ‘yan, mga kapatid, ang magandang balita ni Carl.

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