Soiree for dogs (read on) / An art show for pianos

The announcement distributed during a press conference reads in part: “It started out as a dream by a group of civic-oriented people and dog trainers and breeders. Their aim was to change the Filipino attitude toward dogs: dogs ought to be respected and their talents recognized, especially in the field of search and rescue of missing persons; they can be man’s partners in the service of humanity.”

The “dreamers” were Renee Speltz, wife of the former US ambassador — she and her husband made a life commitment to the idea of dogs helping human beings — Kumiko Kuroda, wife of ADB head Haruhiko Kuroda, and Sen. Richard Gordon. They shared their dream with friends, and the collective commitment led to the establishment on Feb. 9, 2003 of the Philippine Canine Search and Rescue Foundation. Currently, its board consists of Mrs. Speltz, chairman emeritus; Jejomar Binay Jr., president; Eugene Reyes, vice-president: Redd P. Fuster, secretary; Joan L. Fuster, treasurer, and Noel M. Lim, auditor. Directors are Serge Grynkewich, Toni Y. Loyzaga (aunt of the remarkable singer Margarita Gomez), Joan Orendain, Hector Reyes and Dr. Ed Unson.

The Foundation is a member of the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) based in the US, and is the first and currently the only such group in Asia. NASAR instructors/evaluators from the US have given the local SAR’s handlers and three dogs the status of Mission Ready. These handlers and their dogs discovered eight dead bodies buried by the landslides during Typhoon Milenyo in Leyte (their help had been sought too late), figured in rescue operations in the mudslides in Quezon Province, and in the rescue operations for a missing UST mountaineer.

At a recent press conference named “Dog Day Afternoon”, Noel Lim answered most of the questions. Son of Bobby Lim, grandson of war hero Gen. Vicente Lim, and an agriculture graduate, Noel is a handler himself and the owner of two mission-ready dogs. Noel said handlers must be at least 21 years old/of good moral character/physically and mentally fit/ at least a HS graduate/must be committed to the Foundation/must get along with other volunteers/must have a relationship with the dog, outside of the training period.

The dogs being trained for search and rescue, in the wilderness and during disasters, must be at least 12 months old/fit and structured for their mission/intelligent/trainable/transportable/must have natural scenting ability/be of good temperament/be highly driven.

The dogs must not show any aggression toward people or toward other dogs/must remain calm during gunfire/must be comfortable on uneven or unstable surfaces/must be willing to be handled by another person.

Incidentally, during the press briefing, Mrs. Kumiko Kurodo was requested to pose with Noel’s two dogs whose amiability and friendliness drew everyone’s attention. Forthwith, the dogs started licking Kumiko’s face to prove how well they fitted the qualifications called for.

A soiree will be held on Sept. 22 with top Philippine musical artists performing for the benefit of the Philippine Canine Search and Rescue Foundation and the Red Cross. The venue will be a Forbes Park residence.

An  art show for pianos

Last Thursday, noted Filipino-West Australian artist Alwin Reamillo closed his exhibition at Galleria Duemila with a piano concert featuring the eminent Ingrid Santamaria, Greg Zuñiega, Jonathan Coo, Harold Galang, Jourdann Petalver and talented students of the Philippines HS for the Arts. They played on an upright piano built locally and a 1987 Wittemberg grand piano.

Reamillo’s exhibition, part of his four-month Asialink Visual Arts residency at the CCP and Galleria Duemila, used mixed media on re-used pine; themes revolved around pianos, whales, trans-cultural migration and diasporic hybridity.

The exhibit was meant to throw light on the assemblage of a grand piano being completed on site by former makers/technicians of Philippine-made Wittemberg pianos. As local piano manufacturing has ceased, the reconstruction of the first grand piano in a decade aimed to revive an extinct craft, with the Filipino Piano Builders hoping to generate private and government support.