Jager, Angara, Yang, Laya, Meldy, Coke, Roni, Palafox

Austrian Ambassador Herbert Jager invited his Filipino friends to the inaugural exhibit of the Ferdinand Blumentritt Memorabilia at the Ateneo U. As we all know, the Austrian Blumentritt corresponded with Rizal for years. Shown are copies of B’s letters to Tomas Arejola, a 1909 postcard B. mailed from Leitmeritz, Arejola’s letter to B’s wife Rosa written after B’s death, a picture of B’s school where he taught, and a picture of Rizal’s bust in Leitmeritz hotel.

Sen. Edgardo Angara, noble son of Baler, initiated the filming of the documentary The Siege of Baler which was screened at Instituto Cervantes. The film is directed by Jesus Valbuena Garcia, a grandson of one of the 33 survivors of the siege which lasted for 337 days. The film draws largely from the oral testimonies of the soldiers’ descendants. The men holed in the Church of Baler were reduced to eating rats, and how they lived without fresh food for over a year will never be known because they refused to talk even after their return to Spain. But the friendship that ensued between captors and captives is the film’s real message.

Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, virtuoso, conductor and Casa San Miguel Music Center administrator, stars in the movie Boses which will be shown today at the CCP main theater. Coke portrays an eccentric violin teacher who ends up a caring mentor. The film was shot entirely in Zambales’ Casa San Miguel and Pundaquit beach.

Last July 11, the National Museum inaugurated the Silvina and Juan C. Laya Hall named after Jaime C. Laya’s parents. His father, a distinguished educator and writer, won the 1949 Commonwealth Literary Award. His mother, likewise an eminent educator, held high-ranking government posts. Both furthered their studies in American universities.

Roni Tapia Merk is now chairman of the National Music Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA). Its program director, Dr. Ramon Acoymo, has announced this year’s theme “Shaping the Youth to Shape Humanity”. The contest, dedicated to National Artist Lucrecia R. Kasilag, will focus on helping all talents, with winners and losers learning from each other. Deadline for submission of DVDs is Aug. 1. For inquiries, call 3313041 or 8323701.

Richly talented tenor George T. Yang, the latest singer to venture into opera — he starred in Alejandro Roces’ zarzuela Something to Crow About which was staged Off-Broadway in New York — received the sixth Dr. Jose P. Rizal Award for Excellence. The award is for Yang’s enormous contribution to community service, for his entrepreneurship and initiative in promoting Phil-Chinese friendship in culture and the arts. Yang recently founded the Klassikal Music Foundation to encourage and promote Filipino vocal talent.

Dr. Suzette Agustin was installed as the first president of West Negros U., formerly the West Negros College founded in 1948, and later  upgraded by DepEd. Keynote speakers at the Investiture were Sen. Richard Gordon and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.

Dr. Agustin said the West Negros U. promotes our rich culture and heritage here and abroad by its many varied courses, programs and outreach projects, and welcomes students of limited means.

Last July 1, Palafox Associates celebrated its 19th anniversary as a multidisciplinary firm of architects, urban planners, environmental planners, interior designers, landscape architects, engineers and development consultants.

The firm, headed by Felino A. Palafox Jr., has made it to the London-based World Architectural Magazine’s top 100, and is the only Asian firm cited among the world’s top 200 largest. It is the first and only architectural firm certified by Germany’s TUV for its integrated quality and environmental management systems.

Art patron Meldy Cojuangco announced a benefit dinner-concert which will feature Martin Nievera and performances from New York’s Met Opera.