Living Treasures, Hollywood Celebrities

Since 1993, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has recognized eight national living treasures - folk or traditional artists who have employed indigenous materials to create valuable artworks depicting their respective communities. Those rewarded were Masino Intaray, a poet, musician and story teller from Makagwa Valley, Palawan; Samaon Sulaiman, a kutyapi player from Maganoy, Maguindanao; Ginaw Bilog, a Mangyan poet from Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro; Lang Dulay, a T'boli artist from South Cotobato; Salinta Monon, a Tagabawa-Bagobo weaver from Bansalan, Davao del Sur; Alonzo Saclag, a dance researcher from Lubuagan, Kalinga; Federico Caballero, a Sulod-Bukidnon epic chanter from Kalinog, Iloilo; and Uwang Ahadas, a Yakan musician from Lamitan, Basilan. (Source: National Commission for Culture and the Arts)

Hollywood Celebrities
Among the Hollywood celebrities who have claimed that they have Filipino blood running in their veins are Dean Devlin, writer and producer of several hit films like Independence Day and Godzilla; Rob Schneider, a comedian, writer and actor who appeared in Judge Dredd, Down Periscope, Big Daddy, Deuce Bigolow and The Animal; Lou Diamond Phillips, the lead actor in Bats; Paolo Montalban, the lead actor in the hit TV series Mortal Kombat; Tia Carrere, a pretty actress from Hawaii who starred in True Lies alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger; and Ernie Reyes Jr., a martial arts expert, who appeared in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Master Painter Juan Luna

Juan Luna is considered as the finest painter this country has ever produced. He was born in Badoc, Ilocos Norte on October 23, 1857. He became a part of the Philippine Reform Movement, a group seeking social reforms from the colonial government of Spain in the late 19th Century. In 1880, Luna joined the Madrid Exposition where his painting, "The Death of Cleopatra" won the second prize. This masterpiece is now on exhibit at the Museo Nacional de Pinturas in Madrid. In 1884, Luna's huge painting, "Spolarium", won the first Gold Medal at the Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes, also in Spain. Coincidentally, another Filipino, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo won the second prize in the same event for his painting, "Antigone".

Luna's Spolarium depicts fallen gladiators being dragged to an unseen pile of corpses in a chamber beneath the Roman arena. Considered as the largest painting in the country, it has a height of 4.6 meters and a length of 7.72 meters. It is now on display at the National Museum in Manila. Aside from Luna and Hidalgo, other noted Filipino painters include Fernando Amorsolo, Vicente Manansala, Guillermo Tolentino, Emilio Aguilar Cruz, Fabian dela Rosa, Hernando Ocampo, Victor Edades, Martino Abellana, Arturo Rogerio Luz, Jose Joya, Carlos Francisco, Cesar Legaspi, and Mauro "Malang" Santos.

Comedy King Dolphy Quizon

He shared many moments of great laughs with the Filipino audience. As an actor and prime comedian, Dolphy entertained the nation with his physical humor and classic jokes. At 74, he still does and calls himself a happy man.

His real name is Rodolfo Vera Quizon, but for millions of his followers, he is simply Dolphy or Kosme, the character he portrays in the weekly television sitcom, "Home Along Da Riles". Many people envy him for his wonderful career and interesting lifestyle. For them, Dolphy is the "king of comedy" who views life with joy and excitement. Born on July 25, 1928, he was raised by his poor parents, Melencio Espinosa Quizon and Salud dela Rosa Vera. He started as a struggling performer onstage during the Japanese Occupation. The late Fernando Poe Sr. gave him his first break as a character actor. His comic talents became well known in the films, "Jack en Jill" and "Facifica Falayfay". Soon, he made many comedy films, alongside fellow comedians, Pugo, Tugo, Babalu, Panchito, Ike Lozada and German Moreno.

He was paired with Nida Blanca in "John en Marsha", the most-watched prime time television program in the 1980s. He almost retired from the industry in 1989 when he was romantically involved with another actress. In 1979, Dolphy was named as the "king of Philippine movies". A decade later, he was declared as the "all-time favorite actor of Philippine movies". In 1994, he was given the Dangal ng Lipi award by the Bert Amorcelo Memorial Foundation and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by Urian. In 1999, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) named Dolphy as one of the "100 Influential Filipino Artists of the Century. He was also a Parangal ng Bayan and Golden Father Foundation awardee.

Action King Fernando Poe Jr.

People call him the "King of Action Movies". For more than four decades now, he has ruled the local big screen, even putting in the sideline another actor and friend who became more successful in politics. Fernando Poe Jr. is an icon admired by millions of Filipinos and by his best friend, no less than former President Joseph Estrada. They have been close friends since their days together in the early '60s as stars of action movies. It was Poe who first used the word "Erap" to refer to former President Estrada.

As an actor, Poe has mastered the role of a kind-hearted, selfless and invincible super hero who defends the aggrieved people against the forces of evil. The Filipino viewers look up to him because he represents the good and noble in Filipino culture. He was born Ron Allan but had to change his name to bank on the popularity of his father who was a top actor in his time. Fernando Poe Sr. died from a dog's rabies at 35, leaving the young Poe as the family's breadwinner. At 14, the young Poe began his career with a starring role in "Anak ni Palaris".

He made his first mark in the '60s with "Tatlong Hari". He was an award-winning actor, having accumulated the most number of best actor awards at FAMAS. He won awards for Mga Alabok ng Lupa (1967), Asedillo (1971), Durugin si Totoy Bato (1979), Umpisahan Mo, Tatapusin Ko (1983), and Magnum 357 (1987). In most of his films, Poe has doubled either as a director or a producer. As a director, he used the name "Ronwaldo Reyes".

Lately, there were rumors that Poe might seek the presidency in the year 2004. It would be easy enough for him, considering that he enjoys the same mass-based popularity that catapulted his friend to Malacañang. Poe, however, had no experience in politics, except for his joining the political campaigns of former President Estrada in 1998.

Broadway Diva Lea Salonga

We first knew her as a ten-year-old girl singing "I Am But A Small Voice" in 1981. With her sweet and tender music, the young Lea Salonga charmed a crowd of foreign diplomats who gave her a standing ovation. Two decades passed, and the young girl with a small voice blossomed into a fine lady who gave her nation pride and inspiration. Now at 31, Lea's voice has not only been the most heard, but also the most enjoyed, among Filipino performers. And her country is mighty proud of her because what she has become, as a "citizen of the world" (a phrase in her song), now represents a tale of achievement every Filipino mother tells her children.

Lea was born in Manila on February 22, 1971 to Feliciano Salonga and Ligaya Imutan. She has two siblings - Gerard and Sheila. As a young performer, she appeared in various television programs and joined several stage plays while studying elementary and high school at the OB Montessori, where she graduated with flying colors. In 1989, she auditioned and was accepted for the lead role in Miss Saigon, the multi-million-dollar production of Sir Cameron Mackintosh. During the audition, she sang "On My Own", a ballad from the musical play Les Miserables. Lea eventually got the part of Kim and moved to London's West End where she stayed for two years.

In London, Lea received the most coveted Laurence Olivier Award for playing the role of Kim. It was the start of a series of international awards that were about to come her way. When the musicale moved to New York's Broadway in 1991, Lea won the prestigious Tony Awards, Outer Critics' Circle, and Theater World Awards. Her stint at Miss Saigon also paved the way for bigger opportunities. The magnificent singing voice of Princess Jasmine in the Walt Disney animated production, Aladdin belongs to her. She became the first Filipino to have performed at the celebrated Oscar Awards, when she rendered the Disney song "A Whole New World" before Hollywood celebrities during the 65th annual event in Los Angeles.

Lea also had the chance to perform before the most prominent persons in the world. She was invited twice to the White House, first to sing in a social gathering hosted by former First Lady Barbara Bush, then to grace an occasion hosted by President Bill Clinton. While in England, she was invited to the Buckingham Palace to perform before Queen Elizabeth II. In 1993, she played the role of Eponine in the Broadway production of Victor Hugo's novel, Les Misérables. She went on to appear in the London and Honolulu productions of the same play whose music and lyrics were composed by the same people behind Miss Saigon: Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg.

In the words of Rosalinda Orosa, a writer on Filipino culture, Lea did something more than making Filipinos proud. "Lea has made theater history for Filipinos," says Orosa.

Fashion Designer in New York, One of the World's Finest Poets

Fashion Designer in New York
A Filipino-American fashion designer has been making waves in the New York fashion industry. Josie Natorie, who was born in Manila in 1947, owns and manages Natorie Lingerie. In 2001, she was one of the Asian-American awardees of the nonprofit Asians United to Raise Awareness (AURA) Fund.
Natorie was already a successful stockbroker and investment banker even before she established her lingerie business. She had served as the head of the Manila branch of Bache Securities and as an executive of the investment banking division of Merrill Lynch.

One of the World's Finest Poets
Jose Garcia Villa (Doveglion) was one of the world's finest contemporary poets. Villa, who spent most of his life in a New York apartment, was praised by critics for his beautiful poetry. American poet, e.e. cummings even wrote a poem, Doveglion, Adventures in Value, for Villa. Another American poet, Dame Edith had praised Villa's works as being "amongst the most beautiful written in our time." Among Villa's acclaimed works are Many Voices (1939), Poems (1941), Have Come Am Here (1941), Selected Poems and New (1942) and A Doveglion Book of Philippine Poetry (1962). Villa was born in Singalong, Manila on August 5, 1908.

He was expelled from the University of the Philippines (UP) for writing a series of erotic poems, Man Songs in 1929. He migrated to the United States and enrolled at the University of New Mexico where he edited and published a mimeographed literary magazine. In 1973, Villa who used the pen name Doveglion (dove, eagle, lion) received the National Artist Award for Literature from President Ferdinand Marcos. At 88, Villa died on February 7, 1997. He had lived in New York for 67 years.

First Filipino-American Governor, First Filipino New Jersey Mayor

First Filipino-American Governor
Benjamin J. Cayetano is the first and only American of Filipino ancestry who became a state governor in the United States. He was first elected as governor of Hawaii in 1994 and was reelected in 1998. A Democrat and a lawyer by profession, Cayetano had served as a congressman of Hawaii from 1975 to 1978 and as a senator from 1979 to 1986 before becoming a lieutenant governor in 1990.

First Filipino New Jersey Mayor
Robert Rivas, 51, is the first Filipino-American mayor in the New Jersey area. A lawyer by profession, Rivas was elected mayor of Bergenfield in November 1999, with the large support coming from his fellow Filipino-Americans. Bergenfield, a working-class town of 25,000 residents, most of whom are white, is only 15 miles from New York City. Prior to his election, Rivas had served as a Bergenfield councilman (1996-98). While on the City Council, he chaired its Finance, Administration and Personnel Committee and was a member of its Police, Buildings and Grounds; Capital Improvements; and Community Affairs Committees.

He has practiced law for 24 years. He graduated from the Seton Hall University School of Law. He was the president of the Filipino-American Association of Bergenfield from 1997 to 1999. He immigrated to the United States in 1968. The first Filipino-American in US Congress was Virginia Rep. Robert Cortez-Scott, a Harvard alumnus.