Filipino-American father and son won in cooking challenge

Filipino-American father and son recently won in Food Network’s new reality cooking competition held in America. Chef Andrew teamed up with his father Ladd Dizon as they joined “24 Hour Restaurant Battle”, a Food Network reality based cooking television series hosted by Scott Conant. The 24 Hour Restaurant Battle challenges two-person teams to come up with a fully functional restaurant within 24 hours. Each person in the team has his own tasks, one is in-charge in front-of-house matters like decor, seating and service while the other manages back-of-house matters like menu planning, shopping and, of course, cooking. When the allotted time passes each restaurant will open its door to serve a discerning group of diners, along with the host and a rotating panel of judges. Each judge represents in different areas of expertise as restaurant marketer, restaurant reviewer and restaurant investor. The winning team is chosen based on the restaurant’s concept, execution and viability.

Surely the Dizons had a tough time during the competition with the span of time given to conceive their plans. In fact the younger Dizon mentioned that the competition was extremely challenging as opening a restaurant in 24 hours is impossible. However the father and son were determined to win the challenge. As the battle takes place one can easily tell that they have the heart of a true Filipino by serving Filipino dishes. Their menu consisted of lumpia as appetizer, oxtail Kare-Kare, beef tongue Lengua, ampalaya stuffed with shrimp and banana turon ice cream for dessert. Mostly they used ‘NOY’ as the fictional name of their restaurant that is obviously short for “Pinoy.

As judging time revealed the Filipino-American father and son reign as best chefs and bagged $10,000. The Dizon’s not only became $10,000 richer but they also give pride to the Filipino community for showing their cooking skills and what Filipino food is all about on national TV.

Filipina model yachting with UK Prince

Filipina model yachting and humored as new girlfriend to UK prince. Gossips started after Daily Mail UK circulated an article and series of photos of British royalty, Prince Andrew, Duke of York on board a luxury yacht with a Filipina model.  The model was named Alexandra Escat who is familiar in Philippine advertising.

The Prince
Prince Andrew, Duke of York currently at age of 50 is the second son of Queen Elizabeth II. He married Sarah Ferguson producing two daughters Princesses Beatrice, 22, and Eugenie, 20. But the marriage ended to divorce on 30 May 1996. However the separation was friendly and Prince Andrew spoke fondly of his ex-wife. Currently, the Duke of York works with UK Trade & Investment as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.

The Filipina Model
Alexandra Escat is a 25 year-old Filipino-Spanish commercial and ramp model with numerous appearances on TV advertisements in the Philippines. She grew up in Madrid with a Spanish father and a Filipina mother. She became a friend to KC Concepcion when she studied at the International School of Manila. Ms. Escat is often spotted at fashion events in Spain and Philippines. She is also a columnist at Estilo De Madrid, a Spanish website and has been invited to some exclusive events in the UK.

The Yachting
UK’s Daily Mail news said Filipina model Alexandra Escat was seen yachting with Prince Andrew. Humors follow that the model is the Duke of York’s new girlfriend, after the news.  But denials came fast as those close to the prince claim they are just friends and the Filipina model was married to another guest on the yacht. But controversy arose as it turns out that the 25-year-old pinay model is in fact single. Hence, most did not buy the excuse following the photos as it expressed the opposite.

On the 154-foot super yacht Prince Andrew had captivated conversations and touches with half his age Filipina model. Caught in the photograph, Ms. Escat was obviously giggling as Prince Andrew kisses her hand. The Daily Mail also showed photographs of the prince and pinay-model having lunch in Porto Cervo in Sardinia. The pair was later spotted boarding a private jet flying out of Olbia Airport for an unknown destination.

Filipina domestic helper in Singapore gets six million Singapore dollars

A Filipina domestic helper in Singapore recently gets six million Singapore dollars or much more than Php200 million. The 47-year-old single woman perhaps is the luckiest of those 150,000 Overseas Filipinos work and reside in the country of Singapore. The domestic helper was only identified under the pseudonym “Christine” after refusing to be named in public for fear of possible threats in her life and to ensure her safety, back home in the Philippines.

However, Christine did not receive the amount as her salary but an inheritance from her late employer.Reported from a Singaporean newspaper, the Filipina domestic helper inherited P200 million and a posh apartment after serving with devotion and a good heart to her recently deceased employer whom she had served for more than 20 years.

The Filipina accounts that she was in service for more than two decades to Quek Kai Miew, a medical doctor and philanthropist who died a year ago at age of 66. The Filipina has been serving the family since 1986 in fact she was also in-charge for taking care of the doctor’s mother. The death of Dr. Queck was devastation to Christine as the two were inseparable. To find solace from distress of her employer’s lost, the Filipina domestic helper moved to the doctor’s nephew.

The Filipina’s inheritance of cash and luxury apartment near the shopping area of Orchard Road, was not a surprise to her since she was already aware of being a beneficiary to her employer’s last will before it passed away. “There were no secrets between us. I was not surprised at all when she told me how much I was going to get,” the maid recalled. The doctor’s memories still flashes in the Filipina’s mind that her emotion crashed every time she recalls.

As of now the Filipina domestic helper would be applying for a permanent residency in Singapore. But even with the new-found wealth she has right now, Christine promised that it will not change her lifestyle. “I do not really think much about the money I got. I just live my life as I did before, and not as a rich person,” as she relay to the Singaporean newspaper.

Indeed the story of the 47-year old Filipina domestic helper working in Singapore is inspiring to someone finding his or her utmost luck abroad. It proves not only of having a new life for a hopeful Filipino working abroad but a global portrayal in the goodness of every Filipino working abroad.

Life of the Filipino Seaman Abroad

What will come out from your mind when we talk about the life of the Filipino Seaman abroad? Do you really know the life of the Filipino Seaman abroad? Do you really intend to be like him? Well, let’s take a round about the life of the Filipino Seaman abroad?

The Filipino Seaman abroad is considered as one of the overseas workers abroad or the OFW. Regardless of your job for as long as you work abroad, you belong to the OFW. However, not all have the same life experience in life. The only experience every life of the Filipino Seaman has in common is that every one remits money towards the country, the Philippines. Read more

Overseas Filipino Workers in Korea

The cries of our heroes during the proclamation of the Philippine Independence were heard in 1898. After 111 years of achieving and of being an independent nation, what’s next for the Philippines?

Courageous Filipinos keep on fighting not only for the country’s freedom, for religion and territory but also to escape from hunger as a result of poverty.

The current economic crisis, high unemployment rate, graft and corruption, the highest reported cases of swine flu in Southeast Asia, and other national problems and concerns are seriously tightening up almost 90 million Filipinos into severe bondage.

Despite predicaments and labor issues, we never lose hope and determination to uphold the sovereignty of our motherland as Read more

Filipinos can apply as caregiver in Canada while still a visitor in the country

There is this question that keep coming up from visitors in Canada who decided that they wanted to stay in the country to work – legally.

Most of the people who ask are professionals in their own countries who could not find a suitable opportunity in her or his profession in their homeland. Once they are in Canada and they find that in Canada, like in many Western countries, abound with opportunities for anyone who is willing to work hard and has the right education – they decided that Canada is the place for them to be in for the rest of their working life.

Now, their question is this – Is it possible to obtain a work permit while inside Canada as a visitor? Read more

10 Things Filipinos Abroad Can Do To Help Our Country

1. Spend your vacation, your dollars and other foreign currencies, in our Philippines.

It is understandable for our OFW’s, balikbayans and Pinoy expats to vacation in other countries. The world is truly beautiful and majestic. But please spend some of your vacation time and some of your dollars in our Philippines. Every dollar that you bring into our country will help build our Philippines. It will help our tourism industry. It will mean more sales and more jobs for our local industries. It will mean an increase in our country’s international dollar reserves. It will help stabilize the peso. And ultimately, it will help stabilize our economy.

2. Encourage and teach your relatives back home to be good citizens & good Filipinos.

Whether or not you are sending money to your relatives in the Philippines, you are one of their heroes. They look up to you as a role model. They listen to every word you say. Please teach them to become good Filipinos, to become good citizens. They can start with my book, 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country. Please ask them to help me spread the message of the book. In particular, please ask them to “Buy local. Buy Pilipino.” A recent article in TIME Magazine said that the most crucial factor for economic progress is not foreign investments, but economic nationalism – i.e., when people learn to support their own country’s products. Read more