FAREWELL, MY FRIEND, BEN MANIBOG
By Nonoy Mendoza
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10 - I first met Ben Manibog during the inauguration of the Filipino
Community Building at Los Angeles when Ben was at the height of his community's
involvement as president of the community for 7 consecutive years. Earlier when he
approached Philippine Air Lines for financial assistance in a form of an advertisement, I readily
approved it and since then, we became good friends. When later I relocated to Southern
California in 1970, I appointed Ben as my vice president and righthand assistance until I
opted to close my travel business and got into something else. In 1986 immediateltly after the
People's Power 1, I transferred my operations to Washington, D.C. Ben and I continued to
contact each other although it was not constant and regular.
He passed away last Thursday and was interred today at Forest Lawn in Covina, California.
In loving memory, we are reprinting in here a very short skecth about Ben Manibog,
Sr.'s story, and the loved ones he left behind. I personally know that legions of global
friends of Ben will miss him and his "straight as an arrow" attitude in life will be remembered.
By Nonoy Mendoza
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10 - I first met Ben Manibog during the inauguration of the Filipino
Community Building at Los Angeles when Ben was at the height of his community's
involvement as president of the community for 7 consecutive years. Earlier when he
approached Philippine Air Lines for financial assistance in a form of an advertisement, I readily
approved it and since then, we became good friends. When later I relocated to Southern
California in 1970, I appointed Ben as my vice president and righthand assistance until I
opted to close my travel business and got into something else. In 1986 immediateltly after the
People's Power 1, I transferred my operations to Washington, D.C. Ben and I continued to
contact each other although it was not constant and regular.
He passed away last Thursday and was interred today at Forest Lawn in Covina, California.
In loving memory, we are reprinting in here a very short skecth about Ben Manibog,
Sr.'s story, and the loved ones he left behind. I personally know that legions of global
friends of Ben will miss him and his "straight as an arrow" attitude in life will be remembered.
(CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)
Press Release/Media Advisory
Issued by the Media Breakfast Club of Los Angeles
mediabcla@aol.com
(626) 825-0628
Historic Filipinotown to Celebrate First-ever Rizal Day
Dateline Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 20, 2006
The Historic Filipinotown will celebrate its first-ever Rizal Day on Dec. 30, 2006, Saturday, from
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Filipino-American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA). The FACLA
is located at 1740 West Temple St., Los Angeles 90026.
There will also be a groundbreaking ceremony for a Jose Rizal bust at the FACLA ground at
10:00 a.m. Invited as guests of honor are the Honorable Filipino Deputy Consul General Mary
Jo Bernardo Aragon, Councilmember Jose Huizar of the Fourteenth District of the City of Los
Angeles, Walnut City Mayor Tony Cartagena and City of Carson Councilmember Elito M.
Santarina. Messrs. Cartagena and Santarina are the highest-ranking elected Filipino-American
public officials in Southern California. Ms. Aragon is the Acting Head of Post of the Philippine
Consulate General in Los Angeles.
Council member Huizar will represent not only the City of Los Angeles but also Councilmember
Eric Garcetti of the Thirteenth District, who is the president of the Los Angeles City Council.
Mr. Garcetti, the councilmember of the District where the Historic Filipinotown is located, will
be out of town on December 30th. Mr. Huizar will be joined at the historic event by his senior
staff member, Efren Mamaril, and Joseph Bernardo, Mr. Garcetti's Filipino-American field
deputy.
The FACLA is spearheading the event in cooperation with the Knights of Rizal (Los Angeles
chapter), the Media Breakfast Club (MBC), the Philippine Town Inc. (PTI), the Historic
Filipinotown Neighborhood Council (HiFiNC), the Ayala Foundation-USA and other community
organizations that are now lining up to support what will become an annual event at the
Historic Filipinotown. A light breakfast will be served from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
The FACLA project is the first-ever monument in the City of Los Angeles dedicated to Jose P.
Rizal, the foremost national hero of the Philippines. Dr. Rizal was executed by a Spanish firing
squad in Manila, Philippines, on Dec. 30, 1896. The monument to the Filipino "man of peace"
is expected to be inaugurated on or before Rizal's coming birth anniversary on June 19, 2007.
There will be a program inside the FACLA Social Hall after the groundbreaking ceremony,
where the guests of honor are expected to address a motley crowd of Filipino-American
community leaders and American friends of the Philippines. Delivering also their greetings to
the visitors and community are FACLA President Jose Baldonado and Fender Santos, a FACLA
vice president and Philippine Town mayor. They will be followed by Sir Henry von Seyfried of
the Knights of Rizal (Los Angeles chapter commander) and Romy P. Borje, the co-chairman of
the Media Breakfast Club and founding president of the Filipino-American Press Club of Los
Angeles. Other speakers lined up are Ms. Cecile Ramos, the chairperson of the HiFiNC, and
Ms. Guila K. Maramba of the Ayala Foundation-USA.
Bobby M. Reyes is the master of ceremonies. After lunch is served, FACLA Treasurer Sally
Jamorabon will emcee a Rizal presentation. Then a third emcee, Sir Al Aquino, will take over
the dance portion and the Karaoke singing competition.
During the presentation, FACLA Director Jess Prado will act as Jose P. Rizal and he will be
"serenaded" by the Ladies of Rizal. Appearing as the women in the life of Jose Rizal are the
FACLA First Lady Caridad Baldonado, Lourdes Osungco, Mrs. Flor Cadiente, Cecilia Berango,
Remy Vergara, Alice Parino, Sol McConnell, Linda Jayme Waits, Virgie Rosales and Gertrude
Averia.
The event organizers are inviting community leaders to participate in what will become a
historic celebration of Rizal Day in Los Angeles. They invite most especially those who hail
from Calamba, Laguna, which is Rizal's home town, and alumni of the Ateneo de Manila and
the University of Santo Tomas, where Rizal studied.
Breakfast will be provided by the MBC with assistance from Ms. Susan R. Guan, a City of
Carson-based branch manager of the Home Loan USA Corporation of Texas. Lunch will be
provided by the FACLA with the support of the Knights of Rizal, the PTI, the HiFiNC and the
Ayala Foundation.
Attendees to this year's Rizal Day are urged to bring with them their dancing shoes and their
favorite Minus-one CDs. The event organizers want to turn the last community event of the
year into an occasion to welcome with merriment the New Year -- after of course
commemorating the heroism, the life and loves of Jose Rizal. # # #
Issued by the Media Breakfast Club of Los Angeles
mediabcla@aol.com
(626) 825-0628
Historic Filipinotown to Celebrate First-ever Rizal Day
Dateline Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 20, 2006
The Historic Filipinotown will celebrate its first-ever Rizal Day on Dec. 30, 2006, Saturday, from
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Filipino-American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA). The FACLA
is located at 1740 West Temple St., Los Angeles 90026.
There will also be a groundbreaking ceremony for a Jose Rizal bust at the FACLA ground at
10:00 a.m. Invited as guests of honor are the Honorable Filipino Deputy Consul General Mary
Jo Bernardo Aragon, Councilmember Jose Huizar of the Fourteenth District of the City of Los
Angeles, Walnut City Mayor Tony Cartagena and City of Carson Councilmember Elito M.
Santarina. Messrs. Cartagena and Santarina are the highest-ranking elected Filipino-American
public officials in Southern California. Ms. Aragon is the Acting Head of Post of the Philippine
Consulate General in Los Angeles.
Council member Huizar will represent not only the City of Los Angeles but also Councilmember
Eric Garcetti of the Thirteenth District, who is the president of the Los Angeles City Council.
Mr. Garcetti, the councilmember of the District where the Historic Filipinotown is located, will
be out of town on December 30th. Mr. Huizar will be joined at the historic event by his senior
staff member, Efren Mamaril, and Joseph Bernardo, Mr. Garcetti's Filipino-American field
deputy.
The FACLA is spearheading the event in cooperation with the Knights of Rizal (Los Angeles
chapter), the Media Breakfast Club (MBC), the Philippine Town Inc. (PTI), the Historic
Filipinotown Neighborhood Council (HiFiNC), the Ayala Foundation-USA and other community
organizations that are now lining up to support what will become an annual event at the
Historic Filipinotown. A light breakfast will be served from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
The FACLA project is the first-ever monument in the City of Los Angeles dedicated to Jose P.
Rizal, the foremost national hero of the Philippines. Dr. Rizal was executed by a Spanish firing
squad in Manila, Philippines, on Dec. 30, 1896. The monument to the Filipino "man of peace"
is expected to be inaugurated on or before Rizal's coming birth anniversary on June 19, 2007.
There will be a program inside the FACLA Social Hall after the groundbreaking ceremony,
where the guests of honor are expected to address a motley crowd of Filipino-American
community leaders and American friends of the Philippines. Delivering also their greetings to
the visitors and community are FACLA President Jose Baldonado and Fender Santos, a FACLA
vice president and Philippine Town mayor. They will be followed by Sir Henry von Seyfried of
the Knights of Rizal (Los Angeles chapter commander) and Romy P. Borje, the co-chairman of
the Media Breakfast Club and founding president of the Filipino-American Press Club of Los
Angeles. Other speakers lined up are Ms. Cecile Ramos, the chairperson of the HiFiNC, and
Ms. Guila K. Maramba of the Ayala Foundation-USA.
Bobby M. Reyes is the master of ceremonies. After lunch is served, FACLA Treasurer Sally
Jamorabon will emcee a Rizal presentation. Then a third emcee, Sir Al Aquino, will take over
the dance portion and the Karaoke singing competition.
During the presentation, FACLA Director Jess Prado will act as Jose P. Rizal and he will be
"serenaded" by the Ladies of Rizal. Appearing as the women in the life of Jose Rizal are the
FACLA First Lady Caridad Baldonado, Lourdes Osungco, Mrs. Flor Cadiente, Cecilia Berango,
Remy Vergara, Alice Parino, Sol McConnell, Linda Jayme Waits, Virgie Rosales and Gertrude
Averia.
The event organizers are inviting community leaders to participate in what will become a
historic celebration of Rizal Day in Los Angeles. They invite most especially those who hail
from Calamba, Laguna, which is Rizal's home town, and alumni of the Ateneo de Manila and
the University of Santo Tomas, where Rizal studied.
Breakfast will be provided by the MBC with assistance from Ms. Susan R. Guan, a City of
Carson-based branch manager of the Home Loan USA Corporation of Texas. Lunch will be
provided by the FACLA with the support of the Knights of Rizal, the PTI, the HiFiNC and the
Ayala Foundation.
Attendees to this year's Rizal Day are urged to bring with them their dancing shoes and their
favorite Minus-one CDs. The event organizers want to turn the last community event of the
year into an occasion to welcome with merriment the New Year -- after of course
commemorating the heroism, the life and loves of Jose Rizal. # # #
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