Category Archives: International

Beauty, Entertainment, Film and TV, International, Media

KRIS AQUINO NAMED AS CO-HOST OF MISS USA PAGEANT

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Aquino
Aquino

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – Things seem to be turning up roses for the  beleaguered Donald Trump and his Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.

After his disparaging remarks about Mexicans during his announcement for a bid to become the Republican nominee for president, Trump lost both Univision and NBC Universal which were home networks for the live television coverage of the pageants.

Luckily, Trump found an ally in the little known Reelz cable network which agreed to air the Miss USA pageant live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 12.

But then, five co-hosts of the Miss USA pageant all dropped out from their duties, including Thomas Roberts, Cheryl Burke, Roselyn Sanchez, Cristian de la Fuente and Jeannie Mai.

Luck comes twice in a row so to speak, when the Philippines’ self-proclaimed queen of all  media and presidential sister Kris Aquino agreed to co-host the Miss USA pageant this weekend. “It has always been my dream to be the host of the Miss Universe Pageant,” Aquino said, “and I hope hosting the Miss USA pageant is a stepping stone towards that dream.” CNN’s Don Lemon is rumored to be Aquino’s co-host for Miss USA.

What is left for Trump is to deal with the fallout from participating Miss Universe countries. Mexico, Panama and the Philippines have  dropped out of the Miss Universe pageant, and other Latin American countries are expected to follow suit.

But perhaps with the prestige that Aquino brings to the pageant, the boycotting countries might very well change their minds.

Stay tuned.

Diversity, International, Local News

DALY CITY’S SERRAMONTE MALL TO BE CONVERTED TO WORLD’S LARGEST (FILIPINO) COMMUNITY CENTER

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Serramonte Center, site of the world's largest community center (Google Maps)
Serramonte Center, site of the world’s largest community center (Google Maps)

DALY CITY, California (The Adobo Chronicles ®) – Daly City is about to lay claim to a Guinness record for the world’s largest ethnic-specific community center, and it’s going to be a Filipino community center.

The Daly City Council this week approved the 200,000 square-foot expansion and redevelopment of Serramonte Center, an 895,438 square-foot shopping mall on Highway 280, just south of San Francisco.

The proposed community center, when completed, will have a total area of over 1 Million square feet.  It will house a boxing arena, a basketball court, a 2,000-seat capacity Karaoke bar, and a high-tech theater specifically designed for beauty pageants. Jollibee, the famous Filipino fast food restaurant has won the bid to be the exclusive food place in the center.

The current businesses and occupants of the mall — including giant retailers like Target and Macy’s — have been given a 30-day notice to vacate so that construction of the community center can begin immediately.

Daly City has a population of more than 100,000, with Filipinos accounting for more than a third of the residents.  The city is often referred to as the San Francisco Bay Area’s “Little Manila,” although “little” is considered an understatement.

Informed sources tell The Adobo Chronicles®  that the community center project is funded by private investors, including Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

It’s more fun in the Philippines, but so are the Filipinos – anywhere they are in the world. Especially in Daly City.

Awards, Human Interest, International

BREAKING: TORRE DE MANILA DECLARED A WORLD HERITAGE SITE

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imagePARIS, France (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today honored the Philippines with another World Heritage Site designation, this time for Torre De Manila. The 46-storey condominium project at Luneta Park in Manila joins Vigan City, in Ilocos Sur in receiving this prestigious designation.

The announcement was made by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in ceremonies held at the Place de Fontenoy, the U.N. body’s headquarters in Paris.

UNESCO’s three-fold mission is to build intercultural understanding, pursue scientific cooperation, and protect freedom of expression. It created the idea of World Heritage to protect sites of outstanding universal value.

In her statement, Bokova said:

“Torre De Manila is the best example of urban planning, rising from the hallowed ground just steps away from the burial site of the Philippines’ national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.”

“It has withstood a persistent wave of nationalistic uprising while standing tall and firm amid bureaucratic obstacles and political favors. It is a symbol of the indomitable spirit of the Filipinos, and is a testament to the centuries-long divide between the haves and the have-nots.”

“Torre De Manila fuses the past with the future, ensuring that the next generation of Filipinos will draw inspiration from the heroism and courage of their heroes as well as the tactless perseverance and resiliency of those who built, or who allowed to build, this monumental heritage never before seen anywhere in ancient and modern times.”

Upon hearing the news , Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada declared a non-working holiday for the entire city to allow its citizens to fittingly celebrate this momentous occasion.