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• 1st Annual Filipino-American Visionary Awards, Kodak Theater, March 7, 2008

  Sunday, Jun 21, 2009 5:34AM / Event / Members only
  

  
  I attended the 1st Annual Filipino American Visionary Awards that was held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood back on March 8, 2008.  I was happy to see both worlds of Filipino-American talents and Pinoy talents under one roof.  It was an amazing experience!
  
  After walking down the red carpet and completing one interview, my date and I took our seats inside the Kodak Theater.  I swear that whenever I watched the Academy Awards, it looked like the theater was large and grand when watching the show from television.  It was nothing like that when we were inside.
  
  Anyway, I am getting off topic here.  I had the experience to live in the Philippines for one year.  I was born in the United States and after the first 13 years of my life in Chicago, my parents moved the family to their homeland, the Philippines.  Never thought we would stay pass the summer months.  But, I am glad that we did.
  
  Now that I am older, I would tell the younger generation of Filipino-Americans to visit the Philippines or better yet, live and experience there for a longer period of time and you will come to appreciate how much a rich culture they have and not to bash or slam it.
  
  At the Kodak Theater that night, to meet the top Pinoy comedians back in the day (1980) like Tito, Vic & Joey and Dolphy, my past flashed back in front of my eyes.  At first, living in the Philippines, I was treated like a celebrity during my early teen years because I came from America.  But, that fever died down and now I felt like I was living the life of a Pinoy.
  
  Always the saving graces for me are television and laughter.  To tune in to "Eat Bulaga" (Tito, Vic & Joey) and "John & Marsha (Dolphy)," I laughed and was
  Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmMxToeiqr8
  

  
  entertained.  Though, I do not speak a word of Tagalog, I pretty much understood the jokes.
  
  That was 1980 - 1981 (also witnessing a new young sensation by the name of Lea Salonga in her own soap opera show), this was 2008.  To see them meet today's Filipino-American talents that were there such as Dave Batista (WWE), Christine Gambito (Happyslip), Apl de Ap (Black Eyed Peas), just to name a few was an interesting mix.
  
  Interwined are Pinoys like Martin Nievera and Manny Pacquiao spoke in the same vein about Filipino-American Nia Peeples ("Fame," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The Party Machine") and the Iron Chef himself, all this was happening to my joy.
  
  Here is a teaser video (above) of what happened that evening, enjoy.