Broadcast Archive 2015

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#146 Broadcast, Saturday, 26th December 2015

Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana was appointed as Vatican's Ambassador (Apostolic Nuncio) to Australia, earlier this year. He is originally from Naga City, Camarines Sur province, in the Bicol region of the Philippines which is located at the southern end of the main Philippine island of Luzon. Naga City is world-renowned as the Pilgrim City, as it is home to the largest Marian pilgrimage in Asia, the Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

Archbishop Yllana celebrated mass on the 8th day (22nd December) of the 9 day Simbang Gabi devotional series of masses held at St. Monica's church in Evatt, Canberra. 

* Note: You can read the full RFA story about Papal Nuncio Yllana by referring to "#120 - RFA Interview".

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#145 Broadcast, Saturday, 19th December 2015

Her Excellency, Ambassador Belen Anota has been the Philippine Ambassador to Australia from 2011 to 2015.
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Australia and the Philippines - who are two geographically close Asia Pacific neighbours - are long-time friends and allies, and during Ambassador Anota's tenure of office there has been a further strengthening in bilateral political, economic, strategic and wider societal relations.

Ambassador Anota is retiring from her position as Ambassador to Australia, as well as from her long and industrious career as a diplomat with the Republic of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).She joined the department in 1977. In her 38 years of loyal and very productive service she has held many senior posts, including in Israel, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan, as well as being the Executive Director of ASEAN affairs in the 1990s.

* Note: You can read the full RFA story about Ambassador Anota by referring to "#119 - RFA Interview".

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#144 Broadcast, Saturday, 12th December 2015

Lexi Payumo is full of energy, has a zest for life, and an enduring love of Yoga which runs through her family.  ​

Lexi previously made the cover of the prestigious Forbes In Touch magazine, named after Forbes Park which is nestled between Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the Manila Golf and Polo clubs and Makati, the business centre of Manila.

Lexi is a Yoga instructor at the Urban Ashram which is located in BGC on the corner of 28th and 9th (28th Street, 9th Avenue).  

BGC is a new high-rise upmarket city within Metro Manila. The streets utilize the same naming protocol as that employed by Manhattan, New York City (NYC), where avenues run north and streets run east to west.

Lexi is very familiar with NYC because this is where she did her training as a yoga instructor. 

[For full story on Lexi, please refer to Interview #119 within this website]

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#143 Broadcast, Saturday, 5th December 2015

In 2014, Fr. Deveza was a People of the Year awardee, a title bestowed by the prestigious PeopleAsia magazine at the Raffles and Fairmont Ballroom in Makati, metro Manila. 

He was recognized for his tireless community service in helping heal the crippling social inequalities of poverty for those who are the most vulnerable in society - our children who are the future generations and upon whom we can build a better future for society. He is also renowned within the Philippine nation as a priest who heals people physically, mentally and spiritually. People from all levels of society travel great distances to see him by land, sea and air. 

The Vice President of the Philippines, Jejomar Binay was amongst those to present Fr. Deveza with his well-deserved reward, amongst a line-up of other VIP leaders representing the national media, business and international airline sectors.

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#139 Broadcast, Saturday, 7th November 2015

Photo Above: The impressive looking San Miguel Corporation (SMC) headquarters in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila.

The world of international business investment favoured both the Philippines and Australia in the last month with the announcement of a massive multi-billion dollar win-win deal for both countries.

Telstra, is Australia's largest telecommunications company, and one of the leading telecommunications companies in the world. It has helped deliver first world mobile carrier and Internet services to Australia. Telstra is a business icon of the Australian nation just as San Miguel Corporation (SMC), the largest food and beverage company in the Philippines, is a business icon of the Philippines. 

SMC has previously tried unsuccessfully to break into the monopolised Philippine telecommunications market which is currently dominated by Globe Telecom and PLDT.  The partnership deal will involve SMC retaining majority control of the network.

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#138 Broadcast, Saturday, 31 October 2015

To read full story please refer to "RFA Interview #116"

Emilio "Emil" Sanglay is a legendary composer-singer and arranger in the Philippines who has received many awards for his pioneering neo-ethnic Filipino singing and music. His musical style and that of the band Pen Pen which he leads,integrates and harmonises the sounds of Filipino indigenous instruments with modern pop music.

A passionate visionary, he revitalized Pen Pen with new members. Mr Sanglay and Pen Pen created a new repertoire of pop, rock and alternative music. The spectrum of this experimentalist repertoire ranged from the fusion of northern & southern Philippine cultural tunes and rhythms, art rock, soft & hard rock, atonal, new age, oriental to neo-ethnic rock music.

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#137 Broadcast, Saturday, 24 October 2015

Lou Bonnevie is a Filipino pop rock musician from the Bicol region of the Philippines - a region reknowned in the Philippines and the around the world for its great natural beauty. Lou's proud family heritage is of Filipino, French and Spanish descent.

Her repertoire consists of “soul”, “retro”, “rock & roll”, “folk & blues” classics essayed in pop genre. Lou has toured throughout the Philippines and around the world.  She has performed in hundreds of “live” shows appearing on stage with top Filipino artists and backed up by seasoned musicians both from the mainstream and alternative scenes. She is also the first cousin of Dina Bonnevie, an award winning actress in the Philippines.

Lou's musical achievements include six major studio albums and one live album, including three international releases.
To read full story please also refer to "#115 RFA Interview-Lou Bonnevie"

To read full story please also refer to "#115 RFA Interview-Lou Bonnevie" on the RFA website.

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#136 Broadcast, Saturday, 17 October 2015

RFA Interview: Amelia Perales, a Filipino-Australian Living in North West Tasmania, Wins the Pride of Australia Award as She Demonstrates Leadership, Determination and Humility.

Amelia Perales from Burnie in North West Tasmania has won a pride of Australia award for 2015. She originally comes from the island of Leyte, in the Philippines.

In her younger years Amelia worked hard to build a house of iron and concrete in Leyte to replace one made of coconut leaves and bamboo.  However, even a concrete house was not enough to withstand the widespread destruction from a large typhoon. Thus, all the money from her hard work to build this blew away with the strong winds.

After first moving from the Philippines she lived in South Korea and then moved to Australia.

Whilst living in Tasmania she founded a Filipino Cultural Dance Group called Mariposa (butterfly in Tagalog - beautiful in Spanish)......................
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To read full story please also refer to RFA Interview #114.

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#135 Broadcast, Saturday, 10 October 2015

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#131 Broadcast, Saturday, 12 September 2015

An Australian study has linked eating junk food to decreased brain function, particularly in the hippocampus part of the brain which is responsible for memory and learning.  

As such those who have a good diet into their old age generally have better mental and physical health.

A Professor at the university of Deakin calls for tougher restrictions on marketing and more taxes on junk food.

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#130 Broadcast, Saturday, 5th September 2015

Superstitious beliefs in Philippine culture. Some of these beliefs relate to the following topics:

• Birth marks
• Views on fate and destiny
• Respect to elders
• Marriage and wedding ceremonies
• Death and burials

This material is sourced from the great work of Renato Perdon's book "Kulturang Pilipino". 

During the radio program material is read from this book and then commented upon.

Full Source details: Renato Perdon, "Kulturang Pilipino", Manila Prints Australia, 2012.

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#129 Broadcast, Saturday 29th August 2015

Literature and stories relating to the ancient history and culture of the Philippines at the beginning of time.

Mythology handed down orally and cultivated throughout history gives a cultural insight into creation stories for the Philippine islands and its people. 

This material is sourced from the great work of Renato Perdon's book "Kulturang Pilipino".

During the radio program material is read from this book and then commented upon.

Full Source details: Renato Perdon, "Kulturang Pilipino", Manila Prints Australia, 2012.

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#128 Broadcast, Saturday 22nd August 2015

Nita Christian, Veteran Concert Promoter, Chief Operations Manager and Co-owner of Philippine Entertainment Network, Sydney.

Nita Christian is a veteran entertainment promoter in Sydney.  Nita and her husband Peter founded the Philippine Entertainment Network (PEN) in 1981 under the name of Tagumpay Productions (Success Productions). The name was changed to PEN in 1993. Nita and Peter decided PEN should recognise and promote the plethora of Philippine talent with their unique artistry in Australia. Consequently the company was registered solely to import Filipino artists/entertainers into Australia. 


So far PEN has produced and promoted 416 shows across cities and towns in Australia during the last 35 years.  This has included sponsoring more than 400 singers, dancers, musicians, many of whom have been the top billed singers the Philippines has to offer.

PEN has also organised concerts in some of Australia's largest venues costing close to $100,000 just for venue hire and other associated costs. However, the many thousands of people who have attended at these premiere locations have more than covered the lofty price tag for organising such grand events.

PEN is still going strong and one of their next top billed artists coming to Australia in October is Lou Bonnevie (advertised below). Lou is a Pop Rock Star, the Philippines' Clean Air Champion and President of Earth Day Jam Foundation.

Above is a picture of Nita with her husband Peter on the dance floor for a Philippine Independence Day function in 1976.  They were a great and happy team back then, and 35 years on the two founders of PEN are still dynamic and enthusiastic whilst they continue to work as a great inspirational husband and wife team. 

Broadcaster: Gloria Ross, Director RFA   
Co-Broadcaster: Raul Ruiz, Events DJ, Band Musician and Organiser 

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#127 Broadcast, Saturday 15th August 2015

Dianne Kaye-Alde is a beautiful Australian-Filipino singer and actress from Sydney making her mark in Manhattan, New York. 

She has recently performed at the world famous "Apollo Theater" [American spelling] on the 1st of July 2015 with great applause from one of the world's toughest crowds renowned for its honesty.  This is New York and this is where people go to make or break it.  

The concluding lines of a Frank Sinatra song recorded in 1979 called "New York, New York" says: "If I can make it there, I'm gonna make it anywhere, It's up to you, New York, New York". 

The world is at Dianne's feet, in the palm of her hand, as well as under the charm of her personality and on-stage performance skills as she makes it in Manhattan, New York.

She has also been cast in a new pop/rock Comedy musical titled "Single Room Occupancy", due to premiere at the NYC International Fringe Festival, from the 14th to 27th August 2015. She plays the comedic romantic ingénue "Kim". Her role celebrates Filipino culture and diversity in general. Well established Filipino-American performer Jay Paranada-Fried plays her twin brother in the exciting new musical.

Dianne received a talent based scholarship at the New York Film Academy, which served as a big incentive to pursue her passions with gusto. [For full story see Interview #112]

Broadcaster: Gloria Ross, Director RFA   
Co-Broadcaster: Prof. Ronnie Holmes, President Pulse Asia (Prominent public opinion polling organisation in the Philippines).

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#126 Broadcast, Saturday 8th August 2015

Ruben Amores is one of Sydney's most dynamic community service heroes. Even the New South Wales (NSW) State Government is aware of this. In fact Mr Amores was the sole awardee of the 2015 NSW Premier's Multicultural Community Medal for Lifetime Community Service. NSW State Premier Mike Baird presented the medal to Mr Amores in March.

Mr Amores is currently the APCO President.  APCO, and its affiliates such as the Kapitbahayan Cooperative Ltd (KCL), is based in Western Sydney. The Tagalog word Kapitbahayan loosely means neighbourhood in English. APCO is involved in community, cultural, religious, civic and social welfare activities. 

Mr Amores, founding President of KCL, has given 20 years of exemplary service to this noble and results-driven cooperative affiliate of APCO.

Broadcaster: Gloria Ross, Director RFA   
Co-Broadcaster: Chrysnan Fraser.

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#125 Broadcast, Saturday 1st August 2015

1) RFA Interview, Lea Salonga, Internationally Famous Filipino Singer and Actress, Broadway and Disney Legend

Internationally famous Filipino singer and actress Lea Salonga is currently on tour in Australia for some great performances in Australia's major east coast cities. 

Ms Salonga has played the lead role in the musical Miss Saigon. She was the first Asian actress to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway.

She provided the singing voice of two official Disney Princesses: Jasmine in Aladdin (1992), and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998). 

Ms Salonga was also named a Disney Legend in 2011 for her work with The Walt Disney Company.

She has already performed in New Zealand and Brisbane. She is due to perform at a sold out concert in the famous Sydney Town Hall (one of Sydney's premiere entertainment venues renowned for its engineering grandness and lavish interior) Friday 31st July.

She will also perform at Melbourne's premiere concert venue, the Melbourne Convention and Entertainment Centre, Saturday 1st August.

Many thanks to concert organisers in Sydney, Oz-Pinoy Promotions, and celebrity agents in Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA, for their communications with RFA and efforts in making this interview possible.

Broadcaster: Gloria Ross, Director RFA   
Co-Broadcaster: Prof. Ronnie Holmes, President Pulse Asia (Prominent public opinion polling organisation in the Philippines).

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#124 Broadcast, Saturday 25th July 2015

1) Justice Antonio Carpio, an incumbent Justice in the Supreme Court of the Philippines, visited Australia last month and gave lectures on the West Philippine Sea (also referred to as the South China Sea on many international maps).

Justice Carpio's personal advocacy is to protect and preserve Philippine territorial and maritime sovereignty, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.

During Justice Carpio's Australian tour he delivered a very detailed presentation about this topic.

An electronic copy of this presentation was provided to RFA by Colonel (COL)Connor A. Canlas, Philippine Air Force (PAF), and Philippine Assistant Defence Attache to Australia and New Zealand.

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#123 Broadcast, Saturday 18th July 2015

Isabel Granada, of Spanish-Filipino descent, is a TV actress in the Philippines appearing on many shows for GMA and ABS-CBN, two of the Philippines' major TV networks.

The photo of Isabel on the left is from the "Survivor Philippines: Celebrity Doubles Showdown" reality TV series on the GMA network. Below Isabel gives a stunning performance for "It's Showtime: Bida Kapamilya Celebrity Round" on the ABS-CBN network, and became the celebrity grand champion. 

She has also appeared in many movies since 1986 and released musical albums as an accomplished singer.

Isabel is not your average celebrity as she is also a qualified aeronautical engineer and pilot. In addition to this she is a badminton champion. Australia, and Perth in particular, are lucky to have a celebrity of such talent visit its shores.

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#122 Broadcast, Saturday 11th July 2015

Ben Mudie, of mestizo (mixed) Filipino and Australian heritage, has recently become a national Philippine team rugby player. The national rugby team in the Philippines is known as the "Volcanoes".  Ben grew up in Canberra and recently visited his Australian family when RFA had the privilege of catching up with him at the Hyatt Hotel, next to Canberra's Capital Hill Parliamentary and Embassy District. 

In the interview with Ben he talks about rugby in the Philippines, and mentions about how it would be great for more people of Filipino heritage living in Australia to go to the Philippines and play for Filipino teams.  Ben is an all-round nice guy who talks with humility and passion about his achievements and the Philippine national sports team. 

He also mentions the new love in his life, Rich Asuncion, a Filipina actress currently working with the GMA network. Rich Asuncion from Bohol in the Philippines rose to national stardom when she became the First Princess of StarStruck: The Next Level. She was also nominated as one of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women of the World in 2008. 

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#121 Broadcast, Saturday 4th July 2015

Lutgardo "Gardy" Labad is the Tour Manager for the world famous Loboc Children's Choir from Bohol which is currently touring Australia.  

The Loboc Children's Choir gave a performance in Canberra, 1st of July, to a large crowd which was standing room only. Whilst in Canberra the choir was covered by the major television and print media.

After the fantastic concert Gardy Labad took the time to talk to Radyo Filipino Australia (RFA) for an interview. He mentions that it was a dream to come to Australia and perform for the first time after already touring America, Europe, and other parts of Asia on multiple occasions.  

[The Loboc Children's Choir will also be performing in western Sydney: Greater West Sydney Performing Arts Centre in Plumton, 7PM, Friday 3rd July and Saturday 7PM, 4th July at the Whitlam Leisure Centre in Liverpool].

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#120 Broadcast, Saturday 27 June 2015

1) Professor Ricardo Reyes Calubayan is a composer, arranger and conductor. He is also a choir, brass band, rondalla, drum and lyre trainer.  He is currently in Canberra, Australia to provide world-class rondalla training to the Australian Capital Territory's very own rondalla group, called Rondanihan (the name derives from rondalla and bayanihan).

Rondanihan itself is internationally renowned for its beautiful rondalla music. The rondalla is an ensemble of stringed instruments played with the plectrum or pick and generally known as plectrum instruments. It originated in Medieval Spain, especially in Catalunya, Aragon, Murcia, and Valencia. The tradition was later taken to Spanish America and the Philippines. The word rondalla is from the Spanish ronda, meaning "serenade." [More detail in interview archive 2015]

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#119 Broadcast, Saturday 20 June 2015

1) Tony Meloto, or "Tito Tony" (Uncle Tony) as he is fondly referred to by his many co-workers and admirers at Gawad Kalinga, was previously interviewed by RFA two years ago in June 2013.  RFA is honoured once again to interview Tony Meloto on his recent trip to Canberra.

Gawad Kalinga (means to "Give Care"). It's a poverty alleviation and nation building movement which is one of the biggest development foundation charities in the Philippines.

Mr Meloto continues to demonstrate a spirit full of dedication and enthusiasm in the fight to improve the lives of many less fortunate people in the Philippines.  His straight talking and humble approach is widely admired in the Philippines and around the world.  

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#118 Broadcast, Saturday 13th June 2015

JOSELEO C. LOGDAT is Professor of Voice and the Cultural Liaison Officer of the Santa Isabel College Conservatory of Music and RAUL CASANTUSAN NAVARRO, PhD, is Professor of Music and Chair of the Graduate Studies Program of the University of the Philippines College of Music performed recently at the High Court of Australia in Canberra.

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#117 Broadcast, Saturday 6th June 2015

1)  RFA Interview:  Archbishop, Most Reverend (Rev.) Adolfo Tito Yllana  from the Philippines the new Apostolic Nuncio to Australia -  The Vatican's Ambassador (2015)

RFA announced last month the arrival of Archbishop, Most Reverend (Rev) Yllana in Canberra, Australia to be the new Papal Ambassador (Apostolic Nuncio) to Australia.

The Philippine Ambassador to Australia, in conjunction with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Filipino community organised a welcoming party for Most Rev. Yllana. Before this Most Rev. Yllana led a church service at St Christopher's Cathedral near Capital Hill. 

RFA is proud to bring you an interview with the Most Rev. Yllana.  In the interview Most Rev. Yllana is humble about his responsibilities and talks with pride about the great reputation that Filipinos in Australia have around the world.  He will be visiting different parishes around Australia from his base in Canberra. 

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#116 Broadcast, Saturday 30th May 2015

1) Tony Meloto, Founder of Gawad Kalinga (Give Care), 27th May to 4th June (Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth).

In Canberra this Friday evening, 29th May, 6 to 9pm, LT. 104, Coombs extension building, Australian National University.

Tony will talk about "Social Innovation for an Emerging Philippines".

You can contact Marisa Vedar, Deputy Chairperson of Gawad Kalinga Australia (GKA) for more information on other cities.

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#115 Broadcast, Saturday 23rd May 2015

1) Archbishop, Most Reverend (Rev.) Adolfo Tito Yllana from the Philippines the new Apostolic Nuncio to Australia - The Vatican's Ambassador.
Archbishop, Most Rev. Yllana, born 1948 in Naga City, in the beautiful Bicol region of the main island of Luzon in the Philippines, was appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia by Pope Francis in early 2015. 

Most Rev. Yllana now lives in the Vatican's version of a diplomatic embassy in Australia's Capital of embassies, Canberra. 

The 'Vatican Australian Embassy' is called the "Apostolic Nunciature  Chancery".  It is a palatial complex located in the prestigious hedged and gated complex Red Hill area of Canberra close to Federal Parliament House, Capital Hill, home to many senior diplomats, embassy staff and business representatives from around the world.

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#114 Broadcast, Saturday 16th May 2015

1) Cassie Dawson, Mutya ng Kalayaan (Miss Philippine Independence) candidate for the Australian Capital Territory Filipino-Australian Social and Cultural Association (ACTFA-SCA). 
Miss Cassie Dawson, who is the new confident and beautiful Mutya ng Kalayaan (Miss Independence) candidate for ACTFA-SCA, is helping raise money for charities in the Philippines. 

She is an active participant of in the Australian-Filipino community who is proud of her mixed (mestiza) Filipino and Anglo-Australian heritage.

Miss Dawson has travelled and lived in different parts of the world with her family, as her father is a senior Australian diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs. She now lives in the northern suburbs of Canberra.

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#113 Broadcast, Saturday 9th May 2015

Genny Marcial heads the industry association's Legislative Committee, a dynamic group of more than 40 lawyers, government relations, and external affairs experts who aim to ensure the continuance of an attractive business environment for the Philippines' flourishing IT-BPM industry through a predictable legislative and policymaking agenda.

Among her many tasks and responsibilities as the Executive Director for External Affairs and Membership, she is required at times to be an international jet-setting businesswoman. 

This week she leads a Philippine delegation to Sydney Olympic Park Exhibition Centre to participate in CeBIT (German for Centrum für Büroautomation, Informationstechnologie und Telekommunikation - English translation: "Center for Office Automation, Information Technology and Telecommunication"), which is regarded as one of the largest Information Communication Technology (ICT) Global Business Technology events in the world.

Be sure to listen to the knowledgeable and dynamic Genny Marcial as she talks to RFA about IBPAP specifically, and the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector in the Philippines, including the close to half a billion in Philippine pesos the sector has received in government funds for the "Training for Work Scholarship Program" (TWSP) from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

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#112 Broadcast, Saturday 2nd May 2015

1) First Secretary and Consul Jim San Agustin at the Philippine Embassy of Australia in Canberra is a highly respected and experienced diplomat within the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

Consul San Agustin also has previous experience as a Consul in Los Angeles, USA, and Vice Consul in Beijing, China. He is also the Acting Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Coordination, Division II - Institutional Policies. His previous experience in the Chinese capital makes him more than qualified to present the legal and diplomatic details relating to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute. 

Consul San Agustin presents the Philippine case in great detail. For a full write up relating to this interview please refer to "Interview #100" on this website.  

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#111 Broadcast, Saturday 25th April 2015

RFA Interview: Dr Julie Nunez, Order of the Medal of Australia (OAM), Justice of the Peace (JP) - The 'Filipina Mother Teresa of Western Sydney'.

Since arriving in Australia in 1986 Dr Julie Nunez has made tremendous contributions to Filipino-Australian communities, particularly in Western Sydney, which is home to one of the largest concentrations of overseas Filipinos in the world. In some areas of Western Sydney Filipinos make up the largest ethnic group after those of Anglo-Australian decent.  Dr Nunez has been an active and leading member in numerous civic, social and religious community organisations with aims and objectives to help her fellowmen and women who are in need of assistance.

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#110 Broadcast, Saturday 18th April 2015

1) Dave Cecilio is currently in Australia showing his highly acclaimed patriotic film "Watawat" (Flag), that tells the story behind the Philippine flag which was created in the Philippine independence struggle from Spanish colonial rule.

This is an example how a native population throughout the whole of the Philippines, from the far north of the Ilocos region, to the island of Mindanao and smaller Sulu islands in the far south and Palawan in the far south-west were able to forge their own united identity.

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#109 Broadcast, Saturday 11th April 2015

1) Professor Mark Turner, from the University of Canberra, and visiting fellow lecturer at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), Duntroon, Canberra (which is Australia's equivalent of America's renowned West Point Military Officer Training Academy in New York State), talks about the recent troubles in Mindanao.

He focuses on the Mamasapano incident, 25th January 2015, which resulted in the deaths of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP). 

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#108 Broadcast, Saturday 4th April 2015

1) Easter Holy Week Blessings, Kamay ni Hesus (Hand of Jesus) Shrine,Tinamnam Village, Lucban Town, Quezon Province, Philippines.

The Kamay ni Hesus Shrine in Quezon Province on the main Philippine island ofLuzon, south-east of Manila, is considered one of the popular places in the Philippines to celebrate Easter Holy Week. Filipinos flock to the magnificent Kamay ni Hesus Shrine throughout the year and it becomes even more popular as a religious pilgrimage site during Easter. 

It is near Mt Banahaw which is considered holy ground. On the grounds is a beautiful church founded by Fr Joey Faller who is known as the healing priest. The climb up the hill to the giant Kamay ni Hesus statue starts at the Garden of Eden.

There are many life size statues along the climb to the top that depict biblical events.  A person will see statues of Abraham, Moses and other famous biblical personalities. One will also encounter numerous life-size statues of the 14 Stations of the Cross.

There is also a replica of Noah's Ark for the weary souls. The Ark has 25 air-conditioned rooms for people to rent.  Around the Ark are figures of animals which were saved from the great biblical flood. 

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#107 Broadcast, Saturday 28 March 2015

1) Heartthrob Heaven – Up Close and Personal,  Reo Brothers - "The Filipino Beatles" Sing Up a Wild Music Storm in Sydney’s West. Large Crowd goes Dance Crazy (20th and 22nd March 2015)

The passion, the power and the performance hit Sydney’s west at Burwood with the Reo Brothers, also known as the Filipino Beatles, storming into the region.

This part of Sydney is renowned for having one of the largest concentrations of overseas Filipinos in the world. Thousands of adoring fans attended big performances of Friday 20th and Sunday 22nd March. This was like watching the clock turn back to the 1960s with the emotion stirred up by the original Beatles Band from Britain.

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#106 Broadcast, Saturday 21st March 2015

1) The Reo Brothers are the 'Filipino Beatles' who have taken the entertainment world by storm after being in Tacloban City, ground zero of the largest storm in history to ever cross land, Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) when the eye of the monster storm passed directly above.

Their family house was destroyed and they lost almost all their belongings except for their musical instruments and fighting spirit.

They performed in western Sydney Friday 20th March and will perform Sunday 22nd March.

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#105 Broadcast, Saturday 14th March 2015

1) Robyn Russell - Rising Australian-Filipino singing talent.   Robyn Russell, a 13 year old Filipino-Australian from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has proven to be a singing sensation in Canberra and interstate.
She is full of energy and personality. Robyn looks and sounds older than her 13 years of age. She always gives a polished performance on stage.

Robyn has two large singing competitions on the horizon this month of March.  These are the UrbanStar event on Saturday 21st March at the Erindale Vikings Club in the ACT, and an event in Sydney the following day called Hamon Sa Kampeon (Champion's Challenge) organised by Josefina Musa of Adhika Radio who was recently awarded the New South Wales (NSW) Woman of the Year in the NSW state Parliament House, Sydney. 

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#104 Broadcast, Saturday 7th March 2015

1) Josephina (Josie) Musa receives New South Wales (NSW) Woman of the Year 2015 Award at the NSW Parliament House, Sydney (4th March 2015).
Congratulations to Josephina (Josie) Musa for receiving the prestigious NSW Woman of the year award at the NSW Parliament House in Sydney.  Josie, who is beautiful on the outside and inside, is a very popular and respected community figure in NSW.  She is full of ideas, integrity and energy. Josie is actively involved in many different Filipino Australian community activities in the Sydney area. She is the coordinator and host of the popular Adhika Radio (100.7FM) in Sydney and is a good friend of RFA. 

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#103 Broadcast, Saturday 28th February 2015

RFA Interview: Undersecretary and Executive Director of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), Mary Grace Ampil-Tirona.
Undersecretary Mary Grace Ampil-Tirona has been working closely with CFO Secretary Imelda M. Nicolas (Philippine Cabinet Level Secretary) to prepare the 3rd Global Summit of Filipinos in the Diaspora, starting today at the palatial 5 star Manila Hotel which has its own super liner terminal in Manila Bay Harbour, next to the famous Rizal Park (also known as Luneta Park).

The undersecretary talks with passion, wisdom and humility about the responsibilities, experiences and noble achievements of the CFO which reports directly to the Office of the President of the Philippines.

The annual global diaspora summits are a highlight for the year. The summits bring together Filipino community leaders and members from around the world. They celebrate their heritage, share their global experiences and create a greater sense of community and connection among themselves. This creates a win-win scenario for their mother country and their adopted countries as they continue to contribute positively to the multicultural nature of many countries around the globe, whilst demonstrating that the Philippines is a great global citizen.   

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#102 Broadcast, Saturday 21st February 2015

1) Manila FAME is a design and lifestyle event which is one of the longest-running trade shows in the Asia-Pacific. It features Philippine-made creations from artisans and manufacturers, as well as the latest in Philippine fashion design.

"Manila FAME returns in 2015 with an innovative range of products, crafted with the passion and soul of local craftsmen!" 
[Manila FAME website: http://www.manilafame.com/en/index.php ]

It will be held at the SMX Convention Centre. This is strategically located in the heart of the famous Mall of Asia, Pasay City, within the greater metro Manila area. The Mall of Asia is one of the world's largest and busiest shopping centre complexes. [Fiipinos have developed such an affinity with shopping at the different gigantic Manila malls that they have enthusiastically absorbed into their Taglish - combination of national Tagalog and English languages - one of their favourite verbs- malling!] 

Photo below of the beautiful Ms Len Cabili of Filip+Inna who is one of the rising designers for Manila FAME showcasing and putting the spotlight on some of the hottest and most stylish 'Manila Wear'!

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#101 Broadcast, Saturday 14th February 2015

1) Live after concert interview greetings message to the Filipino-Australian community from Dami Im, former X Factor Australia winner and international celebrity: 

Dami Im in the celebrity VIP area after the big Googfest concert in Googong, New South Wales (NSW), talking with Gloria Ross, Director RFA, after the concert and giving a recorded greeting for the Filipino-Australian community.


2) Live after concert interview with Mary Ann Van Der Horst, popular Filipino-Australian X Factor Australia contestant from Melbourne, Victoria.

Mary Ann provided a great after-concert interview for RFA's local, national and international audience.

She also gave a stellar performance on Saturday evening at the big Googfest concert in Googong, New South Wales (NSW).  

She is a proud Australian-Filipino with a very promising entertainment career ahead of her as she is already performing at the same events with Australia's top performers such as Dami Im.

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#100 Broadcast, Saturday 7th February 2015

1) Maria-Lourdes (Noonee) Doronila from Canberra is bestowed the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM): 
Congratulations to Noonee Doronila for being awarded one of Australia's highest civilian honours, the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). 

Ms Doronila migrated to Australia with her family as a teenager in 1975 when her father Amando Doronila, fleeing political persecution from the Marcos regime, received work as a news sub-editor with one of Australia's largest newspapers, the Melbourne Age. 


2) Attorney (Atty.) Aida Garcia, Adelaide, South Australia (SA) based National President of the Filipino Communities Council of Australia (FILCCA).
Hearty congratulations also to Atty. Aida Garcia, the national president of FILCCA - which is Australia's peak Filipino body - for receiving the Citizen of the Year Award in the Port Adelaide Enfield Council from Mayor Gary Johanson. 

RFA recently conducted an interview with Aida on the 25th October last year just after she was awarded as one of the 100 most influential women of the year by the Filipina Women's Network (FWN) at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Metro Manila. She also led the organisation of the highly successful national FILCCA conference held at the Novotel Hotel, Parramatta, Sydney. 

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#099 Broadcast, Saturday 31st January 2015

1) RFA Interview: Her Excellency, Belen F. Anota, Philippine Ambassador to Australia

Her Excellency, Ambassador Belen F. Anota is one of the Philippines' most senior and highly respected diplomats in the Philippines, Australia and around the world. She is very popular amongst the Filipino-Australian community. During a dinner event for the FCCACT and friends at the Ambassador's residence she took the time to speak to RFA.

She talks in the interview with great passion about the economic objectives of the Philippine government in regard to international trade and connections in goods and services with Australia. 

Ambassador Anota makes special mention of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector where the Philippines has been able to attract a sizable Australian investment. 

The Philippines is a BPO world superpower due to a combination of cost effectiveness, excellent English language skills and very professionally focused IT management officials and industry business people. 

Ambassador Anota also talks highly of the Filipino community in Australia by mentioning the great reputation they have.  Her diplomatic words of wisdom demonstrate why she is one of the Philippines' top and most respected diplomats.

2) RFA Interview: Cecilia Flores, Re-elected President of the Filipino Communities Council of the Australian Capital Territory (FCCACT).

Cecilia Flores was recently re-elected to the prestigious position of President for the FCCACT, which is the peak Filipino body in the ACT. 

She is both humbled and justifiably proud to be re-elected to this position. She has demonstrated great achievements over the last 2 years as President and she has great plans to build on this and achieve even more.  

Ms Flores mentions that the council is currently made up of 12 community representatives. She has led the FCCACT during some great events and fundraising activities.  For example, there are the large well-attended Independence Day events which have been held in premiere locations such as the National Convention Centre. The other big event on the calendar is the Pasko Sa Canberra, which is Australia's biggest Filipino Christmas party held within the palatial grounds of the Philippine Embassy, on the edge of Capital Hill, Canberra. FCCACT has also made noble efforts in raising money for the Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) appeal.  

Listening to Ms Flores, a person can get an appreciation of why she is one of the respected community leaders. She is very well spoken and passionate about her civic commitments and responsibilities. She mentions how it's important to make other people happy and to serve the community.

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#098 Broadcast, Saturday 24th January 2015

1) 'Holy Thriller in Manila': Largest Papal Mass in world history with up to 7 million people pulls no moral punches: The Pope, The People and the Passion - A Philippine Parable. 

The heavens poured with cleansing rain, however this did not prevent a passionate tide of humanity with up to 7 million people pouring into the city of Manila. 

This created the largest Papal Mass in more than two thousand years of Christianity, and one of the largest human gatherings in history for a single day event. This was a show of 'Pope Mania'. 

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#097 Broadcast, Saturday 17th January 2015

1) Pope Francis, the popular "People's Pope" will visit the Philippines for 5 days.  

The Philippines is the 12th largest nation in the world with approximately 100 million people, 81% of whom are Catholic. 

The Philippines is considered Asia's bastion of Christianity due to its Spanish Catholic history.

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#096 Broadcast, Saturday 10th January 2015

21st century history marches on, particularly in the area of technology! Toyota's announcement recently, that it is releasing close to 6,000 patents relating to hydrogen fuel cell technology, many of which concern its new Toyota Mirai vehicle, could be a great environmental leap forward for the planet.  The obvious question arises whether Toyota is doing this for the benefit of humanity or for itself?  The answer is both, in what can be termed an exercise in "Clever Capitalism". This is a huge contribution to helping save planet earth from dirty fossil fuel exhausts by replacing it with state-of-the-art hydrogen fuel cell technology which emits clear water as a by-product. This is also calculated to be a win for Toyota's financial bottom line as it strategically seeks to make significant money from its decision to give away free patents - at least until 2020.

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#095 Broadcast, Saturday 03rd January 2015

1) RFA Interview: Broadcast 3rd January 2015, Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel, Jr. Good Governance Trainer for Local Government Officials, Former, Philippine Senate President , Founder of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) (which merged with Lakas ng Bayan party in 1983 to become PDP Laban),  and People Power Revolutionary: 
Former Senator Nene Pimentel, Jr. has had a significant impact on Philippine politics in the late 20th and early 21st century.

During the 1970s and 1980s he was a strong opponent of the Marcos dictatorship and was imprisoned on numerous occasions during the dark days of martial law. 

When being arrested for the first time in 1973 to be incarcerated in Camp Crame, Nene Pimentel who had a young family at the time courageously said to his wife "Be brave. Don't cry". Political persecution, however, did not dim his strong spirit in speaking out for justice, fairness and democracy for the oppressed Filipino people.

Refer to RFA Interview #087 to read a full profile of former Senator Pimentel.

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