July 5th: Korina Sanchez

We're on day 5 of our crazy three week trip! And "crazy" means packed with activities from morning 'til night. (You will definitely see this theme throughout this trip ^.^)

First was a 5:45 AM wake up call to get ready for the day. With make up on our faces and hair pulled back neatly, we were ready for our interview at 10 AM. Wait, 5:45 AM wake up call for an interview in the same city that starts at 10 AM? Traffic here is completely different from back in the States. Bumper to bumper. Sides so close together that if I put my arm out the window, half of it would be inside the vehicle next to us. There are also practically no stoplights or stop signs around, which makes every turn a merge. To account for this, we left 3 hours early. 

We arrived at the teleradio station of the famous Korina Sanchez. This was a completely new experience for me because I've never heard of a radio station that was also filmed as a TV show. Korina Sanchez talked into a microphone while simultaneously pressing buttons that called up applause, jingles and advertisements and using sliders to control the volume. The rondalla sat around a circle table with microphones. There was a small swiveling camera to record all of us while we performed.    

<------- That's what I'm talkin' about.

 First, Luz, Tita Bebs, (IP's executive director) and Tita Girlie (our media promoter in the Philippines) all had a chance to talk about the school and the rondalla. Then we played "Kay Ganda ang Ating Musika" and ended the show by playing "Maria Cristina." 

More importantly, Korina has an initiative to collect donations of one million pairs of tsinelas, or slippers, in a year for the shoeless children of the Philippines. As part of our service on our trip, we donated two pairs of tsinelas from each member of the rondalla. (For information about the project, please click here)

Karina Dube

We've been spotted on Korina Sanchez's Instagram!

July 4th: Resorts World

GMA Musika at Kuturang Pilipino,buhay na buhay sa Rondalla concert ng ilang kabataang Fil-Am

Good morning, afternoon, or evening. Nathan Rippin here, you have probably seen my picture in a news article (front page with President Aquino at the Inquirer newspaper). You won't miss me as I am usually that tall guy in the back...one of the pluses that comes with being vertically gifted. I go to Burlington High School in Burlington, Massachusetts.

July 4th: Umagang Kay Ganda

Went down to the lobby and this was waiting for us. Front page, baby! 

Happy birthday, America! Today is July 4, American Independence Day. While normally back home we might be watching fireworks, we started making “fireworks” of our own in the Philippines. Today was the day of our biggest show, Resorts World Manila. But before that, we started off with an early morning TV show, Umagang Kay Ganda.

July 3rd: Malacañan Palace

Front page of the Inquirer with President Noynoy Aquino

July 1st and 2nd: Traveling to the Philippines

Dear Pinoy Jeep Followers,

First of all, I apologize for the delay. I wrote this article two weeks ago, but I couldn't get internet until now. I'll try to post pictures and update the photos more often, but it may take a little while. Just be patient and know I'm still around! Thanks everyone for your support! :) 

The time is 3:30 am Philippine time, and not surprisingly, I'm wide awake. For the past two days, we have been traveling from our hometown in Boston, Massachusetts to Manila, the capital of the Philippines and the beginning of our long, three-week journey. 

With the Ates (Angela, Luz, and Riandra) at Boston Logan Airport

News from Bayan-Bayanan Elementary School

Hello Pinoy Jeep Followers,

For those who have been with us since the very first post or who have just joined us now on our journey (don't worry! We've just begun if that's you!), I cannot thank you enough! Whether you've been a part of us through donating, attending our performances, or just reading this blog, I feel fortunate that there are people out there who are watching and supporting us. I cannot tell you how much this means  not just to me but to the whole IP Rondalla community. You will always be our #1 fans!

On a less positive note, I'd like to share with you an e-mail my aunt, Tita Naty, sent to my family about the Bayan-Bayanan Elementary School in Bataan. As you know, our rondalla group is suppose to participate in a day immersion with the kids of the school (some Aeta and some local) and their parents, however, with the school's current situation, we may not be able to see all that we have planned become a reality--especially the tree planting portion of the program. With the permission of my mother and my aunt, I've posted the e-mail for you to read: 

T-shirts fresh off the rack

Hey guys and girls, this week, I designed two t-shirts as a remembrance for the hard work of our teachers, parents, and especially, sponsors, who are making this trip possible. Below are the two designs: one will be for our performance at SM San Pablo City and the other will be for our cultural immersion day in Bataan.

If you would like to purchase or donate a shirt to the Bayan-Bayanan Elementary school students or the Pag-ibig at Pag-asa (PPP) /Central School Rondalla Kids, click on the link below. T-shirts cost $3.75 or $4.75. For those who have donated to either charity organization already, you will receive a San Pablo performance t-shirt for free. To ensure you have the right size, all who wish to receive one must fill out the form. Donors' names will be written on the first T-shirt and teachers, students and parents' names will be written on the latter.

IP Rondalla Hits Philippine News!

Take a look at this article that was printed in the Philippines about our group! Thanks to Tita Patty Yusah and her friend Chelo Banal-Formoso, the editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, for posting this!

Here's the link to the online version...

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/432331/rocking-the-rondalla

Westwood, then...we're off to the Philippines!

Hello Pinoy Jeep followers,

Again, I apologize for the late post! It's been quite a hectic week for me, traveling back and forth from Connecticut to Massachusetts then to North Carolina and back for practice, but luckily, I was able to take a break for this blog. Enjoy!

Just a little reflection from yours truly, Sierra Jamir: Westwood Performance

"He's a Pirate!" Fina

The next generation of Rondalla

"Rosas Pandan" Octavina section

Last Sunday on June 16th, we (the IP Rondalla) had our last US performance at the Westwood High School. Our full two-hour length show began at 6:00 pm and ended at almost 8:00 pm. Having arrived at the high school at 3:00 pm, face caked with makeup, pins protruding from the bun of my hair, I honestly didn't know if I was ready for the show. Throughout week, we had practiced every other day, mastering our 30 or so piece repertoire, dance routine, and on the last day, our stage presence. Nonetheless, we were nervous. Most of us had never been in a real, full-length rondalla performance before--two hours of solid rondalla playing--a feat unthinkable just a few months ago.

Brown University & the Children's Museum

Hello everyone,

Sorry for long inactivity! Finally, vacation has arrived, and long last, this blog can be updated!

This past month, our group has been performing at several locations around Boston as a way to raise funds for our trip happening in only less than a month! So, this post will serve to highlight a few of performances and, of course, to acknowledge some of our sponsors!

Lining up to perform Sweet Caroline

BROWN UNIVERSITY's 

Filipino Alliance's 25th Anniversary

On April 27th, I attended Brown University's Filipino Alliance show to celebrate 25 years of Filipino culture and talent. This was one of the places where the IP Rondalla was asked to perform. Although I couldn't perform due to my school's early sign-in time, I still took the one-and-a-half hour drive down south with my mother to support my fellow IP Rondalla members.
The first half of the performance began at 8:00pm. Students from Brown, Filipino and not, created a unique repertoire including the per usual men in coconut suits, Maglalatik, a poem about the Filipino identity, and a hip hop mashup of Filipino and English songs. IP Rondalla played four songs, including America The Beautiful, a medley of Sweet Caroline and I'm Shipping Up to Boston in honor of those who lost their lives during the Boston Marathon. IP Rondalla's performance won the hearts of all the students in the audience with their glistening costumes and their instruments' unique twanging sounds. I was sitting next to a Brown student who exclaimed to me that he could not believe Fil-Am students had so much passion for their own culture. "It was amazing."