Congratulations to Ramiele Malubay for making the top 24 on American Idol 7.

Former WBC light flyweight champion Brian Viloria, now fighting as a flyweight, scored a big win as his comeback continued with a unanimous points decision over Cesar “Gallito” Lopez on the undercard of the “Revenge or Repeat” fight card featuring Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor.

Although it may be considered somewhat of a comedown for a former world champion to fight an eight rounder, the card was so loaded with great world title fights that there was no room for Viloria. But, the fighter who traces his roots to Ilocos Sur but is nicknamed “The Hawaiin Punch” took the fight and put on an impressive performance.

All three judges had Viloria winning handily with two judges scoring it for the former champion 78-73 and the third judge 77-74.

Viloria dropped Lopez in the fifth round with a solid right but couldn’t finish the job against the durable Lopez who hasn’t been knocked out in his career with a record of 20-6-4 with 4 knockouts.

Viloria who defeated Jose Garcia Bernal last January 24 after losing a majority decision to Edgar Sosa in a battle for the vacant WBC title on April 14,2007 is reportedly eyeing a title shot at Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire but that will have to wait since Donaire is scheduled to defend his title against Australia’s Hussein Hussein in Dubai on April 18.

Lopez who is from El Paso, Texas lost a unanimous decision to Isidro Garcia in an IBA title fight on April 17, 2007 and earlier dropped a unanimous decision to Glenn Donaire , older brother of Nonito Donaire in an NABA and vacant WBO NABO flyweight title bout on May 5, 2006.

Source: PhilBoxing.com
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Photos by: JAE C. HONG | Associated Press

I saw this video on youtube eight months ago and just came across it recently again. This clip discusses about discrimination within the Filipino community. We are all filipino with different lifestyles. Why not we all support and learn from each other. Watch this clip from speak out and let us know what you think about this clip. Send us a comment.

Christel Simms, a 16-year-old Filipina and a current Hawaii State swimming champion, has passed the qualifying standard for the 100-meter freestyle event of the Beijing Olympics in August.

And while USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport in the US, has placed Simms as its potential entry to the 2012 London Olympics, her Pinay mother, Jocelyn, sees her carrying the RP flag.

“I call the shots. My daughter is Filipino and will swim for the Philippines. Her uncle was a Filipino national tennis champion so our link to Philippine sports is solid,” said the mother.

Swimming association president Mark Joseph said Simms will definitely race for the Philippines in Beijing, and just became the first Filipina to be part of this year’s team.

Already assured of tickets to Beijing were male swimmers Miguel Molina, Ryan Arabejo, Daniel Coakley and James Walsh, the “Golden Boys” of the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last December.

Joseph said FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu has confirmed that Simms’ time of 57.17 seconds during the USA Junior National Swimming Championships last August in Indianapolis is good for Beijing.

“Like Coakley, she is a Hawaii State champion, so that gives us two Pinoys, a male and female as the fastest swimmers in USA Swimming’s Pacific jurisdiction,” said Joseph in a lengthy text message.

Simms is only the seventh Filipina to qualify to the Olympics since the Philippines began competing in the quadrennial event in 1924 in Paris. The others who have carried the tri-colors were Nancy Deano (1976 Montreal), Christine Jacob (1984 Los Angeles), Akiko Thomson (1988 Seoul and 1996 Atlanta), Marie-Liza Danila and Jenny Rose Guerrero (2000 Sydney) and Jacklyn Pangilinan (2004 Athens).

Joseph said Simms is a hot commodity in the US.

“USA Swimming has identified Simms as a potential replacement in the 2012 Olympics for USA’s four-time Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin, whose mom is Pinay and who’s now 21,” he said.

“Fortunately with good ties between PASA and USA Swimming, Christel will continue to have the best training in the world,” added Joseph, who’s looking forward to the race between Simms and Coughlin.

“Beijing will be a nice race between two caliber Pinays from different generations and countries. What better experience from Christel can we dream of?” the PASA chief said.

source: www.philstar.com
By Abac Cordero

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We spotted Christine Viernes, Aka: Teen, at the next movement event at the Nextdoor club in her hometown, Honolulu, Hawaii. She was showcasing her latest fashion line, and I thought that her designs were very inspiring.

Q&A with Christine Viernes

Brown Nation: Where are your origins in the Philippines?
Teen: Mayantoc, Tarlac…don’t know what purok that is?

Brown Nation: What did your parents want you to be when you grow up?
Teen: A Nurse…typical right…or at least in the medical field.

Brown Nation: How long have you been designing?
Teen: 3 years

Brown Nation: How did you start in the fashion industry?
Teen: I have always been creative and got into fashion when I was studying at Heald College. Then my fashion sense began to kick in. When I could not find a job in the medical field, I worked for the state at Farington High School and realized that this wasn’t working for me and quit. Then I ended up at Honolulu Community College studying fashion design and loved it.

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