Salute to Women Month

By: Veronica Leighton

 

February, the second and shortest month of the year, possesses the month with the love and heart, the reason of which the lovers’ occasion, Valentine’s Day, is being celebrated on this month. Here’s a short Funny Valentine’s story that I want to share with you, when I sent out a Feb Memo to the staffers addressing them as LOVERS & LOVEES, in which Elsie Sy- Niebar, senior editor & Notebook columnist, immediately replied, “I AM LOVELESS!” Whichever and whatever, with or without love, we must share our love, from our heart and mind, with people around us.

Another VT writer who’s sending in her love message, “Love’s Nature” this month is our Poet Maria Victoria Smith. Vicki is also sharing with us a very good news in her literary career…She wrote on her FB, “Dear Friends, forgive me for sharing great news shared to me by my Alma Mater, the University of the Philippines. It appears UP President Pascual proudly showed off a picture of me and my book of poems featured in a recent UP Alumni magazine!!!

I wasn’t even aware they would do this–and therefore, I am tickled beyond joy! There’s nothing better than one’s Alma Mater being proud of its own daughter’s accomplishments! My husband and I have also been asked by UP’s top academic leadership to help address its institutional challenges in a series of academic leadership meetings scheduled this year.

I am so deeply gratified to have this opportunity to give back to my Alma Mater who’d first given to me by honoring me with full academic scholarships from my A.B. to my L.L.B.! I know you all are happy to know this, too–thus, my sincere, humble sharing.”

We are indeed very happy to hear the above good news from our brilliant poet-writer, Vicki Smith, one of the recipients of our 2013 Hall of Fame award. Congratulations and happy Valentine’s to you and your family!

We welcome a new exciting Columnist who will be handling our Food Section, Fil-Am Eats” on page 43. We are very proud to have Aeron Lancero on board, joining our most talented writers and contributors. Aeron is a very successful restaurateur-entrepreneur who coowns upscale restaurants in the Chicagoland area, such as E+O Food in Mount Prospect and Yum Cha Restaurant in downtown Chicago.

His column will be showcasing ethnic foods, chefs and restaurants around. Aeron and his group are the ones who make sure that our Filipino dishes are recognized among the list of international culinaries in cosmopolitan places globally. Please read more about Aeron and his maiden column on page 43. May I add, too, that Aeron was one of the recipients of our community’s prestigious award in the field of Hospitality Business, the Chicago Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame in 2014.

Happy, happpy birthday to February girl, Girlie Pascual, (G-Mail columnist, page 27) who celebrated her birthday on February 7 in the fun city, Las Vegas. You’ll hear more about this in her column in VT’s next issue, am sure.

Our very popular CPRTV’s Dance Host, Nick Vera Perez, introduces a new dance partner, Sarah May, in “Let’s Dance with Nick” segment, pictured above with Nick and me. Very talented and very sexy Sarah May is Nick’s co-worker at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

“Art” columnist (page 37) Louella Maningas-Cabalona is currently in the Philippines with her husband Baron, vacationing and doing a good deed with friends in a medical mission. It seems that this duo will now make an annual trek to the PH since their fun destination wedding in Boracay in 2014, this time in helping out the poor in the Philippines.

Enjoy reading this wonderful February issue, particularly our featured cover story of Ms. Vernie Velarde-Morales, Director of the Philippine Department Tourism who will be going back to her home PH office in April.

Vernie has served our