Mabuhay Ka Pinoy (Long Live Filipino)

The Philippines has been conquered by foreign countries like Spain, America and Japan a long time ago. With time, the Filipinos seem to blend in with these foreign cultures. Foreign tyranny has long been gone after the Philippines gained its full independence. The present time is the time when it is the Filipino's turn to conquer the world (or had they started it already?).

From all over the world, we could hear Filipinos becoming famous from the different sects of society, like in sports, music and others. Allow me to cite a few of them...

The Three Filipinas -- Noelle Wenceslao, Carina Dayondon and Janet Belarmino who scaled Mt. Everest

They were the first Southeast Asian women who made it to the summit of the world's highest mountain, Mt. Everest. It was said that Wenceslao reached the summit at 6:10am Nepal time (8:10am Philippine time), Dayondon arrived 10 minutes later. On the other hand, Belarmino reached the summit around 7:45am Nepal time (around 10:45am Philippine time).

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao

Pacman is a Filipino professional boxer and the first Asian boxer to win three world titles in three different weight divisions -- the WBC and Ring Magazine Super Featherweight Champion, the former world champion at IBF Super Bantamweight, and WBC Flyweight divisions. A movie based on his life has been produced and was released on June 21, 2006 entitled Pacquiao: The Movie. Pacquiao produced the song "Para Sa "Yo Ang Laban Na "To" (Translation: "This Fight is for You") which became a hit single all over the Philippines. Pacman also appeared in numerous beer commercial with famous personalities like Morales and Jet Li.

Efren "Bata" Reyes

Efren "Bata" Reyes is a professional pool player and a two-time world champion. He is considered as on of the all-time greats in the games of nine ball and one-pocket. Aside from being a notable player in the game of nine-ball, Bata possesses a masterful skill in straight pool, a game completely obscure in the Philippines. In 1995, Efren Reyes dominated the Maine 14.1 Event, besting very well-known names such as Jim Rempe and Earl Strickland. His highest run in that tournament was 123. Efren Reyes, along with Francisco Bustamante, is featured in a video game called World Championship Pool 2004.

Lea Salonga

Lea Salonga-Chien (now married to Robert Charles Chien) is a multi-awarded Filipino singer and actress. She was the very first Filipino artist who conquered the international world of musical theater when she played the lead role of Kim in the award-winning musical play Miss Saigon. She was the first to have won various international awards for a single role -- Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World Awards. She was also the first Asian to play the role of Eponine in the musical Les Miserables on Broadway. She is the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin(1992) and Fa Mulan in Mulan I(199) and Mulan II(2004).

Charice Pempengco

At a young age of fifteen years old, Charice Pempengco is making big waves in the international music industry. Her stardom started when a video of her singing the Whitney Houston's hit "I Will Always Love You" which was posted in YouTube was discovered by Ellen De Generes, who invited Charice to guest on her talk show last December 19, 2007. She also guested last December 29, 2007 in South Korea's popular talent show, Star King, where she sang "And I Am Telling You". She recently appeared last April 8, 2008 in one of the top-rating British talk-comedy program, the Paul O'Grady Show, where she sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls and "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. In all her guesting performances, she was given a standing ovation from all the studio audiences. And this month of May, she will be guesting with the other talented children in "The Oprah Winfrey Show".

The list does not end there, let us not forget our "modern day heroes" -- the OFWs who comprise of nurses, caregivers, engineers and domestic helpers. These are Filipinos who sacrificed themselves and their families for something that makes their lives better (more specifically, becoming more financially stable). They are the people who help in stabilizing the economy of not just their own families, but the whole Filipino family as well.

Mabuhay Ka Pinoy!