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Filipino Trivias and Pilipino "Who's who" that made the global scene.  This is
a sequel to "Famous Pilipinos" posting regarding the real inventor of
fluorescent lamp.  See item #12.  To challenge the veracity of this particular
claim, there must be a prescriptive period, like at least 60 years.  Well, from
available documents and "rumor-mongerings", story-telling-a-lie, kuwentong
kutsero, which all eventually become part of the historical, literary, or
documented literature of a country, this claim has been around since, around
the 1940's.  So with due respect to those who have questioned the accuracy or
validity of this specific claim, I would suggest the position...BE PROUD THAT A
PILIPINO has been accorded the honor of having discovered/invented the
fluorescent lamp, until you can come up with solid facts and evidence to
controvert this claim.  

[Ang tunay na Pusong Pinoy ay Magalang, Mapagkumbaba ngunit  Taas Noo na siya
ay Lahing Pilipino, Mapagmahal at Matulungin sa Kapwa Pilipino, Marunong
Makisama sa ibang Lahi, Mapapagkatiwalaan, at higit sa lahat, ay Maka-Diyos.]


The genuine Pilipino Spirit is Respectful of Authority, Humble but Proud to be
a Pilipino, Cares for and helps his fellow Pilipinos,
Hospitable, Trustworthy, and God-Fearing.  

The following "trivia account" is replete with examples of Proud Pilipinos who
have demonstrated and shared their skills and achievements with their
fellow-men.  We in Pusong Pinoy, a radio program in DWIZ, 882 AM, Makati City
are proud of them.
Mabuhay ang Pilipino.  Pagpalain ng Maykapal ang buong bansang Pilipinas.


1.  In the Philippines, Filipinos were introduced to the English language
in 1762 by British invaders, not Americans. 

2.  What is the world's 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to the
USA and the UK?  The Philippines. 

3.  The USA bought the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam from Spain in 1898. 

4.  The Filipino-American Independence War from 1898 to 1902 ensued,
killing 4,234 Americans and how many Filipinos?  16,000 were killed in
action and 200,000 died from famine and pestilence.  (The Philippines lost
and was colonized until 1946.) 

5.  Los Angeles, California was co-founded in 1781 by a Filipino named
Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, along with 43 Latinos from Mexico sent by the
Spanish government. 

6.  What antibiotic did Filipino doctor Abelardo Aguilar co-discover?
Hint: Brand is Ilosone, named after Iloilo.  Erythromycin. 

7.  The one-chip video camera was first made by Marc Loinaz, a Filipino
inventor from New Jersey. 

8.  The first ever international Grandmaster from Asia was Eugenio Torre
who won at the Chess Olympiad in Nice, France in 1974. 

9.  This son of two Filipino physicians scored over 700 on the verbal
portion of the Standardized Achievement Test (SAT) before age 13 - Kiwi
Danao Camara of Punahou School, Hawaii.

\10.  Edward Sanchez, a Mensa member, bagged the grand prize in the first
Philippine Search for Product Excellence in Information Technology. 

11.  Who was the Filipino-American dancer who scored a perfect 1600 on the
SAT?  Joyce Monteverde of California.

12.  Who invented the fluorescent lamp?  Thomas Edison discovered the
electric light and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla.
 But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores (a
Cebu man named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island, according to the
Philippine Daily Inquirer), a Filipino scientist.  Americans helped
then-Philippine leader Ramon Magsaysay to develop it for worldwide
commerce.  (Yes!  Many foreigners have noted that the Filipino population
has Asia's highest rates of inventors and international beauty queens.) 

13.  Two Filipina beauties, Gloria Diaz and Margie Morgan, chosen as Miss
Universe in 1969 and 1973. 

14.  Pure- or part-Filipino celebrities in American showbiz include Von
Flores, Tia Carrere, Paolo Montalban, Lea Salonga, Ernie Reyes Jr., Nia
Peeples, Julio Iglesias Jr., Lou Diamond Phillips, Phoebe Cates and Rob
Schneider. 

15.  The first Filipino act to land a top hit on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart in the 1960s was the group Rocky Fellers of Manila.  Sugar Pie
deSanto (father was from the Philippines), The Artist Formerly Known as
Prince (according to the October 1984 article "Prince in Exile" by Scott
Isler in the magazine Musician), Jaya, Foxy Brown and Enrique Iglesias
followed. 

16.  Pure Filipinos who made success in minor charts were Jocelyn Enriquez
aka Oriental Madonna, Buffy, Pinay and (Ella May) Saison. 

17.  Latina-American pop star Christina Aguilera lost to Filipina vocalist
Josephine Roberto aka Banig during the International Star Search years ago.
 In a mid-1999 MTV chat, she said that competing against someone of Banig's
age was "not fair." 

18.  Besides gracing fashion magazine covers, this international supermodel
from Manila had walked the runways since the 1970s for all the major
designers, like Calvin Klein, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix,
Donna Karan, Gianni Versace andYves Saint Laurent - Anna Bayle. 

19.  Who is the personal physician of United States Pres. William Clinton?
Eleanor "Connie" Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest
captain in the US Navy. 

20.  The first Filipino-American in US Congress was Virginia Rep. Robert
Cortez-Scott, a Harvard alumnus.

21.  Distinguished British traveler-writer A. Henry Savage Landor, thrilled
upon seeing a Bicol landmark in 1903, wrote: "Mayon is the most beautiful
mountain I have ever seen, then world-renowned Fujiyama (Mt.Fuji) of Japan
sinking into perfect insignificance by comparison."  Mayon has the world's
most perfect cone. 

22.  Filipinos had their first taste of Mexican chili and corn during the
Manila-Acapulco galleon trade (1564-1815).  In return, Mexico's people had
their initial taste of tamarind, Manila mango and a Filipino banana called
racatan or lakatan.

23.  Founded in 1595 by Spaniards, the University of San Carlos in Cebu
City, Philippines is older than Harvard and is the oldest university in
Asia. University of Santo Tomas in Manila, established in 1611, is Asia's
second oldest. 

24.  Who's the Filipina senator popular for her colorful jargon, delivered
in a mile-a-minute speed and in a weird Harvard-meets-Ilonggo accent?
Atty. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. 

25.  The first female president of the Philippines sworn into office in
1986 was Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.  Her maiden name is Chinese.

26.  In a March 31,1997 article, The New York Times reported that the CIA
manipulated Philippine elections: "(CIA operative Col. Edward Lansdale)
essentially ran the successful presidential campaign of Defense Minister
Ramon Magsaysay in the Philippines in 1953. 

27.  Who was the first Asian and/or Filipino to snatch America's Pulitzer
Prize?  Philippines Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo in 1941.  (He
was also the first Asian to become UN President.)

28.  The first two Filipino-Americans to garner the same award 56 years
later were Seattle Times' Alex Tizon and Byron Acohido, who is part-Korean. 

29.  Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up
to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and
Chinese.  What were his last words?  "Consummatum est!"  ("It is done!") 

30.  "What's still most impressive to me about the Philippines is the
friendliness of the people, their sense of humor...," wrote Honolulu
journalist John Griffin in a 1998 visit to Manila.