MANILA, Philippines - Ms. Shirley Halili-Cruz, the multi-awarded founder and artistic director of the world-class Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and its performing company, the Quezon City Ballet also known as the Halili-Cruz Dance Company, was honored recently as one of the six outstanding Filipinos who were hailed as the “new generation of heroes.”

SM Supermalls, as part of its commitment to give recognition to Filipinos who have exceptional international achievements, conferred the “Notable Global Pinoy” award to honor modern-day heroes – the artists, professionals, and Filipinos with outstanding global achievements. They also launched Global Pinoy Centers in different SM Supermalls all over the country.

Annie Garcia, president of SM Supermalls, led in honoring the awardees: Ballet dancer, dance educator, and director Shirley Halili-Cruz; Associate Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the first Filipino-American appointed as Chief Justice in California; Myrna Dullavin, is now the head of the Muntinlupa Public Employment Service Office (PESO); Dr. Christian Emmanuel Mancao, founder of Mancao Myotheraphy and a regular on the TV program “Salamat Doc;” Collins Gutierrez-Fleischner, Filipino-Australian international singer and thespian; and retired Ambassador Isaias Begonia.

The Halili-Cruz School of Ballet, awarded as “The Most Outstanding Ballet School in Asia,” has represented the Philippines in different competitions and festivals in Australia, Brunei; Beijing, China; Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, etc.

For decades now the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and its performing company, the Quezon City Ballet have been consistent first prize winners in international competitions. The group is the Grand Prize Winner in the Asia Pacific Dance Competition in Australia, America, Singapore, and Thailand, Aliw Awardee, as Best Classical Dance Company, NCCA Ani ng Dangal Awardee, People’s Choice Award as the Most Outstanding Performing Group, and First Prize Winner in the 21st Century International Dance and Music Competition in Genting Highlands, Malaysia.

Ms. Halili-Cruz is also the moving force behind the well participated NCCA National Dance Competition and the popular Sayaw Pinoy Project, a touring dance concert, which has been to the various cities and provinces of the country. She has also founded and spearheaded the implementation of “Dance Xchange,” the only international dance festival in the Philippines. She is the chairman of the NCCA, National Committee on Dance.

Different award giving bodies have given Ms. Halili-Cruz numerous awards and recognitions including the 2010 Patnubay ng Sining at Kultura for Dance by the City of Manila, 2009 Global Excellence Awardee in Arts and Culture, 2009 NCCA Ani ng Dangal awardee, 2009 Aliw Awardee, 2008 Nagniningning na Alagad Ng Sining Special Awardee by Provincial Government of Laguna, Ulirang Ina, 2004 Global Unsung Heroes Award for Filipino Greatness, 2004 Gawad Galing Ng Filipino Award, 2003 Asia Pacific Achiever Awardee for Arts and Culture in Osaka, Japan.

To date, Shirley has received more than 210 national and international awards.

Congratulations to Ms. Shirley Halili-Cruz and to all the 2010 Global Pinoy awardees.

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‘Dawn of the Space Age’ at Discovery Center

Premiered recently at the Digistar Planetarium of the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center is the movie “Dawn of the Space Age.” The movie marked the Philippines’ participation for the first time in the observance of the World Space Week. The UN General Assembly officially declared Oct. 4-10 as World Space Week in 1999. Celebrated in over 63 countries, World Space Week aims to celebrate the contribution of space, science and technology to human kind.

“Dawn of the Space Age” takes one on a visual and virtual tour of the Space Race between the USSR and USA. The film takes viewers back to as early as 1957, from the space exploration milestones: The first human space flight by Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first space walk by Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, to the launch of the Soyuz Space Station.
On Oct. 25, kids who will be watching “Dawn of the Space Age” will have the chance to be part of the Passport to Discovery Promotion wherein the lucky ones stand the chance to win a trip for two to Singapore, including tours of the Night Safari, Singapore Zoo and the Singapore Science Center.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings for Oct. 9, go to Rotarian Mercy Ong, Charito Gonzalez, Joannie Feliciano, Peluchi Esteban, Cristy Mendoza, Gay Abundo, Shonna C. Teves, Rosario Gidaya, Allyson Lacson Young, Norman Laudith, Brigida Garcia, Ariel Almoite, Lydia Reyes, Rusty Sandiko of Harmony Dance Palace, Philip de Vera of London, Maliksi Morales of Star Magic and Sarah Lahbati of GMAAC…