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JERSEY CITY – Veteran Filipino-American journalist Reynaldo P. Naval, a longtime resident of Jersey City, died Thursday night (July 12) in Dasmarinas, Cavite. He would have turned 73 on Monday (July 16). Naval suffered a stroke on Monday (July 9) after coming home from gatherings with friends and colleagues at two media organizations - the National Press Club of the Philippines and Samahang Plaridel in Manila.

MANILA - Amid the swirl of charges of slow vote count, cheating and threats of violence, there emerged many momentous events that make the Filipino proud of his democratic heritage.

The lowly-paid and oft-neglected public school teachers, who are always called upon to act as inspectors in every election, displayed unusual heroism and devotion to their role as watchdogs against vote cheating last May 14.

MANILA - If for anything, the recently concluded mid-term elections established many Firsts in contemporary political history of the country. It also produced surprises and setbacks for veteran pols, including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

First and foremost, a small-town Catholic priest was elected governor of Pampanga, Arroyo’s home province, humiliating his two rivals who are backed by massive political machines and tons of money. Dubbed early on as an unknown entity, Fr. Eddie Panlilio showed the country that decency and integrity can win over dirty politics even in a dysfunctional democracy.

MANILA - You’d be amaze at the mix bag of personalities running for the mid-term elections on May 14.

A Muslim politician has adopted the nickname Bin Laden in his campaign posters for a provincial board seat in Mindanao . That’s not his real name but he adopted the moniker hoping to attract the attention of voters. In a TV interview, he proclaimed himself to be the GOOD Bin Laden.

Filipinos have been roaming the world as early as the 16th century, first setting foot in Southern Mexico. Were it not for a quirk of historical fate, the early Pinoy migrants could have settled much of California when it was still under Spanish rule.

In 1675, a small colony of Pinoy seafarers were discovered to have set up a small village in the outskirts of New Orleans called the Manila Village. The village, some 100 miles from New Orleans, consisted mainly of Filipino males and their sons (110 women) with their own rules and quasi-laws. They were known as the Manila men living in stilt houses in the forbidding swamps of Louisiana.

CAVITE - At the onset of the 1900s, an intrepid Irish-American seeking to better his life saw bright prospects in the Philippines and decided to settle in the country. He never looked back at his roots-Ireland-or America where he first emigrated.

Humprey O’Leary, Sr. staked his future here, married a Filipina and raised a family that now extends to three generations.