Maria Mamaril, 44-year-old Pampanga native followed the footsetpes of his father Brigido Mamaril, a retired culinary specialist from the US Navy. She climbed the military ranks quickly, earning two degrees, serving two tours of duty in the Middle East, and overcoming depression while being a military wife and mother to two young children. Among the nine siblings, Mamaril says she was the only child who chose the military as a life and career.

Along with two fellow petty officers at the US Naval Medical Center in San Diego, she was promoted to the military’s highest rank for an enlisted sailor, master chief petty officer, at a special ceremony.

Maria signed up for the Navy with the intention of using the GI Bill to help pay for her nursing college tuition. In 1987, she was assigned to her first ship in the supply department on the USS Acadia, one of the first ships to accept women.

She attended medical school during her off hours and was promoted to hospital corpsman third class within a few months.
By 1992, she was working in San Diego, married to a hospital corpsman chief and caring for their first child. After graduating from Surgical Technician School she was assigned to boot camp with the US Marines, since the Marines do not have their own medical unit.

Five years later she was nominated Senior Sailor of the Year while working at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. In January 2003 she was deployed overseas for Iraqi Freedom in Northern Kuwait. Her surgical company was in charge of evacuating the Marines, Army, sailors, and civilians.

In 2007, she earned a MA Degree in Security Administration. During that same year, she was deployed to the Arabian Seas twice. As master chief and mother of two, Maria still loves working with patients and mentoring the next generation of new recruits.

As master chief and mother of two, Maria still loves working with patients and mentoring the next generation of new recruits. “It’s really a big change for them (Filipinos and women) to see someone like them at the very top.” She says road that she took benefited her in the end and can open the door for others.

She says a lot has changed in the military: Mandated policies prohibiting sexual harassment and post-traumatic stress treatment programs have long been implemented.

Maria had gone a long way and her success made her father truly proud of her!

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Sandra impressed the judges with her answer to the final question “with global environment changing, what would you like to change in yourself that will make you a better pro-environment person?’’ She said that she became aware of environmental issues when she joined the contest, adding that her basic awareness to the problems would help in the protection of the environment. The same question was asked of the four other winners.

Seifert, also a fashion model, won special awards during the pageant — Best in Cultural Attire, Best in Swimsuit, and Gandang Ricky Reyes awardee.

Other winners are: Adie Adelantar, Miss Eco-Tourism and Miss PAGCOR. She also won Miss Psalmstre New Placenta 2009, Patricia Tumulak, Miss Philippines-Air and Miss Science and Technology; Michelle Braun, Miss Philippines-Air; and Catherine Loyola, Miss Philippines-Water. Runners-up were Alexis Go, Vanessa Johnson, Kirstie Babor, Tessa Kruger and Monique Manuel. Other winners of special awards were Jane Sy, Miss Photogenic, Miss Ever Bilena; Angelee delos Reyes, Miss Talent; Babor, Miss Congeniality; Karryl Lopez, Miss Golden Sunset and Loyola, Miss Magnolia Ice Cream.The winners won cash, scholarship grants and products from pageant sponsors.

Congratulations ladies!

A Filipina mother and  a great actress gave honor to our country after she won the Best Supporting Actress trophy in the recently concluded Asian Film Festival held in Hongkong last Monday. Gina Pareño bagged the prestigious award in the Film Festival which is dubbed as the Asian Oscars for her role in the indie film ‘Serbis.’ This film which was also an entry in the Cannes Film Festival last May has already earned her another international recognition when she won Best Actress at the 6th Pacific Meridian Film Festival in Vladivostok, Russia.

Gina Pareño also won a Best Actress trophy for Jeffrey Jeturian’s 2006 film “Kubrador” at the Osian’s-Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema in New Delhi, India; the International Festival of Independent Film in Brussels, Belgium; and the Amiens International Film Fest in France.

I like her role as “Lola Gets” in ABS CBN’s teleserye “Tayong Dalawa”, I can say she’s both good in drama and comedy roles.

Congratulations Ms. Gina Pareno!