We want to share our happiness in our hearts for the release of ABS-CBN senior correspondent Ces Orena-Drilon and her crew, cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion, assistant cameraman Angel Valderama who was released on June 12 and their guide Professor Octavio Dinampo of the Mindanao State University from their captors. All of us here from our family to staff has been praying for everyones safe return. Our thanks also goes to Senator Loren Legarda for her tireless efforts in the negotiation. A brief statement from Ces accompanied by a news excerpt from ABS-CBN can be read and viewed below.

Welcome Back Ces and crew !!!

From ABS-CBN News June 18 :

ABS-CBN senior correspondent Ces Drilon on Wednesday thanked all those who helped secure her release and two others late Tuesday night in Sulu.
“I want to thank everybody. Words are not enough to thank those who prayed for the professor, Jimmy, Angel, and myself,” Drilon told reporters in Sulu before boarding a military chopper bound for Zamboanga City.
Asked how she felt, Drilon said: “Siyempre, masayang masaya (Of course, very happy).”
Senator Loren Legarda helped negotiate the release of Drilon, cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion and their guide Prof. Octavio Dinampo of the Mindanao State University late Tuesday night. Assistant camerman Angel Valderama was freed June 12.
They were all kidnapped by armed men, believed by authorities to be members of the Abu Sayyaf terror group, last June 8.
Drilon, wearing a white T-shirt and white jogging pants, looked tired and may have lost weight from their nine-day ordeal in the hinterlands of Sulu. She also had mosquito bites on her face.
“Giant ang lamok doon,” she said.
Drilon and her companions were immediately brought from Sulu to Zamboanga City by military helicopter.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Avelino Razon told dzMM Wednesday that Drilon and her companions underwent medical exam in Zamboanga City.
Doctors said Drilon was suffering from low blood pressure, presumably due to lack of sleep, and had many mosquito bites.
Razon said the Abu Sayyaf Group which the ABS-CBN crew tried to interview was the same group that kidnapped them.
He said Drilon was not hurt by her captors, contrary to earlier reports. He also said no ransom was paid.
Razon said the kidnappers threatened to behead their captives but this was not carried out.
He said the release of the ABS-CBN news team and their guide was due to the work of the negotiators and the “pressure of possible police-miltiary operations.”
Loren helps
Legarda, a former ABS-CBN broadcaster, worked behind the scenes to help free the ABS-CBN crew and Dinampo, a Mindanao peace advocate.
“I just talked with Ces now. Ces is free, she is resting, and she will soon be in the hands of her family,” Legarda told radio station DZMM early Wednesday morning.
Legarda said Drilon and her companions had to walk five hours before they were picked up by authorities and brought to the house of Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji.
She said the military operations conducted by the Philippine military helped put pressure on the kidnappers to release their captives.
On Sunday, the military shelled rebel positions on Jolo but denied that the operation had anything to do with the kidnapping.
In a statement dated June 17, 11 pm, the families of the three ABS-CBN TV crew thanked Legarda, local officials of Sulu, and police and military officials for helping free the ABS-CBN team.
“There are people who gave us timely and valuable advice as we grappled with ways to secure the release of Ces, Jimmy, and Angelo. They wish to remain anonymous, but they know how eternally grateful we are to all of them,” the families said, in a joint statement released by ABS-CBN corporate communications.
“Above all, the release of Ces, Jimmy, and Angelo could not have been possible without the help of Senator Loren Legarda and the cooperation of the people of Sulu and their local government namely Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and Vice Governor Lady Ann Sahidullah. We thank them and share their hope for enduring peace in Mindanao,” it said.
“For their invaluable assistance, we thank Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno; National Police chief Avelino Razon Jr.; officials of the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) led by Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina and Senior Supt. Edgardo Iglesia and the PNP Intelligence Group led by Chief Supt. Rolando Anonuevo and Supt. Winnie Quidato; the Marines based in Sulu led Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban,” it said.
Legarda said Drilon kept promising to give P15 million or P20 million to the kidnappers, but when they “realized they wouldn’t get anything and when they felt the [military] pressure,” they decided to release their captives.
Legarda said Drilon thought she would die in captivity and asked to help get her released. “You are my lifeline,” she quoted Drilon as having told her.
Legarda said she coordinated her effort in securing Drilon’s release with ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs executives Maria Ressa and Charie Villa.
She said she did not promise the young kidnappers anything, but she told them she knew their parents.
DZMM Correspondent Noel Alamar reported that the turn over was done around 11 pm in Barangay Kagay, Talipao.
They were held for nine days by an armed group believed to be Abu Sayyaf bandits in the hinterlands of Sulu island.
“Nandoon po sila sa sa bahay ni [Indanan] Mayor [Alvarez] Isnaji,” Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said in an earlier interview over DZMM.
“Sila ay dadalhin dito sa Zamboanga [City] kung saan po ay mag-uundergo sila ng medical check up at pagkatapos po niyan ay isang debriefing para malaman po natin sa kanila directly kung anong nangyari,” he added.
There were reports that the armed group kept the captives in the bandits’ lairs in Maimbung and Indanan towns.
The kidnappers initially released ABS-CBN assistant cameraman Angelo Valderama on June 12. He was released by to Jun Isnaji, son of Mayor Isnaji.
Mayor Isnaji, a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader whom the kidnappers agreed to be an emissary, said the kidnappers contacted him through their mobile phones. The negotiating team was led by Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and Vice-Governor Hadja Nur Ana Sahidullah.
When asked if they are going to pursue the kidnap group, Razon said they will have to get more information from the former captives to get a better idea on the identities of the suspects.
“Atin pong titignan po matapos nating madebrief sina Ces Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion at Prof. Dimampo para lalong pagtibayin ang ebidensya na hawak sa grupong ito,” he said.
He added that the PNP will maintain it heightened alert on the area until such time the alert is no longer needed.
“Magpapatuloy po muna… at iyan ay ating a-assessin po kung kelangang manatiling ganun,” he said.
Razon said the three will be brought to the Jolo provincial hospital for a medical check-up before flying to Zamboanga City for a debriefing.

The Bureau of immigration (BI) has installed 125 passport reader machines at 7 primary airports. Bureau of Immigration Commisioner Marcelo Libanan said that out of 125 passport reader machines, a total of 76 were installed at the immigration arrival and departure counters of Terminal 1 and 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). The remaining 49 machimes were distributed among other airports of the country such as Cebu, Clark, Davao, Kalibo and Laoag. Out of the 125 machines, 91 were purchased by the bureau and the rest were donated by the Australian Government, under a border management improvement project jointly undertaken by Manila and Canberra.

While upgrades are being undertaken the Bureau of Immigration at the same time eased the requirements on foreign tourists who overstay in the country. They issued an order allowing foreigners who overstayed for not more than 3 days to pay extension fees at the airports. It amended a rule that extensions should be paid on BI main and field offices and not at the airports. These steps are being implemented to make a more favorable stay for foreign tourists and travelers. A small step change that would really make it easier for foreign travelers.

This an amazing find and news. For the very first time Filipino Movie Entertainment have come up with an animated film of our very own. Children really do love to watch animation and that is a fact, because I do remember myself watching a lot and kids really sit down for hours watching animated TV series and sci-fi pics. Doing a film like this would not just be an animation film alone but would surely be an educational influence and at the same time a historical reference of the Philippines. The producers of this film have come up with a good idea and it is by far the best in animation on local productions. The very first Urduja film was released in 1942 and stars Fernando Poe Sr. and Luningning. It was also re-released in the late 70’s through LVN Pictures and stars Amalia Fuentes. Though the film was patterned after Disney’s Pocahantas and Mulan, it depicts the Filipinos talent on creating animation and putting it to work. This isn’t bad at all as it will be a start of a more creative filming’s in the movie industry and more educational local animation from the Philippines. Urduja is a legendary warrior princess and a recognized popular heroine from Pangasinan. Much of her story are included on Philippine textbooks, archived as one of the greatest heroines and she also have a statue at the Hundred islands National Park with the capitol building in Lingayen named after her as Urduja Palace.

The new Urduja animated film will soon be released in local cinemas and with fine local actors and actresses representing the voices of the characters in the film. Produced by Antonio Tuviera of APT Entertainment, who originally planned to release the animated film in 1977 as a TV series but backed out due to high production cost then moved it 3 decades later as a full length movie. Watch the animated film’s movie teaser below with the cast listed who performed the voice.

• Regine Velazquez as Urduja
• Cezar Montano as Lim Hang
• Eddie Garcia as Lakanpati
• Jay Manalo as Simakwel
• Michael V. as Kukut
• Johnny Delgado as Wang
• Jeffrey Quizon as Daisuke
• Ruby Rodriguez as Mayumi
• Allan K. as Tarsir
  

Lets take this topic so as the new generation would not forget a Filipino who contributed to world history. It may now be on the history archives but on the X-Files division since no one has an exact detail of proof of this great historical event and besides as you well know that during those times the race for space supremacy was an over the top “Top Secret” priority project. Though one thing for sure, by working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) you can have the chance to immigrate to the US with your family.

Eduardo San Juan, born in the Philippines and a mechanical engineering graduate from Mapua Institute of Technology, who later pursued a Nuclear Engineering course and graduated at the University of Washington, was considered as one of the inventors or contributor to the Lunar Rover Vehicle (LRV) or popularly known as the Moon Buggy. He also worked for Lockheed Corporation and conceptualized the design. The Moon Buggy was the vehicle used by Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin Jr. when they landed on the moon during the Apollo 11’s first manned mission which was launched on July 16, 1969. It was Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin who first stepped on the moon while Michael Collins was orbiting above. The mission was viewed on television worldwide. The mission was a success, however San Juan was not detailed in the books or any scientific journal as being part of the team for unknown reasons to this date. Instead it was said that the vehicle was designed and constructed by a group of space engineers from Poland and was attributed to a Polish inventor. Eduardo San Juan also worked on some other top secret projects such as the Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles or ICBM. But to compliment the guy, he was awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Men awards in science and technology in 1978.

Many historians would or could not state facts about the project which is I suppose because of it being a “Top Secret” mission during President Kennedy’s era, that even President Kennedy’s assassination itself is still an unsolved mystery to date and many critics debunks Eduardo San Juan’s contributions as if they can see behind a thick wall with their eyes. There were claims that were revealed on present date by some living members of the project that said San Juan was not an original part of the team, that in my opinion is also an un-credible statement that seems to be a candidate story of an X-File series. Only the US Government would be the only credible source for this truth and not just some internet wiz writers. Even Eduardo San Juan’s daughter Elizabeth, who is now living in California along with her family has to answer some false accusations by these people. And for whatever reason the US Government have to hide for his recognition, the Filipinos to the present continuously brings contribution to world technology through its manpower workforce worldwide. We do hope media giants like ABS-CBN should take its time to investigate or take a look at this important historical event and for Eduardo San Juan we salute you and our sincere respect, sir and your family.

Below is the letter of Eduardo San Juan’s daughter Elizabeth to those who try to criticize her fathers historical contribution.

Dear Sir,

It seems that you are basing historical fact and knowledge on Google searches of very limited body of work. Mankind has stores of information that will never be hosted on any external webserver beyond any firewall.

Our Father, Eduardo C. San Juan, was a very positively charged creative who enjoyed a healthy sense of humor. He loved to laugh and joke around: and he would have just laughed out loud at the assertions published on your website about him, He would have said that “no one can know everything.” He would not have given it another thought. But his survivors have noted your points and find that the WWW audience would be better served with the truth. We do not want to see his technical competence and accomplishments disrespected merely because of individual disbelief that may have only be lightly researched and unsubstantiated. We are encouraged to communicate with you because you are a Christian, so fundamentally you are no doubt guided by truth and doing the right thing even when the right thing may be difficult. Please know that yes, indeed, he was the conceptual designer of Apollo 11 Lunar Rover (Moon Buggy, Rover, etc.) and the Articulated Wheel System.

Time and tide cannot change the facts. He had many successful designs the Rover was just one of many.

Context

He was born in the Philippines, He graduated from Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT). He studied Nuclear Engineering at the University of Washington at one of the first programs in the nation in the 1950s. He was an naturalized American Citizen married to a foreign-born American.
Prior to this the Apollo Program, he was a troubleshooter for ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles); he would ensure that those that did not emerge from their underground holding areas could.

It was 1960 in Huntsville, Alabama. Along with the cultural and social heritage, Huntsville was a wondrous place. A place of possibilities. After World War II, German V-2 rocket scientists were spirited away with one group taken to the USA and the other to USSR. The race for control of space was on. Wernher von Braun of Peenemünde fame and his Paperclip Scientists worked at Marshall Space Flight Center. The 1960’s were exciting ” . . . yet a turbulent time in history. John F. Kennedy became the 35th president of the United States; protests raged against segregation in the South and the Vietnam War; the American Football League was formed to rival the National Football League; FORTRAN was the standard computer programming language; and Chubby Checker introduced “The Twist.” It was also the year NASA — a new federal agency dedicated to civilian space exploration — created the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama–and many test were also conducted at nearby Redstone Arsenal. Both my Father and Mother worked at Boeing then not Lockheed. When my Father submitted the conceptual design for the Lunar Rover he submitted it via Brown Engineering, a company owned by Lady Bird Johnson.

Due to all the engineers and scientists in Huntsville, it was unlike any where in the South or the world. Because Father was a Filipino by birth, this did not invalidate his conceptual design of the Lunar Rover and other designs at that time. The Lunar Rover was just one of many. On one occasion, all NASA families, our family. assembled with all the other Paperclip scientists and their families. John F. Kennedy’s plane was landing and he gave a speech asking every engineer and scientist to do use their ingenuity, science, and talent–to do their utmost to put a man on the moon. No one ever thought that was not going to happen. It was a question of how well and when. The mix of booster propellant and Saturn C-5 boosters would rocket the astronauts to make the lunar shot. This was the best team that our Nation could assemble. Many were vets of WWII, they knew application and theory. They knew how to design to build and manufacture things that worked.

Fact

Eduardo C. San Juan was the only conceptual designer for the Lunar Rover and the Articulated Wheel System.

((Note: In engineering circles, the concept is a well understood step in a development process. This process is not unlike designing the information architecture and graphical user interface for a website. You as the creative have a vision, translate that concept to prototype to share your vision with others. This was pre-CAD. All drawings were to scale and done on paper by him. After the concept was proven and the contract accepted (in the case of the Rover by NASA) small teams are pulled together to address the details and weight and redundancy of certain components are built by others. Our Father did not build the electronic components and subcomponents for the Rover or transmitters and receivers as he was not an electrical engineer.))

During the final test demonstration to select one design from various submissions, his was the only one that worked. Thus, his design won the NASA Contract. His overall concept and specific design of the Articulated Wheel System was considered brilliant. Each wheel appendage was mounted not underneath the vehicle, but were outside the body of the vehicle
and each wheel was motorized. Each wheel could work independently of the others. It was designed to negotiate crater ingress and egress. The other vehicles did not make it into or out of the test crater. At that time, the Paperclip Scientists thought that the moon surface would have little or no traction, because in the 1960’s, they thought the moon was covered in 15 feet of moondust and debris. The mockup test site was covered in 15 feet of Styrofoam pellets. Difficult traction at best.

When you worked for certain companies or on certain contracts, you cannot own the patent on a design if it is stated in the contract. The company owned it or per the contract, the buyer or contract owner could patent the design. NASA provided an award ceremony; he was honored with others. When he left NASA, he had 300 engineers and scientists working for him. When he spoke at NASA, it was standing room only. The Paperclip Scientists liked his work and they liked him–and they like that he had a different accent than theirs.

In the 1970s at UC Berkeley legal ownership of code, programming, if considered functional but inelegant was considered technology and could be owned by the University. And if elegant, it was considered art and could not be patented or owned by the University.

He left the von Braun team in 1965, after working on many concepts for space shelters, the Lunar Module (called LEM), etc., he was not happy with the prelim design of the Space Shuttle as it supported a vertical takeoff and horizontal landing–thus doubling the structural stress and loads. He wanted a horizontal takeoff and landing. When engineers and scientists do not agree on approach, it is a technical matter, not personal. Von Braun said that he had 100 percent success with vertical takeoff with the V-2 Program in Peenemünde and he would not change. It could not be debated. Hard to argue with the boss, so Father and two other German PhDs left NASA for Lockheed in Sunnyvale, California where they worked on improving existing missile technology. His employment followed his employment with Boeing, Brown Engineering, and NASA.

You will find not find any notation of Lockheed and the Lunar Rover. He created the conceptual design long before he was offered a position at Lockheed.

At Lockheed, he made the front page of the Lockheed Star. Big deal news having an internationally recognized engineer-scientist join Lockheed. My Father was hired to address increasing propulsion and thus missile trajectory initially. He had many other assignments over the years. One for example, after the Space Shuttle blew up; my Father was asked by the Lockheed, CEO and friend, Dan Tellup. to get the Shuttle payloads in space, Father hadn’t done propulsion in years; he would often create the winning concept and then move to the next challenge. Later, he was Chief Systems Engineer on other–multiple programs–for ground lasers and space-based platforms, etc. But our Country’s had a need and his talent was required, so he’d take a hiatus from his program’s to get this job done.

Special circumstance, special request, and after all it was for NASA. Once you are part of the NASA family . . . you are always family.

In addition to his passion for his work and his love for his family, he was a huge mentor to local students. He spoke at school science fairs and to children in challenged economic areas to encourage them to follow their dreams and not be deterred by anthing. He “reached for the stars” and encourage them to do as well.

We have original documentation and film footage of the Lunar Rover and also of the electric model built to demonstrate the Articulated Wheel System. As many of our Father projects were classified during the last decades of his life, a low profile was preferred.

Many interviews and articles have been written about him and have been published since. National interviews. Many have claimed the title, but he did the work. Recognition from the Country, NASA, or the Smithsonian are not expected as many that built the Space Program and Apollo Missions have passed away.

Wernher Von Braun died in 1977 and Eduardo C. San Juan died in 1988. We ask that you please consider correcting your webpage.

Thank you for reading.
We honor him and respect his contribution,
Elisabeth San Juan for
The San Juan Family in California

Another milestone in the Land of Rice And Corn for Filipino Boxers at the Araneta Coliseum. The fights promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and ALA Promotions with support organized by ABS-CBN saw thousands of Filipinos cheering. Calling the organized scheduled fights as Invasion: The Philippines versus The World.

Michael Domingo swiftly knocked out his Thai opponent Thepnemit Sor Chitpattana early in the second round.

Bert “Ninja” Batawang did his share of glory for the Filipinos by out classing his smaller opponent from Indonesia, Heri Amol, by a body shot that sent him to the ropes and a KO in the seventh round.

In a bloody match between Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales and Korean Yoo Shin Kim, the referee stopped the fight at 2:24 of the fifth round declaring the pinoy boxer winner of a TKO. Morales kept his clean slate record of 11-0 and retained his WBO Oriental Super Bantam Weight title.

AJ “Bazooka” Banal, now the number one contender for the IBF Super Flyweight Division, destroyed Caril Herrera of Uruguay by a TKO at 1:18 of the fourth round with a barrage of left and right punches. Also seen, Herrera dropped down with hooks and punches from Banal in the 3rd round.

Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista won in the seventh round via KO defeating Mexican Genaro Camargo and retained his WBO Inter-Continental Super Bantam Weight Strap. Bautista, with his thunder and lightning fast punches and hooks floored the Mexican also twice in the second round with a loud cheering from Filipino fans at the Big Dome.

In the main bout, Gerry “The Fearless” Penalosa brought glory once again for the Philippines and defied the odds fighting at 35 years old, winning the World Boxing Organization’s Bantam Weight crown in the 8th round with a right uppercut that sent his opponent Thailand boxer Ratanachai Sor Vorapin to the floor. Vorapin was aggressive through out the fight but missed the punches he threw at Penalosa as he dodged the punches. Gerry was as patient as a boxer and waited for the right momentum to throw a bombardment of punches to knock down his opponent. He was supported by his friend Manny Pacquiao.

A lot of star studded guest were present at the Big Dome including former World Boxing Council Super-Featherweight Champ Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico who lost the belt to Manny Pacquiao earlier last month. After the bout in an interview, saw Juan Manuel issuing a return bout with Manny Pacquiao. Pacman replied very politely and said that negotiations is based upon his managers and staff decision. He also welcomed the Mexican to have a nice stay in the Philippines.

Mabuhay Kayong Lahat, Pinoy Boxers and continue to give glory to the Philippines.