Lakas-CMD (Lakas ng Tao -Christian Muslim Democrats), popularly known as Lakas, is a political party in the Philippines. Its ideology and that of its successor is heavily influenced by Christian and Islamic democracy, and by Populism. The party's influence on Philippine society is very evident, especially after the People Power Revolution, which has led the country to elect two presidents from the party, namely Fidel V. Ramos, a United Methodist, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a Roman Catholic.

In May 2009, Lakas-CMD merged with KAMPI, which is now called Lakas-Kampi-CMD and is the current minority political party in the Philippines. But, in 2012, it was reverted back to its original name.

Ideology[link]

Lakas-CMD has always focused on economic growth and development, stronger ties with the United States, creation of jobs, and strong cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government. It is known for its advocacy of a shift from the present presidential system to a parliamentary form of government through constitutional amendments and through establishing peace talks with Muslim separatists and communist rebels. The party democracy is distinct in its ecumenical inclusion of Muslim leaders in its political alliance.

Early days and Ramos administration[link]

Lakas-CMD was formed in December 1991 for the 1992 Presidential elections as retired General, then-Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos and former Cebu Governor Emilio Mario R. Osmeña were running for President and Vice-President respectively. It was also formed when Ramos bolted from the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, after he had lost in the bid for the presidency under that said banner.

The party was formed out of two parties: Ramos's Partido Lakas ng Tao (People Power Party) and the National Union of Christian Democrats (NUCD) of Raul Manglapus. As they coalesced, the party became known as Lakas ng Tao-National Union of Christian Democrats, with Lakas ng Tao usually just shortened to "Lakas" and abbreviated as Lakas-NUCD.

In 1994, it formed a coalition government with the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Democratic Filipinos) for the 1995 legislative elections. This coalition, dubbed the "Lakas-Laban Coalition", won a majority in both Houses of Congress. In the 1997 Lakas National Convention, the party nominated House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. of Pangasinan after a close nominal fight with then Defense Secretary Renato de Villa as its nominee to the presidency against oppositionist Vice President Joseph Estrada in the 1998 elections. By this time, it was joined by the Union of Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (UMDP) to form Lakas ng EDSA-National Union of Christian Democrats-United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (Lakas-NUCD-UMDP).

Secretary de Villa eventually bolted the party and formed Partido ng Demokratikong Reporma-Lapiang Manggagawa (Democratic Reform Party) for the 1998 presidential elections. Lakas also nominated then-Senator Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga as its candidate as Vice President. Arroyo had originally intended to run for President under her party, Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (KAMPI). De Venecia lost to Vice President Estrada by a wide majority, while Arroyo won the vice presidency in the same manner while her KAMPI party was in hiatus.

Arroyo administration[link]

In the 2004 elections, the name changed again to the current Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, or Lakas-CMD. However, the meaning of Lakas in the party name is usually now referred to as "Lakas ng EDSA" which means "The Strength of EDSA" than the original Lakas ng Tao which means "The Strength of the People" or "People Power." This is also the name that it used when it ran in 2004 elections under the K-4 coalition. President Arroyo, who succeeded the deposed President Joseph Estrada, was the K-4 Coalition candidate for president in the 2004 election, eventually winning over her opponents primarily Fernando Poe, Jr. and Senator Panfilo Lacson.

At the onset of 2006, Lakas-CMD was torn by factional rivalry between supporters of President Arroyo and supporters of former President Fidel V. Ramos. Issues include transitory provisions in a proposed Constitution to scrap mid-term elections (or "no-el") set for 2007 and calls for her to step down in time for the elections, which is related to the "no-el" controversy. The party held its Annual Party Directorate Meeting on January 14, 2006 to discuss these matters.

There are no official results available of the 2007 elections released by the party but according to the Philippine House of Representatives, the party holds 79 out of 235 seats.

On January 16, 2008, Lakas spokesman and legal counsel Raul Lambino stated that Lakas-CMD officially released the list of senatorial bets for 2010—spokesman in 2010. Except for Parañaque Representative Eduardo Zialcita, they were not yet identified. But Lambino named incumbent Senators Ramon Revilla, Jr. and Lito Lapid, former senator Ralph Recto and former Congressman Prospero Pichay as among those considered.^[2]

De Venecia resignation[link]

Former Speaker of the House Jose de Venecia, Jr. (Pangasinan -4th District) resigned his post as President of Lakas-CMD on March 10, 2008; he rejected the proposition of former president Fidel Ramos to give him the title Chairman-emeritus. The current Speaker of the House Prospero Nograles (Davao -1st District) was sworn it as the new president of Lakas-CMD party and former Speaker of the house Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. as vice president for Metro Manila affairs on the same day.

Merger with KAMPI[link]

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 18, 2008, confirmed the historical merger of the Lakas-Christian-Muslim-Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) parties. Both parties adopted the “equity of the incumbent” principle, as the merger will account for almost 200 national and 8,000 local officials, amid Mrs. Arroyo's prediction of 2010 elections victory. Prospero Nograles, Lakas President and Kampi Chair Ronaldo Puno signed the covenant at the Davao City regional caucus.^[3][4] Former President and Lakas-CMD Chairman Emeritus Fidel V. Ramos announced on February 6, 2008 that Lakas-CMD would be the surviving entity after its merger with KAMPI.^[5]

On August 9, 2009, Pangasinan Representative and Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. and Former President Fidel V. Ramos led fifty members from the Lakas Kampi CMD in objecting to its merger with Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) on May 28, 2009. The faction made de Venecia its President with Ramos as the Chairman Emeritus of the new party, Ramos refused the offer of Chairman Emeritus of Lakas-Kampi after being named in interim party organization. De Venecia has filed a resolution at the Commission on Elections to declare null and void the merger.^[6] However, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the legality of the merger,^[7] citing the failure of de Venecia “to sufficiently show that any grave abuse of discretion was committed by the [Commission on Elections] in rendering the challenged resolution.”^[8]

Electoral performance[link]

President[link]

Vice president[link]

Senate[link]

*in coalition with LDP

House of Representatives[link]

*does not include candidates who ran as under a Lakas-NUCD-UMDP ticket along with another party.
**in coalition with LDP.

1998[link]

Lakas put up a full senatorial slate during the May 11, 1998 national elections, as it propels the machinery of its candidates House Speaker Jose de Venecia and Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the presidency and vice presidency respectively against the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino (Struggle of Patriotic Filipino Masses) coalition of the opposition led by Vice President Joseph Estrada and Senator Edgardo Angara.

Lakas-CMD gained 5 out of 12 possible seats in the Senate namely: (in order of votes received)

• Loren Legarda
• Renato Cayetano
• Robert Barbers
• Ramon Revilla Sr.
• Teofisto Guingona Jr.

2010[link]

On January 21, 2008, Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita, a vice chair of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats released a "Wish List" of 2010 possible senatorial candidates:

• Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita
• Deputy Speakers Raul del Mar of Cebu
• Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao
• House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor of Iloilo
• House budget panel chair Edcel Lagman of Albay
• House Speaker and Davao representative Prospero Nograles
• Former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay
• Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.
• Palawan Governor Joel Reyes
• Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymond Villafuerte and
• Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.^[9]

House Speaker Prospero Nograles, Lakas-CMD president released on June 2, 2008, its tentative 2010 senatorial elections line-up:

• Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr.
• Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid
• Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap
• Health Secretary Francisco Duque III
• Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando
• Quezon City Mayor Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte
• Representative Ed Zialcita, 1st District Parañaque
• Representative Edcel Lagman, 1st District Albay
• Representative Monico Puentevella, Bacolod City
• Former Senator Ralph Recto
• Former Representative Prospero Pichay
• Representative Art Defensor, Iloilo
• Former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson
• Optical Media Board Chairman Edu Manzano
• Representative Abraham Baham Mitra, 2nd District Palawan
• Former Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor^[10]

Coalitions[link]

This is a list of coalitions led by the party:

• TEAM Unity, the name of the pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2007 midterm elections.
• Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4, Coalition of Truth and Experience for Tomorrow), the name of the pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2004 national elections.
• People Power Coalition, the name of pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2001 midterm elections.
• Lakas-Laban Coalition, the name of the pro-Ramos coalition in the 1995 midterm elections.

Notable members[link]

• Fidel V. Ramos (12th President of the Philippines; Chairman Emeritus and Former Party Chairman; co-founder)
• Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (14th President of the Philippines; current Party Chairperson and concurrently Chairperson Emeritus of her mother party Kampi)
• Jose de Venecia Jr. (former House of Representatives Speaker; former Party President and co-founder)
• Prospero Nograles (Speaker of the House of Representatives; current Party President)
• Eduardo Ermita - (Executive Secretary)
• Juan Flavier - (Secretary of Health; Senator)
• Raul Manglapus - (Senator; co-founder)

References[link]

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Vice Ganda
Birth name	Jose Marie Viceral
Born	(1976-03-31) March 31, 1976 (age 36) Tondo, Manila, Philippines
Medium	Stand-up comedy, television, film, music
Nationality	Filipino
Years active	1999–present
Genres	observational comedy, satire
Subject(s)	everyday life, current events, pop culture, human sexuality
Influences	Roderick Paulate, Dolphy, Allan K, Joey de Leon
Notable works and roles	Gandang Gabi, Vice!, It's Showtime, Praybeyt Benjamin, Petrang Kabayo

Vice Ganda (born March 31, 1976) is a Filipino stand-up comedian, television host and actor. He is best known as the main judge on ABS-CBN’s talent show It's Showtime and the host of Gandang Gabi, Vice!.
He is declared as 43rd Box Office Entertainment Awards, Phenomenal Box Office Star & Male Concert Performer of the Year, in the year 2012.

He is also known for his lead roles in commercially successful films Petrang Kabayo and The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin which became the highest-grossing film in Philippines.^[1][2][3]

He gained popularity for his comic routines, for which he uses observational comedy on typical “Pinoy” lifestyle and his use of situational irony and sarcasm when reacting to Filipino culture & behavior and human sexuality. He is the first openly gay endorser for a major product in the Philippines, which is Globe Telecom in the Philippines.^[4][5]

Early life[link]

Vice, Jose Marie Viceral, is the youngest of five children. He grew up in the neighborhood of José Abád Santos Street in Manuguit, Tondo, Manila. His father, a barangay captain, was murdered when he was young prompting his mother to work as a caregiver abroad leaving them by themselves. He obtained his college education at Far Eastern University studying Political Science.^[6] Around the age of 19, Vice was writing and performing his stand-up comic routines in comedy bars in Ermita, Manila.

Career[link]

Stand-up comedy[link]

Vice launched his stand-up career in Punchline and The Library, whose manager Andrew de Real gave him the screen name “Vice Ganda”.^[7] There he spent several years developing his materials in the comedy clubs. Vice’s career began to build after appearances on television and reviews from tabloid columns. He worked alongside fellow comedians Chocoleit, Pooh, John Lapus and Rey Kilay.

Television career[link]

He appeared in several TV series and sitcoms 'Dyosa under the direction of Wenn V. Deramas. Vice also had another supporting role in the drama series Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik.

His biggest break came in 2009, when he became part of Showtime, a talent search program which made him a regular host/judge until present. His life story of being bullied as a young closeted gay has also been featured in the drama anthology, Maalaala Mo Kaya.^[8] Aside from Showtime, he is currently hosting his own Sunday talk show, the consistently top rated Gandang Gabi, Vice!.^[9] Currently he is under the management of ABS-CBN, handling him is business unit head Deo Endrinal^[10] after being managed for four years^[11] by local entertainment columnist/host Ogie Diaz.^[12]

Film career[link]

Vice starred in minor roles until in 2009 where he appeared alongside Vilma Santos and John Lloyd Cruz in the film In My Life, depicting a story of a young Filipino gay couple struggling life in New York when one of their parents tries to live with them. A year later he starred in a comedy film, a remake of Petrang Kabayo.^[13] It proved to be a hit when it was released.^[14] The following year, Vice starred in Praybeyt Benjamin with Derek Ramsay directed by Wenn V. Deramas. The movie became the first local film to reach 300-million Pesos in ticket sales and proved to be an even greater box office success than Petrang Kabayo.^[15] He is presently under contract with Viva Films.^[16]

Music[link]

On June 15, 2011, Vice released his first studio album, Lakas Tama. The album was released under Vicor Records and featured mostly pop and novelty songs including "Palong Palo" written by Callalily frontman Kean Cipriano.^[17] He is also included in the compilation album of Showtime released by Star Records.

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Film[link]

Discography[link]

Studio album[link]

Compilation album[link]

Awards/ Nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Vice Ganda Website
• Vice Ganda Official Facebook profile
• Vice Ganda Official Twitter account

Shalani Carla San Ramon Soledad-Romulo^[2] (born April 24, 1980,^[1] Camarines Sur), better known as Lani Soledad and Ate Sha is a Filipina politician and TV personality. Soledad is a member of Valenzuela City council from second district since 2004. From November 12–18, 2010, she is the second most searched personality in the Philippines next to the former Kate Middleton (Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge),^[3] and was the most influential woman in the Philippines for 2010 according to Google.^[4]

Early life[link]

Shalani was born to former Banco Filipino chairman Adolfo Aguirre^[5] and Philippine Airlines flight attendant Evelyn San Ramon.^[6] The last time her biological father saw her was when she was three months old. She was raised by her grandmother Lolita San Ramon from childhood and by her uncle and surrogate father Ramon San Ramon–Soledad,^[7] and his wife Edith (Shalani's aunt, sister of her mother)^[8] after Shalani was left by her biological mother to their custody. She was christened as Shalani Carla San Ramon Soledad, with her aunt Edith San Ramon–Soledad stood as mother and Ramon as father on her birth certificate.^[7]

For a few years during her teens, Shalani lived in Kuwait with her mother and brother Carlo, where Evelyn worked as at the Al Boom restaurant at then Radisson SAS hotel. She and her brother had their on the job training at the Housekeeping and Food and Beverage divisions at the Radison SAS Hotel (now called Radisson Blu) before returning to the Philippines to pursue their college education in 1998.^[9]

In September 2010, Shalani and her father were reunited after 30 years of separation.^[5] This was done through the efforts of businessman James Gaisano of Gaisano Malls, who happened to be Aguirre's good friend.^[7]

Shalani was a niece to former senator and former Majority Leader Francisco Tatad.^[10]

She took her elementary education at Mary Mount School^[1] in Parañaque then secondary school at Philippine College of Technical Resources (present-day St. Louis College of Valenzuela). In school, she described herself as an average student and had developed the passion of teaching the Bible to younger students.^[11] She took the degree of Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde,^[12] but she never graduated due to her lack of Physical Education units and early immersion to politics.^[11] From 2002 to 2003, she became a member of Senator Panfilo Lacson's staff before quitting to become news reporter at UNTV 37.^[12] In 2004, she won an office for Valenzuela City's second legislative council.

Personal life[link]

Soledad was the former girlfriend of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III from 2008 to 2010. Shalani first met Aquino in July 2005 while she was still a news reporter in UNTV 37 covering the 2005 State of the Nation Address of the then-former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.^[13] During that time, Aquino was a congressman representing the third district of the province of Tarlac. However, the first conversation began in 2008, at Alfredo's Steakhouse, a restaurant in Quezon City when Aquino (now the president of the Philippines) met several politicians from Valenzuela City including Shalani.^[13] Soledad and Aquino had their first date on July 28, 2008, when they watched the film For the First Time at SM Center Valenzuela.^[11]

She and the President broke-up after Aquino's state visit from United States in October 2010.^[14] The breakup happened at Alfredo's, a restaurant in Quezon City where the first couple dated in 2008.^[15] According to Shalani, it was not due to third party relationship, instead, due to the their busy and hectic schedules.^[15]

She is married to Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, son of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo. They were married on January 22, 2012 in Silang, Cavite.

Hosting[link]

From November 8, 2010, she is the co-host of Willie Revillame on his evening game show Willing Willie at TV5,^[16][17] where she is expected to "maintain her simple image in the show".^[10] She further insisted that she is not falling for Revillame, despite the fact that "a possible romance may develop."^[18] (with her engagement proving that "possibility" going for the otherwise)

Being new to game show hosting, Shalani was criticized both sides. For example, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said that she admired the personality and freshness of Soledad, however, her hosting abilities should be a little bit more animated.^[19] The Filipino Twitter community gave several reactions to Shalani's hosting performances: for example, "she is too modest to energize a crowd expecting fun". As a feedback, Shalani said that although the game mechanics sounds too easy when watched, it is still difficult if "you're there standing as the game master". However, viewers still expect that constant exposure and practice will make her a better host.^[20]

Shalani is currently managed by talent manager Lolit Solis.^[21]

On April 11, 2011, Willing Willie was suspended due to controversial acts done by Willie Revillame in regards with "Jan-jan", a contestant who was "forced" by Revillame to have a "macho dance". This made the show suspended for two weeks, or in hiatus, however, it is uncertain if the show will show on air or end indefinitely.^[22] In effect, Shalani returned on her legislative duties as expected.^[23] On May 14, 2011, however, Willing Willie made a comeback to TV5 under its new title Wil Time Bigtime which was patterned after its predecessor, though has new lineups of games and others.^[24] Shalani also returned as Revillame's co-host.^[25]

On January 13, 2012, she leaves Wil Time Bigtime in preparation of their marriage with Rep. Roman Romulo.

On March 11, 2012, she returned hosting on noontime show Game 'n Go.

Politics[link]

Shalani is a member of Valenzuela City council from the second district since 2004. She is also a member of the committee for women and family affairs. In her first term, she was able to pass her self-authored "Early Childhood Ordinance" in the city.^[26]

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Discography[link]

External links[link]

• Shalani Soledad on Twitter

References[link]