JessicaRulestheUniverse.com

Photo from PRFU’s Facebook page

Christopher Hitch is a carpenter in Sydney, Australia, where Michael Letts works as a mortgage broker. Austin Dacanay is a chiropractor in Texas, USA. Every year in May they fly to Manila, at their own expense and using their hoarded vacation time, to play rugby for the Philippines.

They are joined by two dozen young men from Brisbane, Wales, North Carolina, Modena, the British Armed Services, Boston and many other places. Most of them are very large, and have names like Saunders, Morris, Zappia, Holgate and Sutcliffe. Readers might recognize longtime team member Andrew Wolff the model slash actor; this year’s recruits include Jaime Urquijo Zobel, a new University of Notre Dame graduate headed for a Wall Street firm.

Meet the Philippine Men’s Rugby 15’s National Team now competing in the Asian 5 Nations Division 2 Championships in New Delhi, India.

Your first question is: We have a Philippine national rugby team? Your second question is: Where are the Filipinos?

Introducing the New, 100 Percent Filipino Heritage National Men’s Rugby Team, in Emotional Weather Report, today in the Star.

In the 90s the Philippine government proclaimed our overseas foreign workers ‘Bagong Bayani’ (New Heroes).

In this photo essay by Dulce Pinzon in Foreign Policy, Mexican migrant workers in the US are presented as superheroes.

Spiderman. BERNABE MENDEZ from the State of Guerrero works as a professional window cleaner in New York. He sends home $500 a month.

The Human Torch. OSCAR GONZALEZ from the State of Oaxaca works as a cook in New York. He sends home $350 a week.

How we spent our Saturday afternoon: watching a rugby match at International School Manila, followed by a training session of the Philippine Men’s 15′s National Team.

Everyone needs a change of scenery now and then, and this was ours.

We met national team captain Michael Letts (L) and Austin Dacanay (R), the oldest member of the team at an ancient 33.

Our national rugby team is living proof of my Theory of World Domination: It is composed of Filipino heritage players, nearly all of them children of Filipinos living abroad. They’re half-Pinoy, half-English/Australian/Welsh/Canadian and so on.

The team is coached by Expo Mejia (center), a Filipino whose family migrated to Australia when he was 5. Mejia worked with the Australian team the Waratahs, and now coaches the New York Lions.

Despite our near-total ignorance of Philippine rugby union, we recognized one national team player: the model slash actor Andrew Wolff.

The Philippine Men’s 15′s National Team flies to New Delhi on Monday to compete in the Asian Five Nations Division 2 Championships from June 1 to 6. Mejia says they have a seriously good chance of winning the tournament. I don’t know what kind of television coverage they’ll have, but we can follow their progress on the internet. Now that we know we have a team.

Visit the Philippine Rugby Football Union website.

Russian special forces training in arnis

Filipino martial arts master the great Dan Inosanto, filmmaker Jay Ignacio, and Hollywood fight choreographer (the Bourne movies) Jeff Imada

The Bladed Hand, a documentary on Filipino Martial Arts by Jay Ignacio, in Emotional Weather Report, today in the Star.

Thanks to Gabe Mercado for telling me all about his cousin Jay when I ran into him last week. Does anyone have a line to Matt Damon or his agent? Could you send them a copy of the column? He has to be in the movie.

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1117. Matt’s agent finally emailed! The request is now with Matt’s assistant. Anyone know Matt’s assistant?

Today in the World Domination Tracker: two cities I intend to visit.

David John Yabis is in Warsaw.

“This is the Old Town of Warsaw at dusk. There are only about 200 Filipinos in Poland and around 100 of those live in Warsaw. Clearly this country has not yet been colonized by Filipinos but it is interesting to note that the Philippines just opened an embassy here a few months ago so I guess we’re on our way to that goal.”

Annabelle Ragsag is in Cairo.

“This is the view from my apartment in the Zamalek neighbourhood of Cairo, Egypt. The country is known for its Islamic and Pharaonic cultures; lesser known are its Coptic Christian churches, such as the one in this picture.”

Paging our Agents of World Domination (Filipinos who live outside the Philippines), we need your dispatches for the Tracker. Email a photo of your location to koosi.obrien@gmail.com.

On the World Domination Tracker:

Reggie Taytayon is in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Grand Canyon.

Stephanie Tablante is in Las Vegas.

“The recently-opened City Center along LV Boulevard. The shallow pool reflects the amazing architecture of the skyscrapers.

“An interior walkway trellis sculpture. I like the juxtaposition of the modern metal forms with plants. It’s like a physical symbol of how modern construction aims to be environmentally conscious here. I’ve been living in LV since 2003, practicing architecture.”

If you’re Pinoy and living abroad, contribute to our World Domination Tracker. Email a photo of your location to koosi.obrien@gmail.com.