Volume 7, Issue No. 3
OPINION/COMMENTARY
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /
. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail. com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . .
Our latest as of Wednesday, July 23, 2025
~ The chatter goes that the former driver at the Philippine Consulate who claims he founded the Taste of Manila (ToM) festival now wants to cash in on the questionable asset he and his household now run as a family enterprise. A ToM partner, however, denies the story but says there are parties interested in buying it. Money problems and distrust by corporate and local vendors appear to be the reasons for wanting to unload it.
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MONEY, DISTRUST AMONG PROBLEMS CITED
Taste of Manila Is For Sale
But SPARC's Sani Baluyot Denies It
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Editor, The Filipino Web Channel
"A miser and a liar bargain quickly." - Proverbs
TORONTO - The chatter around town is that the Taste of Manila (ToM) festival is for sale. But a contractual organizer says it is not.
Those are the two conflicting takeaways in the progression of ToM from a purported community undertaking to a family-owned business.
Now that it's a commercial enterprise that benefits one family and its appointed managers, should the community continue to patronize it? Would that not be like the public subsidizing a private venture with no accountability?
ToM had a lot of promise at the beginning. It was marketed as an endeavour to help transitioning Filipinos and the growing Filipino community with placement assistance. It never materialized. (Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8XMVd5dT4).
But once it had established itself after a financial debacle in 2018 that almost ended its life had not then-Mayor John Tory intervened and waived fees, ToM seems to have forgotten its promise and mandate.
Government grants - that's our taxpayers' money, folks - amounting to at least a quarter of a million dollars, had been pumped in to keep ToM alive. (Related story: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2024/11/non-profit-org-blamed-for-video-theft.html).
Now, the beggarly organizers at that time led by ToM's self-named founder Rolly "kabise" Mangante, a former driver at the Philippine Consulate, have become so arrogant especially with the inclusion of so-called "artists" (or is it con artists?) into its fold.
I asked the triad currently running ToM, namely Mangante, Danilo "Sani" Baluyot, and the online troll with four names, that's Rose To aka Marites Tolits aka Rose Ami aka Rosemarie Ami-Seaborn, how much the festival made in revenues since the alleged non-profit SPARC took over.
Baluyot, one of only two people who composed SPARC (Society of Philippine Artists, Recreation and Community), the other being the four-dimensional person, replied (note: writing in all caps is the equivalent of shouting and shows a lack of decorum):
"WE HAVE NDA CLAUSE AND YOU ARE NOT PART OF EITHER PARTY TO KNOW SUCH CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION SAME WAY I SHOULD NOT BE ASKING YOU ON HOW MUCH YOU MAKE IN A YEAR IN WRITING NON VERIFIED EDITORIAL ARTICLES."
Well, I told him that I don't mind being asked questions about my well-researched, highly verified, cross-checked facts in my widely read articles at the Filipino Web Magazine which averages 1,000 (one thousand) readers a month.
That figure, I explained for his ignorant mind to understand, is from Google analytics. On the other hand, my flagship Filipino Web Channel has 3,171,642 (three million one hundred seventy one thousand six hundred forty two) views as of this writing.
Baluyot didn't say a word when I inquired if his emailed statement also reflected the position of Mangante and the four-in-one person who were both copied with my questions. (Related story: https://filwebchannelmagazine.blogspot.com/2024/12/for-some-money-tom-and-sparc-went-rogue.html).
My usually-reliable sources within the secretive SPARC and ToM informed me that Mangante was selling his professed proprietary right over the ToM festival for at least $600,000 because he was facing mounting money and legal problems.
To this, Baluyot said "NOT TRUE." He added: "THERE ARE PARTIES SENDING THEIR INTENTION TO BUY, HOWEVER TOM IS NOT FOR SALE."
The story going around is that Mangante could not bear the shame of being linked to a number of alleged illicit activities, including, one, the installation of a steel fence blocking establishments that refused to pay grease money (Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btf2yoU4AaE and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLl_ud3-Xew); two, the theft he allegedly masterminded of pictures and videos from The Filipino Web Channel; three, the non-fulfillment of a promise to plough back to community projects revenues from ToM.
Baluyot responded: "NOT TRUE. IM CURIOUS WHERE ARE YOU GETTING SUCH FAKE NEWS. PLS DO PROPER DUE DILIGENCE AND REFRAIN FROM MAKING ASSUMPTIONS BASED ON HEARSAY."
Mangante is presently embroiled in a contentious lawsuit. He has been sued for allegedly breaching his three-year contract with Cecille Araneta's International Entertainment Company (IEC) and entering into another contract with Baluyot's SPARC. Asked if that lawsuit has been settled out of court, Baluyot replied:
"ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS MATTER DOES NOT CONCERN YOU. IF YOU WANT TO INSIST, WE CAN DIRECT YOU TO OUR LEGAL TEAM."
I told him I'd appreciate it if he would direct me to their "legal team" if such existed at all if only to get answers to my questions. Baluyot never replied back.
After Baluyot denied Mangante is financially hard-up - which could mean lots of money are oozing from his ears - I asked if Mangante will now pay for the photos and videos he stole from my YouTube channel. There was no reply.
Despite the documented wrongdoings Mangante and his cohorts committed in ToM's name, a dubious foundation had recognized him with its "community service award" in September 2024. (Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKKviJ2tEn4). It's nauseating to say the least. (Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved).
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