asian journal july 30, 2010

(Continued on page 19)

RAUL S. MANGLAPUS and the Future of

Christian Democracy p.15


Three G’s: Godliness, Greed, and Gambling p.16


Condo units in Tagaytay. While you are away, you can rent out your unit as a condotel and make money on your investment. Presentations available in August, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Asian Journal office at 550 East 8th Street Suite 6, National City, CA 91950 (in Old Schoolhouse Square). Call (619) 474-0588 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Attend a free presentation for MONTELUCE -

the high point of Tagaytay

Philippine art scaled new heights at the recently con-cluded Christie’s auction of Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art in Hong Kong.

Artworks of contempo-rary painter Geraldine Javier and National Artist Fernando Amorsolo fetched for new record prices by a Filipino in an international auction.

New records set for Filipino art at Christie’s auction

Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (The Philippines 1892-1972), “Lavenderas”, sold for US$ 433,992 establishing a new re-cord for the artist at auction. (Christie’s Images Ltd 2010)

Keong Ruoh-Ling, head of Christie’s Southeast Asian Art Department, said in a post-sale release that “the spring sale demonstrates clear strength and depth in the Southeast Asian contemporary art market.”

Before the bidding, how-ever, while confident that the Philippine pieces would sell, she was quite conservative about the prices they would realize, given the political and economic situation of the country. She was more upbeat about the Indonesians.

Her preferential optimism was not misplaced. Of the items sold, eight Indonesian and two Philippine works realized top prices.

Javier’s work entitled “Ella Amo’ Apasionadamente y Fue Correspondida (For She Loved Fiercely, and She Is Well-Loved)” is a 90 x 63-in portrait of the Mexican art-ist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) painted in oil on canvas, with insets of framed embroidery and preserved butterflies. real-ized a new auction record for the artist, fetching nearly 10 times more than the original low estimate.

Javier, born in 1970, origi-nally studied to be a nurse but shifted to art. At the age of 40, she has come into full flower, as her latest painting-arguably her best so far-proves. An un-named and so far unidentified “Asian institution” is said to have purchased the piece.

Amorsolo’s “Lavanderas (Washerwomen)” (23 x 32 ½ in) dated 1923 fetched the second highest price in the sale. To bring it home, a private collector paid US$433,992 (about P20.2M), around 11 times its original low estimate (all auction sales figures include premium). It surpassed the artist’s previ-ous record of less than P20M a few years ago for the vastly superior “Portrait of Fernanda de Jesus” dated 1915 (32 x 21 in).

The hammered price of another Amorsolo also raised eyebrows. “Rice Planting”

The next Wednesday, Albert went home early and told Isabel to dress up.

“Where are we going?” she asked.“We’ll eat out and celebrate your birthday.”Isabel almost forgot. She’s observing her first

birthday in America, the first time without her family. Each time, her father would bring home pancit guisado from a Chinese Res-

taurant in Quiapo and a small cake from a bakery.

“Pampahaba ng buhay (For long life),” her father would tell her, subscribing to

the common belief that the long noodles extends one’s life.”

This time however, her father was not around to buy her birthday noodles and cake.

By Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Asian Journal San DiegoThe Original and First Asian Journal In America

See page 10

Promised Land

Birthday Girl

Kinailangan muna ng Tadhanang maulila ako sa aking inang-suso bago mapaharap sa pakikipagsa-palaran sa dibdib ng kara-gatan. Katulad ng ibang “lamang-dagat” ay nabuhay ako’t umunlad sa pagpapala ni Neptuno. Nasasaliksik ko ang burak sa kailaliman; naging kalaruan ko ang maliliit na isda, lalo na ang mga isdang gintong nag-bibigay ng kulay at ligaya sa “tanghal ng Katalagahan” sa tubig na kakulay ng abuhing langit; at naging taguan at kublihan ko ang halamang-dagat at lumot kung dumar-ating ang mga maninilang

Makinis at bughaw ang kabibiKuwento ni Alberto Segismundo Cruz

July 30 - August 5, 2010

Ben MaynigoMsgr. Gutierrez Rudy Liporada


An Unauthorized History of the Philippines p.8

Signs in the Philippnes

“We laugh at other people for their bad English. Take a look at the signs in the Philippines. These are only a few ex-amples.”

Poland based Filipino entertainer Alexander Marti-nez made history in Poland by being the only non-Polish entertainer to make it all the way to the Grand Finals of the country’s top rating reality show “Poland’s Got Talent.”

While the show drew other foreign contend-ers who are also based in Poland, Alex was the only Asian who made the cut.

The story of Alex cap-tured the imagination of judges and audiences of Po-land’s version of the widely popular reality show that has spun off global franchises,

Alexander Martinez shines in Poland’s Got Talent Contest

Alexander Martinezincluding one in the Philip-pines.

He wowed judges and au-diences alike in episode after episode, with his versatile vocal range that could even interpret songs like “Time To Say Goodbye,” which was originally sung by female

By Dr. Cesar D. Candari15th in a series of articles

“No matter how you perform there’s always somebody of intelligent opinion who thinks it’s lousy” - SIR LAURENCE OLIVIER

In the late ’70s, there had been an in-creasing number of Philippine Medical Associations organized in almost every state of North America. I had seriously consid-ered participating in the leadership of the national association – the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA) to help protect, preserve, promote and enhance the image and unify the Filipino physicians in this land of the brave and the free. I

From Antique to America: Memoirs of a Filipino American Doctor

My Stint as President of the Philippine Medical Association of San Diego County

July 30 - August 5, 2010Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com

In 1996, the US Congress enacted the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA). Included in this Act is now what we know as the three (3) year ten (10) year bar which is found in Section 212(a)(9)(B)(i) of the Act.

The law prohibits indi-viduals from returning to the United States if they have been unlawfully present for a certain period of time. If a person was here in the country illegally for more than one hundred eighty (180) days but less than one (1) year and that person leaves the country, he will not be al-lowed to re-enter the United States for a period of three (3) years. If a person has been here in the country illegally for more than one (1) year then he will be barred from re-entering the country for a period of ten (10) years.

Although the law was passed more than ten years ago, its effects are still being felt by many who wish to re-enter the United States.

The following scenarios might be helpful in illustrating the harsh effects of the law.

Gilda entered the United States sometime in June 1, 1998 as a visitor. She was giv-en by the Immigration Inspec-tor an authorized stay of until

Revisiting the 3 year 10 year bar

December 31, 1998. After her authorized stay expired, Gilda did not leave the country. She stayed in the country for two more years before she decided to leave the country in January 2, 2001. In 2002, he met Jose, a US citizen. A few months later, they fell in love and Jose proposed marriage to Gilda which she readily accepted. A month after the proposal, Gilda and Jose got married. Jose returned to the United States and fi led a petition for Gilda. The petition was sub-sequently approved and Gilda was scheduled for an interview at the US Embassy in Manila for immigrant visa. During her interview, Gilda was not issued her visa because of her previous unlawful presence in the United States. She was told that she cannot re-enter the United States for a period of ten (10) years from January 2, 2001 unless she fi les for a waiver. In fi ling her waiver, Gilda must show that Jose will suffer extreme hardship if she is not allowed to re-enter the United States.

Almer entered the United States sometime in 1989 as a visitor. A few months after his entry, Almer fi led for an application for political asy-lum. Almer’s political asylum

application was eventually denied in 1998. Almer opted for voluntary departure and left the country in 1998. Almer met Tracy, a U.S. citizen who was visiting the Philippines. They fell in love and got mar-ried. When Tracy got back to the United States. She fi led a petition for Almer which was eventually approved sometime in 2005. During the interview, Almer’s immigrant visa ap-plication was denied. Instead of fi ling for a waiver, Almer argued that the provisions of ten (10) year bar should not apply to him because of the pendency of his asylum ap-plication which was fi led prior to the passage of IIRAIRA. After reviewing Almer’s case, the US embassy reconsidered its Decision and issued Almer his immigrant visa.

The above scenarios will show that the fact pattern each case is different. Before conceding that the 3 year 10 year bar will apply, it might be advisable to review the factual antecedents of each case and ascertain whether the 3 year 10 year bar will apply to your case.

Atty. Dennis E. Chua is a partner in The Law Firm of Chua Tinsay and Vega (CTV) - a full service law fi rm with offi ces in San Francisco, San Diego and Manila. The infor-mation presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. The CTV attor-neys will be holding its regular free legal clinic at the Max’s Restaurant in Vallejo, Califor-nia on August 30, 2010. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to dis-cuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (415) 495-8088; (619) 955-6277; [email protected]

By: Father Shay Cullen

There is a new Philippine president. Noynoy Aquino has stepped into the challenging role as “hope of the nation” and has selected his cabinet that promises a corruption free Philippines. It is particularly outstanding because of the presence of designated De-partment of Justice secretary, Leila De Lima, the former commissioner of human rights who bravely sought to un-cover the bloody hands behind countless assassinations and murders of social activists, human rights workers and leaders of civil society.

She had the courage to challenge the police and military that was blocking the commission’s investigators who were fi nally stymied by the judge who would not issue a search warrant for the com-mission investigators to search a killing fi eld in Davao where body parts were uncovered, some of them of women and children.

With this promising start to the new administration of President Aquino, there is optimism that the protec-tion of the most vulnerable in society will take priority and there will be an end to death squads, assassinations, and the rampant violation of human rights by those supposed to protect the citizens from such evils and injustices but are frequently the perpetrators themselves.

Considering the impunity enjoyed by assassins and death squads around the country un-der the Arroyo administration, the government of President Noynoy Aquino has to ques-tion the training methods and strategies taught to Philippine troops and police by the US International Military Educa-tion & Training (IMET).

Hundreds of police and

A Nation Crying Out for Justice

Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (born February 8, 1960) also known as Noynoy Aquino is the fi fteenth President of the Philippines

military personnel are trained annually here and abroad and that training appears to inculcate excessive aggres-sion, brutality and combative killing methods deployed with “extreme prejudice” against social activists, even priests and dissidents arbi-trarily branded as “enemies of state”. The role of the police and military as protectors and enforcers of the rule of law for victims and law abiding citi-zens seems to be lost. Respect for human rights apparently is not on the training agenda and this is what needs to be changed.

Secretary Leila De Lima has the most challenging of tasks. She has made her pri-orities clear by her past words backed by action and resolve. First of all, is the desire to promote those just and hon-est, intelligent prosecutors that love the rule of law and are people of integrity. These are the prosecutors that are dedicated to the protection of abused women and children, victims of human rights viola-tions and heinous crimes and have compassion for the chil-dren in confl ict with the law.

Secretary of Justice De Lima will clean out the cor-rupt and incompetent pros-ecutors, the protectors of child rapists and who take the stuffed envelops and

dismisses the complaints despite the most overwhelm-ing of evidence. It is only with her planned overhaul of the department will she be able to dispel the cynicism and lack of trust of the people in the department of justice lost during the past decade. There are good people in the DOJ that must be given a chance to do good and not be overruled by the corrupt offi cials on the take.

The Presidential Committee on Child Protection of which I was once a member, took up the neglected cases of child exploitation, abuse, traffi cking and heinous crimes and pursue them with a dedication even to the point of pursuing foreign sex rapists and convicting them in their country of origin under extraterritorial jurisdic-tion laws.

There were the good days when child protection and jus-tice for the abused was a prior-ity of the justice department and civil society. But it didn’t last long. Instead, the priority was the protection of the ill-gotten gains of the corrupt and criminal cronies of politicians. The Philippines topped the most corrupt nation list.

The huge number of dis-missed cases of traffi cking, child abuse and child abduc-tion is evidence of corruption and incompetence. The shame of Olongapo, is the case of the two Americans who held 2 ten year old children for four years as sex slaves. Charges were dismissed despite over-whelming evidence. They were allowed to walk away and fl ew back to the USA and allegedly took the pregnant 15 year old with them. The local DSWD offi cial who signed the recommendation for the travel document for the child must be held accountable. Where is that pregnant child now?

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Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comJuly 30 - August 5, 2010

Business and Finance

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kendall Law Group, led by a former federal judge Joe Kendall and a former U.S. Attorney, is investigating Health-Grades, Inc. (NASDAQ: HGRD) for shareholders in connection with the proposed acquisition by Vestar Capital Partners V, L.P. The national securities firm’s investi-gation seeks to determine whether HealthGrades and its Board breached their fiduciary duties by entering into the agreement with-out properly shopping for a deal that would provide better value for shareholders. If you are a Health-

Kendall Law Group Investigates HealthGrades, Inc. Acquisition for Shareholders

Grades shareholder and would like additional information about your rights, contact the Kendall Law Group at 877-744-3728 or by email at [email protected].

On July 28, 2010, the com-panies announced that they had entered into a definitive agreement under which all outstanding Health Grades shares would be acquired for $8.20 per share by a Vestar affiliate. The merger is a two step process where the Vestar affili-ate will attempt to gain at least a majority of HealthGrades’ shares on a fully-diluted basis through an

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Na-tional Retail Federation today said a new Federal Reserve study showing that credit card swipe fees result in a “transfer of income” from low-income individuals to wealthy in-dividuals is evidence of the need for further federal action to control the fees.

“This report confirms what we’ve always known – that swipe fees drive up costs for all consumers and that strug-gling moderate and low-income consumers who often are unable to take advantage of card perks or who don’t have a credit card at all end up subsidizing the wealthier indi-viduals who do,” NRF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Mallory Duncan said. “This also shows the impor-tance of the new law allowing retailers to give a discount to customers who don’t use credit cards. But the report recognizes that the real solu-tion won’t come until there is genuine consumer transpar-ency and competition that lowers credit cards fees to a point that reflects banks’ ac-tual costs for processing these transactions.”

A report issued Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston found that the typical consumer “is largely unaware of the full ramifica-tions of paying for goods and services by credit card.” Since credit card industry practices bar retailers from imposing a surcharge for credit card use, merchants are forced

NRF Says Federal Reserve Report on Credit Card Swipe Fees Shows

Need for Further Federal Actionto include swipe fees in the prices charged to all cus-tomers, the study said. That results in “credit card-paying customers being subsidized by consumers who do not pay with credit cards.” Since wealthier consumers are more likely to hold credit cards, the fees further result in a “re-gressive transfer of income” from lower-income to higher-income consumers.

While swipe fees drive up prices for all consumers, an estimated $151 of the extra amount paid by the average cash-using household goes to subsidize card-using house-holds, the report said.

The report said the subsidy is an issue lawmakers “may wish to address” and outlined a number of policy options that could be considered, including allowing merchants to charge different prices for cash and credit, disclosure of “full information” about fees, redistribution of fees to low-income individuals through tax policy, increased competition from alternative payment systems if it cannot be attained within the credit card market, and government regulation of both credit card fees and rewards.

The report was issued less than a week after Presi-dent Obama signed financial services reform legislation that included provisions to address credit and debit card fees. Federal law has long allowed retailers to give a discount for cash or checks, but card industry rules and

practices have made discounts difficult in actual practice. The new law goes further by barring the card industry from interfering with merchants who offer a discount or other benefit to customers who pay by cash, check or debit card rather than credit cards. The measure also gives the Fed-eral Reserve nine months to set regulations resulting in “reasonable and proportional” swipe fees for debit cards, and allows merchants to set mini-mum purchase amounts of up to $10 for credit cards.

Swipe fees – officially known as interchange fees – are a percentage of the transaction charged by card company banks each time a card is swiped to pay for a purchase. The fees average between 1 and 2 percent for debit cards and 2 percent or more for credit cards. Overall swipe fees charged to retail-ers and other business by Visa and MasterCard banks totaled $48 billion in 2008, with debit swipe fees accounting for about $20 billion of the total. As more consumers use plas-tic, prices are driven higher, Duncan said.

As the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF’s global membership includes retailers of all sizes, formats and channels of distribution as well as chain restaurants and industry partners from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. In the United States, NRF represents the breadth and diversity of an industry with more than 1.6 million American companies that employ nearly 25 million workers and generated 2009 sales of $2.3 trillion. www.nrf.com

initial tender offer. Following the completion of the tender offer, any remaining publicly-held shares of HealthGrades would be acquired by the Vestar affiliate at $8.20 per share. Executive officers of HealthGrades beneficially owning approximately 21% of Health-Grades’ fully diluted shares have already agreed to either tender or otherwise sell their shares to the Vestar affiliate. Neither the merger agreement nor details regarding the HealthGrades insider tender/sale agreements were publicly available at the time of this press release.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (July 14, 2010) – Farmers Insurance, one of the nation’s largest insurance agent net-works, is looking for qualified, highly motivated and entrepre-neurial-minded individuals to join the ranks of their highly successful insurance agents. Every Thursday in July, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at select Farm-ers offices throughout Southern California, the company will be holding open houses for candi-dates to speak directly with a Farmers representative about a potential small business oppor-tunity with the company.

The first week of the open houses was a resounding suc-cess. Individuals with banking, real estate and small business backgrounds met with Farmers district managers to discuss and learn more about a potentially lucrative career path as a Farm-ers agent. One well-qualified individual who attended the open house in Arcadia had a

Economy Helps Drive Success of Farmers Insurance Agent Recruitment

Open Houses Help Prospective Entrepreneurs Find Opportunities with Farmerspositive first meeting, and is now well on his way to learn-ing about becoming a Farmers Insurance agent.

With the economy still recovering, Farmers Insurance understands that entrepreneurs are looking for a small business opportunity with a reputable company that can provide them with assurance and support. At the open houses, Farmers recruitment specialists provided guests with detailed informa-tion about the opportunity, and walked them through the process.

“One guest in particular walked into the office and immediately caught our at-tention,” said Naji Garabet, District Manager for Farmers Insurance. “We were impressed with his level of knowledge about sales and running a successful new business. By providing him with the best-in-class support and training, we are certainly hopeful that he

will become a successful Farm-ers Insurance agent. We look forward to meeting more quali-fied candidates at the upcoming open houses.”

The Farmers agent recruit-ment open houses will continue to take place every Thursday in July at Farmers offices in Anaheim, Arcadia, Norwalk, Rowland Heights and San Fernando Valley. Address information, as well as what potential entrepreneurs should expect and bring, can be found at http://eventsatfarmers.com, or by calling (888) 730-8889. No appointment or reservations are required.

At the open houses, can-didates will be able to speak with and learn more from recruitment specialists about the benefits of being a Farmers Insurance agent, including the high earning potential, support for continued education and top-line support and training.


BY CESAR D. CANDARI MD FCAP

EMERITUSHenderson, Nevada

In his inaugural speech last June 30, President Noynoy Aquino had spoken out against the wang-wang, (sirens) which he said has become “a symbol of inequality.” Indeed, he is right.

Following that, he made a Decree 96 that abolish the abuse and hit hard the illegal use of wang-wang by unau-thorized people, who want to pull over other motorists in a traffic in the city which is simply a nightmare…bottle-neck everywhere, chaotic and senseless traffic jams. The EDSA highway from Quezon City to Makati is a horrible gridlock with different types of transportation fighting inch by inch in their lane in order to move on. Horns are blast-ing. It would take two hours from Cubao to the Buendia intersection, a distance of ap-proximately 15 miles.

There is a blatant indis-criminate and unregulated use of sirens by vehicles on the road. It obviously disturbs fur-ther an already jam of traffic in the metropolis. My question is: Will this decree improve the traffic in Manila?

The sirens’ effectiveness is unquestioned in perkily solving traffic jams and the

Wang-wang use, abused

Traffic in Manila

politicos are making a popular scheme out of it. Because they can afford a few thou-sands of pesos for installing a quick traffic dispersal device, the politicians, their families and also civilians who have connections in government take advantage of the device for sale in several stores in Manila. To quote one writer, “ the worst kind, is an ambu-lance (usually from distant towns or provinces) navigat-ing main streets, curtains drawn literally in a veiled attempt to simply beat traffic. It is not unheard such ambu-lances, blinkers and all, ran errands for the local mayor or on local government business, aside from life and death situ-ations.”

Three days ago, the Na-tional Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has confis-cated some 148 sirens and blinkers in its anti “wang-wang” campaign following the order of President Beni-gno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Imagine 148 cars (it should be more than that) with sirens used to travel all over Manila. Just 50% of those cars travel-ing on the road would surely sidetrack the heavy traffic in the city.

I have witnessed many times a high-ranking official with escorts blasting their wang-wang, car horns to part the solid sea of traffic in front of them. (Can you imagine

Moses parting the Red Sea?)It was in 1997 that I wrote

traffic problems in Manila ev-ery time I went home for a va-cation. It may have changed. It was total nonsense the way Metro Manila Development Authority regulated and man-aged the traffic operation. The Department of Transportation and Communication must do something to confront this horrible problem. I emphati-cally said then that Mala-canang Palace must lead the effort!

Consider this one. These traffic delays in Manila affect everyone, the common people and the executives alike. You may lose an ap-pointment, get exhausted, or just stay away from it all.

Jeepney passengers are jammed and suffocated in clouds of dust and pollu-tion. Yet the government has not done anything to correct the tragedy of the public transportation system in Manila. Do the public of-ficials care?

I sat down and calculated

the loss of time and produc-tivity encountered by every office worker in Manila because of the delays in traf-fic. I figured that if a worker spends two hours in com-muting delays, a 5-day work week and a 12-hour work day would amount to his spending 480 hours or 40 working days or two work-

ing

months a year try-

ing to get to his workplace. And if

he spends two hours one-way or four hours a day, he would be spending twice as much time or four working months a year on the road. To me this is the tragedy of a chaotic public transportation system in Manila---gigantic waste of time, money and energy, not to mention its toll on one’s health and peace of mind.

Obviously, the major cause of the never-ending traffic in Manila was the presence of 600,000 thousand or so motor vehicles (in 1997) making use of the inadequate road system. In passing, although cars are classified as luxury items, a Filipino’s number one dream is to own a car before any-thing else. A common saying in Manila--most private car owners consider their vehicles

as an exten-sion of their home but with one difference: a home is where his wife cooks while a car is where his girlfriend builds a fire. Hmm.

There were too many jeep-neys, private cars, trailers, passenger buses, junky trucks and delivery vans plying their way in every thoroughfare in the city. The streets were

narrow, many in bad condi-tion. There was no order and the proper use of primary and secondary routes was unregu-lated.

A national government in-tervention is needed to correct this problem. The President must take notice and send directives to the local govern-ments and the Department of

Public Works and Highways to upgrade the roads and install more new Light Rail transit Lines.

There are now “over-passes or fly-overs” in many major thorough-fares but it seems that they are not able to ease the traffic anarchy.

Big metropolises in many European countries

as well as in the U.S. and Japan make use of subway train to transport millions of people. I don’t see why the Philippines could not start thinking of subway lines.

It has been speculated that subways are not possible in Manila because the soil is too muddy and soft, and the water level is too high. Alter-natively, constructing double-decked elevated highways, like in San Francisco, is not impossible to do. I heard that there are blueprints of such projects, but nothing has hap-pened so far. They have too many engineers in the Philip-pines.

The public must be afford-ed an alternative transporta-tion other than the thousands of jeepneys driven by undisci-plined “kamikaze”…Filipino drivers fighting their way in order to be able to meet the “boundary system.” These jeepneys pick up passengers and unload them in the middle of the road, a practice that

significantly contributes to the traffic tyranny.

Under Presidential Decree 96 only motor vehicles des-ignated for the use of sirens, bells and horns are the Philip-pine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philip-pines (AFP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and hospital ambu-lances.

As for government offi-cials, only the President, Vice President, Senate President, House Speaker, and Chief Justice are afforded the same privilege.

US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said: “ there is no need to use sirens in the country.”

“We follow the laws. I feel very safe here. Please accept the law and respect it,” Thomas said that at the Manila Overseas Press Club Diplomatic Night.Thomas said the US Embassy had not used a siren even before the campaign waged by President Aquino.

But what we see is that in the past weeks, because of the new edict not to use sirens have become an obstacle; getting stuck in traffic is a serious security consideration. The President demonstrated as an example to follow his decree. He was late on two occasions in his appointment. The President to be stopped by traffic jams is a security con-cern. Dr. Philip S. Chua wrote: “This makes for an even more dangerous situation for you, as real danger now lurks everywhere. An honest Presi-dent naturally breeds a lot of enemies; otherwise he is not doing his job well. And there are dozens of other reasons why your security must be beefed up to the fullest, even if you feel you are loved and protected by the people.”

One must realize that the affairs of the state take prece-dence over everything. Presi-dential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda reassures that the President be advised by the PSG (Presidential Security Group) and must take this ad-vice under consideration. He must use all means of security measures to be free from des-perados who may assassinate him.

At least Malacanang Palace had answered my plea in one way or another some years ago. This is only the begin-ning.


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Bill’s Corner

Read Bill Labestre’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Bill Labestre, MBA Eric Celino Spoelstra, the

first ever Filipino-American head coach to call the shots for an NBA team will have three of the NBA’s best play-ers on his team, the Miami Heat.

The third-year bench tacti-cian will coach the NBA su-perstar trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh this coming season.

Spoelstra who traces his roots to San Pablo, Laguna is the first mentor with Filipino roots and youngest to ever coach in the league.

He has an NBA title con-tender on his hands after LeB-ron James, the two-time MVP left the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chris Bosh departed from the Toronto Raptors to join Wade in the Heat.

Olympic teammates in Beijing, James, Bosh and Wade all helped deliver gold medals.

This time, it’ll be about a gold trophy, the NBA cham-pionship one – the one Wade got in 2006, the one that James and Bosh have yet to touch.

Fil-Am to coach Lebron, Dwayne and Chris in Miami Heat

Eric Spoelstra

“Winning is a huge thing for me,” James said.

It’s a huge victory for the Heat, who got commitments from Wade and Bosh on Wednesday. That duo, along with James, formed the upper

echelon of the most-cel-ebrated free-agent period in league history.

Heat president Pat Riley landed them all, a three-pack of stars to help shape his quest for a dynasty in Miami.

James, Bosh and Wade

entered the pros in the same year, the respective Nos. 1, 4 and 5 picks in the 2003 draft. They went their separate ways: James to Cleveland, Bosh to Toronto and Wade to Miami, where he won a championship partnered with center Shaquille O’Neal in 2006. That year, James, Bosh and Wade all signed match-ing contracts to make sure they were all unrestricted free agents at the same time.

Before becoming head coach, Spoelstra has been with Miami for more than 13 years. He was played many roles in the Heat staff from assistant coach/director of scouting where he had the primary role of developing game plans for upcoming op-ponents.

He was responsible for coordinating the video staff and advance scouts while also overseeing the development of scouting reports and vid-eos. He has been in charge of the Heat’s Individual Player Development Program and has served as the head coach of the Heat’s summer league

squad each of the past three sum-mers.

This 2010-2011 season may just be the year that Eric wins his first ever NBA Champion-ship with Lebron, Dwayne and Chris lead-ing the way.

Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade

Many years ago I joined some Multi Level Marketing groups. It started in Hawaii when a friend invited me to join A. L. Williams Insurance Sales. I came to the meetings, attended classes, took the test and got a license for Insur-ance Agent. I sold one policy then quit. It was not easy but, at least, I have learned more about life insurance business.

Then a few years later, I was introduced to World Mar-keting Alliance (WMA). Dur-ing this time, the stock market was doing fine. The group was pushing variable universal life insurance policies. There were more meetings, seminars and classes to attend until I got my securities and life insurance licenses. I got the concept and knew the products well but, finding clients was tough. I had a very tiny social circle. Still, I was glad to pick-up more knowledge on financial planning and investments.

When I retired from mili-tary service in 1994, I was still dreaming to become a Certi-fied Financial Planner. Then, reality woke me up. I have a financial responsibility to my family. For the three months I was unemployed, I ran out of money. I was trying to find any employment. It was not easy even with my learned skills and earned MBA.

I was still in training at Franks Toyota Dealership when I received a phone call from a Federal Agency. They wanted to know if I was still interested on the job that I have applied for. Even though it was something new to me,

Networking Again?I took the offer. It was a long drive from my house but, I was desperate for employ-ment.

The new job was a big challenge. I did not only learn about taxation but more on how to deal with all kinds of people. I have examined many types of businesses and seen how they failed or succeed. At last, I was able to practice what I learned in business school and previous trainings.

The clients just kept com-ing since they were sum-moned by the government agency.

I have also learned about “Ponzi Scheme” and some of those annoying networking businesses. I’ve seen the sad stories of gambling addictions and people’s greed on money. Many people are gullible and prone to temptations. The dream of making it big quick is still inside in most of us. Given time, someone will extract and fuel that dream.

More often it is somebody you know and trust that will invite you to join an MLM or invest in a Ponzi Scheme. You may have to sell products or services, recruit new members or deposit large amount of money. The future seems to look too good to be true.

As Filipinos, we’re too polite to decline invitations from our families and friends. If you have to attend, open your mind but close your wal-let. Never sign anything until you asked for second opin-ion. Don’t focus on the large dollar signs on the projection

screen. The business may not be for you.

If you’re old, retired and on fixed income, be careful of whom you trust with your money. Enjoy your golden years doing regular exercises, socializing with friends or do volunteer jobs. Forget about business ventures which could lead you to the poor house.

artist Sarah Brightman.So, from the thousands of

candidates who auditioned, they were whittled down to 100, then 10, then the final three. The night before the fi-nals, Alex was running a high fever. Doctors already grew concerned as they attended to him.

He chose to perform an op-era number entitled “The Fi-nal Countdown” and floored the jury made up of Polish ac-tress Malgorzata Foremniak, rock star Agnieszka Chylin-ska, and controversial show-man Kuba Wojewodzki, who gushed over his breathtaking rendition, showering him with superlatives and high praise.

“More than his talent, they told me that it was his good attitude that endeared him to the Polish audiences. It really shone through,” his Polish wife Zanet said.

While the total votes failed to catapult Alex to the top spot – it went to a 27-year-old accordionist – he still received 5,000 euros and sponsored plane tickets to the Philippines, to his hometown Cebu for him, his wife and 10-year-old daughter Vanessa.

The Filipino talent keeps shining through anywhere in the world.

Alexander Martinez shines in Poland’s Got Talent Contest

(Continued from page 1)


by Dr. Ofelia Dirige Founder, President & CEO Kalusugan Community Services

Contemporary Asian American Issues

Read Dr. Dirige’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

There is an interesting thing about aging: the older you get, the faster time flies. The phenomenon is called “time dilation” and it’s not a particularly good thing. Per-sonally, I hate it…okay, I also hate getting older, but there you go. When you combine the two – aging and time dila-tion – well, you’re just out of luck.

When I was in college, about nine thousand years

Watching clocksTime seems to run a bit faster every day

ago, I took a class on aging. We discussed all the vari-ous aspects of getting older, including everything that happens from the instant of birth to the moment of death. The class was interesting at the time, but this was prob-ably due to the fact that I was much younger. For that mat-ter, everyone in the class was young; heck, we were a bunch of smart-aleck college kids who knew everything, would

never grow old, and would rather be out on a date than sitting in that classroom talk-ing about aging. Of course we didn’t have a clue.

Now, however, since I went through that door marked “Middle Age - No Turning Back” I recall the les-sons from that class with wry amusement…or horror – take your pick.

Pain is not a good thing

I am thinking about this subject today because of a re-cent trip to a physician. Last week I was working around the house, cutting and saw-ing on a kitchen floor (no, I don’t know why I was doing it on the kitchen floor, prob-ably because it was closer to the refrigerator) and, a few days later, I moved some boxes of books out of my office. Normally this would not be any big deal. But the morning after I finished all this work I awoke to shooting pains in my elbow whenever I moved my arm (the old joke here is a man goes to his doctor and tells him, “Doc-tor, my arm hurts whenever I move it like this.” The doctor replies, “Well, quit moving it like that.”). I figured the pain would stop in a day or two, took a couple of Tylenol, and pretty much ignored it.

Well, the pain didn’t stop. So I made an appointment with Roy, the physician who has been keeping this body in more or less working order for the past couple of decades. Roy and I, it seems, are sim-ply growing old together. He knows where I hurt because he hurts there as well.

Roy examined my arm and gave me the bad news. He told me I had something with a name that I can’t begin to pronounce. I asked him what it meant and he said, “You’ve got tennis elbow.”

“Tennis elbow? Me? I

haven’t played tennis in years.”

“It’s just the slang term. You can get tennis elbow from all sorts of things, especially from doing things with your arms you don’t normally do.”

“So what can you do about it?” I asked.

He gave me a few options, but mostly it came to wait-ing it out and perhaps taking some laser treatments. My elbow problem was transient (it means temporary, but you know how doctors are with language).

A few years ago

The main thing is, a few years ago I never would have had this problem. A few years ago I could have built a house, shoveled a mountain, arm-wrestled Hulk Hogan (yes, I would have lost), and still not had any pain (at least not in the elbow). But that’s the key, “a few years ago.”

I hate saying “a few years ago,” it makes me seem even older (remember a grandpar-ent saying, “Why just a few short years ago, your grand-mother and I…”). Yep, I hate saying it, and yet I find myself saying that exact thing more and more. Part of it, of course, is because things happened a few years ago that I remember (when you’re young there just aren’t enough years going back to remem-ber).

One of the terms people tend to use with aging is “age is catching up with me.” This is nonsense. Age doesn’t catch up with anyone. Age couldn’t care less. Age is simply a process that goes on. The problem is not with age playing catch-up but with our bodies losing the battles with:

1. Gravity2. Sunlight3. Free radicals4. Chlorine

5. Red meat 6. Pollution7. Sugar8. Saccharine9. Tobacco10. Caffeine11. Dust mites12. Plastics13. Liquor14. Too much exercise15. Too little exercise16. Not enough chocolate

(okay, this is a personal belief, but hey, it’s my column)

17. Electro-magnetic radia-tion

18. Falling meteors19. Synthetics20. Artificial ingredients21. Bad drivers22. Environmental prob-

lems and or disasters23. Not enough oxygen24. Too much oxygen25. Stress, stress, stress

And on and on and on. There are so many things that contribute to aging that just when you find one answer, (don’t smoke), a new question rears its ugly head. Questions like:

* Which vitamin does what, how many should I take, and will it help anyway? * Do I really want to join AARP?

* Senior citizen discount? Me? Are you nuts?

These are questions that either have no answer or the answer changes daily. Talk about confusing!

Personally, I don’t have a clue regarding what to do about it all except complain. And since I do that so extraor-dinarily well, I’ll just keep it up. If nothing else, complain-ing about it is worthwhile just because of how much it annoys younger people.

One last thought: Nothing, and I mean nothing, makes you feel older than sitting in a hospice room and with a parent as he or she spend their final few days on earth.

Kalusugan Community Services (KCS) sponsored a workshop on July 17 at the FilAm Wellness Center in National City on the topic, “Implementing Worksite Wellness and Colon Cancer Education in the Workplace.” The American Cancer Society (ACS) funded this workshop and was conducted in collabo-ration with the Network for a Healthy California, Wellness Worksite Program, San Diego County Worksite Wellness

Kate Bartkiewicz

Worksite wellness in the workplace

Businesses should invest in employee health rather than just pay for health care.

They should recognize that a highly productive workforce is an increasingly vital element in the U.S. economic productiveness….Partners for Prevention

Coalition (ICANATWORK), Imperial Beach Health Center, and Take Care Health Sys-tems.

The speakers for “Worksite

Wellness” were Kate Bartkie-wicz, Manager of Business and Community Relations of ICANATWORK, Daisy Lozano, Network for Healthy California, and Jorge Gutier-rez, Imperial Beach Health Center. Dr. Ilene Klein of Take Care Health Systems spoke about “Colon Cancer” on behalf of ACS and Demy Din, Program Manager of ACS, informed the audience about the resources available. Colon Cancer will be the next topic for this series.

Worksite Wellness: This is defined as employers imple-menting health programs and encouraging their employees

to engage in healthy behaviors such as not smoking, eating healthy, and being physically active while on the job.

Why Worksite Wellness: More than 75% of medical care costs are due to chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabe-tes. These are also the major causes of death in Asian Americans including Filipino Americans (FilAms). 125 M Americans of all ages report having at least one chronic disease. This includes 58 M between the ages of 18-65 that includes majority of employed adults. Chronic conditions are also responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths in the U.S. each year. It limits the daily activ-ity of more than one out of 10 Americans.

Most of these chronic dis-eases are preventable by posi-tive changes in life style such as quitting smoking, modera-tion in drinking, colorectal screening, and breast cancer screening. The Partners for Prevention stated that “some preventive services that have been proven to be effective in improving health also provide cost-saving investments and many others are cost effec-tive.” There is no need for expensive drugs or medical treatments.

An important way to im-prove the health of individuals is to develop programs and policies at places of work that support healthy behaviors. Approximately 70% of work-ing-age Californians is em-ployed. They spend so many of their working hours on the job so that achieving healthy habits is virtually impossible without addressing these is-sues at work.

A healthy workforce has fewer sick days and works at peak productivity on a daily

Daisy Lozano

basis. The World Health Orga-nization reports, “workplace physical activity programs in the U.S. can reduce short term sick leave by 6-32%, health care costs by 20-55%, and increase productivity by 2-52%.” Unhealthy workers require more medical care, take more sick days, and are less productive on the job.”

What Can Small Busi-nesses Do: Kate Bartkiewicz discussed the idea of helping employer’s value health and wellness at the workplace as an investment, rather an ex-pense to the business. Health care costs are skyrocketing and it seems inefficient to focus on healthy employees. But part of the expense may just be providing resources that are not of high value to employees such as tobacco screening services and alcohol

problem prevention services that will improve health lead-ing to lower rates of sickness. These are of high value and impact but less than 2/3 of businesses does not provide them.

Some large businesses have already implemented or are implementing worksite wellness. An example is the Dow Chemical Company that has on site community pre-vention programs that focus on nutrition, fitness, smoking cessation and stress reduc-tion. Navistar Inc. provides non-smokers with a $50 per month break on health insur-

ance premiums. Land’s End, Inc has an 80,000 sq ft health and fitness facility with pool, gym, track, aerobics studio, and exercise equipment.

How about small busi-nesses? There are barriers to implementation of wellness programs in small companies and those that employ lower-wage workers. Many of these employers do not offer health insurance benefits; most em-ploy a transient workforce so there is less incentive to im-prove health; and some have other concerns such as incur-ring additional costs for well-ness programs and increasing liability and insurance costs. However, there are resources in the community that can help start a worksite wellness program such as cited below:

A. UCSD Network for a Healthy California- Work-site Wellness Program (Eng-lish and Spanish)

This program is FREE, FLEXIBLE and CONVE-NIENT. It is a no-cost pro-gram for the low-income population to help employees eat better and be more ac-

tive at work and home. It will provide:

Nutrition Education • Classes & materialsHealthy Food Demon-• stration & taste testsStaff support for the • programLinks to community • resourcesPhysical activity re-• sourcesCalifornia Business kit•

It is designed to: Increase employee productivity

Decrease absenteeismLower health care costsDecrease worker’s com-

pensation claimsImprove employee morale

For information, contact Daisy Lozano, Program Coor-dinator, UCSD Network for a Healthy California,

Worksite Wellness Program, (619) 243-7254 or [email protected].

B. Imperial Beach Health Center- Jorge Gutierrez, one of the speakers, gave an ex-ample of a worksite wellness program that he is coordinat-ing in Imperial Beach, The Wellness Program Best Prac-tices. He offers free produce in exchange for employees attending fun classes that con-sists of exciting exercises and entertaining cooking shows that allowed employees to taste healthy foods. He gave the following guidelines:

Make sure that manage-ment believes in and is sup-portive of the program.

Provide employees with opportunities for individual, group and at-home support.

Provide employees with tools for self-assessment

Send supportive reminders to employees.

Provide employee incen-tives.

For more information, contact Jorge, Director of HR, at [email protected]

***

FREE WORKSHOP: EVERYONE WELCOME

“BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS:

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, A HIDDEN CHALLENGE IN THE FILAM COMMU-NITY”

August 7, Saturday, 9:00 AM to 12 noon

KCS FilAm Wellness Center

1419 East 8th Street, Na-tional City, CA 91950

AGENDA:8:30-9:00 AM Free Conti-

nental Breakfast9:00-9:15 AM Welcome

and Introductions:Dr. Ofelia Dirige, KCS

President & CEOElvie Magsarili, RN,

FilAm Women’s Club of SDChris tell J. Quinche-Cotta,

MA, Program Coordinator,South Bay Community

Services (SBCS)

9:15- 10:15 Building Healthy Family Relationships

Carolyn Gerard, MA, Ge-rard Counseling

10:15-10:30 Aerobic Break- Heidi Wilson

10:30-11:30 Relationship Violence: Jeannie Marinelli, Promotora, SBCS

11:30-11:45 Question and Answer Period

11:45- 12:00 Evaluation; Raffles

12:00 FREE Lunch pro-vided by SBCS

Sponsors: Kalusugan Community Services, FilAm Women’s Club

& South Bay Community Services

For Information and reser-vation call, (619) 477-3392

Perspectives

ASIAN JOURNALThe first Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern CaliforniaAn award-winning newspaper, it is San Diego’s most

widely circulated Asian-Filipino newspaper!

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

In Pursuit of ExcellenceEugenio “Ego” Osin, (1946 - 1994)

Joe Cabrera, (1924 - 1996)Soledad Bautista, (1917-2009)

Dr. Rizalino “Riz” Oades, (1935-2009)

The Asian Journal is published weekly and distributed in all Asian communties in San Diego County. Publication date is ev-ery Friday of the month. Advertising deadline is Thursday prior to publication date at 5 p.m. For advertising rates, rate cards, or information, call (619) 474-0588. Subscription by mail is available for $50 per year (56 issues). The Asian Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs but welcomes sub-missions. Entire content is © 2009 copyrighted material by Asian Journal. Materials in this publication may not be reproduced without specific permission from the publisher.

Genevieve SilverioManaging Editor

Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

Miles BeauchampAssociate Editor

Santi SilverioAssociate Publisher

At Large...

Read Miles Beauchamp’s previous articles by visiting our web-site at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Miles Beauchamp



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Legal BriefRead Atty. Susan Perez’s previous articles by

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Our immigration laws provide for the granting of immediate relative status to the spouse of a U.S. citi-zen (USC). Where an I-130 petition is fi led on behalf of an alien spouse, it must be accompanied by a certifi cate of marriage to the benefi -ciary and proof of the legal termination of all previous marriages of both the peti-tioner and the benefi ciary. The certifi cate of marriage, however, is not required when it’s a common law marriage. Nevertheless, the common law marriage must be estab-lished as valid. The valid-ity of marriage between the petitioner and benefi ciary is not determined by a uniform federal standard but by state law. It is the function of the state to determine how its residents may enter into the marital relationship. There-fore, the validity of marriage for immigration purposes is generally governed by the law of the place of celebration of marriage.

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USCIS recognizes common law marriage

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25th of a series By Rudy D. Liporada

In the initial series, the author contends that history is written by those who have the time to write from their perspectives and believed by those who do not know better, also from their perspectives and mental settings.

Ang Susunod na Kabana-ta – Will Noynoy be a traitor to his class?

Before the May 10, 2010 elections in the Philippines, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III was already featured in US magazines and newspapers preempting that he would be likely the next president of the Philippines after Glo-ria Macapagal Arroyo steps down on June 30, 2010. Even when he was not yet declared president, a US ambassador already paid him a courtesy call. In spite of the pre-pro-grammed cloud on the elec-tronic devices used during the elections, Noynoy snatched the presidency from the likes of former president, Erap Es-trada and Manny Villar.

Noynoy also won on the crest of his being the iconic son of Benigno Aquino, Jr.

who was gunned down during the Marcos regime; and former President Cory Aquino who was an emotion-ally charged elected president against Ferdinand Marcos who was exiled in Hawaii es-caping a battery of corruption, plunder, and human rights charges. All these in spite of his lackluster performance as a member of congress for over a decade.

Beset with further spiraling high commodity prices, higher unemployment, human justice clamor, graft and corruption issues and other issues under the Gloria Arroyo regime,

An Unauthorized History of the Philippines

40% of the Filipino people voted for Noynoy with a new hope that the Islands will now march to true progress under his presidency.

Noynoy’s campaign was premised on: If there is no corruption, there will be no poor people (Kung walang korap, walang mahirap). Along this line, he promised to prosecute Gloria Maca-pagal Arroyo whose reign was riddled with corruption. He also promised to imple-ment land reform. He did not categorically state that he will renegotiate peace talks with the insurgents. He asked that he be given three years to ful-fill his campaign promises.

The question is: will Noynoy be capable of being a traitor to his class?

Will he be president only for the ruling landlord class to which he belongs and which is the conduit of the US imperialists in controlling the economy of the Philippines or would he truly represent the interests of the 75% peasants and workers of the Philippine constituency?

The next six years, and, perhaps, beyond will reveal for Filipinos and the world if Noynoy would be different from his predecessors. None-theless, his class outlook fore-bodes how he will govern the Philippines. His clan has been of the landlord class since the Spanish era in Philippine his-tory. Benigno Aquino, Sr., the grandfather of Noynoy col-laborated with the Japanese. We could not fully ascertain how Noynoy’s father, Beni-gno Aquino, Jr., would have performed because he was assassinated, presumably due to conflict within the landlord class. Noynoy’s mother, for-mer President Cory Aquino, failed to elevate the Filipinos from their economic and social malady. Foremost, she did not institute genuine land reform.

Given our premise – the US imperialists control the economy of the Philippines as a source of raw materials and as a dumping market for its finished products and as such the Philippines has largely remained agricultural and non-industrialized, the main solution to the root cause of the Philippine impoverish-ment is genuine land reform for the sake of 75% of its population. All other reforms on other branches of the root

problem would be mere cos-metique or palliative and will not accelerate the Islands to true progress.

We now reiterate the ques-tion: Will Noynoy be capable of being a traitor to his land-lord class? The Hacienda

Luisita which his clan owns forebodes his sense of direc-tion. It should be noted that during his electoral campaign, he declared that he would not allow land reform in Hacienda Luisita until 2014. He also claimed that the Hacienda Luisita massacre and other related killings happened because of oppression against his family and not because the clan wanted to suppress the just demands of their tenants.

Dr. James Putzel, based on his book A Cap-tive Land: The Politics of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines (Ateneo Uni-versity Press, 1992), states that during the campaign, his contentions were updated and “described a well-researched series very accurately revealed uncom-fortable truths that are dif-ficult to accept, prompting efforts to suppress the story by those who do not want an airing of how elites in the country manipulate the law for their own ends.

“The series put under the microscope the historical record, which when closely examined, reveals that even so revered a figure as the late President Corazon Aquino acted in bad faith when it came to land reform and the family’s own land, Hacienda Luisita.”

Along these lines, Dr,

Putzel adds,”If President-elect Noynoy Aquino wants to demonstrate that his new government represents gener-ational change, he should con-vince his family to abandon efforts to hold onto Hacienda Luisita and finally allow it to be covered by the agrarian reform law.

“The expressed intention of Aquino to allow the distri-bution of land to farmworker-beneficiaries to be dragged out until some indeterminate

moment before 2014, is simply the latest in a long line of efforts by the Aquino-Co-juangco family to avoid redis-tributing the land as mandated by the law.

“The longer Hacienda Luisita remains exempt from

the land redistribution provi-sions of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, the less credibility the new presi-dent’s government will have among the rural poor and the more vulnerable will be his government to charges of hy-pocrisy and the protection of family and elite interests and privileges by opponents of all political hues.”

Prosecution of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

Along the line also of “kung walang korap, walang mahirap,” Noynoy should fulfill his promise of prosecut-ing Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the corruption undertaken

during her administration. He should also pursue the case against the Ampatuan mas-sacre and other corrupt ad-ministrators under the regime. Absent action in these regard would simply be a message that the jingle about corrup-tion was only an expression to gather votes but actually hallow on its promise. It will also be a message that further corruption would ensue and tolerated.

Along these lines, it should be noted that before the elec-tions, Arroyo made question-able midnight appointments. Most glaring among these are the appointments of Chief Justice Renato Corona to the Supreme Court and General

Delfin Bangit as Armed Forces Chief of Staff. Corona was Arroyo’s chief of staff and spokesman while Bangit was head of Arroyo’s praeto-rian guards.

To distance himself from Arroyo, Noynoy, refused to recognize the presumed mid-night appointment of Corona and Bangit. Noynoy did not want to be sworn into the presidential office by Corona. He also said that he would not recognize the appointment of Bangit who then decided to retire a year before his manda-tory retirement age. Unfortu-nately for Noynoy, Corona did not budge because majority of the Supreme Court Judges ruled in March 2010 that the two-month ban does not apply to the position of chief justice.

Under this configuration, should Noynoy pursue his promise of prosecuting Ar-royo on the cases of corrup-tion, plunder, human rights violations, and others and these cases are elevated to the Supreme Court, one can already deduce how the Court will decide given that Corona is at its helm. That would be an easy excuse for Noynoy to say that he did fulfill his promise to prosecute but he had to respect the ruling of the Supreme Court although he made it appear that he does not respect Corona by taking his presidential oath of of-fice administered by a lowly barangay captain.

Bangit, although retired,

will be a potential coup threat to Noynoy. Dubbed as “Em-peror”, he had dispensed favors among his constituents. He has been known to throw lavish parties with him dis-tributing cash beyond what he should be receiving as a mere general in the armed forces. He also represents a crack in the armed forces. A graduate of the Philipine Military Academy’s Class of 1978, his meteoric rise within the ranks and to be presumed Chief of Staff by the grace of Arroyo has alienated those he surpassed from Class of 1977 and earlier.

Thus, even if Noynoy would have the unexpected courage to fulfill his campaign promises, the justice and military systems are already in place to foil his attempts. Should he institute genuine land reform to the chagrin of landlords and the imperial-ists, they could easily find faults on the lackluster former congress performer to stage a coup.

Consider, too, that in spite of his claim that his campaign funds came from piso-piso (a peso each) contributions of the poor, his actual funds came from the coffers of his clan, his landlord allies, the business chambers of com-merce, and other forces that are leeched to maintain the Philippines as a mere agricul-tural and non-industrialized nation. This is where their wealth is derived from and

would want to keep it that way.

Again, in reiteration, would Noynoy be a traitor to his class?

Should Noynoy be given the chance to prove himself? That chance is not for the Fili-pinos to give. It is for Noynoy to prove. His first 100 days should be enough barometer or compass point towards his general direction; not three years or up to 2014.

It should also be noted that while Noynoy garnered 40% of the votes, this only means that 60% of the Filipinos did not vote for him.


Read previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjo-urnalusa.com

by Atty. Rogelio Karagdag, Jr.Member, State Bar of California & Integrated Bar of the Philippines

Phil - Am Law 101

Alex is a naturalized U.S. citizen who has retired in the Philippines. He and his wife Barbara had been mar-ried for ten years but they were still childless, so they decided to “adopt” Barbara’s newborn nephew Carlo. To expedite matters, they named themselves as Carlo’s parents in the birth certifi cate. They also indicated that Barbara gave birth at home through a midwife.

When we interviewed them, we learned about other facts. Carlo has two birth cer-tifi cates. The fi rst one names his biological parents. Alex and Barbara got the second birth certifi cate through late registration. Barbara was only 35 when Carlo was born and could well be his mother. We also noticed a striking re-semblance between Alex and Carlo. Other people will not doubt that they are father and son. One thing bothered us though. The date and place of birth are the same in both cer-tifi cates. Also, Carlo was born in a city just north of Manila, where there were many hos-pitals and where mothers did not give birth through mid-wives anymore.

Carlo is now 9 years old and Alex wanted to fi le an im-migrant petition for Barbara and Carlo to go back with him to the United States. Alex has been dilly-dallying because he feared that the U.S. consulate might suspect the truth about Carlo’s true parentage. He is right. There are too many red fl ags in Carlo’s second birth certifi cate. The U.S. consul-ate will be suspicious about the “birth by midwife” and why it took Alex a long time to petition his family. Usually, when in doubt, the US con-sulate will order a DNA test. The results will surely show that Alex and Barbara are not Carlo’s biological parents. In addition, chances are, the U.S. Consulate will discover the two birth certifi cates, since they have the same dates and places of birth.

As we always advise my

Simulated Birth Certifi cate

clients, we told Alex and Barbara not to commit any misrepresentations as it would only cause them more trou-bles in the future. Immigration fraud is a very serious offense with dire consequences.

There’s one more very important reason for them not to misrepresent. The St. Luke’s doctor who will exam-ine Barbara will surely fi nd out that Barbara is childless, due to the absence of stretch marks or other signs that she has given birth. The doctor is under obligation to report her fi nding to the U.S. Embassy.

Anyway, we told them that Carlo’s situation can still be remedied. What we did was to fi le a petition for adoption in the Philippine Regional Trial Court, where we presented Carlo’s truthful birth cer-tifi cate. We did not anticipate any problem since Carlo has been with Alex and Barbara since birth. Carlo’s natural parents have submitted their joint affi davit of consent to the adoption. More important-ly, the adoption will be for the best interest of Carlo who will have the chance of a brighter future in the United States. The adoption was quickly granted by the Court; in fact we were able complete the presentation of the case within the two weeks that we were in Manila. Alex and Barbara are just waiting for the requisite two year period before fi ling the immigrant petition for Carlo.

Many of us are tempted to take the short cut, either because we are trying to save money or do not want other people to know our real situ-ation. In Alex and Barbara’s case, they wanted people to believe that Carlo is their real son to protect him against rid-icule. They have noble inten-tions and they now understand that it would be to Carlo’s best interest if his status is properly recognized. Besides, being an adopted child no longer carries the stigma that it once had. Adopted children are now looked upon with

envy, as they should be, for they have two sets of parents who love them dearly.

Atty. Rogelio Karagdag , Jr. is licensed to practice law in both California and the Philippines. He practices immigration law in San Diego and has continuously been a trial and appellate attorney in the Philippines since 1989. He travels between San Diego and Manila. His offi ce address is located at 10717 Camino Ruiz, Suite 131, San Diego, CA 92126. He also has an of-fi ce in the Philippines at 1240 Apacible Street, Paco, Ma-nila, Philippines 1007, with telephone numbers (632)522-1199 and (632)526-0326. Please call (858)348-7475/(858)536-4292 or email him at [email protected]. He speaks Tagalog fl uently. Articles written in this column are not legal advice but are hypotheticals intended as general, non-spe-cifi c legal information.

OTAY MESA, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection offi cers conducing southbound operations at the Otay Mesa passenger port of entry Tuesday found $83,241 in undeclared currency hidden inside a stuffed animal, a loaf of bread, and other places.

At about 2:30 p.m. on July 20, offi cers in-specting vehicles head-ing south into Mexico along the SR-905 freeway stopped two vehicles, a green 1999 Ford F-250 pickup and a gold 2000 Chevy Silverado, both towing trail-ers. The pickup was driven by a 41-year-old male Mexican citizen, with two passengers: a 35-year-old female Mexi-can citizen and her minor son. The sport utility vehicle was driven by a 31-year-old male Mexican citizen, with two passengers, a 39-year-old male Mexican citizen and his minor son. The passengers in the SUV were the husband and other son of the female passenger in the pickup.

CBP offi cers pulled the vehicles and occupants aside for a more intensive inspec-tion and discovered $16,271 in undeclared currency in the female passenger’s handbag. Offi cers also found $5,200

CBP Offi cers Find Over $83,000 in Undeclared Cash in Loaf of Bread,

Stuffed Animal, and Moreconcealed within a loaf of wheat bread, $2,370 inside a brown pouch, and $19,400 concealed within a stuffed animal inside the pickup and an additional $40,000 hid-

den in the bottom of a child’s brown back pack in the SUV. During their inspection, CBP offi cers also determined that the husband and wife were il-legal immigrants with no legal ability to enter or reside in the United States.

CBP offi cers seized a total of $83,241 in undeclared cur-rency.

“The traveling public needs to understand that declaring currency over $10,000 when crossing the border is not an option, it is a requirement of federal law,” said Rosa Her-nandez, port director oversee-ing outbound operations at Otay Mesa. “Travelers need to declare; the consequences are severe when you fail to do so.”

It is a federal offense not to declare currency or monetary instruments totaling more than $10,000 to a CBP offi cer upon entry or exit from the U.S. or to conceal it with intent to evade reporting requirements. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest.

Food manufacturing giant Nestlé Philippines is investing P4.3 billion over a period of two years on a new factory in Tanauan, Batangas.

The factory will be built on a 27-hectare property, and will be completed in March 2012. It will produce Nestlé products Coffee-mate non-dairy creamer and Bear Brand powdered milk, two of the company’s bestsellers.

Nestlé said the Tanauan factory will directly employ a workforce of 170 people, and generate jobs in sectors providing raw materials and services.

“We believe this invest-ment is a clear demonstration of our full con-fi dence in the Philippines. It is timely as the country restates its commit-ment to accelerate economic growth. As always, our strat-egy is guided by our belief in creating shared value for all stakeholders,” said Nestlé chairman and chief executive John Miller.

Miller said that the entire three phase expansion will be built in a 27-hectare leased land in the Philippine First Industrial Park in Batangas. Miller refused to give details on the two other phases.

The new plant will cater to the domestic market and will only export fi ve percent to six percent of the products to Malaysia.

For the fi rst phase, Miller said investments will be P4.3 billion. Construction is ex-pected to begin this month while commercial operations will start March 2012. The ca-pacity is 64,000 tons per year.

Currently, the Coffee-mate sold in the country is from

Nestle Food invests billions in new Batangas factory

Thailand but packaged locally. The country imports 26,000 to 27,000 tons of Coffee-mate from Thailand every year.

With the new plant in place, Miller said the Philip-pines will become self-suffi -cient in Coffee-mate.

The Philippines is the second largest consumer of Coffee-mate, next only to the United States.

On the other hand, Bear Brand is currently produced at Nestlé’s Cagayan De Oro Plant. The CDO plant produc-es 80,000 tons of Bear Brand

per year.Although

both Bear Brand and Coffee-mate will be pro-duced in the plant, the bulk will be Coffee-mate. Miller noted

that the demand forthe two brands have been growing. In 2010, the domestic market for Bear Brand is expected to grow by 19 percent while the demand for Coffee-mate will increase by eight percent. The export of Bear Brand under the name Everyday is expect-ed to grow by 38 percent.

Aside from the big invest-ment for the new Tanauan Plant, Peter Noszek, Ex-ecutive Vice President for Finance and Control said that Nestle Philippines spend P1.2 billion to P1.8 billion per year for the expansion of their four other plants in Pulilan, Lipa, Cabuyao and Cagayan de Oro.

Meanwhile, Miller said sales for 2009 went up by 4.3 percent to P85.9 billion. He said on the average, Nestle Philippines grows by 6.5 percent, this translates to P3.5 billion to P4.5 billion growth per year.


Chapter 17

It took Isabel only a few weeks to adjust to her new life in America. Her husband Albert enrolled her in driving school and every day for about two weeks a Filipina driving instructor would pick her up and give her driving lessons for an hour. She reviewed for the written test but didn’t pass it two times. On the third try, she was able to answer the minimum number of required questions correctly. She was not lucky the first time she took the driving test, but on the second try, she already knew what mistakes to avoid and was given a driving per-mit.

“Driver ka na, puwede mo na akong ipasyal (You’re now a driver, you can now drive me around),” her husband teased her as they left the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Chula Vista on their way to their parked car.

Isabel was jumping with joy, hopping and skipping to-wards the car. She knew that a driver’s license was the key to being independent in America. Now she could move around and do whatever she pleased. She had her photo taken for her driver’s license which will be mailed to their apartment in a few weeks time. In the meantime, she was given a

Promised Land

Birthday Girltemporary driving permit. No more riding buses or jeepneys for her. She had attained a far-fetched dream from just a few months ago when she was jos-tling for a seat in overcrowded jeepneys in Manila.

“Can I drive now?” she asked Albert.

He let her.“You’re better off than

your cousin Ditas,” Albert reminded her. “She doesn’t drive at all.”

“Yes, why is that?” she asked Albert.

“I don’t know,” was what Albert could answer. He knew that Ditas didn’t even have the means to buy a car as all her earnings went to their house-hold expenses and to her ail-ing mother in the Philippines. Her husband Romy wanted her to remain dependent on him in moving around, so that he could maintain his hold on her. He spent most of his money having a good time rather that saving to buy a car for his wife. It was a stark contrast to Albert’s attitude towards his wife.

THE NEXT WEDNES-DAY, Albert went home early and told Isabel to dress up.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“We’ll eat out and cel-ebrate your birthday.”

Isabel almost forgot. She’s observing her first birthday in

America, the first time with-out her family. Each time, her father would bring home pancit guisado from a Chi-nese Restaurant in Quiapo and a small cake from a bakery.

“Pampahaba ng buhay (For long life),” her father would tell her, subscribing to the common belief that the long noodles extends one’s life.”

This time however, her fa-ther was not around to buy her birthday noodles and cake.

“Daanan natin si Ditas sa trabaho niya at isama natin sa dinner (Let’s pick up Ditas in her place of work and take her along for dinner),” Albert told Isabel when they were in the car. “She’s your only rela-tive here in America.”

But Ditas was not at her place of work.

“She already went home,” they were told.

“Let’s go home, bukas na lang tayo mag-celebrate (Let’s just celebrate tomor-row), Albert told his wife.

Isabel was taken aback.“Nakalabas na tayo, di

tayo na lang ang kumain (We’re already out, let’s just celebrate by ourselves),” she told him.

“No, let’s do it tomorrow with Ditas.”

“What’s the difference?”“I changed my mind, I

don’t feel like going out.”Isabel was annoyed, and

she showed her husband her feelings. Surprisingly, Albert just ignored her change of mood and stuck to his deci-sion to go home.

“This is my worse birth-day ever,” Isabel pouted, as though she had better birth-days when she was living in poverty and growing up in a slum.

“Wala tayong kakainin sa bahay, iyon lang tira kagabi (We have nothing to eat at home, just the leftovers from

last night),” she told Albert, hoping he would change his mind.

But he did not. “That’s good enough,” he

said.Isabel got mad but there

was nothing she could do. It was the first time her husband Albert did not acquiesced to her wish. She was surprised at his unusual behavior. He had never been insen-

si- tive to her during

their few months of living together.

She wondered if he was the real Albert. The Albert she knew was too good to be true.

When they arrived home, she noticed a brand new red Honda car parked in front of their apartment. She would have not noticed it if not for the huge red ribbon in front of its hood. But she was too mad to even mention it to Albert. Albert turned the key to their apartment door and let Isabel enter the apartment first. As soon as she was in, the light turned on. She saw a cluster of people inside who shouted: “Surprise!”

And they started singing “Happy Birthday!”

Isabel didn’t understand what happened at first, until she saw Ditas singing with the group. Then she realized that Albert prepared everything beforehand, and their planned dinner with Ditas was just a ruse.

“Were you surprised Ate?”

Ditas hugged and asked her after the singing ended.

Isabel was crying.“Yes,” she replied. “I

thought this was my worse birthday ever.”

Everyone greeted her a “happy birthday” as they introduced themselves to her. Ditas’s husband Romy and his parents were there, including Albert’s small group of close friends.

“Albert asked me to set up everything, including the food. He planned this sur-prise for you,” Ditas told

her. “I didn’t forget the noodles and cake that uncle used to serve on your birthdays.”

Then Albert tapped Isabel on the shoul-der and handed her a small red box with a red ribbon.

“Happy birthday,” he said as he kissed

her on the lips.“What’s this?” she asked.

“Open it,” Albert told her.She opened the box expect-

ing to see a piece of jewelry in it. Instead, she saw a key. She was confused.

“What’s this?” she asked again.

“Look out of the window,” he told her.

She looked out and saw again the brand new red Honda car with a red ribbon in front of its hood. She still did not get the answer to her question.

“That’s your car,” Albert told her.

When she realized what had just happened, she hugged Albert and cried. She shed tears of joy. Ditas was happy for her cousin, but she could not contain her jealousy. She’s been in America longer than Isabel but she still didn’t have a driver’s license, much less a used car to drive. She looked at her husband Romy who didn’t see the contrast be-tween her situation and that of

her cousin. Romy was smil-ing widely as he stood beside his friends and his parents. The contrasting scene didn’t escape Albert’s attention who took a pity on Ditas.

THE NEXT ITEM ON ISABEL’S AGENDA WAS TO FIND A JOB. She sent her resume to different offices with job openings for clerks and secretaries, but she did not get any response.

“Why don’t you work at McDonalds?” Albert finally advised her after her four months of job search. “I am sure your cousin Ditas can accommodate you since she’s the manager of the store here in Chula Vista.”

The thought never crossed Isabel’s mind as she fancied herself working in an office. Besides, it was demeaning for her to work with her cousin Ditas as her boss.

“I didn’t go to America just to work at McDonalds,” she replied.

“Why not? How come Di-tas is happy to work there?”

“But Ditas is just a high school graduate.”

“And you’re a college graduate?”

“No, but I reached second year in college.”

Isabel started getting an-noyed.

“You are not supportive of me,” she told her husband.

“I am,” Albert replied but stop short of telling her that a McDonalds’ job pays well, sometimes better that a regu-lar office job especially if one gets a promotion like Ditas. It could be a lucrative career in the long run.

But Isabel had a different idea. She thought that just because Ditas grew up in the province and she in the city, she had an advantage over her, ignoring the fact that they both grew up dirt poor. – AJ

(To be continued)

705,418 Readson www.scribd.com /asianjournal

Philippine Stories

Read Sim Silverio’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.


“Honor… integrity … common sense” is the motto of Rick Powell in his quest for building a better California and in his bid for the 78th As-sembly District.

Rick not only has the experience and the principles necessary to serve the people of his district, but he also pledges to serve California the way he served our country in his 38 years of military and public service – with honor, integrity, and common sense!

“If you don’t have honor and integrity in the military or as a Special Agent,” he said, “you are gone. Your career is over!”

Col. Rick L. Powell re-tired from the United States Army after being both in the Marines and in the Army, and from the Federal govern-ment, for a total of 38 years of service. He is a decorated combat veteran of both the Vietnam and the Iraq wars, and was awarded the Legion

Rick Powell for State Assembly

Col. Rick Powell (USA, Ret.) candidate for Califor-nia’s 78th Assembly District.

Zena interviewing candidate Rick Powell at the Villa Manila Restaurant in National City.

Col. Rick Powell (3rd from right) attending an event sponsored by the Filipino-American community.

Col. Rick Powell in Iraq while serving with the United States Army.

of Merit and Bronze Star as well as many other awards.

In between his military service in the Marines and in the Army, Rick Powell worked as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire-arms (ATF), U.S. Treasury Department in Chicago, IL, and with the U.S. Customs, Office of Investigations, U.S. Treasury Department, here in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Following his years of ser-vice, he decided to once again serve in another capacity: by running for this state’s 78th District Assembly, and when elected, by working hard “to help clean up the mess in

Sacramento.”In my interview with him

at the Villa Manila Restaurant last Friday, July 23, he quoted Pericles, the Greek orator, writer, and statesman who said: “Just because you do not take interest in politics doesn’t

mean politics won’t take an interest in you.” So he is stepping forward when and where leadership is needed, as he stepped forward in his years of service to our coun-try.

Rick is running against Marty Block, the Democratic incumbent in the 78th District Assembly, whom he said “did not keep his promise to not raise taxes and who was rated as a 0% by the National Federation of Independent Business and only as a 23% by the California Chamber of Commerce.” He also said Block is the wrong person for business in this time of huge debt and loss of jobs, with more than 40,000 employers

leaving California in a one-year period.

California is the highest taxed state in this country, he stated, and he is frustrated by that. And not only that! “California is broken,” he said. “Our deficit is the larg-est in history, our southern border is more dangerous than ever, our public school sys-tem is nearly the worst in the country, and our anti-business climate has driven thousands of businesses out of the state resulting in over 12% unem-ployment. That equates to less money for mortgages, less money for our families, and that is unacceptable.”

To drive home his point, he quoted his favorite American statesman, Thomas Jefferson who said: “I place economy among the first and most im-portant of virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dan-gers. To preserve our inde-pendence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.”

“Like you and so many others, I am frustrated with Sacramento and with our na-tional leaders,” he continued. “The lack of fiscal discipline, the seemingly endless expan-sion of the government, and the career politicians who have lost touch as they con-tinue to pay more attention to the demands of special inter-ests than to the critical needs of working families really frustrates me. And we have to do something about that!”

In Rick Powell’s opin-ion, the solution to all these problems is simple: stop the failed policies and politics-as-usual. He went on to say, “if we don’t reverse this trend in Sacramento and Washington, we will be the first genera-tion in this nation’s history to leave the next generation worse off than we are, think about that!”

“We all believe that our government should be held to a higher standard,” he stated, “we need responsible govern-ment, those in government who are more interested in what is happening to their constituents than their ca-reers.”

“It takes an army to win a war, and this is an uphill battle,” he emphasized, “with Block being supported by big

union money.” His top priorities for his

District and for this State include the following:

Stop wasteful govern-ment spending – Rick Powell promises that he will work hard to cut the fat from the budget and restore fiscal san-ity to our state government. His solution is simple: an immediate spending freeze in order to decide how much of the budget is luxury and how much is necessity.

California simply does not have the money to deliver all the services that were once

promised, but our budget problems will persist until we elect state officials who are willing to make hard deci-sions and take a bold stance against business-as-usual in Sacramento.

Rick will be one of the bold state officials who can do that!

Increase border security and public safety – Rick said that the federal government has failed California, and we need to take action to stop the illegal flow of drugs, people, kidnappings, and crime pour-ing across our border and into our neighborhood.

“I understand that illegal immigration is not only a drain on our scarce resourc-es,” he said, “but it also cre-ates a serious national security risk.” If and when elected, Rick promises to sponsor legislation that will untie the hands of state and local en-forcement officers, and gives them the capability to enforce immigration laws, while pro-hibiting local police agencies from adopting sanctuary-type policies that restrict enforce-ment of federal immigration laws.

Require higher education standards – Some recent stud-ies have ranked California’s education system 49th out of the 50 states. “This is unac-ceptable,” Rick said, “our standard should be excellence, not mediocrity.”

Again, Rick’s solution is simple: competition in education. As our Assembly-man, he said, he will work to implement a voucher and tax credit program to offset the cost of a better education for children stuck in a public school system that is failing them. Additionally, he said, he recognizes the rights of parents to either home school their children or enroll them at a charter school, especially if the public schools have a failing grade.

Promote business and job

growth – Many San Diegans are out of work, and Sacra-mento’s out-of-touch politi-cians have only made Califor-nia’s job loss crisis worse by increasing the tax burden on businesses and families.

Rick said, “I believe that private enterprise, not an expanding state government, will grow the economy and bring good-paying jobs back to San Diego County. As your state legislator, I will support proven job growth policies that reduce burdensome busi-ness regulations and provide tax breaks and incentives for businesses and individuals. We need businesses to return to California, not leave it!”

Rick L. Powell’s run for the State Assembly is being endorsed by the following: Congressmen Brian Bil-bray and Duncan D. Hunter, former Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Ron C. Packard, Retired Sheriff Bill Kolender, Chula Vista City Council-man John McCann, the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, Priscilla Schriber, President of the Grossmont Union High School District, and numerous civic and community organi-zations.

He asks that you, the vot-ers, join him in his fight for a better California by electing him this coming November.

To learn more about Rick Powell, please visit his web-site: www.VoteRickPowell.com. You can reach him by email: [email protected], or by phone at (619) 469-4604.

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Light &Shadows

Read Zena Babao’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Zena Sultana Babao


The United States National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in its book “Underexploited Tropical Plants with Prom-ising Economic Value” de-scribed the Philippine guy-abano or labana, also known as sour sop or graviola as a “tropical fruit with potential for development as a pro-cessed industrial commodity”.

The heart shaped guyabano fruit has a dark green, leathery and spike-like skin that mea-sures from eight to 12 inches long and can weigh up to 2.5 kilos. Ripe fruits are light yellow in color and soft. The creamy and delectable flesh contains from 60 to 100 black-brown seeds that are indigest-ible and non-edible.

Comparisons of the fla-

vor of guyabano range from strawberry and pineapple mixed together to sour citrus flavor notes contrasting with an underlying creamy round-ness of flavor reminiscent of coconut or banana.

A native of tropical Amer-ica, guyabano was introduced into the Philippines at an early date and is cultivated in practically all parts of the archipelago. The plant grows in any kind of soil, but a fairly deep, friable soil of volcanic origin is conducive to growth and fruiting. It thrives very well on elevated areas up to 500 meters above sea level.

Guyabano is one of the healthiest fruits known to man. The flesh of the fruit consists of a white edible pulp that is high in carbohydrates particularly fructose and con-siderable amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, potassium and dietary fiber.

Guyabano is low in choles-terol, saturated fat and so-dium. Not only is guyabano a good health food, it also tastes delicious.

Aside from being eaten raw, the guyabano fruit is processed into candies, tarts, shakes, ice cream, and sher-bets and other beverages. An assortment of punch and cock-tail drinks can be made by mixing the nectar with wine rum or cola drinks or buko (fresh coconut) juice and ice.

In Indonesia, immature guyabano is cooked as veg-

US science agency recognizes potential of RP’s Guyabano

etable or used in soup. In the northeastern part of Brazil, it is either roasted or fried.

The fruit, seeds and leaves have a number of herbal medicinal uses in Philippine villages or in countries where the plant is common.

The sap of the young leaves is considered para-sitical and may be applied directly on pimples to induce suppuration.

An alcoholic extract of the leaves, when distilled with steam, yields a small amount of essential oil. The portion of alcoholic extract which is sol-uble in water contains a large amount of potassium chloride together with dextrose tan-nins, amorphous products, and a small amount of an alkaloid

substance which could not be crystallized.

The leaves and roots also cure colic and convulsions. To reduce fever, a decoction of leaves can be taken internally or added to bathing water.

In the Caribbean, it is be-lieved that laying the leaves of the guyabano on a bed below a sleeping person with a fever will break the disease by the next morning.

The crushed fresh leaves are also applied on skin erup-tions for faster healing. A poultice of young guyabano leaves is applied on the skin to alleviate rheumatism and other skin infections like eczema. Applied during the healing of wounds, this can result in less or no skin scars.

The decoction can also be used as a wet compress on swollen feet and other inflam-mations. Poultice of mashed leaves and sap of young leaves are used against ec-zema and skin eruptions.

The guyabano leaves are believed to have tranquiliz-ing and sedative properties. In the Netherlands Antilles, the leaves are placed inside pillows or placed on top of the mattress to induce a good night’s sleep. Boiling the leaves and drinking it may help induce sleep.

Guyabano is also good in checking insect pests. Pulver-izing the guyabano seeds and mixing it with soap and water can be used as an effective

spray against caterpillars, army worms and leafhoppers on plants.

The petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of guy-abano are toxic to black carpet beetle larvae. The seed oil kills head lice.

The bark of the guyabano tree has been used in tanning. The bark fiber is strong but, since fruiting trees are not ex-pendable, it is resorted to only in necessity. Bark, as well as seeds and roots is has been used as fish poison.

The wood is pale, aro-matic, soft, light in weight and not durable. It has been used for ox yokes because it does not cause hair loss on the neck.

Analysis of the wood in Brazil show cellulose content of 65 to 76 percent that makes it a potential source of paper pulp.

Some information gath-ered by the Philippines News Agency through the internet over the week said guyabano tree is a miraculous natural cancer cell killer 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.

Unlike chemotherapy, the compound extracted from the guyabano tree selectively hunts down and kills only cancer cells, meaning, it does not harm healthy cells. In ad-dition, it “effectively targets and kills malignant cells in 12 types of cancer, including co-lon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer,” an email citing unpublished researches said.

According to the email, a research has been conducted and showed that the extracts from guyabano can “attack cancer safely and effectively with an all-natural therapy that does not cause extreme nausea, weight loss and hair loss.”

It also “protects your immune system and avoids deadly infections; feels stron-ger and healthier throughout the course of the treatment; and boosts your energy and improves your outlook on life,” it said.

One wonders: Why are people not aware of this fact? The email explained: “It’s be-cause some big corporations want to earn back their money spent on years of research by trying to make a synthetic ver-sion of it for sale.”

The U.S. National Cancer Institute reportedly performed the first scientific research on guyabano in 1976. The re-sults showed that the plant’s “leaves and stems were found effective in attacking and de-stroying malignant cells.”

Although the results of this research were suppos-edly published in an internal report, it was never released to the public, a recent article published online by Agribus-sinessWeek said.

PLDT-SME Nation is going all out in serving the nation’s small-and-medium entrepre-neurs.

In its new massive cam-paign “Bossing Ako” aims to ignite Pinoy ingenuity for business and encourage more Filipinos to strive to become their own boss by becoming entrepreneurs.

It also seeks to inspire Filipino small-to-medium scale entrepreneurs to continue striving for success and coura-geously meet the challenges of growing their business.

“We are on a nationwide campaign to encourage a new generation of Filipino entrepre-

Bossing Ako aims to ignite Pinoy ingenuity for business

neurs. The Philippines needs more entrepreneurs in order to ensure our economic future. Today, about 90 percent of in-come in the Philippine econo-my is generated by SMEs. As

we move forward into the 21st century, we’ll need more SMEs to provide more jobs, more income and more purchasing power,” says PLDT-SME Na-tion Vice President and Head Kat Luna-Abelarde.

The nationwide campaign

was kicked off with the launch of the song “Para sa mga Bossing” performed by OPM rock music icon Rico Blanco collaborating with Journey lead vocalist Arnel Pineda. The

song’s release introduces a new anthem and rallying cry for Filipino entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-to-be:

“Ang asenso maaabot/Sa bagsik nitong prinsipyo/Ang

talino’t pagsisikap/Ibubuhos sa negosyo/Bossing ako/Aking tagumpay/Sa ‘kin nakasala-lay…”

Apart from the launch of the “Para sa mga Bossing” anthem, PLDT-SME Nation has a paral-lel effort that focuses on icons

of Pinoy entrepreneurship. This effort focuses on the success stories of these SME icons—to provide models, inspiration and even wisdom to SMEs and help them succeed just as well.

These SME icons are desig-nated as “Pinoy Bossings” and include:

Mother Lily Monteverde of Regal Films for starting from SME into a pillar of the Filipi-no film industry; Jay Aldeguer of Island Souvenirs for promot-ing his passion and love for the country through his tour-ism souvenirs business; Joey Concepcion, entrepreneurship advocate and Founding Trustee of Go Negosyo; and PLDT Chair Manny V. Pangilinan as the ultimate “bossing.”

Also representing the “Bossing Ako” movement are Les Reyes of Reyes HairCut-ters, Gardy Cruz of Pancit Malabon Express; Raphael and Jenni Soon of North Park, Ronald Pineda of Folded & Hung; Benjamin Liuson of The Generics Pharmacy, Darius and Carlos Hizon of Pam-panga’s Best; Louie Gutierrez and Dulzzi Gutierrez of Sil-verworks; and Vicki Belo and Cristalle Henares as the moth-er-daughter tandem for beauty and medical practice.

“The entrepreneurs we tapped for this campaign are all great examples of SMEs that others could look up to for inspiration. The selection is both diverse and of top-notch quality, representing various business industries in their suc-cess stories,” says PLDT-SME Nation Marketing Head Amil Azurin.

With preparations on-hand in wrapping up the first phase of the campaign with the release of the song and the un-veiling of the 12 SME ambas-sadors, a big launch is set to take off by mid-June; followed by a grand celebration of the “MVP Bossing Ako Awards Night,” named in honor of PLDT’s Chair Manny V. Pan-gilinan by October in partner-ship with Go Negosyo.

Operators of the fog-wrapped Loakan Airport here have not seen a commercial plane land for three years now, due to a weather that has become a serious navigational concern for the airline indus-try.

But all this will change as Sky Pasada will start flying to

the summer capital three times a day. With two 19-seater Rus-sian-made LET 410 UVP-E passenger planes, Sky Pasada owned by the WCC Aviation Co., has officially reinstated Baguio in the flight plans for Northern Luzon.

In 2007, Baguio almost lost its only airport when domestic airlines stopped landing here after they expressed concern that the city’s daily afternoon fog was potentially hazardous to routine air navi-gation.

But the Arroyo administration in-vested in upgrading Loakan Airport as part of the govern-ment’s P100-million Aeronautical High-way of the North project.

Ramon Guico

Baguio City flights are back with Sky Pasada

III, president and CEO of WCC Aviation, described Sky Pasada as “a rural airline that will connect the rural destina-tions all over the country.”

Guico says WCC Aviation intends to make the Baguio route as its Northern Luzon hub because it is strategic to

servicing a market in Manila, Cauayan, Tuguegarao, Ba-tanes and Boracay in Aklan.

Sky Pasada’s aircrafts can land in short-field, semi-pre-pared or unprepared runways, and can take off and land even in the harshest flying condi-tions, Guico says.

He says Sky Pasada would reroute flights to a WCC Avia-tion airfield in Binalonan on days when the Loakan Airport is not available.


Entertainment

PNS -- THE last time he was in Hong Kong a couple of weeks ago, Dennis Trillo was with Jennlyn Mercado. He returned there to tape the pilot episode, “Last Romance,” of “Love Bug” with Carla Abel-lana. Didn’t he miss Jen when

Dennis: Jennylyn’s kiss is different

Dennis Trillo and Jennlyn Mercado.

he was back in Hong Kong? “Siyempre na-miss din,” he says. “But work naman ang pinunta ko roon.”

As usual, writers ask him the standard question: if he’s not on with Jen now, would he fall for Carla?

And he gave the standard answer: “Why not? Napaka-ganda niya, talented pa. Sino di mai-in love sa kanya?”

He seems to fall in love with all his leading ladies. “Hindi naman. I was also paired with Angel Locsin, Ka-trina Halili, Nadine Samonte,

Marian Rivera, hindi naman ako na-link sa kanila.”

So how will he compare the kiss of Jen to that of Carla? “Naku, it’s not good magkumpara ng mga halik ng babae. Malinaw naman kay Jen na trabaho lang ang

lahat.”Carla is a newcomer com-

pared to him. How will he as-sess her acting in “Love Bug” that starts airing tomorrow after “Party Pilipinas”? “Co-host ko siya sa ‘StarStruck V’ kaya friends na kami. Nakita ko kung paano siya nahasa sa ‘Rosalinda’ and other shows niya. Magaling siya. She plays a dying girl in ‘Love Bug’. Mahusay siya sa lahat ng eksena niya. This is a touching love story for all those who love romance.”

Movies to Watch(Following are movies now showing or

soon to be shown in San Diego.)

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.

“WILD GRASS” - A wallet lost and found opens the door—slightly—to romantic adventure in Wild Grass, an appealing, absurd comedy/drama directed by legendary French filmmak-er Alain Resnais, fifty years after Hiroshima Mon Amour. Af-ter examining the ID of its owner, it is not a simple matter for Georges (André Dussollier, Micmacs and Tell No One) to turn in to the police the red wallet he has found. Nor can Marguerite (Sabine Azéma, La Bûche and Life and Nothing But) retrieve her wallet without being piqued with curiosity about the person who found it. Georges, who has always been fascinated with flying, is intrigued to see that she has a pilot’s license. What sort of woman is she? She phones to thank him, and he returns the call, as well as several letters, and soon has escalated the simple encounter to an extreme. Resnais uses a speculative light touch and a delightful candy-colored palette to create an effervescent flight of fancy, full of possibilities. Co-starring Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Devos. (Fully subtitled) www.sonyclassics.com/wildgrass/

This film is Rated PG by the MPAA.

Running time 104 minutes.Exclusive Engagement Opens Friday, July 09th

Landmark’s Ken Cinema4061 Adams Avenue – (619) 819-0236

By Alex P. Vidal/ PNS

SURREY, British Colum-bia . – Was there a fraud in the first ever automated polls in the Philippines as claimed by some losing candidates?

Erap’s showbiz friend Aunor rebuffs poll cheating claim

Asia-Pacific CNN best actress of the century Nora Aunor has dismissed allega-tions that her former showbiz friend, presidential candidate Joseph Estrada, was cheated in the recently held national synchronized elections in the Philippines, even as she ex-horted president-elect Simeon Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to “fulfill what he has prom-ised to the Filipino people.”

“Basta politika ayo ko nang mag salita pero hindi ako naniniwala na dinaya sia,” said the 56-year-old actress dubbed as “superstar” in Phil-ippine movie. “Ngunit ang masasabi ko lang sa nanalong presidente ay dapat tuparin niya ang kanyang pinangako sa taong bayan.”

(I will not anymore make political comments but I don’t believe he was cheated. All I can say to the new president is

Nora Aunor

Former President Joseph Estrada

for him to fulfill what he had promised to the people).

Fans were expecting the actress, who has paired with the former president in several films in the 70s, to defend the former matinee idol known for his masa appeal after his party, the Partido ng Masang Pilipino, through spokesman Ernesto Maceda, hinted of a possible fraud committed in the recent polls the reason Estrada lost by about five mil-lion votes to Aquino.

Estrada, 73, an ex-convict, has refused to concede as of press time.

“Ayo ko na,” she hissed. “Pagod na ako. Kaya nga wala na akong planong umuwi ng bansa eh.” (I have no plans of going home to the Philippines because I’m tired of politics there).

She refused to elaborate. She also did not reveal if she campaigned for Estrada, who was deposed as president in a “people power” in 2001 over allegations of corruption and

links to illegal gambling.

NO FAVOR FROM ERAP

When Estrada won as president in 1998, Aunor (Nora Cabaltera Villamayor in real life), was among those showbiz characters who did not ask a government position as she stayed most of the time in the United States.

When her other friend, Fernando Poe, Jr., ran for president in 2004, Aunor, however, openly campaigned

for the actor popularly known as “The King (of Philippine movie).”

Poe died at the height of his electoral protest against his conqueror, outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose victory was tainted by the “Hello Garci” scandal where her voice was wire-tapped in a phone con-versation with the Commis-sion on Elections (Comelec) commissioner known as “Garci.”

JOB NO CLIENT DESCRIPTION PROOFER SCREEN PROOF # DATE TIME OPERATOR

CYANBLACK MAGENTA YELLOW

007046 IW Group Inc McCafe Fruit Smoothies Ad 1269 Print Ad (Filipino H) C-PROOF 100 1 07-07-10 8:30 AM TN

FILE NAME:

Max Den. 240 Indesign: CS4 Photoshop: CS4Illustrator: CS4Quark:

New Master SCG Legend 4/5/10 4:18 PM Page 1

L01_McCafe Smoothie Ad_1269_Filipino H_12.5x10.indd

Stock: Newsprint

Job #: 10-MDP-1269

Smoothie print ad

Language: Taglish

Ad Size: 12.5" x 10”(F-H)

Color: CMYK

L01_McCafe Smoothie Ad_1269_Filipino H_12.5x10.indd 1 7/7/10 8:07 AM


pating at iba pang dambuhala ng karagatan.

Nguni’t habang lumalao’y napapansin kong ako’y dumirilag, at kasabay ng ak-ing pagdilag ang kakinisan at bahagyang kabughawang parang naipamana sa akin ng tubig na bughaw. At, habang lumalao’y sumisigla ako—nagpapagulung-gulong sa dib-dib ng karagatan kung maalon ang tubig, napatitilapon akong sadya sa salpok ng alon kung napapaspas ng buntot ng malalaking isda’t nagpapaan-od naman kung may malakas na daluyong na nagbubuhat sa kung saang panig ng dagat, lalo na’t lumalaki ang tubig.

Sa pagbabagu-bago ng panig na aking nararating ay umabot ako sa isang dako na ang tubig ay kasiya-siya sa aking pandama. Sa unang pagkakatao’y nasiyahan ako sa aking buhay, sapagka’t sa palagay ko’y lumusog ako’t lalo pang dumilag. Malimit kong mapuna ang maraming isdang parang namamalikmata

Makinis at bughaw ang kabibiKuwento ni Alberto Segismundo Cruz

sa akin, aywan kung sa aking hugis o kulay, datapuwa’t. . . dami ng umaaligid na “kaibig-an” sa akin. Kabilang sa mga kaibigang ito pati ang mga isdang-bituing nakikiagaw ng katangian sa iba pang lamang-dagat na “nawawalang bigla” sa aming sinapupunan upang maibilanggo sa “aquarium”.

Hindi nagtagal at ang tubig na aming kinaroroona’y narat-ing ng mga maninisid. Akala ko’y nagsisipaligo lamang sila o may “tinutugis” na salap-ing inihahagis buhat sa mga sasakyang-dagat na malimit na mambulahaw sa aming katahimikan, lalo na’t kung malaki ang elise. Nguni’t ang mga maninisid na iyon pala’y nagsisihanap ng mapapaki-nabangang hiyas sa pusod ng karagatan. Kapiling ko’y isang malaking taklobo na may iniingatang magandang mutya. Akala ko’y ang hiyas na ito ang kanilang lunggati; datapuwa’t. . . sa aba ng ak-ing palad! Nang mabatid ko ang mapait na katotohana’y huli na sa panahon at di ko

na kaya ang magpumiglas pa. Isang binatang maninisid na kayumanggi ang balat at may malalakas at matitibay na daliri ang dumampot at biglang “nagbilanggo” sa akin sa kanyang palad, at bago ako nakahinga sa nabaon kong tubig ay nabatid kong tinamaan na ako ng liwanag ng araw sa ibabaw ng karagatan.

Simula na ang pangyayaring ito ng aking panghi-hina. Naramda-man kong ang aking katawa’y natutuyo’t kasabay nito’y ang panghi-hina hanggang sa nabatid kong walang malalabi sa aking pagka-suso kundi ang aking marikit na pabalat o pinakakabibi, na siyang mahalaga sa mata ng mga nakamamasid na sa akin.

-- Magandang suso ito! Mahigit sa perlas, hiyas na angkop sa isang Mutya, sapagka’t taglay niya ang bughaw na kumikislap ng karagatan! -- anang maninisid na nag-ingat sa akin nang buong pagsuyo.

Palibhasa’y isang bi-natang di-binyagan ang “nagbilanggo’t” nag-ingat sa akin ay inilagay ako sa isang supot-suputang anaki’y gamu-sa, at sa kanyang dibdib, na di kalayuan sa tapat ng puso’y doon ako napatalaga. Akala ko kung gabi, ako’y nasa pusod pa rin ng karagatan at inaaalon, datapuwa’t natiyak kong ang tibok ng puso pala ng binata ang nakatitigatig sa akin.

Para kong naririnig ang puso niyang nagsasalita, lalo na sa mga sandali ng pag-iisa o kahi’t na sa kanyang pagtu-log. May ngalang binabanggit at inuusal!

Ngalan ng isang dalagang binyagan, sapagka’t kung “binibigkas” niya ito’y na-katanaw siya sa malayo—sa kabila ng mga abuhing bun-dok, sa ibayo ng malaking lawa, sa kabila ng mga puno ng saging at abaka. . . doon sa ang bahaghari’y tila mahahag-dan buhat sa langit hanggang sa dakong iyon ng mahiwa-gang pook.

-- Marina!. . . -- iyan ang sa wakas ay narinig ko sa kan-yang labi. Iyan ang pangalan ng dalagang lihim niyang sinusuyo.

Paano’y isa siya, si Tulawi, ang binatang di binyagan, sa mga nahirang upang mag-aral sa gugol ng pamahalaan sa high school sa Sambuwangga, hanggang sa magkasabay silang magtapos, ni Marina. Nguni’t ang ama ng dalaga’y nagpauna sa mga pinuno ng paaralang-bayan. Nagpasiya ang ama niyang taga-Luson at taliba noon sa parola sa dako ng Sulu na pabalikin na sa sariling lalawigan, ang dalaga upang dito na magpatuloy ng pag-aaral, sa pagtangkilik at pangangasiwa ng isang mayamang ale at matandang dalaga.

Nang sumakay na sa isang bapor ng “Compania Mar-itima’” si Marina’y inihatid ng langoy ni Tulawi buhat sa daungang kinatitigilan ng tinurang sasakyang-dagat. Akala ni Marina’y hindi makararating si Tulawi sa malalim na karagatan sa pagsunod sa kanya. Gayon na lamang ang kaba ng kanyang dibdib. Lalong naging rosas ang mala-rosas niyang pisngi! Lalong dumilag ang mga mata niyang nag-iingat ng isang makapal na aklat ng mga lihim ng kabataan.

Kinumpasan niya si Tulawi upang magbalik na, upang huwag nang sumunod at baka mapahamak. Nababatid ni Marina na sa bughaw na tubig na yao’y may mga maniniling pating. Maaaring mapahamak ang binatang di-binyagan

na natitiyak niyang baliw na baliw sa pag-ibig sa kanya. Sa wakas, ay nabatid niyang may ibig palang ibigay lamang ang binatang umiibig. Itinaas ni Tulawi ang isang kamay sa tubig at sa tama ng maningn-

ing na araw ay napatanghal ako, akong isang maliit na suso ni Neptuno, na nakapag-pasabik sa mata ng magan-dang paralumang naglalayag.

Tumango sa kasiyahan si Marina’t sa isang iglap, si Tulawi’y napansin ng mga pasaherong nangungunyapit na sa pinakatimon ng malak-ing sasakyang-daga. Gayon na lamang ang pangamba ng lahat at pati kapitan at timonel ay nagsisigaw na sa takot ngang baka abutin ang elise ng pangahas na maninisid., Datapuwa’t napansin nilang nalulugod ang isang magan-dang dalagang sakay at pa-tungo sa dako ng timon upang abutin ang nasa kamay ng binatang moro, dili iba’t ako nga, ang makinis at bughaw na kabibi. -- Salamat! -- at hinagkan ako ni Marina nang sumapalad na niya.

Sa halik na iyo’y nalimot ni Tulawi na siya’y nakakapit lamang sa lubid na dagusdu-

san sa dako ng timon. Akala niya noo’y nasa balantok siya ng bahaghari’t kausap ang kanyang prinsesita o ang pinapangarap niyang maging dayang-dayang, sa sandaling ang kanyang ama’y kilalanin

nang makapang-yarihang Sultan ng Sulu. (Ako nama’y nakisama na rin ng kasiyahan sa bangong aking nalanghap!)

Katulad ng lahat ng di-binyagang pan-gahas, lalo na kung nais na magpakilala ng giting o pag-ibig- sa pinag-uukulan ng dakilang damdamin, si Tulawi’y di man nabahala na ang bapor ay nasa mala-lim nang panig ng karagatan at sa kalali-mang ito’y naglipana na ang mga dambu-hala sa tubig.—Tu-lawi! -- at iniwasiwas ni Marina ang kan-yang panyolito.

Naulinigan ko ang sigaw na muli ng kapitan at ng timonel sa gitna ng pang-gigilalas at pangamba ng mga pasahero sa maaaring mang-yari pag nagkataon, sa bina-tang moro.

Sa wakas ay umalinsunod din si Tulawi sa dapat na mangyari. Bumitaw siya sa pagkakakapit sa sasakyang-dagat sa dako ng timon at pasirko pang sumisid sa kara-gatan. Noo’y malamlam na ang araw. Mandi’y may bali-tang patungo sa pagsama ng panahon. At, ang mga langay-langaya’y nagsisipaghabulan na sa abuhing himpapawid.

Pakiwari ko’y, sa paglan-goy ni Tulawi’y nakasagupa ng isang maitim na bagay na nang makaiwas siya’y iyon pala’y maninilang pating. Binilisan niya ang paglangoy, sa pangambang baka siya pagbalikan pa ng dambuhala. Matapos ang mabilis na kam-pay ng kanyang mga kamay ay unti-unti siyang nanghina

at inabot ng pulikat. Sumigaw siya subali’t nilunod lamang ng malakas na hangin ang kanyang tinig, itinaas niya ang kamay, datapuwa’t wa-lang nakapuna man din kundi ang mga dahon ng niyog sa malayo pang pampangin na kukunday-kunday lamang sa hanging-habagat. Sa wakas ay namulikat ang kanyang mga paa. Hindi na siya gaanong nakagalaw! Noon niya na-gunita si Marina, kaya’t sumigaw nang ubos-lakas. -- Marina! – at tuluyan nang lumubog.

Ang mga bulubok ng tubig ay kaakit-akit sa malamlam na dapit-hapong nakikiugali man din sa mga huling pang-yayari. At, makaraan ang ilang saglit pang pagkatigatig ng kabughawan ng tubig na naging abuhin na rin sa kalamlaman ng dapit-hapong yaon, ay lumaganap naman ang kapulahang nagbabalita ng malungkot na wakas ni Tulawi. Pagkatapos, ay may umigtad sa tubig . . . igtad na mapagtagumpay ng isang maninila sa karagatan!

. . . At parang pinagtiyap ng Tadhana, sa sariling kamar-ote ng bapor, si Marina’y nag-darasal nang matiyak na yaon na ang oras ng “Angelus”. Sa kalagitnaan ng kanyang dasali’y kinuha ako sa dibdib, akong makinis kaysa perlas at may bughaw ng dagat, bago hinagkan saka ipinagpatuloy ang dasalin.

Lingid sa kaalaman ni Marina’y may namatay na bayani sa kalamlaman ng dapit-hapon sa gitna ng kara-gatan – isang bayani ng pag-ibig na nakatagpo ng langit sa kanyang kagandahan.

At, parang himala ng pagkakataon, ang kinalibingan ng bayani’y walang iba kundi ang pook kong sinilangan—akong isang dating susong naging sangla ng kanyang mataos na pag-ibig . . . ang kabibing may kinis ng perlas at bughaw ng tubig ng dagat sa Timog.

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On July 25, 1999, Raul S. Manglapus died.

Several institutions to which he once belonged commemorated him. One of them was the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP-Kampi

Coalition. I had the honor of being chosen to deliver

the response. In honor of his death anniversary, I am re-

publishing my response.RSM and the Future of Christian Democracy

by Benjamin G. Maynigo

Vice-President Macapagal Arroyo, Senators Guingona and Cayetano, Speaker de Venecia, leaders and members of the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP-Kampi Coalition:

In 1968, as Student Coun-cil President of San Beda Col-lege, I was one of the lucky few student leaders recruited to join what was then called Christian Social Movement, or CSM. After undergoing a series of seminars, indoctri-nating sessions, and getting exposed to many of the intel-lectual giants, such as Fathers Francisco Araneta and Jose Blanco, Jose Feria, Edgardo

RAUL S. MANGLAPUS and the Future of

Christian DemocracyKalaw, Jeremias Montemayor, F. Sionil Jose, Jose Concep-cion, and many others led by Raul S. Manglapus, we were encouraged to form the youth arm of the CSM—and we did. We called the youth group Young Christian Socialists of the Philippines (YCSP), reflecting our solidarity with RSM in his firm belief and desire to create “a just and human society—based on hu-man dignity, built on justice, and dedicated to progress—where every man may devel-op and fulfill himself accord-ing to his ability and in the service of his fellowmen.” I became its first Chairman and, eventually, also its first Secre-tary General. I was fortunate to have represented the group in the International Union of Young Christian Democrats (IUYCD), which was brought to Europe and Latin America, and whose young leaders then went on to become Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, Congressmen/Parliamentar-ians, and national leaders of their respective countries today.

Being chosen to deliver the response before this august political body, therefore, was more than coinciden-tal. While it is true that my marriage to the Manglapus

family’s only daughter, Tina, is what primarily qualifies me, it is equally true that my involvement with the origins of Lakas-NUCD prompted our family to let me respond today.

I learned earlier in life that there are several ways of im-mortalizing a man—the most noted of which were: by rais-ing good children, by writing a book, by planting a tree, and by setting up a foundation in one’s honor.

Raul S. Manglapus, or RSM, and my mother-in-law, Pacing, raised not only good children but great ones. I should know. I married one. I am very proud to have been associated with my brothers-in-law Toby, Raulito, Bobby, and Francis. Like my wife who is now a college aca-demic counselor in Washing-ton, D.C., they have been successful in the careers that they have respectively chosen, and who in their own humble ways and without fanfare, are carrying the torch that their father passed on. I am as proud to have closely known their respective wives, Ana, Diane, Ria, and Lynn. They have been extremely support-ive of the Manglapus ideals and displayed the greatest of love and affection not only to their husbands but to our parents-in-law as well.

Through the children that he raised, and the grandchil-dren that he helped develop and grow to be great human beings, RSM will forever be immortalized.

Everyone in this group has read or heard about the books that RSM wrote and published. Faith in the Fili-pino: the Ripening Revolu-tion; Revolt Against Tradition; Land of Bondage, Land of the Free; Philippines: the Silenced Democracy; Manifest Des-tiny; A Pen for Democracy; Will of the People. These books and many more reflect the thoughts and dreams of

a great visionary who influ-enced the lives of several gen-erations—the generation of Manuel L. Quezon, the gen-eration of Ramon Magsaysay, that of Ninoy Aquino, then of Evelio Javier, and the current young idealists, who like the Man from La Mancha, all fol-lowed Quixotic lives, “dream-ing impossible dreams, fight-ing unbeatable foes, reaching unreachable stars—no matter how hopeless, no matter how far; to be willing to die so that honor and justice may live.”

I know my father-in-law loved planting trees and vegetables. I remember him planting kamatis and okra in our home in McLean, Virgin-ia, during the exile years. But what I think would make him immortal are the seeds that he planted in the hearts and minds of millions of people worldwide—the seeds of commitment to Christian and democratic ideals; the seeds of responsibility to serve others. Seeds when sown and grown, moved not only human hearts but human minds, not only human minds but communi-ties, not only communities but also nations.

A Raul S. Manglapus Foundation has not been established. I don’t know if a decision has been made to do it. But this I know. He wanted to build the foundation of a strong political party sup-ported by a movement that believes in Christian ideals and democratic principles—and he did. He wanted to build the foundation of a party with an ideological direction composed of and led by an awakened and enlightened group of Filipinos—and he did. The party is the NUCD, which is now merged with Lakas, UMDP, and Kampi. The movement is the Chris-tian Social Movement, whose vision for the Filipino people are political equality, econom-ic parity, and social equity.

Yesterday, the Philippine Inquirer did a beautiful edito-rial on my father-in-law. For this we extend our greatest ap-preciation. There is, however, an item that I think is relevant to this group today. The edito-rial says, “Manglapus’ main political projects—third party reformism and ideologically defined parties—have been political failures. His death leaves uncertain the future of the Christian Democratic movement.”

This group is in a bet-ter position to respond to this item. But I dare say:

My father-in-law’s political projects are not failures. For he does not believe in fail-ures. To him, these so-called failures are just suspended successes. I don’t think that his death leaves uncertain the future of the Christian Democratic movement. On the contrary, his death should inspire and motivate us all. There is a saying, “the best way to predict the future is to create it.” A political prisoner once said, “The future lies in the hands of those who are strong enough to give reasons for living and hoping.” At this point in our history, the group of leaders who are present today must show and provide the necessary strength and commitment to a despairing and restive people and give them reasons for living and hoping. Together, we shall predict a bright future, be-cause we are all committed to build it. It took a Christian woman, Cory Aquino, with the highest moral values, to lead the restoration of Philip-pine political democracy. It might take another woman of equally great moral integrity na ating ka-Kampi to lead us in achieving Christian eco-nomic and social democracy.

Raul S. Manglapus is dead. For this we mourn. To many that have grown dependent

upon his ways, upon his views, upon his leadership, we ask, borrowing from that old song, “Who can I turn to? My heart wants to know and so I must go where destiny leads me. I’ll go on my way, and after the day, the dark-ness will hide me. But maybe tomorrow, I’ll find what I am after. I’ll throw off my sor-row, beg, steal or borrow my own share of laughter.”

Raul S. Manglapus is dead. For this we celebrate. For his is the beginning of a new life—a life where his visions for Love, Justice, and Charity become absolute reality.

To our friends in the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP-Kampi, thank you for your kind words, and for sharing our family’s grief.

To my mother-in-law, the rest of the Manglapus fam-ily, and to all of you here, let me end by borrowing another quote from the poem, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood”:

“Though nothing can bring back the hour / Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower; / We will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind...” —William Wordsworth

Thank you


Spiritual Life

Read Monsignor’s previous articles by visit-ing our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

Lower Your Nets Balintataw

Read Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

ABRA INVITES YOU!To All Abranians in the San Diego County.

Perhaps some of you are not aware of the existence of the Annak Ti Abra Association in San Diego. Yes, it has been very active since its inception in the 90s. Since then, we have been having fun in addition to extending scholarships to the needy and deserving young students who yearn for financial assistance to attend school. In the past, we also supported some Seminarians.In our last meeting, we were most happy and gratified because our Five (5) scholars have graduated. And surely, if they succeeded, we too did. Of course, their letters that are replete with gratitude and prayers touched us all. God bless them!

Oh! yes, we are incomplete without YOU. That is why we call and cordially invite all Abranians to come and join us in our next meeting at Roar Park, Chula Vista in August 7, 2010 @ 10:00 AM. Tapno irugi tayo ti agtitimpuyog to become stronger.

We surely need your great ideas and other input to improve the Association. In the meeting will be talking about our upcoming Hawaiian Nite in August 28, 2010 and many more including your ideas/suggestions.

Please come, Come to complete the Association. Because we are all Abranians, this is the best way to enjoy the sense of belongingness as provincemates. It is our opportunity to interact from time to time, share our varied ideas and stories about the past, present and perhaps the future about our province. So please come ONE come ALL because you will be glad you did. Note: The Governor is one of the founders of the Association.

The Association will be losing the Domingo Family who is heading for Military Duty in Naples, Italy, a part of their naval adventure. Danny at the Post Office and Mehl in the US Navy with their 2 children will leave San Diego in September. We surely are going to miss them. To the family, we bid you good bye, good luck and we look forward for your safe journey. For more information please contact: John Tuscano, President (619) 475-2415 (South Bay)Diday Castaneda, Vice President (858) 483-5566 (North County)Arcedo Agcongay-Public Relations Officer (619) 479-5021 (South Bay)

P.S. Please pass this to all kababayan. Thank you.

Joke of the week: An Ital-ian bishop had heard some-thing about the game of Bingo and its popularity and help-fulness in the United States. Wanting to know more about it, he sent his secretary to in-vestigate. After some months the secretary returned with the report: “Well, hun-dreds of people buy a card with five letters BINGO across the top. Under each letter are some numbers.” The bishop interject-ed, “I hear they call the game ‘damn it!’” “You ‘re right. A man at a microphone calls out numbers. When one of the players has the numbers called, in a row up and down or across, that player shouts, ‘bingo’. Then everybody in the game hollers, ‘Damn it!’”

Scripture: First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1: 2 – 2: 21-23. Idolatry consists in placing too much trust in something or someone other than God. This is also van-ity, according to Qoheleth, because what is the point in placing your salvation on

Three G’s: Godliness, Greed, and Gambling

what you cannot take with you when you die? Second Reading: Colossians 3: 1-5, 9-11. Life in Christ demands that the disciples do away with all that are in contradic-tion with the life of grace. The

disciples should rather seek what matters most: the gift from above. Gospel: Luke: 12: 13-21. Disputes about inheritance would normally be settled before a scribe or a lawyer. Jesus did not want to take sides. Instead, he calls his

hearers to focus their attention on the right perspective.

Reflections: In our days and age, when we are more concerned with probates, insurance, security, trusts and deeds, as well as last will and testament, we should under-stand better the problem of the man who approached Jesus to settle his inheritance dis-pute with his brother. It is the prevailing practice at that time to ask a scribe for an amicable solution to such a problem. Jesus did not take sides. In-stead, he used the occasion to teach his followers to be more concerned with things from above.

We know fully well that we all need economic security. We need food, shelter, and

clothing. But it is unwise and vainglorious to put our salva-tion on what money can buy. After all, money cannot pro-vide us immortality, not even longevity, and good health.

The Lord tells us that to evaluate our life with our

material possession is to gamble it away. Today’s par-able teaches us that the farmer comes under fire not because he is rich, but simply because he is a fool for thinking that his bountiful harvest can se-cure him long life and eternal happiness. Instead of trusting more on God who can secure him blessedness and eternal life, he relies more on his ma-terial wealth. For this reason, today’s passage from the Let-ter to the Colossians considers greed as a form of idolatry, worshiping something or someone other than God.

The Russian boy Ivan became heir to his father’s small farm. He wanted more land. Once, a stranger came by, apparently a man of means

and power, and offered to give him all the land he could walk around in one day, on condi-tion that he would be back at the spot from which he started by sundown. Early the next morning, the boy set out, without eating any breakfast or greet-ing anyone. His plan was to cover six square miles. He did not stop for food or drink. His legs grew heavier and heavier. About 200 yards from the finish line, he saw the sun dropping toward the horizon. He gathered all his energies for that one last effort. He stag-

gered across the line just in time. Then he reached for his heart and fell down in a heap – dead. All the land he got was a piece six feet by two … he died of greed. This happens to thousands of people today.

Perspective! Let us strive to be rich in what matters to God. Instead of becoming rich with God, the man in today’s parable is obsessed with more growth, more eating, more drinking, and more money. This greed also drives people who are addicted to gambling, to go again and again to casi-no in the hope of getting back what they had lost. Lovasik tells this story of a gambler. A gambler, who often lost in one moment more than he earned in a week, usually had a dog with him. A friend met him one day without the dog and wondered what had happened to him. The man replied, “The last time I brought him to the place to which I am going, he got so many kicks and blows that he has not forgotten them, and nothing will make him go there again.” “Then your dog is wiser than his master,” said the other, “who, so often duped there, returns again and again to that place.”

Postscript: This Sunday, August 1, 2010, I will talk about Nefful products and negative ions that, primar-ily and most importantly with God’s grace, enable me recover from my illness in less than a year. Ions are everywhere and all around us. They’re electrically charged atoms, carrying either a posi-tive or negative charge. Nega-tive ions, found abundantly in pine forest and near oceans, are importantly needed to sustain life, fight pollutions and detoxify. When we lack access to and are deficient in negative ions, our body chem-istry changes—changes that lead to bouts of depression, physical fatigue and anxiety. The conference would start at three o’clock in the afternoon at 5125 Convoy Street, Suite 203, San Diego, CA 92111-1216. Come one! Come all!

Quotation of the week: “If you want to destroy a nation, give it too much – make it greedy, miserable and sick.” John Steinbeck.

©2010 Virginia H. Ferrer. All rights reserved.

About the Author: Virginia H. Ferrer is a Filipino Language Teacher at Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista.

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Sa araw ng Linggo mag-isa na akong nagsisimbainiissip ko na lang kunwari’y ikaw ay kasamapagdating ko ng bahay, kumakain na lang mag-isapara sa iyo kapatid, gagawin ko itong masaya.

Iiwanan ko muna masasaya nating sandali lumisan akong malungkot, punong-puno ng pighatisubalit ‘wag mag-alala babalik din akong mulipara sa iyo, mahal, nasa isip kitang palagi.


Read Romeo Nicolas’s previous poems by vis-iting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Ni Romeo Nicolas

Mga Tulang Tagalog

Laughing MatterRead previous articles by visiting our website at www.asian-

journalusa.com



Now Available:

Tawa’t Tula ng mga Piling Katatawanan

By Joe Cabrera

A Collecton of Jokes Written in Pilipino Verse

$10.00 a copy

Call Asian Journal San Diego619-474-0588

Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O’Leary’s apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing standing up.

Michael O’Conner looks around and asks, “Oh, me boys, someone has to tell Paddy’s wife. Who will it be?”

They draw straws. Paul Gal-lagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don’t make a bad situation any worse.

“Discreet??? I’m the most discreet Irishman you’ll ever meet.

Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me.”

Gallagher goes over to Mur-phy’s house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers, and asks what he wants.

Gallagher declares, “Your husband just lost $500, and is afraid to come home.”

“Tell him to drop dead!”, says Murphy’s wife.

“I’ll go tell him.” says Gal-lagher.

***

An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weav-ing violently all over the road.

A cop pulls him over. “So,” says the cop to the driver, “where have ya been?”

“Why, I’ve been to the pub of course,” slurs the drunk.

“Well,” says the cop, “it looks like you’ve had quite a few to drink this evening.”

Some stories that can make your day

“I did all right,” the drunk says with a smile..

“Did you know,” says the cop, standing straight, and fold-ing his arms across his chest, “that a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?”

“Oh, thank heavens,” sighs the drunk. “for a minute there, I thought I’d gone deaf.”

***

Mary Clancy goes up to Fa-

ther O’Grady after his Sunday morning service, and she’s in tears.

He says, “So what’s bother-ing you, Mary my dear?”

She says, “Oh, Father, I’ve got terrible news.. My husband passed away last night.”

The priest says, “Oh, Mary, that’s terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?”

She says, “That he did, Father.”

The priest says, “What did he ask, Mary?”

“ She says, “He said, ‘Please Mary, put down that damn gun...’”

***

AND THE BEST FOR

LAST , an oldie, but a goodie.A drunk staggers into a

Catholic Church, enters a con-fessional booth, sits down, but says nothing.

The Priest coughs a few times to get his attention, but the drunk continues to sit there.

Finally, the Priest pounds three times on the wall.

The drunk mumbles, “Ain’t no use knockin,

there’s no paper on this side either.

Kaming Balikbayan‘Tagal ding binalak ang muling paguwi sa sariling bayan,‘Pagkat nais namin na maging masaya ang aming pagdatal.Ang tanging problema, ay mga bagaheng sumobra sa timbang,Ano ang gagawin na dalhin ang lahat na walang maiwan?

Masakit sa ulo, kapag iisipin itong suliranin,Ang mga MALETA, na handa ng lahat ay BUBULATLATIN.Ang BALIKBAYAN BOX, selyado ng lahat, muling tatastasin,Sa paulit-ulit, lahat ng bagahe ay BUBUSISAIN.

Kaya nangyayari, habang lumalapit, araw ng pagalis,Oras, sinasayang, isip pa ng isip kung anong gagawin.Ang huling pasiya, ang BALIKBAYAN BOX, siyang uunahin,Palugit na araw, kung pinapalad, sabay na darating.

Kaya natapos na ang mga bagahe at ilang bitbitin,Sa kaunting damit ay sapat-sapat na, na para sa amin.Higit mahalaga’y mga pasalubong sa mga pamangkin,At mga kaanak na kahit kaunti, nais na lingapin.

Dama ko pa rin ang bigat na dala na mga de-lata,Mayroon pang SPAM, KESO at SARDINAS, may manika pa.May KAPE at SAUSAGE, pabango’ “cologne”, lahat naka-lista,Kung para kangino, sino ang tatanggap, kangino talaga.

Dumating ang araw ng aming pagsakay sa Philippine Airlines,Magmula sa LA aming lalakbayin ay diretsong PI.Kay hirap din pala sa mga “inspection” bago mapasakay,Pero OK lang, ‘security” naman ang nakasalalay.

Sa loob ng PAL, kami ay namangha, mga “service” nila,Ang bawat upuan may sariling TV, “feeling at home” ka.Mga stewardess, napaka-babait, napaka-gaganda,Magagalang lahat, maliksing kumilos, tunay, Pilipina.

Labing-dalwang oras, matuling lumipas, sa ‘ming paglalakbay,Ang aming agahan, agahang pambahay, di ko malimutan.May itlog at “sausage”, kape at “orange juice”, mayron pang tinapay,Tapos ang “diet” ko, saking pagkasabik at sumobrang takaw.

Umaga ng Martes, ika-labing-siyam at buwang ng Mayo,Kami ay lumapag sa NAIA Airport na medyo tuliro.Iba na ang oras, sa aming pagdating, sa antok at hilo,Pero OK pa rin sa labis na galak, bilang Pilipino.

Sa “receiving area” ay maayos naman ang pamamalakad,Tulad din ng U.S., mabilis ang linya, mabilis umusad.Matapos makuha ang mga bagahe, tuloy na lumabas,Sangkatutak na tao ang nagsisa-abang, daig pa ang UNDAS.

Di rin nagtagal, kinaon na kami ng aming salubong,Tuloy papauwi sa aming probinsya na pagod at gutom.Sa haba ng biyahe, kalam ng sikmura, sa MCDo ang tuloy,Sa laking mangha rin, pila-pila pa rin ang kapwa ko Pinoy.

Ibang-iba na nga, ang buhay ng Pinoy sa sariling bayan,Kahit naghihirap, matiisin pa ring iangat ang buhay.Dala-dala’y anak, sa kaunting “order”, agad napagbigyan,Bilang kahilingan, ang maipagdiwang, tanging kaarawan.

Nagpatuloy kami nitong aming biyahe, papuntang Bulacan,‘Di naman nagtagal at aming sinapit ang mahal na bayan.Una kong napansin, akin ring nadama ang init ng araw,Na pagaaralan, na aming tiisin, bilang BALIKBAYAN.

Tulang handog ko sa mga BALIKBAYAN.Romeo S. NicolasBocaue, Bulacan4/23/2010

Poem 5Chameleon elite...

That’s who you are...Your myriad faces...

Pulsating like a pulsarWithout form

Without substanceOnly the effect of which...

Is felt..Like bygone tremors

With devastating effectNothing nowBut then later

You feel...The pain...

The sorrow...Of being with you...

My life in your care...Hoping against hope...

That somehowSometimes in the land...

Land of miracles...That you would change...Change for the better...

Chameleon elite...That’s who you are...

Fool’s gold...Plucked from sewer water...Adorned in jewelry store...

Fashioned for a price...For high class bidding...

Chameleon elite

Street Poetry

Read about Michael’s upcoming book of poems “Crushed Violets” by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Michael R. Tagudin

©2010 Michael R. Tagudin. All rights reserved.

About the Author: Michael R. TagudinEducated as an engineer in the Philippines, the City of Los Angeles employee hopes his legacy of poems will provoke a dialogue about the human condition. He is donating the proceeds from the book “Crushed Violets” to anti-human trafficking efforts in the City of Angels. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Reach the lucrative Asian Pacific Islander Market by advertising in

the Asian Journal!Call (619) 474-0588


License # 01113433

PNS -- SENATOR Juan Miguel Zubiri wants the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections reset from October this year to October 2012.

Zubiri filed Senate Bill No. 60 resetting the synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections as he pushed to extend the terms of office of barangay officials from three years to five years to fully implement long-term projects nationwide.

He said the two-year exten-sion for barangay leaders will also lessen government expenses. Zubiri said the short term, currently set at three years, for barangay officials affects the delivery of services in the most basic level of governance.

The government spent P13.5 billion in the recent May 2010 nationwide auto-mated elections, while the upcoming barangay and SK polls will cost the government around P3.5 billion.

“These budget and gov-ernance factors demand the adoption of relevant measures in the interest of effective governance and public ser-vice,” Zubiri said.

He noted that the positions occupied by the barangay of-ficials are non-partisan by na-ture and practice. “Therefore, there is no great need for their election to be held in the same

Reset bgy, SK polls - Zubiri

year as for partisan national and local posts,” he said.

The proposed measure likewise provides sufficient time for the Commission on Elections to ensure that the holding of the proposed Oc-tober 2012 barangay and SK elections are automated and implemented in at least two highly urbanized cities and two provinces covering Lu-zon, Visayas and Mindanao, to be chosen by the Comelec, in accordance with the Auto-mated Election System law, or Republic Act No. 9369.

It also mandates the Comelec to undertake a voter education program prior to the automated barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elec-tions.

PNS -- MALACAÑANG wants Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez out.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the ad-ministration doubts Gutierrez will pursue corruption charges against the Arroyo adminis-tration, adding that there are several options to remove her from office.

Palace want Gutierrez out

SENATOR Juan Miguel Zubiri

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez

“We have already men-tioned our skepticism towards her past decisions,” Lacierda said.

He said Gutierrez can be re-moved through impeachment, early retirement and by ques-tioning the legality of her term

of office. Gutierrez said her term ends in December 2012 yet but there is also a school of thought that her term expired in October 2009 because she is only supposed to serve the unexpired term of her prede-cessor.

“The Ombudsman is an impeachable officer, but again let me state, we are studying all the options. Wala pa kaming nadedesisyunan dun, kung ano gagawin na-ming pasya du’n sa Ombudsman,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda said the Pa-lace welcomes the filing of charges but lamen-ted that it took the Ombudsman four years af-ter the Senate committee on agriculture which conducted an inquiry in aid of legislation made the recommendation.

“Sinasabi naming dahil may malapit na relasyon si Ombuds-man Gutierrez kay Pangulong Arroyo kaya di natin makukuha ang hustisya dito sa kasalukuy-ang Ombudsman. That’s why we needed the Truth Commis-sion to be formed to make sure there will be a tight case,” he said.

PNS -- A MILITANT law-maker yesterday said slashing the Priority Development As-sistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel will not solve corrup-tion in the go-vernment.

Akbayan Rep. Walden Bel-lo urged the allies of President Benigno Aquino III to study the proposal thoroughly as this will affect the delivery of needed services to the people especially the poor.

According to Bello, the important issues behind pork barrel are identifying what services and projects would best benefit constituents and what mechanisms can be implemented to curb the cor-ruption that comes with the disbursement of funds.

Bello explained that the way PDAF is distributed, a legislator has full authority over which projects to un-dertake, and how the projects should be implemented.

“There is regulatory failure -- the disbursement of PDAF lacks a mechanism that makes transactions transparent and officials accountable for their actions,” Bello said.

“Arbitrarily reducing the amount of pork barrel is not

Don’t trim ‘pork’ — solona solution to the problem of corruption,” he added.

Meanwhile, he is propos-ing an institutionalizatio n of an anti-corruption mechanism that includes a full accounting of the ear-marked funds and an assessment of the quality of the projects that are under-taken.

Such endeavor necessitates the participation of members and officers of the local com-munities.

“Funds should be real-located to improvement of delivery and reach of basic social services program as the previous administration has left a whopping social ser-vices deficit to the people” he also said.

The solon also proposed to include broadening of PhilHealth coverage and big-ger budget for education in the reform package.

“Funds disbursed by the government must always prioritize the social welfare of the Filipino people, and must be accompanied by a checks and balances mechanism that would crack down on corrup-tion,” Bello said.

PNS -- THE National Association of Lawyers for Justice and Peace (NALJP) yesterday cautioned that the creation of the Truth Commis-sion would be a violation of the Constitution.

NALJP chair-man Atty. Jesus Santos said legal research by their group pointed out that the Truth Com-mission would be unconstitu-tional since it will violate the equal protection of the law for singling out for investiga-tion former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and of-ficials of her administration.

Santos said the commis-sion violates the constitutional presumption of innocence on two grounds: It presumes guilt despite prior investigation and dismissal by the Ombuds-man of the same charges and by announcing the plan to investigate the Arroyo admin-istration through the commis-sion even before the same is organized.

“It is of doubtful legal validity to supplant, supersede and sideline the functions of

Truth Commission unconstitutional - NALJP

the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate public officials without amending the Consti-tution,” according to Santos.

Santos said the Truth Com-mission cannot replace the Office of the Ombudsman in

the constitu-tional task to investigate and prosecute public offi-cials for acts done in the performance of official du-

ties.“Prosecution must be with

the proper body duly created by the Constitution and by the law, based on the evidence and not by advance publicity,” Santos said.

The NALJP added that the plan to replace Ombuds-man Merceditas Gutierrez by claiming that she is entitled only to the unexpired term of former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo is arbitrary and un-founded in fact and in law.

“Marcelo resigned, and Gutierrez was appointed to a full seven-year term, to which she is entitled to serve under the Constitution,” Santos said.

Philippine billiards icon Efren “Bata” Reyes is once again at the top of his game after winning the recently concluded Spanish Open 9-Ball Championship in Vigo, Spain.

Reyes, the top player of Puyat sports, showed his vintage form by outclassing Niels “The Terminator” Feijen of the Netherlands (11-8) in the finals to win the champi-onship trophy and pocket the US$8,000 top prize.

Reyes’ handler, business-man Aristeo “Putch” Puyat, said the Filipino ace delighted the overseas Filipino workers who watched the game with spectacular and difficult shots.

“Muli na naman nag-alay ng karangalan sa bayan si Efren (Reyes) at napasaya niya din ‘yung mga OFW natin na todo suporta at nanonood ng laro ni Efren sa Spain,” said Puyat.

Earlier, Reyes, dubbed the “Magician,” beat reigning World 9-ball Champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain (9-6) in the quarterfinals.

He then toppled compa-triot and fellow Puyat Sports stablemate Francisco “Djan-go” Bustamante (9-7) in the semifinals to arrange a titular showdown with Europe’s No.1 player Feijen.

Reyes also defeated Amalia Matas Heredia of Spain (9-3) in the round of 32 and Carlos Cabello Ariza, also of Spain, (9-3) in the round of 16.

The event attracted the

The Magician rules Spanish

Open 9-Ball Title

Efren “Bata” Reyes

likes of former World 9-ball and World 8-ball Champion Ralf “Kaiser” Souquet and Oliver “The Machine” Ort-mann of Germany, Oscar and Ernesto Dominguez of Mexi-co, Rodney “Rocket” Morris of the United States and local hero David “The Matador” Alcaide.

In the Scotch doubles event, the pair of Reyes and Bustamante yielded to the tandem of Souquet and Al-caide (1-5) in the finals.

With the win, the 56-year-old Reyes continued his roll of winning tournaments this year.

According to AZbilliards.com, the 2010 Player of the Decade Reyes already has total earnings of $61,580 in prize money this year. The earnings do not yet include his top prize from the Spain Open

Reach the lucrative Asian Pacific Islander

Market by advertising in the

Asian Journal!Call (619) 474-0588


scene (24 ¼ x 34 in) dated 1951, fetched US$142,366 (approximately P6.6M), about four times its original low estimate.

Another Amorsolo scene painting usually referred to in Manila as “Under the Mango Tree” (dated 1949, 24 x 34 ¼ in), fetched a more logical US$67,818 (approximately

P3.15M), perfectly within the prevailing parameters and indeed on the low side.

Javier, Ronald Ventura and Jose Santos III are among the New Painters, a group of art-ists mostly born in the 1970s, who came into their maturity at the turn of this century.

Despite the high prices realized by Javier’s works in recent auctions, Ventura retains the record among the New Painters for highest hammered bid so far, for a huge work sold a couple of years ago. In this Spring 2010

Ella Amo’ Apasionada-mente y Fue Correspondida (For She Loved Fiercely, And She is Well Loved (Geraldine Javier)

New records set for Filipino art at

Christie’s auction

auction, a buyer walked away with Ventura’s “Overtones” (84 x 60 in) for a more sedate price.

“The Closet” (72 x 60 in) a work by Jose Santos III, which fetched for double its estimated amount. The work is a portrait of a self that remains diffi dent, largely imaginary, living an ad hoc life.

All works by other Filipino artists were sold, including those by Lao Lian Ben, Wire Tuazon, Kiko Escora, Rodel Tapaya and Yasmin Sison.



858

ARE YOUR MORTGAGE PAYMENTS TOO HIGH? Foreclosure is not your only opti on

FORECLOSURE NIGHTMARES? A short sale at no cost to you may end your sleepless nights.

Call me today for a free evaluati on. I’ll be happy to explain all your opti ons so you can make an informed decision on what is right for you and your family.

Ligaya Cruz,

Broker Associate/Realtor

DRE#01486032

Weichert Realtor Elite

E-mail: ligaya.cruz@yahoo.

com

Cell: 858-829-5452

Broker Associate, Weichert Realtor Elite (858-829-5452)

by Ligaya Cruz

Real Estate/Mortgage Tips

Is this the right time to make a leap from being a rent-er to owner? Do a gut-check to gauge if you are committed to becoming a homeowner? Here are some questions that you need to ask yourself to see if you are ready.

Are your job and in-1. come prospects stable?Did you put aside mon-2. ies to cover the down payment and closing costs? How about your credit?3. Can you stay put for 4. the next fi ve years to make the purchase worthwhile?

If your job is stable, saved monies to cover the down payment and closing costs, with a good credit

score, then purchas-

ing a home is some-thing you should highly consider. Currently the minimum down payment for a purchase is 3.5% of the purchase price. Closing costs can be negotiated but buyers need to be aware that this is a negoti-ated item and if the seller does not agree to credit buyer mon-ies toward the closing costs then the buyer has to have to funds to close escrow. Stay-ing put for the next fi ve years after purchase is also a good idea so you can recoup the costs of the home purchase. Low home pricing coupled with an all time low mortgage interest rates place buyers in a position to fi nd their dream home at a bargain.

Why rent if you can buy?

Home Buying For Beginners (Part I)

The fi rst step is to get pre-approved for a mortgage. Vis-it your personal bank or credit union and inquire about mort-gage preapproval. Typically lender will ask for the follow-ing documents: last two pay stub, last two bank statements, last two investment state-ments (stocks,, bonds, if any), retirement statements (401k, IRA, if any). These docu-ments are needed to evalu-ate your fi nancial status and calculate your debt to income ratio. Make sure you have all of these documents ready when meeting with the loan advisor. Once the documents are reviewed, it will take only a few minutes to determine your preapproved mortgage amount. Before searching for

a home you need to deter-mine how much mortgage you are preapproved to borrow. The preapproved amount determines how much you can purchase

The next step is deter-mining your home param-eters: location (where do you want to live?), number of bed-

rooms, price range,

etc. You need to have

an idea of what you want to pur-

chase. Do you prefer a single family home instead of attached homes (condo, town-

homes). Keep in mind that new developments and attached homes have HOA dues.

Once you determine the home parameters con-

tact a real estate agent. The realtor can research for you all available homes for sale (including bank owned, short sale, foreclosed, fi xer-uppers) within the area you desig-nated. He/she can set up a webpage listing all of the available homes within the assigned parameters. You can view the photos, learn about the home and drive by the area to see if you like the neighbor-hood. Your realtor can make an appointment for you to see the inside of the home. Now, your search for your dream

home begins. Part 2 of this article, I will

explain to you the process once you decide to make a purchase offer on your dream home. Let me know if you have any questions or need assistance in your purchase.

Ligaya Cruz was a mort-gage/real estate broker prior to joining Weichert Realtor Elite. She originated residen-tial and commercial mort-gages. She is also a certifi ed paralegal and worked for the City Attorney’s Offi ce, City of San Diego. She assisted Deputy City Attorney in legal research on issues involving land use including but not limited to zoning, building, health and safety and envi-ronmental. She has a degree in Business Administration from University of Phoenix and Paralegal studies from University of San Diego. She is a member of the San Diego Association of Realtor (SDAR) Housing Committee. My goal is to educate home buyers so they can make an informed decision on the biggest investment they will ever make – home purchase/ownership. If you have any questions, email her at [email protected] or call her at 858-829-5452.



All is Welcome to join, Current or Late on your payment!

Have you been denied by your Lender? Realtor & Lawyers can’t help you anymore?

Free SeminarJuly 30, Friday, 6:00pmHoliday Inn/Quality Inn9880 Mira Mesa Blvd.San Diego, CA 92131

PLANO, Texas (July 28, 2010) -- Underscoring its position as the national Back-to-School headquarters, JCPenney invites customers to discover JCPenney as the destination for fashion and dorm solutions this Back-to-School season. From must-haves in fashion, apparel and accessories to new offerings in bedding and bath, room décor, storage and electronics – all available at compelling prices – JCPenney has ev-erything students need to head Back-to-School in style.

To build the ex-citement for the new school year, JCPenney is working with the International Secret Agents’ (ISA) 2010 concert, in search of the next JCPenney Back-to-School Breakout Performer. The winner of the contest not only wins $500 from JCPen-ney to fill their closets with cool back-to-school wear, but also gets the chance to perform their talent at either the Los Angeles or New York concerts! Visit www.jcpvote.com for complete rules and try “Style ISA” for a chance to win $50 from JCPenney!

Back-to-School Fashion is all about discovering the new you and how you look in the hottest trends and styles as you head back to class this fall.

Militant Make-OverWhen shopping for the • perfect Back-to-School wardrobe, think boot

New look. New year. Who knew!

Discover The Latest Back- to-School Fashions and Dorm Solutions at JCPenney

camp fashion as girls and guys get militant in utilitarian-inspired silhouettes. For Juniors,• Decree® camo super skinny pants ($24.99) and a Decree drawstring top with embellished pocket ($14.99) should be saluted for the military inspiration and fashionable toughness they add to your look. Young Men will love •

pairing The Origi-nal Arizona Jean Co.® distressed denim ($19.99) with an American Liv-ing® green lodge vest ($49.99) over an American Living screen tee ($9.99) for an edgy militant look. For Kids, try an• Arizo-na flannel ($9.99) with an Arizona slim denim ($17.99).

PlaidnessPlaid is back with a • vengeance this year. JCPenney joins the madness with plaid tops, shorts and dress-es.For Juniors, try the per-•

fect first day dress from Speechless® ($29.99) or great Arizona plaid wovens ($11.99) to get on board with one of the hottest trends. For Young Men, an • RS by Ryan Sheckler™ hooded flannel shirt ($19.99) looks great on any guy!Kids will look adorable • in an Arizona plaid woven tunic ($14.99) over Uproar™ jeg-gings ($17.99) for a comfortable, trendy look on the playground.

NocturnalThe vampire phenom-• enon sinks its teeth into fashion. Lace details, hardware and batwing shapes are all the rage.

Juniors can • try a lace embellished Olsenboye® skirt ($19.99) to show off nocturnal style.For Young Men, the•

Arizona deep brown leather jacket with hardware ($29.99) pairs well with a pair of dark Levi’s® denim ($36.99) for a dark and

mysterious look.Kids can tap into the • trend with shadowy printed Lipgloss tee and skirt sets ($24.99) or Uproar bat print screen tees paired with a gray schoolboy car-digan ($8.99 - $14.99).

Color CrazeDenim and tanks in • rainbow hues are a sure way to make a distinct statement. For Juniors, rock your • favorite color on top or bottom by pairing City Streets® skinny jeans or “Burnout” bright tees ($14.99 & $5.99) with funky prints for the maximum pop.Young Men can be bold •

in RS by Sheckler pique polos ($14.99) in vibrant hues.Kids take coloring • from their desk to their denim in Total Girl® colored skinny jeans ($24.99).

Lounging AroundIt’s all about loung-• ing around and taking laid back casual flare into the classroom. For Juniors, JCPen-• ney takes on a cozy personality with an I “Heart” Ronson® Navajo sweater-coat ($40.60) and I “Heart” Ronson jeggings ($30.80).Young men can chill • out in Simply for Sports™ relaxed tees, hoodies and fleece cargo pants ($4.99 - $17.99).Kids can relax to the • max in Arizona fleece hoodies ($14.99) in a variety of colors and prints.

For KidsFor the youngest fash-

ion fans, be sure to check out the new Uproar™ and Supergirl™ by Nastia col-lections, both coming to JC-Penney just in time for back-to-school! Up-roar brings boys and girls edgier, aspirational teen fashion that lets them express their style, their way, in their size.

For the fashionista and actionista, Supergirl by Nastia, encourages a mes-sage of empowerment through the symbolic attributes of the iconic Supergirl S-Shield.

Back-to-School Room Makeovers will be fun and easy as JCPenney offers all the décor for creating a beau-tiful, comfortable living space.

Room Candy

This season, JCPenney • launches a new bed-ding collection with a vintage vibe from Decree. Girls will love the Decree “Butterfly Garden” bedding col-lection ($69.99-$79.99) of delicate floral prints and peaceful patterns in light blue and cream hues. The • JCP home® bed-ding set (6-8-piece set; $59.99-$79.99) makes it easy for the busy col-lege freshman to style his or her bed without breaking the bank. Included in the set is a reversible comforter with two distinct pat-terns, pillow shams, a sheet set, pillow cases

and a bed skirt. For the ultimate in mix-• ing and matching for girls, the Little Miss-Matched® “Room-in-a-Bag” collection

offers 384 design combinations. Each bag includes a revers-ible comforter, three reversible pillowcases, two sheets, one bed skirt, one accent pillow and cool wall sticker designs. For a simple room • pick-me-up, add throws and decorative pillows to the space. A

microplush solid blan-ket ($23.99 each) and print throw ($11.99 each) offer a soft, col-orful addition. Deco-rative printed pillows ($11.99 each) are an easy way to bring per-sonality to the room. Convenient and com-• pact, the cooks® JCP home “3-in-1 Break-fast Center” ($29.99) is the perfect space-saver and very afford-able for the budget-sav-vy college student.The colorful • cooks JCP home 12-cup coffee maker ($29.99) brews fresh coffee for the early rising col-lege student and adds a splash of color. Avail-able in pink, yellow, orange, red, black and white.

The Green Team Conserve energy and • add a touch of mod-ern design with the Studio® JCP home LED table and floor lamps ($79.99-$99.99) –they cast just the right

amount of light and save space with their slim design. Bring soft and sophis-• ticated texture to the bathroom with the Lin-den Street® “Quick Dri” textured towels ($3.99-$5.99) – they reduce dry time by up to 33% and come in a variety of bright and warm colors.

Eco-conscious • cooks will appreci-ate the sleek-looking cooks JCP home energy-saving induc-tion cooktop ($79.99) – it uses up to 20% less energy than other portable cooktops with its magnetic induction technology.

Keeping it TogetherStay organized with • Jansport® backpacks ($29.99 each) in ani-mal, graphic and plaid prints. Perfect for the guy or girl on the go! Closet central never • looked better with sweater and shoe hanging storage

($9.99 each). Ideal for • books, sweat-ers or your favorite gadgets, a linen-weave basket stor-age bin ($9.99) fits nicely in the closet, under the bed or as storage décor on shelves.

Cool Electronics What’s a study ses-• sion without music? The Color-changing iPod® Speaker Sys-tem ($59.99) is the perfect compact sound system and changes six different colors while playing your iPod. Listen to all your fa-• vorite tunes in between classes on the 2GB mp3 player ($39.99). Available in four metallic colors and holds up to 500 of your favorite songs. Capture school memo-• ries with the pocket-sized, hi-def Kodak® “Slim” digital camera ($189.99). Available in four colors and a share button allows for easy tagging to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

To view Back-To-School fashion ideas and images, please visit www.jcplook-books.com

To view Back-To-School home décor and electron-ics, please visit http://www.jcphomelookbooks.com/BTS2010/index.html


Food for thoughtRead previous articles by visiting our website at www.asian-

journalusa.com

(619) 702-3051

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help.. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pinto was still sputtering when he ap-proached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, ‘I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.’

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car look-ing for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire.. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her She already imagined all the awful things that could have hap-pened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice

What goes around comes around

about being paid.This was not a job to him..

This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really

wanted to pay him

back, the next

time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, ‘And think of me..’

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappear-ing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even be-ing on her feet for the whole

day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was near-ly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how some-one who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan ..

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hun-dred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door.. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: ‘You don’t owe me anything.. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is

what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.’

Under the nap-kin were four more

$100 bills. Well, there were

tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the

Money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard......

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, ‘Every thing’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.’

There is an old saying...... ‘What goes around comes around.’ Today I sent you this story, and I’m asking you to pass it on. Let this light shine.

Don’t delete it, don’t re-turn it. Simply, pass this on to a friend

Good friends are like stars....You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

was commenced. While the divorce was valid under Hun-garian law, it was not valid under California law because both parties were residents of California at the time the judgment was entered.

If the petitioner and benefi-ciary were residents of Texas, I believed that the I-130 petition should be approved because Texas recognizes common law marriages. In common law marriage, the man and woman live together in the same way as married couples do, but have not spe-cifically been married through the legal process. The fol-lowing are states that recog-nize common law marriage: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington D.C.

USCIS recognizes common law marriage

For most states that recognize common law marriages, there are specific requirements. In general, a man and a woman who want to have a common law marriage recognized have to agree to it; they have to be considered competent to con-sent to common law marriage; they have to live together; and they have to either admit publicly to being married, or have a public reputation of be-ing married. If a couple lives together but do not intend to be married, it doesn’t matter how long they have lived to-gether, they are not considered married.

Assuming the petitioner and Filipino beneficiary in the example above were residents of Texas, they should meet the following requirements to es-tablish common law marriage: 1) they must have agreed to be married; 2) they must have

held themselves out as hus-band and wife; and 3) they must have lived in Texas as husband and wife. The first element can be proven by presenting the marriage cer-tificate. While the marriage was not valid, it shows they agreed to be married. The second element can be proven by affidavits, joint tax returns, life insurance policy, lease agreement, etc. The third element can be proven by driver’s license, tax returns. When a couple has a com-mon law marriage, the mar-riage can only be dissolved by way of a divorce, just like a traditional marriage. Using the BIA ruling stated above, USCIS should approve the I-130 petition if the common law marriage complied with Texas law.

We welcome your feed-back. If you have any immi-gration questions, please feel welcome to email me at [email protected] or call 619 819 -8648 to arrange for a telephone consultation.



Tidbits from this book inquiring minds want to know:

How many children does Tessie Agana have?Who are the two movie star cousins of Robert Arevalo?Seeking an autograph from what famous comedian led Perla Bautista to

become a movie star?What physical attributes did Bernard Bonnin have that made him a top

sprinter in college?Who is the other movie star brother of Robert Campos?Who was the Manila couturier instrumental in making Charlie Davao a

movie star?Who was the top actor with whom Myrna Delgado had a love child?Who was the legendary actor who gave Dolphy his first break in the mov-

ies?What is the relationship of Linda Estrella to Judge Jose Vera, the famous

founder of the Sampaguita Pictures?With which famous Sampaguita Pictures movie star did Bella Flores have a

rift that led to a hair-pulling incident?How did Amalia Fuentes get her last name?To which military outfit did Eddie Garcia used to belong?What sports makes Shirley Gorospe stay in good shape these days?What other talent does Liberty Ilagan have?Who is the legendary movie director who gave Anita Linda her screen

name?What was the first screen name of Mona Lisa?What was Liza Lorena’s profession before she became a movie star?What was German Moreno’s first job at the once famous Clover Theater?What comic strip characters did Oscar Obligacion portray in the movies?Who was the famous Hollywood star Paraluman is always compared with?Why was Barbara Perez asked by a famous couturier to tone down her at-

tire?How much was Delia Razon paid for her first dance number in a movie?Who was the top government official Boots Anson Roa considered as her

“little sister” in high school?What was Susan Roces’ first lead role in the movies?What kind of business Pepito Rodriguez is involved in these days?How was Ramil Rodriguez discovered?Who was the movie star brother of Gloria Romero?What prestigious award did Rosa Rosal receive for her public service

deeds?Why was Caridad Sanchez considered not a typical movie star?Who was the ambassador husband of Gloria Sevilla?In what Manila public market did Luz Valdez sold wares before she was

discovered?What was the connection of Norma Vales with top Hollywood entertainer

Mitzi Gaynor?Who was the famous comedienne and next-door neighbor of Nova Villa

who introduced Nova to the movies?Which top Sampaguita Pictures actor and the drinking buddy of Zeny Za-

bala’s father was instrumental to Zeny’s movie career?What title did Marita Zobel win that earned her the lead role opposite Lou

Salvador, Jr. in the movie “Bad Boy”?

Get all the answers in this entertaining book, “Balik Tanaw: The Fili-pino Movie Stars of Yesteryears”!

1

B

alik Tanaw:

The Fi l ipino Movie

Stars of Yest eryears

By Dr. Romy Protacio

Order a copy of“Balik Tanaw”

book now! Only $12.95 a copy!

Call (619) 474-0588

Featuring the profiles and rarely seen photographs of your Filipino movie

stars of yesteryears including:

German Moreno Oscar Obligacion Paraluman Barbara Perez Delia Razon Boots Anson Roa Susan Roces Pepito Rodriguez Ramil Rodriguez Gloria Romero Rosa Rosal Caridad Sanchez Gloria Sevilla Luz Valdez Norma ValesNova Villa Zeny Zabala Marita Zobel

Tessie Agana Robert Arevalo Perla Bautista Bernard Bonnin Robert Campos Charlie Davao Myrna Delgado Lilia Dizon Dolphy Linda Estrella Bella Flores Amalia Fuentes Eddie Garcia Shirley Gorospe Liberty Ilagan Anita Linda Mona Lisa Lisa Lorena

You can order and pick up copies of the book, “Balik Tanaw: The Filipino Movie

Stars of Yesteryears” at $12.95 a copy at the office of Asian Journal San Diego, 550 East 8th Street, Suite 6, National City, CA 91950 (Inside Old School House Complex on the

corner of 8th and E Streets)

Published by Green Mango Books, a division of Asian Journal San Diego,

the original and first Asian Journal in America, E-mail: [email protected]

Balik Tanaw: The Filipino Movie Stars of Yesteryears

fervently uphold the highest ideals of the medical profes-sion as written in the THE OATH OF HIPPOCRATES, circa 400 B.C

Prior to organizing the Filipino Medical Association of San Diego in 1980, I was a board member of the Phil-ippine Medical Association of Southern California, Los Angeles.

My first simple, straight-forward and possibly effica-cious commentaries/editorials, I wrote an appeal directed to Filipino-American physicians. It was published in Philippine Medical Society of Southern California Newsletter, July 1981 Volume 4 No. 2. I was APPA Board of Governor, Member of Membership Com-mittee, as follows:

1981: APPEAL FOR MEMBERSHIP

It is a fact that there are about 11,000 Filipino physi-cians practicing in the U.S. It is also a sad fact that there are only 1,000 members of the Association of Philip-pine Practicing Physicians in America (APPA). It must be of considerable concern to ev-ery APPA member when some 10,000 Filipino physicians in this country choose not to spend 13 cents a day to join the national association and thus participate in preserving the freedoms of our profession in this country. It should be of distressing concern to those 10,000 Philippine practicing physicians in America who elect to ignore the reality that for about 26 cents a day –including APPA and State PMA dues -- organized medi-cine within our group, is a real bargain.

From Antique to America: Memoirs of a Filipino American Doctor

My Stint as President of the Philippine Medical Association of San Diego County

(Continued from page 1) Realistically, it was a fact that we, as an ethnic group practicing under the umbrella of American Medicine, was threatened daily at county, state, and national levels of our profession’s rights and interests. In the years to come, we are bound to become an endangered species. We could no longer tolerate the recent changes in the immigration laws designed to limit the number of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs)not only coming here for postgraduate training but also remaining here afterwards. We can no longer afford to witness the repetition of the Alona case or the Saddul case. The APPA has initiated and begun de-fending those who opt not to join the association and pay their dues to support their ef-forts. All Filipino physicians in this country, including those who do not join their medical association, benefit directly from accomplish-ments promoted by a small-organized group protecting our principles in this country. The destiny of the Filipino physicians rests on what we do today and plan for tomor-row. The FMG problems and the constraints by governmen-tal agencies are frightening. We must not be fence-sitters or gripers about discrimina-tion, racial prejudice and unequal treatment. We can-not afford to be mistreated, abused or even ignored. For us to try to react only when threatened and not to prepare for these inroads and crisis is shortsighted.

Those of you who are at the top of the totem pole and those who have already reached the success of life and are enjoying the economic well-being in their respec-

tive private practices in this country should not shy away from joining the mainstream of organized medicine.

The time has come for the Filipino doctors to be vigilant and active, to re-learn the true meaning of “BAYANIHAN” (working together) as the embodiment of Dr. Jose Rizal, a true and noble Filipino. The fighting spirit of Lapu-Lapu for human rights still looms within us.

For this reason, the APPA is embarking upon an exten-sive membership development program during this conven-tion in Anaheim, California. We need every Filipino physi-cian practicing in the U.S. to be actively supportive of organized medicine. We must have that support if we are to continue to protect and defend our profession and its future, including those who follow us---our children.

In all candor, I do not see how anyone can ignore the existence of the Association for all Filipino physicians practicing in America. I can-not understand how anyone cannot comprehend the mean-ing of strength and unity. Ob-viously, these facts are being directed to the 10,000 Filipino physicians in this country who are not APPA members.

Yet I know of no other way to solicit new membership except by personal contact.

It is my sincere hope that every APPA member will actively participate in our membership goals.

POWER and CLOUT mean quality membership – in unity and in numbers – is top priority.

I continued to attend the annual convention and sci-entific meetings of the As-sociation of Philippine Phy-sicians in America (APPA) and served as a member of the Board of Governors from 1976 to 1978. I was re-elected to the same position in 1978 – a topnotcher out of ten that was elected. It was perhaps that my colleagues were

impressed of my new posi-tion in the Medical Board of California.

I became a member of the Board of Directors of the APPA Education Research Foundation Inc. (ERF) in 1977 with Dr. Manuel A. Sison as chairman. It was at this year that Dr. Sison was President of APPA. The specific and primary purpose was to operate as a non-profit charitable corporation, to--wit, to guarantee loans to disadvantaged and deserving medical students of Pacific Asian lineage and other dis-advantaged and/or deserving medical students to enable those individuals who receive said loans to obtain a medical education and do research. Fundraising activities were a profound success.

Awardees for visiting Fellowship, Research, and postgraduate training from the Philippines were achieved.

(Continued next issue)

(About the author: Dr. Cesar D. Candari, a native of Pandan, Antique in the Philip-pines was a long time resident and medical practitioner of San Diego County where he was an active community leader, having been one of the three Filipino American doctors who founded Opera-tion Samahan and its medi-cal clinic. He had served in various capacities as officer of different professional, civic and community organiza-tions. He is now retired and living in Henderson, Nevada. This book, “From Antique to America: Memoirs of a Filipi-no American Doctor” is being published by Green Mango Books, a division of Asian Journal San Diego and will be released in August 2010. To order copies of the book with a 20% pre-publication discount off the $12.95 selling price, call (619) 474-0588.)

(Read previous install-ments of this memoir in www.asianjournalusa.com)

GLIMPSESby Jose Ma. Montelibano It is difficult not to be

drawn to the charisma of Tony Meloto, founder and father of Gawad Kalinga. Why else would the Readers Digest survey on the most trusted of Asian countries point to Meloto as the most trusted Filipino male? Yet, the cha-risma is inexorably attached to the nobility of the Gawad Kalinga work, the indivisible relationship of a great man and a great mission.

In like manner, the second most trusted Filipino male from the same Readers Digest survey, Noynoy Aquino or P-Noy by now, has a charisma interwoven with his legacy from great parents and the political miracle of the 20th century – people power.

In the intricate world of communications, the charisma of the person spells the impact of his message as much as the intrinsic wisdom of that mes-sage. So it is in good works, called precisely that because the goodness exudes without effort or guile, without preten-sion or public relations. Just as faith penetrates the soul and then springs forth from the life of a true believer, good works are defined by the spirit that dominates the their expressions.

The evolution of the good work known as Gawad Kal-inga has been characterized more by spontaneity than careful planning. It tries very hard to honor the spontane-ity of the spirit with judicious planning and implementa-tion. However, the spirit driving the work clearly sets a trend which makes planning and implementation gasp for breath to catch up, yet fail.

The stated purposes of Gawad Kalinga are like po-litical slogans, lofty, just, and heroic, but political nonethe-less. Land for the landless, homes for the homeless and food for the hungry can be centerpiece programs of government. They have never been in actuality, only in rhetoric, though they deserve to be still. But despite their being very political by their very nature, politicians in the Philippines have long given up on mouthing them, on promising them, guaranteeing that landlessness, homeless-ness and hunger will never be priority in governance.

Thus, it remains with the committed to never leave the poor behind as second class concerns, to always banner the basic human needs for se-curity of tenure, decent homes and adequate food as first and foremost missions. This is what Gawad Kalinga wishes to be – a work and an army of the committed.

Commitment includes two basic features – the promise not to leave the other behind, and the struggle to always do one’s share or beyond. It is an act of love not to forsake the other, and an act of heroism to be fully accountable and strive for generosity.

In traditional politics, the interest of self (which includes the interest of fam-ily) competes with, and often defeats, the interests of the whole. Self-interest cannot be avoided as the well-being of a person and the family he or she loves is a primal need and motivator. At the same time, the interest of the whole, or the common good, is as primordial due to man being a social animal whose very

The Politics of Caring

existence is dependent on the whole as well. The challenge, then, is to honor both in pro-portions that promote personal and collective welfare.

For those in public service, however, there is a demand for the personal to be subordi-nated to the collective. Those who are not willing to do so, must never apply for, or be accepted into, public service. That is the only way for real change to happen, a change of intent, a change of attitude, before a change in behavior can happen. Politicians, most of all, cannot hide behind the justification of being elected by the people if their motiva-tions are flawed or perverse from the very beginning. Even marriages entered into on the wrong grounds are subject to annulment, what more with politicians or public servants?

The politics of service can never be a reality if they are not founded on the politics of caring. One cannot serve well who one does not care for. Public office demands car-ing for the public. Those who care only for themselves and their small circle of family and friends must always be disqualified for any office of a public nature with public ac-countability. At the same time, those who truly care and are armed with this spirit must be encouraged to accept public appointments. They are easy to spot and identify because their own communities will attest to their generosity and dedication.

With a newly-installed presidency is a great resur-gence of hope for change. Citizens naturally understand how deep-seated the culture of selfishness and corruption has become, and even accuses some of their own religious leaders of the same. While their expectations are high, their experience and com-mon sense will tell them that real change comes slowly, day by day, person by person. It is a wonderful moment to challenge ourselves with the change we expect from P-Noy, to be what we want others to be.

Filipinos must draw on the best that their belief system offers. Citizens have in their hearts the beauty of culture and the wisdom of their ancestors. Their religions of Christianity and Islam stem from the same tree. Their distinct features are not causes for division but cre-ative expressions of compat-ible charisms. Only narrow-mindedness and bigotry bear the ugly seeds of anger and violence.

In the end, is there really a difference between the teach-ings of great faiths, especially of Christianity where most public officials belong to, and the ideal value system that should guide public service? I do not believe so. In the Phil-ippines, because of the mas-siveness of poverty, the words of a great saint ring true and urgent, not only for the reli-gious but for public servants as well:

“The bread you do not use is the bread of the hungry.

The garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of the person who is naked.

The shoes you do not wear are the shoes of one who is barefoot.

The money you keep locked away is the money of the poor.

The acts of charity you do not perform are the injustices you commit.”


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HELP WANTED

To:

From: Eugene De Leon

Herewith is proof of your classified ad for publication in the Asian Journal. Please proofread i t and fax back the correction if any or call us for your approval. The ad is tentatively scheduled to be published in the

issue of the Asian Journal if we receive your approval on time. At $4 per line

lines, it costs

$______.00 to be paid upon your receipt of the invoice and tear sheet. Thank you.

Fax #

If approved please sign and fax back to

(619) 474-0373

__________________

Asian JournalFirst Asian Weekly Newspaper in Southern California & San Diego’s Most Widely Circulated Asian-Filipino Newspaper

550 East 8th Street, Suite 6, National City CA 91950 • Tel. (619) 474-0588 • Fax (619) 474-0373

07/30/10

B Jones

4x3.5x10140

City of San DiegoDraft San Diego Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

Under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, The City of San Diego invites citizens to participate in the preparation of the San Diego Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Hous-ing Choice (AI). The AI is an analysis that represents conclusions about impediments to fair housing choice, as well as actions necessary to address any identified impediments.

Notice is hereby given that the 30-day public review from July 1, 2010 through July 30, 2010 has been extended to August 17, 2010. The purpose of the review is to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the analysis, conclusions on impediments to fair housing choice and solutions to mitigate or remove such impedi-ments.

The draft document will be available in the reference section of all City of San Diego libraries and at the CDBG Program office located at 1200 Third Avenue, Suite 1400, San Diego, CA 92101. The plan will also be available for review on the City’s CDBG Program website (www.sandiego.gov/cdbg/general/) and the Housing Commis-sion’s website (www.sdhc.org.).

A schedule of any community meetings in which the draft AI will be presented will be listed on the City’s CDBG Program website. Public comments may be provided at these meetings or can be submitted in writing to the CDBG Program office in person, via mail, or via e-mail ([email protected]). All information and updates regarding this process will be posted on the City’s CDBG website.

To:

From: Eugene De Leon

Herewith is proof of your classified ad for publication in the Asian Journal. Please proofread i t and fax back the correction if any or call us for your approval. The ad is tentatively scheduled to be published in the

issue of the Asian Journal if we receive your approval on time. At $4 per line

lines, it costs

$______.00 to be paid upon your receipt of the invoice and tear sheet. Thank you.

Fax #

If approved please sign and fax back to

(619) 474-0373

__________________

Asian JournalFirst Asian Weekly Newspaper in Southern California & San Diego’s Most Widely Circulated Asian-Filipino Newspaper

550 East 8th Street, Suite 6, National City CA 91950 • Tel. (619) 474-0588 • Fax (619) 474-0373

07/30/10

Phyllis Griffith

4x3.5x10140

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE2010 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (RTIP) AND AIR QUALITY

CONFORMITY ANALYSIS

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) will hold a public hearing on September 3, 2010, to receive testimony regarding the 2010 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) including its Air Quality Conformity Analysis and the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP): Pathways for the Future Confor-mity Re-determination. The 2010 RTIP is a multi-year program of proposed major highway, arterial, transit, and non-motorized transportation projects being developed in the San Diego region from FY 2010/11 to FY 2014/15. This public hearing will also serve to satisfy the public participation process of the Federal Transit Administration’s Section 5307 program of projects requirements of the Urbanized Area Formula Program.

The draft Conformity Analysis for the 2010 RTIP and draft Conformity Re-determination for the 2030 RTP: Path-ways for the Future were released for a 30-day review and comment period on July 23, 2010. The deadline for written comments is August 23, 2010. SANDAG will hear additional comments and testimony at the scheduled hearing.

The public hearing for the 2010 RTIP will be held at the SANDAG Transportation Committee meeting beginning at 9:00 am on Friday, September 3, 2010, at SANDAG 401 “B” Street, 7th Floor Board Room, San Diego, CA 92101. The 2010 RTIP may be obtained from SANDAG’s Web site www.sandag.org\2010RTIP or by calling (619) 699-1900.

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IMMEDIATE HIRING!!!

The SDCCD plans to begin adding 1,150 class sections for the coming academic year beginning with the upcoming fall semester which begins on August 23, 2010. The total instructional cost will be $4,600,000. Phrased another way, that is over 35,000 new class seats that will be avail-able for student occupancy. This comes on the heels of a reduction of over 700 class sections during the past two years.

It is the district’s goal to be prepared for state-funded student growth in a sustained manner and also keeps the district in compliance with the state’s “50 percent law”- a complex formula that requires that 50 percent of state ap-portionment expenses be dedicated to the “current expense of education”. That is direct classroom instruction expense.

Unfortunately, other stu-dent support expenses such as counselors, librarians, faculty reassigned-time, needed tutor-ing for students, department chairs, and many other func-tional roles that we view as critical instructional support are not included in the instruc-tional category and actually counts against our 50 percent law compliance. Until this is corrected in legislation (over 35 years of effort have as yet failed), all California com-munity college districts must comply.

In short, the growth of our non-instructional costs (especially due to our bond measures) and the state’s reduction of our class sections have made it necessary to make extra efforts to comply. Therefore, as we continue to make non-instructional cost reductions where feasible, we must also boost our instruc-tional effort to ensure both student growth and 50% law compliance. We will do this by increasing class sections in the fall and spring, as follows:

San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) to add 1,150 classes to meet San Diego Student needs

Move expected to help the unemployed and transfer students

Class SectionsFundingCity College287.5$ 1,149,830Mesa College472.51,890,104Miramar College240.0960,066Continuing Education150.0600,000otal1,150$ 4,600,000 Additional class sections

must fall into three catego-ries: 1) Basic Skills (as part of the student success/student completion effort); 2) high-demand General Education Transfer classes (to help stu-dents accelerate completion of degree and transfer require-ments); and selected Career Technical Education (CTE programs in areas where there are critical job shortages). Online classes may be utilized to meet these goals.

Like most community col-leges in California that have enormous student demand and are over their enrollment targets, our colleges and CE will grow even higher in their enrollments with these addi-tional classes, even though the number of classes that have been cut in the past two years is greater than the number of classes being added at this time.

One-time funding will be used to augment the additional class sections (e.g., additional savings from the hiring freeze, employee retirement savings, Collective Bargaining/Meet & Confer Fair Share reductions, and other sources). There are essentially two approaches for complying with the 50 percent law: increasing instructional expenditures or reducing non-instructional costs. Spending additional dollars on classes to help comply with the 50

percent law is preferable to cutting the same amount of money from non-instructional staffing areas. While this will cause us to have more un-funded students, it will meet other needs, as well as our core values.

According to district chancellor Constance Carroll, “We are taking the challenge of restricted legislation, the 50 percent law, and are using it innovatively by expand-ing classes to serve students in our colleges and in the region. With all the cutbacks that students face, especially at San Diego State, the news that there will be 1,000 new classes at City, Mesa, Mira-mar Colleges, and Continuing Education should be wel-come news for these students. Moreover, we are going to be offering the classes in exactly the three areas that are espe-cially needed for student suc-cess, transfer, and jobs: Basic Skills, General Education Transfer, and Career Techni-cal Education (CTE).”

A detailed explanation of the SDCCD’s approach to budgeting, in which the broader context of this deci-sion is illustrated, can be found in the recent articles in Community College Journal which is available at http://www.sdccd.edu/public/events/CommCollegeJournal_0710_V2-B.pdf

This decision is an effort on our part to solve a prob-lem in a manner that benefits our community. It reflects the Board of Trustee’s public service mantra which is given voice by Board Executive Vice President Peter Zschie-sche when he often notes that, “Governance is best when it is transparent, when it is bold and when it provides a useful benefit to the people.”

Various district groups, including the Board’s Budget Study & Audit Committee, the District Budget Develop-ment Committee, the District Governance Committee, and campus groups will continue to review how to fully op-erationalize this plan going forward.

PNoy backs Roxas suit PNS -- PRESIDENT Benigno

Aquino III supports the electoral protest filed by his running mate former senator Mar Roxas against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the President had “encouraged” Roxas to file the protest.

“Naalala ko ‘yun dahil sinabi rin ni Pangulong Aquino, pati rin yata siya na-shave ‘yung boto niya eh. So gusto rin niyang mala-man ano’ng nangyari sa mga boto rin niya,” Lacierda said.

He said the Palace also re-spects the right of Roxas to file an electoral protest.

Lacierda meanwhile said the election protest will have no bear-ing on the possible appointment of Roxas to a Cabinet post. Roxas is likely to get a Cabinet post after the one-year ban on the appoint-ment of losing candidates.

asian journal july 30, 2010

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