asian journal nov 07.2008

(Continued on page 2)

(Continued on page 2)Ryan Cayabyab and his singers.

The Gawad Kalinga Experience

“I saw the benefi ciaries of GK very happy with strong positive attitudes in life,” one advocate said. “I felt guilty knowing that I was ready to give up when I lost my boy-

friend whom I only knew for a

year, while the poor have known pov-

erty all their lives.” –

By Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.Publisher & Editor

San Diego Asian Journal

See page 5

An activist walks on the islands of the relief map of the Philippines in Rizal Park after placing a mini streamer calling for a P3,000 in-crease in the pay of government workers. JONJON VICENCIO

By Jess DiazPhilstar, November 7, 2008

The victory of several Democratic candidates for senator and congressman augurs well for the proposed Filipino Veterans Equity Act pending in the US Congress, Muntinlupa Rep. Rozzano Rufi no Biazon said yesterday.

He told the Serye Café news forum in Quezon City he believes that the bill would have a smoother sailing in the incoming US Congress than it had in the previous one.

“The victory of several senatorial and congressional candidates of President-elect Barack Obama is good news for our war veterans,” he said.

Biazon was part of a House delegation that accompanied President Arroyo on her trip to Washington this year. The House team lobbied with American lawmakers for the passage of the veterans’ equity bill.

Mrs. Arroyo herself did

Smooth sailing seen for Pinoy war vets bill after Dems victory

Philstar, November 6, 2008

There were no bells, and no fanfare, exactly the way she wanted it. Luli Arroyo, the most private among the members of the First Fam-ily, married John Aloysius “Luigi” Bernas yester-day in a simple and private ceremony at the Par-ish of Ina ng Laging Saklolo, at 5p.m. in Tagaytay City.

Only 26 people – mem-bers of the bride’s and groom’s families – were present at the ceremony. Luli’s broth-ers Mikey and Datu couldn’t make it due to prior offi cial commitments, when told the wedding date and that it could not be divulged. The ceremony was offi ci-ated by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, the groom’s uncle, and Fr. Danny Huang, the groom’s schoolmate at Xavier School

Luli Arroyo weds investment banker

who was the former pro-vincial of the Jesuits in the Philippines, but has just been appointed assistant for Asia of the Jesuit director. A simple dinner reception was held at the parish after the ceremony.

The couple chose only two spon-sors: Mr. Vicente Poblete and Mrs. Angeles Quim-son.

Luli and Lu-igi have

been a couple for four years. Luigi had proposed last Sep-tember during a surfi ng trip to Siargao, and rumors were thick about their impending marriage. But the couple has consistently refused to give any comment, with Luli maintaining that “I never talk about my personal life. My personal life has never been open to media.”


By Eva VisperasPhilstar

DAGUPAN CITY – Some-one had better come up with a turban-shaped helmet, since

Turban-clad riders need helmets, too


Marikina used to be known as a quiet town at the Eastern borders of Metro Manila. It was in the 1990’s when the local gov-ernment initiated a major makeover and this pictur-esque municipal-ity meta-morphosed into an industrial-ized city pulsing with life.

First to undergo a facelift was the murky river which is

Experience Marikina at its fi nest through Marquinton

GARDEN TERRACES

Building façade of Marquinton Garden Terraces, Toledo Tower

now a sparkling landmark of the city’s remarkable trans-formation. Clean, crisp wa-ters serve as a tranquil back-

ground to the charming Marikina River Park where residents safely ride their bicy-cles, take a leisurely walk and even have picnics the old-fash-ioned way.

Touted as the country’s


Underlying the enthusiasm of these young participants was a sense of urgency. Many people felt saddled with insurmountable

debt, carbon footprints, global warming, and wars abroad. We

came of age in a prosperous country, but in adulthood would we just watch it decline? Would

the path of our lives mirror a quick rise and prolonged fall? If the future really belonged to us, it was time that we weighed in.

By Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

San Diego Asian JournalSee page 8

felt saddled with insurmountable

we just watch it decline? Would

quick rise and prolonged fall? If

What Barack Obama’s victory means to my

generation

REDWOOD CITY, CA, November 6, 2008 – Fol-lowing the huge box-offi ce success of “For The First Time”, Star Cinema contin-ues its parade of 15th anni-versary offerings with My Only U, a Vhong Navarro-Toni Gonzaga starrer, which ABS-CBN International’s Stary Starry Store will bring to the U.S. theaters this No-vember.

My Only U reportedly made P11 million just on its opening day in the Philip-pines. Directed by popular director Cathy Garcia-Moli-na of “A Very Special Love”, fame, the fi lm reunites Vhong Navarro and Toni

“My Only U” to screen in 4 U.S. cities this November

Much awaited romantic dramedy to be shown in San Diego on November 14-20 at the Horton Plaza

Gonzaga. They last starred three years ago in the block-buster horror comedy, “D’ Anothers”. They

San Diego, California - It was a disappointing election for Filipino-American candi-dates. Ditas Yamane and Fi-deles Ungab lost in their bid for a National City Council seat while Mitz Lee failed to win re-election as trustee of the San Diego School Board. Scott Vinson, husband of Fil-ipina American business and community leader Carmelita “CL” Vinson also lost in his bid for seat 4 in the Chula

Filipino American candidates lose in last election; Voter coalition to be formed


From top left, clockwise: Scott Vinson, Ditas Yamane, Mitz Lee & Fideles Ungab.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with daughter Luli.

November 7 -13, 2008

Msgr. Gutierrez Genny Silverio EntertainmentA new day for

politicsJolina celebrates birthday

with less fortunate kidsThe Person:

God’s Building

November 7 -13, 2008Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.com

By Ding CervantesPhilstar

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, Ramon Magsaysay awardee for government service, and other lo-cal offi cials who have formed the group Kaya Natin! have called on Pampanga folk to reject the move to recall Gov. Eddie Panlilio from his post.

This, as the recall initiative seems to have triggered a war of signa-tures.

As of noon yesterday, Panlilio’s supporters who launched an online signature campaign (ipetitions.com) had already garnered 1,228 digital signatures. Among the signatories identifi ed themselves as Solita Col-las-Monsod and Susan A. Roces.

On the other hand, Rosve Hen-son, president of the Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan) which launched the re-call move last week, said his group has started its signature drive in all of Pampanga’s 21 towns.

While Henson could not say how many have already signed their re-call petition, he said that from their original 5,000 members last week, they have issued 1,000 more identi-fi cation cards for new signatories.

“Each of these members has been asked to gather as many signa-tures as they can, but we are doing this very carefully so that all the requirements of the Commission on Elections will be complied with,” he said.

In a statement, Padaca’s group said, “We believe that this at-tempt to recall him is politically motivated and would only serve to benefi t the vested interests of a few politicians in Pampanga.”

The group described itself as a “movement for genuine change and ethical leadership.”

“We urge the people of Pampanga not to support the recall initiative. We ask the Kapampangans to give Gov. Panlilio a chance to fully serve his term and continue the re-forms that he has begun,” it added.

One Harvey Keh, a supporter of

Padaca’s group urges Pampanga folk: Reject

recall-Panlilio move

Panlilio, started the digital signa-ture drive against the recall move on the Internet.

His e-mail is being passed on by Panlilio’s supporters to solicit more signatures not only from Pampanga but also from other parts of the country and apparently, even from Filipinos abroad.

Addressing “fellow Filipinos” in his e-mail, Keh said the recall move was “started by people closely affi liated with Lilia Pineda, the gubernatorial candidate that Gov. Panlilio defeated and wife of al-leged jueteng lord Bong Pineda.”

“If you will recall, just last month, Gov. Panlilio courageously fi led plunder charges against Bong Pineda for his alleged involvement in jueteng operations and payoffs in Pampanga. If they succeed in doing this, we can expect that Pampanga will once again go back to the dark ages of patronage politics that has led to the propagation of graft. We cannot just sit back, relax and allow a good and upright Filipino leader to fail. We cannot allow evil to ultimately prevail.”

“We cannot allow Gov. Eddie Panlilio to be recalled,” he added, urging Filipinos to sign up in sup-port of Panlilio at ipetitions.com/petition/supportgovpanlilio.

“While we are aware that there are escalating problems in Pam-panga such as the continuing confl ict between Gov. Panlilio and the Provincial Board, the unre-solved issue on the striking Balas quarry workers and the calls for the resignation of the current provincial

administrator, among others, we be-lieve that a genuine effort to resolve them will be more benefi cial to the Kapampangans than a political exercise that will further polarize and divide the community,” Kaya Natin! said in its statement.

It further said: “We also recognize that there are members of the civil society, church groups, business or-ganizations and supporters of Gov. Panlilio that have expressed disap-pointment with his performance during the past year.”

“Thus, while we continue to support Gov. Panlilio’s crusade to promote good governance in his province, we also believe that he should listen to the voices of these groups and work at immediately addressing and resolving these growing concerns in order for him to become a more effective gover-nor,” it added.

Noting that “reforms do not come easy” and “require continuing en-gagements between the provincial leadership and the other stakehold-ers in the locality,” Kaya Natin! said, “We do believe that given time, Gov. Panlilio’s initiatives will ultimately result in better delivery of basic services to his constitu-ents.”

“We ask all Kapampangans to be patient with Gov. Panlilio because we believe that despite the current situation, he is at the moment still the best person who can govern the province in an effective and ethical manner,” it said.

It added: “Should there be a need, the members of Kaya Natin! are willing to help organize and/or facilitate a dialogue between Gov. Panlilio and disgruntled mem-bers of the civil society, business groups, people’s organizations and his former supporters in Pam-panga.”

Apart from Padaca, the signato-ries to the Kaya Natin! statement included Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, Ifugao Gov. Teddy Bagui-lat Jr., and San Isidro, Nueva Ecija Mayor Sonia Lorenzo.

Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca

some lobbying work at a dinner with US congressmen.

The US Senate has approved the measure, which got stuck in the House of Representatives because several American congressmen wanted to limit its coverage and the benefi ts for Filipino veterans.

One proposal is to have the proposed law apply only to Filipino

Smooth sailing seen for Pinoy war vets bill

after Dems victory(Continued from page 1)

no one – not even motorcycle-riding Indian nationals who wear the head-dress – is exempted from the “No Helmet, No Riding” ordinance to be passed in this city soon.

Robert Erfe-Mejia, chief of the city’s public order and safety offi ce, related to The STAR yesterday how an Indian national, who was at Mejia’s offi ce to settle a traffi c violation, told Mejia that people like him who wear turbans are exempted from wearing helmets.

But Mejia said he was not aware of such an exemption and asked his guest to show him a copy of this order – if it exists – so that he could inform local lawmakers about it.

Mejia said the intention of the proposed ordinance as envisioned by Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. is to show to all that while Dagupan City is a “friendly city it is also a safety-conscious place.”

“While we encourage investors to come in, we would like also to encourage our people and our visi-tors to observe safety at all times,” he said.

Indian nationals living in the country number in the thousands and are very entrepreneurial, often engaged in the business of selling household wares and fi xtures, in-cluding umbrellas, blankets, electric fans and mats. Buyers are allowed to pay in installments.

They also offer “instant loans” paid on installment on a daily basis, and they personally make the rounds of the residences to collect the pay-ments.

Last Tuesday, a public hearing on the proposal was held at the city council and was attended by 12 active motorcycle riding associa-tions and 11 motorcycle dealers in the city who strongly endorsed the proposed ordinance.

Mejia said the proposed local ordinance seeks to impose tougher penalties on violators who do not wear safety helmets as a way of strengthening the national law to prevent serious head injuries in road accidents involving motorcycles.

Once approved, billboards will be placed around entry points in the city to inform motorists and visitors about this ordinance.

Currently, motorcycle riders who do not wear helmets are left in the hands of agents of the Land Trans-portation Offi ce.

Turban-clad riders need helmets, too

(Continued from page 1)The groom is a former investment

banker, working with Bear Sterns International and Bankers Trust Co. He is the son of lawyer Antonio Bernas, and was for a time a director at the Ayala Foundation.

Luli, the second of the First Couple’s three children, works with the WWF or Worldwide Fund for Nature. She is a passionate scuba diver and environmentalist. She was among the top in the foreign service examinations years ago but did not pursue a diplomatic career because of her mother’s position. – Isaac Belmonte

Luli weds investment

banker(Continued from page 1)

veterans living in the US.Biazon said Democrats in both the

US Senate and House supported the veterans’ equity measure.

“In fact, both Senators Obama and John McCain voted for its approval. It was with the Republicans in the House that we had diffi culty getting support for the bill’s approval,” he said.

“But with the Democrats increas-ing their numbers in both chambers of the US Congress in last Tuesday’s election, I am hoping this measure will soon be approved,” he said.

As for US policy toward the Phil-ippines, Biazon and Rep. Teodoro Casiño of the party-list group Bayan Muna predicted that there would be no substantial changes.

By and large, American security and economic interests remain the same despite changes in the US leadership, Casiño said.

“These interests transcend admin-istrations,” he said.

However, because Democrats are generally more concerned about hu-man rights than Republicans, Casiño said he hoped the Obama leadership would lift the terrorist tag the US has put on the New People’s Army.

“This tag has stalled the peace process here. Its lifting would help revive such process,” he added.

Meanwhile, Albay Gov. Joey Sal-ceda said he does not see a change in US policy toward the Philippines under the leadership of President-elect Obama.

But Salceda, who is also Mrs. Arroyo’s economic adviser, said he expects the new administration to make the US take the lead in tack-ling global climate change. – With Celso Amo

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Asian Journal - (619) 474-0588 Visit our website at http://www.asianjournalusa.comNovember 7 -13, 2008

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AsianJournalSanDiego_HP4C.pdf 10/22/08 3:55:26 PM

HUMMING IN MY UNIVERSE By Jim Paredes

Philstar

To dream the impossible dreamTo fi ght the unbeatable foe

To bear the unbearable sorrowTo run where the brave dare not go.

— The Impossible Dream, from the musical The Man From La Mancha

by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion

It’s been 25 years since Ninoy came home and was murdered on the tarmac. It is almost 50 years ago that a political party called Philip-pine Party for Progress ran in a national election and was clobbered. I still remember the people involved — the late Senators Raul Manglapus and Manny Manahan, a Gaston from Bacolod and a few other good men who vowed to clean up the govern-ment and make the country move forward. I remember PPP well since my mother and a few other people

she knew believed in it and actively supported it. It was also one of the earliest disappointments in politics that I can recall.

We have seen others of this re-formist mold run in other elections, Brother Eddie Villanueva being one of them. During the last senatorial race, we also heard from a group of people who called themselves Kapatiran and who, like their prede-cessors, did not even come close to being considered electable by much of the electorate.

The usual take of most people on such idealistic endeavors is that ide-alism is not enough. One needs the wherewithal to fi ght the rulers who fool the electorate with guns, goons and gold, which they also stole from the electorate. In other words, one needs the same things that the enemy has in order to win.

The idealists’ questThe other day, a relative was

talking about a very prominent businessman who claimed to have no qualms — whatsoever — about doing what is needed to close a deal. The businessman, my relative said, was actually bragging about it. He is immensely successful and understandably so. He is driven and is not about to let something like an inner voice or a conscience stand in the way of his further accumulation of wealth, power and prestige, even if it means killing or hurting people in the process.

I fi nd it hard to imagine myself in such a man’s shoes. Logic tells me that, yes, I can “understand” what drives him, and that there are such people and that these things do happen, but I cannot empathize with it. I can probably intellectualize the concept of being compassionate

towards him because he is a sentient being, but the feeling part that is supposed to go with it does not easily follow. Perhaps I am not as enlightened as I should be.

My brother Gabby says the reason why we are the way we are is because we all carry our own unique moral DNA. Perhaps. I am, after all, the son of my father and mother.

I have always been a natural constituent of so-called idealistic causes. I can even say I can’t help it. Some causes, when you hear about them, just feel right and must be supported. I have given a lot of time and effort and spent many resources to advance causes like OPM, the en-vironment, human rights, the resto-ration of democracy, clean elections, education, electing good people into offi ce and the like. Last Sunday, though I was tempted to sleep late, I spent the morning judging a sing-ing contest sponsored by Gawad Kalinga, a movement I believe in and support. In the evening, I spoke at a rally, also for GK. Somehow, doing what my inner voice dictates affi rms something big and beautiful inside me.

I notice, though, that I do not always heed that inner voice. Some-

times I choose to ignore it because I am tired or burned out. Many of us, in the name of being realistic, live our lives being numb and indif-ferent, the better to avoid the pain

of not following what seems to be right. And I see a massive denial or, at the very least, a compromising of our beliefs and ideals when we discuss national issues or are near-ing an election.

How many of us have chosen not to vote for the candidates we really believed in because we thought they would not win? How many of us have voted for people we do not trust because we are being “practi-cal?” How many of us have refused the call to mass action even if we knew it was the right thing to do? And how many of us have found fault in the Don Quixotes in our midst by imputing imagined evil motives on them, or jeering them for their futile efforts, and predicting that they will fail?

And sure enough, when enough people wish it, it does come true. And once again, our cynicism is af-fi rmed. It’s as if we have lost the ca-pacity to believe that the right thing has a fi ghting chance, or is worth fi ghting for. And yet, when we look at the enemies of what we really believe and stand for with all their resources, we ask in true amazement and fear, “How can they fail?”

At my age, I have set aside many things I used to believe in blindly, and have awakened to a less fairy-tale-like reality. No more Santa Clauses, for sure. But this reality that I have stumbled into is, thank-fully, not a cynical one. It is a reality that still allows so-called miracles to pull the rug out from under evil and instill goodness in the real world.

I still believe that as human be-ings, we can fashion a sustainable

way of life that will support every-one on the planet. I still believe in the innate goodness of people. As a Filipino, I believe we can rescind the ominous socio-political contract we fi nd ourselves in and awaken to the greatness that we can be.

At this time in our national life when every institution — govern-ment, the military, the religious, showbiz, teachers, professionals and the elite — has lost credibility and cannot be fully trusted to do the right thing, what are we to do? Where can we turn to for guidance?

What we are going through is not exclusive to Filipinos. It is also occurring in many countries. In the United States, the once unthinkable idea of a black man making as much political headway as Barack Obama is already happening. Put yourself in Zimbabwe where a dictator like Robert Mugabe seems to hold all the cards and is bent on lording it over everyone. What is left of the opposition to use against him except the burning passion to institute the ideals of democracy, no matter the odds? Or take Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of

Burma who has been imprisoned in her home by the military for most of the past decade. Idealism is all she has, and it may not seem like a lot.

But judging by how the dramatic turns of history have gone, her ide-alism may still prove to be enough to overturn the situation. David slew Goliath. The Berlin Wall, which no one could imagine would collapse during his or her lifetime, has van-ished. Our EDSA I toppled 20 years of plunder and dictatorship. Japan and many other nations massively



“It feels like New Year’s Day!” wrote my sister Cathy,

whom I love dearly, in the wee hours of the morning after the historic election. Like Caroline Kennedy-Schlossburg and millions of others who voted for change, she had voted for the aspirations that President-elect Obama represents in the tough days ahead. A friend in New York responded to the email, reporting that in Times Square a crowd was counting off the fi nal minutes before the polls in California were to close.

The mandate comes from a

A new day for politicsnew cross-section of America. It has changed the way we think of politics. In one swift stroke, we have seen power wielded in the hands of the people, who stood in long lines to cast votes, in order to repudiate and cast down a political hierarchy that at many times seemed at odds and out of touch with its own populace.

This is democracy at work.

For the world, the elec-tion of America’s fi rst African-American presi-dent offered a new sense of goodwill across various countries who weighed in on the American elections:

South Africa:

“Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place,” South Afri-ca’s fi rst black president, Nelson Mandela, said in a letter of con-gratulations to Obama. (Source: Yahoo News)

Bangkok:

“What an inspiration. He is the fi rst truly global U.S. president the world has ever had,” said Pracha Kanjananont, a 29-year-old Thai sitting at a Starbuck’s in Bangkok. “He had an Asian childhood, African parentage

and has a Middle Eastern name. He is a truly global president.” (Source: Yahoo News)

Vatican:

From Rome, it is reported that Pope Benedict was swift to con-gratulate the new president elect. The Vatican has remained neutral in the election campaign. Pope Benedict XVI sent a personal message to President-elect Ba-rack Obama Nov. 5, congratulat-ing him and offering his prayers for Obama and for all the people of the United States.

The Catholic News Service (CNS) reports that Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said that because the message was addressed person-ally to Obama the Vatican did not plan to publish it. The CNS article continues:

The pope congratulated

Obama, his wife and family, Father Lombardi said.

“He assured him of his prayers that God would help him with his high responsibilities for his country and for the international community,” Father Lombardi said.

The pope also prayed that “the blessing of God would sustain him and the American people so that with all people of good will they could build a world of peace, solidarity and justice,” the spokesman said. (Source: Catho-lic News Service)

Your Victory

Here is an excerpt from Obama’s victory speech:

This is your victory.

And I know you didn’t do this just to win an election. And I know you didn’t do it for me.

You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges

that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst fi nancial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Ameri-cans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage or pay their doctors’ bills or save enough for their child’s college education.

There’s new energy to har-ness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have


Sol Poetry

Read Soledad Bautista’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Soledad O. Bautistaby G. Tagudin - Silverio

In Perspective

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

FOR THE LOVE OF HIMGive a hungry man a fi shHe will be hungry again

Clothe the nakedIn time, they will be naked again

Give a glass of water to a thirsty manLater he will be thirsty again

Come Christmas, give packages of food to the poor,The pleasure is short lived

Instead of fi sh to a hungry manGive him fi shing gearsAnd you will help him for life

That is the Gawad Kalinga way

No temporary dole outsThat relieve just for a whileGawad Kalinga is charity for life

They build sturdy cottagesThat will last for ages

With provisions for health,Education, and a program for livelihood25,000 families are no longerLiving in slumsIsn’t it a joy knowing you shared in that great program?

The work is still ongoingThe compassionate rich, other donors, volunteers and advocatesNeed as much help as possible

To reach that massive goal of700,000 homes by the year 2012

To eradicate slums and povertyWow, it is indeed formidable

But if all soft-hearted peopleWill share with love, it can be done

Someone said, “When you do thisTo the least of my brethren, you do it unto Me.”

Let’s help and support the Gawad KalingaFor the love of Him.

©2008 copyright by Soledad O. Bautista. All rights reserved.

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A mini concert was held last Thursday evening, October 30,

2008 at the historic U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego to raise funds and awareness for Gawad Kalinga, a charitable en-tity in the Philippines that builds houses for the poor.

Dubbed “The Best for Least,” the concert was presented by Gawad Kalinga San Diego and Co-Chairs Tony and Grace Olaes, Allan and Megan Camai-sa, and Tony and Precy Pizarro. It was billed as an “Elegant Vintage Cocktail Reception & Extraordinary Benefit Show” by event designer/consultant Betty Bael.

Featured in the event were Ryan Cayabyab, a well-known pianist and composer in the Philippines, The Ryan Cay-abyab Singers, his band, and Filipina-American diva Stepha-nie Reese. Also featured was Filipino painter Joey Velasco who gained prominence with his controversial depiction of the Last Supper entitled “Hapag ng Pag-asa (Table of Hope)”. It shows Jesus Christ surrounded by twelve poor Filipino street children in place of the apos-tles.

Reese wowed the audience with her renditions of Broad-way classics, arias and popular Cebuano and Bicolano songs. Born and raised in the United States with a Filipina mother, Reese shared her testimony on behalf of Gawad Kalinga. She said that at one point, she was in a deep depression when her boyfriend suddenly died in a car accident. She did not have the will to live, until she was prompted by her mother to sing at a Gawad Kalinga event. At the event, the testimonies of people who have volunteered for GK opened her eyes. She agreed to visit the GK Villages in the Philippines and was im-pressed with what the move-ment is doing to help the poor in the country.

“I saw the beneficiaries of GK very happy with strong posi-tive attitude in life,” she said. “I felt guilty knowing that I was ready to give up when I lost my boyfriend whom I only knew for a year, while the poor have known poverty all their lives.”

This life-changing experience led her to volunteer her talent at GK events and share her personal testimony.

Musician

Ryan Cayabyab, on the other hand, is a musician from the University of the Philippines who gained prominence for several popular hits he com-posed. He won the top prize in the First Metro Manila Popular Music Festival for his song “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika (Our music is so beautiful)” sang by Hajji Alejandro. He said that he was indifferent to GK before, despite the fact that he composed the theme song for its movie “Paraiso”. But when he was invited to attend several GK activities, even helping build houses for the poor, he began to understand its philosophy and became an advocate.

“You should actually do the physical labor,” he urged the audience that evening. “You should be part of the relay of men and women, young and old alike, who would pass on a hollow block or a pail of ce-

Volunteers and housing recipients work to-gether in constructing their own GK residen-tial building.


One woman narrated how a GK volunteer from Eu-rope stayed in her own house for a week just to expe-rience how it feels to be among the poor. He has since

sponsored one of her nephews’ college educations.

ment, from the mixing site to the last person who would put them in place so that you could truly imbibe the spirit of Gawad Kalinga.”

He and the other performers have offered their talent and services for free to generate enthusiasm and support from the people in all the places they have been visiting.

The audience was delighted to hear Kundiman songs per-formed by the Ryan Cayabyab Singers and a medley of popu-lar songs including hits by the APO Hiking Society. It had been so long since I last heard the beautiful Kundiman music that I almost got teary-eyed. The Ryan Cayabyab Singers, comprised of four men and three beautiful women, were selected from hundreds who

Touring the Gawad Kalinga Village in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philip-pines.

The Computer Center in the GK Village in Taguig.

answered the call for the audi-tions.

Paintings

During the evening, several paintings by Joey Velasco, a Filipino “heartist”, were on exhibit, like “Father, Heal Our

Land” that shows Jesus Christ in prayer with a Filipino flag draped across his forearms; “You are my Strength, My Lord” that portrays a naked old man clinging to Jesus Christ in tight embrace while clutching His crown of thorns; and “Hapag ng Pag-ibig” that depicts Jesus sharing an abun-

dant meal of Philippine fruits and native dishes with Filipino children on a tree trunk table and GK houses in the back-ground. All the char-acters in the painting are Filipino except that of Jesus, whom, Joey admits, he drew using a mestizo model.

The most prominent and controversial of his paintings, “Hapag Pag-Asa” shows Filipino street children in loose tattered clothing eating with Jesus. One child is

Our Life and Times

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

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.


Perspectives

ASIAN JOURNALThe first Asian-Filipino weekly in Southern California

An award-winning newspaper, it is San Diego’s most widely circulated Asian-Filipino newpaper!

In Pursuit of Excellence

Ashley SilverioAssistant Editor

Eugenio “Ego” Osin, (1946 - 1994)Joe Cabrera, (1924 - 1996)

The Asian Journal is published weekly and distributed in all Asian communties in San Diego County. Publication date is every 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 submissions. Entire content is © 2008 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

by Riz A. Oades

Voices & Images

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

In my previous news-paper writings, I ex-plained why the Filipi-

nos had, for so long, been invisible in public affairs. I then raise the questions of whether a political linkage with the mainstream society did really exist, and what must be done to encourage active Filipino participation in government and the elec-toral political process. This move becomes even more compelling and timely as no local Filipino candidates emerged victorious in the recent Election Day.

As a practical strategy, I recom-mended that a non-partisan Filipino Voters Coalition be established in March 1992. Such organization will enable both Republicans and Demo-crats (and other Filipinos of differ-ent political persuasions) to work together for the common interests and concerns of our community.

On March 8, 2003 at a sponsored KCS FilAm Forum, John Dauz and Al Villamora suggested that an ac-tion plan had to be devised by the group if we wanted to get something

It’s time to move forward!

Al Villamora articulating urgent need of PAC (Political Action Committee) in a recent community workshop. Left to right: Wai-ling Oades-Rubic, Al Villamora, Larry Brietfelder, Jay Ruiz and Ben Macayan.

Bob Filner is reelected as Congress-man for District 51 during the Nov. 4 elections of 2008. A friend of Filipino causes mainly the WWII Filipino Veterans.

A Call to Action

FILIPINO-AMERICAN VOTERS COALITION:The Action Group That Best Promises Political Influence

out of the dialogue. John has a point when he voiced out the need to organize. In this column, I shall argue again why the group may con-sider my suggested voters coalition and what it entails.

Action Groups

As Filipinos grow into a more diverse group, leaders should redirect their conservative responsi-bility into a more activist stance in community affairs. They ought to put aside their differences and find an organization through which they can devote time and energy to help their people in need, and not simply use them to gain higher places for themselves.

A community-based coalition of voters is the best answer now. It

will definitely be much more effective than those previously based upon individual efforts. Such organization will be in a more advan-tageous position to bridge the gap between the Filipino community and the broader politi-cal establishments.

A small but cohesive and dedicated group of leaders can have a ma-jor impact on elected officials; strongly make the Filipino voice heard not only at the poll-ing booths on Election Day, but in all levels of government meet-ings, in school board meetings, and community organiza-tions of all types; and better follow up on campaign election promises to ensure that Filipinos are represented in appointments at different levels of policy making.

.The Truth -- Surprisingly

Few Filipinos actually talk about “politics” with their family, friends, and acquaintances. The large majority does not discuss politi-cal issues with other people or follow newspaper and television accounts and editorials. They are neither active campaigners nor a listening audi ence. “In fact,” observes

UC Prof. Edwin Almirol, ‘political campaigns on television are treated like commercials the time to rush to the bathroom.” -

When it comes to fundraising, many Filipinos would rather watch visiting Filipino en tertainers or go to shopping malls than attend political rally.

The “Get Out the Vote” rally in front of Seafood City on November 2m 2008 was a dismal example of Filipino apathy or lack of concern.

Also they are poor contribu tors. Only small groups give financial donations to political candidates. Philippine style of ‘politicking” is still much ingrained in the Filipino psyche.

It is the political candidates that dole out money to potential sup-

porters — not the other way around. Thus, it is not uncommon to hear Filipinos ask the public seekers:

“Ano ba ang lagay? (“What is in it for with me?”), with a sense of humor. And more often than not, they really mean it.

Empeno for SD City Council Many of us know that it takes

money to run for public office. In late l980s, a young UCLA graduate Henry Empeno run for San Diego City Council. The Filipino commu-nity was excited with his candidacy. Unfortunately, the Empeno sad experience with them would linger on among potential public office aspirants.

Henry, whose father retired from the Navy, was a member of the City Planning Commission. He was probably the first second-generation Filipino to run for a high elective office in San Diego, but decided to abandon his quest for city council seat.

While local leaders were excited about his candidacy, Empeno was unable to collect enough cash from pledges his enthused Filipino sup-porters made, a bahavioral pat-tern that would haunt future local Filipino candidates. Jay Ruiz, for example, shied away from run-ning for State Assembly, despite Congressman Duncan Hunter’s persistent urging for him to take the Republican nomination. (Oades, Beyond the Mask, pp. 97-98)

Heavily disappointed, Empeno quit the race saying: “Continuing my candidacy would have entailed a great personal sacrifice for me, including loss of income and taking time away from my family.” The experience must have disillusioned the young man and, before long, the family left San Diego for good. Is there lesson to be learned here?

A Carry-over from the Philip-pines

Another manifestation of Filipino indifference is their non-member-ship in political parties. Majority of Filipinos are not registered with any of the political parities. They are not card-carrying Republicans or Democrats. For a few who are party members~ it is a status sym bol” to be one.

One explanation why many Filipi-nos are not registered with political parties in the U.S. is because they still carry with them the “Filipino” political orientation. “In the Philip-pines,” further explains Almirol, “when a voter registers to vote, his party affiliation is not asked: in fact, to inquire into one’s political party loyalty could be interpreted as a breach of the ballots’ secrecy.” Thus, immigrant Filipinos are more inclined not to become party

A friend of mine – and many others – passed away recently. I

enjoyed Toni Michael’s company for many rea-sons: she didn’t suffer fools gladly, she could laugh, she was bright, and, well, she was just fun to hang with. But rather than me tell you about Toni I’m going to turn the rest of this column

Toni MichaelA friend has left the room

over to her friends.“I’ll remember Toni for being a

woman of many talents and in-terests: accomplished flutist who played in a community orchestra, fluent in French, Sufi dancer, techni-cal writer, genealogist who wrote a book on how to research and list your family tree, a mother who encouraged her children to explore (two sons, late teens or barely out of their teens, spent a summer hiking New Zealand), a southern Califor-nian who survived a number of years on a cold, isolated Minnesota farm with few modern amenities. A

careful speaker and a classy lady; I will miss her.”

Barb

“When I sat at our Tuesday eve-ning get-togethers, I always thought that Toni knew something about the topic(s) on the table that either she wasn’t saying, or that I didn’t get when she was. She seemed very spiritual, but not religious in any churchy sense. I think I have over-stepped graceful boundaries in our on-line conversation over the years, and what I recall about Toni is her grace in handling what I put on the table. Maybe that is what I take away from the years I have known Toni. The world in which I live is diminished by her absence.”

Leif

“When I think of Toni, I picture her on Tuesday evenings at the writ-ers’ gathering, sitting at the ta-ble with her two glasses of red wine, listening intently to the conversa-tions, alternately laughing or giving a very passionate reply to something under debate or musing about her days on that lonely northern farm. I don’t think she was anywhere near finished with living since she was always looking forward to the com-ing events in her life.”

Betty

“Sorry to hear about Toni. I only met her recently, and only by email, but I am still saddened by the news. 67 seems too damn young.”

Rick G

“One of the things that I remem-ber best about Toni is the welcome she always gave you if you were away from the group site for awhile for whatever reason. You always got a warm welcome back from Toni as soon as you came back on. Also, she loved humor--all kinds--jokes, cartoons, anecdotes, and yes, even my horrible puns. And she always responded with encouragement to any of us that were trying any kind of writing venture. Like some of the others, I never met her in person, never spoke to her on the phone, never had any exchange with her ex-cept through the writer’s group, but I always felt like I had a real friend in Toni, and I suspect that many oth-ers in the Group felt the same. She will be very much missed by this admiring friend.”

Ed

“When I think of Toni, I’ll always remember her family stories. Told or written, they were inevitably peopled with the family she loved dearly or folks she had known well and shared moments with. For all their richness of place and character

and color, her stories never really ended; they just seemed to trail off with no summation and no con-clusion, but memorable nonethe-less; vignettes, of sorts, a testimony to a life well lived. And it strikes me that that’s how she left too. Not solidly or definitively but just sort of suddenly shifting here to there, lots of things and thoughts unfinished, lots of living left to do but now she must be doing it in some other place, a big place with her books and art all around her, and with room once again for the piano she loved. So we’re left with another Toni story unended because she--and we--didn’t really get to say goodbye.”

JJ

“I remember Toni as a kind, thoughtful person. During one meeting, she asked me about “Dirty Pretty Things”, a movie which fea-tures Audrey Tautou, the French actress who starred in “Amelie”. After hearing me gushing about the movie’s a great script and great acting, she said it would be on her queue for Netflix.

On the next meeting of our group, I asked her if she saw it. With dis-gust on her face, she

said the movie was disturbing be-cause of how brutally the characters acted. “Amelie” was a light-hearted romantic comedy; “Dirty Pretty Things” was a horror thriller movie that turned the urban legend about people waking up missing a kidney into a chilling, plausible story. I felt bad about recommending something that she didn’t like, but with a smile she told it was okay

Perhaps that is what I will miss the most, how she could smile to tell me it was okay.”

Conrad

“My memories of Toni center on her entries and responses to political items on the list. More than anyone else, I think, she would post cop-ies of political “rally” or support emails just about every day. More importantly, she would most likely respond to and support those “please sign this petition” type posts that other folks, myself included, would occasionally contribute to the list. And she would always tell us that she had done so.

Her scathing, angry mini-rants on Tuesday nights, almost always aimed at George Bush, were quite often works of art. He probably took several years off her life – she would get so angry, it couldn’t have been good for her heart! That was why, in an earlier email, I mentioned that I felt so sorry that she didn’t live to at least see the election of Obama. She deserved that, at least,

after witnessing so many years of something and someone that so angered her.”

Simon.

“I’ve known Toni well since 1987, and we stayed in close touch even when I’ve lived far from San Diego. I almost wrote, “Poor Toni,” but realized how ironic that would sound because I cannot see anything “poor” about such a fine lady. Poor, as in her difficult times in Minneso-ta? Perhaps, and yet it provided her a rich cache of stories and experi-ences that she would unveil, bit by bit, and make connections to her current pursuits of happiness.

Poor, as in financial problems? Toni always found a way to stretch a buck into a thousand dollars worth of laughter--and oh, could Toni laugh. I’ve always loved to see her tilt her head back and let loose, sometimes with tears rolling down her eyes.

Poor, as in chronic health issues? Nope. She did more with her life than so many others in this world who possess what could arguably be referred to as good health, yet they do nothing with their lives. On the other hand, Toni filled her life with one accomplishment after another.

Nah, Toni was rich in all those ways that truly matter--and it was her ability to be a good friend when someone needed one that put her at an even higher level. Toni, you’re a class act and I will see you when it’s my time, and you’d better watch out, ‘cause I’m gonna do my best to make you laugh, ‘cause that’s how I will always remember you--a coura-geous woman who laughed from her soul, and who passed along that laughter to her children so that they will pass that gift along to theirs.”

Rick A.

Edited for space

members than the American-born Filipinos and American-Filipino mestizos.

One other reason for not joining political parties or political organi-zations is the perva sive feeling, of powerlessness among Filipinos - though this is now slowly changing.

Other factors that explain the feeling of powerlessness among Filipinos include the lack of facility with the English language, a general lack of political information and his-torical knowl edge, and ignorance of workings of “interest group” within the political system.

Filipino-American Voters Coali-tion

Objectives:1. To identify Americans of Fili-

pino descent who can energize c and motivate the commu nity to political action;

2. To register more voters and familiarize them with election process;

3. To encourage active participa-tion of young Filipino students;

4. To encourage more qualified Filipinos to run for public office and support them gen erously;

5. To support non-Filipino can-didates sympathetic with Filipino needs and concerns;

6. To continually work hard with local, state and federal agencies to get more qualified Filipinos appoint-ed to policy-making positions;

7. To promote pride of Filipino ethnicity and heritage;

8. To organize programs with a view to accomplishing the above objectives;

A friend of local Filipinos, Rosalie Zarate, reelected on Nov. 4, 2008 as National City Councilwoman. Included in the photo are Riz Oades, Ofelia Dirige, Leyte Bustria, Rita Andrew, and Pressy Garovillas.

9. To build a financially secure organization.

Officers

Chairman, Chairman-elect, Co-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Advisory Board Members.

Membership Dues

$300 annual fees for organiza-tions; $50 individual membership; $10 College students and Senior citizens

Issues & Research

Set up a data bank (e.g. Census Statistics and talents pool) to meet the needs of members.

Resource DevelopmentA. Develop youth leadership train-

ing program.B. Organize chapters in different

districts in SD County.C. Network with other minority

action groups.D. Seek funding for its projects.

Suggested Demands1. Establishment of a position of

public liaison officer of Filipino-American affairs in SD Mayor’s Office;

2. Protection from discrimination (e.g. employment and education);

3. Extension of business and administration opportunities to Filipinos;

4. Equal financial assistance in grants and other government entitle-ments;

5. Appointment of qualified Fili-pinos in policy-making bodies.

Voters from 18 to 24 years are low participators and low party identi-

fiers. If the or ganization could do something to increase the voting participation of these youngsters, this will be a big accomplishment. The major objective, of course, is to promote increased par ticipation among Filipino voters across the entire age spectrum. As Filipino-American voters are mobilized, Filipino turnout in Election Day will be great.

The strength of this planned coali-tion can be found in its unified voice around five areas of work: encour-aging voter registration, educating voters, getting out the vote, moni-toring the polls, and advocating for voter rights.

This effort is an unprecedented move to blur the party lines between Democrats and Republicans and set the groundwork for immediate formation and mobilization of a coalition group that would educate Filipino voters and solidify the community countywide as a major voting bloc.

As one 2008 defeated candidate said: ‘Let’s not point fingers or play the blame game, but pick up the pieces instead and move on.’ For if we Filipinos can succeed in this country economically, why can’t we politically?

Our San Diego Filipino commu-nity is still a fractured community. Many leaders have their own agen-das, whose implementation would have been better fulfilled if they collaborate with other similar goals.

Individual leadership is getting out of fashion; It is communities’ lead-ership that produces optimal results. It’s time to move forward.-- Riz


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Good parenting is a tough job but we can always try our best to

raise responsible kids. Maybe we can learn from each other’s experience or even from our own children. Most of us have better lives now than before and yet our daily lives seem to be a constant struggle. We seem to forget how to enjoy life and even our children. We make our lives too complicated that we tend to get stressed at work and at home. Some can’t even take a needed relaxing vacation anymore. Everything has to be planned and then executed as scheduled. It now becomes a boring routine from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to sleep at night. More parents are working overtime or even on weekends. When are you going to spend more quality time with your spouse and children? Yes, we try to work harder for the sake of our children’s future but, are we forgetting something? Did we ever consider what our kids really wanted from us?

Our children tend to emulate us, their parents. We don’t have to be intellectuals to raise smart sons or daughters. They don’t have to look like movie stars to be successful and self-reliant. Every kid is unique so try not to give up on your children. We can help shape their future by spend-ing more quality time with them while they’re still young. It’s not the expensive toys or trips that they will remember about you someday. Most likely they will not forget those moments you shared with them. It can be as simple as walking in the park or helping them build their science projects. Kids grow so fast so try

to enjoy and have fun with them while they are still young.

Anyway, your dependent chil-dren 16 years and younger are still qualifi ed for $1,000 in tax credit this year. Child care credit is still there for kids 12 years and younger so keep those payment receipts. Don’t forget to take the Providers name, SSN or EIN, address and phone numbers. For those with qualifying children and lower income, Earned Income Tax Credit can mean large refunds. The Franchise Tax Board conducts yearly Head of Household audits so, if you re-ceive one of this letters call your tax preparer. Any wrong answer can be very expensive.

If you have children going to colleges, universities or even technical schools, you may qualify for education credits or deductions. Remind your kids to save their payment receipts and the Forms 1098-T mailed to them sometimes in January. Your children can still be your dependents up to age 23 as long as they are full-time students. It doesn’t matter if they have earned taxable income while go-ing to school. They can fi le their own tax returns claiming the standard deduction but not the amount for exemption. It can be a lot easier if you have the same tax preparer as your students.

By the way, if your older chil-dren or any relative lived with you for more than six months and you have provided more than 50% of their basic life sup-port, they can also be claimed as your dependents. Their age does not matter as long as their total income is below the exemption amount which is $3,500 in 2008.

Parents and Tax Credits


by Ashley Silverio

On the moveRead Ashley Silverio’s previous articles by visit-

ing our website at www.asianjournalusa.com

Barack Obama

When I cast my vote for Barack Obama, I tried to play it down. I kept

the TV off for a full day before Election Day and made plans to attend a class on election night as the results came in. I was reluctant to even talk about the election with anyone, because I feared it would just contribute to disappointment. After I cast my vote, I feigned indifference as the poll worker handed me an “I voted” sticker. I stepped out into the parking lot with sticker between my fingers. Once I was out poll worker’s view, I took my “I voted” sticker and tucked it away in my wallet. On the chance that it happened, I wanted a single keepsake.

Back in high school, I missed the cutoff age for the 2001 presi-dential election by four months. The class star that Election Day morning was the one boy who could vote. My classmates and I stared at him in wonder, with a new, “I voted” sticker clinging to his wrinkled T-shirt. We were all suburban teens dreaming of col-lege and barely containing our desire to go out into the world.

However, before my peers and

What Barack Obama’s victory means to my

generationThe day after the election, I felt a sense of hope for the country that I could only compare to those days in high

school. I exchanged messages of joy and congratulations from friends at home and abroad. But the truth is, I’m

ready to return to reality. There are too many problems to dwell on a single victory. Politics must be viewed through

a critical lens, no matter who is in the lead.

I could even memorize our fresh-men university schedules, 9-11 occurred. Uncertain at first, we just went on with our lives. As life continued, my friends and I couldn’t gauge the change we faced. Those of us who didn’t agree with Bush’s policy had no better option than wait out the four years, because like high school students who were a bit too young, it wasn’t our time yet.

I was only forced to really examine American actions and identity when challenges came from the outside. My first lesson in US image abroad took place in a pub in Madrid, when my

Spanish roommate informed me about Guantanamo Bay. I told my American friends about our conversation. We agreed that the disparity between our beliefs and those of the government was growing too wide to ignore. Still, after Bush won reelection in 2004, it seemed that we were left in the minority again.

After my college graduation, I decided to live abroad. The move was not to disassociate myself with the US, but take ownership of the American image. I wanted to tell people about the country as I knew it and about my experience as an American. I found the Japanese to be a very warm audience, but unwilling to discuss diverging opinions. However, one day my Canadian-Filipino friend asked a question that floored me. “Are you proud to be American?” he asked, nonchalantly. I was of-fended and answered “of course” without supplying reasons why.

I kept up with politics over the internet. Before I left for Japan, I set a firm time period of two years abroad. I hoped to return to a less polarized coun-try that was more receptive to dialogue. As the months passed, it all seemed politics as usual back home. However, the turn-ing point for me was Obama’s speech on racism. I could hardly believe what I heard. I could truly identify with his words. It was almost unthinkable that it came from someone who could be president.

Still, I was wary. My other American friends living in Japan thought that Obama winning the presidency was a long shot. Quite a few of them entertained the idea of life as an expat. But while we speculated about what life was like back home, the youth movement began to take shape in the US. Through face-book, myspace, and blogs, young people gained a voice in poli-tics. My friends’ blogs became crowded with virtual campaign pins, non-profit links, and pay-pal donation buttons. Online social networks and grass-roots community organizations and fanned the flames of Obamania


Los Angeles, CA – Today, AltaMed Health Services, a non-profit leader and provider of Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) services, hosted a media briefing exclusively for Asian Pacific American (APA) media in celebration of National Family Caregivers Month. There are more than 3.5 million family caregivers in California, whose con-tributions often go unnoticed or unappreci-ated. At the media briefing, AltaMed paid special gratitude to the millions of family caregivers, and shared with APA reporters information on how AltaMed ADHC pro-grams and services can be a viable alterna-tive to these caregivers at no or low cost to qualified participants.

National Family Caregivers Month, in November, is dedicated to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers who provide “free” in-home care to their loved ones. According to National Family Care-givers Association and Family Caregiver Alliance, there are nearly 3.5 million family caregivers in California who provide this “free” care, which translates to an estimated market value of more than $35 billion annually. As life expectancy of California residents continues to reach an all-time high, many families are unaware of what they can do to care for their loved-ones, other than assuming these costly responsibilities alone.

“Each family caregiver’s involvement is irreplaceable and their love and dedication can no doubt have a lasting positive impact on the overall health of seniors and adults in need,” said Cástulo de la Rocha, President and CEO of AltaMed Health Services. “In November, AltaMed celebrates family caregivers’ contributions and we want to acknowledge them as the silent heroes of our community. We also want to encourage them to continue the great work they are do-ing, but to also seek-out help from AltaMed along the way.”

Due to strong family values and a deep respect for their elders, the APA community has a high percentage of family caregivers who traditionally assume the role of primary caregiver. Research has shown that family caregivers who provide 36 or more hours of care a week are more likely than non-care-givers to experience symptoms of depres-sion or anxiety. The rate is twice as high for those caring for a parent. AltaMed’s Grand Plaza ADHC serves as a valuable alternative to relieve APA family caregivers from the mental and physical demands of care-giving.

AltaMed’s Grand Plaza ADHC is de-signed to help seniors and disabled adults enjoy an independent lifestyle in a comfort-able and enjoyable atmosphere. Health and social care they need are administered in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. Supported by public and private funds, as well as a variety of federal, state and local government health programs, the Center’s program and services are offered to seniors and other adults in need of special

Leading Adult Day Health Care Provider Recognizes Contributions of Family Caregivers and Offers Valuable Alternatives for Quality Adult Day Health Care at Grand Plaza Facility

AltaMed Hosts a Media Briefing Exclusively for Asian Pacific American Reporters in Celebration of National Family Caregivers Month

care at no or low cost. With the recent economic instabilities and increasing costs of health and day care services, AltaMed Grand Plaza ADHC is the perfect solution for seniors and family caregivers looking for both financial and emotional reprieve and assistance.

AltaMed Grand Plaza ADHC’s high stan-dard of quality also provides families the emotional comfort of knowing their loved ones are well cared for. AltaMed Grand Plaza ADHC is licensed and approved by the State of California, surpassing the state’s strict safety and health guidelines. It is fully licensed by the California Department of Public Health and is certified for Medi-Cal reimbursement from the California Depart-ment of Aging. The program also received accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Grand Plaza ADHC has been providing the same quality care to participants and the community for nearly 10 years. A diverse team of certified medical staff, nurses and social workers at Grand Plaza help coordi-nate and manage a range of health, cognitive and mental conditions of center patients. Services include: medical services; nursing services; physical, occupational and speech therapy; psychiatric and psychological ser-vices; social work services; planned indoor and outdoor social activities; daily nutri-tional programs; and transportation to and from the center. Grand Plaza also provides health education for participants and their

families such as classes on fall prevention – the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries for seniors.

The Grand Plaza Adult Day Health Care Center is located at 701 W Cesar E Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 and is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The services offered by ADHC’s are available free of cost to individuals enrolled in Medi-Cal or private pay for non-Medi-Cal beneficiaries. For more information on AltaMed Health Services Corporation and its Grand Plaza ADHC center, please call (800) 396-9023.

ABOUT ALTAMED HEALTH SERVICES CORPORATION

AltaMed Health Services, a private nonprofit organization, is a major provider of health and human services in the Greater Los Angeles area and the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in the State of California. AltaMed’s mission is to provide high quality, coordinated, compre-hensive health and human services to the underserved in Southern California, with particular attention to Latino and multi-eth-nic populations. AltaMed began as the East Los Angeles Barrio Free Clinic in 1969, a volunteer-staff storefront providing basic medical services. Today AltaMed’s service area extends beyond East Los Angeles, to the Greater Los Angeles area and Orange County.

Pictured from top row, left to right: Castulo de la Rocha, President & CEO, AltaMed Health Services; Sophia Guel-Valenzuela, Vice President of Senior Care Operations; AltaMed Health Services; Melba Cortes, Center Director at Grand Plaza Adult Day Health Care, AltaMed Health Services; Robin Kung, family caregiver; Patty Fu, Social Worker Supervisor at Grand Plaza Adult Day Health Care, AltaMed Health Services; Elvia Delgado, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Sales, AltaMed Health Ser-vices; Po-Hwa Kung, Grand Plaza Adult Day Health Care Center Participant


Catch Janno Gibbs and

Regine Velasquez in SOP

Sundays at 12:05PM (PDT);

3:05PM (EDT)

“Little Singapore”, Marikina also boasts of several historical and cultural sites which visitors find educational and entertain-ing. There’s the Shoe Museum that showcases the infamous footwear collection of former First Lady Imelda Marcos and the World of Butterflies, where enthusiasts of these lovely winged creatures can bask at the sight of hundreds of but-terfly species. Also considered noteworthy destinations are Te-atro Marikina, Belen Museum

Experience Marikina at its finest through Marquinton

GARDEN TERRACESPhilippines’ leading TV station,

GMA Network, bagged a total of eight awards at the 2008 Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) which was held last Wednesday, October 29, at the Teatro ng GSIS in Pasay City, Philippines.

Established in 1978, the CMMA “pays tribute to those who promote Christian values in an outstanding way, in radio, press, advertising, television, and film.”

GMA programs took home four

GMA triumphed at the 2008 Catholic Mass Media Awards

Food trip. Restaurants and coffee shop line up the façade of Blue Wave at Marquinton inviting Marikeños for a gastronomic treat.

and Animal Trail among others. The more sophisticated and

urbane Marikeños satisfy their leisure cravings with Marikina’s limitless dining and shopping options. The Riverbanks Mall located beside the Marikina riv-erbanks houses a supermarket, popular fast-food chains and specialty retail establishments. Its distinctive position makes it a perfect weekend hangout for families: children can frolic at the River Park while parents do their weekend shopping at the mall.

Meanwhile, the young adult crowd can “bar-hop” at the numerous night spots located within the city. The throbbing

(Continued from page 1) and leisure choices not only for unit owners but other Marikina residents as well. It has 4 state-of-the-art cinemas, convenience and specialty stores, and a line-up of popular restaurants and cafes such as Dencio’s, Yellow Cab, Shakey’s, Max and Starbucks.

It’s time to live better. Come and experience Marikina’s fin-est through Marquinton Garden Terraces. For more informa-tion, call 681-0111 or visit the showroom along Sumulong Hi-way.

CMMA awards, its sister station Q Channel 11 acquired three, and the Kapuso Network’s AM station, DZBB 594, received one award. The Serviam Awardee, an Institutional Category, is also handed to GMA’s show – Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko.

CMMA Awardees include Mel & Joey for Best Talk Show; I-WIT-NESS “Batang Kalabaw” (episode by Jay Taruc) and Iskul Ko, No.1 (by Sandra Aguinaldo) tied for Best Adult Educational-Cultural Pro-

gram; Mga Mata ni Angelita, for Special Citation in the Best Drama Series category; and Wish Ko Lang for Best Public Service Program.

Q Channel 11 programs that were awarded that night include The Sweet Life, which tied with Mel & Joey for Best Talk Show; Kids on Q for Best Children’s Program; and Day Off which won Best Entertain-ment Program.

Lastly, GMA’s AM station DZBB 594 took home the Best Drama

Program award for Nagmamahal, Nanay Gina.

The 2008 CMMA awards night was organized by the Archdiocese of Manila and was attended by key personalities in the print media, radio, television, music, and the ad-vertising industry in the Philippines.

In Canada and the United States, you can catch these award winning shows on GMA Pinoy TV, while programs on Q Channel 11 are available on GMA Life TV channel. Call your preferred pay TV operator to subscribe.

Shoes galore. The Marikina Shoe Museum showcases one of Marikina’s pride, the shoe industry.

Marikina nocturnal life show-cases popular grilleries, water-ing holes and specialty res-taurants where night owls can gather and hobnob with friends. If “clubbing” is not their cup of tea, coffee shops offer a warm haven for intellectual conversa-tions, business meetings or sim-ply curling over a good book.

From a placid municipality in the National Capital Region to a vibrant city hailed many times for its clean and green surroundings, Marikina has in-deed come a long way. Further adding dynamism to this city is the rise of Federal Land’s 17-hectare Marquinton commu-nity. Located along Sumulong Hi-way, this master planned development is the first project of Metrobank Group’s property arm in Marikina City. It offers residents the convenience of living in high-rise buildings common in densely populated cities amid a serene and safe environment. Since it is located in Marikina, Marquinton resi-dents can live a bustling cos-mopolitan life minus the stress, allowing them to appreciate the beauty of nature and celebrate life.

The Marquinton Garden Terraces will stand as the first gated vertical subdivision in the area – introducing a fresh concept to urban living. This is yet another testament to Federal Land’s pioneering efforts.

Complementing the resi-dential component is the Blue Wave Marquinton mall, an up-scale commercial establishment that offers more entertainment


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WASHINGTON, DC – October 30, 2008 --The Asian & Pacific Islander American

Scholarship Fund (APIASF) will host its third annual awards dinner, the “Today’s Minds, Tomorrow’s Future®” Gala, on Thursday, October 30, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the New York Hilton. APIASF will be recognizing J. Alexander M. (Sandy) Douglas, Jr., President, Coca-Cola, North America; Bill Imada, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, IW Group, Inc.; and Don Thompson, President, McDonald’s USA. Douglas and Thompson will both receive the APIASF Excellence in Education Award for their re-spective company’s long-standing commitment and support of higher education. Imada will receive the APIASF Inspiring Dreams Award for being the primary visionary whose leadership, en-thusiasm and dedication led to the eventual formation of APIASF.

The gala is APIASF’s only fundraising event during the year, and all net proceeds go towards

Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) host third

annual gala awards dinnerAPIASF’s critical and vital mis-sion-- to insure that as many Asian and Pacific Islander American stu-dents as possible have the opportu-nity to pursue a higher education. This year, APIASF distributed 285 scholarships of $2,500 each to high school seniors, bringing the total amount the organization has distributed since its inception in 2004 to more than $1.8 million. Of

those students receiving scholar-ships this year, 84% were first in their families to attend college and 63% came from underserved communities. The scholars rep-resented 35 of the 50 U.S. States, Micronesia and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the majority of them had a grade point average of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale.

At the gala, past and present

APIASF scholarship recipients will share their aspirations and thank the generous sponsors who make our organization possible. Sanjaya Malakar, American Idol Season 6 Finalist, will also make a special guest appearance. Wai-Ling Eng, Chair, Board of Direc-tors, said, “APIASF is delighted to continue the tradition of honor-ing corporations and individuals who keep higher education at the forefront. We are proud to be recognizing these gentlemen for their commitment and support of APIASF and for helping to further the education of our future leaders in the Asian and Pacific Islander American community.”

The evening’s presenting spon-sors are McDonald’s USA and the Asian McDonald’s Operators As-sociation. Other major sponsors/gala co-chairs include Abercrom-bie & Fitch, AT&T, ING, Nation-wide, USA Funds, Coca-Cola North America, FedEx Corpora-tion, IBM, Macy’s and the United States Navy Diversity Directorate. A silent auction and reception are also part of the evening’s festivi-ties.

About APIASFThe Asian & Pacific Islander

American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is based in Washington, DC, and is the country’s largest non-profit organization devoted solely to providing scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. APIASF also manages the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Ameri-cans (GMS/APIA). Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and adminis-tered by UNCF, the GMS/APIA program provides outstanding Pell Grant eligible APIA students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college educa-tion in any discipline they choose and a graduate degree in spe-cific fields. APIASF assumed the administration of this program in September 2006. Supporters of APIASF include members of the general public and a wide spec-trum of community and profes-sional leaders, organizations and corporations. Corporate support-ers include, but are not limited to, AT&T, Abercrombie & Fitch, The Boston Consulting Group, McDonald’s USA, The Coca-Cola Company, Nationwide, Sodexo, Wachovia, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Wells Fargo. For more information about APIASF’s mis-sion and program, please visit our website at www.apiasf.org.

(Continued from page 1)

devastated by war picked have themselves up and attained their own greatness.

As 2010 nears, many of our countrymen will present themselves as leaders who promise to guide us towards the light at the end of the tunnel. Some will present tried and tested narratives to ingratiate themselves to the public and dazzle us with money and glitz while side-stepping the real issues. And there will be the others who will have the right programs and ideas but no funds, little exposure, a sparse following — and will still run on the steam of their own idealistic fire.

They will ask for our help. Is this another trap that idealists will fall into, or is this the true one that will save us? The cynics will again raise the issue of pragmatism. It is really up to us to choose collectively the reality we want.

In these desperate circumstances, it is time to put on our idealist’s armor and join those who dare to do what seems impossible... When there is no other recourse left, rely-ing on our ideals may not only be necessary but may be just what we need to pull through.

The idealists’ quest


also worked together in the TV comedy news program, “Wazzup, Wazzup”.

The film injects humor and love in what is otherwise a serious topic: death. Here, the characters are confronted with the question: What would you do if you learn that the one you are secretly in love with only has a few days to live?

Vhong plays Bong, a tenement manager, who has always liked his friend Winona (Toni) but never summoned the cour-age to tell her of his feelings. He has no idea that Winona is also interested in him romantically.

One day, in the tenement he is man-aging, he receives final notes from their late neighborhood doctor’s assistant: one for him, one for Winona. When he checked his, he found out he was given a clean bill of health. He was worried for Winona who belongs to a family whose women all die before the age of 25. Bong knows Winona is turning 25 soon and the medical notes might just confirm that so-called curse.

Bong opens the letter from the doctor: Winona has lupus and she will die soon.

Bong vows to make Winona’s remain-ing days happy and perfect. In the pro-cess, they became closer to each other and begin to fall in love. Then Winona finally turned 25. She didn’t die. She finds the letter sent by the hospital. She discovers her results were actually negative.

Bong was thrilled to know about the good news. But then, whose positive results did he actually read?

“With My Only U, we really want to give our audience here in the U.S. a breadth of very interesting themes and characters,” said Kerwin Du, ABS-CBN International’s category head for tele-com, retail and theatricals. “Our goal is to continue providing them with quality entertainment and stories that really touch the hearts, whether it’s romance, comedy or drama.”

My Only U will screen in the follow-ing cities and dates:

SEATTLE November 14-20Parkway Plaza Stadium 125910 South 180th StreetTukwila, WA 98188LAS VEGAS November 14-20Regal Village Square Stadium9400 W Sahara Avenue

“My Only U” to screen in 4 U.S. cities

this November

Bong (Vhong Navarro) and Winona (Toni Gonzaga) star in tackle secret love and the prospect of death in the romantic dramedy, “My Only U”. (Photo from starad-prom.multiply.com)

Las Vegas, NV 89058

SAN DIEGO November 14-20UA Horton Plaza 475 Horton PlazaSan Diego, CA 92101

LOS ANGELES November 14-20Cerritos Stadium Cinema12761 Cerritos Towne Center Drive,Cerritos, CA 90701For more information, please call

1.800.227.9676 or visit www.abs-cbn-globalmovies.com


San Diego News Update

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SAN DIEGO (November 6, 2008) -- The Asian Business As-sociation of San Diego (ABA), a prominent cultural fixture in the San Diego business community, announced its 2008 business leadership, community service, scholarships award winners, and corporate Member and Member of the Year. The winners will be rec-ognized during the organization’s 18th Annual Awards Dinner taking place on November 13, 2008, at the Bahia Resort Hotel from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Allan Camaisa will receive ABA’s Business Leadership Award. Allan is the Founder and CEO of Anakam, Inc., and provides the creative vision and energy that fuels the company’s growth. He is a seasoned serial entrepreneur and currently owns three software related patents. Previously, Allan founded High Technology Solutions, Inc., which he grew to more than 400 employ-ees and more than $45 million in annual revenues.

Dennis-Michael Broussard is this year’s recipient of the Com-munity Service Award for his commitment and service to the Asian Pacific Islander commu-nity. Dennis-Michael, founder of Silk Road Productions, an event management and produc-tion firm that evolved him into an event producer focused on social entrepreneurship. His dedication to the Asian-American commu-nity is evident by his involvement in almost every Asian-American event in San Diego, whether as a volunteer, a committee member, or as chair. Dennis-Michael is currently completing his second graduate degree, a Master of Pacific International Affairs, from UCSD’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies.

Cox Communications will receive the Corporate Member of the Year Award. Operating in San Diego County since 1961, Cox was the first company to launch a “bundle” of video, telephone and

Alan Camaisa is Business Leadership Award Honoree

Asian Business Association Announces 2008 Award Winners

Internet services nationwide, and is known for its award-winning customer services and state-of-the-art fiber optic network. Cox Communications is a committed supporter of the Asian Business Association and diversity through-out our community. As part of its commitment to diversity, Cox formed a Diversity Council of em-ployees who advise the company on initiatives that will encourage diversity.

Rosanna Harrison will receive the Member of the Year Award. Rosanna Harrison is the Director of Catering for Evans Hotels at the Catamaran Resort. She has re-ceived numerous awards including Catering Sales Person of the Year, and the Spirit to Serve Award by JW Marriott Jr. Rosanna has a wealth of experience ranging from star-studded industry weddings for both film and television personali-ties to corporate and social events for Fortune 500 companies.

Hana Kohin, Aileen Lu, DeAn-dra Morris, Ifunanya Nwokodi, and Hong Van Pham are this year’s ABA Scholarship Award recipients. Ifunanya, who is a student at U.C. San Diego, is the recipient of the Thomas N. Fat Scholarship Award. Hana and De-Andra are students at St. Miguel High School; Aileen is a student at Mira Costa College; and Hong Van is a student at Preuss School UCSD.

All award recipients will be recognized at the ABA’s 18th an-nual dinner, which is sponsored by Viejas Enterprises, Citi, SDG&E, Union Bank of California, and Wells Fargo. Additional sponsors include AT&T, Cox Communica-tions, Epsilon Systems Solutions, San Diego National Bank, Sud-berry Properties, Inc., Sushi on a Roll, Sycuan Resort & Casino, and Westfield.

For more information about the annual awards dinner visit http://www.abasd.org/gala/, or call 858-277-2822.

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the “Treatment as State” ap-plication for the Pala Band of Mission Indians under a provision of the Tribal Authority Rule.

“With this decision, the EPA recog-nizes the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community’s exceptional envi-ronmental program and their dedica-tion to cleaner air,” said Wayne Nastri, Administrator of the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. “Treatment as a state guarantees the Tribe additional author-ity for several important air programs.”

For the Pala Band of Mission Indians, this designation requires major sources

The County Department of Animal Services will offer a low-cost rabies vaccination, dog licensing and microchipping clinic from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26. The clinic will be held at the County animal shelter at 5480 Gaines Street in San Diego.

“Get the shot, the license and the microchip, and pick up a coupon to spay or neuter your pet,” said Dawn Danielson, Director of County Animal Services.

There will be $25 coupons available to neuter male dogs, cats and rabbits and $50 coupons to spay female dogs, cats and rabbits. The coupons are only available for residents who live in our service area of the unin-corporated county or the cities that contract with us, which include San Diego, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Santee.

Rabies vaccinations for dogs (four months or older) and cats (three months or older) will be available for $6. Dog licenses, which are required by law, may be purchased for one, two, or three years.

With proof of a dog license, the Department will microchip dogs for a one-time fee of $20, which includes the registration. There is no license requirement for cats, and Animal Services welcomes both rabbits and cats for microchipping as well.

A microchip is a small tran-sponder, the size of a grain of rice, which is injected under the skin and remains there for the life of the pet. Animal Services scans all stray animals it re-ceives for a microchip. Staff is then able to locate the owner’s information through the number on the microchip.

Owners who have failed to license their dog, or have al-

County offers variety of services at rabies vacina-tion, microchipping clinic

lowed their dog’s annual license to lapse, will be offered amnesty from any late fees during the event.

For the protection of owners and their pets, dogs must be on a leash and cats and rabbits in a carrier while at the clinic. For more information, contact the County Department of Animal Services at (619) 767-2675 or visit www.sddac.com.

U.S. EPA decision acknowledges tribal sovereignty for Pala Band of Mission Indians

U.S. EPA decision acknowledges tribal sovereignty for Pala Band of Mission Indians

of air pollution within 50 miles to notify the Tribe, in the same manner states are notified, when these sources of air pol-lution are proposed or modified. This gives the tribe the ability to comment formally as a sovereign entity.

The Pala Band of Mission Indians is located in northern San Diego County, where a majority of the 918 enrolled members live on the 12,273-acre reservation. The Pala Band of Mission Indians is governed by an Executive Committee composed of six members elected by the General Council.

For more information on “Treatment as a state,” please go to: http://www.epa.gov/tribalportal/laws/tas.htm


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

journalusa.com

BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE)

By Francis J. KongPhilstar

Do you go to the gym? Do you exercise? My wife and I do. It’s part of our non-negotiable task list. And this account is so funny. A guy named Thomas Ellsworth sent this over the Internet so listen to this.

It’s entitled: A Week at The Gym.This dude says:For my birthday this year my wife

purchased me a week of private les-sons at the local health club. Though still in great shape from when I was on the varsity chess team in high school, I decided it was a good idea to go ahead and try it. I called and made reservations with someone named Tanya, who said she is a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and athletic clothing model. My wife seemed very pleased with how en-thusiastic I was to get started.

They suggested I keep an “exer-cise diary” to chart my progress.

Day 1. Started the morning at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get up, but worth it when I arrived at the health club and Tanya was waiting for me. She’s something of a goddess, with blond hair and a dazzling white smile. She showed me the machines and took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. She seemed a little alarmed that it was so high, but I think just standing next to her in that outfit of hers added about 10 points. Enjoyed watching the aerobics class. Tanya was very encourag-ing as I did my sit ups, though my gut was already aching a little from holding it in the whole time I was talking to her. This is going to be GREAT.

Day 2. Took a whole pot of coffee to get me out the door, but I made it. Tanya had me lie on my back and push this heavy iron bar up into the air. Then she put weights on it, for heaven’s sake! Legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made it the full mile. Her smile made it all worth while. Muscles ALL feel GREAT.

Day 3. The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the tooth brush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it.

A week at the gymI am certain that I have developed a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer. I parked on top of a Volkswa-gen. Tanya was a little impatient with me and said my screaming was bothering the other club members. The treadmill hurt my chest so I did the stair “monster.” Why would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by the invention of elevators? Tanya told me regular exercise would make me live longer. I can’t imagine anything worse.

Day 4. Tanya was waiting for me with her vampire teeth in a full snarl. I can’t help it if I was half an hour late, it took me that long just to tie my shoes. She wanted me to lift dumbbells. Not a chance, Tanya. The word “dumb” must be in there for a reason. I hid in the men’s room until she sent Lars looking for me. As punishment she made me try the rowing machine. It sank.

Day 5. I hate Tanya more than any human being has ever hated any oth-er human being in the history of the world. If there was any part of my body not in extreme pain I would hit her with it. She thought it would be a good idea to work on my triceps. Well I have news for you Tanya - I don’t have triceps. And if you don’t want dents in the floor don’t hand me any barbells. I refuse to accept responsibility for the damage, YOU went to sadist school, YOU are to blame. The treadmill flung me back into a science teacher, which hurt like crazy. Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like a music teacher, or social studies?

Day 6. Got Tanya’s message on my answering machine, wondering where I am. I lacked the strength to use the TV remote so I watched eleven straight hours of the weather channel.

Day 7. Well, that’s the week. Thank goodness that’s over.

Maybe next time my wife will give me something a little more fun, like a gift certificate for a root canal.

Go through it. Then you will love it and you will benefit from it.

God has given us a beautiful body but we have to take care of the maintenance work. So go to the gym and don’t look for Tanya.

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A memorial service for Profes-sor Emeritus William T. Liu, one of the earliest pioneers in Asian American research, will take place this Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, followed by burial at El Camino Memorial Park. He passed away quietly, with his wife Elena by his side, on October 10th, 2008, after battling complications from a quadruple bypass surgery performed in the Fall of 2004. He was 78.

Professor Liu was the Director of the first Asian American Men-tal Health Research Center in the United States which lasted a decade and a half. He developed multi-year training programs for Asian Americans students scattered in U.S. graduate schools with weak or no Asian American Studies programs. At a time when no reliable data existed for Asian Americans and the U.S. Census data did not even allow the separate identification of Asian Americans, Professor Liu advocated for the Asian American community to serve on Census Committees that would later recommend the separate identification of Asian Americans, followed by subsequent recommen-dations to count the major sub-groups within the Asian American community.

The inclusion of Asian Americans as worthy of counting by the Census is important because it affects the priorities of research funding by government agencies, the alloca-tion of limited resources at the local level, and the capacity of students interested in the Asian American population to advance their aca-demic careers by doing exploratory studies using readily available pub-lic records, as a stepping stone to grant applications and more refined

William T. Liu, Ph.D., 78Professor Emeritus and Pioneer

Asian American Researcher

William T. Liu, Ph.D

research on their special population of interest. Professor Liu stressed the importance of developing a rigorous methodological approach to study Asian Americans and provided opportunities to many graduate students to take summer courses on sampling and discuss their plans with statistics professors at the University of Michigan.

Professor Liu also promoted inter-national research through his effort to organize a tour for top U.S. psy-chiatrists and neurologists to visit two leading universities and mental health research institutes in China in the 1980s. That visit invited scien-tists from both sides of the Pacific Ocean to discuss the possibility of a collaborative research and a large research project on Alzheimer’s Dis-ease and Dementia in Shanghai was developed by three institutions: the

Shanghai Mental Health Center, the University of California San Diego where the late Dr. Robert Katzman was associated with, and the Pacific/Asian Mental Health Research Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, directed by Professor Liu. Many of the researchers on that team are now successful scientists and professionals.

To be an outstanding Asian Ameri-can social scientist requires working with splintered factions within the Asian American community and ad-dressing broad issues of inequality and social injustice. It is worthy of note that Professor Liu was the first Asian American to ever be appoint-ed to the Chicago Board of Educa-tion and the only Board Member re-appointed following the Illinois Education Reform Legislation.

After his early retirement from U.S. academic life, Professor Liu went to Hong Kong and was instrumental in developing as well as strengthening the sociology and social science programs of at least three major universities: Hong Kong Baptist College; Hong Kong Uni-versity of Science and Technology, and Lingnan University. Compulso-ry age-retirement policy for profes-sors in Hong Kong led Professor Liu to work as a Consultant at a think tank of the National Univer-sity of Singapore called the East Asian Institute. There he worked on four books, two of which he finished and published. One is The Chi-nese Catholic Church in Conflict: 1949-2001, which provided detailed historical accounts of how the Chinese Catholic Church survived under communism. The other is Who Cares for the Elderly? —pub-lished by the Singapore University Press and which won an Outstand-ing Book Award in Australia.

From Singapore, Professor Liu spent some time at Wenzao Uni-versity in Kaoshiung, Taiwan, providing a critical direction for the Catholic university to develop by building on its strength as a lan-

guage-learning institution. Before he could return to put his plan into action, however, his ailing heart demanded that he slowed down.

Professor Liu has published at least 12 books and 130 papers. He has also received many awards including the Distinguished Service Award; Chinese American Edu-cational Foundation; Outstanding Community Service Award; Asian Human Services of Chicago, Inc.; Outstanding Service Award for Con-tributions to Research in Gerontolo-gyby New York City Asian Commit-tee on Aging; Honors for Contribu-tions to Asian American Research by the Chinese American Planning Council, New York City and Asian Task Force on Families and Chil-dren, New York City; and Man of the Year Award from Organization of Chinese Americans, Chicago. Everyone who has the privilege of working with him is impressed with his unyielding optimism and wonderful sense of humor.

Professor Liu was born in China and came to the U.S. at age 17 under a plan to save the future generation of Chinese from being exterminated by the Communist Party. His plan to serve his country as an Ambassa-dor was crushed when the Commu-nist Party won the civil war in 1947. Overnight, he lost contact with his parents, became penurious, and had no one to turn to but his older sister who also came to the U.S. to study. He worked on many jobs to pay his way through school, including har-vesting crops from place to place, cleaning the equipment at Green Giant peas canning factory, serv-ing as doorman at resort hotels, and working as a waiter. Even when he was already an Assistant Professor, Professor Liu continued to work as a waiter in order to pay for a modest life insurance to protect his fam-ily. It was only when he became an Associate Professor at the Univer-sity of Notre Dame that he stopped working as a waiter and started building academic programs. From there on, he continually nurtured a cadre of students on how to do research on Asian Americans. A firm believer of democracy, free-dom, liberty and equality for all, he volunteered to work as Captain of a Voting Precinct during his retire-ment years. Even when he became disabled, he delivered lunch to his wife who was working as Captain of a Precinct in 2004. Besides his wife Elena, his survivors include Edwin, who is a physician, and two daughters who are lawyers, Adeline and Beatrice. In lieu of flowers, the family is establishing a scholarship fund at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana in his honor. For more information, contact Elena at (858) 405-5175.


Light &Shadows

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

by Zena Sultana Babao

Love for country can be expressed in many forms. The highest expression of that love is to serve, honor and defend the country we love, to fight for it, and if need be, to die for it.

This coming Tuesday, Novem-ber 11, 2008, America will honor the 25.4-million military veter-ans who have served our coun-try. These courageous men and women have devoted their lives to the cause of freedom, and millions have given the greatest sacrifice of all – their lives.

In remembrance and gratitude, our nation salutes them this com-ing Veterans Day. As usual, the focal point for the official and national ceremonies will be at the Memorial Amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Un-known Soldiers at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

At 11:00 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard repre-senting all military services will execute “Present Arms” at the tomb. Our president, George W. Bush, will lay the presidential wreath to symbolize the na-tion’s tribute to our war dead, after which the bugler will play “taps.”

The President’s Veterans Day National Committee will coordi-nate the ceremonies at Arlington and elsewhere. The commit-tee represents national veterans organizations and will be chaired by the Secretary of Veterans Af-fairs.

Governors of many states and U.S. territories have appointed Veterans chairpersons who, in cooperation with the National Committee, will arrange and promote local ceremonies.

Veterans Day: Honoring All Who Served

The Origin of Veterans Day

In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal point of refer-ence for America’s veterans.

Similar ceremonies oc-curred earlier in England and France, where an unknown sol-dier was buried in each nation’s highest place of honor: Westmin-ster Abbey in England and Arc de Triomphe in France. These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving univer-sal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I at 11:00 a.m., November 11, 1918 – the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The day became known as Armistice Day.

Armistice Day of-ficially received its name in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar congressional action. But only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Eu-rope. Almost 17 million Ameri-cans took part. Four hundred seven thousand of them died, more than 292,000 in battle. The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized “National Veterans Day” which included a parade and other festivities to honor all veter-ans. Later, U.S. Representative Edward Rees proposed a bill that

would change Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

In 1954, Congress passed the bill that President Eisenhow-er signed proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day. Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan in November 1982. And thus started the annual event celebrated nationwide.

On Memorial Day 1958, an unidentified American soldier who died in World War II and another who died in the Korean War were brought home from overseas and interred beside the unknown soldier of World War I. In 1984, an unknown service-man from the Vietnam War was placed alongside the others.

To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps vigil night and day.

“In Flanders Fields” and “America’s Reply”

My favorite poem about sol-diers who laid their life for their country is entitled “In Flanders Fields” by Col. John McCrae, MD. “In Flanders Fields” re-mains to this day one of the most memorable war poems ever writ-ten. It is a lasting legacy of that terrible battle in 1915 in a region of Western Belgium and North-ern France. The poem expressed McCrae’s grief over the “row on row” graves of soldiers who had died that day:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly.

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.Take up our quarrel with the

foe:To you from failing hands we

throw The torch; be yours to hold it



GOTCHA By Jarius BondocPhilstar, October 27, 2008

Awaiting Jocjoc Bolante’s de-portation to Manila, siblings claim he’s innocent of the P728-million fertilizer scam. They may fool them-selves all they want, but Jocjoc’s flight to America shows guilt. History has a way of settling scores. Only by having brother Jocjoc tell the truth can they hope to revive the family honor.

Eliseo dela Paz’s refusal to face Senate probers of his mysterious P6.9-million Moscow baon also exhibits guilt. Here is another comptroller who, like Gen. Carlos Garcia, is about to stain the family name with unexplained, therefore dishonest, wealth. Is it worth it, more so if he’s just taking the rap for a superior?

Bolante and dela Paz’s cases are akin in an odd way. On one hand admin Sen. Miriam Santiago is raring to arrest dela Paz to make him explain his misappropriation of public money. On the other, another admin Sen. Ed Angara is reluctant to arrest Bolante who has yet to explain his 2004 plunder of farm subsidies. The difference is that one’s confession can hurt the Presi-dent, while the other won’t affect her at all except in leadership by bad example. Which is why the Philip-pines is being compared to Uganda: there the dictator was Idi Amin, here the chief’s motto is Dia Amin.

* * *

The Philippine Nurses Associa-tion held a national confab last week during one of the worst times for the profession. Poor employment, poor earnings, and poor education plague them. And they’re getting no help.

RP has more than a quarter-million

Who wants to be nurse nowadays?

new nurses. Only a handful have work. Ever since a zoom in nursing school enrolment eight years ago, there has been no commensurate rise in job openings. Hospitals have decreased; so have doctors’ clin-ics, as medics retooled as nurses. The American dream that fed the

nursing boom suddenly soured. Upon graduation from a four-year B.S. Nursing course, jobseekers found the US Immigration window closed. In 2001-2003 nurses were so in demand that US employers paid to have visas issued to entire families. Today they’re still hot, but processing is in “retrogression”. The 50,000-a-year quota of work visas to Filipinos filled up so fast up to several years ahead that the US simply stopped accepting any more applications till the backlog eases. Then too, other lands aped the Philippine cash-in on the global nursing shortage. As aging popula-tions of Europe, the Middle East and Australia sought new nurses for care homes, other Asians elbowed out Filipinos with cut-rate offers. China and India may have suffered from US retrogression too, but it only meant joining Filipino nurses in the long unemployment queue.

Supply and demand kicked in. As nurses begged for jobs, hospitals found an income break. New nurses

are now being charged P3,000-P5,000 each to be taken in as ap-prentice in need of an all-important “certificate of work experience.” Ironically the jobless pay to be given jobs. All they get, though, are trainee diplomas that hardly qualify them for coveted postings abroad. State hospitals worsen the trouble, PNA head Dr. Leah Samaco-Paquiz laments. Six years since enact-ment of the Nursing Act, the pay of government nurses has yet to rise to the mandated P16,093 a month. Most still get less than P10,000, which makes one wonder when politicos will ever stop taking and start giving. Millions of Filipinos in the countryside are in dire need of basic care that nurses can give as front-line experts, Samaco-Paquiz points out. Officials would do well to “hire” nurses as “volunteers”, even for just transport and food stipends. That can ease the nursing unemployment and at the same time

the health-care gap. But the attention of congressmen, governors and mayors is elsewhere, on pork barrels.

The beast feeds on itself. Families scrimp to send the brainiest sibling to nursing school so the grad can lift up the rest. But colleges have sprouted of late not to train but to trade — charging steep tuitions for four long years to students who hardly learn a thing. And after graduation day they charge some more for review class for the licensure exam. Close to 40,000 nursing grads take

the board every June and December. Only 40 percent, or 16,000, pass. They add to the ranks of the unem-ployed, along with flunkouts.

* * *

Reader Romy Francisco of Ta-cloban City, believing in peer pres-sure to keep our public officials on the straight and narrow, suggests:

“Most politicians are members of the Jaycees or Rotary. If they stick to the tenets, motto and scope of their organization, we can be progressive and graft-free. On the Presidency, most previous ones came from Congress and so were well versed in lawmaking, but not in good governance. I hope (Que-zon City Mayor) Sonny Belmonte considers running for President. Not just an ex-legislator, he is a seasoned (local) executive. He can duplicate for RP what he did in QC.


FAMILY JEWELS By Michelle Dayrit-Soliven

PhilStar

My late father taught me that it is important to be there for others not just during good times, but espe-cially in sad — because that is when they need you the most. My late Abuelita Caring had one peculiar habit. She made a daily ritual of reading the papers, going straight to her favorite section, the obituary. During those days there was no text messaging or Internet. Tirelessly, my grandmother would call her friends one by one on the telephone to inform them of the passing of this and that friend or relative. She then made it her priority to visit the bereaved family. In my youth, I found this habit rather strange, but today I don’t. It seems I have even inherited it.

For now I have a strange confes-sion to make. There are times when I have chosen to attend wakes and funerals over parties. To me, it just seems more meaningful since the pain of losing a loved one invites you into the heart of a family. The outpouring of love, comfort and sup-port from family and friends makes this sad occasion a beautiful one. I also love listening to eulogies because they convey the most endearing messages of love, hope, gratitude and goodness. In some cases, death somehow breaks barriers and brings family and friends closer to one another.

A peaceful death is just as pre-cious as a blessed life. I had this in mind while I was talking to Mrs. Isabel Cojuangco-Suntay who recently lost her mother, Josephine Murphy Cojuangco, at 98. Tita Isa-bel’s mother, a strong willed woman who was widowed at 42, was able to successfully raise six children.

“My eldest brother Danding said, ‘I may carry the name of my father (Eduardo Cojuangco Sr.) but all that I am, I owe to my mother’.”

Tita Isabel said her mother was a disciplinarian. “But she was also very loving.” Because of so much love she got from her mother, Tita Isabel gave back the same amount of love to her until her dying day. They were always together, for many moments of their lives, they were hardly apart from each other. Tita Isabel’s daughter Isa also grew up showered with that love. And on the last night of the wake, she couldn’t bear to leave her Lola alone in the chapel. This is understandable because Isa, her mother and grand-mother were inseparable — travel-ing together, living together, loving together.

I used to be uneasy during wakes because I didn’t quite know what to say to the bereaved. But 11 years ago, when my own parents passed away, I greatly appreciated those who came to support us. I learned then that no words were even neces-sary because the presence alone of those who condoled with us already said so much. I also received much comfort from those who came and made me laugh or shared a story or a little anecdote or two about my parents and how they touched their lives.

Aside from paying your last respects, the death of someone also gives you the chance to express your gratitude. So, when I heard about the passing of Francisco “Pak-ing” Rabat, 74, former governor of Davao Oriental and well loved former mayor of Mati, Davao, a basketball star of the Ateneo de Ma-nila University and a member of the Philippine team who brought home a bronze medal during the Brazil Olympics in 1954, I came to con-dole with his widow Edith Nakpil-Rabat, a former beauty queen. Tita Edith was there when we lost our parents. I gave her back the comfort she clothed us with during our loss. In my own little way, I was there to give her family a piece of strength to ease their pain.

One of the biggest fears of every child is losing his or her parents. Sadly though, death is one reality of life that we must all inevitably face. I don’t mean to sound like a prophet of doom. I just want to assure you that when this happens, as it did to me, God will provide you the grace to get through the pain.

This is the same grace that my good friend Sarina Fores received

In good times and in sad

when her father Fernando Geronimo Fores, 73, passed away recently. Two years ago, Sarina lost her mom, Tita Noemi, making her and only sister Acie total orphans.

During the wake, Sarina told me about a beautiful dream of Paloma, her seven-year-old niece.

Paloma said her Lolo and Lola appeared to her in her dream telling her to relay the message to her mom Acie not to worry because they were very happy in heaven. Paloma said her grandparents had wings as they joyfully toured her around heaven. They even bought her a skateboard. Paloma told them she had to be back by 6 p.m. or else her mom Acie would freak out. In this dream, Paloma described heaven as a peaceful place full of snow and everything was white.

This dream brought comfort and assurance to Sarina and her family that their parents are now happy together, in their beautiful home in heaven where one day, they would all be reunited.

We are all created in this life for a purpose. God provides us certain talents and abili-ties as well as resources to fulfi ll all that he wants us to do.

And for the father of my batchmate and friend Lizette

Banzon-Cojuangco, what the Creator wanted Conrado Pizarro Banzon, 85, to fulfi ll on earth was to become a devoted husband, father, son, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, whose dynamic presence was a source of strength and stability for the lives of people he touched.

“He loved his vocation as a doc-tor, that’s why we call him ‘Papa Doc.’ He loved being a leader and a peacemaker in the medical fi eld. He had always put his God and family at the center of his life,” said son Marcel Banzon, who is also a doctor.

Marcel added: “Dad told us, ‘Alagaan ninyong mabuti ang nanay ninyo (Please take very good care of your mother).’ Dad, until the end, expressed his infi nite love and fi del-ity to his wife. He is the epitome of love.”

In parting, he shared some valu-able lessons learned from his father, which included: “Don’t take your parents for granted;” “Love them al-ways;” “Serve them well;” and “Say you love them as often as you can.”

Beyond our sadness, death allows us to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of life. Death ends a life on earth but not our relationships because the memories left behind by our loved ones remain alive in our hearts forever. God gives us the grace of remembering. And as we continue to remember our loved ones, we continue to celebrate their lives.

never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can’t solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, espe-cially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this na-tion, the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, cal-loused hand by calloused hand.

Task at Hand

According to Yahoo Finance Tech Ticker’s Henry Blogdet, President Elect Obama’s fi rst step should be to reset expecta-tions. Writing on the day after the elections, Blodget is suggest-ing that it will get worse before

it gets better. Therefore, the new president should set the expecta-tions low.

Here are the challenges facing the nation:

* The defi cit will be more than $1 trillion a year for several years

* The country needs a massive new fi scal stimulus

* The housing market will continue to decline through at least 2010

* Interest rates and taxes will eventually have to rise (after the economy stabilizes)

* Weak corporations have to be allowed to fail

* Millions of homeowners will lose their house

* Unemployment will probably rise to 10%

* The government simply can-not “bail the country out” -- not because it lacks the will, but because it lacks the power

Stay Engaged

The challenges facing the new president and his administration are daunting. It is in our best

A new day for politics


interest to stay engaged in the political process so that we can have a hand in the policies and a voice in the issues that will shape the nation in the days to come.

Among the issues not men-tioned above are deeper univer-sal constants rooted in justice and love that transcend all of the above. One of these, respect for life, would need your voice as well as mine.

It forms the core of the pro-life conscience -- a stance not to be

summed up a matter of numbers, but of wholesome respect for God’s authority according to writer Alan Keyes.

Although not all share the same beliefs, we have reason to hope and push on. As Arianna Huff-ington of the Huffi ngton Post wisely framed it, “Even if your candidate did not win tonight, you have a reason to celebrate; we all do. Voters wanted to step into the future -- as if a country exhausted by the last seven-plus

years wanted to recapture its youth.”

The president-elect is reach-ing out to the sizable forty-seven percent of America with these words, “And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.”

Lets’ fi nd our place in the struggle ahead as President-elect Obama himself stated as America sets out on a new course. - AJ


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IMMIGRATION (619) 819-8648Speak directly with an Attorney for FREE

The Law Offi ces of SUSAN V. PEREZ offer the following services:

We also handle ALL PHILIPPINE cases and have an offi ce in Manila to service your needs there.

*Susan Perez is a licensed attorney both in the State of California and the Philippines. She has eighteen (18) years of combined experience in both jurisdictions in the areas of Immigration, Family, Appellate, Juvenile Dependency, Civil, Criminal, Labor, Contracts, Tax, and Business Law. She is also admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit of the Court of Appeals, and the District Courts of Southern California and Central District of California. She is a Certifi ed Public Accountant and pursuing Master’s of Law at the University of San Diego.

Nagsasalita ng Tagalog asin Bicol.

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San Diego Office: Manila Office:2220 India St., Suite 3 Suite 2502-A East TowerSan Diego CA 92101 Philippine Stock Exchange CentreTel. No. (619) 819-8648 Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig CityFax No. (619) 923-9555 Tel. Nos.: (632) 687-2565 / 687-9851 Email: [email protected] Fax No.: (632) 687-2565

Atty. Susan V. Perez

635 Broadway St. Chula Vista, CA 91910(619) 585-0886

Vietnamese Cuisine at its best!!!

Grand Opening!!!

Appetizer: Spring Rolls / • Egg RollsMenu: Rice Noodle with • Rare Steak, Brisket, Tendon, Tripe, etc.. Rice Noodle with Shrimp • / Seafood / Chicken Breast / Meatball / Fillet FishFried Rice: Shrimp / Pork • / SeafoodStir Fried: Seafood / Beef • / Pork / VeggiesVermicelli with Charbroiled Chicken / Pork / • Beef / Shrimp

PHIL-AM PARALEGAL SERVICENotarizing & Assisting

Notary Public Power of Attorney Transfer of Real Ownership Will-Living Trust Assist Preparing immigration Paper Work requirements For: Affidavit of support Under Section 213A Petition of Relative or Fiance Natuiralization Adjustment of Status to Premanent Residence

With Contractual Attorney in: Divorce Auto Accidental Injury

EFREN J. TULAOLicensed Paralegal

Individual Income Tax PreparationReal Estate Sales/Mortgage Loan Services

Business Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00-4:30 Saturday 10:00-2:30Call Office or leave a message for an appointment Bus. (619) 420-5868 (619) 420-5823

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240 Woodlawn Avenue, Suite 3 Chula Vista, CA 91910

LOS ANGELES—California At-torney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the arrests of three members of a fraud ring who preyed on desperate Southern California homeowners by falsely promising to renegotiate their home loans, but in-stead “ripped them off for thousands of dollars” while their homes fell into foreclosure.

“It’s appalling how these scam-mers took advantage of desperate homeowners and ripped them off for thousands of dollars,” Attorney General Brown said. “Our campaign against mortgage scams masquerad-ing as foreclosure assistance will continue and even intensify.”

California Department of Justice Special Agents of the Bureau of In-vestigation and Intelligence arrested Rosa Conrado of San Bernardino, Saul Amador of West Covina, and Je-sus Flores of Baldwin Park, believed to be members of the fraud ring. Law enforcement offi cers have issued ar-rest warrants for Juan Perez of Grand Terrace, and David Giron of Ontario, who are also suspected to be involved in the scheme. The Attorney Gener-al’s Offi ce fi led a 39-count complaint that includes multiple grand theft, money laundering and conspiracy charges against these suspects.

The arrests came after an investiga-tion into First Gov, also operating as Foreclosure Prevention Services, uncovered that the company was soliciting hundreds of homeown-ers with mail fl yers offering to help them stop the foreclosure process on their homes. The scammers falsely told homeowners that they would renegotiate their mortgages, reduce monthly payments, and transfer any delinquent loan amounts to the renegotiated principle. The company demanded an up-front fee, ranging from $1,500 to $5,000, to participate in the loan-modifi cation program. The company also told the victims to stop any mortgage payments or communications with their lender, claiming they would interfere with the company’s effort to negotiate the loan modifi cation.

Typically, the scam initiated with a fl yer sent to the homeowner. For ex-ample, Eleuteria and Arthur Washing-ton of Redlands responded to a fl yer she had received that falsely claimed to offer a way to renegotiate their

Attorney General Brown Breaks Up Foreclosure Scam Ring

home loan. On May 16, 2007, a rep-resentative of First Gov came to their residence. The Washingtons were asked for two cashier’s checks each for $2,023.58 (totaling $4,046.56), which equaled two times the com-bined total of the monthly payment on their fi rst and second mortgage.

Although the checks were depos-ited that same day into the designated Bank of America account, Mrs. Washington continued to receive letters from her lenders that the house would be auctioned. Mrs. Washington’s numerous calls to First Gov went unanswered. Finally, she received a call from First Gov that her lenders had agreed to the loan modifi cation.

Today’s arrests are part of the California Attorney General’s ongo-ing crackdown on predatory lend-ing and mortgage-fraud schemes in the state. In March, the Attorney General’s Offi ce arrested Eric Pony and other members of Lifetime Financial Corporation for leading a similar mortgage-renegotiating scam that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from California homeowners. Pony led the company in a predatory bait-and-switch loan-modifi cation scam that targeted elderly and non-English speaking homeowners. The case is still pending in Los Angeles Superior Court.

For homeowners who are behind in their mortgage payments or their home is already in foreclosure, services are available at little or no cost to help them save their home. For information about these services, consumers can visit www.yourhome.ca.gov or contact HOPE - Center for Foreclosure Solutions, a community-based organization that is available to assist them with foreclosure-related issues, at (888) 995- HOPE or online at www.995hope.org . Homeowners considering paying for foreclosure-assistance services, such as loan modifi cation, should beware of anyone who tells them not to contact their lender or charges an upfront fee. It’s unlawful for companies that promise to help consumers in fore-closure to collect any money from them before they’ve done what was promised. Also, consumers should remember that they may not trans-fer title on their property to avoid foreclosure without the consent of their lender.

Vista City Council while Todd Glo-ria, a part Filipino, won a seat in the San Diego City Council.

Partly because of this disappointing result, a group of Filipinos is inviting Filipino Americans to a brainstorm-ing session to assess the matter.

The group has issued a press re-lease, as follows:

FILIPINO-AMERICAN VOTERS COALITION: A Call to Action

Why have there been no victories for Filipino Americans at San Diego County in the recent election?

In these post-election days you may feel disappointed, frustrated, hopeless, powerless, and even tri-umphant. After you have lived with those feelings, what comes next?

The fact remains there is work to be done; and working together in a coalition makes our voice stronger. There is an urgent need for a Fil-Am Voters Coalition (FAVC), a non-par-tisan partnership that will be drawn from individuals and organizations - to provide a voice for everyone, regardless of political persuasions and personal beliefs.

The strength of this planned coali-

(Continued from page 1) tion can be found in its unifi ed voice around fi ve areas of work: encourag-ing voter registration, educating vot-ers, getting out the vote, monitoring the polls, and advocating for voter rights.

This effort is an unprecedented move to blur the party lines and set the groundwork for immediate formation and mobilization of a coalition group that works to educate Filipino Americans voters and so-lidify the community countywide as a major voting bloc.

As one 2008 defeated candidate said: ‘Let’s not point fi ngers or play the blame game, but pick up the pieces instead and move on. It’s time to move forward.’

Join us in a brainstorming session to create a community-based voters coalition at Kalusugan Community Center, 1419 E. 8th Street, National City, on November 12, 2008, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Let us address and decide together issues relevant to political empowerment.

For further information, call Dr. Riz A. Oades, 619-477-3392 or 619-917-0728, Mitz Lee, 858-965-8064, Dr. Aurora Cudal, 619-399-9982, and Myrna Reyes, , 619-885-3081.

By J’Son, Asian Journal | Na-tional City, 11/5/08 - Residents of National City and neighboring cities are invited to join Para-dise Valley International Medi-cal Mission in its community health outreach event dubbed as “Health Fair 2008.” The clinic will be held at the conference room and patio of Paradise Val-ley Hospital, located at 2400 4th. St. in National City, CA 91950, Sunday, November 23, 2008 from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM.

Paradise Valley International Medical Mission is reaching and building a healthier community together with its generous spon-sors: Paradise Valley Hospital, Pfi zer, Paradise Valley Hospital Foundation and Valmar Graphics

Health Fair 2008& Printing, Inc.

Health Fair 2008 will provide free medical screening on the following: Eye screening, Foot Exam, Bone Density, Choles-terol, Diabetic Exam, Hearing Screening, Blood Sugar, Glau-coma, Hypertension Blood Pres-sure and Body Fat Screening.

Come one, come all! This Health Faire is absolutely free admission to all the participants. Refreshments are free.

For more details, call Cmdr. Ray Ricario, President, Paradise Valley International Medical Mission, tel. no. (619) 807-2883, Joe Marasigan, tel. no. (619) 474-7531, and Joe Nicolas, (619) 274-1208.

Filipino American candidates lose in last election; Voter coalition to be formed


Spiritual Life

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

by Msgr. Fernando G. Gutierrez

Lower Your Nets

ADVERTISE IN THE ASIAN JOURNAL CALL (619) 474-0588

Joke of the week: In fron-tier days, the little church in an Arkansas town burned to the ground. The owner of the town saloon generously offered his place for Sunday services. Shortly before the service was to begin the preacher started to cover the bar and bottles with sheets. The saloon keeper’s par-rot noticed and let out a squawk, “What’s that? A new bar-ten-der?” When the women of the choir came tripping in, the parrot let out another squawk, “Hey! A new floor show.” But when the parishioners began to file in for the service, the parrot gave another squawk, “Aw, heck! The same old customers.”

Scripture: First Reading: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12. The prophet Ezekiel saw in his vision a small stream flowing from the Temple. At first instance, the stream looked insignificant, but as it continues flowing through the land, it becomes deeper and brings abundance of life in the fish and fruit of all kinds. This was no ordinary stream; it was the river of God’s delight that promises healing wherever it flows. The prophet who lived during the difficult times of the Israelites saw this river as a sign that where God is present with his people there is grace and wonders. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17. St. Paul speaks of the body of Christ, the Church, the commu-nity of believers, as the Temple wherein the Spirit dwells. Gos-pel: John 2:13-22. The cleans-ing of the Temple became the occasion for Jesus’ message that he would soon raise up the new Temple that was promised by the

The Person: God’s Buildingprophets. Since God dwells in the Temple and in Jesus, Jesus rightly refers to himself as the new Temple, the Emmanuel, the God-with-us.

Reflections: Solomon built the First Temple in 966 B.C., but it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. After the Exile the Second Temple was constructed and dedicated in 516 B.C. After years of wear and tear, it was renovated by Herod the Great who ruled from 37-34 B.C. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.: all that remains today is part of the fa-mous Western (“Wailing”) Wall. This temple is the site of today’s Gospel where Jesus taught about the New Temple, himself.

Today commemorates the Dedication of the Lateran Ba-silica that is the cathedral church of Rome and the pope’s church. Emperor Constantine built it in 313 on property that belonged to the Laterani family. The church was dedicated by Pope Sylves-ter 1 on November 9, 342. It is called the Mother Church of Rome and of the World and dedi-cated to Christ the Divine Savior. This basilica used to be the residence of the popes from the 4th century until they moved out to Avignon in 1309. It was the first of the four big churches, the first among equals (“primus inter pares”) in Rome. A big chapel is attached to the cathedral and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. All the baptisms in Rome are celebrated there.

The prophet Ezekiel saw in his vision that all life comes from the water flowing out of the Temple. The Jerusalem Temple is the seat of Jewish religious authority, political power and

commercial transactions. The Jewish High Priest resided at the Temple. The Temple was the symbol of the Israelites as a nation and people. It was also the place where commercial dealings were conducted, tithes were col-lected, and animals for sacrifices were sold. It was a big surprise for the Jews to hear Jesus chal-lenging them to destroy that Temple and in three days he will build it up again.

Today’s feast represents the Catholic identity as the Body of Christ in union with the pope. Just as the Jerusalem Temple symbolizes the Jewish religious identity as God’s People, so the Lateran Basilica represents also the presence of God in Christ who is always with the commu-nity of believers. His presence, just like the life-giving water that flows out of the Jerusalem Temple in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, brings forth fruitfulness, healing and mira-cles. Today’s celebration reminds us that through the graced pres-ence of Christ in the community of believers, the Church, he is also present individually in each one of us. It is our grave respon-sibility to keep that presence untarnished and witness to it in the world. The Lateran Basilica is not just a symbol of Chris-tian identity in the world, but of Christ abiding presence among us and in each one of us.

Quotation of the week: “It is God who sanctified the Church; men in the Church are not, any more than men in the world, holy of themselves … they are them-selves the communio peccato-rum (sic community of sinners) totally in need of justification and sanctification.” Hans Kung.

Fr. Shay Cullen

The case of suspected child abus-er, British national, Richard Holden, now held in the Immigration Jail in Metro Manila denied the charges and claims he is being framed up by another jealous and vindictive Briton in Dumaguete City. The case is one that must be investigated with respect for the rights of the alleged victims and the accused. The evidence ought to be gathered. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecre-tary Celia C. Yangco has assured me that the DSWD officials are inves-tigating the allegations and looking for the alleged child victims. They are in discussion with the officials of the Bureau of Immigration.

The roots of child and women traf-ficking is found in proliferation of the nation wide sex bars and resorts,

Combating child prostitution and domestic sexual abuse

the impunity enjoyed by sex tour-ists that is damaging children and exploiting women and destroying the moral fiber of the country and its image worldwide. We need national and international pressure on the Philippine authorities to implement the anti-trafficking law and close the sex industry down.

Sex tourists going to South East Asia and other places develop a depraved appetite for sex with children and then return to their own countries and become abusers of their children in their own country. Officials are ignoring the problem. Sexual exploitation is spreading among the Filipino communities and the legal and moral prohibi-tions have broken down. Even local officials today act as negotiators between child abusers and parents to arrange a financial settlement when the child has been raped or abused.

The official earns a percentage of the payment. The child is left with-out help and the pedophile goes free to abuse other children.

Our Preda Home for Girls has 49 children in care and custody. They are helped to recover by providing a caring and supportive environment with protection. We also help them heal by encouraging them to cry out through emotional expression therapy. The deeply buried emo-tional pain and suffering they hide inside is opened and brought out. The emotional pain is eased and the anger is removed and psychological healing can begin.

Many children have recovered and are reintegrated to their families when it is safe for them. Some have succeeded in past years and finished college and today are Preda social workers and psychologists help-ing the new child victims at Preda children’s home.

The Preda legal officers are filing criminal charges against the abusers but due to weak prosecution, few

“I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether

my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another

matter.”- Sir Winston Churchill

(1874-1965



LifestyleRead J’Son’s previous articles by visiting our website at www.

asianjournalusa.com

by J’Son

BalintatawRead Virginia Ferrer’s previous articles by visiting our website

at www.asianjournalusa.com

by Virginia H. Ferrer

Bumalik ka Ulan Naririnig ko na tilamsik ng iyong mga patak malamig at matamis na halik ang iyong katumbas sa lupa man o halaman, sa bukid na bitak-bitak masaya kami’t bumalik ka na, maraming salamat.

Nalilibang ako habang ikaw ay pinagmamasdan at sa itaas tinatanaw ko ang ‘yong pinagmulan maraming bagay kang nais sa amin ay ipaalam na mahal mo kaming tunay lahat nitong sanlibutan.

At sa maraming suliranin pag-asa ang hatid mo walang kang itinatangi kapatid man o katoto dadalaw ka sanang palagi huwag kang magtatampo dahil marami kaming laging naghihintay sa iyo.

“The world has yet to see what God will do with a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to the Holy Spirit.” God also said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy and for those who give will be rewarded ten-fold.”

National City, 11/5/08 - Para-dise Valley International Medical Mission is a non-profit organiza-tion that promotes the well-being of the poor in underdeveloped communities through a con-tinuous and comprehensive field of services provided during a medical mission trip. A medical mission trip contributes to target mission site communities by

An overview of a medical mission

improving health, wellness and medical relief of the people.

On every trip medical mission team provides diagnosis and treatments, establish or create a partnership with local medical relief agencies, conduct medical and mass community wellness training, and foster principles of medical relief prevention. Aside from a medical staff of profes-sional volunteers, non-medical volunteer’s participation is also essential to support its medical staff for the intended duration of the medical mission.

Kudos to the two most active non-medical volunteers, I know, from Paradise Valley Interna-tional Medical Mission: Joe

Nicolas, of Mc Buddies; a Navy retired Chief Legalman, doing all the legworks and statistics; Joe Marasigan, proprietor of Valmar Graphics and Printing, Inc., also a retired Chief of the Navy for database and logistics; and all the other medical professional and non-medical volunteers, who are repeatedly doing a good Samaritan job to payback their blessings to our Motherland.

These volunteers above men-tioned are now doing their best to put together an early fund-raiser on November 23, 2008 for their forthcoming medical mission on September 2009 in yet undisclosed communities in Cavite, Philippines. These medi-cal missionaries devote their time and efforts, professional expertise and even use their own financial resources to make ev-ery medical mission worthy and meaningful even at this time of global economic slowdown.

For the record, Paradise Valley International Medical Mission has already completed two suc-cessful missions in the Philip-pines, The first medical mission was in Pili, Camarines Sur and Calamba Laguna in 2006. This was followed in 2007, by two more successful trips -- in the Visayan islands of Cebu, Bohol and Negros in February, and to Santo Domingo, Albay in November. In 2008, proposed

medical missions were cancelled due to the demise of Dr. Eduardo Manaig, one of the forerunners of this team.

A medical mission only offers a short term medical relief in areas where health care is lim-ited or difficult to obtain. This provides access to medical care in underserved and vulnerable communities in the remote areas of the Philippines. The goal is primarily to improve health care, medical relief and quality of life of our needy kababayans.

There are also other medical mission teams in San Diego County and a considerable num-ber of medical mission teams around the world that provide long term health care services. The services may even provide Build Operate Transfer (BOT) turnover of a health care facility to its target community that can afford to maintain a long term operation on its own.

Paradise Valley International Medical Mission invites the Filipino community to attend Health Faire 2008 on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at the conference room and patio of Paradise Valley Hospital 2400 4th St., National City, CA 91950 from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Free medical screening is provided for bone density, cholesterol, diabetic eye exam, blood sugar, glaucoma, high blood pres-

sure, foot exam, eye screening, hearing screening and body fat screening. This is free admission and refreshments to all partici-pants.

For more information, please call Navy Commander Ray

Ricario, tel. # (619) 807-2883, President, Paradise Valley International Medical Mission, Joe Marasigan, tel. # (619) 474-7531, Joe Nicolas, tel. # (619) 274-1208 or e-mail [email protected].


EntertainmentMovies to Watch

(Following are movies now showing or soon to be shown in San Diego.)

by Simeon G. Silverio Jr.

Licensed since 1979 by the State Banking

Department of California

BONDED FOR YOUR PROTECTION

Philstar

Ang OA pero nag-swear ang source na ang halaga nang ilan sa maraming chair sa bahay ng super milyonaryong TV host ay nagkakahalaga ng isang milyon ang isa.

Super impressed nga raw ang asawa ng isang pulitiko nang makita niya ang bahay ng mi-lyonaryong host dahil sa halaga ng mga kagamitan sa nasabing bahay na karamihan ay galing pa sa Europe.

Sabi tuloy ng source, “May umupo pa kaya dun sa sobrang mahal?”

O siguro pag may nakapasok dun at nalaman ang presyo, malamang hindi na tumayo hangga’t hindi bitbit ang nasa-bing chair. Malaking halaga nga naman ang isang milyon at mga anim na bahay yun sa mahihirap na pamilya.

* * *

Naku may dapat daw ipaliwa-nag ang isang pulitiko sa rami ng kayamanan ngayon. Ayon sa isa pang source, nagiging mabilis ang pagbulusok ng kayamanan nito.

May pagka-showbiz kasi ang pulitikong ito kaya napag-uusa-pan sa mga showbiz functions ang tungkol sa mga naa-acquire niyang yaman sa kasalukuyan.

Wa na lang munang clue. Saka na.

Instead of a pompous birthday party that is prevalent among celeb-rities, Jolina Magdangal chose to celebrate hers by spending time with kids who are beneficiaries of GMA Kapuso Foundation in which she is a partner.

These kids have just recovered from opera-tion of their cleft palate, heart and hernia. Jo-lina treated them to a day of fun and play at the Star City theme park. They enjoyed the Snow World where the kids expe-rienced its winter-like

Jolina celebrates birthday with less

fortunate kidsambience, the Dino Island which is a museum of huge animated di-nosaurs and the carousel. She sang and played with them, gave them food and gifts.

A true blue role model, Jolina never ceases to provide physical and financial assistance to the less

fortunate, especially the young and the elderly. She also established the Jolina’s Home For Little Angels un-der an orphanage in Cebu through the help of her fans club and the University of Southern Philippines. She is also a volunteer and was twice appointed as spokesperson for the Make A Wish Foundation and The Childrens’ Hour.

These undertakings were noticed by the Catholic Mass Media Awards

(CMMA). The CMMA bestowed on her the Serviam Award “for consistently making herself a model of responsible behaviour and her active participation in humanitar-ian endeavors benefiting the youth, the needy and the hopeless”. “The CMMA elevates her as a Paragon Of A Socially Conscious Performing Artist”. She is the first individual entertainment personality to receive such award.

Sa sobrang yaman ng TV host, Upuan pa lang sa bahay P1

million na ang halaga

* * *

Mismong si Claudine Barretto ang nagti-text sa ginanap na dedication at first birthday party ng anak nila ni Raymart na si Santino na ginanap kahapon sa Blue Leaf sa The Fort.

Sayang lang at ‘di kami naka-attend pero ang sipag ni Clau-dine mag-remind para sa nasa-bing party.

Napanood ko lang sa The Buzz ang coverage at ang bongga talaga.

Say ni Claudine, wala siyang mahihiling pa ngayon sa buhay niya dahil sa dalawang anak, kay Raymart at sa magandang takbo ng career niya.

Claudine Barretto

(and for some, Palin-mania). But, underlying the enthusiasm

of these young participants was a sense of urgency. Many people felt saddled with insurmountable debt, carbon footprints, global warming, and wars abroad. We came of age in a prosperous country, but in adulthood would we just watch it decline? Would the path of our lives mirror a quick rise and prolonged fall? If the future really belonged to us,


it was time that we weighed in.The day after the election, I felt

a sense of hope for the coun-try that I could only compare to those days in high school. I exchanged messages of joy and congratulations from friends at home and abroad. But the truth is, I’m ready to return to reality. There are too many problems to dwell on a single victory. Poli-tics must be viewed through a critical lens, no matter who is in the lead.

Still, for those days when I’m not happy with the way things are going, I have a reminder of my best Election Day stick-ing in my wallet. Just one look and it reminds me of hope for the future. It gives me sense of pride and could give a number of reasons why. - AJ

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mum-bai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Ja-mal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of

his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show’s questions. Intrigued by Jamal’s story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out...

Cast and CreditsStarring:Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal, Freida PintoDirected by:Danny Boyle, Loveleen TandanProduced by:Paul Smith (XVI), Tessa Ross, Francois IvernelIn Theatres: November 21stCheck out the trailer at: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillion-

aire/

What Barack Obama’s vic-

tory means to my generation


Health


CONSUMERLINE By Ching M. Alano

Perhaps nothing is fraught with more misconceptions than food (a topic that’s close to our hearts and certainly, our stomachs). And we have been fed with these myths for ages. For instance, as far back as 1840, an American dietitian named Sylvester Graham had a mouthful to share on food prejudices and taboos, according to Arnold Bender in his book Health or Hoax, to wit:

• Food should not be consumed when hot.

• Water should not be consumed with meals.

• Tea causes delirium.• Condiments and sexual excess

cause insanity.• Chicken pie and lewdness cause

cholera.• Meat consumption causes sin.We asked Dr. Angel Respicio Jr.

to answer some oft-asked questions on food, to separate fat, er, fact from fiction. Here’s Part 1 of our one-on-one Q&A session with Hawaii-based Filipino nutritionist Dr. Jun Respicio:

PHILIPPINE STAR: Is it true that an apple a day keeps the doctor away?

DR. JUN RESPICIO: Fruit specialist JT Stinson coined that phrase in an address to the St. Louis Exposition in 1904 based on Benja-min Franklin’s earlier version 250 years ago. There are nearly 10,000 varieties of apples grown around the world. For every variety analyzed, apple skin offered 2/3 of the fiber and antioxidant (polyphenols) punch over apple flesh. Not to be over-looked are the vitamins and miner-als. Sally Fallon, author of Nourish-ing Traditions, adds, “Apples are rich in boron which helps prevent osteoporosis, and they have a low glycemic index and therefore can be

More Food myths and facts: Health or hoax?

safely eaten by diabetics.”Shall we take a bite then? But first

you have to realize that the apples in Franklin’s day weren’t treated with toxic or persistent pesticides.

Concerned with wax on your apple? The producers of the famous Red Delicious Washington Apples say the natural wax added to protect their apples is usually carnauba or shellac. Today, apples are on the list of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables, as published by the Environmental Working Group, based on analysis of over 100,000 government reports. Fallon elaborates, “Apples are rich in a type of fiber called pectin. Studies of rats on diets high in raw pectin show patho-logical changes to the villi of the small intestine leading to digestive problems.”

Remember what happened to Sleeping Beauty when she ate a contaminated apple? Therefore, an organic apple a day (the way they used to be grown) is a great way to keep the doctor away, according to Dr. Greene.

Is it true that carrots help us see in the dark?

According to the snopes.com web-site, this was folklore and not based on science. During World War II, British intelligence didn’t want Ger-mans to find out about their superior technology, the airborne reception radar that helped them pinpoint some enemy bombers before they

reached the English Channel. So they ascribed Lieutenant John Cun-ningham’s cunning ability to shot his prey in the dark, to his love of carrots. The British press helped spread the word. The studies which have posited this link used doses of vitamin A or beta-carotene which were higher than what is found in the standard diet. If a carrot a day won’t brighten the night, what would?

Night vision is dependent on the integrity of the millions of special-ized photoreceptor cells called rods in the retina. This is where vitamin A comes in. According to Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary G. Enig, most of the foods that provide large amounts of vitamin A are butter, egg yolks, liver, cod liver oil, organ meats, and shellfish. Fruits and vegetables do not contain vitamin A. Unfortunately, the vast majority of popular books on nutrition insist

that humans can obtain vitamin A from fruits and vegetables. At least six units of beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A in carrots, are needed to convert it to a unit of vitamin A. This means you have to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits to obtain even the daily minimal requirements of vitamin A assuming optimal conversion. Diabetics and those with poor thyroid function cannot make the conversion. They must obtain their precious stores of vitamin A from its true source, those food the diet dictocrats want you to avoid! Shall we avoid carrots then? Carrots are rich sources of B vitamins, phosphorous, calcium, and all-important iodine. Many cultures have valued them too as an aphro-disiac.

Will spinach really make you strong?

Yes, especially if you are related to Popeye. Sally Fallon hails it as the queen of the dark green leafy vegetables, the least bitter, and most tender. It is exceptionally high in carotenoids, vitamin C, and gluta-thione. Yes, glutathione can prevent macular degeneration. Spinach is better eaten cooked, but don’t over-cook as 30-60 percent of glutathione is lost during cooking. Raw spinach has substances that block calcium as well as iodine absorption.

Is malunggay healthier than spinach?

You be the judge. Mark Fritz of the Los Angeles Times wrote: Malunggay (Moringa, Sajina) has triple the iron of spinach and more

impressive attributes than olive oil. It has quadruple the beta-carotene in carrots. The Hawaii Medical Service Association further adds: A cup of cooked malung-gay has 400 mg. calcium while a cup of milk has 350 mg. The leaves have significant quantities of vitamin C, iron, protein, potassium, magnesium, sele-nium, and zinc.

What about glu-tathione, are there any other anti-

oxidants aside from this popular product in the Philippines?

I noticed in the Philippines that glutathione is everywhere — from billboards to television, print media, and the court room. Glutathione is composed of the three amino acids (protein) cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. It acts as an antioxi-dant. Green leafy vegetables are rich sources. Other sources of gluta-thione are fresh fruits, fresh meats and low-heat dried whey. Filipinos who eat green leafy vegetables regularly have an edge over people with an unhealthy lifestyle, those who habitually ingest, inhale, or expose themselves to oxidants (free

radicals), thus causing oxidative stress. Dr. Stephen Byrnes describes it as a condition when the available supply of the body’s antioxidants is insufficient to handle and neutralize free radicals. The main sources of free radicals are processed or highly heated oils like refined vegetable oils, margarine, and shortening. They abound in most fast foods and snacks. Excessive sugar intake from any source can contribute to free radical damage. Free radicals are also released from detoxifica-tion of drugs (whether legal or illegal), artificial food colorings and flavorings, smog, preservatives in processed foods, alcohol, cigarette smoke, chlorinated drinking water, pesticides, radiation, cleaning fluids, heavy metals like cadmium and lead, benzene and naphthalene (moth balls). Even psychological and emotional stress can contribute to oxidative stress. It has also been observed in athletes after intensive

workouts.Aside from glutathione, the other

main antioxidants are vitamins A, E and C, beta-carotene, bioflavonoids, selenium, zinc, CoQ10, and phy-tochemicals from herbs and foods. We also have biochemical antioxi-dants which not only scavenge free radicals but also inhibit their forma-tion inside the body. These include lipoic acid, catalase, superoxide dismutase, melatonin, and choles-terol. You read it right, cholesterol is an antioxidant. That is probably the reason serum cholesterol levels rise as people age. With age comes more free radical activity and in response, the body produces more cholesterol to help contain and control the dam-age.

Do you have to take extra gluta-thione?

Only if you have an unhealthy



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lifestyle and if, for some reason, you cannot eat the many differ-ent sources of antioxidants. Any other reason to take it? Hmm, if you are not comfortable with your skin color, by all means take your glutathione, but be careful because

More Food myths and

facts: Health or hoax?

too much antioxidant is not good. Really? Why? The free radicals they target have useful functions, too, in the body under controlled condi-tions. They are used by the body to kill some cancer cells. White blood cells also use free radicals to attack and destroy bacteria, viruses, and virus-infected cells. The detoxifying actions of the liver also require free radicals. But still, they are ex-tremely unstable molecules that can damage cells if left uncontrolled.

Are brown eggs better than white eggs?

The Egg Nutrition Center ex-

plains, “The color difference is due to the specifi c breed of hen. Hens with white feathers and white earlobes will lay white eggs, whereas hens with red feathers and matching-colored earlobes give us brown eggs.” What makes an egg better than the other is the type of food eaten by the hen. Sally Fallon, in her book Nourishing Traditions, said, “Eggs from chicken fed fl ax or fi sh meal or, better yet, pas-ture fed so they can eat bugs and worms have nutritional qualities far superior to those battery-raised eggs. Properly produced eggs have vitamins A and D. They also have special long-chain fatty acid acids called EPA and DHA, which play a vital role in the development of the nervous system in the infant and the maintenance of mental acuity (think of memory) in adults. The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids exist in almost the ideal, one-is-to-one ratio. Eggs fed only grains have omega-6 content as high as 19 times greater than the all-important unsaturated omega-3.”

Should we be afraid of egg yolk?

Egg yolk is the most concentrated source of choline, a B vitamin found in lecithin that acts as a scrub to the arterial walls, keeping them patent and therefore allowing blood to fl ow freely. Lecithin from eggs also pre-vents bile from turning to gallstone. Chris Masterjohn cites the egg (particularly the yolk) which pro-vides consumers with — hold your breath now — EPA and DHA and other healthy fats, calcium, magne-

sium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, thiamine, ribofl avin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, vitamins A, D, E, and K, carotenes, and all the essential amino acids (complete protein) tryptophan, threonine, iso-leucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine and valine.

Still afraid of egg yolk? You should be, if you’re afraid of cho-lesterol. An egg yolk has 215 mg. cholesterol. The adult body makes 4,000 mg. per day to maintain a sharp brain and a healthy body. Dr. David Kritchevsky, the number

one and original proponent of the cholesterol scare, conceded in his article “History of Recommenda-tions to the Public about Dietary Fat,” The Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 128 No. 2 February 1998, pp. 449S-452 that, “The role of dietary cholesterol in cholesterolemia and atherosclerosis is unclear, the serum cholesterol levels of men with coronary heart disease bore no relation to their habitual intake of cholesterol. This is explained by the biosynthetic capacity of the liver.” How’s that? If you take in 800 mg., it will only make 3,200 mg. from its normal production of 4,000 mg.

per day. I have seen this work for my two skeptical siblings (and other patients in Hawaii). They were on cholesterol-lowering medications before. It sounded ridiculous when I told them to stop their medication and eat one to two eggs per day. After a few months, their levels now allow them to buy eggs instead! The cholesterol in egg yolk is the same cholesterol in breast milk. Who’s afraid of breast milk?

Now, that’s food for thought! Doc Jun dishes up more next week in Part 2 of this interview.


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7 NOV, FRIDAY07.NOV.08 - 09.NOV.08 SAN DIEGO’S HEAD-2-TOE WOMEN’S EXPO NOV 7-9, 2008. Southern California’s premiere women’s consumer show is at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Nov. 7-9, 2008. As kids are back in school and the holidays are on the horizon, women throughout the San Diego region can take a quick break from their hectic, overscheduled lives to relax with their girlfriends at the ultimate day out for women – the Head to Toe Women’s Expo! Set for Nov. 7, 8 and 9 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, more than 10,000 women are expected to relax and unwind at the three-day extravaganza.

8 NOV, SATURDAY08.NOV.08 ANNUAL MATER DEI GOLF TOURNAMENT. Nov. 8: The 4th Annual Mater Dei Golf Tournament takes place on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008 at the Eastlake Country Club (2375 Clubhouse Dr., Chula Vista, CA 91915). Registration begins at 6:30 AM. The $100 entry fee includes greens fees, golf cart, lunch, snack, and beverages. Four-person scramble. Trophies and prizes awarded. Proceeds benefi t Mater Dei’s Church Building Fund. To pre-register your team and for more information, contact Art Macario at (619) 370-5313 or e-mail him at [email protected]. Mater Dei Catholic Parish, 1571 Magdalena Ave., Chula Vista, CA 91913. Tel. (619) 656-3735. website: http://www.materdeicv.org08.NOV.08 8TH ANNUAL MAGKAISA FILIPINO-AMERICAN STU-DENT AND PARENT HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE. The 8th Annual Magkaisa Filipino-American Student and Parent High School Conference will be on Saturday, November 8, 2008 from 8:00am - 1pm at Sweetwater High School. The overall goal of the conference is to engage students and parents in dialogue to maximize their use of the American Educational system. This year’s theme will be “Celebrating Today’s Filipino American” and so presen-tations and workshops will deal with the image Filipinos project, parenting, generation gaps, culture, college entrance, Filipino-American history and the American educational system. One of the highlights of the conference will be the ceremony honoring the 200+ Filipino American seniors who have Grade Point Averages of 3.5 and above. All students, parents and communities of the Sweetwater Union High School District are invited to this free event. If you would like more information, please contact me at [email protected] Thank you, Arlene Ma Suy.08.NOV.08 MUSEUM OF MAKING MUSIC: MUSIC WELLNESS FAMILY ACTIVITY DAY WELLNESS MORNING EXPERIENTIAL MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM. Where: Museum of Making Music, Carls-bad, 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, California 92008 United States. Telephone: (760) 438-5996 When: November 8, 2008 at 9:00 AM Angela Neve, from the Music Therapy center of California (MTCCA), hosts an experiential session for children, including special needs children, age 4-10 and their families in the Museum. Come and experience the power of music fi rst hand and explore various ways that music can make changes in the areas of sensorimotor (move-ment), cognition (attention, academics, social skills) and speech/language (oral motor, articulation etc). Parents and children are encouraged to attend this workshop as we play various instruments, songs and music experiences designed to introduce families to music therapy. This session is FREE, though a $5 suggested donation is greatly appreciated.

9 NOV, SUNDAY09.NOV.08 MUSEUM PRESENTS TREASURES OF JAPANESE FOLK ART, CRAFT AND DESIGN. SHIBUI — The Subtle Beauty of Japanese Craft, opening Sunday, November 9, 2008, at Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park presents metal, textile, wood and clay from the Museum’s renowned collection of Japanese folk art, craft and design.. In memory of Tatsuzo Shimaoka (1919-2007), the renowned potter and Japanese National Treasure, Mingei International will display some of this master craftsman’s classic ceramic works. Located at 1439 El Prado in Balboa Park, Mingei International Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am–4 pm, and closed on Mondays and national holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for students and active military with ID. For information, call 619-239-0003 or visit www.mingei.org.

11 NOV, TUESDAY11.NOV.08 22ND ANNUAL VETERANS DAY PARADE IN SAN DIEGO “ The parade will feature all branches of the military, veterans, civic groups and high school ROTC groups and bands. Wave your fl ag while celebrating those who have served their country at the annual Veterans Day Parade, which begins at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The parade route starts at. North Harbor Drive and Grape Street, cruising south down to Seaport Village. Expected to participate are high school bands, local dignitaries and representatives of all branches of the service. For more information, call (619) 239-2300 or visit http://www.sdvetparade.org/11.NOV.08 VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION AT CHULA VISTA MEMORIAL BOWL. Chula Vista American Legion Post 434, Fleet Reserve Association Branch 61 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2111 will sponsor a Veterans Day celebration 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007, at the Chula Vista Memorial Bowl, 385 Park Way. Lunch following at Post 434, 47 5th Ave. Chula Vista, CA 91910. Information: (619) 422-9309.

14 NOV, FRIDAY14.NOV.08 THE ASIAN SILK ROAD @ ST. PAUL’S DOWNTOWN. Three Superstars Featured in Asian Silk Road Concert: Min Xiao-Fen on the Chinese pipa (guitar), Masayo Ishigure on the Japanese koto, and Münir Becken on the Turkish oud. San Diego Chamber Orchestra – Jung-Ho Pak, Artistic Director and Conductor. The San Diego Chamber Orchestra, under the leadership of Artistic Director and Conductor Jung-Ho Pak, will present a rare concert event, Asian Silk Road, on November 14, 17 and 18, bringing together three superstars with their exotic instruments. Traditional classical music by the masters Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Ravel and Puccini will also be featured. Friday, November 14, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Downtown – 7:30 p.m. Tickets: 858-350-0290 or www.sdco.org. For more concert details, www.sdco.org.

BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE)

By Francis J. Kong Philstar

From the Albany Journal, 1890 comes this material. Let me share this with you.

A true Christian never looks down on anybody, and yet this habit of looking down on the less fortunate acquain-tances is common enough to make the

Do not look down on the boyfollowing advice, given by the Albany Journal to its young readers, very timely:

“Don’t look down on a boy because he wears shabby clothes; when Edison, the inventor fi rst entered Boston, he wore a pair of yellow breeches in the depth of winter.

“Don’t look down on a boy because his home is plain and unpretending; Abraham Lincoln’s early home was a log cabin.

“Don’t look down on a boy because of the ignorance of his parents; Shake-speare, the world’s poet, was the son of a man who was unable to write his own name.

“Don’t look down on a boy because he chooses a humble trade; the author of the ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ traveled from place to place mending pots and kettles.

“Don’t look down on a boy because of physical disability; Milton was blind.

“Don’t look down on a boy because of dullness in his lessons; Hogarth, the celebrated painter, was a very dull boy at his books.

“Don’t look down on a boy because he stutters; Demosthenes, the great orator of Greece, overcame a harsh and stammering voice.

“Don’t look down on anyone; not just because some day they may outstrip you in the race of life, but because it is neither kind, nor right, nor Christian.”

Many people today are products of their parent’s verbal abuses.

When they were kids the only thing they heard from their parents were:

• “Is that the best you can do?”• “You are hopeless.”• “Why can’t you be like your sister

who is an honor student every year?”• “Why are you so dumb?”• “I should have killed you when you

were still in my womb.”These are the constant messages they

hear in the home front and then the same children go to school and hear their teachers say:

• “You’ll never make it.”• “You lack talent.”

• “I gave you an “F” because your presentation is unimpressive.”

• “I have never given any of my students a grade higher than 80 in all of my 20 years of teaching…”

Do you still wonder why so many people today are struggling with their sense of self-esteem and self-worth?

So unlike God who said in His Word: “You are beautifully and wonderfully made.”

We are created unique and there is immense potential inside every one of us waiting to be tapped. God does not invent garbage but human beings do it to themselves.

This is why Jesus Christ gives us our intrinsic worth. We are worth so much to Him that He gave His life for us that we may fi nd eternal life in him.

So don’t look down on any boy or any girl.

Be encouraging. Be a builder and help build a generation of winners in our country who will refuse to buy the garbage that we are imprisoned by poverty as the politicians are fond of saying.

Encourage people.If you are a leader in your work place

produce winners out of your people.If you are a teacher produce champi-

ons out of your students.If you are a parent teach your chil-

dren build up your kids and produce winners out of them.

You and I should be in the construc-tion business. Building up lives and producing champions wherever we go.


clutching a handbag, to be true to Leonardo Da Vinci’s original painting that showed Judas Is-cariot holding a bag of money. Another child eats on the ground alongside a cat. A girl and a boy are astride on a huge drum while facing Jesus. Joey revealed that he looked for his models in places where street children often stay, like on the sidewalks, under the bridges and by the riverbanks. Each fig-ure is modeled after a real street child. He has since raised funds to help these street children get a better chance in life.

Joey offered a heart-rending testimony on how he got involved in Gawad Kalinga, touching the hearts of many in the audience. Unknown to the audience, however, is the fact that Joey suffers from recurring cancer, information shared to me by Ric Bunda, one of the officers of ANCOP, the affiliate organization of GK in the U.S.

Gawad Kalinga

I first came to know about Gawad Kalinga when Filipina American business and com-munity leader Carmelita “CL” Larrabaster Vinson hosted a reception for former Miss Phil-ippines and Miss International Aurora Pijuan who did a GK presentation at Vinson’s office. Many of those in attendance forked out $1,000 donations each, which covered the cost of building a house for one poor family. The price, I understand, has now risen to about $1,800 per house.

A few months later, Gawad Kalinga advocates Tony Meloto and Ric Bunda visited me at my office in the San Diego Asian Journal in National City. I must admit that Tony had disarmed me and my wife Genny with his passion and sincerity in laying out the case for Gawad Kalinga. I must agree with other people who would attest that Tony comes with an aura of a Divine messenger. He speaks like his



words somewhat come from God, as if he could cast a spell on the people he is talking to. I promised him that we will help spread the word about Gawad Kalinga by regularly publishing a section entitled “Gawad Kal-inga Update” in our newspaper featuring articles about the movement. We have since kept our promise, never missing a single issue since we were able to avail of GK articles to print from various sources.

Gawad Kalinga visit

Last August, during a Philip-pine trip, we got a chance to visit a Gawad Kalinga Village in Taguig City in Metro Manila. From our hotel in Makati, we took a short taxicab ride to a Chow King Restaurant in the area. We were met by a GK volunteer, an officer of a Traffic Brigade in Makati, who arrived on a motorbike. We rode in a tricycle as we followed him to the site. I almost regretted my decision to do so since my left foot was hanging dangerously from the side of the tricycle, as the reckless driver traversed the bumpy dirt road, my foot barely missing the sides of other vehicles several times. To my relief, we reached the GK site safely.

The multi-colored houses were exactly the same as those featured in GK website and col-or photos in the newspapers and brochures. We visited the site’s computer learning center where several computers were avail-able for use by the residents of the village. We talked to a lot of residents who shared with us their own personal stories. Inside one house, we realized why the steps of the stairs were inconveniently high. The house-owner used the space under the stairs as a storage room, thus the high steps became handy. This was the same practice in the old ancient houses in Japan which we saw and visited just a week ago at that time.

A group of residents tagged along with us from one village to another. Some even spoke in fluent English with our non-Tagalog speaking daughter. One

woman narrated how a GK vol-unteer from Europe stayed in her own house for a week just to experience how it feels to be among the poor. He has since sponsored one of her nephews’ college educations.

Value formation

Before one is given a GK house, he is first required to attend the GK classes for value formation. This is necessary, according to the GK advocate who was with us, so that the recipients would not only be proud of their home ownership but also value the opportunity given them and change their life positively. This I found out to be true when we visited a government housing project for the poor in the Smokey Moun-tain area in Tondo the next day. While we were touring the place, a group of men folk were drinking liquor inside a house. The door of the house was surreptitously closed when the homeowners noticed that there were outsiders taking a look around the area. Such kind of behavior is not allowed in a Gawad Kalinga Village.

At the next GK site we visited which is just a few blocks away, a group of volunteers and pro-spective occupants were con-structing a multi-story building. Men and womenfolk, some young while others old, were passing on a hollow block from one hand to another. There were also a group of students from Women’s University taking a class on Ethics who were on a field trip to the Gawad Kalinga Village.

One Gawad Kalinga advocate, Bobby Rodrigo, a lawyer from the exclusive village of Forbes Park, brought along a Finnish businessman to check out the project. Rodrigo, a Rotary Club officer, has solicited a lot of do-nations for GK from his friends and associates and is considered one of the biggest fund-raisers of Gawad Kalinga.

“I have traveled all over the world,” the lawyer said, “but my greatest joy has been my in-volvement in Gawad Kalinga.”

We talked about how people,

especially those in the United States, spend thousands of dol-lars for psychiatric help just to be able to have a good night sleep.

“All they have to do is to help their fellowmen, especially the poor, and they will enjoy the peace and contentment they have long desired without the need to avail of the services of a shrink,” the Forbes Park resident suggested.

There were many Gawad

Kalinga supporters who at-tended the affair in San Diego. Some were big-time contribu-tors, donating thousands of dollars of their own money and building whole villages in the name of their families or loved ones, while others donated all that they could afford, be that a hundred or thousand dollars, their labor, or emotional sup-port alone. But for me, one of the most inspiring supporters is a personal friend, an old woman

who wants to remain anony-mous and is suffering from a serious ailment. She visited a GK Village during her last Philippine trip despite her frail condition. She saves money from her meager earnings as a caregiver and donates them to Gawad Kalinga. This year alone, I was told, she hopes to reach her goal of $5,000 to help ameliorate the living conditions of our country’s poor. AJ


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By Zena Sultana Babao

It seems that every time we fi gure out how to avoid one scam, con artists fi nd another way to separate us from our money. Even as scams change, the basic points are the same: con artists will try to fool consumers into giving up their hard-earned money, and consumers must stay on guard.

Scam artists often target older adults for a variety of reasons. The elderly are more trusting, leaving them vulnerable to whatever pseu-do good news are given to them, such as “winning a prize” or “get-ting something for nothing.” Also, since the elderly lives alone, they crave for attention and excitement that these scammers may bring.

Education is key when it comes to foiling fraudulent marketers or stopping scammers in their tracks. Here, according to the Federal Trade Commission, are the top cons and scams, and suggestions on how to avoid being conned or scammed.

Top Frauds and Scams

(1) Lottery Scams – This scam plays on our dream of hitting the jackpot one day. They can go under the name of genuine lotteries, unso-licited telephone calls, letters, and emails. Usually the scammers say, “Congratulations, it’s your lucky day! You’re guaranteed to win a fabulous diamond ring, luxury vacation, or a brand-new car!”

If you receive a letter, email, or phone call with a message like this, be skeptical. The $5,000 “prize” may cost you hundreds of dollars in taxes and service charges – and never arrives. Or your “fabulous” prize may not be worth collecting. The diamond is likely to be the size of a pinhead. The “vacation” could be one night in a seedy motel, and the brand-new car, nothing more than a lounge chair on wheels.

Scam artists often use the promise of a valuable prize or award to entice you to send money, buy overpriced products or services, or contribute to bogus charities. People who fall for their ploys end of getting no prize at all! What they are likely to get are more promo-tions in the mail, more telemarket-ing calls, and more unsolicited email or “spam.” This is because many prize promoters sell the infor-mation they collect to advertisers.

Top Frauds and Scams Con Artists Use And Ways to Avoid Being a Victim

Avoiding it – Your best protec-tion is not to respond or play. Throw away the mailer, and hang up on the caller. Do not disclose your checking account number or credit card account number over the phone. Check out the sweepstakes promoter’s reputation with your Better Business Bureau, an your state or local consumer protection offi ce. Be aware, however, that many questionable prize promotion companies don’t stay in one place long enough to establish a track re-cord, and the absence of complaints doesn’t necessarily mean the offer is legitimate.

To File a Complaint – The FTC works for the consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices. Call FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or log on to www.ftc.gov. If you believe they have been victimized, you should contact your local postmaster or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by phone, toll-free, at: 1-888-877-7644, or online at: www.uspoig.gov.

(2) Internet Auctions – Though most auction transactions are le-gitimate, complaints about auction frauds are on the rise. Auction fraud is a misrepresentation of a product advertised for sale through Inter-net auction sites, and the failure to deliver products purchased through such Internet auction sites.

Avoiding it – Anytime you buy online, fi rst check the seller’s feedback rating and understand the sale terms, including whether you can get your money back and how much will it cost to ship the item. Know what you are bidding on, set your top price and stick to it. Pay with a credit card, or use an escrow service.

(3) Foreign Money Offers – These frauds take the form of an offer, via letter, email or fax, to share a huge sum of money in return for using your bank account to transfer the money out of another country. The scammers will then use the information you give them to empty your bank account. Often, they convince you that money is needed up front to pay fees or bribe offi cials.

Avoiding it – These letters are always a scam. Ignore, discard, or delete them.

(4) Charity Fraud – Many of us give generously to charity, espe-cially in times of special need. Con

artists may be raising funds for themselves alone. Even if the char-ity is real, scammers often pocket most of your donation, and just give a tiny portion of your donation to the charity.

Avoiding it – Take your time! In-sist on getting written information before you agree to give. Verify what percentage of the donation goes to the charity and how much goes to fundraising costs. Ask how much of the contribution is tax de-ductible. Don’t give out credit card or bank account information.

(5) Phishing – Con artists want to catch your personal information on-line. They send an offi cial-looking email that tells you to “update” or “validate” your billing information.

You’re asked to go to a website that looks like the company’s real website. You will be asked to give your Social Security or credit card numbers, passwords, or bank ac-count information. If you provide it, the scammers will use your information for their own gain.

Avoiding it – Never follow the link provided in one of these emails. Instead, contact the com-pany using a telephone number or website address that you know is real. Check your credit card and bank statements to be sure that all the activity is yours. And if you get spam of any kind, forward it to the Federal Trade Commission at [email protected]. It will help their investi-gators track spammers’ activities.

(6) Foreign Lotteries – This is another scam that prey’s on our dreams to be the big winner. A let-ter or a call comes to tell you that you may have already won a big prize. But the next thing that they will do is ask for your bank account number, or a check or money order to pay “fees” for processing or taxes.

Avoiding it – Simply ignore this come-on. Any prize that you have to pay to retrieve is no prize. In the U.S., it’s illegal to sell or buy foreign lottery tickets. If you play, you’re violating federal law. If you respond even once, you will get more offers. Con artists buy and sell “sucker lists” – the names of people that they can convince to give them money.

(7) Work-at-Home Scams – These ads promise a great living for not much work. The ads claim that stuffi ng envelopes, medical billing, or assembly or craftwork will allow you to make a living. They don’t tell you that there may be up-front charges for materials, training or supplies. Many consumers who have responded to these ads actu-ally lost money.

Avoiding it – Check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, State Attorney, and Better Business Bureau. Get in writing what tasks you will have to perform, how you will be paid (salary or commission), who will pay you, when you will get your fi rst paycheck, the total cost of the program, and what you get for your money.

cases prosper and succeed. There are few convictions and abusers are still at large and a danger to the children.

Maryann was abandoned in the streets by her family and she was traffi cked into the sex club at the age of 15. She was exploited and sold to foreigners who sexually abused her. But she was rescued and recovered at the Preda Home and became a high-honored student and I am happy to tell you that she is in college and is now a children’s rights advocate and has just returned from a speaking engagement at an international conference on chil-dren’s rights in Canada sponsored by Unicef.

Evelyn was abused as a child before she runaway from home to escape the abuse and was traffi cked abroad into prostitution in Hong Kong. She was used in making por-nography and suffered violence and sexual abuse. This month, she was rescued by a colleague of Preda and was fl own back to the Philippines and is slowly recovering at Preda. Thousands of young girls are traf-fi cked like this every day. We can all do much to change this situation

May all people of good will, defenders of children, protectors of human rights, all of us, never turn a blind eye to the suffering and exploitation and injustice done to children, may we always have the courage to take a stand and speak out and defend the helpless and most vulnerable.

Combating child prostitution and do-mestic sexual abuse(Continued from page 18)

May we all work for justice and make this a better world for all and especially for children, that they be recognized as God¹s children wor-thy of love and care. Let us end the abuse and jailing of children and the traffi cking and slavery of children into the sex industry. END

Visit www.preda.org for more related articles.

Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines.

e-mail: [email protected]

high.If ye break faith with us who

dieWe shall not sleep, though pop-

pies growIn Flanders fi elds.”The poem resonated in the

hearts and minds of freedom-loving people everywhere, most especially here in America. America took up the challenge, and here is “America’s Reply” written by R.W. Lillard:

“Rest ye in peace, ye Flanders dead

The fi ght that ye so bravely ledWe’ve taken up. And we will

keepTrue faith with ye who lie

asleep,Each with a cross to mark his

bed,And poppies blowing overhead,

Veterans Day: Honoring All Who Served


Where once his life-blood ran red

So let your rest be sweet and deep,

In Flanders Fields.Fear not that ye have died for

naught;The torch ye throw to us we

caught,Ten million hands will hold it

high,And freedom’s light shall never

die!We’ve learned the lessons that

ye taughtIn Flanders Fields.

The Red Poppies – the Flower of Remembrance

The poem by John McCrae and the striking image of the red poppies blooming among the rows of white crosses became the rallying cry to all who fought in the First World War. Red pop-pies was adopted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars as its offi cial memorial fl ower, and came to be known as “the fl ower of remem-brance.”

The red poppies were sold to raise money to help orphans and others left destitute by the war. Later on, because of the short-age of fresh poppies, artifi cial poppies were sold, and donations received have helped count-less veterans and their widows, widowers and orphans over the years. The poppy itself contin-ues to serve as a perpetual tribute to those who have given their lives for the nation’s freedom.


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asian journal nov 07.2008

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