The

Award-Winning Newspaper • Your No. 1 Source of News and Information on Filipinos

www.�lipinopress.comOctober 30 - November 5, 2010

HEALTHY LIVING10 best low-carb snacks

Page 8

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENTStories from the Other Side: San Diego ghost stories

Page 16

HOME IMPROVEMENTPardee Homes earns 20 Finalist Honors

Page 4

By Bill RamseyFilipino Press Staff Wrier

Ar l i e R i c a s a i s a trustee and imme-diate past-president

of the Sweetwater Union High School District Board of Trust-ees. She was first elected to the school board in 1998 by defeat-ing a seven-term incumbent. In 2006, Ricasa was re-elected to serve a third term for SUHSD, the largest secondary school system in California. Ricasa is a policy-maker for a school dis-

trict with over 74,000 students, 5,400 employees and a $325 million budget.

Ricasa also holds the distinc-tion of being perhaps the only Filipino-American in San Di-ego holding elective office and is a candidate for Seat 5 of the Sweetwater Union High School

District School Board.Elsewhere in California, Fili-

pinio-American Dorie Cachuela Paniza is seeking a council seat in Daly City. Another, Cecilia Rosales, would be the first open-ly gay city council member if she prevails in Berkeley.

Around the country, a hand-ful of Filipino-Americans are running for office, but the list is pathetically small. And, report-edly, fewer even bother to vote.

Why? “I think we still have a lit-

tle bit of the Spanish colonial mentality in us, where we just

don’t care,” Marie O’Connor, a Filipino-American who is an active member of the political action group MoveOn.org, told the Asian Journal. She also cit-ed Filipino traits of being shy

and unassertive as a hindrance to participating in political dis-cussions and the electoral pro-cess in the U.S.

As the fastest-growing seg-ment of Asian-Americans in the U.S., the lack of political participation is particularly disturbing, say many experts. And several I spoke with say Filipinos in the U.S. are more interested in Philippine poli-tics than what's happening in their own backyards.

“It’s amazing how easily Fil-ipinos in America can organize and raise funds in support of

Few Fil-Ams seeking elective office

See POLITICS on 14

‘Radical Rich Guy’Legendary leader, activist was at

forefront of end of Marcos’ martial law in volatile era of Philippines

Many today remem-b e r C o r y A q u i -no as the iconic

leader who brought democrat-ic change to the Philippines. But it was her husband, Be-nigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., whose zealous opposition to the Marcos regime, tireless campaign for a free Philippines and, ultimately, his assassina-tion which catapulted his wid-ow to political fame.

By turns a famed journalist, political adviser to presidents and populist politician thought destined to become president, Aquino — father of current Philippine President Benig-no "P-Noy" Aquino III — Aqui-no spent much of his life and ca-reer in a fearless fight against oppression, poverty and corrup-tion that dominated his nation throughout the most volatile era the Philippines had ever known.

Born Nov. 27, 1932, Aquino was born in Concepcion, Tar-lac, to a prosperous family —

he called himself a “radical rich guy.” His grandfather, Servilla-no Aquino, was a general in the revolutionary army of Emilio Aguinaldo, while his father, Be-nigno S. Aquino Sr., was a prom-inent member of the World War II Japanese collaborationist gov-ernment of José P. Laurel.

At age 17, Aquino — who referred to himself an average student — became the young-est war correspondent to cov-er the Korean War. Because of his journalistic prowess, he re-ceived the Philippine Legion of Honor award from President Elpidio Quirino at age 18. At 21, he became a close advis-

"Ninoy Aquino & The Rise of Peo-ple Power" was one of four Filipino films featured during this year's San Diego Asian Film Festival. Copies of the video are available for sale at http://foundasian.org/promo/ninoydvd.

Val Abelgas

See nInOy on 14

M A N N Y ' S D AY I N S A N D I E G O

Famed Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao poses with National City Mayor Ron Morrison during his appearance in San Diego for an exhibition basketball game at Mira Mesa High School on Oct. 24.

Photo: Victor Muniz/FP Staff

“If it’s my fate to die by an assassin's bullet, so be it. But I cannot be

petrified by inaction or fear of assassination.”

“I think we still have a little bit of the Spanish

colonial mentality in us, where we just

don't care.”

E L E C T I O N

2010

2 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

By William B. Depasupil

Thirty-nine persons died in 78 election-related incidents (ERIs) across the country dur-ing Mondays’ synchronized ba-rangay (village) and Sanggu-niang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council) polls, the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said. Despite the death toll, PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo described the elections as “peaceful and orderly.”

Orderly the barangay and SK polls were not, according to re-ports, which said that delays in deliveries of voting parapherna-lia by the Commission on Elec-tions (Comelec) cost holding of the balloting in at least 1,599 villages across the country.

The poor preparations by the Comelec and the violence that attended the elections could

have been avoided if the polls were postponed, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

He added that he had fore-seen problems in preparing for the October 25 elections so close to the national elections (May 10) when he filed a bill seeking to delay them by 18 months.

“The [Comelec] was not really prepared. That is why I appealed to [President Benigno Aquino 3rd] to postpone the barangay and SK elections,” Zubiri said.

President Aquino had said that he was dissatisfied with the Comelec’s handling of the polls.

Zubiri cited reports that al-most 2,000 villages failed to con-duct voting and that almost 100 died in election-related violence.

“We rushed the elections. Had they been [set for] next year, there would have been smooth sailing. It [holding of the polls]

already happened, and we could do nothing but point fingers at each other,” he said.

According to the senator, the executive department was as much to blame as the Comelec for the lack of preparations for Monday’s elections.

It is time to let go of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), Sen. Edgardo Angara said, be-cause it has outlived its useful-ness and it also is time to give it a second look.

Angara said that youth par-ticipation could be encouraged without holding SK elections.

He expressed concern over putting young adults and teen-agers as young as 15 years old in the middle of a “dirty politi-cal arena.”

“We have to consider the fact that we’re exposing the youth to politics, Philippine style, which we all know is a no-holds-barred avenue. I am concerned because we are accelerating the entrance of such malleable, impressionable minds into Phil-ippine politics and all its less-than honorable practices,” Ang-ara said. (manilatimes.net)

President Benigno S. Aqui-no III vowed that bilateral re-lations between the Philippines and Vietnam will continue to prosper during his presidency.

“As the Philippines takes the first steps toward a more trans-parent, responsive, and econom-ically competitive government, be assured, Excellency, that Vietnam remains an important partner of the Philippines,” the Chief Executive said in his re-marks at the State Banquet hosted in his honor by Socialist Republic of Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet at the Gov-ernment Guest House.

The President stressed that the friendship between the Philippines and Vietnam is vi-brant and strong as cooperation in diverse areas, particularly in trade, fisheries, meteorology and hydrography, sports, and fi-nance have been in place.

He pointed out that the seal-ing of four more agreements during his state visit to Viet-nam, cooperation between the two countries in higher educa-tion, defense and maritime af-fairs was further strengthened.

The President also said that his state visit to Vietnam, his first ever state visit to an ASEAN member country since he assumed office in June, is also a testament to the mutual commitment of both countries

to find additional areas of coop-eration that will benefit the Fil-ipino and Vietnamese peoples.

He also noted that the warm welcome accorded him and his delegation by the Vietnamese people and government, which he said, is a clear sign of the close relations between the Philippines and Vietnam.

“It is a pleasure to be here, tonight, to express our best

wishes to the government of Vietnam and the Vietnam-ese people as you chair the ASEAN. In regional unity, we have the means to sustain eco-nomic growth, advance our shared development agenda, and promote regional peace and stability,” he said.

According to the President, the Philippines and Vietnam will celebrate next year the

35th anniversary of the estab-lishment of diplomatic rela-tions. Saying that it will be an excellent occasion for cultural exchanges and people-to-people activities to commemorate RP-Vietnam relations.

For his part, the Vietnam-ese President thanked the Phil-ippines for its support to Viet-nam’s ASEAN chairmanship this year. (MNS)

MANILA, Philippines – The Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 has added more prime com-modities that older people can buy at a discount, the depart-ments of Agriculture and Trade and Industry said recently.

The law, also known as Repub-lic Act 9994, added “prime com-modities” such as fresh fruits, flour, dairy products, onions, gar-lic, geriatric diapers, herbicides, poultry, swine, and cattle feed, vet-erinary products for poultry, swine and cattle, construction materi-als such as nipa shingle, plyboard, nails, steel wires, electrical sup-plies, light bulbs, and batteries, ac-cording to the statement.

“More than 20 items were added in the original list under the old law (RA 9257 of 2003), which previously covered basic items like rice, corn, fresh and dried fish, fresh eggs, fresh veg-etables, root crops, salt, firewood, charcoal, and candles,” the de-partment said.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Trade Secretary Greg-ory Domingo on Oct. 15 signed a joint administrative order enforc-ing provisions of the new law, the Agriculture Department said.

The implication of RA 994 is that senior citizens can now buy more food and basic items at a 5 percent discount, the statement said.

Still, the new commodity items are not exempted from the 12 per-cent value added tax. “Each senior citizen can enjoy the 5 percent dis-count on said food and prime com-modities, which however are not exempted from the VAT.”

The amount each senior cit-izen could buy has also been capped at P1,300 a week.

Retailers exempted from the 5 percent discount under RA 9994 are stalls in food courts, food carts, food vendors, and sari-sa-ri stores with a capital of less than P100,000, as well as public and private wet markets, talipa-pa and cooperative stores, the de-partments said. (MNS)

BOP surplus posts 5-fold hike in September MANILA, Philippines – The country’s balance of payments (BOP) surplus posted a five-fold increase, hitting a new monthly record high of $3.062 billion in September as capital inflows continued to flood emerging markets, including the Philippines, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported recently.

BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said the BOP surplus reached $3.062 billion in September, a dramatic 401 percent, or $2.45-billion in-crease from the $611-million surplus recorded in the same month last year.

Tetangco explained that the September’s BOP surplus was a record high monthly surplus since the BSP shifted to the new BOP compila-tion methodology in 1999.

“The robust external position for the month was due mainly from BSP’s foreign exchange operations, proceeds from the National Govern-ment’s bond issuances as well as official development assistance loans. This development was partly a reflection of the global shift of capital flows into emerging markets, including the Philippines,” Tetangco said.

The BOP refers to the difference of foreign exchange inflows and out-flows on a particular period and represents the country’s transactions with the rest of the world.

In all, Tetangco said the country’s robust external position in Sep-tember brought the BOP surplus in the first nine months of the year to $6.54 billion or about 49 percent or $2.137 billion higher than the $4.403-billion surplus booked in the same period last year.

The surplus from January to September already surpassed the revised BOP surplus target of $3.7 billion. Originally, the BSP expected the BOP surplus to stabilize at $3.2 billion this year from the revised $6.421 billion in 2009.

As early as June, the original BOP surplus target of $3.2-billion set by the BSP for 2010 was already breached.

The country’s BOP surplus plunged to $89 million in 2008 from $8.67 bil-lion in 2007 due to the full impact of the global financial crisis. The BOP position recovered last year with a revised surplus of $6.421 billion.

Monetary authorities attribute the country’s strong external payments position to the robust foreign exchange inflows from the higher investment inflows, disbursement of official development assistance (ODA) loans from multilateral lending agencies, and the money sent home by Filipinos abroad.

Latest data showed that money sent home by overseas Filipino work-ers (OFWs) went up by 7.4 percent to $12.181 billion in the first eight months of the year from $11.342 billion in the same period last year. The BSP has already upgraded its growth forecast for the amount of money sent home by overseas Filipinos to eight percent instead of six percent due to the strong demand for Filipino skilled workers. (philstar.com)

August imports rise 22% to $4.4-B

MANILA, Philippines – Merchandise imports in August climbed 22% to $4.41 billion from a year earlier, the National Statistics Office said recently.

The August import growth was a reversal of the 28.3% contraction in the same month last year, and faster than the 16.2% growth in July. However, the import bill in August was 5.7% lower than July's $4.68 billion.

Imports of electronic parts, which accounted for 37.3% of the total import bill, were up an annual 27.2% in August after a 2.4% rise in July. These are inputs used by the semiconductor and electronics industry, the country's biggest export sector and a major contributor to the economy.

The government expects imports to climb 20% this year and exports to increase 15%, with estimated growth for both revised upwards earlier this year.

Merchandise exports climbed 36.6% in August from a year ago after a 35.9% jump in July.

Apart from electronic parts and fuel, the Philippines' other top imports are cereals such as rice, electrical and industrial machinery, transport equipment, iron, steel and metal scraps. (MNS)

Government sells P8 billion worth of 7-year Treasury bonds

MANILA, Philippines – The government recently sold P8 billion worth of seven-year Treasury bonds (T-bonds) as investors tendered a total of P9.955 billion for the paper.

While the volume of bids was higher than the P8 billion that was of-fered, this was unusually low compared to previous auctions.

National Treasurer Robert Tan said market investors are probably test-ing the waters as far as bids are concerned.

“I supposed they’re testing what we will be accepting. They’re trying to see whether we will accept higher bids,” Tan told reporters after the auction.

Tan said market investors probably considered the latest fiscal position of the government.

Last week, the Department of Finance (DOF) reported that the budget deficit has widened to P259.8 billion in the first nine months of the year, a growth of 9.4 percent over the P237.5 billion-deficit recorded in the same period last year.

In September alone, the budget gap also increased to P31.7 billion or 15.2 percent higher than the P27.5 billion-deficit recorded in September 2009.

With the end-September deficit at P259.8 billion, the government needs to contain the budget gap in the remaining three months of the year at P65.2 billion to meet the ceiling of P325 billion set for 2010.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) has reported that year-on-year inflation settled at 3.5 percent in September, slower than the four percent recorded in August. The latest inflation figure is also below the forecast of 3.6 percent to 4.5 percent made by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for September.

The seven-year T-bond fetched a coupon rate of 5.375 percent or 34.5 ba-sis points lower than the average rate of a similar paper of 5.720 percent.

The recent auction is part of the government’s fourth quarter borrow-ing program of P75 billion.

The government has programmed to borrow P75 billion from the lo-cal debt market in the fourth quarter of the year, lower than the third quarter borrowing program of P107.5 billion.

Of the amount, the government plans to issue P35 billion worth of Treasury bills, P13 billion lower than the previous quarter’s P48 billion T-bill offering.

The Treasury, meanwhile, plans to sell P40 billion worth of T-bonds, also lower than the P59.5 billion programmed T-bond offering last quarter.

The issue size of T-bills per auction has been reduced to P7 billion from P8 billion the previous quarter while the issue size of T-bonds per auc-tion has also been lowered to P8 billion from P8.5 billion previously.

The government borrows from the local debt market through the issu-ance of T-bills and bonds to plug a widening budget gap. (philstar.com)

MANILA, Philippines – With the cancellation of arriv-al/departure card for having questionable advertisements, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is looking to tap a new system that will capture and store information from the cards being filled up by inter-national travelers in all air-ports in the country.

With this, Immigration offi-cer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledes-ma has directed Jollybert Galleon, BI computer section chief, to conduct a study on the matter and submit recom-mendation as soon as possible.

“The bureau needs to come up with a more economical and efficient mode of retriev-ing and encoding the data in the cards without entering into contracts with private companies that causes contro-versies and problems for the bureau,” he said.

For his part, Galleon said he is looking to use the bu-reau’s exist ing passport reading machines in the air-ports in lieu of the equip-ment provided by e.Xtend, the company that produc-es the infamous cards being distributed by the bureau to travelers who enter and leave the country.

He said the passport read-ers can be re-configured to scan not only machine-readable passports but also the cards.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently ordered the cancellation of the contract due to the controversies gener-ated by advertisements print-ed on the cards.

Under its contract with the BI, e.Xtend, Inc. also provides the equipment that scans and retrieves information written in the cards. (MNS)

BI looking to change system for arrival and

departure cards

Poll violence leaves 39 persons dead

New law gives senior citizens more prime goods

Photo: MNS

President Benigno S. Aquino III addresses the members of the Filipino community at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Hanoi. The President discussed the governmentís projects and programs for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Aquino says Vietnam to remain important partner of RP

October 30 - November 5, 2010 3THE FILIPINO PRESS

S C R I P P S R A N C H

DERMATOLOGY COSMETIC CENTER&Home of America’s Favorite Dermatologist

As Seen on The Rachael Ray Show, The Doctors, SD Living, Fox and Channel 6 News, and more!

Tess Mauricio, M.D., FAAD Board Certified Dermatologist• Stanford University School of Medicine• Summa Cum Laude, UCSD• Past President of the San Diego Society for Dermatologic Surgery• Published Author, Speaker, Media Personality, & Physician Educator

James Lee, M.D.• Stanford University School of Medicine• Cum Laude, Yale University• Physician of the Year, El Centro Medical Center• Co-founder, Scripps Ranch Dermatology & Cosmetic Center

FREE Consultations! Interest Free Financing Available. We will create a plan to fit your budget!

* State of the art technology (VASER Ultrasound, Lipolite laser, Tickle lipo)* Performed in our own accredited surgical center* 50% off Velashape treatments after lipo to maximize results! (We are THE Velashape experts!)

*Offers expire 12/25/10. All previous quotes given by our clinic within one year will be honored.

Also, get FREE Botox (up to 20 units), Juvederm, or Restylane with the purchase of any laser package over $3000! Miracle Nose Lift & Shaping - NO Surgery Required!

Scripps RanchDermatology & Cosmetic Center9999 Mira Mesa Blvd. Suite 103, San Diego

858.689.4990 Twitter: drtessmauricioBlog: scrippsderm.wordpress.comFacebook: Scripps Ranch Dermatology & Cosmetic Center

www.scrippsderm.com

* Skin Rejuvenation* Acne/Acne Scar Treatment. WE ARE THE ACNE EXPERTS!* Personalized

* Non-surgical Body Shaping. WE ARE THE VELASHAPE™ AND ZERONA™ EXPERTS!* Leg Vein Treatment ...and more!

SERVICES

Check out our website to see TV appearances, before/after pictures, & more Holiday Specials!

FREE Consultations! Interest Free Financing Available. We will create a plan to fit your budget!

We are THE experts in Asian Non-Surgical Facial Contouring With Injectables!$575 No Downtime Instant Nose Job Ever wish for a better looking nose but aren’t ready for surgery? Want that perfect nose for a party or event in a few days? Our no surgery nose job is the answer!

This procedure is expertly administered by world-renowned cosmetic dermatologist and TV personality, Dr. Tess Mauricio!

No Surgery Jaw ShapingEver wished that your face looked thinner? Do you want that chiselled, narrower, elongated shape that the stars have?

You can have the jawline of your dreams without surgery or downtime!

No Surgery Nose Shaping

No Surgery Jaw Shaping

More Specials- Liposculpture - Get any 2nd area FREE when you permanently remove fat from any problem area with Liposculpture!

- FREE Botox, Juvederm, or Restylane with the purchase of any laser package over $3000! *offers expire 12/25/10

4 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

By Jim Saccacio

Because the foreclosure market has been relative-ly dormant in recent years, many people don’t fully un-derstand how foreclosures work. This lack of under-standing can foster foreclo-sure myths that are danger-ous both for homeowners who want to avoid foreclosure and buyers interested in purchas-ing a foreclosure.

H e r e a r e s e v e n o f t h e most common myths about foreclosures:

Myth 1: Foreclosures onlyhappen in poor areas

Foreclosures come in all shapes and sizes and occur in all neighborhoods. From low-income to million-dol-lar properties, you will see the full spectrum of homes entering into the foreclo-sure process.

Economic forces such as rising interest rates and de-creasing home values affect homeowners from all types of neighborhoods. Myth 2: Financial irresponsibil-

ity causes most foreclosuresWhile there are always

those cases of financial ne-g lec t , most homeowners have shown some high level of financial responsibility in order to qualify to purchase

Pardee Homes has earned 20 finalist honors in the 2010 SoCal Awards pro-

gram, including the coveted Community of the Year and Con-sumer Choice designations for four of the company’s new home communities. The annual SoCal Awards competition is sponsored by Sales and Marketing Councils throughout Southern California.

“Our finalists represent the choices new home buyers have in two of our principal markets,

new homes that serve young singles and starter families through move-up households and empty nesters,” said Bob Clauser, senior vice president of marketing for Pardee Homes. “We’re delighted and gratified with this recognition.”

“Pardee Homes again dem-onstrates its commitment to excellence in new homes and in marketing those new homes successfully,” said Lisa Parrish, judging chairman. “As Pardee’s

honors demonstrate, both new home shoppers and SoCal judg-es were impressed with this company’s fine work!”

Highlands Village at Carm-el Country Highlands in San Diego—this upscale townhome community is a finalist as Com-munity of the Year, and a Con-sumer Choice finalist. The best-selling attached project in San Diego, it was also honored for overall architectural design, for the design of Plan 4, for its sales

center and for print advertising. Terramar in Torrey High-

lands in San Diego—another best seller, Terramar’s upscale neighborhood of detached homes earned Community of the Year and Consumer Choice designa-tions. Plan 1A was a finalist for its architectural design.

Liv ingSmart®Homes at Tournament Hills in Beau-mont—these affordable, green-

Since its inception in Oc-tober 2009, Presidio Residen-tial Capital, a private real es-tate construction lender, has recorded multiple loans that bring its total outstanding commitments to more than $110 million. The most re-cent loan is to an affiliate of McMillin Communities that recorded on September 22 and will provide funds for the land acquisition, develop-ment and home construction of 77 single-family homes in Rolling Hills Ranch, a mas-ter-planned community in southern San Diego County.

“While we have been very successful in capturing busi-ness in Southern California, our goal is to work with those residential builders and de-velopers in the major metro areas in the Western Unit-ed States and Texas,” said Don Faye, principal of Presi-dio Residential Capital. “I be-lieve there continues to be a great need for providing new homes in these regions in-cluding San Diego, which will also create short- and long-term opportunities and other economic activity.”

Its most recent loan is for a collection of 77 lots in the Verona neighborhood, sit-uated at the highest eleva-

Lender exceeds $100 million in private loans

See Lender on 5

Pardee Homes earns 20 Finalist Honors in 2010 SoCal Awards

See Pardee on 5 See myThS on 5

7 myths about

foreclosures

Photo: Courtesy photo

Upscale and low-maintenance, the Highlands Village townhome community features Pardee’s LivingSmart® features, which boost energy efficiency, save water and improve indoor air quality.

October 30 - November 5, 2010 5THE FILIPINO PRESS

tion within the Rolling Hills master-planned communi-ty, nestled in the San Miguel Mountains of Chula Vista, Ca-lif. The lot size and view pre-miums will cater to the sec-ond- and third-time move-up buyers with flexible floor plans that range in size from 3,500 to 4,800 square feet. Verona at Rolling Hills Ranch will repre-sent some of the largest homes ever to be built within the com-munity. Construction is an-ticipated to begin in January with model completion and viewing in spring 2011.

Faye formed Presidio Res-idential Capital to meet the critical need for construction lending alternatives for home builders. With the downturn in the economy and the im-pact of the financial crisis, the availability of non-re-course residential construc-tion financing is virtually nonexistent to private build-ers. Faye, with a 30-year track record in real estate and a particular emphasis on the capital side of residential real estate, teamed with a long-term investment partner to fill this void.

Presidio’s goal over the next 24 months is to record addi-tional loan commitments that exceed $500 million. Faye be-lieves that as economic con-ditions improve, tradition-al lenders will return to the construction lending mar-

ket. Until that occurs, howev-er, Presidio is available to fill that liquidity gap for projects located in the Western United States and Texas.

Although Presidio Residen-tial Capital targets for-sale single-family projects, town-home projects will be consid-ered on a case-by-case basis. Loans with a minimum loan commitment of $10 million are being considered and are based on the project and build-

er meeting specific standards, including the project having a strong feasibility and a good product that is located in a primary or secondary market. While the loans are made on a non-recourse basis to the bor-rower, the borrower must have the relevant experience and track record for the product type and particular market. For more information on Pre-sidio Residential Capital, visit presidioresidentialcapital.com.

Get ResultsThe Filipino Press is a free weekly

publication that serves the 150,000 plus Filipino-Americans of San Diego.

Call (619) 477-0940 or check us on-line

filipinopress.com

built best selling detached homes are Consumer Choice and Community of the Year finalists. Judges also ap-plauded the new home sales center, model home landscap-ing and signage.

LivingSmart®Homes at Canyon Hills in Lake El-sinore—sister to the Beau-mont design series, this com-munity was honored for project signage and model home landscaping; it is also a Consumer Choice honoree.

Pardee Homes also won the judges’ notice with its Earth Month campaign, a finalist in the Special Promotion category. The company earned addition-al honors for its corporate ad for all communities and for its Liv-ingSmart® brand logo design.

“We thank the judges, and we thank the many new home shoppers who cast ballots in this competitive awards pro-gram,” said Joyce Mason, vice president of market-ing for Pardee Homes. “We also thank our project teams; their dedication to excel-lence in creating new homes and communities can only be called exceptional.”

The SoCal Awards program honors superior achievement in sales, marketing and mer-chandising excellence and the Sales & Marketing Councils it represents are part of the Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc. Judges represent a cross sec-tion of home building’s profes-sional disciplines, and toured all eligible communities. Fi-nalists and grand winners will be celebrated October 23 at The Grove in Anaheim.

Pardee Homes is recog-nized for its superior master-planning concepts, quality homes, responsive customer service and dedication to the educational and civic goals of the communities in which it builds. The company’s many awards honor design and planning, and commitment to greener and more sustainable new home development. Visit www.pardeehomes.com.

pardeeContinued from p age 4

lenderContinued from p age 4

a property in the first place. Unforeseen events such as job loss or a catastrophic ac-cident can cause sudden and unpredictable financial hav-oc for homeowners.

In addition, foreclosures also tend to increase when in-terest rates are up and prop-erty values begin to decrease. When this occurs, homeowners may find themselves paying higher monthly mortgage pay-ments for a property that is no longer worth what they origi-nally bought it for.

Myth 3: All foreclosures are in disrepair

While some foreclosures can be in less than ideal shape, many are in great condition. The myth that all foreclo-sures are in disrepair seems to be driven by the other myth that foreclosures are usually caused by financial irresponsi-bility. Many homeowners who find themselves in a default situation encounter circum-stances that are out of their control. Even so, this usually does not negatively affect the condition of the property.

However, if you are not an expert in buying foreclosure properties, it is highly recom-mended that you seek the ad-vice of a professional who is ex-perienced with these types of sales to avoid common pitfalls.

Myth 4: Lenders want to foreclose on homeownersThe foreclosure process is

costly and time consuming, and is a last resort for lend-ers to recover their invest-

ment. When a homeowner defaults on a mortgage agree-ment, the lender must first file a public default notice af-ter which the homeowner is given a grace period known as a pre-foreclosure period. During this time, the home-owner can pay off the debt or choose to sell the property.

The minimum timeframe for a pre-foreclosure period varies by state and can range from 27 days (Texas) to 290 days (Wis-consin). Only at the end of the pre-foreclosure period can the lender auction the property off to a third-party buyer or repos-sess the property and sell it on the regular market.

Myth 5: Foreclosures are often bought forpennies on the dollar

While it is true that foreclo-sures are often purchased be-low market value, one should be leery of anyone claiming that one can consistently find discounts of less than 10 per-cent of market value.

Myth 6: Foreclosure buyers usually take advantage

of the homeownerWhile homeowners in de-

fault should be wary of unscru-pulous buyers and investors who try to take unfair advan-tage of the situation, most

foreclosure buyers can actual-ly help an owner to walk away with something to show for eq-uity in the property and avoid a bad mark on his or her credit history. During the pre-foreclo-sure period, a potential buyer may approach the homeowner in default and arrange to buy the property before the foreclo-sure actually takes place.

This pre-foreclosure sale also benefits buyers, allowing them to often purchase proper-ties below full market price.

Myth 7: Foreclosure buying is only for professional investors

Perhaps at one time this may have been the case, but with all of the tools available

to today’s buyers, more people than ever before have the op-portunity to purchase foreclo-sure properties.

Using online resources such as RealtyTrac's online foreclo-sure database, potential buyers can search nationwide for prop-erties in pre-foreclosure, up for auction or banked-owned, as well as find extensive reports on each property listed.

Buyers can also get f i -nancing and find real estate agents familiar with ins and outs of the foreclosure mar-ket to help create a smoother transaction. (realestate.com)

mythsContinued from p age 4

“This lack of understanding can foster foreclosure myths that are dangerous both for

homeowners who want to avoid foreclosure and buyers interested in purchasing a foreclosure.”

6 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

Except for his closest friends and relatives, no one will ever know for sure

why Marlon Cueva, a 36-year-old power plant technician returning after a three-month deployment in Dubai, hanged himself in the

lavatory of Gulf Air Flight GF 154 last week, just an hour away from being reunited with his wife and children.

Neither shall we know why he had to go back home just three months after his deployment as

a power plant technician, which surely must have paid a hand-some income. We won’t speculate on what transpired between his deployment on July 5 and his re-turn flight and death on Oct. 21, but we can surmise that whatev-er it was, it placed a very heavy burden that his heart and mind could no longer carry.

The tragic journey of Marlon Cueva is symptomatic of what ails the Philippines’ practice of send-ing Filipino workers overseas. The tragedy that ended his brief stint as an overseas Filipino work-er (OFW) was certainly not the first, nor will it be the last to be-fall OFWs. There had been many more tragic incidents involving OFWs, some publicized and some not even meriting a single line in Philippine newspapers nor in gov-ernment reports, but none could be worse than the fate of Cueva.

Why did he decide to end it all when in just one hour he would be back in the loving arms of his family and friends?

“His so far is the saddest of all the OFWs’ struggles of life and death, aside from those who have been victims of abuses," John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordina-tor, said in a statement.

Monterona said Cueva's case is another face of a struggling OFW, "like many others whose pure intent is to work to give a decent living for their children."

He noted that Cueva’s sui-cide followed an earlier incident where another returning OFW, Alma Estrellas, gave birth and threw the baby in the trash bin of the lavatory of the same Gulf Air Flight GF 154 and on the same aircraft Sept. 12. The baby sur-vived and latest reports said Es-trellas, who said she was raped by her Dubai employer, would soon be given custody of the child.

“These two cases, aside from the seven to 10 cases of abuses, maltreatment, and labor mal-practices we have been receiving daily in the Middle East, which we have been consistently re-porting to concerned government agencies and to the public, are serious concerns that need spe-cial attention," Monterona said.

In 2008, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas estimated that some 9 million Filipinos, or about 10 percent of the Philippine pop-ulation, work overseas as tempo-rary workers at any given time.

That year alone, 1.3 million Filipinos were deployed overseas

as domestic workers, medical professionals, construction work-ers, maritime workers and IT ex-perts, among others, according to the Philippine Overseas Em-ployment Administration. They were sent to countries across the world, including those in Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, Aus-tralia and North America. An average of one million Filipinos leave every year for jobs abroad.

In 2008, $16.4 billion was sent to the Philippines as remittanc-es, making up 11.4 percent of the country’s GDP, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pili-pinas and the National Statistics Office. In 2009, $17 billion were remitted, and as of end of August this year, some $12 billion have already been remitted by over-seas Filipinos and is expected to top the $19 billion mark by the end of the year.

Government records reveal that most of the money remit-ted by these workers are spent by their families for food, home improvement and the children’s education, with nothing left as savings. As a result, OFWs are “trapped” overseas as their fami-lies become completely dependent on these monthly remittances.

It is not uncommon for a Fil-ipino family to have a father, mother or a child who have been working abroad for more than 20 years. Many of them tried stay-ing in the Philippines for good, only to discover once again that

their income there would never be enough, and so had to go back to Saudi Arabia or some Middle East country to work again.

Because the Philippine gov-ernment, like the OFWs’ fami-lies, has become dependent on the remittances of these work-ers, it tends to overlook the fact that both the Filipino work-er abroad and their families in the homeland are suffering from this labor phenomenon.

Tens of thousands of Filipi-no workers, especially those de-ployed as domestic helpers and factory workers are exploited, and physically and sexually abused. Those that are not abused or ex-ploited have to overcome loneli-ness and other problems brought about by their prolonged separa-tion from their families.

Similarly, the spouse and chil-dren left behind are also saddled with emotional and psychological issues spawned by the long sepa-ration. It is not uncommon in the Philippines to see children grow-ing up without their father or mother, or sometimes both.

The overseas Filipino work-ers program was initiated by former Labor Secretary Blas F. Ople in the 1970s as a tempo-rary remedy to the unemploy-ment problem. Most countries transitioning from an agricul-tural-based economy to an in-dustrialized one had to deploy

Some people feel conscious when someone is looking as they perform. There are

others who love the attention they get and feel motivated to perform even more. Which type are you?

In the field of show-business or entertainment, you have to be completely all out when you perform- giving your best in terms of costume, performance, attitude and the way you carry yourself. Especially if you are being paid for your performance or you are vying for a title or competing. You actually have to sell yourself to the audience and make yourself believable so they will say yes to you in terms of

contract or voting for you to win. I happen to be an avid fan

of “Dancing With the Stars.” I relish the sight of the amateur dancers becoming semi-profes-sional, almost professional in terms of their performance, as time goes by and as they put in hours and hours of practice, putting their best foot, face and performance forward. As stars and professional danc-ers perform over time, they all look like professionals. You just can't tell the difference.

In a competition, it is impor-tant to know the performance measures so that way you can base your goals and results ac-

cordingly. No matter how good you are, if what you are doing is not considered a priority to the project or competition on hand, it loses its essence or does not cre-ate much of an impact. It's like making sure you dance to the beat and rhythm of the music. Or if you are dancing with a partner or group, that you pretty much follow the sequence, motion and movements of every one to make sure you are in harmony with the group or your partner so you can win the competition together.

In terms of a singing competi-tion, it is not only important that we have a good voice but it helps to have a good selection of song, stage performance and audience im-pact. You will realize that is pretty much a common thread -whether you are competing in small or big singing competitions, in semi- or professional set up. In the end, you will realize that there will always be one who will naturally stands out as he or she applies and satis-fies the performance measures im-posed by the judges- and you just might be one of them.

For comments or sugges-tions, email me at susands4@yahoo.com. Visit us at www.fil-ipinopress.com.

Performance measures

By Perry Diaz

Last October 16, 2010, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) publ ished the

results of the its survey on the performance of President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III’s “national administration.” The survey drew mixed reactions.

However, a large percentage o f t h e r e s p o n d e n t s w e r e dissatisfied with his “national administration,” specifically on the issue of “Resolving the hostage-taking of Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza.”

The SWS survey conducted from September 24-27, 2010, s h o w e d t h a t 4 1 % o f t h e

respondents were “dissatisfied” with the performance of P-Noy’s “national administration” while 36% were “satisfied” and 21% were “undecided.”

This survey was actually the third that SWS conducted during the same period from September 24-27, 2010. Makes one wonder why they were published piecemeal one week apart.

The previous two surveys are the following:

The first SWS survey was about P-Noy’s “satisfaction rating.” The results were published on October 5, 2010, to wit: 71% of the respondents were “satisfied” with P-Noy’s performance while 11% were “not satisfied.” That places his

“net satisfaction rating” at 60%.The second SWS survey

conducted during the same period was published on October 11, 2010. The respondents were asked: “In your opinion, how many of the promises of Pres. Noynoy Aquino can be fulfilled?” The results were: 9% said “all or nearly all”; 35% said “most”; 50% said “a few”; and 4% said “almost none.”

AnalysisWhile the first survey —

P-Noy’s “satisfaction rating” — was deemed by SWS a “very good” start for P-Noy, it doesn’t look “very good” when compared to his “trust rating” conducted from June 25-28, 2010 just before he took office on June 30, 2010.

The results of that survey were: 88% of the respondents had “much trust” in him compared to only 4% who had “little trust” in him; thus, giving him a “net trust rating” of 84%.

Now, if P-Noy’s “satisfaction rating” is measured against his “trust rating” when he was still president-elect, his “positive rating” dropped by 17% and his “negative rating” increased almost three times to 11%; thus giving him a “net positive rating” of 60%. That’s a 24% drop in three months!

Compared with previous presidents’ “satisfaction ratings” during their first 100 days in office, P-Noy’s “satisfaction rating” is higher than his late

mother Cory Aquino’s 53%; lower than Fidel V. Ramos’ 66%; tied with Joseph “Erap” Estrada; and much higher than Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 24%. However, except for Ramos whose “satisfaction rating” was pretty stable during his first two years in office, the “satisfaction ratings” of Cory, Estrada, and Arroyo plunged during their first year in office.

The question is: Which way would P-Noy’s “satisfaction rating” go during his first year in office? Up or down?

While a majority of the people would still be confident that P-Noy is honest and

commentary

An OFW’s tragic journey

Red flag for P-Noy

See abeLgaS on 7

The

The Filipino Press is published every Saturday. We welcome news, features, editorials, opinions and photos. Photos must be accompanied by self-addressed, postage-paid envelope to be returned. We reserve the right to edit materials. Views and opinions by our writers, contributors does not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, management and staff of The Filipino Press.

Email Address: filpress@aol.com • Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2226, NationaI City, CA 91950Office: 600 E. 8th St. Ste. #3, National City, CA 91950 • Telephone: (619) 477-0940 • Fax: (619) 477-1024

Website: www.filipinopress.com • Email: filpressads@aol.com for sending ad materials

Columnists/ContributorsVAL ABELGAS

STEPHEN CHAN AURORA S. CUDAL DANNy HERNAEz

JUN GUzMAN GREG B. MACABENTA JANICE MARTINELLI

CORA PASTRANA

SOLy PARAISO JESSE T. REyES

DOMINGO VARGAS ALFONSO VILLAMORA

Layout & Design BRANDI PEREz/JASON AGUIRRE

BILL RAMSEy

Webmaster:PROLINE IMAGE

CirculationELy HERNANDEz

Photographers

Cartoonists JESSE T. REyES/WILLy REGULAR

Graphics & DesignA2ESTUDIOA2.COM

JASON AGUIRRE

Editor-in-Chief EMERITUS ERNIE FLORES, JR. • Executive Marketing Director SUSAN DELOS SANTOSManaging Editor: bill ramsey • Assistant Editor: BRANDI PEREz

Staff Writers: JeNNiFer aNareTa-bUrmaN • Fe seliGmaN • aliCia TOrres De leONFraNCiNe maiGUe • Valerie FarNal

Community Outreach: rUby ChiONG • lOrNa DelOs saNTOs ARMI GUzMAN

See dIaz on 7

ViCTOr mUNiz • reN rOXas • bO NaVarrO

October 30 - November 5, 2010 7THE FILIPINO PRESS

“Philippines Supreme C o u r t T h r e a t e n s Law Faculty With

Contempt After Allegations of Judicial Plagiarism.”

Lest I be accused of plagiariz-ing this headline, I am hurried-ly and clearly attributing this to Julian Ku in Opinio Juris, which I, in turn, found in Google.

So, there.If I missed any other neces-

sary attribution, let it be known that it is without malice and, more likely, caused by a mistake of my computer (not mine).

So, there.Ku quotes an appeal issued on

Oct. 22 by Prof. Diane Desierto of the UP College of Law, a law re-form specialist, Institute of Inter-national Legal Studies, Universi-ty of the Philippines, and a JSD candidate (2014), LLM (2009), Yale Law School.

Desierto’s note, which, she stressed, “In NO WAY represents the views of the Internation-al Court of Justice or any of its staff” and was “written in (her) private capacity, solely as a mem-ber of the UP Law Faculty, is en-titled, “An Open Appeal to fellow International Legal Scholars.”

Desierto’s introduction tells us that she is mighty worried about the Sword of Damocles that the Supreme Court has poised her head and that of 36 other UP Col-lege of Law faculty members and, quite likely, all of the 81 members of that illustrious faculty.

Wrote Desierto: “Several hours ago, a majority at the Phil-ippine Supreme Court issued an unprecedented contempt order for the ‘Statement of the Faculty of the UP College of Law’, nam-ing 37 out of 81 faculty members (including five present and for-

mer deans, a retired justice of the Supreme Court now back in the faculty, among other senior academics and junior faculty members) whose physical signa-tures appeared in the statement. Many faculty members support this statement, but, as is cus-tomary, did not need to physi-cally sign the statement so long as we signified our support over e-mail. For this reason, many of us understand the contempt order to eventually extend to all 81 members of the UP Col-lege of Law. All our bar licenses, without which we cannot teach, work, or practice as lawyers, are now at stake.”

Isn’t that terrible?I’m trying to imagine Dr.

Jose Rizal being threatened by the Spanish authorities with imprisonment and, worse, death by musketry for writing “Noli Mi Tangere” and “El Fil-ibusterismo” and for exposing the friars to ridicule.

Would Rizal have issued the same frantic appeal for support from the Katipunan and from his fellow Filipino scholars in Spain? Would he have expressed concern that, due to his writ-ings, his life was at stake?

I don’t think he did. As a mat-ter of fact, there is an account about an offer from the Katipu-nan to spring Rizal from Fort Santiago before the day of his execution. But he declined, not

wanting other people to suffer the wrath of the colonizers.

Lest I be misunderstood by Prof. Desierto and her UP col-leagues, I do not, in any way, ad-mire them less for having called for the resignation of Justice Justice Mariano del Castillo for having, allegedly, plagiarized le-gal luminaries and, worse yet, distorted their views.

But I would admire them even more if they were to tell the Supreme Bullies in the Su-preme Court to just go ahead and cite them for contempt and, subsequently, throw them in jail for daring to tell the truth. And, oh yes, strip them of the right to practice or teach law.

That’s exactly what Jose Rizal did. He faced his persecutors, did not ask for mercy, did not retract, did not explain why he did what he did, but stood by his convic-tions and dared the Spanish au-thorities to do their worst.

They did their worst at Ba-gumbayan. Which is why we honor Rizal as a national hero.

Did Ninoy Aquino plead with the rest of the country to help him reason with Marcos and his military, after he had been sen-tenced to die? I don’t think he did. In fact, he refused to digni-fy the kangaroo court with any kind of defense.

That left Marcos flatfoot-ed. While he and the military made loud noises about putting

Ninoy to death, they really didn’t want to. They were bluffing. And Ninoy called their bluff.

The day after Ninoy left for the United States, I happened to be in Malacañang with my elder brother, Eddie, my cousin, Yen, the late Ben Peñaranda and Paquing Javines, a Leyte poet, on the invitation of then First Lady Imelda Marcos. Bongbong Marcos had been made Herma-no Mayor of the Tacloban fiesta and Imelda wanted the affair to be, well, Imeldific. As Leyteños, we were asked to help her with the spectacular.

It was then that she in-formed us that Ninoy had been allowed to leave for the U.S. According to her, Ninoy had a bad heart and was liable to die in prison. The Marcoses didn’t want that to happen.

“Nobody would believe that we did not cause his death,” said Imelda. “That’s why we let him go.”

At any rate, when it became clear that Marcos was termi-nal, Ninoy resolved to return to the Philippines. He had a pre-monition of death. According to him, if he was shot in the head, he was a goner.

But he went home anyway. Which is why we honor Ninoy Aquino as a martyr.

The point I’m making is that the Bullies of the Supreme Court are exactly that. Hid-

ing behind what they consider the cloak of infallibility and in-vincibility, they have taken of-fense at the truth being flung at them by the entire faculty of the UP College of Law.

And not just the UP profes-sors. The law scholars that Del Castillo plagiarized have also flung the truth at the Supreme Bullies. But the Bullies are not threatening the scholars. They wouldn’t dare. They’re threaten-ing the UP professors in the be-lief that these academics will wither under their judicial stare.

As I said, earlier, the profes-sors should dare the Supreme Bullies to throw them in jail. As a matter of fact, everyone who sym-pathizes with them and thinks that Del Castillo is a plagiarist and the members of the Supreme Court are Bullies should also vol-unteer to go to jail with them.

I would.Let’s see if there are enough

jail cells to accommodate an irate nation.

I don’t know the law enough. B u t m a y b e , a t t h a t p o i n t , Noynoy Aquino, who has no love lost for the Arroyo-appoint-ed members of the Supreme Court, can simply grant a par-don to everyone and expose the Supreme Bullies as toothless.

Noynoy’s father would be mighty proud of him if he were to do that. (gregmaca-benta@hotmail.com)

Boo! This Sunday, October 31st, you will likely see witches, ghosts, goblins,

skeletons, demons and other evil characters knocking at your door and hollering "trick or treat," and they will expect a treat or you will be tricked. There will be parties where kids (and even adults, for that matter) bob for apples, tell fortunes, or go through haunt-ed houses. There will be decora-tions of jack-o-lanterns, witch-es on brooms, and black cats. It is the only day of the year when we give free food to strangers and display carved vegetables on our front porch. When you really think about it, October 31st is a very strange day.

Yes, indeed!Halloween is a favorite fam-

ily celebration - a time for tra-ditions such as dressing in cos-tumes, trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, visiting haunted houses or theme parks, watching scary movies, trekking through pumpkin patches, tak-

ing hay rides and of course, carv-ing pumpkins. It has also become one of the top reasons for Ameri-cans to throw a party – as a mat-ter of fact, it's the third largest party day in the U.S. right be-hind New Year's Eve and Super Bowl Sunday. Halloween is also the biggest holiday of the year when it comes to candy sales - estimated at almost $2 billion. One quarter of all the candy sold each year is purchased between September 15 and November 10. And by some assessment, Hal-loween is No. 2 in holiday home decor after Christmas itself.

Halloween in this country is a colorful festival to say the least, but the holiday is also an occa-sion to recognize a special day for those actually born on Hallow-een - and which particular cel-ebration also happens to be the natal day of my one-and-only grandson. Yup, born on Hallow-een... that's my boy... my grand-son Jacob! Everybody has them each and every year and it just

happens that my grandson Jacob has it on Halloween. Considering the other alternative, having a birthday on Halloween is a pret-ty good thing. So, I say whether it's your birthday, too, or some-one else you know or love, enjoy it and commemorate it. Life's too short to have it any other way!

I say being born on Halloween is a great day to have a birthday! It's the best day of the year for any kid anyway, but to have it on a date when everybody's dress-ing funny, you can go around and get candy at strangers' houses, well, that's just the icing on the birthday cake, so to speak.

Isn't it great to see every-body, I mean each and every one, having a grand time on your birthday? People you don't even know. And everyone's got a smile on his or her face, even when it's hidden behind a mask.

Fortunately, it took a while before my grandson found out that the parade they held ev-ery year on his birthday was not for him. So my grandson's birthday always did have cards, a party, presents, cake, trick-or-treating, and perhaps, even a parade ever since. And wasn't that wonderful that so many other people took part in it, too. Folks he didn't even know. That was the beauty of it, wasn't it?

Luckily, too - some kid of his age from nowhere did not set him straight on the cavalcade. Kids can be cruel, sometimes, you know. "Hey, kiddo, we were having this parade before you moved here, okay? Haven't you heard of Halloween?"

"Well, yeah, but... Oh."No matter what... I still say

birthdays are the most impor-

tant holidays of all. And so, I encourage you all to celebrate birthdays even if it falls on Hal-loween. By the way... did you know the White House will send your newborn a birthday card? Just send the following information: Baby's name, ad-dress and date of birth to: White House Greetings Office, Room 39 Washington, D.C. 20500.

Here is another fact: "At least fifteen million people are having a birthday today." Yes, even on Halloween night, itself.

OK, now before we get to it, I believe you can not talk about Halloween without discussing its history - so, shall we?

Halloween is a secular celebra-tion based on ancient Druid cus-toms, dating back to 700 B.C. The Druids, a Celtic religious order in ancient Britain, Ireland and France, deemed that the souls of the dead returned to mingle with the living on "hallowed eve," October 31st. People originally dressed in costumes to disguise themselves from these spirits.

Halloween was first celebrat-ed in the United States in the 1840s, when Irish Catholics, fleeing from the potato famine, brought Halloween customs with them to America. The tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns originated with Irish children who first carved out the centers of rutabagas, turnips and potatoes and placed candles in-side. So, along with St. Patrick's Day, we also got Halloween from the good folks of Ireland.

The first Halloween cards in the U.S. were produced in 1908. Hallmark fashioned its first Hal-loween cards in the 1920s.

Statistics show that more

than 50 million Americans (about 90 percent of families with children up to age 12) par-ticipate in Halloween. Adults are joining in the fun as well. Total Halloween spending is highest among 25-34 year olds. The average consumer is ex-pected to spend more than $40 on costumes, candy, decorations and greeting cards this year.

Traditionally, Halloween has always been one of the holidays that Americans genuinely love. It's the one day where you can be anything that you want and no one will question you for it. It is the one time where you can tru-ly be the "princess" or the "foot-ball pro." Most folks will never forget what it was like to dress up and go out with friends that one night a year and just be what they wanted. For most of them, it was great to be "free" for at least one night. I guess it is also all part and parcel of growing up here in good, old U.S. of A.

And unfortunately, too - ev-ery year there are also some kids who use Halloween as an ex-cuse to vandalize public and pri-vate property. This is absolute-ly wrong! Halloween is not a 24-hour reprieve from the laws. I do say let's all respect others no matter what the day or holiday is!

But I digress... so let's go back to my original topic... Born on Halloween?

For those who are actually born on October 31st, the folk-lore says that you will have the ability to read dreams. A catego-ry Halloween superstition also says a person born on Hallow-een can see and talk to spirits... I guess kind of like the lovely lady/boutique owner on that hit TV

show - the "Ghost Whisperer." "I see dead people," remember that other famous movie quote? OK, I'm not quite eager to embrace that last one, myself.

Trivia is anything but. (Trivi-al, that is.) So, you ask how about famous people born on Hallow-een? CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather (1931) was born on Halloween, as was Today news-caster Jane Pauley (1950). Well... there's also Frank Shorter (1947) who won an Olympic gold medal for marathon running and Bar-bara Geddes (1922) who played Miss Ellie on the television pro-gram “Dallas”. President of Na-tionalist China Chiang Kai-shek (1887) and English romantic poet John Keats (1795) are in the same league. Filipino-American Holly-wood actor Rob Schneider (1963) is a Halloween baby, too. October 31 birthdays in history is truly a gallery of famous folks. My grand-son is certainly in good company.

Well... I just about covered everything else for this Hal-loween weekend's edition. So - Halloween or not, let's just cel-ebrate! Come on.

Happy Birthday, Jacob! We love you.

Hope your birthday is loaded with fun and surprises - a real scream at seven!

But what is it that we mean when we conjure up being born on Halloween? I say it's prob-ably not what you think. I be-lieve the scariest part of having a Halloween birthday really is that you become a year older! And that is all there is to it.

Enjoy your day, Jacob.And to all, have a Happy

Halloween. Boo!

Born on Halloween is a birthday boon

Dare to go to jail

workers abroad at one time or another. Taiwan and South Ko-rea, for example, used to be two of the biggest exporters of labor. But with industrialization, their citi-zens now stay at home and travel only as tourists or businessmen.

But while China and India, the two biggest labor exporters, are slowly transitioning to becoming two of the strongest economies in the world, the Philippines, which is the third biggest labor exporter, remains poor and unable to pro-vide jobs to its population.

Unlad Kabayan, a non-prof-it based in the Philippines, said “There is a definite cycle of mi-gration: Filipino workers go abroad, earn a little, return to the Philippines, use up the sav-ings, and then work abroad again. The challenge is to break this cycle, and provide an alter-native to migration.”

Indeed, the government has to

start refocusing its priorities to stop this “culture of migration” and keep its workers home, so that they don’t have to suffer the indignities of working for foreign-ers and their children don’t have to grow up without their parents.

But lulled into complacency by the sweet scent of the dollar, our leaders would rather keep the status quo, never mind what ills it would bring in the future.

During his campaign for the presidency, candidate Noynoy Aquino said of his vision on the issue of the OFWs: “From a gov-ernment that treats its people as an export commodity and a means to earn foreign currency to a government that creates jobs at home so that working abroad will be a choice rather than a ne-cessity; and when its citizens do choose to become OFWs, their welfare and protection will still be the government’s priority.”

We’ll hold President Aquino to that promise. (valabelgas@aol.com)

i n c o r r u p t i b l e — t h u s deserving of a high personal “satisfaction rating” — it might not hold true with his “performance rating” which was manifested poorly in the second and third surveys published last October 11 and October 16.

With 41% of the respondents “dissatisfied” of his performance and 50% believing that he can only fulfill “a few” of the promises he made in his SONA, that is definitely a big “red flag” and P-Noy should strive hard to improve his performance and program of government.

Indeed, P-Noy needs to shift from “campaign mode” to “governance mode.” It’s time for him to digress from demagoguery and start laying the groundwork for the delivery of his campaign promise, “Kung walang corrupt, walang

mahirap” (No corruption, no poverty). His first 100 days in office are over; he should now be cranking out results.

A lesson from historyDuring the reign of the late

Chinese leader Mao Zedong, M a o m a n a g e d t o s t a y i n power by keeping the “spirit of revolution” alive. He reasoned that as long as China was in a perpetual state of revolution, the Chinese people would make sacrifices in the belief that once the revolution had ended, it would usher in an era of peace and prosperity. That’s the farthest from the truth: the revolution ended when Chiang Kai Shek fled the mainland in 1949 and the communists took full control of the government. However, b y c o n s t a n t l y r e m i n d i n g the people of revolutionary “changes,” the people remained hopeful that things were going to get better. But nothing changed much. The Chinese

people remained powerless and poor under Mao’s oppressive “revolutionary” regime.

When Mao passed away in 1976, the visionary Deng Xiaoping became the de-facto leader. Deng started instituting drastic and ambitious economic r e f o r m s . H i s i n s t i t u t e d “revisionist” policies – anathema to Communist dogma — that eventually freed China from the yoke of poverty. Today, after three decades of industrialization and blending capitalism with its socialist economic system, China is now the second biggest economy in the world, after the United States.

I am not espousing that P-Noy should embrace the Chinese brand of social-capitalism. However, he should break away from a feudalistic – and anachronistic — agricultural system and push the country on the road to industrialization. In my opinion, industrialization is the only way to bring about

real and meaningful economic progress in the Philippines.

Political willBut first things first. P-Noy

has to have the political will to implement the changes he promised the people. He needs to go beyond the “wang-wang” politics that awed the people during his inauguration. He needs to demonstrate leadership skills and do away with “hotdog-eating” gimmickry. While it might endear him to the “common tao” in the short run, the real challenge for him is to assert his primacy as the nation’s leader and impose his supremacy when dealing with recalcitrant and troublesome subordinates.

He can be caring yet resolute. He can be fair yet astute. He can be a benevolent yet stern disciplinarian. And he can be loved by the people yet feared by his enemies. These traits are the mark of a true leader. That’s the P-Noy we’d like to see. (PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

diazContinued from p age 6

abelgasContinued from p age 6

8 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

New guidelines released today by the American Heart Association recommend that the three steps of cardiopul-monary resuscitation (CPR) be rearranged.

The new first step is doing chest compressions instead of first establishing the air-way and then doing mouth to mouth. The new guidelines apply to adults, children, and infants but exclude newborns.

The old way was A-B-C -- for airway, breathing and compressions.

The new way is C-A-B -- for compressions, airway, and breathing.

"By starting with chest compressions, that's easy to remember, and for many vic-tims that alone will be life-saving," said Michael R. Sayre, MD, chair of the emer-gency cardiovascular care committee for the American Heart Association and co-au-thor of the executive summa-ry of the 2010 AHA guide-lines for CPR and emergency cardiovascular care.

The old approach, he said, was causing delays in chest compressions, which are crucial for keeping the blood circulating.

The new guidelines may inspire more people to per-form CPR, said Sayre, an associate professor of emer-gency medicine at Ohio State University, Colum-bus. "Mouth to mouth is hard if you're not trained," he said. ''Anybody can do chest compressions, wheth-er they have had a class or not. Good chest compres-sions really help save lives. In many cases, there is a re-serve of oxygen left in the patient's blood and lungs, from the last breath, and we can take advantage of that oxygen reserve and just do chest compressions."

How to do the new CPRHere is a step-by-step

guide for the new CPR:1. Call 911 or ask someone

else to do so.2. Try to get the person to

respond; if he doesn't, roll the person on his or her back.

3. Start chest compres-sions. Place the heel of your hand on the center of the vic-tim's chest. Put your other hand on top of the first with your fingers interlaced.

By Elain Magee

Chips, cookies, ice cream, candy bars, crackers, and microwave pop-

corn are some of America’s most popular snack foods. But they're often packed with fats and carbs, with little nutri-tional value.

What are your options if you are looking for a smart low-carb snack?

You could choose foods that are higher in fiber and/or im-portant nutrients, feature car-bohydrates with lower glyce-mic indexes, are balanced with

some protein, and contain some of the more heart-healthy fats.

That’s exactly what the fol-lowing 10 low-carb snacks are all about.

1. Turkey and cheese roll-upsCut one part-skim moz-

zarella cheese stick in half l engthwise . Ro l l about 1 ounce of sliced roasted tur-key breast around half of a part skim mozzarella cheese stick and repeat with the re-maining cheese and turkey to make a total of two roll-ups.

Each serving contains: 3.5 grams carbohydrate, 0.3 gram fiber, 144 calories, 17 grams

protein, 6.6 grams fat, 3.8 grams saturated fat

2. Side salad topped with a hard-boiled egg or avocadoTop a typical side salad

with a hard-boiled egg or 1/4 chopped avocado, drizzle with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar or 1 tablespoon of bal-samic vinaigrette.

Each serving (with egg) con-tains: 3 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 146 calories, 11 grams protein, 10 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat

Each serving (with avoca-do) contains: 6 grams carbohy-

drate, 4.4 grams fiber, 120 cal-ories, 4 grams protein, 9 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat

3. Large artichokeCut artichoke in half (from

the stem to the tip) and cut out the inedible thistle part of the center of the artichoke. Place in microwave-safe, covered container with 1/2 cup water and cook on high until tender throughout (about 6 minutes for one artichoke or 10 minutes for two). Enjoy with lemon juice or 2 teaspoons of canola oil or olive oil mayonnaise.

By Kathleen Doheny

It's been a year since Maria Shriver, California's first lady and perhaps its best-known women's advocate, released The Shriver Report: A Woman's Na-tion Changes Everything. The landmark study examined how Americans live and work now that mothers are the primary or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of U.S. families, and the far-reaching effects of these shifting roles.

The sequel is finally here: The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's. It focuses on the impact of the Al-zheimer's epidemic, talks about cutting-edge research, includes personal essays by celebrities, patients, and caregivers, and re-veals the results of a large-scale poll on Alzheimer's.

The puzzling, frustrating brain disorder now affects 5.3 million Americans and may af-fect 16 million by 2050. Sixty-five percent of those with Al-zheimer's are women, and women are also more likely than men to be caregivers for someone with the disease.

“'This is a nationwide epi-demic, and women are at the

Alzheimer’s and its

impact on women

New CPR guidelines: Chest first

See aLzheImer'S on 9 See SnaCkS on 9

10 best low-carb snacks

See CPr on 9

October 30 - November 5, 2010 9THE FILIPINO PRESS

epicenter of it,” said Shriver, who was an executive produc-er for The Alzheimer's Project documentaries that aired last year on HBO.

According to the poll , which gathered information from 3,118 adults nationwide, including more than 500 Al-zheimer caregivers:

• 60% of Alzheimer's care-givers are women.

• Of those women, 68% report they have emotional stress from caregiving.

• Nearly half of these 68% rate their stress as a ''5'' on a scale of "1" to "5."

• 57% of all caregivers, in-cluding 2/3 of the women, admit they fear getting Alzheimer's.

• 4 in 10 caregivers say they had no choice about their new role.

For Shriver, 54, fighting the epidemic is intensely person-al. Her father, politician Sar-gent Shriver, the first leader of the Peace Corps who was also active in his late wife Eu-nice Kennedy Shriver's Spe-cial Olympics, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2003. He is now 94. (webmd.com)

Each serving (with lemon juice) contains: 17 grams car-bohydrate, 9 grams fiber, 76 calories, 5.5 grams protein, .2 gram fat, .01 gram satu-rated fat

Each serving (with may-onnaise) contains: 17 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams fiber, 106 calories, 5.5 grams pro-tein, 3 grams fat, 0.1 gram saturated fat

4. Avocado and shrimp cocktail

Toss 2 ounces of cooked thawed shrimp with 1/4 av-ocado (chopped) and a table-spoon of cocktail sauce.

Each serving contains: 8.5 grams carbohydrate, 3.4 grams fiber, 161 calories, 13 grams protein, 7.6 grams fat, 1.2 grams saturated fat

5. Typical fast-food Caesar salad with grilled chicken

(no dressing)Each serving contains: 12

grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 220 calories, 30 grams protein, 6 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat

6. Peanut butter and celery sticks

Serve 3 celery stalks with 2 tablespoons of natural pea-nut butter.

Each serving contains: 8.5 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 208 calories, 7 grams protein, 16 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat

7. A handful of nutsA handful, depending on

the size of the hand, can be the ideal snack portion: a quarter cup. You can keep roasted, unsalted mixed nuts on hand or choose any varia-tion of nuts.

Each serving (1/4 cup roasted almonds) contains: 6.7 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fiber, 205 calories, 9.5 grams protein, 18 grams fat, 1.4 grams satu-rated fat

8. Edamame bowlA super-convenient way to

enjoy high protein soybeans as a snack is to put 3/4 cup of fro-zen, shelled edamame into a microwave-safe bowl and mi-cro-cook them for a few minutes or until nice and hot. Sprinkle with pepper and 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, if desired.

Each serving contains: 8 grams carbohydrate, 4.3 grams fiber, 97 calories, 9 grams pro-tein, 4 grams fat, 0 grams sat-urated fat

9. Carrot sticks and hummusCut one large carrot into

sticks or coins and serve with 1/4-cup hummus.

Each serving contains: 15.8 grams carbohydrate, 5.8 grams fiber, 133 calories, 6 grams pro-tein, 6 grams fat, 0.9 grams saturated fat

10. Soy latte (iced or hot)Blend a cup of light soy milk

with a shot or two (1/8 to 1/4 cup) of espresso or triple-strength coffee (decaf if you're sensitive to caffeine). Serve over or blend with 3/4 cup crushed ice for an iced soy latte.

Each serving contains: 8.5 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fi-ber, 73 calories, 6 grams pro-tein, 1.9 grams fat, 0 gram sat-urated fat. (webmd.com)

snacksContinued from p age 8

alzheimer'sContinued from p age 8

4. Press down so you com-press the chest at least 2 inch-es in adults and children and 1.5 inches in infants. ''One hun-dred times a minute or even a little faster is optimal," Sayre said. (That's about the same rhythm as the beat of the Bee Gee's song "Stayin' Alive.")

5. If you're been trained in CPR, you can now open

the airway with a head tilt and chin lift.

6. Pinch closed the nose of the victim. Take a nor-mal breath, cover the vic-tim's mouth with yours to create an airtight seal, and then give two, one-second breaths as you watch for the chest to rise.

7. Continue compressions and breaths -- 30 compres-sions, two breaths -- until help arrives. (webmd.com)

cprContinued from p age 8

By Daniel J. DeNoon

Johnson & Johnson has re-called a Tylenol product be-cause of a musty odor, the sixth in a string of product recall an-nouncements dating back to November 2009.

The odor is thought to be caused by a chemical -- 2,4,6-tri-bromoanisole or TBA -- leached into product packaging by wooden storage palettes. TBA is a pesticide and flame retardant.

"The risk of adverse medical events is remote," states a news release by J&J's McNeil Con-sumer Healthcare division.

The recalled product is Ty-

lenol 8 Hour Caplet 50 Count. The recalled product carries these codes:

• Lot number BCM155• NDC Code 50580-297-50• UPC # 3 0045-0297-51 8People who bought this prod-

uct should stop using it and con-tact McNeil Consumer Health-care for a refund or product coupon. Adverse events related to the product should be report-ed to the FDA's Medwatch Ad-verse Event Reporting Program at 800-FDA-0178.

Last January, the FDA is-sued a warning letter to Mc-Neil, complaining that the firm violated Good Manufac-

turing Practices by failing to fully investigate consumer complaints of a musty odor in its products. The FDA said the company began receiving com-plaints in 2008.

Last July, J&J/McNeil re-called 21 lots of products be-cause of the musty odor linked to TBA. The July recall includ-ed children's Tylenol, Motrin brand ibuprofen, and Benadryl allergy tablets.

Previous recalls of McNeil products because of the musty odor were issued in November and December 2009, and in January, June, and July 2010. (webmd.com)

Tylenol recalled... again

By Bill Hendrick

A dose of baking soda may add a little fizz to the perfor-mance of tennis players, a new study says.

Scientists at the Nation-al Taiwan College of Physical Education conducted a small study to test whether a tiny amount of sodium bicarbon-ate -- more commonly known as baking soda -- helped tennis players do more than just take the smell out of their shoes.

It seemed to help perfor-mance, researchers say in the study, published in the Journal of the International Society of

Sports Nutrition.“We found that sodium bi-

carbonate supplementation can prevent the fatigue-induced decline in skilled tennis per-formance seen during match-es,” Chen-Kang Chang, head of the Taiwanese research team, said. “The service and forehand ground stroke consistency was maintained” after a simulated match in a trial in which sodi-um bicarbonate was used.

The study involved nine players, randomly assigned to receive a drink containing bak-ing soda or a placebo drink be-fore a simulated tennis match.

Their tennis ski l ls were

tested when they faced off with a ball-serving machine that hurled balls at them. Their heart rates were moni-tored, and so was the accuracy of their shots.

All factors considered, in-cluding results from blood tests, suggest that sodium bi-carbonate seems to fight fa-tigue, the researchers say, thus increasing accuracy and veloc-ity of certain tennis shots.

Chang said future research is needed to find out more about possible benefits of sodi-um bicarbonate on fatigue and performance in vigorous activ-ities. (webmd.com)

Baking soda boosts athletic performance

10 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

“Put these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark of

the Covenant, where I meet with you. Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to this murmuring and complaining against you.” (Numbers 17:4-5)

We love to grumble about the government, but there is one thing worse than govern-ment - having no government at all. A state of anarchy has existed from time to time in many countries where law and order collapsed and fear, vio-lence, carnage, and destruction took over. Although we may not like those in authority, we need them to keep the peace.

There came a time in Isra-el’s history when there was such a breakdown in law and or-der that “the people did what-ever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Those who resented being told what they

could or could not do no doubt enjoyed the freedom to live with-out restrictions and enthusiasti-cally indulge themselves in un-restrained living. This was not a new state of affairs. The Israel-ites had, throughout their histo-ry, shown a marked preference for the freedom to do what they wanted and a definite distaste for authority in any form.

Even in the early days, af-ter their remarkable deliver-ance from slavery of Egypt, when one would have thought they would be ecstatic about di-vine leadership and direction, they showed a constitution-al aversion to God’s leadership through Moses and Aaron.

The issue was of such mag-nitude to God that he ex-plained to Moses how to put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths, It is important to note that the people’s com-plaints against Moses and Aar-on were, in God’s view, com-

plaints against him. Moses and Aaron were not self-appointed or democratically elected; they were divinely ordained. So to question them was to ques-tion God, and to rebel against them was to rebel against the Holy One of Israel. The Isra-elites were reluctant to accept God’s authority through Mo-ses and Aaron, so God deter-mined that a showdown was necessary. He instructed Mo-ses to collect “wooden staffs, one from each of Israel’s ances-tral tribes” (17:2). These staffs represented the leader of each tribe. Then Moses stored them in the tabernacle, per the Lord’s instructions. On returning the next morning, the staff belong-ing to Aaron and the tribe of Levi “had sprouted, blossomed, and produced almonds!” (17:8) Of all the leaders of Israel, when it came down to the priesthood, Aaron was God’s man - the main man. It wasn’t that Aaron’s rod was special. Aaron was spe-cial because God had appoint-ed him and the miraculous rod was God’s way of showing it to the people beyond doubt.

In our times, we still re-sent authority and much pre-fer the absence of restrictions. We fondly imagine that this leads to freedom and fullness of life. Granted, authority can be abused, and oppression can re-sult. But rightly understood and appropriately applied, authority is divinely delegated for man’s good. Man may not like it - but God insists on it. We may think that doing what seems right in our own eyes is the way to go. Sadly, we don’t see it is the way to go downhill - rapidly!

When I was growing up, I used to pass by a small, colorful

church every time my par-ents took me along to visit our farm in Paitan, a barrio in my hometown of San Car-los, (now a city), Pangasinan. Many of our tenants are mem-bers of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ). I did not ask nor did they share their beliefs with me. But I found them to be humble, patient and kind. There never was a problem in their relationship with my family or with the community at large.

My father, the late Judge Lauro P. Soriano, was one of the first converts to Method-ism, the only one from a large clan of devout Roman Catho-lics. To him, religion was a way of life not a topic for discus-

sion. He respected the beliefs of others while he tenacious-ly lived by the tenets of his Christian faith. The relation-ship between my father and his tenants was very warm. There was mutual respect and regard for each other’s rights and responsibilities.

In a community of predom-inantly Roman Catholics, the Iglesias and the Protes-tants are considered by big-ots in the community as Sa-tan’s children since they don’t pray the rosary, they don’t pray to the saints and they have no icons of saints in their churches. Their re-ligious practices are differ-ent and there is not much symbolism in our sanctu-ary, except for a small cross, a bible and fresh flowers to adorn the altar.

The Iglesias and the Prot-estants went their separate ways in winning members, but I personally did not bother to learn their faith or values. Even at my late age, I do not really know the te-nets of the Iglesia Ni Cris-to. I just know that they are a force to be reckoned with, especially during elections in the Philippines. They are the most powerful voting bloc in the country.

It was only recently here in San Diego when I was first invited to attend a mission gathering of the Iglesia ni Cristo by my friends Rema-rie and Ronald Dinogan, new arrivals from the Midwest. I was hesitant to accept the in-vitation fearing that I might stick out as a sore thumb in a group of well-behaved, dis-ciplined tithers. I had the no-tion they were an exclusive group whose belief system is totally different from mine.

But Remarie and Ronald are so friendly and sincere in their ways, I relented and entered for the first time in my life an Iglesia Ni Cris-to church in National City. Then, last Fr iday evening (Oct. 22), my friends again invited me to attend their Grand Evangelical Mission at the Scottish Rite Event Cen-ter. It was a huge gathering of more than 600 people from five local congregations — El Cajon, National City. Chu-la Vista, Mira Mesa and Vis-ta. The choir was impressive. The hymns were inspiring.

DANNY HERNAEZ

From Whom All Blessings Flow

God and authority

Glen Abbey MemorialPark & Mortuary

619-498-4600Nature Garden

Chapel of Roses

Getting rid of religious intolerance

AURORA SORIANO-CUDAL

My PersonalTestimony

See CudaL on 18

October 30 - November 5, 2010 11THE FILIPINO PRESS

Inter-Global Travel Solutions3130 Bonita Road Suite 204 Chula Vista, CA 91910

We offer the best rates and we are cheaper than online booking!

We are open Monday to Friday 8AM – 6PM

TAWAG NA PO KAYO!

619-425-2273 • 619-425-0648 858-201-9533

We accept all major credit cards. All prices are subject to change without prior notice.

Email: Interglobaltravel@yahoo.com

YOUR COUPON COULD BE HERE NEXT WEEK!

CONTACT

THE FILIPINO PRESS TODAYCall: (619) 477-0940

ADVERTISE wITH uS

Check us out online at:

filipinopress.com

The

IMMEDIATEJOB

OPENINGLive-in elderly

assistant.No experience

required.Will train:• Good pay

• Good benefitsPlease call

(619) 962-7966

12 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

NOVEMBER 3

CELEBRATE FILIPINO PRIDE WITH 2009 CNN HERO, EFREN PENAFLORIDADinner Musicale featuring Bernardo Bernardo, singer, actor, comedian extraordinaire to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 3 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant, 4609 Convoy Street, San Diego, CA 92111. There will also be a fundraiser for Children's Education Pro-gram. Donation is $35 per person. Call (619) 755-3930 for reservation.

NOvEMBER 6EARLY SAN DIEGO REGIONAL HISTORY CONFERENCEThe Early San Diego Regional History Conference will take place on Saturday, November 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Old Town Cultural and Historical Program Campus, 3939 Conde Street, San Diego. CA 92110.

The event is brought to you by the Early San Diego Regional History Collaborative, the SDUSD Old Town Program, and local historical parks.

Come discover San Diego’s lost history & local gems. This year’s conference theme is El Pueblo Perdido: The Lost Heritage of Early San Diego, Focusing on 1769-1848 and beyond.

For more information call Angela at (619) 423-7248 or email Karla at kshiminski@sandi.net.

NOVEMBER 7

9TH ANNUAL INTERFAITH CANDLELIGHT vIGILThe 9th Annual Interfaith Candle Vigil will take place on Sunday, No-vember 7, with the procession starting at San Diego Rescue Mission (120 Elm Street, San Diego, 92101).

A procession to the vigil will depart from the San Diego Rescue Mission at 3:15 p.m. and walk approximately a mile stopping at four points in the procession to the County Building. Each person in the procession will carry a pair of shoes which represents homeless individuals who died in the last year. The candlelight vigil program at the County Build-ing begins at 4:00 p.m. The interfaith event is designed to create aware-ness for the 10,000 men, women and children living each day homeless in San Diego that should not have to die on the streets.

NOVEMBER 9

HIRE A HERO HIRE A vETERAN CAREER AND RESOURCE FAIRThe Hire a Hero Hire a Veteran Career and Resource Fair will take place on November 9, 2010 at the Double Tree Hotel located at 7450 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego 92108.

Our returning Veterans are facing a 20% unemployment rate far greater than the national norm.

The hotel offers free parking and the event is open to the public. For

more information, visit http://www.sdvec.org.

NOVEMBER 14

CELEBRATION OF 125TH ANNIvERSARY OF THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF NATIONAL CITYWorship Service at 10:00 a.m. with Pastor J.T. Kim and featuring a special message from Bishop Mary Ann Swenson. A luncheon and entertainment program will follow after the worship service.

NOVEMBER 14

MIRACLE BABIES 5K WALK/RUNThe second annual Miracle Babies 5K Family Walk/Run will take place 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 14, 2010 at Mariner’s Point in Mis-sion Bay Park. After the walk, participants and spectators will enjoy live music, kids’ activities, food, drinks and more! Strollers are welcomed and encouraged. Participants may register through www.active.com or on location the day of the event.

Join with Miracle Babies, an organization that aims to lift the financial burdens of families, so families can focus on one thing – the health of their newborn. For more information, please visit www.miraclebabies.org.

NOVEMBER 15

FACC ROUND TABLE TRADE CONFERENCEOn Monday, November 15, the FACC will hold a round table trade confer-ence with numerous Philippine business owners, in conjunction with the Philippine Trade Representative and the Consul General.

The conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel Mission Valley from 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 pm.

NOVEMBER 15

EXPANDING TRADE & INvESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE PHILIPPINESCo-organized with the Philippine Consulate General, Los Angeles, the Philippine Trade & Investment Center, and a group of community leaders, the event will give members an opportunity to explore opportunities to do business with other Philippine business owners, here and overseas! There will be executives and business owners visiting from the Philippines, speaking at the event, including representatives from: AgriNurture, Inc., Prople, Philippine Franchise Association (PFA), Max’s Restaurant, ATHAG, and DAILA Herbal enterprises Community, Inc.

Guests of honor will include Hon. Mary Jo Bernardo-Aragon, Consulate General of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, Mr. Archime-ndes C. Gomez, Philippine Trade Representative, and Mr. Matt Anderson, Director, Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce.

The event will take place on Monday, November 15 from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel, 7450 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92108. The cost is $25.00 for members and $35.00 for non-mem-bers (appetizers includes). Please RSVP by November 10. For more information, please contact Audie de Castro (619) 702-8690 or Cath-erine Soriano (619) 793-7443 (sorsi.soriano@gmail.com).

NOVEMBER 21

ALTERNATIvE CHRISTMAS MARKETSimple, yet powerful gifts that change the world await shoppers at the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church Alternative Christmas Market. Buy school books for Ethiopia, an acre of rain forest in Peru or help feed homeless fami-lies in San Diego. Shoppers can also choose from an extensive array of crafts from around the world. Hours are 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, November 21 at 120 Stevens Ave., Solana Beach. (858-509-2580). Shop online at www.alternativechristmasmarket.org.

Palomar College, which has one of the largest numbers of enrolled vet-

erans of any higher education-al institution in California, cel-ebrated the opening of a new Veterans' Support Center on the College’s San Marcos cam-pus on Friday, Oct. 22.

The event included speak-ers, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and refreshments. The Center, located in the Student Union complex (room SU 22), hous-es a veteran student lounge

where students can gather, study and relax, as well as an office for personalized services.

“I am very proud of this Cen-ter and what it means for our veteran students, who repre-sent a large and important seg-ment of our student popula-tion, “stated Robert P. Deegan, Palomar College Superinten-dent/President. “This Center opening is a long-time coming and we are excited to provide this much-needed space for our veteran students to better ac-cess specialized services and to just have a designated place to meet on campus.”

For more information on Palomar College Veterans Stu-dent Services, visit the Palo-mar College website at http://www.palomar.edu/veterans/.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – De-partment of Homeland Secu-rity (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano recently visited San Diego to meet with feder-al, state and local law enforce-ment leaders, visit National Guard troops helping to secure the Southwest border and high-light the ongoing efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protec-tion (CBP) and U.S. Immigra-tion and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to bolster border security while expediting the flow of le-gal travel and trade.

“We have devoted unprece-dented amounts of manpower, infrastructure and technology to the Southwest border under this administration,” said Sec-retary Napolitano. “Over the past two years, our seizures

of illegal drugs, currency and weapons have increased signif-icantly—helping to make the Southwest border more secure than ever before.”

While in San Diego, Secre-tary Napolitano visited Nation-al Guard troops stationed at the Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station who are providing di-rect support to federal law en-forcement personnel in high-risk areas to disrupt criminal organizations seeking to smug-gle people and goods illegally across the Southwest border. In May, President Obama autho-rized the deployment of an ad-ditional 1,200 National Guard troops along the Southwest bor-der as part of the administra-tion’s unprecedented efforts to crack down on transnational

smuggling and cartel violence.She also joined CBP Commis-

sioner Alan Bersin at the San Ysidro Port of Entry to highlight several results of the Obama ad-ministration’s deployment of un-precedented levels of personnel, technology, and resources to the Southwest border.

In fiscal years 2009 and 2010, CBP seized more than $104 million in southbound il-legal currency—an increase of approximately $28 million compared to 2007-2008. CBP and ICE also seized more than $282 million in illegal curren-cy, more than 7 million pounds of drugs, and more than 6,800 weapons in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 along the southwest border—increases of more than $73 million, more than 1 mil-

lion pounds of drugs and more than 1,500 weapons compared to 2007-2008.

Secretary Napolitano also highlighted the 36 percent de-crease in Border Patrol appre-hensions from nearly 724,000 in fiscal year 2008 to approximate-ly 463,000 in fiscal year 2010—indicating that fewer people are attempting to cross the border.

She also met with federal, state and local law enforce-ment leaders at the San Di-ego Maritime Unified Com-mand, a unified federal, state and local maritime law en-forcement operation in the San Diego and Orange Coun-ty maritime region, to discuss the integral role of the Uni-fied Command in securing our ports and maritime borders.

Palomar College opens Veterans’ Support Center GET LISTED: To have your event listed in Save the Date, e-mail your

information (include date, time, location, cost, and phone) to filpress@aol.com. Keep in mind we publish on Saturdays, so ensure your event happens on the day of publication or during the following week.

Secretary Napolitano visits San Diego

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – San Diego Junior Theatre kicks off their 63rd season in Bal-boa Park with Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka. In this fun-filled, world-premiere stage musical based on Roald Dahl's beloved children's novel, a sweet-natured boy named Charlie and four other winners get the tour of a life-time in a mysterious candy-maker's fantastical factory.

Featuring many mem-orable songs - including "The Candy Man," "I Want It Now!", and "Pure Imagi-nation" - Roald Dahl's Wil-ly Wonka is a scrumptious musical theater treat for the entire family. Alumnus Matthew Novotny is the lighting designer and the show features an ensem-ble cast of 54 students.

Directed by SDJT's Artistic Director, Desha Crownover, Roald Dahl’s Willy Won-ka runs through Sunday, Nov. 14 at the Casa del Pra-do Theatre in Balboa Park. Performances are at 7:00 p.m. on Fridays, and at 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sun-days. Tickets are $8 - $14.

For ticket purchase and information, call (619) 239-8355 or visit Juniortheatre.com. This production is rec-ommended for all ages.

SDJT embarked on its 63rd season with nine pro-ductions at their sites in Balboa Park and La Jolla. A private, non-profit organiza-tion, Junior Theatre is dedi-cated to providing all youth, ages 3 – 18, an opportunity to experience theatre arts through innovative classes, camps, performances and outreach programs. Contri-butions to San Diego Junior Theatre are tax-deductible.

SDJT presents Roald Dahl's willy wonka

Photo: Melinda Finn

(L-R) Palomar College’s Governing Board Trustees Dr. Rose Marie Dishman and Mark Evilsizer, Governing Board President Dr. Michele Nelson, and Palomar College Superintendent/President Robert P. Deegan.

October 30 - November 5, 2010 13THE FILIPINO PRESS

By Aurora S. CudalFilipino Press Contributing Writer

CHULA VISTA, Calif. – Proposed budget cuts for Ch-ula Vista’s Recreation De-partment for fiscal year 2011 reflect the elimination of pro-grams for youth and seniors. With a proposed budget re-duction of almost $4.6 million, there would be a 34 percent decrease in overall expendi-tures, a 22 percent decrease in the full-time workforce and a 40 percent decrease in the part-time workforce.

Among those programs slat-ed to be eliminated are the Chu-la Vista Community Youth Cen-ter, the Holiday Festival, Life Options, Spring and Fall Recre-ational Swimming hours and In-formation and Referral Services.

Seniors, especially those us-ing the Norman Park Senior Center at F Street, are working with City Manager Jim Sando-val and City Councilman Rudy Ramirez to seek alternatives to keep the senior center open.

Led by the Chula Vista Se-niors Club Executive Board, a petition with more than 500 sig-

natures were gathered to pro-test the closure of Norman Park Center. The club also plans to form a human chain around the Norman Park Senior Center to dramatize their protest against the center’s closure.

The Norman Park Senior Cen-ter has provided a wide range of education and recreational activ-ities for seniors for the past 15 years. Its closure, said members of the Seniors Club, would have a great impact on the health and wellness programs that provides seniors with a better quality of life in their twilight years.

Chula Vista budget reduction cuts deep into youth and

seniors recreation program

PALA, Calif. – Southern California boxing fans can view the Manny Pacquiao versus Antonio Margarito 12-round title fight for the vacant WBC light middleweight champion-ship live starting at 6:00 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13, at Pala Ca-sino Spa & Resort.

Pacquiao (51-3-2), ranked the world's number one pound-for-pound fighter, will meet Margarito (38-6-0), the "Ti-juana Tornado," at Dallas Sta-dium in Arlington, TX. Three undercard bouts, including the WBA Junior Featherweight Championship title fight be-tween Guillermo Rigondeaux and Ricardo Cardoba, also will be shown in the live telecast.

Due to the fight telecast, the Saturday night Grand Caba-ret band, Colour My World, A Tribute to Chicago, will start at 9:00 p.m. instead of the pre-viously announced 8:00 p.m.

Pala is located in Northern San Diego County; from San Diego/Riverside, take I-15 to Highway 76 east five miles; from Los Angeles County and Orange County, take I-5 south to Highway 76 east, then trav-el 23 miles. Pala is 15 miles north of Escondido, 12 miles south of Temecula.

The recently expanded Pala Casino Spa & Resort in-cludes a Las Vegas-style casi-no with 2,000 slot machines, 15 poker tables and 87 ta-

ble games; a 507-room hotel; a 10,000-square-foot, full-service spa and salon that features 14 treatment rooms; a state-of-the-art fitness center; swimming pool with 12 private poolside cabanas, and dual-temperature outdoor Jacuzzi. Pala also of-fers 10 restaurants and 40,000 square feet of meeting and con-vention space. Pala Casino Spa & Resort is a AAA Four-Dia-mond Award winner for six con-secutive years. Its state-of-the-art Pala Spa was named the 2009 Best Casino Spa by Spas of America and the 2009 Best Casino Spa by the Southern California Gaming Guide. For more information, visit http://www.palacasino.com.

Pacquiao, Margarito wBC Title fight live at Pala Casino

14 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

Ya got the tricks. Ya got the treats… Ya got the tunes?

Sure, The Monster Mash is a given, but what else is on your playlist for your Hal-loween Bash? Here are my Top 10 favorites that will keep your party guests and trick or treat-ers jammin’ all ghoulish night long! Mwahahahaha!!!

1. Grim Grinning GhostsDisney’s Haunted Mansion

theme, also known as “The Screaming Song,” starts off creepy but develops into a tune you can really twist to. The light beat juxtaposes the frightful lyrics so well that you can’t help but want to dance with, not run from, the spooky spirits!

2. The Phantom of the OperaMusical theater fans and

those that only know the more recent film (tsk, tsk) alike will enjoy doing their bad, er, best opera impressions to the title song of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece that made an old, black and white horror movie’s concept a phenomenon and Sar-ah Brightman a bona fide star.

3. GhostbustersWho ya gonna call? Ghost-

busters! Ray Parker, Jr. cap-tured the serious fun of the film by the same name. The song was so well-received, in fact, that is was nominated for

an Academy Award in the ear-ly 80s… but, alas, lost to “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder. Tough break.

4. Little Shop of HorrorsAlan Menken and Howard

Ashman’s rock musical, “Lit-tle Shop of Horrors,” is a pow-erhouse of tunes, like its main theme, that are so danceable and charming, the duo’s Dis-ney masterpieces hold a can-dle to them.

5. Mean Green Mother from Outer Space

Little Shop of Horrors is so good you knew at least one oth-er of its songs would show up on here. Never has a blood-sucking plant ever been so rockin’ its al-most endearing!

6. Addams GrooveIn the golden age (read: the

90s) of baggy pants, blinding neon, and remakes of kooky classics, MC Hammer brought us an infectious song and dance that were as catchy as the mov-ie that inspired them, “The Ad-dams Family.”

7. The Time WarpTim Curry and Susan Sa-

randon starred in the “so bad, it’s good” 1975 musical extrav-aganza brought from stage to screen, “The Rocky Horror Pic-ture Show.” This ups the ante so high as cult-classics are con-

cerned that you’ll want to do the Time Warp again…and again…

8. Purple People EaterFifty-two years later, the leg-

end of this “one-eyed” creature continues to uphold the leg-end of actor/singer Sheb Wool-ey. This is a kid-friendly classic with a chorus that packs a pur-ple punch with some tongue-twisting fun for everyone!

9. The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Whether fans of country or not, this rousing Charlie Daniels tune will get folks burning up the floor and “Yee-hawing” from its first drumbeats! Forget air-guitars! This song is all about rocking your best air-fiddle!

10. ThrillerFor this song/video/concept

alone, we could thank Michael Jackson for sharing his musical genius with the world. Throw those zombie hands up, and rock side to side on that dance floor with this all-time favorite!

Have fun, but forget to be safe this weekend, my pampered friends! Let’s be able to remem-ber Halloween 2010 fondly, not be haunted by any regrets. As this is also my birthday week-end, I want to take this opportu-nity to thank all of you who have emailed and posted such sweet greetings on Facebook. I’m your fan! Special shout out to my sup-portive buddies of “Team Cavite & Friends” and *Mystic Dance San Diego! XOXO, *Francine, The Pampered Pinay

Wanna keep in touch and join in on fun weekly chats with oth-er Pampered Pinay fans? Sim-

ply check out www.Facebook.com or www.Twitter.com, and search "Francine Maigue." See you online!

Check back every week for ways to pamper yourself and those you love. Why? The an-swer is simple: You deserve it!

Got a business or event I should know about? Wish to agree or disagree with me? Want to send me a love note? (I love those.) Email me at the-pamperedpinay@yahoo.com.

Try Our FamousCrispy Pata, Sisig, Pancit, Seafood,

BBQ, Pasta and More

GAPORESTO & KARAOKEServing Filipino and International Cuisine

933 S. Harbison Ave., National City, CA 91950

(619) 267-3746

Closed on Mondays

Filipino breakfast –served all day

Party trays to go(Free delivery orders of $400 or more)

KaraokeTuesdays thru Sundays:

7pm - 12pm

Halloween party playlist

Francine Maigue

The PamperedPinay

Michael Jackson and the legendary dancers from "Thriller."

their candidate for the presi-dent of the Philippines,” said Val Abelgas, a Los Angeles-based journalist and Filipino Press columnist.

It is commendable, of course, said Abelgas that although they are 10,000 miles away from their homeland, these Filipinos continue to show their concern for the Philippines.

“We have, after all, left be-hind friends and relatives who must get the right leadership to steer them through crises and into the path of economic recov-ery. Some of us will, after all, retire into a quiet, happy life in the homeland, and we, there-fore, have the right and the duty to make sure that the right per-son is elected to the presidency of our native country” he said, adding, “The Philippines, after all, is our native land, and just because we left it to seek green-er pastures, doesn't mean we no longer care about its future.”

However, Abelgas laments the same level of enthusiasm Filipino-Americans show for lo-cal, regional or national politics in the U.S. — whether they run for office or even vote.

“What saddens me is that we cannot gather the same en-thusiasm and the same concern to support Filipino-Americans who seek public office in vari-ous cities in America; or to sup-port other Filipino causes, such as those of Filipino veterans, or

even such patriotic causes as celebrating the Philippine In-dependence,” he said.

Abelgas said the efforts of the scores of organizations supporting presidential can-didates in the Philippines do not alter even a bit the result of the presidential elections in the Philippines.

“And yet, with the same effort, these organizations can help a lot in electing the first Filipino voice in the U.S. Congress, or making sure that the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill gets the nod of the U.S. Congress, or further boost-ing the campaign for Filipino po-litical and economic empower-ment in America,” he said.

Abelgas said he hoped that these groups would use the same energy and enthusiasm to support Filipino-Americans seeking public office in the United States.

“It would be to the great in-terest of both Filipinos here in America and Filipinos in the Philippines if Filipino-Ameri-cans would look beyond their home country and set their sights on electing Filipinos to the highest levels of power in America to serve both as a voice of the hundreds of thou-

sands of Filipinos living in America and to promote the interests of the Philippines and its people,” he said.

“We have lost many chances to have representatives in the U.S. Congress,” Abelgas contin-ued, and other policy-making bodies in several states because Filipinos were just not willing to help in the campaign, nor even cared to register or to vote.

In the end, he says: “Isn’t it time we took care of our own backyard?”

“Filipinos who do not have common issues and causes to unify them such as the Japa-nese-Americans and other mi-norities must be over more diligent in their effort to par-ticipate in community activism lest they fade into powerless ob-scurity,” said Nestor Palugod Enriquez in an online essay en-titled “Filipino-American Politi-cal Participation.”

But as former Hawaii Gov. Benjamin Jerome “Ben” Cay-etano, the first Filipino-Amer-ican to serve as a state gover-nor in the United States, noted: “Filipinos are real neophytes in American politics. Organiza-tion has never been one of our strong suits.”

politicsContinued from p age 1 “What saddens me is that we cannot gather

the same enthusiasm and the same concern to support Filipino-Americans who seek

public office.”

er to then defense secretary Ramón Magsaysay.

No stranger to politics, Aqui-no became governor of Tarlac province in 1961 at age 29, then secretary-general of the Liberal Party in 1966. In 1967 he made history by becoming the young-est senator in the country's his-tory at age 34. He was the only "survivor" of the Liberal Par-ty who made it to the senate, where he was inevitably singled out by Marcos and his allies as their greatest threat.

In 1968, during his first year as senator, Aquino warned that Marcos was on the road to establishing “a garrison state” by “ballooning the armed forces budget,” sad-dling the defense establish-ment with “overstaying gen-erals” and “militarizing our

civilian government offices” — all these caveats were uttered barely four years before mar-tial law. Aquino was correct.

Marcos declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972. Aquino was one of the first to be arrested and imprisoned on trumped-up charges of murder, illegal pos-session of firearms and sub-version. He would spend more than seven years in prison.

After suffering a heart at-tack in 1980, Imelda Marcos of-fered Aquino exile in the United States, where he spent the next three years in a suburb of Bos-ton. Teaching at Harvard and MIT, Aquino wrote manuscripts and gave numerous speeches critical of the Marcos regime.

In 1983, sensing a deter-oration of the Marcos govern-ment and Marcos’ declining health, Aquino decided to re-turn to the Philippines, ful-ly aware of the dangers that

awaited him. Warned that he would either be imprisoned or killed, Aquino answered, “If it’s my fate to die by an assas-sin's bullet, so be it. But I can-not be petrified by inaction, or fear of assassination...”

Aquino was indeed assassi-nated on Aug. 21, 1983, shot in the head after returning to the country.

Aquino has been recog-nized as the most prominent and most dynamic opposition leader of his generation. While some may question the prom-inence given Aquino in Philip-pine history, it was his assas-sination that was pivotal to the downfall of a despotic ruler and the eventual restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

— By Bill Ramsey of the Fili-pino Press with background in-formation from Wikipedia and other sources.

ninoyContinued from p age 1

October 30 - November 5, 2010 15THE FILIPINO PRESS

By Aurora S. CudalFilipino Press Contributing Writer

Once every 10 years, the f edera l government counts how many peo-

ple reside in the United States. This year, the Bureau of Census conducted an intensive Census 2010 campaign to ensure an ac-curate count. The result of Cen-sus 2010 is important for two reasons: distribution of feder-al funds at the local level and distribution of political power at all levels of government. Re-districting is based on the pop-ulation data collected by the decennial census. During redis-tricting, political lines are re-drawn so that each district is equal in representation.

Public interest in the redis-tricting issue has increased in the Asian and Pacific Ameri-can community. Some commu-nity leaders believe that re-districting is a sure path to political empowerment. Con-gresswoman Judy Chu point-ed this out in a recent commu-nity forum here in San Diego.

However, some people are confused, since there are two groups advocating for commu-nity involvement in the redis-tricting process: the Asian Pacific American Coalition, led by Dr. Allen Chan, a prom-inent Chinese restaurateur; Mitz Lee, president of the Fil-ipino American Community Empowerment; and the Co-alition of Asian Pacific Amer-icans for Fair Redistricting, spearheaded by Pam Hoop-er, executive director of the Southwest Center for Asian Pacific American Law, a mem-ber of the coalition.

To clarify, APAC is a broad coalition of Asians and Pacific American organizations con-cerned with the Redistrict-ing Commission for the City of San Diego while CAPAFR is a statewide network of region-al coalitions trying to work together to develop State As-sembly and Senate maps that keep Asian and Pacific Island-er communities together. Al-though working on separate redistricting issues, the two organizations depend upon the results of Census 2010.

In the redistricting process, the census data is used to re-draw the lines and boundar-ies of electoral districts with-in a state. This process affects districts at all levels of gov-ernment — from local school boards and city councils to state legislatures and the House of Representatives.

Vince Vasquez, senior poli-cy analyst of the Institute for Policy Research and APAC

consultant, said, “This year, San Diego city residents will have a rare and historic oppor-tunity to help shape the future of representative government at city hall. As ethnic politics evolve in our region, it is crit-ical that every San Diegan

learns the importance of the Redistricting Commission.”

The Redistricting Commis-sion for the City of San Di-ego was recently organized with Anisha Dalal, a school principal, as the commission chair. She is one of seven cit-izen participants selected by a panel of judges to serve on the Redistricting Commis-sion. With new population data from the 2010 U.S. Cen-sus canvass, they are expect-ed to redraw district lines in a balanced and equitable way in adherence with federal vot-ing rights regulations.

Vasquez cited the follow-ing information: According to SANDAG, the county's plan-ning agency, the City of San Diego's population increased 10.7 percent over the last de-cade, with nearly all of the growth deriving exclusively from ethnic minorities. Of the 130,593 new residents that have arrived (or been born)

since 2000, more than half (66,747) are Latinos, 34 per-cent (44,511) are Asians and Pacific Islanders, and only 4 percent (5,303) are Caucasian.

Recently, San Diego vot-ers overwhelmingly passed Proposition D, a local bal-

lot measure that made the "strong mayor" form of gov-ernment permanent. Aside from creating more checks and balances at city hall, Proposition D required the expansion of the eight cur-rent council districts, adding a new ninth district that will be drawn up during the up-coming redistricting process. The guidelines for drawing this district are clear: gen-erally, district boundaries must be contiguous, sepa-rated by natural boundar-ies and, most importantly, they must preserve identifi-able “communities of inter-est” and not dilute the voting strength of protected class-es. Where to place it, howev-er, is a different question.

Based on growth and demo-graphic trends, the most logi-cal place to create a ninth dis-trict would be in the northern

Asian neighborhoods flanked by I-15 and I-5 — Mira Mesa, Rancho Penasquitos and possibly Carmel Valley and UTC. These neighborhoods are currently separated be-tween Districts 1 and 5, a de-plorable decision by the 2000 Redistr ic t ing Commission that has arguably disenfran-chised Asian voters. A broad coalition of Asian commu-nity leaders proposed unit-ing these neighborhoods un-der one city council district to the 2000 commission, but their efforts were ultimate-ly rejected. However, since 2001, Mira Mesa and Rancho Penasquitos have grown in not only population but also diversity. SANDAG's popu-lation projections also show that council districts 1 and 5 have ballooned in size and have since become the larg-est among all eight districts.

It is for this reason that the Asian and Pacific American Coalition in San Diego came into being. There is a great need to advocate for the forma-tion of a ninth district that re-spects our community’s inter-est. The best action one would take is to advocate for Mira Mesa and Rancho Penasquitos to be together as one city coun-cil district, just as they are in one State Assembly District.

In a related development, CAPAFR convened a meet-ing on Saturday, Oct. 23, to create public interest and awareness on the State Re-districting Commission’s pro-cess. It was emphasized that participating in redistrict-ing will give our community a voice, which is critical to en-suring that it has equal ac-cess to the political process. CAPAFR’s next meeting will be in January 2011.

Call 1.800.34.BALLY (342.2559) or visit www.ballyfitness.com for a club near you.FITNESS COACH: You must choose Marketing Source Code “MUSIC DOWNLOAD” for guest to receive their downloads. *Must be at least 18, sign guest register, & take club tour & presentation prior to using club between 10/1/10 & 11/25/10 & receiving 10 free music downloads from Universal Music Group. ARV $10. Valid email address must be provided to receive downloads. Redemption details regarding free music downloads will be distributed via email within 30 days of redeeming this coupon at a participating CA Bally Total Fitness club. Offer ends 11/25/10. ©2010 Bally Total Fitness Corp.

Redeem this coupon for

10 FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS*

by today’s hottest artists just for checking out your local BallySM club.

yourROCKworkouts!

Get Free Music*

just for checking outBally Total Fitness®!

FM1009042 _FilipinoNews.indd 1 9/27/10 2:49 PM

Redistricting: Path to political empowerment?

“Public interest in the redistricting issue has increased in the Asian and Pacific

American community. Some community leaders believe that redistricting is a sure path to political empowerment.”

16 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

By Alicia DeLeon-TorresFilipino Press Contributing Writer

Stories of a haunted San Di-ego often surface as Hal-loween approaches. The

Whaley House, Old Town, the Hotel del Coronado, the U.S. Grant Hotel and the USS Mid-way are famous for the ghosts that still allegedly wander these locations. However, there are many other lesser known plac-es that are known by locals for paranormal activity.

The community of Mira Mesa, though relatively new (created in 1969), is reported to have sever-al haunted sites. The neighbor-hood is partially built over what was thought to be ancient Amer-ican Indian grounds. When sev-eral tracts were razed in the ear-ly 1980s, builders found arrow heads and other tools of daily liv-ing. Residents of the those tracts experienced television and ra-dio stations changing by them-selves, hearing voices when no one was near and cabinet doors opened by the unseen.

Sadly, Mira Mesa has also been home to several violent crimes. It’s rumored that a house located in the old Encore hous-ing, in the northeastern area of the neighborhood, is haunted by victims of a brutal murder from a drug deal gone bad. For sever-al years after the murder, there was a revolving door of home-owners and renters because no one could live there long before experiencing paranormal activ-ity, such as seeing shadowy fig-ures — even at night when no lights were on. They also felt as if they were being constantly watched, yet when they looked around, no one was there. Some have felt an overwhelming sense of fear in certain rooms of the house, but they could not ex-plain the cause.

North Park and South Park have not only shared the well-known tragedy of the 1978 crash of PSA Flight 182 — they also shared ghosts. On Mississippi Street, near Morley Field, resi-dents reported seeing a young red-haired woman going from house to house as if she lived there. Upon further investiga-tion, they found the young wom-an disappeared into thin air as she reached the door. It’s ru-mored that the same houses had ghostly presence with items moving by themselves and pets that seem to be interacting with someone — or something — that

couldn’t be seen. Further down the neighbor-

hood, where Juniper Street binds the two communities, the can-yons seem to attract the para-normal. Drivers and residents have seen the ghost of a young girl wandering the area between Boundary Street and Common-wealth Avenue. And bordering the canyon, lies a house that be-came a portal for spirits either lost or intent on distracting the family living in the home. The family and their guests have seen eyes that weren’t theirs looking back at them from bath-room mirrors. They’ve seen the ghosts of soldiers, a boy who seemed lost and others dressed in early 1900s clothing. At one point a hostile spirit entered the daughter’s room and physically tried to pull her out of bed. In-stead of being frightened, the mother — a devout Catholic, took pity on the lost souls and prayed that they be guided to the “light.” For extra measure, she made sure to always have Holy Water on hand. Most dis-appeared after prayer, but a few stubborn spirits decided to hang around. Eventually, the family got used to the activity and lived with it as if it was a normal occurrence.

Just east of North Park is the ethnically diverse neighbor-hood of City Heights. In the mid 1990s, the Union of Pan Asian Communities received reports from Southeast Asian commu-nity members that there were continued sightings of a bodi-less ghost. Some said it was the conjuring of a witch while oth-ers claimed it was the spirit of a young girl from their commu-nity who had recently commit-ted suicide. Staff listened to re-ports, but believed the hysteria would eventually subside — un-til they received a call from the San Diego Police Department. They were getting numerous calls about the ghost, as well. In one of the strangest partner-ship, UPAC and SDPD advised community members to request the help of Buddhist monks and Catholic priests in order to ban-ish the spirit and bless the area. It worked. No ghost was seen af-ter the blessing.

National City also has its share of paranormal activity.

Operation Samahan Medical Clinic on Highland Avenue had several former dedicated staff members die and then return to work the next day. The most re-

cent activity was in 2009, after the death of longtime employee Gloria McFadzen.

McFadzen had taken the bus to work early one morning, as she had done almost every day for the past 15 years. Upon reaching her stop in front of the clinic, she felt ill and asked a young man for help.

“She said, ‘help me, help me, help me,’ then lost conscious-ness on the shoulder of Cecelia — one of our co-workers,” recalls Amelia Tenchavez, a longtime employee of Operation Samah-an. “We found out that she had probably died while still holding onto Cecilia at our front office.”

McFadzen had indeed died before paramedics could trans-port her to the hospital. The next morning, staffers reported unusually cold temperatures at her desk, as well as documents that lay unprocessed the night before (it was her job to process them) now processed and laying next to her phone. A staff mem-ber picked up the documents and noticed that McFadzen’s ex-

tension light was on and it was dialing the extensions of others in the fiscal department, where she was assigned.

“It was as if Gloria was try-ing to communicate with her co-workers,” explains Tenchavez.

The employee ran to the oth-er staff and found they were not on the phone. No one could explain the processed docu-ments (no one claimed to have completed it), the McFadzen’s extension calling others, the unusually cold office (the air conditioning unit was checked) and the noise of someone tin-kering around in the office kitchen later that morning.

“I don’t think she knew she was dead. She just kept coming to work,” Tenchavez explains. “The activity kept happening. So we asked Mr. San Juan, our CEO for help. He said to get the place blessed to ease our mind.”

Operation Samahan staff and McFadzen’s family prayed for her to rest in peace. Soon after the prayers, the activi-ties stopped.

S P E C I A L H A L L O w E E N E D I T I O N

Stories from the Other Side: San Diego ghost stories

Pioneer Park in Mission Hills. Nice cemetery — but bodies never moved.

The gravestones and plaque is to commemorate those still interred in the park.

Photos: Alicia DeLeon-Torres

CLUBSCAFE LA MAZE STEAKHOUSEJulius Obregon and Friends ShowWhen: 7 p.m. SundaysWhere: 1441 Highland Ave., National City, (619) 474-3222

LUCKY STARWednesdays: Filipino Night with Eric de LeonThursdays: Moonlight Serenade Orchestra Big BandFridays: Ballroom dancing/KarokeWhere: 3893 54th St., San Diego, Phone: (619) 229-8228

MCDINI'S DINER & EvENTSFilipino food every Saturday with live Filipino BandsWhere: 105 E. 8th St., National City, Phone: (619) 474-6771

TROPHY LOUNGERising StarWhen: 8 p.m. ThursdaysWhere: 999 National City Blvd., National City, Phone: (619) 477-9862

KARAOKEEL JUAN RESTAURANTEric de Leon one-man band

When: 6-9 p.m. ThursdaysWhere: 2316 Highland Ave., National City Phone: (619) 477-6262

GAPORESTO & KARAOKEWhen: 7 p.m.-midnight, Tuesdays to SundaysWhere: 933 S. Harbison Ave., National City Phone: (619) 267-3746

JASMINEWhen: 7 p.m -1 a.m. WednesdaysWhere: 4609 Convoy St., San DiegoPhone: (858) 268-0888

SIZZLER JULIUS OBREGON SHOW ROOMWhen: 7 p.m. FridaysWhere: 1325 E. Plaza Blvd., National City Phone: (619) 477-2590

GET LISTED: To have your concert, club or event listed in What's Happening, e-mail your information (include date, time, location, cost and phone) to filpress@aol.com. Keep in mind we publish on Saturdays, so ensure your event happens on the day of publication or during the following week.

DIRECTV, the world’s most popular video service, will turn couches into ring-side seats for the highly anticipated boxing event, Pacquiao vs. Margarito, on Nov. 13.

DIRECTV will offer boxing fans the chance to experience sweat-soaked history as Filipi-no boxing superstar and world sensation, Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao, fights for an unprec-edented eighth division world championship title at Cow-boys Stadium in Dallas. The ti-tle at stake is the World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Welter-weight Championship.

DIRECTV customers will have access to additional content for a unique experience leading up to the big event, including:

On DIRECTV’s The 101 Net-work (channel 101):

• Live weigh-in on Friday, Nov. 12.

• Pacquiao vs. Margarito Pre-view Show.

• HBO’s Classic Boxing:• Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel

Cotto.• Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio

Margarito.On directv.com/boxing: • DIRECTV-exclusive fight

previews; interviews with Pac-quiao and Margarito; and in-terviews with promoters and trainers.

Recently named “Fighter of the Decade” by the Boxing Writ-ers Association of America, the fighting congressman from the Philippines will be battling, not for pride, but — according to the “People’s Champ” himself — for the “glory of the Philippines.” Pacquiao is ranked the No. 1 fighter “pound-for-pound” by ESPN.com and “The Ring.”

In the other corner of the ring, and bent on changing his-tory himself, is Mexican Antonio

“Tony” Margarito, known as the “Tijuana Tornado.” A veteran of 14 world championship fights, the hard-hitting Margarito is a former three-time Welterweight World Champion.

“Pacquiao has stopped some of the best Mexican fighters in the world, but he won't be able to stop this Mexican," said Margarito.

HBO Pay-Per-View® will present "Manny Pacquiao vs. An-tonio Margarito", on Saturday, Nov. 13, live on Pay Per View. The event is available in jaw-dropping high definition for DI-RECTV customers who receive HD. Witness every punch, every shuffle and every countdown to victory, starting at $54.95, avail-able on DIRECTV channels 123 (SD) and 124 (HD).

DIRECTV offers the best in Filipino programming, right at your fingertips.

• PINOYDIRECT™ is only $24.99 and offers three of the most popular Filipino channels: TFC, GMA Pinoy TV and MYX.

• TFCDIRECT™ offers eight channels including TFC, Kapamilya Channel and Cin-ema One, among others, for only $25.99.

• FILIPINODIRECT™, with the most varied and ro-bust selection of Filipino chan-nels currently available on the market, is only $34.99 and of-fers the latest local and global news, Filipino hit movies, and showbiz happenings with DI-RECTV’s exclusive offering of 10 Filipino channels.

New customers can call 1-866-772-3168 to order Filipi-no programming and be a part of the heart-pounding action for this historical boxing event. Ex-isting customers can call 1-800-378-3309 to order this highly an-ticipated match.

Manny vs. Margarito on DIRECTV

DJ Kristina at Jasmine

October 30 - November 5, 2010 17THE FILIPINO PRESS

FARSOC monthly meeting discusses upcoming events

Photo: SGT. at Arms Renato Macahilas

Top from Left: Cesar Adan, FARSOC Chairman of the Board; Rick Yaneza, Veteran; Henry Dumo, FARSOC Interim President and President of Naguilian, LA Union Association of San Diego County; Honorio Caballa, Board of Director; Emilio Damasco, Auditor; Benjamen Gapuz, Board of Director and Sual Asoociation President; Alicia Macahilas, FARSOC Veteran of the year; Dominga Damasco, Vice Chairman of the Board and VP of Tarlac West Association, USA. 2nd Front Left Setting: Queen Welma Dumo, Mrs. FARSOC 2009-2011 and PRO; Lolita Caballa, Vice President; Zenaida Macaoay, Longtime Member and Former Mrs. FARSOC, a Past President of Lingayen Assoc. and strong unlimited potential FARSOC Secretary; Rosita Adan Board of Director; Lodovico Adan; and Marcilina Espanol. Not pictured: Board of Director Romy Crena and Former Veteran of the year; PRO Ruby Crena; Exec. Vice Pres. Romy Macaoay, Past President of Urdanita Assoc.; and Sgt. At Arms Renato Macahilas.

ESCONDIDO, Calif. – The Filipino American Retirees of Southern California (FARSOC) is actively preparing for the staging of its annual Christmas spirit Party to be held at the Senior Citizen Recreational Center, Mira Mesa on Dec 18, 2010, casino trips to Golden Acorn Casino on Nov. 13, 2010, FARSOC election of officers on June 2011 and Mrs. FARSOC 2011-2013 nom-ination for Star Search Candidates.

The FARSOC recent meeting and luncheon was held at the Ranch Residence of Emilio and Dominga Damasco, loyal longtime members of FARSOC and proud parents of Dr. Daisy C. Damasco-Gutierrez and Atty. John Damasco.

For more information, contact FARSOC Interim President Henry Dumo at (858) 538-9910 or Secretary Zenaida Macaoay at (619) 934-2022.

Lastly, FARSOC is moving forward with integrity, dignity, and taking great pride involve-ment in the community with “Great Leaders for a Great FARSOC!”

AED donated in memory of

Dr. “Eddie” Manaig

Photo: Courtesy photo

Pablo Velez CEO (center) presents an Automated External Defibrillator, otherwise known as AED, to (L-R): JoAnn Fields, Consultant, Filipino-American Caucus of San Diego County; Debbie Discar-Espe, Board Member, Sharp Hospital; Pablo Velez, CEO, Sharp Hospital Chula Vista; Dr. Ben Camacho, Cardiologist and Lead Organizer Paradise Valley International Medical Mission, Inc.; Dr. Gil Ungab, Cardiologist, Ungab Medical.

CHULA VISTA, Calif. – The shock delivered by an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is the only me-chanical way for a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) victim to survive. And to be effective, that first shock should be de-livered within the first 3-5 minutes. The AED donated by Pablo Velez, CEO, Sharp Hospital Chula Vista will be de-livered to a town in the Philippines in memory of Dr. "Ed-die" Manaig and his 14 years of organizing medical mis-sions to third world countries that include Kenya, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Dr. Ben Camacho is leading this year's medical mis-sion to a number of provinces in the Philippines that in-clude Pangasinan and Cavite. A community presentation of this medical mission will be provided by the Paradise Valley Internal Medical Mission Inc. upon their return. For more information, please contact JoAnn Fields, Con-sultant, Filipino American Caucus of San Diego County via email at joann.fields@gmail.com.

18 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

The speaker, Brother Jessie del Rosario, resident minis-ter of National City, was an eloquent speaker.

In his message, del Ro-sario answered some of the l i n g e r i n g q u e s t i o n s I ’ v e been asking mysel f : Who are the Iglesia Ni Cristo? What are their beliefs? How do they differ in their wor-ship of God? Are we wor-shipping the same God? It was pointed out that an-swers to these questions are all in the Holy Bible. “We will let the Bible speak,” said the speaker as he cited sev-eral verses as well as other resources to underscore the basis of the Iglesia Ni Cris-to’s faith and practices. The event ended with an invita-tion that it is time to re-ex-amine our belief and know,

“Who is the True God?”For me, there is but one

True God, the creator of all things. He sent His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” What counts is my per-sonal relationship with God and to follow his greatest commandment : Love God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul. And love your neighbors as you love yourself.

I am open to knowledge and perhaps will find the time to know the 28 State-ments of Faith of the Igle-sia ni Cristo, just as I study other religions in this plu-ralistic society.

Thank you Remarie and Ronald for removing some of the cobwebs of intolerance in my mind, making me a bet-ter-informed Christian.

cudalContinued from p age 10

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The largest bond sale in the histo-ry of San Diego International Airport (SDIA) was recently an-nounced by the San Diego Coun-ty Regional Airport Authority. Proceeds will provide continued funding for The Green Build Terminal 2 expansion program and a variety of programs in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for SDIA.

The Airport Authority was able to secure an interest rate of 4.38 percent for the bonds – one of the lowest rates to date in the nation for an airport-re-lated long-term bond sale. It is estimated that the low interest rate will save the Airport Au-thority more than $40 million

dollars over the 30-year term of the bonds. In addition, the Air-port Authority projects that no additional bond issuances for The Green Build/CIP will be necessary until 2012.

“We are pleased to have achieved such favorable terms for this bond sale,” said Thella F. Bowens, President and CEO of the Airport Authority. “The sale under these terms signif-icantly strengthens our finan-cial plan for The Green Build project, which benefits the en-tire region during construction, with jobs in the community… and state-of-the-art facilities upon completion in 2013.”

In all , the sale amount-ed to $572,565,000 in Subordi-

nate Airport Revenue Bonds. This includes $313,150,000 in non-AMT Series 2010A bonds; $44,055,000 in non-AMT Series 2010B bonds; and $215,360,000 in Series 2010C Build Ameri-ca Bonds. Build America Bonds are special taxable bonds creat-ed under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law on February 17, 2009. The Act provided a 35 per-cent interest subsidy for issuers.

“There was such a demand for the Authority’s bonds that they were over-subscribed by an average of 3.5 times the amount of bonds available,” said Vernon Evans, Airport Au-thority CFO. Such favorable circumstances for the bond

sale were possible due to sev-eral factors, including Airport Authority staff spending sever-al years positioning the agen-cy for the sale, pricing during a time rates were more attrac-tive, and positive ratings for Airport Authority bonds from the nation’s top three rat-ings agencies: Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investor Services and Standard & Poor’s.

The Green Build will help meet the region’s current and future demand for air travel, with 10 new gates, expanded passenger waiting areas, a du-al-level roadway with curbside check-in, additional security lanes, expanded concessions, and airfield improvements.

Largest bond sale in San Diego International Airport’s history

October 30 - November 5, 2010 19THE FILIPINO PRESS

Seafood City 18th annual fieSta filipiniana MexiCana KaraoKe CoMpetition • Saturday, oCt. 23, 2010

Grand Finals Winners

Kids' Champion Katriz Trinidad with her trophy. First runner-up is Shaliyah Ruelos and the second runner-up was Shela Perez.

Teen Champion Daniel Orina (left), Joseph Kabiling (First runner-up) and Emily Talampas (Second runner-up).

The Afro Mestizo Band performed at the event.

Hollywood Music Dancers perform. Young contestants having a good time at the show.

Fans packed Seafood City in National City for the 18th Annual Filipiniana Mexicana Karaoke Competition on Saturday, Oct. 23.

Adult Champion, from left, Lou Ward, Bryan Wright (First runner-up) and David Dean (Second runner-up).

Emcee Tyrone Posada with Senior Champion Art Gramata, Edgar Casil (Second runner-up) and Armand Rasing (First runner-up) with emcee Rowie Messina.

20 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

BergHOFF, a designer and manufacturer of kitchen and ta-bleware, celebrated in 60 plus countries around the world, with a yearly turnover of over $250 million. The company has become one of the most impor-tant players on the internation-al kitchen and tableware scene.

BergHOFF offers a complete spectrum of products in 9 catego-ries: cookware, flatware, knives, porcelain, hotel, electrical devic-es, barbecue items, lifestyle and accessories, all uniquely designed and desired across the conti-nents. Started in Europe, the brand became an instant success in Germany. The rest of the world would follow in no time. A fair in Moscow initiated the penetration of the Russian market years ago. Now a leading kitchenware chain in the Ukraine and Poland Berg-HOFF has over 3,000 points of sales dotting the globe.

Every year (for the past many years), BergHOFF has held spe-cial event shows in various U.S. locations, for the sole purpose of moving the excess factory runs, overstocked dealer buys and ex-cess inventory from retailers. Sometimes the packaging is not so perfect but the product still is, and unused new in the box. This also allows us to clear valuable space in our many warehouses as well as provide the fuel to contin-uously expand our fast growing, ever changing product line. These sales are only held in the United States, and offer a tremendous op-portunity to enjoy top of the line products at affordable prices.

In the year 2000, a new chap-ter was written when the com-pany’s first in-house designed products were produced and marketed. The choice to solely of-

fer in-house designs and to work with a company-based design de-partment has earned several de-sign awards from Red Dot Design Awards, the IF Design Award and Designpreis Deutschland Award, Good Design Award 2008, as well as environmental awards for the EarthChef line. By starting the EarthChef project for example, we support local sustainability projects worldwide and renew our commitment to use natural re-sources in a responsible way.

The most interesting out-come from our design team is that we are able to fill a num-ber of private label orders for very exclusive companies that sell waterless cookware direct to the consumer. These buyers have high demands for some-thing better and we are able to please them indirectly with our high standards of production.

The high functional and aes-thetic value has charmed cooking fanatics all over the world as well as international design experts. Continue to look for only the best from this stellar company. Peo-ple in the USA that have attend-ed one of the clearance events near them have become true fol-lowers of the brand. They have demonstrated a customer loyal-ty as no other since all products at these shows are backed by full customer service and warrantees, even at the inventory clearance events, where many products are liquidated for as low as... or below manufacturing costs!

Look them up when they are in the area and be amazed of the opportunity buys.

Cook healthy, live healthy, be healthy... on our one Earth! We look forward to keep on serving you in the future!

BergHOFF a key player in the international

kitchen scene

October 30 - November 5, 2010 21THE FILIPINO PRESS

During my service as a Gov-erning Board Member for the Sweetwater Union High School District -- the largest high school district in the nation -- we have focused on maximiz-ing student achievement.

I am running for re-elec-tion to the Sweetwater School Board because I would like to continue the success and progress described below. I am the only candidate for Seat #1 who has a child attending our Sweetwater Schools. This allows me to see the district through the eyes of our stu-

dents to better meet their ac-ademic needs.

This past year, Newsweek Magazine named four Sweet-water District high schools among the best in the na-tion. Bonita Vista High, East-lake High, Otay Ranch High and Sweetwater High earned the recognition because of the high number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests adminis-tered. The Newsweek list rep-resents the top six percent of schools in the United States.

The groundbreaking Com-pact for Success has prepared more students than ever for success in college. Entering its 11th year of guaranteed admission to San Diego State University, the Compact has increased the number of stu-dents eligible for university by 130%. This month, Sweetwa-ter Superintendent Dr. Jesus M. Gandara and San Diego State University President Dr. Stephen Weber signed a new memorandum to extend the Compact to the Class of 2016 (this year’s 7th graders).

Our student preparation begins in the 7th grade with rigorous courses and ample support to keep students on track. Our teachers are work-ing hard every day to give

students a world-class edu-cation, with outstanding re-sults. Student achievement has increased in every sub-ject at every school, as mea-sured by the state ’s s tan-dardized tests. Five schools have passed the 800 mark on the Academic Perfor-m a n c e I n d e x — t h e s t a t e ’s ranking scale—and anoth-er four schools are very close to 800. Language learners and students with disabili-ties are outperforming their peers in districts throughout San Diego County, thanks to the added focus our teachers have made for these special student populations.

L e a d i n g t h e w a y h a v e been outstanding teachers—many of whom have received county and state recogni-tion. Three district teachers recently were among the top 10 in San Diego County in the annual Salute to Teach-e r s r e c o g n i t i o n . K r i s t i n a Campbell, from Sweetwater High, Sofia Sandoval from Southwest High and Aida Barraza Jarrett from Hill-top Middle were recognized by their peers for the impact they have had on students.

The Sweetwater District—with the outstanding support of our community—has also

invested $1 Billion in construc-tion to improve classrooms and schools. Dozens of classrooms, science labs, physical edu-cation facilities, performing arts buildings, libraries and cafeterias are being mod-ernized to provide optimum learning environments.

W h i l e t h e s t a t e b u d -get crisis continues to im-p a c t t h e f u n d i n g a v a i l -able for school programs, the Sweetwater District continues its commitment t o a t h l e t i c s a n d c l a s s -es in the visual and per-forming arts. Often on the chopping block for other school districts, these pro-grams continue to thrive in Sweetwater because we know these are the pro-grams that keep students connected to school. The Sweetwater District offers a music library, costume col lect ion, theater props and equipment—including musical instruments and art d isplay panels . Ful -ly certified coaches spend countless hours with our student athletes teaching the value of teamwork and good sportsmanship.

As we complete this first semester of classes, I appre-ciate the support of our par-

ents and community as we continue improving opportuni-ties available to our students. If you have questions or you need assistance with a school related issue, I am available to help. You can reach me at: (619) 957-0696 or via email at:

jim@jimcartmill.com.It has truly been an honor

to serve as your representa-tive on the Sweetwater School Board and I would humbly ask you to consider voting to re-elect me this November 2nd to continue our progress.

“Please Vote

for my Dad”

Blythe Cartmill—Sweetwater

District Middle School Student

Jim Cartmill Sweetwater Union High School District School Board – Seat #1

cartmill2010.com twitter.com/cartmill2010 cartmill2010.com/facebook

Paid for by Friends of Jim Cartmill Committee ID #1245974 Dave Ruch-Treasurer

Jim Cartmill, his wife Cindy Ledesma Cartmill and daughter Blythe.

sweetwater school boardreCord of distriCt aChievements:n Increased test scores in every Sweetwater District school

n Compact for Success–the nationally recognized guaranteed San Diego State admission program–Increased by 120% Sweetwater District graduates qualified for San Diego State University

n Voted to require a balanced budget–cut administrative overhead by $3.5 million in the last four years

n Established over $1 Billion in construction projects to renovate and rebuild our schools—providing much needed jobs in our community

n Received national certification for the largest LEED Gold certified school construction program in all of California

Cart Ad_Filipino Press.indd 1 10/26/10 3:33 PM

Jim Cartmill vows to continue success

22 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

Paid for by Yes on 24, the Tax Fairness Act, sponsored by taxpayers and public employee groups. Major funding by the California Teachers Association Issues PAC and America’s Families First, Inc.

Sa Nobyembre 2,BumotongOosaProposisyon24

www.YesProp24.org

Pipigilin ng PROP 24 ang pagbawas ng $1.3 bilyon sa pondo ng mga paaralan,at sasagipin nito ang libu-libong hanapbuhay na talagang kinakailangan ngayon.

BABALIKWASINNITOANG ISANG baluktot na kasunduan ng mga pulitiko sa Sacramento na bigyan angpinakamayamang korporasyon ng isang malaking diskwento sa buwis na dapat nilang bayaran.

ANG PROP 24 AY SUPORTADO NG California Teachers Association, League of Women Voters of California,California Taxpayers Association at California Coalition for Civil Rights.

(Samahan ng mga Guro ng California, Liga ng Bumobotong Kababaihan ng California, Samahan ngmga Nagbabayad ng Buwis ng California, Koalisyon sa California para sa Karapatang Sibil.)

BUMOTONGOOSA PROP 24 – dahil panahon na upang bigyan ng malaking tulong ang ating mga paaralanat komunidad, hindi ang malalaking korporasyon.

FilipinoPress 13x10.5:Layout 1 10/17/10 2:49 PM Page 1

My Filipino friends, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Dr. Jorge Dominguez and I am running for a second term for the Southwestern Col-lege Governing Board. Four years have flown by since you last granted me the privilege of serving on the board. Now I am asking that you grant me another term in order to com-plete several important proj-ects for which I have taken a leadership role. So why allow me to continue? Let’s look at the facts for Southwestern Col-lege. Southwestern College is fully Accredited: The present situation with Accreditation was created by the same peo-ple that are trying to unseat me. In 2003 the WASC com-mittee put Southwestern Col-lege on “Warning” with six of the exact same issues that we are dealing with today. A plan was put in place back in 2003 and the college was taking off of “Warning” status but unfor-tunately, the plans were never carried out; which is why we have the situation we have to-day. The good news is that un-der my watch we are under-way to successfully dealing with these issues and we will continue to be fully accredited.

Secondly, Southwestern College is in great fiscal con-dition as compared to all the other community colleges in the San Diego area. Under my watch we have been able to: of-fer additional classes, help our faculty pay they medical ben-efits, give our teachers their yearly raise and offset bud-get shortfalls in several stu-dent programs. But most im-portantly...we have NOT cut classes! The fact is that we are offering MORE classes than the State gives us money for! This is only possible because of great fiscal management and is truly a fantastic feat in today’s economy. I am very proud of this!

And finally, as a member of this board I am proud to say that we have taken great care

of your tax payer dollars. We have used our bond mon-ies effectively and wisely on Prop. AA which has helped build three new facilities in National City, San Ysidro, and Otay Mesa. Your tax dol-lars have helped Southwesten College to expand their ser-vices to more students in the South Bay. Also, thanks to you and your approval of Prop. R we have started on the great-

est construction project for Southwestern since it was built back in 1961...the de-velopment of the Corner Lot. This project will not only be the crown jewel of the college but it will also provide hun-dreds of jobs for local work-ers. A win-win for everyone!

Please allow me to continue serving you and our students! Cast your vote for another four years of effective, prov-en leadership. Please re-elect Dr. Jorge Dominguez for Seat 5 – Southwestern Community College.

Dr. Jorge Dominguez - The best choice for Southwestern College

TheCheck us out:www. .com

October 30 - November 5, 2010 23THE FILIPINO PRESS

Get an inside look at how the election process works by becom-ing a poll worker on Election Day.

Poll Workers are still need-ed in several neighborhoods for the Gubernatorial General Election on November 2, espe-cially those who are bilingual in Spanish, Filipino and Vietnam-ese. Neighborhoods and lan-guages include:

* Encinitas, Solana Beach (English)

* Clairemont, Mira Mesa, Rancho Penasquitos, Del Dios (Vietnamese)

* Encanto, La Mesa, Lakeside, Spring Valley, Chollas Park, City Heights, Middletown, Normal Heights (Vietnamese, Spanish)

Poll workers receive a sti-pend ranging from $75 to $150, depending on the assignment, and may be asked to standby to fill positions as they open in the days approaching the elec-

tion. Poll workers must be U.S. Citizens, registered vot-ers and have transportation to their assigned polling lo-cation. They also need access to the internet to complete an online training.

Apply to become a poll worker using the Registrar’s online application. For more information, call (858) 565-5800 or e-mail pollworker@sdcounty.ca.gov.

California Attorney Gener-al Jerry Brown, a Democrat, continues to increase his lead over Republican opponent Meg Whitman, according to an Oct. 28 Associated Press report.

The wire service cited a Field Poll released less than a week before Election Day that claims Brown holds a double-digit lead over Whit-man, the former eBay CEO who has spent millions in her quest to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The AP report said the sur-vey found former two-term governor Brown leading Whit-man 49 percent to 39 percent among likely voters. In a race considered too close to call less

than a month ago, the poll is the third in the past week giv-ing Brown a significant edge in the hard-fought race.

Brown spent little and made few appearances over the summer, while Whitman spent millions on TV ads and traversed the state making numerous campaign stops across the state.

Brown’s resurgence ap-pears to be something of a re-demption for California Dem-ocrats, who hold a 13-point registration advantage. State voters previously recalled for-mer Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in favor of Republican Schwarzenegger in a 2003 special election.

While Whitman has spent some $142 million in her bid for the state’s top office, it is the low-key, low-spending Brown who seems to be gain-ing traction among undecided voters, who make up about a fifth of likely voters, accord-ing to poll.

The general election cam-paign for governor has be-come the most expensive in the state's history, according to the California Fair Politi-cal Practices Commission, the AP report said.

The poll surveyed 1,092 likely voters by telephone from Oct. 14-26. It has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

Poll workers still needed for some neighborhoods

Brown increases lead over Whitman

Get ResultsThe

A free weekly publication that serves

the 150,000 plus Filipino-Americans of

San Diego County.Call (619) 477-0940

or check us on-line filipinopress.com

24 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

Bilbray on Filipino Nurses…

“We shouldn’t be shipping inworkers for teachers or nurses.

We import a lot of nurses.”*

– Congressman Brian Bilbray, 9/16/09 Interview with Lars Larson –

* The Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which has been identified by the civil rights law firm, Southern Poverty Law Center as a Hate Group, paid Brian Bilbray $300,000 to lobby for them. Today he continues to work for them by promoting their anti-immigrant legislation as the Chairman of the conservative Immigration Reform Caucus in Congress.

For more information about Francine Busby go to:

WWW.BUSBYFORCONGRESS .COM

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 712, Cardiff, CA 92007 • 760.681.4108 • Campaign Office: 2121 Newcastle Ave., Suite B, Cardiff, CA 92007

Paid for and authorized by Busby for Congress 2010 FEC#C00460386

On November 2nd VOTE

Francine Busby for Congressa friend of the Filipino Community

★★RE-ELECT★★

TERRI VALLADOLIDSOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY

COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES-SEAT 2

The Best choice….For a Quality Education for all students!

Paid for by Friends of Terri Valladolid for School Board 2010 ID #983051

Proven & Tested LeadershipTeam Player with Integrity & CourageRespectful and DignifiedDetermined to continue Improving SWC

For Info or a Yard Sign, Call or E-Mail:Ph: 619. 779.2383 e-mail: teresav1@sbcglobal.net

Website: valladolid4swc.com

By Dan DiamondCalifornia Healthline

After months of debate over how health reform would in-fluence the midterm elections, those elections are finally loom-ing and the law’s effects on vot-er preferences are unclear.

Some seniors say they'll vote against Democrats who backed reform; other likely voters say that the law does not go far enough. Meanwhile, just one of the eight Democrats who op-posed the reform law before fi-nally voting for it in March is expected to retain a seat.

While a full repeal of re-form is unlikely given Presi-dent Obama’s veto power in the absence of congressional supermajorities, Republican victories at the national lev-el could alter reform’s scope, while GOP wins on a state lev-el might shape implementa-tion and perception of the law.

Congressional Republicans' strategy has coalesced around two goals: to strike down the individual mandate and de-fund the bill. That approach may be shaped further if Re-publicans win the lower cham-

ber of Congress but Democrats retain the upper chamber.

The New York Times' FiveThirtyEight.com synthe-sis of polls suggests that Dem-ocrats are likely to lose 50-plus seats in the House and at least a half-dozen seats in the Senate. As of Wednesday morning, pre-diction service InTrade.com pro-jected that the Republicans have a nearly 89 percent probability of winning the House, though just a 15 percent chance of gaining control of the Senate.

What would Republicans do if they retook only the House? Re-viewing the party’s motions to recommit during the reform de-bate offers clues to their top pri-orities, a senior GOP staffer told the Hill. Those motions included:

* Replacing rules govern-ing coverage for abortion care services;

* Repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board; and

* Striking comparative effec-tiveness research.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) —who could resume his chairman-ship of the Energy and Com-merce Committee, which has a pivotal role in overseeing health care market changes — told CQ

Today that he would immediate-ly try to repeal “everything after the enacting clause” of reform and ready replacement legisla-tion. He also would form a Med-icaid task force with governors and push for new rules on medi-cal malpractice.

The elections’ effect on health reform in the Senate is less pre-dictable. While some Demo-crats running for Senate have said they’d work to change the reform law, Republicans inten-tions are not quite clear. For in-stance, Republican Carly Fio-rina has said that, if elected as senator representing Califor-nia, she would work to repeal the federal health reform law and push for a different health care model that would foster greater competition among in-surers and drugmakers.

However, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) this month reportedly told top donors that most Senate Re-publicans don’t plan to support a full repeal and retiring Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said the party should focus on retooling the law. Republicans also have signaled that they would like to preserve certain measures of the overhaul, like the insurance exchanges.

Health care reform could shape midterm elections

California voters are in-creasingly making their elec-tion choices well ahead of the traditional Nov. 2 election day.

According to news reports, al-most half of the state’s registered voters — some 44 percent — have made their political choices.

Oct. 18 was the deadline for voter registration and Oct. 26 marked the last day California voters could apply for voter-by-

mail status, one of two ways voters can cast ballots.

According to one report, about 1.5 million of the state’s 7.5 million registered early voters have al-ready cast their ballots. California law allows any registered voter to vote by mail instead of showing up at a polling station on Nov. 2.

The website NeonTommy.com said that although California does not offer a breakdown by

party of the early votes, Repub-licans are not expected to have any sort of edge in California.

The site reported that in the 2008 election, 42 percent of all ballots cast were those of ear-ly voters. However, because the presidential election was one with a high turn out, the absentee vote had less of an impact. In low-turn-out elections, the early vote plays a significant role in the outcome.

Voters making choices early by mail

October 30 - November 5, 2010 25THE FILIPINO PRESS

26 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

By Perry Diaz

“‘Pork’ in budget doubled,” head-lines a newspa-

per. It says that on top of each of the 278 congressmen’s P70-million “pork barrel” from the Priority Develop-ment Assistance Fund, they will each be given an extra P75 million to be used for in-frastructure projects in their districts. The extra pork bar-rel for each congressman con-sists of P50 million from the budget of the Department of Public Work and Highways and another P25 million from the Road User’s Tax.

The decision to provide ad-ditional pork barrel to the con-gressmen was seemingly made to placate a number of them who threatened to block the passage of the national budget on grounds of “unequal bud-getary allocations,” due main-ly to former president and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s humongous DPWH “pork barrel.”

“Don’t ask, don’t tell”However, Bayan Muna

Rep. Teddy Casiño comment-ed that the guaranteed P50-million pork barrel for each of the 278 congressmen was “meant to make the lawmak-ers shut up about the P500 billion in lump sum pork bar-rel of President Aquino.” He said that Malacañang re-fused to disclose the line-item funding of Aquino’s P500 bil-lion worth of projects. He was quoted in the news as say-ing: “We have been demand-ing lists of projects to be fund-ed by these lump sums to no avail. Instead of a clear and concrete line item presenta-tion of such projects, the exec-

utive promised a guaranteed pork barrel of P50 million per congressman from the [Public Works] lump sums to make us shut up. With such gargantu-an lump sum funds, there is no transparency and account-ability in this budget.”

In addition to the presi-dent’s questionable P500-billion “pork barrel,” anoth-er allocation that is being scrutinized is the Confiden-tial Funds of the Office of the President which was in-creased to P1 billion, P200 million more than Gloria’s last budget for confidential funds. Aquino also decid-ed to keep his Intelligence Fund of P500 million, which he promised to eliminate earlier to help lower govern-ment spending.

Dole-out for the “poorest of the poor”

A n o t h e r c o n t r o v e r s i a l lump-sum allocation is the P21-bi l l ion budget for the C o n d i t i o n a l C a s h Tr a n s -fer program. First started

by Gloria during her pres-idency, CCT provides cash grants to the “poorest of the poor.” During the final year of Gloria’s regime, the CCT allocation was only P10 bil-lion doled out to 700,000 poor families. Malacañang justi-fied the sharp increase based on the estimated 2.3 million poor families.

While nobody questioned the purpose of CCT, the big-gest concern was its poten-tial for massive corruption. In objecting to the increased CCT allocation, Gloria was concerned about the gov-ernment ’s “ lack o f readi -ness.” Indeed, without an ef-fective control mechanism, it would be so easy to lose track of the flow of money, a situ-ation that Gloria would have been aware of.

President’s pork barrelAnother questionable “pork

barrel” was the P15-billion al-location inserted in various departments as Public-Pri-vate Partnership Fund (PPP). Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Col-menares commented: “These huge amounts for such a vague general item as ‘public-private partnerships’ is dan-gerous because it is a lump sum amount and we do not know where this will go. As a general rule budgets should not have lump sum amounts as these are not only un-transparent but also sources of corruption.”

Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano piggybacked on Col-menares ’ comment saying that the Department of Agri-culture has a P5-billion lump sum allocation for a PPP proj-

ect that is “very vague and susceptible to corruption.”

“It appears that the alloca-tions for the PPPs are intend-ed ‘for the boys,’” Colmenares said. “As long as this provi-sion is not deleted in the pro-posed budget, these PPPs are nothing but pork, pork and more pork.”

The other two departments that are getting P5-billion PPP allocation each are Sci-ence and Technology and Pub-lic Works and Highways.

Pork Barrel for Big LandlordsAnother controversial pork

barrel — called “agrarian re-form subsidy” — is the P4-billion allocation to the ad-ministration’s ally, Akbayan party-list. Akbayan would dole out the money to big farmer groups like Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac and the 11 huge estates in Negros Occi-dental owned by Aquino’s un-cle, Eduardo “Danding” Co-juangco Jr.

But Akbayan insisted that the pork barrel was intended to “provide support to infra-structures , agr icultural support and credit to agrar-ian reform communities, and new farmer beneficiaries of the extended land reform program.” However, peasant leaders said that “only big landlords and foreign agri-business groups engaged in production of export crops and who control and dictate the operations of ARCs will benefit.” They believed that the P4-billion fund for Ak-bayan was in exchange for Akbayan’s support of the P21-billion funding for CCT.

Mother of all porkBut the biggest recipient

of pork barrel in Congress is no other than Gloria, who for

some mysterious reason is go-ing to get a P2.2-billion lump sum pork barrel from the DPWH budget. This is in addi-tion to her P70-million PDAF pork, the P50-million extra infrastructure pork, another P28 million on top of that, and the P25-million windfall from the Road User’s Tax.

The “mystery” was solved when Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello revealed that Gloria

used her influence when she was president to make sure that her district would get a lot of projects funded by “multilateral lending agen-cies” from Japan and South Korea. “What we discovered is while she was president, she [Arroyo] had contract-ed with foreign aid agencies to be able to funnel over the next few years billions of pe-sos into the 2nd district of Pampanga. Sinabi ni [Pub-lic Works Secretary Rogelio] Singson kahapon, he’s help-less kasi his hands are tied, kasi these were committed by foreign aid agencies like the Japan International Cooper-ation Agency and the Korea Development and Coopera-

tion Fund,” Bello said.“Reform budget”

The P1.645-trillion national budget for 2011 — which Aqui-no calls “Reform Budget” — is 6.8 percent higher than the 2010 budget of P1.540 trillion. The deficit for 2011 is estimat-ed to be P290 billion.

The question is: Could the budget have been trimmed down to eliminate some, if not all, of the deficit? In my

opinion, yes, it could have been trimmed down or com-p l e t e l y e l i m i n a t e d . T h e Aquino administration could have removed pork barrel al-locations that weren’t need-ed at this time. The country needs to get back on its feet and recover from the havoc wreaked by the corrupt Ar-royo government.

With pork-barrel spending reaching record high num-bers in 2011, our elected offi-cials would be pigging out on barrels of pork for the entire year while the “poorest of the poor” are suffering from hun-ger and poverty.

That is not reform. That, sadly, is status quo of a cor-rupt government.

Pigging out on barrels of porkcommentary

“The decision to provide additional pork barrel to the congressmen was seemingly

made to placate a number of them who threatened to block the passage of the

national budget on grounds of 'unequal budgetary allocations,' due mainly to former

president and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s humongous DPWH 'pork barrel.'”

“The extra pork barrel for each congressman consists of P50 million from the budget of the Department of Public Work and Highways

and another P25 million from the Road

User’s Tax.”

October 30 - November 5, 2010 27THE FILIPINO PRESS

PAID FOR BY THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE, DEMOCRATs.ORg.

THIs COMMUNICATION Is NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE’s COMMITTEE.

2 0 1 0 . d e m o c r at s .o r g

T e x T 2 0 1 0 To 6 2 2 6 2

and

AsiAn AmericAns & PAcific islAnders

S T a n d w i T hpresident obama

S T a n d w i T h

d e m o c r ats who are fighting to grow the american economy,

extend middle-class tax cuts, support small

businesses, and boost creation of jobs and

expansion of new industries.

vote democratn o v e m b e r 2 n dSo we can conT inue To move america forward

28 October 30 - November 5, 2010THE FILIPINO PRESS

Bumuo ng planong pangkabuhayan na magbibigay ng hanap buhayna may sapat na sweldo para sa mga naninirahan sa Lungsod ng National City at anyayahan ang ibang mamamayan na bumisita sa Lungsod.

Bumuo at suportahan ang pangkomunidad na konseho namagbibigay ng kinakailangang serbisyo na tutugon sa mga problema sainyong komunidad tulad ng; mga butas sa kalsada, mabibilis na mgasasakyan, mga bawal na gamut at iba pa.

Bumuo at ipatupad ang malawakang plano ukol sa pagsugpong krimen na nagtataguyod ng pagbabantay-komunidad, mga gawainpagkatapos ng eskwela kabilang na ang iba pang mapaglilibangang Gawain, sentro para sa mga takdang aralin at pagsugpo ng krimen na nauugnay sabawal na gamut para sa mga kabataan.

Create and support Neighborhood Councils that will bring needed city services to solve problems unique to your community; pot holes, speeders, abandoned cars, drug dealing or graffiti.

Establish an economic development plan that creates livable wage paying jobs for National City residents and also invites people from throughout the county to visit and spend in National City.

Develop and implement a comprehensive crime prevention plan that promotes neighbor-policing strategies, after school activities that include recreation activities, homework centers, and anti-drug and crime programs for our youth.If you want to know what

Louie has done for the Filipino community, ask anybody from the Filipino-American Senior

Association.

Committee to Elect Natividad for City Council 2010 (619) 434-6633 • natividad4citycouncil@gmail.com

Campaign ID #1329154