August 15, 2013

Vol. XXII, No. 19

Online: www. manilamail.us

August 15, 2013

FilAms meet on mental ills set

Special to the Mail
WASHINGTON D.C.- The Filipino American community has scheduled a forum on mental health next month as an offshoot of the tragic death of Mylene Mhai Deleon Scott who was reportedly suffering from depression when she was killed by Sheriffs deputies at Cotsco store in Sterling, Virginia last May. Her case will be the subject of the meeting organized by the National Federation of Filipino American Associaitons (NaFFAA)from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 21 at The children of Mylene Mhai de Leon Scott, a Filipino American woman who was shot to death at Cotsco store in Sterling, Virginia last May is preparing to le a wrongful death civil suit against Loudoun countys sheriffs deputies, according to highly informed sources. This came as the countys Commonwealth Attorney James E. Plowman ruled late last month that after a month-long investigation, the ve responding deputies acted in justiable homicide undertaken in selfdefense of others. Filipino American organizations and individuals immediately expressed outrage over the ndings which left many unanswered questions. The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), the Philippine embassy, the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), lawyers groups and the Washington Post said Plowmans report did not fully answer all the questions related to the shooting. Sources said the two children of Mhai, ages 7 and 10, will

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Loudoun County Atty. Gen. James E. Plowman at press conference to explain ndings of Cotsco shooting investigation.

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Facebook CEO pushes immig reforms

WASHINGTON D.C. - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has added power to the nationwide campaign to prod the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill when they return from their August vacation next month. Zuckerberg for the rst time went public in favor of immigration reform when he spoke on Aug. 5 before tech leaders, civil rights activists and undocumented immigrants at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The occasion was the West Coasts premiere showing of Filipino journalist Jose Antonio Vargas lm, Documented. Zuckerbergs speech is now regarded by political observers as a dramatic step in the immigration debate. Zuckerberg said this was not an issue just for Silicon Valley but for the whole country. This is something that we believe is really important for the future of our country - and for us to do whats right, he said. Meanwhile, an immigration reform organization Americas Voice reported that a nationwide

PH oks new US envoy, rebels hit

Even before the US Senate has conrmed the nomination of Philip S. Goldberg as new

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112 teams join FABA tourney

WASHINGTON D.C. - The nations largest Filipino-American basketball tournament will be held in the Washington, DC area during the Labor Day weekend on August 31-September 1, 2013. The Filipino-American Basketball Association of Metro-DC (FABA) will host the 9th Filipino Basketball Association of North America (FBA-NA) two-day tournament which will be played at the following venues: The Marriott Wardmann Park Hotel at 2660 Woodley Road NW, Washington, DC and The NEW 24 FITNESS basketball facili-

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg with Jose Antonio Vargas at premiere of lm, Documented in West Coast. (Chronicle photo)

Raps on Filner shock Pinoys

By Maricar CP Hampton
Amb. Philip Goldberg ambassador to the Philippines, Manila already accepted his appointment, activists in Manila WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Filipino-American community and its leaders here in the capital are both shocked and saddened by charges of sexual harassment heaped upon San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, a loyal supporter of the cause of Filipino World War II veterans while he was a member of U.S. Congress. (As we go to press, reports from San Diego said Filner had cut short his stay at the behaviour-counselling theraphy.) Grace Valera, executive San Diego Mayor Bob Filner

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Sleeping with the enemy P6

Gilas wins Silver P7

USAF general warns China P8

FilAm nurse killed P10

Chinoys still rule roost P13

August 15, 2013

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over Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela and Cuba); Narciso Castaneda (Oman); Edsel Barba (Iraq); and diction over Sri Lanka and the Maldives). Dilem will replace the current ambassador to Mexico, George Reyes, who will be retiring soon. The incoming ambassador to Mexico will oversee a vast posting encompassing the current jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Mexico (plus the Central American countries), with Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Cuba as additional jurisdictions.

Aquino expands jurisdiction of embassy in D.C.

MANILA -President Benigno Aquino III has expanded the jurisdictions of the Philippine ambassador to the United States and four other envoys in a major revamp of key diplomatic posts overseas. The President expanded the power and responsibilities of Jose Cuisia Jr., the ambassador to Washington who has concurrent jurisdiction over the US Virgin Islands, Grenada and Puerto Rico. The revamp gives Cuisia three additional territorial jurisdictions - Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Haiti. Nine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ofcials were also given overseas postings in the United Kingdom, France and other European, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries. Mr. Aquino submitted their nominations as ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the congressional Commission on Appointments on July 19. Besides Cecilia Rebong, former consul general in New York who was appointed as the new permanent representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, Mr. Aquino appointed the following ambassadors: Maria Rowena M. Sanchez (Turkey with concurrent jurisdiction over Georgia and Azerbaijan); Victoriano Lecaros (Czech Republic); Theresa Lazaro (France with concurrent jurisdiction over Monaco); Jaime Victor Ledda (The Netherlands);

Former press attache and now Amb. Patricia Paez last month presented her credentials to the Prime Minister of Poland in Warsaw. Catalino Dilem Jr. (Mexico Vicente Vivencio Bandillo (Banwith concurrent jurisdiction gladesh with concurrent juris-

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WASHINGTON D.C. - President Barack Obama met with the Congressional Asian Pacic American Caucus (CAPAC) late last month to help push immigration reforms. Other issues discussed were the increasing diversity among presidential appointments, improving language access in enrolment for the Affordable Care Act, and pressing issues impacting Native Hawaiians and Pacic Island Territories, including federal recognition for Native Hawaiian self governance and equitable funding and treatment for the territories. CAPAC Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27) said the meeting was very productive, and I appreciate the Presidents receptiveness and willingness to address our concerns. President Obama has demonstrated throughout his presidency that he understands the needs of the Asian Pacic American community, and that fact was reinforced today. We look forward to working with the President to ensure American opportunity is safeguarded for generations still to come. The President thanked CAPAC for their work to expand

August 15, 2013

Obama asks CAPAC: push immigration reforms

the middle class within AAPI communities and among all Americans, and said that he looks forward to continuing to work with them. He stressed that the Administration continues to urge the House to take action to pass commonsense immigration reform that would secure our borders, crack down on illegal employment, offer a path to earned citizenship for undocumented persons, and modernize our legal immigration system so that it once again addresses our needs and reects our values as a nation. CAPAC agreed with the President the need to pass immigration reform now to help grow the economy, create jobs and reduce the decit. The President urged CAPAC to continue to reach out to their colleagues in the House to nd consensus and complete work on this important issue at the earliest possible opportunity. Chu said the beauty of the American Dream is that no one has a claim to it, but everyone has a stake in it. The President also said that he was proud of his efforts to make the Executive Branch and the federal judiciary more diverse. CAPAC thanked the President for more than doubling the number of AAPI federal judges currently serving. The President reiterated his commitment to ensuring that his Administration is composed of highly qualied public servants who reect the diversity of America. CAPAC also thanked the President for the ongoing work of the White House Initiative on AAPIs to better connect AAPI communities to the federal government.

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Mindoro. But even without the annual celebration, Ocean City is also the favorite summer vacation spot for Marylanders and Virginians beause it is closer to them. Many FilAm families have condominiums in the city. The Tribute was started by Rene Sese, a local resident and owner of a resort guest house. As a Cultural Ambassador of Ocean City, he founded the trade-tourism-cultural-medical event in 2010. This is a win-win situation for the two cities, said Sese in an interview with the Press of Atlantic City. I fell in love with Ocean City because of its serenity and the congeniality of the people. I am proud to live here, but I am also proud of where I am from. I am fortunate to have two hometowns, and I am just happy to bring attention to both of these great cities, where the future is very bright. The venue of the cultural shows was the Music Pier. There were also tables selling Philippine food and products.

Ocean City holds annual tribute to PH

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City held its fourth annual Tribute to the Philippines late last month. It was highlighted by an openair barrio esta that included cultural shows and display of Philippine products. Done in coordination with the Philippine consulate in New York which has jurisdiction over the area, the two-day festivities drew crowds from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. The city celebrates the event to mark its sister-city relationship with San Jose, Occidental

FilAms perform the Tinikling dance. (Photo by Elton Lugay, Filam.)

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SOMNERVILLE, New Jersey - The lawyer of Jason Frontnicki who has been arrested for robbery last month was living with FilAm Superior Court Judge Carlia Magpantay Brandy for over year at her Woodbridge residence. Last year, Frontnicki pleaded guilty to receiving stolen prescription drug forms and is now being accused of violating his probation and robbing a pharmacy. In a court hearing July 30 Prontnickis bail status, his attorney, Stuart White, said his client lived at Bradys Coolidge Avenue home for the past year until his arrest last month on the armed robbery charge. Based on that timing, Prontnicki would have been living with Brady when he pleaded guilty in November to theft charges related to the stolen prescription drug forms; received a three-year probation sentence in February; and allegedly robbed an Old Bridge pharmacy with a crow bar in April. Brady has been charged with two counts of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive for allegedly harboring Prontnicki in her Woodbridge home for about an hour on June 11 and never making any attempt to contact law enforcement, according to the complaint led against her. At the time, Prontnicki was wanted in the pharmacy robbery, authorities said. Brady, who was sworn in April 5 and assigned to the civil division in Middlesex County, pleaded not guilty last month. Soon after her June 11 arrest, around the United States. After todays hearing, Walter Timpone, an attorney representing Brady, conrmed she and Prontnicki were dating,

August 15, 2013

1st FilAm judge in NJ was sleeping with enemy

was unaware of Prontnickis case involving the stolen prescription drug forms, his alleged probation violation and the alleged armed robbery. Brady learned Manuel Sameiro. The robbery allegedly occurred nearly a year after Prontnicki was charged in May 2012 in Monroe Township with receiving stolen prescription blanks belonging to three doctors, according to court documents. In November, Prontnicki pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property from two doctors and a charge of using nine forged prescriptions from one of those doctors in an attempt to obtain roxicodone, oxycodone and xanax, court documents state. The remaining charges were later dismissed. Prontnicki was sentenced in February to three years of probation, but he violated the terms of his probation, in part because he tested positive for opiates, authorities said. During todays hearing, Sameiro referred to Prontnicki as a risk to the public, and requested him to be held in the Somerset County Jail without bail for violating probation. Superior Court Judge Robert Reed granted the request, saying that ifProntnicki is driven by a drug addiction to the point of wielding a crowbar in a pharmacy to demand drugs, hes a danger to himself and others. The judge said Prontnickis reputation shows that hes a drug addict and his behavior on the street is ruled by that addiction.

Jason Frontnicki about those issues when she was arrested, Timpone said. She had no knowledge of the prescription drug forms, the violation of his probation or the armed robbery until the police told her that there was an arrest warrant out for armed robbery, Timpone said. Prontnicki has been charged with armed robbery and weapons offenses for allegedly threatening an Old Bridge pharmacy owner with a crowbar on April 29 and demanding drugs, authorities said. Nothing was taken during the alleged robbery and no one was injured, authorities said. Prontnicki was arrested on June 11 as he was leaving Bradys home, said Acting Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor

File photo shows Judge Carlia M. Brady conferring with her lawyer after her suspension.

Photo shows the residence of the FilAm judge in New Jersey where her boyfriend stayed. Brady was suspended without pay from her $165,000-a-year job. Her appointment instilled pride among Filipino Americans and living together in her Woodbridge home for at least four months. But Timpone said Brady

Pinay convicted for abetting illegal immigration

SAN JOSE, California - A Filipino American consultant on immigration recently convicted for encouraing illegal immigration for private nancial gain says she will seek a retrial. Evelyn Sineneng-Smith,66, was found guilty on July 30 by a grand jury on three counts each for encouraging or inducing illegal immigration for private nancial grain and mail fraud, the US Department of Justice said in a press release. Even after her conviction, Mrs. Smith denied the charges against her and vows to appeal and seek a new trial. Sineneng-Smith faces a maximum sentence of anywhere between 10 to 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud and proting, encouraging illegal immigration, the DOJ said. She is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2013. Prosecutors said SinenengSmith led labor applications for her clients seeking a green card, despite knowing that her clients were not eligible. Responding to a telephone call from the Asian Journal, Sineneng-Smith said: From the time I started my practice until the government closed it, I led more than 800 labor certications, about 95 percent for Filipinos who worked at care homes. The applications were all lawfully applied. According to the DOJ, from 1990 to 2008, Sineneng-Smith operated several immigration consultation businesses with ofces in San Jose, Beverly Hills, La Jolla, Las Vegas, NV and New York. Prosecutors said SinenengSmith proted from Filipinos with visitors visas, who were seeking ways to obtain lawful permanent residency in the US. She charged nearly $6,000 to le, on their behalf, a labor certication from the US Department of Labor despite knowing that her clients did not qualify for an employmentbased visa or a green card, prosecutors said. According to the testimony of several victims, SinenengSmith failed to inform them that they were ineligible to obtain permanent residence. quences for those actions, said Joseph Vincent, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, San Jose. We will continue to work with our counterparts to investigate those who manipulate and exploit that system for their own personal nancial gain. Sineneng-Smith denied the charges, saying two of the three alleged victims testied at trial against her. One of them disappeared, she said. These were three illegal immigrants, Sineneng-Smith said. They were threatened by the federal government and given work permits to cooperate in the case against me. Its been very unfair to me. According to her Linkedin prole, Sineneng-Smith graduated from College of the Holy Spirit, in Manila. She describes herself as an Entrepreneur/Unlawful Detainer and Evictions Assistant at Evelyn Sineneng-Smith, and Fashionista Entrepreneur at Fashionista Style Boutique, and a Residential Portfolio Asset Manager.

Evelyn Sineneng-Smith In addition, prosecutors said, Sineneng-Smith encouraged victims to overstay their tourist visas and work illegally in residential healthcare facilities. Prosecutors presented evidence showing that in a threeyear span (from August 2004 through 2007) Sineneng-Smith deposited over $3.3 million dollars in payments from her clients. Those who corrupt the integrity of our nations legal immigration system must understand there are serious conse-

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World Cup in a long, long time. Gilas Pilipinas and the Filipino crowd stood proud and content holding a ticket to the to break down the towering Persian wall. We lost the championship match but were still happy. We But Im proud of my players. We fought them tooth and nail. Who would have thought Japeth (Aguilar) and Junmar (Fajardo) would ght that way, Reyes also said. It was silver that glittered like gold, the most precious mint the country pocketed since the NCC Phl teams title conquest in Ipoh, Malaysia in 1986. Gilas breathed down Irans neck almost throughout with a methodical halfcourt offense and a physical helping defense but couldn t get into real groove, time and again fended off by 7-foot-2 behemoth Hamed Haddadi. Iran, with its battle-tested crew that also features star guard Mahdi Kamrany and combo forwards Nikkhah Bahrami and Oshin Sahakian, built doubledigit spreads in the nal quarter and went on to reclaim the Asian crown it lost to China in Wuhan last year.

Iran wins FIBA title, PH will go to world cup

MANILA - Gilas Philippines lost to defending champion Iran in the 27th FIBA-Asia games on Aug. 11 but will for the rst time be able to play at the World Cup in Spain after defeating South Korea on Aug. 11 at the Mall of Asia arena. Gilas Pilipinas tried to ride the momentum of its momentous win over South Korea a day earlier but the Filipinos were outsized and outgunned by powerhouse Iran, which went on to win the 27th FIBA-Asia Cheered on Championship by another with an 85-71 romp. capacity crowd, led by President Noynoy Aquino and Vice President Jejomar Binay, the Filipinos stayed with the seasoned Iranians, headed by man mountain 7-foot-2 Hamed Haddadi three -fourths of the way but succumbed to the rigors of their storied win over the Koreans Aug. 10 and ended up visibly spent in energy and artillery. The Filipinos relentless away behind playmaker Mahdi Kamrany and Haddadi. Still, Gilas Pilipinas, whose lack in size and height was compounded with the sidelining of the injured naturalized Marcus Douthit, felt like a victor for having accomplished its main objective to make it back to the 2014 FIBA World Cup plus the silver medal as rst runner-up at the conclusion of 11 days of erce cage battles in the Asian conclave. The Filipinos failed to win it all, falling short in their bid to reach the apex of glory in this Asian meet as they werent able achieved what we set out to do in this tournament, said Jayson Castro. Obviously, we wanted to get the gold, but without Marcus Douthit, its really difcult to play a team with tremendous size, talent, and good coaching, said Gilas coach Chot Reyes. Gilas Philippines team poses with coaches and ofcials after winning silver medal in Asian basketball championship. quartercourt offensive so evident against the Koreans came in trickles and far in between and the Iranians methodically pulled

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The world thinks China will someday become the top superpower while the United States will continue to enjoy a better image in most regions, according to a Pew Research Center poll released on July 18. The survey, the Washington DC-based centers largest since 2007, found growing criticism of China in most of East Asia and Europe. But even in many countries where America is still seen as the top economic power, most believe China will someday become the leading overall superpower, the study said. In Western Europe, the public in all countries polled except Italy where the US was especially popular believed that China has topped or has already surpassed the United States as the worlds leading superpower. But the study put the US favorability rating globally at 63 percent, compared with 50 percent for China. Even nations with widespread anti-US feeling gave higher marks when asked about the American people and most viewed China favorably, far lower than in any other country polled, while 69 percent were positive about the US.

August 15, 2013

China will be worlds top superpower- Pew study

mostly supportive of the US but divided on predicting the future. Two-thirds of Australians believed that China would emerge as the top superpower, a view shared by fewer than onethird in Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines. Most economists believe it is only a matter of years before China, whose population is more than four times that of the United States, surpasses the US in the raw size of its economy. But many experts doubt that China will quickly catch up with the United States in the global reach of its culture, diplomacy and economy. The Pew study found limited interest in Latin America and Africa in Chinas music and movies, although most admired the Asian powers technological advances. Chinas image declined signicantly over the past two years in Europe, dropping 11 points in Britain and nine percent in France. The trend is likely due to unease about China as a commercial competitor as well as European frustration with Chinese unilateralism in foreign affairs, the survey said. Greece was the only European Union member where a majority held positive views of China and fewer than half of people were favorable toward the US. Chinas image also declined in several places where the United States is unpopular. In Egypt, Chinas favorability rating dropped 12 points to 45 percent, although it was still well above the 16 percent for the United States. Outside the Islamic world, the US was ranked worst in China, where 40 percent were favorable toward the United States, and Argentina, where the gure was 41 percent, in contrast to a positive image of the United States in much of Latin America.

Pew Research Centers map shows which country presents a better image. acknowledged that Washington allowed personal freedoms for its own citizens. The biggest swing in the US favor was in Japan, where a territorial row with China has ared. A mere ve percent of Japanese In the other direction, only 11 percent of Pakistanis saw the US favorably against 81 percent who held positive views of China, which Islamabad often considers its key supporter. Asia-Pacic nations were

China slams US Senate resolution on South China Sea

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Aug. 1 it had lodged a formal complaint with the United States after the U.S. Senate passed a resolution expressing concern about Chinese actions in the disputed East and South China Seas. The U.S. resolution, passed on July 29, listed several examples of worrying Chinese behavior, including Chinas issuing of an ofcial map dening the contested South China Sea as within its national border and of Chinese surveillance ships entering waters disputed with Japan in the East China Sea. China has repeatedly urged the United States not to get involved in either dispute. The above resolution proposed by a minority of senators took heed of neither history nor facts, unjustiably blaming China and sending the wrong message, Chinas Foreign Ministry said in a statement. China expresses its strong opposition, and has already made stern representations with the U.S. side. We urge the relevant senators to respect the facts and correct their mistakes in order to avoid further complicating the issue and the regional situation, it added. Territorial claims by Japan and China over uninhabited islets and the resource-rich waters in the East China Sea, as well as Chinas claims over the South China Sea, rank as some of Asias biggest security risks. Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Politburo on July 31 the country wanted to resolve its maritime territorial disputes peacefully and through talks, but would not compromise on sovereignty and had to step up its defensive capabilities. Tension over the East China Sea has escalated this year, with China and Japan scrambling ghter jets and ordering patrol ships to shadow each other, raising fear that a miscalculation could lead to a broader clash. The Philippines and Vietnam have also accused Beijing of becoming more aggressive in their disputes with China in the strategically located and energyrich South China Sea. (Reporting Blanchard) by Ben

US warns of miscalculations in Chinas stance

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Aggressive moves by China to assert territorial claims run the risk of miscalculations but are also helping Washington strengthen ties with other countries in the region, the general who oversees U.S. air forces in the Pacic said July 29. Being fairly aggressive runs the risk of creating the potential for miscalculation, Air Force General Herbert Carlisle told defense reporters in Washington. Thats something we think about every day. In the meantime, leaders of the Philippines and Japan met in Manila late last month to establish cooperation in dealing with the aggressive moves by China in the East and South China Seas. The Philippine military has announced it would transfer its navy and air facilities to Subic so that it would be closer to areas that are being threatened by China. Carlisle said the United States is shifting its military and diplomatic focus to the Asia Pacic region partly because of a buildup by Beijing. China has been involved in territorial disputes with the Philippines and Vietnam over islands in the South China Sea and with Japan over the uninhabited Senkaku islands. Carlisle said he was concerned that some of Chinas actions could trigger a larger response. Its a complex, changing wnvironment, he said. Every action has unintended in the region, as seen in a recent announcement that Washington and Manila had expanded talks on military cooperation. Some of their fairly assertive, aggressive behavior has in fact brought our friends (closer) and theyre relying on us to be there and to be present, he said. In some cases, those allies could ultimately wind up buying defense equipment from nonU.S. suppliers, but they wanted an increased U.S. presence as a counterweight to China, he said. The Pentagon was working to increase rotations of U.S. troops through Asia, much as it rotated troops through Europe at the time of the Cold War, Carlisle said. He said half of the Air Forces F-22 ghter jets were in the Pacic region; the rst foreign basing of the new F-35 ghter, built by Lockheed Martin Corp, would also be in Asia; and Global Hawks unmanned spy planes built by Northrop Grumman Corp would also be sent to the area. Washington is also stepping up its support of foreign military sales, which the U.S. weapons industry is counting on to offset weaker demand in the United States and Europe. Carlisle said he was condent the U.S. would continue shifting its focus to Asia despite hefty military spending cuts under a big U.S. governmentwide spending reduction process known as sequestration.

Air Force General Herbert Carlisle consequences and second and third order effects. Carlisle said at the same time Chinas moves were helping Washington expand its own ties

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in their letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. The Philippines will shortly enter into consultations and negotiations with the United States on a possible framework agreement that would implement our agreed policy of increased rotational presence, Gazmin and del Rosario said. U.S. ofcials were not immediately available for comment. The presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former American colony. The Philippine Senate voted in 1991 to close down major American bases at Subic and Clark, near Manila. The Philippine Constitution forbids foreign troops from being permanently based in the country, but the Senate ratied a 1999 pact with the United States that allows temporary visits by American forces. Gazmin and del Rosario assured lawmakers that any new accord with Washington will be consistent with our constitution. Several of Chinas neighbors have been alarmed by Beijings recent assertiveness in claiming large areas of the South China Sea. Manilas desire to bolster its external defense and security has dovetailed with Washingtons intention to pivot away from years of heavy military engagement in the Middle East to Asia, where it has been fostering closer economic and military alliances with countries such as the Philippines, partly as a counterweight to Chinas rising clout.

PH to allow bigger US troops presence to deter China

MANILA, Philippines (AP) Philippine ofcials say they will soon begin negotiations with the United States on a larger American military presence to help deter what they say is increasing Chinese aggression in Philippine-claimed waters in the South China Sea. In a letter to Philippine congressional leaders, the secretaries of national defense and foreign affairs said that allowing American troops to have an increased rotational presence will help the country attain a minimum credible defense to guard its territory while it struggles to modernize its own military, one of Asias weakest. Today, most of the several hundred American troops are rotated in Mindanao to train the Philippine military in its operation against the terrorist Abu Sayyaf. A larger American presence would also mean more resources and training for responding to disasters in a nation often battered by typhoons and earthquakes, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said

Nominations open for 2014 presidential awards

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Philippine embassy has said the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has formally opened the nomination to the 2014 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas. Since 1991, the CFO has spearheaded the biennial Gawad ng Pangulo Awards that was institutionalized under E.O.498 issued by former President Corazon C. Aquino to honor and recognize overseas Filipinos and foreign individuals who have selessly supported relief, rehabilitation and development programs in the home country. The roster of awardees now includes some 367 overseas Filipino individuals, organizations and their foreign partners, who have been a source of pride and have signicantly contributed to the betterment of Filipino communities in the Philippines and abroad. The four (4) award categories are as follows: 1. Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (Linkapil) Award conferred on Filipino associations or individuals for their exceptional or signicant contribution to reconstruction, progress and development in the Philippines; 2. Kaanib ng Bayan Award conferred on foreign individuals or organizations for their exceptional or signicant contribution to Philippine reconstruction, progress and development, or have signicantly beneted a sector or community in the Philippines, or advanced the cause of overseas Filipino communities; Banaag Award conferred on Filipino individuals or associations for their signicant contribution to advance the cause or promote the interests of overseas Filipino communities and 4. Pamana ng Pilipino Award conferred on Filipinos overseas, who, in exemplifying the talent and industry of the Filipino, have brought the country honor and recognition through excellence and distinction in the pursuit of their work or profession.

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WASHINGTON D.C. Memphis police are asking persons to come forward with information about killing of Filipino nurse Erano C. Santos, who was slain with a gunshot during an apparent car theft last July 20 at near his home in Cordoba, Tennessee. Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. condemned it as a senseless killing asked the police to hunt for the killer. Investigators said ofcers were called to the Stonebridge Crossing Apartments in Cordoba around 2:15 p.m. after neighbors reported a shooting incident. When the cops arrived, they found 33-year-old Santos lying in a pool of blood on the ground outside, dead from a gunshot wound. Witnesses told investigators Santos was in a ght in the parking lot with an unknown suspect when he was shot and the assailant ed with his Honda Civic. Santos vehicle, with TN license plate G5237P, is a silver 2013 Honda Civic 4-door sedan. The Memphis Police Department asked anyone with information on the deadly shooting to call CrimeStoppers at (901) 528-2274, or submit their tip at 528cash.org, or text the word AWARD to 274637 (CRIMES). Besides condemning the killing, Cuisia offered to extend every help to the family of Santos, including the speedy transport of his mortal remains to his hometown. The Philippine Nurses Association of America also pledged to raise funds for the transfer of the remains. Cuisia said the Philippine Embassy has been informed of the death of Santos, the sole breadwinner for his siblings in Barangay Lourdes Northwest, not far from the former U.S. Clark Air Base in Angeles City. The Santoses have lost both their parents and depended mainly on their late brother for nancial support. We grieve with Mr. Santoss loved ones and join them in condemning this senseless killing, Ambassador Cuisia said. We are condent that authorities will be able to bring to justice whoever is behind Mr. Santoss death. Cuisia said the embassy is coordinating with the Memphis police and is in touch with Eranos aunt in San Diego. He said the Embassy will extend all possible assistance in facilitating the repatriation of the

August 15, 2013

FilAm nurse slain by carjacker in Memphis

I cant believe this happened to our dear friend, Pineda told Balitang America in Filipino. Another friend, Rizalynn Lacanilao-Santos of San Jose, California said that it was not in the nature of Santos to ght. And Santos aunt, Lourdes Likes, said the assailant should have just taken his car and spared his nephews life. Friends said Santos had waited many years to work in America for the sole purpose of supporting siblings left behind in Pampanga.

Aquino welcomes Alcaraz in Subic Bay

Erano Santos victims remains to the Philippines. Santos, who migrated to the United States only last year, was found dead with a gunshot wound outside his apartment in Cordova, Tennessee. Relatives and friends of the victim were devastated over the news of Santos death. Christopher Pineda, a college buddy now based in New Jersey, said that he was really shocked over the tragic death. SUBIC BAY, Philippines - President Aquino led Philippine ofcials in welcoming the RPS Alcaraz as it sailed into its base here Aug 6. The former US Coast Guard ship is part of the Philippine military upgrade in the wake of Chinas aggressive stance in the West Philippine Sea. force after three past administrations failed to implement a 330- billion-peso ($7.6-billion) spending plan passed in 1995, after the Chinese occupation of the half-submerged Mischief Reef. But a weak economy and two long-running insurgencies by Maoist and Muslim rebels

Asian American youth organize DREAM Rides

WASHINGTON D.C. - A group of young Asian American and Pacic Islander have organized the DREAM Rider, a group that will shortly mount a nationwide ght to overcome barriers and make the country stronger. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan eho recently met with the young riders, said the DREAM Riders are young AAPIs who have been granted deferred action through the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. What that means is that, for certain young people who came to the United States as children, the government has deferred action that would remove them from the country, and given them authorization for employment. These young people, along with student supporters, are kicking off the DREAM Riders Tour that will take them all over the country with stops in Washington, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and California, among others. The group plans to rally local AAPI youth and students around the need for Congress to pass commonsense immigration reform and lay the foundation for relationships and future collaboration with local organizations and leaders. Duncan said I was inspired by the stories of the DREAM Riders and their friends and familys stories to strive to make ends meet, stories of success and struggle as they try to obtain the debate. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, approximately 1.1 million individuals of Asian descent are President Aquino presides at the welcome ceremony for the RPS Ramon Alcaraz in Subic Bay. The military build-up, which is heavily focused on maritime capability, is likely to add to tension over the South China Sea that has threatened to draw in the United States as it refocuses its military attention on Asia. President Aquino and senior ministers watched as the frigate sailed into the former U.S. naval base, after a twomonth voyage from South Carolina, where its 88 Philippine crew trained for a year. The 46-year-old Hamilton-class cutter, the second of its type the Philippines has received from its U.S. ally, will be used to patrol areas of the South China Sea near the Philippine coast that have become a major source of tension with Beijing. Its very clear - real growth is possible only if theres genuine stability and peace in our nation, Aquino said in a speech, adding the country needed to erase the image of a poorly equipped military. Aquino is determined to modernize the navy and air drained the countrys funds and left it with one of Southeast Asias weakest militaries. When Aquino took over in 2010, just 10 percent of the 1995 plans budget had been used. He won congressional approval to extend the plan 15 years and spend $1.7 billion to upgrade the military over the next ve years, helped by robust economic growth that hit 7.8 percent in the rst quarter this year, the fastest in Asia. China, Taiwan and Vietnam claim the entire South China Sea while Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines have partial claims on areas believed to have rich deposits of oil and natural gas. Last year, China added to Manilas alarm by occupying the Scarborough Shoal just 124 nautical miles off the Philippine coast, following a tense standoff with Philippine vessels. General Emmanuel Bautista, head of the 130,000member armed forces, said the ship would make a big contribution to efforts to secure Philippine territorial waters against intrusions.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan meets with Dream Riders in DC. best education that our country has to offer. The DREAM Riders and I discussed the signicance of a meaningful pathway to earned citizenship for undocumented individuals and our collective efforts to ensure passage of commonsense immigration reform, Duncan added. The Senate has passed this legislation in a strong bipartisan vote for legislation in the Senate, but the House of Representatives has not yet taken action. AAPI communities and families have a huge stake in this undocumented. According to the Department of State, approximately 2 million individuals of Asian descent are currently waiting abroad to reunite with their families in America. The future of our country and our economy brightens tremendously underthe provisions of this legislation. Earlier this month, the White House released a report highlighting the numerous and varied economic benets of xing our broken immigration system, including helping to grow our economy by creating new business and jobs.

August 15, 2013

11
ciency or employer resistance to hiring a candidate with unfamiliar qualications. The result is that many Filipino doctors accept work as nurses, accountants as bookeepers, etc. MMPI said: For occupations that require licensing or registration-such as in engineering or health care-examinations, application fees or supervised training requirements can represent additional barriers to entry. Mittlestadts report has suggested strategies to improve the recognition of immigrants foreign qualications, examines the range of policies immigrantreceiving countries have introduced to improve the recognition of foreign credentials and focuses on strategies to remedy the credentialing gaps that keep many immigrants from fullling their professional potential. The sheer complexity of licensing systems and the vast number of agencies and government departments involved at different levels of government leave room for confusion and make it difcult for governments to ensure that policies are implemented consistently, said MPI Senior Policy Analyst Madeleine Sumption, who authored the report. Said MPI President Demetrios Papademetriou: In an era of growing competition for human capital, policymakers in countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, and in Europe increasingly understand the importance of focusing on policies to address the recognition of foreign credentials. The report notes that there are issues other than credential recognition at play when it comes to maximizing the skills and experience of immigrant workers. Some immigrants require signicant support to ll gaps in their skills, gain local work experience and address other barriers to employment. Foreign professionals, especially the newly arrived, are often not completely interchangeable with their locally trained counterparts, the report says. As a result, effectively demonstrating that their training meets local standards may not be enough; they may also require opportunities to ll knowledge decits without prohibitive time and expense.

MPI says more than 1-M immigrants talents wasted

WASHINGTON D.C. - The Migration Policy Institute here says the talents of more than 1.6 college-educated immigrants, including hundreds if not thousands of Filipinos, are going to waste because of difculty in obtaining certication to practice in the US. In its latest report written by Michelle Mittlestadt, MPI said it is now focusing its strategies to reduce brain waste in the US. It said foreign-trained immigrants should be put to good use in the host-country labor market, particularly in regulated professions. Many Filipino American professionals now recall the time in the past when many doctors, nurses and other professionals had encountered barriers in obtaining license to practice in the US. The result was that many doctors had to work as nursing assistants, accountants as bookeepers, engineers as draftsmen, etc. in order to survive. This, MPI said, was mainly dut to differences in education and training, language pro-

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August 15, 2013

Poor-rich gap also widening in Philippines

MANILA - The gap between the rich and the poor are widening, according to the National Statistics Coordination Board. The reason, according to Albay Gov. Joey Salceda is the inability of the Internal Revenue Service to tax the wealthy. He said the income growth of the rich, especially during the boom cycles in 2011, showed 10.9 percent versus 4.3 percent for middle income classes, according to gures provided by the National Statistics Coordination Board. The rich always run away with the money since they enjoy tax exemptions, lower tax rates, or have tax lawyers to ght the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Salceda said. The NSCB gures contradicted a recent Malacanang announcement that there has been growth in all levels. The growth of income of the poor and middle class was too low compared to growth of income of the rich. The Asian Development Bank has conrmed the widening gap between the rich and the poor. It also urged the Philippines and other countries in Asia to improve access of people to education, health and other services.

AP survey notes widening US rich-poor gap

WASHINGTON (AP) -Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream. Survey data exclusive to The Associated Press points to an increasingly globalized U.S. economy, the widening gap between rich and poor, and the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs as reasons for the trend. The ndings come as President Barack Obama tries to renew his administrations emphasis on the economy, saying in recent speeches that his highest priority is to rebuild ladders of opportunity and reverse income inequality. As nonwhites approach a numerical majority in the U.S., one question is how public programs to lift the disadvantaged should be best focused on the afrmative action that historically has tried to eliminate the racial barriers seen as the major impediment to economic equality, or simply on improving socioeconomic status for all, regardless of race. Hardship is particularly growing among whites, based on several measures. Pessimism among that racial group about their families economic futures has climbed to the highest point since at least 1987. In the most recent AP-GfK poll, 63 percent of whites called the economy poor. While racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to live in poverty, race disparities in the poverty rate have narrowed substantially since the 1970s, census data show. Economic insecurity among whites also is more pervasive than is shown in the governments poverty data, engulng more than 76 percent of white adults by the time they turn 60, according to a new economic gauge being published next year by the Oxford University Press. The gauge denes economic insecurity as a year or more of periodic joblessness, reliance on government aid such as food stamps or income below 150 percent of the poverty line. Measured across all races, the risk of economic insecurity rises to 79 percent. Marriage rates are in decline across all races, and the number of white mother-headed households living in poverty has risen to the level of black ones. Its time that America comes to understand that many of the nations biggest disparities, from education and life expectancy to poverty, are increasingly due to economic class position, said William Julius Wilson, a Harvard professor who specializes in race and poverty. He noted that despite continuing economic difculties, minorities have more optimism about the future after Obamas election, while struggling whites do not. There is the real possibility that white alienation will increase if steps are not taken to highlight and address inequality on a broad front, Wilson said. Nationwide, the count of Americas poor remains stuck at a record number: 46.2 million, or 15 percent of the population, due in part to lingering high unemployment following the recession. While poverty rates for blacks and Hispanics are nearly three times higher, by absolute numbers the predominant face of the poor is white. More than 19 million whites fall below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four, accounting for more than 41 percent of the nations destitute, nearly double the number of poor blacks. Sometimes termed the invisible poor by demographers, lower-income whites generally are dispersed in suburbs as well as small rural towns, where more than 60 percent of the poor are white. Concentrated in Appalachia in the East, they are numerous in the industrial Midwest and spread across Americas heartland, from Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma up through the Great Plains. Buchanan County, in southwest Virginia, is among the nations most destitute based on median income, with poverty hovering at 24 percent. The county is mostly white, as are 99 percent of its poor. More than 90 percent of Buchanan Countys inhabitants are working-class whites who lack a college degree. Higher education long has been seen there as nonessential to land a job because well-paying mining and related jobs were once in plentiful supply. These days many residents get by on odd jobs and government checks. By race, nonwhites still have a higher risk of being economically insecure, at 90 percent. But compared with the ofcial poverty rate, some of the biggest jumps under the newer measure are among whites, with more than 76 percent enduring periods of joblessness, life on welfare or near-poverty.

Napoles daughter aunts wealth, Porche

MANILA - What gets the goat of poverty-stricken Filipinos is to see stories of how the daughter of a businesswoman linked to the alleged P10-billion pork scam is aunting her wealth. This has caught the attention of the media and the Bureau of that the Porsche car was given to the younger Napoles when she graduated Magna Cum Laude in college. Another Porsche car was given to her during her birthday debut. Yung alahas, regalo namin relo na Chanel, regalo po talaga namin nung graduation, said

Jeane Napoles, daughter of Janet Lim Napoles, gets Porche, jewels and other gifts from her mother on her birthdays. Internal Revenue which is now Napoles in her interview with investigating the wealth of busi- Anthony Taberna. Napoles said it was their nesswoman Janet Lim Napoles after her daughter is said to be right to go shopping because aunting her familys wealth in they were earning money from their business ventures. social media. Wala po na nanggaling sa Photos sent to ABS-CBN news by a friend of the younger gobyerno, ni piso. Lahat pong Napoles after the pork barrel yan ay hanap buhay namin scam hit the news headlines galing sa aming pinaghirapan, showed Porche cars, expensive said Napoles. Internal Revenue Commiswatches, jewelry, clothes, and shoes. The photos were posted sioner Kim Henares meanwhile on the Instagram account of said the bureau is now lookNapoles daughter Jeane, who is ing into the familys properties. reportedly a model and fashion But she said there was nothing wrong in aunting ones wealth designer. The account also showed as long as they pay right taxes. Kung talagang mayaphotos of luxury cars which she said were gifts her parents on her man at nagbayad ka naman ng tamang buwis, edi walang debut and college graduation. Napoles is the alleged problema. May problema lang brains behind the P10-billion kung hindi nagtutugma yung pork barrel scam. Jeanes mother dalawa, said Henares. Napoles insisted they pay conrmed the authenticity of the photos and offered an explana- the right taxes, adding that she is open to an investigation of their tion. She told ABS-CBN news wealth.

Budget for Pork P27-B; solons oppose scrapping it

MANILA - The pork stays and its a whopping P27 billion in the Aquino administrations proposed national budget for 2013. Despite the P10-billion pork barrel scam, the executive branch still opted to include the regular allocation for the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in its proposed P2.268-trillion budget. Congressmen and senators are vehemently opposed to scrapping the pork, warning Aquino not to tamper with it. But unlike in the past when only the soft portion was in the budget and the hard portion was tucked in government agencies, the new budget proposal would show the whole and complete PDAF, said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad. The P27-billion (for) PDAF is provided and that is a special line item for PDAF on this budget, he said when he submitted the national expenditure program to the House of Representatives. President Aquino made no mention of the pork barrel scandal in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). He himself is also alloted billions of pesos to dispense with. The Makabayan bloc earlier led a bill seeking to abolish the entire pork barrel system in government, including the Presidents social fund. Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares urged Mr. Aquino to make the bill irrelevant by not including PDAF in the 2014 national budget anymore. Each senator usually gets P200 million in PDAF every year, while members of the House of Representatives are given P70 million each. The P27-billion PDAF allocation is no match to the P62.6 billion in cash doles included in the national budget for the poor. The amount was raised from the existing P44-billion budget this year to cover 4.44 million households and 10.2 million children beneciaries. The new amount dwarfs the P21.1-billion budget set aside for the construction of irrigation systems, and the P12-billion allocation for building farm-to-market roads in the proposed national budget.

August 15, 2013

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com/philippines-billionaires/ <http://www.forbes.com/philippines-billionaires/> 1) Henry Sy; US$12 billion 2) Lucio Tan; $7.5 billion 3) Andrew Tan; $4.6 billion 4) Enrique Razon Jr.; $4.5 billion 5) John Gokongwei Jr.; $3.4 billion 6) Jaime Zobel de Ayala; $3.1 billion 7) Aboitiz Family; $3 billion 8) David Consunji; $2.7 billion 9) George Ty; $2.6 billion 10) Lucio & Susan Co; $1.9 billion 11) Tony Tan Caktiong & Family; $1.7 billion 12) Robert Coyiuto Jr; $1.5 billion 13) Emilio Yap; $1.35 billion 14) Roberto Ongpin; $1.3 billion 15) Inigo & Mercedes Zobel; $1.2 billion 16) Manuel Villar; $1.05 billion 17) Andrew Gotianun; $1 billion 18) Beatrice Campos & family; $900 million 19) Vivian Que Azcona & family; $840 million 20) Eduardo Cojuangco; $825 million

Chinoys still rule roost among PHs richest

MANILA - Filipino Chinese Shopping Mall magnate Henry Sy is still the richest man in the Philippines for the sixth year in a row, according to NY-based Forbes magazine. Andrew Tan who has moved to third place from sixth in the previous year with $4.6 billion, which was double his wealth in 2012, it said. Enrique Razon Jr. came it at fourth with $4.5 billion and John Gokongwei Jr. at fth with $3.4 billion. The Philippines richest also beneted from a buoyant stock market which is up 28% in the past year, Forbes said. The Philippines has two new billionaires, former senator Manuel Villar, who is at number 16, with an estimated wealth of $1.05 billion and the Aboitiz Family which ranks seventh with $3 billion after the entire clan consolidated their wealth. The combined net worth of the Philippines 50 richest totaled $65.8 billion, more than a quarter of the nations Gross Domestic Product, Forbes said. This list was compiled using shareholding and nancial information obtained from the families and individuals, stock exchanges, analysts and other sources, it said. The full list according to the Forbes Philippines Richest List that can be found in http://www.forbes.

Henry Sy His net worth has increased by $2.9 billion to $12 billion, as shares of his company SM Investments reported record prots of over $570 million in 2012, Forbes said. Another Chinoy, Lucio Tan,is at second with an estimated $7.5 billion and is this years biggest gainer in dollar terms after his net worth jumped to $7.5 billion, up by $3 billion from $4.5 billion in 2012, Forbes said. The next richest Chinoy is

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This years ANCOP USA Global Walk will be held in 33 Walk sites in 15 States around the country on August 25. This was learned from a joint statement issued by Eric Villanueva in California, ANCOP USA President, and Roger Santos in New Jersey, the groups Executive Director. ANCOP Global Walk, now on its third year, is being held simultaneously in key cities around the world, organized and supported mostly by members of Couples for Christ, the global family renewal movement. In Maryland, Ancop Global Walk will take place August 24 at Tucker Road, Sports Complex in Oxon Hill, Maryland, contact person Rey Regis-rbregis@ yahoo.com; Cres Reyes cresreyes.ancop@gmail.com; in Virginia Beach on Mt. Trashmor Park, 310 Edwin Drive, Virginia Beach, 23462 contact person ysibal@yahoo.com.. ANCOP Walk 2013 will be held all over the world in a synchronized fashion. For more info go to website: http://www. ancopwalk.us/registration/ SelectWalklocation.aspfor local listing). The projects aim is to raise funds in order to sustain and increase the more than 5,000 ANCOP scholars, composed of poor Filipino children, now enrolled in various schools in the Interested parties may join ANCOP USA Walk by registering at www.ancopwalk.us. The US Walk sites and dates could

August 15, 2013

ANCOP USA Global Walk in Md. set August 24

There were 73 registered walkers, with the following winners in their respective categories: First Place was Oyo Erpe; Most Energetic was Kevin Nasol; Farthest Traveler award went to Tony Gavino; the Wackiest Attire award to Jula Erpe; and the award for being the 1st registrant went to Anne Vazquez. Total money raised was $4000 with all proceeds going to poor children so they can attend and stay in school. Check the Ancop website at www.ancopwalk.us <http://www.ancopwalk.us/> for the next Ancop Walk schedule.

Several FilAms in DC talent competition

Participants in the Ocoquan, Virginia Ancop USA Global Walk early this month pose for group photo. Philippines in elementary, high school and college levels. The Walk in Manila will start at 4:00 A.M. at the Luneta Grandstand on August 25. It is expected to draw more than 100,000 participants. ANCOP Walk is also scheduled in various cities and provincial capitals in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Around the US, the Walk will be held in 33 cities in Georgia, Washington, Florida, Virginia, Texas, South Carolina, Oregon, Delaware, North Carolina, California, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois and Washington D.C. also be found in same Web site. The 5K Ancop Walks success was made possible by the volunteers led by Nelle Gavino, Ancop Coordinator and EJ Bernabe, Assistant Ancop Coordinator. Joanna Ablaza and Anne Vazquez oversaw Marketing and Public Relations, Nen Castillo handled registration, Gabby Reyes managed Logistics, Annie Cabrera handled Sponsorship; and Nancy De La Noche and Cynthia Bugarin were Race Coordinators. Special guest was Vic Sibal from Virginia Beach, who delivered a very inspiring talk. Several Filipino Americans have been selected as nalists in the 4th annual Kollaboration DC talent competition and showcase that will take place on Saturday, September 28th, 2013 at The George Washington Universitys Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC. For over a decade, Kollaboration has endeavored to empower talented Asian and Pacic Islander (API) artists to pursue their creative dreams, and now with production teams all across the US and Canada consisting of API professional and student volunteers, Kollaboration has grown into one of the largest grassroots movements within the API community. Kollaboration DC 4 will present a lineup of some of the best in emerging talents from the API communities of the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas. The competitors for Kollaboration DC 4 are Anna Mateo, Brian Kim, Dave Yoon, Jomin Mujar, Juan Sim, Lynsey Fadul, Kirstie Amara Espiritu, and The Parlies. The show will also feature special guest performances by Kollaboration DC Rising Star Award winner Cara Kim, B-Girl group Kickrocks Crew, rapper Gifted on West East (Gowe), and nally Pan-Asian pop group BLUSH. For more info, contact Marvin Yueh, Assistant Director, Kollaboration DC 626.272.1685 - Mobile, marvin@ kollaborationdc.org http:// www.kollaborationdc.org/

August 15, 2013

dette. Contact 703-569-1054. August 17 (Saturday) 8:pm12mn Fil Am Multicultural Center and Tutubi Enterprises, An Evening Motown, Jazz and Blues with the Pnoise Band. Filipino American Multi Cultural Center, 7500 Livingston Rd., Oxon Hill, MD. $5.00 donation (free if you arrive before 8) Contact: julianoteyza@gmail.com or (703) 969 5469 August 23 (Saturday) 6:00pm-12:00mn Progressive Alliance of Filipinos and Americans, Inc. (PAFAI) Hawaiian Night a fundraising event at For Myer Community Center, Arlington, VA August 24 (Saturday) 7:30am ANCOP Global Walk 2013 Washington DC-Southern and Central Maryland to raise awareness and funds for its various programs- Childrens educational sponsorship, Community development, Family health and Nutrition, Medical and Surgical Mission. 1771 Tucker Rd, Oxon Hill, Fort Washington, MD 20744. Online registration, visit www.ancopwalk.us Registration fee $15.00. August 24 (Saturday) 8:pm12mn Fil Am Multicultural Center and Tutubi Enterprises Ballroom Dancing . Filipino American Multi Cultural Center, 7500 Livingston Rd., Oxon Hill, MD. $5.00 donation (free if you arrive before 8). Contact: julianoteyza@gmail.com or (703) 969 5469 August 30 (Friday) 6:30pm Eucharistic Celebration & Healing Service with Fr. Fernando Suarez, Holy Family Catholic Church, 12010 Woodmore Rd.,

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Mitchellville, MD 20721. Registration required. Email your name, tel. number, Names of attendees (indicate if using wheelchair) to holyfamilyevent@ gmail.com. Contact: presyguevara@yahoo.com August 31 (Saturday) 5 pm-7 pm. Filipino American Multi Cultural Center Closing Party Brown Strokes on a White Canvas Traveling Exhibit. Free. Followed by the Tutubi Evolution Classic Rock Concert 8 pm-12 mn, 7500 Livingston Rd., Oxon Hill, MD. $5.00 donation (free if you arrive before 8). Contact: julianoteyza@gmail.com or (703) 969. $5.00 donation (free if you arrive before 8pm). August 31 (Saturday) 5 pm-7 pm. Filipino American Multi Cultural Center Closing Party Brown Strokes on a White Canvas Traveling Exhibit. Free. Followed by the Tutubi Evolution Classic Rock Concert 8 pm-12 mn, 7500 Livingston Rd., Oxon Hill, MD. $5.00 donation (free if you arrive before 8). Contact: julianoteyza@gmail.com or (703) 969. $5.00 donation (free if you arrive before 8pm). September 1 (Sunday) 12:00-5:00pm Generals Douglas MacArthur/Vicente Lim VFW Post 5471 and Ladies Auxillary Hawaiian Luau Fundraising Event, Ador & Nanette Carreon Residence, 315 Syria Court, Fort Washington, MD 20744. $25. Contact: Jay Cabacar at jaycabacar@gmail.com September 14 (Saturday) Mrs. Philippines Home for Senior Citizens, Inc. and Yo-Yo Fiesta Tiatro (A Dinner Theatre Show of Filipino Songs and Dance). Mrs. Philippines Home at 6482 Bock Road, Oxon Hill, MD 20745. $25. Three shows: 12 noon (Contact: Earl Echon 301248-9655); 3 pm show (Contact: Maria Cacas 301-567-2935; 6pm show (Contact Roy fune 443-4930391. September 21 (Saturday) 6:00pm-1:00am Medical Mission of Mercy USA Superheroes Night Masquerade Ball to benet 2014 Medical Mission to Sorsogon, Bicol. Fairfax Park Marriott in Falls Church, VA. $80. Contact: Yoly Arzadon 703.750.3768. September 28-29 (Saturday & Sunday) 10:00am-8:00pm Asian Festival. Rosecroft Raceway, 6336 Rosecroft Dr, Ft. Washington, MD 20744. Sponsored by Singha Beer and Thai Tennis Organization of America. Featured Village is the Philippines and is sponsored by PAFC. For participation as a vendor or performer, contact: Eileen Nadal, eileen_nadal@yahoo.com October 5 (Saturday) 8 pm-2 am. Ateneo Alumni Association of Metro Washington DC Charity Gala Dinner-Dance and Auction. Crystal Gateway Marriott Grand Ballroom, 1700 Jefferson Davis HighwayArlington, VA 22202. Contact: Aimee San Ramon at aimeesr@yahoo.com

August 16 (Friday) 8:00 pm and August 17 (Saturday) 7:30 pm I Do Bidoo Bidoo movie musical. Starring Gary Valenciano and Zsa Zsa Padilla. Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, DeSales Hall, 8601 Wolftrap Road, Vienna, VA 22182. $15 (prepaid). Send check to Chiqui Sanchez, 1106 Jackson Court, Falls Church, VA 22046. Prepaid tickets may be picked up

at before the screening. Proceeds will benet the projects of MOWELFUND Philippines and the Filipino Catholic Ministry at OLGC. Contact: Chiqui 571-4998277 August 17 (Saturday) 7:30pm Filipino Mass at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill Road, Springeld, VA 22152. Sponsored by Filipino Ministry of St. Berna-

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Text/photo credits: Angelyn Tugado-Marzan

August 15, 2013

Philippine Barakos remain champions in Filipino Americans hearts.

[As PONY (Protect Our Nations Youth) Baseball Asia Pacic Zone Bronco 11 champions, the Philippine Barakos competed July 25-28, 2013 at the PONY International Bronco-11 World Series at the Harry Daniel Baseball Park in Iron Bridge, Chestereld, Virginia. Warm Filipino hospitality was once again extended to the Barakos team (11-year-old baseball players Vincent Mendoza, Ivan Tolentino, Lloyd Cinco, John Matanguihan, Kenneth de los Santos, Jewell Dimapilis, Jerome Pamute, Bryan Magnaye, Neil Perez, Dax Fabella, Reden Tapia, Sancho Llamas & Juilien Filart) and their chaperones (Philippine Tot Baseball Foundation president Rodolfo Boy Tingzon, Jr., Tanauan Sports Development Ofcer Teotimo Toti C. Leus, Tato Dimayuga (of the ofce of new Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan City, Batangas), coaches Romar and Teddy Landicho, Apple Landicho, Mae Mendoza, Rosemarie Go, Junie Tapia, Doji Llamas, Lala Fabella, Ms. Perez, Evelyn Mendoza, Mike Galicia, Guillermo Edrinal) by ofcers/members of Fil-Am organizations (Don Bosco Philippines Alumni Association Greater Washington, D.C., Filipino American Association of Central Virginia [FAACV], Visayan American Association, Philippine Nurses Association of Richmond, Himig Filipino Choir, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Kultura Pilipino, etc.), including, among others, Art & Annie Asistores, Raul & Jan Mercado, Nitoy & Sarie Lopez, Gerry & Beth Balallo, Rumy & Marj Mohta, Lilia Baker, Rudy & Evelyn Bolipata, Meaning Lagangan, Ana Marie Joson, Raul Moreno, Montoro, Nilo Migo, Romeo Casupanan, Delphin Raymundo, & Nesty & Mishel Tanega.]

Philippine Tot Baseball Foundation president Rodolfo Boy Tingzon (4th from left) receives on behalf of the Barakos a plaque of appreciation from FAACV President Gerry Balallo (6th from left) with wife Beth Balallo. With the Barakos are (last row, l-r) Lourdes Balallo, Marty Martinez, Rumy Mohta, Romeo Casupan.

Filipino American Community members join the Barakos at the conclusion of the PONY Bronco-11 World Series in Chestereld, Virginia. (Standing, l-r) Meaning Lagangan & Sarie Lopez lead enthusiastic Filipinos and Filipino- Americans in cheering for the Barakos.

The Don Bosco Philippines Alumni Association Greater Washington, D.C (with its president Art Asistores, seated, center (in white polo) with his wife Annie Asistores (standing, 3rd from left) treat the Barakos team to dinner July 18th, 2013 upon their arrival at the imposing LEnfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. Tanauan Sports Development Ofcer Teotimo Toti C. Leus (left) and some of the Barakos team pose with Filipino American Raul Mercado, manager at the LEnfant Plaza Hotel where the Barakos stayed overnight. Thryza Navarrete (left), Executive Assistant to Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., helps serve strawberries and grapes to right eld Barakos player Vincent Mendoza during a merienda cena tendered by the Ambassador & his wife Vicky Cuisia July 19, 2013 at the Philippine Embassys Romulo Hall in Washington, D.C.

The Philippine Barakos in sending a photo of their baseball eld in picturesque Tanauan, Batangas, are grateful for the signicant support of, among others, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, Ambassador to the US & Mrs. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. & the Philippine Embassy staff, the Filipino American community, noted sportsman & former Congressman Rodolfo Totoy Tingzon, the Mayors Ofce in Tanauan City, Batangas, PH Department of Education, & the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) under the Ofce of the President of the Philippines. Barakos pitcher Ivan Tolentino (foreground, in black) looks curious as he and his team players survey July 19th, 2013 exhibits on the Philippines during World War II at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The Barakos team are feted with a welcome reception by Filipino Americans July 20, 2013 at the residence of Gerry and Beth (kneeling, front, left) Balallo in Glen Allen, Virginia. Among those in photo are Raul & Jan Mercado and Sam & Lourdes Balallo (standing, right, beside Mae Mendoza) Barakos coach Teddy Landicho holds a Home Run Derby trophy won by pitcher Reden Tapia (front, 2nd from left) during a luncheon given by Filipino Americans at the residence of Albert & Mercy Magpoc in Chestereld, Virginia. In photo are (standing, l-r) Guillermo Edrinal, Jane Rodis, Susan Salkin, Mercy Magpoc, Sarie Lopez, Lily Raymundo, Tato Dimayuga, Nitoy Lopez, Rosemarie Go, Sonia Martinez, Albert Magpoc, Reiman Rodis, Raul Mercado, Anjelica T. Marzan, Nilo Migo (foreground, right) and Marty Martinez (front, left) After dinner at the Wing Command (by owners Nesty & Mishel Tanega), the formidable Barakos team sing, dance, and pose with some of their Filipino American sponsors (including Gerry & Beth Balallo (2nd row, 3rd & 4th from left), Lilia Baker (beside Beth), Evelyn & Rudy Bolipata (5th from right), and Raul and Jan Mercado (right).

Filipino Americans bring dinner to the Barakos at the Harry Daniel Baseball Park in Chestereld, Virginia. In photo are (kneeling) Justine and James Ho, Michael Rodriguez; (2nd row) Etta Phillips, Apple Landicho, Beth Taloma, Anjelica, Anne Ho, Jerome Pamute, Lloyd Cinco, Juilien Filart, Kenneth delos Santos, Dax Fabella and Boy Tingzon; (3rd row) Katherine Phillips, Cyrus Mohta, Art Asistores, Rumy Mohta, Fidel Rodriguez, Richard Mercado, Our Lady of Lourdes 8th annual Filipino Festival Chair Rosario Igharas, Kapitan Guillermo, Vina Rodriguez, Reden Tapia, John Neil Perez, & Conchita Ebarle

August 15, 2013

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Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia,Jr.poses with group of investors who called on him at the embassy August 1. From left are Capt. Elson Aguilar, Defense Attache; Robert Kanesis, CEO, MAGNI International Group, Inc.; Maria Rosini Alvero, Minister, Trade Ofce; Amb. Cuisia, Sam Hayes, Firestarter Group; Lilibeth Almonte-Arbez, Economic Ofcer; and Eric Macalama, CEO, Firestarter Group, Inc. (Bing Branigin)

Philippine embassy ofcials pose with Mona Liza Yuchengco, who wrote and directed the documentary lm on the life of the late lm director Marilou Diaz Abaya that was shown at the embassy July 30. From left are Nini ALvero, Trade Counselor; Emil Fernandez, Cultural Ofcer, DCM Mei An Austria, Amb. Jose L.. Cuisia Jr., Mona Liza Yuchengco, Lloyd Lacuesta, and Mrs. Vicky Cuisia.

Clarita Lapus of Mama Sita (third from left) recently held a successful presentation of contemporary Filipino cuisine, using the companys famous sauce mixes at Bistro 7107 in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia. Clarita later visited Evelyn Bunoan, who recently celebrated the 35th year anniversary of her Philippine Oriental Market and Deli in Lee Highway, Arlington. From left: Oscar Bunoan, Evelyn, Clarita and Mark Lapus.

Amanda Andrei and Colton OConnor were married July 27 at the Whole World Fellowship Church, Oakton Virginia. It was attended by close friends and family of the young couple. An array of Filipino food and desserts were served at the reception that was held at Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia. Amanda Liwliwa Tira Andrei is the only daughter of the late journalist Mercy Tira Andrei of Virginia, and Codin Andrei. The couple pose with guests, from left, Mitzi Pickard, Elvi Melegrito, the newly-weds and Bing Branigin.

18 Around DC
The District of Columbia Healthcare Association in Washington D.C. has awarded Filipino American Daisy Alzate, RN-BSN, Director of Nursing at the Little Sisters of the Poor long term facility the Nurse of the Year Award for her clinical and management abilities. Ms Alzate, daughter of Mamaerto and Helen Alzate of Bucay, Abra, Philippines, is a graduate of the United Doctors Medical Center in Quezon City, class 1992. She rst came to the

August 15, 2013

2013 Nurse of Year Award

US to receive her greencard in 1991 and retured to nish her nursing course. In conferring the award, Sr. Celestine Meade , Jsp, administrator of Little Sisters of the Poor, said: Our Director of Nursings (DON) leadership is unmatched. Her clinical judgement is always right on the mark and our Physicians, nurses, aides and Residents trust her implicitly. Directing a long term care facility is truly a multifaceted role. While always present to the clinical needs of the home, our DON truly appreciates the many other administrative aspects that must be attended to in order for a home to run smoothly. Sr. Meade added: In addition to her clinical and management abilities, Daisy remains available and approachable to every resident, family and staff member. She is well respected by all and has earned that respect through her actions and hard work. Photo shows, from left, Christine oConnor ( asst. Director of Nursing), Daisy Alzate ( DON), Sister Celestine Meade, Jsp (Administrator) Mrs. Theresa Maguire ( family friend), Gloria Alzate ( sister of Daisy) and Matt Taberdo ( nephew of Daisy). Note Philippine ag on wall at right. The District of Columbia HealthCare Association is a voluntary non-prot organization dedicated to representing, protecting and advancing the interests of our member facilities, their employees and the District of Columbia residents they serve.

A food tasting event, hosted by Clara Reyes Lapus, highlighted Mama Sitas savory mixes, sauces and marinades used in the 17- course luncheon at Bistro 7107. It was a culinary experience for the invited guests complete with product samples and cook books. Among those in picture are Becky M. Pagsibigan, organizer and coordinator, Manny Tagle, owner of Bistro 7107, Mrs. Lapus, owner/president of Mama Sitas, Chef Liza Estebro, Mariel Villegas, co-owner of Bistro 7107 and Mark Lapus, son of Mrs. Lapus.

Photo shows at left, Mrs. Marilyn Eda, owner of the Northstar, a food service based in Oxon Hill, Maryland, posing with her helpers as she continues provide Filipino Cuisine to Filipino American events in the Metropolitan area including the Philippine Embassy functions. ( Bing Branigin)

Daisy and Capt. (ret) Jun Tucay hosted a potluck dinner on July 29 for visiting Philippine Retirement Authority Gen. Manager Vernie Atienza from Manila at their residence in McLean, Virginia to promote retirement opportunities in the homeland. Attending were: representatives from Megaworld, Global PH Assn. of Retirement Counselors, Mobile Medical International, Global PH Assn. Retirement Counselors, Migrant Heritage Commission, PNA nurses, doctors, lawyers, nancial planners and active senior leaders.

Miss Addison Villanueva (4th from left, 2nd row) was crowned 2013 Miss Pre-Teen Pageant at the Philippine Cultural Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia last August 10. Also in the photo are: Nestor and Ginger Villanueva (patents of Addison), Spenser (Brother), Penny Estaris, Jackie Estaris, Rudi Estaris. Miss Teenage Philippines, VA Beach, Alexander Hayes, John Montiel, Samuel Hayes, JackSuimitsu, Cocoy Pobre, Roy and Naomi Estaris, Charles Collie, Dan White, and Eric Macalma, CEO, The Fire Starter Group, Richmond, Virginia.

On behalf of Mrs. Trini Padama, 2013 Miss Teenage Philippines Jasmine Namata (second from left) presents a check of $2,000 to Nora Mendoza, PNAMDC president, for her organizations annual medical mission to the Philippines. Witnessing the event are Nanette Carreon (left) and Alice Andam. Namata was crowned 2013 Miss Teenage Philippine on May 26, 2013 at Hyatt Regency in Crystal City, Virginia.

The Mrs. Philippines Home for Senior Citizens in Oxon Hill, Maryland celebrated July 4th with a Picnic with the Seniors for the resident, their families and friends and other organizations that support MPHSC. Photo shows, from left, standing: Nancy Legaspi, Venia Aquino, Carol Cabacar, Maria Cacas, Concha Bassiwa, Letty Pantaleon. Seated ia a resident of the Home.

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it may not be repeated by anyone in many years, Atienza said So lets leave him to his dream to good things for us. Anyway, hes a very intelligent man. In fact, maybe too intelligent, he added. But Atienza advised his friend not to stop working hard to reach new heights both in his boxing and political careers. [H]e still needs to keep on working hard and not allow himself to stray off the right path, Atienza said. In a statement Tuesday morning, however, Pacquiao claried that his presidential aspirations are not indicative

Manila solon calls Pacquiao a genius

Buhay party-list Rep. Jose Lito Atienza has described Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao who hopes to run for president someday a genius. Lets not belittle him because he has a very bright mind. In fact, I call him genius. He wouldnt become a champion with eight world titles if youre not a genius. Atienza said. Earlier, Pacquiao was at the Venetian Macao for the press conference with Mexican American Brandos Rios for their Nov. 24 ght in Macao. Pacquiao is looking to bounce back from a KO loss to arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez from last December. And his adapting instincts to public service and politics, we already saw that as well as his capability to serve his countrymen, the former Manila City mayor said. Atienza said Filipinos owe it to Pacquiao, who has brought honor to the country in the boxing ring, to at least let him pursue his dreams for the country in a way he knows how. If that is whats coming to his mind (presidency), lets not belittle it because this guy did great things for the country. And

Pacquiao was at the Venetian Macao for the press conference with Mexican American Brandos Rios for their Nov. 24 ght in Macao. Pacquiao is looking to bounce back from a KO loss to arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez from last December. of any immediate or concrete plans. Serving in a higher elective post rests on the will of God and the call of the Filipino people, Pacquiao said. He explained his focus is concentrated on his congressional duties, pushing for his legislative agenda which includes the improvement of the countrys sports program. Speaker Sonny Belmonte said Pacquiao should rst run for senator before seeking the top position in the land.

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(West Philippine Sea), President Obama has nominated the chief of the Intelligence and Research ofce of the State Department as new ambassador to the Philippines. Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg, a career diplomat, will replace outgoing Ambassador, Harry Thomas, who has completed his three-year tour of duty in Manila. Goldberg, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career-Minister, is Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research at the Department of State, a position he has held since 2010. An immigration reform organization Americas Voice reported that a nationwide campaign targetting key House members have launched a veweek campaign for hundreds of rallies, petition drives and demonstrations timed to coincide with the Congressional recess. The announcements come on the cusp of an intense campaign by pro-immigration advocates targeting key House members at town-hall events; its all part of a larger ve-week plan for hundreds of rallies, petition drives and other events across the country timed for the Congressional recess. Our movement is taking the ght for immigration reform to every corner of the country, Frank Sharry, executive director at immigration reform advocacy organization Americas Voice, told ABC News in a statement. Advocates from the left, right and center are intent on surrounding House Republicans with some simple messages: immigration reform is an idea whose time has come, a proposal deserving of your support and an issue that deserves a vote in the House of Representatives where a bipartisan majority in support of it already exists. But House Majority Leader Eric Cantor refused to give a commitment on whether the House would take up a vote on a path to citizenship. Earlier, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said he could see allowing temporary legal status to the undocumented, and later allowing them to apply for green cards and U.S. citizenship. He said I and other members are open-minded to the idea that they should have a way to come out of the shadows, Goodlatte said, To be able to work, to have their own businesses, to pay their taxes, to travel back and forth to their home country and elsewhere. 112 teams signed in as of today, the event is expected to draw a record breaking attendance of

PH oks new... from page 1

started attacking him and Filipino Americans hailed his appointment. Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Amb. Goldberg, who replaces Amb. Harry Thomas, is acceptable to the Philippines. Filipino American leaders in the US hailed it while local activists joined their comrades in the Philippines to denounce the appointment because they said he was declared persona nongrata by Bolivis, his last posting. But Filipino American leaders are happy at the appointment particularly at a time when the Philippines is being confronted by China who wants to grab all islets in the Spratlys. They see him as a good link that would strengthen the relationship between the two nations now that the US has taken a pivot to Asia. Among those who expressed approval are Loida NicolasLewis, chair of the US Pinoys for Good Government, and Jay Gonzles, professor of Asian studies and international relations at the University of San Francisco. WASHINGTON D.C. - Probably in anticipation of the rising tension in the South China Sea

Raps on Filner... from page 1

director of the Migrant Heritage Commission, said that despite the allegations Filipinos should remember the good things Mayor Filner did for the community. Filipinos should always feel grateful to Bob Filner who has advanced much of the Filipino veterans cause. Eric Lachica, executive director of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc., said he hopes the 70-year-old mayor makes the right decision to put his mental health rst and really look out for the interest of the city of San Diego. We are sad and disappointed that Filner is facing all these accusations of sexual harassment. We worked with him since 1996. So we were shocked when we learned about it and we were hoping that the accusations were not true, Lachica said in a phone interview. Filner, a longtime friend of the Filipino veterans, was publicly accused of sexual harassment by seven women who claimed he made unwanted sexual advances that included groping and kissing, and made offensive comments. In a press brieng, Filner apologized for the inappropriate conduct toward women without acknowledging any specic behavior. I apologize to the women I have offended, he said. behavior I have engaged in over many years is wrong. My failure to respect women and the intimidating conduct I engaged in at times is inexcusable, he said. Bing Branigin, a veterans advocate, condemns Filners behavior. We are saddened by the fact he did not conduct himself to the moral high ground as a public ofcial. Its an inexcusable violation against women, even as we should also remember his kind dedication and hard work in helping the Filipino veterans get their benets. Filner plans to enter a behavior-counseling clinic for two weeks of therapy beginning Aug. 5. But he vowed to remain in ofce despite widespread calls for him to resign. Jon Melegrito, communications director, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), wishes Filner well and hopes for a speedy recovery as he pursues treatment. While Mayor Filners behavior is inexcusable, he will always be remembered for his hard work and commitment to the cause of Filipino World War II veterans. We wish him well as he seeks treatment and we pray that he will recover and continue his excellent record of public service. On the other hand Lachica said, It might be easier for him to bow out gracefully and solve his emotional and metal situation. He continued, We are hoping that he makes the right decision whether he can still serve, whether he has enough moral authority and political support to be able to run one of the biggest cities in the U.S. as mayor of San Diego. Community leader Nanette Carreon of the Philippine American Foundations for Charities Inc. agrees. Hes behavior is not acceptable. Mayor Filner should resign immediately, she said. In my opinion, I feel that the entire allegation against him will not help him accomplish anything and he is not in the position to lead San Diego at this time or not at all.

Facebook CEO... from page 1

campaign targetting key House members have launched a veweek campaign for hundreds of rallies, petition drives and demonstrations timed to coincide with the Congressional recess. Already, ABC news reported that several key Republican members of the House have already expressed preliminary support fr a way to legalize undocumented immigrants and allow them eventually to earn full citizensip. Heres how the San Francisco Chronicle described the occasion: Zuckerberg, wearing his trademark hoodie and sneakers, dened Silicon Valley as an idealistic place that aims to make an impact on the world in his rst public remarks on immigration, which were delivered to an ecstatic reception at the invitation-only forum. He appeared alongside his former Harvard roommate Joe Green who co-founded the issue advocacy group Fwd.us. They co-sponsored the event with Dene American, an immigrant rights group founded by Jose Antonio Vargas, a former San Francisco State student and Chronicle staff writer who made national headlines by revealing in a New York Times Magazine article two years ago that he is an undocumented immigrant. Frank Sharry, executive director of Americas Voice, a leading immigrants rights group, in Washington, D.C. said now Zuckerberg has publicly aligned himself with Vargas, the countrys most famous undocumented immigrant. Sharry said. Its not surprising this kind of political innovation is coming from Silicon Valley. Theyre playing to win. I am an American. I am just waiting for my country to acknowledge it, Vargas said. Vargas noted that while he was born in the Philippines, because of his immigration status he has not been able to return there to visit family in more than two decades. Zuckerberg revealed how he became personally aware the need for comprehensive immigration reform while volunteering to teach a class in entrepreneurship at an eastern Menlo Park school. After asking the kids what they were most worried about, he recalled, he was really touched to hear one boys answer: Im not sure Im going to be able to go to college because Im undocumented. The Facebook CEO said he realized the undocumented students in his class werent going to be given equal opportunity . Zuckerberg said that all issues related to immigration reform whether they be the H-1B visas that Silicon Valley sees as critical to drawing tech talent or student visas for DREAMers - are equally critical to the countrys future. No matter where they were born, (these students) are going to be tomorrows entrepreneurs and people creating jobs in this country, he said. These are issues that dont just touch our part of the industry, but really touch a whole country. ABC TV said members of Congress have been on recess for only a few days, but it already seems the time away from Washington means more support for a pathway to citizenship among some Republicans. In the past few days, two Republican members of the House of Representatives Daniel Webster in Florida, Aaron Schock in Illinois - have expressed preliminary support for a way to legalize undocumented immigrants and allow them to eventually earn full citizenship. Even the House GOP whip, Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), announced support for legal status, although he stopped just short of supporting full citizenship.

112 teams join... from page 1

ties at 6417 Marlboro Pike, District Heights, MD 20747. With

The All-Girls FABA team will participate in the coming tournament. delegations, teams, players, sup- and Girls (14-15 years old); and porters and the families from all Midget Boys and Girls (16-17 US and Canada, with players as years old). young as 7 years old to some 60 The other divisions that will year-old Master players. play at the NEW 14 basketball The Marriott Ballroom facilities are: Juvenile (20 years will be converted into 5 basket- and younger); Mens 511 and ball courts where the following under, Mens Open and Womdivisions will play: Tykes (11 ens Open (no age limit); Senior years old and younger); Peewee (32 years old and older; and Mas(12-13 years old); Bantam Boys ters (42 years and older).

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FilAms meet on... from page 1
The Residences, 9885 Greenbelt Rd., in Lanham, Maryland. In his report late last month about the killing, Loudoun County Commonwealth Attorney James E. Plowman mentioned Mylenes psychological issues that might have led to her divorce from her husband. Plowmans assertion of mental instability designed to people like Mylene who are suffering from depression. Among Asians, Filipinos have the highest rate of mental illness. Many dont talk about it nor seek treatment because of this thing called hiya or shame. Adds Mila Tecala, a widelyrecognized clinical social worker and an international authority on and in light of other recent tragic deaths in our community, including suicides, we felt a sense of urgency to address the issue of depression and mental illness, said Jon Melegrito, NaFFAA Communications Director. Filipinos not wanting to talk about mental health problems, let alone seeking treatment is an alarming concern which calls for education and timely intervention. We want them to be able to cope and

August 15, 2013

of a child. Women, she adds, are more vulnerable than men. She spoke recently at a forum on depression, sponsored by the Association of American Counselors on Ethnic Elderly Services (AACEES). In addition to Tecala, the other speakers are Dr. Marilou Tablang-Jimenez, an adolescent and child psychiatrist, and Msgr. Mariano Balbago, Jr., spiritual advisor to various Filipino to inform the community of resources that are available and professional help that is accessible. Cost should not prevent anyone from seeking treatment. The program, which is free and open to the public, will start with panel presentations, followed by break-out sessions in small groups. A speaker from the U.S. government will also speak about federal and state resources, particularly Medicaid

Mila Tecala.

Dr. Yanez Acosta,

Pastor Romy Capuli,

Mencie Hairston,

Mgr. M. Balbago American organizations in the area. Resource persons include Romy Capuli, a Baptist Church pastor, and Dr. Yanez-Acosta. We want to reach out to the grassroots, thats why we chose the Lanham and Bowie area to hold this educational discussion, says Mencie Hairston, founding president of Mabuhay, Inc. Our goal is to bring in as many in our community to participate and, hopefully, take away something useful, something that will save ones life. Adds Minerva Rosenthal, a member of the NaFFAA organizing committee: Depression is treatable. But we also need least two of the Deputies managed to draw their pistols but only one of them red (the other hesitated, saying that he was worried bystanders might be hit in the crossre). The report said the shooter couldnt even recall how many shots he red. There were a total of ve. Four struck Scott and the 5th apparently hit the Deputy who had red the Taser and was chasing Scott to keep the Taser wires connected. Two points were apparent in the Commonwealths report the lone police shooter was said to be moving to his left while ring his gun, apparently to keep a distance from the advancing Scott, suggesting he had less than a precise aim at his target. Various witnesses also estimated only seconds elapsed between the time Scott was Tasered and when she was shot. Usually it takes eight seconds before the taser takes effect. The report, partly culled from the testimony of the Deputies themselves, suggested fear and panic from at least some of the lawmen. The Deputies began to back away from her, but were unable to get any distance; Miss Scott then turned her attention to one of the Deputies who reported that he believed he was going to be stabbed. He

Dr. M. Tablang Jimenez. coverage for mental health. Co-sponsoring the forum with NaFFAA, are the Association of American Counselors on Ethnic Eldercare Services (AACEES), Mabuhay, Inc., Philippine Nurses Association of Metro Washington, D.C and the Philippine American Foundation for Charities (PAFC). For more information, contact jdmelegrito@gmail.com <mailto:jdmelegrito@gmail. com>, Tel. 202-361-0296, or Maurese Owens at mpapoose@aol. com <mailto:mpapoose@aol. com>, Tel. 703-241-0767.

cast a negative light on Mylene and further justify the shooting, only conrmed what many community leaders and experts have come to believe: police authorities are not adequately trained to deal with persons who appear menacing and pose challenges because of racial, cultural and psychological factors. Given her state of mind at the time, she may have been in fear of her life when confronted by several armed police ofcers, says Filipino American psychologist Kevin Nadal, author of several books on Filipino American psychology. Thats why police training is crucial in dealing with

grief counseling: Filipinos have difculty adjusting when they are depressed, or pushed over the edge. We have a great capacity to suppress, ignore or deny the problem, thinking it will go away. We dont want to hear the truth. Tecala will be one of the speakers at the community forum. News accounts from the Philippines reported that Scotts family was unaware of her condition. A sister even thought Scott sounded ne on the phone a few hours before she died. When we learned that Mhai may have been depressed, which explains her unusual behavior,

get well. Tecala says that not many people know what depression is, what causes it and how to detect it. With heightened awareness, people will know better how to arm themselves with coping mechanisms and where to get treatment, she said. Dr. Seggy Yanez Acosta, a stress and pain specialist and psychotherapist, says that among Filipinos the most common causes of depression are prolonged illness, stroke, separation and living alone, domestic and sexual abuse, marital conicts, isolation and sense of abandonment and the death As to the question of Mhai acting erratically prior to the shooting, police must be prepared to deal with psychotic, disturbed and agreessive people because that is part of their job description, the Post added. Plowman said the use of lethal force was done in selfdefense and in defense of others, including the patrons of the store, as well as the other Deputies on scene, he asserted, adding the Deputies actions are well dened by both the Supreme Court of the United States and the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Virginia. When she was shot, Scott reportedly held an 8-inch knife and a pair of kitchen scissors. Multiple witnesses said Sheriffs Deputies shouted repeated demands to drop the knife and scissors. Meanwhile, the malfunctioning taser was reportedly returned to the manufacturer for a more thorough examination. But some Filipino Americans wondered why the two other deputies who also had tasers did not use them when the rst one malfunctioned. The Deputies held out handcuffs and Tasers. Seeing Scott moving towards them they fumbled their equipment as they tried to pull out their guns. At

Mhais kids may file... from page 1

be the beneciaries of the wrongful death civil suit. A team of topnotch lawyers are undertaking their own investigation and collating all the evidence preparatory to the ling of the civil suit, they added. Human rights lawyer Arnedo Valera of MHC said his group will ask the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia to review the ndings and demand the prosecution and ling of charges against the deputies for homicide. The ndings constitute travesty of justice. For when police exercise their powers to use force, it must be compatible with human rights. The use of force by the deputies should always be human rights compliant and if use of force is necessary, police should always exercise the utmost restraint, minimize damage and injury and more so death. Valera said. Facebook, Twitter and other social media were replete with expressions of outrage over the report of Plowman. Many said it should have been conducted by the states attorney general. Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and other groups earlier called for a thorough and independent investigation of the case, particularly the apparent use of excessive force. The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) expressed outrage over the report of the attorney general. Ed Navarra, chairman of NaFFAA, said he was dismayed by the ndings. While we understand that police ofcers need to use force to protect themselves, we continue to believe that when guns were red at Mhai Scott, it was an unreasonable and excessive use of force which showed reckless disregard for the life of an innocent woman, he said in a statement. The Washington Post which published an editorial right after the killing of Mhai, a 5, 101-lb woman said some critical questions remain unanswered, including the central one: Why couldnt the ofcers, ve of them, including three who had drawn their Tasers, subdue Ms. Scott short of using lethal force? Would better training have yielded a different outcome? The report was vague about the use of the taser that could have incapacitated Mhai. Three of the sheriffs deputies had tasers that could have been used had one failed.

tried to reach for his rearm but his hands became tangled in his handcuffs so he turned and ran. The report also focused on Scotts history of mental illness. She was reportedly locked in bitter a custody battle with her estranged husband over their two children, ages 7 and 10. She was reportedly hospitalized at least once in Ohio and was receiving medical assistance after she moved to Northern Virginia. According to the report, she lost custody of her children after her ex-husband called the police over disturbing text messages she left on his phone. During her last visit last March 9, she reportedly admitted that she has not taken her medicines for the past three months. It should be noted that Ms. Scotts immediate history, while relevant, is not a factor that is directly related to the legal analysis whether or not the actions taken by the Deputies were reasonable and legally proper, Plowman said. (Rodney J. Jaleco with reports of other Manila Mail staff)

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Miss Saigon back in DC

W
Dangers of Testosterone

he various media, print, radio, television, and the internet are ooded with infomercials about testosterone replacement (rejuvenation and sex enhancing) therapy. Some even suggests it to be a fountain of youth that could stop the biological clock and transform males to supermen in bed and athletes to champions. They invariably hail the enticing benets of this therapy that include increased sexual libido and performance, and increased muscle mass, which are actually what natural testosterone men produced through their testes (testicles, balls in laymans term). While this male hormone is safe, testosterone replacement drugs are not as safe and carry some dangers from their side effects. Taking these pill supplements has risks that are not worth the transient improvement in libido or athletic (muscle) prowess they provide. Some athletes cheat by using testosterone, among other power-and-endurance-enhancing substances (steroids, etc) to gain advantage over their opponents. Cyclist Lance Armstrong, whose 7 Tour de France titles and other honors have been stripped and who lost Nike and other corporate sponsors recently, is still under investigation for alleged use of any of these substances. The peak level of testosterone secretion in male is around age 18, and it remains fairly high up to age 30. The level normally declines by 1 percent to 3 percent per year thereafter. If the decline is abnormally more than that, muscle wasting, reduced strength and sexual libido occur, especially those who do not exercise. When the level is normal for the age, no testosterone supplement is needed even for diminished sexual libido, where Viagra, Cialis, Levitra might be a safer option. The Prolactin serum level is also tested to make sure the reduced libido is not central in nature (caused by brain/endocrine system malfunction). Testosterone is prescribed for men who are decient in testosterone due to hypoganadism (poorly functioning testes in men or ovaries in females). Some older men have been taking this to slow down the aging process, which is ill-advised

and really risky.

Cardiovascular risks
Use of testosterone, especially without physician guidance, is attended by high risks of developing heart problems, high blood pressure, heart failure and heart attack. The Mayo Clinic reported testosterone supplement may lead to polycythemia, an overproduction of red blood cells that thickens the blood, leading to blood clots, including thrombophlebitis (inammation of the leg veins, leading to clots which could travel to the lungs pulmonary embolus to cause death). The cholesterol also shoots usp, especially the bad variety. Anemia, acne, clotting problems, and sleep apnea are seen among those who take testosterone supplements for some time.

Male breast enlargement

Men can develop huge enlargement of their breasts and have female breasts from testosterone accumulation among those who take the supplements, which leads to testosterone breakdown. This then results in sex hormonal imbalance, making the estrogen, which men produces in small quantity, to become the dominant hormone, causing some degree of feminization. In women on testosterone treatment, the opposite happens, masculinization, causing smaller breasts, menstrual abnormalities, enlarged clitoris, body hair, and a deep voice. Women whose partner uses testosterone gel on his skin may also rub off some masculinizing effects on the woman.

hen the musical Miss Saigon premiered in Londons West End in 1989, it was an instant hit. And it was also a success when it premiered on Broadway in 1991 where it ran for nine years. This Tony Award-winning musical is also best remembered for the young Lea Salonga who played the lead role of the Vietnamese bar girl Kim. She won the prestigious Olivier and Tony Awards for best actress in a musical. It also catapulted her to international stardom. Miss Saigon will be back at the Signature Theatre(August 15-September 22). Created by the acclaimed writers of Les Miserables, this modern rock-infused adaptation of Puccinis 1904 opera Madame Buttery explores the ongoing impact of love, loss, and the collision of cultures during the Vietnam War. Signature Theatre is proud to announce the cast of this summers all-new production of Miss Saigon, directed by Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. Running in the MAX Theatre beginning August 15, the production opens the theatres 2013-14 season with all the adventure, romance, and excitement that Signature promises with the re-imagining of a classic musical. The production will be the rst Miss Saigon in 15 years, said Schaeffer. Audiences are in for an amazing experience-the reinvention of a beloved musical. Signature is pulling all the stops on this production with a ing hepatocellular type liver carcinoma. Jaundice (yellow skin and eye discoloration) and liver enzyme abnormalities can happen because of damage to the liver. Among females, this therapy may also increase the risk for breast cancer, and those who have had breast cancer may develop higher danger of recurrence. Medical Irresponsibility It is a grave disservice to patients when some healthcare providers prescribe, or some friends recommend, testosterone supplement, without doing complete medical evaluation, including appropriate blood tests, etc. Persons who buy and take over the counter or herbal versions of this drug are endangering their health and their life. This supplement should only be used by those whose body does not produce testosterone due to infection or tumors which have destroyed their pituitary glands. And this should be taken only under a physicians supervision.

terric cast, full size orchestra, and a set that engulfs the entire 276 seat theatre. I can think of no better way to kick off our 24th season than with a new environmental production of Miss Saigon. It will star Signature newcomers Diana Huey as the Vietnamese bar girl Kim, Jason Michael Evans as the American GI Chris, Thom Sesma as the mysterious club owner who calls himself The Engineer. They are joined by many of Signatures most well-known actors, including Erin Driscoll as Ellen, Chris Sizemore as John, and Christopher Mueller as Tuey. For tickets and more info, call 703-820-9711 or http:// www.signature-theatre.org/. *** The impeccable staging of Company closed Signature Theatres stellar 2012-13 season. And the current production of the experimental musical SPIN was a wonderful one. The 2013-14 season line-up seems to be an exciting and fantastic one. Besides Miss Saigon, theres the world premiere of Pride In The Falls Of Autrey Mill(October 15-December 8, 2013). After the resounding success of 2012s Really, Really, Signature presents the newest work of Paul Downs Colaizzo. Testosterone therapy remains a scientically unproven method for preventing any physical or psychological changes that men with normal testosterone levels may experience as they get older, according to the US National Institute on Aging. Certainly not a fountain of youth, use of testosterone is strictly reserved for those with extreme deciency of this hormone for the age, which makes it rare. Most of those using the supplement today are misguided and victims of the massive hype created by infomercials of the trillion-dollar food supplement industry. There is not enough clinical evidence to justify the current popular use of this therapy. Even the study conducted in Boston of 209 men 65 and over to evaluate a testosterone gel had to be stopped because of very high rate of adverse cardiovascular events (hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, and obesity) among the subjects, as reported in the Endocrine Today website.

The Falls Of Autrey Mill is the most desired zipcode in town. From the outside, the awless neighborhood glitters with elegant roman column porches and exquisitely manicured lawns. In this vicious and gripping play, Colaizzo rips the facade off of Americas privileged suburbia with his trademark brutal honesty. Shakespeare Theatre Company Artistic Director Michael Kahn returns to direct this world premiere. Another world premiere of the musical Crossing(Oct. 29-Nov.24), explores the interwoven stories of eight people from different decades of the past century who come together at a train station. The iconic musical Gypsy(Dec. 17- Jan.19, 2014), is set during the 1920s during the fading vaudeville circuit. Gypsy portrays the rise of famed burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee and her Momma Rose, the archetypal stage mother. Other productions to look forward to are Beaches(Feb. 18-March 23, 2014), another world premiere musical based on the beloved book. The groundbreaking musical The Threepenny Opera(April 22-June 1, 2014) and the new musical comedy Cloak and Dagger(June 12-July

Unregulated Arena of risks

Like all the so-called food supplements in the market today, many with claims to be good for or can cure a host of diseases and ailments, including cancer, testosterone supplements, especially the herbal versions, are not regulated by any governmental oversight agencies. The manufacturers are not under any legal obligation to send their products for testing and evaluation for quality and safety, unlike proprietary drugs, which are strictly screened and scientically tested by the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in great details for efcacy, proper dosing, side-effects and possible complications for any age group and for pregnancy and other conditions. While this sounds ridiculous, this is, in fact, the reality. The public, the consumers, are left unprotected by the government, because this big loophole allows manufacturers of these food supplements to escape testing and scrutiny.

Reduced sperm and infertility

Reduction in sperm count and infertility are two other side effects of testosterone supplements. With less sperm produced, the volume during ejaculation is also less, which leads to infertility. Testosterone supplement can also cause prostate enlargement, and therefore urinary retention and obstruction with difculty in urination, especially in older people.

Liver cancer
Long term use of testosterone, especially in high dosage, have caused deadly liver problems, like liver cancer, includ-

Unproven Therapy

24
Immigration Notes
By J.G. Azarcon, Esq.

August 15, 2013

VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES AUGUST 2013 FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES First: Unmarried sons/daughters of US citizens Jan. 01, 2010 Second: A: Spouses/minor children of permanent residents: Current B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years of age or older of permanent residents Dec. 22, 2002 Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Dec. 01, 1992 Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Jan. 08, 1990 EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES First: Priority workers Current Second: Professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability Current Third: Skilled workers, professionals Oct. 22, 2006 Other Workers Oct. 22, 2006 Fourth: Certain Religious Workers Current Fifth: Employment creation/ (Million or half-million dollar investor) Current
In order avoid the three or ten-year bar, the alien needs to obtain a waiver of inadmissibility from the Department of State. This requires a showing that the US citizen relative will suffer extreme hardship as a result of the separation from the alien. Under the old procedure, the application is led at a foreign consular ofce after the alien has exited the US. If disapproved, the alien would be stranded in his home country and separated from his family in the U.S. The new rule change will allow the ling and determination of the merits of the waiver application in the US without requiring the alien to exit while the waiver is in process. It does not alter or lower the standard of proof required for a showing of extreme hardship. What does this mean to somebody who walked across the border without a visa, worked under the shadows for years and married a US citizen? Many of them do not risk departing the US for a visa interview in

Provisional waiver processing Your Realtors Role

here is still confusion as to what real estate agents can do for you and where do you start. I found a very good article about Realtor role especially on todays market and make sure you are working with one and not just a real estate agent. Whats the difference? Not everyone with a real estate license is a Realtor. They have to be a member of the National Association of Realtors and bound by stricter education requirements than the law requires and not only by that law but by the higher standards of the Realtor Code of ethics. Your Realtor is committed to protecting your interests throughout the entire transaction with integrity, honor, professionalism and expertise that meets the high standard set by the Realtor name whether you are a seller or a buyer. They have access to more and more sophisticated tools to help sellers market their properties to the right target market, help buyers nd just the right home and make the entire process run smoothly. They are not just expert but also a trusted advisor who can help you navigate the complex process of home selling and home buying. If you are selling, some of the important roles of a Realtor include: going over with the market condition and set a fair market value price for your property based on comparables in the neighborhood as to size, number of rooms, conditions etc. They use most forms of modern media to market your property including Multiple Listing System, famous websites like Zillow, Trulia etc including social media. Preparation and staging your home will most likely give you the best $$$ you are looking for; then the photo shoot and video that are crucial in marketing your home. They also coordinate inspection, appraisal and the whole nine yards including coordinating with the title company, loan ofcers and all parties involve in the transaction. Negotiating expertise is a must especially the buyer and the seller are not in coordination with some terms and there are some roadblocks

that could delay the closing or void the whole transaction. It is every Realtors goal to reach a smooth and problem-free closing. If you are buying and you do not have applied for a loan, most Realtors have trusted loan ofcers that they work for years. That is your best options as there is already a connection of good working relationships. The loan ofcer will help you determine how much you can afford, explain nancing options and help you nd the right loan. Once you are approved, it is time to look for your dream home. Realtors will assist you in home search through MLS and other websites. Provide you with good data about the property and pull comparables making sure the price are right, provide negotiating expertise and help resolve any issues that could delay closing. They also coordinate with appraisal and other issues including lender requirements. Explain inspections necessary, homeowners association, earnest money, escrow and a lot more that are usually been heard rst time especially with rst time homebuyers. Both you and your agent will do the walk through making sure the house is still in good condition the rst time you see it and interested to purchase. Realtors roles are not limited to those that are mentioned above. It is more than that and we always go above and beyond of the job description. Most of the time it becomes a long lasting relationship for years and resulted in referring to your friends and families especially if we exceed the clients expectations. Note: Jocelyn Porteria is a Realtor licensed in V A. She earned a designation of ASP, Accredited Staging Professional; ABR, Accredited Buyers Specialist; CDPE Certified Distressed Property and Short Sale Expert, (SFR) Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource. For more info, visit her website at www.jprealdeal. com or call her at 571-432-8335 or email at realdealconsulting@yahoo. com for a free confidential evaluation of your property, individual situation, property value, and possible options.

he Department of Homeland Security has released on January 2, 2013 new rules changing the procedure for obtaining a waiver for a ground of inadmissibility based on unlawful presence in the country Starting on March 4, 2013, certain aliens who are in the country without valid status and who need a waiver of unlawful presence to qualify for a green card can now apply for obtain a waiver decision before exiting the US for an interview abroad. Those who could avail themselves of this rule change are spouses, children under 21 years and parents of US citizens who are unlawfully present in the US because they entered without having been admitted or paroled or violated their authorized stay. These are mostly people who crossed the border and others who do not qualify for adjustment of status. These aliens do not qualify for adjustment of status in the US and must exit the country for a visa interview. Upon departure however, they are subject to a three year or ten-year bar depending on the length of unlawful presence.

Continued on page 30

Leap-frogging infection

MANILA hats when a disease leapfrogs from one part of the body to another. The Commission on Audit has documented persisting metastasis of the pork barrel Mid-July, Benhur Luy blew the whistle on P10-billion pork cornered by Janet Lim-Napoles of JLN Corporation, thru 20 bogus non government organizations. Senators Ramon Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Gringo Honasan, plus 23 congressmen, delivered the shekels. COA sifted through pork chits from 2007 to 2009, Chair Maria Grace Pulido-Tan revealed. It found 98 lawmakers from administration and opposition, who shoveled P2.19 billion in pork through 15 bogus NGOs. Thats metastasis. Sen. Manuel Lito Lapid burned P20 million of pork, in 2011, for anti-dengue innoculants for Polillio Teresa, Baras, and Pililla. These towns had no dengue fever case. Friday, pork scamwhistle blower Merlin Sunas tagged the agriculture

departments gatekeeper for NGOs as part a conduit of a web of fake NGOs controlled by JLN. Greed is a tree that grows even on arid soil. Were eight congressmen, who ladled tax money into Kaupdanan para sa Mangagawa Foundation, conned? Two gure donors include: Masbate - Scott Davies Lanete (P30 million), Lanao del Sur -- Mohammed Hussein Pangandaman (P15 million), An Waray --Neil Benedict Montejo (P14.2 million), Davao City -Isidro Ungab (P13 million), Or were they happy to be eeced? Even if only half of the allegations ( are) true, Napoles qualies as the countrys foremost expert on corruption, Inquirers Randy David wrote..

Should she land in prison, and need a benign intellectual pursuit; I recommend she write a participant-observer account of the social system of corruption. If we allow the process of earmarking, pork barrel spending, to go forward, it will be an eternal scramble among members, who can get the most money wasted in their state, Thomas Jefferson warned. And they will always get most who are the meanest, The tag pork barrel bobbed up in the 19th century. Households then stored a barrel of salted pork. I hold a family to be in a desperate way, when the mother can see the bottom of the pork barrel, James

Continued on page 30

August 15, 2013

25

On the Lore of Our Folks

C
Beware the peoples wrath

MANILA he hottest news here now is the expose of a spiders web of scams siphoning congressmens pork barrel funds into the private pockets of fraudsters. But the public dont seem to care about this massive plunder of public money. Have we become immune to shock? Where is the outrage over the epidemic of criminal activity? The alleged systematic raid on legislators pork barrel funds is mind-boggling in its scope, said to have netted P10 billion in a span of a decade. But its only the current sensation. Weve had a long history of plunder through various methods. For example, past military comptrollers are on the dock for stealing hundreds of millions in soldiers money. A fertilizer scam, similar to the current pork barrel fraud, is still pending in the courts. The so-called Euro police generals were caught in Russia ush with bundles of the European currency. A senators wife was caught last year carrying large undeclared amounts of dollars in the United States (the same senator is said to have allowed his pork barrel used in the scam of the moment). The list can go on and on to reveal willful ways of cheating, stealing and fraud, like the elding by bus operators of unlicensed vehicles or multiple units bearing duplicate license plates and the shenanigans at our entry ports, which allow the entry of illegal commodities or underdeclared goods. Street crime has been on a rampage. Recto Street in downtown Manila, notorious for the peddling of bogus school diplomas and other fake legal documents, has lately become known for petty criminals who snatch peoples jewelry and other valuables. Jeepneys and buses are help up even in broad daylight, their passengers divested of their belongings (as I write this another such holdup had just occurred along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, metro Manilas main thoroughfare). The Abu Sayyaf, a bandit group in Mindanao, kidnaps for ransom, and sometimes kills, hostaged people, many of them innocent and have nothing to do

with the armed groups avowed cause. The Communist New Peoples Army rebels do the same, terrorizing the rural populace or extorting money from political candidates. Members of the police force are regularly accused of looting crime scenes, or are often involved in crimes themselves. These are willful crimes, meaning their perpetrators knew their acts would be detrimental to others or to public welfare. We Filipinos know that our money is being stolen through various ways. We know that large portions of money for projects like roads, dams and schools go into the pockets of crooked politicians. We know that contractors and suppliers give back portions of project allocations to those in the approval chain. This practice gave the lexicon the infamous word kickback, later deodorized as SOP, from the bureaucratically benign standard operating procedure, to denote that the kickback is part and parcel of doing business. In the pioneering days of American settlers, especially in the virgin West, fortune-seekers used to exult: Thars gold in them thar hills! Some of those early homesteaders did nd gold, but most of them had to toil long and hard to eke out a decent existence. In the Philippines, the more clever among us yell out: Thars gold in them government projects! And all they have to do to get their hands on the gold is to know where the money is. Then they nd out whose signature is needed to get the money released and they corrupt the owner of the signature or bypass him altogether and just forge his signature. The pork barrel scam has been playing prominently in the news here but theres been no uproar among the broad public. If anything at all, people display a knowing grin, the equivalent of: Tell me something new. Weve tolerated, accepted and ignored the widespread plunder as an integral part of public life. Politicians join government to steal from the public treasury. Theyve made a milking cow out of government. We know it but we do noth-

Continued on page 30

an I help you, folk? Folk? I had heard this word before and understood what it meant, in many of the books I had read. But hearing it from a total stranger, for the rst time in this country, using it to get my attention to a service he wanted to offer was a word that rang many bells in my head. I was in a drug store, then called decades ago the Dart Drug, trying to explore and get acquainted with what conveniences the store had to offer, for it was my very rst week in Washington, DC as an immigrant. To my delight, the place carried more items than the sarisari stores I used to frequent in the Philippines. The word though which the store clerk had said summoned me to places, events, customs and traditions that had been parts and parcels of my beinghow I feel, think, act about, and react to my environment. Encompassed all by the systematic pattern of behavior I acquired since birth from my parents. It was, and is, my culture; theirs too. These parts and parcels are what sociologists and anthropologists call folklore, a part of any nations culture. Folklore, when applied to the Filipinos and their descendants here in this country and elsewhere in the globe, is a point of origin, a way of life. It is ethnic and denitely native. It is a kaleidoscope of colors, movements, shapes, scents, and sounds, affecting our ve senses. It lives in our memories yet alive and real in our presence. It is undocumented and carries no ownership. And yet, we have been witnesses to festivals held, dances performed, games set, music played, and epics, myths and legends told, over and over in cities, towns, in barangays in the Philippines, in arenas, and in prestigious local and international theater venues. In its various forms, folklore is passed on repeatedly from one particular person or group to another. Take the river festival in Bocaue, Bulacan, a province in Central Luzon. This uvial parade held every year to venerate and commemorate the discovery of an image of the Virgin Mary oating in the river is the main highlight of the towns festivities. No one knows how it started and who organized it. Some references made to its starting date and to person or persons accountable for its popularity are purely apocryphal, but the celebration has survived and continues. The same is true with the Moriones Festival in Marin-

duque, a version of Mardi Gras; the Ati-Atihan in Aklan; the Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo in various cities and towns; and the Sugat in Naga City, a reenactment of the resurrection Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. In Manila alone, there are the feasts of the Black Nazarene every January in Quiapo, Nuesrta Senora del Pilar every October in Santa Cruz district, Santo Nino in Tondo, Lady of Loreto in Sampaloc, and Nuestra Senora del Rosario in Santo Domingo. They are all religious in tone. Their origins are murky. Their survival and continuity have rested on the peoples faith alone. Folk dances are the main aspect of Philippine culture as it is perceived by peoples of other countries. They identify the Filipinos and reveal the homogeneity of peoples living in more than 7,000 islands. The steps and expressions of the dancers, the sway and balance, and the jigs are uniform as the dances are performed in various locations in the country, distinguished from one another only by nomenclature. The Tinikling, a parody of tikling birds as they skip and hop between a farmers trap made of bamboo poles; Itik-Itik, a mimic of ducks waddling in ponds; Binasuan, a balancing act of dancers holding a glass on each hand and one on the head; and Maglalatik, Subli, Palo-Palo and Pandango Sa Ilaw were originally social sideshows in a ritual to honor a person or an event. Until a professional dance group videotaped the steps and movements in a formalized choreography, these dances had been free for the taking and copying, for their ownership had been undocumented and unpatented. Until the commercialized advent of GI Joes, Barbie dolls, and various imitations of comic strips and mangas heroes and heroines, the popularity of games like Patintero, Tumbang Preso, It Bulaga (Hide and Seek), Luksong Lubid (Jumping Rope), Lawin at Sisiw (Eagle and Chick), and many others played by two or more participants in times of merriment reected a childs perception of physical hazards, pains in trying, and rewards. These games are no longer apparent, if played at all, but they affected a childs physical, mental, and social adjust-

ments up to the ages of puberty and adulthood, stepping stones to eventual identity. They are parts of a rite of passage, like assigning colors pink to girls and blue to boys, circumcisions, rst dance, handing out cigars during childbirth, and hazing in school clubs. Folk music is a legacy of the past and a treasure of the present. Long before the arrival of Magellans ship in 1521, Filipinos had their ears set to lively sounds of passion, melancholy, and the presence or absence of afnity to ones god, kin or neighbors. The Ayegka, serenade of the Bontoc Igorots; the Tagunggo of the muslins of Sulu; Bunkkaka of the Tingyans of Abra; Tagumpay, commemorating a tribal battle; Tagulaylay, a monotonous lamentation of grief over tragic events; and of course, Harana, a song of courtship sung by an ardent male admirer, a prelude to what is now termed hooking up. Not to be forgotten are the songs Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut) and Magtanim Hindi Biro (Planting Rice is Never Fun). Over time, the Filipino music had undergone several modications because of Spanish, European and American inuences. Hence, there had been heard throughout the land sounds of jotas, tangos, habaneras, fox-trots, mazurkas, boleros, pasadobles, ballads and blues. What were once legends, myths and epics told orally to children by parents in bedrooms or parlor are now in printed pages of the countrys literature. The incessant pull of commerce will ensure their survival. Now let me invite you to my own household. Long before my children nished their college years and went out to live their own lives, we had our evening prayers or recitations of rosaries. After prayers, even before they hit their beds, they would each pull my wifes and my right hand and put it individually to their foreheads. These were acts of being blessed and an acknowledgement of owed respect, a practice my wife and I acquired from our own parents, and from our own parents parents. Acts like these are parts of our lore, an ancient song whose notes never end; it goes on and on, like ones morning ablution of doing toiletries in the privacy of a bathroom.

26

August 15, 2013

MIXED VEGETABLE CREPES

Making crepes is not as difcult as one might think. Here is the simplest way to make savory crepes. If you follow these steps to the dot, and make several trials and errors, this will give you more condence in no time at all. Since the batter ingredients are very inexpensive anyway, you can practice as many times as you can until you can make the perfect crepe. A whole new crepe-ing experience will open up a world of endless recipes like appetizers, rst course meals, main entrees, desserts, and so on. tric mixer, use a whisk or egg beater. Then rest a strainer or sieve over a bowl and pour the batter mixture into the strainer. Press any remaining lumps in the batter through the strainer with the back of a spoon. Let the batter rest for at least half hour. Cook the crepes in a 10-inch crepe pan or heavy gauged non-stick pan. (If the batter is too thick, add a little milk or water and blend well.) Brush the pan with vegetable oil and preheat over medium temperature. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of crepe batter into the pan and evenly spread to cover the bottom surface by slightly tipping the pan several times. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes until the edges of the crepe lift clearly from the pan. Turn the crepe over with your ngertips and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until cooked. Do not brown both sides. (If golden brown crepes is preferred, cook both sides for 2 to 3 minutes each side.) Repeat the process for the rest of the batter, making at least 10 to 12 crepes. Stack the crepes when done, wrap with plastic lm and place in refrigerator to cool. Then proceed to cook the lling. a bowl and let cool down. Wrap 3 or more tablespoons of the cooked vegetables in crepe. Continue wrapping the llings with the remaining crepes. Serve with cream sauce.

Cream Sauce:
1 cup water or vegetable stock 1/4 cup cream salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in water. 1 teaspoon chopped parsley Method: Blend all ingredients except the corn starch mixture. Then simmer and thicken sauce with the corn starch mixture. Editors Note: Master Chef

Ingredients:
Crepe Batter: 1 cup our, bleached 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup water 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter Mixed Vegetable Filling: 1 medium size onion, chopped 1 cup water chestnuts, quartered 1 cup carrots, julienne 5 pieces green beans, thinly sliced 1 cup sweet potatoes, julienne Salt and pepper to taste

Evelyn: 100 Most Inuential Filipina Women in the U.S., 2009, Filipina Womens Network; MHC Most Outstanding Migrant Award in Culinary Arts, 2011; PAFC Dakila Special Achievement Award, 2011; Owner/Chef, Philippine Oriental Market & Deli, Arlington, Virginia; Founder and President of CHEW (Cancer Help Eat Well) Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) public charity

formed to help and cook pro-bono for Filipino-Americans who are aficted with cancer and other serious illnesses; Culinary writer; Member, Les Dames dEscofer International, Washington DC Chapter; Member, International Cake Exploration Society, Member, Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C.; Master Chef, French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le Cordon Bleu, London.

Cooking the Filling:

Saut onions in a skillet until wilted. Add carrots and green beans and saut for 3 to 5 minutes or until half-cooked. Add the water chestnuts and sweet potatoes and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook the sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to

Methods:
Making the Batter For Crepes: Mix all the ingredients to constitute your batter. Pour the batter into an electric mixer and blend for 1 minute or until batter is smooth and lump-free. If you do not have an elec-

EXECUTION
There were three guys, a Canadian, an American and a guy from Poland, who were all going to be executed. The executioner said that since all three were to be executed that night, that they would each get to choose the method by which they would die. Their choices were: lethal injection, electric chair or by hanging. The American was afraid of needles and didnt want to be hanged, so he chose the electric chair. When they pulled the switch, nothing happened. The executioner said that if this happens a second time that he could go free. They tried a second time and again nothing happened so they set him free. The Canadian was also afraid of needles and didnt want to be hanged so he too chose the electric chair. Once again, the chair didnt work twice and he was set free. Next it was the Poles turn to pick how he was to be executed. He said Im afraid of needles, the electric chair wont work so youre going to have to hang me.

MARRIAGE
Husband: On our 10th anniversary, dear, Im so proud to be married to the same woman. Wife: After 10 years with you, I am no longer the same woman.

FRIENDSHIP
Among women : A woman didnt come home one night. The next morning she told her husband that she had slept over at a friends house. The man called his wifes 10 best friends. None of them knew anything about it. Among men: A man didnt come home one night. The next morning he told his wife that he had slept over at a friends house. The woman called her husbands 10 best friends, eight of them conrmed that he had slept over, and two said that he was still there.

There were 3 men who died and before God would let them into heaven, he gave them a chance to go back to earth as anything they wanted. The rst guy said, I want to go back as myself, but 100 times smarter. So God made him 100 times smarter. The second guy said I want to be better than that guy, make me 1000 times smarter. So God made him 1000 times smarter. The last guy decided he would be the best. So he said God, make me better than both of them, make me 1,000,000 times smarter. So God made him a woman!

Si Sir pumasok sa kuwarto ni Inday, Sir: Inday Inday: Sir, huwag po! Huwag pooooo! Sir: Gaga! Uutusan lang kita. Inday: Si Sir namannagsasuggest lang.

mo at matutulog ka sa sahig. Misis: For a change. Mister: Anong for a change ang pinagsasabi mo? Misis: Hmmph! Gusto ko lang makaramdam ng matigas.

YUNG ANO
Naguusap ang magina. Dalagita: Nay, tutuo po ba na kung saan ipinasok yung ano, doon din lalabas ang bata? Nanay: Oo naman anak. Dalagita: Hindi po kaya masira ang ipin ko?

BAKIT?
Amo: Yaya, bakit namatay ang aso? Maid: Pinaliguan ko po ng laundry soap. Amo: Hindi naman nakamamatay ang sabon, ah. Maid: Ewan ko nga po sir, eh. Pag-off ko ng washing machine patay na.

DID YOU?
Lawyer: Now that you have been acquitted, will you tell me truly... did you steal the car? Client: After hearing your amazing argument in court this morning, Im beginning to think I didnt.

LUNAS
Pasiyente: Doc, parating masakit ang balikat ko kapag itinataas ko. Grabe! Doktor: Eh, di huwag mong itaas!

ANG GUSTO
Mister: Ano ba ang nakain

REQUEST

HUWAG

August 15, 2013

27

My Sanctuary

O
An Improper Wedding

ur downsizing has unearthed a treasure. I was ready to throw a dusty plastic bag onto the pile slated for the junkyard when something caught my attention. Inside were my wedding dress and veil. I thought they were discarded years ago. They looked grayed with age but seem to have withstood my neglect. I smiled as memories of my improper wedding came ashing back.

~~~~~~~~~ Early August, 1975. A knock disturbed my nap one Saturday. I opened the door and there he was small luggage in hand, with a sheepish grin. The luggage gave me pause. May I come in and explain? Mitch looked unsure and miserable outside the door. Not yet. I hedged. He lowered his small suitcase and began to explain. He was asked to leave the Bronx Misericordia Hospital because his visa papers were misplaced by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). He didnt have to confess the situation but since he had, the hospital director was forced to turn him out. He needed a place to stay. What are your intentions? I asked the rst question that popped into my head. We both laughed at the unexpectedness of it. He looked meaningfully at the engagement ring on my left hand and gently pushed the door open. Mitch sat on the daybed. He looked tired and deated. I sat beside him as he began his litany. He didnt inch when I insisted on marriage in exchange for his board and lodging. His papers showed up within two days and he was back at work that same week. I thought to postpone the wedding but was too embarrassed to tell my friends. I had two weeks, rst, to convince the priest to dispense of the banns. Banns are announcements posted on church bulletins for intentions to marry. He agreed to ofciate at our wedding on such short notice. He knew me as the girl who sang at the weekly masses at the hospital auditorium. That must have counted for something. Mitch and I had $200 between us, most of it his. Or to be honest, all of it was his. I was still paying for my one-way ticket

through what was then called a y-now-pay-later plan. The base amount and the compounded interest totaled $1400+. I sent the rest of my salary to my parents, leaving me enough to pay for the dorm rent and the groceries. I didnt have two centavos to rub together. I still thought in terms of Philippine money. I had to nd a gown Mitch could afford. I made do with a long cheap cotton dress that itched, and a veil the boutique owner shed out from her discards and threw in for free. The maid of honor was better dressed and better shod than me. My bouquet consisted of three long stemmed red roses Mitch bought from a ower vendor at the Port Authority. My prince was on his way to me. He guessed, correctly, that I had not thought to prepare even a small posy for myself. Our guests consisted of ve close friends. Fr. Finnerty made room for us around the altar at the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Newark. A small group of children from the surrounding neighborhood watched from the front door. Without their giggles and whispers, the ceremony would have been a blur to me. As it came to a close, they lined up the church steps and handed me wild owers they collected from their yards. Mitch was sure some were dandelions. Their curtsies and innocent smiles didnt impress me then. I was too numb from the frenzy of the past two weeks. Where are the rest of your guests? One girl asked. Will they be at the reception? We had ve guests. I didnt know what to say. There was no reception. No other guests. Well, where to wife? my new husband asked with a big smile. Im sorry? I was confused by the question. You forgot to make reservations for dinner? Mitch whispered. His expression bore both disbelief and humor. Oh no! I answered, dismayed and almost in tears. I babbled apologies as we drove around until we found a restaurant willing to accommodate our party without prior notice. The Chinese restaurant was our third try and was only half full. The place was dark and

ur rooms at home like yours, have various designated functions for sleeping, dining, cooking, receiving or entertaining, family relaxation, computer, etc., but I consider my kitchen, though not that large, to be the busiest and most functional of them all. Multi-tasking chores and activities happen there, even unusual ones. Theres a TV for entertainment and temporary shifting of attention when things dont go my way. I have to constantly remind myself that the kitchen is primarily for cooking otherwise I tend to do almost all of my activities there like answering phone calls from family, relatives and friends, even telemarketers while I try to watch the TV news. I read the newspaper or stack of magazines while my grocery list is waiting to be completed a perfect time to prop up my feet on a chair for a brief rest. My children found this recollection of my activities funny and I have never told anybody about it. One evening, after I have nished the kitchen cleanup, I set up my boom box on the kitchen breakfast table and listened to the music of the dance that I was working on. In between, I was boiling the oxtail and tripe on the range in preparation for the kare-kare I was going to cook for of my daughters birthday the next day. Then, right there in front of the oven, I tried to create the dance steps for my choreography work, but from time to time, stirring the pot and correcting the taste of the dish. This went on for hours. Lo and behold, I nished a segment of the dance that evening, feeling good of my accomplishment. After a few more evenings, I nally nished the whole dance without even going down to the basement family room which denitely had a bigger dance oor where I could have worked with ease but this unlikely dance oor substitute did not bother me at all. At the end, the dance presentation performed by the dancers that I trained won rst place in their organizations annual dance competition held in Houston, Texas. I did not have to tell anyone where the dance number was hatched-up and prepared.

Our kitchen nook is a favorite place where over food, I bond with my children. This is where they come rst to look for me as they arrive home. It is here where we talk about and discuss things, happy or sad, good or bad, also I write cards and letters, do gift wrapping, bills and check nances. Oh, also do manicure, pedicure and hair dye at times while watching the TV. Some close friends also walk straight to the kitchen when visiting. I used to do lap top work while cooking, likewise hemming a skirt and clipping news items and trimming the hair and mustache of my husband, not to forget listening to my favorite music while washing the dishes and later, scanning the mail ads for on sale food items. What other activities happened in the kitchen? When my daughter went on a three-week vacation and left her dearest pet, Coco, a white Bichon, with us, I let him stand on my kitchen breakfast table chair to see the outside world in the morning and per my daughters instruction, give him a daily massage for 10- 15 minutes, brush his fur to make it real uffy. The kitchen oor had a small round bed where he sleeps during the day, eat his dog food and play with his squeaky toys. Since I almost always move around in the kitchen daily, I told my husband to have a bay window built where I could take a little rest on the cushioned seat between chores. He did not like the idea for the reason that I might make the kitchen my bedroom, as well. In the nal assessment of things, the kitchen in my home serves as: rst and foremost, a place to cook, library, ofce, entertainment, computer, gift wrapping and sewing rooms, beauty parlor and barbershop, telephone center, dog care center, green house and, a dance

oor. Admittedly, I also nd this cove a quiet place to sort things out and make a few wishful thinking. This is a cozy and convenient place to do almost anything and this is my sanctuary. The television, newspaper and magazines are aids that help me balance up the chores and relaxation even in the midst of ado in the room where I cook. But, then, I have a little nook by the window where I have my three pots of lovely orchids strategically placed. Looking at them every morning, seeping my hot coffee gives me so much pleasure. These delicate plants are like children needing to be nurtured. I shall tell you about them in the next Manila Mail issue. **** Happy News, Sad News in Metro Washington Millette Suarez of the World Bank celebrated her 60th birthday on July 28, 2013 at their home in Beltsville, MD. Husband, Lito Suarez, invited relatives and friends to the Lechon party that he hosted. Their son Nicky and family and daughter Tracy assisted their parents in welcoming the numerous guests. It is noted that Millette celebrated her 50th birthday with a Cotillion dance attended by her family, relatives friends and colleagues at work. Dr. Bart Gancayco had a big celebration at their home in Potomac, MD on August 3, 2013 to honor him on his 80th birthday. Mrs. Mia Gancayco played a big part in planning the party for her husband. Dr. Gancayco with his wife, their seven sons, spouses and grandchildren plus relatives and friends was surrounded with a big group of invited wellwishers. Id like to note that the design of the invitation sent out to relatives and friends had the picture of the honoree when he was a bachelor. It was like the

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the oor was sticky from halfhearted attempts at cleaning. Unswept morsels cluttered the oor. The busboys la-la-laed to the tune of Here Comes the Bride and clapped their hands in rhythm as we were ushered to our table. The few and grainy photographs of that day were taken by two of our guests. Neither Mitch nor I brought a camera.

The newly-weds with their impromptu guests.

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28 Editorial

August 15, 2013

Justice for Mylene

After a months-long investigation, the Loudoun County Commonwealths Attorney James E. Plowman nally released his report about the shooting death in May of Mylene Mhai Deleon Scott, a Filipino American mother of two young children. He said the sheriffs deputy who shot and killed Mylene acted in justiable self-defense. Plowman then offered details about the victims behavior, describing her as the attacker who charged at deputies while holding a knife and scissors. At rst, they tried to stun her with a Taser weapon, which apparently didnt work, leading to the use of deadly force. But theres more not about the ve armed deputies who rushed to the Costco store to confront Mylene, but about her history of psychological issues, her earlier confrontations with law enforcement, her own ex-husbands fear for the safety of the couples two daughters, and her incoherent statements about Satan. So, why are we not surprised? Of course the investigators have to dig out as much incriminating details to justify the shooting by casting Mylene in the worst possible light. News accounts shortly after the incident quote county sheriff Michael Chapman jumping into conclusions even before there was an investigation. He seemed to think, according to The Washington Post, that his deputies had no choice but to shoot the 38-year-old woman. Chapman said the ofcers acted according to procedure in justied self-defense when Scott allegedly came at them with the knife. Nonetheless, the sheriffs statement seems not just preliminary but premature, the Post said. It raised more questions and suspicions about the prudence of the deputies actions and the circumstances of Ms. Scotts death. Something denitely did go badly wrong. But it wasnt Mylenes behavior. We continue to believe there was unreasonable and excessive use of deadly force. Why couldnt ve armed men control a tiny woman who weighed less than a hundred pounds, unarmed except for a kitchen knife and scissors that she happened to be holding because it was her job to cut pizza pieces for Costco customers? So what now? An innocent life is lost. A family suffers mental scars as it deals with the consequences. And so does the communitys trust and respect for law enforcement. For justice to prevail, civil action against the county and the sheriffs department must be pursued. Justice requires that the victim and his family must be compensated for their loss. Justice further requires that a strong message be sent to police ofcers that the United States of America is not a place where they get to do whatever they want, whenever they want and then call it justiable homicide. (J. Melegrito)

And then its Winter

Tsismoso is dedicating this thoughtprovoking email writeup to all those nearing the Winter of their lives. Here goes: I rst started reading this email and was reading fast, until I reached the third sentence. I stopped and started over reading slower and thinking about every word. This email is very thought-provoking. Makes you stop and think. Read slowly. And then it is winter. You know. . . Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is... The winter of my life and it catches me by surprise....How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought wed be. Each day now, I nd that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... its mandatory! Cause if I dont on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit! And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and Im not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when its over on this earth... its over. A new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadnt done ...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things Im happy to have done. Its all in a lifetime. So, if youre not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Dont put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!! Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY ! HAVE A GREAT DAY And I Love each and everyone of you, some as my children, or grand & great grandchildren, some as old friends or relatives, and one special one just because I want to. Remember It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE HAPPY IN 2013! LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOUVE EVER BEEN,YET THE YOUNGEST YOULL EVER BE .. SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS. Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect! Going out is good.. Coming home is better! You forget names.... But its OK because other people forgot they even know you. You realize youre never going to be really good at anything....especially golf! The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you dont care to do them anymore. You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. Its called pre-sleep. You miss the days when everything worked with just an ON and OFF switch. You tend to use more four-letter words..what..when Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, its not safe to wear it anywhere. You notice everything they sell in

Juan Mercado, Bobby M. Federigan

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August 15, 2013

Opinion 29

Pres. Pacquiao?

M
Two Books & a Doc

o far this summer, our community has feasted on some extraordinary cultural treats, which more than make up for the unbearable heat in June and July. And Im not referring to the gaudy sex scandals which may have provided much-needed distractions. Or not. But thanks to PFCs familyoriented picnic, this towns puritan instincts remain untainted. Or not. Still, theres reason to cheer. The cicadas stayed away from our neck of the woods. The grand children romped for a few days in our neighborhood, drawing out the other kids in the block and giving us a rare chance to get to know our neighbors better. And then theres the ampalaya garden, promising to stay lush and green through the dog days of August. And now to the hot stuff.

it? But no worries. Thankfully, theres a young generation of Filipino Americans today who are staking their claim as Americans, unburdened by the cultural baggages that have kept the older generation thriving in a culture of self-imposed disempowerment. So, to gain more insights about the Filipino American experience, grab this book, available at Amazon. Marivi is an acute observer of Philippine life, wrote a Manila reviewer, and youll be mesmerized by the books sweeping telenovela quality from the upstairs/ downstairs struggle (complete with a secret and forbidden love affair), to the surreal, tragic and sometimes comic realities that befall the main characters in Manila and California . Hot stuff. MARTIAN PANAHON

anny Pacquiao, the living boxing legend, for President of the Philippines? Dont laugh. Movie action star Joseph Estrada made it. Another . movie action star Fernando Poe, Jr. almost made it. In the gment of his imagination Manny engages in a debate with his beloved Nanay Dionesia. Here is the partially translated exchange Nanay, in my life I have always fought for the highest prize. In boxing, its the championship that measures success. Now, I am in politics and I still cant avoid thinking championship. Manny, walang tsampionship belt sa pulitika. Maraming tsampion kurakot lang dyan. Magartista ka na lang para maka-ekstra ako sa pelikula nagbobolroom dancing. There is championship in politics too. Hind lang kurakot. I would like to aim for the highest prize. Anak, ang highest prize ay presidente. Baka binabangonot ka? Hindi ito panaginip, Nay. Englisin ko, for emphasis, I am not sleeping. Papaano ka mananalo

Anak, eh ni hindi ka naka-apak sa unibersidad? Eh bakit, what did Erap nish. What did FPJ nish? Wala sa Consitution ang college diploma para mag presidente. Si Marcos, ano ang natapos niya? Anak, batikan na abogado yon. Naayos ba niya and Pinas? Ay hindi nga, Anak. Sayang lang ang kanyang diploma sa abogacia. Pero Anak, importante pa rin yong meron kang diploma na maisabit mo sa opisina. Hindi problema yan. Matutupad ang iyong kahilingan, Nay. Talaga Anak? Mag-eenrol ka ba sa U.P para mag-abogado katulad ni Marcos? Hindi na kailangan. Bago matapos ang susunod na taon, magpagawa ako ng sariling unibersidad. Sige Anak. Ano ang itatawag natin sa Universidad mo? Yong simple lang. Siguro ganito- Pac U.

Tapos, mag-aaral ka sa sariling Universidad mo para magkadiploma? Hindi na kailangan. Kung ako ang magpakagawa ng Universidad, garantisadong bibigyan ako ng Honorary Doctorate of Laws. Mataas na diploma yan, Nay. Aba, puede na rin yan, Anak ko. Pero Anak, dahan dahan ka pa rin. At saka, Anak, pagdating sa debate, ano ang masasabi mo? Nay, alam ko ang ibig sabihin ng taxation. Para sa kaunlaran, bawasan natin yan para hindi tatakbo ang mga gumagawa ng negosyo. Laban ako nang laban sa America, pero nag malaman kong malaki pala ang kinakaltas ni Obama, doon na lang ako magboxing sa China. Alam ko rin ang ibig sabihin ng pork barel. Basta may pork, masama iyan. Maraming kolestirol daw iyan. Ipapatigil ko ang nagpapasama sa kalusugan ng

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Wishful thinking

N
The Mango Bride. Highlyacclaimed novelist Marivi Soliven Blanco, a Palanca Memorial Awardee, read excerpts from her recently-published book at the Philippine Embassys Romulo Hall one evening in June. The book launching was an auspicious occasion, said Minister Maria Andrelita S. Austria, Deputy Chief of Mission , because it was on the same day the US Senate passed a bill that gives hope to many of our kababayan who have had to deal with the uncertainty of their situations. The book, after all, is the story of two Filipina immigrants and about the Filipino American experience, which is about nding your place, and making it your own, Ms. Austria noted. It is about giving back and enriching the community we live in, while also achieving our fullest potentials. Well said, Maam Austria. Sponsored by the alumni associations of Ateneo and UP, the reading and discussion that followed raised questions about the Filipino American communitys lack of visibility in the American mainstream. Shocking, isnt VIRUS. What does the future frontier of Mars hold for the bold, hardy and adventurous Filipinos? FilAm community leader Mitzi Pickard posed the question during a discussion about a sci- novel written by Kevin Owens of Arlington Va. Apparently, the planet most like Earth in the solar system holds much promise. Recent news accounts conrm that Mars could indeed have supported microbial life a stunning discovery made by the NASA rover Curiosity after making a daredevil landing on Mars a year ago. So, as you can imagine, the excitement over Curiositys amazing ndings makes Kevins book timely indeed, says Mitzi, President of the Philippine Arts, Letters & Media (PALM) Council, which hosted the event along with PAFC at Sweet City Desserts one recent Sunday afternoon. Kevin, an active member of the National Space Society and the Planetary Society, sets a scene two hundred years in the future where Filipino miners from the

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ews the Washington Post was sold to Amazon. com founder Jeff Bozos drew surprise, nostalgia and hope for one of the worlds most respected media brands. We remember the papers Watergate coverage in the 1970s and marveled at how it was able to topple the most powerful man in the United States . That was also the decade we woke up one morning to a Philippines under Martial Law; and as the despotism wore on, our fascination with what the Washington Post and its journalists achieved grew as well. The sale sparked speculation about the reasons why the Grahams divested the familys crown jewel or what Bozos has in mind to plunk $250 million of his own money to buy the Post. In a Facebook post, our colleague Bing Branigin wrote about how she met and eventually married her husband, Washington Post editor Bill Branigin who was posted for a time in Manila . She described the Grahams management style that bred a family atmosphere. We recall our own experience working with the late Betty Go-Belmonte who published the Philippine Star. She too had her peculiar style of running one of

the countrys top newspapers. The Evening Star was the groups afternoon broadsheet. It was the late Ka Louie Beltrans baby and recruited seasoned newsmen Angel Sambo, Jun Valera and Rolly Espina to help put out the afternoon daily. The spirit behind the Watergate coverage still fresh in our mind, we joined the Evening Star in 1987 and inevitably began writing about the foibles of town bureaucrats and the sleaze of lowly cop commanders. But the afternoon paper faced stiff competition from tabloids and although Mrs. Belmonte fought hard to keep it in the streets, the economic realities dictated the eventual demise of the Evening Star. Weeks before she announced the decision, Mrs. Belmonte called me aside to say she was moving me to the agship Philippine Star as a Defense reporter. We didnt understand it at the time but when her rea-

sons became evident, we can only remember that episode with immense gratitude. We got to keep our job which was fortuitous because a few weeks later, mutinous troops would mount the December 1989 putsch that became the most serious challenge against the government and helped dene my work in media. We doubt the Washington Post realizes the full extent of its inuence over countless people through the years. Some speculate the Grahams and the Posts stockholders were trying to preserve their stakes. The papers nances have been hemorrhaging for the past six years and reportedly stood to lose $40 million this year. For people like us whove observed and admired the Washington Post, rst from a vantage across the Pacic and now up-close, this institution stands for values that epitomize

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30
Wishful thinking... from page 29
journalism. Many are optimistic that Bezos will carry the Washington Post brand to the digital age and beyond. Many of todays biggest media brands Politico.com or Hufngtonpost.com, for instance, arrived at the scene less than a decade ago. Newsweek is going purely digital. Novel news brands are rising almost every day. The challenge for the Washington Post is stay alive amid competition from an increasingly diverse and complex eld and continue providing a home for superior journalism. Wed like to think thats why the Grahams decided to sell and drove Jeff Bezos, who started Amazon.com to sell books, to buy it. Might just be wishful thinking but wed like to believe the same spirit of duty we came rst came across in the 70s will live on to inspire future generations of journalists. vigilante-ism, where the motives of the perpetrators couldnt be clearly ascertained. Other possible forms of public retaliation against government or police inaction could be vandalism, looting sprees, arson and anarchy. The publics acceptance of the current administration as one that genuinely attempts to banish the corrupt from government may be serving as a safety valve against mass dissatisfaction, thus the lack of indignation among the people over recent news of systematic stealing of public money. But if all the noise about investigating the current pork barrel mess, other scams, and street or home crimes comes up empty, with no one being punished and jailed, then our government ofcials should start worrying about a really frustrated and angry people. ful gift to our community. The documentary invites us to love art, embrace uncertainty and sacrice security in the service of God and humanity. DiazAbayas call to self empty ourselves for another is the essence of the Filipino soul, which her lms have captured with technical artistry and creative power. Indeed, we are but a raindrop in an ocean, a humbling truth DiazAbaya conveys in her life and art, with inspiring humility and grace. Diaz-Abaya, who died of cancer in October 2012, also produced a documentary on the Silsilah movement for MuslimChristian dialogue in Southern Mindanao , with its message of tolerance and peace. Ill keep looking for her lms wherever they are available because, as one reviewer puts it, any kid who views her lms will say that I am not a rudderless human being and here is the proof. Hot stuff. Send your comments to jdmelegrito@gmail.com

August 15, 2013

Pres. Pacquiao?... from page 29

bayan. Isipin mong mabuti. Baka hindi ka nanalo. Nay, kong si Erap nanalo at si FPJ muntik na manalo, lalo na ako. Baki mo nasabi iyan? Si Erap at si FPJ, ang sinusuntok nila ay hangin lang. Samantala, nakikita ng mga tao na ang aking kamao ang nagbibigay ng karangalan sa bayan. Si Erap at FPJ ay nagkukunyaring bayani, ako ang nagbubuwis ng dugo at pawis para itayo ang bandila ng bayan. Kung nanalo ang balatkayo na bayani, dapat manalo ang tunay na bayani. Tama ka Anak. Pero mag-isipisip ka pa rin Basta, Nay, mananalo ang tunay na bayani. Anak, tingnan mo si Rizal, tunay na bayani yan, natalo sa Luneta. May katukwiran itong Nanay ko.

Beware the peoples ... from page 25

ing about it. Were a curious people in that sense. We accept that politicians will steal from us and we just look away as long as the same politicians throw table scraps our way every now and then. We dont mind them stealing as long as theyre there for us when we need a waiting shed, a basketball court, a water pump, and a godfather for our child just so we can brag to our neighbors that Mayor or Congressman is our compadre. Were so easy to please and fool. Are we really so indifferent about all the plunder thats going on? Or is our seeming nonchalance a manifestation of our helplessness against the powerful? More than being forgiving, most Filipinos feel powerless to do anything against their ofcials, whom they see as untouchable. Most Filipinos would rather be quiet and just go about their business than to raise a howl. But the thieves in government and their accomplices shouldnt push their luck too far. When the people, as tolerant and meek as they may be, are unable to nd redress for their grievances, they eventually rise up in anger. It took them a long time but they did it with dictator Ferdinand Marcos. They didnt waste much time in doing it with the clueless President Joseph Estrada, and were close at times to doing it with Estradas accidental successor, Gloria Arroyo (whose unlamented departure proved the peoples extreme dissatisfaction with her). What is more dangerous is that absent mass public action against erring ofcials, private scammers and snatchers and holduppers, small groups or even just individuals may act on their own. Frustrated people may take the law into their own hands and mete justice outside conventional means. This is the danger here. Already there have been killings and bombings that show signs of

Washington Tsismis... from page 28

stores is sleeveless! What used to be freckles are now liver spots. Everybody whispers!! You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet..2 of which you will never wear. But OLD is good in some things: Old Songs, Old Movies, and best of all, Old Friends!! Stay well, Old Friend. Send this on to other Old Friends and let them laugh in agreement. Its not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

Leap-frogging... from page 24

Fenimore Cooper wrote in his 1845 novel The Chainbearer. The term became derogatory by 1873, the Oxford English Dictionary notes. Filipinos do not have a monopoly of this abuse. Poles speak of basa wyborcza. That translates into election sausage. Finns say siltarum pupolitiikka or culvert politics. It pinpoints politicians who construct culverts and projects to curry favor with voters. Danes call poll pork as valgask.

Provisional waiver... from page 24

their home country for fear that the waiver will not be granted. That would mean a long separation from their spouse and children in the US, unless their immediate family will choose to join them abroad. With the procedural change, the alien will know in advance if his waiver application is approved or denied before he makes a decision to appear for a visa interview abroad. Those who could not tolerate a long separation may just decide to forego with the visa interview abroad and continue to live in limbo status in the U.S. if the provisional waiver is denied. This is the main benet that the rule change brings in addition to the promised shorter processing time.

Two Books & a Doc... from page 29

Benguet mountains help establish a possible gold nd in a remote Martian canyon. During their exploration, the team discovers a frozen Paleothic puddle with tiny shes embedded in it. While the epic describes a virus threat and a daring escape from murderous claim jumpers, it also contains X-rated passages of lusty ventures among the boulders in the Planet Mars. Hot stuff. Kevins colleague, Gary Marshall, remarked that the science ction mystery brings together three of Kevins great interests: Mars, the Philippines and its people and traditions, and the bold, hardy people who adventure well beyond their comfort zone as did some of Kevins forebears during the Alaskan Gold Rush. Gary went on to say that Kevin is a good storyteller, and there is more than enough humor and romance to make it good fun. After a lively no-holds barred discussion and Mitzis tantalizing teaser, there was a mad rush to purchase the book and a frantic search for the incendiary pages. Carolyn Castro, one of the readers, jokingly noted afterwards that she would have preferred to read those excerpts. With feeling, of course. Outside, a thunderstorm failed to cool down the scorcher that was fueling more curiosity than the Rover itself. Copies are still available for those who are simply curious. Contact Maurese at mpapoose@ aol.com. MARILOU DIAZABAYA: FILMMAKER ON A VOYAGE. When Elvie and I were in Manila in January, Mona Lisa Yuchengo former publisher of Filipinas Magazine and now publisher of the online zine Positively Filipino invited us to the premier showing of her lm at the Ortigas Library. After expressing interest in having the lm shown in Washington DC , Lisa agreed to having it screened here. On the last Tuesday of July, about 50 fans, friends and lm buffs ocked to the Philippine Embassys Romulo Hall to see Lisas fascinating portrait of the rst lady of Philippine Cinema. Among her critically acclaimed lms was Jose Rizal (1998), which I rented from Netix along with other Diaz-Abaya lms, notably Naval of the Sea (1997) and Brutal (1980), the rst Filipino lm to deal with rape in a social justice framework. Mona Lisas touching tribute to Diaz-Abaya is a beauti-

My Sanctuary... from page 27

photo of a handsome movie star. Dr. Ted Gancayco got it from him; also Dr. John Gancayco. Boots Anson Roa and family - daughter Chiqui Roa Puno and husband Antipolo Congressman Robbie Puno, their two sons Randy and Nick and daughter, Sabrina will be coming for a visit. Randy goes to Georgetown University and Nick to Marymount University. First daughter of Boots, Leah Roa-Cuevas, husband Russell Cuevas and children, Katrina, Ryan, Jessica and Rachelle are excitedly awaiting for their arrival this week.

An Improper Wedding... from page 27

We avoided discussing several issues. Our honeymoon, or the lack of, was one. Mitch and I didnt have money or vacation time to have a proper one. There was also that nagging obligation of informing our families about our marriage. That put my teeth on edge. But like a good Filipina, I shrugged it off for another day. Bahala na. Whatever happens, happens. Fast forward 38 years. It was a proper wedding after all. It has endured. We have three adult children, two of whom are married; three grandsons and grand-twins expected in October. We have embarked on another adventure. We have left our comfortable roomy home and moved to a two-bedroom condo. It feels like playing house just like it did when we rst kept house almost four decades ago. To quote from the song Journey, When we started our voyage, there was just me and you; now gathered round us, we have our own crew.

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August 15, 2013