The document summarizes recent news stories related to the Philippines and Filipino communities abroad. It discusses allegations of corruption against Vice President Jejomar Binay regarding an overpriced building project in Makati City. It also covers the Philippine government's request for temporary protected status for undocumented Filipinos in the US after Typhoon Haiyan, and the seizure of valuable artworks owned by Imelda Marcos. Additionally, it reports on the family of a Filipino American teenager who committed suicide due to bullying calling for an end to bullying in schools.
The document summarizes recent news stories related to the Philippines and Filipino communities abroad. It discusses allegations of corruption against Vice President Jejomar Binay regarding an overpriced building project in Makati City. It also covers the Philippine government's request for temporary protected status for undocumented Filipinos in the US after Typhoon Haiyan, and the seizure of valuable artworks owned by Imelda Marcos. Additionally, it reports on the family of a Filipino American teenager who committed suicide due to bullying calling for an end to bullying in schools.
Original Description:
A fortnightly Filipino newspaper in Washington, DC
The document summarizes recent news stories related to the Philippines and Filipino communities abroad. It discusses allegations of corruption against Vice President Jejomar Binay regarding an overpriced building project in Makati City. It also covers the Philippine government's request for temporary protected status for undocumented Filipinos in the US after Typhoon Haiyan, and the seizure of valuable artworks owned by Imelda Marcos. Additionally, it reports on the family of a Filipino American teenager who committed suicide due to bullying calling for an end to bullying in schools.
The document summarizes recent news stories related to the Philippines and Filipino communities abroad. It discusses allegations of corruption against Vice President Jejomar Binay regarding an overpriced building project in Makati City. It also covers the Philippine government's request for temporary protected status for undocumented Filipinos in the US after Typhoon Haiyan, and the seizure of valuable artworks owned by Imelda Marcos. Additionally, it reports on the family of a Filipino American teenager who committed suicide due to bullying calling for an end to bullying in schools.
Vol. XXIII, No. 22 Online: www. manilamail.us October 1-15, 2014
Fil-Am home care nabbed Page 4 PH-US war games Page 12 Mommy Ds boyfriend Page 11 John Legend in Manila Page 18 Our own month Page 29 Binay charged for P2-B public garage MANILA. The Senate continued to hear allegations of wrongdoings by Vice Presi- dent Jejomar Binay but a recent survey seems to suggest the public is growing wary about the sincerity of the probe. An allegedly grossly over- priced Makati building con- structed while Binay was the city mayor has been the center of cor- ruption charges. Former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mer- cado testied that Binay alleg- edly received a standard 13 per- WASHINGTON D.C. For- eign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario pressed United States ofcials to grant the Philippine governments request for tem- porary protected status (TPS) during a visit here Sept. 25. A TPS designation for the Philippines would allow more than 200,000 undocumented Fili- pinos to stay and work legally in the US for at least 18 months. The Philippines sought the TPS designation in December, a few weeks after super typhoon Yolanda hit the eastern and central Visayas region, killing over 6,000 people and severely affecting more than 1.4 million others in 17 provinces. Del Rosario wrote both Sec- retary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson last September 22, reiterating the governments appeal. I take this opportunity to once again reiterate the Philip- pine Governments request for the US Governments immedi- ate positive consideration of the request... Many of my country- men in the US were affected by Typhoon Haiyan. This humani- tarian assistance would provide temporary relief for them from the natural disaster, he said. Ofcials from the Depart- ment of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fil-Am community Continued on page 21 Family of Fil-Am suicide calls for end to bullying By Jun Medina SAN FRANCISCO. The family of Jay Zolina, a junior at San Diegos Cathedral Catholic High School who killed him- self last September 11, is calling for an end to bullying, a grow- ing school malaise that appar- ently led the 16-year-old Filipino American teen to depression and suicide. How I wished I have known that he was hurting inside, Jays mother, Lea Maria Sia-Zolina, posted in her sons Facebook account. A person can take only so much bullying. It was too late when I found out He was gone, continued the pained message of the griev- ing mother. And because of this my life will have a huge void. Mrs. Zolina, a dentist, said her son masked the pain very well with his smile and positive attitude. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in some 4,400 death yearly, according to the Centers for Disease Control. MANILA. The government moved swiftly to seize valuable art works, swooping down on the ofces and homes of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, taking several paintings including a work by Pablo Picasso. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) dispatched several teams last Sept. 30 to recover valuable old master paintings under the possession of Mrs. Marcos and her family. In their San Juan house alone, authorities were able to recover eight large paintings, including the Picasso. The search at Marcos ofce at the House of Representatives yielded repro- ductions. Of the four known addresses that we visited, it was only in the Marcos house in San Juan where we were able to recover eight paintings, explained NBI Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Divi- sion (AOTCD) chief and head agent Rommel Vallejo. The Sandiganbayan had issued a writ of attachment just a day earlier for at least eight paintings by renowned Euro- pean artists, saying they had been illegally acquired with public funds. Mrs. Marcos, 85, who prides herself as a keen art collector, will appeal the court ruling. The order is highly questionable. We will question that order, said Marcos counsel Robert Sison. Sison described the court ruling on the eight paintings Continued on page 21 Continued on page 21 Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario with US State Secretary John Kerry at the United Nations. Vice President Jejomar Binay with son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay Jay Zolina with mother Lea share a sele photo Govt seizes Imeldas Picasso, Gaugin, Goya, Michelangelo Former First Lady Imelda Marcos; the Picasso hangs on the wall behind her. Continued on page 21 October 1-15, 2014 22 October 1-15, 2014 3 PH slams China expansionism at UN NEW YORK. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario blasted China at speech in the United Nations for its expan- sionist territorial claims. We have invited a State Party to settle our maritime disputes peacefully through UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) including its provisions on dispute settlement, specically arbitration, he told the UN General Assemblys 69th annual high-level meeting. Although he did not men- tion China by name, the Phil- ippines has hauled the Asian superpower to court because it was encroaching on disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea but China has said it was snubbing the proceedings. The state party has refused to join us and has continued to unilaterally embark on an expansionist claim that violates the legitimate rights of the Phil- ippines and other littoral neigh- bors under UNCLOS such as their Exclusive Economic Zones and Continental Shelves, Del Rosario bewailed. He said the state party is taking reckless activities instead of choosing the peaceful route. Instead of peacefully resolving the maritime dis- putes within the framework of UNCLOS, said State embarked on a series of dangerous, reck- less and forceful activities in an attempt to impose unilateral change in the maritime status quo of the South China Sea, he said. US Pacic chief: We dont want bases in PH WASHINGTON D.C. Outgoing Pacic Command (PACOM) chief Admiral Samuel Locklear said the United States remains committed to re-bal- ance to the Asia-Pacic not- withstanding the escalation of military operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Our ability to remain for- ward and to do the things that we need to do in the Pacic will not be affected in any signicant way, Locklear said in an article posted on breakingdefense.com. Locklear will be replaced by Admiral Harry Harris Jr., the rst Asian American to occupy the post. Born in Yokosuka, Japan, Harris currently commands the US Pacic Fleet, the operational arm of PACOM. Let me reiterate again that the US has no desire or plans to build any US bases anywhere else in the world, he stressed. He added, The plan with our Filipino allies was where we might be able to put a shared facility but admitted theres no real movement there. The EDCA has been stalled by a legal chal- lenge raised before the Philip- pine Supreme Court (please see related story in this paper). Meanwhile, Locklear said the growing crisis in the Middle East as well as the Ebola epi- demic in Western Africa has not forced the redeployment of forces or resources from the US Pacic Theater. He noted that tensions have cooled back after an inci- dent where Chinese ghter jets harassed an American patrol plane off Hainan Island in the South China Sea. We havent had any more such incidents, he said. He said that he was disap- pointed by the conduct of the Chinese but not necessarily sur- prised. Secretary Albert del Rosario at UN General Assembly October 1-15, 2014 44 Pinoy care home owners nabbed over wage theft SAN FRANCISCO. Author- ities raided four nursing homes on Sept. 17, arresting six of its owners including three Filipino Americans on charges of wage theft, tax and insurance viola- tions. Prosecutors said Filipina Florinda Yambao, who owns Floran White Dove Care Homes in Brentwood, failed to pay half a million dollars to employees who worked 12 to 16-hour days and only got paid between $50 to $80 per day. The deputy district attorney said Yambao employed 14 full time employees and a few part time workers, all of them were Filipino. Sara Abraham, Annette San- chez and Julio Sanchez operators of Abraham Rest Home Inc. and Sanchez Abraham Corporation were also booked into Contra Costa County jail on $300,000 bail for eight felony charges. Yambao faces four felony charges and one misdemeanor. Businesses should not prot by stealing from their hard-working employees, Contra Costa District Attorney Mark Peterson said in a prepared statement. Prosecutors say the defen- dants owe a total of $2 million to 60 employees. When a corrupt business owner commits wage theft, he or she almost invariably com- mits tax and insurance fraud. We cannot allow these unscrupu- lous businesses to gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses. Wednesdays search war- rants, arrests, and charges involved three separate cases. Two of the investigations started after the U.S. Department of Labor received complaints about Abraham Rest Home Inc. and Sanchez Abraham Corporation and also Florin White Dove Care Homes. The third case was the result of information discovered while investigating the complaint against Florin White Dove Care Homes and led to the serving of a warrant against Glenda and Rommel Publico who owned Scienn Hall Care homes. The Department of Labor launched its investigation on care homes last year and estab- lished that workers were not being paid minimum wage or overtime at 14 facilities. Too often workers in resi- dential care facilities are working long shifts, being underpaid and then are retaliated against when they exercise their rights in the workplace, said Ruben Rosalez, regional administrator for the US Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division. Police raid a home care facility in Brentwood, Ca. October 1-15, 2014 5 Abu Sayyaf apes IS, threatens to behead German hostage MANILA. Muslim extrem- ists have threatened to behead a German hostage in an apparent show of solidarity with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria which ear- lier executed their American and British captives. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has deployed an additional 1,000 troops to Sulu to intensify the search for the Abu Sayyaf group hold- ing two German hostages even as Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin expressed doubts over reports local militants have already joined forces with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. A combat brigade was air- lifted to Jolo and two more bat- talions were deployed in other parts of Muslim Mindanao. Gazmin stressed that the Philippines will not negoti- ate with the Abu Sayyaf over its demands for a $5.6 million ransom for the Germans. Over 100 people from Southeast Asias Muslim major- ity countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as from Min- danao in the Philippines region are believed to have gone to join Islamic States ght in Iraq and Syria. Admiral Samuel Locklear, head of the US Armed Forces Pacic Command (PACOM) estimated there are about 1,000 recruits from India to the Pacic that may have joined Islamic State. That number could get larger as we go forward, Lock- lear told reporters at the Penta- gon last Sept. 25. PACOMs area of responsibility covers 36 coun- tries from West Asia to the Far East, including Australia and the Korean Peninsula. Thousands have reportedly sworn oaths of loyalty to Islamic State as local militant groups capitalize on a brand that has been fuelled by violent online videos and calls to jihad through social media, security analysts say. Security ofcials say this has disturbing implications for the region, especially when battle- hardened ghters return home from the Middle East. Although Germany has so far shied away from contributing combat forces to the anti-Islamic State coalition, a German foreign ministry spokeswoman never- theless declared that threat are no appropriate way of inuenc- ing Germany foreign policy. The Abu Sayyaf has more than demonstrated its vicious- ness in the past, beheading a Peruvian-American tourist it kidnapped in 2001, as well as dozens many of its civilian and military captives. The Abu Sayyaf was believed formed in 1991 by Fili- pino mujahideens returning to the country after ghting Rus- sian forces in Afghanistan. Abu Sayyaf terrorist brandishes a bolo October 1-15, 2014 66 Work for the D.C. Areas Top Home Care Agency! Now Hiring Experienced Caregivers for Live-In & Hourly Shifts Top Fay FlexiLle Hours Grear Benelrs High Prole Clients Across the D.C. Area! Requirements: Ar leasr o monrhs experience Musr have CNA License or Cerrilcare Musr provice 23 prolessional relerences Musr have a work permir or SSN Interviewing All Day, Mon - Fri No Appointment Required Bethesda: 8100 Norfolk Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814 301-654-1525 McLean: 6723 Curran St. McLean, VA 22101 703-356-4333 Fairfax: 3901-Q Fair Ridge Dr. Fairfax, VA 22033 703-746-8084 Pinoy UN peacekeepers to guard Pope Francis MANILA. Pope Francis will be pro- tected by a thousand-strong force of vet- eran United Nations peacekeepers when he visits the Philippines in January 2015. The heightened security comes amid fears that Islamic militants might pose a threat during the papal visit. Pope Fran- cis will be in the Philippines from January 15-19 and will visit the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda, which left about 7,300 people dead across the central Philippines in November last year. Meanwhile, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said Pope Fran- cis visit will be an opportunity to lead the Church in the Philippines down new roads in the faith and in the mission. Pope Francis pastoral visit, centered on mercy and compassion, will undoubt- edly offer great opportunities to experi- ence grace, to hear a call, to question our comfortable surroundings, to value the poor, renew society, care for creation and live honorably, the cardinal said in a letter to Catholics of the Philippines. The country hosted visits by Pope Paul VI in 1970 and St. John Paul II in 1981 and 1995. The Popes visit in 1970 mysteriously opened for me a door into the mystery and mission of the Church, he said. Tagle was 13 years old at the time of the visit. At one point, seeking to see the Pope, he was surrounded by thronging crowds of faithful. I stretched my neck and focused my eyes in order to see him as the car in which he was riding passed in front of us. The Popes serene gaze and attitude amazed me. That image never left my mind, he reected. Eighteen years later in 1985, I regis- tered at the Catholic University of Amer- ica to study theology, he said. I never imagined in 1970 that one day I would travel inside the mind, heart and soul of this great Pope, who led the renewal of the Church in the modern world! Tagle, who left for Rome last Sept. 28, hand-carried a letter from about a thousand street children in Metro Manila who expressed the hope Pope Francis can spend some time with them when he visits the country, according to the Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation (ANAK-Tnk), a nonprot organization which has been helping neglected, battered and abused children. Manila Archbishop Cardinal Tagle with Pope Francis October 1-15, 2014 7 October 1-15, 2014 88 Nation marks Filipino American Heritage Month SAN FRANCISCO. A series of special events mark the cel- ebration of Filipino American Heritage Month in October. The world-renown Ballet Philippines is on a North Amer- ica tour to help highlight the spe- cial period and in Alameda, Cali- fornia, ofcials are naming new streets in honor of Fil-Am heroes Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz. A third street was named Bohol Lane. The citys development board invited residents to help name the streets of the Alam- eda Landing development. They were asked for names that would honor gures from the citys diverse communities. The Filipino American His- tory Month was established by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) in 1988 and is widely celebrated in large Fil-Am enclaves particu- larly in California and Hawaii. It was rst recognized in 2006 in California. In November 2009, the United States Congress passed a resolution setting aside the month of October as Filipino American History Month. On October 18, 1587, the rst Filipinos (Luzonians) arrived in Morro Bay, California aboard the Manila-built galleon ship Nuestra Senora de Esperanza under the command of Spanish Captain Pedro de Unamuno. In 1720, Gaspar Molina, a Filipino from Pampanga prov- ince, supervised the construction of the El Triunfo de la Cruz, the rst ship built in California. But it was not in 1763 when the rst Filipino settlement was estab- lished in North America near Barataria Bay in southern Loui- siana. But among the most cel- ebrated highlights of Filipino American history is Sept. 8, 1965 when 1,500 Filipino farm work- ers in Delano, California walked off their jobs, marking the start of the Delano Strike of 1965 thats been described as perhaps the most signicant labor action in American agricultural history. It was the strike that led to the formation of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO; and led to sweeping changes in US farm labor laws, resulting in the formation of the rst national political organization of Filipi- nos in the US. Archive photo of Manilatown in Louisiana October 1-15, 2014 9 PNP chief probed for White House spending, wealth MANILA. Senators were aghast by revelations at a public order panel hearing on the wealthy friends and personal nances of the countrys top cop, whos been accused of graft and plunder before the Ombudsman. Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, grilled Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima on private dona- tions amounting at least P11 mil- lion for refurbishing the police chiefs ofcial residence, dubbed the White House in Camp Crame. Poe said the donations made by Purisimas alleged pals Carlos Gonzales of ULTICON Build- ers, lawyer Alexander Lopez of Pacic Concrete Corporation and Christopher Pastrana of CAPP Industries was ostensibly turned over last December but the absolute deed of donation was only made last September 3. Purisima explained the donors, whom he identied as friends, wanted to stay anony- mous but was convinced to sign the deed of donation after it was questioned in press reports. Poe has asked for copies of Purisimas statement of assets and liabilities (SALN). Poe has asked Purisima to go on leave pending the congres- sional investigation. Purisima served as one of then President Corazon Aqui- nos aide-de-camp, and later re- assigned as a police bodyguard to her only son, who would later become president too. When the Civil Service Commission nally released Purisimas 2013 SALN, they tried to blame the delay on a mix up with the SALNs of rank-and-le police ofcers. But Poe observed that the police chiefs SALN lacked crucial details. For instance, the police chief listed businesses in Caba- natuan City, Nueva Ecija but gave no details. These reportedly included a four-hectare poultry equipped with the latest farm machinery worth millions that was registered in the name of his son Rainier Purisima. Actress moms murder re-ignites death penalty debate MANILA. The police and the National Bureau of Inves- tigation (NBI) are mounting a parallel effort to bring the killers of the mother of popular actress Cherry Pie Picache. The murder has focused attention on the worsening crime and re-ignited the debate to restore capital punishment in the country. Picaches 75-year-old mother Zenaida Sison was stabbed dead inside her house in Quezon City at the height of a powerful storm last Sept. 19. Peter Serrano, Picaches friend, said the actress decided to go to her mothers house after she could not reach her through her mobile phone. Sison lived alone. She had three cleaning ladies who alter- nately visited her house. She also employed a gardener. Serrano added that Sison was well-known in her village, which made it easier for her to live alone. Police suspect robbery was the motive. Special Investigator Joey Ajero of the NBI-Death Investi- gation Division said the agency would focus on how the killers got into the victims house and how they ed from the scene. No human being deserved to be violated that way, Pecache said of the fate of her mother. Sisons body was cremated on Sept. 24 after two of her children nally arrived from the United States. Im angry; the whole family feels the same. We demand answers to a lot of questions, Picache said. Senator Vicente Sotto III has led a bill that would restore the death penalty for high-prole murder, kidnapping for ransom, drug trafcking and other hei- nous crimes. Sen. Grace Poe grills PNP chief Alan Purisima over his personal nances and donations given by wealthy friends Actress Cherie Pie Picache is using mothers murder to call for tougher govt stand against crime October 1-15, 2014 10 10 Protests hound P-Noy from Boston to San Francisco WASHINGTON D.C. Presi- dent Aquinos latest visit to the United States drew hecklers and, on the way home, sparked another controversy that prompted Malacaang to issue last Sept. 28 a statement counter- ing accusations he deliberately snubbed a Filipino community in California. He was already there and he had time to visit a gun store to satisfy his hobby. Hes able to satisfy his stomach by going into In N Out but the community was never given any sense to be with the president, Dr. Orlando Cagampan of Los Angeles said. A known gun enthusiast, the President also visited Pen- insula Guns and Tactical in San Bruno, which is located less than 10 minutes away from San Fran- cisco International Airport, and bought some gun accessories. LA (Los Angeles) was not in the itinerary from the start, Communications Secretary Her- minio Coloma Jr. said in an inter- view with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He added that Aquino spent most of his short time in San Francisco meeting with busi- ness leaders. During the short period of time his plane was in San Fran- cisco, the President met with leaders of two multinational companies on entertainment and banking who expressed inter- est in investing or expanding their current participation in the robust economy of our country, Coloma explained. The Filipino American Com- munity of Los Angeles (FACLA) told ABS-CBNs Balitang Amer- ica that they have long been trying to invite the President to their FACLA Hall, which was one of the last places his father, the late Senator Benigno Ninoy Aquino Jr., visited before he was assassinated. But Coloma said he was not aware of any plan for Aquino to visit Los Angeles. We ask for their under- standing. The Presidents itiner- ary was quite hectic: 94 events in 11 days in 7 cities across con- tinents and time zones, Coloma explained. Upon Aquinos return to the Philippines after his 12-day visit to Europe and the United States, he said he was able to secure $2.3 billion in pledged investments. During his speech, he said the highlight of his trip was meet- ing Filipinos living and working abroad and telling them about the improvements at home. PH-US defense pact on hold due to court challenge MANILA. Talks to esh out a defense cooperation pact between the Philippines and United States is report- edly stalled because of legal challenges thrown by militant groups, fearful it could pave the way for the return of US military bases in the country. The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) was signed on the eve of Presi- dent Obamas visit to the Philip- pines last April. The accord would grant US forces access to Philippine mili- tary installations as well as pre- position equipment and supplies across the country. The territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea and the urgent need to modernize and upgrade the Philippine mili- tarys external defense capabili- ties have convinced the admin- istration of President Aquino to welcome back US forces. But ofcials from both sides revealed that talks to iron out implementing rules for the EDCA have ground to a halt because of a legal challenge lodged with the Philippine Supreme Court. Filipino ofcials are report- edly condent the suit would eventually be dismissed citing previous examples where the Supreme Court sided with the executive branch in matters of defense and foreign policy although they concede the pro- cess could take years. A spokesman for the Supreme Court said that the case, led in May, was still pend- ing, and that the court has yet to decide when it would even open the hearing. The plaintiffs, a group of 12 academics, activists, lawyers and ex-lawmakers, likened the US-Philippine alliance to an unequal and exploitative love affair, and argued that the new agreement violated the countrys constitution because it had not been approved by the Senate. The government maintains that it doesnt require the Sen- ates approval because rota- tional deployments are permit- ted under a pre-existing Visiting Forces Agreement. An American government ofcial, who also asked not to be named, conrmed that the two sides had been forced to suspend discussions out of respect for the continuing judicial process. President Aquino visits the Boston house where the Aquinos lived in the US Brown pushes immigration reforms in California SAN FRANCISCO. California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law three immigration reform bills that would aid undocumented students and allow pro- fessionals in the country without papers to apply for licenses to work as doctors, dentists and nurses. The rst bill establishes a State Dream Loan Program that will provide $9.2 mil- lion for state public universities to admin- ister loans to undocumented students. This is expected to give a much-needed boost to undocumented students who cant get nancial assistance or private loans because of their immigration status. Another bill signed by Brown, Senate Bill 1159, will allow undocumented immi- grants to apply for professional state licenses to work as doctors, dentists, nurses and in other professions. Brown also signed legislation allocat- ing $3 million for non-prot organizations to legally represent minors in their depor- tation cases. The legislation is a response to the surge in the number of unaccompa- nied Central American children arriving on the US-Mexico border. I think Gov. Brown has been an active participant as it relates to taking leadership on immigrant issues in the state, said Ronald Coleman of the Cali- fornia Immigrant Policy Center. [Immigration] advocates and the governor havent always agreed but I think the governor has always shown good intent to make sure we can do the right things to meet the needs of our state residents, Coleman added. In 2011, Brown signed the California Dream Act into law, allowing undocu- mented children brought into the U.S. under the age of 16 to apply for student nancial aid. Last year, Brown also approved a controversial bill that will grant drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants. Opponents say these new laws will attract more immigrants to unlaw- fully cross the border and use California resources. Filipino and US soldiers exchange notes California Gov. Jerry Brown October 1-15, 2014 11 PH waits for list of arsenal as MILF begins disarming MANILA. The difcult pro- cess of disarming Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels after a decades-long insur- gency has started, negotiators announced in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia last Sept. 28. Negotiators from the Philip- pine government and the MILF continue to discuss and map out the disarmament process thats seen as key to ending the insur- gency in Mindanao and enforc- ing a peace agreement signed by the two sides in March. They have appointed experts from Brunei, Turkey and Norway to join an inde- pendent body that will oversee the decommissioning process, together with four local experts who are yet to be nominated. Decommissioning is a deli- cate and difcult component of any peace settlement. It must be done effectively and sensi- tively, chief government negoti- ator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said in a statement. Chief MILF negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said earlier that 75 assorted rearms, including high-powered ries, would be stored and padlocked in a ware- house as part of the normaliza- tion process that will see the rebels trade their weapons for a chance to join mainstream soci- ety. Ferrer had said that the rst order of business for the meeting would be for the MILF to submit a list of weapons and combatants. Military estimates place the strength of the MILF at 10,000. The group has not disclosed the size of its force or the number of weapons in its arsenal. Decommissioning will be phased, depending on the deliv- ery of government commitments under the peace deal, Iqbal explained. Iqbal issued a statement in Davao City giving assurance that the establishment of the new autonomous region would not only end the conict in Mind- anao but also make the Philip- pines whole. It will spur development, as it will become an economic hub in an area adjacent to Malay- sia, Indonesia and Brunei. With peace that the Bangsamoro will bring, there will be more invest- ments, more jobs, more educa- tion and more opportunities not just for the Bangsamoro but the whole country as well, he stressed. Mommy Ds boyfriend welcome in Pacquiao clan MANILA. Looks like Michael Yamson, Mommy Dio- nesia Pacquiaos 38-year-old boyfriend is now almost family. He attended a Pacquiao family occasion for the rst time during the dedication ceremony for the youngest child of People Champ and Sarangani Con- gressman Manny Pacquiao last Sept. 28 in General Santos City. Mommy Dionesia is of course the 65-year-old mother of the worlds only eight-class boxing champion. She ew to Iloilo earlier to pay her last respects to her boy- friends mother, who died late last month. More fondly called Mommy D, she was welcomed by residents in Estancia but went straight to Yamsons house to view the remains of his mother Melinda. She said she was thank- ful that the Yamson family had accepted her as Michaels girl- friend, despite their 20-year age gap. He insisted its love. When Mommy D announced her blooming rela- tionship with the seaman last month, she and her beau got swamped with criticism. Some people were blunt and disparag- ing in their disapproval, saying there could be no other motive than nancial gain for Yamson. In the TV interview, Yamson admitted being hurt by negative comments but vowed to prove critics wrong. They met on Valentines Day Feb. 14 at a karaoke bar in General Santos City where the ship Yamson was serving on was on a lay-over. I found myself staring at her singing. When it was my turn to sing I saw her applauding. I mustered the cour- age to approach her bodyguard and ask to have a picture with her, he recounted in one inter- view on they met. The ceremony was attended by around 200 guests, includ- ing Pacquiaos teammates in the Philippine Basketball Associa- tion (PBA). Boxing champion Manny Pacquiaos 65-year-old Mommy Dionisia has found a new love MILF rebels celebrate after learning of peace accord with the government October 1-15, 2014 12 12 SC res graft court justice for pork scam links MANILA. The Supreme Court sacked kast Sept. 23 a top member of the graft courts bench for his alleged links to accused pork barrel scam mas- termind Janet Lim Napoles. Voting 8-5, with 2 absten- tions, the high tribunal ordered the dismissal from service of Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong, nding him guilty of gross misconduct, dishon- esty, and impropriety under the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary. Ong, 61, became the rst Sandiganbayan justice to be dis- missed from the service since the court was created in 1978. The administrative com- plaint against Ong stemmed from his alleged links to Napoles. Pork barrel scam whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Marina Sula testied in a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing last year that Ong is Napoles contact in the anti-graft court and allegedly received money from Napoles in exchange for favorable rulings in her cases. Ong is the chairman of the anti-graft courts Fourth Divi- sion, which acquitted Napoles in 2010 in the questionable pur- chase of Kevlar helmets by the Philippine Marines. The high court ordered Ong investigated and designated retired SC Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez to conduct the probe. Ong reportedly received an undetermined amount of money from Napoles prior to the promulgation of the deci- sion in the Kevlar case. He also allegedly visited Napoles in her ofce where she handed to him 11 checks, each amounting to P282,000 or over P3.1 million, as advanced interest for his P25.5 million BDO check she deposited in her personal account. Ong was also spotted in some of Napoles parties and was even photographed with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, whos been charged for his role in the scam. When the Supreme Court con- fronted him with the allegations, he denied partying with Napoles and did not mention the visits to her ofce. The high court adopted Gutierrezs ndings, stressing that only substantial evidence is required in administrative pro- ceedings. The high court ruled that Ongs act of voluntarily meet- ing with Napoles at her ofce on two occasions was grossly improper and violated the New Code of Judicial Conduct. The high tribunal added that Ong was not a rst-time offender and no longer t to remain as a magistrate of the special graft court. In 2010, he was ned P15,000 for conduct unbecoming for holding separate hearings for a Davao City case. PH, US war games in Palawan, Zambales MANILA. Some 4,000 troops from both the Philip- pine and United States navies are taking part in a two-week amphibious warfare exercise off Palawan near the disputed Spratly Islands. The Philippine Amphibi- ous Landing Exercise (Phiblex) will be joined by 3,000 sailors from the US Navy and over 1,000 Filipinos sailors and Marines, according to spokesman Lt. Jerber Anthony Belonio. The 11-day war games is being held in Palawan, the Philippine province closest to the Spratly Islands thats being claimed in part or wholly by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei, as well as the old American mili- tary facilities in Subic and Clark. The USS Peleliu, a Tarawa- class amphibious assault ship, and the USS Germantown, a Whidbley-class dock land- ing ship are spearheading the US force. The guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey also sailed into Subic on a routine port call. Were hoping to gain new techniques from the US Marine Corps, said Captain Reyson Talingdan, head of the public affairs of the Philippines 3rd Marine Brigade in Palawan. The US Embassy in Manila said, the eld training exercises will provide the Philippines and US marine units multiple oppor- tunities to continue to improve their skills while sharing best practices and enhancing an already high level of cohesion. Live re exercises will be held at Crow Valley in Tarlac fol- lowed by mock raids at Arrecife Island in Palawan. Mechanized assault exercises will be held in Zambales, the province closest to Scarborough Shoal that has been virtually annexed by China. China has expanded its ter- ritory in the Gaven, Johnson South, Cuarteron and Chigua reefs in the Spratlys, reclaiming land to build islands to assert its claims. The Philippines has moni- tored the presence of more than 120 Chinese warships and sh- ing boats in the Spratlys in the rst half of 2014. Former Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong Filipino and US commandos aboard zodiac as one of the Phil. Navy ships acquired from the US looms in back- ground October 1-15, 2014 13 If youd like to include your organizations event, please send your information to Maurese Oteyza Owens at mpapoose@aol.com Oct 3 (Friday) 4:00pm -10:00pm Bicol Association of Metropolitan Washington DCs Summer Hawaiian Luau Tiki Jam Session.Lincolnia Recre- ation Center. 4710 N.Chambliss St, Alexandria VA 22312. Tel 703-914-0223. Hawaiian cos- tumes, dancing, food and fel- lowship. Free parking. $25 (childrens rate available). Con- tact: Pam Belmes at 240-401-8020 or p_belmes@yahoo.com. Write check to BAMWDC and mail to BAMWDC, 17 Shipwright Ct. Gaithersburg MD 20877 Oct 4 (Saturday) 2:00- 4:00pm. Archdiocese of North- ern Virginia Grace Before Meals with Fr. Leo Pataling- hug. St. John Neumann Catho- lic Church 11900 Lawyers Rd. Reston, Va. Fr. Leo will have several events throughout the day, including his most popular Youth/Young Adult presenta- tion on Spiritual Combat for ages 12-25, which is *free* and on a rst-come, rst-serve basis, and a Grace before Meals pre- sentation in the evening, which is open to all throughon- line pre-registration. Pur- chase the rst ticket @ $30, up to 4 additional tickets are only $15.00. For additional info and registration:filipinoministry@ catholicweb.com Oct 4 (Sat) Philippine Nurses Assn of MDC Educa- tionalConference Light the Fire Within Part 2: Empower- ment and Engagement through Policy, Collaboration and Prac- tice. Springhill Suite, Alexan- dria, VA. Contact: Joy Arellano -mjarellano19@yahoo.com Oct 4 (Sat) ANCOP Annual Golf Invitation, Putt Out Poverty,Waverly Woods Golf Club, 2100 Warwick Way, Mari- ottsville, MD 21104. Registration $110. Tournament fees include: Donation to help a childs educa- tion, Green Fees, Cart, Food and drinks. Contact: Dan Delanoche 410-661-1351. Oct 4 (Sat) 1 pm - 7 pm. Tutubi Music and Art Festi- val. Buy, sell and have fun with a variety of bands and artists per- forming.Live painting, exhibits, childrens art. Vendors selling Christmas gifts like books, crafts. Musicians selling used instru- ments. Filipino American Multi Cultural Center, 7500 Livings- ton Rd, Oxon Hill, MD. Vendors donate 10% of sales to Multi-cul- tural Center. Donations welcome from attendees. Contact: Julian Oteyza at julianoteyza@gmail. com Oct 18 (Saturday) UP Alumni Association DCMDVA 40th (Ruby) Gala Ball, Tysons Corner Marriott, 8028 Leesburg Pike, Tysons Corner, VA. Con- tact: Liza Virata-Theimer at liza- virata@yahoo.com Oct 18 (Saturday) 6-11 pm. Mayon Global Founda- tion, Inc. Annual Dinner Dance Gala (Board of Trustees Induc- tion), Hilton Hotel Gaithers- burg, 620 Perry Parkway, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Con- tact: Danny & Nelly Orio at e mail:daniloorino@aol.com or (301) 332-3999 Oct 18 (Saturday) All Saints Filipino-American Ministry Cul- tural Show. 9300 Stonewall Rd., Manassas, VA. Contact: Rose Ann 703-909-6454 Oct 18 (Saturday) 7:30pm. Monthly Filipino Mass. St. Bernadettes Catho- lic Church, 7600 Old Keene Mill Road, Springeld, VA 22152. Mass Sponsor:. Sponsored by Filipino Ministry of Northern Virginia in cooperation w/ the Diocese of Arlington, Ofce of Multicultural Ministries Oct. 25 (Saturday) 7:30pm Habi: Ang Makulay na Tunog at Tinig Pilipino, a Tang- halang Pilipino cultural pre- sentation. American University Kay Center, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Washington, D.C. Contact: Elvi Bangit, elvibangit@ gmail.com,Tel. 703-981-9163. Oct 25 (Saturday) 10:00am Birhen ng Anti- polo, USA, Inc. Devotional Mass. Basilica of the National Shrine, 400 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20017 tel (202) 526-8300. Contact:bnantipolo@ gmail.com Oct 25 (Satur- day) 7:45a.m OLGC Filipino Catholic Ministry Trip to Atlan- tic City. Meeting Place is Navy Federal Credit Union at 820 Follin Lane SE, Vienna, VA 22180. Destination: Caesars Atlantic City Hotel and Casino. $45/passenger (include $20 play money,snacks,tips). Check pay- able to Filipino Catholic Minis- try, c/o Chiqui Sanchez, 1106 Jackson Court, Falls Church, VA 22046. Checks must be received by Oct. 17. Contact: Chiqui 571- 499-8277. Nov 1 (Saturday) Medical Mission of Mercy USA Gala Fundraising. Hilton Aexandria Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria , VA 22311. Proceeds are earmarked for a medical mission to Urdaneta, Pangasinan, on January 26-30, 2015 and to a mini mission in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, February 2-3, 2015 . Contact: Yolly Arza- don, 703 750 3768/ 703 623 7782 Nov 15 (Satur- day) Bicol Association 31st Sarung Banggi Dinner and Dance. New Fortune Res- taurant, 16515 S Frederick Ave,Gaithersburg, MD 20877. $55. Contact: Pam Belmes 240- 401-8020 or p_belmmes@yahoo. com. Attire: Semi-formal. Nov 15 (Saturday) 2014 Feed the Hungrys Handog, Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel, Alexandria, VA. $75 per person. Dinner, dancing, fun for a worth- while cause. Contact: Lyta Sese 301.229.1232 October 1-15, 2014 14 14 Pinoy convicted for conspiring to ght for Al-Qaeda LOS ANGELES. A Califor- nia court found on Sept. 25 an American and a Filipino guilty of plotting to aid jihadists abroad and kill American soldiers. A jury convicted Sohiel Omar Kabir, 36, a naturalized US citizen, and Filipino Ralph Deleon, 25, after a six-week trial that comes as the United States leads air strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic militants. Ofcials said the trial underlined the threat that home- grown extremists pose to the United States. But in Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs expressed disappointment with the verdict. They promised to provide legal assistance to Deleon and support to his family. Deleon was specically found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to Al- Qaeda, to receive military-type training from the group and to commit murder, kidnapping, or maiming overseas. This case shows that the appeal of extremist ideologies can reach from Afghanistan to America, said United States Attorney Stephanie Yonekura after the trial in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles. This demonstrated the clear need for continued vigi- lance in rooting out homegrown violent extremists who plot ter- rorist acts both here and abroad. Two co-conspirators: Miguel Alejandro Santana Vid- riales and Arifeen David Gojali had already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The trial heard evidence that Kabir travelled to Afghanistan in 2012 and encouraged Santana and Deleon to come with him, saying they would all join the students (Taliban) and the pro- fessors (Al-Qaeda). An undercover FBI agent contacted Santana and Deleon. The latter said he wanted to go abroad to wage violent jihad, while Santana said he wanted to be a sniper. In September 2012, Deleon and Santana recruited Gojali to accompany them to Afghanistan. The three undertook pre- liminary training in southern California at rearms and paint- ball facilities. They were arrested in November that same year as they prepared to drive south to Mexico, where they planned to kick off their journey to Afghani- stan. FBI Los Angeles agent Bill Lewis said: The threat posed to Americas security by individu- als within the United States who support terrorists is very real. Judge Virginia A. Phillips will hand down sentences on February 23. Groups boost voter registration for midterms WASHINGTON D.C. The National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) was held across the country last Sept. 23 to help mobilize higher voter participa- tion, especially among minority groups, in the November mid- term elections. The NVRD has been held every fourth Tuesday of Septem- ber since it was launched in 2011. The main idea was to try to do for civic engagement what Earth Day did for the environ- ment, and really create one posi- tive, fun, exciting day where everybody could plug in, in whatever way was easiest for them, says Jessica Reeves, the vice president of partnerships at Voto Latino, one of the collabo- rating organizations. The initiative has registered voters in every state, the high- est numbers in California, New York, Illinois, and Texas. Over 235,000 of the registra- tions took place online (which is available in 22 states), and the rest at eld events and through the mail. It started back in 2011, according to Matt Singer, the executive director of the Bus Federation Civic Fund, which mobilizes a network of grass- roots organizations to participate in leadership development and other civic programs like NVRD. Matt Singer, executive direc- tor of the Bus Federation Civic Fund and one of the founding members of the NVRD, said he was alarmed by 2008 US Census data indicating that about 6 mil- lion people hadnt cast a ballot because they didnt know how to register to vote or had missed a registration deadline. And, he thought, the central importance of voting to democ- racy was in danger of falling out of the public consciousness. The core idea of voting, which is central to what it means to be American, has been caught up in partisan squabbles rather than a celebration of this right that people have fought and died for, says Singer. We wanted to bring back this idea of voting as being cen- trally American. He adds that recent research shows that voter regis- tration drives do lead to a mea- surable increase in voter turnout. In its rst year, the initia- tive recruited over 1,200 partner organizations to host voter reg- istration events, and today has over 1,800. Partners include well- known organizations like Rock the Vote, as well as a host of local institutions like churches and food banks. The day has been declared ofcial by the National Association of Secretaries of State. Ralph Deleon October 1-15, 2014 15 October 1-15, 2014 16 16 News in Pictures The Asian Festival in Maryland All photos by Bing C. Branigin The Gigantes gure at the Philippine Village of the Asian Festival was con- ceptualized by Presy Guevarra and his wife Dulce, John Mendoza, Lito and Eric Baisas and Ponching and Ana de Jesus was on e of the attractions at Rosecroft. Posing in front are, from left,k Bing Branigin, Assistant Executive Director, Asian Festival; Miss April Talanghari, artist/model from Philadel- phia; Mya Grossman, President, PAFC, and Eileen Nadal, Chairman, Phil- ippine Village, Asian Festival. Owners of Filipino American restaurants and catering services who partici- pated in the Asian Festival pose for picture after the two-day event in Mary- land. They are Merlyn Eda of Northstar and her staff, Luming of Luming Restaurant and Catering Services and staff, Manila Street Foods, and Tam- pakan Philippine Market. Members of the George Mason University-Filipino Cultural Association who volunteered to help in the 11th Annual Asian festival last month pose for picture. They are, from left, Nikko Dizon, JC Videna, Harold Flores, Melissa Mandac,Bing Branigin, Geny Flores, Alex Wong, Kevin Viray, Nathan Tsuda, Michael Rodgers, Elaine Mangulab- nan and Bing Branigin, Assistant Executive Director of the AF. L to R: Consul General Emil Fer- nandez, Jay-Jay Reed, Asian Fes- tival program emcee, Miss Dianne Cho, Anchorwoman, WJLA7, and Fil/Irish/American, ofcial guest mistress of ceremonies at the Asian Festival, and Mr. Sonny Busa, Chair- man of the board, PAFC., posed for a picture at the ofcial start of the 11th Annual Asian Festival, last September 13, Rosecroft Raceway, Maryland. Amb. Jose L. Cuisia (1st row, center) visited the tent of the YFAMD Cultural group from Virginia Beach, during the Festival. The YFAMD is one of the best cultural Filipino American group from the DMV/Hampton Roads area and a regular performer at the Asian Festival. Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia buys food from the Northstar Restaurant booth led by Merlyn Eda. 11th Annual Asian Festival Philippine Village was the favorite area of festival visitors. The annual two-day free event was held last September 13 to 14, Racecroft Raceway, Fort Washington, Maryland. October 1-15, 2014 17 Around DC in Pictures The La Salle Philippines Alumni Association celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a Dinner DanceBente Berde, held last September 13, 2014 at the Crystal City Marriott Hotel in Arlington, VA. It was an event lled with joy, nostalgia, and pride for its accomplishments in the last two decades. The celebration was led by Leony Gimeno, president, and featured premier La Sallite Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia. From left are Tito Alisuag, Gogi Goduco, Butch Cascarro, Aimee Cascarro, Mrs. Vicky Cuisia, Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Jay de Castro, Icelle de Castro, Leony Gimeno, Elmer Rosario, Gregg Angeles, Yasmin Angeles, Rowena Penaranda, Ariel Penaranda, Mayette Velilla Recent Washington D.C. visitors former Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Willie and Mrs. Linda Gaa were recently eted with a belated birthday dinner at Bistro 7101 in Crystal City. From left are Ambassador Gaa, Manila Mail columnist Becky M. Pagsibigan, Mrs. Gaa, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and Pat E. Pagsibigan. The Asian American Studies Program Scholarship Awards Night at the Uni- versity of Maryland College Park was held Sept. 10 at the uMCP Stamp Building. Recipients of the AAST were announced by the Scholarship Com- mittee last September 10 at the Prince Georges Room, Stamp Building, UMCP. Recipients are Andrew Mayton, Sharvani Naik, Ryan Scott, Mokhyun Kim, Joel Vasquez, Karie Cheung, and Michelle Nguyen. With them are Ret. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba, Bing Cardenas Branigin, and Mencie Hairnston, members of the AASST-UMCP Scholarship Selection committee. Nya and Joy Gotidoc of Falls Church, Va. commemorated the 40th death anniversary of their mother, Corazon Gotidoc of Mabalacat, Pampanga on September 15. Joining them to celebrate her life were family and friends, including grand nieces and nephews (standing from left) Jean Manalansan, Andrea Santos, Aubade Garcia, Michaela Tindugan, Angelica Reyes, (seated from left) Adrian Reyes, Benedict Santos and Travis Villanova. Fondly called Auntie Cora, she lived in the Washington DC area for more than 20 years before returning to the Philippines last year. (photo by Jon Melegrito) Washington DCs phenomenal performance in the 27th NABA Inter-City Basketball Tournament held recently in Glendale Heights in Chicago, Illinois showcased the higher level of basketball Washington DC teams have evolved into. The Back to Back champions are the Seniors with James Toling as head coach (top left) and the Damsels with Bryant Brown and Norman Carlos as head and assistant coach, respectively (top right). The other winners are the Juvenile with Aldrin Jose as head coach and the Mosquito with Russell Casapao and Phil Tanedo as head and assistant coach, respectively. GLOREHES guests sing happy birthday to Atty. Miriam B. Riedmiller in Alexandria, Virginia Sept. 17. Shown from left are Marvin Santos, Angelyn Tugado Marzan, Kevin Montgomery, Mrs. Avelina Bustamante, the celebrant, Ben Humphrey; 2nd row: Mrs. and Mr. Huff, Mrs. Faye Hauer, Ann Shack, Mrs. Aida Bacarra, former Alexandria Vice Mayor and Untouchables awardee, Mr. Bill Cleveland, Radio broadcaster, Scott Carter, Danny Barizo, Aida and Malcolm Peck, Boots Felixberto, Michael Rosyln and Peter Philippi, Dr. Abe Bacarra, Shalini Gali, and Roman Corpuz. October 1-15, 2014 18 18 Action star faces raps for abandoning son MANILA. Action star Derek Ramsays attempt to settle with his estranged wife and mother of his 11-year-old son collapsed after both sides found the rift too wide. Mary Christine Jolly-Ram- say, a former model and nursing student from the United Arab Emirates, surfaced last month to reveal her past relationship with Ramsay and demand alimony for their son. They were report- edly married in 2002. Jolly has also sued Ramsay for violation of the countrys violence against women and children law. She bewailed press reports emanating from her former husband. He doesnt seem to understand his obliga- tions under the law, making it appear that its extortion, said Jollys counsel Argee Guevarra. I think its one perfect example in evidence of the eco- nomic abuse in what hes parad- ing as a settlement, he added. Any hope for a settlement was dashed, Guevarra said, when Ramsay expressed doubt that an afdavit submitted by his son last Sept. 18 was genu- ine. The statement purportedly shows the sons resentment after Ramsay allegedly abandoned him and his mother. Ramsays counsel Joji Alonso said they were ready to push through with a trust fund for his son but backed out. Prior to the preparation of the pro- posal, certain statements were relayed to us regarding the inter- pretation of the trust fund, which is why we resolved not to pursue it anymore, Alonso added. They will be presenting instead additional witnesses. Both sides were given until Oct. 13 to submit the additional state- ments. Legend gives Pinoy audience the best ever performance MANILA. Filipinos were regaled by Grammy award-win- ning John Legend at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, telling them I wanna be the best youll ever have in a one-and-a-half-hour long concert last Sept. 26. He did not disappoint his fans during the Manila leg of his All of Me Tour, which was billed as an intimate, acoustic, stripped down concert. Manila, I wanna be the best youll ever have, John told his screaming fans before he turned to the piano to perform Tonight (Best You Ever Had). There was no big produc- tion numbers or need for danc- ers, just his piano and band and his amazing voice. I miss you Manila! Its good to be back in Manila. It has been ve years. I wanna get more intimate with you tonight to get to know you better, said John, who rst visited Manila in 2009 for his Revolver tour. He took everyone down the memory lane as he shared sto- ries about the early years of his career, working on a corporate day job while doing nightly gigs. He paid homage to Kanye West who helped him and recalled his collaborations with artists like Lauryn Hill (in 1998), Jay-Z and Alicia Keys (in 2003), before he nally signed a record deal in 2004 and released the album Get Lifted. The 35-year-old singer also paid tribute to his grandmother and shared how she inuenced him with gospel music and taught him how to play the piano. Curtis US indie movie coming out October MANILA. Actress Anne Curtis is excited for the forth- coming release of her rst American indie lm, Blood Ransom. Something to look for- ward to next month! she wrote on her Facebook page. Curtis, who is part Austra- lian, plays the character Crys- tal, the girlfriend of Roman (Alexander Dreymon, whose credits include appearances in cult-favorite American Horror Story) whos kidnapped by Jeremiah (played by Caleb Hunt). As the plan unravels, Roman sends a psychopathic hitman after them. Crystal and Jeremiah tread the dangerous path of love on the run. I actually auditioned to get this part and got to experi- ence lming in the States! So excited to see how it turned out! Yaaaaahoooooo! Blood Ransom will be coming to cinemas in the Philippines on October 29 and October 31 in North Amer- ica, Curtis gushed. The movie is directed by Filipino-American Francis dela Torre, who was also behind the 2011 movie Subject: I love you that starred Jericho Rosales. The movie was shot in 2012 and was scheduled to be shown in 2013, but the release date was delayed. Mary Christine Jolly Ramsay John Legend Anne Curtis October 1-15, 2014 19 Lola Naty Turns 100! By Lealani Mae Acosta, MD FAIRFAX, Virginia. Cel- ebrating a century of faithful discipleship and devotion to Our Lord and Our Lady, Natividad Veneracion Yanez has always had service to others close to her heart. Growing up in Bulacan, outside metropolitan Manila, she made the move to the city in order to pursue her medical studies at the University of Santo Tomas, an unusual career move for a young woman in those days. She chose to study obstetrics and gynecology because of the thrill of participating in the birth of babies, which in those days often entailed not only being in the hospital but calling in on the mothers for home deliveries. She served the poor generously often giving them free medical care and free medications. In one of the parties she attended, she met a handsome young attorney named Pedro Yanez. Initially she thought it was a joke when he invited her to his birthday party, the date of which happened to coincide with her own. In fact, the two actually shared the exact same birthday! After getting married on Valentines Day during Second World War, the happy couple settled into their lives together, she with her thriving obstetrics and gynecology practice and he with his legal career. During her clinic work, she unfortunately suffered a series of misfortunes revolving on anti-rabies treat- ment after being bitten by a stray cat, rendering Natividad a para- plegic in her late 30s. Undaunted, she remained as active as ever, transitioning her medical career into that of family practice, stay- ing involved in the raising of her six children. She spent most of her life in the Philippines, practicing medi- cine until she was physically no longer able to do so. It was only after her husbands death that she was persuaded to move to the United States for better care. She moved in with her daugh- ter (this author) at the age of 91. Though she nds the cold of the East Coast winter less appealing than the warm tropics of the Phil- ippines, she has embraced her new life in Virginia. She enjoys spending her days watching EWTN and praying the rosary, the beads of which are often found intertwined in her hands. Fil-Ams in Glorehe soiree in Alexandria ALEXANDRIA, Va. An ice cream social plus soiree was here last Sept. 17 by GLOREHE, a public relations and public- ity company, to promote child/ youth resiliency initiatives and diversity programs for Filipino Americans. Alexandria Mayor William Euille and Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg welcomed the diverse and multi-cultural mix of guests led by Fil-Am business and media leaders. Fil-Am GLOREHE Man- aging Director Atty. Miriam B. Riedmiller and Director/Child and Youth Expert, Kevin D. Montgomery, treated guests to Filipino food at the Commu- nity Cafe lounge that included Magnolia ice cream supplied by Ramar Foods, Sans Rival cake gifted by Master Chef Evelyn Bunoan and husband Oscar, and Lechon given by Mrs. Baltazar to symbolize celebration of unity. The public service event spotlighted on Fil-Am talents to break ground for mentoring resiliency and diversity pro- grams. GLOREHE seeks to empower minorities. GLORE- HEs signature projects include humanitarian and education- based marketing for clients. It acknowledged Fil-Ams humani- tarian initiatives and Filipino resiliency. It executed these pro- grams through the Philippine Humanitarian Coalition (PHC)/ Finance and Fundraiser Commit- tee (PHC/PFC), with the help of volunteers from various sectors. Guests congratulated GLO- REHE Managing Director Ried- miller who presented her groups initiatives on mentoring, resil- iency and diversity, as platforms for PR and publicity in order to bring economic advancement for communities, including Filipino Americans. Among FilAm leaders pres- ent were PAFC Chair Sonny Busa, Malcolm Peck of Meridian International Center, and wife Aida, Dr. Abe and Mrs. Bacarra, Radio Broadcaster, Scott Carter, Journalists Jennie Ilustre, Eric Lachica and Boots Felixberto, Shalini Gali, Roman Corpuz, RJ Diokno and wife, Young Soon, George Cabalu, djo Gonzalez and wife Hermie, Jon Cabrera and others. Febe Antolin Rumingan, 84 ARLINGTON, Virginia. Febe Antolin Rumingan passed away on September 20, 2014. She was 84. She was laid to rest on September 24 at Columbia Gardens in Arlington, Virginia. A memorial service took place earlier in the day at Mur- phys Funeral Home in which the Rumingan clan, some of them travelling from Norfolk and Canada, as well as friends, came to pay their last respects. US Army Capt. Wilfredo Rumingan was both eloquent and touching as he delivered the eulogy. Victoria Goldberg was the same as she spoke from the heart on behalf of the grand- children. Both remembered Febe as someone with a heart of gold. Victoria recalled she was always there for anyone in need, even strangers. Pastor Dave Kirkland with Dulin United Methodist Church in Falls Church also celebrated Febes life. Febe lived with her eldest son Boy and his wife Renee during her last year, and Victoria thanked them on behalf of the family. Madelyn, daugh- ter of Arden and Joyce Rumin- gan, was impressive as she sol- emnly sang How Great Thou Art in a capella. Febe graduated from Far Eastern University in Manila. She taught in the Philippines from 1951 to 1966 and also in Patrick Henry Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia from 1977 to 1981. Febe is survived by her children, Boy, Freddie, Julius, Judy, Glenda and Arden, as well as daughters-in-law Renee, Walby, Marites and Joyce; sons-in-law John Morris and Al Vitale, sisters-in-law Victoria Soliven, Nieves Taroc, and Ilu- minada and 17 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and sisters Rosing and Geling. Febes husband, World War II veteran Guillermo O. Rumingan, passed on in 2010. In a tribute to both of them, grand- daughter Victoria recited his favorite Irish Toast, as follows: May the road rise up to greet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warmly upon your face, And the rain fall softly upon your elds And until we meet again. May God hold you in the hallow of His hand. Alexandria Mayor William Euille and Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg with the Filipino American community, including lawyer Miriam Reidmiller standing to the mayors right and Manila Mails Evelyn (to Reidmillers right) and Oscar (rst row, extreme right) Bunoan. Natividad Veneracion Yanez (in wheelchair) still active in church; standing behind her is Manila Mails Jun Medina. October 1-15, 2014 20 20 Pinoy nurses ready to battle Ebola LAS VEGAS. Filipino nurses said they were ready to ght the spread of Ebola as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported the rst case of the deadly dis- ease in Texas. The Filipino nurses were part of National Nurses Organiz- ing Committee of the California Nurses Association which dis- cussed the challenges of respond- ing to the global threat from the spread of the Ebola virus. We are saying that our hos- pitals here in the US should be prepared to ght Ebola. We are not prepared. We have put out a survey of the registered nurses here in the US to see if the hospi- tals they work for is prepared to ght the Ebola virus and weve gotten a lot of responses and so far, none of our hospitals are pre- pared here, said Lynn Tirona of the CNA-NNOC. Among the international delegates to the convention are registered nurses from the Phil- ippines. Theyre having a hard time controlling the Ebola epidemic in Africa. Nations that havent been affected yet should unite and send specialists, nurses and doctors to help those affected by Ebola and help stop it from spreading, said Jossel Ebesate, president of the Alliance Health Workers of the Philippines. Meanwhile, the American Nurses Association (ANA) said the nursing shortage in the US has been exacerbated by the lack of teachers to train future nurses. Each year, 80,000 appli- cants are turned away from nursing schools, often because there arent enough teachers or resources to accommodate grow- ing student interest. The fear is we will have to shrink the number of nurses we can prepare for the future at a time when we need to pre- pare more, said Dr. Kimberly S. Glassman, chief nursing ofcer at NYU Langone Medical Center. In addition to not having many student placements, and the retirement issue on the part of the faculty, the slowness at which we can prepare these nurses to serve as teachers has really come together at a time when we really want to increase the numbers, ANA president Pam Cipriano explained. Glassman noted that larger institutions such as NYU Hospi- tal and similar facilities in major cities are not the ones that are suffering the most. Its the insti- tutions in smaller, more rural areas that will experience the effects more swiftly. Willing to pay $2k for latest iPhone? MANILA. Much of the world went gaga when Apples latest iPhones hit the market; some tech acionados waited in line, sometimes for days, outside stores to be the rst to get the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. There were no long queues in the Phil- ippines, that is, if youre willing to fork almost $3,000 for it. The fact that the Philippines was not included in Apples global rollout last Sept. 19 explains in part the formidable price tag but that didnt stop local online retailers. Yahoo News said the latest iPhones were being hawked by the likes of Lazada Philippines, Widget City and The Gadget Hub with prices ranging from P52,500 (on Widget) to as high as P83,616 (on Lazada) for the smaller, 4.7-inch iPhone 6. Thats a far cry from its off- contract recommended price of $649 (roughly P29,000) in the US. The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, went from a low P84,420 to a jaw-dropping P117,585 (about $2,870). The lowest price was still more than double what the iPhone 6 Plus ofcially costs in the US ($849 or around P38,000). That was obviously the result of the classic clash between strong demand and limited supply, with prices that were palatable only to wealthy Apple fans desperate for brag- ging rights to be among the rst iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus users in the Philippines. Pinay teacher airs side in racial slur controversy SAN FRANCISCO. The Filipino teacher embroiled in a racism allegation said she was just repeating the n-word after confronting a student that yelled the same word across the class- room. Wow! (N-word) Is that a good word?, Cajon High School teacher Bernadette Yuson said she asked the student after he took her chair, disrupted the class and yelled the derogatory word from across the room. It was this same student that accused her of the racial slur, Yuson said. After she explained to him she was not referencing anyone, and just repeating what he said, the student walked out the room. The incident has reached the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and prompted calls for her ring. What we are calling for is the removal of that teacher from the classroom. If you can refer to our students, our kids, as being (N-word) then you dont need to teach them. I have no condence at all that you have high expecta- tions, said A. Majadi of African American Education Collabora- tive during a NAACP-hosted town hall. According to a report in the San Bernardino Sun, the Cajon High School math teacher was rearranging the students seats earlier this month when an Afri- can American student asked why she was moving only the black people around. The student then claimed Yuson responded by saying, I want to move the (N-word). He went straight to the school district after the schools administration allegedly failed to address the complaint. Yuson has been teaching at Cajon High School since 2001 and remains on an administra- tive leave as the school district continues to investigate the case. A former student of Yuson who also knows the complainant believed that student attitudes may have played a role in the alleged incident. Shes a very petite person and always in a very large class and the class its very hard for her to control the class. Ive seen kids like measure her up and pressure her like walking over her in the hallways and stuff. So when I look at that I do see that this lady was probably pro- voked, he said. Bernadette Yuson A Facebook ad shows prices for new iPhones in Manila White House launches online link to Asian American data WASHINGTON D.C. The White House has launched a new online tool that establishes a one-stop-shop of resources for and about Asian Americans and Pacic Islanders. The launch of Data.gov/ AAPI marks an important mile- stone for better understanding and responding to the complex needs of AAPIs, now the fastest growing racial group in the coun- try, said Kiran Ahuja, Executive Director of the White House Ini- tiative on Asian American and Pacic Islanders (WHIAAPI). The WHIAAPI launched the new comprehensive hub of government data on Asian Americans and Pacic Island- ers (AAPI) at Data.gov/AAPI, with almost 2,000 datasets from nearly 50 federal, state, county, and city sources. The data is consolidated in one location, easily acces- sible by anyone, and searchable by theme, language, race, and ethnic group. The data and the contradic- tions in the data reveal the com- plexity of the AAPI community and highlight the importance of disaggregation for a comprehen- sive understanding. For example, despite jokes about tiger moms and percep- tions of AAPI as educationally high achieving, the numbers show that in the rst year of col- lege, Asian American and black students have the highest enroll- ment rates in remedial educa- tion courses. Disaggregated data also shows that that only one in seven Native Hawaiians and Pacic Islanders has a university degree. We hope that this effort propels new research and anal- ysis to more clearly dene the needs of AAPI subgroups and create more effective policies and programs to better serve the community in the long term, said Ahuja. Filipino nurses say theyre ready to stop Ebola epidemic October 1-15, 2014 21 leaders here last month that the Philippine request to be placed under TPS was still under con- sideration. In previous years, the US granted the same immigration relief to undocumented aliens from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Haiti after these countries were struck by natural disasters and subsequently placed under TPS. In a little over six weeks, the world will observe the rst year anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. While the memory of the devastation still lingers in the mind and psyche of the Filipino people, we have not forgotten the unprecedented outpouring of international sup- port for the Philippines, Del Rosario said. However, almost one year after the calamity, there is still much to be done. Massive invest- ments and necessary expertise are still necessary to continue the reconstruction work, he added. Del Rosario nudges... from page 1 cent kickback from all infrastruc- ture projects and not just from the construction of the parking building. Mario Hechanova, former vice chair of the Makati govern- ments bids and awards commit- tee (BAC), testied that the bid- ding for the construction of the P2.28-billion (about $74 million) parking building was rigged to favor Hilmarcs Construc- tion Corp. allegedly on Binays instructions. Binay, through the late city engineer Nelson Morales, alleg- edly gave a P200,000 monthly allowance to Hechanova and other members of the BAC to ensure the bidding would be xed, Hechanova said. Mercado said Binay fun- neled illegal commissions through three channels: one though his son, Junjun Binay, then a councilor and now his fathers successor in City Hall; a second one through Binays nance ofcer, Gerry Limlingan; and a third through the mayors trusted aide, Ebeng Baloloy. Ronald Llamas, presidential adviser for political affairs, said that corruption would still be a dominant issue going into 2016. If the Vice President will be unable to confront these issues head on and convincingly, his ratings may continue to unravel, he averred. Malacanang has tried to steer clear of the controversy but President Aquino ran under the Liberal Party, virtually push- ing its then titular leader Interior Secretary Mar Roxas aside at the last minute. Like Binay, he has barely concealed ambitions to run for the top post in 2016. Binay and his son and other Makati City government of- cials are facing a plunder charge before the Ombudsman for the overpriced garage. One of the countrys more reputable polling outts, Pulse Asia ran a survey at the start of the Senate hearings and found that while Binay was still leading potential presidential rivals, his popularity declined by 10 per- centage points. Llamas described the fall as very signicant. Binays party, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), said the decline was softer than they expected. Given the very challeng- ing and rough times that the Vice President faced in the past weeks, we expected a bigger decline but the latest survey results are a surprise for us, said UNA interim president Toby Tiangco in a statement. Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes surmised Binays decline in the ratings may be attributed to the corruption-related contro- versies hounding him and mem- bers of his family. The poll posed the question that if presidential elections were held during the survey period, who would respondents vote? Binay got 31 percent followed by Roxas with 13 percent and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, 11 percent. All three, who coin- cidentally many regard as the strongest presidential candi- dates in 2016, saw their scores suffer compared to the last time a similar survey was taken by Pulse Asia. Using face-to-face inter- views, the nationwide survey from Sept. 8 to 15 covered 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 and older. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Other possible contend- ers whose names surfaced were Sen. Grace Poe, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Sen. Fran- cis Escudero, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former Vice Presi- dent Noli de Castro, former Sen. Richard Gordon, former Sen. Panlo Lacson, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo and detained Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla. Albay Governor Joey Sal- ceda has called on Congress to impeach Binay for alleged cor- ruption but the proposal gained little steam among Binay sup- porters in the legislature. In an apparent attempt to defuse the charges, Binay volun- teered to make public his State- ment of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). His coun- sel, lawyer Princess Turgano revealed at a Sept. 25 press brief- ing that Binay had a net worth of P60,118,766 as of December 31, 2013. He also has P28.7 million worth of cash at hand and real properties consisting of 12 assets. Binay was worth just P2,527,724.85 when he was rst elected as mayor of Makati City in 1988, according to his SALN. In the US, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and an estimated 160,000 children stay home from school daily because of fear of being bullied. Studies by Yale University found that bully victims are two- to-nine times more likely to con- sider suicide than non-victims. A similar study in Britain found that at least half of sui- cides among young people are related to bullying. Vowing to be a voice against bullying in remembrance of Jay, Mrs. Zolina said on FB, I hope and pray that no more families will have to go through what we are going through. Nic Venzon, a close friend, posted a picture of Jay Zolina leaning on his shoulder, and a poignant message recalling the times they spent together like brothers. My deepest prayers go out to primarily your family and the pain they are still enduring, but also the pain you endured and kept hidden away from the eyes of the public [with] your smile that so amazingly held up all the hurt you felt inside, wrote Venzon, who called Jay, Kuya, an endearing Filipino word for older brother. Another friend, Nicholas Doyle, told local station 10News reporter Rielle Creighton, He had a huge impact on every- bodys life. We had Mass, and everybody was just in tears. I dont think Cathedral will be the same without him, Dolye added. In an emotional letter, school Principal Michael Deely remembered Jay for his happy demeanor, his goodness and his ukelele playing. Let us focus on the joy he brought to us in order to deal with the pain and the sense of loss we now feel, Deely added. The school head urged people to remind everyone we know that they are loved, they have worth and value in our hearts, and that we will listen. There was an outpouring of affection and support for Jay and his family at school and in the social media. On Friday night a prayer service was held and a promise to Play for Jay before the high school football teams game with Torrey Pines High. Cathedral won 8-7. One of the most touching messages was perhaps the one posted by Jays maternal grand- mother on FB: I already miss you Jay-Jay. Your hugs when I see you and your welcoming smile, your sweetness and jokes when we get together will be terribly missed. You broke our heart but we know youre now in good hands. Sleep tight grand- son. We all love you. Binay charged for... from page 1 Family of Fil-Am... from page 1 as illegal since they were not included in a forfeiture case that the government had earlier led against the Marcoses. The Philippine Supreme Court ruled in the governments favor on the forfeiture in 2003, a case that included $658 million in Swiss bank deposits. The Philippines has esti- mated that Marcos, his family, and cronies amassed more than $10 billion (6.17 billion pound) in cash, jewelry, assets, stocks and works of art during a 20-year rule. About half of this amount has been found and recovered. Picassos Femme Couchee VI, Michelangelos Madonna and Child and Paul Gaugins Still Life were among the chief targets of government agents. The other listed works are: Portrait of the Marqueza de Sta. Cruz by Francisco de Goya, LaBaignade Au Grand Temps by Pierre Bonnard, Vase of Chry- santhemums by Bernard Buffet, Jardin de Kew pres de la Serre 1892 by Camille Pisarro and LAube by Joan Miro. Marcos lawyers were already waiting for the NBI- Reaction Arrest and Interdiction Division (RAID) and Sandigan- bayan sheriffs when they arrived at the San Juan residence. The art works were taken largely with- out resistance. The government also raided Mrs. Marcos other properties on Penthouse Plaza Condomin- ium and One McKinley Place in Makati and the Marcos ancestral home in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Govt seizes Imeldas ... from page 1 Fil-Am teen who climbed Freedom Tower arrested anew NEW YORK. Filipino- American teenager Justin Casquejo, who just earlier this month was sentenced for climb- ing the 1 World Trade Center in New York last March, has been arrested again after pulling off a similar stunt at a 175-foot New Jersey water tower last Sept. 17. The 16-year-old Casquejo was arrested for climbing the historical Weehawken, New Jersey water tower in his home- town. He was charged with deant trespassing and resist- ing arrest for attempting to climb the centuries-old brick structure on Park Avenue, New Jersey. State ofcials said his latest stunt could violate the provi- sions of his probation. On March 22, Casquejo was charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass for sneaking past the security to reach the top of Americas tallest build- ing. He pleaded guilty during the trial and was sentenced by a New York City court of 23 days of community service. During the sentenc- ing, Midtown Community Court Judge Felicia Menin told Casquejo that she was impressed by Casquejos sin- cerity, remorsefulness and will- ingness to accept responsibility for your conduct. One of Casquejos friends observed that he has devel- oped a yen for scaling precari- ous structures and for parkour, an extreme sport that combines elements from martial arts, gymnastics and rock climbing. Justin Casquejo October 1-15, 2014 22 22 A woman with a generous, loving, and caring heart By Hermie Climaco Arriving in America may just be the greatest experience any person could ever have. It was for me. But as you would quickly discover this greatness comes with a price. Lots of them. There were, for instance, the high prices you pay as you begin to set foot into the unfamiliar place from the familiar one, or from a life you were accustomed to living with back home to a totally new kind of life environ- ment in America. Truly, being in America may be the greatest life experience any person could have but - it is not all bed of roses! You have to pass through some really rough roads as you begin to assimilate yourself into the new culture that happens to be your dream land. Fortunately, the road that I passed through early on here in this foreign country didnt seem to be that much rough at all, though. Because when I was just about to start the big journey, there happens to be souls along the way ready to offer helping hands to newcomers who could be experiencing difculty trudg- ing on. One of those was Bing Bra- nigin. And so, though a new- comer in America the pressures that I ought to have normally gone through did not really come to be, because I have been blessed with the thoughtful guidance of one of those kaba- bayans in America who carry in their heart the advocacy to be always there for new arrivals. Being in the writing eld, I remember Alex, as they called MSg Alexandra Orillo PA of the Defense And Armed Forces Attache Ofce (DAFAO), where my husband, then TSg Rey Cli- maco of the Phil Air Force, was newly assigned telling me Ipa- pakilala kita kay Ate Bing (I will introduce you to Ate Bing). Alex was so hopeful that Ate Bing would pave my way to becom- ing a contributor of Manila Mail. One day, a car parked in front of the house that my family shared with outgoing DAFAO Admin Assistant MSg Danilo Antonis PAF. It was Bing Bra- nigin, bringing with her some winter stuff for the kids. Finally, I got to meet the lady whom Alex frequently mentioned to me. She looked so much younger, though. Younger than I thought she was. And I told her so. I was think- ing you were an elderly lady! I said, without hesitation. She didnt mind my honesty. And so began my challenging yet color- ful journey with Bing Branigin as she walked me through both the ups and downs of our rst days here in America. That was twelve years ago now. So many, many events have transpired since then. I almost already forgot those most memo- rable moments in my early years in this country, but thank God for birthdays - it gives you the opportunity to look back. Espe- cially when the birthday is that of someone who have played a special part when you were just establishing a new life in a coun- try that is not your own. I remember just now the glad tidings we had just before our very rst Christmas here in America. Bing delivered presents for the kids one of which was a big Karaoke for my then thir- teen year old daughter Angel, who she overheard saying she wanted to have for Christmas. And Bing endeavored to make a childs wish come true. What a joyful moment that was for my daughter and to her siblings, even to the whole family, who shared in that joy! But just as there are several seasons in the land, so do our life have seasons, too. My walk with Bing did not cover all seasons of my life for along the way there were several detours to yield to. But Bing was around at the most vulnerable season of my life, her presence even was one of those that largely made that season whole, and beautiful than it should be. And I was not alone. There were many others more beside myself whose early years in America had seen beau- tiful days because they were touched by the generous, loving and and caring heart of Bing Branigin. From the bottom of my heart: Thank you and God bless you for everything you do, Ms. Bing! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (Bing Cardenas Branigin is the National Editor of the Manila Mail, the only Filipino American news- paper in English in the nations capital. The Mail, in existence for 23 years now, is run by volunteer col- umnists and editors like Bing who see the need for a Filipino American community newspaper in Washing- ton D.C. Bing joined the MAnila Mail as a volunteer photo-journalist more than 15 years ago, expecting no remuneration except probably for the satisfaction that she helps provide a voice for the growing Fili- pino community in the center of the Federal government. She buys her own cameras and other communica- tion equipment and pays for her own transportation to cover major events in the area. Accredited to cover the White House, Congress and other gov- ernment departments, Bings most memorable accomplishments were the coverage of the inaugural of President Barack Obama, lobbying for Filipino veterans in Congress, organizing community events and initiating other socio-civic pro- grams. Bing is the wife of Bill Bra- nigin, one of the top editors of the Washington Post.- THE EDITORS) America is the place where dreams are made of By Eric Macalma America the beautiful! In all her glory, this is the place where dreams are made of; where anyone can pursue The Ameri- can Dream. These are the thoughts of a 29 year old young FilAm CEO chasing the so called dream as he stands in front of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As he reects under the falling cur- tain of a setting sun, a still small voice echoes the words that if he just continues to work hard and never give up, he will eventually reach his mountain top. I am sure these thoughts are all also shared by many business owners, and walking through Washington, D.C. I am reminded that as a son of immigrant entrepreneurial parents, I have learned that the most valuable key to business success is stay- ing true to your Brand. This is why in the world of Branding where I come from, standing for something is more as important than standing out. If standing for something ever meant anything, let me take you back to the year 1988 when a young Filipino couple with three young boys had migrated to these foreign lands to pursue that elusive American Dream for the sake of a better life. Coming from Manila both my parents left promising careers as a sacrice for their children. My mother Eleanor was a doctor while my father JJ ran a communications business. Having arrived to the U.S. Elea- nor had to make a decision to go back to medical school to become a Doctor in the States or go to work right away eventu- ally choosing the latter for the sake of helping the family keep things aoat. On the other hand my father was out of work for several months having left his successful business back home, which forced him to quickly tap into that entrepreneurial spirit as he refused to sit idle, so he went right to work. Unfortunately not having nished college he did not have much to work with except the childhood he was blessed with. He was a son of a farmer, and having grown up on the farm lands of Ilocos Norte, he decided to go back to his roots as there was something about working hard for your family in the red hot sun and running your hands through the dirt while growing some- thing of beauty that enticed him. There was an art to growing things from the ground up. This idea grew fervently in his heart so he got his rst start when he got a call from a local woman to cut her grass. She provided him with all the tools for her yard but what started off as just her yard ended up multiplying to other jobs sometimes 2 to 3 and more leading him to pur- chasing his rst lawn mower. Lo and behold a few years later what began as just a lawn service ended up becoming a full service landscape design and property management company. As time passed his reputa- tion spread like wildre as word of mouth got around town that the friendly Filipino man with a strong thick accent became the go to designer for some of citys elite. How could this be? The Climaco family. Bing Branigin poses with her photo- graphic equipment during the Asian Festival in Maryland last month. L to R: Aj Macalma, Mr. JJ Macalma, Mrs. Eleanor Macalma, Eugene Macalma, and Eric Macalma. October 1-15, 2014 23 Not Since Ramon Magsaysay J inggoy Estrada has appar- ently succeeded in diverting the attention of both main- stream and social media, from the P10-billion pork scandal to alleged anomalies involving Noynoy Aquinos Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the Malampaya fund. As I write this, the lead sto- ries in the Manila dailies (exclud- ing Business World which focuses on business and eco- nomic news) are no longer about Napoles, Tanda, Kuya, Sexy and Pogi, but tend to point an accus- ing nger at Malacaang: Aquino may face raps after term ends Recto (Philippine Daily Inquirer), Recto: P130B missing from Malampaya fund (Manila Times), SC hears pork issue today; Recto asks how P130B from Malampaya was used (Malaya), Palace refutes Joker on budget dictator- ship (Philippine Star), Palace tags critics of DAP as DOMs (Manila Standard Today), and Legality of Noys DAP queried anew before SC (Philippine Daily Tribune). Where the opinion pieces used to be mostly about the Pork Barrel Queen, meaning, Napoles, some columnists are now calling Aquino, the Pork Barrel King. Even the online news sites of the two leading TV networks echo the dailies: Palace exec to DAP critics: Focus on fund misuse, not legal questions (GMA News), and Palace hits Jokers silence during Arroyo admin (ABS-CBN News). Note that in both instances, Malaca- ang is on the defensive. Aided by the showbiz gos- sip-style reportage of the media, Estrada was obviously hoping that he could sway public opin- ion with his bombshell. Failing that, he was apparently deter- mined to sink his tormentors along with him. In this regard, he may have succeeded in raising questions about the integrity of the Aquino administration. We are a very impressionable people, even those among us who are sup- posed to be more enlightened. Some of us can easily get caught up in the frenzy of the mob. Theres a Tagalog term for it: Madaling sindihan (easy to re up). That makes us putty in the hands of master manipulators. What exacerbates this is the tendency of media to treat the news like movie studio tsismis. In the eagerness of some report- ers and their editors to nd a new angle or to spice up the news, they sometimes take liber- ties with the facts. Consider the lead or open- ing paragraph of the Inquirer news item with the headline, Aquino may face raps after term ends Recto: President Aquino faces possible criminal charges at the end of his term unless Malaca- ang accounts for billions of pesos in the governments share of revenues from the operation of oil and gas wells in Malam- paya off Palawan province, Sen. Ralph Recto said on Monday. If you dont have the time to read the rest of the story, guess what your impression will be. At any rate, for the benet of those with time on their hands, Inquirer added on the side of Malacaang, with a reassurance from Secretary Butch Abad of the Department of Budget & Man- agement and Deputy Treasurer Christine Sanchez that the funds are intact. Thats more than can be said about the way Manila Times massaged the story: The Malampaya gas drilling project has generated a total of P170 bil- lion in revenues for the govern- ment since it started in 2000, but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is clueless as to where a P130-billion chunk of it went, according to Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto. Did the reporter or editor ask for the side of the Depart- ment of Budget & Management? If they did, its not in the story. The last Million People March, held in Makati and attended by considerably less than a million, was characterized by a proliferation of demands, from the original abolish the pork to calls for Aquino to resign or be impeached. Addi- tionally, certain quarters, identi- ed with the Left, hitchhiked on it (hijacked was the term that the original protest organizers used) to promote their own agenda. The October 4 gathering wasnt exactly the Tower of Babel, but the lack of focus on the original reason for the protest confused many and turned off a lot, prompting them to leave. Will this affect participation in future mass protests and dem- onstrations? That is possible, unless the leaders of this largely informal movement can do a reality check, agree on what it is they really want to achieve, and focus on those objectives. Meanwhile, let us all hope that a distraction is the most that the alleged plunderers will achieve with their diversionary tactics. Once the Ombudsman determines that there are suf- cient grounds to le criminal charges against them before the Sandiganbayan and the latter issues a warrant for their arrest, theyll have to resort to other means to avoid detention. Of course, considering the selective application of justice in our country, they could wangle leniency by way of hospital arrest or rest-house arrest, as in the case of Erap Estrada. Let us all hope, further, that the Department of Justice, the NBI, the Commission on Audit and the Bureau of Internal Rev- enue, as well as Noynoy Aquino himself, will not lose their focus, in the face of the slings and arrows of outrageous accusa- tions that they are being - and will be - subjected to. Let us hope that they will not allow themselves to be put on the defensive, as they appar- ently are tending to be, and will proceed single-mindedly to pin- ning down the plunderers, who- ever they are, whatever their party afliations not just those in the initial line-up but those whose skeletons are still being unearthed. Indeed, what the Aquino government is doing, for all of its seeming aws, is something we have been hoping for all these years. Even in the aftermath of the People Power Revolt, we couldnt get satisfaction. The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) turned out to be as question- able as those it was mandated to pursue. Noynoy Aquino is now doing something that our coun- try hasnt seen, since the presi- dency of Ramon Magsaysay. There was a cleansing of govern- ment then and important heads actually rolled. But urban legend tells us that it took the CIA to get that done. Is it possible to do it on our own this time? (mmsi13@gmail.com) Standing Room Only? MANILA W hat do you do when all seats are taken? The Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia control real islands in the South China Sea. China came very late to this party and missed out on all the good real estate, wrote British Broadcasting Corpora- tions Rupert Wingeld-Hayes in Chinas Island Factory. So, it is creating, through reclamation, new islands. Wingeld-Hayes, who joined BBC in 1999, worked in Beijing from 2000 to 2006. He served as Moscow correspon- dent until 2010 and was named Middle East correspondent. Beijing today seeks to dom- inate sea-space within the rst island chain, Wingeld-Hayes writes. It runs from Borneos coast, past Taiwan, to southern Japan. It is, in Beijings opinion, Chinas backyard. But in the longer term, China wants to move beyond the Philippines and southern Japan to the second island chain. That stretches from Palau, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands&. This will be a seismic shift in the Western Pacics balance of power. For the past 70 years, US power has been unassailable there. Now, for the rst time, a new power is emerging with the will and means to challenge Americas military dominance. It is unlikely to be a smooth ride. Recent Philippine Navy photos document land reclama- tion work China did since Janu- ary. It is building new islands on ve different reefs. They are cre- ating new facts on the ground. Beijings belated nine-dash line map sweeps in a tongue- shaped expanse up to the coasts of the Philippines, Vietnam, even Borneo. For decades, China did little to enforce its vague and sweeping claim. Now, the Com- munist Party reclassied South China Sea as a core national interest. That lumps it with Taiwan and Tibet and means China is prepared to ght to defend it. Manila lacks military muscle. So, the Philippines brought its case to the United Nations, seeking a ruling based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). Unclos usually accords coastal states an exclusive economic zone up to 200 nautical miles from their coastline. An Unclos ruling would be good for the Philippines. Beijing made it clear it will not be bound by any ruling. This is not just a quarrel with the Philippines and other countries bordering the sea, its resources or even strategic space, let alone sovereignty, Wingeld- Hayes notes. Instead, it is about Chinas real strategic rival: the United States. Washington does not acknowledge Chinas claim. And the US Pacic eet sails regularly through these waters. Almost a third of global crude oil and over half of global liqueed gas pass yearly from African and Per- sian Gulf suppliers, through the South China Sea, to Asian con- sumers. The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 identied the Western hemisphere as Americas back- yard, notably the Caribbean Sea. Old European colonial powers were told to keep out. Today, China is doing something very similar in the East and South China seas. Thursday, Manila displayed ancient maps which document Chinas claims. From the Song Dynasty in year 960 until end of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, Chinas south- ernmost territory was always Hainan island, just off the Chi- nese coast. All ve constitutions of China make that point. None include, for instance, Scarbor- ough Shoal, which China seized in June 2012. Supreme Court Justice Anto- nio Carpio, who did the most extensive research on this territo- rial dispute, notes: The facts can restrain extreme nationalism& or give hope to a just and durable settlement of disputes. Indeed, these waters are dotted with strange little mili- tary outposts and civilian colo- nies, Wingeld-Hayes notes. Its hard to decipher which is which and who controls who. Pagasa was called Thitu Island; in Chinese it is Zhongye Dao, and Dao Thi Tu in Vietnamese. Johnson South Reef is dubbed Chi Gua, Yongshu, Gac Ma to Mabini Reef. And so it goes for dozens of other islets, even sandbars. The Philippines has nine outposts, Vietnam eight, and Malaysia seven like China, at last tally. October 1-15, 2014 24 24 PH police, the peoples predators MANILA C rimes involving cops themselves have been rampant here lately. Pres- ident Benigno Aquino III must order Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and National Police Chief Alan Purisima to crack down on erring policemen. High-prole crimes involv- ing police reveal a loose sense of duty and a faulty understanding of their responsibilities. It makes one wonder about their training, how rigid it is and how emphatic the people in command are in instilling commitment to duty among their ranks. The situation calls for immediate and drastic action from the top. Its ironic that among the public servants here that people could run to for assistance, the police arent among the rst ones that come to their minds. In fact, the police are the last ones people seek help from because the police are often perceived as unreliable, abusive, gruff, insin- cere about their duty and worse, predatory. Its not uncommon for citizens to feel that the police, instead of being the peoples pro- tectors, are more likely to be their predators. Already, a number of senior police ofcials are on the dock for crimes allegedly committed while in the service. There seems to be no sense of honor in serving as the peoples protectors. There seems to be no special pride in being a member of the police force. Theres no iron-clad code of ethics and conduct in place. Surely there are many mem- bers of the force who are serious about their duty to the people. But the continuing involvement of police in crimes and the recent high-prole nature of the crimes destroy whatever good reputa- tion and good will the entire police force may have in the peo- ples minds. Daily, people live with crim- inality. Even gated and tightly- guarded subdivisions arent crime-free. What more neighbor- hoods that are open and exposed. Police brass have lately been saying that the crime rate has gone down from previous levels. That may or may not be true. The cynics are unconvinced. Ask the people on the street and they would sneer at that assertion. They will say with scorn that the police are not effective in preventing crimes. Bad cops have the advan- tage. They are armed. Theyre trained in crime-ghting and they know the criminals tech- niques, a deadly combination that gives them an edge on how to commit crimes themselves. They know whos vulnera- ble. They know which establish- ments have money and where its kept or when its taken to the bank for deposit or withdrawal. They have accomplices among criminals they come across with in their work and who are lured into working with them to pull criminal deeds. The President must order Roxas and Purisima to take dras- tic and permanent action against crooked cops, and cleanse the police force of criminals in uni- form from top to bottom. Its not enough to just re policemen involved in crime, they must be jailed. Administrative cases arent good enough, criminal charges must be led too. The people are scared for their lives because of all the news about criminality in our midst. Specially so when its cops who commit the crimes. Its time President Aquino himself, Roxas and Purisima took decisive action. The people are afraid and they feel unsafe wherever they are, even in their own homes. They demand action from the top. On Coming Face-to-Face with Culture Manila G reetings from Makati, a city in Metro Manila! In spite of the 24-hour heavy rains and oods in iso- lated streets wrought by the tropical storm Mario, the gaiety continues in the aftermath here in this vibrant metropolis; here even in the waking hours of an early morning the pulse dares not resume, for it has never stopped, and the heart throbs in an unending sounds of vehicles coming and going, from a des- tination to another, of people too, following a seemingly end- less procession to a sought-after grail, a way to live, to survive, come rains or come shines. Looking out of a window of a condo unit where my wife and I stay, on a brief visit to fulll family obligations, there is a way of life here which I cannot ignore, even though I have spent most of my entire life outside the bound- aries of this archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. I was born here, in a small town in Manila, where my parents house was one of about a hundred sharing only one street, the only thor- oughfare for daily commerce and other convivialitys. And much has changed since then. Looking out, from where my wife and I stay, there is always this tendency for the eyes to cast up, to see and imagine how high the planned next building would be, how many oors would be added for the elevators to ascend past the usual fty. Metro Manila is driven by change. But I, by myself inside the condo unit or out there mixing with friends, relatives and other acquaintances, am not subject to change, certainly not a creature on a petri dish eyed for pos- sible manipulation of chromo- somes and genes. Echoing what a famous Filipino novelist said many years ago, the Philippines not only is in my heart but also in my senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and most especially of eating. It is my culture, my way of life handed down to me by my parents, their parents parents and of those that came before them many genera- tions ago. If I have to alter my way of life, I can only manifest the change as part of the heritage of the Filipinos aspiration for excellence and dignity. Of course, if one has to be academic about it, culture (Kul- tura in Tagalog) is a societys distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional char- acteristics, including its arts and letters, modes of life, value sys- tems, traditions, and beliefs. In the Philippines, the most visible representation of Filipino culture is in the food we eat. While there may be a profusion of restaurants here in Makati, and elsewhere in the country, offering various menus originat- ing from France, Italy, Germany, China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, the dishes preferred to satisfy ones palate are still the Adobo, Sinigang, Dinuguan, Kinilaw, Pakbet, Kare-Kare, and in moments of gustatory weak- ness, the Lechon. Adobo is the countrys national dish and the everyday easy choice to appease hunger. It is a combination of chicken cut into pieces and pork cut into cubes marinated in vinegar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, and soy sauce. For heightened taste, pork livers and other giz- zards are added. It is served or eaten with rice, as staple, and sometimes with atchara (sweet and sour green papaya relish). For those living in any of the thousand islands teeming with sh and other seafood, the choice is for Sinigang, a dish soured by green tamarind, camias, dayap (native lime), kalamansi (native lemon), santol or ripe guava fruit, and broth. Vegetables added to the broth are eggplants, slices of radish, taro, cabbage, kangkong or leafy plants. To taste, patis (sh sauce) and kala- masi are served on the side. Dinuguan, an exotic dish and a Filipino invention, is a challenge to a discriminating gourmand. It is basically pork cuts and pig innards, seasoned with whole pepper (green or red) slices, garlic, onions, oreg- ano, and stewed and drowned in thick, fresh pork blood. It is sometimes served with puto, steamed white and uffy rice mufn. Kinilaw is the Filipino version of sashimi, sushi, or maki, a preparation of raw sh or shellsh dressed in vinegar and other condiments such as chili peppers, onions, ginger, and turmeric. Variations in the preparation abound in several geographical regions of the country. Pinakbet is a native dish of locally-grown vegetables sauted in oil and bagoong (a native condiment of small sh or shrimps). Kare-Kare is made up of a cows stomach, boiled and cut into pieces and then sauted in thick peanut butter sauce and cut pieces of native vegetables. Occupying an undisputed place in plate offerings is a choice cut from suckling roasted pig, with the crispy crackling skin and a sauce prepared from pigs liver. The dish, lechon, guarantees a ve-star taste, but it is not for the weight-watchers. Rounding up the cultural offerings to satisfy our sense of taste is either yet another light meal or a light dessert. Halo- halo is the king or queen of the picker-upper. Halo-halo is a thirst quencher on a hot or dry summer, all-weather refresh- ment, an in-between-meal snack, a pick-up for a downed spirit, or the alternative choice during tea time or coffee break. Sensuous and captivating, halo-halo is a concoction of cooked sweetened fruits layered for visual effect in tall, uted glass topped with nely-shaved ice and shots of condensed or regular milk. Halo-halo (mix-mix , in Eng- lish) is served either as regular or special treat. Regular halo-halo will have only the basic sweet- ened kamote (sweet potato), saba (a variety of banana) and red or mongo beans, topped by ice shavings, sugar, dash of milk and may or may not be topped with a scoop of ice-cream. Spe- cial halo-halo is served with layer of 10 to 12 sweetened fruits, including sweet potato, saba, slivers of jackfruit, red or mongo beans, cubed green or red native gelatin (gulaman), ube (glutinous purple yam), nata de coco, kaong (sugar palm seeds), chick peas, leche-an (egg yolk custard), makapuno (a variety of coconut), rice crispies, white beans, grated melon, topped with shaved ice, shots of regular or condensed milk, sugar, scoop of ube-avored ice cream, and a cherry sitting on the very top. Eating halo-halo, undeni- ably, is who I am, born in a place with a culture made up of multi- layered Asian, Spanish, and American inuences. It is my identity. As with other Filipinos in the same plight, understand- ing and appreciating this fact ease my and their potential for self-achievement and self-fulll- ment. October 1-15, 2014 25 Meaning of SC age-out decision T he recent US Supreme Court decision in the case of Scialabba vs. Cuellar De Osorio (formerly known as Mayorkas vs. Cuellar De Osorio upheld the governments inter- pretation limiting the application of the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) to a particular class of child beneciaries. Before the enactment of CSPA in 2008, the long immi- grant visa backlogs caused cer- tain children who turn 21 years old or age-out before a visa becomes available to lose their rights under the visa category applied for. Some age-out appli- cants would become ineligible while others may qualify for a conversion to another visa cat- egory. To alleviate the harsh con- sequence for these children, Congress passed the CSPA. To determine eligibility for aged- out children, the childs age at the time the visa is available for his/her priority date is reduced by the period of time it took the government to approve the petition. If the result is under 21, then the child is entitled to a visa. If the result is over 21 years, then the childs petition shall be automatically converted to the appropriate category retaining the same priority date issued upon ling of the petition. This means that visa petitions con- verted to another category will be credited for the waiting time already incurred from the date of the original ling, instead of starting all over again in a new VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES SEPTEMBER 2014 FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES First: Unmarried sons/daughters of US citizens Aug. 01, 2004 Second: A: Spouses/minor children of permanent residents: Jan 01, 2013 B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years of age or older of permanent residents Dec. 01, 2003 Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens May. 22, 1993 Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Mar. 15, 1991 EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES First: Priority workers Current Second: Professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability Current Third: Skilled workers, professionals Apr. 01, 2011 Other Workers Apr. 01, 2011 Fourth: Certain Religious Workers Current Fifth: Employment creation/ (Million or half-million dollar investor) Current Food overdose? D id you know that we could overdose not only on drugs but also on common food items we have in our kitchen? We are not talking about eating more than what we should and gaining excess weight. We are talking about a true condi- tion of food overdose, resulting in medical complications. Heres a case reported last week in the New England Jour- nal of Medicine: A 47-year-old Michigan woman developed a bone dis- ease rarely seen in the U.S. after she drank a pitcher of tea made from at least 100 tea bags daily, for 17 years, researchers report. The Detroit woman visited the doctor after experiencing pain in her lower back, arms, legs and hips for ve years. X-rays revealed areas of very dense bone on the spinal vertebrae and calcications of ligaments in her arm, said study researcher Dr. Sudhaker D. Rao, a physician at Henry Ford Hospital who spe- cializes in endocrinology and bone and mineral metabolism. The researchers suspected the woman had skeletal uorosis, a bone disease caused by consuming too much uoride (a mineral found in tea as well as drinking water). The patients blood levels of uoride were four times higher than what would be considered normal, the researchers said. Skeletal uorosis is endemic in regions of the world with nat- urally high levels of uoride in drinking water, including some parts of India and China, but is rare in Europe and North Amer- ica. (Low levels of uoride are added to drinking water in the United States to prevent cavities, but arent high enough to cause uorosis.) While any kind of tea, when consumed in excess, can cause uorosis, a specic type, Kombu- cha tea, has also been in medical news on WebMD: Kombucha is a sugary, black tea fermented by a at, pancake-like symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts called the Kombucha mushroom. The beverage is claimed to have immunity-boosting and benecial effects, but there is very little scientic evidence of these available in current lit- erature..The American Cancer Society has warned that certain Kombucha starter cultures may contain contaminants such as molds and fungi, some of which can cause illness..There have been reported cases of severe toxic reactions to Kombucha tea. *Nutmeg* Nutmeg is sometimes used as a light dusting on eggnog, has no ill-effects and makes beverage more delicious. However, when the spice is ingested in excessive quantities as a low-cost halluci- nogenic drug, serious side effects could occur three to eight hours after ingestion. This can include anxiety, fear, and a feeling of impending doom. According to a case report published in Emergency Medi- cine Journal in 2005, some people may also experience acute psy- chotic episodes, detachment from reality and visual halluci- nations. Even at a high dose of 20 to 80 grams of nutmeg powder is rarely fatal, with only 2 cases reported in medical reports. *Carrots* Carrots are popular for its vitamins, minerals, and bers that are good for your health. However, consuming too many carrots can elevate the blood level of beta-carotene, the molecule responsible for carrots bright orange hue and a pre- cursor of vitamin A. This leads to carotenemia, which causes yellow or orange skin discolor- ation, particularly in the nasal area, palms, knees and soles. It occurs more often among infants fed with excess pureed carrots in baby foods. Oral caro- tene supplement can also cause this complication. One cup of chopped carrots contains about 15 mg of carotene, and one needs to eat half a cup for months to develop the yellow/orange skin tone. Although the discoloration is alarming, carotenemia is not life-threatening and subsides when the excess intake ceases. *Tuna sushi* Ingestion of too much raw tuna also increases intake of mer- cury. Large shes on top of the food chain, such as the prized bluen tuna, accumulate methyl mercury in their muscles because they consume many smaller shes with mercury over their Continued on page 30 Climate change is upon us T he sights, sounds, and smells that assailed me as I was walking through the devastated chaos and destruc- tion of Tacloban City in the Phil- ippines last year, soon after the most powerful storm ever to hit land, made me realize that this was the future. This utter dev- astation wrecked by a vengeful nature on her tormentors was going to be repeated across the globe. Climate change is upon us. Extreme weather conditions will be what we can expect in the future. In the UK last year, massive unprecedented ood- ing cut off towns and villages. The economic cost was massive. We have to ask why and what can be done to prevent such destructive weather conditions getting worse and less frequent. The Philippines experienced 25 typhoons in 2013. Humans are the custodians of the creation and guardians of the planet and yet we have sinned against it. Now its time to repent and make amends, but how? As I write this, the Balkans are experiencing the worst ood- ing sincerecords began 120 years ago. Vast areas of countryside, towns and villages are inundated and as many as 300 landslides have destroyed property and 35 people were killed. In three days rain that would normally fall over three months hit the region causing destruction,death and huge commercial loss. In Afghanistan a few weeks ago, anentire village with hundreds of people was buried alive when a rain-saturated hillside came roaring down to bury and smother them all. Every news bulletin seems to carry reports of another huge ecological disaster; droughts and wild res in the United States are consuming forests and elds, and even more destructive oods are to come in Europe we are told. Last week, the United Nations Inter-Country Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made its latest report after seven years of exhaustive research and number crunching to inform and convince us that catastrophic cli- mate change can be averted and even reversed if we act now. The report was made by 1,250 emi- nent scientists and experts and endorsed by 146 governments. Its for real: the planet has warmed up and we humans have caused it by burning fossil fuels non-stop for the last 150 years. That has to stop. We must turn to alterna- tive sources of energy, the report strongly advises, or else. The worst offenders are the oil- and coal-burning indus- tries. Their power plants, facto- ries, houses and cars warm the earth by releasing CO2 gas. The carbon dioxide and methane gases create a blanket around the earth causing this warming. This in turn has melted huge sec- tions of the polar ice caps and removed natures big reector of sun light. Antarctica is melting too. Soon the rise in ocean levels will be covering lo- lying islands and beach fronts. The permafrost in Siberia and Canada is melting, releasing even more deadly methane gas from the once frozen bogs and releasing it into the atmosphere. The effect on food production and water resources will be mas- sive and will lead to food short- ages and the social impact will be great; migration and armed Continued on page 30 Continued on page 30 October 1-15, 2014 26 26 CHICKEN IN WHITE WINE AND MUSHROOM SAUCE T his is one of my favorite chicken dishes, derived from my French dish, Poulet Chasseur, which I have learned from Le Cordon Bleu when I was studying in London. I am so passionate in making my own recipes and reinventing them to translate into a whole- some dish. This is one of my classic dishes which I serve to VIP guests who cannot have red meats and seafood. I have to admit that this dish is quite com- plicated, but if you try it once, the second time around will be easier. Remember this rule: Read the recipe, memorize if you can, and prepare all the ingredients and line them up in the order of cooking. Serves 3 Ingredients: 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) 1 tablespoon plus 2 tea- spoons all-purpose our 1 teaspoon chopped tarra- gon pinch fresh chopped thyme 3 teaspoons salt 1 egg, slightly beaten 3 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon ghee (claried butter) 2 shallots, nely chopped 1 cup nely chopped mush- rooms 1 small tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped 3 tablespoons white wine 1 teaspoon tomato paste half teaspoon raw honey half to 1 cup chicken stock Methods: Remove any visible fat from the chicken (if using thighs). Combine and mix well the our, tarragon, thyme and salt to make our mixture. Dip chicken one piece at a time into egg and dredge each piece of chicken in our mixture. In a skillet, mix vegetable oil and ghee and heat half of it over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, turning once for about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm. In the same skillet, add remaining vegetable oil and ghee over medium heat and stir in the shallots, stirring for about 3-4 minutes or until the shallots are soft and translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until light brown then add the tomatoes, stirring for a minute. Add wine, cook, and reduce until liquid is almost evaporated. Add chicken stock, tomato paste and honey. Cook for two min- utes or until the sauce thickens. Return the chicken to the pan, coat with sauce, turning both sides and cook for another 5 min- utes or until the chicken is very hot. Editors Note about Master Chef Evelyn: 100 Most Influential 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 Ori- ental 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 afflicted with cancer and other serious illnesses; Culinary writer; Member, Les Dames dEscoffier 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. PINOY CONTRACTOR T hree contractors are bid- ding to x the White House fence. One an American, another a Mexican and the third a Filipino. They go with a White House ofcial to examine the fence. The American contrac- tor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some gures with a pencil. Well, he says. I gure the job will run about $900... $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 prot for me. The Mexican contractor also does some measuring and some guring, then says, I can do it for $700... $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 prot for me. The Filipino contractor does not do any measuring or gur- ing , but leans over to the White House ofcial and whispers softly: $2,700. The ofcial, in disbelief, says, What? You didnt even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a crazy gure? How do you expect me to consider your ser- vice with that kind of bid? Kasi, ganito yun, Sir, the Pinoy explains in a whis- per, $1,000 por you, $1,000 por me, and we hire the guy from Mexico. The next day, the Mexican and the Pinoy are happily work- ing side by side along the White House fence. CHEMISTRY A Chemistry teacher asked a sexy, blonde student, What are nitrates? The student replied shyly, Maam, sa motel po. Night rates are higher than day rates! LAID OFF Prospective employer to applicant: So why did you leave your previous job? Applicant: The company relocated and they did not tell me where! US NAVY SHIP Isang gabing umuulan at may bagyo, may US Navy Ship na dumaraan sa Northern Philip- pines. Ganito ang conversation: US Ship: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision. Pinoy: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid collision. US Ship: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship and its battle group. I say again, divert your course. Pinoy: Tang na, tigas ang ulo. No, I say again, divert your course. US Ship: (Galit na) This is the Aircraft Carrier USS Eisen- hower, the 2nd largest ship in the US Navy. Were accompa- nied by 3 Cruisers, 3 Destroyers, and numerous support vessels. I demand that you change your course 15 degrees north, or coun- ter-measures will be undertaken to insure the safety of our ship! Pinoy: (Cool na Cool) Okay, matigas ka. This is the light- house on top of Rocky Hill, gusto mo, banggaan tayo! ETHICS Sa isang classroom... Titser: Class, what is Ethics? Pilo: Etiks are smaller than ducks. Titser: Okey, that duck will lay an egg in your Report Card. KUTSI Bisaya 1: Ang gara ng kutsi. Siguro kay Miyur iyan. Bisaya 2: Dili bay! Bisaya 1: Kay Hipi? Bisaya 2: Tuntu ka man. Kay Father iyan. Gisulat niya sa likud o, SAFARI. PANAWAGAN Misis: Sir, mananawagan po sana ako sa mister ko kasi dinala niya ang limang anak namin. Radio Host: Ok, go ahead! Misis: Honey, ibalik mo na ang mga bata, isa lang naman ang sa iyo diyan, eh! HOT SI MISIS Hating-gabi, hot si Misis, haplos niya ilong ni Mister, kiliti niya sa leeg, saka bulong ng malambing sa tenga: Luv, wala na akong panty. Sagot ni Mister: Ha? Sige, tulog ka na, bukas ibibili kita! ARAY Anak langgam: Nay, Nay, nakabuntis ako. Nanay langgam: Naku, anak, kailangang panagutan mo yan. Sino ba siya? Anak langgam: Yun pong elepante sa zoo. SOPDRINK Tatay: Anak, ibili mo nga ako ng sopdrink Anak: Coke o Pepsi? Tatay: Coke Anak: Diet o Regular? Tatay: Regular Anak: Bote o in can? Tatay: Bote Anak: 8 oz. o litro? Tatay: Bwiset. Tubig na nga lang. Anak: Mineral o distilled? Tatay: Mineral. Anak: Malamig o hindi? Tatay: Hahampasin na kita ng walis eh! Anak: Tambo o tingting? Tatay: Hayop ka! Anak: Baka o kambing? SILIP Nahuli ni Inday ang poging hardinero nila na naninilip habang siya ay naliligo. Inday: Bastos ka... bakit mo ako sinisilipan? Boy: Hindi, ah! Inday: Sinungaling ka. Boy: Peksman! Wala akong nakita kasi maliit ang butas. Inday: Eh, gago ka pala eh! Bakit hindi ka na lang pumasok sa banyo? October 1-15, 2014 27 Seasonal Goodbye and Hello S easons come and go and changes are inevitable. As the blooms of summer fade, we welcome the crisp air and new blaze of colors of autumn. Once again changes are bound to happen where the four sea- sons are expected to occur. Once again, there are adjustments and shifts to be made, both inside and outside our homes affect- ing our daily life- our personal needs, family and household priorities, daily activities, place of work, social, community com- mitments, etcetera. As expected, the electric bill will rise up. Hot water consump- tion will increase. Help is needed to rake the fallen leaves. It is time to take the thick clothing out of the closets or if outtted and/or outdated, buy new ones, likewise the footwear. Clean and keep the light and summer clothes back to closets. Change light bed linens and quilts to warmer and heavier comforters. Kitchen is always expected to have hot soup and menu will have some adjustment. My Favorite Season I just listed down the adjust- ments that normally happen during the change of the season, but nonetheless, autumn is still my favorite season. To liken it to the seasons of life, the fall of life is when we feel the chang- ing of the guard which I con- sider as the transition period from the zestful summer to a tranquil autumn, a time to quiet down and reect on past months of daily mode of living. This is the time when I enjoy most the beauty of nature - the palette of colors of blazing red, burnt orange and golden yellow leaves that shimmer on well-shaped trees as the soft breeze whispers along. I know very well that soon the rustling leaves will begin to fall, but meantime, I will enjoy the calls of the golden autumn. To complement the trees in front of my house, I added pots of beautiful mums of bright yellow and purple on the brick planters by our front door. They greet me good morning when I open the door before proceeding to my favorite chair in the kitchen nook to have breakfast with my hus- band. This is my way of looking forward to a day with a happy beginning with the hope of an equally happy and quiet evening. The season brings longer nights, ergo curling up in bed and catch- ing up with unnished readings is pleasurable. Household chores become easy to do and manage when the mind is calm and the body is well rested. My common sense tells me to take advantage of this blissful state of the season by doing things Id like to do, both productive and fun activi- ties. Conforming to the seasonal change, one productive task in the house that I could challenge myself to do is organizing things in the house like editing or trash- ing unused stuffs or cleaning up messy clutters. Failing to do this chore springtime, now, I would like to take advantage of these precious and gracious days in front of me. There are always some clutters somewhere, which I guess present even in the so called pristine and museum- like homes. Clutters could be major ones or minor in a cabi- net, drawer, les or on a table. Blessed are the people who have even tiny pins neatly pricked on a pin cushion. Honestly, I am not one of those blessed people. Forming clutters is situational and circumstantial. Common sense tells us that the forma- tion of clutters depends upon the number of people in your household. One good rule of the thumb is to prevent clutters to pile up- Nip it in the bud. A senior wisdom that I read which is something to ponder on: An immaculate house is a sign of misspent life. Discovery of Signature Services While I was doing my computer clean- up project, I came across with some interest- ing pieces of information from magazines which I originally highlighted. I found one of them as oddly fascinating which Id like to share with you. These are uncommon services for the rich adventurous souls who have plenty of moola to spend and who said, buh-bye to boring facials and rubdowns like where others go, including me. There must be captive customers oth- erwise, their chosen business wont thrive. However, I share the perception with others who came to know of these unusual services as exotic and eccentric at worst, but hilarious to death. For those who are insanely interested, these places can be discovered in the Washington D.C. area: The Caviar Dreams Facial- The treatment uses expensive sh eggs, slathered all over your face which imbue your skin with much-needed protein and antioxidants. As noted, caviar has cell structure similar to that of a human skin cell, which helps in the rejuve- nation process. $190/80minutes; The Birthday Cake & Ice Cream Pedicure- This specialty pedi- cure mixes ice cream and cake batter scrubs, which leave your feet smelling sweet and look- ing divine. Bonus: This yummy service is vegan and gluten- free. $75; The Cherry Blossom Champagne Body Treatment This treatment uses D.C.s spec- tacular cherry blossoms, which famously bloom every spring around the Tidal Basin. The ve- star treatment starts with a gentle body exfoliation, a deep soak in a cherry blossom- lled tub and caps off with a champagne and salt scrub, nishing off with a skin-soothing body butter wrap. $240/80 minutes; The De-Stress Massage and Body Cocoon- It features a full body exfoliation, a hydrating cocoon wrap, some relaxing reexology on your feet, ending in warm oil massage. $284/110 minutes; The Abso- lute Pearl Illuminating Facial- This one uses nectar, borrowed from Indian rituals combining pearl powder with whitening agents to smooth out blemishes. $1`40/60 minutes; The Detoxi- fying Oxygenating Treatment- Its products and treatments are eco-friendly working as an anti- pollution agent, detoxifying the skin and removing harmful dirt acquired from city life. Anyone interested? Fun Activities, Too It will be boring if times are spent all working indoors. Fun activities are also lined up for the season like apple pick- ing with my family (my chef daughter bakes delicious apple pies), going to the Shenandoah mountains to see the spectacular autumn sceneries, visiting muse- ums in Washington, D.C., going to out of town ower and garden show, body massage and facial sessions (only the usual boring sessions), outlet shopping, lunch and dinner invitations with friends and relatives, etc. These are simple, but enjoyable and calming activities which meet my idea of the fall as a transi- tioning season. Soon the golden leaves of autumn will come down. A season will pass by, thus another phase of changing of the guards. It is a cycle. That From Manila With Love (Part I) MANILA I t is 2am on a Monday morn- ing and I am awake with a headache. I have a deadline to meet and am trying to summon recalcitrant gray cells which have decided not to show up for a while. We-are-on-vacation and theyre skipping with glee. So heres half a brains report. Date- line Manila. Choosing itinerary has sup- posedly become easier when airline sites opened the menu to regular travelers like me. But in practice, it has added another layer of stress. Too many choices make for a very cross-eyed and cross me. I thank the roulette dice that steered us away from Chicago and the arson scare that para- lyzed that airport. I chose another route because via OHare would have added an additional 30 minutes to the total travel time. How about that for luck? However, my sense of humor deserted me at Dulles Airport in Virginia. Our trip didnt start out well. I printed the eticket for myself twice and excluded Mitchs entirely. I was in full panic mode. My husband tried to hide his irri- tation. I crossed my ngers and approached the counter. All that was asked of us were our pass- ports. I breathed a sigh of relief, briey. Then we were told our luggage was overweight. I booked us on Cathays vaunted Premium Economy. I hoped the extra leg room was worth the extra dollars. That also allowed us two 55-lb baggage per passenger. I looked at the three bags we had and counted to ten. The rst bag was 55.5 pounds. It seemed that half pound was a mortal sin. The second and third bags were 52 pounds each, three pounds lighter than the limit. I almost shoved the eticket towards the agent behind the counter. She knitted her brows with displea- sure. She read the specied bag- gage section on the document and mumbled some words. She took delight in stamping HEAVY on tags and attached them to the offending bags but no ne was levied. Nor deserved. Next I was horried when the security pointed to my TSA Pre-check boarding pass and asked Mitch and me to go to a different section. Mitch didnt have that qualier on his ticket. What did I do to deserve this humiliation, I grated under my breath? Yes. Yes. Now I know those words meant an easier pass through security. The improved Dulles Air- port certainly looked impressive. There was ample light and the shops looked new and tempt- ing. But the long walk to gate B71 from the main terminal took more than thirty minutes. The hearty Samurai beef burger (with mouthwatering wasabi mayo on the side) we had for lunch at the BRB burger joint at Reston was by then a distant memory. We were exhausted and hungry. We chuckled. We couldnt wait for airline food. We were grateful when boarding was nally announced. Cathay couldnt place us on any premium seats on American for our rst leg from Dulles to LAX, but our seats were not bad. There was no one assigned to the aisle seat beside me so there was enough room for us to have a comfortable ight. The food and beverage cart nally reached our row. Would you like to purchase a meal for $8? The ight atten- dant was buoyant and friendly. Excuse me? I asked. Theres no free food? She shook her head and pointed to the menu that was half hidden inside the seat pocket in front of me. Mitch and I couldnt help laughing. We wiped tears of amusement and ordered a Caesar Salad and a chicken sandwich to share. This farce hid more tricks up its sleeves! We had traveled on business class prior to this trip by using our airline miles. We had gotten spoiled. But dont cry for us Argen- tina. Fate redeemed itself by bumping us to Business Class in the nal one and a half hour leg of our itinerary from Hongkong to Manila. Yippeyayeyy! Luxury engulfed in individual pods. Good free food and pampering at last. Continued on page 30 October 1-15, 2014 28 28 Editorial Political Tsismis: The Binays A Tsismoso in Manila, who claims to be a topnotch political analyst, has forwarded to yours truly an analysis of the real situation in the Philippines in the wake of charges and countercharges against Vice President Jejomar Binay who appears certain to win the presidential election less than two years from now. Here goes: Pare ko, I respectfully submit the following ndings based on my observa- tions here in the Philippines. - If President BS Aquino wants a second term it is because he fears Vice President Jejomar Binay will pull an Arroyo on him. PNoy can be charged with plunder over the same Pork Barrel that got Arroyo into trouble as well as alleged violation of the Constitution - Pinoy thinks a Binay victory will result in the dropping of all plunder charges against his partymates -- i.e. Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Bong Revilla. - The danger is not so much about the Binays alleged corruption but his dynas- tic tendency. Their rule in Makati city will become the norm nationwide. - A Binay presidency Will lead to a new system of election where dispensing government largesse rather than quali- cations will become the norm for elections in the country. - If Makati city is used as a norm, the Binays will not allow anybody else to rule the Philippines for decades to come. - VP Binay has already announced that what the Philippiness needs is national discipline. Remember the Marcos martial law slogan that Sa ikauunlat ng Bayan, disiplina ang kailangan. What many fear is that no amount of exposes of alleged corruption will affect Binays election to the presidency. Unlike other anti-Marcos personali- ties who did not take advantage of their position after the revolution, Atty. Jejo- mar Binay made the most of it. He was a virtual unknown when he campaigned against the Marcos dictatorship. When Cory became president, he was able to wangle from her the temporary position of mayor of Makati city. That was the start of the Binay rule in Makati for the past 28 years. A caution to readers in America. If you read stories about politics in the Philippines, be sure you choose the news- paper that has no ties with either of the parties involved. For instance, if you read politicaql stories in the Daily Tribune which is allegedly funded by Erap (former President Joseph Estrada), expect it to defend them. Ditto for the Manila Stan- dard which is reportedly funded by anti- Aquino entrepreneurs. The Manila Times, which is owned by a former adviser of President Arroyo, is bitterly anti-Aquino. The Philippine Star, which is now report- edly owned by a business conglomerate, is not expected to come out with exposes against any politician. Malaya and other small newspapers do not carry any weight in politics. Thus far, only the Daily Inquirer and Manila Bulletin appear to be traipsing a balancing act. Of course, the current investigation against the Binays in the Senate is Sen. Antonio Trillanes, who is reportedly plan- ning to run for president himself. Who are the other potential candidates? It seems that even PNoy himself has given up trying to endorse his former run- ning-mate Mar Roxas who lost to Binay in the 2010 elections. Among them are Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago who has reportedly survived cancer, former Sen. Panlo Lacson In 2001, the center for investiga- tive journalism chronicled the rise of the Binays and how they accumulated prop- erties. The detailed report did not impress the electorate and Binay continued his rise in power. The expose even rated an award from the Ongpin Journalism Center but it did not stop the election of Binay and the other Binays later. In frustration, the investigative center asked whether voters elect candidates on the basis of the largesse they give them instead of their honesty and qualica- tions. When Binay delivered his speech September 17 at the International Conven- tion Center denying all charges against him this was the common view of Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) chairman of the board Vergel Santos, and Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes. Speaking to ANC, Santos said he found the vice presidents speech lacking, as Binay once again answered the accusa- tions thrown against him only in very general terms. He said Binay failed to speak con- vincingly that he did not commit any wrongdoing in the construction of the 11-storey Makati City ofce and parking building, which is the subject of a plun- der complaint against him, his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, and other Makati government ofcials. The Filipino heritage in America The United States Congress has designated October as Filipino American Heritage Month. It has also designated October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, LGBT His- tory Month, among others. Theyve been placed on the American calendar for a purpose, a sort of bookmark in a truly expansive tableau that afrms their place and importance in the overall ow of life. More signicantly, they call attention to struggles past, pres- ent and future, waged by people to advance a cause. They remind Americans of the daily, barely noticed, easily forgotten labors of individuals bound by a common purpose and the overpowering desire to succeed and excel, regardless of the challenges they must face. After establishing the rst Filipino settlement near Barataria Bay in southern Louisiana in 1763 and nearly ve decades later, felt invested enough in their corner of America to help ght Brit- ish invaders in the Battle of New Orleans. And weve been ghting ever since. In 1901, the US started recruiting Filipinos to the military yet the US Congress voted in 1946 to disenfranchise those soldiers and sailors, thousands of whom died in defense of American freedom and values. Filipino labor organizers spearheaded the 1965 Delano grape strike that led to the establishment of United Farm Workers, the pioneering agricultural union. Larry Itliong, Philip Vera Cruzm Benjamin Gines, Pete Velasco names that all Americans, not only those of Filipino ancestry, should recognize. Filipino Americans continue to make huge strides: the rst chief justice of California or the rst woman executive chef at the White House, war heroes and beauty queens, chart-topping enter- tainers and trailblazing politicians. Filipino American organizations nationwide should therefore mark this month as a celebration of our individual and collective achievements. It also reminds us why we should aim even higher, work harder, persevere longer.
October 1-15, 2014 29 Warrior Barack P res. Barack Obama drew ack when he returned a snappy salute from two Marines with an awkward salute while holding a coffee cup in hand as he descended Marine One helicopter on his way to a United Nations summit in New York. Those who revere the tra- dition and symbolism of salute would likely take offense and view it negatively as a breach of military protocol. According to military historians, salute has a long tradition and its mean- ing has evolved with todays military adopting it as a sign of respect and recognition that should not be treated lightly or with irreverence. Lets forgive Barack the Commander-In-Chief. He did not go to West Point but he did learn his basic military etiquette at Hains Point by the Potomac. And good thing he is not the Pope, or he would come out of the St. Peters Basilica balcony after breakfast and bless the adoring believers wagging a banana in his hand. *** After American ghter planes and warships started to rain bombs in Iraq and Syria aimed at the Islamic State jihad- ists, Secretary of State John Kerry assured or confused the nation by saying that the military action does not mean America is at war. War is dened as an armed conict between nations or groups. Fighting like armed marauders who take no prison- ers the ISIS warriors seized cities and villages in Iraq and Syria sending shivers to Americas Arab allies in the Middle East. There is widespread ghting and dying and America is now in the thick of the ght. This is not war? Kerry and the adminis- tration have reasons to call a skunk a squirrel. Pres. Obama has promised to end Americas war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2011, he proudly declared that America is leaving a stable Iraq and he saw no need to press the Iraqi government to allow the continued presence of a mini- mal American force. Admitting that Obama has returned to war would validate the dire warning of former Pres. George W. Bush in 2007 that the withdrawal of American troops before the com- manders say we are ready would invite Al Qaeda back to establish a new safe haven they lost in Afghanistan; it would mean we would be risking killings on a horric scale; and it would mean we are increasing the probability that American troops will have to return to confront the enemy that is even more dangerous. Moreover, admitting war would invite loud calls for Congressio- nal authorization as required by the Constitution. To sugar coat the no war hostilities, Obama promises no boots on the ground. Military observers however point out that the limited number of military personnel recently sent to Iraq is just that- boots on the ground. Real dangers from Islamic State P resident Obama has acknowledged that the United States underesti- mated the threat posed by the Islamic State. That realization and the ensuing frenzy, from the cor- ridors of the Pentagon to the United Nations Security Council, has given it an overblown pos- ture of potent menace. The world is playing catch-up to contain the perceived danger, launch- ing air strikes in Iraq and Syria to degrade and destroy IS. But the battle lines have barely budged, and probably wont for a long time. But dont the media hype and the dread it engenders play to the hands of extremists? Thats evident in western Mindanao, the hotbed of Islamic extremism in the Philippines and home to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the al-Qaeda afliate that the even the United States has given up for dead. They were the reason the US deployed Special Operations troops to Mindanao, especially after it kidnapped foreign tour- ists, beheading one and mur- dering a vacationing Christian missionary whom they held for ransom. Through a vicious cam- paign (government ofcials at one point held close relatives of one of its leaders until he nally surfaced and was eventually gunned down) and with a little help from the US, the ASG was reduced to a rag-tag band of ban- dits, occasionally venturing from their jungle hide-outs to pillage and kidnap, not because they were taunting the government, rather that was the only way for them to survive. Government estimates of their strength have always been misleading. Their size swelled and contracted depending on what they were doing. When they had hostages, especially foreigners, their num- bers would grow overnight, lit- erally (Manila-based journalists working in Sulus capital town of Jolo during one of these kidnap- ping incidents would notice how the Abu Sayyaf gunmen they interviewed in their camps at dusk would be the same vendors theyd bump into at the public market the next morning); when they didnt have any and the military was actively pursuing them, only the tiny core would remain in the jungle. They are now threatening to behead one of their German hos- tages. Its obviously their way of riding on the Islamic State hysteria, to give their emaciated organization a semblance of resurgence and respect in the face of signs the world has dis- missed them as a mere police problem, not worth the fuel to keep US drones ying over the Sulu and Basilan hinterlands. Now they are a threat. The Philippine army is moving addi- tional battalions to Sulu, rein- forcing the Philippine Marine brigade already stationed there. The Islamic State undoubt- edly poses a threat (a large part of it arising from the Iraqi armys humiliating rout) but its dan- gerous mainly for the countries surrounding Iraq and Syria. Not Continued on page 30 A Month of Our Own T hanks to the Filipino American National His- torical Society (FANHS), Filipino Americans now have a month of their own to celebrate their history and culture and their progress in this country. But before 2009, when the US House of Representatives approved H.R. 780 recognizing October as Filipino American History Month, Filipinos and 30 other Asian groups were all given the month of May to cel- ebrate their collective histories and cultures. President George H.W. Bush signed a law in 1992 permanently designating May of each year as Asian Pacic Ameri- can Heritage Month. Apparently, May was chosen because it marked the arrival in the U.S. of the rst Japanese immigrants and the completion of the transconti- nental railroad, which employed Chinese immigrant workers. But for Filipinos, the only May event worth observing was the defeat of the Spanish Armada in Manila Bay by the US Navy, which led to US coloniza- tion of the Philippines. What fol- lowed, as some historians would facetiously describe it, was one hundred years in Hollywood, preceded by 300 years in a con- vent. As far as FANHS was con- cerned, this moment in history wasnt worth remembering, let alone cherishing. So, at its 1988 national conference, the mem- bers unanimously passed a resolution establishing Filipino American History Month to be observed nationally each year during the month of October. The celebration was ofcially launched in 1992, to mark the 405th anniversary of Filipino presence in America. History records show that the rst Filipi- nos settled in California on Octo- ber 18, 1587. With FANHS leading the way, studies documenting the history and advancement of Filipinos in America started to circulate. Among the notable publications: Fred Cor- dovas 1983 pictorial-essay, Fili- pinos: Forgotten Asian Ameri- cans, which provides accounts of the presence and life of Fili- pinos in America from 1763 to 1963 through a collection of 250 photographs, documents and 22 essays. This was signicant because very little was known about Filipinos. Libraries and resource centers didnt have very much information, if at all. Most of these accounts, however, were focused on the West Coast. Which was under- standable given the large inux of Filipino immigrants to Califor- nia and the state of Washington. But how about Filipinos who settled in the East Coast, particularly in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, in the capital of the most powerful country in the world? With the annexation of the Philippines to the United States, most of the Filipinos who came were mili- tary servicemen, students, teach- ers, medical professionals and government workers. With their families, they formed organiza- tions and built communities. That the focus of research and studies was mainly on the West Coast was disturbing to Rita Cacas, a native Washing- tonian, a long-time federal gov- ernment employee at the U.S. National Archives, and daughter of Depression-era pioneers. To remedy the situation, she created the book Filipinos in Wash- ington, D.C. to, as she puts it, spotlight the lively community and rich culture that exist on the East Coast, and document the families, cultural events and workplaces of Filipino pioneers who settled in the area from the early 1900s to the present. She teamed up with Juanita Tamayo Lott, a demographer and a Silver Spring resident, to research and write the book, which was pub- lished in 2009. When I arrived in the Wash- ington DC area in 1968, there was a thriving community in Oxon Hill, MD. Many were retired Continued on page 30 Continued on page 30 Opinion Book cover of Filipinos in Wash- ington, D.C. October 1-15, 2014 30 30 conicts will erupt. China, one of the worst cli- mate polluters with its thousands of coal and oil power plants is in direct conict with Vietnam after moving an oil drilling platform into waters claimed by Vietnam. Riots, property destruction and the evacuation of thousands of Chinese from Vietnam are the news this week. The content of the reports of the IPCC are vehemently denied by powerful business interests in the gas, oil and coal industries. These thermal tycoons want the burning of fossil fuels to con- tinue but the time iscoming when fossil fuels have to be abandoned and left in the ground. Alternative renewable sources of electric power like solar, wind and geothermal elec- tric generation have to power the future. Huge investments have to be made in wind and solar power. Natural gas is a much cleaner source of energy, though with some limitations, but a better alternative to coal. The common people and their gov- ernments have to stand up to the polluters of the planet and bring closer that day when the demand for oil and coal will taper off. In the Philippines, crony capitalists are manipulating the national leadership and capturing the regulators to persuade them to approve more coal plants. We all have to be caretak- ers of our God-given world, the garden of Eden is sadly wilting and dying and we humans will be dying in body and spirit with it through disease, famine, and extreme weather events. Remember, more than 6,000 people were killed by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda on 8 Novem- ber. There will be many more dying in future storms and oods of equal magnitude. We must preserve all life, especially the life of the planet itself. [shaycul l en@preda. org, www.preda.org] is life. Exciting Events for Some Friends As I recall, last summer was not that hot and humid. Like- wise, my activities were not that crazy. By choice, I minimized my social and community activi- ties due to my focus on a family event that I wrote about last issue. My summer may not be that crazy, but the wedding of my daughter was a wonderful event that lled-up the season. The tail-end of last summer also saw joyful events for the fami- lies of close friends. Norma and Warie Azarcon hosted a baby shower at their home for their unica hija, Andrea and her hus- band, Andrew. A baby girl is expected to arrive late November or early December. It was a big baby shower party attended by about sixty guests coming from at least six states. The expect- ant lola is excitedly preparing herself to help Andrea take care of her rst apo. Another friend, Vellie Dietrich-Halls daughter, Ayn got married in Belize, a Caribbean Island. It was a des- tination wedding at a beautiful tropical island. It would have been a lively and exciting wed- ding to attend, but understand- ably I was one of those who did not make it. I gathered that des- tination weddings are becoming popular now-a-days. I wonder if it is a more expensive or less expensive choice. My wise barber however believes that Obama will not be caught lying. He must have ordered those GIs to be tted with Nike or Adidas. *** Pres. Noy Aquino of the Philippines still cant get his mind to forget term extension. He maintains that he will listen to his bosses- referring to the Fil- ipino people. Reading between the lines, if there is an over- whelming clamor for him to con- tinue beyond his term, he is open to tweaking the Constitution so he can run for another term. That he did not steal a cen- tavo while in ofce is a great accomplishment. That there are still millions of mahirap means that he has so far failed in eradi- cating the kurap. There is still no relief from trafc in Metro Manila and ooding problems continue. His report card is not going to ignite an overwhelming call for more of the same. People however will respond to a strong leader. They recognize results when they see it. As much as people want to be liberated from poverty, they also want to be free from fear. It is bad enough that you have to be afraid of bad people, it is worse when the bad people are the people that you are supposed to rely on for protection. It is very disturbing to read news reports about policemen in Metro Manila involved in Hulidap- arrest and hold-up. The victims are arrested from their vehicles, taken to the police precinct and threatened with trumped-up charges and forced to cough-up big cash. If people cant trust the police anymore, who is going to deliver them from evil? A TV commenta- tor suggested that perhaps the problem needs a Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a no nonsense tough guy feared by criminals bringing real law and order in Davao City, Philippines. If PNoy can be a Duterte for the remainder of his term, people will clamor for Superman to pro- tect them forever. *** Golf tidbits: Week 1- El Sal- vador took top bragging rights. Kilabot collected a few lollipops. Eveready Freddie, King Arthur, Juliets Romeo, Don Alex, King George and Sir Lakai were con- soled by chicken wings and French fries. Week 2- Sir Lakai joined the party in time to hit the jackpot. Don Alex was runner- up and Kilabot took a few lolli- pops. El Salvador, King Arthur, Eveready Freddie, Juliets Romeo and King George treated themselves with chicken wings and fries. I got even with my Godfather. anymore. Because of the global response to that threat, the Islamic State has become more formidable in so many other ways. The clever way they have tapped into social media helped make them appear larger, and even in the realm of extremism, more sinister. Just like the ASG, their ranks have swelled because theyre holding a valuable hos- tage in this case, essentially much of the Middle East, and the wealthy but spooked West. Their rapid rise has left governments scrambling. Presi- dent Obamas response, not- withstanding the successful diplomatic initiative to form an international coalition against the Islamic State, has been found wanting barely ve weeks before the midterm elections that will determine the nations polit- ical fortunes in his last two years at the White House. Its remarkable how the debate in America has shifted so swiftly. Obamacare and immi- gration reforms now seem so dis- tant. In a way, the growing con- ict in Iraq and Syria has crystal- lized the overriding issue for the coming elections: leadership. Real dangers from... from page 29 Warrior Barack... from page 29 military servicemen. I met Ritas younger brother, Sam, in the 1970s when we were organiz- ing opposition to the martial law regime in the Philippines. Thats how I learned about Sam and Ritas father, Clemente Cacho Cacas, a World War II veteran who arrived in the D.C. area in 1929 and drove a taxi cab for over 40 years. I also met their mother, Maria, who remains active in the community as a member of the Ilocano Society and the VFW Womens Auxiliary. When Mr. Cacas began to suffer from Alzheimers dis- ease, Rita started to document his fathers experience and those of other Filipino immigrants he knew. She feared that unless their stories are told, they will disappear. In 1993, Rita received a small grant from the Prince Georges Arts Council to fund her project, A Visit with My Elders: Por- traits and Stories of Washington area Filipino Pioneers. She pre- sented the photographs and gave talks at conferences, libraries and cultural centers. This project laid the groundwork for the book Mencie Hairston, founder of Mabuhay, Inc., and I visited with Rita recently to talk about her next project: establishing a foundation, which will establish a repository for ethnographic histories, culture and archives of Filipinos Americans in Washing- ton, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. She has been talking to ofcials at the University of Maryland, who have agreed to serve as a reposi- tory for this collection. She cant contain her excitement. And we are delighted as well. At her home in Silver Spring, Rita showed us mounds of pictures collected by long-time family friends. She had gathered about 1,000 photos in her effort to collect them for the book. That was one of the biggest challenges, she says. Some of the older people I reached out to did not save old family photos. Rita is putting the word out about this project and is call- ing on the community to sup- port its goal: documenting the Filipino immigrant experience in America and encouraging young people to keep track of their family histories. You have to understand and appreciate your past to move forward, she says. We agree that the personal nature of these collected stories of strug- gle and overcoming obstacles will make it easy for readers to connect with the experiences. Ritas efforts, and those of others who will strive to also collect and share their stories, will ensure that the proud and inspiring legacy of our pioneers will remain alive and make the celebration of Filipino American History Month even more mean- ingful. E-mail your comments to jdmelegrito@gmail.com visa petition. The Immigration Service interpreted the application of CSPA only to a limited class of child beneciaries- the F2A family preference category or children of lawful permanent residents under 21 years of age. The Scialabba vs. Osorio appel- lants sought to expand the coverage of the law to include derivative beneciaries or chil- dren of primary beneciaries, i.e. children of aliens whose parents were petitioned by US citizens. The Supreme Court agreed with the interpretation of the USCIS. The aged-out child will only retain his priority date upon automatic conversion of his visa category if the child would have qualied as the beneciary of a visa petition in his own right, as opposed to visa aged-out appli- cants who were merely piggy backing on their parents quali- cation for a visa. For instance, if a perma- nent resident petitions for his minor child and the child turns 21 before the visa becomes avail- able, the child may still be enti- tled to receive a visa under the F2A category under the CSPA formula or may automatically be converted to F2-B, child over 21 of permanent residents retaining the original priority date. As in the Osorio case, reten- tion of priority date under CSPA will not apply when a US citizen petitions for his child who has children of his own. The grand children are called derivative beneciaries. This is a family preference petition under the F1 category. When the derivative beneciaries turn 21 before visa becomes available to the parent, they will no longer be available for a visa. If their parent obtains a green card and later petitions for them, they will not be cred- ited with the original priority date when they were derivative beneciaries of their parent. Seasonal Goodbye... from page 27 Meaning of SC age... from page 25 A Month of Our Own... from page 29 lives. Its difcult to pin down the mercury levels in pieces of sushi, because they can vary depending on the size and species of sh. This makes it difcult to set a denitive cap on sushi consump- tion. Because mercury can cause severe neurological problems, pregnant women and young children are advised by the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to avoid eating too much tuna. According to the agencys 2004 guidelines. Food overdose?... from page 25 Climate change is... from page 25 October 1-15, 2014 31 October 1-15, 2014 32 32