1

March 1-15, 2015

Vol. XXIV, No. 8

Online: www. manilamail.us

March 1-15, 2015

Social media rants expose DC consulate woes

WASHINGTON D.C. A protracted social media rant by disgruntled Filipinos over alleged
unprofessionalism at the Philippine Embassys consular office
has grown to a full-blown controversy with people weighing
in on all sides.
The complaints were first
reported by Maricar CP Hampton in The FilAm.net after
apparently noticing the steady
stream of angry denunciations of
embassy personnel. Comments
posted on Facebook talked
about the rudeness of the staff

and poor service. Some complained about being forced to

wait out in the winter cold.
I know palakasan system
works at that embassy, Hampton quoted one Facebook user.
Recently designated Consul
General Emil Fernandez blamed
a combination of factors for the
troubles.
Consular services are currently being temporarily rendered at the Embassys main
building, as the old chancery
where the Consular Section
was housed the past few years

is undergoing renovation, he
explained.
Realizing the limited space
at the temporary office, they
erected a heated tent to expand
the waiting area, but there was
a spell when the heater conked
out.
The renovation of the
old chancery is being made in
order to provide clients with a
more spacious and better-looking environment. The public
has been advised to bear with
us, while the renovation is ongoing, Fernandez said.

But the publics ire appears

to be sharpest against linejumpers and the staffs apparent
ambivalence.
Akala ko sa Pilipinas lang
my palakasan. Pumunta kami
dun ng maaga at pumila tapos
nag hihintay na matawag ang
number namin, biglang nalang
may pumsok na isang Filipina
kasi mag re-renew daw ng passport yung kasama. Aba! deretso
dun sa window 1 (I thought
favoritism happens only in the

Mamasapano debacle that left 44 policemen dead left Pres. Aquino in a

tough place.

MANILA.
President
Benigno Aquino III dismissed
calls for him to resign, including
from his uncle, as the nation held
a simple celebration commemorating the 29th anniversary of
the People Power Revolution.
The President will step
down on June 30, 2016, teased
deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, adding Any

reports or stories of any other

exit plan apart from that are fictitious.
While the event is usually
marked with nationwide celebration but organizers decided to
keep it more subdued this year.
The celebration this year
is very simple because its the
29th and we purposefully kept
it simple because next year will

be [the] 30th anniversary celebration, so we can go all out for the

30th, explained EDSA People
Power Commission head Emily
Abrera.
She denied speculations they
opted to downplay the celebrations because of an alleged plot
to overthrow President Aquino.

Snow blankets the Philippine

Embassy grounds. (Photo from Min.
Elmer Catos Facebook page)

Saving Mindanao peace deal

MANILA. President Aquino
met with congressional allies on
Feb. 24 to try to move past the
Mamasapano incident where 44
police commandos were killed
and now threatens to scuttle his

Monitors inspect guns returned by

MILF

Hollywood stars in
Manila Page 4

legacy legislation, the proposed

Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to
end the secessionist war in Mindanao.
The
President
briefed
briefed Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and other House leaders
on the background of the operations for the capture of wanted
terrorists Marwan and Usman,
according to Presidential Communications Secretary Sonny
Coloma.
President Aquino has been
pummeled in the press and by
public opinion on his handling
of the fall-out from the disastrous police anti-terror operation in Mamasapano. He has
refused to accept responsibility
and has blamed both resigned
Philippine National Police (PNP)

Continued on page 14

PH wants US drones
Page 8

Continued on page 22

Continued on page 14

Pacquiao savors underdog

tag for Mayweather bout
FAIRFAX, Va. In the end,

between Manny Pacquiao and

it took a face-to-face meeting

Floyd Mayweather Jr. to seal

Manny Pacquiao with Floyd Mayweather in Florida meeting

25 years for terror ties

Page 10

Remembering Gen.
MacArthur Page 10

the biggest deal in professional

boxing, reportedly worth over
$450 million for one historic
night on May 2 at the MGM
Grand in Las Vegas.
Done deal, Mayweather
announced on the social media
app called Shots where is reportedly an investor.
Mayweather, who is 47-0 in
his career with 26 knockouts, is
now 37 years old. Pacquiao, 36, is
57-5-2, but lost two fights in 2012
and has embarked as a second
career as a congressman in the

Continued on page 22

Anjanette happy after

split Page 15

March 1-15, 2015

Undocumented Pinoys shy away from DACA

WASHINGTON D.C. Only
about third of eligible undocumented Filipinos have availed of
deportation protection, reflecting a pattern that showed Asian
immigrants were less likely than
Latinos to apply for deferred
action.
While Latinos have signed
up for the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
program in large numbers, Asian
immigrants have not.
According to a report by the
Migration Policy Institute (MPI),
just 24 percent of eligible Koreans, 26 percent of eligible Filipinos and 28 percent of eligible
Indians applied between 2012
and 2014.
In contrast 68 percent of eligible Hondurans, 62 percent of
eligible Mexicans and 61 percent
of eligible Peruvians applied.
Some fear Asians might
become even more reluctant
to apply after a federal judge
in Texas blocked President
Obamas executive action to
expand DACA.
Ive seen fear and confusion, said California Rep. Judy
Chu, adding that some Asian
immigrants are wary of sharing
personal information with the
government and have doubts
about whether the program will
last.
The President announced
last November that he was

expanding his signature immigration initiative to include

deportation protections for a

cans Advancing Justice.

Asians dont feel the threat
of deportation as acutely as

Undocumented immigrants show off application papers.

broader group of childhood
arrivals, as well as up to 4 million
immigrant parents of US-born
children.
We need to reach out and
demystify the stigma, said Mee
Moua, executive director of the
DC-based group Asian Ameri-

Latinos, who are deported at a

higher rate, observed Tom Wong,
a professor at University of California-San Diego.
And some Asian immigrants
may have other forms of relief
available to them. It may be a
rational and conscious choice

not to apply because the benefits

do not outweigh the cost, he
added.
Aquilina Soriano, executive
director of the Filipino Workers
Center, noted that Asian immigrants have less experience participating in past immigration

relief programs. Mexican nationals were the primary beneficiaries of the 1986 amnesty bill, and
Hondurans and Salvadorans
have enjoyed a special immigration benefit called Temporary
Protected Status for more than a
decade.

March 1-15, 2015

US Special Forces leaving Mindanao

ZAMBOANGA CITY. US Special
Forces formally wrapped up its activities
in Mindanao during a flag raising ceremony at the AFP Western Mindanao Command headquarters at Camp Navarro last
Feb. 24.
The Joint Special Operations Task
Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) has been
deactivated after over 13 years of operating in Sulu, Basilan and other hotbeds of
the Al Qaeda affiliate Abu Sayyaf Group
(ASG).
From 500 to 600 Special Operations

A small stay-behind force will be

arriving in March to continue training Filipino troops.
WESMINCOM deputy commander
Brig. Gen. Orlando De Leon thanked the
US soldiers for their help.
Before the closing program, a moment
of silence was held to honor 17 US soldiers
who died in the Philippines during their
tour of duty.
Our partnership with the Philippine
security forces has been successful in dras-

US Army Col. Fran Beaudette (foreground,) Commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force
- Philippines lay a wreath at a memorial commemorating the crash of Wild 42. Ten members
of JSOTF-P died when their U.S. MH-47E Chinook helicopter crashed in the Bohol Sea after a
mission in Basilan in 2002. (Photo by Maj. Darrick B. Lee/JSOTF-P)
soldiers rotated in JSOTF-P outposts to
train Filipino counterparts and operate an
array of weapons, including unmanned
aircraft and eavesdropping equipment.

tically reducing the capabilities of domestic and transnational terrorist groups in

the Philippines, said Kurt Hoyer, US
Embassy press attache in Manila.

March 1-15, 2015

Pemberton refuses to enter plea in murder raps

OLONGAPO CITY. US
Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton
was arraigned here on Feb. 23
but declined to enter a plea in
the murder charges for the death
of Filipino transgender Jennifer
Laude. The court entered a not
guilty plea for him.
Prosecutors said the killing
was accompanied by treachery,
abuse of superior strength, and
cruelty. Pre-trial proceedings

are scheduled on Feb. 27 where

both parties have an opportunity
to end the case.
But the lawyer for the Laude
family, Harry Roque called for
an immediate start to the trial,
saying his clients will not settle
the case in exchange for money.
The trial is expected to begin
next month because the court has
only one year to resolve the case,
under the 1998 Visiting Forces

Agreement (VFA).
Pemberton faces life imprisonment if found guilty.
Virgie Suarez, another private prosecutor, said Pemberton
did not enter a plea in the hope
that the Supreme Court will side
with him.
Pembertons arraignment
in December was postponed
after his lawyers appealed to the
justice department against the

decision to indict him, but that

appeal was thrown out.
Prosecutors will present at
least 18 witnesses at the trial,
including a friend of Laude who
accompanied her and Pemberton
to a motel as they checked in.
An autopsy report showed
Laude, 26, died due to asphyxia
by drowning. Prosecutors say
Pemberton was the only person
with Laude the entire time she

was in the motel.

Laudes

death

re-ignited

anti-US sentiment in the Philippines. Militants oppose the

presence of US military forces in
the country. Under the VFA, the
United States is allowed to retain
custody of Pemberton during the
legal proceedings against him.

French leader brings Hollywood stars for visit

MANILA. French President
Francois Hollande brought a
bit of star power to draw attention to the challenges of climate
change during a two-day visit to
the Philippines.
Hollande brought Oscarwinning actress Marion Cotillard and British actor Jeremy
Irons during his visit Feb. 26-27.
The French leader also brought
Patriarch Bartholomew I of the
Orthodox Church and another
French actress, Melanie Laurent.
All these people will be there
to show support for this cause,
said French ambassador to the
Philippines Gilles Garachon.
Hollande and President
Benigno Aquino III called on
world leaders to finalize a cli-

Marion Cotillard

Jeremy Irons

mate change drafted in December.

Although the focus of the
visit is the environment, the two
leaders are also slated to talk
about international terrorism in

the wake of last months attack

in Paris.
The two leaders will also
exchange views on global and
regional issues like terrorism
such as what happened involv-

ing Charlie Hebdo in Paris that

claimed the lives of 20 people,
said presidential communications chief Herminio Coloma.
Coloma did not elaborate on
how the two nations would take
up the issue.
The largely Roman Catholic Philippines has been the
longtime target of local Muslim
extremist attacks, especially in
the south where the Muslim
minority is based.
The Abu Sayyaf, a loose
band of a few hundred militants
in the south founded with seed
money from Al-Qaeda, has been
blamed for some of the worst
terror attacks in Philippine history.
Paris will be hosting a major

climate change conference later

this year. Negotiators hope to
cut a deal to limit global warming to no more than two degrees
Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit)
over pre-industrial levels, averting what could be potentially
catastrophic damage to the
Earths climate system by the
turn of the century.
Hollande also visited the
coastal town of Guiuan, one of
the worst-hit by super typhoon
Yolanda/Haiyans in November
2013. It was the strongest storm
on record to hit land, leaving
7,350 people dead or missing
after its 230 kph winds whipped
tsunami-like waves that wiped
out entire communities.

March 1-15, 2015

Prayers offered for SAF commandos in DC

WASHINGTON D.C. The
Philippine Embassy will host the
40th Day Prayers for the Philippine Special Action Force (SAF)
commandos killed in a clash
with separatist rebels in Maguindanao province last Jan. 25.
The mass will be held at 6:00
PM on March 6 at the Romulo
Hall of the Philippine Embassy,
1600 Massachusetts Ave. NW,
Washington D.C. 20036.
Chief Supt. Jose Gentiles,
the Philippine police attache in
Washington D.C., said the event
is open to the public as a way to
express sympathy with the families of the slain commandos.
The clash was triggered
when the SAF tried to serve a
longstanding arrest warrant
against alleged terror leader Zulfikli Abdhir alias Marwan, who
had a $5 million bounty from the
United States. He was shot dead
during the raid and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
later confirmed Marwans identity.
The incident also produced
a political backlash, leading to
a congressional probe on who
approved the police operation
and why the commandos didnt
get any help as they fought for
their lives.

Sex traveler nabbed

LOS ANGELES. Authorities
are searching for more victims of

an American accused of engaging in sex with under-aged girls

in Asia.
Ronald
Carey
Shirley,
64, was arrested Feb. 12 as he
boarded a Philippine Airlines
flight at the Los Angeles International Airport. He was reportedly bound for Vietnam to visit
girls he contacted through social
media, the US Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) said.
He was arrested on suspicion of attempting to produce
and receive child pornography.
Shirley allegedly had online
communications of a sexual
nature with girls, 11 to 16 years
old, in the Philippines and Vietnam, including some messages
in which he solicited sexually
explicit images of the victims,
officials said.

tunities to work together with

you, said Consul General Mario
de Leon.
We need to make ourselves
count politically, economically
and culturally as well as evolve
and adapt while integrating second-generation (Filipino Americans) in leadership and activi-

ties, he added.
De Leon said he understood how Filipinos are so busy
making a living, but not to the
point where we become invisible.
Among the proposals raised
during the workshop included
giving awards to or funding

entrepreneurs; promoting and

supporting Filipino enterprise;
producing a resource guide for
newcomers to the US; using
English names in some events to
promote Filipinos in the mainstream; continue supporting Filipino seniors; and building a Filipino center for Filipino events.

Fil-Am assembly
NEW YORK. About a hundred Filipino Americans from
seven cities across the United
States met here Feb. 17 to map
out community-building initiatives to be launched across the
nation.
The event billed as the
first Filipino American General
Assembly brought Filipinos
from Delaware to New York and
seven other cities in the dead of
winter.
This work plan offers us
(the Consulate General) oppor-

Representatives of the US Dept. of Labor, Dept. of Justice, Equal Employee Opportunity Commission and the
National Labor Relations Board listened to the complaints and concerns of Asian American and Pacific Islander
workers during a Listening Session held Feb. 21 at the SEIU Union Hall in Washington, D.C. Among those attending are 16 Filipino teachers who are victims of trafficking. They were promised teaching jobs by a Filipino recruiter
who was later convicted for engaging in a scam. Led by Jo Quiambao of the advocacy group Gabriella, the teachers
were assured of an inter-agency review of their situation. (Photo by Jon Melegrito)

March 1-15, 2015

Binay accused of getting kickbacks from land deal

MANILA. The Philippine
Senate has resumed hearing
complaints against Vice President Jejomar Binay and the latest

or when they should receive payment.

Binay has refused to face the
senators and attend their hear-

should still be the final arbiter,

he argued.
The
Philippine
Daily
Inquirer reported that Aquinos
uncle called for a change in leadership. He also denied he is the
rich man identified by Senator
Miriam Defensor Santiago as the
financier of an alleged destabilization plan.

No combat role

Beleaguered Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay in Boy Scouts event.

testimonies alleged that he could
have received as much as half a
billion pesos in kickbacks for a
property deal on behalf of the
Boy Scouts.
At a Feb. 18 Senate Blue
Ribbon committee hearing, businessmen Roberto Ongpin and
Mario Oreta denied giving kickbacks to Binay in exchange for
the allegedly anomalous joint
venture agreement between the
Binay-led Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and Alphaland
Corporation for the development of a one-hectare property
in the Makati business district.
Part of the money was allegedly used to bankroll Binays
vice presidential run in 2010,
according to whistleblower
and former Makati Vice Mayor
Ernesto Mercado.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a Binay nemesis, then
accused Ongpin and Oreta of tax
evasion because of the Makati
deal. Ongpin, a former trade
minister during the Marcos
years, chairs Alphaland Corporation which developed the
Alphaland Makati Place property, currently priced at about P1
billion.
Mercado said the amount
Binay
allegedly
received
depends on whether and when
he had sold his alleged share
from the BSP-Alphaland deal.
Oreta stressed Binay has nothing
to do with his company Noble
Care.
Ongpin has filed a libel case
against Mercado.
Upon questioning by Senator Koko Pimentel, Ongpin
confirmed that the BSP has not
received any remittances from
the deal, although he said the
agreement does not specify how

ings, dismissing them as

a political witch-hunt.
He has announced plans
to run for the presidency
in 2016.

Family feud?
MANILA. The Presidents uncle, former
Pampanga Congressman
Jose Peping Cojuangco
has reportedly joined
a chorus calling for his
resignation,
prompting Malacanang to issue
a statement last Feb.
18 that the President is
determined to finish his
term in 2016.
Presidential Communications
Secretary
Herminio Coloma, Jr.
dismissed Cojuangcos
call as part of an offshoot
of democratic space.
The President continues to do his duty and
carry out the peoples
mandate. The people

MANILA. The Department

of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reiterated that United States forces
in the country are barred from
joining combat operations in the
country, following allegations
that they may have played an
active role in police operation
to take down a notorious terror
leader in Mindanao.

Where the US is concerned,

we have a longstanding and
ongoing cooperation on counter
terrorism, including intelligence
sharing, training and advisory,
explained
DFA
spokesman
Charles Jose.
He said this cooperation
is highlighted in the Mutual
Defense Treaty and the Visiting
Forces Agreement. He added
that under the terms of these
agreements, US forces are barred
from combat operations in the
country.
Jose said they were never
informed that the US would be
joining the Mamasapano operation. Under the Mutual Defense
Board and the Security Engagement Board, all activities must

Presidential uncle Jose Peping

Cojuangco
have the prior consent of the
Philippine government, including the Department of National
Defense, Armed Forces of the
Philippines and the DFA.

March 1-15, 2015

March 1-15, 2015

Philippines want spy drones from US

MANILA. The Philippine
military is looking into the feasibility of acquiring Americanbuild unmanned aircraft for
intelligence and surveillance
activities in the disputed waters
of the South China Sea.
Col.
Restituto
Padilla,

global standards for the use of

the controversial weapons systems.
The State Department said
it would allow exports of lethal
US military drones under strict
conditions, including that sales
must be made through govern-

Technicians ready Predator drone

spokesman for the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
said they were interested in the
drones to boost awareness but
stressed they didnt want armed
drones similar to what the US
has been using to kill ranking
terror suspects around the globe.
The United States established last Feb. 17 a policy for
exports of military and commercial drones, including armed
ones, and said it plans to work
with other countries to shape

ment programs and that recipient nations must agree to certain

end-use assurances.
The new policy will make
it easier for Americas closest
allies to buy armed drones, while
maintaining stringent controls
on the overall technology, US
officials averred.
The US has classified the
Philippines as a major nonNATO ally which grants it certain privileges in acquiring surplus US military equipment. It

also has access to US equipment

through the Foreign Military
Fund (FMF) and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs.
The US builds the popular
Predator and Reaper drones.
China has its own ambitious
drone program and has exported
drones to at least nine countries,
including Pakistan, Egypt and
the United Arab Emirates.

2009.
The complaint pointed to
several violations in the utilization of the PDAF such as splitting
of contracts in the procurement
of goods, falsifying receipts and
delivery receipts, denying several beneficiaries from receiving
financial assistance, and having
a non-existent business entity as
the supplier of goods.

Ex-solon pork barrel

Selling Clark

CALOOCAN CITY. The

Ombudsman filed charges last
Feb. 18 against a former congresswoman, a former Cabinet
secretary, and 5 others in connection with the lawmakers pork
barrel funds.
The
officials
included
former Congresswoman Mary
Mitzi Cajayon of Caloocan City,
former Secretary Esperanza
Cabral, Undersecretary Mateo
Montao and Assistant Secretary
Vilma Cabrera of the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The Public Assistance and
Corruption Prevention Office
(PACPO) of the Office of the
Ombudsman accused them of
violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for the alleged
misuse of about P10 million in
Cajayons pork barrel funds in

PAMPANGA. The Philippines will begin the process of

auctioning off rights to develop
part of the 23,475-acre former
United States Clark Air Base in
Pampanga, about half an hours
drive from the countrys capital.
The Clark Green City project
has piqued the interest of major
Philippine property firms and
foreign companies such as Sumi-

Clark Freeport Zone gate

tomo Corp, Hitachi Ltd, Farglory

Land Development Co Ltd and
Mitsubishi Corp, said Arnel Paciano Casanova, president of the
state-run Bases Conversion and
Development Authority (BCDA)
in a recent Reuters report.
We are also doing parallel
discussions with foreign partners who could locate in the special economic zone, Casanova
said.
The agency expects private
firms to spend a total of P59 billion ($1.33 billion) to develop
the 1,300-hectare parcel, almost
four times the size of New Yorks
Central Park, Casanova said.
Clark Green City is targeted
to generate P1.57 trillion-worth
of economic activity annually
and create nearly a million jobs
when development is complete,
government studies show.

March 1-15, 2015

FilVets remember Rescission Act injustice

SAN FRANCISCO. Filipino
World War II veterans and their
supporters marked the 69th
anniversary of the Rescission Act
with a prayer vigil at the Peace
Memorial Statue of the Comfort
Woman last Feb. 20.
World War II veteran Gregorio Albano expressed the disap-

(JFAV).
About a quarter of a million
Filipinos fought in the defense
of the United States, which then
held the Philippines as a colony,
against the Japanese in World
War II. As a US commonwealth
before and during the war, Filipinos were legally American

Aging Filipino WWII veterans still seeking justice.

pointment of many of his compatriots over the Rescission Act
that stripped them of US military
benefits and recognition on Feb.
18, 1946.
The sad fact until now the
Japanese wont admit to the war
crimes that they perpetrated
during the Second World War.
The same thing, the US Congress
wont admit that they have disenfranchised 250,000 veterans.
So were on the same boat,
said Arturo Garcia of the Justice
for Filipino American Veterans

nationals.
The Rescission Act stripped
Filipinos of the benefits. Of the
66 countries allied with the US
during the war, only Filipinos
were denied military benefits.
Until the veterans are
granted benefits, the same problem about their unification with
their family is a pipe dream. No
matter what bills they file its
only for show. Its useless, said
Garcia.
Some veterans believe the

best solution is a full Veterans

Equity bill.

Measles outbreak
LOS ANGELES. California
health officials revealed that the
measles virus that first hit Disneyland shared genetic material
with the type most commonly
found in the Philippines, according to laboratory results.
The California outbreak
likely started when a traveler
who was infected overseas with
measles visited the amusement
park while infectious, the Washington-based Central for Disease
Control (CDC) said.
Genetic analysis of specimens from 30 California patients
showed the virus was of genotype B3, which is identical to
the virus circulating in the Philippines but the CDC cautioned
that the same virus type has been
found in 14 other countries as
well as six other American states.
The highly contagious disease is a much larger problem
in the Philippines, where more
than 50,000 were sickened and
110 were killed last year.
Scientists said the findings
make it likely that the virus
originated in the Philippines. But
they still dont know exactly how
it got into the United States and
ultimately to Disneyland. There
is also a Philippines connection
to at least two other measles outbreaks in 2014.

Domestic transmission of
measles was eliminated in the
United States in 2000. For about
a decade, the median number
of measles cases reported annually was only 60, according to the
CDC.

Reef compensation
WASHINGTON D.C. The
United States Navy paid nearly
$2 million for damage caused
by a minesweeper to a protected

help rehabilitate and protect the

reef and enhance monitoring of
the area to prevent a repeat of
the incident.
The DFA said the US has also
promised assistance for the Philippine coast guard to upgrade its
station at the reef.
The park management, the
World Wide Fund for Nature,
and marine experts said in a
joint assessment that about 2,345

USS Guardian minesweeper is cut up at Tubbataha Reef.

reef in the Philippines two years
ago.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
confirmed that it received P87
million ($1.97 million) in January 2015 as compensation for
the damage caused when the
USS Guardian ran aground at
the Tubbataha Reef, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, in January
2013.
The money is intended to

square meters (25,240 square

feet) of corals were damaged.
The stricken ship was dismantled piece by piece over
two months to prevent further
damage to the reef. The US
Pacific Fleet relieved the ships
commanding officer, executive
officer and navigator, assistant
navigator and officer on deck
after an investigation showed
they failed to follow standard
navigation procedures.

10

March 1-15, 2015

Virginia exhibit marks PH Liberation in WWII

NORFOLK, Va. The Gen.
Douglas MacArthur Foundation
unveiled last Feb. 21 a special
exhibition on the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Philippines, marking a critical turning point in the Pacific War and a
promise fulfilled.
The exhibit dubbed Keeping the Promise features artifacts and documents from US,
Philippine and Japanese sources
spread over 5,000 square feet display space. Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. cut the ceremonial ribbon.
MacArthur
delivered
the immortal promise I shall
return after he was ordered to
move from Corregidor to Australia in February 1942. It took
more than two years and spirited
infighting among American leaders (some wanted to bypass the
Philippines) for him to fulfill that
pledge to Filipinos. In October
1944, the US 6th Army landed on
Leyte and this was soon followed
by amphibious stabs at Mindoro
Island and then Luzon. They
reached the outskirts of Manila
on Feb. 3 and liberated the devastated city after three weeks of
bitter, bloody combat.
More than 100,000 Filipino
civilians were killed in the fight-

ing. The trapped Japanese garrison raped and murdered thousands, including infants.
The destruction of Manila
was one of the greatest tragedies
of World War II, wrote William

By the grace of Almighty

God our forces stand again on
Philippine soil soil consecrated
in the blood of our two peoples,
MacArthur declared, enshrining
the unique ties between the US

Philippine Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. (3rd from left) and Norfolk, Va.
Mayor Paul Epraim (far right) cut the ceremonial ribbon to open a special exhibit to commemorate the Liberation of the Philippines in 1945. The
event was attended by executives from the MacArthur Foundation, Memorial Center as well as Fil-Am community leaders and World War II veterans.
(Photo by Bing Cardenas Branigin)
Manchester, an American historian MacArthurs biographer.
Of Allied capitals in those war
years, only Warsaw suffered
more. Seventy percent of the
utilities, 75 percent of the factories, 80 percent of the southern
residential district, and 100 percent of the business district was
razed.

eration of the Philippines. It cut

them off from their oil supplies
and raw materials that idled
their factories.
MacArthur believes that
Americas fortune lay in the

generations. Here was western

civilizations last earth frontier. It
was crystal clear to me that the
future and, indeed, the very existence of America, were irrevoca-

Iconic photo of Gen. Douglas MacArthur wading in Leyte beach, fulfilling

promise to return.
Pacific, preceding the US pivot
to Asia.
Here lived almost half the
population of the world, with
probably more than half of the
raw products to sustain future

and Philippines.
The fighting lasted several
more weeks but by July, MacArthur declared
the Philippines
liberated.
Historians
SAN FRANCISCO. Convicted Filisay
Japans
pino terrorist Ralph Kenneth de Leon
fate was sealed
was sentenced to 25 years in prison but
with the Libtold the court he was not mad at the government but himself.

bly entwined with Asia and its

island outposts, he wrote in his
memoirs Reminiscences.
He also criticized Americas
failure to prevent the emergence
of a communist China.

Pinoy gets 25 years for terror ties

Kabir, the alleged ring leader of the plot
to recruit and train several men to go
to the Middle East and join Al Qaeda,
was convicted of four counts and also
received 25 years.

Laguna-born Ralph Kenneth de Leon was meted 25-year prison sentence for plotting against
US.
A jury found De Leon and a co-conspirator were found guilty of aiding Al
Qaeda and plotting to kill Americans at
the end of a six-week trial last September.
In his letter to US District Judge Virgina Philipps, the 26-year-old Lagunaborn De Leon said he had no excuse
for his senseless action, describing his
conversion from Catholicism to Islam as
overzealous.
He also denounced extremist violence and said he planned to speak before
mosques and youth about the peaceful
teachings of the Quran.
His co-defendant Soheil Omar

Im disappointed. I mean I think

he shouldve deserved a sentence in the
10 year range which is what I recommended; very much on par with some of
the cases I cited on my brief for conduct
that was similar, if not worse than his,
De Leons lawyer David Thomas said.
He said they will appeal the courts
verdict. Were hopeful on appeal that
the court will see this was really a situation for entrapment, he explained.
De Leons parents wept inside the
courtroom as the sentence was handed
down.

11

March 1-15, 2015

Pinay trafficking victim reunited with family

NEW YORK. A Filipina
human trafficking victims nightmare is over as she was finally
reunited with her four children
last Feb. 3.
Judith
Daluz
endured
almost eight years as an exploited
worker after arriving here in
2005 on a G-5 visa (domestic help
working for a diplomat). She was
promised $1,800 monthly salary
to work as a nanny for two kids
but instead got paid only $500,
working seven days a week
without any overtime pay.
Her kids are all grown up,
with the eldest Julius Vincent
having graduated with a nursing
degree recently. I want to be able

to work for my family, so I can

help send my siblings through
school and so my mother can
rest, he was quoted in an ABSCBN Balitang America report.
Her daughter Katherine
said it was difficult growing up
without a mother to help and
guide them.
She escaped from her
employers in 2007 but lived in
the shadows for five more years.
She was later able to obtain a
special trafficking victims visa
through the help of the Damayan
Migrant Workers Associations.
This is a big blessing for
me to have my family back, she
said. This is it. This is my dream

Human trafficking victim Judith Daluz (front row, 3rd from right) welcomes
her children as they arrive in New York.

for my kids. Now I dont have

to worry because I dont have to
scrape just to give them a bright
future.

Humanitarian medal
HONOLULU. The United
States Pacific Command will pin
the Humanitarian Service Medal
on soldiers and other service
members who participated in
Operation Damayan, the massive US relief operations that followed Super Typhoon Haiyan
in the Philippines in November
2013.
Some 13,400 service members are eligible for the medal.
They were assigned to Joint Task
Force 505 who were physically
present and provided humanitarian assistance from Nov. 10 to
Dec. 1, 2013. Any officer above
the rank of colonel can recommend the awarding of the medal.
Under the Armys military
awards regulation, soldiers are
not entitled to more than one
award of the Humanitarian
Service Medal for participation
in the same act or operation. A
bronze service star will be worn
to denote direct participation in
a second or subsequent humanitarian act or operation.
The US military response
included 13,400 service members, 66 aircraft, 12 naval vessels and the evacuation of 21,000
people from the storm area.

Dont ask, dont tell

NEW YORK. School districts in 14 New York counties
have agreed to stop asking the
immigration status of students
and their guardians.
The new policy was
announced by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman after reports that 20 school
districts had illegally asked for
items including copies of Social
Security cards and the disclosure
of visa status in their enrollment
material.
Schoolhouse doors must
be open to all students in our
diverse state, regardless of their
immigration status, he noted.
More than 30 years after the
Supreme Court guaranteed a
free public education for undocumented children, we must do
everything we can to uphold the
law and ensure equal access for
all our students.
Requiring the disclosure
of citizenship and immigration
status by students or their guardians can discourage undocumented students from enrolling,
Schneiderman explained.
The New York State Education Department is investigating
reports that four districts in the
New York City metropolitan area
that had recently seen an influx
of unaccompanied minors from
Central and South America were

unlawfully making immigration

inquiries.

More reforms needed

WASHINGTON D.C. An
American think-tank said last
Feb. 18 that the Philippines
needed to speed up reforms
against corruption and to further open the economy to foreign
investments.
The
Washington-based
Heritage Foundation said these
reforms can help the country
attain economic freedom, eliminate poverty and provide Filipinos with equal access to opportunities.
What were trying to do
is encourage governments to
undertake policy changes that
empower individuals, that open
the economy to the greatest of
freedom and emphasize the
elimination of discrimination in
society, Heritage Foundation
executive director Terry Miller
said during a briefing at the Philippine Central Bank in Manila.
The Philippines posted an
overall score of 62.2 points in
the foundations latest Index of
Economic Freedom, landing in
76th place (compared to 89th last
year) in a pool of 178 countries.
Philippine Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) grew by 6.1 percent last year, the 2nd fastest in
Asia next to China.

12

If youd like your organizations event to be listed in the Calendar, please sent your information
to Maurese Oteyza Owens at mpapoose@aol.com.
MAR
3
(Tuesday)
7:00p.m. Mass with Cardinal
Luis AntonioTagle with Fr. Mel
Portula CICM. St. Annes Catholic Church, 5300 N. 10th St.,
Arlington, VA 22205. Q&A

March 1-15, 2015

Opportunity. Potluck dinner

follows. Families and Groups
are requested to bring a dish.
Please e-mail Ben Manalaysay,
Sr. coordinator, atbmanalaysay@
verizon.net to let him know what
dish you are bringing.
MAR 3 (Tuesday) 6:30pm9:00pm PAFC Philippine Festival Committee Meeting. Initial
meeting to lay groundwork for

the June festivities. Fil-Am Multicultural Center, 7500 Livingston St.., Oxon Hill, MD. Contact: myagrossman@gmail.com
MAR 6 (Friday) 6:00pm.
Philippine Embassy 40th Day
Prayers for the SAF-44. Philippine Embassy Romulo Hall, 1600
Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036/ RSVP: info@
philippineusa.org
MAR 7 (Saturday) starts at
1:30pm. World Bank Bowling
League. Edsall Bowl America,
6450 Edsall Road, Alexandria,
VA 22312. Open to all. Organizations and families can field
their team of up to seven members with three bowlers (at least
one female) per match. Contact
Vangie Ganuelas at vanjan@
yahoo.com.
MAR 7 (Saturday) 9:00am6:00pm
Tanghalang Pilipino

ng DC, in partnership with

the International Performing
Arts Exchange, presents a Theatre Arts Workshop on Acting,
Playwriting, Singing, and Directing. All age groups are welcome.
Conducting the workshop is
Francis Tanglao-Aguas, William
and Mary professor, playwright,
performer, director, producer,
and teacher of theatre, film and
dance. Kay Center, American
University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington
DC. $25 registration fee covers
lunch, materials, and a ticket to
the evening performance. Contact Elvi Bangit at elvibangit@
gmail.com or (703) 981-9163.
March 8 (Sunday), 1:00pm6:00 pm Marinduqueno Association of the Capital Area, Inc.
(MACA) 3-on-3 Mens Basketball Tournament, Hayfield Sec-

ondary School, 7630 Telegraph

Rd., Alexandria, VA. This is a
fundraising event to support
MACAs educational and medical programs. Must be over 18 to
play. Register by March 1st. $40
registration per team. Contact
Monica Cruz 571-243-5484, m.
cruz32@gmail.com.
MAR 20-22 (Friday-Sunday) Bataan Death March Memorial, White Sands Missile Range,
New Mexico. Join the march
in New Mexico in memory of
those who marched at the Bataan
Death March. Ambassador Jose
Cuisia will be there. Online
registration only before March
2. More information at http://
www.bataanmarch.com.
MAR 21 (Saturday) Filipino
American Institute of Accountants Seminar on How to Start a
Business, Tax Updates, and NotFor-Profit Reporting Requirements. Lincolnia Senior Center,
4710 North Chambliss Street,
Alexandria, VA 22312. $15 covers
materials and lunch. Contact
Edgar Aznar at eaznar9@gmail.
com or (703) 866-6117.
MAR 22 (Sunday)
Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue Inc. District VI
and Embassy of the Philippines
Merienda with the Ambassador Youth Forum. Hosted by
the Filipino Cultural Association
at the University of Maryland at
College Park. Dialogue between
Filipino American youth and the
Filipino American community
on topics of interest and importance to young Filipino-Americans. Access to professional networking opportunities. Contact
Ronelle Bautista at district.six.
rep@fcaatumd.com
MAR 28 (Saturday) Catholic
Organization of Catholic University Students Philippine Culture NightProgram includes a
play and Filipino food. Contact:
John Martin at 60martinjg@cardinalmail.cua.edu
MAR 28 (Saturday) University of Maryland Filipino American Student Association (Baltimore) Pistahan. Cultural show
features traditional Filipino
dances, a play and food tasting.
Contact; Patrick Ventanilla at
cy42971@umbc.edu
APR 10-11 (Fri-Sat) NAFFAA
Region 2 Conference. Richmond,
VA. Details to come.
APR 10-12 (Fri-Sun) Filipino Intercollegiate Network
Dialogue
(FIND)
Conference. Hosted by District VI.
University of Maryland, College Park. Theme: Lakas Loob:
Strength
without
Shame.
Contact: Anika Aquino at 68
Aquino@cardinalmail.cua.edu
APR 12 (Sunday) George
Washington University Philippine Cultural Society Culture Show (Tandaan XV) Program includes a play written and
produced by students; cultural
dances and Filipino food. Contact: Kelsey Genuino at psculturalshow@gmail.com

News in Pictures

March 1-15, 2015

Student leaders from area colleges and PAFC officers pose for
a group photo after a Salu-Salo:
PAFC Youth Dinner hosted by
PAFC Board Chairman Sonny
Busa on Feb. 20. The evening event
included a presentation on A History of FilAm advocacy led by
Jon Melegrito and Maurese Owens
and small group discussions led
by Andrew Aggabao on priority
programs and initiatives needed
to advance youth development and
involvement. Smiling for the camera
(from left) are Mitzi Pickard, Krystle Canare (PAFC VP for Youth Affairs), Andrew Aggabao, Alexis Flores, Josh
Tan, Christine Bersabal, Ceres Busa, Joel Vazquez, Cameron Malagar, Min Yun, Jonathan Reyes, Sony Busa, Marc
Torres, Anika Aquino and Terrence Sanchez. The students represent the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue
(FIND), Inc. Also participating (not in photo) are PAFC President Mya Grossman, Bobby and Gloria Federigan,
Ponching and Maria de Jesus. (Photo by Jon Melegrito)

Master guitarists Micahel Dadap

and Florante Aguilar (from left)
held a series of lectures on Philippine music, focusing on the origins
of the Kundiman, Harana, and folk
songs at Old Dominion University
(ODU) in Norfolk, Va. last Feb. 20.
Also in photo is Dr. Araceli Suzara,
Director of the Philippine Filipino
American Center at ODU. Dadap
and Aguilar gave an hour-long
free concert to a packed audience,
dubbed Music from the Islands of
the Philippines. (Photo by Bing
Cardenas Branigin)

13

Andrew Aggabao (left) facilitates the Taking Action part of the SaluSalo:PAFC Youth Dinner held recently to discuss challenges faced by
Filipino American communities, families and individuals in nurturing
and supporting Filipino American youth. Looking on (from left) are Anika
Aquino of the Catholic University of America, PAFC Chairman Sonny Busa,
Jonathan Reyes of the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP), Joel
Vazquez (UMCP), PAFC Board member Gloria Federigan and Alexis Flores
(UMCP). The Salu-Salo Initiative aims to advance collaborative programs
between PAFC, the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND)
and the greater Filipino American community. (Photo by Jon Melegrito)

Dr. Manny Hipol, Chairman of the Board of the Council of United Filipino
Organizations of Tidewater (CUFOT) donated an additional $17,000 to the
Philippine National Red Cross for rebuilding efforts in Tacloban, Leyte.
Shown from left, accepting the check on behalf of the PNRC, Bing Cardenas
Branigin, permanent representative of the PNRC in Washington, D.C. at the
Philippine Cultural Center in Virginia Beach, Va. last Feb. 21. The CUFOT
donated a total of $33,000 to the PNRC to build two classrooms and a health
center in Tacloban, Leyte.

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr.

(center) with ladies of the Fil-Am
community from the Hampton Roads
region of Virginia at the inauguration of the Keeping The Promise
exhibit, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Philippines at the MacArthur Memorial
Center, Norfolk, Va. last Feb. 21.
(Photo by Bing Cardenas Branigin)
The NaFFAA Region 2 Capital Region officers and members discuss the upcoming regional conference to be held in Richmond,
Va. on April 10 and 11 at the Bull and Bear Club in Richmond.
In photo, left to right, Linda Abrajano, Vicky Querimet, Linda
Lazo; Dr. Laarni Bibay, NaFFAA Region 2-Capital Region Vice
Chair Emeritus; Bing Cardenas Branigin, Chairperson of NaFFAA
Region2-Capital Region; Evelyn Sandoval, Medy Dayao, and Edna
Alcantara.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations

(NaFFAA) Capital Region (Delaware, Maryland and Washington
D.C.; northern and central Virginia, including the Hampton Roads
region; and West Virginia) will have its Regional Empowerment
Conference, on April 10-11 at the Bull and Bear Club in Richmond,
Va. The conference adopted the theme Rising to the Challenge,
Alone, We Go Faster, Together We Go Further. Photo shows (left
to right) Nony Abrajano, NaFFAA Region 2 Chair Emeritus; Andy
Lazo, NaFFAA Region 2; Eric Macalma, Region 2 Vice Chair; Jun
Sandoval, Region 2 member; Bert Dayao NaFFAA Region 2 Chair
Emeritus; and Danny Alcantara, NaFFAA Region 2 member. The
planning conference was held at the Philippine Cultural Center,
Virginia Beach, Va. last Feb. 21. For more information, you can
contact Jon Melegrito jdmelegrito@gmail.com; Nony Abrajano
neabrajano@aol.com; and Eric Macalma, eric.a.macalma@
gmail.com (Photo: Bing Cardenas Branigin)

14

March 1-15, 2015

Saving Mindanao... from page 1

Director General Alan Purisima
and sacked PNP Special Action
Force commander Dir. Getulio
Napenas for the bloody fiasco.
The President said that he
had given specific instructions
to Napenas on the need for coordination with the AFP and for
Purisima to inform PNP OIC
Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, Coloma said.
However, he found out
later that these instructions had
not been followed.
The President listened
to the representatives views

on how the killing of the PNP

SAF troopers has given rise to a
clamor among their constituents
that the ends of justice be pursued, as part of rebuilding public
confidence on the viability of the
peace process, he said.
He added that House leaders brought up the need for
leveling off with the MILF on
its partnership with the government in the peace process
including the containment of the
BIFF; and its cooperation in the
arrest of those responsible for the
deaths of the PNP-SAF troopers.

Resignation call... from page 1

She said they had been planning
the event for two months, way
before reports of a supposed plot
surfaced.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima warned
groups calling for a transition
government to replace President
Aquino that she would wield
the full force of the law if they
go beyond mass mobilizations.
De Lima said the hitherto
unknown National Transformation Council (NTC), which has
been calling for the presidents
resignation, could already be
committing a proposal or conspiracy to commit the crime of
coup detat.
Cebu Archbishop Emeritus
Ricardo Cardinal Vidal is the

NTC chair. Davao Archbishop

Emeritus Fernando Capalla,
Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo
de la Cruz, Naval Bishop Filomeno Bactol and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma are among the
members of the council.
By calling for people power
and military support to force the
presidents resignation in order
to pave the way for a junta, the
NTC and its mushrooming allied
alphabet soup organizations of
discredited government officials
consisting of charged plunderers, grafters, and tax evaders,
or of those under investigation
for such crimes, may have just
crossed the line of legitimate dissent, she argued.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon

While acknowledging that

the enactment of the BBL has
been delayed, he emphasized
the importance of approving the
measure in a timely manner,
Coloma said.
The law is the cornerstone
of the peace agreement with the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF), the well-armed secessionist group that has been fighting the government for over two
decades.
The MILF has returned the
firearms it took from the slain
SAF troopers after the Mamasapano clash. The groups chief
negotiator Mohagher Iqbal has

slammed warmongers spreading intrigues to derail passage of

the BBL.
Those in the meeting
include Rep. Neptali Gonzales
II, majority leader; Rep. Ronaldo
Zamora, minority leader; Rep.
Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of
the House ad hoc committee on
the draft BBL.
Former senior military and
PNP officers who are now House
members -- Representatives
Samuel Pagdilao, Romeo Acop,
Leopoldo Bataoil, Gary Alejano, and Ashley Acedillo -- also
attended the meeting.
The Palace is also arrang-

ing meetings with Senate leaders. The BBL wont become law
with just the House of Representatives. There are two chambers.
Our senators are also important
stakeholders so the President
is open to meeting with them,
Coloma said.
The MILF has previously
stated its wish that the BBL be
approved as originally drafted.
However, several lawmakers
have pointed out certain provisions in the proposed measure
that may later on be declared
unconstitutional.

Arguelles said the NTC would

not object to any legal action the
Justice Department may take
against members of the group,
insisting they were merely
patriots defending the country,
the Constitution and the people.
If they are truly following
the law, then they apply the law,
Arguelles dared De Lima.
The root of the growing
resentment against the President can be traced to the botched
police Special Action Force raid
in Maguindanao last Jan 25
which resulted not only in the
killing of high profile terrorist
Marwan, but also the deaths of
44 police commandos.
The group also wants Vice
President Jejomar Binay, the
entire Aquino Cabinet, as well as
Senate President Franklin Drilon

and House Speaker Feliciano

Belmonte Jr. to step down.
In their place, the group
wants a transition government
led by Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and
advised by a council dominated
by Catholic Church leaders.
The nation is still grieving,
and without any sense of shame,
these personalities would use
the peoples grief to pervert a
national catharsis, serving only

their own thirst and craving

for absolute power by imposing upon this nation a tyranny
of religious and political hasbeens, De Lima said.
The anniversary of the EDSA
People Power revolution will be
celebrated this year through a
mass at the People Power Monument along EDSA, to be presided
by Manila Archbishop Luis
Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Fan Page 15

March 1-15, 2015

Glees Darren Criss returns to

Broadway
HOLLYWOOD. After years
of playing one of the lead stars
on Glee, Filipino-American
actor Darren Criss will headline
a Broadway rock musical this
April.
Criss will play Hedwig, an
East German transgender rocker
in the Broadway production of
Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
The Glee actor is inheriting the coveted role originally
played in Broadway by Neil Patrick Harris.
The show marks Criss
return to Broadway after his
involvement in How to Succeed in Business without Really
Trying in 2012.
After six seasons, Glee
will air its two-hour series finale
episode on March 20

ship, Abayari said she is still

happy with how her life is going,
noting the other blessings she has
received over the years, including recovering from a drug case
in Guam in 1999.

Heart, Chiz happy

MANILA. Heart Evangelista said her parents absence
did not mar her wedding on
Sen. Chiz Escudero at the Balesin
Island Club in Quezon last Feb.
15 and the newlyweds reception

Anjanettes travails
MANILA. Actress Anjanette
Abayari revealed that her former
boyfriend, American celebrity
triathlete David Bunevacz sold
her car and Rolex watch, and
allegedly tried to sell her condominium unit.
She said that since the inci-

Anjanette Abayari
dent, she has not seen Bunevacz
in Los Angeles, where she is also
based.
Abayari added Bunevacz
visited her condo unit even if
he became engaged to another
woman.
Despite her failed relation-

Newly-weds Sen. Chiz & Heart

Evangelista-Escudero
party at The Blue Leaf Filipinas
in Paraaque City.
She got to speak with her
father, Reynaldo Ongpauco,
before the wedding, Evangelista
revealed. He congratulated me
and told me that he was happy
for me and thats good enough
for me.
Another no-show at the
post-wedding festivities was
best man President Aquino, who
didnt attend the wedding at
Escuderos suggestion.
Many of the 1,200 invited
guests thought Aquino would
turn up this time, especially
because members of the Presidential Security Group started
arriving at the venue late in the
afternoon. The President held an
unscheduled six-hour dialogue
with the families of slain SAF
commandos in Camp Crame.

New York Festival

NEW

YORK.

Philippine

broadcast giants ABS-CBN and

GMA garnered a dozen nominations between them at the 2015
New York Festival of the worlds
best TV and films competition.
Kapuso
Mo,
Jessica
Soho was shortlisted in the
Human Interest category for its
episode From Saudi with Love.
Chosen as one of the finalists in
the Community Portraits category was Reporters Notebook for its Burak at Pangarap episode.
Front Row, in turn, made
it as a finalist in the Best Public
Affairs Program category for its
feature on the neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS).
Katipunan earned a finalist status for its episode titled
Teresa under the Best Camerawork category. Nominated in
the Biography/Profiles category
was GMA News TVs Reel Time.
Motorcycle Diaries Karapatan
ng Bata episode also on GMA
News TV, was named as a finalist in the Human Concerns category.
GMA News TVs May Pagasa station ID was chosen as one
of the finalists in the Station/
Image Promotion category.
ABS-CBNs
Yolanda
(Haiyan) was named finalist in
the festivals Cinematography
category, while Spratlys: Mga
Isla ng Kalayaan was finalist
in the National/International
Affairs category. Also shortlisted
in the festival are Wrath of
Haiyan, morning news magazine program Umagang Kay
Gandas coverage of Typhoon
Yolanda in the Best Coverage of
Breaking News Category, as well
as ABS-CBNs Compassion and
Empathy for our Fellow Man
campaign in the News Promotion category.
Winners will be presented
at the 2015 Television and Film
Awards Ceremony scheduled
on April 14 in Las Vegas.

Loving to be Filipino
By JC Videna, President
FCU-GMU

Throughout the early years

of my life, I always wondered
what it truly meant to be a Filipino.
From the time I was a toddler until I graduated high
school, I grew up in a predominantly white community, so the
only exposure I had to other Filipinos was my family and other
relatives. There was a large part
of my life where I thought being
Filipino just made me different
from all the other kids.
In high school, I had this
Philippine-flag track jacket I
wore all the time because it distinguished me from the others.
When I told my classmates and
teachers I was Filipino, theyd
say Thats different or Ive
never met someone like you
before.
With that said, I knew
being Filipino was more than
just being different, but I always
asked myself what. I knew I
was always proud to be Filipino, but I always asked myself
why, hoping one day Id find an
answer.
After high school, life took
me to George Mason University, which was 2.5 hours away
from home. I had a chance to
create a new circle of friends and
with this school being the most
diverse in the state, this seemed
like the time and place to do it.
When I did my initial
research of the school and
the different types of student
groups and organizations they
had to offer, one of the first

things that caught my attention

was a Filipino student group. I
knew that was a group of people
I wanted to be a part of, to have
lasting relationships with Filipinos my own age, but I was nervous. I was afraid that I would
be rejected or they would think
I wasnt Filipino enough. So
instead of looking for them, I
spent the first part of my freshman year looking at other
groups and dipping my foot in
numerous puddles.
Then sometime in the
spring, my friend Stephen and
I took a trip to the mall. To my
surprise, a cashier noticed my
George Mason sweatshirt and
asked me if I was Filipino.
Somewhat surprised, I said
yes. So he went on talking to
me about the Filipino organization on campus and invited me
to their next event which happened to be a practice for their
annual culture show.
A few days later, I attended
the event with Vin whom I met
at Finish Line and introduced
me to them. There were about
40 some people (both Filipinos and non-Filipinos) and just
about every single one of them
stopped what they were doing
to greet me, and Ive honestly
never felt more welcomed in my
life.
Three years later, Ive maintained the relationships I made
in that time along with making
new ones, I grew as a person
in just about every facet in life
there is, and I became President
of the Filipino Cultural Association at George Mason University.
Being Filipino isnt about
being different than most
people, or understanding things
that non-Filipinos dont. Being
a Filipino means being part of
a family. Were proud because
of the enjoyment we feel from
what we do and why we do
them, no matter what others
think of us. I love my family. I
love my organization. I love my
culture. I love being Filipino.

16

March 1-15, 2015

On Singing the Songs of Love

T
The illogic of ousting
PNoy
MANILA
resident Benigno Aquino
III must be quaking in his
loafers now that a prelate
somewhere has demanded his
resignation.
The
deadly
encounter
between police commandos
and Muslim fighters in Mamasapano, Mindanao last Jan. 25
has spawned a lot of noise calling for Aquino to resign or be
impeached.
The Roman Catholic archbishop of Batangas wants Mr.
Aquino to give up his post. Yes,
just like that, even without concrete proof that the President is
directly culpable for the deaths
of 44 Special Action Forces commandos of the national police.
Lets grant for a moment
that there is a justification for the
bishops demand. The problem
is that the bishop himself doesnt
know how his own scenario
should play out.
He doesnt want Vice President Jojo Binay to take over the
moment PNoy (the Presidents
media nickname) resigns. If I
heard him correctly over TV/
radio, he doesnt want the Constitutional successors to succeed
the President, either. Not the vice
president, not the senate president, house speaker or the chief
justice.
So who the h.ck does he
want to take Aquinos position?
This is the problem with
knee-jerk reflexes, theyre halfbaked. A lot of people squawk
like chicken layers whenever
theres movement near their
nests. They should instead come
up with well-thought-out proposals before they open their
beaks.
From the opposite end of
the ideological spectrum, the
Left wants Aquino to go, too.
Theyre threatening the President with impeachment. Which
the Speaker of the House himself
just laughed off.
One of the leftist party-list

representatives, being realistic

about the futility of an impeachment try, wants Aquino to be
toppled through extra-constitutional means or, plainly speaking, a coup detat.
The matter of an impeachment first. The leftists in Congress should go ahead and push
for an impeachment in the lower
house, instead of just, again,
squawking in front of media.
Second, a coup detat. The
leftists know they dont have
the numbers in getting the President impeached and convicted
in the Senate. So now they, or at
least one of them, wants Aquino
ousted by a coup.
Taste the illogic of such a
proposal. A left-leaning politician craving extra-constitutional
action by right-wing forces. How
delicious is that as an example
of base opportunism? You want
your dirty work done by someone else. And by forces opposed
to your ideological beliefs at
that?! Thats desperation.
The authorities havent
shed light fully on what really
happened in the Mamasapano
encounter. They have pleaded
for sobriety and restraint while
waiting for the official results of
the various probes into the massacre. But that hasnt stopped
many people from giving their
two cents worth of conjecture,
and even misinformation.
The bottom line, though, is
that the President is accountable
for the disastrous outcome of the
raid to capture two terrorists in
Maguindanao (one was killed;
the other one got away). But lets
hold our horses until we really
know the truth.
The noise were hearing in
the meantime is just pure opportunism from segments of society
that are trying desperately to
regain whatever relevance they
had before. Theyre not helping
their credibility by issuing inane
sound bites and basking in the
klieg lights of photo-ops.

he song may not be as

enticing as a ditty from a
Broadway musical nor as
vivid as a lied from a German
opera, but the lyrics vocally
enunciated, while not his own,
tell everything about a mans
intentionsa welcoming gesture, a plea for cooperation, an
invitation for an event, or a bid
for assistance, but mostly of his
heart aching for an emotional
bond. I am talking about the
Harana (Serenade), a song or
songs by an enamored would-be
suitor to his chosen intended.
Harana, now approaching extinction because of the
advent of modern technology, is
a musical expression of a desire
or a want which is deeply rooted
in the Filipino mores and traditions. It is a determining feature
of the countrys culture which
is still observed in rural areas,
especially in Luzon. Much like
the balcony scene in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet,
Harana is a prelude, an introductory song by a love-struck
and bashful suitor, in the early
rainless evenings, to the window
of his beloved, accompanied by
the haunting strains of a guitar
and encouraged in his pursuit by
the company of one or two of his
closest friends.
The window may or may
not be opened, depending on
how the singer or the song is
received. One song may not be
enough; two or three might do
the trick. But when the window
remains unopened, the signal
is conveyed and total rejection
is felt, the gloom descends on a
starless evening. However, when
the song or the singers intent
is welcomed, which happens
very often, the evening unfolds
to a colorful scene not seen or
observed in any country in Asia,
a cultural tableau distinctly
Filipino in practice played out
through countless generations.
Harana, primarily, is a
mans song of love to or for his
chosen intended. Once the prelude is welcomed and accepted
by the woman who is the object
of the pursuit or by the head of
the household, the singer and
his friends are then asked to go
inside the house. After exchanging introductions and other
social pleasantries, the singings
continue, the swains repertoire
is mostly overtones of his heartfelt desire that he cannot verbalize. Sometimes, when the woman
is musically-inclined, she joins in
with songs of her choosing, and
the minutes wind up to a musical
tete-a-tete. If the man is perceptive enough, he can glean hints
from the lyrics of her songs.
The harana scene, idyllic

in its imagined setting, has been

immortalized and honored by
some of the prominent Filipino
artists. The initial face-to-face
meeting of a would-be suitor
and the object of his pursuit has
been a good source for writers
of a comedy or farce, giving rise
to idiomatic expressions such as
hele hele, bago kyere (quire in
Spanish meaning want or desire)
attributed to a lady pretending
to refuse or demur, and inawitan (sung to) a victim who is
serenaded to give up something
valuable through flattery.
Harana, as originally
practiced, follows a pattern musically conceived or prepared from
songs to be rendered. Inside the
house, the first or second song
is what is acknowledged as the
pananapatan (serious intent)
or pagkakilala (acquaintance).
The third or fourth song is a
musical expression of thanks to
the host for being invited inside
and a paean to the beauty and
charm of the lady being serenaded. The kantahan (singing) follows next. Once the
mood is established, paghiling
(request) is asked of the lady
to join in. Almost always, the
request is granted with a song
or two. The exchanges of songs
can last for more than an hour.
For the man, the evening ends in
what he sees as the lighted path
to his amorous quest.
Songs that express love or
desire are sung in different forms
in other parts of the Philippines.
Ba lelleng is a love song rendered to a beloved by the Samal
of Tawi-Tawi, an island in southwestern Mindanao. The Tausug
of the same island offered baat
pangantin, a love song to a
bride. Bayok is a love song
offered by a suitor in Maranao
and Maguindanao in the southern Philippines. The practitioner
of this song is called onok.
Lunsay is a courtship group
song of the ethno-linguistic residents in Mindanao. Then there is
Matid Nila, (Youre the Only
One), a Visayan love song written by Ben Zubiri in 1975. Pamulinawen still exists as a courtship song in the Ilocos region.
The love songs which are
essential to the Harana have

evolved through times into

some practices used to meet the
immediate needs of a person or
a group. Harana can now be a
welcoming gesture to a vacationing former resident, a renewal
of acquaintance or friendship,
establishing bond with someone who has moved in from
another town or barangay, a plea
for cooperation, a bid for candidacy to an elected office, or an
outlet for a fund-raising drive.
Whatever the evolving forms,
the musical expression of love, a
desire to bond in a harana, is
the core or the spiritual essence
that places harana in the realm of
cultural consciousness.
The Filipinos and their
descendants living and working here in the United States and
elsewhere in the globe have been
characterized as friendly, nonconfrontational, non-aggressive,
hardworking,
compromising
sometimes to a fault, not brash,
and reluctant as a rule of conduct to initiate a physical fight,
all viewed by some psychologists and anthropologists as
burdensome legacies of having
been born in a country colonized
by Spain for 333 years. But the
Filipinos also are identified as
specially-gifted and artisticallyendowed. The exposure to the
indigenously eastern and western cultures, combined with
innovative temperament, gave
the Filipinos a perspective on
how life should be lived.
The travelling troubadours
singing to their royal hostesses of
their exploits in the 16th Century
France, the kings jesters in the
medieval England, or the poets
in ancient Greece with their lyres
singing hymns to emperors or
empresses were the sources of
creative modifications applied
to what is now the Harana.
As a child of age nine growing
up in Punta, a small village in
Santa Ana, a district of Manila, I
watched and heard from my bedroom window a suitor singing
love songs to his intended who is
our neighbor. Months passed by.
One day my parents told me that
they had been invited to a wedding party next door. The pursuit
ended happily. But what did it?
The song or the singer?

17

March 1-15, 2015

Mortgage
Rates and Oil
Prices

U
The Big Machine
(Conclusion)
any analysts are saying
that more and more
people are turning to
alternative forms of viewing outside of just the regular old tube
watching on traditional television viewing, but through online
for those who dont access.
This is especially telling considering these are all U.S. based
and when it comes to international viewership where most
viewers watch via streaming
especially overseas in Asia and
may I hint at the thought of how
many viewers streamed from
back in the Philippines? Now
imagine if this was a Pacquiao
fight, which after having recently
seen his movie (which I encourage my FilAm readers to check
out, youre welcome Manny),
imagine how many businesses
close down or how quickly traffic clears all of Roxas Boulevard
throughout Manila to Makati.
I did not even mention how
I chuckled to myself after also
learning how crime rates drastically slow down even for the half
hour to hour programming that
Pinoys watch and stream a live
Pacquiao fight.
So why get into small business? Why do I do what I do?
Well as it has been widely documented in the past, but I have
seen the small underdogs get
a victory here and there since
having started with my fathers
business and see him succeed. I
have gone on to see many others
and not only have helped small
businesses make it, but I can
thankfully say I too have lived it.
Being a Filipino American
has not only strengthened my
passion for branding businesses
but it has grown my desire to
help FilAms beat and win at the
game of business. As our readers may have noticed from my
last few articles, I have and will
continue laying seeds that hopefully you can take back and plant

into Gods green earth and have

some amazing results in your
own experiences in business or
growing your brand whether for
profit or nonprofit.
Knowledge is not power,
but it is only potential energy.
Putting it to use is like turning that potential energy into
kinetic energy, putting motion
to action. Dont let your dreams
fade just because the competition is tough or because The Big
Machine can be intimidating.
Believe it or not behind his
rough exterior, there is a warm
beating heart behind him. This is
where the greatness in you starts
to shine when your idea is put
to the test. If your product, service offering is as good as you
truly believe it to be, then those
it touches will be greatly influenced to share your idea.
More importantly you will
see The Big Machine become
loyal to the point where this
leads to powerful Word of
Mouth marketing amongst all
your customers and clients who
start believing in your product
or service offering as well. This
is why millions are spent every
year in advertising let alone the
Superbowl and many other avenues, but more reason for us to
be encouraged the competition is
deep and wide.
As intimidating as it may
seem, anyone has a fair shot at
the game. Dont let your ideas go
to waste, as I will leave you with
one last thought, It is not what
we dont know that hurts us,
but its what we know but dont
do that hurts us the most.
Take the dive into business,
because even though it looks
like there may be murky waters
ahead, you will regret never
taking a shot at your dream and
seeing what may lie on the other
side. Everyone has the opportunity. That is the beauty of The Big
Machine.

sually, when we hear that

someone or something
has hit bottom that
is a good thing because the only
direction that person or thing can
go from there is up. On the other
hand, if we are talking about oil
prices and interest rates, hitting a
bottom might not be considered
a good thing. For example, if you
were looking for gas prices to
hit $2.50 per gallon, they are not
going near that price if we have
indeed already hit bottom.
Indeed, there is some evidence that oil prices bottomed
around $45 per barrel. We are
not surprised by the fact that oil
prices rebounded to the $50 per
barrel range because they had
fallen so far and so fast.
Often markets overshoot
the fundamentals and come back
to be in balance. Are oil prices

going back to $100 per barrel?

We have no idea because we
cant predict the future. However, most likely the price will
settle somewhere in between $45
and $100 without some major
intervening economic or political
variable. Mortgage interest rates
too have been falling for the past
few months. Not as precipitously
as oil, but one must remember
that rates were already very low.
The fact that rates went back
to the record low levels hit two
years ago was quite extraordinary and certainly not predicted.
Like oil, we are not surprised
that rates have rebounded somewhat. If a few weeks ago was

the bottom, there will likely be

a rush of those who waited too
long. When homeowners and
buyers realize that, we expect
there to be lines forming to refinance or purchase a home. The
question is is there still time to
get in front of the line?
Ramon M Llamas, NMLS#:
483757, has been in the lending
business for more than 20 years. He
has helped thousands of homeowners saved money in their mortgage
needs, purchase or refinance. Any
mortgage question or free personal mortgage analysis, please
email him athomemortgage101@
yahoo.com or call his cellphone at
703.980.3984.

Deferred action status on hold

he
executive
actions
announced by Pres. Barack
Obama on November 20,
2014 expanding eligibility for
deferred action status to children who arrived in the United
States while under sixteen years
of age and granting deferred
action status to eligible parents
of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents hit a bump
after a federal district court in
Brownsville, Texas issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting
implementation until the court
shall have ruled on the merits of
the complaint filed by 26 states.
Attorneys General representing 26 states mostly in the
south and Midwest filed suit
challenging the constitutionality
of the executive actions
The administration argues
that the executive action is a
regular application of prosecutorial discretion and that the executive branch has the authority to
set priorities for enforcement
or refrain from enforcement in
cases where the public interest is
least urgent.
U.S. district Judge Andrew
Hannen however pointed out
that prosecutorial discretion is
limited to nonenforcement and
does not entitle the executive
branch to grant affirmative benefits such as work permits and
welfare without statutory and
notice-and-comment rule-making. The judges opinion does
not challenge executive discretion to set enforcement priorities but noted that DHS has not
instructed its officers to merely
refrain from arresting, ordering
the removal of, or prosecuting

VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES

MARCH 2015
FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES
First: Unmarried sons/daughters
of US citizens
Feb. 01, 2005
Second:
A: Spouses/minor children of
permanent residents:
Jun 22, 2013
B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years
of age or older of permanent residents
Mar. 22, 2004
Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Aug. 01, 1993
Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens
Sep. 08, 1991
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
First: Priority workers
Current
Second: Professionals holding advanced
degrees or persons of exceptional ability
Current
Third: Skilled workers, professionals
Jun. 01, 2014
Other Workers
Jun. 01, 2014
Fourth:
Certain Religious Workers
Current
Fifth: Employment creation/
(Million or half-million dollar investor)
Current
unlawfully-present aliens and
instead enacted wide-ranging
program awarding legal presence to individuals Congress has
deemed deportable, as well as
ability to obtain Social Security
numbers, work permits and ability to travel.
White House press secretary
Josh Earnest announced that the
government will file an emergency appeal of the preliminary
injunction pending litigation on
the merits of the main complaint.
The appeal goes to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and possibly to the Supreme Court of the

United States.
The expanded DACA was
supposed to take effect this
month while the deferred action
status for parents of US citizens
or permanent resident was supposed to take effect in May of
this year.
In the meantime, aliens
who are potentially eligible for
benefits under the announced
executive actions should stand
by and continue gathering documentation in the event that the
injunction is lifted or the court
upholds the legal validity of the
challenged executive actions.

18

March 1-15, 2015

EVELYNS ASPARAGUS SOUP

sparagus, a very versatile

kind of vegetable, when
made into a soup offers
invaluable depth of flavor. And
yet, when served raw or slightly
cooked, gives a sweet crispness.
My asparagus soup does not
compare to any store-bought
canned soup -- not even close.
I have to admit that the procedure in making my real homemade asparagus soup is not as
simple as it seems. It takes a
long and quite complicated process, although it is very quick to
satisfy your hunger. Making this
recipe is laborious and detailed in
order to attain an excellent soup
that is worth serving to the most
delicate and discerning palate.
A word of caution: You need to
have passion, a lot of time, and
plenty of patience to make my
version of this extra-ordinary,
wholesome asparagus soup.
However, I guarantee your full
satisfaction if you care to embark
on this exciting adventure.
Note: This Asparagus Soup
was recently served at a dinner
hosted by Ambassador and
Madame Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. at his
Official Residence in honor of
His Excellency, The Most Reverend Bernardito C. Auza, Titular
Archbishop of Suacia, Apostolic
Nuncio; Permanent Observer
of the Holy See to the UN and
Organization of American States,
and other VIP guests.
Serves 6 or more

other)
Piping bag to put half of the
cream (with tiny cut at tip when
ready to use)

Methods:
Preparing and Cooking the
Asparagus:
Snap off the pale woody end
of the asparagus and reserve for
making the vegetable broth.
It is important that by holding them with both hands (not
using a knife), the spears should
break easily where the pale flesh
begins. Rinse the spears well in
cold water, gently rubbing them
free of dirt.
Trim away the spiky leaves
from the flower ends of the
spears with the tip of a small
knife.
Tie the spears into small
bundles, making them easy to
handle.
Boil the asparagus upright
so the thick ends of the stalks
cook in simmering water while
the tender tips gently steam
above. Asparagus can also be
cooked flat, in a deep saut pan
for 3 to 4 minutes and shocked

immediately in cold water to

retain its green color.
Drain and cut the spears into
4 pieces. Spears are now ready to
be processed in a blender. Make
sure to first add some vegetable
broth (about half quart or more)
before processing the spears.
Use a heavy duty or commercial
blender or mixture will not come
out perfectly blended. Optional:
Save few pieces to be cut into
very thin diagonal slices to add
to the soup just before serving.

Making the Vegetable

Broth:
The vegetable broth below is
far superior than that of commercially prepared kind. This broth,
which can also be prepared
ahead of time in large batches,
is the basis of an excellent soup
and other dishes, especially if it
is going to be used for vegetarian
recipes.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon minced shal-

Ingredients:
20 to 25 Asparagus, choose
the freshest with deep green
color (see methods for prep)
2 quarts (or more) Vegetable
broth (see methods for prep)
salt (optional)
1 or 2 tablespoons Beurre
Mani, cut into small pieces (see
note below)
1/2 cup fat-free cream,
divided
Needed: 2 different sizes of
stock pots (one larger than the

lots
3 quarts water
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 leek, sliced any style
1 rib celery, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
mature stems of asparagus
1 cup broccoli stems, thinly
sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
(optional)
1 tablespoon salt to taste
4 whole white peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
Over medium heat, gently
cook the garlic and shallots,
until soft (about 3 to 4 minutes).
Add the remaining ingredients
and bring slowly into a simmer.
Cook until the broth has a good
flavor (about 1 hour). Strain the
broth through a sieve. If not for
immediate use, allow the broth
to cool completely before storing
in the refrigerator.
Methods for Cooking the
Asparagus Soup:
Bring to a boil enough water
in a large stock pot (approximately 1/3 of the pot). Reduce
heat but maintain the boiling
temperature. Add more water if
it evaporates.
Meanwhile, in the smaller
stock pot, pour one and a half
quarts of vegetable broth and
bring to a simmer. Add to this
the blended asparagus and let
the soup simmer while stirring
so the soup will not curd and
stick to the bottom of the pot.
While the soup is simmering, add the beurre mani, pieces
by pieces, and stir gently until the

soup slightly thickens; then put

this smaller stockpot inside the
large stock pot of boiling water
to maintain the right temperature of the soup. Keep an eye on
the soup and stir occasionally to
sustain its consistency. Lastly,
taste to perfection; add salt, only
if needed. (There is no room for
mistake at this stage.)
If preferred, add a little
cream before serving. Garnish
with thin slices of asparagus and
few rounds of decorative drops
of piped cream. Serve hot.
Chefs Tips: Beurre Mani
is French for kneaded butter.
It is made of a paste from equal
parts of flour and butter, used as
thickener for soup, sauces and
stews.
Editors Note: 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/Master Chef, Philippine
Oriental Market & Deli, Arlington,
Virginia; Founder and President of
CHEW (Cancer Help Eat Well)
Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) public
charity formed to help and cook probono 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.

BETTER THAN A FLU SHOT

iss Beatrice, the church

organist, is in her eighties and had never been
married. She is admired for her
sweetness and kindness to
all. One afternoon the pastor
came to call on her and she
showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to
have a seat while she prepared
tea. As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister
noticed a cut glass bowl sitting
on top of it.
The bowl was filled with
water, and in the water floated,
of all things, a condom!
When she returned with tea
and scones, they began to chat.
The pastor tried to stifle his curi-

osity about the bowl of water

and its strange floater, but soon
it got the better of him and he
could no longer resist.
Miss Beatrice, he said,
I wonder if you would tell me
about this?, pointing to the
bowl.
Oh, yes, she replied, Isnt
it wonderful? I was walking
through the park a few months
ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ,
keep it wet and that it would
prevent the spread of disease. Do
you know I havent had the flu
all winter?

ANSWER
A police recruit was asked

during the exam, What would

you do if you had to arrest your
own mother?
He answered, Call for
backup.

SOSYAL
Pulubi: Palimos po ng cake.
Ale: Aba, sosyal ka ah!
Namalimos ka lang, gusto mo
pang cake.. eto pandesal!
Pulubi: Duh! Ate! Birthday
ko yata ngayon!!!

BF: Hindi.
GF: Scarf?
BF: Hindi rin.
GF: Sirit na.
BF: Panghilod!

REGALO

HOMEWORK

BF: May ibibigay akong gift

sa yo, pero hulaan mo muna!
GF: Sige, clue naman...
BF: Kailangan ito ng leeg
mo.
GF: Kuwintas?

Anak: Dad, tulong naman

sa assignment ko. Find the least
common denominator daw.
Ama: Ha? Abay elementary
pa lang ako eh, hinahanap na nila
yan ah! Di pa ba nila nakikita?

QUESTION
Tinanong ng boss ang kanyang secretary ugnay sa negosyo na nalugi ng 17%, dahil nga
mahina siya sa math:
Kung meron akong 40 million pesos, at bibigyan kita ng
17%, gaano karami ang tatanggalin mo?
Secretary: Naku, lahat-lahat
na po, sir! Damit, bra, panty!
Lahat po.

19

March 1-15, 2015

The Complaining Zone

T
Let It Snow?

h the weather outside is frightful and

the fire is so delightful. And since weve no place to
go, let it snow, let it snow, let it
snow.
When I arrived in Newark,
NJ in the winter of 1975, I was
enthralled by the magic of my
first snow. The flakes dropped
softly and planted gentle kisses
on my cheeks. I looked up to the
darkened skies and imagined
the twirling flakes as life-giving
manna, and each icy crystal that
landed on my skin was a blessing.
I have loved the Christmas
song Let It Snow since I was
a young girl. I collected photographs of winter scenes from
magazines and pictured me
inside one of the cottages with
delightful smoke drifting up
from the chimney. Santa came
stealthily down the fireplace on
Christmas Eve you know. That
was special.
My only sister died in
infancy so I imagined special
times in those cabins with loving
sisters like Luisa May Alcotts
Little Women. I scrunched my
eyelids tight, crossed my fingers and whispered, Oh please,
please, let it snow.
After forty-one winters here
in America, the white stuff has
lost its mystery but the beauty
of falling snow is still a sight to
behold. The arrival of the first
snowflake of the season remains
special for me.
But what a difference a
month (or two) makes.
In December, we listened
to the words of this Christmas
carol and the melody took us to
a warm and fuzzy place. It conjured up a vision of us sitting on
a comfortable chair by a welcoming fire, holding a mug of hot
cocoa that is laced with a favorite liqueur. A favorite book was
always within reach.
In the middle of February,
when several snow events have
come and gone, the same words
send us to apoplexy. Ghosts of
snowstorms past have revealed
the black icy heart beneath the
virginal faade. Snow Maiden
is treacherous and dangerous. It
can and will claim victims.
The mere mention of the S
word creates such a panic that
sends the entire population to
mob the supermarkets and like

locusts, denude the shelves

of toilet paper, bread, canned
goods, and water. I can understand the reason for the latter
three. But the run on toilet paper,
with all pun intended, leave me
perplexed, bothered, and bewildered. For me, a snowy morning
without my cup of hot coffee is a
worse nightmare.
And road rage is nothing
compared to the supermarket aisle-rage where customers
jockey their carts around, over,
and even through one another.
Then with frayed nerves, make
that final mad dash towards the
cashier with the shortest wait.
Only to realize even the express
line has snaked around the fresh
produce. Such an adventure
prompted a friend to wax choleric. Id rather be chewing on
glass shards and stuffing angry
hornets in my underwear rather
than be here right now. Ouch.
I am a veteran of the Lopez
war room, able to manage the
logistics of running my husbands medical practice and at
the same time make sense of
the complicated schedules of
our three active children. But I
dreaded Fairfax County School
snow days. They defeated me.
Then as now, the decision
to cancel classes was accompanied by controversy. How dare
they declare a snow day when
only two flakes adorned the
driveway? Then push their luck
by keeping classes open when
ice and snowbanks threatened
the safety of students and frigid
temperature was in the forecast?
I, with the rest of the frustrated
parents, gnashed our teeth in
rebellious rage.
The delayed openings were
far worse. Parents who needed to
be at work on time were in full
panic. They scrambled to find
a neighbor or a sitter who were
willing to sit with their children
for the one or two hours before
the school buses arrived.
I remember the excited
shrieks and happy dancing of my
children as they looked forward
to an unexpected free day. I also
remember how that joy turned to
tears of frustration when cabinfever set in. Im bored. Theres
nothing to do. Theres nothing
to eat. Im bored. What was a
parent to do? Go out and brave
the ice and snow and watch your
children frolic and endure snow

his is a bit too much! Ugh,

theres three inches of
snow in front of our door
and along the driveway! How
can I drive to get the grocery
items that I badly needed? There
will be no trash collections service again and, no mail deliveries. I have to raise the heat thermometer or even use the portable
heaters to make the temperature
in the house warmer and comfy.
I needed more hot waters for
taking a bath, heating up water
for afternoon teas or brewing
more coffee.
I can almost imagine the
enormous electric bill that I will
have to deal with soon. What
if the water pipes burst, but if I
turn the faucet on to let the hot
water to flow along the pipeline
from time to time, itll cost me
a fortune to pay Fairfax Water
Authority bill next quarter.
Cooking hot soups for every
meal will help keep us warm,
but it means double efforts doing
kitchen chores and increasing
energy bills. There are a hundred
more inconveniences this erratic
winter season is creating in our
daily lives.
Well, my husband and I
were lucky enough to have celebrated Valentines Day together
with a couple of good friends
who live about less than four
miles from our place. The icy
snow and strong winds were
predicted to arrive about midafternoon, so we took advantage
of the still safe weather condition
at noon time.
So, off we went for a Valentines Day celebration on a windy,
cold and dreary sky atmosphere
to a nearby Italian restaurant. We
were fully covered with layers
of inside clothing, thick outside
coats and jackets complete with
scarves, hats and gloves. Forget
about roses and dimly lit Valentines Day dinner. Under this
wintry season situation, no one
should look for a fancy or ideal
evening celebration anymore.
The alternative would be to just
stay in the warmth and comfort
of the home with whatever food
to be heated up from the fridge
for dinner. Of course, the decision to go out for lunch but suffer
from the harsh weather condition was not without the saving
graces. The delicious appetizers,
salad and seafood pasta choices
at the Olive Garden were satisfying.
My birthday also happens
to fall on the same wintry month.
This time, it was more aggravating. That day, the snow started
falling by 9:00 AM through the
rest of the afternoon, then came
a mixture of icy snow and rain.
fights. Thats what. Yey!
And when the fun and the
frolic were over, the back-breaking chore began. Driveways and
walkways needed to be cleared
and shoveled. The playful and

The dinner at a specialty restaurant where my family was planning to celebrate my birthday
was flatly cancelled. Finding
the sufficient ingredients in my
refrigerator, I decided to cook
kare-kare and adobo.
That was all I could cook
under the delimiting factors of
the situation. Ergo, my husband
and I, and our daughter who
happened to be home visiting
earlier, had a quiet dinner with
a cake and bouquet of flowers
that she brought. In our cozy and
warm home, we had a simple
home-cooked-dinner and lots
of never ending chats. We tried
to do the best we could with
what we had under the circumstances. My husband uttered that
he enjoyed the small and casual
family dinner at home better
than anywhere else, anyway.

Positive Side of Things

There are ups downs, bumps
in the roads and flat out failures.
Some are small stuffs. Some are
real big stuffs. As a proven belief,
the cold weather is conducive to
passive activities like lying down
snug in cozy bedrooms, comfortable lounge chairs or sofas. I succumbed to it a couple of times
already. I normally did not take
a nap as a habit because theres
almost always something to do
at home at most.
Surprisingly,
this
lazy
demeanor gave me the chance
to think about my nagging concerns about the ongoing winter.
Did I not enjoy the beauty of
winter as I expressed many times
in the past? Did I not consider
the pristine white snow and the
sparkling prism of the flakes
that added to the wonder of the
season, a manifestation of His
work with nature? Did I not see
the convergence of the sky and
the snow covered ground and the
sprinkles of the green tips of the
pine trees were like the strokes or
palettes of colors on a painters
canvas? All these brought happiness to those who see and feel
them. The serene surroundings
gave me the opportunity to contemplate and meditate, seeking
peace and quiet in the midst of
energetic bunchkins watched
from the warmth and safety of
the house. You were on your
own.
Those frenzied days are
over. I am now singing a differ-

the hurried surroundings. With

this, the beauty of winter cannot
be ignored and I am out of the
complaining zone again.
The Glass: Half-Full or HalfEmpty?
Watching the TV news,
specifically the weather watch
editions all over the nation, tell
us of hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, earthquakes, blizzards,
fires, sandstorms, flood, sinkholes, or the calamity reports of
daily problems of people who do
not have clean water available to
drink or who can find no food in
other developing countries.
As I compare my litany of
complaints with the weather and
calamity TV news, clearly, the
two lists, do not match. One may
realize that while my problems
are annoying or inconvenient,
they are not severe enough to be
life threatening. In other words,
if I break my neck, if I have nothing to eat, or if my house is on
fire, then I have a problem. Otherwise, everything else is inconvenience. Yes, theres hope. There
are ways and means when the
cited problems could be solved
and resolved. They are small
stuffs that could be prevented
or taken care of. Creativity could
play an important role here to
have things accomplished.
Some things do not have
to be done right away, they
can wait. Some matters require
better organizational or managerial ability to make things move.
But, I believe being better prepared for the eventualities of the
weather condition is the name of
the game like: making a trip to
the grocery stores with a complete list of items needed before
the arrival of the heavy snow
and ice; picking -up of trash and
deliveries of mails can wait; pulling out the heavy comforters
ready for the chilly nights; using
the thermos kept in the storage
or cabinets for hot water.
Better, yet, when weather
is normal, purchase a portable
one-burner heater (powered by
butane; inexpensive, from Asian
stores like the Super H and Lotte)

Continued on page 22
ent tune. Oh the weather outside is frightful, and my joints
are not delightful. And since its
gotten so dang cold, I feel old. I
feel old. I feel old.

20 Editorial

March 1-15, 2015

EDSA and elections

The People Power celebrations at EDSA used to be fun and
festive. But this time around it was clouded by calls for President Aquino, the obvious heir of that profound pocket of history, to step down.
The We Bulong (literally, we whisper but also a euphemism for coup plotters) are on the march again but with only
about 14 months before Filipinos choose their next president,
we have to question the purpose of all these rumblings.
The Presidents stock nosedived after 44 police commandos were wiped out in a poorly planned raid to kill a mostwanted terror suspect in Mindanao. The cops were apparently
abandoned by their top officers until they ran out of bullets,
wounded and dejected, helpless until their enemies finished
them off with headshots and for some, decapitation.
The People Power revolution that sprang from EDSA almost
three decades ago may have discarded a dictatorship, but it also
established a precedent for turmoil and uncertainty. It was supposed to restore democracy; instead it fueled our penchant for
quick, easy fixes.
That was the path taken by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who
now faces an assortment of charges; despite this, there are still
some flirting with a short-cut to 2016.
No, there can be no alternative to the democratic process.
Free, honest elections. It is an arduous process to be sure but it
locks in public commitment to the rule of law and majority rule.
If there is anyone whod benefit from prematurely kicking out
President Aquino from Malacanang, it would be people who
know they cant win elections, and thus unfit to rule.
Filipino Americans have a good view of American-style
democracy messy, noisy and often cumbersome. Yet, like all
good Americans, theyve kept the faith. With the White House
and Capitol Hill in gridlock, frustration is growing but the
nation remains tightly glued because every four years, they
know they can wield the ultimate instrument of political power
the ballot.
Instead of looking for ways to oust the incumbent, their
energies and resources are better invested in searching for a
successor.

Brrrr..wheres global warming!

rrrr Calling President Obama, Al

Gore, etc...wheres brrr glo..brrr .bal
warming? Please tell the Arctic air
to go home...back...brrr to...the...brr North
Pol...brrr eeee. Maybe you...brrrrr re
wrong... Please explain brrrr......
***
Some feel that most weather broadcasters are exaggerating their daily spiel
about the weather. Instead of telling the
public to take the necessary precautions,
they warn of dire things to happen if
people dont take the reports seriously.
Their broadcasts often drive the public
into panic, making them rush to the grocery stores to stock up on food or the
Home Depot to purchase tools or survival
equipment.
Some people suspect they are in
cahoots with these stores by displaying
empty shelves and warning of dire consequences if they do not do anything to
prepare for the deluge, the wind chill, the
big freeze. Some think they love to sensationalize the weather reports which are
often not listened to. Channel 4, they say,
is Number One in this category.
***
Will somebody tweet, email or instagram me as I mark the coming 5th
anniversary of my joining the Tsismoso
brigade? I am a Tsismosa who have been
recruited by Tsismoso to keep the community informed of all tsismis going around
town. So, expect more community Tsismis to be included in this column pretty
soon. I am one of the distaff members of
the Tsismoso brigade who intend to help
make this column the best in the West. So,
beware!!!
***
The Republican National Committee
should reward a young Filipino American
writer in its Washington D.C. for starting
the presidential election more than a year
in advance. After the mid-term election,
he has continued with his bombardment
of the Asian media, including the Manila
Mail, with his analyses, interpretations, etcetera of political events. He has
become a pain in the A..., says one recipient. His name is Ninio Fetalvero.
But the RNC should give Fetalvero
the medal of honor for undertaking wide
research on Asian Americans and their
Republican leanings. Ninio distributes
them shotgun style to the media and other
groups and individuals.

It seems that even after you repeatedly tell Ninio to stop sending the political spiel he still continues to do so. Even if
you designate his daily releases as Spam,
they still come in droves.
The troublie is that he picks these
information from Asian publications and
sometimes do not give them proper credit
or distribute photos without captions. But
Tsismoso still gives Ninio a plus for effort.
***
Patay na. In anticipation of President
Obamas controversial immigration legalization initiative via executive order, Filipino American lawyers have been busy
preparing for tens of thousands seeking
cover under DACA.
But a federal judge has thrown a
monkey wrench on the initiative by issuing a restraining order. The President is
frantically challenging that order reportedly by a judge appointed by former President Bush.
For the nth time, Filipino American
Pulitzer Prize Winner Jose Antonio Vargas
and tens of thousands of others, may still
face the threat of deportation from a court
in Texas.
***
Its more fun in the Philippines
despite the frequent carnage between
Philippine troops and the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front, the Abu Sayyaf, the New
Peoples Army and criminals.
***
This came as the Migration Policy
Institute said in its latest report that
Immigrant adults in the United States lag
their native-born peers in literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills, with
resulting effects on their income, employment, education and health.
MPI made an analysis of an innovative international survey that tests skills
needed for full participation in todays
increasingly knowledge-based world.
Still, while the United States lags
most other countries on the Program for
the International Assessment of Adult
Competencies (PIAAC) test, a new MPI
report finds that immigrants impact on
the overall scores and international standing is minimal. Taking immigrants scores
out of the equation would not boost the
United States to a higher ranking among
the 24 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries
that administered the 2012 test.

21

March 1-15, 2015

Jobs for guns

A
In from the Cold

ts a Saturday morning and

the snow starts to fall again.
Its blustery and cold. A
familiar feeling. Like hostility, or
sheer indifference. Whoever is
dishing this wintry mix doesnt
care if you chill in the wind or
simply freeze in the icy grip of
winter. Inside a union hall near
Dupont Circle, I hear familiar
voices as I line up for coffee.
A group of familiar faces just
came in from the cold, helping
themselves to hot refreshments
before the meeting starts. I introduce myself. One says shes
from Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Another from Bacoor, Cavite.
And still another from Sta. Rita,
Pampanga. We chat about the
weather and how much warmer
it is where we all come from. Its

time he tried to file a claim for a

war-related injury. Ive come to
be suspicious of federal agencies.
But the names, faces and
voices who greet the gathered
workers look and sound just
like us. Seema Nanda, from the
Civil Rights Division of DOJ, is a
South Asian American woman.
The rep from DOL is Chinese
American Portia Wu. DOJ guy
Grande Lum is Korean American. And EEOCs Mark Ellison
is black. There is only one white,
male a face typically associated
with government bureaucrats.
But it turns out, as I will explain
later, the NLRB dude is both
empathetic and sympathetic.
Each one take turns explaining what their agencies do. Their
message: Dont be afraid to come

big majority of the public

according to recent surveys believe that the
Obama administration is not
doing enough to neutralize the
threat posed by violent Islamic
extremists.
Notwithstanding
Pres. Obamas braggadocio when
he declared that we will defeat
and destroy ISIS, the public has
seen only dithering in the face
of a worsening convulsion of
terror in the world. Perhaps the
beheading of 20 Egyptian Christians for their Christianity is not
shocking enough.
Obamas critics complain
that he does not have a strategy
to defeat Islamic extremists, particularly the rampaging fighters
of ISIS. His critics are not exactly
correct. He has his minions provide a glimpse of his creative
strategy. To eliminate terrorism,
just call the horrific act by the
name of another animal. The
Bush war on terror was renamed
overseas contingency operations.
When a Muslim Army doctor
inspired by an Islamic cleric in
Yemen gunned down several
soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, it
was simply called work place
violence. When several Jews
were killed inside a Jewish deli
in Paris by a Muslim gunman

who professed to be an Al Qaeda

follower, the administration
referred to them as victims of a
random criminal act.
If you noticed that the
Obama administration is not
using enough guns and cannons as some military observers
have suggested, its because he
doesnt intend to. We cannot kill
out way to victory, he believes.
As whispered loudly by a State
Department
spokeswoman,
the battle plan is not to send
drones armed with missiles but
for drones to bombard Islamic
extremist strongholds with leaflets offering jobs. Believe it or
not, the jobs-for-guns program
is not a dream, if you listened
to the administration spinners.
My wise barber quipped- this is
giving my jobless friend an idea
to pick up a gun and trade it for a
job.. Critics of the jobs not bullets
battle plan point out that many

extremists driven by religious

ideology are not dirt poor, like
Usama Bin Ladin who hails from
a wealthy family.
If you think that Pres.
Obama does not seem to feel a
sense of urgency to fight Islamic
terrorism head on, its because
he believes that the threat is
not a clear and present danger
to Americans. He says climate
change is a more serious threat.
According to scientists, the
earth was considerably warmer
during the medieval age and yet
the temperature did not brutalize
the people. There are scientists
who claim that humans prospered more during the earths
warm episodes than life in the
ice age. And so, I do not fear the
warmth of the sun. I do fear a
suicide bomber or gunman who
thinks that indiscriminate killing

tilate our angst and aspirations

as an immigrant community in
a way only they can. Kathleen
wrote about the struggle of finding her place in the American
melting pot having been born
in San Diego then growing up
in Norfolk; shes settling on a
new life in GMU. Where is your
home? she asked the question
that has often crossed my own
mind, as it toggles between DC
and Manila. After all, didnt
Laura Ingalls Wilder (author of
Little House on the Prairie)
write that home is the nicest
word there is. But in the age of
globalization, in a world increasingly molded by cyberspace, its
become difficult to define our
abode.
Coming still is Andrew
Esmeles funny expedition for a
place to get some good, genuine
Pinoy food.
Over the past decade,
National Public Radio (NPR)
has been airing a rich collection
of stories from the non-profit
StoryCorps. According to their

website, their mission is to provide people of all backgrounds

and beliefs with the opportunity
to record, share and preserve the
stories of their lives.
StoryCorps says they do this
to teach the value of listening,
and to weave into the fabric of
our culture the understanding
that everyones story matters.
Telling the story is perhaps
the single primal urge that drives
journalists, and to the extent that
we are able to tell and share our
own individual stories, we are
all journalists. Stories are the
bedrock of most human activity;
it can fuel frenzy for war, and it
can also unlock a treasure chest
of compassion and charity.
It can be heart-rending or
rib-tickling, profound or just
plain silly. Every great love
begins with a great story, said
author Nicholas Sparks. Wed
like to encourage more people to
send their stories to Manila Mail
(mail to rodneyjj669@yahoo.
com). Help define our community.

Continued on page 22

Whats your
story?

W
Elina Ferrer (right), with Elisa Vicedo and Manny David share their story
with DOJs Seema Nanda. (Photo by Jon Melegrito)
been three years since theyve
been home.
Home and family are certainly in their minds. And something else. I learn later the depth
of feeling from their anguished
faces, the choked up voices as
they hold back tears.
The meeting begins. Seated
together are about 20 Filipino
teachers, among dozens of other
Asian American Pacific Islander
workers. They are here for a Listening Session sponsored by
Obama administration representatives from the Dept. of Labor
(DOL), Dept. of Justice (DOJ), the
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) and the
National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB).
What immediately comes
to mind about these acronyms
are faceless bureaucrats toiling
away in cold stone fortresses
along Constitution Avenue, issuing edicts or giving you ice in
winter. Like the VA examiner
who turned my dad away every

forward and file a complaint if

your employer is treating you
badly or differently because
youre Asian, or denied a job
because of your immigration
status. Retaliation, they said, is
the number one type of discrimination.
And then its their turn to
listen to the workers. This is,
after all, a Listening Session.
A Chinese salon worker speaks
of being overworked and underpaid. A Filipino worker says shes
threatened termination because
she spoke Tagalog to a co-worker
during their break. A Korean
man offers how Asian women
are not outspoken. Theyd rather
acquiesce and suffer in silence.
But the most stunning revelations come from a Filipino
teacher. Near tears, she can
hardly speak. Speaking on behalf
of her co-teachers, she recounts
how they were promised jobs
in North Carolina by a Filipino
recruiter. Turns out the jobs dont

Continued on page 22

ere publishing with

this issue the second
in a series of articles
contributed by Fil-Am students
from George Mason University.
We kicked it off with Kathleen
Cabrera and in this edition were
featuring JC Videna, president
of the Filipino Cultural Association at GMU (watch out for more
in the coming issues of Manila
Mail).
According to their website,
the FCA-GMU was established
in 1994 to spread Filipino culture in the GMU campus. The
FCA has grown to be one of the
largest and most diverse cultural
associations in GMU, they said.
Their contributions came
as a pleasant surprise, courtesy
of our indefatigable editor Bing
Branigin. I suspect shes taken
them under her wings, which is
no surprise because shes always
ready to help.
Ive long wanted to emphasize the Manila Mail which is
celebrating its silver anniversary
later this year role as community paper, a sounding board
of, by and for the burgeoning
Fil-Am community in the Metro
DC region. The Manila Mail
should be everyones newspaper, a forum for swapping information and opinions, no matter
how irreverent.
Leave it to the young to ven-

22

March 1-15, 2015

In from the Cold... from page 21

exist. She prefers not to give her
name, to protect her family back
home.
There are 300 teachers altogether, all victims of trafficking, who were duped by the
same recruiter, the panel learns.
Many sold their houses, and are
heavily in debt. Today, they live
in cramped quarters, forced to
settle for jobs that most Americans wouldnt take. But they
have to eat and pay rent and
send money home.
The H-IB visa process is
used by unscrupulous contractors to traffic workers from the
Philippines, Jo Quiambao,
leader of the advocacy group
Gabriela, explains to the panel.
The US Embassy in Manila

needs to regulate this program

and stop its abuse by contractors.
It puts a heavy burden on workers. Gabriela is taking up the
cudgels for the vulnerable and
the helpless.
During the one-on-one
sessions that follow, the white
male bureaucrat from the NLRB
seeks out the teachers, listens
intently to their personal stories,
takes notes, confers with his colleagues. This is clearly a scam,
he declares. They agree an interagency review is in order.
As the meeting breaks up,
I get a chance to talk to Elina
Ferrer, the sister from Lingayen.
Shes still waiting for her T-Visa.
The 57-year-old mother of three,
one of them disabled, is worried

The Complaining Zone... from page 19

for heating up soups, coffee, tea
or toasting breads; re taking a
bath, temporary punas-punas
lang muna with deodorant and
lotion handy. There are other
items that should also come
handy. Re celebrations of various
occasions, outside or at home,

forget them for now. There will

be better days to enjoy it. I am
back to the balancing act mode
again.
For now, let us just understand the peculiarity of Mother
Nature with this erratic weather
condition. Anyway, this is just a

Social media rants... from page 1

Philippines. We went there early
and waited for our number to be
called when this Filipina suddenly arrives because her companion needed to renew her
passport. They just went straight
to window 1).
Ang mga kababayan natin
na nasa labas tumitigas na ang
mga katawan nila sa lamig;
makatao ba na kahit 15 minutes
eh hindi halos tatagal ang body
temp especially with the wind
blowing. Malaki naman ang
reception area ng building niyo
Sa ibaba di ba?? Bakit hindi nyo
naibahagi sa mga tao na doon sila
maghintany until their number is

called? (Our compatriots waiting outside are freezing; is that

humane when our body wont
last 15 minutes in the cold and
with the wind blowing? Dont
they have a large reception area
in the building? Why cant they
use that as waiting area until
their number is called?
But Fernandez said the consular staff were trying their best
to cope with the demands of all
applicants. He added that they
were understaffed for the area
they have to serve.
The Embassys Consular
Section is comprised of less than
a dozen people, compared to the

Pacquiao savors... from page 1

Philippines.
Pacquiaos Pinoy fans across
the United States and in the Philippines have reportedly started
laying plans for the trek to Las
Vegas. A computer glitch initially
showed the 17,000-seat auditorium sold out within an hour
of Mayweathers announcement; it turned out to be untrue
although, as per reports, a ringside ticket could cost $5,000 and
the price for a room at the MGM
on May 1-2 has skyrocketed to
about $1,600.
The fight is expected to be
a duel between the defenseminded Mayweather and the
aggressive Pacquiao. I am very
happy that Floyd Mayweather
and I can give the fans the fight
they have wanted for so many
years. They have waited long
enough and they deserve it,
said Pacquiao.
Betting odds in Las Vegas
favor the 38-year-old American,

who has never lost in 47 fights.

Pacquiao likes to be in the underdog position, said sports writer
Winchell Campos, who is working on a biography of the fighter.
This is the biggest boxing
event of all time, were confident
of that. We couldnt be prouder
to be a part of it and help craft
it, said HBO Sports president
Ken Hershma.
Pacquiao has already started
training in the US, away from the
distractions in the Philip pines,
business manager Eric Pineda
revealed.
There has been a flood of
speculation on the best strategy
as well how the protagonists
would fare in their match-up.

Viewpoints
Pacquiao has to be very
patient with Mayweather. If he
gets too aggressive, there could
be problems, said Philippine
Olympic Committee spokesman

about not being able to find a

teaching job soon, one that will
free her from debt bondage so
she can send money home. Her
day-care work is back-breaking,
and doesnt pay well. I dreamed
of America as a land of green pastures, she says. But each morning I get up depressed, praying
for something better, for the sake
of my children.
Its snowing heavily outside
now. The teachers put on their
heavy coats ready to face the
bitter cold, endure the wind chill.
Today, at least, they hear
some reassuring words from
bureaucrats who care, some measure of comfort in a world that
seems indifferent, in this bleak
mid-winter.
Send
your
comments
to jdmelegrito@gmail.com
temporary occurrence and soon,
when winter retreats, its white
and gentle beauty will vanish
and spring will wake up again
from months of sleep, hungry
and tired of hibernation. Soon,
spring will come out to show its
explosion of colors signifying life
and inspiration.
30 to 40 people who man fullblown Philippine consulates in
the US, he said.
This number has been
unchanged despite the growth in
the demand for consular services
passports, visas, legalization of
documents, civil registry (reports
of birth, marriage and death),
dual citizenship, registration of
overseas voters, and assistance
to nationals.
Moreover, in addition to
the 13 states and territories it
has consular jurisdiction over,
also attended to are the needs
of Filipinos in 23 countries and
overseas territories in the Caribbean. There are a few days in the
month when the Consular SecJoey Romasanta.
Veteran sportscaster Ronnie
Nathaniels said the fight would
have been much more explosive
had it happened four years ago,
when both men were younger,
but said the passage of time
favored the Philippine boxer.
It is all going to depend
on what kind of condition Mayweather comes in. He is older
than Manny. He may age overnight in the ring, he said.
Neither is at the peak of his
once vast skills and that is unfortunate. But in an odd way that
may make for a more compelling showdown. Because neither
can do what they once did quite
as well, each becomes more vulnerable, said sports analyst Ron
Borges.
The Filipino superstars
success in May will depend on
whether he can still channel that
youthfulness of six years ago,
wrote sports columnist Lyle
Fitzsimmons.

Jobs for guns... from page 21

of so-called infidels is his his/her
ticket to heaven.
***
Last month, the New York
Times and other liberal media
outlets trumpeted the alarming report indicating 2014 as the
hottest year in recorded history
since 1850. Oh yes, forget ISIS,
worry about global warming.
The story was based allegedly
on data from NASAs Goddard
Institute for Space Studies and
NOAAs National Climatic Data
Center.
The story is alarming
because it was intended to alarm
people even if its accuracy is suspect. The report was challenged
by skeptical scientists. The media
report blitz deliberately omitted
the lines in the briefing materials of both agencies to the effect
that the likelihood that 2014 was
the earths warmest is far from
conclusive. NASA scientists put
the probability at 38% while
NOAAs analysis put it at 48%.
Furthermore, the media blitz
did not mention non-confirming
findings from other climate data
gatherers. The UK Met office
says that given the margin of
error, it is not possible to definitively say which of several recent
years was the warmest. And the

Berkeley Earth Summary of 2014

calculations says that last years
finding was statistically identical
to other recent years and therefore impossible to conclude that
2014, 2010 or 2005 was the warmest year.
Let us clean our air and save
fossil fuels, but let us not make a
mountain out of a mole hill.
***
And finally, our idol living
boxing legend Manny Pacquiao
will have the opportunity to
shut the mouth of unbeaten
Floyd Mayweather. He can then
prove once and for all that corn
is better than rice. You see, he
grew up poor and had to eat
corn when there was no rice. But
he grew up strong and with the
heart of a lion, thanks to corn.
After the visit of Pope Francis,
the elation of the Filipinos was
dampened by the tragic loss of
44 police commandos who were
gunned down after successfully
terminating the reign of terror of
Marwan, the Usama Bin Ladin of
Asia. Only Manny Pacquiao can
lift their spirits at this time. Beat
Mayweather and bring cheers to
Pinoys. And if PNoys BIR will
still bother you after your victory, dont worry, your adoring
fans will impeach PNoy.

tions manpower complement is

reduced further, when a group
of 4 consular staff takes part in
outreach missions to provide
services to Filipinos in far-away
localities, Fernandez explained.
He also lamented that disgruntled patrons have not filed
complaints, airing their gripes
instead on social media like Facebook. He noted that the Department of Foreign Affairs has institutionalized a customer feedback survey and if what theyve
received so far is a barometer,
Fernandez claimed that major-

ity of the feedback has been positive and these are hardly trumpeted to the public.
Instances where complaints are received are brought
to the attention of the concerned
staff to prevent their recurrence,
including giving preference to
others in line. In a number of
occasions, the Embassy has conducted in-house trainings to continue promoting the professional
development of its officers and
staff and improve the provision
of services to the public, Fernandez revealed.

One thing seems certain:

If he lacks the strength to land
a single paradigm-shifting shot
(a la Ricky Hatton in May 2009)
or the juice to step on the gas
for multiple rounds and sap his
foils willingness to compete (a
la Oscar De La Hoya five months
earlier), itll be a sad night in
Manila, he predicted.
On the other hand, Fitzsimmons averred, Mayweather
isnt the best fighter in the sport
today for the very same reasons
he ascended to that position
years ago. Even well into his late
30s and armed with a financial
arsenal most countries would
covet, he still prepares for each
match like a hungry 20-something seeking a first big break.
And though Canelo Alvarez was younger, bigger and
stronger in 2013 than Pacquiao
will be in May, his toolbox was
also nowhere near as extensive
as what Pac-Man, even at 35,
showed as recently as Novem-

ber, he added.

Legacy fight
Mayweather says the Pacquiao fight wont define his
legacy. To me, its just another
day. Its just another fight,
he told fighthype.coms Ben
Thompson.
Pacquiao has disclosed
that the contract doesnt have
a rematch clause. That wasnt
even discussed, said promoter
Bob Arum.
When you just look at the
tale of the tape, I have a longer
reach, Im taller, Im stronger,
and Im more accurate, Mayweather boasted.
Entering their May 2 clash,
he will enjoy a five-inch reach
advantage over Pacquiao (72
inches to 67 inches). He is also
taller at 5-foot-8 compared to
Pacquiao, who stands 5-foot-6 .
In his home in General
Santos City, Pacquiao downplayed what could turn out to be
the fight of his life.

March 1-15, 2015

23

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March 1-15, 2015