Warriorturned-artist

promotes
Filipiniana
Page 16

Fil-Ams
join UN
World Youth
Assembly
Page 5

inside

Frisco-born
Xian gets taste
of making MTV
in America
Page 22

Romance takes
backseat to
UN for K.C.
Concepcion
Page 22

MANILA MAIL
A fortnightly Filipino Newspaper in Washington, D.C.

Vol. XXIV, No. 17

Online: www.manilamail.us

ASEAN calls out

China on sea
building frenzy

August 16-31, 2015

Navigating
challenges
of caring
for elders
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinas
Foreign Minister Wang Yi talk at the 5th
East Asia Summit at the 48th ASEAN foreign
ministers meeting in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia Aug. 6.

By JUN MEDINA

ASHINGTON D.C.

Chinas land reclamation in the

South China Sea has increased tensions in the
region, the Association of
Southeast Nations (ASEAN) said at the close of
its just-concluded Foreign Ministers Meeting
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This alarming declaration
was contained in the joint communiqu of the top-level meeting
of the 10-member regional bloc,
even as United States Secretary
of State John Kerry served notice
that Washington would not tolerate any restrictions on freedom
of navigation in the strategically
important waters.
Let me be clear: the United
States will not accept restrictions on freedom of navigation
......................................................

ASEAN

P21

......................................................

NAVIGATING

P21

Ex-DILG Sec. Mar Roxas

with Pres. Aquino
BACK TO SUBIC: The Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered submarine USS Chicago docks at Subic Bay, Philippines. Shes 360 feet long and weighs 7,000 tons when submerged, according to a fact sheet from the
US Embassy in Manila. She has a crew of 170 officers and men, including a number of Filipino Americans.
The port call coincided with the regional forum in Malaysia.

GOP debate draws huge audience as Democrats eye Biden bid

WASHINGTON D.C. The Republican party showed off its bench
for next years presidential
elections and drew a record audience on Fox, the first of a series of televised debates that, if
all goes according to plan, will
help the party faithful choose a
candidate who can actually win
a national election.
On the other hand, the race
for the Democratic presidential
nomination took a fresh twist
after Vice President Joe Biden
refused to rule out a possible
run and challenge the leading
candidate, Hillary Clinton.
The Fox GOP debate last Aug.
6 was watched by 24 million
viewers, according to Nielsen
data, the highest-rating primary
debate in history. Just how many

FAIRFAX, Va. Retired US Army

Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba will
share his familys experience
after the siblings learned
their mother was dying of cancer, which coupled with a dementia-stricken father, thrust
them into the unfamiliar role
as caregivers during a talk
here on Aug. 29.
My siblings and I were in
constant arguments, he intimated. I was going home
to Hawaii every other month.
Eventually I had to quit my
job. Care giving is exhausting
and can be very turbulent, he
said in an interview published
in the Fairfax Connection.
Taguba leads a panel that

THE LONG RED LINE: Front-running GOP candidates face off at the
first televised debate on Fox that drew a record audience

of those viewers were drawn by

the promise of fireworks from
Donald Trump is uncertain but
the unprecedented TV ratings

ensured voters got a chance to

get a measure of the candidates.
In contrast, the first GOP primary debate four years ago drew

only 3.2 million viewers. The previous record, broadcast by ABC

during the same election cycle,
reached 7.6 million. Trumps
show The Celebrity Apprentice
used to reach 20 million viewers
a week but has plummeted in
about six million for recent seasons.
Immigration was one of the
subjects in the debate. Google
Trends data showed it was the
4th most search topic on the GOP
debate issue.
Trump, running ahead in the
pack of 17 candidates according
to a variety of polls, refused to
back down from previous allegations that Mexico is sending
criminals into the US although
......................................................

GOP DEBATE

P20

P-Noy anoints
Roxas but
winnability
doubts linger
M ANILA. It had been a
much-touted political event
since last year, so when President Benigno Aquino III finally anointed Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas
last month as the ruling Liberal Partys standard bearer
and Daang Matuwids new
poster boy it signaled the
unofficial kick-off to the Philippines political season.
Roxas anointment as the
official administration presidential candidate in the 2016
elections will pit him against
Vice President Jejomar Binay,
now estranged from the Aquino administration and the
oppositions standard bearer
running under the UNA party.

......................................................

P-NOY

P20

MANILA MAIL

August 16-31, 2015

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

New Obama guidelines

reduce illegals on
priority deportation

ASHINGTON D.C. About 9 million of the estimated 11

million undocumented immigrants in the United States

would be shielded from deportation under the guidelines
laid down by President Obamas executive orders, according to an
analysis by the Migrant Policy Institute (MPI).
The MPI report released
last month showed that
only 13 percent of undocumented immigrants have
criminal records or recently crossed the US border
illegally. Under the Obama
administrations new deportation guidelines, announced in November and
put into effect July 1, these
individuals will be a priority for deportation.
The MPIs Marc Rosenblum, who wrote the report, said this would
effectively offer a degree
of protection to the vast
majority 87 percent of
unauthorized immigrants
now residing in the United
States.
The Presidents executive action on immigration
includes two key policy
changes from which the
results of the report come.
First, the Department
of Homeland Security
(DHS) issued new policy
guidance on which catego-

ries of unauthorized immigrants and other potentially removable non-citizens

are priorities for enforcement. Top on the list are illegal immigrants who are
national security threats,
gang members, convicted
felons and recent border
crossers.
The
second
major
change in the administrations policies that the
report addresses is the
replacement of the Se-

cure Communities information-sharing program

with the new Priority Enforcement Program (PEP),
which focuses on targeting
individuals convicted of
significant criminal offenses.
As a result the share of
unauthorized immigrants
deemed to be enforcement
priorities has decreased
from 27 percent under the
2010-11 policy guidelines
to just 13 percent.

Manila Mail

Immigration influx turning Virginia blue

FAIRFAX, Va. The influx of immigrants is
fueling the transformation in the Commonwealth of Virginia, explaining in part why
this previously solid red state is turning
blue, according to a study by the University
of Virginia.
Until 1970, only one in 100 Virginians
was born outside of the United States;
by 2012, one in every 9 Virginians is foreign-born, the 2014 UVA report entitled
Immigrants in Virginia said.
The UVA survey noted that the immigrant
population in Virginia has grown more
mixed over the years. The set of sending
countries is much more diverse, with most
of the immigrants from either Asia (42 percent) or Latin America (35 percent) while
Europe (10 percent) and Africa (10 percent)
lag far behind.
The top five countries of birth for the
foreign-born population of Virginia in 2012
were El Salvador, India, Mexico, the Philippines and South Korea. More than twothirds live in Northern Virginia and account
for 23 percent of the population.
In the decade 1990 to 2000, the increase in the number of foreign-born in
Fairfax communities included 323 percent
for Centreville; 168 percent for Herndon;
88 percent for Fairfax City; 78 percent for
Springfield; 63 percent for Burke; and 10
percent for McLean.
Immigrants to this region come from
nearly every country in the world, and
some localities are home to people from
more than 100 countries, Audrey Singer, a
senior fellow in metropolitan policy at the
Brookings Institution, was quoted in a report by the Fairfax Connection community
newspaper.
This changing demographic has brought
changes in the political landscape of Virginia as well.
The population shift, most notably in
Northern Virginia, is changing the states
educational, political and social landscape, observed the Richmond Times Dis-

patch.
Virginias demographic changes have
also transformed political leanings in the
state that, before President Barack Obamas
win of electoral votes in 2008, had not
backed a Democratic presidential candidate
since 1964, the paper said in a 2012 article.
This seemed to reaffirm perceptions that
the GOP has been largely ineffective in winning over immigrants. A report by Reuters
Andy Sullivan claimed that Immigrants
favor Democratic candidates and liberal
policies by a wide margin, and they have
moved formerly competitive states like Illinois firmly into the Democratic column
and could turn Republican strongholds like
Georgia and Texas into battlegrounds in the
years to come.
The UVA study also analyzed the drivers
that shape this transformation in Virginia:
Age was identified as a key factor. For
the foreign-born, it noted the disproportionately large share of 24-44 year-olds,
the golden age for participating in the
workforce. The result is labor force participation for natives is about 65 percent
compared to more than 73 percent for foreign-born, who comprise 15 percent of Virginias workforce.
Most foreign-born residents are also at
that stage of raising families, the report
added. Their presence is a significant contributor to non-native diversity within the
Commonwealth. Migration not only brings
news people into the state but many immigrants who settle here have families and
their children will add to the demographic
diversification of Virginia.
Significantly, while the influence of conservative voters in Virginia continues to
diminish, Republican officials, including
former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor,
have led the push for some aspects of immigration reform such as the foreign worker
visa program.

Manila Mail

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

AFP modernization stumbles

on P-Noys signature

M ANILA. President Benigno Aquino III

has steered Congress into passing an unprecedented military modernization bill,
setting aside billions of dollars for new
equipment; but when it reached his desk,
he refused to sign the measure.
Defense experts are puzzled by the
Presidents apparent wavering after pushing so hard for an unprecedented rise in
defense spending, largely as a response to
fears of continued Chinese encroachment
on the nations maritime territory in the
South China Sea.
President Aquino has pledged to spend
$1.7 billion on new equipment, more than
the past three presidents combined have

committed for military modernization.

Top administration officials signed
a flurry of defense contracts valued
at $834 million in late 2013 and early
2014, including deals for a dozen Korean-made F/A-50 combat jets, three Airbus transport planes and a new fleet of
combat helicopters from Canada and the
Great Britain.
But presidential spokesman Herminio Coloma admitted the President, who
steps down in June, still hasnt signed a
law passed by Congress in February 2013
earmarking $2 billion for defense procurement. No one could apparently pry an
explanation.

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

Manila Mail

Fil-Ams join UN Youth Assembly

By JENNIE L. ILUSTRE

EW YORK. Nineteen
Filipino
Americans were among
a thousand delegates in
the US and around the
world who attended the
World Youth Assembly at
the United Nations, held
on August 4-7 in New
York. The conference is
welcomed by UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon and endorsed by
UN Secretary-General
Envoy on Youth Ahmad
Alhendawi.
The Assemblys alumni network, the International Youth
Council, has over 5,000 active
members and is currently implementing 18 projects in 10
countries. It empowers youth to
actively engage in the success of
the UN Millennium Development
Goals, and the transition to the
Post 2015 Development Agenda.
The Friendship Ambassadors
Foundation established the conference.
The conference has unique
networking potentials, said
Migrant Heritage Commission
(MHC) Co-Executive Director
Arnedo S. Valera during a briefing for the delegates. Among the
youth they will meet are the next
generation of leadersfuture

(ABOVE)
Fil-Am
delegates
interact
with counterparts
from other
countries.
(LEFT) The
Youth Assembly at
the United
Nations in
New York on
Aug. 6

presidents or prime ministers

and other policy makers, as well
as potential CEOs of top companies, he stressed.
The Fil-Am delegates are
MHC Young Envoys of Unity and
Service. They were: Grizaldy
Abella, Hannah Bush, Solenn
Cabrera, Bea Cajayon, Angela
Devanadera, Angela Nicole Dizon, Ma. Patricia JNell Dizon,
Andrew Domingo, Mark Ford,
Isabelle Garcia, Sunshine Hassell, Susan Hoffman, Gale Lota,
Nikkie Navarro, Joshua Pulleng,
Kealsey Sajol, Jessica Tardencilla, Alexander Valera, Raymund
Valera Jaramillo. As part of an

expansion program to include

youth who are active volunteers
at MHC, Vietnamese American
Michael Tran was added to the
delegation this year.
The briefing for the delegates
was held on July 29 at the embassy. In his inspirational message,
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.
expressed confidence in them,
urging them to fully engage
in the conference discussions.
He said the Philippines can be
proud of achieving major Millennium goals. We rank very
high on gender equality, we have
had two women presidents, he
added. We have made signifi-

cant improvement in the battle

against corruptionand we
have brought down infant mortality. The challenge, he said,
is to reduce the poverty level.
He took the occasion to urge
them to vote in next years US
presidential elections, or If they
are dual citizens, to register
to vote at the embassy for the
Philippine elections. Cuisia is
the first ambassador to tap the
potentials of the Filipino American youth across the nation.
The idea, he has said, actually
belonged to his wife, Mrs. Ma.
Victoria Cuisia. At the program,
Consul Darrell Artates also gave

a comprehensive briefing on UN
history, Millennium Goals and
the Philippines.
MHC started the program of
sending delegates to the UN World
Youth Assembly in 2011 to expose
them to the workings of the UN,
human rights and international
law orientation and issues related to the Millennium goals, said
Attorney Valera, who is also US
Country Director of Manav Seva
Charitable Society affiliated with
UNDESA and UN-ECOSO, World
Human Rights Council. Likewise, we want them to learn how
the Philippines is addressing the
goals of reducing poverty and the
pressing issue of malnutrition crisis in the Philippines.
He added: We need to develop
Fil-Am leaders who will help us in
our advocacy and form collective
international opinions against
Chinas acts of aggression in the
South China Seas or West Philippine Seas and the Spratly Islands,
respect for territorial integrity
by all UN member-countries, respect for the rule of law and most
important, compliance by China
on the provisions of UNCLOS and
mechanisms established by the
UN for peaceful resolutions of territorial conflicts.

Manila Mail

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

Gringo, Villanueva charged for role in pork barrel scam

ANILA. The Justice Department has

accused another batch of lawmakers led by Sen. Gregorio Honasan of

benefitting from the multibillion-peso pork
barrel scam.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the complaint August 7 before the
Office of the Ombudsman
against Honasan, former
Party List Rep. Joel Villan-

ueva (currently director

general of the Technical
Education & Skills Devt
Authority), Cagayan de
Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez,
Manila Rep. Amado Bag-

atsing, La Union Rep. Victor Francisco Ortega, and

Party List Rep. Conrado
Estrella III, among others.
They were charged with
malversation, direct bribery, and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. They allegedly
diverted their Priority Development Assistance Fund
(PDAF) allocations to supposed bogus non-government organizations (NGOs)
set up by alleged pork scam
mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
Justice Secretary Leila
de Lima said some of the
accused, like Villanueva,
have claimed that their
signatures in the documents were forged and not
authentic.
Villanueva is identified
as a political ally of President Aquino. Honasan, on
the other hand, has long
been associated with former Senate President Juan
Ponce Enrile, his former
boss at the martial law-era
Ministry of National Defense who is on hospital
arrest while being tried
for his own alleged role in
the pork barrel scam.
A 2nd batch of officials
was charged earlier this
year and was led by former
Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon and 33 others.
De Lima said it is now

Sen. Gregorio Honasan

TESDA Dir. Gen. Joel

Villanueva

up to the Ombudsman to
determine whether the
charges should proceed to
preliminary investigation
or later to indictment before the Sandiganbayan.

MANILA MAIL

August 16-31, 2015

Navigating the Caregivers Maze:

Finding Support and Planning for
Your Caregiving Journey
Join AARP and the Philippine American Foundation
for Charities (PAFC) for a special event with Retired
Major General Antonio Taguba as he discusses his
personal experience taking care of his parents and
in-laws and shares why he is now an outspoken
advocate for caregivers and their families.

General Taguba

Speakers include:

Ben de Guzman

Veronica Li

Leo Duran

Saturday, August 29
8:30 a.m. 12:00 noon
Fairfax County Government Center
Board Auditorium
12000 Government Center
Parkway | Fairfax, VA 22035

Ben de Guzman, National Managing Coordinator of

the Diverse Elders Coalition
Veronica Li, Author of Confucius Says
Sharon Lynn, Director, Fairfax Area Agency on Aging
Leo Duran, family caregiver

Learn about local resources that are available to help you

take care of your parents and loved ones.
Local representatives from these organizations will be onsite to answer questions and provide information:

Alzheimers Association National Capital Area Chapter

Fairfax County Services for Older Adults

Fairfax County Adult Day Health Center

InovaCares for Seniors PACE

Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of

Hearing Persons

Reserve your seat today by calling

1-877-926-8300 or online at
aarp.cvent.com/Fairfax829VA
Complimentary refreshments and lunch will be provided

To request special accommodations, call 1-877-926-8300 or Toll-Free TTY: 1-877-434-7598. Please allow two
working days in advance of the event in order to make the necessary arrangements.

Manila Mail

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

Watchdogs warn
vs raiding Yolanda rehab
coffer for 2016 polls

ANILA. Officials dismissed speculation that money intend-

ed for the reconstruction of areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan in November 2013 might be used to
bankroll the candidacy of administration bets in Mays national
elections.

Catholic Charities (Caritas) Philippines Executive Secretary Fr. Edwin

Gariguez suspects the government was
delaying the release of funds because of
the coming elections. The government has
spent P73.5 billion (about $1.75 billion) out
of the P170 billion (about $4 billion) budget
for the program.
United Nations special rapporteur
Chaloka Beyani said earlier that the administration of President Aquino has not
done enough to rebuild after Yolanda,
pointing to the thousands of people who
remained in shanties without power or
water for nearly two years.
The destruction caused by Yolanda
prompted the country's biggest reconstruction effort since the end of World War II.
Former Sen. Panfilo Lacson, appointed
by President Aquino to oversee the Yolanda rehabilitation efforts blamed the slow
release of funds for the lack of progress.
This prompted Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to reveal that the government
has released P89 billion (about $2.1 billion) for Yolanda-hit areas as of last June.
He said this money mostly went to the
emergency shelter assistance program
and the relief operations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD). The DSWD received P30 billion

A permanent shelter built by Caritas Holland for Yolanda surevivors is blessed by

Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez.

($656.16 million).
He said the National Housing Authority
also received P22 billion ($481.19 million)
for its own construction activities.
Abad said the rest of the funds for Yolanda-hit areas will be released in the second
half of 2015. He noted that the P167 billion
(about $3.5 billion) Yolanda fund was supposed to be disbursed from 2014 to 2016.
Lacson, who is eyeing a presidential
run next year, discounted the possibility
the rehabilitation funds will be used for
politics. He resigned as rehabilitation
czar last February.
Meanwhile, the Australian government
turned over on July 28 housing units to
around to 1,533 families left homeless by
super typhoon Yolanda in Leyte Island.

MANILA MAIL

August 16-31, 2015

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MANILA MAIL

August 16-31, 2015

August 16-31, 2015

MANILA MAIL

11

12

MANILA MAIL

5224 Eisenhower Avenue

Alexandria, VA 22304

August 16-31, 2015

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

13

P-Noy hit for snub of fallen SAF commandos

M ANILA. Malacaang drew
brickbats following the anniversary rites for the Philippine National Police (PNP)
last August 7 after a perceived snub of the SAF-44
the group of police commandos killed in a botched raid
to capture a top Malaysian
terrorist in Mindanao earlier
this year.
The PNP marked its 114th
anniversary at the national
headquarters in Camp Crame. Delivering the keynote
address, President Aquino
praised falling criminality
but ignored the Jan. 25 debacle in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that led to the death of
44 members of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) one
of the biggest single day losses for the government.
Although the raid led to the
death of fugitive terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir (alias Marwan),
the involvement of suspended
PNP Director General Alan
Purisima, who was reporting
directly to President Aquino
at the time, and lack of coordination with the army made
the operational highly suspect and controversial.
The names of slain SAF
trooper PO2 Romeo Cempron
and survivor Supt. Raymund
Train were included in the
original list of awardees but
were removed from the program.
Cempron was supposed
to posthumously receive the
Medal of Valor, the highest
service medal of the PNP, for
sacrificing himself so that
PO2 Christopher Lalan, the
lone survivor from the 55th
Special Action Company,
could escape.
The Office of the President has no participation in
the selection of police officers
and individuals that were given recognition in connection
with the 114th anniversary of
the [PNP], Communications
Secretary Sonny Coloma said
in a statement.
The President did not
wait long to recognize what
they had done for the country.
The administration did everything that was needed to
be done to address the needs
of their families, he stressed.
However, the Philippine
Daily Inquirer, citing unnamed sources, said Cemprons and Trains names
were allegedly removed on
the verbal instruction of the
Presidential
Management
Staff to Camp Crame.
The new PNP chief, Director General Ricardo Marquez
explained that the evaluation
process for the higher awards
needs longer time. One official claimed the awards given
last week were for achievements in 2014.
Two days after the Camp
Crame celebration, the SAF
held its own ceremonies in
their headquarters in Camp
Bagong Diwa in Taguig to
honor comrades killed in
Oplan Exodus, the top-secret but costly anti-terror operation.

(ABOVE) President Benigno Aquino III troops the line at the

114th anniversary rites of the Philippine National Police in
Camp Crame last Aug. 7.
(LEFT) Roselle Nacino, widow of SAF PO2 Nicky Nacino shows
their child mural honoring his father and the rest of the 44
slain SAF commandos

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14

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

Fil-Am leader bats

for more funding for
Fairfax senior centers
SPRINGFIELD, Va. Filipino American community
activist Corazon Foley
lashed out at Springfield
District Supervisor Pat
Herrity for allegedly
spurning calls to back a
proposal to use part of a
$47 million budget surplus for senior centers.
It would be appreciated if you could stop
ignoring our request for
meetings and emails from
seniors in the Burke/West
Springfield Senior Center without Walls, Foley
wrote Aug. 4 in an open
letter to Herrity.
Foley is running a
largely self-funded campaign as an independent
for Herritys position in
the November local polls.
She has been advocating for more support for
Fairfax County senior
home facilities. This
would be a good opportunity for Supervisor Herrity to request funds for
infrastructure
repairs
that could provide the activity spaces that we in
the Burke/West Springfield Senior Center have

PAT HERRITY

CORAZON FOLEY

been requesting for eight

years, Foley wrote.
Fairfax County posted
a $46.91 million budget
surplus in the fiscal year
ending last June 30. Officials have proposed to
spend over $19 million for
the Fairfax County Public
Schools; about $18 million
for funding county reserves and infrastructure
needs; and nearly $4 million for addressing critical
mental health issues and
waiting lists for the School
Age Child Care (SACC)
program. About $6 million
will be held in reserve for

unforeseen needs.
Foley criticized Herrity for ignoring their request for meetings. We
ask that the incumbent do
this job and provide the
leadership,
community
engagement and effective
negotiating skills to improve the quality of life
for Springfield residents,
including senior taxpayers and their families,
she wrote.
She pointed out there
are 17 permanent senior
centers spread out in other districts but Springfield had none.

MANILA MAIL

August 16-31, 2015

DC-MD-VA
Calendar of Events
AUG 15 (Saturday) 5:00 p.m.
-10:00 p.m. Mayon Global Foundation, Summer Luau and Ang
Mutya, Nations Capital 2015 2nd
Counting. Argyle Community Center 1030 Forest Glen Road Silver
Spring MD. Dinner Dance with
$25 counted as votes for your candidate. Hawaiian attire preferred,
leis provided.
Contact: emailmayon.global.foundation@gmail.
com or call/text: Nellie Orino: 301332-3999.
...............................................................

AUG 15 (Saturday) 6:00 p.m.11:00 p.m. Mabuhay, Inc. 30th

Anniversary Ball. Camelot by
Martins, 13905 Central Ave., Upper Marlboro, MD 20774. Ticket:
$60.00 prepaid ($65.00 at the door).
RSVP: Joy Arrellano 301-520-5189.
...............................................................

AUG 29 (Saturday) 8:30 a.m.12:00 noon. PAFC-AARP Navigating The Caregivers Maze:
Finding Support And Planning
Your Caregiviving Journey. Fairfax County Government Center Board Auditorium. 12000
Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA. Speakers: Maj.Gen.
Antonio Taguba, advocate for
caregivers and families; Sharon
Lynn, Director, Fairfax Agency
on Aging; Ben de Guzman, National Managing Director, Diverse
Elders Coalition; Leo Duran, a
family caregiver and Veronica Li,
author of Confucius Says. Event is
free. Complimentary refreshments
and lunch provided. RESERVE
YOUR SEAT by calling 1-877-9268300 or on-line at aarp.cvent.com/
Fairfax829VA.
Complimentary
refreshments and lunch provided.
Questions: Call Mya Grossman at
mylenegrossman@gmail.com
...............................................................

AUG 29 (Saturday) 12:00 noon10:00 p.m. Asian Festival. Rosecroft

Raceway, 6336 Rosecroft Dr, Fort
Washington, MD 20744
...............................................................

AUG 29 (Saturday) starts at 6:00.

PAMWE 35th Annual Fundraising
Gala. Fairview Park Marriott 3111
Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church,
VA 22042. Attire: Semi-Formal.
Semi-formal. $80. Contact: Carl
Layno (703) 282-6690 or carl.layno@uspto.gov
...............................................................

SEP 5 (Saturday) 8:30 a.m.4:00 p.m. PNAMDC Leadership

Institute Offering: Journey to Innovation and Excellence Thru
HEALTH: Health, Empowerment,
Advancement, Leadership, Transformation and Healing. Philippine
Multicultural Center Cost: FREE.
Contact: Lorna Siedel 443-2405713
...............................................................

SEP 12 (Saturday) 6:00 p.m.11:30 p.m. Bicol Association of

MWDC Second Annual Penafrancia
Fundraising
Rendezvouz
Social Dance and Fitness Club,
11910 Parklawn Drive Rockville
MD 20852. $25.00. Contact: Rening
Sosing 301-345-2620.
...............................................................

SEP 19 (Saturday) starts at 8:00

a.m. ANCOP Global Walk. Start
and Finish Line @ Jaycees Community Center, 6907 Oxon Hill
Rd.,Oxon Hill, MD. Register at
wwww.ancopusawalk.org.
Contact: 240-442-6267.
...............................................................

SEP 19 (Saturday) 6:00 p.m.12:00 mn. Ilocano International

Association First Anniversary
Gala. Far East Restaurant, 5055
Nicholson Lane, Rockville, MD
20852. $45 ($55 at door) Contact:
Helen Pelegrin 240-899-2115.

15

Compiled By MAURESE O. OWENS

( Editors Note: Please email details about your event to mpapoose@aol.com. Follow the format below starting with month,
day and time, etc. Events listed here are subject to change, so readers are advised to contact the organizers.)

SEP 26 (Saturday) 6:00 p.m.-12:00

mn. BAMWDC Sarung Banggi. Far
East Restaurant, 5055 Nicholson
Lane Rockville, MD 20852 $65.00
Contact: Delia B. Rafuson 703-5322089.
...............................................................

SEP 25-27 Pilgrimage to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families and the Mass with Pope Francis. Open to all 9th-12th graders.
Cost: $200 includes deluxe motor
coach transportation, accommodations @ youth retreat center,
some meals, pilgrimage T-shirts
and credentials. Access to Papal
Mass and other activities. Limited-Adult Groups leaders are needed (age 21 and older). Adult leaders
must sign Conduct Covenant. Contact: filminatctr@gmail.com
...............................................................

OCT 3 (Saturday) 7:00 p.m.- 12:00

mn. APODCAA Octoberfest 2015

Dinner Dance Festival. Fort Myer

Community Center, 224 McNair
Road, Fort Myer, VA $35. Proceeds
to benefit APDACAAs various humanitarian projects in the U.S. and
the Philippines. Contact: Boy Luna
240. 723.6363.

ty Center Park, Fort Washington, MD. Registration Fee: $30

($35 onsite/race day). Includes
T-Shirt, Finisher Medal, Tote
Bag. Trophies for Top 3 Winners.
Contact: Vivian Sola at viv8747@
aol.com

...............................................................

...............................................................

OCT 3 (Saturday) 5:00 p.m.10:00 p.m. Mayon Global Foundation Final Counting Ang
Mutya, Nations Capital 2015.
Argyle Community Center 1030
Forest Glen Road Silver Spring
MD. Dinner/Dance party with a
$25 per person donation counted
as 25 votes for your candidate.
Contact: email mayon.global.
foundation@gmail.com or call/
text: Vangie Miller: 301-250-5085.

OCT 17 (Saturday) 6:00 p.m.12:00 mn. Mayon Global Foundation Annual Gala & Coronation Ang Mutya, Nations Capital
2015. Gaithersburg Hilton, Gaithersburg MD. Dinner Buffet and
dancing. Music provided by the
TUTUBI Band and DJ Bonnie.
$75 per person donation will be
counted as 75 votes towards your
candidate if paid before the Oct 3
final counting. To: RSVP and/or
support a candidate: Marlyn Baysa/301-318-0709.

...............................................................

OCT 10 (Saturday) Philippine

Nurses Assn of MDC 3K Fun Run/
Walk. Tucker Road Communi-

...............................................................

OCT 18 (Sunday) 12:00 noon-

8:00 p.m. Diocese of Arlington

Youth Rally. Presented by Marymount University, Arlington, VA.
Special guest: Paul Kim, Singer,
Speaker, Inspirer with other entertainers too follow, Live Band,
and Mass with Bishop Loverde.
Estimate cost: $25.00 per participant (youth and adults), Includes
entertainment, a T-shirt, dinner,
and snacks. Details to follow: register under Filipino Ministry of
NOVA. Contact: filipinoministry@
catholicweb.com
...............................................................

OCT 24 (Saturday) Feed the Hungry Handog Gala . Hilton Mark

Center. $75/person ($85 after Oct.
10); $100 Individual Sponsor for
prime seating. Check payable
to: Feed the Hungry, Inc. Mail to
Dulce Guevara, Event Treasurer,
15200 Candyluft Lane, Rockville,
MD 20853.

16

FEATURES

Manila Mail

August 16-31, 2015

Warrior-artist pushes advocacy

in Virginia art scene

AIRFAX, Va. Gabriel Riego de Rios and art have had a lifelong romance,
each drawing the other under the most implausible situations a soldier swapping his rifle for a brush; later, laid off from a Silicon Valley
job, he somehow finds work in a Bay Area art shop where shortly after, he
decides to become a professional artist.
He was influenced by his
lola and parents who loved to
dabble in the arts. Still, he pursued a profession that seemed
distant from his passions; he
was commissioned as an army
lieutenant after graduating from
the Philippine Military Academy the countrys equivalent of
West Point in 1981.
As he led patrols in the hinterlands, he told his soldiers that
if ever hes wounded in battle,
they should make sure they tend
first to the camera and watercolor set he always carried in his
backpack. But by 1990, as social
injustice continued to fester and
after several failed mutinies split
the military, he became disillusioned. I hated politics, he told
the Manila Mail, it was the same
old faces, same old problems;
there was no real change.
He resigned from the Philippine Army and settled in
Californias Bay Area, thanks
to his mother who is a US citizen. He worked with a Silicon
Valley firm but a recession in
the late 90s left him jobless.
When the manager of an art
supply store he frequented offered him a job, he took it even
if the pay was just a fraction
of his old wages. He finally
became immersed in his first
love and by the year 2000 he

Riego de Rios as a young army

lieutenant sitting atop a hill
in Bukidnon (far left), and in
the woods of Virginia (above).
He chooses subjects that offer
snippets of the Philippines he
grew up in. At left is a sample
of his work, Kapatid Ko, Kaya
Ko.

decided he would be a fulltime, committed artist.

I have always been in search
of a distinct identity in the use
of the brush, he said, Whether
it be a landscape, a figure or an
abstract, it has always been such
a struggle.
He absorbed the San Francisco art scene, attending workshops by master portraitist Bob
Gerbracht and colorist Michael
Linstrom whove influenced his
impressionist style, using broad
strokes and robust colors.
After what seemed to be a
lifetime search for my true self,

I have finally realized my lifes

passion, he enthused, I am
now blissfully happy and totally
at peace with a brush in hand,
a color palette by my side and
a blank canvas to work on. He
signs his works Gabriego.
He moved to Virginia in 2007.
Some of his works hang inside
the Sweet City Desserts pastry
shop in Vienna, Va. owned by
Fil-Am realtor and entrepreneur
Manny Tagle.
Gaby, as friends call him, has
mounted an advocacy to promote
Philippine culture, born partly
out of a chance encounter with a

Fil-Am mother.
He recounted that during
one his shows, he overheard the
mother struggling to explain
his painting of a woman using
a woven basket to separate rice
husks. I had to explain to both
of them what the woman (in the
painting) was doing, he said
amusedly. Though the mother
and child were part Filipino, it
was apparently their first introduction to the basket, a common
sight especially in the Philippine
countryside.
I want to create awareness
through painting Filipiniana,
he declared. He has reached out
to students at George Mason University, offering to conduct art

workshops on the Filipiniana

theme. In December he will be
the featured artist at the Vienna
Arts Society gallery.
Before leaving the PMA, he
painted Strongheart symbolizing continuity in the cadet corps
(his classmate and Herndon, Va.
resident Harold Ochoco stood as
the model), in one corner of Longayban Hall, where the Academy welcomes VIP guests. When
they hold one of their frequent
PMA alumni get-togethers, he
ribs Ochoco about the painting,
They wont forget us for a long
time.
Today, he aims to build another legacy, the warrior-artist
proudly spreading his Filipino
heritage in this corner of the
world.

Tour participant veers to help school kid

WASHINGTON D.C. The picture of
homeless nine-year-old Daniel
Cabrera propped by an improvised bench he positioned on the
sidewalk beside a McDonalds so
he could have some illumination
to finish his school homework
went viral after a passerby posted the image on Facebook. The
heart-wrenching picture opened
the flood gate of help for the boy,
including a visitor from Virginia who peeled away from a tour
group to search for Daniel.
Rumy Mohta, a familiar
face in the Fil-Am community
of Richmond and the Hampton
Roads region, is married to
Filipina Marj Mohta and owns
a solar energy firm in the Philippines. The couple was part
of about 200 people who joined
the 10th Ambassadors, Consuls-General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) earlier
this month.
The tour was launched in
2005 to help Fil-Ams rediscover their roots; find ways to give
back or invest in the country,
and for interested Americans,
the opportunity to experience
the Philippines in a special way.
The ACGTDT usually includes
meets-and-greet with top Phil-

Daniel Cabrera (left) with the

solar study lamp from Rumy
Mohta (right).

ippine officials and a visit to

Malacanang to possibly get
their picture taken with President Aquino.
But that photo-op wasnt the
highlight of this years tour, at
least for the Mohta couple. Our
stay in Cebu was extended due to
bad weather. It turned out to be
a blessing, said Rumy, who has
chaired Fil-Am organizations
in Richmond and donated solar
study lamps to Gawad Kalinga
villages in Bulacan and Payatas,
Quezon City in the past.
They visited Daniels school
in Cebu and donated the lamps
to him and other kids there.
This was one of the highlights

of my trip to Cebu, said Rumy.

Daniel said in an interview
with Rappler.com that the corner near the McDonalds had
become his self-designated
study room. While other children his age played in the
streets, he worked on his assignment. The lessons are not
that hard, he said, revealing
that he dreams about becoming
a cop or doctor one day.
Daniel, a younger brother
and their single mother Christina Espinosa live in a street
carinderia that has no walls
to protect them from the rain or
cold. Christina says she occasionally accepts laundry work
to augment the P60 (about $1.40)
she earns from the carinderia
on a good day.
They live in such a dangerous neighborhood, the report
said, that Daniel keeps a rosary
in his school bag to protect his
lone pencil from thieves.
I thank Rumy for his
thoughtfulness and generosity,
said Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia
Jr. I am certain that his gift of
solar study lamps has inspired
Daniel and the other children to
continue working hard on their
studies.

This picture of 9-year-old Daniel Cabrera doing his school homework against the odds spread through social media and tugged at
the heart of people all over the world, including Richmond, Va.based Rumy and Marj Mohta.

MANILA MAIL

August 16-31, 2015

17

MHC leaders presented a Plaque of Appreciation to Ambassador Cuisia. Grace Valera holds the 2014 Philippine Presidential Medal to MHC. Replicas were given to the delegates.

Consul Darrell Artates

briefing the delegates.

Delegates with Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. (center).

Ambassador Cuisia Congratulates

MHC Delegates to UN Youth Assembly

o matter how busy he is, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. always makes time for the youth and the young professionals in the
Filipino American community across the US. On July 29, he took pride in having Filipino American participants to the August
4-7 World Youth Assembly at the United Nations in New York.

He spent 30 minutes of his busy

schedule and delivered an inspirational
talk, a briefing (even initiating a
Q&A period), and gamely posed for
pictures. Cuisia urged the delegates
to engage in civic and empowerment
activities in Mainstream America and
in the Philippines. Remarked MHC
Co-Executive Director Arnedo S.
Valera: Since we started this program,
Ambassador Cuisia has been fully
supportive of our delegation to the UN
Youth Assembly.
The briefing at the embassy
included the presentation of a Plaque
of Appreciation to Cuisia, as well as
the sharing and awarding of MHC
Presidential Banaag Awards to all the
delegates by the ambassador and the
three MHC leaders. In a Power Point

presentation, Consul Darrell

Artates deftly briefed
the delegates on the
Philippines and the UN.
Opportunities
MHC Co-Executive
Directors Grace
Valera Jaramillo and
Jesse Gatchalian have
accompanied the delegation
for the last four years in New
York. They said the conference
offers opportunities for the MHC Young
Envoys of Unity and Service to raise
their level of awareness about the
United Nations and acquire leadership
skills. The annual participation is part
of MHCs Youth Development Program,
Preparing Leaders of TomorrowLiving

a Healthy Life that Matters..

Most of this years batch
are youth leaders/active
MHC volunteers and the
young ladies from ISA's
Miss Teen PhilippinesAmerica Pageant. They
have been designated as
MHC Youth EnvoysThis
year's delegation were
led by two MHC Youth
Advocates, Raymund Valera
Jaramillo (as Lead Shepherd)
and Alex Valera (as Group Leader) and
Mark Ford/Isabelle Garcia as Deputies.
Accompanying the delegates were
MHC Envoys for Unity & Service Velma
Taboada, Florentina PantalunanDinglas and Bienvenido Dinglas,
Estrela Cacal and Estela Patricio, as

well as delegates parents Ronaldo Lota

and Sonia Kidlat.
Attorney Valera, who as a certified
pastor carries the title Reverend, added,
This is also the first time that we have
chosen a delegate from Vietnam, Michal
Tran, to join the Fil-Am delegation. We
are expanding in the near future to
include young leaders of the immigrant
community who have been helping the
MHC programs in the US.
MHC was founded in 2005 mainly
inspired by the 1990 UN International
Convention on the Protection of the Rights
of All Migrant Workers and Members of
Their families. It sent its first delegation
to the UN World Youth Assembly in
August 2011, after the successful
convening of its First International
Summit of Migrant Workers.

MHC Youth Envoy Delegates Galeanne Lota &

Josh Pulleng inside the United Nations General
Assembly Hall. Behind is Ronald Lota, one of
MHC adult Envoys officially accompanying the
MHC Youth delegates.

MHC Youth envoy delegates Zaldy, Michael

and Andrew at the UN General Assembly Hall
during the 2015 Youth assembly.

18

Manila Mail

NEWS IN PICTURES

August 16-31, 2015

Amb. Jose L. Cuisia

hosted a farewell reception for Nini Alvero,
former Minister Counselor of the Philippine
Trade & Investment
Office at the Philippine
Embassys Romulo
Hall. Photo shows Amb.
John Maisto of the
US Philippine Society
which co-hosted the
event, addressing the
audience that included
businessmen and representatives of various
US institutions. Alvero
is returning to Manila
to take over higher office at the Department
of Trade & Industry.
PHOTO BY BING CARDENAS
BRANIGIN

From left, Bing Cardenas Branigin, NaFFAA

Capital Region Chair; Mitzi Pickard of PAFC,
Nini Alvero; Carmen L. Stull, a member of
the board of George Washington University
Hospital; and Peter Thieman, board member
of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce-Washington, DC. at the farewell reception in honor of outgoing Minister Counselor
Alvero. PHOTO BY BING CARDENAS BRANIGIN

KAYA: Filipino Americans for

Progress, a national organization of young professionals
devoted to civic engagement
and policy development, recently completed its leadership workshops for more than
30 college summer interns.
Among its leaders are, (front
row): Jason Tengco, Jessica
Caloza, Gem Daus, Emil Trinidad, Marita Etcubanez; (2nd
row): Gina Jones, Gregory
Cendana, Paulo Pontemayor,
Joe Montano, Romeo Ymalay 111, Mario Salazar,Victor
Diaz Zapanta, Angelo Dalmacio, Mike Inacay. PHOTO BY JON

Former Lorton,
Va. resident Letty
Tamondong, wife
of retired US Navy
Gus Tamondong,
held a christening of their new
home in Fredericksburg, Va.
last Aug. 1. Photo
shows, from left,
Zeny Luna-Jaleco, Lettys apo
Nayomi, Dory
Luna-Dimailig,
Emma Luna-Hagaman, Letty
Tamondong and
Thess Navarro.

MELEGRITO

Dexter Alan
Havens Orino,
son of Daniel
and Josie
Havens Orino,
and Vivienne
Rose Orino Vicente, daughter of Nick
and Gen Orino
Vicente, were
baptized last
July 18 by the
Rev. Fr. Don
at Our Lady of
Mercy Catholic
Church in Potomac, Maryland. The date
coincided with
the 33rd wedding anniversary of Danny
and Nelly
Orino. Also in
photo are the
Orino, Vicente,
and Havens
families and
friends. PHOTO
BY JENNIE ILUSTRE

From left, Capt. Nan Capulong of the Philippine Army, Advance

Armor Course; Lt. Gen. May Legere, G2 US Army; Maj. Jane Gumataotao, US Army CGSC; Col. Orlando Suarez, Philippine Defense
Attache; and Capt. Bong Jallorina, Advance Infantry Course at the
reception hosted by Lt. Gen. Legere for International Students at
the Officers Club, Ft. Myers, Va. PHOTO BY BING CARDENAS BRANIGIN
Filipino American
community leaders
met recently to
discusse programs
and projects for
the second part of
2015. Photo shows
Di Aquino, Ding
Gomez, Jonathan
Melegrito and Ador
Carreon during
meeting in Reston,
Va that was also
attended by officers
of PAFC, APODC,
NaFFAA and GMUFCA. PHOTO BY BING
CARDENAS BRANIGIN

Members of the George Mason University-Filipino Cultural Associations (GMU-FCA) are just one of the campus groups in the Metro DC region collaborating to
promote Fil-Am issues such as GOTV, Filipino Veterans
Congressional Gold Medal Project, Immigration, and
cultural activities. Photo shows, from left, Jonathan
L. Arevalo, Denise Diokno, Charlene Agustine, Stephen
Liddle, Herman Ayayo of NaFFAA Capital Region, Elo
Lewis, Michael Rodgers, Melanie Via-Daens, Sancho
Jacinto and GMU-FCA president Elaine Mangulabnan.
This meeting was held last July 31 in Reston, Va. PHOTO
BY BING CARDENAS BRANIGIN

Monsignor Eddie Tolentino

accepts check donation from
Migrant Heritage Commission
(MHC) through one of its Executive Directors Grace Divina
Valera for the improvement of St.
Michael Church in Silver Spring,
Md. MHC has been providing
Free Health Screenings/Medical
and Legal immigration Consultations for the past eight years
at St Michael Parish under MHC
Healthcare & Legal Resource Programs, together with its service
oriented partner organizations
Alexandria-Asian American Lions
Club, Fil Ministry of St Michael,
Asian-American Health Initiative
of Montgomery County, Md. and
with volunteer healthcare professionals, doctors and nurses from PNA DC & MD, ISA, USTAAA, PMA, Bicol Assn., UERM Alumni and other
groups. The donated funds were raised from the Pedro Calungsod movie special screening. Photos shows
from left Tony Calaro, Grace Valera, Msgr. Tolentino, Denia Calaro and Carl Abella.
From left Eleanor
Macalma, Kristine
A. Velilia, Kat Velillia, and Amante
Macalma of Richmond, Va. visited
the Philippine Consulate in New York
City recently. The
Consulate shares
an office with the
Permanent Mission
to the United Nations and is located
along Madison
Avenue in New York
City. PHOTO BY BING
CARDENAS BRANIGIN

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

Manila Mail

19

Pinoy gets
plum post
as NBA Knicks
training director

EW YORK. Sports

physician
Erwin
Benedict Valencia
became the first Filipino
to join the medical staff
of a major American professional sports team,
the National Basketball
Associations New York
Knicks.
Dr. Valencia, a graduate of
the University of the Philippines,
had previously worked with the
National Basketball League as
well as Major League Baseball
(MBL). He was recently promoted as Director of Training and
Conditioning for the New York
Knicks.
He will lead the teams medical and performance staff, making him the highest ranking
Filipino medical professional in
professional sports.
Born in New Jersey but growing up in the Philippines, he pursued advanced degrees in sports

Dr. Erwin Benedict Valencia

is 1st Filipino
to join medical staff of an
NBA team

medicine and physical therapy in

the United States. Valencia has a
Masters of Education in Athletic
Training & Sports Medicine from
Plymouth State University in New
Hampshire, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree with a concentration in Manipulative Therapies

at the University of St. Augustine. Hes also

satisfied the
requirements
for post-graduate fellowships
at Yale University and Regis University in Denver, Co.
Prior to joining Knicks, was
MLB Rehabilitation Director of
the Pittsburgh Pirates for eight
seasons.
He acknowledged the huge
influence his parents had on

HIV cases in PH continue to rise

M ANILA. The number of new cases of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Philippines
continues to rise.
The Department of Health
(DOH) recently reported the
highest number of new cases in a
month last June, surpassing the
figure in May. There are now officially 22 newly diagnosed cases per day in the Philippines.
The DOH said in a report that
there were 772 cases of HIV/
AIDS recorded in June, 56 percent higher than the number registered during the same period
in 2014 at 494.
The DOH said the latest number of cases was the highest reported since 1984. Most of the
cases or 96 percent were still
asymptomatic at the time of reporting.
For the month of June, 62 people

with HIV/AIDS were reported to

have died, 98 percent of them men.
The most vulnerable age group
was the 25-34 years bracket. Majority of those who died (97 percent) were infected through sexual contact, and 31 of them had
engaged in male-to-male sex.
Of the new cases recorded in
June, the DOH said 97 percent
were male aged between 13 and
64 years old.
The main modes of transmission were sexual contact and
needle sharing among injecting
drug users.
Most of the cases (38 percent)
were from Metro Manila, 16 percent were from the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Quezon (Calabarzon) region, 8 percent from the
Davao region, 8 percent from
Central Luzon, and 6 percent
from Western Visayas.

Health Secretary Janette

Garin explained that the surge
in the incidence of HIV in the
Philippines was due to the free
voluntary screening her department has been conducting nationwide during the first National HIV Testing Week in May.
The National HIV Testing
Week was aimed at encouraging
more people at riskmales having sex with males and injecting
drug usersto get tested so that
they would know their status and
subsequently benefit from the
free antiretroviral (ARV) therapy offered in 19 treatment hubs
across the country.

his development. Since I was

little, there was always a oneyear plan, five-year plan, 15year plan. My parents were
also strong believers in the importance of family, religion, patience and hard work.
He also credits a Silva Method
class he attended when he was
12 or 13 years old. I learned to
meditate, mind map, create my
own vision board, use proper
breathing, and began to recognize my own inner peace, he
said in an interview with the
Philippine Daily Inquirer.
His early experiences and
extraordinary outlook has reinforced a keen appreciation of
his place in the universe. Spending one birthday in Prague, the
Health Sec.
Janette Garin
says 22 new
HIV cases are
discovered
each day in
Philippines

capital of the Czech Republic, he

decided to forego with the usual
celebration and, with two local
friends, hugged hundreds of perfect strangers in the streets.
He aspired to join the NBA
since he was a teen. He says he
also did it for young Filipinos
who dream of getting to the premier pro basketball league, proving that it can be done.
I achieved this dream at a
perfect time in my life, Valencia
enthused. I plan to enjoy every
moment while working with the
Knicks, especially working and
learning with inarguably the best
medical and performance staff in
the NBA, the most open-minded
head coach in the NBA, and the
greatest coach of all time.

20

NEWS

Manila Mail

August 16-31, 2015

FilVets kin warned vs fixers

By JENNIE L. ILUSTRE

ASHINGTON D.C. Filipino American groups have warned

families of World War II veterans in the Philippines against

fixers who promise a faster processing of their visa applications in exchange for a facilitation fee.
Weve heard from contacts in the Philippines that fixers are at it again, victimizing the veterans families, said Marites
Bing Branigin, national capital region
chair of the National Filipino American
Federation of Filipino Americans (NaFFAA).
NaFFAA National Chair JT S. Mallonga said implementation guidelines are
still being worked out by the Department
of Homeland Security, so the application
process is not yet in place.

He cautioned the veterans families to

beware of deceitful attempts by unscrupulous legal practitioners and unqualified
individuals who prey upon families who
are seeking to apply for this benefit.
Eric Lachica, volunteer executive director of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV), said: Getting an
immigration fixer who is unlicensed and
unreliable may jeopardize the Family Reunification application. It is also unnecessary and a waste of precious pesos for

P-NOY

GOP DEBATE

From Page 1

But even though Roxas and Binay

had already declared their candidacies, the political scene continues to
be dominated by Sen. Grace Poe, even
if she has yet to declare her bid. She is
widely believed to have plans of running for the presidency, thanks largely
to her high ratings in recent surveys
of top choices for the presidency.
President Aquino had repeatedly said the 2016 elections will be a
de facto referendum on his Daang
Matuwid (Straight Path) program,
which helped improve the countrys
international image after the graftmarred government of Gloria Arroyo.
Record economic growth since 2011
has boosted investors confidence in
the Philippines, and many Filipinos
welcomed President Aquinos strong
anti-corruption position.
But scandals have hurt the Presidents image. The Development Assistance Program (DAP) designed to
accelerate government spending, assailed as rehashed pork barrel, and
the Mamasapano incident earlier this
year have damaged President Aquinos
image and given Binay political fodder
to fuel his presidential bid.
The Mamasapano incident resulted
in the death of 44 police commandos
in Mamasapano, Maguindanao at the
hands of Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) rebels and caused the downfall
of national police chief Alan Purisima,
the Presidents close friend and supporter.
More importantly, the Presidents
fading popularity and the publics
growing disappointment over political
scandals and controversies in the administration are hurting Roxas chances of improving on his popularity ratings. He posted a decent 10 percent
last June, up six points from a dismal
four percent in March. But he trails
Poe and Binay, who posted ratings of
29 and 22 percent respectively.
Questions over President Aquinos
endorsement power, and Roxas own
unpopularity among the nations
masseswhich make up more than
half of the voting populationcontinue to raise doubts over the administration standard-bearers chances
next year.
Roxas has an image problem,
says Ramon Casiple of the Institute
for Political and Electoral Reform. He
comes off as artificial and fake.
Roxas party continues to defend
him as the right candidate at the
right time in the countrys history.
Of course he can win, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, a senior official
of the Liberal Party, said. Thats what
people who dont play politics are
accused of, that theyre a snob, that
theyre not approachable.
Roxas, who has been accused of

veterans families to hire a lawyer. He advised veterans families in the Philippines

to visit the US embassy website, manila.
usembassy.gov/immigrant-visa for accurate, up-to-date and helpful information.
Justice for Filipino American Veterans
(JFAV) legal counsel Arnedo S. Valera explained on July 18 that the fast-tracked
visa is similar to the Cuban/Haitian Family Reunification program, where parole
is granted to allow individuals to come to
the United States on a case-by-case basis
for a temporary period of time based on
urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
The US Citizenship and Immigration
Service (USCIS) has been tasked to work
with the State Department to work out the
implementing guidelines.
Lachica also expressed concern that

From Page 1

Sen. Grace Poe

being too high-brow for the masses,

is a scion of the Roxas-Araneta family.
His father was Sen. Gerardo Roxas, a
contemporary of President Ferdinand
Marcos and a long-time LP leader,
while his mother is Judy Araneta-Roxas of the landed Araneta family who
developed Cubao as a commercial hub
in Metro Manila.
Roxas, though, can still count on
the powerful machinery of the LP,
which is now the dominant political
party in the country with a presence
is almost all local governments units.
But whether he can improve his
numbers in the coming months remains to be seen. Many voters remain
unconvinced, according to political
analysts, and this could hurt Roxas
image heading into the campaigning season, which officially opens
in October, the deadline for filing of
certificates of candidacy for national
elective posts.
And it does not help that Roxas,
and even Binay, have yet to announce
their vice presidential candidates. Two
popular lady politiciansCamarines
Sur Rep. Leni Robredo and Batangas
Gov. Vilma Santoshave turned down
offers to run as Roxas running mate.
And the LPs continued courting of
Poe to run as Roxas vice presidential
candidate has been ignored.
Robredo is the widow of the late
Local Government Secretary Jess Robredo while Santos is a widely popular
film and TV star and the wife of Sen.
Ralph Recto.
Analysts agree that Roxas political
fate will depend on a number of factors, but none as critical as Poes decision on a possible run for the presidency. She counts on a big following
among businessmen and the youth
both of which are supposedly Roxas
strong backers. She is also popular
with the masses (she is the daughter of the late Fernando Poe, Jr.), the
supposed base of support for Binay.
Analysts believe Poes candidacy,
should it come, will most likely define
the race for the presidency. It will also
most likely define the campaigns that
Roxas and Binay will run.

he danced around the challenge to show proof of that

charge during the debate.
Border patrol. I was at the
border last week. Border patrol
people that I deal with, that I
talk to, they say this is what's
happening because our leaders
are stupid, our politicians are
stupid, and the Mexican government is much smarter...they
send the bad ones over because
they don't want to take care
of them, Trump said. That's
what's happening, whether you
like it or not.
Trump declared that if it
werent for him, no one would
be talking about illegal immigration.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich said
that Trumps immigration comments have clearly touched a
nerve and it is a mistake for
people to ignore him.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio
fired back at Trumps assertion that Mexico is to blame for
Americas illegal immigration
problem.
He said the evidence is now
clear that the majority of people
coming across the border are
not from Mexico. They're coming from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb
Bush defended his statement
last year that people in this
country illegally have committed an act of love.
Bush said most people staying in the country illegally are
trying to provide for their family, a position that earned him
groans from the audience.
Bush argued that fixing the
immigration system is more
important than figuring out
why people are in the country
illegally, and called for legal
immigration based on family
ties, and expanding it for economic reasons.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
defended his shift in immigration views, saying he no longer
supports a pathway to citizenship because he actually listened to the American people.
Trump was booed however for refusing to promise he
would not run as a 3rd party
candidate if he is not nominated by the GOP.

Fil-Am WWII veteran Celestino Almeda

with Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono

veterans widows residing in the US are

not covered under the directive. We talked
with Senator (Mazie) Hironos staff. They
are working on persuading the White House
and USCIS to include the veterans widows
and speeding up parole visas regulations,
he said in an email on Aug. 4.

I can totally make that

pledge if I am the nominee, I
will pledge that I will not run
as an Independent, and I am
discussing it with everybody.
Were talking about a lot of
leverage. We want to win, and
we will win. But I want to win
as a Republican. I want to run
as the Republican nominee, he
said.
Sen. Rand Paul jumped in
and accused Trump of buying
and selling politicians.
For months, Republican
leaders have talked about the
breadth, depth and potential
strength of their candidates. As
a group, the aspiring nominees
are certainly more experienced
and seemingly more ready for
a national campaign than the
collection of politicians who
sought to deny Mitt Romney the
GOP nomination in 2012.
A visibly elated Reince
Priebus, Republican National
Committee chairman, who help
design this years debate, sent
this statement to the Manila
Mail:
Tonight, the country saw
a diverse and dynamic Republican Party. We are blessed to
have so many candidates that
bring with them a range of experiences and a wealth of ideas
to strengthen our country.
There should be no doubt that
the Republican Partys nomination process will be a true
competition, and voters will be
the ones who decide our nominee. Its a stark contrast with
the Democratic Party establishment, which will coronate
their nominee with hardly any
say from voters.
Were proud to have a deep
bench of candidates, and were
grateful that tonights debates
were the most inclusive in the
history of either party. Americans had the chance to hear
from seventeen candidates.
One thing is certain: our candidates all offer a better vision for
the future than Hillary Clinton.
While Clinton wants to spend
more of Americans money to
grow the government, Republicans want to let Americans
keep more of their money to
grow the economy. While Clinton wants to stifle innovation,
Republicans want to empower
entrepreneurs young and old to
discover new ways to improve

the lives of American families.

With more debates to come,
we look forward to continuing
to make this contrast. Voters
will have many more opportunities to hear from our candidates and decide which one is
best equipped to defeat Hillary
Clinton and lead the country toward a bright future.
Biden has not yet announced
whether he will join the race for
the Democratic Partys presidential nomination but reports
the 72-year-old vice president
was seriously looking into it
has reignited discussion on
how Mrs. Clinton would respond. Many of her senior staff
members previously worked for
Biden.
Clintons allies do not hide
their annoyance at the implication by Bidens advisers and
supporters that she is vulnerable, and ripe for a challenge
from the vice president.
She has the most money
and she is beating every Republican in most of the polls, Jennifer Palmieri, a spokeswoman
for the campaign said in a CNN
interview. She noted that Clinton has already secured over
$45 million in campaign funds
since April and supporters are
excited about potentially electing the first female president.
The various presidential
campaigns and their super
PACs and non-profits backing
specific candidates have raised
a total of $313 million in the
first six months of 2015. The
official campaign committees
brought in about $70 million,
while super PACs and nonprofits required to disclose their
fundraising activities raised
more than $243 million.
Still, some pundits believe
having Biden as an opponent
could help Clintons campaign
in its efforts to shed the perception of inevitability that hurt
her with Iowa caucus-goers in
the 2008 contest and going into
the first televised Democratic
debate in October.
Youre a better general election candidate if you have competition, said Steve Elmendorf,
a veteran Democratic strategist. The vice president would
be a formidable opponent.
The next GOP debates are
set for September 16 (on CNN)
and October 28 (on CNBC).

NEWS

August 16-31, 2015

Manila Mail

21

PH threatened by a different invasion

ANILA. The Philippines face invasion, not

from a powerful neighbor but from the rising

sea level spawned by global warming; and a
geology that leaves the islands more vulnerable to
environmental changes.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) noted that water levels in the Philippines are
projected to rise by more than
10 centimeters every 10 years
three times more than the global
average (3.1 cm per decade).
Sea levels have risen and
ebbed with changing global temperatures. The first major warming period occurred about three
million years ago when most
records showed elevated carbon
dioxide levels pushed temperatures to as high as eight degrees
Celsius and coastal records suggest sea levels rose by more than
15 meters.

The 2nd period occurred

about 400,000 years ago and
the temperature is believed to
have risen by one to two degrees
warmer; the sea level was estimated to rise at least six meters.
The most recent warming period
happened about 120,000 years
ago with temperatures calculated to have risen by as much
as five degrees Celsius, which
caused the sea level to rise six
meters (18 feet).
According to a study by the
University of the Philippines, at
least 13.6 million Filipinos will
have to relocate to higher, safer
places at the current pace of ris-

ing sea levels. More than 167,000

hectares of coast land in 171
towns are projected to go underwater.
The UP study said large tracts

ASEAN

lands about 600 nautical miles

away from the closest Chinese
landmass to project its military
might and coerce the smaller
claimants.
Chinas foreign ministry in
a statement accused Philippine
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario of teaming up with his Japanese counterpart to attack
Chinas South China Sea policy.
First off, the situation in the
South China Sea is generally stable, and there is no possibility
of a major clash, the statement
quoted Chinese Foreign Minister
Wang Yi as telling the forum.
China opposes any non-constructive words and acts which
widen division, exaggerate antagonism or create tensions, the
statement said.
At the meeting, Wang said
Beijing has stopped all reclamation work in disputed waters, but
ASEAN foreign officials and Secretary Kerry were skeptical.
The Chinese have indicated
that they have stopped, Kerry
told newsmen at the close of the
meeting. I hope it is true. I dont
know yet.
To put the extent of Chinas
reclamation frenzy, the estimated 3,000 acres of contested maritime features is about a third of
the 9,500 acres that make up the
city of Manila.
Looking at it another way,
these artificial islands could contain a total of 1,800 soccer fields.
At the Aspen Security Forum
in Aspen, Colorado last month,
Admiral Harris deplored Chinas
island building binge as a coercive maneuver to alter the status quo and change the facts on
the ground.
China... is changing the status quo in the region through aggressive coercive island building
without meaningful diplomatic
efforts toward dispute resolution
or arbitration, the top U.S. Pacific commander stressed.
He also accused China of
changing facts on the ground...
essentially creating false sovereignty which he said will not
hold water in international law.
In doing so, Chinas actions
are destroying the surrounding
underwater environment... and
that severe environmental im-

pact is one aspect of Chinas land

reclamation that I dont believe
has received enough attention.
Harris cited the findings of
University of Miami marine biologist John McManus who said
that China man-made islands on
top of coral reefs and shoals have
led to the most rapid rate of permanent loss of coral reef area in
human history.
Washington DC-based security expert Bonnie S. Glaser,
a senior adviser for Asia in the
Freeman Chair in China Studies, warned of the dangers of
militarization of the newly-created land features in the Spratly
Island chain in the South China
Sea.
The 10,000-foot runway on
Kagitingan Reef (Fiery Cross
Reef) is almost complete, and
according to Admiral Harris,
the Chinese appear to be building hangars for tactical fighters,
Glaser wrote in a commentary
Beijings Assurances Unpersuasive: A COC Cant Wait posted
Wednesday (Aug. 5) in the Asia
Maritime Transparency Initiative website.
Moreover, she wrote, satellite imagery also suggests that
China may be getting ready to
build a second runway on nearby
Zamora Reef (Subi Reef).
Early warning radar stations, military barracks, helipads, and lookout towers have
been installed on several features and harbors large enough
to receive tankers and major
surface combatants are being
built, she added.
Glaser wrote that Beijings
belated efforts to appease uneasy Asean countries are being
received with a grain of salt by
the uneasy neighbors, including
the Philippines.
Sensing the angst in the region about its island building...
China attempted to signal a willingness to work with regional
players by agreeing to establish
hotlines among foreign ministers
to respond to maritime emergencies, Glaser observed.
The efficacy of such hotlines
is dubious, however, since coast
guards, navies and maritime
militias are not administered by
foreign ministers.

From Page 1

and over flight, or other lawful

uses of the sea, he told reporters.
The joint statement noted the
serious concerns expressed by
some ministers on the land reclamations in the South China
Sea.
The statement said the land
works have eroded trust and
confidence, increased tensions
and may undermine peace, security and stability in the South
China Sea, without specifically
singling out Beijing.
The final communiqu was
reached after two days of wrangling over how hard to pressure
China on its controversial drive
to expand tiny reefs and build
military posts in the disputed
waters.
The flashpoint issue took center stage at the Kuala Lumpur
meeting which was also attended
by the foreign ministers of major
powers and regional groups, like
the European Union.
China claims most of the
South China Sea that encompasses strategic sea routes
through which $5 trillion in shipborne trade passes every year.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam all ASEAN
members and Taiwan also have
overlapping claims.
ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh said foreign
ministers expressed concerns
in a meeting Tuesday over the
massive island building activities that had escalated tensions
in the region and complicating
the very process of negotiating
the Code of Conduct among the
parties.
According to Admiral Harry
Harris Jr., commander of the US
Pacific Command, the amount of
land reclaimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan in the disputed area over the
last 45 years totals 100 acres (40
hectares), a miniscule fraction of
the more than 3,000 acres (1,200
hectares) reclaimed by China in
the last 18 months alone
Washington and regional security officials fear that China
would use these artificial is-

of Cagayan, Palawan, Iloilo, Zamboanga Sibugay, Camarines Sur,

Negros Occidental, Capiz, Bohol,
Tawi-Tawi and Sulu would be submerged if sea level were to rise by

NAVIGATING
From Page 1

will delve on the subject of

Navigating the Caregivers
Maze at the Fairfax County
Government Center Board auditorium on Aug. 29. The other
resource speakers are Sharon
Lynn, Director of the Fairfax
Agency on Aging; Ben de Guzman, national managing director of Diverse Elders Coalition;
Leo Duran, a family caregiver; and Veronica Li, author of
Confucius Says. The event is
sponsored by AARP, Inc. and
the Philippine American Foundation for Charities (PAFC).
The number of Asian
American and Pacific Islanders over 65 years or older is projected to grow from
fewer than one million in
2000 to 2.5 million by 2020,
and 7.6 million by 2050, according to the Department
of Health and Human Services.
An AARP study found
Asian Americans as a group
are almost twice as likely
than the general population
to care for their elders. More
than any racial or ethnic
group, the vast majority of
Asian Americans (73 percent) believe that caring for
parents is expected of them
compared to just 49 percent
of the total population who
see it as an obligation.
The report found that
Asian Americans were more
likely to talk to doctors on
behalf of seniors, do paperwork and bills, and provide
financial support for their
elders. The report also revealed that Asian Americans age 45-55 expect the
same from their children.
Taguba, who is an AARP
community ambassador, emphasized the need for greater awareness on the need
for advanced long-term care
planning and the resources
available to assist both caregivers and the elderly.
The goal of this event is
that participants will walk

just one meter.

A 2012 Asian Development
Bank (ADB) study showed the
Philippines is among the five
countries most vulnerable to climate change, and ranked fifth in
terms of individuals affected by
sea-level rise.
Located right next to the Pacific Ocean, the Philippines is
expected to feel the brunt of melting polar ice and the ensuing increase in the volume of water. In
addition, water is being pushed
by easterly winds towards the
island nation and the people who
will feel it the most will be the
ones living in coastal communities along the eastern side of the
Philippines, studies predicted.
Government leaders concede
there is very little the Philippines
can do except to adopt mitigation
measures and better prepare for
the coming deluge.

away with knowledge of all

the resources that are available for them to help them on
their care giving journey,
explained Amber Nightingale Sultane, associate state
director of Community Outreach, AARP Virginia.
Sometimes youre dealing
with a caregiver who doesnt
know how to make an assessment of the needs of the person in their care, said Grace
Lynch, communications manager for the Fairfax County
Division of Adult and Aging
Services. Sometimes you
know you need help but you
dont know what you need, or
you have a diagnosis but dont
know how it translates into a
specific service.
Denial and resistance,
among both the caregivers and the person in need
of care, are common hindrances, explained Dr. Amy
Coren, assistant professor of
psychology at Northern Virginia Community College in
Alexandria. What we really
stress is understanding that
the old relationship is finished and a new relationship
must be established, where
the previous parent is now an
individual under your care.
Taguba believes that dynamic is one reason why the
issue of long-term care is
avoided, often until it is too
late. Its a topic that we dont
want to touch because we
think our parents are going
to live forever, he said. But
its part of a family cycle. Its
never a good time to have to
conversation, but it starts
with a four letter word: love.
Navigating the Caregivers Maze. Saturday, Aug.
29, 8:30 am-noon. Fairfax
County Government Center
Board Auditorium, 12000
Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 220. RESERVE YOUR SEAT by
calling 1-877-926-8300 or
online: aarp.cvent.com/Fairfax829VA. Complimentary
refreshments and lunch
provided.

22

ENTERTAINMENT

Manila Mail

Heart throb
Xian Lim

August 16-31, 2015

Mariel pregnant with Robins twins

M ANILA. Television host Mariel Rodriguez is
pregnant with twins, her husband action star
Robin Padilla revealed earlier this month.
The news came as a huge relief for the
couples friends and relatives after Rodriguez appeared inconsolable after suffering a
miscarriage last April.
It was revealed that she was eight weeks
and three days pregnant when the baby
stopped developing. Padilla revealed that
Rodriguez initially refused to have the fetus
removed from her womb despite being told by
doctors that there was no longer a heartbeat.
He explained that his wife was hoping for

a miracle.
Ive been there. With my first wife we
also had that (miscarriage), Padilla said,
adding he easily moved on but understood
why Rodriguez had a hard time doing so.
Padilla had been married to other partners
before Rodriguez.
Maria and Juan de Padilla IN SHA ALLAH GOD WILLING. Padilla wrote when he
posted a picture of his wifes ultrasound test
on Instagram.
Rodriguez asked for everyones prayers
as she tries to build a family with the action
star. I implore everyone to pray for us be-

Robin
Padilla
with wife
Mariel Rodriguez

cause we need all the prayers that we could

get, she said.
Rodriguez and Padilla have been married
for five years.

K.C. CONCEPCION
BOOSTS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Xian Lim
gets a taste
of Hollywoodstyle MTV
M ANILA. Xian Lim, one of the
Philippines most bankable
stars, plays rising American
singer Zanas love interest in
the music video of her latest
song, Deeper.
He didnt get a chance to
audition, he revealed in one
interview, but got the job anyway after
the Zanas
p r o duc e r s
conta cted
Star Magic,
and as luck
would have
it they were
having
a
show in Los
Angeles at
the time.
ZANA
I
was
very interested and agreed to
the project, he said.
Zana, 20, is rising singer and songwriter from the
Bay Area where she performed with a jazz band. She
launched a solo career as a
pop artist fusing Arabic and
Latin influences to create
what she labels as her gypsy
pop sound.
Lim, is the only child of
Chinese-Filipino parents and
was born in San Francisco.
His family moved back to the
Philippines when he was just
six months old; at age 10, his
parents separated and he relocated to Daly City.
He has starred in at least
nine movies, nearly two dozen television dramas on various networks and recorded
two albums for Star Records.
Lim also joined the Free
Mali PETA campaign in 2013
which asked that the Manila
Zoos only but aging elephant
be moved to a sanctuary.
Lim admitted it was his
first time to shoot a music
video in the US. I was a bit
scared because I didnt know
what to expect but it turns it
its nearly the same, he said.
He added that he is open to
opportunities in Hollywood.

ANILA. Celebrity K.C. Concepcion is taking time off from the ramp

and hosting shows to help raise awar ness on the need for disaster
preparedness as an ambassador of the United Nations World Food
Program (WFP).
Were helping the government create
more efficient ways of disaster response,
she explained.
K.C. (for Kristina Cassandra), 30, is
of course the daughter of former teen
matinee stars Sharon Cuneta and
Gabby Concepcion. She is a popular
model, actress and singer, and has been
hosting shows on television.
Shes been a WFP envoy since 2008.
The UN agency has credited her
with leading fund raising activities
for disaster relief and hunger mitigation in the Philippines and other
parts of the world. A month after
the recent killer earthquake in
Nepal, she and fellow WFP envoy Mark Nicdao held a photo
exhibit in Manila to help raise
funds for the victims.
Part of my job is to help
WFP make hunger a big
issue, so that it is seen
as important as poverty and AIDS,
said Concepcion.
Much of her

K.C. Concepcions work for the UN World

Food Program has brought her from the
world of glam to the high-risk regions of
Africa.

contributions come from auctions on her

website KCs Closet Fights Child Hunger,
charity events and personal networks.
She earned a degree in international
corporate communications from the American University of Paris and is fluent in
English and French. She has represented
WFP at the Clinton Global Initiative in New
York and at the Formula One Grand Prix in
Singapore.
As one of Manilas most prized bachelorette, her love life has been the subject of
much speculation after reportedly breaking up with teleserye heartthrob Paulo
Avelino.
But love may have to wait as Concepcion carries on her work with WFP. Traveling and seeing the real world is really
eye-opening and it really just pushes you
to have that commitment all your life, she
averred.
I would love to be doing this all my life,
she declared.

Couples rise to fame 6 seconds at a time

Carissa Rae Alvarado

and her husband Mike

LOS ANGELES, Ca. Filipino-American

Carissa Rae Alvarado and her husband
Mike have catapulted to fame, six seconds at a time.
Known as Us the Duo, the couple
became the first Vine Sensations to be
signed to a major record deal after Republic Record snagged them.
Its crazy all of this just happened
so quickly. We didnt realize we were
going to get so many followers from
this app, but we kind of just stayed
consistent and kept on doing it. People like it so it was a lot of fun and for
it to blow up the way it did, were just
really grateful that it all worked out
that way, Carissa said in an interview

with ABS-CBNs Balitang America.

Vine allows users to loop a six second video filming just their mouths
and instruments. The couple has
amassed some nearly five million Vine
followers with their six-second covers
of hit songs from pop to classics.
We just try to find the most recognizable 6 seconds of a song. Whatever
the hook is and we can probably do 10
seconds of it and cut it down into 6. Its
funny how our brain works in 6 second
increments, Mike said.
They have built an army of loyal fans
who call themselves Us the Family.
In a recent visit to Singapore, duo said
they were inundated with doughnuts

from fans just because they tweeted

that they love the sweet dessert.
The Southern Californian pop/folk
pair, who met in 2011 and married the
next year, are social media darlings
who have built up a massive following
through their videos of popular covers
as well as original songs.
They have over a million subscribers on On YouTube and their videos
have chalked up 61.3 million views.
After signing with Republic records,
they did the soundtrack for the animated film the Book of Life.
They were then invited to appear
with Oprah during her The Life You
Want Weekend tour.

August 16-31, 2015

MANILA MAIL

A Silver Milestone

Were Turning
A quarter century of proudly serving the
Filipino American community of Washington
D.C., Virginia and Maryland ...and kababayans
in the Philippines.

Your bridge to two homelands...

Volunteer. Advertise.

Find out how you can be part of the celebration

Call (571) 277-6071 (703) 856-1733 (703) 532-8920 (571) 274-8449 or email us at manilamaildc@gmail.com

23

24

COLUMNS

Manila Mail

August 16-31, 2015

Wanted: Scapegoats and Whipping Boys

RBAN legend has it that

President Manuel Quezon, while entertaining
a foreign dignitary in Malacaang, inadvertently let out
gas. Without missing a beat,
Quezon turned to his aide-decamp and upbraided the poor
man for uncivilized behavior.
When the guest had left, the
aide complained that he had
been unjustly blamed for something he did not do.
I know you didnt do it,
Quezon reportedly replied.
But would you have preferred
that the president of the Philippines was embarrassed before
a foreign guest?
The concept of scapegoating goes back to antiquity,
while whipping boys were SOP
among royalty in Europe. In
ancient Syria, ancient Greece
and in Old Testament times,
it was customary to cleanse a
community of its sins by imputing the violations to a goat and
setting the poor animal loose
in the desert, in effect, carrying off the communitys transgressions. Thus was coined the
term scapegoat.
On the other hand, among
royalty, it was unthinkable
to punish a young prince for
his juvenile misbehavior. But
discipline had to be imposed
for good orders sake. Thus a
whipping boy came in handy
a ward who would bear the
brunt of the punishment that
the prince deserved.
There is a difference between the two terms. Whipping boy suggests that the
transgression is still attributed
to a principal, although some-

one else absorbs the punishment. On the other hand, the

term scapegoat means passing on the blame and washing
ones hands of any accountability.
At any rate, either of the two
concepts may have inspired
recent controversial decisions of Ombudsman Conchita
Carpio-Morales. Inexplicably,
she absolved Noynoy Aquino
for the Mamasapano tragedy,
and excluded DOTC Secretary
Joseph Abaya and his predecessor, Mar Roxas from the
indictment slapped on former
Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3)
general manager, Al Vitangcol
III, and five others for alleged
irregularities in the transit
systems maintenance contract.
Disgraced, dismissed and
subsequently indicted former
PNP Director General Alan
Purisima may be more aptly
characterized as a whipping
boy. Carpio-Morales may have
decided that the president of
the Philippines was pretty
much like European royalty
too high in rank to be subjected
to the indignity of punishment.
It doesnt take rocket science to conclude that Purisima, being under suspension
and rendered inactive, could
not have stage-managed the
Mamasapano raid by the PNP
Special Action Force (SAF)
without the direct orders of
Aquino. Neither could SAF
commander, PNP Director
Getulio Nape as, have so unquestioningly followed Purisimas orders if he had not been
convinced that the latter was

acting under authority of the

president.
When Napeas told the media, I take full responsibility!
he was performing the classic
role of the whipping boy and,
to some extent, there was a
touch of nobility and self-sacrifice in that. In a literal sense,
Napeas was willing to take
the rap for his superiors, to
use a Mafiosi term.
But there was not an iota
of nobility in what Aquino did
when he told media that he
felt betrayed by Purisima
and Napeas by disobeying
his orders.
Heres what one Manila daily reported:
If ever I [was at] fault here,
it was [because I trusted] these
people. Why did I fail to detect
that they were misleading me?
the President said on Saturday
night.
He was referring to Purisima, then the suspended PNP
chief, and the sacked Special
Action Force (SAF) commander, Director Getulio Napeas,
who both briefed him on Jan.
9 about the police operation to
get Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli
bin Hir, alias Marwan.
That was pure, unadulterated scapegoating.
Vitangcol and the five other
indictees have obviously been
made whipping boys for their
superiors but worse yet, they
have also been made scapegoats, because Abaya, and by
extension, Roxas, have been
cleansed of any accountability.
According to protestors
from several sides of the polit-

GUEST
COLUMNIST
By GREG B.
MACABENTA

In ancient Syria,
ancient Greece
and in Old
Testament times,
it was customary
to cleanse a
community of its
sins by imputing
the violations to
a goat and setting
the poor animal
loose in the desert,
in effect, carrying
off the communitys
transgressions.
Thus was coined
the term scapegoat.
ical fence, Abaya, as signatory
of the anomalous maintenance
contract, should have been included in the indictment. Senators Nancy Binay and Grace
Poe both questioned the exclusion of Abaya, even while Poe,
known to be an ally of the administration, tried to soft-pedal it:
While we respect the find-

ings and recommendations of the

Ombudsman in the indictment of
Mr. Vitangcol and his cohorts, I
would like to read the text of the
resolution in full to find out the
reasons why DOTC Sec. Joseph
Emilio Abaya was not included
despite having allegedly signed
the contract, presumably with
full knowledge of the facts and
the applicable law surrounding
such anomalous procurement of
services.
Bayan Secretary General
Renato Reyes, Jr. demanded
to know why Abaya and the
members of the DOTC Bids and
Awards Committee were excluded:
"Now lo and behold, only one
government official has been
charged. Only former MRT GM
Al Vitangcol is being made accountable as a member of the
BAC and as end-user of the
contract. Either Vitangcol is a
genius scammer able to pull off
the multimillion dollar deal without the knowledge of the entire
DOTC, or DOTC officials are just
hopelessly incompetent," Reyes
complained to media.
Getting in a word edgewise,
JV Bautista, secretary general
of the opposition, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), asked
why Abayas predecessor, Mar
Roxas, had not been included
in the indictment, in spite of
the fact that the questionable
contract had been drawn up
during Roxas incumbency as
DOTC secretary, and Abaya
had only been two days on the
job when he signed and approved it.
......................................................

SCAPEGOATS

P31

An open letter to Vice President Jejomar Binay

Dear VP Binay,

PATIENTLY and critically

listened to your so-called
True State of the Nation
Address (TSONA).)
I smiled, not because of the
content and meaning of what
you said, but because I was so
dismayed waiting for you to
talk about your concrete programs to mitigate the basic
problems of our society from
corruption, lack or not enough
food on the table, livelihood,
the elusive implementation of
justice and the violation of human rights.
We all know that it is easy
to throw criticisms to the basic
problems of our country and
its present condition. As Vice
President and currently running for President of the Philippines, I had a high anticipation
and expectation that you will
lay down problems with accompanying solutions.
Like all other overseas Filipinos living here in the United
States and other parts of the
globe, I was alarmed by your
lack of credibility and integ-

Atty. Arnedo Valera, right, and fellow MHC co-executive directors

Grace Valera and Jessie Gatchalian with Vice President Jejomar Binay
in Malacanang Palace.

rity while explaining your so

called TSONA. You showed to
us that you value more your
personal interest to become the
President of the Philippines, at
whatever cost. What you did is
a pure simple politicking, bereft of sincere TSONA.
You should have used your
so-called TSONA as an opportunity to explain to the people
how you were able to amass
wealth and property that was
the basis of unprecedented
corruption case that was filed

against you and your family.

This is not only disgrace to
your honor but also a disrespect to your current government position. It is a position
of trust given by the electorate.
Your integrity and honesty is
now an issue, not only in the
Philippines but all over the
world.
You should have used your
TSONA as a vehicle to answer
and explain to the nation how
you, together with all the members of your family, accumulat-

ed so much unexplained wealth

while serving as official of the
government.
You had already evaded numerous forums to explain
your side, and until now you
are still not brave enough to
explain the national crime of
corruption and plunder you are
involved with.
What our country need is
a person with credibility and
integrity, not only within the
confine of our nation but the
global community, as well. The
integrity and credibility of our
national leaders will insure our
political and economic stability, especially to the long-term
solutions of hunger, poverty
and the unemployment of the
majority.
During the last SONA of
President Aquino where he
expressed his gratitude to the
members of his Cabinet, your
feeling was hurt when your
name was not mentioned. But
you really does not deserve.
For four years that you are a
member of the Cabinet, you did
not put on the table any new
and effective policy for the ad-

ministration. All you did is to

prepare your candidacy for
President.
In the four years that you
served as a cabinet member of
President Aquinos administration as Presidential Adviser
for OFW Affairs and Council
Chairman of Housing & Urban
Development, I have not heard
or read any new recommendation from you or had done
appropriate solutions on the
issue of human and labor trafficking of our overseas Filipino workers, especially to our
teachers in America. You have
not mentioned any solution to
the lack or inadequate housing
problems of the majority of our
people. Instead you used them
in your politicking to act as an
underdog and earn their sympathy as you face the multibillion corruption case against
you.
It was so un-statesman and
psychologically painful that
you politicized the martyrdom
of SAF44 in Mamasapano. You
were one of the government
......................................................

OPEN LETTER

P21

COLUMNS

August 16-31, 2015

Residence Abroad

PPLICANTS for naturalization are required to

express their intent to
permanently reside in the United States. Before October 25,
1994, if a naturalized citizen
left the United States and took
up residence abroad within one
year from obtaining his US citizenship, the law presumes that
the naturalized citizen did not
have the intent to permanently reside in the US at the time
of admission to US citizenship.
This presumption was a basis
for the revocation of US citizenship on the ground that the naturalization applicant misrepresented or concealed a material
fact at the time when he applied
for naturalization- that he/she
really did not have the intention
to reside in the US.
The controlling provision
of the law prior to October 25,
1994 was Section 340(d) of the
Immigration Act, which provided as follows:

Manila Mail

IMMIGRATION
NOTES
By J.G. AZARCON,
ESQ.

Foreign residence. If a
person who shall have been
naturalized shall, within one
year after such naturalization,
return to the country of his nativity, or go to any other foreign
country, and take permanent
residence therein, it shall be
considered prima facie evidence of a lack of intention on
the part of such person to reside permanently in the United
States at the time of filing his
petition for naturalization, and
in the absence of countervailing evidence, it shall be sufficient in the proper proceeding
to authorize the revocation and
setting aside of the order admitting such person to citizen-

ship and the cancellation of the

certificate of naturalization as
having been obtained by concealment of a material fact or
by willful misrepresentation,
and such revocation and setting aside of the order admitting such person to citizenship
and such canceling of certificate of naturalization shall be
effective as of the original date
of the order and certificate, respectively.
The law further required the
State Department to furnish
the Justice Department with
names of naturalized citizens
who have taken up residence
abroad.
On October 25, 1994, Congress passed the Immigration
and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 which repealed Section 340(d). In effect,
there is no more presumption
of fraud if the naturalized citizen leaves the US within one
year of his/her naturalization,

The Great Divide

ANG. Crackle. Boom! Oh

sounds of fireworks! All
the chaos and drama
from the loud noises to each
little firecracker flaring up to
one loud symphonic cacophony much like the clashing
sounds of any form of a lovely
spirited debate. In the spirit
of the upcoming elections or
battlegrounds if you will,
with the GOP Debates occurring this week revving up the
Republican Partys top candidates, the presidential debate
offered plenty of memorable
sonic booms crossing through
Facebook, Twitter and all of
Social Media.
Participants headlined a
debate showcased by one attention grabbing real estate
mogul and television personality with his famous toupe,
Donald Trump, and a party
of Senators, Governors, and
a retired neurosurgeon. With
so many topics discussed
however, there was one MAJOR underlying factor (that
could help tip and swing any
Presidential Campaign) that
was completely undermined,
and that is the topic of race.
With that in mind Mr. (potential future) President my biggest complaint and if anyone
was watching, is that it seems
like everyone in the debate
avoided racial issues. It is
so funny how the biggest elephant in the room was completely ignored, and it is that
great divide about the topic
itself that raises issues in so
many circles including the
Filipino American community.
The great divide when it
comes to race has also always
seemed to be an issue of being black or white, but never
whats in between, as a Filipino American I think that is a

VISA BULLETIN PHILIPPINES

AUGUST 2015
FAMILY-BASED
First: Unmarried sons/daughters of US citizens
Second:
2A: Spouses/minor children of
permanent residents:
2B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years
of age or older of permanent residents
Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens
Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens
EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES
First: Priority workers
Second: Professionals holding advanced
degrees or persons of exceptional ability
Third: Skilled workers, professionals
Other Workers
Fourth:
Certain Religious Workers
Fifth: Employment creation/
(Million or half-million dollar investor)

and the State Department will

no longer provide the Justice
Department with names of naturalized citizens who have taken up residence abroad.
The naturalized citizen therefore will not face revocation

March 15, 2000

Dec. 15, 2013
May 22, 2004
Aug. 22, 1993
Jan. 15, 1992
Current
Current
Jun 01, 2004
Jun 01, 2004
Current
Current

proceeding just by virtue of his

foreign residence. His US citizenship will not be in jeopardy,
unless the INS comes up with
clear affirmative evidence es...............................................................

RESIDENCE

P31

Dont do it!!!!

INFORMADIO
By ERIC DAVE
ALEJANDRO
MACALMA

travesty. Given that we also

contribute to the makeup of
America collectively as nonblacks and non-whites, we
have similar issues even within our own communities. Like
I mentioned in my last article
what happens in the mainstream affects our own Filipino American communities in
more ways than one. The way
we act and react to culture as
Fil-Ams is almost a parallel
reflection of how America as
a whole deals with it.
I remember as a child being ostracized by the Fil Am
kids born here in the States,
because I was born in the
Philippines and not here. I
also was ridiculed for having
a strong thick Illocano accent
which was foreign to them. I
remember always being last
picked on any team whenever
the kids would played board
games, or simply ignored and
not allowed to play, because
they could not understand my
accent.
Recently even the media
is highlighting areas not really openly discussed about.
Television shows like White
People championed by Fil
Am Documentarian Jose
Antonio Vargas, have challenged Americans particularly White Americans and
put them on the stage on this
documentary platform. The
film brought very challenging subjects including topics regarding privilege to a
...............................................................

GREAT DIVIDE

25

P31

ONGRATULATIONS!!! You are

now approved for the loan.

Wow, your hard work paid
off. After years of taking care of
your credit and history; you are
almost there to buy your home.
Excitement takes place looking
for that perfect home. But wait,
proceed with CAUTION!!!
Not because you are holding
an approval or pre approval from
a mortgage lender; that does
not mean you can be careless
in your spending and financial
decisions. I always advise my
clients that lenders may ask
for your bank statements, pay
stubs etc again, same documents
and maybe more before closing.
They will reconfirm everything
like if you still have a job and
nothing has changed on your financial status. Do not think that
you can argue with them stating
they already have all your documents. They can take that away
from you anytime especially if
there is something unusual on
your documents. From the day
you got the approval that will be
the day that you dont want to do
anything that may affect your financial status. Please take note
of the following:
DONT CHANGE YOUR JOB
even if it will bring you higher
salary; you can delay changing
your job after closing on your
new home. Changing jobs during
and after the loan process may
delay closing or worst, denial on
the loan especially if it is a different line of work with what you
had during application. Everything needs to re verified.
DONT CHANGE BANKS
OR MOVE YOUR MONEY
AROUND sometimes, my client becomes paranoid and trying
to move money around to show
they have more than enough to
get the loan. Remember, you
were approved from what you
have shown. It is best to leave
your money where it is until the
loan closes or if advised by the

REAL DEAL
By JOCELYN
P. PORTERIA,
REALTOR

loan officer. No need to impress

the bank as it may cost you at the
end.
DONT DEPOSIT CASH we
may have money coming from
different sources like is somebody owes us or we have actual
savings inside the house. Rule of
thumb, all money should be documented. Lenders usually ask at
the last minute where that particular money came from. They
will ask for copy of cancelled
checks front and back. What if
you do not have any proof where
it came from? You maybe telling
the truth but how can you prove
that? There were times loans
are denied because of this.
DONT MAKE ANY MAJOR
PURCHASES not the best
time to buy a car please!! Common mistakes; new home means
I need a new car, new furniture
new appliances etc STOP!!! A
new monthly payment will greatly affect your approval. By the
time your finances are verified
before closing, you are no longer
approved.
DONT CLOSE CREDIT
CARD ACCOUNTS another common mistake; I will
close most of my credit cards
so my credit score will better.
WRONG!!! It can affect your
ratio of debt to available credit
by 30%. Again, you built a good
credit history with that credit
card company for years. That
shows how good you are as a
creditor.
DONT APPLY FOR NEW
CREDIT OF ANY KIND on the
other hand, do not open a new
one as well. Not even just to try
for the interest rate or just trying
it out. They will pull your credit

and that greatly affect your credit scores even if they say it will
not Just DONT.
DONT FAIL TO DISCLOSE
FINANCIAL/CREDIT INFORMATION Do not hold any information to your loan officer. Lay
everything on the table so he can
advise you what to do. You may
think nobody will find out. Just
imagine getting an approval,
finding a house, all set including
moving truck, transfer schools,
lease almost done; you are about
to close in a few days. Then you
got a call from your loan officer asking about your secret,
needs documentation and you
have nothing Everything just
disappear before your eyes.
Any of the above mentioned
can greatly affects your ability to obtain a mortgage loan or
delay the process and closing
date. There maybe huge costs
if you fail to perform or delay
closing. It is very important to
avoid doing those until you got
the house keys in your hand. I
always make it a point to make
the buying process a smooth and
pleasing experience by my clients and not stressful moments
that they regret buying a house.
You play the major role in making that happen.
Note: Jocelyn Porteria is a
Realtor licensed in VA. Top
Producer of Fairfax Realty and
earning Five-Star Reviews
from her clients. She earned a
designation of ASP, Accredited Staging Professional; ABR,
Accredited Buyers Specialist; CDPE Certified Distressed
Property and Short Sale Expert,
(SFR) Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource. For more info,
visit her website at www.jprealdeal.com and on Facebook https://
www.facebook.com/realdealconsulting. Call her at 571-432-8335
or email at realdealconsulting@
yahoo.com for free confidential
consultations.

26

COLUMNS

Manila Mail

August 16-31, 2015

EVELYNS
KITCHEN
By EVELYN
S. BUNOAN

Pichi-Pichi

ICHI-PICHI is one of the most traditional Filipino desserts which originated from the southern part of the
Philippines.
Here in America, making pichi-pichi is a lot easier because ingredients are readily available at any Oriental
stores. It is quick and easy to make, and can be served as
a snack, and as a dessert at parties.

Ingredients:
1 pound frozen grated cassava (thawed)
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lye water
Methods:
1. Grease one 9-inch round aluminum foil baking pan.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Pour into the pan and steam until cassava is cooked
(firm and transparent).
4. Remove the pan from the steamer and let cool.
5. Make small patties-like portions (approximately 1
1/2 x 1 1/2) and roll in grated coconut.
(Note: Can also be rolled in toasted coconut flakes, if
preferred.)
PHOTO BY EVELYN S. BUNOAN

Editors Note: Master Chef Evelyn100 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 pro-bono for Filipino-Americans who are afflicted with
cancer and other serious illnesses; Culinary writer; Member, Les Dames dEscoffier International, Washington DC Chapter; Member, International Cake Exploration
Society, Member, Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C.; Master Chef, French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le Cordon Bleu, London.

Three Convicts
HREE convicts were on the

way to prison. They were

each allowed to take one
item with them to help them occupy their time while incarcerated. On the bus, one turned to the
convict beside him and said, So,
what did you bring?
The second convict pulled out
a box of paints and stated that
he intended to paint anything he
could. He wanted to become the
Grandma Moses of Jail.
Then he asked the first,
What did you bring? The first
convict pulled out a deck of cards
and grinned and said, I brought
these cards. I can play poker,
solitaire, gin, and any number of
games.
The third convict was sitting quietly aside, grinning to
himself. The other two took notice and asked, What are you
grinning about? What did you
bring?
The guy pulled out a box of
tampons, smiled and said, I
brought these. The other two
were puzzled and asked, What
can you do with those? He
grinned and pointed to the box
and said, Well according to the
box, I can go horseback riding,
swimming, roller-skating....

GREEN
& CLEAN
Compiled
By OSCAR
S. BUNOAN

A collection of jokes and funny

stories gathered from emails, friends
and memory. Some clean, some not
so clean, and some really green.
Proceed at your own risk.

Vacation
Bill told his friend Rob, You
know, I think Im ready for a little
vacation.
But this year I want to do
something different. The last
few years, I took your suggestion about where to go. Three
years ago you told me I should
go to Hawaii. I did, and Marie got
pregnant. The next year you said
I should go to the Bahamas. Marie got pregnant again. And last
year you told me to go to Tahiti.
Sure enough, Marie got pregnant
for the third time.
Rob asks Bill, What are you
gonna do this year thats different?
Bill says, This year, Im gonna bring Marie with me.

A Really Bad Day

The Angel at the gate of Heaven is interviewing three men. He
told them before they could be
admitted they must have had a
really bad day when theey died.
The first man said, I came home
to my 25th floor apartment on my
lunch hour and caught my wife
having an affair. But her lover
was nowhere in sight so I immediately began searching for him.
My wife was half naked and yelling at me as I searched the entire
apartment. Just as I was about to
give up, I saw this man hanging
off the edge of the balcony by his
fingertips! I ran out onto the balcony and stomped on his fingers
until he fell to the ground. But
wouldnt you know it, he landed
on some trees and bushes that
broke his fall and he didnt die.
This ticked me off even more.
In a rage, I went back inside to
get the first thing I could get my
hands on to throw at him. Oddly
enough, the first thing I thought
of was the refrigerator. I unplugged it, pushed it out onto the
balcony, and tipped it over the
side. It plummeted 25 stories and
crushed him! The excitement of
the moment was so great that I
had a heart attack and died in-

stantly.
The Angel said, Okay, welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven,
and let him in.
The next guy came up. He
said, Youre not going to believe
this. I was on the balcony of my
26th floor apartment doing my
daily exercises. I had been under a lot of pressure so I was really pushing hard to relieve my
stress. I guess I got a little carried away, slipped, and accidentally fell over the side! Luckily, I
was able to catch myself by the
finger tips on the balcony below
mine. But all of a sudden this
crazy man comes running out
of his apartment, starts cursing,
and stomps on my fingers. Well,
of course I fell. I hit some trees
and bushes at the bottom which
broke my fall so I didnt die right
away. As I was laying there, face
up on the ground, unable to move
and in excruciating pain, I see
this guy push his refrigerator,
of all things, off the balcony. It
falls the 25 floors and lands on
top of me killing me instantly.
The Angel welcomes him
to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The third man comes up to the
Angel and said, OK, picture
this. Im naked inside a refriger-

ator, suddenly...
Macho
Nagkuwento and isang machong macho sa kanyang kaibigan...
Kaloy: Nung inutusan ako ng
misis ko na maglaba na raw ako,
sinigawan ko siya, Hindi ako
maglalaba!.
Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto
ay inutusan ulit akong maglaba. Galit na sinigawan ko ulit
siya, Sabi na sa yong hindi ako
maglalaba! Ang kulit-kulit mo
naman!
Kulas: E bakit nga ba ayaw
mong maglaba?
Kaloy: Eh, papaano naman,
hindi pa ako tapos mamalantsa!
Masakit
Nagpunta si Juan sa doktor.
Juan: Doc, masakit kapag
idiniin ko dito (sabay turo sa
kanyang tagiliran).
And when I press here
(pressing the other side) And
here (his leg) And here, here
and here (his other leg, and both
arms)
So the doctor examined him
all over and finally discovered
what was wrong. Youve got a
broken finger!

COLUMNS

August 16-31, 2015

T IS a spark that motivates,

excites, titillates or stimulates us to fulfill our wants
or needs with the end result of
a happy and awesome feeling of
accomplishment.
An idea will remain just
an idea if left stagnant in our
heads. When writing a letter, a
report or an article, sometimes
I could be just sitting in front
of my computer with an empty head. The idea is there, but
theres no inspiration to write,
or have waves of motions in
my mind to form and express
the words. Forcing my mind to
create something and explore
like a spelunker wont work.
No effect at all, no motivation
to write. Frustrating but in this
state of mind, I am just plain
and simple not in the mood.
It is quite a challenge when it
happens. But sure, it happens.
It is different when my good
mood is back. I start to think
of a topic which is appealing to
me and at the same time catchy
to capture the attention of the
readers. Then, comes the formation of the essence and the
meat of the literary composition, plus the effective ending
to make the composition complete. Other writers are probably quicker to get the juice in
their brains oozing. Some topics touching on common or general interests and occurrences
like the four seasons, weather
conditions, celebration of holidays and special occasions like
Mothers or Fathers day, and
vacations, homecoming events,
etc. are easier to tackle on.
I realize that what appeals

NDAY ng buhay ko, ikaw

ay nasaan. Bigla kang
nagtampo. Ano ang dahilan? (My beloved, where can
you be? You seem hurt and upset. Why do you fret?) Inday
like Neneng is an endearment for a maiden or a young
girl. In old Visayan, it was an
endearment for a beloved. My
Papang is Cebuano and calls
me Inday so I claim this song
as my own.
I recall a young man, Ramesh Gopaldas. We graduated
from high school in the same
year. But he was from the boys
department and I was from
the girls. He saw my yearbook
photo with the nickname and
he seemed tickled to call me
Inday whenever we crossed
paths. Hi Inday! he called out
with enthusiasm and a wave. I
wonder if he knew old Visayan
and I wonder where he is now. I
hope life has been good to him.
And where is Inday? She
is in cultural immersion. Just
follow the brown straw hat
through family reunions, excursions, fiestas, and even a
funeral. Hilong hilo na si Inday.
But I relish the chance given
to soak up the family cama-

Manila Mail

27

Inspiration
KUTITAP
By BECKY
PAGSIBIGAN

It only takes a
small opening
for inspiration
to break through.
It may be just a
walk in the park,
the sight of the
rainbow in the sky
or a father holding
his newborn baby,
listening to songs
with meaningful
lyrics...
to me more are those that touch
on long-lasting real life values
personal, family, traditions, attributes, characters, feelings,
sentiments, positive thoughts,
etc. These are the topics which
are a little time consuming and
needed a little longer time to
ponder on. I could just be staring with no light bulb or balloon
popping up on top of my head.
My husband would ask what
topic I was working on as he
passes by my computer room
door. When he hears me say,
Nada, he would, then quickly

disappear and leave me alone.

Obviously, I can be more communicative and can be interrupted when I am writing on
easier topics. I can even discuss these with him with spontaneity.
What is an Inspiration?
It is a spark that motivates,
excites, titillates or stimulates
us to think, do or move to fulfill wants or needs with the end
result of a happy and awesome
feeling of accomplishment. As
I think more about it, inspirations are not hard to find. In
reality, they flow around us
and are always available if we
only allow ourselves to be open
to recognize, be sensitive to
and be aware of what we see
and feel in our surroundings. It
only takes a small opening for
inspiration to break through. It
may be just a walk in the park,
the sight of the rainbow in the
sky or a father holding his newborn baby, listening to songs
with meaningful lyrics or the
words of a friend, enjoying the
blazing colors of autumn leaves
falling from the trees, receiving
homemade
Christmas
cards from our small children
or presents from our parents,
appreciating the thoughtfulness and kindness from family,
friends and even from people
we dont know, reading books
and poems, a drive though the
memory lane or just reminiscing happy moments in the past.
In short, inspirations could
come from various sourcesfrom people, things, events or
occurrences. It could also come

from things that are not seen

nor touched, but from those
that are felt in the heart or
from happy thoughts, and with
divine thinking, from God.
During the winter season, I
would just look outside through
my bedroom window to watch
the white snow falling on our
pine trees. This natural occurrence could make me start
writing about the beauty of
winter. The serene picturesque
scene would fill me up with
warm and tender thoughts
ergo words that express feelings would start oozing from
my brains sans the thoughts
of the coldness of winter, rather, the beauty and wonders it
brings. It looks like the white
sky meets the snow white earth
with specks of green leaves of
fir trees and red roofs creating
a painted-like canvas. Transformation of my mood would
swiftly happen with this awesome sight. This is an inspiration to write.
Weve heard of other inspirational stories like: a person
was able to meet the challenges
in the life because of someone
who gave kind and generous
gesture of lifting him/her up
to start a new episode in life.
The helping person became
an inspiration and idol to the
needing person; a candidate
in the Miss Universe pageant
when asked who was the most
important person in her life,
the answer was her mother
who singly sacrificed raising
her four children, and at another beauty pageant, Miss
International, with a similar

question like who was the most

influential person in her adult
life, the answer was, Mother
Theresa, because she inspired
me to become actively involved
in charitable activities of my
church and local community. I
also joined a volunteer group
distributing foods to people
in poor areas. And because I
was lucky in life, I want to give
something back to other people
in need.
Clearly, inspirations that
come in many forms and sources could give us the urge, push
or the spark to do positive
and fruitful endeavors or get
done with our wants and needs
to keep us moving forward.
Here, Ill share with you a couple of short and simple inspirational literary works that Ive
read. The Starfish was penned
by an anonymous writer and
the second one, Think Positive
Thoughts Everyday were verses written by Carol Schelling.
The Starfish
A young man was walking
down the beach just before
dawn. In the distance he saw a
frail old man. As he approached
he old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and
throwing them back into the
sea. The young man gazed in
wonder as the old man again
and again threw the small
starfish from the sand to the
water. He asked him, Why do
you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of
time? The old man explained
...............................................................

INSPIRATION

P31

Buhay ni Inday (Inday Chronicles)

raderie, fun and frolic. Even
through a not-so-unexpected
passing of an aunt.
I will start my narrative in
Tacloban which was devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda.
Two aunts, who at the height
of the storm were given up for
lost, live there and are too frail
to travel so we decided to hold
the Veloso-Pil clans reunion in a
town still in recovery. Mitch and
I have not seen the titas (aunts)
for decades and looked forward
to the event.
There were four generations
represented at the gathering.
I mistakenly classified our
group the third generation and
was called out on it. Correction, second generation pala
kami. Must have been a classic
Freudian slip. Ang kabaw ra
ang motigulang. (Only carabaos grow old.)
We left Manila with a brother-in-law and his family two
days before the reunion. We
wanted to visit Hinundayan,
their ancestral town. Hinundayan, just like Dupax where
my Aquino relatives live and
Sibonga where the Lopez-Hermosisimas reside, has taken on
a mythical quality. The name

itself sounds lyrical and romantic.

The three hour ride from the
Tacloban airport was pleasant although I feared for the
van that carried 10 of us and
our luggage that was packed
into every free space in the
rear. There were hills to drive
around with dips and rises and
surprises. The driver was careful and gently maneuvered the
van. And he didnt speed.
The rainy season which
brings typhoons and monsoons
is both a boon and a bane for
this region. Mitch and I marveled at the acres of rice fields
and at the hills filled with coconut trees. Leyte looked lush and
green. The landscape seemed
peaceful. Serene. It was easy to
forget the fury visited upon the
towns to the northeast.
Hinundayan was the perfect
antidote for the frenzy that was
Manila. The people were curious but respectful with shy
smiles and soft voices. Well
there was no abundance of cars
and demanding trucks and
buses so they had no reason to
raise their voices to be heard.
We spent most of our visit at the family beach house

SA ATIN ATIN
By MYRNA
LOPEZ

Inday like
Neneng is an
endearment for
a maiden or a
young girl. In old
Visayan, it was an
endearment for a
beloved. My Papang
is Cebuano and
calls me Inday so
I claim this song as
my own.
with easy access to the warm
waters. The coconut trees
that surrounded the property
yielded enough fruits to satisfy our thirst for tubig sa butong (coconut water). The food

was simple - sinugbang isda ug

baboy (grilled fish and pork)
prepared over a fire pit, ensaladang talong (eggplant salad),
steamed okra, kamote (yam),
and enough rice.
Mitch and I walked the
length of the shoreline from the
pantalan (pier) to the mouth
of the river that connected the
ocean to the tributaries upstream. The skies were blue
and there was a slight breeze.
The day was perfect.
It was tempting to shrug off
the rest of our plans but family
waited in Tacloban. However
before we drove off for the trip
back, we picked a hefty stone
and placed it on the floor of the
van. I was introduced to one of
the many tinuhoan (folk lore or
belief) of the Visayan region.
Three people joined our group
which meant there were 13 of us
in the vehicle. The inclusion of
the stone upped the count to 14
and mollified the evil spirit.
Before this journal is over, I
will relate more regional tinohoan especially those relating
to observances during bereavement.
Stay tuned. The Inday
Chronicles will be continued.

28

COLUMNS

Manila Mail

August 16-31, 2015

n Editorial

Show the results

HE death and devastation following the wake

of super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in November 2013 triggered one of the biggest rescue
and relief operations since the 2004 tsunami that
struck Indonesia, India and Thailand.
The United States and dozens of countries
around the world responded to pleas for help from
typhoon victims; initially sending troops and
heavy equipment to retrieve corpses in Leyte and
Samar, then cash and provisions to restore a sense
of normalcy.
Filipinos in the US sought Temporary Protected Status (TPS) so they can continue working here
and help families in the Philippines. The proposal
is in deep freeze.
The Fil-Am community mounted scores of
fund-raising drives to benefit typhoon victims.
In Washington, celebrity Fil-Ams gathered at
the Kennedy Center for an evening of songs and
speeches imploring help for a million Filipinos who
lost their homes and many more whose lives were
left in tatters. The government insisted that donations be given to the Department of Social Welfare
& Development (DSWD). And many complied.
The government promised to pour about $4 billion to build new homes and restore damaged infrastructure, possibly even make things better.
But now questions have been raised about how
the money, including contributions from the FilAm community, was spent. The government said
its disbursed about $1.75 billion from the Haiyan/
Yolanda fund. Critics ask, where?
Granted the intrigue is fueled in large part by
campaign politics, as Filipinos get ready to choose
President Aquinos successor next year, the doubts
are a throwback to the crisis spawned by the inadequate government response almost three years
ago. CNN Anderson Coopers reporting was credible to most Filipinos despite strident denials from
officials, including the administration-backed
presidential candidate Mar Roxas, because the
camera does not lie.
The images coming out of Tacloban and other
hard-hit areas offer scant evidence billions have
been spent there.
Its simple enough for the Aquino administration
show the public where the money was spent. And
make sure they look what theyre worth; or they
can brace for the same kind of backlash right after
the Haiyan disaster. And with an election coming,
that cant be a pleasant experience for them.

MANILA MAIL

A fortnightly Filipino Newspaper in Washington, D.C.

3942 Collis Oak Court, Fairfax, VA 22033
Online: www.manilamail.us
Editor-in-Chief: RODNEY J. JALECO
Associate Editors: LITO KATIGBAK and ARMANDO ALFARO
National Editor: BING C. BRANIGIN
Columnists: J. G. AZARCON, JON MELEGRITO,
EVELYN and OSCAR BUNOAN,
REBECCA PAGSIBIGAN, MYRNA M. LOPEZ
BOBBY FEDERIGAN, LEANDRO CORONEL
and DINO DELA ROSA
Art Director: MARIO R. GALAPATE
Contributing Editors: MAURESE OWENS, ANGELYN T. MARZAN
and JENNIE L. ILUSTRE
CONTACT US:
EDITORIAL: 703 589 6141 email: rodneyjj669@yahoo.com
ADVERTISING: Tels: 571 277 6071 | 703 856 1733
703 532 8920. 571 356 4151 571 274 8449
ALBERTO M. ALFARO
Founder, EIC Emeritus, Executive Editor
Manila Mail Communications, Inc. LLC, J. G. AZARCON, president
Publisher
Emails: manilamaildc@yahoo.com | manilamaildc@gmail.com
The MANILA MAIL, founded in 1991, is the only Filipino
American fortnightly newspaper in the tri-state area
of Washington D. C., Maryland and Virginia. It is distributed free
in Asian and Filipino American stores and other outlets.

Why Ill Vote for Trump

IYA, hiya ho, Trump is my

guy!
I will vote for Donald
Trump in the 2016 presidential
elections because he is brave and
not afraid to tangle with anybody. He is the only one among
the scores of candidates in both
parties who can save us from
boredom. He will save the American people by entertaining them
with daily bombshells against entrenched politicians and probably
making everybody into billionaires like him.
As President he can outshout
Russias President Vladimir Putin
or wipe out the smile in the face of
the Ayatollah of Iran.
I like his name because Donald represents the most famous
Walt Disney character, Donald
Duck. I imagine a Trump presidency providing every city in the
US with prestigious Trump hotels, entertainment centers for the
most beautiful girls in the world
and in the US, establishing Trump
casinos in every city and town in
America and making all casino
winnings tax free.
I will launch a campaign to
make both Republicans and Democrats to join hands and ensure
his victory. He will make the United States of Trump the greatest
country in the world.
qqq

Do you know that there are

groups of young Filipino Americans who are trying to keep up
with the custom in the Philippines
of hanging out with friends after
office hours in Washington D.C.
Yes, there are such groups in existence and can be reached through
the social media. Sample: Join us!
<http://www.meetup.com/Wash-

WASHINGTON TSISMIS
By TSISMOSO

ington-Tagalog-Speakers-group.
This group is intended for Filipino-American living in the DC metro area to meet, greet, share life
stories and their experiences, and
ultimately, have FUN!!.
This is a chance for us to start
new friendships, enjoy some happy hours, karaoke, watch Pacquiao fight, enjoy activities such
as lunches/dinners, get away,
sporting events, movies, shows,
food festivals, potlucks, etc.,
etc......all Filipinos, young and old
are encouraged to join this group.
Who do I know here? Join us
and be the first to know when new
Meetups are scheduled Log in
with Facebook to find out
By creating a Meetup account,
you agree to the Terms of membership.
qqq

A man called Jun sent in the

following message to Rodney and
Bert:
Jun said: These old folks thank
you for you for thinking about
them. They are all in good spirits
(lots of spirits consumed).
1. Nap Lechoco is still in hog
heaven and still on honeymoon
stage. He got married to a younger lady about 40 years his junior.
2. Dave Valderrama is running the National Cultural Pilipino Foundation. He is also directing his daughters run for 4th

Congressional District
3. Klaus Buntua is globetrotting. He and his true love are is
circumnavigating the globe. He is
fashioning a Russian accent. He
was in a cruise in Eastern Europe.
4. Pablito Alarcon is busy
building schools for the poor areas in the Philippines. He graduated feeding the Hungry.
5. Rey Cabacar is always in
the pages of the Manila Mail. The
back pay he received during the
2nd World War as a guerilla water boy donated it to the reconstruction of his elementary school
destroyed during the Pinatubo explosion in 1992. He is still barbering on reduced time.
6. Ruben Curameng is still
mourning the passing of his son
Ronald. He is in his late 80s and
enjoying his Navy pension, social
security and his civil service retirement. He and his wife Rose
still bringing music to the community the Senior Citizens in Fort
Washington-Oxon Hill areas.
7. Jun Pederys passion is help
run the Fleet Reserve Association
of the United States (FRA), as its
Secretary & Treasurer. He just
got back from an FRA Regional
Convention in Fayetteville, North
Carolina with President of FRA
Branch Four and Ladies Auxiliary President Merlyn Eda and her
Vice President Cristina Dixon,
and Secretary Ruby Lopez.
8. Art Calguiran is still gainfully employed. President of FRA
BR 4. Helps run ISA, MHC and
USTAA.
9. Darlito Quimen of course
still mourning the passing of wife
Angie and still busy with the Mrs.
Philippines Home for Senior Citizens.

COLUMNS

August 16-31, 2015

50 Years Ago
N AUGUST 1965, I board-

ed the Steam Ship

President Cleveland in
Manila and found myself 21
days later in San Francisco,
stepping for the first time
on this vast continent called
America.
I was literally fresh off the
boat.
From San Francisco, I took
a Greyhound bus to a small
Missouri town called Fayette, where I spent my last
two years as an undergrad at
Central Methodist College.
Filipinos coming to the
U.S. during this period were
the third and largest wave of
immigrants. The first batches were mostly fresh college
graduates and highly educated professionals, drawn by
the U.S. economys demand
for doctors, nurses, accountants and skilled workers.
The 1965 change in immigration law made family reunification the category that
allowed the most immigrants
into the United States, opening the way for others to come
in.
This was also the period
when the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther
King confronted centuries-old
racism with marches, sit-ins
and boycotts. The US War
in Vietnam was at its peak,
unleashing a pent-up wave
of anti-war sentiment. Massive demonstrations, campus
teach-ins and strikes, were
capped by street protests,
with demands for peace, racial and sexual equality.
On the West Coast, the influence of the civil rights and
anti-war movements spurred
second generation Filipino
Americans to join mass actions for ethnic studies on
campuses. They agitated for
community involvement in
issues of affirmative action,
low-cost housing and equal
job opportunity. This led to a
spontaneous Filipino Identity Movement that incited
a flurry of activities: support
for California farmworkers,
notably the Delano Grape
Strike; campaigns for Filipino history classes in universities; and participation
in Asian anti-war protests. A
new slogan, Find Our Roots,
became popular in college
campuses.
But I was totally unaware
of these upheavals, isolated
as I was in this conservative Midwestern town. It remained a distant world to me
until I moved to Washington,
D.C. three years later, after
graduating from college. My
early memories of the city
was one engulfed in flames.
The riots that erupted in April
that year, following the assassination of Dr. King, affected
other major cities across the
country. That left a lasting
impression on me.
Meanwhile, the US war in
Vietnam was escalating. Hav-

OUR TOWN
By JON
MELEGRITO

The America I
came to know
50 years ago is
a lot different
now. Civil rights.
Equal employment
opportunity.
Affirmative
action. Womens
rights. Gay rights.
Marriage equality.
Affordable health
care. These are
monumental
changes.
ing lost my college deferment,
I was ordered by the Selective
Service Administration to report to a draft board in Baltimore. As U.S. troop strength
in Vietnam increased, more
young men were drafted for
service. And I, who had just
arrived in this country three
years earlier, was going to
be shipped back to Southeast
Asia and deployed in a war
thousands of miles away from
my new home. Hundreds of
war resisters, draft evaders
and conscientious objectors
questioned the justness of the
war itself.
But I was ready to go, conscripted in much the same
way my father was sworn into
the US Armed Forces in the
Far East 24 years earlier. The
draft board, however, rejected
me because I was one inch
too short.
The America I came to
know 50 years ago is a lot different now. Civil rights. Equal
employment
opportunity.
Affirmative action. Womens
rights. Gay rights. Marriage
equality. Affordable health
care. These are monumental
changes. And we, as a Filipino American community,
have benefited immensely
in terms of jobs, educational
opportunity, housing, social
security. The country is growing browner and more accepting of those who used to be
marginalized.
But as the recent spate of
racially-motivated
killings
of unarmed black people by
white policeman show, much
work still needs to be done to
heal the divisive wounds of
the past and forge a more perfect union.
In his speech to mark the
anniversary of Selma, Presi...............................................................

50 YEARS AGO

P31

Manila Mail

29

The Big Debate

RESIDENTIAL primary debates are usually boring

battles of talking points
with occasional bursts of memorable sound bites. The GOP
debate held last August 6 was a
phenomenal exception. It drew
24 million viewers making it
the biggest non-sports telecast
in history.
It may have been curiosity
about the polling frontrunner
Donald Trump or why the GOP
field of presidential aspirants is
so big. Whatever it was, the actual debate did not disappoint. A
big credit goes to the Fox News
moderators, Chris Wallace,
Megyn Kelly and Brett Baier for
not acting like cheer leaders to
the candidates. They confronted
the candidates with provoking
questions forcing them to explain previous utterances and
record.
The first question immediately showed why Trump is so different from the rest of the field.
He is the only one who would
not take a pledge to support
the party nominee or not run in
a third party if he fails to win
the GOP nomination. It should
not be shocking coming from a
businessman who contributed
generously to the likes of former
Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator
Chuck Schumer, Sen. Harry Reid
and Rep. Charles Rangel, all
Democrats. It should be me, or
you can forget about me. Thats

KIBITZERS
CORNER
By J.G. AZARCON,
ESQ.

Trump. Is this opportunism, or is

it just me.
The debate revealed that Republicans are not monolithic in
all issues. There fiscal conservatives, social conservatives,
defense conservatives and libertarians.
Ohio Governor John Kasich
had his moments defending his
tolerance and acceptance of
gays and lesbians saying that
God gave me unconditional love
and so will I give unconditional
love to my fellow men and women.
Former Florida Governor Jeb
Bush went against the grain of
prevailing thought among GOP
activists firmly defending his
immigration stance by arguing
that there are economic benefits for a humanitarian solution
to the illegal immigration issue. He also defended his support of common core, a federal
initiative to raise standards in
education, but emphasized that
he would leave it to the states
to set their standards but that
it must be high.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas delivered his usual rhetorical

dynamites promising to end

Obamacare,
to
investigate
Planned Parenthood for any
criminal violations involving
selling of fetal body parts, to
cancel the Iran nuclear deal and
to rescind Executive Actions issued by Pres. Obama deemed
illegal in his view.
Libertarian Sen. Rand Paul
got into a tussle with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on
the issue of the governments
surveillance policies. Sen. Paul
is vehemently opposed to government eavesdropping without
a warrant. Christie argues that
national security requires effective tools to prevent terrorist
acts.
Wisconsin Governor Scott
Walker was put on the spot defending his no-exception opposition to abortion, even though
he signed a law that provides
an exception to save the life of
the mother.
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, son of Cuban immigrants,
showed eloquence and poise
and was viewed by many pundits as the candidate who
helped himself the most. He
talked about his record as
Speaker of the House in Florida, and then pivoted- How
can Hillary Clinton lecture me
living pay check to pay check
when I was raised pay check

.....................................................................

THE BIG DEBATE

P31

Spoiler or Kingmaker?
PRESIDENT Aquino delivered
his final state of the nation address last July 27. Before the
week was out, he endorsed his
interior secretary Mar Roxas
as the man who should succeed
him in May next year.
I know in Mar Roxas, the
job will be in good hands, the
President said, bequeathing
the mantle of graft-fighter to
his party mate who gave way
in 2009 to give him the political machinery to make a viable
run for the top office of the land
(an accredited party is essential because theyre the only
ones allowed to post watchers
inside polling precints).
Roxas, known as Mister
Palengke (Mr. Market) for his
work in the trade department
during the administration of
Pres. Joseph Estrada, seems to
have been trained all his life for
just the job. He is the apo of former Pres. Manuel Roxas and son
of former Sen. Gerardo Roxas;
like Pres. Aquino he is an Atenean. He earned an economics
degree from the Wharton School
at the University of Pennsylvania and worked for seven years
as an investment banker in New
York, becoming assistant vice
president of Allen & Company,
until 1985 when he took a leave
to volunteer in the campaign of
Pres. Corazon Aquino, the incumbents mother.
His biodata lists his role in
the first financing of Discovery

PINOY FILES
By RODNEY
J. JALECO

Channel and Tri-Star Pictures.

Roxas also took food giant Jollibee public.
He seemed destined to a life
of high finance until his younger brother, a congressman in
their home province of Capiz
died of cancer in 1993, and he
was tapped to run in the special elections to finish out his
brothers term. Introduced to
the world of politics, Roxas
seems to have been enamored
with public service.
Elected senator in 2004,
he has a mixed voting record.
He voted for the revised Value
Added Tax and the abolition
of the death penalty; but as an
administration solon, he voted
against Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyos emergency powers following a failed mutiny in
2006.
In 2007, he was elected president of Liberal Party (LP),
which his grandfather helped
establish in 1945. The late dictator Ferdinand Marcos rose
through the ranks as an LP but
moved to the Nacionalista Party (NP) when he saw his path to
Malacanang blocked by party
affiliation; if he did not declare

Martial Law in 1972, he would

have certainly met President
Aquinos martyred father, then
Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. in the
polls as the LP standard bearer.
It is undeniable that Roxas
has the political pedigree to vie
for the presidency. But somewhere along the way, he lost his
connection to the people. Many
now recognize Mr Palengke
as the husband of TV broadcaster Korina Sanchez who has
her own challenges with public
perception.
His reputation as an effective technocrat has been replaced by the image of an inept, incompetent bureaucrat.
As Interior and Local Government Secretary, he had operational control over the Philippine National Police (PNP)
and the thousands of local officials across the country. When
Pres. Aquino appointed him
to the post, many saw it as an
opportunity for him to lay the
groundwork for a 2016 run.
Instead, the PNP became a
frequent source of embarrassment for the Aquino administration. Bungled rescues and
raids eroded public trust; the
Mamasapano debacle, resulting in the death of 44 police
commandos in just one day,
cast doubts about Roxas ability to control subalterns.

.....................................................................

SPOILER

P31

30

COLUMNS

Manila Mail

August 16-31, 2015

On the After-Effects of the Spoliarium

UAN Lunas award-winning

painting in oil, Spoliarium, now the subject of a

soon-to-be-released opera, was
one of the few silent and subtle
precedents, onwards from 1881
in arts and literature, to the
full development of the Filipino nationalism, the flowering
of conscious beliefs planted in
the minds of the transients and
exiles in Madrid and Barcelona that their compatriots back
home stood ready for independence from Spains colonial
rule. Juan Luna securing an
honored place even in a Spanish culture, along with Felix
Resurrection Hidalgo and Pedro Paterno, was manifestation
enough of the Filipinos vision
and competence for self-rule.
Twelve years before the
Filipinos open revolt for independence led by Andres Bonifacio on August 23, 1896, in
what is now known as the Cry
of Pugad Lawin, Juan Lunas
Spoliarium won the Gold Medal at the Exposicion National
de Bellas Artes held in Madrid
in 1884; Felix Resurrection Hidalgo won the Silver Medal, in
the same exhibit, for his Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al
Populacho (Virtuous Women
Exposed to the Mob). Earlier,
Pedro Paterno broke into print
in 1881 with his book of verses,
Sampaguita (popular flower
species), precursor to a still
evolving body of Philippine literature, one of the many roads
to national identity.
In a banquet attended by Filipino transients and exiles honoring the achievements of Luna
and Hidalgo, the patriot Graciano Lopez Jaena, in his toast,
pointed out that such achievements were irrefutable proof
that ability and genius were
not in the sole domain of those

ANILA. Despite all the

bad
news
swirling
around Vice President
Jojo Binay, the crowds still turn
out wherever he goes.
Are those people just being
polite, as is the Filipino custom, and warmly welcome any
guest to their communities? Or
maybe theyre the usual Filipino rubber-neckers who have
nothing better to do than come
out and gawk around to see any
celebrity?
Binay continues to go
around the country, even as
Makati City, his home base, figuratively burns as Rome did
in Neros time. Hes testing the
peoples reactions to his presence as the controversy over
his alleged amassing of illegal
wealth rages in his home city.
And maybe he cant stand
to be in Metro Manila because
its too hot for him there. As the
saying goes, if you cant stand
the heat, get out of the kitchen.
And yet, despite the vortex

exercising control over a colony and that the Filipino artists

could stand without reservation
with their counterparts in Europe and elsewhere. Rizal, in the
same vein, toasted the virtue of
being in Europe, exposed to cultures other than Filipino, which
could provide incentives for future individual actions. To those
in attendance, European culture
was an eye-opener.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the shortest shipping
route between the Philippines
and Europe, facilitated the trips
of Filipino scholars to advance
their knowledge and skills in Madrid and Rome. Luna, who had
been tutored by the Academia
de Dibujo y Pinturas (Academy
of Designs and Paintings) masters Domingo Saez and Lorenzo
Rocha, left for Europe at a time
when the artistic culture was
heavily influenced by the Academics, the followers of a school
of thought who were obsessed by
allegorical portrayal on canvas
of bloody historical events. The
Spoliarium, painted in Rome
on a canvas measuring four
meters in height and seven meters in width, shows fallen gladiators being dragged to a dimly
seen pile of corpses later to be
dumped to a morgue beneath the
Roman Coliseum. Spoliarium
is from the Latin words spoilia
opima, meaning rich spoils. It
was first purchased by the Municipality of Barcelona for twenty thousand pesetas and hung
for viewing at the City Hall; it is
now at the main gallery, the Hall
of Masters, of the National Museum of the Philippines, located in
Manila.
Luna, in his lifetime, produced about one thousand paintings. He and the ever-competitive Hidalgo stayed away from
the clutches of academism and

both represented the highest

development of aesthetic arts in
the European tradition. Before
Lunas Gold Medal in 1884, he
was the first Filipino to win a
silver medal at the same Madrid
Exposition in 1881 for his The
Death of Cleopatria. Luna later
won two more Gold Medals, one
for his Spoliarium from the
Society of the French Artists in
1886 and the other from the Exposicion Universal de Barcelona
in 1888 for his La Batalla de
Lepanto (The Battle of Lepanto). Hidalgo was awarded three
Gold Medals: one for his La Barca de Aqueronte in 1887 by the
Philippine General Exposition in
Madrid, and another one in 1891
by the International Exposition
of Fine Arts; and in 1904 for
The Assassination of Governor
General Bustamante by the St.
Louis Universal Exposition in
Missouri.
At the later month of 1884,
Luna moved to Paris to perfect his skills. It was at this
time when Impressionism, as
an art form, was riding high on
a wave of creativity and popularity. Claude Monet, Edgar
Degas, Mary Cassatt, Pierre-August Renoir, Paul Cezanne, and
Paul Gauguin, among others,
were names on Parisian lips.
Unaffected by Frances artistic
environment, Luna produced
several creative works judged by
experts to be technically superior to his famous 1884 gold-winning painting. Lunas intimate
portraits in 1890 of his wife in
his Mi Esposa, in 1889 of his
son Andres, and in 1890 of his
daughter Liling dressed in armor, all in a private collectors
safekeeping, show fluidity and
spontaneity of style. Luna stayed
in Europe for 17 years and after
a domestic tragedy left for the
Philippines in 1894, where he

CULTURE
WATCH
By BOBBY
M. FEDERIGAN

In a banquet
attended by
Filipino transients
and exiles honoring
the achievements
of Luna and
Hidalgo, the patriot
Graciano Lopez
Jaena, in his toast,
pointed out that
such achievements
were irrefutable
proof that ability
and genius were
not in the sole
domain of those
exercising control
over a colony and
that the Filipino
artists could
stand without
reservation with
their counterparts
in Europe and
elsewhere.

continued to embroil himself in

portraits of family members and
relatives. Luna died in December of 1899 at age 42.
The many works of both Luna
and Hidalgo, prodigious in degrees, however, did not advance
the cause of the Propaganda
Movement calling for the immediate independence from Spain.
While their association with the
members of the Movement was
emotional, their contributions
to the pursuit of the stated goal
were viewed as wanting. At one
time, Rizal, in his letter to his
friend Blumentritt, chided Luna
for being a Hispanophile for
painting in 1886 the Espana y
Filipinas, portraying two ladies,
arm in arm and dressed in their
respective costumes ascending
a stairway to an unlimited horizon. However, for the second edition of Rizals Noli Me Tangere
(Touch Me Not), Luna agreed to
illustrate for him.
Lunas thematic El Pacto de
Sangre, (The Blood Compact), a
historical portrayal in 1885 of an
event in the 16th Century where
the Spanish explorer Legaspi
and Filipino Datu Katunaw entered into a blood compact, was
the subject of many heated discussions among the propagandists. The prevailing argument
was that Spain, in the 333 years
of her colonizing presence, had
not lived up to the agreement
of bringing progress and prosperity to the Filipinos and such
painting should not perpetuate
the glaring failure. The whole
scene, in oil, however, became
a symbol during the revolution
against Spain. The painting is
now in the Malacanang Palace,
serving as a strict reminder to
its primary resident that one
should abide by terms of any formal agreement, whether written
and sealed in ink or in blood.

Jojo Binay can still win

OBSERVER
By LEANDRO
DD CORONEL

And so, because

our election laws
allow a minority
president, Binay
can still win with
his 30 percent
or so share of
the electorate.
Remember, Ramos
only got less than
24 percent of the
vote in 1992!

of controversy around him, a

certain, if smaller, chunk of the
electorate claims to still want
to vote for him for president.
His share of the electoral pie
has come down precipitously
from some 70 percent to now
less than 30 percent. That is a
chasm of a drop in popularity.
But that 30 percent, plus a
few hundred thousand votes
here and there, could still elevate him to the presidency next
year. That depends on how
many will vie for the presidency.
We used to have a two-party
setup but now our election for
president and vice president
allows multiple candidates.
The candidate with the highest
plurality (not necessarily majority) wins.
And, because of that, weve
had a minority president in every election in the post-Cory
Aquino era.
Fidel Ramos garnered only
23.6 percent of the votes in 1992,

Joseph Estrada 39.86 percent in

1998, Gloria Arroyo 39.99 percent in 2004, and the current
president, Benigno Aquino III,
42.08 percent in 2010.
The consistent history of
having a minority president is
dangerous, or at least not truly
representative of all the people.
In many other countries, if no
candidate gets a majority of
the vote, a run-off election is
held between the two highest
vote-getters in order to have a
truly majority president.
Our lawmakers should look
into this issue to debate and
decide whether to make it
compulsory to have a majority
president, meaning gaining a
vote of at least 50 percent plus
one votes.
And so, because our election
laws allow a minority president, Binay can still win with
his 30 percent or so share of the
electorate. Remember, Ramos
only got less than 24 percent of
the vote in 1992!

Thats what gives Binay

hope that he can still win despite the scandals hounding
him and despite the drastic
drop in his survey numbers.
And thats probably why
Binays
detractors
havent
stopped their attacks against
him and are relentlessly pressing their case(s) against him in
the Senate, the courts and the
media. As a counterattack, he
has now sued some of his critics
for P200 million in damages.
As Ive written previously,
in the more politically mature
societies of the world, such a
pile of controversies as Binay
is experiencing now would
have led to the political demise
of the accused politician. And,
actually, in those societies, the
accused would have excused
himself from contention at the
first smell of any wrongdoing.
But this is the Philippines.
Honor, integrity and gallantry
dont necessarily go with our
politics.

COLUMNS

August 16-31, 2015

SCAPEGOATS
From Page 24

Concluded Bautista, The Ombudsman has technically disassociated Roxas and Abaya from
the bribery, extortion, fraud and
corruption connected to the MRT
deals."
That makes, not simply
whipping boys, but scapegoats
of Vitangcol and the five other
indictees, Wilson De Vera, Marlo
Dela Cruz, Manolo Maralit, Federico Remo and Arturo Soriano,
uncle-in-law of Vitangcol.
This brings us to a declaration
made by Mr. Aquino in a speech
back in 2013, in the course of
announcing the LRT-1 Cavite
Extension. He cheerfully announced that, when completed
in 2015, the extension would
result in faster train service.
It would also transport some
250,000 commuters daily into
Metro Manila.
And to spice his impressive announcement, Aquino also vowed
in his usual down-home verbiage:
At kapag hindi po nangyari
ito, nandiyan naman si Secretary
Abaya, na mangangasiwa nito
dalawa na kami na siguro ay
magpapasagasa sa tren. (And
if that doesnt happen, there is
Secretary Abaya, who is overseeing thisthe two of us will
probably have ourselves run over
by a train)
Furious over the frequent
breakdowns of the light rail
system, some vengeful netizens
recently dug up the video of
Aquinos speech and posted it
on social media. That video has
since gone viral.
However, if anyone is waiting and hoping for Aquino
and Abaya to dutifully lay down
their bodies on the rails to make
good on their vow, you may have
to hold your breath for a little
while longer.
You see, according to Malacaang and DOTC insiders, Aquino and Abaya are still looking
for willing whipping boys and
scapegoats to take their place.
(gregmacabenta@hotmail.
com)

50 YEARS AGO
From Page 29

dent Obama said that What could

be more American than what happened in this place? What could
more profoundly vindicate the
idea of America than plain and
humble people the unsung, the
downtrodden, the dreamers not of
high station, not born to wealth
or privilege, not of one religious
tradition but many, coming together to shape the destiny of this
nation.
America is changing every day
and is not yet finished, he adds.
What greater expression of faith
in the American idea; what greater form of patriotism is there than
to believe that America is strong
enough to be self-critical; that
each generation can look upon its
imperfections and say we can do
better.
When I boarded a boat 50 years
ago to come to America, I had no
idea whats to become of me. Now
at least I know. We are all part of
the making of America. Regardless
of our political persuasions and
moral convictions, we all have a
role in shaping the destiny of this
nation.
Send your comments to jdmelegrito@gmail.com

OPEN LETTER
From Page 24

dignitaries officially assigned to welcome their

remains as they were given the honors of being
martyrs. I had not heard from you any criticism
and offer a principled stand about the tragedy
in Mamasapano. You did not even say a word
about your views against extreme Islamic terrorism in Mindanao.
You are against BBL (Bangsa Moro Basic
Law). What is your alternative and how can you
make the autonomous region of our brother
and sister Muslims in Mindanao stronger, without sacrificing the territorial integrity of our
country, towards a sustainable and comprehensive peace in Mindanao. I have not heard from
you express concrete solution in Mindanao to
say the least tell us your blue print of resolving
the armed conflicts in the region.
Speaking of China, we want to hear from you
condemnation of Chinas aggressive actions
and acts of war in South China Seas or West
Philippine Sea. We are waiting for you to help
push for a collective and stronger solution to
resolve the said issue. Instead you have been
pushing for a bilateral talks with China without
clear and principled basis.
A person who wants to be the President of
our country should not only have the credibility and integrity but also stand to his or her
principles to be able to contribute in finding a
lasting solution(s) on the problems facing our
nation. We do not need your political posturing
on the podium and gain political points at the
expense of our peoples welfare and interest.

GREAT DIVIDE
From Page 25

White

America

turning

more

brown by the minute. It raised

questions from topics of White
Privilege and the idea Whiteness
or having a certain benefit or marginalization. One white teacher
even goes as far as mentioning, I
represent something bigger than
myself here. My skin color represents
something bigger than myself.
This is exactly what I experienced
growing up in a white community, in
a white top ranking high school. The
sad thing is I also saw a similar form
and fashion of this as a child with the
Fil Am Community, being that I had
darker skin than the American born
Fil Am kids. To them it gave them
the impression that I was from a poor
class, which actually was not even

THE BIG DEBATE

From Page 29

to pay check? How can Hillary Clinton

lecture me about student loans when
I owed over a hundred thousand in
student just four years ago?
Former Arkansas Governor Mike
Huckabee had his memorable moments attacking Obamas nuclear
deal with Iraq.Pres. Reagan saidtrust but verify. And this president
trusts and vilifies. He trusts our enemies and vilifies anyone who disagrees with him.
Dr. Ben Carson, the famous pediatric surgeon who burst into the
media limelight delivering brick-

SPOILER
From Page 29

The controversial government response to the November 2013 Haiyan/Yolanda disaster also raised questions
about his ability to manage
crisis.
With the Presidents endorsement, the political equa-

Manila Mail

Like a basketball game, you seem not to

know how to play offense and defense as a
team player. You might be good one on one
player, but that is not the kind of leader our
country needs.
I just want to share the reaction of my son
Alex Valera, a Fil-Am youth and one of our MHC
Delegate to the United Nations Youth General
Assembly:
I admit, I am far from being well-versed
in the intricacies (and pecularities) of Filipino
politics, but I need to make sure that all of us
young Filipino-Americans are aware of a man
who personifies ineptitude and dishonesty, one
VP Binay.
Mr. Vice President, I am tired of preaching
how amazing the Philippines is, but at the
same time feeling a ripping dissonance in
my core. I used to tell myself that the Philippines honestly cannot and probably will not
undergo a drastic shift in culture to reject all
kinds of corruption. But guess what, thats
what the last generation thought, and the
last one before that, and the last one before
that.
In my lifetime, I pray to see changes in the
Philippines, I want to see us flourish. No, that
does not mean more beautiful beaches/resorts.
That means true democracy, social progressiveness, lessening the class gap, and an unmoving
intolerance to all forms of political dishonesty
and corruption.
You are not a good role model as leader of
our country. The national scandal of corruption and plunder that you and your family are
involved at this stage of your political career is

true as I came from an affluent family given the fact that we were able
to afford to even come to the states
shows something. To them being born
privileged in America, coming from
different upbringings meant that they
did not associate with us because
we were too filipino, itim or
not American enough. Its almost
as if this broken mindset on the issue of color/race had infected their
thoughts imprinted into their young
naive mind.
At the end of the day we all
struggle with race and culture to
a degree, but with all of the rollercoaster events that have happened
in our country these last few years
in the Obama Administration from
all the killings, to all of the riots, it
is the spread of fear of the unknown
and lack of understanding with one
another that causes these issues.
bats against Obama policies and in
his presence at a prayer breakfast
meeting, was in his usual mellow
and cerebral self. He demonstrated
sharp wit in his closing statement
on why he is so different from the
other candidates. Im the only one
who separated Siamese twinshe
only one to take out half a brain
although if you go to Washington
one would think that somebody
beat me to it.
The 24 millions viewers wanted to
know if there is anyone among the
debaters up to the challenge to face
up with Clinton. Its a gargantuan
task. Sen. Hillary Clinton is a magician. She can make emails disappear.

tion looks to be limited to Roxas and the graft-tainted Vice

President Jejomar Binay. But
elections are very rarely that
simple. Theres Sen. Grace Poe,
Davao City Mayor Rod Duterte,
Sen. Ferdinand Bongbong
Marcos Jr., former Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, to name just a
few.

31

not only shameful but an absolute embarrassment to our nation.

We will continue to fervently pray that you
will soon see the light and finally drop your
ambition to become a Presidentiable candidate. You belong to the same group of the likes
of Senator Enrile, Senator Revilla and Senator
Estrada who should be made answerable for national plunder. Transparency and accountability are some of the traits we are looking for to
lead our nation.
Hindi ko na sasabihin sa iyo ang sinabi ni
Vice Ganda: Eh di Wow, bagkus, Mahiya ka
naman sa taumbayan.
Sa mahal kung mga kababayan, Tama na ,
Korupsyon ay iwaksi na, nang ating bayan ay
lumaya na.
VP Binay, have mercy on the Philippines and
the Filipino nation.
Respectfully,
Rev. Atty. Arnedo Valera
Executive Director, Migrant Heritage Commission, A Fil-Am advocacy organization that
has been helping Filipino immigrants, a human
rights lawyer for the last 29 years, Main Counsel of Mendiola Massacre case , Former and
Past President of SALAG Structural Alternative
Legal Assistance for Grassroots in the Philippines, Legal Consultant on International Law
and Human Rights Peace Talks between the
GRP and NDFP, Managing Attorney Law Offices Valera & Associates PC, Immigration and
Anti-Discrimination Law firm based in Fairfax,
VA (Metropolitan Washington DC Area)

That in itself is the real crux of the

matter which makes us so unwilling
to talk and discuss these important topics amongst other races and
even in our own circles.
Most of us just simply compartmentalize these problems and brush
it under the rug. That is not the
way to solve our nations problems.
In a nation stuck in this great divide, it is clearly being reflected
even in our Fil Am communities
and it is more than just a black or
white issue. I beg our readers to
really think about race and culture
in your own experiences and even
amongst your circles of communities. Its time to challenge the 40
Million and Counting to take this
seriously, given that it will become
more and more relevant as these
elections push forward. Where do
you stand in the Great Divide?

INSPIRATION
From Page 27

that the stranded starfish would

die if left in the morning sun.
But there must be thousands
of beaches and millions of starfish, exclaimed the young man.
How can your effort make a real
difference? The old man looked
down at the small starfish in his
hand as he threw it to safety in
the sea, and he said: It makes
a difference to this one.

Think Positive
Thoughts Everyday

tablishing the misrepresentation

of the naturalized citizen of his
intention to reside in the US at
the time of his application and
admission to citizenship. This is
highly unlikely.
With respect to naturalized Filipino World War II veterans, Congress specifically provided that
the presumption of lack of intent
to reside in the US does not apply
to them. Continuing residence in
the Philippines after their naturalization will not be a ground for
revocation of US citizenship.

Take a moment to look around

and smile at your life and your
choices. Dont worry about the
paths you should have taken or
the opportunities you ignored.
Instead, breathe in the life that
surrounds you let it fill your
soul with light and hope.
Reflect on the past and all the
memories.
Good and bad that made you
who you are today. Your journey
is far from over, as you continue
to grow, change, and flourish.
Life can be so busy, and we
sometimes take for granted the
important little things that make
us smile. Look at the sunset, share
a cup of coffee with your best
friend, or hear the wind rustle
through the trees. Take some time
to listen to life and feel the sun
on your face, and stop to watch
the butterflies in your garden.
Take a moment everyday to
think positive thoughts.

Poe was running 2nd behind Binay in the last survey

(it would be interesting to see
if Roxas improves his standing
after the Presidents anointment). Roxas is reportedly
courting Poe to be his running mate.
If Poe decides to run, her
connection to Sen. Chiz Escudero, improves her chances of

finding a party the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC)

which is currently part of an
LP coalition. Duterte, Marcos and Defensor-Santiago,
whove fared much better than
Roxas in the surveys, can easily find a party they can run
under.
More significantly, they can
play kingmaker.

RESIDENCE

From Page 25

MANILA MAIL

32

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