January 15, 2013

Vol. XXII, No. 5

Online: www. manilamail.us

January 15, 2013

McDonnell names FilAm to top Virginia health post

By Rodney J. Jaleco
RICHMOND, Va. First generation Filipino American physician Cynthia Romero, named last week to be Virginias new State Health Commissioner, is facing tough challenges that could help dene the future of health care especially for women in the Commonwealth. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnells announcement elated Tidewater Fil-Ams, especially the large Filipino medical community in the Virginia BeachNorfolk area where Dr. Romero was very active. She is the daughter of Dr. Aleli Romero, a well-known and respected physician in the region and former president of the Tidewater Academy of Family Physicians. We are very proud of your achievements and support your endeavors, assured Dr. Juan Montero of Virginia Beach. Baby Doc as the new State Health Commissioner is sometimes called in the area (to distinguish her from Mommy Doc as her mother is also sometimes called), was the rst ever female chief medical ofcer at the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and former president of the Medical Society of Virginia (2010-2011) and the Norfolk Academy of Medicine. Dr. Romero, 45, helps run a ourishing private practice together with her mother (her father Chris works as the clinics administrator) and together they have demonstrated a passion for public service, leading medical missions for indigent migrant workers in Marylands Eastern Shore and other places. But she takes over the top health post at a very challenging time. She replaced Dr. Karen Remley who resigned last October in the wake of new abortion clinic regulations that she believed jeopardized her ability to fulll her duties.

Dr. Cynthia Romero

Continued on page 22

WASHINGTON D.C. Filipino American leaders threw their support behind President Obamas latest initiative to fast track the paper work for undocumented immigrants who have close relatives who are American citizens to become legal permanent residents (LPAs).

We welcome the Obama administrations recent decision to ease visa requirements for undocumented immigrants, said Eduardo Navarra, national chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA). This commendable action

would make it easier for them to apply for permanent residency without going through the harsh restrictions that separate them from their families, he declared, predicting that it would benet many in our community who are caught in visa backlogs, often experiencing the longest wait

times of up to 22 years. Even if they are eligible for green cards, the bureaucratic barriers have caused unnecessary long-term separation from their US citizen spouses and children, Navarra explained. This nal rule facilitates the legal immigration process and

President Barack Obama reduces the amount of time that

Continued on page 23

FilAms top dual citizens in PH

MANILA. Filipinos whove won American citizenship are leading the surge in the number of people whove re-acquired citizenship in the Philippines last year. A total of 30,362 applications for dual citizenship were reported by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in 2012, up 57% from 19,328 a year ago. Of the total, 5,564 petitions were led at the bureaus main ofce in Manila, Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David, Jr. revealed. The rest coursed applications through various Philippine consulates abroad.

2013 could be super year for PH economy

MANILA. The Philippines could have its best year yet this year, economists predict, as rapid growth gets added boost from election spending. The Philippine economy grew by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter of 2012, the highest growth rate among the Southeast Asian nations. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for the 3 quarter was over Indonesias 6.2%, Malaysias 5.2%, Vietnams 4.7%, Thailands 3%, and Singapores
rd

Jueteng turf war eyed in cops clash

MANILA. A bloody clash between soldiers and policemen along the Atimonan, Quezon more notorious for deadly road mishaps has rekindled the jueteng (an illegal numbers game) controversy just in time for the Philippine elections just 5 months away. Three cops, including a police colonel, and three soldiers were among 13 people killed in the alleged Jan. 7 shoot-out with a separate group of policemen and soldiers manning a road block. Quezon provincial police

Continued on page 22

Devotion
Over half a million people, according to police estimates, joined the Black Nazarene procession last week. Authorities did a better job this year, limiting the number of injured to 103, managing the multitude during the day-long translacion marked every Jan. 9 where devotees try to touch the wooden image of Jesus Christ carrying the cross that many Filipinos believe bestow miracles. The practice has been exported by Filipino immigrants and is now reportedly observed in Australia and Reseda, California.

Continued on page 23

Continued on page 23

Ballerina from Tondo P4

Anti-Filam hate mail P6

Fr. Reuter, S.J., 96 P8

Obama invites Ateneo stude P11

Filam artist honored P18

2
MANILA -- An unarmed target drone found off Masbate in the central Philippines was launched from a U.S. Navy ship during a combat exercise off Guam last year and may have drifted by ocean currents to the country, US embassy ofcials said. U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Bettina Malone said the BQM74E drone was launched from the USS Chafee, a guided-missile destroyer, as a mock missile target during naval combat exercises off Guams coast in September. The embassy issued the statement as the discovery of the drone ignited debates in both houses of the Philippine Congress. Senators and congressmen wanted to determine if the use of the drone in recent PH-US military exercises falls within the purview of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). The Philippine navy deployed a ship with ordnance experts after a diver and shermen who found the drone over the weekend reported it may have been a bomb. A joint commission overlooking annual combat exercises by U.S. and Philippine troops as well as American ship visits has been asked to look into the drones presence. Sen. Loren Legarda, who heads the Philippine Senate committee on foreign relations, asked the commission to check if any of the rules governing visits dez said the Philippine government has been assured by the U.S. Embassy that the reported aerial vehicle is by design and

January 15, 2013

US drone found off Masbate stirs congressional debate

drone was recovered by a local diver with the help of shermen off the waters of Masbate on January 6. Philippine Navy spokesman Colonel Omar Tonsay conrmed the recovery of the US drone, a BQM- 74E Chuckar III, but stressed they have no idea how it got there. It could have drifted there, said Tonsay. The drone, measuring three meter long and one meter in diameter, was found oating in the sea off Masbate near Ticao Island in San Jacinto town. It was initially mistaken to be a bomb.

Pinoys set for year of snake

MANILA - Although the Year of the Water Snake begins on February 10, 2013 on the Chinese calendar, Filipinos are already preparing for it as early as now, buying trinkets and other lucky items. Feng shui practitioner Dr. Anthony Fugoso believes that major advances in science and technology can be expected in the Year of the Water Snake, saying that IT-related businesses such as mobile phone companies will ourish. Other lucky industries include media, travel and the arts, particularly dance. Since the water element is closely associated with education and research, the Year of the Water Snake will also be good for scientists and scholars, Fugoso added. Fashion, meanwhile, will become more elegant, uid and sophisticated in the coming year in the Chinese calendar. Fugoso also mentioned things that people should watch out for during the Year of the Water Snake, from water-related disasters to friendly alliances. In terms of Chinese animal signs, the luckiest during the Year of the Water Snake are the Rat and Dog, while the Tiger, Ox and Horse will be more fortunate in terms of wealth, the feng shui practitioner said. The Dragon, on the other hand, will be lucky when it comes to romance and education. Meanwhile, Fugoso said the not so lucky animal signs include the Rabbit, Rooster, Sheep, Monkey, Pig and Snake. Like most people, Fugoso stressed that feng shui is only one-third of a persons luck, which also include heaven luck or God-given luck and human luck, which is based on ones actions and decisions.

The US drone that was found by shermen off Masbate. by American forces in the country had been breached. The drones discovery in Philippine waters raises a serious concern of national security, Legarda said. Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernanpurpose solely used for target practice and not armed or used for surveillance. An activist congressman demanded an explanation from the US and called for the abrogation of the VFA. The 12-foot red aerial target

January 15, 2013

3
told the Manila Standard. The forum was hosted by the Cordillera Regional Development Council, through the National Economic Development Authority and the Department of Tourism. Akers said a sustained program should aim for a green destination global center of education, spirituality, culture and specialized industries, one home of caring and empowered people managed by a responsive governance team. She also discussed best practices of the National Thrust for Historic Preservation, a nonprot organization in the USA to benchmark goals. Milagros Rimando, NEDA regional director and RDC-Cordillera vice chairman, said the plan should include the BLISTT concept (Baguio and Benguet towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay). Pura Molintas, Tourism regional director, supported the idea, noting that any program had to ease carrying capacity beyond city limits to benet other localities.

Filam prof urges heritage tourism in Cordilleras

By Dexter A. See
BAGUIO CITY - A Filipino American guest lecturer from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, said heritage tourism is the way to go for the Cordilleras to obtain a signicant share of visitors and shore up economic gains. Dean Mary Anne AlabanzaAkers PhD, of the School of Architecture and Planning, said the thrust should be anchored on community experience. Baguio and the Cordillera are already blessed with numerous ecotourism sites, most of

Mary Anne A. Akers them are still being undiscovered, thus, stakeholders must use the information and technology gateway to advance the promotion and contribute to the regions economic growth, she

4
By Teresa Cerojano, AP
MANILA - The ghetto called Aroma reeks of putrefying trash collected by its residents for recycling. Half-naked children with grimy faces play on muddy dirt roads lined by crumbling shanties of tarpaulin walls, cracked tin roofs and communal toilets. From this Manila slum of garbage collectors emerged an unlikely Cinderella: ballerina Jessa Balote who at the age of 10 was plucked out of her grubby life by a ballet school to prepare her for a life on stage. In four years since her audition in 2008, Jessa has performed in various productions, including Swan Lake, Pinocchio, Don Quixote and a local version of Cinderella. She rode a plane for the rst time in August to compete in the 2012 Asian Grand Prix ballet competition for students and young dancers in Hong Kong, where she was a nalist. The 14-year-old Jessas unlikely success is as much a celebration of a unique effort by the Philippiness most famous prima ballerina, Lisa Macuja, to help slum children of Manila by providing them a scholarship and classical ballet training for six to seven years. More than a quarter of this Southeast Asian nations 94 million people live in abject poverty, many in sprawling and unsanitary shantytowns like Aroma in the capital city. Despite a recent economic upturn, there are not enough full-time jobs. Education skills are lacking and incomes are low. At least 3,000 Filipinos leave their families behind every day to seek employment abroad. Jessa, who would have likely followed her family to a life of garbage picking, had not much of a future to look forward to. I used to tag along with my father and mother when they collected garbage in the evening, Jessa said in her home, about the size of a shipping container with a small attic. Her family would gather trash from houses in the nearby Quiapo district or rummage for scrap metal in the huge garbage dump not far from home. That was until her successful audition for the Project Ballet Futures dance scholarship established by Macuja, founder and artistic director of Ballet Manila who is married to business tycoon Fred Elizalde. The outreach program of Ballet Manila-which runs a dance company and a school by the same name-initially accepted 40 students from Jessas charityrun school in Manilas Tondo district dump. Some dropped out, but new batches have been accepted. Today, the program has 55 scholars, aged nine to 18, from ve partner public schools such as Jessas. They train daily after school along with 60 paying students. dancer at the Philippine Ballet Theater. Macuja, 48, founded Ballet Manila in 1994 with the aim of making the high art of classical ballet more accessible to common people. The dance company has held performances in malls, schools, town halls and remote villages of the archipelago. She set up the scholarship program

January 15, 2013

Ballerina emerges from the slums of Manila

As a company apprentice she makes around P7,000 ($170) a month, sometimes more, from stipend and performance fees. The money is not enough to lift her family from poverty, but ballet has given her a choice in life. Her father, Gorgonio, works part-time as a construction worker besides collecting garbage. His meager pay is insufcient to feed his large family of six children and two grandchildren. One son works in a factory, while another daughter collects garbage. Jessas childhood dream is to become a schoolteacher. But she also wants to dance as a professional ballerina. She says she is challenged by the feisty acting and difcult dance turns of the Black Swan character in Swan Lake and aspires for that role. For Jamil Montebon, another Project Ballets beneciary, the scholarship was a life saver. The troubled 18-year-old has left his broken family in a violent slum community not far from Aroma. He became a ballet scholar at 13 but then dropped out of high school and ballet last year after a ght with his mother. During his time off from ballet and school, he collected garbage and worked in a junk shop. At night he would go drinking with other kids who often clashed with rival gangs, then sleep in a church where he got one free meal a week. He was later accepted back into the program, which demands that children keep good grades and stay out of trouble. After shaping up, he moved into Ballet Manilas dormitory.

Jessa Balote This is Jessas home in Aroma, Tondo. I can help my parents more with what I do now. I earn money from ballet, said Jessa, sitting on a plastic bench in her shorts and t-shirt, her long hair loose. The slim teenager, perhaps so used to dancing on her toes, would often have her toes pointed at the wooden oor even while sitting during the interview. Behind her, the plywood wall of the family shack was adorned with pictures of her in gossamer tutu on stage. Sharing the space were frames of ballet certicates and a newspaper clipping about the garbage picker-turned-ballerina. A pair of satin pointe shoes lay on top of a gym bag, a few meters from sacks of used plastic bottles and other garbage piled up outside the door of her cramped home. Jessa and other kids are trained in the rigorous Russian Vaganova ballet and are required to keep up with their academics in school. They are provided a monthly stipend of P1,200 to P3,000 ($30 to $73) depending on their ballet level, as well as meals, milk and ballet outts . They also receive fees of P400 to P1,500 ($10 to $37) for each performance. Pointe shoes alone cost $50 to $80 a pair-a fortune for someone eking out a living on $2 a day-and wear out within weeks or days, said Macuja. The daughter of a former senior trade ofcial, Macuja was 18 years old when she received a two-year scholarship at the Vaganova Choreographic Institute (now the Academy of Russian Ballet) in Saint Petersburg in 1982, where she graduated with honors. She was the rst foreign principal ballerina for the Kirov Ballet in Saint Petersburg before returning to the Philippines, where she worked as artist-inresidence at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a principal

Jessa, in red, practices in ballet school. (Photos by AP) in 2008 as a way of paying back for her good fortunes. For Jessa and the other slum children, it opened a whole new world, literally so, when she ew to Hong Kong for the ballet competition. Her glee while on a roller coaster in Disneyland was captured in a photo in her humble home. During the competition in Hong Kong, she said she often felt nervous and shy to be dancing among well-off peers. But she overcame her fear, remembering Macujas advice to persist despite the odds and to not let poverty hinder me.

January 15, 2013

5
citizens and abundant natural resources this potential can be unlocked if only Filipinos realize that each has his own way to contribute to real progressive change in the country through On their Web site (www. yabangpinoy.com), Facebook page and other social networks, Yabang Pinoy freely pushes local brands, big and small. It organizes an annual bazaar showfor steeled his resolve to return to Manila from self-exile in 1983 despite the threat of assassination. But the real work, as Yabang Pinoy quickly realized, was social engineering changing the way Filipinos see the made in the Philippines label. To believe in their own message, they have to live it. They wear wrist bands made of abaca or Manila hemp their version of the popular baller bands to remind themselves of their cause every day. Over 80,000 abaca bands have been sold since 2005. The ongoing territorial spat with China has given the buy Filipino cause an unexpected boost. Nationalists were angered months ago when the Philippine National Police awarded a contract for 60,000 pistols to a supplier that imports the Austrianmade Glock. They said the contract should have been bid out to local gun makers only to give the local defense industry a boost. Yabang Pinoy refuses to adopt a combative tone. Yabang Pinoys campaigns have always been towards real progressive change, borne out of a spirit of pride as Filipinos, and not as a movement against something, explains Tan.

Yabang Pinoy advocates buying PH-made goods

MANILA - A man is injured and the doctor prescribes a local anesthetic. Please, doc, the patient asks. Cant I have an imported one? Writer Norman Sison of Yabang Pinoy says Filipinos satirize their own foibles and the anesthetic joke pokes fun at the penchant for imports. The joke became popular during the Marcos dictatorship in the 1970s and the much-sought-after label then was made in the USA, a legacy of the 50-year US colonial era that ended in 1946. The PX store was the place to go to for Filipinos visiting the then-US military bases at Clark in Pampanga and Subic Bay in Zambales provinces. Sison adds that the Filipino appetite for things foreign is as durable as ever and it is a mindset that one group of volunteers is trying to change. Excerpts from Sisons article: What we really want is to effect positive behavioral change within our own social circle such as our family and friends, where we can actually change minds, says volunteer Maricris Sarino. At ages 19 to 30, the people behind Yabang Pinoy (Filipino Pride in Filipino) look more like artists than nationalists. But patriots indeed they are. At their monthly potluck get-together, its Filipino food only. Members take it upon themselves to wear clothes that either have local

Yabang Pinoy logo and at right, T-shirts made in PH on display. labels or have Filipino-inspired designs. You will not hear music by foreign bands. When the group started in 2005, the mission was simply to encourage Filipinos to buy Filipino and, eventually, help prop up the fragile Philippine economy. Good business meant jobs. In Yabang Pinoy, we believe that true progress and development starts when every Filipino believes in being a Filipino, says Sarino. Mark Tan joined Yabang Pinoy in 2007 and volunteers his time as a spokesperson. He points out the dormant economic power in the hands of each Filipino. With our 100 million

patronage of Filipino brands, products, goods, and services. They dont just tell people to buy Filipino. They also tell people what Filipino-made products are out there because there are some brands that many people dont know are Filipino because they sound foreign like clothing labels Penshoppe and Bayo.

casing Filipiniana, consistently staged since November 2005. Earlier this year, they launched their PHmade campaign to further crystallize their cause. Their slogan, the Filipino is worth buying for, is a pun from a quote made famous by slain political opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr., whose belief that the Filipino is worth dying

6
CANYON CITY, California Police have launched an investigation after a hate-lled racist letter arrived in mailboxes here targeting Filipino Americans in this racial mixed city. The letter, which arrived in mailboxes last week and targeted Filipino Americans in the community, claimed it came from the California Board of Cosmetology, a state agency. City leaders gathered with members of the community Jan. 9 to march from City Hall to a local Filipino-owned business. With a return label that says Concerned Neighbors of American Canyon, the letter also uses terms like lthy and unwanted to describe the local Filipino community. Acknowledging that the letter clearly targets certain individuals in her Community City Manager Dana Shigley called it not only shocking, but appalling. We have always valued our Filipino, as well as all the races here, and its just not part of this communitys core values, she said. Contacted by ABC7 News, California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology spokesman Russ Heimerich said, This letter is both disgusting and despicable. None of the information in the letter regarding licensees is accurate, making it nothing more than a repulsive work of ction. Though it may not warrant an arrest or criminal prosecution, city leaders are taking the hateful letter very seriously. Its a great opportunity for us to reach out to our neighbors, to use this unfortunate incident to get to know your neighbors, understand each others cultures and our perspectives, said American Canyon council member Belia Ramos. Canyon police chief said that while the letter may not rise to the level of a hate crime because there is no specic threats made, they are looking for the individual or individuals who sent it and would like to have a conversation with them to make sure there are no other motives at play. A copy of the racist letter went viral after Derek Valencia posted a photo of it on Facebook. Valencia lives in this community which has a population of 19,454 - 38.9 percent white, 32.9 percent Asian and 7.9 percent black. The letter was addressed to American Canyon resident Maria Aida Ignacio Brandes. The missive begins with talk about an expired cosmetology license and threatens to ne Brandes for allegedly providing unlicensed salon services. The letters scope then broadens to target the entire Filipino American community in the town, calling the population lthy and unwanted. It also targets Brandes adult daughters for apparently having white spouses and mixed-race children. Disturbingly, the hate

January 15, 2013

Anti-Filam hate mail surfaces in California city

in bringing down the already downward spiraling property values in our area. We are attempting to have our community a law abiding one, without having yet another CASION husbands to assist in ensuring their half-breed children have straight noses in order to be accepted in non-Filipino society. After Valencia posted the photo on Facebook, he wrote an update about reporting the letter to the police. Authorities took the letter as evidence and apparently told Valencia that another person reported something similar. Phil Yu, founder of the blog Angry Asian Man, rst reported the Filipino hate mail on his site. In an email to HuffPost, Yu described the importance of sharing such news, no matter how disturbing. While some would like to think that we live in more enlightened times, this incident clearly illustrates that racist views are still alive and kicking, wrote Yu. Yes, this shit still happens. Its important that our community doesnt become complacent regarding these matters. Yu also commented on the fact that the letter was physically delivered. In an age where anyone can leave an anonymous racist quick-hit comment on the internet, someone actually went out of their way to compose and physically mail this letter, said Yu. Thats special delivery racism. Who does that?

City Council members, city staffers and community members, with signs reading We (heart) everyone in American Canyon, and chanting We are one!, joined Mayor Leon Garcia for a march from City Hall to the Napa Junction shopping center, where they expressed their outrage over a racist letter sent from and to American Canyon residents. Garcia said the rant did not reect the attitude of American Canyon, shouldnt be allowed to dene the city and that we get to decide who we are. (Rachel Raskin-TimesHerald) mail also details Brandes current home address. Excerpts from the letter: In addition, the American Canyon Filipino community as lthy as it is. [Illegible] unwanted as it is...... doesnt need to bring additional unwarranted/unlicensed practices which assists gang of Filipino scum such as yourself and married daughters who have attempted to assimilate into this once clean non-Filipino dominated area in American Canyon (Napa Junction) which includes those of your female offspring who have aligned themselves with CAU-

Parkinsons talk clouds Pacquiao-Marquez rematch

MANILA. Manny Pacquiaos handlers have threatened to sue a neurologist who alleged that the Filipino boxing great and Mindanao congressman could be experiencing the early onset of Parkinsons disease. Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz said they are exploring suing Dr. Rustico Jimenez, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAP), for making what he described as speculative statements on Pacquiaos condition. Tell me how can one make such allegations based on mere speculation as I am not aware that this alleged doctor ever examined Manny yet he makes such a diagnoses, said Koncz. Speculations about Pacquiaos health could affect a planned a 5th bout with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in the summer. Boxing promoter Bob Arum has arranged for Pacquiao to visit a Las Vegas clinic which specializes in brain health. Top Rank Inc. spokesman Fred Sternburg said Pacquiao will be brought to the Lou Ruvo Center of the Las Vegas Cleveland Clinic for further exams in light of claims that the Filipino boxer has been showing signs of Parkinsons disease. They will examine him as a precaution, Sternburg said in ESPN.com. Only then can a ght be scheduled against Marquez or any other opponent for Pacquiao, the rst ghter to hold 8 titles in 8 different weight categories. The Filipino boxer suffered a 6th-round knockout loss to Marquez last December, prompting calls for his retirement. Dr. Jimenez noted that Pacquiaos hand twitches and stuttering in TV interviews should be a cause for concern. closer to Pacquiao, his boxing mentor Freddie Roach. Calls for Pacquiao to hang Nathanielsz said Pacquiao will have to rethink his future following the loss. You have to give these specialists credit. They can even see signs on television, he said. However, Pacquiao assured his fans that hes 100% healthy and cleared after two rigorous medical exams. Hes indicated he will ght again. Bob (Arum) has indicated (that it would be) September, Sternburg said. Marquezs representative, Fernando Beltran, said they are willing to give Pacquiao a fth ght as courtesy to the Filipino boxer. Juan Manuel Marquez and myself are gentlemen and we know that Pacquiao gave us an opportunity (fourth ght), and he didnt have to, and most probably we will give it to him.

Manny Pacquiao Parkinsons disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Its a disease thats struck another boxing great, Muhammad Ali, and up the gloves are only growing stronger. if you ask me, Jimenez said, maybe Manny our national hero should retire. Boxing analyst Ronnie

January 15, 2013

8
MANILA - Fr. James Reuter, SJ, a New Jersey native who was ofcially proclaimed by Congress as honorary Filipino in 1996, died at the age of 96 at the Our Lady of Peace Hospital in Paranaque city due to lung and heart failure. His remains were interred Jan. 5 at the Jesuit cemetery at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches, Quezon City. Fr. Reuter had many times professed his love for the Philippines and its people, even saying at one time that Filipinos brought God to me. (See column of Juan Mercado on page 30.) He had touched many lives in his seven decades that he lived in the Philippines and his legacy in communication, in activism, in the arts live on as a legend. Vice President Jejomar Binay recalled how Reuter, a Jesuit broadcast pioneer in the country, made use of his mastery of communication to reach out to Filipinos through an underground radio station during the martial law years. Father James Reuter harnessed the tools of media and communications in promoting the Catholic faith and in the defense of freedom and democracy, especially during the days of martial law and the glorious 1986 Edsa Revolution, said Binay, a human rights lawyer during the ght against the dictatorship. Former Ateneo de Manila University president and prominent Jesuit priest, Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, said many of his fellow priests considered Reuter, a long-time Ateneo educator, as their big brother. The activist priest, Fr. Robert Reyes, meanwhile took time off his silence break to honor Reuter, the great communicator he considered his mentor. Fr. James insisted that knowing how to use and relate with media is one thing.

January 15, 2013

Fr. James Reuter, the Great Communicator, dies at 96

The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS-NJ) has been presenting the life and times of Fr. Reuter in exhibits in Jersey City. He was part of our World War II veterans project. Fr. Reuter and fellow Jesuit Fr. John Ruane, both graduates of St. Peters Prep, found themselves prisoners in a Japanese military camp in Los Banos. They both returned to the Philippines to continue their mission after being rescued by U.S. troops with the help of Filipino guerrilla ghters. The Irish-German altar boy entered St. Peters Preparatory School in Jersey City some 80 years ago. In his rst year, he and his classmates heard stories about Jesuit missionaries on furlough from Mindanao and became interested in the Asian country. In school, he was an allaround scholar, led his debating team to an undefeated season, argued in favor of Philippine independence in one debate. He graduated as the class valedictorian and he could have chosen an Ivy League school or West Point, but instead went to the Philippines as a novice priest after his novice training in Philadelphia. This was his mission in life, he said. On July 4, 1938 he was aboard the ship anchored in Manila. For the rest of his life he was a Filipino resident. EDSA in 1986 would not happen without Fr. James. He created the Veritas Radio that became the soul, the communication line of the revolution. In 1989, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts. Up until his demise, the Hudson native continued crusading from his wheelchair in Manila. His inuence started way before the 1986 EDSA uprising against the Marcos Dictatorship.

Fr. James Reuter However, his life was both medium and message as he spoke both in word, action and silence about Jesus, the word made esh, said Reyes. In the 27th EDSA celebration this coming February, a pillar of the revolution will be missed: Fr. Reuter is also New Jerseys biggest gift to the Philippines and then later re-gifted to the world.

FilAm docs laud planned PH hospital ships

WASHINGTON D.C. Some Filipino American physicians have thrown their support for a proposal to spend at least part of the Philippine military modernization funds to acquire hospital ships. Western Samar Rep. Mel Sarmiento has proposed to tap part of the $1.8 billion modernization budget to equip at least some of the new ships to serve as oating hospitals that can also be used as command and control centers during natural calamities. Dr. Juan Montero, who heads one the most active medical missions on the East Coast, plans then to acquire a hospital ship after the Malacanang hospital ship burned down in Cavite, he explained. Sarmiento said top Navy ofcials assured him they are setting aside funds for the hospital ship. The Navy plans to procure two Strategic Sealift Vessels (SSVs) at a cost of $238 million. Initial reports indicate the ships will be supplied by South Korea and will be similar to the Makassar-class SSVs it built for the Indonesian Navy. The Philippine Navy wants to procure four SSVs by 2020. He said the SSVs will have rooms for makeshift hospital beds, medical emergency care and surgical facilities, and helipads for air ambulances. The clamor to acquire a hospital ship got a boost following the devastation in the Davao region by typhoon Pablo (international name Bopha) that left about a thousand people dead. Montero expressed wholehearted support from the many international humanitarian organizations involved in the Philippines. Ideally, we should have 3 to continually ply the waters off Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao but we can settle for one, he continued.

File photo of Makassar-class transport ship of the Indonesian Navy. lauded the move. This is a fantastic dream come true, he enthused. Six years ago when we used the Philippine Coast Guard 86-ft long Search and Rescue vessel on Physicians for Peace Philippines medical mission to Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Navy talked to me about their

Job pays FilAms to be themselves

FAIRFAX, Va. A defense contractor is paying top dollar for Filipino Americans to portray themselves. Virginia Beach-based McKellar Corporation has been recruiting FilAms between 18-50 years old to work on a training module to simulate an ofce setting or other situations that might be typically experienced in the Philippines. US citizenship and prociency in both English and Filipino are requisites for the $200 a day job. The company was recruiting 11 males and 3 females who would be able to live and work inside a military training facility in Stafford, Va. for about a week. Grace Valera, a co-executive director of Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), said the short-term job opportunity could be a good way for eligible FilAms to earn a little extra cash to start 2013. McKeller Corp. is a large defense contractor that conducts training and bilingual subject matter expert support for the US Army. Since 2006, its trainers and educators have been instrumental in the development, delivery and evaluation of training courses for various US agencies assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the companys website. It also provides high quality expertise in support of contemporary operating environments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa among other locations including bilingual-bicultural advisers, translators and A vestige of the war on terror, about 500 US Special Forces troops are stationed in the strife-prone Western Mindanao region, especially in Sulu and Basilan, where they operate Predator drones and help protect US-funded projects against the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaa Islamiya, both al-Qaeda afliates. Valera explained that those to be selected will work as advisors providing a Philippine setting where the trainees can interact with Filipinos. That could be an ofce setting, an everyday encounter or even a typical esta where knowing how to converse in Pilipino or familiarity with Filipino practices, beliefs and taboos might be helpful. You can even teach them how to eat our favorite balut, she added.

The US Army are asking DC-area Filams to teach them about Filipino habits and practices. regional and country Subject Matter Experts. Last December, Philippine and US ofcials announced they were stepping up joint military activities in the country, including the deployment of more American warships, aircraft and troops. The Philippines and US are treaty allies and have a Visiting Forces Agreement which governs the conduct of American personnel in the country.

January 15, 2013

9
in scal 2011) than are serving sentences in federal Bureau of Prisons facilities for all other federal crimes. The facts on the ground have changed dramatically and challenge long-held public skepticism over the federal governments will and ability to enforce the nations immigration laws, said report co-author Donald Kerwin, executive director of the Center for Migration Studies and an MPI non-resident senior fellow. There has been an historic transformation resourced, of immigrainfrastruction enforcement into a highly robust ture, said co-author Muzaffar Chishti, director of MPIs ofce in New York, based at NYU School of Law. This modern-day system extends well beyond U.S. borders to screen visitors against multiple intelligence and law enforcement databases before they arrive and also reaches into local communities across the country via partnerships with state and local law enforcement, information sharing and other initiatives. Among the reports other key ndings: *More than 4 million noncitizens, primarily unauthorized immigrants, have been deported from the United States since 1990, with removals rising from 30,039 in FY 1990 to 391,953 in FY 2011. *Fewer than half of the non-citizens deported from the United States are removed pursuant to a formal hearing before an immigration judge, with the majority removed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via its administrative authority. *The nearly 430,000 noncitizens detained in the immigration detention system in FY 2011 exceeded the number serving sentences in federal Bureau of Prisons facilities for all other federal crimes. *Immigration enforcement spending has totaled nearly $187 billion in the 26 years since IRCA ($219 billion in 2012 dollars). *Spending on CBP, ICE and DHSs primary immigration

Illegal alien drive takes huge slice from US budget

WASHINGTON D.C. The in 1986. It traces the evolution of the system, particularly in the post9/11 era, in terms of budgets, personnel, enforcement actions and technology. It examines individual programs and results, ranging from Secure Communities to deportations, detention, visa screening and new federal databases, explaining how they have intersected in some ways by deliberate design, in others by coincidence to create a complex, interconnected, crossagency system. Deportations have reached record highs even as arrests on the U.S.-Mexico border fell to 40-year lows in 2011. The nations main immigration enforcement agencies, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), refer more cases for federal prosecution than all Justice Department law enforcement agencies. And a larger number of individuals are detained each year in the immigration detention system (just under 430,000 government spent nearly $18 billion for immigration enforcement last year, nearly a quarter more than it spent for the FBI, DEA, Secret Service, Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives combined, according to one of the nations top immigration think tanks. The ndings are outlined in a report, Immigration Enforcement in the United States: The Rise of a Formidable Machinery, prepared by the Migrant Policy Institute (MPI). Today, federal immigration highest enforcement can be seen as the governments criminal law enforcement priority, judged on the basis of budget allocations, enforcement actions and case volumes, said MPI Senior Fellow Doris Meissner, who co-authored the report. The 182-page report offers a detailed analysis of the current immigration enforcement system that was set in motion with passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) enforcement technology initiative, the US Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program, reached $17.9 billion in FY 2012. In comparison, total spending for all other federal criminal law enforcement agencies (the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) stood at $14.4 billion in FY 2012. Changes to the immigration system over recent decades have focused almost entirely on building enforcement programs and improving their performance. Yet even with recordsetting expenditures and the full use of statutory and administrative tools, enforcement alone, no matter how well administered, is insufcient to answer the broad challenges Meissner. that immigration poses for Americas future, said

10
WASHINGTON D.C. A new book has cast renewed attention on the PhilippineAmerican War which paved the way for Americas dominance in the Pacic by focusing on a little-known story about 15 American sailors captured by Filipino rebels. In April 1899, Admiral George Dewey sent a US Navy mission to rescue a band of starving Spanish soldiers under siege in Baler. The sailors from the USS Yorktown were later ambushed and held as prisoners of war by Filipino insurgents. Author and documentary lmmaker Matthew Westfall recounts their plight in his book The Devils Causeway: The True Story of Americas First Prisoners of War in the Philippines and the Heroic Expedition Sent to Their Rescue. Westfalls grandparents and father, who were immigrants from Europe, held Filipino citizenship in the 1920s and 30s before landing on American shores. I soon found myself struggling to understand fully Americas arrival in the Philippines at the turn of the century, a bloody become embroiled in a bloody campaign of pacication? How did America manage to quell a restive nation that was on the verge of achieving

January 15, 2013

Devils Causeway renews interest in PH-US War

travels through 3 continents that unraveled the fate of survivors and the efforts to recover the bodies of the fallen, illuminating Americas bloody days of empire and misadventure in the Philippines, according to the books publisher. Marched barefoot across more than 500 miles of Luzons rugged and unforgiving terrain, the group of prisoners, under the command of Lieutenant James C. Gillmore Jr., quickly became valuable pawns in the Philippine ght for freedom, the statement said. Gillmore and his men were used as bait to distract US Army regiments pursuing General Emilio Aguinaldo, dictator of the moribund First Philippine Republic. Falling for the ruse, the US Army mounted an expedition to rescue Lieutenant Gillmore and his men, who were reportedly facing imminent execution in the uncharted wilds of Apayao. The tortuous march into the forbidding Cordilleras, and the harrowing 90-mile trip down the Apayao River that followed, would go down in US military history as one of the greatest expeditions of all time, it said. The Devils Causeway includes never-before-published photographs and historical documents along with the narrative, the press release said. I love military history. Yet the more I studied this conict through the standard sources, the less I seemed to know. So I thought, wouldnt it be interesting to nd a story within that conict that had never been told? And that essentially is what the story of the Gillmore party prisoners is all about, Westfall says. Released in the United States last September, The Devils Causeway is on the Amazons Best Seller List for history books on the Philippines. It also debuted at the No. 4 spot in Nonction at Fully Booked, where it is available exclusively in the Philippines.

American soldiers in 1898 Philippine campaign. event that had been relegated to a footnote in history, Westfall explains in the Authors Note of the book. How did the United States stumble into an experiment with an empire on faraway shores and a hard-fought victory for independence? And what were the lessons in all of this for the Philippines, America, and the rest of the world? he asks. The book is the product of 5 years worth of research and

Whites will be minority in 2043 but changes felt now

WASHINGTON D.C. Thirty years from now, Whites will become a minority for the rst time in the United States making it the 1st Western power to invert its racial demographics although Americans are already starting to see its effects today. The Census bureau said America is becoming more diverse because of higher birth rates among minorities, particularly Hispanics who entered the US at the height of the immigration boom in the 1990s up to 2000. The countrys changing demographic prole has stark political implications, shown clearly in last years election that gave President Barack Obama a second term - in no small part due to his support from 78 percent of non-white voters. The non-Hispanic white population, now at 197.8 million, is projected to peak at 200 million in 2024, before entering a steady decline in absolute numbers as the massive baby boomer generation enters its golden years. The fast-growing demographic today is now the children of immigrants, said Marcelo Suarez-Orozco, a global expert on immigration and dean of UCLAs Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, describing the rate of minority growth in the US as dipping from overdrive to drive. Even with slowing immigration, Suarez-Orozco says, the die has been cast for strong minority growth from births. In a hypothetical situation in which all immigration - both legal and illegal - immediately stopped, government estimates have suggested the US population could shrink beginning in 2048. As recently as 1960, whites made up 85 percent of the US, but that share dropped after a 1965 overhaul to US immigration laws opened doors to waves of new immigrants from Mexico, Latin America and Asia. By 2000, the percentage of U.S. whites had slid to 69 percent; it now stands at roughly 64 percent. Moving forward, the US will become the rst major postindustrial society in the world where minorities will be the majority, Suarez-Orozco said. The U.S. has nearly 315 million people today. According to the latest projections, the US population is projected to cross the 400 million mark in 2051, reaching 420.3 million a half century from now in 2060. By 2060, whites should drop to 43 percent of the US. At that time, blacks will make up 14.7 percent, up slightly from today. Hispanics, currently 17 percent of the population, will more than double in absolute number, making up 31 percent, or nearly 1 in 3 residents. Asians are expected to older - is projected to more than triple to 18.2 million, reaching 4 percent of the US population. The actual shift in demoity, said acting census director Thomas Mesenbourg. The race and ethnic changes are already seen in pockets of the U.S. and in the younger age groups, where roughly 45 percent of all students in K-12 are Hispanics, blacks, Asian-Americans and others. Already, the District of Columbia and four states Hawaii, California, New Mexico and Texas - have minority populations greater than 50 percent; across the U.S., more than 11 percent of counties have tipped to majority-minority status. Last month, nearly all voters over age 65 were white (87 percent), but among voters under age 30, just 58 percent were white. Irrespective of future immigration and minority fertility patterns, the U.S. is facing a stagnating white population, said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. The biggest shift will occur over the next 20 years as the mostly white baby boom generation moves into traditional retirement years. It is in the child and early labor force ages where we must be ready for the greatest changes as new American minorities take over for aging whites.

Racial diversity is projected to grow and change American demographics. increase from 5 percent of the population to 8 percent. The point when minority children become the majority is expected to arrive much sooner - 2019. In 2011, racial and ethnic minorities became a majority among babies ages 1 and younger for the rst time in US history. At the same time, the US population as a whole is aging, driven by white baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964. Over the next half century, the oldest old - those ages 85 and graphics will be inuenced by a host of factors that cant always be accurately pinpointed - the pace of the economic recovery, cultural changes, natural or manmade disasters, as well as an overhaul of immigration law, which is expected to be debated in Congress early next year. The next half century marks key points in continuing trends - the US will become a plurality nation, where the non-Hispanic white population remains the largest single group, but no group is in the major-

January 15, 2013

11
up triage tents to treat the large number of people reporting ulike symptoms and several Chicago hospitals have closed their emergency rooms because they are over capacity. So far hospitals in the Metro DC area have not yet resorted to these measures. Studies conducted at the University of Maryland are nding that some patients are carrying more than one strain of the u virus, which may be driving its high impact and making it more contagious. The Center for Disease Control said the u can spread by personal contact and certain strains can be airborne. Authorities say its still not too late to get a u shot, even if you get sick. At the very least, it will reduce the severity and length of the illness, they said. The elderly, children and those with pre-existing health conditions are at the highest risk for the u. Doctors are advising patients to take anti-virals, like Tamiu, as soon as symptoms start. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, nasal congestion and muscle aches. At least 18 children have reportedly died from u-associated deaths this season.

Metro DC hospitals swamped with u patients

WASHINGTON D.C. The national capital region is on track to experiencing one of the worst u seasons in decades, authorities in the District, Virginia and Maryland said. Virginia is one of 29 states seeing record numbers of u and complaints of u-like symptoms, and the University of Maryland is reporting the same, including Prince Georges county where hospitals are grappling with higher than average number of patients. Weve denitely seen an increase in u-like illnesses as well as people who have chronic underlying medical conditions that have been made by ulike illnesses, said Dr. Douglas Mayo of Prince Georges Hospital. In Rockville, Md., emergency room visits are up 20 to 50 percent, according to Dr. Michael Kerr, chief of staff and chairman of the department of Emergency Medicine at Medstar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney. Some hospitals in Philadelphia have resorted to setting

Signs of global warming?

WASHINGTON - Scientists have noted the high heat and drought record in the United States in 2012, leading some to surmise that this are probably signs of global warming. A brutal combination of a widespread drought and a mostly absent winter pushed the average annual U.S. temperature last year up to 55.32 degrees Fahrenheit, the government announced Jan. 8. Thats a full degree warmer than the old record set in 1998. Breaking temperature records by an entire degree is unprecedented, scientists say. Normally, records are broken by a tenth of a degree or so. It was off the chart, said Deke Arndt, head of climate monitoring at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., which calculated the temperature records.

12 U.S. News Briefs

WASHINGTON D.C. - The US-Philippine Society (USPS) is scheduled to bestow a posthumous award to the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye a day after they pay a courtesy call on President Aquino n Malacanang on Jan. 23 for his exemplary deeds for Filipino veterans and being a true friend of the Philippines. The award will take place when they hold their USPSs rst anniversary business meeting in the Philippines. We are still nalising the things pertaining to the posthumous award, but surely we will honour the late US senator, one USPS representative, who asked not to be named as he is not authorised to speak for the group, said. He was such a true friend to the Filipino community in Hawaii, and hed done a lot of good things for the Philippines.

January 15, 2013

USPS to bestow award to Sen. Inouye in Manila

new immig fees
WASHINGTON-On Feb. 1, 2013,U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin collecting a new USCIS Immigrant Fee of $165 from foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the United States. This new fee was established in USCISs nal rule adjusting fees for immigration applications and petitions announced on Sept. 24, 2010. USCIS has worked closely with the Department of State (DOS) to implement the new fee. To simplify and centralize the payment process, applicants will pay online through the USCIS website after they receive their visa package from DOS and before they depart for the United States. DOS will provide applicants with specic information on how to submit payment when they attend their consular interview. The new fee is in addition to fees charged by DOS associated with an individuals immigrant visa application. USCIS processes approximately 36,000 immigrant visa packages each month. ing campaign to bring the dog to the US. Surgeons are planning to perform two or three procedures for dental work, extractions and covering exposed roots. They will then try to close the dogs wound and restore nasal functions. Kabang may return to the Philippines in May or June. The bill for her treatment is expected to top $10,000. clean energy, and manufacturing that create jobs and strengthen the middle class. In 2012, he kept his promise of asking the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans to pay more while protecting 98 percent of families and 97 percent of small businesses from any income tax increase-raising $620 billion in revenue.

Wanted Filam car dealer is arrested

LOS ANGELES - Eminiano Jun Reodica, a Filipino car dealer who allegedly bilked investors of tens of millions and defrauded banks of hundreds of millions of dollars before disappearing in the late 1980s, was arrested by the FBI somewhere in California last year. Reodica, 68, the former president of Grand Chevrolet in Glendora, was arrested by FBI agents on November 27. According to public defender Moriah Radin, Reodica was on the run for more than 2 decades Reodica. Radin said Reodica provided his true identity. Hes been very cooperative with law enforcement ofcials. Reodica faces several felony counts of fraud, including scheming to defraud banks and savings and loans, creating false credit statements and aiding and abetting. It is estimated that before Reodica ed and declared bankruptcy, his companies (Grand Chevrolet, Grand Wilshire Leasing, Grand Wilshire Finance Corp., and Grand Rizal Finance) racked up as much as $200 million in debt, with $43 million owed to individual investors, many of whom are members of the FilipinoAmerican community. Tens of millions of dollars remain unaccounted for. Originally from Laguna province in the Philippines and a summa cum laude graduate of the University of the East, Reodica arrived to the US in the mid-1970s and worked his way up -- from being a busboy, to vice president of a car dealership in Encino.

US assault guns invented by Pinoys

CALIFORNIA Law enforcement agencies in the US and other countries are using a new assault rie designed and created by Filipino siblings Ferdinand and Francis Sy from Cebu, Philippines. Fascination for guns and a dream of once joining the military are what led the twin brothers to the arms industry. The mission of Ferfrans way back in 1994 was to really give an edge to the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force. To give them the edge in combat through weaponry, said Francis. After four years of rigorous research and development both in the US and the Philippines, they launched their very own weapon called-the Ferfrans Special Operations Assault Rie or the Ferfrans SOAR. What it does is reduce the rate of re, to about 550 to 600 rounds per minute. A regular M4 will re around 900 to a thousand rounds per minute, said Ferdinand. With its unique features, Ferfrans SOAR not only achieved the needs of PNP and the AFP. It is also currently being tested by the United States Army.

SD Mayor Filner meets PH consul

LOS ANGELES - Consul General Maria Hellen M. Barber De La Vega paid a courtesy call on Mayor Bob Filner at his ofce

Hawaii Senate President Donna Mercado Kim. as Lieutenant Governor. Hawaii Governor Neil Abercombrie chose former lieutenant governor Brian Schatz as Inouyes successor to the US Senate. We are solidied in dealing with the pressing issues facing our State. The Senate continues to be organized in a cooperative and focused manner. Im humbled to receive the condence and support of my colleagues, said Senate President Kim, who was rst elected to the senate in 2000. Kim becomes the rst Filam to head Hawaiis senate. Ronald Kouchi.

Virginia may opt for Fed health plan

RICHMOND -Virginia will not be pursuing a state-based health benets exchange for 2014, Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a letter recently to Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius. Under President Obamas new Affordable Health Care Act, Dec. 14 was the last day that states could submit an application requesting conditional approval for a state-based exchange. That exchange would allow uninsured people to buy insurance in an open market. McDonnell is using the deadline to state that Virginia would do the opposite. McDonnell had indicated he didnt plan to create a state-based exchange in a chat on WNIS radio in Norfolk. Maryland has received 10 letters of intent from insurers that plan to sell on its marketplace, the Maryland Health Connection. It looks like we might be adding more carriers than currently sell in the Maryland market, said executive director Rebecca Pearce. Meanwhile, eight states and the District of Columbia have received conditional approval to operate health insurance exchanges, the online marketplaces where consumers will use federal subsidies to purchase insurance policies. The designation recognizes that these states have made enough progress to hit a crucial deadline: launching for open enrollment on Oct. 1, 2013. The exchanges will also need to begin collecting subsidies in January 2014.

Donaire is WBOs ghter of year

LOS ANGELES - ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports, has chosen World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion Filipino Nonito Donaire Jr. as the 2012 Boxer of the Year and Juan Manuel Marquezs crushing knockout of Manny Pacquiao as its KO of the Year. The 30-year-old Filipino Flash (30-1 20 KOs) from San Leandro via General Santos City, Philippines, had an extremely busy and dominating year, defeating four quality opponents despite ghting in a new weight division. Donaire, easily handled the move up in weight, winning all four of his ghts in dominant fashion. He dropped each of his foes (scoring seven knockdowns in all) won twice by knockout and collected two world titles, wrote ESPN Boxing columnist Dan Rafael.

Consul dela Vega calls on Mayor Filner. in San Diego County last month. Filner was the Congressman who help the Filipino veterans get benets before running for mayor last November. The two ofcials discussed ways of stimulating Philippine-US relations. Filner reafrmed his support to promote the interests of the Filam Community in San Diego. On her part, Consul General De La Vega thanked the San Diego City Mayor for his consistent support to the Philippines and the Filam community. He pledged to work towards providing equal access and opportunity for Filam businesses and entrepreneurs. San Diego County is host to about 300,000 Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

Parol parade held in Los Angeles, CA

LOS ANGELES - Filams celebrated its 8th annual Parade of Parols in Filipinotown here late last month. The rain did not dampen the spirits of the participants to walk through the parade, which started at Burlington School (owned by Cecile Ramos). The huge parols carried by adults attracted the neighboring residents, who were followed by participants and kids, who were either singing Christmas songs or giving greetings of a night of many expectations! The participants and collaborators were staff from the Burlington School, some pupils, the Historic Filipinotown Rotary Club, Historic Filipinotown Chamber of Commerce, the Pacic Asian Alcohol and Drug Program, television, video photographers, and reporters from the local newspapers and also a staff from the Los Angeles Times. Ms. Ramos, showing Filipino hospitality, provided some Filipino drinks like salabat (ginger ale), homemade cookies and other refreshments. Highlight was the red, hot lechon that was cut into pieces.

Kabang beats cancer, next is his snout

DAVIS, California -Gina Davis, a veterinarian at the University of California Davis, says Kabang, the dog from the Philippines who became an international hero after sacricing its snout to save two young girls, has beaten cancer. The next step is to continue of his treatment for heartworms in his arteries and repair of his snout. Kabang had her snout and upper jaw sheared off when she jumped in front of a speeding motorcycle in Zanboanga city, Philippines, saving her owners daughter and niece who were apparently about to be hit. A nurse from New York state led a fundrais-

Obama says he kept his promise

WASHINGTON D.C. - At this make or break moment for the middle class, the President achieved a bipartisan solution that keeps income taxes low for the middle class and grows the economy, says the White House press statement. For the rst time in 20 years, Congress will have acted on a bipartisan basis to vote for signicant new revenue. This means millionaires and billionaires will pay their fair share to reduce the decit through a combination of permanent tax rate increases and reduced tax benets. And this agreement ensures that we can continue to make investments in education,

Filam is Hawaiis Senate president

HAWAII - Filipino-American Hawaii State Senator Donna Mercado Kim (D-Moanalua, Aiea, Kalihi Valley) has been selected as the new senate president of the Hawaii legislature. The states upper house reorganizes, after the death of longtime Filipino champion and US senator Daniel Inouye. Kim, the former vice president of the senate, will now preside during the 27th Hawaii State Legislature in January, replacing Senator Shan Tsutsui, who was sworn in

USCIS collects

January 15, 2013

13

McDonnell eyes scrapping gas tax, OMalley, death penalty

ALEXANDRIA, Va. Virginia could be the rst state to scrap the gasoline tax, if Gov. Bob McDonnells proposal is approved by the Commonwealths legislature that convened last week for the rst time this year. Meanwhile, in Annapolis, lawmakers also buckled down to work and could be voting on starkly contrasting proposal by Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley who wants to raise taxes on gasoline. If lawmakers approve, Virginia would be the rst state to drop its gasoline tax. McDonnell said the 17.5 cents per gallon gas tax is no longer a viable revenue source for maintaining and building highways because of ination and more fuel efcient vehicles. Sales tax revenues, on the other hand, grow with the economy, he added. His plan will increase the sales tax by 0.8 percent, with the entire increase dedicated to transportation. The tax on diesel fuel will be retained because of the extreme wear-and-tear that heavy trucks inict on Virginia highways. The Maryland governor also pledged to focus on a series of transportation funding problems in the state. For the last 10 or 15 years, we have not been investing what we could and what we should in order to have better transportation in our state, he said. Therefore, we now have the most congested state, in terms of trafc, of any of the 50 states in the country. The debate promises to be a spirited one, with Republicans from rural areas opposing big spending on mass transit in urban and suburban areas at the expense of roads in rural communities. OMalley said he had not settled on a particular proposal to raise more revenue. Last year, he proposed phasing in a 6 percent sales tax on gasoline at 2 percent a year, but the measure stalled. The governor also said he saw merit in raising the sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, and dedicating the increase to transportation. In Virginia, McDonnell also wants to raise $547 million over ve years by increasing vehicle registration fees by $15. An annual $100 fee on alternative fuel vehicles would raise an additional $66.6 million. OMalley also has his eyes set on banning capital punishment in his state. He calculated that 22 of the 24 senators needed to approve a death penalty ban have expressed a willingness to support a ban in the session that began Jan. 9. The Democratic governor pushed to repeal the death penalty in 2009. Full repeal stalled in the Senate, which voted instead to restrict capital punishment to murder cases with biological evidence such as DNA, videotaped evidence of a murder or a videotaped confession. There hasnt been an execution in Maryland during OMalleys tenure that began in 2007.

14

January 15, 2013

January 15, 2013

January 29-31. Philippine Nurses Association of MDC 2013 Medical Mission, Narvacan, Philippines. Contact: norrad79@ verizon.net February 3-9. The Medical Mission of Mercy USA at Mexico City , Pampanga February 11-14. The Medical Mission of Mercy USA at Marinduque. February 9 (Saturday) 6:3011:30. Fil-Am Association of Manassas and Washington Metropolitan Area Gala DinnerDance. Fort Myer Community Center. Proceeds go to school classroom construction projects in the Philippines. $40 prepaid. Contact: Danny/Mila Lunaria 703-256-7603 March 1 (Friday) Filipino Heritage Night in the NBA East Coast at the Wizards vs Nicks Games. Sponsored by Filipino American Basketball Association (FABA). Tickets ranges from $27UL, $40CL and $89 pressbox with gourmet buffet. Contact: fabaofmetrodcinc@aol.com March 9 (Saturday) 10:00am-2:00pm. Philippine American Foundation for Charities Community Meeting for Members/Volunteers/Supporters. Location TBD. Contact: Bing Branigin at mcbranigin@aol.com March 16 (Saturday) 6:00pm. Filipino Organization of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) Philippine Culture Night, Catholic University of America, Pryzbyla Great Room,

15
Catholic University of American, 620 Michigan Ave, N.E. Washington, DC 20064.Contact: 45rago@cardinalmail.cua.edu May 18 (Saturday) 6:0011:30pm, Feed the Hungry, Inc. Spring Shindig. Fort Myer Community Center, McNair Road, Fort Myer, VA. Contact: Tessie 571 333 5327. May 26 Miss Teenage Philippines Pageant, Inc. Annual Coronation and Ball. Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. Contact Trini Padama-301-705-8550.

January 12 (Saturday) 1:307:00pm Shaking Up the Blues, Seniors Forum sponsored by Association of American Counselors on Ethnic Eldercare Services, Inc. AACEES. Includes dinner and entertainment. The Fountains at Washington House, 5100 Fillmore Ave., Alexandria, VA 22311 703.291.0188. Speakers include: Dr. Marilou

Tablang-Jimenez on Depression in Adults and the Elderly; Seggy Acosta, PhD on Wealth Management for Seniors and more. Contact: Ellen Carag 703.339.7744 or ellen.carag@gmail.com January 21-25. Philippine Nurses Association of MDC 2013 Medical Mission, Cebu City, Philippines. Contact: norrad79@ verizon.net

Ateneo stude attends Obamas 2nd inaugural

Santiago Arnaiz is the only Filipino invited by the Ofce of the US President to attend the Presidential Inauguration of President-elect Barrack Obama this coming January 21, 2013. Arnais was one of the top alumnus of the Global Young Conference of different students from around the world. He is currently at his rst year college at the Ateneo de Manila University. The young boy from the Philippines will be accompanied by his Uncle Francis Arnaiz as they travel to the United States for the Presidential

Santiago Arnaiz Inauguration. Francis

Arnaiz was one of the most popular player in the PBA during his time.

USCIS issues new immigration manual

WASHINGTONU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Jan. 7 began the agencys transition toward an online, centralized manual of immigration policies by releasing the rst volume of the new USCIS Policy Manual-- the Citizenship and Naturalization volume. Today s release follows an unprecedented, agency-wide review of USCIS policies that incorporates feedback from thousands of agency employees, customers and stakeholders. With the introduction of the Policy Manual, we take a further step to provide our customers, stakeholders and workforce with an efcient and effective adjudication process that provides a high level of quality and consistency, said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. USCIS will begin implementing the policies outlined in the Citizenship and Naturalization volume of the USCIS Policy Manual on Jan. 22, 2013. The complete USCIS Policy Manual will comprise several volumes, each pertaining to the different areas of immigration benets the agency administers, including citizenship and naturalization, protection and parole, adjustment of status, admissibility, refugees and asylum, waivers, and travel and employment. The new Policy Manual will ultimately replace USCIS current Adjudicators Field Manual, or AFM, and the current USCIS Immigration Policy Memoranda website. As content becomes available for each volume, USCIS will notify the public and invite comment on new or substantially changed policies. Public engagement opportunities will be made available on our website. In preparation for this transition to a centralized online policy manual, USCIS undertook an extensive review of all adjudication and customer service policies, including a survey of members of the public and the USCIS workforce. USCIS received approximately 8,000 survey responses regarding the agency s policy and operational guidance, which informed the development and publication sequence of Policy Manual volumes. For staff affected by the release of the Citizenship and Naturalization volume, training has been conducted to ensure familiarity with the new online tool and its content.

16

January 15, 2013

Around DC in Pictures

Bill and Bing Branigin hosted an engagement party for Amanda Tira Andrei (4th front row) to Colton OConnor last January 6, at their residence in Reston, Virginia. From left, 1st row: Herminia Smith, Mencie Hairnston, Maurese Owens, Theresa Yambao, Fe Pe Benito, and Oscar Valera, Jr., 2nd row: Rita Gerona Adkins, Jon and Elvie Melegrito, Amanda, Colton, Mitzi Pickard, Ms. Jackie, Alma and Jun Conty, Froilan Tiglao, Aaron Smith, Gil Pe Benito, and Herman Ayayo.

An Asian American christening was held last December 22 in Chantilly, Virginia. Baby Sylar Chiang was christened with family and friends as witnesses, from left: Jeana Nocete, Shiela Mendiola, Valyn Atienza, Ciela Basilio, Raiza Basilio,(Mother), Steven Chiang (Father), holding Sylar, Pastor Romy Capuli, Kay Capuli, Rico Jiao Jr., Andy Lee, and Eli Kim.

Dr. and Mrs. Edward Seidel tendered a dinner on New Years Day at their residence in Ellicott City, Maryland which was attended by ofcers and members of the Philippine Association of Retirement Counselors (PARC) and Philippine Nurses Associations of Metro DC (PNAMDC). Photo shows, from left, seated: Victoria Navarro, president, PNAMDC; and Daisy Tucay, chair, US Medicare PH. Standing from left are Dr. Emma Dacquel, Josena dela Rosa, Lorna Seidel, president-elect of PNAMDC; Terri Gayhardt, Clinical Director of Lorien Health; Pilar Walsh and Georgette Beltran of Global PARC.

The Gopiao family enjoyed a trip to New York during the 2012 winter break from school. Seen left to right are Gigi Gopiao and her sons, Joseph, 13, and Timothy,15, who were given the trip as a gift from their Dad because they received the PAFC Jose Rizal Youth Awards last Nov. 17 for outstanding academic performance and community work. After they watched the Lion King on Broadway, they trekked to Rockefeller Center to see the beautiful Christmas tree with its magnicent lights.

Filipino Global Supermarket, located on 5509 Leesburg Pike in Falls Church, Virginia, welcomed Jesus is All (JIA), which held a fundraising caroling Jan. 6 for its evangelization projects here and also for storm victims in the Philippines. Photo shows store owners Ofelia Valentos (fth from left) and Wilmer bron (far left) with Rea Dupitas (sixth from left). Also shown are the carolers, from left: Colin and Connie Buntua (treaurer) ; JIA head servant Cora Arca; Hermie Adviento, music coordinator; Lucy Garica, Esther Frilles, and Estella and Elpi Garcia. Photo shows, from left, Evelyn Arguenza, Fred Embuscado, former Philippine Ambassador to Washington Raul Rabe, Mrs. Buena Rabe, Vicky Embuscado, Nina Cunanan, and Bill Branigin after their New Years Day dinner in Falls Church, Virginia, last Jan 2.

The Filipino Choir of St. Bernadette sang at the Dec. 23, 2012 Simbang Gabi Mass at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Chantilly, Virginia. This mass was the culmination of the Nine Days of Simbang Gabi, and was celebrated by Bishop Paul S. Loverde. The Choir is comprised of 35 men and women who dedicate their time to the Filipino Ministry of Northern Virginia, to sing praises to the Lord. Choir Director, Virna Mananzan has led the choir since 2004. Interested parties are invited to join the Choir at the Monthly Filipino Masses every third Saturday of the month at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Springeld, Virginia. (Photo by Rolly Saldana)

The Roaring 20s came to town during a New Years Eve party at the Marriot Hotel in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Among the models are, from left, Marilou Tablang Jimenez, Myrna Lopez and Jeanette Calahong.

Photo shows, from left, Alegra, Francisco, Nicholas and Butch Valeriano during the Memorial Service for the late Emma Benitez Valeriano December 27, at the St Charls Borromeo Catholic Church, Arlingon, Virginia. A dinner followed at the social hall of the church. Emma, a long time resident in Bethesda, MD died last September in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Bing Cardenas Branigin)

January 15, 2013

17

18
By Greg Macabenta
DALY CITY - Tony Bennett, a New Yorker, left his heart in San Francisco. Efren Bernal of Baguio left his art in the City by the Bay. Both helped to immortalize the little cable cars that climb halfway to the stars. Bernal did it more than Bennett. Little would have been known about Efren Libadia Bernal, 62, and his role in enhancing the magic of San Franciscos fabled cable cars, had NBC News, San Francisco Examiner and CBS News not put out special reports on him in late December. The rst two news items were about Efrens terminal bout with cancer, and the last was about his eventual demise on the 27th. In all cases, the reports were summed up in NBCs headline, Cable car painter leaves a colorful legacy. San Franciscos cable cars make it more fun negotiating the steep hills and inclines of the city of hair-raising hills. Visiting San Francisco without taking a ride in a cable car is like going to Los Angeles and missing Disneyland or Universal Studios. In a metropolis careening towards the 22nd century, the cable cars are a throwback to the old times, when apple and blackberry were fruits, a tweet came from birds in the trees, and you could tell the men from the women by the fact that the former wore pants. In fact, the cable cars were a capitulation to modernity, back in 1873. An enterprising gentleman named Andrew Hallidie saw a horse-drawn carriage slide backwards down a steep hill in downtown San Francisco, and he concluded that a less perilous means of conveyance was required in a city of precarious inclines. Thus he developed the rst cable car. The cable car system ourished until the earthquake of 1906 devastated the city. Bouts between city hall and activist citizens left the continued existence of the cable cars in doubt. But history and tradition nally won. In 1947, by popular vote, the city was forced to maintain and operate the Powell Street cable car system. In 1964, the cable cars were ofcially designated moving national historic landmarks. And from 1982 to 1984, the cable cars nally got the loving care that they deserved. They were restored, refurbished and made to look worthy of their honored place among San Franciscos treasures. That was when Efren Bernal and his family immigrated to the San Francisco Bay Area. Turned down for a burger ippin job at McDonalds, Efren got hired as a cable car painter for the San Francisco Municipal Trans-

January 15, 2013

Filam leaves his art in Friscos cable cars

was an artist where others were simply painters. He crafted the silk screen graphics that gave the His family said the illness had spread and was now at stage four. Bernals family attended the launch of car 26, which was dedicated in his honor. His daughter said Bernal devoted his life to the cable cars, something he revealed during recent conversations. He said its just being a part of the historic, the beautication of San Francisco, said daughter Mariel Bernal Perales. Being a part of that meant a whole lot to him. Workers wondered if the loss of Bernal marked the end of an era for the cable cars since he was the one who made the intricate silk screens, and possessed the artistic skills to paint ne designs. Im not sure were going to get too many people who are going to come here and do this kind of work again ever, said Harris. Bernals daughter wondered if car 26 marked the end of an old way of craftsmanship. This was the last cable car he worked on, Perales said. And it just may be the last hand painted cable car. Harris said he and other workers wanted Muni to name the car after Bernal. Then he paused and gestured toward the dozens of cars lling the barn. Any one of these cars that hes worked on - thats made it shine - deserves his name, Harris said.

portation Agency, nicknamed, the Muni. Thus began a 29 year romance between Efren and the cable cars. Reported NBC News: You may not know the name of Efren Bernal. But his work is on rolling display in San Franciscos streets every day. Bernal began working for Muni as a cable car painter in 1983, a job hes held ever since. His intricately detailed designs and handmade silk screen graphics adorn nearly all 40 of San Franciscos rolling wooden ambassadors. He painted every car in the barn, said fellow painter Larry Harris. Every car in the barn has got his ngerprint on it. Harris said Bernal, 62,

cable cars their old world detail and logos. Harris said Bernal poured over every detail. The last cable car that Efren worked on was No. 26, described by NBC as an 1890-era cable car, recently repainted in a greenand-white 1947 paint scheme. In mid-December, No. 26 was launched by the Muni in honor of Efren who was already ghting for his life in a ward in Kaiser Oakland. As Car 26 rolled toward the entrance of Munis cable car barn, a sense of melancholy gripped the few dozen people who turned out, NBC News reported. Car 26 would be Bernals last paint job. In March, Bernal was diagnosed with cancer.

January 15, 2013

19

20

January 15, 2013

January 15, 2013

Hometown News 21
an interview with ABS-CBNnews.com, Lee said being an immigrant herself she has found a connection not only with foreign immigrants living in South Korea, but also Koreans who are living overseas. I found a connection with immigrants within Korea, and with Korean immigrants in the Philippines. I know how difcult it can be to live in a different country. I also know how difcult it can be for a Korean to live here, she said. Lee and fellow lawmaker Won Yoo-cheol sought to encourage South Koreans living in the Philippines to register for overseas absentee voting for the national elections in December. Registration started at the South Korean embassy Jan. 6. ant Larry Que asked the Immigration bureau to act on his complaint and if the evidence so warrants, to initiate proper deportation proceedings on Cua. Governor Cua claims to be a naturalized Filipino citizen but this is not true. He is a Chinese citizen and thus, should not be allowed to run for public ofce, much less hold the gubernatorial post, Que said. The complainant alleged that there are irregular transactions and entries in the naturalization papers and supporting documents submitted by the governor such as the glaring disparity in the names he used in various documents. The governor claimed that he is a naturalized Filipino citizen by derivative mode, since his father was a naturalized Filipino citizen under Presidential Decree 836. But his fathers name is not included in the list of those granted Filipino citizenship under the said law. is the Philippine version of coconut arrack also made in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Many have compared it to Russian vodka or English gin but what sets our lambanog apart is that you dont get a hangover, said 65-yearold distiller Isabelita Capistrano. The family-owned Capistrano Distillery in coconut-rich Tayabas is one of two leading Philippine makers of lambanog, which it sells to the countrys biggest supermarket chain.

Taiwan confronts Manila over exploration of Spratlys

Taiwan has involved itself in the conict over the Spratlys in the West Philippine Sea by starting its own oil and gas exploration around Ligao island, the largest islet in the Spratlys. The Philippines has told Taiwan it was asserting its sovereign right to explore and exploit resources in its exclusive economic zone after it announced its plan to begin looking for oil and gas in the area. Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson, said Jan. 5 that only the Philippines could explore in those parts of the Spratlys that lies within the countrys 200-nautical mile continental shelf. China, Vietnam and the Philippines have claims to Ligao Island.No country can conduct oil exploration in the PH continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea without the permission of the government, as provided for under Unclos, Hernandez said. pursuit has become prohibitive, Bautista said. It has become a law of diminishing returns at this point, Bautista told Agence France-Presse in an interview.

Tourists out of NAIA in 25 minutes

Tourism executive brags: Travelers out of Naia in 25 minutes at. Despite negative reports, NAIAs advantage over top-rated airports in the world is that it takes only 25 minutes for passengers arriving to complete the airport process, from disembarkation to clearing immigration and customs to getting a cab or meeting welcomers outside the airport. A local tourism ofcial hopes to spread the word around-and abroad. Preliminary gures show international trafc at Naia reached 14.2 million travelers last year, up 8.78 percent from 13.07 million in 2011. But the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has yet to analyze the gures to separate tourist arrivals from returning migrant workers and visiting overseas Filipinos.

Ex-US navy man slain by ex-helper

PAKIL, Laguna - Police are tracking down a man who hacked his former employer and colleague to death in a remote village early this month. Police identied the victims as Cesar Dalena, 57, a retired United States Navy service man, and his helper, Jackielyn Tapulayan, 19. Another helper, Nelson Agao, 26, was able to escape from the attack and identify the suspect, Ronnie Abion. Police said Dalena, who owns a resort in the upland village of Rizal in Pakil, red Abion a few months ago. On Jan. 5, Abion returned to the resort and hacked the victims with his bolo. Agao, who tried to rescue the victims was also wounded, but he was able to escape and seek help from the police. The bodies of Dalena and Tapulayan were found in a cliff near the resort when the police arrived. Dalenas body was decapitated.

More foreigners extending stay

A growing number of foreigners sought extension of their stay in the country last year beyond the 21-day allowed by law for tourists and 59 days for visa-required entries, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said. BI said the number of foreigners who extended their stay was 13 percent higher at 172,055 in 2012 compared to 151,913 in 2011. The BI gives two months extension, which should be renewed every two months. Foreigners are allowed to stay in the country for a total of only 16 months.

Conde Nast mag cites heavenly isles

The Conde Nast Traveller magazine has set its sights on the Philippines, listing it among its top 10 destinations for 2013. The London-based luxury travel magazine described the country as having around 7,000 of the most heavenly islands in the world. Its becoming particularly popular among serious divers, who come for the incredible underwater life, unspoilt coral gardens with rainbowbright sh, green sea turtles and dugongs, according to Conde Nast. It added: In Bicol you can swim with the biggest sh in the world, the whale shark. While sh-fans of a different nature can go deep-sea shing in one of the deepest trenches in the oceans, not far from the little-known island of Siargao. Particular mention was made of Palawan, which the magazine said ticks all the boxes: palm-fringed white-powder beaches, crystalclear turquoise waters, natural lagoons for wild swimming on Miniloc Island...all of it protected by UNESCO.

Clark Intl airport arrivals on the rise

CLARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -Victor Jose I. Luciano, president and CEO of Clark International Airport, said in a report that the volume of passengers has increased 71 percent last year as budget airlines operating there continued to offer cheaper fares. He said Clark posted a record 1.3 million passengers last year or 533,000 higher than the 767,000 passengers recorded in 2011, but slightly short of the 1.4 million target for the year. The international airport hosts eight budget airlines that catered to 1.013 million or about 77 percent of the total passengers who used the airport last year.

Kawit killers gun reloader is charged

John Paul Lopez, the man who helped Ronald Bae on his shooting rampage in Kawit, Cavite Jan. 4, killing 7 in a slum area, has been charged with murder in Imus City, Cavite. Lopez, 27, surrendered the next day and was charged with 11 counts of frustrated murder and two counts of attempted direct assault during in Barangay Tabon Lopez said that Bae threatened to kill him if he did not follow his orders. Col. Romeo Desiderio conrmed that Bae had expired licenses for three rearms-an Ak-47, M16 and the 45-pistol he used in his shooting spree. Lopez denied using Baes car when he escaped and went into a brief hiding.

NBI seeks gun that killed tot

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has started its investigation of the case of Stephanie Nicole Ella, 7, who was killed by a stray bullet during the New Year revelry. Investigators visited the Caloocan city area where Stephanie fell. Its initial ndings showed that the shooter could have been 50 meters away from where the girl was standing when he opened re. The police already arrested four men who confessed that they red their guns for fun during the New Years celebration but ballistic tests showed that the bullet that killed Stephanie did not come from their guns. The men, even if they are not responsible for Ellas death, still face charges for ring their guns. Police said the investigation is focused on the 32 registered gun owners living within a 50-meter radius from where the Ellas live.

VISAYAS
Standoff remains in Cebu city
CEBU CITY - Two prayer rallies have been staged here Jan. 9, one in support of suspended Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and the other in support of Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale. Meanwhile, ve cause-oriented groups urged Governor Garcia to leave the Capitol building and set an example of a law-abiding citizen. It was last Dec. 19 when the Department of Interior and Local Government led by Secretary Mar Roxas ordered a sixmonth suspension of the governor for alleged anomalies. The suspension is a penalty for an administrative case led by the late Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr., over the hiring of employees, which he said should have been his function, among other alleged offenses. Garcia has refused to leave the governors ofce since then. She claimed she was following the law and not what some people with ulterior motives or causes interpret it to be. On her 22nd day as acting governor, Magpale who was holding ofce at the conference hall said its now business as

Pinoys make coco sap as PH vodka

QUEZON - Tapper Eugenio Andaya climbs a coconut tree to get the sap to be used in making

Fil-Korean solon thanks ROK voters

Filipino-Korean lawmaker Jasmine Lee visited Manila early this month to meet with the local Korean community and Filipino

Hunt for Marcos billions to continue

President Aquino III says the Philippines will continue with the almost 30-year hunt for the embezzled billions of dollars of the late President Ferdinand Marcos with more than half the alleged $10 billion still missing. The assurance was made after Andres Bautista, head of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) announced his ofce was winding down its search. With Marcos widow and children back in positions of political power, and the government tightening its belt, the cost of the

Coconut climber.

LUZON
Governors citizenship is being questioned
The citizenship of Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua of the ruling Liberal Party Is being questioned by critics who asked the Bureau of Immigration to check on his status. Complain-

Jasmine Lee veterans of the Korean War. In

tuba, the raw material for lambanog in Tayabas. With their huge copper vats and open res, little-known backyard liquor makers have toiled for generations on Philippine coconut farms to distill their equivalent of Russian vodka Once considered a lowly peasants drink whose potency is said to put other liquors and spirits worldwide in the shade, the lambanog

Continued on page 22

22
Hometown News... from page 21
usualat the Capitol.

January 15, 2013

McDonnell names... from page 1

Those regulations are currently undergoing a 60-day public comment period; the results will be returned to the Board of Health in spring. The Board voted last Sept. 14 to adopt regulations that require 20 abortion clinics in Virginia to be regulated like new hospitals. In taking that action, the Board reversed a decision in June when ofcers voted to exempt existing clinics. The panel reversed itself after Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli refused to certify that version of the new rules, saying the board did not have the authority to provide the exemption. The move was hailed by anti-abortion advocates. On the other hand, abortion rights advocates said the new rules were a thinly veiled attempt to curtail access to abortion services by imposing construction costs on clinics that would force many to close. I want to continue the good work the agency has been achieving during the past years under the leadership of Dr. Remley and take the opportunity to promote the health of all Virginians, Dr. Romero said. She will delve into the topic of the controversial abortion clinic regulations, she assured, including the boards previous exemption. Theres detail there that I need to get a better handle on. I want to study all sides, thats part of the due diligence that I need to do, she told the Virginian-Pilot. Cianti Stewart-Reid, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said in a statement that we are hopeful Dr. Romero will follow Dr. Remleys lead by putting womens health above politics in her new role as health commissioner. We look forward to working with her. Its good to have someone

MINDANAO
Zambo a refuge of climate change
ZAMBOANGA CITY - This city is poised to become a refugee sink for those aficted by climate change. A top exporter of agar-agar seaweed, the challenge lies in the management of natural capital and the infusion of future migrants. This is the conclusion of the Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts study conducted by the WWF-

Philippines (World Wide Fund for Nature), the worlds largest conservation organization, and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Foundation, BPIs corporate social responsibility arm. The study aims to help government planners, decision-makers and business with a practical understanding of site-specic business vulnerabilities, risks and opportunities in key cities. It helps assess climate change impacts, identify opportunities and decide on interventions and standards of next practice that will allow the city to retain economic viability.

who has both hospital experience as well as private practice to maintain bridges between the two, chimed Dr. Nancy Welch, public health director in Chesapeake. Dr, Romero received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Virginia, and her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School, where she is an assistant professor of family and community medicine. An article in the website TheHealthJournals.com claimed that although there was little doubt she would follow in her mothers footsteps, there was a time Dr. Romero contemplated being a professional cheerleader until fate intervened and she suffered a sprain. In some ways, the website quoted Dr. Romero, When I encourage my patients to quit smoking or to lose weight, I feel that I am cheering for them. But for now, its a proud FilAm community thats cheering her on. lenges according to the Global Economic Outlook 2013-2014 report. Most low-income countries have held up relatively well so far, but now face intensied adverse spillover effects from the slowdown in both developed and major middle-income countries. The prospects for the next two years continue to be challenging, fraught with major uncertainties and risks slanted towards the downside. For many developing countries, including the Philippines, the report warned the global slowdown will imply a much slower pace of poverty reduction and narrowing of scal space for investments in education, health, basic sanitation and other critical areas needed for accelerating progress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

2013 could be... from page 1

0.3%. Household spending contributed more than half of the growth. Government spending expanded by 12%; public construction grew by 23.7% and trade by 7% during the same period last year. The Business Process Outsourcing grew by over 10 percent much better than the 6.6% for the whole of 2011. Government managers say 2012 was the best year of the economy under the three-yearold administration of President Aquino. Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said a 5-6% GDP expansion for 2012 is no big deal, adding that the economy is likely to have expanded by about 6.5 percent in the 4th quarter, to allow it to reach the higher end of the target for 2012. Some businessmen believe 2013 would be a super year for the Philippines because the election spending midyear would boost government spending. Local and national elections will be held in May. An election year traditionally translates to an economic growth of at least 7%. The Aquino administration is eyeing growth of 6-7% in 2013. But the government has kept a tight rein on spending for infrastructure under its PublicPrivate Partnerships program. Only eight of the planned 24 PPP projects were rolled out in 2012too late to make a signicant impact on stimulating growth for the balance of President Aquinos term. The United Nations warned however about the possible adverse effects of lethargic recovery in the United States as well as lingering weakness in Europe. Growth in major developing countries and economies in transition has also decelerated notably, reecting external vulnerabilities and domestic chal-

January 15, 2013

23
abiding residents. These are meaningful steps forward, he stressed. The change will have a signicant impact on American families by greatly reducing the time family members are separated from those they rely upon, explained Director Alejandro Mayorkas, head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Even if the policy could have bipartisan support, the unilateral nature of the maneuver could complicate negotiations over changing immigration law, according to The Washington Examiner. If Obama continues to force his preferred policies on the country without discussion or legislation, and simply on the basis of his personal agenda, he is unlikely to nd willing partners when it comes time for signicant immigration action, a Senate Republican aide told The Irregular migrants could be found mainly in the United States, Malaysia and Singapore, the report said. It listed the US as the top destination with 3.43 million Filipinos, followed by Saudi Arabia (1.55 million), Canada (842,651), United Arab Emirates (679,819) and Malaysia (569,081). The report denes permanent migrants as immigrants, dual citizens or legal permanent residents abroad, whose stay do not depend on work contracts. dollars in kickbacks from jueteng operators. He was forgiven by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo whose chief allies in her home province of Pampanga have also been linked to jueteng. With midterm elections looming, the alleged Atimonan shoot-out has made jueteng a campaign issue. Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, a Liberal Party stalwart, has led a resolution calling for a probe by the House of Representative. It came less than a week after Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. was tagged as a jueteng operator. Espino is a member of the rival Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) facing a Liberal Party challenger in May. Let us not forget that elections are coming and given the huge advantage that he enjoys over his perceived opponents as evidenced by the latest survey results, it is not hard to think that politics could be the reason behind all these (attacks), NPC spokesperson Rep. Rex Gatchalian said. In his resolution, Evardone asked the appropriate House committee to conduct an investigation into the jueteng operations in the country particularly those allegedly using legal franchises like the Small Town LotWashington Examiner. Last year, the president also announced that DHS would not enforce immigration laws for people who would have qualied for the DREAM Act if it had been passed by Congress. When the rule was proposed last year, Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, faulted the President for unilaterally changing immigration policy without congressional approval. This proposal from the Obama administration comes as no surprise considering their abuse of administrative powers, Smith, the House Judiciary Committee chairman in the 112th Congress, said. President Obama has already granted backdoor amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants without a vote of Congress. It seems President Obama plays by his own rules to push unpopular policies on the American people. Temporary migrants are dened as those whose stay overseas is employment-related and who are expected to return to the Philippines at the end of their work contracts. Irregular are those not properly documented without valid residence or work permits, or who are overstaying in a foreign country. Dual citizenship is granted under Republic Act 9225, which allows naturally born Filipinos who became naturalized citizens tery (STL), such as Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. operating in the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Free Port, and to recommend appropriate legislation. The President wants the results of the investigation as soon as possible. He wants a full and exhaustive investigation into the incident, said Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda. I want to know what really happened in Atimonan, Quezon, and why there were police and military personnel included in the suspected criminals, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas added. The PNP is a line agency under the DILG. De Lima said an independent probe by her department would erase any doubts on the credibility of the ongoing police investigation of the case. Senator Panlo Lacson said those who were killed were just Smith acknowledged that such waivers have always been obtainable, but the waiver was not designed to be used on a large scale. This new rule could affect up to a million immigrants. But some FilAm leaders are unfazed. Preserving family unity through this administrative rule change will go a long way in encouraging eligible immigrants to come out of the shadows and apply for legal status, Navarra said. While this is an important step in xing our broken immigration system, a major overhaul is long overdue. We call on Congress to give high priority to comprehensive immigration reform this year and once and for all institute policies that are reasonable, fair and humane, he said. of other countries to remain Philippine citizens. Aside from submission of required documents, the application involves taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines and a processing fee of P3,000. Since the implementation of the dual citizenship law in 2004, about 150,000 natural-born Filipinos worldwide have availed of the process. part of a much bigger group whose members were now being watched by the police. As far as I know, it was a long-running project of Police Regional Ofce 4-A, said Lacson, a former PNP chief. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said the group encountered by the team of policemen and soldiers in Quezon were not under its watchlist, and that it had not been linked to drugs. Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz said he believed that the shootout happened as a result of a turf war over jueteng or over kickbacks. He said jueteng lords could be very territorial especially in Central Luzon which he dubbed the Vatican of Jueteng.

NaFFAA lauds Obama... from page 1

U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives who are in the process of obtaining an immigrant visa, Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano said. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which President Bill Clinton signed in 1996 to deter illegal immigration, requires undocumented immigrants who have overstayed their visa to leave the country while applying for a new one. Someone who has overstayed a visa for more than six months is barred from reentering the U.S. for three years; those who overstay more than a year are barred for 10 years, under this statute. But in the case of almost 1.9 million of applicants with close family members from the Philippines, India, Vietnam and China, the wait times are even longer. The nal rule establishes a process that allows certain individuals to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver before they depart the United States to attend immigrant visa interviews in their countries of origin, the DHS explained. This change would allow people to live in the US while pursuing an immigrant visa, although they would still have to return to their original country to pick up that visa. This administration policy prioritizes family unity, something weve been advocating with our coalition partners in the Asian American community for years, Navarra averred. It complements the White House decision announced last June to stop deporting young people who were brought to the country as children and have contributed productively as law

FilAms top dual citizens... from page 1

Naturally born Filipinos who are now American citizens topped the list of applicants, according to the Philippine News Agency. They were followed by Britons and Canadians, with most of the petitions led at the Philippine consulates in Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, and London. The International Organization for Migrations report on Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda said about 5% of the 215 million international migrants equivalent to about 10.5 million people are overseas Filipinos spread over 217 countries and territories. The report showed 4.86 million are permanent migrants, 4.51 million temporary migrants and 1.07 million irregular migrants.

Jueteng turf war eyed... from page 1

ofcials said they got a tip a group of hired guns would be traveling through that road. Authorities said the reght erupted when the suspects aboard two vehicles refused to be searched. Wire accounts identied one of those killed as Victorino Siman, allegedly a jueteng lord in Southern Luzon. Another fatality was a relative of a top Aquino administration ofcial. Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala admitted that Tirso Lontok, one of those killed, was relative and refuted accounts depicting his distant cousin as a criminal. He said Lontok was active in conservation projects in Mt. Banahaw and was one of the reasons Alcala tried his hand in politics. Malacanang immediately distanced itself from the incident. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would lead the investigation, leaving both the Interior & Local Government (DILG) and Philippine National Police (PNP) out of the loop. They are looking into reports the clash and allegations it was actually a rub-out stemmed from a turf war between rival illegal gambling syndicates and their protectors. There are reports the slain cops, including Supt. Alfredo Consemino, who headed police operations in the island provinces of the Southern Luzon region, were protecting Siman and allegedly baby-sitting $2.5 million in gambling loot that is now reportedly missing. Human Rights Commission Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales said the alleged shootout smacked of overkill adding there were strong indications of human rights violations by the joint team. Nearly all of those killed were reportedly shot in the head. The police and military personnel should have only arrested the suspects, Rosales said. Jueteng is a popular numbers game, mainly in Luzon. The government tried to stamp it out by introducing the Small Town Lottery (STL) until this too was swallowed by the corruption that seems to animate jueteng. Its proceeds nance everything from the political campaigns of local ofcials to lining the pockets of corrupt cops. Former President Joseph Estrada was forced out of ofce in 2000 over charges he got millions of

24 Entertainment
MANILA. Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell celebrated her Filipino roots after visiting her mothers birthplace for the rst time last month. We are generally positive and happy. We are an amazing people. My friends, in fact, would want to be Filipino, too, said Shay, a Filipino-Canadian who plays Emily Fields in the ABC Family-aired drama thriller. She visited the Philippines for the rst time last month and was obviously enamored. She is amazed by the good food such as pancit, halo-halo, adobo and especially turon, her favorite. The 25-year-old actress is a fan of Lea Salonga and Jessica Sanchez. Her mother Precious accompanied her in Manila, where Rappler.com recounted this episode. I was driving with mom yesterday and then I said, Ah, they have Jollibee! And then she was like, Yes, tanga, this is where it started. And I was like, Oh...kay, Mitchell said while scratching her head, her eyes playful. Im so sorry. Mitchell revealed she is These include Mabuhay, Kumusta kayo? Kumusta ka? Mabuti, Salamat po, and

January 15, 2013

Liars star embraces Pinoy roots

things about her stay. Set in the ctional town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, to spill their secrets. Shay plays Emily, a quiet, athletic girl who has come to terms with her sexual orientation, but still struggles over the loss of her friend Alison and, now, the tragic murder of her girlfriend, Maya. In the mid part of the season 3, you will see the girls unravel to discovering whos behind all the lies and trickery, she promised. Mitchell also has a serious side. After a visit to Bangkok in 2011, she became so concerned with child trafcking that shes joined a group which helps rescues under-age girls from brothels. Based on the popular book series by Sara Shepard, Pretty Little Liars also stars Lucy Hale, Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Tyler Blackburn, Holly Marie Combs, Ian Harding, Chad Lowe, Janel Parrish, and Sasha Pieterse. PLLs Season 3 premiered last Jan. 8, 2013 and airs 8/7c Tuesday evenings.

Shay Mitchell fond of eating turon baked by a branch of Goldilocks in Vancouver, the Filipino-style spaghetti of Jollibee and her mothers home-cooked pancit. Shay had people smiling when she enumerated some of the Tagalog words she knows. Shay poses with mother Precious from a photo in her Facebook page Mahal kita. She shared that fellow Pretty Little Liars co-star Lucy Hale was in the country recently for a clothing brand endorsement and she has said wonderful Pretty Little Liars follows the lives of 4 girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their leader. One year later, they begin receiving messages from some named A who threatens

Star Magic mainstays aim higher in 2013

QUEZON CITY. ABS-CBN Star Magics Piolo Pascual, Coco Martin and John Lloyd Cruz are setting their sights higher in 2013. Being in the showbiz industry for 15 years now, Piolo uniquely ended 2012 with various Ayala mall shows to launch his Decades III album. In 2012, the actor also led the joint projects of Sunlife Financial and Star Magic, the SunPIOLOgy Runand the Star Magic Gives Back concert. The back-to-back events were for a good cause and happened at the Venice Piazza Mckinley Hill last Nov 24. Fullled was how Piolo described his 2012 because, aside from his numerous endorsements he had hit movies, Every Breath You Take with Angelica Panganiban and 24/7 in Love with other Star Magic stars. After the soap Dahil sa PagIbig, Piolo is looking forward to his next project titled Apoy sa Dagat with Angelica Panganiban and Diether Ocampo.

Network ghts back vs stars Tweets

QUEZON CITY. Network giant GMA-7 has put its foot down on the controversy with Filipino-Swiss talent Sarah Lahbati. Lahbati had earlier tweeted that she was taking a break from showbiz because she feels neglected. That decision has kicked a restorm in the showbiz universe, and may either revive or drive the nal nail on her moribund career. Because of all of this uncertainty and stress, my Sarah Lahbati struck in 2009, after which she landed both supporting and lead roles in several TV shows. But in subsequent tweets, Lahbati revealed a supposed misunderstanding with the networks management arm on her way to announcing her decision to take a leave from family and I decided that I go back to Switzerland and study there. This does not mean that I will be gone from the industry and craft that I love. Just a breather from all the chaos, she revealed. The 19-year-old has only been in showbiz for three years. She rst appeared on the GMA-7 talent search Starshowbiz. In a statement, the network alleged that Lahbati violated her contract with the network in announcing her intention to take leave from show business, after having rejected an alleged petition about her need to destress and unwind considering it as vague and unacceptable. Following GMA-7s ofcial statement released on Friday, warning that Lahbatis insistence to take a hiatus will be in violation of her contract, the actress took to Twitter anew questioning GMA-7s stand on the matter. She also posted a variety of revelations hinting on the cause of her troubles with the network, which included her alleged refusal to sign with Icons Management (allegedly a GMA-7 afliate) among others. John Lloyd Cruz Im really excited to work again with Angelica. The last soap we did together was Mangarap Ka in 2004. This time, were doing a soap with Diether; its going to be a memorable project for us. This year, Erich Gonzalez will be the new loveteam partner of Coco Martin in the soap Juan Dela Cruz. Be Careful with My Heart star Jodi couldnt be any happier because her ongoing Coco Martin daily series made her a household name. The success of her show also made her love team with Richard Chen sought-after here and abroad. John Lloyd was busy in 2012 because of three blockbuster movies such as Unofcially Yours, The Mistress and 24/7 in Love. His teleserye A Beautiful Affair continues to air. This 2013, he will reunite with Sarah Geronimo in the lm It Takes a Man and a Woman.

January 15, 2013

25

First Anniversary

M
Mortgage Forgiveness Extended!!

APPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE AND I WOULD LIKE TO START THE YEAR WITH GOOD NEWS!! The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act is extended by Congress until December 31, 2013 in parallel with HAFA (Home Affordable and Foreclosure Alternative). This benets a lot of qualied homeowners who may have owed taxes on forgiven debt after short sales. Everyone thought this will not be extended after it expired December 31, 2012. The Act was created in 2007 due to the high numbers of foreclosures and the housing market collapse which subsequently created mortgage crisis. Prior to the Act, a homeowner who sold his home through a short sale will consider forgiven debt as income and taxable. For example, you purchased your home through a loan for $200,000. You cannot pay the monthly mortgage anymore due to hardships. Fair market value is only $150,000 and was sold at that price. The remaining balance of $50,000 will be forgiven by your lender. However, it is considered as income and at the end of the year, you will receive a 1099 from your loan servicer. Without this Act, that homeowner will pay tax on that $50,000 and you do the math. The Act was created so homeowners are protected that debt forgiven by lender in short sale, foreclosure or loan modication is exempt from federal taxes. Generally, this Act is applicable for primary residence only but there are other provisions: Below is an IRS guideline as to when your forgiven debt is tax exempt Qualied principal residence indebtedness: This is the exception created by the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 and applies to most homeowners. Bankruptcy: Debts discharged through bankruptcy are not considered taxable income. Insolvency: If you are insolvent when the debt is cancelled, some or all of the cancelled debt may not be taxable to you. You

are insolvent when your total debts are more than the fair market value of your total assets. Certain farm debts: If you incurred the debt directly in operation of a farm, more than half your income from the prior three years was from farming, and the loan was owed to a person or agency regularly engaged in lending, your cancelled debt is generally not considered taxable income. Non-recourse loans: A nonrecourse loan is a loan for which the lenders only remedy in case of default is to repossess the property being nanced or used as collateral. That is, the lender cannot pursue you personally in case of default. Forgiveness of a non-recourse loan resulting from a foreclosure does not result in cancellation of debt income. However, it may result in other tax consequences. If you have hardship and thinking of short sales, you might as well act now. Do not wait until the nal countdown as there maybe any more extension after this one. Homeowners will continue to receive 1099-C forms from their lenders. Please keep in mind that you should always consult your trusted tax advisor so they can evaluate your personal situation and understand tax consequences. For more detailed information, visit http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/The-Mortgage-ForgivenessDebt-Relief-Act-and-Debt-Cancellation Note: Jocelyn Porteria is a Realtor licensed in V She A. earned a designation of ABR, GRN Accredited Buyers Specialist and GREEN Designation, CDPE Certied Distressed Property and Short Sale Expert, (SFR) Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource. For more info, visit her website at www.jprealdeal.com or call her at 571-432-8335 or email at realdealconsulting@yahoo.com for a free condential evaluation of your individual situation, property value, and possible options. She is also an accredited agent of Ayala Land, SM Residences and Century Properties in the Philippines.

usical acts and the spoken word seem like distant cousins but not to Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico, established Filipino-American stage thespians, who came up with the clever idea of combining both worlds into their Monday cabaret LATI-DO. On January 23, 2013, LATI-DO will celebrate their rst year anniversary. In my interview last summer with Don Michael, he told me how their show came about: It was rst presented on January 23, 2012 to a full house

atre cabaret series and a permanent addition to the DC artistic community with the help of key people such as venue coowner Russwin Francisco and resident accomopanist Jonathan Tuzman. Some guest musical per-

The cousins Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico on stage. by Don Michael and Regie to their friends and artistic colleagues at the Black Fox Lounge in Dupont Circle. Since then, it has blossomed into Washington D.C.s rst and only weekly spoken word and musical theformers of noteworthy mention have been Helen Hayes Award nominees and winners have been Vishal Vaidya, Katie Mcmanus, Will Gartshore, Joshua Morgan, poets/spoken word artists have been Gail

Danley, Sonya Renee Taylor, Fanny Sophie Walker, Chris August, and Vijai Nathan. In the show I attended last summer, Don Michael and Regie performed to a packed crowd. Regie regaled the audience with jokes and his ebullient wit and Don Michael closing the show with a showtune. They are the only Filipino-American performers who have a weekly cabaret show in the D.C. area. And the cabaret culture is rare in the metro region, so they give pride to the Fil-Am community for presenting La-Ti-Do which have been receiving critical raves since its inception. Don Michael will be in the upcoming musical Avenue Q which will be staged at Dominion Stage in Arlington, Va., and will run from January 11-26. Avenue Q won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical. He and Regie are also among the few Filipino-American thespians doing very well in the D.C area theater scene. Go see La-Ti-Do every Monday nights from 8-10 p.m. at the Black Fox Lounge, 1723 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington D.C. The closest Metro stop is Dupont Circle.

Filam ex-Newsweek editor dies in Maryland

Teresita Tita Dioso Gillespie, a longtime editor at Newsweek magazine, died on December 18 at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland, after suffering several complications following a heart attack, according to Filam online magazine in New York. Mrs. Gillespie was 70 and is survived by her husband of 42 years, Brette Gillespie, a retired US Navy ofcer. Filam magazine continued: Ms. Gillespie was a trailblazer for Asian women - and Filipino women in particular - in the eld of magazine editing. In its June 2000 issue, Filipinas magazine gave Gillespie an Achievement Award for being the rst Filipina to serve as Newsweeks general editor, noting Gillespie belongs to a short list of top-caliber Filipino journalists who have increasing inuence in the international print media. She took her role as a pioneering Filipina editor in the U.S. seriously, speaking about her experiences at seminars and mentoring several Asian American journalists, including her nephew, John nandez. After two years at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Gillespie moved to New York City with her parents and siblings in 1960 when her father was assigned to the Philippine Mission to the United Nations. She completed her undergraduate degree in English and philosophy in 1963 at Hunter College in New York, and went on to receive a program certicate in 17th-century English studies at Exeter College at Oxford University in England and a graduate degree in Medieval French Literature and Civilization from the Sorbonne in Paris, France, where she witnessed the student protests of 1968. Returning to New York, Gillespie became a proofreader at Womans Day magazine. After marrying Mr. Gillespie, she moved to San Francisco, working as an editor at McGrawHill. Back in New York ve years later, she continued her career as a book editor at the Free Press and John Wiley & Sons.

Teresita Tita Dioso Gillespie Dioso, who went on to become a managing editor of Rolling Stone, Martha Stewart Living and Us Weekly. Gillespie was born in Manila, the third of the four children of Leocadio A. Dioso, a Philippine jurist, legal adviser to then President Ramon Magsaysay, and diplomat, and the former Rosario Rodriguez Fer-

26

January 15, 2013

BOK CHOY WITH UDON NOODLES

It feels good to make a basically simple recipe after a hard days work or to have a light meal ready when you get home. This dish can be prepared the night before and reheated quickly the next day to include in your main dish as a side entree. And that is the reason why the vegetables should be cooked al dente (cooked but rm and crunchy). Bok choy or pak choi in Chinese literally means white vegetable; these have white stems with dark green leaves. It contains Vitamin A and Vitamin C. According to Wikipedia, pak choi contains glucosinolates. These compounds have been reported to prevent cancer in small doses. Bok choy is also called Shanghai cabbage. 2 oz. frozen cooked udon (Japanese noodles) 1/2 cup fresh, shelled and deveined shrimps 1/2 cup nely chopped yellow onion 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup julienned carrots Slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water) 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Ingredients:
4 to 5 pieces baby bok choy, quartered

(optional)

Methods:
Soak the bok choy in cold water for 2 minutes to allow for any soil or dirt to settle in the bottom of the basin/container. Carefully remove from water and set aside. Bring enough water to a boil in a sauce pan with a little salt and vegetable oil. Drop the frozen udon and cook for no more than 2 minutes or until they separate. Then drain and discard the water. Set aside. In a large non-stick skillet, stir-fry the shrimps and transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same skillet, sweat the onions in a little oil. Add the mushrooms and carrots and stir-fry rapidly until half cooked. Add the slurry and mix in the udon and season with salt and pepper. Continue to stir-fry until the noodles are hot to the touch. Add the

bok choy, shrimps and red bell pepper and cook for a minute or two (do not overcook the vegetables). Sprinkle the almonds (if preferred). Serve hot. Editors Note: Master Chef Evelyn: 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S., 2009, Filipina Womens Network; MHC Most Outstanding Migrant Award in Culinary Arts, 2011; PAFC Dakila Special Achievement Award, 2011; Owner/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, Master Chef, French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le Cordon Bleu, London.

DISHONOR
Two Japanese businessmen are talking during their afternoon dip in the hot baths at the Geisha house. The rst businessman says, Hirokosan, I have unpleasant news for you. Your wife is dishonoring you. I saw her the other night and she was out with another man. Hirokosan cant believe what he hears, and asks for more information. It is as I said, Hirokosan, and she is doing it with a foreigner who appears to be of the Jewish faith. Shocked, Hirokosan goes home to confront his wife. He faces her and says, I am told that you are dishonoring me with a foreigner of the Jewish faith. She replies, Thats a lie! Where did you hear such meshugas? Another half hour passed before another relative asked, May we see the new baby now? No, not yet, said the mother. A while later and again the guests asked, May we see the baby now? No, not yet, replied the mother. Growing impatient, they asked, Well, when can we see the baby? When he cries! she told them. When he cries? they gasped. Why do we have to wait until he cries? Because, I forgot where I put him. The person says, I not American, I Vietnamese. The new arrival walks farther, and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand, and says, Thank you for wonderful America! That person puts up his hand and says, I am from Middle East. I am not American. He nally sees a nice lady and asks, Are you an American? She says, No, I am from Africa. Puzzled, he asks her, Where are all the Americans? The African lady checks her watch and says, Probably still at work this time of day.

EXAM
Ama: Anak, pag bumagsak ka sa exam mo sa iskul, kalimutan mo nang may ama ka! Pagkatapos ng exam... Ama: Kamusta ang exam mo anak? Anak: Who are you po?

ako ng butlig. Kahit na one lig nga lang sir ay mahirap din, kasi hindi na ako makakatakbo pa!

PAYO NG AMA
Noon: Iho, kapag pipili ka ng babaeng pakakasalan, siguraduhin mong maganda, okay? Ngayon: Iho, kapag pipili ka ng magandang pakakasalan, siguraduhin mong tunay na babae, okay?

CHECK-UP
Minsan pinacheck-up ni Sir si Inday sa family doctor. Umiiyak na lumabas si Inday sa clinic. Sir: O Inday, bakit ka umiiyak? Inday: Kasi po sir, sabi ng doctor, kailangan daw po akong tanggalan ng butlig. Sir: Ano ka ba naman, Inday, butlig lang umiyak ka na. Inday: Sir, bata pa po ako at marami pa akong gustong gawin sa buhay ko. Sir: Eh ano naman ang kinalaman nun sa mga balak mo sa buhay? Inday: (Humihikbi) Sir... paano na ako kung tanggalan

IMMIGRANT
A Russian arrives in New York City as a new immigrant to the United States. He stops the rst person he sees walking down the street and says, Thank you Mr. American for letting me into this country, giving me housing, food stamps, free medical care, and a free education! The passerby says, You are mistaken, I am a Mexican. The man goes on and encounters another passerby. Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in America.

PROBLEMA
Yaya: Huhuhu. Ate: O, bakit ka umiiyak? Yaya: Kasi ate ang dami kong pimples! Ate: Eh bakit ka ba tinitighiyawat? Yaya: Kasi po di ako makatulog sa gabi. Ate: O, bakit di ka makatulog? Yaya: Kasi po may pinoproblema ako. Ate: Ano naman ang pinoproblema mo? Yaya: Kasi ate ang dami kong pimples!

PENSHOP
Gustong bumili ng ballpen si Juan. Juan: Miss, kanina pa ako ikot nang ikot dito sa shop niyo, pero bakit tila wala akong makitang ball pen? Meron ba kayo nun? Saleslady: Naku sir, wala po kaming ball pen dito. Juan: (Medyo inis.) Nakakabuwisit naman itong tindahang ito. Penshop walang ball pen. Puro damit at pabango. Buwisit talaga!

NEW BABY
With all the new technology regarding fertility, a 75-year-old woman was able to give birth to a baby recently. When she was discharged from the hospital and went home, various relatives came to visit. May we see the new baby?, one of them asked. Not yet, said the mother. Ill make coffee and we can visit for a while rst.

January 15, 2013

27

A good beginning

W
In The Trenches

orty years is a lifetime, and the bumps and detours made the years interesting. Four decades ago, I donned my student nursing cap for the last time. Since then there have been many changes that affected my profession. Some are obvious nursing caps and white uniforms went the way of the nuns habit. Even the OR greens became pinks and blues and even lavenders. Other changes needed more attention. Fifteen years ago I applied at Fairfax Hospital as a staff nurse. The children were grown and didnt need my brand of mothering anymore. I was summarily rejected and was told to go back to school. That was the end of my career. My nursing class will celebrate a milestone this year, our Ruby Anniversary. I was asked to write the introduction to the yearbook. To the younger generation of nurses, the following account would seem strange and alien, and may even sound like ction. The stress and anxiety of those years have taken on a romantic quality. But we were serious and took pride in the years we spent in the trenches, so to speak. ~~~~~~~~~ Forty Years of Life Well Lived Part I Today is a beautiful day. And with that joyful statement from our 73 Annual editor-inchief, Margie Fernandez, we left our alma mater to conquer the world. We were so full of ambition and good cheer. A dozen years later, our school, our home for three years, was closed down and became a footnote in history. I am feeling wistful for the days when punctuality and keeping our caps well starched and our uniforms perfectly ironed were our main concerns. Let us go back in time and revisit that period of our young lives. I dusted off the accumulation of neglect from my copy of that yearbook, and while going through it, I came across a photo of the faculty inside their meeting room. Four decades ago we entered this room and met them for the rst time. It was the day of the face-to-face interview. Whoever thought of the staging was a genius. We were made to enter from the far end, walk over

to the center of the oval room, sit down and face the interrogators. It felt more like facing a ring squad. The nal cut was culled from that batch of interviewees. We were going to be internas (interns) and would stay in the dorm for the next three years. A laundry list of must-haves was mailed to us several weeks before school started. Even the number of bed sheets, toothpaste, and underwear was spelled out. There were 90 incoming freshmen, nine of whom were men. They were allowed to be externs, to live outside the dorm. The U-shaped dormitory housed the 81 women candidates. Beds were lined up one next to the other, very much like a hospital ward from the old war movies. The next three years would be a test of patience and adaptability. We shared bathroom facilities with showers that didnt have individual stalls. Privacy was non-existent. It was dorm-hell. To be continued. Eventually we all settled down to a routine. We were given a schedule to follow. Meal times and study times were clearly marked. A student proctor was assigned by the resident dorm-mother whom we all called Maruja. Chiffoniers (fancy name for the bureaus that housed the sum of our worldly possessions) were routinely checked for neatness and orderliness. We learned how to change bed sheets and pillow cases without the linens coming close to our faces. Hospitals are hotbeds for germs and diseases so we took those lessons seriously. The sheets were tucked rmly, with crisp triangles. There ought to be no give when Clinical Instructors (CIs) pulled the fabric from the middle of the bed. Who can forget the howls of indignation and pain as we learned and practiced how to give injections on one another? I was glad to partner with a levelheaded classmate. She and I sailed through one session without too much pain. Some had to repeat the procedure to the chagrin of their unlucky partners. We used Vitamin B12 which was quite painful. Student nurses were made to rotate to the different oors which housed the different

e prayed for a good beginning or a better continuation of what was last year. But if for some unknown reasons, we dont get what we hoped for, Ill settle for a peaceful year. On the other hand, a perfect year would be wonderful to ask for, but its just a wishful thought, not realistic and quixotic. Winter time brought us the beauty of Christmas, but it was also the season of the u which dampened the spirit and diminished the energy level of numerous people at the start of the New Year. Close friends and some others were down sick not only because of this malady but because of other ailments as well family, some relatives and even myself included. Was last year too tiring and stressful for most of us? Did we pay enough attention to our health and medical issues? Did we commit to a healthier life-style? Of course, there are hundred other reasons that could have contributed to these medical challenges. As the year progress with hope and condence, things will get better. We should not lose hope!

December is a busy month for us as we prepare for celebrating Christmas with our families, friends, the community and others, even at place of work. It is a tradition that we kept and believed in and theres nothing that will stop us from doing the gazillion things connected to the event. The Christmas season over, we just take a little break and have some personal quiet to time to relax. Were so used to self-inducing relaxation tactics that make us return back to normalcy faster. Without much ado, this is our common and simple way of coping with the experience of familiar seasonal frenzied activities. Then we forget how we did it until next December.

2012 That Was!

Last year was not exactly an ideal year for many people in the East Coast where we are. Mother Nature was not that kind to numerous places and the people like in New Jersey, New York, some states along the coast line, Washington D.C. and its suburbs. Other negative and evil forces also forced their way to what we considered as a safe haven for our children, like the school ground in Connecticut. House res also happened and loss of lives and limbs in some other places. Many people are without jobs and according to the media reports, food stamps distributed arose to alarming high in numbers. There were convictions to and we have one pairing that survived. But close proximity created an atmosphere of familiarity that didnt lend itself well to romantic love. We looked forward to rest and recreation and worked hard to earn enough points for weekend passes. Without them we were banned from going home to eat decent meals or having dates with boyfriends. Shrieks of dismay were heard early in the week, not only for the dreaded demerits, but for those tell-tale signs of romance wreckers budding pimples. The Trat-less Club, those without tratos (steadies) wore their badge of honor with dignity and self-deprecating humor. Those were the good old days. Those years forged friendships that would last a lifetime. There were several reunions that occurred in the interim but an

Seasonal Stress
We all have stress in our lives at different times and to varying degrees. What is stress? Often stress is perceived as threatening or challenging to our personal well-being, family, loved ones, nances, work, or social standing. The physical and emotional damage caused by stress can make us miserable, but, oddly enough, we often arent even aware that we are under stress. The signs and symptoms of stress are so familiar to us that we simply accept them as part and parcel of our lives. For example, the month of departments: Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Surgical, Medical, and so on. One rotation was to the Central Supply Department (CS). While there, we fashioned cotton balls from large cotton squares; cleaned OR (Operating Room) instruments; even straightened and sharpened previously used hypodermic needles. They were placed inside cavernous sterilization machines. The thought of reusing sharps make me uneasy now. Our nine male classmates enjoyed the attention of 81 feminine sister-mothers. They endured pinches and pokes and jives and jabs. One exchange with a male classmate left us outraged. Classify this. He dared. What do you mean classify? we asked, completely caught off-guard. Is an erect penis a muscle or a bone? Romance bloomed for a few,

city council ofcers in Washington, D.C. but importantly, the bigger issue of cliff hangers still lingers on unresolved, also the nagging issues of raising taxes, uncontrolled government spending and unlimited debt ceiling. These are what we see in the TV news the moment we turn it on in the morning non-stop the whole day till the night time news. International media reporting involving the death of our ambassador to Syria and three other Americans and how our government handled the matters likewise are still very alive in the TV news. As a relief, the option to watch other TV programs is of value. There are times when I just switch the channels to various entertaining shows like the pet show, cooking , talk shows (not the trash ones, though), old musical and family movies and geographic museum. For many of us, this news plus our own personal or family challenges are kind of overwhelming. Thank God, many are blessed with a sense of resiliency which, BTW, Filipinos are mostly naturally gifted with. We are also lucky to be endowed with enough fortitude in the face of adversities in life.

Beyond Today
Well, theres this inspiration that goes Behind the cloudy skies, theres the ray of sun peeping through. With faith and hope I believe in this

Continued on page 31
important one is coming soon. Our Ruby Celebration and Jubilee is January 24-27, 2013. It will give us the chance to be with our classmates once more. I cant wait. Decades would disappear; wrinkles, and sags, and weight gained would be ignored. And our conversations would be resumed and picked up where we left off. We have reached the age of enlightenment and wisdom our sixth decade in this beautiful world. But judging from the messages and texts and emails that ew fast and furious during the days leading up to our jubilee, we have not lost our sense of wonder. We have remained full of life and mischief that will carry us through any travails fate might deign to throw our way. Happy 40th dear classmates! Myrna Montera Lopez

28 Editorial

January 15, 2013

Coming: More cliffs

President Obama has expressed elation over the speedy action by Congress to avoid the tax scal cliff. He is also happy that the bill that helps the middle class and grows the economy had received bipartisan support. The people hailed the compromise agreement and the stock market reacted by the spectacular upsurge in the price of stocks. However, despite the success in avoiding this scal cliff, more signicant cliffs confront the 113th Congress and the White House this year. These are the budget, the debt limit and government expenditures. Congress may be willing to raise the debt limit so the government will not default on its debts. But it has indicated it will only do so if theres also a drastic reduction in government expenditures. In the middle of this cliffs are entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the ogging horses of most conservative members of Congress. Filams are also worried over these cliffs. The reason is that many of them, particularly senior citizens who depend on these programs, will be affected. They are in favor of drastically reducing government expenditures to solve the decit. But they also want a drastic revision of the tax code that contains a lot of loopholes for those who could afford to pay more. Some are even in favor of raising the Social Security pension age limit and cut the amount paid to rich SS recipients. Like millions of Americans, Filams hope that a combination of both Democratic and Republican proposals can result in a compromise that will prevent the US from toppling over these more serious cliffs.

Star

Washington Tsismis

Taon ng mga ahas

Ugh, its a New Year. And this the year of the snake, taon ng mga ahas. Therefore, my dear followers, beware of the snakes in our mists. I am referring to the snakes that smile in front of you and then stab you at the back. This type of snakes, according to one Tsismoso, is still alive and well among the older generation of Pinoys abroad. I hope the younger generation will discard this habit, adds a Tsismoso. I am sure everybody knows who are the snakes in our midst. A Tsismoso reporter likes to tell everyone about a young leader who looks like an angel but acts like a snake. He is well known because he initiates various advocacy programs. When other leaders, including government ofcials, refuse to do his bidding, he turns against them. And when a program, also run by other groups succeeds, he claims 100 percent credit for it. And when it fails, he attacks those who failed to help him. Even US ofcials are not spared. When erstwhile friends and supporters he had ogged in the past for not helping him dies, he is quick to claim that he was very close to them. *** Suggestion from one Tsismoso: Perhaps, some Chinese oracles should come up with a new symbol for the new year. Probably Taon ng mga talangka! (Year of the crabs). This is a familiar refrain among overseas Filipino businessmen and women who compete with each other to the death. In fact, this is the reason why many Filipino American restaurants, at least in the greater Washington D.C. area, have failed because of their destructive competition. Instead of praising the entrepreneurs for undertaking the risky venture, they spread rumors about how expensive the food is or that some of the foods served are leftovers from the previous day. They dont seem interested in seeing a fellow Pinoy succeed in business. *** Why is it that there are only a few local Filipino organizations that dominate the spotlight? asked one visiting water snake. For the newcomer in Washington D.C., one would think only 2 or 3 groups stand out because they are very visible in the media. Tsismosos reply: Pare, actually there are about a hundred groups in existence in the DC area. They prefer to be out of the limelight because they fear that going public would only lead to rivalries or destructive competition. Tahimik lang kami, no yabang, no mistake, says one president of a group.We dont want publicity. They either lead to rivalries among the ofcers or worse, the splitting of the organization by other leaders who also want publicity. *** Do you know that there are still Filipino youth in America who stick to Filipino traditions? One of them is mano po. This tradition is still in existence in the US. One Pinoy was recently stunned when a young boy, born in the US, grabbed his right hand and put it on his forehead and blurted, Mano po. Its a way of showing respect for their elders. In the Philippines, this practice comes during Christmas, particularly in the provinces. In urban areas, the sign of respect is to greet and say goodbye to your elders by kissing them on the cheeks. At every family gathering I greet ALL my elders with a kiss and give them a goodbye kiss as well. Mano po and greeting elders with a kiss are two of the most popular Filipino traditions. While the mano po is no longer populsr in the US, the kiss on the cheek remains. I attended a family affair recently in which about one hundred people were related to each other, from the rst to the fourth or fth degree. The result was a kissing spectacle. Another sign of respect is Po. When speaking to an elder, the youngun must show respect by adding the word Po at the end of a sentence. For example, thank you would be thank you, po. In tagalog, salamat means thank you. To an elder you would say salamat po. The word po doesnt really have a meaning but adds formality as a sign of respect. In the US, some Pinoys have changed Po to Sir. For some, the reason is that it is difcult to curse an elder. P... I.. M...Po! Or salbahe ka, Po. Some old people do not want to be called Po in public. The reason is that they dont want people to know that he is already that old. *** Americans are often stunned when they attend a Filipino birthday party in

Continued on page 31

January 15, 2013

Opinion 29

No big deal

S
Transitions

ts the rst Monday of January and Im standing in the cold waiting for the N4 bus to take me downtown where thousands of other stiffs like me labor all day to make money. I had missed an earlier one by a few seconds. But as Ive been wont to do in recent months, I dont dash madly anymore to catch the bus. Theres always the next one, I say to myself. Ive learned to slow down. As I wait, the thought occurs to me that my daily commutes will soon end. In a few days, Ill be departing from my cubicle on the fourth oor of the AFSCME building for good. No more waking up to alarm clocks. No more dressing up and reporting for work. Although how that would actually look like in real life is fanciful only inside my head. Its taking a while for the bus to arrive. My mind wanders off and I ruminate. A little bit like the Roman god Janus who is usually depicted with having two heads that face in opposite directions (and for which January is named), Im looking back and looking forward at the same time. Back to the year that just departed and to a work life of nearly 50 years. And forward to a year thats just unfolding and to a period of which Im only certain of one thing: it simply lies ahead. Janus, for which January is named, is also god of doors, gates, doorways, bridges and passageways, all of which symbolize beginnings and endings. Next to Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and revelry, Janus is my kind of guy who has a way of putting things in perspective. Especially after the wine. But not having two heads, literally speaking, I turn to the right to catch a last glimpse of the bus thats quickly disappearing, then I strain to the left to see if the next ones coming. Theres a certain distance of time and space in between. Perhaps thats where it lies, the larger truth about this moment, this transitional time of coming and going, of departing and arriving. The going-to-work routine, of course, has its built-in rhythm, its rituals that give meaning to the term labor. Its what has sustained me, not just in the last 12 at AFSCME, the three years

before at NaFFAA, the prior 30 at GWU and American University, and still before that a one year stint right after college knocking on doors to sell vacuum cleaners. I had no idea then where that would lead me, let alone what will become of me. I only realized years later that the sales job prepared me well for the uncertainties of getting a regular paycheck. And now it seems Ive come full circle. I started working as an employee knocking on doors to get someone to purchase a product, and now Im closing it out after six weeks on the road, in the waning months of my tenure at AFSCME, knocking on doors to get the same afrmation, this time for a cause. In either case, I had to ght for something. Theres a stake in either choice, a consequence for me and for them. In both cases, I have to believe in my heart, soul and mind that Im doing the right thing. For good or ill, each workplace transforms you. And you, in some measure, also transform it. Along the way Ive learned that at each stage, after one door closes, another one opens. Even if after the knock, theres only silence or a slam in your face. The N4 bus nally arrives. As it rambles through trafc along Massachusetts Avenue, my mind continues to wander back and forth. In 20 minutes Im walking the two blocks to the AFSCME building in unhurried pace, climbing 52 steps upstairs, turning my computer on to start my own amazing race. At six oclock, evening rituals take over. I turn off the computer, head for the exits, surrendering myself to what remains of another busy day. Of course what happens in between arriving and leaving is the stuff that either makes us legends in our time, or in our mind. In a few days, having no reason to set wastebaskets on re, Ill be climbing the 52 steps downstairs for the last time. Out the exit door. Down the streets Ive always walked before. Reme Grefalda, a poet and a friend, sums it up for me this way: There is a will out there, greater than ours that insists we play. It tells us that we try too

o you think the made in Washington deal to avert the scal cliff actually averted the scal cliff? We are made to believe that the scal cliff is the tipping point between economic ruin and recovery. Is the economic health of America better off after the compromise agreement hammered between the Obama administration and the congressional Republicans than before it was made? The scal cliff is an offshoot of the massive federal debt to the tune of $17.4 trillion in 2013, more than one third of which was incurred in the four years of the Obama administrations unfettered decit spending. The White House and Congress was supposed to come up with a formula that would close the gap between revenue and spending lest America suffer the fate of Greece when government spending like there is no tomorrow nally brought home the reality that it cannot be sustained forever. Here is the deal- more taxes and more spending. Will it reduce the federal debt and narrow the gap between revenue and spending? Hardly. While the legislation will increase the tax rates for individuals making $400,000.00 and couples making more than

$450,000.00, it is coupled with new spending which will add nearly $4 trillion to the decit in the next ten years according to the Congressional Budget Ofce. In other words, the medicine administered to cure the sick patient will make the patient sicker. Instead of moving away from the scal cliff, the political spending addicts just cannot wean themselves from the thrill of irting with disaster. The way things are going, we dont need to elect people with high IQ. Lets try electing dummies who do not have the imagination to ruin the economy with good intentions. After the deal was sealed in Congress, Pres. Barack Obama made a victory lap for delivering on his promise to tax the rich. Yes, indeed. Those individuals earning over $400,000.00 and couples earning more than $450,000.00 will have to fork more in income taxes. But wait a

minute, what Pres. Obama does not talk about is that the rest of the taxpayers will see their net pay shrink. Social Security taxes will go back up because the tax deal did not extend the temporary tax holiday on Social Security taxes granted in 2011. For low income earners, they will really feel the nancial pinch. *** The massacre of grade school pupils in Connecticut has again sparked a debate on sensible gun control legislation. From Columbine to Virginia Tech and the Tucson, Arizona and Connecticut shootings, the common elements are high powered guns in the hands of the mentally deranged. Balancing the right to bear arms of law abiding citizens and the need to keep guns from irrational individuals is no simple matter. Not all people who act

Continued on page 31

Im PROGun

Continued on page 31

season supposedly devoted to peace and hope has been marred by one heart-wrenching tragedy after another. The Sandy Hook school shooting a week before Christmas threw the nation into a different kind of crisis as people wrestled with the perils of gunenabled lunacy. Twenty school children and six adult staff members were mowed down by a 20-year-old loner who had earlier murdered his own mother in her sleep. Last July, a masked gunman killed 12 people and wounded 58 others when he red on moviegoers at a Batman lm showing in Aurora, Colorado. Seven people were killed in an attack on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin after a man mistook them to be Muslims. Two others were killed in a Portland mall shooting just 4 days before the Sandy Hook tragedy. Seven-year-old Stephanie Nicole Ella was watching the New Year reworks with her family outside their home in Kalookan City when she was struck a bullet on the head. Stray bullets have claimed lives in almost every New Years celebration in the Philippines.

This tragedy is a sobering reminder of how a reprehensible act from a thoughtless individual can rob our people, particularly our children, of their futures, Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a statement. For such a promising life to be lost in such a senseless way puts the burden on all of us to make certain that this tragedy is not repeated. Despite well-publicized campaigns to deter celebratory gunre to augur the coming year, the fact that very few have been caught, much less punished, only ensures the deadly practice continues. These incidents sparked intensive debate on the challenges of private gun ownership. In the United States, this is guaranteed by the 2nd amendment (the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed). The Philippines does not have the same prohibition, and gun ownership is viewed as a

privilege, not a right. Still, it is also governed by cultural norms, especially in Mindanao where masculinity is often measured more by the caliber of ones weapon than his testosterone level. Thats the biggest reason, no campaign to gather these weapons ever succeeded even at the peak of Martial Law in the 1970s. We are unabashedly PROgun. No, we dont believe in unconditional, unmitigated gun ownership that would truly be a scary proposition. PRO-Gun is a group in the Philippines that promotes Peaceful and Responsible Ownership of Guns (hence the acronym. Imposing new and additional regulations for gun ownership could be equally dangerous. But aside from the mandated pre-sale background checks, we see little effort to recognize that rights are always counter-

Continued on page 31

30
Immigration Notes

January 15, 2013

VISA PRIORITY DATES FOR THE PHILIPPINES JANUARY 2013 FAMILY-SPONSORED PREFERENCES First: Unmarried sons/daughters of US citizens Dec. 22, 1997 Second: A: Spouses/minor children of permanent residents: Sep. 22, 2010 B: Unmarried sons/daughters 21 years of age or older of permanent residents Apr. 15, 2002 Third: Married sons/daughters of citizens Aug. 08, 1992 Fourth: Brothers/sisters of citizens Apr. 15, 1989 EMPLOYMENT-BASED PREFERENCES First: Priority workers Current Second: Professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability Jan. 01, 2012 Third: Skilled workers, professionals Aug. 15, 2006 Other Workers Aug. 15, 2006 Fourth: Current Certain Religious Workers Unavailable Fifth: Employment creation/ (Million or half-million dollar investor) Current
depending on the length of unlawful presence. In order avoid the three or ten-year bar, the alien needs to obtain a waiver of inadmissibility from the Department of State. This requires a showing that the US citizen relative will suffer extreme hardship as a result of the separation from the alien. Under the old procedure, the application is led at a foreign consular ofce after the alien has exited the US. If disapproved, the alien would be stranded in his home country and separated from his family in the U.S. The new rule change will allow the ling and determination of the merits of the waiver application in the US without requiring the alien to exit while the waiver is in process. It does not alter or lower the standard of proof required for a showing of extreme hardship. What does this mean to

By: J. G. Azarcon, Esq.

Provisional waiver processing Mindless on New Years Eve

MANILA he debris on this citys streets, mainly in residential areas, was super thick in the aftermath of the New Years Eve revelry with the traditional reworks. Its yet another sign of the self-destructive behavior of Filipinos. Driving home from a preNew Year dinner and countdown, many streets were nearly impassable because of the riot of recracker festivities. Debris and assorted pyrotechnic paraphernalia were left abandoned on the ground, in the middle of streets, neglected by irresponsible reveling residents, waiting for the morning streetsweepers. This kind of mindless and inconsiderate behavior is typical here. Besides the half-hour or hour of recracking mania at the crack of the new year, people go to public parks in anticipation of the annual transition to a brandnew year and leave tons of garbage. Food droppings, plastic wrappings and all kinds of rubbish are left behind, with the culprits unmindful of the sanitary and environmental effects of their thoughtlessness, not to mention the effects on cleanliness and public order. Gun owners, usually of unlicensed ones, re their weapons in the air during the midnight countdown at New Years. Every year, the authorities warn people, including and especially the police and military, not to re their guns to ring in the new year. Being typically hardheaded Filipinos, many gun lovers disregard the governments ban on ring weapons. Tragically, this year a precious seven-year old girl in suburban Caloocan City got hit from such a stray bullet from New Year revelers and died the following day at hospital. A boy in Mandaluyong City met the same fate. And on New Years Day another gun owner just went berserk and shot seven people to death and injured several others. To think that this year the government, led by the Department of Health, spearheaded an insistent campaign to dissuade people from buying and lighting recrackers because of the risk they pose to revelers, specially inexperienced children. Despite the noted reduction in the use of recrackers this year because

of the governments warnings, close to 1,000 people, including many kids, still got hurt, losing their ngers and worse. People here are simply hardheaded. Theres something peculiar with Filipinos social behavior. We seem to do what the government wants us not to do. Filipinos hate rules, we like to disobey the law. Maybe its our way of getting back at government, or more precisely at politicians, whom we perceive as our oppressors and abusers. Disobeying the law is our equivalent to raising our middle nger at the government, of retaliating against our abusers. Its self-destructive behavior. People litter everywhere, oblivious to general public order. Cigarette butts, candy wrappers, discarded food and many other unwanted objects are thrown indiscriminately around. Theyre what the American writer James Fallows called signs of a awed society. Filipinos couldnt care less about common public areas. Often, they dont even care how their own surroundings are maintained. If its not ours, then its not our concern. Call it a lack of love for ones own, a lack of a sense of community, a lack of civic responsibility. Thats the Filipino way. Go to a public restroom here and you will instantly feel a strong need to get out immediately because of the overpowering stench and the uncleanliness of the place. Ironically, most Filipinos are known to be fastidious and particular about the way their own homes look (and smell!). And yet public facilities are the opposite. Even in some expensive places like hotels and restaurants their facilities are not at all hygienic. There is a deliberateness in this behavior of Filipinos. Its intentional. Rebelliousness, antisocial, anti-authority, contrariness or whatever, Filipinos do it on purpose. Filipinos drive recklessly and inconsiderately by intention. We park anywhere we like and dont mind if that would inconvenience the public. We litter on purpose. We vandalize public areas and facilities. We leave our own garbage for ies,

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

Continued on page 31

In Memoriam

Continued on page 31

housands turned out Saturday (Jan. 5), at the Jesuit cemetery in Novaliches, for the burial of Fr James Reuter: teacher, counselor, communicator, Filipino --- and priest. More could not make it. He was 96. Allow us to pay tribute to this friend. Start with the reaction of our daughter Maria Lourdes who was a grade school student when martial law was declared...) Fr Reuter waited for me until our St Paul third grade class was dismissed, Malou recalls .. There were 22 of us journalists. detained under the rst wave of martial law arrests. Not everyone in prison is bad, he gently said. Your father and other newsmen are not criminals. They were doing their jobs. That was four decades back. Malou is a lawyer, who lives in California with her physician husband and two kids. On hearing of Fr Jims passing, she emailed. He touched many lives, including mine. Jim Reuter joined the Jesuits, as a 22-year old novice, in Pennsylavnia. In 1938, he arrived in the Philippines . He tauight at Ateneo de Manila and Naga. When war broke out, the Japa-

nese military jailed him, with 2,154 other Americans, in Los Banos After ordination at Maryland in 1946, Fr Reuter returned to the Philippines . He became, a priest whose parish was stage, radio, printing press, shooting lot, dressing room, directors booth, the theatre. He spent years as spokesman for the Catholic Bishops Conference. That work led to confrontation with the Marcos censors. Military Intelligence Security Group shut down Signs of the Times. Fr Reuter edited this newsletter for religious groups. Death of a Cobbler reported military torture of an ordinary citizen. Fr Reuter found himself under house arrest. Fr Jim downplayed his role in supporting People Power by getting the underground Radyo Bandido on the air. That sta-

tion came on the air after President Ferdinand Marcos men blew up Catholic station Radio Veritas. Information is democracys oxygen. He secured dzRJ transmitters and hitchhiked that on Veritas frequency of 840. Anchored by June Keithley, Radyo Bandido became nerve center for reports on the Yellow Revolution. Pope John Paul II cited him for faithfully and courageously upholding truth, justice and integrity in Catholic Communications. Thousands got a helping hand from Fr Jim. He weighed in for them in his column At Three AM.. But failing health led to his connement at a hospital he helped to build: Our Lady of Peace in Paranaque. On May 18, 2009, he wrote his last At Three Am column

Continued on page 31

January 15, 2013

31
quarterback RG III and the pesky once upon a time unknown runner Alfred Morris have made watching football exciting again. Finally we are seeing the dawn of a new football era and if 2012 is any indication, we will be looking forward to Sunday afternoons in the coming season. The Redskins has just served us a sweet and sour menu. It was sweet when they delivered 10-6 at the end of the regular season after they were practically written off as dead. It was sour when they stumbled in defeat at the playoffs with RG III obviously hampered by an injured knee. Hail to the Redskins! rection. The better to feel that change of rhythm all around. Transitions are best when weve learned, as T.S. Elliott puts it, to care and not to care, and to accept the notion that no matter where we are in life, things sometimes fall up. Surprise, surprise! Send your comments to jonmele@aol.com way. How then to explain that there are many bright Filipinos around? Is it because there are too few of them, compared to the total population, to make a difference? Or is it because theyre not being used the right way in order to create and maintain a stable and smooth-functioning state, bureaucracy and citizenry? Whatever is the cause, we had better nd a solution before its too late. Despite President Benigno Aquino IIIs efforts to reform government, social behavior and peoples attitudes, his exertions will not be able to turn the country around. Habits and attitudes are too set to be changed. Certainly not in six years, or even a decade. At best, the President can only repair the small dents on the ship of state. But an entire overhaul will take a herculean attempt involving the next several heads of state. Meantime, we had better clean up our streets and general environs, and nurse our mutilated ngers and limbs from the wild revelry of New Years Eve. a visa interview abroad. Those who could not tolerate a long separation may just decide to forego with the visa interview abroad and continue to live in limbo status in the U.S. if the provisional waiver is denied. This is the main benet that the rule change brings in addition to the promised shorter processing time.

No big deal... from page 29

weird erupt into violence. Keeping high powered guns off the market may limit the number of casualties but not necessarily avert mayhem. For sure, disarming responsible citizens is not the solution. A Georgia mother working at home with kids will attest to this. On Jan. 4, she heard knocks on her door. She told her twin sons not to open but the stranger keep ringing the doorbell. When she noticed that the man tried to forcibly open the door with a crowbar, she instructed her sons to hide in a crawl space. She telephoned her husband who then called 911 after telling his wife to hide. The stranger broke the door open and ended up in the home ofce where the woman was hiding inside the closet. When the intruder opened the closet door, he was greeted by gunshots. The terried mother red six shots that hit the face and neck of the intruder. The intruder survived and was taken to the hospital. The mother and her two sons are safe. End of the story. *** It was fun while it lasted. It has been like ages when Washingtonians felt the highs brought by Redskin fever. The coming of

Im PRO-Gun ... from page 29

weighed by responsibility. Responsibility entails a conviction that violence is always the last resort, safety is the paramount concern, that a gun is meant to protect life and this extends to ensuring that the Adam Lanzas or Seung Chos in our society would never be able get their hands on one. Guns are obviously falling to the wrong hands and they dont even have a rap sheet.

Washington Tsismis... from page 28

which all the guests appeared to be related to each other. An American once asked a friend why a card said: Happy birthday, Ate Lisa! Who ate Lisa? he asked, stunned. I had to explain to him that Ate meant sister or an aunt in the family. *** Again, one of Tsismosos American friend recently expressed surprised to see large extended families living under one roof. One married daughter along with her husband and their child was living with her parents. Also living at the same house was the 22-year-old son who was working in an ofce and a daughter who was in college. It is a Filipino tradition. Unlike in the United States where children leave the home after nishing high school or college, Filipino children often continue living with their parents until they are married or even after they are married.

Transitions... from page 29

hard and in our tired struggle to efciently control our lives, we lose touch with all that is whimsical and creative in us. I am a sucker at such Insistence: I therefore play. This, and every creative endeavor in the past, is a homage to that Greater Will who allows us my friends and I to sustain our playfulness and to nd time for that change of rhythm within our busy lives. When that new door opens, I will be just as curious and careful walking in, expecting the unexpected as always, albeit with trepidation. All I know is Ive learned to slow down, not so much as biological imperative as to engage in the art of insur-

Mindless on New Years... from page 30

rats and other vermin to feast in public areas like street corners and sidewalks. Gosh, we even pee in public against walls, electric posts and other convenient structures. People one would think would be more responsible in their social behavior are equally guilty. Besides the general lack of cleanliness, many establishments operate illegally, without proper permits or government inspection. Illegal wares are sold openly, including pirated CDs and other merchandise. Bus operators send out eets of vehicles that are not properly licensed, many times bearing fake license plates or duplicates of plates attached to other vehicles that ply the roads simultaneously. The violations are willful and in-your-face! Where will all this behavior take us? Unless and until Filipinos work together as a nation of lawabiding citizens, nothing will come out of any effort by the government to build the country into a strong, vibrant and wellfunctioning state. Until we work together to build a strong, cohesive and united country, we will never succeed in nation-building. Until everyone of us carries our weight in the traditional and admirable Filipino system of bayanihan or united effort, we will never mature into a viable, vigorous and respected nation. Ive often quoted the apt self-discovery by the comic character Pogo, who exclaimed: We have met the enemy and they is us! We are truly our own enemy. We can no longer blame the Spaniards, the Americans or even the Japanese for being what we are today. Them guys have been gone a long time and weve been on our own many years. Whatever we are today is the product of what weve done to ourselves, to our country, to our reputation, even to our psyche. We are a awed society because we made ourselves so, theres no one else to blame. We are self-destructive. The masochist in us enjoys the selfagellation. We claim to be an intelligent people, but if we are, then how explain what weve done to ourselves, what weve become? Maybe were bright in many ways except for the right

and we should. Yesterday is not forever. We learn from it as we embrace the moment. Tomorrow is another day, inspirational or philosophical, it is true. From an unknown author, I quote: After the darkness, the daylight shines through, After the showers, the rainbows in view, After lifes heartaches, there comes from above The peace and comfort of our creators healing love.

A good beginning... from page 27

As the New Year progress, life goes on leading us to our different pathways where we evolve and revolve personal and family, work, relatives, friends and community. I also learned of this important piece of medical advice at the start of the year: We must take care of ourselves rst and foremost for the simple reason that we cannot extend help to others even to our family if we are sick. Does it make sense to you?

In Memoriam... from page 30

I am ten days away from my 93rd birthday. God has been kinder to me than I deserve, giving me such a rich life, in such a beautiful country, among such gentle people. I have been thanked for giving my life to the Philippines. Whenever we visited Manila , wed drop by Our Lady of Peace Hospital and chat with Father Jim. The last visit was when he marked diamond anniversary of making his rst vows in the Society of Jesus. Bob Hope said 75 candles on his birthday cake made it look like Los Angeles airport runway, I crack. Overhead, a jet makes its nal landing approach for the Manila airport. Its whine drowns out our laughter. We recalled years he spent in World War II concentration camp. Hard labor, short rations (two ounces of rice in the morning and two ounces at night.) constant threats marked the next three years -until liberated. That taught me three most important things in life, he wrote. Breakfast, dinner and supper. Clothed in rags, the prisoners shufed barefoot, vulnerable to hookworms and disease. Shanghai Lil had a checked career, Fr Jim recalls. In Barracks 20, detained Maryknoll sisters befriended her. Noticing a nuns shoes falling apart, Shanghai Lil gave her red nightcluib shoes. You have no permission to refuse, the nuns superior said.. Take the shoes. In Febrauary 1945, Filipino guerrillas assaulted Los Banos as US Eleventh Airborne paratroops dropped four hundred meters from the camp. All guards were killed in 11 minutes.: Then, a tall black paratrooper stood in the door: If you folks would get out into the road, were plannin to evacuate you all in a lil while, he drawled.The late Fr Leo Cullum distributed remaining consecrated hosts as the chapel caught re. The nuns ran past us to their Amtrak. So did Shanghai Lil and her friend, the Maryknoll sister, holding hands. We could see the red shoes ying. Fr Reuter employed his gifts as writer, theatrical director, and broadcaster, but most of all as teacher,the Magsaysay Award reads. ( He made) the performing arts and mass media a vital force for good in the Philippines . Thanks for the life lessons Father Jim .

Provisional waiver... from page 30

somebody who walked across the border without a visa, worked under the shadows for years and married a US citizen? Many of them do not risk departing the US for a visa interview in their home country for fear that the waiver will not be granted. That would mean a long separation from their spouse and children in the US, unless their immediate family will choose to join them abroad. With the procedural change, the alien will know in advance if his waiver application is approved or denied before he makes a decision to appear for

32

January 15, 2013